tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48231738398216321142024-03-14T10:43:43.850+08:00Kym Kym's AdventureA cute little bear and a puppy who loves to cook and bake...Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-38398975115015366642013-11-10T20:00:00.000+08:002013-11-10T20:00:01.492+08:00Coffee Ogura CakeI have baked many Ogura cake but all failed. Every cake collapsed on me and is inedible. I have to throw them away. Heart pain. For this attempt, I baked it in a tube pan as I usually have better luck with tube pan chiffon cake.<br />
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This cake rose beautifully in the oven and kept its height upon cooling. However, the texture of the cake looked so different from the <a href="http://auntyyoung.blogspot.sg/2013/03/coffee-ogura-cake.html">blog</a>. Her cake looked so fine and cottony whereas mine has so many big pores. My cake tasted just like any chiffon cake. Tasty and fluffy. I guess I will try again until I got this cake right in non tube pan.<br />
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.Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-77719212299707701972013-11-08T20:00:00.000+08:002013-11-08T20:00:07.762+08:00Pan-fried Sutchi Fillet with a simple pilaf using HCPThis meal requires minimal washing as I used my Happy Call Pan to fry the fish and cook the pilaf.<br />
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First, I melted some butter in some olive oil. Season the fillet with salt and pepper on both sides and pan fried till golden brown. Set aside.<br />
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Next, in some olive oil, saute an onion, chopped, until translucent.<br />
Add in minced ginger and garlic and fry till fragrant.<br />
Pour in some chopped tomatoes, turmeric and salt and fry till mushy.<br />
Rice and water in and bring it to a boil.<br />
Stir lightly. Cover the pan (but do not lock).<br />
Cook over medium heat until most of the water has evaporated.<br />
Lock the pan and cook on low heat until the grain is cooked through.<br />
If the water has dried up and the grain is not cooked, sprinkle some water and lock for 5 min.<br />
Turn off the heat and rest for another 5 min. Fluff up the rice.<br />
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Fragrant rice. If the rice is cooked with stock instead of water, I can eat it without anything else. ;)<br />
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Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-37871056863572456322013-11-06T20:00:00.000+08:002013-11-06T20:00:11.212+08:00Clear-spices ChickenThere is a period of time where I just buy spices that I saw in recipe books. I have no plan to use them, I just want to own them in my pantry.*Faint* Now, I have an array of spices in my cabinet and I have to find some ways to use them in my weekend cooking before they pass their prime.<br />
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I realised that by marinating chicken breasts with spices first then bake for 15 minutes in the oven yields a simple and fulfilling meal. In the picture below, I marinated the chicken breasts (cut 3 silts) with rosemary, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. I threw in some boiled potato wedges by the sides and baked it together with the chicken breasts. A well-balanced meal.<br />
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Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-4872393461393436842013-11-04T20:00:00.000+08:002013-11-04T20:00:11.555+08:00Tandoori ChickenThis is a dish that you have to plan ahead as we need to marinate the chicken overnight. As what Alton Brown likes to say, "Your patience will be rewarded". Yes. I was rewarded with a tender and flavorful Tandoori Chicken. I liked the lightly charred exterior as well. I served it with buckwheat for my weekend dinner. This is the recipe to turn to if you want to clear up the spices in your cabinet.<br />
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Recipe from <a href="http://rasamalaysia.com/tandoori-chicken/">Rasa Malaysia</a><br />
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<br />Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-61235785943691089182013-11-02T20:00:00.000+08:002013-11-02T22:19:30.139+08:00Basic Granola FormulaI seldom buy granola from the supermarket because it is really simple to make a batch at home and it tastes so much better than store bought one.<br />
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The nuts and dried fruits are piling up in my fridge. I know by making them into granola, I can reduce the amount by half. I found this <a href="http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2010/11/basic_granola_formula.php">recipe</a> from Chocolate & Zucchini which is the basic formula for granola. You are free to use whatever grains or nuts or sweetener or spices that you have at home (or eager to get rid of). You can make your granola more decadent by adding in those optional ingredients. The sky is the limit when it comes to the flavor of the granola, you just have to follow the basic ratio.</div>
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<i>Above: Sliced almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Rolled Oats and Dried Cranberries, sweetened with Honey and spiced it up with Cinnamon and Nutmeg</i></div>
Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-80928346921971484292013-10-31T20:00:00.000+08:002013-11-02T22:19:21.064+08:00Almond BiscottiI did not really have a good experience with biscotti as the first piece that I tried almost broke my teeth. Later then I found out that it is meant to be dunk into the coffee. But I still cannot appreciate this cookie until I tried the thinly sliced version. It is so addictive. Nutty and eggy.<br />
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I decided to make it at home as this type of cookie comes with a huge price tag. I tried this <a href="http://food-4tots.com/2013/03/11/almond-biscotti/">recipe</a> from Food-4Tots since I have all the ingredients on hand.<br />
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The steps are easy, only thing to take note of is to flour your work surface generously. After the first bake, we have to slice the log into 0.3cm slices. Apart from a few breakages at the ends, most of them stayed intact. :p This thickness produced very crispy cookies. Love this recipe to the max. Just to take note, one recipe only yield 52 slices, quite a small batch, insufficient to satisfy my appetite.<br />
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<br />Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-75935896562419130002013-10-28T20:00:00.000+08:002013-11-02T22:19:12.460+08:00Egg Tarts<i>n</i> months ago, I read about the Hei Ma Ma egg tarts in many blogs. Many bloggers have tried and gave positive feedback. Of course this encouraged me to make it myself but that only happened <i>n</i> months later.<br />
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I got the recipe from <a href="http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.sg/2012/07/hei-mama-egg-tarts.html">Small Small Baker</a>. The pastry shell is flaky and buttery and the filling is smooth and wobbly. But there is something to take note of if I were to bake this the next time. For my first batch (the oven is at 160 - 170 deg C), the tarts came out picture perfect, smooth and glossy surface. For my second batch, (the oven warmed up to 180 -190 deg C),the filling souffled in the oven and sank immediately it came out. The surface is wrinkled but the texture is not affected. Lesson learnt, I must monitor the oven temperature closely the next time I bake egg tarts.<br />
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Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-31767696229318554302013-10-27T18:27:00.001+08:002013-11-02T22:19:03.375+08:00Swiss Roll - Honey Yogurt Swiss Roll and Chocolate Swiss RollLong overdue post as usual. I made the Honey Yogurt Swiss Roll in celebration of 2013 Father's Day. It is made using the chiffon method with a yogurt based cream. I added some chopped strawberries to balance the sweetness in the cake and cream.<br />
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This cake is moist and flexible. I could roll up this swiss roll without any cracks (thank god). This cake has a fine texture and it tasted even better when chilled.<br />
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I obtained this recipe from 孟老师的美味蛋糕圈 page 106.<br />
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After celebrating Father's Day, it is my hubby's birthday. I asked him what type of cake does he want for his birthday. To my surprise, he requested for a simple chocolate swiss roll but it must be coated with lots of chocolate rice. He told me this is his favorite cake from the local bakery. Of course I agreed to his request.<br />
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I obtained this recipe from 孟老师的美味蛋糕圈.<br />
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Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-86854088671800130352013-06-13T19:11:00.000+08:002013-06-13T19:11:35.036+08:00Matcha Chocolate Marble CakeFinally I got hold of matcha powder and I can't wait to inject it into my bakes. Browsing through my bookmarks, this <a href="http://cheah2009.blogspot.sg/2012/04/greentea-choco-marble-cake.html">green tea choco marble cake</a> from <a href="http://cheah2009.blogspot.sg/">No-Frills Recipes</a> caught my eye. I am not in the mood to try something adventurous as I am going out later in the day. This cake only need two bowls and the method used is fuss-free. ^^v<br />
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I also got to use the moulds that I bought a few years back. Roses and hearts, perfect for Valentine's Day. This batter is a bit thick so it trapped some air bubbles. And my cakes have pock marks all over it. Sad. Nevertheless, it tasted great. This matcha powder does not have a strange after taste. I like the combination of matcha with chocolate. I had two of them with teh tarik for tea. Yum.</div>
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Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-74747761290575783572013-05-25T22:56:00.000+08:002013-05-25T22:56:46.634+08:00Clearing the Cobwebs*Hoo* Dust and cobwebs have been gathering on my blog since May 2012. A year has passed by and hopefully I am a year wiser. I made a decision in July 2012 to have a change in my job environment. Ever since, i was like sitting i an emotion roller coaster, ups and downs. Every day I am learning new things, which is something that I like but it can be stressful at times. On some days, I will melt down totally and just dump everything aside and start to moan, cry and talk rubbish. I guess this is life. The Earth will not stop rotating for me. With my work and commitments piling at exponential rate, this blog was left in the basement, untouched.<br />
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Now that I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I finally found some time to dust off the cobwebs here. Though I know my blog is only for me and myself to read, deep down in my heart, I still hope that someone will pop by and read the rubbish that I write. Haha. No need to write any comments as I don't leave any comments in others blogs too. Haha.<br />
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On 12th May 2013, I made a Mandarin Orange Cheesecake for my beloved mummy for Mother's Day. She cooked a big feast for my birthday a few days back. I am not capable enough to wipe up a big feast for her so I only can present this humble cake to her. Thank god, she likes it. :)<br />
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I got the recipe from <a href="http://janechew.blogspot.sg/2013/04/mandarin-cheese-cake.html">here</a>. Thanks, author of the blog.<br />
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I am still quite old school. So here is my journal. Those in the brackets are some minor modifications.<br />
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Here's the cake. Enjoy!<br />
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Hope to have another post soon. *fingers crossed*Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-23813600548251407822012-05-16T10:32:00.004+08:002012-05-16T10:33:17.448+08:00Pandan Melting Moments<div style="text-align: justify;">
I saw this recipe in the June 2011 Good Food Magazine. I love this magazine. The photos in it are so beautiful and well-taken. The recipes will make me want to jump out of my bed and start cooking. Hee hee. This is one of the recipes that I have tried. This cookie is actually accompanied with a coconut cream. Since I am not a fan of cream and these cookies are meant to last for at least a week, filling them with cream is not a wise option. </div>
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This is a relatively simple recipe to put together. I used a zip top bag instead of a piping bag. Not a good choice. The zip top bag spilt along the seam after I piped half of the cookies and I was in a big mess when it split. To save myself from more agony, I just used a teaspoon and drop the remaining dough on the sheet pan and baked them. The rosettes held their shapes well after baking and the dropped cookies looked like the Danish butter cookies, just that they are in green. </div>
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No one can detect the pandan flavour in my cookies. I think I need to put in more pandan paste. Nonetheless it has beautiful butter flavour. My husband and I renamed them as Green Butter Cookies. :p But my parents feel that it is too sweet. They still prefer my Chocolate Chips and Almond Cookies. Opps. I have not blog that yet. Hee hee.</div>
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Ingredients:<br />
200g unsalted butter, softened<br />
100g icing sugar ( I will reduced to 80g the next time)<br />
4 tbsp pandan juice ( I replaced with 1 tsp pandan paste and top up with water till i get 4 tbsp)<br />
225g plain flour<br />
4 tbsp cornflour<br />
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Methods:<br />
1. Preheat oven to 160 degree Celsius.<br />
2. Beat the butter, icing sugar and pandan juice until light and fluffy.<br />
3. Sift in the plain flour and corn flour, and mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well combined.<br />
4. Place the dough in pipping bag fixed with a star nozzle and pipe the mixture into 1.5 cm rosettes or 3 cm <br />
long fingers.<br />
5. Bake for 10-12 min until the cookies are firm and lightly golden. Set aside to cool on a wire tray.Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-74992726816243577112012-05-01T21:58:00.003+08:002012-05-01T21:59:53.336+08:00Pineapple Cream Cheese CakeThis is an overdue post. As usual. Haha.<br />
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Happy Birthday Daddy.<br />
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My whole family doesn't fancy the whipping cream on cakes. We will scrape away the cream and eat the sponge cake and the fruits, if there is any. Unless... the cake is extremely expensive or it is coated with chocolate ganache (my favourite), then we will send it down to our esophagus. That's the main reason why I have yet to make any layer cake. Maybe I should step out of my comfort zone soon. Mother's Day? My own birthday? Mummy's birthday? Hubby's birthday? ;)</div>
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Staying in my comfort zone, I chose the Pineapple Cream Cheese Cake from <a href="http://dailydelicious.blogspot.com/2010/01/pineapple-cream-cheese-cake-easy-cake.html">Dailydelicious</a>, a site that I trusted. I accomplished this task quite easily (phew), if not, I would have to rush out to get a cake from the bakery. Everyone loves the cake, especially the birthday boy, I mean old boy. Haha. </div>
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<i>Baked in a Bundt Pan. Uneven browning. :( I planned to sprinkle some icing sugar on it but my hubby said then it proves that it is made by me. -_-"</i></div>
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<br />Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-43847361764189647452012-04-03T21:14:00.006+08:002012-04-03T21:37:36.625+08:00Mini Meatloaf<div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; ">This recipe is obtained from the March 2011 edition of Good Food Magazine. The ingredients are easy to find and easy to prepare, just chopping onion and carrot and processing some bread cubes to get homemade breadcrumbs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; ">The result is good. I am not really a big fan of meat. I survive mainly on vegetables but I like this meat loaf. This recipe did change my impression of meatloaf as a heavy and filling block of compressed meat. This meatloaf is moist and not over clogging. The addition of onion and carrot not only add sweetness to the meatloaf, it also made it less oily and meaty (I know it sounds funny ;p) I served it with s bed of romaine lettuces in a simple lemon vinaigrette. A well-balanced meal.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><span style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LyNgynGsxVg/T3r7Qc5SbbI/AAAAAAAAAWA/LESnfmp7ofY/s400/418309_10150561824275334_520325333_9548699_972773844_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727166136207961522" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px; " /></span>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-66671449770214168322012-03-25T17:38:00.007+08:002012-03-25T18:25:04.376+08:00Cream Cheese Pound Cake and Black Bottom Cupcakes.<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center; "><br /></div><span ><span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">The block of cream cheese in my fridge is expiring soon. I bought it to make the Strawberry Jelly Hearts but somehow I just don't have the mood to make it this weekend. Craving for some cakes, I began to go through my to-do list and look for cakes that uses cream cheese. I stumbled upon the </span></span><a href="http://www.thelittleteochew.com/2011/07/cream-cheese-pound-cake.html" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Cream Cheese Pound Cake</a><span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> on Little Teochew's Blog. It looks so appetizing. I decided to bake this. However, it uses only 140 g of cream cheese. What am I going to do with the rest? I searched in her blog and saw the </span></span><a href="http://www.thelittleteochew.com/2011/09/black-bottom-cupcakes.html" style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Black Bottom Cupcakes</a><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">. I halved the recipe to use up the</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%; "> remaining 110 g of my cream cheese. Hee hee. I managed to bake both cakes before lunch.</span></span></span><br /><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center; "><span><u><br /></u></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span >At about tea time, my parents came over to get my bakes and bought me 4 egg tarts from Tong Heng (my fav). So sweet of them. </span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><div style="text-align: center; "><span ><u><br /></u></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 100%; " >I guess I am an inconfident baker. I only have the courage to offer my bakes to my parents, my brother and my husband. It is not that I cannot accept criticism, in fact I want them to comments on my bakes so that I can improve in those areas but normally they don't. Only my parents, brother and husband do. I am worried that if I gave the</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 100%; " >m and they don't enjoy it, it will be a torture to them and I will be very upset to know that. I really enjoy cooking and baking for others and see them enjoying or giving me feedback on my food. That's the way to learn.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NqtxS7Nrfts/T27wT-F6ahI/AAAAAAAAAVc/n5gk7NXkGBM/s400/474391_10150613989135334_520325333_9736910_801948753_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723776402310457874" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px; " /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><div style="text-align: center;"><i>8 inch Cream Cheese Pound Cake</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0iVzWr2VmQI/T27whuaZ43I/AAAAAAAAAVo/eKH2E_TqQ-Y/s400/466647_10150613989580334_520325333_9736911_1093283657_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723776638619607922" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px; " /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A peek at the texture</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">This cake smells and tastes fantastic. Soft and moist. This recipe is very forgiving and suitable for novice baker like me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UC75TiRHSk8/T27wt-A6CXI/AAAAAAAAAV0/jPAwF-t2D7w/s400/546051_10150613990345334_520325333_9736915_1983114770_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723776848966060402" style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;font-size: 16px; font-family: Georgia, serif; "><i>Black Bottom Cupcakes</i></div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">I prefer to have more cheesy taste to it. Nonetheless, the texture is great and not too sweet.</div></div>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-9497591970183225162012-03-16T22:08:00.010+08:002012-03-16T23:01:41.206+08:00Mummy's Chicken Stew<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KTVG6Hc2G5M/T2NVOnSfBtI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/igjKFvJXSKM/s1600/254315_10150198638045334_520325333_7633012_4184961_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KTVG6Hc2G5M/T2NVOnSfBtI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/igjKFvJXSKM/s400/254315_10150198638045334_520325333_7633012_4184961_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720509661243705042" /></a><br />This is one of my favorite dishes when I was young. Whenever my mum cooks this, she would serve it on a cartoon plate and drench my rice with the gravy. I love the carrots in particular. They are so sweet. I would have extra serving of rice when my mum cook this. This dish tastes even better the next day. I tried to replicate this dish in my own kitchen. Even with my mum on the other side of the line guiding me how to cook it, I still cannot get the same taste as my mum's one. Maybe that's what they call 妈妈的味道. :)<div><br /></div>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-66237024284259881252012-03-05T19:08:00.003+08:002012-03-05T19:19:06.902+08:00Lemony Cupcakes with Tangy Lemon Curd<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 100%;">I was mesmerized by the photos in </span></span><a href="http://dailydelicious.blogspot.com/" style="text-align: left; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; ">Daily Delicious</a><span style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 100%;"> but I know that with my skills, I doubt I can recreate most of her bakes. When I saw </span></span><a href="http://dailydelicious.blogspot.com/2011/01/lemon-curd-mascarpone-cupcakes-because.html" style="text-align: left; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; ">this</a><span style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 100%;">, I was delighted because it looks basic enough for my standard. So here I go into my kitchen, armed with the ingredients, I managed to bake these cupcakes within 3 hours (I know I am slow, it runs in the family), including filling it with the lemon curd that I made a day before. I omitted the mascapone frosting and replaced it with a wedge of strawberry. I love the taste. Well balanced. My mum loves them and she finished a jar of lemon curd by spreading it on crackers and toast. I feel satisfied whenever she enjoy my creation. :)</span></span></div><div><span ><br /></span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IbdAfPL2QJs/T1ShCa2ju3I/AAAAAAAAAU4/ZTHejYvXnbU/s400/Cupcake.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716370889979968370" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "> </div></div>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-65195688281534499062011-05-06T18:39:00.000+08:002011-05-06T19:21:59.256+08:00Hamburger BunsFor busy (or lazy) people like me, I would prefer to make plain bread loaf or bun. It saves me the trouble of preparing the filling. So far, the fillings I have prepared at home are simply store bought grated cheese, cinnamon sugar and sausages. I really like to try fillings like curry potatoes and custard but that will have too wait.<br /><br />This time, I tried a recipe from <span style="font-style: italic;">65oC Tang Zhong Bread</span> by Yvonne C. I heard so much about this book and it is really not disappointing. I am so inspired to try out all the recipes in the book. In this post, I have tried the hamburger buns.<br /><br />I was so happy and amazed by the smell and softness of the bread when it just came out of the oven. I simply could not resist but to press the sides of the buns. Please bear with me. I hardly have success baking bread so far. Haha. After it was cooled, though not as soft as it was when it came out of the hot box, but the texture is comparable to the bakery one. As I was slicing them into half, I was smiling all the way. I had them with cheese the next morning, it was good without toasting. I had it the next next morning again with honey baked ham, still so good. I gave two to my mum and she gave me the same feedback too. She had them with ham, cheese and tomato. She said that the sesame seeds gave the bread the fragrance that cannot be found in the store bought ones. I was delighted.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h98s7q4lkqA/TcPYVc7ERHI/AAAAAAAAAUs/mdVP8fXn4Xw/s1600/IMG_3402.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h98s7q4lkqA/TcPYVc7ERHI/AAAAAAAAAUs/mdVP8fXn4Xw/s400/IMG_3402.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603560224431817842" border="0" /></a><br />Recipe (adapted from <span style="font-style: italic;">65oC Tang Zhong Bread</span>)<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>Ingredients:<br /><br />(A)<br />bread flour 210g<br />cake flour 56g<br />milk powder 20g<br />castor sugar 42g<br />salt half tsp<br />instant yeast 6g<br /><br />(B)<br />whole egg 30g<br />water 85g<br />Tang Zhong 84g<br /><br />(C)<br />butter 22g<br /><br />Sesame seeds for decorations<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br />1. Mix (A) and (B) until it is smooth using a dough hook. Start with slow speed to prevent the flour from flying around then change to medium speed.<br /><br />2. Add in (C) and knead till the dough pass the window pane stage, which means if you tear a piece of dough out, you are able to stretch it till it forms a thin membrane.<br /><br />3. Make it into a round dough and put it into a floured bowl. Let it proof in an enclosed area for 40 minutes. (I placed it in a big box with a cup of steaming hot water and cover the box with the lid.)<br /><br />4. When it has doubled in size, punch down the dough and divide into 9 round doughs (each ~60g) and let it rest for 10 minutes.<br /><br />5. Roll them into nice round balls, brush the surface with the remaining egg or water and coat it with tonnes of sesame seeds. Space them out on greased baking tray.<br /><br />6. Let it proof for another 40 minutes. 20 minutes before the end of proofing, preheat the oven to 180oC.<br /><br />7. Bake for 15 minutes in middle rack. Let it cool first before slicing. Enjoy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z9PTKIhjFY/TcPYAoU02vI/AAAAAAAAAUk/rjzRhE30tSI/s1600/IMG_3401.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z9PTKIhjFY/TcPYAoU02vI/AAAAAAAAAUk/rjzRhE30tSI/s400/IMG_3401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603559866715396850" border="0" /></a>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-5089331101671366262011-04-15T18:44:00.000+08:002011-04-15T19:21:55.353+08:00Bread Bread and More BreadSeems like I have abandoned my blog again. :( I am stuck in a busy and vicious cycle. Even though I am baking every weekend, by the time I clean up my kitchen, it will be time for bed and get ready for another week of work. Sometimes I do get a little depress over this. Finally I am here again after about 4 weeks.<br /><br />I have been baking bread during these 4 weeks. Why did I keep on baking bread?? First, I love bread and I have it for breakfast every weekday morning. Second, the bread that I baked just doesn't seem to be as fluffy as what I bought in the bakery. Sometimes I do get soft bread but it's just not the fluffy kind. More dense to be exact. I don't know if my expectation is too high. But to me, I feel that I have yet to succeed in bread making. I will keep on trying. This process just simply has too many variables and unknowns. Maybe this is the third reason. It is challenging.<br /><br />20th March - Butter Cinnamon Roll from <a href="http://reesekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/butter-cinnamon-rolls.html">here</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-50VmKd4RMQg/TagmNksJcYI/AAAAAAAAAUc/VMuiexzmHqI/s1600/IMG_3368.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-50VmKd4RMQg/TagmNksJcYI/AAAAAAAAAUc/VMuiexzmHqI/s400/IMG_3368.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595764551636840834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />For this bun, I forgot to leave the dough to double in the second proof. After shaping it, I sent them into the oven straight away. So blur. Luckily it is still soft and nice just that it is not fluffy. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I am sure if I did not forget that step, the standard will be closer to my dream bread.</span><br /><br />27th March - Sweet Bun with hotdog from <a href="http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.com/2007/01/sweet-buns.html">here</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-npRQO1vi6OA/TagmCU1eq9I/AAAAAAAAAUU/RZOtwFDay2I/s1600/IMG_3371.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-npRQO1vi6OA/TagmCU1eq9I/AAAAAAAAAUU/RZOtwFDay2I/s400/IMG_3371.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595764358402452434" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This ugly looking bun is the result of me acting smart when I am not. Slap myself. I prove the dough overnight because I don't want to spend so many hours in the kitchen on Sunday. On Sunday, I took out the dough, shape it and bake it. Terrible mistake. I should have thaw it first but I am afraid that the dough will be over proof. Sigh. I think I won't try this method again until I got more specific instructions on how to carry this out correctly from a trusted source. Anyway, this bread has a scone-like texture. It still taste decent after toasting. Far from my dream bread.</span><br /><br />3rd April - Sweet Bun with hotdog<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zXEPVBBZ_gI/Tagl41h0p_I/AAAAAAAAAUM/ip0Qz1_OeQU/s1600/IMG_3384.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zXEPVBBZ_gI/Tagl41h0p_I/AAAAAAAAAUM/ip0Qz1_OeQU/s400/IMG_3384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595764195379685362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I am tired of failure. So this time, I decided to be obedient and follow the above recipe step by step. And finally, I got a bun that is close to my dream bread, just that the fluffiness is still shy of those bought ones. But this bun is good enough to make me happy for the whole day.</span><br /><br />10th April - Wholemeal Bun (Using Tangzhong)<br /><br />I forgot to take picture of these plain wholemeal bun. After hearing so much about Tangzhong method and how it can retain its fluffiness for three days, I decided to try it. But sad to say, it did not come out right. Quite soft but not exactly fluffy. Luckily it tastes good when it is toasted with cheese.<br /><br />I am taking a break this week from baking bread. I think I will bake muffins instead. :) But... I will be back.Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-51923794349082543142011-03-19T11:07:00.000+08:002011-03-19T11:33:11.054+08:00Deep Fried Nian Gao in Spring Roll PastryWhat is sticky, sweet, gooey and delicious? Caramel? No. What I am describing is a traditional Chinese delicacy that is available only during Chinese New Year, the Nian Gao. It is made from glutinous flour, sugar and water, steamed for many hours in a mould lined with banana leaves. I have heard of several ways of eating it but I still prefer the deep fried version.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkwDMVfulSE/TYQiy7LxBsI/AAAAAAAAAT8/vOWHbySaKuM/s1600/IMAG0020.jpg"><br /></a><br />My mum used to sandwich the Nian Gao in between a slice of sweet potato and a slice of yam then coat it with a batter, deep fried till golden brown. I have been eating this once every year for twenty over years and not tired of it yet. :) But my mum always complained to me that the oil splatters everywhere, even onto her arms when she is deep frying them. So when I saw what <a href="http://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/search?q=nian+gao">Wendy</a> did with her Nian Gao, I proposed this idea to my mum and she was in for it.We did some modification to the recipe. Instead of mashing the yam and seasoning it, we just cut the yam into rectangles, rubbed them with salt and steamed them for 10 to 15 minutes. After which, the assembling part is the same as what Wendy did.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8RtAtAXx8D8/TYQhS-6U3wI/AAAAAAAAATs/_NeEp241NTg/s1600/IMAG0012.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8RtAtAXx8D8/TYQhS-6U3wI/AAAAAAAAATs/_NeEp241NTg/s400/IMAG0012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585626047855255298" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUuSW62ezwQ/TYQhdunw0YI/AAAAAAAAAT0/lXbU-NfpdQk/s1600/IMAG0014.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUuSW62ezwQ/TYQhdunw0YI/AAAAAAAAAT0/lXbU-NfpdQk/s400/IMAG0014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585626232460988802" border="0" /></a><br />The outcome is simply divine. Haha. When it just came out of the fryer, the Nian Gao is gooey and the pastry is crispy. Left it to cool for a while, the Nian Gao becomes a bit chewy and the pastry is still crispy. This is my favourite texture. If left overnight, the pastry will turn soft and crumbles but still taste good. The pastry will regain its crispiness after toasting but the pastry looks darker and full of wrinkles. Tastewise is as good as before. Yum Yum.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkwDMVfulSE/TYQiy7LxBsI/AAAAAAAAAT8/vOWHbySaKuM/s1600/IMAG0020.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkwDMVfulSE/TYQiy7LxBsI/AAAAAAAAAT8/vOWHbySaKuM/s400/IMAG0020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585627696122103490" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDWAGze0LQs/TYQjsl2lvEI/AAAAAAAAAUE/5FwYcisZsBk/s1600/IMAG0017.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DDWAGze0LQs/TYQjsl2lvEI/AAAAAAAAAUE/5FwYcisZsBk/s400/IMAG0017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585628686828551234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Traditional Delicacy</span><br /></div>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-89163573787129961932011-03-13T21:19:00.000+08:002011-03-13T22:16:51.660+08:00A Weekend Afternoon TeaToday, I invited my uncle and aunt to my house together with my parents to have a simple afternoon tea and also a bonding session. Haha. I have baked a blueberry pound cake yesterday. I need to bake in advance because I am a slow worker. Sigh. I inherited this from my mum as what my dad always says. :) I think I slightly overbaked this cake as you can see that the crust is rather thick. Other than that, I love this cake. It is so fragrant, fruity, buttery and tender. High cholesterol but I can't resist it. Love it. My mum brought back what was left as she didn't have enough of it too. I got this recipe from <a href="http://www.seasaltwithfood.com/2009/07/perfection-pound-cake-with-blueberry.html">Seasaltwithfood</a>. Thanks so much.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Rp38x2uJRI/TXzFr3zWZQI/AAAAAAAAATE/sxA7JqWlDw4/s1600/IMG_3355.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Rp38x2uJRI/TXzFr3zWZQI/AAAAAAAAATE/sxA7JqWlDw4/s400/IMG_3355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583554995536946434" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-snkxb_Ev7Ck/TXzF1VeMN3I/AAAAAAAAATM/p_WDTnLlacw/s1600/IMG_3361.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-snkxb_Ev7Ck/TXzF1VeMN3I/AAAAAAAAATM/p_WDTnLlacw/s400/IMG_3361.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583555158120085362" border="0" /></a><br />I think my skill still have lots of room for improvement. See the big holes there? I will definitely make this cake again. The next dish that I prepared is the savory dish called pearl balls. It is actually meatballs coated with glutinous rice. I got my inspiration from <a href="http://honeybeesweets88.blogspot.com/2009/07/pearl-balls.html">Honey Bee Sweets</a>. It is a very simple dish to prepare. I made the meat mixture in advance and coated them with glutinous rice when I wanted to steam. I modified the recipe a bit by replacing the prawns with fish paste to make my life a little easier. As usual, lazy. ;) I am still not very confident with my seasoning skills so I boiled some water and cooked two meatballs to have a taste of it. Luckily the taste is well-balanced. Good enough to treat my parents and guests.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IzWdBt5PVkM/TXzI3E2tUDI/AAAAAAAAATU/tQiNFdHiAgk/s1600/IMG_3359.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IzWdBt5PVkM/TXzI3E2tUDI/AAAAAAAAATU/tQiNFdHiAgk/s400/IMG_3359.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583558486554136626" border="0" /></a><br />Pretty morsels. Looks elegant and cute. Easy to eat too. I think I will omit the grease paper next time and just simply grease the plate to prevent them from sticking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mS0OsANAJDQ/TXzKDNIsNPI/AAAAAAAAATc/_vUJ8hQ1hP0/s1600/IMG_3360.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mS0OsANAJDQ/TXzKDNIsNPI/AAAAAAAAATc/_vUJ8hQ1hP0/s400/IMG_3360.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583559794447103218" border="0" /></a><br />Lastly, I also baked two hasselback sweet potatoes. The slicing of the potatoes is really a challenge to me. The sweet potatoes are so hard. I cut through it twice. So sad. No skill. After struggling for half an hour, I finally did it. Haha. Filled with satisfaction. I prepared according to what <a href="http://www.seasaltwithfood.com/2010/07/roasted-sweet-potatoes.html">Seasaltwithfood</a> has blogged. Towards the end of the baking, a familiar smell struck me. Roasted chestnuts. It must be the smell of the burnt sugar on the aluminium foil. This dish is also well-received. Just that I need to eat more spinach to gain more arm power before I do it again. ;) But I think I will make this again because my hubby likes it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m_2QeilVkxA/TXzO7VklxLI/AAAAAAAAATk/Velfd_XQPC8/s1600/IMG_3357.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 299px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m_2QeilVkxA/TXzO7VklxLI/AAAAAAAAATk/Velfd_XQPC8/s400/IMG_3357.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583565156830790834" border="0" /></a>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-45825654291638540302011-02-26T17:21:00.000+08:002011-02-26T17:44:43.402+08:00Banana CakeLast Thursday my mother gave me the ripen green banana that she used it to bai tian gong (pray to Emperor Jade) on Lunar 9th. With so many bananas in hand, I decided to make banana cake. I made once before but the cake is not very nice so I did not blog about it. I blog hop for more recipes. Then I stumbled upon Wendy's recipe<a href="http://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/2008/11/banana-cake.html"> here</a>. What attracts me was the simplicity of the recipe. I decided to gave it a try. I do not know what is pisang emas so I just use my pang jio, literally translated from Hokkien is fragrant banana.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0TWRHPJXi10/TWjLQ_hQ2tI/AAAAAAAAAS0/GoeMLr29Wok/s1600/IMG_3321.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0TWRHPJXi10/TWjLQ_hQ2tI/AAAAAAAAAS0/GoeMLr29Wok/s400/IMG_3321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577931631287655122" border="0" /></a><br />The whole kitchen was filled with the fragrant of the banana, from the mashing stage to the baking stage. It even attracted my hubby to the kitchen. When the cake is baked, strange enough, it smell like fried nian gao. Haha. I love the smell and when it is slightly cooled, I cannot wait to have a taste. I love everything of this cake, from its taste to its texture. With minimal ingredients, minimal steps, minimal washing, the result is fantastic. I will definitely make this cake again for my friends and family. My mother also love this cake and she promised me she will supply me with more bananas for this cake.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zDJscMLCvk0/TWjLYh8BvoI/AAAAAAAAAS8/q536jjkSza0/s1600/IMG_3323.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zDJscMLCvk0/TWjLYh8BvoI/AAAAAAAAAS8/q536jjkSza0/s400/IMG_3323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577931760785800834" border="0" /></a><br />Great satisfaction. :)Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-40967223553428344882011-02-18T15:30:00.000+08:002011-02-18T15:54:26.366+08:00My Weekend LunchWorking. Our lives revolve around our work. This is the most common thing that everyone does. Most of us need to work. I am also part of the working force. Being part of this force, hardly do I have the time to prepare dinner on weekdays. Luckily I am living near my mother-in-law and she is very kind to have us over for dinner almost everyday. I really appreciate her understanding.<br /><br />So when do I cook for my hubby and myself? On Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Why not Sunday dinner? By Sunday night, I am already having Monday Blues so I prefer to spend my night on the sofa or in front of the computer and not in the kitchen washing. So what do I usually cook? The most frequent dish is PASTA. Haha. The reasons being you can add any ingredients into it and it is my chance to clear my fridge. Secondly, I only need one pan and one pot. Minimal washing. Haha. I know I am lazy. I love to cook but the washing really annoys me. Luckily, my hubby is kind enough to wash everything for me after I cook. Thanks dear.<br /><br />I have tried cooking Aglio Olio and the recipe is from <a href="http://elinluv.blogspot.com/2009/10/fettucine-aglio-olio-with-mini-red-plum.html">Elinluv's Tidbits Corner</a>. I added deep fried bacon bits on top. I really love this simple dish and the bacon bits really enhances its taste.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GLQYnca6j6Y/TV4jo_V11oI/AAAAAAAAASk/eNKaaqGrtc8/s1600/IMG_3254.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GLQYnca6j6Y/TV4jo_V11oI/AAAAAAAAASk/eNKaaqGrtc8/s400/IMG_3254.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574932575836034690" border="0" /></a>I also love tomato-based pasta. The tangy sweet salty flavour really got me. The pasta below is my own creation. Haha. I just simply saute half a chopped onion and chopped garlic, with sliced portobello and some sausages until they brown up nicely. Then I added in a can of stew tomatoes and simmer it. After that, I added in the cooked pasta, tossed and served. Just nice for a lazy bum like me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wm0gSVSdBs8/TV4kOaEKKRI/AAAAAAAAASs/Dx1vWCty2bk/s1600/IMG_3287.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wm0gSVSdBs8/TV4kOaEKKRI/AAAAAAAAASs/Dx1vWCty2bk/s400/IMG_3287.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574933218664786194" border="0" /></a>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-34058852661071645652011-02-13T17:10:00.001+08:002011-02-13T18:05:44.178+08:00Valentine's DayFor the past week, I have been indulging myself with CNY goodies like my favourite bak gua, pineapple tarts, love letters... The list is so long. The angel in me will tell me to watch out for my waistline and the devil in me will say one year once only, it's ok. Sigh. I always lean towards the devilish me.<br /><br />For Valentine's Day, by right I should be making heart shape cookies or chocolatey heart shaped cake or even heart shaped truffles (even though I never make it before) but I think my hubby and I had enough of those high sugar, high sugar, high calories goodies (or maybe I should call them baddies ;). I should make something for him that is part of his daily three meals so I would not increase his calories intake. My decision is Bread. You may think that I am unromantic. Yeah. You hit the jackpot. I must say I am quite a practical person. Flowers for Valentine's Day? I don't know how to appreciate them and I don't really crave for them. I rather have something practical. Haha. Hope he gets my hints.<br /><br />I made him cheesy heart-shaped buns with a little raw sugar sprinkled on top. I read about this technique of shaping in <a href="http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.com/2010/06/hearty-buns.html">Happy Home Baking</a>. The recipe that I used is adapted from <a href="http://schneiderchen.de/356Cheese-Rolls.html">Angie's Recipe</a>. In order to add more fiber to our diet, I replaced 30 g of bread flour with wholemeal flour. As for the taste, you cannot expect it to be super soft and fluffy like the white bread. However, it is indeed soft even on the second day (which is today) without toasting. I can say that I am satisfy with the result. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2BhmKX2wjkY/TVeqGDuVV9I/AAAAAAAAASc/1t7N7b1vDq0/s1600/IMG_3297.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2BhmKX2wjkY/TVeqGDuVV9I/AAAAAAAAASc/1t7N7b1vDq0/s400/IMG_3297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573110084949858258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qKLU9SvIBy0/TVep6t8iNxI/AAAAAAAAASU/BVX85Eg4Acc/s1600/IMG_3292.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qKLU9SvIBy0/TVep6t8iNxI/AAAAAAAAASU/BVX85Eg4Acc/s400/IMG_3292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573109890125281042" border="0" /></a><br />I am submitting this post to <span class="fullpost"><b style="color:red;"><span style="color:black;">Aspiring Bakers </span></b><span style="color:red;"><span style="color:black;">hosted by Cuisine Paradise. More information can be found <a href="http://ellenaguan.blogspot.com/2011/02/aspiring-bakers-4-love-in-air-feb-2011.html">here</a>.<br /></span></span></span>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-64132531713389691702011-01-31T18:01:00.000+08:002011-01-31T18:18:36.451+08:00Almond Pandan CookiesEvery Chinese New Year, I will bake pineapple tarts only due to demand and time constraint. This year, I managed to squeeze out some time to try another cookie recipe that I have bookmarked. It is from <a href="http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2010/10/almond-pandan-cookies.html">My Kitchen Snippets - Almond Pandan Cookies</a>. Alot of local desserts in Singapore use Pandan leaves in them as it imparts a nice fragrance to the desserts. I love the smell of these plain looking leaves. So when I saw this recipe, I kept it in my sleeves and pray hard that I have time to try it out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaMCUPbxwI/AAAAAAAAASA/Vic7Ogv_jKE/s1600/IMG_3267.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaMCUPbxwI/AAAAAAAAASA/Vic7Ogv_jKE/s400/IMG_3267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568291960711268098" border="0" /></a>I cleared my off in lieu on a Friday and managed to reach home early. So I rolled up my sleeves and out the recipe. The cookies smells great. Very buttery and not too sweet. I guessed I slightly overbaked them as mine looked more brown. But the pandan smell is not prominent. I think it is due to the pandan paste that I used. I offered them to my mum and she loves it. She had them with coffee in the afternoon while watching TV. She even offered to pound some pandan leaves for me to make my own pandan essence as she believes that it will taste even better with the pandan smell.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaMIppYR9I/AAAAAAAAASI/pKJ1OBsxaXI/s1600/IMG_3272.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaMIppYR9I/AAAAAAAAASI/pKJ1OBsxaXI/s400/IMG_3272.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568292069536450514" border="0" /></a>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4823173839821632114.post-28917878994060551202011-01-31T17:23:00.000+08:002011-02-14T14:18:44.908+08:00Chinese New Year BakesIt is Chinese New Year again. This is my favourite time of the year. Somehow or rather I got very busy during this period every year. Be it at work or at home. Time is always not enough. However, I will still set aside one day to make my dad's favourite pineapple tarts. Ever since my auntie stopped making hers, my dad could not find the type of tarts that he adores until November 2008. Haha. I found a recipe in the internet and decided to try out. He fell in love with them and ever since, he will ask me to make it every CNY. I am sorry to the owner of this recipe because I could not recall where I took it from and thus could not acknowledge it in my post. I am thankful that you shared this recipe and I have been very loyal to this recipe. Making it every year. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaF59hVi3I/AAAAAAAAARw/7zfvJiDF9PU/s1600/IMG_3274.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568285220103621490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaF59hVi3I/AAAAAAAAARw/7zfvJiDF9PU/s400/IMG_3274.JPG" border="0" /></a>This year, I made 352 open faced tarts with the help of my mummy. I prepared the tarts and she rolled the pineapple paste into little balls. I used store bought one as my family like the taste. Not too sweet and it goes well with the tarts. This recipe yields melt-in-your-mouth tarts. The downside of this recipe is that it is hard to pack them into the containers. Very delicate. But who cares. It is for our own consumption. ;)<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaF59hVi3I/AAAAAAAAARw/7zfvJiDF9PU/s1600/IMG_3274.JPG"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaGVklT-GI/AAAAAAAAAR4/GY6yLAbN8Jo/s1600/IMG_3277.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568285694445746274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JBTpweoF2iw/TUaGVklT-GI/AAAAAAAAAR4/GY6yLAbN8Jo/s400/IMG_3277.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Pineapple Tarts</span> <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">(make about 70 tarts)</span><br /><br />300g plain flour<br />half tsp of salt<br />4 tbsp corn flour<br />200g butter<br />2 egg yolk<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Instructions:</span><br />1) Sieve flour, corn flour and salt into a mixing bowl.<br />2) Rub in cold butter and add in the egg yolk to form a dough.<br />3) Roll our the pastry into 0.5 cm thick and stamp out.<br />4) Place the little pineapple paste balls on top and bake in preheated oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or till the bottom is light brown.<br />5) Cool them on racks and store in air tight container.<br /><br />I am submitting this post to <a href="http://j3sskitch3n.blogspot.com/2011/01/aspiring-bakers-3-my-favourite-cny.html">Aspiring Bakers #3: My Favourite CNY Cookie</a>. Hopefully I am not too late.<br /><h3 class="post-title entry-title"><br /></h3>Kym Kymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06447366099923598126noreply@blogger.com4