Gonna' Party Like It's My Birthday...Well, Blog-iversary.

365 days, 137 followers and 88 posts later, my blog has now been up and running for one whole year!! I can't believe it! No words can express how truly grateful and thankful I am for everyone's support. When I first started out, my main goal was to expose myself to different foods, to grow, improve and learn different cooking techniques. Most importantly, I wanted to share this "journey" that I wanted to embark on.

Deciding to create this blog was one of the best decisions I could have made. The world of "food blogging" has been extremely welcoming and the love that others have for food is fantastic. I mean, to have a community in which there is so much appreciation for each other's work puts a smile on my face. I still have a lot to learn about blogging but I'm looking forward to every minute of it. For now, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout this past year!! :)

Speaking of having a lot to learn still, what are your suggestions to improve this blog? Is my layout boring? Do you want to see savory dishes? More food from my background aka filipino food? I want you to be totally honest. ;)

I can't leave this post without something food related. So, to celebrate my first year of blogging, I made Leche Flan. Leche Flan is a Filipino dessert that is always seen at our Filipino parties. It's a baked custard dessert with a caramel "sauce". It is dense, creamy and oh so sweet.

Tips
- I cannot stress this enough, do not mix the sugar as it is boiling, it will cause it to crystallize. This has happened to me many times. Let it do it's thing. When it begins to take on a light amber color, pick up the pan by the handles and swirl it.

-When your sugar has reached the amber color, pour some into your ramekins. Immediately swirl the sugar around in the ramekin because it will harden quickly!

Results
Taste: Sweet vanilla flavor with an almost smoky flavor from the caramel.

Texture: Dense and creamy

Leche Flan
Recipe by Jun Belen

Ingredients
For the Caramel:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

For the Custard
12 egg yolks
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Candied Lime Peels (Optional)
1 to 2 limes
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water

Directions
Making the Caramel

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, mix sugar and water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil using medium to high heat until the color of the mixture becomes golden brown. Carefully pour the hot caramel into the ramekins and swirl it around until it completely covers the bottom of the mold. Set aside to cool.

Making the Custard

In a large bowl, beat the yolks. Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract until well blended. Using a fine strainer or cheesecloth, strain the egg-milk mixture to remove any egg solids. Straining the mixture is key to making a really smooth custard. Pour the mixture into the ramekins and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan. Add hot water until it reaches half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes until the flan is firm. Let the ramekins cool and then let them chill in the refrigerator.

-Aaron John