SourCream Timbits

The Majestic Bromo

2006-08-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

First of all, sorry for the lateness of this post…

Since I am in Indonesia, I should have been blogging more things Indonesian. Obviously, I haven’t been doing that, and that’s bit retarded. I’m really sorry for my slow thinking.

Although recently fortune has been on the low side for Indonesia, there are still good things that made up this so-called “my home country”. One of my favourite spots in East Java [my province] is Mount Bromo, located in the city of Probolinggo.

Before we dwell into what you might find in this peaceful breezy part of East Java, let’s take a look for a second into the unfortunate [refer to picture above]. More than 80 days ago, the natural gas exploration in Porong, Sidoarjo, accidentally hit the source of hot earthen mud instead. As a result, the hot mud burst out endlessly, up to this very day, leaving countless homes and land drowned in this thick smelly concoction. Nature is angry, people are grieving. The only one to be blamed is the group of people conducting this egoistic action that will only benefit themselves. This devastating incident is only to become a lesson that man and nature must live in harmony. In other words, they must respect each other. Otherwise man’s power will always lose out from nature’s will. Thus, I urge everyone, everywhere to preserve their nature. Only then can we fully enjoy what nature provides us. Remember, what goes around, comes around.

Now let’s enjoy a few snapshots that I managed to take from a view trips to Bromo. Some are pictures from a year ago, yet they are still relevant. Some were taken just yesterday. I don’t have much to say, just hope you can all enjoy and appreciate these.

To get to the top of Mt. Bromo, you must rent a four-wheel-drive jeep to get you through the sand sea [literally, it is a sea of sands or dust]. Afterwards, you can rent a horse to climb the steep, stony surface just before the beginning of the stairs. Finally, you will be facing a steep 150-case stairs that will take you to the plateau of Mt. Bromo. Take these steps easily and do not rush. On the 150^th case, you’ll be able to have an eagle-eye view of what’s below you. Which is a magnificent view! Beware of the steep surface and slopes. Also beware not to breath in too much of the sulfur omitted by the plateau!

In preparation of this hike, you must wear a strong pair of sandals and bring a bottle of water with you. Another option that you may take is to walk through the sand sea all the way up to the plateau by foot. I have never done this, but my friend and most other tourists have.

It was by accident that our family came to like this place. First, my friend, who traveled on foot all the way up to the plateau, stayed in this hotel with her group. My curiosity was sparked by its unique name. Thus, on our first visit ever to Bromo, I asked my father to drive us to this ethnic-looking place. We went on and tried the foods in their restaurant. We have been going there often since then. On that first visit, we discovered that the hotel is owned by an Indonesian-German couple and that the name was taken from their names, Yok and Uschi.

Our favorite foods here are European, potato-based dish. There are a lot to choose, from roestis to potato pancake. They also serve Indonesian foods such as “soto ayam” [Indonesian chicken soup] and “nasi goreng” [fried rice]. Yesterday, I ordered their brown sugar, cinnamon and honey oatmeal porridge to fight the cold weather.

Interesting that from this hotel, we adopted our lovely Bonzo. His mom is still around in the hotel, her name is Luli.

The hotel has a lot of small cottages that you can choose, spread out on their spacious backyard. On one spot, they do gardening as well! We found mint leaves, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, murbei, cabbage, and shallots cultivated.

Yoschi Hotel and Restaurant
Jl. Wonokerto km. 2, Ngadisari
Probolingo, East Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62335 - 541018
E-mail: yoschi_bromo@telkom.net

We left when dusk has turned into the darkness of the night. The stars are already sparkling in the sky. They are not just one cluster of stars but hundreds of them forming an endless sea of stars. The height of the location enables us to watch the stars clearly; they seem really close to the surface of where we stand. The lack of electricity gives us privilege to watch the stars without being distorted by scattering lights. Each time I see time, they are each one unforgettable moment…

My Korean Kitchen – Kimchi Jjigae and Myulchi Bokeum

2006-08-05T06:04:00.000-05:00

Kimchi Jjigae and Sides

Just some recipes I want to share with all of you from my recent cooking activity.

I’m not from Korean ancestry, yet I love Korean foods. Who doesn’t? Korean foods are nicely spiced with common ingredients and mostly flaming hot with the addition of “gochujang” [Korean chili paste]. I fell in love with Korean food while in Toronto, Canada. The Korean Town in Bloor and Bathurst provides a wealth of Korean restaurants and markets. Making my eyes wide open to the selection of Korean foods. Thanks to some people I met while volunteering with ISC, I got my first chance at trying “Gam Ja Tang” [Pork Bone Soup] at Korean restaurant called Ka Chi. Ever since then, I’ve been visiting Korean town numerous of times with Mr. W.

What I find interesting about Korean restaurants is that they always provide side dishes for free. The side dish commonly consists of kimchi, pickled veggies, anchovies, or whatever they happen to make that day. These side dishes are what distinguished Korean cuisine. In a bigger restaurant, you will get around ten side dishes and you’ll feel full before the main meal even arrives.

I’m also interested in Korean cooking. Mostly because of the influence from this wonderful Korean drama series “Dae Jang Geum” [Jewel in the Palace] which is about the journey of a palace girl [named Jang Geum] in the intricate world of Korean kingdom. This drama features a lot of Korean food, Korean cooking, Korean herbs, and many more. The preparation of Korean food was made really interesting that I made myself try to make some of the dishes.

After purchasing this Korean cookbook filled with authentic recipes, I soon started planning what to make. I decided to start from the basics. Making homemade kimchi, This kimchi would have later purpose, which is to make “Kimchi Jjigae” [kimchi stew] and to be served as a side dish.

One side dish is not enough, I decided to also make “Myulchi Bokeum” [fried anchovies]. Let’s see how the process evolves.

All recipes are courtesy of “The Food of Korea” published by Periplus Edition

Kimchi [Whole Cabbage Kimchi]

You need:

1 Chinese cabbage [napa], about 600 g

½ cup coarse or pickling salt

4 cups water

1 small long white radish [about 160 g], cut in 1 ½ -in julienne strips

1 spring onion, cut in 1 ½ -in julienne strips

1 small leek, white part only, cut in 1 ½ -in julienne strips

2 tsp garlic, very finely chopped

1 tsp ginger, finely grated

1 ½ - 2 Tbsp chili powder

5 g pickled shrimp [optional]

20 g salted anchovies [optional]

Let’s start!

Day 1

Trim off the root end of the cabbage, but do not cut or separate the leaves. Put all but 1 ½ tablespoons of the salt in a large bowl and add 4 cups water. Stir to dissolve, then add cabbage, bending the end if necessary to fit the cabbage in tightly. Put a weighted plate on top to keep the cabbage under salted water, and keep at room temperature for 12 hours or longer if needed until the cabbage has softened. Drain the cabbage, rinse well under running water, and squeeze dry.

Day 2

Combine all other ingredients in a bowl, tossing to mix well. Stand the cabbage upright in a bowl and separate the leaves, one by one, pushing in some of the radish mixture by hand to fill. Pack the cabbage, pushing it down firmly into a covered jar just large enough to hold it [you can also use a covered pot]. Press down to remove any pockets of air, then cover the jar.

Refrigerate 2 hours, then transfer jar to a warm place – around 78°F [25°C] for about 24 hours to ferment.

Day 3

Transfer to a fridge and chill. Chop before serving.

Never use a reactive metal container to store kimchi; use porcelain or stainless steel. Plastic will permanently be stained by chili. Store kimchi in a cool, dark place – fridge is the best.

Before getting to the main course, “Kimchi Jjigae”, let’s make another side dish because it’s not common to only serve one side dish. This is called “Myulchi Bokeum” and very simple to make. In the picture, you will see that my anchovies have turned brown [from bone white] after cooking in oil. However, the picture in the book shows the anchovies as transparent white after cooked. Those are what I found when shopping at Korean supermarket. The difference is probably caused by the different anchovies used. I have no idea what type of anchovies are commonly used by Koreans.

Myulchi Bokeum [Fried Anchovies]

You need:

80 g dried cleaned anchovies [about 5 cm in length] or 100 g whole dried baby anchovies

2 in [5 cm] ginger

2 tsp water

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp garlic, very finely chopped

2 tsp sugar

½ - 1 tsp crushed dried chili [optional; I used sliced, seeded green chili]

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnishing

Let’s start!

If anchovies are not purchased cleaned, discard the heads and the dark intestinal tract. Do not wash the anchovies.

Put the ginger and water in a spice grinder and blend. Put in a sieve and press down to obtain 1 teaspoon ginger juice. Set aside. [I simply grated the ginger, blended it with water and pressed it down the sieve]

Heat the oil in a wok and add the anchovies. Stir-fry over medium heat until crisp and cooked, 5 minutes. Remove anchovies from wok and drain on paper towel. Clean the wok and return to the heat. Add anchovies and sprinkle with ginger juice, garlic, sugar and stir-fry 1 minute. Add chili and sesame oil and stir-fry for a few seconds, then mix well. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with toasted sesame seeds, and serve at room temperature. This will keep in the fridge for one week.

We’ve come to the main attraction of this first entry for My Korean Kitchen. After I think about it, I’ve only heard of this dish so many times but never really tried it. I guess I was just too hooked on “Gam Ja Tang” [pork bone soup]. As I expected, this soup is hot and sour, very refreshing to the taste buds. It is recommended that you make your own beef stock [recipe follows] instead of buying the packaged ones from the grocery or using bouillon cubes. The stock really adds depth to the soup, making it a very satisfying one to eat.

Kimchi Jjigae

You need:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

120 g beef sirloin, finely shredded [can be replaced by pork]

1 -2 tsp garlic, smashed and very finely chopped

2 ¼ cups firmly packed [480 g] sliced kimchi

6 cups [1 ½ liters] Beef Stock

120 g bean curd, sliced into rectangles about 3 cm by 2 cm

1 – 2 tsp chili powder

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 small red or green chili, sliced

Let’s start!

Heat the oil in a cast iron pot [any pot will do if you don’t have one] and stir-fry the beed until it changes color. Add the garlic and kimchi and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, then add the Beef Stock. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute. Add the bean curd and chili powder, return to a boil, and simmer 2 minutes.

Serve into individual bowls. Sprinkle with spring onions and sliced chilies and serve hot.

Hint: One cup of the beef stock can be substituted with juice drained from kimchi jar.

Arrange everything as suggested in the first picture of this entry. The whole process may seem laborious, but it’s nothing when you got plenty of time in your hands ^^

Enjoy with a bowl of steamed short-grain rice [e.g. Nishiki brand].

Beef Stock

You need:

2 lb [1kg] shin beef, in one piece

8 cups [2 liters] water

Let’s start!

Put beef in a pan with water and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes, then skim off all the material that has risen to the top of the liquid. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer very gently for 1 ½ hours. Strain stock and use beef for some other purpose.

The First ... Blogger Postcards From the World

2006-08-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

It is as if you’ve been there yourself…

Nonetheless, it’s only a picture in a postcard that manages to capture the beautiful cliff overlooking the sea.

Bali is well-known for its beaches, tourists from around the world would fly to Bali to see its natural beauty. Most of the beaches are really clean with white sands and blue sea. However, the crowded ones, like Kuta, are turning into trash as too many people, local and tourists, occupy this beach. Some small businesses are also operating along the beach such as cold drink seller, surfing board rental, hairstyle [braiding] service, etc. Some other beaches, on the other hand, remain serene although that’s only what I heard.

Don’t be mistaken, Bali doesn’t only attract tourists for its beaches, it also offers majestic Hindu temples [pura], hectares of green rice fields [you can even rent a bike to cycle along the “pematang sawah” [sides of the rice fields]], beautiful mountain and lake [such as Bedugul], and most importantly traditional foods that represents Bali [such as “Babi Guling” and “Ayam Betutu”].

Also, because most of this island’s population believe in Hindu [unlike the rest of other Indonesian islands], you will see a lot of dogs let loose on the streets. Mostly they are mongrels. However, if you look closely, there actually is an indigenous breed called Balinese dogs. They are prized for their long lush white fur. They resemble a white wolf, with smaller and less muscular build.

Bali is accessible in many ways. People from Australia could probably go on a cruise and harbored in Bali. While people coming from other islands, such as Java [my island], can make use of the ground transportation, and then board on the ferry port at Gilimanuk. Still, it is most accessible by air transportation. You would land on an international airport called “Ngurah Rai” [after a Balinese hero].

Bali is culturally rich and has a lot to offer. There are endless possibilities of what to explore in this one tiny island.

Thank you Meeta for hosting this wonderful event :)

So, who’s lucky enough to have received this postcard? We’ll see…

Jakarta - City of Traffic Jam

2006-07-30T00:08:00.000-05:00

The Famous BreadTalk - a franchise bakery from Singapore

Tuesday, July 18 2006

Flying to Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia

Quite abruptly, my father decided that my mom, my sister, and I come with him to his Jakarta trip. It’s not unusual for me to go to Jakarta. I have been going there ever since I was only a year old. Back then, we’d go there by car, consuming almost 24 hours to reach the destination. No wonder I’d go there often, my mom is from Jakarta; she was born there and her side of the family still lives there.

The plane ride, both coming and going, was nauseating for me. The takeoff and landing was very bumpy and there were a lot of turbulences in the air. That kind of flight made me feeling green and blue.

Even though I’ve been to Jakarta often, by no means I know every twist and turn of the streets. We’d always use a chauffeur and sleep most of the time in the car, bored with the increasing traffic jam. The only places familiar to us are the huge shopping malls like Mall Taman Anggrek [MTA], Plaza Senayan [PS], Plaza Indonesia [PI], Puri Indah Mall, Mall Kelapa Gading [MKG], and many more.

However, we do go to a sort of market called Pasar Baru [“Passer Baroe” was the old name; it literally translates into “New Market”]. It’s like a long paved road with small shops on the sides. There is an underground market as well where they sell “jajan pasar” [street snacks], traditional foods, and some dried stuff [such as all kinds of crackers, noodle, etc].

Also often visited is the hospital where my grandpa used to and still does work at age 91 [this November]. It’s called “Rumah Sakit Husada” [“Rumah sakit” means hospital]. I can proudly say that my grandpa is a Dutch-educated doctor; educated in the Dutch school during the Dutch colony. He can still speak Dutch until now, it was especially used in the conversation with my grandma; who passed away 2 years ago. My grandpa is a hardworking man and well-respected. He still got an office at the hospital and goes there twice a week.

Now, let’s talk about the foods I encountered while in Jakarta….

I must have forgotten to mention that I like to go to the market in Jakarta too. Since it’s located in a residence area, it’s cleaner and neater. I like to go there in the morning to buy breakfast. Most often, we are having “Bakmi Ayam” [Chicken noodle], which is boiled noodle with shredded chicken and vegetables and served with chicken broth. It depends on people’s preference whether they like their noodle swimming in the broth or just eat it plainly with hot chili sauce. The noodle is chewy and elastic, it’s usually splashed with a mixture of condiments [soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, salt and sugar].

Along with the noodle, we usually buy some “jajan pasar” as well. The variety is countless! In the picture, you can see “kue pepe” [in the picture] which is layers of steamed cake made of glutinuous rice flour. There are two flavors sold in the market, “pandan” and chocolate. This is my mom’s favorite snack when she was a little girl. They also have “gemblong”, “combro”, “bolu kukus”, “talam ubi”, “nagasari”, and many many more! Each one can’t be translated literally and must be given long explanations. When you’re shopping for street snacks in markets in Jakarta, just ask for those foods I mentioned.

In Sogo Department Store, there is a food court specializing in foods from around Indonesia [mainly in Java] called Spice Garden. They also sell traditional drinks, and Japanese and Chinese foods. I’ve tried their “Soto Betawi”, “Mie Jogja” [Jogja Noodle], and Coto Makassar. This time, I’m going to try “Soto Mie Bogor”. It’s basically a yellow soup with rice vermicelli, beef, brisket, “risol” [fried square wonton”], and vegetables. It’s ready to eat after some “jeruk limo” [small limes] juice is squirted and some sweet soy sauce is poured over. To add more challenge, people will spoon in a lot of chili sauce [“sambal”]. Actually, I came across this food when Mr. W bought it for me in Bogor, a city outside Jakarta. But, it didn’t taste good at all back then, so I wanted to try it again at a more decent place because he keeps boasting how good it is.

My father is a fruit-lover! He loves buying and eating fruits, especially bananas. Perhaps it has something to do with his Chinese horoscope being “monkey”…

I realized that there are a lot of common fruits in Indonesia that can’t be easily found in Canada. I don’t think I’ve seen either mangosteen [“manggis" in Indonesian] or “matoa” in Canada. My father once bought the “jambu air” from a Chinese grocery in Markham. I heard that you can find mangosteen in Pusateris, but I’ve never been there myself. While “matoa”, I don’t think you can find it anywhere else since it’s cultivated in Irian Jaya [west of Papua New Guinea]. Perhaps when it’s popular enough, it will be mass-cultivated and exported. Its flesh is almost like longan [“kelengkeng” in Indonesian].

On my first day in Jakarta, I still haven’t got the chance to meet my grandpa. Usually, we would meet him first thing when we arrived. But not this time. A lot of things have changed. I found myself missing my grandpa...

Indonesia Oh... Indonesia

2006-07-28T22:24:00.000-05:00

Carrot Field on the Way to Batu

Ramblings from Indonesia

Some things have changed in just one year. Little things, really. Maybe this transition from cool weather [or “pediding” in Indonesian] to hot and humid weather is making me more short-tempered; meaning easily get upset.

But, based on my observation, I have been feeling this change before the weather change. It’s the change in the way people trust one another. I look around, and all I see I that trust towards another human being has decreased, as seen in the increased amount of security. This is most notably in places like grocery stores, supermarket, and stores selling household equipments.

One example is when I visited Bali Deli in Jakarta, the security warned me not to take picture. Afterward, she would pry her eyes on every movement I made in that foreign-owned supermarket. It’s very uncomforting knowing how the increased security implies that the morale of this nation is on the lower side. Increased security illustrates that more shoplifting have been found, more crimes have been conducted. At least, that’s what I would think.

Also happened just yesterday. When we went to this baking equipment shop, we were asked even to check in our handbags at the front counter! It’s only handbags where we keep our valuables! Yet, they insisted! How do they expect me to do a smooth shopping if I had to carry my cell, bulky purse, and camera on my hands? Then, I just asked the counter guy casually if there had been more robberies lately and he just smiled dryly.

There are still a lot to complain from this obnoxious country but I won’t be too blunt because this is indeed the place where I was born. People here try their best indeed to survive and I have met and known some good people who use purely their own strength to achieve success.

The Food of Bitterness

Life is bitter, but sometimes spoiled girl like me don’t really feel its direct effect.

This recipe I’m about to share features bitter gourd [“pare” in Indonesian] and very simple to prepare. Rumor says that bitter gourd is useful in cleansing the bowel.

Stir-fried Bitter Gourd

Ingredients

2 medium bitter gourd [sliced very thinly with mandolin or sharp knife]
1 T vegetable oil
2 T shallots [sliced]
2 big green chilies [sliced, deseeded if can’t stand the heat]
salt and sugar [to taste]
2 T dried salted anchovies [fried in oil]

Direction

Sautee the shallots and green chilies in oil until fragrant.
Add the sliced bitter gourd, stir occasionally.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the salt and sugar.
Turn off the heat and add the fried anchovies.

Serve with steamed rice as a main dish or serve as a side dish :)

Sidoarjo, East Java; My Hometown

2006-07-24T11:08:00.000-05:00

The first week at home.

Week of July 11, 2006.

After our brief trip in HongKong, we’re home at last. It’s very relieving to be at home. Surrounded by familiar smells, furniture, and of course my two lovely mongrels.

Coming home has its consequences. Since the air in Indonesia is badly polluted [unlike Canada], my nasal allergy is once again triggered after a long absence in Canada. Moreover, smoking in public places is not controlled very well here. People can smoke anywhere they want and anytime they feel like it. Even inside an indoor restaurant! Everytime I walk by an inconsiderate smoker, I would frown my forehead. Perhaps the only smoke-free environments are inside movie theatre and the washroom.

Beside the polluted air, I don’t have much complaint about anything else.

Traditionally, upon arrival we are to visit our grandparents who live right across the street. They would greet us with a wealth of foods, both Indonesian and Chinese. They did not specially prepare that for us, though. It’s just they are used to having a lot of foods available. Here is a glance at some Indonesian foods found in my grandparents’ house. They are specifically Javanese foods.

The first of the three is called “Kue Lemper” in Indonesian. It is one of hundreds of traditional street snacks wrapped in banana leaf. The savoury sandwich is made of glutinuous rice boiled in rich coconut milk. Once the blocks of glutinuous rice are made, some shredded chicken is stuffed in the middle, similar to a sandwich. However, due to the high content of glutinous rice, this food remains a snack since it’s not good for the digestion to eat glutinuous rice on an empty stomach. They are best eaten on the same day of production because the coconut makes them go bad quickly.

Next up is a partially eaten “Pecel Sayur” that can be easily found in any street vendors or small Indonesian restaurants. There is one popular “warung” [food sellers on the sidewalk] near my old high-school that only opens in the morning. You can find a lot of people as early as 6am, lining up for the pecel and nasi campur [rice with assorted sides].

The preparation is made easy with the availability of ready-made blocks of peanut sauce. This is no ordinary peanut sauce since it consists of a lot of complicated spices that my tongue can’t detect. After asking my mom, I discovered that the peanut sauce is a mixture of a block of palm sugar [brown sugar], dry-roasted peanuts, lime leaf, kencur [Kaempferia galanga], and chilies for hotness.

There is no rule on which vegetable should be included in the platter. We normally put chayote, bean sprouts, long beans, watercress, and kangkoong; all blanched in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Additional foods that normally goes with this are fried tofu and tempeh, “kemangi” leaves [lemon basil], and flour crackers. All these are eaten with rice. Modest, yet delicious.

The last one on the picture is called “Pecel Lele”, deep-fried catfish placed on top of freshly made “sambal oeleg”. The “sambal” itself is quite simple to make. Garlic, shallots, big red chilies, small chilies [if you like it HOT], red tomato and shrimp paste; all fried briefly in hot oil. Then they are smashed with sugar and salt on a stone grinder [on “uleg-uleg” using “cobek”]. This is soooo delicious! The catfish is deep-fried till crispy that you can eat the bones. The “kemangi” leaves on top are not only for garnish but they refresh the mouth from the heat of the chili. “Kemangi” often accompanies anything that has “sambal”, they also freshen your breath =)

We ate this “pecel lele” at our favorite restaurant in Pandaan, which is south of my city, Sidoarjo. In a place called “Ayam Goreng Sri”. “Ayam goreng” means fried chicken, and this place is famous for their sweet fried chicken.

Apparently, the journey of my food has brought all of your to East Java’s countryside. I was on a trip to Batu, Malang with my family. We made some stops here and there. First to a plants market neatly arranged on the sidewalk in Batu. You can see the pictures below…

I was amused by the Kumquat tree. I’ve never tried these orange sunset colored fruits and if anyone knows how they taste like, please do tell me.

It was refreshing to see so many greens surrounded by the fresh air of the countryside.

Later on in the evening, after having a satisfying meal to cure our homesick, we headed to an outdoor fruit market. Some of the pictures are cropped together below…

There were a lot of interesting fruits that are not available in Canada such as “sirsat” [soursop] and “ketela ubi” [Sorry, but I don’t know the English translation]. Bananas are also presented just like after being cut from the trees. Still clumping together on a long branch. Then, we’ll ask the seller to cut one row for us. I think this is the same variety as the Chiquita bananas available at Canadian grocery stores. Only we call it “pisang Ambon” [Ambonese banana] here.

I hope you all enjoy this first post about Indonesian foods and fruits. There are still more to come although mostly will be in review-style instead of a step-by-step of a recipe.

See you next time!

Arrived: Hong Kong

2006-07-21T01:13:00.000-05:00

Packaged Chili and Preserved Ginger for the Beef Bowl

I tend to lose track of time when I am back home. No school, no assignments, nothing in particular to do. Just drifting away with time without knowing its actual position. After I carefully counted it, I have been here for almost 2 weeks. Of course there are a lot happening. But to keep things in order, I will start from the beginning of my journey.

July 10, 2006, 6am

Arrived in HongKong and headed to the hotel for our one night stay. At the hotel, we [my sister and I] met with our parents and brother. So happy to see them :))
Despite to tiredness from a long-haul plane [around 15 hours] and the jetlag, we showered then headed out to the streets. For what? For shopping and exploring of course!!

Before I go on, I have to tell you something. I have been to HK quite a lot, maybe more than 5 times. Almost always with our big family who is already familiar with the streets and subway. Almost every district in HK looks like downtown. But we always stay in Causeway Bay area because we know the streets very well already. My big family chose this area mainly because there are a lot of shopping centres such as Sogo and Times Square. They're not the ones who are into sightseeing and cultural activities.

It's only one night that we stayed in HK, so don't count on me on giving you all you need to know about HK! This is just my experience.

Since we've been longing for a bowl of beef bowl, we ate breakfast at Yoshinoya Beef Bowl. This was a past time favorite of my parents while they studied in the US. Apparently, they've passed it down to their children... I chose a classic beef bowl on top of hot Japanese short-grain rice. I like to spice up my beef bowl with sprinkles of chili-and-black-sesame-pepper and added slices of preserved ginger for more zest. You must try this combination!

For dinner, we ate at the noodle shop introduced by our grandparents almost ten years ago. Everytime we go to HK, we will always eat at this place at least once. Our favorite orders are: Wonton Mien [noodle soup with shrimp wontons]; Cha Chiang Mien [noodle with spicy pork dressed in spicy sauce]; Bi Tan Chu [thousand years old egg porridge with shreded pork meat]; and steamed Bok Choy with oyster sauce. Only one staff understands English at this place, so we had to learn the Cantonese equivalent to get us the right orders. Otherwise, point at other people's foods that we're interested in. Unfortunately, I am not able to give you the address of this small restaurant. I am road-blind in HK!

Afterwards, we would normally go to street vendors selling snacks and skewered foods right across Sogo. It's very crowded at night. Our favorite snacks include hot 'n spicy escargot, fish balls, and beancurd skins dipped in sauce. Coupled with the heat of the night, these spicy foods will encourage perspiration, thus coolin gour bodies. To the left of the vendors, there is a small tea-shop selling refreshing mango drinks. We love buying their mango juice that has pieces of mangoes or mango pudding in it. This time, we bought a mango 'n strawberry drink that has pieces of mangoes, strawberries and clear jellies. So very refreshing and healthy, too!

In terms of getting around in HK, it is very easy. To be honest, it has been made easy since the time you step your feet in HK. In the airport, a wealth of information both in Cantonese and in English are available in the form of brochures. They will tell you where to go and how to get there. So, make sure you bring these brochures with you when you visit HK for the first time.

Going into the city couldn't have been easier. You could either purchase a voucher for a shuttle bus to go directly to your hotel, or ride the Airport Express, which is an electric train, to get yourself to the city. The Airport Express only costs you HK$100 one-way and if you're travelling in the same day, you'll only need one one-way ticket. You can check out this website as well.

In the city itself, MTR is a great way to get to one place to another. The touch-screen machine lets you choose the destination, then you simply put some coins to pay for the assigned fee. Coin-changer is also available. Be sure to look at the map properly before you leave so that you won't get lost.

One day went on so quickly...
Night comes, we went to sleep and we barely have time to go around the next day. We had to be at the airport by 3 o'clock since our flight is at 4. Apparently, our shopping didn't stop as we left the city to the airport. We went happily into our favorite snack-shop, Aji Ichiban!! We often go here and buy dried snacks for ourselves and as gifts. Explore it for yourself...

The one day tour in HK is now over...
Wait for more stuff directly from Indonesia :)

Flashback: Summer 2006 Toronto

2006-07-16T10:59:00.000-05:00

Amazing Clouds - taken from inside the plane

I haven’t realized how much I miss blogging.. Until now…

As you may have noted, I have been absent for the longest time ever.. Perhaps more than 3 weeks. Or, almost a month! During my last week in Canada, when school was already over, I was out celebrating summer almost everyday. One day we went Strawberry Picking, the other we went to try out one Summerlicious restaurant, or simply watched a movie and took a leisure walk at Nathan Philip’s Square.

It’s the middle of summer already in Canada and I thought it would be useless to write long posts about events that have been long gone. So, I decided to give a quick flashback over what had happened during my short course of summer in Canada.

Strawberry Picking at Whittamore’s Farm

I have always wanted to do this. I made planning ahead, before the season even began. The difficulty of not owning a car showed up here as no public transportation reaches this suburbia part of southmost town of Markham. Given no other choice, my hard-willed desire helplessly opted to ride a taxi. We could’ve walked… for 6 kilometres! Rather than fainting in the middle of the deserted road, we’d rather be paying for a taxi ride.

The strawberry farm wasn’t disappointing at all. I loved the surroundings and the peacefulness of the hectares of vast land. The picking was made especially comfortable by the straws neatly arranged in between the strawberries so that we can lay our buttocks there wile picking. I got too carried away that Mr. W and my sister had to remind me to stop plucking the strawberries. We’d secretly ate some strawberries we just plucked while sitting down. They were oh so juicy and melted in our mouths right away!!! Finally, we ended up with 13.6 pounds of fresh-picked strawberries. For a complete set of photographs, please visit my Friendster album. It’s a little slow, so I hope you could bear with it.

Summerlicious at Pangaea Restaurant

Summer won’t be complete without Summerlicious. This unique fix prix event, where a bunch of renowned restaurants participate, owned only by Toronto. The first restaurant that came to my mind was Pangaea. I’m not sure why, but I guess it’s mainly because of the reviews I read in the past about this simple and spacious restaurant. The dishes they presented all have distinguished taste, simplicity in presentation, and free of any pretentiousness.

The appetizer that I ordered was the octopus salad, citrusy and refreshing. The main course of choice was a seared tuna, which I’ve never had before. Being an open-mined eater and a lover of sashimi, I quickly fell in love with this juicy tuna topped with fresh cilantro sauce and grated horseradish.

However, don’t be surprised if these two didn’t quite leave an impression on me. The climax of this lunch was marked by the gloriously simple dessert of Raspberry Mousse with Lemon Ladyfingers. I can’t stop licking my spoon and gumming my cheek everytime I put a spoonful of raspberry mousse into my mouth. The mousse was a bit tart paired with a perfect sense of sweetness, making it delectable. The addition of fresh raspberries lining the bottom of the tiny ramekin brought the dessert to life! I wish I could ask for a bigger portion…

Toronto Street Festival

Locations: Nathan Philip's Square and along Yonge Street north of Queen

Farewell Tasha, Farewell Husky, See you soon Toronto!

Clockwise: Nathan Philip's Square in the summer; Tasha and Husky finally getting along; Sushi Pizza at Sushi Time, Queen Street West; So long Tasha and Husky!

This entry in itself, would already indicate that I am no longer in Toronto, temporarily. In fact, I am writing this entry in the heat of the night at my home in Sidoarjo! Yes, I have flown back from Toronto to my home country, Indonesia! After overcoming the jetlag and expected sickness, I hopped to the keyboard. Too excited to share the findings that I got during my first week at home. Just watch out for it!

Look What I've Found!

2006-06-29T21:55:00.000-05:00

I found these gorgeous organic bright red cherries... Claimed that they were picked from someone's cherry tree :P
Gorgeous outside and tart on the inside!

Fresh picked Ontario Strawberries.. I'm gonna get 'cha myself this weekend!

Ontario rhubarb, is in season! Yet, I've never tried making anything from it...

Broccolini.. I didn't even know they existed! Should give it a try :)

Some blueberries for my pancake :)

Another Thank-You Post

2006-06-28T20:41:00.000-05:00

Is it the summer breeze?
Or is it because school is almost finished and I get to relax even more?
Oh no, probably it's because I'm overjoyed by my foster cat and an addition of a cute foster kitten?

I don't know what's causing this, but I feel thankful :)

I feel thankful that I got a chance to take a very interesting course, Human Nutrition. There has never been other course as interesting, practical, useful, eye-opening like this one! My professor is very knowledgable and resourceful. It wasn't a waste of time [and money] at all! Because of this course, I am more informed about my food decisions and have begun to revise it.
You all know that we can eat healthy and still have a lot of fun, right?

Well, right now I have one food blogger to thank. No, I don't really know who she is. Just that she also lives in Toronto and very passionate about food and cooking. Her food blog is one of the blogs I frequently visit. Not only does she present beautiful foods, but also the stories behind it which makes me fall in love with most of the recipes she shared so far. Makes me want to get that feeling as described in the story!

This very food blogger is...
Ivonne from Cream Puffs in Venice [sorry to put you on the spot like that, Ivonne..]

Many of the recipes she shares end up being intriguing for me. Beside that, she lives in the same city as me, so it's only natural that we have the same fruits and vegetables in season. It is also possible that we have a relatively similar mood for food due to the weather.

Ah, whatever it is... I've tried quite some recipes that she gorgeously presented and I'm about to recommend everyone else to give it a try [or, you probably have :p]

When I read her artichoke posting, I knew I had to give it a try as soon as possible. But, a couple of visits to the grocery store left me empty-handed with artichokes. I wish I live next to St. Lawrence Market. However, on my third visit [I can go as often as I want since I have the amazing Metropass], artichokes are finally up on the produce section!! I can't wait to put Ivonne's recipe into practice. Also can't wait to make the best-tasting risotto I've ever made into my dinner table again! [although I literally have no dinner table at home].

Here's the Roasted Artichoke with Lemon from Lori Longbotham's cookbook as recommended by Ivonne...

I appreciate this dish very much since the lemon oil took a while to make, adding depth and a lot of lively flavour into this scrumptious antipasti. From the way I presented [and ate] it, it doesn't really look like an appetizer or antipasti to anyone. Perhaps the tight budget has forced me to turn an antipasti into a full dinner meal ;)

Next up is...
The Lawsuit Muffin :)

Although the name doesn't say much about its taste or flavour, it really was the best homemade muffin I've ever tasted! The muffin is not greasy at all like the muffins that use butter and the savoury streussel picks up the lack of butter. The addition of citrus zest [I used orange] really made the batter fragrant, making every bite enjoyable. Without any artificial additives normally used by commercial bakery, these muffins are truly the best and healthy!

Finally, this morning I satisfied my cravings for pancakes and made the Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake. Very easy to assemble with moist golden coins of pancake that are crispy on the edges. These really made up my morning accompanied with a glass of a tropical blend juice. I was up for my final exam later on the day :)
Since I was not successful in making perfectly round pancakes, I'm not gonna post the picture here :p

I don't really know what the prupose of this entry :) I'm just excited to get to try new great recipes and get amazing results that I want everyone else to try them as well.

Oh, before I forgot, my sister actually tried the cupcakes recipe in Ivonne's website as well. This so-called Vanilla Flirt brings forth an enjoyably moist yet light cakes in tiny cups. Since these cupcakes are very sweet and creamy, I enjoyed eating it with a cup of 1% milk.

Here is my sister's re-creation of the Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes...

So, go try the recipes...:)
And, thanks again, Ivonne !

The Fruityful Colours of Summer

2006-06-24T17:09:00.000-05:00

Summer surely brings a lot of joys, colours, and feelings like never before. This is my first summer ever in Toronto and I've never experienced summer in a four-season country before this. I am very grateful that my parents let me stay in Toronto for at least the first two months of spring-summer.

Everywhere I go I'll see fresh fruits and vegetables popping up at every corner. Fresh, farm-picked strawberries, rhubharb, asparagus, green peas... The colorful mangoes, Rainier cherries, tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, watermelon, the fruits-and-veggies list will go on forever. It feels so good to be surrounded by these fresh produce, especially when a lot of them are grown in Ontario land. This makes summer feels so wonderful.

Amidst this joy for the abundance of fruits, I want to take a while to participate in the one-time event hosted by the super-talented Sam of Sweet Pleasure. I hereby announce my participation in Ice Cream Blogging!

My entry is going to be a hand-churned Mango Gelato/Sorbet :)
It's a very simple recipe that only requires very little amount of sugar, compared to what was suggested by the recipe. I picked the red-and-green skinned mangoes as my main ingredient. I still don't know what the proper name for these mangoes are. Remember that as soon as you got home after buying these mangoes, do not put them in the fridge unless it's already ripened. I carelessly put mine in the fridge before they were fuly ripened that I had to wait another few days before I can start making this particular gelato.

Actually, I am not sure whether to address this freshening icy treat as gelato or sorbet. Since this does not contain any milk or cream; rather only pure mango, water, and sugar; perhaps addressing it a sorbet would be better.

This recipe is particularly simple and require little preparation. Since I don't have an ice cream machine, I had to occasionaly churn the sorbet once in a while until it reaches the consistency that I liked. And the result is the beautiful sorbet presented above.

Mango Sorbet

2 ripe large mangoes
1/4 cup + 1 T granulated sugar
1/4 cup water or orange juice

Direction:
01. Combine everything in a blender, then liquify everything until smooth, around 5-10 minutes.
02. Pour the liquid mango into a freeze-proof plastic container or an ice cream machine. If you're using an ice cream machine, follow the manufacturer's instruction. However, if you don't have one, please follow the remaining instruction.
03. Place the container, covered with a lid or a plastic wrap, in the freezer. After an hour, remove the container from the freezer, give an energetic whisk with a hand whisk or electric mixer and return to the freezer. Whish again after another couple of hours. When it's nearly firm, give one last whisk. Freeze again until firm. Then, you're goo to go!

I hope you can give this a try! It's just like eating whole mangoes, only more refreshing :)

A Day Full of Wonderful Foods

2006-06-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, the hottest day of the week by far, I went to Canada's Wonderland with Mr. W.

Familiar that prices of foods in amusement parks and other entertainment centres (the theatre, resorts, etc.) have inexplicably high markups, I packed my cute lunch bag with a ham-and-lettuce sandwich. Hoping to stop the hunger, thus disconnecting my eyes to look around for foods.

The sandwich looks good to me. And, I've been having it for a lot of lunches these days. I like it best with a lot of fresh lettuce, and mayonaisse of course.

However, on this 2nd trip to Wonderland, I have the intention to buy a big bag of potato chips from The Chippery. This one of a kind freshly made potato chips is by far the best potato chips. It's unlike other bagged potato chips since it manages to retain the wholesome potato flavour within. This feeling of eating something real will not be present had I bought a bag of, say, Lays potato chips. As you can see, I very much praise this potato chips. A while ago, I still could find them at BCE Place Richtree. And sometimes on Dundas Square. But they have long disappeared and revealed themselves when I first visited Wonderland.

I had a craving for Chippery, so I bought the 5 oz bag instead of the 2 oz one. And I get to mix 2 flavours, sea salt and sourcream & onion. I found the sea salt to be overly salty, I'd appreciate a more subtle saltiness and more potato-ey flavour. Next time, I'm gonna try the ketchup flavour.
Can you believe it? We only got ourselves to one ride twice and that's about it! Wonderland on a weekend is very much packed with people. We went on Timberwolf twice and got splashed really hard on the splash zone for around 4 times. It was so much fun playing with water on an especially hot day. We got ourselves soaked and had to change clothes. I felt so refreshed afterwards!

On the way going out of Wonderland, we stopped by at a candy shop near the entrance. At first I wanted to buy a stick of sour-apple rock candy. Then, my eyes caught the sight of candied apples! Oh, how long have I been craving for them! I can never forget the delightful taste of candied apple caramel I had when I went to Niagara. My choice this time fell to the Super Sour Candied Apple with Sour Sugar. That seems challenging!
And wow, it was sweet and sour like the tamarind candies I used to eat at home. The candy melted and covered my tooth's enamels. I very much liked it and my cravings have only grown...

Since we didn't eat any real meal during our trip, I felt like I have to prepare something decent at home. I knew just what I wanted to eat. Fresh Tomato Pasta! I've had this one before and it was so easy to prepare with maximum satisfaction. I followed the recipe from Falling Cloudberries closely, except I don't have any EVOO handy, so I added squirts of lemon juice. It should taste even better with it.

Here I leave you with the recipe....

Fresh Tomato Pasta

12 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
20 baby salted capers, rincesd and squeezed dry
1/2 cup extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
8 basil leaves or more, torn
300 grams spaghetti

Direction:
01. Put all the ingredients except the spaghetti in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Leave for at least an hour to let the flavours mingle.
02. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water. Drain and add to the tomato sauce, tossing well to coat the pasta. Serve immediately, with or without grated parmesan.

A Healthy Breakfast

2006-06-11T15:01:00.000-05:00

I realize that I haven't touched this blog for almost two weeks, which is quite a long time. My excuse for not writing... A LOT!

First , and I think I've mentioned this, my summer class is pretty intensive since we're squeezing a 4-month long course into 2-month long. The lecture is every other weekday plus a tutorial. Only one course, though. One interesting course, which I bet other food blogger would find it interesting if they have a chance to take it.

This so-calles Basic Human Nutrition course encompasses all nutritents, macro and micro, in our diet along with their basic functions, chemical properties, metabolism, and so on. This course basically teaches you the basics of what we eat, nutrition.

So far, we've covered the macronutrients, carbohydrates, fats or lipids, and protein. I found myself immersed in the reading, which revealed a lot of interesting facts about the foods we eat and about our diet. We learned that there are three forms of carbohydrates, monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide. The monosaccharide consists of glucose, fructose, and galactose....

This could go on forever, why don't you buy the textbook?

To make things more handy and practical, I am attempting to present you with some variety of what can be called a healthy and tasty breakfast. I'm going to use the software required in this course to calculate the nutritional value in each of these foods. Bear with me please, I'm new at this!

Fruit Parfait

3 T oatmeal, large flakes
1/2 T brown sugar
2 tsp honey
170 grams low fat fruit yogurt
fruit of your choice, in this recipe either segments from one orange or a cups of diced fresh strawberries

Direction:
01. Combine oatmeal, borwn sugar, and honey in an oven-proof dish [I used aluminium bowl from Chinese takeouts] and bake for 3 minutes at 250 degree F in a toaster oven [or stove]. Watchout, don't let the oatmeal burn. After 3 minutes, take it out from the oven, give it a stir, then proceed to prepare the fruits. The mixture will harden a bit [due to the crystalized honey and sugar] and will make a really nice crunchy granola.
02. In a cereal bowl, pour the yogurt, the fruit pieces, and the granola on top.
03. Enjoy with a cup of orange juice or milk.

Nutrition Value [with a cup of orange juice]
312.5 kCalorie (15.6% of total diet)
Protein 8.84 g
Carbohydrate 70.95 g
- Dietary Fiber 3.17 g
- Sugar 60.99 g
Fat 0.96 g
- Saturated fat 0.08 g
- Monounsaturated fat 0.16 g
- Polyunsaturated fat 0.33 g
- Cholesterol 2.5 mg
Vitamin C 288% of D.V.(*)
Vitamin D 40% of D.V.
Riboflavin 34% of D.V.
Thiamin 30% of D.V.
Vitamin E 3% D.V.
(*) D.V. = Daily Value

This choice of breakfast is a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Fiber. Aside from that, it taste absolutely delicious and refreshing! In fact, I'm craving for a bowl right now. I'll see you soon on the next healthy eating edition!

For your reference, here is the healthy range for the macronutrients:
Carbohydrates 45-65% of total diet
Protein 10-35% of total diet
Fats 20-35% of total diet
[This is based on a 2000 kCal diet]

Do I have another excuse for neglecting my blog?

Of course I do! I have recently picked my my 2nd foster cat! Yay, I'm fostering again! Her name is Tasha and she's been very lovely and calm. Her favorite spots include the study chair and behind the wheezing computer desk.

Oh, in less than a month I'm going to be flying back to my ome country, Indonesia! So, I'm pretty busy buying stuff for my family :)

I hope you find this post helpful. ;)

Fiddle Diddle oh Fiddleheads

2006-06-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

They are here to mark the beginning of the Spring.

Yet, they are disappearing as June is coming.

Now we've stepped onto June first.

I better go hurry and get them while they last!

There you go, a little ultra-amateur prose from me to you :)

What's so special about this fiddleheads? I have no idea other than that they are only around in the spring, that I have never tasted them, and that they resemble so much like the vegetables I had back home called 'pakis'.

Honestly, I'm just curious! And the best place to find them is at St. Lawrence Market.
I was right. I was so happy to find this rather pricey wild vegetable, proudly harvested from local Ontario farms. This is the least I could do to contribute eating local :)

A little note from me: the cheapest one is at Phil's Place in the basement at $6.99 per lb.

What makes it even more exciting is that Toronto Star's Food section [every Wednesday] has been featuring this lovely vegetable twice. With my level of curiosity building up and an array of new recipes to try, what more could a girl ask for?

The way I presented this dish [to my sister and myself] was quick, easy, and a combination of different recipes and imagination.

Fiddleheads Sauté with Pine Nuts and Fettucine Drizzled in Lemon Oil
adapted from Fiddlehead Joe's recipe

1 cup fiddleheads, trimmed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 tsp dried chili flakes
1 T rice wine or white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
lemon oil, to drizzle

fettucine, prepared as instructed on the package
salt and pepper, to taste
lemon oil, to drizzle

garnish:
pine nuts, toasted

Direction:
01. Add fiddleheads to medium pan of boiling, salted water. Cook 10 minutes. Rinse under cold, running water; drain well.
02. Heat canola oil in large skillet over medium-high. Add shallot. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add fiddleheads and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Drizzle with lemon oil.
03. At the same time, prepare the fettucine bed.
04. Assemble to your preference and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

I hope you like it :)

A Breeze from Home ~ Nasi Uduk Betawi

2006-05-30T17:58:00.000-05:00

First, let's take a moment to commemorate the tragedy that has just whipped Indonesia again back on its knees. The surge of news of the earthquake that hit the less-fortunate part of Yogyakarta was very devastating. These poor people have nothing left and they wish sincerely for our help. Please kindly spare a change to help them overcome this nightmare. Visit Indonesia Help for more information and links to donate.

Now let's step aside and explore more of Indonesia cuisine. In this post, I'd like to present you with this traditional dish from Jakarta, Nasi Uduk Betawi. The name itself literally means Betawi Uduk Rice.

"What is Betawi", you may ask. Well, I have a little introduction I'd like to share. This is only based on my elementary and junior high school history class and I didn't do any research [too lazy!]. Betawi is actually another name for Indonesia's capital city. During the Dutch occupation this place was called "Batavia" while the native Indonesian called it Sunda Kelapa. It was one of the important harbours where merchants underwent trading with the Europeans. Indonesia was renowned as a source of spices and it became a very valuable commodity. That was one of the reasons why the Dutch occupied Indonesia in the first place.

In the fight for independence, Indonesian troops leader decided to declare Sunda Kelapa as the capital city of Indonesia, changed the name into Jayakarta and then announce the letter of independence there. Not long after, the name was shortened into Jakarta. However, this highly dense city is still known as Betawi, especially by the suburban [read: village] people. They have their own unique culture and are proud of it. One of the tradition they're proud of is this Nasi Uduk! It's normally served with Indonesian fried chicken and spicy peanut sauce.

One outstanding, yet often ignorable, ingredient in this recipe is coconut milk. As you all in Canada know, we can conveniently purchase a can coconut milk sold at the grocery stores. What you'll get from the can is the thick creamy liquid oozing with distinctive fragrance. However, the authentic coconut milk is not the same. I must say, it's irreplaceable by the canned version.

I'm not saying that canned coconut milk is bad, it's just too concentrated and it takes away the subtleness that it should be offering. Thus, I'm going to use this opportunity to give a tutorial in making FRESH coconut milk. Are you guys with me so far?

For some of you, this might be a custom already. It is a usual thing back home. We would get fresh old coconut [not the young one!], already halved, from the market in the morning. Then make coconut milk with freshly grated coconut. There are two kinds of coconut milk. The light one and the thick one. Most of Indonesian dishes are happy with the light one, which contains more water. To make the thick one, you'd have to let the light coconut milk stand for a few minutes, the coconut cream would separate from the water. Then, scoop up the creamy part. That's you thick coconut milk! Now, I'm just going to show you to make the light one.

I was lucky enough to have finally found this coconut [imported from Costa Rica] at Price Chopper. I've never seen them anywhere else.

First, you will need a hammer to crack open this whole coconut. From my experience, I used a large knife and all of my energy to break it in halves. It was very exhausting and itme-consuming! So, I recommend you to use a hammer.
After you've cracked it in halves, try to halve them again. So You'll end up with quarters of coconut [just like the one you see at the top of this entry]. The reason why you might need to do this is that this process makes it easier to get the tough shell off. Afterward, you can easily peel off the inner skin with a knife.

You're ready to dessicate the coconut now!

Have a grater ready, and position your coconut quarter [one at a time!] like the picture below so that you'll get longer strands of grated coconut. Do not do it any other way or you won't be able to extract the milk out of the coconut.

After you get all of your coconut grated, put it in a bowl then pour 500ml of warm water into it. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir it with your hand once in a while.

Get a sieve ready over another bowl. Grab a handful of grated coconut that has absorbed the water and start squeezing the liquid out. Continue until you finish the rest of the coconut.

That's it my friend. Simple and easy, huh? [not including the part where I had to crack open the coconut] And you'll get the fresh coconut milk canned version could not offer!

Now, we'll utilise this freshly squeezed coconut milk to make my mom's hometown traditional dish, Nasi Uduk Betawi. Here's the recipe:

Nasi Uduk Betawi

4 cups Jasmine rice, washed, half-cooked
700 ml thin or light coconut milk
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 lemongrass, white part, crushed

Direction:
01. Cook the coconut milk along with salt, bay leaves, lime leaves, and lemongrass in a medium-sized pot. Bring it to boil, then simmer immediately.
02. Stir in the half-cooked rice into this mixture. Stir with wooden spoon until the coconut milk is absorbed by the rice. Remove the bay & kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass.
03. Continue to steam until the rice is fully cooked.

Note: If you think the coconut milk is too much or too little, please adjust it yourself. I was cooking by proxy at that time.

Serving suggestions:

Sliced plain omelettes [make a thin layer of plain omellete, with salt and pepper only, then slice it into strands]
Dry-roasted peanuts [normally found in Chinese groceries]
Fried dried anchovies
Fresh sliced cucumbers
Chili sauce [SriRacha] or spicy peanut sauce

Enjoy it!

A Thank-You Post

2006-05-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

First of all, I'd like to congratulate Mae for moving to this very sophisticated-looking and more personalized food blog. It's so lovely and you should check it out!

Next, what would be more fitting than to mention her again [sorry Mae!]? I'd like to thank her for sharing her Grilled Rib Eye Steak recipe, which is still located at the old site. It is actually very easy to prepare and appear to be foolproof to an unexperienced meat cook like me :)
Since I couldn't find rib eye steak in the grocery store, I used the T-bone steak instead. At first, I had no idea which beef I should use in place of rib eye. However, this T-bone steak was the most expensive per gram, so I landed my choice on it. I don't eat beef that often anyway. So, a special treat once in a while is alright :) Right?

In addition to the spices that Mae used, I added crushed fennel seeds and some sliced mushrooms. I marinated the beef for a night before pan-frying it.
True, I don't have a barbecue set, but that won't stop me from grilling beef. I pan-fried them in a large saucepan until they're browned on both sides. But still juicy on the inside :)

As a side, I of course opt for mashed potatoes as suggested by Mae. However, I had a craving for Popeye's smooth mashed potatoes. It's actually not mashed, rather it's pureed. So, having owned a blender, I pureed my potatoes in it.

First, peel the potatoes (around 2-3 of them), cut into quarters, then boil for almost an hour.
Put the boiled potatoes into the blender.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup of milk in the microwave.
Puree the potatoes with the butter and milk mixture to make them smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
There you have it!

This was such a gourmet meal! Thank you Mae!

I still have more people to thank to :)

Next, thank you for Jasmine at Cardamom Addict for the offer on the cats advice. I really truly appreciate it. I am a first time cargiver for kittens. So, I really don't know what I'm doing. And thank you for the prompt reply of your e-mail. Don't worry, I still have more questions to ask, just too busy right now.

And finally, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart to Rob and Rachel from Hungry in Hogtown. Thank you for the CBBP package you both have thoughtfully and carefully arranged for me! I could really feel the chocolate and spices theme, especially after I tried on a sip of the Mayan hot chocolate. The mustard was also wonderful, I often pass by Kozliks at St. Lawrence Market but too hesitant to give them a try.
I really like the chocolate covered hazelnuts and have finished half of them already [oops, only 5 pieces left now]! Last but not least, thanks for sharing the recipe and providing me with the ingredients! My deepest gratitude to both of you.

Before I forgot, I'd like to thank my professor whom I'm volunteering with. Although this is weird and he could not possibly be reading this. But, still, thank you for letting me not come to work this week! The beginning of summer school was just overwhelming!

In spite of my busy-ness with the adorable yet frustrating kittens and summer school, I feel a bit relieved now that I can thank many people who made my day and even my week. Thank you for everything!

PS: as always, thanks to people around me :) My family and Mr. W :)

A New Blog!

2006-05-14T01:00:00.000-05:00

Click on the picture to see my newly published kitten diary...:)
Thank you!

In the Mood for Pink !

2006-05-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

There are too many to be celebrated as the spring lazily crawls in to the city of Toronto. I feel like the fresh air of change the spring brings is a bit overwhelming. From the beds of white snow to the beds of lush green dotted everywhere with dandelions. From the head-to-toe wrapped walking people to the glowing skins proudly shown off by those same people. And most of all, the shift of our moods... in foods, colours, themes, spirits, and much more!

Lately I've been in the mood for the color pink :) The "me" who usually undermine pink as too girly and mushy, suddenly fall for this cheerful, heartwarming color. I haven't completely altered my favorite color from blue to pink though. The pink that I love the most are the ones that adorn the budding spring trees, in the park, in the woods, along the streets. Have you any idea what I'm talking about?

Crabapple trees and cherry blossoms to mention a couple.

Crabapple Flowers

Budding Cherry Blossoms

Beautiful blooms of Cherry Blossoms (Sakura)

They are so lovely and I'm attracted to them like bees are attracted to their fragrant nectars. This became literal when I suddenly decided to go by myself to a park where these crabapple trees flourish. When I arrived at the park called "Frank Faubert Woods", I was instantly awed by their prettiness. And it was a wonderful, refreshing park too, perfect for some daydreaming :p

After doing some research, I found out that there are quite a variety of crabapple trees, bearing fruits that range from green to red. As I've mentioned before, the flowers of these trees very much attracts lovely spring birds and insects such as hummingbird and honeybees. In fact, the red fruits that resemble currants are really high in pectin and very much suitable for making jelly and jam.

When I first saw these gorgeous trees, I was only attracted with its beauty. I didn't expect to find such multi-purpose tree :)

In this very same underrepresented part of GTA called Scarborough, there lies a healthy bunch of first-bloomed cherry blossoms. They are planted right in front of the Management Wing in U of T Scarborough Campus as a goodwill between Canadian and Japanese ambassadors. Their flowers are really pretty and this is the first time I've even seen cherry blossoms live!

To pair up this mood for pink, of course I tried creating a food filled with the spirits of pink. This carrot cupcake with pink and yellow icing is what I came up with. Well, you be the judge whether they compliment the spring.

This recipe can be found at Joy of Baking. However, I halved the recipe to serve the lesser crowd. Also, since I ran out of red food coloring, I decided to color the cream cheese frosting with strawberry jam. Although it did not really bring out the vibrant pink that I wanted, the icing spreads beautifully and still harden after cooling.

In my opinion, this is the perfect carrot cupcake! So moist, light, and not too dense! They are great for breakfast as they give you a very nutritious kick to start your day. In the halved recipe, I needed 5 small carrots that yielded into 9 medium cupcakes. Isn't that healthy? :)

Happy spring! And go outside more to enjoy the beautiful scenery offered by this wonderful season :)

Frank Faubert Woods

The First Ever! Canadian Blogging by Post ~ Kue Pukis

2006-04-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you enough how excited I am right now :)

First of all, the final exam season is finally over for me. Yes, THE END for this winter term. Moreover, summer classes don't start in two weeks. What does that leave me.....?
A room, very spacious one, to do things that I have been postponing since reading week started! That includes cooking more delicious food, hunting for fabrics, reading books I ordered from Chapters and the list could go on and on.

Most importantly, that leaves a lot of time to prepare for this exciting, first ever, Canadian Blogging by Post! Hosted by Sam at SweetPleasures. I am always keen on exchanging packages and writing mails through the traditional air mail. In fact, while back home I used to have some penpals from several different countries. The thought of sending and receiving packages from people around Canada is very amusing!

To me, Canada has a vast piece of land and I am only occupying a very small piece of it. The rest of Canada seems rather mystified to my thought. For as long as I have been here, which is only less than 4 years, I have never been outside of Ontario. I have not even explored the whole Ontario. I wish someday I could go to the more remote area of Ontario and enjoy the view and tranquility over there.

The recipe that I am about to exchange with one of you and share with all of you is.....
Kue Pukis. Now, this needs some explaining, agreed? As you can see, the name of the recipe is not in English because I don't know how to properly translate it. All I can say to you is that this scrumptious snack is a traditional food in my hometown, Surabaya. This snack has always been a part of my childhood. The more traditional they are, the better. What I mean by that is, this is not the kind of snack you will find in a bakery inside a modern shopping centre. They are mostly sold in a more traditional-looking places (read: markets). Either they are sold in a movable carts or in small vendors in the market.

If you ever get a chance to see how this snack is made, you would probably think that there is no way of making them at home. Especially when it requires special equipment like the one you'll see in the recipe.

Lo and behold, these savoury finger foods can indeed be created in your own kitchen. With a mini-muffin pan, you're set to go! The end result resembles mini cupcakes a lot. But don't be mistaken, they are not your regular quick breads! In fact, this is in between yeasted bread and quick bread since it requires instant yeast and a short period of waiting time. And finally, this snack includes chocolate, which goes along with Sam's theme!

Shall we go on to the recipe?

Kue Pukis
(adapted from Kue Tradisional by Sedap Sekejap)

3 large eggs
125 gr granulated sugar
200 gr all-purpose flour
1 tsp instant yeast
225 ml coconut milk, lukewarmed
miniature chocolate chips, for sprinkling

Direction:
01. Beat the eggs and sugar until it is rather stiff
02. Stir in the all-purpose flour by sifting it
03. Pour in the coconut milk, stir the mixture so that everything is well-combined. You will find the mixture to be like a pancake batter. Let it stand in room temperature for 30 minutes.
04. Now, this is where I differ from the original recipe which requires this:

So, meanwhile preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
05. Have a non-stick mini-muffin pan ready. At this point, you may or may not choose to preheat your muffin pan (since the recipe preheated its special mold), because I found there is no difference.
06. After 30 minutes, pour the pukis batter into muffin pans until about 4/5 full.
07. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the bubble breaks like this:

Then, remove from the oven and sprinkle some miniature chocolate chips on top. Continue to bake for 10 minutes, or until fully cooked.
08. Let the pukis cool down. Carefully remove the pukis from the muffin wells with the help of a pair of chopsticks.
09. Serve with a cup of hot tea. Enjoy!

The Arrival of Spring ~ Pictures with a Thousand Words

2006-04-19T19:52:00.000-05:00

Spring has finally arrived in Toronto. Everywhere I glance, my eyes will catch budding trees, lustrous voilets and dandelions, sunlit faces, and.......

I just thought I'd share my captures today...

Thank you for your inspiration.... :)

Twilight Blue Sky

A backlit lush of yellow-folowered bush

UTSC Three Industrial Chimneys

Spring is here...
I hope you can feel it too :)

SourCream Timbits Undergoes a Makeover!

2006-04-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

Finished my last bagel this morning

Thank you for tuning in...

As you can all see, I have made some changes to my site and I must say it's not yet perfect. There are still some things to fix. Having no talent in design or even the slightest bit of good taste, the process has been taking place for almost the whole 24 hours. Thus, I have no idea if what I've made is pretty enough since I've been staring at the monitor for too long.

I know, I am not supposed to do any makeover of my blog until exams are over. Too bad I've fallen too deep in obsession over making my blog a brighter place for the spring. Also due to exams, I will regretfully have to put a pause on my blogging activities. Do not worry, I have so many cooking, baking, and eating experience that I want to share with all of you!

Coming up at SourCream Timbits:

Shopping Guide: St. Lawrence Market
Artisan Baking: Soft and Chewy Bagels
Artisan Baking: Basic Sourdough Bread and Cultivating Wild Yeast
Signs of Spring: The Growth of Nasturtium

and much more...

Wish me luck on all my exams

And.. HAPPY EASTER everybody!

I'd like to credit for Sydney at The Sheriff for the caterpilar buttons I'm using on my sidebar. I don't know how to link back to your page using CSS, please tell me how if you can.

Making Brioche Filled with Memories

2006-04-05T23:32:00.000-05:00

What comes into my mind everytime I hear, see, or eat a brioche? Guess..

The memories of my late maternal grandmother :) I remember vividly how she liked this buttery, rich and silky smooth bread. Everytime we went together the largest shopping mall and condominium complex in Jakarta, called Mall Taman Anggrek (read: Orchid Garden Mall), she would request to pay a visit to this French café , Gloria Jeans.
Brioches sold in this place are a little different from the common brioches, they are filled with different sorts of fillings. From savoury ham and cheese to sweet chocolate. As far as I can remember, these brioche à tête are rather hollow on the centre, making it a suitable well for the filling.

This story dated more than a couple years back and I have never eaten or even seen brioche since then. Not until I came across a brioche recipe in Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice". Seeing the pictures brings my memories way way back. Even though it has been a while since she passed away and brioche was not her only favorite food, memories that flashed after seeing an image of brioche flowed unstopably. She was a warm and full of laughter. She wouldn't complain at all if we run around in the house or tease her all the time. She also made the best foods in the world! Her beefsteak and creamy mushroom soup are the two dishes I will never forget.

For a more thorough information on Brioche, I recommend you to drop by Bea's Kitchen Blog at La Tartine Gourmande. I enjoyed reading her venture on making and enjoying brioche.

Brioche dough proofing on brioche molds

A little bit about the brioche that made. At the beginning I wanted all to be brioche à tête, which is the French for brioche with head. There were two methods in Peter's book and I tried both of them. Unfortunately, I didn't quite get the end result with distinctive head that I wanted. None of the methods suggested that I put a smaller separate dough on top of the bigger dough. Instead, the first method was to divide the rounded dough with the side of my palm until they're almost cut into two. The second one suggested that the dough be rolled with bigger end on one side. Make a hole on the bigger side, then slip trough the rest of the long dough. The second meothed worked better though. Next time I should put a separate head and fill the dough with cheese or chocolate.

Overall, I'm really satisfied with my first brioche :) My hands are blobbered in butter while eating it. As you can see in the picture, the crumb is soft and resembling cotton candy. On some brioches, I noticed the crumb with long strands that reminds me of Pandoro.

Due to the long laborious typing of the recipe, I am not going to post it. However, if anyone is interested to try this recipe, please e-mail me at ccayadi/at/rogers/dot/com :) I will try my best to crop the recipe without decreasing its quality.

Homely Dish: East Javanese Tahu Telor with Peanut Sauce

2006-04-05T23:31:00.000-05:00

Homemade Tahu Telor

Memories get the best of me. You will see me lingering on this topic for the next couple of posts :)

As a foreign student in a foreign country, it struck me as natural when I crave traditional dishes originated in my hometown, Surabaya. As the second biggest city in Indonesia, Surabaya is the center of most activities in East Java. Including the so-called traditional street foods. It is very usual to see food carts carried around your neighbourhood back home. You can get a variety of foods from appetizing rujak (Indonesian type of salad with thick peanut or shrimp paste sauce) to pipping hot meatball soup.

One of my favourite street dishes is called "tahu telor". It can be literally translated into English as "omelette with tofu", but this translation does not suffice. You've got to TRY it yourself! This tahu telor dish is nicely accompanied with savoury peanut sauce and a side dish of boiled bean sprouts. You'll find out how easy to prepare it in a minute!

Before that, I want to tell you which tahu telor seller is my favorite. It all began when we were travelling to the mountainous part of East Java, Batu, Malang. We had a really good time in our resort and when dinner time came, my dad would drive our car and head out for some local dishes. There was (and still is, I hope!) a renowned tahu telor seller somewhere at the downtown of Malang where other small restaurants (a.k.a "warung" or "depot") are located. Surprisingly enough, this movable tahu telor cart own by a middle-aged woman, has such an obscure location, in between small restaurants. In other words, it's operating on a very small street where only pedestrians can fit. Nonetheless, even the mayor of Malang would drop by there when it comes to tahu telor :)

This particular tahu telor has a very tasty peanut sauce that I can't quite immitate. The fluffy omelette is made fresh on order. The way she prepares it, has something special too. All the more after I heard from my dad that the tahu telor seller was normally the husband of the woman. After the death of her husband, she continues his legacy and makes it even more famous. This meagre activity is also her family's source of income. The sincerity and passion of the cook surely reflects on the food s/he prepares.

Thanks to my very knowledgable dad, I had the chance, not once but twice, to try this superb tahu telor! You will be surprised how simple this can be prepared at your very kitchen. In order for you to try, I have included a recipe adapted from Dapur Mbakyu (literally translated as "The Lady's Kitchen") that has been tried and proven to be a favourite (especially by Mr. W). The original recipe suggested petis udang (dried shrimp paste), but not being a fan of petis, I omitted it. Besides, I don't have it handy in the kitchen.

Tahu Telor with Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce

150 gr roasted unsalted peanuts
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 T dark brown sugar
3 T sweet soya sauce plus to taste
juice from half of lime
water, add enough until you get the right consistency
salt, to taste

Direction:
01. Saute garlic and cloves in a little oil until they are soft, not browned.
02. Combine all of the ingredients except the water into a food processor or blender. Add a little bit of water, around 1 cup. Puree until smooth. You would want to adjust the consistency by adding water until you get a slightly thin but not watery sauce. Kind of like the consistency of a caesar salad dressing. As you add water, you would want to maintain the taste by adding sweet soya sauce and a bit of salt.

Tahu Telor
1 to 2 eggs, beaten until bubbly
salt and white pepper, to taste
1 to 2 slices of firm white tofu, cubed
1 T olive oil*

Direction:
01. Heat the oil, then pour the egg and tofu mixture.
02. Cook until the side is browned, then flip! (I can't do the flipping part perfectly)

03. Serve with steamed rice and parboiled bean sprouts on the side :)

*) This amount of oil is what makes the omelette fluff up :)

This is so yummy and brings back my thoughts to that adventurous holiday back home :)

The Recipe Collection Meme - My 2nd tag!

2006-04-03T23:35:00.000-05:00

Almost all of my recipe book collection, top to bottom: Kue Tradisional - Indonesian traditional street snacks, The Herb Bible - a good illustrated herbal source, Complete Mushroom Book - amazing book on varieties of mushrooms you can thin of with recipes too, Artisan Baking - I bet you know about this book, Falling Cloudberries - amazing cookbooks filled with sweet memories, The Bread Baker's Apprentice - great bread baking book with detailed instructions

It's never too late to do someone a fovour including completing this tag, right?

From where do you obtain the recipes you prepare?
Unlike other bloggers who are already swimming in the sea of recipe books, I don't own that many cookbooks. Nonetheless, having been in Canada for two and half years, I have started to expand my collection of cookbooks. The first ones being some mini Periplus cookbooks from back home and a lovely book on Pizza and Pasta from my cousin in Seattle.
I also obtain recipes from other source, i.e. the internet. In fact, during my first year in Canada I was a regular visitor of Leite's Culinaria. I tried some of the recipes from his vast collection, some his own creation and many from best-selling cookbooks. Some of them being, Pasteis de Nata, Portugese Fish Chowder, and Middle Eastern Meatballs. I guess I owe him a lot although I have never personally contacted him.
The last but not least source is the recipes I obtained from a hands-on experience. Either from my mom, my grandma (from my dad's side), or my grandma's cook back home. I even took an informal cooking lesson with my grandma two summer ago. That was fun time! She taught me how to cook some simple and delicious home-cooked meals such as Babi Kecap (Chinese Pork in Sauce) and Semur Daging (Sweet Beef Soup). Whew...:)

How often do you cook a new recipe?
Depend on my mood. I normally go grocery shopping once a week, so sometimes I decide on a theme for the week. For example, there was Mediterannean food week where I cook recipes coming from my Meze cookbook. Later on I bought a Japanese cookbook that was on sale, which motivated me to seek the most authentic ingredients possible. And cooking up the recipes from that book for the whole week.
So, looking from my habit, I guess I try on new recipe quite frequently. However, I also love to revisit some old recipes.

Where do you store your favourite recipes?
All of my cookbooks are either organized neatly on the bookshelf or lying around on the carpet. Other than that, I wrote down (by hand!) some recipes I found online and have tried in my hard-covered Happy Teddy notebook.
Ah, now I feel like catching up a lot of recipes I've tried but haven't yet written down :)

How large is your recipe pile? Is it organized? If so, how?
It's not that large. Just some cookbooks and a notebook. That's all I guess. I don't own that many recipes that I need to pile them. By the way, I also have another notebook where I keep the recipes from my grandma somewhere in the bookshelf.
Oh, I guess I'm not that organized at all. On the other hand, my mom clips recipes from newspapers and buys monthly cooking magazine. I remember she piles them up in a small cabinet under the microwave.

What is the oldest recipe in your “to try” pile?
This is a hard question! How am I supposed to know how old the recipes are. Perhaps I should go back to the time when my interest of food just started to bloom.
Ugh, I can't really rememeber!
In terms of the age of the recipe itself, I remember asking my mom for a fruit salad recipe with hollandaise sauce my grandma (form my mom's side) used to make. This is the oldest recipe I can think of and I will need some time before I can find this piece of paper.

Are you really ever going to make all those recipes in your to-try pile?
To be honest, NO I'm not going ot be able to try all of them.

Do you follow a recipe exactly or modify as you go?
As a beginner, I followed the recipe exactly both for cooking and baking. Sooner or later, influenced by Food Network's chefs, I began modifying the recipes as I cook to best match my taste. As for baking, I tend to follow the exact recipe in order to avoid failing. Sometimes when I'm feeling creative I would add some extra ingredients here and there.

What is one new recipe that you’re scared to try?

I am most unfamiliar with French cuisines. So, I would say that cassoulet and confit are the recipes I'm still hesitating to try.

Tag at least one new food blogger for this meme (“new” as in only blogging a few months).
none

Tag at least one food blogger you visit regularly but never interacted with.

Tag at least one food blogger you constantly visit and leave comments.
I visit Ivonne's blog every day or even every six hours when I have nothing to do. So, I'd like to tag her! I also constantly visit Mae of Rice and Noodles, so she's tagged too :)

Tag anyone else you want.
Jasmine from Cardamom Addict

Thank you Tania for tagging me :)

Mango Panna Cotta

2006-03-30T21:58:00.000-06:00

What is panna cotta? Why do I see it everywhere, on TV, on people's blog, on the menu I read off a newspaper? How come I've never come across it? Why haven't I tried it?

Rather than waiting til the time has come to eat panna cotta at some restaurant somewhere, I urged myself to make one. Yes, that has been my motto. When you want something, you make it. This is especially true for food :)

Since coming to Canada, I have ventured here and there in the world of food. Trying to make something I never made before. For example, when I want a Black Forest Cake, I made it, instead of buying. Soon after, I had this weird, self-centered idea that nothing will be as good if it's not homemade. I meant that for any commercial products that contains some kind of chemical. Only homemade foods that has no artificial ingredients are the BEST.

Now I'm only rambling. So, better shift your attention to my spongy creamy Mango Panna Cotta. This may be the worst panna cotta ever in terms of texture. As you can see, I had some open holes on the surface and it was really hard to get it out of the mold. In contrast, the flavour lives up to my expectation :) Mango, tangy buttermilk, and whipping cream are perfect with each other! This reminds me so much of the Mango Pudding I used to have when having yum cha with my extended family.

The recipe itself was a modified version of the one I found at Epicurious.com. I basically use this recipe as the basic and substituted all of the blackberries with mangoes. However, I added some personal addition such as the diced mangoes for some bites in the panna cotta. I hope you like it. Any notes for improvements are always welcome.

Mango Panna Cotta

2 medium sized mangoes (I used the one w/ green-and-red skin)
1-1/4 cups buttermilk, well shaken
2-3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups whipping cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional

01. Peel the mangoes. Roughly chop 1-1/2 of the two mangoes, while dice the rest of the mango into 0.5 cm cubes. Set the mango cubes aside.
02. Place the roughly chopped mangoes and buttermilk in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. (At this point, you are supposed to strain the puree and throw away the pulp. I skipped this part because I like mangoes too much I even like the pulps)
03. Sprinkle gelatin into the water. Let it stand until gelatin softens, about 2 minutes.
04. Meanwhile, heat cream in a saucepan with sugar on medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, remove from heat.
05. Add the gelatin into the warmed cream. Stir until combined. Transfer to a larger bowl.
06. Pour the pureed mango into the cream-and-gelatin mixture, stir until combined.
07. Prepare a sieve over an empty bowl, then strain the mango mixture, discard the curd. (Again, I skipped this part for fear of losing the goodness of mangoes and some of the gelatin)
08. Sprinkle mango cubes into the mixture.
09. With a big spoon, pour the mixture carefully into the prepared molds (you can use ramekins).
10. Chill for at least 8 hours.
11. Serve with fresh strawberries and a bath of whipping cream.

It was really good eaten with fresh strawberries since the sweetness from the panna cotta compliments the soury goodness of strawberries!

Something Out of Nothing ~ Ciabatta Tuna Sandwich

2006-03-25T21:09:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I have the desire to take my first shot in participating in one of IMBB events. A while ago, it was fun looking at people's creation and especially admiring the nicely assembled pictures. A while ago, I was not encouraged enough to take part, mostly because I only found out about the event right after the round-up. A while ago, not too long back, I checked the schedule over at IMBB and got my eyes caught at this one-time event. That while ago is now. And now is time to finally share my creation in an IMBB event :)

This so-called "Something Out of Nothing" is a one-time event hosted by Lindy from Toast. This has caught my attention, because I'm probably one of the people that would rather prepare low-cost yet tast dishes for daily comsumption. I am a STUDENT!

So, ever since I've heard about this event (which was not even a week ago) I have been thinking of what taste-bud enticing meals I could prepare from anything that is sitting inside my fridge right now. I turned my head around. Thinking about my easy-to-prep Lemon Garlic Brussel Sprouts, then comforting Pancetta Omelette, and recently a very simple dish calling only 5 ingredients called Stir-Fried Green Beans with Ground Beef.

Nonetheless, I have this leading candidate, that I have made before I was aware of this event. Guess no more, it's a Ciabatta Tuna Sandwich with Homemade Ciabatta Bread :)
I just thought this would be suitable because I literally created the Ciabatta bread from scratch, consisting only bread flour, instant yeast, water, and salt. Baking an artisan bread is again very rewarding, but to note, the process is quite laborious. The process took me up to two days including making the pre-ferment. The day after the pre-ferment was made, the real process of making Ciabatta begun. It took me around 7-8 hours after the pre-ferment was ready.

So, I admit it was time-consuming. But, you can still do it in between your normal activity. Trust me, they are quite low-maintenance :)
The recipe for Ciabatta was followed accordingly with Peter Reinhart's renowned "The Bread Baker's Apprentice".

The Ciabatta itself should be nicely complimented with plain cream cheese, nutella, or even toasted in margarine. However, I felt like jazzing it up a little bit, so I notoriously assembled my creation of tuna spread :) I took out whatever I could find in my fridge, and ta-da! A delicious fresh tangy and salty tuna sandwich. The two Ciabatta slices absorbed all of the flavors very well, making it even more delicious.

Shall get on to the recipe? I've dragged you long enough, haven't I?

Ciabatta (Biga Version)

Biga

2-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
4/3 cup plus 2 T to 1 cup water, at room temperature

01. Stir together the flour and yeast in a 4-quart bowl. Add the 3/4 cup plus 2 T of water, stirring until everything comes together an makes a coarse ball. Adjust the flour or water, according to need, so that the dough is neither too sticky nor too stiff.
02. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the dough is soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky.
03. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours, or until it nearly doubles in size.
04. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead it lightly to degas, and return it to the bowl, covering the bowl with plactic wrap. Place the bowl in the fridge overnight to bring out more flavors. This can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Ciabatta

3 cups biga
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 T to 1-1/8 cups water, lukewarm
1/4 cup olive oil (optional)

01. Remove the biga from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough. Cut it into 10 small peices with a serrated knife. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour.

Smooth-textured biga :)

02. To make the dough, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Add the biga pieces and 3/4 cup plus 2 T water and the oil. With a large spoon, mix until the ingredients form a sticky ball. If there is still some loose flour, add the additional water as needed and continue to mix.
03. With your hands, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
04. Sprinkle enough flour on the counter to make a bed about 8 inches square. Using a bowl scraper, transfer the sticky dough to the bed of flour and proceed with the stretch-and-fold method shown below.

"Stretch-and-fold Method" ~ this is the fun part!
A) Dust the top of the dough liberally with flour, patting the dough into a rectangle. Wait 2 minutes for the dough to relax. Coat your hands with flour.
B) Lift the dough from each end, stretching it to twice its size.
C) Fold the dough over itself, letter style, to return it to a rectangular shape.

04. cont'd - Mist top of the dough with spray oil (I rubbed regular oil with my hands), again dust with flour, and loosely cover with plastic wrap.
05. Let rest for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough again; mist with spray oil, dust with flour, and cover. Allow the covered dough to ferment on the counter for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. It should swell but not necessarily double in size.
06. Set up a long tea towel on your conter. Carefully remove the plastic from the dough. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 rectangles with a pastry scrapper carefully not to degas the dough. Sprinkle the dough generously with more flour and, using the scraper to get under the dough, gently lift each piece from the counter then roll it on both sides in the loose flour to coat. Lay the loaves on the tea towl and gently fold each piece of dough, from left to right, letter style, into an oblong about 6 inches long. Bunch the towel between the pieces to provide a wall. Mist the dough with oil and dust the dough with more flour, then cover with another tea towel.
07. Proof for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature, or until the dough has noticeably swelled.

08. Prepare the oven by placing an empty steam pan before turning the oven on. Preheat to 500 degrees F.
09. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully transfer your dough onto the baking sheet and slide it into the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan and close the door. After 30 seconds, open the door, spray the side walls of the oven with water, and close the door. Repeat twice more at 30-seconds intervals. After the final spray, turn the oven setting down to 450 degrees F and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the loaves 180 degrees for even baking, and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until evenly golden brown. The loaves will feel quite hard and crusty at first but will soften as they cool
10. Transfer the bread from the oven to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing or eating.

Phew, that was a long recipe to type :p

Now for the tuna filling, you will need:

1/2 of small can of tuna in olive oil
2 strips of anchovies, shredded, microwaved (to soften the bones)
1/4 of green bell pepper, diced
2 to 3 T plain mayonaisse (I used Japanese QP "KewPee" mayo)
1 to 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
salt

Combine all ingredients in one bowl, then spread them liberally in between two slices of fresh Ciabatta bread. Adjust according to your taste.
Wrap it in plastic wrap for lunch at school :)

To make this lenghty process like a zap, buy a fresh Ciabatta bread from your local grocery! Simple as that ;)

As usual, after baking an artisan bread, I usually learnt or observed something. This, time I need to warn myself not to bake in very high heat (500F) with cornmeal dusted on the baking sheet. The result is, burnt-bottomed bread!!
Also, I have to share with you that the Ciabatta didn't turn out as well as it should be, mainly because I didn't follow the instruction carefully. Here the instruction is clear (and long, I know) and it should be alright when you try to make it :)
Mine doesn't have the airy holes I longed for, next time it will be better. Practice in artican baking is a cruicial factor anyway :)

My Garlic Turns Turquoise!

2006-03-25T20:46:00.000-06:00

Please, let me share my amazement to this newly found fact :) and please, bear with my silliness for even reporting this.

As I was baking my Lemon Garlic Brussel Sprouts, I came across a surprising scene. There were turquoise garlic mince sitting around my fragrant halved brussel sprouts. Since when does garlic turn greenish blue when baked?! Don't they just brown or burnt when baked?

Then... I quickly recalled the grilled whole garlic sold at Scheffler's Deli at St. Lawrence Market. I had the same reaction at that time and thought it was bizzare :) And now it happened right in my very kitchen! Don't get me wrong, my garlic was as fresh as it can get, so it's not rotten!

To feed my curiosity, I did a teensy bit of research. It turns out that garlic does turn blue when it reacts with acid (which was the lemon juice) over a high temperature. Then I left with a big "O"...

:O

Seville Orange Marmalade

2006-03-19T11:19:00.000-06:00

This week seems to be yet another colorful week to me. Not only food, but also my surroundings :)

I am so thankful for that!

First off, I would like to share my last week's market finding, Seville oranges. I have caught their name somewhere in someone's blog, thus I hesitated no more to try these oranges. Then, at the cashier counter, the lady told me that it's very sour thus only used for cooking purposes. "OoOOoow.." said me. Later on, I browsed the internet for a recipe that requires Seville oranges. And realized that I have just bought the perfect oranges for Marmalades! Yay! I have already pondered on making marmalade before and to have come across the perfect one (by accident) is a bliss!

From there on, began my cooking quest for my 1st jar of homemade marmalade. To be honest with you, I have never tasted orange marmalade before!

I browsed and browsed for recipe and finally decided to use this one. If you would, please let me guide you through the making of it that has been modified for smaller batch.

Seville Orange Marmalade

3 Seville oranges
3 cups granulated sugar
25 ml orange liquor (optional)

Directions:
1) Wash the oranges with cold water, then cut them into sixths or eights. Place the pieces in a heavy-botton pan and cover with water over medium high heat.

2) Bring the water to boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours until very soft. You should be able to rub the peel to almost nothing between your fingers. Turn off the heat
3) Lift out oranges from cooking water with a slotted spoon, and scrape out the inside pulp and pips using a spoon (with a help of a fork to hold the other side in case the oranges are still too hot). Put the pulps on a sieve (that is placed above a bowl) and press out remaining juice from the pulp. Pour the juice back into the pan.
4) Collect the cleaned peel on a cutting board. Cut the peel into 3 mm strips then put them back into their cooking water.
5) Leave them overnight in order to better release their pectin.
6) Next morning, add one cup of sugar then bring the mixture slowly to a boil. After that, reduce the heat and simmer for one hour.
7) Add the other 2 cups of sugar one cup at a time. Bring the mixture to a boil again. Then simmer again, until you have got the desired consistency of your marmalade. I simmered it for around 30 minutes more and the consistency was perfect.

8) Cool for 20 minutes, add orange liquor if desired. Then pour mixture into a sterilized jar and seal immediately.

Serves: app. one 500 ml jar.

I did not use any preservatives or pectin, yet my marmalade has the perfect consistency of a jam! I love the result :)

However, having never tried orange marmalde before, I was surprised with the taste. Because I was using Seville oranges, the marmalade has a combination of bitter, sour and sweet taste. I actually find it hard to like the bitter flavor, which is mostly found in the peel. Nonetheless, I still love oranges and making orange marmalade was a lot of fun!

I was also amazed with the fact that Seville orange originated in Seville, Spain. I thought it was a cool fact :)

Now, the best part is, I am going to share with you how I utilized this prized orange marmalade. Actually, I have a very limited knowledge on the utilization of orange marmalade, but I tried my best to provide you with at least one recipe. Any suggestion for the use of orange marmalade is always OPEN!

Orange Marmalade Buns
(adapted from About.com)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 T + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
1) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2) Cut in butter with a pastry blender or knives until mixture is fine, even crumb (I used my hands to mix in butter)
3) Add milk and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
4) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 times, until a smooth ball is formed. Roll out dough to a rectangle.
5) Meanwhile, combine the pecans and marmalade on a small bowl.
6) Spread evenly over the dough; roll up as for a jelly roll, starting at long edge.

7) Cut roll into 7 slices. Place slices, cut side down, in a generously buttered 9-inch round layer cake pan.
8) Bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Serves: app. 7 mini orange marmalade buns

Note: I find it better to use only the jam part of the marmalade and discard the peel as I find it to be too bitter. However, if you are using navel oranges for the marmalade, you may not want to throw away the peel.

I generally like this biscuit-based buns since I have developed a love for pecans and orange jams. Another way that I have used my orange marmalade is for a pancake topping. The recipe for a nice fluffy pancake can be found here.

Before I igo, I would like to leave you with a note. Especially for Torontonians :)
My another colorful encounter this week was... the opening exhibition of Afghanistan Photography (Return, Afghanistan) by Zalmai at U of T Scarborough's Doris McCarthy Gallery.
These photographs are truly remarkable! And I urge you who just happen to be nearby to pay a visit to this tiny gallery. The exhibition runs until May 12.

On the opening night, I had the privillege (or luck) to attend to its opening celebration where we were entertained with food, dance, and music. I will be in touch with you more about this since I will be exploring about the Middle East starting this week.

Doris McCarthy Gallery
1265 Military Trail
Scarborough, Toronto
Tuesday to Friday 10a - 4p
Sunday noon - 5p

Colorful Foods :)

2006-03-11T22:12:00.000-06:00

*updated* March 15 2006

Look what I've been eating this week I mean, what kind of homemade food I've been making throughout my ever-busy weekdays. Why did I say weekdays, did I mean to exclude weekends? Yes, probably. Weekends are too nice to be spent on doing homeworks or required readings. Especially a weekend like today.

Today in Toronto is bright and warm (only if you're wearing a proper jacket though :p ), and I knew that all along, so Mr. W and I went to downtown as early as we could. We left at 8 o'clock (which means I had to get up around 7.30) and arrived in Union station just a tad past 9am. Wonder where we went? Wonder no more, we revisited St. Lawrence Market!

Believe it or not, it's my 3rd consecutive visit to St. Lawrence :) Have gone crazy or something? I live in a suburb and the market is way in the heart of Toronto! But, I love morning, and I think I'm a morning person. And our market adventure was again extraordinarily fun! We've never been to downtown this early and I sure like it :)

Usually, now is about the time I share about my findings in the market. But, I am not going to do that this time with fear of being boring. :p I will talk about something else instead, something out of the blue.

Last week I was talking to a friend and suddenly this subject of foods having country of origin's name came up. What I meant by that is some foods that are named partly after a country or a part of a country. For example Italian Sausage. Then, she protested me of stereotyping (of course, she was joking!). Stereotyping foods, eh? That's pretty interesting, I thought. On the other hand, this is not like negative sterotyping or anything. Although the nature of the word "stereotyping" is actually negative :p But, it's interesting, because if you pay attention there are sooo many that could go on the list! Let me start my own list. This is not done with any prior reasearch. Only prior knowledge ;)

Israelli couscous
Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)
Greek-style Yogurt
Italian Gelato
Jerusalem Artichoke

Honestly, I can't recall anything else right now. Please join me if you like :)

Now, to the main topic. The homemade foods of the week... and the theme is COLOURFUL!

First dish:
Couscous with Yam and Carrot Stew
(recipe adapted from Epicurious)

This was supposed to be a vegetarian delight. It was in some sense, but not really in another. The idea is nice and I love experimenting with unfamiliar ingredient like couscous. However, I didn't follow the recipe word per word. Instead, I substituted the butternut squash with yam and I could have used the wrong paprika (I don't know if mine if Hungarian). The recipe for the couscous itself I think was pretty good, using butter, garlic, and turmeric for color. On the other hand, the stew upset my stomach a little bit. I'm afraid I have an intolerance for squashes and yams. As far as I could recall, I made a butternut squash soup a month ago and it always left my stomach groaning. Uh-oh...

Second dish:
Fish Taco Platter
(again, from Epicurious)

I truly had fun making this Mexican dish :) And even better, it paid off! On the night this platter was made, I ate three (small) taco wraps :9 I love the (long) process of making this dish because everything was new to me. First I had to char some vegetables under my broiler (never done that before on purpose) then I had to pickle some red onion and jalapeno, and finally I had to add lime rind into my sourcream and mayo mixture.
Although, again, I didn't follow every single step because I couldn't find tomatillo. I replaced it with Roma tomatoes instead (there you go again!). The final taste for the salsa was alright, I had to add a splash of tabasco for more flavor though :p Other than that, the pickle was fantastic and so was the baja cream! Pardon my amazement, but it was my first time pickling anything! I was so amazed when the vinegar bath turned deep pink (like a grapefruit color) after an hour.

Finally, never had fish taco too! So it was a great experience and would certainly be great for a get-together meal!

Dessert:

This delicious Mascarpone Cheesecake was made with fresh ingredients obtained from St. Lawrence Market at the same day. I love the fact that I got to pack my own farmer's cream cheese in the 18 oz container :) This farmer's cream cheese differs from the packaged Philadelphia cream cheese, it's much more spreadable and creamier. As a result, my cheesecake was creamier, yet lighter. I also love the candied pecans! I think I'm falling in love with pecans! Thanks to Ivonne for recommending this recipe :)

I hope you enjoyed this colorful passage :)

Artisan Baking - Hi-Rise's Corn Bread

2006-03-07T19:30:00.000-06:00

I know, I know.... I promised you to share my cornbread as soon as they popped out of the oven. It has been well over two days now and I am just starting to report my artisan baking adventure :p

Baking an artisan bread is truly rewarding. All the hardwork (I mean as in kneading the dough all by hand) and the waiting time truly paid off!

Oh only if you could smell my kitchen as the stone-ground cornmeal and fresh corn kernels were intermingling with the wonderful dough of mine. It was such a pleasure watching them get golden in the oven that I am posting the pictures of them while still in my electric oven. Even though it was two days ago, let's pretend that it's happening right here right now ;)

In this dough, you will find fresh ingredients such as corn kernels, honey, and freshly-ground white cornmeal. And just as described in her book, Maggie Glezer said "This wonderful yellow pan-bread repletes with fresh corn kernels and cornmeal." Later on, you will find a technique in shaping a loaf. Now, everyone can do artisan baking in their very home kitchen!

Why yellow pan-bread? Because this bread is proofed in a loaf pan :) However, since I only own one loaf pan, I shaped the other half of the dough into a Boule (or miche or round loaf). Also, this time I used a newly-packed unbleached strong white wheat flour I got directly from Rube's in the afternoon. I was so excited and thrilled with the anticipation of one successful bread, in shape and and in taste :) I just couldn't wait.

This loaf took me approximately 7 hours. That was the very reason why I slept at three o'clock in the morning that night and totally ruined my biological clock!

Hi-Rise's Corn Bread

Poolish
1 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
3/4 cup water, lukewarm

Combine the flour and yeast is a large bowl, then beat in water. This will be a very gloppy batter. Cover the poolish tightly with plastic wrap and let it ferment until it is very bubbly and well risen, about 2 hours. (Mine was not that bubbly, and it still turned out nice)

Dough
2/3 cup water, lukewarm
Fermented poolish
2 1/1 cups unbleached bread flour
1 cups plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground yellow of (preferably) white cornmeal
app. 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels (1 large ear)
2 large (plus 1 for the glaze) eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt

Combine the flour, cornmeal, and corn in a large bowl. Add the watered poolish, 2 of the eggs, the honey, and oil. Stir the mixture with your hand until it forms a rough dough. Turn it out onto your work surface and knead it, without adding flour and using dough scraper to help (you are crushing the corn kernels into the dough as you knead). When the dough is soft and sticky, add the salt. Knead until the salt is dissolved and the dough is tighter and very smooth, about 2 minutes.
This is a soft and sticky dough.

Fermenting the dough:
Place the dough in a container at least 3 times its size and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough ferment until it is light, well expanded, and doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Shaping and proofing the dough:
Generously butter two 9 x 5-inch baking pans. The the fermented dough in half. *this is where the loaf-rolling technique starts* Using a rolling pin and plenty of extra flour for dusting this sticky dough, gently roll out one piece about 1/4 inch thick, pressing our all bubbles. For the sides of the dough into the center, letting them overlap by 1 inch or so. Roll out the dough again so that it is as wide from folded edge to folded edge as your baking pan. Moisten your hands with water and lightly pat the dough so that it is just slightly tacky. Now roll the dough up like a carpet, keeping the folded ends on either side. Pinch the seam to seal it and lay the cylinder seam side down in one of the prepared pans. The cylinder should fit length-wise but should not touch the sides of the pan. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover the loaves tightly with plastic wrap and let them proof until risen 1 inch above the pans, about 2 hours.

Preheating the oven:
About 30 minutes before the breads are fully proofed, arrange a rack on the oven's bottom shelf and clear away all racks above the one being used. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Baking the bread:

Beat the remaining egg until blended and brush the tops of the loaves with it. Bake the breads until well browned, about 50 to 60 minutes, rotating them halfway into the bake. Remove the breads from the pans and let them cool on a rack.

... I am so tired after typing the whole content of this corn bread recipe. I am exhausted, but hey, I have pictures for you to enjoy, right?

*update* As in texture, this loaf didn't quite achieve the end result that I had expected, white, creamy and dense. Instead, this bread is light, yellow, and a little bit on the dry side. Almost like the characteristics of a Dempsters bread, only drier. I didn't get the texture that I wanted only because I haven't found the right recipe. To enjoy them, simply spread a thin layer of butter or margarine and toast. The simplest way is always the best. The toasting brings out the very filling flavor of corn and the butter adds savory-ness. Yummm...

Treasures of St. Lawrence Market

2006-03-05T02:20:00.000-06:00

Guess what I have been eating for almost everyday this week?
.
..
...
....
.....

Gnocchi a la Bava exactly as presented by Ivonne! And to tell you the truth, I have grown to love them. Wait, that means I was not that into gnocchi before?
Correct.
However, each time I prepare my gnocchi brunch or dinner, I discover something new. At first, I didn't know how much cheese and butter I should be putting in for a single serving. One time, I put too much butter and added salt, that's not the real taste! I've learned my lesson and always try to adjust the saltiness by adding or decreasing the grated Parmigiano Reggiano afterwards. Also, the more often I eat them, I developed an appreciation toward gnocchi. I was just starting to realize how fluffy and slightly (very subtly) elastic these gnocchi are. The best thing is to be able to taste the comforting aroma of baked russet potatoes. As I'm writing, I'm thinking about it..
Ha, maybe I'm just exaggerating.

These two created my all-week-long delicioius gnocchi :)

As a no cheese expert, I began to appreciate cheese more too :) I like the taste of springy Danish Fontina cheese, they are like mozarella, only sharper. Next, I have been having problem with Parmesan cheese block I obtain from the grocery; they always come out sort of weird. I have no idea why, it was weird to me so it was for my sister. However, on my quest to St. Lawrence last week, I bought the smallest amount possible for Parmigiano Reggiano for this gnocchi. Apparently, all I got next was nothing but authenticity :) This is the best hard cheese I've ever had. It slightly smells like the tangy pineapple as I grated it and very appetizing.

The beautiful thing is, these cheeses are eaten at their best with gnocchi, melted!! Yum! If you're looking for the perfect gnocchi recipe, this is truly the one.

Forgive me if my observation is too far-fetched or inaccurate.

These cheeses are truly gems of St. Lawrence market while you can't find them in regular supermarket.

Another treasure of St. Lawrence Market is Rube's Rice that I mentioned in the previous post. I am currently baking my 2nd artisan bread, Hi-Rise's Cornbread, which almost all ingredients come straight from this lovely place. I bought a bag of "unbleached hard white wheat flour" and a scoop of white cornmeal, both were claimed to be stone-grinded. What a finding! Being deprived from good flour (for lack of senses) for a few months, I am one happy girl now.
And, don't worry, I am going to share my cornbread as soon as they pop out of the oven.

My bread is baking and smelling REALLY good right now. It's the only reason I'm still up and awake at 2 in the morning :)

LiveReport - St. Lawrence Market and Rol San Dimsum

2006-02-25T22:29:00.000-06:00

I have been very dreamy...

This reading week, I have been nothing but dreamy. Dreamy all day, mostly thinking about food, passsing by each minute reading food blogs, imagining beautiful sceneries in France, wishing I could become a child who is exposed to good foods, and dreaming of beautiful sentences from my newly-found memoir, A Moveable Feast.

I have not done as much reading (or studying) as I should have, nonetheless I have no regrets :) I am happy that this week I experienced more exposure to food than any other week. Especially today... My sister and I went to Toronto's Old District (on my insistence, of course) to get some fresh air at St. Lawrence Market. Why Saturday? Because I think it's the most energetic and ravenous day in the market, you'll see farmers bringing their fresh farm products in the Farmer's Market, vendor owners yelling (or, screeching) their Special of the Day, and best of all live music (I mean, GOOD music) on each corner of the market. Isn't it just lovely?

I am going to guide you on a tour around St. Lawrence Market, particularly to the stores that I personally visited. And later on, you'll find my review on a decent dimsum place.

North Market
Saturday Farmer's Market
According to its official website, this tradition of Ontario growers has begun since 1803. Starting sharply at 5 in the morning, having a bunch of farmers with fresh produce brings nothing but excitement! Once I heard from a friend that if you come early enough, you'll see the attraction of throwing and catching the fresh produce and fresh fish around the market. Sounds like fun, eh?
Each time I go to the Farmer's Market, I could not hide my amazement and curiosity of things. This is where I discover a lot of produce that I've never really seen before.

South Market
(click for a list of merchants and detailed map)

Domino's Foods
Are you a scavenger who likes to hunt rare food curios? I think you've come to the right place :) Not only do Domino's carries a wide selection of bulk foods, they also carry a wide variety of different brands of oil, balsamic vinegar, and a heaping condiments from around the world. From Oriental to European, everything seems to make a stop here! I even found Indonesian coffee candies, Kopiko, and Italian flour. You won't get enough of legumes and spices here. If you're looking for saffron, they offer a gram for only $3.99. Just one warning, don't get lost :p

Unique Fine Foods
My sister was attracted by the appearance of potato latkes, so we went over to this store to purchase one. Still hot and fresh! The taste resembled Indonesian fried corn batter, but I could eventually taste the fried potatoes.

Rube's Rice
I was not yet satisfied with my findings at Domino's and wandered off in this tiny store, which was an extension on the Rube's Rice located more to the centre. To my surprise, I found Israelli couscous, dark rye flour, and stone-ground cornmeal! These are treasures for me! First of all, I was introduced to the pearl-y Israelli couscous while I was working at Bluffs and have grown to love it. Then, the next two ingredients are essential in baking bread, especially for my next cornbread :)
I was so happy because buying a large scoop for each of the last two ingredients only cost me 74 cents :)

Eve's Temptation
Mr. W gave me a budget of $20 to be spent on dessert and I turned my head to this small vendor with really nice display. I've tried their cheesecakes and they are so delectable, however, the baklava wasn't nearly as good. So, I bought a set of mini cheesecakes and mousses, a slice of mango cranberry cheesecake, and some Portugese egg tarts (Pasteis de Nata). They all looked promising to me. At least Mr. W loved my choice of mango cheesecake :)

Stonemill Bakehouse
Throughout all of my visits to St. Lawrence Market I have never seen this bakery open! Only today did I see it fully loaded with fresh artisan breads and.. people! Yes, people were crammed in this small lot, buzzing about, selecting the breads they want.
I landed my choice on the Artisan Whole Grain Walnut Bread and a bag of ten different rolls. I had the walnut bread sliced and ate one of the slices right there (after I have paid, of course). However, I must remind myself that I'm not a big fan of whole-grains. The grains really distract me!

Olympic Food and Cheese
Following Ivonne's Gnocchi a la Bava, I went all the way to St. Lawrence Market so that I can get my hands to the right cheese. I got the Parmigiano Regiano cheese alright, but I missed a spot! I didn't realize that I had bought the Danish fontina cheese instead of the Italian! Aww, thankfully Ivonne said that it's gonna be fine although the taste won't be as good.

Scheffler's Deli
This is a haven for cheese, dips, and spreads! They carry a wide variety of dips, such as taramasalata (dip made from cod roe), hot hummus, and artichoke spinach dip. The best part is you get to package your choice in the provided container, isn't it jsut fun?

We left St. Lawrence market with full heart and empty stomach. So we headed to Rol San restaurant in Spadina to grab some dimsum!

When we were little kids, having yum-cha every weekend was almost customary. Every Sunday, our extended family would gather in a place called Garden Palace and eat dimsum al afternoon. Back in the old days, dimsum is normally served in the weekend morning and afternoons only. This place was huge and had a stage on the center, so as a kid I would run around with my cousins and caused some havoc :P

The best thing out of this yum-cha that I remember is the mango pudding with whipped cream. The texture was just right and the yellow color was gleaming with pleasure. Until now, I have not found anything that could be compared with the mango pudding I had when I was still in elementary school :)

Also, the literal translation of "cha" is tea, so every dimsum place would always serve tea (no matter what) at no extra charge.

As long as I can recall, I have been to Rol San around four times, everytime only for the dimsum :) It all began when Mr. W found this dimsum place two summers ago and described to me dinstinctly how good their steamed shrimp dumpling (ha gao) was.

And, my sister was feeling like some Oriental fare, so she decided to go here. Due to a constrained budget, our lunch including tax and tips may not exceed $20. Therefore, we only ordered four different main dishes and two mango pudding.

Shu Mai
I always like shu mai :) I like the fact that many of dimsum fares are steamed, a healthier way of cooking. Since it's steamed, it's one of my comfort foods. The shu mai was nicely decorated with cooked flying fish roe.

Cha Siu Pao
From the look of it, it wasn't quite successfully shaped into proper cha siu pao. However, as I expected, the cha siu (BBQ pork) in the centre is better than the one we had at TNT.

Chicken Feet with Chef's Sauce
Always a favorite during yum-cha. Compared to other dimsum places I have been, their chicken feet is one of the best. I like the sauce in particular but I really don't know how to describe it. I guess, you just have to try it first :)

Fried Bean Curd with Black Bean Sauce
I was expecting something different, the fried bean curd skin to be exact. Nonetheless, this one is pretty good and paired nicely with the sauce (that didn't look like black bean but like a sweetened soya sauce instead). They have chewy shrimp centres too. Next time, I have to order the right one.

Mango Pudding
From my recollection, their mango pudding was excellent. However, this time it was not as good. The taste of mango was not as distinct as before and the usually milky sauce (from evaporated milk) was tainted with the taste of coconut milk. I don't think coconut milk would be a proper addition to the sauce as it takes away the freshness of mango.

Other recommended food: Egg tarts (tanta), steamed shrimp dumplings (ha gao), and deep-fried squid tentacles.

This is a great place to be for gathering. If I ever had a chance to gather with fellow food bloggers, I would suggest this place.

Rol San Restaurant
323 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON
Phone: (416) 977-1128
TTC: take the streetcar from Spadina Station and make a stop at Nassau St. (after College St.), then walk to the south. The restaurant will be on your left-hand side.

Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies (?)

2006-02-23T22:39:00.000-06:00

I'm not too sure if I am eligible to dub these aromatic and delectable cookies "healthy". It was the ingredients that made me conclude that these cookies carry some nutritious value. Oh well, you be the judge :) Before I begin, I hope you are enjoying the picture I took from Union bus station on my way to Hamilton. Such calming blue sky and majestic building. Love it :)

The making of these cookies began with a craving for the aromatic toasted hazelnuts pieces I ate a week ago when my sister made them for Valentine's Day. The thought of eating those cookies again was so irresistable that I finally resoted to my reserved in-shell hazelnuts on my kitchen countertop. I had bought them for decorations in my kitchen, but they end up cluttering the space. So, why no crack them up and use them for making those Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies again?

As the craving started to settle in, I realized that this was such a brilliant combination!
Dark chocolate and hazelnuts = Nutella !!
You could never go wrong with this! :D

Here comes the recipe, straight from its origin, FoodTV's Sugar. However, I made some adjustments because I ran out of vanilla extract and I used some leftover egg-white. Thus, I replaced the vanilla extract with two tablespoons of Jamaican Rhum and added a splash of milk. Also, I used more coffee powder than I was supposed to. Just because as the coffee powder and rhum intermingled I couldn't resist their wonderful aroma and desired a bolder taste as a result :)

Without further ado...

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

3/4 cup whole hazelnuts
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 12 minutes. Cool, then rub off skins with a tea towel and roughly chop into small pieces.
Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 10 seconds and set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs. Stir vanilla and instant coffee together and add to butter mixture. Stir in melted chocolate.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt and add to butter mixture to combine. Stir in chopped hazelnuts. Drop by large tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until just lightly crisp around the edges but the cookies should be chewy in the center.

I kind of see these cookies as a more adult version of other ordinary cookies. Just because...
I shaped them into fun bone cookie cutter but they ended up looking like some chewing bones for doggies. However, I can guarantee the taste and don't be shy to go for it !

Yum-O!

Delicious with coffee or tea

Artisan Baking - My first artisan bread!

2006-02-23T01:05:00.000-06:00

My Acme's Herb Slabs

European breads have long caught my attention. Coming from a Chinese background, none of my family has any fondness in these thick crusted breads. Instead, they prefer a softer rolls and buns, like brioche or the sweet Chinese buns. However, I find European breads beautiful and masterfully crafted. The crunchy crust with soft and smooth centre left a deep impression. That's why I turned to Maggie Glezer's Artisan Baking.

I have bought this book almost two months ago, but have been hesitating on initiating my first artisan bread due to lack of proper equipments and ingredients. Until now...

No, I haven't found the perfect tools nor ingredients. But, I've got fresh rosemary sprigs in my fridge and "Acme's Herb Slabs" is rolling into its creation...

One thing I need to notify you about this particular book of bread is how detailed the instructions are. As if you could never go wrong as long as you do the steps one by one. That made me amazed to see how talented Maggie Glezer really is. She pays attention to every little details and goes over the things where people normally make mistakes. For instance, she would warn you when not to add any more flour. As our novice hands are usually unable to resisit the temptation to add more flour when the dough is too sticky.

Without any more delay, I'd like to share with you the recipe that I made over the weekend. This recipe in total would take almost 23 hours from the very start til the very end. The reason why... you will find out within the recipe. Let the artisan bread baking begin!

Acme's Herb Slabs Recipe

Yield: 2 large flatbreads, just over 1 pound each
Time: About 23 hours, with 20 minutes of active work

Ingredients:

Poolish

¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup water, 110° to 115°F
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably organic
1½ cups water, lukewarm

Whisk the yeast into the 110° to 115°F water and let it stand for 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the yeasted water to the flour (to measure 1/16 teaspoon yeast), then beat in the lukewarm water. This will be a very gloppy batter. Cover the poolish with plastic wrap and let it ferment overnight for 12 hours, or until its bubbles are popping and the top is just starting to wrinkle and foam.

Dough

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably organic
1 Tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
¾ cup water, lukewarm
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fermented poolish

Editor's Note
Artisan Baking gives readers three different methods of working with the dough, by hand, by stand mixer and by food processor. We have included one of these methods: by hand. Getting your hands a little dirty in the process of baking bread always makes the end product taste that much better.

For the dough:
By hand, combine the flour, salt, rosemary and yeast in a large bowl. Add the water and oil to the poolish, stir to loosen it, and pour it all into the flour mixture. Stir the mixture with your hand until it forms a rough dough. Turn it out onto your work surface and knead it briefly, without adding extra flour, until it is well combined. Cover the dough with a bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to rehydrate. Knead the dough, without adding extra flour, until it is very smooth, about 10 minutes.

Fermenting and turning the dough:
Place the dough in a container at least 3 times its size and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough ferment until light and doubled in bulk, about 6 hours. Turn the dough (punch the dough) 3 times in 20-minute intervals, that is, after 20, 40, and 60 minutes of fermenting, then leave the dough undisturbed for the remaining time.

Shaping and proofing the dough:
Cut the dough in half. Round the pieces and let rest for about 20 minutes. Lightly press one piece of the dough into a rectangle. Loosely fold it into thirds like a business letter by folding the bottom short edge up and the top down. Place it seam side down on a couche (see note) and cover it with a flap of the couche. Repeat with the other piece. Let them proof for about 1½ hours.

Cover a peel or rimless baking sheet with a large piece of parchment paper. Remove the dough from the couche and gently press each piece into a 12 x 6 inch rectangle with your hands (the workers in the bakery use a small wooden ruler to get the dimensions just so). Press your fingertips deeply into the dough to stipple it all over. Move the rectangles of dough to the parchment paper and resquare them. Cover them with plastic wrap and let proof until very soft and well expanded, about 2 hours more. The total proof time is about 3½ hours.

The dough after proofing
Expand.. expand... :)

Preheat the oven: About 45 minutes before the bread is fully proofed, arrange a rack on the ovens second-to-top shelf and place a baking stone on it. Clear away all racks above the one being used. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Poke the dough all over with a toothpick or a skewer, pushing all the way through. If desired, just before baking, fill the oven with steam. Slip the breads, still on the paper, onto the hot stone and bake for 5 minutes. Carefully flip the breads over onto the stone and remove the paper. Continue baking until they are well browned, about 20 minutes more, rotating them after 10 minutes. Let the breads cool on a rack.

Note: Couche, meaning "layer" in French, refers to the heavy-linen cloth used to support breads, such as rolls and baguettes, as they are proofing.

Endnote:

It has been a truly great experience making this particular bread. It was best eaten the same day after baking. However, I noticed something was wrong. There has been something murky about my RobinHoo d flour, it has this strange smell that I could not describe. It left me wondering, is it because the flour has aged or is it the smell of an unbleached flour. So, two days after baking, I can taste the very smell of flour in my bread. Unlike the first day when the fresh rosemaries permeated all over. Well, it's just my own confusion, and I shall find out more!

This flatbread, when cut will have a shape resembling a biscotti and will pair up nicely with garlic butter. Toasted, and ready to be served next to your pasta dishes ^^

Enjoy!

The Ultimate Comfort Food at Korean Town

2006-02-20T11:17:00.000-06:00

Getting past through two days of fierce winter days is not easy. The weather has been unbelievably freezing these couple of days. But, that didn't hinder me from going out and absorb some sunshine. Yes, the windchill temperature reached minus 20, but the sun was shining brightly yesterday. So, stepping outside the house was worthwhile.

To sum it up, our trip before finally reaching to the ultimate comfort food involved the quest for freshly-baked artisan bread, browsing through books at Indigo, sipping hot chocolate at Starbucks, and finally jumping on to the subway to Korean Town.

I have to tell you about the quest for bread first! I browsed through the internet the day before to locate a good artisan bakery. I found one on Kensington Market and realized that there is actually one bakery I have been to twice. It's called My Market Bakery. I'm not sure whether their breads were made in artisan way or merely in a mass-produce way. However, observing from the size of the store, it's almost unlikely that they produced their bread with huge machinery and some additional ingredients (if you know what I mean). This quest is the continuation of my budding love for artisan bread while reading Maggie Glezer's Artisan Baking. I have a herbed flatbread fermenting at home and would like to search for some professional breads as comparison. I landed my choise on a Portugese Corn Bread and a Multi-Grain Sourdough Bread. I'm happy now! ^^

Now, jumping right to the Korean Town restaurant called Ka Chi. Here, Mr. W and I ordered nothing else but Pork Bone Soup. Well, accompanied with a basket of fried dumplings as well. I should say that this is a semi-restaurant-review posting and I definitey recommend anyone to come and visit Ka Chi.

Appetizers
The usual set of compliment appetizers in small plates. This is what I love the most in Korean restaurant. They would serve you with house-made appetizers which mostly consist of pickled vegetables, i.e. Kimchi, pickled radish and carrots, and pickled Korean beansprouts. Other than that, we had some fried small fish (I don't know what they are called, but they resemble anchovies) and a green salad with refreshingly sour dressing. The best thing is, you can ask for more of these appetizers without getting any extra charge, as long as you know your limit.

Unlike usual, Mr. W ordered some fried beef dumplings and eaten with the dipping sauce shown below. They were deep fried into the perfect crips and the sesame-scented dipping sauce accentuated the taste. However, I would ask for something hot as the dipping sauce, like the ABC chili sauce. =p

Main Course
Let me introduce to whoever is not familiar with Korean dishes, Pork Bone Soup (or Gam Ja Tang in Korean, thanks to my sis!) I was hoping that the picture could describe itself to you. But now I'm just not too sure. I'm concerned because you can't smell the picture =p This soup is best eaten warm with long silver spoon and silver chopsticks as the gadgets. Stick to the silver eatingware to keep the originality =)
This mildly spicy soup is loaded with the non-fatty meat of the pork still intact with the bones, potatoes, nappa, bean sprouts and some slices of green onion. Add a squirt of lemon juice and the soup is ready to eat! How can this not be the ultimate comfort food in the chilly winter evening? This soup is very filing, you'll be satisfied by the end of the meal.

I noticed that the soup is not as spicy as it was when I first ate it a couple years back. Perhaps this is a good thing for those who are not so tolerant with heat.
There are many other good food in this restaurant. My other favorite are the Fried pork and Kimchi in special hot sauce (very high in HEAT) and Ka-Chi's special stew (it has sausages and rice and vegetables).

Is there a high price to pay for such good foods? In fact, there is not! The tab won't be shocking since each main dish is priced ranging from Cdn$6 to Cdn$8. The pork bone soup itself only costs Cdn$6! And finally, these prices (yes the prices on the menu) already include TAX! This fact just added to my list of reasons why dining out at Korean restaurant in Korean Town is really... fulfilling and satisfying!

If you still have a room for dessert, just walk one block to the west and you will find Kwada Hodo. The snack to die for here is the Brown Sugar Pancake (Hodo), it is a must try!

Ka Chi Restaurant
612 Bloor St. W
Nearest TTC subway(s): Danforth or Christie
Phone: 416-533-9306

Belated Valentine's Day

2006-02-15T01:04:00.000-06:00

It's only a day late, so I'm hoping people are still in the spirit of Valentine's Day =)

Although myself am not celebrating Valentine's Day, under the influence of Cream Puffs in Venice's Chocolate Month, I am creating this Black Forest Cake special to all of you ^_^ And hope that his rhum-y chocolate cake could entice you to celebrate the day of love for the whole month. Or, even every single day if you like.

Take a slice...

And indulge yourself...

Courthouse Market Grille

2006-02-11T21:32:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of Liberty Group

I left my first candlelite dinner with a smile on my face. Mr. W and I had our dinner at the Old District area of Toronto, in one of the buildings attractive with its quaint facade, Courthouse Market Grille. I've longed to dine at this particular restaurant ever since I fell simply for how it looks. I was greeted with what I had expected, upscale and sophisticated dimmed dining room with cozy lights from candles here and there. The choice of music was by far what made everything completed itself.

Needless to say, was a price to pay for this level of accomodation. This dinner was supposed to be my 2nd Winterlicious, apparently the waitress had neglected informing me that before and after Valentine's they only offer the Valentine's prix fix menu and only start Winterlicious on the 15th up to the 18th. As I was urged with curiosity to have a fine dining for the first time, I okay-ed to go on with the Valentine's menu.

From here on, all I am going to talk about is the food as there was nothing worth mentioning about the mediocre service. Before proceeding to read, I must warn you that those who find high-class French and fusion cuisine to be something highly appreciated may find this content offensive.

The prix fix menu offers soup, appetizer, main course, and dessert. Let's disect each course one by one.

Soup
My choice was Roasted Cauliflower Puree with toasted pine nuts, cranberry relish and cilantro yogurt. While Mr. W chose Seafood Corn Chowder as I had expected. This was something new, I thought. Having sweet cranberry relish in the savoury roasted cauliflower puree really took this soup to the new level I had never experienced ever before. I was interested in this dish because it mentioned cilantro yogurt, but it didn't make a showcase appearance here. Overall, I would say this is a good exploration from usual cream soup. While Mr. W's chowder was watery and less tasty. I have no say on this one, but Mr. W definitely thought the soup was tasteless.

Appetizers
One of the best dish in tonight's dinner, Black Peppercorn Goat Cheese Souffle with avocado and granny smith salad and citrus and champagne marmalade. I really liked the souflle. Fluffy in texture and daring in taste. The crushed black peppercorns really provided balance to the creamy, tangy goat cheese. I really enjoyed eating the souffle with the avocado, not so much with the slices of granny smith. Instead, I enjoyed the granny smith on its own. I hardly touched the marmalade as I felt no connection with the savoury souffle. Mr. W's choice was the House Cured Atlantic Salmon with roasted beet and fennel salad, sweet corn griddle cake and watercress pesto. I had only gotten the chance to try on the cured salmon and the roasted beet, none of them match with my taste and in the end he could not bear finishing this appetizer. I'd say this dish would be much more suitable for those who are mature and experienced enough with the variety of modern French cuisine. I felt like far from experienced in terms of taste and class of food.

Entree
There was one definite choice for the entree as we both landed our choice on the Beef Tenderloin with grilled asparagus, truffled buttermilk bread pudding and blue cheese bordelaise. I asked for my steak to be medium well-done. Our entree was artfully presented just like our previous dishes and I began by having a bite on the souffle. My honest opinion, "Not bad but nothing out of the extraordinary." The same went for the asparagus and the tenderloin. To be harsh but honest, the steak had no memorable taste, meaning my impression on it was really unmatched with my high expectation. I felt like I was eating a blatant piece of
meat, nothing juicy, savoury nor even a bit tasty. On top of other thing, blue cheese became my worst nightmare. I don't know if it's just me who really have no taste for high-class food, or it really tasted like a dead stinky red ant. I believe the answer would be the former. I don't have any other way to express my disappointment other than by comparing it to other steaks I've had. In conclusion, Appleby's and Angus House's tenderloin steaks were so much better, enjoyable and memorable for its spices and condiments. Now you can tell that I have no appreciation on a nakedly grilled beef with no seasoning whatsoever.

Dessert
Here we come to my favourite phase of any dinner, dessert! My choice was definitely Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse with poached mission fid, port compote and filbert wafer. To quote Mr. W, "The most decent part of our dinner..." As a lover of hazelnut, I would undecidedly love this dessert. However, the portion was way too much and left me wanting less of it at the end. How I wish I could have a smaller portion. The name itself was pretty self-explanatory and I believe you can use your imagination to picture the taste of it.

As usual, I would come up with a conclusion by the end of our full course meal which left me with a smile. Smiling as I thought how simplicity and familiarity of taste is always the best (while drooling over Pho Hoa, Pork Bone Soup, and yukimi-nabe). Not that I'm not open to new wave of food trend, but tonight's dinner was priceless for our experience but very pricy for poor tasting food that brought nothing but regret. None of the dishes did a good job on bringing pleasure in each bite, NONE. I wished I hadn't made the decision to stay and eat at somewhere we knew would be good. However, Mr. W had ensured me that it was a worthwhile experience, but I made sure I would never sacrifice that much money only for those physically attractive but tasteless foods.

My defense would be that I'm an admirer of foods that are loaded with spice, herbs, TASTE and seasonings. I can't stand anything tasteles, which is different from something that I'd describe as simple.

Pardon me for this harsh critique. I know I lack of experience in this area, but my gut said that this was not what I deserved from that high price. I there is any way that I can do to appreciate these foods, I would love to try. As you may have noticed, I am not being as excited as I was when I reviewed Boulevard Cafe. I was also upset because I couldn't take good pictures because of the dim lighting. Now I'm feeling bad for writing such a bad review on such a nice place.

The Perfect Marriage ~ Lemon and Cilantro

2006-02-10T22:56:00.000-06:00

Due to my procrastinating nature, this posting has been delayed over and over again until I can't help it anymore. Insipired by CreamPuffsInVenice's posting of perfect combination of two ingredients, I'd like to share my view of this perfect blending of two of the kitchen essentials, Lemon and Cilantro. I'm gonna treat them as if they were people's names, hence the use of capitals.

In my slow-cooking adventure last week, I made an Old Fashioned Chili with Kidney Beans and Black Beans. I was so into the process that I neglected other things I was supposed to do (as usual!). The night before was spent on searching for the best chili recipe. I couldn't find a specific one that I really favour over another. So, I decided to modify the recipe here and there and let myself be insipired by other recipes.

However, none of the recipes recommended the use of Lemon nor Cilantro. It was all my idea! Wait a sec, aren't you suspicious of where the idea of adding Lemon and Cilantro started? It doesn't matter, I'm going to tell y'all anyway.

The week before last week, I contemplated in making hummus. The Middle-Eastern/Mediterranean chickpea dip which I think is really scrumptious! At the same time, I have loads of dried chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans. So why don't I start right away?! Well, not literally right away because I have to soak the beans overnight before I can start.

I got the recipe from Periplus Mini Cookbooks series titled Meze. In the introduction, the term "Meze" was explained. The literal translation from Greek is "tasty morsels" that are designed to whet your appetite before main mail. It's the combination of flavours from Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East that is savoured with good friends, cool drinks and dappled in sunshine.

Again, this recipe only recommended Lemon and not Cilantro. My experience as a kitchen staff back then at my school's restaurant, Bluff's, taught me that Cilantro would be a delightful addition. Besides, I have this undying love for Cilantro.

The most exciting part of food is the preparation stage, before any cooking begins. Cutting up onions, getting the spices ready, and most of all cutting my Lemon in halves and chopping my bunch of Cilantro. The aroma of Lemon and Cilantro immediately flew in the air... They are so perfect for each other and were meant for one another =p

Check the recipe out for yourself. It's the basic recipe, straight from the book.

Hummus

125 g dried chickpeas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
a pinch of cayenne
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt, for seasoning
bunch of cilantro, chopped

Direction:
1) Soak the dried chickpea overnight in plenty of water. Drain and transfer to a pot of boiling water. Cook uncovered over medium heat until tender, around 1 hour. Drain.
2) Heat the pot, add olive oil and chopped onion. Sautee for two minutes. Add the cumin, cayenne and chickpeas. Cook until it's aromatic, around 2 minutes.

1 teaspoon of cumin goes in...

3) Place in a food processor or a blender and add the Lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and the garlic cloves. Process while pouring the rest of the olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt.
4) This is where I add Cilantro and more Lemon juice. Pulse the mixture three times.
5) Transfer to a ramekin and serve! Can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Here are my variations of how to enjoy this versatile chickpea-dip...

Hummus Island

Plain Hummus, Hummus with Red Shepard Pepper and Homemade Pita Bread

Now back to the Chili. I enjoyed preparing it as much as I enjoyed waiting for all of the liquid to be reduced. Right you'd expect that I'd provide the recipe for the chili as well. I would LOVE to, but I am so exhausted. And as I mentioned before, this post has been long overdued. So, I'm just gonna post what I have right now and continue with my dazzling experience of a week with Chili later on =)

to be continued.....

Sno'flakes Fallin' on My Head...

2006-02-07T07:10:00.000-06:00

It was snowing again in Toronto after a few days of only bitterness. That is harsh wind and drenching rain. I like snow much better than any of those two. During the snowfall, I could observe the snowflake caught on my gloves and awed at their pretty crystals. Just like the ones on the pictures or Christmas ornament.

Thank you for Chika for her posting about snowy weekend. Since from there I was intrigued to try her yukimi-nabe. Besides, I have a nabe pot that I have never used and my fridge is loaded with the right ingredients. It was surely a comfort food for me as well =)

Nabe Pot On the Burner

Arrange...

Cloud up with freshly grated daikon...

Serve!

PS: I finished the whole pot all by myself =D

LiveReport - Winterlicious in Toronto (part 1)

2006-02-04T18:07:00.000-06:00

"Ding!" Fresh from the oven! =)

Welcome back to my LiveReport. This post is titled so because I have just arrived from my 2nd Winterlicious adventure and still a bit soaked with rain. But I'm so eager to share with you guys how my dining (well it was only lunch) experience was.

Our (or, should I say "my") choice for this year's Winterlicious is Cafe Boulevard. I know, from the name only, it doesn't really depict anything about the type of cusine they are serving. But during my search for Winterlicious restaurant I happened to browse through their menu offering. And I was surprised that it was a Peruvian Restaurant! At the same time I thought, wow it's great, I never tried Peruvian food ever in my live! Intrigued by uncommon food names, I called them up to book a reservation. (by now you should be able to tell that I'm an adventurous person, with food only!)

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't so agreeable today, Toronto was drenched in flurries then rain. Hwever, the atmosphere of the restaurant really helped overcome the winter blues. At a first glance, the restaurant seemed tiny, then we were escorted to upstairs and were seated on the couch. Yes, it's tiny and cozy! I like it!

Since I've read the menu days ahead, I knew what I wanted and went for it. I took a bunch of pictures for each dish, from the appetizer straight up to the dessert. If you don't mind, I'd like to share them one by one. Take is a tour to increase your culinary knowledge =)

Appetizers
To begin my late lunch, I ordered Choros al Limon (Steamed Mussels in Spicy Lemon and Dill Sauce), so did Mr. W. Then my sister ordered Soup of the Day, which was Pureed Sweet Potato. I wasn't that impressed by the appetizers because it doesn't really tell much about what to come (i.e. the main dish). It was generally good, the lemon sauce was spicy from blackpepper and I can barely taste the dill (which I guess was a good thing because I don't like the smell of dill). As they mentioned in their website, the main color in the appetizers is yellow. And the soup was obviously yellowish orange.

Main Course
I knew right from the start that I wanted to have fish. After the waitress informed us that the Pescado del Dia (Catch of the Day) was tilapia, my heart gave a happy leap. The rest of us ordered Lomo Saltado, which was strips of flank steak sautéed with onions, tomatoes, aji, peppers and wine served with yukon gold fries and vegetables.

I was amazed! The fish marinated with wine and spices then grilled then topped with tangy mango salsa brought back a lot of memories. This dish tasted almost like traditional Indonesian fried fish, Pesmol. It also reminds of Thai food with sweet and sour mango topping. Hmm, interesting! On the side there were a sidedish of fried potatoes, grilled tomatoes, and salad. I quite like the salad, especially the dressing, which I can't really describe except that it's mayonnaise-like with more kick. I was contented with my choice althought the piece of tilapia was quite small. I liked the mango salsa a lot, with chopped peppers and cilantro, it was pleasant.

I also sampled the other dish, Lomo Saltado, served with rice. The strips of steak was pretty juicy but not well-marinated. The sauce was alright, but (again) I can't tell what it was. I guess it was partly the juice from the steak as it was sauteed. One comment from Mr. W to keep: "The rice reminds of the coconut milk rice back home (a.k.a nasi uduk)." Woa, it appears that Peruvian cuisine has a lot of similarity with Indonesian and Thai cookings. Interesting...

Dessert
Here comes my most favorite part! The menu in the Winterlicious site said that it's going to be a daily selection from the chef, I like suprises (but not any other kind of surprises)! The choice were, Leche Casada (Creme Caramel) and Key Lime Pie. I choice fell on Key Lime Pie and I got Mr. W trying the Creme Caramel. The presenation was lovely, so was every bite of my Key Lime Pie ^_^ I've never had key lime pie before in my life and I feel like describing it to myself. So, it was crust-based with custard-like filling and a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Simple as that, but so YuMMy!

As usual, I sampled the other dessert. I thought it was just usual creme caramel pudding, but this one's different. It was not too sweet and I can really taste the burnt sugar (a.k.a caramel). I was also accompanied by hot milk tea (sugarless, as it goes better with sweet desserts). All in all, it was good and I'm happy with my choice =)

By the end of our lunch, I've come to realize a few things.
First of all, I gave myself a conclusion that cumin was used a lot in Peruvian cooking because it was in the air from Appetizers to Main Course. By all means, correct me if I'm wrong.

I also flipped through their usual menu and found an interesting yet unfamiliar sauce name, "aji mirasol" (pronounced a-hi mirasol) . Then I got out of my comfort zone and asked the waitress if she could describe that particular sauce. She said it's a sauce made from a kind of pepper. Then I researched on Google and found a short explanation here. Too bad, I can't describe in detail how they differ from other kind of chilies although the aji itself existed in Lomo Saltado. Sorry guys! Any help would be welcomed though =)

I was curious with the bread, why aren't they serving us bread like any other restaurant would? (i.e. Mr. Greek and Old Spaghetti Factory) So I asked if I could have some, and I got charged for it -.-" I wasn't very informed, wasn't I? I just assumed that it was complimentary. I didn't even know it was a cornbread, it was just its rustic look that appealed to me. The crust was think and crispy (real exercise for your jaws) and the centre was kinda dense and a bit creamy. Hm.. sounds nice, doesn't it?

Finally, I'm no restaurant expert AT ALL! I rarely eat out and when I eat out like this, I couldn't explain why on my bill I was charged for gratuities while our party was less than 6? Is it the same as "tips"? I didn't dare ask because then I would look and feel bad. Well, I sound really unknowledgable right now! But hey, I learned a lot of new language and culinary knowledge today!

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures, I was trying my best to take as much as possible. Have a pleasant stay!

LiveReport - Happy Chinese New Year! The Feast Began!

2006-01-30T17:16:00.000-06:00

As those who speaks Mandarin would say, "Gong Xi Fa Choi!"

So, Happy Chinese New Year for anyone who celebrates the arrival of the year of the Dog =)

As you may have noticed or may not, I am an Indonesian-born Chinese. In my roots, I am Chinese but sadly I can't speak Mandarin or any other dialects. Back home, the celebration of CNY is usually quite extravagant amongst our family. This is a BIG event anyway! Traditionally, we would have a simple and satisfying meal at my grandparents' house where all of the extended family members gathered around to wait for the new year to come. During these times, my grandma and her cook would be cooking from early morning to prepare dinner for around 50 people. She' s a super-grandma I would say! Then, the next morning we would put on our nice dresses and go around the elderly houses to pay respect and receive... the RED POCKET (angpao) !! Of course, somewhere in between we would be lighting incense and pray.

However, in the past 5 years or so we no longer celebrate CNY that way. My uncle came up with this new and more modern and more efficient way. By renting a ballroom in a hotel, get the food ready by the hotel chefs, and BOOM everyone gather there all night long until the countdown. Afterwards, we would be paying respects to the elderlies who are already gathered in the ballroom. This isn't such a bad idea, it's a bit extravagant I'd say. Just as I mentioned before.

To be honest, I kinda miss the times when we gathered at our grandma's house. She has this garden where I usually played with my siblings and cousins. This memory seems antique and faded now, ow well....

I think I'm a bit dragging you guys in the supposedly an introduction to my posting =p

Back in Toronto! The celebration this year won't be like any other year as most of my families live back home. But I'm interested to see what people in Toronto are doing for CNY. The TV broadcasted that there were some festivities and gala dinner at the Exhibition Centre, Scarborough Town Centre, and Performing Arts Centre. That's about it, I guess. Perhaps there was something going on in Chinatown or Markham area. I have no idea.

What I want to be reporting LIVE to you is our home-cooked dinner last night! In order to celebrate CNY, I went through adverse weather to T&T (the best Chinese grocery in GTA) just to buy the freshest ingredients for...SHABU-SHABU!!! It was raining hard all day long and it justified that it was the perfect time to eat shabu-shabu!

In this vast grocery, you can get lost, both physically and in thought. There were so many distractions that sometimes I forgot what I was there for. As for ingredients, you can basically have whatever you like in a shabu". The thumb of rule is NOT TO INCLUDE ANYTHING THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE A STRONG UNDESIRED TASTE, such as fresh prawns and daikon, because the main stars here are meats and vegetables. So our choice ingredients last night were:
Sliced beef and pork
Beef balls and cuttlefish balls
Nappa (chinese cabbage)
Egg tofu
Fresh mushrooms: baby king oyster, enoki, champignon
Rice cakes
Noodles (we used spaghetti and shanghai noodles)

As for the soup, I used a shortcut, BEEF STOCK POWDER. I also added fresh celery leaves to make it more aromatic and some salt and sugar. However, as you cook these ingredients, the soup would start to be sweetened nicely by the nappa =)
Not forgetting the DIPPING SAUCE! This is very crucial (as Aeons would agree)! This dipping sauce makes everything taste..gOOoOOoOOd. It's a simple mixture of chopped thai green chilies, freshly squeezed lime juice (or lemon juice), and light soya sauce. MMmm..hMMm!
I can garantee you one thing when you're having this all-you-can-eat shabu", YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO BE TOO FULL! Well, that's the consequence of all-you-can-eat course anyway ;)

~ I was happy because I get to use my fancy serving plate I bought from the Japanese ceramic store!
~ Newly added: this satisfying dish is much better than oily chinese cookings you found in chinese restaurants ^_^

Cooking with Spices: Empal Gepuk

2006-01-26T21:01:00.000-06:00

Before I get on to anything, I would like to complain first.
It was unbelievably FREEZING today (cold won't be the right word) and the temperature dropped to minus 20! Can you believe it?! Well, this is not a form of exaggeration for Torontonians or anyone who lives more northern than us. But, we have been enjoying an above temperature the week before that this drop in temperature shocked our immune system.
As I was walking to school, I can't help thinking how bitter Toronto feels in wintertime like this. Oh well, it's just a passing thought.

Now I'd like to present you with something that originated where I grew up, an Indonesian food! It amazes me how many different spices are blended together to create intricate dishes like this one. The most common method employed is to blend all the spices together with a stone plate and stone grinder (sort of like pestle and mortar but the plate is flatter). Then fry them in oil until aromatic and finally cook the main ingredients with these fried spices used as the sauce or seasonings.

Today I'm gonna share with you a recipe of Indonesian beef stew called "empal gepuk". This recipe was snacthed from Keluarga Nugraha, so I'd like to credit them for it. Back home, this dish is supposed to be fried until all of the broth evaporated, but as you will see in my final picture, I ate it like a beef stew instead. I have just found out that the recipes are no longer for public view, so I'm going to give out my modified one instead =)

Empal Gepuk

600 gr beef shanks, cut into 4 big pieces
4 dried bay leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, take the white part and bruise
650 ml coconut milk
2 1/2 tsp salt

spices:
7 cloves of shallots, sliced then sauteed
5 cloves of garlic, sliced then sauteed
5 candlenuts, toasted
1 cm ginger
2 cm fresh galangal
3 tsp corriander
60 gr brown sugar

Directions:
01) Combine all the ingredients in "spices" together and process in a blender or food processor until smooth.
02) In a big pot, stir in beef shanks, coconut milk, blended spices, bay leaves, lemongrass, and salt. Bring them to boil, then cook on low heat (simmer) until the beef is fully cooked and the liquid has decreased by half (about 2 hours).
03) Remove the pot from heat. Cut the beef chunks according to the meat pattern into 2 cm slices.
04) Heat oil in a sauteeing pan, then fry the beef with the remaining liquid until all the liquid is drained.

Spices for making Empal Gepuk

Notes:

A closer look to the spices, please click the picture below. You will notice that I was using a different kind of sugar, which I purchased back home. It's called gula aren or nira and you have to grate it first before using. I am not sure if you can get it in North America. But the original recipe used brown sugar.
When frying the beef, I didn't actually drain all the tasty coconut broth, because they taste so good on rice. So, it's your call whether to save the broth or not!
By the way, the coconut broth is also useful for frying the side dishes that you want with your empal. So far I've tried stir-frying mushrooms and green beans in it and they taste awesome, especially the mushrooms =p

I am not so skillfull in presenting the food I made and basically just put rice on a plate then top up with the main dish and some side veggies. And DONE!

On the Spirit of My Twenty-One bday

2006-01-24T18:08:00.000-06:00

Since it's not so long ago since I turned 21, I'd like to talk more about what happened on that special day. I'd say it's special, not because of anything luxurious, just because I like the number 21 and this year I turned 21 on January 21st. If this had been year 2021, it would've been more special!

The first thing I received in the morning was showers of scattered snow while I was walking toward school to meet someone. It hasn't snowed for a while but it wasn't too windy, so I could enjoy the snow. I even took some pictures along the way. See... The funny thing is, last year on my birthday, it was snowing as well. Hmm.. so happy cause of that.

The next thing is as soon as I met that special someone, a.k.a my boyfriend, he welcomed me with a marvelous lookin' strawberry cheesecake with Frank Sinatra's "Happy Birthday" playing on the background. He's so sweet...=) Soon after, he gave me a present wrapped in plain blue paper. He videotaped me as I opened the present. I now know why he videotaped me, to record my surprised look as I revealed what was inside. It was an iPod Nano!!!!!!!!!!! Excuse me, but I need to type that many exclamation marks (!) cause I never thought he'd do that. It was an expensive present and I felt like I didn't deserve it, but since it's my day I received it with pleasure.

Back to that gorgeous-lookin' cheesecake!

It is just HEAVEN! I am typing as I'm eating a slice of it and I can't help not to describe how it tastes. This strawberry cheesecake, specially ordered from Timothy's coffeeshop, is just an ordinary New York cheesecake; without the lemony taste though. Every spoon of it tastes so creamy, cheesy, tangy, and subtly salty. It's not too sweet, that's why the taste is just right. As usual, this cake has a crust of crumbled graham cookies and a filling made of whipped cream cheese. Then, there's a thin layer of something creamier atop the filling, just before the strawberries. However, I couldn't figure out if that layer was a more smoothly whipped cream cheese or a plain whipped cream or the combination of both. And finally, on top of everything, the strawberries! They were amazingly sweet! Not sweet as in they're overly ripe, but they taste like they're at the peak of their perfection. Sweet, and not too sour or tasteless like the strawberries I got from the groceries (well, it's winter, so you can't expect to have Canada's summer berries). Oh well, perhaps their taste was also enhanced by the thin glaze of jelly sugar. Eaten together, it truly is one-of-a-kind cheesecake! My twenty-one bday cheesecake.

Now, now, I sound so self-centered, eh? Talking about myself all the time =p

The rest of the evening of my birthday was spent on a antique-looking restaurant on Toronto's Old District, "The Old Spaghetti Factory" ! I invited a few friends and my sister. It was my second time there and it wasn't like the first time we went there, at all! It was crowded, full of other birthday kids and birthday people. Anyhow, we got seated on a booth and proceeded to enjoy the evening together! The dinner was great, but what I like to most were not the main course (Spaghetti with Spicy Meat Sauce). I loved the sourdough bread + garlic butter (which I latter on stole half, just the bread), the thick Minestrone soup, and the spumoni ice cream. It's quite a treat having dinner there because all dinner menus include a soup/salad, sourdough bread, tea/coffee, main course, and home-made ice cream.

I'm so full now just remembering our dinner that day.....

Oops, the snow wants to say g'bye..

Happy Twenty-One !

2006-01-21T22:13:00.000-06:00

If it's past midnight, then it's no longer my birthday.
But I want this post to be dated January 21st 2006, the day when I officially turn 21, my favorite number ^_^

I am so tired after a very exciting birth-day. There were too many surprises that exhausted me. Hence, I hope this picture below could represent my birthday festivities. Not really actually, they are just a pile of the famous Nuttela cupcakes I made last night. But I'm lovin' them!

It's MEMETime!! Ten Random Facts You Didn't Know About Me

2006-01-21T21:14:00.000-06:00

Guess what? I've been tagged by Mae Gabriel of Rice and Noodles. Thanks a lot Mae, I'm excited 'coz this is my first meme. Looking forward to upcoming meme's. I hope I'm doing fine in this one =p I put aside some time before actually typing this on my blog. So here they are....

I'm the eldest child in my family, however, I'm incredibly indecisive. I'm having a hard time dealing with my (own) indecisiviness! Thus, turning twenty-one today (gonna post about it after this!) I'm going to try to be firmer on my principles! >.<
I always have my bulky Sony CyberShot digicam sitting around in my kitchen so that I can easily grab it to take pictures of whatever I'm eating at that time. I am keen on photography (as in watching other people's superb photographs) but am not excel on it at all. That's why I normally would take more than one shot of the food that I made so that I can pick out the best one.
Often crave for food even on a full stomach. My weapon is this, the appetite killer: dark chocolate bar.
I like to include zest in cooking; lemon, orange, and lime. My fave food with zests in it is: Morning Oatmeal Porridge with orange zest. Then I found out that zests are actually healthy, that's where all the essential oils are!
Amazed by artisan bread baking while never baked an artisan bread myself. I love nibbling on these breads with crusty shell and cotton-y inside!
Trying to always avoid MSG (monosodium glutamate) and eating healthy by bring food from home to school; hence, the "Lunchbox Challenge". However, I still eat the spicy korean noodle (RamYun) which definitely contains MSG. ARgh!
Hate car, hate driving, and hate maintaining car. >.<>
I use idle time like when washing the dishes to ponder over what happened during the day. Sometimes a moment without interaction with other human being in a day is really needed.
Not shoe-a-holic, but really love my new pair of shoes bought on the boxing day. The brand is Diesel and they promised there won't be other person wearing the exact same shoes!

In terms of education, I'm currently a Management student at a public university, a lost one. I ended up here after crossing out thoughts of becoming a vet and hotel manager. Well, I still want to pursue culinary studies after I graduate. Or, should I pursue a Masters degree in economics instead? See how indecisive I was....

I hope I don't bore you with my pretty long list. That's not all you should know about me, but I guess it's going to do just fine for now. Now, here comes the more challenging part, I have to tag five other bloggers. Sadly, I'm a newbie, so I don't know many other bloggers. If you don't know me and I tagged you, please don't be mad!

Abra-kadabra! I'm tagging...
crimson troops of "who am i"
Nupur of "One Hot Stove"
the baker of "she bakes and she cooks"
chika of "she who eats"
Jaay of "Culinarily Obsessed"

Pondering Over Tea

2006-01-19T10:23:00.000-06:00

I have a ritual every morning and every night which might seem outdated these days. But, yes, I drink tea every single day and night. There has never been a day that I sip no tea at all. This ritual has been a part of me since a long time ago. I remember! Since my mom told me that hot tea can help me relieve my early morning allergy.

In the beginning, I only drank regular tea that's available widely in my country, Indonesia. That is, Jasmine tea. So, each morning my mom woud prepare a cup of freshly brewed Jasmine tea. And it does help me relieve any morning sneezing.

Right now, having been living abroad for almost three years, my knowledge of tea has midened a little by a little. When I go to Tim Horton's, there are around 10 varieties of tea that you can choose. From English Breakfast to Peach Tea. Being adventurous (as I did with muffins), I tried different flavors of tea. Essentially, they all come from the same tea leaves, black tea leaves. Currently, in my kitchen cabinet I possess so many varieties of tea. Not that many that I can't list them here:

Tea leaves: Japanese green tea (ocha/sencha), Japanese roasted green tea (genmaicha), Jasmine tea (Tong Tji)
Tea bags: Earl Grey tea, Jasmine Green tea, Chai tea, English Breakfast, fruit-flavored teas ( mango, peach, caramel, vanilla, blueberry, blackcurrant, strawberry, lemon), herbal infusion (chamomile, African red bush, Peppermint green tea)

My favorites being, of course, Earl Grey and Mango!! Why? Earl Grey tea has a unique and classic flavour that nothing could imitate, it just brings back old memories. While mango tea, it has such sweet and candy-like fragrant, it's a treat for the nose!

There aren't that many after all... :p

I'm so pleased with these teas because they have been such a good companion during col days and during the times when I need to introspect myself. They provide such relief after a long day at school and after coming home from a windy road outside.

By the way, my favourite brand of tea overall is Dilmah, which you probably won't find in Canada since I bought it back home. And I always drink my tea without any sweetener, just milk. :)

Please, do share your favorite teas and the reason why.

How Can You Not Want Dinner? ~recipe entails

2006-01-13T18:15:00.000-06:00

Coming home from the not-so-wintry road outside, my tummy said she was kinda hungry. And I think so too. I think I'm just gonna cook something right away. I have already planned to cook the beef strips I marinated a couple days ago. I was intrigues to try this recipe after looking at my cousin's lunchbox and asking her the recipe. It's called Miso Beef and she got it from a Japanese recipe book that specializes in lunchbox dishes (Bento Boxes by Naomi Kijima).

As I was cooking this fragrant-smelling dish in my mini saucepan, I noticed how bland it looked. Colour really plays a big role in controlling my appetite. Then I remembered that I have a bunch of chives sitting in my fridge from chinese supermarket. Wouldn't it be nice if I add some cut-up chives into my miso beef? YES, it would!!! In fact, after doing that, the dish reminded me of a menu in my favorite ramen restaurant back home ^_^

Now my miso beef is ready to be serve with steamed rice... And I offered my sister (for the 3rd or 4th time this day) if she wanted to try some. She insisted with a very convinced NO. She was complaining with the smell that filled the whole basement too (my mistake..). Aww.. too bad I thought. I was thinking to save some for her, but I ate everything anyway coz I just couldn't stop eating it. Is it because this dish was so delicious, or is it just my nature who just can't stop eating easily?

Here's the recipe, very easy to make!

Miso Beef with Chives (or any green veggies)

ingredients:
2 tbsp vege oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
300 gr thinly sliced beef
3 tsp red miso (white miso is also okay; available in chinese/japanese grocery)
1 tsp cooking sake
1 tbsp mirin
a bunch of flowering chives, cut into 2-inches long
salt and sugar to taste

method:
01) Marinate the beef with red miso, sake and mirin for 1 day
02) Heat oil in a non-stick pan, sautee the garlic on medium heat until fragrant
03) Stir in the marinated beef, stirring for 2 minutes
04) Pour 2 tbsp of water while stirring the beef
05) Sprinkle the chives into the pan, cook together with beef until it's fully cooked, around 10 minutes
06) Serve over steamed rice

LunchBox Challenge #01

2006-01-12T11:49:00.000-06:00

Aside from being a student, I'm also an amateur yet passionate cook. My daily life revolve around food. Throughout the day, I could spare quite an amount of time to think about what to cook for dinner, what groceries to buy, which recipes I want to try, what would I like to have for lunch tomorrow... Wait a minute! Lunch??

Back to being a student, I would most likely spend lunch hours at school (except for today) which means I have an option of buying lunch off school's cefeteria or..... preparing my own LUNCHBOX! A student's busy life must be compromised when it comes to spending more time in the kitchen to prepare lunch. I have a bad habit of always trying to make elaborate and laborious food which in the end trapped me in the kitchen. Eating most of my valuable time. I need to stop this! I need a solution for quick, simple, yet tasty lunches! This is going to be hard to do, but I'l try anyway. Today I'll present you with my first recipe for this simple lunchbox dish. It's just my creation inspired from my love of Japanese sticky rice and the sweet Japanese omelette (tamago)

Blanketed Sushi Rice

For the rice:
1 cup Japanese rice (i.e. Nishiki brand)
1 1/3 cups water
rice seasonings:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sugar
a pinch of salt
For the tamago:
2 eggs
1 tsp mirin
1 1/2 tsp flour
2 tsp water

Step-by-Step:
1) Wash the rice with water twice, then cook in the electric rice cooker with 1 1/3 cups of water.
2) Combine the rice seasoning ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat until sugar dissolves. Pour this mixture into the cooked rice.
3) Beat the eggs together with the rest of the ingredients.
4) Heat oil on a small round non-stick pan, cook the egg mixture, 2 tbsps at a time, forming a thin sheet. Cook for around 2-3 minutes just until the omelette dark yellow (don't let it burn or brown too much). Keep doing this until you ran out of egg.
5) Get ready to wrap the rice into the eggsheets!
6) Wet your hands, then scoop some rice. Form the rice into a small flat rectangular shape. Lay an eggsheet beneath the molded rice. Then begin wrapping the rice as you would wrap a gift ^_^.
Keep doing this until you ran out of everything.
7) Arrange your rice pockets in your lunchbox.

Ta-Da...!

Actually, this is not so simple to make..*sigh*
But at least it doesn't need microwaving and makes a really neat lunch!
Just don't forget to bring chopsticks.

Frittata Italiano!

2006-01-11T18:33:00.000-06:00

The echoes of my parents' and brother's visit are still here. Our house is still fully loaded with foods; leftover dinners, fruits, cookies, chips, and many more! That's why I don't feel like cooking anything laborious (like I always do) yet. Thus, last weekend, I played around with eggs. The simplest dish you can make. Also, I have just bought some herb plants, including a basil. I happen to have some tomatoes too. It got me thinking of Pizza Margherita after looking at these ingredients. Since the base is egg, I decided to toss up some frittata for myself.

I think it came out pretty good, at least I liked it! I stir-fried the diced tomatoes in EVOO first before commencing the consecutive actions. I took some pictures while cooking, I hope they can entertain your eyes!

YUM, aren't they??

Delayed Holiday Baking: Where's the Color?

2006-01-08T08:53:00.000-06:00

After reading some postings on other blogs on how excited people are when starting their holiday baking session, I said to myself that I wanted to distribute my home-baked goods to my friends and relatives. Sadly, that opportunity to have time and permission (yes, permission!) to bake only arrived when I finally got the courage to break the rules and bake anyway. My father, who at that time was staying with the rest of my family for the holiday couldn't stand the wonderful smell of anything baking in the oven. No, the exhauster, open-window, and open-door would not make up for the fresh air. However, I was determined to do some baking because I just want to spread the goodness of my freshly baked cookies and quick breads.

So, I started of with the delicate nastars (pineapple cookies I mentioned before). This is the cookie I spent time the most. Making the outer crust, shaping the crust dough into small balls, shaping the pineapple jam filling into even smaller balls, flattening the balled crusts to be filled with the pineapple jam, then shaping them into round balls. Finally, brushing their tops with eggwash and baking them in an oven for 30 minutes. These steps combined took me around 3 hours (when I'm doing it alone as I always do). These steps haven't included the making of homemade pineapple jam which could take up to 3 hours as well! Making this cookie is a lot of work, but well worth it.

Next, I moved into making a loaf of Crunchy Sour Cream Banana Bread. Very easy to make, with satisfying result. This quickbread is almost fully sweetened with the over-ripe bananas I stored in the fridge since a week ago. The moistness is enhanced with the addition of sourcream. And finally, adding walnut pieces as the final touch made this bread a perfect companion for a morning or afternoon tea (for those of you who get when sun's above your heads). I made this bread for my mom, just to grant her request.

Another request from my mom was this lovely and fragrant almond orange biscotti (its original name from its original recipe was "biscotti toscani". Again, very easy to make but can be very tricky. I've baked biscotti twice this holiday season and both of them cracked on the top. Argh! This made it very hard when cutting. Also, during the first round of baking my biscotti wouldn't harden as it should be after going into the oven the second time. However, it did harden up during the second round of baking. The ones I packed into a tin jar for my mom to take home.

In the end, I did some baking for the holiday. But, aren't they supposed to be colorful to signify the joy of the season? Well, that's the questions to myself, why wasn't I creative enough to add some decorations? Perhaps because I was preoccupied by the presence of my family, in which we had such wonderful time together.

So Sorry I was Away...

2005-12-26T10:45:00.000-06:00

Last Tuesday my family from back home arrived, and that's when I stopped posting anything. Especially the very next day we packed up our stuff and head for BlueMountain in Collingwood. There we stayed in a two-bedroom cottage which was incredibly nice! It was even far better than my own dwelling! The important thing for me was that I get to prepare the foods for six people during our stay since the cottage has a fully-equipped kitchen and not equipped with food service. This is my first time preparing foods for a crowd.

So my mission is to share the pictures of our dinner table! Anyways, it wasn't only me cooking. My brother and my boyfriend also helped a lot! Isn't it weird that the helping hand that I got are from guys?

Here's the dinner of our first night in the cozy BlueMountain cottage:

Indonesian beef and potato patties called perkedel
Creamy Chickpea and Chicken Soup (courtesy of The Domestic Goddess)
White mushrooms in butter
Basmati Rice

The kitchen was exactly like my dream kitchen. It has a gas stove and microvawe all in elegant black. Every utensils were already there. I love the simple plate set which goes perfectly on the big wood table, fit for 8 people. On one side of the table, there was a big bench for three people. I can tell you we had a pleasant dinner!

The brown round thing on the side of the plates are perkedel" and I guess you can tell what the rest are. The "perkedel" might not look that appetizing because of my lack of presentation skills. However, they taste so good and very filling since they have been well spiced with nutmeg, white peppers, and sauteed shallots and garlic. I would post the recipe sometime if someone requested for it.

The very next thing that I prepared was a Japanese style lunch of:

Salmon Teriyaki
Enoki mushroom in butter
Nishiki Rice
and... bacon! (the guys wanted to eat more meat!!)

Whaddya guys think?

Fun Weekend Project: Cranberry Swirl Loaf phase II

2005-12-18T23:10:00.000-06:00

Thank you for tuning in =)

This morning, I began my experiment of making a cranberry loaf from 500 Best Muffin Recipes (author: Esther Brody). I know, the recipe was supposed to be for muffins, however there was one recipe that inspired me to turn it into a loaf. So here I am. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out quite as marvelous as I had expected! It almost didn't rise and I think I used too much cranberry sauce. I was expecting nice swirls as the loaf is being sliced What I found were splotches of wet cranberry sauce.. Boo.. I think I have to say that I failed this project. The end result was still edible though.

One thing I really need right now is an advice on how to make my loaf better next time. FYI, I substituted shortening with vegetable oil, the egg white was cold from the fridge, the lemon juice was additional (not from the original recipe) and perhaps I did overmix. You can analyse further by seeing the recipe below:

Cranberry Swirl Muffin (Loaf)
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/2 cup cranberry sauce

Direction:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (350 degrees for loaf)
1) In a bowl, cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg whites, beat until fairly smooth.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, lemon juice and milk; stir just until blended.
Add cranberry sauce, swirl with your spatula.
2) Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tin (or pour into a loaf pan).
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown (1 hour for loaf)

There you are!
Where did I go wrong?
Does the egg white have to be at room temperature? Why is that?
It won't be enough if I don't show you the pictures of my loaf. Although I think I failed this, they still look yummy and edible =P

~ Before Baking ~

~ After Baking ~

Notice that the end result is very dense with small air holes. Not soft and spongey as I expected =(
Help. Anyone?

Fun Weekend Project: Cranberry Swirl Loaf phase I

2005-12-17T20:28:00.000-06:00

I'm planning to make Cranberry Marble Cake tomorrow morning, so I decided to make the cranberry sauce, which is going to be the swirl, tonight.
It's my first time making and I found out how quick and fun it can be.

Here's how:
1) Pour one cup of fresh cranberries (rinsed), 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup of water into a saucepan.

2) Bring to a boil, watch how the cranberries start to pop, trying to break free from their skins. Don't forget to stir them. This, I think, is the fun part to watch! As they're getting swollen, the middle part is just filled with air.

3) Turn the heat to low to simmer. Keep stirring, try to crush those popped cranberries.

4) Add in grated lemon zest while stirring. The liquid is already evaporated by now, and you'll have a nice thick jelly-like cranberry sauce!

Have a follow-up with me tomorrow!

Random pictures collage I

2005-12-16T18:24:00.000-06:00

Random Pictures

From left to right starting from the top:
sugar snap peas, mochi with sweet adzuki (YUm!), tonkatsu, PuNk!, mochi with roasted soybean paste, Korean curry rice, Korean Hodo (pronounce: hot-dog), Taiwanese steamed sticky rice, たぃやき (taiyaki)

My New Pet

2005-12-15T20:40:00.000-06:00

You guys won't believe this, but my chinese lo bok (daikon/radish) is GROWING!

I have never successfully grown any plants until now. I bought a pot of small green plant last autumn. It didn't actually died after a few weeks, rather it stayed alive in my small apartment. However, it almost didn't budge at all. I mean, in terms of they are not growing any bigger. Since I'm an impatient person, I eventually lost attention to this seemingly un-alive plant.

This is NEW! The chinese radish I bought in oriental mart a few weeks ago started to grow on its own. How did this happen? The reason why I bought this giant radish is to do some experiment in Japanese cooking. So, I cut out 10 centimeters of it and used it as a part of a condiment. A few days later, I noticed how the leaves on top of the radish seemed to be thriving. They looked greener and healthy. I was guessing that they were eating nutrients from their own body since I wrapped this radish in their original plastic bag. It must be damp and humid in there.

It's fun to see the leaves growing. You can see the progress here...

Radish's Green Leaves - Early Stage

Radish's Green Leaves - Growing Energetically!

I'm wondering, if radish's leaves are actually edible...
Probably I should try some now and let you know later n_n

Going Natural!

2005-12-10T19:15:00.000-06:00

I'm having so much time exploring many different food and dessert recipes that I've just realized how it absorbed my time.

Lately, I've been going to my naturalistic side. Each dish that I made has certain naturalistic element, at least one. For instance, today I made Citrus Cranberry Muffins and Japanese Chestnut Onigiri. I've been preparing the hard-shelled chestnuts since two days ago. Unshelling the hard skin using a sharp knife after an overnight soaking. Then peeling off the obnoxious inner skin (bc they are just so hard to get rid off). Finally another session of soaking. So this afternoon I was able to cook my chestnut rice. I was in doubt at first, but when I tasted the result, I changed my mind. The chesnuts are perfectly cooked causing them to taste perfectly sweet and very filling too! My bf said it tastes rather like ubi (sweet potatoes).

I also loved the result of my Cranberry Muffins bc I thought I failed the batter. Nonetheless, they rose! And the entire room was filled with the baked cranberry muffins. However, they were a bit too tart, I think I put in too much cranberries!

Another creation which I am so proud of is Nastar! You must be wondering, what the heck are they?

They are plain butter cookies with pineapple jam filling! Anyone who is Dutch or Indonesian must be familiar with this. What's so special about these little cookies is the pineapple jam. The jam that I made tastes so much better than the one I used to have. It's much smoother and lighter in color. I am so happy that people loved my pineapple centre! I'll make sure to write a special entry on them. Ha..

No more words from me, just enjoy the pictures...

My Citrus Cranberry Muffins

Nastar Cookies

Chestnut Rice

ready to be wrapped in seaweed