Frozen Peach Torte Cake

G'day mates!

It's been a while since I had my last post. There are so many things that happened lately. I owe my blog a lot of postings--my Singapore & Manila trip to be specific. Since I would like to get rid of the Frozen Peach Torte recipe out of the way, I will blog the reason why I made this cake.

I just got back from my Manila trip last week and a lot of changes I have to deal with since I got back. First is my resignation at my old office and it's long overdue. I am now moving to a bigger ad agency, I anticipated the coming of this moment and it gives me a big smile now or perhaps a silly grin? Next will be my upcoming solo painting exhibition very soon. I would definitely post it here first so you guys can see it. Lastly, since I came back here in Saigon I am a bit worried about my Schengen visa whether I will have it or not. I already have my UK visa and once I get the Schengen it signals that my trip to UK-Europe is all set. Today I got the confirmation from the French Consulate here in Ho Chi Minh where I lodged my application 2 weeks ago. I got my visa approved!

The universe is indicating that stars are slowly aligning and I don't know which of the 88 constellations listed in our modern astronomy will form. It may be Cassiopeia of the Northern Sky? Or Big Dipper? Such a serendipity moment if that will happen and now I want to define again that it means fortunate accidents and lucky discoveries. Who knows what life brings? No body knows what lies ahead and we all wish that it would be good and happy.

Veering away from the stars and universe because it has nothing to do with my Peach Torte cake recipe. It was weeks ago when I decided to make a birthday cake, definitely not for my birthday because it's way too late to make one for myself. Although I really wanted to make myself a birthday cake last April with my favorite Matcha Chocolate Crepe Cake but I failed to do so. But August is the best month to make a great cake! I just concocted this one based on my favorite cake Mango Torte. I don't know how it was exactly made but I know some of the key ingredients. I know they have, cream, mangoes, graham crumbs cooked in butter. I replaced the mangoes to peaches and I added cream with vanilla jello pudding. It added a unique taste as compared to the normal Mango Torte. The best thing about the crust of my Peach Torte is the Weet Bix whole grain. This cool breakfast food is 100% made in Australia! What I did was, crushed it into granules and cooked it with butter, sugar and wine. The cake resulted so well especially when it's frozen. The whole thing is too big for me to finish by myself but I did finish it because I don't want some leftovers. I just have to make someone feel very guilty about this cake because he's from the other planet so this cake didn't climb on his list :D

( I really like this healthy brekky food )

FROZEN PEACH TORTE CAKE

Ingredients:

• Thinly sliced peaches
• Nestle Cream
• French Whip Cream
• Jello Vanilla Pudding
• Milk/Vanilla syrup
• Cinnamon
• Wheet Bix Whole Grain (crushed)
• Brown Sugar
• Shiraz (red wine)
• Butter (of course)

Procedure:

Heat pan with butter and sugar. Allow sugar and butter to melt then add the Weet Bix granules. Fold it together then add a bit of shiraz. Ready your pyrex glass container and press the the mixture for the crust. Refrigerate it for a while while doing the cream. Mix milk and Jello Vanilla Pudding together until it thickens. Add the Nestle cream and heat them all together in a casserole then add cinnamon and vanilla syrup. Bring out the glass container with the crust the pour the cream mixture on to the crust then arrange the thinly sliced peaches on top. Lastly whip some cream on top and decorate it on your desired area. Then refrigerate it for 4-6 hours. Best served when frozen.

Hope you like this lil labor of love I did :-)

hugs,
joanie xxx

The Garlic Pesto Sauce

First of all regardless of what's happening in the current world... let me greet first my Mom a...

Happy Birthday!

It's gloomy and raining very often here in Saigon because fall has finally arrived. This is the season where we all need some pillow or human cuddle. Aside from the cuddle it's also nice to eat some good food at your wooden table with your bare foot while watching the raindrops on your windowpane. Even before the rainy season came, I did my own preparation by stocking up some jars or pesto basil and ginger peanut oil. These are my two staples inside my fridge that whenever the lazy weather attacks, I just have my 911 jars that will save either my pasta noodles or my meat.

Rainy season is my favorite season of the year that's why my weekends are just preoccupied by DVD, eating & painting. I have several paintings to finish in time for my exhibition end of August so the weather we are having here in Saigon is just perfect for me to devote my time painting. I just alternate the 3 things during the weekend and I realized that I enjoy being a hermit in my own cave. I just have to make sure that the paintings I am cooking up will be good enough to satisfy my guests. I am pretty much excited with my solo exhibit so I am kinda busy with a lot of extra curricular stuffs lately. But I do enjoy what I am doing in spite of the many things that keep bugging my mind before I sleep. So for now, allow me to share my own version of pesto sauce although I just bought my basil leaves from the supermarket and they seem fine I think. I promised my self to grow my own herbs specifically basil but I still haven't find time doing it. My procrastination on that matter is still on.

GARLIC PESTO SAUCE

Ingredients:

• Basil leaves (80% of the leaves)
• Corriander leaves (20% of the leaves)
• Garlic (minced)
• Olive Oil
• Pine Nuts
• Salt & Pepper
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Yoghurt
• Butter (of course)

NOTE: I did the manual chopping but if you have a food processor you are very welcome to use it :)

Procedure:

Chop the Basil and Corriander leaves and sprinkle with some apple cider vinegar then set aside. Peel the garlic and mince finely. Heat the pan in medium temperature then roast the pine nuts then remove from pan and chop it finely. Use the same pan under medium heat then melt little butter then add the minced garlic and pine nuts. Add some olive oil then put the Corriander and Basil leaves and stir it then add a little yoghurt. Continue mixing then add some more olive oil if necessary. Have a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

Serve it with either pasta or meat dishes...

hugs,
joanie xxx