CNY Gathering over Steamboat Lunch

7 Feb 2012

Chap Goh Meh just over yesterday and today is Thaipusam Day.

After the “plain and expensive” steamboat from Bandar Menjalara over the CNY,  I’ve decided to have my own steamboat at home. I think I can do better than that session of steamboat. I invited Meng Siew and group of friends over for steamboat lunch.

I woke up at 7.30am in the morning, had a quick breakfast and told Moch what to prepare for the steamboat and off I went to TTDI market to buy fresh food. I like steamboat with lots of varieties and not just fish ball and meat balls. I bought fish balls, prawn, fish, vegetables, etc. I bought bits of almost everything that I can find from TTDI market.

Steamboat lunch at home

Children table

Adult table

Tea time

Didn't expect guys to love cupcakes so much

Younger kids' Uno session

Elder kids' Monopoly session

The group started off with Meng Siew and I back in 1985. The group expanded to our spouse and spouse friends and it expanded further to our kids. It is certainly a friendship that I treasure very much.

It was a good catch up and there were lots of laughter too. It is certainly to treasure the memories.

Steamboat Soup and Ingredients

7 Feb 2012

I like steamboat. It is healthier as compared to BBQ, easier to prepare and wash up after meal. I enjoy having steamboat with family and friends, have a good catch up while waiting for soup to boil.

I've had steamboats at restaurants, family and friends houses. My best friend, Christina had also invited us for steamboat dinner in Klang and also at her house.

Based on testings and eating steamboat at all these places, I've been making and having guests over to our house for steamboat meals several times. I'm compiling them here so that I can share with friends and also for my own reference.

My steamboat pot comes with dual compartments for soups, so we can have both types of soups (plain, clear stock and tom yam stock) in the steamboat at the same time.

Plain soup stock

• Pork bone or Anchovies (Ikan bilis)
• 3 chicken carcasses, clean and remove fat
• 2 stalks spring onion
• 1 carrot
• Chinese cabbage (use the stem to boil stock, leave the leaves vegetables for steamboat)
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• Red dates
• Wolfberry (Kei Chee)
•  Corn and Yam - put in steamboat pot with the strained stock

1. Put all the ingredients into a deep pot and add water until three quarters full
2. Bring to a rolling boil
3. Skim off any impurities or scum
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours
5. Strain the stock
6. Add salt to taste
7. Discard the rest of the ingredients or use them to boil another pot of Tom Yam stock

Tomyam soup stock  

• The above ingredients from plain soup stock
• 3 stalks lemon grass (serai), smash 
• 12 cilipadi 
• 2 tomatoes, quarter
• 1 Big onion
• 3 limes, squeeze for juice 
• 5 kaffir lime leaves (limau purut)
• 1 bouillion tomyam-flavoured chicken stock cube or tomyam paste

1. Add water into a deep pot until three quarters full
2. Bring water to a rolling boil
3. Add lemon grass, cilipadi, tomatoes and onion
4. Let the soup boil again
5. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
6. Then add lime juice, kafir lime leaves, tomyam-flavoured chicken stock or tomyam paste
7. Strain the stock
8. Add salt and fish sauce to taste

Strain the stock into the steamboat and put in corns and slices of yam.

For the steamboat, I usually prepare the following food:

Steamboat Ingredients

• Pork shoulder / shabu shabu
• Meat balls
• Chicken fillet
• Fish fillet (red snapper, garoupa or pomfret)
• Large prawns, remove heads but keep shells intact
• Squid, clean and cut into thick round slices
• Cuttlefish, cut into thick slices
• Fish balls
• Yong tau foo
• Mushroom - button, abalone and other varieties of mushrooms
  
• Soft bean curd, cut into big cubes
• Japanese tofu, slice into thick rounds
• Bean curd sticks
• Fish noodles
• Vegetables - spinach (tung woh), Chinese white cabbage (wong nga pak), lettuce
• Noodles - mee hoon, yee mee 

Arranged all the accompanying ingredients neatly on a platter. I prefer to use Pyrex ware and plastic containers. Previously, I used to arrange them in plates. It is more convenient to use containers as the food can be covered, store and stack up in refrigerator and do not take up as much space.

Varieties of balls

Squid, cuttlefish, fish fillet and prawn

Japanese tofu and meat balls

Shabu-shabu, taufu pok, chicken fillet and mushroom

Yong Tau Fo

To serve, bring the stock to a boil in the steamboat. Add in desired ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil again. Dish out into individual soup bowls and serve with dip sauce.

Hubby complimented the chili sauce that Christina’s prepared and I called her to get some tips on how to make the chili sauce that my Hubby likes so much.

Dip sauce (Chili Garlic sauce)

• Green Chili padi - remove seeds
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Lime juice
• Fish sauce
• Sugar

Blend chili padi, garlic and shallot. Squeeze lime juice and add fish sauce and sugar to taste.

In order to have a nice, slow and comfortable steamboat meals, I will limit the steamboat meal to 8 persons to a table.

Nose Allergy

26 Apr 2012

Occasionally, Jared would have this "clearing throat" sounds and it was getting more frequent that its affecting his sleep and study.

We took him to our neighbourhood doctor and doctor gave him medicine and dose of antibiotics. After several weeks, the condition still did not improve.

We like this paediatrician in SDMC but we do not frequent him often as SDMC is far away from our house. Previously, this paediatrician only prescribed him with a small bottle of nose drop (sodium cloride).

I suggested to Hubby to take Jared to see him for his situation.

Dr Lee said Jared has nose allergy and his nose lining damage. The drip from the nose drip down through the throat causing the irritation to this throat.

Dr Lee advised Jared to stop the bad habit of clearing the throat which is not necessary. He advised Jared to swallow saliva and drink warm water.

Medicine prescribed for Jared

Nasonex Nasal Spray - Shake the bottle and spray 1 puff into both nostrils twice a day for 1 week, then once a day for 2 weeks.

Polaramine syrup (for flu) - Take 4ml twice a day after food.

We could see improvement in Jared and the "clearing throat" sounds disappear too.

My Little Contribution for Wesak Day Celebration

5 May 2012

For Wesak Day, I used to go to the temple at Brickfields with my sisters and family. After a few years, we changed to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Society at SS3 Petaling Jaya.

A few years ago, my 2nd sister recommended us to go to this Maha Karuna Buddhist Society at Bandar Pinggiran Subang 2. To me, I am OK to go to whichever Buddhist Center so long I can celebrate Wesak Day with my family.

We've been to Maha Karuna Buddhist Society for several years now. There were quite a number of activities lined up for the Wesak Day Celebration ... bathing of young Prince Siddhartha's image, chanting, sprinkling of holy water by monks, offering of food to monks, donation, etc.

There were also vegetarian food offerings at the Maha Karuna Buddhist Society. There were lots and lots of food donated by devotees and volunteers from the center. Last year, I told myself that I would make something, either cupcakes or puddings, for the food offering too.

This year, the Wesak Day fell on the weekend just before Jared's mid year exam. I was thinking if I should still make cupcakes. If there's a will, there's a way? Let's just make it happen.

I planned the cupcakes, ingredients, cupcake liners, plastic containers, etc. I bought all the things a week before as I know I'll be busy at work and also preparing for Jared's exam.

I made these Mocha cupcakes on Thursday evening, after work and dinner.

I told my parents that I could not go to their house for the usual Friday family dinner as I need to get ready these butter cupcakes.

Cupcakes ready to be frosted with butter cream icing.

It was already 10.30pm when the last batch of butter cupcakes came out from the oven. For the frosting and finishing of cupcakes, Moch and I did it like factory production method. She put cupcake into cupcake container, pass to me for icing frosting and she would put fondant flower on top of the icing and cover the container with dome lid.

These are the finishing products

Initially, I was thinking if I should buy these dome plastic container to individually store the cupcakes. I'm glad I did cause they looked so neat and clean, aren't they?

By the time we finished getting ready all these cupcakes, it was almost midnight. Moch and I were very happy with the results. We thought the cupcakes look pretty and sweet. In fact, we were not feeling tired but instead smiling looking at these cupcakes.

When Jared saw these, he said "Mommy, these are so nice".

My eldest sister came to pick us up at 9am the next morning, to go to Maha Karuna Buddhist Society to celebrate Wesak Day.

This photo was taken at the Buddhist center, cupcakes being displayed on table as one of the food offering item. The volunteers were delighted to see these cupcakes and I heard them saying "So nice!".

Jared and his cousins bathing the young Prince Siddhartha’s image with floral scented water.

Monk tying string on Jared's wrists

This is the first time that Mom joined us to this Buddhist Center

Free soya drink. I'm proud of these kids as they donated the money into donation box

Blessing and sprinkling of holy water by monk

Offering of food to monks. My cupcakes were on the table too

Big supporters. Three of them ate more than 10 of my cupcakes

These boys were sitting next to us. Their mother, without knowing that I made these cupcakes, complained to me that her kids just wanted to eat those cupcakes and nothing else. The mother has to stop one of the boy who had eaten 4 cupcakes!

My sister saw this monk eating my cupcake and asked me to take photo. But I was a bit late and he had finished the Mocha cupcake. I was so thrilled that the monk ate my cupcake as the food offering on the table was so much.

The cupcakes were all eaten or taken home. It was such a nice feeling and it's great that how a small little thought and contribution can make me feel so great, especially on this meaningful Wesak Day.

Orange Marble Chiffon - 2nd Attempt

29 Apr 2012

My first attempt of this Orange Marble Chiffon cake was alright. The taste was good but not presentable.

Jared had his friend, Yu Kang, over to do exam revision with him. I gave them some exercise to do and while they were doing the exercise, I had my 2nd attempt of the Orange Marble Chiffon cake.

This time round, the cake looked much presentable.

Hubby said the taste was great with the chocolate and orange tangy taste but it tasted more like butter cake.

The cake was not fluffy enough. I also need to get the springform chiffon tube pan.

As a child, I remember my parents used to bake very fluffy chiffon cake that rise up. Mom said chiffon cake is very sensitive towards oily stuff, especially the chiffon tube pan.

I googled on the internet and found this useful tips from eHow on Chiffon Cake Tips:

• Egg White Preparation

Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Underbeaten egg whites will result in a dense cake that will not rise properly. Make sure the mixing bowl, beaters and spatula are clean; any residual oil will cause prevent the egg whites from beating properly. Stir a third of the beaten egg whites into the rest of the batter, then quickly incorporate the rest of the egg whites to lessen your chances of "deflating" the beaten eggs whites during the mixing process.

• Tube Pan Preparation

Do not grease the tube pan. The chiffon cake batter will not be able to climb up the sides of the pan as it rises if the pan is oily. 

• Remove Air Bubbles 

 Gently rap the filled tube pan against the kitchen counter several times before baking to release any air pockets in the batter. Air pockets will rise during baking, resulting in holes in the chiffon cake.

• Check Oven Temperatures

Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer before baking a chiffon cake. If the oven temperature is lower than what the recipe calls for, the cake may not rise properly; if the temperature is too high, the cake may rise too quickly and then deflate in the oven.

• Invert Immediately

Invert the chiffon cake on its prongs or onto the neck of a funnel or bottle immediately after removing it from the oven. If you do not immediately invert the cake, it may collapse.

• Releasing the Cake

Gently slide a silicone spatula or a thin knife between the cooled chiffon cake and the tube pan to help release the cake from the pan. Run a wire cake tester or toothpick around the center to loosen the cake from the tube.

I am sure there will be 3rd attempt!

Blog Post contents disappear - Help!

1 May 2012

A friend of ours recently asked us about maid renewal and the process and procedures on it.

After a lengthy conversation, I suggested to our friend to refer to my blog on Maid renewal - Passport and Levy that I posted on 29 Dec 2011.

Today, I wanted to email the post to him and to my surprise, the blog was still there but not its contents. I am so, so disappointed!

My blog is meant to share and treasure the memories of my life. It is also for me to refer when I needed the piece of information.

I was very surprise on the missing of its contents. I still saw it yesterday and today, just when I wanted to forward the blog, the contents were all gone.

Does anyone know how to restore the blog contents? Or are there any readers who have read and printed my blog on Maid renewal - Passport and Levy? If you did, please let me know and hope that you may share it back to me so that I can re-post the blog.

Hope there'll be good news soon.
  

Update 2 May 12
I manage to find and restore the post on Maid renewal - Passport and Levy. I googled my post and it came out. I clicked on "Cache" and the old post appeared! This is excellent. Am so happy and relief now. 

Banana Cake ... another version

29 Apr 2012

I've not eaten banana for a while. I went to MBG Fruit and bought a bundle of Berangan Banana and had them for breakfast. After 2 days, there were still half of the bundle left and I thought it to myself, I shall use them to make banana cake.

Previously, I've tried the Banana Cake by Amy Beh and the cake was lovely.

Hubby's 5th Auntie has shared with me her recipe of Banana Cake when we visited her some time ago. I still have the piece of paper where I copied the recipe from her. It's a treasure piece of paper which I've filed in my baking file and now I'm sharing it in this blog  It is also just in case, I lose that piece of recipe paper. She used to be a Home Science teacher and she bakes and cooks very well.

The difference between these 2 recipes are Amy Beh's recipe uses lemon and separate egg white and egg yolks. Whereas this recipe uses cinnamon and raisins.

It was so stressful preparing for Jared's mid term exam. In between revision with him today, I took a break (and of course, he loved the idea) and decided to bake banana cake using her recipe for this time round.

My Auntie's recipe was in ounce and I converted them to grams. Check this out:

1. Mix two Grade A eggs with 120 ml corn oil.
2. Add 60 grams of Castor sugar and 60 grams of brown sugar
3. Use hand whisk to mix them together.
4. Sift together
• 140 grams of plain flour
• 3/4 tsp of baking powder
• 3/4 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder
5.  Add 60 grams of raisins into sifted flours (item 4 above). If raisins are dry, soak them in hot water for a short while. If raisin are big, cut them into halves.
6. Mash 120 grams (4 small or 2 big) of banana
7. Mix all ingredients together.
8. Add 1 tsp of vanilla essence and 1 tbsp of milk. Mix till soft consistency.
9. Pour batter into greased cake tin and bake at 170ºC for 45 minutes or until cake is cooked.

The recipe mentioned to bake at 180C but my banana cake turned out over-baked on top of the cake.

Picture of the half loaf banana cake, after our afternoon tea.

We had the cake for afternoon tea today. I was so pleased to see my family enjoying my warm, freshly baked banana cake.

The taste of the cake was good ... the sweet taste of Berangan bananas goes very well with the cinnamon and vanilla essence.