When Taps Run Dry, A Simple Breakfast

It's now coming into the 3rd week that i have not had continuous water supply at home.   This is the worst ever water woes that i have experienced in my entire life.  It is hard to even imagine what more face this kind of problem in this day and age living in an urban area!  At least if one lives in a village or jungle there are wells and rivers to draw from!  The first week was just hell, we were not warned at all causing us to frantically find ways to resolve water needs.  A lot of time was spent running around to relatives and friends' places for our basic needs like showering and filling up some water to bring home.   And there's the running around to laundromats and having meals too.  We went further off to ensure these eateries were not facing the same water disruption lest we get sick due to unhygienic reasons.    Then they started sending water tankers that came at the oddest hour, imagine staying on alert just to catch them.   Fortunately, the barking of my neighbour's 3 dogs is loud enough to wake everyone on the street up when they arrive.   Love you doggies!  But jumping out of bed at 3.30am, queuing up in pjs and sarongs with eyes half opened and stinky mouths may sound funny but it is definitely no fun at all at that point of time!  

It a crisis out there, people are affected both directly and indirectly and it could lead to more serious complications.  I am so sadden to read in the papers that a mum to be suffered a miscarriage and lost her pair of twins while carrying water back to her flat :((  I am fortunate that it's a little better now that we are getting water on alternate days for a period of around 6 hours.  For now it's rush hour when water flows! 

Initially we ate out when this whole water disruption thing started but have gone back to making our own meals since the problem is wide spread and we can't be certain if a place actually gets clean water besides it's a hassle to go way out for meals.  At least i am in control when i make my own food.  For now it's keeping it simple all the way, store bought bread for breakfast, one pot meals, steamed dishes or anything that needs minimum washing for main meals.  

After getting tired of just bread, i bought this pack of tortilla wrap one day.  Made this simple breakfast quesadilla, something that i could afford to make since there are only 2 dishes to be washed, the pan and the bowl for the egg :)  

A nice change that added some cheer to this subdued mood that we are in. Healthy, tasty and simple, done up within 10 minutes.

Fellow Malaysians, you might want to think of this as a healthier version of Roti Telur, much healthier without any oil used in the preparation, whole grain and tastier too with the addition of ham and cheese ;-)

Recipe

Inspiration: Sea Salt with Food

Ingredients

• 1 piece tortilla wrap
• 1 medium size egg, lightly beaten
• 1 slice of ham
• 1 stalk scallion
• 3 tbsp grated mozarella cheese

Method

1. Heat up frying pan with just enough oil to coat the pan and fry the ham. Cut into smaller pieces then set aside.
2. Place wrap in the pan and pour beaten egg on top of wrap. When egg starts to set, place ham (on one half of wrap since it's going to be folded) on top of egg followed by cheese.
3. When cheese starts to melt sprinkle on chopped scallion.
4. Fold wrap into half with spatula and gently pressed it down.
5. Flip wrap over to get both sides slightly brown and crisp.

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A Sweet Treat of Hong Kong ~ Pai Pau

If one were to stroll along the streets in Hong Kong, one is bound to come across glass cupboards that are filled with a wide range of Hong Kong style pastries.  These cupboards are commonly placed near the entrance to the many cafes, restaurants or bakeries, making it convenient for customers who choose to grab a bite on the go instead of dining in.  Snacking is quite a culture there.  Well, of course looking won't do both you and them justice! Pick a traditional cha chaan teng (aka tea restaurants), order a few of these pastries and a cup of milk tea to go with them for a true Hong Kong experience :)

Chinese pastries with British influence is one of the must try food when one visits Hong Kong.  Among them egg tarts, pineapple buns, cocktail buns and pai pau. 

Pai Pau literally translates to row buns just like how they are made longish and baked closely together in a row.  Nothing big to shout about, these are typical Asian style plain sweet buns but they are cottony soft, creamy and milky.  You could eat them just like that which is how i prefer them.

If you look at the recipe, it's a no brainer why these buns are so soft, creamy and milky.  4 types of milk goes into it, cream, fresh milk, powdered milk and condensed milk!  Pretty high in fat content, huh?  I have made them on rare occasions only, mostly when i am trying to finish off some cream.  And for this time around, the other reason would be to support the Asian Food Fest blogging event, featuring Hong Kong and Macau for this month.

Recipe
Reference: Do What I Like

Ingredients

• 250g bread flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5g instant yeast
• 2 tbsp powdered milk
• 45g sugar
• 1 egg yolk + milk to make up 120ml
• 75ml whipping cream
• 1 tbsp condensed milk
• 50g pre fermented dough
• 40g butter 

Method

1. Place all ingredients in the bread pan of the breadmaker (according to the recommended sequence stated in the instruction manual of the breadmaker).  Select Dough function.  Once the cycle completes, let dough rise until double the size.
2. Remove from bread pan then punch down dough to release trapped air.  
3. Divide dough into 6 portions (around 93g each).  Shape into round balls and let dough rest for 15 minutes.
4. Roll out dough  into rectangular shape of around 18cm * 5 cm. Roll dough up from the long side.  
5. Place in a greased pan (The size of my pan was 23 * 28 cm).  
6. Let dough rise until length is around 80% of pan. (I covered the pan with a tray to prevent it from rising in height.)
7. Brush with egg wash (I used the remaining egg white plus 1 tbsp of milk).
8. Bake at 190C for 18 minutes. 
9. Brush with some butter for a nice glossy look and let it cool on rack.

Pre fermented Dough

• 63g bread flour
• 40ml water
• 1g instant yeast

1. Mix all the dough into a rough dough and let if proof for at least 2 hours.
2. The above amount will produce 100g of dough. 
3. Wrapped up the remaining portion with cling wrap and freeze for future use.
4. The frozen dough must be brought to room temperature before using.

Note:

I have incorporate my slight variations into the recipe above which include using a breadmaker to do the kneading and dividing the dough into 6 portions instead of 8 as recommended in the original recipe.

Updated on 27 Feb 14 - My apologies for missing out step 6 in the original post. 

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest: Hong Kong + Macau  hosted by Annie from Annielicious Food 

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Mushy Gushy Lovey Dovey!

Warning! Mushy-gushy, lovey-dovey stuff ahead! 

It's Valentine's eve and it's hub's birthday and it's extra special this year because the 15th day of Chinese New Year which is also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day falls on Valentine's Day!   So, it's hard not to be all lovey-dovey with a double shower of love :)) I read that it only happens once in 22 years.  

We don't really celebrate Valentine's but it never passes by unnoticed since it falls on the day after hub's birthday.

Happy Birthday, hubs! Had to make do with cupcakes as we have been facing water disruption for the 5th day now.  Terrible horrible it is!   We have not had a decent homemade meal since.   Decided to go with this One Bowl Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake after contemplating whether to buy one, after all it's just one (well, 3 actually for me) that requires washing when the job is done.

It really is a pretty simple recipe, this is my second time making it. Most of the time i do without frostings (don't really fancy it and the other reason being i am pretty bad at it) but since it's for a special occasion i gave it an attempt.  I followed this Pierre Herme salted caramel frosting that was recommended by Janine of Un Pastiche. It tasted  quite unique with some saltiness cutting across the overall sweetness from the buttercream and cake.

Mushiness overload with heart shaped sprinkles, red ribbons and a decorated fork to melt my sweetheart! 

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends out there! 

Recipe

Chocolate cupcakes - Here 

Salted caramel sauce - Un Pastiche who adapted from Pierre Herme (1/3 of original recipe)

• 50g sugar
• 55g heavy cream
• 10g unsalted butter
• 3g sea salt (best if you have fleur de del)

 Frosting- Un Pastiche 

• 125g unsalted butter
• 110g icing sugar
• 25g salted caramel sauce

Instructions

Salted caramel sauce: 

1. Heat sugar in a deep saucepan (preferably stainless steel or light coloured pot so that you can see the colour change) and allow it to caramelize.
2. When the sugar turns brown, remove from heat and add butter.
3. Add cream and be careful of any splatters.  If the cream is at room temperature, it will not splatter as much. 
4. Put the saucepan back onto the heat and cook until it reaches about 108°C on a candy thermometer.  Recommendation from Janine : If this is your first time making caramel, I would recommend the use of a candy thermometer for accuracy. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, it is the “thread” stage, which means that the caramel will form thin threads in cold water and it’s the stage right before the caramel darkens quite dramatically. Once you reach 108°C, remove the pan from heat and allow it to cool. 
5. Add in the sea salt, and mix until it is completely dissolved. The sauce must be completely cool before you make the frosting.

Frosting: 

1. Ensure unsalted butter is at room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter until light and fluffy. 
2. Add in the sifted icing sugar all at once. Continue beating until all the icing sugar is well incorporated and the butter becomes slightly more ‘stiff’. 
3. Add in the cooled salted caramel sauce, and continue beating until well incorporated. Scoop the frosting into a prepared piping bag. If the frosting feels ‘soft’, refrigerate for about 20 minutes before using. Pipe as desired onto the chocolate cupcakes. 
4. Drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top of the frosted cupcakes if desired.

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Old Time Cookies - Kuih Siput

This is for old times sake, not exactly a cookie, more of a snack that my family used to make for Chinese New Year.  And yes, it's been so long since we had this :(  Wonder how many of my Chinese friends out there had this for CNY?  Do you make them still?

If I am not wrong, this snack has a Malay origin, i only know it by its Malay name which is Kuih Siput translated it means Snail/Shell Cakes (i like to think of it as shell which it resembles).  It's crunchy, savoury and spicy which makes it something very nice to munch on especially with a nice can of cold beer, very addictive i warn you!  

My memories recall my Mum mixing the dough and frying it while Pa (plus my sister and I as the little helpers) did the shaping with a grooved board similar to making gnocchi.  My Pa was very skilled at it, he even made his own board for this!  Unfortunately Pa can't recalled where he kept them when i asked him the other day.

I look at a few recipes but was quite lost in terms of the best water/fat ratio.  I had a pretty good idea of the spices that were in it though, so i played around twice and i am going to put the second attempt down for my future reference.  The shaping takes quite a bit of effort, i am still wondering how was it possible that we made them by the tins back then, given that there were 4 of us but still, it's quite a job...

Recipe

Ingredients

• 150g all purpose flour
• 30g butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, pounded
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, pounded
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried shrimps, washed, soaked for 10 minutes then pounded
• 50ml water
• 1/2 egg (lightly beaten)

Method 

1. Sift flour then mix with salt, chilli powder, fennel, cumin and dried shrimps.
2. Rub in butter.
3. Mix in egg and stir well.
4. Add in water gradually and mix until a soft and smooth dough is formed.
5. Take a pinch of the dough, press it on a grooved board to get the imprints then using the thumb push it away from you, the piece of dough will roll up forming the shape of a seashell.
6. Heat up oil in a wok or frying pan.
7. Fry the shells over medium heat until golden brown.
8. Ensure shells have cooled before storing in an air tight container.

Note:

1. These are meant to be tiny morsels, making them big will result in shells that are so crunchy.
2. Fry over medium heat, high heat will caused them to brown too easily. 

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A little Bit of Amos Pecan Cookies

So, i am still on my Chinese New Year cookie baking marathon although it will be here in 5 days! Actually i only have 3 more days, minus 1 from travelling time back to hub's hometown and another to help mil prepare the reunion dinner on the eve. But in hindsight i have done quite a fair bit, 5 type of cookies already with enough for some sharing.  What is left is to repeat the cycle so that i can have more to share with loved ones and friends :)

This one was made with the purpose of using the pecans that i have in stock.  Might as well make good use of them and turned them into something Amos like which is well loved by many.  A simple crispy and crunchy cookie with pecans and Andes mint chocolate chips in it, need i say more??  

Recipe
Source: My Sugar and Spice And All Things Nice

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 1/4 cup soft brown sugar
• 1/4 cup castor sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cup self raising flour
• 1/2 cup choc chips (i used Andes mint choc chips)
• 1/2 cup lightly toasted pecan nut halfs (you can replace it with white chocolate chip or any other nuts)

Method 

1. Heat up oven to 180C degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add yolk and vanilla essence and beat further.
4. Mix flour, chips and nuts into batter with wooden spoon.
5. Spoon batter onto baking sheet and bake for 10~15mins
6. Cool on wire rack.

Note: Handle the cookies with care, as they tend to crumble easily.

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Nian Gao - The Cheater's Way

Nian gao (年糕) is a traditional chinese cake that is mostly eaten during the lunar new year.   Like most food that are eaten during the new year, there is an auspicious meaning to it.  Nian means year in mandarin while gao which means cake also sounds like the word 'high', hence when put together it's a homonym for higher year i.e.  a better year ahead.  And mind you, Nian Gao is also food for the Gods, it is offered to the Kitchen God in hope that he will report only the good seen in the household, some goes to the extent of sticking a piece of the cake on his mouth to ensures this :)

Making the real mc coy is quite an effort as it is steamed over medium heat for at least 2-3 hours.  It takes patience and constant monitoring to ensure water in the steamer doesn't dry out.  I don't think I am up for this yet :)  I shudder to think of the disappointment that i will have to face should it fails after that enormous amount of effort. 

This version that i have here is a baked version that is more popular in the West.  Its preparation is much easier compared to the traditional one.  The recipe was shared by my sister.  It does not taste exactly like the traditional ones but there is some resemblance in terms of texture.  A different type of fragrance altogether with eggs and milk in the recipe.  And since it's bake it has a nice crust on top with some toasted sesame seeds adding to the crunch.    To be fair, me thinks this version of the nian gao should be allowed to bask in its own limelight, it's truly delicious in its own way.

The nian gao is baked in a square pan lined with banana leaves.

I have made this a couple of new years now and it has been quite well received.  I normally serve it as a dessert.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cups sugar (mildly sweet, possible to add up 1 1/2 cup if preferred)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 450g glutinous rice flour

Method

1. Prepare a 7 inch square pan.  Line pan with banana leaves (if available).  If banana leaves is not used, pan is to be greased with oil. 
2. Beat eggs and sugar until pale in color and looks creamy.
3. Add oil gradually and mix well.
4. Add milk and flour alternately ending with flour and making sure batter is well mixed.
5. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds for a nutty fragrance and to make it look prettier. 
6. Bake at 180C for about 1 hour.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #39: CNY Rock and Roll! (Jan 2014) hosted by Food Playground 

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Old Time Cookies - La Sam Pia aka Chinese Five Spice Pinwheel Cookie

I am on a roll, after making my first old time cookies for the coming lunar new year, i found myself reminiscing about cookies that we had back then.   

When i was young, making cookies was a family affair,  everyone had a role to play, grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and all. My mum would be in charge of baking the more modern ones (i.e. those using butter/margarine and mostly baked) while the more traditional ones like kuih kapit (love letters) which were made over a charcoal stove were done at my grandma's place where there was a bigger space to setup the stove, working area and all.

We made cookies by the tins back then, recycle aluminium tins which were diligently collected, cleaned and stored away months ahead. No where were the plastic jars with red covers that we use nowadays in sight.

Since mum was in charged of the modern ones, we would make them at night in my home during the weekdays and if we were not too tired by the weekend we will join the gang at my grandma's place during the weekends.  Sessions at grandma's were especially fun although making those love letters over a charcoal stove at an average temperature of 32C was no laughing matter.  There were so many of us, chatting, sweating and laughing while carrying out our roles :) Somehow, traditions got lost, probably because there were no longer enough helping hands around after the younger ones grew up and left our hometown.  Reminiscing old times can be emotional at times...

This cookie that i have here is one that my mum used to make. Unique as there's an oriental touch to it.  A combination of sweet, savory and spicy.  I don't remember coming across it elsewhere. It's a little like the another chinese cookie called 'cow ear' biscuit but it's not, taste wise it's not as complex as those.   For ease of reference, i named it Chinese Five Spice cookie although we nicknamed it 'La Sam Pia' which translates to Dirty biscuit in Hokkien within the family! I know, i know, food and dirt are not suppose to go together, lol! If I remember correctly it was  because Big Uncle commented that they look like they had dirt on them because of the brownish wheel in between and the name stuck!  Btw, it's one of Big Uncle's favorite.

Mum has stopped baking cookies for a long time and she couldn't remember the recipe that she had used for it.  I tried making it last year but it didn't turn out quite right, the texture wasn't there.  It's not the buttery, melt in your mouth type of cookie, more like the crunchy and snap type.  I am pretty happy that it turned out quite like the way i remembered it this time.  I can't wait to surprise her with it and bring some for Big Uncle too :)

After comparing a few recipes, i decided to adapt from a checkerboard cookie recipe to recreate this cookie.  The original recipe used cake flour which i substituted to normal All Purpose flour to get the crunch.

Recipe
Adapted from: Do What I Like

Ingredients 

• 100g butter (room temperature)
• 70g castor sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg

Plain dough 

• 130g all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Spice dough 

• 125g all purpose flour
• 5g Chinese 5 spice powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Then add in vanilla essence and egg and cream till smooth and well combined.
2. Divide butter mixture into 2 equal portions.
3. Sift in plain dough into 1 portion of the butter mixture and spice dough into the other portion.
4. Blend each dough in its mixing bowl till a dough can be formed. 
5. Cover the dough with cling wrap then roll out each dough into a rectangular shape of 30cm x 20cm. .
6. Place the 2 doughs on top of the another and roll it up like a swiss roll. Roll tightly to make sure the 2 pieces of dough stick together.  The dough will become a long cylindrical shape of around 5cm in diameter. If the dough is too soft, refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes.
7. Cut dough into pieces of around 5mm wide.
8. Bake at 180C for 18 minutes or till the golden brown in colou

I'm submitting this post to the Bake Along event hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings and the theme is 'Chinese New Year Cookies'.

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