Sunday, October 4, 2009

Bake me a cake

I drew my inspiration and excitement for baking on a lazy afternoon when after a regular lunch session I was channel surfing and tuned into one of the cookery shows on TV. After eating another meal that was the regular run of the mill home cooked food, my sweet tooth was craving to be satiated. Maybe it was this crazy craving for the gorgeous cakes and pastries being aired on the show or the lovely hostess or the wonderful locales of the baking school that caught my attention. Perhaps it was all this and also the fact that I have a husband who simply loves cakes,pastries and chocolates and that his birthday was coming up soon and I was yet undecided about a personalized gift for him. I enjoy creating something as a gift for a loved one and not so long ago I managed to surprise my mother with a oil on canvas painting on her birthday. The painting exceeded my expectations even though it was my first and that I took help from a dear friend to complete it. Now that gives me confidence that the first time in baking also would turn out good. So I watched on and let the show bolster my the enthusiasm.By the end of the show I was certain about what the perfect personalized birthday gift should be.

Just one problem...I had to start form scratch. Literally. So I went to a nearby electronics store to scout of an OTG. First off I had this difficult decision to make where I had to choose between the OTG with rotisserie and the one without. Now this kind of decision can be difficult for girls especially the ones who are fond of shopping and who get swayed by "the fancier the merrier". So I must congratulate myself on making a practical decision of choosing the one without the rotisserie. Having completed the hard work, I ended up paying for the one with the rotisserie which happened to be more expensive than the one I bought. Now that to me was a clear sign from the universe. I am the type of person that looks for signs of good and bad omen and though this had been clearly a loud sign encouraging me not to try my hand at this experiment I was so far not deterred. As if that was not enough I was denied entry into the shop by cops the second time I went in to get the refund. Turns out there was a bomb scare and the entire premises was in the process of being vacated. However even the fear of a terrorist attack or screaming blaring signs from the universe do not come in the way of a woman possessed. I managed to find an alternate entrance to make my way into the shop and get the refund. The bomb scare was a hoax and I managed to come out of the shop alive. To think of it God saw my determination and decided to give me one more chance at survival so that I could bake. Now baking seemed my sole motive at the moment, my raison d'etre.

With all the kit and the caboodle such as the baking tins, measuring cup, the raw materials in place and I was all set to bake. I searched the internet for simple cake recipes to get a hang of proportions of the ingredients. I decided to add to the batter the piece de resistance - mashed banana, almonds and dates. However unlike the painting my cake turned out just all right, edible yes but not that hugely impressive. However that has not diminished my enthusiasm for baking for this was just a warming up routine. The next one on my list is an ambitious chocolate brownie cake...and yes feel free to drop by and try it.

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