Superlicious Brownies

I had wondered what I'd put for dessert for the raya makan-makan for the kids. Then while at BurgerKing waiting for Eirfan to finish his dinner I got a call for Delinn asking for a chocolate topping with no cream. I remembered this recipe but I cant remember if the topping has got cream or not in it. And I have no way of checking the recipe right then.

Delinn, if you are reading this - this one has got no whipping cream.

Anyway her call made me think I should make some brownies for the kids. And the decision sort of cinched when Iman said her friends had requested for the same brownies we served last year. (Err.. does it seem like we serve the same stuff every raya..?)

You could try this recipe with a little bit less sugar, if you prefer. This is as good as the brownies that I had taken from Jamie's site. Check out this recipe ..

50 g self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
40 g cocoa powder
25 g ground almonds
225g brown sugar
grated rind of 1 orange (can omit if you dont have oranges - but it gives a nice aroma to the brownies)
100 g butter, softened
2 eggs

Icing
100 g cooking chocolate
25 g butter or margarine
50 g almonds (chopped)

1. Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa together.
2. Add ground almonds, sugar, orange rind and mix together.
3. Beta butter and eggs into the dry ingredients until smooth.
4. Pour into a lined baking tin. Bake at 160 degrees celcius at about 50 minutes.

Icing:
Melt chocolate with butter over slow fire. Add almonds. Spread over brownies.

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Chocolate Moist Cake

I took this recipe from my niece over the raya holidays. She bakes and sells cakes and buns and other stuff from home (I so envy her for being able to do that). Whenever we visit her we would have muffins and breads and buns all freshly made and still warm from the oven.

She baked this chocolate cake specially for us. Eirfan had 4 slices in a sitting - he is such a darling little devil around cakes, let me tell you - especially those dripping with chocolate toppings.

Here's how:

1 ¾ cups butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup water mix with 1 tablespoon condensed milk
2 cups flour
1 table spoon baking powder
½ cup cocoa powder

1. Beat butter and sugar till light and creamy.
2. Mix in the eggs and water.
3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
4. Bake in a 180degrees celcius oven for about 45 minutes.


Choc topping
200g whipping cream
250g cooking chocolate
60g butter
Heat butter and the whipping cream (do not boil). Turn off the fire. Add in the chocolate. Stir till all chocolate melt. Pour on top of the cake (cool the cake a little bit first).

This recipe makes a 1 kg cake. Bon apetit!

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Tasty Pineapple Tarts

With raya just around the corner, I guess there couldnt be a better time to share cookies recipes..

I went to the baking class with Poji sometime back. We found that the chef will be teaching how to make cheese tarlets (which we both love) and pineapple tarts. I've been trying the latter a few times but had not been satisfied with the results. I even went to my sister Leli's house to see how she had it made .. maybe it was the teacher (I mean, it couldnt be me!) but my pineapple tarts pastry seem too hard..

Anyway. After attending the class I had tried the recipe twice more and both times Eirfan just cant let go of the cookie jar. What I love most about cooking is when I get responses like that. So here's how the chef made her pineapple tarts.

Ingredients
For the pastry ~
200g salted butter
50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
30g fresh milk (evaporated milk works as well)
30g custard powder
270g all purpose flour

Egg yolk (for egg wash)

For the jam ~
1 pineapple (grated)
1 cinnamon stick
150g castor sugar
4 cloves

Method:
For the jam :
1. Put all ingredients in a wok. Over a slow fire cook till it turns golden brown. Stir often. Cool.
2. Once cool, shape into oval shapes with fingers. Set aside.

For the dough:
1. Beat butter and icing sugar till light and creamy.
2. Add egg and milk. Beat.
3. Add in flour. Mix well.
4. Put into pineapple tart mould and pipe into long lines. Place jam onto the dough. Roll the dough into a rolled tart. Brush egg onto the tart.
5. Bake at 170degrees for 20 mins.

Makes about 75 - 80 pieces; depending on the size. Do try; the recipe works fabulously.

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Pecan Supremes

Pecan by itself doesnt excite me overly much actually. But there is one pecan biscuits off the racks that I like but it so costs the earth. And I also love butter pecan ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

I wanted to try something with pecans and oats for quite sometime and I found this recipe in Mrs Fields cookie book. Now this recipe book I first saw in KLCC. And then later when I was in Florida I enquired about the book but it seem that particular outlet is not aware about it. I purchased the book in 2000 in BSC Bangsar - it was almost christmas (was it - or was it raya?) - whilst out shopping with Ginny. I tried a couple of recipes in the book and they turned quite alright (how bad could I be? I had the book for 8 years and I've tried only a couple..?)

Anyway. I like this cookie as it is light (credit goes to the oats) but unfortunately Eirfan said my usual choc chips tastes better and the others are already so blase about cookies anyway. I think I'll do this for the upcoming raya anyway.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup quick oats
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Combine flour, soda, salt & oats. Mix well. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl beat sugars and butter to form a grainy paste.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat till light and fluffy.
4. Add the flour mixture, pecan and chips. Beat until just combined. Do not over mix.
5. Drop dough into cookie sheet. Bake at 180 degrees in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes.

Enjoy. And the image is from here.

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Nasi Bukhari With Chicken / Meat

I went to a cooking class held at Chef Ismail's Rebung some time back (but it wasnt the chef who taught the class). We were only using the facilities there and the chief cook for the day was a fellow food enthusiast who shared with us a most remarkable recipe of hers.

I made this a couple of times and both times the children gave thumbs up sign for it. It's easy, simple and simply sedaaap.

Here's how..

1kg basmathi rice
1 whole chicken (cut into pieces) * The chicken could be substituted with mutton or beef.
3 + 3 pandan leaves
Ghee (minyak sapi) & cooking oil
Mint leaves (pudina) or you can use curry leaves too

A
Dried chilli (amount according to taste) or chilli boh
1 medium onion
3 garlic
1 inch ginger

B
1 medium tomato (cut into 8)
5 tablespoons crisply fried onion (bawang goreng)
1 packet bukhari powder (beriani powder works fine too)
1/4 can evaporated milk
About 1/2 cup tomato sauce

C
1 stick cinnamon (kayu manis)
5 cloves (cengkih)
3 cardommon (buah pelaga)
2 anise seed (bunga lawang)

Directions
1. Blend A together till fine.
2. Mix chicken, A & B together. Marinate for 10 minutes or so.
3. Heat ghee & oil and add C. Fry till aromatic. Add marinated chicken & its ingredients. Simmer for a short while.
4. Add water, salt and pandan leaves.
5. Stir. Close lid. Cook on a slow fire. Occassionally stir the chicken.
6. When chicken is cooked, put chicken in a serving dish with about two thirds of the sauce.
7. Put washed basmathi into the rice cooker and add in remainder of the chicken sauce. Add enough water. Add also salt and remaining pandan leaves. Stir. Cook.
8. When rice is cooked, garnish with mint / curry leaves.
9. Serve rice hot with chicken.

The kids really love this. And I didnt know I could cook that good, actually..

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Thai Mango Salad Everyone Will Adore

And how time flies! I relly wanted to update this space here regularly but I guess some things are just not meant to be..

Nevertheless I am must share the mango salad dish we learned from my cousin previously. I love watching her did this - simply and so effortlessly (and if only I could imitate even half of her confidence..)

You'll need:

A
1 medium green mango ('apple' mango works best for the recipe).
... julienne the mango or you can grate it (grating makes
the mango soft and watery though..) You need not peel the mango.
Nur my cousin uses a peeler-like grater that's simply superb
for the job; but uh, she got that in Thailand...
1 tablespoon blended/pounded dried shrimp
2 tablespoons fried & corasely chopped ground nut
2 tablespoon fried onion (bawang goreng)
1 tablespoon fried coconut (fried to golden brown - kelapa goreng)
1 small onion (thinly sliced)
chillies, to taste (cili api works best - thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon spring onion (thinly sliced)
Small amount carrot (grated) - for color in the salad

B
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice (do not use kasturi, it doesnt have that zing you want)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Mix ingredients A thoroughly.
2. Mix B together and stir till sugar is melted.
3. Add B to A and mix well.
4. Taste & serve.

Everytime we go for our lessons we begged Nur to make us this salad. It's simply irresistable. Unfortunately I didnt get a photo the other day; this is courtesy of the internet.

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Aharn Thai - Tom Yam

That translates to 'Thai Food' actually.

My cousin married a girl from Thailand. She cooks divinely. She worked at a restaurant and sells food at pasar Ramadhan. When I heard she's starting cooking classes at her home I told her I'm coming. And I brought a few sisters with me.

We had great fun at her house cooking and catching up with each other's news. That first day we did tom yam, kerabu mangga and telur bungkus. I'll share the tom yam first - it is divine.

A
300g squid
200g shrimp
200g chicken
Boil these half cook. Drain.

B
1 cube chicken stock
2 medium onions (cut into quarter)
3 stalks lemon grass (sliced diagonally, thinly)
3 inch galangal (sliced)
4 kaffir lime leaves (tear into half)
1 medium tomato (cut into quarter)
6 cili api (crushed)
2 garlic (whole)
1 small carrot (sliced or coarsely grated)

C
3 tablespoons tomyam paste (we use Mae Pranom chili paste)
1 tablespoon fish sauce (she recommended the Squid brand)
3 tablespoons lime juice
Salt to taste

D
1 cup oyster mushroom
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 sprig coriander leaves

Directions :
1. In a pot boil 5-6 cups water. Add B and wait till it boiled.
2. Add A and cook for about 3 mins.
3. Add C. Adjust taste.
4. At medium heat, add milk and mushroom.
5. Remove from fire. Add coriander leaves. Serve.

It's easy and delish. The boys went yum-yum over the tom yum. You really must try this. Bon apetit!

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The Sabbatical That Was

As you'd have guessed I had been off-food blogging for a while (I took a vacation from being passionate about cooking) - that's why this blog hadnt been updated since so long. Coincidently after Jaime finished his series last season I too was distracted from the kitchen. I still cook no doubt, but there wasnt the spirit-and-mind involvement.

I guess I could say that I am now back with a vengeance.. I could, but I wont 'cause I am not.. Although I am a bit more inspired than I had been lately..

I've been attending some cooking classes (I guess Delinn would be laughing - she said attending classes is a hobby of mine). Thai food, Malay food and I am keeping my eyes open for some baking classes also. But for now I just link you to the onion soup I made recently and also just to tell you I am in love all over again.

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The Best Choc Chip Ever! (At least That's What I Think)

When the children were small, a friend of mine called them cookie monsters (like in Sesame Street). & they truly adored chocolate chip cookies.

All their lives I've been making these cookies, throwing out recipes one after another once I found a recipe that tastes better than the previous I have tried. And I've tried many, believe me. These days I dont try them as much - the children are so blasé about choc chips anyway (except for Amos' or those great ones by Peppridge Farm if I am not mistaken..)

So if you love choc chip cookies, try this recipe:

250g butter, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2/3c (130g) firmly packed brown sugar
2/3c (150g) castor sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2c (375g) plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/2c (60g) chopped walnuts, toasted (if you like)
2 cups chocolate chip cookies

1. Beat butter, essence, sugars & eggs until smooth.
2. Stir in dry ingredients and mix.
3. Stir in nuts and choc chips and mix well.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet.
5. Bake about 10 - 12 mins in a preheated oven (180degrees C)

Enjoy!!

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A Tinge Of Humor

I went to pasar malam yesterday to get some - yum-yum - fresh popiah at the mamak stall. While there I looked for some lettuce for my caesar salad, which coincidently is very popular at home, even with Eirfan although he'll just take the croutons. (Check out the recipe that I have here.. http://a-passion-for-food.blogspot.com/2008/01/caesar-salad-and-anchovies.html)

As I understand it (what do I know about these things anyway..?) if it is caesar salad, only romaine lettuce is used - not iceberg or butterhead or coral or anything else.. please correct me if I am wrong, anyone..

I thought I saw romaine in one stall but they looked small (and a bit wimpy maybe that's why they looked a bit different). I asked the girl manning the vege - ni sayur apa? She said oay-mak-tom or something that sounds something like that. I cant help myself and laugh. Defensively, the girl said betul, oay-mak-tom. I said ok, then left to laugh elsewhere.

I laughed because I only knew that the lettuce is called romaine (you know, like so foreign - even that rhymes - romaine, foreign..) and I'm going to make caesar salad with it (like so glam..) and even my daughter cant quite catch the names (let alone spell 'em) - but here is a girl who told me it is called oay-mak-tom! ha-ha. Padan muka makcik yang tak sedar diri tu..!

Nevertheless I went back to the stall and bought the lettuce - and they cost me only RM1! I can only get it for about 5 bucks in Carrefour or ColdStorage.

Must ask again if it is really oay-mak-tom.. and the vege in the pic above was the culprit..

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My Baked Chicken

Long ago I cant survive baking / barbequing without my fave barbeque sauce ie Kraft's or Hunt's. I mean, how would I marinate my chicken?

Then one day we had a bbq get-together with some friends. I learnt that instead of spending big bucks on the sauce I can make it myself. You simply mix your oyster sauce, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, ground black pepper and some dried oregano. You can add some steak sauce if you have it - or even your black pepper sauce - if not, no worries.

If you like you can also add some honey for a bit of sweetness. Or add chilli flakes if you prefer it spicy. I like to add grated lemon rind and even some lemon juice to have that extra tangy taste. Rosemary and thyme are great choices for the sauce too.

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Basically you can let your imagination rule the day..

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I baked these chicken when the boys were home last CNY break. And a couple of days after that we bbq-ed (more) chicken, meat, shrimps, cockles and clams. We had that with baked potatoes and coleslaw. What can I say but yumm..?

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ps - previously I baked the chicken on my baking sheet; but the other day I went to Ikea (my fave store) and saw this baking pan with the wire rack (pic). No kidding, the chicken is nicer with the new pan. I think heat circulates better..

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More Herb

I used to buy this dried by McCormick's. These days I plant it. It's called dill and I dont know what it is called locally. Will ask my mum one of these days. It smells like fresh tumeric aka kunyit in a way. Or even mustard.

I use it on my boiled potatoes and in my baked chicken. Unfortunately my boiled potatoes looked limp here although it tastes not bad.

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Caesar Salad And Anchovies

I love the taste of Caesar salad with chicken. The fresh lettuce, grilled chicken strips and the cheesy taste.

I looked around for its recipe and found a few on Martha Stewart's website. I took one and tried it and found that it is quite easy to make. It tastes nice and I've made it a few times since; this is how:

Croutons:
6 slices bread; cut into 3/4inch cubes
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I grate my garlic. I think that's easier..)
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced (you can omit this if you dont have it)
Salt to taste

2 cloves garlic (finely grated)
2 large egg yolks (you can subsitute with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise if you'd prefer)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 - 5 anchovies (ie 1 small flat can) - mash to a paste
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heads romaine lettuce, washed and dried thoroughly and torn into 2inch pieces
Grated Pamesan cheese (to taste)

Croutons : Toss bread cubes with all other ingredients in a bowl. Toast in 350 degrees oven till lightly brown.

Stir egg yolks, Dijon mustard, anchovies and garlic together in a bowl. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper. Slowly stir in olive oil till dressing is creamy.

Add lettuce to the bowl and toss thoroughly. Stir in grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle croutons on top of salad. Serve topped with Parmesan shavings.

That's it. I like my salad with chicken - so what I do is I grill / bake a couple of chicken breasts, slice them thinly and add to the salad with the lettuce.

While making the salad I discovered what anchovies tastes like - it tastes quite strong but not that bad actually.

Fresh anchovies are gutted (the Italians pulled the head off together with the stomach etc etc - I watched that on David Rocco's Dolce Vita) - and then preserved in layers of sea salt for three months. They are then packed with olive oil.

Although they are actually our bilis, they dont taste anything like bilis that we know and the price - mama mia, I cant believe bilis could be that expensive. I'm thinking of omitting the anchovies in my salad the next time..

Nevertheless, you must try this.

(ps - the gambar is from Martha Stewart although how I wish it were from my own camera err..handphone)

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Somewhere To Eat

I was at Mali's corner when I saw I girl from the office. Since she seemed engrossed with her friend (of the opposite sex, of course) I pretended I didnt notice her.

Now Mali's corner is a gerai that sells nasi lemak with hot-from-the-kuali ayam goreng and the best-of-the best kuay teow. Everything is self-served and the queue could be intolerable at times. Maybe because it is located just outside Kolej TAR and there are lots of hungry students around..

But the clientele varies actually, from parents with children and people after work and also teenagers. Seem like it is also popular with students from UIA and other colleges within the vicinity too.

I asked the girl from the office, the next day, where she stays expecting her to say Gombak / Keramat / Wangsa Maju / kawasan yang sama waktu dengannya. But she said, PJ. Oh, I said, ada hal dekat area tu ke smalam? She said no, we were just there to eat.

Oh, okay.. I didnt know Mali's that popular.. So maybe if you are in the area next time you can stop at Mali's and have a nasi lemak / kuay teow or two.. They are open from late afternoon to maybe about 3 in the morning.

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Delicious Scones

We girls went for tea last Fri - the best scones I had so far are at Delicious, located in Bangsar Village (new wing). Dont go to the outlet at the old wing - the scones are harder and you have to self serve there.

You should try these scones - with creme fraiche (as Jamie would say) and preserves, they are yummm..

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My Mum's Acar Limau

There are things that I dont fancy except when cooked by my mum especially dodol, wajik and acar limau. Who else cooks better than mum, right? Considering that my mum doesnt cook much anymore, I suppose I will not be eating these food anymore..

Anyway, I was at my niece's Mas engagement do last weekend when my sis-in-law asked me how to make mum's acar limau. I said I havent tried it although I do have the instructions. Apparently she had asked my mum about it and mum said, tanya Azah - dia dah pernah buat. Now, when mum said something like that, it means dia dah cerita habis dah lah resipi tu and she is not going to repeat the same thing to anyone else..

Uh-oh, that put me into a panic mode. Once I got home I searched for the recipe I had written which was narrated by my mum (she has it memorised so I cant copy it from anywhere..) I cant remember where I put it (cant remember when I asked mum about it either!) I said a long prayer when I found it..

So last weekend I tried to make the acar limau and my cheerleaders at home told me they like the acar. I suppose I need more impartial tasters and put the acar under more stringent tests. I should send samples to my sisters.

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So maybe my mum's acar limau tradition will continue on after all.

These are the basic ingredients..

.. and the ready made mum's acar limau .. personally I thought it was yummy too.

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