Creme Caramel

Some people asked me about my training, I can’t really get into details because it was a work related event. It was a grueling four days of Experiential Learning. If you are not familiar with the concept, check it out here.




It is a very effective method for learning; even though things may not hit you then and there, eventually you will get some insights. I’ve been getting some epiphanies over the weekend when I reflect on the course, some of these are direct concepts that they wanted you to get out of the class, but many are indirect.



One of the shocking self discoveries is the fact that I don’t believe in second chances. If I think I’ve been wronged by someone, I cut that person completely out of my life! I can count a number of people I stopped talking to, after they said or did something that annoyed me completely at the time, but on hindsight looks so silly!



After much soul searching, I figured the reason behind this behavior. It is rather simple actually! I am the center of my universe. I don’t give much importance to other people’s feelings. If someone says or does something that hurts me, I never stop to think why they did or said that.



Most of the times, if you take your own feelings out of the equation, it normally has very little to do with you, the other person is after all the center of his/her universe too. If you just think about the reason for the action from their perspective, it will put things in a new light. They might just be expressing how they feel at that moment, mostly driven by factors in their own life. Hurting you is the least on their agenda!



So, I have decided to look at things from other’s perspective from now on, and give people a second chance to redeem themselves. Obviously if someone continues to hurt me, even if I can find an excuse for the behavior, I will decide to either confront them, or stay away from them, depending on how important they are to me. I am human, after all!








I love Creme Caramel and found this easy recipe to share..



This creamy dessert is known by different names across the world – Flan in Spain and Mexico, Creme Caramel in France and Caramel Custard in England, Leche Flan in Philippines, Banh Dua Ra Men (Coconut flan) in Vietnam. In its basic form, it is just a mixture of egg, milk and sugar. You can always add other ingredients like fruits, nuts, spices etc to add different flavors to the basic flan. Here is how I made my pistachio flan.



Ingredients (For 6)

Caramel

1/2 cup sugar

4 tbsp water

Flan

3 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

1/2 cup sugar

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.



To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar and water in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium high heat, and cook stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring till the sugar caramelizes and turns into a caramel brown color.



Remove from the heat and immediately pour into six ramekins or a large baking dish. Tilt the dishes to coat the bottom and a little bit of the sides with the caramel sauce.



Note: The caramel sauce solidifies in a matter of seconds, so if it crystallizes as soon as you pour it into the ramekins before you get a chance to tilt and spread it along the bottom of the cups, keep the cup in the microwave for 15 seconds. The caramel will melt and you can tilt the cups to coat the bottom. Be very careful with the caramel sauce, it is extremely hot and can cause severe burns.



To make the flan, process the pistachios in a spice grinder or heavy duty food processor to form a coarse powder. Break the eggs into the jar and blend again till the eggs are foamy and the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl.



In a saucepan, add the milk and sugar and cook on medium heat till the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is heated through, making sure not to boil the milk. Remove from the heat.



Stir in the hot milk into the egg-pistachio mixture, and then add the vanilla extract. Mix well to combine.



Place the prepared ramekins in a large roasting pan, and add hot water to fill the pan half way. Divide the custard mixture equally between the ramekins.



Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes. Test by inserting a thin knife into the middle of the custard. If the knife comes out clean, the custard is set. If not bake for a few more minutes.



Remove the cups from the water and let those cool to room temperature. Cover the dishes and chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours or overnight.



To serve, run a thin knife along the edges of the cup to separate the custard. Cover the cup with the serving plate and invert the cup, and give it a nice tap on the back to get the custard out.