Monday, December 27, 2010

PoST ChriStMas DaY

On a lazy Sunday morning... i woke up at around 11am and started to make our Brunch... Pancakes with Tomato Scrambled Egg... Yummy! A lovely sight to wake up to, if you ask me... =)
Yummy!

After which, I took a bath and make my way to Ikea to buy all the stuffs needed to set up my lil garden...
I am starting my garden with 3 plant - Money plant, "Tie Shu" and a mini rose plant. I intend to expand my collection during chinese new year since that is when all the nurseries have sales...



I also finally bought some stools for my house, which i needed badly especially when i invite guests over and they really have no place to sit... so embarrassing...
And also bought a small shoe rack to put our slippers and boots ... =)*Happy*

CHRiStmas DAy Bakes....

On Christmas day, i decided to make another batch of cookies for my mother, as she complained why we did not give her any from our last bake....

And so i located this recipe which i have all the ingredients ready. Easy and really nice cookie which melts directly in your mouth... =) Do give it a try!

Fresh from The OVEN!

 

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

ChRIStMAS COokIE MaKinG

This the season to be jolly.... lalalalalala....
Yup the season of giving and love... And also one of my favourite season - Christmas!
This year I finally did mass baking of cookies for some of my friends at work. Was really tough and tiring... lucky my sis was there to help and of course shared the end product with her, as she needed it to give to her frens as well...
The Naked Cookies

My sis made the purse specially for me ! *Hearts*

My Creations!
Aside baking for my friends, I also invited my hubby's little nephews over to do some baking... and the recipe i chose was the one Horlick Doggies from Coraine's blog. We had a lot of fun and of course like all kids does... no rules were followed .. doggies eventually turned into monsters.. dinosaurs and super power doggies... ahhahha...
Can you spot the dino? the super dog? and the monster?


Other than cookies... this year i scrapped 2 frames for my besties L and PX. Was my first and i think more to come.. i really like the outcome and also the effect.. I am definitely planning to do more... here are some pics to share! Enjoy !
For L

For PX


Lastly, I would like to wish all my fellow bloggers and reader a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year 2011!

Monday, November 22, 2010

MaTChA RedBEAn TOrte

I miss my oven so much! and now that my dear camera is back, i can do some updating and baking! Yay! The first thing on my baking list would be Matcha Red Bean Torte? Well, I got some baking green tea powder back in September and has been waiting then on to make some nice Matcha bakes...
 
I do have a recipe for Matcha Torte, but i would like to improvise it. How? I add in red bean to my fillings!
Here goes the recipe:

Green Tea Sponge Cake:
Ingredients A:
  •  80g cake flour
  •  1 tbsp japanese green tea powder
  •  80ml thickened cream
  •  1 egg + 5 egg yolks
 Ingredient B: 
  • 5 egg whites 
  • 1/2 tsp cream of Tartar 
  • 130g castar sugar ( I reduce it to 110g) 
Method:

1. Beat egg yolks until creamy and fluffy.
2. Mix flour with green tea powder.
3. Fold in flour with egg yolk batter and alternate it with cream. 
4. Whip egg whites with cream of tartar and sugar until soft peak. 
5. Mix the 2 batters together until its well combined.
6. Pour into spring foam cake pan (I used 7" but ended up leftover with batter enough to yield 9 cupcakes). 
7. Bake at preheated oven 170 deg C for 25 mins then reduce heat to 150 deg C for another 10 mins or till done. 
8. Let the cake sits for 2 mins and unmould it.

Cake Outer Layer Cream:

Ingredient: 
  • 250g mascarpone cheese 
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 2 teaspoons matcha powder 
  • 200 ml non-dairy whipping cream 
Method:

1. Manual whisk, mascarpone cheese with icing sugar and vanilla extract. 
2. Add in two teaspoons matcha powder and mix until blended.
3. Using an electric mixer whisk the non-dairy whipping cream until stiff peak. 
4. With a spatula, fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture. 
5. Fold in the remaining whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture.

Red Bean Cream for the Internal Layer:

Ingredient:
  • 100ml Non-Diary Whipping Cream 
  • 100ml Hokkaido Red Bean Paste
Method:

1. Using an electric mixer whisk the non-dairy whipping cream and red bean paste until stiff peak.

Assembly:

1. Place a cake ring on a 9" cake board.
2. Place a layer of the sponge cake into the cake ring. 
3. Spread the Red Bean cream and place another sponge cake over the spread.
4. Pour the Outer Layer cream and slowly spread it into the gaps in between the cake ring and the cake. 
5. Even out the surface of the cake. Cellophane cove the cake and refridgerate for at least 6 hours.

I hope you will try the Red bean cream and sponge recipe as i find this combination very nice. The subtle sweetness of the fluffy sponge cake pair off well with the sweet, light and textured Red Bean Cream. As usual ending off with some pics of my Match Red Bean Torte.... Do give this recipe a try! =)

 
Matcha Torte

 
A slice of the torte - Need more improvement!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

SoMeTimes I JuZZZZzz...

This is something random that I like to share .... Things which i like to do at home other than cooking and baking... Nothing better than staying at home snuggled on a rainy day with the TV on while reading my favourite magazine - Food & Travel =)

CraZY ABouT SooN ToBu

What is Soon Tobu? Actually it is a Korean dish for Tofu Hot Pot. A very common comfort food among the Koreans. Recently I had the best Soon Tobu at BCD Tofu House in LA and was very determined to try replicate the taste at home in Singapore. I invited my parents over to try it and also to beef up the menu, I roasted some saba fish to go along with the rice.... Yums!

The most important ingredient in the replica would be the Korean Chilli Paste and also the chilli powder. As i did not have the time to hunt down the Korean chilli powder, I used Cayanne instead...

Ingredients for the Soup Base:
  • Anchovies ( or use Dashi Powder w Anchovies)
  • Seaweed
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic peeled
  • 4-5 shitake mushroom
  • 1 large yellow onion
Throw all these ingredients into a big pot of water and bring to boil and then simmer for an hour or 2.
  • Drain out all the ingredients leaving the soup base to cool.
  • Dice the onion and mushrooms. Discard the rest of the ingredients.
Ingredients for the Soon Tobu:
  • 3 tablespoon of Korean Chilli paste
  • 1 table spoon of Korean miso paste
  • 1 egg (1 egg for each pax)
  • 2 packet of soft tofu (I used Fortune (for soup))
  • 1/2 bowl of pork (u can use seafood or beef or chicken), marinate with a bit of soy sauce, pepper, seseme oil
  • Reuse the onion and mushroom from the soup base
  • Fish Sauce
  • Soy Sauce
  • Some sugar
In a seperate pot or you may go to the Korean shops to buy the hot stone pot for the authentic feel, heat a teaspoon of oil. Sauteed the pork, onion and mushroom with a pinch of salt.
When the pork is cooked add in the soup base. Add in the chilli paste, miso paste, tofu, a dash of fish sauce, and a dash of soy sauce. Cover the pot and bring to boil.

At any point, you may want to taste the soup and add the seasoning accordingly to your taste. I like mine hot so i added a lot of cayanne powder. Before serving, crack an egg on the surface of the soup and there you have it - A super "shoik" soup that goes really well with rice or udon.

Here are some pics of my soup... hope you will try it and do leave a comment or 2 of your trail... Enjoy~
Korean Spicy Paste and Miso Paste


Boiling awayyyy...

Teriyaki Saba Fish

Hubby's Dinner Soon Tobu and Honey Roasted Wings

Soon Tobu

Saturday, October 16, 2010

BAck FroM NoT So SuNNY CaliFornIA

My Dear fellow foodie bloggers... i am back from my trip to LA. This is my first trip to the States and is really an exciting experience for me. I reached LA airport in the afternoon and was greeted by my sweet hubby holding a sign saying "My Wife" and of course the sunny sky of LA which later on rained and remain cloudy for 3 days. I miss my hubby sooo much!

I was there for 12 days and I managed to go to a few places during weekends when hubby is free and not working. And from Monday to Friday, I stayed in the hotel room and make sandwiches for dear hubby for lunches as I was forbidden to cook and make the room stink of oil... I did my daily gym routine as well. The most looked forward meal of the day was always the dinner. We ate out most of the time, even caught a movie - Resident Evil 3D - at AMC. There were only 2 other couples in the cinema... something which you do not see often in Singapore =)

During the weekends we visited Ontario Mill Factory Outlet and Desert Hill Premium Outlet where I did most of my shopping. Really shopped till I dropped .. everything was so much cheaper! We also did sightseeing at Santa Monica Beach , Hollywood, Griffith Observatory,Universal Studio and Disneyland. Oooo.. by the way, I really enjoy shopping in their supermart too... Target and another one which sell all organic food -Wholesome Food Market. How I wish I can bring the things there back...

Now.. as for the food... they have the nicest fried chicken! Yes! Sinful... but really tasty! I got to tried some nice lobster and scallops at the Red Lobster Restaurent. But to my surprise the favourite food that I tried for this trip which i enjoyed the most is the Korean Organic Tofu pot at BCD. I love it !! Super tasty !! Very spicy with a lot of tofu - my favourite food! I shall try to mimick what i have tasted there and will try to update a post of my version of Korean Tofu Pot ! Well a lot has been said.. and i shall as usual end my post with some chosen pics of my trip! Enjoy~ =)



My Dear Hubby and I

Evening Sky of Santa Ana

Fried Chix Salad

Grilled Salmon on Bamboo.. Really tasty n Fragant

It's A Small World After All =)

Homemade Sandwich with Baked Chips for Lunch

Fast food lil Chix

A Really Tasty treat Granny Smith Green Apple dip

Fruit Tart

Mango Delight

In -and - Out Burger

Not sweet Not sour ... Jus Nice

Lobster-Scallop-Shrimp Platter







Light Lunch at Universal



My Fav Organic Korean Tofu Pot



Meal at LA Airport before boarding ... Macdonald Sandwich

Friday, October 1, 2010

SoUR ToMatos.. ANYone?

My collegues in my officie has been crazy over a snack which is really refreshing and easy to do. I love it very much myself and would like to share with all of you..
There is no specific weight of how much ingredients.. you do as per your liking! =)

What you will need:
  • Tomatos (preferably medium size , cherry tomatos also can)
  • preserved sweet plums
  • preserved orange skin
Basically what you do is to dig a hole in the tomato with a knife, stuffed adequate amount of the mixture of plum and orange skin. Viola.. that's it... now before consuming, you will have to cover it and fridge it for at least 4 hours (longer the better). The taste is really refreshing and nice.. a nice snack and replacement to chips and biscuits. Do try! =)
Refreshing snack for a change!

TiRamisu & Choco CHiP CookIE - BackDated POST

Do note that this is really a super back dated post... =)

During our house warming in March, we recieved a bottle of Baileys(with a tinge of coffee) from E and A. It has been sitting in our kitchen cabinet for some time. Finally I decided to put it to good use. Friday night I went home straight after work and within an hour in the kitchen.. I made Tiramisu, with a good amount of Baileys! This is my second time making this bake-free Tiramisu and it was a breeze... Everyone loves Tiramisu .. Hubby likes it.. and had been having it as breakfast for these 2 days... =)

Saturday was usual with all the ironing, sweeping and laundry to do in the house. Really wanted to bake something... and so... ChocoChips AGAIN!!! yeah!!

Ingredients for the ChocoChip Cookies
Baking In Progress

Cooling in Progress

Nicely Packed for Someone Special!