Zest Fest 2005

ME! @ the Zest Fest 2005 / Picture courtesy of Adri! (Adriana) who so kindly accompanied me to the event. Thanks Adri!

WOW my first celebrity chef sighting @ the Zest Fest 2005! I actually got to work in the back and cut veggies and wash dishes! yey! LOL

Close up on Tim Love from Lonsome Dove Restaurant

Here it is the world famous 3 Milks Cake!!! Yes it was my brother's B'day and he requested non the less 3 birthday cakes!!! ok how spoiled is that? Who gets 3 huge custom-homemade cakes this days? Lucky him he has me huh? LOL So there they are... 3 Milks Cake, Caramel-Nut Roll and Milky Way Cake! MMM ENJOY Sergio!!!!!!!!! :) Happy B'day to U!

Another request from the birthday boy... Caramel-Nut Swiss Roll or Jelly Roll cake. It was all gone the same day! it was made.

Milky Way Cake -who knew? ok so my brother requested this for his birthday. He said a chocolate cake with milky way! So here you have it....

Milky Way cake prior to getting dusted with milky way chocolate.

Banana custard pie! MMM :) Best when frozen!!!

We had omelettes,hash browns,fruits and cinnamon rolls + juice.

Dining Room Svc. Class Breakfast / Everyone was pretending to be at a restaurant for breakfast. The ones standing up where taking the orders then taking them to the cooks to get custom made omelettes! Super!

Close up on unbaked c. roll. They had cinnamon,cardamon,brown sugar and lots of butter. Plus raisins and dry cranberries

Unbaked cinnamon Rolls. They looked small/normal but when they came out of the oven the where HUGE!

Cinnamon Rolls for Dining Room Svc. Class Breakfast / Just out of the oven MMM :) They look so golden perfect. They actually turned out ok.

Cinnamon Rolls for Dining Room Svc. Class Breakfast / Glaced ! mmm

Salmon and some veggies I had for lunch the other day! LOL ok I just liked all the color this is how it all ended here :)

"Albondigas Lampreadas"

Ok so it is lunch time and my mom needs some help in the kitchen so what does he have me do? Yes you guessed right the hardest part no one wants to do. SO there I am "Lampreando Albondigas" WHAT! yes "Lamprear" is a cooking term in Mexican cookery which means to do a sort of meringue (just egg no sugar!) so there it is one the LEFT side.
You can coat almost anything with this stuff so we had "Albondigas" which is mash potatoes shaped as an egg or disk shape usually. Then you coat the balls in flour and with the egg meringue (lampreado) then off it goes to the pan to be fried! This is where things get DIFFICULT!

SO to make the story short.... I finally conquered my fear to do this which I always dreaded doing plus my mom does them better "why mess with perfection?"
According to my mom they came out better than hers (RIGHT!) that translates to = Now you know how to do'em therefore you should do them form now on! Bad news that's how I get stuck doing back alley kitchen shores! LOL

TTYL and Comment!

-E

ok it is super hard to fry'em they have to have enough oil then keep turning them at an even rate to get the same color through... messy but finaly got the hang of this "quin·tes·sen·tial" Mexican frying technique.

Finished "albondigas lampreadas" MMM great w/meat, soups, guacamole or rice.

RICE PUDDING, Used Jasmin Rice, coconut milk,cream,milk. Spiced up with bayleaf,cardamom,mastic and lavender sugar.

TCC Tea Party @ TCC -AUG. 02.2005 / Final Plate: Scone with Devonshire Cream +Lemon Curd, Cucumber Sandwich, Strawberry, Salami-Tomato-Mozzarella Cracker, Lemon Cookies, Egg Sandwich, Banana Bread with a blueberry-cream cheese "S".

[TCC Tea Party] WOW so beautiful! This was the final table setting for the "High Tea" Party

[TCC Tea Party] Chef Denise's Scones! Later Devonshire cream and lemon curd where added. :)

[TCC Tea Party] Plates with Cucumber Sandwiches, scone and cookies ready for service.

[TCC Tea Party] Sweet Ending: Strawberry Shortcake HEAVEN! :) mmm

[TCC Tea Party] Sweet Ending: Strawberry Shortcake.

Breakfast and Lunch Table Setting

Dinner Table Setting

Dinner Table Setting as Meal is Served

View from top of Dinner table setting w/wine glasses, dessert fork and spoon

Side view of Dinner table setting w/wine glasses, dessert fork and spoon

Dinner Table Setting, with wine glasses, dessert fork and spoon

Tu and David studying, see all the napkin folds?

So it is a lazy Sunday afternoon and I suddenly craved something sweet but not just anything! MMM then like a dream came to mind GULAB JAMUN!
YuMmY! So I headed to the kitchen and within 30 minutes I was frying the little ones and suddenly like a Lunch call appears all the family asking what smelled so GOOD! This is what I call the benefit of knowing how to cook... you can make your food dreams come true! LOL : )
If you have never had GULAB JAMUN this are spongy donut hole like sweets in cardamom scented syrup! Specialty of India. They are served at most Indian restaurants along with 'Kheer' (Rice Pudding).
GULAB JAMUN, are soft,chewy,warm,syrupy cardamom scented beignet like, pastries the size of a quarter and yes one or 5 is never enough! MMM

Little spongy yummy Gulab Jamun swimming in syrup. MMM

Cake in the making:So this past Friday I finally got to do The "Checkerboard Cake". I used to eat it as a child since a local french bakery sold it but as I entered my teens the bakery closed and I never ate one again. I longed to eat one having so fond memories of it. Just a couple of months ago I discovered in my garage this Checkerboard cake set of pans and went crazy! They belong to my mom andhad no idea they existed since we have moved so much they where pretty hidden. The recipe came from the box and the cake is ok but the frosting need work. It was fun to make and MMM delicious to Eat!

The cake batter ready to be baked. They look so Abstract Art.

The frosting was so so I will definetly try another one next time.But it was still sweet ok

Cake interior. Cake disappeared FAST!

Checkerboard Cake Slice mmm so tender and soft

Nine Grain Bread! mde by my MOM! :) Just like (or even better) than Whole Foods 9 Grain pricy loaf. It is so nutty, so seed-uctive!

A fresh bunch of Asparagus MMM so cookbook cover. I did so asparagus soup with them. MMM turned out good!

This is my growing HK Family. My thoughtful friend Adriana gave me the cute HK with a flower basket which is a pen BTW and just last Sabbath a HK CHEF! WOW! : ) THANKS Adriana! : ) UR the BEST!

@ Home Baking > Long day but alas here we have Hector's Birthday cakes! "Rollo de Cajeta" & French Apple Tarts

@ Home Baking >We had a little get together @ home and I made some sandwiches -one layer has cream cheese with pimentos and black olives. Second layer: turkey ham, yellow cheese and mayo

@ Home Baking > Hector's Birthday cake! MMM "Rollo de Cajeta" or Caramel Jelly Roll

@ Home Baking > French apple tart dressed and deady to bake

@ Home Baking > Close up on apple tart

@ Home Baking > French Apple Tart, before baking, see the apple layering design?

@ Home Baking > Venetian Napoleon Delicious! the Strawberries are maserated in Delicipus aged Balsamic Vinegar yes I know kinda odd but I assure you it is a match made in heaven! MMM Oh then throw in some mascarpone cream and a sprinkle of cinnmon nuts :)