Thank You Well Fed Network and Slashfood!

..

Whew! What a week this has been. Some really nice things are happening to me and my little blog these days. I'm not running around dodging the paparazzi or anything, but I am pretty excited about my news.

..

First of all, yours truly has been invited to be a contributing author for the Well Fed Network. WFN is a popular stop among foodies. It is a compilation of 14 food and drink related blogs, focusing on providing high quality and informative topical content. The WFN is the brainchild of Cate O'Malley of Sweetnicks, and she is the managing editor of the network.

..

I will be writing for two of their excellent sites, The Cook's Kitchen and Paper Palate. As a matter of fact, three of my articles have already been published here, here and here! I can't tell you how happy I am to be a part of the Well Fed Network!

..

As if that wasn't enough, one of my photos has been chosen as Slashfood's Daily Food Porn. OMG!!! Can you stand it? Last night, when I had my first chance of the day to breathe, I clicked on the site for my daily "Slashfood fix". I was mindlessly scrolling down the page, when I saw a picture that looked familiar. "I took a shot just like that.", I said to myself.........

..

HUH! Wait a minute! THAT IS MY PICTURE!!! HOLY #&*#! I'M FOOD PORN!

..

I almost fell off my chair. Then, I did a little happy dance around the room. I could have sworn I had wings on my feet. I think I may have even hit a high C or two!

..

Now, this may not mean that much to a lot of you, but the whole picture taking thing has been my greatest challenge since starting this blog. It wasn't long ago that I wrote this post here, where I shared (ranted, actually) my complete and total frustration over my photography skills. I was ready to give up. Thankfully, several of you were so helpful and encouraging with your comments, particularly Helen, Jen and Jaden, and I decided to persevere. So yes, for me, this is a Very. Big. Deal! Here is a little token of my thanks, ladies.

....

...

Of course, I had to celebrate such a momentous week. What better way to do this than with a sticky, gooey, creamy, chewy dessert! This flan recipe was given to me by my aunt many, many years ago. It is the most requested dessert at all of our family gatherings. It is truly decadent. I adore it and I hope you will too.
...

Fantabulous Flan

...

1 cup plus 3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp cornstarch

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup assorted tropical fruits, diced into small bits for garnish

..

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

..

For the Caramel:

..

Combine sugar and water in medium, deep, heavy-duty saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.

..

Increase heat to medium-high, and boil, without stirring, until caramel is a medium brown color, about 10-15 minutes, depending on your stove.

..

Quickly pour the caramel over bottom and sides of 12 six-ounce custard cups or a flan mold. If the caramel hardens, soften it up a minute over low heat.

..

For the flan:

..

Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, 3 tbsp. sugar, cornstarch, eggs and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth.

..

Pour mixture into prepared cups or mold. Arrange in a large roasting or baking pan.

..

Pour hot water in the pan until it is about 1 inch deep. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for about 30 minutes. Chill for several hours or overnight.

..

To unmold, run a sharp knife around the rims and gently shake to loosen. Invert onto your serving plates.
..
Enjoy!