Baked Half Shell Green Mussels

This is a French provencal recipe which I have modified to suit my family's international and fussy palette. 

Ingredients

60 g of green lipped mussels - some are available cooked frozen with one shell.  If not, get raw chilled mussels, steam lightly with wine and shuck them, discarding one side of the shell with the meat on.

White wine (dry) 300 g

Sauce : chopped shallots, chopped garlic, chopped spring onions, 1/2 cup diced cooked tomatoes, 1/2 lemon juice and zest, chilli powder (to taste), salt, pepper, white wine, olive oil


Herbs Topping : Chopped fresh thyme, tarragon, parsley, dill, sea salt, bread crumbs, butter 


Method

• Fry garlic in olive oil till translucent. Bring the rest of the sauce ingredients to the boil. Add mussel juices (if any left from cooking) or chicken stock. Mix well.  Cool slightly. 

• Preheat oven to 200 C. 

• Arrange mussels on an oven proof tray. Pour sauce over each mussel. 

• Spoon herbs crumb topping. 

• Place mussels carefully into the oven and bake for 5 minutes. 

Christmassy Cranberry Pistachio Log Cookies

The joy of baking for Christmas for yourselves, family and friends. Pretty and delicious - makes a wonderful gift. Nibble on the colourful red and green soft, chewy and yet crunchy aromatic and wholesome biscuits.

This pastry is evolved from shortbread recipe. However, to help all the ingredients bind and stay intact instead of crumbling or melting, egg and fresh milk are added to the dough.

Ingredients

Butter : 1 block (250 g) softened to room temperature (not oily and melting)
Sugar powder or icing sugar 130 g
Castor sugar (white or brown) 30 g
Full cream Milk 1/2 cup
Egg yolk  1 (beaten)
Cranberry 200 g in dried form, soak in a dash brandy,  mix well and let it marinate
Pistachio (raw unsalted) - cut or chop coarsely
Plain flour 320 g
Salt 1 tsp

Simple Steps


Mix butter and sugar till smooth and creamy (easier with electric mixer)


Add vanilla extract and combine. 


Fold in flour and salt mixture gradually and mix well. 


Stir chopped nuts and berries evenly. 


Add milk and egg yolk. Mix well.


Divide dough into two approximately equal portions. Spoon one part onto 2/3 way of a piece of baking paper. Lift up one side, press firmly. Do the same for the other side.  Roll and wrap up the pastry. Press the ends firmly and fold inwards. 


Chill in the fridge for at least two hours. 


Preheat oven till 180 C. Line baking trays with baking paper. 


Cut biscuit dough with a sharp knife into 2.5 cm thickness and place gently on the baking tray.
Repeat with another baking tray. 


Turn down oven heat to 150 after 15 minutes. Turn the cookies over and reverse the original facing of the baking tray. Continue baking for another 10 minutes. 


Makes about 50 cookies.

Japanese / Korean Spring Rolls

My favourite spring rolls, the best in town, could be found in a suburban Japanese / Korean restaurant quite close to home. It's delicious because it tastes like what most doting grandmas or mums would cook for their loved ones on a cold evening or just for snacks to satisfy hunger panks and cravings. No excessive use of salty minced meat, spices and green peas (no-no, that's for curry puffs and samosas only).

Filling : cabbage, carrot, shitake mushroom, yam bean (if available), prawn (can be raw), minced meat (preferably steamed cooked or stir fried beforehand)


Herbs : coriander and spring onions (optional)


Seasoning : soy sauce, pepper, oyster sauce

Assembly : Put filling in an elongated fashion about 1/3 way of the spring roll pastry end 
(The wrapper should be softened from frozen pack and covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying up). 
Roll from one side, Fold the flaps on the adjacent two ends. Continue rolling lengthwise. 


Cooking :  Heat up vegetable oil till 160 degrees Centrigrade. Fry spring rolls on both sides for 3 minutes or till golden and crispy. Place cooked spring rolls on blotting paper to absorb excess oil before serving.


Dipping sauces : worchestershire and sweet chilli

Spicy thick curry in a coconut - seafood or roast duck (Indo-chinese style)

Red curry paste is very versatile for cooking seafood and meat dishes.

Steaming curry in a coconut after a brief stir fry in the sauces not only enhances the visual exotic appeal but keeps the curry warm and more fragrant.

Suitable for cooking seafood (thick soupy hor mok or choo chee curry) or roast duck curry.

This method is especially popular in Thailand and Vietnam.

Berries Trifle for a very merry Christmas

Christmas Down Under is summer. Lots of fresh berries to make attractive and delicious trifle for parties.

Choose an assortment of different coloured berries. Strawberries and blueberries are more hardy, keeps better, and retains their integrity even with a bit of handling and mixing.   Raspberries are refreshing and serve as good antioxidants but they may not withstand longer keeping time. 

Ingredients

Premium Vanilla Custard (Paul's brand is fine and convenient) 500 g  or cook from scratch with 4 yolk & 1 cup milk
Fresh Cream (either whip from scratch or purchase ready dessert cream) 2 cups
1 punnet each of 3 types of berries (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, mulberry, boysenberry)
Cherries for topping
Quality meringe (or whip egg white till max peak, pipe and bake)
Castor sugar 1/2 cup
Honey 2 TBS
Liquour - cointreau /grand marnier and brandy (any 2 of these will do) 2 TBS each
Chocolate garnache (melt a block of high cocoa chocolate in double boiler, add 2 TBS full cream, brown sugar and one yolk)
Sponge cake or sponge fingers about 200 - 300 g (pannatone Italian cake-bread is handy for this and pudding recipes)

Method

Prepare to layer a large glass transparent bowl (either special large surface uniform trifle bowl or large mixing bowl).

Firstly, line the bottom with chocolate garnache, followed by half of the sponge cake slices or sponge fingers.
Sprinkle some of the liquor on the sponge.

Spoon half of the fruit. Cover with custard.

Place the remaining sponge cake. Repeat : followed by a dash of liquour, fruit and custard.

Sprinkle some castor sugar.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Can be prepared the day before the party and chilled overnight.

When ready to serve, decorate with whipped cream, honey, cherries, mixture of cherries, meringe as topping.

Sticky rice with chicken, mushroom, sausage (claypot or fried/steamed) - Chinese risotto

Sometimes we wonder if the Chinese learned to cook claypot rice and sticky fried / steamed rice from Marco Polo or did the globetrotter(s) bring the idea back to Italy and thus risotto was born.

This is a delicious one-dish meal. It is usually listed on the menu of Asian restaurants as "raw fried glutinous rice". Though simple, it gives out a complexity of aromas from meat, vegetable, seafood and sausages.

No need to pre-soak glutinous rice. The result is soft fluffy but not water logged soggy rice.
A balanced meal, though not extremely "healthy", it is absolutely delicious. 

INGREDIENTS

Glutinous rice - 3 cup

Long grain rice - 1 cup

Chicken stock - 3 cups

Water - 4 TBS

Dried shitake mushrooms - 4 pieces (washed and soaked and sliced into quarters)

Chicken fillet - 200 g (sliced thinly and marinate in soy sauce)

Dried scallop (soak in hot water 3 times for at least 3 hours, discard first round of water)

or dried shrimp (washed and bashed)

Chinese sausages - about 2 sliced diagonally into 6 each (similar to using chorizo for paella)

Garlic (chopped)

Indian small shallot onion (sliced thinly)
Vegetable oil 3 TBS

Seasoning

Soy sauce (2 dark and 1 light)

Pepper to taste

Sesame oil (optional)

Garnish

spring onion slices and fresh coriander
fried garlic and shallot crisp

METHOD

1. Prepare fragrant oil and garlic/shallot crisps but frying gradually heating up garlic and shallot in cold oil. Be careful not to burn the crisp and turn off heat once the colour changes to golden yellow before turning brown as they continue cooking continues in the oil. Remove crisps and put on small serving dish.

2. Fry mushroom, chicken and dried shrimp (if using) till 80 % cooked. Dish up.

3. Add a little more oil to fry glutinous rice (if not using non-stick pot). Add a little water if required. Then add long-grain rice and continue frying till all the grains turn slightly translucent.

4. Add chicken stock to the rice. Mix in prefried mushroom, chicken and dried shrimp.

5. Place sausage slices on top. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes under medium-low heat.

6. Stir the rice mixture. Cover the lid back and cook for another 5 minutes with very low heat.

Acknowledgement : the above recipe is owed to the good advice from my homecook friend Sher who learnt it from her network of masterchefs, followed by lots of experimentation and practice. 

The same principle applies to cooking Asian claypot rice. In this variation, cook as you would boiled rice with additional savoury ingredients. The slightly burnt rice crust at the bottom is fragrant and delicious when mixed with the rest of the rice. Hot water can be added to remove the rice crust and drank as a soup so that nothing is wasted.

Egg Plant Omelette - Spanish Filipino Dish / Tapa

This is an urban Filipino dish heavily influenced by its Spanish colonial past and mestizo community.

Choose a medium size eggplant for easier cooking. Use a fork to prick the skin of the eggplant. Make slits lengthwise without cutting through the eggplant. Since the inside of the vegetable is not exposed, you don't have to soak it in salt water as you would normally do.

Steam or microwave whole eggplant till the skin and pulp are soft and tender. Use a masher to flatten the eggplant. Season with a light sprinkle of salt. Coat with either cornstarch or rice flour.

Beat three eggs lightly. Season with pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce and paprika (optional).

Heat up heavy frying pan and coat with a layer of oil and spread to the sides as well.

Pour a thin layer of egg into the frying pan. Quickly spread mashed eggplant and mix with the uncooked flowing egg.

Let it sizzle for 10 seconds. Then add the rest of the egg. Ensure that the heat is set at medium so that the omelette is neither too soft nor burnt.

When you could smell the omelette is cooked on one side, flip over and cook the other side briefly. Turn off the heat. This will ensure that that the omelette is not too dry.

Buttermilk Spicy Roast Chicken - healthy, easy and tasty

This dish is inspired by North Indian tandoori chicken and Chinese crispy chicken wings. It has layers of sophisticated flavours to tease the most disinterested diner. Moreover, it is healthy and easy to prepare, hence, suitable for casual entertaining and family gatherings.

INGREDIENTS

Chicken drumsticks 10 - 12

Buttermilk 1 cup

Curry powder 2 tsp

Oregano 2 sprigs, chopped finely

Garlic 2 cloves pulverised

Lemon or lime juice 1 TBS

Salt and pepper to taste

Maltose or brown sugar

Vegetable oil (with high boiling point) - 1 TBS

METHOD

1. Remove excess chicken fat from chicken drumsticks. Score lightly to on the skin to reduce cooking time.

2. Put chicken in a large mixing bowl or ziploc bag. Add buttermilk, spices, seasoning, sugar. All except vegetable oil for cooking. Mix well.

3. Leave the meat to marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. Take out one hour before cooking.

4. Preheat oven to 200 C. Place chicken pieces on baking tray that has been greased lightly.

5. Lightly glaze the chicken with more marinate and oil every 20 minutes. Turn ocassionally to ensure even cooking. Roast for for at least 45 minutes in total.

Osso Bucco Veal or Ox tail

This Italian dish has become a favourite that has gained worldwide popularity. A heart warming winter fare.

INGREDIENTS

Centre of bone cut for stew about 1/2 kg

Pure olive oil

Brown onions 2

Garlic cloves 2

Anchovy fillet (fresh, pickled or spicy) 1/4 cup

Red wine or dry white wine 1 cup

Beef or veal stock 1 cup

Vegetables :

Fresh diced tomatoes 1 cup

carrot (diced 2)

celery (1 stalk, sliced)

mushroom (3 and quartered)

Herb bouquet : fresh thyme, sage, rosemary, bay leaf (2 sprigs / stalks each)

Seasoning : salt and pepper

Garnish : chopped parsley and butter 15g

STEPS

1. Season meat with salt and pepper. Lightly dust with flour.

2. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy roasting pan. Brown the veal lightly. Remove from heat and place on a plate.

3. Using the oil from veal, saute onion and garlic. Avoid burning onions as they caramelise quickly.

4. Deglaze by adding wine to the pan. Add veal stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce heat.

5. Put vea backl in the pot or pan. Top with anchovy, vegetables and herbs.

6. Slow cook for at least 2 to 3 hours. Turn the meat ocassionally to ensure even cooking on both sides. It is ready when the meat is tender but not falling off the bone.

7. Add salt and pepper according to taste.

8. Garnish with chopped parsley and allow butter to melt on top of the stew.

9. Serve with bread or rissoto.

Starting Cold Cuts down Slow Cooking time - secret tip

Conventional teachings to sear marinated meat has the advantage of sealing the flavours and preventing shrinkage during slow cooking but requires longer cooking time.

To cook meat stews, curries, bone/ribs soups and rice porridge quickly, always start with cold ingredients and cold water.

Try this method to whip up the best beef rendang, pork bones spicy soup, congee and chicken broth.

Cantonese Steamed White Radish Cake - Yum Cha Dim Sum or Main Course?

Most pan fried dim sum served at yum cha restaurants are either lukewarm (taken from the refrigerator) or burnt.

Try making steamed white radish cake at home and get the perfect bite and fried medium well.

The proportion of ingredients are easy to remember.

1 cup of rice flour, 1.5 cups of water, 1 medium radish (shredded)

Blanched diced 4 inches length of preserved meat (optional)

Chinese meat sausage 2 pieces sliced thinly (lup cheong)

Washed dried shrimp about 2 TB spoons

3 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and diced

Fry the 2 types of preserved meat and shrimp till fragrant. Dish out and set aside.

Mix rice flour with water and seasoning (pepper, salt, soy sauce)

(preferably run through a sieve for smoother texture)

Fry garlic and shallots in 2 TBS of cooking oil till yellow and stir fry radish quickly.

Add in rice flour mixture and reduce heat. Stir continuously and bring to a slow boil.

Add fried savoury ingredients. Ensure that the bottom of the pot is not burnt as the mixture gets thicker and harder to stir.

Pour mixture into a heat proof dish.

Bring water in a high steamer to the boil. Ensure that the dish could fit into the heater with some space at the sides for easy removal after cooking.

Steam for at least 30 minutes in medium high heat.

Cool the steamed cake for at least 2 hours before cutting into thin rectangular slices.

Heat up frying pan and add a little oil. Pan fry the sliced cake and serve hot with spring onions, chilli sauce and XO sauce.

French Roast Chicken with Tyme and Garlic Stuffing

No hassle roast chicken French style can be prepared ahead of time and roast 90 minutes before serving.

Take chicken out from the fridge and rest at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes.

Wash and pluck remnant feathers. Drain off excess moisture.

Rub fine 1/2 TBS of sea salt and 1 tsp of mixed pepper all over the chicken.

Squeeze lemon juice from 1 lemon on the chicken skin all over. Omit if you prefer the roast chicken to be soft rather than crispy.

Insert 2 whole garlic cloves and thyme into the chicken cavity and pierce with toothpiece to secure while marinating and roasting.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 180 - 200 degrees centigrade

Spread 10 g of softened butter all over the chicken

Place the whole bird on an oven proof baking tray

Roasting time vary according to the size of the chicken, averaging between 60 to 90 minutes.

Turn the chicken twice - the first time after 40 minutes, then 30 minutes, and leave it for the rest before carving.

Serve with potatoes (can be added during mid time to the roast chicken), pickles and stiry fried mixed vegetables.

Laksa with Cockles

Those who have lived in Southeast Asia would know what they mean by laksa with sihum.

Cockles without cockles (called hum by the locals) is not the real mackoy.

Then comes the tedious part. Do not overcook the cockles. The difficulty lies in most cockles don't open easily unlike clams. They are alright for consumption even if they are closed (not tightly clammed up and impenetrable, pardon the pun).

Cook laksa lemak (the coconut based with moist spices and not the curry powdered version) as per normal. The spice mix (remapah in Malay) comprises ground dried chillies (presoaked, deseeded and cut), tumeric, galangal (blue ginger), lemongrass and small onions. Pounded dried shrimp should be fried separately from the rempah.

The most essential ingredient is the Vietnamese mint leaves (polygonum) which has to be cut and chopped finely. Sprinkle on the laksa before serving. The stalks can be dropped into the rest of the soup before cooking.



Optional are tofu puffs, prawns, chicken slices, beansprouts and cucumber. They enhance the taste of the dish and are recommended if it this is meant to be a main course.

Good quality pure coconut milk or diluted coconut cream is preferable. Compromising on the quality of the coconut milk will debase the taste and enjoyment of this ever popular dish which has gained worldwide reputation.

Refreshing Seafood Gumbo Revisited

Okra is the essential ingredient for the world famous gumbo soup. It helps to thicken the soup and goes well with the spicy seafood stock. We are fortunate that okra is available fresh from the markets and need not resort to frozen types which gives less kick and easily disintegrate when cooked.

This recipe is a tad lighter and tastier than the original New Orleans version which my spouse used to rave about enroute to official business in USA. Skip the roux as the medley of vegetables will sufficiently thicken the soup and leaves a clean taste.

Ready - here we go.

Firstly, fry a couple of chopped brown onions and garlic cloves with 2 TBS of vegetable oil.

Sear fish slices (use a firm fish such as dory or perch) and prawn till 3/4 cooked. Carefully remove from the pan with the onions and garlic.

Put chicken stock to the boil. Add canned tomato concentrate.

Add a few sprigs of thyme, oregano, chopped parsley (preferably freshly plucked from the herb garden) and 2 bay leaves.

Add sliced vegetables : celery, carrot, red chilli, okra, tomatoes and button mushroom (optional). Simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.

Raise the temperature to medium and add in seared seafood. Bring to a light boil and turn off the heat.

Secrets to Oriental Evergreen Beauty and Wellbeing - Osmanthus and Chrysanthemum Flowers Exotic Teas and Sweets

In the midst of a sultry southern hemisphere summer afternoon, flowers will lift your moods, douse the heat and regenerate energies.

Sipping a cup of osmathus and fruits is an age old beauty formula (not much of a secret now if you know how). A simple recipe of Osmanthus fruit tea :

1. Throw in two thin slices of starfruit (carambola) and bashed kamquat (either fresh or dried) into a slightly warmed tea pot.

2. Put osmanthus dried flower and leaves into a tea ball or tea strainer and fit across the tea pot.

3. Pour boiled water to steep tea and fruits.

4. Rest for 5 minutes and it's ready for drinking.

Osmanthus Jelly

1. Dissolve a packet of standard gelatine powder or leaf in 1/2 cup water a large dish.

2. Boil water and make a pot of 700 ml of osmanthus tea. You may strain the flowers but it is not necessary as they provide a pretty decoration to the jelly.

3. Dissolve castor brown sugar in the tea.

4. Pour tea into the gelantine and stir well. You may wish to spoon into smaller moulds.

5. Cool for 20 minutes, cover and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours before removing from moulds and serving.

Chrysanthemum Tea

1. Make chrysanthemum tea as with osmanthus tea above.

2. Pour hot tea over goji berry.

Chrysanthemum Jelly

Prepare gelatine mixture.

Pour hot chrysanthmum tea and goji berry over gelatine.

Mix well and pour into mould or cups.

Homemade Slow Roast Cashew Nuts - best in the world

I have given up buying cooked cashew nuts from moderately to highly priced of all sorts from supermarkets or gourmet stores. With the exception of very few speciality nut vendors, the taste and texture are disappointing to say the least.

Once you have done home-made cashews, you probably won't bother to try any of the ready cooked ones anymore. Though it may not mean savings, it is well worth the effort (not much actually)!

Purchase premium quality large size cashew nuts from nut shop, grocers that get supplies from reputable importers or health food stores.

Pour boiling water into cashew in a large pot. Give it a quick stir, ensuring that the nuts remain intact and are not broken. Leave to stand for 5 minutes. (Note : the water should just cover the nuts by 2 cm.)

Drain and repeat with another pot of hot water.

(Note : if this step is skipped and the nuts are baked or roast, it will take a much longer time cook the nuts and the results won't be as delicious)

Drain and transfer into an ovenproof pan. Spread it out evenly and sprinkle with salt.

Put the tray into a preheat oven of 150 degrees. After 15 minutes, stir the nuts and return to oven for another 15 minutes.

Turn the oven down to 120 degrees. Roast for another 90, during which the nuts should be checked and tossed at least 4 times.

When nuts look light golden colour, turn off the heat.

Remove from oven and sprinkle a little brown castor sugar. Mix well. Return to the oven and let it continue to absorb some residue heat and infuse the sugar.

(Note : do not roast the cashew nuts till it is brown as it will have a bitter and burnt taste)

Alternatively, the nuts can be deep-fried in oil. However, that would be a less healthy option. Moreover, you have to be very quick to avoid getting the nuts overly brown as they burnt quite easily.

Versatile Verjuice - versatile traditional French ingredient given a new breath of life in modern western cuisines

I have recently discovered the uses and versatility of verjuice. Despite the initial inertia and apprehension of trying something out of my comfort zone, I managed to gain confidence after following some recipes successfully.


What is verjuice? Verjuice is the juice extracted from large unripened grapes which is unfermented (unlike wine) and popularly used in classic French cooking. Some Mediterranean cuisines also use verjuice, owing to the abundance of grapes grown in these regions.

To sum up, verjuice has the lemony taste without the tartness and acidity of vinegar and citrus fruits. Verjuice is also a good substitute for wine for those with dietary restrictions.

MARINADE
- roast pork marinade for crispy skin
- fish and other seafood

SAUCES
- vinaigrette salad dressing by mixing with herbs
- salad cream : whip with egg yolk, seasoning and vegetable oil
- toss in pasta with olive oil
- pickled vegetables

COOKING
- deglaze meat in stir fry
- moisten halfway through cooking meat or root vegetables
- add to vegetables or seafood soup
- paella or fried rice
- fried noodle

DESSERT
- syrup for cakes
- poach pear or quince
- apple pie
- sorbet
- jelly
- soak dried or fresh fruits

Verjuice has made a swift comeback in recent times. Maggie Beer popularised when she ventured into and successfully bottled it commercially, as well as recommending various uses for verjuice.

Verjuice novice cooks may want to experiment with less expensive verjuice available in some larger supermarkets in the beginning, so that making a few failed attempts would be quite affordable.

Tribute to a wonderful chef without advertising the product :
http://www.maggiebeer.com.au/products/details/?Item=PrdctsVerjuice62

More recipes to try out :
http://www.welshmansreef.com/welshmansreef8.html

Korean Chap Chae - stir fry potato noodles with vegetables and meat

Korean Chap Chae - Stir Fry Vegetables with Sweet Potato Noodles

There are many ways of whipping up a delicious Korean Dish Chap Chae. The main ingredient is sweet potato noodles (mung bean vermicelli which is thinner could be
used with shorter cooking time).

Ingredients : Preparation
Soak noodles in warm water for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain.
Garlic and ginger - sliced thinly
Spinach
Green shallot - sliced thinly
Green or brown onion - slice thinly
Carrot - julienned
Hard tofu (white or deep fried) - slice into thin strips

Meat (minced or thinly sliced beef beef)
Long white cabbage (Tianjin / Korean variety)
Shiitake mushrooms - sliced (use fresh directly or soak dried ones in water)

Chilli - slice thinly (alternatively, use red and green capsicum)
Vegetable oil

Seasoning :
Soy sauce - according to taste
Korean fish sauce
Salt - final tasting
Sesame oil
Brown sugar (optional)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Fry garlic and onion in oil using a heavy pan till fragrant. (Do not turn the heat too high)

Fry vegetables in the sequence of hardest to cook to soft - mushrooms, carrot, cabbage, tofu, spinach, shallot. When vegetables are almost cooked, add blanched noodles and seasoning sauces. Mix well using large chopsticks.

Add sesame oil last. Mix well. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top before serving.

Orange Semolina Mediterranean Cake soaked in syrup

This is a Mediterranean inspired dessert (Greek and Lebanese). It has been adopted as Modern Australian owing to the cultural heritage of our rich and diverse migrant population. Omit semolina for a flourless gluten-free recipe.

Cake Ingredients
(serving for 6 - 8 small slices)
Unsalted butter 125 g
Castor Sugar 1 cup
10 egg yolk
6 egg white
Semolina 1 cup
Ground almond (almond meal) 1 cup
Baking powder 2 tsp
Flour 60g
Mixed spices (ground cinnamon, caraway, cardamom) 

Rind from one lemon and one orange
1 tsp vanilla essence

Syrup Ingredients (heat over low heat) 
 

Juice from 1 lemon and 3 oranges
Orange zest 3 TBS
Brown sugar 1 cup
Grand Marnier or Contreau 1/4 cup

Topping
Toasted almond flakes
Lemon or orange rind 8 - 10 pieces

Optional: a handful of red currants soaked in brandy and roasted pinenuts

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Line 8 inch ring pan with baking paper at the base and sides. Place the centre ring before baking.
3. Mix soft butter and sugar till light and creamy. Add zest and vanilla essence.
4. Blend beaten egg yolk to the butter mixture. Combine well.
5. Add semolina, almond meal and baking power gradually and fold into the mixture gently. Add nuts and fruit at this point.
6. Whisk egg white to soft peak. Carefully blend flour and egg white into butter mixture.
7. Pour mixture into baking pan. Bake in the oven for at least 30 minutes. Check that it comes clean of the skewer before turning off the heat.
7. Meanwhile, bring the juice, sugar and liquor to the slow boil over low heat. Reduce till it is thick and glacy.
8. When cake is still warm, pierce holes with sharp skewer.
9. Pour syrup (reserve 2 TBS) over the cake evenly.
10. Sprinkle almond flakes and citrus fruit rind on top of the cake.
11. Pour remaining syrup over the cake before serving.
12. A dollop of Greek yoghurt and agave syrup would be heavenly!

Angel or Devil's Sponge Cake - heavenly, whatever name you call this cake

So soft it could melt in your mouth and bring you out of this world, a description my Aussie friends used to rave about this cake from the recipe I'm about to share. A bonus is that it's a healthy dessert.

Ingredients for Cake
Fine Castor Sugar 200 g (break up the lumps)
Low gluten flour 100 g (same as tempura or sponge cake flour without added raising agent - put through a fine sieve just and again before mixing)
Cream of tartar 1/2 tsp
Egg white from 6 large fresh free range eggs

* Note : Use a chef pro high speed food mixer for better and consistent results.

* Variation : Some American recipes recommend that you add a variety of diced premium quality dried preserved fruit to add colour and flavour to this already wonderful cake. But not too much as it may add weight and impede the cake from rising.

Ingredients for cream and fruit topping

Fresh cream for whipping 200 ml
Icing sugar 100 g
Kaffir lime zest 1 TBS
Lemon juice 1/2 TBS
Fresh strawberries
Mint leaves

Method

1. Whisk egg white. When it starts to lighten, add cream of tartar.
2. Continue to whisk. Add sugar gradually. Whisk till medium peak. Do not overbeat the eggs as the sponge might not yield the soft effect.
3. Fold in the flour gently in circular movement or with clean hand.
4. Pour mixture into a sponge ring cake pan with hollow centre. Line with non-stick paper but do not grease the pan.
5.Bake at 170 C for 30 mins.
6. Inverse the pan on a rack and let it cool completely.

Decorate the Cake

Whip cream and icing sugar at high speed. Add zest and juice.

Spread or pipe in the cream on top of the cooled cake.

Top with fresh fruits and mint leaves.

White Wine Vongole Pasta

This is

Soak 400 g vongole in salty water (chilled and washed vongole are more convenient and ready to use after a quick rinse of the shells)

300- 500 g
Butter (150 g)
Garlic finely chopped (2 cloves)
Onion (1)
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
White wine (1 cup)
Freshly diced tomatoes (2)
Freshly chopped pasley (1 sprig)
Light cooking cream (1 cup)


Bring water with salt & olive oil to the boil. Cook pasta till al dante for 5 mins or less. Let it rest in lukewarm water.

Fry garlic and onion in butter in a heavy large pan. Turn the heat up before the garlic and onion is soft and translucent but before turning golden brown.

Put in the vongole quickly and cover with a very tight lid. Toss and shake the vongle 4 times around to ensure even cooking. After 2 minutes, open the lid. If the shellfish is fresh, they should open nicely (more than 1/2 opened) but not tough.

Pour wine and cooking cream over and bring to a quick boil.
Put in the drained pasta and mix well.
Add salt, pepper, tomato and parsley before serving.

Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork - Char Siu (red hot grill or roast lean meat)

If you don't like the burnt taste or undercooked BBQ pork from speciality stores, market stalls or food hawkers, try this easy home recipe.

In Mandarin, it is called "cha shao". There's a slight difference between the Hong Kong "char siew" and Southeast Asian Chinese spelling of "char siew". In the urban areas of Thailand where Chinese influence on local cuisine is felt, the dish is known as "moo daeng" (red pork).

You'll need only one ingredient - pork neck for tender meat or pork shoulder if you like the meat to have little bite and chewy.

The rest of the ingredients are for marinades and sauces.

Bash and pulverise 2 garlic cloves.
Grate a small knob of ginger.
Mix rose wine (or rose water), shaoxing wine with oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and a little salt and sugar.
(Red food colouring is optional)

Combine well and marinate.

Put whole piece of meat into the marinate. Tip : it is best to take the meat (already thawed) out of the fridge for 20 minutes, wash and drain before marinating.

Heat oven to 220 C.
If the meat is very lean, brush lightly with some oil on both sides before putting into the oven to cook.
Cook for at least 30 minutes each side for 1.5 kg meat and longer for larger quantity.

Brush honey on one side when meat is almost cooked. Return to oven for 10 minutes. Then turn over and brush the other side. This is to prevent burning as pork needs to be well cooked.

Meanwhile, put the remaining marinade through the sieve. Use a little water if it is too thick.

Add remaining honey and stir well. Heat up the sauce till almost boiling and turn down the heat to a simmer. Reduce by half until it becomes a sauce.

Check that the centre of the meat is completely cooked yet juicy.
Rest in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and rest outside for another 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices.

Serve with sliced cucumber, reduced marinade sauce and chilli sauce (mix sweet chilli vinegar and garlic sauce).

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Shanxi Vinegar Stew Meat - healthy and aromatic

This dish is very similar to Philippine Adobo chicken which had Chinese origins. (Please refer to : http://homecooksecrets.blogspot.com/2009/12/philippine-adobo-chicken-and-pork.html for ingredients and preparation.)

The main tip is adding a tablespoon of Shanxi dark and sweet matured vinegar during cooking (not as marinade). Shanxi vinegar is tart and pungent when taken straight from the bottle. However, added to a stew, it is heavenly, and healthy. Try it if you don't believe me.

This cooking style is suitable for different types of meat especially :

(1) chicken drumstick or fillet or

(2) pork knuckles or loin.

Firstly, marinate meat with soy sauce, pepper, shaoxing wine.

Saute garlic and onions in a heavy pan with a little oil for about 2 minutes under medium low heat.

Sizzle meat till outer layer changes colour and fragrant.

Add a vinegar by using a spoon to distribute evenly on all the meat.

Throw in vegetables as desired : carrot, potato, tomato, chilli peppers.

Cover the pan with an airtight lid. Lower the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Easy, convenient, delicious and nutritious.

Luffa / Angled Squash / SilkGourd fried with prawn and scrambled eggs

Luffa / Angled Squash / Silk Gourd - 1 or 2
Eggs - 3 large or 4 medium
Prawn - devined and shell removed
Garlic - 2 cloves chopped lightly
Seasoning : soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, rice wine

Preparation

1. Cut all the sharp angled edges of luffa first. Then peel the skin. Ensure that the knife is sharp and steady. Remove the large seeds from the core. Leave the smaller seeds attached to the softer portions. Cut into 2 cm slices.

2. Beat the eggs and add seasoning sauces except rice wine.

3. Wash and drain prawn. Add a dash of cooking rice wine (Shaoxing)

Cooking Method

1. Fry garlic in a TBS of cooking oil till fragrant but before turning brown.

2. Stir fry prawn quickly till it just turns pink.

3. Add luffa slices and cook for a minute when it looks slightly soft.

4. Add beaten egg and keep stirring till well mixed. The water from the vegetables should help to form a saucy consistency.

5. The delicious dish is ready to be served as it is now.

6. If you like to make a soup, add chicken stock and bring to the boil.

Optional : steamed pumpkin wedges can be added to make the soup.

TCM Food for Toothaches - Treating the root causes of gum inflammation

After trying every possible remedy short of extraction of good teeth that are neither infected nor decayed, the most sensible and effective way of relieving toothache is through TCM, actually just a matter of selecting the appropriate natural and safe foods that we eat all the time.

I found this useful. When in doubt, consult a dentist.

QUOTE :

Changing to a diet that dispels "pathogenic heat" can ease some inflammation that is not caused by bacteria and tooth decay.
Acupressure and external applications of garlic, ginger, ginseng and salt water also help.

"Reinforcing kidney energy while the gum is still inflamed is useless; on the contrary, reinforcing foods usually accelerate blood circulation and may aggravate the inflammation and gum bleeding," Li says.
For inflammation, Dr Li recommends "cold" (yin energy) food that dispels pathogenic heat. This includes chrysanthemum tea, cucumber and celery. After the inflammation and pain are gone, eat kidney-reinforcing foods like gouqi (wolfberries), pigeon and walnuts.

Rinsing the mouth with warm salt water and soaking the sore gum in the salt water can help relieve inflammation and pain. Putting thin slice of American ginseng on the inflammation can also help.
Pressing acupressure points can help relieve the pain. The points are he gu on the hand, jia che on the jaw, and nei ting and tai xi on the feet.

http://www.china.org.cn/health/2009-03/10/content_17412694.htm

Shanghai Infused Fish

I have searched cookbooks and the internet but could not find a good recipe to make this "smoked" spicy fish. I used to have a rough guide but it has been lost through migration of files and house moving. Thought this must be important enough to put on record before I forget or lose it again.

Most diners mistaken the name of dish "xunyu" to be smoked fish but the fish is cook in two steps. The sauces and spices are infused, unlike smoked salmon. The appearance of the fish is dark and dry but it is absolutely flavoursome.




Spice Sauces

Peppercorn (1/2 tsp), star anise (2), fennel seeds (2 tsp), cinnamon bark (1), five spiced powder (1/2 tsp).
Soy sauce (4 TBS), dark Zejiang vinegar (1 tsp), salt (to taste), sugar (1 TBS) and 1/2 cup water.

Ingredients

Fish slices. Whole fish may be used but I prefer boneless firm fillet such as ling, mackeral or snapper.

Method

1. Bring sauces and spices to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes. Put through the sieve and set aside. Either keep warm or reheat for later use.

2. Deep fry fish in hot cooking oil. To reduce splatter, rub some salt on the fish and dust a little flour before frying.

3. Drain the oil from cooked fish.

4. Dip each piece of fish into lukewarm sauces prepared earlier to ensure it is evenly and intensely infused. The fish should not be dripping and soggy.

5. Xunyu can be kept at a cool place for days in winter or in the fridge for a couple of weeks. You could take a slice or two to supplement your rice meal anytime. Thus, families find it worthwhile to make this dish in dozens of batches for convenience.

Yee Mee - Grilled Noodles in Superior Stock Stew with Vegetables

Yee Mee is said to have originated in Southern province of Guangzhou where the most delectable of all Chinese cuisines could be found. This is a popular one-dish food that is suitable for casual and formal occasions. Every well known restaurant worth its salt will have this on its menu.

Ingredients :

Fresh Egg Noodles
Yellow Chives (tender & longer than green Chinese chives & more expensive too)
Carrot - julienne
Shitake Mushrooms (use fresh or soak dried ones, then cut into slices)
Garlic : chopped
Egg : 2 - 3
Onion : slice thinly
Optional : either diced chicken, shredded roast duck or fish slices

Superior stock made from chicken bones, anchovy or dried scallops and celery. (A tsp of starch either tapioca or sweet potato, to be added just before adding the noodles at the end.)

Seasoning : soy sauce, pepper, shaoxing wine

Steps :

1. Put egg noodles in a colander and wash under running water, carefully stirring and disentangling the strands.

2. Grill noodles in pre-heated oven between 170 - 200 degrees C for 30 minutes. This is a healthier and less greasy option. (The classic method is to deep fry the noodles in cooking oil).

3. Turn off the oven and leave the noodles inside to keep warm but don't leave it for more than 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, fry garlic and onions with a little oil in a heavy pan or wok till fragrant. Then add meat, seafood, vegetables (except yellow chives) as you wish.

5. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Add starch and seasoning to chicken stock in a large pot and bring it to a light boil.

7. Put in noodles and top with previously fried ingredients. Add yellow chives last.

8. Cover with lid and stew for 10 minutes at medium low heat. Cook for shorter time (less than 5 mins) if you prefer the noodles to be crisy.

9. Add beaten eggs just before serving. It's supposed to be a bit runny.

10. Serve on a large platter or individual pasta bowls.  : )

Essentials for Aussie Gourmet Sausage Sizzle - for backyard BBQ or cosy kitchen snack

As the weather turns cooler Down Under, a refreshing outdoor dining experience becomes a preferred option. Sausage sizzle is suitable for backyard barbie, pan-fried, or oven grilled in the kitchen. Serve as mains (double sized portion) or as a snack.

Essential ingredients

Hot :

Gourmet sausages - preferably beef with spices for more intense flavour.
Onions
Carrots (optional)

Cold :
Lettuce
Cucumber
Tomato
Sweet Gerkins

Seasoning and Sauces :
Tomato ketchup (naturally flavoured without additives preferable) Dijon mustard
BBQ sauce
Pepper

Avoid adding salt if possible because sausages are quite tasty as it is)

Hot dog bread (sesame seeds - optional) : slit the centre slightly just sufficient for inserting meat and vegetables but do not cut through.

Method

It is easy if you follow a few golden rules of the thumb :

- Sizzle sausages at medium heat to ensure it is thoroughly cooked. Then adjust the heat accordingly for golden or brown outer. Turn over and cook well especially for chicken and pork.

- Put in onions later or at the sides where the fire is lower because they tend to caramelise and burn easily.

- Assemble the hot dog sandwich, add vegetables and condiments, squeeze and spread sauces.

- Plate and it's ready to be served.

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Jackfruit Ice Cream

This creamy refreshing exotic ice-cream is made from a 500 ml tub of frozen deseeded jackfruit. You could also experiment with fresh durian. Lighter fruits such as lychees and blood orange are more suitable for making sorbet and gelatol. (But try not to use canned fruits - the taste is compromised preservatives.)



Invest in a $50 home ice cream maker. Freeze the container for 24 hours before preparing the contents.
(Or else, follow the traditional way of alternating between freezing and stirring, if you have the time.)

Method :

Prepare gelatine by dissolving 2 tsp of powder in 2 TBS water. Let it stand till ready for use. Add to jackfruit mixture.
Whip jackfruit into pulp with 300 g of brown sugar, a pinch of salt and bring to the soft boil. Add gelatine.
Finally add full cream (small carton of 250 ml) and 1/2 cup of milk.
Optional : two tablespoons of coconut milk.
Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Pour the pre-frozen ice-cream bowl.
Cover, turn on and churn the mixture till creamy.
Switch off. Cover the bowl and return it to the freezer.
Store for at least 20 hours before consuming.
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