Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Tiramisu


Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup (64g) caster sugar
1/4 cup milk
250g mascarpone
250g packet savoiardi or sponge fingers
1 1/2 cups cold coffee
1tbsp cocoa

Methods:
Beat egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until light and creamy.  Add milk and beat until combined.
Place bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Stir over heat until thickened; allow to cool.
Add mascarpone to mixture; stir until combined.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into mixture.
Dip savoiardi biscuits quickly into coffee - they should be moist but not soggy.  Place a quarter of the biscuits over base of a 1.5L serving dish or a paper-lined loaf pan.  Spread with one-third of the mascarpone mixture.  Repeat layering with remaining biscuits and mascarpone.
Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.  Sift cocoa over top to serve.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Dark Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a medium sized saucepan.
Slowly whisk in the eggs, egg yolks, and milk. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until bubbling. Stir in the semi-sweet (or bittersweet) chocolate and unsweetened chocolate.
Continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Be sure to scrape the sides and the bottoms of the pot as you whisk. As the pudding cooks, it will gradually darken and thicken.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook while gently stirring with a wooden spoon. After 1 – 2 minutes, the pudding should thickly coat the spoon. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and orange oil.
Transfer pudding to 6 small bowls or jars. Cover the surface with plastic wrap as it cools if you do not wish for a skin to form on the top of the pudding. Cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, and then transfer to the refrigerator for about an hour, or up to 2 days.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Berries Parfait


Ingredients:
1 cake (can be store bought or bake.  Mine was Chocolate Moist Cake - Betty Crocker)
Some berries (of your choice)
Whipped Cream (I did my own whipping cream)

Instructions:

Slice cake into 1 inch slices, and cut circles to fit jars. Alternately you could cut the cake into cubes.
Starting with a layer of cake on the bottom, follow with blueberries, whipped cream, raspberries, and top with another layer of cake.
Garnish with more whipped cream and berries if desired.


Ingredients (Whipped cream):
1 cup heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
3 tablespoons sugar (granulated or confectioners')
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
Add heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to a bowl.
Whip cream using a whisk or an electric mixer on medium speed.
When you can form soft peaks (meaning the peaks bend over at the top when you remove the whisk or beater), the whipped cream is done. Be careful not to over beat or the cream will become grainy as butter granules start to form. 

Idea taken from : Joyofbaking

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Mocha Pudding *Tested Recipe*


Recipe taken from Bisous A Toi

Ingredients:

Puding Mocha
7g jelly powder
130g sugar
700ml full cream milk
2 instant coffee aka nescafe
1/2 tbsp mocha paste
4 egg yolk
1 tbsp butter

Puding busa (bubble/foam)
2 egg white (abt 70g)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3.5g jelly powder
60g sugar
150ml water
1/4 tbsp mocha paste mix with a little water

Method
1. Prepare pudding mold (volume of 1000ml). Dampen mold with boiled water - set aside

2. Mocha pudding: Mix jelly powder, sugar and milk in a saucepan, stir well, bring to boil. Dissolve instant coffee and mocha paste with a little water, pour into the pan and continue to stir, reduce heat it.

3. Beat egg yolk using hand whisk or even fork, take a ladle of jelly mixture and add into egg yolk - stir well. Pour the egg mixture back into jelly mixture, stir well. Add in butter, turn off the heat. Continue stirring until mixture is slightly cool, add in rum. Pour into molds.

4. Sponge pudding: Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar using stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy and stiff, set aside. Mix and cook jelly powder, sugar, and water, add pasta mocha paste, bring to a boil, remove from heat. Pour into the beaten egg whites a little at a time, beat until blended. Add rum, stir. Pour custard mocha pudding onto the slightly harden mocha pudding. Leave until cold, chill in refrigerator until hard.

5. Remove the pudding from mold, place on serving plate, cut into pieces.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Nasi Tomato & Ayam Merah

Hiatus for ages ...

Invited love ones to break fast cum dinner. I decided to be adventurous and attempt tomato rice.  Almaklum ibu came for raya and brought her battalion.

It turned out great alhamdulillah ... if not drop my ibu water face sey ... hee hee ...

photo credit: Yat Fikri/Babypink

Nasi Tomato Recipe
Ingredients
4 cups basmathi, rinse and soak for 30 mins (I used India Gate Basmathi Premium)
4 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 onion (sliced)
1 inch ginger (just bashed it)
3 clove garlic (sliced)
2 tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 knot of pandan leaf
4 tbsp of butter
4 tbsp of oil
a handful of cashews
Salt to taste

Ingredients to sautee
1 cinamon 
1 star anise
4 cloves

Garnish
Chopped coriander 
Toasted Cashew
Fried onions

Method:

Clean, rinse the basmathi and sock it for 30 mins.

I did all this in the rice cooker:
Pour oil and butter in the cooker. Melt the butter.
Add ingredients to sautee.
Add in onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook until its soft.
Add pandan leaf, diced tomato and tomato sauce cook until the diced tomato break apart.
Add in evaporated milk and bring it to boil.
Season it with salt.
Add the rice, 4 1/2 cups of water and cashews and mix well. Leave it to cook.  Occasionally stir and mix.

Garnish it with chopped coriander, toasted cashews and fried onions.

For Ayam Merah I followed my mom's recipe and I've attempt a couple of time its not perfect yet but definitely better then the last ... recipe can be found here.

Guests photos will be upload later when I find the time to develop my film ... heh 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

1Qtr - Long over-due Post

So ...
Jan 13 - Penang
Feb 13 - Batam

and it did not stopped there. hee hee ... 

Mar 13 - Tioman & Melacca


Tioman was great. rindu air terjun, iced jagung and sea turtles.


Melacca was a family trip. It was a holiday and traffic jam left, right, front & back. Some of the photos taken with LCA+.  Quite dark as we reached there almost evening.

Apr 13 - KL aku datang!!!


 I can go KL every month and I won't get tired of it.  I just LOVE KL! .... LOVE ok.
This time round we stayed at Premiera Hotel walking distance to Majid India.  All in all ... I had a good 1st Qtr if the yr heehee ...

next .... Insya-Allah end-Aug.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Baked Mushrooms


Baked Mushroom – Nurul’s Recipe

Preparation time: 15mins
Total cooking time: 15mins
Serve 4

Ingredients:
250g (8oz) button mushrooms
200g (6 1/2oz) oyster mushrooms
200g (6 1/2oz) shiitake mushrooms
100g (3 1/3oz) swiss brown mushrooms

Toppings:
1 cup (80g) fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (25g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp cracked pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to moderate 180C.  Wipe the mushrooms with damp paper towel. Trim away the hard tips and discard.  Cut any large mushroom in halflengthways

Sprinkle the base of a large baking dish with a little water.  Place the mushrooms in a single layer in the dish, stems upwards.

To make Toppings: Mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, herbs, garlic and pepper, sprinkle ove the mushrooms and drizzle with oil.  Bake for 12 - 15 mins and serve warm.

C O O K ' S   F I L E
Note: Use day-old bread which slightly stale to make breadcrumbs.  Simply remove the crusts and chop in a food processor until the crumbs form.
Hint: Always wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel - washing will make them soggy.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes


Garlic Mashed Potatoes by Alton Brown [Mine is in Maroon]

Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
2 tablespoons kosher salt
16 fluid ounces (2 cups) half-and-half
 [I used fresh milk]
6 cloves garlic, crushed
 [I baked the garlic with EVOO for 20mins in the oven]
6 ounces grated Parmesan

Butter

Heat the half-and-half and the garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside. 
[Put crushed garlic on the aluminum foil.  Drizzle with EVOO and salt.  Baked it for 20mins]

Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic-cream mixture and Parmesan; stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.
[Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Mash and add the garlic mixture, butter, milk and Parmesan; stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes so that mixture thickens and then serve.]

Oven-Baked Grilled Chicken


Oven-Grilled Chicken Kebabs


Ingredients

Chicken breasts, cut in cubes (available at Mustafa)
Honey
Soy Sauce
Galic
Salt
Pepper
Traffic Light Capsicums
Satay Sticks

Methods:
  • Mix ALL the ingredients except the capsicums and the satay sticks. Put it in the zip lock bag over night or for at least 30mins before use.
  • Cut capsicums into medium sized chunks - not too small or they might fall of the satay sticks.
  • Put the chicken and capsicums onto the satay sticks alternating the order. Leave a little bit of space at the top and bottom of the skewer so you can hold it. 
Grill at about 180C in the oven for 10-15 minutes, turn the satay stick over and grill for another 10 minutes.

Long Weekend

Weekend well spent.

9th Feb 2013 Picnic cum Potluck with Primary School Fwenz.  Rain or Shine.




Munira with Irsa and Niece | Tina with Arrisa & Myra | Ijah with Yusoff

Yusoff | Yusoff, Auni & Irsa | Myra

10th Feb 2013 Batam Stock Up Trip with Fwenz

Our Bi-yearly trip to Batam 
a. Eat
b. Spa
c. Movie
d. Shopping
e. All of the above



11th Feb 2013 Spent the day sleeping at Mom's



I'm still sore that I had to pay $77 cos I was ill on CNY ... I chose CNY to fall sick =(

12th Feb 2013 Family Bonding with in-laws and Quality Time with Love.



Monday, January 21, 2013

ZOOM Penang!

Finally!! we got out of Singapore ... Nov ... Dec ... was hectic for us.  Weddings after weddings after weddings ... don't get me wrong I love weddings!!! ... but its too tiring cos almost every week we had at least 1 wedding or max 8 weddings O_O ... Thou its not an excuse to fly lah ... hee hee.

OK Jom ... Zoom Penang!!! oklah feeling feeling Suria gitu.

First stop ... Hard Rock.  Since we did not manage to get a room there we decided to take a cab there for dinner.  And dinner was AWESOME!! 

 From L to R: Popiah, BBQ Beef Ribs, Perchik Burger & Potato Munchkins

and after dinner went back to hotel to buat taik mata as usual.  As we get older we prefer to sleep more.

Here are some of the places we visited while in Penang.

Peranakan Mansion: Beautiful decors and antiques.  This sweet and friendly Bibik Annie will be there to greet you at the entrance.  If you are lucky, you will get her warm hug and blessing.


 From L to R: Bibik Annie & Le Hubby

Fort Cornwallis:  This is one of the must see places cos its one of the history topic I learnt in school

 Fort Cornwallis

Clan Jetties: Back in the days, chinese immigrants came together (in there clan) and settled down along the waterfront.  We managed to visit Chew Jetty. It was cool.  I understand that they also provides home-stay.  It would be a good experience kan to stay in of these houses?! ... 

 Chew Jetty

Rumah P. Ramlee:  I am truly honored to be there. I'm like wahhh ... ouuuh ... yeke?! moment ... Charming sungguh ... no wonder the princess also fell for him.

Rumah P. Ramlee

Food Hunting: Nasi Kandar Line Clear
Portion: HUGE!!! no kidding ... Ladies don't kaykiang ... as much as you think you are hungry ... NO you cannot finish it alone ... 1 plate share 2 pax ok.  Since I'm the greedy pig I did not want to share and ........................ I did not finish it ... shame on me waste food :(
Nasi Kandar: Rice, Fried Chicken, Fried Fish & Gravy

Toy Museum: Feeling young at heart?  We sure do! Sadly they do not have Hot Wheels Collection.

Ghost Buster: One of the toys I own back then aside from my Hot Wheels collection, TMNT & Jurassic Park

Gurney Drive: More Piggin'

Pasembur: It's the typical Indian Rojak with Gravy (Cucur Udang is the main star)

L to R: Penang Asam Laksa & Char Kway Teow (Basah)

ChendulLight coconut milk and some gula melaka ... not too sweet just nice the lemak manis-ness

The 1st Mosque in Penang

Kapitan Kling Mosque

Ayu Mee UdangGenerous portion. 7 HUGE prawns.... HUGEEE!

Mee Udang Special

So ... thats a kick start to 2013 and more traveling to come .... *hint**hint* a short getaway in feb... hee hee