La Nina en la Cocina

Cupcakes - La Milla en la Cocina

In preparation for Milla's summer party, I baked 12 cupcakes and a loaf of poundcake. As I am a lazy bum of a mother/house working wife, I just prepared a simple butter cream frosting for the cupcakes and Milla helped me with the decoration - basically, putting M&M's on the frosting.

It was cheap and cheerful and it was a big hit! The kids (and adults) loved the cakes. Milla was proud to announced she helped mummy. That to me is the sweetest part of throwing a party (despite the fact, I was fighting a flu and was popping Nurofen as if they were M&Ms) - to have a happy child.

Pandanus Chiffon Cake

I have been unattentive to this blog. I have been juggling too many balls in the last few months and 3 of which are my 3 blogs. It is not the case of too many great things happening, too little time to blog. It is rather too many ordinary cooking and too little time to waste writing about it.

Today, I produced yet another one of those ordinary produce... I made a Pandanus Chiffon cake. It is one of those easy stuff which I can whip out of a box and all I have to do is beat 7 eggs until foamy before adding the content of the pre-mixed ingredients. When the mix is smooth and creamy, I added 100ml of coconut milk instead of soya bean oil and put it in 160 degrees hot oven for an hour et voila!....

The interesting titbit about this post is not the cake (which by the way turned out better than it would have if I had dedicated hours for the preparation instead of the 15 minutes) but the brand of the pre-mixed cake mixture. It is 'PONDAN' which in Malaysian Malay means a man who behaves like a woman and vice versa. a.k.a Transvestite

I thought this unimportant little detail is quite funny.

Agedashi Tofu

It has been a while indeed. All the cooking and photographing but no blogging, on this space. A matter of all work and no play indeed.

I prepared Agedashi tofu for entree - for Christine and Ralf, who came for dinner at our home last night. It was a roaring success mainly because thry haven't had the dish before. They are not novice eaters. They are in fact good and well-seasoned foodies. But hey, even advanced foodies, at times, can miss Agedashi tofu. So, thank Goodness, I was saved by the bell.

I have no clue how to prepare this dish properly. But having read a few tips and recipes and paid a brief visit to the Japanese delicatessen, I improvised.

Funnily enough, it turned out suprisingly (and acceptably) delish.

Ingredients
Soft tofu (not silken but soft)
Rice flour
Japanese white bread crumbs
Bokito broth (I used the powder diluted in boiled water)
Mirin
Soy sauce
Seaweed
Japanese pickled ginger to garnish
Spring onions, thinly sliced to garnish

Preparation
I coated the diced tofu in rice flour, followed by the white bread crumbs. Then I shallow fried them in very little oil until all sides were golden. In a separate pan, I boiled some water and added the bokito seafood broth mix, 2 tablespoons of mirin and soy sauce (to taste). I then added the dried seaweed and brought the mix to boil. I poured the bokito seasoning broth over the fried tofu cubes and garnished with the pickled ginger and spring onions.

I love this dish for its simplicity, clean taste and of course, the fact that it made me look like a half-decent cook in front of my foodie friends.

I guess, with me, it is all about narcissism.

Plugging: Vegetarian Duck

I just found another food blog which I love. Actually, I have not just found it. I have been there before but haven't been as glued to it as I have been recently. I love MEM's style of writing - creative and witty. His food ideas are just so excellent. His photos, absolutely delightful.

He makes me want to spend my days and nights in the kitchen or at some exotic food market. Reading him makes me want to cook, cook, cook, learn and cook some more.

I love how he seems to radiate 'ease' with his cooking and how open he is to try so many different cuisines. It is amazing! His girl Mara is also a good cook. Some people are soooo lucky!

I don't know where MEM is originally from but he also lives in Amsterdam. Apparently, he lives in one of those groovy buildings with bars, restaurant and clubs in it. I have to be careful not to be too enamoured with his blog; I might stalk him.

Here's the link to the gem - Vegetarian Duck.

Pandanus Chicken

I made Pandanus Chicken, for the first time ever in my life, a few weeks ago. I was inspired by Zaza, Malay chef extraordinaire.

The recipe I have used is a modification of various recipes I have read on the net including Zaza's.

Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds (I used black ones instead of white)
salt to taste

Pandanus leaves
Vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons

I mixed all the ingredients (except for the pandanus leaves and vegetable oil) well before forming little patty cakes out of them. Wrap the cakes with pandanus leaves to form little parcels. I used 2 leaves per cake. Use cut satay sticks as skewers to seal the parcels. I struggled to keep them tightly packaged, it must be due to my lack of experience in packaging/making food parcels!

I shallow fried the parcels in vegetable oil, over medium heat. Make sure the parcels are not too crispily fried to avoid burning and to keep the meat succulent.

Remove parcels from the frying pan. Stick them in oven proof dish, for the oven set at 180 degrees celcius, for about 15 minutes. If you have guests, you can easily fry the parcels in advanced and place them in the oven closer to the time when you intend to serve them.

It is perfect as a starter. Serve with sweet chili sauce or just as they are, which is what my guests preferred.

This dish is aromatic (pandanus smell), which is something I love. It also looks deceptively difficult to prepare, which is great if you'd like to impress your friends.

Green Tea Drizzle Cake

I made Green Tea Drizzle cake, for dessert, when Tatyana & Rudi came for Sunday lunch 2 weekends ago. I used the recipe from the Wagamama Cookbook which I purchased at the restaurant a while ago. I must say, the cookbook has come in handy - mostly for inspirational ideas and tips. I haven't reproduced anything out of the recipes in the book apart from this drizzle cake but so far, the book has proven to be very good. I use a lot of the tips for sauces. My favourite (mostly produced) is the base sauce for yaki soba (mirin, sake, soy sauce, sugar and yellow bean paste (miso)).

I don't think it is right for me to publish the recipe as it is an IP which belongs to Wagamama. Suffice to say, my guests thought (and I did too) the cake is really light and totally enjoyable with an after lunch tea. The green tea syrup drizzle makes it very sweet but one can skip it (if syrup is served on the side) if one surrenders to bad conscience. I love the subtle taste of green tea in the cake. It is amazing how little macha tea powder I have used and how powerful albeit subtle taste, such a tiny amount of tea powder can be.

Veal & Peppers Cannelloni

I have been going through an Italian-cooking culinary jaunt. 2 weekends ago, I prepared veal and peppers canneloni for dinner, which is my little improvisation of cannelloni caterina - without the ham (as this is about the only Malay-Muslim rule I adhere to, not due to religious reason because that would make me a hypocrite but more due to cultural/traditional habit) and mushroom, instead subsituted by peppers and leek.

For the pasta & filling:
10 cannelloni shells
300gm of minced veal
1/2 of a red bell pepper
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper
1/2 A leek
3/4 pound (350 g) ricotta
A pinch of dried thyme
An egg
1/2 cup (50 g) bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
500ml of sugo de tomato

Begin with the filling: Cut the white part of the leek into rounds, and discard the green section. Julienne the peppers. Sauté the leek in the butter, and when it has begun to color add the minced veal, peppers and thyme. Stir the mix and simmer until the peppers are done, adding a little more water if need be to keep them from drying out. Let the mixture cool, then combine it with the ricotta, egg, bread crumbs, and a half cup of the Parmigiano. Mix well and check seasoning.

Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).

To assemble the dish:

Take an oven-proof dish, butter it, and pour two ladles of sugo over the bottom. Stuff the shells with the stuffing. To begin with, as it is my first time making cannelloni, I had difficulties in stuffing the shells but soon got the hang of it. If the cannelloni shells are el dente, the filling process should be a successful one. Start with filling one end and quickly turn over (up-side-down with the shell resting on one palm) to fill the other. Soon the stuffing will move downwards and becomes quite compact in the shell.

Arrange stuffed shells in the dish.

Pour the remaning sugo over the cannelloni. Dust with the remaining Parmigiano and bake for 40 minutes; should the cannelloni look like they're overbrowning, cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.

I was quite nervous about making cannellonis but this experience has proven, it is not more complicated nor more difficult than making a lasagna. In any case, I would definitely make more of it, with (hopefully) a varriety of different stuffings in the near future!

Ayam Masak Merah - Chicken in Red Sauce

I was going to show off my Italian dishes....But, it will take too long to post them up here with my recipes etc.

Before this (also) ends up in my La Cocina photo bank without any write-up like all the other dishes I wanted to show off on this space...I better post it up now.

Last night, for the first time in ages (2-3 weeks?), I cooked some Malay food. Namely Ayam Masak Merah, direct transaltion - Chicken in Red Sauce which is a primitive label for a dish which should be called by its proper description; chicken in spicy tomato sauce. Because that is what it is.

I have prepared my chicken in red sauce by using the recipe on Malaysian Food.net . Of the different dishes I've prepared, using recipes from the net, I must say, this is one of the few odd occasions when I can honestly say, it is really nice!

I served it with tomato rice which I have prepared by using my own recipe - a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, 2 aniseed and 3 cloves, fried in a table spoon of ghee until aromatic before adding in the rice, water (1 rice to 1.5 water ratio) and 1/2 a cup of sago de tomato (instead of tomato puree). Throw in 1-2 pandanus leaves (tied in knots) and 2 kaffir limes leaves. Bring to boil for 2-3 minutes before turnign the heat down to the minimum. Cover pot with lid and continue to slow cook until water evaporates. Check and stir every now and then so that rice won't stick to the bottom of the pan. Salt to taste.

Y U M - M Y.

Chilled Italian Chocolate Cake

I had a spurt of Italian cuisine madness since few weeks ago. Just after our dinner party at Joey & Yu-Wen when they (they just got back from their summer holiday in Sicily) prepared a very excellent Italian banquette-like dinner, from start to finish. It was marvellous! I love it when we get invited to dinner parties especially when/if the lady/man of the house is/are also passionate about preparation of food, as much as I am.

We have pasta/risotto at least twice per week. But I hardly make any Italian dessert. I have been meaning to make summer Asian-influenced (with either mango, pineapple, ginger or papaya) cheesecake but abandoned that idea and went for the Chilled Italian Chocolate cake instead. Why? I am married to a chocoholic!

As the German saying goes, "Liebe geht durch den Magen", love comes through the stomach. I need to be loved.

Chilled Italian Chocolate Cake
This is easy to make, there's no cooking! It is also difficult to go wrong with it. Chris said, "It's one of the best chocolate cake in the whole world!"

Ingredients
225g/8oz Semi-sweet chocolate - cut into small pieces
Half medium wineglass of Italian marsala wine (probably rum or brandy would also work)
225g/8oz Soft unsalted butter
50g/2oz Caster sugar
2 Eggs - separated
150g/5oz Grated, blanched almonds
Pinch salt
12 Butter biscuits (petit beurre) cut each biscuit into four pieces

Method
Lightly grease bottom and sides of a two-and-a-half pint loaf tin.

Melt chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring constantly.
When all chocolate has melted, stir in the marsala wine (rum or brandy).Remove pan from heat and cool to room temperature.

Cream the butter until light and fluffy, beat in the sugar and add egg yolks one at a time. Stir in the grated almonds and then the chocolate mixture.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff enough to form soft peaks. Fold this into the chocolate mixture. When all streaks of white have disappeared, gently fold in the cut-up biscuits, discarding the crumbs.

Spoon the mixture into the greased tin and smooth top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours or until very firm.

Unmould one hour before serving. I made a little mess while unmoulding. To unmould, run a sharp knife around the sides of the tin and dip the bottom of the tin into hot water for a few seconds. I placed a chilled serving dish upside down over the tin and grasping both sides, quickly turn the plate and tin over. The cake should slide out easily. In my case, for some reason, the cake would not come away so easily from the mould and the second time I put it in the hot water, it was probably one second too many when the chocolate began to melt - more than it should.

Anyhow, I smoothed the top and sides of the cake and return it into refrigerator. Just before serving, you can sieve a little icing sugar over the cake but I forgot to do it. I did serve my cake with fresh blueberries - which I think is healthier than icing sugar. Although, they (the blueberries) are (probably) simply a gesture in vain as opposed to a conscientious healthy subsitute.

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According to my resident chocoholic, the cake is very very very rich. Hence, he ate 80% of it. I had a very thin slice of it - that was enough chocolate to last me the entire year. I am, shamely, one of those women who derive immense pleasure from seeing my resident chocoholic eat to his heart's content.

I am officially, a feeder. Love goes through the stomach? Oh yeah (as long as it is not mine!:)!

Pesto Genovese Parmesan & Basil Ravioli with Red Spinach

This is nothing ultra exotic. I love it though.

I bought the parmesan and basilicum ravioli at the Naturwinkel, a biological supermarket in Amsterdam. I was there to do my weekly shopping for Milla who is only given biological juices because I am one of those crazy mums who suffer from the intermitten guilt of giving my daughter food which are not 100% biological.

I boiled the raviolis until they were al dente. Then I threw them into a pan of pesto genovese which had been mixed with soft golden fried onions in olive oil. Once well mixed, I added some pine nuts. Then I added salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate pan, I boiled some water and blanche the red spinach (to be honest, I have no idea if this is the right name for it. It is basically spinach with red tint which is quite a common specie in Asia. I bought the spinach from the Asian grocers. It is subtly sweeter than the ordinary spinach). Once the spinach is 'blanche'd (a few short minutes) I strained the water out and added herb butter to it. I made sure the butter is melted through and spread evenly (as much as I can) into the spinach.

I then served the raviolis on a plate with the herb-buttered spinach piled and perched on top of it before sprinkling a heap of grated parmesan to finish.