Low-Fat Vanilla Cake

Info
Prep Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 50 min
Makes: 8 servings
Source: Ricardo Cuisine

What You Need
1 3/4 cups (430 ml) all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons (25 ml) baking powder

1 egg

2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter, softened

1 cup (250 ml) sugar

2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

1 cup (250 ml) milk

Make It
With the rack in the middle position, PREHEAT the oven to 180°C (350°F). BUTTER and FLOUR the sides of a 20-cm (8-inch) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a bowl, COMBINE the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, BEAT the egg, butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed or using a wooden spoon, add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Mix only until the ingredients are combined; do not overmix.
POUR the batter into the pan and BAKE until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let COOL for a few minutes. REMOVE from the pan and let COOL to room temperature. SERVE with fresh fruits or fruit coulis.

My Comments
I did not use parchment paper and flour the sides of the springform pan. I only buttered it. I made double portion.

Apple Pie

Info
Prep Time: 35 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Makes: 10 servings
Source: Ricardo Cuisine

What You Need
Crust
2 1/4 cups (560 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) chilled unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup (125 ml) ice water, approximately

Egg Wash
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon (15 ml) water

Filling
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) butter, melted
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground nutmeg
4 Royal Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) slices
or Cortland apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) slices
4 Empire apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) slices
or McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) slices

Make It
Crust
In a food processor, COMBINE the flour and salt. ADD the butter and PULSE until the butter is the size of peas. ADD the water. PULSE until the dough just begins to hold together. ADD water if necessary. REMOVE the dough from the food processor and shape by hand into 2 discs. WRAP with plastic wrap and REFRIGERATE for 30 minutes.With the rack in the bottom position, PREHEAT the oven to 190°C (375°F).On a floured surface, ROLL out 1 disc and use it to line a 25-cm (10-inch) Pyrex or ceramic pie plate.

Egg Wash
In a bowl, lightly BEAT the egg with the water. Set aside.

Filling
In a large bowl, COMBINE the sugar, butter, lemon juice and spices. ADD the apples and STIR to coat well. PILE the filling in the pie shell, making a dome. PRESS gently. ROLL out the remaining dough. CUT into strips 2 cm (3/4 inch) wide and arrange over the filling in a lattice pattern. PRESS the edges of the pie crust and TRIM off the excess dough. BRUSH the dough with egg wash. BAKE for about 1 hour. SERVE warm or cold.

My Comments
I did not use a food processor for the crust. I love the crust. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

2013 - Shanghai, China

Day 21 - September 29, 2013 – The Bund (上海滩)

I love SH! Shanghai is one of my favorite Chinese cities. This modern city is a mixture of Chinese and European cultures. Shanghai is split into two main areas by the Huangpu River (黄浦江): Puxi (浦西), West of the river and Pudong (浦東), East of the river.

This time, I only visited Puxi. Puxi covers the historical and cultural aspects of Shanghai.

Pudong features the modern side of Shanghai including the skyscrapers such as the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It focuses mainly on the economic activities.

Xintiandi ["New Heaven & Earth"] (新天地)
Xintiandi (新天地) is one of the entertainment district to visit. The architecture features the re-creation of Shikumen (石庫門) housing style, meaning "Stone Warehouse Gate".  The buildings keep the antique wall, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing style of old Shanghai. The interior space is designed to suit up with the 21st-century urban lifestyle. The modern Shikumen buildings host boutiques, coffeeshops, lounges, bars and restaurants. This traditional Shanghainese architectural style is inspired by Western and Chinese element in mid-19th century. Before the development of Shanghai Xintiandi, this area featured of aged alleys and the mid-19th century Shikumen houses.

I had an ice cream (小心花) at Haagen Daaz for 59 RMB.

City God Temple (上海城隍庙)

City God Temple remains a temple in Shanghai. However, today, it is also known as a district of commerce surrounding the temple.

Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant (南翔饅頭店) offers 小籠包.

Finally, I have the opportunity to taste this traditionally snack which I have been waiting for so long: 冰糖葫蘆. Originated from northern China, it is consisted of sugar-coated haw (山楂) on a stick of 20 cm. Today, people also use other fruits for more varieties. I prefer the original taste. Actually, you can find them almost everywhere on the streets in Beijing and Shanghai, but I do not know whether they are fresh or not. I bought it from a shop instead of the bicycles/food chariots. 

The Bund (外灘)
The Bund is a landmark of Shanghai. It contains a dozen of historical buildings lining the Huangpu River. They once housed the banks and the trading houses from different countries (United Kingdom, France, Italy, etc.). There exist 52 building of various architecture styles such as Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. The river front walkway gives a nice sightseeing spot of Pudong.

At nightime, the Bund is even more crowded than in daytime. It is a must to go walk around there after sunset. I simply love going to the Bund anytime of the day.

My parents walked on Nanjing Road and I went to grab a drink at Xintiandi. Nanjing Road is a pedestrian street known for its shops. This walkway is 1,033 meters long lying between the Bund and the People's Square. It is lit up at nightime. Nanjing Road is part of Shanghai's history and culture.

Next time, I would like to walk on Nanjing Road in Puxi, cross the 646.7 meters long Sightseeing Tunnel at the Bund running from the Bund at the end of Nanjing Rd to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Pudong and go up to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and walk on the Riverside Promenade in Pudong.

Sources: www.meet-in-shanghai.net/