OMG !!!!

A little over a week ago I "celebrated" my 50th Birthday.OMG !!! Not because I turn 50 but all the comments and the reactions......People, I turned 50. I am not stepping over to the other side. Life is not over. Not by far. It reminds me of my 20s when I get comments like "but you are married!" It did not stop me from pursuing an challenging career, sometimes travel alone or admiring a good looking guy who was not my husband. Ha, ha, like I say to this day, I am married not dead!!( I am still married almost 25 years later). Now, I say I am 50 and enjoying life.

Updated Rendang - Tok Rembau

We like to try making and eating different types of Rendang.  Rendang is a Malaysian style curry spiced with ground spices and thicken with ground toasted grated coconut. Flipping through the cookbooks we could not identify the last Rendang enjoyed. So instead, we decided to make Rendang Rembau from Negeri Sembilan. However, inspiration struck! My dear husband had just bought a box of fresh young coconut. We decided to marry Rendang Rembau with Rendang Tok from Perak, which incorporates the flesh of young coconut in their Rendang in addition to the kerisik (toasted grated coconut).

We enjoyed the Rendang although it could have been spicier. I guess winter chilies are not as spicy as those in hotter months. I will use dried chilies the next time.

Pineapple Tarts

Chances are if you were to ask an overseas Chinese from Malaysia or Singapore, what cookie they miss most during Chinese New Year, Pineapple Tart will top the list. This year I made 2 batches of pineapple jam. One from fresh pineapple and another from canned pineapple rings in pineapple syrup. The jam made from fresh pineapple was a tad fresher in taste, though not significantly. I would certainly make the jam from fresh pineapple if they were in season and reasonably priced. Otherwise, I would not hesitate to make it out of canned pineapple.

I experimented with two different pastry recipe. One more melt in the mouth feel and the other a little less so and also less sweet. The melt in the mouth pastry had cornflour and icing sugar. Choose the pastry recipe depending on your preference. Both are very good.

I got to use my brand new silicone rolling pin - the Silpin and Even bands. They worked beautifully. I barely had to use any additional flour, only lightly flouring the pastry cloth I rolled the pastry on. The Even Bands were ingenious! They are heavy duty rubber bands of various thickness you slip unto the rolling pin. Pastry rolled out perfectly to desired thickness. I am so glad I traded in my trusty 21 year old wooden rolling pin.

Kuih Bangkit

A restlessness has been upon me as Chinese New Year approaches. The urge to bake and cook is strong. I resisted it no more. Yesterday, I made some Kuih Bangkit- a traditional Nonya Arrowroot Flour cookie. Last year, I could not find the elusive arrowroot flour and had to fall back on recipes that used Tapioca and cornflour instead. The cookies were hard. A few months back I chanced upon Arrowroot Flour by Bob's Red Mill while shopping at Henry's. I grabbed two bags full and stashed them away.....for Chinese New Year.

I truly miss my Ah Mah, my paternal grandmother. She made the most amazing Kuih Bangkit. Beautiful, white and melt in your mouth.CNY baking is a family affair. I remember coming home from school and rushing to the kitchen table. Most of the time I was relegated to dotting the eyes duty. A small saucer of red food dye with sticks of toothpicks were my tools. I patiently wait as my grandmother, my aunt and my mom, press balls of dough into the designs of the floured wooden moulds. A swipe of the butter knife, removes excess dough. A deft swift flick of the wrist, knocks the mould against the table top and out pops the cookies. The cookies are placed on the cookie tray where I give life (eyes) to rabbits, frog, fishes, birds or flowers. Regretfully, as I grew up, I never went beyond making the cookies to actually making the dough with Ah Mah. By the time I was in my teenage years and young adult, Ah Mah was living with third uncle and his family. I made fancy modern and western cookies. I received my tin of Kuih Bangkit from Ah Mah but stop making them with her. The trend of buying CNY cookies was beginning to take its evil root...... (a practice I abhor I let you know). Then I moved to the US. By the time I was ready to once again learn the secrets of making CNY cookies, Ah Mah was rendered bedridden by a stroke......My beautiful, gutsy, strong and funny Ah Mah is gone now but always remembered. I see her vividly as I use her Kuih Bangkit moulds. Wished I have her whisk.... ha,ha I can see her beating the egg yolks with sugar to a thick golden froth with the round coiled whisk in an up down motion.


Determined to succeed this year, I had my husband crack a fresh coconut for me which I patiently grated with my coconut grater bought at an Indian grocery store ( yes, another toy). Ordinarily, I would have just popped open a can of coconut cream. I put the precious grated coconut in a muslin cloth and squeeze the daylight out of it. Managed to only get 100ml of first santan ( coconut milk). Alas, I made to make up the difference with a carton of coconut cream. So continues my adventure....

Molten Chocolate Cake 1

I have been wanting to make Molten Chocolate Cake or Lava cake for awhile now. Over a period of time, I have collected and lost numerous recipes. So what's new, right? Just before Thanksgiving my cousin in Malaysia kindly gave me the recipe she uses - I Spy the appreciative comments on Facebook by her friends and asked for it. Of course, in real life, on Thanksgiving Eve, I am hunting for a recipe and forgets the one she gives me! This is one adapted from Bona Appetite Magazine a few year back.

I plan to try all the recipes and rate them. A talented young baker, daughter of my good friend C gave me two of the recipe she uses. All I know, boys come running when she makes them.....must be good, me thinks!

For now, the Bona Appetite recipe. I like this ease of this recipe. It is just one batter. In many recipe the lava/center is made separately. In the tradition of not letting things alone, I tried baking the prepared cake from frozen in addition to the original instructions for baking them freshly prepared and refrigerated. I think I like the texture of the bake from frozen. The convenience of having them in the freezer is tempting....

Frozen batter in ramekin, ready for instant gratification!

Makes 8

14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

6 large eggs

6 large egg yolks

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

Method:

Generously butter eight 3/4 souffle dishes or ramekins. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 3 cups of powdered sugar, then the chocolate mixture, then the flour. Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to the top and dividing equally. ( can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate)

Preheat oven to 425F. ( or 400F if using convection oven). Bake until batter has risen above the dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or 18 minutes for refrigerated batter. Run a thin knive around the cake to loosen. Allow cake to rest 5 minutes. Using hot pad and holding the dish firmly, place plate gently on atop the cake and invert unto plate. Dust with powder sugar. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

NB

For Frozen batter - preheat oven to 375F( 350F convection) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Smoky Spiced Eggplant

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lb eggplant ( I used a large italian eggplant)

1 red onion, chopped

1 garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon finely minced or grated ginger

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

3-4 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

1 green chilli, chopped

Method

You can prepare the eggplant in a number of ways. Scorch the eggplant over a medium flame or on the grill. Turning to make sure all sides are charred. Personally, on a work night, I just cut the eggplant in half, place eggplant on an oiled tray, cut side down and bake at 450F for 10 minute and then broil for another 5 minutes. This leaves me free to attend to other preparation work. Cool and then scrap out the flesh. Roughly chop the flesh.

While eggplant is in the oven, chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Slice and then dice the tomatoes. Half the chilli, deseed if desired and chop. Finely chop cilantro. Measure out the spices and salt.

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic mixture. Cook until lightly brown. Add all the spices, salt and pepper, stir to combine and cook for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add chopped eggplant and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chopped coriander leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.

Serve this to accompany a meat or fish curry. Last night I served it with Dry Pork Curry.

Dried Pork Curry

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin, cubed.

4 inches fresh ginger, coarsely grated

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, smashed

2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3 pieces cinnamon sticks

10 cardamons

6 cloves

2 1/2 tablespoon ground chilli

2 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon coriander

1 teaspoon salt

a few spring curry leaves

Method

Heat 2 tablespoon of oil over medium flame. Saute sliced onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic, cinnamon sticks, cracked peppercorns, curry leaves, the ground spices and salt. Saute until fragrant, stirring to combine and making sure it does not burn. Add 1- 2 more tablespoon of oil. Add pork tenderloin cubes. Stir to coat with spices and cook until cubes are brown. Stirring occasionally. Add 4 tablespoon of yogurt to the bottom of pan, deglazing the pan of the aromatics. Lower heat, cover and simmer until pork is tender and flavors develop, approximately 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook until most of gravy has evaporated.

Serve with rice and Smoky Spiced Eggplant

NB You can use beef, lamb or chicken in place of the pork.