Sunday, June 25, 2006

Rainbow Cake

This cake was an inspiration from Zurynee's Egg White Rainbow cake. Alexander has an egg yolk for breakfast every morning and therefore i have accumulated enough of egg whites to make Zu's cake. Making this cake with a baby brawling and a four year old requesting that the rainbow colors must be right, is not a good idea. The batter was ready but my hands are not. After a while of trying to put Alexander to nap, he finally fell asleep but by then my arms are so tired. The eagerness to finish the layering fast gave the cake a marble effect rather than layers. The taste of the cake is quite flat cos i only used butter oil for fragrance. Should have followed recipe and used choc emulco but missy Renee wanted the true colors of the rainbow. It was the prettiest colored cake that i have made. With all the colors involved, imagine the amount of bowls, spatulas and spoons were used and then all the washing. The next time i have enough of egg whites to make this cake, will use ziploc bags to pipe batter out and then throw away. Thank you Zurynee for sharing.
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Ingredients:

500g egg white
60g evaporated milk
1 tbsp butter oil
225g castor sugar
300g cake flour
1 tbsp ovalette/sponge cake stabilizer
a pinch of salt

150g melted butter
6 colours (red, green, orange, blue, purple and yellow),

Method:

Whisk all the above ingredients except the melted butter until it is stiff and fluffy.

Turn to a low speed and add in the melted butter.

Grease and line a 9 inch round cake tin.

Divide mixture into 6 portions and color each portion with the colors of the rainbow.

Bag the colored portions into a ziploc bag and snip a corner.

Pipe into the centre of cake tin with purple, then blue, green, yellow orange and red. Repeat until you are done with batter. Start with more batter and then lesser as you top the layers. Try to consistent with every 6 colors.

Drop the cake tin on the countertop for at least 3 times to rid of bubbles.

Steam on high heat for 45 minutes.

Cool before cutting.

Serves

Friday, June 9, 2006

Tapioca Rasin Cake

I have this recipe for more than 20 years and never got to try making it because the availabily of fresh tapioca in the city is scarced unless a kind friend from the kampong gives you some. I finally made it and i like it. It takes the drag out of a plain butter cake and made it more interesting by adding the grated tapioca and rasins. It was a conversation piece for the tasters as most will not imagine that 'east met west'.

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Ingredients:

250 g unsalted butter
200 g superfine sugar
3 large eggs - separated
250 g tapioca, grated and unstrained
200 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
150 g rasins (bloom with water, drain, dry and coat with a tsp of flour )

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 f/180 c. Grease and line a 8 inch square baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating continously, scrape sides of bowl.

3. Add in grated tapioca and mix to combine.

4. Whisk egg whites until stiff but soft peak and fold in to butter mixture.

5. Sieve flour and baking powder.

6. Fold in flour and then raisins. Check for consistency, it should drop at the count of three, otherwise add in 1 or 2 tbsp milk/water/egg white because the eggs used might not be the right size or the grated tapioca is more drained than expected)

7. Pour into the prepared baking tray and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Check for doneness.

Serves

Seremban Hakka Mein

Another Seremban's classic which anyone who have stayed in Seremban before would vouch that once you have tasted this noodle , it can be addictive. It is quite difficult to get close to the Mccoy especially the noodles are homemade, which has a very slight tinge of 'potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution(kan sui)' but oh so 'al dente'. I satisfy my urge for it by using any thick wantan noodles, fresh or dried. This is my version of the pork gravy and i hope that whoever has the passion like me. have a recipe of which i can try.

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Ingredients:

Thick Wantan noodles - fresh or dried

Pork Gravy:

1/2 cup of chopped garlic
1 lb ground pork - 80/20
1 lb bulk sausage original
2 - 3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 cups water.


Method:

Brown the sausage and ground pork until they are no more pink.

Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant.

Add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer at very low fire for 15 minutes.

To serve:

Cook noodles as you would for Kon Loh Mein. Drain well.

Add in pork gravy and chopped spring onions.

Adjust taste with a dash or two of fish sauce.

Spaghetti with spicy shrimps

Whenever we have caucasian friends over, i will have to cook dishes that will suit their palate and the best is this dish of which the spicyness can be toned down to suit the guests. Anchovies can be left out as the aroma will be intense but not so for the asians though. Cooked anchovies have a salted-nutty (rather than fishy) taste that compliments the garlic as it sweetens and softens.

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Ingredients:

Spicy Shrimp:

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Coarse salt, about 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Aglio Olio:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (2-ounce) tin anchovy fillets
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley,
Coarse salt

1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente(how to is at the bottom of page)


Method:

Combine shrimp with next 6 ingredients and toss to coat shrimp evenly.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat, then add the shrimp by batches, a handful at a time. Cook shrimp 3 minutes until pink and just firm. Remove shrimp to a warm platter and repeat process with remaining shrimp

Return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium low. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes to oil. Break up anchovies with a wooden spoon until they melt away into the oil and garlic mixture.

Toss spaghetti in the garlic oil mixture and add in parsley , then season with a little coarse salt, to your taste.

Top servings of garlic and oil spaghetti with spicy shrimp

Notes:

Prepare the shrimp while the pasta is cooking.


To cook spaghetti:

Bring a big pot of lightly salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.

When you're ready to serve, drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until tender yet firm ("al dente", as they say in Italian) 7 to 8 minutes.

Drain and toss spaghetti in whatever sauce you desire.




Serves