Scents of the Season - Pavlova with Apples and Walnuts
Scents of the Season
Pavlova with Apples and Walnuts
Christmas is coming, and all I want is to spark some inspiration and joy with this special seasonal dessert. When it comes to Christmas, this delicate pavlova is the perfect visual the eye lingers upon and makes you wanting to taste it.
This year felt like a century to me, joggling between so many projects and traveling a lot—such a unique, life-changing and truly challenging but so rewarding experience, and I must admit, it seemed harder to find time for the blog. But when Christmas takes over the world, inspires and celebrates the connections, memories and love we have and share, there seems to be time for everything. It felt so right to be right back here, on the journal that helped me discover photography, the beauty of the culinary world, and made my dreams come true.
RECIPE
Pavlova with Apples, Pomegranate, Walnuts and Orange Cream
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
This rustic pavlova brings out the fullest essential flavor of winter. Its light meringue gets topped with crunchy toasted walnuts, pomegranate seeds and fruity apples. The citrus flavor combined with the sweetness of this elegant confection, makes this dessert truly exquisite.
Shell
4 egg whites, at room temperature | 240 g caster sugar | 1 tbsp cornflour | 1 tsp white vinegar | 1 vanilla bean, scraped seeds only | chopped walnuts |
Cream
400 ml sour cream | 1 orange, finely grated rind only | 2 tbsp pure icing sugar, sifted | 1 small delicious red apple, sliced | a handful of pomegranate seeds, to serve
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 100°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. For meringue, whisk egg whites and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With motor running, add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking until sugar dissolves (5-10 minutes). Fold in cornflour, vinegar and vanilla seeds, then pile mixture into a 20 cm-diameter circle on oven tray, gently smoothing top and making a slight indentation.
3. Bake in center of oven until crisp but not colored (1-1¼ hours). Turn off oven and leave to cool completely with door ajar. Meringue will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
4. For cream, whisk sour cream, orange rind and icing sugar in a bowl until thick. Spoon over meringue, top with sliced apples, pomegranate seeds, chopped walnuts and serve immediately. •
Food Photography and Styling for Nestlé
Before embarking on my trip to the US in just a few days, I wanted to share with you all here, some of my newest photographic work. Last year, I was approached to style and create food photographs inspired by different Czech meals for Maggi, the brand of seasonings of Nestlé, for their new products' packaging that has recently been released in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In Czech cuisine, many kind of sauces are popular and must accompany a main dish, usually comprised of meats. Thus, these tomato, dill or creamy sauces, but also pasta, soups and much more, became the subject matter of my Nestlé project. I was so pleased to work on this assignment and to get to know more about some of the most popular Czech meals. Now you can find these new products in stores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I must say that is always a surprise to discover my photographs in stores, whenever I spot these products.
These dishes are the most popular here in the Czech Republic, where the gravy sauce is a must. Similarly to the famous Czech goulash dish, these sauces accompany different meats, and are served with knedliky, a sort of bread dumpling. I have prepared these delicious bread dumplings myself a few times at home, even though you can find them at any store in the Czech Republic.
The pasta recipes are also adapted to the region here, and have been my favorite part of shooting these meals. Capturing the home spirit in these meals was my goal in mind, where these food portraits look accessible and appetizing to ease any hunger. Now, when stumbling upon these products in stores, you'll know who was the photographer behind the select packaging.
Project Credits
Food Photography: Gabriela Iancu
Food and Prop Styling: Gabriela Iancu
Art Director: Petr Fajkos
Creative Director: Marek Sabo
Agency: Grep Design
Goodbye 2016 and New Year's Resolutions
There is something so comforting, but equally frightening about the beginning of a new year. Maybe is that amount of unknown and change that it entails, which makes all new beginnings so long-expected. I want 2017 to be for me everything that 2016 couldn't be: more daring, expansive and permissive with my dreams!
2016 has been a good year, because I got to work on an interesting food project for Nestle (to follow soon), I had a new solo exhibition in Romania, I have created cinemagraphs inspired by Miu Miu, Cecile Boccara and Miss Babacilu's products, but also Eiffel Tour, and Romania. I got to see what's looking like behind the scenes at Opera Bastille in Paris, worked on my Florilegium's new volume, I won the Award of Excellence from Communication Arts, I got married and had the rare opportunity to have my bridesmaid coming to my wedding all the way from the US to Romania, and worked on an extensive project proposal for SCAD that led to my next adventure to the US this January.
I am so thankful for all of this to have happened, but I feel that 2016 could have been more adventurous, surrounded by more open-minded people that know how to be professional in this modern age. I think that is such a rarity today (and it shouldn't be) to find individuals that don't toss out life's principles on humaneness, friendship and professionalism. Unfortunately, there are so many people that just choose to forget to be respectful, and choose instead to be cynical and ignorant. Thus, I feel to have been limited in my endeavors by some of these said individuals, that I would have hoped for to remember to be more humane.
However, I consider all disappointments to be strong triggers for something better that awaits to be reflected on. Else, what a new year would mean, if not a reflection on what has been?! All experiences are equally important and shape us with every year in a certain way. Hence, I want 2017 to allow me to express fully my potential, in an environment of like-minded people that know and appreciate life's principles, and care to make every life's moment better. I am looking with so much excitement to what my new artistic experience in the US will bring to me, and I feel so thankful for those so many people at SCAD that chose to believe in my potential again. May your 2017 be sparkling with all things good!
PS: Don't walk by this amazing Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake below, which I prepared for our New Year's Eve here in the Czech Republic. It's all the rage, and needs to be tried asap!
Ingredients:
For the Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons King Arthur Flour Black Cocoa, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong, brewed black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
For the Ganache
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
For the Garnish
1/3 cup homemade salted caramel sauce
salted caramel sugar pieces
tossed organic walnuts
Directions:
For the Cake
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin.
4. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
For the Frosting
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes.
2. Spoon in cooled, melted chocolate (chocolate should feel cool to the touch, but still be melted. I usually cool mine for about 5 minutes) and mix on low speed to incorporate the melted chocolate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Add in powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined.
4. Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 5 minutes. Add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until you reached the desired consistency.
5. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and frost the top of the cake with a little less than half of the frosting. Add the next layer and frost the top of the cake with the remaining frosting.
6.If desired, top with salted caramel chocolate pieces.
For the Ganache
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream until very hot, but not boiling.
2. Place chocolate pieces in a heat safe bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth and thoroughly combined. Whisk in the vanilla and honey. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Do not let the glaze sit for too long or it will harden up before you spoon it over the frosting.
3. Drizzle ganache and salted caramel sauce over the cake before serving. Refrigerate any leftover cake for up 3 days.