The Baking Engineer

another random day

2010-08-31T00:06:00.003+08:00

Finally! After being so busy with my school projects, I had some time to chillax on a lovely Sunday. After church, J and I went to watch the highly recommended 'The Expendables'. After watching the movie, I think I should rephrase that the movie is highly recommended BY guys FOR guys. To all my guy friends out there, if you're into action movies, then this is something you'll like with all the big names. Watch it for all the firepower and huge explosions! My personal rating is 1.5/5. Cheers!

"Be content with what you need, but not who you are." by Pastor Alan Ang

MIA

2010-08-27T01:03:00.001+08:00

Sorry that I had been MIA for so long as I was pretty hooked with my schoolworks. Despite that busy schedule, our class had a pretty fun BBQ at Sonny's place last Sunday. Would like to elaborate more about it when I get my stuffs done, maybe in a day or two. Stay tuned!

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

2010-08-16T22:48:00.004+08:00

I had came across a meaningful passage in the leaflet that I had received last Sunday in church. It's about the definition of true friend, and it's written in an interesting way. This is how it goes:

A TRUE FRIEND:

Accepts you as you are

Believe in you

Calls you just to say hi

Doesn't give up on you

Envision the whole of you

Forgives your mistakes

Gives unconditionally

Helps you

Invite you over

Just enjoy being with you

Keep you close at heart

Loves you for who you are

Makes a difference in your life

Never judges

Offers support

Quiets your fears

Raises your spirits

Says nice things about you

Tell you the truth when you need to hear it

Understands you

Values you

Walks beside you and

Xplains things you don't understand

Yells when you won't listen and

Zaps you back to reality.

A true friend is the one who walks in while the others go out. If you want to know who your friends are, just make a mistake.

the story of a cup of latte

2010-08-02T11:27:00.005+08:00

I was hooked with latte once again after making a batch for everyone to pair with the panna cotta dessert (oh ya! Grace still owe me pictures! :p) that I had brought over to Grace's house. In the first place it was the thought that we wanna use up the beans that J bought from the US few months ago before it goes expired, but the latte came out to be quite pleasant to my taste buds and I had seen myself making cups and cups at home for the past few days. Could it be this special Pike Place Roast that had made the whole encounter so beautiful? It could be the faint cocoa and nutty flavor that lingered in my mouth and stimulated my urge for more.

Anyway not to beautify the whole encounter too much, in reality another reason that I had been injecting myself with doses of coffee is to keep myself awake. I am having a serious problem of falling fast asleep whenever I hold my revision book for more than 15 mins.

Well... I guess it's time to grind some beans cook some coffee foam some milk and hit my books again. Mind to have a cup of latte?

nostalgia

2010-07-30T21:50:00.003+08:00

Test is around the corner and I guess I will need to put "Friends" aside for now. Just realised that I actually didn't have much time to do my revision due to the long hours in school and the neverending house chores at home, so I have to do my revision whenever possible, during break in school, in MRT and even during dinner. Anyway it had been 5 years since my last exam and it feels awkward to be in the whole study-for-exam situation again. Ahh.. nostalgia.

Nu-life

2010-07-23T20:32:00.005+08:00

Life had been quite hectic lately. At a glimpse it's already week 3 since school started and it feels weird to me that I am still constantly having that kinda holiday-ing mood. Sometimes I woke up being confused of whether I should get myself ready for work or for school. I guess I will still need some time to adapt to the drastic change from the intense engineering work life to a much more relaxed study life. Anyway working in a kitchen is certainly no joke and not as easy as people usually thinks it is, as it really requires perfect discipline and a lot of common sense. But I think I will be okay.

PHOTOLOG #22: 20090801

2009-08-01T13:15:00.002+08:00

PHOTOLOG #21: 20090712

2009-07-12T14:22:00.007+08:00

Seeing these pretty seeds lying on the sidewalk when I was walking Elmo really brought back a lot of good memories. When I was in primary school, the back lane heading to the canteen was always coated with sea of beautiful saga-s... When I grew older I had learned that saga actually represents love... and that was why I slipped 2 of these seeds of love into a birthday gift for a guy that I used to admire so much.

It didn't turn out well though, but lesson's learned. :)

Brownies

2009-07-12T00:33:00.003+08:00

I had made a batch of brownies for J (and friends) to munch on his way to KL, and for sis to bring to work. Was quite surprised that sis suggested me to start selling brownies as one of her friend said my brownies are good?? :D

Is that a sign or what?? Who wants the recipe??

PHOTOLOG #21: 20090524

2009-05-24T16:42:00.003+08:00

Had a good 10.4km run at East Coast Park with the housemates. Sis and her boyfriend Eric had participated in the 15km category instead. Picture was taken after the race. All of us looked so tired...

Cream Puff

2009-05-23T16:23:00.019+08:00

Cream Puff is one of the first few pastry that I had learned to do when I had just started baking at about 15. I still remember how happy my mum was when she let her friends to get a taste of the puffs and they had nodded their heads with approval. That kinda boosted up my confidence and since then I had exposed myself with all kinda recipes from cut newspapers and mum's cookbooks. It had been about 10 years since I made my last batch of cream puffs but strangely it felt as though I had just caught a glimpse of my mum's smile yesterday...

Cream puff is basically choux (pronounced "shoe") pastry + pastry cream. A dollop of choux paste will puff up into a hollow ball when baked and then it's up to you what kinda filling you would like to serve it with. I had made a sweet filling of the renowned creme patisserie (chinese is known as 糕点师傅的奶油) with the leftover vanilla pod.

Cream Puff
adapted from The Cook's Book, recipe of Pierre Herme

CHOUX PASTRY

Ingredients:
125ml water
125ml full cream milk
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
110g butter
140g plain white flour (sifted)
5 eggs

Methods:
1. Pour the water, milk, sugar, and salt into a pan. Add the butter. Bring to the boil. As soon as liquid boils, add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously until the dough is smooth.
2. Continue to stir the mixture over the heat for another 2-3 minutes until the dough dried out and comes away from the sides of the pan in a ball. Tip it into a large bowl.
3. Add the eggs one by one, beating well so that each egg is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. (Use a mixer at low speed if you have one, I didn't bother with that and use a wooden spoon and stir like mad.)
4. When the dough falls as a ribbon, it is ready to be used. (You will know the dough is ready when you lift the wooden spoon, the spoon pulls up some of the dough that then detaches and forms a slowly bending peak.)
5. Preheat the oven to 180 ˚C. Put the choux pastry dough into a piping bag (I had used a disposable one). Pipe balls of the mixture about 5cm in diameter onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment, spacing them about 5cm apart.
6. Bake in oven for about 10 mins or until the pastries are puffed up. Lower the temperature to about 170 ˚C and continue to bake until the pastries are golden and feel hollow, about 10 minutes.
7. Transfer to wire rack and cool.

The choux paste cannot be kept so bake it as soon as you have made it. If you want to make it in advanced, bake the choux paste and keep the cooled choux pastries instead in airtight container.

Creme Patisserie

Ingredients:
250ml full cream milk
22.5g cornflour
62.5g castor sugar
1 vanilla pod
3 egg yolks
25g unsalted butter at room temperature

Method:
1. Whisk the milk and half of the sugar in a heavy-based pan. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the point of a sharp knife. Add the vanilla seeds and pod to the pan. Bring to the boil, whisking all the time.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, corn flour and remaining sugar until well mixed. Pour the hot milk onto this mixture in a thin stream, whisking all the time. Transfer the mixture back to the pan and bring just to the boil, whisking constantly, then immediately remove the pan from the heat. (Be careful not the let the mixture cuddle if not you will get scrambled egg instead.)
3. Stand the pan in a shallow bowl filled with iced water. Remove the vanilla pod. (I simply rest the mixture on the counter, stir occasionally till no smoke can be seen.)
4. When the sauce has cooled a little (to 60 ˚C), add the pieces of butter, whisking briskly until they have melted and the sauce is smooth and shiny.

I had doubled the pastry cream recipe to fill in all the choux pastries. The cream is best made before it is being used but if you have to make it in advanced, store it in a container with cling wrap touching the surface to prevent the surface from drying. To assemble, insert the pastry cream into a piping bag and pipe the pastry cream into the choux pastry case with a tip. Or if you don't have any of those gadgets, simply cut the tops off the choux, about half the way up. Fill in the base with pastry cream and put the top back. Sprinkle with some cocoa powder or icing sugar. Serve it to your neighbours, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your colleagues, your family or your pet and receive compliments. :)

Now I have 6 egg whites sitting in the fridge. What am I going to do with them? Hmmm.. Chiffon cake anyone? :D

PHOTOLOG #20: 20090520

2009-05-20T21:49:00.003+08:00

My daily MRT rides are always time for some serious readings and sudokus. I had just finished this inspiring book in the MRT in less than a week. Long rides those are.

The Best Scrambled Egg

2009-05-11T11:09:00.008+08:00

For those who enjoy a home-cooked english breakfast (or brunch) on a lazy Sunday, this is a perfect recipe for you. In fact it's more like a method of making eggs than a recipe. Seriously no joking, I had tried it myself and personally think it's the best scrambled egg that I have ever tasted. Not too watery nor too dry, the delicate scrambled bits are so smooth that they almost melt in your mouth. I guess must be the method of on-and-off the stove that makes the wonderful texture of the scrambled egg. See it for yourself.

Instead of using creme fraiche (pronounced as "cream fresh"), I had substituted it with a dollop of natural yogurt instead (the leftover ingredient of yesterday's dinner) and I think you can also use sour cream. I had too added some cheddar cheese in which I do that everytime when I make scrambled egg. Didn't have chives so had omitted that, pepper and salt to taste (I put less salt cause the cheese is already salty) and voila!

Trust me, get some sourdough bread, creme fraiche, chives, tomatoes and mushroom and start right away!

Vanilla Sugar

2009-05-02T22:22:00.010+08:00

After sending J off at the bus terminal (he was leaving to KL after the ice-cream making workshop), I headed to Phoon Huat to get some plump and pulpy vanilla pod. I am going to visit my uncle and aunt who had just came back from the US for a short stay and thought that a jar of home made vanilla sugar could be a very decent and earnest gift for them.

The first time I got to know the existence of vanilla sugar was through Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef show which was showing at Discovery Travel and Living channel about 4 years ago. It was very impressive when Jamie said he had always sent a big jar to his mother on her birthdays. I think it's really a great gift especially for people who enjoys tea and coffee. It acts just like the vanilla syrup that is used in caramel macchiato which you order from the menu at Starbucks. When your coffee can now taste so much better, it too looks so much cooler when you bring your friends over for a cup of coffee and indulge them with this deluxe sugar.

the small dots are the seeds from the vanilla pods

Vanilla Sugar

adapted from Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:
1 vanilla pod
1 cup of superfine sugar (I had used 5 vanilla pods for 1 kg of sugar;try to get the finest sugar you can get but not icing sugar)

Methods:
1. Cut the vanilla pods into quarters and place in a food processor (I had used a blender instead) and process. Scrap the side and process again.
2. Mix the sugar in and process for about 2 minutes. Sieve the mixture into a bowl and return the big lumps into the food processor and blend again. Repeat the process until you get the most out of the pods.
3. Keep the vanilla sugar in an air-tight container and use it for your coffee, tea, dessert and anything you like.

I had infused an extra whole vanilla pod in the jar to further intensify the aroma and taste and perhaps as decorative purposes too.

When J is back from KL, we will make our jar of vanilla sugar together. :)

And I guess I will use the remaining pods to make custard for eclairs that I always wanted to make. Stay tuned.

P/S: You can get vanilla pods at Cooking Island for those who are staying in Penang.

PHOTOLOG #19: 20090501

2009-05-02T19:01:00.005+08:00

J and I went to an ice-cream making workshop at a local ice-cream parlour today. I personally think that the workshop is very well conducted and I had won myself a pint of ice cream by giving the correct answer of a quiz question. We had fun making and tasting our self-made ice-cream and the best part was what that came next... ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET!!!! As what the owner David said, there are about 30 flavours selling at the shop but J and I only got to taste 8 flavours... We were too full after sharing the 8 scoops of ice-cream, 1 waffle and 2 cappuccinos. We had chosen the 8 most appealing flavours and I think we had found our favourites. There are some really adventurous flavours like D-24 durian, mau san wang durian and cempedak which we weren't interested to try. But I guess those are the flavours that somehow make the shop stands out from the typical ice-cream parlour you always see.

In the end I had chosen a flavour that J, Elmo and I can enjoy together... no chocolate or coffee this time. :D

Basic Creamy Cheesecake

2009-04-26T15:11:00.011+08:00

The original recipe makes a 16 servings cheesecake in a 9" springform. I had halved the recipe as there are only 5 mouths at home including Elmo, and the portion had fitted nicely in my one and only 7" springform pan (I had left my 6", 9", 10" and 11" back at home). This cake has a velvety texture with New York cheesecake kinda "dense and rich" flavour if you know what I mean. In fact it's almost like New York cheesecake but not quite yet because there isn't any lemon in it. It's also one cake that you can customise and play around to suit your own taste.

Basic Creamy Cheesecake

adapted from "Baking From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (I had used Mcvities digestive biscuit, placed them in a ziplock bag and rolled them into crumbs with a rolling pin)
3 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
2 pounds (4 8-ounce boxes) cream cheese, at room temperature (I had used 2x250g boxes)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sour cream or heavy cream, or a combination of the two (note: you can make the cake milder or tangier by using all heavy cream or all sour cream, or a combination of the two. I had used all sour cream.)

Methods:
To make the crust:
1. Butter a 9" springform pan and wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of aluminium foil.
2. Stir the crumbs, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour over the melted butter and stir until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist (you can use your fingers).
3. Turn the ingredients into the springform pan and use your fingers to pat an even layer of crumbs over the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the sides. Don't worry if the sides are not perfectly even.
4. Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven. (The crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.)
5. Centre a rack in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the springform on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool on a rack while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Note: Although the crust will bake with the cake, don't skip the quick 10 mins prebaking - it's what gives the crumbs their nice crunch.

To make the cheesecake:
1. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 4 minutes.
3. With the mixer running, add the sugar and salt and continue to beat for another 4 minutes or so, until the cream cheese is light.
4. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one by one, beating for a full minute after each addition - you want a well-aerated batter.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the sour cream and/or heavy cream.
6. Put the foil-wrapped springform pan in a roasting pan that is large enough to hold the pan with some space around it. (I don't have such a roasting pan so I had used a disposable 9"x11" aluminium pan instead. Plan to reuse it for whatever recipes that call for waterbath.)
7. Give the batter a few stirs with rubber spatula, and scrape the batter into the pan. (If you have a pan with lower sides and have leftover batter, you can bake the batter in buttered ramekins or small souffle mold.)
8. Put the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into it to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
9. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, at which point the top should be browned (note: I found mine wobbly from about 3" from the centre, which is perfectly normal. Do not test your cake with a skewer as it will never come out clean.).
10. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open a little. Allow the cheesecake to luxuriate in its waterbath for another hour.
11. After 1 hour, carefully pull the setup out of the oven, lift the springform pan out of the roaster, and remove the foil. Let the cheesecake come to room temperature on a cooling rack.
12. When the cake is cool, cover the top lightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours; overnight is better.
13. Before serving, remove the sides of the springform pan, and set the cake on a serving platter.

This is one ideal celebration cake which certainly will bring you gasps of satisfaction when you place it on the table. Most importantly is it's so easy to make at home. Get the first taste of the freshly-baked homemade cake and look at the gratification of your loved ones when they savour the cake bite after bite, how comforting it is?

PHOTOLOG #18: 20090426

2009-04-26T10:17:00.006+08:00

Hello!! It had been a really long time since my last photolog post. So sorry for my absence and as compensation I had made something to make you drool hoho....

Recipe coming up next...

ECO

2009-04-24T12:44:00.023+08:00

Some small steps that J and I have been constantly practicing for the health of the motherearth:
- recycle newspaper as well as those advertisement leaflets, brochures, catalogues etc.

- share a stirer (especially when we are at cafes like Starbucks which no teaspoons are provided and for to-gos also of course)

- take just enough serviettes at restaurants, and return unused (and clean) packet sauces to the counter

- if I really have to use a piece of tissue after meal, I will split it into half and share the other half with J

- do not ask for receipts whenever possible (during withdrawals at ATM, EZ-link top-ups, parking autopay etc)

- ask for e-statements instead of printed statements (bank statements, credit card bills etc)

- use our own shopping bags (for groceries especially) whenever possible

- reuse wrapping papers and ribbons (mine had been reused for years and most of the time I will thick-skinnedly ask the wrapping papers back when I give out presents but anyway I give presents mostly to close friends or family so they don't really mind. If I have to get wrapping papers I would lean towards recyled or fibre type of material as those wrappers won't get wrinkled easily or maybe get paperbags which can be used again and again!)

- do not use a straw when I have canned drinks (but I will wipe the opening to make sure there isn't any rat urine)

- bring our own water in water bottle when we are out (to save $$ also haha..)

- switch off lights that aren't in used

I don't call myself as some environmental extremist nor am trying to be a self-righteous tree hugger as these environmental acts actually come quite naturally. It's more like a habit now, all good ones I believe.

But there are certainly items that I need to pay more attention to such as:
- the amount of disposable containers and bags that I had used during the daily da-paos. Haven't find the perfect reusable containers for noodle soup. But at least I always ask the hawkers not to give me any disposable utensils. Maybe I should try to eat-in more.

Update

2009-04-20T22:37:00.003+08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I had been working my ass off for the past week and was half dead when I reached home everyday. And I guess this will continue for at least another half a month...

So... I will try my very best la...

PHOTOLOG #17: 20090415

2009-04-15T22:43:00.004+08:00

Dinner at work.

Didn't finish it though cause lost of appetite seeing the piling works.

PHOTOLOG #16: 20090414

2009-04-14T22:29:00.002+08:00

A little surprise of the day from J.

"Creamy peanut butter M&M for you!" he said.

Excitedly I exclaimed," Wow! They actually have chunky peanut butter M&M too?!"

"Yea, the normal peanut M&M ma chunky peanut butter M&M lo..."

-______-

Don't know, I just found it a bit funny.

PHOTOLOG #16: 20090412

2009-04-12T23:04:00.003+08:00

Accidentally found this digital scale which I had been looking for so long. It was a serendipity.

Hot Chocolate Fondant

2009-04-12T19:12:00.010+08:00

I had decided to make Chocolate Fondant for the 2nd time, to give J a little surprise of the day. The first time I made was on the last Valentine's Day, and the recipe that I had used called for less flour and hence the outcome was a bit pudding-liked, although it was still sinfully luscious. This 2nd time I tried a different recipe of Gordan Ramsay which called for more flour and hence the overall texture is more cakey with a divine liquid centre which I personally think is one level higher! It's so presentable and sublime but I promise it is 100% easy to make. Definitely an "in-law" kinda material, bake this to impress!

I had doubled the recipe to make 4 fondants. The unbaked batter (in individual ramekins) can be frozen for up to 2 months but I think they will be long in your stomach by then haha.

Hot Chocolate Fondant

adapted from "Makes It Easy" by Gordon Ramsay

Yield: 2

Ingredients:
50g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
2 tsp cocoa powder, to dust
50g good quality bitter chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), in pieces
1 egg
1 egg yolk
60g caster sugar
50g plain flour

Methods:
1. Heat the oven to 160. Butter 2 large ramekins, about 7.5cm in diameter, then dust liberally with cocoa powder.
2. Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set over a pan of hot water, then take off the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Using an electric whisk, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk and sugar together until pale and thick, then incorporate the chocolate mixture.
4. Sift the flour over the mixture and gently fold in, using a spatula. Divide between the ramekins and bake for 12 minutes.
5. Turn the chocolate fondants out onto plates and serve immediately.

Remember not to overbake this if not you won't be getting the oozing melted lava. I found the freezing method is particularly useful in this, which you can freeze the batter till it's hard before baking so that the inside will get cooked slower and is still in liquid form when it's done baking. Oh ya, while waiting for the oven to preheat, you might wanna leave the frozen batter to thaw for about 8 minutes.

Gonna finish up the remaining 2 fondants tonight for dessert. Gtg. Tada! <3

PHOTOLOG #15: 20090411

2009-04-11T23:01:00.004+08:00

Recipe coming up next... Stay tuned!

Lovable day!

PHOTOLOG #14: 20090410

2009-04-10T18:09:00.004+08:00

Happy Good Friday! Look at the smile on our face, it's a holiday today!

We were heading to the church for a musical presentation specially arranged for this Easter. The presentation was real good and one colleague that I had brought over even asked me are those actors real actors/singers?

PHOTOLOG #13: 20090408

2009-04-08T21:42:00.004+08:00

This is taken at the ground floor of the office block which my office is located.

The time was 2053.

PHOTOLOG #12: 20090407

2009-04-07T20:58:00.009+08:00

I had missed to update my photolog yesterday cause J was using the internet and when he was done I had became disinclined to blog.

Pink is always not the 1st choice for me but I had taken the courage to grab this pink canvas bag home. Partly it's because the other 3 colours (diarrhea brown, duck shit green and mouldy grey) didn't really gain my favour. I got it from a Billabong outlet store and it costed me $29.95. I think it's quite a good buy.

Random: Everyone is getting their own house... I can't say I am not envious... :((

Homemade Mango Sorbet

2009-04-05T22:40:00.006+08:00

The moment when I got hold of the mangoes, I know exactly what I am gonna do with them. From the DVDs that I had borrowed from the library last week, Jamie Oliver had demonstrated how to make Passion Fruit Sorbet (pronounced Sor-Bay). I think replacing the passion fruit with mango is a brilliant idea. In fact you can be more adventurous playing around with it, put in any fruits of your liking and even alcohol like Campari (like Jamie did) and Grand Marnier. It might sound very poshy but in fact it can be made at home without any high priced ice cream maker.

The outcome turned out to be near to perfect. Having a light and icey texture it makes a very good summer dessert. The lemon juice that I had added in kinda neutralised the sweetness of the mango and make it wonderfully refreshing.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 lemon
3 medium size riped mangoes, peeled and cubed

Methods:
1. Place sugar and water in a saucepan on medium heat. After the sugar is dissolved, let it boil for another 2 minutes to thicken it a little. That's simple syrup. Let cool.
2. Puree the mango cubes in a food processor.
3. Pour in the simply syrup and lemon juice out of 1 lemon. Puree until it's smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into an air-tight container and freeze.
5. When the sorbet is half frozen (after 3-4 hours), remove it from the freezer and scratch the icey mixture with a fork. This is to break the large ice cystral that have formed on the sorbet and that's how the sorbet can become fluffy. At this point you can adjust the sweetness by adding in some water if it's too sweet or more sugar syrup if it's not sweet enough.
6. Refreeze it for another 3-4 hours or until it's hard enough to be served.

PHOTOLOG #11: 20090405

2009-04-05T21:43:00.004+08:00

Inspired by Jamie Oliver. It's easy peasy but looks classy enough for any occasion. I think it's a perfect summer dessert.

Recipe coming up next...

Banana and Oat Muffin

2009-04-04T15:18:00.012+08:00

The recipe that I got it somewhere but forgot where it is... The texture turned out to be a little chewy. I guess it's because of the oats. Elmo loves it though. Perhaps I should try with rolled oats next time. And not to forget to add some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to give it a kick. Well... there is always room for improvement isn't it? :)

Yield: ~8 large muffins

Ingredients:
3 riped bananas, mashed
1/3 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, slight beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC .
2. Mix oats and milk and let soak for approx. 10 minutes or until the milk is absorbed.
3. Mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
4. Mix in the sugar, egg and vanilla extract.
5. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over and batter and combine well. At this stage you can add in the grounded nutmeg and cinnamon.
6. Fold in the flour, mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
7. Fold in the oats and milk mixture.
8. Pour the batter into muffin cups or lined muffin tray.
9. Bake for approx. 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
10. Let cool on a rack.

PHOTOLOG #10: 20090404

2009-04-04T14:57:00.004+08:00

J and I were attracted to these so called Honey Mangoes when we were on our way to the market for breakfast. The seller claimed that these mangoes are super duper sweet and hence the name Honey Mango. We bought 1.5kg for $5 and I had started to think what I can do with them instead of the boring peel and eat.

I have an idea. Guess what? :D

PHOTOLOG #9: 20090403

2009-04-03T22:10:00.008+08:00

Sometimes I feel like a loser feeling insecured over someone who had constantly showered me with reassurance. Today is one of those days.

Anyway, I am gonnna make J some breakfast muffins tomorrow with the riped bananas that I had purposely bought from the fruit stall. If you have bananas which are too riped for consuming just like that, use them for your baking goods and they will turn out pretty like a charm.

PHOTOLOG #8: 20090402

2009-04-02T20:18:00.007+08:00

My current read that I had stolen from J without his permission when he was at page 18, I think, since I had exquisitely removed his bookmark as well and replaced with mine.

Starbucks has always had a special place in my heart. And it came as a surprise to me when J told me he was once a partner too! That was years before we met each other and fell in love. The 8 months working in Starbucks as a barista is by far the best working experience that I ever had. Anyway I am now at page 65, kinda slow as I can only dedicate a mere 40 minutes per day for the book, which equals to the amount of time I spend travelling in MRT alone from work back home. Can't read in the morning journey as that's the time I enjoyably immerse myself in the free read of newspaper. And these days I am soooo busy worshipping my Jamie at night.

PHOTOLOG #7: 20090401

2009-04-01T21:20:00.006+08:00

100% durian.

As what I said, unadulterated bliss...

Ha! I am good. Can that durian pancake store take this as their tagline? I would like to sell to them for a lifetime supply of durian pancakes. Bliss!!

PHOTOLOG #6: 20090331

2009-03-31T22:52:00.002+08:00

Jamie is singing lullaby... gtg!

The Story of a Girl who cares for our Mother Nature

2009-03-31T21:41:00.009+08:00

First and foremost, I'd like to say thank you to the lovely blog owner to allow me to be a guest blogger. So my first contribution will be about her and her kind deeds in helping our environment.

This is a story about a girl who cared for the environment. She would think twice before acting to make sure it does not cause more greenhouse gas to our wonderful mother earth than it should.

It all started with today's dinner, which was a healthy meal from subway...

and a walk in the neighborhood with the dog...

Ta-da! Subway Double Choc Cookie! :D

I hope you guys were entertained. The blog owner is nicely taking a rest while watching a Jamie Oliver video which she borrowed from the library.

Oh, the moral of the story is... RECYCLE!

Til next time, enjoy your life!

PHOTOLOG #5: 20090330

2009-03-30T21:14:00.007+08:00

You are my crutch in times of infirmity...

PHOTOLOG #4: 20090329

2009-03-29T13:46:00.006+08:00

I always feel good riding at Balestier Street cause it's one place that I feel like I am back in Penang again...

PHOTOLOG #3: 20090328

2009-03-28T14:03:00.008+08:00

It has been a routine to have breakfast with J every Saturday morning before his work. If we aren't making our own breakfast, normally we will settle for either McD/McCafe or the hearty oriental breakfast set from the coffee shop nearby our place.

Saturday breakfast is always a moment that I am eagerly looking forward since the start of a week...

Have a nice weekend everyone.

PHOTOLOG #2: 20090327

2009-03-27T22:57:00.013+08:00

Reese Peanut Butter Cups. I used to like them so much. But since after I had known J and had exposed myself to a wide variety of noirs, Reese peanut butter cups had then became too sweet for my liking. Though, I still vividly remember the feeling when I had my first bite of Reese mini cup. The dollop of creamy peanut butter coated with a nice proportion of silky milk chocolate had really triggered my taste bud to the very max (at that time). Since then I had been hunting for Reese everywhere but the best I could find was the big cups which I personally think the choc:PB proportion isn't as nice as the minis.

Anyway when I laid my eyes on the bags of Reese mini cups in a duty free shop at LCCT, some good memories just kinda flashed back and I suddenly remembered how much I used to love these pieces of bliss. Without hesitation I grabbed a bag even when it had burnt a hole in my pocket, costed me about RM50.

1 month had passed and I still have half a bag in the refrigerator and I started to wonder how I could have fallen in love with them in the first place...

PHOTOLOG #1: 20090326

2009-03-26T22:20:00.014+08:00

Aunty Teo and I have a plan.

We had agreed to adhere to the plan and be as persistent as we possibly can.

It's called the PHOTOLOG.

What we both will do is, we will upload a daily picture everyday along with a short passage or perhaps a few sentences as caption is too fine. We both think it's a fun thing to do as the project will keep us close even when physically we are far apart, and at the same time keep us active in the blogosphere. Personally it feels good to share a special thing with someone significant.

So as starter I would like to show a pic of us,
which was taken ages ago when I cheated her into that position so that her face would look BIGGER than mine. Seriously it's a BKM that I think every gals should learn.

Remember how we used to push each other's face to the front whenever we take picture together haha... It's truly my utmost pleasure to have known someone like her. May our friendship last forever, and this... will be my very first photolog.

Another Saturday Ride

2009-03-21T15:47:00.029+08:00

It had been a real long time since I last rode on my bike. J had been losing touch on his riding too, except the routine short rides to and back from work. Guess we need some time to start picking up everything again and to get really serious on our training for Sundown Marathon. We are both participating in the 42km full marathon category but this time round J won't be staying with me for the whole 42km journey as he has his own personal record to break (in other words I am pathetically a snail runner). So I better prepare myself and really dwell into some intensive training in despite of the long working hours that I am currently suffering.

The weather had became insanely unpredictable lately but thank God that it was perfectly sunny this morning. We had decided to go for an easy ride to the nearby Lower Peirce Reservoir.

J was inflatting the tyres and Elmo was feeling grumpy after J told him that he can't tag along this time. We really should install a crate or something on our bike for the ease of bringing Elmo around. I really hope that he can too share the fun we are having.

Camwhoring a little before starting off. Elmo was feeling grumpy still. :( He just had his new haircut last week and is completely bald right now. The Shih Tzu next door named Xiao Wei is going bald too, so sometimes when we happened to stumble on the owner walking the dog, it's kinda funny to see 2 botak dogs mingling and smelling each other haha... Oh ya! See my new jersey? That's my very first cycling jersey which is a Valentine's Day present from You-Know-Who <3 The baby blue makes me look like a very sweet pro but in fact I am not wahahaha.. I mean I am still sweet but not a pro... yet

Here we are! The astonishing view of the reservoir. All the reservoirs in Singapore are particularly scenic and infrastructural that the government had made them to be recreational hubs for people to enjoy the wild greeneries and the serene backdrops away from the cityscapes. They are one of the few places that you can have a taste of natures in Singapore, which are not too natural for me though because they are way too well-maintained and had made friendly for all classes. Remember one time when I saw some kids catching reared fishes in an artificial longkang I was like hmmmm... do those kids actually know how a chicken looks like?

J made me do this *act innocent* and he told me that he'll be snapping only my pointing arm and the backdrop. When I confronted him later he said my arm is attached to my body and hence he had to include my whole body. Very the lame la this guy..

Another great view at the reservoir with pretty well-trimmed piece of grassland.

Spotted 2 beagles from far hehe... was telling J that we should bring Elmo for a good run here one day...

Our bikes resting side by side. Guess which pretty one is mine?

Overall the ride is fun with a few slopes which are good for training but I am looking forward for longer rides. Anyway hope this ride can at least be a motivation for J to liven up the engine again after slacking on training for so long, if not the sacrifices of my precious sleeping hours will really come to a waste grrrrrr.

And last but not least.. the perfect breakfast after a perfect ride with a perfect man..

New Home

2009-03-09T15:50:00.025+08:00

Went back home for the weekends and was excited to see the renovation progress of the new house. Dad and mom seemed to be very thrilled too, judging by 90% of their conversations were all about this house. During the first visit to the house since my last trip home, my super dad actually surprised me with some of his DIY works which I never thought can be Do-It-Ourselves. All the guys must be blaming dad for spoiling the market la. How to find such handy man like him?

The wooden deck at the 2nd floor balcony just beside the living room. Before this the floor was cemented and covered with small pebbles, until dad did the miracle and transformed it into a deck.

From measuring and sawing the wood planks to nailing, polishing and painting, superdad did all by himself. Seriously, I want superdad to teach my bf all these.

Supermum resting on the newly bought leather couch while superdad working hard on the deck under the hot sun. So demoralising...

While I was busy snapping photos and doing nothing else, mum suggested that I should offer to take some of the works off dad's shoulder. Being the best daughter I agreed and wanted to show my creativity on dad's deck but he shooed me away from his territory and handed me a roller and a tray of paint to draw a Monalisa on the wall.

Haha.. kidding. I don't dare seriously.

I was assigned to paint the piece of wall above the fish pond but after 15 mins of painting when I realised that I wasn't tall enough to reach half of the wall, dad took over the job cause he thought I wasn't good with the ladder. So there I was, back into position busy snapping again.

Paint work and ladder. The holes on the wall are actually the outlets for the fountain later on.

This is photographed from my room which window is 1 floor above the soon-to-be fish pond. From the picture you can see that the wooden deck is perpendicular to the fish pond, surrounding the living room.

The long window at the staircase from 3rd floor to 2nd, which I suggested to mum that it should be curtained cause I think we should have some privacy. Mum said it's unnecessary cause I have nothing to let others see. -____- very funny..

Going down..

Dining hall and entrance to the dry kitchen.

The dark-wooden cabinet in the dry kitchen. You can't imagine how big is the combined kitchen of wet and dry. Didn't take a picture of it but just imagine a kitchen which can fit in 10 mattresses side by side? I so want it. :(

A totally unrelated picture but just wanna show you our first 30km (to and fro) night ride from Ang Mo Kio to Marina Bay back to Ang Mo Kio. It's always fun to ride on the road except the time we did a trial-ride from AMK to my work place when J lost his patience and made me feel like I am stupid :((( Anyway, this ride was fun and the background is the renowned and operating Singapore Flyers. Beside me is the handy man that will build our future home.

The Ramekins Encounter

2009-03-01T23:54:00.003+08:00

I have been looking for nice ramekins for ages, since when I started baking and had learnt the uncountable dishes that I can possibly come out with these wonderful pieces of china. Just before the last Valentine's Day when I was planning to surprise J with a sinful Chocolate Fondant dessert (that will be the story of another day) which had called for ramekins to mould the batter, I had failed to find it anywhere that I could possibly think of. So, instead of using ramekins, I had brilliantly replaced it with stainless steel jello moulds that I had found on the supermarket shelf. Though the outcome was still good, but the ramekin-hunting mission didn't end just like that.

Today, when J and I were hunting for a cover for my new baby (got this from J for completing my very 1st marathon <3, and that will too be the story of another day) at Mayer in Plaza Singapura, well we couldn't find what we were supposed to get but we found an interesting shop called Daiso just a few blocks away. It's not some lavish shop that will burn a hole in your pocket but it's actually a 100 Yen shop that surprisingly sells a lot of quality stuffs with a mere $2 of all items! We had fun running through all the shelves, and that was when I spotted the beautiful pieces of china that I had been yearning for. Can you imagine that? At a 100 Yen shop? $2 for a piece of art that will ecstasize your life with so so much wonders?

It's not even those cheapo-looking ramekin. It's made in Japan!!

Look at the beautifully crafted blue stripes.

And yea.. I was being so ambitious that I had gotten 6 of them to make a...
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leaning tower of ramekins.

It's gonna be so much fun, isn't it?

P/S: I know the kitchen towel background is a disaster but seriously you don't wanna know what's at the back of the scene.

Search No More

2008-02-25T00:19:00.000+08:00

Just about 3 months ago when I felt so overwhelmed and lost as if the whole world was collapsing upon me, someone reached me. He, bearing the name of a Healer, came into my life to heal my broken heart bit by bit. One day, when I abruptly found out that my heart no longer aches, I was contented and overjoyed; but too... I felt something strange. Deep inside my mended heart, I felt a tinge of Love that I thought I had long forgotten...

That late night ride on the empty streets when the world froze around us which I could still vividly remember, your smiles and your sparkling eyes enamored me so much that I realised my feelings for you that I could no longer hide... On this momentary day just before the end of year 2007, I received the best gift a person can ever received, which is the gift of Love. Since after, my life would never be the same again.

I have no fear, cause I've found the one that I had been searching all my life, the one that I thought I'd never find. Here we cross our hearts and with your hand in mine, together we will run in search of bliss that can be shared by just you and me.

Chilled Oreo Cheesecake

2007-09-17T23:09:00.001+08:00

I had made this recipe more than once, and everytime it turns out beautifully with consistent taste. The texture of this cheesecake is smooth and light, and less stodgy than New York Cheesecake. Overall it isn't too sweet but from time to time you will be on cloud nine when you get a bite on the scattered Oreo, and on the Oreo crust that is good even if you eat it on its own.

The best thing that I found on this recipe is, it requires minimum cooking time but you will still get a masterpiece that amazes your peers as it doesn't involve any baking that usually takes hours to cool down before sending it into the refrigerator.

Chilled Oreo Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

220 g whole Oreo

120g melted butter

Filling:
100g sugar
8 egg yolks
500g cream cheese
22g gelatine powder dissolved with 100ml of hot water
300ml whipped cream
50g cooking chocolate
1 packet of Oreo sandwiches

Yield: A 9" cake that feeds 12 stomachs

Method:

For crust:
1. Blend the whole Oreo in a food processor until it assembles fine crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, simply place the cookies into a large clean plastic bag, seal it up and crush them by rolling a pin over the bag.
2. In a bowl, mix the Oreo crumbs with melted butter until all the crumbs take on a wet appearance.
3. Press the mixture into a 9" round springform tin. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 mins until the base is firm.

For filling:
1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar lightly over a pot of simmering water. Make sure that the base of mixing bowl doesn't touch on the water. Whisk until the texture becomes thick and lighter in colour.
2. Beat cream cheese on low until smooth and creamy. Pour in the melted gelatine mixture and mix evenly with a spatula.
3. Pour the whisked egg yolk into the cream cheese mixture gradually and mix till evenly combined.
4. Fold in whipped cream.
5. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture onto the prepared base, lay oreo cookies on top of the filling and pour the remaining mixture on top.
6. Mix 2 tbsp of cream cheese mixture with melted chocolate and spoon it on top of the cheesecake. Use a skewer to swirl it into marble effect.
7. Chill in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Normally the price of a cake will skyrocket when it's tagged with a "cheese" word. Try this homemade cheesecake that doesn't need an oven, which you probably need to spend only half of the money that you spend on any store-bought cheesecake.

Char Siew Chicken with Fragrant Buttered Rice

2007-07-23T23:05:00.000+08:00

Char Siew chicken served with chicken rice is such a common food pairing which you can find in almost any kopitiam in Penang. Eating them is such a pleasure that they blend so harmoniously on your tongue, with the perfect proportion of sweetness and saltiness. The recipe is too applicable as chicken wing marinates for BBQ (which will crown you the name Chicken Wing King/Queen I gurantee).

Char Siew Chicken with Chicken Buttered Rice

Ingredients:

Char Siew chicken:
2 fresh chicken breast fillet
30g chopped garlic
30g chopped ginger
50g sweet Taucheow
30ml honey
3tbsp oyster sauce
30g sugar
1/4 tbsp five spice powder

Fragrant Buttered Rice:
1 cup Thai fragrant rice
25g butter
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tsp crushed ginger
2 pcs pandan leaves
1.5 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt

Yield: feeds 2 stomachs

Methods:

Char Siew Chicken:
1. Marinate the chicken with oyster sauce, sugar and five spice powder. Cover with cling wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

2. Saute chopped garlic and ginger in some oil till fragrant. Add sweet taucheow and honey. Mix well and simmer for 1 min.

3. Pour the gravy on the surface of the chicken (on a baking tray).

4. Roast in oven at 160°C for 20 to 30 mins until the meat is cooked in the caramelised sauce.

5. Serve with chicken buttered rice.

Chicken Buttered Rice:

1. Rinse and drain fragrant rice.

2. Saute garlic and ginger with butter in a pot.

3. Add chicken stock, pandan leaves and salt.

4. Pour the mixture onto the rice in a rice cooker and cook as usual.

5. Serve with Char Siew Chicken.

If you think that those those instant bottled Char Siew sauce makes no difference than this, I can only tell you that you are so wrong. Trust me, spend a little more time and I assure you that you will dream of yourself chopping Char Siew at your own Char Siew stall after you eat this dish.

Green Curry Chicken

2007-06-18T23:00:00.001+08:00

This dish has a very delightful shade of green, the type of green that used to be my favourite colour when I was young. It's not hard to make green curry from scratch. But if you are really an eventful person that you wanna save the hassle as much as possible, you can always get the readied green curry paste at the supermarket. Bear in mind that green curry paste that made by hand has a really vibrant flavour that a commercial product can never hope to achieve.

Sexy shade of green

Green Curry Chicken

Ingredients:
500g any chicken parts of your preference
250g potatoes, halved
1 cup chicken stock
1½ cup coconut milk
3 kaffir lime leaves, lightly crushed

Green curry paste:
4 long green chillies, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, smashed
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp peanut oil

Garnishing:
Coriander leaves

Yield: feeds 4 stomachs

Method:
1. Place all the ingredients for green curry paste into a food processor and process until smooth. Paste is ready and set aside.

2. Heat a frying pan with a little oil over medium heat. Add green curry paste. Cook, stirring, for approximately 5 minutes or until the paste is fragrant.

3. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook, stirring to coat, for 2 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, potatoes, kaffir lime leaves and a pinch to salt to taste. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the curry is thick.

5. Garnish with some coriander leaves.

Green Curry Chicken

If you are able to scoop out some time to make your own green curry paste, it's well worth the small effort required. And you will be amazed how flavoursome this dish turns out with the effort you spent.

Lastly, I personally think that GREEN curry is really sexier than the ordinary red one. :)

Herbed Butter Rice

2007-05-07T22:45:00.000+08:00

This is a very appropriate dish for potluck, as it goes well with almost anything. I made this as a carbohydrate dish in a BBQ party last Friday and received several favourable responses. It gives an exotic taste but the ingredients used are rather oriental. I simply used up some pandan leaves and kaffir lime leaves from my garden and voila!

Herbed Butter Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups long grain rice, washed and drained
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp oil
1 big yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups water
1 lemongrass, smashed
2 pandan leaves, shredded and knotted
½ cup raisins
5 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

Seasoning:
1 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
Generous dash of pepper
½ tsp salt to taste

Garnishing:
Chopped spring onion (I used chopped chives to give a more exotic flavour)

Yield: feeds 4 person

Method:
1. Heat up butter and oil in a wok.
2. Toss in garlic and onion and fry till they are soft.
3. Add in lemongrass and pandan leaves. Cook for about 1 min with constant stir.
4. Stir in rice and seasoning. Mix well to combine (ensure that the rice is cover with a layer of oil).
5. Dish the rice mixture into the electric rice cooker and add in water. Cook the rice as usual.
6. When rice is almost cooked and dry, add in the raisins and kaffir lime leaves. Stir well to mix.
7. Continue to cook the rice till it's fully cooked.
8. Sprinkle some chopped chives on top of rice before serving.

Elmo didn't get to taste this heavenly dish as it contains onion which can be harmful to dogs (due to the toxic ingredient thiosulphate). But he didn't seem to mind as I compensated him with a hard-boiled egg. *wink*