Our Cooking Escapades!

Tomato Coriander Salad

2010-06-21T00:05:00.006+09:30

HELLO!!! it's been more than a year since the last post...and it's sorta hard to pick up food blogging again..

so what has happened since...i've moved back permanently to Singapore (along with the other girls you see in the picture on the right)..and all of us have started work..

when people ask me: "do you still cook?" I always give them a very pathetic answer.."In singapore food is very cheap lah..much easier to eat out..besides where got time....? n u need to clean up the kitchen n yourself!!"

but the truth of the matter is that i miss cooking like crazy!! I find it very therapeutic..the rhythmic chopping of stuff and imagining how the flavours of the dish will combine...

and nothing beats seeing the delightful faces of people you feed..

in the last 14 months, i think i have only ventured in the kitchen..less than 10 times...

and this dish is one that i brought to a potluck..mainly cos it was very easy to assemble..

Enjoy!!

Tomato Coriander Salad

(adapted from Mark Bittman's 101 simple salads series)

ingredients:

Cherry Tomatoes, 500g, halved

Coriander, 1 bunch, finely chopped

light soy sauce, hmm..sorry i can't remember...start with maybe 4 tbsp first and taste after adding the sesame oil..

sesame oil, 2 tsp, this too is an estimation... :P (sorry i endevour to be more precise next time!)

topping:

Sesame seeds, 2 tbsp, light toasted (in microwave or a pan, up to u!)

Method:

1. Mix everything together and sprinkle sesame seeds.

DONE!

How easy is that?!! But the sauce is quite heavenly!! I had a friend slurping it all up from the plate!!

Salmon Cream Cheese Rolls

2009-04-05T02:53:00.006+10:30

Inspired by Berry Simple

FOUR INGREDIENTS ONLY! How simple and delightful!!

as with all recipes with few ingredients- try to use the best you can afford.

i had 2 big loaves (around 20 slices each) of sliced bread, and used 400g cream cheese + 400g smoked salmon and a big bunch of chives.

method:

mix cheese + chopped chives together. Set aside.
Trim crusts off bread. Be ruthless...you don't want any hard bits, they make the rolling difficult.
Slather cream cheese on bread.
lay pieces of salmon and roll up.
Wrap with cling wrap tightly and chill in fridge for a couple of hours.
Slice each roll into thirds/ quarters just before serving.
Sit back and enjoy the accolades.

makes around 90 - 120 pieces...enough for a party of around 50.

Variations for next time? use seedy ie: linseed bread and add some paprika into the cream cheese mixture....or dill instead of chives...and maybe capers...!!

Farewell Emi!

2009-03-29T23:01:00.009+10:30

Emi is leaving in two days time. To pursue her dream of setting up a cake shop. To do that, she is going back to Japan for a year to start a course in pastry and cake and traditional Japanese sweets.

And why is this worth posting on this food blog....?

Not only is she one of my favourite people to feed (she has a very educated palate and her enthusiasm for talking about food and ingredients is so infectious!)...but also her journey was inspired by one of my favourite food blogs...Su Yin's Cooking is my passion..during a sleepover, she told me about how much she wanted to start up a cakery..and i shared with her Su Yin's journey and how she went on to the Notter School of Pastry after she graduated from uni in something else quite un-related..

Who'd know that reading food blogs could be so life changing?!!!

All the best Emi - I'd miss you dearly and can't wait to hear all about your adventures!!

Creamy Chicken Pie

2009-03-12T23:40:00.004+10:30

this is a recipe that i rave about to alot of friends shamelessly...i show them the picture of the pie and tell them that it is good enough to rival the ones at Pot Belly Pies!!!

Short crust pastry:
250 g self raising flour
125 g butter, straight from the fridge and cubed

Filling:
1 can of creamed corn (425g)
1 large BBQ chicken, shredded (bones can be reserved for making stock if u like)
1 onion, diced
30g butter
salt and pepper to taste
milk for glazing

method:
Make short crust pastry by pulsing flour and butter in a food processor till the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
While the machine is running, add water slowly till the dough starts tocome together. (Appro 1/2 cup)
Remove and cling wrap and leave in fridge for 30 minutes. (This prevents shrinkage when the pie is baking.)

Melt butter in a fry pan and add onions. Fry til soft and transculent. Add shredded chicken and creamed corn. Add cream and seasoning to taste. Leave aside to cool.

Divide dough into 2 portions. Roll out into 2 circles to fit your pie dish (appro 23 cm diameter). Put one circle into pie dish.
Put filling inside dish. Cover with the remaining pastry and brush with milk. Decorations optional.
Bake at 180 degree oven for 45 mins or til the crust is golden brown.
Serve hot with a fresh salad.

Recipe originally from Bay Books' Best Chicken Recipes

Hallelujah Noodles!

2009-02-25T00:07:00.005+10:30

interesting name hey?
it's one of the first dishes i cooked in australia for potlucks...the recipe is from allrecipes. Pretty easy to put together and u usually get more credit than u should....;P
the avocado and cilantro are essential but it works well with most types of greens and do toast the sesame seeds lightly to get the flavour to pop!

Bean Curd sheet soup

2009-02-24T23:54:00.003+10:30

this very homely dish is something that my aunt cooks every chinese new year..it's quite simple to make...but very satisfying...!
i like it as a soup but i think it's meant to be a savoury dish with rice...

ingredients:
1 packet of dried bean curd sheet (savoury type - there's two types- sweet and savoury), soaked in cold water til soft.
1 entire head of garlic, half of it minced, the other half left in their skins
200g chicken thigh fillet/ pork belly, sliced into strips
1 tbs oil

method:
1. Marinate chicken with a dash of white pepper, corn flour, light soy sauce and sesame oil for 20 mins. (my aunt doesn't marinate the meat i think...but i marinate all meats given a chance...why?? cos i see my mom do it and i think it increases the depth of flavour and tenderness of the meat.)
2. Heat oil in pan. Add minced garlic and stir fry for 2 mins until fragrant. Add chicken and stir fry briskly til cooked. Add garlic in skins.
3. Add around 1.5 L water and bring to a boil. Add softened bean curd sheets and simmer for around 30 mins. Add more hot water if necessary.
4. Add salt and serve.

serves 4

Lychee Lime Cheesecake

2009-02-10T21:49:00.005+10:30

one of the yummiest cakes i have ever made....but mostly cos it's made in mind for a very special person.

My supervisor for the last component of my course.

When i first met her, this is how i described her to my friends: " She seems like the sort of person who has had a very loving and happy childhood...."

and after spending five weeks with her, i can also safely say she is truly one of the nicest persons i have ever met!!!

ingredients: (makes enough for a 21 cm springform pan + 2 small cakes..
500g cream cheese
1 pack lime jelly crystals
2 tbs gelatine powder
1 can lychees
1 pack nice biscuits
50g butter

method:
line pan and containers with grease form paper.
Melt butter.
Crush biscuits (in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or a food processor)
Mix butter and biscuits and press into cake pans. Leave in the fridge to set.
Add HALF of the jelly crystals and 2 tbsp gelatine powder to 100 hot water and mix well til dissolved.
Add the liquid from the lychees. Leave in fridge to set.
(wash up and potter around for an potter waiting for the biscuit base and jelly to set.)
Whizz the cream cheese and lychees in a food processor.
Add the partially set jelly.
Pour into the cake pans.
Leave for around 3 hours to set.
Make up reminder of jelly with around 200ml hot water.
Pour over cakes.
Leave to set overnight.

Sun dried tomato tuna rice pie

2009-02-08T23:24:00.004+10:30

I am one of the laziest cooks i know. I love recipes which basically mixes all the ingredients together and then cook in a method which doesn't require much supervision (ie: oven, crockpot or microwave)...

got the recipe from taste.com.au

Ingredients (serves 8)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup long grain rice, rinsed
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
425g can tuna in oil, drained, flaked
1/2 cup (125g) sun-dried tomatoes, drained, finely chopped
200g baby bocconcini cheese, drained, roughly chopped ( i used cheddar)
50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
100g baby spinach leaves, shredded (didn't have any on hand so used the same amount of shredded zuchini)
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Method
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 7 to 8 minutes or until onion is soft.
Increase heat to high and add rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in stock. Bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease and line base of a 6cm deep, 20cm (base) springform pan.
Add tuna, tomato, cheese, parmesan, spinach and egg to cooled rice mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.Press rice mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until set and crisp around the edges. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen pie.
Cut pie into wedges and serve warm.

verdict: The original name of this recipe is mediterrean fish pie..which i tot was only due to the addition of sun-dried tomatoes.. :P brought this dish to a housewarming party...attended by mainly chinese nationals....response was variable...saw a girl discretely throwing her portion away...haha...but it's not that bad...but perhaps it might be just a tad strange to people usually used to eating plain white rice served with different dishes...
this will be interesting to bring to a picnic definitely...lovely served with some grainy mustard or spicy sambal..!
u can use leftover cooked rice too...2 cups and just add the garlic and onions to it.

Yummy Spanakopita!!

2009-01-31T07:38:00.009+10:30

Feta cheese, spinach, pine nuts, dill, raisins in a thin crispy pastry..

what's there not to love?!

Spanakopita was something that i had at the farmer's market with my most beloved disciple and then declared: "i can make this..but tastier u know..."
and she trustingly said: I believe you. (which reminds me of a movie i watched when i was a kid...Jia You Xi Shi....Sandra Ng played a dowdy housewife and when her husband brought her out for dinner at a posh restaurant, she refused to order anything..because she said that she can make most of the items on the menu at home.... and then i remembered telling my young self: "ok this is very embarrassing behaviour...i shouldn't do that in the future...."

haha...

Anyways so here's my version of Spanakopita!!

modified from here

Ingredients
500g frozen
1 tbs butter
1 large red onion, finely sliced
85g toasted pine nuts
55g raisins
freshly grated Nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g Feta cheese, crumbled
3 Eggs
1 tbs dried dill
225g Filo pastry (I used spring roll pastry)

1. Thaw the spinach and sqeeze out the water. Cook it in with the butter for a few minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned and softened.

3. Transfer the onion to a large bowl and add the chopped spinach, pine nuts, raisins, some nutmeg. Stir together, season well and set aside to cool. Stir in the feta cheese and eggs once the mixture has cooled.

4. Lightly butter a 30 x 23cm shallow-sided non-stick baking tin. Press 4 sheets of pastry into the tin, brushing well with melted butter between each layer and allowing the excess to hang over the sides. (If using spring roll pastry, brush two sheets with water and place a tbsp of filling in the middle and scrunch it up and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, till the pastry is golden. Similar to the money bags.)

5. Spoon in the spinach mixture and level off the surface. Fold over the pastry edges and top with a further 5 sheets of buttered filo pastry. Lightly score the top of the pie and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a deep golden brown.

Most other spanakopita recipes i have seen have dill added but not raisins. But i tot the raisins were great- made the spanakopita much juicier and provided a nice contrast to the feta and pinenuts. Oh and why did i make them so small instead of the regular pie shape? cos my shoebox sized freezer is not big enough to store the larger pastry sheets... :P

and this is Mr Alien...the same filling wrapped in puff pastry...actually he was supposed to be just a triangle but there was too much filling...

Baked Nian Gao

2009-01-25T07:25:00.008+10:30

this is the second consecutive year that i m not spending Lunar New year at home and i think if there's a third year, i might just start getting used to it... :P

last year, to alley the pangs of homesicknesses, i made the foods from new year that i missed most- Braised chicken with sea cucumber and kueh bangkit..and also ba kwa to the amazement of my mom...and once i can replicate something satisfactorily, i usually lose the desire to eat it too...so now i m in some sort of a dilemma..what should i cook this year to celebrate the new year?

there are three main celebrations....an aussie style bbq with some older friends from church, a reunion dinner with some friends from the northern part of China- mainly dumplings- and a potluck dinner with some other students mainly from Singapore/Malaysia..

for the BBQ, i made this:

Baked Nian Gao ('Year cake' literally)

Chinese food is usually very symbolic- auspicious sounding names and sometimes, even the taste and texture.

Nian Gao- sounds like 'Year Tall/ High'- wishing the eater a good year with promotions/ getting 'higher' in their career..and there was some sort of a story about offering the nian gao to the kitchen god therefore the cake has to be very sticky and sweet so that the kitchen god will carry good tales to his boss- the emperor god- who will then reward/punish each household accordingly.....

so what did i think about this cake? The top is cruchy and the middle is quite dense and sticky and tastes suspiciously like muah chee with red beans...hehe..
wouldn't mind making it again..good for functions where u need to feed alot of people..cos one person just needs a small piece..

for the reunion dinner- my hosts are a young couple- so i am thinking of making a red date + wolfberry dessert to bless them with "zhao sheng gui zi"...but cos i coudn't muster up the energy to go do that...i will now make some cornflake cookies and peanut cookies- "Jin yu man tang" (gold and jade all over the house- have to add some green glace cherries maybe) and still naming the peanut cookies "zhao sheng gi zi"...wondering if i can put some chrysanthemum flowers into the peanut cookies to symbolise the 'gui' part..but peanuts and chrysanthemum seem like a strange combination...or perhaps a milder tasting seed...sunflower seeds?? Hmmm...

And oh, the puppy's finally here!!!!!

introducing Cleo the mini schnauzer!!!!

she's still settling in and it's so adorable to watch her scamper up the step into the house...she's barely the size of a guinea pig...!!

Pork Ribs in plum sauce

2009-01-19T00:19:00.004+10:30

My mom will be envious if she knew...that not only i have free access to lemons in my landlord's garden, but also peaches, plums, oranges and apples!!!
the peaches are sweet and juicy and awesome for eating, plums are yummy too but not ripe at the moment...oranges are good for juicing and the apples i m not sure yet...

My landlord had a bbq and asked me to join in...and also to invite a couple of friends along....the friend whom i invited had some ribs but she wasn't sure what to do with them so i happily took on the job...
wanted to make John McCain's famous ribs..but realised at the very last minute that i didn't have garlic powder...so i marinated the ribs with an 'Ozzie Outback Seasoning' mix from GFresh which smells like a combination of dried mint, thyme, garlic powder and salt. And also some white vinegar..(because my new bottle of vinegar promises that it makes meat very tender if i use it as a marinate..)
and decided to puree some plums and add it in too cos..there are alot of plums on the trees and my landlords are not fans of the fruit and they told me i can help myself to as many plums as i want...hee...

i don't have a picture of the ribs because...i plain forgot about it and also didn't think that they would be very blog worthy...but they are!!! They take less than 10 minutes to prepare, of which the bulk of the time is washing up the food processor! They are fall of the bone tender and oh so suculent..!

Ingredients:
1 kg pork ribs, chopped into 2 inch pieces
2 tbsp ozzie outback seasoning
6 plums, pitted and pureed
1 tsp white vinegar
4 tbs lemon juice
4 tbs white sugar

method:
rub meat with vinegar and then the ozzie outback seasoning. (if u dun want to get it, just use 1 tbs salt, 2 tsp dried mint and 2 tsp black pepper)
marinate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Place into slowcooker and add plums and lemon juice. Leave it on 'low' for around 4 hours.
Taste for seasoning. (The plums i used were unripe and very sour. If u r using ripe fruit, u can omit the sugar entirely.) Add sugar and adjust according to preference and cook for another 2 hours.

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-12T00:47:00.006+10:30

OLA!!! Hope everyone had a very blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

First post of the year is gonna be a show and tell!!!

Look!! A new toy!!!!

A multi-function electric pot!!! Steam, fry, deep fry, stew and steamboat!!!

The liquid inside the pot is a Chinese remedy for colds- Coke with ginger and lemon!!! It does work!!!!!! You can find the recipe here all u need is one can of coke, a knob of ginger and half a lemon...and please...do not overdose like i did...apparently one glass is enough but i had four...(not because it tasted that good but i was in a hurry to get well..ahahahah..!) What does it taste like?? Braised pork trotters with black vinegar and ginger....really...

I love this pot by the way...it heats up so much faster than the electric hot plates and it also doubles up as a very effective facial steamer...!! Just boil some distilled or filtered water and put your face over the pot for around 10 minutes (a comfortable distance of course and when there is too much steam, please do lower the heat setting)!

Cherry tomato cheese pops!

2008-11-23T00:20:00.005+10:30

ingredients:

20 cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
20 baby bocconcini, cut into halves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
20 basil leaves, cut into halves
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives/ spring onions, chopped

method:
1. Marinate the cheese in salt, pepper, olive oil, parsley and chives. Leave overnight.
2. Assemble using toothpicks. cheese, basil, tomato or in any other sequence u prefer.
SERVE!

from Bay Book's 'finger foods best ever small food recipes' book...

i would add some chopped garlic and paprika to the marinade the next time too...overall a very pleasing appetiser...! Pretty and extremely easy to make.

Watercress Season!!

2008-11-14T00:49:00.009+10:30

watercress is going for 2 bucks a big bundle at chinatown... i got some just to make a watercress drink but had heaps left so made this...

tagliatelle with watercress pesto

it was very easy and very yummy...great for a quick meal....and even for a dinner party- it is that good!!! I had it again for lunch the next day and remember thinking gleefully: "How glad I am to be able to cook!! heheheheh...!!!"
(sounds very immodest but it's not that....!! i was just relishing every mouthful of the pasta..)

The recipe is from BBCgoodfood.

The next time, i would reserve half the pine nuts for sprinkling on top though and also add salt...i've noticed that all most more recent recipes don't call for salt...but adding salt really brings out the flavour in this dish.

I also had enough to make some soup but didn't take a picture. Really good value for 2 bucks huh??

cystalized roses

2008-11-08T15:08:00.005+10:30

sitting atop the baked strawberry cheesecake, adapted from this recipe.

the roses were made by dipping them into egg white and then castor sugar. It wasn't a very neat job..should have used a paint brush for the egg whites...shame there aren't any more roses in the garden to practise on...

Non-baked Strawberry Cheesecake

2008-11-07T00:28:00.006+10:30

yes, more strawberry goodness will come this way soon...

so far...

there's the strawberry liquor, which will be ready in 2 months' (?!) time..

the non-baked strawberry cheesecake- recipe adapted from Berry Simple's favourite dessert..

it was not too bad...really attractive colour...but taste wise it's quite one-dimensional...perhaps it's the shortbread biscuits i used for the crust...perhaps the cheese mixture needed some vanilla extract...Strangely, i was quite happy the first time i ate it though...(and had nearly a quarter of the cake!!!!! :P ) it was only the second day that i fell out of love with it...maybe it's a case of too much too soon..!!

now there's a baked cheesecake chilling in the fridge which i will bring for cell group tomorrow...and a loaf of strawberry cake waiting to be sliced and eaten for afternoon tea together with a friend...and also strawberry sauce, strawberry sorbet and frozen strawberries in the freezer.

I don't think i will be buying strawberries for a long time.

By the way, for those of you in Adelaide, I saw a big box with maybe six 250g punnets at central market for 2 bucks today..they were not in the best condition- but for baking and cooking, they're perfect...!
Three Amigos i think...the stall which sells everything without a sign for 99cents..

Have you ever tasted a truly ripe tomato??

2008-11-04T21:40:00.002+10:30

well...i think i haven't really...til this year...at a friend's house and then 'accidentally' from a bag which i got for a dollar at the central market...these were so succulent and so sweet that i think i might never go back to non-ripened tomatoes...(apparently tomatoes are one of the top natural foods containing copious amounts of MSG...along with parmesan cheese...and bonito stock..and chicken soup....all these yummy goodies have a very intense umami flavour and i speculate, gives the eater a sense of well being..)

so great were my enthusiasm that the next time i went to the market, i got 'naturally ripened' bananas...
and realised ... hey!!! I have tasted them before!!!! What was I thinking??? My grandmother used to have a farm....she grew rambutans, bananas, star fruit, durian, jackfruit, guava, assorted vegetables (can't remember what types now..) chicken and ducks and even a fish pond...(one of my childhood memories involved a competition with my elder sister to clear out the innards of a chicken...!!!!)

How I wish my grandma still have the farm!!!! Then i can go visit and cook using all organic (??) and extremely fresh ingredients!! She hasn't lost her green thumb though...she still has some plants and herbs and they grow incredibly well...and the fruits that my grandma selects from the supermarkets/ markets are always the sweetest...i tell my mom that but she doesn't believe me...it's the farmer's touch...!

But yeah...if u haven't tried a real ripe tomato, u r truly missing out on something amazing!!!

Penne with Goat's Cheese and Walnuts

2008-11-02T00:54:00.007+10:30

Basically this is a review of a recipe from one of my favourite cook books-Olive magazine's 101 quick fix book...and i've just discovered that all ALL the recipes in the book are on the BBC good food website- it has really dampened my enthusiasm to cook from this book...cos then what shall I blog about??

but so far, all of the dishes i've tried hits the spot..!

and this one is not far off the mark but a word of caution perhaps...the goat's cheese is quite gamey for those who are not used to the taste...in Mandarin, you would say 'yang siao wei' (literal translate: goat's coy smell")...and it's quite intense....i was quite horrified actually when i tried a crumb of the cheese just on its own..."oh no!! do i have to endure this for 4 meals?!!"

thankfully the lemon zest and rocket improved things greatly...! I would recommend a generous sprinkle of salt and black pepper too...!

the best thing about this pasta- it is really quick to put together...and oh, I toasted the walnuts as well and they were darker than I'd have liked but they do taste uncannily like deep fried lard. I can really imagine them in a plate of char kuey teow (fried rice noodles)...perhaps they can be a guilt-free indulgence if u really like ur lard...!

Bargain Strawberries?

2008-11-01T17:57:00.007+10:30

Rule number 1: It's not really a bargain if you are not going to use it. (Or if you have to spend 2 hours cleaning and processing it.)
Rule number 2: Don't buy more food than you can (comfortably) carry.

For the last week I have been feeling exceptionally virtuous...thinking that it might not be very long till the return to Singapore, I have been eating and cooking only foodstuffs in my freezer, fridge and pantry and resisting the urge to go to the supermarket/market...(it must be a dietitian's favourite passtime..)

Today I finally used all the fresh produce and most of the canned and dried food...so I decided to make a well deserved trip to the central market...keeping in mind that I was just going to need ingredients for 8 meals (cooking twice- each time 4 portions) and then I can shop more after that..

and I almost, almost made it!!!! I had bought all the ingredients I needed (and some) and was about to walk out of the market when I was accosted by one of the stall holders in the middle section where they put up make shift stalls to sell the produce which wouldn't keep till Tuesday...he thrust a huge black cupboard container of strawberries at me...there were eight 500g punnets inside...and said: "Here, you can have the lot for 5 bucks”
Me: "errrr...."
Stallholder throws in another punnet and said: "Special for u!! Still 5 dollars”

*sigh*

How could I resist??

So that's how I ended up lugging 4.5kg of strawberries home...when I got on the bus, the driver was very excited and asked me what I was going to do with all the strawberries and that strawberries were his favourite fruit...I replied: "They were on special....very special..."
When I disembarked, I gave the driver a punnet and he was so shocked that he stayed put at the bus stop for a good minute, causing quite a pile up in the traffic behind..(one of my favorite books when I was a kid was the 'random acts of kindness' series..)

And because of the strawberries...I had to buy more stuff to make things with them...the first thing which came to mind was jam..but I hardly ever eat jam...so cheesecake it was....got a chunk of cream cheese (by the way, you can get half a kilo of cream cheese for 4 bucks at central market..much cheaper than in the supermarkets..), biscuits and butter for the base..and cream just in case...

So silly!!! I ended spending more time and money on making something that i don't need and wouldn't really want to eat..but perhaps wouldn't mind making just for the fun of it...

so far i haven't made anything with it....maybe I can make Blue Lotus' strawberry liquor with the chinese rose wine that has been sitting around...and perhaps some chocolate dipped strawberries (Did you know that you can inject liquor into the strawberry after the chocolate's hardened?? This i've got to try!! but first need to find a syringe...) in addition to a strawberry cheesecake and some strawberry sauce...

By the way, have I mentioned that I am not an exceptionally big fan of strawberries in the first place??!!

Self control...that's what I really need..

Rose Petal Berry Tiramisu

2008-10-23T22:51:00.010+10:30

Rose Petal Berry Tiramisu
Ingredients
3 eggs, separated
250g cream cheese, softened and at room temperature.
25 lady fingers
1 bottle 280g boysenberries in syrup, drained, syrup reserved
½ cup sugar
2 tsp brandy
strawberries for garnish
3 roses, petals removed and washed (make sure they are free from pesticides)
4 squares of white chocolate, shaved with a potato peeler

method:
mash up boysenberries and press through a sieve to remove the seeds.
Set aside.
Add 1 tsp brandy to the reserved boysenberry syrup.
Dip lady fingers in syrup and use half to line a 20 cm square pyrex.

Blend egg yolks + sugar in food processor till combined.
Add 1 tsp brandy, vanilla, boysenberries and cream cheese and processed till combined.
Beat egg whites til stiff.
Fold in egg yolk mixture into egg whites gently.
Pour half of the mixture over the first layer of lady fingers.
Add another layer of lady fingers and finish off with the rest of the cheese cream mixture.

Garnish with rose petals, sliced strawberries and shaved white chocolate.
The fragrance of the rose petals really infused into the cake after a few hours in the fridge…and my girlfriends were all quite happy to be eating flowers..

This is one of the best desserts i have ever made...but might benefit from a firmer structure...the cream doesn't set completely...perhaps i can incorporate some whipped cream into future ones..
it is inspired by a similar tiramisu i had at Sarah's restaurant at Leigh Street a few days ago...
the restaurant is really quite interesting...there's no fixed menu and basically the chef goes to the market, selects the choicest produce and cooks whatever catches his fancy..!!! Minimal waste and something different every time you visit!! What a cool concept yar?? It's vegetarian as well but the food is so good that you wouldn't feel like you are missing out at all....my dining companion loved it so much she did a little jig and proclaimed it's the best food she's eaten in her 6 years in Adelaide!!
More reviews can be found here.

Berry Tea Konnyaku Jelly

2008-10-22T23:32:00.006+10:30

I love experimenting with konnyaku jelly!
Previously, i'd just follow the instructions on the packet and add the artificial flavouring and colouring and sugar.....but i had a big bottle of apple and currant juice leftover from a dinner once..and thought...maybe i could use it as the base...so i added the konnyaku powder to the juice in a pan and then heated it till boiling and then stirred it for 5 more minutes till the bubbles dissipated...(as per the instructions on the packet..)
that batch turned out really well and the friends who tried it couldn't stop raving.

these ones in the picture are made with a base of cranberry, raspberry and strawberry tea...it's from lipton's herbal infusions range and i put the contents of the tea bags into the jelly as well..as i figured they were just bits of dried fruit and rosehip....the flavour was not as intense as i would have preferred but they're indefinitely better than the artificial stuff..i only used 2 teabags for 950ml of liquid...maybe i shld have used a couple more...and perhaps some fruit to zest it up...

Impossible Pie (coconut custard fruit pie) !!

2008-10-22T23:15:00.013+10:30

What’s with the name? Basically you just mix everything together, pour it into a pie dish and bake it.
During the cooking process, the batter ‘magically’ separates into three layers, a caramel-ly crisp coconut top, a custardy middle and a pie crust!
I never thought I'd be so impressed. I just prepared this as a back up dessert for a dinner partly and mostly cos I have all the ingredients in the pantry. This recipe is from Jo Seagar’s ‘You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble darling…” Jo’s philosophy is minimum effort, maximum effect…which I can readily attest to what this recipe is about!!
I’ve modified the recipe somewhat...halving the sugar, using skim milk, reducing the butter slightly, adding some fruit and serving it in smaller portions.

the first picture shows the pie from a small heart shaped pan...

the second one is the pie in a 23 cm pie dish...i added some mango slices as well but it was a bit thin cos i didn't double the recipe...and the crust is not supposed to be so dark ok?? i left the pie too close to the grill element..

Impossible Pie
Fills a 600ml capacity pie dish or 6X 100ml ramekins / Double all quantities for a 23 cm pie dish
Ingredients:

40 g butter, softened (original recipe: 50g)
¼ cup sugar (original recipe: ½ cup)
¼ cup flour
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence OR 1.5 tbs Baileys
½ cup dessicated coconut
icing sugar to dust (optional)
¼ cup diced fruit of choice (I used boysenberries)
method:
in a food processor, mixed butter and sugar until creamy, add eggs then all other ingredients other than fruit and icing sugar.
Mix until a smooth batter.
Pour into a greased pie dish or ramekins. Add fruit.
Bake at 180 degrees for 1 hour or until the top is golden and crusty.

Nutritional analysis:
580kJ 2.5g protein
hey, it’s not too bad…the nutritional profile is similar to eating two slices of bread….

Painless microwave risotto

2008-10-11T23:00:00.003+10:30

This is fantastic!! The microwave gourmet (Babara Krafta, not me..) does it again!! Yummy, quick and easy with no worries about burning the risotto and not having to hover over the stove and constantly stir! Much easier than Jamie Oliver’s creamy mushroom risotto I must say…

By the way, this picture was taken on the second day after reheating, topped with strios of roast chicken…the rice looks sort of gluggy..tastewise it’s still great…when the dish is first ready, the grains of rice are perfectly plump, separate and glistening..so please do not use this picture to compare..

Basic Risotto
Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients
30 g butter
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
200g Arborio rice
750 ml / 3 cups stock (stock made up from stock powder is fine)
2 tsp sea salt (less if using a stock cube)
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

method:
1. heat butter and oil in a 25 cm . 10 inch flan or deep pie dish, uncovered at 100% for 90 secs. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook uncovered at 100% for another 3.5 minute. Add rice and stir to coat. Cook uncovered for 3.5 minute.
2. Stir in stock. Cook uncovered at 100% for 8 minutes. Stir well and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Remove from oven. Let stand, uncovered for 4 minutes to let rice absorb remaining liquid, stirring several times. Stir in salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutritional analysis per serve:
1610kJ 7G protein

Greek Batter Pie aka Savoury Feta Cheese Cake

2008-09-29T17:42:00.005+09:30

While on her honeymoon in Greece recently, a very dear friend got me a Greek recipe calander…and this recipe is from the calander..the name is somewhat ambigious..”Greek Batter Pie”..i wasn’t sure what to expect really…
I made some modifications and loved how it turned out…it’s quite a memorable dish really and I can see myself making it at least a couple more times.….

PS: is it just now or does Danish feta taste like salted egg yolks to anyone else?? In a good way of course..
ahhh...i get it now....if i had used the full cup of oil, perhaps the cake would have turned out more like the batter ala fish and chips????

Greek Batter Pie aka Savoury Feta Cheese Cake
Serves 8

Ingredients
350g self raising flour
a pinch of salt
1 cup skim milk, warmed
3 eggs beaten
½ cup olive oil (originally 1 cup)
250 g feta cheese (I used creamy Danish feta)
120 low fat plain yoghurt

method
preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Sift the flour twice into a mixing bowl.
Make a well in the middle, add salt and gradually stir in the milk, eggs and olive oil. Crumble the feta by hand and reserve a handful for garnish.
Finally stir in the yoghurt.
The mixture should be similar to a cake batter, add more milk or flour to adjust if necessary.
Line a 8 inch square pan with baking paper. Grease with olive oil spray.
Pour batter into pan and top with reserved feta cheese.
Bake at the bottom of the oven for 15 minutes and then lower to 180 degrees and then bake a further 30- 40 minutes until golden. Serve hot.

Nutritional analysis:
1776kJ, 14 g protein per serve

Instant Yam Soup

2008-08-16T15:48:00.002+09:30

I really like this instant soup!!! I’ve checked the nutrition panel and ingredient list- looks really promising…..no artifical thickeners, high in fibre, low in energy….free of lactose…and it’s very creamy….love the coriander in it too… the only drawback is that it comes in a big pack of 16 sachets but I don’t think I will have any problems finishing them… the cold and wet weather recently has me craving for hot liquids most nights!
Just add the powder to 200ml boiling water, leave it alone for 5 minutes and viola! I wonder whether it’d be a good option for people watching their diet…perhaps can use it as a replacement for either lunch or dinner…it tastes really good and rich and doesn’t give you any sense of deprivation…

Black Glutinous Rice dessert

2008-08-16T15:45:00.006+09:30

I m not sure what is the proper or correct way to cook this….but I just had a craving and decided to cook it in the crockpot…. ½ cup of the rice, 5 cups of water, 4 pieces of pandan leaves and switch the crockpot on high before leaving for work in the morning and viola, hot pipping ‘or bi ber’ upon reaching home! oh..and i added some caster sugar and coconut milk just before serving..

Asian desserts are really great (compared to rich, calorific ‘Western’ cakes and puddings)…the black glutinous rice dessert is high in fibre…relatively low in energy if u don’t add excessive sugar and coconut milk…but then south east asia don’t have to content with freezing winters…the bottom line? Eat according to ur body’s needs..u do burn more energy to keep warm in cold climates..but gimme summers and salads anytime…!

UPDATE: Please refer to Lily's recipe for the real deal!!! Her version should be much more silky/ smooth with the addition of some white glutinous rice..

Greek Meatballs

2008-07-30T15:46:00.003+09:30

aka the best meatballs that i've ever tasted!

but no pictures just yet...

The strangest thing about these meatballs is that they tasted as if they have coconut milk in them but there is none…and it’s quite low fat…it’s made with lean turkey mince and has no added oil..

Modified from ‘mince and rice dumplings with dill, egg and lemon sauce’ from ‘Apples for Jam’ by tessa kiros.

Ingredients:
500g turkey mince
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
3 tsp dried dill
3 tsp dried parsley
80g rice
½ red onion, grated
1 garlic, minced
handful of water chestnuts, chopped finely
75 ml milk (i used skim milk)
1/2 tsp salt/ to taste
sprinkling of black pepper
method:
combine all ingredients together and roll into balls. Place on a microwavable dish (as many as u can fit, leaving 1 cm around each meatball) and cover tightly with cling film. Cook at 100% for 1.5- 2 minutes. (depending on the power of ur microwave. Better to undercook than over cook.)

After microwaving the meatballs, I saved the juices and allowed the meat balls to cool and then froze them as I just wanted to cook them cos they looked so good in the book. A few days later, I finished cooking them in the microwave by adding them to raw medium grain rice, capers and a canned of tomatoes plus sufficient water for the rice to cook and they were really lovely. One of those dishes which make u close your eyes and go ‘mmmMmmm’..
alternatively...u could use cooked rice instead of raw rice in the meatballs and then just pan fry them and dish them up straight as an appetizer.

The inside of a tulip...

2008-07-23T14:47:00.005+09:30

This is how the inside of a tulip looks like..beautiful isn’t it?

When I moved into my new place, there was a vase of orange tulips and a card on the table from my landlords to welcome me!!! So sweet of them!!

Baked Bananas in Rum Sauce

2008-07-23T14:09:00.006+09:30

My younger sister is a fashion designer by trade and usually spends up to an hour in the front of the mirror doing her hair, makeup and matching accessories etc every morning. We used to be really close and she followed me everywhere mainly to keep me company and most of my friends, if not, all know her quite well. The first thing people notice about her, after her glamourous appearance is her voice…they are usually quite shocked that her voice is so ‘little girl’ and think that she is acting but that’s her real voice and it’s quite funny cos it doesn’t quite match her ‘look’…
The following video is of my two new best friends…Eskimo and Ellie…and the reason I got all nostalgic about my sis is becos my pretend voice sounds exactly her usual voice… :P

Ellie is the brown dog and she is very affectionate and a big fan of licking and gentle bitting…Eskimo is much more reserved and in the video, u can see him turning away..he’s a very timid little one….still got a long way to go before gaining his trust! They are my landlord’s sister’s dogs who are here on holiday til next week…and my landlord is planning to get another dog soon..a schnauzer..yippee!!

Cooking wise, I have become a new fan of the microwave!!! I love 'The microwave gourmet by Babara Kafta'!! And I got it together with another microwave cookbook by Margaret fulton for 99 cents on Ebay!! (Postage was 12 bucks but that still works out alright!!) The book is a godsend!! So many recipes to try and lots of interesting ideas…drying orange and lemon zest (I usually don’t have those on hand and sort of searching for dried zest but didn’t realise they do exist and u can make them at home!), making stocks and stock concentrates (gotta try!) and steaming various vegetables…aubergine, artichokes and sweetcob…for instance, a whole corn cob just takes 2 minutes…compared to the usual method, there’s so much less clean up and the colours of the veggies are more vibrant as well!

The microwave recipe that I m going to share today is super simple and extremely comforting..
Made it when a friend came over for dinner and there wasn’t a lot of time to prepare anything…and this dessert was done in less than 8 minutes..!!

Baked Bananas in Rum Sauce
(for 2)
Ingredients
2 bananas, sliced and arrange in small ramikins
5.5 tbs dark rum
30 g brown sugar
30 g butter
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 tbs lemon juice
zest of ¼ lemon
1 slice fresh ginger

method:
Combine rum, sugar, butter, lemon juice, zest and ginger in a 1 litre glass measuring jug. Cover tightly with microwave cling film. Cook at 100% for 2 minutes. ( my oven is 800 watts- if urs is higher or lower, pls adjust the cooking time..)
Add vanilla essence and pour mixture evenly over the bananas. Cook at 100% for 2 minutes.
Optional: serve with a dollop of yoghurt/ whipped cream/ ice cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Instructions were also given for a six portion serve…which was 6 bananas and double all the other ingredients…with the cook time at around 4 minutes 30 seconds…I m still not too sure about how to approximate cooking time with the varying power of different microwaves and it doesn’t make sense to me how making 6 would lower the calories in the recipes due to the reduced proportion of the rum mixture….
But yeah, this is an awesome recipe which will leave you feeling very at ease with the world and perhaps just a little less homesick...

Cold Rolls

2008-07-02T00:09:00.011+09:30

I love cold rolls!! very easy to prepare and highly interactive..!
basically you find some vegetables which you like, a protein of choice, a sauce and rice paper rolls and off you go...!!!
the meat can be left overs or something really simple like blanched prawns. veggies typically are bean sprouts, cucumber, carrots, coriander...and there's also some rice vermecelli and toasted peanuts involved...

here's the rice paper soaking in hot water with a pinch of sugar added. What's the sugar for?? Hmm...read somewhere (can't remember now) that it gets rid of the slightly off taste of rice paper or something like that?

Usually i lift it out of the water with a chopstick or fork and lay it on the plate..

pile on the filings..

roll!

ready to eat!

Kindness of friends..

2008-07-01T23:41:00.011+09:30

is this some sort of a helmet??

no, not really...

it's Aunty Yochana's pandan chiffon cake cooling in my chiffon cake tin... i bought the tin around 1.5 years ago and have only used it once!!

so what is the special occasion??

THIS!!!!

A PORTABLE OVEN!!!

YES!! My kitchen is FULLY equipped now... Lalalalalala...

A friend who reads this blog (I didn't know that she does) gave it to me!!!!!! YIPPPPEEEE!!!!

The oven is BIG enough for ALL of my cake pans...and even the big-ish chiffon cake pan which I thought i'd never have the chance to use again....!!!!!!!!

So I baked the cake to thank her....still waiting for the cake to cool down before I can know whether it turned out well...(no qualms about the recipe, just worried that i didn't do it properly..)

Thank you Angie and ZH!!!! You have no idea how happy your gift has made me!! :D

Hi Monkey!

2008-07-01T21:01:00.004+09:30

When quizzed about my hobbies, i used to answer mindlessly: "cooking.."

but now it seems another activity has over taken my first love ..and it is food blog surfing...!!! (spectator cooking...)

here are a few blogs which i can spend all day browsing...

A Year of Crockpotting is written by a lady whose new year's resolution is to use the crockpot for this year...she has many interesting recipes which i can't wait to try out...cakes, muffins and puddings!!! (i really don't have a sweet tooth..serious...)

'Cooking with Monkey'..absolutely adorable food blog written by a monkey..i was so inspired that i made his apple crumble immediately..and it was not mind blowing but good enough...i would make it with more apple next time....

'Do what I like'- one of Aunty Yochana's friends (i think!) who resides in HK...lovely lovely cakes and very creative recipes..love her mousse cakes..and her osmanthus coconut milk jelly..! Her orange chiffon cake is legendary...have to try it out soon..!

(by the way, to the friends still having exams- all the best...!!!!!! Not long now...!!)

Thai Style Bak Choy

2008-06-30T23:22:00.005+09:30

A new way to eat Bok Choy- with coconut milk, chili and lime!!

very interesting combination right???

ingredients:
6 spring onions
2 bundles of bak choy
2 tbsp oil
3 fresh chilies, cut into thin strips
4 garlic cloves
1 tbs crushed peanuts, toasted

for the dressing:
1 - 2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs lime juice
3 tbs coconut milk (original recipe called for 1 cup but we found it excessive..so u might want to play around...)

1. To make the dressing, blend together the fish sauce and lime juice and then stir in the coconut milk

2. Cut the spring onions diagonally into slices

3. Call the bak choy into very thin shreds

4. heat th eoil in a wok and stir fry the chili for 2-3 minutes until crisp. Tranfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

5. Stir fry the garlic for 30-60 seconds until golden brown and transfer to the plate with the chilies.

6. Stir fry the white parts of the spring onion for about 2-3 minutes and then add the green parts and stir fry for a further 1 minutes. Add to the plate with the chilies and garlic.

7. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the bok choy, stir twice and then drain immediately.

8. Place the warmed bok choy in a large bow, add the coconut dressing and stir well. Spoon into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with the crushed peanuts and the stir-fried chili mixture. Serve either warm or cold.

recipe from 'The vegetable encyclopedia and cookbook' by Christine Ingram

comments: Such an unique dish!!!!! Will definitely try it again..we sort of muddled up the steps this time and didn't get the chili and garlic to crisp very well... all the different flavours seem to jostle for attention all at once but hey, it works!

Spring Onion Surprise!

2008-06-30T22:47:00.008+09:30

Did you know...
that if u bought spring onions with roots, u can actually leave them in a glass of water and they will continue growing for 3 weeks or so???

what do i mean??

Both Sara Jean and Aira thought that i was just putting them in the glass for either
a) decoration
b) preservation

no, no...I snipe off the tops and then in a couple of days, they will grow back...the only thing which u have to do is to change the water daily otherwise it stinks up pretty quickly...

Isn't this such a great thrifty tip??? It will save you......like $2 every month???! heeh...but seriously, it's great to have self-rejuvenating fresh greens, isn't it??

Sara Jean says that she loves me alot cos of all the cooking/household tips i impart....can you tell that our friendship is very deep??

Soba Dipping Sauce!!

2008-06-29T22:47:00.009+09:30

One of the biggest perks of studying overseas is having friends from all over the world...and being able to learn things from them. Over here, one of my best teachers is Aira!! She is such an amazing cook!!!

I asked her to teach me how to make a soba dipping sauce and here is a recipe which she came up with, off the top of her head! And it is almost identical to what you get in Japanese restaurants... (actually i think it's the same but saying that would raise your expectations too high eh?? :))

Soba dipping sauce: (makes enough for 2)
sake 2 tbs
sugar 1.5 tbs
Dashi 6 tbs
light soy 3 tbs

mix together til sugar dissolves.

and she also showed me the Japanese way of folding the soba so that it doesn't clump together so much and is easier to eat..

step 1: grab hold of some soba between your thumb and forefinger

step 2: twirl it around the little finger

step 3: clench your fist gently round the noodles

step 4: slide noodles onto plate (it should look sorta like a figure 8)

Soba is usually served with tempura and also some japanese spices, ginger and wasabi on the side...we toasted some seaweed (the same kind u use for sushi rolls), black and white sesame seeds and had some chopped spring onions..

red bean soup with tangerine peel

2008-06-29T22:26:00.005+09:30

ingredients:
1/2 cup red beans
enough water to cover up to 2 inches above red beans
3 pandan leaves
1 piece dried tangerine peel (can be omitted)
sugar to taste (only add when the soup is done)

method:
put all ingredients (except sugar) into a slow cooker. turn it on high and leave it alone for 6 hours.
if using the stove top, put all ingredients (except sugar) in a pot, bring to boil and leave to simmer, stirring occasionally for around 1 hr, adding water when necessary. (Strange thing about boiling these beans, if u add too much water, the beans will remain hard no matter how long you boil them for...better to add as you go..)
If you prefer a more 'pastey' version, just take out the pandan leaves and tangerine peels and process the beans with a hand blender.

This is one of the most elementary chinese 'tong sui'...i really love the fact that asian desserts are so healthy...good source of protein and fibre and low in energy..zero fat content....
my sis and i used to love eating this frozen when we were kids..yeah....i guess u could blend it and then freeze it in popsicle sticks in summer...
note about tangerine peel..add it in when the water is still cold otherwise it imparts a bitter taste to the soup..

Puff Pastry Seafood Pizza

2008-06-29T12:24:00.005+09:30

super easy recipe- great for days when u don't feel like cooking...i based the following recipe on a vegetarian pizza from here.

Puff Pastry Seafood Pizza

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry
4 tbs tomato paste
pinch of sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp chili powder (can be omitted)
2 handfuls mixed seafood (around 200g?)
2 handfuls pizza cheese (i used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella)
spring onions/ parsley for garnishing

note: toppings can be easily changed...zucchini and bacon, asparagus and egg, ham and pineapple...u get the idea..

Directions
Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 min. Preheat oven to 180°C.
Cut into 4 squares and prick center of each square thoroughly with fork. Bake 10 min.
Add sugar, basil and chili powder to tomato sauce and mix well. Spread onto puff pastry.
Top with seafood mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minute or until cheese is melted.
Top with chopped spring onions and serve immediately.

Honey Linseed bread

2008-06-29T12:03:00.007+09:30

have been sick at home for the past few days and ran out of breakfast cereal...so i tot, why not make some bread...use up some ingredients and reduce the stuff to move...(in 4 days..woohoo..!!)

had some linseeds/flaxseeds so decided that will be the basis of the bread..one of the easiest recipes i found on the net was this one...which produced a subtly sweet and very delectable bread...i really like it... it's great just on its own...yum!

Honey Linseed Bread

Ingredients:
7 g dry yeast
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup linseed
1/3 cup pepitas
1/3 cup sesame seeds
3 cups plain flour

Directions:
In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons of warm water. Set this aside until bubbly, about five minutes.
Mix in honey, oil, salt and the remaining 1-1/4 cups warm water. Add seeds and 2 cups of bread flour. Mix well.
Stir in enough of remaining flour to make soft dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for ten minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Shape into a loaf and place in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake in 180 C oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when tapped.
Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Recipe makes one loaf or 12 to 16 slices.

my favourite birthday present of all time..

2008-06-26T22:51:00.004+09:30

is this baby!!

A long lost high school friend got it for when i was back in Singapore...(facebook is awesome!!)

but i haven't used it as much as i should but still...i think it's great...!!

you cook food in the inner pot on the stove and allow it to simmer for maybe 10-20 mins depending on the dish and then pop it back into the thermos and leave it alone for a few hours and viola, your food is done..!! Fantastic for bringing soups and congees to sick friends....and for potlucks and stuff..

what i've used it so far.. barley water, rice, green bean soup...(rice takes just around 20 mins, don't worry..)

think i will make more chinese type soups with it when i move next week...cos the size is just nice for one or two...currently i still use my regular slow cooker which gives me a good reason to invite friends over...it's so much more cost efficient to cook for more...

And why i liked this present so much... it was also the way my friend gave it to me, she knew i was goin to buy it and then spontaneously said, "hey, let me get this as a birthday present for you alright?"

(Of course, I did the asian thing and tried to decline weakly...but i think my beaming smile gave it all away..!)

I am lucky, I know!!

Thanks XM- I think of your kindness and generousity each time i see it!

things i wished i knew when i first arrived in Adelaide.

2008-06-26T21:23:00.007+09:30

where do i start?

Hmm...perhaps the ones which i think r the most important???
the following list might be slightly more geared towards Asian students...

- get a slow cooker; they r awesome...congee, chinese soups, desserts, stews, chocolate fondue- very safe and easy to use

- stock up pantry with basic sauces and ingredients - oyster sauce, cooking wine, light soy, pepper, rice, canned food like tuna, salmon, frozen veggies so that you can whip up a simple meal in a jiffy

- cheese, butter, flour, chocolate are way cheaper here...if u like to bake cakes or muffins or would like to try, now is the time!! Provided u have an oven of course..all of aunty yochana's recipes come highly recommended...

- Buy your basics in supermarkets and fresh fruit and veggies at central market and farmers' markets. You'll usually be able to snatch up quite a few bargains in central market on Saturdays around 12- 2pm if you don't mind crowds. Many items go for a dollar a bag/ kg...oh and you'll be surprised at the range of asian foods you can find in central market too...i think i can find more ingredients there than in Singapore..so convenient!! I'll miss central market soo much!!!

- If you have a microwave, get a microwavable rice container. I find them heaps better than rice cookers as they don't stick as much and are pretty fuss free. Plus the microwave does many other things as well. BUT if you don't have a microwave, do get a rice cooker...Big W sells them for around 20 bucks nowadays..!!

- food blogs are great resources for recipes...personally, I love love love Lily Ng's Wai Sek Hong...every recipe there is tested..so u get kudos everytime and it really helps to boost your 'cooking confidence' ...not to mention, they re-create the 'taste of home'....it might take a little while to find a food blog you like though..through trial and error..

-following recipe faithfully the first time, making substitutions only if necessary (allergies/ religious reasons..)...i had a friend make a cheesecake and out of 8 ingredients, she substituted 6 and then asked me why it didn't turn out well...hmm..

Yeah...that's about it....and don't get too discouraged if you don't succeed the first few times, i think it took me maybe 1 year to be truly comfortable in the kitchen? :)

More suggestions welcome....!

Money Bags!

2008-06-24T22:56:00.012+09:30

don't they look like little fat coin pouches? This picture was taken just before they went into the oven..

I remember my uncles' zi char stalls used to sell something like these...but they were usually deep fried...

So i m really delighted to learn from My Kitchen Snippets' that spring roll pastry can be baked in the oven to the same crispy effect!! (Think of all the calories and hassle u r saving yourself!!)

The filling is a mixture of mashed potato, tuna, peas and black fungus. Basically it can be anything you want...

the main thing is the skin..(which can stay in the freezer for an amazingly long time...i think the ones i used today are at least 9 months old...!!! Just leave it out to thaw under a wet towel for around 20 mins)

here's a pic of the packaging..

Spring Roll pastry with tuna and potato

ingredients:
1 packet spring roll pastry (around 50 pcs)
4 medium size potato
1 onion, minced
1 sheet seaweed (optional- it was something i wanted to use up)
1/2 cup peas
handful dried black fungus, soaked in hot water for 10 mins and then minced
425g can tuna

seasoning:
2 tbs tomato sauce
1 tsp wasabi
2 tbs mayonnaise
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce

method:
Saute onions til soft and brown. (if u dun mind the 'spiciness' of raw onions, u can skip this step)
Steam / boil potatoes til soft. Mash and set aside.
Drain tuna and add to potatoes. Add peas, black fungus, onions and seasoning. Adjust to taste.
Put 1 tbsp of filling onto the middle of the pastry and twist. Apply some water if necessary.
Bake in preheated 180 degrees oven for 10-15 mins until light golden.

They make great party snacks and appetisers...especially for Chinese New Year....cos of their prosperous appearance!!!
Good to serve with some sort of a dip too...i made one with tomato sauce, mayonnaise, wasabi, sugar and coriander..Even just sweet chili sauce will be fine! Fillings are really flexible too...chicken with yam, pork with chestnuts, seafood and corn, asparagus riccota...whatever tickles your fancy really! But cook the meat based fillings first...cos the short baking time might not do the job properly... Have fun experimenting!

lip numbing chili!!

2008-06-22T23:26:00.004+09:30

what do u do when u run out of ingredients? Improvise of course- and sometimes you come up with unexpectedly nice food...

like this chili!!!

made KL black Hokkien noodles and Lily said to serve it with sambal belacan...couldn't locate any belachan in the house and decided to chop up some dried chili and fresh tiny bird's eye and soaked dried shamp and galangal...toasted the mixture in a pan for around 10 minutes til fragrant and added minced coriander, lemon juice, sugar and salt.

this chili can best be described as very 'shiok'- singaporean slang for 'excitingly delicious'??

ingredients:

3 dried chillies, soaked in water
5 bird's eyes (can be more if u can take the heat!)
2 tbs dried shrimp, rinsed and drained
galangal, a small piece around the size and thickness of a small coin, minced
2 sprigs of coriander, minced
lemon juice, 1/4 cup
water 2 tbs
salt 1/2 tsp
sugar 1 tsp

quantities of seasoning can be further adjusted to taste...

best served with stir fried dishes and also great with prawn crackers!!

Abalone for five bucks?!!!

2008-06-22T23:06:00.007+09:30

yes...i couldn't believe my eyes too....

Australian green lip abalone for $5.49 a piece!!!!!!!

i'm sure they won't taste that fantastic (they can't cos they r too cheap...i m just trying to console myself!)..
compared to $200/kg for the ones which i got for my mom last year...these are an absolute steal..

and where can u find them in Adelaide???

at this new supermarket on Grote street...

Time Supermarket - open 7 days til reasonably late...

the shelves are not that well stocked yet cos the supermarket is quite new but i noticed that prices are slightly lower than the other asian shops...and the seafood are especially worth a look at...many types of fish and seafood for around four to fifteen bucks, frozen but still!!

A kg of scallops for ten bucks anybody??

No talking please...we r Singaporeans...

2008-06-21T22:46:00.006+09:30

i always think that i am being somewhat rude or ignorant when i don't contribute more to meal conversations with non-singaporean friends...

but then this article tells me that i m being true to my roots...

"Do not be surprised if conversation grinds to a halt once the meal has been served. Singaporeans are passionate about their food, and many will prefer to enjoy their meal in silence punctuated by food-related comments."

a change of scenery and a brand new kitchen..

2008-06-17T20:25:00.011+09:30

Next month, i'm moving to a granny flat near the beach...

when i first wanted to go see the flat, a friend told me that she had seen the same property last year and she warned me that it was sort of dark but the landlady was very nice and I should see it just so i can have a realistic idea of what's on the market. I went, I saw and i liked the place (i thought my expectations must be way lower than my friend's) and told the landlords that i wanted it on the spot. They are a really kind and easy-going couple and agreed to hold the flat for me until my current contract expires..and even offered to help me move my stuff cos they have a van..

Last night, i went to pay the bond and sign the contract for the unit and had a look around again and was informed that the kitchen was newly renovated after the last tenant moved out...!!! No wonder i liked it so much!

The place is FULLY furnished and the microwave is brand new...there's a bar fridge with a very small freezer compartment (enough for sorbets and ice-creams, so i m content). BUT there is no oven and the stove is a portable electric burner type thingy..

but i will think i will be very happy there...the shops and tram is just nearby and i have a crockpot and maybe will get a portable oven...so most types of cooking will be fine...maybe just won't be baking as many cakes and muffins..

and the best part is that the dining table sits four comfortably and six, very cosily..
(Being able to have friends over is very important..cos i love cooking for friends...it gives me immense satisfaction!!!)

Oh and there is one final drawback...there is no internet or rather, there is the option to connect but i don't think i will...and thus, might have to stop food blogging...so....my apologies in advance..infrequent postings for the rest of the year..

Salmon and cucumber bites

2008-06-12T23:27:00.005+09:30

possibly one of the easiest and easily tastiest appetizers i have ever tried...which is why i m posting it despite not having any pictures!!!

ingredients:
4 cucumbers

1 can pink salmon, drained and mashed
250g cream cheese
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
dash of fish sauce
3 sprigs of coriander, minced
salt and pepper to taste

capsicum, diced, for garnishing

method:
allow cream cheese to soften at room temperature.
Mix in everything else except for cucumber and capsicum.
slice cucumbers into rounds and top with a heaped teaspoon of salmon mixture. Garnish with bits of capsicum.
Serve!

**recipe modified from 'Finger food, best ever small food recipes' by Bay books

Happiness is...

2008-06-02T22:15:00.004+09:30

a spacious, fully equipped kitchen with a well stocked pantry and free rein to cook or bake whatever i want!!

This is the last week of my placement in Hobart and i really should have blogged more but the placement was pretty full on and weekends were filled with various fun activities and before i knew it...it's nearly the end!!!

For the first 5.5 weeks, i stayed at a place with a smallish kitchen...and last week, i moved to a colleague's house...she's a dietitian...and a mom and wife...and i really love staying here...it makes such a world of difference when the people staying in a house are loving, happy and warm....

the thing which i love most about my colleague's place???

The kitchen!!! It's got everything!!! Gas stove (so much easier than electric ones!), huge fridge, big oven, food processor, breadmaker and herbs and spices and condiments for cooking all sorts of cuisines!! (Even tamarind pulp!!! I m cooking pad thai tomorrow!!!)

Cooked coq au vin two nights ago, a pumpkin slice (similar to zucchini slice) last night and baked a beet greens (leaves of beet root) CAKE just now..waiting for it to cool... Blogger is not letting me upload any pictures...so u just have to imagine a brown cake with specks of green and red... heehee...

Marinated Mushroom and tomato salad

2008-05-30T22:04:00.004+09:30

Marinated Mushroom and tomato Salad

2/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Mazzetti balsamic vinegar of Modena (4 leaf class)
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
300 grams button mushrooms, quartered
250grams cherry tomatoes, quartered
6 spring onions, very thinly sliced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 Combine oil, balsamic vinegar, sweet chilli sauce in a screw top jar. Shake well. Place mushrooms in large bowl. Pour 2/3 marinade over mushrooms and stir well. Cover and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Add cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and remaining marinade to mushroom mixture. Toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Serves four.

The most unusual salad we have made. Salads are mostly leafy, light and delicate, as a contrast to the main course. This is the opposite: dark, heavy, intense….meaning smaller helpings, and an interesting decision about what to serve with it. Generally there will be another more conventional salad unless the main is very light. Very simple to make. One of the few salads which are still good the next day as leftovers.

The original of this recipe as we found it ( years ago..where?) specified red wine vinegar, but we liked it much more with the intense taste of the balsamic vinegar. The original also added one bunch of chopped rocket leaves, and 1/3 cup chopped parsley. We now leave these out as they obscure the simple shapes of the small tomatoes and mushrooms and don’t do much for the taste.

The Mazzetti Balsamic vinegar of Modena (250ml) is from Woolworths and is an absolute bargain at $5.85. Make sure you get the one with four vine leaves (ie four stars) on the top left hand corner of the label. Choice magazine did some taste tests a year or two ago on balsamic vinegars and Mazetti four leaf was better than others five times the price!

The mushrooms must be small button mushrooms, so they are similar in size to the cherry tomatoes, making the salad attractive in regard to the uniform shape and size of its ingredients.

this awesome recipe is from a very generous colleague at work..thank you Martin!!!! (he's right about the vinegar by the way!! it's incredible!)

Chili Con Carne Con Chocolate

2008-05-07T09:58:00.008+09:30

Ingredients
2 large onions, cut into thick rings
1 tbs olive oil
500g lean beef mince
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 fresh chili, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 x 425g red kidney beans
1 x 425g canned tomato
1 tb tomato paste
4 squares chocolate
2 tbs chopped parsley
2 tbs chopped basil
black pepper

method:
In a large heavy pan over low heat, soften the onion rings in olive oil. When it has become transparent (after 3 or 4 minutes), increase heat, stir in minced beef and keep stirring while it cooks for three or four minutes. When meat loses its red colour, add cinnamon, cumin, chilis, chipped tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste and the chocolate.
Cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring form time to time, until the meat sauce has a thick consistency.

From Ian Parmenter's Consuming Passions Season 3 Cookbook

comments: would have like it with more of a bite....thinking of adding garlic and more chili the next time. As with stews and tomato based dishes, this dish improves with keeping. The addition of chocolate imparts a deeper flavour?? But no one could tell though it had chocolate though... :)

Farewell Strawberry Sorbet!!

2008-05-06T15:26:00.003+09:30

The night before I let for Hobart, Qin invited me over to her place. I thought it was going to be a quiet dinner and didn’t even bother brushing my hair before leaving the house. In fact, when she called, I was actually having a nap and I literally rolled out of bed, took the strawberry sorbet i had made earlier out of the freezer and sleep-walked the 100 metres to her to place.
When the door was opened, I realised that the entire hallway was filled with friends who had gathered for my farewell party!!??!!(not exactly farewelll..just in tassie for a 7 week placement!! hee!)

The party was truly fantastic!! Everyone whom I wanted to see was there and I was really amazed at how well they had kept the secret!! I had met some of these people earlier and they have all sincerely said goodbyes to me..or so I thought!!

Thank you - Rachel, Mao, Lydea, Sara jean, Simon, Alsen, Jasmine, Emi, Soxi, Kaoru, Jilian, Max, Sik Yin, Louisa, Michelle, Aira, Ayaka Jean, Adelia, George, for coming, for taking the time to make the delicious food (it was a massive spread!!!) and thank you Weiqin and Jasmine for coordinating the event~~~Weiqin, you are such a lovely little sister!!!!

And after the party, Adelia, Sik Yin and Jean even came over to help me pack my luggage.

I am grateful beyond words.

Thank you all. :)

And the strawberry sorbet?? Fortunately it was a huge batch so there was plenty to go around!

Strawberry Sorbet
Ingredients:
3X 375g punnets frozen strawberries
dash of rice milk (optional)
3/4 cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
1 cup (240ml) water

Method:
place the sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat and stir without boiling until sugar is dissolved.
Increase the heat and bring to the boil for one minute. Set aside to cool.
blend strawberries in a food processor, add sugar syrup and lemon juice, blend again. Put in freezer and blend 2 times more at hourly intervals.
Note: you don’t really have to freeze the strawberries first but it would decrease freezing time.
I think it would work too if some frozen bananas were used in lieu of the sugar syrup. Oh and to freeze strawberries, just wash, pluck off the green tops, pat dry and put it in the freezer. They can last up to a year and are great for smoothies and jellies.

the mapo tofu that wasn't...

2008-04-15T08:59:00.002+09:30

nice.

;_;

cooked this last night based on this recipe...

Anyone knows of a tried and true recipe???

Spinach roulade with smoked salmon, horseradish and dill

2008-04-14T22:46:00.005+09:30

Saw this at the farmer's market last weekend...and bought one cos they look like swiss rolls but obviously weren't sweet..

and the verdict???

SUPER SUPER yummy...!!!! I think the italian lady who makes it is really passionate and she uses the best ingredients generously.. it's in one of the stalls inside the hall..i think it's site no. 16...next to 'Worth the truffle'..

Now i have made it my personal mission to try something from her offerings everything I go to the market..support local businesses!! hehe...

A special treat from a fellow foodie..

2008-04-14T22:10:00.008+09:30

I met up with Suzer over the weekend and look what she gave me!!!

Absolutely addictive coconut lime curd bars!

The recipe can be found here.

thanks Susan- Qin n I really enjoyed them!!!!!!

Secret Recipe!!!!!

2008-04-09T21:58:00.006+09:30

I'm in the midst of doing a food service placement as part of my course..and so far it's been a blast!!!!
Love love love hanging out in the kitchen and it's so fun to just watch the chefs at work!!! The site that my partner and I are attached to provide meals for 600 residents in aged care facilities all over Adelaide and we are analyzing their lacto ovo pisco vegetarian menu (vegetarians who eat eggs, dairy and fish) to make sure that it meets the nutritional requirements of the residents..and other than collecting all the recipes on the menu, we get to spend time in the kitchen helping out..

and cos i spend so much time talking to the chef about cooking and baking, he decided to give me a recipe!!!

It's for an eclair (same thing as choux pastry)....i thought nothing much about it until when i left the kitchen and the receptionist and we had the following exchange:

Bev: He gave you a recipe??!!!
me: Yes.
Bev: Can I have a look?!!
me: erm, but my handwriting is really messy. Shall I email you instead?
Bev: No...I m sure I can read it!
me: *shrug* ok.

She then promptly makes a photocopy of the recipe and folds it neatly and hides it in her drawer.

I was somewhere taken aback at her behaviour, so I asked, "Doesn't he share his recipes usually?"

Bev: *looks at me with wide open eyes and shakes her head*

So you see...this recipe is really special....or at least it makes me feel really special!! hehe!!!

And now i will share it with you....:) try it soon and hope it makes your day too!!!

Chef's Emilio Eclair

Ingredients:
1 cup water
125g butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220 C.
Combine water and butter in a pot and heat till the butter melts.
2. Add flour and mix till it comes away from the sides of the pot.
3. Transfer to a bowl and cool for 2-3 mins.
4. Using a hand mixer on low speed, add an egg at a time, incorporating into the mixture till it is all mixed.
5. Oil a baking sheet, put mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe lengths of around 10cm.
6. Bake for 15 mins.
7. Reduce to 150 C and bake for another 15- 20 mins.
8. Fill with fresh cream.

Thanks Chef!!

Miso Rigatoni with Poached egg

2008-04-04T22:12:00.008+10:30

supper from last night..

didn't wan to make too much noise in the kitchen as it was past midnight..had a nap in the afternoon and slept well past dinner time!!
I just like the looks of this pasta...taste-wise, it is only average...

just a teaspoon of white miso and a teaspoon of chili bean sauce for seasoning (too salty ...had to top up with water and make it into a soupy dish..) on hindsight perhaps some corn kernels would be good...and maybe some sesame oil..

Cream Puffs with Pandan Custard

2008-04-04T21:41:00.010+10:30

Reading food blogs really helps to expand my reportire of dishes...Cycling Chef recently shared his experience with Choux pastry...
and i always thot Choux (pronounced as 'Shoo') pastry were very tricky but decided to trust Cycling Chef...

who knew that cream puffs are so easy?!!!

I remember a friend asking me whether I knew how to make cream puffs 3 years ago...i did some research on the internet and gave her the recipe but didn't have the courage to make it myself...cos i always assumed they were somewhat hard to make...

wrong!!

Simple simple simple....

took less than half an hour and the ingredient list is short and straight forward too...

Baking in the oven..

Fresh... My puffs were stuck to the baking sheet...not enough grease..next time i will use baking paper and spray grease...

Filled them with some sort of a thai pandan custard..the custard tasted alrite..definitely on the sweet side but still acceptable...you can read more about the product here.
reckon these puffs will be great just with whipped cream..or ice cream..

The recipe I followed was from Taste.com.au and cos I didn't want to bother with a piping bag, i just scooped rounded teaspoons of the dough onto the baking sheet. No other modifications was made i think....some hints: cream puffs do tend to expand quite a big in volume so be sure to space them and also it's imperative to keep the oven door closed for the entire duration, otherwise the steam needed for inflating the puffs will escape.

Yay!! Happiness is a fear conquered!! :)

Glazed Prune Tart

2008-04-02T01:12:00.016+10:30

Ingredients:
1 cup ready to eat prunes
60 ml/ 4 tbs brandy or kirsch

For the sweet pastry:
175g / 1.5 cups plain flour
pinch of salt
115/ 1/2 cup butter
25g/ 2 tbsp caster sugar
2 egg yolks

For the filling:
150 ml double cream
150 ml milk
1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
50g caster sugar

To finish:
60 ml apricot jam
15 ml/ 1 tbsp brandy or kirsch
icing sugar for dusting

serves 8

method:

1. Put the prunes in a bowl wih the brandy or kirsch and leave for about 4 hour until most of the liquer has been absorbed.

2. To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add thebutter, cut into small pieces, and rub in with the finger tips.
Stir in the sugar and egg yolks and mix to a dough using a round bladed knife.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to a smooth ball. Wrap closely and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 24- 25 cm loose-based flan tin.

5. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with dried beans or rice or baking beads.
Bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper and bake for further 5 mins.

6. Arrange the prunes, evenly spaced, in the pastry case, reserving any liquer left in the bowl.

7. For the filling, put the cream and milk in a sauce pan with the vanilla pod and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to infuse for 15 mins.

8. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Remove the vanilla pod from the cream and return the cream to the boil. Pour over the eggs and sugar, whisking to make a smooth custard.

9. Cool slightly then pour the custard over the prunes. Bake the tart for about 25 mins until the filling is lightly set and turning golden around the edges.

10. PRess the apricot jam through a sieve into a small pan. Add the liqeur and heat through gently. Use to glaze the tart. Serve warm or cold dusting with icing sugar.

"Country Mediterranean Cooking" by Jacqueline Clark and Joanna Farrow.

the recipe is from the same book which gave us the Italian restaurant standard foccacia bread...and to think that i got it during one of my many visits to the Salvation Army shop in my first year and just left it languishing on the shelf for more than 2 years before i realised what a gem this book is!! It is filled with so many interesting dishes and true to its title..very country style cooking.

Can't believe that this is my fourth (and final!!) year in Adelaide and I have stayed in the same townhouse all this while...
*sigh* Will be leaving for Tasmania for a two month placement in less than 3 weeks and then i will move to another place...i think i will really miss this house, the kitchen...and all the meals that i've cooked and enjoyed with friends. It's the memories which are created in a place which makes it special, isn't it? And my neighbours....I just realised (!!!!!) that i m surrounded by so many lovely people all around!!! Truly, it's in times of need that you find out who your friends are!! And I think I will miss them sorely!!!!!!

Hmmm...having second thoughts about moving already??!

Not exactly...my new housemates have been the most challenging people i've ever met in my life yet and have reduced me to a sobbing mess a couple of times and........and I've decided, for my emotional/ mental well-being, it's best to move out.
And besides, the next place will be somewhere near or in the city...so I m pretty excited about that...yay!!

So yeah...m thinking of having a farewell party soon...to say goodbye to this house..a place I've called home for more than 3 years. (and for those who know me well...to clear out the pantry!!!)
All you lovely friends in Adelaide who read this blog are invited!! Pot luck!! Shall get clearance from housemates first though!! :)

Oh..and back to the tart, actually i used Aunty Yochana's egg tart recipe (sugar reduced to 120g/100g though..made it a couple of times and always found it a tad too sweet) for the filling as I didn't have any cream on hand and this recipe was a back up option to the perfect party cake which was going to Culinary Princess' place...and of course, it was great for using the left over egg yolks from the cake!

Daring Baker's Challenge: Dorie's Perfect Party Cake!!

2008-03-30T20:16:00.013+10:30

Wow...i've had a quick look at what other daring bakers have done- there are so many creative and beautiful versions of the same recipe!!!!

Culinary Princess invited me to her house for the first time and I wanted to bring something which will definitely impress..after hearing so much about Dorie Greenspan (and of course with the DB deadline coming up!), the Perfect Party Cake was the natural choice!!

But I only realised that the eggs reserved for the meringue frosting were cracked (must have put some heavy stuff on the carton unknowingly) late at night and so i made something else for the feast at Culinary Princess' place...

but Weiqin convinced me to bring the unfrosted cake as well...

and this is what we did with it!

Sarah made the butter cream (we didn't follow the meringue recipe cos we were short on time and everyone was hungry!!)
Weiqin took pictures and cheered us on on the side and kept telling us that the cake was goin to be fine..

i sliced the cake and spreaded strawberry jam that Culinary Princess made...homemade jam!! mmmmm..!!

and Sarah took over again and frosted the cake..

decorated with fondant flowers made by Sarah!

and Culinary Princess was in charge of taking pictures of the finished product...!!

sliced...

see the pretty layers? And check out the yummy indian food in the background!!

a close up...u can see some green bits..that's the lemon zest...

so u see, making this month's challenge was a successful team effort and wonderful ice breaker!! heheh!!

and yes, it was a perfect party cake...mainly cos of the lovely people who were there!!

verdict on the cake?? I must have done something wrong..cos the cakes didn't rise very much and very quite dense, almost like a pound cake but what's important is that all of the girls liked it anyway...most probably won't make it again just cos it's hard to think about what to do with 8 egg yolks!!!

Hop on over to the daring bakers blogroll and see what everyone else has done!! And be prepared to be bowled over!!! :D

Chips for breakfast anyone??

2008-03-25T23:06:00.003+10:30

just wanna share something amusing....went supermarket shopping with a coursemate today and was going to buy my regular cereal...which is a gluten free one (no, i dun have cealiac, i just like the taste of this cereal)...really yummy n i lurve it... (i also tot it was 'healthy'..) but to my horror, my coursemate who is an expert label reader pointed out that it's more than 27% fat...!!!

which means it's almost as if i m eating potato chips for breakfast...

alas...no wonder it was so satisfying...

(and yes, i will still buy it next week..when my coursemate is not around.. :P )

Korean Cabbage Kimchi

2008-03-24T13:23:00.006+10:30

Korean Cabbage Kimchi
recipe slightly modified from Fabulous Foods

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt
6 cups water
2 lbs. Chinese (Napa) cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares (I used regular cabbage..)
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, then slivered
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Korean ground dried hot pepper (or other mildly hot ground red pepper)
1 teaspoon sugar

method:
1. Dissolve the 3 tablespoons salt in the water. Put the cabbage into a large bowl, a crock, or a nonreactive pot, and pour the brine over it. Weight the cabbage down with a plate. Let the cabbage stand for 12 hours.

2. Drain the cabbage, reserving the brine. Mix the cabbage with the remaining ingredients, including the 1 teaspoon salt. Pack the mixture into a 2-quart jar. Pour enough of the reserved brine over the cabbage to cover it. Push a freezer bag into the mouth of the jar, and pour the remaining brine into the bag. Seal the bag. Let the kimchi ferment in a cool place, at a temperature no higher than 68° F, for 3 to 6 days,until the kimchi is as sour as you like.

3. Remove the brine bag, and cap the jar tightly. Store the kimchi in the refrigerator, where it will keep for months.

comments: I didn't do the brine bag part cos i didn't understand the instructions..... but the kimchi still turned out alright!! :) And also added capsicums, just because there were some lying around...Will i make it again?? Definitely...!! Great way to use up left over cabbage!!

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-22T23:20:00.006+10:30

a surprise gift from sweet Aira...

A pretty Easter Bunny with two chocolate eggs...

May your Easter be filled with unexpected blessings as well!!!

Chestnut and sweet corn congee

2008-03-18T20:34:00.010+10:30

cooked this a while back too...the recipe is from a book i bought when i went to the Suntec Bookfair with the lovely V...she picked it up and passed it to me with a bemused expression...well, the book does have a ridiculous sounding title, "Delicacies for Skin Whitening'...
I think she didn't expect me to buy it but i did...(every time i go back to Singapore, i get chided by my sisters for becoming darker..."Ting ah!! why u so dark!!! Never use sunscreen???!!!" So for my birthday this year, i got from my three sisters: Sunscreen, whitening serum and goat's milk whitening body wash...!!!!)

According to the book,

"Chestnuts benefit the stomach, the spleen and the kidneys. There (sic) are hard to digest. Do not eat too much at one time. Diabetes patients should avoid chestnuts altogether.

The sweet corn is nutritious, as it contains protein, fats and vitamins. Having this dish in meals regularly improves appetitie, benefits the spleen, whitens the skin and improves skin resilience."

Honestly, i never knew sweet corn was so marvelleous.... :P

Chestnut and sweet corn congee

ingredients:
225 g shelled fresh chestnuts
1 cup canned sweet corn kernels
3 dried scallops
1 cup pearl rice (short grain)
1 quarter dried tangerine peel
salt and white pepper to taste

method:
1. rinse the dried scallops. Soak in water until soft.
2. Soak the dried tangerine peel in water until soft. Scrape off the pith and rinse well.
3. Boil the chestnuts in water for 3 mins. Remove the brown peel. (I couldn't find fresh ones, so got packaged ones and skipped this step)
4. Boil 10 cups of water in a pot. Add rice, chestnuts, dried scallops and dried tangerine peel.
5. Bring to the boil and then switch to low heat. Simmer for 1 hour or until the chestnuts are tender. Add sweet corn and salt.
6. Bring to the boil and serve.

What i did differently:
rinse the rice, drain and added a tsp of sesame oil and left it overnight. This makes the congee really smooth.
And the next morning, i just added everything else, other than the corn and salt to the slow cooker and put it on high for 6 hours or thereabouts.

PS: I think the whitening foods and products are not working very well...The Australian Sun is too strong....

Longevity Noodles!!

2008-03-18T13:25:00.008+10:30

In traditional Chinese culture, the elderly are revered and there is a well-known saying: "Jia you yi lao, ru you yi bao" (loosely translated: Having an elderly person in the home is the same as having a treasure!)

So I was really honoured and privileged to be able to join in the birthday festivities for Mrs Dixon.

First a picture of the birthday girl....

Guess her age??

She stays independently and has a terrific memory...when you ask her for a recipe, she can just give it to you on the spot...and she can add up sums faster than me...(i m not that slow...but man, she is FAST!!)

75?? 81?? 90???

Happy Birthday Mrs Dixon!

See the candles??? NINTY FIVE. Really.

She says her secret to her good health is a happy heart... :)

and to wish her many more good years to come, I made some longevity noodles... followed a recipe initially but it turned out a bit bland which explains the mix-mash of sauces in the seasoning..

Ingredients:

400g dried somen
6 tbs oil (yes, quite a lot but noodle dishes tend to stick n break easily without sufficient oil)
2- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
4 slices ginger
200g snow peas, sliced
250g mung bean sprouts
1 can shiitake mushrooms
1 can 225g water chestnuts, sliced
1/3 cup coriander (around 2 bunches)
2 eggs, hard boiled and cubed

seasoning: (the tricky part cos it wasn't my pantry and i was frantically just using anything i could find!!!)

2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs vegetarian stir fry sauce
2 tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbs honey
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup water (use stock if available)

-all mixed together

method:

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
2. Heat up oil in wok until shimmering. Add shallots and fry till light golden. Fish out and set aside.
3. Add garlic, ginger and stir fry til fragrant. (around 2-3 mins.)
4. Add snow peas and fry til colour brightens up. Add mung beans, mushrooms and chestnuts and fry for around 2-3 mins.
5. Add noodles, followed by seasoning and make sure that seasoning coats noodles evenly.
6. Top with coriander, shallots and eggs. Serve hot.

Mrs Dixon- Happy Birthday once again and may all your wishes come true!!

Banana and tapicoa agar agar

2008-03-15T23:08:00.008+10:30

i stumbled onto a very beautiful blog,Qlinart, the other day when i was looking for banana recipes..and found a banana and tapioca pearl pudding....the recipe looked and sounded so good that i made it the very next day....but the unforgiving weather has put a damper on my taste buds, making it hyper-sensitive to rich and creamy foods...(i just crave for icy and salady stuff nowadays!!)..and so i've turned the pudding into a agar agar(asian seaweed jelly)!!

I'm not sure why it looks kinda purplish though....the flavours were very exotic..Weiqin loves it cos she figures that it tastes like Chai...(cardamon and mint)...

to make anything into agar agar, i just estimate the volume and add enough agar agar powder...it's around 8 g of agar agar powder to 1 litre of liquid...just make sure that the liquid is hot so that the powder can dissolve. Oh, and remember to add sugar too..
Leave to set in the fridge and serve chilled.

When i made the agar agar, i boiled some pandan leaves with the syrup...why?? Hmm...pandan leaves are like the vanilla essence of Asia?? Adds a light fragrance to most desserts and can be used for savoury dishes as well. They supposedly have diuretic effects and are 'cooling' for the body...and can be chewed on as a breath refreshener (the last bit of information was new to me too)!!

Don't you just love Asian foods?? It seems like almost every ingredient has some sort of a medicinal/ beneficial property?!

Thai Style mince pork & pineapple noodle salad

2008-03-15T22:50:00.006+10:30

ingredients

1 tbs oil
500 g minced pork (i used kangeroo mince)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 tsp finely grated ginger
1 small chili, finely chopped
5 kaffir lime leaves, finely shreded
200g mung bean noodles (tang hoon)
60 g baby spinach noodles (used grated carrot and beansprouts instead)
1 cup coriander greens, chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves

dressing
1.5 tbsp shaved palm sugar / soft brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
80ml lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp peanut oil

Method:

heat a wok until very hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the work. Add the garlic, lemon grass, shallots, ginger, chili and lime leaves and stir fry for 2-3 mins/ until fragrant. Add the minced meat and stir fry until lightly golden.
Set aside.

Place the noodles in a large bowl and voer with boiling water for 30 seconds or until softened. Rinse untl cold water and drain well. Toss in a bowl with the spinach, corainder, pinaapple, mint and meat mixture.

To make the dressing, mix together the palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Add the sesame oil and extra peanut oil, and whisk to combine. Toss through the salad and season with freshly ground pepper.

Serves 4

Recipe taken from Family Circle's Salad Days.

Comments:

this salad does taste better the next day, when all the flavours have properly mingled. Cos this is a 'western' recipe, i find that the amount of meat to be more than sufficient...usually for asian cuisines, u'd be quite safe portioning 40- 60g of meat per person but for western recipes, i find the range is 100-150g of meat per person. What I did was to double both the noodles and dressing...tot that the sesame oil didn't work too well together, so perhaps i wouldn't add it the next time...but all in all...a yummy dish..love the combination of pineapple and lemongrass!!

Weird taste -identified!!!

2008-03-14T23:18:00.005+10:30

was very troubled previously cos i couldn't quite place the taste of the shiso-lookalike leaves. I was pretty sure that i had tasted something similar before but just couldn't relate it! Frustrating to say the least!!!

After eating it for the third time (made a batch of kimchi with it and have been working my way slowly), I finally got it!!!

PAPADUMS!!! These leaves taste like papadums!!! I kid you not!!! I think papadums are made of lentils (Culinary Princess, correct???) and these leaves obviously bear no resemblance whatsoever to pulses but they have the same aftertaste!!!! So interesting!!!

So yeah...now even though i do not exactly know the name of the plant, i m happy.... :D and happily eating it...it's great as a 'ban chan' / side dish.....!!

(Seen here with Piggy's mushroom rice)

Eating mindfully...

2008-03-12T20:12:00.005+10:30

Marion Nestle has a blog!

She is a prominent US dietitian and i read her book 'What to eat' last december..(perhaps it should be called 'what NOT to eat'...
very informative..somewhat scary but not as scary as Jane Goodall's 'Harvest for Hope'..
after reading these sort of books, i always have the impulse to become vegan, or if not, vegetarian...or at the very very least, eat less meat...)

Still, don't let me scare you off in becoming a more conscious consumer...

this website is also very interesting...featured on Bloggers 'Blogs of Note' recently. Yoni Freedhoff's 'Weighty matters'.

Have fun browsing!!

Apple and walnut rissoto with gorgonzola

2008-03-11T23:31:00.009+10:30

i made this a couple of weeks ago just cos i like how the word sounds..."gor-gon-zola..."
but not actually the smell..it is a very pungent cheese for the uninitiated.. :P

nice?

hmm..

as with Jamie Oliver's most other recipes, very rich....most probably won't make this one again...
it's alrite....interesting but not memorable..

recipe is as per the usual basic rissoto with the addition of 2 large handfuls of parmesan, 200g gorgonzola, 100g feta, 2 apples, handful of walnuts and a sprinkling of fresh marjoram/thyme leaves.

Ken Hom's Cold Cucumber with Garlic

2008-03-11T00:47:00.008+10:30

There are some recipes, when you look at them, u think that they can improved upon somehow...and this is one of them..

I had to resist the very strong urge to make modifications and follow it more or less exactly...

"i'm sure i can omit the oil...dun need to fry the garlic....just use raw...how about sesame oil??? Sesame oil will give it a great fragrance!! But then it might be too similar to Korean type cold dishes....."

and surprisely, the dish turned out fantastic!!! Now i m a new fan of Ken Hom!! Heee...can't wait to try more of his recipes...!

Cold Cucumber with Garlic

ingredients:
450g cucumbers
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tb white rice vinegar
1.5 tbs oil
1 tbsp minced garlic

method:
slice the cucumbers into half lengthways, and using a spoon, remove any seeds.
Cut the cucumber halves into small pieces. (original recipe said 7.5 cm by 12mm...opps, didn't pay attention!)
Combine the cucumber pieces with salt and allow to sit in a colander. Set aside for 10 mins.
Rinse them in cold water, blot them dry and toss with the sugar and vinegar.
Heat a wok until hot and add the oil and garlic. Stir fry for 15 seconds or until it is lightly brown.
Mix with the cucumbers and serve.
(I chilled them in the fridge for 30 mins before serving)

"What am I??"

2008-03-10T21:57:00.003+10:30

i bought this thinking it was Shiso....but it doesn't look like the Shiso from google images ...

can't quite place the taste of it...very slightly minty..reminds me of indian food....but not sure which spice...

i have made it into a kimchee, thinking it's some kind of perilla leaf, following this

recipe...but still would like to find out exactly what it is...

any idea anyone???

The shop keeper couldn't tell me the exact name..he just said :"Purple Salad!!!"

hmmm.

Steamed Pumpkin Cake!!

2008-03-10T21:01:00.006+10:30

The alternative title for this post is 'the kindness of blogging friends"...

why?? Cos Crystal from the Modern Vegetarian especially dug out another recipe for me to try when i mentioned previously that the steamed banana cake with bicarb was 'thirst-inducing'...

i love the recipe that she has sent me and fresh from the steamer, it really reminds me of 'orh-nee'/ yam paste...the texture and perhaps cos of the shallot oil i used to grease the pan with...after cooling down, the cake/ kueh firmed up quite nicely...
Somewhat similar to tapioca kueh but more fragrant.. :)

moist and soft...mmmm...

firmed up version

Oh...the original recipe called for bananas but i wanted to use up my hulk of '99-cents-special-offer' pumpkin first...
hehe...

Steamed Pumpkin Cake

375g grated fresh coconut or dried coconut (I used dried coconut and added water...around 125g to 1.5 cups water)
700 g pumpkin, cubed
150g rice flour
30g tapioca starch
200g sugar (originally 375g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
100ml coconut milk (original recipe called for 125ml coconut cream)

1. Reserve 1/4 of the coconut for garnish
2. Microwave pumpkin for 10 mins with 1/4 cup water. Mash.
3. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and pour into a greased tin.
4. Smooth the top and sprinkle with reserved coconut.
3. Steam 30 minutes or until done. (mine took around 50 mins)

--- Original recipe from Thai Home Cooking by Robert Carmack, Sompon Nabnian.

Thanks Crystal!! You really made my day with your email! :D

Dead good carbonara

2008-03-10T13:22:00.008+10:30

Was flipping through the recipebook that Linda gave me for Christmas last year and came across this recipe...

"Dead good carbonara'.

Ambitious name huh? (I mistakenly remembered the name as 'Drop dead carbonara' and told that to Dr Carole...haa....it's really rich so that could be an apt name too...)

Was it as good as promised? You bet!!!!

Very easy..very fast and excellent for impressing guests with minimum effort... :)

It should look creamier...this picture was taken the next day after reheating in the microwave...changed the texture of the sauce somewhat...

and the recipe... (note: definitely not an everyday dish)

Dead good carbonara
serves 2

ingredients:

250g spaghetti
1 shallot, finely chopped (do not substitute for onions, shallots improve the flavor immensely)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 rashers bacon, chopped
2 eggs
150 ml cream
25 g parmesan, finely grated

method:

1. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Fry bacon in pan til light brown and crisp. (start with cold pan, the bacon will fry in its own fat.)
3. Add garlic and shallots and fry for another 3-5 mins til everything is golden.
4. Beat together the eggs, cream, most of the parmesan and plenty of black pepper. (note: this sauce does not heating up)
5. Add the shallot and egg mixture to the pasta and toss till evenly coated.
6. Divide into two portions and serve with the rest of the parmesan and a sprinkling of black pepper.

Gazpacho!

2008-03-10T13:12:00.002+10:30

Gazpacho!! Chilled tomato soup!!!! And the world's best at that!!!! :D Woohoo!!

Got it from LobsterSquad...Ximena''s done many variations and versions and declared this to be the best. I have only tasted gazpacho once so i shall take her word for it.
Used 1 tiny chili padi instead of the two long green chilis and mayo instead of egg.

So refreshing and velvety..!! Just the thing for 39 degree days..

Win Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets!!!

2008-03-09T22:46:00.012+10:30

Dorie Greenspan??? Who's that?? Well, I haven't tried any of her recipes but have heard good stuff about her from various baking blogs....

So how do you win the book??

Simple!!

Marye of Baking Delights needs a new tagline for her blog...and if u'd just blog about her contest and leave her a comment with a link to your post...u're in the running!

And if u come up with a tagline, u'll get another entry in the contest...!

The writer of the winning tagline also gets a $10 amazon voucher!

sounds interesting??? Get your creative juices flowing and hop on over to Marye's!

:) Thanks Cookiedoc for sharing the news!!

Recipe suggestions for hot days

2008-03-08T00:06:00.002+10:30

if anyone has any, I really would appreciate some suggestions...hopefully less than 30 mins in the kitchen..satisfying and doesn't heat up the place/ has strong smells...(feeding 6/7 for catering business next week......)

Adelaide's got a heat wave again...til next Friday.. hot hot hot!!

these are supposed to be good for you...

2008-03-07T00:30:00.008+10:30

"eeeeeeiii..but what are they????!!!"

If my parents didn't start me young, i most probably would not dare to try them too. Sea cucumber, as written about previously. Thus named for their shape. Some call them sea slugs but i reckon that won't make for good marketing... :P

see the cut up pieces...need to get rid of the grit inside

cooked it a long while back....for the CNY gathering....i followed Amy Beh's recipe on Kuali (the server seems to be down atm) but made a number of modifications.....and i forgot to write them down...tasting the dish and adding stuff until it tasted just like my mom's....('au pif' new term i learnt from this blog today....for 'cooking by taste').

the completed dish...yes, it looks like that usually...brown and gooey... :P

steamed banana cake

2008-03-06T22:35:00.004+10:30

I have a sneaky feeling that alot of dishes were invented to use up ingredients which were either rapidly going bad (happens alot to me) or were readily available and abundant in the backyard (my grandma had a farm..i think she grew a lot of plants and spices and almost didn't have to buy anything from the market at all..other than fish...oh...but fish, u can catch from the rivers as well...mmm...now i wish i live on a farm!!)

Anyways!!! Faced with 3 almost black bananas, i started a quest for banana recipes...banana bread and muffins are the fail-proof fall backs..but having no special occasion/ the presence of many friends to share the calories, i wanted to make something without additional fat... and ta-dah!!! Steamed banana cake!!

The main rising agents were baking powder and bicarb...and i think that might have contributed to the 'thirsty'/ dry lips after taste...but on the whole, quite nice..very easy and relatively guilt-free....sugar, as advised by Zu, can be reduced, to i think around 1/3 cup or even less. Next time, i might omit the bicarb altogether and see if that helps...

Golden Olivale

2008-03-05T00:25:00.007+10:30

This bottle of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil was bought at the Farmers' Market...

the stall selling it looked very plain and unadorned so i wasn't expecting anything special..but it's one of those foods, which u after tasting, do a double take...! Aira once told me about one of her friend's father who imports olive oil from South Australia to Japan. Apparently that extremely premium olive oil is meant for drinking straight...a shot every morning (confers a myriad of health benefits of which i m not entirely sure).

I reckon u can do the same with this one. It is that good. :)
Fruity and fragrant with an extremely pleasant aftertaste. Perfect with fresh bread and dukkah!!

By the way, this oil only won the bronze prize in last year's Olives South Australia competition. I wonder how the ones which won the Gold must taste like.....Mmmmmmmmmm.

Contacts:
Golden Olivale
0412 796313

Mee Hoon Kueh

2008-03-04T20:54:00.005+10:30

sometimes i think this blog should be renamed "Review of Lily Ng's recipes" cos i try out so many of her recipes...(and they are fantastic, each and everyone of them..)

last week it was her tien tsin pau...which took much longer than expected and made me stay up til 1.30am..but when i tried the first bite, the 3 hour effort was all worth it!!! It reminds of xiao long bao/ soup dumplings...it was that juicy!

today i made mee hoon kueh/ handmade noodle pieces in soup...
also quite time consuming..the rolling out of the dough mainly....i think these were invented in the days before machines...
aye...yar...pre-packaged noodles will perhaps suffice..but hey, nothing beats home-made anything right??

made almost exactly as per Lily's recipe...down to fried shallots and garlic (something new) with chili padi, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Bought soy beans absentmindedly so used that in the stock as well. Next time, i will just get premade noodles...though these tasted more like italian egg pasta cos they were quite 'Q' (firm/ springy to the bite).

Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market

2008-03-02T00:43:00.008+10:30

this is a post which i have been meaning to share for quite a while...the Adelaide Showground Farmers Market!

Fresh produce straight from the farmers,(not always cheaper but definitely fresher and good quality), gourmet food gift options (olives, nuts, jam, almonds), cooking demostrations, extraordinaryly delicious busk tucker ice-cream not available anywhere else in Adelaide, throw in an occasional 2 piece jazz band...ahhh...my idea of heaven...

If i remember correctly, they only used to open during the warmer months, which may explain why u will find mainly locals there cos most of the international students were holidaying at home...BUT as of last year, the organisers have decided to make it a year round event..!! Yippee!!
Every Sunday, 9-1pm...like it says on the banner..

organic bread

un-homogenized milk (means that the milk is in two separate layers...cream on top)..never seen it in supermarkets before!!

crisp fresh herbs

Pates and spreads

assorted goodies...mmm...

Visit the Market's official website for more details! Hope to see you there!!

fudge which brightens up your day!!!

2008-02-28T20:28:00.006+10:30

this fudge is really amazing!! Just reading about it can brighten up your day!! Well, mine at least!!! Saw it over at Bev's and left her a comment...didn't know that she was feeling down and that my message cheered her up...so much so that she gave me an award...'You make my day!!" to be specific!! (actually i was not that sunshine-y myself so her award worked wonders for me too!!!)

So you see...this fudge is really quite magical...hehehe....extremely extremely easy to put together...ingredients are few so use the choicest u can afford...

the original called for pistachios or walnuts..cos i had macadamias and cranberries so i tossed them in as well...thought that the cranberries would add a lovely tangy touch...

The original recipe can here found here

Thanks Bev for the award and the recipe and for making my day!!!!

the thirsty rice noodle..

2008-02-27T23:47:00.004+10:30

this is the beef horfun with black bean sauce from last week's menu....

hmmm....i went to central market mainly to buy horfun (broad rice noodles)...but i borrowed books, bought various other groceries and came home without the horfun..so i used the thai rice noodles in my pantry...but they are so thirsty!!! I added ALOT of liquid and still couldn't achieve the slurpy consistency... :( shall try again in a few months' time... with real horfun...
oh...n see the many broken pieces?? mainly due to the fact that oil was used sparingly...health over whole strands of noodles, a small payoff nah??

Soba with eggplant and tahnini

2008-02-27T04:05:00.006+10:30

Soba with eggplant and tahnini

serves 6

Ingredients:
350g dried soba (buckwheat noodles)
1 eggplant, around 800g, sliced thinly**
2 carrots, shredded
1/4 cabbage, shredded and microwaved for 5 mins with 1/2 cup water. (discard water)
10 spring onions, diagonally sliced
20g dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 mins (or longer if u can afford it) with a tsp sugar, sliced thinly. (soaking water reserved)
3 tbs oil
2 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs sugar (can be less, i added it mainly to play down bitterness of eggplant)

seasoning for noodles:
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbs dark soy
2 tbs light soy
3 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs sugar
6 tbs tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 small bunch coriander greens (around 50g)
1 garlic clove (can add more too)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
5 tbs of shiitake soaking water

method:
1. Cook soba according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. (the original recipe didn't call for this step..i rinse noodles/ pasta out of habit...used to do that at my mom's stall..it removes excess starch and makes the noodles more 'Q'/ al dente). Drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil on and mix well.

2. Blend seasoning for noodles in a food processor. (A whisk and bowl will do fine as well, just chop the coriander before adding.) Add to soba.

3. In a hot pan, add 2 tbs oil. Add eggplant and and fry for 7-10 mins or under tender and golden brown.
Remove and set aside.

4. Heat 1 tbs oil, add spring onions, carrots, mushrooms and cabbage. Stir fry til soft. Add oyster sauce and sugar. Add eggplant.

5. Combine seasoned noodles and veggies.
Can be served hot or cold.

Recipe largely modified from Bay's Books 'best vegetarian dishes'.

** note about eggplant, i salted and rinsed it but it was still a little bitter and bitey... :(( why???

Popcorn popcorn!!!

2008-02-22T14:48:00.007+10:30

OCF is organising a movie night..and i tot i'd make some popcorn to share..(once again, a pantry clearing exercise....u won't believe the amount of stuff i have.. :P )

made 4 types : green tea, butter, chili-cumin and black pepper...

green tea tastes a little weird...i think i still need to add some butter to make the green tea powder and icing sugar stick better...right now, after putting the pop corn into your mouth, u get the feeling tat some green tea powder floats up to the back of your throat?? Funny sensation... :P

my favourite is chili-cumin..yum yum yum!!!

Basic instructions for popcorn:

makes enough for 2

100 g corn kernels
1 tbs oil

1. In a deep pan, (i used my non-stick stock pot) heat oil.
2. Add corn. Cover. Hold pot by the handle and shake vigorously side to side to ensure that corn kernels are coated with oil. Use a medium flame.
3. Wait for the glorious popping sounds and shake pot intermittently.
4. Popcorn is done when it is all quiet!!!

erm..my theory is that the correct temperature results in fluffy popcorn...and if the temp is too low, the popcorn does not fully pop? Not sure what is the correct temperature too, was just cooking this by instinct... :P

for Green tea topping: (inspired by the modern vegetarian)
mix 1/2 teaspoon green tea powder with 1/4 cup icing sugar and sprinkle all over popcorn
(as mentioned earlier, a tbs of melted butter before the green tea mixture might not be a bad idea..)

Butter
Drizzle 2 tbs melted butter and stir briskly.
Add salt to taste. (Ard 1 tsp)

Chili-cumin
Drizzle 1 tbs melted butter and stir briskly.
Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, /2 tsp cumin powder.
Stir and mix well.

Black pepper
As for chili-cumin, but 1 tsp black pepper in lieu of cumin and chili.

note: Toppings are for 100g of corn kernels ok...?

Love at second bite!!

2008-02-21T18:05:00.004+10:30

This is a recipe i saw a couple of days ago on Piggy's cooking journal and decided to make it just cos i have all the ingredients....!!

Funny right...??

but unlike Piggy's, most of my mushrooms were of the dehydrated variety....dried wooden fungus (hei mu er), dried enoki mushrooms (first time trying them!! Not bad at all!!), dried shiitake, dried lily flower (kim zam?? 'golden needles' in hokkien)..

the rice tasted way too salty initially but after allowing it to rest for a while, the flavours mingled and it became a really lovely dish...lots of different textures...

my slightly modified recipe:

Love at second bite Mushroom rice

serves 4

Ingredients:
3.5 cups cooked pearl rice and 0.5 cups red rice (u can used all white, i just wanted to clear my pantry..)
40 g butter
1.5 tbs sugar
6 cloves garlic

350 g assorted mushrooms (wooden fungus, enoki, shiitake, dried lily flowers)
1 426g button mushroom
8 mushroom meat balls (optional; clearing freezer)
bunch coriander, chopped
1 cucumber, slice
1 chili padi, minced

seasoning
5 tbs mirin
5 tbs light soy sauce
5 tbs hua diao (chinese rice wine)

method:
1) Heat up butter in a wok. Put in chopped garlic when the butter is half melted. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant. 
2) Add in assorted mushrooms and sugar, saute until the mushrooms are fully coated with butter. Add in seasonings, cook until the gravy has thickened. 
3) Stir in chopped coriander, turn off heat. Add in cooked rice, stir until combined with mushrooms.
4) Serve with sliced cucumber and chili.

All these clearing...cos one of my housmates is already here...she's really sweet and hasn't complain but i think I should still make more room....the next one arrives in a week...

Grape Sorbert

2008-02-20T23:26:00.005+10:30

This is no doubt, the easiest dessert I have ever 'made'....if washing and plucking stuff off stems can be counted....

TA-DAHHH!!!

GRAPE SORBET!!!

These are basically frozen seedless green grapes...no sugar added..they are sweet enough...they are really fantastic....!!! Pop them into your mouth...guilt-free, cools you down n you are actually doing something good for your body to boot....(Go for 2 and 5!!)!!!

They stay crisp for around 5 minutes and when they thaw, they turn sort of mushy..so don't wait too long to eat them ok???

Oh....these are not for little kids...risk of choking...u can try slicing them first though... :)

Amazingly yummy beansprouts!!

2008-02-19T22:44:00.004+10:30

Beansprouts...are one of the most readily available vegetables in the market...u get a fairly big bag for around 70 cents...and i was looking for interesting ways to cook them with....as a stirfry, common additions would be deep fried beancurd (twa kua) or salted fish...since i had neither on hand...i decided on a very simple Korean recipe from Recipezaar...

and the result is fantastic!! So few ingredients; so much taste!!!

Korean Bean Sprouts
serves 4 as a side dish

250g bean sprouts
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (important!! Have to be golden n fragrant!)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Drop the bean sprouts into boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Drain well. Return to the pan.
Stir in the salt, sesame seeds, sesame oil, garlic, cayenne, and green onions. Simmer 2 minutes.
Serve hot or cold.

Kung Po Chicken Updated!!!

2008-02-19T18:30:00.003+10:30

This is my favourite dish from my entire collection....it's simple and extremely satisfying and everyone who's tasted it loved it...and the main reason?? It's my mom's recipe... :)

Cooked it today for my 'client'...and took the opportunity to update the picture.

Ingredients:
Chicken 500g, cubed
15 dried chilli (originally recipe called for 30!!)
2 garlic clove, sliced
10 slices ginger
2 stalks spring onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 tsp sichuan pepper corns
1/2 cup toasted cashews
optional:
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 green capsicum, sliced

Marinade:
Season the chicken with 2 tsp light soya sauce, 2 tsp cornflour, 1 egg white.
Stir well and marinate for at least 20 mins.

Gravy:
1 1/2 tsp light soya sauce
1 1/2 tsp black soya sauce
3 tbsp wine
3 tsp black vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp water

stir well to combine

Method:
Heat pan and add 2 tbsp oil. When it's hot, add chillies and fry til they are black and smoking. (warning: the smoke will make you cough and choke!!)
Toss in garlic, ginger and peppercorns and fry for 1-2 mins.
Add chicken and fry til 90% cooked.
Add capsicum and gravy and stir fry til chicken is cooked (when you can cut through the meat quite easily).
Add spring onion and nuts and stir through.
Serve with rice.

Jamie Oliver’s Lovely Crab Linguine (simplified!)

2008-02-18T23:14:00.006+10:30

“Jamie, English please!!!”

I pride myself on reading and understanding English…but Jamie just confuses me!!!! Usually I have to go through his recipes a few times to understand what he wants… :P
Perhaps the editor of his ‘Cook with Jamie’ cookbook want the ‘instructions’ to sound as if Jamie is right there cooking with you…..ahh well… here’s the simplified version…I hope it does the dish justice..!!

Lovely Crab linguine
serves 4-6, depending on appetite

Ingredients:
1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
2-3 fresh red chillies, deseeded and very finely chopped (1 tsp reserved for garnish)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 fennel bulb, outer leaves removed, halved and very finely shaved with a speed peeler, herby tops reserved for garnish
140ml extra virgin oil, plus extra for drizzling ( I used around 100ml)
400g freshly picked white crabmeat, 150 freshly picked brown crabmeat (used 175g canned crab and a slice of smoked red snapper)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a bunch of medium sized asparagus, trimmed and finely shaved (reserved in a bowl of ice water)
500g linguine or spaghetti

dressing for aspargus:
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt

Method:
1. Toast and grind up fennel seeds with mortar and pestle.
2. Heat oil gently in a pan. Add fennel seeds and chilli first, toss til fragrant. Add lemon zest, juice, fennel and crabmeat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3. Boil pasta according to package instructions.
4. Combine crab mixture and pasta, adding a bit cooking water or seasoning as necessary.
5. Dress asparagus with lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Sprawl all over on top with the reserved chilli and fennel tops. Serve immediately.

Additional comments:
The shaving of the asparagus and fennel…took almost an hour!!! I couldn’t believe it!!! No wonder he specified the use of a speed shaver….Haa….think the veggies looks much more interesting this way but perhaps slicing/ chopping it would have been fine too… :P
And cos I misread the instructions, I combined the asparagus together with the fennel so all the shaving was in vain cos they just wilted….but next time I will do it properly….
Taste-wise…?? Really refreshing!! Can be served hot or cold I reckon…and would work equally well with octopus, squid or fish.

Creamy pumpkin pasta with feta

2008-02-18T01:38:00.010+10:30

This is one of those recipes which get a second chance...

i remember serving it last year to an insipid reception...but somehow or rather, everytime i flip through the recipe book, the picture catches my eye...

And i'm really glad that i've cooked it again!!! Cos i think the first time, even though i had all the ingredients, i didn't follow the instructions at all....baking the pumpkin, onion and garlic makes a HUGE different...gives a very much sweeter and smokier flavour....

This is a recipe which i m shortlisting for my future restaurant's menu!!!

The pasta..which was accompanied by a simple salad, smoked snapper and turkish bread..

Ingredients:
1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2 cm chucks
1 red onion, thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
4 tbs olive oil
400g short pasta
200g marinated feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbs grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs finely chopped parsely

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Put the pumpkin, onion, garlic and rosemary in a roasting tin.
2. Drizzle with 1 tbs of the oil and the oil all over the ingredients until well coated.
3. Roast for 30 mins, or until the pumpkin is soft or starting to caremelise.
4. Cook the pasta in boiling water til al dente.
5. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skin and place it in a bowl with 3 tbs of olive oil. Mash with a fork
6. Add the garlic oil to the hot pasta, then the remaining ingredients. Toss well and season.

recipe from Bay Book's Best Vegetarian Dishes

Dog days dog days....!!

2008-02-18T01:04:00.007+10:30

It's 39 degrees today!!!!!!!!!!!

It's really really hot!!!!!

My room feels like a sauna (dry heat, adelaide very arid)...it's just over 1 am now and i've spent the last 3 hours in the kitchen...where it is COOLER than my room..

bought the following from one of the asian grocers today....

Dehydrated vegetables!!! (the drawings look like sugarcane, water chestnuts and carrots to me. The chinese words?? i think they mean: mao geng zhu che tang (some root, sugarcane soup)

close up of contents

Think it is supposed to be sort of a cooling beverage...just right for today's weather!!!!

Have benn boiling it for the last couple of hours....and think i added too much water initially cos it's not very sweet...nevermind...after more water boils off, it should taste better.. :)

Update:

what it looks like after being cooked

these taste like fresh sugar cane!! U can chew on them for ages!!! thinking of making the vietnamese prawn skewer thingy with them next time...

Sharing the love....

2008-02-14T22:51:00.009+10:30

Today's Valentine's Day...so i reckon it's the best time to pass on the LOVE award that V bestowed on me last week...

For spreading the love and being so generous with your time, words and expertise and making the blogging world a much lovelier place...i pass the award on to..

Culinary Princess
Suzer
Claire
Lily
Crystal
Linda
Daniella

Thanks girls!!

And to all the friends who drop by regularly, thanks for your support!!!

Happy Valentine's everyone!!

to kiss or not to kiss...?

2008-02-13T10:29:00.001+10:30

aye........Curious Cook just wrote about a seinfield espiode inspired research...it is true!!! Double dipping IS unhygenic and transfers alot of bacteria!!
So i tot...isn't it the same with the usual Chinese way of eating with chopsticks??
some people when they serve food to other people, use the opposite end of their chopsticks..but more commonly, u see people using their own chopsticks to eat from commual dishes..

Ok, so what should we do?? Rule of thumb and i paraphrase Harold Mcgee...to dip or not to dip...depends on whether you are willing to kiss the other people at the same table. :P

Common serving ware it is...

Blind date!!!

2008-02-11T01:20:00.001+10:30

I met someone special last December!!!

One of the highlights of my trip this time was going on a blind date.. the person was someone i met through blogging and had travelled all the way from US for our meeting...u know how when u meet some people, u instantly feel right at home and u can talk for hours without running out of things to laugh about? Well, this new friend was one of those...a kindred spirit...and "one in a million" (that came from my astute younger sister, so it's a big compliment!)

so....it's really such a shame that she's married with two kids... ;P

Did i fool you for a minute?? hehe...

My new friend is none other than V from easts meets west kitchen...she is like a very kind big sister to me...very generous and very nuturing....we spent many enjoyable hours talking about food, blogging and eating!!! And she brought along her two little girls...those girls, as Aunty Yochana rightly observed, melt your heart!! They are sooooooo adorable and clever!! I really miss playing with them!!!! They are very humourous!!! I think it's cos V is very creative and secure...so her kids are very original... Love watching them dance and sing to their favourite mimi-daisy duck video and playing hide and seek with them...their 'ang-moh' accent is so endearing too...one of their pet phrases....: "Mom-Mee.....*pregnant pause*....I LOVE U!!"
Everywhere we went, they solicited friendly smiles and everyone wanted to pet them or at least talk to them..!
The world seems like a much nicer place when you have twins!!! ; ) V, you are so blessed!!!!! And thank you for everything!!!

Our first meeting....

'Peek-a-boo!' kawaii neh?

the taste of Chinese New Year...

2008-02-09T19:52:00.000+10:30

is Kueh Bangkit!!

Cos tat's the only time when they are widely available...

got the recipe from Little Corner of Mine...she's even posted a step by step guide.

brought the cookies to a CNY gathering for international students and received many grateful thanks...
(made my heart sing cos that's main reason why i cook..to replicate the taste of home...)

thanks LCOM for sharing the recipe!!!

The ingredients are pretty simple but just take note to use a good quality coconut cream (Ayam brand is excellent) and cos i didn't have a microwave, i fried the tapioca starch with cut pandan leaves in a non-stick fry pan...how do u tell when it's done?? Hmm...not too sure too...just an approximation...maybe around 10 mins on low-medium heat..

they do take quite some time...the first batch took 3 hours but the second was around 40 minutes..most of the time was spent cutting out the dough.

A bit late but here's wishing everyone a very prosperous Chinese New Year!!! May the year ahead bring many glad tidings!!

2008-02-09T14:08:00.000+10:30

happy chinese new year to 1 and all from singapore!

I have not been cooking in Singapore as our food centres and restaurants here spoils me.

Well to make up for it, i took pictures of the dessert i had with my family during reunion. Yes we did the uncoventional way, we had our dinner in an Italian restaurant as we feel chinese restaurants would not be able to cook up to standard for such a day. As a result we were the only chinese family dinning in that day. HA!

Potini ( @ Waterfront hotel)

The food is pricey but fantastic. See the warm chocolate cake, i think it cost S$25.00 but it taste heavenly! its full of good dark chocolate!!

Ox tail aka collagen soup

2008-02-05T18:55:00.001+10:30

tried to replicate the korean ox tail soup from the other day....

and am quite happy to report....success!! yay!!! and the meat wasn't that strong smelling too..

First I used the slow cooker, thinking that it would produce the same results...(i was looking for a milky broth) but after 8 hours of stewing, the soup was clear and brown....it's my first time using beef bones for soup so i thought that it would turn white...
so then i remove the bones and transfered it to another pot, brought it to a boil and viola, after 20 minutes of simmering, the soup turned cloudy!! yay!! Boiled for another hour or so and had the following......

oxtail soup with onions and ramen (ok, instant noodles!)

I continued to boil the remaining soup in the pot and it became really rich and milky...

and then I thought I could use the bones for a third time..so i filled the pot to the brim again and left it to boil....went upstairs to my room and forgot all about it!!!!!!

AHHHH!!!! The bottom of the pot was burnt to a black crust...and the meat pieces, well, they still taste pretty alright...like roast beef!! Ha... but the smoke set off the smoke alarm and it was pretty embarrassing when the security guard came to check on me....and his advice: soups are best cooked in the slow cooker....how ironic!!! :P
But he also checked my WMF pot which I thought was destined for the scrap and said that it should still be fine after some scrubbing!! Phew....

oh and the recipe??

Soak 600g ox tail in water for an hour to let the blood out.
Blanch with hot water.
Add to pot with 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, teaspoon peppercorns and handful of celery. (celery cos i heard it removes the gamey smell of lamb and i tot it might work here too...but mainly cos there were some left over in the fridge from a prior healthy impulse)
Add around 3 litres of water and bring to boil.
Simmer for 2 hours, skimming off scum about once a hour.
I haven't used the stove for boiling soups for a long time so i was really surprised at how fast the water evaporated...or perhaps the seal on the lid is not that excellent...hmmm....

but anyways, this soup is very exciting..why??? cos it looks like those from steamboat restaurants back home... i always wondered how they managed to make the broth so white... yay....

Bak Kua Success!!!

2008-02-05T00:17:00.000+10:30

most friends in australia know about my passion and have tasted my cooking some time or other but in Singapore, most of my friends have merely heard but infrequently eaten food that i make...not because i love them any less but the practical side of me doesn't think that it is cost/time efficient to make anything from scratch..

so when i phoned home the other day, i proudly declared to my mom that i was making bak kua...and her reply was: "bak kua can make at home???" Yar...can especially when you can't get it here and when it's going for fifty bucks a kg now that it's so close to the lunar new year..

The following recipe is from Lily's website...with some modifications..(i think i prefer a more pronounced taste..)

Bak Kua

Ingredients:
1 kg ground pork

Marinate:
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbs dark soy sauce
250 gm sugar
1 tsp 5 spiced powder
1 tsp kam cho(licorice) powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbs chinese rose wine
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/2 tsp red colouring (optional; i used the closest colour i had on hand..pink!! ha!!)

oil for coating the parchment paper

Method:

Season ground pork with the marinate and leave in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 150 degrees.
Oil a parchment paper generously and leave on baking tray.
Spread meat on parchment paper evenly...i used my bare hands and flattened it evenly, around 3 mm thick.
Bake in oven for 15 mins or until firm to the touch.
Turn over carefully and brush generously with oil. Bake for another 15 mins.
Done!!

fresh from the oven (be prepared for shrinkage; i spreaded the meat right to the edges of the tray before baking...oh and be really generous with oiling the parchment and be careful when peeling it off..)

cut and ready to go!

They freeze well apparently...i left mine in the fridge cos i presume they have no preservatives...
errr....interesting tidbit...the licorice root apparently lowers potassium levels in the body and the main preservative used be to be potassium nitrate...i wonder whether the licorice root is used to counteract the effects of the preservative???
And yeah...it's the potassium nitrate which turns the meat red..so....u can omit the colouring altogether if you like...

What do u eat it with?? Just on its own usually...heard that it's nice in sandwiches as well...i have exactly 32 square pieces (from around 400g of mince) ...thinking about making some canapes with them....

Soup good for your skin????!!!

2008-01-31T23:21:00.000+10:30

I woke up with a sore throat today and decided to skip an entire day's worth of lectures. And in a bid to make myself feel better, I visited two of my favourite places in the world - the Adelaide City Council Library on Grote Street and Central Market.

Due to its proximity to the most well-stocked market in the whole of Adelaide, the library's cookbooks section is HUGE!! The collection is pretty comprehensive- I found Mrs Lee's Cookbook there and all the familiar names -Jamie Oliver, NIgella, Gorden Ramsy and Kylie Kwong- and lots of other interesting books and dvds as well..love the place!!!

At Central Market, I met up with one of my favourite friends for lunch..she brought me to the old food court (the one which is not connected to central market) and directed me promptly to the Korean stall. I believe it is always a good sign when the cashier is actually Korean and cannot speak much English..."the food must be authentic!!"

We both ordered the same dish..ox tail soup...Emi really knows how to push my buttons. She said that a number of her friends (with exceptionally beautiful complexions) have told her that this soup is excellent for the skin and promises when i wake up tomorrow, I will see a distinct improvement. (Does it work? Update tomorrow!)

The broth was milky (cos all the goodness has been extracted from the bones??) and a tad too salty...the meat was quite gamey but for the sake for good skin, i ate everything...haa.....the best part of the meal was the free flow (yet to verify) side dishes..yum!

And here's adorable Emi with her lunch..

I looked up some recipes for this soup...seemed straight forward enough.....soak chopped ox tail in cold water to get rid of any blood for 1-2 hours, then simmer with onions, garlic, ginger and water for 6- 10 hours, skimming off scum regularly...

shall try it soon... hmmm...and perhaps i can use the rose wine to marinate the meat to get rid of the strong smell....

UPDATE: Yes...i think the soup works...skin feel smoother when i washed my face this morning..but also not sure whether it's a placebo effect...Emi reckons that now we need to get more people to go and try the soup...hahahah....it's number 12 on the menu ok??? :) Let us know whether it works for u too!!

Chinese Rose Wine (Mei Kuei Lu Chiew) with cocktail recipes

2008-01-31T22:42:00.001+10:30

Nope, Chinese Rose wine is not pinkish like its western counterpart...but clear...and the alcohol content is...54%!!!!!!! (normal wines have around 9-14%, liquers around 40%)

It is predominantly a cooking wine and is made from sorghum wine (gao liang jiu) and distilled rose petals, sugar and salt.

What is it used for???

Apparently bak kua (dried pork) and lup cheong (chinese pork susuages)... the company's website informs me that it has been hailed as China's Brandy and can be used as a base for various cocktails.

compared to the usual shao xing wine ($1.6- 5), chinese rose wines ranged from $6.5- $8....at first i thought it was a bit expensive...but hey, $6.50 for a bottle of brandy isn't bad at all!!!!

Taste wise...it is quite hot, has a very subtle rose fragrance and is quite salty (instead of sweet as I expected). I got it to make Bak Kua for a dear friend who is leaving for Port Lincoln for her first placement...the meat is currently marinating in the fridge..

I must admit that I am quite impressed with the packaging of the wine...it comes in quite a presentable box and the bottle is sealed with gold foil and even has a promotional leaflet showing a pretty pictures of the production process (a whole vat of pink rose petals) and recipes for some cocktails...seems positively luxurious!! (very rare in my experience for made in china foodstuffs.. :P the grocers here must have just been importing the lower end products..)

1 kg of bak kua requires... (cue drumroll..) 2 tablespoons of the wine...so now i have a full bottle left...Rose cocktails anyone???

** Lily did mention that the wine can be substituted with shao xing wine but for first attempts, i usually prefer to get the exact ingredients and then experiment with following attempts...

UPDATE:

here are some rose wine cocktails from the company's website for the benefit of non-chinese reading friends...

Night of Tianjin
1/6 rose wine
5/6 pineapple juice

Put some crushed ice and pineapple juice into a glass, add rose wine and stir. Serve.

Night in Paris
1/6 rose wine
1/6 grenadine
4/6 orange juice
1 egg white

Add crushed ice to shaker, add the rest of the ingredients, and shake vigorously.
Pour into cocktail glass.

Fragrant rose
2/3 rose wine
1/3 grenadine

Add wine and juice to crushed ice. Top with some lemonade. Stir and put into a ball glass.

Night rose
½ rose wine
¼ limejuice
¼ grenadine

Add to crushed ice, stir, and serve in short glass.