tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47655481917647102972024-03-06T00:39:23.556+08:00Food & Travel with MariaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-21264464965066737072013-11-15T19:54:00.003+08:002013-11-15T19:56:20.461+08:00Autumn: mitten crab, chestnuts and the change in seasons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>秋風詞 - 李白</b> </div>
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秋風清 秋月明 </div>
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落葉聚還散 寒鴉棲複驚 </div>
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相親相見知何日 此時此夜難為情 </div>
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入我相思門 知我相思苦 </div>
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長相思兮長相憶 短相思兮無窮極</div>
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早知如此絆人心 何如當初莫相識</div>
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<i><a href="http://wlckb.blogcn.com/articles/%E5%91%A8%E6%98%95%E8%8B%B1%E8%AD%AF%E6%9D%8E%E7%99%BD%E7%A7%8B%E9%A2%A8%E8%A9%9E-%E5%8E%9F.html">Autumn Breeze by Li Bai</a> (click for English translation)</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooked crabs</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Chinese mitten crab (<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">大閘蟹) is a traditional autumn delicacy, especially in Shanghainese cuisine and throughout Eastern China. The most famous crabs originally came from Yangcheng Lake, but today these crabs are raised in freshwater farms throughout China. They're also considered an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_mitten_crab#Invasive_species">invasive pest</a> in North America and Europe, where they've been carried by ballast on ships. (Since they're not eaten in those parts of the world, one senses a great business opportunity to export these "pests" back to Asia, where they are sold as expensive delicacies. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">The best part of the crab is the roe, located in the central cavity of the body. It's yellow, rich and full of umami flavor. Delicious! There's not a lot of meat in the crab, so if you're at a particularly decadent meal, you'll see diners discard the claws and legs and only eat the roe. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">The male crabs are more valuable than female crabs due to the quality of the roe, and larger crabs can go for up to US$20, or perhaps more, each. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">The mitten crabs are traditionally eaten with Zhengjiang black vinegar and finely shredded young ginger, together with Shaoxing rice wine. Crabs are considered to be an extremely yin "cooling" food in Chinese traditional medicine, and thus must be served with yang "warming" ingredients (i.e. the ginger and rice wine). </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">My favorite is whole crab, which the diner can pick apart at the table (be warned: it's very, very messy), but for modern palates and for fussier/lazier diners, many restaurants offer dishes which incorporate the crab roe and meat (already removed from their shell). The best-known of these are Shanghai xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) with crab roe -- super tasty!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Anyway, to round off a meal of mitten crabs, don't forget to drink some hot ginger tea to balance out your yin (cool) and yang (hot). </span></span></div>
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I love how Chinese cuisine is still strongly rooted in seasonal dishes - pea shoots are only available certain times of the year, as are lychees, mitten crab, sweet potatoes, roast chestnut and many other yummy foods.<br />
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Fall brings cooler, crisper weather and the opportunity to sit down with family to enjoy a rare once-a-year treat together.<br />
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On the street below our apartment, a middle-aged couple have set up their rickety wooden cart. It has a giant wok filled with charcoal, powered by a gas burner underneath - traditional but a complete fire hazard! Usually they appear in late October and stay until March or so. In their charcoal wok, they roast hen and quail eggs, sweet potatoes and sweet chestnuts from Shandong province. They'll be there selling their wares until spring arrives. When the weather's cold, there's nothing better than a piping hot bag of roast chestnuts and purple sweet potato. It's the smell and taste of my childhood.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginger tea helps increase your yang (warmth)</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-8619728512043560852013-08-20T21:15:00.000+08:002013-08-20T21:15:17.311+08:00Fresh fruit tart revisited<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr5nW7kgbrIV6qmTPHbob2LG7g-b6bFpZV7NeIuTNwSkaxy5Nx3-sHWd8kFnU0e56cmgfNI8LM4sEUuJ6K5_sv-gkTLlJsHTlpg22MVC1TStINNUxTC8-jeUSTIqB39DR0uuFsI1PGss/s1600/2013-08-20+10.31.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPr5nW7kgbrIV6qmTPHbob2LG7g-b6bFpZV7NeIuTNwSkaxy5Nx3-sHWd8kFnU0e56cmgfNI8LM4sEUuJ6K5_sv-gkTLlJsHTlpg22MVC1TStINNUxTC8-jeUSTIqB39DR0uuFsI1PGss/s320/2013-08-20+10.31.45.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's been a long time since I've made a fruit tart, because you have to plan ahead for the crust and for the pastry cream. (Also, my fridge is small and once you put in an 8" tart, a bowl of pastry cream and the fruit for the topping, there's no room left!) The plus side of making a fruit tart is that there's virtually no work to do on the day of serving except assembly work: just scrape the cream into the tart and pile the fruit on top. It's the perfect make-ahead summer dessert. </div>
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For a friend's birthday, I decided to revisit the <a href="http://essenfreude.blogspot.hk/2011/03/fresh-fruit-tart.html">fresh fruit tart that I made a couple of years ago</a>. This time, I used different recipes than in my previous post. Jon brought back his copy of Jacques Pépin's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jacques-Pepins-Technique-Complet-Pepin/dp/1579121659">Complete Techniques</a></i> from the US, and I gave Pépin's pâté sucrée (tart dough) and crème pâtissière (pastry cream) recipes a whirl. </div>
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<b>Verdict: </b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/how-to-make-pie-crust-and-other-pastry-doughs">The crust</a> </b>was rich, sweet and crumbly, yet still was sturdy enough to hold both the filling and to travel (hand-delivered in a box) across town by train! I would make the pâté sucrée again but would reduce the amount of sugar, and perhaps play with the flour amount by adding some almond flour. </div>
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<b><a href="http://food.eagletribune.com/recipe/Pastry-Cream.html">The crème pâtissière</a> </b>was far too sweet for my liking. I would reduce the amount of sugar by half but otherwise, this recipe was a keeper. I threw in some Cointreau and lemon zest in, too. Despite its name, pastry cream is really just a thick custard - no cream involved (unless you substitute some of the milk for cream).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3bTvdeS0HYYYLwzxsKJQgg-0fUdkwVsMKr_LIkj9C26AJpudu7gy3trcd_wC5low1a7qfdiKZmWdaOtQRI46cTCXISlwmxyI9J4_lVigEdQFABnusqyBiL-fmZ7g3fggLohfSUjWYFM/s1600/2013-08-20+10.17.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3bTvdeS0HYYYLwzxsKJQgg-0fUdkwVsMKr_LIkj9C26AJpudu7gy3trcd_wC5low1a7qfdiKZmWdaOtQRI46cTCXISlwmxyI9J4_lVigEdQFABnusqyBiL-fmZ7g3fggLohfSUjWYFM/s320/2013-08-20+10.17.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the separate parts of the tart, all ready for assembly: pastry cream, chocolate tart and fruit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzI-9mIQHn3DIvHJjwadOa0D8j8f9EUh2Xe1gOL7EW9uZ4zjJ_d-Bgb9u331ZZBvk1-Vdcp593WYXOgCfqwQ_5g9afuf0cJnQ8_Ap-LKZAoE0m0tIWj6wHls9GzdOs2PtUKn_im5PxTA/s1600/2013-08-20+10.17.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzI-9mIQHn3DIvHJjwadOa0D8j8f9EUh2Xe1gOL7EW9uZ4zjJ_d-Bgb9u331ZZBvk1-Vdcp593WYXOgCfqwQ_5g9afuf0cJnQ8_Ap-LKZAoE0m0tIWj6wHls9GzdOs2PtUKn_im5PxTA/s320/2013-08-20+10.17.17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I melted some chocolate the day before, spread it over the tart, and let it cool. The chocolate layer helps prevent the fruit and cream from turning the crust soggy. If you don't like chocolate (!) you can brush the tart with a thick layer of eggwash during the last 10 minutes of baking instead - that will also waterproof your tart crust.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah3rNjq4moIcQpsj0Sn4dHggrJ4Nte2fkwlmIun5jfPhYtRYuMyjh0d9ghagj7_NJODWA0DwGKEwxCmxbay1caZt4H9xIHJ2O2H_VlZnS4G1w58wHWIqDk5xq4_G-XfRgKskaNFUtNkM/s1600/2013-08-20+10.17.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah3rNjq4moIcQpsj0Sn4dHggrJ4Nte2fkwlmIun5jfPhYtRYuMyjh0d9ghagj7_NJODWA0DwGKEwxCmxbay1caZt4H9xIHJ2O2H_VlZnS4G1w58wHWIqDk5xq4_G-XfRgKskaNFUtNkM/s320/2013-08-20+10.17.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fresh fruit waiting to be assembled. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjie5XtqFgbQkP8dGqJKyEfL8YOIf-SrHjJZgBExZ9mh2gAEFGmeZ7rVeXK4tTwvsdadz9DFZOTVPz7d6ye2HvcP2nHB0IFi5K_zjDlWEw9CCehyphenhyphenDQfCoSFaj2XueZ2AAhaQOf0yXANXHs/s1600/2013-08-20+10.22.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjie5XtqFgbQkP8dGqJKyEfL8YOIf-SrHjJZgBExZ9mh2gAEFGmeZ7rVeXK4tTwvsdadz9DFZOTVPz7d6ye2HvcP2nHB0IFi5K_zjDlWEw9CCehyphenhyphenDQfCoSFaj2XueZ2AAhaQOf0yXANXHs/s320/2013-08-20+10.22.22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the fun part. I'm not very artistic, so I just arranged the fruit in a roughly circular pattern. </div>
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The finished product. Chill until ready to be served. It only lasts about 1 day before the crust gets too soggy (even with the chocolate barrier), so eat this tart right away!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-49994110593603853702013-06-06T18:37:00.000+08:002013-06-06T18:37:55.981+08:00Wheatgerm and rye bread with poppy seeds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Soft, fluffy bread rolls made without a bread machine. The secret is tangzhong (water roux), a method I seem to be using more often <a href="http://essenfreude.blogspot.hk/2013/02/barm-bread-sourdough.html">these days</a> as it gives you soft fluffy bread texture easily at home without any commercial chemicals or flour improvers that you find in store-bought bread. </div>
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Tangzhong is simple: you heat a small batch of flour with liquid (water/milk, or even beer) in a saucepan, stir until the mixture has the consistency of hair paste (or you could be scientific and measure the temperature, which should be 65 Celcius). Heating the flour with liquid helps develop the gluten strands in the flour, which is what gives bread its lovely texture and crumb. Add to your usual bread recipe, adjusting for the amount of flour and liquid used. </div>
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Here, I used tangzhong to make bread rolls with some mix-ins and toppings that I had on hand. You can use the same recipe with raisins, multigrains, etc. </div>
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<b>Tangzhong (water roux) 湯種</b><br />
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<li>45g (1/3 cup) bread flour</li>
<li>125ml (1/2 cup) water or other liquid (I used milk. You can use beer to get a more rustic and yeasty dough, but the bread will be darker in color.)</li>
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<li>Add in both flour and water in a saucepan. </li>
<li>Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture has consistency of hair paste/glue paste and becomes slightly translucent (or measure temperature, which should be 65 degrees Celcius). </li>
<li>Remove from heat and set aside to cool. </li>
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<b>Wheatgerm and rye bread with poppy seeds</b><br />
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<li>1 batch tangzhong (as above)</li>
<li>125ml (1/2 cup) milk</li>
<li>45g (3 tablespoons) butter</li>
<li>130g (1 cup) bread flour</li>
<li>130g (1 cup) cake/all-purpose flour</li>
<li>50g (1/2 cup) wheatgerm*</li>
<li>50g (1/2 cup) rye flour*</li>
<li>50g (1/4 cup) sugar</li>
<li>2 teaspoons yeast</li>
<li>1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1 tablespoon milk powder (optional: enhances the aroma of the bread)</li>
<li>1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)</li>
<li>Milk or beaten egg, for glazing (optional)</li>
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* You can replace the wheatgerm and rye flour with 1 cup of other types of flour, such as spelt or just plain flour. Corn flour and other low-gluten or low-protein flours will change the texture of the bread (it will be more grainy, like quickbreads).<br />
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<li>Heat the butter and milk until melted, about 30 seconds in the microwave.</li>
<li>Pour the butter-milk mixture into a mixing bowl. </li>
<li>Add 1 cup of the flour, along with the sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix until combined.</li>
<li>Add the remaining flour and wheatgerm, and mix until the flour is absorbed, and dough becomes sticky. Continue to mix until dough begins to form a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl.</li>
<li>Turn dough onto a scrupulously clean, lightly-floured surface, and knead for 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can do this by hand or with a bread hook on a mixer. For best results, use the <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/bakers-techniques-how-to-do-th-70784">windowpane test </a>(stretch a small piece of dough in a rectangle as far as it will go without breaking. If the light shines through it like a windowpane, this means that the gluten in the flour has developed sufficiently.)</li>
<li>Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the dough in a thin layer of oil. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm dry place for two hours, until the dough has doubled in size.</li>
<li>Punch down the dough and turn out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. </li>
<li>Shape the dough as you want: either one large loaf, or smaller rolls. I divided my dough into three round balls, then rolled them out into ovals. I then folded the top and bottom thirds of the oval inwards, to make a rectangle strip, then flipped the dough over so the seam side faces down. Finally, I rolled up the rectangle of dough into a spiral bread roll. </li>
<li>After shaping the dough, place it on a baking sheet, or in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 40 minutes to one hour. </li>
<li>Brush your glaze (milk or eggwash), if using, and add toppings. I used poppy seeds here. </li>
<li>Bake in a 180 Celcius (350F) oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. </li>
<li>Remove from oven and pan, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. If stored in an airtight container in a cool place, it will last 2-3 days depending on the climate and humidity.</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-83296875302868900552013-03-12T16:10:00.002+08:002013-06-06T18:00:45.272+08:00Hot cross buns with boozy raisins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Although I'm not Christian, seven years of living in the UK and going to an Anglican church has left me with a fondness of some of the cultural traditions celebrated there (mostly food related!): Shrove Tuesday (better known as Pancake Day), Christmas (with its lovely roast chicken and bread sauce), and of course, Easter. Easter's not just about chocolate bunnies and Cadbury Creme eggs. It's also about hot cross buns: a lightly spiced, sweet bun with a sticky sugar glaze.<br />
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It's not yet Easter (technically it's still Lent so I really shouldn't be indulging with such rich food as butter and spices, but oh well), but I decided to make hot cross buns today.<br />
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One of my favorite British recipe websites is <a href="http://www.reallynicerecipes.com/">Really Nice Recipes</a>, a wonderful and carefully curated selection of recipes. The site design is very user-friendly, and all the recipes that I've tried thus far from this site have worked. Not one dud so far!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW_z7msJLt47Cb8gK9S6G2rLNyfMVVyQn-JaBVrFxOexHDFI_WXgMxTINb-TWFpUFqLSkMJwwsMySG8GHE5ikRfLZTqKC8kpAtHI7zHcTXg5wPxN9IryabOyRuKZNfgq7Mwp200NoqIA/s1600/2013-03-12+15.18.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW_z7msJLt47Cb8gK9S6G2rLNyfMVVyQn-JaBVrFxOexHDFI_WXgMxTINb-TWFpUFqLSkMJwwsMySG8GHE5ikRfLZTqKC8kpAtHI7zHcTXg5wPxN9IryabOyRuKZNfgq7Mwp200NoqIA/s320/2013-03-12+15.18.25.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I used the <a href="http://www.reallynicerecipes.com/recipe/cakes_biscuits/hot-cross-buns">hot cross bun recipe</a> from this site, but added in a few tweaks of my own:<br />
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<li>Instead of 190g strong/bread flour, I used 140g bread flour + 30g rye flour + 20g sourdough starter. </li>
<li>I soaked the raisins overnight in a mixture of dark rum, Cointreau and a splash of Rogue Hazelnut Nectar brown ale before proceeding with the recipe. Very naughty! :)</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-76453863062064704682013-02-19T14:27:00.003+08:002013-02-19T14:27:45.842+08:00Sheung Wan, Hong Kong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I walked around a bit today during my lunch hour in Sheung Wan. It's an old neighborhood on Hong Kong island with a lot of character.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Grand Millenium Plaza<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I passed a lion dance troupe on the way to work. They're practicing</span><span style="text-align: left;"> for a performance. Today (February 19) is the 10th day of the new year. There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, which are paired with one of five classical Chinese/Buddhist elements (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element#Chinese_elements" style="text-align: left;">wood, fire, earth, metal and water</a><span style="text-align: left;">). 2013 is the year of the water snake. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lion dance troup at Grand Millenium Plaza</td></tr>
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At lunch, I walked to Shun Tak Centre on the harbourfront. From Shun Tak Centre, you can take high-speed ferries (or helicopter!) to Macau and other cities in the Pearl River Delta. This is the view of West Kowloon district across the harbour, taken from the footbridge by Shun Tak Centre.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hong Kong Harbour</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-1839765011183784722013-02-14T16:12:00.001+08:002013-02-14T16:15:37.186+08:00Chinese New Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">This year, Chinese New Year fell on February 10. We had a family lunch at 東方小祇園齋菜 (Tung Fong Siu Kee Yuen) in Wanchai, a well-known old vegetarian restaurant that's been around since 1905. "China was still in the Qing Dynasty when this restaurant started", my dad mentioned as we sat down to our first meal of the new year. This restaurant has seem the fall of Chinese emperors, the rise of Communism, the Japanese WWII occupation, the Tiananmen 6/4 protests, the retreat of the British empire, and the rise of the Chinese 21st century. Through it all, I'd wager that the food at Siu Kee Yuen hasn't changed very much at all. Food for thought...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Hong Kong institution since 1905</td></tr>
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As it was new year's, there were no a la carte dishes available; only various set menus on offer. The food was pretty good, if slightly heavy with corn-starch-thickened sauce. Highlights included peppery stir-fried rice noodles, mushroom braised soy e-fu noodles, fried taro puffs and fried honeydew melon fritters, mock duck (tofu skin), wheat gluten mix, etc. Chinese Buddhist vegetarian can be heavy on the fried foods and gloopy sauces, so I normally avoid it. I prefer the Shanghainese vegetarian cuisine which tend to include more steamed and fresh vegetables, rather than tofu/gluten dressed up as mock "meat". </div>
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After the meal, Jon and I decided to walk off the feast. We ended up walking from Wanchai to North Point! In actual terms, it's only about two miles or three km, but it seems much further due to the incredible urban density of Hong Kong island. Wanchai District houses more than 150,000 people in less than four square miles, while Eastern District (which includes North Point) squeezes around 600,000 people in 7.3 square miles. I've always thought that there's as much life in one Hong Kong block as there is in three New York blocks. </div>
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We ended up at North Point, where there is an outdoor market every day, and an informal flea market every Sunday that caters both to the local ethnic Chinese, but also to the larger Southeast Asian and South Asian diaspora. This is the place to go if you're a bargain hunter who loves to unearth hidden treasures...or just like digging through random crap. </div>
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Oranges and other citrus are commonly gifted during their new year, as their round shape and golden color signify wealth and prosperity in the year ahead. </div>
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Jon found a Sega Megadrive (16-bit), mint in the box! </div>
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I found a box of tools (note the French packaging).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kiViwfGn2yC1ePqfNMZ8X-T5_Fn_drG8r2LIgfPf_2wqh8FTFZ28pG_niFSBGC6AmQa6J3nXKlsqXYj9CorKo5wm1_PRwPhib1KEd1BhyphenhyphenmvaA9BeGXIBGOgOR5xtmRTFL1NM7_RRDhs/s1600/168073_857466063975_3935859_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kiViwfGn2yC1ePqfNMZ8X-T5_Fn_drG8r2LIgfPf_2wqh8FTFZ28pG_niFSBGC6AmQa6J3nXKlsqXYj9CorKo5wm1_PRwPhib1KEd1BhyphenhyphenmvaA9BeGXIBGOgOR5xtmRTFL1NM7_RRDhs/s320/168073_857466063975_3935859_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the Doctor Who Dalek toy that I picked up for US$2 at the same market during the Chinese New Year holiday in 2010. (Cat not included.)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-38906520308905913862013-02-11T10:09:00.000+08:002013-02-11T10:09:35.530+08:00Dark craft beer chocolate cupcakes with stout<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark chocolate cupcakes with stout</td></tr>
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Aren't these cute? </div>
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I made these mini cupcakes using exactly half the ingredients of <a href="http://essenfreude.blogspot.hk/2013/01/dark-chocolate-craft-beer-cake-with.html">the recipe</a> for dark chocolate birthday cake with stout. The instructions are the same, and you should end up with 36 mini cupcakes. (I used three pans similar to the <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=886EEA1D-A8D0-4CBC-BDE5D7C93F97EBC2&killnav=1">Wilton 12-cup mini muffin pan</a>.) It should also be enough to make 18 normal-sized cupcakes (three <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=88A01578-979F-B04D-6C8F48775D5CD72F&killnav=1">6-muffin pans</a>).</div>
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The dark chocolate ganache was quite rich, so I might try using cream cheese frosting next time.</div>
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In other news, I will be at the <a href="http://hkmarkets.org/">Island East farmers/craft market</a> on March 3, selling all sorts of craft beer from Hop Leaf. I am planning to test-drive some of my baked goods there, too (this means free samples of food!). If you're in Hong Kong, please come and say hi. :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-46451188205187515882013-02-05T14:35:00.003+08:002013-02-05T14:35:59.456+08:00Barm bread (sourdough)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QyBmXia9d_sodkvt3HEdSnlrSbAwvTvwRew5YEDmmSWGJx5K0ZJk0VfI7HCPzfANm1WJSAAKYOmeYKewIci67GaX0cTwK6ZQNtznA42sRguIYcJ18AU_qqwSZqVjwDEAizbAm6dONsE/s1600/2013-02-03+15.57.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QyBmXia9d_sodkvt3HEdSnlrSbAwvTvwRew5YEDmmSWGJx5K0ZJk0VfI7HCPzfANm1WJSAAKYOmeYKewIci67GaX0cTwK6ZQNtznA42sRguIYcJ18AU_qqwSZqVjwDEAizbAm6dONsE/s320/2013-02-03+15.57.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppy seed barm bread during the second rise</td></tr>
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I've been busy baking and using my homemade sourdough starter recently. After trying the popular Taiwanese 65C tangzhong/water roux method, I came across a traditional British baking method called "<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/food/2011/07/the-ale-barm-method-worthy-of.shtml">barm</a>" that is very similar, except you use ale instead of water to make the roux. Barm bread usually has a more flavor due to the use of beer, and has a lighter, fluffier crumb (texture) due to the gelatinous roux which allows the gluten in the flour absorb more moisture. The secret to making great bread is to have the dough as wet as possible. </div>
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Making barm bread is a process that can be separated into two distinct parts: first you need to make the barm, then you use the barm to make the bread. </div>
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<b>Barm:</b></div>
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<li>250ml (8.5 oz) ale -- while any bottle-conditioned beer works, I used Baird Brewing's <a href="http://hopleaf.hk/hong-kong-craft-beer-baird-single-take-session-ale.html">Single-Take Session ale</a> as I thought it would give a light, rustic flavor. A stout or porter will give you a darker, maltier barm.</li>
<li>50g (1/2 cup) bread flour (sifted)</li>
<li>4 tsp white leaven/sourdough starter, or 1 tsp active dry yeast</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baird beer from Numazu, Japan</td></tr>
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<li>Heat the ale in a saucepan on medium heat until 65C (if you don't have a thermometer, don't worry, you can eyeball it. Wait until you see some bubbles form but don't let the ale boil over!)</li>
<li>Remove from heat and whisk in the flour, stirring rapidly to avoid lumps forming. Don't worry if you get lumps, if needed you can strain them out with a sieve later after cooling. It should have a slightly translucent brown (exact darkness will depend on the type of beer you used) and have the consistency of hair gel/pomade.</li>
<li>Put the ale-flour mixture into a small bowl and let cool to 20C (room temperature), then stir in the leaven or active dry yeast.</li>
<li> Cover with plastic wrap or a clean cloth, and let the barm sit overnight for up to 48 hours until nice and bubbly. If it doesn't bubble, your yeast/starter is dead and you'll have to start again.</li>
<li>The barm is now ready to use in making bread! It can replace your sourdough starter in most bread recipes.</li>
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<b>Sourdough barm bread with poppy seeds:</b><br />
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<li>150g barm, from above (I used all of the barm made from the above recipe without measuring it, which turned out fine)</li>
<li>250ml (8.5 oz) water</li>
<li>500g bread (high-gluten) flour; or 400g bread flour and 100 g wholemeal/rye flour</li>
<li>10g (2 tsp) salt</li>
<li>2 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)</li>
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<li>Mix the barm and water together until the barm is completely dissolved. </li>
<li>Add the flour and salt, then mix until you get a wet, shaggy dough. It will be a sticky mess!</li>
<li>Put in a bowl, cover and leave at room temperature for 12-18 hours. </li>
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<li>If your room is warmer than 20C, you might want to put the covered bowl in the fridge to keep the dough temperature down and allow time for the flavors to develop during the long fermentation. </li>
<li>You can also split the rise time over two days: I made the dough after dinner one night, then put it in the fridge overnight. I took it out the next morning and left it on the countertop all day. When I came home from work 12 hours later, the dough had finished the first rise. </li>
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<li>After the first rise has been completed (dough will be double in size), punch down the dough and scrape it out onto a floured surface.</li>
<li>Shape the dough into whatever form you like. I made four oval rolls.</li>
<li>If using poppy seeds, sprinkly on top now. </li>
<li>Place the shaped dough onto your baking sheet (I use Silpat to avoid the bread sticking to the metal pan, or you can use baking paper), and let rise in a quiet, dry area until doubled (1-2 hours).</li>
<li>Bake in a preheated 220C/425F oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.</li>
<li>As with all bread, resist the temptation to eat or slice the bread as soon as you take it out of the oven! Let cool to room temperature before serving.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3vUlcLPax8XrDKbAgq8m_qmeP3c-2VCMWMZaXzn-eI9TN-PFWsvaPyFSf9KDfreAeu04GJgsSvTneZVD_rxwi9f1U7xY4SRTKuIkeOGtrBixm4kKYN0CrHXwBvONlzizaEei5qwyjGQ/s1600/2013-02-03+17.53.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3vUlcLPax8XrDKbAgq8m_qmeP3c-2VCMWMZaXzn-eI9TN-PFWsvaPyFSf9KDfreAeu04GJgsSvTneZVD_rxwi9f1U7xY4SRTKuIkeOGtrBixm4kKYN0CrHXwBvONlzizaEei5qwyjGQ/s320/2013-02-03+17.53.08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden-brown poppyseed barm rolls </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-5741348325426851722013-02-01T10:55:00.001+08:002013-02-01T10:55:34.928+08:00Joy Hing Roasted Meat 再興燒臘飯店<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Jon and I went to a famous Chinese BBQ place last night called <a href="http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=1491">Joy Hing</a>, which came strongly recommended by Chowhound and Anthony Bourdain, among others. It was OK. Jon had the charsiu rice, which was good. I ordered the roast duck and roast pork on rice. The duck did not have much meat while the roast pork was too salty (the meat was juicy and the skin was crispy though, which was good). There is a jug of sauce (soy sauce and roasted meat juices) at each table and you can season the rice to your liking.<br />
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I got the feeling that the restaurant is coasting on its reputation a bit. There's also much better roasted meat across the harbor and in less tourist-friendly neighborhoods, but I suppose most HK Islanders are hesitant to cross the harbour to "the dark side" (i.e. Kowloon).<br />
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<a href="http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=22131">新強記</a> on Shanghai Street in Jordan will always be one of my favorites as we bought takeout charsiu there when I was young.<br />
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Anyway, it's an excuse for some food porn (ahem):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2ujYOLce5OwCMKTnHA0p1_2XlR76PYkZci-AsrlQvIJhHewzvamugR1CFT8jQQcgJqGAX7Lev_tSnsYIER4J8NexPwHVMfbp02gVuDbXbcd5lQJ9JkSmzS0m8h3YhaLn7Be_OB5C6OY/s1600/2013-01-31_21.38.32%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2ujYOLce5OwCMKTnHA0p1_2XlR76PYkZci-AsrlQvIJhHewzvamugR1CFT8jQQcgJqGAX7Lev_tSnsYIER4J8NexPwHVMfbp02gVuDbXbcd5lQJ9JkSmzS0m8h3YhaLn7Be_OB5C6OY/s320/2013-01-31_21.38.32%5B1%5D.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-47371502368523840172013-01-13T15:21:00.003+08:002013-02-01T11:20:51.803+08:00Bacon cheese bread loaf (no-knead)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Lovely crackly crust</td></tr>
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Jim Lahey's no-knead pancetta bread has become one of my tried-and-tested standbys for brunches, parties, and snacking. I usually make it as small bite-size crusty rolls (which I've written about <a href="http://essenfreude.blogspot.hk/2012/02/bacon-cheese-bread-no-knead-method.html">before</a>), but I also like making this recipe in larger loaves. </div>
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While Jim Lahey's original recipe calls for baking it in a Dutch oven, I've found that if you split the dough into two medium-size loaves, you can do away with the Dutch oven, requiring less anxiety and less to clean up! It's a nice compromise between the smaller rolls and full-sized bread loaf, and you still get a beautifully-risen loaf with crackly crust and light crumb.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Tl3jH_zhaOe9NzJA9yAotxptQuj7vrmHvEqWiiEJrE0A74UmW6PmCTfQ1Go7ak-OKYimZKPUO56CJWFuojHr-kISF6lvj4ovSenKmXUFulhJWc6ott2hhvjbuXkrAqLg0xn0T6F7_7o/s1600/2013-01-12+10.21.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Tl3jH_zhaOe9NzJA9yAotxptQuj7vrmHvEqWiiEJrE0A74UmW6PmCTfQ1Go7ak-OKYimZKPUO56CJWFuojHr-kISF6lvj4ovSenKmXUFulhJWc6ott2hhvjbuXkrAqLg0xn0T6F7_7o/s1600/2013-01-12+10.21.03.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of two loaves that I made yesterday</td></tr>
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The loaf this time reminded me of the fat koi fish in my dad's pond. Perhaps it's because of the (cheese) moustache on the loaf? </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loaves of bread and fish?
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I made this bacon bread to go with the <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/12/fromage-fort/">fromage fort</a> I made with some leftover cheese from a holiday party. I don't have a food processor so I roughly mashed the cheese with chives, herbs, mashed garlic, heavy cream, and a generous splash of brandy. It ended up being like a very rustic Boursin :). Together, the bread and cheese went well with a beer tasting of <a href="http://www.mikkeller.dk/">Mikkeller</a> craft beers that <a href="http://hopleaf.hk/">we</a> recently got in from Denmark.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuHryu0ZAtPwPJZ-edVCj5gkbMzr0NczGImp88a4tqzP3z1Ol6xPl7j0d27BZfgxRCdsJMND1dQU5bbgqRabrMeOr-QY_pbD3PNKaO4klUr72YmPtDz-gFhg95cD0SQMX9B5ZZDUuWMI/s1600/2013-01-12+13.40.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuHryu0ZAtPwPJZ-edVCj5gkbMzr0NczGImp88a4tqzP3z1Ol6xPl7j0d27BZfgxRCdsJMND1dQU5bbgqRabrMeOr-QY_pbD3PNKaO4klUr72YmPtDz-gFhg95cD0SQMX9B5ZZDUuWMI/s1600/2013-01-12+13.40.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-82761034143028005122013-01-01T22:17:00.002+08:002013-01-02T14:37:16.667+08:00Dark chocolate craft beer cake with dark chocolate frosting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXv5d6tkncxzad-0eOz_NLEGs9qt0cFNWig9Ih-xQlumS3-EcUmggtZrFsQk3yORk5PO69TlfGpXChGP38XS7Va9GllQtSViYPzZkflkuLBAmSwWWKB0YK6kANqjHy2F1hKu1vtvQoSc/s1600/644311_10100821994393445_1704279219_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXv5d6tkncxzad-0eOz_NLEGs9qt0cFNWig9Ih-xQlumS3-EcUmggtZrFsQk3yORk5PO69TlfGpXChGP38XS7Va9GllQtSViYPzZkflkuLBAmSwWWKB0YK6kANqjHy2F1hKu1vtvQoSc/s1600/644311_10100821994393445_1704279219_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday cake</td></tr>
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An easy way to make sure that your cake is tender and not too dense - whip the egg whites separately to the egg yolks and fold them in at the end. While the extra step is a bit of a pain, the end results are TOTALLY WORTH IT (and worthy of the capitalized letters!). </div>
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Being a shareholder in a start-up beer distributor means that we have a lot of great craft beer around. While I love to drink beer, I can only drink a glass before getting full. My preference is to cook with it. I find that using beer in cooking imparts a certain fullness of flavor to the food but is still subtle enough not to overpower it. I've made Irish beef stew with <a href="http://hopleaf.hk/hong-kong-craft-beer-beer-brands/hong-kong-craft-beer-yo-ho/hong-kong-craft-beer-yoho-tokyoblack.html">Tokyo black porter</a>, salted caramel ice cream with <a href="http://hopleaf.hk/rogue-hazelnut-brown-nectar-12oz-craft-beer.html">Rogue Hazelnut Nectar brown ale</a>. However, one of the recent standouts has been this decadent, rich dark chocolate cake made with Tokyo black porter, but would likely also work well with any other stout, porter or good dark beer. I plan to make it with <a href="http://hopleaf.hk/hong-kong-craft-beer-beer-brands/hong-kong-craft-beer-rogue/rogue-mocha-porter.html">Rogue Mocha Porter</a> soon. </div>
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This chocolate cake is extremely rich and dense, with a thick chocolate ganache frosting. A small slice would go very well with coffee (or ice cream). Top with your favorite fruit or candy - or leave plain. While you can splurge and use the best dark chocolate to make this cake, I find that the 100g bars of chocolate such as Lindt works fine. (I like to use the cheaper dark chocolate sold in Ikea food mart - it's half the price of Lindt and has a very good texture and taste. I've also used Green & Black chocolate too for special occasions.) I suppose you could also use baking/unsweetened chocolate too, though I can't guarantee the results. Chocolate is the star of this cake, so you want to use the top quality chocolate you're willing to pay for. </div>
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The full amount for this recipe below makes one round 9-inch layer cake (using two 9-inch round pans), or you can halve the ingredients to make a 9-inch square cake. </div>
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Bon Appétit!</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<b>Cake: </b></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">3 oz (85g) dark chocolate (preferably min. 60% cacao)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">2 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (200 g flour + 50g cocoa powder)*</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">200g (1 3/4 sticks) butter (room temperature)</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">200g (1 cup) + 3 tablespoons caster/granulated white sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">3 large eggs, separated</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup stout, porter or dark beer such as <a href="http://hopleaf.hk/hong-kong-craft-beer-beer-brands/hong-kong-craft-beer-rogue/rogue-mocha-porter.html">Rogue Mocha porter</a> or Tokyo Black porter</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup espresso or strong coffee (cooled)</li>
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* Cocoa powder is optional. If you don't have it, just make up the difference with the flour. </div>
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<b>Frosting: </b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>450g (1 lb) dark chocolate (50-60% cacao)</li>
<li>2 cups heavy whipping cream (I used UHT whipping cream because it's hard to find fresh cream in Hong Kong)</li>
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<b>Method:</b></div>
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<b><i>Cake: </i> </b></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat oven to 350F or 180C. </li>
<li>Butter and use baking paper line your two round 9-inch cake pans (or one pan if using a half-recipe). Set aside. </li>
<li>Melt the chocolate for the cake in a <i>bain-marie</i> (put a metal bowl on top of a saucepan of barely simmering water), or microwave it. See <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/workingwithchocolate/a/meltchocolate.htm">here</a> for a quick guide to melting chocolate. Set aside. </li>
<li>Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt). Set aside. </li>
<li>Using a mixer, beat the egg whites and 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff but not dry. In layman's terms, this means that the egg whites look like meringue and stay in the bowl (they don't slosh about or fall when you tip the bowl sideways or upside down). <a href="http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/456392">Here's a good Chowhound thread about beating egg whites</a>. Set aside.</li>
<li>Wipe clean your beaters and use another bowl for the butter and sugar. Using a mixer, cream (beat together) the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate, then the beer and coffee. Add in flour in 2 additions until incorporated. (If you overmix the batter, your cake crumb may be coarse and tough.)</li>
<li>Gently fold in your egg whites in 2 to 3 additions to the batter. Don't overmix the batter to avoid dissolving the egg whites - the air in the beaten egg whites helps to lighten the texture of the cake!</li>
<li>Scrape the batter into pan, then bake in oven until cake tester comes out dry (about 30 minutes). </li>
<li>Remove from oven and transfer to cooling racks. </li>
</ol>
<i>The cake can be made ahead 1 day before frosting and assembly. (Cover and store and room temperature. Or, if you're really busy, make it ahead up to 1 week in advance and freeze the cake layers individually. Defrost it before adding frosting.)</i></div>
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<b><i>Frosting</i></b>: </div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Placed chopped chocolate in a metal bowl. </li>
<li>Heat cream in a saucepan until simmering. </li>
<li>Pour hot cream over the chocolate. </li>
<li>Wait one minute, then whisk together until mixture is smooth.</li>
<li>Chill in fridge until thickened and spreadable (2 hours in fridge or 30 minutes in freezer). </li>
</ol>
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<i>The frosting can also be made ahead separately and stored in the fridge up to 3 days before assembling your cake. </i></div>
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<b><i>Assembly:</i></b></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Frost your cake, then top with your favorite toppings (white or other colorful toppings are a good contrast for the dark chocolate). For this winter birthday cake, I used white chocolate bark, white chocolate Maltesers, fresh pomegranate seeds, and diced fresh red pear.</li>
<li>For layer cake, you may need to use a serrated knife to level off the top of the cake in order to get flat even layers. </li>
<li>For single-layer sheet cakes, you can stick the entire cake (wrapped/covered in plastic wrap) in the freezer for up to two weeks. I highly doubt it would last that long, though!</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSjq7gycdSHGyomN9xF0xCWK9qdLKTc-ODOlZvc3dZAZbx1s8hsZGW8GExVi8dunOf6fcoo_OVtSCN3PDRNUNajNIl6gJ2FKndw7B9bOvrBA32BD-S6PvhS3E2FCs2Z3rN05DBZPyta8/s1600/2013-01-01+15.07.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSjq7gycdSHGyomN9xF0xCWK9qdLKTc-ODOlZvc3dZAZbx1s8hsZGW8GExVi8dunOf6fcoo_OVtSCN3PDRNUNajNIl6gJ2FKndw7B9bOvrBA32BD-S6PvhS3E2FCs2Z3rN05DBZPyta8/s1600/2013-01-01+15.07.15.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last slice...</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-71259330087899743272012-11-19T20:25:00.001+08:002013-01-02T14:22:10.085+08:00Fishcakes (from leftover tuna rice salad)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I made a giant bowl of tuna rice salad for a BBQ this weekend and had a lot left over...what to do? Instead of eating the same thing several meals in a row, I was inspired by risotto cakes and fish cakes to make: Tuna cakes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeNWBfLZ2Wk4Vt_hXGMdWOH9tDcRuQQHorC1FLQrWwj8piRV0w4RPS4bAcxEqlLdR8ktSMeggl5BNXvx-dgbNENkmc4xWoK2GcSFKpdphs9rDKfWAFnDiGzHkTbVXgxl0QIN6uVDJM_4/s1600/2012-11-19+19.20.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeNWBfLZ2Wk4Vt_hXGMdWOH9tDcRuQQHorC1FLQrWwj8piRV0w4RPS4bAcxEqlLdR8ktSMeggl5BNXvx-dgbNENkmc4xWoK2GcSFKpdphs9rDKfWAFnDiGzHkTbVXgxl0QIN6uVDJM_4/s320/2012-11-19+19.20.08.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuna rice cakes - a simple Monday night dinner</td></tr>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>leftover <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/681634/helpyourself-tuna-rice-salad">tuna rice salad</a>, risotto or fried rice</li>
<li>1 egg (or 2 if you have a lot of leftovers) to bind</li>
<li>Parmesan or other shredded cheese</li>
<li>salt, pepper to taste</li>
<li>olive oil or neutral oil for pan-frying</li>
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<b>Method:</b></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Beat the egg(s) in a bowl.</li>
<li>Add to the leftover tuna rice salad and mix well.</li>
<li>Stir in the shredded cheese</li>
<li>Add in a bit of salt and pepper (put less if your original tuna rice salad was already well-seasoned/salty). </li>
<li>Using a large spoon, shape into patties.</li>
<li>Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil into your frying pan.</li>
<li>Scoop the patties onto the oiled frying pan and flatten slightly with your spatula.</li>
<li>When the bottom is crispy and golden brown, gently flip the cakes and brown the other side.</li>
<li>Remove from pan and serve immediately. </li>
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These rice cakes go well with a simple green salad. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-50558563995220806012012-11-14T20:03:00.002+08:002013-01-02T14:44:52.833+08:00Orangettes (candied chocolate orange peel)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was inspired by <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/11/candy-girl/">Smitten Kitchen's orangettes</a> and decided to try making some of my own:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57zH-ZrVa1QohDOawK8kba7ZCQxsQbIXybCBEZ02_XQbCXA4jGduQW7IUM067pCSDF-5gW6oCN8D6ry5rqLP7bDip7zZuSUqH3au2l-PzAyGHQtmZmtvQZbXcU0Sem1GaW5sdb2eQKVk/s1600/2012-11-11+15.11.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57zH-ZrVa1QohDOawK8kba7ZCQxsQbIXybCBEZ02_XQbCXA4jGduQW7IUM067pCSDF-5gW6oCN8D6ry5rqLP7bDip7zZuSUqH3au2l-PzAyGHQtmZmtvQZbXcU0Sem1GaW5sdb2eQKVk/s320/2012-11-11+15.11.51.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Peeling the oranges... </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMxhV7JA-tPh_trguyH5jP9TnZcq6x4R-bmcJnMtcen6mOVfxcxdc-5Yb9iq3KB9_q8Y90xvUyiFZZySrObS8k7BPWtZuvfjSkCMGpBz9FrVDsWtK-b8LR1SoHBO7-m-_GQai7RrJeFE/s1600/2012-11-11+16.45.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMxhV7JA-tPh_trguyH5jP9TnZcq6x4R-bmcJnMtcen6mOVfxcxdc-5Yb9iq3KB9_q8Y90xvUyiFZZySrObS8k7BPWtZuvfjSkCMGpBz9FrVDsWtK-b8LR1SoHBO7-m-_GQai7RrJeFE/s320/2012-11-11+16.45.19.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Blanching them in boiling water to get rid of the bitterness. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Do this 3 times. I added cinnamon and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">fresh ginger to add a little spice. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OyEfIRYPNISAZBZYlGF5ZufSjdDkw20ukHewLBYej-qyaU-LAB_KOsL48RtD2Fqy84337csxDbMQDCsCINL9hQfNyyObZ-bFY-QXMfIhBA28kQrSTIu7L7Byvbu-GMlAvOsG4-kTxWw/s1600/2012-11-11+17.34.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OyEfIRYPNISAZBZYlGF5ZufSjdDkw20ukHewLBYej-qyaU-LAB_KOsL48RtD2Fqy84337csxDbMQDCsCINL9hQfNyyObZ-bFY-QXMfIhBA28kQrSTIu7L7Byvbu-GMlAvOsG4-kTxWw/s320/2012-11-11+17.34.14.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Simmer in simple syrup (1:1 sugar-water ratio) for 1 hour. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I used vanilla sugar but plain white sugar works too. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8wX8LWrwZcM8oPsOazXEgKV4lOzm1T7E2uQPrWm4HkQPOqZyhdMJgDccc1JvtGeKxIgyRsWHndvrT2c3Wa50PoZ11XLS1F62V6MG01wIlNJuB7nb80ugE8LvQ2mdj3U2eewmOKgkzYI/s1600/2012-11-11+18.39.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8wX8LWrwZcM8oPsOazXEgKV4lOzm1T7E2uQPrWm4HkQPOqZyhdMJgDccc1JvtGeKxIgyRsWHndvrT2c3Wa50PoZ11XLS1F62V6MG01wIlNJuB7nb80ugE8LvQ2mdj3U2eewmOKgkzYI/s320/2012-11-11+18.39.21.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Let dry - this can take more than 24 hours </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">if you live in a humid climate like I do!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2sC6AdsG51FZlAWM-vRjbMyMNd8MV8feLfvB5eGotP833gRcsENdoYuEjLfucLnBC904z94DFRp7F96Q1k3LQo_vcrcHLaxMmcv6jSSADQLxUxntbbcSoZ9v6wlbQx08n8xPVaPT4Og/s1600/2012-11-14+19.15.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2sC6AdsG51FZlAWM-vRjbMyMNd8MV8feLfvB5eGotP833gRcsENdoYuEjLfucLnBC904z94DFRp7F96Q1k3LQo_vcrcHLaxMmcv6jSSADQLxUxntbbcSoZ9v6wlbQx08n8xPVaPT4Og/s320/2012-11-14+19.15.20.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dip in melted dark chocolate, then let </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">dry...</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">and try not to eat them too quickly! :)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-63960153203464308242012-04-03T23:23:00.002+08:002012-04-03T23:23:49.550+08:00Gingerbread cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Just getting around to uploading some old photos. I made a LOT of gingerbread cookies for parties and as presents for friends and family in December 2011 - January 2012. I made them in Christmas trees, hearts, and Miffy shapes. I became quite good at them, if I say so myself. :)</span></div>
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Miffy for the young and young at heart.<br />
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Classic rounds for the grown ups.<br />
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Stars for Christmas.<br />
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I even made mince pie tarts. </div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-13866499310004646642012-04-03T23:15:00.000+08:002012-04-03T23:15:35.152+08:00Sunday roast lamb with rosemary and garlic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Actually I cooked this several months ago, but only just got around to uploading the pictures to my laptop. It's a rosemary and garlic New Zealand lamb shoulder, with gravy, roast potatoes and veggies. A traditional British-style Sunday roast. It was a large joint of meat and we had a lot of leftover meat for pasta, sandwiches, etc. </div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-8819015924175268972012-02-12T13:49:00.000+08:002013-03-03T06:21:12.669+08:00Bacon cheese bread (no-knead method)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Recently I've been dabbling with making bread, mostly with the water roux (<i>tangzhong</i>) method to make soft, fluffy, Japanese-style bread (more on this in another post), but this no-knead bacon cheese bread came out so well, it was devoured by during a craft beer tasting that we had last night in Hong Kong.<br />
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It's a crusty, chewy country bread that has a hit of salt from the bacon and cheese, and a hint of zing from the herbs and flaked red pepper. I adapted the recipe from Jim Lahey's book <i>My Bread </i>(of <a href="http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/">Sullivan Street Bakery</a> and <i>New York Times' </i>Mark Bittman<i> </i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html">no-knead bread recipe</a> fame). His recipe is itself inspired by traditional Italian lard/ciccioli bread. (Lard might sound scary, but it really makes for a lighter crumb and richer bread, similar as to the use of lard in pie crusts.)<br />
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This strong-tasting bread goes well with beers or ales. Recommended with <a href="http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-Pranqster.htm">North Coast Pranqster</a> (a Belgian-style golden ale) or <a href="http://bairdbeer.com/en/">Baird Beer Numazu Lager</a>. <br />
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<i>Side note: Both of these beers were at the beer tasting I attended, and if you're in Hong Kong, you can get these beers and more through <a href="http://www.hopleaf.hk/">Hop Leaf</a>, the new craft beer distributor that I'm involved in. (end promo!)</i><br />
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A few people have asked me for the recipe for this bread - I guess the combination of bacon and cheese is always a winner. If you're vegetarian (but not vegan), simply omit the bacon to make an equally delicious cheese bread. In the same vein, if you're lactose-intolerant, you can omit the cheese and keep the bacon.<br />
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Here's the recipe. It sounds a bit convoluted and troublesome, but if you break it down into steps, it's actually extremely simple and there's very little actual work involved. Mostly it's just waiting, as it uses the long-rise/no-knead method.<br />
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<b>Recipe </b><i>(adapted from the Pancetta Bread recipe in "My Bread" by Jim Lahey)</i><br />
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<b>Ingredients </b>(US/cup measurements are approximate, I recommend you weigh out the ingredients instead, but since bread is relatively forgiving, it should still work OK if you don't have a scale.)<br />
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<i>Basic Bread</i><br />
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<li>Bread flour (high gluten) - 300 g / 2 1/3 cups*</li>
<li>Cool filtered water - 350 g / 1 1/2 cups*</li>
<li>Instant or active dry yeast - 1g / 1/4 tsp*</li>
<li>Table salt - 3g / 1/2 tsp</li>
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*Or replace some of the bread flour, water and yeast with a starter, which is what I did. I'm not sure how big of a difference it really makes, but I think that using a starter instead of ready yeast gives you a richer-tasting bread as the yeast has fermented for longer. </div>
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<li>100g sourdough starter</li>
<li>250g bread flour </li>
<li>300g water / 1 1/3 cup</li>
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<i>Mix-ins (mix and match, all are optional, add in whatever you like. </i><i>Also, there's no need to be 100% exact in the proportions of bacon, herbs and spices - adjust to personal taste.</i><i> Just don't put too much cheese as it can make the bread too wet. Otherwise, feel free to go wild here!)</i></div>
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<li>Cooked and crumbled bacon - 300 g / 2 1/3 cups</li>
<li>Bacon fat (reserved from cooking the bacon) - 1 tbsp</li>
<li>Red pepper flakes - a pinch (1/2 tsp)</li>
<li>Shredded firm/dry cheese such as Parmesan or Pecorino (don't use wet cheese such as Cheddar or Mozzarella as it will spread too much and make the bread wet) - 50-100g / or a not-too generous handful</li>
<li>Herbs and spices - 1 tsp of whatever you like. (I used a mix of rosemary and Parisienne herb mix from Penzey's Spices [chives, dill weed, French basil, French tarragon, chervil and white pepper] but simple ground black pepper would work well with the red pepper flakes. </li>
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<b>Method</b></div>
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<li>Stir together all the ingredients (except bacon fat and water). Add the water and bacon fat. Mix for about 1 minute until combined with your hands or a wooden spoon. </li>
<li>Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature until you see bubbles on the surface and the dough has doubled in size. This dough is less watery and is firmer than the dough in the original no-knead recipe printed in the New York Times. The dough should hold its shape somewhat. This first rise should take about 12 to 18 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen. I like to prep these long-rise breads the evening before, so that they're ready for baking the next day. As you can infer, making these no-knead breads are usually a weekend activity!</li>
<li>Once the first rise is complete, tip the dough out onto a floured work surface. Gently punch the dough and shape it into a round shape. </li>
<li>Put back in bowl (or leave on the work surface) and cover. Leave in warm place until doubled in size again (1 to 2 hours). The dough is ready when it doesn't spring back if you poke it gently with your finger. </li>
<li>Heat your oven to 250 C / 475 F.</li>
<li>Gently transfer the dough to your work surface. </li>
<li>Shape into one / two large loaves, or do as I did and make multiple little bread rolls (I got about a dozen smallish ones out of this amount). It all depends on the crust-crumb ratio that you prefer, or if you are making them for yourself or for a party and want some bite-size rolls. These are quite crusty so if you want a softer roll then make them larger. </li>
<li>Place on baking tray and bake in oven for about 40 minutes. </li>
<li>Take out and let cool. (Or eat right away if the smell of bacon made you crazy while waiting for the bread to bake!)</li>
<li>Keeps 1-2 days. Reheat in toaster oven or microwave before serving. They would also be mind-blowingly awesome as burger buns for sliders. </li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-78556700441653473582011-08-02T19:50:00.000+08:002011-08-02T19:50:32.704+08:00Checking in (and a tuna Niçoise recipe)I'm alive! *dusts off blog* Whew, it's been a while since I've posted, hasn't it?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbFz4GLRQCR8rrRSF7mDnZJzho8Gu8f77_r6BvYzVa2czJuAD1cvd64fsaTUO_szDE2pnEBS8J-a16lznyYJIwK4fa1UQBAaNjU0tDHT1QFnWX4ihijKi-8TEb4jXot4RV7EhW1hWmHQ/s1600/IMG_2592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbFz4GLRQCR8rrRSF7mDnZJzho8Gu8f77_r6BvYzVa2czJuAD1cvd64fsaTUO_szDE2pnEBS8J-a16lznyYJIwK4fa1UQBAaNjU0tDHT1QFnWX4ihijKi-8TEb4jXot4RV7EhW1hWmHQ/s320/IMG_2592.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried cheese curds at Bastille Days in Milwaukee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Work and a lot of travel has kept me crazy-busy. Since my last post, I went to New York for a week and a half, Vancouver for a few days (including a crazy YVR-San Francisco - Tokyo - HK return flight due to the Fly America Act and missing my flight because of delays), Bangkok again in June, and Jon and I just returned a few days ago from three weeks in the US. (It looks like there's going to be another New York trip as well as Shanghai trip in early September too -- I like NY, but I'm at the point where I just want to stay home for now and don't want to travel for work!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went on a pilgrimage to New Glarus Brewing Co in New Glarus, Wisconsin (which is a mock-Swiss chalet town)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But let me think about happier things - like the great vacation I just had :). We spent three weeks visiting Jon's family and friends in Madison & Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (or, to be more accurate, Jon was the one who drove), where we eat a lot of good fresh food and drank even more fantastic craft beer (we squeezed in trips to two breweries - New Glarus and Lakefront). We also went to the Packers Hall of Fame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay (it's an NFL American football thing, but it was pretty neat to see the Lombardi Trophy and Aaron Rodger's Superbowl ring). <br />
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It's funny, because I used to be such a geographical snob -- growing up, my family lived in Vancouver (Pacific Northwest) and I went to college in upstate New York, or having a transfer flight at O'hare airport, I didn't know much about the mid-West ("the fly-over" states?!) The only time I had been in the Mid-West was during a crazy 3-week road trip from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island and back (West to East Coast was through Canada; East to West was through the US on the I-90), where we ate Chinese food almost every night, thanks to my dad's need to eat rice with every meal. But that's another story for another time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFn7J-kRaepWcxXojr3s2E5yxsUP0SQR-J_ZLVjkKOLQwXTpdIqxaEhJ3BSQRUUjwxlKHXef5uJcuxEmtBvCWb50BJO81vQOeAgwWFsXASPfkTfnKwLXPbR7jFCJ7T0a5mOXB8bwuYew/s1600/IMG_2514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFn7J-kRaepWcxXojr3s2E5yxsUP0SQR-J_ZLVjkKOLQwXTpdIqxaEhJ3BSQRUUjwxlKHXef5uJcuxEmtBvCWb50BJO81vQOeAgwWFsXASPfkTfnKwLXPbR7jFCJ7T0a5mOXB8bwuYew/s320/IMG_2514.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cattle prices on the Agricultural reports on the TV news</td></tr>
</tbody></table>What I want to say was I found myself really, really liking Wisconsin and the U.P. -- the commitment to sustainable local produce, the appreciation for the good things in life (cheese curds, sausages, beers, frozen custard!) and the friendliness and lack of pretentiousness that people had. It's very different from big-city Hong Kong or New York city, where I get tired about all the prattling about brand names and money and showing off. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABCxMuqTc4sen3l6QAP8YqjSH-9Tv9_LP6flbYWzWkuKABdZfHBpfUTiahQfKfAhp3Yw8SRU6AQInWjIOvV_S5Jl0bJzXUx1YoICsBih5E1SbezycIj4NVGi-yr5APEj4VwZJ1xff6gs/s1600/IMG_2550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABCxMuqTc4sen3l6QAP8YqjSH-9Tv9_LP6flbYWzWkuKABdZfHBpfUTiahQfKfAhp3Yw8SRU6AQInWjIOvV_S5Jl0bJzXUx1YoICsBih5E1SbezycIj4NVGi-yr5APEj4VwZJ1xff6gs/s320/IMG_2550.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesse works for <a href="http://alterracoffee.com/InCafes.aspx">Alterra Coffee</a>, which has awesome coffee and baked yummies. Their graphic designer is really talented - I love my Alterra T-shirts! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Here's one meal that Jon's sister Jesse and I made one sweaty evening in Milwaukee during that heat wave where it was in the 90s (Fahrenheit, which is about 32 C or so -- but in a place where they don't have air cons!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SX6TNLmh_IJ6jhSFVuJnsVw8aYmEEdnvGwZXhkXfvBzp_lf_RqRdCnJkqb0i0nM3H6J13mNejy0sm_-ZvaRHl_AasVWthkqviDelcAwxiWsBDUnVOUBO7MajL9x4ARQeEW9R_Xa79wY/s1600/IMG_2602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SX6TNLmh_IJ6jhSFVuJnsVw8aYmEEdnvGwZXhkXfvBzp_lf_RqRdCnJkqb0i0nM3H6J13mNejy0sm_-ZvaRHl_AasVWthkqviDelcAwxiWsBDUnVOUBO7MajL9x4ARQeEW9R_Xa79wY/s320/IMG_2602.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuna Niçoise</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Jesse bought the tuna steak from Trader Joe's. The fingerling potatoes and green beans we bought from the local farmer's market (not really a market, more like a cluster of stands on a street corner) in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhoods_of_Milwaukee#Riverwest">Riverwest neighborhood</a> of Milwaukee where she lives. The lettuce were grown by Jesse in planter pots on her deck. It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time -- the potatoes were fresh and sweet, and the beans were crisp and tasted of sunshine and good things.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<b>Tuna Niçoise Salad</b><br />
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<ul><li>Tuna steak in chunks</li>
<li> Whatever lettuce you have handy</li>
<li>Green beans</li>
<li> Waxy new or fingerling potatoes</li>
<li>Olives </li>
<li>Eggs</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> I don't give quantities here as it's really up to you how much you want to include of each item. <br />
<ol><li>Defrost tuna. Marinate for an hour in soy sauce and ground black pepper (put it in a Tupperware container or bowl). </li>
<li>Top and tail the green beans; remove the "string" down the middle. </li>
<li>Boil a large saucepan of salted water. </li>
<li>Boil potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove, drain and set aside.</li>
<li>Using the same pot of water, add in the green beans. Boil for only 1 minute or so. Remove, drain and set aside. </li>
<li>Using the same pot of water (water is a scarce natural resource, after all!), boil the eggs. Remove them and IMMEDIATELY run them under cold running water (this makes the yolks stay yellow and prevents that nasty greenish tinge that sometimes forms). Set aside to cool, then peel and slice. </li>
<li>Toss some sesame seeds into the tuna (optional). </li>
<li>Heat a lightly-oiled cast iron skillet. When it's very hot, put the tuna on and sear both sides of the chunks/steak. You want to leave the middle of the tuna a bit rare inside, as it continues to cook after you remove it from the heat; so no more than 1-2 minutes total for 1-2 inch-thick pieces. </li>
<li>Assemble all the ingredients and serve. We felt the salad didn't need dressing, but you could add a balsamic, miso or other light dressing of your choice. Enjoy! <br />
</li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-10073626912778783132011-05-08T23:01:00.001+08:002011-05-08T23:03:17.309+08:00Travels near and far<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLMaK4OvHwzeyRjwSrhmn-NhDoXsNlUGky5krCRm0FXjXBS9cmfi7pvIIYJU64Qjv_1JmzUXYXbrhNDgDAxxbPdZa5jzRaiKRXT9MifelqLCDGvFoL9C631A90tM0MGv4ZLrjrHODPD4/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLMaK4OvHwzeyRjwSrhmn-NhDoXsNlUGky5krCRm0FXjXBS9cmfi7pvIIYJU64Qjv_1JmzUXYXbrhNDgDAxxbPdZa5jzRaiKRXT9MifelqLCDGvFoL9C631A90tM0MGv4ZLrjrHODPD4/s320/IMG_2260.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's been rather quiet around here lately. As well as starting a new job (chaotic!), I've been hopping around Asia too. So please forgive me if my updates are a bit sparse. First, we went to Cebu in the Philippines for the Easter weekend, where we lazed around and went island hopping and I ordered at least six green mango smoothies (much tangier and tastier than regular ripe yellow mangoes).</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HerF09BUH86jKJbLQYHwjXKFIjz6DfQu4YoquprgBeiqTaoxfyH-zxPg0Rqvn6fzwzU4S9eHyDfL_Iig4MVnfGHbVe2cHEgiHblN156b-auBi1MZgoa6jAKDxCwKrYDkpe1bT0luvA4/s1600/IMG_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HerF09BUH86jKJbLQYHwjXKFIjz6DfQu4YoquprgBeiqTaoxfyH-zxPg0Rqvn6fzwzU4S9eHyDfL_Iig4MVnfGHbVe2cHEgiHblN156b-auBi1MZgoa6jAKDxCwKrYDkpe1bT0luvA4/s320/IMG_0045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Then it was back to HK and work. I saw some pretty Japanese candies at the local supermarket. I had to get a smartphone for work (urgh! I have a terrible, compulsive email-checking habit) so I got an iPhone 4 and have been playing around with the Instagram app. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWLPm8p45zKOfGR4JxRsdrfQ5ryr6vm7zXsLD9PiG-YhqMUvKvd905shK42oSN3lin19tTQHeh5QE9xPzxeKP-DkherqDn44nUh1JyX9of-O2OBSly2v5hQsxAiT6Aa9yItxj2EpMzbM/s1600/IMG_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWLPm8p45zKOfGR4JxRsdrfQ5ryr6vm7zXsLD9PiG-YhqMUvKvd905shK42oSN3lin19tTQHeh5QE9xPzxeKP-DkherqDn44nUh1JyX9of-O2OBSly2v5hQsxAiT6Aa9yItxj2EpMzbM/s320/IMG_0124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This weekend, I hopped on a plane and visited an old college friend for her birthday. She runs a chocolate and confectionery factory near Xiamen, in Fujian province. Here's a photo of the sea there, in Zhangzhou. Xiamen was prettier and the air was cleaner than I expected. It's a fast-developing middle-tier city, but it's also a relatively nice beach town with some good boutique shopping and an appreciation of music and arts culture. <br />
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I've got three more cities to visit before the end of May: next week I'm headed to Bangkok for work, then to New York the week after (also for meetings) and then a couple days' layover in Vancouver so I can renew my driver's license. Then it's back to Hong Kong and hopefully no more travel until July when Jon and I head to Wisconsin and the UP (Michigan) to visit family.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-39548637916080360052011-05-01T12:12:00.000+08:002011-05-01T12:12:44.750+08:00Pineapple almond upside-down cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxPZlCFO9JA9d1Qb0bLhUc4XQN3sq2WtHS2skJfjhCADBX4d9omwpyAq6XfJ1IcSuLeKtlSyjqrhtgfKcvW7fiY2jjifl3w5awDF1Iv76PkOK-usMM4CkdJM8HIfFDBGvx-hK6DEFvbw/s1600/IMG_2397.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxPZlCFO9JA9d1Qb0bLhUc4XQN3sq2WtHS2skJfjhCADBX4d9omwpyAq6XfJ1IcSuLeKtlSyjqrhtgfKcvW7fiY2jjifl3w5awDF1Iv76PkOK-usMM4CkdJM8HIfFDBGvx-hK6DEFvbw/s320/IMG_2397.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I'm normally a huge fan of pineapple (my mother always soaked fresh pineapple in brine "to get the dirt out" before serving it to us as children, which I absolutely hated and left me with a lifelong wariness of the fruit), but I confess I do have a soft spot for sweet, sticky, caramel classic - pineapple upside down cake.<br />
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Here's an adaption of a great recipe that I tested out from the <a href="http://www.bbcshop.com/good-food-101s/the-good-food-cook-book-over-650-triple-tested-recipes-for-every-occasion/invt/9781849901512/">BBC Good Food Cookbook</a> which gives you a simple soft sponge cake topped with crunchy caramel, sweet-tart pineapple, and nutty roasted almonds. I've adjusted the recipe to fit a 8"/20cm square pan, but if you want to make a slightly larger, taller, cake , simply double and bake in a 22cm square or 20cm round baking pan.<br />
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I also got rid of the maraschino/glacé cherries as a topping, as I've always been slightly grossed out by their glaringly gaudy artificial redness and their cloying sweetness. But of course, each to his/her own, so feel free to add them if you like. Just don't tell me. :)<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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<b>Toppings</b><br />
<ul><li>40g butter, softened/room temperature</li>
<li>40g soft brown sugar<b> </b>(muscavado) <b></b></li>
<li>40g toasted almonds</li>
<li>enough pineapple slices or chunks to decorate the base of your baking pan (round slices are traditional and more presentable, but I had some pineapple chunks left over from making carrot cake so I used those instead)</li>
</ul><b>Sponge cake batter </b><br />
<ul><li>125g butter, softened/room temperature</li>
<li>100g brown sugar<b> </b>(muscavado) </li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li> 100g plain flour, sifted</li>
<li>1 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>30g ground almonds </li>
<li>1 tbsp pineapple juice (or juices from the can)</li>
</ul><b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Oven: </b>Preheated at 190C(375F)/170C (155F) fan<br />
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First, preheat your oven as specified above and prepare the<b> topping</b>. The topping will go into the pan first.<br />
<ol><ol><li>Cream the butter and brown sugar. Spread it liberally on the bottom and sides of your pan. No nonstick spray or baking paper needed - the butter mixture here will ensure that your cake does not stick to the pan. </li>
<li>Distribute your flaked almonds evenly on the bottom and sides of the pan. The almonds should stick to the brown sugar-butter mixture. </li>
<li>Put your pineapple slices/bits in the pan. Place the bits carefully as this will be the top part of your cake after you invert it after baking. </li>
<li>Put the prepared pan in the fridge to chill while you prepare the sponge cake batter. This is so the sugar-butter mixture does not melt and the almonds stuck on the sides do not slide back down into a lump at the bottom of your pan. </li>
</ol></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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Next, prepare your <b>sponge cake batter</b>. This is simple. Just dump all the ingredients listed above for the batter, and mix until combined (and no lumps of butter are visible). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMB2Hd5VgTlWOfBTkFQV3IBNgsuDUDNPvyJRmtrtLEvZGrBWdiCKqBqJLTWJ0b2_8_k8r4JITmodd7KgePGhDAl2cFBYHIMAejmJhETBldhj7l2mSkmRSXbe_WVL6ZT8vkRW1Y-OSqsg/s1600/IMG_2394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMB2Hd5VgTlWOfBTkFQV3IBNgsuDUDNPvyJRmtrtLEvZGrBWdiCKqBqJLTWJ0b2_8_k8r4JITmodd7KgePGhDAl2cFBYHIMAejmJhETBldhj7l2mSkmRSXbe_WVL6ZT8vkRW1Y-OSqsg/s320/IMG_2394.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Third step is easy too. Just spread the batter on top of your prepared pan.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55bl_yG847OkDYeh2Pp_7JOHq4-tGQqJHwWnOjjeoewHyRa4HpK0rq-PqAsIo-quoKjzp3C1tlJTtr189Ijcz5fdzzPwGE-QFLF-wWIE-m_v_CigNRIIz5NKD8l5Dnf7JNBxnkkU5djg/s1600/IMG_2395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55bl_yG847OkDYeh2Pp_7JOHq4-tGQqJHwWnOjjeoewHyRa4HpK0rq-PqAsIo-quoKjzp3C1tlJTtr189Ijcz5fdzzPwGE-QFLF-wWIE-m_v_CigNRIIz5NKD8l5Dnf7JNBxnkkU5djg/s320/IMG_2395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It should look something like this - a bit sludgy, but trust me, it will turn from the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan after baking in the oven for about 50min - 1 hour. Check on the cake after 35-40 minutes to make sure it isn't too hot and to avoid any burnt bits. Lower the temp slightly if necessary. <br />
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After you take it out the oven, let rest for a few minutes and then invert. The edges should have crispy butter caramel crunch and your pineapple should be soft and sweetly tart. The sponge cake should also be soft and mild.<br />
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Serve warm with plain/Greek yoghurt, ice cream or custard. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAdyMbwN50NazAzabU9U6UDwPpAL9DMZzwjCvKCB561iTayJ14NP4a0jy7Cvq1RLEXqVRjoguJaZ_i-TvUok3UpXOWXGp8-fY4R8POP0r_l9BD7d5kTDVPWEuwymXA-y-noW0ODGUHsc/s1600/IMG_2398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAdyMbwN50NazAzabU9U6UDwPpAL9DMZzwjCvKCB561iTayJ14NP4a0jy7Cvq1RLEXqVRjoguJaZ_i-TvUok3UpXOWXGp8-fY4R8POP0r_l9BD7d5kTDVPWEuwymXA-y-noW0ODGUHsc/s320/IMG_2398.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-54581825446666662072011-04-17T18:28:00.003+08:002011-04-17T18:40:01.090+08:00Birthday Cake (Nutty carrot cake with dark chocolate and almond decoration)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZdNbCdrFdh9GT2sQMIjxbXN6ZOnwo77XP_ldmZrSUc2IT_7n66_sIgJdjAnjdCvL7rCANz-aYA4BoBAN35MHm6ed7m2iZdji9puREcRBjSGu9YI63krRq172F00rpFELdBkeF9M8muE/s1600/IMG_2194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZdNbCdrFdh9GT2sQMIjxbXN6ZOnwo77XP_ldmZrSUc2IT_7n66_sIgJdjAnjdCvL7rCANz-aYA4BoBAN35MHm6ed7m2iZdji9puREcRBjSGu9YI63krRq172F00rpFELdBkeF9M8muE/s320/IMG_2194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Mom's birthday falls on Easter weekend this year but I'm going to be in Cebu, Philippines, so we celebrated the weekend before. I started a new job this week and didn't have much prep time (well, actually, I'm just not that artistically endowed), so this Easter-themed birthday cake has that "home-made" touch for sure!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzvcwd-KTihd_fy8hABLNsPRO4GzmmsKFDdWPcrvTqdVURO5pEEw8nLc_kUMBDzbr3PvfAcod4rXPbgTSGJbE-qU0xJGzv1BvbeoLzvmGVO25D6dU-ffDnkALy-WIyjxZkjrS8cH1F7k/s1600/IMG_2195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzvcwd-KTihd_fy8hABLNsPRO4GzmmsKFDdWPcrvTqdVURO5pEEw8nLc_kUMBDzbr3PvfAcod4rXPbgTSGJbE-qU0xJGzv1BvbeoLzvmGVO25D6dU-ffDnkALy-WIyjxZkjrS8cH1F7k/s320/IMG_2195.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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It's a 2-layer carrot cake. The cake layers have carrots, pineapple, almonds, coconut, and golden raisins. I used my <a href="http://essenfreude.blogspot.com/2011/03/carrot-cupcakes-with-honey-lemon-cream.html">standard recipe</a> and added extra nuts, raisins and 1/4 more pureed pineapple. Oh, and I also used grated fresh ginger this time as I ran out of the dried stuff (living in Asia, it's much easier to find fresh ginger than the powder). This resulted in a slightly more dense & moist cake, but luckily not too dense. It's up to your personal preference whether you prefer a drier and finer cake or a more moist, richer cake. <br />
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Sandwiched between the two layers is a mix of the lemon cream cheese frosting + raspberry jam. The remaining lemon cream cheese frosting was used to frost the top and sides of the cake.<br />
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<b>Decorations:</b><br />
<ul><li>Cadbury's Mini Eggs (for Easter); </li>
<li>chocolate letters (you can pipe your own on baking paper with melted chocolate in a pastry bag; I cheated and used ready-made Dr Oetker chocolate letters); and</li>
<li>dark chocolate shavings (bar of dark chocolate + vegetable peeler is all you need). </li>
</ul>Flaked almonds on the sides of the cake covered up the results of my uneven frosting skills.<br />
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<b>Cake decorating/frosting tips:</b><br />
<ul><li>For layer cakes, I recommend following Deb of Smitten Kitchen's <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/03/layer-cake-tips-the-biggest-birthday-cake-yet/">guide</a>. </li>
<li>I mainly recommend that you make as much as you can ahead. In this case, I baked the cakes and made the lemon cream cheese frosting the night before (put it in fridge overnight), and then assembled and decorated the cake in the morning. <b></b> </li>
<li>Also, in warmer climates like Hong Kong, it's extremely important to keep things cool. The subtropics are not exactly friendly to frosting, icing and other delicate, heat-sensitive food items. You might not be able to frost/decorate the entire cake in one go, as the frosting may melt and slide downwards if you let it warm up too much. Gravity is not your friend! Pop the cake back into the fridge for 10 minutes if you feel the frosting's getting too soft. </li>
<li>Try not to touch chocolate with your bare hands - it WILL melt. </li>
<li>Before using, chill your frosting beforehand but give it a good mix so it's easily spreadable. </li>
<li>After you finish decorating, chill the finished cake in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before putting in the box; then chill the entire box (with cake inside) for at least 30 minutes, if possible, to ensure the cake is surrounded with cool air during transport. </li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-23315944713150088402011-04-11T23:06:00.004+08:002011-04-17T18:38:53.370+08:00First foray into bento (lunch box) making<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-NuQg_6u82bshr7-8W389Dv_76i6pI1Iy64jlERGuxs0VRCFuTuJynBBzfcbgqQnqxUdyALMNqIqvqm3Qe4O1vYu-EvCFWH2JfQ3AAop6UTk8_LZJwz90UAACG91rxgQNbfzmcGV-P8/s1600/IMG_2192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-NuQg_6u82bshr7-8W389Dv_76i6pI1Iy64jlERGuxs0VRCFuTuJynBBzfcbgqQnqxUdyALMNqIqvqm3Qe4O1vYu-EvCFWH2JfQ3AAop6UTk8_LZJwz90UAACG91rxgQNbfzmcGV-P8/s320/IMG_2192.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Now, I'm not artistic or creative like <a href="http://cookinggallery.blogspot.com/">some people</a>, so you will never find me making patterns or beautiful cartoons with my food, but recently Jon and I have tried to eat healthier, and to exercise greater control over what, as well as how much, we eat.<br />
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To try to achieve this, we decided to eat out less, especially for lunch - and so we bought two sets of stackable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento">bento</a> containers (black and white) from <a href="http://www.muji.com/">Muji</a>. One added bonus of bringing your lunch to work is that you can save money too!<br />
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In Hong Kong, lunch tends to be greasy/heavy Chinese/Asian or sandwiches, with little in between, so hopefully making our own lunch will help us strike a better balance.<br />
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A quick, personal, note about bento (the Japanese kind): my favourite bento are the <a href="http://franktastes.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/anthony-bourdains-ekiben/">ekiben</a>, or railway station bento lunchboxes, which are sold in (you guessed it) JR train stations across Japan. They're packed lunches which you take with you when going on the shinkansen or other long-distance trips. They're often elaborately packaged and/or laid out, with all kinds of yummy things like sushi, sashimi, roasted eel, noodles, and pickles - opening each ekiben gives me a little of the same anticipation and excitement that you get when opening a Christmas present. I have very fond memories of riding between Osaka and Tokyo on the shinkansen and eating eki-ben, while looking through the window at the countless tidy little towns flying past. 懐かしいね!Japan has been on my mind quite a bit lately, as I'm sure it has for many of us. Here in Hong Kong, people have also been quite concerned (hopefully needlessly) about nuclear radiation from Fukushima coming thousands of miles to our little corner of the world. <br />
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But anyway, back to the topic of bento. Here's tomorrow's lunch, from top to bottom:<br />
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<b>Jon's:</b><br />
- Mini zucchini cheese fritters, mini Korean BBQ sausages <br />
- Milano chocolate cookies, homemade apple/carrot/bean slaw with homemade mustard mayo<br />
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<b>Mine:</b><br />
- Mini zucchini cheese fritters, mini Korean BBQ sausage, cube of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont-l%27%C3%89v%C3%AAque_%28cheese%29">Pont-l'Évêque cheese</a><br />
- Mini dorayaki (Japanese sweet red bean pancake), homemade apple/carrot/bean slaw with homemade mustard mayo<br />
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The recipes for the <a href="http://kathryncookswithjamie.blogspot.com/2007/01/courgette-fritters.html">zucchini cheese fritters</a>, the <a href="http://www.mastercookingwithherbs.com/coleslawrecipes.html">slaw</a> (greatly mutated as I didn't have cabbage or onion handy) and the mayo all came from Jamie Oliver's <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/books/cook-with-jamie">Cook with Jamie</a> which Jon gave me as a Christmas present three years ago. It might not be very trendy to like Jamie Oliver but I find his recipes to be relatively accessible and reliable.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-32436530849152009692011-04-08T19:37:00.000+08:002011-04-08T19:37:50.408+08:00Raspberry panna cotta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagQiFdwFyyK1XL2y5wEPQyW1BOr8dCaX4nI9WUt_WnMJnhtdXJ-UzRgJoWjbe2GDRUsIR-ZUofb62y5-fESR0VwVKn0c9vCg_5eR_hCdMXG0KwU5B856dRI_jaVMRc8l1S8rhdfJYUD8/s1600/IMG_2185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagQiFdwFyyK1XL2y5wEPQyW1BOr8dCaX4nI9WUt_WnMJnhtdXJ-UzRgJoWjbe2GDRUsIR-ZUofb62y5-fESR0VwVKn0c9vCg_5eR_hCdMXG0KwU5B856dRI_jaVMRc8l1S8rhdfJYUD8/s320/IMG_2185.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panna_cotta">Panna cotta</a> (Italian for "cooked cream") is one of my favourite desserts - lighter than a crême brulée, yet still creamy and milky-rich in your mouth. Basically it is an Italian-style milk custard jelly, yet it's so hard to find good panna cotta when eating out as most places make their panna cotta too firm. Great panna cotta should be wobbly and soft, with a very luxurious and yielding mouthfeel, it should be rich yet light at the same time. Too often when eating out you get panna cotta that's nothing more than milky Jell-O, and that's just not good. <br />
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I've recently purchased a copy of the BBC Good Food Cookbook; it's got some interesting ideas for different dishes which I plan to test soon. This is the first recipe I've made from this dish (albeit with some major alterations/improvisations due to not having double cream or lemons and having leftover sour cream at home)*. I haven't made jelly in a long time; I think the last time was making Jell-O gummy worm vodka shots several years ago for a X'mas party (long story, don't ask!).<br />
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*The original Good Food Cookbook recipe was for lemon pannacotta with blackberries.This is a simple vanilla panna cotta with raspberry/blueberry topping. <br />
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<b>Raspberry panna cotta </b><br />
First make your panna cotta and then your raspberry layer. Or if you plan to invert the puddings out of the ramekin onto a plate for serving, do the raspberry topping first and use it as the "bottom" layer of your ramekin (it will become the "top" when you turn it upside down and out of the mould). Whichever layer you do, make sure you let the first layer set before pouring on the second layer as you're basically just making a 2-layer jelly.<br />
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Please note that regular gelatine is not vegetarian; if you want a vegetarian substitute you can try to find agar agar in your supermarket. <br />
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Makes 8 small ramekins or 6 small ramekins and 2 martini glasses. <br />
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<b>Panna cotta Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>4 gelatine leaves (or 1 tablespoon granulated/powder gelatin)</li>
<li>450ml milk OR 400ml full-fat milk + 50ml sour cream, stirred/beaten until soft</li>
<li>400ml whipping cream (or fresh double cream if available)</li>
<li>100g vanilla sugar OR 100g sugar + 1tsp vanilla extract</li>
</ul><b> Panna cotta Method:</b><ol><li><b> </b>Soak gelatine leaves in ice cold water for 5-10 minutes to soften. Set aside. </li>
<li>In a saucepan, add milk, cream, sour cream (if using), and sugar. Heat until you see bubbles but it's not quite boiling (a very very gentle simmer), about 2-3 minutes. </li>
<li>Take saucepan off heat. Take the gelatin leaves and squeeze gently to expel excess water, then add to your milk/cream mixture. Stir until dissolved. </li>
<li>Let cool slightly, then pour into your ramekins/little cups. I've also used martini glasses to good effect (being able to see the layers through the glass gives your panna cotta an extra "wow" factor), and I don't see why you can't use shot glasses, small teacups etc. </li>
<li>Put your ramekins with the panna cotta in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours or overnight. </li>
</ol><br />
After the panna cotta is set, then prepare the next layer (raspberry topping). I just prepared the mixtures for both milk and fruit layers at the same time but you can stagger the process so that you make the first layer on one day and the second layer 2-24 hours afterwards. <br />
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<b>Raspberry layer ingredients:</b><br />
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<ul><li>2 tablespoons good raspberry jam + 1 tablespoon blueberry jam (or really, 3 tablespoons of whatever good fruit jam you have in your fridge)</li>
<li>1 gelatine leaf OR 1 tsp powdered gelatin</li>
<li>2 tablespoons of crème de framboise (raspberry liquor) or any other appropriate fruit liquor (you can also substitute water) <b><br />
</b></li>
</ul><ol><li><b> </b>Soak gelatine leaf in ice cold water for 5-10 minutes to soften. Set aside. I did this with the 4 other gelatine leaves for the panna cotta layer as I wanted to do both layers of the dessert after each other. </li>
<li>In a small saucepan, gently heat the jam and the crème de framboise/water/etc until the mixture becomes runny. Stir regularly to make sure it doesn't burn/boil. If it bubbles over it's too hot: take it off the heat. </li>
<li>Squeeze the gelatine leaf to remove excess water, then add to your jam/fruit mixture and stir until melted. </li>
<li>Set aside on your countertop to cool. If you are doing this layer second, you can let it cool on your countertop (not in the fridge) while the first layer (the panna cotta) is setting in the fridge. </li>
<li>When your first layer is set (the panna cotta should wobble but the surface should not ripple), gently pour the raspberry layer on top. Return to fridge until set (another 3 hours but best to wait overnight if you can if you're doing both layers in the same day). </li>
<li>Serve in the ramekins themselves, or if you're feeling brave, run a thin-bladed knife around the walls of the ramekins to loosen, then tip upside down on a plate. I've had problems with this as the top of my pannacotta stuck to the moulds, so I think that I'll serve these little puddings in the ramekins until I get the hang of plating them properly. </li>
</ol><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwssoQLT-8Uev0YSweJwwAABWxLbWVzrsifk_RQfamuZkBnXLcJgo17KyPkxhqsSMLFReE7St753p9ZWqrUV78-RGfaX-mILuV2VcfkK749_FXmvWFVLByptxcnlmM2r_OXMimg1F4dg/s1600/IMG_2186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwssoQLT-8Uev0YSweJwwAABWxLbWVzrsifk_RQfamuZkBnXLcJgo17KyPkxhqsSMLFReE7St753p9ZWqrUV78-RGfaX-mILuV2VcfkK749_FXmvWFVLByptxcnlmM2r_OXMimg1F4dg/s320/IMG_2186.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-45379418930725902942011-04-03T18:50:00.003+08:002011-04-03T21:27:28.190+08:00Basic vanilla Victoria sponge cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWP1wwQChowgmMpg6EjqW_ZEYUMv5DeC6-zMmW_KF_0HLs_yMCQQVu-kKXigQjYlmtP6f3OBJGEY6r9uxFq1COv06x6l9Vy7yOKUiyWTKTQiQCoJ9gYq8vEBXD2Z41a1Rjt_LgK9FsH4/s1600/IMG_2111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbWP1wwQChowgmMpg6EjqW_ZEYUMv5DeC6-zMmW_KF_0HLs_yMCQQVu-kKXigQjYlmtP6f3OBJGEY6r9uxFq1COv06x6l9Vy7yOKUiyWTKTQiQCoJ9gYq8vEBXD2Z41a1Rjt_LgK9FsH4/s320/IMG_2111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
How many things that you learn in school are actually useful <i>and </i>delicious? At my high school in England, we all had to take two years of home economics (aka cooking) lessons. An elderly lady with a bouffant white hairdo oversaw my very first attempt at making <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_cake#Victoria_sponge">Victoria sponge</a> in a large lab kitchen. I remembered liking home ec lessons a lot - too bad there wasn't an option to continue them for GCSE!<br />
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I don't make plain vanilla sponge very often and have gone through a period of not being able to make a light airy sponge for the past few years. I blamed the humidity in Hong Kong for turning my attempts at sponge cake into dense bricks, but honestly, I think it was because I was trying to be too fancy and relied on complicated recipes. I've finally come full circle and accepted that there are some things in life you just shouldn't mess with, and Victoria sponge is one of them. <br />
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This sponge cake recipe is a good base for cakes and cupcakes.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I adapted my Victoria sponge recipe from Nigella's <i>How to be a domestic goddess</i>, but added extra ground almonds and cornstarch/cornflour for a finer, more tender crumb.<br />
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<b>Basic Vanilla Victoria Sponge</b><br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>225g unsalted butter, room temperature</li>
<li><b> </b>225g vanilla sugar (or 225g regular sugar + 1 tsp vanilla extract)</li>
<li>4 large eggs</li>
<li>200g plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder, sifted & combined together (or 200g self-raising/rising flour)</li>
<li>10g cornstarch/cornflour</li>
<li>15g ground almonds/almond powder*</li>
<li>3-4 tbsp milk</li>
<li>icing sugar for dusting (optional) </li>
</ul><i>*If you don't have almonds handy, you can just up the cornstarch to 25g instead. It will still be OK but will lack that little extra special almond fragrance. If you're really desperate you can omit the cornstarch entirely and just use 225g flour instead, but I can't vouch for how your cake turns out - the cornstarch and almonds really make the cake more tender and fine.</i> <br />
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<b>Method:</b> <br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 180C. </li>
<li>Grease and line 2 x round baking tins (about 21cm/8"). </li>
<li>Sift together flour, baking powder (if using), cornstarch/flour and almonds in a separate bowl. Stir it around a bit to combine. SIFT AGAIN. </li>
<li>Cream butter and sugar in another bowl until pale and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in vanilla (if using) and eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add in a heaping spoonful of flour between eggs. </li>
<li>Fold in the rest of the flour, mix until combined. Add a few tablespoons of milk - only add enough so that the batter has a dropping consistency (i.e. it should drop easily off your spoon). </li>
<li>Pour into the prepared cake tins and bake for 25 minutes or until springy to the touch, golden brown and a cake tester/wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. It should also pull away a little from the edges of the cake pan. </li>
<li>Cool in pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool entirely on rack. </li>
<li>To get a flatter sponge (if your cake has a huge dome on top), turn the cake upside down and press gently. This is a helpful tip if you're planning to frost the cake and want even cake layers. </li>
<li>Choose the "uglier" cake and place it with the flatter side facing up. Spread whipped cream/cream cheese frosting/your preferred filling and ripe fruit over the cake. </li>
<li>Place the second cake on top of your bottom layer and gently press down to "sandwich" your cake. Don't squeeze too hard or your filling will ooze out and create a lava effect. </li>
<li>Dust the top with icing sugar, if desired. </li>
</ol><br />
<b>Notes:</b><br />
<ul><li>I use 15cm/6" round pans and got a higher cake, or you can halve the recipe, or use cupcake liners if you want cupcakes/fairycakes - it's a very flexible recipe. I use the baking pans with the removable disc bottoms (not springform, which would be even better). </li>
<li>The classic filling is lightly whipped cream and fresh English strawberries, but this proved hard to transport (especially in a warmer climate like Hong Kong's) so for this cake, I used leftover lemon cream cheese frosting that I made for my carrot cupcakes (<a href="http://essenfreude.blogspot.com/2011/03/carrot-cupcakes-with-honey-lemon-cream.html">recipe here</a>). It worked quite well as the lemon helped cut through the sweetness of the sponge cake. <b> </b></li>
<li>If you want to go all-out, then you can use a thicker frosting to cover the entire cake to make a traditional layer cake. <b> </b></li>
<li>Once you've nailed the sponge cake, then feel free to go wild with variations - chocolate sponge, Nutella fillings, mango coconut fillings, banana -choc fillings, ...the possibilities are endless. <b> </b> </li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7EsVwXhnz3tKLGlrRzXzX64WwSA5orrds-LF6bhal04nT-AfNV-5JVXRabYfIr8YYB5-EvAymKlM_ZIJtOXrXbzhKNHSDJnLKLvPSMG9EIJEb1fzxz5Vmnw04DTPyUEBtFfTeySeh3s/s1600/IMG_2112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7EsVwXhnz3tKLGlrRzXzX64WwSA5orrds-LF6bhal04nT-AfNV-5JVXRabYfIr8YYB5-EvAymKlM_ZIJtOXrXbzhKNHSDJnLKLvPSMG9EIJEb1fzxz5Vmnw04DTPyUEBtFfTeySeh3s/s320/IMG_2112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-43922358829395431432011-03-29T14:36:00.012+08:002011-04-03T18:03:57.600+08:00Carrot cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut-almond garnish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbaVfg0TJotRnzFTvL9dlPzWDtpR3RxUiySU5GHf9hMdN8NP689KY4RgFW-urQW0W71F0BMNQX6wGmcEwW7t5ykrUP4daHGaLzrOp4BFWrw6ywTPJj0jmO-74u8AdPJUgYjZLqdG6pPA/s1600/2011-0403+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbaVfg0TJotRnzFTvL9dlPzWDtpR3RxUiySU5GHf9hMdN8NP689KY4RgFW-urQW0W71F0BMNQX6wGmcEwW7t5ykrUP4daHGaLzrOp4BFWrw6ywTPJj0jmO-74u8AdPJUgYjZLqdG6pPA/s320/2011-0403+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Easter coconut carrot cupcakes (with chocolate Mini Eggs), with mini strawberry cheesecakes in the background. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8itSrBakpgEimf5wb1cHDqPSkSBRNLNmjWAdtVAZNb5qiVX_cGtlIu7Zhp2IILPrfg0bWJpR5HycFKGGcoMfmsNQgF2KF9n0Tq-Ffq5qG-dQbd8n0J1O03xK_ZU351WlLqTHwOQcvbGo/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"> </a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugiqPPyDaFDBjbn4ywvScmnzbYyqX8eOZT3h73BcnLhOflgraDC0Z1O0xNQZ0bpnwiq0xYP66V67FUtzF3ZRJLTS9_IwRgxsw6ZN-d79kNSPGQXWxGMtTMyI-6s7v98KMj3gWAVw4mrs/s1600/IMG_2110.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589387444569446914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugiqPPyDaFDBjbn4ywvScmnzbYyqX8eOZT3h73BcnLhOflgraDC0Z1O0xNQZ0bpnwiq0xYP66V67FUtzF3ZRJLTS9_IwRgxsw6ZN-d79kNSPGQXWxGMtTMyI-6s7v98KMj3gWAVw4mrs/s320/IMG_2110.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A simple, grown-up (?) version of carrot cupcakes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
For me, there are <span style="font-weight: bold;">three cardinal rules of carrot cakes</span>:<br />
<ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moistness: </span>The cake has to be moist but not dense/heavy/greasy, with a coarse but soft crumb.<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nuts</span> (pecans, walnuts - take your pick): These can go on top as a garnish to add crunch and flavour but never inside the batter. I hate those soft mushy greasy lumps of nuts in some carrot cakes. I <span style="font-style: italic;">might</span> consider adding raisins in the cake if I'm having that kind of a day.<br />
</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frosting:</span> It's all about the cream cheese frosting.<br />
</li>
<li>The third rule is so important, it's worth repeating: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">it's all about the frosting</span>.<br />
</li>
</ol><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPp9sCvYy4yXHMReYAM_EBwZcSAPYgMyfqpXbETY0uMDUH-il7VadaXO-tytvbNFq5nWSRI9fkbZ5pADvE95p_KY6iOfCbZTUG6-YaRNXf-e2o16CICrG6LHw8um6L_JlB3ISA1QG03I/s1600/IMG_2106.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589387437626457698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPp9sCvYy4yXHMReYAM_EBwZcSAPYgMyfqpXbETY0uMDUH-il7VadaXO-tytvbNFq5nWSRI9fkbZ5pADvE95p_KY6iOfCbZTUG6-YaRNXf-e2o16CICrG6LHw8um6L_JlB3ISA1QG03I/s320/IMG_2106.JPG" style="cursor: move; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This carrot cupcake looks melancholy without the frosting.</span></div><br />
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Here's my recipe for carrot cake (or cupcakes). It's cobbled together from <a href="http://thenoshery.com/2009/04/30/the-best-carrot-cake-ever/">several</a> <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrot-Cupcakes-with-Orange-Icing-240966">different</a> <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-carrot-cake-ever/Detail.aspx">sources</a>. This was my first time making carrot cake, so I did quite a bit of online research (thanks Google!) before deciding on a recipe.<br />
<br />
Here are a few <b>tips/notes </b>from online & my own experience:<br />
<ul><li>You don't really need that much oil. You can replace some of it with pureed pineapple or applesauce.<br />
</li>
<li>The main problem that people encounter when making carrot cake is adding too much oil or too much liquid (in the form of your carrots or pineapple). Squeeze the grated carrots and gently to drain off excess liquid. Drain canned pineapple to remove the extra liquid/syrup. This stops your cake from becoming dense and soggy. </li>
<li>I don't like how sweet most American cake/dessert recipes usually turn out so I almost always reduce the sugar by 1/2 to 2/3 the original amount. For carrot cake, I find the carrots and pineapple are already quite sweet. And then you've got the decadent frosting to consider as well...</li>
<li>The amount of spices is quite flexible and you can adjust the amounts to your own personal preference (I like to add extra cinnamon and ginger sometimes). Same goes for nuts and fruit (I've also added raisins and flaked almonds into the batter as well, but add them to the flour mixture first to coat; otherwise they may sink to the bottom of your cake due to their weight.)</li>
</ul>Without further ado, here's my take on carrot cake:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Carrot cupcakes with honey lemon cream cheese frosting & toasted coconut-almond garnish</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> (makes about 18 regular-sized cupcakes or 2x 15cm/6 inch round cakes)</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
<br />
Cupcakes<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>2-3 medium carrots, peeled (enough to make 2 cups grated carrots)</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups / 190g plain flour </li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>3/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>2 tsp ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1 tsp dry ground ginger (or 2 tsp fresh ground ginger)<br />
</li>
<li>1/4 tsp ground nutmeg<br />
</li>
<li>1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional)</li>
<li>1/4 cup vegetable oil</li>
<li>1/2 cup / 125g (120ml) roughly pureed pineapple<br />
</li>
<li>3 large eggs</li>
<li>3/4 cup / 160g light brown sugar</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
</li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Method:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span><br />
<ol><li>Put your muffin pans (with paper liners) [about 18 muffin/cupcake cups] on a baking sheet. Set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C.<br />
</li>
<li>Grate your peeled carrots using the large holes of your grater. Squeeze them gently to drain off excess liquid before putting them into your measuring cup. Press on them slightly to pack them tightly into the cup (don't overdo it!). Make 2 cups of grated carrots; then set aside. </li>
<li>Drain canned pineapple to remove the syrup/liquid (this is important to avoid a soggy cake). Using a blender or food processor, roughly puree enough of your canned pineapple to make 1/2 cup. It should not look like baby food - leave little bits of pineapple as they will add texture to your cake. Don't over-puree it. Set aside.<br />
</li>
<li>Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all your spices in one bowl.<br />
</li>
<li>In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, pureed pineapple, eggs, carrots and vanilla.<br />
</li>
<li>Add dry (flour) mixture to wet (carrot) mixture. Stir until combined and you don't see any more white streaks of flour.<br />
</li>
<li>Divide batter into the lined muffin cups (I got 12 regular sized and 9 mini cupcakes out of this amount). Fill the liners about 2/3 way up.<br />
</li>
<li>Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Check to see that the cupcakes are golden and a cake tester/toothpick comes out dry when inserted into the middle of a cupcake.<br />
</li>
<li>Take out and cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan (I just tipped them out slowly, since they're like little muffins they should not break that easily) and cool completely for 45 minutes to 1 hour.<br />
</li>
<li>Frost using recipe below or your favourite frosting/icing recipe.<br />
</li>
</ol><br />
***<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Honey lemon cream cheese frosting<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>140g/5oz cream cheese</li>
<li>35g/2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp</li>
<li>80g icing/powdered/confectioners sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 tablespoons honey (I used honey I bought back from Greece but you can also use any other honey or even maple syrup or NOTHING at all if you want your frosting to be firmer and less sweet)</li>
<li>Juice of 1/4 lemon</li>
<li>Grated lemon zest (1/4 to 1/2 lemon, amount is flexible)</li>
</ul><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
Method:</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<ol><li>Beat together cream cheese and butter in an electronic mixer (handheld or bowl mixer is fine) until light and fluffy. </li>
<li>Add in lemon zest and juice and mix until combined.<br />
</li>
<li>Add icing sugar and mix at low speed until combined (i.e. you should see no streaks of white sugar).</li>
<li>Add in honey and mix until combined.<br />
</li>
<li>Chill in fridge until firm enough to spread, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.<br />
</li>
<li>Spread over cupcakes with a spatula.*</li>
</ol>*I tried piping it using a pastry bag but I've come to the conclusion that cream cheese frosting is not meant to be piped into fancy swirls! (It's too soft.) If you want fancy piping please using a buttercream frosting instead which should hold its shape better.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Toasted coconut - almond garnish<br />
</span><br />
<ul><li>Unsweetened dried/dessicated coconut flakes<br />
</li>
<li>Almond flakes</li>
</ul><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
Method:</span><br />
<ol><li>The easiest method is to sprinkle the coconut flakes and then insert an almond flake into the center of the frosted cupcakes. </li>
<li>I decided to toast the coconut for this recipe to add some colour contrast because otherwise the white coconut would not show up against the white frosting! I liked how the golden-brown coconut & almond complemented the white frosting and the darker brown cake. </li>
</ol><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
How to toast your dessicated coconut flakes: </span><br />
<br />
Another option that is very easy and gives the coconut an extra "<span style="font-style: italic;">je ne sais quoi</span>" factor and delicious fragrance is to gently heat your coconut in an ungreased non-stick frying pan over low heat. Be careful, because the coconut burns easily. After a minute or less, your white coconut flakes should start to turn golden brown. When you have about 50:50 ratio of brown - white coconuts, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the heat to avoid burning the coconut. Let cool before sprinkling over the cupcakes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8itSrBakpgEimf5wb1cHDqPSkSBRNLNmjWAdtVAZNb5qiVX_cGtlIu7Zhp2IILPrfg0bWJpR5HycFKGGcoMfmsNQgF2KF9n0Tq-Ffq5qG-dQbd8n0J1O03xK_ZU351WlLqTHwOQcvbGo/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589387441667069730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8itSrBakpgEimf5wb1cHDqPSkSBRNLNmjWAdtVAZNb5qiVX_cGtlIu7Zhp2IILPrfg0bWJpR5HycFKGGcoMfmsNQgF2KF9n0Tq-Ffq5qG-dQbd8n0J1O03xK_ZU351WlLqTHwOQcvbGo/s320/IMG_2113.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
These will keep about 3-4 days in the fridge. Unfrosted cupcakes will keep up to one month in the freezer but it's best to use them as soon as possible to avoid freezer burn or the risk of the cakes absorbing other smells/flavours from other freezer items.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765548191764710297.post-25809169769194899602011-03-26T12:54:00.008+08:002011-03-31T18:16:56.983+08:00Miffy in Chocolate Pinwheel land<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7R3MtjUI_bKPtuTzxXbgOQ8_nVb90EfdRQPJzzq-e5kSfR6CSrtOvqF7bv33amSLb4t3P0y3Dqvxvu6a9vDizs2L6gchnaN0lTocMz4C9vV_S9fnJC4wOSM6-fIq6ESpU8b0U4t8mEbE/s1600/IMG_2103.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588247977784777394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7R3MtjUI_bKPtuTzxXbgOQ8_nVb90EfdRQPJzzq-e5kSfR6CSrtOvqF7bv33amSLb4t3P0y3Dqvxvu6a9vDizs2L6gchnaN0lTocMz4C9vV_S9fnJC4wOSM6-fIq6ESpU8b0U4t8mEbE/s320/IMG_2103.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Miffy likes chocolate pinwheels too</div><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate pinwheel cookies</span><br />
<ul><li>115g unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
</li>
<li>100g caster sugar + 2 tsp vanilla extract OR 100g vanilla sugar<br />
</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>300g sifted plain flour</li>
<li>25g cornflour/cornstarch/ground almonds (I prefer almonds but cornstarch is cheaper)<br />
</li>
<li>2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>100g dark chocolate, chopped</li>
</ul><ol><li>Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, set aside.</li>
<li>Cream butter and sugar in a separate bowl until pale and fluffy; add eggs (and vanilla extract, if using).</li>
<li>Sift in dry ingredients into the wet mixture, combine until no traces of flour are left and you have a smooth paste/dough.<br />
</li>
<li>Divide mixture into two bowls.</li>
<li>Melt chocolate (using microwave or a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water [bain marie]), let cool slightly before mixing into one half of the dough.<br />
</li>
<li>Wrap with clingfilm and chill in fridge until firm, at least one hour and could be overnight.<br />
</li>
<li>Roll out the plain dough on a lightly floured surface (I use a pastry mat so that my countertop doesn't get too dirty/sticky). It should be in a rough rectangular shape and quite thin, maybe 1cm thick? The best way to judge is to roll it out until it's thin but you can still handle it without it breaking into little pieces.<br />
</li>
<li>Then roll out the chocolate dough in the same way on a separate part of the floured surface.</li>
<li>Brush off excess flour, then transfer chocolate dough rectangle on top of the vanilla dough rectangle. Trim any overhanging edges. You should have a large rectangle with two layers (one vanilla, one choc).<br />
</li>
<li>Gently roll up the rectangle along the longer length. I find it easier to roll towards me so in step 9 I place the long side of the rectangle facing/parallel to me.<br />
</li>
<li>Wrap in parchment/baking paper, then chill in the fridge at least another hour or overnight. Chilling the dough helps the butter set and avoids the disaster of having your cookies melt and spread in the oven.<br />
</li>
<li>Slice the log of cookie dough into thin coins and place on lined baking sheet.<br />
</li>
<li>Bake in preheated oven at 190C for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.<br />
</li>
<li>Let cool, then store in airtight container for up to a week. (You can also freeze these.)</li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325972425000481596noreply@blogger.com0