Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Ume no hana - bunga ume

26 Februari 2011, sabtu

Janjian ma temen kumpul di McD buat makan siang, trus kita pergi ke taman yang lagi ada festival bunga ume, letaknya agak jauh dari sini, by car butuh 1 jam an...

Sampai disana da rame banget..coz ini festival cuman sekitar 2 mingguan aja, lho kenapa? Coz bunganya yang cuman bisa dinikmati dalam waktu segitu, selebihnya uda berguguran, n berubah bentuk jadi buah ume. Bunganya cantik, seperti sakura, ada warna kuning, pink, pink tua n putih. Buah ume bisa dibuat umeboshi, ato dibuat sake buah.
Kalo gw si kurang suka dua2nya..hihi jadi ya nikmati aja bunganya.

Ayo datang mari biar bisa liat aslinyaa

PAV BHAJI



Ingredients:
Carrots ..... 1
Potato ...... 1
Cauliflower... 3-4 florets
Green peas ... handful
Green beans ... 7-8
You may add even other vegetables of your choice.
Tomato puree ..... 1 cup ( 200 gms. pack )
Onion .............. 1 + 1
Lime ................ 1
Coriander ...... to garnish
Oil ................ 2 tbsps.
Butter ......... 3-4 tbsps.
Salt ............. to taste
Red chilli powder ... 1/4 tsp. ( or more )
Pav bhaji masala ...... 1 tbsp.
Tomato ketchup ... 1 tbsp.
Pav Bread

Method:
1. Wash and cut all the vegetables into very small pieces. Boil them adding salt. Strain and set aside.
2. Cut the onion finely.
3. In a pan heat the oil and saute the onion until pink in colour.
4. Now add the puree ( you may also use the home made puree from blanched tomatoes) and all the vegetables along with the spice powders. Stir well and keep mashing the veggies. Check the salt and add the tomato ketchup.
Spoon a little bit of butter on the hot bhaji.
5. Slice the pav bread, apply butter and toast it on a griddle.
6. Serve hot with the prepared bhaji and finely chopped onions and lime juice to top it.

Wisdom Wednesday


I have been reading James and wanted to share a verse that I liked.

James 1:2-7 


2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.


Have a blessed day! 

hindustan hey! bollywood hey!

assalamualaikum wbt. XD

rasa nak menari-nari! haha. tengah dengar lagu hindustan. wuhuuuuuuuuu. alah mengaku je lah, aku memang enjoy dgr lagu hindustan. org sekarang ni selalu nak ejek kalau kita tengok cita tamil ke, hindustan ke. eleh cam tak pernah tengok! buekkk :P

sebenarnya macam biasa lah, banyak masa buat apa yang patut dekat rumah. then hari ni tadi terasa nak kemas rak CD. huwaaaaa. koleksi hindustan ku! haa, camni laaa, tu aku kata, aku layan je semua jenis lagu, tak kisah lah nasyid, rock, bob, pop, ikut suka hati aku. hehe.

actually dulu time darjah 3-darjah 5 la aku paling gila HINDUSTAN. sebab dulu pindah sarawak, so kita orang jiran-jiran memang rapat. sebab kami jauh dari sedara mara kan, tentera, memang pindah-pindah. so, memang dari jiran tu lah aku suka sangat hindustan. terikut habis!

cerita baru kuar je, aku nak. abah ada outstation gi KL je, aku kirim VCD hindustan! abah bawa balik 5 terus, waaaaaaaa, syok gila :D lepas tu surat khabar, majalah HELLO, semua aku gunting, kumpul gambar artis bollywood, kira macam buku sticker la. just aku kena gunting sendiri, tampal sendiri, and tulis nama. adalah lebih 3 buku yg 120ms buku sekolah tu aku dah kumpul! tapi dah hilang. :(


THEN TADI KEMAS RAK CD! AKU USHA LAHHH KOLEKSI VCD HINDUSTAN!
DAH SIKIT LAAAAA. MANE HILANG??? WAAAA :(


tinggal ni jer weyh. patutnya berderet lagi!
eh belakang tu ada makhluk mencapub!

ZOOM IN makhluk berkenaan ...


SUGAR GEMOKKK!


yang cite SHAH RUKH KHAN (SRK) berlakon tinggal 10 je!


yang bukan SRK ada 19 CD je! waaaaa.


haaa, ni top 6 pilihan aku!

TAAL. DHADKAN. KYA KEHNA. KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI. JOSH. KABHI ALVIDA NAAA KEHNA.




mane CD aku lagiiiiiiii...


MAAN! HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM! BIWI NO 1! maneeeeeeee. DIL KYA KARE? sobbb. menci aaaa. MJSE DHOSTE KAROGE? mane mane. KAHO NA PYAR HAI! HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA! banyak lagi. aku rasa adalah lebih 30-40 CD lg hilang!

nasib lah. camni lah bila ko jadi anak tentera. memang banyak benda hilang bila kau pindah randah. tadi tanya gak mama, mama, mana lagi CD hindustan? mana mama tau. sobbb.

sekarang aku dah jarang tengok hindustan. sebab hindustan sekarang cam tak best lah. serius. aku suka hindustan zaman 90-an. memang best. pelakon dia memang terhebat. pelakon Bollywood sekarang harap je cantik, seksi. tapi tak best.

all time faberet aku mestilah SHAH RUKH KHANNN. gila banyak kali dah dia datang Malaysia, sekali pun aku tak dapat jumpa! :( another top 3 heroes - hitrik roshan, Amir Khan, Salman Khan. Tapi Salman Khan asyik tunjuk body je. Amir Khan plak lately baru makin famous.

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kalau heroin, no 1 di hati aku - RANI MUKHERJEE!!! top 3 lain - Ashu (aishwarya rai, Preity Zinta, Kareena Kapoor) Kajol & Juhi Chawla leh la masuk sekali. hehe.

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Tapi, korang jangan pandang sebelah mata HINDUSTAN tahu tak? sedangkan aku dulu pun lecturer aku ada suruh galakkan tengok hindustan, sebab tengok action dia orang, camera shots, camera angle, pergghhh. hebat. jangan tak tahu, INDIA adalah antara negara paling banyak menghasilkan filem berkualiti setiap tahun. ahhh, hindustan will always be in my heart :')


Van Leeuwen comes to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn






The butter yellow trucks of New York gelato gurus, Van Leeuwen have built up a huge following since they launched in 2008. And yes their ice cream is divine (Currents and Cream, Earl Grey tea, Pumpkin Pie, Egg Nog....mmmm load me up!) But they also do a mean cup of coffee, perfect creamy-without-being-too-sweet hot chocs (using Michel Cluizel’s finest) and piles of sweet cakey treats.

Their first bricks and mortar home opened up in Greenpoint last year, but their second launch last week, in leafy Boerum Hill, is even better. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows at the front have created a sun-flooded space that makes it feel like summer even when its freezing outside and delicate herb-print wallpaper, acid yellow chairs and retro white tiled floors (not the mention the barista slipping on old vinyl records in-between making espressos) complete the light, bright, happy vibe.

Getting there: its right beside one of the Bergen St subway exits (and a minutes walk from the other). Address: 81 Bergen Street (at smith st) www.vanleeuwenicecream.com

How to Make your own Tater Tots!


When I see Tater tots, the first thing that comes to mind is Gilmore Girls. Lorelei and Rory would have these ridiculous junk food gorge sessions which would always feature Tater Tots and Pop Tarts. Watching these episodes would always give me a craving for super processed frozen food and junk but always with the knowledge in the back of my mind that I would probably take two bites and then realize how bad the stuff tastes. Regardless, ever since I saw this Tater Tot recipe from Pennies on a Platter (via the Kitchn) I've been wanting to try them. And then I had some leftover potato from some potato skins I made for the Oscar party I went to on lst weekend so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try them out!


Now, I saw that the original poster tried a few variations using bread crumbs and corn flake crumbs before finding success with crushed potato chips. BUT I still wanted to try my own topping experiment so I made two different kinds. I made half following the original recipe which is very straightforward so I am not going to re-post the recipe. Also since I was using already mashed potatoes I just kind of eyeballed the measurements to the amount of potatoes I had (guessing it was about half the recipe). The other half I coated with a mixture of the remaining potato chips, panko crumbs, corn flake crumbs and freshly grated parmesan. They did look fancier and quite pretty, but in the end I do have the say the pure potato-coating definitely had more of that potato flavour which made it truly a tater tot. The "fancy" tots were nice and crunchy, but ended up tasting a bit stale (which is, incidentally, exactly what the original poster claimed).

So I can confirm for a fact that the recipe over at Pennies is pretty damn good and probably doesn't need any adjustments. I might try using a baked chip in the future (I used Original Lays) but other than that I see no reason to mess with a good thing. Next up...homemade Pop tarts?

The food at the Gay Men's Health Crisis fundraiser

March 1

People don’t generally go to fundraisers for food, and for good reason. You just have to hope for good dinner conversation or a moving speech about whatever cause you’re there to support. Otherwise you’re better off mailing in your check and ordering pizza.

But Savor is different. The annual fundraiser for the Gay Men's Health Crisis is all about the food — and with good reason since, among the GMHC’s many services, is its meals program, through which it provides nearly 100,00 meals annually to low-income men and women living with HIV.

The focus of those meals is nutrition, but at Savor this year it’s all about showcasing New York’s chefs and food. The five appetizers to be served during the cocktail reception — created by Stephen Lewandowski of Tribeca Grill — are intended to represent each of the city’s five boroughs. Cute, right?

The event’s being held this Monday, March 7 at Gotham Hall.

You can buy tickets at gmhc.org

What they’re serving:

Cocktail reception:
Red wine braised short rib pierogi with caramelized onion sour cream (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)
Crispy curried pea samosa with green apple & kaffir lime ;eaf (Murray Hill, Manhattan)
Porcini & walnut baklava with white truffle honey (Astoria, Queens)
Dominican braised pork shoulder on crispy plantain chip (The Bronx)
Rosemary-scented Gulf shrimp with chestnut honey (Staten Island)

First Course, by Peter Hoffman, chef-owner of Savoy:
Winter green salad with Ascutney Mountain cheese, shaved fennel and puffed wheat berries
Second Course, by chef Carmen Quagliata of Union Square Cafe:
Bloominghill Farm Carnival squash brodo with chicken tortelloni, black truffle butter and sage

Main Course, by Peter Hoffman:
Braised lamb shanks with Swiss chard sofrito and rutabaga mostarda

Dessert, by François Payard of François Payard Bakery:
Crémeux of chocolate mousse and raspberry, raspberry jam and flourless chocolate cake topped with homemade raspberry marshmallows with a hint of olive oil

An Observation

A few months back, Ben Bernanke and the Fed decided to print $600B or so to buy Treasuries because inflation was too low. I'm rather of the opinion that he did it because he knew there wasn't another $600B of demand for US debt and rather than try to curtail Obama's failed Keynesian spending binge, he opted to provide a printed money bailout of the government. Whatever the real reason, he did it.

Meanwhile, the revolutionary conflagration sweeping the Middle East has oil at or above $100 a barrel. Both of these events, printing money and an unstable source of petroleum, are inherently inflationary.

Yikes?

Easy Beef Bourguignon with Oven Roasted Garlic Potatoes and Peas


I find ideas for posts on this blog from a huge variety of different sources, adapting them as I do so to suit my particular purpose, cooking skills and tastes. A few nights ago, I happened to be watching a chef on TV allegedly preparing Beef Bourguignon. I couldn't believe how many ingredients he was using and how complex he was making his recipe. Beef Bourguignon is a simple, rustic, peasant's dish, not something looking to appear in an exhibition of modern art or complex cuisine technical manual. It does necessarily require a moderately long cooking time but to enjoy Beef Bourguignon to best effect, the ingredients should be simple and as few as possible in number, while the cooking techniques should be basic and known to everyone who enjoys to cook.

This is my own adaptation, therefore, of Beef Bourguignon and whatever else it may be, I can at least guarantee that it will be a lot closer to the original than the dish I watched prepared last weekend!

Ingredients for One Person

1/2lb shin of beef
1 pint fresh beef stock
1 pint red wine
1 small carrot
2 medium closed cup mushrooms
1/2 medium white onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper

1 large potato
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp frozen peas
2 tbsp sunflower oil


The shin of beef should firstly be chopped in to bite sized pieces with a very sharp knife and browned and sealed in a large pot. Beef Bourguignon is traditionally made with the tougher cuts of beef, simply because they were and are less expensive to buy. One alternative to shin of beef would be shoulder steak but any similar cut will do. The stock, wine and dried thyme should be added to the pot and the liquid brought to a boil. The heat should be turned down at this stage to achieve a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for two hours, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid continues to cover the meat. Should it require topping up at any stage, boiling water will suffice, as the flavours will infuse as the water evaporates.


In many recipes for Beef Bourguignon and similar dishes, the vegetables will be added at the start. The reason why I choose to add them later is simply in order that they retain their substance and do not become mushy and less palatable. After the meat has been simmering for two hours, only then do I roughly chop the carrot and onion, slice the mushrooms and add them to the pot for a final hour of simmering.


When the vegetables have been added to the Beef Bourguignon, the potato should be peeled and chopped in to approximately 1" chunks. The pieces should be added to a pot of cold, salted water, which should be brought to a boil and then simmered for twenty minutes. At this point the potatoes should be drained and allowed to cool.

The sunflower oil should be placed in a baking tray at least a couple of inches deep and in to the oven to preheat to 425F/220C/Gas Mark 7. The cooled potatoes should be very carefully dried in a clean tea towel before being added to the hot oil and the oven. It is worth taking a minute to gently turn them in the oil to ensure even coating and a better final effect.

After fifteen minutes, the potatoes should be starting to brown nicely. The garlic clove at this point should be crushed and added to a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, add the potatoes to the bowl and stir them around in the garlic juice. Return them to the tray and the oven for five more minutes only, or the garlic will start to burn and grow bitter in taste.

The peas should be simmered in water for three minutes before being drained and the meal plated up for immediate service.

Spicy Lentils with peppers and Tomatoes

This recipe by Martha Rose Shulman from her book Mediterranean Light is a favorite of mine. I used french lentils and watched the cooking time so they would not overcook

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 pound (2 cups) brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped...I used a red one
2 hot chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh or canned tomatoes (without juice), peeled and sliced
freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Combine the lentils, water and bayleaf in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Add salt to taste. Drain and retain some of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or casserole and add the onion and garlic. Saute' over medium-low heat until the onion is tender and beginning to color. Add the green pepper and chili peppers and saute' another 5 to 10 minutes, until the pepper is tender, and add the tomatoes and drained lentils.

Add a little bit of the cooking liquid from the lentils if the mixture seems dry. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice if desired, and serve, or allow to cool and serve chilled.

This dish will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

I am now using a vacuum packaging machine which allows me to keep things longer. I also freeze some of them in the bag and re-heat by boiling the bag..make sure to label and date the bags if you do this!

Per Portion

Calories 189
Fat      2G
Sodium 12 MG
Protein   13G
Carbohydrate  31G
Cholesterol     0G



Spicy Lentils with peppers and Tomatoes

This recipe by Martha Rose Shulman from her book Mediterranean Light is a favorite of mine. I used french lentils and watched the cooking time so they would not overcook

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 pound (2 cups) brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped...I used a red one
2 hot chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh or canned tomatoes (without juice), peeled and sliced
freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Combine the lentils, water and bayleaf in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Add salt to taste. Drain and retain some of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or casserole and add the onion and garlic. Saute' over medium-low heat until the onion is tender and beginning to color. Add the green pepper and chili peppers and saute' another 5 to 10 minutes, until the pepper is tender, and add the tomatoes and drained lentils.

Add a little bit of the cooking liquid from the lentils if the mixture seems dry. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice if desired, and serve, or allow to cool and serve chilled.

This dish will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

I am now using a vacuum packaging machine which allows me to keep things longer. I also freeze some of them in the bag and re-heat by boiling the bag..make sure to label and date the bags if you do this!

Per Portion

Calories 189
Fat      2G
Sodium 12 MG
Protein   13G
Carbohydrate  31G
Cholesterol     0G



Easy Low Fat Meringue Cookies

These cookies use a store-bought product and I simply dipped them  in glazes to improve them.


I found Vanilla Meringue cookies called Spaans at Whole foods. These are tiny meringues that taste mostly like sugar. the nutritional content says that 15 cookies equal 100 calories and have no fat.

Using two seperate recipes I was able to make them easily into a company worthy dessert.

Glaze #1 is from Jacques Pepin and is the chocolate sauce he suggests for his angel food cake..already on the blog it is one part unsweetened cocoa, one part water, one part cane sugar. Mix the cocoa and sugar till fine and has no lumps. Mix in water thoroughly..heat til boil constantly mixing to prevent burning. Let the glaze dry for an hour or so or it will remain soft.

The other recipe comes from the Tassajara Recipe Cookbook by Edward Espe Brown. It is a lemon glaze with walnuts. Sift confectioners sugar. Measure one cup. Add to it 3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice..Theoretically you could substitute orange or grapefruit juice. Then mix until it is consistency of cream. I altered the 1/2 cup of walnuts which appears in the original recipe to keep the recipe lowest fat..I take one full walnut and mince it.


Dip the cookies one at a time..for the chocolate sauce just dip and place on a plate. When you have as many chocolate ones as you want start dipping in the lemon dip and press each cookie into the minced walnuts..you should get to use one walnut to 16-20 cookies and then you will need another walnut to mince.

When dipping shake off excess glaze before you set cookies to dry in one layer on a plate.

To serve let dry then place on a clean plate..if any stick to the original plate use a metal spatula to loosen.

The cookies with the chocolate have roughly the same amount of fat added as the ones with walnuts so a serving of 16 cookies contains about 3 grams of fat. These can be served with fruit or sorbet or alone.


Easy Low Fat Meringue Cookies

These cookies use a store-bought product and I simply dipped them  in glazes to improve them.


I found Vanilla Meringue cookies called Spaans at Whole foods. These are tiny meringues that taste mostly like sugar. the nutritional content says that 15 cookies equal 100 calories and have no fat.

Using two seperate recipes I was able to make them easily into a company worthy dessert.

Glaze #1 is from Jacques Pepin and is the chocolate sauce he suggests for his angel food cake..already on the blog it is one part unsweetened cocoa, one part water, one part cane sugar. Mix the cocoa and sugar till fine and has no lumps. Mix in water thoroughly..heat til boil constantly mixing to prevent burning. Let the glaze dry for an hour or so or it will remain soft.

The other recipe comes from the Tassajara Recipe Cookbook by Edward Espe Brown. It is a lemon glaze with walnuts. Sift confectioners sugar. Measure one cup. Add to it 3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice..Theoretically you could substitute orange or grapefruit juice. Then mix until it is consistency of cream. I altered the 1/2 cup of walnuts which appears in the original recipe to keep the recipe lowest fat..I take one full walnut and mince it.


Dip the cookies one at a time..for the chocolate sauce just dip and place on a plate. When you have as many chocolate ones as you want start dipping in the lemon dip and press each cookie into the minced walnuts..you should get to use one walnut to 16-20 cookies and then you will need another walnut to mince.

When dipping shake off excess glaze before you set cookies to dry in one layer on a plate.

To serve let dry then place on a clean plate..if any stick to the original plate use a metal spatula to loosen.

The cookies with the chocolate have roughly the same amount of fat added as the ones with walnuts so a serving of 16 cookies contains about 3 grams of fat. These can be served with fruit or sorbet or alone.


Clearly, I'm Lying

I got up too late this morning to write a blog post.

Im back to lookbook hype!