This is the reason why I love berries...

Have a lovely week...

GB Breads & Cookies ...

I have not been posting a lot of recipes lately, it has been a crazy winter. Taking 2 baking courses plus doing my regular work hasn't been easy. So, I will just be posting today a couple of pictures to show you what I have been up to!..

I have been absolutely enjoying these courses and in May I'll come back for more!! I still have 3 weeks to go but meanwhile here is a peek of what I have baked so far..

I promise to post more recipes soon! And just letting you know I also started uploading videos on How To... some of the recipes: White Bread Video & Lemon Blossom Cookies!

Stay tuned!

Mexico Wonders (part I)

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Every time I remember and look back to my beautiful Mexico a bunch of things come to mind, but the 4 things that really stand out are it's culture, people, colours and food. A few months ago I had the opportunity to go back home and see Mexico with a different point of view, the one from someone that has been far away from it's beauty for a long time. 2 years to be exact. And in this time, even though I've come to love my new country too, you always get nostalgic when thinking about the place that saw you grow and the place who made you the person you are now. Being far away has made me fall in love all over again with my roots, my people and my beautiful Mexico. This last visit I had the goal to take as many pictures as I could, and show you how wonderful warm and full of life this amazing place is. I am originally from Mexico City which is an electric and chaotic place, and even though it has approx. the same population as all Canada, it seems to work out just fine.

(Fair in Mexico City, Vintage bus)

Mexico is a very colourful place, you can find colour everywhere.. the markets, houses, festivals, even the food! This amazing quality is not only due to the fantastic weather they have, but it is also a reflection of the warmth and joy you can find down there.

(Piñatas, Fair Game, Beads stand)

I truly believe Mexico has one of the best street foods in the world, of course... if you can handle it. You can go from creamy vegetables, to tacos, fried snacks (chicharrones & chips), fresh fruits, tamales... etc.. And best of all is that everything is full of spices and flavour.

(Chicharrones/Fried snacks, Fresh fried Chips, Creamy Corn stand)

You can also find people selling fresh products from other regions of Mexico, we found these amazing guys selling Oaxaca Cheese which is just unbeatable in flavour and texture, as well as grasshoppers which are extremely popular specially in the state Oaxaca where they eat it as a snack. I know for some of you might sound crazy but it is really tasty, crunchy and healthy, so.. actually way better than chips!..

(Oaxacan Products, Requeson Cheese, Grasshoppers, Oaxacan Cheese)

To be continued...

George Brown - The Art of Breads & Cookies..

Yes, I am starting the new year with 2 more George Brown courses that I'll be taking at the same time. As if life wasn't as busy and crazy as it is, now I'll have 2 more commitments per week. My weekends will be quite busy for the next 3 months. With late class on Fridays and afternoon class on Sundays, I'll try to become a better baker and improve in 2 areas: Breads and Cookies!..

I really really really LOVE baking bread! It is one of my favourite things to bake, it is just soooooo pretty and puffed that you cannot even believe you could have done such a gorgeous thing by yourself!.. And cookies .. ohhh cookies.... they can be tricky; a couple of mins more on the oven and they'll be hard, or an over greased pan and they will expand so much they'll loose their shape. You need to put so much care into baking those little guys that I am glad I am actually taking this course!

A couple of Notes from my class that I'll hope it will be of good use to you!...

When a recipe asks for fresh yeast and you cannot find that thing anywhere... remember that you can actually use traditional yeast or instant yeast, just know that the ratio is to use only 1/3 of the amount stated for fresh yeast.

Most of the recipes for bread ask for water and try not to replace with milk because your dough will not rise properly.

When you want to accelerate your recipe remember to dissolve your yeast in lukewarm water (40 to 45 C) and never go above 50 C.

If you want to get a crustier CRUST! remember this... the wetter the dough the better, it will stop sticking to the surface if you knead the dough right and for a long time, there is no need to add more flour.

Ohh and the most important thing of all... BE PATIENT let your dough rise properly and give it the time it needs to relax so you can bake amazing bread.

Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad!

I hope you have a great time with your family and friends on these holidays!
May all your wishes come true!

Where does your Chocolate come from?

By desesperately searching for Cacao traders in Toronto as wanted to prepare an authentic mexican hot chocolate from my favourite "My Sweet Mexico" cookbook, I bumped into these AMAZING guys 'ChocoSol' who to me is a very inspiring community/social enterprise!.. They basically stand for fair trade, organic and artisanal Chocolate. They import Chocolate from communities in Oaxaca, Mexico where they have built relationships and support community growers. The more I read about industrialized cacao and the slavery created by the excessive demand and the unconcious exploitation of natural resources from both, consumers and multinational companies, the more I convince myself that we all need to support sustainable initiatives that ultimately come from people who are trying to make a difference. I found this interview with Chocosol & this chocolate slavery article online that really inspired me to question where my food is comming from and making sure that the integrity and soul of those involved is kept whole.

Believe me when I tell you that the taste of Real Cacao and artisanal chocolate is highly superior than any other I've ever bought. From now on I'll make my own chocolate at home. This has really opened my eyes to do the right thing and strongly support those that also know change has to be made.

Week 7 & 8 @ George Brown

Weeks keep passing by so quickly I can't believe I have only 4 more weeks to go before my first course is finished.

In Week 7 we made Choux paste. The secret to make perfect hollow balls is to melt the butter or shortening completely in the water before adding the flour, also make sure you stir constantly to prevent any lumps. Oh! and when adding eggs you have to do it one by and make sure it is well incorporated before adding the next one. Just keep in mind this and it will really help you bake the perfect Eclaires or profiteroles.

Last Saturday we made Piped Spritz Cookies, I have to say I do need a lot of practice with my pipping technique as honestly it is not the best! Anywhoooo.. The important thing to remember when doing these cookies is that in order for them to be buttery you really need to beat the butter for at least 4 - 5 mins before starting adding the rest of the ingredients. By beating it for a while it will become super light and will help you get the right consistency which is "buttery melt in your mouth" cookies. If you want to test the butter to know if it has the right consistency, once beaten, you can put a tiny piece of butter in a glass filled with cold water, if it floats, you've got it!

You can pair these buttery soft cookies with an "Aromatic Sweet Coffee" or "Café de Olla" to keep warm in these cold winter days.