Lemon chiffon, Passion fruit chiffon_Not my cup of tea !!!

I did not post any chiffon recently, if you think that I have stop baking chiffon, then you were wrong. Actually I still continue baking chiffon, baked chocolate marble chiffon for my sister and kids who love this chiffon very much, pandan chiffon for my daughter's birthday cake, and I also tried Lemon, Passion Fruit and new flavour ( keep it secret first, will announce it when I successfully done this)..Anyway, I will not bake Lemon chiffon and Passion Fruit chiffon again, too plain, just sour taste...not nice..

-Lemon Chiffon

-Passion fruit chiffon (using mobile phone to take this photo). This chiffon is better than lemon chiffon, got little bit of passion fruit flavour..unlike lemon chiffon, just plain and sour, not nice..

Recipe- use any basic chiffon recipe, replace the flavour ingredients to lemon juice or passion fruit juice.

**My old camera having problem, need to send for repair (hopefully they said can't repair, so I got an excuses to buy a new one, hehehe). For time being, I can either use my mobile phone to take picture ( but I don't really like to do this nowadays, I feel sorry to my blogger friends when you see this kind of poor quality of pictures) or look for old pictures that have not post it..So you will expect less posts from me from now onwards..

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Georgetown Penang

During my Penang trip, I took the the opportunity to visit one of the heritage site listed in UNESCO, unlike last time we always go to beach when visited Penang.
This time,we choose this Blue mansion to have a visit, this mansion won "2000 UNESCO "Most Excellent" Heritage Conservation Award..You really shouldn't miss this...visit the best ancient Chinese architecture in Penang which about 200 years old..

You need to go on a tour, about an hour, twice a day which covers the "Fengshui" or geomancy aspects of the building. But photography is prohibited unless you stayed in. Luckily my little son Desmond followed through the whole tour for an hour, this is not an easy task for a 5 years old small boy.

I noticed that we were the only local visitor among the foreign visitors, is this due to local peoples don't really appreciate our own heritage ?

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-And you must remember to look up to see all these chinese ceramic shared decorations on roof ridges and gables, they are just awesome..

- Cheong Fatt Tze believed that there shouldn't any "T-junction" or "high building" block in front of their house according to "Feng Shui" concept, that's why he bought this piece of land in front of his house and built these five houses. These five houses currently turned to restaurant serving meals to visitors during their stay in this mansion.

Related website: http://www.cheongfatttzemansion.com/

Herbal drink_Mandarin orange candied (金桔饼)

After I recovered from the flu, but I have pass on to my daughter, now is my son's turn. So I checked with the owner of the Chinese herb shop what drink best to reduce phlegm (解熱生津,去痰止咳) and also importantly kids will accept the taste, he suggested the Mandarin orange candied (金桔饼). If you still having flu, this drink is best for you, and even best for those who just recovered !!! Furthermore, this drink is very nice and refreshing.

Simple recipe to share:-

Mandarin orange candied 金桔饼 1-2pcs

Dried white fungus, soaked

Rock sugar

Water (about 1.5lt)

Simple step: - Boil above ingredients for an hour..

** You may add some wolfberry 枸杞 in this drink too..

Do enjoy prepare hearty drink !!!

Penang Hokkian Mee/Prawn Mee, simply delicious !!

When we were in Penang, my kids keep ordering prawn mee, they just love this noodle. So I tried to cook at it home too, since I use all fresh ingredients, the soup base is super sweet and the best thing is we can add as many as topping that we like, like example Jeslyn love to eat bean sprout, so she added big sum of bean sprout in her bowl....

Simple recipe to share:-

Ingredients

For the stock:
500g spareribs (pai kuat) , 2.5-3 lt of water

Seasoning: salt ,rock sugar

500g fresh medium size of prawn, shelled

200g lean pork

Blanch:-
fresh yellow noodles

rice vermicelli

bean sprouts

water spinach(Kangkung)

hard-boiled eggs, shelled and cut half or quartered

Some shallot crisps

Sambal:-
2 tbsp chili paste (cili Boh) , i use homemade chili paste
Blend -1 onion, 6 shallots,3 cloves of garlic and 1" young ginger
Dried prawn, soaked and pounded
Belacan 1tsp

Steps:-

1. Heat oil in a wok, stir fry the prawn head and shells until change colour.
2. Put spareribs and water into a deep stockpot, bring to a boil , add in the prawn head and shells, simmer the stock for 1.5-2 hours, season with rock sugar and salt.
3. Halfway through, add lean pork and cooked through. Remove and slice the meat thinly, then set aside.
4. Heat oil in a wok, saute onion paste, add in chili paste, then add in dried prawn and belacan, saute till fragrant, season with sugar and salt, remove and set aside. In the same wok (use the remaining chili oil), stir fry the prawn, season with salt, and set aside.
5. Once stock done, strain the stock, add in the sambal paste.
6. To serve, place noodles into soup bowl, top up with main prawn stock and garnish with bean sprouts, water spinach (kangkung), hard-boiled eggs, pork slices and shallot crisps

Do enjoy cooking noodle soup !!!

Hotel and surrounding, Gurney Drive Penang

These photos took at the Gurney Drive (just in front of the hotel ) in the morning ..

- View behind the hotel

- we check in to Gurney Hotel, located at Gurney drive

- We stayed at a 2 bedrooms suite, consists of a living room, one master room with jacuzzi, one double room and a pantry. This room is very spacious and roomy.

- Swimming pool located at 7th Floor, able to enjoy full view of Penang sea..

-See my kids enjoy in Jacuzzi with beautiful sea view.. But their poor mummy have no time to enjoy..^v^

Lemongrass, Pandan leaves and Chicken baked in foil

I attended a cooking demo session at my husband's friend house the other day, the main purpose was to promote induction cooker. They use the induction cooker to cook this dish, and the taste was great, so I would like to share this simple recipe with you. It taste like salted chicken with full aroma of lemongrass and wine ..

- Place a lot of lemongrass and pandan leaves (screw pines leaves ) on a large sheet of aluminium foil

-Rub big sum of salt on the chicken (I use Kampung chicken), and place on top of the lemongrass and pandan leaves

- Add some Chinese wine ( Tiew Heng wine), and wrap the foil neatly. I use oven to bake instead of using induction cooker, bake at pre-heat oven for 30mins at 200c.

Do enjoy cooking !!!

Hock Chuan Heong Restaurant, Pengkalan Weld Penang

Just back from Penang after a short trip 3D2N, it was a last minutes decision, decided on last Sat, made the hotel booking, and headed to Penang on last Sun.

We went to Hock Chuan Heong Restaurant to have our lunch on the 2nd day, I knew this restaurant via Big Boys Oven blog..as usual, I gave a try since he said here served the famous authentic Hokkien cuisine called Zhu Cha (Chinese dishes)..

Look at the address, it look simple to locate, but in actual fact we drove Pengkalan Weld street twice also couldn't find this restaurant. Luckily we saw a postman and ask him for the location, he was so kind and ask us to look for apartment (no 344 , and there is a mini Post office at the ground floor) but not coffee shop nor restaurant..So next time if you have lost direction, the best person to guide you will be a postman, hahaha..

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- This restaurant was very crowded, whole house full, see Desmond's face frustration after we waited for 45mins for our lunch, pity him...

- very "old fashion"古早 of bowl.

- 古早味 Hokkien braised noodle, this was good, yellow noodle cooked with pork slices, internal parts, cuttle fish and prawn, full of "wok hey". Desmond had two bowls of this..

- we all love this dish, Char Tao Kua (Stir Fried Tofu with Leek), simple combination fried tofu, fresh prawn and leek. This dish is full of "wok hey" and 古早味..

-this is Bak Kee (pork slices soup), for us, it just normal, fry pork slices which coated with tapioca flour (we feel that they coated with too thick of flour), and they added too much of pepper and also the soup is quite oily (because they fried the pork slices before add into soup).

We also ordered Char Oe Chia (Pan Fried Oyster Omelette), but have to "tapao" pack back to hotel because we were too full as all dishes served are very big portion. Anyway, I would suggest you to give a try if you happen in Penang, a very 古早味 (old fashion style) of restaurant, and would suggest you to order normal stir fry dishes e.g like sweet and sour fish, tofu, veggie & etc..and try to go there during off peak hour..Thanks Big Boys Oven for good recommendation.

Hock Chuan Heong Restaurant located at:-

344-G-5, Pengkalan Weld,10300 Penang.

Opening hour: Lunch until around 6:30pm

Tel: dont think anyone will pick up your call as they are all too busy...

Do enjoy eating out !!!

Thanks, Big Apple Donuts

I got these donuts free from "Big Apple Donuts", how I got it free? You need to bring the cut out coupon from newspaper and be the 1st 100 persons on their 1st day of opening ceremony, then you entitled to get 6pcs donuts for free. Since this newly Big Apple donuts cafe (Klang Parade) just nearby my house, so this was my 1st time to do this kind of " 师奶" job, queue for 30mins to get donuts free, and thought this will be my last time, very "师奶", won't do it again, hahaha ...Anyway, Thanks to Big Apple Donuts..

** photos taken using my phone... sorry for poor quality of photos..

Char Siew (BBQ meat) Fried Rice

When I baked the Char Siew bun the other day, I bought more Char Siew to fry rice for dinner as well, and also because recently just watched a TV show teach on how to cook a good Char Siew fried rice.

Simple recipe to share:-

-Cooked rice ( prefer overnight rice or cook in morning and keep till evening)

- Eggs

-Char Siew, thin and small slices

-Seasoning- Salt, pepper, light soy sauce and Chinese wine(Tiew Heng)

-Garlic, chopped

-Spring onion, chopped

Steps:-

1. Heat oil in a wok, saute garlic until golden brown, dish out and set aside. Use the remaining oil, crack eggs into the wok, scramble until just cooked.

2. Add in chopped Char Siew (BBQ meat), and cook for a while.

3. Put in the rice and toss to combine.

4. Add seasoning, fried garlic and fry well to combine.

5. Dish out, sprinkle spring onion on top and serve immediately.

Do enjoy fry rice !!!

Char Siew (BBQ meat ) Bun

The other day I saw Rachel making 烧包 (original recipe from My Kitchen Snippets), this remind me the Char Siew bun that I tried earlier, it using the same Char Siew filling but wrap with sweet bread dough, usually it wrap with normal pastry skin or pau skin..

- Asked Desmond to become model to hold the bun when photo taking, I couldn't get a clearer picture, as his hand keep shaking and he keep saying his hand pain, actually he wanted to watch his favorite cartoon..So I managed to get this photo..

- Char Siew filling

- some perfect buns

- failed one, too thin skin, resulted filling came out..

- Yummy Char Siew bun

Recipe to share:-

-中种面团 ( my 1st time try this, recipe from Felvinc)

-High protein flour- 100g

-Water-60ml

-Yeast 1tsp ( I mixed with 1tbsp warm water and set aside for a while)

1. Mix all above ingrediants and knead became dough. Set aside for 30mins. Then put into a plastic bag and store in the fridge to keep it overnight.

Sweet bread dough

- High protein flour 300g

- Yeast 1tsp (mix with 1tbsp warm water, and set aside)

- salt 1/2tsp

- Sugar 50g

- Milk 100g

-water 10 g (adjust accordingly)

-butter 30g

-中种面团 80g

1. Mixed all ingredients except butter, knead and mix well. Then add in butter, knead until smooth.

2. Set aside for 60mins.

3. Shape it and put in the filling and bake for 25mins at 180c.

Filling

-200g Char Siew (BBQ meat), cut into small cube.

-3tpsp of green peas

-1 big onion, cut into small cube.

seasoning- oyster sauce, sugar (more), light soy sauce, salt, Tiew Heng wine

1. Heat oil in a wok, stir fry onion, add in BBQ meat and green peas, add little water.

2. Stir fry for a while, add seasoning, and thickening the gravy by corn flour water.

** Bread add in 中种面团, still soft even keep it overnight, but just a bit "leceh" because you need to prepare one day ahead..I will try another method "water roux" soon.