Friday, 14 February 2020
Valentine’s Day
around the globe The day of love is celebrated widely around the whole world, and though the concept of the day is the same, Valentine’s Day is celebrated differently in many countries across the globe.
Germany It is believed that the people of Germany are generally unromantic, however, not when it comes to Valentine’s Day. The colour red will be seen all around the country with the arrival of the day as red is considered a symbol of love and passion. Like many other countries, presenting their loved ones with a bouquet of roses is a popular custom for Germans.
France People in France once followed a peculiar Valentine’s Day custom called ‘drawing for’. Unmarried young and old people would go into houses facing each other and begin calling out across from one window to another
and pair off with their chosen partner. If the young man failed to be particularly enthralled with his Valentine, he would desert her. A bonfire would be lit later where ladies would burn images of their ungrateful lovers and hurl abuses at them. The ritual was eventually abandoned as it left much room for nastiness and ridicule.
China The celebrations of Chinese Valentine’s Day or Qi Qiao Jie are quite different from usual Valentine’s Day celebrations we see in the rest of the world. There are specific and colourful rituals for the day besides the usual exchange of flowers, cards and chocolates as tokens of love between lovers. Following the tradition, lovers visit the Temple of Matchmaker on the Chinese Valentine’s Day and pray for their love and happiness and their possible marriage. Singles also visit the temple on the day and ask for their luck in love.
Page 16 – The Adviser. Australia No. 1:1494 Wednesday, February 5, 2020
The best fudgy brownies for your Valentine (or yourself) Ingredients: n 226g butter n 170g brown sugar n 170g white sugar
n 1/4 tsp salt n 1 tsp vanilla n 1 tsp coffee extract (optional)
Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with baking paper. To make it easier to remove the brownies later, have an overhang of paper over the edges of the baking pan. 2. Place the butter in a bowl and microwave to completely melt the butter. 3. Add the brown sugar, white sugar and salt while the butter is still warm. Mix to combine until you have a smooth paste. 4. Add the vanilla, coffee extract (if using), eggs and egg yolk to the butter-sugar mix. Using a hand mixer, whisk the mix on medium speed, until the batter becomes pale in colour (about 2 minutes). 5. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together. 6. Add the flour-cocoa mix into
n 3 eggs n 1 yolk n 226g dark chocolate cut into chunks
n 85g cocoa powder n 85g plain flour
the wet and mix it in until just combined. DO NOT OVER-MIX. Add about 2/3 of the chopped chocolate halfway through the mixing in of the flour. 7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate on top. 8. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (30 minutes for extra fudgy or 40 minutes for less fudgy). 9. Remove from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature. Remove the brownies from the pan and let them chill in the fridge for a couple of hours (chilled brownies are easier to cut). 10. Cut the brownies into 16 pieces and enjoy!
