Eclectic (i-klek-tic)

Chocolate Panna Cotta & Nutella Florentines: DB February

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:01:29 PST

Usually, if one prepares their post upon completion of their Daring Baker challenge they don't fall victim of last minute challenge posting, but I wouldn't know anything about that ;-)The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.This

What to do with left over buttermilk?

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:44:37 PST

After making Dorie's Perfect Party Cake for my birthday I had quite a bit of buttermilk left over. Ever the cost conscious chef I couldn't have it go to waste. Buttermilk pancakes would have been an acceptable use I guess, but where's the fun in that? Scones on the other hand, are right up my alley. There is nothing I like more than buttery pastry, fruit in my dessert and something creamy.The

Happy Birthday to Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:05:00 PST

I've been loving Canada since I got here but as my birthday approached this year I wasn't as excited as one would expect. I was really missing my mom and then I realised this was my first birthday ever away from her. I'm not really a cake person but I found myself making Dorie's Perfect Party Cake with Whipped Cream and Kiwis, my mom's fave and a variety of pita "pizzas" which is something I

Happy New Year!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:52:05 PST

Yes I know it's late but my blogging year has just began and what a better way to begin than with my first Daring Baker's challenge for the year and my first challenge completed from CANADA!!!!!!Hello world! I now am a student of the Lambton College in Sarnia Ontario (which I never heard of before getting the opportunity to attend). Three of us in my programme so blessed as to be granted a

OMG

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:13:25 PST

I forgot to post my challenge!!!!!Stay tuned for crostata (yum)

I'm a New DBer Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:16:21 PDT

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.I have not posted anything much less done a challenge in what seems like years! So it is with great pleasure I say: I am a new Daring Baker again and here is the

New year!

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:10:30 PDT

I won't bother to get into what a bad blogger I am, how I've been unable to do my challenges or make anything on a whole with my kitchen constraints cause you've heard it all before. What I will share is that I'm back at school, second and final year, ready to go, inspired and bubbling with a positive outlook for my new year.Part of this excitement has come from my experience at the professional

One more exam to go....

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:00:29 PDT

...And I will be back! The summer baking & cooking will begin! Stay tuned :)

I'm on a roll

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:23:18 PDT

I started this post soooooooo long ago, lol. Well now that exams are done and the baking has begun, lets kick the ball rolling with....Beef Patties! With a little Chantal twist of course! I'm on a roll :) So that's 3 down off my list and 7 more to go, off to a good start if I may say so myself.Now I asked a certain person for a certain secret recipe, but since they're afraid of possibly losing

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:16:32 PDT

To be politically correct I will not mention the "going ons" in a typical Baking 2 class. Today we were supposed to do frozen desserts and I was assigned Baked Alaska. Due to time constraints and "technical issues" (political correctness again) however, the custard never froze. Good thing I had planned ahead and actually had a dessert to plate at the end of the day.I wanted to do Baked Alaska

The search begins...

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:30:02 PDT

Yaay! Two down, and it was so much fun! Last night I made samosas and plantain turnovers. I made samosas once before but I wanted to try making them again using ghee (I used oil the first time). They were definitely flakier this time, but they gave me quite a bit of trouble to fold and about two of them opened up when they were being fried - reviewing the instructions now, I realise its because I

Mojo Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Wed, 05 May 2010 09:11:44 PDT

I've lost my kitchen mojo or as the Hatter suggests to Alice my muchness :(Haven't been cooking much, haven't been baking much and the worst part is, I don't feel like going into the kitchen - yes there is also the fact that I live on a dorm with 20 other women/girls sharing one kitchen with a floor space of 3 x 6 feet that would turn anyone off. But for ME this is bad, very very bad.I am going

Daring in April: Coconut Spotted Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sat, 01 May 2010 06:12:49 PDT

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.When I saw that we were doing pudding this month I wasn't super excited. Steaming a pudding is a method I'd been meaning to try, I even got the trivet for the steamer and everything, but I

Gizzada: Jamaican Coconut Tart/Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:06:33 PDT

The thing I love the most about food is how it connects to our memories. How the taste of something can transport us back in time, make us happy, sometimes sad, comfort us, make us laugh out loud. So whenever I miss Jamaica, I make food that reminds me of home (hey Trinidad is home too, but…) like mackerel and dumpling, saltfish run dung, jerk chicken, festival, fry dumpling and rice and

Daring in March: Orange Tian

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 19:38:29 PDT

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.And what a great challenge it was. I was drawn to this challenge because of its simplicity yet elegance. The only thing I was not happy about was the marmalade. I dislike marmalade

Daring Cooks in March:Risotto

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:07:47 PDT

I did it! I did early! I ate it all (by myself)! But I forgot to write about it. Tsk tsk tsk, shaaame on me.The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook

Being Delinquent...

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:26:58 PDT

I completed my March Daring Cooks challenge quite early, but haven't written the post. Will have it up before the end of the day :)

Daring in February: Chai Tiramisu

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:00:01 PST

I'm not a cake person, not so much a pie person, but creamy desserts especially cold or frozen desserts, I'm your girl. So this month's challenge is right up my alley and just the indulgence I need to start the hectic semester right :)"The February 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge

Cake on the Brain

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:12:22 PST

Practical classes are yet to start and I've been bored out of my mind. To make matters worst the oven on my dorm is out of order which means no baking release for me. Well I reached my breaking point, I had to bake something, I'm a baking junkie you see, so the tiny toaster oven would be my refuge, like a broke alcoholic drinking rubbing alcohol, drastic analogy I know, but you get the picture

Mezze MIA

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:43:06 PST

I should be posting about my Daring Cooks challenge, unfortunately, I was unable to complete it before leaving Jamaica and now back in Trinidad in the middle of Carnival season I still didn't get to give it a try :(The challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums and was to create a Mezze with compulsory pita and hummus components. I've made both pita and hummus before and was looking

Daring in January: Nanaimo Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:43:00 PST

Today I'm particularly peeved at the people who call themselves administrators and their "practices" at the institution that calls itself the "future of hospitality and tourism". I am so tired of Certified B/S and would love to slap someone. Why are all my nanaimo bars finished? That's the total indulgence I need right now to soothe the pissed off in me that wants to resort to violence. Sigh. My

Daring Cooks: January 2010: Chicken Satay

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:01:02 PST

The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha DayMy younger brother is now officially annoyed with all the picture taking and presentation. It was bad before I started school, its gotten worst now that I'm on holiday from semester one."Normal" food he says. Why can't we just have

Holywell...Savouring Nature

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:53:30 PST

Holywell is located in Jamaica's Blue and John Crow mountains. It is a nature lover's get away with two hiking trails, picnic spots, camp-sites and cabins.I'd never been before but had been told by people who visited that it's wonderful, and after seeing it myself, I have to concur.Lots of fresh air, beautiful scenery and berries! Yes, berries! Probably one of the most exciting parts of the trip

Savouring simplicity...Coffee Pecan Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:28:31 PST

Yesterday was my mom's and grandfather's birthday. For breakfast I made them muffins, which they enjoyed with coffee and tea. Later we visited Holywell in the Blue and John Crow Mountains, it was amazing! I'll post about that and the birthday dinner tomorrow but for now, the muffins...These muffins are easy to make, full of flavour, nice and moist...simply delicious!If you're feeling a little

Savouring in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Chantal) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:04:57 PST

Happy New Year!!!! Albeit a few days late. I don't usually make resolutions since they never seem to make it past the second week of January. This year however, I made one. A commitment to slow down and savour. To take more deep breaths; to take time to see and appreciate the simple things and to be thankful for that which I already have while pursuing the those I think I need. Life moves so fast