Pumpkin Yumkin

This month's WCC#21 theme is Halloween. Halloween isn't really a big holiday here although the supermarkets stock up on pumpkin, coloured corn and candy for the expatriate community.

I've only ever gone trick or treating once when I was a kid. I went with my cousin who lived in a neighbourhood with many American families. The only reason we went around knocking on doors was for the candy (of course). However, we needed to at least look the part and dress up. The only thing available so last minute was an old orange tablecloth of my aunt's.

So we 'borrowed' it, cut 2 holes to fit out heads through and walked around the estate in our giant poncho. I don't know what we were suppose to be but it must have been rather comical to watch us move in a coordinated direction lest we strangle each other.

Hence I've always associated the colour orange with Halloween. I wonder if my aunt ever found out what we did with her tablecloth.


I'm sure there are a plethora of pumpkin recipes for Halloween and I'm going to add to it. This one is adapted from The Pastry Queen, another of my good reads. The author, Rebecca Rather, describes this recipe which she found among her grandmother's things as a cross between a muffin and a cupcake.

I didn't have a can of pure pumpkin so I used a pumpkin pie mix. Dried dates are also all over the supermarket shelves here since we're in the midst of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Chopping them up was a bit of a pain since they were all so sticky. I wonder if a mezzaluna would have helped... or maybe I should have oiled my knife?


Pumpkin Yumkin
makes 12-15 cupcakes/muffins

1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 15oz can pure pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup pecans

Preheat oven at 350F. Cream the butter until pale before adding in the sugar and beating until fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla until well combined then add in the pumpkin. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the sifted mixture in and mix well before folding in the dates and pecans. Scoop into liners, about 3/4 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the yumkins are firm to touch. Cool before frosting.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
100g or 3 oz cream cheese
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp orange juice
1 orange's zest

In a mixer bowl, combine all the ingredients, adding more orange juice to get the desired consistency if needed. Coat the tops of the cooled yumkins.

Verdict: The pumpkin taste was not distinct enough, probably because I didn't use pure pumpkin. However, these yumkins are versatile. Left plain, they're lovely as muffins. Dressed with frosting, they're very pretty cupcakes. But then anything tastes good with cream cheese frosting!

Update (6 Oct): I tried this again with the pure pumpkin and the taste is much better!

Chocolate Cherry Macaroon Tart

The theme for HHDD#15 organised by TriniGourmet is tarts. While I have a serious aversion for working with pastry, I was going to try and overcome this. I was all prepared to try and fail, learn from my mistakes, start with frozen pastry and move on to become brave enough to make it from scratch. You get the picture...


So I went in search of recipes. I started with Donna Hay's latest book Simple Essentials: Chocolate, the same one that I sent Peabody as thanks for her Snickerdoodle recipe. There were two tart recipes and both didn't require pastry! Yay! So much for trying to conquer my fear...

I chose this one because it was for 6 individual small portions. However, I couldn't find the little tart tins with removable bases. I had to make a large one instead. The original recipe was for raspberries but I much prefer cherries so here it is.


Chocolate Cherry Macaroon Tart

Macaroon Shell (makes 6 3-inch tart shells or 2 8-inch tart shells)
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups or 200g desiccated coconut

Cherry Chocolate Filling (fills 6 3-inch tart shells or 1 8-inch tart shell)
4 oz or 125g dark chocolate, chopped (I used one with 65% cocoa)
1/2 cup cream
2 eggs
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
7 oz or 200g cherries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven at 280F. Combine the ingredients for the tart shell, divide it between the tart tins and press firmly over base and sides.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the macaroon shells are firm and browned then remove from oven.
Increase oven temperature to 320F. To make the filling, put the cream and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar to combine well. Sift in the flour and baking powder, stir in the chocolate mixture. Spoon into the macaroon shells and top with the cherries (if using frozen cherries, no need to defrost).
Bake for 25-35 minutes until the filling is just firm. Cool in the tins before removing to serve.


Verdict: The chocolate filling is rich but the cherries go very well with it. The macaroon shells add an interesting texture and overall, its a great tart - easy to make and everyone loved it! This is better eaten on the day it is made. If refrigerated overnight, warm in the oven before serving.

Dutch Apple Cake

I've been reading and re-reading one of my latest buys Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters. Its become my current favourite because the of the love and care that has gone into putting it all together. Each recipe is accompanied by a note of its origins, whether from family or strangers. There are insights and memories from the Brass sisters (who look so cute on the cover) and this is a truly a collection of wonderful recipes that have been passed down through the years. I'm also entering this for WCC#20 Show and Tell.


The recipes are old fashioned baked goods that have been tested and adapted for today's kitchens. The ingredients are simple and readily available in any pantry so one can whip up something on a whim, just like this recipe. I've adapted it for cupcakes but should have used up all of the apple topping because the presence of apple could have been stronger.

There are also lovely pictures of antique recipe books and journals, baking equipment and kitchen tools. As a result of this book, I've been inspired to look out for and start collecting antique or retro cake plates!


Dutch Apple Cake
makes 18 cupcakes or a 9-inch cake

1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk

Topping
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tbs butter
3 apples, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven at 350F. Cream the butter until pale before adding in the sugar and beating until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time until well combined then add in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the sifted mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions. Scoop into cupcake liners, about 2/3 full or into a lined cake pan.
Toss together the ingredients for the topping and spread it all out evenly over the top of the batter.
Bake for 25 minutes for cupcakes or approximately 40 minutes for the cake.

Verdict: Its a very moist cake as promised but I should have used up all the topping as mentioned earlier. The recipe recommends for the cake to be served the day it is made but it can also be frozen once it has completely cooled.

Stewed Pork Fried Vermicelli

Growing up, weekends were quite often spent swimming. My mother had an uncle with a swimming pool at his house. In those days, swimming pools in a private home was rare but my granduncle was a successful textile businessman who had a huge house. Fortunately for us, we were welcomed to use their pool any time.

Quite often, my mother would whip up her signature fried vermicelli (or bee hoon as it is known locally) to feed us. I've never not been hungry after a swimming session and I always associate this meal with those childhood memories by the pool.

The characteristic taste of this dish comes mainly from the canned stewed pork used and my family has our favourite brand. The canned pork is either stewed pork chops or stewed pork leg with mushroom and chestnut. The pork chops are healthier because the pork legs come with layers of fat.

Do not be put off by the globules of fat or the layer of oil from the canned meat. The fat can be removed for a healthier option or you can allow it to melt into the noodles when frying it up. The layer of oil can be skimmed off or used as fat to saute the vegetables.


Stewed Pork Fried Vermicelli
serves 4

300-400g dried rice vermicelli or green bean thread
8-10 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 1/2 cups sliced french beans or shredded cabbage
2 cans 14 oz stewed pork chops or pork leg
1 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce

Soak the vermicelli or bean thread in water until soft then drain. Soak the mushrooms in about 1 cup of water for a couple of hours until soft then remove the stalks and slice up. Save the mushroom liquid for the noodles if it gets too dried out when frying. After opening the cans of stewed pork, spoon out the fat for frying, pour out the rest onto a shallow bowl. Remove the bones and mash up the the meat so that there are no big chunks.
In a wok or large frying pan, saute the vegetables in a bit of vegetable oil or the fat from the stewed pork. When half-cooked, add in the stewed pork and turn down the heat while mixing the ingredients together. Toss in the noodles and turn up the heat, pushing it into the sauce at the bottom of the pan to soak up the flavour as it cooks. Continue stir frying until the noodles are cooked and all the ingredients are well combined. Add in fish sauce or soy sauce to taste.

Serve with cut red chilli or pickled green chilli and dig in!

I'm also submitting this to Ruth at Once upon a Feast for the six-month anniversary or Presto Pasta Nights.

Blogging by Mail

I got my package today!

Thanks to Stephanie for starting this wonderful event, it's really an act of dispensing happiness all around the world. It's better than opening presents at Christmas because one doesn't know if / when the package will arrive or from whom or what it might contain. So really, no expectations at all.

My package arrived all the way from Josie of Flavor Junkie in New York City. She sent me an assortment of her favourite baking implements / gadgets and foodstuff.

The kitchen things she sent included: a pie crust shield (looks like I need to get over the fear of making pastry), a cupcake-adorned silicone spatula (too cute!), a plastic dessert knife (very useful for bring-along food), powdered sugar spoon (a mini sieve for sifting accurately over baked goods), cookie cutters on a ring (all in shapes I don't have, yay!), an offset spatula, cake tester and champagne bottle stoppers.

Since I indicated I had a sweet tooth, Josie sent along some really nice treats. She made me some Ginger Sparkle cookies and Spiced Nuts. There were also Rice Krispie Treats, Torrone, Sharfenberger Chocolate, Lemonheads, Sixlets, a Strawberry Licorice Rope, Taffy, Skittles, and an assortment of little sweets.


Thanks heaps Josie! It totally made my day and I've shared some of my loot with friends at work. I'll save the Strawberry Chapstick for a trip to Paris that I hope will happen in November (fingers crossed).

Pesto Calabrese

My favourite pesto to add to pasta is Barilla's Pesto alla Calabrese. Its a spicy creamy sauce that's a little sweet and perfect over fish or shellfish as well. If I'm in a hurry for dinner, I open a bottle of this. If I'm really in a hurry for dinner, I make risoni which cooks quickly and spoons easily into a hungry mouth.

I love it so much that I thought I should try to re-create it on my own. I figured that I could just go by the proportion of ingredients listed on the label and take it from there. The peppers I used were very sweet after being cooked but did not pack any heat so I had to add in a chilli as well. However, I needed more heat so I tossed in some chilli powder too.

I'm also submitting this to Ruth at Once Upon a Feast for Presto Pasta Night #25.


Pesto Calabrese
makes about 3 cups or about 4 servings

2 large red peppers or capsicum
1 small onion
3 tbs olive oil
1 chilli, deseeded
250g or 1 1/2 cups ricotta
100g or 1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan
1 tsp salt or more to taste
1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Chop up the peppers and onion into bite-sized pieces and stir fry with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until cooked. In a food processor, blend together the peppers and onion to get about 1 cup of puree. Continue blending this with the rest of the ingredients. Spoon over cooked pasta or refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with more grated cheese or chopped cilantro.

Verdict: Very close to the bottled version and so easy to make! I mixed cooked peeled prawns into the sauce and had it over the pasta. I'm going to freeze the extra and see of it's still good.

Daim Macadamia Fudge Brownie

The BrownieBabe challenge is back and since I was so inspired by the entries from the last round, I wanted to make one of my own- a brownie recipe that would include my favourite things with chocolate.

Daim is the best thing to take home from Ikea and since they've come up with little sweet wrapped portions, I've been able to pace myself better in consuming it. Otherwise, its a bar each time and that's totally hazardous for my throat.

Macadamia is one of my favourite nuts and these ones were given to me by a thoughtful colleague. They've been languishing in the fridge because I've been saving them for such a recipe.


I adapted Magnolia Bakery's Fudge Brownie recipe to get the following:

Daim Macadamia Fudge Brownie
makes 16 3-inch brownies

Brownie:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 oz or 350g unsweetened chocolate
1 cup or 2 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract

Topping:
40 Diam pieces, whole or crushed, optional
1 1/2 cup macadamia, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven at 350F. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract before adding the flour mixture. Combine well then pour the batter into lined or greased pans. I split my batter into two 11" x 7" pans. It can also be baked in a 18" x 12" jelly roll.
Bake for 25-28 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center of pan comes out clean.

Verdict: Love the crunchy nutty top, fudgy middle and sometimes chewy bottom where the diam pieces had melted. Especially good with ice cream - had mine with Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey.

Lychee Martini Sorbet

When the mood strikes, drinks out at a nice bar will see me ordering Lychee Martini - its sweet and the taste of alcohol is not too strong. Of course, it helps that the martini glass imparts an air of sophistication to the drinker as well. My name is Eunice, Eunice...

Just in time for WCC#18. I was still in the sorbet mood and the theme had my eyes peeled at the fruit section in the supermarket. The beautiful peaches, strawberries and cherries caught my eye but I felt that it would be a shame to mush them up for sorbet. At the price I had to pay for them, they should be enjoyed in all their wholesome goodness. Fortunately, there were basket of lychees there too.

I used a combination of fresh and canned lychees for my recipe as the canned ones tend to be overly sweet. However, you can do as I did or simply use either fresh or canned by itself. I did not use the liquid that the canned lychees came in because the sugar content was unknown and too much sugar can inhibit the feezing process.

The alcohol part was tricky because I wanted to make sure that the sorbet would freeze. I decided to hold back on the vodka and simply drizzle it over the sorbet before serving. That way, I can drizzle on more depending on taste.

Lychee Martini Sorbet
makes 3-4 cups

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 kg lychees or 2 large cans of lychee
4 tbs lychee liquer
4-8 tbs vodka

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat to make a syrup, set aside to cool. Remove the skin and seed from the lychee to get only the pulp or drain the canned lychees to remove any liquid. Blend until puree is smooth to get 2 1/2 cups.

Mix the syrup, puree and lychee liquer together, chilling thoroughly before freezing in the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drizzle vodka over the sorbet before serving.

Verdict: Definitly a cool concoction! Much nicer than the drinks at the bar since this 'drink' remained cold a lot longer. Cheers!

Mangosteen Sorbet

Having made both ice cream and sorbet, I'm sticking to the latter for the moment simply because its so much easier and a lot more refreshing.

This time, I chose mangosteen to make for Darren, my foodie buddy. He once ate 3 kg of this fruit in one sitting while chatting with me so I know this is definitely his favourite.

The mangosteen is known as the Queen of Fruits because it is often eaten together with the durian, the King of Fruits. Durian lovers never just eat one seed of the fruit - they often open up a few fruits to sample and enjoy. Since the durian is considered to give 'heat' to the body, the mangosteen is usually eaten after a durian session to provide a balance as it is supposed to 'cool' the body.

I'm posting this in time for HHDD#13 but I'm not sure if I'm allowed two entries. Just be aware that this beautiful deep purple fruit may not be so readily available to most and might be expensive the way strawberries and peaches are costly over here. In any case, Donna Hay's basic sorbet recipe is so versatile for any type of fruit, the possiblities are endless.

Magosteen Sorbet
makes about 3-4 cups

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 kg mangosteen
1/2 tsp lime juice

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat to make a syrup, set aside to cool. To open the mangosteen, simply press the fruit firmly until a crack appears on the shell before prying it open. Remove the pulpy flesh of the mangosteen, taking care to avoid staining yourself with the fibres from the shell (easily washable if taken care of quickly). To remove the pulp from the seeds, press the fleshy white segments through your fingers. The seeds are usually found in the bigger segments of the fruit, the smaller sigments are often seedless. Blend the pulp in a the blender to get about 2 1/2 cups of puree (if it falls short, just top up with more water).

Mix the syrup, puree and lime juice together, chilling thoroughly before freezing in the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Verdict: Another fruity refreshing treat. If you haven't tried mangosteen, the chilled fruit totally hits the spot on a hot day. I can't really describe the flavour - its sort of tart and peachy but its yums! Can't wait for the round-up on July 15th for more flavours to try. Look out for it!

My kitchen towel on a string

I chuckled when I read about Show Us Your Apron on IMBB. I don't use an apron in the traditional sense of it protecting me from splatters or accidents during cooking. Of course, if it does then that's a bonus. My 'apron' is primarily used for me to dry or wipe my hands during food preparation.

I wash my hands very often when baking or cooking. Since all I really need is to tie a kitchen towel to myself so that its handy, I sew my own aprons. They are made from a kitchen or tea towel with a strip if binding sewn on one of the longer sides.

I go through about 2 of my aprons per cooking session. I started with the 2 striped ones which now look rather grubby despite repeated washes so I've had to make new ones. Here are all my very functional aprons!

Malibu Orange Sorbet

Its still hot and I'm now turning my focus to sorbets for HHDD#13. I decided to get the icy version of my preferred cocktail drink and tweaked the basic recipe provided to get my own Malibu Orange Sorbet.

I'm not much of a drinker. A good cocktail to me has to be something sweet so I can't taste the alcohol. I'm a sleepy drunk but before getting to that stage, I will feel like an iron, emanating heat from the effects of the alcohol. So you can see why drinking isn't all that fun for me.

Malibu Orange Sorbet
makes about 4 cups

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 oranges
2 1/2 cups orange juice (unsweetened)
6 tbs Malibu

Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat to make a syrup, set aside to cool. Cut away the rind and pith of the oranges. Using a paring knife, cut between the membranes to remove only the juice sac segments. Place in blender together with any juice squeezed from the remaining pulp, blend to get about 1/2 cup of puree.

Mix the syrup, puree, juice and Malibu together, chilling thoroughly before freezing in the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Verdict: Sweet but the presence of Malibu could have been stronger. However, I was afraid that the sorbet would not freeze if I added in too much alcohol. Anyway, in this weather, my favourite cocktail in a brain-freeze inducing state is a welcomed accompaniment to enjoying the late afternoon sun on my balcony.

Mango Ginger Ice Cream

We don't get summer here in the tropics but it sure seems as if its been hotter than usual. I can usually sleep with just the fan blowing all night but lately, I've had to have the air-conditioning on and take at least 2 showers a day.

Therefore, ice cream for July's Monthly Mingle was a timely impetus for me to take out the still-new ice cream machine and get cracking. I knew I didn't want to start with a boring flavour like vanilla or chocolate. I was instead inspired by my favourite handwash, a mango and ginger scented one.

Today, the smell of mangoes permeated the entire kitchen and I was so tempted to leave them be for the lovely natural perfume. I've left this till the last minute because I was waiting for the mangoes to get overipe so I'm cutting it really close to the deadline.

I've adapted the recipe from this book which provides all sorts of variations to most basic flavours. I guess its a good basic book to start on the ice cream making endeavour.

Mango Ginger Ice Cream
makes about 5 cups

2 large ripe mangoes
1-1 1/2 inch knob of ginger, chopped
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tbs cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crystallised ginger, chopped

Remove as much flesh as possible from the mangoes. Combine the mangoes, ginger, lime juice, corn syrup and salt in a food processor, processing until smooth. Pour the puree through a strainer to remove any fibrous bits, getting about 1 3/4 cups of puree.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch until crumbly. In a saucepan, heat the milk until it is simmering, stir it into the sugar egg mixture until all the sugar is dissolved. Return the mixture to the saucepan and over low heat, stir constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and strain the hot custard into a large bowl to cool.

Combine the cooled custard, puree and cream in the bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Finally, add in the crystallised ginger when the ice cream is soft and still churning.

Verdict: I love the sweet heat of this flavour! Also, the contrast between the temperature and the slight heat from the aftertaste is intriguing. Better pack some for my parents before I polish it all off trying to satisfy that intrigue.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

The latest Weekend Cookbook Challenge got me going back to my cookbooks, which is why I haven't really been baking much. I got caught up going through some of the newer books which I haven't really had a chance to scrutinize and comparing them with recipes from my other books.

The first cornmeal recipe I tried was from Dorie Greenspan's book, Corniest Corn Muffins, which I added bacon to. However, I didn't get a chance to try it or take any pictures because I wanted to bring it to work but I was running late.


So back to the books again and this time I found Lemon Cornmeal Cake from The Cake Book. I figured I couldn't go wrong with lemon and it turned out great. The cake was so simple to make and I got to try out my other silicone mould. I love lemon so I increased the amount of lemon zest for my version.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake
makes a 9-inch cake

1 1/3 cups flour
1 cup stoneground yellow cornmeal
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 eggs
1 lemon's zest
1 tbs lemon juice, about 1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven at 350F. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients until well blended. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Pour into 9-inch springform pan or bundt pan.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, loosely cover with foil if the top of the cake gets too brown. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Verdict: The cake was dense and moist with a light lemony flavour. The cornmeal added an interesting texture. The next time I serve this, I'll add some berries on the side.

Apple & Raisin Spice Cake

Since the initial attempt at Snickerdoodle Muffins, I've made it three more times at the request of my colleagues. Time to move on to something new and the latest Weekend Cookbook Challenge was just it.

With the theme of Something New, I wanted to use my new acquired ice cream maker and submit an entry. However, I would have had to clear freezer space in order to fit in the quick-freezing bowl and that was not going to happen anytime soon. A bigger fridge would be nice too.

So I turned to Gale Gand's Just A Bite, another new acquisition I had yet to use. The first recipe I had flagged was her Stellar Apple Spice Cakes.

One reason was because I had never baked with apples before, not sure why. Perhape there were so many other fruits I was fixated with. Another reason was the lovely anecdote that accompanied the recipe. The author's mother Myrna and her best friend Stella reminded the author of Betty Rubble and Wilma Flintstone, not just in looks but also the closeness with each others' families. The recipe was in tribute to what the author's family considered to be Stella's best recipe.

This is my adaptation of it, without the nuts and with more apple.

Apple & Raisin Spice Cake
makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
2 1/2 cups apple chunks (2-3 apples)

Preheat the oven at 350F. In a bowl, dredge the raisins with 2 tbs of the flour and lightly coat them to prevent them from sinking in the cake batter when baking. Whisk the eggs with the sugar until fluffy before adding in the oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients then combine into the egg mixture. Finally, stir in the chopped apples, evenly distributing them in the batter. Scoop into cupcake liners.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Verdict: Its very easy cooking with apples. The taste of the spices really came through and I loved the crusty chewy top of the cakes. The original recipe came with a maple syrup frosting but the cake was sweet enough on its own and very yummy with a cold glass of milk.

My Mother's Roast Chicken

I can safely say that chicken is the meat of choice in my family, maybe because its my mother's favourite and she cooked it so regularly that we all grew to love it too.

Fortunately, we all love different parts of the chicken as well or there would be no peace at the table. My sister goes for the white meat, I prefer the dark meat, my mother likes the bony parts of the back and neck while my father is easygoing and eats everything else. World peace!

My mother has used this recipe over the years since she entertains regularly. This has become the most popular and requested of her repertoire. I've never tried to make it because I always got to eat it at home but now that I'm living on my own, this is the first time that I'm attempting it.

The recipe uses preserved red bean curd which is the one on the left side of the picture. The sichuan bean curd on the bottom right can also be used as replacement. The latter is great with plain rice porridge.

My Mother's Roast Chicken
marinates 8 drumsticks or 1 whole chicken

1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs Chinese cooking wine
1 block or 1 1/2 tbsp preserved red bean curd
1 tbs dark soya sauce
1 tbs honey

Mash the bean curd then mix all the ingredients and marinate the chicken, preferably overnight.
Roast in a 400F oven for 20-30 minutes, turning over the meat halfway.

My family doesn't celebrate Mothers' Day (or Fathers' Day) but I hope my version of my mother's favourite dish is up to par for Eating Out Loud's Food Fight #2.

Steamed Eggs

The supermarket I frequent has been selling a tray of 30 eggs for $2.85! So different from the days when bird flu was a scare here. Since I can't resist a bargain, I've been cooking with many eggs.

I'm also using this opportunity to take part in A Taste of Yellow, an event being organised by Barbara at Winos and Foodies as part of LiveStrong Day 2007 on May 16th, which is when the round up will be posted. Check it out!

When I get sick, I turn to comfort food and steamed eggs is simple fare that does just that. Growing up, my mother used to cook this in the rice cooker using a trivet that raised the dish above the steaming rice, cooking everything at the same time. My sister and I were happy to eat these eggs with only rice and soya sauce. A simple pleasure.

It wasn't until I started living on my own that I learnt how to make these. I had a flatmate whose grandmother told her the proportions of egg to water to ensure a smooth soft texture - for every egg used, fill 4 half shells with water and combine. Basically, for every egg, add 2 parts of water.

Although I loved it plain as a child, I now prefer it a little more jazzed up. I've steamed this with minced pork, prawns and even corned beef.

I'm using only eggs for this recipe. The eggs pictured are salted eggs on the left and century eggs on the right.

If the salted eggs come covered in charcoal, they can simply be washed under running water before being hardboiled.

The century eggs are covered in clay and rice husk. It has to be removed by firmly knocking it against a hard surface, much like for hardboiled eggs. It doesn't need cooking, its ready to eat. However, the taste may take some getting used to.


Steamed Eggs with Century Eggs and Salted Eggs
serves 6

4 eggs
350ml water, or twice the volume of eggs
2 salted eggs, hardboiled
2 century eggs
pinch of salt

Chop up the hardboiled salted eggs and century eggs (I used an egg slicer) before mixing in with the eggs, water and salt. There's no need to beat the egg mixture or there will be an excess of bubbles on the steamed surface.
Distribute into individual portions or steam it all in a shallow dish for 10-15 minutes or until set.

When ready, drizzle with sesame oil or soya sauce, garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve this together with rice and other dishes.