2009 Retrospective
I have learned a lot, traveled quite a bit, met with friends and family. I was thrilled with everything new I got to experience and it helped me grow some more. I stayed in touch with quite a few people and found new enriching relationships along the way.
I also, and very importantly, realized that some individuals, even though I am rarely in contact with them, were taking care of me in ways I was not expecting. I am so grateful.
I am looking forward to 2010, to see what this new year has in store for all of us. I also hope that 2009 was great for you, and I wish you the best in the new year.
Pear Almond Torte
For the Pears:
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 medium-size pears (such as Bosc), peeled
For the Torte:
- 1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Almond Paste
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For Topping:
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 1 teaspoon water
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously grease a 10-inch cake or tart pan with butter and sprinkle on 1 Tablespoon of the sugar. Set aside.
Over medium-high heat, bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to boil in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pears are very tender, stirring occasionally. Cool pears in syrup. (This can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)
Mix the almond paste and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Add the butter and mix until completely incorporated.
Beat in the eggs. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing until just combined.
Pour the batter into the pan, spreading evenly with a spatula.
Stem pears and cut each in half lengthwise; scoop out cores. Cut each half into thin slices. Arrange the pears, in a circular pattern covering the entire surface of the batter, slightly overlapping. Place smaller slices in the center.
Bake until the batter puffs up, the edges are golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes.
In a small saucepan combine the apricot preserves and water and heat until it becomes translucent and loose. Brush the apricot glaze over the entire top of the pear tart.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Adapted from Mixed Salad Annie recipe.
A few photos of Nose Hill Park and Downtown Calgary
A couple of days ago, I took a few pictures of my favorite park in Calgary. Here they are...
Fall in Calgary
While our friends in Houston appreciate the relief that comes with the fall and the drop in temperatures, we enjoy mother Nature colors and the sun whenever it is out. Obviously, it is getting colder in Calgary and we even had a couple a snow storms, a few inches of snow that lasted for a few days.
Yesterday was exceptionnaly gorgeous and our star was kind enough to radiate its warmth all over the house. The cats are craving such attention and they were following the rays like well programmed phototropic robots.
By sunset, we went for a walk into Nose Hill park, which is one of the largest municipal parks in North America. To my surprise, you can find solitude there. The snow capped mountains block the western horizon and downtown lays at its feet to the south.
In Calgary, Fall marks the beginning of the new season for many clubs and associations. It seems that we leave the outdoors to focus again on social activities and other human beings. For example, CAMUG and APLN local chapter seasons have begun. I was privileged to present my department work during CAMUG October session and I was pleased to share the result of our work with like-minded individuals. If you live in Calgary and are into software engineering and project management, I strongly encourage you to have a look at those two organizations.
Hiking on Grassi Lakes trail
Sunday was a fine day. The temperature was cool (around 18C) and even though it was slightly raining, this was a good day for a hike near Canmore. Enjoy the pictures.
