Beef Rendang From Scratch!

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?

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

Laksa Leaves

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