Ange's Follies

Summer Break

2009-07-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

It's vacation time. Entries to resume after the summer...

Bonnes Vacances!

Nonya Dumpling... Without The Dumpling

2009-07-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

I was craving for nonya dumpling but bamboo leaves are not available here. I went ahead to cook the sweet meat filling anyway and serve it with sticky rice.

Thanks to the recipe from Pure Enjoyment: http://images.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii214/kokwaifun/IMG_1172.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pureenjoyment.blogspot.com/2008/06/nonya-dumplings.html&usg=__3beP8yw1WQB6GmlUQGasmexWfm4=&h=375&w=500&sz=60&hl=fr&start=1&um=1&tbnid=xrmOglK_c6xoKM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnonya%2Bdumpling%2Brecipe%26hl%3Dfr%26rlz%3D1T4ADBF_frFR246FR248%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Note that preserved winter melon being unavailable here, I have left it out and replaced it with sugar instead. I also ran out of chinese mushrooms this time, oops. Even then, it turned out not bad at all.

Financier With Liquored Cherries

2009-07-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

So I played around with the financier recipe I tried out recently (http://folliesofange.blogspot.com/2009/06/financier.html). I have added liquored cherries to this one... looks so pretty. The recipe goes well with chocolate chips too.

Thai Basil Pork

2009-07-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

If you like Thai basil like I do, you will love this dish. I have followed Liane's recipe: http://imbinitchy.blogspot.com/2009/07/pad-kaprao-challenge-for-jules.html with extra chili and lots and lots of basil. Great with steamy hot plain thai rice.

Now I am really out of ideas what to try to cook next, please send me your suggestions!

Lime Pannacotta

2009-07-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Based on Gertrude's recipe ( http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/search?q=pannacotta ), I made some modifications and flavoured the pannacotta with lime instead. An easy-to-do, satisfying and very presentable dessert.

A Healthier Lemon Almond Cake?

2009-07-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

I could not resist the idea of using olive olive instead of butter in my almond cake. I suppose it is healthier i.e. if all those articles about the benefits of olive oil is true.

Here's the recipe I followed: http://www.sassyradish.com/archives/2009/02/olive_oil_almond_cake.html

Modifications made: I have used only vanilla extract and glazed it with a simple mixture of lemon juice and sugar.

"Harm-less" Char Kway Teow - Get It?

2009-06-27T02:02:00.000-07:00

I am happy I brought back a small bottle of black sweet sauce from Asia and have been saving it for the big day... voila, my first Char Kway Teow (Fried Rice Noodles) in France. I had all the must-have ingredients except for "hahm" ie. cockles, oh... and lard, come to think of it. Oh well, that makes it all a lot less harm-less, doesn't it? Yes, pun intended.

Financier

2009-06-23T02:13:00.000-07:00

I tried out this generic financier recipe using a cake pan instead of the little rectangular molds. Turned out pretty good but not as buttery as I would have liked. Nevertheless, the recipe is so simple that I am going to keep it for lazy days. I will increase the almond to flour ratio next time and see if it tastes better.

FINANCIER RECIPE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of self-raising flour
3/4 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup of fine castor sugar
4 egg whites, lightly beaten
125 grams of butter, melted
2 teaspoons lemon or orange extract
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celcius.
2. Mix sugar, flour and almond meal in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg whites and combine well. Add the melted butter and mix till everything is well incorporated.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till a toothpick into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Kambing Soup

2009-06-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

I learnt to appreciate a good piping hot bowl of kambing soup with "chiam tao roti" from the indian hawkers early in life, an unexpected thing given that mutton is too strong in flavour for my liking in general.

I tried to replicate it with this recipe: http://www.malaysianfood.net/recipes/recipesupkambing.htm The end product was tasty but wasn't exactly as I remembered it. If you have a good recipe for mamak's kambing soup, please please share! Thanks!

Lemon Grass Experiment II

2009-06-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Result of my last lemon grass experiment: The stalk that I stuck into a jar of water started rotting after a few days. Darn.

I have planted another one in soil this time. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Food Tip - Fried Onions

2009-06-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

These are great as condiments and as a starting base for french onion soup. Good to fry a big bunch of them, store in the fridge and use as and when needed.

Easy Peanut Sauce - A Keeper!

2009-06-07T00:28:00.000-07:00

Salt N Turmeric posts such good recipes! I like very much her mom's extremely simple and scrumptious peanut sauce recipe. Do check out her blog.

Hmm... I think I am going to make some gado gado next!

Now, if only somebody could post a simple/easy/shortcut recipe for ketupat from scratch... Do note that instant and prepacked ones are not available here, neither are the leaves for weaving ketupat casings. Thanks in advance!

Talking about ingredients/food which are unavailable here: these are typically ingredients peculiar to malaysia and singapore, such as candlenuts, instant ketupat, instant roti prata, ginger flower, sweet black soya sauce and delimas premixes, to name but a few. Thank goodness I am able to get chinese and "indo-chine" ingredients without problems, thanks to the small chinese, thai, vietnamese and burmese populations here. There just aren't any Indonesians, Malaysians and Singaporeans in my part of the world! I really ought to remember to bring some of these stuff back next time.

Easy Quiche

2009-06-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

Quiches are so easy to make when you've got ready-to-bake puff pastry. I like bacon, mushrooms and lots of cheese in mine. Serve with a a mixed salad.

Lemon Grass Experiment

2009-06-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

I would love to have a lemon grass plant at home. I am sticking a stalk of it (yes, leafless and rootless) into water and keeping my fingers crossed :) Let's see if we get some roots in a few days...

Other plants I'd love to grow at home: kaffir lime, coriander, torch ginger. Hmm, how do I get started without a "mother plant" to begin with? Advice, anyone?

On a different note, could somebody point me to TRIED and TRUE recipes for mee goreng, mee rebus and mee siam (the soupy type) please? The few that I have tried yielded disappointing results. Thank you.

And by the way, any of my readers live near northern France? I'd love to meet up.

Beef Rendang From Scratch!

2009-05-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

I have in the past made several failed attempts at cooking beef rendang from seasoning packs of various brands... they all turned out a far far cry from the real stuff which resulted in my giving up on this dish for years. When I chanced upon what seemed like a workable recipe for cooking beef rendang from scratch yesterday, my interest was rekindled. I decided to give it a shot, vowing never again will I look at another Rendang recipe should even this one fail me.

Not only am I not disappointed, this rendang is gorgeous, gorgeous, and gorgeous. The amalgamation of spices wakes up all my culinary senses, reminding me of all those authentic flavours from home. I am sold.

A big thank you to MamaFami and Salt n Turmeric for sharing generously their recipe:
http://www.saltnturmeric.com/2009/03/beef-rendang-rendang-daging.html

(Modifications made: I have doubled the kaffir lime leaves and reduced the amount of coriander powder to 2 teaspoonfuls.)

I highly recommend it!

Nasi Lemak, What Else?

2009-05-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

After a post on Nasi Lemak chili, as George Clooney says in the Nespresso ads, what else?

It goes without saying that I immediately made Nasi Lemak to go with it. Oh, what the heck, seeing that I am so in the asian-cooking mood, I might as well go all out and cook some Sambal Kang Kong too!

So there you go... fragrant coconut rice topped with sunny-side-up and lots of to-die-for chili, plus Sambal Kang Kong on the side... now that's what I call indulgence!

Nasi Lemak Chili

2009-05-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE CHILI OF ALL TIME!!!!! I can eat this stuff by the spoonfuls and polish off a bottle at a time. Give me more!

For me, it has always been chili with nasi lemak, vis-a-vis nasi lemak with chili... LOL! You get the picture.

Good Old Instant Noodles

2009-05-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Nothing can beat the convenience of a pack of instant noodles. When I am just too lazy to cook yet craving for something piping hot and satisfying, this is my go-to food. I like mine with lots of vegetables such as bean sprouts, mushrooms, leek etc... and always with an egg, some chili powder and a dash of sesame oil. Serve steaming hot!

Apple Muesli Cake

2009-05-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Another recipe to add to my repertoire: http://dhanggitskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/10/sinful-apple-muesli-cake-of-caramelised.html

This cake looks good, tastes good and is relatively easy to prepare. I found it slightly on the dry side (as you would have discovered by now, I like dense, sticky desserts in general), but when served with lots of cream... "Heaven, I'm in heaven..."

Let's Go Peranakan!

2009-05-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

It has been ages since I last had Peranakan food and I was craving for it this morning, in particular, "Babi Ponteh" i.e. Belly Pork in Preserved Bean Sauce. I found this recipe on the Internet which turned out really good: http://smorgasbord-of-delights.blogspot.com/2008/12/untitled_208.html I am so keeping it and looking forward to serving this dish at my next dinner gathering. Now, I wonder how the french palette would react to the taste of preserved beans, hmm...

Ginger Red Date Tea

2009-05-09T04:39:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make Longan Red Date Tea but was out of dried Longans and ended up brewing Ginger Red Date Tea instead. I read that this stuff is pretty good for the body too. Soothing and warming on a cold afternoon.

Instant Dessert

2009-05-07T04:34:00.000-07:00

I made my favourite Tea Shortbread today, hence this dessert of the day: Tea Shortbread sandwiched with lemon curd... miam!

Laksa Leaves

2009-05-04T04:07:00.000-07:00

The minute I saw this beautiful bunch of Laksa leaves at the asian grocery store, I could not resist. There was this image of a piping hot bowl of Laksa with loads of gravy and these super aromatic herbs that I could not get out of my head. Thank goodness I still have a box of Prima Taste Laksa that I brought back from Asia during my last trip, whew! So instead of using the teeny pack of dried Laksa leaves provided (which usually serves its purpose pretty well I have to say), I threw a bunch of these into the gravy... ohlala, the fragrance is to die for.

This herb has just the most interesting flavour that I have yet to find the right words to describe. I was searching the Internet for more recipes that feature it but found only Laksa and Nasi Ulam much to my disappointment. How could such a flavourful herb be used in so few recipes? Furthermore, it would be impossible for me to cook Nasi Ulam here in France - there are simply too many missing ingredients. For now, I will have to be contented with my taugeh, laksa leaf packed bowl of good old Laksa.

Vibrant Pink

2009-05-01T03:20:00.000-07:00

Mixed Greens With Candied Ginger Vinaigrette

2009-04-28T03:31:00.000-07:00

My sister says I ought to eat more healthily. So here it is... a fresh wholesome salad with a lovely candied ginger dressing for me today, served in the green tea bowl that my dear friend Kyo gave me before she left France. I feel so zen eating such a beautifully coloured salad out of this bowl... great for physical AND mental health :) Way to go, Ange!

Vibrant Orange

2009-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

My blender just died on me, which means I won't be able to blend my "staple" sambal chili for a while, boohoo. On a lighter note, I share this cheerful orange to brighten up your day.

Mange-Tout Au Sambal Crevette

2009-04-22T03:42:00.000-07:00

Dried shrimp sambal a.k.a. "Hae Bee Hiam" is another versatile food/condiment to have around and it keeps really well in the refrigerator. Fry almost any vegetable with a generous amount of the sambal and it'll turn out awesome. Serve with piping hot plain rice. I have fried it with Mange-Tout this time and gobbled it all up within minutes!

Simplified But Good Chicken N Leek Pie

2009-04-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

I remembered to take a photo only after pigging halfway through the pie. I guess I am not a hardcore food blogger yet ;) The chicken paired really well with the leek in this recipe and I got rave reviews for the end product. Here's the rough recipe:

Simplified Chicken Leek Pie

For 2:

Chick meat for 2, cubed and boiled
Leek for 2, thinly sliced and blanched
Mixed veges for colour (optional), diced and blanched
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
Chicken stock
Cream

Salt, black pepper, herbes de provence

Make a roux with butter and flour.

Add stock and cream (I used a ratio of 1:1) to roux till the desired consistency (I prefer it thick than liquidy). Season with salt, pepper and herbs.

Mix veges and chicken in a pie dish. Add the prepared white sauce and combine well.

Top with puff pastry, brush with eggwash and bake till golden brown at 200deg.

Serve fresh from the oven.

Versatile Lemon Curd

2009-04-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

Lemon curd is really convenient to have around... I use it in tarts, choux puffs, as a confiture, etc etc. So easy to prepare yet delicious. Here's the recipe:

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

Finely grated lemon zest from 2 large lemons

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 large whole eggs, lightly beaten

125g unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Mix everything together and whisk constantly over low heat till thick.

Vibrant Yellow!

2009-04-12T04:50:00.000-07:00

I am so into brightly coloured flowers these days. I'd like to share this gorgeous yellow of nature with you...

Balacan Fried Rice

2009-04-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

I brought back with me a huge chunk of balacan when I was back in Asia earlier this year. I have never dealt with balacan before and was so looking forward to "playing" with it. So finally after all these months, I got down to cut a small cube of it and roasted it over... a cigarette lighter flame, haha! Had no idea how much roasting it needed but thought it should be OK once I started smelling the balacan. Is that right?

I guess it worked 'coz I used it to fry rice with much success... the fried rice was yummy! I crumbled the balacan and fried it with some oil and lots of onions, garlic, ginger, chili, dried shrimps, plus a tad of curry powder for extra flavour. Once fragrant, I added the rice, green beans and eggs and seasoned it with soya sauce, pepper and a little sugar. The result: tasty balacan fried rice that reminds me of Indonesian nasi goreng. I served it just like the latter - topped with a sunny-side-up with runny yolk. My kind of comfort food.

Oh, I have to add that I'd heard so many stories about the lingering stinky smell of cooking with balacan. I opened the windows when frying and the apartment did not smell bad at all afterwards... which means I will be cooking this often, yoohoo ;)

My First Encounter With Choux Pastry

2009-04-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

Choux pastry - When I read how everyone advises using a machine instead of hand-beating the dough, I was seriously doubtful if I would succeed the primitive way. I gave it a shot anyway as I was dying to try something new this morning, half expecting the dough to not puff up at all during baking due to potential under-beating.

Guess what? I thought wrongly, the dough was a lot more forgiving. Really, I didn't do much work at all - I gave it the minimum beating required with a wooden spoon till all the ingredients come together, it took less than 5 minutes and my arm was far from tired! I was thrilled to see them puffing up beautifully in the oven.

I divided the dough into 2 batches after combining the eggs: 1 batch I left plain to be used for dessert and the other mixed with grated comte and parmesan and pepper to be served as gougeres.

The gougeres turned out beautifully! Yes, the more and the stronger the cheese, the better they taste.

For dessert, I filled some of the plain ones with a simple coffee cream and some with leftover lemon curd, topped with a shower of icing sugar. That worked just as wonderfully.

PS. I used Pierre Herme's recipe for choux pastry but baked at 200 degree Celsius for 20 minutes.

Easy No-Fail Chocolate Tarts

2009-04-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

EASY NO-FAIL CHOCOLATE TARTS

Makes 4 10-cm tarts

1 ready-to-use pate sablee (cut to fit 4 individual-sized tart moulds)

Filling:

100g bittersweet chocolate, broken into small chunks
1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon salted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Bake tart shells till golden brown (about 12 minutes at 180 degree Celcius) and let cool to room temperature. Heat cream and butter till just before boiling point. Add chocolate and stir till melted and well combined. Mix in the sugar. Pour into tart shells and chill till set. Enjoy!

Vibrant Red

2009-03-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

Regardez la couleur, oohlala! What a gorgeous red!

Quick N Satisfying Soup

2009-03-29T05:17:00.000-07:00

This soup was much easier to prepare than I thought as the spicy chorizo imparted lots of flavour to it without our having to add any herbs and spices, great for those cold days when you want something warm and hearty and filling but don't wish to spend too much effort in the kitchen. I found the recipe here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2628/chorizo-and-chickpea-soup

Modifications I have made to the recipe: I fried the chorizo to get rid of extra grease before adding to the soup and added diced green peppers. I guess pretty much any vegetables (onions, garlic, beans, etc, anything not overpowering in flavour) would work with the rest 0f the ingredients.

Sinful Desserts - Way To Go!

2009-03-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am into rich desserts, the richer, the better ... dense, heavy, sinful stuff that needs 5 hours of jogging to burn it all off to be specific. This gorgeous warm fig and caramel pudding fits the bill: http://ilovemilkandcookies.blogspot.com/2006/11/dinner-for-friends_23.html I serve each slice warm and completely immersed in extra thick gooey caramel, oh yeah!

What's the Name of This Plant?

2009-03-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

I *heart* this plant. It is so pretty yet a tough little thing that requires little care. Does anyone know what it is?

Cajun Chicken Cutlets

2009-03-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

Got rave reviews for this one. Quite a bit of work involved here (by my standard) but a good treat for those meat craving moments.

Method:

1. To tenderize the meat, hammer the daylights out of a couple of chicken breasts till desired thickness (the thinner, the faster it cooks).

2. Season lightly with salt and pepper and let sit in the fridge for 3 hours. When I am in a hurry, I would skip this step although the meat would then not be as tasty inside.

3. Coat meat with flour, then beaten eggs, then a bread crumb mixture of crumbs, salt, pepper, cajun seasoning and parsley (optional) for extra colour.

4. Shallow fry till golden brown on both sides and meat *just* cooked through. Serve warm with a simple mixed salad.

Favourite Snack - Samosas

2009-03-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

I *heart* samosas! They are so addictive, I have to force myself to stop at two :) The deep fried ones from indian restaurants are so yummy but I have never been a fan of deep frying, so it is baked samosas - just as gooood - for me whenever I have a crazing for these gems.

Filling: Mix cooked potatoes, onions, peas, carrots, cashew nuts and hardboiled eggs all up with lots of your best curry powder, extra cumin if you are a huge fan like me and salt to taste.

Crust: The versatile ready-to-use puff pastry.

Brush with eggwash and bake till golden brown according to the pastry instructions. Bon appetit!

Fluffy Mimosa

2009-03-14T02:22:00.000-07:00

It's Lemon Season!

2009-03-11T01:52:00.001-07:00

For all lemon lovers out there, what else but lemon tarts?

This easy peasy lemon tart is lower in calories compared to most ones made with lemon curd as the lemon layer is made without butter, thanks to this recipe: http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2007/08/lemon-bars.html The only modification I have made is the use of ready-made puff pastry for the base to make things simpler :) Due to the lack of butter, I was at first doubtful if it would taste any good... it turned out just as lemony although not as rich. Great for a quick fuss free dessert.

For easy reference, I will rewrite Gertrude's recipe for the filling here:

2 large eggs

3/4 cup of sugar

2 tbsp of flour

1/4 tsp of salt

2 tsp of lemon zest

1/4 cup for freshly squeezed lemon juice

Bake at 180 Degree Celcius till top and pastry are golden brown. Dust with icing sugar.

Apple Almond Loaf

2009-03-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

This is really an apple almond tart shaped into a loaf. This way, I get a thick layer of the much adored frangipane each time (see how moist and grainy it is)... scrumptious.

For the recipe, please refer to that of my Pear Almond Tart: http://folliesofange.blogspot.com/2008/09/pear-almond-pie.html, both apple and pear work well in this recipe. If you are going to assemble everything in a loaf pan like I did this time, do bake a little longer due to the thickness of the frangipane. Voila, enjoy.

Century Eggs The Traditional Way

2009-02-24T05:06:00.000-08:00

This was how century eggs were served in my family when I was little... simply with pickled ginger. I hated the taste back then but have grown to like it a lot, likewise for pungent cheeses and innards. It is strange how tastesbuds change.

My Beautiful Amaryllis

2009-02-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

I promised photos of my amaryllis when they bloom. There you go... 4 beautiful flowers that bloomed one at a time. Life's little pleasures.

Super Short-Cut Savoury Glutinous Rice

2009-02-18T04:25:00.000-08:00

Pre-soak shitake mushrooms, dried shrimps and dried scallops in water for 15 minutes. Cut them up into small bits and dump into rice cooker with glutinous rice, thinly sliced chinese sausages, enough water, salt, white pepper and oyster sauce. Serve hot with sambal chili and garnished with fried shallots.

Lavender Shortbread

2009-02-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

These cookies have aroused my curiosity for the longest time ever since I first read about them here: http://ilovemilkandcookies.blogspot.com/2007/08/this-cookies-winner.html. (The recipe was also adapted from Amai's Green Tea Sweets.) However, I could not bring myself to bake them due to the fact that in my household, lavender is very much associated with potpourri sachets. I was not sure that I'd be able to appreciate food that smells like fresh bedlinens and socks!

Nevertheless, curiousity took the better of me after I'd bought a bag of the highest quality lavender from Provence in the south of France and looking for something new to experiment on. And how did the shortbread turn out? Friends who have tasted them liked them although they had a hard time pinpointing the flavour without looking at the little lavender buds on the cookies. Moi, not a personal favourite I must admit... but then that's purely due to the psychological barrier. So who knows, if you don't have the habit of putting lavender sachets in your closets, this just may be it for you.

Fried Bee Hoon - Pad-Thai Style

2009-02-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

Pad Thai is one of my favourite Thai dishes. Hence, even when I fry Bee Hoon, I tend to do it in the same style with lots of fish sauce, sugar and tamarind juice. I like mine with ketchup as well even though it is not part of the original Pad Thai recipe. Great if you are a ketuchup lover like I am.

My Amaryllis Is Flowering Again!

2009-02-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

The last time it flowered was 2 years ago. I had the great pleasure of welcoming 4 humongous - larger than the size of my hand with fingers spread out - beautiful white flowers with red streaks. Sadly, due to my inexperience in caring for this plant even though I followed the instructions to the T, it didn't flower last spring and I thought it would never flower again. I am overjoyed to see it coming back.

Raspberry Brownies

2009-02-06T00:19:00.000-08:00

Raspberries go so well with chocolate. Whilst its tanginess is offset by the sweet chocolate, the intense raspberry "perfum" is retained. Why not add them to your favourite brownie recipe?

By the way, I find brownies one of the hardest foods to photograph as the deep brown colour shows up very lacklustre in photos no matter how I vary the background colour.

Matcha - The Traditional Way

2009-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Matcha is more intense in flavour than green tea made from teabags. This stuff is supposed to be loaded with antioxidants and good for the body. I think I will try to drink it on a regular basis:)

Miam Miam Mee Siam

2009-01-31T11:43:00.000-08:00

Oops, I ran out of eggs and ku cai!

I have to say this is my absolute favourite malay dish and is something that I crave for often. As it is too much work to make from scratch, I use premix. Amongst the different brands, personally, I think PrimaTaste is closest to the real thing and best satisfies my cravings. I like it simple with lots of bean sprouts, taupok (fried bean curd), ku cai (chinese chives) and a hardboiled egg - just the way it is at hawker stalls.

Griottines!

2009-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

I came across Griottines when I first moved to Paris. They come from the east of France and are actually small cherries soaked in Kirsch liquer... superlicious stuff. I - who would not even touch one maraschino cherry - can eat a bunch of these straight from the jar, the liquer syrup is heavenly too. I introduced these gems to my sister when she was here for a visit last year and boy, was she sold immediately. It is hard to find them though, most supermarkets don't carry them. I got my supply from the Nicolas stores here in France. They are beautifully packaged and ready to be given away as gifts. Some of my friends would buy them in large jars whenever they go to the east of France as these things keep a long time.

Gong Hei Fatt Choy! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

2009-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year!

C'est la nouvelle année lunaire du boeuf. Bonne annee a tous!

It's Holiday Time!

2009-01-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

I will be going back to Asia for Lunar New Year and will not be able to update this blog for a while unfortunately, save for a few posts that I have scheduled in advance. Till I am back, have a great Year of the Ox, everyone!

Matcha Cookies... What Else?

2009-01-21T01:43:00.000-08:00

After making myself a nice hot bowl of aromatic matcha tea this winter afternoon, I immediately proceeded to try out the award winning recipe for Amai's Green Tea Sweets:
http://www.lovescool.com/archives/2007/05/15/best-bakery-recipe-finalist/

I am pleasantly surprised by these cookies. The amalgamation of buttery and nutty green tea flavours produces a complex hard-to-describe aroma/taste that I like a lot. I am addicted. I had to stop myself from gobbling them all up at one go! What an incredibly simple recipe with sophisticated results... brilliant.

I will just type the recipe out for my readers' easy reference:

Amai's Green Tea Sweets

Ingredients

Yields approximately 25 cookies

3/4 cup (2.25 oz) Confectioners sugar
5 oz Unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 3/4 cup (8.5 oz) All-purpose flour
3 Large egg yolks
1.5 tablespoons Matcha powder*
1 cup Granulated sugar (for coating)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl. Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color. Add the flour and mix until well combined. Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms. Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes). Roll the dough out to ½” thickness. Cut the dough with a leaf cookie cutter. Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat. Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

* People who are not big fans of green tea may find this overpowering, in which case, do reduce the amount of matcha by half.

No-Brainer Baked Cauliflower

2009-01-18T00:10:00.000-08:00

Much to my surprise, I received good feedback for this very humble dish. Can't be easier: cut up a head of cauliflower (1.5 cm thick) and spread them out single layer in a baking pan. Salt and pepper to taste, add enough milk to barely cover the cauliflower. Top generously with grated cheese (any flavourful ones that you like, I use french cheese "Comte"). Bake covered at 190 degree Celsius for 50 minutes. Serve hot.

Matcha

2009-01-15T00:26:00.000-08:00

My dear japanese friend just got back from Japan and got me these: matcha powder and a matcha set! How sweet of her. Her instructions: Add a small teacupful of hot water to 1 matchaspoonful of powder, whisk rapidly 50 times, rotate bowl 3 times and serve.

What a beautiful green, I can't wait to bake some matcha cookies and macarons au matcha!

The Joy of Baking N Cooking

2009-01-12T01:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a post specially for my niece who is applying to culinary school. Way to go, Grace!

Zero-Work One Dish Chicken Meal

2009-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here is another of those super easy no fuss tasty dishes that I embrace: marinate chicken quarters and vegetables with whatever spices available (I have used salt, pepper, honey and soy sauce this time) and bake covered at 200 degree Celsius for one hour i.e. ample time for the meat to reach that fall-off-the-bones tenderness... the way I like it. If crispy skin preferred, further grill uncovered skin-side up until lightly charred and your home smells of fried chicken:) (about 15 minutes). Voila, simple and very tasty. I use different seasonings (asian, mexican, etc) and vegetables (carrots, zuchinis, peppers, etc) so it seems like a whole new dish each time.

On another note: the lighting at home is just not right for photo-taking in the evenings. Any advice for me?

Fly Me A Rojak Today!

2009-01-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

What better way to start the new year than a big luscious bowl of Rojak. This salad from Malaysia/Singapore has got loads of vegetables (namely cucumber,bean sprouts and kangkong), fruits (namely pineapple, green apple and mango), and fried beancurd (aka "taupok") and fried crullers (aka "yu char kway") for extra texture, and is topped with a to-die-for spicy, sweet, tangy shrimp paste sauce with peanuts and sesame seeds... yum! The authentic stuff comes with ginger flower which is not available at the asian store here unfortunately.

I had the good sense to bring back 3 small bottles of rojak sauce the last time I was home. Not quite as tasty as the ones we get from the hawkers but nonetheless sufficiently satisfying when mixed with some sambal balacan.

Happy 2009, Everyone!

2009-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Bonne Annee A Tous!

Hooked On Macarons

2008-12-29T04:05:00.000-08:00

Macarons au chocolat. Have not been able to find red nor yellow food colouring, will have to stick with green for now. Recipe as in my previous post except that I aged the eggs for 48 hours and changed the oven temperature to 160 degree Celsius. Observations: The batter was slightly thicker this time i.e. less runny; macarons have bigger "feet"!

Brussels Sprouts II

2008-12-27T00:13:00.000-08:00

Stirfried with garlic and oyster sauce.

Peace And Joy To The World!

2008-12-25T00:13:00.001-08:00

More gifts - spiced cookies.

It's Gyoza Time!

2008-12-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

Shown above is a more elaborate ginger-vinegar dipping sauce with sesame seeds, fried garlic bits, chili and soya sauce.

These are great for entertaining, they are always the first to go. I would normally serve them with 2 different types of sauces: finely slivered ginger in black vinegar and sriracha chili sauce.

Favourite Lunch Food

2008-12-21T03:32:00.000-08:00

Good old fresh fresh salad with vinaigrette dressing. I could polish up an enormous plate of this stuff in one go! My preferred ingredients would be: baby spinach, rocket leaves, mushrooms, tomatoes, poached/fried egg with runny yoke (miam! a must!), parma ham and parmesan cheese. No lettuce nor coleslaw type of thingy (yeeks!) for me please!

As a side dish, a simple salad of rocket leaves, musrooms and red capsicum with vinaigrette dressing.

Sambal Fried Rice With Minced Meat And Brussels Sprouts

2008-12-19T00:17:00.000-08:00

It is interesting how a vegetable could have such a nutty flavour. I like my brussels sprouts best when simply boiled and buttered or stirfried with oyster sauce and garlic. However, this time round, I have added them to my sambal fried rice! Haha, everything tastes good sauteed in lots of sambal belacan.

Christmas Gifts Ready To go

2008-12-17T02:46:00.000-08:00

In my Chocolate Coated Coconut Macaroons post (http://folliesofange.blogspot.com/2008/12/chocolate-coconut-macaroons.html), I mentioned that I liked the recipe so much that I am going to make a bunch of them for Christmas. So here it is, all packaged and ready to be given away. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Joyeux Noel a tous!!!

Kong Bak (Braised Soya Sauce Pork)

2008-12-14T02:17:00.000-08:00

Slice fatty pork (with skin), simmer in mixture of light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, wee bit of oyster sauce, some white pepper, star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves, and lots of garlic. Bring to boil and simmer till you attain that melt-in-your-mouth goodness when the fats and skin have become translucent. Great with steamy plain rice.

Bananarama

2008-12-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

My yummylicious banana cake, thanks to the recipe from The Cooking Ninja (http://www.cookingninja.com/173-Banana-Cake.html).

I have left out the nuts but note the large chunks of chocolate I have added which I will triple next time!

My Macaron Experiment

2008-12-10T00:39:00.000-08:00

Much like all you curious souls out there who have read so much about these elusive babies, and inspired by Gertrude's post (http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2008/12/french-macarons.html), I finally took the plunge. However, I refused to give it its royal treatment and treated it just like any other new recipe that I am testing for the first time... that meant no extra care in weighing the ingredients, etc., oh ok, I did seive the almond meal and icing sugar twice. So here's how it all went...

I followed the recipe from Tartelette given on Gertrude's blog except for an addition of 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to stabilize the egg whites. Nothing unusual from the beating of the egg whites to the incorporation of the almond meal, although I wasn't sure if I had gotten the whites to the right consistency - due purely to my own inexperience.

First red flag: tiny bubbles on the batter after piping. Hmm, at which stage of the mixing did they get trapped in there, how are they going to affect the results, I wondered. And geez, I need to work on my piping skills.

The results....

My first ever macarons - complete with feet!!! The bubbles only formed tiny bumps and didn't have any major effects on the end product. I'd still like to not have them at all though. Any advice, anyone?

These ones were pandan-flavoured and sandwiched with creme de marron (chestnut cream) which I have a weakness for. Taste and texture-wise, just like the real thing. What I would like to improve on though is the uneven colouring... could my oven have been too hot?

Moral of the story: never be intimidated.

Sweet N Sour Pork

2008-12-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

There, my sweet and sour pork with... potatoes! Only because I didn't have capsicums and pineapple on hand. This dish pretty much can't go wrong, can it? I love the bite of the pre-fried starch-coated chunks of meat.

Almond Cookies, Anyone?

2008-12-05T00:15:00.000-08:00

ALMOND COOKIES

Makes 14

Ingredients :

150 g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

150 g icing sugar

an equal volume of ground almond (vis-a-vis volume of flour)

1 tsp vanilla extract

White of 1 egg

100 g sunflower oil (may need more to form a dough)

Glaze : 1 egg yolk for brushing

Method :

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and icing sugar together.

2. Add ground almond to flour mixture and mix well.

3. Add vanilla essence and egg white to sunflower oil and stir well.

4. Pour oil mixture into flour mixture and combine well to form a dough. Add more oil if necessary.

5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, flatten slightly.

6. Brush with egg yolk and bake at 170° degree Celsius for 20 minutes or till golden brown.

Chocolate Coated Coconut Macaroons

2008-12-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

These babies turned out unexpectly good. Crispy and fragrant on the outside and moist on the inside, plus very pretty to look at ... mmm.... I am going to make a huge bunch of them for Christmas.

Got the recipe (by David Lebovitz) from this blog: http://www.wrightangle.com/food/blog/2008/04/21/chocolate-coconut-macaroons/ If you are like me - who prefer quick easy recipes, you may be tempted to skip the last chocolate coating step, but I have to say that it is worth the effort as they do taste and look a lot better with the chocolate.

Lamb Tagine With Prunes To Die For

2008-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

I had a gorgeous lamb tagine with prunes the other week and just had to try making it at home. Was skeptical with this recipe http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/05/lambtagine at first due to its relatively large amount of cinnamon but it turned out simply awesome, not exactly what I had at the resto but still absolutely delicious. This is not the kind of dishes I would normally cook given the required 1.5 hours of simmering, but it is definitely well worth the time as a special treat. If you are looking for that melt-in-your-mouth wonderfulness, then this is it. Serve hot with a simple couscous.

Sinful Mocca Pudding

2008-11-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

Warning: This is NOT for the faint-hearted, nor those with clogged up arteries or weight issues.

Cabbage Soup

2008-11-27T07:45:00.000-08:00

What does one do when it is 1 degree outside and snowing cats and dogs? - Blog! Haha!

Cabbage soup is one of my comfort foods. I throw everything into the pot and let simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Healthy and delicious.

Ingredients: Garlic, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, salt, pepper and an enormous pork bone (optional) for a fuller flavour.

This must be the most beautiful cabbage i have ever seen! Every leaf is prefection.

Couscous - My New Found Super Fast-To-Cook Staple

2008-11-23T05:55:00.001-08:00

I just discovered that it takes less time to cook instant couscous than instant noodles! This stuff is so going to be my next staple. Equal parts of couscous and stock flavoured with your preferred herbs and spices. Serve warm with spicy marguez or tagine, or cold as a salad with lots of chopped fresh tomatoes, parsley, onions, cucumber,... you name it, and dressed with your best vinaigrette.

Chocolatey Chocolate Cake

2008-11-22T03:01:00.001-08:00

This is really quite scrumptious... a keeper. The cake part of it is a lot more chocolatey and a little denser than most chocolate cakes (I absolutely detest those with a good icing but a disappointing lack-lustre inside). Thanks to the recipe from bbcgoodfood: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3092/ultimate-chocolate-cake. It was too much fuss for me to slice and layer the cake... I just topped the whole thing with ganache... the more, the merrier, yummm!

Pasta With Crispy Spicy Chorizo

2008-11-18T22:39:00.001-08:00

I had a party and this dish went fast. Al dente pasta with olives and crispy spicy chorizo, tossed with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, chili flakes, garlic, paprika, and good old oregano and thyme. Serve warm or cold. I think I will use pasta of a different shape next time 'coz these ones look like super-size maggots, no? (lol)

A Lazy Girl's Rice Cooker Salmon Paella

2008-11-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

This is a real shortcut, great when you do not have time 'coz nothing is simpler. Dump everything into the rice cooker: rice, water, paella seasoning, large chunks of salmon, peas, tomatoes, ... and some leftover artichoke hearts in this case. Once cooked, add more salt and pepper to taste, mix it all up and it's good to go. Now what would we do without our rice cookers!

Fried Rice Noodles - My Style

2008-11-07T07:12:00.001-08:00

I like very much ketchup and would add it to almost everything! One of my favourite ways to fry rice noodles a.k.a. "kway tiao" is with lots of garlic, green leafy vegetables or bean sprouts, and bacon or taiwanese sausages and season with ketchup, sriracha chili and fish sauce.

Quick N Easy Chicken Meal

2008-11-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

Cut potatoes in thick chunks. Marinate potatoes and chicken breasts/legs (fish works well too) with a generous amount of cajun seasoning, top with fresh rosemary, wrap everything in foil and bake at 190 degree Celsius for 50 minutes. Voila.

Inverted Sushi - My First Try

2008-10-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

I have made many times makis but this is my first try at inverted sushis! Thought I'd make a mess of it but it actually turned out pretty well. It's harder to cut the rolls though as the rice sticks.

Shown above is a roll of inverted chicken katsu sushi. Yummmm!

Why Is My Peanut Sauce So Light In Colour?

2008-10-30T02:42:00.001-07:00

I have tried several recipes for satay/peanut sauce but none has come close in taste to those authentic ones we get from the satay man. The last batch I made (photo above) was a light yellow colour rather than a deep reddish brown... probably due to the lack of dried chili? (I added only 1! From my previous experience, it would have been way too spicy for mes amis francais otherwise, lol.)

Now, here's a photo of the "rempah" before the addition of crushed peanuts...

There are shallots, garlic, dried chili, turmeric, ginger, lemon grass, belacan, coconut milk, salt and sugar. The batch before had galangal which was overwhelming in taste (I put too much perhaps), hence I omitted it this time. It tasted not bad at all but just not like the real thing. If anyone has an authentic recipe from the satay man, pleeeeeease post. Thanks!

Recipe For Macau Walnut Cookies?

2008-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am hooked. This stuff is soooooo good, I can't stop at 3! According to the label, they are called "Li Li Xing Ren Bing", made in Macau. Dry and grainy in texture, not at all greasy like some of the chinese peanut cookies I had eaten before. If you have a recipe for it, please send it to me! Merci beaucoup.

"Lazy" Hot Meal #2

2008-10-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Any kind of meat will do. Slice meat, throw into pan with some dark soy sauce, black vinegar, chinese rice wine, sugar, slices of ginger, garlic and green onions. Heat and stir till cooked through and enjoy with hot steamy rice. Voila.

Crumbly Almond Loaf

2008-10-26T02:52:00.000-07:00

If you like rich dense cakes with a crumbly texture, this almond loaf is for you. I've especially enjoyed the browned top and sides.

Crumbly Almond Loaf

120g butter
150g sugar
2 tsp lemon extract
3 eggs
1.5C almond powder
4Tbsp self raising flour
2 heaping Tbsp yoghurt

Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in lemon extract and eggs one at a time. Fold in almond powder and flour, then yoghurt. Bake in loaf pan at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.

Spicy Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi)

2008-10-22T04:03:00.001-07:00

Does anyone have a good recipe for this dish? I haven't found one yet, for the moment, I use Yeo's pre-mix which is pretty tasty with extra minced garlic and dried shrimps. I like to add a bunch of glass noodles sometimes for a heavier meal.

My "Lazy" Hot Dish

2008-10-21T08:57:00.001-07:00

This is what I cook when I am feeling really really lazy... Taiwanese Sausage Omelette. Or when I am out of ideas. It's done in 2 minutes!

Century Eggs (Pei Dan) - An Acquired Taste

2008-10-20T02:45:00.000-07:00

So I finally got my long-awaited Pei Dan from Hong Kong! I hated this stuff when I was a kid but grew to love it, especially its pungent soft moist yolk. I immediately brewed a pot of porridge, threw in 2 Pei Dan's, some green onions, salt, pepper and sesame oil and walloped it all! Yummmmmmm! My cholesterol level will probably go through the roof this week though, oh well...

I think I am going to get some of mes amis francais to try this stuff and enjoy the look on their faces. (lol)

Yum Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad)

2008-10-16T01:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite Thai dishes... love the refreshing lime dressing. Quite a bit of work involved though (lots of chopping and boiling) so it is not often that I make it.

Yum Woon Sen

60g (2 oz) glass noodles, soaked in warm water till soft
Cooked prawns, minced pork, dried shrimps.
5 Tbsp kaffir lime juice
Lime rind to taste, finely grated
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
2 chillies, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 stalks spring onions, finely chopped
1/4C cilantro, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2T roasted peanuts, crushed (for topping)
Mint leaves for garnish

Beer Bread Revisited

2008-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Remember my post on the Oh-So-Good Beer Bread a while back? That was the first time I tried the recipe and I have to say it has become my staple ever since I discovered it, for many reasons:

1. It takes 3 minutes to prepare the batter and I am not exagerating! That's quicker than running out to the nearest boulangerie 200m down the road!

2. It is such a forgiving recipe that I could add whatever I fancy to it - dried fruits, nuts and seeds, ground almonds, whole wheat flour etc - and it will still turn out great. My personal favorite is to crowd it with raisins :0)

3. It is really yummy... with salted butter and jam, with cheese, or in a sandwich.

I have not bought another loaf of bread since!

My Favourite Fudgy Brownies

2008-10-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

I love dense heavy cakes and brownies (no sponges for moi!). This recipe is the best one I have encountered to date and I am keeping it.

Fudgy Brownies

200g dark baking chocolate

200g unsalted butter

150g sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 heaping tablespoon flour

nuts, bananas (optional toppings)

Melt chocolate and butter together. Mix into mixture sugar till well combined, then vanilla extract and eggs one at a time. Do not overmix. Stir in flour. Bake in a lined 9-inch pan at 200 deg C for 25 minutes.

Pear Crumble Au Caramel

2008-10-10T07:08:00.001-07:00

I am not usually a fan of fruit-based desserts but this one is an exception due to the rich caramel and crumble. Layer pear slices in pan, sprinkle a generous amount of butter and brown sugar and top with crumble (recipe as follows). Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Serve warm with double cream.

Crumble

150g butter, cold and diced
150g wholemeal or granary flour (or plain white)
80g brown sugar
40g caster sugar
100g pack walnuts

Dont Throw That Precious Stock Away

2008-10-08T00:44:00.000-07:00

This is the chicken stock I stored away in the fridge after boiling chicken for the curry puffs last weekend. Skim away the fats and use it in soups. I like to throw in vegetables such as zuchinis or cabbage and season simply with salt and pepper... a warm hearty meal without further fuss.

Easy Snack - Baked Baby Potatoes

2008-10-07T04:46:00.001-07:00

This quick snack is inspired by baked potato skin. Half some baby potatoes, heap on some grated cheese, sprinkle with chorizo, salt, pepper and herbs of your choice, drizzle a little olive oil and pop into an oven of 200 dec C for about 25 minutes. Enjoy.

Give Me A Curry Puff Anytime!

2008-10-06T03:32:00.000-07:00

So I made giant curry puffs for dinner last night. A quick boil of potatoes, vegetables and chicken, mix them up with Brahim Brand Meat Curry Mix and a generous bunch of cumin seeds, wrap in puff pastry, glaze, bake and voila! A tad too spicy for mes amis francais (sorry guys) who were sniffing away halfway through the puffs (lol).

(Above photo: a sprinkle of sesame seeds to mark the puff without vegetables for the carnivore in the group.)

Herb Growing

2008-10-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

It is wet and freezing cold here and we are only in the beginning of October! Ohlala!

The herbs on the windowsill are doing fine despite the cold, except for the parsley which had sadly dried out when I was away this summer.

The rosemary (picture above) looks the best... a tough little lady that needs little attention.

The mint getting uncontrollable, growing in all directions and looking a mess.

The oregano survived the drought back in August and is slowly fattening up... way to go!

Bienvenue, Mes Amis Francais!

2008-10-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Si tu voudrais une recette en francais, mets un "comment" et j'essayerai de la traduire pour toi.