Strawberry Cheesecake and Edible Heathrow Express

No bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Making this was tricky since I am new to the complex world of gelatine. I bought gelatine for the first time. Anxious to use it as soon as I got home, I made milk jelly and that worked. 

With great enthusiasm and not realising that the concept of beginners luck is well and truly alive, I attempted strawberry cheesecake. First attempt, almost disaster. The filing did not firm up, still delicious as a strawberry cheesecake milkshake! Second attempt, same results, and I thought people learn from their mistakes. Apparently not everyone does. To convert  strawberry cheesecake milkshake into strawberry cheesecake, I warmed the mixture gently and chilled it again. It worked. The gelatine did not fully dissolve the first time around. The recipe is available here

Today's Favourite Photo

Source: Airport World

Heathrow Express Train

This cake was made to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Heathrow Express. The cake measured 1.5m x 2m. It would have been fun to watch if a drunk passenger tried to board the train.

Today’s Favourite Blog

Source: Huffington Post

A 31-year old woman who only drank soda for about half her life recently faced some health issues. She was brought to a hospital after she fainted. A blood test showed she had severely low potassium levels. And a test of her heart's electrical activity revealed she had a condition called long QT syndrome, which can cause erratic heart beats.

The woman had not drunk any water since the age of 15. She drank about 2 liters of cola daily. After abstaining from soda for just one week, the woman's potassium levels and heart electrical activity returned to normal.

Drinking too much cola may cause excess water to enter the bowels, which in turn leads to diarrhea, and loss of potassium, the researchers said. High amounts of caffeine can also increase urine production and decrease potassium reabsorption, the researchers said.

Whats even more interesting is that the woman lives in Monaco, a small country near southern France. When I started reading the article, I assumed the woman was from the US. I guess people from outside US also indulge in cola.

Huí Guō Ròu, Zebra Cake and Eggcellent Article

Twice Cooked Pork

Huí Guō Ròu means “meat returned to pot”, in other words, twice cooked. The dish comes from Sichuan but don’t ask me how the name is pronounced.  What I can tell you is that this is extremely delicious, and very simple to prepare.

This dish brings back memories. The first time I saw this on the menu, I asked the waitress how it is prepared. My waitress and my friend/dinner companion answered at the same time “its cooked twice”. I ordered the dishing without bothering to ask any further questions. The recipe is available here

And here’s the most creative latte art I have ever seen. Imagine having to deliver this to a table.

Today's Favourite Photo

Source: Nasi Lemak Lover

Zebra Butter Cake

Today’s Favourite Blog

Source: Huffington Post

Insightful and eggcellent article on eggs.

Egg Yolks Help Brain Development

Egg yolks are one of the richest dietary sources of the B-complex vitamin choline, which is associated with better neurological function and reduced inflammation. A diet rich in choline is also associated with happiness. Choline breaks down into bethane, which is used during the methylation cycle, which in turn helps produce "happiness" hormones (and neurotransmitters) like serotonin, dopamine and norephinephrine.

So, have a cake and be happy! Even better, have a generous helping of vanilla sauce.

Eggs Are 'Perfect' Protein

Eggs are the "gold standard" when it comes to protein quality because all of the protein found in an egg can be absorbed and used by the body. "Calorie for calorie, you need less protein from eggs than you do from other sources to achieve the same muscle-building benefits," Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., told Men's Health.

Chicken Age Matters

A study in Poultry Science found that young chickens, age 28 weeks, and old chickens, 97 weeks, were more likely to produce eggs with low solids contents than were middle-aged chickens. "It may be more beneficial for egg producers and processors to use young and old birds for table egg production and birds of intermediate age for liquid egg production," wrote the researchers.

I hope you can figure what the difference is between table egg and liquid egg, and find out the age of the chicken that laid your eggs.

What Egg Yolk Color Really Means

The deep yellow or pale hue of your egg yolk doesn't measure healthfulness directly, according to the American Egg Association. Instead, it's indicative of a chicken's feed. Chickens that are fed grains and grasses full of carotenoids (like lutein and zeaxanthin) have more vibrantly yellow yolks, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a more nutritious yolk. It could measure chicken health, however.

Cloudy Vs. Clear Egg Whites

The age of the egg affects whether the egg white is cloudy or clear. Older eggs have clear whites, while fresh eggs can have a milky, opaque look.

Brown Vs. White Eggs? No Difference

Shell color relates to the breed of chicken -- it has nothing to do with the healthfulness of the egg or the health of the chicken who laid it.

Eggs Are Good To Eat For More Than 3 Months

Eggs are typically packed within a week of laying, though USDA regulations allow them to be up to 30 days from the coop. The sell-by date has to be within a month of the pack date, making the total shelf-life of eggs about two months. But, according to the USDA, eggs may still be good from three to five weeks after the sell-by date passes.

Semolina Lemon Coconut Cake and Don't Skip Breakfast

Semolina Lemon Coconut Cake

 The cake is super moist, and semolina gives a fantastic soft gritty texture. I’ve made variations of this cake many times, and I am still not sick of it. Semolina’s texture in this cake in really appealing. The recipe is available here.

Today's Favourite Photo

Source: Camemberu

Dim sum

Today’s Favourite Blog

Source: Mail Online

This is interesting. Skipping breakfast has a huge economic cost. In the case of UK it loses £300 million a year. The loss arises since people who skip breakfast are less productive. It has been estimated that those who miss breakfast lose 82 minutes of the working day.

59% of UK workers skip breakfast. Thats a lot of less productive workers in the UK! 

Almost two thirds of those under 25s skip breakfast while only 19% of those in the 45 and 54 skip breakfast. It seems one gets wiser with age, and more productive.

So, it is important to eat breakfast, as long as you don’t spend 82 minute eating it.