Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

It was Uncle Bruce's Birthday and he has always wanted a kiddy cake.  He has mentioned it at every kiddy birthday party that he attended.  I know Uncle Bruce loves cars and since i have a mould of a car - it is one of those tear-away silicone mould which made a pretty good cake.  I can't make the cake from a box, you can fool the kids but not the adults, so, i made a carrot cake with all the works and it will not be complete without cream cheese frosting.  Uncle Bruce was delighted with his car but i told him that he can't drive it in the night though cos i forgot to fix in the lights, front and back of his car.  Happy Birthday again, i am not going to tell how old you are!!!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup. sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cupvegetable oil
4 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dessicated coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Method:

Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

Combine sugars, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl; stir until all ingredients are well blended.

Add flour mixture, carrots, pineapple, walnuts, coconut and raisins, stirring just until well blended. Do not overmix.

Grease 3 (8 inch) round cake pans(one car silicone mould and 2 tiny loaf pans). Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper.

Pour batter into cake pans.

Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans 10 minutes; loosen cake layers from edges of pans with a sharp knife and invert onto wire racks. Peel off waxed paper and cool completely.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting all over the cake.  Cover and refrigerate overnight before cutting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 egg whites from 2  large eggs
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
8 ozs cream cheese


Place the egg whites in the bowl of your mixer.

Place the corn syrup, sugar and water in a medium saucepan, with a cast-iron skillet at the bottom. Stir until combined and the sugar is dissolved. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, with the pan covered to wash any sugar crystals down from the sides. Uncover and cook to the soft ball stage, 240 f.

Meanwhile, begin to beat the egg whites on slow speed. When they are foamy, add the cream of tartar, Gradually increase the speed to medium and continue beating until soft peaks form.

As soon as the sugar syrup reaches the soft ball stage, remove it from the heat. Turn off the mixer. Very carefully pour about 1/4 of the hot syrup down the inside of the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on high speed, and beat well. Add the syrup in two more additions, stopping the mixer each time, working as quickly as possible. If the sugar is slightly overcooked and hardens a bit, return it to the heat for a moment to remelt it. Do not pour the sugar syrup into the bowl while the mixer is on; you may splash yourself with hot syrup or the syrup will end up all on the sides of the bowl.

Continue to beat the meringue until it cools to room temperature. This takes about 20 minutes of continuous beating. If you need to hurry it along, place the bowl of your mixer in a ice bath for a few moments while mixing by hand, then return it to the machine. If you attempt to add the butter before the meringue is cool, the cream cheese will melt and the frosting will collapse.

When the meringue is cool, beat in the cream cheese a bit at a time. If the frosting starts to separate, continue beating without adding any more cream cheese until the frosting looks fluffy again.  Beat in vanilla and almond extract, if using.

Serves

Çerkez Tavugu, Circassian Chicken with Walnut Sauce

(about 6-8 servings)

I made this many years ago, and decided to make it again. I have no idea why I waited so long as it's quite delicious.

This dish is served at room temperature making it a great for buffets or for a hot summer day.

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 lbs skinless and boneless chicken breasts
3-4 slices bread
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces, lightly toasted, (reserve a few pieces for garnish)

bread, or pita for serving

Add the chicken broth, onion, garlic, salt and pepper to a saucepan; bring to a boil. Simmer until the onion softens. Add the chicken. Allow to simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Remove from heat and let the chicken cool in the broth.

Remove the cooled chicken from the broth and either shred or cut into small strips. Arrange on a serving platter.

Place 3 slices of bread (to start), paprika and walnuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs. Slowly pour in the reserved broth and onions. If the sauce seems too thin then add the extra slice of bread; if the sauce seems too thick, then add a bit of water. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Spread evenly over the chicken and garnish with the reserved walnut pieces. Serve at room temperature with bread or pita bread.

Daring Baker Challenge, June 2010; Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

(about 8 servings)

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

Recipe 1: Chocolate Meringue (for the chocolate Pavlova):
3 large egg whites
½ cup plus 1 tbsp (110 grams) white granulated sugar
¼ cup (30 grams) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder

Directions:
1.Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200º F (95º C) degrees. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment and set aside.

2.Put the egg whites in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar about 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form. (The whites should be firm but moist.)

3.Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder over the egg whites and fold the dry ingredients into the white. (This looks like it will not happen. Fold gently and it will eventually come together.)

4.Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire. Alternatively, you could just free form your shapes and level them a bit with the back of a spoon. (Class made rounds, hearts, diamonds and an attempt at a clover was made!)

5.Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe 2: Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse (for the top of the Pavlova base):
1 ½ cups (355 mls) heavy cream (cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent)
grated zest of 1 average sized lemon
9 ounces (255 grams) 72% chocolate, chopped
1 2/3 cups (390 mls) mascarpone
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp (30 mls) Grand Marnier (or orange juice)

Directions:
1.Put ½ cup (120 mls) of the heavy cream and the lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.

2.Place the mascarpone, the remaining cup of cream and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. (DO NOT OVERBEAT AS THE MASCARPONE WILL BREAK.)

3.Mix about ¼ of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse. Again, you could just free form mousse on top of the pavlova.

Recipe 3: Mascarpone Cream (for drizzling):
1 recipe crème anglaise
½ cup (120 mls) mascarpone
2 tbsp (30 mls) Sambucca (optional)
½ cup (120 mls) heavy cream

Directions:
1.Prepare the crème anglaise. Slowly whisk in the mascarpone and the Sambucca and let the mixture cool. Put the cream in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until very soft peaks are formed. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Recipe 4: Crème Anglaise (a component of the Mascarpone Cream above):
1 cup (235 mls) whole milk
1 cup (235 mls) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
6 tbsp (75 grams) sugar

Directions:
1.In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow.

2.Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Take off the heat.

3.Pour about ½ cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

4.Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.

Assembly:

Pipe the mousse onto the pavlovas and drizzle with the mascarpone cream over the top. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and fresh fruit if desired.

Snail Buns

These delicately flavored steamed buns are so named because they are shaped like snails. They are often deep-fried until golden brown after having been steamed. Either way, snail buns are excellent as a subsitute for rice. This recipe defers slightly from 'Flower Buns' and has less ingredients and the texture is just as soft.

Ingredients:

Basic Yeast Dough:

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups water

2 tsp instant yeast

6 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 tbsp shortening

2 tsp double action baking powder plus 1 tsp water

Snail Buns:

1 recipe of basic yeast dough

1/4 cup melted lard plus 1/4 cup melted butter plus 1/2 cup sugar(creamed to a paste)

1/4 cup minced cooked ham or grated carrot and /or chopped spring onions

Method:

Basic Yeast Dough :

Mix all the ingredients except the baking powder, to a rough dough, turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 - 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (if it is very sticky, knead in 1/4 cup additional flour - the dough should be soft)

Lightly grease a bowl with oil and place the dough in the bowl. Turn it so that all sides of the dough are coated.

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise for 4 hours in a warm area, free from drafts.

Uncover the dough, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Flatten the dough and make a well in the center. Place the baking powder solution in the well and gather up the edges around the baking powder to enclose it. Pinch the edges to seal.

Lightly knead the dough to incorporate the baking powder evenly.

Note:

The dough should be used immediately. If that is not possible, punch down the dough after the 4 hours rise, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to proceed.

Snail Buns:

Prepare the basic yeast dough as directed and cut it in half.

On a lightly surface, roll out each half to form a rectangle approximately 10 by 14 inches and 1/6 inch thick. Spread the surface of one rectangle with half the lard, butter and sugar mixture.

Starting with one of the long exges, roll up the rectangle jelly-roll-style. Pinch the two ends to seal the dough; lightly flatten the roll with the heel of your hand. Cut the roll crosswise into thin shreds. Separate the shreds into 15 groups, and let them rest.

Repeat the process for the other rectangle.

Gather up each group of shreds, and lightly stretch, wrapping them Maypole-style around your index finger and thumb. Tuck the end underneath to secure.

Repeat the procedure for all the shreds and arrange the shaped buns 1 inch apart on several steamer trays that have been lined with wet cheesecloth or with parchment paper punched with holes.

Sprinkle the tops with the minced ham or grated carrot and/or chopped spring onions, and let the buns rise for 15 minutes, covered.

Fill a wok with water level with the bottom edge of a steamer tray and heat until boiling. Place one tray of buns over the boiling water, cover, and steam for 15 minutes over high heat.

Remove, and steam the remaining buns in the same manner.

To reheat, steam the buns for 5 minutes over high heat.

Serves

Lemon Bars

(about 25 squares)

These lemon squares probably won't last very long, which kinda makes them a bad idea, but I have been thinking about them for quite some time now.

shortbread crust
1 cup flour
3 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
8 tbsp butter, (1 stick)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the flour, icing sugar, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade. Pulse a few times to combine well.

Cut the butter into a few pieces and scatter them evenly over the flour mixture. Pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles a course crumbs.

Remove and pack firmly into the bottom of an 8" square baking dish.

Bake the shortbread for about 20 minutes or until the top looks golden brown. In the meantime, prepare the lemon curd.

lemon curd
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar, depending on how tangy or sweet you like your curd
zest from 2 large lemons
juice from 2 large lemons, about 1/2 cup
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

Place the sugar and lemon zest into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Let the motor run until the zest and sugar are well combined.

Add the lemon juice, eggs and egg yolks. Run the motor until the mixture is well combined.

When the shortbread crust is ready, remove it from the oven and pour the lemon mixture evenly over it.

Return to the oven and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until the lemon curd has set.

Remove and allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar, if you like. Cut into squares.

Somewhere Over the RAinbow~

I blame mom for bringing home those addictive GLEE episodes on DVD! haha; I've been moving my cakes to the living room where she watches TV till weee hours of the morning.
I admit; it's difficult to not to fall in love with GLEE! haha This was one of my very favourite clips.



Just in the next couple of coming weeks; I'm going to be going out of my mind. Why? Haha I've got some secrets up my sleeves. *teehee*
I remember years ago; as a teenager... there were moments where dreams of being a pastry chef and having a cake studio seemed unreachable or unrealistic.. I'd humm this to myself. The lyrics transported my mind to a place where nothing was impossible. It reminded me that the world is so much bigger than what meets my little eyes. This song kept me company through my roughest periods and made me realise that there was always going to be a tune to cheer myself up. I've got a theory that music helps heal and sooth all emotional wounds... I still believe this very much.
Well... cuddly toys too of course. I love cuddly toys.. haha I've got a feeling I'm good at making them out of sugar because of the many toys I own since I was a little girl. *shrug*

Sweet Potato Ku

These are before steaming

These are after steaming

I cannot be any happier that these 'ku' turned out exceptional beautiful.  The color was so  natural and sweet, of course it was - no food coloring added - the culprit was orange sweet potato/yam.  The filling is the usual mung bean - oh oh i have a story to relate about this filling, yes this particular bag of mung bean filling.  It was a leftover from one of our cooking sessions(a group of us ladies gather every sunday and we cook and bake). So, one sunday, I was the first to arrive at Nellie's and Nellie went through her freezer and pulled out this bag, she asked if i wanted to eat durian.  Of course i said yes, and we had to defrost it fast before the other ladies turn up, there won't be enough to go around. the durian looked so good, yellowish and looked seedless too.  So, into the microwave it went for defrosting.  After a minute of two, the bag came out of the microwave, Nellie and I laughed until tears came down and me with my incontinense, had to rush to the rest room - It was not durian but a bag of mung bean filling.  The moral of the story was, we were bad hearted, we did not want to share and we got none too. I have learned my lesson and am sharing the mung bean filling with those who turned up for dinner last weekend. Hope they liked these cute bite-size 'ku'.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

150 gm orange sweet potato/yam - mash immediately after steaming and keep it hot.
150 gm glutinious flour
50 ml thick coconut milk
50 ml hot boiling water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil

Filling:

Follow the recipe from Angkoo Ah Mah Chew




Method:

Mix the glutinous rice flour, salt and coconut milk to the hot mashed sweet potato.  Knead until dough does not stick to your hands - slightly on the wet side, it will dry out after resting.  If the dough is soft and pliable, do not add in the water.   Lastly add in oil and knead lightly till dough is shiny. Rest dough for at least 1 hr.

Scale the filling and dough according to the size of the mould.  Flatten it and wrap in a filling.  Seal and shape into a round/  Dust the mould with a little glutinious rice flour.  Press firmly into the mould  Knock and dislodge from mould.  Place on oiled banana leaf.  Continue process with the rest of the dough pieces.

Use tap water and wash off excess glutinious rice flour from the surface.  Do it quickly and lightly before steaming the 'ku' over LOW heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Remove the steamer lid after 5 minutes to lower the heat as the pattern will not be as sharp if the heat is too high.  Remove from steamer and brush with oil for a  shiny surface.

 Serves

Apple Strudel

So often this has found its way into my kitchen as this was amazingly easy, delicious and so hearty.

It will be great for entertaining and it was not at all time consuming with store-bought/ready made filo pastry, i can't say for making filo from scratch. It was super flaky and the apple filling  gave it an appetizing crunch!

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 big eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
½ cup orange juice
 zest from 1/2 orange
1/4 cup brown sugar
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp cornstarch plus 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp butter

Strudel:

6-8 sheets ready-made filo pastry
2 oz butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to  375F.

2.  Cook apples, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg with the pan covered until apples are soft and raisins are plump.

3.  Add in the cornstarch slurry and cook further for 1 minute, turn off heat and add in 1 tbsp butter. Set aside to cool.

4. .Brush each sheet of filo pastry with melted butter, then place the sheets of pastry on top of each other onto a large sheet of greaseproof paper.

5. Sprinkle the top sheet of filo with some dried breadcrumbs, then spoon the apple mixture down the middle of the filo sheet.


6. Carefully roll the pastry up around the filling like a cigar, using the greaseproof paper to help.

7. Place the filo roll onto a greased baking tray, brush with any remaining melted butter.  Cut roll into 1 1/2 slices at a diagonal. Do not cut the slices right through.

8.  Put to bake  for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned and the filling is hot.

 Serves

Ina Pinkney's Famous new Old fashioned vanilla bean pound cake

This recipe is adapted from Ina Pinkney Famous New Old-fashioned Vanilla Bean Pound Cake.  Although Ina's quote "This is a vital ingredient! Do not make this cake without it" -  the vital ingredient is the Vanilla Paste, I was more interested in the method - It is prepared in the food processor and is very easy to make. With such a fantastic praise by Shirley O,Corriher of this cake, I had to bake this recipe even without the vanilla paste.  I used vanilla beans and made into a paste instead and the cake is exactly how Shirley O. Corriher described - "Oh wow! When you take a bite, your whole being is filled with buttery wonderfulness, and then the vanilla hits and everything in your mouth is dissolving, melting tenderness! You've got to have another bite"

Ingredients:

Makes about 10 servings.

8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks), gently melted in microwave or on stovetop
6 ounces cake flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 3/4 oz. sugar (1 1/4 cups)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey or Vanilla.com Vanilla Bean Paste






Method:

1. Position a rack slightly below the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 F.

2. Melt butter and set aside to cool.

3. Grease a 9-by-4 small Pullman loaf pan with butter and flour or non-stick spray. A Pullman loaf pan has straight sides, not slanted. USA Pan has an excellent pan this size. Do not use the top of the Pullman loaf pan.

4. In a medium bowl, beat together well with a hand mixer or vigorously by hand with a whisk, the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.

5. In a food processor, process sugar, eggs and vanilla for about 2 to 3 seconds. (Ina beats a few seconds longer, but I limit to avoid a crust.)

6. Stir the melted butter well to mix in the separated solids. With the machine running, pour butter through the feed tube in a slow and steady stream. Blend for about 3 seconds.

7. Scatter the flour mixture over the top of the egg mixture in the processor. Pulse 5-6 times until the flour is incorporated. You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse 2-3 more times.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 and bake until deep golden brown and the tester comes out clean.

9. It should bake about 35 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through the baking.

10. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, unmold, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Toast each slice on both sides before serving.

Ina cuts almost 3/4-inch thick slices, toasts on both sides, cuts at an angle to form 2 triangles, serves with one triangle standing

Serves

Mushroom Ravioli

(about 6-8 servings)

Last week I dug out my pasta machine after I came across some beet powder. I'm on a bit of a pasta roll at the moment, and decided to make some ravioli this weekend.

In the past I've usually made fillings with spinach and ricotta cheese, but I'm quite fond of mushrooms and decided to make a mushroom filling after finding some very nice looking baby portabella at the grocery store.

Filling
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup hot water

1-2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 lb mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
1/4 cup marsala
1-2 pinches dried thyme
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak the porcini mushrooms in the hot water for at least 30 minutes. Remove and chop; reserve the liquid.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and fry for about a minute, then add the onion and saute until it's transparent and has a light golden hue.

Add both the porcini and chopped fresh mushrooms, the reserved mushroom liquid, marsala and thyme. Cook until the mixture becomes somewhat dry; about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat, cool a bit. Stir in the mascarpone cheese. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

pasta
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup semolina flour
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1-3 tbsp water

serve with
lightly browned butter and grated parmesan cheese

Place the 1 1/2 cups flour (to start), semolina and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine.

Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water to start. Pulse a few times. If the mixture seems too dry, sprinkle a bit more water over the mixture.

The dough should have the consistency of fresh bread crumbs, and be moist enough to stick together if you gather a small amount and gently squeeze it together. Some people add enough water until the dough forms a ball inside the bowl, but I prefer mine to be somewhat dryer. If I have added too much liquid and get a ball, I add a bit more flour until the ball breaks up again.

by hand
Gather up the dough and knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface until you have a smooth ball. Cover and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough to about 1/8" thickness in whatever shape you need for how you will make the ravioli. I am using a ravioli form which I will describe below.

with pasta (crank) machine
Gather a small handful of dough and squeeze together. Flatten the piece and run it through the pasta machine at the widest setting a few times. Fold and pass through a few more times, tightening the setting each time. This helps develop the gluten.

Crank out a piece long enough to cover the ravioli form. Place over the form and gently push the pasta sheet down using the plastic domed sheet.

Place a bit of filling into each indentation, wet the edges with a bit of water. Roll out a second sheet of pasta and place over the first pasta sheet and fillings. Roll over with a rolling pin to cut the ravioli; turn over and separate.

Repeat until the dough and filling is used up.

Boil the ravioli in batches in lightly salted boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and toss with butter and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Not just a "Gwai mui jai".

A 'gwai mui jai' is literally (minus the racism): "white chick"
To say that I detest being called a gwai mui jai is an understatement. I get referred to in many ocassions by fellow Chinese (who think they are better than i am *hmph* haha) as this because it seems that I am culturally and verbally 'western'-ised. Does that make sense? Bah..
It isn't that I am trying to be caucasion; or i am denying my asian heritage.. I am who I am because of the different experiences I have had in my life. I am very proud to be Chinese; i just don't speak the language very much or often.. which then makes me bad at conversations. I can sing karaoke in chinese; I think that's good enough no? haha. I have understanding friends who feed the words and lyrics to me 2 seconds in advance through whispers as I sing. It's the only way I can fake it! hahaha (you know who you are ;) hehe)
But to be fair; they do generally use it with a gesture of endearment as opposed to it being a complete insult......
__________________________halt___

..as i was typing up this post on my work desk in the shop; someone has stolen my blackberry from right under my nose.
I AM INFURIATED? oh T#$*&@_@$$#*&$@(&$#@...
beyond angry.

humankind -100 points
su +10 stupidity

argh?!
gotta split guys; catch up soon

Olive Hummus

(about 3 cups)

Hummus has got to be one of the easiest things to make at home, and in my opinion it tastes much better than the ready made stuff. I usually intend to make a simple one with just a bit of garlic and lemon juice, but invariably I end up coming across something in my refrigerator or pantry and add that to the mix.

This time it was olives, and the hummus turned out great.

1 25 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/2 cup olives, I used a combination of kalamata and spanish
1/4 cup water
3-5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
salt, if needed

Place everything, except the salt, into the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Check for seasoning. Add the salt if needed.

Serve with pita bread or crackers. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil if you wish.

Spam Musubi

In Hawaii, Spam musubi, a tradition of Japanese onigiri,  is a very popular snack   Spam musubi is composed of a block of rice, be it jasmine or sushi rice,  with a slice of grilled spam(luncheon meat can be used, then the snack will be called Luncheon Musubi) on top and nori (seaweed) wrapping to hold it together. There are no fast rules to making this yummy snack except for the 3 main ingredients, cooked rice, Spam and Nori.  The sauce is of your own choice and if you are like me, i like mine naked - meaning 'no sauce' cos i find that the Spam is flavorful enough, in fact too salty.  A musubi mould would be good to have but until i visit Hawaii to get one, i will have to continue to make my musubi with a homemade improvised mould - an empty small can of Spam with both ends removed and a thick cardboard cut to the size of the can, covered with several layers of aluminium foil to be used as a press. A word of caution, the edges of the bottom of spam can is very sharp, so neaten sharp edges and use with caution.   I love making spam musubi for breakfast cos it is fast to make.  You know - asian household -  i always have leftover cooked rice and i will just heat it up in the microwave.  I even use the microwave to brown my slices of Spam - no washing of pans.  Yes, in a jiffy you can assemble and a sumptous breakfast/snack can be served.

Ingredients:

5 cups cooked sushi rice/jasmine rice, room temperature
5 sheets nori, cut in half lengthwise
1 (12 oz.) can Spam
Furikake(optional), to taste

Sauce:
6 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp mirin
4 tbsp sugar






Method:Cut Spam into 10 slices. Fry until slightly crispy. Remove and drain on plate lined with paper towels.

To make the sauce, in another pan, combine soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low. Add Spam slices, coating them in the mixture. When mixture has thickened, remove Spam from pan.

To assemble, lay a sheet of nori lengthwise on a clean surface. Moisten lower half of musubi mould and place on lower third of nori. Fill musubi mould with rice and press rics flat until the rice is 3/4-inch high(this height is desirable but it does not matter, if you have put in more rice, then the height will be taller -  no rocket science). Sprinkle rice with furikake if using. Top with slice of Spam. Remove musubi mould with the press still on top of Spam,  keep in a bowl of warm water to keep it clean and moist.



Starting at the end towards you, remove the press and  fold nori over Spam and rice stack, and keep rolling until completely wrapped in the nori. Slightly dampen the end of the nori to seal it.

Repeat with the other nine Spam slices, making sure to rinse off musubi maker after each use to prevent it from getting too sticky.

Hard Shell Tacos

Hola amigos! I am back! I have been having great days enjoying my mom and grandma' here at home! I will certainly miss them once they leave....

But let's not get sad and let's talk today about one "traditional ingredient" and one of the "main things" that come to mind whenever someone talks about "Mexican food" in the USA.... TACO SHELLS

Where do hard shells come from? Are they really Mexican? THEY ARE FAR FROM IT!

A "taco" is just one of the MANY traditional dishes in Mexico, it is composed of a CORN tortilla (and in the North of Mexico it is also common to be made of a wheat -flour- tortilla), this tortilla is folded or rolled around a filling (any filling) and there you go! You have a TACO!

Recipes for "tacos" in the USA are ... weird to me, when I grew up making "tacos on my own" everyday with anything they put in front of me to eat, if I had refried beans and tortillas then I made my "tacos de frijoles" (bean taco), and it was the same if there was meat, cheese, chicken, eggs, or basically ANYTHING (even tomato or chili peppers) ... Any ingredient can be made into a "taco" if it is put in a tortilla, that is why I also find it confusing when people talk about things like "taco salad" or "taco mix" because I can't understand how that can be related to a taco in any way! (Now that I know what a taco salad or taco mix are, I agree it can taste good, but I like to explain to people that if they want something really Mexican, those things are not going to help them get it) ... A taco is eaten without utensils, just with your bare hands and it is commonly accompanied by salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, onions or lettuce.

What am I saying? That taco shells, taco mix or taco salads are bad? That nobody should ever eat in Taco Bell? No, I am not saying that, even when it's not my favorite type of food, everyone is free to like or dislike whatever they prefer, but I am just saying that if you are really interested in enjoying real Mexican food, none of those things I mentioned are Mexican, not even close, not at all.

It seems that the "hard-shell, U-shaped taco" was first described in a cookbook in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1949 and they started being massively produced when some devices were invented to hold the tortillas in U-shape while being deep fried in New York in 1950. Most of my life I lived in the Northeast of Mexico, right in the border with Texas, and even there (where food can be "influenced" in some places by American Fast Food chains) I had NEVER seen a hard taco shell. I first saw one when I came to live USA, there is no such thing in Mexico. And personally, I really dislike their flavor.

I encourage you to get real Mexican corn tortillas, if you've ever been in a "Tortilleria" in Mexico, you know what I am talking about! But, you can also make your own, it is REALLY SIMPLE! You can buy INSTANT CORN MASA MIX (you see? even the name tells you it is easy, I am not asking you to buy corn and grind it! LOL!) I use the brand "MASECA" and just follow the instructions of the package, you will see what I am talking about! You will also need a tortilla press like this one:

Note: Picture taken from http://gozamos.com (This picture is not mine)

This type of press is not expensive at all! And you will make the most perfect round tortillas with it! everyone will love them! And you will know why REAL TACOS are so much better!

Provecho

Paloma.

So what will you be getting dad this weekend?

I'm guessing for most of us; our daddies will be busy watching the FIFA World cup; not too enthusiastic about going out for a long classy dinner/holiday to some place with no live soccer telecast hehe.
Well; nevertheless he's not gonna be happy if you conveniently forget that it's FATHERS DAY!

We've got plenty of snacks and dad friendly treats to have him smiling from ear to ear whilst glued to the tube.
Come by the Delectable store @ The Gardens mall starting tommorow (Thursday the 16th) to take home with you our limited edition fathers day gift sets and themed cookies (RM6) and cupcakes(set of 3: RM28)
The tall jars of 3 in our dad-pack include the very much loved store favourite Happinutts (caramelized cashews); a lightly salted macadamia+walnut mix and dark chocolate almond pebbles! He's going to be thrilled!
(RM80)
*pre-orders are welcomed as sets are limited; call or email us with your details and inquiries.

Glutinious Rice Roll

Today is the 5th Day of the Fifth Moon following the Lunar Calender and today is the day of the 'Chung/Rice Dumpling Festival'.   I had wanted to make  some 'chung'  but due to unforeseen circumstances was not able to make some - excuses - excuses!!!  But...... since i do have leftover Law Mei Farn which is a very good filling for these Rolls.  These rolls are so much easier and faster to make and I am pleased that i have kept half the tradition by having glutinious rice served today but in another form.  You can follow any pau dough recipe or follow the one below.

 Ingredients:

Pau Dough:

2 cups pau flour(if all-purpose flour is used - add more water to make into a soft dough)
3/4 cup wheat starch
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup powdered/confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tbsp shortening/lard
1 tsp instant yeast
2/3 cup water(adjust according)
1/4 tsp vinegar

Filling:

1/2 recipe of Law Mei Farn

Method:

To make pau dough:

Put flour, wheat starch, baking powder, powdered sugar and yeast in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix ingredients well..

Add in shortening/lard and pulse until well mixed.

Add vinegar to the water and pour into flour mixture with the food processor on,  Mix until a soft ball forms - water has to adjusted, adding more a little at a time, to make dough into a very soft and pliable dough.

Remove from food processor and knead until smooth, then leave to proof until double it's size.

To assemble:

Roll the 'law mei farn' into a 2 inch log.

Punch down the pau dough and roll into a rectangle that is big enough to wrap the law mei farn log.

Wrap the law mei farn log with the pau dough rectangle and pinch the seam well.

Cut the log into 1 1/2 inch pieces and put a piece of greaseproof paper underneath every piece. Leave rolls to proof again before steaming.  Pau dough should feel puffy and if touched lightly, the dough should not spring back and the dent remained)

Bring the water in the steamer to a very high boil and steam pau rolls for 8 - 10 minutes.

Serve hot

Serves

Spaghetti and Meatballs

(about 6 - 8 servings)

If there's any leftover, the cooked meatballs and sauce freeze quite well.

meatballs
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb pork sausage meat
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
small handful parsley, chopped
2/3 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, (I made these in the food processor)
1 large egg, slightly beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-2 tbsp oil for frying

Combine all of the ingredients (except the oil) in a bowl and shape into 2" balls.

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and fry the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides. Set aside.

sauce
1 tbsp oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 onion, chopped
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced olives or 2-3 tbsp capers, (optional)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine or 2-3 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute, then add the onion and continue to cook until the onion softens and turns a light golden brown.

Add the tomatoes, olives or capers, tomato paste, and the red wine or vinegar and oregano. Stir to combine everything well, lower the heat and simmer, covered for about 25 minutes.

Add the meatballs, and continue to cook (uncovered) until the meatballs heat through and are done; about another 15 minutes or so. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

spaghetti
about 1 1/2 lbs dried spaghetti, cooked according the package directions
grated parmesan or romano cheese

Portion out the spaghetti between plates and top with the meatballs and sauce.
Serve with grated cheese.