Dessert By Candy

Year Of The Ram

Do you know Chinese tradition celebrates lunar new year for half a month? Last Thursday we officially kicked off year of the ram but it is still not too late to get in the celebration. That’s great news for me because I was so busy last week that I did not have a chance to prepare anything until the weekend. It seems only yesterday when I cooked new year’s eve dinner for my family followed by the publication of my collection of family recipes. Where did the time go?

This year I challenged myself to make two traditional deep-fried snacks: sesame fritters 笑口棗 and crispy sweet dumplings 油角. They are ubiquitous in Chinese bakeries, supermarkets, and restaurants at this time of year. Honestly, it is much simpler to buy than to make at home. To make this effort worthwhile, I wanted to add my own twists to the traditional tastes.

S’mores Valentine

Like many people, I feel equal parts of love and hate for Valentine’s Day. The commercialism and elevated expectations make the occasion feels disingenuous. On the other hand, I love an excuse to show my friends how much I appreciate them. It is a great feeling to know that you’re loved, romantic or otherwise!

This year I made an arbitrary decision to only send valentines to my girlfriends. These gals share my good times and bad times. They lifted me up when I was down. I have every reason to show them some love. I created a special treat just for them.

S’mores is such a been-there-done-that idea. Throwing graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate together and adding campfire is a recipe that sure to remind us of good times in the outdoors. Anyone can make a dessert with graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate and call it s’mores but how many times are you disappointed that the key toasty smoky element is missing? I decided that my S’mores Valentine would not disappoint.

Elusive Hokkaido Milk Bread

Enriched bread is my guilty pleasure. Made with white flour and enriched with eggs, milk, and butter, it is the dessert of bread family. It doesn’t necessarily have the complexity of sourdough or the depth of crusty country bread. But I love its unpretentious appeal. Challah and brioche are equally tempting. I can never say no to a slice of coffee braid or chocolate babka. However, I always have a soft spot for soft pillowy Asian-style sandwich bread.

I love the perfectly square slices thanks to baking in a pullman loaf pan. I love the whisper thin crust that yields to fine white crumb I can tear into threads. I love the subtle taste of fresh dairy from the famous Hokkaido milk bread variation. Although it is perfect for sandwiches, I enjoy eating it unadorned more than anything.

One of the keys to Asian-style sandwich bread success is the use of roux as part of the starter. When the cooked flour swells to gel-like substance, it lends an incomparably soft texture to the finished loaf that stays fresh for days. Thanks to food52 and Two Red Bowls, I finally was able to make this favourite treat at home.

Dark Chocolate Gelée & Caramel Panna Cotta Verrine

My ideal Valentine’s Day dessert is a contradiction. I want the decadence of chocolate but I don’t want to be weighed down by cream. I want intensity and clarity of flavour but I don’t want to sacrifice delicate balance. I want to feel like I indulge but I don’t want to show proof by means of a bulging belly. After all, I want to look good and feel great on Valentine’s Day.  I thought my ideal dessert does not exist until today.

I present you Dark Chocolate Bourbon Gelée & Caramel Panna Cotta Verrine.

I never thought of putting chocolate and gelée together. There is homely chocolate pudding, voluptuous chocolate mousse, sophisticated chocolate pots de crème. But a gelée made of only top quality dark chocolate, water, sugar, and bourbon? I was intrigued. Of course Hervé This long ago took away my fear of splashing water on chocolate as long as the proportion is right. But the idea of chocolate gelée still challenged my preconceived notion that gelée must involve fruit juice or puree. I had to find out.

Trippa alla Parmigiana: Inspired By Porzia Toronto

A couple of weeks ago my girlfriends and I enjoyed an amazing dinner at Porzia, a neighbourhood Italian restaurant in Parkdale. With seven of us at the table, we ordered the whole menu without hesitation. In between catching up on latest news and plenty of giggles, we heartily enjoyed the parade of comforting rustic Italian dishes.

One highlight of the evening was Trippa alla Parmigiana, a warming stew of tripe, house-made sausage, and chickpea served with a fried farm egg. This is Porzia’s signature dish and much has been written about it in local media. Even the recipe is available online! As soon as we got home, a few of us already started planning to recreate this tripe stew in our own kitchen.