Classic Butter Cake

I really want to share this buttercream and cake recipe because it is so easy to make and the result was great too.  The cake tasted moist, it feels like a just right wedding cake (not too dense and not too fluffy) and the best part of it is that it is very easy to make.  I don't bake cake a lot, the only reason I made this last week was mainly for experimenting with fondant and be able to have a pretty looking cake for Baby Sister J.  As a result, I started to look for simple vanilla cake recipe.  At the end, I used a recipe which I got from a cupcake decorating class a couple years back.  Note that I did not make any alterations to the recipe except to add 2 pods of vanilla bean to the cake recipe and I think the sweetness and the texture turned out just right.

It was too bad that I did not take any photos in the process of making the cake and I totally forgot to take a photo of the cake after it has been cut.  However, here is the final product and Happy 100th Days to my little J!

I made the fondant baby shoes with this template http://bronniebakes.com/2013/09/30/how-to-make-fondant-baby-shoes/

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

ingredients

• 12 oz (336 g) egg whites (10 large egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups) at room temperature
• 3 cups (680 g) granulated sugar
• 3 lbs (1.36 kg) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp lemon extract, almond extract, orange extract, or pure vanilla extract

preparation

1. Lightly whisk egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until egg-white mixture is hot to the touch or a candy thermometer reads 140°F (60°C).
2. Pour hot whites into a room-temperature bowl and whip with a wire whip until double in volume on MEDIUM-HIGH speed. When the mixer stops, the meringue should not move around in the bowl. Meanwhile cut up butter into 2-inch pieces. (The butter should be slightly moist on the outside but cold inside.)
3. On your mixer, remove the whip and attach the paddle. Add half the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680g) into the bowl immediately and pulsate the mixer several times until the meringue has covered the butter completely. To pulsate the mixer, turn it on and off in a jerky motion. This forces the butter on the top to the bottom of the bowl. Add the balance of the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680 g) and pulsate mixer several times. Slowly increase the mixer's speed, starting with the lowest speed and increase the speed every 10 seconds until you reach a MEDIUM-HIGH speed.
4. Continue beating until the mixture begins to look light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. Reduce speed to LOW. Add flavoring and continue to beat on LOW speed for 45 seconds. Then beat on MEDIUM-HIGH speed for an additional 45 to 60 seconds.
5. Leftover buttercream can be placed in plastic containers with lids and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost completely (several hours) and rewhip before using.

Note: In hot weather, use 2 lbs 10 ounces (1.19 kg) of butter and 6 ounces (710 g) of hi-ratio shortening. Hi-ratio shortening is emulsified and contains water.

Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Yields 2 1/2 quarts

For my cake, I halved the ingredients and still had a lot more left over after I covered the cake.

Classic Butter Cake

ingredients

For 2 layers:

• 2 3⁄4 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (8 oz/250g)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 2 pods of vanilla bean (I added to this recipe)

Make two 9 inch round layers

preparation

1. Remember to bring the butter, eggs and milk to room temperature. This is very important to ensure the batter is mixed properly.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare tins and line with parchment paper.
3. Sift dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt.
4. Combine butter and sugar in mixer (I followed the directions here to cream the butter and sugar, remember to be patient to cream the butter well first before adding in the sugar: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Cream-Butter-and-Sugar-by-Hand-or-with-a-M/). Use paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and airy and changes to cream about 2 mins. Add the eggs one at a time beating for 1 min after each addition. Stop the mixer regularly to scrape down the sides of the bowl. After all of the eggs have been added, add the vanilla extract and beat for another minute. Reduce the speed to low and add one third of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Next add one half of the milk and mix until incorporated. Continue alternatively ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Pour the batter and bake undisturbed for 30 mins.

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Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkins were everywhere in October and I made my first pumpkin soup from a pumpkin that Baby J picked.

The recipe I followed was again super simple and worked.  Baby J loved it and cleared his bowl. ^^

Pumpkin Soup

ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock (I used 4 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of water)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup chopped onion
• I skipped the parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I used table cream instead to cut down the fat a little bit)
• 5 whole black peppercorns (I used 2 instead because of Baby J and took them out before I pureed the soup)

preparation

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.
Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.


Yields 8 - 10 servings.

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Scaramouche Restaurant

We took Baby J to Scaramouche Restaurant a few weeks ago and we soon realized that he has an expensive taste! ^^  Previously, whenever we take Baby J out for dinner (even at Terra Restaurant), he was never a big fan of "western" food, he usually would take in a lot of bread and only take a few bites of the mains (usually some form of pasta).  However, at Scaramouche, he enjoyed everything from the appetizer to the dessert.  Just his portion of the meal was around $40+ and he is only 21 month ... haha ... but we are very happy that he enjoyed the meal as that meant we were also able to enjoy ours.

I will not go into details on how great a restaurant Scaramouche is because there are already many great reviews about it online.  As a result, here are the photos of the food.

Baby J's first dish - butternut squash soup.  He loved it so much that this was the first time we saw him drink soup with an open bowl and not using his spoon.

Amuse Bouche - poached quail egg, top with scallion and something else (cannot remember) but it was good. :P

Baby J's main dish - herb pasta sheets/wild mushrooms/grilled leeks/parsley truffled porcini sauce/shaved Umbrian summer truffle.  This was not a full size portion of the pasta from the main menu as the server was nice enough to let us know that the chef can make Baby J a half-sized portion.  Baby J finished more than half of the dish.

K's appetizer - Foie Gras Terrine elderflower jelly/quick pickled cherries/cherry wine reduction toasted hazelnut brioche.

My appetizer - Dungeness Crab Ravioli scallions/sweet peppers/haricot vert/chives/shellfish nage.  Baby J also liked this a lot too to the point that he was upset when he dropped a quarter of the ravioli to the ground while transporting it to his mouth with his spoon.  I liked my pasta appetizer a lot as well and more than K's appetizer.  It was refreshing and just the right amount to not spoil the main of the meal.

My main - Braised beef short ribs and seared sea scallops.  The scallops were one of the tastiest I have had and made me wondered which type of scallops they were and how they were marinated and cooked.

K's main - Lamb roasted rack/grilled leg/caponata/goat cheese whipped potatoes salsa verde/cherry tomatoes/pine nuts/lamb jus.  I liked my main better though. ^^

Dessert - their signature coconut cream pie.  We shared the dessert as we were full and have to be quick since Baby J was already tired after 2 hours of patiently waiting for his dishes and eating his meal.  Looking at the picture again now ... I wish I can have another piece now. ^^

A quick summary of our experience, yep, we will definitely return again because everything was excellent and Baby J loved it.

Scaramouche Restaurant

One Benvenuto Place
Toronto, ON
M4V 2L1

Tel: 416.961.8011

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George Restaurant - 4-course Tasting Lunch Menu

K and I feel that it is good to have some quiet and relax time between the two of us for us to recharge once in a while.  As a result, earlier this month, we went to George Restaurant for lunch while Baby J was in school (yay! ^^).  We ordered the $60 4-course Tasting Menu because we had the whole afternoon to ourselves and were able to afford a 2-hour meal quietly.

The meal started with a complimentary amuse-bouche -- butter beef with broth.  It was a nice plate to start off the meal with because it was refreshing with a little bit of citrusy taste and I also liked that it was beautifully plated.

For the follow on courses, K and I were served completely different dishes.  That means we got to taste 8 different dishes for the entire meal and made me feel like we got more of our money worth.

My first course was a tuna tartar.  When I only tasted the tuna alone at the beginning, I found the tuna was mushier than I expected, however, once I combined the chips that it came with, it enhanced its texture and it was a new way to have a tuna tartar, a way that I liked and never thought of having a tuna tartar with before.  However, I did not enjoy the quail's egg on top and I wished they had skipped it because I did not like the lukewarm feeling of egg on top of the raw fish.  In addition, the chunks of carrots, turnips around the tartar made it look less delicate.

K's first course was a poached scallop with artichoke salad and he said it was refreshing.

The second course was a pasta course, one was a gnocchetti with wild mushrooms and prosciutto.  It was a savoury dish and I found myself wanting more when I had my last gnocchetti.  The other pasta course was some kind of penne pasta with zuchini and goat cheese.  At first, we found the ingredients too ordinary, however, it was surprisingly good once we tasted it and the texture of the pasta was very light and airy (a texture that is better than al dente, but I don't know how to describe it).

My third course was a corn hen with artichoke which was very tender and juicy and K's thrid course was tenderloin which we also liked too.

For our dessert course, they were good but no surprises.  I had a coconut tapioca with berries which tasted good but reminded me of the dessert that you would have in a Chinese restaurant and K had a chocolate cake with sorbet. 

Overall, we enjoyed our lunch break at George.  We liked all of our dishes with the pasta dishes as our highlights.  In addition, presentation of each dish was impeccable and the inside ambiance of the restaurant was quiet, modern, and gorgeously decorated.

George Restaurant

111C Queen St. E 

Toronto, ON 

M5C 1S2  

Tel: 416 863-6006 
 

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Shrimp and Scallops Fusilli with Pesto Sauce

Last night, I made pesto sauce for the first time by following this simple recipe. I am using my Baby Bullet as my food processor more and more often now that Baby J doesn't need to eat pureed food anymore and I find it convenient to use because of its size and power. It is becoming one of the most used small kitchen appliances in my home now. ^^

Since the pesto sauce was for Baby J as well, I purposely blended it extra smooth just to ensure the nuts won't get stuck in his teeth. This Shrimp and Scallops Fusilli with Pesto Sauce turned out to be a success, both K and Baby J loved it. ^^

Pesto Sauce

ingredients

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

preparation

In a food processor, blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper.

Yields 16 servings.

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Avocado Coconut Pops

Avocado is one of my favourite fruits because of its smooth, buttery taste and of its many health benefits. As a result, I searched some recipes of using avocado in pops and found that some used it in combination with coconut. The sound of it tasted good already ... how can you resist avocado and coconut, right? However, I was too lazy to follow any recipes this time and just blended the two ingredients together to make the pops. The coconut water lessen the buttery taste of the avocado but at the same time made the pops more refreshing. I love this the most out of the three different flavours of pops that I made so far and will definitely make it again! ^^

Avocado Coconut Pops

ingredients

• 0.5 avocado
• 140ml coconut water/milk
• 1 tsp honey

preparation

Blend all ingredients in a blender until consistency is smooth.
Insert sticks into the moulds and pour in the avocado/coconut mixture to fill the moulds up to the fill line.
Wait until it freezes completely.
Remove the pops with the Super Tool.

Makes 3 Quick Pops.

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Simple Bistro

We went to Simple Bistro for brunch last weekend because we did not want to go somewhere too far south.  It turns out that indeed everything is very simple inside -- with white walls and 1 waitress who was serving the entire restaurant (around 15+ people when we were there).  I ordered the Crêpe aux Champignons and Hubby ordered the Simple Burger. 

The crepe had just the right amount of goat cheese so that its flavor did not overpower the other ingredients in the crepe. 

For the burger, hubby said it was average, nothing special. 

Overall, we both felt nothing too special about our dishes (crepe was good and burger was average), the place was very small and we felt like our elbows were always hitting something. We don't think we will go again unless we are really in that area and there is nothing else we like to try.

Simple Bistro
619 Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto
M4S 2M5
Tel: 416.483.8933

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Strawberry Banana Smoothie

From the Zoku blog, I followed the Strawberry Banana Smoothie recipe today and made these healthy pops for yet another hot summer day. I modified the recipe by adding too much milk in the strawberry yogurt by accident.  As a result, the color of the strawberry portion was too pale and did not have the contrast that I looked for.  In addition, I added 2 tsp of honey instead of 3 tsp as in the original recipe and the taste turned out to be not too sweet which I liked.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

ingredients

• 1 small banana
• 140ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 3 tsp honey
• 140 grams strawberry yogurt

preparation

Blend the banana, 110ml of the milk and 3 tsp of honey in a blender until consistency is smooth.
In a separate container, add the strawberry yogurt and 30ml of whole milk and blend well.
Insert sticks into the moulds and pour in the banana mixture to fill the moulds about half way. Wait for the banana mixture to freeze, and then pour the strawberry yogurt mixture up to the fill line.

Makes 6 Quick Pops.

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Strawberry Lime Pops

My new toy, Zoku Quick Pop Maker, had arrived!  I purchased it from the Indigo online store when they were 50% off and free shipping to an Indigo/Chapter store of your choice, not a bad deal.

For the first time, I followed exactly the recipe from the Zoku Blog -- Strawberry Lime Pops.  It was very simple to make and the pops popped right out of the maker at exactly the time suggested.  This recipe requires 0.5 tablespoon of sugar per pop plus the sugar in the limeade so we allowed Baby J to licked it only a few times. I would definitely decrease the amount of sugar if I make it again.

The taste was OK but Hubby still likes Häagen-Dazs more. ~.~

More photos on flickr.

Strawberry Lime Pops

ingredients

• 10 ounces fresh strawberries; stems removed, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons sugar (*more if necessary)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• ½ cup water
• 3 ounces limeade; divided use

preparation

In a blender, puree strawberries, sugar, lime zest, and water, until smooth, set aside.
Remove Zoku Quick Pop Maker from the freezer. Insert sticks.
Pour 1 ounce strawberry puree into each Zoku Quick Pop cavity. Allow this layer to freeze completely.
Next pour ½ ounce limeade into each cavity. Allow this layer to freeze completely.
Finally pour another layer of the strawberry puree up to the fill line in each cavity. Allow this layer to freeze completely.
Remove the pops with the Super Tool. Repeat with remaining pops.

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Sunday Breakfast - French Toast

Starting off our Sunday morning slowly with French toasts, fresh strewberries, and coffee!
I love Sundays! ^^

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Victoria's Restaurant - The King Edward Hotel

Afternoon tea at Victoria's Restaurant - The King Edward Hotel on Friday after the light lunch at Taro's Fish. I really looked forward to an afternoon tea occasion because I wanted it since Baby J was born but never got a chance to go. I have never tried afternoon tea at Victoria's Restaurant before, however, we soon found that it was a bad choice. The quality of the food was such a disappointment and it was definitely not worth the price we paid. :(

The scones in the bottom tier was the best part out of the three tiers and it got progressively worse upward.  For the tea sandwich tier, I felt like I just kept on eating just bread, and soggy bread. 
For the final dessert tier, which we did not finish at all, was a disaster, 1. the almond madeleines tasted worse than the ones I made at home; 2. the rest of other mini desserts tasted like those I can purchase from a regular supermarket.  As for the tea, we both chose the Kind Edward Blend, it had a fair floral aroma, not too strong, and it was OK.

On an happier note, we still enjoyed our afternoon off and enjoyed taking pictures of it but I don't think we will return to Victoria's again.

 

 

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Le Sélect Bistro

Woohooo!!! Second brunch in the month of May! ^^

This time we went to Le Sélect Bistro located in the heart of Toronto and yet tucked away from the downtown busy streets. As a result, finding parking was not a problem for us. I loved the atmosphere of the entire place, from the front patio to the interior decoration -- very charming and elegant (sorry, no pics because I was busy carrying Baby J). In addition, the lady who served us was also very attentive and friendly.

I ordered the Escalope de Foie Gras aux Lardons et aux Figues -- seared fresh foie gras on a thin French Toast with lardons, pears fambe in Brandy and a fig compote. Served with an egg en cocotte and a Port maple sauce. It was a well prepared dish, everything in the dish paired well with the foie gras but at the same time I did not find it extraordinary.

Hubby ordered a Steak Grille, Ouef a Cheval -- grilled centre cut filet, topped with a "fresh air" egg, and served with mushrooms and frites. The meat was tendered and we loved the sauce and it was a better dish than the foie gras that I ordered.

Baby J had the Ouefs Bebedicte -- two poached (well-done) eggs on a croissant with ham and Hollandaise, served with frites -- from the kids brunch menu. No complains from Baby J, he enjoyed a bit of everything and 1 fries (first fries for him ^^) and we finished the rest for him.

Overall, we enjoyed the atmosphere, the food, the service and we will definitely be visiting again.

Le Sélect Bistro
432 Wellington Street West,
Toronto
M5V 1E3
TEL: 416.596.6405

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