Brownie....

Two Sunday ago, after my lunch guests left, a young couple came to my house. They were my prospective customers who wanted to discuss their wedding package. While discussing their requirements i served them fruit and blueberry tartlet and some muffins. I was happy to see them enjoying the sweet treats. Suddenly the guy asking if i made brownie and of course i said yes. So he ordered one just for makan-makan and to make it at my convenience ...nice customer ya...I made the brownie for them yesterday. I used the recipe from one of the many recipes books that i have. Lightly topped with chocolate ganache. A cut brownie
In a box
Ready to be collected

Thought school time is over for me ........

Salam everyone.....1001 apology for being so quite this past 2 weeks. I am getting naturally blonde soon at the rate things are going at my home ha ha ha.....I am sitting for PMR this week and tomorrow is the last day....cant wait....at the same time taking primary year 4 final exams. And i thought i would be done with school after 1989 ha ha ha....

Then the mating season has just started. Best part is, i just secured a request for Feb 2009 wedding order ....I salute the bride-to-be for the early preparation and i cant imagine how stressful for her as she has to take care for the groom-to-be preparation too. Her fiance is from outstation. It makes my job easy though as i could planned my schedules around the kids' activities and at the same time give the customers the best of services and products...cewah....macam real ha ha ha...but i do take this part time job of mine very seriously, give me real satisfaction when people especially strangers appreciate my efforts.


Here is my local version of fried pasta.....the children love it. If any one care to try here are the ingredients and how to;

500 gm of pasta (spagethi, macaroni or anything you fancy) - boil in lightly oiled boiling water - al dente then strain
blended dry chili ( chili boh if store bought) - amount depends how hot you want it
250 gms minced beef ( i used Ramlee nyer )
2 cups tomato sauce (mine was Kimball in the packet)
3 garlic - finely chopped
2 yellow big onion - finely chopped
2 medium potato - diced ( best to use russets)
1 capsicum
1/2 small head cauliflower
1/2 small head broccoli
1 medium carrot
2 eggs
1/2 cup of water (eye ball ya, kalau rasa daging tu blum betul masak tambah sikit lagi)
olive oil ( minyak cap Labor boleh gak)

Heat oil (kalau olive oil dont heat it too long), fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes, add in the blended chili and fry until fragrance...add in the beef and the water and let it simmer...add in the the tomato sauce, stir and throw in the potatoes and when it half cooked throw in all the vege, stir and after a few minutes add in the pasta, stir and break the 2 eggs mamak style....stir again and serve hot a few minutes later......


This is coconut candy which was so very popular during Food Sale when i was in secondary school ages ago he he....recipe from one of the RASA magazine which i just cannot find ( later if i did, i post the recipe if anyone interested).

Easy and yummy individual cheese cakes for Raya ......

My husband's niece and his cousin requested cheese cake for Raya. I had baked 6 cakes and a bit tired to do another one but didnt have the heart to disappoint the girls. I opted to bake the simplest but delicious individual cheese cakes for them. With these cakes, i left it to them to divide the cakes among a few of them he he ....






500 cream cheese
1/2 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
12 oreos biscuits

Beat cheese and sugar, add in the eggs one by one, add in the juice and vanilla. Slot in the paper cups in the standard muffin tray. Put the oreos as the base, pour in the cheese mixture equally and bake in the 180 degree preheated oven for 2o - 25 minutes. Then off the oven and let the cakes cooled in the oven for an hour with the oven door ajar. Cool in the fridge for a few hours and then enjoy. The blueberry filling is optional. Melted choc is a good option too...

Menu for breaking fast one day last week....

Been wanting to make Goreng Cencaru Sumbat since beginning of the fasting month but just did see the right size of the cencaru, either its too small of too big. Until one day last week, i found the cencaru size that i like he he...so happy i got a ringgit worth of shredded coconut, a bit of chili api, a few red onions, tumeric, tumeric leaves and of course salt to taste. After filling in the mixture of pounded coconut and the rest, deep fried the fishes( i bought 2) and i felt like a small kid eagerly waited the time to break fast.....


This is Chef Wan's version of daging dendeng quite similar to my blogger friend, ms hart's Ayam Bali recipe.
Dessert was Banana Choc Chips Muffins, courtesy of Chef Wan's too!

5th day menu for breaking fast....

Time sure flies. Today is the 6th day of Ramadhan . These were what we had for yesterday break fast. Tried out Butter cookies, refer here for recipe....the boys love the cookies Must have menu homemade or bought...but these were made.....karipap@curry puff

Saw gorgeous 'belimbing buluh' at the wet market, bought and cooked gulai telur chili api with the belimbing...
my version of sambal belacan

My 2 older boys' favorite, sotong goreng tepung. I made this for 5 medium size squids. Clean the squids and cut to get the ring shape(square also can). Wipe dry with kitchen towel (for me i just clean them early in the morning and let them dry in the colander in the fridge until i am ready to fry them). Heat the oil, mix 1 cup of all purpose flour, a table spoon corn flour, salt, ground turmeric, black pepper, chili powder(optional). Beat one egg. Duck the squid in the egg and mix the squid in the flour mixture. Best to use fork or chop stick to mix the squid in the flour and make sure the oil is very hot. Fry only for a few minutes, overcooked squid will turn rubbery.

Deep fried kembung for me to eat with the sambal belacan

Food stories.....

A few weeks ago, my other half told me that his office was organizing a potluck and picnic somewhere at Sg. Tua near Hulu Yam on Sat 2nd of August. He asked me to just make something easy to eat for that occasion as we had a wedding to go later on the same date. Coincidently, the wedding was my niece's and the house is in Kg . Sg. Tua. Whoever going to Sg. Tua from Batu Caves, has to pass by that house which i stayed in during my standard 5 and 6 last century, the primary and agama schools along the way. I decided to bring fruits tartlets. I also baked Banana Choc Chips Muffins but i did not take a picture of the muffins. A few days later, a dear friend told me she tried to make cream puff and was disappointed with the outcome. Thats made me wonder why i had never try to make the puff. Then when i didnt have to do one morning, i made the puff and they came up pretty ok. To my surprised, my boys loved them.

Lastly, i baked a lot of muffins for wedding favors. Packed them individually as in the picture and at 3.00 sharp yesterday, the customer picked them up.......

Guilt.....

After almost 2 years staying home, suddenly i feel guilty doing that. Felt the pang when i pumped in the gas of my car last Saturday. My other half would do that for me when i told him the car was running low. I had to do it myself as the indicator was blinking crazily and he was away. I paid RM95.00 for a full tank. Before the increased of the fuel price, it was RN75.00...oohh dear. Then this morning, i went to the market and bought long bean which had 7 pieces already "rubber banded" and cost me RM1.00....felt like putting them back but my chili api rendang wont be my rendang without the sliced long beans. And i did not have to buy another vegetable. So anyone out there has any vacancy around Seremban area please get in touch ............


The long beans were gorgeous in this rendang. Suddenly my mind went to a friend somewhere on the other side of the world. Wish i could pack you some of these rendang....but for now just enjoy the pictures he he......for Che Mat terror masak click here for recipe, personally i like this rendang with beef but the kids requested chicken this time.

These were Coconut Mini tartlets I made for dessert. to me its delicious but were not to my boys liking....they are more into cheese tarts or the earlier posted crumbled blueberry tarts.

Guitars, carrot cake and golden rose.....

This is my husband's little corner in our bedroom. The 3 guitars are his wives ha ha ha...so quota is full. This is where my hubby release his tension away after a long hard day in the office. I forgot to take picture of his high chair where he sits on when he plays one of the guitar.







Carrot cake with cream cheese topping seemed to be the favorite among older generation. I was told that many distant older relatives in Kuala Pilah love this cake.

After reading this and an old posting reply by my sifu, i tried my luck to make gold rose from fondant, and this is the result. I think i got the color right...what do you think?

Gadgets and Boston Cheesecake on moody Tuesday morning.....

I feel very lethargic lately. And i am always in the foul mood. But i try very hard not to show the moods swing to the children. I know why i am in this quandary and i hope i will be able to pick myself up soon....on last Friday 25th April, a year had gone by since my dad passed on. Still i miss him, still i long to just call him to just pouring my heart out when i am feeling a little down. Abah, al fatihah for you and mum.
I am also feeling so lost knowing a friend is going so far away for a greener pasture who was with me when i was once at the bottomless pit of my life....

But,
when i am feeling blue, i bake....its very therapeutic and i baked cheesecake this morning. I am also showing the few gadgets that i used today. I just love red little juicer and grater that i got from Ikea. The scale which my hubby ordered online and the food processor that i bought here in Seremban a few days after i decided to be very domesticated ha ha ha. I wish i had Cuisineart but heyyy ..... just have to be thankful maaa......i just love this machine to bit, cheesecakes are just a blitz away with this and it can make a mean sambal belacan too. If i had to make sambal belacan in big portion, this the gadget i use. Of course, nothing beat the batu tumbuk but heyy...if you need to feed 10 - 15 people or more, this is the one to use to reduce the mess and the hassle of pounding away. Using blender makes the sambal very watery which is not to my liking....






















This is my version of Boston Cheesecakes recipe loosely adapted from Fantastic Cheesecake book by Alex Goh. I did not have enough cream cheese to follow his recipe to a T, i had to tweak it a bit here and there.




































The original recipe ( my changes would be in blue)
750 gm cream cheese - 500
150 gm castor sugar - 100
30 gm flour - 1 tbs
1/2 tbs vanilla - 2 tsp
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbs lemon juice - half lemon
2 eggs & 1 egg yolk - 1 egg and 1 yolk
150gm sour cream - 100 gm

200gm digestive biscuit + 2 tbs soft butter - pulsed and pressed for the cake base and keep in the freezer while mixing the rest. (I used 7 in springform i/o 8 in )
Cream the cheese, add in the rest of the ingredients in the above order, mixing each thoroughly before the next one. Pour the batter into the prepared biscuits base. Bake in water bath for 60 - 70 min ( or until set) in 150 degree preheated oven. Take out the water and let the cake cool in the oven with door slightly ajar....Cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Can enjoy it plain or with topping like blueberry or kiwi or whatever....i only have the blueberry...

Chocolate everywhere........

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate everywhere...almost everyday since last Saturday, my home smelled of sweet chocolate. Even my neighbor behind the house asked what i was cooking ha ha ha....Pity them as their living room is less than 50 meters away from my kitchen and mind you that my kitchen windows would be wide open when i did my baking or cooking. They are also my food testers though.






For a birthday girl













Order from a friend for a gift to her friend (?? he he he....)







the sweets on top of the chocolate ganache were bought in Jusco Sban 2, cute eh...Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate ganache topping for my husband niece..

Lemon tart with frozen raspberry.....

Inspired by Canary Girl here,
I baked this tart. I only had one lemon and i think that was enough. Its really lovely but I did not get the same look as my top was a bit brown as compared to hers. Taste wise was yummyyy...

Ultra Choc Chip Cake and the gadget

the oven for my baking needs. I have this since 2000, and has been very good to me. No bad baking for me unless i forgot about it he he.........

Chocolate Chips Cupcakes

These lovely cupcakes were ad hoc request for kenduri doa selamat on Sunday. My SIL's daughter was offered to continue her Form One study in MRSM Kepala Batas and she had to report herself in the college yesterday. Coincidently i was looking through a lovely recipes book i bought a month a go, titled Cupcakes and Muffins, Collectors Edition. It was reasonably priced at MPH. Among the many recipes, i chose Choc Chip Cupcakes and i was very happy with outcome.
Apology as the pictures of the cc are not good as they were taken in a hurry. imple chocolate butter cream swirl top with gum paste flowers topping.

Yay...they used my cake picture......

When i went to this site Allrecipes and looked for cake recipe i saw a familiar picture and pleasantly surprised to see my nickname being credited. Made this awhile ago and i misplaced the recipe i printed. I have 4 green apples in my kitchen and browsed this site for inspiration.


Apple Bundt Cake

SUBMITTED BY: Carol PHOTO BY: zaitgha

"This is a good wholesome cake, especially nice for the fall."

PREP TIME	30 Min
COOK TIME	1 Hr
READY IN	2 Hrs

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 1 - 10 inch Bundt or tube cake

US METRIC About scaling and conversions

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

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DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt or tube pan. In a medium bowl, combine the diced apples, 1 tablespoon white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups white sugar, oil, orange juice, vanilla and eggs. Beat at high speed until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in chopped walnuts.
3. Pour 1/3 of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the apple mixture. Alternate layers of batter and filling, ending with batter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

   

The original pictures in my collections.

Dinner dishes and dessert.......

This is my oldest boy. Born almost 15 years ago and he is also my good friend. I love taking him out for teh tarik session where we both talk about everything under the sky. He would love to follow Chef Wan's success and he has my blessing unconditionally. This year is a crucial year for him as he would be sitting for his 2nd major exams which is PMR. He is an easy child from inside me until now so far and I thank and pray to God that he continues to be that way to show a good example to his younger siblings. For whatever reasons, he asked me about a few dishes that i cooked a long time ago for a few get together when i was working. I was amazed that he could remember as a few of the occasions were held when he was not even 10 years old yet. One of the dishes was salmon fish head assam pedas .....He told me how he loved that dish and requested if i could teach him to cook that. We went to J*s#o in Seremban 2 but no salmon heads selling. We made do with the 2 sliced of the salmon meat then.

No different than how i cooked other fish assam pedas. I used shallots, garlic, ginger, fresh tumeric, shrimp paste, ginger bud, daun kesum, air asam and blended dry chili. So that was for dinner tonite and a little bit of fried tumeric chicken.
I also churned a batch of homemade strawberry ice cream as i found a reasonably price strawberry. Very simple, pureed the strawberry, then added in 200ml whip cream, 75gm castor sugar and a bit of lemon juice. Blend all and pour into the ice cream maker. The machine makes wonderful ice cream after 15 minutes.