I'm back!

After two weeks in Asia, I'm finally back to London. My trip back home was amazing and despite the fact that I returned to a flat with no heat and hot water (boiler is on the fritz) and my bags didn't make it back with me (connecting in CDG is a nightmare), I'm still feeling the glow from a wonderful vacation.

Santa was extremely generous this Christmas and I received many, many food-related presents that will in some way or another be used on this blog. My favourite present hands-down came from M who surprised me with my very own MacBook! Readers of my blog may recall that sometime towards the early life of the blog, I managed to destroy my previous computer when I tripped over the wire and sent it crashing to the floor. Since then, I've been blogging from M's computer (a MacBook as well) and although I've always been a PC user, I quickly fell in love with the Apple's speed of booting up and its stability. Not once have I ever seen the blue screen of death on an Apple, a sight that was becoming all too common on my IBM laptop. My new MacBook is sleek and black and best of all, it comes with a magnetic power cord that automatically detaches when pressure is applied so no worries about this baby ever crashing to the floor! Needless to say, I am now blogging on my very own MacBook. Gone are the days of having to fight over the computer.

My sexy new Macbook

Other presents that I received, in no particular order are:

• An Oneida cupcake carrier (Thanks to J and S)

Oneida cupcake carrier

• A lovely cast iron pancake / blini pan (Courtesy of A and H)
• An egg timer (Thanks again to H)
• A foldable chopping board which eliminates spillage (from M)
• A heart shaped oven mitt (yet again from M)
• Cool, zebra-patterned muffin cases (also from M)
• A nifty, electronic kitchen timer (M is really spoiling me...)

Clockwise from top left: Pancake pan, chopping board, kitchen timer, muffin cases, oven mitt and egg timer

• A Le Creuset set consisting of 4 ramekins, a baking dish, a round cocotte and an oval cocotte

Le Creuset set

• A 9" springform pan
• Assorted silicone bakeware

Silicone bakeware and springform pan

Okay, the last 3 items were really things I bought myself but since they were bought during the holiday season, I consider them presents to myself. I can think of so many things that I can make with the different gifts I've received from souffles to cheesecakes to potato blinis to delicious cupcakes. I can't wait! 

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year and I'll be back soon with my first food post of 2008.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

After 11 months of being in London, I'm finally back in sunny Singapore for a well-earned (I think) Christmas and New Year's break. Even though its not a white christmas - i mean its sunny and 30 degrees celsius out - I'm spending it with my folks and that's what's its all about, isn't it? I'll probably be absent from my blog the next two weeks so here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I promise to be back in the new year with more cooking and baking adventures! Till then, eat well!

Baking for Christmas

Since my previous experiment with shortbread, I've been looking for an excuse to bake another batch and try to make them a little crisper. I've finally found one in the Eat Christmas Cookies blog event hosted by Susan.

This time around, I've chosen to make a chocolate version studded with chocolate chips for everyone can use with an extra dose of chocolate over Christmas. Since I'm also serving this at a small party we've having where there'll be some kids, I figured the extra dose of chocolate would make this cookie more kid-friendly.

Although this recipe also uses rice flour (similar to the corn flour used in the last one), the proportion of rice flour to regular flour is much less which makes the resulting cookie slightly crisper - just what I was looking for. Additionally, the baked cookies slice easily into clean pieces as long as you do it while its still warm. The only difficult thing is deciding how big or small to make each piece. I know which way I'm going at my party - large, hearty pieces that could be a meal in and of themselves! After all, it just wouldn't be the same without a little bit (or a lot of) overindulgence during the holidays.


Intensely Chocolate Shortbread
From ChocolateChocolate

2 3/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups plus 3 tbsp confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp granulated sugar, for sprinkling on the baked shortbread

Preheat the oven to 325F. Have 2 fluted 8 1/2-inch round tart pans (each 1 inch deep, with a removable bottom) at hand.

Sift the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder onto a sheet of waxed paper.

Cream the butter in the large bowl of a freestanding electric mixer on moderately low speed for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat on moderately low speed for 2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract. On low speed, blend in half of the sifted dry ingredients, a little at a time, then the chocolate chips. Blend in the remaining sifted mixture, mixing until the particles of flour are absorbed. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently to keep the dough even-textured.

Divide the dough in half. Place half of the dough in the tart pan and press it into an even layer with your fingertips; repeat with the remaining dough. Prick each shortbread dough round with the tines of fork in 12 to 15 random places.

Bake the shortbreads in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until firm and set. Remove the shortbreads from the oven to cooling racks and immediately sprinkle the surface of each with granulated sugar. Cool for 15 minutes.

Carefully unmold each shortbread, keeping it on the base. cut into 10 triangular shaped pieces while still warm, using a serrated knife or chef's knife; cool. Or, cool completely and break the shortbread into rough pieces. Store in an airtight tin.

Makes 2 8-inch cookies, creating 10 pieces each

Beef Rendang

I love curry and like many people, I used to make them using the widely available curry pastes in the market. But since I first gave it a try, I have to say that there's something satisfying about making your own curry paste from scratch. So as far as possible, I try to do exactly that although sometimes, when in a crunch, I will still use the ready-made stuff. In particular, I find the Mae Ploy brand from Thailand unbeatable. In fact, when I took cooking classes in Bangkok, the chefs there even recommended that we use it.

For dinner this past weekend, I chose to make a Beef Rendang, a curry that originated from Indonesia and is traditionally made with buffalo. The hallmark of this curry is that the gravy is extremely thick, almost dry even. This is one of M's favourites and it is one of the rare times that I ever see him order red meat.

If you can find the ingredients, making the spice paste is not hard at all. I suppose if you were to remain true to tradition you would make this using a mortar and pestle. I'm not one to shun modern conveniences, however, so I whipped mine up in a food processor. If you do the same, the active preparation time is only 15 minutes or so and the rest of the time the rendang just simmers slowly in its pot. You have to be careful towards the end, though, as when the curry dries, it is prone to scorching. Thus, it is prudent to stir constantly when the rendang is almost done.

The rendang is delicious with a side of rice or even some crusty baguette which you can use to soak up the sauce.

Beef Rendang
From Shiok!

1 kg rump or stewing steak, cut into large chunks
800 ml coconut milk
3 stalks lemongrass
6 lime leaves
4 slices galangal (blue ginger)
1 tsp salt

Spice paste
5 tbsp freshly grated coconut
8 dried chilies, soaked till soft
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp minced ginger

To prepare the spice paste, fry coconut in a dry wok over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until light brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Grind with remaining spice paste ingredients until fine.

Combine spice paste with all the beef and other ingredients in a large heavy-based pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender and gravy is very thick and shiny with oil. Serve hot.

Serves 2-4

Green Papaya Salad

Anyone who's ever been to Thailand or a Thai restaurant for that matter, has probably had som tum, or green papaya salad. As in common in many Thai dishes, som tum is a mixture of salty, sweet, sour and spicy which makes it a perfect appetizer, in my opinion. The combination of flavours seems to open up your palate, as if to prepare you for what's to come.

I'm a huge fan of Thai food, in general, and this salad, has got to be one of my favourites across all cuisines. I've made it several times for dinner parties and its always well received. The best thing is, its really not that hard to make either. Finding some of the ingredients outside of Asia can be challenging but since Thai food is so popular globally, its becoming increasingly common to be able to buy things like lemongrass stalks and galangal (also known as blue ginger).

If you've never tried this, I highly recommend it. Watch the chilies though, they can get really spicy!

Green Papaya Salad (Som tum)
From Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass

3-4 cloves garlic
4-6 red or green bird's-eye chilies
2 tbsp dried prawns, soaked to soften
2 tsp sugar
1 small tomato, diced
2 long beans or green beans, cut in 2cm lengths
1 unripe green papaya (about 300g), peeled and shredded
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2-3 tbsp coarsely crushed dry-roasted peanuts

Divide the garlic, chilies, and dried prawns into 2 batches. Put half into a mortar, add 1 tsp of sugar into a mortar and pound until well broken up. Add half of the long beans and pound a little to bruise, then add half of the chopped tomato and pound a few times just until they are broken up. Add half the papaya to a mortar, a little at a time, pounding until lightly bruised. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and repeat with the remaining garlic, chilies, dried prawns, sugar, tomato, beans, and papaya.

Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and peanuts to the bowl of papaya mixture, tossing to mix well. Taste and add a little more lime juice, fish sauce, or sugar if you like, and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6