Beer Butt Chicken

Sometimes life needs spontaneity! Do you agree? 

On Christmas Eve, My hubby and I decided that we going to stay at home, unlike most would go out to immerse in the festive and celebrative mood with the crowd. We would make ourselves a good but fuss-free dinner to go with some good wine and music at home. 

"Roast chicken would be good!" he said. Also, we wanted to try out a new recipe so we can share a new dish when our family and friends come over in the future. So we searched the internet and spotted an interesting version of Beer Butt Chicken from Jamie Oliver. It asked for several indian spices (which I have in my pantry already) which I guessed the flavours would be gorgeous. On the other hand, I was doubtful. This is because I have tried  a couple of his recipes unsuccessfully and did not quite enjoy the food in his Singapore's restaurant. But anyhow, we took the plunge and we never regretted!

The chicken came out beautiful and the meat was so tender. You won't taste the beer but I suppose the beer did its job of tenderising the chicken. I threw in some vegetables at the last 20 minutes so to make some sides. It also soaked up the juices from the chicken. So yummy!


Recipe (1 whole Chicken) 
Ingredients

• 1 large whole chicken 
• 1 can of Lager (250ml) 

Spice rub

• 1 rounded tsp Fennel Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 rounded teaspoon Brown sugar
• 1 tsp Chili flakes
• Black Pepper and Salt 
• Olive oil 

Steps:

1. Heat up the oven to 200 degrees celsius, with circulation fan switched on.
2.  Using a mortar and pestle, crush fennel and cumin seeds. Mix with the rest of the spice rub ingredients. 
3. Rub the spice mix over the chicken, inside and out. 
4. Open the can of beer and keep 3/4 of the beer in the can. 
5. Place the chicken cavity over the can, seated on a roasting tray.
6. Roast for 90 minutes and check of doneness with your meat thermometer at the thigh area. It should read 75-80 degrees celsius. 

Recipe is adapted from: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/beer-butt-chicken/

Refreshed and Recharged: Baked Pork Chops with Piquant Sauce

Things got the better of me. I remembered reading an article some time ago about the struggles of women in their thirties. At that age, demands from family, career, health and social life are overwhelming. To add on, there is that need to create self identity and life purpose. Well, I admit I was torn and did not know how to manage. 

I must say it is through the people around me who showed me that I have stopped doing what I love most. That is to share my passion of food with others. Though I was still cooking and messing around in the kitchen, I haven't been trying out new recipes and sharing my experience with others. To refresh my food journey, I took a step back and asked myself what does food means to me and what am I advocating. Tough questions. Today, I think I know where I am heading to. 

As food technologies get more advanced, we do not realise that we are eating food that our body are not designed to break down. Because processed food is cheap and easy to prepare, we access them easily without any idea what goes into them. I think it is time that we be more informed of what we eat, stop consuming processed food and appreciate the goodness of real food. There is so much nutrients from fresh foods which we deserve. 

I hope I can share with you cooking real food with easy-to-follow and tested recipes. In this blog, I invite you to join me.  

Here's a simple recipe to start. If you have 30 minutes to prepare a quick, healthy dinner to impress your friends or family, here's the answer. You may ask for a lean cut of Pork chops from your butcher. What I like about this recipe is that the sauce is simple to make and goes very well with the pork chops. In addition, it keeps the kitchen clean. 

Baked Pork Chops with Piquant Sauce 
Ingredients

• 4 Pork Chops, about 250g each 
• 5 sprigs of Thyme 
• 3 sprigs of Rosemary
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• Sea salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil

Sauce

• 1 large Yellow Onion, peel and diced
• 1 Red Pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 Red Chili, seeded and diced
• 200g Cremini Mushrooms,  thinly sliced
• 1 can (398g) Chopped Tomatoes
• Sea salt and Pepper
• 1 tsp Caster Sugar
• Olive Oil

Steps:

1. Heat the oven (fan assisted) to 210 degree Celsius. 
2. Lined the pork chops on a lightly oiled a baking tray. 
3. Sprinkle thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper over the pork chops. 
4. Bake for 20 minutes.  
5. While baking the pork chops, prepare the sauce. 
6. In a heated pan, add 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add in onions, red peppers, chili and mushrooms. Stir over high heat for about 3 minutes.
7. Add in tomatoes and 1/3 cup of water. 
8. Add in seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes at low heat. 
9. The sauce would have thickened. Adjust seasoning to your preference. 
10. Remove pork chops from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. 
11. You may add the pan juices to the sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes. 
12. Plate the pork chops with sauce to serve. 

This recipe is adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food. This book is given by my hubby as our anniversary gift while we were in the states recently. The pictures taken here are also taken by him. Thank you!!

Turducken Rolls for Thanksgiving

I was fortunate to live in a another country for a good period of time where I could immerse into the local culture and get to know the people living there. Two years ago, we got invited to a friend's house to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family. We drove for about five hours from Boston to New Jersey in the cold morning. It was quite an interesting ride because it was a first for us to drive from state to state in the United States. :P

The invitation to the Thanksgiving dinner was a game changer for us. It showed us traditions of a different culture and my hubby and I were delighted with the idea of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. We loved it so much that we decided we will have our own every year. Although we are not farmers, I believe 'harvest' is basically means everything we reap from what we sow. On this festival, we would like to invite our families over to spend sometime together and to enjoy what we had in New Jersey "Turducken". It is a roasted dish made from Turkey, duck, chicken and fillings. I had the real thing in the states but I think I needed courage to duplicate the same thing here so I opted for a simplified version, Turducken rolls. 

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of Chicken Breast, thin fillets 
• 3 pieces of Turkey Breast fillet
• 1 piece of Duck Breast, cut into 3 strips
• 2 pieces of Italian sausages
• 8 slices of Prosciutto/ Parma Ham 
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• Paprika
• Cooking oil
• String to tie 

Steps:

1. Remove the meat from the sausage casing. Set aside in a bowl. 
2. Pat dry the meat. 
3. Lay a cellophane sheet on a chopping board. 
4. Lay the turkey breast on the cellophane sheet. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. 
5. Lay the chicken fillet on top of the turkey fillet. The chicken should no bigger than 2/3 of the turkey. Sprinkle salt and pepper. 
6. Next, place a strip of duck on top of the chicken fillet. 
7. Lay some of the sausage meat on top of the duck. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
8. Roll the meat with the help of the cellophane sheet. Tighten it like a sweet wrapper. Let it rest in the fridge for an hour. 
9. Repeat steps 3-8 for the rest of the meat. 
10. Remove from fridge. 
11. Remove the cellophane sheet from the meat. The shape of the roll should stay. 
12. Sprinkle salt, pepper and paprika. 
13. Wrap the rolls with Prosciutto and carefully tie the roll using the string. 
14. In a heated oven of 160 degree celsius, bake the rolls for about 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the rolls) or juices run clear. 

Remaking Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

Have you watched the movie "Julie and Julia"? I watched it several times and I find the emotions which Julie when through very familiar. Of course, I am not obsessed with Julia Child as crazy as Julie but I can share the excitement and anxiousness while she waits for comments and responses from her blog readers. Having this blog allows me to share my story and experience of cooking and baking food for my family and friends. It is also a platform which I hope you can be inspired to remake the foods I shared. 

In one of the scenes of the movie, Julie made Beef Bourguignon for a special dinner. The process was long and tedious. She felt asleep and the stewed beef burnt. Lucky mine was not burnt and turned out so good.... The fragrance coming from the oven kept me wide awake so it is impossible for me to fall asleep. 

Reading Julia Child's recipe book is a nightmare. It is complicated and confusing. Ingredients are not consolidated in a list and instructions are unclear. My hubby and I had to read several times and rewrite the recipe to make sense for ourselves. At the same time, we refer to Thomas Keller's for cross referencing. Julia's recipe calls for beef cubes but after trying 50% beef cubes and 50% boneless short ribs, trust me, please use short ribs. It was so tender and tasted so gorgeous. 

Ingredients

• 170g Thick bacon, remove rind and cut into 1/4" thick and 1.5" long 
• 1.3kg Boneless Beef short ribs, cut into 2" cubes
• 1 Large carrot, cut into chunks
• 1 Yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed with skin 
• 2 sprig of Thyme
• 1 Bay leaf
• Herb bouquet in cheese cloth: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1 thyme sprig 
• Almost 1 bottle of full bodied red wine (600ml + 120ml)
• 400ml + 120ml Beef stock 
• 20 Pearl onions, peeled
• 450g Button mushrooms, halved
• 28g Plain flour
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Salt 
• Pepper

Steps:

Beef

1. Preheat the over to 230 degree Celsius. 
2. In a heated dutch oven, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute bacon over miderate heat till light brown. Remove and set aside. 
3. Add beef cubes and browned it. Do not overcrowd the pot. You may have to do this in batches. Remove and set aside. 
4. Add in onions and carrots. Saute till onion turns brown. 
5. Add in bacon and beef cubes. 
6. Add in 1tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Sprinkle flour lightly over beef and mix well. 
7. Put the dutch oven, uncovered, in the hot oven for 4 minutes. 
8. After 4 minutes, take the pot and toss the beef. Return it to the oven for another 4 minutes. 
9. Remove the pot and lower the temperature of the oven to 160 degree Celsius.
10. Put pot over stove and add in 600ml of wine and 400ml beef stock to cover the beef. 
11. Add in tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. 
12. Bring to simmering point. 
13. Cover and place pot into oven for 3 hours.

 Pearl Onions

1. In a separate sauce pan, heat 1 tbsp of butter and add pearl onion and saute for 5 minutes. 
2. When they start to brown, add 120ml Beef stock and 120 ml red wine.
3. Add some salt and pepper and herb bouquet. 
4. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until liquid evaporated. 
5. Remove  herb bouquet and set aside the onions. 

Mushrooms

1. In a saute pan, heat pan with 28g of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. 
2. Add mushrooms to brown. Avoid stirring. 
3. Toss the mushrooms only with it starts to brown. 
4. Add some salt and pepper. Remove and set aside. 

To serve

• Remove dutch oven from the oven. When the beef is ready, fork pierces the meat easily. 
• Pour contents into a sieve over a large sauce pan. Wash the dutch oven and return the drained contents. 
• Add in pearl onions and mushrooms. 
• Skim fats from the sauce in saucepan.  
• Simmer sauce to reduce to about 500ml. 
• Pour sauce over the meat and vegetables. 

Steamed Pork Patties with Salted Egg Yolks

It is always a pleasure to have guests over for a simple meal. My hubby and I enjoy having friends and family members over for dinner. After every meal, we always feel that these sessions bring us closer to our guests.  

After having to host a few dinners, I observed that food on the dining table sets the tone and formality of the meal. Generally my family and friends warm up to  Asian food than western food. Somehow they are more at ease, conversations are more relaxed and atmosphere is more vibrant. It is like comparing a dim sum restaurant to a French dining restaurant.  

In my journey in expanding my cooking repertoire of Chinese food, the Singapore celebrity chef Sam Leong would be one of the chefs I would look up for ideas. He has published a number of recipe books and his recipes are easy to follow. This dish is from one of his books and every time when I cooked this, my guests would raved about it.  I strongly recommend his books and cooking classes. 

This recipe requires salted egg yolks. As the eggs have been preserved with salted charcoal, the egg white would turn a little cloudy and the yolk turned into a bright orange, firm and round ball. Please wash away the egg white with water and the membrane that protects the yolk. You may cut or smash the egg yolk before placing into the steaming bowls. 

These pictures were taken a guest (PressingSecrets) whom I was very pleased to invite. She offered me a new perspective  in my kitchen while my friends and I were trying to rush for a 8-course Chinese dinner for 11 people frantically within 2 hours. She captured our calmness with a polaroid camera on one hand and mixing spoon on the other. Well done!

Ingredients

• 400g Minced Pork
• 30g Coriander stems, finely diced
• 3 Water Chestnuts, peeled and finely diced
•  4 Salted Egg Yolks, cleaned and cut half
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 Egg white
• 2 tsp Soya Sauce
• A pinch Ground white pepper
•  A dash of Sesame oil
• Spring Onion, minced

Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients together, except cooking oil, salted egg yolks and spring onions. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Apply some cooking oil on 4 steaming metal cases.
3. Put a salted egg yolk inside each case. Spoon the pork mixture into the cases.
4. Steam for 45 mins or until the pork is cooked.
5. Turn cups over a serving plate. Serve with the sauce (see below).

Sauce

• 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 4 slices Ginger
•  2 Spring Onion, cut into 1 inch long
• 4 sprigs of Coriander leaves
• 200ml Chicken Stock
•  ¼ tsp Dark Soya Sauce
• 20g Rock Sugar

Steps:

1. Heat the oil in a wok and fry ginger, spring onion and coriander until fragrant.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil.
3. Strain and use as needed

Adapted from Chef Sam Leong's A Taste of Home

Parmesan Sauce with Peas and Bacon

Recently...

Question: What is the theme of your blog? 
My answer: Hmm... There isn't a theme. I cook the things I like to eat and the things I want to try. 
Question: What is your blog about? 

Yes, there are many people who blog about food. And I blog about food and cooking because it has a special meaning to me. 

My family started humble with little food to eat. I remember my mum told us that they had to fork out the last few coins to feed the family because we were very poor then. At that time, the coins managed to only get three steamed cupcakes (if you noticed, steamed cupcakes is one of the earlier posts on my blog) to feed a family of five. Since, my parents worked very hard to feed the family and slowly our family began to live more comfortably. Because my parents had to work, I started to help out in the kitchen at a young age. I am blessed that my mum is a good cook so I learnt to love cooking and baking. Over the years, I built on my cooking repertoires through culinary classes, cook books and research over the internet. My family and friends are my great supporters of my trials. Even though some of my experiments failed terribly, they have been very encouraging. I got to understand the phrase that food binds people together and often I like to invite family and friends over for dinner and sometimes bring baked goodies to friends and colleagues.  

So what is my blog about? 

My answer: It is about cooking for love. I hope I can inspire you (everyone) to cook at home. To cook for the ones you care and love and to enjoy the goodness of home-cooked meals together. 

This recipe is requested by a friend. She has a beautiful family and three wonderful children. I am sure she has asked for this recipe to cook a nice meal for her family. This sauce is good for any pasta. I had it with fresh linguine and ravioli too. Once my hubby and I invited my brother-in-law over for dinner, (Yes, we like to host and have been inviting people for dinner on weekends) he was obsessed with this pasta sauce and had been requesting for us to cook it again and again. 

Recipe (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 100g Bacon, thinly sliced
• 100g Frozen Green Peas
• 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Shallots, chopped
• 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 2 cups Heavy cream
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 200g Cooked Pasta 

Steps:

1. In a large pan, heat heat on medium and cook garlic and shallots. 
2. Add in bacon and fry till bacon turns light brown. 
3. Add in heavy cream. Cook on medium high heat till cream reduce to 2/3 of the original the amount. 
4. Add in nutmeg, peas, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. 
6. Toss with cooked pasta. 

Enjoy! And do enjoy cooking, yea? Yes, I know cooking takes time. But if you do not spend time cooking for your love ones, who will? 

Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice

It has been six months since I have returned to Singapore. Routines are back and busyness got the better of me. In the recent months, there was much talk about inflation and how much standard of living has increased in Singapore. From what I know, the cost of Big Mac is a benchmark across countries to measure standard of living. Well, I think to measure inflation and standard of living over time in Singapore would be a plate of chicken rice. 

I remember that a plate of chicken rice during my younger days was priced at a humble $1.50. Over time, price has increased in steps of 50 cents  and now the cost of a plate of chicken rice varies from $2.50 at hawker centres to $25 at hotels. So what makes a good plate of chicken rice? Some think it is the fragrant rice and others think it is the appetizing chili sauce. I think it is  the smooth and tender chicken. Or perhaps it is all of the above? 

Today, we had decided to invite my family over for chicken rice. 

Once I shared with a friend in the states the variety of Singapore delicacies. As I mentioned that tourists love Singapore Hainanese Chicken rice, she looked puzzled  and asked how would rice with chicken be possibility be a favourite. Linking to the South-east Asian origin, asian spices and herbs are essentials to a good plate of Chicken rice.  I guessed one has to taste it to believe it! 

The preparation is time-consuming as there are three parts to this sumptuous meal. As mentioned, chicken, rice and chili sauce. Are you ready? 

Recipe (For 4 person)

Ingredients:

A) Chicken

• 1.5kg Whole chicken, cleaned and pat dry 
• 2-cm knob of ginger, bruised
• 5 cloves of garlic, bruised
• 3 stalks of spring onions, bruised
• A pot of water
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil

Steps:

1. Remove fats from lower end of the chicken and put aside. This will be used in the preparation of rice. 
2. Boil the pot of water. 
3. Put all the ingredients into boiling water. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 
4. Prepare a basin of iced water.
5. When chicken is ready, remove the chicken from the pot and soak in iced water for 5 minutes. This step will stop the cooking process and tenderize the chicken. 
6. Remove from iced water and place on a plate. 
7. Rub the chicken with some sesame oil.
8. Reserve the chicken stock for cooking of rice and chili sauce. It is very good as soup to accompany the chicken rice. 
9. When the chicken is cooled, chop the chicken into pieces on lay on a serving plate. Decorate with some coriander/ cilantro. 

After soaking in ice-bath, the skin will be translucent and very smooth. 

B) Rice

• 3 cups of rice, washed and drained  
• Chicken fats from the chicken 
• 4 cups of Chicken stock from the preparation of chicken
• Spice paste: 2cm ginger, 6 garlic cloves, 3 shallots
• 2-cm knob of ginger, bruised
• 5 cloves of garlic, bruised
• 3 stalks of spring onions, bruised
• 3 stalks of lemon grass, use only the bottom 2 inches, bruised
• 2 large pandan leaves, tied into knob
• 1/4 tsp Salt 
• 2 tbsp Cooking oil

Steps:

1. Make the spice paste by blending the ginger, garlic and shallots or pounding with mortar and pestle. 
2. In a heated wok, add cooking oil and chicken fats. 
3. Brown the chicken fats over low heat. 
4. Add in spice paste and the other ingredients except the rice and pandan leaves.
5. Fry from 3 minutes or until fragrant. 
6. Add in the rice and pandan leaves. 
7. Fry to ensure the rice is well-covered with spice paste and oil. 
8. Add in 4 cups of chicken stock. 
9. Cover the wok and cook over low heat.
10. After 10 minutes, stir the rice to prevent burnt bottom and check if the rice is done. Continue to cook if it is not ready. 
11. If it is done, transfer to a rice-cooker to keep warm. 

C) Chili Sauce

• 100g Fresh red chili 
• 5 Garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 cm knob of Ginger, peeled
• 3 Shallots, peeled 
• 4 Cilantro stems
• 1/4 cup of Chicken Stock  
• 1 tsp White vinegar 
• 2 tsp Sugar 
• 2 tsp Salt 

Steps:

1. Make the chili paste by blending the ginger, garlic, shallots and cilantro stems or pounding with mortar and pestle.
2. In a saucepan, cook the chili paste and add in the other ingredients. 
3. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat. Cool before serving. 

To make it a complete meal, you may want to include some poached greens with oyster sauce, sliced cucumber and chicken soup with spring onions. Bon Appetite! 

Crispy Layered Curry Puffs

I grew up in a Singapore heartland and I could get simple and tasty food in the nearby coffee shops and eateries. I could remember Hainanese chicken rice was scrumptious and serving was generous. It can beat the Mandarin Chatterbox $25 chicken rice anytime! My favourite was the Fried Hokkien noodles. They were fried upon order and watching the uncle frying the noodles was truly an eye-treat. Food then was authentic and delicious.  


Today, food is fancier in presentation. Food appreciation is elevated to include different senses. Beside taste, it must be a feast to the eyes and scent to the nose. The recent craze of curry puffs has invited a few brands to compete for a market share. With competition, curry puffs have evolved from the good old days of Epok Epok. 

So what makes a good curry puff? My answers are:

• Crispy and flaky dough
• Buttery dough
• Warm and moist filling
• If it is Potato filling, hard boiled eggs is a must!

Well, my featured version of curry puff has of course satisfied my own criteria.  And I brought these to Boston Food swap. I would say it created a buzz among the Bostonians in the event. 

Photo from Boston Food Swap

Recipe:
A) Chicken and Potato Filling

• 1 Chicken Breast, cut into cubes
• 2 Large Potatoes, boiled and cut into cubes
• 1 Red onion, diced
• 1 handful of Cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp Curry powder
• 1 tsp Tumeric powder
• 1 tbsp Chili paste (optional) 
• Black pepper and salt to season
• Cooking oil
• Water
• 2 Hard boiled eggs, cut into 6 segments

Steps:

1. In a heated wok, add 2 tbsp of oil. Add in chili paste. Fry till fragrant. 
2. Add in onions, fry until it turns translucent. 
3. Add in chicken and fry until it turns opaque. Add in potatoes. 
4. Add into curry powder, tumeric powder, seasoning. Stir well.
5. Add in 1/4 cup of water. Simmer until the chicken is cooked and water dries up, approx 10 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and set aside. 

B) Dough 


1) Water Dough

• 450g All Purpose flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 200ml water

2)  Oil Dough 

• 200g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
• 365g  All Purpose flour
• Some Ice cold water

Steps:

1. Prepare the water dough. In a mixing bowl, mix flour with salt, add in water slowly to form a dough. Adjust the water accordingly to have a pliable dough. 
2. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. After which, divide the dough into balls of 85g each. 
3. Prepare oil dough in a different mixing bowl. Mix the butter and flour together. Add some ice cold water to help to gather the dough together. Do not over knead as it may transfer heat and melt the butter. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes in the fridge. After which, divide the dough into balls of 70g each. 
4. Flatten a water dough ball and place a oil dough ball onto the center of water dough. Wrap the oil dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
5. Roll the mixture dough into a rectangle about 18 cm x 10 cm. Roll the dough tightly into a spiral, start with a shorter end. Rest for 10 minutes. Cut it into 4 equal pieces. Repeat for the rest of the dough. 
6. Take a piece of cut dough. Roll into a round 1/8 inch  dough wrapper. 
7. Fill the wrapper with filling and a piece of hard boiled egg. 
8. Seal the edges with some water. Pinch the ends. 
9. Deep fry it in medium high heat. Remove when pastry turns golden brown. Drain from oil. 

Singapore Beef Rendang

Beef Rendang is a typical Singapore Malayan dish. It is usually eaten with steamed rice with other dishes (aka Nasi Padang). The spicy dish can be found in most of the Malay rice stalls and it is also frequently seen as one of the auspicious dishes in Malay weddings and celebrations in Singapore. The taste of the dish is rich and complex because of the many asian spices, as well as coconut milk and flakes in its recipe. The meat is slowly cooked to bring out a tender and juicy texture. 


I have never try making Rendang. I always thought that Rendang is a very tedious recipe to make. Furthermore I seldom cook beef in Singapore because beef in supermarket is usually expensive as they are imported, hidden behind a glass counter. And if I were to buy beef from the wet markets, I had to tell the butchers the particular cut I want and they probably do not know what I am talking about! And the sight of chopping and slicing the cow look bizarre to me. (Beef is rather a bloody meat.) I will suggest that butchers have a list of different cuts they offer, like the farmers' markets here in Cambridge. 


 In US, beef is accessible, cheaper and fresher. Of course, I do warn that it is better to know where the beef is from. Knowing the source of your food gives a sense of awareness and assurance that your food is treated with minimum/ no pesticides and chemicals, antibodies and hormones. 

Recipe (Serves 4 - 6 people)
Ingredients:


A) Flavour Paste

• 1/4 cup packed Dried chilies, soaked in hot water for 1 hour
• 6 Shallots
• 6-8 cloves of Garlic
• 1 Thumb sized knob Ginger
• 1 Thumb sized knob Blue Ginger (Galangal)
• 1/2  Thumb sized knob Yellow Ginger (Tumeric)

Steps:

1. Using a blender, blend all the ingredients into a medium-fine paste. 
2. Set aside.

B) Spice Blend

• 4 cloves
• 3 Green cardamon pods
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 2-inch long cinnamon stick, break into half

C) Ground Spice Blend

• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds Powder
• 1 tsp Tumeric Powder
• 1/4 tsp Ground Black pepper

D) For the Rendang

• 1/2 cup of Cooking oil 
• 1 lb (450g) Beef Chuck, cut into 1" cubes (Good to have some fats in the beef)
• 200ml Coconut milk
• 1/8 cup Taramind concentrate
• 1 Lime leaf (optional)
• 2 stalks of lemongrass, trimmed top and bruised bottom with the back of a knife
• 4 tsp of palm sugar
• 1 tbsp Salt 
• 1/4 Grated fresh coconut or frozen coconut , thawed

Steps:

1. Using a pan, fry the grated coconut with a pinch of salt till it turns light brown. Set aside.
2. In a pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil until shimmering hot. Add the spice blend and stir constantly for about 1 to 2 minutes. Careful not to burn. 
3. Lower the heat to medium and add in another 2 tbsp of oil. Add in the ground spice blend. Stir well for 1 minute and add in the remaining of the cooking oil. 
4. Add in the flavor paste. Let it cook until the oil separates. Stirring frequently. 
5. Add in the beef and cook, stirring it to coat it with the spices. 
6. When the beef turns opaque outside, add in coconut milk, taramind concentrate, lime leaf and lemongrass. Bring it to boil.
7.  Add in sugar and salt.
8. Reduce the heat to low, let it simmer for 1.5 hour. The Rendang will slowly cook and the gravy will reduce to coat the beef. Oil will start to appear on its surface. 
9. Add 1 cup of water and reduce for another 20 minutes. Here, the beef will turned tender. 
10. Add in toasted grated coconut and stir well. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the gravy is thick. Remove from heat.
11. Before serving, remove the whole spices, lime leaf and lemongrass.
12. Enjoy!

Coriander and Tomato based Curry Chicken

I am very fortunate to be able to be to learn to cook different cuisines during my stay in Cambridge. My participation in two culinary clubs has been very rewarding. I made many friends from different countries and learn from them how to cook their home country's delicacies. My friend, D, is from India (Calcutta) and she taught me this dish during one of the culinary sessions. She is a very good cook. Her warm character and generosity is contagious. Her calm and composed disposition makes people around her at ease.  

One of the most delicious dish I have learnt from D (so far) is the Coriander and Tomato-based Curry Chicken. It is not the usual thick, coconut-milk based curry that Singaporeans like to eat. It is lighter and healthier. The gravy is well-flavored with spices, onions and tomatoes, simmered with chicken to bring out the goodness. 


Recipe (Serves 4)
Ingredients:

• Half a chicken, chopped into pieces
• 2 large Tomatoes, chopped
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 handful of coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp Ginger paste
• 1 tbsp Garlic paste
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Garum Masala
• 1 tbsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Sugar
• Water
• Cooking Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Steps:

1. Marinate the chicken piece with salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
2. In a pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Saute onion until it turns translucent. 
3. Add in ginger and garlic paste. Stir well and add in cumin and 1 tbsp garam marsala. 
4. Add in tomatoes and fryuntil the oil separates from the mixture. 
5. Add in the marinated chicken and fry until it turns opaque. 
6. Add in 2 cups of water and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
7. Add in salt, pepper and sugar to taste. 
8. To finish, add 1 tsp pf garum marsala and coriander leaves. 

Recipe is adapted from my friend who is now in Cambridge, MA 

*Her name is not disclosed for privacy purpose

Egg Benedict & Hollandaise Sauce

Egg Benedict... A sinful breakfast/ brunch item made of poached eggs and ham over English muffins, sinfully drizzled with the divine Hollandaise sauce. All faint hearted should avoid this delicious combination because the sauce is rich, buttery and creamy. You may die of a heart attack! Just joking! But well, you got to try it at least once (from a decent restaurant, or make your own!). 

Hollandaise sauce is one of the five mother sauces in the French sauces repertoire. It is difficult to make and does not keep for long. To make the sauce, you need egg yolks, butter, lemon and some seasoning. I had to get my hubby to help me during the preparation process as one has to add melted butter into the mixture while whisking it continuously. In fact, I learnt that it is good to involved your hubby in the cooking process because he will appreciate your hard work in bringing food to the table. Well, my hubby enjoyed his breakfast very much and of course he appreciated the hard work I put in. I guess it will take some time for him to request Egg Benedict again for his breakfast at home.  (In fact, the next day we tried Egg Benedict at Boston. The sauce was a let down :P)

Recipe

Ingredients:

A) Hollandaise Sauce

• 2 Egg Yolks
• 4 sticks of butter (2 cups), melted and clarified
• 1 tbsp Freshly squeezed Lemon juice
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• Water

Steps:

1. Simmer a pot of water over low heat.
2. Using a mixing bowl (that is able to place over the pot of simmering water for double boiling), whisk the egg yolks over the simmering water. Whisk the eggs till it is creamy and ribbons are formed. 
3. Remove the mixing bowl from heat, add in the butter a teaspoon at a time and whisk continuously. If the mixture becomes too thick, add some warm water. Continue to add all the butter a teaspoon at a time. 
4. Add in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk well. 
5. Set aside. Keep the sauce warm. 

B) Egg Benedict (For 2)

• 2 Eggs, at room temperature
• Ham
• English Muffins, halved and toasted
• Asparagus, trimmed 
• 1 tbsp White vinegar 
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp of oil

1. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water and put it into ice bath. 
2. In a pan with 1 tsp of oil, saute the  asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat the ham (optional)
4. In a pot of simmer water over low heat, add white vinegar. 
5. Crack an egg into a bowl. Slide the egg using the bowl carefully into the simmering water. Let the egg poach for 3 minutes. Repeat the same process for another egg. 
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove the poached egg. 
7. Lay a slice of muffin on a plate, top it with ham, egg, asparagus and drizzle with a generous amount of hollandaise sauce. 
8. Bon Appetit!

My Favourite Sausage / Hot dogs Rolls

Do you have a favourite item at the bakery? 

When I was young, my mum would bring my siblings and I to the bakery frequently. We always bought the same baked items. I love sausage rolls, my sister liked ham buns and my brother adored Red bean buns (I am not sure if they still like what they used to :P). So when our parents bought some bread home, we know they got what we wanted. Sometimes my brother and I would get into fights when he ate my sausage rolls. Yes, it was very 'territorial'. 

How would you enjoy a sausage roll?

Option 1: Eat the bread and sausage in organized bites

Option 2: Eat the bread and followed by the sausage

Option 3: Eat the sausage and followed by the bread

And I choose option 2! Save the best for the last, yea? 

I am glad to find this recipe online and I can bake them in my kitchenette. But just one simple advice, stick to your favourite brand of sausages. I bought 98% fat-free turkey sausages from a local supermarket but was utterly disappointed with the taste as they were way too salty.  

Recipe (Makes 8 sausage rolls)
Ingredients: 
Part 1:

• 300g Bread Flour
• 1 package of Instant Dried Yeast
• 10g Sugar
• 6g Salt
• 30g Unsalted Butter, Softened and cut into small cubes
• 1 egg 
• 170 - 180g Whole Milk 

Part 2:

• 1 egg and 2 tsp of water for egg wash
• 8 sausages, washed and patted dry
• 1 tsp Butter

Steps:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix bread flour, dry yeast, sugar and salt well. 
2. In a separate bowl, mix milk and egg together. 
3. Add milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix well using a spatula. 
4. Using hands, remove the dough and knead on a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is tender and elastic. About 10 minutes. 
5. Add in the butter into the dough and knead for another 10 minutes or until the dough is soft, smooth and stretchable. Make sure the butter is well blended in.
6. Put the dough in a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the dough with a damp cloth. Let it rest for 1 - 1.5h or till size doubles. (I let it rest in a 90 deg Fahrenheit oven with a tray of warm water).
7. Deflate the dough with your fist. 
8. Divide the dough into 8 portions. Roll the balls in your clenched hands against the table top till the dough smoothed. 
9. Cover them with damp cloth and let them rest for 10 minutes.
10. For each portion, roll them into 25 cm long ropes. Using the elongated dough to wrap a sausage. Leave 3/4 inch of each ends of the sausage unwrapped.  
11. Lay the sausage rolls on a baking tray. Cover with damp cloth and let them rest till the dough doubles.
12. Preheat the oven to 200 deg Celsius / 390 deg Fahrenheit.  
13. Brush the dough with egg wash. 
14. Bake the rolls for 12- 15 minutes or until the dough is light golden brown.
15. Rub the rolls with a little butter to achieve a shine.

The recipe is adapted from http://food-4tots.com