Double-Baked Almond Croissants

There is nothing like the buttery goodness of a freshly baked croissant. However, to salvage those croissants that have gone a bit beyond their prime, making day-old (or older) ones into Doubled-Baked Almond Croissants (Croissants aux Amandes) magically transforms them into an entirely different, and equally delicious, treat.

Transforming a simple butter croissant into a magnificent crave-worthy pastry is easy; perhaps, too easy in that you will want to make them, and make them often. An added bonus is that you will not have to pay upwards of $4.00 at your favourite pastry shop for one.

Double-Baked Almond Croissants (Croissants aux Amandes) (Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini)

- 6 to 8 day-old Croissants, about 80g each (2.8 oz)
- 2 TBSP Sliced Almonds
- Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

For the syrup:
- 2 TBSP Sugar
Almond Cream:
- 100g (1/2 C) Sugar
- 100g (2/3 C) Whole Blanched Almonds, or 100g (1 C) Almond Powder
- a pinch of salt
- 100g (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes
- 2 Eggs

Notes:
- The recipe can be halved if you have fewer croissants to fill.
- You can make the syrup and the Almond Cream a day in advance: transfer into airtight containers, and refrigerate.

Sugar Syrup:

Combine 1 cup water and 2 TBSP sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, and simmer for a minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, transfer into a shallow dish. Cool completely.

Almond Cream:

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, almonds and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add butter, and mix until well blended. Add in the eggs one by one, and process until creamy.

Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Work with each croissant one by one: Dip it into the syrup, coating tops, sides, and ends well (avoid soaking the bottoms or they could get too soggy). Slice the croissant horizontally and place on the cookie sheet. Spread the inside with about two tablespoons almond cream, and place the top back on. Spread the top with another tablespoon almond cream, and sprinkle generously with sliced almonds. Repeat with the remaining croissants and cream.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the almond cream is set and golden. Transfer onto a cooling rack, dust with icing sugar (if desired), and serve, slightly warm or at room temperature. They will keep for a day.














You can easily make Double-Baked Almond Croissants using your favourite bakery-bought croissants, but, if you are feeling a tad ambitious, you could whip up a batch of homemade ones.

Croissants (from Baking With Julia)

Ingredients
For 20-24 croissants

For the dough:

* 1 ounce compressed fresh yeast
* 3 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 cup milk
For the butter:

* 4 1/2 sticks (1 pound 2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
* 2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
For the egg wash:

* 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp cold water

Method

Preparing the dough:Put the yeast, flour sugar, salt and 1 cup of milk into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the machine on its lowest speed, mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until a soft, moist dough forms on the hook. If the dough is to dry, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. In most cases if the dough does need more liquid, it won’t need more than about 3 tablespoons, but check carefully as you want all the flour to be moistened. Stop the mixer and look into the bowl. If the hook has not picked up all the flour from the bottom of the bowl, add a few more drops of milk.

Set the mixer to its highest speed and work the dough until it is smooth and elastic, no longer sticky and close to the consistency of soft butter, about 4 minutes. To make certain that all the ingredients are perfectly blended you can remove the dough from the mixer after 3 minutes, and then with the mixer on high speed, return plum size pieces to the bowl. The pieces will remain separate for a short while, then come together, at which time the dough is ready.

Remove the dough from the mixer, wrap it in plastic and put it in a plastic bag, leaving a little room for expansion. Keep the dough at room temperature for 30 minutes to give the gluten time to relax; then refrigerate the dough for 8 hours or overnight.

Preparing the butter:
Attach the paddle to your mixer and beat the butter and flour on the highest speed until smooth and the same consistency as the croissant dough, about 2 minutes. Reach into the bowl and poke around in the butter to make sure that its evenly blended – if you find any lumps, just squeeze them between your fingers. Scrape the butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap and give it a few slaps to knock the air out of it. Mold it into an oval 5 to 6 inches long and 1 inch thick. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate until needed. At this point the dough and the butter can be frozen; defrost overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.

Incorporating the butter:
Place the croissant dough on a generously floured large work surface (marble is ideal) and sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using a long rolling pin, roll the dough into an oval approximately 10 inches wide and 17 inches long. Brush the excess flour from the dough. Center the oval of chilled butter across the oval of dough and fold the top and bottom of the dough over the butter to make a tidy package. Gently and evenly stretch the folded layers of dough out to the sides and press the edges down firmly with your fingertips to create a neatly sealed rectangle.

If you own a French rolling pin (one without handles) now is the time to use it. Hold one side of the dough steady with your hand and strike the other side gently but firmly with the rolling pin to distribute the butter evenly. As you hit the dough you will see the butter moving out into the crevices. Strike the other side of the dough the same way. After pounding you should have a 1 inch thick rectangle about about 14 inches long and 6 inches wide.

Keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured, roll out the dough. If this your first time working with croissant dough, you may want to roll out the dough just a little to distribute the butter, put it on a baking sheet lined with flour-dusted parchment paper, cover it with plastic and chill it for 1 to 2 hours first; this way you wont risk having the dough go soft or the butter seep out. (Each time you wrap the dough, make sure its well covered – even a little air will cause the dough to form an unwanted skin.) If you are experienced, feeling courageous or have dough that is still well chilled, go on to make your first turn.

Rolling and folding:
Roll the dough into a rectangle 24 to 26 inches long and about 14 inches wide, with the long side facing you. (You may feel as though your rolling the dough sideways-and you are.) Brush off the excess flour and, working from the left and right sides, fold the dough inward into thirds, as you would a brochure, so that you have a package thats about 8 inches wide by 14 inches long.

Carefully transfer the dough to a parchment- lined baking sheet, mark the parchment “1 turn” so you’ll know what you’ve done, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can freeze the dough after this or any other turn. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.

Second turn:
Place the dough so that the 14 inch side runs left to right. (The dough needs 2 more turns; you’ve given it one quarter-turn already.) Making sure the work surface is well floured at all times, roll the dough as you did before into a rectangle 24 to 26 inches long by about 14 inches wide . (When doing the second and third turns, you may find that the dough has cracked a little. That’s natural; its a result of the yeast. Don’t worry, just flour the dough and work surface and keep going.)

As you did before, fold the dough in thirds. Place it on the parchment, mark the paper “2 turns”, cover and refrigerate continued in part 2 for at least 2 hours.

Third turn:
Start again with a 14 inch side running from your left side to your right. Roll the dough into a rectangle 24 to 26 inches long by 14 inches wide. Fold the left and right sides of the dough into the center, leaving a little space in the center, and then fold one side over the other as though you were closing a book. This is the famous double turn, also known as “the wallet”.

Chilling the dough:
Brush off the flour, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours. At this point the dough is ready to be rolled, cut and shaped into croissants. Storing: The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.

Rolling the dough:Generously flour a work surface. Position the dough so that it resembles a book, with the spine to your left and the opening to your right. For easy handling, cut the dough in half horizontally so that you have two pieces about 7 inches long and about 6 1/2 inches wide: wrap and chill one half while you work with the other half.

Flour the dough and roll it into a rectangle thats 24 to 26 inches long and 15 to 18 inches wide. This takes a lot of rolling. Keep the work surface and the dough well floured and have patience. If necessary turn the dough so that the long side runs from left to right along the counter. Carefully fold the top half of the dough down to the bottom. The dough is now ready for cutting.

Cutting the dough:
Working with a pizza cutter or a large, very sharp knife, cut triangles from the dough. This is done most easily by making a diagonal cut on the left hand side to get the pattern started; save the uneven piece of dough. Measure off a 3 to 4 inch base and begin cutting the triangles, always cutting from bottom to top. You’ll have another scrap when you reach the other end-you’ll use these scraps when you shape the croissants. Unfold each pair of triangles and cut them in half to separate. You should have 10 to 12 maybe 14 triangles; set them aside while you clear the work surface of all flour. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shaping the croissants:
Moisten your hands with a wet towel. Working with one triangle at a time, gently stretch the base to widen it slightly, then, holding the base of the triangle in one hand, run the fingers of the other hand down to the point of the triangle. Use your thumb to pull and stretch the dough until its almost twice the original length-have courage and tug; the extra length is what allows you to make a large croissant with sufficient rolls to show off its layers of dough.

Place the triangle, point toward you, at arm distance on the work table this will give enough space to roll the croissant into shape with-out having to lift it in mid-roll) Pull off a little piece of the reserved scrap dough, mold it into a small football shape and center it on the wide top part of the triangle-this will help make the “belly” of the croissant plump. Fold about 1/2 inch of this wide end over itself and press the ends down once to secure. With you palms and fingers positioned over the flattened ends of the croissant and the heels of your hands on the flat work surface, roll the croissant toward you-try to keep your hands moving down and out to the sides as you roll- ending with the point of the triangle tucked under the croissant. A well shaped croissant-and it takes practice to achieve one-will sport at least six clearly accountable sections, or ridges, from rolling. Place the croissants on one of the baking sheets, leaving room for them to triple in size without touching one another. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Glazing and rising:
Give the croissants a last gentle plumping, carefully turning the ends down and toward the center to produce the classic croissant shape. Brush the croissants with egg wash and allow them to rise, uncovered, at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, until tripled in size and spongy. (Reserve egg wash, covered in the refrigerator.) The ideal place for rising is a turned off oven (one with a pilot light is fine) containing a pan of hot steamy water. To test that they are properly risen, wet your fingers and squeeze the end of a croissant:It should offer no resistance and feel almost hollow.

Baking the croissants:
Arrange the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds, and preheat the oven to 350 f. Brush the croissants once again with egg wash and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate front to back and bake another 4 to 6 minutes, until the croissants are deeply bronzed. Cool on racks. As tempting as they are croissants should not be eaten as soon as they come from the oven. The dough-and the layers within need time to set.

Storing:
The croissants are best eaten the day they are made. If you must keep them, freeze them, wrapped airtight. Thaw the croissants overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature and reheat in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes.

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Opera Cake

Opera Cake is a harmonious blend of almond joconde, coffee syrup, coffee buttercream, bittersweet chocolate ganache, and a chocolate glaze. When it came time once again for the annual celebration of my birth, a cake such as this was the perfect choice for the occasion.

I am on a mission to create the gateaux that have inspired the great pastry chefs - the intricate, sometimes whimsical, combinations of flavours and textures that were dreamt up by the imaginations of the culinary masters.

Opera Cake tastes best slightly chilled, with the buttercream poised to yield to the warmth of one's tongue, and the ganache luxuriously smooth.


Opera Cake (adapted from Dalloyau from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan)

Yield: About 20 servings

The Joconde (Almond Sponge Cake):

• 6 large Egg Whites, at room temperature
  
• 2 Tbsp (30 g) Granulated Sugar
  
• 2 C (225 g) Ground Blanched Almonds
  
• 2 1/4 C (225 g) Icing Sugar, sifted
• 6 large Eggs
  
• 1/2 C (70 g) All-Purpose Flour
  
• 3 Tbsp (45 g) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled briefly

The Coffee Syrup:

• 1/2 C Water
  
• 1/3 C Sugar
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp (7 g) Instant Espresso or Coffee

The Coffee Buttercream:

• 2 Tbsp (10 g) Instant Espresso or Coffee
  
• 2 Tbsp (15 g) boiling Water
  
• 1 C (100 g) Sugar
• 1/4 C (30 g) Water
• Pulp of 1/4 Vanilla Bean
  
• 1 large Whole Egg
  
• 1 large Egg Yolk
  
• 1 3/4 sticks (7 oz; 200 g) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

The Chocolate Ganache:

• 8 oz (240 g) Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 C (125 g) Whole Milk
  
• 1/4 C (30 g) Heavy Cream
  
• 4 Tbsp (2 oz; 60 g) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

The Chocolate Glaze:

• 5 oz (150 g) Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 1 stick (4 oz/ 115 g) Unsalted Butter

1. To make the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line two 12 1/2-x15 1/2-inch (31-x-39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter. (This is in addition to the quantity in the ingredient list.)

2. Working in a clean dry mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the whites into another bowl.

3. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almonds, icing sugar and whole eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and beat on low speed only until it disappears. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture, then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.

4. Bake the cakes for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. Put the pans on a heatproof counter, cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the cakes over and unmold. Carefully peel away the parchment, turn the parchment over and use it to cover the exposed sides of the cakes. Let the cakes come to room temperature between the parchment or wax paper sheets. (The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead, wrapped and kept at room temperature.)

5. To make the syrup: Stir everything together in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cool. (The syrup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

6. To make the buttercream: Make a coffee extract by dissolving the instant espresso in the boiling water; set aside.

7. Bring the sugar, water and vanilla bean pulp to a boil in a small saucepan; stir just until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 255 degrees F (124 degrees C), as measured on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Pull the pan from the heat.

8. While the sugar is heating, put the egg and the yolk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until the eggs are pale and foamy. When the sugar is at temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly pour in the syrup. Inevitably, some syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl - don't try to stir the spatters into the eggs. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the eggs are thick, satiny and room temperature, about 5 minutes.

9. Working with a rubber spatula, beat the butter until it is soft and creamy but not oily. With the mixer on medium speed, steadily add the butter in 2-tablespoon (30-gram) chunks. When all the butter has been added, raise the speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thickened and satiny. Beat in the coffee extract. Chill the buttercream, stirring frequently, until it is firm enough to be spread and stay where it is spread when topped with a layer of cake, about 20 minutes. (The buttercream can be packed airtight and refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 1 month; before using, bring it to room temperature, then beat to smooth it.)

10. To make the ganache: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and keep it close at hand. Bring the milk and cream to a full boil, pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir gently until the ganache is smooth and glossy.

11. Beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy, then stir it into the ganache in 2 to 3 additions. Refrigerate the ganache, stirring every 5 minutes, until it thickens and is spreadable, about 20 minutes. (The ganache can be packed airtight and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)

12. To assemble the cake: Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Working with one sheet of cake at a time, trim the cake so that you have two pieces: one 10-x-10-inches (25-x-25-cm) square and one 10-x-5-inches (25-x-12.5-cm) rectangle. Place one square of cake on the parchment and moisten the layer with coffee syrup. Spread about three-quarters of the coffee buttercream evenly over the cake. (If the buttercream is soft, put the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes before proceeding.) Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square; moisten with syrup. Spread the ganache over the surface, top with the last cake layer, moisten, then chill the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Cover the top of the cake with a thin layer of coffee buttercream. (This is to smooth the top and ready it for the glaze - so go easy.) Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or for up to 6 hours; it should be cold when you pour over the glaze. If you're in a hurry, pop the cake into the freezer for about 20 minutes, then continue.

13. To glaze the cake: Bring the butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and clarify the butter by spooning off the top foam and pouring the clear yellow butter into a small bowl; discard the milky residue. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over—not touching—simmering water, then stir in the clarified butter. Lift the chilled cake off the parchment-lined pan and place it on a rack. Put the rack over the parchment-lined pan and pour over the glaze, using a long offset spatula to help smooth it evenly across the top. Slide the cake into the refrigerator to set the glaze and chill the cake, which should be served slightly chilled. At serving time, use a long thin knife, dipped in hot water and wiped dry, to carefully trim the sides of the cake so that the drips of glaze are removed and the layers revealed.

Keeping: Each element of the cake can be made ahead, as can the assembled cake. The cake can be kept in the refrigerator, away from foods with strong odors, for 1 day, or you can freeze the cake, wrap it airtight once it is frozen, and keep it frozen for 1 month; defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

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Baklava

Ah, Baklava, that intensely sweet morsel of flaky phyllo laced with pistachios and walnuts, and soaked in a honey-rose water syrup. How can one resist? One of our favourite lunches is to grab a beef shawarma or shish tawouk (chicken with roasted potatoes) at the local Lebanese shop, and end the most satisfying meal with several choice pieces of Baklava. Having gathered the ingredients, I made up a pan of Baklava, slathering 36 layers of phyllo with copious amounts of melted butter, and drenching the entire concoction in a deliciously sweet syrup.

Adapting a recipe for Baklava, I added my own touches by splashing in a generous drop of rose water, throwing in a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, and reducing a bit of the sugar in the syrup.

Baklava Recipe

1 lb Nuts, chopped (walnuts and pistachios)
1 lb Phyllo Dough, usually 18 pieces, cut in half
1 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground Cloves
2 TBSP Brown Sugar

For the syrup:

1 cup Water
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Honey
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 TBSP Rose Water

Finely ground pistachios for garnish (optional)

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

Thaw the phyllo dough according to manufacturer's directions (usually in the refrigerator overnight, or for 5 hours on the countertop). When thawed, roll out the dough and cut the dough in half so the sheets will fit in the pan. Cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.

Make the syrup by combining the cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice, honey, rose water, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Cool.

Process the nuts into small, even-sized pieces. Combine with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat.

Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until it is 8 sheets thick, each sheet being "painted" with the butter.

Spoon on a thin layer of the nut mixture. Cover with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Continue to repeat the nut mixture and two buttered sheets of phyllo until the nut mixture is all used up. The top layer should be 8 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet being individually buttered. Do not worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit, it will just add more texture.

Cut into 30 equal-sized triangles using a sharp knife. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp.

Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. Garnish with some finely crushed pistachios, if desired.

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Mango Ice Cream with Mango Pudding

Desperately hanging onto the last remnants of summer, I whipped up a batch of Mango Ice Cream: rich, tropical, and refreshing! To make it even more of a treat, the ice cream was paired with Mango Pudding, equally rich and satisfying.

Mango Pudding is a dessert often served in Dim Sum restaurants, but it is extremely simple to make at home.

Mango Ice Cream

1/2 cup 2% Milk and 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
A pinch of Salt
3/4 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Alphonso (or Kesar) Mango Pulp
5 large Egg Yolks
2 cups Heavy Cream

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan.

2. Whisk together the egg yolks in a bowl and temper them by gradually adding some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the heavy cream and mango puree. Chill thoroughly and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Mango Pudding

Adapted from the recipe by Prasantrin at egullet.org

Yield: 12

30 oz Alphonso mango pulp (1 large can)
2c whipping cream
1-1/2c sugar
5-1/2c water
1 oz gelatine

Simmer gelatine, sugar and 3 1/2 cups water until the sugar and gelatine are dissolved. Mix the cream with 2 cups water and the mango puree. Add to the gelatine mixture.

Pour into a 13x9x2 inch pan, or in individual ramekins, and refrigerate.

You can use any combination of water and cream--I will often use 4 cups of cream and only 3.5 cups water. You can also increase the amount of mango pulp if you prefer a stronger mango flavour, and decrease the sugar if you prefer it less sweet. It's a very flexible recipe!

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Fudgy Brownies

I have eaten my fair share of brownies over the years, and have just stumbled upon one of the tastiest ones yet. I fall into the crispy-on-top, fudgy-in-the-centre camp, and these brownies, with the addition of chopped chunks of chocolate, strike the perfect balance.

The recipe from King Arthur Flour has a twist in its preparation. The butter and sugar is melted together, and then reheated a second time. This technique results in a thin, crispy, and shiny top crust. These brownies are so delectable that I almost single-handedly devoured the entire pan. Almost...

Fudgy Brownies

Yield: 24 servings

1 cup Unsalted Butter
2 1/4 cups Sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-Process Cocoa
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
4 large Eggs
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate, chopped into chunks, or chocolate chips

Optional: * 1 tsp Espresso Powder; 1 tsp Chocolate Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan or line with foil.

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat and heat until mixture is very hot but not bubbling; it will become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny, crisp top crust.

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, and stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder and vanilla (also, espresso powder and chocolate extract, if using). Mix in the hot butter/sugar mixture until combined. At this point, you can allow the mixture to cool slightly (20 minutes) if you do not want the chocolate chunks to melt into the batter. Otherwise, stir in the flour and chocolate chunks immediately until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 28 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out with a few crumbs. Remove from the oven. Cool completely, then cut and serve.

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The Power of Adrenaline

It was a searingly hot but quiet evening at the Starland Recreation Area near Drumheller, Alberta, and every camper was enjoying the outdoors. I had just finished grilling up some ground sirloin patties stuffed with cheddar, and had made a tasty-looking burger topped with crisp turkey bacon for my little girl. Without nary a warning, an ominous black cloud reached its destructive fingers over the western hills, whipping up a whirling sandstorm, and causing utter pandemonium.

It was only the women and children at our campsite as the men had headed off to the nearby fishing hole to try to catch some Goldeye. It appeared that it would simply be one of the regular Alberta summer thunderstorms; but, this one turned out to be the craziest storm we have yet to encounter. It was like something out of a disaster movie. The swirling sand blinded our eyes as we desperately sought refuge for the elderly and young children. Tarps went flying, trees were felled, and barbecues were overturned spilling glowing embers everywhere. I quickly put my little girl into our tent with her dinner, hoping that the storm would blow over quickly. I decided to go back outside to retrieve more of our things when I turned around and saw that the wind had completely flattened our tent right on top of my child. With a fierceness of a mother bear protecting her cub, I swiftly ran to the tent, and swooped up my daughter in my arms. It was an act fuelled by sheer adrenaline - I felt superhuman! Tears were flowing, but we managed to stay safe, and, as an added bonus, the burger was saved, too.

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Rediscovering Fiction

For many years, I could not get into reading anything that was not non-fiction. It seemed to me that reading magazine articles, cookbooks, and biographies were more 'useful' and informative than a work of pure fiction. Recently, I started to delve back into the world of fictional stories, allowing myself to get caught up in the imaginary worlds. The power of the imagination, guided by the deft hand of a masterful writer, is an awe-inspiring thing...

I have just finished one of the truly outstanding novels of the late 20th Century: Beach Music by Pat Conroy. I picked up the 800-page novel because of a rave review of it on a messageboard. It appeared that it would have been a story to which I would not be able to totally relate, as it dealt with the great American South - a world away from my own. However, the story of Jack McCall and the numerous characters that are intricately entwined with his past is a glorious one full of heart-wrenching flashbacks. The stories of woe, of the atrocities of war, abuse, human suffering, cover a wide expanse of the 20th Century: the Holocaust, the Vietnam War, the turbulent 60s.

Pat Conroy's style of writing is extreme in its meticulous descriptiveness. When I first started reading the novel, the overly-ambitious descriptions of every scene were almost overwhelming. As I continued reading, I came to appreciate the deftness with which Conroy used words to create such vivid images. He is simply masterful. I believe that he has succeeded in crafting a story of epic proportions, and, as a result, has penned one of the best novels that I have ever had the pleasure to read.

I have always found it strange, but delightful, how the human mind can conjure up entire worlds based on mere words on a page. It is so interesting to come up with the look of a character, whether entirely imaginary or based on a real person, and watching them in the mind's eye interacting with all the other characters. Reading a novel is like being the director of a film, creating a vision of how one wants a scene to look, feel, sound, smell, and taste. To envelope oneself in the faraway world of a great story is to allow oneself, however briefly, to escape the drudgery of everyday existence.

Onto the next great novel! (I have already put my name on the list for the August 2009 release of Pat Conroy's first novel in 14 years. Let's hope that he has not lost his masterful touch.)

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