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Pavlova Dessert

...in honor of the ballerina anna pavlova

The Pavlova dessert was first created in 1935 in honor of the ballerina Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballerina, the most celebrated dancer of her time. The chef of the Hotel Esplanade in Perth, Western Australia, Herbert Sachse created the Pavlova to celebrate the visit of the Great Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova.    In 1977, in the "Good Food Guide" to British Isles restaurants, a glossary of food terms referred to the Pavlova as a New Zealand offering, which changed the next year to Australian. Hilary Fawcett, who compiled the glossary, wrote about the change: "There does seem to be some controversy as to whether the wretched thing originated in New Zealand or Australia and I was reduced to doing a straw-vote count." Regardless of the speculation the Pavlova dessert is recognized as a popular Australian dish. To serve, cover with whipped cream and decorate with berries. This dessert is very traditional and popular in Australia. Recipe yield: 8 servings. INGREDIENTS: 4 egg whites 1 1/8 cups white sugar 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups strawberries sliced and sprinkled with sugar. (Any other berries will do.) DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Beat egg whites and sugar in a large, clean bowl with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. In separate bowl, mix together vinegar, vanilla and cornstarch until smooth. Pour cornstarch mixture into egg white mixture and beat until thick and glossy about 4 minutes. Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper and draw an 8 inch (20 centimeter) circle in the center. Spoon or pipe mixture inside the circle, to within a little less than an inch (2 centimeters) from the edge. Place in preheated oven, reduce temperature to 200 degrees F (100 degrees C), and bake 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave Pavlova to cool inside. Lightly whip cream. Decorate cooled Pavlova with whipped cream and berries. Serve immediately.