Thank God It Feels Like Friday

Yes it's only Thursday but since tomorrow is a public holiday here, celebrating the birthday of Buddha, it just feels like Friday.... TGIFLF!

How Precious is $50?

This is not meant to invite any jokes, but this is a serious question, even to me as I experienced it (again) last weekend how tough it is to get $50.

Perhaps I made it sound like an agony, but honestly and seriously, I feel that $50 is really a huge sum of money for a lot of people, for those I would say (this is the fact of life) less fortunate than you and me who could just sit somewhere comfortably to read this.

This is my story, trying to give an answer to myself on that question.

Last weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, I decided to work part-time in a kitchen of a bakery somewhere in the expats-patronized region. There are a lot of nice cafes and restaurants to eat there, and you could just easily spend tens of dollars (if not $50) per head without a blink. The work started at 6:30 in the morning on the day when I usually try to sleep in a little (lazy me) and ended only at 6:00pm, and getting worst at 7:00pm on the second day of work.

Wait a minute. Before I continue, perhaps it is good to share my motivation to work in that kitchen (I haven’t found a “real” kitchen restaurant yet), while having my full-time job from Monday to Friday. It's not that I desperately need the $5 per hour wage they offer, and honestly I felt it is really pathetic to earn $5 an hour (in a so-commercialized city like Singapore these days), while taking a cab to get me there costs on average 2-hours-of-working-pay. It's quite funny though as I first mentioned about the remuneration to two of my good friends who are based in the Western countries. Both of them used exactly the same word: "LEGAL" - Is that legal? Isn't that illegal? That would certainly be illegal here!!!

So I think it's quite clear that my reason was neither the money nor the "so much" free time I have that I need to pass/kill. It all boils down to exploring my passion. I want to know how it is like to work in a real commercial kitchen (although bakery is not really like what I have in mind). I want to know how the system works, the kitchen managements, or even just to improve my skills by looking or cutting or boiling or any kind of those. I just want to explore further before making the decision whether I should go to a cooking school and totally switch my career line.   

So, I clocked in at 6:30am on both days and was given 2 pairs of kitchen jackets, complete with the aprons and the tall touques!!! I was quite thrilled when I put them on. I went to the changing room and looked at myself, smiling. Finally I'm getting into a kitchen! Done with that, I quickly went to the kitchen to start the work of the day. Basically the morning rush started with all the baking of the already-prepared chilled dough. Transferring the mini rolls to the baking trays, filling all the buns with yam/red bean/purple sweet potato-paste, blueberry filling, and milk cream, and such. It was quite fun. Without the feeling of spending too much effort, 2 hours passed by. Continued doing that until about 11am and I started feeling hungry. I started to wonder if they would provide some lunch for us. I saw some chicken teriyaki fillet prepared and I thought mmmm... maybe that would be our lunch. Well, I was having some kind of expectation that lunch might be provided, although breakfast not, because I’m working in a kitchen. It was really hot in the kitchen, especially somewhere near the huge oven and not-working air-conditioner, so that makes me really hungry fast.

So I was offered to go for “early” lunch around noon time. But where? Outside? No food provided!!! Well, there’s no choice that I have to get my own food outside, but I thought it won’t be so bad to come out earlier for an hour rest and getting some fresh air. I was told that normally the kitchen work finished around 3:30pm, or worst get extended until 5:00pm. By the time I got back to the office, it would already be 1:00pm and it won't be long till work time is over. By the way, mind you that lunch time is not paid. Maybe this is normal to work part-time. You are remunerated only for the amount of sweat you squeeze from your skin pores, not more than that.

An hours passed by sooooo fast. Soon I was back in the kitchen again. It got even hotter inside with the continuous baking of thousands of bread and buns, and not working air-conditioning system. It was really getting worst and a nightmare. I felt dehydrated and had to drink all the time. Continued working and rolling the croissants and hundreds or thousands of wassants (their famous chocolate/kaya/custard rolls) to be baked for the day, and also to kept in the fridge to prepare for the next day. It went on and on and on and it seemed like never ending. Prepared and rolled my favourite bun ever - the Cinnamon Rolls, hoping somehow that they will give me one! BUT it's really nothing offered. (Oh I make it sound like I’m a cheap-skate). I was reminded of how Gordon Ramsay, during his early days in the kitchen, was treated like a young bastard who got hungry and would eat anything offered all the time. Somewhat I was able to share his feeling. With this kind of intensive labour, one could easily get starved and dehydrated. I just ate my lunch at my normal portion, and as always, only fruit with juice or soy milk for breakfast. Maybe that’s not enough to give me the energy as surely I underestimated that. 

By 5:00pm I was almost dead. I felt like my legs couldn’t support my body anymore, but work is still not done! Next I was asked to wash all the baking trays manually in the tiny sink that just fit the size. Brushed them one by one and rinse them, trying different kind of brush or sponge or clothe to find the most efficient ways to do it. Not happy that it might dry out the skin of my hand with the harsh dish-washing soap. I know you might think I’m so pampered, but hey don't complain. I'm just sharing my experience and what I felt then. So just keep your mouth shut and continue reading, else just close the window and get off!!!

One thing in my mind, I didn't want to come back. I don't know how I could survive to come back on the following day, Sunday, and repeat all this from the beginning. Some guys in the kitchen who knows that I have a full-time job, kept on teasing me not to come back the next day as they saw me totally worn-out. BUT I don’t know for what kind of reasons, maybe pride, maybe I really wanted to test myself, maybe I don’t want to be seen as weak and pampered, or maybe I actually liked it to be in a kitchen, I told myself that I would come back to show.

Finished with the washing, and all the preparation for the next day, we had to wash the kitchen floor. Not only spraying with water and drying it out, but we needed to brush the floor. Honestly, I was almost sitting on the floor, my legs were aching and felt like not able to support my body anymore. I’m only a half-marathoner and have not attempted or trained for the full one yet. I couldn't take it. The worst part is actually my lower back. Got to bend for 10 straight hours was a real hard thing for my lower back. (I smiled actually when I review this writing).  

Hesitated and not happy to wash the floor, cause I thought that I was there only to do the kitchen work, and not to do any kind of cleaning service, I had to do that. So when it was over, the clock was 6:00pm and we were done for the day. What a big relieve! What an accomplishment of the day! Another guy from the kitchen asked me again - more like a tease I would say – “Are you coming tomorrow? No need lah!” (With the Singlish slang of course!). 

Hey hell ya! I'm coming back tomorrow.

(Ugh it was a real challenge to say YES).

I walked out from the back door and felt good getting the fresh air. My shirts were totally drenched with my own sweat. I needed to get it slightly dry out before getting into the fully blushed air-con in the cab. I walked to the taxi-stand. Wait a minute! I stopped and told myself, “Why should I got a cab after working and earning $5 per hour which was like a real physical torture during the last hours?”. I turned my direction towards the bus stop. I totally forgot about my first intention that I was there to learn, to gain an insight about a kitchen and not desperately looking for money. I hopped on the bus and fortunately I got a seat. Not long after that, I got a call from my brother. I told him my experience briefly and he just said, "You should have taken a cab home, you are there to learn and not for the pennies". Yeah, he was right but my mindset was somewhat distorted.

It was a privilege for me to have a job that pays me decent - although seriously not well at all, and still be able to work in that kitchen for something else other than just to earn a living. I'm seriously thinking that this is a real tough world, and maybe unfair life. Well, it's true that some people are born with certain talents, gifts, brains and opportunities that could earn them a million dollars in a year or even more, but on the opposite end, some people has to squeeze their sweat out to earn a bowl of rice – I believe that situation is even worse in poorer countries. 

I am here NOT to question whether life is fair or unfair, doubting the CREATOR's authority. However, this experience certainly forces me to think about money again, to be able to use it wisely.

So $50 is indeed very very precious.  

Am I coming back to the kitchen again....?!? Yes, definitely. I will still be here until I find another kitchen to work for. I’m hoping that I will find my mentor one day. When I get into different kitchens then I will tell you different stories. After all, it's Kitchen Runaway.... :-) 

Tom Yam Goong

Talking about soup - this is surely on the top of my lists. I like the hot and sour taste and the freshness coming from the kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. It's refreshing (and maybe good for your sinus, hehe)! And It's Tom Yam Goong! I'm still curious though, what is the meaning of "Goong" in Thai. Anyone knows?

From Kitchen Runaway

So, here are the ingredients, you can use prawn/ squid/ chicken/ or even mushrooms only for pure vegetarian style.  

• 5-6 large prawns, shelled and deveined
• 1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inches in length
• Few straw mushrooms
• Few slices of galangal
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 5 sprigs cilantro/ coriander leaves
• 2-3 red chilies/ chili peppers
• 1-2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1-2 limes
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (optional)
• 1 tbsp finely sliced lemongrass

Start boiling the water and stock. Peel and de-vein the prawn and set them aside. Cut lemon grass into pieces, 5-6 inches long. Use the back of your knife to pound the lemon grass, just to bruise it to release the flavor. If you want, you can tie the lemon grass into a knot to make it easier to manage. Drop the lemon grass in water and let boil for 5 minutes.

Put the fish sauce and 1 lime's juice into the bottom of the bowls you will serve the soup in. Crush chili pepper and add to the bowl.

Remove the stems from the kaffir lime leaves and add the leafy part to the pot. Clean and halve the mushrooms and add them to the pot. Add the shrimp and turn off the heat. Shrimp gets too tough very quickly, and will cook even when it is just sitting in the warm broth. Scoop the shrimp and liquid into the serving bowls immediately. As soon as you add the liquid to the serving bowl, you will see that the broth becomes cloudy because of the lime juice. Add the nam prig pow. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Be very careful, the peppers can be hot. Take a small sip at a time. Add more fish sauce and/or lime juice if it tastes bland.

Challenging Vegetarian Dim Sum

Dim Sum has always been my favourite dishes. The fresh dumpling with minced pork, or fresh shrimp and leek has always been on the top of the lists. However, this is not easy for the Vegetarians style. No pork or meat, no seafood, no leek or anything from the garlic kingdoms, but still delicious (not only edible). So this is a big challenge!

At least we, from Kitchen Runaway, managed to prepare some: 

1. Steam "5-Sticks" Dumpling

(beancurd skin, baby spinach - optional, carrot stick, stick yellow beancurd stick, bamboo shoot stick, dried shitake mushroom stick, and celery stick)
For the filling and dipping sauce: kikkoman soy sauce, hon-mirin, sesame oil, lemon juice, sugar, chili, ginger, fresh/dried parsley/celery leaves.

2. Boiled or Deep-Fried "Monkey-Head" Dumpling
(ready-made dumpling skin, beancurd, monkey-head mushroom, salt, pepper, celery)
For the dipping sauce: kikkoman soy sauce, sesame oil, chili, ginger, fresh/dried parsley/celery leaves.
For the deep-fried sauce: it goes well with chili sauce or even mayonnaise.

3. Steam "Shrooms" Dumpling

(beancurd skin, variety of mushrooms - button/straw/oyster, carrot, lemon, zest, salt, pepper, corn starch)
For the dipping sauce: beurre blanc sauce - white wine, butter, lemon, salt, pepper.

4.  Pan-Fried Perkedel Potato

(potato, salt, pepper, ground celery)
For the dipping sauce: red chili, tomato, lemon/lime, zest, salt.

5. Green Chili Congee

(rice, vegetable stock, green chili, salt, pepper, celery for garnish)
Optional toppings: peanut (steam/fry), mushroom floss, you-tiao (dough fritters).
 

Desserts:
I believe Dim Sum also need some great desserts :-)

6. Herbal White Mushroom Soup with Almond (Dessert)

(white mushroom, red dates, ginseng roots, dried almond, rock sugar)

7. Grass Jelly Drink (Alternative for Guīlínggāo aka Tortoise Jelly or Turtle Jelly)
(ready-made grass jelly, rock sugar, young ginger)

8. Seriously Mango Purée

(fresh mango, whipping cream, mint leaves for garnish)

From Kitchen Runaway

9. Sedately Durian Purée

(fresh durian, whipping cream - optional, ice, mint leaves for garnish)
Guarantee: Feeling good - serene, sober, solemn, composed.
Disclaimer: NOT for the high-blood pressure folks. 

Coming up:

10. Yam Patty
For the dipping sauce: dark soy sauce, kaffir lime, chili.

11. Spring Roll
For the dipping sauce:  still thinking, but promise it will be awfully good.

12. Yam and Mushroom Congee

13. Vegetable Congee (still thinking of the toppings)

14. Seriously Mango Pudding
(Seriously Mango Purée, agar-agar (alternative for gelatine), sugar)

15. Almond Pudding

16. Durian Fritters


and still squeezing for ideas...
Any inputs/ suggestions from out there? All are welcomed.

A-lot-of-Mistakes Apple Crumble

My first attempt to make Apple Crumble was executed last night. I got home, feeling that I need to do some exercise, decided to go to the pool for few laps. Back home, took my shower, and oh~la~la dinner was ready. So nice of my Kitchen Assistants :-)

It was 8:30 pm and finally I decided that I should make the Apple Crumble. I always love Apple Crumble and I thought it would be worth trying. Anyway, I have prepared 3 different types of apple too in anticipation of this plan.

I started mixing the crumbs - 140g oat porridge + 1 tbsp white sesame seed + 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 25g ground almond, mixed with 50g melted butter and 1 tbsp honey. It tasted good and well you know I love cinnamon. The texture was about right too as it needs to assemble like bread crumbs. I wanted to make it more "crumbs" to I added another tablespoonful of honey (but maybe this is a mistake as some of the crumbs turned to be burnt when I took it out from the oven).

For the apples, I chopped and put it in the pan with 10 cardamoms (this is the first time I tried this species!) and 1 cup of apple-mango juice (not concentrate) plus half lemon and its zest. Actually based on the recipe I should use 1 orange and its zest, but I didn't have any in my fridge. So I just modified it a little bit. After about 10 minutes or so, I took out all the cardamoms, counting 10 of them, and added another pinch of ground cinnamon.... but oooppppssss.... it came out too much from the bottles. Oh well I thought it should be fine and I just mixed them all up. (Maybe this is the second mistake).

Last I scooped them onto the baking dish and covered with the crumbs and run it into the oven at 180 degC (I set it at 200 degC for my small oven). As soon as I shut the door, I screamed..... "What!!! Oh no... oh no...!!! I forgot the sugar". I supposed to sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar (preferably brown sugar) on the apple. (This is the third mistake and perhaps the last one). So it was to late then, and I decided to sprinkle the sugar on top of the oat crumbs and rushed it back to the oven. (Actually this is also another mistake while doing baking - checking and opening the doors too often. I need to confess too that I changed the oven to the grill-mode, trying to "melt" the sugar or at least caramelize it. But it didn't work).

After about 40 minutes, I took it out from the oven. Sadly looking at my Apple Crumble, I still asked my Kitchen Assistants to take a photo of it. The crumbs didn't look golden-ish and some were burnt. Worst the sugar was still there. So I took a fork and started to messed them up slightly to hide the ugly truth.

Despite, I took a scoop of the Apple Crumble for myself and another for my Assistant, served with vanilla ice cream. It's still nice although not delicious. This recipe is supposed to be the healthy type so there is not much sugar.

At least - I made my own Apple Crumble and proudly call it "A-lot-of-Mistakes Apple Crumble".

About 11 pm, I prepared to go to bed, feeling unsatisfied. Honestly, I was not in a subtle mind. Something is bothering me :-(

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

From the kitchen of Julia Child

Servings: 6

Difficulty: Difficult

Cook Time: Over 120 min

This recipe is adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck (Alfred A. Knopf, 1961)

I wish I had the oven to try this Signature Dish. Anyway, it's good to share with anyone out there to try this and hope they will share the experience. Bon appétit!

Ingredients

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
18 to 24 white onions, small
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.
Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).
Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.
Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.
Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.
Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.
Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.
Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.
Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.
Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.
Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.
Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.
Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Khao Niew Ma Muang

That's the Thai word for Mango Sticky Rice.

Wuuuiiiihhhhh.... Yummy!!! Yummy!!! Yummy!!!

I'm so excited to try this. I have been wanting to prepare this Thai dessert. Just to let you know, mango is my favourite fruit..... Hmmmm.... This is gonna be so good (provided I can find some nice ripe mango here).

Ingredients

• 5-6 ripe mangoes peeled and sliced
• 2 cups sticky rice, soak overnight or 5 to 8 hours and drain
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar

Topping

• 3 tablespoons coconut cream and a pinch of salt

Method

1. Boil 3 tablespoons of coconut cream and a pinch of salt over low heat. Set aside for topping
2. Wrap the sticky rice in a clean towel and place in a double steam for 25 to 30 minutes
3. Dissolve the sugar in the coconut cream over a very low heat. Add salt. Stir well. Remove from the heat. Put the cooked sticky rice in a bowl. Gradually blend in the coconut cream. Stir with a wooden spoon, cover and let stand for 15 minutes
4. Serve with mangoes for 5-6 servings

Excited...!!! Going to try this soon.

The Making of Fresh Ravioli

My friend brought her pasta-maker from Jakarta and she let me use that for the first time. I was so excited and happy and I promised her some nice fresh pasta for dinner. I checked on the pasta-maker, she actually didn't realize that when she bought that, it doesn't come with the extension to make spaghetti or tagliatelle, so the machine is only able to make sheet pasta. I thought for a moment that I can actually buy the "cutter" and slice the sheet manually. I changed my mind then, it was just too much work as for now as that would only be my second time making fresh pasta, and I decided to make Ravioli instead.

Last Saturday, besides making the brownies, I made Ravioli with roasted red pepper and blue cheese filling. It was tiring as I was still not so familiar with the dough consistency, but believe me it was a lot of fun. We also don't have a table with the "right" edges to fix the pasta-maker, so I need my Assistant to hold on the machine while I rolled my dough in. So pity of him. I actually spent the whole afternoon from 1pm till 8.30pm in the kitchen, making lunch, baking brownies and making Ravioli. By the time we finished the dinner, it was almost 11pm. But I was happy. I think that's the most important thing.

It was too much work or too much fun, I was not quite sure, but I forgot to prepare the salad for the appetizer. Because I wanted the Ravioli to go with home-made pesto sauce, so there were a lot of ingredients to prepare. All the more, these days we are short-handed as the other Assistant has been working hard to prepare for her CPA Exam this coming May.

I hope we can publish the photos soon. The Fresh Ravioli with Creamy Pesto Sauce. Delicious! 

Kahlúa Brownies

So I had a bottle of Kahlúa sitting about collecting dust and figured that it needed to be put to decent use.

That being said, one must be creative and incorporate neglected liquor in other ways. I enjoyed eating vanilla ice cream with some Kahlúa but I think that will take a thousand years to finish my big bottle.
I'm not a coffee lover, honestly. I love the fragrant of coffee brew, but drinking coffee makes my heart beating fast. Despite that, I do take coffee occasionally and when I do take a sip, I like to have some nice chocolate cake to go with it. So is it any surprise that I poured a small amount into a batch of brownies?
I think not.
The addition of coffee liquor just gives it a nice bit of bitter flavor. If you don't have Kahlúa then using strong coffee or espresso is a perfect alternative.
To cut the long story short, I tried making this dessert cake last Saturday. I bought some nice 77% cocoa chocolate and tried my electric hand-mixer for the first time. Yeepee!
 

Ingredients

• 350g of dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup of butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cups of sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of Kahlúa
• 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups of all purpose flour

Method

1 Lightly grease a baking pan (depends on the size of your over; my oven is quite small so I used the 17x17 cm pan). Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2 In a double boiler or using a bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together.
3 With an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar and salt. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla extract and Kahlúa. Mix until smooth.
4 Slowly sift in the flour.
5 Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for thirty minutes.

The smell was so good and it just filled up the kitchen and dining area with the nice dark chocolate smell... but oh~la~la.... I forgot to check out on my brownies and it was burnt slightly at the top. I'm still not so familiar with the setting of this oven. It's not really good but I know I have to bear with it for a while and make full use of that until someone buys me one for my birthday present, hehe!

From Kitchen Runaway

Despite the slightly over-browned surface, the taste is pretty good. But I wonder why the texture is slightly too dense. Is that because of not enough power on the egg-mixer? Or too much chocolate-butter composition? Or too long mixing of all the ingredients? I'm not quite sure. Anyone out there can advice me? But I can call up my friend - a real baker - next week to get some advice. Now the brownies is our take-to-work breakfast or high-tea menu.

Cinderella

I wonder when Cinderella quoted this.... Anyway this is beautiful and this is what I referred to at the previous post.

Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come shining through.

No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep believing, the dream that you wish will come true.

Le Gordon Bleu

Today I decided to contact the Le Gordon Bleu's Admission Officer from the Ottawa Campus. Because of the 12 hours time-difference, it's a little bit tricky to schedule a call. Well that shouldn't be a problem as I don't normally sleep before midnight anyway. It's quite funny though, one of my Caucasian friends said that Asian doesn't need to sleep. Lol... What a crazy idea!

Anyway, I'll prepare the questions that I need to clarify with her regarding the programme that I'm interested in - the Cuisine Diploma. Will see how it goes, provided I can finance myself for 9 months!

Oh.... Le Gordon Bleu.... that I imagine is like MIT for Engineering... and maybe that could be the answer for my forbidden dream. I said it again, maybe.

I was talking to my sister earlier today, and she reminded me of the text message that I sent to her, my bro, and my youngest sister. I forget how it quotes exactly but tonight I'll check it out again. It's something like, "Never give up even if you have to grieve to achieve that, as one day the rainbow will shine through".

Something Simple for a Change

Last night, going home exhausted, nobody was in the real mood for cooking. I still insisted that I need some home-cook food as I have been eating out for the past Easter weekend. So I thought I just need something simple and healthy for a change. It was only a mixed vegetables of bean-sprout, fresh red chili, carrot, celery, and shitake mushrooms. All were sauteed with olive oil, Sake, Hon-Mirin, salt and Kikkoman soy sauce. Served with warm brown rice. Voala!

The Swiss Roschti

Talking about potatoes, this is also another food that I like. The Roschti. The easiest way to get it, served nice and warm, is from Marche. It's not that I'm promoting Marche, but yes I always get Roschti (with some other stuff) when I hit there.

It was last Saturday, after we finished baking the cakes, we had the urge to eat Roschti. So I looked that we have some potatoes in the kitchen and some cream leftover from the baking activities too. I "ordered" that the (5 med-sized for 3 persons) potatoes were peeled and then shredded, seasoned it with some (1 tbsp) cream, salt, pepper, and baked it in the oven for 15 minutes or so to get the seasoning absorbed and to make it slightly cooked. Some Swiss actually recommends to use day-old-baked potatoes, but we were too hungry to wait until the next day!!!

Applied some butter or olive oil onto a flat non-sticky pan and transferred the baked shredded-potatoes. Pan fried with low heat. Stirred occasionally and pressed down. Served it hot with some mustard and sour cream, or even tomato sauce.

And for me, I like to eat it with Bratwurst (I bought some from the Pan Pacific Hotel) since no one travels to Germany recently. I enjoyed it a lot. Mmmmm.... 

From Kitchen Runaway

Corn and Sweet Potato Soup

The past few weeks, somehow, I started enjoying sweet potato again. I just steam it and have it for breakfast. It's sweetly nice and filling too. My Mom used to tell me that sweet potato is healthy and so nutritious and She even told me that if I wanted to become smart like the Japanese, I should eat sweet potato. Really? I just did some simple search and yes this food is really nutritious and of course somehow, somewhat, somewhere it links to our brain too :)

Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Pink and yellow varieties are high in carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. The purple breed is high in anthocyanin content, which is a pigment that presents the purple color in the vegetable. The pigment can produce red, blue and purple colors depending on the source's chemical structure, such as in foods like blueberries, red grapes and red cabbage. The powerful antioxidant agents from this anthocyanin help to prevent diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. They boost immunity, are anti-inflammatory, and keep bones and skin healthy. I ever read it somewhere too that even the name is "sweet", it is also good for the diabetics. 

Hey, maybe this is just TMI (too much information) but even Oprah Winfrey is advocating increased consumption of sweet potatoes both for health benefits and because of their importance in traditional Southern cuisine.

Ok, I stop now. I realize that I have drifted so much from the cooking of my Corn and Sweet Potato Soup. So back to the story again, since I enjoy eating steam sweet potato, we often have some ready at home. As the name suggests, it's just carrot and sweet potato, sauteed with butter, blended it and added some sour cream. Serve it warm. Best to have it with some nice bread or baguette.

From Kitchen Runaway

It's really sweet, isn't it?

Good Friday with Good Chocolate Fondant

We didn't have any egg-dishes this Easter, but surely we ate a lot of eggs from the Good Friday dinner. I wanted so badly to give it another try baking the Chocolate Fondant. The last time it was failed because I put it a little too long in the oven. The taste was still really good because the ingredients and especially the dark chocolate is really good quality. So since I still have some dark chocolate left, and some guests coming for my dining table, I decided to try it again. This time, I think it was really good. It was served warm and the most important thing is the middle part was still melting. Creamy and yummy.

From Kitchen Runaway

But of course there is still rooms to improve so practice more and it will become better!

Besides, we also cooked Cream Snapper Fillet stuffed with Salmon Fish Mousse for our non-Vegetarians friends and Beancurd Skin stuffed with Mushrooms and Carrot Mousse for the Vegetarians menu. Both served with Beurre Blanc sauce and steamed carrot and broccoli.

It was a pleasant night spent with good friends and good white wine. Unfortunately there are no photos of the food.

Best Advice from the Grand Chefs

Régis Marcon: Enjoy yourself and your guests will enjoy themselves too. And never do things by halves.

Raymond Blanc: Never cook a new dish for your guests. Always try it out on your long suffering family and close friends. Good food starts with wholesome ingredients. Use only the freshest, seasonal food, organic where possible, to ensure wholesomeness and nutritional quality. Always try to have your starter and dessert prepared and ready so you can work on the main course whilst your guests are there.

Jean Coussau: Cook very simply with produce that is exceedingly fresh.

To be continued...

Chocolate Truffles

Want to show me romance and sweep me off my feet? Cook for me! If you don't know how to cook, make me truffles.

Flowers are a sweet gesture, but I don't have a vase so they end up sitting somewhere in the kitchen. Gifts and tokens are sweet and while I may say thank you out loud in my mind I'm saying, "Great, now I have more crud in my house and no place to put it!". Unless you are giving me some really nice kitchen stuff, haha!

Truffles are the simplest of candy to make; cream, chocolate, and time is all it takes to create something blissfully elegant, decadent, and delicious. Be sure to use high quality chocolate, and if you can find it, chocolate that is 62% cacao or higher, and organic cream, as the quality of these ingredients will affect the final product.

Ingredients

Dark Truffle Ganache

• 1000 g Dark Couverture Chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), well chopped into small pieces
• 600gr fresh cream/ whipping cream
• 50gr butter
• 50gr sugar (optional)
• 25gr Cognac/Grand Marnier  
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract (optional)

 Milk Truffle Ganache

• 1000 g Milk Couverture Chocolate
• 500gr fresh cream/ whipping cream
• 50gr butter
• 50gr sugar (optional)
• 25gr Baileys/Raspberry Brandy

 White Truffle Ganache

• 1000 g White Couverture Chocolate 
• 450gr fresh cream/ whipping cream
• 50gr butter
• 50gr sugar (optional) 
• 2gr Malibu/Crème de menthe  

Optional base flavorings

• Mint leaves (1 cup)
• Cinnamon and cardamom (1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods)
• Almond extract (1 tsp)

Truffle coatings

• Cocoa powder
• Finely chopped walnuts
• Finely chopped almonds

Method

1 In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes).
If you are using one of the other recommended flavorings, stir it in with the cream (and ignore vanilla in the next step). If adding mint or other solids, after the cream simmers, remove from heat and let seep for an hour. Then strain away solids, and return the cream to a simmer and proceed with recipe.
2 Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla (optional), and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache).
3 Add the liquor and mix well.
4 Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator until the ganache is thicken. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
5 Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.

Makes 30-40 chocolate truffles.

Recipe is adapted and modified from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jakarta.

Beet Salad with Grilled Leicester Cheese

This salad idea came about after one of my friends bought some beetroot - because she obviously knows the "goodness" of this vegetable - but she didn't know what to do with it. We tried to search for one and created this healthy and refreshing salad menu on our dining table.    

Containing the powerful antioxidant betacyanin, which gives beetroot its deep red hue, this vegetable purifies the blood and has anti-carcinogenic properties. Research shows it boosts the body’s natural defenses in the liver, regenerating immune cells. Also contains silica, vital for healthy skin, fingernails, ligaments, tendons and bones. Beetroot contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, iron, copper, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. Each capsule provides approximately 1-2mg of elemental iron.

Beet is believed to be native of the Mediterranean region of Europe and probably Western Asia. It has been used as a vegetable for the last 2000 years, even by early Greeks and Romans. It was so appreciated by ancients that it was offered on silver to Apollo in his temple at Delphi.

Beet Salad with Grilled Leicester Cheese

(lettuce, pear/apple, avocado, beet (lightly cooked/steamed), wholemeal bread, red leicester cheese)

For the salad sauce: balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, salt and pepper

From Kitchen Runaway

The Enchanting Profiteroles

Last Saturday was another dessert day and sure we had a lot of fun, especially the eating part yeah :-)

We made Profiteroles, or a popular choux pastry.It's really easy to make. Choux paste is baked into small round puffs that are served cold with a sweet filling and sometimes a topping. The filling can be varied as one prefers: whipped cream, pastry cream or cream containing alcohol is also occasionally used. The puffs may be left plain or decorated with chocolate sauce, caramel, or a dusting of powdered sugar. In the US, a profiterole may also be known as a cream puff, though in the UK a cream puff would be made with puff pastry.

So for our Profiteroles, we prepared three different types of filling. No...no...no... It's actually four. The vanilla ice cream, pastry (custard) cream, fresh mango puree and fresh creamy durians. We don't have rum in the kitchen, otherwise that would be so much better for the pastry cream - well that is based on my palate. So I guess I have to keep some rum in stock. The mango puree taste doesn't go along really well for the Profiteroles. I still can't explain why, but that was also the feedback from some friends. So I have to think of other dessert that can compliment the sweet and fragrant taste of the mango. The creamy durians is so good too, but for me, the best still is the vanilla ice cream filling with chocolate sauce. It's heavenly for sure!

From Kitchen Runaway

Tips:

The puffs tend to deflate if left out to cool immediately after baking. To reduce the likelihood of the puffs deflating, some bakers poke holes into the finished puffs right after they have come out of the oven. Then the puffs are placed back into the still-warm, but turned off oven. The heat in the oven makes most of the wet dough inside the cream puff dry out and helps keep the shape of the puff. Another method is to reduce the oven temperature from about 200 deg C to 175 deg C about a quarter of the way into the baking process. This way, the shells are still crisp, but the inside is mostly hollow.

Guacamole

It was for my friends' housewarming, I first tried making my own Guacamole dip. The theme of the dinner was healthy vegetarian food. It was a big challenge for me because I didn't really have much experience on preparing good vegetarian food. Because it was a housewarming and not a big dinner, the food must be simple and yet appetizing for the guests (who mostly are not Vegetarians) to enjoy and eat comfortably while mingling with each other. So I proposed a fresh vegetables/ fruits salad with Guacamole dip as the finger foods. My friends agreed to that and the feedback from the guests was good.  

Guacamole is a dip made from avocados and is originally from Mexico. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words - ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). The trick to perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe yet and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past ripe and not good. In this case, taste test first before using.

Ingredients 

• 3 ripe avocados (2.1/2 for mash and 1/2 for dice)
• 1-2 red chili, stems and seeds removed, minced
• 2 tbps cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tbps fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper
• 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped (optional)

Serve as a dip for vegetables salad or with tortilla chips.

Method
1 Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. 
2 Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.
Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve. 
3 Add the diced-avocado to give the bites-feeling. 
4 Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.
5 Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

Serves 4-6.

Variations

 For a very quick guacamole just take a 1/4 cup of salsa and mix it in with your mashed avocados.
Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste by varying the fresh ingredients.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound regular white mushrooms, cleaned, quartered or sliced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
• Minced parsley for garnish

Method

1 In a food processor, coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice.
2 Melt butter in (4-5 quart) sauce pan and lightly sauté shallots on medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.

3 Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4 Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning and add more lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4. Serve sprinkled with a little parsley.

I know who will love this.... :p

New Year Resolution

New Year Resolution... ?!?!?

What New Year? International New Year? Chinese New Year? Songkran? Deepavali? Hari Raya? Matariki? Or anything else celebrated on this Earth planet?
Which New Year am I talking about...?!?

Yeah, it's kind of late to make a new resolution for the year of 2010, but isn't it better to be late than never?

I have just added one new item into my New Year Resolution. The rests I will not share, but surely for this one. I'm going to write a healthy-cooking book for a start, targeting the health-conscious and good-food enthusiasts. I still try to brainstorm the details of the book - the recipes, theme, outline, size, shape, material - but certainly I want to complete the first book by December 2010.

So if you have any experience or friends or connections with/to anything related to publishing, please let me know.

Counting down.... nervous but excited.

Seafood Safety

Although I have not been cooking much seafood, but hey.... I think this is something really useful. Courtesy of "Auckland Fish Market".
 

Three Steps to Buying Fresh Fish

1. Smell

If you can smell the fish, then is not fresh. Fresh fish and seafood should have very little smell other than that of the sea.

2. See

Look at the fish. Whole fish should have the following appearance:

Eyes: clear eyes, with a black (not cloudy) pupil and translucent cornea.
Skin: should appear bright and firm, with a glossy sheen.
Gills: should be a bright pastel rose colour.
Fish fillets: Fillets should be translucent and firm, with an elastic texture. Avoid fillets that look yellowish, dry, or slimy.
Shellfish: Only buy live or frozen shellfish. Any with open shells should close when tapped. Do not buy shellfish with cracked or damaged shells. Discard any that do not open once they are cooked. Pre-opened scallops should have nice white meat and a bright orange roe.

3. Touch (for whole fish only)

If possible touch the fish. The flesh should be firm.

Safe Seafood Storage

Take the following steps to safely store fish and seafood:

Before storing

* Remove any wrapping or packaging.
* If necessary, wash the fish to remove scales or foreign matter.
* Ideally seafood should be stored on ice. Place a layer of ice in the bottom of a storage container, and cover ice with a sheet of plastic. Lay the fish or seafood on the plastic, put another sheet of plastic, then a layer of ice on top. Do not allow direct contact between the ice and seafood. Replace ice as it melts. Refrigerate as well, if possible or keep in chilly bin.
* If refrigerating whole fish, fillets or other types of seafood without ice place it on a large plate or dish, and loosely cover with plastic wrap to prevent it drying out.

Safe storage

* It should be stored on ice, or refrigerated at a temperature of between -1°C and 4°C.
* Ideally cook it the day it is bought or caught. Depending upon how fresh it was when first refrigerated, correctly stored fish can be kept for four to six days provided that it is kept at safe temperatures.
* Shellfish and crustaceans (e.g. prawns and crayfish) are best consumed on the day of purchase.
* Fish or shellfish loses one day of shelf life per hour stored at room temperature. Deterioration is faster if it is kept in the sun or other hot environment.
* Store seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills.

Other notes

* Fish should be washed and lightly dried before cooking, if it has been stored for more than a day or two.
* Wash hands before and after handling fish and seafood!

Green Curry Night

We were rushing home after work yesterday. I was all excited to buy the ingredients for Green Curry and Lemon Rice. "Just bought the ready ingredients" has always been the answer I heard everytime I ask someone about how to cook green curry. So finally I found a decent recipe and got all motivation to make my own green curry paste. I reached the supermarket at around 6pm, few minutes later my two kitchen buddies were joining me. Oh you see, supermarket has always been one of my favorite playgrounds. We just needed some ingredients but we ended up spending an hour running around inside. It was too late to cook both because we were all so hungry, so sad to say, the Lemon Rice cooking was canceled. Never mind. It will sure come in one of this days.   

So, last night was the Green Curry Night... and I am satisfied that I did try making my own green curry paste.

Ingredients for Green Curry Paste

60gr (4) Green chili

100gr Shallots (optional)

30gr Garlic (optional)

40gr Lemon grass

40gr Coriander root (optional)

30gr Ginger

30gr Galangal or can be replaced with 1 tsp Galangal powder

10gr (Kaffir) lime rind

1 tbsp Coriander powder

2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 - 1 tsp Black peppercorns

6 Cloves

1 tsp Nutmeg powder

1 tsp Shrimp paste (optional)

1 tsp Salt

125ml Vegetable Oil

Method
Blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste.

Ingredients for Green Curry

Note: chicken/prawn/squid/vegetables: eggplant/carrot/potato/bean curd cube, can be used as variation.

Cooking oil

Green curry paste (prepared as above)

4 tbsp Fish sauce (optional) or can be replaced with sesame oil

750ml Coconut milk

1.0kg Chicken fillet/prawn/squid (optional)

500gr Eggplant/carrot/potato/bean curd cubes

100gr Green peppercorns (optional)

3 stalks Lemon grass, bruised

6 Green chili

5 (Kaffir) lime leaves

A handful of Basil leaves

300ml Coconut cream

Method

1. Heat oil and sauté the green curry paste until oil separates. Add in the XXX pieces, fish sauce or sesame oil and the coconut milk.

2. Simmer until XXX is almost cooked. Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer until the XXX is thoroughly cooked. Garnish with basil leaves.

From Kitchen Runaway

Oh, just some notes from the experience last night. We purposely added 6 chili paddy, which makes the curry tastes hotter. I think even without that, the hot sensation from the black pepper, ginger, galangal root and ginger is enough. Also, blending all these roots are not that easy, so maybe using all powder ingredients are somewhat a better choice. If you insisted that you need the roots to give the paste more natural texture, then perhaps after mixing with the coconut milk/cream, you can pass it through a strainer.

Hey... hey... hey... Never ever forget the basil leaves!!!

~ Cheers

The Frantic Dessert Weekend

I think what we really need to share here is just the pictures.... :-)
Sorry, Guys! There's just too many ingredients and steps to write down. So as for now, you can enjoy the picture. It's nice too, isn't it?

From Kitchen Runaway

Shopping Spree

Had good fun this week with my own version of shopping spree....

Not on branded leather bags nor shoes nor clothes, but really good quality grill-pan and ramekins.... :-)

So pleased.

This weekend is the dessert time. I will have no class, so I plan to practice on the Vanilla Creme Brulee and Alsatian Tart with Blueberries and Almonds.

Sounds yummy.... and of course some red wine to go with.

Till then. Cya!

de Mexican Italiano

Phewww...... finally we made it last night... having Quesadillas i mean, hehe!
It was rather a slow process in the preparation as one of our Kitchen Assistants was not well, but still it was fun and most importantly good.

I don't know, sometimes, what to title the post. Just like today, what is that "de Mexican Italiano?" Maybe the Quesadillas is Mexican and the tomato soup (from the ingredients) I thought it's more Italian. However, honestly I don't know.

So here what we have, and hopefully the pictures will be up soon!

1. Quesadillas
(tortillas, tomato, red and green chili, chinese celery and/or parsley, white or preferably brown button mushroom, salt, black pepper, oregano, lemon)

From Kitchen Runaway

2. Tomato Soup
(canned diced-tomato, white button mushroom, fresh basil, salt, oregano, black pepper, red cooking wine or red wine) 

From Kitchen Runaway

3. Lemon Grass Cooler
(lemon grass, lemon, lemon rind, rock sugar, fresh mint leaves, ice)


The Quesadillas was really good and we still had one left - sure you can put them in the freezer and just heat up your pan when you are hungry or just feel like having snack. It's good actually to keep some.

The tomato soup was not bad, but somehow I felt there was something wrong with the black pepper powder. It's weird, but worry not we are not going to see that particular bottle on my spices rack anymore. We couldn't find the red cooking wine from the supermarket nearby, so I used red wine instead and it helped saving the taste.

And.... the lemon grass drink was soooo light and refreshing. It was really nice with the hint of the lemon, and oh I missed out something, after boiling and let it diffuse in low heat, I added some fresh mint leaves. Just to get a hint of it. Served it cold... mmmmm...

Back by popular demand...

So bored writing my report for the first project summary. It's due on March 17. I have not been writing since 1.5 years ago. It's really not easy to re-start. So boring....

Thinking of what to cook for tomorrow night's dinner. Was talking to my friends and they want Quesadillas. That's not bad but there won't be Guacamole to accompany as it's not really the season for avocado now.

I think I will cook tomato-based (white button) mushroom soup. How that sounds?
For this, I will need fresh basil, canned diced-tomatoes, fresh white button mushroom and red cooking wine.

Gotta prepare!

My Blessed Day

I just feel so happy today as I was with my doctor today and she told me that I am discharged!!! No more medicine for me. No more poison in my body. No more antibiotics...!!!

What a relieved.

I had tears in my eyes when the doctor broke the news. Joyful is the right word. Not just happy.

Thank GOD for this and dearest Friends for the support.

I want to enjoy good food today, hehe!
Sure I think I also need to get started with my plan to have antibiotics detox program. Perhaps I can also share it here.

Whooaa... Pictures of My "Babies"

So exciting...!!!

Big applause for the Team Creative for the great pictures.

It's the beginning of the ball-rolling. Please bear with no pictures now.

Many thanks ~

Craving for Taro

After few days being absent from the kitchen, I started feeling tired of eating out and craving my own cooked-food. I enjoy the fresh ingredients and my own style of preparing the food - not overcooked, not too oily and just the right taste for my palate.

Last night I was actually craving for the taro-based creamy corn soup again. This time I modified it slightly, also because I have some bit of Australian pumpkin. Besides, I was also cooking this "slummy" vegetable that my dining buddy doesn't really like to eat normally. She told me that she never really likes the way it is prepared by any food-stall outside. I took up the challenge! I know she likes sour-salty-hot kind of stuff, so I tried. By the way, that vegetable is called "ladies finger". I guess it's not because ladies finger is slummy (eeeekkkk.....), but rather it looks like a nice long and slender shape of ladies finger. Really?!?

Anyway.... here is the recipe,

1. Taro Creamy Corn Soup
(taro, pumpkin, creamy corn soup, salt, sugar, black pepper, oregano, dried basil, butter)

2. Hot and Sour Ladies Finger
(ladies finger, salt, green chili, red chili, chili paddy - optional, fresh basil, lime)
Pssstttt..... honestly, this recipe was inherited from my sister when she cooked for me some time back at Petir Cafe.


So, I won her taste at last.... It was fresh and tantalizing the taste buds! The creamy corn soup came out to be better, with the right sweetness from the pumpkin and some hint of herbs in the background.

Nice and I was pleased that my craving was satisfied simply.

Fully Booked

No cooking tonight. I am all "booked up" over the weekend.

So many visitors over the weekend. How can I entertain all together when each one of them is asking me out? I can't even combine it all together as they don't even know each other. Great to have many good and close friends but unfortunately I am only one person. Well, I will still try to enjoy and have fun.

Cheers ~

Searching for Food Critics

Guys,

If you have noticed it so far, all my recipes were leaning towards vegetarian style - no garlic, no meat, no seafood. I'm not a vegetarians, but my existing Food Critics are... So, there's no choice that I have to pleased them.

I think I have to start inviting some "meat-eaters", then I can practice on my meat-cooking skills.

Anyone...?

Ooohhh... Pasta Again...?!?!?

Yaaaa..... sorry but that was the menu for the dinner last night. Sounds so boring. Pasta and pasta again...?!?!?

Well but it's totally different from what I have cooked before, and maybe this is the first time I ever cooked it this style. So what is it?

1. Spinach Tagliatelle with Creamy Pesto Sauce
(spinach tagliatelle, whipping cream, white wine, fresh basil, peas, fresh mint, roasted pepper)
For the pesto sauce: fresh basil, salt, black pepper, roasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil - all ingredients blended together

From Kitchen Runaway

2. Enoki Mushroom Tempura
(fresh enoki, cold beer, white wine/ sake, salt, fresh parsley, cayenne pepper and oregano powder - optional)

From Kitchen Runaway

The Spinach Tagliatelle turned out to be quite good. Very creamy, sure! But it didn't make you feel sick eating it. The fresh mint and the roasted pepper actually helped to neutralize the "milky" taste. Oh and of course the white wine did wonder too!

The Enoki Tempura was also really good. The only problem was with the salt. I wanted to sprinkle some salt on the mushroom instead of the batter, and that caused uneven saltiness. Apart from that, the batter was good. Crispy and puffy...!!! Mmmmm..... yummy =)

Hollandaise Sauce

Ohh.... I hope the 30 eggs that I bought last weekend won't go bad so soon. I need to make some time to practice on my Hollandaise Egg Sauce..... It's really tricky.
The first time I tried, I forgot that I supposed to use purified butter instead of oil. No wonder the consistency was not right - too watery.

A Quest for That Perfect Chawan Mushi

Chawan Mushi is the cool name for Japanese Egg Custard Dish, or just a normal Steam Egg Dish. It looks really simple to cook, but of course as expected it's quite tricky to make a delicious one!

My adorable niece, Fiona, "motivated" me to learn to make it. She is a pretty, cute and smart 4 y.o. girl of my eldest sister. She loves good food ever since she can take outside food! I know it and we all in the family know it that she can actually differentiate really good quality food from just a normal good ones (the bad ones don't count here). She would be able to finish the good ones, but not the opposites.

She loves Chawan Mushi from a nice but expensive Sushi restaurant in town. She often would say to us that she wants Chawan Mushi, whenever we ask her what she wants to eat. As young as 2 y.o., she didn't even mind to be left alone in that big restaurant, only accompanied by her baby sitter, to enjoy her favorite dish.

Last week, I promised myself that I must be able to make a good Chawan Mushi before my next visit to my hometown, and seeing her again.

So I used the same stock as I prepared for the Vegetable Tofu Nimono, water to dilute, good quality egg, sake, hon-mirin, salt, and soy sauce (preferably to use usukuchi soy sauce).
For the fillings, any kind like this is good: chicken meat, shrimps, shitake mushroom, kamaboko (Japanese steam minced-fish), ginnan (ginkgo seed), and parsley as the garnish.

Steam it at high heat for 1 minute, continued with very low heat for 10 minutes, and it's ready to serve.

The Japanese Kitchen

I tried this recipes on Saturday, March 27. Just wanted to get a different taste on the dining table, after focusing so much on the Western cuisines.

1. Vegetable Tofu Nimono
(carrot, boiled bamboo shoot, renkon (lotus root), satoimo potato (taro/ yam), shitake mushroom, ginkgo seed, parsley/ chinese celery)
For the stock: carrot, seaweed, fresh shitake mushroom, salt, sugar, sake and hon-mirin

2. Deep Fried Pumpkin with Honey Glaze
(fresh Australian pumpkin and honey)


For the drink? Ice green tea of course, with some slice of lemon. So refreshing!

This dietary contains a lot of fiber, which I think is really healthy for our digestion system. Because it also contains a lot of different type of vegetable, the soup is actually really nice and sweet.

I had some problem finding the stock, so I experimented through my own way. The proper stock will be "dashi stock", can be made fresh using kombu kelp and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), or buy the "granulated bonito dashi", mixed with water. I was trying to find it as the Market Place and some Cold Storage, but had no luck. Perhaps I should try the Cold Storage at Takashimaya or best try at the Daimaru.

Asian Fusion Vegetarian Food

 
1. Mixed vegetables
(ginger, red & green chili, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil (optional), hon-mirin, seasonal vegetables)

2. Satoimo potato (taro/ yam) - based creamy corn soup
(satoimo potato, salt, sugar, readily prepared del monte creamy corn soup, parsley, butter)

3. Brown rice
(You've got to check it out from my "kitchen assistant" - the expert of beans & grains)


Honestly, it was a perfect brown rice. Nice composition and consistency. Keep it up, Girl =)

The creamy soup turned out to be really pleasant in taste and smell. Oh, I boiled the potato with some salt. After it was soft, transferred it into a blender to make it like a paste - not too thick and not too runny though. I also prefer it not to be too smooth. Later on, brought it back to the pan and added the creamy corn soup, salt and sugar to taste, parsley, and lastly the butter.

My Last Meal.... (for the month of February 2010)

It was a really bloody hot day. I came home late (I mean a bit late for my dinner cooking), after the whole day running errands. I hit Borders on my last stop before heading home. Disappointed as I couldn't find the book that I desperately want to read. It's "Becoming A Chef" by Andrew Dornenburg and his wife, Karen Page. It is reviewed as a must-read book for anyone who loves food. I do. I do love food.... good food. It is also recommended before anyone deciding to start or switch career in the culinary arts, be it as a chef, a nutritionist, a caterer, or other related profession.

Oh well..... I will talk more about the book after I get one.

Nevertheless, I came home excited to try the new beer batter recipe that I learn from my last cooking class. It was a bit hectic. I didn't feel all collected, so I was a little confuse to give instructions to my two very-supportive-kitchen-assistants. As a result, the food wasn't prepared and served in good order. We had the Aglio Olio done, and waited for some time before I could finally get the beer batter ready. Worst, we had the salad as the dessert. What?!?!?


1. Aglio Olio
(spinach tagliatelle pasta, black pepper, red chili, fresh rosemary, fresh basil, salt, olive oil)

From Kitchen Runaway

2. Battered Enoki mushroom and fish (without the chip)
(self-raising flour, salt, cold beer)

3. Caesar Salad and Tomato Salsa Salad
(tomato salsa sauce - tomato (de-seed), red chili, fresh basil, salt, lemon, zest, olive oil)
(caesar sauce - elaborate next time when i try making it again)


That's the menu for Sunday, the last day of February 2010.

The Olio came out nice - not a surprised. I used fresh herbs and I think it smells really good. The battered Enoki mushroom and the fish turned out quite well, although it's not perfect. The real big problem was on the tomato salsa sauce for the salad. Oh myyyyy!!!! Terrible!!!

The battered mushroom was really puffy and crispy for the first few batch. It was yummy. However, the last batch of the mushroom and fish were slightly downgraded in terms of quality. Not sure why. I thought it was because of the bubbles from the beer had disappeared. If it was to be true, then how do actually the "fish & chip kiosks" keep their batter? Keep on making the fresh ones? I will need to try more I guess to find out the secret.

Arrggghhhh.... I don't really like to talk about the tomato salsa sauce. At first I thought I have lost my taste-sense. I kept on adding lemon juice and salt as I couldn't taste anything from the mixture. Well, of course later on I realized that I only tasted the olive oil, and of course it was bland. But.... but.... the diced tomato was really salty and sour. What a shame! I learnt my lesson though. The next time, I should have tasted everything, before adding in the olive oil. Let them sit for some time to infuse.

Ok, now back to my other work.

The Forbidden Dream

Everyone has a dream. Unfortunately, not all are attainable. Well, perhaps I should not say it that way, rather not all are well pursued. A lot of us actually do not really know what we really like and what we really want to do in life. Sometimes, we do know what we really enjoy doing, but often do not really realize - or worst, afraid to admit - that it is our passion. There are many factors that can actually create this kind of "lost" feeling, but personally I think the root of all this is fear. Fear to be different. Fear to fail. Fear to leave our comfort zone - including to let go what we already have, leaving our safety net. Fear to hear what people have to say about us, about our decision. Basically it is all fear. Exactly like what I'm struggling with all this time even now. The only thing this fear does on us is pulling us down in our circle of routine and stopping us from dreaming.

Basil S. Walsh, once said, "If you don't know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?".

I think it is really straight forward, but it is indeed very true.

Another quotes it this way: "Shoot at the moon, even if you missed, you will still fall among the stars".

This is a pretty saying, isn't it? I really love it.

My profile says that I am a PhD in Materials Science, worked really hard to get this title, but now I am in the junction of real struggle. I have been feeling really lost for the past year, thinking what I really want and should do in my life, in terms of my career. I used to dream of becoming a professor in a good university, but now it is somewhat distorted by what I discovered about my love for cooking. It's now a dream of becoming a chef. I wonder if it is actually possible. I fear many things. I fear my parents. I fear to let go my title as a Doctor. I fear to fail and unable to come back to what I have right now. I fear to fail and do not have anything or anyone to fall back on. Some of my really good friends, keep on pushing me to dream, making decision and pursuing the dream. I know I have to do that, but it's really hard, because I fear to even think about making the decision. I don't know what to do. I really feel that it's actually a forbidden dream.

"Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come shining through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep believing, the dream that you wish will come true".
~Anonymous.