Half-baked Crisis

I keep buying ingredients to bake. And often they go bad before I use it. I keep setting up my baking stuff in my kitchen, and often I put them back before I start. I keep taking pictures of my baked goodies, and often feel disappointed in how boring and 'same-old same-old' they look. I keep looking for new recipes to excite me, and often I get discouraged because nothing looks inspiring.

Hi. I'm stuck. In a rut. A baking rut.

I'm really embarrassed, actually. How could this happen?

Maybe it's 'cause I'm preoccupied by every other exciting and good thing in my life right now. OR, maybe it's because I'm lazy. Could be a bit of both.

Help me get back on track! Help me get inspired and motivated.



What is sarah the baker in crisis to do?

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I love sitting in a café filled with people. As I plug my ears with my own music and let the background just hum and buzz, it's almost like a movie and a soundtrack. Life, conversation, love.



It always amazes me. How everyone has their own life. I mean as obvious as that sounds, I think we often get preoccupied with our life that we forget that everyone else has one too. Naturally, we're obsessed with our own lives. But have you thought about all the people around you just as equally as important and deserving of a life? If I have this much thoughts and needs and desires on my own, everyone must have one too! We all have a story – a history. That's so amazing! You could make a movie out of anybody's life!



When I was a kid, I once drew a picture of an apartment building at night. You could see through all the windows and in each window, there was a different story going on. One family would be having dinner, another reading a book together. One picture had a pensive person looking out the window, and beside it a person sitting on the can. I love this idea of how we're all separate in our own lives, but isn't that what binds us together? We're all the same. We all have a life.



And with this understanding, I think maybe we can take a step closer in love and peace with one another. The expression, to "walk a mile in anothers' shoe" isn't just a cheesy way to make kids get along. Really, when you realize that someone is walking on a journey of their own, just as much as we are, we can start to forgive them and forgive ourselves.



I think humans are naturally narrow-sighted. Maybe it's for survival, our natural hunting instincts. But the beauty of the human mind is that we also have the capability to open up our minds and our perspectives when we choose to.



Try to understand why that person might behaved that way. Maybe she had a childhood filled with hurt and defeat. Maybe he's just trying to prove that he is a valuable person. Maybe they are scared to be cast aside on the wayside.



Just because we can't connect to the situation or the same experiences, doesn't mean we can't connect to the idea of connection. Haha. Did that sound funny? It's kind of like the saying "agreeing to disagree". Maybe we can agree that we have our own stories that can be so different but appreciating the beauty of it.



On the same token, I don't think it should be an excuse for every behavior. It's not like someone can say, "Hey, my dad was abusive so I'm going to be abusive. You better just accept that because that's me." Every action and every behavior also comes with responsibility. We are responsible for everything that we do, because it's our choice to begin with. Yes, I have a history and a perhaps a reason for my reasoning, but I better be ready to be accountable for it.



Okay. Now I'm reallly rambling on. But I'm thankful that you've stayed to listen to me babble. :) I feel so lucky – that I have a voice and a safe place to express it. Thank you!

I ♥ MY BF (aka Breakfast)

Breakfast is like ignition to your car. The strike of a match. The momentous take-off of a high jump into the air. It's the most happiest morning alarm. And the only answer to the roaring growl of my stomach.



I like breakfast. Breakfast means so much to me. I can't function properly without food in my belly. It is impossible for me to understand breakfast-skippers. Especially when breakfast can be so easy and delicious. Breakfast sandwiches for example. Or Buttermilk Pancakes. Or how about French toast? French toast is even more awesome because it gets rid of your impossible stale bread. The French are geniuses!



My friends, let us have breakfast! According to wikipedia, "Nutritional experts have referred to breakfast as the most important meal of the day, citing studies that find that people who skip breakfast are disproportionately likely to have problems with concentration, metabolism, and weight." Take a few moments in the morning to treat your body and your mind. Maybe share this time with your loved ones and start off on a sweet note.

Classic French Toast

makes 4 servings

ingredients

8 pieces of sliced french baguette or any other bread
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tbsp of sugar
dash of salt

butter or canola oil for cooking
powdered sugar, optional

directions

1. In a shallow baking dish, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and salt.
2. Place pieces of bread onto the dish. Soak at least 5 minutes and flip over. (The longer the soak, the more flavourful. But this is usually good for really stale bread. The fresher the bread, the more soggy it might be. So maybe not too long!)
3. Heat butter or oil on a pan on medium heat. Place soaked bread and cook about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
4. Set cooked toasts on plates and dust with powered sugar, if desired. Serve with syrup and enjoy breakfast!

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.