Jewish/German Cake - also known as Apple and Nectarine Cake

So I happened to have the right kind of inspiration 2 days back. Plus the fact that my mum is still recovering from her minor eye surgery that led to aunts and uncles visiting our home and bringing many fruits over. One of the fruits given was Nectarine. However the nectarine was not too good in its taste and it lacked the natural sweetness. So all these are enough reasons to see me getting some Organic Green Granny Smith Apples from the supermarket and working hard in the kitchen at 7.30pm.

Some websites have mentioned that this recipe (without the nectarine) is called a Jewish Cake whilst some called it a German Cake. But since I've altered the ingredients a bit and added in the Nectarine, let's just call it an Apple and Nectarine Cake (less controversial).

The result: I was slightly disappointed with the effects of the cake. I tried to cut some of the butter and eggs used in the original recipe. This made the cake a bit too crumbly for my own good. So the recipe stated below for eggs and butter are as stated as in the original recipe. I strongly recommend the use of Dark Molasses mixed with castor sugar for the sugar component in the recipe. Dark Molasses has always been my secret ingredient to making superbly rich and delicious cookies and even brownies. Despite the crumbly-ness of the Apple and Nectarine Cake, I daresay that the taste was simply good.

So here's the recipe (Serves 10):

Ingredients A
3 Organic Green Granny Smith Apples (peeled and diced)
3 Nectarines (diced)
30g molasses sugar
1 tablespoon Cinnamon


Ingredients B (Dry Ingredients)
400g Plain Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt


Ingredients B (Wet Ingredients)
170g Butter (cut into smaller pieces - easier for whisking)
150g Castor Sugar
150g Molasses Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
4 Eggs
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Some Orange Juice


Instructions

1. Heat up the oven. Grease the baking tin.
   
2. Mix Ingredients A together in a large bowl and set aside.
   
3. Sift and mix Ingredients B (Dry Ingredients) together in a large bowl and set aside.


4. Mix Butter, Molasses Sugar, Castor Sugar and Vanilla Essence together using the mixer.


5. Add in Cinnamon and Orange Juice. Mix well.


6. Add in the eggs slowly and mix well.


7. Add in the Ingredients B (Dry Ingredients) slowly into the mixture and fold well.


8. Pour hald of the mixture into the greased baking tin. Add in half of the mixture fruits into the baking tin. Pour in the rest of the mixture on top of the fruits in the baking tin. Lastly, pour in the remaining mixed fruits to the top of the mixture.


9. Bake the cake in the oven until the metal tester shows clean surface - indicating that the cake is properly cooked on the inside. (perhaps around 50-90 mins, depening on the oven).


10. Cool the cake properly (leave for about 30-45 mins before cutting).


11. Serve well. Would be nice if you could serve together with youghurt and real sliced fruits - and not forgetting a nice hot cup of good coffee. :)
    

Free Time = Baking Time

So I've decided to have quality food instead. And the only way to do so is to bake my own. Can anything get any fresher and preservative-free than that?

Turning Flexitarian: Conscience on Health, Ethics and Culture

The first entry of this blog started off on a negative note as I lamented about the disheartening ageing process that seemed to drain my runs and the almost endless search for something deeper and more meaningful in life. I was convinced that my friend was right: that indeed we both have life issues – that maybe we both were indeed suffering from mid mid-age crisis.

But now that the year 2010 is coming to an end, I am surprised indeed that I am no longer preoccupied with the ageing cycle. Indeed the phrase “Seek and thou shalt receive” has its value. It points to the need for an individual to be proactive and take the necessary steps needed to change and transform into what is desired. So for me, I’ve become more conscious of my fitness regime. I no longer just stick to running. Today it is more a mixture of running plus yoga, pilate, weight-training and kick-boxing. With such intensity, my body and mind have undeniably transformed and with that my runs are now more fuelled with energy, zest and most importantly, soul and hope.

However the dedication to fitness together with my constant travels and meeting of all kinds of people while travelling have added another dimension to understanding life and the molding of my identity. After talking to a few and reading numerous articles and blogs online, I realized that it is not enough for one to keep an active lifestyle and declare oneself as fit and healthy. Health and Fitness is not at all synonymous to what I only do but also to what I put inside my body. In short one’s body is indeed like a temple of God. One really needs to take care of what one consumes in order to maintain a healthy body and a healthy mind.

As such, before the year 2011 makes its arrival, I have turned a flexitarian. I have contemplated for quite some time about becoming completely a vegetarian but after some time I realized that there may be issues that work against my principles. A flexitarian diet includes mostly vegetarian-based food with some occasions of meat-eating. The switch in my diet plan mirrors my principles at the moment. I believe that eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts and lentils while lessening my intake of meat will help fuel my runs better. In addition, it helps me to be more in-sync with my body, mind and soul as I practice Yoga since Yoga is about Ahimsa (meaning ‘non-harming’ or ‘non-violence’). The act of eating meat can translate into slaughtering and killing of defenseless animals. To add on, I am also aware of the animal farming industry which cruelly rear animals just so as to ensure sustainable supply of animals to meet the high demands. I am trying hard to cut back on eating meat so as not to add on to the high demands. I have added a link to a YouTube video below to show the cruelty involved towards animals. In addition, eating less meat helps sustain the environment as research has shown that more forests are depleted due to the massive clearing of forests just so as to make way for more fields for animal-farming. It is also stipulated that more fossil fuel is used up to produce meat than to produce plants.

But why not completely a vegetarian? As much I would love to I find it impractical for now. My love for culture and human beings are also too great that as much as I care about the rights and the state of animals and the environment, I care more about human beings. And part of culture’s most outstanding creation is the food that binds and identifies the community together. My culture has created tremendous cuisine full of soul and character. These are comfort food that will stay on and that will always be there during joyous occasions and festivities as well as during normal times. These food however are mostly comprised of meat. Sure one can say that one can easily substitute the meat to something that is non-meat. But then I assure you that the result will be different. It won’t be the same. Just imagine the Japanese, who are known for their fish diet culture, making all vegan sushi and tempura and udon instead. Now THAT is weird and completely destroys the Japanese culinary heritage. Thus, to take an oath of being a full-time vegetarian means that I’m missing out and disowning my culture, my roots and my family – which I am not able to take and too great a sacrifice. So for now a flexitarian diet is sufficiently good and balanced for it meets my current purpose and principles in life. I shall be updating on my blog every now and then on my journey of being a flexitarian but until then, here’s cheers to a healthy body, mind and soul~!

The Video: (click on the link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHXA1LLB_I