Tepee

Thanks, peony. Was tracing backthread looking for yours! Need ideas on what to cook.

Is thiswhat you are all talking about? And, am I to understand that these same fruits become hoong jo? Gosh.

Thanks, Helen. Half the time, my dinners are not planned. I look into the fridge to see what I've left. Tonight, I'm disappointed I didn't have any carrots or wolfberries left...would have been nice to add some colour. Eek..the shallots look burnt...actually, they aren't. Looks darker in the pix.

Exactly what Parker23se (looks as if there's someone with a code-like username as you, hzwrt8) said. Don't give them a choice. I don't have this fastfood problem with my girls, though. Although they are still in that fastfood craze age, we hardly venture into one...oh, maybe once a month. Why? Because there are so many actually delicious alternatives, and, their tastebuds recognize that. And, their mom talk about what's healthful and what's not too often for something not to sink in. When we were young, we were too poor (thank God!) to indulge in fastfood. A visit to KFC was a once a year affair, mainly for the novelty of using knife and fork to cut meat. Going to A & W meant soft-serve ice-cream...only. Precious memories.

Nah! You might feel rather unsatiated. Unlike most Msians, I cook only 2 dishes, at the most 3. Shh....don't let my mom know. 1) Hubby is in sales and entertains (outside) a lot, so he's overfed with rich food. Latest, he can't close his neck button...so he's requesting for light dinners. 2) my girls are 6, 9 and 13. The younger two eat very little. 3) We don't like wastage, and I don't like leftovers unless it's some stew which will improve overnight. 4) Emphasis is on eating healthful food, so I don't deep-fry at home, or have too oily food. I'm quite the food hypocrite, because, during the weekend I don't cook. We eat out scouring the neighbourhood and beyond for good eats; anything goes. Here's tonight's: Shallow-fried grouper steaks with lemon sauce, with lots of shallot crisps and cilantro (ai yah! not pictured). Egg tofu with siew bok choy and gingko nuts. As you can see, the veg is quite oil-less...I just blanch them in boiling water without any oil. Where's everybody's meals?

That should be ham yue or kiam hu in teochew.

Prawncrackers: My mom has that torture instrument, except hers is fully stainless steel and has a protective disk which springs up and down, so that if it is not in use, the spikes are hidden. Sigh...we can't seem to find it in the shops now; she got it 15 years ago. Since I don't have that, I use a thin little knife and my work is multiplied by the no. of spikes in the thingy. Good to let it all out once in a while. How about a roast pork belly cook-off, guys?

Thank you, Ah Leung Gaw. If you look at the herb in the pix, it's malaysian. It's called ulam and usually eaten raw with sambal chilli. We ate it with gravy made by deglazing the pan and adding maltose and honey with fried garlic (ai yahh...your recipe lor). I'm sure there's an english name for it. Anyone? I can be so ignorant.

Right you are, Ah Leung Gaw, but, do read June's post again. She is talking about 2 different vegs.

Oh, my word! Prawncracker! I'm so coveting your roast. Ahh....I didn't do the grilling part. muichoi: Right. Will use the maltose right at the end. Another 5 mins? I left mine for half an hour. Ah Leung Gaw: I just marinated the meat part with salt (lots!) and was light on the 5-spice powder. I'm sure suckling pigs give better results, but, the shops all use mature pigs and the skin is perfect........like Prawncrackers' roast. Thanks, everyone.

Ooh, thanks June! I did try brushing a maltose solution on it...only made mine worse. The skin burned easier and became hard. Could be the technique...hmm.....

June, that veg you're describing is called tong ho where I come from. And, yeah, one person's fav veg is another's poison (mine). Your meal sounds so much like comfort food. Had a very busy day today. Just made King Spareribs (pak kuat wong) and a very flavourful soup made of a huge chunk of roast bone plus meat I bought, remaining fish balls, napa cabbage. Sorry, snapped pix on the way out, should have had more of it in focus.

I've attempted to make this 3 times, with 3 different degrees of success/failure. The best try had 2/3 crisp crackling skin, the other third rubber. What I can't understand (or can't accept) is why I can't get the whole piece of skin to crackle and crisp? Pour boiling water over skin - check Poke holes all over - check. I think the last I did was 2 million pricks. Brushed vinegar over skin (a friend's tip) - check Rest and let dry - check. I've let it dry uncovered in the fridge for 4 - 12 hours. High initial heat - check Then lower heat - check Only consolation is all of them (if not for the skin) tasted so GOOD. Sigh, it looks so lurvely bubbling and blistering in the oven. Help.

Yat teng (will do)! I was going to ask you about how Ben-sook was (read that he paid you a visit), then I realized it's HIS BIRTHDAY TODAY! Sang Yut Fai Lok, Ben-sook! What an auspicious day I chose to pop in. Erm...actually, I'm so burned out, it's not 2 weeks' break I need, it's 2 months.

Was so busy with cakes this year, I didn't really have time to make many mooncakes. I did around 100 goong chai paengs ('doll' biscuits) with red bean and green tea paste fillings to give away to friends' children. For our own consumption I made a few 5-nuts and egg yolk wrapped in green tea paste, then white lotus paste mooncakes. The pastes were bought and were low-sugar. Dangerous...because it made me eat more! I'm an incurable mould collector. Just bought these 'doll' moulds...apparently, they are from HK. My Melissa-in-the-middle helped make them. Sheetz, don't make me wait till 'my neck is long'....

Long time no see! I've been very busy with decorated cakes since April but am taking a 2-month break. Happy to find new faces here and lots of great homecooking. Yum! I thought twice about posting tonight's humble dishes, am a bit intimidated by the grand meals featured in the past few pages. Well, I usually cook ultra-simple chinese fast food on Mondays after the weekend's excesses. This weekend we had a birthday dinner and a bon-voyage (chin hung) lunch. Besides, hubby's not coming home for tonight's meal, so I can get away with not having a meaty dish, heheh. Me and my chicken-stomach girls had...omelette with big onions, liver sausage and bitter gourd. and, fish balls stir-fried with broccoli *BLUSH*

Hmm.....I haven't heard of just using egg whites either. Here's a sweet chinese custard recipe. The pandan flavour is more for the recipe as it is. If you add ginger juice (as much as you like...and we like a lot!), you can omit the leaves; the ginger flavour will overpower the pandan flavour anyway. It's supposed to be yon...soothing for the system. This silky smooth dessert is perfect for a rainy night. HTH!

I second Toba's book...her cake recipes are very good. Her style is elegant and more understated. For creativity, I'd definitely get at least one Colette Peters. I've the whole range except Cakes to Dream On which got lost in transit.

Wrap the cover of your steamer with a towel to catch the condensation. And, when you lift up the cover, do it with one swift motion, lifting the cover away from the pot, so that no water drops on your cake.

You can say that again. You can also find Doves Farm (and their spelt flours) which can't be found in the whole of Malaysia. I've to get my flours from organic food outlets...and there are not much choices. Happy bread-baking!

Bingo! That was to have been RLB's white chocolate whisper cake. Sigh. I know the woman is a genius and all that, but I can get her technique right only half the time. I make sure I don't overmix...I even mix the batter shorter than the recommended counts. Foolproof it ain't! Butter was still cold to the touch and gave a bit of resistance when finger is pushed into it. Tks, choux! Next! Edit for typo errors.

Since I feel partly responsible for gfron1's disaster (NOT!), I shall post a disaster fresh from yesterday's baking. Ooooh.....do we get to pin the blame on somebody all the time? Ok...I blame it on the author of this book who has a very innovative method of mixing batter. Those who are prolific bakers will guess who the author is in an instant. I was about to trash it...but the family loved it and finished it by this morning.

ditto! I'm in awe of the strength of the foam. Not too late to insert a disclaimer of liability in the recipe, I hope?..."Do not be too creative with mixing up the steps in the recipe." Thanks, little bird, for pointing me to this hilarious thread.

Thanks, Karen. I really must try it again...soon. I think it's worth putting on some lbs for. Mental note to self: Start with higher heat. Psst...I've got a 13-yo daughter.

I asked hubby if he wanted a pithiviers or tiramisu as our anniversary dessert and he chose pithiviers. Great, I hadn't made it before but has fallen in love with pictures of it for a long time. So, I dove into it....googled and, out popped this link. How timely. I cheated and used store-bought pastry. I didn't seal the edge well and some of the filling leaked out causing the pastry to look uneven. And, sigh....I didn't get straight edges. However, it was very delicious and rich. With cheaty pastry, it isn't difficult to make at all. Must work at getting the sides right. Tks for looking. (Edited image link)