the challenge

it all started when my good friend nikki / chefgirl had an 'addiction' with salt. it was really weird. i didn't know that there are different kinds of salt. nikki, being the teacher that she is, lectured me and my friends about it. haha. now we know that salts have different tastes and that sea salt is healthier & tastier compared to that iodized salt.

anyway, she challenged me to make sea salt caramel candies so that i can use that 'famous salt from pangasinan' together with chocolate. again, i didn't know it is possible until now. so last week, i was able to accomplish it. i was just happy because i was able to accomplish the challenge. kaya ko pala. besises, nikki is not just a friend of 5 years, but she is also a chef, a teacher, a student from le cordon bleu, owner of one of the famous restaurants in the country, etc. in short, she knows food. period.

i sent her some of the caramel candies i made. i was nervously waiting for her critic for i already know beforehand the flaw of my finished product. hehe. she sent me a text message saying:

"i love the flavor! sarap ng chocolate with salt! the caramel is matigas. maybe because the syrup... possible also that its the honey. either reduce the sugars... or increase the cream. actually, i let the caramel melt in my mouth, parang candy. masarap! i checked the recipe, candy nga ito and not chocolate. you can sell it per box, pantayin lang ang cut. i like it! congrats! napahanga mo ako! ..... it's not painfully sweet... i let my mom patikim and she doesn't eat candy but this one kinakain nya and hindi natamisan... parang sees lollipops!..."

then she blogged about it. click here.

then she posted it in facebook to which many commented.

nahiya tuloy ako. i was put into the limelight. haha.

parang big thing. i was just pressured to do the challenge. haha. joke nikki! i'm happy to learn and be trained by a master ;) besides, it a sweet. i love sweets. its something unique and something i haven't done before.

it really felt great. because not only was i able to finish it, but i realized, kaya ko pala gumawa ng masarap. it felt great receiving positive feedbacks even constructive criticisms. i plan to practice more often and make my husband's officemates, and our friends the taste testers. then i'll make my friend nikki, the master critic ;)

this officially starts the challenge of making it perfect.