A month of feasting, dining and celebrations

My brother and family are back visiting so plenty of dinner gatherings, food and wines. My dad’s doctor has given him the ‘green’ light to have a small glass of wine, he has since been enjoying a glass here and there!! Yes he is recovering well slowly but steadily and even driving now. His wound is also healing very nicely (will update with a pix soon)!

Here are some food and wine porn – a month of indulging, no wonder my pants are so tight now :( ha ha

Wines

Xanadu 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon

Moss Wood 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon*, Penfolds St Henri Claret 1988
Both were good but personally liked the Moss Wood more :)

Penfolds Grange 1994, Petaluma Coonawarra 1986*, Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 1994

The highlight was of course the Grange but somehow a little disappointing - we all expected a lot more I'd guess. We all agreed that it could probably cellar for a few more years longer. Both the Petaluma and Kalimna were good. Can't remember now which one I preferred more.

Bread

Red wine walnut bread

Ciabatta – to make bruschetta

Food

Cheese platter

One of the dinner spread

M’s bolognaise pasta

Olive penguins

Grilled vegetable salad

BBQ pork (char siew)

Dessert

Strawberry cheesecake

Vanilla pannacotta
Butter cake
Jelly

Also managed to celebrate my birthday. Ended up with too much cake as M and DH each bought one! Fortunately I had 2 happy and excited candle blowers to help me.

cake 1

cake 2

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Sometimes, for a change from the Orange Chiffon Cake, we like the pandan too.

Adapted the recipe shared by LeeLee.

100g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g coconut milk blended with 6 pandan leaves and sieved
35g corn oil

5 egg yolks + 35g caster sugar + 1/4 tsp salt
5 egg whites + 50g caster sugar + 1/4 tsp cream of tartar


Method

1. Sieve dry ingredients and set aside.
2. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, salt, corn oil and coconut milk with a hand whisk. Stir in flour making sure there are no lumps.
3. Beat egg whites until flour and baking powder until big bubbles formed. Sprinkle in cream of tartar and beat until it is white in colour. Add in 50g sugar 3 times (a little at a time) and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Pour flour mixture into the rest of the egg white and mix/fold the mixture well (otherwise cake will get streakes).
5. Gently tap cake tin 2 or 3 times before baking it.
6. Bake at 175C for 45 minutes or until cooked.
7. Gently tap cake tin once or twice before inverting the baked cake to cool.