Pavlova With Blackberry, Raspberries, Mandarins, Kiwis and Strawberries
A Pavlova is a baked meringue dessert. It is made by beating egg whites and other ingredients to stiff peaks, then baking the mass “low and slow” so that the outer crust becomes crisp like a cookie but the inside remains soft like a marshmallow. It is then usually topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits. The Pavlova was created to honor the famed Russian dancer Anna Pavlova after one of her tours to New Zealand.
Our friend Felicia made a Pavlova for us at a previous dinner at their house, so I asked her to make another one for dessert for our recent Ultimate Ribs Showdown meal. I also asked her to provide the recipe and take pictures (I know, such a demanding host!) so that I could post the Pavlova recipe later. Here is that recipe.
In Malaysia, pineapple tarts are one of the cookies that you will always find in most homes for Chinese New Year. There are two types of pineapple tarts– the first one is the open faced variety which is the original version (which is also why this cookie is called a tart) and the second is the enclosed jam version (which I suspect came from Indonesia where many beautiful and time-consumingly designed versions of this cookie can be found).
Homemade Pineapple Tarts
I got this recipe from my third aunt, who through trial and error has created a really delicious, melt-in-your-mouth dough which is truly sublime. In some ways, I have always had some reluctance sharing this recipe because if there is one recipe that I feel is part of my family, this is probably it.
By the time I opened the door, the FedEx van was already pulling out of the driveway. I looked down and, lo and behold, there was a box that had been sent by Annie’s good friend in Michigan. Inside was an apple pie from Zingerman’s Bakehouse!
Zingerman’s Bakehouse Apple Pie
Last year, Annie had gone to visit her friend and came back with an amazing apple pie from Franklin Cider Mill in Franklin, MI. It was far and away the best apple pie we had ever had, even beating the pie we had at Gizdich Ranch. But Annie’s friend said that the apple pie from Zingerman’s was also good. I guess this was our chance to find out how good it is.
