29.8.07

Snow Skin Mini Mooncakes










With half pack of green tea paste still "sitting" in the fridge compartment, undue "pressure" caught on me to "clear" it soon and very soon. And somehow with the Mooncake festival around the corner, well, next month actually, I pondered on the possibility of making snow skin mooncakes.

Rather than relying on cooking classes from various biz opportunists, offering to teach at $40 per session with few varieties to be learnt over a 3 hours period, lets give the online blogs receipes a try, that was my thinking then.


After spending countless hours drooling and viewing through the varies methods of making the snow skin, I came across the following receipe and the product turned out decent and edible.



Ingredients :


200g kor fun (gao fen in chinese) shifted


70 g shortening


150 g icing sugar


210 ml ice cold water


1/2 tsp apple green coloring


1/2 tsp vanilla essence


the balance green tea paste



Steps :


1. Sift gao fen & icing sugar into large mixing bowl.


2. Make a well in the centre, add shortening and essence to mix.


3. Pour in cold water, and hand knead to soft smooth dough.


4. Add coloring to mix and pinch out dough of 25 g each with 30g of filling aside.


5. Roll out each dough to thin circle large enough to wrap the ball filling. (Do this between 2 sheets of plastic wrap)


6. Press the wrapped up dough into the wooden mini mooncake moulds that has been lightly dusted with gao fen.


7. Knock mooncakes out and store in airtight containers in fridge.


8. Best consumed freshness within 3 days from the making.


Notes :


a. the above portions makes for more than 24 mini mooncakes. so adjust the ingredients accordingly.


b. you can replace other flavoured paste to your liking; and some even recommended adding green tea powder for the snowskin to enhance the green tea paste.

Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken

Chanced upon this recipe from an Asian cooking book borrowed from the Community Library. No picture taken as it was consumed readily once it was ready for consumption from the electric steamer. Pretty effortless.

Rice ingredients :
600g Glutinous Rice
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp oil
1 cup of water
salt & pepper to taste

Filling : 8 pieces of chicken meat
8 pearl clam
8 slices of Chinese sausages
8 cooked black mushroom
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cornflour
salt & pepper to taste

1. Rinse and soak glutinous rice in water for at least 3 hours.

2. Drain and marinate the rice with the rice ingredients for 30 mins.

3. Mix filling ingredients in greased bowl. Pour rice on top.

4. Put boil into steamer & steam until rice is cooked.

***************************************************************

the above are the exact receipe steps from the book but for myself, i made the following adjustments.

a. i did not have pearl clams in the fillings.

b. the fillings were mixed together & kept in fridge while the glutinous rice was being soaked.

c. the excess marinate /water mix from the glutinous rice were not wasted and can be poured into the greased bowl for the fuller flavouring & taste.

d. the portions of the fillings can be adjusted according to preference.

Ondeh Ondeh

















Mom's the priority when it comes to researching for homemade sweet bites catering to her taste buds. Yes, she's got sweet tooth, and so do I. Mom is already in her early 60s, I've been 'warned' by my sisters to watch and balance her intake by varying the types of food she consumes and in moderation is the word.




Knowing that Mom loves ondeh ondeh and whenever we buy it from the neighbourhood shops or even from the popular Bengawan Solo, a box mini bite size of 4 could cost easily close to $2. (rounded up) I went about surfing and happen to chance upon a receipe which seemed easy. My first attempt on the making of the ondeh ondeh turned out awesome. Soft, tender, chewy texture with the melted gula melaka oozing in the mouth with every mouth bite. Though the making was yesterday and kept under covers in room temperature, it was still as good. Perhaps the humid cold weather for the last 2 days of rain with natural chill helped.





As I have not gotten permission to publish nor share the receipe nor the source, wicked of me, some may say, but captions of my end product using my Nokia phone are appended.

A lovely dessert after dinner or even with plain tea or coffee during your tea break. Delightful indulgence.



28.8.07

Newcomer

I have wasted no time in wanting to learn more about cooking and baking once it kicked started this year with a box of premix blueberry muffin which my sister purchased from Cold Storage early this year. Now, the round, 34 inch, long neglected, fixed temperature at 200 degress celsius, stand alone oven which my late Dad bought for us has been "revived" to action again.

In so long ago during my schooling days when Home Econs was a subject matter which I dreaded. Reflecting back, it sets me wondering why I am such a later starter to dwell into the kitchen atmosphere. Of course, undeniable is the washing up, chopping, mixing, etc and lastly cleaning up which deters me. However, now it turns out to be rather therapautic for me.

What caught on were typical and unstoppable passion, interest or whatever you may call it. Relentlessly, not only did the Community Library become my source of inspiration, fabulous blogs of many career working Asian moms, who are also innovative cooks / bakers. They have opened the windows of wonders into the arena of cooking / baking with such ease. Unselfishly, they share and provided easy, step by step instructions, giving the home made freshness a new breathe, a different twist, new innovations from impromptu ideas.

And much to the delight of my Mom and siblings who have now become my immediate and closest food testers and commentators. Though there are occassions when somehow, they have asked me to slow down the pace of my unsuppressible urge to whip up some new foodies on their plates.


As new and as amateur as I am currently, theres lots to catchup on in the lovely aroma of the cooking / baking domain which whips up delightful smiles to those who consumes or eats it.

A new hobby, interest or passion, whatever you call it, indeed enjoyable. Trust me.