Monday, November 15, 2010

Kolak Ubi merah

14 november 2010, minggu

Diundang makan ma temen acara ultah anak2, lagi mikir mo bikin apaan ya?? Dingin2 gini kayaknya enak bikin kolak deh. Kebetulan punya satsumaimo-ubi merah dari mertua. Pagi2 uda berkecimpung di dapur deh.


Bahan
1 lt air mendidih
ubi merah, kuliti n dipotong sesuai selera
butiran mutiara tapioka
santan bubuk "Kara' 1 bungkus
Cincau matang
Gula merah secukupnya

Cara
Masukkan ubi n tapioka dalam air mendidih. Masak hingga matang, lalu masukkan gula merah, masukkan santan, masak hingga ubi lunak n tapioka matang. Siapkan dalam keadaan hangat, n campur cincau ke dalamnya sesuai selera

Menu Plan Monday





This week I am making all my meals from items already in my pantry! We'll see how it goes! I will be making a grocery run for lunch items for myself and fresh fruits/veggies.

Monday - BBQ Chikettes, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday - Sandwich wraps
Wednesday - Mexican Chili
Thursday - Fried Rice and Eggs
Friday - Vegetable Soup
Sabbath - Italian Noodles and broccoli
Sunday - Order out Pizza

Have a great week!


Chilli, Cheese and Ham Omelette with Real Homemade Chips


Omelettes
are perhaps more often eaten for breakfast or lunch than for dinner. The fact that they are so easy and quick to prepare, however, along with the variety of fillings which can be incorporated in them, make them the perfect option for a simple dinner recipe. This means that an omelette is the perfect solution as to what to have for dinner on a night when you are tired, short of time, or both.

The chips that I have served with this chilli, cheese and ham omelette are prepared in a way similar to that first suggested by British TV chef, Heston Blumenthal. It involves first parboiling the chips in water, before twice frying them in oil, for maximum crispiness and internal fluffiness. I have included this method of preparing chips on this blog before but I am constantly tweaking the process and experimenting with it, so what follows is my latest, precise way of making chips.

Naturally, if you want to eat only the omelette, or serve it with a different accompaniment, the preparation time will be considerably reduced and you can simply scroll down to the omelette part of this recipe.

Real, Homemade Chips

The most important part of making chips (or French fries) is in choosing the correct type of potato. The varieties available in different areas make it difficult to suggest a specific variety but if in doubt, perform a Google search on the potato types available in your supermarket or ask for advice.

The first step is to peel the potatoes, slice them and then chop them in to chips. Each chip should be about the size of an average middle finger. The chips should then be put in to a pot of cold water. I was for a time slightly salting this water - I have now stopped doing so and believe the results are better. Put the pot on to the heat, bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes only.

Drain the chips carefully through a colander so as not to break them. Refill the pot with more cold water and put the chips back in. Set the pot aside to let the chips cool completely in the water. This will take up to half an hour. Drain the chips once again, put them in a large, sealable tupperware dish and put them in to the fridge for at least half an hour.

I have tried various oils for frying chips in this way but my preference is very much for sunflower oil. The oil should be put on to come up to a moderate heat. While this is happening, the chips should be taken from the fridge, laid out on a clean teatowel and very carefully patted dry. They should then be placed in the oil and fried for about six or seven minutes, until they only just begin to show colour. They should then be removed to a plate covered with kitchen towel, covered and left to cool. It is then time to put them back in to the dried tupperware dish and in to the fridge for another half hour.


It will be just before you start cooking your omelette that you will reheat the sunflower oil and add the chips for a final five to six minutes' frying. They should then once again be drained on kitchen paper before being served immediately, along with the omelette.


Chilli, Cheese and Ham Omelette - Ingredients

3 eggs
1 small slice of pre-cooked ham (or bacon rasher!)
1 small red chilli pepper
1 oz grated cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little butter for frying

Method

Break the eggs in to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk them until they are combined. Melt a little butter in an omelette pan and pour in the egg mixture. Set the heat to medium and carefully draw the edges of the egg in to the centre with a spatula, all the way around, until they begin to set. Leave the omelette to cook in this way (a couple of minutes) until it is almost completely set.


The ham or bacon should be roughly chopped and the chilli pepper finely chopped. Whether to leave the chilli seeds in or remove them depends upon how hot you want your omelette to be. When the omelette is almost completely set, the ham and chilli should be evenly scattered across one half of it only and the cheese scattered on top. The omelette should then be folded over and served as shown at the top of this post with your real chips and a little tomato relish.

Busy, Busy

Hello readers...I just wanted to thank you for the kind words you sent here and on Facebook. Everyone has a bad day now and then, and eventually you overcome it. Thanks for cheering me up.

So I have a very busy December coming up. I think I will only be home for 3 or 4 days, the entire month. I will be flying to Houston to witness Nathan graduate from the FIRST program from NASA. When we get back we will be re-packing our bags to go on our VERY belated Honeymoon! I am so excited for this you have no idea.

We got married last March and because most of our guests flew out here for the wedding and to stay with us, we couldn't just up and leave for our trip right away, so we decided to wait. We didn't really think it we were going to end up waiting this long, but sometimes life gets in the way and you just can't get up and go. However, the time has finally come and we couldn't be more ecstatic. We got our passports and are headed to Costa Rica!!!  We will be staying on a couple different islands...we got the "Off the beaten track" package, so we will be going on some fantastic adventures! Here's a brief of what were are to expect:


 An Extraordinary Experience Awaits Off the Beaten Track

Day 1: Welcome to Costa Rica! Upon your arrival to the airport, a private transfer will take you directly to La Fortuna where you'll stay at the beautiful Mountain Paradise Hotel at the foot of the active Arenal volcano.

Day 2-3: Get your adrenaline pumping on a thrilling Canopy Tour. You will be enthralled by the vistas as you zip-line through the forest canopy suspended by ropes and cables. This ends with a rappel all the way down to the edge of an enchanting river bend. Next, you'll get an even closer look at Arenal as you hike that right to the foot of the active volcano. Walk across cooled lava fields accompanied by the roars of the on-going eruptions.


Day 4: Enjoy a private transfer to Tango Mar Hotel, located on a 150-acre private beach-front reserve on the Nicoya Peninsula. The hotel provides you with the intimacy of a small deluxe beach resort while having convenient access to gorgeous beaches and fun tours. Relax in your spacious room or try the 9-hole golf course, swimming pool, restaurants, bar, tennis courts, spa or yoga facilities.

Days 5-7: Sit back and enjoy yourself... these days are yours to soak up the sun, explore the hotel grounds or visit the nearby town of Montezuma. Local tours include sport fishing, bird watching, rain forest tours, snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback riding and more.

Day 8: Soar over Costa Rica’s breathtaking landscape in a twin engine aircraft en route to San Jose's Juan Santa maria Airport where you'll await your return flight home. 

Sounds fun right! Here are a few pictures I snatched from the website:













And that is why we can't wait! No more cell phones, no more responsibilities, no more house-cleaning or yard work and no more Internet. Ok well I won't push it that far...probably Internet. :)


After that adventure we'll return home for one solid day before we pack up to leave again for Michigan for family Christmas. Whew! We are going to be tired, but it will be an amazing month of December!




In New York

Pondering the wrinkles of creation.

Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Cooks 2010: Christmas Food Hampers

The chances are that the person in your life who loves to cook also appreciates the finer foodstuffs and ingredients. Why not, therefore, consider a luxury food hamper as a special Christmas gift in 2010? These hampers come in a wide range of prices, including a variety of different products. Presenting such a gift on Christmas morning to your food loving loved one or friend is sure to delight. If you choose the hamper carefully, it may even allow them to enjoy a little bit of special food this Christmas that they have not had to sweat over a hot stove to prepare! After all, even the most passionate of cooks do appreciate the occasional day off...

Below are samples of the Christmas hampers currently available on Amazon. Click on any image for further details, to see how much you may be saving by ordering through Amazon,, or to browse Amazon's selection in full. Many of these food hamper options even allow you to choose the delivery day!

hari yang 'terik'

assalamualaikum wbt. hari yg terik. buat ak rimas sgt. panas dlm, panas luar. hurm. imy bby...

malam ni dijangka ak akan tidur awal. sbb semlm kurang tidur ++ hari ni terlalu penat. no one bother.

hari ni, aku shoot di SMK Victoria atau lebih dikenali dgn Victoria Instituition. sape x pernah dgr nama skola ni, jgn ngaku org Mlysia eh :P haha. x de la, if korang google VI, mesti ade result top-top pnye. VI ni sgt faymes, ye time ak bdkn hingusan dlu pun ak slalu teringin ade bf bdk VI kerana mitosnye bdkn VI ni pandai2, handsome2. hua3... tu dulu lah time sengih keluar hingus lg!

oh ak shoot utk dokumentari, fokus ttg Pancaragam die org. oh ak sgt bangga dgn pancaragam die org! another reason to love Malaysia --- mereka wakil Malaysia every year ke peringkat antarabngsa utk pertandingan pancaragam nih. and and, die org dah bnyk kali gondol JUARA ok! *bukak mate luas-luas!* dan sekolah die mmg sgt amat klasik, buat org berjiwa klasik cam ak ni lebyhh sukeee :) siap ade muzium skola VI!

muzium ni berkunci. tapi dibuka khas utk kte org ok. jom tgk!

abg man cameraman, dgn kak laily :)
tgh briefing nak interview budak comel ini. eheh.


ok this is a part of the museum. ade sgt bnyk benda klasik!


nampak tak lencana VI? still sama sejak lebih 100 tahun dulu.


wkt kecik pun, ak jmpe mesin type yg keyboard die petak,
bkn bulat mcm ni. *kagum*


gong ni menarik minat ak somehow. and ak mmg ketuk gong tu.


see the capture! "penyerahan kuasa jepun pada 12 september 1945"
di dlm dewan sekolah VI yg masihhh same mcm skrng!


penghargaan utk warga VI, khas dr...
perdana menteri pertama kita!


then setelah settle interview, shoot sikit sekolah, balik office. lunch hour, and then gi putrajaya plak. kali ni sy kene drive sendiri, since abg man (cameraman) ada kerja lain, kak laily plak x reti bwk auto, reti bwk manual je, *pelik kan* so mcm, kene la drive wlpun time tu ngantok gile. wuwuwu. and tak pernah drive sendiri sampai putrajaya. 1 kejayaan baru! yeayy. guess what, 1st try from Ukay Perdana to Putrajaya, 40 minutes. ok la tu kan. :D


SK Putrajaya Presint 9 (1)
first time ak jejak kaki ke sekolah kawasan Putrajaya


CANGGIH KAN design skola skrng? perghhh. mcm kolej dah!
tp ak rase, ak lg ske design skola rendah ak zaman 90-an tuh :)))


well actually ak singgah sini 10min je. teman kak laily ambil video tarian budak sekolah je. then balik office, sampai la around 245pm. then ak blk rumah around 430pm. hujan rintik2. buat ak bertambah rasa tak sabar nak sampai rumah... :P

sampai, parking, ak lepak dlm kereta dlu. duduk, rehat, dgr lagu, sambil tgk air hujan menitik atas cermin kereta ak. tak lama tu hujan mula berhenti, ak nmpk ada sinaran cahaya di sebalik awan. lepas hujan, ada pelangi. kan? well, i believe there is :)


dlm kereta layan otak melayang-layang.

masuk je rumah, ak disambut dingin oleh 2 ekor kucing ak. kenape dingin? bkn die org sepak ak, no no no, tp dia org TIDURRR BAIKKK PUNYEEE. haha. geram seyh! terus ak bukak lampu, kacau2 2 ekor anak kesygan aku nih -- sugar & pepper! :)


taw lah kan hujan syok tidur! baik pnye landing. pftt~

sugar dah besorrrr. kan kan kan? :D


pepper makin kurus sbb sakit :(


oi bangun! demok da kaw! tp ta pe... sy syg awk :)


pepper ni ske laaaaa!!! haha. geram taw!!!
pepper tlg menguap utk tuan die nih. :P


hurm. hujan ke, panas ke, life goes on. selagi kau hidup, ak percaya, tu tandanya kau masih ada semangat. teruskan.

till then, take care. astalavista!