Canada, eh?

I've been watching some funny videos on YouTube with this one comedian who goes around LA's Venice Beach asking them about different topics and issues. His topics range from Sex to Justin Bieber to political issues to different countries. His show is more to display how ignorant people can be and how entertaining it is to watch people say the most unintelligent things. Anyways, he had one episode on Canada. I mean, I've always known how ignorant some Americans can be about their neighbouring country, but I was again flabbergasted (yes, I used the word flabbergasted) at some of their answers. I passed it just as an entertaining video, but then I started to realize how sad it really is. With the new generation of globalization and information at our fingertips, we're still just as clueless about the world around us. If you asked me about any other nation, I'd probably look just as foolish.



So in light of that, I thought I'd just tell you a little bit about my country, Canada. And if you're Canadian, it doesn't mean you're off the hook too. I'm in a grade 7 geography class to volunteer, and trust me, I'm always thinking in my mind, "Wow. I had no clue!".

In another video I saw a long time ago, an interviewer ask an American man how large he thought Canada was. He lightly answered, "Mmm, maybe the size of Texas?". Not quite. Directly north of USA, Canada is the world's second largest country. By total area (including water), we are actually larger than USA and China combined!



The geography of Canada is vast and diverse. Some of you might think we're all just snow and ice caps, but contrary to that, most of Canada has four beautiful distinct seasons. Places like British Columbia have warm enough weather all year round to have palm trees! The geography ranges from prairies to mighty mountains, islands to snow covered forests. We have an abundance of natural resources like minerals, fossil fuels, trees and we also hold nearly 1/4 of the earth's fresh water!



But Canada's geography isn't the only impressive thing. Canada boasts its diversity and culture, and how it doesn't have to become a melting pot of a nation. We celebrate and embrace our diverse backgrounds and identities. We think "Harmonize" more than "Indoctrinate". Economically, Canada is becoming more and more of a leader and an example for the rest of the world. Socially, Canada is known for its great health care, welfare policies and education. We're recognized in the world as peacekeepers and I hear Canadians are liked by everyone. Ha!



More than anything, though, I like Canada because it's a humble country. I think that's why even with the wealth of resources and cultures we have, we're still relatively peaceful and stable. I'm proud to be, in a non-prideful way, Canadian! :)



So, can I introduce you to a delicious, strictly Canadian concoction? It's called the butter tart. It's somewhat similar to the pecan tart down South, and may be mistaken for England's butter pie, but this bite-sized treat is originated from Canada. It's one of the earliest known Canadian recipes from northern Ontario and dates back to 1915! There are many variants to the recipe, ranging from different kinds of pastry shells, and different toppings and flavours. But the general idea is a flaky crumbly pastry filled with buttery sweet and soft inside.



Every Canadian has their own favourite butter tart. And I'm a purist when it comes to butter tarts. I don't like nuts or raisins in mine, let alone chocolate pastry or peanut butter flavouring. The shell should be stiff enough to hold its shape, but flaky and crumbly enough to yield when bitten into. The filling should balance ooziness and firmness in perfect harmony, and be just sweet enough to be delightful and memorable.



I found this recipe a long time from the Toronto Star. It was an article about how this middle school grade 7 class decided to find the perfect butter tart. It was a cute and interesting story and it also gave you the two top recipes it ended up picking. I thought it would be a great recipe to try out, as it is a true "Test Kitchen" recipe. :)

Without a doubt in my mind, I think the filling for this tart is perfect. It's justly sweet and buttery, and has such a great amount of "runniness" and shape. My only dissatisfaction is the pastry. It's really flaky, which is great for a sweet pie dough, but it doesn't feel right for a butter tart. I think a shortbread type dough would be more suitable for this kind of tart. It must be the egg in the recipe that makes it this way. I think next time I'll find a crumbly dough for these tarts, but for sure for sure keep the filling just as is!



Well that was just a small glimpse of Canada and a small sweet taste of the great country too. As a leaving note, I'm just going to tell you a few tid bit facts that you might have not known about Canada. And please enjoy the recipe too!

-Canada has two official languages: French & English
-Basketball was invented in Canada in 1891, as well as the baseball glove in 1883. (What else you ask? Insulin, the lightbulb, the zipper, the ear piercer, computer programming language JAVA, lacrosse, the game Pictionary, acrylics – like plexiglass, gingerale, newsprint paper, paint roller, rollerskates, snowmobile and the snowblower (rightly so), washing machine, the electric wheelchair, Yachtzee! and a whole lot of other things!)
-Some famous Canadian celebrities: Jim Carrey, Sandra Oh, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Reynolds, Kim Cattrall, Ellen Page, Keanu Reeves, Steve Nash, William Shatner, Pamela Anderson and yes, Justin Bieber.
-Toronto's famous theatre district is second in size only, to New York city, in North America.
-There's chip flavour called Ketchup Chips. When I first came here, I thought it sounded gross, but to think of it, it made perfect sense! It's SO delicious and probably one of the most popular chip flavours here.
-Canadians are in love with Hockey and will always be in the fabric of this country.

Canadian Butter Tart

adapted from Toronto Star
makes 16 regular tarts

ingredients

pastry
3 cups cake & pastry flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut in pieces
2 tbsp cocoa powder
5 to 6 tbsp ice water
2 tsp white vinegar
2 large eggs
filling
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup each: granulated sugar, packed brown sugar
1 cup table syrup with 15% maple syrup (I actually used 1/2 cup real maple syrup and 1/2 cup of plain table syrup)
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs

directions

1. For pastry, stir together flour, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Blend in butter using pastry blender or large fork until pieces are the size of small peas.
2. In large measuring cup, whisk together 1/4 cup water, vinegar and eggs. Add to flour mixture. Blend mixture with fork, adding remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons water as needed to just moisten.
3. Finish blending mixture with fingers as you gather it into two balls. Press into disks. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate disks 30 to 60 minutes. Lightly grease 16 cups in muffin tins. You can also use mini muffin tins for smaller tarts.
4. On floured surface, press and pat or roll each piece into 4-inch circle. Put circles in muffin cups, ruffling edges to fit. Refrigerate while you make filling.
5. For filling, blend butter and sugars with wooden spoon. Blend in syrup, vanilla and salt. Blend in eggs. (Small lumps of butter will remain.)
6. Ladle filling into pastry shells, putting 2 to 3 tablespoons in each to fill about three-quarters.
7. Bake in preheated 375F oven until pastry is golden and filling is browned and puffy, about 30 minutes. Let sit on rack until cool before removing from muffin tins. Keep in covered container.

Kids, Do Try This at Home: Ping Gai Chicken

Hey friends! Have you ever tried something at a restaurant and thought it tasted so good that you wished you could sneak into the kitchen and snatch their recipe? Or something so delicious that it inspired you to try to make it at home? Well, I have many many times and with the help of a few websites and friends I was able successfully recreate a few in my own kitchen. It's such an amazing feeling when it works out and actually tastes like the real thing!

So I just thought I'd have a little section in my blog where I post up some of my favourite successful "copy" stories. And it's pretty much a guarantee that the recipe I'm posting will be DELICIOUS because I won't be putting it up if it wasn't up to par.



Meet Ping Gai Chicken. I first was introduced to Ping Gai by my previous boss. And this gentleman was a man of high taste and a discerning palate. He was also a fanatic for Ping Gai Chicken. Not only would he take his favourite clients or colleagues to the restaurant which served this dish, he would have to go at least once a month for his monthly "Ping Gai Fix". He called it an addiction. It's from a restaurant called Queen Mother Cafe, on Queen St W in Toronto. Anyways, with all that said, I went to check it out myself and indeeeed it was a fantastic bbq chicken. This tender and crispy chicken possesses so many layers of flavours and leaves a lasting impression. But it also costs a pretty penny when you eat it at the restaurant.

Fortunately, one of my coworkers found the actual recipe posted online, courtesy of the kitchen at Queen Mother Cafe reported by Toronto Star Newspaper! All of us tried it at home, and all of us were extremely satisfied. This recipe was a definite keeper.

I've made this chicken on different occasions with big groups of people, and it's always been all the rage. It is now my go-to recipe for impressing the guests. My only apology is to the friends that I promised to post this recipe a LONG time ago but am only getting around to do it now!





Just a few more things about this recipe:
• This is a Laos dish, for those who were curious.
• The main ingredient for the marinade is in fact loathed by many people: Cilantro or Coriander. BUT, this recipe somehow turns it into a miraculously delicious marinade. Trust me people, it doesn't taste like the cilantro you know. All my cilantro-hating friends could not believe how delicious it tasted. I promise you!!
• Another magical part of this recipe is the dipping sauce. I caution you, you might want to just drink it out of the little bowl when you try it. What I usually do is I pretend that I've accidentally dropped it in the little bowl and take an extra long time picking it back up, when in fact I just wanted the chicken to soak it all up. :)

Ping Gai Chicken

by Queen Mother Cafe from BigOven.com
Yields 6 portions

ingredients

4 lb Chicken Thighs, skin-on and deboned

marinade
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro
6 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Black peppercorns
3 tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

dipping sauce
1 cup Water
1/2 cups Sugar
3 sprigs Fresh Cilantro
2 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp White Vinegar
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Thai Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce
1 tbsp Thai Fish Sauce

directions

Marinade: Put the washed bunch of cilantro, including stems and roots, into food processor with garlic and peppercorns. Process until finely chopped. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and oil; process until combined. Or you can blend it all together in a blender.

Place chicken in shallow glass baking dish. Brush all over with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap. Marinate at least 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator.

Dipping sauce: Combine water and sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until dissolved. Continue cooking 10 minutes or until reduced and syrupy. Cool completely. Add to food processor with cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, garlic chili pepper sauce and fish sauce. Process until smooth. Again, you can do this in a blender.

Preheat BBQ to medium high. (If broiling, preheat broiler and cook on wire rack set in baking pan or on cookie sheet.)

Place chicken pieces, skin side down, on greased grill. (Place skin side up if broiling.) Close BBQ lid. Cook about 8 minutes or until skin is crispy and chicken is almost cooked through.

Turn chicken. Close lid; cook chicken 6 minutes more or until cooked through. SIDE NOTE: The chicken is going to get quite black because the herb-y marinade. It might look slightly burnt, but in fact, that's how it is supposed to look. Don't be too worried if it gets dark.

Chop into 1-inch pieces. Serve with dipping sauce.

Magnificent Memories

I was always really good at remembering childhood memories. My sister is often amazed at how I can remember even the littlest detail in some of my recollections. I enjoy, no, relish in looking back and reminiscing my childhood. I guess I'm quite sentimental that way. They always replay in my mind with a warm hazy glow, kind of like the way movies reel out an old scene.



Three weekends ago, I visited my old town in New Jersey. It was an exciting trip, with my most favourite people in the world – Andrew, my sister Jenn, her husband Kevin, and my dear little niece, Chloe. We set out to adventure out to NYC, a first for Kevin and Chloe! We had a fabulous time in the big city, weather being absolutely flawless and all of our spirits lifted up.

But I think my favourite part was going back to New Jersey. We stayed at my uncle's house, who lives right where I grew up. As we passed by the same streets where I once passed, I was thrilled to relive it once again.



One of my favourite spots in the little town of East Brunswick, New Jersey is Magnifico's. Their soft-serve ice cream and a variety of iced treats make Magnifico's a famous place in this part New Jersey. But it's not just the velvety smooth ice cream or the abundance of sprinkles and toppings that made this place a favourite. It was my family's little retreat of indulgence. We didn't have everything in the world, but when our dad drove into the small shop on Route 18, it meant the world to us! My sister and I would sing "We scream for ice cream!" and my dad would often fool us saying "No scream no ice cream!", but we always seem to come back home with little mouths and fingers covered in vanilla and sprinkles.



Another memorable place in my life is a small bakery on Cranbury Road. It's really not any place remarkable – just a modest neighbourhood bakery. But this is indeed the birthplace of my delight for baked goods! My mom would take us there often, just as a treat or for special occasions. She would let us gaze at the beautiful cakes, mountain-piled cookies and the cupcakes decorated with flowers or fun animals. And each time, she would allow us to pick just one treat for the trip. Now this was a very challenging task. All those cupcakes, all those cookies, how could you possibly pick just one!



But it was a decision that had to be made. After a long deliberation, my sister and I would finally pick the treat that was our all-time favourite: the Florentine cookie. These cookies were perfectly crispy with just enough "give" and "chew". The milk chocolate centres were exquisitely sandwiched between two oatmeal crisps which gave such a unique texture and flavour to each bite. It was cookie heaven in our hands.



Sadly, these cookies didn't last very long. We moved away from our little town in Jersey and moved to Korea, then onto California and finally to Canada and they were long-forgotten. But no good thing is lost forever! On a very special birthday, I received a timely gift of a set of cookbooks. It was perfect because I just started to be interested in baking. And lo and behold – the recipe for Florentine Cookies! To be honest, each time my sister and I went to a bakery, we'd secretly search for the same cookie we once enjoyed, but only to be disappointed with failed imitations.

But this cookie was it. Or at least very close to what we remembered it to be. Reunited at last, we finally basked in Florentine-cookie goodness and was able to share it with the people around us. Not surprisingly, it was a favourite among our friends as well, receiving the impressive title of "best cookie ever" for some.



So here I share it with you, my blog friends! A piece of my childhood, a special little part of me. And as children do, I hope we can all enjoy the little things in life. It really is amazing how it's the small, seemingly insignificant things that can make a child happy. Sure we've got heckuva lot of "life" to deal with as adults, but maybe it's good to stand back for a second and really appreciate everything we have, large or small. Life is so much better when we can find value in it. Let's enjoy it!

Milk Chocolate Florentine Cookies

recipe from Nestle Classic Recipes

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies

ingredients

2/3 cup butter
2 cups quick oats
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups Milk Chocolate morsels/chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla extract and salt; mix well. Drop by level teaspoon, about 3 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Spread thinly with rubber spatula.
3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheets on wire racks. Remove cookies from foil/parchment paper.
4. Microwave morsels/chips in medium, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM - HIGH power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20- second intervals, stirring until smooth. Spread thin layer of melted chocolate onto flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

I also love making new memories...

Two good things.

You know what's good? Feeling like everything is going to work out. Feeling like this is right, this is good. When it fits. When you feel like everything, in it's own timing, and with patience, it will turn out for your good. And not so much because you're entitled to it, but because you know that deep inside, when you sow the seeds, believe in it and work for it, you're bound to reap fruit. :)



You know what else is good? A good recipe. Whether it's a trusty no-fail formula, or a brand new endeavor, it's always rewarding when a recipe turns out to be a success. I mean, they might need a few tweaks or adjustments sometimes, but what's the harm in making good, better?



So this delicious looking seafood pasta up here is Andrew's specialty pasta. He learned it from his friend who's an awesome cook, but he's made it his trademark recipe ever since. It's an olive oil and white wine based sauce with various seafood. And it's really really good. We cooked it for my parents and they loved it so much! My mom made Andrew promise that he'd make it for her birthday!



What is this dangerously delicious looking lasagna up here, you ask? Well boldly so, its' name is "Number 1 Lasagna". I found it online, searching for a good classic meat lasagna and this recipe popped up. It was from a blog solely dedicated to lasagnas. The author of the blog has a looong roster of various lasagna recipe they've tried. Ranging from vegetarian to cream sauces, classic Italian recipes to fusion ones. Anyways, this one seemed to be deemed as the best recipe so I gave it a go!



The recipe asks for a long simmering time for the sauce, which helps all the herbs and meats come together beautifully. I decided to put my mom's slow-cooker to good use and let it cook for an even longer time. Oooohh-so-fragrant and wholesome, I loooooved the sauce. Slow-cooking is key to making any good sauce, I guess, but I was surprised at how it really brought the flavours together. As for the rest of the recipe, well it turned out to be a perfect comfort-food. Extremely cheesy and gooey and saucy, I can't imagine anyone not loving it. If you're wondering why my lasagna looks super runny and can't hold its shape.. it's my fault. I added more sauce/ricotta than the recipe asked for because I just had extra left and decided to pile it on. Also, I didn't let it set, like it asked for, because I didn't have enough time. Bad move.

One down side to the recipe. The pasta noodles. When the recipe said, "No boiling for the pasta noodles" I went, YAY! But in reality, the lasagna noodles tasted a bit under-cooked and hard/mushy. It was kinna weird. Next time I'll just cook em. OH ALSO. When I cooked it the second time, I made sure I added about two more noodle pieces. The recipe calls for only 12 pieces, but for the huge lasagna it is, it's not really enough. I would recommend maybe 14 pieces, even if it overlaps just a bit. :)

No 1 Lasagna Recipe

recipe from "mylasagnarecipe.com

Serves 12 people

ingredients

1 pound of sweet Italian sausage
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup of chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste
1/2 Cup of Water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped
4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped (2 for sauce, 2 for ricotta mixture)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
23 ounces of ricotta cheese.
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 egg
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 Lasagna Noodles (I recommend 14)

directions

1. In a pot heavy pot, on medium-low heat, brown the ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic. It takes about 6 to 9 minutes to brown the meat. You can use a Dutch oven to cook this portion of the recipe. It is optional to remove the grease from the meat once it is finished browning, your choice.

2. Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato pasta, 1/2 cup of water and gently stir into the the cooking meat.

3. Add the following: white sugar, fennel seed, fresh Basil, 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, teaspoon of salt, Italian Seasoning and ground pepper. Gently stir these seasoning into the sauce.Cover the pot and let the meat sauce simmer. Simmer on low heat for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.

4. Soak 12 lasagna noodles. The lasagna noodles need to be soaked in hot tap water for 15 minutes. (Or I recommend you boil 14 pieces of lasagna noodles.)

5. While the noodles are soaking you can make the cheese filling. Put the following ricotta cheese and fresh grated nutmeg into a mixing bowl. Then add 1 egg, and 2 tbsp of Italian parsley. Mix these ingredients together with a spoon.

7. Now we start building the lasagna layers.
Use a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Spread 2 Cups of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Remove your lasagna noodles out of the water bath. Shake water off wet noodles.
Lay 6 noodles across the layer of sauce.
Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the layer of noodles.
Spread 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.
Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer
Spread 2 cups of meat sauce over the cheese layer
Lay down the next layer of noodles
Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over noodles
Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses saving some cheese for the top of the lasagna
Put the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

8. Cover with foil
Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes
Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes.

And..... we're back.

"You just gotta start somewhere!" That's what I kept telling myself every time I sat in front of the computer to write a blog entry. So much stuff has gone on that I don't even know where to start! It's just like when I approach any kind of written assignment. It's too overwhelming, I don't know where to start. But like the good advice that my sister gives me each time, "Just start writing!", here it goes.



1. The big stuff. Guess what guys. This is big. I quit my job. But before you start thinking that I'm crazy for leaving a perfect job at a fantastic design agency, just understand that it didn't come easy. It wasn't about the job — I'm changing careers. It was a huge decision, but I've made it and now I'm committed to it. I've decided that I want to pursue my aspirations of becoming a TEACHER! And now I'm back in school so that I can apply for teacher's college.


My beloved desk at my studio. I'll miss you!!

2. The cheesy stuff. Just in case you were wondering, Andrew and I are doing very well. We're very much growing and enjoying our lives together. It's been an amazing year and a half and we're both really excited to see where tomorrow will take us!


Look where Andrew took me for my birthday!! We went on a private horse trail riding!! He surprised me for my birthday and I had SUCH a great time. :) On a side note: Do you like our dinky little helmets? Ha!!

3. The cute stuff. My little niece, Chloe is honestly, the cutest, most lovable thing on EARTH. It's so beautiful and incredible to see new life. Really, the most amazing thing to experience all these "firsts" with a new baby. Each time she laughs, it's like the whole place lights up and in truth, it seems like she's playing with us rather than us playing with her. I'm so grateful for her and her parents. I miss her everyday!!







4. The grateful stuff. Honestly, everyone. I'm so grateful for your patience and encouragement over the few months. I'm sorry I've been so MIA but I'm amazed at how you still look forward to my blog entries!! It's really unbelieveable how warm and kind you all are. Thank you thank you thank you. You inspire me and motivate me!


Grateful for this tart pan! My friend gave me a williams-sonoma certificate for my birthday. You girls know exactly what I need/want. Hehe.

5. The delicious stuff. Yes yes it's the moment you've been all waiting for. Sometimes I feel bad when I write too much on my life etc., because I know you're thinking, "Okay.. now on with the food please!!!" Like I promised and you've proposed, I made the delicious French Lemon Cream Tart, courtesy of Dorie Greenspan. It was a recipe you really need to invest your time and heart in, but very much worth it.





The cream is truly extraordinary. It's marvelously smooth and velvety, with the perfect amount of sweet and tart. But to be honest, it was a challenging recipe for me this time. I was soo surprised and a bit disappointed to see how rusty I got. Man! Not baking and photographing for months really takes a toll on ya! Not going to lie, I'm not totally happy with the execution and the photography this time. I hope you can forgive me! Hopefully I'll get back on track soon.





But it was still really delicious and dorie's recipe was 100% fantastic. Unfortunately, I decided that I wouldn't post up recipes from books because it violates copyright. I know I've done it before but I now decided not to. But I wouldn't be surprised if you could find it easily on the internet. Also, I strongly encourage you to make that investment in her Cookbook "From my home to yours" as it's a staple for any baker filled with some of the best recipes you'll ever find.

UPDATED: Okay okay okay. I'll post up the recipe! It wasn't like me anyway. Haha. So instead, I have paraphrased her recipe! Hope it's not too choppy, or I haven't gotten too chatty. Nevertheless, still look at investing in her cookbook. It's really an amazing book!

Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

recipe from "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan

ingredients

1 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tbsp (10 1/2oz) unsalted butter, cut into tbsp-size pieces, at room temp
1 9-inch tart shell made with sweet tart dough (I used an allrecipes recipe because Dorie's recipe only asks for a super pulsing food processor, which I don't have. You can just use your favourite sweet tart dough!)

directions

1. You need an instant-read thermometer, strainer, and a blender ready. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

2. Before setting over the simmering water, in a large heatproof bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.

3. Now set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels lukewarm to touch. You'll need to slowly cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180F. It's important that you whisk constantly to prevent scrambled eggs.

As you keep whisking, the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger. Watching carefully as the temperature rises closer to 180F, it will become thicker and the whisk will leave tracks. You're ALMOST there! Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature but most importantly, be patient! Depending on how much heat you're giving the cream, getting it to 180F might take as long as 10 minutes (or 15 for me!)

4. As soon as it reaches 180F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the blender; discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140F, about 10 minutes.

5. With the blender on HIGH, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down sides and make sure the butter is incorporated. (Mine just sat there on top of the cream if I didn't do this). Once the butter is mixed, keep the machine going. This will be the heavenly path to divine lightness, airy texture of "lemon-cream dreams" (that's her word). Continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes, working in intervals if your blender gets overheated.

6. Before you pour the cream into a container, take a scoop with a new spoon and eat it. And savour it. And relish it. (This is my own line).

7. Now pour the cream into a container, pressing a piece of plastic wrap right against the surface of the cream. This creates a super airtight seal. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Wow! FOUR+ hours to wait. See, aren't you glad you followed instruction #6?). The cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days or, tightly sealed, up to 2 months in the freezer. You'll just have to thaw it overnight in the fridge.

7. When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it in the tart shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate until needed.