Wo Tau Koh (Steamed Yam Cake)

D's favourite food. Think he ate almost half the cake for dinner in one sitting!!

Recipe is from Yochana which I've tagged at the bottom (for my own reference).

Below are some step-by-step pictures. The recipe instructions may look tedious/complicated but its actually quite straight-forward and logical too.

1. Use powdery yams from Thailand. Cut into cubes and toss in 5 spice powder. Fry until half cooked, set aside.

2. Cook dried shrimps and onions.

3. Add sliced Chinese mushrooms and Chinese sausages (if using).

4. Stir fry all ingredients until fragrant and set aside.

5. Mix seasonings (sesame oil, sugar, salt and dark soya sauce) into 1/2 portion of water and set aside.

6. Bring to boil cooked yam with the other 1/2 portion of water. Add in seasoning liquid in Step 5 and keep stirring until you get a thick mixture. Mix in 2/3 of fried ingredients in Step 4.

7. Pour batter into greased tin. Prepare wok for steaming.

8. Steam yam cake on high heat for 45 min before spreading on the top the remaining 1/3 of fried ingredients in Step 4 and continue to steam for another 5 min.

9. Once cooked, cool yam cake before serving with some sweet sauce, chili and other condiments (fried shallots, fresh cut chili and spring onions).

10. Cross section of the cooked yam cake.

Ingredients

220 gm Rice flour

300 gm Yam - cut into cubes

30 gm Wheat Starch or corn starch

20 gm Tapioca flour

2 tsp 5-spice powder

850 ml water (divide into 2 portions of 425 ml. each)

5 shallots, sliced

30 gm Chinese sausage (lap cheong), sliced - optional

60 gm roasted pork (siew yok), chopped - optional - diced

50 gm Dried shrimps - soaked then chopped coarsely

4 nos. Chinese mushrooms -soaked and sliced

1 Tbsp garlic oil - put into boiling water

Seasoning

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp dark soya sauce (optional)

1 cube chicken stock

Method

(1) Fry yam with 2 Tbsp. oil and toss with 5-spice powder, leave aside.

(2) Fry the shallots until fragrant, add in dried shrimps and fry till dried shrimps starts to jump then add in chinese sausage, roasted pork and mushrooms . Dish up and leave aside.

(3) Mix the rice flour, wheat starch and tapioca flour with 400 ml. water. Add in seasoning and stir.

(4) In a wok, boil the 400 gm. water till boiling. Add in 1 Tbsp. cooking oil. Off the heat, pour in the rice flour mixture and stir till mixture thickens. On the the heat again and cook over low heat till mixture thickens, pour in 2/3 of the dried shrimp mixture and stir till well-mixed.

(5) Pour into an 8" oiled square tray and level the top.

(6) Steam for about 45 mins.

(7) Sprinkle the balance 1/3 of the dried shrimps mixture on top and steam for another 5 mins.

(8) Leave to cool before slicing.

(9) Sprinkle chillies, fried shallot and spring onion on top and serve with sweet sauce or chili.

French toast (B#314)

Over the new year break, was tempted to drop by 100yen shop at Kuchai Lama - actually took a wrong turn because of new highway (intentionally or unintentionally) and so decided to have a quick 'look see'. As always, there was no intention to get anything but noticed myself making a bee-line to the 'bento accessories' section as soon as I walked in ha ha ha Got a few things (couldn't help myself) including a pack of small 14ml containers - they have two sets Lilo & Stitch or a girly bunny.

This was a quick bento - some french toast, maple syrup and cherries. Tiger face was made out of cheese and nori.

Ina Garten's Chocolate Cake

Made this for CNY eve dinner. Was initially a little concern as the batter was slightly watery but it turned out well in the end. Will definitely make this again. Cut out tiger stencil on a piece of paper then sieved some icing sugar for the outline.

Adapted from Ina's recipe found here.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Grease 8-inch round cake and line bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

3. In a bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

4. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

5. Pour the batter into greased cake tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before decorating cake with chocolate ganache.

Fancy a slice anyone?? :)

Gong Hei

Gong Xi Fatt Chai, Sien Nien Kui Leh, Happy Chinese New Year everyone.

A little late in my update but been busy - visiting family, relatives and friends - wishing, greeting, celebrating, feasting moving from house to house, etc.

Its been an interesting time, let me summarize some highlights otherwise this could end up being a long post:

• Weather was REALLY Chinese New Year style - HOT AND HUMID, phew by late afternoon we are usually 'wilting' away. Could only stay longer where places were air-conditioned (so spoilt ya!).
  
  
• DH was away for a week and while we were having a heat wave, he was surround in SNOW....let's see, he had lunch at London and dinner at Boston. First day he was at Boston, he said it was snowing and since don't see snow that often, was very excited and happy. Too bad they didn't get into any snow fights, build snow mans or snow angels!!! But he had fun tasting fresh falling snow though, Lolz.
  
  
• I ended up with an eye infection, sigh...need to put medication hourly for 2 days! Think the late nights prior to the eve triggered it.
  
  
• On 4th day of CNY, MIL fell and hit her head. Rather scary time for us (got big pool of blood on the floor) but she is ok. Got 4 stitches in total. The wait in the emergency area of the hospital was a killer - we finally left after 3+ hours. She is fine and recovering well. Definitely one tough lady. I was watching (not too near) the Doctor inject the anesthetic like 4-5 times near the wound and was feeling faint as the Doctor stitched her up. Ask her painful or not, she said "Not at all!!!".
  
  
• Had overload of 'chai choy' (vegetarian dish which is usually served on the 1st day of CNY) - at my great grandmother's place, at my grandmother's place, MIL's house and parent's place!! Not that I mind as this dish is pretty tasty eaten with plain rice as the red fermented bean curd (nam yee) is pretty salty. Interesting to taste the different cooking style of chai choy in each household. Needless to say, I prefer mum's best :)
  
  
• Of course Master Prince enjoyed himself the most - get red packets or any pows, eat lots of cookies, fried snacks and treats, get to sleep late, play fire crackers, no school/homework, play with cousins, drink fizzy drinks, etc.
  
  

Hope everyone is enjoying their 2010 Chinese New Year celebrations which ends this weekend. Oh, did I mention that I've also been busy at work, its been one thing after another!!

Snap shot

All the hustle, fuss and pomp of Chinese New Year atmosphere can really be noticed at the local wet market. There will be lots of additional stalls selling CNY food, goods, deco, clothes, plants and what have you. Despite the large crowd, enjoyed browsing and seeing what CNY stuff are being sold. ku

Here are some quick snaps - quick as 1) lots of people 2) not sure if people mind me taking pictures, etc.

Food stuff

Nian Gao - sweet sticky pudding, eating this symbolises greater prosperity and rank in the new year.

Chinese 'delicacies' like abalone (pau yee), shark fin (yee chee), sea cucumber etc.

Stall selling dried stuff - red dates and mushrooms.

Chinese sausages.

Pomelo - nice to have include some in yee sang - a colourful salad with bits of vegetables, fish, nuts, etc - the act/symbol for this is is to raise 'good luck' (lou hei) for the new year.

Lots of CNY snacks and cookies.

Buying mandarin (kum) oranges which symbolises 'gold' or wealth.

More Chinese sausages.

Deco items

Some ratan furniture and household items.

Lucky bamboo plants in assorted shapes and pots - can you see the three '8' on the top right. Eight in Chinese symbolises 'good fortune' (fatt).

Interesting plant isn't it. Lots of odd looking yellow fruits on a bare branch.
Botanical name is solanum mammosum (quite a mouthful huh, can't recall the local name for this) or wu dai tong tang, meaning Five Generations Living Harmoniously Under One Roof to symbolise longevity, prosperity and happiness.

This stall was selling cushion and table runners with the auspicious colours, red and gold.

New plates anyone??

Red fabric fashioned into a bouquet/flower knot used to decorate the main entrance door or tie onto big pots.

Shoes anyone?

CNY decorations for the house.

New clothes for CNY.


Worship

Decorative gourd.

Various candles and incense.

Plates and cups for the alter.

Lotus flower shaped buns to be placed on altar (not for consumption).

Playful cub (B#313)

Full of energy, ready to play and explore the world, that is what this cub is impatiently waiting to do. *Funny I feel the exact opposite, not to mention some bones are a little sore and stiff!! ha ha*

Another tiger bento - hope you are not bored yet.

In this bento is a bread bun with some jam filling, grilled asparagus and some mandarin oranges. For some reason, this year the tiny mandrain orange taste sweeter than the bigger ones. The cub is made of two tone cheese and nori seaweed.

Snap shot

Went to an orchid nursery over the weekend expecting to come back with pots of big blooms. Unfortunately we were 'late' as most of the orchids were sold out or booked by other people celebrating CNY. *next year, will go earlier and choop (aka reserve) our blooms*

Needless to say, its more expansive getting them from the florist compared to the nursery.

Must go earlier next time so get better and wider selection.

If the blooms last, they make really pretty CNY decorations for the house.

CNY cookies Part V - Fried Nga Ku

This is gonna be my last CNY installment. As you may have noticed, this isn't a cookie but a fried vegetable snack made out of arrowroot or locally known as nga ku. Very addictive and the best ones are those that have been sliced delicately and thinly. Once you fry this, hide them way up high otherwise don't be surprised there's a permanent hand in the jar until it is all gone!!! You've been warned.

Select nga ku with no crack at the bottom. Wash and peel skin. Soak in salt water while you finish peeling the skins off the rest of the bulbs, then drain and pat dry. Heat up oil in wok and using a vegetable slicer, start slicing the nga ku with a mandolin or vegetable slicer directly into hot oil. Cook until nice and golden brown, scoop out and quickly toss a little salt (optional as some people find the original flavour sufficiently tasty) before cooling completely, then store them in air-tight containers. Best if you have an extra pair of hands as it can be rather tricky slicing the nga ku and frying them at the same time - yes, resist the urge to be too ambitious. Recommended to start off with small batches until more expert with the entire process - if you bought kilos of nga ku to fry, definitely reach 'expert' status in no time!!

Another popular fried CNY snack we will be having at our house is fish stick crackers. Prawn crackers are still a favourite but this proved to be a good change.

With so many tasty fried snacks, musn't forget to drink more water to ward off any sore throat.

Tiger cubs (B#312)

Decided to make some cubs using quail eggs. Dyed them with some curry power to make them yellow.

This bento box comprise of a bun with bacon and sausage filling, pair of quail eggs, slices of apples and some blanced sweet peas. Was gonna make a tigeress mama but ran out of time fiddling with the cubsters so threw in some cheese alphabets instead.

Steamed nga ku (B#311)

Nga ku (aka arrowroot) is in season during this CNY period.

Bumped into a lady in the supermarket grabbing bags of nga ku. Curiosity got the better of me and enquired if she was planning to fry them into chips. She said no and proceeded to share with me another way of savouring this vegetable *was a little surprised that she turned out to be so friendly* Her recipe is pretty easy - all you need are slices of nga ku, leek, wax duck (which I omitted) and chinese sausage. Arrange these ingredients in a dish in that order with the sausages ending at the top, steam and serve with rice - super tasty as the juices/fat from the duck and chinese sausage get absorbed by the slices of nga ku!!

In this bento is rice onigri, some steamed nga ku (as described above), fish, stir fried cabbage, sweet peas and banana fritters.

CNY cookies Part IV - Green bean cookies

Have always wondered what this green looking cookie taste like. Decided to grab a packet upon seeing the green bean flour at the supermarket.

Made giant green pea balls.

Very 'green' dough - would it taste like broccoli? maybe brussel sprouts or spinach?? haha

Used chopstick to make the indentation, looks like fat buttons.

Unfortunately the tops crack after they are baked. M prefers it without the egg glaze but it is very fragile. Easier to pack those with egg glaze otherwise have to keep popping into my mouth the crushed ones!!

They taste exactly like the green bean peanuts (aka kacang hijau) - very nice as it literally melts in the mouth, so light it might crumble in your hands before it reaches your mouth!!

UPDATED with recipe (adapted from Elinluv)

Ingredients:

278g fried green pea powder
180g icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
340g All Purpose Flour
200g corn oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda

Glaze - 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk, beaten with a fork and sieved

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C.

2. Mix all ingredients into a bowl until you get a soft dough.

3. Roll dough into small balls or push dough into moulds or roll out dough and cut out with cookie cutter. Arrange on greased cookie tray.

4. Glaze tops before baking for about 15 min or until tops are golden brown.

5. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.