Hi,
Today I will like to talk about the extraordinary Caribbean experience I had.
2008 I needed to have a break from the city life. Working in hospitality you spend long hours at work. When you have time out all you want to do is rest and relax.
It was the first time we went to the Dominican Republic.
When you have great weather and stunning beaches, there is only one thing you can do is, to have a Santo Libre or Coco Loco and enjoy the crystal clear beaches. My 2 weeks holiday was a life-changing experience. When it was time to go back to reality I already made up my mind, I was coming back…
When we moved to DR everything was like a dream, after time you realise it is time to earn money and get used to the lifestyle. With my cooking experience and meeting the right people, I was lucky to start my baking business. I was making cakes and selling them in local supermarkets.
All we needed to sell was 13 portions of cake a day to pay for all our daily expenses. In a short time, we started to sell so much more than 30, then demand from 1 supermarket went up to 4 and local restaurants. Word was spreading very fast, people were loving my cakes. Then I become aka The Cake Lady in town.
For 5 years I got the chance to cook with tropical ingrediance and selection of different cultural cuisines help me to master my culinary career.
Spending all this time in the Dominican Republic was a lifetime experience. Like everywhere else life can be hard at times. But there is so many great things about the place. Life is so relax, no one questions why you want to spend the whole day laying on the beach and do absolutely nothing rest of the day. When you walk on the street everyone smiles, you see a couple dancing on the sidewalk, and culture accepts everyone with no questions!
If you have a to-do list make sure the Dominican Republic is on your list. The country has a rich culture which has created attractions to all visitors with much different interest.
I will like to share a recipe today that reminds me Dominican Republic, Pavlova served with any fresh fruit of your choice.
Pavlova is a dessert never been easy to make.
Most of my cooking years I created a training program to teach others and develop their existing skills at more confident and specialist level. When I share recipes I will like to make it easy and clear that anyone and everyone can make it successfully. Cooking should be fun and relaxing. I will like to choose my recipes and share with you, be there at your side and guide you whenever you needed
PAVLOVA
1 Cup: 200 ml
INGREDIENTS
6 large egg whites
2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoon cornflour
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 160C or 140C if you are using a fan oven
Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk till stiff. Add the sugar, mix well then you can add the cornflour, vinegar and whisk again till egg whites are shiny
Lay a sheet of non-stick parchment on a baking tray.
(You can use very little meringue mixture under the corners of the parchment paper to stick them on the tray. This way if you are using a fan oven, the paper will stay still.)
You can spread the meringue on the non-stick baking parchment as a 20cm round shape, building up the sides to make sure they are higher than the middle, or you can divide the mixture by 6 or 8 to make individual portions.
Place in the oven but immediately reduce the temperature to 125C bake for 30 minutes then drop the heat down to 110C for another 40 minutes.
If you are using individual portions, 125C bake 20 min then drop the heat down to 110C for another 30 minutes.
Make sure you don’t open the oven door. Turn the oven off and keep them in at least another 20 minutes.
Top with Lemon Curd and the whipped cream served with any fruit you desire.
Never forget to add a cup of love at the end!!!
When you try this recipe I would love to hear how your’s turn out