Nora's Dapur

Rasam

2010-02-18T14:59:00.004-08:00

the first time i tasted rasam was last december, when i had a banana leaf rice lunch at a curry house. it's spicy and sour, and reminds one of tom yam, except that tom yam isn't packed with spices like rasam.

i had rasam and french toast for dinner last night, and i was pleasantly surprised with the various tastes. all i know is rasam isnt a shy delicate soup. it's bold and seduces you with it's range of tastes of cumin, tomato sourness, chilli and coriander leaves. it's definitely not for those who are not adventurous enough, but then what's the fun in only eating chicken soup or mushroom soup?

recipe for rasam

500g tomatoes, skinned (to do this, boil the tomatoes first and you'll find that the skins come off easily)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder (i roasted and pounded on my own, because the smell is stronger)
2 cm ginger, pounded
1 1/4 litres of water

put everything above in a pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom (i don't like the taste, so i only threw in 1)
1 tsp fennel
6 cloves
1 onion, sliced thinly
a sprig of curry leaves
oil
chopped coriander leaves to be sprinkled

fry the dried spices above until the onion slices are translucent. add into the broth mixture. the recipe calls for adding salt while making broth, but i prefer to add in salt in the end.

serve with chopped corianderleaves.

Homemade Plum Jam

2010-02-08T15:17:00.007-08:00

Hard times teaches us to be resourceful, and healthy living teaches us that it is better to go through the trouble and bring out all your pots and pans and have a wonderful homemade but preservative-free food.

with those two in mind, i bought south african plums from MaxValu last night - selling at rm1.69 per 100g (it was further reduced to rm1.49). well i thought that was cheap, so i bought a few (cost me rm5++), went home, and started to de-stone the dark purple fruits, cut them into small pieces, and cook them on the stove over a slow fire. i had the chance to pop a few pieces into my mouth, and they were heaven! the plums were ripe, and so they tasted not like the tart, unripe ones, but they tasted more like ripe peaches or nectarine!

when they're cooking on the stove, the red colour from the skin just melted and you will have deep dark almost fuschia like colour. you can add sugar if you want, and it might be better if you can add in some lemon zest and lemon juice. me, i just forgot to buy one last night. the quest for healthy eating has seen me buying no added sugar peanut butter, marmalade for the diabetics and olive oil fat spread. so it's no surprise when i decided to minimalise the sugar used in the jam making. initially i didn't want to add any sugar at all and thought the sweetness would help to mellow the tartness. i was dead wrong, because it was so tart, my face just wrinkled! so i added 2 tablespoons of sugar, and it was definitely an improvement. you should cook the fruits until the mixture is no longer runny. cool the mixture, and then store in an airtight container.

and this morning, in my excitement i ate my homemade bread with such gusto - the jam is a perfect consistency, but it's still taaaarrrttt!!!

anyway, the most important thing is to reduce eating processed food, and to eat cooked food that is not that oily not that sweet and the most most important thing is that, it is cooked with love.

lemon cream cake with homemade strawberry jam

2009-11-27T17:18:00.003-08:00

everybody's perennial favourite is always chocolate cake or cheesecake but i don't want to stick to the norm and thought that it'd be interesting to make lemon cake, since the feasting would involve a lot of rich food. i thought the slight tartness would balance it. i studied some recipes and thought that it's best i use my own recipe. it's simple, actually. all i did was make a pound cake flavoured with lemon juice and zest, add in some sour milk.

here's the recipe:
250g pure butter
225g caster sugar
3 large eggs
250g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk with some lemon juice added
zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon
use creaming method, pour in one deep 8 inch pan or 2 shallow 8 inch pans and bake at 180C until it is cooked.

homemade strawberry jam

200g strawberries, sliced
some sugar
lemon juice
cook the berries with lemon juice. when they are soft, add in the sugar, to suit your taste. mine isnt that sweet because i want the tartness to stand out.

cream

400ml whipping cream
some sugar lemon
essence whip all the ingredients.

to assemble
if you use a deep pan, slice the cake horizontally so that you have 2 pieces. on top of the first piece, spread a dollop of whipped cream and then the strawberry jam. put another piece of cake on top and cover the cake with the remaining cream. chill in the fridge as the cream cannot withstand warm temperature.

white bread (from All About Cookery)

2009-10-30T19:38:00.003-08:00

when i was 12 years old, i was given a big brown book entitled "All About Cookery" by my brother who was in Liverpool Uni to do his M.A.

granted, i was ecstatic to receive such a huge book, but i was unsure how to cook everything. there were no interesting pictures to attract a12 year old girl. i was disappointed, and let my Filipino sis in law borrowed the book.

i asked for the book back when i was in my 20s. now a grown woman, i could appreciate the contents and what a treasure trove i have in there.

the book is divided into courses - so there are chapter on soups, starters, and then a separate chapter on fish, poultry and game, meat, suppers and snacks, vegetables and salads, puddings, baking, and even preserves and drinks.

it's a good thing i'm a hoarder.

this morning, without any storebought bread left, i contemplated what to make for breakfast. i finally decided on delicious but simple white bread, one that i used to bake every few days when i was in terengganu and fed me and my late mother for a few years.

this bread can be shaped into cob loaf, or cottage load or farmhouse loaf. it's a bit bland for my taste, so for those who like their bread a bit sweet, add some more sugar.

makes 4 500g loaves or 2 1kg loaves

1 tsp sugar
900ml lukewarm water
15g dried yeast
1.5kg strong flour
1 tb salt
25g margarine
salted water to glaze

stir the sugar into the water until dissolved. sprinkle the yeast on top and leave in a warm place until frothy.
sift the flour and salt into a bowl. rub in the margarine. make a well in the centre and put in the yeast liquid. mix to a firm dough.
turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or untilt eh dough is elastic and smooth. cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and 1/2 or until doubled in size.
knock back the dough, then knead again for 5 minutes. divide the dough into four portions and shape each into a loaf. place in four greased 500g or two 1kg loaf tins. cover and leave to prove in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has risen to the tops of the tins.
brush the tops of the loaves with salted water, then bake in a preheated hot oven (230 celcius) for 30-40 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. cool on a wire rack.

My Favourite Raya Cookies

2009-09-18T22:29:00.003-08:00

butterscotch buttons - trust me, the taste is divine!

my favourite raya cookies are all simple cookies that have become a raya tradition. despite all the newcomers like Bunga Tulip or Mama Carie or Almond London, i always prefer the simple cookies. my favourites include:

1. Biskut Kacang/Mazola
2. Semprit
3. Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Butterscotch Buttons
5. Biskut Arab

i'm always ambitious to bake a lot, but this year i baked only 2 types - Butterscotch Buttons and Biskut Arab. i don't like the ostentatious decorated cookies, nor the gaudy ones because you just know the taste is just ordinary. i place much importance on taste. the form isnt necessarily have to pass the aesthetics.

i like Butterscotch Buttons for their caramel taste. it's also very simple to make.

125g unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tb golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup self-raising flour.

beat butter with sugar, golden syrup and vanilla. sift in self-raising flour. the book instructs shaping the cookie by using teaspoon, by i prefer making small balls and flatten them with a fork. bake in 180C oven at 20 mins.

Biskut Arab

these cookies arent for those on a diet! i hope i can resist after a few. kak dah always told me that the ratio for flour and sugar is 2:1

500g flour
250g icing sugar
200g ghee, melted

rub in all the three ingredients. shape the dough into small balls. bake 170C at 20 mins.

Puding buih with custard

2009-05-09T15:19:00.004-08:00

i think years ago i had written about my mother's puding buih. it is a jelly made of meringue, hence the name buih. my late mother would serve this during fasting month, simply because it is easy to digest and is cool to the throat and the sugar from the custard gives that instant energy that the tired body needs. for the family tahlil, i decided to make this puding buih, (and also my niece nana who had returned from KK had requested this). my filipina sister in law was nonplussed to see the puding, probably because most of the time i serve western desserts during the family gatherings. but later, when everybody dug in, my siblings reminisced the times when my mother served this - during fasting month. i think it's appropriate for me to make this dish, as it reminds us of my late mother.

for those of you pudding lovers, this is the recipe
1 packet of agar2
6 glasses water
3 tb sugar red food colouring
7 egg whites, beaten until stiff
rose essence

boil the agar2 with the water. when dissolved, add in the sugar and red colouring. add in meringue and rose essence, and fold in the meringue into the agar2 mixture. turn the fire off. pour the mixture into a larger bowl and beat until the meringue is incorporated into the jelly. a good puding buih will not have separate layers between meringue and non- meringue.

custard
7 egg yolks
2 cans evaporated milk
sugar (i didnt measure this, so use your discretion)
vanilla essence
1 tsp cornflour (according to Delia Smith, this is to stabilise the custard)

Warm the milk on the stove. while warming, beat the yolks with the eggs. pour in the milk into the eggs gently, so that the yolks are not cooked. pour the egg mixture back into the pan and onto the fire, and stir. add in vanilla and cornflour and stir. the custard is cooked when there is a line when you run your finger across the back of the ladle or wooden spoon.

serve chilled.

Fudgy Brownies

2009-05-06T06:15:00.003-08:00

since today i took another MC (i'm not playing hookie, i just have the flu bug), i decided to lie in and come afternoon i felt the sudden yearn for the denseness of brownies. i have so many recipe books and it's only right that i browse through the recipes. i found this recipe for Chocolate magazine by Better homes and garden. it's really dense and decadent, so you cant eat a lot. more like eating a slice of cheesecake.

1/2 cup butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut up (you can substitute with 9 tb of cocoa powder and 3 tb of fat, since an oz of chocolate is equivalent to 3 tb cocoa powder and 1 tb fat)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. preheat ovent o 180C. grease 8 x 8 x 2, set aside. in medium saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. cook and stir over low heat until melted. cool.
2. stir sugar into chocolate mixture. add eggs, one at a time, beating with wooden spoon just until combined. stir in vanilla.
3. in small bowl, combine flour and baking soda. add flour mixture to chocolate mixture stir just until combined. if desired, stir in nuts.
4. spread batter in prepared pan. bake for 30 mins. cool in pan on wire rack.

Philadelphia Cheese Steak Sandwich

2009-04-30T03:18:00.004-08:00

woops! the hoagie bun is upside down!

from the first time i sank my teeth into the buttered bun at chilli's, i was hooked. and that was years and years ago. unfortunately though, when i dined at chilli's last month with mozie, the cheese steak sandwich was off the menu. they must be crazy because it's damn good! deprived of my favourite sandwich, i, as usual, searched for the recipe so i could relive those moments of sheer happiness. i found this recipe on BHG.

Ingredients

1 12-ounce boneless beef rib eye steak
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 medium red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
4 French rolls or hoagie buns, split
4 ounces thinly sliced cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into bite-size strips. In a 10-inch skillet melt margarine or butter; add onions and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.(i added in some soya sauce as well as some black pepper)

2. Remove onion-pepper mixture from skillet with a slotted spoon. If necessary, add additional margarine to skillet. Add beef; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until done.

3. To serve, spread rolls open face on a baking sheet. Divide beef and onion-pepper mixture among rolls. Top with cheese. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Homemade Spicy Chicken Burger

2009-04-27T05:39:00.002-08:00

it's so easy to just go and buy McD (especially for me, because it's just a 2 min walk from home) or if you have a family or on a tight budget, you'd figure it out that buying Ramly is a better deal than the expensive McD. however, what people choose to ignore (because of convenience and time constraint) is the fact that those burgers are loaded with extra calories - from the animal fat and all the other parts of the animal, MSG and god knows how much more alien sounding preservatives are added.

i was tempted to buy at McD, but instead i made my way to MaxValu and bought some minced chicken, low fat cheddar cheese and some organic lettuce. i made my own recipe, loosely following jamie oliver's recipe - which calls for some breadcrumbs and some ground onion. my own concoction is as follows

some minced chicken
toasted cumin and coriander seeds, ground
chilli powder
hungarian paprika powder
some fresh breadcrumbs
chopped onions
salt

if you find that your meat mixture is dry, then add in an egg to bind everything together. shape the meat into patties and grill.

My mother's karipap recipe

2009-04-27T00:22:00.003-08:00

most karipap recipes use curry powder, hence the name. however, my late mother decided to make some changes and used terengganu kurma powder instead. the result? a fragrant and mild tasting karipap, suited for those who do not favour the overpowering curry taste. i used to remember when i was in form 2 returning to SSP after 2 weeks of leave due to chicken pox, my mother made probably around 100 karipaps for my siblings and they smelled heavenly on the plane.

unfortunately though, i can't give the full scale recipe as i like to throw things without measuring them.

pastry

all-purpose flour
butter (my mother used to put some ghee which smells and tastes delicious!)
water
a pinch of salt

mix all and knead until the dough becomes smooth

filling

beef, cubed
potatoes, cubed
shallots, chopped
some kurma powder (use terengganu kurma powder and not the white kurma powder found in most stores)
salt

heat some oil. mix ingredients in a pan and cook for awhile.

roll the dough and use a round cutter. fill in the filling and seal the edges by crimping. a few years ago, my mother made the filling and it was up to me and my niece nana to do the rest. being true gourmand eaters, nana and i made the biggest karipap - probably the size of two palms held together. those were the days *sigh*

Pulut Gaul Nyor - Sticky Rice with Grated Coconut

2009-04-18T23:43:00.004-08:00

This morning i thought of making scones at first, but as i neared the kitchen i remembered that i still had some fresh grated coconut (frozen) and some glutinous rice. so i made the simplest breakfast, eaten by Terengganu folks for breakfast. yes, you can find this in any local food stalls in terengganu early in the morning.

soak the glutinous rice, i took only half an hour to soak. then i cooked the rice just like any normal white rice. prepare the coconut filling by mixing with salt and sugar (the filling must be sweet). fry or grill a fish, as an accompaniment to the dish. enjoy!

Tiramisu

2009-04-17T15:16:00.007-08:00

Malaysians now begin to like tiramisu, an italian dessert named such (Pick me up) because that's what the courtesans fed their lovers. there are a lot of recipes on Tiramisu. some are just mere imitations, and not fit to be called a Tiramisu. a popular Malaysian eatery serves tiramisu but sadly, it's just a cake, and not a tiramisu.

so, what is the real mccoy tiramisu?

it is layers of spongefingers soaked in coffee syrup (to which liqueur is added), mascarpone cheese, whipped cream and meringue, and finally dusted with cocoa.

now, that's the real tiramisu, of which you can see when Nigella shows it on tv.

here i'm going to share with you the recipe that i used, taken from the Better Home & Garden's Italian magazine.

Liqueur syrup

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tb espresso

Stir and let boil until 1 minute. cool.

Mascarpone filling

500g mascarpone cheese (this is really expensive and those made in italy can cost RM30 a bar)
1/4 cup sugar
vanilla

Mix.

Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cup cream
3 tb sugar

Beat until soft peaks form.

Meringue

3 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar

beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. add sugar then continue beating until it reaches hard peak stage.

6 oz spongefingers
2 tb cocoa

Add 1/2 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. place half of the spongefingers into a dish of 9 x 9 x 2. brush with half of the liqueur syrup. on top of the spongefingers, put half of the mascarpone cream. layer it out. then put half of the whipped cream, layer it out. put half of the meringue mixture, layer it out. dust with 1 tb of cocoa. repeat the same process with all the other half mixtures, ending with another dust of 1 tb of cocoa. refrigerate 4- 24 hours before serving.

Kuih Cucur Badak

2009-04-15T01:35:00.003-08:00

the cucur badak fried for bekal. the karipap ikan is made by my friend shidah

of all the kuih melayu, i like currypuffs, kuih cucur badak and serimuka. which means it is an imperative that i become a connoisseur for these kuihs and know how to make them, and make them well.

i tried to make cucur badak several attempts, but although those were edible, it was nowhere near perfect. or at least, my standard of perfection. the sweet potatoes were always too soft, although the filling was okay.

i couldnt remember how, but a few days ago i had this craving for cucur badak. i did my research through my small library of recipe books, and after ditching Betty Saw's recipe (because nowhere was sweet potatoes stated, probably it was a misprint) i finally settled for a recipe in Berita Publishing's Traditional Malaysian Cuisine. and i must say, after making it, the recipe was not bad, the most important thing is, the skin made of sweet potatoes was just nice, and the filling was tasty. okay, i know i didnt have the pic of my cucur badak, i keep them in the freezer for any emergencies. here's the recipe for it.

skin

300g sweet potatoes
a pinch of salt
water
1/2 cup flour

boil until the potatoes are cooked. scrape the skin and mash the potatoes. add 1/2 cup of flour and knead until soft. divide into equally sized portions (you can make about 6-8 depending on the sizes)

Filling

1/2 grated coconut
to be ground together:
20gs dried shrimps (i used fresh ones. don't grind the fresh shrimps with the spices)
1 stalk lemon grass -
2 fresh red chillies
2 cloves of garlic
2 shallots

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (i used fresh turmeric)
salt and sugar

mix all the ingredients together and fry in 2 tbs of oil until dry (usually until the coconut is light) take 1 portion of the sweet potato mixture and flatten slightly. put in 1 tsp of the filling in the centre and seal. heat oil and fry the cakes until golden.

Steak with Garlic Brown Sauce, Mashed Potatoes with Chives and Corn-on-cob

2009-04-11T01:58:00.002-08:00

i always crave for different things to eat everyday. a few nights ago, i suddenly had this urge to eat steak - something i try to avoid since it's pure red meat. i marinated the steak in garlic and pepper for one hour (they always recommend 4-24 hours of marinating but i didnt have the time, i was hungry!).

while marinating, i boiled some US potatoes which is waxy, but never mind, i was hungry! following Delia Smith's book, i mashed the potatoes and added some butter and milk. and since i grow chives at home, i chopped the chives and added them in.

meanwhile, i boiled an ear of corn with some butter (this according to chef michael smith, works...unfortunately i didnt taste any butter when i ate) and sugar. then on a hot griddle, i fried my steak (which i had put on some oil and salt). it didnt take that long, probably a few minutes on each side, depending on your preferred doneness.

and finally, for me a steak won't be a steak without sauce so with the dripping on the griddle, i made some roux with some flour and olive oil (actually the recipe calls for butter but i thought i had too much butter in the potato and the corn) and then added some homemade beef stock. cook until it's thickened.

and then voila! time to eat!!

Raisin and Date Buns

2009-02-04T17:06:00.003-08:00

my bread's nearly gone and i thought of making bread with the leftover high protein flour. i'm in luck, because i just had enough flour to make half of the portion of the bread recipe that i always use. nowadays i follow the Amish bread recipe, but today i made some adjustments by adding an egg and some milk, ground cinnamon, and the dried fruits. only when the buns were baked did i realise that i forgot to add the oil in, but the buns are still soft and taste okay.

here's the recipe, the adjusted version

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1/6 cup sugar (can increase to 1/3 cup if you wish it to be sweet)
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3 cups high protein flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
chopped dates and raisins

dilute the sugar with the liquid, add in the yeast and let it rest until the mixture becomes frothy. add in the salt, the egg and stir. add in the dry ingredients and blend until it resemble a dough. transfer the dough onto a clean flat surface and start to knead for 8 minutes. if the dough sticks to the surface, sprinkle some flour on the surface.

let the dough rise double in size in an oiled bowl and cover with a cling wrap. some people punch or knock the risen dough, but i prefer to briefly knead the dough again. then shape your dough into your desired shape, and let it rise again. bake in a preheated oven of 200C for 15-25 mins.

blueberry muffins, sardine rolls and chocolate cake

2009-01-18T15:33:00.006-08:00

i was walking down the aisle at one of the supermarkets when suddenly i saw a markdown price for fresh blueberries. imagine, RM5.99 per packet. i bought 2 (well, i can't simply borong, blueberries afterall, are expensive) and decided to freeze, a tip given by nigella.

and on one morning, i decided to make blueberry muffins, and how delightful it is to eat fresh blueberry muffins instead of blueberry filling muffins!

Blueberry muffins

180g flour
60g sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
55g butter, melted
175ml milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated lemon rind
170g (i used half the amount) fresh blueberries

preheat a 200C oven. grease a 12 cup muffin tin. sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. in another bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. add the melted butter, milk, vanilla and lemon rind and stir to combine. make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. with a large metal spoon, stir just until the flour is moistened. fold in blueberries.spoon the batter into the cups, leaving the room for the muffins to rise.bake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 20-25 mins.

Next on the list is sardine rolls. the recipe is featured in ERT book, but i used the recipe from Roti Kek Pastri, written by Norani Sidek, a lecturer of Hotel Management and Tourism of UiTM. i normally have the urge to eat the rolls once a year. can't have too much of everything everyday, i don't know why but the sardine gives me the bloatedness. here's the recipe:

Pastry (for savoury dishes)

200g flour
2-3 tb cold water (i used 5-6)
100g butter
a pinch of salt

add flour and salt in a bowl. add in butter, and use the rubbing method until the flour resembles breadcrumbs. add in the water and knead a little bit. rest the pastry for half an hour before using.

Sardine filling
2 small cans of sardines
1 red chilli, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp of lime juice

flake the sardines (without the tomato sauce) and add in chilli, onion and lime juice.

to assemble: roll the dough on a flat surface until it is 1/8 inch thick, and in rectangle shape. cut into squares of 2 inch, put the sardine filling onto each square and roll. egg wash the roll using 1 egg and 2 tb of milk. bake on a preheated oven of 200 Celcius for 15-20 mins.

since i'm a chocoholic, i'll have this craving from time to time. usually i use the hershey recipe, but today i used the recipe taken from Classic Essential Cake book. as i'm typing this, the whole house smells of the divine smell, nevermind its unappealing pic, since i'm not much of a photographer.

Favourite Chocolate Cake

185g butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup milk

use the creaming method and bake on a preheated oven of 180 Celcius for 45 mins.

spaghetti bolognese

2008-12-05T06:17:00.002-08:00

i achieved my nirvana or shang ri la of bolognese today. it was perfect, i could taste the sourness of the tomato puree' and the delicate flavours of the herbs.

most malaysians have eaten spaghetti bolognese, some try to cook it at home by opening the jar of preggo or tearing off the packed instant sauce. some cook from scratch and decide to malaysianise the bolognese sauce by adding chilli.

i remember listening in horror to the tale of a teacher who said that it's easier to cook bolognese sauce out of a maggi packet. what she doesnt know is that the process is almost the same as cooking from scratch. in my opinion, it is better to stretch our patience and time in order to have a good hearty meal. and also, i'm a purist, therefore i try to stick to the basic recipe. i even use olive oil. when cooking bolognese sauce, you need a lot of chopped onions and garlic, celery, tomatoes, carrot and tomato puree'. i prefer beef to chicken, because beef has a hearty taste that the chicken does not have. from experience, i learned that it is better to use minced meat rather than manually mincing the meat on your own. using commercially prepared minced meat (or if you have a grinder, that is even better) ensures your sauce to be thick. i tried to mince the beef but my sauce ended up being runny. anyway, i use thyme, oregano and basil in my sauce, and i put pepper as well. let it cook for at least one hour. i do not try to improvise to suit the malaysian palette because for one thing, this is an italian dish.

hopefully, those who read this will be inspired to try and cook bolognese from scratch.

seri muka & apple cinnamon teacake

2008-11-10T05:20:00.003-08:00

my favourite malay kuihs has to be seri muka, cucur badak and karipap. i've learnt how to do cucur badak and karipap, but i've never tried seri muka. the best seri muka i've eaten was in KL, during my niece's wedding when my sister ordered it for the guests. i have so many recipes of seri muka that i just didnt know which one to choose. so i called one of my sisters to ask. her response? "go and buy." unperturbed, i called my sister in-law. in the end, she said that malay kuihs can be difficult to make and she advised me to buy. buy??? what do you all mean buy??? i don't buy, i make! finally i decided to follow Amy Beh's seri muka recipe. i followed the recipe to the t, only that i added in an extra egg. the custard was a bit soft, but that was because of the slow fire and also because of the extra egg. my only complaint is that the custard layer is too thin, and the next time i make this, i'll double the custard. the next recipe is the apple cinnamon teacake, which i love because it reminds me of comfort. the recipe is my own, i modified it from the basic butter cake. 250g butter 200g brown sugar 250g flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon some raisins 2 small granny smiths apple, chopped 6 tablespoons milk use creaming method, bake at 180 C until it's baked.

my margherita pizza

2008-10-31T19:29:00.002-08:00

this is my favourite, margherita pizza, the simplest but the most satisfying pizza.

Briyani

2008-10-31T17:31:00.003-08:00

i love eating briyani. of course, one cant have briyani everyday, it's a rich dish, as it uses ghee in the rice and the gravy. in the span of 2 weeks, i have made 2 briyanis - hyderabad chicken briyani and fish briyani. my hyderabad chicken briyani was superb, despite the fact that i hate the taste of white pepper, preferring the black pepper instead.

i bought a very big piece of fish steak from the wet market yesterday, and was contemplating on making curry. but, i decided to make fish briyani based on the recipe i typed out from my sister's recipe book. i must say that i didnt study the recipe thoroughly, so the fish was a bit bland when it was supposed to be marinated with salt, turmeric, ground chili and fennel seeds. i didnt buy almonds as well, so i had to rely on the almond slivers that i have at home, which i ve been keeping for god knows how long. the rice was okay, it's just that i could taste the rancid almond, and as i said, i was supposed to marinate the fish with the spice mixture. well, anyway, all is not lost.

Gulai Daging Kampung

2008-09-20T06:21:00.002-08:00

Gulai daging isn't kari daging. they dont taste the same although they nearly look the same. probably because gulai daging is the malay version of curry, without the curry leaves, the cinnamon, the cloves, the star anise and the cardamom. gulai daging is usually served at feasts, usually at kampung feasts when they serve it with white rice instead of the usual and nasi minyakkurma daging.

i remember i asked my mother to cook for me once, a long time ago, but hers was rich and spicy, nothing like the light but flavourful gulai daging kampung. since then, i ve wondered how they cook the gulai, and wished to learn it.

i made the gulai today. and it tasted the same like the ones that i like! actually the recipe is written at the packet of spice mix powder. i bought the rose brand spice mix powder, which is commonly used for making gulai. i'm not going to refer to the packet now, but i will tell you what is involved in making gulai.

1kg chicken meat or beef, sliced

to be blended
10 shallots
5 cloves garlic
a slice of galangal
a slice of ginger

(to be mixed with the shallot mixture)
1 tablespoon rempah masak powder
1 tablespoon rempah gulai powder

some tamarind pulp, diluted with some water
2 tablespoon cili boh
2 bowls of coconut milk (should not be thick, it should be diluted)

first, fry the cili boh in some oil. then add the spice mixture. fry for awhile, until the spice is cooked. if it's drying up, add in some water. after 10 -15 minutes, add in the meat. then add in the coconut milk and tamarind. cook until the meat is tender or until the oil surfaces (which, according to my mother, denotes a beautiful kari or gulai)

Ramadhan delights

2008-09-20T06:02:00.003-08:00

"you're staying alone, and you cook?" these are the questions posed by my colleagues during the fasting month.

yup. unlike other working people who don't have time to cook, i take cooking as a therapeutic and creative session. a few years back, i would not even be interested to cook malay main meals, as i was only interested in baking and western dishes.

but things have changed now. i've evolved. while i still love the international cuisines like the tex-mex or italian or indian, i've very much gone back to my roots this year, that is to cook the malay dishes.

those who read my main blog, which is the happy red poppies, will come across the article i wrote about making nasi kerabu. while my mother would have told me that i still need to learn and havent really passed the test, i think the kerabu tasted okay except that it was a tad sweet.

since i've a lot of ulam left, i decided to make laksa terengganu yesterday. there are 2 types of laksa terengganu - one with spicy red gravy, and the other is a milder white gravy, some sort like the gravy you eat with laksam. i prefer the white gravy, and after a phonecall to my mother, i set off to the kitchen. actually, the gravy is simple to make: just boil some selayang fish, then debone them and grind them with some shallots and black pepper, and cook them with coconut milk. sauteeing isnt necessary. the laksa is eaten with the ulam of daun kesum, and cucumber as well as some other fragrant herbs, and with condiments of belacan, cili boh and salt.

today, i decided to make bubur gandum or wheat porridge, which used to be a teatime treat every Sunday when i was a student at Seri Puteri. i bought a packet of wheat whole grains which can be found in any grocery store. it is usually called "terigu". like making soya bean milk from soya beans, the wheat grains have to be soaked for a few hours. then, i started boiling them with water, then i added the coconut milk and sugar. and of course, before you turn off the fire, add in a knot of pandan leaf, as it will emit that wonderful fragrant smell.

Terengganu's Bubur Lambuk

2008-08-07T04:02:00.005-08:00

most malaysians know Kampung Baru's bubur lambuk when it comes to Ramadhan, but i fail to see the attraction. i've tasted it, and found it to be mild and safe. terengganu bubur lambuk, on the other hand, is robust, gutsy and full of earthy flavour.

so what makes Terengganu's bubur lambuk different? besides the usual santan, our local dish uses ground boiled fish meat and young fern shoots and other plants like pucuk ubi, daun kadok, daun kesum, daun kelo. these are really the wild vegetables, and not cultivated vegetables that you get from the market. which means they have more vitamins and minerals.

because of the strong fish flavour and smell, the terengganu people device a way to mask the flavour thus making the flavour more subtle - by adding black pepper and lots of ginger to it, the de-wind agent for those who suffer bloatedness.

in summary, the porridge is a healthy choice for those who are concerned with their health, and what's more, it's cheap!

recipe for bubur lambuk

1 1/2 cup of rice
enough water to make porridge

boil the rice first.

2 steamed/boiled selayang or mackerel (the freshest fish you can get, so the sweetness stays in the porridge), de-boned
1 onion
3/4 inch to 1 inch of ginger
some black peppercorns

grind the ingredients using pestle or mortar or food processor. add the ground mixture into the almost cooked porridge, then add some coconut milk (the freshest you can get, or the taste will be a bit rancid). add in the leaves of the wild vegetables or sayur kampung. add salt to taste.

have fun cooking!

arabian delights

2008-06-09T21:36:00.003-08:00

when i was about to go for umrah, 2 of my students who had gone for umrah told me "teacher, you should try the ice cream". the other one said "teacher, dont forget the kebab". oh please, i'm going there to commune with God, not to satisfy my palette!

however, i'm a culture vulture and a foodie and so i cant resist the temptation. as Saudi Arabia has higher temperature compared to Malaysia, it is a common sight to see ordinary food stalls serving soft serve ice cream. even more amusing is to see grown men in ihram licking their ice cream away on a typical summer day which is around 40+ degrees celsius. fruit juices are big in Saudi Arabia - and i mean, real undiluted fruit juices, unlike the ones sold in malaysia, which is very much diluted so that cheapskate people can make more money. carbonated drinks are arabs' fave, a can only costs SR1, compared to our RM1+ over here. however, when i was there i missed my fave drinks - soya bean milk, winter melon tea, chrysanthemum tea, lychee drinks- typical south east asian drinks. and talking about drinks, i was offered kahwa by an arab woman in Masjidil Haram. it is supposed to be coffee, but it's not like turkish coffee that i had when i dined at Al Rausyar with my Seri Puteri friends. kahwa tasted more like some natural remedy for something - i could taste ginger, cardamom and god knows what else they put in there. and it tasted bitter. i took a sip. probably half a sip. and decided that i just couldnt drink anymore.

arabs eat a lot of breads, so you see breads everywhere. not sandwich breads, but rustic breads that look like thick pitta bread. they can eat it plain with yoghurt. my fave is shawarma chicken, which is thinlike unleavened bread (chapatti style) with chicken kebab and fresh vegetables in it. i also tried falafel, thought it was mince meat, but i was wrong. it's like vaaday, only less spicy. the briyani rice is nice, although i think a little bit more spice in the rice would be nicer. the portion was big, 2 persons can finish 1 serving. unlike in malaysia where we're so used to eating briyani rice with an abundance of dhall curry or honeyed chicken or ayam masak merah or pickles, their briyani rice only consists of rice and chicken/lamb/mutton. i guess you've to pay extra if you ask for curry. a container of briyani rice costs SR10. my brother the pilot had mentioned the rice he ate in a big tray, which is typical arab style of eating. he told me they love to eat the rice with kibasy (i really dont know the term in english). on the last day we were in mekah, the rayhar officer brought 2 trays of rice with kibasy, and feeling curious i decided to have a taste. and it was awful. i couldnt stand the smell and nearly vommitted, the smell reminds me of mutton. okay, so i know that i cant stand mutton and kibasy.

Ikan Celup Tepung

2008-06-09T21:06:00.003-08:00

at last, after a hiatus of not cooking, i've returned to my domain of heavenly smells and (sometimes disastrous) creations.

when i was in mekah 2 weeks ago, i had this sudden craving for ikan celup tepung or flour batter coated fried fish. this is especially famous in Telaga Batin near to KTrg's airport, where you can see a lot of cars flocking the rustic seafood restaurants. go to the one with the most cars, and that means the first shop after the T-junction. besides fish, there're also other seafood such as squids and prawns. and what's more, you can enjoy your seafood with the seabreeze cooling you, and sweet air kelapa to quench your thirst, and a seaview with coconut trees. hahaha TDC should take me in as a writer for their pamphlet.

anyway, i've digressed from my original intention, which is to talk about how to buy fresh fish and how to prepare ikan celup tepung.

my sister was amused to see that some terengganu folks buy fish at hypermarkets, which is a big no-no for us the fish connoisseurs. but i prefer to go to the wet market, where everything is fresher. so how does one pick a fresh fish? a fresh fish should not have red eyes (unless you're buying red snapper). the eyes should be clear and lucid. the fish itself should be firm to the touch, and the skin should be silvery clear and not cloudy. the gills should be brilliant red, and not dull red. in kuala terengganu there are certain places where you can get the freshest catch - at chendering near to taman permint jaya, near the small bridge of SMKA Sheikh Abdul Malek, and also the wet market at Pasir Panjang.

it is best that you eat the fresh fish a.s.a.p, which is why i decided that the simplest dish is the best for such fresh fish. the batter is the same as the batter to make goreng pisang (or pisang goreng, as my BM teacher used to tell me) - which means some kapur (alkaline), turmeric powder, flour, water and salt. just dip the fish in the batter and deep fry it and voila! remember that the wok must be clean or else the fish will be stuck to the wok.

cooking for buka puasa

2007-09-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

it is universally known that malaysians love eating, and are crazy about food. which is no wonder that now we have developed a new culture in our society which is to have ramadhan bazaar annually. this bazaar, filled with all sorts of contemporary and traditional foods, caters to working people who dont have the time to cook after work.

this is the time when you get to eat that favourite dish of yours, or sample "exotic" traditional food which isnt found in just any shops or stalls anymore. for example, the ever so sweet and soft nekbat or the rich akok or bunga tanjung, or even tahi itik (never mind the name, nothing to do with the duck's poo).

however, despite the convenience offered by ramadhan bazaar, i prefer to cook on my own. probably i have the leisure to do so, but i think that it is better to eat our own homemade cooking. you'll be more satisfied, it's hygienic, more delicious and cheaper! some sellers do not bother about the quality of the food they sell, so that is the biggest letdown.

since day 1 of puasa, i've been cooking - made puding buih (which tasted richer and more delicious than the bland instant custardy sauce that came with the jelly that i bought last month), cooked my own char kuey teow, ikan percik (my god, the taste of charcoal grilled fish is divine! especially when you buy the freshest of fish), and today i made currypuffs.

i could have bought all these, i know. it'd save me time. but at least i'm happy that my ailing mother is eating the food that i cook. this reminds me of a guy i once knew - he asked me why i bother to bake a bread when i can just buy one.

because it's therapeutic. and because it's a joy.

so ladies, cook!!

healthy food for weightwatchers

2007-08-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

after series of buffet meals at hotels, i decided to sort of give my colon some fibre that it needs. one of my favourite dishes is popiah basah, a healthier version compared to its fried sibling. i had used amy beh's recipes to make popiah, and i made the popiah skin on my own. i still cant master making the skin though, and as a result, the skin was rather thick. anyway, i'll put here amy beh's recipe.

popiah basah

2 carrots, shredded
300g sengkuang, shredded
100g french beans, sliced finely
100g cabbage, shredded
(i added in some taugeh...and although the recipe calls for dried shrimps, i decided to forgo it)
2 tb oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
salt and sugar to taste

sautee the ingredients

amy beh's recipe calls for a western-eastern fusion sauce. however, i experimented and came up with somewhat an original sauce for popiah

cili boh
gula melaka
ground peanuts and some coursely ground peanuts
asam jawa or vinegar

cook the ciliboh with some melted gula melaka. then add the ground peanuts to thicken it up. balance the sweetness and the heat with some sourness of the asam jawa or vinegar.

popiah skin

600g flour
200ml water
1 tsp salt
(i used the recipe twice, and you need a lot of water for this. 200ml isnt enough for you to form a soft dough)

mix together until it forms into a dough. wrap in plastic, put it aside. heat a heavy cast iron griddle over a moderate heat. rub the surface with a piece of oiled cloth. take a handful of the soft dough and rub quickly and lightly across the pan to make a think round shape of a desired size. lift the skin and stack on each one.

to assemble:

lightly spread the sauce over the skin, then sprinkle some ground nuts. put it some cooked filling then some fried shallots. roll the skin and voila!

Gastronomic delights around the world

2007-08-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

last june, i toured england and paris. obviously, being a foodie, i would try some of the foods there, but unfortunately, the choices are not as wide as what we have here in malaysia. muslims in malaysia never have to worry about halal food, because there's halal food everywhere. in the western world, it's a different matter. and worse, the cold weather makes the tummy rumble more than what it's used to over here.

so, what did i sample over there? i had a nice dinner of chicken briyani at an indian restaurant at earl's court. well, no dalcar or anything else, since a plate of briyani cost 5 pounds. next, i had a truly wonderful nasi goreng at naha's corner, situated at mara building in central london. the nasi goreng was flavourful, but its char kuey teow is to die for. there are also some halal food sold in certain kiosks, like this one kiosk at victoria coach station. there are beef and chicken pastries, which i bought enthusiastically on our ride to paris.

you're not in paris unless you have a breakfast of its famous croissants. the hotel we stayed in is truly parisian and though modest, one can sense the parisian chic in its decor. the baked goods arrive at 7.20 am every morning, and by 7.30, we the malaysians would be down to partake this joyous meal. there are danishes and croissants and plain old robust wholemeal rolls accompanied by mashed fruits, french butter, jams and marmalade, herbed cheese (c'est tres bon!) as well as your usual coffee and cocoa.

the problem with us the malaysians is that we always think about the next meal, especially in a foreign country. so, what we did was we ta paoed the rolls and croissants (just like heidi does in the novel of the same name), nicely wrapped them up in our serviette. they were to be our lunch during our paris tour. on the second day we were there i noticed that the kitchen lady was quietly staring at us as we made frequent trips to the pantry to get more and more pastries.

i read a lot about the sidewalk cafe, and how the french like to drink coffee facing the crowd. we stopped at one of the cafes, had a lunch of wonderful chocolate filled crepes and people watched.
i had a similar crepe in camden market, but a bigger crepe, filled with strawberries and cream and vanilla syrup (and it dripped down my blouse) and i washed it down with freshly squeezed orange juice (unlike malaysian orange juice sold at our typical restaurants which is so diluted).

when you think of britain, you'll think of afternoon teas - silverware, white linens, scones and jams and tea. but coffee seems to be a popular choice over there, and it costs only 1 pound 50p for a cup. i guess this has something to do with popular culture, just like jamie and nigella are trying to turn cooking into a cool "hobby" instead of thinking of cooking as slaving yourself in the kitchen.

oh that reminds me, i forgot to find the add to jamie's fifteen restaurant in east london, but i managed to take picture with his wax figure at madame tussaud's. doesnt really look like him, i had to peer into his chef uniform and saw a small symbol of fifteen.

i always make it a point to buy a cooking utensil when i travel. over at petticoat lane, i bought a grill pan and in paris i bought a set of glass ramekins. my travelmates were amused, but then they're not foodies like i am.

i wish i had tried out more dishes, like fish and chips, but i doubt its halalness. but all the same it was a wonderful experience for me.

my recent masterpieces

2007-05-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

fresh pasta with tomato sauce
cinnamon buttercake
croissants
cinnamon rolls
well, i havent blogged for quite some time! to tell you the truth, these past few months have been so hectic for me (what with rushing from class to class) that i seldom bake now. but that doesnt mean i 've completely stopped.

i made croissants for a friend last 2 months, and yes, the smell of homemade pastries is just wonderful. better than a homemade bread actually. and there was once when i felt like eating cinnamon rolls so i just read up some recipes and voila! talking about cinnamon, i made a cinnamon buttercake last monday, with just the basic poundcake recipe.

last sunday, i thought of making my own fresh pasta, (which i had tried but never succeeded because it's too thick), and with some all-purpose flour, an egg and olive oil, and some kneading, i finally succeeded. i just visualise jamie oliver's instructions in the book and i also remember that fresh pasta deserves fresh tomato based sauce, so i made that. i dont know if the italians think it's good, but for me, so long as i can make my own pasta, i'm ok with it.

kiwi cake, durian mousse cake and butter crescents

2007-01-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

i made this kiwi cake last thursday for a fren.
this is durian mousse cake, just a normal sponge cake layered with durian mousse and cream. yum!
these are butter crescents, which resemble more like bread than its richer more french counterpart the croissants (also they share the same name). i must be getting better because i posted this recipe once, and the crescents look hard and flat, compared to these fat, glistening rolls!

cooking shows on tv

2007-01-05T23:45:00.000-08:00

as a foodie and also an aspiring cook, i never miss the cooking shows on astro. my mother can recognise jamie oliver's voice from far away, because i always watch his shows, and as my mother said "asyik pasal makan je". the other programmes that i like to watch is nigella shows, come dine with me, and sometimes surf the menu and made to order. the only programme that i miss is delia smith's cooking show. unlike jamie or nigella, delia is about finesse and will teach the most basic in cooking, which includes boiling an egg or how to whip up a meringue.

what i love about jamie is his camaraderie and easy ways. the fact that he invites his frens over to eat whatever he's cooking for the show, shows that he's a nice bloke. and also the fact that he went at such great length to change british schools' dinners shows that he is a chef with a big and honest heart.

nigella is more stylish, and represents the modern mum. dubbed as the domestic goddess, her words are melodious and soothing, and full of adjectives such as "satiny melted chocolate" or "molten lava of melted chocolate". you can see the camera focusing on her savouring her own creations, to encourage people to view food not as an enemy, but something as a soothing fren, to sample the epicurean delights.

both cooks love chilies and both cooks bring international cuisine into their shows. jamie is more adventurous though, often than not creating fusion styled dishes, as is the trend today.

there is a new foodie series, called chic eats, every friday at 8pm on channel 11.

to those who love watching such cooking shows, you'll be pleased to know that there are more of such shows on BBCE (channel 26) every saturday morning starting at 7.30am.

A New Year, A New Resolution

2007-01-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

yes, a whole new year. another exciting year, and hopefully it's much much better than 2006. anyway, i'm on mediterranean diet now (well, not really authentic mediterranean diet). so what's involved in mediterranean diet? to eat less carbs (but still there are carbs), more lean proteins, veggies and fruits (yeah yeah...we hear that all the time), good fats which derive from olive oil and nuts.

i've already switched from my normal homemade white bread to homemade wholegrain bread, sure it doesnt taste as nice and soft as the white variety, but i keep thinking of the fibre and what it does to my colon. to those of you who are interested in watching your weight and have the time to kill (to bake, i mean) i give u my wholegrain bread recipe

for 1 loaf of bread

1/6 cup brown sugar
1 tsp honey
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

dissolve the ingredients above until the mixture is frothy.

1/8 cup oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups hi protein flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup oat bran
some poppy seeds
some sunflower seeds

add the oil and the salt to the yeast mixture and stir. then, add in the flours and the seeds. work your dough on a flat clean surface and knead the dough for 5-8 minutes or until it has become elastic. leave it to rise until it has doubled in size in a well-oiled bowl, making sure that the top part of the dough is equally coated with oil.

when it has rise, punch the dough. i personally prefer to knead it for a few secs to punching the dough. shape it into a loaf and put it in a well-greased loaf tin. leave it to rise and bake at 200 C for 20 mins (baking time will vary frm 1 oven to the other).

take your bread out and leave it to rest for at least 5 mins or until it can come out frm the tin easily. leave it to cool completely on a wire rack.

ghopa

2006-11-29T06:17:00.000-08:00

to those of you who dont know it, ghopa is a terengganu savoury dish, usually eaten for breakfast or tea. it is some sort of a mini murtabak, except that murtabak's skin is made of roti canai dough. ghopa's skin is made of kuih dadar batter, thus, a fren of mine calls it kuih dadar terengganu. the filling is the same like currypuff's filling, except that ghopa's filling is usually sweet. my personal fav. is by this 1 lady who made the beef filling using the chinese style of chicken pau, so i tried to recreate the taste this afternoon. that also means i experimented and just campaked everything in. it turned out alright. a warning for the weight conscious - this dish absorbs a lot of oil while frying.

ghopa skin / dadar

1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
a pinch of salt
enough water to make this a thin batter

add everything in, and prepare a heavy skillet. brush a little oil, and drop a few tablespoonfuls of the batter (i used 6) onto the hot skillet, moving the spoon in circular motion so that the batter is thin and bigger. the idea is not to make it a thick skin, as it will break when you try to fold it.
flip to the other side, make sure you dont overbrown it. place it on a plate.

filling

100g beef, cut into small pieces
100g potatoes, cubed into 1 cm
2 onions, minced
sweet soya sauce
sesame oil
black pepper
water
salt and sugar to taste
note: you can also use curry powder if you dont like soya sauce filling.

heat the oil into a frying pan. sautee the onion, add in the beef and the potatoes. add some water and the seasoning. make sure the potatoes are nearly cooked.

to assemble:

put a teaspoon or 2 of the filling onto the skin. roll the skin as if making kuih dadar. to seal it, dip the ghopa into a bowl of a beaten egg, then fry in a hot frying pan. serve.

Heavenly Smells and Senses to the Palette

2006-11-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

most cant resist the smells of freshly baked breads or cakes, but none can beat the smell of freshly baked pastries especially danish and croissant. this is a heavenly smell, one that smells so sweet that seems to be calling out to us to sample (or savour) its rich texture and taste. i tried to make croissant years ago, and even earlier this year, but i didnt know how to make the pastry. until my niece intan the chef taught me how.

the ingredients are always there in the house, so it's not a problem. it started when i watched anthony bourdain visit a boulangerie in paris, and i could see croissants and baguettes and brioches and cinnamon rolls. and after watching the show, i went straight to the kitchen, and made the dough. and then the long arduous task began - of rolling the pastry and folding it into 3 and letting it rest for 20 mins. i had to repeat this task 4 times. and this morning... i smelled the sweet smell in the oven and it reminded me of the mornings i visited the victoria market and bought almond croissant at the pastry shop. and the danish and croissants were puffed up and were soft and delicate when i tasted it. ah! happiness is the feeling of a baker whose creation is soft and sweet.

Scones

2006-09-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

Scones. very English indeed. scones are served either at breakfast or tea. they are best eaten fresh, i.e. warm from the oven, with some cream and jam. yum. i've been making scones for years now, though not everyday. the secret to making good scones is that you dont have to knead it like a bread dough (just like making pie crust, the less, the better). so it pays to be light-handed. the best news is that it doesnt require a lot of ingredients.

Basic Scones (10 pcs, depending on the size of the cutter)

2 cups self raising flour
a pinch of salt
30g butter, cut into small pieces (better to use butter than margarine as the former has a delicate flavour)
1/2 cup of fresh milk (i used less than 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup of water

sift flour and salt together into a large bowl. add butter and rub in lightly using fingertips. combine milk and water. make a well in the centre of the flour. pour in the liquid all at once, reserving about a teaspoon for glazing. mix quickly to a soft dough. turn onto a floured board. knead lightly. roll out to form a round about 2cm thick. cut using a floured plain round cutter. place on a greased oven tray and glaze with milk. preheat the oven to 220C and bake for 10-12 mins ( it takes me 20 mins, but ovens vary in terms of cooking time) until the scones sound hollow when tapped. cool on wire rack. serve with jam and cream.

how to serve the scone. split the scone in half, so that you have 2 rounds, and spread with some jam or cream or butter.

Apple Meringue Pie

2006-09-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

when i was 10, my sister took me to a Puspanita cooking class. the instructor was a european (i cant remember whether she's german or swedish). what i like about this pie is that it has a meringue topping, unlike the other apple pie which requires you to cover the filling with another layer of pastry. i used to suck in making the crust, but after talking to my niece the chef, i took her advice. the pie was perfect! the meringue peaks had golden tinge to them...the crust was perfect - smooth and with no cracks.... unfortunately i didnt take any pics. so anyway, with some adjustments, i present to you the recipe.

pie crust (8 inch pie tin)

8 oz flour
a pinch of salt
5 oz butter, diced
1 egg yolk
3 tb cold water

apple pie filling

4 medium Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
4 oz sugar (you may decrease to 3oz if u prefer it to be less sweet). i used brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

meringue

2 egg whites
1 0z sugar

method:

to make the crust, rub the butter and flour with your fingertips. you may use pastry cutter if you have it, or just plain knife and cut the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
add in the yolk and water bit by bit until the dough sticks together. begin to knead on a floured surface. do not knead long, as this is not a bread dough. wrap it in a clingwrap and refrigerate it for at least half an hour. take an 8 inch pie tin and spread some breadcrumbs. take out the dough and on a floured surface, roll out using a rolling pin until you get about 1 cm thickness. transfer the crust onto the pie tin and use a fork to pierce some holes so that hot air can escape (to avoid the crust becoming soggy). we have to blind bake the crust, so in order to do that, take a piece of greaseproof paper or aluminium foil and place it on top of the crust. pour in some rice or dried beans to lend some weight so that the pie crust will not rise while it's baking. bake at 200 C 15-20 mins. remove the weight from the pie crust and continue baking for another 5 mins.

to make the filling, cook the apples, sugar and the cinnamon on slow fire until the apples are mashed.

to make the meringue, beat the egg whites until it is stiff then add sugar.

spoon the apple pie filling onto the pie after it has been baked the 2nd time. then fold in the meringue on top of the filling. bake for another 10 mins or until the meringue peaks turn golden.

Kek lapis sarawak and swiss roll

2006-04-20T03:48:00.000-08:00

i fell in love with kek lapis sarawak more than 9 years ago, when a friend of the family gave some during raya. it was the moistest and sweetest cake i've ever tasted, besides the colourful layers of the cake, which makes it uniquely malaysian, unlike the kek lapis betawi (i dont like the spices in it). one of my sisters used to order benji roll every single raya, with colourful checks nestled in the heart of the roll. all of these recipes are featured in rabiah amit's book, kek lapis sarawak. yes, the number of eggs used in the recipe will make the eyes of the weight conscious bulge, nevertheless, because of its richness, the cake should be eaten in smaller slices (as it is damn expensive if you buy them, and if you make them, it's because it's time consuming so u'd better make it last as long as you can), so those who're watching their weight need not fear.

2 days ago, i had this craving for swiss roll. when i was a little girl, my mother always bought a simple but delicious strawberry jam filled swiss roll from a bakery. nowadays, it's difficult to get an ordinary swiss roll as every cake house or bakery will sell the cream version. full of ovalette, and god knows what...so, using the ERT book, i made swiss roll. yeah, it broke 3/4 of the length, but who cares...nigella always says homecooking is supposed to be as it is, and it's not about perfection. perfection is so pretentious, dont you think?
swiss roll
3 eggs
3 oz castor sugar
3 oz sifted flour
beat the eggs until light and double in volume (or triple). add in sugar, then fold in flour lightly. pour into a rectangle baking sheet (lined with grease paper) and bake for 7-10 mins at 220 C (the cooking time will vary for different ovens). take the sponge cake out frm the oven, and invert it onto a tea towel lined with a grease paper which has been sprinkled with some castor sugar. spread with some jam, and roll it up.

a dialogue session with a chef

2006-04-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

one of my nieces specialises in pastry making, and right now she's in London for a few more months before her course is complete. before that she studied in KDU majoring in culinary arts. the rose decoration on the cake is her creation - in 20 minutes, when she entered a competition in paris. she grew up in an environment where entertaining and food blend together - especially since my family loves to eat. her mother, my sis in law, would do a lot of cooking, so we would have rich curry or big chunks of meat in our soup, or creamy lasagne or shepherd's pie...or her sinful durian mousse cake.

i often told my sis in law that i wished i could ask my intan a lot of questions, mostly relating to pastry and cake making, which i think i havent really mastered (thus, the adage the more you know, the more you dont know, is really true). so, last saturday, when intan was back for a week long holiday, i took the opportunity to fire questions as we had limited time... (as i was hogging on my kuey teow and she on her penang laksa). it's interesting to note that my italian country bread was hard as a rock not because i failed to knead well, but because the technique i used wasnt correct. she kept telling me about the steam oven, which all professional kitchens have, creating that crust on the outside and soft on the inside....and despite the malaysians' tendency to favour soft sponges (which means stabiliser is added), she said the chefs over there DO NOT use stabilisers and make fresh batches of sponges daily...i should think the malaysians too, like the british kids in jamie's school dinners should be re-trained to appreciate the basic ingredient foods instead of overly processed foods...

in the end, 1 hour isnt enough to berguru with intan.... i shall have to wait until she returns for good in july.

Kuey Teow fever

2006-04-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

eversince i was a girl, i have loved char kuey teow. back then the kuey teow i ate wasnt that nice, it's mostly pale red, too much chili boh and vinegar. so usually it's very spicy. the ones that i like are cooked by my bro in law who likes cooking (and his dishes are usually very very spicy as he puts in bird's eye chili).

but now that i'm older, i began to note the different tastes, and i began to become a connoisseur. and there goes my quest to search for the best penang char kuey teow. a few years ago when i was in KL, i would dine at little penang cafe in midvalley, because for me they make the best char kuey teow. only that a plate of char kuey teow costs RM8...or may be now they've raised the price...last year, i went to penang, and shahul took me to this 1 stall which he claims to be one of the best in penang. the taste of the char kuey teow is similar to that of little penang cafe, and a lot cheaper.

last weekend, when my sis in law invited me to join for breakfast, we went to a restaurant next to FAM - it's done in hawkers style, so there are a lot of stalls there. and i sampled the char kuey teow. up till now i'm still thinking about it...it's the best char kuey teow i've ever tasted. still hot, a bit soggy and not dry, which is what i like the best...and it has that ummph taste...i could taste the spicyness, the sesame oil...

i'm trying to recreate the taste last night, but the fire's too big so my onions were burnt. today i hope to make a second attempt...and hopefully i can recreate the symphony of taste

Cantonese styled kuey teow with beef stir fry with ginger

2006-03-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

i had this for dinner when i ate at a bistro last week. now, when i feel like eating something chinese, i will make this.

100g kuey teow
50g cooked beef, sliced thinly
1 pip of garlic,sliced
1 slice of ginger, sliced
some veggies
beef or chicken stock
1 tb of cornflour
1 tb of sesame oil
some oyster sauce
some soya sauce

heat the oil in a wok and saute the the garlic with ginger. pour in some soya sauce and oyster sauce, then add in the kuey teow. add in the veggie as well. stir until the veggies are cooked. then pour in the stock and the beef. add in the seasoning, then cornflour. voila!

Cream Puffs

2006-03-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

i've always adored the small dainty pastries. they are, i think, one of the best baked goods to be served during tea, especially a traditional english tea (along with scones and jam). the first time i made these cuties were more than 5 years ago.

since i have leftover non-dairy whipping cream, i thought it best to make cream puffs (aka profiteroles). my sister was going back to kl and announced that my niece syahirah loves her cream puffs with custard filling and not cream filling. okay, so i obliged her wish.

cream puffs and chocolate eclairs are made from choux pastry. it requires you to boil water and butter, and to add flour until it's not sticky. eggs are added later on.

choux pastry

1/4 litre cold water
125g flour with a pinch of salt
100g butter
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon castor sugar

boil water, butter and sugar. on low heat, add the flour and fold with a wooden spoon until the mixture no longer sticks to the pan. remove the mixture from the pan and put it in another bowl and let it cool down for 15 mins. beat in one egg at a time until it is well-blended and looks glossy.

use a pastry bag and a star nozzle to pipe the pastry onto a greased pan. bake in 200 C for 20 mins. slice the puffs and fill them with custard filling or cream

custard filling (pastry cream)

1/2 liter warmed milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
30g cornflour
25g custard flour
100g castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

beat the eggs, the flours, sugar and vanilla essence. pour in the milk and mix them well. cook on a medium fire until the custard boils and thickens. cool before using.

Pandan Chiffon

2006-02-25T01:03:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago, a teacher proudly brought her orange chiffon cake for us to taste. it was nice, though a tad tangy. i was thinking, if she could make a chiffon cake, that also means i could too.

so today, i bought a tubed pan, and made the cake. seriously, 10 years ago, i wouldnt have dreamed of making the cake. especially light and airy cakes. i was pleasantly surprised to see that mine is really a chiffon, springy, wobbly, airy pandan chiffon!

here's the recipe, which i've taken from amy beh's column in the star

ingredients
6 egg whites
125g castor sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
6 egg yolks
100g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
5 tbsp corn oil
2 tbsp pandan juice
100ml thick coconut milk (squeezed from 1/2 a grated coconut)
140g self-raising flour, sift

Pandan juice:
5-6 pandan leaves, cut into small pieces
3-4 tbsp water

Method
To obtain pandan juice, put pandan leaves and water in an electric blender and blend to a fine pulp. Strain the juice and measure out two tablespoonfuls for use.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Whisk egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in an electric mixer until just stiff.Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla essence until light and creamy. Add in corn oil, pandan juice and thick coconut milk. Mix well.Stir in sifted flour and fold in carefully and gently to mix.Pour egg yolk mixture lightly into the egg white mixture. Mix evenly with a metal spoon or a plastic spatula.Pour batter into an ungreased 22cm tube pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until cake is well browned and firm to the touch.Remove cake from oven. Invert pan immediately. Leave to cool, then remove cake from pan with the help of a thin-bladed knife.

sponge cake mania

2006-02-21T04:02:00.000-08:00

i had always hated making sponge cakes. why? i think, to make sponge cakes, one must have a lot of patience. 2 years ago, i made a black forest cake that someone ordered. the cake sank in the middle! later, it turned out that i used a lot of raising agents. then, last week, the cake i made shrank! it wouldnt matter if it's just 1 layer, but i wanted to make 2 layers using 2 different pans, so 1 cake was smaller than the other.

yes, making sponge cake can be frustrating at times. i find making cheesecake easier. but this doesnt deter me from continuing my quest to become a perfect baker.

yesterday, i had this mood for making coffee cream and nut roll, except that it's not in the form of a swiss roll, but a normal cake. i used blue key recipes, and i was surprised to find that the cake actually taste nice! so here's the recipe for coffee cream and nut roll:

sponge cake
100g self raising flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons ovalette
1 teaspoon vanilla (i put in some instant coffee diluted in water)
1/4 cup melted butter

butter cream
125g butter
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon evaporated milk
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
2 teaspoons water
chopped nuts

whisk all the ingredients except for melted butter. using a spatula, blend in cooled melted butter into the sponge batter. pour the batter into the pan (or tray). bake at 200 C for 7- 10 mins or until cooked.
spread cake with coffee cream and sprinkle chopped nuts.

coffee butter cream
cream the butter, icing sugar and milk together until light and fluffy. dissolve coffee with water. blend into the cream.

i'm so pleased with the cake that today i made another one - it's chocolate sponge with coffee topping. it's the cake in the pic. i used non-dairy whipping cream and added some coffee essence and instant coffee powder.

here's the ingredients for chocolate sponge cake:

3/4 cup self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup caster sugar

sift the flour and cocoa 3 times. beat the eggs until thick and pale. add in sugar gradually and continue to beat until it turns pale yellow and glossy. using a metal spoon, fold in sifted ingredients quickly and lightly. bake for 20 mins 180 C or until the sponge cake is lightly golden and shrink from sides of the tin.

Tomato n Basil pasta

2006-01-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

i'm so sick with the usual spaghetti bolognaise. as if that's the only dish u can cook with spaghetti. which is y, i love this dish, bcoz it's simple, no fuss, it's just 3 key ingredients cooked with pasta.

for the italians, the must haves in their cooking r garlic, basil leaves n tomato. oh yeah, and also cheese.... for 1 serving, i used half a tomato (the redder the tomato is, the better...it has lycophene or lyco something which is a cancer fighting agent) n some garlic, which i liquidised in the blender... then i poured the content into a frying pan (which is coated with some olive oil) n added some basil, pepper n salt...then i added some pasta (i used linguine, which is cooked al dente) n coated the pasta with the sauce... n voila! the dish is done :o)

Butter Crescents & Almond Custard Croissant

2006-01-11T02:28:00.000-08:00

Butter crescents r simply divine for breakfast (although they can be served as dinner rolls). i made these more than a year ago, using the recipe taken from http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/BttrCrscnts.asp . these r softer than white bread, bcoz of the egg added. the flour used is just all-purpose flour, so u neednt worry abt hunting for high protein flour. this is definitely easier to do than to make the traditional puff pastry (which i tried 4 times n still i couldnt master it). of course, bcoz it's not made fr puff pastry, expect the crescents to be just like a normal bread n not their rich n fattening cousins the croissants or danish.

when i was in melbourne, i loved eating the almond croissants that r sold at victoria market. i loved them so much that i tried to find one in KL. well...i wasnt lucky. went to delifrance but at that time almond croissant wasnt ready yet. so i had to make do with some danish, which unfortunately, was very dry.

i returned home n tried to find an almond custard croissant recipe. n i found one at http://www.recipelink.com/mf/2/16163 . the dough was a bit hard tho', so next time i'll have to put more milk. the reason y i dont really fancy making puff pastry is the fact that u've to roll the dough n put knobs of butter n then fold the dough n then roll it again....u've to repeat this a few times. my problem is that the dough actually burst n the butter just spilled, which made rolling harder. nevertheless, despite the uneven croissant shape, they tasted nice that my nephew wanted to bring them back.

i would definitely make the croissant again - but when i've ample time, as i treat this as a marathon.

Potato Bread

2006-01-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

i like eating potato bread. it's soft due to the potatoes added (n also due to bread improver n softener which r widely used in commercially produced bread) n it has a subtle pleasing flavour, which is not unlike donuts, but a little bit different.

years ago, i had a recipe sent by a chef on how to make potato bread, but sadly i lost it. the one that i made for breakfast today is featured in celebrity chefs don yong's bread recipe book. i'm sorry but due to the copyrights i cant feature the recipe here.

i was pleasantly delighted when i was kneading the dough, bcoz it's soft n pliant but not sticky, unlike some recipes (esp. those taken fr. western recipes) in which u have to make some adjustments. probably it's bcoz don yong is a local baker. pls bear in mind that there's nothing wrong in using a western bread recipe, but u've to take into consideration the humidity of our place, the kind of yeast n the kind of flour we use.

for first time bread bakers, please wear an apron. make sure u have a clean surface to knead ur dough. i purchased a large tile fr the tile shop so that i have ample space to knead the dough. make sure that u measure ur ingredients, bcoz making a bread is also like making a cake. any mistakes in measuring will yield a very flat bread, or a baling-dinding-hard kind of bread. i personally love american recipes just bcoz they use measuring cups instead of metirc measurement. also, make sure that u have a proper measuring cup, not the tea or coffee cup that u have at home. most bread recipes require bread flour, or known as high protein flour. i've used plain flour b4, bt the texture of the bread isnt the same as wat u'll expect fr a typical bread. nevertheless, it's not a sin if u dont use high protein flour. u can find high protein flour at shops selling cooking ingredients n utensils. i use instant yeast, or mauripan, which is so much better than its predecessor of a few yrs ago. a basic bread recipe only needs high protein flour, sugar (which acts as food for the yeast as it begins to ferment), water, yeast n oil. other ingredients such as milk, honey, eggs r used to enhance the flavour n also soften the texture of the bread.

i had a chat with another teacher who's also interested in cooking, n she prefers to knead her dough using the mixer. those who dont have the time can opt for a mixer, but personally, i prefer to use my own hands to knead. after all, i'm a purist...n i just dont feel satisfied with machine kneaded dough, it's as if it's incomplete. by using ur own hands, u'll know when the dough is ready for proofing. normally, kneading a dough takes 8-10 mins. any later than that will make ur dough hard, as the gluten begins to stick.

i'm sorry again for not giving the recipe. pls dont hesitate to ask me regarding bread making.

Soto n Blackforest recipe

2006-01-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

Soto

for tumis
A -kayu manis, bunga lawang, buah pelaga, bunga cengkih

B -bawang merah, bawang putih, halia, lengkuas, a bit of kunyit, buah keras, serai, some serbuk ketumbar, jintan manis n putih, plus white pepper (blend)

some chicken meat n chicken cubed stock.

tumis rempah A, then masukkan B, masukkan chicken. add water n chicken stock. biar menggelegak lama.condiments:meehoon or nasi impitkacang, tauge, daun sup, bawang goreng n shredded chicken taken from the kuah soto, n fried soohoon

BlackForest Cake
Sponge cake
5 eggs
150g sugar
140g flour
10g cocoa
a pinch of salt
75g melted butter.

beat the eggs with electric beater for 8-10 mins. fold in flour and cocoa alternately with melted butter. pour the batter into greased n lined baking pan.bake at 180C for 10 mins (note : time for baking may vary from an oven to another oven)

Topping
2 cups of non dairy whipping cream
1/2 cup of milk or cold water
1 cup of chocolate sprinkles
1/2 canned of black cherries
100g cooking chocolate, grated

to assemble the sponge cake should be cut into 3 layers. beat the cream with milk until it becomes stiff. moisten each layer of the cake with some cherry syrup. pour some cream onto 1st layer n arrange the cherries on top. repeat with the other 2 layers. top the top layer with the remaining cream n decorate with grated chocolate, chocolate sprinkles n cherries

Forevah Summah with Hershey

2006-01-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

ok, u dont see nigella lawson the cooking goddess in this blog whipping up some exotic looking food, i'm just giving some simple recipes to cool the heat now that drought season is here. like jamie, kylie n nigella, i'm not going to give exact measurement. anyway, i simply love the way those celebrity cooks just throw stuff in in that nonchalant, i-m-the-expert way of theirs. it's a pity sazi doesnt give me my own cooking show. haha now that's a laugh.

okay, here're some recipes for u out there

grilled chicken
a few chicken breasts
some pepper,garlic, olive oil, salt n soya sauce for marinate.

grill for 20 minutes or until it's done.

pineapple stew
1 pineapple, cubed
some sugar
water
a screwpine leaf (daun pandan le)

in a pot, add in pineapple cubes, sugar n enough water. cook for around half an hour, then put in screwpine leaf b4 u turn off the stove.

chocolate ice cream (taken frm hershey's recipe)
14 oz condensed milk (i used less than a can of our local produced condensed milk)
1/3 cup of cocoa
2 cups of cream
1 cup of light cream (i used evaporated milk)
1 tb vanilla essence.

In medium saucepan, stir together sweetened condensed milk and cocoa. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.2. Gradually add whipping cream, light cream and vanilla, beating with whisk until well blended; refrigerate until cold.3. Place in ice cream freezer container. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.when it's about to crystallise, i took the container out frm the freezer n beat it with a beater. u may do this once or twice. the ice cream will turn out perfect! oh, i added in extra cocoa since i'm a chocoholic, n i added in choc chip as well

My Love Affair with Food

2006-01-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

i always associate food with the family. with ppl that i love. bcoz my earliest memory of food is associated with coming home of all my siblings during raya. that's when Mother would wake up at 4am to cook nasi dagang on raya morning. or the time when Abg Mi n Kak Dah would bake semprit or biskut arab. on raya, there would be arrays of cakes n cookies on our chinese roundtable, along with our nasi dagang n gulai ikan tongkol (or known as ikan aya in the east coast or better known as tuna ) n in the centre, is a cake complete with icing, looking too pretty to be eaten.

as i grew up, more family gatherings were held - most of the time they're barbeques. we're a very tolerant lot, so the barbeques were often western styled concoction, complete with beef steaks, frankfurters, lamb chops, mashed potatoes n gravy n salad.

all of my sisters took home ec., except for yours truly. they love to bake, n cookbooks r plentiful at their houses. 2 of my sister-in-laws also love to cook, one of them being a Filipina born in a family who also love to eat.

we do enjoy local fare as well, our absolute favourite being nasi beriyani. in fact, when my siblings talk of the old days, they will talk abt my mother's nasi beriyani recipe (written in jawi) with such reverence n awe. my mother is a purist who believes in cooking almost every dish from scratch. being the youngest n the most who spend time with Mother, i've also become a purist. Aside fr the nasi beriyani, i love nasi minyak, which is eaten as breakfast here in terengganu (yes, we love heavy food here - breakfast menu consists of nasi dagang, nasi lemak, nasi minyak, pulut kuning or laksam).

it is no surprise then, with such passion for food in the family, that i've become passionate abt food as well. cooking, in my opinion, is an art that one should master, n should not be treated only as a means of survival. wat more better way than to make ur loved ones happy by presenting them with ur work of art?