NEW YEAR 2011

Wishing All Happy New Year and may 2011 brings you health and happiness.

X'MAS DINNER

A small celebration with family during festive season!

X'MAS 2010

Merry Christmas !

SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN

Solstice is regarded by Chinese as the most important festive than Chinese New Year.  It signifies bountiful harvest and a good year ahead and thus it is celebrated lavishly. 

Soya sauce chicken is the main dish for the festive besides other side dishes and soup.  The chicken is soaked in diluted dark soya sauce mixed with cloves, star aniseed, cinnamon sticks, sesame oil and seasoning for half a day.  Boil the sauce and put in the chicken to continue cooking till tender.

HOME BURGER

Make burger for lunch instead of eating at fast food joint which is unhealthy and non-nutritious.

I never like to take my children to MacDonald or Burger King when they were young and they grew up of not having the habit of patronizing fast food joint whenever they crave for food.
 

Marinate shabu shabu pork with Yakitori sauce and grill over high heat for 5 mins.
Fry omelette with half-cook egg yolk & bacon till crispy and set aside.

Saute onions till soft and add in fresh mushrooms.  Season with sugar and a pinch of salt.  Add in bacon and dish aside. 

Toast bun and spread with mayonnaise.  Top with shabu shabu pork.

Pile mushroom fillings on the pork

Top with an egg

Top another layer of shabu shabu pork if you are a meat-eater.  Garnish with tomotoes.

Wholesome burger

A satisfying meal

18TH

Another birthday celebration.

To cut down on the fat and sweetness, I bake the cake.  Moreover reduces cost, especially around festive season.

Linz Cherry Sponge

250g butter, 150g caster sugar, 30g dark brown sugar, 5 eggs, 200g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 150g ground almonds, 1 punnet fresh cherry, rum or burbon.

Caramel : 21g butter (melted), 60g Morello cherry syrup, 100g sugar. 

Pit cherries and cut into half.  Arrange cherries in baking tin in circle.    Melt butter in syrup over low heat.  Add sugar and continue stirring till melted.  Do not stir and let syrup boil till brown in colour. Pour caramel over cherries.  Set aside.

Cream butter then add vanilla essence (1 tsp), sugar, eggs, cinnamon.  Sift flour and baking powder into the mixture, add the ground almonds.  Pour two-thirds of this mixture into the caramel cherries.  Smooth out evenly.  Drain Morella cherries and arrange them over the mixture, pressing them down gently.  Place spoonfuls of the remaining mixture over the cherries.  Bake at 180-200C for about 1 hour. Turn over cake and sprinkle rum or bourbon liberally over cake.

SIMPLE & EASY

A simple and easy dish to whip up.  Use left-over steam pumpkin and cook with silken tofu and egg. Add in a tablespoon of miso and seasoning.

LEMONY

Lemon is a sour fruit but the distinctive sour taste makes it a key ingredient.  Its juices is used as prevention on oxidation of food.  The fragrant zest enhances baked goods and it tanginess is suitable for stew.  I love lemon tarts, a mingle flavor of tanginess and sweetness.

Sweet pastry fill with luscious lemon curd.

Soak 3 gelatine leaves in 60ml water and set aside.  Heat 500 ml milk over low heat and keep stirring till hot.  Whisk 4 yolks and 125g sugar followed by 30g cornflour.  Whisk well.  Slowly add in warm milk.  Heat mixture over medium heat and stir till thicken, add in gelatine, 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoon lemon juice.  Pour filling into pie and refrigerate when cold.

Irresistible 

Can't wait to eat

Glowing

Smooth and creamy

Leftover pastry dough turn into tartlets

Fill to the rim