Project Food Blog #2: The Classics.
“Ready to tackle a classic dish from another culture? Pick an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with. You should include how you arrived at this decision in your post. Do your research then try to pull off successfully creating this challenge. Try to keep the dish as authentic as the real deal, and document your experience through a compelling post.”
I represent a diverse combination of cultures from around the world. On my dad's side there's Irish, Scottish and possibly a little Native Canadian mixed in there somewhere, but we're not too sure. On my mom's side there's Dutch and Indonesian.
I could have chosen to make any classic dish from any culture, but that wouldn't be as meaningful. Sure it would probably be delicious and I'd learn a lot about it, but I'd prefer to learn a bit about my own culture and, in turn, learn something about myself.
I'm pretty familiar with Scottish, Irish and Dutch food so I opted for something a little outside my comfort zone and also very challenging. Though I am part Indonesian I've never tried any Indonesian desserts like this Kue Lapis Legit (Indonesian) a.k.a. Spekkoek (Dutch) a.k.a. Thousand Layer Cake.
Through my research I found out that this cake was born out of the colonial period in Indonesia when Dutch settlers were melding with the native people. Both cultures influenced each other and out of the diverse sharing of traditions came this cake. Dutch baking methods collided with Indonesian spices.
The symbolism of the layers is poetic. Two cultures, both unique and beautiful, both contributing equally to make something sweet. Everyone has their layers and we would be lucky if they were made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
I like to picture my beautiful Indonesian great great grandmother baking this cake with her loving Dutch husband. It's a sweltering morning on the island of Sumatra and the lazy breeze sends the scent of this new cake whirling through the settlement past banana trees and around mischievous monkeys. She hums a curious tune to herself as she adds the final layer to the cake while he puts another log in the oven.
Honey for My Honey.
Just bear with me here and allow me to put my serious hat on for a few minutes. If you don't want to read on about a gooey love story and how ridiculously giddy it makes me then I'd suggest you stop now or skip ahead to the cake part. I won't tell. Promise.
A year ago today I had bangs and actually pulled it off nicely. A year ago today I lived three provinces away in a basement apartment where I hid my cat from my landlords. A year ago today I spent more of my free time on the phone than other people spend breathing or blinking. A year ago today I was a bundle of nerves waiting patiently for the love of my life to walk through my door.
We hadn't even met in person and I loved him more than life itself. Naive? Of course. True. Certainly.
Today I've grown out my hair and it doesn't even annoy me. Today I'm sure I have more laugh lines and I don't even care because of how they were gained. Today I woke up next to the man that is my match in every way. Today is our one year anniversary and I couldn't be happier.
Because he holds the truck door for me every time. Because of how safe I feel in his arms. Because of his amazing daughter. Because of how we finish each others sentences. Because of the way he laughs when we do the fist bump explosion. Because of the way his hand fits into mine. I made this Honey Lemon Pound Cake for my Lee, my honey. I love you.
Mousse and Other Nonesuch Things.
I have a few pet peeves. Ok maybe more than a few, but I won't make you labour through reading all that, so here are just a few:
Dried toothpaste in the sink. A sticky nightmare to clean off and you just know it's been in someone's mouth.
The word flimsy. It sounds too much like my own name. Call me crazy, but I don't like it.
When people mispronounce or misspell words we use everyday like supposebly for supposedly, presentating for presenting and know for no. That's no way to communicate people.
A sink filled with dirty dishes next to an empty dishwasher. No further explanation is necessary.
Soap scum. So getting clean somehow makes the shower dirty. Really? How fair is that?
Bugs. Just get your creepiness out of my house! Nobody likes you!
Fingerprints on my glasses. Call me obsessive compulsive, but I prefer to see out of those things.
When you peel the lid off an open tub of cream cheese and the last person to use it has left the metal seal on it.
That sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you experiment with a completely new recipe for the first time and you're sure something horrible is going to go wrong.
The best part is when that bad feeling is replaced by a good feeling that causes you to pump your fists in the air and jump up and down. Yeah, I love me some good feelings.
The whole afternoon I was worried about how the mousse layer would turn out in my Lemon Blackberry Mousse Sponge Cake. I'd never made a mousse layer in a cake before. It would surely be a catastrophe. I nervously opened the fridge dozens of times to check on it and I fretted over it when I gingerly poked the parchment paper with my finger. I was sure that when I peeled back that parchment paper that all heck would break loose and my mousse would come pouring out like some unstoppable force. Then I'd have to cry in a puddle of my own purple failure.
Luckily that was all in my imagination. I mean, look at it! I don't like to brag, but come on really, It's perfect! You know how much I like to make things pretty and I'm proud to say this is one of the prettiest things I've ever created. Pretty and pretty tasty to boot.
Jonesing for Jones.
Have you ever had a craving for something you just couldn't ignore? A nagging, overwhelming insurmountable need for a specific thing that couldn't be sated any other way than to ravenously devour the thing in question.
For me, recently at least, that thing was Jones Soda. If you've never had this particular brand of soda pop I suggest that you do so. Now. For reals. They have countless flavours made of pure cane sugar to indulge your taste buds and yet, frustratingly enough, they can't be found at most stores. No, the kind folks at Jones Soda Co. make it tricky. Occasionally you can find a flavour or two at your local 7 Eleven or corner store, but usually you have to go to those speciality gourmet candy shops to get the better selection.
I'm not a real soda pop connoisseur, not even a real fan. The fizz gives me hiccups. Rather annoying inconvenient hiccups. But for Jones Soda and their large repertoire of flavours I'll brave the involuntary spasms. My current favourite is good old fashioned Cream Soda. It tastes like cotton candy and that's just fine. The close second is Berry Lemonade.
So why not make a cake out of my favourite soda pop? And not just any soda pop cake, a marbled cake with two of my favourite flavours rolled into one. Just a word of caution. If you don't like cakes that are pretty high up on the sweet spectrum then I would not recommend this. But if on occasion, like me, you have the need to eat sugar by the spoonfuls then, by all means, please make this cake.
Holy Muffins Batman!
This muffin has attitude. Just look at them sitting there all unassuming, all casual, all cute. Then you put one in your mouth and it's like, BAM! Flavour town!
You remember the original Batman series right? Of course you do. Silly me. So you would obviously recall those hilarious fight sound animations. If not, here are some examples to jog your memory...
Thwaak!
Zowee!
Blam!
Awwk!
Biff!
Oooff!
Bloop!
Yeah, you remember now. Aren't onomatopoeias fun? These muffins remind me of Batman and Robin, Lemon and Ginger. The dynamic duo. The caped crusaders. Fighting crime and taste bud boredom across the fine city of Gotham.
(Insert Adam West voice over here) To the kitchen! We haven't one moment to lose!
Take that taste bud! Aiiieee!
And that! Gliipp!
And now, to finish you off! (My favourite move) Ker-sploosh!
The thought of Batman in my kitchen is giving me the giggles so here is your recipe.
Got The Blues.
I baked you a cake. A Blueberry Boy Bait Bundt Cake with Lemon Blueberry Glaze. Try to say that ten times fast.
I love blueberries not just for their adorable smallness, their violet blue hue and explosion of sweetness. Blueberries also hold a special place in my heart right there next to jars of buttons, kittens and antique brooches.
I have fond memories of picking giant, juicy wild blueberries when I was a kid camping in Algonquin Park with my family. We spent every summer there until I was eleven. It's where I learned to swim in Lake of Two Rivers. It's where I learned to draw in the sand of the warm beaches. It's where I distinctly recall drinking orange juice so cold every morning that you could feel it going down into your stomach. It's where I fell in love with fresh blueberry pancakes and bumbleberry pies.
Granted this cake is made with frozen blueberries, but still full of lots of blueberry goodness. Next time, fresh blueberries. Promise.
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