How many kinds of friends have you?

There are a few kinds of friends in my life.  There are my real life friends, business friends, social network friends and the recent addition is my food blogging friends. 

My real life friends are those whom I am sharing a big part of my life with. They are the ones I trust and feel safe to wear my heart on my sleeve. They are the ones who are not afraid to tell me that I am a bitch when I act like one and still love me. If I were to end up in the hospital, they will be the ones who will rush to visit me and let me know I am okay.  If I am no longer in this world, they will miss me and remember all the memories we have made together during our life time. I do not need to mention names but you know who you are.  I love you all very much and thanks a million for being part of my life.

Next, I have some business friends whom I still keep in touch. These friends are those I see or chat on the phone once in a while but I am happy to know that they are keeping well and vice versa. I am very grateful for the business support that were given to me in the past.

A couple of years ago, I have some facebook friends, most of them are my real life friends and some are new FB friends whom I have not met in person but  enjoyed our chats whenever we catch each other on line.  Then, ever since I started food blogging last July, I made many new friends from the food community.  These friends are mostly family orientated , warm, thoughtful and generous in sharing their knowledge related to cooking, baking and travelling. Diane from My Life in the Charente is one of them.  I was so delighted to receive a post card from her yesterday.  The joy of knowing that I am in her thoughts is heart warming. Diane, many thanks, I love the post card and I appreciate your friendship. 

  

The post card from Diane

If you want to see enchanting places like those in the above post card, but are not keen to fly the tedious hours like me, Diane's blog is where you should go.  I saw many wonderful places through her eyes.  She is not only a good writer and story teller, she is a skillful photographer and takes breath taking shots of all the wonderful places she has visited. 

Diane, I would like to give you back the joy you have given me. I baked this cake to feast your eyes for now, since you are so far away. Hopefully one day you and your other half will come to Malaysia for a vacation and spend an evening with me and my Quay Lo so that I can bake this cake again to feast your tummies.


I have many packets of rhubarbs in my fridge. Would you believe me if I told you that I have bought the whole shipment of rhubarbs from the supermarket near my home the last time I went there? I am not kidding, I really did! LOL!  So now, you know why a new way of using them up will not escape my eyes? My mum was curious about how the taste of this red celery looking plant, so she took a small piece and said it was sour and nothing special.  She wondered why both Quay Lo and I like it so much.  Although rhubarb is sour but when combined with sugar and baked with a mixture of brown sugar and butter in pies, crumbles or cakes, it tastes sweet yet retaining a little tartness and that makes it appealing to the palette. I am quite happy with the outcome of the upside down cake I baked except that it is a little dry but eating it with vanilla ice cream seemed to balance that up. Other than that, the cake could be taller if I had used the right size spring foam pan but mine was 10-ins not 9-ins. Anyway, the two flaws did not stop the cake thief from stealing a slice when the cake was left to cool on the rack. I am sure you already know who he was. 

Rhubarb Strawberry Upside Down Cake

Adapted from The New York Times – Dining and Wining, with modification

This recipe was featured in Asian Food Channel (Official) Facebook page

on 22 October 2012

Ingredients:

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, more to grease pans

3 cups rhubarb, rinsed and sliced into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cups sliced strawberries

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Zest of 1 lemon, grated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Method:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and sides of the pan. Wrap two layers of foil under the pan, and place it on a buttered baking sheet.

2. In a medium bowl, mix rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

3. Mix the brown sugar and 1/2 stick butter in a pan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Whip 2 sticks butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. With your fingers, blend the remaining 1 cup sugar with lemon zest until the mixture is uniform in color. Cream together with the butter at medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl halfway through. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the sour cream, then the lemon juice. (It’s O.K. if the mixture looks curdled.) With the mixer set to low speed, add the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until well combined. Scrape down the mixer bowl in between the additions.

5. Pour the brown-sugar mixture into the cake pan, then spoon in the rhubarb and its juices. Spoon in the batter so it covers all of the rhubarb. Smooth out the top.

6. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top of the cake is firm to touch and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out without any large, moist crumbs.

7. Place the pan on a wire rack, and cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the cake, place a plate on top of the pan and turn it upside-down. Release the cake from the pan while still warm or else it will stick.

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