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
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!
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.
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?
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.
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.
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. :)
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
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 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
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.
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!
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.
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
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?
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....
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.
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...
