Almost Bourdain

Farewell

2011-05-22T10:03:00.008+10:00

It has been a good two years of blogging. I entered the blogging world with no expectation and I am happy to walk away with what I have achieved today.

Thanks for being there with me and supporting me through the journey. It has been rewarding and fun.

Almost Bourdain is history as I am moving on to a new phase of my life. Who knows, our paths will cross again. Someday, somewhere.

xx
Ellie

"Don't be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends." - Richard Bach

Burger Malaysia

2011-05-16T09:47:00.002+10:00

'Burger Malaysia' is a popular miniature sized snack available in 'pasar malams' (night markets) in Malaysia.

The mini yeast buns are deep-fried and then filled with sambal ikan billis (dried anchovy sambal) and cucumber slices.

As much as I love these mini burgers, the deep-dried mini slider buns can get overly greasy and I have decided to make some with oven baked mini milk panini buns.

The sambal ikan billis can be made in advance and reheated or served at room temperature. They are perfect as finger / party food and ridiculously moreish.

'Burger Malaysia' Recipe
Makes 16

Ingredients

16 mini milk panini / slider buns (recipe follows)
Sambal ikan bilis (recipe follows)
cucumber slices

Method

Halve panini, top with a few slices of cucumbers.

Spread with sambal ikan bilis.

And sandwich together.

Mini Milk Panini / Slider Buns Recipe
(Adapted from Gourmet Traveller magazine May 2011 issue)
Makes 16

Ingredients

15 g dried yeast
625 g "00" flour
140 ml milk, plus extra for brushing
50 g caster sugar
125 g softened butter, coarsely chopped

Method

Stir yeast, 125 g flour and 150 ml water in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook to combine, cover and set aside until doubled in size (45 minutes - 1 hour). Add milk, sugar and remaining flour and mix on low speed until combined, then, while mixing, add butter a little at a time until incorporated. Cover and set aside until doubled in size (1 hour). Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knock back, then roll into 16 golf-ball-sized pieces and place on oven trays lined with baking paper (leaving 3cm between each), cover and set aside until doubled in size (1 hour).
Preheat oven to 180C. Brush top of panini with milk and bake, swapping trays halfway through cooking, until golden and cooked through (12-15 minutes). Set aside to cool.

Sambal Ikan Bilis (Dried Anchovy Sambal) Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried anchovies (ikan bilis), rinsed and dried with paper towel
4 fresh red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
8 (100 g) small Asian shallots
3 garlic
1/2 tbsp shrimp paste, toasted
2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp tamarind pulp + 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 small brown onion, thinly sliced

Method

Deep fry the ikan bilis in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
Mix the tamarind pulp with water. Squeeze out the tamarind juice from the pulp and discard the seeds. Strain through a fine sieve. Set aside until needed.
Combine fresh red chilli, bird's eye chilli, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and candlenuts together in a mortar and pestle or a food process and pound or whiz until it forms a fine paste.
Heat oil in a wok, add the paste and fry under low heat until it's aromatic, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the tamarind juice to the paste together with sugar and salt. Stir and mix well.
Add brown onion and continue to stir fry until the onion has soften a little but still have slight texture, around 2-3 minutes.
Add the ikan bilis and give it a good stir. This sambal can be served hot or room temperature.

Babi Kecap (Slow Braised Pork with Ginger, Chilli & Sweet Soy Sauce)

2011-05-11T08:31:00.003+10:00

Today is our 12th year wedding anniversary.

Looking back, the big day was a blur. Jet lag, rush, tiredness, excitement and nervousness all contributed to it.

Mr J and myself were still working in Malaysia. He just secured a job in Sydney, we were due to move to Australia in September the same year. It was a massive year for both of us.

Our official wedding was held in Holland with a dinner reception in Kuala Lumpur for our friends and relatives that couldn't make it to our wedding ceremony.

It was hard to plan a wedding ten-thousand kilometers away. So, we did the unthinkable: Let my parents-in-law be in charge of planning our big day! Talking about risk takers....

I wasn't aware that a wedding is an intense full day event in Holland. It started with breakfast at my parents-in-law's house with 20 close friends and family members, followed by a lengthy outdoor photo session. Morning coffee (Dutch can't live without their coffee). The civil ceremony at the town hall. A serene and relaxing boat cruise on the beautiful river. Dinner before more relatives and friends joined us at the church wedding and then a wedding reception in a cozy and charming restaurant converted from an old farm.

You may be wondering why I am featuring an Indonesian dish to accompany this story. Our wedding dinner that was planned by my parents-in-law turned out to be an exotic affair of catered Indonesian dishes paying tribute to my origin. Never mind Malaysia and Indonesia are actually different countries... I don't blame them as I know my parents wouldn't have a clue about the differences between German and Dutch cuisines either..

I can't remember any of the dishes served on the day except for this Babi Kecap dish because it was so delicious that I remember my dad kept going back for more and we whispered to each other that it was the most tasty Babi Kecap we had ever tasted.

Fast forward 12 years, we are counting our blessings. Happily married with our 8 years old Miss C and content to have found our soul mates in each other.

Happy anniversary J!

Babi Kecap Recipe
(Adapted from Rick Stein's Far East Odyssey)
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
100 g shallots, thinly sliced
50 g garlic, crushed
25 g peeled ginger, finely grated
1.25 kg lean pork shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks
4 tbsp kecap manis (I use Conimex brand which is a Dutch Indonesian brand. Mr J grew up with the flavour of this brand)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp Tamarind water
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3-4 medium-hot chillies, seeded and chopped
4 red bird's eye chillies, left whole
500 ml Asian chicken stock
Crisp fried shallots, to garnish

Method

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and fry until they are soft and richly golden. Add the crushed garlic, ginger and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 1 minute. Add the pork to the pan and fry for 2 minutes until lightly coloured. Add the kecap manis, dark soy sauce, tamarind water, pepper, chopped and whole chillies and stock. Leave to simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring now and then towards the end of cooking, until the pork is tender.
Lift the pork out of the sauce with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Boil the cooking liquid until it has reduced to a well-flavoured, slightly thicken, shiny, dark brown sauce. Season to taste with salt, return the pork to the pan and stir in.Spoon the pork onto a warmed serving plate, scatter with the crisp fried shallots and serve.

Mandarin Orange and Goji Berry Scones with Oolong Tea Cream

2011-05-08T11:21:00.002+10:00

Cravings and inspiration are often stimulated by visual experiences. I was inspired to make a fig, ginger syrup and crushed pistachio pavlova after watching the pavlova challenge in the premiere episode of Masterchef season 2 last year.

It was the start of another new Masterchef season last Sunday. A scone challenge had many of us who are fans of this reality TV show rushed into the kitchen to make scones to sedate our cravings.

I like flavoured scones, especially with citrusy and fruity flavours. There are many great oriental flavours and ingredients that are fantastic for baking but are not being used frequently.

I took up the challenge to create this oriental flavoured scone recipe.

I firstly started with the imperial mandarins, which are in season. Mandarins are associated with Chinese New Year because "mandarin orange" in Cantonese has the same pronunciation as "gold" which signals prosperity. Hence, mandarins are plentiful in most Chinese households in Malaysia during Chinese New Year.

Goji berries (Wolfberries) are one of the ingredients that I have seen on the supermarket shelves in recent months. Chinese use these berries a lot in cooking, mainly in soups but also in a popular herbal chicken dish (药材雞), for the berries are believed to have medicinal value. My grandma used to tell her grandchildren to eat them for better eyesight.

We can't have scones without tea. I picked the subtle flavour of oolong tea to be infused into the cream to be served with the scones. All flavors work in harmony and I reckon it's a perfect recipe to be featured on Mother's Day.

Wishing all the wonderful mums out there a happy Mother's Day especially to my mum who is in London and my mother-in-law in Holland.

Mandarin Orange and Goji Berry Scones with Oolong Tea Cream
Makes 12

Ingredients

310 g plain flour
icing sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mandarin zest
30 g Goji berries
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
30 g butter, melted

Oonlong Tea Cream:
200 ml pure cream
10 g Oolong tea leaves

Method

To make Oolong Tea Cream: Infuse the oolong tea leaves in the cold single cream overnight. Strain the oolong tea-infused cream, lightly whip before serving.
Preheat the oven to 220C. Sift the icing sugar, flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the Goji berries and mandarin zest and stir to combine.
Add the buttermilk and butter and stir with a knife to combine. Knead quickly and lightly until smooth and then press out on a floured surface to about 3cm thick.
Use a cutter or glass to cut 5 cm rounds. Place close together on a greased baking tray. Gather the scraps together, knead again and cut out more rounds.
Bake for about 10 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve with Oonlong tea cream and jam.

Golden Fried Quail Egg Sambal (Sambal Telur)

2011-05-05T13:46:00.001+10:00

Golden fried quail eggs. Spicy sambal. Add a few slices of cucumber and a bowl of steamed rice of coconut rice. It makes a perfect dinner. For me that is.

There are many different way of making egg sambal. Mostly with hard-boiled chicken eggs, I like the eggs to be deep-fried before stirring in the sambal. The crunchy texture makes it more palatable. I use quail eggs purely for their daintiness.

Some egg sambal recipes call for coconut milk, especially from the Southern region of Malaysia and Singapore but I like it without the coconut milk and slightly sweeter with lots of thinly sliced Bombay (brown) onions. It's similar to the sambal ikan bilis in Nasi Lemak except to replace the dried anchovies (ikan bilis) with deep-fried quail eggs.

Quail Egg Sambal (Sambal Telur) Recipe

Ingredients

24 hard-boiled quail eggs
4 fresh red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
8 (100 g) small Asian shallots
3 garlic
1/2 tbsp shrimp paste, toasted
2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp tamarind pulp + 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 small brown onion, thinly sliced

Method

Deep fry the quail eggs in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
Mix the tamarind pulp with water. Squeeze out the tamarind juice from the pulp and discard the seeds. Strain through a fine sieve. Set aside until needed.
Combine fresh red chilli, bird's eye chilli, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and candlenuts together in a mortar and pestle or a food process and pound or whiz until it forms a fine paste.
Heat oil in a wok, add the paste and fry under low heat until it's aromatic, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the tamarind juice to the paste together with sugar and salt. Stir and mix well.
Add brown onion and continue to stir fry until the onion has soften a little but still have slight texture, around 2-3 minutes.
Add the deep-fried quail eggs and give it a good stir. Served hot with steamed rice or coconut rice.

Sweet Corn Kakiage with Green Tea Salt

2011-05-02T12:51:00.004+10:00

Everyone loves a holiday. We used to travel a lot. We both had jobs that required us to travel frequently & we have been to most of the continents except for Africa and Antarctica.

When we moved to Sydney 12 years ago, Mr J took up a job with extensive travel. I quit my job so I could travel with him instead of spending time apart. Newly married, childless. It was a good time of our life.

We both love road trips. We have done many amazing ones around Malaysia along the coastline, visiting alh the small fishing villages, coastal towns and beautiful tropical beaches & islands.

Darwin to Alice Spring was mind boggling. Being in total isolation, deep in the red centre, without a care of the world. Amazed with God made nature.

Spending weeks driving around the south island of New Zealand was breath-taking. The beauty and serenity overwhelmed us.

Let's not forget the many many road trips all over continental Europe. The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Switzerland. Visiting all the small towns, away from the tourist hot spots, staying in charming guesthouses and cottages.

We didn't pause our travelling plans after Miss C was born. She was on her plane trip to Singapore when she was 2 months old and made her first flight to Europe when she was barely 2. However, the initerary of our holidays has changed. It's more about kids-friendly, kid clubs, resort type of holidays. Destinations have changed to Fiji, Hamilton Island, Gold Coast. All parents acknowledge that if the kids are happy, it's a good holiday for the parents.

We are glad that Miss C has picked the love of travelling from our genes from a young age. We couldn't wait for her to grow up a little and continue our adventures to discover the world.

When I first registered my blog back in December 2008, I named it after Anthony Bourdain because Miss C was 6 and we were ready to be on the road again. It was a blog intended to document our travels and unique food finds, staying true to the spirit of Bourdain's show: No Reservations.

A 5-month silence followed. I had an unplanned surgery. Many unforeseen events happened gradually. I slowly realized that I may not be able to travel the way we used to for a very long time.

I picked up the blog where I left it 5 months later and started to document my cooking journal in my kitchen instead of my travelling.

2 years later, I am still struggling but managing. Experimenting with short trips. We took a 1-hour flight for a 5-days holiday to Melbourne last week. Although I wasn't able to be on the road trips with them to Sovereign Hill and Phillip Island, I hope one day I can and will be do it again as a family.

Having a 8 years old child with us meant no fine dining on our agenda. The more casual tapas and Izakaya style of dining are the perfect alternatives. Movida Next Door and Izakaya Den are two places that we spent a great evening at.

This sweet corn kakiage is one of the many outstanding dishes we have tasted in Izakaya Den, which came highly recommended by Shellie. The traditional kakiage is made with tempura batter but I have changed it to a more eggy, less floury batter with panko breadcrumbs to contrast it with the sweet corn texture.

It an extremely moreish dish and great party finger food with cocktails or beers.

Sweet Corn Kakiage with Green Tea Salt Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

200 g cooked fresh corn kernel
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/8 cup flour
2 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
Salt and black pepper
Oil for deep frying

Green Tea Salt:
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp matcha (green tea) powder

Method

Add corn kernels, eggs, flour and panko breadcrumbs in a medium bowl, mix well with a fork. Season with salt and black pepper.
Heat a deep fryer at 170C. Gently spoon a tbsp of the batter in the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until it's cooked and lightly brown. Repeating until batter is finished.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with green tea salt.
To make green tea salt: Mix sea salt and green tea together.

Posh Prawn Toast with Yuzu Mayo & Red Dragon Sauce

2011-04-27T14:20:00.001+10:00

I am seriously lacking motivation to cook, to write and to blog. I have so many great recipes and ideas to share but the post holidays blues are kicking in (we just got back from Melbourne on Monday) and hopefully I will get back into the routine soon.

Nyonya spiral curry puff, waterchestnut cake, egg tart, prawn dumplings, Milo & soda cracker ice cream sandwich, Singapore fried noodle, chilli mud crabs, fish head curry are among many wonderful recipes I plan to work on.

For now, it's a slightly posher version of the classic prawn toasts recipe with two different dipping sauces. I personally prefer a citrusy mayonnaise (lemon, lime or yuzu) to go with these prawn toasts. However, if you prefer a more spicy, stronger flavour dipping sauce, the red dragon sauce I have adapted and modified from Momofuku's cookbook will be a good alternative.

While I plan to continue to dedicate this blog to my Malaysian / Chinese recipes, I have started a new blog Chateau E, not a blog really, because it won't contain any writing, just a collection of food photos and recipes that I come across and love. A place to consolidate them online for easy accessibility, a continuity from the abandoned "Come Dine With Me" series.

Welcome to my new house - Chateau E.

Posh Prawn Toast with Yuzu Mayo & Red Dragon Sauce
Make 8

Ingredients

Baby red shiso leaves
Salmon roe

Prawn Toast:
200 g shelled prawns
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp salt
Dash of white pepper
1 egg white
1/2 tbsp chopped spring onions
Sesame seeds
Sourdough baguette

Red Dragon Sauce:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
100 ml gochujang

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp mirin
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Slice sourdough baguette diagonally into 8 thick slices.
Add prawn, cornflour, salt, pepper, egg white in a food processor and whiz until a paste is formed. Mix in spring onions.

Spread a thick layer of the prawn paste on all the bread slices. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Heat a deep-fryer until 170C. Fry the prawn toasts in batches until it's golden brown and cooked through.
Drain the prawn toasts on paper towels. Lay them on serving plate, spoon some salmon roe on each toast and sprinkle with baby red shiso leaves.

To make red dragon sauce: bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the gochujang to dissolve it. Stir in the soy, vinegar, and sesame.

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

2011-04-20T12:28:00.001+10:00

This is another Szechuan classic that I adore. A plate of this Mapo tofu with a bowl of steaming hot rice is the comfort food I often crave for in the cooler months.

Silken soft tofu, minced meat and the numbing spiciness from the chilli oil and Szechuan peppercorns are the three main characteristics of this dish. There are many variations, but the recipe I have today has the well balanced sweetness and spiciness that will suit most tastebuds.

Pardon me for a short post today. It's school holiday and I am packing for our short trip to Melbourne tomorrow. Will write more after Easter.

Mapo Tofu Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

600 g silken firm tofu

300 g minced pork or beef

1 tbsp cooking oil

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp spicy soy bean sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

Salt

200 ml chicken stock

1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp Szechuan chilli oil (Recipe Here)

1 tsp ground Szechuan pepper

2 tbsp chopped spring onions

Method

Sliced the tofu into 2cm cubes.

Heat a pan of water until it reaches just below boiling point. Add tofu cubes and scald for 2 minutes.
Remove, drain and set aside.
Heat a tbsp of cooking oil in a wok under medium high heat. Add minced pork or beef until it's browned and cook.
Add garlic and spicy bean sauce and stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Reduce heat to medium low heat. Add tofu, soy sauce, sugar, salt and chicken stock. Give it a gentle stir, cover with lid and bring it to a slow simmer.
Remove the lid, add the cornflour water, give it a quick stir until mixture is thicken.

Turn off the heat, sprinkle with ground Szechuan pepper and chopped spring onions. Ladle the Chilli oil.
Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Szechuan / Sichuan Red Oil Wonton (Wonton in Chilli Oil 红油抄手)

2011-04-17T11:21:00.003+10:00

What should I write today? Food or a dose of rambling? Maybe a bit of both?

Life is kind of on hold for me at the moment. It's a waiting game. Decisions need to be made. Are we heading to Holland? Two years? Waiting for a definite 'YES' (or maybe a 'NO' after all).

An unexpected twist. An opportunity has come knocking from Singapore. Another round of decision making.

Although it's tiring and draining, we feel blessed that we have choices. Hating the uncertainty, the wait, and yet still have to pretend life goes on as usual until then.

For now, I am enjoying the sunshine, blue sky, fresh air, loving the outdoor and living in the moment. Melbourne next week. Revisiting the Red Centre (Uluru Ayers Rock and Alice Spring) next month. Possibly squeeze in an unexpected trip to Singapore in between. All that's if my back can take it.

Posts may not be regular in the coming months, so follow me on Twitter or Facebook to get in touch.

Let's get back to the food now. This Red Oil Wonton dish is a classic Szechuan dish. I made it for lunch because I have a litre of homemade chilli oil I made a week ago and I simply adore wontons.

Not a complicated dish as long as you have mastered the skill of wonton making. I have made countless batches of wontons when I was young helping my mum and my aunts. I am happy to share two different methods with easy to follow step-by-step photograph instructions. Hope you like it.

Szechuan Red Oil Wonton (Wonton in Chilli Oil 红油抄手) Recipe
Makes 24 (Serves 6)

Ingredients

24 wonton wrappers
2 tbsp chopped spring onions

Wonton fillings:
150 g pork mince (or 75 g pork mince and 75 g chopped or minced prawns)
1 tbsp chopped spring onions
1/2 egg, lightly beaten
1.2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine
Dash of white pepper

Dipping Sauce:
3 tbsp Szechuan chilli oil (recipe HERE)
2 tsp minced garlic
5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar
1/2 tsp ground Szechuan pepper
1 tsp castor sugar

Method

To Make Wonton Filling:
Mix all ingredients until well combined.

To Cook Wontons:
Heat a big pan of water until it's boiling. Drop a few wontons at a time and cook for 3-4 minutes until the filling is cooked (Dumpling will surface and float on top of the boiling water). Remove and set aside to keep warm. Repeat until all wontons are cooked.

To Fold Wontons:
Method A: This is my favourite way to wrap the wontons. It holds the shape beautifully especially when it's deep-fried. It's not difficult but it takes practice to make them all look identical. (More pictures and instructions HERE)

Method B: Although not as nicely shaped as method A, It's simpler and highly recomended for first timers.

To Make Dipping Sauce: Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

To Serve: Divide the dipping sauce into 6 small bowls.

Add 4 wontons into each bowl. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and serve immediately.

'Paddock to Plate' Dinner at Assiette + Beef Satay & Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe

2011-04-13T10:57:00.003+10:00

If you are a long time reader of my blog, you should know that I have only attended and blogged about a handful of foodie events. I am not a brilliant food writer and my interest really is to create beautiful dishes to be presented on the plate rather than to write about what is presented on the plate.

But, once in a blue moon, I do come across projects or events that I get excited about. This is one of them and it also marks the first dinner event I have attended since I injured my back in May last year. Although I couldn't sit through the entire 10 courses, it's a good come back.

I was invited along with seven bloggers by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), a producer-owned company that provides services to the Australian red meat industry, to each develop a beef recipe in consultation with renowned Assiette's chef Warren Turnbull. Warren has hand pick an grass-fed Angus steer sourced from acclaimed beef producer, Alison McIntosh's property at Crookwell, in Southern New South Wales and got it butchered by Anthony Puharich of Vic's Meats and Victor Churchill. Our beef creations would then be showcased by Warren and his team at an intimate degustation dinner at Assiette.

It's fascinating not just to learn about the 'Paddock to Plate' experience but to actually participate and be part of this unique farm to food journey.

The Angus steer was divided into nine cuts. Eight food bloggers, as well as Warren Turnbull, were each given a different cut to work with for the development of a recipe for the beef degustation dinner.

I was presented with the beef rump which is cut from the hindquarters. It is a boneless piece of beef that covers the hip bone of the animal. There are two rumps per carcase. Being a versatile cut, it can be roasted, pan-fried, barbecued, stir-fried or slow cooked in a braise or casserole. It is a great full-flavoured piece-of-beef.

It wasn't a difficult decision to make on what to create with the rump. It came naturally to me that I want to create a Malaysian dish to celebrate my heritage. Rump is the perfect cut for Beef Satay, a traditional Malaysian dish that is well loved by the nation. My worry was more whether my idea and the flavours could be accepted and incorporated into a degustation menu. It also takes a lot of courage for one to suggest a street food to be put on a fine dining menu.

A phone call with Warren Turnbull to discuss my dish did remove all my doubts. Having the seal of approval from Warren, it was then down to the hard work: to perfect the beef satay recipe and and then to work on the spicy peanut sauce and condiments to complete the dish.

Beef satay is traditionally served with spicy peanut sauce, ketupat (It is made from rice that has been wrapped in a woven palm leaf pouch and boiled. As the rice cooks, the grains expand to fill the pouch and the rice becomes compressed. This method of cooking gives the ketupat its characteristic form and texture of a rice dumpling.), cucumber and onions. I have suggested nasi impit which is similar to ketupat except that the rice is manually compressed instead of being wrapped and cooked in the woven palm leaf pouch. I have also suggested ulam, the less known Malaysian herb salad as the condiment to the beef satay instead of the usual suspects - cucumber and onions.

Excitement and anxiousness overpowered me on the evening our recipes were brought to life at Assiette. The rump was neatly trimmed into a small log, marinated and grilled to perfection. The rice cake was sliced into a similar shape as the rump and coated with kerisik (toasted dessicated coconut). Cucumber Spaghetti was a nice change from the traditional cucumber cubes.

Ulam is usually eaten with sambal but instead it was served in a salad bowl with a light dressing. I have provided a list of ingredients that can be used in the salad but most are hard to source in Australia. Among the ingredients, Warren has chosen Daun Kaduk (batel leaf), Daun Limau Pulut (kaffir lime leaf), Spanish onions and fresh red chillies.

I wasn't able to sit through the entire ten course degustation dinner because of my back injury. I missed out on the last three courses but the kind and forever helpful Fouad from The Food Blog has come to my rescue and sent me the photographs of dishes that I missed out on. Here is the photo journey of the wonderful dishes created by Warren, his team and bloggers who took part in this project.

Beef and ale pie - Sarah Hobbs, Taste.com.au

White Rabbit Dark Ale, Healesville, Victoria

Achiote and tequila cured beef knuckle with pozole rojo - Anna Fedeles, Morsels & Musings

Bodegas Hidalgo 'Faraon' oloroso, Jerez, Spain

Seared sirloin, buttered roots, horseradish and wakame - Cathy Xiao Chen, Aficionado

Kidiozumi Hakugyokuko 'Yamahai Nama' Sake, Chiba, Japan

Thai beef salad with mint, peanuts and chilli dressing - Warren Turnbull, Assiette

2009 Chehalem '3 Vineyards' Pinot Gris, Oregon, USA

Beef Satay with spicy peanut sauce, rice cake and herb salad - Ellie Hoeve, Almost Bourdain

2009 Domaine Sigales Asirtiko/Athiri, Santorini, Greece

Scotch fillet with moghrabiyeh - Fouad Kassab, The Food Blog

2009 Pittnauer Blaufrankisch Rose, Burgenland, Austria

Pulled beef and pine mushroom cannelloni - Trina So, The Gourmet Forager

2009 Cairanne, Domaine Marcel Richaud, Rhone Valley

Braised beef in coffee with brandied cumquats and onion milk - Rebecca Varidel, Inside Cuisine

2009 Akarua Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand

(Photograph credits The Food Blog)

Slow braised brisket with cauliflower cream and Pedro Ximenez muscatels - Bridget Davis, The Internet Chef

2009 Sami Odi Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia

(Photograph credits The Food Blog)

Citrus terrine with yoghurt sorbet and poached rhubarb - Soren Lascelles, Assiette

2002 Blue Pyranees 'Cuvee Riche', Pyranees, Victoria

(photograph credits The Food Blog)

Seeing my dish come to life in the hands of Warren Turnbull and his team was the highlight of the entire experience. Meeting many other bloggers for the first time and sharing a wonderful meal with everyone who was involved in the 'Paddock to Plate' process has brought this experience to a whole new level. Most of all, thanks to Hausmann Communications and MLA for this wonderful opportunity.

Beef Satay
Makes 24 skewers

Ingredients

24 wooden skewers, soaked in water overnight
500 g rump steak, cut into 2cm cubes

Basting mixture:
1 lemongrass
1/2 cup peanut oil or other cooking oil
1/2 cup coconut milk

Marinade:
60 g Asian shallots
10 g ginger
5 g galangal
2 lemograss, white part only
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp shaved dark palm sugar

Method

Add all ingredients in the marinate list in a food processor and whiz until a paste is form.
Marinade the meat with the paste for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Prepare the basting mixture by mixing the coconut milk with oil. Bruise the white part of the lemongrass and use it as a brush.

Thread the meat into wooden skewers and chargrill on woodfire. Turn and baste the meat regularly with the basting mixture using the lemongrass brush.
Grill until beef is almost cooked through and crisp and brown on all sides.

Spicy Peanut sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients

120g Asian shallots
2 cloves garlic
10g galangal
20g ginger
1 lemongrass, use only the white part, roughly chopped
1 tsp turmeric
8 dried chillis, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and deseeded
1/2 cup peanut oil (or any other cooking oil)
200 g raw peanuts, toasted and crushed
2 tbsp tamarind pulp, soaked in 1/2 cup water, squeezed out juice and
strained
3 tbsp shaved dark palm sugar
2 tsp salt
300 ml coconut cream (or coconut milk for thinner sauce)

Method

Add shallots, garlic, galangal, ginger, lemongrass and chilli in a food processor and whiz until it forms a fine paste.
Heat a wok with peanut oil, add the spice paste, turmuruc and stir fry under low heat until the oil seperated from the paste.
Add taramind juice, crushed peanuts, palm sugar, salt and coconut cream and keep stirring under low heat until it reaches a slow simmer and the oil has separated and float on top.

Kuih Dadar / Kuih Tayap (Ketayap) - Pandan Pancakes / Crepes with Coconut & Palm Sugar Filling

2011-04-10T10:12:00.004+10:00

Can you believe that I actually learnt how to make this kuih at high school? The class was called 'Home Science' during my time. It was conducted once a week and was only attended by the girls. I can't remember where the boys went, but the girls would gather at a 'kitchen lab' where we all got together at our own stations to learn how to sew and cook.

The first item we learnt to sew was an apron with gingham fabric. The lines and squares of the fabric make it easy for the first timer. As for cooking, I can only remember two dishes that I learnt to make during the classes - this Kuih Dadar and Ondeh Ondeh. It was great fun with all girls got together learning to cook and sew - two subjects that were perceived as vital 'life skills' for young women 25 years ago......

Kuih Dadar / Kuih Tayap / Ketayap Recipe

Makes 8

Ingredients

Pandan crepes:

4 pandan leaves, cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors

200 ml water

100 ml coconut milk

1 egg

120 g plain flour, sieved

Pinch of salt

Cocout & Palm Sugar Filling:

70 g shredded coconut (note: you can use dessicated coconut but I prefer the texture of the shredded coconut)

60 g dark palm sugar (Gula Melaka)

1 pandan leaf, tie into a knot

3 tbsp water

Method:

To make the Coconut & Palm Sugar Filling: Heat the palm sugar with water in a small saucepan until the sugar is melted. Add pandan leaf and shredded coconut. Mix well and continue to cook under low heat for 2-3 minutes.

To make the Pandan Crepes: use a blender to blend pandan leaves and water together. Squeeze out all the juice through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Add coconut milk and egg in the pandan juice and mix well with a whisk. Add flour and whisk until lump free. Use a sieve if neccessary.
Heat a 6-inch non-stick fry pan with medium low heat. Spray a thin layer of oil.
Pour 1/4 cup of the crepe batter to the pan and swirl to cover the pan. Cook for 1 minute and turn over for another minute or until cooked. Repeat until all the batter is finished.
Lay a crepe on a plate surface, spoon 1 1/2 tbsp of the coconut and palm sugar filling and roll it up like the shape of spring roll. Repeat with the rest of the crepes.

Serve as tea / coffee time snack.

Ginger Scallion Beef (姜葱牛肉)

2011-04-05T12:04:00.003+10:00

It is hard to define Malaysian food. Malaysia is an extremely diversified multi-cultural country. Food is heavily influenced by immigrants and foreign occupancies. A lot of food that may seem more Chinese or Indian than Malaysian to you but that's actually our everyday meal depending on our heritage.

Stir-fry dishes are so common in Malaysia especially in households with Chinese heritage. To make a stir-fry dish is easy and this ginger scallion style of stir-fry is notably my favourite of all. You can replace the beef with other proteins such chicken, pork, fish, lobster or crab. It's best to serve with steamed rice but you can also add noodle to turn it into a complete meal.

Marinade is important to all stir-fry dishes. My family always marinate our meat with three basic ingredients: Soy sauce, cornflour and oil. Soy sauce is to give flavour to the meat; Cornflour helps seal the juice inside the meal during stir-fry and keep the meat moist & juicy. A small amount of bicarbonate of soda is added sometimes to tenderise the meat; Oil is added so the meat is easy to be separated while stir-frying.

A smoking hot wok is essential especially with beef. You want to seal and cook the meat quickly without overcooking it. A few minutes of quick stirring is all you need.

Ginger, scallion and beef are the stars of this dish. You do not want to add more seasonings or sauce to it other than the basic soy sauce, salt, white pepper and sesame oil.

Ginger Scallion Beef (姜葱牛肉)
Serves 4

600 g rump steak, thinly sliced
4 stalks scallion, cut into 5cm length
100 g ginger, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp oil
Salt & white pepper
Splash of sesame oil

Method

Marinate beef slices with soy sauce, cornflour and oil for 15-30 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok under high heat until smoking hot.
Add sliced ginger and give it a quick stir for a minute.
Add beef and scallions and quickly stir fry for a further 1-2 minutes until the beef turned brown and just cooked and scallions are slightly wilted.
Season with salt and white pepper and add a splash of sesame oil. Mix well and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Stephane Reynaud's 365 Challenge + Cookbooks Giveaway (Worldwide) + Homemade Baconnaise (Bacon Mayonnaise) Recipe

2011-04-03T11:36:00.005+10:00

First we had Julie Powell cooking Julia Child's book. Then we had Momofukufor2 cooking Momofuku's book. Do you know that there is now a group of foodies and cooking enthusiasts that are gathering force and cooking up in a new project?

I am incredibly excited to be involved in this Stephane Reynaud's 365 challenge initiated by leading Australian publisher Murdoch books.

Here are my profile and three posts I have contributed:

30 December: Sea Urchins with Vegetables

12 February: Frosted Orange

25 March: Hard-boiled Eggs with Mayonnaise

They are inviting all keen foodies to join in to their 365 challenge and help them cook their way through Stéphane Reynaud's fabulous 365 Good Reasons to Sit Down to Eat.

If you'd like to be part of the challenge, just send an email to meetus@murdochbooks.com.au with '365' in the subject line, and they'll get in touch with you. If you like to cook and try new recipes, they would love to hear from you.

By entering their 365 challenge, you will go in the draw to win one of two copies of Stephane Reynaud's 365 Good Reasons to Sit Down to Eat RRP at AU$79.95. This giveaway is open to all Almost Bourdain's readers worldwide. It ends 11:59pm on the 17 of April 2010 (AEST). The winners will be contacted directly by Murdoch Books.

Hard-boiled Eggs with Beconnaise (Bacon Mayonnaise) Recipe
Basic mayonnaise recipe adapted from Stephane Reynaud's 365 good reason to sit down to eat
Serves 6

Ingredients

12 eggs

For the Baconnaise:

1 egg

1 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp wine vinegar
300 ml (10 1/2 fl oz) sunflower oil
Salt and pepper

30 g bacon, cut into bits and fried until crisp

Method

Cook the egg, by carefully immersing them in boiling water, cook at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes, refresh in ice water. Remove the shells.
To make the mayonnaise put the egg, mustard and vinegar in a bowl, add the oil, season and process in a food processor or use a stick blender to combine.

Stir in the bacon bits.

Tofu Salad with Red Shiso, Nori, Bonito Flakes and Banno Soy Sauce

2011-03-30T09:20:00.010+11:00

It all started with this cute little pot of red shiso microherbs that I found in Northbridge Plaza.

We used to live in a townhouse a few blocks away from this plaza and I haven't been back there often since we moved to a different suburb a few years ago. I have always loved to shop there because of the Tokyo Mart and Alfresco Emporium (they have since moved to Collaroy). Over the years though, lots of the independent retailers such as the bookstore, the bakery and some of the clothing stores have been replaced by bigger chain stores.

A few weeks ago, I have started going to a new Pilates studio for my weekly Pilates lesson. The Pilates studio is close to this plaza and so I started to shop there again and I love what I have found in Antico's Fruit World adjacent to Tokyo Mart. One of The Wiggles segment to promote fresh fruits and vegetables for kids was filmed here and I believe Tokyo Mart is the place where Maeve O'Meara and Tetsuya Wakuda filmed shopping for Japanese grocery in one of the episodes of Food Safari, but please correct me if I am wrong.

Zucchini Flower Tempura, Posh Prawn Toast (recipe coming soon) and this tofu salad dish are the results of my finds from Antico's Fruit World. Red shiso leaves are often used in Japan to make tempura, and to color pickled plums (umeboshi). They can also be used fresh in salads, soups, and as a garnish.

I reckon the anise flavour from the leaves pairs wonderfully with the silky texture of tofu. I grabbed what I had from my pantry - nori (Japanese seaweed) and bonito flakes (katsuobushi), and whipped up this quick and easy salad.

I have adapted the Banno soy sauce (I have slightly adjusted the proportion of the mirin & soy sauce) from my favourite Japanese cookbook author, Harumi Kurihara. It is a simple sauce that is made of mirin, soy sauce and kombu seaweed (dried kelp) and it is slightly milder and sweeter than the normal soy sauce and can be used in many different dishes including this salad. You can make a large batch and store in refrigerator.

Tofu Salad with Red Shiso, Nori, Bonito and Banno Soy Sauce Serve 4

Ingredient

2 blocks silken firm tofu (or use my homemade tofu recipe)
Handful of red shiso microherbs
1 small sheet of nori (Japanese seaweed), use a kitchen scissors to cut into small batons
2 tbsp Bonito flakes

Banno Soy Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup mirin
1 inch piece kombu seaweed

Method

Heat mirin in a small saucepan under medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
Remove from heat and add soy sauce and kombu.
Let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate until needed.
Slice tofu into small blocks and lay them out on serving plate.
Sprinkle with red shiso, bonito flakes and nori.
Pour the banno soy sauce over the salad and serve immediately.

Homemade Szechuan Chilli Oil / Sichuan Chili Oil

2011-03-25T13:30:00.012+11:00

Growing up in Malaysia with a mom that has a penchant for spicy food has exposed me to chilli & spices from a young age. Szechuan food has a special place in my heart. Although Szechuan cuisine uses different ingredients and methods than Malaysian cuisine, my love for spiciness has attracted me to it.

Chilli oil is essential in Szechuan cooking and it's used extensively in a lot of the popular Szechuan dishes. To name a few, Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐), Kung Pao Chicken (宮保雞丁) and Red Oil Wonton (红油抄手). It's used to add a gorgeous red hue to the dishes and also to add a wonderful flavour. Not limited to Szechuan dishes, you can also use it to spice up the temperature of your noodle, salad and even stir-fry dishes.

You can easily buy chilli oil from Asian supermarkets but it's also very easy to make it at home. It can be made ahead and stored in a closed container at room temperature for up to a month.

Homemade Szechuan Chilli oilMake 500 ml

Ingredients
500 ml canola oil, vegetable oil or other flavourless oil
2 spring onions, tied in a knot
50 g ginger, slightly bruised with a cleaver or meat mullet
100 g chilli powder
2 star anise

Method

Mix the chilli powder and star anise in a medium size heatproof bowl. Set aside.
Add canola oil, spring onions and ginger in a medium saucepan.
Heat under medium high heat until the oil is smoking and fragrant.
Remove the oil immediately from the heat and discard the green onions and ginger.
Let the oil cool down a little and pour it in the heatproof bowl with chilli powder and star anise.
Stir to mix well and let it sit and settle for at least 12 hours until the oil is separated and float on top.
Gently pour the oil into a container, covered and keep in room temperature for up to a month.

Spicy Tamarind Fish

2011-03-21T19:12:00.015+11:00

I have a very selective memory. I am terribly bad in remembering mathematics formulas or important historical facts, but I remember many insignificant little things in life.

This is the first dish I cooked in the kitchen of the first apartment I owned. In Penang. 15 years ago. It's a very simple dish with cheap ingredients and simple steps, but it has a bold flavour. The sauce is very light, almost broth-like. The balanced heat and sourness arouse the palates and it's great to serve with steamed rice.

Busy corporate working life meant less time for cooking then. The abundance of cheap and delicious street food in Penang didn't help either. I probably cooked in my kitchen less than 10 times in total. Most of the cooking was done in the first month after moving into the apartment.

It is still hard for me to write about my time in Penang. I had the best 4 years of my life in Uni there and yet I hit the lowest point 8 years after I set foot on the island. Nevertheless it's an important period which has partly moulded me into who I am today.

Spicy Tamarind Fish
Serves 4

* Note: This is not 'Ikan Assam Pedas', it's a simplified and lighter version that I came up with for a easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

4 x 200 g Spanish mackerel cutlets (* I couldn't get Spanish mackerel on the day I made this dish, I used mullet instead)
6 Asian shallots
4 fresh red chilli
2 cm piece ginger
2 pieces asam gelugor / asam keping (dried tamarind fruit slice, available from Asian supermarkets)

1 tbsp sugar
12 cherry truss tomatoes
Salt to taste

Method

Place shallot, chilli and ginger in a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Pound or whiz until it forms a fine paste.
Place the paste mixture in a saucepan and 2 cups of water on high heat. Bring to a boil.
Add fish cutlets, asam gelugor, sugar, tomatoes and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes until the fish is cooked. Season to taste with salt.
Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Dark Chocolate Souffle Tart - Have A Very Lindt Chocolatey Easter

2011-03-17T12:52:00.022+11:00

I have two chocolate addicts at home. Easter is a time that we have serious chocolate fun. It's chocolate, chocolate, chocolate everywhere.

Baking oozy chocolatey goodies and hunting chocolate eggs are two activities that I love to do with Miss C every year.

This year we will be spending Easter with friends in Melbourne, so I have decided to bring forward the chocolate baking fun.

Dark . Chocolate . Soufflé . Tart. Can you imagine how good it is if you string these 4 words together? Yes, I made a Dark Chocolate Soufflé Tart! With the intensely sinful Lindt Excellent 70% Cocoa. No words can describe how delicious this tart is. I love the perfect crumbly chocolate shortcrust pastry and the chocolatey gooey centre soufflé filling. Chocolate overdose? I bet.

If you are still looking for Easter chocolate baking ideas, here are some great fun ones:

Chilli Chocolate Macarons with Lindt Excellent Dark Chocolate with Chilli

Chocolate, Olive Oil and Sea Salt Toast with Lindt Excellent Dark Chocolate with a touch of Sea Salt

Flourless Chinese Five Spice Chocolate Cake with Lindt Dessert 70% Cocoa Specialty Cooking Chocolate

Peanut Butter Chocolate Molten Cake inspired by Lindor Peanut Butter

Three-Tone Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse Cups inspired by Lindor Blocks

Oh and don't forget to join in the fun at Lindt Gold Bunny hunt.

Dark Chocolate Souffle Tart (Tarte Souffle au Chocolat) Recipe
(Adapted from Manu's French Kitchen by Manu Feildel)
Serves 8

Manu Feildel, "This recipe was given to me by my friend and former colleague Jeremie Mantelin, who is a brilliant pastry chef. This is the easiest tart. All you do is make the pastry, melt the chocolate, whip up the sabayon, knock it together, stick it in the oven and that's it! The filling puffs up then sinks when it cools and the middle is nice and gooey."

Ingredients

1 quantity Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry (recipe follows)
Plain flour, for dusting
450 g dark chocolate (I use Lindt Excellent 70% Cocoa), chopped
225 g unsalted butter, chopped
3 eggs
6 egg yolk
150 g caster sugar
creme fraiche, to serve

Method

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured benchtop, lifting, turning and dusting the bench as you go, until the pastry is 4 mm thick and large enough to line the base and sides of a 25 cm tart tin with a removable base. Use a small sharp knife to trim off any excess pastry. Prick the pastry base all over with a fork, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Line the pastry shell with baking paper, then fill with pastry weights, dried beans or rice and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C, then remove the weights and paper and cook the tart shell for another 5 minutes or until it is dry.
Meanwhile, heat the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of just simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth; take care that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Remove from the heat, reserve the pan of simmering water and leave the chocolate mixture to stand until cooled to room temperature.
Place the eggs, yolks and sugar in another large heatproof bowl and place over the saucepan of just simmering water. Using a whisk (a balloon whisk is ideal), whisk until the mixture holds a trail. Remove the pan from the heat, then gradually whisk the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and combine well.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the tart and bake for 18-20 minutes or until just set; the tart should be nice and gooey. Leave the tart to cool to room temperature, then serve with spoonful of creme fraiche.

Chocolate Shortcrust Pastry (Pate Sable au Chocolat) Recipe
Makes enough to line a 30 cm tart tin

Ingredients

150 g plain flour
100 g Dutch-process cocoa
125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, chopped
1 egg
90 g icing sugar
30 g ground almond

Method

Sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl and stir to combine.
Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a wooden spoon) beat the butter, egg, icing sugar and ground almonds until smooth. Gradually add the flour and cocoa mixture; stop beating as soon as the mixture comes together to form a dough. Do not overwork the dough or the pastry will be tough.
Shape the dough into a disc, cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before using.

Nyonya Laksa

2011-03-16T11:02:00.016+11:00

For many who are new to Malaysian cuisine, you may not be aware of the many different types of laksa in Malaysia. So many that it can be quite confusing. Even to the Malaysians.

The popular laksa that is commonly available in Australia is usually called curry laksa. There are many other varieties that can be found in various states of Malaysia but are less known overseas. The more popular ones are Penang laksa (also known as Assam laksa), Johor laksa and Sarawak laksa.

I chanced upon this Nyonya style laksa recipe written by Sydney 2-hatted restaurant Claude's owner and chef Chui Lee luk. She was born in Singapore and spent part of her childhood in Sabah, Malaysia. She moved with her family to Sydney when just seven years old. She is better known for her French cuisine despite her Asian heritage. I was quite surprised to come across her traditional Nyonya recipe in 'The Last Supper' - a compilation of recipes and interviews with many famous chefs (include Ferran Adria, Mario Batali, Anthony Bourdain, Alain Ducesse, Fergus Henderson, Neil Perry, Tetsuya Wakuda, Guillaume Brahimi, Thomas Keller among others) about their last meal.

The title she gives this dish is prawn and noodle soup (Nyonya) and when I read through the ingredients, it sounded like a Nyonya laksa dish that I have tasted in Peranakan restaurants in Malacca. It's also quite similar to Siamese laksa which is popular in the Northern region of Malaysia.

It's sort of a cross between curry laksa and assam laksa. It's spicy, sour, salty and creamy. The ingredients used in this laksa soup / gravy are a mix of Malay and Chinese which is unique to Nyonya / Peranakan cuisine. Most of these Nyonya recipes are family recipes passed down from generation to generation. The recipes vary from different families and states (mostly notably Penang and Malacca). I am always interested to try out these treasured family recipes, this recipe by Chui is no exception.

Chui's recipe may not look complicated but nonetheless has all the required flavours you need for a good bowl of Nyonya laksa. The spice paste is made of chilli, garlic, Asian shallots and toasted belachan (shrimp paste), cooked in a mix of coconut milk and cream together with tamarind juice and taucheong (yellow bean paste). You get the spiciness from the spice paste, sourness from the tamarind juice, saltiness from the yellow bean paste and creaminess from the coconut milk and cream.

The soup / gravy is thick & creamy and the tamarind juice and yellow bean paste give a distinctive flavour, different from the curry laksa you have come to know from food courts and Malaysian restaurants.

Traditionally, the noodles used are fresh thick rice noodle similar to the type used in assam laksa. Chui's recipe calls for dried thin rice noodle (meehoon). You can use other noodles to your preference.

As for the garnishing, Chui is suggesting to use prawns, bean sprouts, garlic chives and red pepper. I have added cucumber and coriander as they are my favourite garnishes for my laksa. You can use other garnishes, such as pineapple, mint leaf, Spanish onion and even bunga kantan (torch ginger bud).

Nyonya Laksa (Nyonya Style Prawn and Rice Noodles) Recipe
(Adapted from My Last Supper, recipe by Chui Lee Luk)
Serves 4

Ingredients

10 shallots
5 red chilies
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
1 tbsp shrimp paste (belacan), roasted in oven until dryish and crumbly
2 cup (475 ml) fresh coconut cream
1 cup (235 ml) fresh coconut milk
3 tbsp (40 g) yellow beans sauce, pureed (taucheong)

1/2 cup (120 ml) tamarind paste
7 oz (200 g) dried rice noodle (meehoon)
1 bunch garlic chives, chopped
8 3/4 oz (250 g) bean sprouts, rinsed and cleaned with roots removed
1 red pepper, flesh shredded finely
12 medium green prawns, shelled and deveined

Method

To Prepare the Prawn and Yellow Bean Sauce: In a food processor, grind the shallots, red chilies, garlic, and shrimp paste to a fine paste and set aside.
Simmer the coconut cream in a large pan over medium heat until it begins to separate. Add the ground, aromatic mixture and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk and the yellow bean puree and simmer for 2 more minutes, then add the tamarind. The sauce should be spicy hot, a little sour, sweet and salty.
To Prepare the Noodles: Blanch the rice noodles in boiling water until they are just soft. Drain and set aside. Heat the prepared sauce to a slow boil. Blanch the garlic chives, bean sprouts, and red pepper in separate batches in the prawn and yellow bean sauce until they are just soft. Combine the vegetables and rice noodles to form a colourful salad.
To Prepare the Prawns: Bring the prawn and yellow bean sauce to a boil and poach until the prawns are pink and cooked through.
To Serve: Spoon the sauce over the prawns and serve with the noodle salad.

Prawn Mousse Filled Zucchini Flower Tempura with Wasabi Mayonnaise

2011-03-13T10:28:00.010+11:00

What I have missed a lot last year was dining out. The slow recovery of my back injury meant dining out was something I needed to avoid, especially the painstakingly slow fine dining experience which can last up to 4-5 hours.

Occasionally, on a good day, I could dine out with Mr J at a nearby restaurant. This dish is inspired by a recent trip to Jurin, one of our favourite Japanese restaurant on the North side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

I first heard Steph raved about this dish almost 2 years ago and it has fast becoming our favourite dish on the menu. The restaurant serves the tempura with the traditional tentsuyu sauce but I have decided to use wasabi mayo instead.

I hope you enjoy my version of this fabulous dish. It's a great entree dish and not at all difficult to make.

Prawn Mousse Filled Zucchini Flower Tempura with Wasabi Mayonnaise Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

200 g shelled prawn, deveined and roughly chopped
8 zucchini flowers
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
White pepper
1/2 egg white
Premix tempura batter or use this homemade tempura recipe

Wasabi mayonnaise:
4 tbsp Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise or use this homemade mayonnaise recipe
A squeeze of wasabi paste (to taste)

Method

To make Wasabi Mayonnaise: Add wasabi paste to mayonnaise and stir to mix well.
To make Prawn Mousse: Add prawn, sesame oil, salt and white pepper in a food processor and whiz until it forms a paste. Add egg white and continue to whiz until the texture becomes gluey/sticky, around 5-8 minutes. Set aside until needed.
Remove the stigma from the centre of the zucchini flowers.
Spoon the prawn mousse into a piping bag.
Gently pipe the prawn mousse into the zucchini flowers. Twist petal tops to enclose filling.
Prepare the tempura batter (recipe here). To make a crisp and light tempura batter, make sure you use ice cold water and do not overmix the batter. It's ok if it looks lumpy.
Heat oil in a deep fryer at 180C.
Lightly dip the zucchini flower in the tempura and deep fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes until the tempura is light golden and the prawn mousse is cooked through.
Keep warm and continue to deep fry the rest of the zucchini flowers.
Serve immediately with wasabi mayo.

Nasi Lemak

2011-03-09T09:10:00.011+11:00

During Mr J's two and half year stay in Malaysia, he did adapt to most of the local food culture. The one small part that he couldn't get accustomed to is to start the day with a spicy meal.

We often headed out to hawker centres for breakfast during the weekends. I would have a bowl of laksa or a plate of nasi lemak. He would stare at me and couldn't understand the thrill and satisfaction that come from the suffering of the scorching hot spiciness.

"The food you grew up with is the food you will enjoy for the rest of your life." True or not, I know that whenever we return to Malaysia, my first breakfast will be nasi lemak and he will always make a bee line to the nearest snack bar for his frikandel fix whenever we touch down in Schiphol Airport in The Netherlands.

Nasi lemak literally means creamy rice. It's rice cooked in coconut milk and perfumed by pandan (screwpine) leaf. It's usually eaten with a range of condiments. It started off as a very humble breakfast dish consisting of coconut rice, roasted peanuts, cucumber, hard boiled egg, ikan bilis (dried anchovy) and sambal. It can still be bought from street vendors wrapped in banana leaf for less than $1.00.

It has slowly evolved into a more elaborated dish and is now served in restaurants and hotels with rendang, curry, achar, some even with satay on top of the condiments mentioned above. Although this is traditionally a breakfast dish, it can also be served as lunch or dinner.

The recipe I have posted today is the back-to-basics version of Nasi Lemak. You can add beef rendang, chicken curry, crispy fried fish, achar or satay to come up with a more extravagant version that is perfect for a Malaysian dinner party.

Nasi Lemak Recipe

There are different methods to cook rice - rice cooker, absorption method or steaming. All methods can be used to make nasi lemak. The basic rule is to replace half of the amount of water you usually use to cook rice with coconut milk. Add 2 pandan leaves (tied up together in a knot) for every cup of rice used and a pinch of salt.

Sambal Ikan Bilis

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried anchovies (ikan bilis), rinsed and dried with paper towel
4 fresh red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
8 (100 g) small Asian shallots
3 garlic
1/2 tbsp shrimp paste, toasted
2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp tamarind pulp + 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 small brown onion, thinly sliced

Method

Deep fry the ikan bilis in hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
Mix the tamarind pulp with water. Squeeze out the tamarind juice from the pulp and discard the seeds. Strain through a fine sieve. Set aside until needed.
Combine fresh red chilli, bird's eye chilli, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and candlenuts together in a mortar and pestle or a food process and pound or whiz until it forms a fine paste.
Heat oil in a wok, add the paste and fry under low heat until it's aromatic, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the tamarind juice to the paste together with sugar and salt. Stir and mix well.
Add brown onion and continue to stir fry until the onion has soften a little but still have slight texture, around 2-3 minutes.
Add the ikan bilis and give it a good stir. This sambal can be served hot or room temperature.

* Note: you can serve the sambal and ikan bilis separately or together. Some prefer the ikan bilis to be crisp. Some prefer the ikan bilis to be mixed in the sambal.

Other Condiments

Hard boiled eggs
Thinly sliced cucumber
Roasted peanuts

* Tips: Use a fork to create patterns before slicing the cucumber.

Thomas Keller's Macaroni and Cheese

2011-03-06T10:14:00.013+11:00

Is there such a thing as "the perfect pizza crust" or "the best chocolate cake"?

Taste is a very subjective thing. It's a sense that varies from person to person. Everyone has their own preference for sweetness, saltiness, sourness and bitterness. Each of us has his or her own opinion on how the perfect texture should be.

Having tried Thomas Keller's favourite roast chicken, I have to admit that it's the simplest, best tasting roast chicken I have ever eaten. Sea salt and a bit of thyme leaves. The most simple and most basic seasoning and that's all, really, you need for a perfect roast chicken. The cooking time and oven temperature are spot on. It gives the perfect golden crisp skin and moist, juicy meat you dream of. There is really nothing more I can ask for from a roast chicken.

My second attempt on Thomas Keller's recipe was his macaroni and cheese or macaroni gratin in his Bouchon cookbook. This recipe is a whole new ball game compared to his simple roast chicken.

How hard can it be to cook a macaroni and cheese?

If you are familiar with Thomas Keller's recipes, you know most of his recipes are extremely fiddly. His strive for perfection, precision and meticulously detailed instructions are clearly portrayed in all his cookbooks, and in this recipe.

30 minutes to cook a Mornay sauce for his macaroni and cheese. Using a diffuser for the saucepan while cooking the Mornay sauce so the heat can be maintained at the lowest level. To him, the humble macaroni and cheese is simply not a fast food.

Cloves, nutmeg, bay leaf are added to spice up the dish. Panko crumbs are sprinkled on top to give texture. The details are down to what type of cheese and which type of ham you should use.

However, do all of the above make his the best macaroni and cheese?

It was a thumbs down from the usually easy to please Mr J. He reckons it's too creamy as opposed to cheesy. He prefers his mac and cheese to have more cheese than cream and milk. The panko crumbs didn't do it for him either.

What about the fussy little food critic, Miss C? It was a big thumbs up! Ha! "This is good. So good." that's all she had time for to say before shoving spoonful after spoonful of the mac and cheese in her mouth. The spices and the panko breadcrumbs didn't seem to bother her much.

What about my verdict? I am on a post Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year diet. I had salad for dinner while they tucked into this calorie laden dish. That's the price I have to pay for living with two stick thin, genetically well blessed humans.

Thomas Keller's Macaroni Gratin (Grati de Macaroni) Recipe
(Adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon)
Serves 4

Thomas Keller, "A standard dish in bistros, not to mention an American favorite - macaroni and cheese. This version is tossed with a Mornay sauce seasoned with nutmeg, sprinkled with thyme and bread crumbs, and baked until bubbling and crispy on top."

Ingredients

8 ounces small elbow macaroni
3 cups Mornay sauce (recipe follows)
Heavy cream if needed
1 cup sauteed wild mushroom or 1/2 cup julienned Bayonne ham (optional) * I used 1/2 cup sauteed smoked bacon
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
Fresh grated nutmeg
2 to 3 tsp minced thyme
1/2 cup grated Comte or Emmentaler chesse * I use Dutch Gouda
2 to 3 tbsp panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or dried bread crumbs

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender; drain, rinse under cold water, and drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile, put a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F.
Warm the Mornay sauce in a large saucepan over low heat. If the sauce has been refrigerated and seems too thick, thin it with a little additional heavy cream. Remove from the heat and add the macaroni and mushrooms or ham, if using (* I use sauteed smoked bacon). Mix well and season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. (The mixture may look loose, but the macaroni will continue to absorb sauce and it will thicken as it bakes.)
Pour into an 8-cup gratin dish, such as a 9-by-15-inch oval, or into individual gratin or baking dishes. Sprinkle the top with the thyme, cheese, and bread crumbs.
Place the gratin dish(es) on a baking sheet in order to catch any sauce that may bubble over, then place in the oven. Turn the heat down to 375F and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture is hot and bubbling around the edges. If the gratin has not browned, turn on the broiler to brown the top.

Mornay Sauce Recipe
Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

4 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup diced Spanish onion
Kosher salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cup milk
1 1 /3 cup heavy cream or as needed
1 bay leaf
4 black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
Freshly ground nutmeg
Freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup grated Comte or Emmentaler cheese

Method

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan set on a diffuser over medium heat.
Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly so that the roux doesn't burn or color.
Whisking constantly, add the milk and cream and whisk until fully incorporated.
Bring to a simmer, whisking, then add the bay leaf, peppercorns, and cloves.
Move the pan to one side of the diffuser, away from direct heat to avoid scorching, and bring back to a gentle simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, reaching into the corners of the pan, for about 30 minutes. (If the sauce does begin to scorch, pour it into a clean pan - don't scrape the bottom of the pan - and continue).
Remove the sauce from the heat and season to taste with salt, a grating of nutmeg, and a pinch of white pepper.
Strain the sauce, add the cheese, and whisk to melt.
Use immediately, or place in a storage container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to keep a skin from forming, and refrigerate for up to a week.
If the sauce is too thick after refrigeration, it can be thinned with a little heavy cream.

Salt and Pepper Squid with Pickled Cucumber, Pineapple & Coriander Salad + Some Great News!

2011-03-03T09:09:00.015+11:00

Salt and pepper are the two most basic and universally considered most important seasonings in almost any cooking. Salt and pepper dishes can be found in almost all Chinese restaurants. Be it squid, spare ribs, prawns or tofu, it's widely accepted as a 'must order' dish purely for the the reason that it's an extremely tasty dish that is enjoyed by both Asian and Western palates.

The most common way to cook a salt and pepper dish is to lightly dust the meat, seafood or tofu in cornflour, potato flour or a mix of both that is seasoned with salt and pepper (crushed black peppercorns, Szechuan pepper or five spice powder can be used). Then deep-fry until lightly brown and crisp. It's can be served with mayonnaise but it's just as good on its own. You can also use unseasoned flour and then sprinkle the salt and pepper mixture after it's been deep-fried. Whichever way, they are all winners.

Today I am using a slightly different method and using more than just salt and pepper. I have added garlic, chilli, green onions and ginger to give the dish a lift. The squid is lightly coated with a cornflour and potato flour mix, deep-fried and then tossed in a lightly fried, fragrant chopped garlic, ginger, chilli, green onions and Szechuan pepper salt mix.

You can use the ready-made Szechuan pepper salt mix from Asian stores or make your own by dry frying 1 tbsp of Szechuan peppercorns, 1 tbsp black peppercorns and 1 tbsp of salt until aromatic. Remove from fry pan and pound in a mortar and pestle until fine.

As simple as it may sound, the dish is wonderful to be served together with a lightly pickled cucumber, pineapple and coriander salad. Perfect for an entree or a light main.

Salt and Pepper Squids Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

300 g squid tubes
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp potato flour
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp Szechuan pepper salt mix
Oil for deep-frying

Method

Cut the squid tubes into 3cm pieces. Marinate with salt.
Heat the oil in deep-fryer to 200C.
Mix the cornflour and potato flour.
Coat the squids in flour mix and dust away the excess flour.
Deep-fry in batches for 1-2 minutes or until it's crisp and cooked.
Drain on paper towel.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok over medium high heat.
Fry the garlic, ginger and chilli until fragrant. Add Szechuan pepper salt, stir well and then add squid and give it a quick stir.
Remove immediately and serve with pickled cucumber, pineapple & coriander salad.

Pickled Cucumber, Pineapple & Coriander Salad

Ingredients

1 Lebanese cucumber, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
1/2 small pineapple, cut into bite-size
A handful of Coriander leaves, coarsely torn
1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Method

Add sugar and salt to the cucumber in a bowl and toss to mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Rinse the cucumber with cold running water.
Add vinegar and toss it with pineapple, chilli and coriander.
Serve immediately.

Let's move on to some great news. I have sold my first image to a food magazine. It can be found on Masterchef Magazine March 2011 issue. It's a small image but still exciting!

The 2nd great news is that I was voted #17 of Babble's Top 100 Food Blogs 2011 together with many other talented food bloggers.

The most exciting bit is that Babble also ranked me #5 for best photography which is totally unexpected!

Jasmine Tea & Honey Panna Cotta with Dragon Fruit Gelee and Homemade Almond Fortune Cookies - Daring Bakers' Challenge February 2011

2011-02-27T10:37:00.012+11:00

"Tea or coffee?"

"Tea."

"Jasmine or Oolong?

"Jasmine, please."

"Black or white?"

"Sugar or honey?"

"Do you like to have a slice of dragon fruit or pink guava to go with your tea?"

Life is full of choices. The more choices we have, the harder for us to make a decision.

Sometimes I find it easier if we are not given a choice. Miss C was an August baby. In the state of New South Wales, I was left with no choice but to enrol her to start school on the year she turned 5. I wasn't given a choice. That was easy. Most of the mums in the same situation were breathing a similar sigh of relief.

There were so many discussions and worries among the mums with kids born in the earlier part of the year. They were faced to decide between admitting their kids to school the same year or the following year. Endless discussions. Worries about making the wrong choices for their kids. Weighing up all the pros and cons.

When we decided to call Australia home, we were without a choice. I was a Malaysian passport holder then. The circumstances made it almost impossible for me to live in Holland. Fast forward 10 years. I am still the same me. The only difference is that I am now an Australian. This makes me eligible to live in Holland as long as Mr J has a job there.

Now we are faced with a choice. An extremely difficult choice to make.

Do we want to give up everything we have built up in the last 11 years and move to Holland? What if my back problem gets worse and we don't have family or a safety net to help us? Too many questions that we cannot find the answers for.

I don't like sugar coated fantasy. Yup, it's exciting. It's Europe. it's a 3-hour train ride to Paris. London is a 1-hour flight away with my brother and his family living there. Mr J's family are all close by. Miss C would grow up with her cousins and knowing her grandparents well. All the fun.

But the harsh reality is that this would not be a holiday. There will be freezing winters, grey skies and wet weather to battle. A brand new language to learn, a new society to be integrated into and a child to raise in a culture and an environment that I am not familiar with.

As I ponder our future and all the uncertainties in life, I wish these cookies held the answer.

Maybe saying a little prayer will help.

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Jasmine Tea and Honey Panna Cotta Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
10 g Jasmine tea
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1/3 cup (80 ml) honey

Method

Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage).
Next, add the tea, cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.

Dragon Fruit Gelée Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) dragon fruit (pitaya) puree
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (3½ gm) (1/8 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

Method

Sprinkle gelatin over water.
Place fruit and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Now mix the gelatin into the dragon fruit mixture and stir until gelatin has dissolved.
Remove from heat and allow to cool (close to room temp, again, if you're planning on layering on pouring on top of your Panna Cotta, a hot mixture will also heat up your chilled Panna Cotta).

Almond Fortune Cookies Reicpe
Adapted from How To Make Fortune Cookies: A Tutorial

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons water

Method

Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture.
Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.
Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter.
Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes).
Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin.
Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape.
Continue with the rest of the cookies.

Caramel Chicken

2011-02-23T18:23:00.005+11:00

My cooking style has been heavily influenced by 2 great cooks: Bill Granger and Laura Calder.

I absolutely love the simplicity of Bill's recipes. He taught me that great food doesn't necessarily have to be complicated. I have never had a bad meal when using his recipes. This caramel chicken is a fine example. A wok, chicken thigh fillets and a few pantry items are all you need to serve up a delicious meal that will be well loved by the whole family.

I adore the effortlessness and graceciousness Laura Calder has displayed in her cooking shows on lifestyle food channel. I learnt from her that the kitchen should not be a stressful place. It's a place to relax, be creative and it should be a place to serve up plates after plates of deliciousness to share with friends and family.

Do you have a chef or a cook who inspires you?

Caramel Chicken Recipe
(Adapted from Bill Granger's Bills Open Kitchen)
Serves 4

Ingredients

8 chicken thigh fillets, chopped in half
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
60 ml (1/4 cup) dark soy sauce
115 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
60 ml (1/4 cup) fish sauce

To serve:
Steamed rice
Steamed green vegetables, such as snow peas, asparagus or Chinese broccoli

Method:

Place the chicken and oil in a bowl and toss to combine. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat until hot.
Add the chicken, in two batches, and cook for 2 minutes on one side until lightly brown, turn and cook for another minute. Remove from the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium and add a little extra oil if needed. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Return the chicken to the pan, sprinkle liberally with black pepper, add the soy sauce and stir to combine.
Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Increase the heat to high, add the sugar and stir to combine.
Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce is rich, dark and syrupy.
Add the fish sauce and stir to combine.
Place in a serving dish and serve with steamed rice and green vegetables.

Banana Spring Rolls, Coconut Tapioca Pearls, Kaffir Lime Syrup & Toasted Coconut Flakes

2011-02-21T10:07:00.004+11:00

I have not been in the mood to write lately. Life gets in the way. Good and bad. Happy and sad.

But I still cook and bake. A lot. So bear with me. Enjoy the recipe. Until I get my writing mojo back.

Banana Spring Rolls, Coconut Tapioca Pearls, Kaffir Lime Syrup & Toasted Coconut Flakes Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

Coconut tapioca pearls:
1/4 cup tapioca / sago pearls
1 cup water
1/8 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup coconut cream

Kaffir lime syrup:
100 g caster sugar
100 g water
10 kaffir lime leaves

Toasted coconut flakes:
3 tbsp shredded coconut

Banana spring rolls:
4 small ripe bananas
4 spring roll sheets
Oil for deep frying

Method

To make coconut tapioca pearls: Boil water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add tapioca pearls and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the tapioca pearls are cooked and comp lately translucent. Add sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in coconut cream. Mix well, cool to room temperature and keep in fridge until needed.
To make kaffir lime syrup: Add sugar, kaffir lime leaves and water in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring and let it simmer for a further 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool until it's needed.
To make toasted coconut flakes: Dry fry the shredded coconut in a non stick fry pan until it's lightly toasted and coloured.
To make banana spring rolls: Trim the bananas to fit the spring roll sheets. Wrap each trimmed banana with one sheet of spring roll. Sealed the edges with a little water. Repeat with other bananas. Heat oil in deep fryer to 180C. Deep fry spring rolls in hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until the spring rolls are crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towel and keep warm.
To assemble: Divide the coconut tapioca pearls among 4 serving plates. Cut each banana spring roll into two and place them onto the coconut tapioca pearls. Drizzle a little kaffir lime syrup on the spring rolls. Scatter the toasted coconut flakes and shredded kaffir
lime leaves. Serve immediately.

Recipe Shout-Out (12)

2011-02-19T10:51:00.003+11:00

One of my main objective starting this blog is to inspire and be inspired. This is my 12th Recipe Shout-Out to show my thankfulness to everyone who has been inspired and tried the recipes I have posted on my blog.

Dear readers, please take a few minutes to check out these brilliant bloggers and their beautiful creations:

Kirbie's Craving - Homemade Steamed Buns (Mantou)

Inspired from Mantou 饅頭 (Chinese Steamed Buns)

The Hungry Excavator - "Siew Yoke" Crispy Skin Pork

Inspired from Chinese Roast Pork Belly with Crackling (烧肉)

A Box of Kitchen - Curry Laksa

Inspired from Curry Laksa

Yummy!! - Homemade Ferraro Rocher

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Dwiechochelki - Potato Croquettes

Inspired from Potato Croquettes (Crocchette di Patate)

Eat Cook and Love - Asian Steamed Buns (Mantou)

Inspired from Mantou 饅頭 (Chinese Steamed Buns)

Culinary Catastrophy - Mango Bread

Inspired from Fresh Mango and Ginger Tea Bread

A Box of Kitchen - Rice Cake

Inspired from Masak Lodeh with Nasi Impit (Prawn and Vegetables Coconut Stew with Rice Cakes)

Kuchnia Pana - 5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Inspired from Gluten Free 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Pig Pig's Corner - Peanut Butter Cookies with Crunchy Abalone Macadamia & Sea Salt

Inspired from Crunchy Peanut Butter and Ses Salt Cookies

Creaky Lino - Mumufuku's Crack Pie

Inspired from Momofuku Milk Bar's Crack Pie

Cioccolato Gatto - Forrest Gump Chocolate Tart

Inspired from Forest Gump (Chocolate) Tart

Bakericious - Caramel Mud Cake

Inspired from Caramel Mud Cake with Popcorn Ice Cream

What I Like - Croquettes

Inspired from Kroketten (Dutch Croquettes)

Pawonike - Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle)

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Nile's Blog - Mocha Mousse Cups

Inspired from Mocha Mousse Cups

Lindas Virtuve - 5 Minutes Chocolate Mug Cake

Inspired from Gluten Free 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Olsanka - Dutch Apple Doughnuts

Inspired from Appelbeignets (Dutch Apple Fritters)

Daima Kitchen - Chinese Steamed Buns

Inspired from Mantou 饅頭 (Chinese Steamed Buns)

Ribbon and Circus - Pandan and Cococnut Ice Cream

Inspired from BTS (Better Than Sex) Dessert - Pain Perdu (Brioche French Toast) with Pandan & Coconut Ice Cream and Palm Sugar Syrup

Iron Chef Shellie - Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

Inspired from Ben & Jerry's Original Recipe: Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

Butter Sweet Melody - Popcorn Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce

Inspired from Popcorn Ice Cream with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

Squirrels n Sweets - 8 Textured Tiramisu

Inspired from Eight Textured Tiramisu

Crumbs and Cookies - Shao Bing

Inspired from Chinese Savoury Pancake (Sher Ping 餡餅)

Stories From Emona - Chocolate Hazelnut Balls

Inspired from Homemade Ferrero Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Just Today - Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Cashew Cookie Cake

Inspired from Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Foodagraphy by Chelle - Bourke Street Bakery's Ginger Brulee Tarts

Inspired by Bourke Street Bakery's Ginger Brulee Tarts

Indonesian Eats - Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles)

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Ribbon and Circus - Eggs Baked in Tomatoes

Inspired from Eggs Baked in Tomatoes with Crisp Prosciutto and Basil

Dosada - Domaci Ferrero Rocher

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Tristo Cuda - Gozleme

Inspired from Gozleme (Turkish Pizza / Pancake) with Grilled Eggplant, Spinach and Ricotta

Bakericious - Korean Fried Chicken (KFC)

Inspired from KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

Unforced Rhythms of Grace - Salted Chocolate Sandwich

Inspired from Chocolate, Olive Oil and Sea Salt Toasts

Nasi Lemak Lover - Orange and Lemongrass Souffle

Inspired from Lemon, Lime and Orange Souffle

Framework: Stepping Up - KFC Korean Fried Chicken

Inspired from KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

Sweetest Kitchen - Crunchy Peanut Butter and Sea Salt Cookies

Inspired from Crunchy Peanut Butter and Sea Salt Cookies

Mob Living - Momofuku's Crack Pie

Inspired from Momofuku Milk Bar's Crack Pie

Cooking Journal - Orange Cake

Inspired from Sicilian Orange Cake

El Moorish - Pumpkin Ice Cream with Pecan Brittle and Spiced Oloroso Pumpkin Pie

Inspired from Pumpkin and Maple Ice Cream with Pepita Brittle

The Experimental Cook - Twice Cooked Pork Belly

Inspired from Chinese Style Twice-Cooked Pork Belly (東坡肉)

Cate Can Cook, So Can You!! - Asian Style Guiness Baby Back Ribs

Inspired from Asian Style Guiness Baby Back Pork Ribs

Cioccolato Gatto - Orange & Vanilla Cake

Inspired from Sicilian Orange Cake

From Torts to Tarts - Crack Pie

Inspired from Momofuku Milk Bar's Crack Pie

Please also check out my previous Recipe Shout-Outs:

Reicpe Shout-Out (11)
Recipe Shout-Out (10)
Recipe Shout-Out (9)
Recipe Shout-Out (8)
Recipe Shout-Out (7)
Recipe Shout-Out (6)
Recipe Shout-Out (5)
Recipe Shout-Out (4)
Recipe Shout-Out (3)
Recipe Shout-Out (2)
Recipe Shout-Out (1)

If you have tried my recipes, please send me an email at almostbourdain[at]gmail[dot]com to let me know so I can include your blog on my next shout out.

Fried Lemongrass Chicken with Sambal Mayonnaise

2011-02-16T10:18:00.004+11:00

Those who are close to me know I am a chicken karaage addict. I love the whole concept of it. It's like eating popcorn chickens: boneless, bite size, no mess.

The love of chicken karaage has inspired me to develop a fried chicken recipe that captures the flavours of Malaysia.

Bite-size chicken pieces, marinated in lemongrass, turmeric, ginger and coconut milk, coated in a mixture of potato and corn flour. Deep-fried until golden brown. The result is a plate full of fragrant fried chicken with perfect crispy crust and extremely tender and moist meat.

I love to squeeze some lime juice (calamasi lime will be perfect if you can get hold of it) on it and dip it in sambal mayonnaise.

To me, this is 'almost' Malaysia on a plate.

Fried Lemongrass Chicken with Sambal Mayonnaise Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

500 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size
2 lemongrass, only the white part, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp grated ginger
50 g potato flour
50 g cornflour
Oil for deep-fry
1/2 lime (or 1 calamansi lime)

Sambal Mayonnaise:
4 tbsp kewpie mayonnasie (or homemade mayonnaise recipe HERE)
2 tsp sambal belacan (recipe HERE)

Method

Whiz chopped lemongrass in a food process until fine.
Mix processed lemongrass, turmeric powder, salt, ginger and coconut milk in a medium bowl. Add chicken pieces and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Mix potato flour and cornflour.
Preheat a deep fryer to 180C.
Lightly coat the chicken pieces with the flour mix and fry in the deep fryer in batches for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through.
Drain on paper towel. Place fried chicken on a serving plate, squeeze lime juice over it and serve with sambal mayonnaise.
To make sambal mayonnaise: Add sambal belacan to mayonnaise and stir to mix well.

Sambal Belacan

2011-02-13T15:17:00.005+11:00

Sambal belacan - sweet, sour, salty and spicy. It captures the essence of Malaysian cooking. A condiment that most Malaysians can't live without. It's usually made of shrimp paste, fresh red chilli, calamansi lime, sugar and salt and by pounding all ingredients together. Every household has its own recipe. Some recipes simply call for chilli, shrimp paste and seasoned with salt. You can adjust the sweetness, saltiness, spiciness and sourness to your taste.

Sambal in general is a type of chilli relish that is popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. There are many different versions of sambal. Sambal belacan is named after the belacan (shrimp paste) used in the recipe. Sambal belacan goes well with a lot of dishes. It is often served as a dip for cucumber, prawn crackers or raw vegetables (okra, snake beans, winged beans), as a condiment with the main meal, noodle or rice dish.

Sambal (with or without belacan) is very versatile as you can also use it in stir fry dishes such as water spinach (kangkung), asparagus and eggplant or with seafood such as prawn or fish. Among all the sambal dishes, sambal telur (egg) is my favourite. I will definitely share the recipe with you in the near future.

Sambal Belacan Recipe

Ingredients

6 fresh red chillis, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)
2 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime (Note: Calamansi lime / Limau kasturi is almost impossible to find outside South East Asia, so I have used normal lime as a substitute)
1/2 tsp salt

Method

Toast the shrimp paste. You can do it by dry frying the shrimp paste in a fry pan over low heat until fragrant. (Note: I prefer to the less messier way by wrapping the shrimp paste in foil paper parcel and toast it on a fry pan over low heat. It will take approximately 2 minutes, turn the foil parcel mid way through heating once.)
Add chillis, toasted shrimp paste, lime, sugar and salt in a mortal and pestle or a food processor. Pound until a rough paste is formed.
Serve as a condiment to main meal, noodle, rice dish or as a dip to salad, cucumber, prawn crackers.

Seared Szechuan Peppercorn Crusted Kingfish with Cherry Truss Tomato and Crispy Fried Shallots Salad

2011-02-09T09:30:00.006+11:00

This dish is inspired by a Japanese entree we had at Ju-Rin restaurant two weeks ago. It was actually a simple dish of marinated kingfish and mixed leaf salad with pepper yuzu dressing, but the flavours just blew us away. I started thinking if I could recreate a similar dish using Chinese spices and flavours.

This is one of the many reasons why I like cooking. It can bring out the creativity in us as long as we are not afraid to try and experiment. Sometimes, it relaxes me too.

A relatively short post today. My in-laws left on Saturday after enjoying 3 months of southern summer with us, a new school year, a crazy heat wave.... all have taken a toll on me.

Seared Szechuan Peppercorn Crusted Kingfish with Cherry Truss Tomato and Crispy Fried Shallots Salad Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 x 200g pieces skinless sashimi-quality Kingfish
1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp black peppercorn
1 tbsp salt

Cherry truss tomato & fried shallots salad:
16 x cherry truss tomatoes, quartered
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 Asian shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tbsp chopped chives or spring onions
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp lime juice

Method

To make Szechuan pepper salt: Dry fry Szechuan peppercorns, black peppercorns and salt until aromatic. Remove from fry pan and pound in a mortar and pestle until fine. (Note: Alternatively, you can replace this with 3 tbsp of Szechuan pepper salt available in Asian grocery shops.)
Roll kingfish fillets in the Szechuan pepper salt until all surfaces are well coated.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add one piece of kingfish and sear on both side (1-2 minutes each side). Remove and set aside until needed. Repeat with the other kingfish.
Use a clean fry pan, fry the sliced shallot in 1 tbsp oil until golden brown, crisp and caramerlised. Remove and drain on paper towel.
Mix together sugar, ginger, vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the dressing on cherry tomatoes and stir well. Sprinkle with chopped chives or spring onions and fried shallots.
Divide the salad into 4 individual portions.
Slice each kingfish fillet into thick slices and place them neatly on top of the salad.
Serve as an entree or light lunch.

Teh Tarik (Milk Tea) Ice Cream, Roti, Condensed Milk, Salted Peanuts Dessert

2011-02-06T13:38:00.009+11:00

I often crave for simplicity in life.

Call me naive, but I want to imagine life without bitterness, jealousy, anger, politics.... Without having to deal with all the complications life brings.

Just imagine if we can have a simple life and everyone lives in peace.

I crave for the same sort of simplicity in the food I make. Life is complicated enough and I really don't have to bring it into my kitchen.

Sometimes all we need is a simple scoop of ice cream, a good book and a comfy chair.

Or maybe not. Maybe adding a warm roti, some sweetened condensed milk, few slices of banana and a handful of of crushed salted peanuts will make it better......

Teh tarik literally means "pulled tea". It's a popular hot beverage in Malaysia and Singapore, usually served in a Mamak stall. It's made of black tea and sweetened condensed milk. This mixture is then repeatedly poured from one metal mug held in one hand to another metal mug held in the other hand. During the pouring process, the tea is being pulled by distancing the two mugs. Hence the name, "pulled tea".

The pulling process serves to cool down the tea to the optimal temperature and to create a foamy/frothy top similar to the one of top of a cup of cappuccino. It is usually served in a large glass mug that resembles a beer glass and it is a perfect beverage to go with a a warm roti.

'Teh Tarik' (Milk Tea) Ice Cream Recipe
Makes 1/2 litre

Ingredients

150 ml cream
250 ml milk
3 tbsp black tea leaves
5 egg yolks
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Method

Add cream, milk and tea leaves in a saucepan and gently heat until just below boiling point.
Remove from heat and let tea leaves infused for 30 minutes. Filter through a fine sieve.
Beat egg told and sweetened condensed milk with an electric mixer until color turned pale.
Add the milk mixture and whisk until combined.
Pour the mixture into a double boiler and simmer under the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Cool the custard mixture and churn in ice cream maker.
To make the roti dessert: Heat up a frozen roti according to packet instructions. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk. Add a few banana slices. Top it up with two scoops of teh tarik ice cream and finish it with a sprinkle of chopped salted peanuts.

Kuih Keria (Malaysian Sweet Potato Doughnuts)

2011-02-02T12:56:00.009+11:00

To me, sweet potato is synonymous with war time food. I vividly remember stories from my grandma about life during WW II.

Food was scarce and everything had to be rationalised, especially rice. Dinners were thin congee (a small handful of raw rice cooked with a big pot of water) and bulked up with yam (taro) or sweet potato dug up from the backyard. These are the easiest root vegetables to grow, require the least attention and multiply quickly. In addition, the sweet potato leaves were served as vegetable.

This kuih keria (sweet potato doughnut) is one of the popular Malay tea-time snacks. Whist most of the kuihs are steamed, these are fried. You can buy them from street vendors in Malaysia and they are also popular among home cooks.

Some kuih keria recipes use only plain flour. The addition of tapioca flour gives a slightly more chewy / toothsome 'kuih' like texture. The crispy and sugary crust is the perfect contrast to the soft and pillowy centre.

Pressing the mashed sweet potatoes through a fine sieve is a little tedious, but well worth the effort. It produces a silky smooth sweet potato puree for the dough.

These doughnuts are traditionally coated with a layer of crystallised sugar but I prefer to coat them with sugar syrup for better presentation. I have listed both methods in my recipe to give you the options.

To everyone who celebrates Chinese / Lunar New Year, Gong Xi Fatt Chai!

Kuih Keria (Malaysian Sweet Potato Doughnuts)
Makes 6

300 g sweet potato (kumara)
30 g plain flour
30 g tapioca flour
60 g sugar
Oil for deep-frying

Method

Steam sweet potato until it's cooked through and tender.
Mash it and push through a fine sieve.
Mix the sweet potato puree with both flour and knead gently until a soft dough is formed.
Roll the dough into a log shape (approx 5 cm diameter).
Cut into 6 equal portions.
Roll each dough into a ball, press it slightly to flatten it a little (approx 1 cm thickness) and make a thumb-size hole in the centre.
Heat oil in a deep fryer 180C and fry the doughnuts in batches, turn once until golden brown (3-4 minutes).
Drain on paper towels.
To make the glaze: Heat the sugar and 3 tbsp of water. Stir until sugar is dissolved and continue to cook until a thick syrup is form.
Roll the doughnuts in the sugar syrup until well coated. Sugar syrup will crystallised slightly when cooled. (Note: Another way is to put all doughnuts into the pan with boiling sugar syrup and continue to boil and keep stirring with low heat until the sugar is crystallised) * I personally prefer the first method as it gives a nice glossy finish to the doughnuts.

Chicken and Basil Hot-Pot (Three Cup Chicken 三杯雞) + SBS Featured Foodie

2011-01-30T09:56:00.006+11:00

Do you have a dish that you like cooking that much that you remember the exact measurements of each ingredient as well as all the cooking steps?

This is it. A dish that I have cooked too many times over the years.

This chicken and basil hot pot is also called "three cup chicken" because of the use of three equal amounts of soy sauce, sesame oil and Chinese cooking wine in the recipe. Garlic, ginger, fresh red chilli and basil leaves are added to enhance the flavour and it's no doubt one of my favourite Chinese hot-pot dishes.

It was made popular in Taiwan although the origin is traced back to mainland China. Nowadays, you can order this dish at most Chinese restaurants in Sydney. Contradictory to most Chinese hot pot dishes that are ladened with sauce, this dish is gently simmered with the lid off until all the sauce has been evaporated and all the flavour has been absorbed by the chicken. It's usually served piping hot in the claypot with steamed rice.

I am one lucky woman who has a husband who loves to cook. We have our own territory. He has his outdoor barbecue and I take control of the indoor kitchen. Once in a while, and more often on days when his work is not too busy, he likes to cook some of his favourite dishes, notably the Thomas Keller's Simple Roast Chicken and Greek Style Pot Roasted Chicken. (Oh and he makes a mean roast pork with crispy crackling!)

Truth be told, I wasn't the cook behind this wonderful hot pot dish photographed in this post. He was. Surprise, surprise?!

It was his first time making this dish. He walked into the kitchen on the day I planned to cook this dish for my blog and told me that he wanted to cook it. I said, "cool!". I didn't have the recipe written down, so he cooked as I verbally gave him the instructions. The process was a little tedious and sometimes I got annoyed when he distrusted my instructions, "10 cloves of garlic! Whole? Not crushed? Not chopped? Are you sure?" but overall, it was fun.

Now that I have this recipe on my blog, he can cook this dish whenever he wants.

This is a tasty but not a very difficult dish to make. Perfect for a weekdays dinner. You can replace the chicken with spare ribs, prawns, squid or tofu and adjust the cooking time according.

On a side note, I am being featured on SBS food newsletter and their website. Click on the image to read my Q & A with them:

Chicken and Basil Hot Pot (Three Cup Chicken 三杯雞)
Serve 4

Ingredients

800 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size piece
10 cloves garlic
2 fresh red chillis, chopped
5 slices ginger
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup shaoxing wine
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp spicy bean sauce
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, more for garnish

Method

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a fry pan and brown the chicken in batches.
Remove chicken and set aside. Discard oil.
Heat sesame oil in a hotpot (claypot) and fry the garlic, ginger and chilli until fragrant.
Add soy sauce, shaoxing wine, water, sugar and spicy bean sauce and bring to a boil.
Add chicken and simmer uncover until sauce is reduced & thicken and chicken is cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in basil leaves and mix well.
Garnish with more fresh basil leaves and serve immediately with steam rice.

Mini Pineapple and Rosemary Tarte Tatin with Gingery Coconut Cream

2011-01-26T13:14:00.006+11:00

You may or may not have read this controversial article about straight Chinese parenting. I can identify with the young Lulu. Tantrums, anger, crying: protesting against a traditional Chinese upbringing. My rebellious trait carries on until today.

Chinese (Lunar) New Year is only a few days away. Whilst lots of us are keeping to the tradition of baking CNY Pineapple Tarts, I am feeling a little cheeky to go against the conventional.

Nothing can take my love away from French desserts. Creme brûlée, tarte tatin, macarons, chocolate gâteau, crepes..... I can go on and on for all day. French pineapple tart is what I wanted to make this year. So this Pineapple & Rosemary tarte tatin was born.

Like Lulu, like me, this rebellious tart is not destined to be a failure but a winner.

Mini Pineapple & Rosemary Tarte Tatin with Gingery Coconut Cream
Makes 4

Ingredients

1/2 small-medium pineapple, cored and sliced
120 g caster sugar
20 g butter
1 tbsp fresh Rosemary leaves
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

Gingery coconut cream:
1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut cream
I piece thumb-size ginger, smashed with a meat mallet

Method

To make the Gingery Coconut Cream: Heat coconut cream with ginger gently under low heat until just warm. Remove from heat and let the ginger infuse in the coconut milk for 10 minutes. Discard the ginger. Filter the cream with a fine sieve if necessary. Add a pinch
of salt and stir well. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 250C.
Line the base 4 round ramekins with a few pineapple pieces.
Heat the sugar in a frying pan under low heat. Swirl the pan from time to time until sugar is melted and turned caramel.
Immediately add Rosemary and butter and swirl to mix.
Divide and pour the sauce into the ramekins that were lined with pineapple.
Cut 4 rounds (slightly larger than the remekin) from the puff pastry.
Cover the puff pastry rounds over the pineapple and caramel. Tuck in the the edges.
Bake the tarts in the oven for 10 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golded brown.
Remove from oven turn them over on 4 serving plates.
Serve immediately with the gingery coconut cream.

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

2011-01-23T14:05:00.007+11:00

I have come to know about this ridiculously easy way to make sweetened condensed milk at home a long time ago, but with so many other interesting recipes to work on, it escaped my mind until now.

Not until I received a comment from Sandra Mort that prompted me to share this brilliant recipe with you.

"Have you ever made condensed milk? I've seen recipes for homemade dulce de leche but not condensed milk. I try hard to not buy Nestle's, which is the most common brand. Suggestions?"

I grew up in a typical Malaysian household and sweetened condensed milk was a daily staple. We added it to our coffee, tea, Milo and Olvatine. We drizzled it on desserts and dipped fruits in it. Everyone has their own favourite way of using sweetened condensed milk, like making a pot of condensed milk fondue. Totally sinful but nice!

Why make your own when sweetened condensed milk when it is easily available from the supermarket shelves? You may ask.

Because you can make it low-fat with skimmed milk powder. You can adjust the sweetness to your likeness. You can replace the butter with healthier alternatives or totally omit it for a fat free version. You can also control the thickness to a consistency that tickles your fancy.

4 ingredients, 5 minutes cooking time, what is there not to like?

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
Makes 1/2 litre

Ingredients

50 g butter
220 g sugar
1 cup (250 ml) water
200 g milk powder

Method

Add butter, sugar and water in a saucepan and gently boil under low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Turn off the heat and whisk in milk powder, 50g at a time, until it's completely dissolved.
Let it cool and use it immediately. It doesn't store well, so makes as you need.

Tijgerbrood (Dutch Tiger Bread Rolls / Dutch Crunch)

2011-01-19T11:12:00.008+11:00

Summer school holidays and having my parents-in-law staying with us for three months means I'm busy, busy, busy.

Busy juggling between kids activities and senior welfare means less cooking and baking. My new direction has taken a back seat as creating new recipes and sticking to only Malaysian cuisine proved to be difficult during this time of year.

Meal planning has become a chore with different preferences and dislikes. An occasional Asian meal is fine with my Dutch in-laws - but preferably not on a regular basis. Meal with bones is also a big No No for them. They also have a strict no seafood diet. They dislike the taste and smell of any sea creatures. I have been able to accommodate this request pretty well except for the occasional honest mistake, "Oops! I forgot oyster sauce is made from oyster extract!"

After seeing his mom made his favourite potato salad with Worcestershire sauce, Mr J checked the label on the bottle and whispered to me: "It actually contains ANCHOVIES!!".

A few years ago we celebrated Chinese New Year at my parents home in Seremban, Malaysia, together with my in-laws. As usual, we went to a Chinese restaurant for a CNY celebration and ordered Yee Sang (raw fish salad, a fixture in most CNY banquet) as part of the banquet.
Forever accommodating, my parents told the chef not to include the raw fish and they boldly announced to my in-laws that the dish had no seafood.

Everyone started to indulge happily. Not until half way through the meal, my father suddenly whispered to me, "Oops! I forgot that the Yee Sang dish has jelly fish!!" I then whispered to Mr J and he decided not to tell his parents what they had ingested in fear a toilet rush would follow suit.

Living in perfect harmony means compromises. We will have an evening with a spicy Asian meal and the next morning I will bake something they fancy such as these tiger bread rolls.

Tijgerbrood originates from Holland and it's translated as Tiger Bread, and sometimes it's called Dutch Crunch. It has taken the name because of the stripes and patterns on the bread rolls.

In Australia, you can buy them from Bakers Delight and they are widely available in the US and across Europe. Though I am not too sure about the availability of this bread in Asia.

The uniqueness of these rolls is in the use of sesame oil and rice flour paste that strongly suggest an Asian influence from the past of the ever adventurous Dutchmen that travelled frequently to the Far East for trade and the discovery of new lands.

The stripy crunchy crust that is created by the use of a mix of rice flour and sesame oil paste is visually and texturally stunning. It balances the soft and buttery texture of the roll. It's best eaten fresh and warm from the oven; savoury or sweet, with jam & butter or cheese and ham.

There are several recipes available on the Internet. I have based mine from this recipe. The reason? How can I resist a bread recipe with CROISSANT in it??? I did tweak the recipe to bring it a little closer to the original tiger bread. Although there is no doubt in my mind that the buttery croissant is not included in the original ingredients of making traditional tiger bread, it's a welcome addition as it adds magic to the texture of these bread rolls.

Tijgerbrood (Dutch Tiger Bread Rolls / Dutch Crunch) Recipe
Makes 12 rolls

Ingredients

1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon instant dried yeast

2 cups bread flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 croissants
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant dried yeast

Paste:
1/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup white rice flour
4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon instant dried yeast

Method

The night before, combine the first 4 ingredients together; mix and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in room temperature room overnight or 12 - 18 hours.
Pour the overnight mixture into a large bowl. Add the 1 1/4 cups of lukewarm water and mix till blended.
Tear the croissants into small pieces and whiz them in a food processor.
Pour in the whole wheat flour and the finely processed croissants. Mix with a wooden spoon till all the flour and croissants are well mixed. Add in the salt and instant dried yeast.
Once everything is well mixed start to add the bread flour in. About 1/2 cup at a time.
When the dough becomes to hard to mix in the bowl, pour out onto a flat surface and continue to incorporate the rest of the flour. Knead the dough for about 8 - 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil to a clean bowl.
Place the dough into the bowl and turn over a few time to lightly coat all sides of the dough. Allow to rest for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or till double in bulk.
Once the dough has rested till double; punch down the dough and pour out onto a flat surface. Cut the dough into 12 equal parts (around 100 g each).
Roll each piece into a ball and place onto a piece of parchment paper. Allow to rise for an hour.
About an half an hour before baking the bread, you can start the coating. In a small bowl combine the water, sugar, rice flour, salt, sesame oil and yeast.
Mix with a wooden spoon till the paste is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest till double. Once the bread is ready to bake, spread the paste onto the outside of the rolls.
Place into a preheated 180 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Turn up the heat to 200C and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until the crusts are browned.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

2011-01-16T10:54:00.004+11:00

Honestly, I am not too familiar with Korean food other than with the common kimchi, bibimbap, KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) and bulgogi.

A friend of us married a Korean and she has introduced us to Korean cooking many years ago. I indulged in many wonderful homemade Korean dishes, including Mandu.

Making dumplings at home couldn't be easier with the gow gee wrappers readily available in Asian grocers and selected supermarkets. The filling is usually made with pork mince, prawns, mushrooms, chestnuts and spring onions.

What attracted me to this Korean dumplings recipe is that the filling contains pork mince, tofu, kimchi and sesame salt. It is slightly different from the usual ingredients and gives you a
nice firm and slightly crunchy texture from the tofu and the kimchi. The use of sesame salt and sesame oil gives a wonderful nutty flavour to the dumplings.

If you are a dumpling lover like me, you got to give this recipe a go.

Mandu (Korean Dumplings) Recipe
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine September 2010 issue
Serves 6 (Makes about 35 dumplings)

GT - "These dumplings are similar to the Japanese gyoza – you could even fry them after steaming if you wanted the extra crunch. Sesame salt is a common seasoning in Korean cooking – make extra to have on hand for seasoning other dishes too."

Ingredients

200 gm finely minced pork
150 gm firm tofu, coarsely mashed with a fork
100 gm drained cabbage kimchi, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic chives
½ spring onion, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
35 round gow gee wrappers

Sesame salt:
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp fine salt

Dipping sauce:
60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Method

For sesame salt, dry-roast sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium-high heat until roasted (2-3 minutes). Cool slightly, set aside 1 tsp for dipping sauce, then pound remainder with salt in a mortar and pestle until finely ground.
Combine pork, tofu, kimchi, chives, spring onion, sesame oil and a large pinch of freshly ground pepper in a bowl and season to taste with sesame salt (about 1 tsp). Set aside.
Lay a few wrappers on a work surface, place a teaspoonful of pork mixture in centre of each, then brush edges with a little water. Fold in half to form a semicircle, then trim edges with a 7cm-diameter cutter. Pleat edges and set aside on a lightly floured tray.
Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Cook mandu in batches in boiling water over medium-high heat until cooked through (2-4 minutes). Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, for dipping sauce, combine ingredients and reserved roasted sesame seeds in a bowl. Serve with mandu, kimchi and extra sesame salt.

Crisp Fried Whole Snapper with Chilli and Coriander Sauce

2011-01-12T20:05:00.009+11:00

I have friends that can't bear to dine at the same table with me if a fish is served whole, with head-on. Some think it's cruel, some simply can't dig in with the fish eyes staring straight back at them.

In many Western cultures, fish is usually filleted and served boneless in individual portions. This is opposite to many Asian cultures, where serving a whole fish is a grand gesture to be shared by everyone sitting at the table. Whether it's at home or at a restaurant, fish is often served with head and tail on and it is meant to be shared by all the diners.

Mr J came across quite some interesting culinary observations during his 2.5 year stay in Malaysia. Once, during a holiday on Pangkor Island, we dined in a tiny outdoor seafood restaurant at a local fisherman village. While we ordered several seafood dishes to share, we were astonished to overhear that the four Western tourists seated at the table next to us ordered four portions of sweet and sour fish.

When their dishes arrived, there were four giant serving plates, each with a huge whole fish and each weighing at least 1.5kg. The tourists were absolutely stunned and the amount of fish could easily have fed a table of 20!

Now back to this dish...

The close proximity of Malaysia and Thailand has the result that the cuisines of the two countries do influence each other. This is particularly the case for the northern part of West Malaysia which is bordering the south of Thailand.

You can find a lot of Thai restaurants in most of the big cities in Malaysia, in particularly in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Some of the dishes in these Thai restaurants have been localised and modified to suit local taste buds. You can also come across Thai influenced dishes in some of the Chinese restaurants which is quite unique.

This Crisp Fried Whole Snapper with Chilli and Coriander Sauce is a dish I have created to celebrate the colourful flavours, textures, ingredients and spices from Malaysia & Thailand.

Crisp Fried Whole Snapper with Chilli and Coriander Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 x whole red snapper (approx 1.2 kg) or 4 x red snapper fillets
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp minced ginger
2 fresh red chillis, finely chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp rice wine
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/3 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 small carrot, shredded
Oil for deep frying

Method

Pat dry the snapper with paper towels. Make a few slits on both sides and season the fish with sea salt.
Heat a wok full of oil to 180C. Deep-fried the fish until it's crisp, golden browned and cooked. Remove the fish and drain on paper towel.
Heat a small saucepan with 1 tbsp of oil, fry the ginger, garlic, spring onions and chilli until fragrant.
Add soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, rice wine and white pepper. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.
Place the fish on the serving plate. Scatter half of the coriander leaves and shredded carrot over the fish.
Pour over the hot sauce and scatter the remaining half of the coriander and carrot.
Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Masak Lodeh with Nasi Impit (Malaysian Prawn and Vegetables Coconut Stew with Rice Cakes)

2011-01-09T09:16:00.006+11:00

Do not assume all Malaysians love their spicy food. Many do not. For example, my mum is the only one among her 6 siblings who has a penchant for spicy food. Her working with many Malay colleagues is the main factor that contributed to her liking of cooking with spices and chilli. I was hooked to spicy food from a young age because of her.

She has learnt a good number of Malay dishes from her work mates and her Minangkabau style chicken rendang that she cooks every Chinese New Year is legendary.

One of the Malay dishes that she used to cook when we were young was this masak lodeh (coconut stew). It can be a vegetarian dish (Sayur lodeh) or made with prawns although she often cooked it with fish. It's traditionally served with lontong, a compressed rice wrapped and cooked in banana leaf. However, you can also pair it with nasi impit (Malaysian compressed rice cake) or simply with steamed rice.

I planned to make lontong but banana leaves are notoriously hard to find and expensive in the area I live in. I would have to get down to Chinatown to get them. Hence, I made nasi impit to go with it.

Masak lodeh is a coconut stew that is mainly flavoured by turmeric and lemongrass. Saffron is optional and gives a luxury touch to this humble dish. The vegetables used in this stew are cabbage, snake / long beans and eggplant. Tempeh (fermented soy bean cake) is a must, but for those who don't like the texture and taste of tempeh, you can replace it with fried tofu.

Masak Lodeh (Malaysian Prawn and Vegetable Coconut Stew) Recipe
Serve 4

Ingredients

8 Asian shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 piece thumb size galangal or ginger, bashed
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
A pinch of saffron
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
200 g cabbage, sliced
100 g snake / long beans or green beans, cut into 5cm length
2 Japanese eggplants, halved and cut into 5cm length
2 pieces tempeh (fermented soy bean cake) or fried tofu, cut into bite-size pieces
400 ml coconut milk
600 ml water
500 g prawns
Salt to taste

Method

Use a food processor or mortal and pestle to pound the shallots and garlic into a paste.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a medium size pot on medium heat.
Add shallot & garlic paste and fry until slightly brown and fragrant.
Add lemongrass, galangal (or ginger), saffron, turmeric powder and chilli powder and continue to fry for a further minute.
Add the vegetables (cabbage, beans and eggplants) and soy bean cake (or tofu) and stir until well coated with the spice paste.
Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil and lower down the heat to a slow gentle simmer until vegetables are almost cooked. Add prawns and cook a further 2-3 minutes until prawns are just cooked.
Add salt to taste.
Remove the lemongrass and galangal / ginger. Serve immediately with lontong, nasi impit or steamed rice.

Nasi Impit (Malaysian Rice Cakes)

Ingredients

2 cups medium-grain rice
Pinch of salt

Method

Wash and cook the rice using rice cooker. Add a pinch of salt in the water that is used to cook the rice.
Layer a cling wrap in a rectangular or square tray.
Once the rice is cooked, remove from the rice cooker when it is still hot and spread it on the tray.
Press the rice tightly with hand and cover the top with another layer of cling wrap.
Weight down the rice with canned food / drinks or heavy books.
Leave it compress for a few hours until it's cool to room temperature.
Remove the weights and slice into small squares with a knife. Wet the knife regularly for easy slicing.
Nasi impit is usually served at room temperature. It's a common condiment served with masak lodeh, rendang or satay in peanut sauce.

Mantou 饅頭 (Chinese Steamed Buns)

2011-01-03T10:32:00.013+11:00

When I was younger, I often did resent my parents wanting me to learn Chinese on top of both Malay (Malaysian national language)and English.

Not until many years later, as I stand next to shelves full of cookbooks written in Chinese in the Chinese section of the Kinokuniya bookstore in Sydney, am I thankful that my parents - especially my dad - insisted that their children should learn how to read and write their mother tongue.

I have learnt many authentic traditional Asian cooking techniques from these cookbooks written in Chinese. Very rarely you see them being translated into English.

Mantou is a Chinese steamed bun. These buns, together with other wheat products such as noodles, are the daily staple for Chinese people living in the northern parts of China. Rice is the regular staple for Chinese people in the southern regions of China. A difference in climate is the reason for this: wheat grows in a colder climate while rice requires a warmer climate to grow.

Most of the Chinese immigrants into Malaysia were originally from the southern regions. This, combined with the tropical climate and the indigenous culture of Malaysia, makes rice the single most important ingredient in the Malaysian-Chinese diet.

Mantou, therefore, is not what we make at home regularly. It's often served in Chinese restaurants accompanying dishes such as the popular Singapore chilli mud crabs / prawns or braised pig trotters to soak up the sauce from these delicious dishes.

Mantou are often served freshly steamed or deep-fried. It's versatile as you can eat it on its own; as an accompaniment to savoury dishes or congee; as breakfast with a sweet (kaya, custard or azuki bean paste) or a savoury filling (pork belly, char siu or pork floss); or even as a dessert.

My favourite way to eat these steamed buns is to deep-fry them until golden and puffed and then dip them into condensed milk.

A good mantou should have a smooth and puffed surface with a soft and fluffy texture when you break it to open. A good recipe is hard to come by and I am happy that I have a fab one to share with you today.

Mantou 饅頭 (Chinese Steamed Buns) Recipe
Makes 8

Ingredients

5 g instant dried yeast
250 ml water
500 g all purpose flour
25 g caster sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil

Method

Dissolve dried yeast in water in a small bowl.
Mix all ingredients in the bowl of electric mixer. With the dough hook attached with low speed, knead the dough until it's smooth, around 10 minutes.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes and lay it on a slightly floured surface.
Roll out the dough to a 70 cm x 15 cm rectangle.
Perform a three-fold as pictured.
Roll it out again to a 45 cm x 25 cm rectangle.
Brush the surface with water with a pastry brush.
Roll out the dough tightly from the longer edge to form a log.
Use a bread knife to slice the log into 8 pieces.
Cut 8 square pieces of baking paper, slightly larger than the bun.
Lay the buns on the square baking papers.
Spread the buns on the steamer and pour some cold water in the bottom of the steamer. Cover the steamer, and let them rise for 20 minutes. (If you don't have a multi-layer steamer and you can't fit all the buns in your single layer steamer, cover the rest of buns in a slightly damp tea towel for them to rise.)
After the final rise, turn on the steamer and steam the buns for 20 minutes (15 minutes with preheated steamer) until it's puffed and cooked.
Serve immediately or deep-fry them. You can freeze the leftover once they are completely cold. You can keep them in the freezer for 3 months. You can reheat them by steaming them for 2-3 minutes after removing them from the freezer.

Appelbeignets (Dutch Apple Fritters)

2010-12-31T12:38:00.004+11:00

Appelbeignets (Dutch Apple Fritters) are another sweet snack besides Oliebollen that are traditionally eaten in Holland on New Years Eve.

Apples are cored and sliced, dipped in cinnamon scented batter, deep-fried and dusted with more (and more..) cinnamon sugar. Family and friends gather together to warm up with these snacks of deep-fried goodness in the cold and freezing Dutch winter evening, while counting down to a brand New Year.

It has been a challenging year for me due to my troubled back. Looking at the bright side though, I am counting my blessing, like having my dearest family with me and like having found new friendships & opportunities through my blog. I am looking forward to a better year, with new hope and more travelling.

A big thank you to all of you that read and support my blog with all your lovely comments. I am looking forward to share more Malaysian and Asian inspired recipes in 2011.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Appelbeignets (Dutch Apple Fritters)
Serves 6

Ingredients
3 large Elstar or Jona Gold apples (I used Pink Lady as these apples are not available in Sydney) 125 g all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
200 ml milk
1 egg
Oil for deep-frying
Cinnamon sugar for dusting

Method

Peel and core the apples. Slice the apples thinly as pictured.
Mix together the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
Lightly beat the egg and milk. Slowly whisk in the egg and milk mixture into the dry ingredients.
Heat the oil in the deep-fryer to 180C.
Dip the apple slices into the batter and add to the hot oil a few at a time without over crowding. Deep-fry for 3-4 minutes, turning once until crisp, puff and golden brown.
Drain on paper towel, dust with cinnamon sugar and serve immediately.

Christmas Stollen - Daring Bakers' Challenge December 2010 + Family Christmas Celebration

2010-12-26T13:19:00.014+11:00

When my parents-in-law decided to spend their Christmas with us in Sydney this year, I wanted to surprise them by baking a Christmas Stollen. When last month the Daring Bakers' Challenge for December was revealed to be Christmas Stollen, I knew I was destined to make it for Christmas.

Stollen is traditionally a German Christmas yeast bread to be eaten for breakfast on Christmas Day. The shape of the cake was originally meant to represent the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes.

The Dutch have adopted it and called it Kerststol and it is baked fresh and sold in many bakeries across the country. This Dutch version of the stollen is often more cakey (less bread like) than the German one.

The Dutch have created an even more popular off-spring of the traditional stollen to be eaten during their favourite coffee time - Kerstkrans - almond paste wrapped in thick flaky pastry, O-shaped to resemble a Christmas wrath. However, many Dutch still love to have stollen / kerststol to start their Christmas day.

I have chosen to make a traditional German version. This is another great recipe that I have adapted from Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps cookbook. If you are as big a fan of this brilliant cookbook writer as myself, you may want to check out her new blog - EATspeak - on which she has started to document her travels and musings in Japan, where she is writing her next book (to be published in 2012).

The important fact you need to consider before making the stollen is that you should find a good quality Marzipan (almond paste). You can always make your own, but nothing beats a good imported one from Germany.

"Why is a good quality marzipan is critical to this recipe?", you may ask.

The answer to this lies in how stollen has to be eaten. Here are the steps:

Slice the stollen into slices.
Use a butter knife to remove the marzipan.
Spread the marzipan evenly across the surface of the slice and spread more butter on it.

We had a rather simple Christmas dinner. Not excessive, but with quality dishes. No seafood for us this Christmas as Mr J's parents do not eat any living thing from the Ocean. Here are some of the highlights:

Stollen for Breakfast

A morning trip to the beach

A few games of Cluedo with a few Bratwursts (German Sausages) on the BBQ in between.

Asparagus, Prosciutto, 65C Egg with Grated Parmesan

Fresh eggs from our chooks

Yasmin (left) & Emma (right)

Roast Boneless Murray Valley Pork Shoulder with Balinese Babi Guling Spices with Crackings basted in Turmeric infused Oil. (Will post recipe soon)

My MIL made her signature dish - a very retro Potato Salad with Granny Smith Apple, Spam (Yes, SPAM), Onion, Herbs, Worcestershire Sauce, Hard Boiled Eggs and Mayonnaise. (A childhood dish that Mr J craves for whenever he sees his beloved mother, whether in Australia or in Holland)

Mango, Lime & Mint Pavlova (Recipe HERE)

Hope you had a great Christmas and I will see you again in the New Year.

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration.

Marzipan Butter Stollen Recipe
(Adapted from Snowflakes and Schnapps by Jane Lawson)
Serves 10-12

Ingredients

85 g (3 oz / 2/3 cup) raisins
35 g (1 1/4 oz / 1/4 cup) currants
60 g (2 1/4 oz / 1/4 cup) glace cherries, chopped
40 g (1 1/2 oz / 1/4 cup) finely chopped candied lemon peel (I used mixed peel)
80 ml (2 1/2 fl oz / 1/3 cup) dark rum
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
30 g (1 oz) fresh yeast
115 g (4 oz / 1/2 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
185 ml (6 fl oz / 3/4 cup) warm full-cream (whole) milk
450 g (1 lb / 3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
120 g (4 1/4 oz) softened unsalted butter, melted, plus 40 g (1 1/2 oz), extra
200 g (7 oz) soft marzipan (almond paste
1 egg yolk
90 g (3 1/4 oz / 3/4 cup) icing (confectioners') sugar

Method

Combine the fruit, lemon peel and rum in a bowl. Toss to combine, then cover and set aside overnight, stirring occasionally. Drain off any excess rum before using. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and stir well.
Crumble the yeast into a small bowl, add 1/2 tsp of the caster sugar and 125 ml (4 fl oz / 1/2 cup) pf the warm milk. Mash together until smooth, then leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes, or until frothy. Soft the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the remaining sugar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Add the egg, vanilla, remaining milk and melted butter, add mix until you have a soft, sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture comes together and is less sticky. Place in a bowl, cover, and set aside for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough.
Turn out again onto the work surface and quickly knead in the fruit, in three batches, until it is well incorporated.
Return to the bowl, cover, and set aside for another 2 hours, or until risen.
Meanwhile, combine the marzipan with the egg yolk and 30 g (1 oz / 1/4 cup) of the icing sugar and mash to combine well.
Shape into a log about 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) wide and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Shape the dough into a long oval and roll to make a 20 x 35 cm (8 x 14 inch) rectangle, about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick.
Make a deep dent along the dough's length, just off-centre, with a rolling pin.
Place the marzipan log in the dent.
Pull the widen size of the dough over to cover and push into a dough on the opposite side to help adhere. Roll the edge so the join in underneath. (As I was holding the camera and Mr J has read the instructions wrongly and folded slightly the wrong way). Place on a greased and floured baking tray and rest for about 10 minutes.
Brush with a little of the extra melted butter.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160C (315F) and cook for a further 25 minutes, or until it is golden all over and sounds slightly hollow when tapped.
Remove from the oven, brush over the remaining melted butter until dissolved. Evenly and thickly sift over the remaining icing sugar.
Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap overnight before cutting - this resting is important to achieve the correct texture. The stollen will keep well for about 1 week.

Mango, Lime & Mint Pavlova + More Christmas Recipes

2010-12-21T19:23:00.008+11:00

I am being asked this question many time every Christmas, "What are you cooking for Christmas?"

As fickle minded as I always have been, the answer is always: "I am not sure.". I don't like planning ahead and my Christmas menu is often put together at the last moment, depending on what I feel like cooking or eating.

However, pavlova is a fixture on our Christmas table. Since we have decided to call Australia home 11 years ago, we have tried to integrate into the society. Finding the balance ourselves between history and present - as well as to raise Miss C as an Australian kid while knowing her parents' heritage - is part of integrating.

Having pavlova on our Christmas table is what we like to do every year. To celebrate being part of the great Australian family. Adding tropical flavours like mango, lime and mint is the tribute to my heritage.

Mango, Lime and Mint Pavlova Recipe
(Serves 6)

Ingredients

150 ml eggwhite (approximately 4 eggs)
220 g caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp vinegar
250 ml single cream
3 medium size mango, cubed
Juice from 1 lime
Handful of mint leaves, finely shredded

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
Mix the eggwhite with an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well after each addition, until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
Fold in the cornflour and vinegar and until just combined.
Shape the mixture into a log on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
Reduce oven to 120°C (250°F) and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.
Mix the mango cubes, lime juice and shredded mint leaves in a bowl.
Whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Spread over the pavlova, top with mango, lime and mint mixture.
Serve immediately.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here are more Christmas recipes from me if you are looking for more inspirations:

Christmas Coconut Ice / Candies with Pandan and Rose Syrup

Coconut Christmas Wreaths

Pandan Coconut Macaroons

Christmas Glazed Ham with Guinness, Mustard, Marmalade and Pineapple Juice

Christmas Recipe - Chocolate Bacon "NOT Gingerbread" Cake House

Candy Cane Macarons

Cinnamon Chicken and Pine Nuts Pastries

Mango Pudding (Mango Mousse with Sweetened Condensed Milk Chantilly)

2010-12-17T20:10:00.006+11:00

Here is the question: "Chocolate based or fruit based dessert?".

For me, it is always the latter. Best still if it is made out of mango. I blame it to my upbringing. Growing up in a tropical country, I was surrounded by an abundance of sweet, juicy fresh fruits all year round. My mum always brought out a fruit platter instead of a dessert after a meal. Papaya, star fruit, cloud apple (jambu air), mangosteen, mango and custard apple are some of my favourites. Among all the Asian fruit based desserts, mango pudding has to be my favourite. A dessert that is on my must order list during yum cha.

I am giving this popular dessert a modern take. The gelatine set mango pudding has been replaced with a light as air mango mousse using Italian meringue, pure mango puree and evaporated milk. I then topped it up with a sweetened condensed milk chantilly to give it a perfect finishing touch. Dig in!

Mango Pudding (Mango Mousse with Sweetened Condensed Milk Chantilly) Recipe Serves 4

Ingredients

150 g evaporated milk, chilled
Condensed milk chantilly (recipe follows)

Mango puree:
500 g mango flesh from 4 mangoes, diced
80 ml water

Italian meringue:
55 ml water
110 g sugar
2 egg whites

Sweetened condensed milk chantilly:
250 ml thickened cream
2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Method

To make mango puree: Boil the diced mango and water with high heat for 10 minutes until the mixture thickened and ressemble jam like texture.

Use a blender to purée it until smooth. Push it through a fine sieve to get rid of the fibre. Set aside to cool.

To make Italian meringue: Add water and sugar in a saucepan, gently heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Turn up the heat and continue boiling until it reaches hard ball stage (128C).
Beat egg white with an electric mixer until foamy. Set the electric mixer on slow setting, pour in the boiling sugar syrup in a slow and steady stream. Continue the beating until the mixture reaches room temperature. It will look shiny and smooth.
To make sweetened condensed milk chantilly: Beat cream and condensed milk together with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
To make mango mousse: Whip the chilled evaporated milk until foamy. Mix 100 g of Italian meringue with mango puree. Fold in whipped evaporated milk.
Divide the mousse in 4 dessert glasses. Chill in the fridge until set.
Serve with sweetened condensed milk chantilly.

Chinese Roast Duck

2010-12-14T10:28:00.008+11:00

I used to live like a nomad. I left home at the age of 20. Four years of University in Penang Island with four different addresses. Six years of working life post graduation led me to live in different parts of Malaysia before moving to Sydney in 1999. More frequent travels to many other Asian countries until we finally settled down and bought our first property 8 years ago.

The lifestyle I had did lead to minimalistic living. One extra-large red suitcase was all I had. There were only a few treasured items that I knew would always be with me. These include two journals from my mum. Two journals full of recipes - handwritten by my mum dated from 1965 onwards. I have fond memories of growing up seeing my mum jotting down recipes she gathered. I remember as a child, I was telling my mum to give me these two journals when I grew up. There still is nothing else that I would want more from her. It's like having a piece of her with me, wherever I am, even thousands of kilometers away.

This Cantonese-style roast duck recipe is one of the many treasured recipes from her journals. Minimal changes have been made to this almost 40 year old recipe to make it suitable to cook it at home in a kitchen oven. It's critical during the air dry process to make sure the skin of the duck is dried completely with a slight golden hue before roasting the bird in the oven. You can even put an electric fan in front of the duck to speed up the process.

Unfortunately, you may not be able to get the crispy skin on the entire bird unless you have a rotisserie fixture in your oven. However, you can almost be guaranteed to get the golden crispy skin on the outside of the legs and breast and perfectly cooked moist duck meat on the inside if you follow the steps diligently.

Another winner of this dish is the sauce. The essence of the sauce is that it is able to absorb all the wonderful juices and drippings inside the cavity of the duck for an hour while in the oven. Then, it's cooked down to a thick, luscious dipping sauce.

I urge you to try this recipe soon, you know you are up for a memorable meal.

Chinese Cantonese-Style Roast Duck Recipe
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 whole duck, about 2kg
2 tsp five spice powder
1 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic
4 slices ginger
2 fresh red chillies
2 tbsp sweet bean sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp honey

Sauce:
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp shaoxing wine
1 tsp cornflour

Method

Boil a big pot of water, enough to submerge the whole duck.
When the water is boiling, put in the duck and let it boil for 2 minutes. Make the whole duck is submerged in the water.
Remove duck and drain. Discard the water.
Mix salt and 5 spice powder. Rub them all over the cavity of the duck.
Put garlic, ginger, chilli and bean paste in a blender and process to form a paste.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan under medium heat. stir fry the paste until fragrant.
Add 3 tbsp of water, sugar and coriander and continue stir fry for 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Let cool slightly and fill the cavity of the duck with the paste.
Stitch up the opening with kitchen twine or seal the opening with metal skewer.
Melt honey with 6 tbsp of boiling water with seasonings (salt and pepper).
Brush the honey mixture all over the duck. Repeat a few times to make sure every part of the skin is basted in the honey mixture.
Hang the duck in well aired / ventilated space for 3 hours or longer until the skin is completely dry.
Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Put the duck, breast side up, in a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour or until skin is crisp and meat is cooked.
To make the sauce: Drain all the sauce from the cavity to a saucepan. Add sugar, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, soy sauce and cornflour and cook until it's bubbling and thicken.
Carve the duck and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Gluten-free Mini Coconut Tartlets with Mung Bean Paste (or Dark Chocolate Ganache) and Toasted White Chocolate & Palm Sugar Crumbs

2010-12-12T13:12:00.011+11:00

I have worked in a cafe at Miss C's school on and off for about 2 years in 2008/2009. It's a tiny alfresco cafe that operates once a week, primarily to enable school parents to get together to have a cuppa and a slice of cake after dropping off their kids at school. It's also popular with teachers who like to have a cup of freshly brewed coffee. By working there as a volunteer once a month, I got an overview of how to operate a cafe.

Often we were presented with an array of wonderful freshly baked goods from our local family run suppliers. One particular supplier has always excited me with her wonderful and creative gluten-free baked goods. One of them was a beautiful looking chocolate tart with a gluten-free coconut tart crust.

I fell in love with the crust because it tastes really good and it so easy to make. Most importantly, it only requires 3 ingredients: desiccated coconut, egg white and sugar.

This tart crust came to my mind when I wanted to make some mini tartlets that are inspired by the ingredients used in the Malaysian dessert Cendol: coconut, mung bean, pandan and palm sugar.

Instead of filling them all with chocolate ganache, I decided to make another batch with mung bean paste and added some white chocolate and palm sugar crumbs to give the tarts some extra crunch.

Mung bean paste is commonly used as filling in Asian desserts such as Ang Koo (Malaysian Nyonya style mochi) and Mooncake. It tastes similar to azuki bean paste but it has a slightly more delicate and nutty flavour.

The mung bean paste can be easily made at home by soaking the mung beans in cold water and by subsequently steaming them, mashing them and then finally by frying them with sugar and butter in low heat until a paste forms.

You can buy mung beans from most of the Asian grocers but you will have to spend lots of time removing the hulls after soaking them overnight before steaming.

A quicker way is to buy dehulled mung beans that are available in most of the Indian grocers. They are usually called mung / moong dal.

The white chocolate and palm sugar crumbs are inspired from the Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Petits Fours by Quay restaurant head chef, Peter Gilmore. The process involving toasting
white chocolate in the oven which has intrigued me so much that I needed to make it asap!! It turned out to be a great finishing touch to this tartlets. Although not as visually stunning as I liked them to be due to the high humidity in Sydney lately, the taste is wonderful.

These tartlets make a great alternative to the usual Christmas baking. Perfect gifts for your gluten intolerant family members and friends. I hope you enjoy baking them as much as I had.

Gluten-free Mini Coconut Tartlets with Mung Bean Paste / Dark Chocolate Ganache and Toasted White Chocolate and Palm Sugar Crumbs Recipe
Makes 24

Ingredients

180 g desiccated coconut
100 g caster sugar
2 egg white, lightly beaten
Mung bean paste (recipe follows) or dark chocolate ganache (recipe follows)
Toasted white chocolate and palm sugar crumbs (recipe follows)

Method

Preheat oven to 140C.
Grease a 24 x 5cm mini muffin pan.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Use 1 tbsp of the mixture, press in the hole of mini muffin pan to form a tart case. Repeat with the rest.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove tart cases from pan and let cool on wire rack.
Fill them with either mung bean paste or dark chocolate ganache.
(Note: refrigerate tarts if filled with chocolate filling in fridge for at least 2 hours)
Sprinkle with Toasted white chocolate and palm sugar crumbs.

Mung Bean Paste Recipe

Ingredients

170 g dehulled mung beans
3 pandan leaves, tied in a knot
80 g caster sugar
2 tbsp butter

Method

Soak the dehulled mum beans for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Steam the soaked dehulled mung beans together with pandan leaves in steamer under medium heat for 40 minutes.
Remove from steamer. Discard pandan leaves and mash the mung bean with fork or potato masher.
Heat a non-stick fry pan under low heat, add mashed mung bean, sugar and butter and fry until a thick paste is form, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Ingredients

250 ml thicken cream
100 g dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
50 g butter
1 egg yolk

Method

Heat the thicken cream in a saucepan until just below boiling point.
Stir in chocolate and butter until well mixed.
Let it cool for 5 minutes and then add the egg yolk. Stir and mix
well.

Toasted White Chocolate and Palm Sugar Crumbs Recipe

Ingredients

50 g white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
50 g palm sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 170C.
Spread the chopped white chocolate on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until golden.
Cool chocolate in tray until firm.
Break white chocolate into pieces and put in a food processor with the palm sugar and pulse until fine crumbs.

Cendol (Mung Bean Jelly Noodles, Salted Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar & Lime Granita)

2010-12-06T08:50:00.010+11:00

How much do we know about Malaysian cuisine beyond Laksa and Char Kway Teow?

Malaysian cuisine has since long been influenced by the ancient traders from India, China and Arabian countries due to its strategic central location and long shoreline. This influence was followed centuries later by influences from European traders from Portugal, Holland and England.

The Malay people are the indigenous people of Malaysia. The multi-cultural society was formed when the tin rush caused an influx of Chinese labourers to work in the mines and the booming of the rubber plantations attracted labourers from India to work as rubber tappers.

Malaysia is truly a melting pot of diverse cultures. The multi-racial society has created
a beautiful backdrop for its unique, blended cuisine: "Land of a thousand tastes" as some may call it.

I will slowly dwell into many aspects of the cuisine. Be it an ingredient, technique, flavour or texture. For some I will stay true to the roots, for some I will add my own touch to better suit the modern taste buds. I hope the recipes will arouse your interest and you will fall in love with them as I have.

I want to start with a classic Malay dessert called cendol. It traditionally consists of green mung bean jelly noodles flavoured by pandan leaves, swimming in slightly salted coconut milk and drizzled with palm sugar syrup. Later, when fridges became available, it evolved into ice cendol. Shaved ice was added to suit the tropical weather. More colourful variations are seen these days with new additions such as azuki beans, creamed corn and grass jelly.

Initially I intended to make a traditional version of ice cendol. Not having a shaved ice machine did bring out the creative side in me and I ended up replacing the shaved ice and palm sugar syrup with palm sugar and lime granita. I stayed true to the original, except for the addition of lime.

The uniqueness of this dessert lies in the green mung bean jelly noodles. Traditionally, the Malay version is made with only mung bean flour (also called green pea /bean flour in Malaysia 绿豆粉). This is based on the findings of my research with a collection of Malaysian cookbooks that were printed in the 60s and 70s.

However, many different variations have sprouted, the most common variation seems to be a 50:50 mix of mung bean flour and rice flour, and some with tapioca flour. The addition of rice flour and tapioca flour results in a more dense and chewy texture. I personally prefer the former version as it gives a lighter, slightly bouncy and toothsome texture which is the perfect companion for the salty creamy coconut milk and the sweet caramelised flavour of the palm sugar granita with its slightly soury after taste from the lime.

You don't necessarily need a cendol mould to make these jelly noodles. In my case, I used a potato ricer with finer holes than the original cendol mould. You can even use an icing piping bag with a tiny tip or simply use a thick food storage / freezer bag with a corner cut off. The flour is mixed with pandan flavoured water, boiled until thickened and then slowly piped over a big bowl of ice water. It's not difficult to make them at home and good fun to make with kids.

That's all from me today. My next post will be a gluten free tart that is inspired by the ingredients of this classic Malaysian dessert: coconut, mung bean, pandan and palm sugar. I will write more about mung bean, a healthy and versatile ingredient that is used in a lot of Asian cooking.

Cendol Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

Palm sugar and lime granita:
150g palm sugar
2tbsp caster sugar
500ml water
2 tbsp lime juice (optional)

Mung bean 'drops' noodles:
3 pandan leaves, cut into small chunks
500ml water
80g Mung bean flour (available from Asian grocers)
Green food colouring (optional)
Ice water

Salted coconut milk:
400g coconut milk
Pinch of salt

Method

To make Palm Sugar and Lime Granita: Add palm sugar, caster sugar and water in a saucepan and boil until sugar has melted. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes until syrupy. Add lime juice (if using) and mix well.
Pour the mixture into a baking tray and cool.
Once the mixture is cooled to room temperature, pour the mixture into a baking tray and place it in the freezer.
Remove the tray from fridge after 1 hour and grate it with a fork. Repeat the process every 30 minutes for 3 hours until crystals have formed.
Leave the granita in the freezer for a few more hours.
To make Mung Bean Jelly Noodles: Blend pandan leaves and water in a blender. Put the mixture through a fine sieve, squeeze to extract all juice from the pandan leaves.
Mix mung bean flour with pandan juice in a saucepan. Stir well until all flour are dissolved in the juice.
Heat the mixture on low heat. Keep stirring until the mixture has thickened.
Remove from heat and fill the potato ricer (or cendol mould or piping bag) with the thickened mixture.
Hold it above a big bowl of ice water. Gently press the mixture through the holes, letting the noodles drop into the ice water.
Do not press too fast or too hard, so it can allow the gravity to drag it down to form the 'tails' shape noodles. Keep the noodles in the ice water and set aside until needed.
To make Salted Coconut Milk: Add pinch of salt to the coconut milk. Stir to mix well. Chill in refrigerator.
To serve: Divide the mung bean 'drops' noodles into 4 glasses. Pour in the salted coconut milk and top up with palm sugar and lime granita.
Serve immediately.

A BBQ Feast + A New Direction

2010-12-01T12:31:00.012+11:00

The New Year is approaching. As I reflect on the last 1.5 years of my blogging journey, I have enjoyed every minute of it. From finding my voice, to learning about food & photographing. And not the least the encouragement and support from all of you - especially all of the lovely comments that helped me overcoming the fear of writing in a language that I didn't grow up with.

The last 1.5 years were also a period during which I was searching for and figuring out the direction of my blog. Along the way I lost myself in all the fabulous recipes I saw and read in cookbooks, food magazines and on other wonderful blogs. Too busy trying out and adapting these wonderful recipes that I adore.

It's part of learning. Everyday I cook a new dish from all these talented recipe creators, I learn something new. A new flavour, a new texture, a new technique.

As I immersed myself in the wonderland of the beautiful food world, I lost focus with my blog. There isn't a theme. There isn't what I intended to do with my blog from the beginning which is to share the recipes, culture and stories from my beautiful old home country of Malaysia with the readers of my new home country of Australia as well as the rest of the world. To everyone who is interested in the colourful, unique and exotic cuisine of Malaysia.

So for the new year ahead, I will try to focus on recipes passed on to me by my family and friends. Food I have sampled, tasted and loved during the 30 years of my life living in different parts of Malaysia. To inject some fun and creativeness, I intend for every classic / traditional recipe to be accompanied by a new and modern creation that is inspired by either the ingredient, texture, technique or flavour from the original classic. I give myself a year. I will reassess in twelve months whether this is really what I want to do in the long run.

It will also mean I will focus more on the quality rather than quantity of my posts. It's always a difficult task to strike a balance, but this will allow me to do more research, write more and create better recipes to share with you.

Most importantly, I want to be able to respond to every comment that is left by you and I also want to be able to visit your blogs. I have been quite slack with this the past few months because of lack of time and the ongoing trouble with my back. It's hard to concentrate on writing when I have to take frequent breaks to relief the pain. Sitting is difficult with my rather complex condition and most of the photo editing and writing are done standing!

However, I like to be positive and looking at the brighter side: I am on the mend, I am on my long road to recovery and everyday signals a better day. There are still good days and bad days. There are still setbacks, but I am looking ahead and not looking back.

The reason I choose to share this BBQ feast that was held at our home last weekend is that it represents a significant moment: It was the first party since my injury in April that I was able to host. For many months, I struggled with preparing meals for just Mr J and Miss C. This feast signals the return to my ability to share my table with family and close friends once again. I don't take this for granted. My back may never go back to 100% and I am taking it one day at a time. All I know is that I still want to cook, I still want to do mum and daughter things with Miss C (although I will never be able to ride on a horse or thrill ride with her) and I still want to travel and grow old with Mr J.

I will still like to update you on my daily food adventures, cooking and musings. These updates will be less on my blog and more on Twitter and Facebook. So find me there if you like to follow me.

Enjoy the feast!

Marinated Olives, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Brie, Chilli & Lime Hummus

Sydney Rock Oysters, Smoked Ocean Trout & Pickled Ginger with Mirin & Tamari Dressing

Spiced Blue Swimmer Crab, Apple Mousse, Watermelon Salad with Alfalfa Sprouts & Crushed Pappadams

Grilled Chicken with Spiced Fig, Buffalo Mozzarella, Prosciutto & Baby Rockets

Grilled Salmon, Cucumber Ribbons, Bean Sprouts, Chilli with Toasted Sesame Dressing

Mango, Prawns, Avocado, Baby Cos Lettuce with Chilli and Lime Dressing

Cucumber, Radish & Capers Salad

Sourdough from Bresserie Bread with their Signature Bunny Ear

Homemade Mascarpone, Cherries, Hazelnut Praline Crumbs & Espresso Granita

From Lindo with Love

Chocolate Lovers

Joy Givers and Receivers

Toby Puttock's Grilled Peaches with Caramelised Panettone + Ferraro Rocher Giveaways

2010-11-29T19:37:00.005+11:00

The 2 x winners of Ferrero Rocher giveaway has been decided.

Christine @ Christine's Recipes and Carmelia have each won the prizes of 5 x boxes of Ferrero Rocher's valued at RRP $49.95.

Congratulations to you Christine and Carmelia. Can you please send your name and address to almostbourdain[at]gmail[dot]com so I can arrange the prizes to be mailed to you.

Thank you to all of you who participated in this giveaway.

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.

Can you believe Christmas is only 4 weeks away?

Every year, I am looking for something new, something unique as Christmas gifts for my family and friends. This year, it's the Ferrero Boutique.

In a world first for Ferrero the online boutique will provide a range of premium gift solutions just in time for Christmas. The site is filled with plenty of thoughtfully packaged gift boxes that are perfect for pampering your loved ones or for the ultimate self indulgence.

For a limited period of time, celebrity chef Tobie Puttock has collaborated with Ferrero to create this 'Ferrero ourmet Christmas Hamper by Tobie Puttock' for food lovers. This hamper includes two imported Italian Christmas delicacies from the birthplace of Ferrero, Alba in Italy: Ferrero Panettone and Ferrero Torrone, which will be imported exclusively for inclusion in the hampers. To compliment these two imported delicacies, will be the new limited edition Ferrero Rocher gold tin gift box and a box of Tobie's favourite dark chocolate pralines, Ferrero Rondnoir.

Only 500 of the limited edition Ferrero Gourmet Christmas Hampers by Tobie Puttock will be available from Ferrero’s online boutique, and $5 from each hamper will be donated to OzHarvest, which exists to rescue excess food which would otherwise be discarded, and distribute it to charities supporting the vulnerable in Australia.

I am one lucky receiver of the limited edition Ferrero Panettone. When it arrived at my door step, I couldn't stop squealing for joy when looking at the beautiful packaging and the ginormous size of the Ferrero Panettone. It is packed full of wonderful dried fruits and the soft and spongy texture makes it a wonderful centerpiece to be served during any Christmas meal. As quoted by Tobie, "The Ferrero Panettone is renowned as being the best Panettone to cook with amongst chefs around the world”.

And of course for Christmas, you should add a little special touch to it. For this, Tobie Puttock has provided a recipe of Caramelised Panettone with Grilled Peach from his latest cookbook - "How To Cook Like An Italian". I for one certainly couldn't wait until Christmas to try out Tobie's recipe for the Ferrero Panettone that I received. The toffee crusted Panettone toast works perfectly well with the grilled peach, first soaked in the Italian dessert wine vin santo and then baked in the oven. The creme freche is the perfect finishing touch.

If you are looking for something special this Christmas, look no further. The Ferrero Boutique may be your answer and the Grilled Peach with Caramelised Panettone recipe can be found exclusively at http://www.ferreroboutique.com.au/ and it can be downloaded from this page here.

I am giving away Ferrero Rocher gift boxes to 2 (two) of my lucky readers. Each individual prize is 5 boxes of Ferrero Rocher's valued at RRP $49.95.

All you have to do is to leave a comment and answer this question: What is your favourite item found on Ferrero Boutique?

The competition closes on 5:00 pm AEDST on Tuesday 14th December 2010. Full terms and conditions can be viewed HERE.

Drunken Cherry and Shaved Dark Chocolate Crostata - Daring Bakers Challenge November 2010

2010-11-26T20:44:00.009+11:00

I am already in the festive mood. When the theme of this month's Daring Bakers' Challenge was announced to be Crostata, I couldn't think of using any other fruit than cherries. We are at the beginning of cherry season and I wanted to make a crostata that is suitable to be served on the Christmas table. Hence, a little booze and shaved dark chocolate have been added.

I love the rustic and yet festive look of this crostata - especially the effect given by the cornmeal (polenta) in the pastry. This pastry recipe is adapted from a very old cookbook that I purchased 12 years ago in Malaysia. I have bookmarked this recipe a long time ago and this is the perfect opportunity for me to finally make it.

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Drunken Cherry and Shaved Dark Chocolate Crostata Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp yellow cornmeal (polenta)
2/3 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
Salt
1/2 cup cold butter
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1.5 kg dark sweet cherry, pitted, soaked in 1/2 cup of Kirsch for at least 2 hours or overnight and drained
1 large egg white

Method

Mix flour, 1/3 cup cornmeal, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resemble coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle in 4-5 tbsp ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing lightly with hand until dough comes together (dough will feel very dry at first). Shape into a ball.
Sprinkle large cookie sheet with remaining 1 tbsp cornmeal. Place dampened towel under cookie sheet to prevent it from slipping while rolling dough. With floured rolling pin, roll dough on cookie sheet into a 13-inch round. With long metal spatula, gently loosen dough from cookie sheet. In large bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar with cornstarch.
Sprinkle half of sugar mixture over centre of dough, leaving a 2 1/2 inch border all around. add cherries to sugar mixture remaining in bowl; toss well.
Spoon cherry mixture over sugar on dough round. Fold dough up around cherries, leaving a 4-inch opening in center. Pinch to seal any cracks.
In cups, mix egg white and 1/8 tsp salt, Brush over dough; sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp sugar. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or until well chilled. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
Place 2 sheets of foil under cookie sheet; crimp foil edges to form a rim to catch any drips during baking. Bake tart 45-50 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is gently bubbling. Covering loosely with foil during last 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning. As soon as tart is done, with long metal spatula, loosen tart from cookie sheet. Cool tart 15 minutes on cookie sheet, then slide onto wire rack to cool completely.
Dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with shaved dark chocolate.

Coq Au Vin

2010-11-24T13:12:00.005+11:00

My last trip to Paris was 3 years ago in 2007. We have been regular visitors of Paris since 1998 - the year after I met Mr J and started dating him.

A 3-hour Thalys train ride is all it takes to travel from Rotterdam to Paris. We have always managed to sneak in a weekend to Paris when visiting our family in The Netherlands.

It's been a while since we set foot in Europe for the last time. This is because of my unexpected and ongoing back injury that makes it impossible for me to take the long haul flight from Sydney to Amsterdam.

To find a little piece of Paris at home in Sydney, we often see ourselves visiting two of our favourite French bistros: L'Etoile and Tabou.

I was more than excited when I found an old issue of Vogue Entertaining + Living magazine publishing a series of L'Etoile recipes by its owner and chef Manu Feidel. I have since made this Coq Au Vin a few times for dinner.

I love how his version of this French dish is put together. Instead of slow cooking all the ingredients, the recipe calls for everything to be cooked separately and put together prior to serving.

Chicken is marinated in red wine overnight and cooked on low heat until the meat is almost falling off the bones. Fresh carrots, pearl onions, speck, mushrooms, all are cooked to perfection at their own timing to retain the freshness.

The result is marvelous, although the process is a bit tedious with lots of pots and pans needed that need to be washed at the end. But it's absolutely worth the effort.

Coq Au Vin Recipe
(Adapted from Vogue Entertaining + Travel August / September 2009 issue, recipe by Manu Feidel)
Serves 6

Ingredients

6 chicken Marylands, thigh bone removed, drumstick French-trimmed (I used 8 lovely legs)
200 g speck, cut into 1 cm x 4 cm strips
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50 ml brandy
35 g (1/4 cup) plain flour
200 g pearl onions or eschalots
1 tbsp caster sugar
50 g butter
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
450 g button mushrooms trimmed
1 bunch of Dutch (baby) carrots, trimmed steamed, to serve
Chopped curly parsley, to serve

Marinade:
2 x 750 ml bottles Shiraz or Burgundy
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 eschalots, sliced
12 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
8 sprigs of thyme

Method

For the marinade, combine all ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl. Add chicken, combine well, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towel. Strain marinade into a saucepan, reserving solids, and bring to the boil, then strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Heat a large casserole over medium heat, then add speck and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until fat renders and speck is golden. Drain on paper towel. In the same casserole, brown the chicken, in 2 batches, for 4 minutes each side, then remove from casserole. Discard all but 2 tbsp fat. Add reserved solids and crushed garlic to casserole and stir occasionally for 8 minutes. Add brandy and carefully ignite with a match, then stir in flour. gradually add strained marinade, then return chicken to the casserole and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover and cook for 1 1/4 hours or until chicken is very tender.
Meanwhile, in a pan that will hold onions in a single layer, place onions, caster sugar, 20 g butter, 125 ml (1/2 cup) water and a large pinch of salt. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated and syrupy. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until syrup is caramelised and onions are lightly golden.
Heat remaining 30 g butter and oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, tossing, for 3 minutes or until golden. Season.
To serve, stir speck, onions, mushrooms and baby carrots into coq au vin and scatter with parsley.

Giveaway Winner: Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps

2010-11-24T08:53:00.005+11:00

The winner of Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps giveaway has been decided.

Jane Lawson, the author of Snowflakes and Schnapps cookbook was delighted to pick a winner from the overwhelming responses to this giveaway.

Here is a lovely message form Jane:

"Wow that was difficult! I loved so many of the stories and was touched particularly by their childhood memories such as picking strawberries as I did with my own family - only I was offered a choice of manure or cream as a topping, and at the ripe age of 3 or 4 I opted for the manure hoping it was chocolate....thankfully my food knowledge is a little stronger now."

"There seemed to be a common theme of family and home and I think one of the best things about being involved with food - professionally or otherwise is indeed the ability to share the experience with people you care about. Whether it is your child’s first “real” meal, to quote one reader, or the last dish you cooked with a since departed loved one, planning a dinner party for your best buddies , introducing a new food to an appreciative acquaintance, dining in a flash restaurant or simply gathering the family for a Sunday night roast it is a clear reminder that food is not just fuel for the tank but an important and simple way to nurture our souls and minds. For this reason I chose Charity’s story - how lovely for a daughter to spend time with her father pouring through cookbooks while they chat and plan the meal they will then shop for and cook together. My father passed away almost 12 years ago now and while there there many things we didn’t see eye to eye on, we shared a love of good food - it still bonds us today. I know Charity will cherish these times with her father for the rest of her life and shortly she will have a new book from which to boost their repertoire – I expect a report back of course!!"

Congratulations to you Charity who has won a personalised signed copy of Jane Lawson's Snowflakes and Schnapps. Can you please send your name and address to almostbourdain[at]gmail[dot]com so I can arrange the prize to be mailed to you.

* The winner has contacted me to claim the prize. Thank you to all of you who participated in this giveaway.

Deconstructed Timarisu (Espresso Granita, Mascarpone Sabayon, Hazelnut Ricotta Cake) + Dietmar Sawyere's Table by The River Cookbook Review

2010-11-20T13:56:00.019+11:00

Dietmar Sawyere is the executive chef and director of Berowra Waters Inn (and Ad Lib Bistro), set on a tranquil site by the river, accessible by boat and seaplane only. Table by The River is his first cookbook in which he combines a deep culinary understanding (not surprisingly, since he has a library of 900+ cookbooks!) with innovative and classic cooking techniques to create food full off intense flavours and textures. His book provides recipes for those who love to cook at every level of expertise.

Canape of 'Eggs and Chips'

Sugar-Cured Salmon, Spiced Avocado, Crisp Tortilla

Table By The River is not just about great food and great recipes. It is also a good read on topics like: What makes a successful restaurant? Or the History of the Inn, his view on remote restaurants and the Rise and Fall of Haute Cuisine. Food as Art is an other key part of his book, his restaurant and in fact his life.

Berowra Waters Inn

Buttered-Poached White Asparagus, Quail Egg Croustillant, Watercress

This book is divided into twelve chapters. In essence each chapter represents a new course from the amuse gueule 'taste tickler', through crustaceans, vegetables, fish, soup, poultry and game birds and meats to cheese, desserts and petit fours.

Yabbie Bisque, Crushed Peas, Pecorino, Prosciutto, Basil , Mint

Organic Pork Belly, Lemon-Braised Mud Crab, Gratinated Pumpkin Puree

As with many cookbooks written by top chefs, many of the recipes in this book will be difficult to prepare in a domestic kitchen, however not impossible. I am actually quite sceptical regarding 'fine dining top chef cookbooks' as the recipes are often complicated and lengthy. I am pleasantly surprised by this Table by The River Cookbook: the recipes are surprisingly doable. I am most delighted by the dessert section. Most desserts consist of a relatively few number of components. These components become an amazing fine fair when combined together, but are still very good when made and served on their own.

Coffee Parfait, Liquid Caramel, Vanilla Salted Popcorn

Iced Chocolate Bon Bons

As I flipped through the cookbook, I began to fall in love with his recipes. The flavours are fresh and clean. A lot of clever techniques and enticing flavour combinations tempt me to try out the recipes in no time. This Deconstructed Tiramisu is the first recipe I made from this book and I know it will not be the last. This recipe has very few steps for each component and the end result is impeccable and stunning. It is a great testament to his food philosophy.

Espresso Granite, Mascarpone Sabayon, Hazelnut Ricotta Cake Recipe
(Adapted from Table by The River by Dietmar Sawyere)
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

Espresso Granita:
500 ml (17 1/2 fl oz) warm espresso coffee
150 g (5 oz) sugar
50 ml (1 3/4 fl oz) Khalua or Tia Maria liqueur

Mascapone Sabayon:
1/2 vanilla pod
200 g (7 oz) mascarpone
3 organic eggs, separated
65 g (2 oz) caster sugar
40 ml (1 1/2 fl oz) frangelico liqueur
Pinch of salt

Hazelnut Ricotta Cake:
250 g (9 oz) butter
250 g (9 oz) sugar
8 organic eggs, separated
250 g (9 oz) ground hazelnuts
250 g (9 oz) ricotta
Zest of 5 lemons
65 g (2oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
To complete:
Fresh raspberries

Method:

For the Espresso Granita: Dissolve the sugar in the warm coffee and add Kahlua or Tia Maria. Pour into a tray and place in the freezer. After about an hour, using a fork, stir up the freezing coffee. Repeat this stirring every 30 minutes for 3 hours until frozen coffee crystals are formed. Once the mixture is thoroughly frozen, fork it up again and allow the flakes to 'dry' in the freezer for a couple more hours.
For the Mascarpone Sabayon: Scrape the vanilla seeds onto the mascarpone and beat in, taking care not to overwork. Place the 3 egg yolks, sugar and Frangelico in a bowl, place over a saucepan of warm water on the heat and whisk to a ribbon-stage sabayon. Off the heat, keep whisking until the mixture cools. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold the sabayon into the mascarpone, then carefully fold in the whipped egg whites. Store in the fridge until needed.
For the Hazelnut Ricotta Cake: Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat well. In a separate bowl combine gently the hazelnut meal, ricotta and lemon zest. Add the egg-butter mixture to the ricotta mixture with the flour and fold in until well mixed. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks and then fold into the cake mixture. Pour the batter into a 15cm (6 in) buttered cake tin or individual tins and bake in the heated oven for around 35 minutes until firm to touch.
To complete: For each serving, spoon some granita into a demitasse glass. Spoon some mascarpone sabayon into another glass. Dust the cake with icing sugar and place a slice alongside the two glasses.

Thank you to New Holland Publishers for sending me the review copy.

Table By The River By Dietmar Sawyere

"If a successful meal is the sum of many parts, then every element comes together in ‘A Table by the River’. A culinary journey through the landscape of food, the book celebrates the wonderful food of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning chef, Dietmar Sawyere. He brings together produce and classic cooking techniques to create food full of tastes and textures. The recipes are clearly explained and written and are matched with the most appropriate wines.

The chapters follow the stages of a meal from the amuse gueule (a single, bite-sized hors d'œuvre) through crustaceans, vegetables, fish, soup, poultry and game to meat, cheese and petit fours. Throughout, Dietmar muses on his life in food, the workings of a restaurant - from the waitstaff to restaurant critics - and the experiences that brought him to this latest restaurant - Berowra Waters Inn."

Published: November 2010
RRP: $49.95 (available on New Holland Publishers)
ISBN: 9781741108699
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 272

Recipe Shout-Out (11)

2010-11-18T19:43:00.019+11:00

This is my 11th Recipe Shout-Out to show my thankfulness to everyone who has been inspired and tried the recipes I have posted on my blog.

Dear readers, please take a few minutes to check out these brilliant bloggers and their beautiful creations:

Kokken 69 - Yau Char Kuai (Freid Bread Dough Served with Thai Coconut Custard)

Inspired from Thai Style Fried Bread Sticks (Chinese Doughnuts 油条) with Pandan Coconut Custard

Cherry On A Cake - Homemade Ferraro Rochers

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Life Is Great - Raspberry Rose Souffle

Inspired from Lemon, Lime and Orange Souffle

Bisous A Toi - Sicilian Orange Cake

Inspired from Sicilian Orange Cake

Impress Moment - Chocolate Rum and Raisin Slice

Inspired from Chocolate Rum and Raisin Slice

Susan Eats - Shanghai Noodles

Inspired from - Shanghai 'Zha Jiang' Noodles (炸醬麵)

Dream A Little - Twice Cooked Pork Belly

Inspired from Twice-Cooked Pork Belly with Toffee-Crisp Crackling

Lime Cake - Chocolate Sea Salt Olive Oil Sandwich

Inspired from Chocolate, Olive Oil and Seasalt Toasts

The Sweet Spot - Brioche and a Sandwich

Inspired from Brioche

A Girl And Her Kitchen - Simply Perfect Roast Chicken

Inspired from Thomas Keller's Favourite Simple Roast Chicken

Christine's Recipes - Shanghai 'Zha Jiang' Noodle (炸醬麵)

Inspired from Shanghai 'Zha Jiang' Noodle (炸醬麵)

JJason What's In Season - Sicilion Orange Cake

Inspired from Sicilian Orange Cake

The Kenetic Diabetic - KFC

Inspired from KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

Food Freak - Laksa-Fried Chicken

Inspired from Spicy Laksa-Fried Chicken with Mint Sauce

Kazaztan Team - Kuih Bakar

Inspired from Kuih Bakar

Elis In The Kitchen - Citrus Souffle

Inspired from Lemon, Lime and Orange Souffle

Drool Factor - Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies with Fleur De Sel

Inspired from Crunchy Peanut Butter and Sea Salt Cookies

To Hope Is To Love - Curried Beef Pot Pie

Inspired from Curried Beef Pot Pie

Olsanka - Potica

Inspired from Poppy Seed and Walnut Potica with Coffee Glaze (Slovenian Nut Roll)

Little Ivy Cakes - Rainbow Cake

Inspired from Rainbow Swirl Cake

Travelling In Mary Janes - Pineapple Fried Rice

Inspired from Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Split Pear-sonality - Kefta Tagine

Inspired from Moroccan Kefta Mkaouara (Spicy Egg, Meatball and Tomato Tagine)

NuM NuM - Popcorn Ice Cream and Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

Inspired from Popcorn Ice Cream with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

Yummylicious - Blueberry Lemon Cake

Inspired from Blueberry-Lemon Cake

Elinluv's Sweet Delight - Ferraro Rocher White & Dark Chocolate Cake

Inspired from Ferraro Rocher White and Dark Chocolate Cake

Belly Konyhaja - Hazi Ferraro Rocher

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hzelnut Balls)

La Casa De Vainilla - Homemade Ferraro Rocher

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Indonesia Eats - KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

Inspired from KFC (Korean Fried Chicken)

Big, Bold, Beautiful Food - Roti Canai

Inspired from Malaysian Chicken Curry with Roti Canai

Moje Wypieki - Pralinki Orzechowo-Czekoladowe

Inspired from Homemade Ferraro Rocher (Chocolate Hazelnut Balls)

Jom Masak, Jom Makan-Makan - Sicilian Orange Cake

Inspired from Sicilian Orange Cake

Rumah Manis - Pisang Goreng (Fried Banana Fritters)

Inspired from Pisang Goreng (Fried Banana Fritters)

Eat.Drink.Frolic - Maple Banana Sauce

Inspired from Brioche French Toast with Maple-Banana Sauce

Yummylicious - Sicilian Orange Cake

Inspired from Sicilian Orange Cake

Arah - Sicilian Orange Cake

Inspired from Sicilian Orange Cake

Please also check out my previous Recipe Shout-Outs:

Recipe Shout-Out (10)
Recipe Shout-Out (9)
Recipe Shout-Out (8)
Recipe Shout-Out (7)
Recipe Shout-Out (6)
Recipe Shout-Out (5)
Recipe Shout-Out (4)
Recipe Shout-Out (3)
Recipe Shout-Out (2)
Recipe Shout-Out (1)

If you have tried my recipes, please send me an email at almostbourdain[at]gmail[dot]com to let me know so I can include your blog on my next shout out.

Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

2010-11-17T13:16:00.006+11:00

I don't do a lot of deep-frying at home except that I love to experiment different Asian styles fried chicken that are all so unique with their own techniques and ingredients. I have tested Malaysian style Laksa-Fried Chicken that uses laksa paste as marinade; Korean style Fried Chicken that is tossed in chilli sauce made with gochujang after frying; and Balinese style Fried Chicken that is boiled in coconut milk and spices before frying.

Now it's time for a Japanese version - Chicken Karaage. This Japanese version of fried chicken is marinated in cooking sake (Japanese rice wine), soy sauce, ginger, shallot (spring onion) and then coated in potato flour / starch prior to frying. Potato flour is used to add wonderful crispness and together with the the marinade keep the meat moist and tender. It's a dish that is very well-balanced in terms of flavour and textures.

I have tested a few different recipes and this one is by far my favourite and I am happy to share it with you. Although there are some discussions whether this version of flour coated Japanese fried chicken should be called Tatsuta-age or Karaage, I reckon they are basically the same. I appreciate any inputs concerning this topic. So feel free to leave a comment.

Chicken Karaage Recipe
(Recipe adapted from Asiansupper.com)
Serves 4

Ingredients

500 g chicken thighs fillets
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cooking sake
1 tsp grated ginger
1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
1 cup potato flour / starch
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges
Japanese hot mustard (optional)

Method

Trim off excess fat from your chicken thighs and cut into 1 - 2" pieces.
Mix grated ginger with soy sauce, cooking sake and green onions to make a marinade. Place chicken pieces into the bowl and mix thoroughly and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 - 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, get your deep-frying workstation ready - place a paper towel on a rack or strainer for your cooked pieces. Spread potato flour on a plate for dusting chicken. Add oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to about 180C. And get some long chopsticks or tongs for dusting the chicken and a separate pair for deep frying.
Dust chicken pieces thoroughly with potato flour, shake to remove excess flour and place in the hot oil. Turn over when it looks brown and crusty. Flip and repeat. Drain on the paper towel.
Serve with lemon wedges and/or Japanese hot mustard.