My dear family, friends and blog readers, May God bless you with a festive, loving and peaceful celebration this Christmas and all throughout the year of 2017.

Spicy Salted Eggs/Sambal Telur Masin

This is another dish that I learned from Shereen. She is so amazing that she even brined her own salted duck eggs. I enjoyed eating this simple ‘kampung’ (village) dish with rice.

Ingredients:

3 Salted eggs, hard - boiled and cut into wedges ( remove the shell )
1 Onion, thinly sliced
Salt to taste / if necessary

Prune and Walnut Butter Cake

It has been awhile since I post a recipe for cakes. I baked this cake a few months ago to take it with me to a gathering. The brown sugar and chopped prunes gave this cake a very nice caramel fragrant.

It goes really well with a cup of coffee or tea.

Chili Char

This is by far one of my most favorite Nyonya dish. I learned this dish from my good friend Shereen when I visit here in NZ. She is such a great cook and all her dishes were so delicious. This is not the only dish I learned from her but a few more and I will be sharing it here with you. With only this dish I can eat 2 bowls of rice. It is that good. It might looks like a very simple dishe but trust me, they were packed with great flavors. Please give it a try if you can get some nice good green chilies that are not too spicy.

Essay about Kitchen Tools

The popularity of channels showcasing chefs and their culinary expertise is on the rise. People enjoy watching the likes of Ree Drummond and Bobby Flay. They are enamored by Guy Fiere and Anne Burrell. This love of culinary artistry is being translated to the kitchen and more people are becoming interested in the kitchen tools that modern day chefs utilize.

Of course, not every homemaker and wannabe cook has the finances to acquire the high tech gadgetry provided for these famous chefs. But that does not mean the kitchen has to stay sterile and bland. There are a number of great kitchen tools that are readily available to those who would like to add a little flair to their kitchen accomplishments.

Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets for Daily Living
These tools will help when one is trying to live holistically. They are essential to the preparation of a number of healthy dishes and can certainly make the kitchen look a lot more like those seen on TV. Obviously lesser known brands are available, and can provide nearly the same quality for considerably less money. That said, here are the top 10 kitchen gadgets for daily living:

1. Blender - Get your money’s worth out of a high speed blender. Yes, these are more expensive than traditional kitchen blenders, but if you use it on a regular basis you will be glad you opted to put out a little more cash. You will be able to make soups, nut butters, smoothies, homemade mayo, and a host of other silky delicacies with the assistance of this little gadget.
2. Knives - If you have ever had to saw through a piece of meat, or hack at one, you will recognize the import of good knives. We recommend acquiring chef grade knives. Additionally, we suggest that you have an 8 or 10 inch butcher/chef’s knife, an 8 inch serrated knife, and a 4 inch paring knife. If you have cheaper versions of everything else, these should get you through all the restaurant quality cooking you intend to do.
3. Cast Iron Skillet - These are durable and when seasoned properly they are the only truly non-stick cooking utensils on the market. Today’s non-stick pots and pans are actually guilty of releasing some serious toxins into your food when you cook with them. You should definitely consider getting rid of them and replacing them with cast iron cookware.
4. Storage Containers - Make sure you stock up on glass storage options to eliminate the potential for toxic exposure via plastic versions. You can use them for salads and make ahead oatmeal/yogurt breakfasts. And, when you employ that high speed blender to make nut butters, these glass storage containers will be your best options for longevity.
5. Lidded Sauce Pans - Get a number of different sizes. These are useful when you are making homemade soups and sauces. Since they do come in a variety of sizes and money might be limited, we suggest you at least have a 1 ½ quart and a 3 quart version.
6. Cutting Boards - You do not want to do all your cutting on your countertop. You will inevitably scratch it or damage it in some way. Therefore, it is imperative that you get a cutting board. These are made out of various materials and can be relatively inexpensive depending on the material you choose. Keep in mind that some materials are actually really good at holding onto germs and bacteria, so do your research before you make a purchase.
7. Crockpot - These slow cookers are absolutely necessary in any kitchen. They can help you prepare meat while you are at work. They are also phenomenal when it comes to making homemade chili and soups. People also use them to make stews, overnight oatmeal, and fruit butters. They are invaluable in the kitchen.
8. Baking Pans/Sheets - You can get these in full and half size. They are excellent for baking. They can be round, square, rectangular, or any number of shapes. Plus you are going to want to make cookies at some point and the baking sheets you own will undoubtedly get plenty of use.
9. Measuring Tools - You cannot bake without the assistance of measuring tools. Like many kitchen utensils these tools come in a variety of materials. And sometimes they are even in different shapes. We have seen square, round, and heart shaped measuring cups and spoons. Our preference is almost always metal versions because the likelihood of germ contamination is considerably less. Wood and plastic have their own issues, but glass works well too.
10. Mixing Bowls - Glass and stainless steel bowls are always better than the plastic variety. There will be times when you want to keep your mixing bowl on the stove and if you are not careful a plastic bowl will melt. We know this from our own experience. And, as we have said previously, utilizing glass and metal is a better option for keeping your foods toxin and germ/bacteria free.

While stocking your kitchen with these highly recommended kitchen tools is certainly a good idea, there are some other steps you should take to ensure you become the best chef of your home. Consider investing in some well-known and highly regarded cookbooks. You could purchase books by the people we listed in the introduction. These chefs are revered for their extreme giftedness in the kitchen.

And, if you need a few more kitchen tool suggestions we would recommend you consider purchasing a bread maker and a pizza stone. When you start to delve into the world of homemade bread you will wonder why you ever bought store bread. Additionally, if you purchase a pizza stone you will be better prepared to make that cauliflower crust pizza you have been considering. Who knows, you might even be able to learn a thing or two about pizza dough amidst your bread making endeavors. The kitchen tools included in this article will certainly get you well on your way to having an enviable culinary space.

This kitchen essay is provided by Cheap Custom Writings company.

Spinach Parcels in Filo Pastry

I have a packet of filo pastry in my freezer from God knows when. I thought of making Baklava with it but change my mind when I saw some leftover roast chicken in my fridge. I gather a few extra ingredients from the fridge and decided to make these parcels. It is not that difficult to make these. The only tricky part of this is working with the filo pastry but once you get the hang of it – it’s easy. You can serve this as an appetizer or like us have it for our dinner with some salad.

Savory Plantain Pancakes/Fritters

We can’t get good bananas here for frying like our goreng pisang back home. I tried using the regular Dole kind but they were not good for frying. They became so soft and watery once it hits the hot oil and it will start spattering all over. I tried it once and never attempt frying it again. Once awhile I will use plantain. Plantain is like our pisang tanduk and I usually slice it up and pan fried it with a bit of butter. This time I mashed it up and made it into pancakes like. Man, were they good. The pancakes were sweet and savory at the same time. Since plantain is pretty starchy you don’t need to add to much flour to it. I used only 3 tbsp of it.

Laced Rice Crepes/Appam

When I saw my friend posted an Appam making video of Cooking with Thas on FB I know I have to try it out. Ingredients are relatively easy. All I have to do and just blend it together and let it ferment overnight. Since I don’t have the appam making pan I just used my non-stick pan cooking it. Well, as you can see it is rather flat but taste wise it is pretty good. I remember eating it at one of the Indian restaurant and it has a sourish taste to it. I guess I have to try out another recipe that uses yeast since this recipe doesn’t.

So what is Appam? Appam is a very popular and traditional breakfast of State of Kerala. The Appam or Palappam is also a specialty in Sri Lanka where it is known as the Appa. Appams are soft and spongy in the center and has a lacy border. It is very good for health as it does not require much oil and it is gluten free too. It can be served with the potato/chicken stew, any type of curries curry.

Cherry Blossom/Sakura Cookies

I’ve seen many people making dessert with the preserved sakura for the past few years and they were so pretty. I found them online but there were not cheap so I waited until Diana went back to Japan and she bought some for me. My two good friends Linda and Maria got me some too when they were holidaying there. So I’ve been using it to make moon cakes, macarons and now these cookies. Diana is in Japan again now so hopefully she is able to find more for me.

I made these cookies for a birthday tea party for a very good friend last week. Turns out really pretty and everyone goes oooh and ahhh over it and said they look too pretty to eat. I got the recipe from Daily Delicious with a tiny change. I added some almond powder to it and increased the flour by 20 gram as I find to dough too wet to handle. I think it might be the size of the egg yolk I used.

Stuffed Onion Rings

I came up with this dish on the day that I ran out of idea of what to prepare for our dinner. I have some ground meat in hand and decided to mix it up with a few other ingredients and stuff it in some onion rings. Turn our pretty good to have it with rice.

Ingredients:

2 medium size onions – cut into ½” rings
3 tbsp of flour
2 eggs - beaten

Salmon Patties

I know I have been neglecting my blog for awhile and I hope there are still people stopping by here. I am so sorry about that. Well, I have been very busy for the past 6-7 months, with my home business, then my trip back to Malaysia and after I came back I have to preparing for our moves to another house. So, that was what happening to my life all within a few months. With now settling at a new place hopefully I can get back to my routine of blogging and cooking again. I was just telling Carlos how much I miss doing it.

Anyway, here I am trying to catch up with all the backlogs. There are so many pictures to edit, so many recipes to type out. Let’s start with these Salmon patties which I made some time ago. I like making these patties when salmon fish goes on sale. I will grill a few extra pieces just so I can make these.

Spaghetti with Easy Cherry Tomatoes Sauce

My cherry tomato plants gave me some bumper crop last season. Carlos is not a fan of cherry tomatoes so I am the only one eating it. I like eating them raw and sometimes I just cut them up and put it in my pasta. This is a very fast and easy meal to prepare. While you are boiling the pasta you can prepare the sauce and when pasta is ready all you have to do is mixing it into the sauce. The juicy sweet cherry tomatoes burst open in warm olive oil, creating a luxuriously silky sauce and voila the meal comes together in less than 20 minutes.

Cream Buns (Not oven bake)

What do you think of these custard buns? They look good isn’t it? Well, I didn’t bake these in the oven. I bake/pan fried it on a frying pan. I found this recipe on YouTube and was intrigued by it. I have some leftover custard cream from my fruit tarts and decided to use it up to by making these. The buns were really soft and good and I will definitely make this again. So if you don’t have an oven you can still make this bread. No excuses :)

Wishing family, friends and blog readers, Gong Xi Fa Cai/Keong Hee Huat Cai. May the year of Monkey brings all of us joy, happiness, peace, good health and prosperity

Gula Melaka Kaya/Palm Sugar Coconut Jam

Making kaya takes time so I don’t make it often and if I do I will make a big batch of it. I will mail some to Diana and keep a couple of jars for myself. It usually will last me a couple of months. I usually will make the regular caramel or pandan kaya but this time I tried using gula Melaka or palm sugar. Since I have a lot of egg yolks leftover from my macarons I decided to use only that in this kaya. It gives the kaya a thicker and richer consistency. For those who are not familiar with kaya you can read about it here .

The kaya turns out really good. It is thick and creamy with the heavenly fragrant of the palm sugar.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake/Cookies

I always like this cake. I am not sure why they called it cake as it tasted more like cookies. I bought it a few times from the Asian supermarket and also once at Hong Kong airport but they were not good. The pastry was so dried and the filling doesn’t taste like pineapple at all. I found out that they added winter melon to the filling….mmmmm no wonder it is not good. Anyway, I always wanted to try making these and finally did it a few months ago after buying more moulds from eBay. My friend Alan gave me some too. It cost me quite a bit of money and in order to justify spending so much I should make it more often :)

I used only pineapple for the filling instead of adding winter melon to it. I coarsely grated the pineapple so that I can still feel the bite of the filling. I tasted one once it cools down but the pastry was more on the crunchy and dry side so I let it sit for a day and the pastry turns out soft, rich and very buttery. It was really good. I think it tasted much better than the one I bought. As CNY is just around the corner, maybe you can making this instead of the usual pineapple tarts.

Happy New Year 2016

Wishing you and your family a wonderful year ahead. Happy New Year!!