Ertrugrul Hat cake

 

Ertruğrul, is a Turkish, historical and adventure television series that is so popular in South Asia.  The actor playing Ertrugrul (Engin Altan Düzyatan) is such a heart throb!!  The show features Ertrugrul who was a 13th century Turk Muslim nomad warrior from Central Asia. Surrounded by the Mongols to the East and the Crusaders and Byzantines to the West; like other Turk tribes, Ertrugrul's tribe too was pushed West by the Mongols. Ertrugrul TV serial attempts to show case a vivid imagination of a 13th-century Turk Asian community and Muslim culture.  

This cake looks like the hat worn by Ertrugrul. It was a strawberry cake with strawberry filling- Yum!

“The most powerful conqueror on Earth is justice. ” Ertugrul Bey

NY City Skyline cake

This is my rendition of the NYC Skyline. There are actual (battery operated) lights in the cake.  New York City is undoubtedly one of the most exciting dream destinations in the whole world.  It is a vibrant, throbbing beast that will enchant you, no doubt. New York is the world capital of theater- Broadway shows are an amazing experience. Since the COVID pandemic started in the year 2000 I have not watched any Broadway show. Before that I was a regular Broadway buff.  Lets see when this gets back to normal.

It was a pistachio cake with fig filling- yum.

 

“It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story.”- Agatha Christie

 

Sari Cake

 

This cake looks like a folded Indian sari-dress. Sari is an 8 yard long fabric that is tied in an elegant manner as a dress. Since it is a straight fabric it is very easy to fold into a nice rectangle.  I tried to insert the bright colors and embellishments that trademark this dress- with yellow gold jewelry accessories. Everything is edible. 

Today on 31st December the year 2021 is going to end and a New Year 2022 is coming with a new life experience. We are eager to celebrate the start of something new, however, merrymaking is likely to be muted again this year as the pandemic continues to ride the COVID-19 Omicron wave. Who knows what other variants await us in the future so lets just enjoy each day as it comes. Life has changed. We are not likely to return to the way we were pre-2020, so let us celebrate this moment and every moment and every blessing by being thankful for all the good in our life.  May the coming year be full of grand adventures and opportunities. Please stay safe and healthy. 

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”― Mark Twain

"Paan-daan" cake

 

My grandfather liked to chew tobbacco in a the form of a little package containing betel nut (also called areca nut), and herbs and spices spices wrapped in a betel leaf termed as “paan”.  He had a beautifully hand carved silver box called a “paan daan” with little compartments for all the paan ingredients.  He gave a similar box to my Mom when she got married and I inherited it from her.  She never chewed paan so the box and its compartments are in pristine condition, never having been in contact with chemicals or herbs and spices.

Paan-daan is silverware that was very popular in South Asia during the 19th century. It was carried around by everyone and played a serious role in socialization ceremonies of that time. In those days, betel leaf and its seeds were also consumed by field workers and other rural inhabitants to suppress their hunger as it has a mild painkilling effects similar to a narcotic.

Today I used my mother’s silver paan-daan as an inspiration for this cake.  It is a carrot nut cake with cream cheese filling.  I covered it with silver leaf.  The handle was especially fun to make. 

The Owl House cake

The Owl House is an American animated fantasy television series on Disney Channel. The fantasy structure and details were fun to make. What a cute house! It is home of some interesting characters in the show. 

Places of residence is not necessarily a home; the home is a physical space as well as an emotional and psychological relationship, where memory, comfort, activity and familiarity are some many important factors in the construction of home. Home will always be the place for which we feel the deepest comfort and affection. I love traveling, but I always enjoy coming home to the familiar feel, comfort, smell of my home. I always look forward to just let myself fall into my own bed. Then the time to reflect and collect my thoughts about the time away from home. 

It was a yellow cake with strawberry filling.

Home is where the heart is. Pliny the Elder

 

Swan Cake

 

Swan Lake is a fabulous Russian ballet. The last time I saw it was in an amazing theater in St Petersburg, Russia a few years ago. This swan cake is in commemoration of great memories of  the days of carefree travels.  Hoping for traveling again, soon.

The cake was fun to make. It is an almond cake with almond mascarpone filling. The feathers were made of white chocolate. Yum!

“His own image; no longer a dark, gray bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan. To be born in a duck's nest, in a farmyard, is of no consequence to a bird, if it is hatched from a swan's egg.”

― Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling

Khussa Shoe cake

Khussa is  style of Punjabi handcrafted footwear from Punjab, Pakistan.  Khussa are made by hand by artisans mostly using vegetable-tanned leather. The uppers are made of one piece of leather or textile embroidered and embellished with brass nails, cowry shells, mirrors, bells, ribbons, velvet, sequins and beads. Hundreds of designs are available in a multitude of the most vibrant colors.  The uppers are sewn to the sole with cotton thread for strength and adornment. The curled toe is usually styled in menswear, but here I mixed the style of a curled toe with the bright, traditional embellishment of ladies wear. 

These shoes are not very hardy, but some people find them very comfortable and inexpensive. There is no difference between the right and left foot, so that is why they are worn interchangeably. Also, there are no exact sizes, therefore one would have to try on and see which fits. 

I dont find them comfortable at all. But this shoe cake was fun to make. I think I went a bit overboard with the embellishments but we can never have too much embroidery on a khussa. The cake was a carrot walnut cake with cream cheese filling. 

Khussas look like Aladdin shoes, but they predominantly symbolize Pakistani culture; they are timeless classic footwear that have always been part of the fashion scene.  Made in their original form they are somewhat like a piece of history to be worn every day. 

"Shoes! Chocolate for the feet"  Cathy.