Pouring Rain & Piping Hot Curry Fish Head

I enjoy eating spicy food.

With the pouring rain outside, having a piping hot curry fish head and plain white rice is an enjoyable treat for dinner.





Enjoy...

Flourless Peanut Chocolate Cookies

Hi all,

Made these some time back.

I didn't believe the recipe can be done without the flour, but i was up for a surprise.

Click below for the recipe, and try for yourself.

Martha Stewart's Flourless Peanut Chocolate Cookies!

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro

I chanced upon an often passed-by home-like artsy-fartsy restaurant whenever i am on my way home. I took the opportunity to bring my date together to celebrate his birthday.

We had fun of course. We both liked the interior and quietness of the restaurant. No loud music, perfect for intimate conversation. Although some light piano music playing at the background wouldn't harm instead of some numbers from the radio player.

Anyway, we were there early, so...

We decided to skip the dessert as the mains were quite a big portion. We also ordered the restaurant's famous Char Koay Teow.

Just google their restaurant, and you will know what i mean; Most reviews tried the Char Koay Teow. With all the raves, i figured why not give it a try also...


The dishes were flavourful and hearty; My fav would be the French Onion Soup. My date liked the fish dish, but i would prefer the veg to be something big or chunkier, instead of some lean bean sprouts.

Maybe i like things bolder...

Other than that, the service were friendly and attentive. I would go back there again to try other dishes.

Iced Lemon Tea

Crowds not in yet...

Simple and art-ly infused interior

French Onion Soup








Roasted Quater Chicken




Pan-fried fish dish, prefer chunkier veg :)

Kokopelli Travellers Bistro

Tel: 603-7956 7505/ 6019-2676667

Email: sorayatalismail@yahoo.com

I was trapped...

Tiramisu @ Vary Pasta, Damansara Jaya

Tiramisu @ Vary Pasta, Damansara Jaya

I was trapped in work... (to be continued)

Had Tiramisu sometime back before the Hong Kong trip. The owner of Vary Pasta was an ex-course mate of mine.

We did chef training together.

I still frequent his restaurant with another good friend of mine, just to meet up for chat and support.

Vary Pasta serves mostly German and Fusion dishes.

If you want to order roast meat for Christmas, parties or events, you can call Vary Pasta at 6017-2323100.

(continue...) I was trapped in work...

Sorry for not updating the post regularly. Ever since i came back from the Hong Kong trip, loads of happenings going on especially my work ever since.


Please forgive me, i try to make it up by uploading more photos for your viewing pleasure.


Happening #1

Dinner @ Hong Kong



Stir-fried Boy Choi with Sliced Pork Neck (Hong Kong)



Scenery from above (Hong Kong)




Scenery from above (Hong Kong)



Hand Made Fish Ball Noodle (Hong Kong)



Wan Tan Mee (egg noodles) with Dumplings (Hong Kong)



Back in Malaysia, i have been dining at some interesting restaurants , researching some vegan cookies recipes, trying out new recipes, and fulfillng orders in between busyness.

OMG, and there are also new product line-ups from i am dessert queen, designing cakes for my friends for their coming birthdays.

Not forgetting taking some nice photo shots, which i can't wait to upload in my blog.

At times i feel guilty for not spending time with my Bible reading. :(

And i missed worshipping with the band...

I have to admit, i wasn't feeling God-ly, something amiss...

............


Don't know which to write first, i will just write whatever comes first on my mind.


Happening #2

- CAKE COMPETITION, organised by INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF CAKE ARTISTRY S/B
- Held at Sunway Giza, Kota Damansara, Malaysia
- 1st - 3rd October 2010.
- More than 70 entries, participated by both local and overseas contestants.
- All cakes were technically edible.




Fan (made by edible material), adorned nicely on cake.


Chinese motives handpainted using edible colors


Inspired by Mr Eddie Spence, Master of Royal Icing, you can notice this entry was done in a Eddie-Spence kind of approach; intricate lacework done by pressure piping using Royal Icing



Delicate and complex stringwork piped using Royal Icing; Brush Embroidery on cake drum

Edible cute figurines


I hope the photos above won't disappoint, at least for a while.

The next post i want to share with you is my dining experience at Kokopelli Travellers Bistro...

See you soon...

Vanilla Cupcakes

Here is also another recipe when i was reading Cakes & Sugarcraft Magazine, Autumn 2010.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes 12-15 large cupcakes, adapted from Cakes & Sugarcraft Magazine, Autumn 2010, Children's Seaside Project

115gm (4oz) margarine
115gm (4oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs
vanilla essence
115gm (4oz) self raising flour

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.
2. Allow the margarine to soften, then place into the mixing bowl with the sugar, beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Beat the eggs with a fork, then gradually add them to the mixture, beating consistently to prevent the mixture from curdling. Once all of the eggs has been added, add the vanilla essence.
4. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in gently with a metal spoon, making sure all of the flour is combined without knocking the air out of the mixture.
5. Place mixture into cupcake case until they are 3/4 full.
6. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. When the cakes are golden and firm to the touch, carefully remove from the oven, and leave it to cool.

Lemon Biscuits

I was reading this mag until i found this simple recipe, i can feel the tingling sensation of my mouth when the recipes calls for lemon.

I have always like to have lemon to flavour desserts, be it cheesecake, ice cream, cupcakes or cookies.

It is refreshing, and adds a happy note to all desserts, and to all occasions.

So here it is, enjoy!

Lemon Biscuits
(adapted from Cakes & Sugarcraft magazine, Autumn 2010, Children's Seaside Projects)

Ingredients

220gm (7 3/4oz) plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
30gm ( 1oz) semolina
125gm ( 4.5 oz) butter
125gm ( 4.5 oz) caster sugar
1 egg
Rind of 1 lemon

Method

1. Sifting the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, then use a wooden spoon to mix in the semolina.
2. Allow the butter to soften, then lightly rub it into the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Gently stir in the sugar.
3. Beat the egg with fork, then add into the mixture along with the grated rind of a lemon. Bind the mixture together to form a stiff paste.
4. Wrap the dough in greaseproof paper and place in the refridgerator for at least an hour, but preferbably overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.
6. Roll out the dough thinly on a board dusted with flour and cut out the required shapes using cutters or templates.
7. Bake the biscuits in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until pale and golden.
8. Remove the biscuits from the oven and leave on the tray to cool until they are crisp.
9. Store in a airtight container until you are ready to decorate. The biscuits will keep well for up to 2 weeks providing they are not stored with cake or pastry, as this will cause them to lose thier crispness.

Enjoy.

Just came back from Hong Kong...

(Giant Buddha from a distance)

We were visiting Ngong Ping 360.

Before we reached Ngong Ping, one has to embrace the fear of heights, and more heights. The whole Ngong Ping Cable Car experience takes around 20-25minutes.

Now, for me who is Acrophobia, that 20-minutes ride is killing me softly, and its taking me forever...

My handsome looking "tour guide" Mr Lawrence weren't helpful either. He mentioned about a cable car fell off, plunged 50m to the ground some years back, along with a weird grin on his face.

He even wanted to try out the Crystal Cabin, the cable car equipped with a glass bottom. The thought of it already made me cringe.

Thanks for the encouragement Lawrence! But no thanks!

Call me chicken, but despite that, i have made it to the top! Safely!

The weather was hot & cooling at the same time (?), sort of like being in Genting Resort in Malaysia.

(not sweet enough? Add on some fine brown sugar...)

(who is Lawrence?)

We took some great photographs, bought a cool umbrella from Ngong Ping 360, and had some great Shanshui Dau Fu Fa (山水豆腐花 - beancurd jelly or tofu pudding) along the way.

More photos coming up, stay tuned.

Thank you Lawrence for your patience and love, we all had fun!

Kung Fu Pan Mee...haiyah!!!

Had breakfast at Desa Sri Hartamas, this Pan Mee is called Kung Fu Pan Mee. I loved the chilli dip! OMG...I suspect they used pounded dried shrimp for the chilli.

I was sitting outside, so lots of morning sun exposure, great opportunity to shoot some photos.

crystal clear broth...

bbbuuurrrrpppp.....

excuse me...

One-minute Muffins

Do you know muffins can be made from ICE CREAMS?

HOW?




The main ingredients of ice cream are eggs, sugar, and some kind of fat. So by adding some flour into ice cream "batter", we are all set making muffins at their simplest.

Use a tablespoon to measure the ice cream if you don't have an ice cream scoop.

This recipe makes 6-8 muffins.

ONE-MINUTE MUFFINS
Recipes extracted from Eating & Cheating by Gill Holcombe (Hodder & Stoughton)

Ingredients:

1. 6 scoops of ice cream
2. 6 tbsp self raising flour
3. Sugar sprinkles (optional)

Method:

1. Put the right amount of ice cream in a mixing bowl and leave to soften.
2. Meanwhile preheat the oven 190 degree Celsius, and put paper muffin cases on a baking tray.
3. Beat the ice cream with a wooden spoon until it's really soft and runny, then sift in the flour and stir enough to mix it in.
4. Spoon the mixture into muffin cases, top with sugar sprinkles (if used), and then bake for 10-12 minutes until the cakes risen and golden.

Absurdly Easy Chocolate Fudge

I smiled and certainly liked the name of this recipe.

Cooling time takes 15 minutes; Approximately the size of 16cm x 4.5cm squares.

ABSURDLY EASY CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Ingredients:

1. 4 tbsp butter (plus extra for greasing the pan)
2. 500gm semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
3. 1 can sweetened condensed milk
4. 1/8 tsp salt (optional)
5. 1/2 cup hopped nuts (optional)

Method:

1. Butter a 20cm square baking pan. Line with parchment or wax paper, letting the edges of paper hang over sides of pan.
2. In top of a double boiler or metal bowl set over (not resting in) simmering water, combine all ingredients except nuts.
3. Mix until melted and well combined.
4. This mixture should be heated as little as possible. Mix in nuts if used.
5. Scrape mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours or overnight.
6. Lift fudge on paper out of panand use a large knife to cut into squares.

Condensed Milk Ice Cream

I started collecting recipes and articles since i knew how to read.

You can only imagine the piles of newspaper cutting, magazines & books i had over the years.

I have come to a point where there were no more space left in my room,i had to part ways with my old collections, to make way for new "collections". That was few years back, i am still doing it now.

Obsession?

Like all things in life, you will come to experience the tough decisions where you have to make for yourself. No doubt it was difficult in the beginning, time can only heal your pain.

Writing blog gives me the opportunity to document down some of the interesting recipes i have came across while did some reading.

I found one recipe to be easy and interesting as i was reading a newspaper article, almost idiot-proof. This time, no more paper collection yeah, or rather, trying to minimise it.


CONDENSED MILK ICE CREAM

This recipe takes only 15 minutes to prepare, includes cooling. This recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup cold heavy cream
2. 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3. 1 can cold sweetened condensed milk

Method:

1. In a mixer, whip the heavy cream until it begins to thicken.
2. Add vanilla and whip until soft peaks form.
3. With mixer running, slowly pour in condensed milk and whip until high peaks form.
4. Transfer into a container/ bowl for freezing.
5. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.

Basic Sugar Cookies (Peggy Porschen's Pretty Party Cakes)

Makes about 25 medium size cookies

Ingredients:
200gm unsalted soft butter
200gm caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
400gm plain flour, more for dusting

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar until well mixed and creamy in texture.
2. Do not overwork or the cookies will spread during baking.
3. Beat in egg.
4. Beat low speed until a dough forms.
5. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead briefly.
6. Using two 1/4 inch (5mm) guide sticks, roll out an even thickness.
7. Use desired cookie cutters to cut and lay out on greaseproof paper.
8. Chill again for about 30 minutes. Preheat the over 180C.
9. Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown at the edges.
10. Let cool on wire rack.

Macadamia Nut Brittle Cheesecake

Had another dessert at the same place like the last post. The nuts on top were awesome, wish they could have put more of those on the cake.

The nuts were buttery, sweet and crunchy from the caramel.

The cake could have been a bit more interesting, like adding more caramelised nuts into it.