Piggy's Cooking Journal

TWD: Sablés

2009-12-08T23:50:00.000+08:00

Barbara of Bungalow Barbara has chosen sablés for TWD this week. I had a love-hate relationship with sablés. I love this buttery and crumbly cookies but at the same time, it was frustrating that all my past attempts had ended up with the wrong texture. Fortunately, I got it right this time round and Ms. Greenspan's tips in page 124 certainly helped a lot!

If you want to give the recipe a try, head over to Barbara's blog! She has also included the tips for baking shortbread and sablés, so make sure that you've read through it before attempting the recipe.

Biscotti with Pistachios, Dried Cranberries and Candied Kumquat

2009-12-04T13:33:00.001+08:00

Since last week, I've been staying at home and study for a test that will take place this coming Sunday. Needless to say, I'm almost bored to death by staring at my textbooks everyday. So I baked a batch of biscotti to nibble while I study.

The biscotti recipe is taken from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: from My Home to Yours, which is also something that I've baked before. But this time round, I tweaked the recipe slightly by replacing cornmeal with ground almond and also added loads of dried cranberries, candied kumquat, pistachios and almond slices.

This is a versatile recipe, in the sense that you can add almost anything in the dough. And as mentioned by Ms. Greenspan, just look into your cupboards for ideas and you will be able to come up with your own version of biscotti. ;-)

Original recipe can be found here.

TWD: Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio Tart

2009-12-01T14:40:00.002+08:00

Lauren of I'll Eat You has chosen rosy poached pear and pistachio tart for TWD this week. The tart is made up of 4 components - crust, nut based pastry cream, poached pears in red wine and caramelised pistachios. This is a lengthy recipe and I almost spent whole night preparing the tart. But I'm glad that I gave the recipe a try as the tart was SO yummy that I almost licked the plate clean!

Don't just take my words for it, give the recipe a try and I'm sure that you'll like the tart as much as I do! Recipe can be found here.

TWD: Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies

2009-11-17T14:03:00.003+08:00

For TWD this week, Pamela of Cookies with Boys has chosen sugar-topped molasses spice cookies. I find the recipe interesting as this is my first time baking with molasses. But the dough was harder to manage than I thought it would be. It turned into a gooey mess when I tried to shape it into small balls. So I decided not to follow the instruction and baked the cookies without shaping and flattening the dough.

The cookies should be crispy but mine turned out to be soft and chewy. I don't mind the texture but I would like it better if it's not too sweet. I'd certainly reduce the amount of sugar if I were to bake these cookies again.

Head over to Pamela's blog if you want to give the recipe a try!

TWD: All in One Holiday Bundt Cake

2009-11-10T15:34:00.000+08:00

For TWD this week, I opted for all in one holiday bundt cake which is a recipe chosen by Britin of The Nitty Britty. As my round bundt pan has been shipped to Taiwan (I will move there in a couple of months time), I have to bake the cake with the only pan that I have at the moment, which is a 9X4-in rectangular pan. I made a full batch, divided the batter into two and baked two loafs of cakes which I brought to my hubby's family gathering.

This recipe is definitely a keeper! Moist, spicy and chock full of fruits (pumpkin puree, apples and cranberries) and nuts, the cake is absolutely delicious!

As mentioned last week, we are allowed to post our entries for November in the order we prefer, so Britin may not post the recipe until the last week of the month. In the mean time, head over to TWD site and check out other TWDers' entries!

Steamed Rice with Ginger Chicken

2009-11-07T21:59:00.003+08:00

I bought a ceramic bowl with lid a few days ago and I intend to use it for cooking rice dishes with ingredients on top. It is similar to claypot rice but the rice dishes would be steamed instead of getting cooked directly with fire.

First recipe that I tried out was a ginger chicken on rice dish and I have to say that it tasted really GOOD! The best part about the dish is that, the rice absorbed the gravy from the chicken and it was so flavorful that I've completely forgotten about my low-carb diet. I love it so much that I cooked the same dish again for the next 2 days!

Steamed Rice with Ginger Chicken Recipe
Recipe adapted from Flavored Cooked Rice (有味饭)

Ingredients A:
1/4 kampung chicken (or 2 pcs of chicken drumsticks with thighs), chopped
1 pack of enoki mushroom
1 tablespoon fried shallot
Rice, enough for two persons

Ingredients B:
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 stalks of spring onions, chopped
2 stalks of coriander, chopped
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon fried shallot oil
1/2 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1) Rinse chicken pieces and enoki mushroom. Marinate with Ingredient B for at least 20 minutes.
2) Rinse rice. Put the rice in a heat proof bowl, add water. As the cooked rice would absorb gravy from the chicken pieces, the amount of water added should be less than what you would normally use to prevent the rice from turning mushy.
3) Place the bowl in a preheated steamer and steam for about 20 minutes, or until the water is almost absorbed by the rice. Arrange chicken pieces and enoki mushroom on top of the rice and pour the marinade on it. Steam for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
4) Turn off heat, remove the bowl from the steamer. Sprinkle fried shallot on it, serve hot.

TWD: Cran-Apple Crisps

2009-11-03T15:53:00.005+08:00

The TWDers who are taking part in TWD for the month of November are allowed to post our entries in the sequence we prefer. This is a relief for me, otherwise, just like the cherry-fudge brownie torte chosen for last week, I may have to skip TWD again because the recipe selected for the first week of November is another chocolate cake and if you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know how I feel about chocolatey desserts. ;-)

Looking at the remaining three recipes, cran-apple crisps seems to be the easiest one of all, and so I decided to bake this today. I tweaked the recipe slightly by adding some almond flakes in the topping and used only dried cranberry and apples in the filling. My photo does not do justice to the cran-apple crisps at all because it's really delicious!

If you want to give the recipe a try, head over to The Repressed Pastry Chef, but please note that Em may not post the recipe until next week.

Pan-fried Tofu topped with Minced Pork

2009-10-29T15:59:00.006+08:00

Pan-fried Tofu topped with Minced Pork Recipe

Ingredients:
3 blocks of dry tofu (tau kua/ 豆干)
150g minced pork
3 dried mushrooms (soaked until soft, chopped)
2 tablespoons dried shrimps (soaked until soft, chopped)
2 tablespoons chopped spring onion

Seasoning:
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp L&P sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt & pepper, to taste
A dash of Shaoxing wine

Method:
1) Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Pan fry the tofu until the sides are golden brown. Dish up and set aside.
2) Leave 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok, saute mushrooms and dried shrimps with sugar until fragrant. Add minced pork and saute until it's cooked.
3) Add the remaining seasoning, stir quickly until well combined.
4) Dish up and divide into three portions. Place the minced pork mixture on the tofu, sprinkle with some chopped spring onions. Serve.

Coconut Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

2009-10-20T19:00:00.001+08:00

Coconut Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling Recipe
Recipe from ちっちゃなチーズケーキのレシピブック

Ingredients:
130g self-raising flour
60g unsalted butter
60g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
20g dessicated coconut
egg yolk for brushing

Cream cheese filling:
100g cream cheese, at room temperature
30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tbs icing sugar

Method:
1) In a medium bowl, whip butter and sugar with a mixer, follow by egg yolk. Sift flour over the batter. Using a rubber spatula, mix until just combined.
2) Add dessicated coconut to the batter, mix until just combine. Gather the dough into a ball shape, wrap it with cling wrap and keep in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
3) Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C.
4) Using a 3-cm square cookie cutter, cut out pieces of cookies dough, brush one side with egg yolk.
5) Bake in preheated oven for 10 mins.
6) Let the cookies cool on wire rack while you prepare the cream cheese filling.
7) Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl, whip until combine. Sift icing sugar on it, stir until combine.
8) Spread the filling in between two pieces of cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies, serve.

TWD: Allspice Crumb Muffins

2009-10-13T11:49:00.003+08:00

After taking a 3-week break from TWD, I'm back! :-)

Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table has chosen allspice crumb muffins this week. I made the muffins yesterday and had it as my afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. The muffins are too bland for my liking and if I were to bake it again, I'd probably add some chopped nuts to the streusel. However, I think that the recipe would be perfect for breakfast, quick and easy to prepare, and I'm sure that it would taste great with butter smeared on it or topped with a dollop of jam.

Hop over to Kayte's blog if you want to give the recipe a try!

Steamed Minced Pork on Lotus Root

2009-10-10T14:47:00.006+08:00

I just came back from a wonderful 3-day trip to Kuching, Sarawak. Besides stuffing myself silly with local cuisines such as Sarawak laksa and kolo mee, as well as lugging back lots of Sarawak pepper and layered cakes, I also took the opportunity to stock up the latest cookbooks and magazines from my favourite publisher, Famous Cuisine. Even though the books are also available in Singapore, but the prices are much lower in Malaysia. So whenever I travel to Malaysia, I always look out for their latest books/ magazines, no matter how heavy my luggages are! Fortunately, with the huge amount of stuffs that I managed to pack into my luggage, it was still within the airline's weight limit, phew!

So today I tried out a recipe from one of my new cookbooks, steamed minced pork on lotus root. I altered the recipe slightly by adding dried shrimps and ginger, which added an extra kick to the dish.

Steamed Minced Pork on Lotus Root Recipe
Recipe adapted from Steamed Cuisine

Ingredients:
Lotus roots, enough to cut into 6-7 slices with thickness of 1/2-cm
200g minced pork
3/4 Chinese sausage, diced
2 dried mushrooms, soaked until soft, then diced
1/2 tbs dried shrimps, soaked and chopped until fine
2 stalks coriander, diced
1/2 tbs ginger, chopped until fine
1/2 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs water (I used the water from soaking the dried shrimps)
1 tbs Shaoxing wine

Seasoning:
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1) Mix all ingredients except lotus root with the seasoning, stir until sticky. Keep aside for about 15 minutes.
2) In the mean time, sliced lotus roots into 1/2-cm thickness. Dust one side of the lotus root slices with cornstarch. Arrange the slices on a heatproof plate.
3) Divide the filling and then knead into ball shape. Press lightly on lotus root slices. Repeat with remaining filling and lotus root slices.
4) Steam in preheated steamer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, pour about 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine on it. Serve while it is hot.

Almond Tart

2009-10-03T13:54:00.000+08:00

I've been very unproductive lately, as you can see from the lack of posts in my blog these few weeks. I had tried out a few recipes that I meant to share but the cloudy sky made the pictures look dull and unattractive, and so I have to ditch the idea of posting them altogether. Apart from trying to push the responsibility to the weather, I have to admit that I've spent too much time watching dramas too. :-P

As much as I try not to neglect my blog for too long, I'm afraid that it's going to be quiet for a while. Hopefully, I will be in the mood for blogging again after my trip back from Sarawak, as well as finishing up a couple of dramas that I'm currently watching.

In the mean time, try your hand at these yummy almond tarts. I'll be back soon!

Almond Tart Recipe

Tart shell: You can make a 9-in (22-cm) tart or 4 pcs of 4.5-in (12-cm) tartlets, using sweet tart dough recipe from here. Partially baked.

Ingredients for the filling:
70g butter, at room temperature
70g sugar
2 eggs
100g almond meal
2 tbs self-raising flour
2 tbs lemon juice
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 tbs brandy (I used apricot brandy)
80g sliced almonds, toasted

Method:
To make the filling:
1) Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
2) Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3) Add in eggs one at a time, beat well with each addition.
4) Add in almond meal and flour, mix until well combined, then beat in lemon juice, lemon zest and brandy.

To assemble the tart/ tartlets:
5) Spoon the filling into the tart shell(s). Sprinkle sliced almonds on top, then bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
6) Cool the tart/ tartlets on a wire rack. Lightly dust with icing sugar, serve.

TWD: Flaky Apple Turnovers

2009-09-15T16:39:00.002+08:00

Julie of Someone's in the Kitchen has chosen flaky apple turnovers for TWD this week. Well, it's a great choice, if you ask me, as I love any kind of pastries which has apples in them!

I made half a batch of the recipe and got 6 pieces of the turnovers. The dough was much softer than any tart/ pie dough that I've baked before, but it was still managable. The filling was extremely easy to prepare too, just mix chopped apples with sugar, flour and cinnamon and it's ready to be used. I love simple recipe like this!

Head over to Julie's blog if you want to try baking these yummy apple turnovers!

TWD: Chocolate Soufflé

2009-09-08T23:46:00.002+08:00

I always have problem making the perfect soufflé. Despite numerous attempts, either by trying out different recipes or tweaking the baking method on my own, I still can't get it right.

Therefore, I was actually hesitant to take part in TWD this week, because the recipe chosen is chocolate soufflé. I knew that it would be too chocolatey for my liking and I was also not sure if I can produce something decent for photo-taking. But I still gave it a try this morning, and it was a complete disaster. I ended up with a burnt soufflé because I used a smaller ramekin and I had forgotten to reduce the baking time.

Determined to get it right, I whipped up another 1/4 batch of the batter after dinner and this time round, the soufflé was removed from the oven slightly after 20 minutes. I was quite disappointed to see the uneven top but at least it's edible.

I guess I still need more practices before I can declare soufflé as my best friend! But in the mean time, head over to Susan's blog if you want to give the recipe a try!

Blueberry Cake

2009-09-05T06:06:00.002+08:00

I was hit with a nasty flu bug since one week ago. The constant sneezing and unbearable sore throat has kept me away from doing anything else except lying on bed and rest. But at the same time, I'm glad that I managed to finish reading a few books which, in my opinion, is a better use of my time rather than staring at my laptop all day long.

However, I had to drag myself out of bed today and baked some cakes because the pack of blueberry that I bought from Cold Storage last week was almost expired. And after having those nasty tasting medicines for so many days, I really need something sweet to cheer myself up.

The cakes certainly did not disappoint. Soft, fluffy and studded with juicy blueberries, they tasted really great with the crunchy ground almond topping. I do feel that I'm starting to recover from the flu after gobbling down two pieces of the cakes at one go! ;-)

Blueberry Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

For the topping:
40g self-raising flour
30g ground almond
30g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, keep in the fridge until ready to be used
30g castor sugar
Pinch of salt

For the cake:
100g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
80g castor sugar
40ml milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
100g fresh blueberries

Method:

To prepare the topping:
1) Put all ingredients in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the mixture until the it looks like coarse crumbs. Keep in the fridge until ready to be used.

To prepare the cake batter:
2) Pre-heat the oven to 170 deg C.
3) Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4) Add in eggs, follow by milk. With each addition, beat until well combined.
5) Sift flour, baking powder and salt over the butter mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix the batter until just combined.
6) Add in blueberries. Spoon the batter into 6 cupcake liners. Sprinkle the toppings on the batter.
7) Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake turns out clean. Remove from oven, let the cakes cool on wire rack, serve.

Braised Pork Belly with Beer

2009-08-28T21:11:00.004+08:00

Braised Pork Belly with Beer Recipe

Ingredients:
500g pork belly (with skin removed), rinse and cut into cubes
2 stalks spring onions, cut into long strips
5 slices ginger
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 pc cinnamon stick
2 pcs tangerine peels
5 pcs bay leaves
200ml beer
1000ml water

Seasoning:
180ml light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rock sugar
Pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons rice wine

Method:
1) Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Saute ginger, garlic and spring onions until fragrant.
2) Add in pork, saute until there is a change in colour. Add beer, cover and cook until the beer reduce to half of the original amount.
3) Add seasoning, saute for a while and then transfer the pork mixture to a clay pot.
4) Add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, tangerine peels and water into the clay pot. Make sure that the water is enough to cover the pork, add more if necessary. Turn on high heat, and when the gravy starts to boil, cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Continue to cook for about 50 minutes.
5) Turn off heat, leave the cover on for another 10 minutes. Dish out and serve.

TWD: Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

2009-08-25T20:52:00.004+08:00

Linda of Tender Crumb has chosen creamiest lime cream meringue pie for TWD this week.

The tangy and velvety lime cream paired with airy meringue is really yummy and refreshing, a perfect dessert to have on a hot and humid day!

Head over to Linda's blog if you want to give the recipe a try!

White Chocolate with Dried Fruits Cake

2009-08-21T14:52:00.003+08:00

White Chocolate with Dried Fruits Cake Recipe
Recipe adapted from this book

Ingredients:
60g white chocolate
2 tbs milk
200g self-raising flour
2/3 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
180g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tbs lemon juice
80g dried cranberry
80g dried apricot

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 160 deg C. Grease a 18X8cm rectangular baking pan, line with baking paper.
2) Melt white chocolate with milk over a pot of simmering water. Set aside.
3) In a medium bowl, whip butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, continue to beat until well combined.
4) Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then sift the flour mixture over the batter. Mix until just combine.
5) Finally add lemon juice, cranberry and apricot, stir with a wide spatula until just combine.
6) Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake turns out clean.

TWD: Applesauce Spice Bars

2009-08-18T13:12:00.002+08:00

Applesauce spice bars is a recipe chosen by Karen of Something Sweet for TWD this week. I made half a batch of the recipe using a 7-inch square cake pan. The pecans were replaced with walnuts and I also added an extra spoonful of rum.

I always prefer fruit-based pastries and I knew that I would like this cake when I read through the recipe. Well, it certainly did not disappoint. The cake is soft and moist, and filled with lots of chopped apples, raisins and nuts. I had a huge slice for lunch, and thereafter, I sneaked a few bites whenever I walked into the kitchen. Before I knew it, 3-quarter of the cake was gone! I better get my running shoes ready for tomorrow, as I need to work off the extra calories that I piled on today!

Head over to Karen's blog if you want to give the recipe a try! Don't forget to check out TWD blogroll too!

Capezzana Tiny Olive Oil Cakes

2009-08-15T03:35:00.001+08:00

I baked these capezzana tiny olive oil cakes few months ago and I haven't gotten around to posting it until now. As the name suggests, olive oil is used instead of butter, and the cakes are also flavoured with orange zest. I supposed these tiny cakes are healthier, at least that's what I hope they would be! But one thing is for sure, these cakes are darn tasty, and I'm sure that you won't be able to stop at one!

Capezzana Tiny Olive Oil Cakes Recipe
Recipe from Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery

Ingredients:
2 cups and 2 tablespoons plain flour
1.5 cups caster sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1.5 cup milk
1.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbs grated orange zest (abt 2 to 3 oranges)

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Grease the molds (See note below).
2) In a large bowl, whisk to combine flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder.
3) Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour eggs, milk and olive oil in it.
4) Using a hand whisk, whisk to combine the liquids and then slowly draw in the dry ingredients. Whisk until you get a smooth batter. If necessary, strain to dissolve any lumps of flour. Stir in the orange zest.
5) Fill the molds to 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes are nicely browned and firm to the touch.

Note: The recipe calls for 30 small molds or 2 round 9-inch cake pans, but I used some small tart pans and made about 20 cakes instead. So the number of cakes you can get from a batch of the recipe depends on the size of your molds.

TWD: Brownie Buttons

2009-08-11T22:35:00.001+08:00

I've been thinking of the kitchen that I had in SA quite often recently. It is fully air-conditioned, and so cooking/ baking had always been pleasant, well almost, except for the electric stove that I can't quite get use to.

But here in Singapore, cooking is a hot and sweaty affair. It gets worse when the oven and stove are turned on at the same time. Imagine standing by the stove stirring chocolate over a pot of simmering water, and at the same time, hot air coming out from the oven, constantly blowing at my legs... You get the idea! But one bite of the brownie button made it all worthwhile, and it actually tasted better than I thought it would be! The combination of orange and chocolate tasted really good. I will definitely make these brownie buttons again when my SIL is back from Italy next month, she's a huge fan of chocolate dessert and I'm sure that she'll like it too.

If you want to give the recipe a try, head over to Jayme's blog, and don't forget to check out TWD blogroll too!

Stir-fried Roast Pork with Salted Vegetable

2009-08-08T09:42:00.003+08:00

After spending two weeks in Penang with my dog, she's finally given a space at the quarantine center in Singapore. So I'm back at my own home since two days ago. I can't express enough how happy I am to be back to a place where I'm familiar and feel comfortable with, and to be able to walk freely on the street without having to cover myself in a black cloak! ;-)

But as soon as I arrived in Singapore, I started to have runny nose and sore throat. I always feel like having some porridge when I'm not feeling well, so today I prepared a simple dish using roast pork and salted vegetable, and I slurped it down in a few big gulps. It's a dish that can be prepared in a jiffy, perfect for those days when you don't feel like spending too much time in a kitchen that is as hot as sauna!

Stir-fried Roasted Pork with Salted Vegetable Recipe

Ingredients:
300g roast pork, chopped
30g salted vegetable (preserved mustard), cut into thin strips
2 chillies, cut into thin strips
7-8 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
1) To reduce saltiness of salted vegetable, soak it for about 15 minutes. Discard water and set aside.
2) Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok, saute garlic until fragrant. Add salted vegetable, continue to saute until softened.
3) Add roast pork, chillies and seasonings, do a quick stir, dish up and serve.

Stir-fried Pickled Radish with Pork

2009-07-28T20:11:00.004+08:00

Since I left SA two weeks ago, I've been eating pork almost everyday. ;-) Actually I'm not a pork person and I used to think that I could survive without pork in my diet. Well, obviously I was wrong! Anyway, I'm going to satisfy my craving for the time being, so stay tuned for more pork dishes!

Stir-fried Pickled Radish with Pork Recipe

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons chopped pickled radish 菜脯
150g lean pork
50g dried shrimps
3 chillies
5-6 strips long beans
1 tablespoons chopped garlic

Seasoning:
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
1) Rinse and soak pickled radish in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2) Dice pork, dried shrimps, chillies and long beans into small cubes, set aside.
3) Heat up oil in a wok. Saute garlic and pickled radish until fragrant.
4) Add dried shrimps and pork, saute until the pork is half cooked.
5) Add long beans, chillies and seasoning. Saute over high heat until cooked. Dish up and serve.

TWD: Strawberry Blanc-Manger

2009-07-21T07:11:00.001+08:00

Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy has chosen raspberry blanc-manger for TWD this week. I made this dessert two weeks ago when I was still in SA. Do you remember that I need to clear my pantry before I leave SA? Well, I'm glad that this recipe came up as one of the choices for this month, because I took the opportunity to use up all the frozen strawberries in the fridge!

I made half a batch of the recipe using 3 small ramekins. Taste wise, I find that it's kinda bland. The texture of the dessert was quite gritty too. Well, the store-bought ground almond that I used could be too coarse for this recipe, or maybe it's meant to be this way. But if I were to make this dessert again, I'll definitely add more sugar to the batter and also make sure that the almonds are finely ground. I may not be crazy over blanc-manger but I have to say that it looks pretty with dots of strawberries on it.

Head over to Susan's blog if you want to give the recipe a try!

Leaving Saudi Arabia

2009-07-17T12:00:00.002+08:00

After weeks of preparing for the big move, we're now ready to leave Saudi Arabia for good.

The packers came and picked up our stuffs yesterday. We came to SA with 35 boxes and now we are leaving with 6 boxes more, not too bad!

In a few hours' time, my hubby and I will board a plane bound for Singapore. From there, he will take the next flight to Taipei, Taiwan where he will work for the next 3 years (or more). As for me, I will spend the next few months in Penang and Singapore with our dog because she is not allowed to enter Taiwan yet. So we will only move to Taipei in December.

I can't believe that one year has passed since I came to SA. Looking back, staying in SA has been quite a challenge, especially for women like myself. But at the same time, I appreciate the fact that I'm given the rare chance of experiencing the life over here, and also get to try out local foods!

Apart from the wide seletion of fresh fruits that I mentioned before, local foods are extremely yummy too. These are some of the foods we've tried out.

I will definitely miss the kitchen where I cooked/ baked for the last 75 posts of my blog...

.... as well as the table at the corner of the kitchen. This is where I had my breakfast everyday, kneaded the dough for baking and took pictures of the food. Thanks to the full length windows, the kitchen is always bright and sunny and I feel that the food pictures that were taken in SA look much better than before...

I'm sure that the dog will miss the windows too. ;-)

That's all, folks! If I can get internet connection in Penang, I'll start blogging from there next week!