Ande ka Funda

Last week I baked a cake called the ‘Fraisier’ for a friend’s birthday. It a French strawberries and cream cake which French patissiers normally start baking in early spring when strawberries are in season. And if you ask me why this is such a typically French cake, it’s probably because strawberries were first cultivated in France, in Brittany to be specific.

There were two things which quite struck me about this cake.

Firstly, the cake is a strawberries and cream cake with not an iota of cream in it! I found that quite surprising and would never have imagined had I not read the recipe. The cream instead was made from italian meringue base, custard and loads of butter.. in true French style! :)

Secondly, the sponge used in the recipe was Genoese sponge. What that means is the sponge base is made by whisking eggs and sugar together (and then adding rest of the ingredients, no butter!) than by creaming butter and sugar first (followed by adding rest of the ingredients eggs, flour, flavourings etc.) Now this funda of whisking eggs and sugar together is basically Italian.. may be even Genoese and may be that’s where the name comes from.. Genoa in Italy. So what’s Geonese sponge doing in a traditional French recipe?

May be because France and Italy are neighbours and eons ago it may have all been the same province or may be the Romans got it to France when they reigned supreme. Who knows?! But I can tell you it’s a magnificent cake, befitting an occasion.

Now coming back to this Italian funda of whisking eggs and sugar together. The output is a dessert by itself or a dessert sauce called zabaglione in Italy or Sabayon in Latin America (and may be even France). What is intriguing is what happens to eggs or egg whites when they are whisked for a loooong time.. say 15 minutes. They magically expand 3-4 times their original volume due to air being trapped within, similar to how foam is formed when detergent is added to water. And this particular scientific principle is an open secret of cake baking and many other desserts like meringues.

So if you are in the mood, try this simple but versatile Italian dessert sauce. Whisk eggs and sugar over simmering water for 3-4 minutes and then keep whisking without the simmering water underneath for another 12-15 minutes. The whole mixture will increase in volume some 3-4 times and becomes thick and creamy and light and fluffy. And that’s it, it’s done! You can add any flavouring to it.. a couple of tablespoons of any sweet wine like Marcella or Prosecco or add any liquor or simple plain vanilla. Once cool serve with cake or fruit or anything else that catches your fancy. I like to serve pears or figs with sabayon & bitter chocolate shavings.. yum yum!

Bake India Bake

Ever since i moved to London three years back, i have developed a hobby which is dangerously lurking on the threshold of becoming a profession. I am an HR professional by day and an avid cook and patissier by night. My objective is to become a professional patissier and chocolatier in due course and start my own little venture when i go back to India.

So now is the time to acquire the skills, knowledge and the experience. A recently published book, my loving and supportive husband tells me, says one needs to invest nearly 10,000 hours in their profession to achieve excellance in their field. It makes me think of Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Michaelangelo, Lata Mangeshkar, R D Burman, Amitabh Bachchan, Amartya Sen, Michel Roux.. well they have all put in their 10,000 hours and more, haven't they?

So that's what i am going to do as well. Feels like a long haul when i think about it, but honestly i am not counting when i am baking. I am so busy whisking, piping, smelling and most importantly tasting.. that i don't know where those long hours fly away.

Onzi (my husband) comes home and asks me what's for dinner and i say, "Cake?!".