A New Year, A New Start

Happy 2011!!

I've been thinking about this for quite some time now. I felt that in the past year, with the launch of Treehouse Artisan Sweets, I've moved away from blogging for personal reasons, to blogging more and more about the business. I know that you've noticed how seldom I post anything here in the past year; I have so many things to say, but I just felt that this wasn't the right space to convey them anymore.

I started 5 Types of Sugar as a journal to document my adventures in the sweet kitchen. Along the way, I've learnt a great deal. I'm still doing a great deal of recipe development and testing, but they are all for the business now. The thing about owning a seasonal cake/pastry business is that you're constantly challenged by the abundance of fruits and ingredients out there. This is what I do it for--the constant evolution of my products from season to season; each new season better than the last, as I also learn, gradually, more and more things about the incredible produce that I work with.

In the new blog, I hope I'll be able to share more with you---photos from the farmers market, gorgeous produce, links that I want to share with you, things that may not be a full post but will at least let you know what I'm up to.

So thank you for your support so far, and I'll see you on the other side!!

treehouseartisansweets.tumblr.com

The Last of Winter's Offerings before the Bounty of Spring

I had a month off from the market, owing to the Royal Melbourne Show. In that time, I told myself that I would use the free weekends and nights to test out new recipes, update the blog, and do a thousand other productive things. As things normally are around here, however, I have chosen to do all of them during the last week of the month.

Ah, well, it's back to backbreaking work next week.

I thought I'd take this chance to show you the rest of the current range, while it is still as it is. Soon we're going to (hopefully) have the first of spring's bounty, and then everything will change. I can't wait to get out of woollen socks, tights and layers of knits and coats!!

I'll be back at the Showgrounds next Sunday with my treats. See you then??

Some new products and updates...

Honey, Almond and Rosewater Cake

It has been so long since I made an appearance here that it felt a little strange.

As I got better at expressing myself through the flavours that I created, it seemed that I have less and less to write about. Sure, I have thoughts that linger for a while, and sometimes I think that they deserve to be written down, but they never stay as thoughts long enough for me to write about them. My medium of choice these days is baking.

There is less time for reflection when you are constantly on the move; I'm always thinking about how to improve the business, and I have so many ideas that I can't wait to express and realise , that I don't have a lot of time for self contemplation that is the backbone of good writing.

Lime and Yoghurt Cake

But I want to tell you that I am very happy. Sure, I want to move forward (excuse me, Ms. Gillard), but I like where I am at now. Those of you who have been following my tweets would know that I've started trading fortnightly at the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers Market, and let me tell you, I don't think I can be happier or prouder about it.

There, I am part of an amazing community of farmers and producers who put their heart and soul into what they do. And if you haven't been there, or tasted their food yet, trust me when I say that you will be hard pressed to find anything better. I love being at the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers Market so much that when I'm not there, all I could think of is how much I'm missing it. Mind you, I go to the Melbourne Community Farmers Market every Saturday, both to shop and just to be there, but somehow it just feels different when I am on the other side.

Rhubarb Velvet Cake

I relish seeing regulars coming back to get their favourites, and I beam like a proud mama when new faces light up after tasting my cakes. And yes, we have regulars already, despite only having been at the market 3 times so far. I am very touched and pleasantly surprised by how supportive the customers that frequent that market are! And in they come, rain, hail or shine, as proven on the first Sunday of August when the weather was so vile I would not wish it on my worst enemy.

I don't know how many people who are involved at the market actually linked Treehouse back to this blog. (The name is very different, plus as this is a mostly personal blog, I don't actually advertise it as much as I should. Although these days it's getting harder and harder to determine where work ends and life begins.) But I just thought that I should say a BIG thank you to all the customers, fellow stallholders, and market management team that makes the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers Market what it is: a great market that's only going to get better.

PS. I promise that I'll try to take some photos of the market this Sunday.

This is where I've been....

This past month has been a blur for me. The start of a new day job, which I'm really enjoying, for one, took up a substantial amount of physical and mental energy. Any down time that I have has been spent testing numerous recipes, doing research, taking and editing photos, and following up on paperwork and applications.

Finally I am able to unveil what has been taking up the majority of my time as of late. The fruits of my labour, the silver lining in my cloud when things are rough, my pride and my joy.

Those of you familiar to this blog knows that I take a lot of care in testing and developing my recipes. Sometimes all it took was an visual image in my mind to turn it into reality. Such was the espresso, fig and pomegranate cake. Other times, it took a lot of tries and a lot of frustration to reach a point where I am satisfied.

Late Summer Products
(I actually brought them out a month ago, so pardon the slightly out-of-seasonality)

Espresso, Fig and Pomegranate Cake with Butterscotch Sauce

Plum and Quark Cake
(Schulz Organic quark gave this cake a delectable tender and creamy crumb)

Is developing a cake recipe really that challenging? After all, there's a multitude of recipes anywhere you care to look which will readily give up its secrets at the flip of a page or the click of a button.

My cakes are an expression and an extension of myself. I know what I want them to taste like before the batter was made, before the ingredients were weighed. Some were just right the first try. Others required more tweaking, and a stubborn few ended up being axed from my repertoire.

I'm currently working on getting myself a spot at one of the Melbourne Farmers Markets, but I'm at that stage where all I can do is really cross my fingers. Amidst all, I find it imperative for my sanity that I take the time to read. I am attempting to re-educate myself, to strengthen my knowledge about eating and buying sustainably produced food, and the reason for it.

I may have mentioned that Barbara Kingsolver's 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' is one of my favourite books. Ever. Kingsolver's genius lies in her ability to deliver information in engaging and often humorous ways that is always easy to understand. From there, I have branched out to Pollan's 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', a book which many, including both Barbara Kingsolver and Matthew Evans (see next paragraph), have made references to.

My most recent (and favourite) purchase was Matthew Evans' 'The Real Food Companion'. This book is truly a joy to read; something that I wish I had written myself, because, before the publication of said book, I had wished on numerous occasions that someone would write a book that focuses on produce and ingredients as well as the ways to prepare them. Preferably someone who understands Australian produce, and who champions seasonality. And in this book, I got exactly what I had been longing for: a book that explains produce with more than just a passing interest.

Fall/Winter Products
(or part of it, as I'm still testing recipes)

Brown Sugar and Apple CrumblePie

Pear and Milk Chocolate CrumblePie

Vanilla Bean and Maple Persimmon Cake

Honey and Almond Cake
(reminiscent of honey bears/graham crackers, but gluten-free!)

Quince and Rosewater CrumblePie

All that is the reason why I am doing this. Why I am adamant about changing my range with the change of seasons, and why I have to keep testing recipes using new season produce that I find on my weekly jaunts to the farmers' markets. It is not out of pretense that I categorise my produce into ' S/S' and 'F/W', but out of respect for the seasons and what they literally bring to the plate. What started as an interest has bloomed into a full blown love affair with baking and eating seasonally; at present I look forward to each week as new varieties of heirloom apples, pears, quinces, and fresh nuts and citrus go on their way to mark the start of colder weather.

With any luck at all, I may soon be on my way to sharing them with you.

On White Peaches

I love white peaches. They are one of the things that I am going to miss about summer.

In Melbourne, white peaches typically start appearing in late Spring. However beware of those early pickings---they are either petrol guzzlers or early bloomers that could not get enough sun to turn their flesh into nectar. As a result, most of them will turn you off peaches for a long, long time. I pity the person whose first taste of peaches fall at that inopportune of times.

Peaches need the sun, and a bit of heat, to ripen. When I buy my tree ripened (yet still firm) peaches from the farmers' market, I normally leave the whole punnet out by the window for a couple of days. When I see their fuzzy skin start to wrinkle around the top, I know that they are ready for me.

My favourite, as I said, is the white freestone variety. This is the peach, with its white flesh and red pit, that created so much envy among other peaches. More subtle than the flavourful, and sometimes tart yellow variety, the white peach is like the that elegant cousin you see once a year at reunions, whose refined manners you secretly and desperately tried to mimic.

There are many ways to eat a peach. I for one will not be so bold as to instruct you on how to eat yours. However, I hope that you will allow me the indulgence of sharing mine. Dispensing with all cutlery or graceful manners, I eat mine right over the sink. There are few greater pleasures than eating a luscious, ripe peach, and letting its saccharine juices run down your arm to your elbow, catching the droplet with the tip of your finger, and then bringing it to your lips to savour every last bit of summer sunshine.

You can, of course, eat a peach in a more civilised manner, say, sliced and arranged on a plate, or with the skin off, but to me, there just can be no other way. And besides, if you don't tell and I say nothing, this can just stay between us, no?

Valentine's Day Cake

Today I'm here to talk about a cake.

Not just any cake, a cake that is intended for Valentine's Day. A flourless Belgian white chocolate cake, swathed in white chocolate and rosewater buttercream, and topped with pistachios and house-made sugared roses.

In case you are interested, the roses are fully organic; grown, tended and picked from a friend's garden. With love.


What better way to name a cake? White chocolate, Roses, and Love. I could see it even before I made it. And it was all I imagined it to be.

I'm still on a break from the market, so if you are interested in one, please send me an email. The size is 8-cm round (as pictured) ---perfect for a couple to share, or, if you are like me, just enough to eat on my own. I'm still looking into mail order service, so for the moment I can only take Melbourne orders for pick-up from the CBD. Please allow 48 hours minimum for all orders, and last orders must be received by 12 noon on Friday 12 Feb.

The Tale of Avocado---or a Nanaimo Bar with a Twist

Avocado.

Grumpy and (sometimes) wrinkled on the outside, the green of spring within. There are several types available during the warmer months in Melbourne, but my favourite is the round, smooth-skinned Reed. Eating a Reed avocado is as close as you can get to total indulgence. Firmer in texture than the ubiquitous Hass, yet smooth and buttery at the same time, it is a luxury when you can find it.

Most people are surprised when they find out that I eat my avocados sweet. I think it's a South East Asian thing---avocado smoothie was one of the treats I had growing up. I would always order it whenever we sit down to lunch during our weekend expedition to the mall. My mom still makes it for me whenever they are in season when she comes over. 'Australian avocados are so much nicer to eat than the stringy ones we get back home', she said. I have to agree.

Avocado smoothie is essentially composed of condensed milk, avocado, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Before you judge me, let me say that I still find the idea of eating avocado in a savoury dish very strange, the exception being a particular recipe for chicken, celery, avocado and mayo sandwich that I love. Even J, who was skeptical at first when I ordered an avocado smoothie at a local Thai restaurant, fell in love with it at the first sip.

But have you eaten an avocado on its own, without any distracting adornment? Tell me what it tastes like. For me, theres that distinctive nutty taste, followed by the smooth, buttery and creamy texture. But is it salty, or sweet, or sour, or bitter? Maybe I don't have a very refined palate, but it doesn't taste like any of those to me. But therein lies the true value of the avocado. It adds a very desirable texture and a subtle nutty taste without compromising on the harmony of flavours. It is an enhancer; you know that the avocado won't upstage the real star of the show, whatever he/she may be.

Besides, in a world where beets, pumpkin, zuchinni and carrots are made into cakes, and where mangoes, apples and even plums are incorporated into salads and sauces, who's there to judge how I use my avocados?

This preamble was meant as an introduction to my January DB Challenge. This month's challenge was a Canadian treat called the Nanaimo Bar, which is quite similar to the Australian confection called Caramel Slice. I decided to combine the two---creating the traditional Nanaimo Bar base using GF graham crackers (yum!), cocoa powder, and dessicated coconut. I had ran out of Golden Syrup so opted instead for honey. I also reduced the amount of brown sugar used in the recipe by a quarter, having been tipped off by Y about the sweetness of the biscuit.

The middle layer is a result of my love for avocados. I used a traditional caramel slice recipe, where you cook condensed milk to a golden brown, but with my own twist with the addition of avocado puree. I first made this filling about 4 months ago when avocados started coming into season, and even contemplated its inclusion into my summer range. It was good, and I knew that the flavours would work even before I made it because caramel slice contains the exact ingredients it took to make an avocado smoothie: condensed milk and chocolate. The verdict from my co-workers: Yum! Most of them didn't even know there was avocado in it. The green made them think 'pistachio', they said.

But in the end I decided against it because 1. it will most likely be a hard-sell, as people are used to eating avocados in a savoury dish; and 2. I'm very new to the baking business scene, and therefore want to avoid being remembered as 'the strange one who puts avocado in her caramel slice'.

But I think I'll hang on to the recipe, because it is too good to give up on it just yet. And one summer day, it may even make it to my product range.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

My Summer Range is here...

This post is about shameless self-promotion. As much as this was meant as a personal food blog, my website's still being built, so I don't exactly have a destination for these just yet.

January's been quite busy for me---if you're new to the blog, I decided back in 2009 that I was tired of sitting around waiting for opportunities to come, and went on to start my own baking business, albeit on a part-time basis. One of my new year's resolutions was to take this venture as far as I could, and to seize every opportunity that presents itself to me. That would explain how I chose to begin this post.

I'm turning these Crumble Bars into Crumble Pies range --so you can eat
them straight out of your hand.

Sampler Box I created for the cafe people

Part of building the website required me to write a section that describes who we are, and what we stand for. I've written a number of press releases, essays, and papers in the past, but this has to be the most difficult piece I've had to write. First of all it made me look into the set of values that I personally want for the business, plucking them up from the chaotic abyss of my thoughts and then stringing them into pretty little sentences to make my ideas comprehensible. Second of all, it's a deeply personal thing, putting my heart and soul out for judgment. I mean, should I even be writing this way for this business-related post? Am I digging a deeper hole when I mix business with personal, emotions with ambition? My position as the owner of a tiny business trying to make a dent in the big world makes me vulnerable enough to scrutiny. Do I really need this?

But then I think back to all the blogs that I love, and I thought about why I, and thousands others, keep going back to those same ones. And I realise that it is because the writers of those blogs don't just post about things----they post about emotions. The ups, the downs, the good, the not-so-good, and sometimes the truly awful. They give their readers a chance to know who they are. So to hell with it.

On another note, I'd like to make mention of the process I undergo to create each product that you see in the photos. I know that I'm not the only person who's jumped on the 'fresh, seasonal and local produce' bandwagon, but there's a difference between working with seasonal produce for the sake of working with it, to actually taking the time to study and develop suitable ways to best showcase their extraordinary quality.

I never simply place a piece of poached fruit on top of a pound cake and call it a new product. If I ever do that, you can be rest assured that it is the best way to enjoy that cake, and because we would have explored and tested other ways, only to find that to be the most ideal. Even though I am young and still have so many things to learn---about produce as well as the pastry arts---I take the word 'artisan' in Treehouse Artisan Sweets very seriously. I can only hope others will too.

Gingerbread House and Christmas Memories

I remember my first memorable Christmas. Although I can't recall how old I was then, I remember exactly how it happened. There were presents, but only because my birthday falls on Christmas Day. Despite the fact that my parents are Catholic, Christmas to us was less about giving and receiving presents and more about church and getting together as a family. We would always go out to eat on Christmas Day, year after year, until it became a less than memorable routine.

But there was one particular Christmas from my childhood, the one I spent at my aunt's house, that I remember the most. My sister and I spent Christmas Eve night on the sofa-bed in the guest/recreational room, and when Christmas morning came my aunt brought us chocolate cookies and milk to have as breakfast. The TV was on, and I remembered being engrossed in watching this movie with my sister as we ate our chocolatey breakfast. I don't remember what happened afterward, and many of you may think that I am strange for remembering so vividly an occasion that was less than ordinary, but for a few hours that Christmas morning, I truly felt the spirit of Christmas.

The worst thing about that day was that for many years after, Christmas mornings never felt the same way anymore. But quite recently, I was lucky enough to experience the same feeling. It was early December this year, on a Saturday morning. My parents had flown in from Jakarta a few days before, and we were just about to sit down to have breakfast, when I switched on the TV and found a musical show on. It was a remake of Annie, an American classic that I've heard about but have never watched. And we sat down and watched it, as a family, even after breakfast has been cleared away. And it was the perfect Christmas for me, even at a few weeks before the 25th.

Now, to the gingerbread 'structure'. I initially meant to build an American Wild West General Store, complete with two stories, a porch and a signboard. However, things did not turn out as expected. Firstly, I did not have enough dough to make 2 levels, so I had to be content with one. And then, some of the pieces from the main building shrunk quite a bit after being rolled out, creating a structure that is too short for the porch I had cut out. So I decided to turn it into a fenced barn/shed, and hoped for the best. I didn't think it turned out too bad, although J thought it looked more like a Early Settlers-era jail.

Now, I promise to upload more photos of the gingerbread barn/shed over the next couple of days---it's been impossibly cloudy and slightly foggy today, and I just could not get the light I wanted for the photos.

Until next time, dear readers. But I will use this chance to express my gratitude and appreciation for your readership this past year. I know that I don't say it enough, but thank you all, sincerely, especially for being patient when my posts became more than a little bit scarce in the past months. I can't promise you that I will be able blog more next year, especially since I intend to expand my business and hopefully secure some wholesale accounts. But I can promise you that I will be here, no matter how sporadic, how brief, or how late I am with my posts. And I'm hoping that you'll stick around.

Have a Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year!


Yours sincerely,

Christy.


P.S: The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes. Thanks Y and Anna, for picking a fabulous challenge! I've always wanted to make another gingerbread house after my first not-so-good attempt.

Cherries at the Farmers' Market

I went to the Farmer's Market today, and look what I found. When the farmer's markets are full of cherries and apricots and peaches and nectarines, I know that summer is truly here. I think I'll go once more before Christmas, to the Slow Food Twilight Farmer's Market, held at this beautiful former convent.

Perhaps I'll see you there?


On a side note, this was what I had planned as the Treehouse Christmas Gift Box. I initially planned it to be a special-order thing which I will then mail out closer to Christmas. Unfortunately, I didn't get it out to the market in time to get orders. Ah, well, at least the idea will last me until next Christmas. And do you like the postcard? I LOVE it! Big thanks to my friend and graphic designer Tiffany who created and printed the design in a matter of 2 days---that on top of her already large workload of being a full-time graphic designer. Isn't she awesome?


And the cherries? Plump, juicy, and so fresh that their firm skins yield just slightly when you bite into them, before exploding into a sweet-tart medley of flavours in your mouth. My parents, whenever they come to Australia in the summer, would always bring a box back home to give to the relatives. Since these ones are the best I've had so far, my only wish was that they had stayed long enough to bring a box home, straight from the farmers who've grown them. They would've liked these ones.

November's Daring Bakers Challenge---Cannoli

So....if you happen to be a Daring Baker who happens to peruse the DB forum quite a bit, you would know that I completed my challenge early this month. Whaa..? Hang on, am I not the incorrigible procrastinator that you knew me to be? I am, actually. But not on Cannoli month.

I actually made, assmbled, and photographed my cannoli a few days before the deadline, and if you have access to the DB forum and take a look at the 'Share Completed Challenges' section for November, you can see my version of Cannoli right there, along with an explanation which states that I will be switching internet providers around the time of the posting date, and will therefore be posting late due to the interruption of internet connectivity.

The above is partly true. I was telling the truth when I said that I was switching providers, but no when I said that there was interruption. Because believe it or not, the transition was smoother than I expected, in spite of a few glitches along the way. Now that my internet speed is brought up to this century, I can hopefully take the time I used to spend twiddling my fingers in front of the computer waiting for the pages to load up, and turn it productive blogging hours. I don't even need to take a magazine with me anymore to the computer---this is great!!
I decided to bake my cannoli this month because baked cannoli = less time cleaning up. And I HATE oil stains. I mean, I can't suffer as little as a drop on anything in the kitchen. I'm sure deep frying them is the way to go, and as much as I love anything battered and deep-fried, I am not yet willing to subject my entire kitchen surface to a thin coating of cooking oil.

But moving on to the business at hand...the cannoli...I wanted something light and easy to eat to combat the November heatwave in Melbourne. As I did not have time to plan this dessert very well, I took a look inside my fridge and found, among other things, a half-tub of sheep's milk yogurt and some tinned peaches. Wait now, what? Ah, the shame. Yes, ladies and gentlemen readers of my blog, I eat tinned peaches. But please do not judge me. What are you to do when you are faced with an incessant and insistent craving for peaches, went to the market and bough a couple, only to find, hopes dashed and love lost, that the peaches are sour and tasteless. Blame it on the early season, or blame it on commercial growers who sacrificed taste for mass production, or even blame my local farmers' markets for not having it in stock yet.

But it was good. A hint of tangy sweetness from the yogurt mousse, the delectable taste of sweet peaches, and the crunch of the thin sheets of cannoli, layered into something resembling, but not quite, a millefeuille.

I enjoyed every last bit of it.

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Prahran Market, and My (Current) Product List

Gingersnaps

I have news.

This Sunday, if you happen to be in Melbourne, come see us between 10am-3pm at the Prahran market. In truth, this is our second week. We started last Sunday, and why did I not announce it on the blog? For the simple reason that I was not willing to let people who know me from my blog see me cower under the table while James does all the selling/interaction with customers. No, really. I was really going to do it.

Pistachio, almond and rosemary biscotti

Banana and peanut butter cookies

I think I have been pretty realistic with my expectations on this little venture; I expected it to be labour intensive and stressful. I know not to expect to make a tidy profit for at least the first few months. But what I didn't expect was how vulnerable I felt, having my ideas, my hard work, my creations displayed and scrutinised by possibly everyone who walks past my stall. It has made me feel a bit guilty for charging above-market prices for a packet of cookies, but I am fortunate to have James----someone who is not too personally involved in the products to help sell them---- and for me to be able to gather together just enough faith in the quality of my products, and the amount of work that I put into recipe development, packaging, labeling etc. to be able to justify the prices. After all, what I charge isn't a secret---the price list is out and open on the blackboard on the stall table, so if people have a problem with it, they can just choose to walk away.

Seville Marmalade Thumbprints

Classic chocolate chip

I love what I do now---but the question is whether or not I will be able to keep that feeling up in the long run---when demands (hopefully) grow, and the repetitive nature of this business finally caught on to me. But I guess this is where I am in the position, as owner of the business, to make things interesting and challenging for myself. I haven't talked much about my ideas for the business in this space, but one of my main focus is to use seasonal ingredients to develop and create artisan-quality products. This would mean that I would not have a set product catalogue for a period of more than six months at the most, which also would mean that I have to perpetually find new ways to successfully incorporate seasonal produce into my recipes. Sounds far-fetched? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know if this would work, but seeing that I have nothing to lose at this point, I'm ready to give it my all.

I promise that I'll tell you more about the business in the coming weeks, or whenever I can scrape around enough time to blog. In the meantime, I've been working pretty much non-stop since 9am this morning (it's 1215 am now), so I can't wait until my head hits the pillow as soon as I finish this.

I'll see you there?

Finally, Some Results

Yes, it's that time of the month already. Where did my time go? Again??!! I feel as though someone is playing a trick on me, ripping the pages off the daily calendar (does anyone still use those anyway?) way ahead of the current date so that it somehow makes them feel that they are very close to Christmas. Because they are. Hell, we all are. It is already October. Less than 90 days to Christmas. Are you freaking out, because I am.

I know I'm not the only one having trouble adjusting my work life with my blogging life, and borrowing words from my friend Mallory, 'I blog because I want to, not because I have to'.

It's not very often that I'm at a lack for words or stories to embellish my posts with, but I'm going to make this one a short one, and let the photos tell you the rest of the story.



The September 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

This is what I've been busy with lately. Like it??

Oh, and see that table cloth that's actually a piece of fabric? I'm in love with it, and I intend to use it for the market stall. Coming soon, I promise!! I just need a clear 'yes' for the to-go date from the Council.

In Defense of Nigella Lawson, and a 30-layer Chocolate Cake

I admit to a certain addiction to watching Nigella Lawson on Youtube of late. While we are there, yes, it may well have been one of the reasons why I posted my DB Challenge late again. (The other reason is that it took me two days to make all the layers of matchstick-thin sponge, but I will go into that later. Promise.) Now back to Nigella. I am more than aware of the fact that she is not a chef, nor even a trained cook, and that by admitting to watching her shows religiously, I am opening the can of worms that is the scrutiny of 'serious' chefs/cooks out there who thinks that people who are serious about cooking shouldn't be watching such nonsense on TV. Well, guess what, those people would just have to suck it. Because, for the first time, in years, I am actually inspired to cook savoury food.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a feat this is----see my blog name? That didn't happen by accident, you know. While I use salt quite often in my baking escapades, I never go so far as to touch anything that would not fit seamlessly into my sweets and desserts-based pantry.

This is what I think: with so many cooking shows abound that they had to dedicate an entire channel to it, I tend to get lost in the myriad of choices. Some are good, of course, and some, like Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection, are very capable of eliciting oohs and ahhs and much admiration for the chef and his quest for, well, perfection in the culinary sense. But what really draws me to the Domestic Goddess is her ability to take pleasure in every little morsel or crumb that she puts in her mouth---she made eating for pleasure her business. And women the world over thank her for it.


She is an attractive woman, no doubt. And so many people have taken a fair go at her, both professional chefs and serious home cooks alike, that what she does isn't cooking, that her show is as best food porn. I agree on a couple of things. First, that she is a very charismatic lady in every sense of the word, and second, that she is a sensualist. But I love her precisely because of these things! Watching her made me stop worrying about my expanding waistline (I'm closer than ever to the 50kg mark, and for someone who used to weigh a mere 39kg 6 years ago, believe me, it's a scary thing), because really, she shows everyone that you don't have to be stick thin to be attractive! Also, if a food lover isn't a sensualist, I'd be very, very wary. Food, and cooking, involve all the senses. I remember reading a while ago that food is the closest thing to sex, in the way that it demands and involve sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. If a cook seems frigid in the kitchen, I'd be worried that his/her food will lack the warmth that speaks louder than any amiable words or actions that had preceded the meal. Sure, her recipes are not entirely irreproachable, but I think it's the inspiration that counts. Nigella makes me want to jump up on my feet and start cooking savoury food---and trust me, even accomplished, Michelin-starred chefs couldn't make me do that.


I think it is too easy to get jaded by food that all they have become to us is a few lines on a recipe we are working on. The most extraordinary thing about the Domestic Goddess is her ability to see beauty, and to appreciate and take pleasure in even the most mundane ingredients. It is this facet of her that lead her viewers to believe that food is something truly special, something worth labouring over for. In the words of Mr. Ping the Goose (Panda's father in the hit animation Kung-Fu Panda): In order to make something special, you just have to believe that it is special.


Now, on to the cake. I don't think the Dobos Torte is something that Nigella would have featured as one of her express, no-fuss, minimal effort required recipes. But since this is baking, the sky's the limit for me, and I will go to the ends of the earth to bake a 30 layer chocolate cake. Yes, you heard it: 3-0 layers. And oh boy it was so worth the two days I spent and slaved and cursed it for.

It was the perfect balance of flavours. No component is too overpowering, and that's what I look for in a good cake, or any patisserie product for that matter. In the pastry field, it is much too easy to rely solely on technique alone and forget about the taste part. The result is a creation that's spectacular to look at, but makes you think twice about getting a second helping. Not this cake. Even with all the buttercream that I put on it---I ended up making 2 1/2 times the amount specified in the original recipe, and using every last drop of it--- the intensity of the chocolate flavour is balanced with the coffee that I used to soak the sponge layers with, resulting in an orchestral harmony of taste that well and truly makes your palate sings.

The real challenge this time is the sponge. Ah-ha!! Yes, the humble, unassuming sponge. While a sponge is often depicted as a cake that is as soft and tall as a goose-down pillow, in this instance, what I require are sheets as thin as a matchstick. Long story short, two batches later, I'm in the game with 7 1/2 sheets of usable sponge, which I magically turned into 15 neat layers. See how the tediousness of this is getting on my nerves? Time to get on with the recipe.


Sheet Sponge

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together) pinch of salt

1.Position the racks in the top and center thirds of the oven and heat to 180C.

2.Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.

3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes.

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

6. Weigh the sponge batter. Divide the total weight by the number of layers you want it to have. I ended up using about 100g per sheet of 25cm x 25cm square. This is where it can get tricky as you may need to change the dimensions of the square if you do not have enough sponge batter. My advice is to use the instructions as a guide and use your instinct for this step. Try one out, and id you think you do not have enough batter to cover a 25cm x 25cm square, work out a new dimension and start again.

5.Spread the batter amongst the sheet pans, and even out with an offset metal spatula as best as you can. Spray another piece of baking paper with oil spray and dust it with cocoa powder. Carefully place the baking paper over the sheet sponge, carefully eliminating any air bubbles that may develop in the process. I find that it's best to start on the side closest to you and work away. Take a rolling pin (or in my case a cannister of cooking oil spray as my rolling pin proved too heavy for this purpose), and gently roll it over the baking paper-covered sponge batter. Even out any slopes or bumps, and your sponge sheet is good to go.

6. Bake at 180C until lightly golden on top, about 3-5 min. Let the sponge cool.


Chocolate Buttercream
(This is double the the amount on the original recipe. I ended up more than this quantity for the piping I do on top of the cake, so if that's what you are after, add: 2 eggs. 100g caster sugar, 55g chocolate, and 125g unsalted butter to the recipe below)

8 large eggs, at room temperature
400g caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
220g bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
500g unsalted butter, at room temperature


1.Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

2.Fit bowl over a water bath. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.

3. Let cool to room temperature, and whisk in soft butter. It is important that the butter is very soft at the stage, but not melted, or you will end up with ganache instead of buttercream. Store buttercream, covered, in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight until thickened and firm. Alternatively, you can make the buttercream ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.


Soaking Coffee

1/2 cup hot water
3 Tablespoons instant espresso coffee

Dissolve coffee in hot water. Set aside.


To Assemble the Torte

1. Cut the half sheet pan of sponge in half. Flip over and peel off the parchment from the bottom. Divide the buttercream into the same number of parts your Dobos torte layers will have.

2.Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the first layer of sponge on top of it. Spread one part of the measured buttercream, top with another layer of sponge. Soak the second layer of sponge with coffee, and spread another part of the measured buttercream on the sponge. Repeat the process until you get to the last layer. Chill, or even better, freeze overnight.

3. The next day, heat the blade of a long, serrated knife with a blow torch. Carefully make a cut about half a centimeter on each side, so that your cake finally reveals its beautiful striped layers that you've worked so hard to achieve. Serve to your friends and family and wait for the moans of pleasure that will inevitably escape their lips after the first bite. Then take a bow, because you deserve it.


The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

July Daring Bakers Challenge---and the update

It's been a long time since I wrote anything of significance on this space. Do not fret, I am still here. But between testing recipes, figuring out the next move, and a myriad of other issues that have kept me awake at night, my nervous disposition notwithstanding, I just haven't found the time, or the mood, to post anything here. Although I do not have any good news to share with you yet---I am a firm believer of not counting my chickens before they hatch---what I do have is a few works in progress. I'm getting my logo designed by a friend/graphic designer, and I just can't wait for her to finish up the final drawing, colours and all. She's shown me a few sketches that she made so far, and I simply fell in love with all of them (T, you're amazing!). It's just like how I've always dreamed it, but a lot better.

I'm still in the middle of sending out applications to good markets around Melbourne---a task that was much harder and took way longer than I anticipated, much of it due to the bureaucracy imposed by the local council and market management---but I am working on a promising one which hopefully will not fall through.




I am Nervous. Scared. Excited. But mostly unsure. Unsure of whether or not this would work. Unsure of whether or not we will make enough profit to make this worthwhile. Unsure of whether or not I have what it takes to do this. Just unsure.

But I'm halfway there, and there's no sense in stopping or looking back. I am on a forward moving train that is my will to make this work, and I will not stop until I reach my destination. I have to make this work. I have to. Because it is the only thing I can see myself doing.



The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.