I was determined to make something new for Valentine’s Day. This got me thinking about many of the commercial Valentine treats… heart-shaped chocolate cake, strawberry this, apple that. But not once have I seen or had lemon squares, lemon bites, lemon bars, they have quite a few names behind them. Come to think of it, I have not had a lemon bar for more than 15 years! I had almost forgotten what they taste like. With this thought in mind, I decided to refresh my memory and prepared for my task.

Lemon bars were first made by Breyer’s in the 1950’s. It was initially made as a summer treat because it was easier to eat desserts cut in bars. It’s still a popular dessert and almost always a staple in Southern American pastries. I decided to use Ina Garten’s (Barefoot Constessa) recipe for lemon bars. I’ve seen her briefly on Food Network, a glimpse here and there. I don’t really own many cookbooks that aren’t iPad or kindle ready (being the organizational freak, slightly compulsive that I am, more than I really care too much to admit).

Since my cookies had such a profound effect on my beau *wink*, I thought he would most likely appreciate the contrasting sweetness and sourness of lemon bars because he even likes spicy and sweet. Hmmm, maybe that’s why he loves me so much! We will be celebrating our 12th year of marriage soon (OMG! did I just say that out loud?). But hey, it is something to be proud about, with most marriages lasting shorter than I care to remember… this is one thing I won’t be hiding, even if it will somewhat give away my age!

After moving to Japan, and spurts of living vicariously through Ziggy with trips off to Paris to just sink my teeth into something très French, my taste buds have changed! I’d like to think I have a more sophisticated taste in food. Long gone are the days when a Twinkie or a Twix bar would have satisfied my craving for sweets. But then again, the last time I had a Twinkie or anything remotely similar, I was, uhm, maybe five. Growing up my parents had a rule; they’d buy one or two packages of sweets that have a long-shelf-life. The ones that are bad for you! All laden with HCFS, a truck load of sugar and empty calories, and whatever else. Once they were eaten and gone, that was it. Sundays were always a special day. My mother would cook us up something fabulous from Mille Crepe’s to something I can’t even begin to pronounce and of course, ice cream! It was the only time we were allowed to indulge.

{Shot in JPEG Format}

After moving to Japan, I noticed a strong influence of French and Italian, in terms of sweets and pastries. I love old-fashioned American desserts, but I love Italian and French a whole lot more. I adore Ube desserts, (the purple yam ice cream… Love, love, LOVE it!) Somewhere between the age of 5 and 14 my taste buds craved for more than just the familiar tastes of cheese steak sandwiches, I lusted for other more exotic flavors but never grew tired of the familiar tastes I’ve grown up with.

I love old-fashioned American desserts because they are simple and delicious. I love French desserts because they are less sweet and refined. I cannot even begin to describe how much I love Italian desserts because those were what I had as treats when I was young; the balance of the sweet is pleasurable. I cannot stand anything that make my teeth hurt, like icing, colorful sprinkles, with who knows what dyes are used in “certain candy”, sheet cakes, or icing that comes in containers. I love Ina Garten’s recipe because the custard on the lemon bars came out perfect, although they were too sweet for me. This got me thinking, have some of the American packaged sweets become too sweet that our taste buds have become desensitized? I feel the same about Japanese food, the overly salty flavors led me to ask for no or little salt (I’m a pepper girl all the way!).

{Shot in Raw Format)

I added a dash bit more of salt to the tart/crust layer, and it reminded me of nibbling on a “Walkers” shortbread. PERFECTO! Anyhoo, I saw the Mister’s eye gleaming for a bite while the lemon bars were cooling on the rack in the kitchen. I handed him a bite-sized square and only heard a muttered “Hmmmm” I said, what do you mean “hmmm?” with a spatula in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. I was about to give him a utilitarian kick!

This was his first time ever to try a lemon square. I hadn’t had one since I was in my 20′s, and I’m sure I bought it, but I remember it being delish. I like Ina Garten’s recipe because it had more eggs so I knew it would be custard-y. I think aside from the delish results, they were a little too sweet. I would use one cup of sugar or possibly two rather than the three cups it calls for, but that’s just me.

Dig in!

{Food Photography Tips}

1. Fun Placemats (Felt Placemats) and Damask(From Violet Linen), Flower Placemats (Like here at Target) Felt Flower Placemats from World Market. World Market is a pretty awesome place for food photography backgrounds and much more.
2. Glassware Plates (bought for under $1.50) I happen to buy them at the 100 yen shop in Japan (Dollar Store but much more chic and cool) but look around, you’ll find something.
3. Lots, and lots of natural sunlight, and a soft box always helps. Post Processing in Adobe Lightroom 3, since we are a mac based family, to be honest, I used the “Sharpen” mode in “Preview” application because it gave me the results I wanted, you can manipulate this more using raw images. A good camera goes a long way too. These were shot with a Nikon D7000 but I also use my Nikon D3. Didn’t even bother to changes lenses.

Orgasmic Lemon Bars Adapted from The Food Network Online, Adapted from Ina Garten The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Direction

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Photography Data:

Camera Nikon D7000
ISO Speed 400
Guest Photographer Marie Cinq-Mars
Flash Off, Did not fire
Resolution 300 dpi
Software Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.5 (Macintosh)
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE
Metering Mode Multi-segment
Exposure Mode Auto
White Balance Auto
Contrast Normal
Saturation High
Sharpness Hard
Lens 18.0-105.0 mm f/3.5-5.6

I was determined to make something new for Valentine’s Day. This got me thinking about many of the commercial Valentine treats… heart-shaped chocolate cake, strawberry this, apple that. But not once have I seen or had lemon squares, lemon bites, lemon bars, they have quite a few names behind them. Come to think of it, I have not had a lemon bar for more than 15 years! I had almost forgotten what they taste like. With this thought in mind, I decided to refresh my memory and prepared for my task.

Lemon bars were first made by Breyer’s in the 1950’s. It was initially made as a summer treat because it was easier to eat desserts cut in bars. It’s still a popular dessert and almost always a staple in Southern American pastries. I decided to use Ina Garten’s (Barefoot Constessa) recipe for lemon bars. I’ve seen her briefly on Food Network, a glimpse here and there. I don’t really own many cookbooks that aren’t iPad or kindle ready (being the organizational freak, slightly compulsive that I am, more than I really care too much to admit).

Since my cookies had such a profound effect on my beau *wink*, I thought he would most likely appreciate the contrasting sweetness and sourness of lemon bars because he even likes spicy and sweet. Hmmm, maybe that’s why he loves me so much! We will be celebrating our 12th year of marriage soon (OMG! did I just say that out loud?). But hey, it is something to be proud about, with most marriages lasting shorter than I care to remember… this is one thing I won’t be hiding, even if it will somewhat give away my age!

After moving to Japan, and spurts of living vicariously through Ziggy with trips off to Paris to just sink my teeth into something très French, my taste buds have changed! I’d like to think I have a more sophisticated taste in food. Long gone are the days when a Twinkie or a Twix bar would have satisfied my craving for sweets. But then again, the last time I had a Twinkie or anything remotely similar, I was, uhm, maybe five. Growing up my parents had a rule; they’d buy one or two packages of sweets that have a long-shelf-life. The ones that are bad for you! All laden with HCFS, a truck load of sugar and empty calories, and whatever else. Once they were eaten and gone, that was it. Sundays were always a special day. My mother would cook us up something fabulous from Mille Crepe’s to something I can’t even begin to pronounce and of course, ice cream! It was the only time we were allowed to indulge.

{Shot in JPEG Format}

After moving to Japan, I noticed a strong influence of French and Italian, in terms of sweets and pastries. I love old-fashioned American desserts, but I love Italian and French a whole lot more. I adore Ube desserts, (the purple yam ice cream… Love, love, LOVE it!) Somewhere between the age of 5 and 14 my taste buds craved for more than just the familiar tastes of cheese steak sandwiches, I lusted for other more exotic flavors but never grew tired of the familiar tastes I’ve grown up with.

I love old-fashioned American desserts because they are simple and delicious. I love French desserts because they are less sweet and refined. I cannot even begin to describe how much I love Italian desserts because those were what I had as treats when I was young; the balance of the sweet is pleasurable. I cannot stand anything that make my teeth hurt, like icing, colorful sprinkles, with who knows what dyes are used in “certain candy”, sheet cakes, or icing that comes in containers. I love Ina Garten’s recipe because the custard on the lemon bars came out perfect, although they were too sweet for me. This got me thinking, have some of the American packaged sweets become too sweet that our taste buds have become desensitized? I feel the same about Japanese food, the overly salty flavors led me to ask for no or little salt (I’m a pepper girl all the way!).

{Shot in Raw Format)

I added a dash bit more of salt to the tart/crust layer, and it reminded me of nibbling on a “Walkers” shortbread. PERFECTO! Anyhoo, I saw the Mister’s eye gleaming for a bite while the lemon bars were cooling on the rack in the kitchen. I handed him a bite-sized square and only heard a muttered “Hmmmm” I said, what do you mean “hmmm?” with a spatula in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. I was about to give him a utilitarian kick!

This was his first time ever to try a lemon square. I hadn’t had one since I was in my 20′s, and I’m sure I bought it, but I remember it being delish. I like Ina Garten’s recipe because it had more eggs so I knew it would be custard-y. I think aside from the delish results, they were a little too sweet. I would use one cup of sugar or possibly two rather than the three cups it calls for, but that’s just me.

Dig in!

{Food Photography Tips}

1. Fun Placemats (Felt Placemats) and Damask(From Violet Linen), Flower Placemats (Like here at Target) Felt Flower Placemats from World Market. World Market is a pretty awesome place for food photography backgrounds and much more.
2. Glassware Plates (bought for under $1.50) I happen to buy them at the 100 yen shop in Japan (Dollar Store but much more chic and cool) but look around, you’ll find something.
3. Lots, and lots of natural sunlight, and a soft box always helps. Post Processing in Adobe Lightroom 3, since we are a mac based family, to be honest, I used the “Sharpen” mode in “Preview” application because it gave me the results I wanted, you can manipulate this more using raw images. A good camera goes a long way too. These were shot with a Nikon D7000 but I also use my Nikon D3. Didn’t even bother to changes lenses.

Orgasmic Lemon Bars Adapted from The Food Network Online, Adapted from Ina Garten The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Direction

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Photography Data:

Camera Nikon D7000
ISO Speed 400
Guest Photographer Marie Cinq-Mars
Flash Off, Did not fire
Resolution 300 dpi
Software Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.5 (Macintosh)
Exposure Program Aperture-priority AE
Metering Mode Multi-segment
Exposure Mode Auto
White Balance Auto
Contrast Normal
Saturation High
Sharpness Hard
Lens 18.0-105.0 mm f/3.5-5.6

Women have always worked. In the past the majority of women worked as home makers. Some women, while working as home makers, also ran a cottage industry business. When women did work outside the home their options were limited; working as teachers, housekeepers, manual laborers.

It wasn’t until recent history that women began seeking higher education and a wide variety of careers. Women entered the business man’s world as their secretaries and have been arduously climbing the corporate ladder since.

In days gone by women typically stopped working outside the home when they married. So, a majority of the women in the work force were single with no children. Like women today, they didn’t have a great deal of time to prepare meals. In a 1949 edition of “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook” a very, very small section called “Meals for the Business Girl” offers nine menus for the busy working woman (because, in 1949, we all know she probably worked late, buying a gift for the boss’s wife).

We will share, with you an excerpt from “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook” (1949 edition) Meals for the Business Girl. Whether you live alone, or have roommates, planning ahead is imperative if you would prepare dinner quickly after you get home from business at night.

Before presented with the nine recipes the cookbook has advice in three categories: “Planning Easy Dinners, Making Marketing Easier, Your Breakfast and Lunch” What follows those tips are 9 interesting menus. For example:

Quick, Easy and So Good
Oyster Stew, p. 108 Heated Rolls, p. 473
Tossed Salad of Greens, Tomatoes, Thin Ham Strips, and French Dressing
Hot Gingerbread (packaged mix) Yellow Sauce, p.557
How to Manage: Get gingerbread into oven; make Yellow Sauce; chill. Then make oyster stew and salad; heat rolls.

We particularly enjoyed this menu:

On a Two Unit Stove
Sautéed Fish, p. 266 Sautéed bananas, p.63
Frozen Spinach Cole Slaw, p. 528
Grapes Cheese and Crackers
Milk Coffee (instant)

How to Manage: Sauté flounder or sole fillets, smelts, sea bass, or weakfish in skillet on one unit. When almost done, start cooking spinach on other unit. When done, keep skillet of fish warm on top of covered saucepan of spinach; sauté bananas on free unit.

Today, many working women are single, but also single moms, who have to feed their children. The recipe that follows is easy and fast. For those who may have guests for dinner, it is also a sophisticated meal. Serve with a lovely salad and warm Italian bread.

Photography Tips:

1. Background, Gradient Backdrops by Savage
2. Rustic Table from garage sales, flea markets, turn the table right side up for a backdrop or use the tabletop itself, and don’t be afraid to saw the legs off (that’s if you got the table for pennies) we wouldn’t want to do that to a good piece of wood, or a table.
3. Rustic soup bowels, with or without handles, it doesn’t have to be new either. Check this out. Etsy has a lot of options as well, but the best places are flea markets and garage sales.

Shrimp and Pasta Aglio Olio

Ingredient

1 ½ pounds shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup -virgin olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
1 pound penne, spaghetti or linguini cooked to al dente
Grated Romano cheese (or asiago) to serve (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot boil water. When water comes to a boil add the pasta.
2. Toss shrimp with the lemon juice, parsley, garlic and olive oil.
3. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, and then add the shrimp. Cook in batches if skillet is small. Cook shrimp 3 minutes until pink and just firm. Remove shrimp to a platter and keep warm (set near the stove).
4. Return pan to heat. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and parsley to oil.
5. Strain the pasta.
6. Toss pasta in the pan with parsley and the garlic oil. Top servings of garlic and oil spaghetti with shrimp and sprinkle on a little Romano.

Photography Data:
Marco Mayer
ApertureFNumber: f/6.3
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D2X
ExposureTime: 1/200
FNumber: 63/10
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 16/10
MeteringMode: 5
LightSource: 0
Flash: 0
FocalLength: 850/10

Women have always worked. In the past the majority of women worked as home makers. Some women, while working as home makers, also ran a cottage industry business. When women did work outside the home their options were limited; working as teachers, housekeepers, manual laborers.

It wasn’t until recent history that women began seeking higher education and a wide variety of careers. Women entered the business man’s world as their secretaries and have been arduously climbing the corporate ladder since.

In days gone by women typically stopped working outside the home when they married. So, a majority of the women in the work force were single with no children. Like women today, they didn’t have a great deal of time to prepare meals. In a 1949 edition of “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook” a very, very small section called “Meals for the Business Girl” offers nine menus for the busy working woman (because, in 1949, we all know she probably worked late, buying a gift for the boss’s wife).

We will share, with you an excerpt from “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook” (1949 edition) Meals for the Business Girl. Whether you live alone, or have roommates, planning ahead is imperative if you would prepare dinner quickly after you get home from business at night.

Before presented with the nine recipes the cookbook has advice in three categories: “Planning Easy Dinners, Making Marketing Easier, Your Breakfast and Lunch” What follows those tips are 9 interesting menus. For example:

Quick, Easy and So Good
Oyster Stew, p. 108 Heated Rolls, p. 473
Tossed Salad of Greens, Tomatoes, Thin Ham Strips, and French Dressing
Hot Gingerbread (packaged mix) Yellow Sauce, p.557
How to Manage: Get gingerbread into oven; make Yellow Sauce; chill. Then make oyster stew and salad; heat rolls.

We particularly enjoyed this menu:

On a Two Unit Stove
Sautéed Fish, p. 266 Sautéed bananas, p.63
Frozen Spinach Cole Slaw, p. 528
Grapes Cheese and Crackers
Milk Coffee (instant)

How to Manage: Sauté flounder or sole fillets, smelts, sea bass, or weakfish in skillet on one unit. When almost done, start cooking spinach on other unit. When done, keep skillet of fish warm on top of covered saucepan of spinach; sauté bananas on free unit.

Today, many working women are single, but also single moms, who have to feed their children. The recipe that follows is easy and fast. For those who may have guests for dinner, it is also a sophisticated meal. Serve with a lovely salad and warm Italian bread.

Photography Tips:

1. Background, Gradient Backdrops by Savage
2. Rustic Table from garage sales, flea markets, turn the table right side up for a backdrop or use the tabletop itself, and don’t be afraid to saw the legs off (that’s if you got the table for pennies) we wouldn’t want to do that to a good piece of wood, or a table.
3. Rustic soup bowels, with or without handles, it doesn’t have to be new either. Check this out. Etsy has a lot of options as well, but the best places are flea markets and garage sales.

Shrimp and Pasta Aglio Olio

Ingredient

1 ½ pounds shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup -virgin olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
1 pound penne, spaghetti or linguini cooked to al dente
Grated Romano cheese (or asiago) to serve (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot boil water. When water comes to a boil add the pasta.
2. Toss shrimp with the lemon juice, parsley, garlic and olive oil.
3. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, and then add the shrimp. Cook in batches if skillet is small. Cook shrimp 3 minutes until pink and just firm. Remove shrimp to a platter and keep warm (set near the stove).
4. Return pan to heat. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and parsley to oil.
5. Strain the pasta.
6. Toss pasta in the pan with parsley and the garlic oil. Top servings of garlic and oil spaghetti with shrimp and sprinkle on a little Romano.

Photography Data:
Marco Mayer
ApertureFNumber: f/6.3
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D2X
ExposureTime: 1/200
FNumber: 63/10
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 16/10
MeteringMode: 5
LightSource: 0
Flash: 0
FocalLength: 850/10

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky…
~William Wordsworth

It isn’t often that we gaze upon a rainbow. And, when we do we want to share what we are seeing with whomever is standing near us, “Oh, look! A rainbow!” We are humans and we have a need to share with each other when we witness something of note. We know that rainbows have been a part of many cultures myths and legends since ancient times and we might guess that these myths and legends, before the written word, were handed down from oral traditions even older still.

We find rainbows woven into cultures from around the world. In America various Native American peoples have legends in which the rainbow is present. Rainbows make an appearance or are the central theme in legends from Australia, Guam, Hawaii, Germany, Ireland as well as Babylon, Persia, Silesia, Africa and Greece.

Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow and the messenger for the Gods of Olympus. Many Greeks resided near the coast. Most often the rainbow’s arc was seen spanning the distance between cloud and sea. Iris was believed to fill the clouds in the sky with the water from the sea. Therefore, Iris was a goddess of both the sea and the sky.

Most people are familiar with the Irish folk tale of finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This pot of gold, guarded by the mythical leprechaun, belongs to the fairies. The leprechaun is a cunning creature who often outwits any human trying to claim the gold.

This Irish folk tale is not the only myth regarding a pot of gold. In Silesia, a historical region of central Europe (partly in Poland, Czech Republic and Germany) there is a legend stating that angels placed gold at the end of a rainbow and only a man, a nude man, can retrieve it if he is worthy.

Many cultures view the rainbow as a bridge between heaven and earth. It is a sign of hope and symbol of good luck. It is also a symbol of promise. “I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth.” (Genesis 9:13)

Scientifically speaking, the mystery of the rainbow is no longer. “We have not the reverent feeling for the rainbow that the savage has, because we know how it is made. We have lost as much as we gained by prying into that matter. “Mark Twain (A Tramp Abroad) “Rainbows are seen when raindrops, falling in the distance, bend and bounce sunlight back towards your eye.

Raindrops reflect sunlight, like a mirror. However raindrops also bend, or refract, light, like a lens. The reflection is spread into a cone of light. The edge of this cone is bright, because sunlight is concentrated at this angle (called the rainbow angle).

Each color of sunlight is bent and bounced in a slightly different direction. The colors separate around the bright edge of the reflection. The collection of raindrops that send the same bright color towards your eye is curved. The centre of the curve is the shadow of your head (called the anti-solar point). The rainbow always appears at the same distance from this central point, at the rainbow angle.” (Scientists and Discovery, Museum Victoria)

It is hopeful, despite our scientific knowledge, that we can maintain a reverent feeling for the rainbow. Can we not embrace the scientific knowledge as well as find ourselves in awe of its existence? Albert Einstein once said, “…If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.”

Fortunately for us we can reveal the mystery of this beautiful rainbow cake without much ado in a scientific laboratory. This cake is fun for many occasions and when you cut into it your guests will say, “Oh, Look! A rainbow!”

Bloggers We Adore: MyFudo’s Editors Choice award goes to…

SweetAPolita is an adorable blog. We love everything about it from the Swiss polka dot wallpaper the banner picture and the font she used. But, mostly, we love her remarkable treats; mouthwatering sweets that are beautifully photographed making you want to jump right through the screen to have a taste. We are smitten with her take on the rainbow cake. The colors jump out at you in all their glory and the doodle cake decoration is beyond cute. Sweet Polita’s version of the rainbow cake is one of our favorite children’s birthday cakes and the beautiful 4 year old birthday girl is very lucky to have a mother who bakes such lovely sweets!

Chef Dennis, we are quite smitten with his blog. He has a clean layout as well as clean, crisp photos. We enjoyed learning that Chef Dennis is Director of Dining Services at an all girl academy. He is responsible for feeding 560 high school girls. Oh, my! Could you imagine having to listen to 560 different opinions from notoriously highly opinionated high school girls? We can’t and we are grateful for Chef Dennis’ of this world who take on that task. We saw the rainbow cake on his blog, but alas, he had a guest blogger who made the rainbow cake so we must include the lovely blog, Pip and Ebby-Messy Kitchen who took produced a vibrant rainbow cake. Best of all, Pip and Ebby made fantastic rainbow cupcakes with left over batter and frosting. These cupcakes remind us of tie dye t-shirts. Fun, fun, fun!

Don’t you just love the name, Call Me Cupcake? Well, we do, too. We love Linda, aka Cupcake’s exquisite blog. Her photos are charming and warm doing justice to her impeccable baked goods. Thank goodness for Google Translates because we are able to also read her wonderful text. It continually amazes us that we can connect with someone in another country, speaking another language. Not, only does the text translate easily, but so does Cupcake’s version of the rainbow cake. You will quickly understand that her style is soft and elegant when you see the ethereal shades of pink; so subtle. The frosting is a heavenly cloud beckoning you to find the pink rainbow beneath

Rainbow Cake (Recipe from Kaitlin Flannery)

Ingredients for the Cake

Vegetable shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream (recipe below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush six 9-inch-round cake pans (or as many 9-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary) with shortening. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper; brush again and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg whites and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.

3. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes (working in batches if necessary).

4. Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.

5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the purple layer on the cake plate. Spread a scant 1 cup buttercream filling over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges. Repeat process with blue, green, yellow, and orange layers.

6. Place the remaining red layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

7. Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

Ingredients for the Filling and Crumb Coat

9 large egg whites
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
Ingredients for the Frosting
5 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Directions

1. Make the filling and crumb coat: Cook egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on high speed until mixture is room temperature. With the mixer on medium-low, add butter, one piece at a time, mixing well after each addition.

2. Remove whisk attachment and switch to paddle attachment. Increase speed to high and beat until buttercream comes together, about 5 minutes; beat in lemon extract.

3. Make the frosting: In a clean saucepan and bowl of an electric mixer, repeat process in step 1.
Decorations for the cake: Have fun! Use multicolored sprinkles and other adornments. Make little flags from different colored construction paper and hang using thin culinary string.

Fun Fact: Want to remember the basic colors of the rainbow? Try this mnemonic: Roy G. Biv Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

How to get this shot:
Featured Guest: Olga Franco
ApertureFNumber: f/22.0
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 50D
ExposureTime: 13/10
FNumber: 22/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 4/1
MeteringMode: 5
Flash: 16

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky…
~William Wordsworth

It isn’t often that we gaze upon a rainbow. And, when we do we want to share what we are seeing with whomever is standing near us, “Oh, look! A rainbow!” We are humans and we have a need to share with each other when we witness something of note. We know that rainbows have been a part of many cultures myths and legends since ancient times and we might guess that these myths and legends, before the written word, were handed down from oral traditions even older still.

We find rainbows woven into cultures from around the world. In America various Native American peoples have legends in which the rainbow is present. Rainbows make an appearance or are the central theme in legends from Australia, Guam, Hawaii, Germany, Ireland as well as Babylon, Persia, Silesia, Africa and Greece.

Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow and the messenger for the Gods of Olympus. Many Greeks resided near the coast. Most often the rainbow’s arc was seen spanning the distance between cloud and sea. Iris was believed to fill the clouds in the sky with the water from the sea. Therefore, Iris was a goddess of both the sea and the sky.

Most people are familiar with the Irish folk tale of finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This pot of gold, guarded by the mythical leprechaun, belongs to the fairies. The leprechaun is a cunning creature who often outwits any human trying to claim the gold.

This Irish folk tale is not the only myth regarding a pot of gold. In Silesia, a historical region of central Europe (partly in Poland, Czech Republic and Germany) there is a legend stating that angels placed gold at the end of a rainbow and only a man, a nude man, can retrieve it if he is worthy.

Many cultures view the rainbow as a bridge between heaven and earth. It is a sign of hope and symbol of good luck. It is also a symbol of promise. “I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth.” (Genesis 9:13)

Scientifically speaking, the mystery of the rainbow is no longer. “We have not the reverent feeling for the rainbow that the savage has, because we know how it is made. We have lost as much as we gained by prying into that matter. “Mark Twain (A Tramp Abroad) “Rainbows are seen when raindrops, falling in the distance, bend and bounce sunlight back towards your eye.

Raindrops reflect sunlight, like a mirror. However raindrops also bend, or refract, light, like a lens. The reflection is spread into a cone of light. The edge of this cone is bright, because sunlight is concentrated at this angle (called the rainbow angle).

Each color of sunlight is bent and bounced in a slightly different direction. The colors separate around the bright edge of the reflection. The collection of raindrops that send the same bright color towards your eye is curved. The centre of the curve is the shadow of your head (called the anti-solar point). The rainbow always appears at the same distance from this central point, at the rainbow angle.” (Scientists and Discovery, Museum Victoria)

It is hopeful, despite our scientific knowledge, that we can maintain a reverent feeling for the rainbow. Can we not embrace the scientific knowledge as well as find ourselves in awe of its existence? Albert Einstein once said, “…If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.”

Fortunately for us we can reveal the mystery of this beautiful rainbow cake without much ado in a scientific laboratory. This cake is fun for many occasions and when you cut into it your guests will say, “Oh, Look! A rainbow!”

Bloggers We Adore: MyFudo’s Editors Choice award goes to…

SweetAPolita is an adorable blog. We love everything about it from the Swiss polka dot wallpaper the banner picture and the font she used. But, mostly, we love her remarkable treats; mouthwatering sweets that are beautifully photographed making you want to jump right through the screen to have a taste. We are smitten with her take on the rainbow cake. The colors jump out at you in all their glory and the doodle cake decoration is beyond cute. Sweet Polita’s version of the rainbow cake is one of our favorite children’s birthday cakes and the beautiful 4 year old birthday girl is very lucky to have a mother who bakes such lovely sweets!

Chef Dennis, we are quite smitten with his blog. He has a clean layout as well as clean, crisp photos. We enjoyed learning that Chef Dennis is Director of Dining Services at an all girl academy. He is responsible for feeding 560 high school girls. Oh, my! Could you imagine having to listen to 560 different opinions from notoriously highly opinionated high school girls? We can’t and we are grateful for Chef Dennis’ of this world who take on that task. We saw the rainbow cake on his blog, but alas, he had a guest blogger who made the rainbow cake so we must include the lovely blog, Pip and Ebby-Messy Kitchen who took produced a vibrant rainbow cake. Best of all, Pip and Ebby made fantastic rainbow cupcakes with left over batter and frosting. These cupcakes remind us of tie dye t-shirts. Fun, fun, fun!

Don’t you just love the name, Call Me Cupcake? Well, we do, too. We love Linda, aka Cupcake’s exquisite blog. Her photos are charming and warm doing justice to her impeccable baked goods. Thank goodness for Google Translates because we are able to also read her wonderful text. It continually amazes us that we can connect with someone in another country, speaking another language. Not, only does the text translate easily, but so does Cupcake’s version of the rainbow cake. You will quickly understand that her style is soft and elegant when you see the ethereal shades of pink; so subtle. The frosting is a heavenly cloud beckoning you to find the pink rainbow beneath

Rainbow Cake (Recipe from Kaitlin Flannery)

Ingredients for the Cake

Vegetable shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple gel food coloring
Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream (recipe below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush six 9-inch-round cake pans (or as many 9-inch cake pans as you have, reusing them as necessary) with shortening. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper; brush again and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Slowly add egg whites and mix until well combined. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and milk in two alternating additions, beginning with the flour and ending with the milk. Mix until well combined.

3. Divide batter evenly between six medium bowls. Add enough of each color of food coloring to each bowl, whisking, until desired shade is reached. Transfer each color to an individual cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes (working in batches if necessary).

4. Remove cakes from oven and transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack; re-invert and let cool completely.

5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the purple layer on the cake plate. Spread a scant 1 cup buttercream filling over the first layer with a small offset spatula so it extends just beyond edges. Repeat process with blue, green, yellow, and orange layers.

6. Place the remaining red layer on top, bottom-side up. Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (also use any of the excess frosting visible between the layers). Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

7. Using an offset spatula, cover cake again with remaining frosting.

Ingredients for the Filling and Crumb Coat

9 large egg whites
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
Ingredients for the Frosting
5 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Directions

1. Make the filling and crumb coat: Cook egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on high speed until mixture is room temperature. With the mixer on medium-low, add butter, one piece at a time, mixing well after each addition.

2. Remove whisk attachment and switch to paddle attachment. Increase speed to high and beat until buttercream comes together, about 5 minutes; beat in lemon extract.

3. Make the frosting: In a clean saucepan and bowl of an electric mixer, repeat process in step 1.
Decorations for the cake: Have fun! Use multicolored sprinkles and other adornments. Make little flags from different colored construction paper and hang using thin culinary string.

Fun Fact: Want to remember the basic colors of the rainbow? Try this mnemonic: Roy G. Biv Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.

How to get this shot:
Featured Guest: Olga Franco
ApertureFNumber: f/22.0
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 50D
ExposureTime: 13/10
FNumber: 22/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 4/1
MeteringMode: 5
Flash: 16

Having researched a few Caribbean Islands since we began Tastily Touring (previously Worldly Wednesday) we have discovered that the Arawak Indians were the original inhabitants of many Caribbean Islands. Around 1200 the Caribs, coming from Venezuela, conquered the Arawak population on the island of Barbados. By the 1500’s the island of Barbados would be uninhabited due to frequent slave trading raids led by the Spanish. The Caribs were either taken as slaves or fled to other islands.

The island of Barbados is located most easterly of the Caribbean Island chain, northeast of Venezuela. Barbados gets its name from the Portuguese as they sailed to Brazil. Los Barbados, or bearded-ones, was chosen by the Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos. The island had many fig trees, which had a beard-like appearance.

Despite the frequent visits by the Spanish, Barbados was first settled by the British in 1627. On May 14th 1625 Captain John Powell landed on Barbados and claimed the uninhabited island for England. Two years later, on February 17th 1627, his brother Captain Henry Powell landed with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves. The group established the island’s first European settlement, Jamestown.

The British settlers relied on cash crops such as cotton, then tobacco and finally sugar, being the most profitable under the large plantation/slave labor model. The slaves worked the sugar plantations until slavery was abolished in 1834. Barbados remained a British colony until it was granted autonomy in 1961 and full independence in 1966

When looking at Barbados culture, there are two very distinct influences; one is English and the other cultural influence is African from the days of the slave trade. The African influence is demonstrated in the music, dance and food of the island. The British influence is seen in the many churches, architecture, sports and food of the island.

The recipe we chose to represent Barbados is salted cod fish cakes. Salted cod has been eaten for hundreds of years in the Caribbean. During the period of slavery salted fish became a part of the slave’s diet. Today, salted cod fish is no longer inexpensive or easily available. However, it remains an important part of Bajan cuisine and salted cod fish cakes are readily available.

Salted Cod Fish Cakes (Traditional Bajan Recipes)

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Salt to your taste
1 egg lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp shallots (finely chopped)
½ lb, salted cod fish, cooked and flaked
1 large fresh hot pepper such as a jalapeno (chopped)

Directions

1. In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions until they are just wilted.
2. Place flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Make a well in center and pour egg, butter and milk.
3. Mix together lightly, and then add the onions, shallot, salted cod fish, salt and pepper.
4. Stir well. Drop by tablespoon full into hot oil, but do not crowd them in the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown on both sides.
5. Remove from pan and drain on absorbent paper. Serve very hot.

How to get this shot:
Photography Tip: use 100 ISO taking advantage of metering.
Svetlana Kolpakova
ApertureFNumber: f/5.6
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ExposureTime: 1/13
FNumber: 56/10
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 3/1
MeteringMode: 5
Flash: 16
FocalLength: 100/1

Casting Call: Guest Bloggers for Oscar Week Wanted

MyFudo™ Presentations is casting for immediate guest bloggers for Oscar Week.

Do you see yourself tripping the light fantastic up the myFudo red carpet? If you do then submit your post (see requirements below).

Contact us at info (AT) myfudo (dot) (com) to submit your photos and recipes, to inquire more information about this contest, please by contact us through our contact us page.

At the end of Oscar Week, February 26, 2012, myFudo will select winners in the following categories:

1. Creative Writing
2. Photography
3. Recipe
4. Best Post (Combined superiority in writing, photography and recipe)

The Prizes: Essential Pepin Jacque Pepin’s latest cookbook will go to Best Photo, Best Creative Writing, and Best Recipe. For Best post, the contest winner gets a $50 Gift Card to Crate and Barrel. The winners will be featured on our site.

Shoot for the stars and submit your post now!

Rules for Submission:

1. The Subject for guest bloggers: Favorite movie and favorite food that would be eaten while watching favorite movie. No other topics are eligible. Please be specific regarding movie choice, no generalizations. A specific movie title must be in the post. The recipe should be relevant to the movie whether it corresponds to movie topic, movie location (regional food), a meal served in the movie, etc.
2. Entry must include a written text of 400-600 words, no more, no less.
3. Entry must include at least one photograph and no more than three (300 dpi, 600 pixels on the widest side). You must be the owner of the photograph/s and are giving permission to have them displayed as part of your post.
4. Entry must include a recipe. Recipe does not have to be original. If the recipe is not original proper credit must be given. Recipe is not included in total word count for text.
5. Please include your blog name (if you have one) and your email.
6. Submit entry no later than February 17, 2012, 12am (midnight) Eastern Standard Time (New York City time zone.)
7. Guest bloggers will be posted during Oscar Week (February 19, 2012-February 26, 2012)
8. MyFudo™  will announce winners on February 26, 2012.

We at MyFudo™ may at times showcase recipes, photographs, and other content created by external parties. These sources are given proper attribution when required. There may be times when the source information itself is lacking or incomplete, in which case we credit the source based on available information provided.

We truly appreciate our guest foodie bloggers who are generous with their expertise and experience. When submitting a guest post, all photographs included in your post should be owned by you, either these were taken by yourself or you have the rights to their use. Please make sure you will not be violating any copyright laws.

Submit to info (at) myfudo (dot) (com)

Contest Cancelation:

We are truly sorry to have to inform our contestants about our contest cancellation. We were hoping to extend the cut-off date in hopes that we still might get last minute interest in the “Oscar Contest” however, it was determined by sheer lack of interest we should cancel the contest. We did attempt to come up with an alternative date, idea or contest but we were afraid this would be too impractical at such short notice.

We would like to apologise for the cancellation, especially to those of you who have already took out time and put forth the effort to submit their posts.

Unfortunately, these were circumstances which were beyond our control but we intend to make our next contest or giveaway even more spectacular so I hope you can join us then.

Yours sincerely,
The MyFudo Team

The Recipe…

Add caviar to any hors d’oeuvre and you will instantly add glamour to your party. And, what do most of us love about the Academy Awards? Well, yes, the movies…but it is the glamour of course! When hosting your Oscar Night party take it to another level with simple, yet classy finger foods. Your guests will give you a standing ovation.

Smoked Salmon with Caviar and Whipped Crème Fraîche Hors d’oeuvre Spoons

Ingredients

4 oz. (1/2 cup) crème fraîche
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 oz. of black caviar or salmon roe
1 lb of smoked salmon, cut in slivers
Fresh dill or chives for garnish

Directions

1. Place crème fraîche in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whip the cream with an electric hand-held or stand mixer until the cream just barely reaches the firm-peak stage. With a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the crème fraîche and then gently fold in the remaining half. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. When ready to serve place a dollop of whipped crème fraîche in each hors d’oeuvre spoon. Top with a folded sliver of smoked salmon and hint of caviar. Garnish with a sprig of dill and serve immediately.

Note: To add additional flavor finely dice fresh dill (do not used dried!) and add ½ teaspoon to the whipped crème fraîche. Do not use more than ½ teaspoon as it will overpower.

Photography Tips: Softbox Lighting and an ISO 100

Guest Artist: Debra Hughes
Guest Photographer: Margouillat

ApertureFNumber: f/25.0
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 7D
ExposureTime: 1/250
FNumber: 25/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MeteringMode: 6
Flash: 9
FocalLength: 50/1

Being away from home, it always makes it bearable being so far from family if I do the usual things I took for granted while growing up when I was back home. The most poignant times are when I celebrate the traditional festivities such as Thanksgiving. It makes me feel less displaced and more like I’m still on a journey towards finding my true self. My simple logic that puts my mind at ease is that wherever I find myself in the world, I can always make a home for myself as long as I am secure about what I want from life and that I am proud of what I have accomplished.

Anyhoo, back to the turkey… It’s been quite awhile since I prepared my own Thanksgiving feast. This was actually only my second turkey that I ever made, with the exception of doing a deconstructed turkey photo shoot (which I didn’t cook but photographed). It made me feel like it was my first time. I was nervous about the outcome, lest the bird became a failure, reducing all my fruitless attempts to nothing but a lousy memory. Hence, referring to myself as a birdbrain whenever I see a turkey.

Thanksgiving has always been a family affair, and it’s been ages since my husband and I together had a chance to spend some time with family and friends from back home on Thanksgiving. I can’t compare having dinner out with family and friends to celebrate the occasion. It actually defeats the purpose. Thanksgiving is supposed to be celebrated amongst family and friends at home where you relax as much as you can, unbutton your trousers and just plop down on the sofa and listen to your relatives reminisce or debate about anything and everything they can think of.

Thanksgiving is thought of primarily as an American celebration, when in fact, just like Christmas, it’s a universal occasion. Everyone, after all, has something to be thankful for and that’s the true essence of Thanksgiving: giving thanks for all the good things that happened to you the whole year. That is precisely why it was about time to cook our own Thanksgiving and start a new tradition. I consulted with Mom and my friend Camille. I used Alton Brown’s brining method and ordered the Turkey from France, a smallish bird about 6 pounds. I was fearful if I went full size it might not have fit into the oven. I was very tempted to take out my Crème brûlée torch that I couldn’t find and give the legs a bit of a tan, but I was exhausted from the three day cook-off and just wanted to sit down and grub. I used a lamb, maple sausage, baguette stuffing, that was fairly easy but took a lot of prep work.

There’s always a first time for everything and it’s never too late for a first time for anything. Needless to say, my turkey was a resounding success!

No Left Over Maple Lamb Sausage Stuffing
(serves 6)

(Leave cut and a cubed baguette over night or if you are in a hurry use the oven to crisp them)

1 package of maple sausage links (raw and removed from their casing if possible but not necessary)
1 package of lamb sausage
1 stalk of celery
6 small cubes of Knorr Chicken Stock (adjust to taste)
1 Pinch of Thyme
1 Pinch of Sage
1 Onion
1 Stick of butter
2 2ggs

Directions: Sautee everything for the exception of the egg and bread, you’ll want to add a tablespoon of olive oil to prevent the butter from burning. After the sausage has cooked and veggies have caramelized, you’ll add the mixture to the bowl of bread cubes. You’ll then add 2 eggs, mix, and add the chicken stock until the mixture is damp but not soggy. Bake for 45 minutes at 180c covered in foil, unwrap the foil to allow the top to crisp, about 20 minutes more at 210c.