Food Over Mind and Body

When creativity hits me in the head like a brick, no limitations exist to stop me from zombie walking to my kitchen at any time of the day and night, come rain or shine, freezing cold or hellish summer, to create it and make it happen. Then all of a sudden a lightening bolt like energy hits me out of my trance once I’m in my kitchen and I start pulling ingredients from my mini Costco, digging out tools, pans, like a warrior gathering all the weapons needed to fight an epic battle.

The battle of ideas, flavors, textures, taste, applications, techniques needed, all swarming in my head all at once and dying to come out to fruition. It can’t be tamed or stopped, if anything, the roar starts to get louder, and louder, screaming to come to action. Come rain or shine, come hell or high water, It. Needs. To. Happen.

Introducing my latest and newest created recipe for my Cake ball truffle saga, CHOCO-NUT BAILEY’S DREAM DELIGHTS!

I made these to give as a birthday gift and received a very high approval ratings from the chocoholic recipients. Additionally, I have created another technique to shorten the curing time without sacrificing the intensity of the flavors and texture, instead, it heightened them. Dark chocolate on top of chocolate, nuts,, coconut, Bailey’s, and a secret ingredient, resulted in a creamy, melts in your mouth, intensely chocolatey and complex dance in your palate goodness! Did I mention that these are Cake Balls? Not your ordinary Cake Balls, they are truffle like! What’s not to like???

For your viewing pleasure here are some photos.

I’ve been asked numerous times what my specialty is when it comes to Cuisines and it’s a question I’ve always struggled to answer. Although I’m classically trained and love, love, French Cuisine, I wouldn’t consider it my “Specialty” per se. If there’s a dish that I don’t know how to make or never heard of, that always catches my attention and curiosity. The harder it is to make, the more my interest peaks. Just like when I first saw the biggest International Market I’ve been to years ago, where I stood in the middle of this long and wide aisle of nothing but spices and it made my head spin to oblivion! I remember myself thinking, “how on earth do you use all these spices???” and “how and where would I learn all of it???”

That’s how my interest in Culinary school got more serious than ever and that’s why I went for it. And when I did, my curiosity for other Cuisines expanded and my thirst for knowledge of other Cuisines became an obsession ~~ If I don’t know how to make it, I will learn it. If you don’t want me to learn your recipe, don’t let me taste your food for I will know and can make it. My thought process is, “If they can make it, so can I and I will learn it.”

This brings me to my latest “Cuisine project to learn” called, Serbian Cuisine. After some good amount of research I came up with the following:
1.) Ajvar (pronounced I-var) ~ Sauce/Spread/Dip/Condiment/Relish made mainly of roasted red peppers, eggplant, garlic, and some seasonings. Slather this to anything savory and it will elevate that dish a few more notches!
2.) Cevapi or Cevapcici ~ Serbian Skinless Sausage made of various kinds of meats, but, I used Beef, pork, and lamb! This is definitely nothing like the other sausages I’ve ever eaten trust me, and it made it to the top of my favorite sausages to date.
3.) Serbian Oil and Vinegar Vegan Potato Salad ~ the best potato salad I’ve ever had! Where has this been all my life??? This dish is sooooooo easy to make and very tasty, it’s way healthier, and you don’t have to worry about spoilage when taken to a party or picnic compared to a Mayo based type. Additionally, you can enjoy and devour it right after you made it and eaten at temperature! It’s a win-win and what is not to like???
4.) Raznjici (pronounced RAHZ-nyee-chee) ~ It’s basically meat on a skewer and I chose to use pork loin. What’s so special about this dish, you ask? The marinade! It has red wine vinegar, fresh onions, fresh garlic, and other spices! The flavor profile it provided is so unique with such depth of flavor specially when marinated overnight, which is what I prefer.
5.) Gibanica (Gee-bah-nit-sa) ~ can be a side dish or main course and it’s mainly made of Phyllo/Filo dough, cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs, olive oil, and other ingredients. It’s a rich dish so for me I drizzled a touch of honey over it to balance out the richness of the dish.

This is just very few of the ones I’ve worked on and I know that I have not even begun to scratch the surface of this Cuisine, but, be rest assured that I will be discovering more of it and their desserts, as well. So without any further ado, here are the photos.

Grilled Tomahawk Steak
Tomahawk steak, is what’s for dinner! I came across this behemoth half a cow it seems, 2 inches thick and 2.5 # each. For the longest time I stared at it while my mind goes gazillion miles a minute trying to figure out the best way to cook it ~ Sous Vide, Reverse sear, smoke, or traditional old fashion grilling. Since I love, love, the flavor you get from grilling I opted for that although I was quite concern of the outcome. After all, the tomahawk is huge and thick.

Wow, the outcome was awesome! The steak was soooooo tender and cuts like butter, so flavorful, and pure heavenly clean beef flavor though it was simply seasoned with just salt and pepper! It’s exactly what I was aiming for. When the main ingredient is of good quality, respect that and let it shine on its own. No convoluted seasoning that will take away from the real flavor goodness of the ingredient. However, it doesn’t mean I can’t experiment with different cooking method such as Sous Vide, smoke, and reverse sear.

The only issue I will have about trying different methods of preparing this is its size! One of this can serve 2 people and eat it in 3 meals if not 4 in my household. And just for me, it’ll take me more than week to finish eating it! And, I bought the whole cow, LoL! For the sides, I served it with a simple cheesy pasta, grilled zucchinis, and sweet Cherry peppers to balance out the flavor profile of the entire components of the meal.

P.S. ~~ For some of you this maybe too rare, but, the temperature is perfectly medium rare to rare. just the way I like my beef, still moo-wing!!!

Late Post!
Homemade Egg Drop Soup! So easy to make, taste absolutely fresh and divine, MSG Free, all fresh ingredients, and you have full control of what’s in it. This soup is so easy to make that by the time you jump in your car to get it from a restaurant or receive your Uber food, I’m done enjoying it and already washed my soup bowl! Fresh ginger, green onions, and high quality REAL toasted sesame oil are key ingredients to this awesomeness that gets you warm and toasty on the inside, and feeds your soul. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never buy or order it anywhere else. Not to mention, it’s so economical to make! What’s not to like? It’s a win-win to me!

Kimchi is life! When I crave Kimchi, I can’t find it in me to buy it. I have done that before and regardless where I buy it from, the brand, or the type of Kimchi, it never really satisfy me. Additionally, I prefer Daikon Kimchi over Napa cabbage.

Why, you ask? I happen to love all of the stages of fermentation process ~~ fresh after making it, the next day, day 4, and so on. With every fermentation stages, it offers different texture, depth of flavor, earthiness, and spice level.

When you buy it, you don’t know how long it has been sitting on the shelf since it was first made, what level of fermentation it’s at, and 9 out of 10 chances it has already reached full fermentation stage and it’s sour.

I also enjoy that level, but, I prefer to enjoy every stages of it giving me the pleasure of eating the same Kimchi, but, feels like a different one each day of the process. And because of that, I tend to eat it every day which is very healthy for you and getting all the healthy benefits it offers.

And last but definitely not the least, I have full control of the amount of salt in it, spice level, no preservatives, no food coloring, and no ingredients we can’t pronounce! That’s a win-win for me!

I’ve been Fasting between 18:6 to 20:4 everyday for over 3 years now and only eat One Meal A Day (OMAD). What that means is I don’t eat for 18-20 hours and I have a 4-6 hours of eating window everyday. However, my Fasting is flexible when need be, and lately I had to mix things up when I hit a plateau and did a 48 hours straight of fasting. Then, I went to a 72 hours straight of Fasting the last 3 days. After the 72 hours, I had to eat healthy and pictured is what I had - A grilled half Romaine with cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, and drizzled with creamy Jalapeño dressing and my homemade Chili Oil.

When breaking a long fast like I just did, it is important to eat as healthy and as cleanly as you possibly can. And this grilled Romaine was so tasty and filling, that it satisfied me. Grilled Romaine you ask??? Yes, grilled and don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. For whatever scientific reasons unbeknownst to be, Romaine lettuce changes in taste and texture when grilled, tremendously! It becomes so peppery, crispy, and full of body!
It was all I needed after a 72 hours of straight Fasting!

P.S. ~ As I mentioned, my Fasting is very flexible both in the kind of food I eat and when I want to eat. When I am more active like the past week where we hiked and camp for 5 days, I ate normally! Then, when I came back home I just proceeded where I left off with Fasting. Because of how flexible my Fasting is, I don’t feel deprived, restricted, nor am I dieting, and I get a ton of health benefits where losing inches is just a mere bonus. With that said, I call this Fasting a Lifestyle and not by any means a diet!

Homemade Pork Bánh Mí Sandwiches is a Vietnamese Sandwich of many variations consist of protein, pickled carrots and daikon, and that authentic Vietnamese sauce, in a short, crispy and crusty, baguette. Having been to Vietnam back in 2017, I’ve had my share of this awesome sandwich and its variations to compare with the ones I’ve had here in the U.S.

Needless to say, authentic is still the best, but, as long as you know the basic authentic flavor profile of the authentic Vietnamese sauce and how to balance it with your protein of choice, the possibilities are endless and your imagination is your only limitation!

I’ve made this very easy and simple Pork Bánh Mí version believe it or not, with my Ninja Foodi! And since I already have my own homemade Chili Oils on hand, making the sauce from it was easy peasy. The only thing that took time to make was the pickled Daikon, carrots, and fresh pickled onions since I chose to cut them all by hand.

Other than that, it was one very refreshing, tasty, delicious, and so easy to make sandwich with such complexity of well orchestrated depth and burst of flavors, a party in your mouth, with every bite! A cool sandwich in a hot summer day, with the tartness and hint of sweet pickled daikon and carrots, the spiciness of the pickled onions, heat of the peppers, the earthy and freshness of cilantro, and the sweet, creamy, and spicy sauce! What’s there not to like???

Soup always feeds the soul even when it’s triple digit outside! More so when it’s light, flavorful, just a little bit of tickle spice in the back of your throat, with fresh ingredients, very satisfying, easy to make and yet, all homemade. My quick version of a seafood hotpot with fish ball, cod, zucchini, onions, napa cabbage, carrots, green onions, and a drizzle of one of my homemade chili oil. This soup alone can be all you need to be happy for a very light meal.

However, this was just my starter that was followed by a very simple grilled Romaine lettuce (yes, they were grilled!) served with a Jalapeño ranch dressing, and the main course was my Beijing beef with Jasmine rice. The guests were so anxious to dive in that I didn’t get to take photos of them before they got demolished! Well, there’s always a next time that’s for sure!

With the summer heat upon us, easy, quick, and still homemade is always my goal and there’s a ton of ways to make it happen - break out the slow cookers, air fryers, fire up the grill, and let your imagination roll!

When it’s too hot to turn on the stove or oven and you want something so simple and yet very satisfying, I bring out the air fryer or slow cooker. This time, it’s air fried chicken wings and a side of salad. I wanted it to be light and refreshing so I seasoned it with freshly squeezed lime juice and its zest, Salt and pepper, and a little bit of smoked paprika.

The sauce I tossed it in after air frying the wings is what made this dish, sing! I made my own sauce using my homemade chili oil, Japanese bbq sauce, more fresh lime juice and its zest, lots of fresh minced garlic, and honey! It turned out deliciously crispy on the outside, tender and juicy meat inside, citrusy, sweet, garlicky, and spicy all in one bite! Just like that, dinner was served, we had chicken wings to our hearts content, and it didn’t cost $2.00 or more per wing that some restaurants charge for!

My past weekend was full of productive creations consisting of old favorites revisited and a new dessert recipe for Father’s Day! Thanks to FB’s memories that pops up often, I had to make hand rolled and homemade Gnocchi, but, this time with goat cheese and served in my luscious and robust homemade Vodka Sauce. It’s been a long while since I’ve made both perhaps a decade ago and I had to dig out the recipes amongst my thousands on file, and I was a bit nervous since we had company to eat them with us.

Well, it’s like riding a bike that no matter what it will come back to you. However, one thing about my Gnocchi that is of upmost important to me is the texture, texture, texture, because I hate, hate, gummy Gnocchi! Did I say I hate gummy Gnocchi??? LoL! The only reason I changed my mind and how I feel about Gnocchi was the Gnocchi I had in Cannes, France back in 2013 during the Cannes Festival. It was an Italian restaurant near our hotel called AMICI RISTORANTE (which unfortunately closed after Covid) that a co-worker ordered and pleaded me to try it. Good thing she insisted because that Gnocchi was melt-in-your-mouth heavenly soft and delicately delicious! I mean, OMG! From that point on, I made it my mission to recreate it and after a lot of research hours and with successful endeavor, I dedicate my Gnocchi dish to AMICI RISTORANTE!

To pair such a delicate and time consuming pasta making I had to think of the best sauce to serve it with, and what else would do justice than my own Vodka sauce topped with fresh and fragrant full chiffonade basil! However, the magic in this Gnocchi making process happens with the feel in your hand when making the dough. Think and always remember, it has to be melt-in-your-mouth heavenly cloud SOFT and TENDER morsels! With the goat cheese’s earthy tang added to the Gnocchi dough that paired so well with the creamy and tomato-ey richness and a bit spiciness of the Vodka sauce like a fine tuned harmonic orchestra, I call this my INDECENT PROPOSAL GNOCCHI! Just make sure to add a nice and crusty on the outside but soft on the inside piece of baguette to sap up all that sauce, and my appetizer was served! LoL, yes, it was just the appetizer!

Now to the main course, I baked and crusted, and baked again (yes, in that order!) a nice and tender rack of pork until it reached a 145 - 155 degrees internal temperature AFTER it rested, therefore, you need to remove it from the oven with internal temp of 140 degrees, tent it, and make sure to let it rest for no less than 15 minutes. For some, it may still be too pink but please see below info from Pork.Org)

Cooking Temperature of Pork
Finding the correct pork cooking temperature is the final step in plating a perfectly juicy, tender cut of meat. Pork today is very lean, making it important to not overcook and follow the recommended pork cooking temperature. The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer.

To what temperature should I cook pork?
From: ask.usda.gov
Jan 12, 2023
KNOWLEDGE ARTICLE
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking ground pork patties and ground pork mixtures such as meat loaf to 160 °F (71.1 °C) as measured with a food thermometer. Cook all organ and variety meats (such as heart, kidney, liver, tongue, and chitterlings) to 160 °F (71.1 °C). Cook all raw pork steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (62.8 °C) as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, you may choose to cook to higher temperatures. For a chart of approximate cooking times and temperatures for a wide variety of pork cuts and products, see Fresh Pork From Farm to Table.

I served my rack of pork with a side of homemade applesauce, a simple fresh corn casserole, and lime citrus Orzo. Balanced, balanced, and a cohesive flavors that goes well together is always my goal when it comes to pairing dishes. The play of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy, and umami are always present in my repertoire of dinners I served in full circle.

For the finale of course and to end such a meal with a bang and not be outdone with the first 2 courses, it has to be a dessert with it’s own flair, as well. So I introduce to you a newly created dessert recipe, an Orange and dark chocolate Bundt cake! A Bundt cake made with nothing but the purest of freshly squeezed Orange juice and its zest, and nothing more, no extracts of any sort! Just flour, eggs, a pinch of salt,baking soda, a little sugar, (the sweetness is mostly from the oranges and the high end dark chocolate, yaaaayy!) and lots of love! The result is a sexy, decadent, dense, rich, and sooooooo full of natural orange flavor and zest piece of heaven! However, this is one dessert that needs 8 hours of patience so it can have the time to develop its flavor and texture to perfection! And as if that’s not enough, the leftover the following day or days to come if it last that long, will sing and serenade you another love song! Father’s Day needless to say, was another success! Done and doner!

True passion for the craft comes from the heart and fueled by the mind simultaneously working as one, making great Chefs a unique breed of their own.

No doubt about it, summer is here! Grilling season, BBQ’s, picnics, swimming, etc! However, grilling shrimp and fish outside sometimes is just not worth the time it takes to heat up the grill specially when is hot outside. It takes no time to cook shrimp and fish stove top inside that by the time the grill heats up, I’m done cooking on my stove. I can also finish the sauce right there and then ala minute, which is not so easy to do on the grill or outdoors with the dish I had in mind to create. However, the downside of cooking it indoors is of course the smell of shrimp and fish lingering in the house for a couple of days regardless of how much candles, incense, and Lysol spray I used, but, the outcome dish was all so worth it, lol!

This dish is one of those “ala minute” I come up with without really in depth planning, it’s just one of those that came to mind, and when you have a fully equipped and well stocked pantry and fridge, it’s so easy to do so. I was craving shrimp and fish to have for dinner with a salad, nothing big, nothing heavy or complicated. I also happened to have my homemade Chili oils I made awhile back that I’ve been wanting to experiment using on creating new recipes, so I thought that this would be a good time to do it.

And before I knew it a new recipe was born, right there and then.
I marinated my shrimp and cod with some of my oil for 10 minutes, pan fried them medium rare, removed them off the pan, added more fresh ingredients and more love and care to make some light sauce, put the shrimp and cod back in the pan to finish cooking them in the sauce, and voila! My ASIAN SPICY SWEET SHRIMP AND COD DISH was born!

I just served it over a very simple salad mixture of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, avocado, shredded carrots, and plain olive oil dressing with a drizzle of the sauce from the dish! Omg, it sure hit the spot! It was light, healthy, refreshing, very flavorful and tasty, and soooooo satisfyingly delicious! This dish will definitely be on my rotation dinner list that’s for sure, along with adding buying more incense in my grocery list, lol! 😍🥰😂🤪

As we all know leftovers are sometimes the best the following day, because it has given the flavors more time to developed. Sauces of all sorts are so known for this, dishes such as stews, and even lots desserts! Additionally, leftovers doesn’t have to be eaten the same way as is. The possibilities to re-invent it are endless, sky is the limit, and if you have finicky eaters at home who frowns at leftovers, that’s when a lot of creativity and imagination comes in very handy.

One of my many favorite leftovers are ribs, grilled, or baked. I happened to have some, removed the meats off the bone, slowly warm it on a frying pan on low, add a little bit more sauce, added it to a nice and toasted buns that’s crunchy on the outside, but, still soft on the inside, added some homemade pickled white onions, a few Cornichons on the side, and lo and behold, dinner is served! Soooooo easy, tasty, delicious, definitely satisfying, and it hit the spot! 🤤🥰😍

Summer is definitely upon us no doubt about it, so if you’re out there grilling some ribs already, make sure to make some extra and create this! It’s the fastest, easiest, and delicious way to enjoy a BBQ pork (or beef or chicken!) sandwich for your next day’s lunch or dinner. Sort of a pulled pork sandwich only different, but, way easier and yet so delicious! Just make sure to heat it up stove top and on low, and add more sauce or a splash of water or freshly squeezed citrus of choice, to keep it moist and the integrity of the texture intact.

Have you ever planned on a brunch that became dinner? LoL, of course I have! We had a friend who came over that we planned on serving a brunch of some kind, but, my menu got bigger than the original plan. It also doesn’t help that I have this habit of serving appetizers as well, and when good conversation just flows naturally, a brunch can easily become dinner. LoL!!!

It also didn’t help that I had the inkling and craving for awhile now for something I haven’t made for a long time, a sinful, decadent, sexy, favorites of mine, Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce, and Strawberry and Cream Crepes! Yeah, I did go there! However, this time I didn’t want the “classic,” I wanted something with a twist or should I say, I wanted to kick them up a few notches. And BAM, (as Emeril Lagasse would say!) I sure did!

For the Eggs Benedict, I wanted the protein/ meat portion to be heartier, but, I am also short for time. So, I decided to use tenderloin center cut pork chops. I breaded them with my own blend of seasonings and pan fried them. My hollandaise is homemade with a hint of lemon to add freshness and acid to help balance the richness of the dish.

Imagine this, the English muffin with a slight crispiness on the outside and soft on the inside soaked in the oozing and flowing velvety egg yolk from the poached egg, contrasting and against the crispy and hearty piece of the breaded juicy pork tenderloin, all wrapped around the sexy silkiness of the hollandaise sauce with a hint of lemon, all in one bite!!

No, you didn’t die and went to food heaven, at least not yet! Although all so heavenly, I have originally thought of topping it with some black caviar to add some brininess to the dish, but, decided to back off a bit. Well, after my first bite I knew right away that it would have kicked it up a few more notches, so for sure, I will next time. Might as well go big or go home, right? Oh yeah, I am so going there! LoL!!!

As far as my Strawberry and Cream Crepes goes, it’s been over a decade since I made it and I didn’t have the time to refrigerate the batter overnight, as per the French Crepe Gods would want it! But, my craving for it is much stronger than my fear of them, so I went for it. So please, please, don’t tell them I did such a thing! And don’t tell them either that my cream is not the usual whipped heavy cream! My twist, remember? LoL!

Well, the Crepes turned out really good though I didn’t refrigerate the batter overnight! They were thin and tender, with a hint of the orange from the Grand Manier, (again, go big or go home, peeps!), the tartness and sweetness of the macerated fresh strawberries with a hint of Grand Manier again, (yep, I did!) and just the perfect light sweetness of the cream with a bit of tang, to balance everything!

All I could say is, I was trying very hard to take good photos before I serve the Strawberry and Cream Crepe, but, all I could hear was the sighing, groaning, moaning, the tapping of the dessert fork on my table, the hush sound of impatience all around me, and finally, the “are you done yet??!!!”

After I was rushed to served my crepes, all I could hear was more moaning and groaning, but this time, from delight. And before I could even eat half of mine, their dessert plates were already empty! Were there request for seconds? You bet! My work here is done and on to the next one, que sera, sera, whatever that might be, will be! 🤪🥰😘

It’s FOOD p**n time! LoL! Omg, this is one of those desserts I’ve made countless times, but, it’s been awhile since I’ve made it. However, there’s nothing more rewarding when you’ve made a great dessert into an awesome dessert because I made it, Gluten Free! Yep, a perfectly tangy and sweet lemon warm pudding cake that’s Gluten Free, made with fresh Lemon juice and zest, and can be enjoyed warm or cold from the fridge!

When eaten warm, you get a very light and very thin crispy top layer that would just melt in your mouth, then, a very smooth, silky, and just so sexy pudding at the bottom! No need for any additional sprinkling of powdered sugar (plus extra unnecessary calories!), or any additional topping of any sort that would compete with the pure lemony and sweet heavenly flavor. It is awesome just as is, naked!

Additionally, it keeps well in the fridge and when eaten cold it becomes a completely different dessert! The thin light crispy topping becomes a thin soft and spongy top that just disappears in your mouth and followed by this cold, refreshing, lemony, tart, and sweet pudding! And did I mention that it’s Gluten Free??!!! What’s not to like? LoL!

Omg, I can go out of town with other flavors I can I make from this! Key Lime, pineapple, Mango, Grand Marnier with blood orange, the possibilities are endless!

Dinner meals prepared for a a company doesn’t have to be tedious or complicated specially if you do it, often. Well, at least I try very hard until I get in the kitchen and get in my zone and groove, lol! However, I still have to make sure that the entire meal starting with the appetizer, entree, dessert, and matching wine coincides together like an orchestra.

For my starter, I made confit shrimp with lots of fresh garlic for that pronounced garlicky flavor, drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice, topped with my spicy and garlicky toasted bread crumbs, and served with a crusty baguette to wipe and dunk the extra sauce as made. Followed with dark chicken meat Linguine Alfredo with a side of carrot Vichy with peas, which complemented and balanced the richness of the pasta dish.
For the finish line, I ended the meal with a Lemon warm pudding cake. This cake has a very light sponge-like top and a velvety and creamy lemon custard at the bottom!

Of course, the wine flows all through the night along with awesome conversation and lots of laughters and more memories made over food, at the comfort of our home. No loud noises to compete with but ours, no driving a distance required, no unwanted loud music, and just a relaxing dinner night with a good friend!

Weekend new project, a TRAIN CAKE SETS ensemble for a 6 year old birthday party, done, and doner!

My BFF’s son had his 6th birthday yesterday and I decided to try my hands on something I thought of, but, never made it before - a train set emsemble! The cake pan has 9 train cars and since there’s definitely more than 9 people at the party, I made 2 batches of them, a total of 18 train cars/cabooses.

I was needless to say was apprehensive because after all, it’s
baking. There’s a lot of components, variables, and concerns involved that I needed to do research for. It took me about a week of research, and a few days of shopping for the components I needed to complete the ensemble I had in mind.

First concern, what type of cake should I use since it’s a baking pan with detailed designs. I needed a type of cake that would hold it’s shape and not one that would be too fragile to withhold the handling and weight of the candies I will add to them. And, the type of cake that will release and not stick, is of course, my number one apprehension.

After hours of research, I decided to use a true and tested Chocolate Pound Cake recipe. Chocolate because it’s the birthday boy’s favorite thing and flavor to eat, and I thought that the dark color of chocolate will definitely be a great contrast to the coloful candies I will decorate them with.

And without any further ado, I present my first ever, CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY TRAIN CAKE ENSEMBLE! It’s Construction themed, complete with Lego figures that I put together myself which I truly enjoyed way too much, lol! It took me 18 hours to complete it plus another hour or so to assemble it, but, the birthday boy was happy with it, family and guests as well, so it’s a success, a win, and mission accomplished!