Italiano Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Italiano Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta, topped with raspberry and grated chocolate. Simplicity is the best as my dear friend once said :)

Ingredient:

1 1/2 cups (375ml) cream

1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk

1  vanilla bean root

1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar

2 1/2 tsp gelatine powder

Raspberries,  and grated chocolate  to serve

Method:

1. Place the cream and milk in the saucepan in medium-low heat

2. On the vanilla bean, massage it first and cut it length-ways and scrape the seeds and add seeds into the saucepan and also the vanilla shell too. 

3. Boil for 5min and then remove from heat and set aside for 10min to cool.

4. Remove the vanilla shell and add in sugar and stir with a egg beater. 

5. Prepare the gelatine with 1-2 tbsp of hot water, until dissolved well and put into the saucepan

6. Lightly oil the 6 x 1/2 cup sized mould or tray, pour the mixture in and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or next day.

7. To serve, use small knife to cut the size to allow air to go to help to remove, top with whipped cream, raspberry and grated chocolate. 

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Cola Chicken

This is very simple recipe to prepare, I like to use chicken wing because it is a good mixture of drumettes and wings or either one is fine; and of course if you wanna go another level is to choose roasting or oven baked :)


Ingredient:

Olive oil
About 750ml Coke
1 Kg of chicken wing ( Seprated drumlets and wing)
3-4 tbsp of soy sauce
5 Garlic cloves (chopped)
1 Small onion (Chopped)
Spring onions (chopped)


Method: (Stir fry)

1. Fry garlic until brown and fragrance, in medium-low heat; then add in onion continue for few minutes until soften.
2. Add in chicken, stir fry it to cook the outside for 5-10 minutes.
3. Pour in Coke just covered the chicken, add in soy sauce.
5. Simmer it at medium heat until the juices is about 1/2  or 2/3 of liquid.
6. Drain it and keep the sauce, and set the chicken aside
7. Cook the sauce in a separate saucepan, add in about 2 tablespoon of corn-starch at high heat, keep stirring until it thicken & season it with salt and pepper.
8. Use the sauce to coat the chicken by tossing it away with a pan
9. Sprinkle with spring onions (optional)


Method 2: BEST method, IF HAVE TIME
- I don't use any oil, unless you want to fried the garlic and onion until fragrance; Or just throw everything into the pot.


1. Boil the the chicken, cooked garlic and onion,in the pot with coke and add in soy sauce, cook while semi covered.
2. Simmer it in medium heat until about 1/2 or 2/3 of liquid.
3. Drain the chicken and separate the sauce, keep the sauce.
4. Cook the sauce in a separate saucepan, add in about 2 tablespoon of corn-starch at high heat, keep stirring until it thicken; season it with salt and pepper.
5.  Place the chicken in the oven tray, pour the thicken sauce over, and bake it for 180C pre-heated oven for about 20-30minutes, keep checking or turning at between those cooking time.
6. Sprinkle with some spring onions (optional)
7. Done!!!

Croquembouche with golden toffee

Story:

I didn't realized that my childhood favorite cream puff that my mom always bought for me from the our neighborhood bakery is actually "Croquembouche". I always want to make them ever since I saw my kitchen rule 2013 Australia, the friends from South Australia made a sophisticated dessert, and about 2 weeks ago my trainer/supervisor from casino was jokingly making a deal with me saying, "either you make me croquembouche or count all this chips (stack of money)", I decided not to count them as I am so tired from the long day training however thinking back, I spend 4-5 hours making croquembouche... I should have count them back then..... haha.

Anyhow this is worth while indeed, I make like 50-70 puff and distribute it to most of my friends, and it make people happy which is the reason why I bake :)

 Ingredient: (20 serve, about 50-70 puff)

Choux Buns

1 litre Water

320 Butter

1 tbsp Caster Sugar

600 (4 cups) flour

12 Eggs

Creme patisserie 

1740ml Milk

3 Vanilla beans

12 egg yolks

280g Caster sugar

200g plain flour 

Toffee: (optional)  **This amount is for 20 people serving, you may divide it by half (1/2). 

4 cups (860g) Caster Sugar 

1 1/3 cups (330 ml) Water

Silver Cachous (optional) 

Method:

Choux Bun

1. To make choux buns, preheat oven to 200C. Line two oven trays with baking paper.

2. Bring water, butter and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, beat in flour until mixture comes together. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cool 5 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat in eggs until mixture is smooth and glossy.

3. Spoon batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle. Pipe 5cm round balls onto prepared tray, 3cm apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until dry and golden. Cool completely.

crème pâtissière,

1. Place milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until hot.

2. Whisk sugar, custard powder, egg yolks,  and 60ml of the hot milk in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk.

3. Strain mixture back into a clean saucepan. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Stir in butter. Transfer to a shallow container. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set.

4. Make a small cut in base of each choux bun. Pipe in crème pâtissière.

5. To make the toffee, stir all ingredients in a medium heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Use a wet pastry brush to brush any stray grains on side of pan back into mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture turns golden brown.

6. Dip choux buns in toffee and arrange in a tower. Drizzle with any remaining toffee. Decorate with flowers. Dust with sifted icing suga

Toffee: (optional and professional) 

1. Combine water and sugar and cooking it at boiling point unstir for 5-10min. 

2. Switch it to medium heat and stir for 15min or until it extremely bubbly and start turning into golden yellow. 

3. Work fast,Use tongs to pick up 1 profiterole and dip the base in the toffee (if you wanna stack it up professionally).

4. When finished stack, spun the toffee around with 2 fork, stick the 2 fork together and pull it apart, it would leave a line of sticky golden toffee like spider web, spun it around the tower quickly. 

Note for toffee:

• It is extremely hot, it need a careful and fast hand to work with, and place baking paper around to protect your place.

Note for croquembouche:

• If you want make it a day before, make cream first then the puff on the day that you want to serve, because it would flatten in next few hours of not using it. 

Note for everyone and myself.

• I don't write this recipe, I re-write it from all the research notes that I collect it, took most of it from my kitchen rule website. (it is too much to write from myself with short time) 

Disney jokes for hokkien lang

This joke created at 2335 - 02/09/2013
at our home at Adelaide.

From our conversation about Disney turned into jokes because of knowing languages, we kind of destroy our lovely Disney.

By David, Frank, Lilian and Chen Ning (When semi-drunk)


Note: this may consist racist and jokes, don't read further if this upset you. 

The little mermaid

Frank: Ursula is half human and half taco right? (Japanese for octopus)
David: Then Ariel is half human and half Sashimi?

Frank: I think Ursula is fat taco and morgana is bony taco.

Lilian: .....and Sebastian, crab in japanese is "Kani no mi"
David: excuse me? Ka ni na ma?? (rude words in hokkien)




David: I think the name Mulan is suitable for her...
everyone: why?
David: because she the only Bo Lan in the army.. (speaking without thinking)

Lilian: (listening to "colour of the wine") explaining the cartoon
Frank: Pocahontas is a aboriginal (Orang Asli) right?

for some reason, me and Lilian burst out laughing............

My very own recipe: Moist hamburger with apples

I learned how to make burgers patties which is moist and great balance in flavors, compliment to one another. This is simple one of the best burger I tasted that I made myself, and I am sharing this to you all. Don't let me catch you selling my recipe guys haha.


Ingredient:

500g Minced (chicken/turkey)
2tbsp worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Apples (diced)
2 cloves of Garlic (diced)
1/4 big onion (diced)
1tbsp Thyme leaves
1/2tbsp  Rosemary leaves
2tbsp Olive oil
Optional: salt & pepper


Method:
1. Mixed it all together well
2. Shape it as a patties before cook it in a medium heat with additional olive oil, for about 5 min

each side.
3. Serve with burger breads or bread of your choices.

Adobo~ A Filipino cuisine

Adobo is a simple home Filipino cuisine that was taught by my dear filo friend, I am surprise that this amazing tasty meal is so simple to make, for me personally it is a perfect balance of flavours, sweet and sour. Simplicity is the best :)


Ingredient:

1kg       Meat (pork/chicken)
1cup     White Vinegar
1cup     Soy Sauce
1/2cup  Sugar
1          chopped onion
2tbsp    Olive oil (depends how much fats it is in the meat)
5          bay leaves

Optional
1          sprig of rosemary

Method:
1. Optional: to fried onion and olive oil first. Or just put it all together in a pot, cook in boiling point temperature and then for 30-40 minutes in medium low heat.

Note:

• Basically the liquid of vinegar and soy sauce suppose to be covered the meat or almost covered.
• Add in flour at the final stage, if you want it to be thicken in sauces. 

My Tagalog languages (Wikang Filipino)

I am learning~ I am learning please don't make fun of me. I just writing this down for my own references. haha



Pronunciation:

a b k d; a e i o u

Words:

Him/her = Sya
That/it   = yan
me,I = Ako, akin
you = Mo
we = kami
father = papa, tatay (tatai)
mother = mama, nanay (nani)
husband = asawa * asawa-ko (boyfriend-ko)
friend = kaibigan
buddy = barkada


No = Hin Di
Yes = O O/ O po
Really? = talaga
why? = Bakit
food = paka-in
drink = inumin
tasty = ma-sarap
Thank you = Selamat
Sorry = potawad
hate = Galit
Beautiful = maganda
cute/handsome = pogi/gwapo(M)/gwapa(F)
       *He is handsome = Siya-ay pogi/ pogi sya

My name is = Ako si "david"/ Ako po is "David"
What your name = Anong(what) pangalan(name) - mo
How are you = Kumusta ; Kumusta po (refer to "po" elder)
I am well = Mabuti naman ; mabuti po (refer to elder)
Good bye = Pa-alam

I love you = Mahal kita
Do you love me = Mahal mo ako
Please get.... = Pakikuha
Please do it... = Pakigawa
Do you like it = Gus to mobayan?
Do you like this = Gus to mo? (while holding on the item)
Do you hate him/her = Galit kaba sa-kanya (refering to)
Are you mad at me? = Galit kaba sa akin
I am well = mabuti; mabuti po (refer to "po" elder)

Simple Healthy Wrap~I think~~

This is one simple meal, under 3 minute and it is done. I used fritz, very South Australian haha, fritz is like a stick of ham, then you cut it yourself.

Ingredient:

sheets of tortilla (microwave for 20 second)
lettuces
fritz
cheddar cheese
mayonnaise
BBQ sauce
Coriander herbs

Method:
1. combine it, fold it and eat it.
2. In stomach

Note:
I don't put measurement because it is entirely up to the maker regarding the amount of ingredient, and of course anyone may adjust the ingredient above to their own liking.

Deep Fried Ice Cream with Coconut coating ( Don's Kitchen Recipe)

This recipe is created by Don Tan@Don's Kitchen Restaurant, formerly known as "Dragon Village", Don Tan have created many recipes, sauces and dishes himself alone, his passion for food is incomparable, because he has his own unique ways of experimenting food, and try it out. This Deep Fried Ice-Cream with coconut coating is one of his creation, with a touch of south-east Asia Malaysia, with coconut flake and bread crumbs.



Ingredient:
Vanilla Ice-cream ( You may use pre-made ice-cream to save time)
BreadCrumbs
Coconut Flake
Eggs

Method:
1.Combine breadcrumbs and Coconut flakes together, as a mixture.
2. Shape ice-cream into a ball, batter it with first layer of mixture and then beaten eggs, and again batter second layer with mixture.
3. Keep inside freezer for hours or long term keeping
4. When serving, fried it for 10-20 second in highest temperature and serve immediately.


Tips:

• Make sure you do this fast, ice-cream melt in time and with hand temperature.
• Don't be sad when u fail the first batch, it takes experiences to do it to perfection like Don Tan. 

My personal notes

This probably is the most confusing dessert to some people and some customers, I have heard occasionally that people have complained about this deep fried ice-cream such as, "my deep friend ice cream is not HOT". Well it may be hot for the first 20-50 seconds on the batter after when it is fried, however it is scientifically impossible to bend the law of physics to make an HOT ICE CREAM!? we aren't God. As a waiter before, I have even told this to my young customer who are kids (8-10 years old), they were laughing and said they are silly. Even the kids understand that it is impossible to make hot ice cream.

but if the customer insist that fried ice-cream suppose to be hot, just tell them you would microwave/heat it for them, return with it and say, "Hi.. I have heated it up for you, hope you like the HOT MELTED CREAM, as you asked it, enjoy!". Of course I don't do that when I work, I always happy to explain the cooking process to them, but if they still act like a jackass and giving you hard time and you know it is impossible to please them, then just ignore these primates and focus your attention to many other customers, cheers! :)

 

Green Tea Ice Cream

There is no much better ice-cream than homemade ice-cream, without artificial colouring, flavor, fats and others, just pure goodness :)

Green Tea Ice-Cream

Ingredient:

200g   Fresh Milk 

3        Egg Yolks

80g     Castor Sugar

10g     Green Tea Powder or Matcha Powder

100g   Heavy Cream(35%fats)

Black Seame Ice-Cream

Ingredient:

200g  Fresh Milk

3       Egg Yolks

60g    Castor Sugar

50g    Black Sesame Paste

100g   Heavy Cream(35%fats)

Method:

1. Heat milk in a saucepan to almost boiling point, then remove from heat and set aside

2. In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together until creamy pale yellow, if making green tea ice-cream, add in green tea powder and mix well.

3. Add warm milk and mix well with whisk, on a double boiler, keep whisking until it thickens to form custard. 

4. Transfer custard into a mixing bowl, place the bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with Iced water to cool. If making black sesame ice cream, add black sesame paste and mix well. Set aside to cool and put into refrigerator to be cold.

5. In another mixing bowl, whip the cream until stiff peak form, fold the cream into the custard gentle with a spatula.

2 optional way to freeze. 

One is put inside ice-cream maker machine

 OR the other is hand-technique, put into freezer and whisk it every 20-30min, if harden use a spatula to fold, repeat this process until it is almost completely harden. 

Recipe by Keiko Ishada

Tips: "Make sure the custard is cold when combine with cream, or else it gonna melt the cream con-density and the ice-cream would be harden as ice block when finished" by David Tan

Hand made technique by David Tan (ME!!!) :-p

My Italian Month: (4) Tiramisu, pick me up

Ingredient:
6 Eggs (Separate white & Yolk)
200g Castor Sugar
250g Marcarpone Cheese
250ml Double Cream
150ml Marsala Wine (OR 1 shot of kahlua/Tia Maria)
30-40 Sponge Finger Biscuit
Coffee Mix (Long Black: 1 shot espresso + 240ml Water OR 250ml Instant coffee)


Method:

1. Prepare 3 different bowl for 3 different mixing
2. In a the first large bowl, whisk egg yolk and sugar (100g) together until pale and creamy, then add in marscapone cheese and mix it well.
3. In the second bowl, whip double cream until soft peaks, then fold it in with the first mixture and combine it well with spatula gently.
4. In the third bowl, whip egg white and sugar (100g) until soft peak and lightly fold into the rest of the mixture with spatula gently. 
5. In a regular size bowl (enough to dip sponge finger), mix marsala and coffee mix together.

Layering

• This is enough to do 3 layer of tiramisu filling and 2 layer of sponge finger in a Tupperware container, such as below to top filing, biscuit, filing, biscuit, filing.
• Dip sponge finger into the coffee mix, quickly because it would soaked quick and layer it.
• Put into refrigerator for 6 hours or next day
• Sprinkle some chocolate powder or shredded chocolate when serve.

Valentine Rose Bun

It is a simple recipe just need technique :)

Ingredient:

2 1/3 Cup Plain Flour
1       Cup Warm Water
1       tsp Yeast
4       tbsp Sugar
5-7 drops Red Food colouring

Method:

1. Combine warm water, yeast and sugar; let the yeast rest for 5min (or until bubbly)
2. After that, mix red colouring and yeast water together; and then with flour.
3. Mix the dough well, separate into 2 smaller dough and let it rise for 30min covered. (The dough will rise in size)
4. Technique >>> making rose shape (hard to describe have to be show)
5. Steam for 10 minutes with boiling water.

Note:
4 flatten dough + 1 cylinder dough = 2 roses.


Recipe Author: Anonymous girl  in youtube.. I am really not sure who is that girl. I don't wanna take credit from someone else :)

Her link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVlpDFZxIPE

Cheese Berry Mousse

• 300g Sara Lee Frozen Fresh Raspberries (put aside some berries for decorating)
• 500ml whipped cream
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons orange cognac
• 250g packet Philadelphia cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• Chocolate curls, to serve

1. Step 1
   Let fruit stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to defrost. Break fruit up with a fork. Set aside.
2. Step 2
   Mix together whipped cream, cocoa and cognac. In a separate bowl mix together the Philadelphia cheese and sugar until soft. Add cream mix to Philadelphia cheese mix. Mix until light and smooth.
3. Step 3
   Layer crushed raspberries and mousse in long-stemmed serving glasses. Top with chocolate curls. Decorate with whole frozen raspberries. Serve.
   
   
   Tip: Use a piping bag to evenly layer the mousse in the cups

Swiss Mushroom Soup

Homemade Swiss mushroom soup, topped with sour cream.

There is far to few good mushroom soup in cafe or restaurant that I have visited, even if you may find one as good as this, it cost a lot. I rather cook it myself because it is really not that hard, simple and best is my favorite kind of recipe. Honestly I learned this recipe from a website and make some adjustment for my personal taste.

Ingredient:

1              Small Onion (chopped)

50g          Butter

275g         Mushroom

50g          Flour (optional) 

500ml       Stock (chic/veg or homemade)

50g          Leek (chopped)

2tsp         Lemon Juice

250ml       Milk (optional)

Oregano herbs

salt and pepper to taste

Cream (Optional): it make it creamier and ticker base if you don't like to use flour and/or topping it when serve for presentation purposes. 

Cream (or sour cream- if use sour cream than don't use lemon juice) 

Method:

1. Melt the butter and fry the onions for 5 minute and don't brown it.

2. Slice the mushroom finely, and add it in.

3. Add in flour, mixing it and stir for 1 minutes 

4. Gradually remove heat and add in stock.

5. Add in leeks and then bring it to boil, then add in milk & lemon juices

6. Add oregano, simmer for 25 minutes in low heat, keep stir occasionally 

7. Turn off then heat, when it is cool drained it (keep the soup base), put 

    the fillings into the blender, then mix the blended fillings back into the soup base.

8. Heat it up again before serving. (optional: Top it with cream to serve)

Ref: http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/mushroom-soup-L3694.html

Orange Cake; Simple and nice

I found a few recipe online but the I still would recommend the recipe from Town of Renmark, Australia. Believe it or not, this recipe was by tough country man Paul Hansen. One more interesting face is Renmark have introduce men's only cake competition. Maybe.. I should sign up haha.


Recipe:

85g        Butter
3           Eggs
1 1/4 C   SR flour, sifted
1/2 C      Castor Sugar
90ml     Orange juice (fresh is good!)
Grated rind of one orange


Method:
1. 180'C preheated Oven, use 20cm round cake pan and line the base
2. Golden rules: first butter, then sugar, then egg, then flour, then oranges juice
     (if  you don't really understand the Golden rules of it, just comment or contact me, I will tell u)
3. Bake about 30-40 min, until Golden Brown and firm when touch.
4. Optional: Orange Icing topping when serve


Tips: too much oranges juice (Acid) would make the cake collapse

Leaving Malaysia again: in hope of a good journey

I will be lying if I say I am not sad to leave my home country, Malaysia is still my home where i was born and grew up with friends and families, despite the government system in Malaysia  most of it's people are really beautiful, they are like gems, I found them through times & trouble nut shells, such as a miner did. 

Sorry to my dear friends and families, that some I only met once and some others I have no chance to meet at all,transport is really constraint in this trip back home. However everyone please know that I would miss you guys, and hate the feeling that only able to see you guys in time that is not counted as days but in year(s). 

HowEver I am so happy to see some of you, you have no ideas how much I really miss you guys! Don't worry about me, I am pretty tough boy now ( even though i am 25, some you guys treated me like a kid still lol). I will be fine really. 

Thank Goodness that there is wonders we can do with social media technology now, whatapps, Skype, line, wechat and etc, will keep us in communication while our heart will keep us connected. Cheers and love to you all :) 

Graduated but not ended

I finally done it. I finished what I came here for, a degree which I wanted, an Event Management degree.

I came to Adelaide in February 2011, the objective is to further my study in Event Management and I done it!

In 2 years living in Adelaide and while pursuing my degree, I had learn so much, not only what is taught in education system and university, but I learned much more such as learning to take care of myself, analysis problem, and find solution, also countless times that I had put myself in the situation to learn and aim to gain from each and everyone of it, to be less dependent on my parents and others, most of all I learn how to give rather than just taking.

I believe education can provided so much so I must try to make everyday counts, everyday is a test on our character building, and at the end of our day everything going to be gone but our character will remains with us.

This graduation is not the end of my learning but it is the only the beginning to my career. I may not be the A student however I believe in God and myself; with the passions, experiences and most of all I have joy of doing it, I believe I am already there in my career as a Event Manager OR i shall say, I am an Experience maker.


Hopefully one day I look back on this page, I would have a smile on my face and glad I could archived it :)

My Italian Month: (5)Panna Cotta

Basically Panna Cotta means "cooked cream",

Ingredient:
500ml (2 cups) Cream
4 tbsp caster sugar
Vanillla Extract
1 1/4tsp Gelatine

Topping:
Berries

Serves 4

Method:
1. Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and stir over gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3minutes, Adding a few drops of vanilla extract to taste

2. Use powdered gelatine by sprinkle it onto the hout cream in an even layer and leave it to sponge for a minute, then stir it into the cream until dissolved

3. POUR the cream mixture into four 125ml (1/2 cups) dariole moulds, Cover each with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until set

4. Unmould the Panna Cotta by wrapping the mould in a cloth dipped in hot water and tipping them gently onto individual plates. Serve with the fresh berries

My Italian Month: (5) Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

Simple to prepare but it define a greater taste :)

Ingredient:

4 Ripe tomatoes
1 Tbsp Shredded Basil
4 pieces of Basic Bruschetta


Method:
Roughly chop the tomatoes and mix with the basil. Season well and pile onto the bruschetta