Posts tagged ‘cake’
Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake – 17 and Baking turns 17
When I was little, I used to remember birthdays by party themes and presents.
There was my fabulous pink themed party, with hot magenta and bubble gum pink stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling. The birthday where all the kids swung eagerly at a pinata, unable to crack it, forcing Dad to come to the rescue. And who could forget the birthday I was presented with my own Barbie bicycle, complete with sparkles on the handlebars?
But these days, I remember birthdays by the people and the food we celebrated with. The year my Pubah carried out a hamburger cake to my utter delight. Or the birthday cake decorated with plastic dancing princesses, which I still have in a box under my bed. Even the famous family mashed potatoes I’ve requested for every single birthday dinner of my life, since I can remember.
Last year, I invited two of my closest friends over and we made dinner: 3 different kinds of pasta from scratch, mixing and rolling out the dough right on the table. It was the perfect low-key sweet 16, memorable and intimate and tasty.
Turning 17 was a little different. It seemed less important, less of a “big deal,” and there were no balloons or real parties. The only celebratory thing I did was eat at Salty’s, a pricey and stunning restaurant (more on that later.) In fact, it felt like an average April day. But little things made it special… from my friends singing happy birthday at lunch to my beautiful birthday dinner, it was made even sweeter.
Click to read about dinner at Salty’s and how I assembled this showstopper chocolate cake of my dreams.
Chocolate Matcha Bundt Cake and a celebration
Today one of my friends, P– came into 5th period English waving around a nearly-blank white piece of paper. He was trying to contain himself, but not all that well. Something was clearly up. He tried to look modest as he passed me the print out.
“Dear P.–, congratulations! We are pleased to announce that you have been accepted into the University of Chicago.”
The University of Chicago! I’m impressed, but I can’t say I’m surprised. He is not only an excellent student and a talented athlete but an all around great person. What’s even more amazing is he’s now four for four – he’s been accepted to the University of Washington, NYU, and Georgetown. All he has left to hear from are the Ivy Leagues – Harvard, Yale, and Columbia.
I am so proud of him. And that is why I chose to bake, to celebrate.
Well, not really. I don’t know about you but these days I’m finding that I jump at any excuse to cross a recipe off my humongous, out of control “must try” list. Someone’s birthday is coming up? I’m just as excited as they are. P– said it was hardly a special occasion, but no one turns down free cake.
I knew exactly what I wanted to make, too, after seeing Bakerella’s scandelously gorgeous Chocolate Matcha Bundt Cake. The chocolate against the green was stunning. It was kind of a no brainer.
Little Chinese Pineapple Cakes and some serious thought
Although I’m not the biggest fan of traditional Chinese food, I definitely crave Chinese sweets. Chewy rice balls studded with white sesame seeds, sweet little buns filled with red bean paste, flaky egg tarts – I’m a sucker. Quality Chinese treats like this are usually reserved for when there’s a holiday, or if we visit relatives in Texas (unfortunately these two things usually coincide.) Unless we go to a restaurant, a lot of these sweets we buy from Chinese grocery stores end up tasting really processed. Like these little pineapple cakes. I craved them. So I made them.
When I told my friend C– that I’d baked, he asked what I’d made. When I told him, he was in complete shock. “You… made them??” He didn’t seem to realize that it was possible to make snacks like that at home. As he got more and more surprised, I realized something – I can make a lot of things. And even the things I haven’t tried, I know I have the ability to make them. Lately I’ve realized that baking doesn’t feel like a hobby anymore. It’s not something I think about when I have nothing to do, it’s something I think about all the time, every day. And so I’m finally starting to wonder about baking as a real career.
Ginger Carrot Cake and a breath of fresh air
This blog has gone through some changes.
New layout, new style of posts, even a new name. It’s all an attempt to get inspired again about having a food blog. I know I haven’t posted since August and honestly, it’s because I was a little frustrated. I’m about as amateur as you can get, which is okay because it’s about learning and enjoying the experience. But when you’re trying to take photos for your blog and are finding natural lighting and good quality photos impossible, you get discouraged. I don’t have photoshop, a special niche, or a cool theme. I don’t create my own recipes or possess remarkable presentation skills. I’ve never catered a party or baked for anyone besides my family and friends. So I felt like this blog, even if the photos were decent and the recipes were good, would never get noticed.
Which might be true.
But hopefully that shouldn’t matter to me. I like to bake. I love to bake. It’s the most relaxing, soothing, enjoyable hobby I’ve ever had, even if I’m not an expert. So I’m going to continue this blog and if anyone besides me benefits from it, all the more better! :) That said, it’s great to start blogging again.
17 and Baking 