My favourites 2011 , and Happy New Year 2012

Just thinking to do a short recap/review of what i have cooked/ baked for the past one year in 2011 before New Year 2012 knock our door tomorrow. This recap is based on what my family's favourite food. Actually there are too many of our favourites, i have hard time to choose which post to include in this post..First thinking to choose only 10 favourite posts but it ended up with 15 favourite posts, hehehe..
And looking back through my posts for past one year, and i know why every of my New Year resolution to get slimmer never happen, look at all food that i have prepared and eaten, hahaha...
Thank you to all who dropping by my blog, you have motivating me to continue striving for greatness in the kitchen!

** this is the place that i do my blogging **

Homemade salted eggs 鹹蛋

Today we enjoyed our lunch with the salted eggs that i made for the first time. Before i share with you this recipe, first let me introduce you the owner of this recipe, she is Yan with her blog "Simple Menu". She is one of my blogger friend that i keep in touch almost daily (we chat thru MSN). I encouraged her to create this blog as she always preparing simple dishes since she is staying alone. She has another blog called "Bakeling" which she is sharing maily on photography...i also learnt photography tips from her too.

Tropical Spice Garden Penang

Beside cari makan (food hunting) in Penang, we also dropped by Tropical Spice Garden, Southeast Asia's One and Only Award-winning Spice Garden..

Penang famous charcoal Char Koay Teow, Jalan Siam Penang

We just back from a makan trip vacation (food hunting trip) where we went up to nothern part of Malaysia, Penang, Taiping and Ipoh..Our first stop was in Penang,,and we listed a long list of Penang famous street foods to try out. Let me first share with you this famous charcoal Char Koay Teow (Stir fried Chinese flat noodles) at Jalan Siam Penang..

Penang Assam Laksa

Yesterday i shared with you salted fish, and I am going to share you a bowl of spicy, sour, fruity and fragrant Penang assam laksa using fresh fish today. Penang Assam Laksa was voted as CNN’s top 10 yummiest food !!

Fragrant Claypot Salted Fish and Belly Pork 咸鱼花腩煲

This is a dish that usually we like to order when take meal at "Tai chow" hawker stall..Actually it is quite simple to cook this dish at home.

Oreo Pudding a.k.a Sawdust Pudding

When i need to use dairy cream, usually i will buy one big litre instead of small packet since the price is much cheaper if compare to just buy a small packet. But i need to start to figure out what to make when there is some leftover..this time, I replaced Oreo biscuit with Marie biscuit to make this Sawdust Pudding..

Le Méridien Hotel Xiamen, China

I was staying at Le Meridien hotel during my recent trip to Xiamen.
Extracted from their website- Surrounded by open spaces and lush vegetation, our hotel exists in a fine balance between an urban and a natural setting. Nestled on a slope of Xianyue Hill, just fifteen minutes from the airport, the site commands breathtaking views of Xiamen Bay.

Chinese Steamed Herbal Chicken

Today I going to share with you this simple and nutritious steamed chicken dish, especially good for women as i added Chinese herb named 'Tang Kuei" ...

Cranberry and Green tea Financiers (蔓越莓绿茶 费南雪)

After I saw Helena's financiers with strawberry, reminded me that i have few new financier moulds still not use before. Since i still have some left over egg white, then i decided to bake Financiers from Okashi cookbook which i also bookmarked long ago..

Ratatouille, Pommes Duchesse (Baked puree potatoes)

Ratatouille movie is one of my favourite movie, i was repeated watching this movie for few times..Finally i made Ratatouille for the 1st time...

Gulangyu Island, Xiamen China 2011 (鼓浪屿)

I would like to continue sharing the pictures taken during my trip to Xiamen China recently. There are not many places to visit in Xiamen, when i asked the local people where to visit, they told me only Gulangyu Island..The only transport to this island is by ferry, about 5 minutes from Xiamen city center.Gulangyu Island is renowned for its beaches and winding lanes and its varied architecture.

Homemade Tau Sha Piah (Flaky mung beans biscuits) 豆沙饼

This is another work under 吃饱饭没事做 (Having nothing better to do after being fed). I just like to try out making this "Tau Sha Piah" even i can easily buy this from the outside shops...when this biscuit hot came out from oven, it tastes like the one which is selling in the shop as it is very flaky and smells good !

Saltimbocca (Beef roll with sage leaf)

This was the 1st time I use sage leaf in the cooking. I tried this recipe as seen in Flavours food magazine, this is how they described Saltimbocca -Popular in Rome, this dish is usually served with a salad and boiled potatoes for dinner. You can also vary the ingredients to make a vegetarian version, replacing thinly sliced eggplant for the beef and stuff the roll with parsley, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Korean Kimchi fried rice

My daughter is Korean drama/K-pop super supporter. And now Kimchi also become our family's favourite dish..I saw this Korean Kimchi fried rice in a Korean cookbook that i bought during my trip to Shanghai. I tried and i have served this fried rice many times as my family just love it..

How to make buttermilk and butter

While i google for the correct proportion of milk and lemon as to subsitute buttermilk for making key lime cupcakes. I got this result of how to make buttermilk..because i was searched wrongly by typing "how to make" instead of "what to subsitute"..Anyway, is good to have this result on how to make buttermilk as I still have a bottle of whipping cream in the fridge..

Key Lime Cupcake : Free and Easy Bake-Along #13

This is my 1st time join Bake Along which is organized by Kitchen Flavours,Frozen Wings and Bake For Happy Kids.Now they also welcome other bloggers to join this event. Actually i just done this cupcakes few hours ago. I supposed to make this cupcake yesterday but i was having migraine and no mood to do any baking yesterday..

Cranberry Cream Cheese Soft Buns

When i saw Shirely Kokken69 shared this Barcook's popular out-of-the-oven-this-minute-gone-next Raisin/Cranberry Cream Cheese bun, i was curious how the taste as i never eaten this famous bun before. After few days, while i fetching my kids from tuition class, we dropped by this famous bakery shop nearby the tuition centre(as i always saw a lot of peoples inside this bakery shop, so i supposed this shop is popular among the local). While i went through what to buy, i spot this cranberry cream cheese bun and it remind me Shirley Kokken69's post, immediately i buy one and try out. I immediate fall in love with this bun, it was so yummy, soft and fluffy bun , and i also love the cream cheese filling, simply yummy. The shape of this bun is like normal round bun and it look difference from Barcook's bun which is flat bun.

Angry Birds Fondant Cupcakes class at Cake Connection Malaysia 翻糖愤怒鸟杯子蛋糕

After i attended my 1st fondant class on Thur, now i understand why the price of fondant cupcake is so high...I spent 4 hours (no eating, no drinkimg and not go to restroom) only finished 6 Angry Birds Fondant Cupcakes!! Actually making fondant is not that difficult, but it is very time consuming..
Anyway, I was so happy to attend this AB fondant cupcake class at Cake Connection Malaysia which specially conduct for bloggers. At least now i know how to make a proper fondant cupcake..

A fun day in Quay Po's 1st cooking class at Pantry Magic KL

When Veronica (Quay Po Cooks) told me Pantry Magic Bangsar is inviting us to a cooking class. I quickly went to check their website and i know i must accept this invitation. I love to visit this kind of place where selling all kind of kitchen related products. Later I text to Quay Po ask her who will be the chef and what we are going to learn. Quay Po text back to me and said she will be the chef. Wow!! my blogger friend now become instructor to conduct cooking class. She is from a non cooking mom to a chef in a year, this is a big achievement!! proud of you Veron!

Warm Molten-Centered Chocolate Cupcakes

The other day my daughter told me that she started to like baking. Yesterday I chosen this simple recipe from the “Simple & Delicious Cupcakes” book and taught her how to prepare this cupcake. This recipe is very simple, just beat all ingredients together. So this is my daughter 1st cupcake, hope you will like it.

Red Bean Pau (steamed buns)

Usually when i cook red bean dessert soup, my kids just drink soup and left out the red bean. As not to waste food, i save the cooked red bean and add more sugar and continue cook to become thick red bean paste. So i made this red bean Pau (steaming bun) using the homemade red bean paste..

Taro and rice vermicelli noodle soup

This morning i was tried to search this recipe in my blog list, i seen in a Chinese blog before but i couldn't recall which blog. Bakeling was laughing at me while I msn with her. She said who asked you to list so many blogs in the blog list, hahaha..Anyway, i tried to recall the recipe and create this noodle soup and serve for dinner tonight! This is quite an old fashion of noodle soup, last time our Ah Mah (grandmother) like to cook this noodle soup. Anyway, this noodle soup was yummy!

Blueberry crumble cupcakes

Thinking to make blueberry crumble muffins as seen in Okashi book, but i decided to change it to blueberry crumble cupcakes as I wish to submit to Aspiring bakers#13-Enjoying cupcakes!

Coconut buns

This buns was special requested by my husband who love coconut buns..

Avocado ice-cream with Rhubarb compote

Rhubarb is new to me, i first saw in Quay Po's blog, when Quay Lo (her husband) guest post and introduced Rhubarb..Quay Po (Veron) was so kind gave me some Rhubarb to try (Thank you so much to Veron!!), she got this via a special order to a nearby supermarket because it is quite hard to find here..After kept in the fridge for few months (sorry Veron, because i was try to figure out what to make ^^), finally i decided to use Rhubarb make into desserts..

Easy French Bread / Baguette

I'm so happy to find out this simple French bread recipe. Love the crunchy and crispy crust (while hot) , soft and chewy inside..

Banana and Chocolate Rice Cupcakes

My 1st post in Nov2011 is dedicated to Aspiring Bakers #13: Enjoy Cupcakes! (November 2011). Lets come and enjoy this yummy cupcake!

Ah Mah’s Traditional steamed sponge cake 鸡蛋糕

When i was a kid, the only cake i know is 鸡蛋糕 Ci Tan Kou (steamed egg sponge cake). But i have no chance to learn this cake from my Ah Mah (grandmother) and other types of kuih-mueh (cakes) from her as she passed away when I still young. Luckily i have blogger friend Jane's Ah Mah recipe, so I can taste a truly old fashion of steamed sponge cake, Thanks to Jane's Ah Mah!

Steamed savoury pumpkin cake

After rest for few day of Deepavali holiday (I noticed few bloggers wish me a Happy Diwali, maybe they thought me is Indian ^^, because my name?) and kids also not going to school, feel lazy to start update a post..Actually i have took a lot of food picture, just lazy to write the recipe...Anyway, i want to post this pumpkin cake before Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011) end in few day times..

Eggless Tiramisu with Milo cereal

Today i made Tiramisu again, using my previous recipe but this time I added extra chocolate ganache as kids claimed the previous Tiramisu was not so sweet..and also inspired by Terri's Eggless Tiramisu.

Kuih Kasturi ( mung bean fritters )

Here is another kuih that i wanted to make long ago, since this month Aspiring bakers calling us to make kuih, so i have no excuses not try out this time. A very simple kuih, cooked mung bean coat with batter and deep fry.

Setia Alam Pasar Malam, the longest pasar malam in Malaysia

Yesterday i just realized that the pasar malam (night market) at my place Setia Alam is the longest pasar malam in Malaysia and also included in The Malaysia Book of Records. I grap this opportunity to record down this special moment and share with you..

Ondeh-Ondeh (glutinous rice ball with palm sugar)

Just realized that month of October left few more days to go. I have made few other type of kuihs, need to quickly post before Aspiring Baker#12: Traditional Kueh end. I have seen so many blogger friends did this Ondeh-Ondeh, this small ball with palm sugar seem is everyone's favourite. This is also one of my favourite kueh too.

Croissant

The other day Jane saw my Ham Chim Peng post and she tak boleh tahan (can’t wait) and tempted her to try. On the other hand, I saw her Bourke Street Croissant and I also tak boleh tahan (can’t wait) and tempted to try, hahaha..Later her sister Helena also made. I told them how nice if three of us are living nearby, then must be very fun, we will non-stop baking and eating, hehehe..I love croissant, usually I will take croissant first whenever I take buffet breakfast in a hotel…

Pulut Inti ( Glutinous rice with coconut sweet filling)

This is another kuih that we love, Pulut Inti...I just realized that this month i eating too much of glutinous rice and coconut, hehehe..

Stir-fried Bittergourd and Pumpkin

Can you imagine the taste when bittergourd meet with pumpkin, in fact they are delicious..

Oh Ku Kuih ( Ramie leaf glutinous rice steamed cake with savory filling)

I would like to dedicate this post to a reader name Joanne who sent me the “Ang Ku Kuih" mould with 福 （happiness, good fortune, blessing ）printing. Joanne was requested me to send her some Ramie stem as she wanted to plant it. Chinese peoples especially Hakka family using Ramie leaf (厝叶）to make kuih (steam cake). According to Joanne, Malaysia Hakka family called this kuih as " choo yap ban~ 粗叶茶果/粗叶板" or also called it "woo char guo". As for Hokkien family, we called this kuih as "Oh Ku Kuih" as this kuih look black, " Oh" means black in Hokkien...

Zhongshan Road, Xiamen China 2011

I'm back from China trip about 2 months already, took so many pictures, but till now i have yet to finish post it..Next time, i will try to post my vacation pictures during weekend if time is allow me to do so..or i think next time i better don't take any pictures during a trip...
Earlier i have few posts on Shanghai trip, actually i first go to Xiamen then only transfer to Shanghai.
Xiamen is a small island and very similar to Penang here..

Prawn dumplings / Har Gow 虾饺

Prawn dumplings / Har Gow is one of the dim sum item that we will not miss if we take dim sum outside. And it is not difficult to prepare Har Gow at home actually.

Ham Chim Peng (Chinese Doughnut) with glutinous rice & Nam Yue 咸煎饼

When I made this Ham Chim Peng (is kind of Chinese doughnut) at home yesterday, I feel myself like 吃饱饭没事做 (Having nothing better to do after being fed), because I can easily find Ham Chim Peng in every morning wet market ^^....

Kuih Ketayap (Crepe with sweet coconut filling), Encore !

This was not my 1st time making this yummy Nyona kuih (my old post here), i quite often making this kuih as this is one of my family favourite's kuih. Kuih Ketayap or Kuih Dadar is a rolled crepe (usually flavored with pandan juice) and filled with grated sweet coconut filling (flavored with gula melaka or Malaysian palm sugar).

Special Baked Brinjal and Minced meat

Just realized that I have quite long did not post a simple Chinese dish. Today I would like to share this simple brinjal dish. I taken a similar brinjal dish in Xiamen China recently, the taste was forgetable. Even my kids don't like brinjal, also gave thumbs up to this dish, as they like the very flavour gravy from this dish, best to serve with a plate of steamed rice.

Chocolate Cake Pops

My son Lucas bringing these cake pops to school today as they are celebrating children's day while another son Desmond is bringing chocolate muffin instead. This was my 1st time did cake pops, not that difficult actually...

Kuih Seri Muka

I have been experiencing missing comments when i tried to leave a comment in some of the blogs.I have this problem with those blogs with "full page" and "Embedded below pages" comment setting, but no problem with "pop up window". Did you have this same problem? I'm not sure how to resolve this problem, sorry to some of my bloggers friend not leaving comment to you but actually i did, just my comment don't appeared in your comment box.


This month Aspiring Bakers is calling us to make Traditional Kueh (Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011), so i quickly make my favourite Seri Muka.

Pumpkin Cake

Hi all, how was your weekend? I have been busy for the past few days. I brought my elder sister to see Consultant Psychiatrist (after her husband passed away for a year but she still not sleeping well at night and very often feel anxious. Earlier we thought this way of behaviour is ok since her husband just passed away but we see no improvement after a year, so we decided to bring her to see doctor, now she is under medication). Also i went to visit my sister-in-law who just gone through an operation of removal uterus due to tumor in her uterus, pity her and i do hope she will get well soon.
Ok, back today post, this is a pumpkin cake that i made using the half pumpkin that i bought earlier (i use the same pumpkin to make pumpkin black sesame bread earlier).

Spiral Curry Puff 螺旋咖哩角

Curry puff ( It is a small deep-fried pie consisting of specialised curry with chicken and potatoes ) is a very common snack in Malaysia. Today i not going to share with you the normal curry puff but instead I'm sharing with you this special spiral curry puff (inspired by Jane's corner as she recently brought a big box of spiral curry puffs to school and was well received by all).

Macarons with Blueberry Compote Buttercream

Yeah! I finally managed to make Macarons after two failed attempt (no feet) and can you imagine i have use 600g icing sugar and 600g caster sugar, total 1.2kg sugar !!.

Pumpkin Black Sesame Bread

The other day i bought a half pumpkin, and I use it to make this Pumpkin black sesame bread, pumpkin butter cake and steamed savourty pumpkin cake. I agreed pumpkin is a very versatile ingredient, we can use it for cooking or baking in many ways and methods.

Thai Seafood Spaghetti

My daughter just told me this spaghetti is so so good ! I just cooked this spaghetti for lunch today, and my daughter always the first person who enjoy the lunch as her class start at afternoon.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Carrot cake is my all time favourite cake beside butter cake. After i tried the Quay Po Cook's carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, i totally fall in love with this cake, a perfect carrot cake recipe. Earlier i did not serve carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, after i tried with cream cheese, I know i will not miss to prepare cream cheese frosting whenever i bake a carrot cake next time, they are the best combo! Last weekend, i brought this cake to a "gang dinner" at a Korean BBQ restaurant and all my girl friends were very impressed with this cake.