Aussie Treat: Pavlova Cake

Normally I don't have a sweet tooth and so I don't eat sweets all that much. I will crave it from time to time but rarely do you see me eating anything too sweet. I can't have any chocolates nowadays for some reason I can't have it. Well when I went to this Patesserie with a friend of mine to buy him some sweets there was this delightfully colorful cake that was displayed. I was intrigued.

When I asked the woman behind the counter what kind of cake it was she told me it was a Pavlova cake named after a famous ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova that toured here in Australia and in her honor this cake was made for her (New Zealand says that they made the cake first and it originated there so there's conflict in that part between the two countries). It's a meringue on the outside and fluffy white cake on the inside topped off with fresh fruits. It looked delish so I bought a piece and boy was my tastebuds in for a treat. It was so fluffy, light and not too sweet that normally would make me spit it out. I was hooked, I had 3 pieces of cake and bought a whole cake to go home with like a fatass I am.

But here is a recipe for the Pavlova Cake:

PAVLOVA CAKE:

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 g salt
200 g white sugar
8 g cornstarch
5 ml lemon juice
295 ml heavy whipping cream
60 g confectioners' sugar
355 g fresh strawberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment. An easy way to do this is to draw around the outside of a 9 inch pan with a pencil.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar gradually, while continuing to whip. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch; lightly fold into meringue with lemon juice.

3. Spread a layer of meringue to fit circle on parchment, approximately 1/4 inch thick. With remainder of mixture, pipe or spoon swirls around the edges to form a shallow bowl shape.

4. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven, but leave meringue in oven for an additional 30 minutes. When cool, the meringue should be hard on the outside, and slightly moist on the inside.

5. In a large bowl, combine the cream and half a cup of confectioners sugar, and whip until thickened. Decorate with fruit of your choice; strawberries are excellent.

Photo Credits and Recipe: http://www.aussiecynic.com/

http://www.allrecipe.com/ http://www.24-7partypaks.com.au/

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What are you?

As an American living in Australia is a little different. Let me explain...My looks are distinctly of Asian features. My speech is American as well as my mannerisms and such. You can say I'm more Westernized but can speak fluently my native language as well as other languages. Here in Sydney it's a diverse place where there's definitely different cultures mixing but one thing that still gets on my nerves. Why do people think I can't speak English???

I've had this happen to me a couple of times by some locals and some foreigners as well. My school is mainly of International students coming from China, India, Malaysia, etc. as well as Aussie students but seems like I'm the only American. With my looks people categorize me as Chinese automatically of course and think my English is either poor to none. Ah still getting on my nerves!!!

I have this one Indian guy come up to me and ask a question about directions. Well since I'm not a local the look on my face is a little confused because 1.) I'm not great with directions 2.) I don't really know where everything is at and 3.) I had a hard time trying to interpret what he was saying with his heavy accent. Well I guess the confused look on my face said it all because he just turned to his friend and said "Oh she's Chinese she doesn't understand what I'm saying".

Ha!...to their surprise this "Chinese girl" speaks and understands perfect English. I tell them "Excuse me but I'm American and I understand English just not with the accent that you have so it's not like you're easy to understand thanks."

Wow the "Chinese girl" has an American accent and isn't completely dumb. Gosh these people just assume one thing and are in for a heavy surprise. Has this happened to anyone else or is it just me?? Or are these type of people just plain old ignorant??

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No Comment

I've just noticed something after my last post. What did I notice?? Well it seems like my counter is gradually going up each day but I don't get any response or feedback. NOTHING!!!

It's not like I expect for everyone that comes on here to leave a comment or anything but some people come more than a couple of times and still nada aside from Jake Tornado who is a gentleman and a couple of people here and there. Alright so I don't post everyday or granted every week but I post when I can. I was slacking for the last couple of months but people forgive me. I'm back now and not travelling til the end of Oct. and plus I can't blog every day that'll be like worthless cause I'm all not that interesting. It's just kinda common courtesy you know to say "hi" or "how's it going".

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Speak Chinese

I have a couple of new flatmates now. I thought it would be alright since we're all girls and we're Asian right. Well boy was I WRONG!!!! Don't get me wrong I have no problems with having flatmates and I really can get along with people quite fine.

Here's my problem though...they don't speak English in the house to each other. They speak Chinese all the time. When I mean all the time, it's constantly, all I hear in the house is Chinese all day long. Now I wouldn't have a problem with them speaking their native language because I speak to my family in my native language also, but when I speak to them it's in ENGLISH. They sometimes respond or speak to me in Chinese and expecting me to understand. Yeah the American accent gives it away that I speak and understand fluent Chinese.

I sometimes think that they're secretly talking about me behind my back...well not so much behind my back as to in front of me and me not knowing what the hell is being said. I want to just shout at them "Hey I'm not Chinese so please speak English"!!! Gosh I speak 4 languages and I can't pick up Chinese in 2 weeks now. A little English does help me understand or not even English just use hand signals if need be.

Do anyone know any kind of Chinese to prepare me??? I want to be able to pick up little bits...a word here or there...just to see if my flatmates are talking about me or not. If they are give me some phrases or words in Chinese so that I can retaliate...HA!!!

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Great Shop Name

I was walking down Oxford St. today and found the best shop name so far. It is quite unique and funny also. What's it called? Well...drumroll please...LICK-HER SHOP.

Do you get it?? It's quite an eye catching name since I had to do a double take lol.

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Happy 4th of July

I just wanted to wish everyone back in the United States a HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! This is America's Independence Day, so enjoy it with great bbqs, fireworks with friends and family.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia.org

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Lions, Tigers, Bears...Baby Showers

I had gotten a baby shower invite from one of my co-workers a couple of weeks back and I just threw it on my desk (to be buried with the pile of garbage that's already there). Well I had forgotten all about it til a co-worker asked if I was going to attend and what I was going to get this person's new bundle of joy.

I'm not the type of person to get all giddy about going to a baby shower. It only brings up the question about when I'm going to have one on the way. If you've read my earlier post about marriage you'll see why I'm in no hurry on this part either. Don't get me wrong I'm all for babies but what is it that baby showers bring out in people? They go gaga over onesies, pacifiers, diapers & so forth. It's all cute but nothing like a LV handbag...ha!

Well this upcoming baby shower has got me thinking of other baby showers that I've been to for friends. My question is "How many baby showers is one person allowed to have"?

The friends that have invited me to their showers in the past has had more than one shower. Are you allowed one shower per person? Or is it a shower for every kid you have? Shouldn't there be a limit? If I counted all the showers I've been to it won't even come close to when and if I should have a kid. I think I spend more money on other people's showers than anything else. These people are like baby making machines.

For instance a friend of mine has had one kid every 2 years and she now has 4 kids. For every one of her kids she's had a shower. Wouldn't you get what you wanted during the first 2 showers?

My co-worker told me that "normally" a person is suppose to have ONLY one baby shower and ONLY for their first kid. Can I get this in writing or something? This needs to be distributed to my friends that are popping out babies and having showers left and right.

We single non-parent people should be allowed showers and able to register for things. Lets register for wine, wine glasses, or lingerie if possible. Wouldn't that be nice for us to do that? We can only dream.

What is the baby shower protocal?

Photo Credit: cutest-baby-shower-ideas.com
formomsandkids.com
parentweekly.com

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Aussie Treat: Lamington Cake

I had a real treat this past weekend. I was out in Vaulcluse with my newly found cousins here in Sydney visiting their older sister who just moved to a new flat. Well we went to this delightful little coffee shop around the corner from where they live and I had my first bite of a Lamington cake.

Some of you are probably like "A what cake????". Well trust me you're not alone, I said the same exact thing too. The name doesn't sound so appetizing but the cake looks way better than the name. It was supposedly named after Baron Lamington the governor of Queensland from April 1896 - December 1901. They should've came up with a better name for the cake to match how yummy it looks.

The cake is a white sponge cake dipped in chocolate and sugar with coconut on the outside. The inside is filled with jam and cream. Sounds a lot better than the name right? Well here's a recipe for it.

SPONGE CAKE

3 eggs
1/2 cup castor sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup cornflour
15g (1/2oz) butter
3 tablespoons hot water

Beat eggs until thick and creamy. Gradually add sugar. Continue beating until sugar completely dissolved.
Fold in sifted SR flour and cornflour, then combined water and butter.
Pour mixture into prepared lamington tins 18cm x 28cm (7in x 11in).

Bake in moderate oven approximately 30 mins.
Let cake stand in pan for 5 min before turning out onto wire rack.

CHOCOLATE ICING

3 cups desiccated coconut
500g (1lb) icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
(extra cocoa can be added, according to taste)
15g (1/2oz) butter
1/2 cup milk

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into heatproof bowl.
Stir in butter and milk.
Stir over a pan of hot water until icing is smooth and glossy.

Trim brown top and sides from cake.
Cut into 16 even pieces.
Holding each piece on a fork, dip each cake into icing.
Hold over bowl a few minutes to drain off excess chocolate.
Toss in coconut or sprinkle to coat.
Place on oven tray to set.

Fill the inside with your choice of jam and cream. Trust me it's even better with these two things added on.


Recipe found on Aussi-Info.com
Pictures found on : aussiethings.biz & taste.com.au

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