A Food Lover's Journey

A moment in life #32

2009-11-09T22:08:00.002+11:00

There is something really cute in the shop window along Elizabeth Street, Melbourne CBD. The photo of the baby and the beer tummy is incredibly cute and makes me giggle.

Please forgive me for being absent from the blog scene. I am on the move again, so there are a lot of things to organize, here and there. The decision to move back to Melbourne is quite sudden, but it comes at the right time and for the right purpose. I am excited although the whole house packing does not excite me one tiny bit.

Back to packing now! Hopefully there is something decent out of the kitchen I can share with you guys, soon.

A moment in life #31

2009-10-25T16:00:00.003+11:00

It is raining heavily in Sydney today when I wish to come out and do some shopping. Now, talking about bad timing!

An old photo from the archive. Hope you find a little sunshine from where you live!

! Have a great week ahead !

Blue & White Dot Roll Cake

2009-10-20T01:31:00.002+11:00

Once, when I was little, my mom took me to a drawing class. I know a lot of kids who are naturally gifted with drawing. Well, I was not one of them. Actually I was so horrible at it that drawing was one of the two subjects I scared the most during school (the other one is physics if you ask).

Still, I admire art, especially painting. My father used to have an art book which detailed the life and work of a famous artist called Levitan. I remember looking through the book, admiring all the beautiful and peaceful paintings. Later on, through my growing friendship with MP, my love for art increased. We spent a lot of time searching for art books by famous artists in the Old Quarter of Hanoi and shared our thoughts with each other.

The bottom line is I love colors. Sure I cannot draw but I find different ways to incorporate colors in my life! Baking is a way, although I haven’t been interested in cake decorating and food coloring that much.

Anyway, just for fun, I made some roll cake during the weekend. For some reasons, the two colors blue and white were playing in my head. Actually I was thinking of deep dark blue, but for food, a lighter shade would be better, yes? So there I was, in the kitchen, mixing all the colors together. It felt like fun. It was like being in a drawing class again, with colors to play with, but with all the ingredients I was familiar with. At least I could bake a pretty cake even if I still cannot draw!

I gotta tell you that the recipe for the roll cake is a keeper. I learnt it from a Viet blogger, who in turn, got it from her teacher. The recipe produced a moist and soft cake. It is so easy to roll (no cracking!) and not at all eggy like a lot of other recipes.

I love the end result. The cake looks cute and its appearance brings a smile to my face.

Blue & White Dot Roll Cake

Cake recipe adapted from here (in Vietnamese)

If you do not want to use food coloring, use normal chocolate choc chips instead to create the dot effects.

Ingredients

A – 3 egg yolks (room temperature), 25g sugar, 50g plain flour, 10g corn flour, 25g fresh milk, 25g corn oil, ¼ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla, tiny drop of coloring is using

B – 3 eggs white (room temperature), 35g sugar, ¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional. I did not use any), ¼ tsp salt

C – White chocolate chips (pls use these since normal chocolate will melt in the oven) – around 150g

Filling -100g thickened cream. Whipped until soft peak forms with 1-2 tbp of sugar and some orange blossom water.

Method

Preheat oven to 190C.

Line the swiss roll baking tray. Carefully arrange the chocolate chips in rows over the baking paper. Set aside.

Starting with mixture A: Sift the flours and baking powder together. Whish the egg yolks, sugar, milk and oil together. Add in the flour mixture and whisk well until combined. Add in a bit of food coloring now if desired.

Mixture B: Whisk the egg whites with cream of tartar, sugar and salt until soft peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of egg white mixture into mixture A to lighten up the batter. Add in the rest and fold everything together. Be careful not to destroy all the air bubbles.

Pour the mixture onto the baking tray. Bake in the oven for around 10 mins or until baked through.

Take the baking tray out of the oven. Cool for 10 mins then invert the cake onto another sheet of baking paper. Cool completely.

Prepare the filling. Use whatever you fancy!

Invert the cake again so that the chocolate side is facing down. Spread the filling onto the cake. Roll up from the shorter ends, using the baking paper as a guide. Wrap the baking paper over the cake. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours so the cake can maintain its shape.

Cut and serve.

Kids food – ABC pancakes

2009-10-13T21:30:00.003+11:00

Do you remember the time in high school when life was so young and free? Back then, some of my friends said they did not want to marry early and maintain their independence. Strangely enough, time changes us. The girl T., who seemed to have the strongest idea and will of being an independent woman, actually married first among all the girls. And she is surely happy with her little daughter B., who is like an angel! Motherhood seems to be such a wonderful thing since I have seen my friends change so much for the better around their newborns…

It seems that with my friend T., her main concern right now is how to feed and ‘entertain’ her child properly. To help her and other mothers from afar, I made this ABC pancakes.

The inspiration is not from me really. I saw it on this website and thought it was cool. I had fun making it and sharing with the adults living with me. We all loved them. Ah.. There is a child in everyone of us ;).

ABC pancakes

Slightly adapted from here

Ingredients

200g self-raising flour
2 tbs maple syrup
310ml (1 1/4 cups) milk
1 egg, lightly whisked
Olive oil spray, to grease
Jam, to serve

Method

Sift the flour, baking powderinto a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

Whisk together the milk, maple syrup and egg in a jug. Pour into the flour mixture and whisk until a smooth batter forms.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over low heat. Lightly spray with olive oil spray to grease. Spoon half the batter into a small plastic bag. Cut 1 corner off bag and pipe four 8cm letters into pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn and cook for a further 1 minute or until golden. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, reheating pan between batches. Serve with jam.

~ Happiness is a jar full of home-made cookies ~

2009-10-09T22:18:00.002+11:00

I just love Peabody’s recent post titled “Life is like a bowl of cupcakes”? Sweet, isn’t it?

I read my fried MP’s latest blog entry and it brought a smile my face. Her whimsical, deeply romantic and beautifully written entry (in Vietnamese) reminds me of the sweetest things in life. It may sound cheesy but sometimes I forget to look around and get inspired by things around me.

At home I got some goodies to cheer me up with a cup of strong black Vietnamese coffee. I love to have some home-baked goodies around. My absolute favourite at the moment is white chocolate-pistachio combo. And do you know the ‘secret’ to the cookies? Condensed milk that is. It gives the cookies such a rich and creamy taste. Sure the cookies are not crunchy, but that is how I love it. If I want crunchy cookies, I will bake Anzac biscuits instead.

It feels like winter in Sydney at the moment (the wind, oh the wind. So strong and cold). But with these, I feel the comfort of being home. Tonight will be a night in for me after a few weeks of travelling, airport delay, and excessive eating out. There are a few episodes of silly but entertaining Korean drama to be watched. Life is good, really.

White chocolate and pistachio cookies

Ingredients
200 unsalted butter
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/4 cup condensed milk
2 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup white chocolate, chopped
1 cup pistachio (the unsalted ones), chopped

Method
Turn the oven to 190C.

Cream sugar and butter until pale and light. Add in the condensed milk and beat until creamy.

Sift flour into the butter and sugar mixture. Add in the chocolate, salt and chopped pistachio. Stir to combine.

Drop a tablespoon of the batter onto a lined baking sheet. Flatten the ball a little with your hand.

Bake for about 15’ until the cookies are golden. Take out and leave to cool on a rack.

Viet Cooking Session #1 – Tam Ki Chicken Rice

2009-10-06T11:42:00.002+11:00

I am happy to announce a new section for this blog ~ Viet Cooking Session ~. Each month, I will make an effort to write detailed descriptions and cooking method of a particular Vietnamese dish. Some of them are traditional, and some will be my own interpretation of Vietnamese cuisine.

I hope this new feature will help you understand more about Vietnamese cuisine and may inspire to cook some healthy dishes at home ;).

~ The dish ~

The first dish of this new series is Tam Ki Chicken Rice. In western countries, the most famous form of chicken rice is Hainese-style. Little is known about an absolutely delicious variation from Quang Nam, Vietnam. The dish is very typical of Central-style Vietnamese cooking. The flavours are deeper, bolder and a lot spicier compared with the northern style that I grew up with.

The way to cook Tam Ki chicken rice is very similar to Hainese chicken rice. Start with the very best chicken, poach gently to get really juicy meat. The broth is then used to cook rice, two varieties, jasmine and sticky rice.

Then, comes the interesting part. The chicken, after being cooked, is coarsely shredded and mixed with herbs, lemon juice, sliced onions and chilli. The result is a beautifully balanced and refreshing flavour, which is very different from Chinese-style chicken rice. To accompany the dish is a variation of nuoc cham (Viet dipping sauce). The dipping sauce is smooth and thick, and fairly strong in flavours. Just think about the chicken flavour in harmony with that sweet-sour-spicy-salty note. So refreshing, and so Vietnamese!

~ Ingredients Notes ~

One of the most important ingredients for this recipe, I feel, is good fish sauce. Outside of Vietnam, I trust Viet Huong Three Crabs brand. It costs a bit more but totally worth the quality. Make sure to look carefully at the products since I have seen imitation brands out there. Substitute: other brands will do, but they tend to vary in flavours so tasting is important when cooking.

Rice varieties: we use two varieties of rice in this recipe. Normal jasmine rice and sticky rice. Sticky rice is also called sweet rice or glutinous rice. Substitution: you can use 100% jasmine rice. Basmati rice will be a nice substitute although the texture will be different.

Featuring herb: laksa leaves (also called Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese cilantro, Cambodian mint and hot mint). This herb has spicy note and really aromatic. Substitute: I feel a combination of cilantro (corriander) and spear mint may work.

Chillies: I have adjusted the chilli in this recipe by using the combo of bird eye chillies and long red chillies. The result is a mildly spicy dish. Feel free to adjust this ratio for hotter or less spicy outcome.

The chicken: free-range and organic. In short, the best you can find. In Vietnam, the local free-range chicken is used and this type of chicken is very flavoursome.

~ Equipment note ~

Large saucepan to cook the chicken.

Rice cooker is your friend. If not, use the stove top method.

Mortal and pestle

~ Ingredients ~

For 5-6 serving

2 cup jasmine rice
1/4 cup sticky rice

1 chicken, around 1.5kg
1-2 spring onion, clean
1 thumb-size piece of ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

5 cloves garlic
4 bird eye chillies
2 long red chillies

1 brown onions
2 handfuls Vietnamese mint (laksa leaves) ~ around two small bunches. Leaves and top part picked our, coarsely chopped.
1 lime

1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar

Sugar, Salt, white pepper, cooking oil

1 tomato (optional, decoration only), sliced. Or use cucumber.

~ Preparation~

Soak the rice (both types) in cold water for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. 1 hour of soaking is ideal.

Bring a large saucepan full of water to the boil. Add in some salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder. Stuff the chicken captivity with spring onion and ginger. Gently lower the chicken into the boiling water. Wait until the water return to boiling point. Keep boiling over high heat for about 3 minutes before turn the heat to minimum so that the water barely simmers. Cover the pot and cook the chicken for 30-40 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, take it out and put in a large bowl filled with cold water. This way, the chicken will not be overcooked. Leave the chicken to cool and discard the onion and ginger.

When the chicken is being cooked, peel the onion and thinly sliced. Soak the onion in a bowl of water mixed with 1/4c white vinegar. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Pound the garlic using the mortal and pestle until crushed. Similarly, pound the chillies (removing the chilli seeds will help to reduce the level of spiciness) to a coarse paste.

Once the chicken is cooked, drain the water from the rice. Put the rice in a rice cooker. Add in 1 tsp oil and a pinch of salt. Then, pour in around 1 cup or more of chicken broth. The water level should just reach the rice surface so adjust the quantity of broth accordingly. Cook the rice according to the manufacturer’s instruction. (If you do not have a rice cooker, you can follow the absorption method and cook the rice on the stove. Remember to turn the fire low so you don’t burn your rice).

Prepare the chicken: coarsely shred the chicken into medium pieces. Discard the bones.

Marinade the chicken: put about 1tsp salt and a pinch of pepper into the chicken meat. Start with 2 tbp sugar and juice of 1/2 lime. Mix everything together. Taste the chicken. It should have a good balance of saltiness, sweetness and sourness. Adjust the amount of ingredients until you have the desired taste. Once the taste is achieved, add in 1 handful of chopped laksa leaves, drained onion slices and half of the chilli paste prepared earlier.

Prepare the sauce: Put 2 tbp sugar in 1/4 cup fish sauce. Stir to combine. Add in juice of ¼ lime. Taste. The mixture should be intense in flavours but with hint of sweetness and sourness. Finally, when the taste is good, mix in all the garlic paste and the rest of the chillies paste. Stir to combine.

~ Serving~

Arrange the tomato slices, rice then the chicken on a bowl. Serve with the sauce.

It is recommended that you cook some light soup with the leftover broth using Asian greens (or mixture of peas, carrots, or potatoes). This will go nicely with the dish.

Good side dish: sliced cucumber or some sorts of steamed greens are nice.

~ More Viet flavours ~

Care to cook more Vietnamese dishes? Check out my Viet recipe index.

September Daring Baker’s challenge - Vols-au-Vent (with caramelised onion filling)

2009-09-26T23:51:00.001+10:00

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' Challenge has been chosen by Steph of a whisk and a spoon. Steph chose Vols-au-Vent, which we are pretty sure in French means, “After one bite we could die and go to heaven!”

Isn’t it annoying that after the dust storm has passed, everyone seems to be in good health and I am the only one who suffers from a massive hay fever? My nose has been acting up since Thursday. A lot of sneezing and a really stupid runny nose. I am not in the happiest taste. No!

I only managed to finish the Daring Baker’s challenge a few hours ago. Tell you the truth, I nearly gave up on this month challenge because of limited time and the hay fever. But I am glad I didn’t give up. Home-made puff pastry is excellent. It’s so crispy and full of flavours; the store-bought one becomes so dull! (Why did I wait for so long before attempting to make puff pastry? Why?)

This is my first time making puff pastry from scratch and it is not scary as I thought. I got a lot of practice when making this chocolate layered bread. There is a lot of information on the web about making puff pastry as well. I did read through several baking books.

Anyway, the theme of this month is Vols-au-vent. I love it! The only compulsory component is the pastry shell. We can go wild with the filling. After eating a lot of sweets last week, I opt for a savoury filling which I learn from The Bathers’ Pavilion cookbook. The slow-cooked caramelized onion is matched with smoked cheddar cheese. Even though the ingredients are simple, the flavours nicely come together. I love the sweetness of slow-cooked onions. It truly brings out the buttery goodness of home-made puff pastry.

Traditionally, Vols-au-Vent has a round shape. I get a bit imaginative and make a few fish-shaped instead. I cannot recall where I get the idea from. Food mags? Blogs? Never mind. The shape is really cute and such a show catcher.

The recipe for caramelized onion filling is included here. When Steph posted the puff pastry one, I will edit the link to her blog.

I still have half of the pastry in the fridge for which I need some inspiration from fellow daring bakers! ;)

Onion Vols-au-vent with smoky cheddar cheese

If you follow the recipe, you will get around 15 x 5cm-diameter vols-au-vent. My fish shaped pastry is done by hand, which is of medium size. I got about 5.

Pastry: 4 sheets of good quality puff pastry (mine is home-made) + 1 beaten egg for egg wash

Filling:
2 tbp olive oil
3 brown onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tbp castor sugar
100g smoked cheddar cheese, to serve

Method
{} Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare the Vols-au-vent (I will link to Steph's instruction later)

{} For the filling, simply combine everything together. Cook the onion over very low heat until caramelised. About 1 hour.

{} Spoon the fillinf in the pre-pared Vols-au-vent. Top with small piece of cheese. Warm up in the oven for a few mins before serving.

Dust storm & a favourite mid-week meal – roast hoisin chicken

2009-09-23T21:47:00.003+10:00

Coming back to Sydney after an unexpected long weekend in Melbourne, I woke up to a thick dust storm this morning. At first I thought it was just foggy but the red haze said something differently. As I am writing this post, the dust layer is getting thinner but still, everyone can feel the thick dust in the air as we breath in…

I may be a bit quiet these days. Several posts are lined up, but I have not been able to get around them yet. I am travelling quite a bit this month, so the normal routine is kinda interrupted. During the last few days, I did fall off the wagon with sensible eating. And trust me, sensible is not in the dictionary if you have a chance to celebrate Eid in a more traditional way. I was stuffed with so much sweets, my whole heart danced on sugar high. I would not complain though. How could I if I was able to taste some amazing home-made Turkish baklavas? Imagine layers of crispy filo pastry with pistachio and velvety sweet syrup. There were also an airy light cake, also soaked with syrup, and the Turkish version of marshmallows. All home-made and totally delicious! And not to mention some really delicious Bangladesh-style chicken biryani and haleem as well.

Coming back home, to my horror, I found an almost empty fridge. Literally, there was almost nothing left. This was when whatever in the freezer came to rescue and I managed to get some roast hoisin chicken out for dinner. Don’t you just love the freezer and feel proud of yourself for preparing things ahead?

Anyway, I really love this recipe. The flavours are pretty much inspired from char siu (Chinese-style roast pork), something I no longer eat. I have adapted the method of cooking char siu here but without the red food coloring. Also, char siu tends to be overly sweet for my taste (my family used to call them ‘candied pork’), so I aim for a more savoury-sweet balance in my recipe.

It is worth making this recipe in large batch and storing in the freezer. I intended to use the leftover hoisin chicken for steamed buns but we always finished it before the dough was even made. There is next time though, right?

Hoisin chicken is best served with some hot steamed rice, steamed seasonal vegetables and light Asian-style vegetable soup (like miso). I have also tossed the chicken pieces through some salad and it is really good.

Roast Hoisin Chicken

Loosely based on Andrea Nguyen's char siu recipe

Ingredients
1kg chicken thigh fillet

3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbp brown sugar
1 tsp Chinese-style five-spice powder (available at Asian shops)
5 tbp hoisin sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee brand)
1 tbp honey
3 tbp light soy sauce
2 tbp dark soy sauce
1 tbp sesame oil

Method
{} Make the marinade by whisking all the marinade ingredients together. Set aside about 1/3 of the marinade. Pour the rest over chicken and marinade overnight.
{} Preheat oven to the highest temperature setting. Position the baking rack in the middle of the oven. Bring the chicken and the reserved marinade to room temperature.
{} Put a baking rack over the baking tray. Place the chicken on the rack. Avoid overcrowding.
{} Roast the chicken for around 30 minutes. Turning the chicken occasionally and basting it with the reserved marinade. The chicken is cooked when clear juice comes out when piercing into the middle of the piece.
{} Remove from the oven. Let the meat rest for 5 mins before slicing and serve. The left over can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Note: To heat up the thawed roast chicken, I like to lightly pan-fry them with minimum oil, little water and extra hoisin sauce to keep the flavours going.

LiveStrong - The battle is not lost

2009-09-16T20:42:00.003+10:00

I am terribly late for A Taste for Yellow this year. Thanks to Barbara’s kindness, I have some time to get my act together and write this post.

I thought this post would be easy to write. Yet, as I started it, emotions took over and I felt totally wordless. During the last few weeks, my grandmother was in hospital to undergo an operation to remove her tumour. It is a such blessing that she has recovered well so far, but we have been so stressed and worried. With my grandpa going through similar experience, cancer is no longer a stranger for us.

Still, my heart breaks whenever I know or hear of someone suffering this disease. My highschool friend H., as young as she is in her mid 20s, is at the final stage of cancer. We have not met for nearly 10 years, but my memory of her is so vivid. A young girl full of energy, with a big smile and kind heart.

Recently I got to meet up with someone who happened to be a doctor. We talked about H, whom we both know. To my surprise, this friend said something along the line of cancer has been such a normal thing for her to see so she has been numb to it. There is nothing to feel bad about. She just looks at the case and says there’s X or Y chance of survival. I am sorry, but I beg to differ. I am neither a doctor nor specialist. But I just know that you just cannot assign a number to someone’s life. Tell me that I am naïve, but all of us, having cancer or not, have the chance to live until the very end. All the cancer patients that I know have taught me tremendous lessons of hope, strength and courage… So don’t, my heart begs, don’t let your heart turn numb over things that matter.

You know, when it is said to me someone has lost the battle to cancer, I don’t necessarily agree. How can you say the battle is lost if through that we find wisdom, meaning of life, courage, strength, love, kinship and pain?..

Back to my friend’s story. Turning 20, she discovered cancer. In the past five years, it has not stopped her to realise her dream of going to a famous medical school. It has not stopped her to find love. It has not stopped her to smile and be the vivid H. we always know. The battle is not lost, you see?

{}

We are supposed to cook something with yellow to celebrate this event. I come up with a simple snack - fried wonton. The filling is vegetarian and really simple: napa cabbage, fresh yellow sweet corn and toasted nori. The gentle sweetness of the filling makes the dish really refreshing although being deep-fried.

Fried wonton with napa cabbage, corn and toasted nori

Ingredients: enough for 2-3 to share as snack.

Small wonton wrappers (the egg type): around 10-15 sheets

100g napa (Chinese) cabbage, thinly shredded

Corn kernel from one small corn cob

1 sheet of toasted nori, cut into small pieces with a kitchen scissor

Sesame oil and soya sauce to taste

Oil to deep-fry

How to

{} Mix the filling together. Adjust the seasoning with soy sauce. Add in a dash of roasted sesame oil. Mix well.

{} Put ½ tsp of filling at the centre of the wonton wrapper. Don’t over fill.

{} Moisten the edge of the wrapper with some water. Gather all the edge and twist to seal. Set aside and repeat with the rest.

{} Deep-fry the wonton in hot oil until golden brown.

{} {} Styling Idea: I use color paper to make a paper boat. Cut off the tall center and you will have a perfect ‘plate’. Choose deep color to contrast with the golden color of the fried wonton. Have fun!

A moment in life #30

2009-09-15T13:01:00.002+10:00

For whom the roses smile?

For all of us, of course ;)

September Daring Cook’s Challenge – Indian Dosa!

2009-09-14T07:02:00.007+10:00

It’s time of the month again when all the Daring Cooks reveal their challenge. This month, we take on Indian cuisine with a fabulous Indian dosai with creamy chickpea filling and coconut sauce. All thanks to the fabulous Debyi from Healthy Vegan Kitchen.

Debyi got the inspiration from Fresh Restaurant in Canada. After trying this recipe, I really want to go there and try it for myself. That is to say I absolutely love this month challenge! I cooked the meal for a group of friends, who all love meat, and they enjoyed the dish immensely.

The star of the show is definitely the chickpea filling. I left half the chickpea whole to improve the texture and it was spot on. The filling was aromatic with the heavenly scent of cumin, which I absolutely adored. I also loved the coconut sauce. It was creamy, yet, refreshing with sweetness and gentle sourness of tomatoes.

As for the dosa, I originally used whole-wheat spelt flour to keep the recipe gluten-free. It was quite hard to deal with since it tends to stick to the pan. However, switching to buckwheat flour, the process seemed to be much easier. I added a handful of finely ground dry coconut to the batter to enhance the coconuty flavour.

To go an extra mile, at the dinner party, I made this ghee rice to go with the chickpea and coconut sauce. A big hit again! I cannot recommend all the recipes well enough.

Hope all of you enjoyed this month challenge as well!

Indian Dosas

This recipe comes in 3 parts, the dosas, the filling and the sauce. It does take awhile to make, but the filling and sauce can be made ahead and frozen if need be. You can serve them as a main course with rice and veggies, or as an appetizer. I recommend serving them with this fabulous ghee rice from Malabar Spice.

Serves 4

Equipment needed:
large bowl
whisk
griddle or skillet
ladle (or large spoon)
spatula
vegetable peeler &/or knife
large saucepan
food processor or bean masher

Dosa Pancakes
1 cup (120gm/8oz) buckwheat flour
A handful of finely ground coconut flake
½ tsp (2½ gm) salt
½ tsp (2½ gm) baking powder
½ tsp (2½ gm) curry powder
½ cup (125ml/4oz) milk
¾ cup (175ml/6oz) water
cooking spray, if needed

Dosa Filling
1 batch Curried Garbanzo Filling (see below), heated

Dosa Toppings
1 batch Coconut Curry Sauce (see below), heated

Dosa Pancakes
1.Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the milk and water, whisking until smooth. The mixture should be just coat the mixing spoon so adjust your liquid accordingly.
2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.
3.Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Curried Garbanzo Filling
This filling works great as a rice bowl topping or as a wrap too, so don't be afraid to make a full batch.

5 cloves garlic
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced (red, yellow or orange are fine too)
2 medium hot banana chilies, minced
2 TBSP (16gm) cumin, ground
1 TBSP (8gm) oregano
1 TBSP (8gm) sea salt (coarse)
1 TBSP (8gm) turmeric
4 cups (850gm/30oz) cooked or canned chick peas (about 2 cans)
½ cup (125gm/4oz) tomato paste

1.Heat a large saucepan over medium to low heat. Add the garlic, veggies, and spices, cooking until soft, stirring occasionally.
2.Mash half of the chickpeas by hand, or in a food processor. Add the chickpeas and tomato paste to the saucepan, stirring until heated through.

Coconut Curry Sauce
This makes a great sauce to just pour over rice as well.

1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ (2½ gm) tsp cumin, ground
¾ (3¾ gm) tsp sea salt (coarse)
3 TBSP (30gm) curry powder
3 TBSP (30gm) spelt flour (or all-purpose GF flour)
3 cups (750ml/24oz) vegetable broth
2 cups (500ml/24oz) coconut milk
3 large tomatoes, diced

1.Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic, cooking for 5 minutes, or until soft.
2.Add the spices, cooking for 1 minutes more. Add the flour and cook for 1 additional minute.
3.Gradually stir in the vegetable broth to prevent lumps. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the coconut milk and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.
4.Let it simmer for half an hour.

***

Photography note: The background is a pretty linen piece I bought from Fresh Fabric on etsy. The owner of the shop is so fabulous!!! Plus, she locates in Australia! :)

Things have been busy around here...

2009-09-10T21:54:00.003+10:00

Things have beeb so busy around here. There's personal and family matter to attend to, decisions to be made...

My flat is in a mess, and I struggle to find the time to balance between work, study, and other things in life. Sometimes I wonder if it's time I made a decision to focus on what I want to do rather than running around meeting others' expectation.

Hopefully things will light up real soon.

I leave you with a simple dessert that I styled and shot recently: Fruit skewers with dark chocolate sauce, warmed up with some cinnamon and nutmeg. It was so good, really.

How to make Japanese multi-layer marble bread

2009-09-08T05:56:00.003+10:00

Step-step instruction to really tasty and good looking bread!

When I saw this layer bread a while back, I was hooked. But it did take me a long time to research the bread thoroughly and start making my own version.

The concept of this bread is quite fascinating. You will need to make the chocolate sheet first, which consists of chocolate, condensed milk and flour. The mixture is ‘cooked’ in the microwave to become pliable. To achieve the multi layers and marbling effects, think puff pastry! The technique is exactly the same. This came to me while I was reading a book on how to make puff pastry. Whoever thought of this must be a genius, really.

I got the recipe for the chocolate sheet from a Japanese blogger. Thanks to a friend of mine, the recipe was translated with ease. For the dough recipe, I modified the lovely Hokkaido milk loaf, which has been a hit among Asian home bakers.

The final result is lovely. The marbling effect is quite good for a novice like me, yes? The bread itself has the hint of chocolate throughout. And if you like soft, Asian-style bread, this is definitely for you.

I have included a step-step instruction. I was alone when making the bread, so the pics were a bit blurry (it’s hard to handle a DSLR with hands full of flour!). Hopefully it helps you to get the idea.

I have not baking new bread for a while, so this is a perfect occasion to join the weekly Yeast spotting!

Japanese-style chocolate multi-layer marble bread

Quantity below is enough for one loaf.

For the chocolate sheet

30g dark chocolate
55g milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
15g plain flour
1.5 tbp corn starch
15g sugar
2 tbps condensed milk

For the bread dough (adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients
220g bread flour
30g cake flour
1tsp salt
1 tsp dry yeast
70g sugar
1 egg
100ml milk
45ml whipping cream
15g melted butter

Method:

Prepare the bread dough first!
1. Put all ingredients into the bread machine as per instructions for your machine in the dough cycle. (If you do not have a bread machine, simply knead the dough
with an electric stand-mixer. Remember separate the yeast from salt and sugar to avoid the dehydration. Knead until gluten is fully developed and the dough is elastic, smooth, non-sticky and leave from sides of mixing bowl. Cover with a damp towel and allow the dough to ferment until double in size, about 60 minutes).
2. When the dough cycle is completed, punch down the bread dough to release the air and let it rest for 10 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.

Prepare the chocolate sheet
Put the chocolate in a bowl, and microwave on High for 40s. Take out, stir. If the chocolate is not melted, continue to microwave at 5-10 seconds increment. When the chocolate is melted, mix in the other ingredients. Mix well to combine and avoid any lump.

Put the bowl onto the microwave again. This time for 50 seconds. Take out, give it a good stir. It should be sticky and forming a dough by now. Keep stirring until everything combined.

Spread the chocolate sheet onto the cling wrap. Roll out thinly, store in the fridge while waiting for the bread dough to be ready.

Forming the bread layer
After the dough has rested, roll the dough onto a floured surface to a rectangular around 30x40cm. Place the chocolate sheet on top. The chocolate sheet should be well inside the bread dough. Wrap the bread dough onto the chocolate sheet. Use your hand to pat down and flatten the dough.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin rectangular shape, 20x40cm. Fold the dough in three lengthwise.

Turn 90 degree. Repeat the above step. Roll the dough thinly, then fold in three lengthwise. The more ‘turn’ you make, the more marbling effects you will have. I turn the dough around 4 times.

Finally, roll the dough into 20x40cm rectangular. Cut the dough into three long strips. Braid them together, put into a greased loaf pan. Cover with cling wrap, and let them ferment in a warm place until doubled (around 40-60 mins depending on your room temperature).

Baking
Preheat the oven to 170C. Sprinkle the bread with some extra sugar if desired. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the bread is done. (The bottom of the bread sounds hollow when knocked). Cool on a rack. Enjoy!

A moment in life #29

2009-09-05T23:03:00.002+10:00

The age of innocence
I
don't know her name or parents. Just an 'out of nowhere' shot while I was travelling through Wollongong.

Just love the innocence look and the pretty dress that she got on.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend :)!

Spring has come! Recipe: work-in-progress cream cheese castella

2009-09-02T21:36:00.003+10:00

So spring has finally here in the land of down under. It is still a bit cold in the morning and late at night, but warm sunshine is abundant during the day. I certainly enjoy these beautiful sights around me. My camera has been very busy. I spent the last weekend in Melbourne, shooting a beautiful and warm gathering. In the next few days, some other (work, food and/or photography related) projects will also flow on. So busy and exciting yet so little time.

You may notice I have been and will be quieter in the blog world for a while. Life inspirations and other duties mean less time for blogging. I will still be browsing my favourite blogs and discovering new ones. But catching up with comments might be a bit slower.

In my kitchen, I have some projects need to be accomplished. Today cream cheese castella is one of them. What is castella, some of you may ask? Essentially, it’s a popular sponge cake in Japan. The cake is a perfect example of how western cuisine has integrated into local food scene. Castella cake was brought to Japan all the way from Portugal but the Japanese have adapted the cake to their very own taste. I have made several versions of this cake in the past. Hopefully one day I can share it with you about the best version yet.

Today version of the cake is not so traditional. Learning from my friend, Sunny, I bake cream cheese castella. Because of the cream cheese, the cake is not as light and airy as the original castella. I am thinking to modify the recipe a bit more by including some corn flour to lighten the texture. Also, I may keep the cream cheese mixture warm so that it will not weight my batter down as much when folded. Any suggestions, my dear friend?

Flavour-wise, the cake is really beautiful though. It’s not overly sweet but rich enough. A fine balance between sweetness and richness, something I miss from Asian desserts. We finish the cake in just a day. A proof of quality I suppose?

So here’s my work-in-progress cream cheese castella. I have included some step-step photos for reference. Hope they are helpful for you.

Work-in-progress cream cheese castella

Recipe adapted from different sources. The quantity here is good for the traditional wooden castella pan which I do not have. I use a 20x20cm square pan and it works fine although the cake is not as tall.

Ingredients

100g cream cheese
50g milk
30g butter
5 egg whites
120g sugar
½ tsp salt
8 egg yolk

1 tbp maple syrup (or honey)
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
135g Flour

Method

Preparation: Sift flour 2-3 times. Butter your baking pan and line it with baking paper. Preheat oven to 170C.

Using a double boiler, put milk, butter, cream cheese in a bowl over simmering water. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Put egg yolk, sugar, vanilla and maple syrup in a separate mixing bowl over simmering water. Warm the yolk just until lukewarm. Take out and beat until thick and pale.

Whisk egg whites until soft peak forms.

Gently fold cream cheese into the yolk mixture. Sift flour over the yolk, fold gently to combine.

Gently fold the egg whites into the cream cheese and egg yolk mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Hit the side of the pan to release some air bubbles.

Bake in the oven at 170C for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 150C and bake for 30-25 mins.

If desired, when the cake is hot, brush some sugar syrup onto the cake. Invert the cake pan up-side-down to release the cake. Cool and serve.

Random ranting. Recipe: finger banana fritters with maple syrup

2009-08-27T11:01:00.003+10:00

Anyone of you watches Mad Men? It’s my absolutely favorite show. Oh my, Don Drapper is super hot! I also love the writing and the casting. It seems like an almost perfect show.

I need to apologize for the photos. I am not really fond of this set. Normally natural lighting is what I prefer when taking food photos. However, recently I also experiment to shoot at night. Sometimes it works (like the matcha fro-yo shots) but I just miss the unevenness and softness of natural lighting. More experiments are needed for me.

Nonetheless, let’s talk about food. These finger bananas were selling like hot cakes at my local market. They are so small and cute. Unlike the normal variety, these bananas have firmer texture and not as sugary sweet. That is why I prefer those. Back in Vietnam, these bananas are very common. In Australia, they are harder to find and a bit dearer. So finding them is a perfect excuse to indulge in some simple banana fritters.

I came up with the fritter recipe after a bit of experiment in the past. Adding corn flour and baking powder to the traditional batter adds beautiful crunchiness. Coconut milk is sort of a one-off thing, given that I have some left over in the fridge. A lot of people would serve banana fritters with ice-cream. I just love them warm with a good drizzle of maple syrup.

A sweet ending like this is what I love!

Finger banana fritters with maple syrup

This recipe also works for the normal banana variety. Just cut them up in smaller portion.

Ingredients
Around 6-10 finger bananas
Oil for deep-frying

100g flour
50g corn flour
A pinch of salt
¼ tsp baking powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons thick coconut milk
1 egg
100ml water (you may not use all of this. See the recipe)

Method
Make the batter first. Combine the flours, salt, baking powder and sugar in the bowl. Add egg, coconut milk and some water. Stir to combine. Adjust the amount of water so that you have a batter free of lump. The batter should not be thick and it should coat the back of a spoon thinly.

Peel the banana and half lengthwise.

Heat oil. Dip bana slices into the batter and coat thoroughly. Deep-fry until golden. Serve warm with maple syrup.

Summer is near – Creamy matcha frozen yoghurt

2009-08-23T21:23:00.003+10:00

To celebrate warm weather, I use matcha to make creamy frozen yoghurt!

Summer is coming to Sydney, we all feel it in the air. The weekend weather has been gorgeous. It feels like winter has totally gone, and summer has rushed in early. Just beautiful and there is nothing to complain about.

Such weather is a perfect excuse to test out my newly purchase – an ice-cream maker. I owned one in the past, but it didn’t survive long after a few batches of sorbet. I hope the new Cuisine Art can withstand my (potentially extensive) usage.

What are your favorite ice-cream flavours? Being a chocoholic and coffee addict, I actually don’t really like these two flavours being served cold. I adore fruity ice-cream, and some Asian flavours like pandan, coconut, sesame and naturally enough, durian.

Truth to my taste, my first batch of ice-cream includes green tea (matcha) as flavouring ingredient. Ever since my green tea cupcakes, I have not used them much in cooking. (I used them for this purpose, if you ask!).

Anyway, there are quite a few matcha ice-cream out there, but I want something refreshing yet creamy, so this recipe comes handy. I change the recipe around quite a bit though. First off, the amount of matcha is almost doubled in mine. I also add in some cream together with the yoghurt to make it creamier. The result? Totally refreshing and delicious frozen yoghurt. Actually, the texture is so smooth and creamy, it’s almost like ice-cream.

I am sending this frozen treat to Weekend Herb Blogging. The ingredient featured is matcha. Out host for this week is Prof. Kitty from The Cabinet of Prof. Kitty. Please head to her blog for the roung up!

Creamy matcha frozen yoghurt

Ingredients
3C whole-milk organic yoghurt
1C cream
1.5 tbp matha powder
1 scant cup sugar
Tiny drop of green coloring (optional)

Method

Make sure your mixing bowl is cold. Put all ingredients together in the mixing bowl.

Using a hand mixer, whip until sugar is dissolved, around 3-4 mins. Then, proceed according to your ice-cream maker manual.

Discount voucher from Menulog to all of you!

2009-08-21T21:50:00.003+10:00

Who does not love sales and discounts? ;)

Anyway, good news to all my readers in Australia. Here is the discount voucher you can use for meal order from Menulog.

Menulog Restaurant Delivery Guide
Australia's largest restaurant guide (20,000+ restaurants)
Order home delivery online (600+ restaurants)
Get $10 off on your first delivery order using this voucher code: 3ED728
Note: Available for participating restaurants only (which display the “accepts vouchers”) sign

The voucher is valid until November, 2009. All your visitors could use this on their first order on participating restaurants in the site that has "accepts voucher" sign. This could be used for a minimum purchase of $20.

Have fun and a great weekend of sunshine! :)

A moment in life #28

2009-08-20T21:52:00.003+10:00

A corner of Sydney that I see almost everyday from my balcony. Sometimes, when it's raining, the scene is so much different. I wonder how the old city looked like?

"Here was my city, immense, overpowering, flooded with energy and light... And there was I, breasting the March wind, drinking in the city and sky, both vast, yet both contained in me, transmitting through me the great mysterious will that had made them and the promise of the new day that was still to come..."

Robert Drewe (From the Introduction to a book called Book of the City)

Mid-week cooking - Spicy stir-fry whole-wheat noodles with tempeh and vegetables

2009-08-19T21:15:00.004+10:00

Mid-week cooking with a tasty meatless noodle stir-fry

The notion of 'desperate dinner' in this blog article amuses me. I think most of us agree that mid-week cooking can become a chore, boring one I mean. For me, it’s been hard trying to get enough motivation to cook at home almost everyday. I wonder how my mom coped in the past, cooking, raising two kids, doing her PhD and working at the same time? Mind you we did not have any home help back then either. She’s truly an incredible woman. Our meals were simple yet very healthy, all thanks to mom.

I feel like starting a new habit of documenting some of my mid-week meals on this blog. Besides all the more elaborated dishes I love to do when time is available. I am not sure how long this will last. Let’s see. And I am not entirely good you know? If cooking becomes too much, I normally just jump to Chinatown and grab something quick. But with my sister living here, the responsibility has increasesd and so has my efforts for dinner. Well, at least I do not have to wash the dishes. That's a bonus.

The recipe for today is one of my favourite way of cooking tempeh. I have never been a big fan of tempeh (fermented soya beans) until I discover a tip recently. Marinade it well and the flavour is much more agreeable. Then you can toss it through anything, like I did with this Southeast Asian inspired spicy stir-fry noodles.

Chinese whole-wheat noodles are chosen here, but of course other types of noodles (thin egg or hokien varieties, even thin spaghetti if you wish) can be substituted. Seasonal vegs (whatever you have in the fridge) can be used and substituted freely. Oh, the eggplant is really nice in this dish so try to use it if you can. Korean pepper paste can be found in most Asian stores.

Spicy stir-fry whole-wheat noodles with tempeh and vegetables

Ingredients (for 2 servings). Adjust the pepper paste if you don't like it hot.

150g tempeh, cut into thin strip
1 /2 tbp soy sauce
½ tbp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis )

150g whole-wheat noodles, cook as per packet direction

2 tbp light flavoured oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1tsp minced lemongrass (I used the frozen one)

1 red capsicum (bell pepper), cut into strips
1 small Asian eggplant, cut into 1cm slices
Some broccoli
1 lime leaf, sliced thinly (I freeze the bag of lime leaves)

1 tbp Korean hot pepper paste (Can be substituted with sweet chili sauce. if this is the case, do not use sweet soy sauce for seasoning)

1-2 tsp soy sauce (or to taste)
Sweet soy sauce, to taste

Direction:
1. Marinade the tempeh with two soy sauce for at least 30 mins.
2. Cook the noodles as per package direction, drain well. Keep some cooking liquid around.
3. Heat 1 tbp oil in a wok. Quickly fry the tempeh strip until crsip. Take out and set aside.
4. In the same wok, heat another tbp of oil. Put in garlic& lemongrass.. Stir until fragrant. Now add in your eggplant first. Cook a bit (2 mins) then toss in the rest of the veg. If the mixture is a bit too dry, add in a few tablespoons of hot water (from boiling the noodles). Cotinue to stir until the vegs are cooked but still have some crunchy bite. Toss through the noodles, lime leaf and the tempeh. Add in extra soy sauce, pepper paste and sweet soy sauce to taste. Dish out and serve immediately.

Weekend Herb Blogging #196 - The Recap

2009-08-17T08:09:00.013+10:00

It has been such a pleasure to host the WHB this week. I have learned so many new ingredients, inspired by delicious dishes and discovered some new food blogs to read.

There are a lot of interesting dishes in this round up, so without further delay, let’s dig in!

My new friends over at the Ravenous Couples have cooked one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes – betel leaf wrapped beef. Traditionally made with beef, the betel leaves give a lovely aroma to the dish. Head over to the post to read more about the cultural significance betel leaves play in Vietnamese culture as well!

Over at 80 breakfasts, ChicaJo has been busy enjoying her lovely tomatoes, which are at their best right now. You will have to agree with ChicaJo that when you have access to the best quality tomatoes, the simpler the preparation, the better. That's exactly what she has done with this beautiful tomato salad.

The next post brings us all the way to France, where Dhanggit is enjoying summer with her family. And this Nectarine Raspberry Meringue Ice-cream Cake is the perfect way to celebrate summer and chill out.

Closer to home, we have a lovely salad from Anna of Morsels & Musings. Simple it may be, but sliced palm heart, drizzled with vinegar, olive oil and parsley is the perfect snack.

This next dish features stinky petai, something I have been dying to try. Thanks to Ann from Pig Pig's corner, now I know of a delicious way to enjoy these beans. Anything would taste better with home-made sambal belacan, I figure.

Rachel from The Crispy Cook brings us a lovely version of dolmades, Stuffed Grape Leaves with Zucchini and Cilantro. I love this recipe since Rachel has used zucchini from her garden and home-prepared grape leaves.

Ben from What's Cooking is sharing with us his love for pears, the 'gift of the gods'. His post details excellent health benefits of this fruit, together with a lovely pear recipe that he has been making again and again. Don't miss out!

"What a wonderful vegetable is broccoli
Its green branches are prettier than any tree
I love it for dinner
It’s always a winner
So pile some up on my plate for me" - These lines are from the wonderful Johanna at Green Gourmet Giraffe Blog, who shares with us a comprehensive and musing post about broccoli. She also includes lovely broccoli recipes as well!

Elle from Feeding my enthusiasms got an ingredients I have not seen around to feature - Lemon Cucumbers. Using lemon cucumber, together with riped tomatoes from her own garden, Elle creates a refreshing summer salad with "with sweet and savory, soft and crunchy all together".

Susan of the popular blog, Wild Yeast, joins the fun of WHB with a special ingredient - Hemp Seeds. Do you know that hemp seed is a subspecies of Cannabis sativa, of which marijuana is a different subspecies? Could eating hemp seeds cause one to fail a drug test? A lot of interesting information is shared in the post. And don't forget to drool over Susan's bread. I know I always do!

Next up, Nina from My-easy-cooking has a good looking and refreshing dish to share, Blackforest Ham, watercress and Camembert wraps. It is a simple dish, but really delicious especially when pairing with the creamy fresh herb dipping sauce.

From the tropical island Singapore, LK at Food-4Tots got a special ingredient to share - cordyceps militaris. It is actually a fungus which has become a popular Chinese herbal ingredient. More valuable information together with a lovely herbal soup can be found here.

Our next dish comes from the lovely Kalyn, the creator of WHB. This week she brings us a colorful salad featuring Artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, Capers with a yummy basil dressing. The nice thing is artichoke hearts are roasted in this recipe, something I have never thought of. How delicious they can be!

This dish is a very special one from Sudeshna over at Cook like a Bong.
It's a very traditional recipe from Bengal, the Eastern part of the Indian sub-continent. Sudeshna learned this dish from her mother and grandmother, so you can be sure it's authentic. A detailed description of the ingredients can be found in her post.

I have learned a lot of interesting facts about carrots from mangocheeks' post at Allotment 2 Kitchen blog. Her Carrot and green bean pie looks wonderful , doesn't it? This pie requires time and some tender loving care. And I am sure the end result is well worth the effort.

Haalo from Cook alsmot anything at least once brings us an incredible dip recipe featuring a humble ingredient, Green Split Pea. Pairing the pea with olive and Persian feta, the result is a luxurious dip which is excellent with hot pita bread.

Waste not, even the watermelon peel! I will be saving watermelon peel to make Brii's pickled watermelon cubes next time around. Thanks Brii from Brii's blog for such a wonderful inspiration.

The chocolate lady from In Mol Araan is arguing for the case of non-cooked escarole. I am sure after trying the incredible salad featuring this leafy vegetable, the reason for enjoying escarole raw can be firmly established!

Another post featuring lemon cucumber. This time is from Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen. She shares with us an unusual and flavoursome Spicy Lemon Cucumber Pickles. These will be excellent as snack as well as paired up with other dishes.

Lastly, I feature watercress for this week WHB. I use it in a simple but tasty Asian-style salad with prawn and coriander.

That is for this week WHB! I hope you enjoy all the herbs and vegs as much as I do! If I miss out anyone, please let me know! And don't forget to participate in the next edition of WHB, hosted by Prof. Kitty from The Cabinet of Prof. Kitty.

Asian-style Watercress Prawn Salad

2009-08-15T22:18:00.002+10:00

For Weekend Herb Blogging this week, I’m having a closer look at watercress.

Watercress is one of few veggies that I have grown to love more and more in past years. I love them in salad, or quickly add them to noodle soup or stir-fry. The slight bitter and somewhat peppery taste is addictive somehow.

This beautiful vegetable is believed to be the spring cleaning herb. And with Sydney weather is so warm and gorgeous; I do feel that spring has returned early this year. Time to put aside winter heavy dishes and opt for something lighter!

The salad I make today is inspired from a wonderful book called Balance and Harmony: Asian Food by Neil Perry. It is incredibly refreshing with the balance of sweet-sour note. These fresh flavours are classic, and I am so fond of them.

This dish is really easy to prepare. But be sure to buy good fish sauce. My choice of fish sauce (outside Vietnam) is this brand.

My weekend has been good so far. Tomorrow we will have a 28C day in Sydney although technically winter is still around. Time to get out and enjoy the sun for me!

Asian-style Watercress Prawn Salad

Ingredients (for two as starter)
8 king prawns, cooked, peeled and deveined with tails left intact
1 large handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 cup of watercress leaves
Slices of red chillies
1 lime leaf, finely sliced

Dressing: Juice of 1 lime, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tbp fish sauce.

Method: Whisk together the dressing ingredients, taste to get the right balance. Toss through prawns and other ingredients. Serve immediately.

***

I am hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week and there's still time to submit your entry. Please see this for more details.

Daring Cook August Challenge – Paella, paella!

2009-08-14T18:01:00.003+10:00

My take on Daring Cook August Challenge – Calamari and Fennel Paella

I have a thing for Paella. I just love it. Long before this challenge, this chicken and artichoke paella has been frequently served in our family (provided that fresh artichokes are around, of course). And I can tell you one thing; this month challenge recipe is a perfect winner as well! This dish will be our home favorite from now on.

Fussy I may be, but I care for my paella. Home-made fish stock is a must and fresh ingredients are important. Equally important is the right type of rice. I normally opt for Calasparra, which has smaller grains and perfect absorption ability. Calasparra is quite expensive in Australia, and you can get it from The Essential Ingredients.

The original recipe is Squid, Artichoke and Mushroom Paella. Artichokes are still absent from my local market but fennels are still abundant. Naturally, I have used fennel here and it’s absolutely beautiful.

Now it’s the time for confession. I have been absent minded lately (blaming it on work!), so I do not gather enough time and ingredients to make allioli. So, learning from almost all TV chefs that I know, I cheat! I simply mix crushed garlic with ready-made mayonnaise. Flavor-wise, it’s nice but the home-made version must be better for sure.

Read on for the recipe. I’ve changed the method of cooking here or there to suit what I have on hand and my taste.

It’s Friday night here in Australia and my brain is fried after a week of work. I am looking towards the weekend. AND I do not want to hear anything related to Bloomberg for at least the weekend!

Calamari and Fennel Paella

Adapted from a José Andrés’s recipe. Serve 2-3 as main course.

Sofregit (tomato and capsicum sauce) – Prepare this first
2 tablespoons of olive oil
5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Bay leaf
Salt
A touch of cumin and dried oregano

Put everything in a saucepan, heat and stir. Cook for 1 hour in low heat, stir occasionally until you get a saucy mixture. Set aside (this may be more than what you need for this recipe).

Ingredients for the paella

2 small calamari, cleaned and cut into strips
1 fennel, remove and reserve the top. Cut the fennel head to strips
A bit of verjuice
Sofregit, a few tablespoons from above (substitute with a good quality tomato puree if you have to)
1 cup Calasparra rice
3 cup of fish stock (Simmer fish head and bones with bay leaf, thyme, few peppercorns for as long as possible. Reduce to 3 cups).
Saffron thread (or a pinch of turmeric powder)
Salt to taste

Cheated Allioli: crush 1 garlic clove and mix with ¼ cup mayonnaise (the full-fat good quality variety!).

Method

Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan. Add fennel and sauté until the fennel has nice golden color.

Add a touch of verjuice, then 1-2 tbps of sofregit, mix well.

Add all the fish stock. Bring to the boil. Add the rice and let boil for 5 mins in heavy heat. Next, add some saffron thread (or turmeric powder). Turn to low heat and boil gently for 8 mins or until the rice is done. Taste and adjust seasoning. The rice should be softer than ‘al dente’ but sill has some bite.

Let the rice stand for a few mins. Serve with the allioli, topped with fennel top.

Birthday girl and Sugar nest with creamy yoghurt filling

2009-08-10T21:13:00.003+10:00

My birthday thought and an unusual dessert.

I am officially one year older tomorrow (11 Aug). Initially, I wanted to prepare an “about me” post, and tell you how I feel about this occasion. Nevertheless, the fact is that I am left wordless. Perhaps it’s because birthday is no longer a really joyful occasion as you get older? So instead of thinking about my own birthday, I redirect my thought to some of my loved ones whose birthdays are in this very month. It might be strange but most of my best friends were born in the same month as me. Back to the time when I was at school, August used to be the month of presents and birthday parties. I want to send the warmest birthday wishes and hugs to all of them. However, these three individuals are in my heart.

My father: need I say more? Happy birthday, daddy!

Sister NHA: Her name is exactly like mine and our birthdays are only a few days apart. We have never met in person, but we have shared a lot of our thought in life, together with the girly love for makeup and nail polishes. She’s like an older sister to me.

Thuc Hien: This girl has been my best buddy since year 7. We have seen each other grow up, shared the laughter and tears. Recently she has become a mother! I cannot be happier for her.

As for myself, I think those photos will tell you exactly who I am and what I want (essentially)! ;)

I have never baked a proper cake for my birthday. I just don’t feel special if I do. But this year, I do manage to create something unusual for the occasion. Sort of a tartlet with the crust is a sugar nest. The filling is creamy yoghurt and raspberry sauce. It’s kind of fun to break the crust at the table and mix them with the yoghurt. The flavour is clean and refreshing. The texture is creamy and crunchy. Presentation wise, it has the ‘wow’ factor’, too. Simple yet fun, elegant and flavourful. I like it that way.

I come up with this sugar nest after a failed experiment a while back. It’s not hard, but require a bit of patience and practice. The nest is extremely fragile and easy to break. Step 1-2 can be done ahead, but the final baking and moulding should be done on the day.

Instruction for the sugar nest – I made 6 tartlets (and broke a few more) and still had quite a bit of sugar powder left. I would not recommend reducing the amount here though. Left-over sugar powder can be stored nicely until required.

Ingredients: 100g fondant, 150g glucose

Instruction:

1. In a saucepan, melt the fondant and glucose over medium low heat. Continue to boil until the mixture registers 150C with a candy thermometer. Pour over a baking tray which has been lined with baking paper. Cool.

2. Break the sugar mixture and put in a food processor. Process until you get fine powder. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 150C.

4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Use a template to get a circle around 15cm in diameter. Generously sift the sugar onto the baking paper. Lift the template out, bake the sugar until set but not burnt (1 min). Take out, and quickly “peel” the sugar nest and mould it using the bottom of a thin glass/bottle (see pic). (To peel the sugar, it’s best to use a knife to lift off the edge a bit before carefully peeling out).

5. Store the case apart from each other until ready to serve.

Filling: Thick yoghurt, mixed with a few tbps of heavy cream. Add some raspberry source/jam and fresh fruit on top. Serve immediately.

Weekend herb blogging is here this week!

2009-08-10T11:59:00.002+10:00

I am pleased to be the host of weekend herb blogging this week (10 Aug – 16 Aug)! This event was originally created by Kalyn and it is now in the care of Haalo.

Rules of WHB can be read here.

Please send your entry to me by:

3pm Sunday - Utah Time
10pm Sunday - London Time
11pm Sunday - Rome Time
7am Monday - Melbourne (Aus) Time (times have been adjusted for changes in daylight saving)

Send your post to anhnguyen118[at]gmail[dot]com with the following details:

• Your Name
• Your Blog Name/URL
• Your Post URL
• Your Location
• Attach a photo: 300pix wide

Happy blogging! I cannot wait to see your creative dishes featuring herbs, plants, vegies, flowers etc.