A Series of Kitchen Experiments

The Avocado, Carrot and Beet Salad

2008-05-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

I am done whale watching. It was an ethereal trip, a much needed one too, before the balls and chains of the good ol' 9-5 comes falling down.

Anyway, back to food postings as I've neglected this blog far too long. I will start with a simple carrot, avocado and beet salad. Ooouff! That's a mouthful, isn't it? Let's just call it the CABS. I guess I could call it SCABS too but that would be a bit gross. :P

A big part of this salad recipe is assembling everything together. But it does involve a little big of cooking.

The CABS salad is healthy and surprisingly hearty. The orange and balsamic vinaigrette gives it a good tangy punch that leaves you pleasantly surprised at just how good everything feels and taste in your mouth :) There is a surprise spice in there that rounds it all off. It's also a best friend to carrot. See if you can spot it.

Carrots, Avocado and Beets Salad recipe:
2 carrots, peels and cut into 3 inch length-wise
2 beets, peels and quartered
Beet leafs, washed and drained (optional, but they are lovely as salads)
1 avocado, skinned and sliced
1 zucchini cut into the same size as the carrots (optional ingredient but I added it in)

Dressing:
1 whole orange juice and some pulp
zest of a whole lime
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted on hot pan for 1 min and crush slightly with the back of your knife
salt and pepper

Method:
1. Heat up a half full pan of water. Season the water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
2. When water boils, add your zucchini to boil for 2 minutes. Take the zucc's out with a slotted spoon.
3. In the same water, add your carrots and beets in to cook for about 8minutes. You can cook the carrots and beets separately but i like the color the beets imparts to the carrots, it becomes a ruby orange :)
4. As your vegetables are cooking, make your dressing. In a large salad bowl, add your quartered avocados in. Add orange juice, zests, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and season with some salt and pepper onto the avocados. Toss to mix and set aside.
5. Assemble your vegetables, hot and steaming, by adding it into the bowl with the marinated avocados and toss together.

Serve with some croûtons and drizzle with a little bit more balsamic.

Tastiest salad ever. And cumin was the surprise spice. It goes very, very well with beets and carrots :)

A whale watching hiatus!

2008-05-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

Havin' a whale of a time

Dear faithful readers (yes, all 3 of you :P),

I am writing live from a wonderful place upper north of Quebec called Charlevoix. I will be on a hiatus until further notice because I am currently on a whale hunt! Not to kill but to observe. This trip will be a memorable one because it's my first time going on a whale watch and I do hope to catch a sight or two of belugas or perhaps the endangered blue whale near the coasts of Charlevoix where the great St. Lawrence river and the Atlantic Ocean meets!

Apparently it is the best time of the year to be whale watching because the weather is not too cold but the waters is still freezing and is thus perfect for whale watching. The whales usually swim against the currents to feed and it is this time of the year that they feed and bulk up.

To be quite honest, I haven't exactly been eating excellent food at all since I got here. It's the usual eggs, bacon and ham for breakfast and meats and potatoes for lunch or dinner. It's pretty boring gastronomy if you ask me. BUT i did get to taste some excellent cheese and will probably buy one of the 400 available cheeses in that region when I get back! Oh, they eat meat pies as breakfast here too, which I thought was rather heavy but I had it twice so far because they're included in their breakfast platters!

Alrighty, I'll post more about the trip +pix when I get back but till then, i'm on a whale watching hiatus!

Limon Tiger Cheesecake

2008-04-26T23:26:00.000-07:00

This is quite simply an homage to the 70s recipe books where they are written by "women who love their families". While that line may have a double edge meaning (with the quotes and all that between the lines pun), I would like to focus on the good part of a 70's cookbook - the no-bake cheesecakes!

I was at an excellent pub eating pub grub the other day and fell in love with their slice of heaven called Limon Tiger Pie. It's basically lemon cheesecake with a fluffy creamy top, a rather light but denser middle set on a chocolaty base. I think the reason why they called it a Limon Tiger is because of the stripes caused by a marbling effect on the crumbs and the generous sprinkles of chocolate crumbs splashes over the top. It's simply amazing to eat because of it's lemony fluff texture. To be quite frank, I never thought I would like unbaked cheesecakes this much that I would try to recreate it at home days after. Successfully. Because it's easy. :)

In the 70's, people ate raw eggs wantonly like Salmonella and E. Coli never existed. Today, I'm not so keen on having raw egg yolks in my cheesecake unbaked. And I suppose vegetarians and lacto-vegans will be please to know that I didn't use any eggs in this recipe.

Without further ado, here's Limon Tiger Cheesecake -

For the base:
2 cups of crushed chocolate chip cookies (use your favorite brand) + some for sprinkling
1/4 cup butter

Cheese filling:
500g of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened in room temperature
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of lemon zest, zest and finely chopped after
1/2 lemon juice
1 cup of densely packed icing sugar + 1/4 cup for heavy cream

Method:
1. Prepare the base first. Use an 8inch round cake pan and coat it with butter.
2. In a food processor, add your cookie crumbs and butter in. Blitz until you get a pebbly wet texture that is easy to form and mold.
3. Press the buttery crumbs into the base and the wall of your cake pan, slowly even it out with your fingers until you get a pretty crumb base.
Put it into the freezer, while you prepare your cheese filling.

4. In a large mixing bowl, cream your cream cheese until it's creamy and fluffy (about 3 minutes with an electric mixer).
5. Add your lemon zest, lemon juice and icing sugar in and start mixing it again until everything is well incorporated. Continue beating the mixture for another 5 minutes. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, pour your heavy cream into a bowl with 1/4 cup of icing sugar.
7. Beat with an electric mixer until heavy cream forms firm peaks (about 3-4 minutes)
8. Pour the fluffy cream into the cheese mixture. This time use a spatula to gently fold the two mixtures together until they are well incorporated.
9. Take out the base from the freezer and pour your cheese content in.
10. Sprinkle with remaining crushed chocolate chip cookies and let it set in the fridge for at least 6 hours.If you're feeling decadent, forgo the chocolate chip cookie topping and pour a can of preserved cherries on top.

This cheesecake is extremely easy to make despite it being 10 steps. You don't need to turn on your oven and that, hands down, makes this the most excellent recipe for hot summer days. What I like about this recipe is that it's melts in your mouth, almost like ice cream :)

Green bean stew: a brunch of tomatoes, beans and eggs

2008-04-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

I have made this for breakfast thousands of times before and it's always fulfilling, healthy and yummy. Today, I'm going to share with you a breakfast creation of mine that can feed 1 up to 10 people depending on how many times you go "crrraacck".

In this series of kitchen experiments, I am stewing a bunch of green beans or, fancily, haricot verte in a pan filled up with marinara sauce. So basically, it's a tomato based green bean stew where you finish off with a crack or two of eggs that will gently cook into the sauce. The yolks will still be gooey and it's the most incredible thing in the world when you tuck in by soaking the sauce up with some bread.

I don't even know if I can actually write a proper recipe for it because it's such a off hand meal but I'll try. Oh did i tell you that this recipe is so simple? :)

Green bean stew with soft-boiled eggs recipe:
Serves 1 or 2 (double or triple or quadruple recipe at ease)

1 handful of green beans, cleaned and ends sniped off
1.5 cup of marinara sauce (store bought ones are fine)
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: a bit of parsley and shallots for garnish

Bread for soaking the awesome sauce up.

Method:
1. In a deep pan, bring marinara sauce to a boil. Add your green beans and let it simmer for 5 minutes on medium heat. Do not cover the pan yet.
2. Crack in two eggs into the pan and watch the eggs fall nicely in between the cracks of tomato sauce and green bean goodness.
3. Cover to cook for 3 minutes or until eggs is done to your liking. I like my eggs to have a nice white sheath covering the yellow yolk. Season with some salt and pepper.

Serve with bread.

** this is a lacto-ovo vegetarian friendly recipe :)
*** apparently there is a similar Tunisian and Israeli dish like this called Shakshouka where it's cooked with different vegetables. :) One thing I've read about this dish is that the possibilities are endless.

Khanom Paeng Na Moo (Thai pork toast)

2008-04-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is an extremely tasty snack that I stumbled upon. I would love to tell you where, if I can only remember where. But Khanom Paeng Na Moo is basically Thai pork mince on toast. It is very similar to the familiar French toast except it's coated with meat instead of just eggs. What makes this recipe delicious is the crispiness of the pork coating and the soft fluffy center after it is cooked. It's a perfect balance of flavors and an utter delight to the taste buds :)

This is one of the simplest recipe to do and I recommend that you try it for a little snack with some leftover unused minced meat. Or make a batch for entertaining - your guests will be pleased by this easy to eat food. It is also good served in room temperature as well. And I assure you, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes from prep to ready.

What you need for Khanom Paeng Na Moo (Thai pork toast):
(double, triple, quadruple recipe when necessary)

150g of mince pork (or any of your favorite minced meat)
1 egg (use two eggs if you're tripling/quadrupling your recipe)
2 stalks of spring onion, chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly into a chiffonade
1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch/cornflour
a pinch of chilli powder, more if you want it spicier (optional)
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional, use soy sauce if you have none)
a large pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of bread

Garnish: Lemon slices

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients together except for the 4 slices of bread. Let it sit for 10 minutes to marinade while you heat a lightly oiled pan under medium heat.

2. Your meat mixture should resemble a thick paste that is easily spreadable. With a spoon, spread 1 spoonful of mixture evenly on each side of the bread and pan fry each side for 3-4 minutes.

3. Repeat for remaining slices of bread. After your Thai pork toast is done, let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting it into bite size piece and squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top before serving.

Best eaten with some chilled milk tea OR iced coffee.

Childhood flavors - Wantan et. al.

2008-03-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about Malaysia is the fact that food is in abundance 24/7. It's a known fact that Malaysians eat all day and their favorite past time is also, eating. All that pot belly has to come from somewhere since Sin tax for alcohol is rather high in that country.

Anyway, I would like introduce you to two of my favorite side walk hawker food from Penang. I know everyone raves about the awesome seafood (me included), the curry noodles, Laksa, Hokkien mee and char kuey teows but I rave about the wantan noodles in Penang.
When I was a little girl running around barefoot in my grandparents' abode, i remember my grandmother carrying her rattan basket as she walks to the wet market early in the mornings. I was asleep most of the time when she heads out but I am almost always awake to catch her walking back with fresh produce and breakfast for everyone. She would either buy Bah Cheang Kueh (a crispy pancake filled with peanuts, creamed corned and sometimes grated coconut) or Wantan noodles back. And as a child, those foods left a deep impression on me ...up till today.

There was nothing sweeter than the bah cheang kueh dripping with rich butter and cream corn hot on my hands. I just loved every bite of it and my grandmother would vicariously live through my eating of the pancakes because poor grandma had diabetes. Since she passed away i haven't really had good Bah Cheang Kuehs, at least not exactly as I remembered it. Maybe tastebuds changed as we grow older, nevertheless I still crave that orgasmic sweetness of my first Bah Cheang Kueh.
However, I did find wantan mee that is sort of a replica of the ones my grandma brought back years ago. The noodle is translucent and bouncy to the bite. The sauce is dark enough with a hint of bitterness that is just proportionate to its sweetness. I said it sort of replicate the one I had years ago from the market because its wantan is not deep fried.
This wantan dish hails from the corner of Heong Giam Si temple, which incidentally is where both my grandparents ancestral tablets are resting.

I am afraid I don't know an exact address except the sidewalk hawker is right next to this temple. There is a primary (or was it secondary school) opposite this temple though. Hm... this is definitely one of those cases where I know how to get there but I don't know the address.

Fettuccine Bolognese

2008-03-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

Bolognese is perhaps the simplest, most beloved pasta sauce of all time. Very simply, it is the simplest sauce that is equally hearty and fulfilling. It's especially convenient for students or busy working adults alike, who would like to eat something really quick to ease hunger. Easily, you can also make this a very elegant meal. The trick is in the presentation.

All you need for a Bolognese sauce is marinara sauce, some minced meat and, but optional, red wine. You can save the red wine for those special moments where you have time to wait until the sauce simmers down a notch for that rich tasting velvet in your mouth.

But, this will be the easy peasy method for the busy bodies.

Fettuccine Bolognese - Simple version
(this recipe feeds 1 hungry person)

Pasta:
1 bundle of dry Fettuccine, with a diameter of 2.5cm
1 tbsp of salt
6 cups of water

Sauce:
2/3 cup marinara sauce - store bought ones are fine
100grams of minced chicken (preferably thigh and breast meat combined)
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp of olive oil

Method:
1. Put 4 cups of water and salt into a large pot until it starts to boil fiercely. Put your dry Fettuccine in to cook. Stir occasionally. It will need approximately 8 minutes.
2. In the mean time while the pasta is cooking, heat your pan with 1tbsp of olive oil and once the pan is hot, add your minced meat in. Saute, for 2minutes or until the meat looks semi-opaque and add garlic.
3. Pour in your marinara sauce, and let the mixture come to a simmer.
4. Your pasta should be about done by now, so while your sauce is cooking drain your pasta and maybe save a few tablespoons of pasta water on the side.
5. Add the cooked pasta into the simmering sauce and stir to combine nicely. If the pasta looks a bit too dry, add a few tablespoons of pasta water. Mix until the sauce and pasta combines well and serve with a nice crusty bread.

********

The elegant velvety version of Bolognese sauce

Sauce:
1.5 cup marinara sauce - store bought ones are fine
100grams of minced beef
100grams of minced veal/chicken
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of red wine (Anything below $11 and above $8 per bottle is decent for cooking, don't use anything you wouldn't drink- a very important tip. Serve the rest of the bottle with the meal)
2 tbsp of olive oil

Method:
1. While the pasta is cooking, heat your pan with 2tbsp of olive oil and once the pan is hot, add your minced meats in. Saute, for 2minutes or until the meat looks semi-opaque and add garlic.
2. Pour in your marinara sauce, and let the mixture come to a simmer.
3. After that, add your wine and let the sauce simmer down to half. It will take approximately 5 minutes on medium high heat. Simmer a bit longer if the sauce is too watery for your liking.
4. Your pasta should be done, so while your sauce is still cooking drain your pasta and maybe save a few tablespoons of pasta water on the side.
5. Add the cooked pasta into the simmering sauce and stir to combine nicely. If the pasta looks a bit too dry, add a few tablespoons of pasta water. Mix until the sauce and pasta combines well.

Serve by first plating the noodles and then top the rest of the sauce on top so that it looks ponzi and pretentious like you've spent forever in the kitchen preparing this. Smear some flour on your forehead to impress. ;P

Useful tip: Always use pasta water to thin the sauce if it gets too dry while cooking.

My header image is missing

2008-03-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what happened but after that Tanjung Tokong crab post, my header image just went missing! I tried going to the layout to check it out and everything *seemed* to be fine except that my header won't show.

Argh...*goes elbow deep in html grease again*
&^$#$%@%!

**edit: Found a temp solution till someone from HELP center in blogger helps. It's such an irony that the help center rarely helps anyone.

Crabs at Tanjung Tokong, Penang

2008-03-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

Of all the places I've eaten crabs, nothing beats the sweetness of the crabs in Tanjong Tokong, Penang. It's the taste that makes you crave. And almost always, the aftermath of eating seafood here is never pretty:The restaurant situated on Tanjung Tokong bay next to a Tua Peh Kong Temple is no stranger to the locals and history buffs alike - reason being that the age old temple used to be a meeting place for one of the famed Chinese gangs Ghee Hin/Hai San. Well, I may not be a pro with the history in that area, I'm only writing what one of my uncles told me years ago. But as you drive, you'll be welcomed by a the temple's big gate:

This eatery has a name but the locals wouldn't know it by it's fancy, albeit misguided, Anglo-fied name, Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe, it's just Hai Choo Hooi to most of them really.
And I MUST eat their seafood whenever I am back in Penang. There is really only two things that I really like here - their coal-baked crabs and salt-baked prawns. They do have other methods of prep for these shellfish as well as other seafood. But those two are the ONLY dishes worth their salt, in my humble opinion.

Ambiance wise, don't expect any fine-dining finesse. Someone once asked me about the interior decor of the place and I said "What interior decor?". It's al-fresco, Penang-style, with metal stools and metal table under huge rain trees and a salty breeze from the sea. Your waiters/waitress are probably the first generation owners of this place, hurriedly clearing the empty shells, bowls and spills off tables so the next customer can be entertained - the cycle then repeats itself. Nothing fancy but location wise is charmingly idyllic, none the less.

But back to the star attraction, there is something about the taste of the crab's flesh in this eatery. It's the method of preparation which is just a simple baking procedure over hot coals, probably. The sweetness of the crab's flesh and the smoky undertone of its flavor is unlike any other I've tasted. As you can see, there is nothing fancy with these crabs.

Black burned bits, salty sweet flesh and oozing with crab roe you must lick and suck to savor all its goodness - simple and yet delightful. The prawns are baked in salt on top of charcoal as well, which imparts its flesh with a smoky sweetness.Sigh, I'm drooling just thinking about it. The aftermath of such a delectable affair is never pretty but it is necessary. How else do you leave your mark of victor after tackling such a delectable meal? You're not allowed to throw the shells off the balcony anyway.

Eating is my family's past time, as it is for many other Malaysian families as well. Food is the glue that keeps us together and united. Seafood in Tanjong Tokong is my family's annual pilgrimage. I just thought I'd share it with you guys. I do highly recommend you to try their crabs and shrimps, coal-baked, if you're ever in Penang (address below), it's one of those few places in Penang where you can eat great seafood for a pretty good price - RM48/kg for crabs. Okay, okay, maybe it's not very "cheap" to the locals but paying for quality is fair game. :)

Contact Info: Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe, Penang
Address (because I want you all to go):
338 MK 18, Tanjung Tokong,
Penang 10470.
Malaysia
Phone: +60 4 899 0375
Neighbourhood: Northern Coast

Kerabu Bok Nee (Nyonya -style Black Fungus Salad)

2008-03-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

When I wrote Burnt and Alive, I said for Chinese Reunion Dinner, my mom wanted to make Nyonya Style Nasi Ulam to accompany the dinner. But all that changed when my dad's eldest brother invited us to have reunion dinner with his family, so the idea of making Nasi Ulam was scraped. I did however get the opportunity to eat Kerabu Bok Nee (Nyonya-style Black Fungus Salad) in Penang.

I was looking forward to making the Nasi Ulam and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when we couldn't. We were planning to go back to Penang on the 2nd day of CNY. To cook and clean on the first few days of CNY is taboo, of course, because according to Chinese traditions, we wouldn't want to wash the luck and prosperity away.

But back in Penang, my 5th grandaunt had already planned to cook a huge feast for all our immediate family members. The gesture was a real gem because she IS a wonderful Nyonya cook - her food is like a mirror to my late grandmother's, her older sister, except maybe a bit healthier. Anyway one of her dishes was Kerabu Bok Nee. It's been years (I think almost 10 years or more) since I've tasted this kerabu dish and hers was excellent. I got the recipe from her, of course. How could I not? It's a keeper. :)

You will note that preparation is more tedious than the actual assembly time. Like all good food, give it a bit of love and patience. You'll be rewarded splendidly :D

Kerabu Bok Nee recipe:

50grams black wood-ear fungus (bok nee), soaked for 10mins and cleaned off all dried/hard bits.

Dressing:
2 tbsp sambal belachan (Sriracha chili + a bit of fish sauce sauce can be a good substitute )
3 tbsp calamansi lime (normal green lime works as well)
2 tbsp Sugar, or to taste
1 tsp Salt, or to taste
150 grams of shallots, peels and sliced thinly length-wise
4 tbsp ginger flower/bunga kantan, finely sliced
2 tbsp of toasted grated coconut, pounded
1 fresh red chillies, de-seeded, diced finely
300 grams of chicken breast, steamed to cook and shredded

Assembly:

1. Combine the ingredients for Dressing starting with the liquids into a big bowl. Mix well.
2. Add black fungus and shredded chicken into the bowl and again toss until it is well combined.

You can eat the salad as it is. It's very refreshing and crunchy, I love the combination of texture and aroma a lot. Or you can eat it with rice and a dollop of sambal. You can double/triple/quadruple the recipe safely too.

Teasers of more to come!

2008-03-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

These are some of the pictures of the food I took on my trip back home!

Otak-Otak!

Seafood in Tanjung Tokong

Dinner at my grandaunt's.

Street food in Penang

Steamboat

And mishmash of other good stuff!

As you can see, my camera's cables are back. Finally, I can take pictures of my kitchen escapades again. That is if I am not too flanked by stuff outside the kitchen.

Lor Bak recipe like grandma's

2008-03-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

During Chinese New Year, I almost died from eating so much food! Well, not literally. It was a lot of food. But first, I am gonna share with you a very delicious Lor Bak recipe from my grandaunt. She's a pro when it comes to making Nyonya fares, after my grandmother (who is the guru) passed on, we go to her sister for great Nyonya fare.

Usually, the reunion dinner is special because we'd have Lor Bak (meat with five spice spring roll), Joo Hoo Char (dried cuttlefish with jicama stirfry), Sio Bak, Sio Ark, Sio Keh (roast pork, roast duck, roast chicken all in that order), Nyonya Chicken Curry, Hu Peow soup (fish maw soup), fresh steamed fish, loh hon chai and several other dishes that is varied every year. But the ones listed above is a staple during our reunion dinner. I know it's a lot even for 12-15 people.

So during my CNY reunion dinner with my family, we had steamboat (hotpot) and Lor Bak on the sides while we waited for the soup to boil. I made it using a recipe that's age old in our family and while it didn't actually LOOK like my grandma's Lor Bak, it sure tasted like it. One reason why it didn't look like the original is because I didn't wrap it tight enough. Pfft.

But here's the recipe for Lor Bak:
Originally, people use pork as the filling but my grandmother and grandaunt switched to chicken decades ago for health reasons. I'm used to the chicken version but you can go ahead and use pork tenderloins in replacement :)

Bean curd skins, cut into 5x4 inch squares (for wrapping), you would need about 20 sheets.

500gram chicken breast fillets
3 stalks of spring onion, chopped finely
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup of jicama bean, julienned into 0.5 cm thickness
1.5 tablespoon of good 5 spiced powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
a handful of crispy fried shallots (store-bought ones are fine and recommended for convenience sake)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped and sauteed in oil until golden brown (you want a bit of the crisp garlic and oil)
1 egg
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoon of cornstarch

Oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Heat oil until it is 300 degrees Fahrenheit. I prefer this temperature because the meat cooks as the spring roll turns golden brown evenly.
2. In a large bowl, combine ALL of the ingredients above except for the bean curd skins. Mix well. Let the chicken marinade for about 15-30 minutes.
3. With 1 sheet of bean curd skin, put in 2-3 fillet of chicken with a bit of the ingredients from the marinade. Wrap as you would a spring roll and be extra careful to roll it tightly so it doesn't open up while frying. To keep the bean curd skin together after rolling in the filling, dab your fingers in the marinate from the bowl and wet the ends of the bean curd sheet before sealing it off.
4. Repeat step 3 until all the filling is used up.
5. Deep fry the Lor Bak until it becomes crispy golden brown.
6. Let it cool a little bit before cutting.

Serve!

Great Thai Food in the Heart of Kuala Lumpur

2008-03-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

Did you know that you could get really, really authentic Thai food in Kuala Lumpur? Yes, i know you probably know a few places that's rather posh and you pay for your peanuts and refreshments but this place is by the road side of the notoriously popular Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur.

It's right at the end of Jalan Alor, next to Nova hotel. A yellow sign that says:

And you're at the correct place.

I kid you not when I tell you that even Thais visiting KL come here to eat. When I tried the place out with my parents one fine evening, after walking around Jalan Alor and shopping around Bukit Bintang, I saw fleets of cars and FWDs in front of the place with number plates from Thailand. Where the Thais eat Thai food, the food must be good. And here I stand undefeated, by it's extremely spicy food, I live to tell the story that if you want awesome Thai cuisine, you must go to Ocean Food Court on Jalan Alor.

Don't let it's pompous notice board, which reads, " Thai Seafood Specialists" put you off. They're only being honest.

Thai Lime and Chili steamed Seabass

We ordered: Thai Lime and Chili steamed whole Seabass, Tom Yam Koong with very generous portions of big head prawns, belacan kangkong thai style and Som Tham (papaya salad), rounds of drinks because it was bleedin' spicy food and 3 rice.

The $ = RM62, which I thought was a very good deal since we had such a big fish and that many prawns to begin with. Everything at this place is authentic because 1) I saw them taking out that huge wooden mortar and pestle to pound the Som Tham 2) the tom yam broth is rich, lemak, sour, salty, undiluted with every bit of spices used visible and not to mention generous in portions, 3) the fish was fresh and flaky with an addictive limey spiciness made out of pounded bird's eye chili that makes you go back for more and more even though your mouth is burning away.

Tom Yam Koong

And if the Thai waitress asks if you want your Som Tham "mild, medium or hot", please say mild because their definition of medium is Malaysian's definition of extremely spicy. But whatever rocks your boat, just don't say I didn't warn you. :P

I would go back again if I had the time for their great Thai food because there are so many things I haven't tried yet on their menu. My stomach is just not big enough. :( But I would recommend this place to anyone who wants good Thai Food without all the frills and air conditioning. This is just good, wholesome Thai food by a person name Mook.

You will be sitting on the road side like all the other eateries along Jalan Alor, which gives a fantastic observatory view to the street life of Kuala Lumpur :)

*** of course, the definition of "good" is always subjective but I say give this place a try ;)

Acar Fish - Nyonya style pickled fish

2008-03-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

I remember quite vividly of a curiously yellow dish on the table. Hands were dirtied and tainted yellow with the mix of rice and fish. A big dollop of sambal on the side of the plate and a satiated silence permeates the dining table.

Acar Fish was the order of the day, it's loaded with turmeric which gives it that distinct yellow color and a spicy acidic flavor from the vinegar used. It's a very simple recipe really, and a tasty one. My father loves this dish and would never fail to have at least a second helping when this is cooked.

I used smelt for this recipe because they were so fresh in the market when i bought them. I couldn't help it but get reminded of this pickled fish dish (Mind you, in Malaysia, you don't use smelt. It's a fish that looks like smelt though - i just don't know what it's called). So, I bought 6 smelts to make this dish.

**edit: My dad told me the fish they use in Penang is called "belanak" or "beranak" cos it's usually filled with eggs or something. Hmm...maybe it's a cousin of the smelt. AND apparently i have missed a very important step in making this fish: Drying it under the sun before the dry rub and frying. Crucial, apparently. But i made this during winter and there was no sun at 6pm in the evening :P SIGH... it tasted good though. I think i made up for the sun-bathing process by frying till it's crisp :D

I shall share this Nyonya recipe with you because it's just delicious with rice and I'm a generous girl ;)

Acar Fish recipe:
5 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
8 slices of ginger, thinly julienned
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 cup of white vinegar
1 tablespoons of sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup of oil

1 teaspoon turmeric for marinating fish
salt and pepper
1 cup of Oil for frying.

Method:
1. Marinate your fish with some salt, pepper and turmeric powder for about 30 minutes--it's like a dry rub. You can prepare the other ingredients in the mean time.
2. Heat pan with 1 cup of oil on medium high. Once the oil is hot enough, if you have a cooking thermometer, reading should say 300F, fry your fish until it is crispy and golden brown.

Now the trick here is to fry the fish on medium high heat (turn the heat down to medium if it gets too hot) until the fish becomes crispy. You want to fry the water content of the fish away so that it will become a sponge for later cooking. This is how the fish will absorb all those flavors of ginger, turmeric and garlic. The vinegar cuts the oiliness and imparts a nice appetizing bite to the dish.

3. Once the fish is done, take it out of the oil and lay them on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil.
4. On a different pan, heat with 1/4 cup of oil. Saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add turmeric powder and vinegar in. It'll be splashy for a few seconds so be careful.
5. Add the fried fish into the pan and let it come to a simmer. Add salt, sugar to taste. Let the dish simmer for about 15 minutes and then serve.

This Acar Fish can last for a long while and it actually tastes better as time goes by. You can make a big batch of this and keep it refridgerated for weeks. But i doubt it'll last a week in the fridge - i'd eat it everyday ;)

Give me a Jamie any day!

2008-02-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

I am putting all responsible work duties behind to blog because I have to and I need to. One of the main reasons is that I have something to admit to all. As you probably know, I was back in Malaysia for a few weeks visiting friends, family and eating great food. Now that I am back, I want to put all those glorious experiences into this blog, i.e. pictures.

Here's the big thing; my camera's battery is flat.... and i left my cables back in Malaysia!

*pregnant silence*

I KNOW!! I am Such a klutz! Now I can't access my pictures until my parents send the cables back to me via courier, which they are doing/have done/etc. I know I will expect them next week. SIGH. But why don't you just use a memory card reader or something? Well, my camera uses XD card instead of the common SD card and i NEEEEEEED the cables to transfer those pictures otherwise I would have just stuck the SD card into my printer and have it read there. SIGH.

And those cables are not the ONLY things I left behind. I also left a bunch of hair clips, a cute headband with ribbons, my bag of dong guis, and a set of my makeup brushes! But being the true foodie that I am, I brought back all the other food items though. I stocked up on Bak Kut Teh packs (try the brand "Wonderful" Bak Kut Teh, if you're in Malaysia. The pack is blue in color with an obscure logo of a king sniffing on a steamy pot. It's about +/- RM2.95/pack and it's the BEST BKT pack i have ever tried!). I will show you pictures of it WHENCE my cables are back.

If anyone's wondering why I wrote the subject as "Give me a Jamie any day", it's because i watched Jamie Oliver on Iron Chef America battling Mario Batali. It's the BEST challenge yet because in my humble opinion, Jamie is like the "Rolling Stones" of Italian cuisine while Mario is like the sage of Italian cuisine. One's young, wistful and bold; the other wise, experienced and refined - I was leaking with anticipation come tallying time.

But give me a Jamie any day. Jamie lost by 3 points, which turned me into a ball of screaming-bulls*it-fits! Like..how can the judges rate Jamie less on taste?? Jamie's a BALL of taste...i bet it's that Chen-bot woman from The Daily Show that screwed up the scores. ^&$$#$%@$!

Obviously, I am more bitter about the loss than Jamie is LOL!

Jamie came to Canada here's a video to prove it!

I didn't go to Toronto to meet him at Indigo because [insert an excuse that will never be good enough anyway here]

I really wish I had just take a Fuckidol pill and went. :P

Babes, Gentlemen and Food-boppers, I am really sorry about the cable. Next week is when I will get my cable and then we can get the food porn rolling again. :)

Icky Sticky Buns

2008-02-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

This is a back log post that was suppose to be up before I left. I posted pictures of them before but Sticky Buns are something that everyone should make at least once in their lifetime. The gooey praline type topping is just hard to resist!

I first encountered these buns on TV where Chef Bobby Flay was having a Throwdown with Joanne Cheng, famed for her sticky buns of Flour Bakery and Cafe in Boston. And she has generously shared her delectable Sticky Buns recipe for all here. :D

I followed the recipe diligently EXCEPT for the flour, i only had all purpose and substituted it with the flour required in the recipe. I did make a bit of adjustments here and there, like substituting pecans for slivered almonds. I was making do with what I had because I was craving sticky buns and I wanted to eat them NOW!

But you will see that "NOW!" meant the next day because the dough needs time to rest and rise. The recipe will be divided into three parts - the dough, the goo and the assembly. So here's my version of sticky buns with much respect to Joanne's original recipe:

For the dough:

2 1/2 cups high-gluten flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 cups all purpose flour
1-ounce yeast
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
5 eggs
11 ounces butter, softened

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the butter and beat on low with dough hook for 10 minutes.
2. Add the softened butter and knead for another 20 minutes until dough slaps on the side of the bowl.
3. Place in a container and cover well.
4. Proof in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
5. Shape, cover, proof for several hours at warm room temperature.

For the Goo:

1/2 pound butter
15 ounces brown sugar
5 ounces honey
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup water

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat, let cool, and whisk in the honey, cream, and water. Set aside.

Assembly et. al.:

1 recipe Brioche dough, recipe above
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup ~~pecans~~ slivered almonds, toasted and chopped
Goo, recipe above

1. On a floured surface, work out the dough until it is a large rectangular shape. It will be approximately 1/4 inch thick.
2. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and almonds well and sprinkle on the dough surface. Make sure you evenly cover the surface with all the cinnamon and nutty goodness.
3. Roll up the dough ala cinnamon bun style and cut it into 1 inch thick buns. Leave aside.
4. Spread the goo on a baking pan and lay the buns cut side up side by side until the pan is filled.
5. Let the buns rest for 2-3 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Bake until beautiful golden brown for 45 minutes. Let it cool for 10 mins before inverting it onto a serving platter and watch the magnificent goo spill lazily on the sides of the golden rolls.

Eat carefully as the goo can be a tad warm :D

I'M BACK

2008-02-23T14:27:00.001-08:00

OMG, what a grueling 26 hours of flights and transits it has been! I am jetlagged, tired and feeling a little euphoric all at the same time. I have many things to share from my trip and tomorrow, I will be treated by my partner to an unforgettable dining experience. It's an outing to celebrate Valentines since we missed it from being thousands of miles apart. Where would we be going?

O.Noir.

I shall be dining in the black of darkness and experience food as a blind foodie for 1.5 hours! Needless to say I look forward to this dinner and hopefully to make up for lost V-time :)

I am still pondering what I should pick for my entre, mains and dessert - you're suppose to make a decision before you enter the dark room. Maybe I should just pick "Surprise" on all three and let my taste buds tell me what I'm eating.

Jetlag begone!

Food updates soon and you can count on it! I just need to sort out some pictures and get back into grove with my kitchen. If you could only imagine how much I miss my Shun knife. The knives in my mom's kitchen pale in comparison - cooking becomes more of a chore when cutting and slicing takes too much effort. Which explains why I did not cook as much when I was in Malaysia.

Anyway, more soon. Now, i need sleep!

Burnt and Alive

2008-01-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

Hi foodies! I am in Malaysia right now enjoying the sun a bit tooooooooooooo much. I am burnt and have turn a shade darker amidst the peeling skin. Ugh. I look every bit as awful as a snake shedding it's skin, a red snake for that matter.

Anyway, I just want to say that I am still alive. I haven't been able to post much food pictures/recipes/escapades because of the inconvenience of the extremely slow internet connection here. It's not a new thing that Internet in Malaysia sux even tho they give unlimited bandwidth.

I will try, try, try to post up new food recipes soon. I am very keen on the reunion dinner. My mom is making some of the most traditional Nyonya cuisine for us and rest assured, I will be helping her cook, eat and snap pictures. I think one of the things on the menu is Nyonya's Nasi Ulam ...or how should i put it...hmm...nothing comes into mind better than this translation: Nyonya Rice Salad :D It's full of herbs and spices and it's the perfect accompaniment to curries and sambal. *drooools* Alrighty, I will post soon *crosses fingers*

Have a Happy Chinese New Year if you're Chinese and have a good week!

xoxox

The Blueberry Pancake post

2008-01-13T22:34:00.001-08:00

Since I was a little girl, I've always been fascinated by the pancakes in American commercials/movies. They were always so perfect and fluffy. My attempts on making pancakes as a child were rather insipid because they always turn out flat and thin. But I have since discovered that I was making crepes instead of pancakes; crepes post for another time..:)

But as time passes by and after eating proper pancakes that looked like the ones I saw on TV I began to mix up my own batches of batter until I came to a perfect concoction without measurements. If that made any sense.

I measured with my senses for the perfect batter, knowing when to stop adding the flour by instincts....but fret not, dear readers (and Elsie) for I have come up with a good measurement this time for a no fail pancake recipe. Blueberries are my addition of choice but you can make this plain to eat with just butter and syrup if you want.

The perfect pancake batter bettered with blueberries starts with,
the perfect pancake batter:
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of corn flour (cornstarch)
1 tablespoon sugar
1.5 teaspoon of baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 egg
3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons of milk

Optional: blueberries (but do try raisins and bananas, they are out of this world)

Method:
1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together with a whisk or a fork. Mix until you're sure that everything is combined properly.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add milk and eggs. Slowly mix until you have a smooth and thick batter. Batter should be as thick as sweetened condensed milk from the can.
3. Heat pan on medium heat until hot. Add a bit of butter and grease the pan.
4. With a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the batter and pour 1/4 cup's worth of batter onto the hot pan. Add blueberries in and leave the batter to cook for 2-3 minutes before flipping it over for another 2 minutes or until the it is golden brown.
5. Repeat step 3 as needed and step 4 until all batter is used up. You'll get approximately 1o pancakes.

Serve pancakes hot with butter and syrup. Serve it with bacon if you dare because I dared myself and loved it to bits!

This is going to be my last post for a while. I will be flying back to Malaysia for a trip in a few days so if any of you would like to meet up, just let me know yeah? :) My email is on the About Me section on the right hand side - feel free to drop me a line or two, do not leave your contacts in the comment section for security reasons.

All things sweet and nice!

2008-01-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year folks!

I am back after a back breaking ski trip and wholesome family-style Christmas. First, before I start with all things sweet and nice, let me talk about my ski trip: I was a ball of pain when I got back. I reckon falling approx. 20 times didn't help as it was my first time ehhehe but I never ate so much snow in my life! Anyway, apart from the pain, I came out skiing better than I never did and fell much less. Oh and I also cried like a baby in the locker room too because I was having period cramps on top of the falls...BOOO. But like a champ, I stuck to it. My partner was so proud of me.

Would I ski again? Definitely. And this time, I want my own skis and not the crappy rental stuff that gives my shin bruises.

SO next to all things sweet and nice! How's your New Year's been? Time sure flies when you're not looking, I am still adjusting to the fact that I have to write 2008 now and not 1998. Ahem. And I can't believe I am getting older.....I was 17 a blink of an eye ago. Wtf? lol. *goes into denial mode*

I was suppose to get to sweet and nice stuff and look where that got me! Okay, I made this really cute and yummy chocolate gingerbread men/women/stars as Christmas gifts for my partner's family. If you want an affordable pressies that pleases the mass, nothing does it better than homemade stuff. Trust me, it's just better and you can get creative without burning a hole in your pocket.

And since I added chocolate chips into my gingerbread men, they're just delightful and surprisingly good. Frankly, I don't like gingerbreads, I made the whole batch for my partner's family :P

Here they are:

I've just rolled the dough out and cutting them with my newly acquired cookie cutters. I couldn't get over how cute they were.

Here they are freshly baked out of the oven. Warm and soft but they do harden up as they cool. It's better if you let them cool up to 12 hours before decorating them. They store very well in the freezer for up to 6 months ;)

Here they are decorated amateurishly snuggled in boxes. I bought these boxes and paper linings from the 1 Dollar store. In all, for these pretty boxes and ribbons, it costs me less than $10, how sweet is that?

Here they are all wrapped up, pretty and ready to be unfold by unsuspecting relatives. The Jack Daniels is for them to wash it down after a nibble of course...... nah, the Jack Daniel's for me especially. The silver package on the right is a beautifully adorned cast-iron teapot for my partner's mother. Really heavy stuff but she loved it to no end when she saw it :) I am just happy.

I'll let the picture do the talking here. Pfft. Shoo!

After getting back from Christmas, I was itching to bake again. It must be because I was still in baking mode after all that gingerbread men/women/stars. So when I saw sticky buns on the food network channel, I made up my mind to make some.

They are outrageously good. OUT OF THIS WORLD. Hips beware.

And to end the All things sweet and nice! post are blueberry pancakes. Use frozen or fresh blueberries for an antioxidant filled breakfast. Yum...

I know, i know. Where are the recipes? I will get to that soon :) One by one hehehe. Or maybe I will save the chocolate chip gingerbread men recipe for next Xmas!

2007-12-22T09:03:00.001-08:00

See you next year! :)