Conor's Autism Advocacy Awards

The primary front line autism service providers, regardless of where one lives, are parents.  In Canada at least parents have also been the first and most effective advocates for services for autistic children from BC to Ontario to New Brunswick to Newfoundland and all points between.  For most parents recognition of that fact is important only to prevent others with less understanding of the impacts of autism on our children from purporting to speak on their behalf when they do so contrary to our children's best interests. The only award most of us really need though are the hugs and smiles we receive from our children.  Following are some awards Conor has given to his Mom and Dad:

This picture above was taken during my recent 6 day hospitalization for a chest infection and asthma attack. Lights were harsh for picture taking and the cell phone camera was not great so the picture is blurred but speaks volumes. Conor missed his Dad and I missed him.  His visit cheered his old Dad considerably. Conor's hugs and smiles have added immeasurably to my enjoyment of life and helped me stay focused as an autism advocate on what counts most - helping my son and others with autism enjoy a fuller more rewarding life. Conor has not been skimpy in handing out awards to his Mom and Dad:

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Gadget ON: OtterBox REFLEX Series iPad Case Review

The Otterbox REFLEX iPad case is designed for 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Generation iPad’s. It’s designed to give a total protection for iPad and with a cover that can also turn as a docking stand.

Inspired by the crumple zone of a car, the Reflex Series new iPad case features a unique dual material combination of polycarbonate and silicone. Cushions of air in the corners allow the case to flex and absorb any impact force.

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Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr Opens a Dialogue with the Autism Society New Brunswick

L: Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr

R: Autism Society New Brunswick Acting President Harold Doherty

The Autism Society New Brunswick meeting last Saturday March 23, 2013 was scheduled to be a regular meeting with election of a new Board of Directors and routine business.  That plan was changed, the election was adjourned, at my request, and after passage of a motion to that effect, and the routine business, for very good reason did not take place.  Instead ASNB took full advantage of the presence at our meeting of Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr.  

Minister Carr had to adjust his schedule to attend and we only received confirmation he would be there the day before the meeting. The brief notice though did not reflect the nature of Minister Carr's attendance.  He was present for the entire meeting, he participated actively throughout, took notes and answered questions openly and directly.  In the 12+ years that I have been an active autism advocate we have had meetings with premiers and cabinet ministers in their offices but this was the first time  I know of that a cabinet minister actually came to one of our meetings.   

Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Jody Carr attended our meeting and to his credit was fully engaged.  Details of the meeting and discussions with the Minister will be published soon.  For today I would like to say thank you to Minister Carr for his presence and active participation at our meeting.  We look forward to future discussion with you,  and hopefully your colleagues, of matters affecting New Brunswick children and adults with autism.

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Easter Eats Round Up!

Easter weekend is here and in case you need some inspiration on what to serve or bring to holiday potlucks this weekend, here are some ideas to make the holiday delicious! Here's wishing you and yours a wonderful and blessed weekend...

Easter Eats to Inspire You...

5 Recipes for Leftover Easter Ham...

5 Cinnamony Rolls to Wake Up To...

Four French Toast Favorites...

10 Sweet Pies to Slice Into...

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New Brunswick Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Autism Advocate Recipients: Some Missing Names

I am not spurning the recognition nor arguing with the list of autism advocates recognized by the Autism Society Canada in partnership with the Governor General of Canada with Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals.  I do not seek medals of any kind or financial reward for my autism advocacy, I seek better treatment, better services, better lives for my son and others for whom autism is a serious disorder that limits their daily functioning (DSM5) and limits their lives. But it is nice to be recommended by the Autism Society Canada which is also itself comprised of autism advocates.  I have to point out though a curious anomaly that occurred with the New Brunswick recipients ... three men and no women were named despite the important role of so many women in NB autism advocacy.  Also one person with Aspergers who contributed here in New Brunswick, and in Senator Munson's autism proceedings, was also left off the list. 

This might be just a question of numbers, with three allotted for NB,  but the reality is that in New Brunswick far more women than men have been involved in public autism advocacy and many of them have played very important roles in bringing New Brunswick international recognition for its autism services and programs (even though more progress is still needed). 

I am listing the following names of women in New Brunswick who I know advocated publicly and with great result.  More names could be added for sure but these are some that I know first hand are  deserving of recognition for their efforts.   Personally I did not seek the same goals as some of those listed  but they were all persistent, effective autism advocates.  In alphabetical order (by last name):

1. Lila Barry
2. Nancy Blanchette
3. Dawn Bowie
4. Heather Chamberlain
5. Karen Hammel
6. Marsha Manuel
7. Debi McDonald
8. Darlene Pugsley
9. Linda Richard
10. Charlotte Rocca
11. Shirley Smallwood
12. Pamela Weaver

In addition to the omission of women from NB's list of recognized autism advocates it would be just plain wrong to ignore the very important efforts and contribution of a person with Aspergers who overcome some of his own personal challenges to speak publicly in front of parents' meetings, sat on the ASNB Board of Directors and was recognized and quoted in Senator Munson's autism report Pay Now or Pay Later:

 (…) if you pay for it now, look at the return you will get on your investment. The people with autism will get out in the real world and get jobs, and that will stimulate the economy. Or you can pay later, which means they will go into group homes and it will cost the taxpayers a lot of money in the long run to keep them there.

Jason Oldford, Fredericton,
New Brunswick (12:32)

I am sure it was difficult for the Autism Society Canada people who had to pick the names of autism advocates across Canada to receive medals.    I simply want to highlight the many women, and Jason Oldford a gentleman "on the autism spectrum", who also made very large contributions to autism progress in New Brunswick. 

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Γερμανικό έγκλημα και τιμωρία

 

Γερμανικό έγκλημα και τιμωρία

Του Πέτρου Παπακωνσταντίνου - "Επίκαιρα"

Ανεξάρτητα από την έκβαση τον κυπριακού δράματος, το Βερολίνο θα πληρώσει βαρύτατο τίμημα για την αλαζονεία τον, παρασύροντας την Ευρωζώνη με τη μορφή που γνωρίζουμε σε διάλυση

Στις 21 Μαρτίου ενώ η Μέρκελ έβγαζε καπνούς απ' το "ΟΧΙ" της κυπριακής βουλής, η Βελγική L'Echo, κάτω απ' τον τίτλο "Σε αναζήτηση των υπευθύνων" έριχνε ευθύνη για τη νέα απροσδόκητη κρίση της Ευρωζώνης όχι στη Λευκωσία αλλά στο Βερολίνο.

Η σύνταξη της έγκυρης εφημερίδας δεν δίστασε μάλιστα να παρομοιάσει το γερμανικό σχέδιο προμελετημένης οικονομικής καταστροφής της νήσου με τον τούρκικο "Αττίλα". Από κει και το απόσπασμα: "Ποιος θα μπορούσε να φανταστεί ότι η Κύπρος που αντιπροσωπεύει μόλις το 0,3% της Ευρωζώνης θα αναστάτωνε τόσο την Ευρώπη και πρωτεύουσες όπως η Μόσχα και το Λονδίνο;

Οι κάτοικοι του νησιού θα θυμούνται πάντα δυο ημερομηνίες: το Σάββατο 20 Ιουλίου 1974 όταν ο τούρκικος στρατός εισέβαλε στο βόρειο τμήμα του νησιού, διχοτομώντας το σε ελληνική και τούρκικη ζώνη. Και εκείνο το άλλο Σάββατο, στις 16 Μαρτίου 2013, όταν αποφασίστηκε η δέσμευση και ο ακρωτηριασμός των καταθέσεων, ακόμη και των μικρών καταθετών. (...)

Η αμφιβολία φωλιάζει πλέον στο νου πολλών: η Ευρώπη, σε περίπτωση σοβαρών δυσκολιών οποιασδήποτε χώρας, έχει πλέον μισάνοιχτη την πόρτα για την υποχρεωτική φορολόγηση των καταθέσεων».

 

Στο ίδιο μήκος κύματος ήταν το κύριο άρθρο της έγκυρης Le Soir, υπό τον ευθύβολο τίτλο «Η αμέλεια είναι ευρωπαϊκή». Αντιγράφουμε: «Η κυπριακή κρίση είναι τραγική, πρώτα για τους κατοίκους της νήσου, αλλά βαθύτερα λόγω απαξίωσης των ευρωπαϊκών αρχών. Θα ήταν βολικό να ρίξουμε την ευθύνη στους Κύπριους ηγέτες, χαρακτηρίζοντας τους -όπως κάνουν οι Βρυξέλλες- ανίκανους να υλοποιήσουν τις αποφάσεις του Eurogroup. Λάθος! Εκείνες που έσφαλαν ήταν οι ευρωπαϊκές Αρχές που επικύρωσαν ομόφωνα αυτό το σχέδιο, το οποίο υπονομεύει την εμπιστοσύνη στην Ευρωζώνη και στην ικανότητα των Ευρωπαίων ηγετών να σεβαστούν το λόγο τους. Όταν οι υπουργοί Οικονομικών (δηλαδή η Γερμανία) επιβάλλουν με τόσο αμείλικτο τρόπο οδυνηρές αποφάσεις στις "ένοχες" χώρες, θα όφειλαν πρωτίστως να αναλάβουν την ευθύνη των δικών τους λαθών. Ο κίνδυνος που απειλεί την Ευρώπη δεν είναι νομισματικός. Είναι η πλήρης έλλειψη διακυβέρνησης».

Μανιασμένο θηρίο...

Ακόμη και κάθε άλλο παρά φιλελληνικοί ή φιλοκυπριακοί κύκλοι πάγωσαν μπροστά στην εικόνα μιας Γερμανίας-μανιασμένου θηρίου, που δεν διστάζει να προκαλέσει οποιεσδήποτε καταστροφές στους γείτονες του, προκειμένου να εξοντώσει το μικρό κουνούπι που το ενόχλησε. Η Ευρωζώνη δεν μοιάζει με κοινότητα αλληλεγγύης, αλλά με «θάλαμο βασανιστηρίων του κυρίου Σόιμπλε» είχε γράψει, με αφορμή το ελληνικό δράμα, ο αρθρογράφος των Financial Times Βόλφγκανγκ Μινχάου. Με την απόφαση για την Κύπρο «η Ευρωζώνη επιστρέφει στις παλιές της συνήθειες», σχολίαζε αυτή τη φορά η σύνταξη της βρετανικής εφημερίδας, προσθέτοντας: «Αντιμέτωποι με ένα κράτος που πνίγεται, αντί να πετάξουν σωσίβιο, οι ηγέτες προτίμησαν να του δέσουν μια πέτρα στο λαιμό». Όσο για την επίσης βρετανική Daily Mail, είχε το θάρρος να ονοματίσει στον πηχυαίο πρωτοσέλιδο τίτλο της το κατ' ευφημισμόν «σχέδιο διάσωσης» που επέβαλαν οι Γερμανοί στο Eurogroup όπως πραγματικά του άξιζε: «Αυτό λέγεται ληστεία τραπεζών»!Με την απόφαση του Eurogroup, εντελώς ανεξάρτητα από το «ΟΧΙ» της κυπριακής Βουλής, οι Γερμανοί είχαν ήδη ανατινάξει το τραπεζικό σύστημα της Κύπρου, ακυρώνοντας το ρόλο της ως διεθνούς χρηματοπιστωτικού κέντρου και ωθώντας τη στην κοιλάδα των δακρύων μιας βαθιάς, μακρόχρονης ύφεσης.

Σε δεύτερο χρόνο θα έρθει η προσπάθεια του Βερολίνου να βάλει χέρι στους κυπριακούς υδρογονάνθρακες και, πολύ φοβόμαστε, ένα νέο Σχέδιο Ανάν, το οποίο θα συνοδεύεται από το δέλεαρ της ανάπτυξης της τουριστικής βιομηχανίας, που υποτίθεται ότι θα απαλύνει κάπως το βίαιο ακρωτηριασμό των λαϊκών εισοδημάτων. Ακόμη κι αν πετύχει στο ακέραιο, όμως, αυτούς τους στόχους της, η Γερμανία θα πληρώσει βαρύ τίμημα για την αλαζονεία της, παρασύροντας για άλλη μια φορά ολόκληρη την Ευρώπη.

 

Αλλάζει ο χάρτης

Η κρίση χρέους που πλήττει εδώ και πέντε χρόνια την ευρωπαϊκή περιφέρεια, με τελευταίο αδύναμο κρίκο την Κύπρο, έχει ήδη αλλάξει δραματικά το γεωπολιτικό χάρτη της Ευρώπης. Επί μισό αιώνα, στα χρόνια του Ψυχρού Πολέμου, η Γηραιά Ήπειρος ήταν διαιρεμένη σε μια Δυτική Ευρώπη, υποτελή της Αμερικής, και σε μια Ανατολική Ευρώπη, υποτελή της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης. Στη θέση αυτής της «κάθετης» διαχωριστικής γραμμής αναδύεται σήμερα μια «οριζόντια», από πολλές απόψεις βαθύτερη και περισσότερο ταπεινωτική για τους αδύναμους: η διαίρεση ανάμεσα σε έναν πλούσιο και ισχυρό Βορρά, με πυρήνα τη Γερμανία, και σε ένα χειμαζόμενο Νότο, μια ζώνη μισοαποικιών, με ρόλο οικονομικής ενδοχώρας της νέας Αγίας Ρωμαϊκής Γερμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας. Κι αν μέχρι χθες υπήρχε η Γαλλία να εξισορροπεί τη γερμανική ισχύ, δρώντας σαν γέφυρα ανάμεσα στο Βορρά και το Νότο, σήμερα αυτή η ιστορική και υπερήφανη χώρα μετατρέπεται ολοένα και περισσότερο σε «ελάσσονα εταίρο» της Γερμανίας, όπως η Βρετανία, μετά την απώλεια της Αυτοκρατορίας της, αρκέστηκε στο ρόλο του ελάσσονος εταίρου της Αμερικής.

Σε αυτό το περιβάλλον, η Ευρωζώνη αποδεικνύεται όχι μηχανισμός ευημερίας, αλληλεγγύης και σύγκλισης των ευρωπαϊκών οικονομικών, αλλά απόσπασης πλεονάσματος από τους πιο φτωχούς προς όφελος των πιο πλούσιων και πρωτίστως των Γερμανών. Πρόσφατη μελέτη των οικονομολόγων Χόρχε Μπράγκα ντε Μασέντο και Ούρο Λεμπίνεν έδειξε ότι στα δώδεκα πρώτα χρόνια του ευρώ η Γερμανία συσσώρευσε πλεόνασμα 1 τρις ευρώ από τα άλλα κράτη της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, από τα οποία τα 750 δις προέρχονταν από τα μέλη της Ευρωζώνης. Τα εν λόγω πλεονάσματα είναι πολύ μεγαλύτερα από οτιδήποτε προσκομίζει η Γερμανία από τις συναλλαγές της με την Κίνα και τον υπόλοιπο κόσμο. Με δυο λόγια, η ευημερία της Γερμανίας, με το σημερινό οικονομικό της μοντέλο, προϋποθέτει τη δυστυχία της περιφέρειας: ο σύγχρονος γερμανικός Μολώχ απαιτεί κι αυτός κάποιου είδους ανθρωποθυσίες.


Με αυτά τα δεδομένα, είναι κάτι περισσότερο από βέβαιο ότι θα κλιμακωθούν απότομα οι φυγόκεντρες τάσεις μέσα στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και ιδιαίτερα στην Ευρωζώνη. Η Γερμανία σπέρνει τον τρόμο σήμερα, αλλά θα θερίσει τους καρπούς του μίσους αύριο. Ήδη οι τελευταίες δημοσκοπήσεις δείχνουν ότι η πλειοψηφία των Βρετανών θέλει να φύγει η χώρα τους από την ΕΕ και το 91% των Κυπρίων τάσσεται υπέρ της εξόδου από το ευρώ.

Στην Ελλάδα, έρευνα της Metron Analysis, που δημοσιεύτηκε από την Ελευθεροτυπία του προηγούμενου Σαββατοκύριακου, εμφανίζει το ποσοστό των πολιτών που τάσσονται εναντίον του ευρώ να έχει εκτοξευτεί στο μέχρι πρότινος αδιανόητο 45%, ενώ το 40,4% εμφανίζεται να επιθυμεί τη διάλυση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης.
Ενδεικτική της ταχύτατης αλλαγής των διαθέσεων είναι η πρόσφατη δήλωση ενός πολιτικού ηγέτη που προέρχεται από μια «πυρηνική» χώρα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, όπως η Γαλλία, και από έναν πολιτικό χώρο, τη γαλλική Αριστερά, που ουδέποτε είχε θέση εναντίον του ευρώ. Πρόκειται για τον Ζαν-Λικ Μελανσόν πρώην σοσιαλιστή και νυν ηγέτη του Αριστερού Μετώπου, ο οποίος κέρδισε στις τελευταίες προεδρικές εκλογές ποσοστό 11 %, λαμβάνοντας τέσσερα εκατομμύρια ψήφους.

Ιδού τι δήλωσε ο Μελανσόν, με αφορμή τον ωμό εκβιασμό της Κύπρου: «Η απόφαση του κεντρικού τραπεζίτη Μάριο Ντράγκι να διακόψει την παροχή ρευστότητας της Κύπρου μέχρι αυτή να συνθηκολογήσει ελήφθη μετά από κυρίαρχη απόφαση μέσω ψηφοφορίας του εθνικού της Κοινοβουλίου. Πρόκειται για απαράδεκτη, επιθετική πράξη. Δείχνει ότι το ευρώ δεν είναι μόνο μια δαπανηρή μερκελική πολυτέλεια, αλλά επίσης ένα επικίνδυνο μέσο δράσης ενάντια στην κυριαρχία ενός λαού. Πρόκειται ασφαλώς για κατάχρηση εξουσίας αλλά και για σήμα κινδύνου, το οποίο πρέπει να εισακουστεί. Η Γαλλία δεν μπορεί να συνεργήσει σε αυτή τη βία, παρά μόνο αν αποδεχτεί ότι μπορεί να ασκηθεί και εναντίον της, αναλόγως των περιστάσεων. Εάν πρέπει να επιλέξουμε ανάμεσα στη λαϊκή κυριαρχία και σε αυτή του ευρώ, πρέπει να επιλέξουμε το λαό. Η απόφαση του κεντρικού τραπεζίτη αποτελεί στροφή στην ιστορία της ΕΕ. Επιβάλλεται να επιλέξουμε: είτε αλλάζουμε το καθεστώς της Ευρωπαϊκής Κεντρικής Τράπεζας, έτσι ώστε να διασφαλιστεί η κυριαρχία των λαών, είτε εγκαταλείπουμε το ευρω-Μέρκελ».

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Jabra launches Bluetooth audio devices – The Jabra Motion and Speak 510

Jabra, the world’s leading manufacturer of wireless audio solutions, is launching the state-of-the-art headset, Jabra Motion, designed to suit the rapidly growing group of mobile workers; multitasking at the office, in the car or at home using smart phones, tablets or laptop with ”presence everywhere” apps and Unified Communication (UC) solutions.

Jabra Motion, the Jabra design team opted for the‘behind-the-ear’circular shape; mimicking the back of the ears’ semi-circle shape;asimplistic, yet aesthetic design element. The folding boom adds“ pocketability” - the ability to carry it in a pocket without breaking the boom arm –a key feature in the new design. The folding boom is at the same time used to take and end calls with a simple flip of the boom arm.

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Vegetable Potstickers

Happy Thursday! We're almost to the Easter holiday weekend and I'm so excited! Do you have any fun [delicious] Easter plans this weekend? We're taking Joel to the Jelly Belly factory for a tour of how jelly beans are made on Saturday, followed by Easter egg decorating with the Baron's family. As for Easter Sunday, after church [where I'll be singing in the praise choir for the first time-eek] we're having brunch at a local restaurant and spending Easter dinner with the Baron's family once again. So to conclude with this week's taste tour of Asian dishes, here's a recipe for [gluten free adaptable] Vegetable Potstickers. Pockets of dough are filled with a savory vegetable filling of onion, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, garlic and cilantro before pan frying and steaming...


I often forget how much I love potstickers. They are especially easy to make and prepare if you devote some time one afternoon just having a dumpling making field day... then freezing them to use whenever that potsticker craving comes on. I'm all for squeezing in vegetables where I can and these potstickers helps us get more vegetables in our diet. Feel free to mix in shredded rotisserie chicken into the filling for a chicken vegetable potsticker version!

Vegetable Potstickers
filling recipe from Food Network

For vegetable filling:
1 red onion sliced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup white cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup chopped garlic chives or chives
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a wok or large saute pan, add a little oil and saute onions and ginger. Add the mushrooms and stir. Add the cabbage, carrots and chives. Season. When mixture is soft, place in colander to drain. Add the sesame oil and cilantro when mixture is cooled. Season to taste.


For dumpling dough:
2 cups all purpose flour or GF flour blend*
1 cup boiling water, plus additional water if needed
GF flour blend for dusting
In a large bowl, mix the flour blend and the boiling water until a soft dough forms.  If you need more water, add additional warm water one tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough until its smooth.

Divide dough in half.  Cover one half with the moist paper towel, while working with the other half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices. 


To assemble:On a floured surface, roll out each slice with a rolling pin into a thin circle and place about a tablespoon of the filling mixture in the center of the circle.  Life up the edges of the circle and pinch them together to create a half circle.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling.  Lay the potstickers on a baking sheet in a single layer covered with a moist paper towel to keep from drying out. 
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high to high heat.  Once hot, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, coating the entire bottom. Add in 10-12 dumplings in a single layer and fry for 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet and cover.  Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.  Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve hot.

*Gluten free flour blend:
This is the best combination for my personal uses and has never failed me. I purchased a majority of the ingredients at an Asian market (at less than $.99/lb) and the other ingredients marked were Bob Red Mill brand. Cornstarch was Argo brand.

300 grams superfine brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
250 grams sweet rice flour (Asian market)
150 grams tapioca flour (Asian market)
100 grams sorghum flour (Bob's Red Mill)
100 grams potato starch (Asian market)
100 grams cornstarch (Argo brand)

Whisk together the above flours and store in an air tight container. To use, measure out 140 grams for every cup called for in your favorite baking recipe (NOT yeast bread recipes.) Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum for every cup used in the recipe as well to help with texture and binding. Voila! You can bake gluten free with confidence! 

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Passover Lemon Almond Sponge Cake with Warm Lemon Sauce

PASSOVER

My parents were the model of discreetness. Social, well-known and very involved with our local synagogue, family mealtimes were nonetheless private affairs, the six of us finding ourselves around the dinner table every night without guests, friends, family or company of any sort. The food was plentiful but plain, a mix of Russian Jewish cooking, all-American meat-and-potatoes cuisine and 1970’s convenience foods. The holidays in our home followed form and were low-key and simple, never much hoopla or decoration, rarely a lot of special cooking or baking filling our home with culinary memories.

Passover was the exception. The Jewish festival, joyous in its commemoration of the Jews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt towards the Promised Land, was a treat because we went to celebrate – and eat – at the Rosenberg’s house. Mrs. Rosenberg was the Jewish Mama extraordinaire, overseeing her kosher kitchen and her family with love, tradition, an iron fist and a huge personality. And her cooking was everything that my own mother’s was not: extraordinary and delicious! Her Apple-Noodle Kugel warm from the oven, dense and just sweet with a crisp cinnamon-sugar topping, was my ultimate comfort food; I loved it so much that she made a huge baking pan of it just for me as a special Bat Mitzvah gift! She was a legendary cook in our small Jewish community, so spending Passover at her home was sure to mean a fabulous meal, an event looked forward to eagerly by a happy eater such as I.

A dinner with family and relatives.

The rules concerning what is to be eaten and, more importantly, what cannot be eaten by Jews for the duration of the 8-day festival is extremely strict. Jews are forbidden to eat chometz, any food containing barley, wheat, rye, oats, and spelt. No leavening is allowed. The interdiction of these ingredients symbolizes the fact that the Hebrews had no time to either wait for these five grains to grow or to let their baked bread rise as they made a hurried escape from Egypt. Ashkenazi Jews, whose origins are in Europe, also avoid eating corn, rice, peanuts, and legumes while the Sephardi Jews of Northern Africa and Spain do permit them. The days leading up to the holiday thus consist of an intense and thorough cleaning of one’s home in order to rid even the tiniest trace of each and every one of these foods. Followed, of course, by the cooking and baking of dishes and baked goods specific to and allowed during the holiday.

The first night – and for many the second night as well – of Passover is observed with a very traditional and festive ceremonial meal called a Seder at which the story of the exodus is read aloud. The meal follows a very specific order and is a combination of rituals and symbolic foods; food and the rituals surrounding the preparation and eating of meals are intertwined with each and every Jewish holiday, yet none more so than Passover. The meal, the food placed on the table during the reading of the story and the story itself are woven together and intimately connected. In the center of the table is placed a beautiful, decorative plate holding six symbols necessary to the retelling of the story: maror and chazaret, the bitter herbs, normally horseradish, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of slavery; zeroa or a roasted lamb shank or bone, symbolizing the Paschal sacrificial lamb that was offered in the great Temple in Jerusalem; charoset, usually a brownish-red mixture of nuts, apples, ground cinnamon and red wine representing the mortar the slaves used to build the Pyramids in Ancient Egypt; karpas such as celery, parsley or lettuce to be dipped into salt water representing the tears of the slaves, the dipping process symbolizing hope and redemption; beitzah, a roasted egg, both a symbol of mourning for the destruction of the Temple as well as a symbol of Spring and thus renewal.

The seventh symbol and the most well-known food of Passover is the matzoh, a special unleavened flatbread of Passover-friendly flour and water which is not only symbolic of our escape from slavery and the 40 years spent wandering through the wilderness, but it is eaten as a reminder of what we were running from, a life of slavery and poverty thus inspiring humility and the true appreciation of our freedom. A plate covered with a decorative cloth holding a stack of three matzot is placed on the Seder table next to the Seder plate, each one playing a very specific role during the meal. And finally, the last symbol, near the Seder plate and the matzoh, is placed Elijah’s cup filled with wine; this is for the Prophet Elijah whose visit is said to precede the coming of the Messiah.

This year, I actually made my own homemade matzoh following this wonderful recipe on Leite’s Culinaria. Easy and quite a lot of fun, it made matzoh, while not looking like the boxed we are used to, was absolutely so delicious that even my men who dislike matzoh with a passion, have been enjoying it immensely! Even if you do not celebrate Passover, these make fabulous crispy, thin crackers perfect for dip!

Mrs. Rosenberg’s holiday meal – her Passover Seder - would invariably begin with a bowl of homemade chicken soup with hand-shaped matzoh balls, always inspiring hours of debate over the quality of firm versus fluffy matzoh balls, followed by her magnificent brisket, a rich, root-vegetable-laden beef stew. The brisket would be served with matzoh farfel kugel, a seasoned savory baked pudding made with crushed matzoh, matzoh meal, onions and eggs as well as green vegetables, mashed potatoes and homemade Kaiser rolls, matzoh meal replacing the flour. Dessert was a traditional Passover sponge cake and a luxurious dried fruit compote, long-simmered prunes, apricots and raisins. A traditional feast filled with traditional foods found on so many Passover tables across the country. We would all joyously sing and laugh throughout the meal, the children waiting impatiently for the search for the Afikomen, the middle matzoh of the stack on the holiday table, which was hidden during the meal by Mr. Rosenberg and inspiring an animated search by the youngsters, the winner receiving a small gift, usually a fifty-cent piece.

Cooking and eating during Passover is a meticulous, studied affair, and many of us go out of our way to prepare special foods. Those Passover meals have left a warm memory and following in Mrs. Rosenberg’s culinary footsteps is never easy. Every year as this holiday approaches, I scour a multitude of cookbooks old and new for Passover-friendly recipes – flour and wheat products, grains and leavening agents are all forbidden. There is no way that I can go eight days without sweets in the house! As my own mother was not a baker, I grew up eating canned coconut macaroons and jelly smeared on matzoh to soothe my sweet tooth. All grown up, I spend quite a bit of time every year researching recipes and baking. This year, I was determined to create a cake that one-ups the old-fashioned, traditional Passover sponge cake, that inimitable standby, that emblematic myth of the holiday. Usually dry. Usually flavorless. A risky choice.

I scoured old cookbooks, played around with a few recipes, found a box of potato flour in my grocery store as I realized that all of my boxes of matzoh meal and matzoh flour had disappeared in the move. I had already made the Lemon Sauce and wanted something to accompany that smooth, luscious, tangy sauce. Lemons, almonds and a splash of vanilla. And I got beating! Egg whites, that is.

The cake was perfect! It rose to dizzying heights! Light and fluffy like a great Passover sponge cake, the ground almonds, nonetheless, produced a sponge denser and moister than average. The lemon and almond flavors were delicate yet present and the beautiful, smooth, tangy Lemon Sauce complimented it all to perfection. Whether for Passover or any other time of the year, this cake deserves a celebration!

Other festive Passover – but not only – sweets from Life’s a Feast:

Chocolate Almond Torte

Strawberry Mascarpone Cheesecake

Chocolate Espresso Pecan Torte

Chocolate Chestnut Fondant (omit the flour)






For more fabulous Passover recipes, visit these favorite blogs: Labna & Food Wanderings

PASSOVER LEMON ALMOND SPONGE CAKE With Warm Lemon Sauce

4 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice from ½ lemon, preferably organic or untreated
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup ground almonds
½ cup potato flour
Pinch salt + few drops lemon juice for whites
Handful slivered blanched almonds to decorate, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Have ready a springform pan – I used a 7 ¼ inch-diameter x 4 inch-high springform but a regular 8-inch pan is fine, too.

Separate the eggs; place the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the whites in a medium bowl, preferably plastic or metal. Add a pinch salt and a few drops lemon juice to the whites and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks for a couple of minutes until thick and pale. Add the sugar and continue beating until thick and creamy. Beat in the zest and juice of ½ a lemon and the vanilla extract until well blended and thick. Quickly beat in the ground almonds.

Using very clean beaters, beat the egg whites on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to high; beat the whites until thick, glossy and peaks hold. Do not overbeat until the whites are dry. Using a spatula, gently but firmly fold the stiff whites into the lemon almond cake batter in 3 additions. Fold in the potato flour with the third addition of the whites in order to avoid overworking the batter. Fold in the whites just until all the lumps of white have disappeared.

Gently pour the batter into the springform pan. Dust with a couple of tablespoons slivered almonds.

Bake in the preheated oven 30 – 45 minutes, depending on your oven and pan size. The cake is done when puffed, set and golden. Gently press on the top of the cake and it should feel set, much like an angel or sponge cake. A tester inserted in the center should come out dry.

Remove the pan from the oven onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before unmolding. Carefully run a long, thin blade around the sides to loosen the cake while still warm.

Serve the Lemon Almond Cake with Warm Lemon Sauce.

WARM LEMON SAUCE

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest and juice from 1 lemon, preferably organic or untreated
2 Tbs cornstarch or potato starch (for Passover)
2 Tbs butter, cubed and softened 

Bring the water to a boil.

Sift the cornstarch or potato starch into the sugar in a medium heatproof bowl and stir. Whisk in the boiling water then, when smooth, return to the pan and continue cooking over low heat, whisking or stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until thickened to the consistency of a sauce. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a cube at a time until the buttered is melted and incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Strain through a mesh strainer if necessary. Store in a jar in the refrigerator; to reheat, simply put the gelled sauce in a saucepan and heat very gently over low, stirring or whisking constantly, until pouring consistency (not too runny) and warm. Strain.

Serve warm.

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Jaden Lake's Autism on the Hill Rally - Well Done Jaden!

Edmonton MP Mike Lake, whom I have met (at IMFAR 2012 in Toronto) and communicated with a few times about autism in Canada, have different perspectives on the proper role for Canada's national government in addressing Canada's autism crisis.  The government of Stephen Harper, of which Mike Lake is a member,  is not a strong supporter of Canada's national medicare system generally and has done nothing to advance in a meaningful way the National Autism Strategy advocated for by former and present opposition MP's Andy Scott,  Peter Stoffer, Shawn Murphy and Glenn Thibeault and by Senator Jim Munson.   I know though that Mike Lake is a dedicated father and a strong advocate for his 17 year old autistic son Jaden, who appears to have many similarities to my own son with autism of the same age.  I enjoy seeing Jaden in television and video appearances and was pleased to read the Ottawa Citizen article about the Autism on the Hill Rally and the pictures featuring Jaden Lake.

Thank you for advocating for autism awareness and services Jaden! Well Done!

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Tandoori Chicken Wings

When The Baron and I first started dating, I was really interested in learning about his particular tastes in ethnic cuisine. It was a relief knowing he was open to trying different cuisines because some Asian cuisines can be pretty exotic. Thankfully Indian cuisine was one he enjoyed. Continuing on my Asian taste tour this week, we're taking a stop in Indian for these Tandoori Chicken Wings. Chicken is marinated in a seasoned yogurt mixture packed with spices, then baked in the oven. It's a delicious and flavorful spin on chicken wings and makes for a great appetizer too.

I love a good chicken wing recipe and this was a nice change of pace of the usual flavors and sauces. Instead of a sauce to dip the wings in, this recipe involves marinating the wings in a spice packed yogurt sauce. It's adapted from a recipe for traditional tandoori chicken and who says you have to only use chicken pieces? Wings are just as good! If you must dip wings into something, I would recommend just some yogurt or even (as odd as it sounds), Greek tzaziki sauce because cucumber and yogurt compliments the spice marinade really well.

Tandoori Chicken Wings
recipe adapted from About.com

3 pounds chicken wings
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon peeled and grated ginger root
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Place the chicken wings in a gallon sized storage bag or nonreactive large, shallow dish. 

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and salt. Stir until well-mixed, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it in, tossing to completely coat the chicken wings. Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, up to 2 days. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. 

Remove the chicken from the marinade, removing any excess marinade, and brush with oil.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a baking sheet, brush with oil, and roast, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife. 

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Cherry Mobile Announced the new Omega HD and Flame 2.0!

Cherry Mobile announces a refresh version of their two smartphones the Cherry Mobile Omega HD and Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0. The Omega HD have the Dragon Trail Glass Technology and whopping 12mega pixels Camera, while the Flame 2.0 is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon QUAD-CORE processor and 4.5-inch qHD Display.

The Omega HD is price at Php 7,999.00 and Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 price is Php 6,999.00! it's now available on Cherry Mobile Kioks, but but when I tried to ask at SM Southmall store they said its not yet available.

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General Tso's Pork Stir Fry

Heat... how much can you handle? When it comes to the ever common 'General Tso's' dishes in Chinese American cuisine, whole dried red chili peppers are used to infuse the dish with some spicy heat and flavor. The good thing is, you can adjust the heat and spiciness by controlling how many peppers you use. For this General Tso's Pork Stir Fry, a sweet and savory sauce of rice wine, rice vinegar, sugar, and soy/tamari, combines with a melange of pork, carrots and beans spiked with a spicy red chili pepper oil...


For this dish, I only used 2 whole dry chili peppers to impart some heat but adjust it to your tastes. You can even omit the peppers all together, though it won't be traditionally spicy for General Tso's. Chicken, beef or even shrimp can be used as well instead of pork, as the sauce works nicely with these too.

General Tso's Pork Stir Fry
recipe adapted from Food

Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar2 tablespoons rice wine3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce or GF tamari
1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1-5 dried chili pods, to your tastes of spiciness
1/2 cup onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup baby carrots1/4 pound fresh green beans
1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced for garnish

In a small bowl, prepare the sauce by combining the cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce; set aside.
Season pork with salt and pepper to taste.

In a skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and  in small batches, sauté the seasoned pork until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet over medium high heat, add another tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok. Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them. 
Add the garlic, onions, carrots and green beans to the skillet and sauté until cooked through.

Return the pork to the wok and stir-fry until  warmed through.

Add the sauce-mixture to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze (1-2 minutes). Serve immediately over rice or noodles.

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Game ON: Bookworm now FREE on App Store

The classic game BookWorm is now FREE on App Store for a limited time, it's of one the addicting word game.

This addictive word search exercise game still remains a lot of fun for almost 10 years after its debut on PC. The objective of the game is easy for those who don't really know it. You are presented with a mess letter tiles and must find hidden words in the jumble. Once you connect those letters to create a word then you get a points depending on the length and complexity of the word.

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Korean Japchae Noodles

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend with some delicious eats! For me, it was a food filled weekend where I enjoyed Chinese dim sum with folks at Chicago's Chinatown, spent time with friends over a Chicago inspired dinner at a going away party and yesterday, I hosted a pre-Easter dinner with family and friends. I'm still full after all the food I enjoyed. This week's recipe theme, I'm featuring some Asian eats. {I know - it's Easter season... where are the Easter eats?!} Well, I'll do an Easter round up later in the week and there's always my Easter Eats collection of recipes you can find here for inspiration! I'm focusing on Asian eats since I'm anticipating the arrival of my parents who moved overseas nearly 6 months ago. They moved to the Philippines and lately, I've been craving Asian cuisine - namely because I really miss my mom's cooking lol. So for our Asian recipe tour this week, I'm kicking it off with Korean Japchae Noodles. Glassy noodles made from sweet potato starch are tossed with sauteéd vegetables, thinly sliced beef and an umami sauce of tamari, sugar and sesame oil...

Asian cuisine is wonderful if you're living gluten free. Many recipes are gluten free adaptable and there are some great products made out of different flours and starches. Japchae is usually made with sweet potato starch noodles, known as dangmyun.

You can find them a Korean grocery stores or any Asian market. They have a greyish color and are really brittle but once soaked and cooked, they become translucent, glassy and soft, taking on the color of whatever sauce of the dish. Follow the directions on the package to prepare the noodles - which often means soaking the noodles for an hour and then cooking them in boiling water briefly.

After the noodles are cooked, they can be tossed with any combination of sautéed vegetables and protein. In this case, I used garlic, onion, carrots, and green onions. Some other vegetables I'd recommend is various types of mushrooms (white, shitake, oyster, etc), bok choy, etc.)

Korean Japchae Noodles
recipe adapted from Maangchi

8 oz Sweet potato vermicelli (Korean dangmyun)
2 tablespoons cooking oil (vegetable/canola/corn)
2 cloves of garlic, minced1 medium size onion, thinly sliced1 medium size carrot, cut in matchsticks1/4 cup green onions, thingly sliced
1 bunch of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1.2 pound beef sirloin, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, divided
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds


Soak the noodles in water for 1 hour. Boil the noodles in boiling water in a large pot for about 3-5 minutes. When the noodles are soft, drain them and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the noodles several times by using scissors and add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce/tamari and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Toss to coat and set aside.
In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, garlic, carrots, and green onions. Sauté until slightly cooked through, for 3-5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted - a few seconds. Transfer vegetable mixture to the large bowl with the noodles.

In the same skillet add another 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the beef strips until cooked through. Transfer to large bowl with sauteéd vegetables. 
Combine the soy sauce,. sugar, sesame oil, and pepper in a measuring cup, whisking to combine. Pour over noodles, vegetables and beef in the bowl and toss to fully incorporate and coat everything with the sauce.  Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on the top and serve.

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Apple Galette

MELTDOWN

Monday Monday, can't trust that day,

Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way 

Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be 

– The Mamas and The Papas 

Collapse. Breakdown. A harrowing experience one wishes not to live twice, but alas, in these modern times of technological necessity and dependence, one must always be prepared, expect the unexpected, embrace the unwelcome. Computer meltdown. One day we are insouciant, nonchalantly logging on, casually logging off, pulling up documents at will, loading photos without restraint and baring our soul, exposing every intimate detail of our private life on a plethora of social media platforms morning, noon and night. Connected. The next day…nothing. Blackness greets us when we sit down at our desk in the early hours of the morning, steaming mug of café au lait within easy reach, dishwasher humming smoothly in the background. Complete and horrid meltdown. And it happened to me.

Monday Monday, you gave me no warning. Smooth, white plastic lid lifted, tiny button pressed, a flash of light, a hint of that funny image of pink flamingos stalking across the bottom of my desktop and then utter blackness. And sheer, blessed panic. I feared his reaction, although I must approach him. I braced myself for his accusations of how I misuse my machine, how I do not think of the necessary upkeep, maintenance and care of my little box. How I treat it with the disdain of one who takes too much for granted. Yet, yet…at the same time I knew this would be a challenge for him, a distraction. He calmly suggested I call the Mac Shop and I did. Once they opened (this is, after all, France, and one can never make the assumption that a shop is ever open), he accompanied me down there and, after explaining the problem, we were led to believe that all hope was lost. Or at the very least cost us an arm and a leg (or, as the French so elegantly put it: “Les yeux de la tête, the eyes from our head.”)

Husband has never been one to accept anything at face value or to give in and give up. And with the cost of a new laptop hovering menacingly over our heads, he was determined to solve the mystery and figure out what the true problem was. I, on the other hand, had a mounting feeling of impending disaster. Disappearing from social media, not able to blog, my projects left hanging in midair and being reduced to the miniscule keyboard on my iphone for answering emails. He pushed me out of the way, plugged in my laptop onto what looked like life support and I wandered off and slumped into the armchair, fingers desperately clutching my iphone, in front of the tv.

And don’t the darnedest things just happen at the darnedest times? I felt the vibration of a text coming through, glanced at the tiny screen and saw it was from son. His friend had just contacted him letting him know that she was selling her Macbook. Coincidence? Providence? Divine intervention? Laptop was soon in our hands and hooked up to my own. Enough cords to look like Frankenstein’s experiment flooded the tabletop and the surrounding floor and all we were praying for was a lightening storm. The mystical operation of transferring life – all of my files – from one machine to the other commenced! I know when I should simply walk away, leave well enough alone and let him at it. From the kitchen I heard the banging start. Banging and pounding on my laptop with the shrieks of Yes! Yes! I see it! Yes! There it is! I got it! He had magically made my screen reappear long enough to connect and begin the transfer of data and files by simply pounding on the keyboard with all of his might. Humph to technology. The cavemen had it right all along. A good solid pounding solves so many problems.

But you know nothing is ever that simple, don’t you? He worked at it all day, all afternoon and well into the evening. Once or twice he toyed with the idea of throwing in the towel and just giving up – which, if you know him as well as I do then you can understand and appreciate the intensity and near-impossibility, the desperation of the situation if he of all people was on the edge of giving up. These robotic little beasties have a life of their own, teasing, mocking, threatening, sending messages like “Access forbidden” or “You have no authorization to open this screen” or “Stay away from this damn computer it ain’t yours”. Lots more screaming ensued. Yelling, cursing, jumping around à la Rumpelstiltskin…

All’s well that ends well. One solid day, fierce determination, relentless doggedness and an intense stick-to-it-ness and he finally succeeded. Arms raised, fists punching the air to the glorious sounds of “Yessssss!” and there was distinct cause for celebration. The laptop is not yet officially mine, my own laptop has not yet gone to the shop, but – heaving a heavy sigh of relief - I am now functional once again. And I may have even scored Photoshop.

I haven’t baked for several days but JP certainly deserved a reward. As I was recounting the tale to my friend Renee, she suggested that maybe JP needed an apple pie or….galette. And I knew she was right. Nothing is homier, more calming and comforting after such a trying, stressful day, nothing says I love you more than a fruit pie warm from the oven, redolent of cinnamon. And a galette is even better. Not to forget that apple is his favorite filling in any baked good. I mentioned to JP, now stretched out on the sofa, wallowing in self-satisfaction, that I wanted to make an apple galette for him and he responded: “Only if you don’t say it is for me. Make an apple galette for all of us!”

I made some alterations to my favorite Sweet Pastry Pie Crust by adding a handful of finely ground almonds (a wonderful companion to apple) and replaced the egg with water for a firmer texture. I piled on the apples, as I know they have a tendency to shrink a bit – and who doesn’t want a mouthful of sweet apples in every bite? - tossed them in a bit of flour to thicken the juices, added just enough cinnamon and nutmeg and Bob’s your uncle. It flew together effortlessly, baked up a dream. The crust held the apples and juices in while remaining so tender. And the filling is perfection in every way. A perfect reward, a perfect treat. 

 With a little Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

APPLE GALETTE

For the Sweet Almond Pastry Crust:
1 ¼ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup finely ground almonds
7 Tbs unsalted butter, cool
3 – 5 Tbs cold water

For the Apple Galette Filling:
3 apples, peeled, cored and cubed (I actually used 3 ½ a mix of Royal Gala & Golden)
1 ½ Tbs flour
2 - 3 Tbs sugar
Scant ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg

Cream for brushing the pastry; sugar (I used granulated brown) for dusting crust

Prepare the Pastry Crust:

Place the flour, sugar and ground almonds in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter in cubes; toss to coat the cubes. Using only your thumbs and fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the consistency of damp sand and all of the butter has been incorporated. Using a fork, vigorously stir in 3 tablespoons of the cold water; adding the remaining water a tablespoon at a time until all of the dry ingredients are damp and pull together into a ball. Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead briefly and gently, adding a bit of flour if necessary, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill while preparing the filling.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.

Prepare the Apple Filling:

Peel and core the apples and cut into cubes. Place the apple cubes in a bowl and toss with the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Prepare the Galette:

Remove the Sweet Pastry Crust from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Place the ball of dough on a floured work surface and gently roll out into a 12-inch diameter circle. Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Pile the prepared apple cubes in the center of the pastry circle and spread out to distribute evenly, leaving about 2 - 3 inches of dough free all around the outside edge of the circle, enough to lift up as a border to hold the apples in place.

Begin lifting the edge of the circle of dough up and place against the apples. Lifting the dough up about 3 inches at a time and moving around the galette, the dough “flaps” will overlap. Brush the folds of dough where they overlap with a little of the cream and “glue” down, pressing in place gently. Continue all around the galette. Brush the crust all over with cream and dust with sugar. 

Bake the galette in the preheated oven for about an hour or until the crust is a nice golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and allow to cool before slicing and serving.

This is a fabulous treat as is for breakfast, brunch or snack. Add ice cream, a good Salted Butter Caramel Sauce or whipped cream for a wonderful dessert.

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