Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Year Has Passed ......

A year ago, exactly today, my world was turned upside down! My dearest LT was taken away from me and I had to pick up my life and try to move on. At that time, it had seemed so difficult. Every day flashes of what could have been would come to my mind, even as I was driving. Every love song that was played on the radio would bring tears streaming down my face. At night alone in bed in an empty apartment I would stuff my face in my pillow and the tears would come again.

Time passed and I have somewhat picked up my life again. Gone back to doing some of the things I love such as baking and even started taking up oil painting. But once in a while I would swing back to my little world and be sad again.

Time does heal but it is surely a long and cobbled road! Memories of my dearest LT will always be in my heart.

melb 22

Friday, September 17, 2010

Memories ......

They do so that time heals everything but at this moment, I am not sure .... but I can only hope that it does. Maybe the hurt doesn't go away, you just get numb after a while. At the moment, I am taking things one day at a time! Everywhere I look, memories come flooding back. Every time I receive a condolence email from friends and office colleagues, I have to hold back my tears. I think our two "boys", Benji and Milo, are still unaware that their daddy is never coming back. However I do feel that they sense that something is not right at home.

If you have been following my blog you would know that my dear was never one for cakes. However certain cakes he will partake of. This particular swiss roll happens to be one of the last desserts I had made for him. So for now I leave you with this.

durian swiss 3


durian swiss 2


Matcha Durian Swiss Roll
Recipe Adapted from Creative Culinaire

Ingredients for the Cake Roll:

100g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp matcha powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
50g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
60g vegetable oil (like corn oil or canola oil)
75g water (at room temperature)
5 eggs (60g per egg), separate the yolks from the whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
70g caster sugar

For the Filing:

1 cup "Whip & Pour" (or thickened cream)
1/2 cup of fresh durian flesh

Method:

1) Grease a full size jelly pan and line with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 200C.

2) Sift together cake flour, baking powder, matcha powder, salt and baking soda into a clean bowl and set aside.

3) In another bowl, whisk by hand the egg yolks, 50g sugar, oil and water until the mixture is light in colour and slightly thicken. This should take about 1 minute.

4) Add the flour mixture to the egg and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

5) In a clean bowl whip the egg whites until slightly frothy. Then add in the cream of tartar and continue to whip for about 1 minute. Then add the remaining 70g sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks.

6) Fold 1/3 of the egg meringue into the yolk mixture. Fold gently until mixed well. Then add in the remaining 2/3 meringue and continue to fold gently using either a whisk or spatula. Fold only until the white streaks have disappeared. Do not overfold or you may deflate the batter.

7) Pour into the lined jelly pan and smoothen the top to ensure an even surface. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Check at 10 minutes baking time - do not over bake or your roll will become hard.

8) Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing parchment paper. The roll should be completely cool before adding the whipped cream.

To Assemble:

1) Trim off the sides of the roll to have clean lines. Place the roll on top of a clean sheet of parchment paper. Place one side of the long end of the roll at the edge of the parchment. This will allow you to roll the jelly roll easily.

2) Whip the "Whip & Pour" (or thickened cream) until stiff. Add the durian flesh and mix until combined. then spread the durian filing on the jelly roll, leaving about 1/2" border on the sides.

3) Using the end of the parchment paper, start to roll away from you. Keep the roll tight as you continue to roll. Once you have finished use the parchment to wrap the entire jelly roll and place it into the refrigerator to set for about 3 hours.

4) To serve dust the roll with some icing sugar.

durian swiss 1


durian swiss 4

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Grieving for a Lost Love

I have not blogged the usual two posts this week because my dear other half has passed on. This morning I said my final farewells to him and I am trying very hard to cope with reality. I am wishing that I could turn time around and do the things that we had planned, spoken and contemplated about. I did not even have the time to say goodbye to him. My friends and relatives have told me to keep strong which I find very hard to do right now .... I can only hope that it gets easier with each passing day.

I will not be blogging for a while but hope to come back soon.

If Tears Could...

If tears could build a stairway
And memories were a lane,
I would walk right up to heaven
To bring you home again.
No farewell words were spoken.
No time to say good-bye.
You were gone before we knew it,
And only God knows why.
My heart still aches in sadness
And secret tears still flow.
What it meant to lose you,
No one will ever know.
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