cooking in batches

Combat Price Hike with Packed Lunches.

2014-02-03T21:41:00.002+08:00

With the price hike this year, I think it's about time that we start with a little change from home. Don't you think?

I've been doing packed lunch for work since 2006. Safe to say, I'm no longer a rookie at this.
However, this year, it's going to be a bit different. I've set a challenge for myself. I've decided to save up at least RM 50 a week and accumulating that to RM 200 by the end of the month. Why? Simply to prove to myself that I can save and I should save. To achieve this goal, I must first manage my pack lunches.

STEP 1: Identify meals that I can make in batches. Quick. Should taste good. Doesn't burst my pockets.

Keeping staples in the pantry and refrigerator helps. Such as peanut butter, chickpeas or all sorts of beans, sardines in tomato sauce, eggs, pita bread and variety of fruits. All this comes in handy. I must say, fruits and pita bread - are life savers. In situations when you just don't know what to make, you just pick up a handful of fruits and you're set.

Pita breads are great to have around - it is an ingenious creation. Its portion is perfect for light eaters, keeps all your sandwich ingredients neatly tucked and very easy to pack. Goes well with anything and everything.

I can precook many things in batches, rice, soups, roast chicken, meat dishes and sometimes just something simple like Potato Marsala.

If you haven't any idea what to pack and what to make. There are numerous blogs and recipes that you can find online. Thekitchn has a list of easy-quick to make lunches. Justbento.com is great for portion packed lunches, although it's all cute and sometimes I think it's perfect for kids, but hey, I think adults can benefit from a bit of fun packed lunches for work. Simply Recipes also comes with numerous recipe that are healthy and on-budget! And who says packed lunch is a mummies job only, check out Lunch Box Blues, he creates meals for his son and himself. Literally quick and easy.

No doubt that some of the recipes found on the blogs or websites, calls for foreign ingredients as the recipes are from western cook books. The point here, is for you to read through and be inspired by their ideas and come up with options that would be suitable for your taste. See how they make use of their local ingredients to keep on a budget. If you are adventurous and you can afford the ingredients on their list, well then, make the recipes and pack them for the week.

STEP 2: Pack them - ready-to-go!
After planning your meals and cooking them. The next logical thing to do is to portion! Set aside enough for yourself, the kids and husband. Put them in containers that are easy to pick up and reheat.

What have I made for myself this week?

For this weeks challenge, I've made myself Banana+Peanut Butter Muffins. Yields: 10 muffins

Recipe calls for
1 medium banana - mashed
1/4 c of peanut butter - smooth
1 egg
1/4 buttermilk (or yogurt/milk)
1/4 olive oil
1/4 honey
1/4 brown sugar
dash of vanilla essence
handful of chocolate chips *optional
1 c wholewheat flour
1/2 c buckwheat flour *optional
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda

*Preheat oven to 180 C. Then place all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Set aside.
*Mix all the wet ingredients together.
*Mix the dry to the wet. Ensure that you get all the flour incorporated.
*Prepare muffin tins and scoop the mixture into each muffin cups. About 3/4 full.
*Bake for 20 minutes or till center of muffin is dry when you pierce it with a tester.

Additional to this, I made a batch of pizza dough and over shot my measurements. I had to figure out what to do with all that dough. Remembering that I had some frozen minced lamb already marinated with spices. I figured, I'd make some bread rolls filled with all sorts of fillings. Spiced Minced Lamb as well as Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Basil.

OK, for the dough, you can practically use any recipe you can find. Quick ones, overnight fermentation ones, with polish starters or even store bought pizza dough. It doesn't matter. You can even just use Pita bread or wraps if you want to. No problem. The idea is to make it ready-to-go. This is my rendition. I just had a lot of spare time over the weekend, thought best I pack in some hours to prepare for the week.

For the filling, the Spiced Minced Lamb was left over from lunch. This recipe you can use it for fillings, kebabs, pizza toppings, turn them into meatballs for pasta, or a chill day for tapas at home.
Recipe calls for about

400g of minced lamb (or any other meat you prefer)
To this you add 2tsp of everything on this list:
Cumin powder
Fennel powder
Smoked Paprika *optional
Thyme powder form (you can buy this from Arab Sundry Shops)
Chili powder *optional
Salt and Pepper

Mix it all up and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
I've done this a few days back and froze it. Took out from the freezer and defrost it.

Right. So, now we will just wait and see. To be honest, I made so much of my bread filled with lamb. I think I'll overdose on it by the end of this week. Keep yourself posted to the blog. I'll update my lunch and see how I've switched it up so I don't get bored of the same thing. Challenge ON!

How I select what cook book to purchase.

2013-09-25T19:51:00.001+08:00

Erna: When it comes to purchasing books for the kitchen shelf. How do you select what to buy?

I'd buy a book that tells me more than just a list of ingredients, it's history or the scientific... ok maybe not scientific, but the mechanics of the cooking methods. The how's and why's.

I find this very important, for me at least. I'm a persistent cook in my own kitchen. If I didn't get it right the first time. I'd try to trouble shoot. I know sounds like I'm fixing a computer, but, really getting the right book to answer or the least lead me to my answers makes me a better cook the next time.

An example of how I select my books for the kitchen. A few months ago I was looking for a book that teaches you on how to actually mix the and prepare the dough. Then eventually baking it. A step by step guide. I've look into forums, YouTube, read articles by renown bakers. Still my results were the same. Dense ugly wrong made bread! Till I found the book by Ken Forkish "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast" .

When I read the introduction. I knew I just had to buy the book. It was the one. I was comfortable with the way it was done because the author himself, was a novice in bread making with the passion to bake good tasting bread. A corporate man who left his job to go learn to make bread and now a successful owner of his own bakery. A dream I wish to live in someday.

It was also the way he wrote the content of his book. Although the guide of methods in baking seems daunting as it is quite technical. However, clear information such as written in the book is what I needed. With it's step-by-step pictures to show you how it's done. Not forgetting his notes on time management. As I am a stickler for organisation and structure his book was perfect.

Since then I've baked loaves and loaves of breads with his recipe and it all came out exactly how the book had intended.

As you can see. I do take my books up to a personal level. This may sound bohemian and almost ridiculous, but I do find an emotional attachment to the cook books I read. Stories of real people, doing things they love and strive to achieve the best are the kinda of people I'd like to learn from. And that's what this book did for me.

So there. That's my formula on finding the right book for me.

Mee Hoon Goreng Telur Gulung (Fried Rice Vermicelli with Egg Rolls)

2013-09-13T14:34:00.001+08:00

September Birthdays!

Mee Hoon Goreng or Fried Rice Vermicelli, is a celebration dish. Really it is. Malaysia as a nation grew on staple meals such as this. Simple, cheap ingredients pounded into the smallest pieces and cooked in batches.

In the 1940's, during the Japanese Occupation, it was tapioca that kept the peoples spirit to carry on and fight. In the 1950's rice, grasshoppers and exotic leaves became staple meals. 1960's coffee sold at warungs cost not more than a dime became centres for community leaders to talk about independence and freedom. 1990's during Canteen Day or Sports Day, this fried vermicelli would be hot off the counter. They would be served to students as the most cost effective lunch set, costing only about RM 0.50 for a plate. It is food and dishes as simple as these that made the country.

Think about it, what did you eat when you were growing up? And has it contributed to your life today?
While you try to figure it out, have someone else read the recipe and cook for you. Perhaps, once you've had a plate of this Mee Hoon Goreng, it would jog your memory. So, here are the ingredients and cooking methods.

TIPS

PREP: Soak the rice vermicelli noodles in hot water just till it softens. Say about a minute. Drain the water and set a side. Too long, it'll get soggy and just break in the wok. You will end up eating mushy noodles and that is not a very pleasant.
If it is your first time making this dish, always prepare your ingredients before cooking. This will keep you calm and collected.
Sometimes, being too precise while cooking doesn't really help. Use your instinct and logic when needed. If you are cooking for 5, then use the whole pack of noodles and at least 5 to 7 tablespoon of chilli paste. Because you've already boiled the paste, you've already taken out most of the heat. Adding as much chilli paste should not be a problem.
Always make sure you cook the chilli paste till it splits from the oil and it changes colour. If you do not get it to this stage, the chilli will not be cooked through and can cause stomach aches. It is also best to make your own chilli paste. Store bought may have too much vinegar or preservatives.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

3/4 of the rice vermicelli pack

Paste (blended together)
5 tbsp of chilli paste

5 small shallots

2 slivers of garlic
1 teaspoon of belacan (substitutes: dried shrimps or anchovies in can)

1 tbsp of chicken granules

1 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp of oyster sauce
4 Choy Sum or any leafy vegetables

2 cups of bean sprouts

2 squares of hard ready fried tofu, cut into bite size cubes

Water

Oil

Salt

Egg Rolls

3 large eggs

Salt to taste

METHOD

Prepare the egg rolls first. Lightly beat eggs in a bowl with a fork. Do not over beat because you don't want air in the eggs or else it will puff up in the pan. You just need it to be runny.
Using a frying pan, pour in enough of the eggs to make a thin omelette. Cook a minute in each side.
Repeat till all of the eggs are cooked. Set aside. Once cooled, cut them into thin strips. Reserve for garnish (if you can resist it.)
Heat oil in the wok and add in the paste. As the colour of the paste starts to change and splits from the oil. Add to this your sauces and seasoning.
Balancing your seasoning. Now, although I have stated the measurements above. I strongly believe you have to work on gut instincts and gauge. Now, when you cook noodles, it is best to double up on all seasoning. Why? When you add in your vegetables and a bit of water when the paste gets too dry, it alters the taste seasoning in the paste. Best to double on seasoning before all the other dry ingredients are put into the wok. To balance out the seasoning with everything in the wok, will and has been proven difficult.
Ok, so once you've tasted the paste and it's balanced. Add to this the vegetables and tofu. Topping it off with the noodles. Mix well.
Serve up with eggs on top and side serving of sliced red chilli in light soy sauce.

Sambal Tumis Ikan Bilis (Fried Chilli Paste with Anchovies)

2013-09-11T13:19:00.000+08:00

This week I'm at my in-laws and I've been put into kitchen duty. I now work smack in the city and by the time I leave work - traffic! Ah the thief of time. Cooking for a family of 5 who loves traditional Malay home cooked meals can be daunting. Especially when the head chef is 75 years old, with years of experience in cooking and tasting good food. It is a challenge to make meals perfect. Time is also a factor as this household eats early. I need to arrive home by 6:00 pm and to be ready to eat at 7:00 pm.

Malay cooking need not be such a hassle. Some of us feel that it does take more out of your time. In reality, the key to any success in a kitchen is really time management. Factor in preparing key ingredients well before cooking time and everything else will fall into place. If you've done project management at work or organised an event - even if it is as small as a birthday party. Then you know that planning ahead does help.

For this Sambal Tumis Ikan Bilis recipe, please do refer back to my old post on how to make dried chilli paste for this dish.

TIP 1:
Update, for the paste, you can also blend it with oil rather than water. The extra step, blending with oil - helps you fry the chilli to a dark paste faster. With water based blends, it takes more time to get to stage where the oil splits from the chilli.

TIP 2:
Always have a jug of water with you. Pour the water in gradually when you make the sambal. Add the water in small amounts to gauge how wet or dry you prefer your sambal to be. Not to add to much water as you do not want it to be soup, but just enough to have a runny sauce almost like a thick sauce.

Recipe makes about 1/2 litre of a corning ware casserole.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of dried anchovies (medium to small)
2 large red onions - sliced
3 slivers of garlic - thinly sliced
5 tbsp (heaps) dried chilli paste
1 tbsp Tamarind paste or Worcester Sauce (can work)
Salt and sugar to taste
water
1/2 cup of oil for frying

METHOD:

Soak the anchovies for about 1 minute and drain the water. This helps take out access salt. Set aside.
Heat oil in the wok or pot, which ever you have.
Add to the hot oil the chilli paste. Fry till the colour changes to a darker red - almost maroon and the oil separates from the chilli.
To this you add your anchovies and large onions. Add as well the tamarind paste and seasoning.
Add the water gradually till you come to your desired consistency. Too little water makes it dry. If you prefer more sauce, you add on water till desired sauce thickness. As recommended, just enough so you have a bit of sauce. Too much it will become a broth.
Your sour, salt and sugar should have a well balanced and rounded flavour. As much as I do not want to use this word but the souring agent (tamarind or Worcester) adds that kick or "umami" flavour to your dish.
Eat the dish with rice, noodles, prathha, roti or even baked or boiled potatoes or tapioca. Works well with just everything!

BOOK REVIEW: FAT WITCH BROWNIES

2013-09-02T10:22:00.000+08:00

For the past year, I've been dreaming and making a to do list. First on my list was to perfect my skills in baking brownies.

Since the day I started making my first tray of brownies, I haven't stopped. I have since then read, searched and experimented. I have since baked, brought my goods to the office to share with friends. They would compliment and critic my brownies. They would always wait for me to bring something to work on Monday, because they knew I'd be baking over the weekend. I have also sold at bake sales, some ordered online and Alhamdullillah - I have had returning customers.

Second on my list, was to start my own bakery that would sell cakes I loved eating. Starting with just brownies. Last weekend, Malaysia celebrated Independence Day. I had friends over and a cake was put out for desserts. Later that night, a friend encouraged me to move into baking and push my products to smaller cafes. See if anyone wants to order trays from me. I looked at her and said, I don't know. Maybe... we shall see.

It only took the introduction of this book to make me change my perspective.The author, Patricia Helding use to work at Wall Street. She too started baking for the office and sharing with friends. In no time, she realised that baking was her true calling. She resigned from her job and started a baking company from her kitchen. She would market her brownies using postcards and by word of mouth. Now her bakery is a legendary brownie shop in NYC. How about that?

I have yet to try the recipes. This weekend will be the first attempt to baking brownies from the recipe book. Judging from a glance - I foresee that they brownies will be hit with friends. I hope it'll kick out their mundane Monday office mood. Keep yourself updated to the blog and I'll be posting a review on the recipe. Insya Allah.

We Have Brownies

2013-08-02T09:25:00.001+08:00

Salam Ramadhan and Aidilfitri!

C.I.B. is happy to announce that we are now opening our shop on-line to sell baked goods and other scrumptious products. So keep posted to our blog.

For this festive season, we are selling brownies.
Last delivery for Aidilfitri takes place on August 6. We will resume baking on August 12 for future orders.

Here below are our flavours:

RM70
Bitter-sweet
Chocolate & Sea Salt
Peanut Butter
RM60
Butterscotch

Currently our brownies are only available within Klang Valley. Interested? Do send your orders together with your name & contact details to cookinginbatches@gmail.com

Easy No Knead Bread

2012-09-12T14:34:00.002+08:00

Working from home doesn't necessarily mean you have more time. But I do get to manage my time better around the kitchen. Key ingredient to making good bread is patience. I for one have not enough most of the time. So, I often look for easier recipes to make.

Since I first started baking, I think I've gone through at least 50 different recipes and ways of making bread. Some worked for me and some didn't. This recipe I've put together seems to work for me. I find that baking bread is the most difficult as I can never get it to come out perfect everytime. I have come to appoint that when I bake, I just want it to be soft on the inside and crisp on the out. Also, as long as the whole bread doesn't harden up after a day old, I would be very happy.

So, here is a recipe I've come up with that I think will stand the test of time. I've combined a few ideas into this batch and lets see if it stays as fluffed and soft tomorrow. If you'd like to try and experiment, please do. Then let me know your outcome!

No Knead Bread

Time: 12 hours - approximately. I started at 9PM and continued to prep before baking when I woke up at 6AM.

STEP 1

Take 3 cups of bread flour

2 tbsp of bread softener

pinch of salt

3/4 cup of warm milk

2 tsp of sugar

11g of dry yeast

2 tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and make a well in the middle.
In a separate bowl put in 1/2 of the warm milk. To this you add the dry yeast and sugar. Let it froth for about 5 minutes.

Now, to your dry ingredients, you add the frothy yeast mixture and oil. You can use a wooden spoon or your hands to bring the dough together. If too dry, gradually add more warm milk to the mixture and bring the dough together till everything is incorporated. If it is still to sticky, just dust flour as you go till it doesn't stick to your hand or spoon.

Next, oil the bowl and put a clear wrap over it, let the bundle of joy rise over night.

STEP 2

In the morning the dough would have flatten out with little air bubbles on the surface. Just dust your hands and some over the dough and massage the dough for about a minute. Then let it rise for about an hour. You can leave it for 2 hours if you'd like. But I gauge by looking at the volume, as long as it has double in size you are goo to go.

Preheat the oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Half way through, line your baking pot or pan with grease paper or butter and powder with flour for easy lifting. Place the pan into the preheated oven just to heat up the pot or pan you are using.

Place the risen dough into the vessel, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Then take the top off, bump up your heat to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6, let it bake till brown for about 8 - 10 minutes.

Done! let cool on wire rack. :-)

REMINDER

Always make sure you grease your paper or your pan, or else the bread will stick to the bottom and the sides of your baking utensil. Such a waste on good home baked bread. I should know, I did it once and cried over spilled milk.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN FOOD & DIET - NO FRIEND.

2012-01-20T22:15:00.000+08:00

Living in Southeast Asia, makes any sort of diet regime becomes a mission. Why? Because everything just taste SO good here. The staple food in this region are carbohydrate based - from rice, to roti and noodles. Also, we do prefer eating our Southeast Asian delicacies rather than eating raw carrots and a thin slice of grilled chicken as a diet menu. So, how do can you keep to your diet but still eat good Asian meals? Here's how...

Everywhere you go here in Southeast Asia, you are bound to find either rice, noodles or bread options as a spread of choices. So, you're thinking - are the only options you have is to eat less of everything and keep to boiled, steamed or raw vegetables?

Here's a recipe you can use as an option and see if it works for you. Lets just try and skip all the carbohydrate type food and keep to just protein as well as fibrous meals but using Southeast Asian flavours. You can watch your calories and at the same time, yet, still have your Asian style meals - provided you also add in exercise into the equation. You do not have to starve yourself during your diet, or even throw out the carbohydrates completely. The idea is to watch what you eat and keep to the routine, minimise is the keyword. First of all before you go on any diet regime, check with a nutritionist or doctor to talk about how you can adjust your calories and meals to a diet best suited for you.

On an average, if you 30 years old at 80kg in weight and about 170cm in height, you will need to keep between a 1300 to 1500 calories a day to lose 10 kilograms in 3 months. This is inclusive of regular exercise as well. So, in support of your efforts to shed some weight and live a healthier lifestyle, here is a recipe for you to start on. With this, you still get that Asian inspired meal yet still kick out all the fat and carbohydrates. Win!

GRILLED RED SNAPPER FILLET AND
ASIAN GREENS WITH GRATED COCONUT SALAD (Urap)

For the fish – 1 fish fillet = 150 calories

Ingredients

1 fish fillet (Spanish mackerel or Red Snapper)
2 banana leaf cut into about A4 sized paper/optional foil

1 tbsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Directions

Clean the fish. Washing it with a bit of tamarind juice and rinsing it with water.
Rub the fish all over with turmeric powder and salt.
Fold the banana leaf over the fish and grilled in oven or over a griller.
Cook it for about 20 minutes on 180C. At this rate the fish will be juicy. If you prefer it dry, leave it in a while longer.

For Urap (Asian Greens with Grated Coconut Salad) – 1 serving cup = 240 calories

Ingredients

50 g bean sprouts
50 g cabbage, shredded
50 g long beans, cut
1 bundle of spinach, cut
2 cups of fresh grated coconut

Spice Paste

½ cup of pan roasted anchovies pounded to a powdered consistency
1 red chilli, seeded
2 bird's eyes chillies
2 garlic slivers
salt to taste
1 cup of grated coconut

Directions

1. Heat up a wok or a pan with just a enough oil to fry the achovies. Make sure the oil is hot but not smokey - then add the anchovies to the hot wok or pan till crispy. Drain excess oil using a kitchen towl then pound or blend the anchovies till it becomes a powdered form. Set aside.

2. Boil up a pot of water, once the water is boiling – blanch all the vegetables. Place cooked vegetables in a bowl and let cool.

3. Pound together the garlic, red chilli, birds eye chilli and salt.

4. To the bowl add the coconut, anchovies and chilli garlic paste mix well.

Serve the fish with a bed of urap. Enjoy with a glass of ice water with a few slices of cucumber. Enjoy.

as seen on latitudes.nu

Daging Salai Masak Cili Api / Smoked Beef in Hot Coconut Milk Broth

2012-01-14T17:39:00.000+08:00

When we think about Malaysian food, you start imagining satay dipped into spicy peanut sauce, roti canai pan fried with enough ghee to last you a decade, teh tarik loaded with condense milk, sambal tumis ikan bilis swimming in at least two inches of oil and the warm steaming nasi lemak boiled in a gallon of coconut milk waiting for you in the morning at the corner. Is there anything on the Malaysian list of food that can be gorged without feeling a tad bit guilty? Here's a recipe that can give you the satisfaction in your tummy in a happy and healthier way.

(article as published on latitudes.nu)

Hey, you’d be surprised to learn that there are just as much low-fat-calorie dishes here in Malaysia and throughout the South East. You just haven’t found them yet. Our low-fat meals are usually prepared through cooking methods such as smoking, grilling, steaming or boiling. No excessive oil is used in preparing food this way – sometimes there isn’t any oil at all.

The art of smoking beef isn’t exclusive to the western kitchen, it is also a method widely practiced here in Malaysia. This is especially done in Malay cuisines in the state of Negeri Sembilan, which is about an hour south of Kuala Lumpur. In the old days, there were no refrigerators to keep meat from turning bad. Storing meat was a task, with high humidity levels in Malaysia the setting is perfect for cultivating bacteria causing meat to rot faster. Therefore, smoking fresh meat was a method adapted to keep fresh meat longer.

The method of smoking meat for this recipe is simply starting up a barbeque with a handful of dry coconut husk and charcoal. A grill goes over the burning coal and the meat is then layered onto the grill. The traditional way takes a few hours. I grilled my choice of meat on a grilling pan over the stove and covering the pan with a tight lid to allow the smoke to accumulate. Seared the meat till I saw visible charred marks then I transferred the half cooked meat into a foil wrap. I then placed it into my over and let is bake for another hour in half at 200C. It doesn’t have that nice smoky scent from the coconut husk but given that I live in an apartment – this works for me.

Although this recipe calls for thick coconut milk, that amount mention here is just enough to serve a family of 4. This recipe does not have any oil accept the natural oils from the coconut milk and meat. You will need, 200 g of thinly sliced smoked beef, 2 sticks of lemongrass, 4 bird’s eye chili crushed, 3 inches of fresh turmeric crushed, ½ cup of water, 1 ½ cup of thick coconut milk, ½ of an asam gelugor (substitute for 1 tbsp of tamarind juice) and salt to taste.

Begin by adding ½ cup of water and ½ cup of coconut milk to the pot, with all the ingredients except the smoked beef, tamarind juice and salt. Let it start to boil over low heat and stir continuously. Once the broth as boiled, pour in the thick coconut milk, you can add the meat and adjust the salt and tamarind juice to taste. If you don’t want it to be too hot, just take the chili out before adding the beef.

Sri Lankan Cuttlefish Curry

2011-11-09T13:45:00.001+08:00

Currently, I am in Sri Lanka, doing a Photography Residency for a month. Being away doesn't mean I am not in the position to whip up a good meal for husband and I. Upon arriving here, I just knew I had to get my hands on the local dishes. So, the best way to learn this apart from speaking and learning from the neighbours was to pick up a locally published cookbook.

Sri Lankans are mostly Buddhist, therefore, most of its dishes are vegetarian. However, there are dishes that are non-vegetarian and very much seafood and chicken base. Because Sri Lanka is an island, the seafood here is as fresh as you can get your hands on - the only thing you need to be sure of is to know where to purchase your fish and how to identify the freshness. Like any new place, it is always good to go to the markets the first time with a local so you get the best deal and not get tourist prices. Thankfully, I had my host and rickshaw driver to assist me on my outings to the market.

This curry dish is very similar to the Negeri Sembilan masak lemak cili api, only difference is that, the base of this coconut stew dish is mainly curry powder and other spices that are commonly used in Malaysian local cuisines. However, the curry powder here seems to be a blend that incorporates more cumin and corriander I believe, as the powder looks more green. So, I have added a bit of tumeric to make the colour stand out. The tomatoes do add a bit of an orange tint to the stew. Perhaps I did buy the wrong curry powder, but that was the only option available in the supermarket in town. The recipe does not require any sauteing or pre-frying onions to a soft texture. It is all put in a pot and left to cook on the stove.

It was just my luck that day, because the day I chose to cook, was the day we had local company for lunch. So I had my tasting group ready to rate my cooking ... Although the colour may have not turned out orange red like what I could see in the cookbook - but I was very pleased to hear that this recipe I cooked is .... "Very much Sri Lankan!" .... as how my guest had put it. SCORE for CIB!

Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

500 g of cuttlefish

2 large onions wedged
2 tomatoes wedged

2 garlic pods sliced

2 inches of garlic crushed

4 Curry leaves stems

1 tsp of curry

1/4 tumeric

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1/4 crushed pepper

1 cup of thin coconut milk

2 cups of thick coconut milk

3 green chillies halved

1/2 tsp of sliced Pandanus leaf

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder or 1 stick

salt, sugar to taste

Method

Wash the cuttlefish and set aside. Marinate it with the thick coconut milk and 2 stems of the curry leaves.
Put all the other ingredients into a pot and let it simmer to boiling point, be sure to stir the coconut milk to ensure that it does not start to curdle. Use a medium to low heat.
When the gravy thickens slightly, add into this the cuttlefish and the rest of the remaining ingredients. Let boil and season.

Hope you enjoy this one as much as my husband and out guest did. More Sri Lankan recipes to come for this month of November.

Dear Bakers: Here's a bowl that Measures for you.

2011-10-31T15:21:00.001+08:00

Stumbled upon this genius bowl that measures your ingredients for you! No more weighing scales, no more cups? Is this true? I wonder if this product is already available in stores? If it is, I will be purchasing this to add to my already packed kitchen cupboard. Not only is the bowl a great design, its cute and helps you bake in batches faster! check it out here.

Pragmatic Cook Book Review: 400 Best-Ever Budget Recipes

2011-10-05T10:36:00.000+08:00

If you're a working mother, student, a boss or you just find yourself multitasking between 10 different tasks a day, this book can be your life saver. Again, I can't emphasize enough how cooking is just like riding your bicycle. Yes, cooking can be scary for those who have not venture into this domain, but I honestly have to say, its like any other task, once you've set a goal and accomplishing that goal just gives you a rush of energy to try and do it again. When you choose to cook for yourself or family, it really should be just fast and simple meals. Keep the more intricate recipes for special occasions.

This book definitely has a great list of budget recipes to select from, however the "best-ever" expression used on the cover I find to be a very subjective expressions to use in the context of the book.

The compilation of recipes in this book is very simple and cooking time usually takes between 20 - 30 minutes with an additional 10 minutes preparation time. There are choices from light dishes that are meant to be served immediately and consumed there and then, as well as dishes that are cooked in batches which are suitable for freezing. Recipes in this book caters to fuss free preparation with minimal ingredients. You can however, prepare certain ingredients ahead of time and by the time you plan to cook when you get home from work, you already shorten your preparation time by half.

However, living in the South East Asian continent, the burst of flavours in our dishes is an important element that distinguishes our cuisine with all the other continents. Here in Malaysia, we are use to utilising almost all the spices we can have our hands on, in comparison to the flavours in the recipe of this book comes a bit mild for my Malaysian palate. But I do not discourage the use of this book as it has many good, healthy, quick and simple recipes that are pragmatic.

Using a cook book doesn't mean you have and MUST keep to the guidelines to ensure you get the correct recipe. However, it does help that you follow the exact instructions of the recipe the first time you make it. Later, when you have familiarised the technique and taste that you have achieved, it's ok to alter the dish to your own taste buds. After all, cooking is about making something that fits your palate and interest in flavours.

This cook book is handy as it gives you a variety of economical dishes that are practical in usage of ingredients, time and cooking methods. Another important factor of this publication is that it provides you with a table that indicates all the shelf life and storage of canned, frozen and fresh ingredients. This way, you can plan out your meals in the week or days. Addition to that, it also identifies the seasonal vegetables you can grab your hands on, although this doesn't really apply to us here in Malaysia, but perhaps we can use this and find out what fruits are seasonal to our country and use that to our advantage.

If you happen to be nearby a book store - try looking for this book. I've used it as a guide line for myself and how to manage my time better. Try it out and see... but if you want to try a recipe from this book, give me a shout out and I can post an entry here to share with everyone. Then perhaps we can all compare notes??

xx
Erna

Pumpkin Head

2011-10-03T12:43:00.002+08:00

Birthday Gift from Felt Friends

What can I say I am a foodie after all. This little badge was made especially for me as a birthday gift. Funny, I was browsing through her photos and thought I would love Adline to make this for me. Today she surprised me with the Pumpster!!!!! If you are interested in custom made felt badges or purchasing from her online store. You can visit her here at myfeltfriends.blogspot.com

xoxo
Erna

Know Your Sambal

2011-09-25T23:02:00.000+08:00

Sambal can be define as a chili based sauce, which is made by either sauteing blended chili or just consumed fresh by pounding it to a paste in a mortar. There are various variety of sambal, from the fried to the fresh.

Commonly, in Malaysia the most famous sambal of all is the sambal belacan, which is literally chili paste with fermented dried shrimp powder. This type of sambal is usually a freshly pounded condiment that is served with rice or raw vegetables. The paste is usually a mix of red chili, small green chili, dried shrimp powder and sometimes the use of fresh lime juice or tomatoes. You can also just use green chili which is more heaty to the tongue in comparison to using red chili. If you live in say the US or Europe, am sure chili is not as easy to find as it is here in Malaysia, unless you live closer to South America. To help you find out what chili is best to use when you aren't in Asia, here I have a link to a blog I came across, highoverhappy while reading on sambal in foreign countries. The author lives in California and shares her recipe of making sambal and utilising other types of chili with in her area.

To get that salty and rounded flavour in the sambal, it is common to add dried shrimp powder or freshly grounded, into the paste. However, using salted mackerel fish or perhaps any other salted fish you may have in your markets - makes the paste a little more better to the taste compared to the bitterness that's contributed by dried shrimp.

Chili unlike bell peppers, has not much of a taste to it. Its basically just plain - HOT. To make the chili stand out better, adding ingredients with a bit of sweetness to it would do you wonders. Hence, the use of shallots are highly recommended. Garlic is gives a rather bitter and pungent flavour when raw, so if you are pounding your sambal fresh for consumption, I would avoid adding garlic into the mortar.

Fruits are also sometimes added to this condiment that is usually served as an appetiser that is either dipped with raw vegetables or consume with hot steamy rice. Pairing sambal with cherry tomatoes, unripened mango or star fruit, gives it a sour taste that compliments the sweetness of the sugar content. If you do not love durian, then I guess this next tip is not meant for you...but, tempoyak or fermented durian is not so bad as you think it is. When durian is fermented, it is usually blended with either salt or sugar. For the sambal - the sweeter tempoyak is used. This concoction might seem off putting, but trust me, the kick of heat from the chili and the creaminess from the durian, just balances out. Very good with fresh raw vegetables like basil, ulam raja, cucumber and aubergine.

Photo Credit to highoverhappy.blogspot.com

Sambal Oelek is a Javanese style chili paste that refers not to the ingredients or the chili paste, but rather to the mortar and pestle that is used to make the paste. The main ingredients are basically the same, only difference is that the ingredients in sambal oelek are usually sautéd with a bit of hot oil, till all the ingredients are soft and aromatic. Some recipes would require you to add vinegar to the mix but you can omit the vinegar and substitute it with lime if you can't take the acidity. Before serving, a tablespoon of coconut oil is added to the pounded paste to give it a creamier and glistening ending. This type of sambal is also the same paste you would see in Nasi Padang stalls, drenched onto fried cat-fish, daging dinding and hardboiled eggs.

Photo Credit to emotypo.wordpress.com

Sambal Tumis is another version in the sambal family. However, for this sambal, the chili used here is the dried chili. The process of making this sambal is a bit more tedious but worth all the effort. First, the seeds of the chili are discarded, the chili is then boiled in hot water a couple of times to make the chili a bit more mild and not too hot. It is then blended and fried in the wok till the colour changes from bright to a darker shade of red, like you see in the photo above. Here is a relink to a previous post on how to prepare the paste for sambal tumis, click here.

This type of sambal is the one you commonly see served with nasi lemak, dhal and served as a dish at economical rice stalls. The sambal tumis is a versatile option compared to the other two because you can make a dish just with the chili paste, by adding prawns or squid or chicken to it. It is versatile because you can add various other ingredients such as lemongrass, tumeric, ginger, galangal to this paste to make rendang, masak merah, terutub and loads more local Malaysian dishes.

So, the next time you drop in to C.I.B., you be sure to catch up with the latest postcard editions. As we will be hooking you up with a series of sambal paste and everything that pairs with it. If you have a version of your own sambal, leave a comment and share your type of sambal with us.

xx

C.I.B.

Pragmatic Cook Book Review 1 & 2

2011-09-24T18:14:00.000+08:00

When you walk into the cooking section in a book store, you are first greeted by a whole wall of cookery and baking books. I always feel drowned by the choices laid out for me. It also makes me nervous and I fear that I pick up the wrong books. Finally ending up with a book that I hardly open and instead collects dust on my shelf. What I do when I go out to purchase myself a book I use myself practice theory, the "Pragmatic Cook Book Theory". The first question I ask myself before I pick up a book from the cooking section is how "pragmatic" is the book for me?

So, I've decided to compile a list of reasons to consider before purchasing that book. I have used this technique on myself countless time before I purchase yet another book for my kitchen. Lets begin with REASON 1 & 2 for this week and I shall update next week with REASON 3 & 4.

1. FLAVOURS

I think everyone will agree, flavour is everything (apart from texture) when it comes to cooking. How do you find out the chemistry between ingredients with out wasting time and ingredients? This book here is your answer, The Flavour Thesaurus.

This thesaurus is basically a chemistry book that matches all the most common ingredients you can find in the kitchen. For example, it gives you what ingredients are well suited with chocolate, citrus, fish and they even mention belacan into this book. Which I think is grand because belacan is not a very versatile ingredient as it really only caters to Asian recipes.

Lets not forget the design of this book! The author has classified each ingredient into a colour spectrum to give visual reference to the ingredients. So, for citrus like flavours are classified under the yellow streak and earth like ingredients are in the maroon coloured section.

I would recommend this book to anyone because the matching of flavours is not restricted to only western dishes, it also matches Asian type ingredients for your taste buds. It also contains short recipes and handy tips for you to use around the kitchen.

2. HOME COOKED (avoid hyped/celebrity chefs if you can)

For my local recipes, I usually get them from my family, whether it is my mom, dad, grandma, aunties, uncles, random makciks at the market so every time the share me a recipe I just note it down. One of the many reasons why I rarely purchase any local recipe books is really because of the hype that surrounds the chef that writes the recipe and their choice of ingredients which usually bastardises Malay food.

But this book is an exception for me, because I love food from the northern part of Peninsular of Malaysia, I found that the recipe in this book is an A+, A Taste of Batu Gajah, Traditional Malays family Recipes.

I purchased this book based on two recipes in the book, the Ikan Kembung Assam Rebus recipe and Nasi Goreng Batu Gajah. These are the two dishes that I love having at home and to find that the recipes use the exact same ingredients my grandma and mother-in-law uses, I can be sure that all the other recipes inside this book are as honest and literally is the home cooked version of the recipe! If you are a novice in the field of home cooked Malay food. This book is most definitely a must have on your shelf.

If you have books you feel have been helpful for you in your kitchen, share it with us here at C.I.B., email it to cookinginbatches(at)gmail.com. Come by next week to check out REASON 3 & 4 of my "Pragmatic Cook Book Theory" and I will also share with you what other cook books I have on my bookshelf.

C.I.B. In TIME OUT KL!

2011-09-19T20:47:00.000+08:00

We were featured in time out with Erna in the picture - with her accomplice Chi Too!
Read more here

Lost & Found - & SOOQ BAZAAR in Oct 2011

2011-09-18T22:31:00.000+08:00

Dear everyone,

Gosh, we are terribly sorry for going MIA on everyone again. When Ramadan came, our cook just lost track of time and because none of us could cook and taste food during the day, we just did not see the point of posting up recipes to share with everyone. We believe in good honest recipes when sharing with people- it only makes the love spread further and better.

However, we have news to share with you today. We've just came back from an art market at the Annexe Gallery, the same one Erna was at a few months back. This time however, in stead of postcards we sold C.I.B Brownies for a change. Good to know that the recipe works and the brownies SOLD OUT.

If you've missed out on our cake sale this time and our previous postcard sale the last time, well Mark your calendar! and be ready to catch us at the next SOOQ Bazaar on Oct 1st, Saturday and 2nd, Sunday at Rasta, TTDI, from 1PM - 7PM .

We will be coming up with a new batch of Recipe Cards consisting of basic paste recipes and perfect combo meal recipe cards. Also, we will be bringing you our famous velvet, chewy, super moist brownies and 2 new additional cakes to our table.

So, come on down to join Erna at the booth, sit down, have a piece of cake and lets just chat about cooking and good food. Perhaps, we will also offer you a choice of ice cold milk or hot tea to have with your cake? and maybe offer to send your choice of postcard to someone you love.

See you at SOOQ!

Warm wishes,

C.I.B team.

Swiss Roll with Strawberry Jam & Cream

2011-07-18T07:31:00.000+08:00

Swiss Roll, Jelly Roll and Roulade, are all the same names for a rolled up sponge cake. This recipe you are about to read and try to make, is a made, tested and approved cake. Before I post any recipes, I am sure to at least bake or cook something 3 times to ensure that the recipe is right. Each time a cake is baked, I will have a group of people (whom I called my toughest critics), that are known to love cakes and are great kitchen experts themselves. I have also taken the liberty to cross check recipes with other good online blogs or websites like joyofbaking.com and thebakingpan.com.

There were two reasons why I made this cake, 1) because I hate store made Swiss rolls, as they will always use cheap jams and spread hardly anything in it and sold for RM6.00. Very unreasonable. 2) Because a good friend of mine is currently pregnant and I got her worked up on my quest to make my own yummy (perfect) cake.

Preparation Time: 1 hourStorage: 1 week refrigerated (that's if you can manage to stall people from eating)Cost: RM 12 Yield: 2 - 3 rolls of 10" cakes

Ingredients

127g plain flour

½ tsp of salt

4 large eggs, separated

127g Castor sugar

2 tbsp of vanilla extract

3 tbsp of strawberry jam

2 tbsp of icing sugar

clean kitchen towel or baking paper 

powdered sugar

for Cream200ml heavy cream
2 tbsp of icing sugar

Method

1) Preheat your oven to 220C. You can either line your pan with baking paper or use the butter and flour technique to prevent your cake from sticking to the pan. I didn't have a proper Swiss roll pan, but I used my 9" x 9" cake tin. I filled in about an inch of batter or less into the cake tin. This batter should yield about 2 - 3 cake sheets. 

2) Mix your dry ingredients into a bowl, set aside.

3) Into another bowl, beat your egg yolks with an electric mixer till you get a rather smooth egg batter, about 30% lighter from its original colour. To this you will add half the sugar content and beat till it fluffs up 3 times more. You stop once the colour turns a rather pale yellow and till it leaves a ribbon trail when you lift the mixer away from the batter. Once you get to this consistency, add in the vanilla extract.

4)Sift gradually the dry ingredients over the egg yolk mix and gently fold the flour content. Don't worry if it gets too dry as the eggs whites will bounce it back into shape.

5) In a clean bowl, with clean whisks, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar till you get soft peaks. This means till your egg whites form a soft peaks that bends over when created into peaks on the surface. If it stays in position when you make tiny peaks, this is the consistency you make meringue with. You don't want that. The fluffy egg whites will contribute to the airy soft texture to your cake, that when you eat it later, it just floats and melts away in your mouth.

6) Fold gently the egg whites to the prepared batter. You will notice your batter will instantly become lighter in weight. 

7) Pour your batter into the cake pan, about 1/3. If your pan is thinner, then fill it up half way up. Any thicker will cause the cake to break when rolled. Place the cake pan in the middle of the oven. Bake at 220C for 10 minutes or till the top surface is brown. Keep an eye on the cake, because it is thin, it cooks faster than normal cakes.

8) In the mean time, you can beat your cream frosting. Beat your heavy cream and sugar till soft peaks form. Keep refrigerated till you are ready to use it.

9) Before your cake is done, prepare a clean kitchen towel or baking paper on a flat surface dusted with powdered sugar.  Once the cake is done, take it out and let cool a bit before you handle it. When slightly cooled, turn the pan over the dusted surface and gently roll the cake with the towel. The towel or baking paper prevents the cake from sticking to itself as it cools off. Place on a wired rack to cool.

10) Once the cake has cooled down, spread the strawberry jam followed by the cream about 1" or less away from the edges. Roll the cake up. Then wrap it with a bit of cling wrap and keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours to set the cake. 1 hour is good enough or if you are patient, overnight.

11) Dust the top with powdered sugar if desired before serving. 

TIP: You can substitute this with Pineapple Jam without the cream. A local favourite for those residing in the south of Peninsular Malaysia.

Have a question? Write to cookinginbatches(at)gmail.com

DONUT / DOUGHNUT

2011-07-02T00:50:00.000+08:00

The sun was out and the wind blew strong today. All I can remember is that taste of sugar dusted doughnut from Kampung Baru that I had for breakfast on Monday. My first bite had transported me back to when I was 7 in my parents old Mercedes driving to school with my mom at 630am in the morning. What I love about these traditional styled doughnuts is that they taste just as good now as they did way back then.

In Malay we say its gebu, literally fluffy. This recipe coats the doughnut lightly with icing sugar. When frying these babies in the wok, the whole house would immediately smell of butter. The best days, would be when the rain starts pouring at 6am, then mom would make a mug of nescafe, hot doughnut in my hand.

This recipe yields about 20 small doughnuts. I've made a whole batch and froze the remaining batch. Saving them for tomorrow mornings breakfast. I hope the rain would come pouring down tomorrow morning. That would make a perfect weekend.

Sorry folks, I couldn't help myself, I just had to start eating even during my shooting sessions. Oh so good.

The mix is almost similar to pizza dough and flat bread recipes. It may also resemble Johnny or Journey Cakes a common food staple from Jamaica.

Preparation Time: 2 hours (worth every minute)
Storage: Frozen batter last for 1 month. In fridge last 1 week.
Cost: RM 4 - RM 6 Yield: 20 small doughnuts

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

11g of instant yeast

1 cup of warm milk

1 tsp of sugar (for the yeast)

5 - 6 tsp of brown sugar or white sugar

3 tbsp of melted butter

pinch of salt

add cinnamon to the dough if you want

icing sugar for dusting

Oil to deep fry

Method

1. Awaken your yeast from slumber by mixing the warm milk, 1 tsp of sugar and yeast. This will take about 5 minutes to foam.

2. Add into it your flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter. Mix and knead the dough till it combines and does not stick to your fingers. If it does, just dust more flour to the dough gradually. Your dough should be soft to the touch but not sticky.

3. If you do not want to use butter, you can use 1 tbsp of canola oil to substitute.

4. Let it rest and double in size, this takes about 45 minutes. When it has doubled in size, pound and kneed once more if you'd like and let rise for another 30 minutes. Good things happen to those who wait. :)

5. Take some of the dough into your fist, make a small ball at about 2" in diameter or less. Make a hole in the middle and just rotate it on your finger to expand the dough slightly so it makes a nice round shape.

6. Heat your oil. Test the oil by sprinkling a bit of water over the top, if it crackles means the oil is hot enough to start frying.

7. Fry the doughnuts till brown on both sides. Cool on cooling rack, dust over with icing sugar.

8. Consume hot with coffee or tea.

Maybe I should fry just one more now before I head on to bed....

RECIPE CARDS ED. 1 is OUT!

2011-06-17T20:20:00.000+08:00

Spicy Chicken & Prawn Coconut Soup

2011-06-17T20:15:00.000+08:00

This one is for you Agata.

A good friend of mine all the way in Estonia has requested for me to put up a recipe that incorporates fish or any other Malay type soup that has seafood as an ingredient. In response to her request, I have cooked up a whole pot just for her. If you have any requests, just post it as a comment!

But with this recipe, as you can see in my photo, I have added noodles. I have switched up my meal as the broth for this recipe is very versatile. It is a great number to cook in batches - especially when your out purchasing groceries and the stores usually prepacked their goods in big portions; when all you need is just a handful for yourself.

The base of this soup is really just stock and added ingredients to the broth. You can make only the broth without any other ingredients and store it in the freezer. The next time you needed it, just pop it into a pot and let it melt on the stove. When its boiling hot, add in all your other ingredients and you are ready to eat. The taste of over night vegetables in soup is not very appetising. Eating hot soup even if its reheated broth with added fresh vegetables is far more better. Proven and tested. I made a batch yesterday, had 2 bowls left for today. But it didn't taste as good as when it came straight out the pot. So, remember, just make the broth and keep it aside. Only use the amount needed.

This recipe is such a versatile option that you can make at least 2 different soups with the broth, a noodle meal and perhaps use the broth as stock for stir fried vegetables. Here is the recipe, I hope Agata will whip this up and leave a comment!:D Oh and did I mention that there is NO oil used in this recipe? NONE.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cost: RM18.00 Serves: 4

Ingredients

Broth

500ml water

2 shallots sliced

3 garlic cloves sliced

2 sticks of lemon grass bruised

2 inches of galangal

2 kaffir lime leaves

3 - 5 birds eye chilli bruised

1 chicken granule or 500ml stock

4 tbsp of lime juice

3 tbsp of fish sauce

salt

sugar

Method

To make the broth, put the water in the pot. With it all the other ingredients except lime juice, fish sauce, salt and sugar.
When it starts to boil, lower the heat and add all the remaining ingredients.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Cool completely and store OR use immediately by adding other ingredients. See recipe below.

Spicy Chicken & Prawn Coconut Milk Soup

Ingredients

1 chicken breast cut into 1" cube

1 bowl of prawns

1 bowl of oyster mushroom

1 small cup of baby corn

or any desired vegetables

1/4 cup of coconut milk

Method

To the boiling broth, add the chicken and the prawns. Let it cook for about 10 minutes.
Before taking it off the heat, add in all your desired vegetables.
Add in the coconut milk towards the end and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or pour over noodles.

TIP:

You can substitute the chicken and the prawns with any other meat products, seafood or just plain vegetables. If you are vegetarian, I believe there is a substitute for fish sauce in the market. Basically the taste of your soup must be spicy, sweet and sour - take that for an overload of taste in one spoonful!

If you can't find fish sauce, you can try making your own, here is a link for the recipe.

*this recipe was taken from the Periplus World Cookbooks, "The Food of Thailand".

CIB @ Art For Grabs/Sat 18 June

2011-06-17T00:11:00.000+08:00

You are cordially invited to purchase your first edition of C.I.B Recipe Postcards @ Art For Grabs.

Postcards will be sold at RM10 for a pack of 4.

Featuring & selling Photo Zine, "For the Lonely" by Chi Too. RM20 a copy.

Buy A Pack of postcard and we will post 1 chosen postcard from your pack to your preferred recipient. Will post for first 10 customers.
Illustration and photography are original designs by C.I..B Team.
Your C.I.B Recipe Postcard isn't original if it doesn't have the CIB stamp.

Coconut Ice-(S)creammmm

2011-06-09T15:42:00.000+08:00

The moment has arrived. Today I am happy to report that I have managed to make my very own coconut ice -(s)creaaaammmmmmmmmmm, with out having to purchase a RM250 ice-cream maker!! Thanks to David Lebovitz and Nicky Stich.

The taste is really just like - santan cendol or the santan sauce you serve with your sago gula melaka, its just that its ... ice-cream. The taste comes from the gula melaka used in the recipe. If you use white sugar - perhaps the blend wouldn't taste so cendol like. I couldn't really taste the saffron I added to the mix, but maybe because I had put in too little. I made about 1/2 of a normal size bread tin about 1 pint. Should make approximately 5 - 7 scoops of ice cream or 20 minutes right out the freezer.

I do not have an ice-cream maker, so, I followed what other cooking experts would suggest, to whip the ice-cream mix after 45 minutes in the freezer or till the edges crystallise. Then set it for another 30 minutes and vigorously whip it again to break out the ice particles. The main idea is to allow the cream to set smoothly.

Saffron is very expensive here in Malaysia, but there are cheaper versions of saffron, I believe its called koma-koma, if I got the spelling right. You can find a small box for about RM12 in Indian shops that sell spices, Chow Kit and Brickfields. You can use very little and go a long way. But if you would like to omit the saffron in the mix, its no problem. The taste would just be just as splendid.

Total cost: MYR 9.00 Preparation and cooking time: 1 hr and 30 minutes

Work difficulty: Easy    Serves: 1 pint

2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream

1 cup (250 ml) thick santan

2 ounces (60 gr) gula melaka

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads / koma-koma
A pinch of salt

1. Bring all the ingredients to a boil, while constantly stirring on medium heat.

2. As soon as it boils, reduce the hear and let simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Continue stirring. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely.

3. Once chilled, pour content into a container, let it freeze for 45 minutes. Take out and whip a little to break the ice.

4. Freeze again for another 30 minutes. Whip one more time.

5. Before serving, let it rest on the counter top for about 1 minute or less, so it softens a bit for easy scooping. Serve with whatever you want really.

TIP: Sometimes you should gauge more or less your ingredients in your cooking. Like me, I added a bit more than 250ml for this recipe to make it richer in taste. AND a pinch of salt to bring out a bit of a kick.

Something new, old and stolen.

2011-06-09T01:37:00.000+08:00

In the process of making Quick Coconut Ice Cream with Saffron, taken from www.davidlebovitz.com, who practiced the recipe created by the woman who invented the idea author of Delicious Days: Nicky Stich; I realised that there were a number of kitchen tools that I had fell in love with! Here are a selection of items that I think - in an Asian kitchen, I could not live without.

Something new.

Ok, when I purchased this, I knew that it was a cheese grater. The base which is made to grate is actually just like any other similar grater. The only difference is that this Rayen grater is fixed into a body that allows the blade to propel. In affect, grating is faster and best of all you don't have to have super biceps the next time you need to grate more than 1 carrot. I used this to grate my gula melaka when I was making ice-cream.

Something old.

When I was a little girl, my mum and dad would always try to make me understand the importance of traditions. She would make me wear our traditional clothes and accessories, practice traditional malay traditions and even to the extend of telling me folklore stories for bedtime. Now that I've grown up, her final initiation for passing on traditions to her only daughter, was passing down this mortar to me. Ever since, this mortar has been a great kitchen helper for making paste, pounding, pureeing and just crushing small portions of garlic, onions, dried condiments, chili and herbs. This is the type of mortar you would use to make your sambal belacan or sambal ulek. Using the mortar makes your sambal taste far better then blending, because with a mortar you do not add water to the blend. So, your paste is pure and not diluted.

Something stolen.

This small itsy bitsy rolling pin has been an essential kitchen tool in my kitchen. Its no longer than 1 ft in length. Because my kitchen has very limited counter space - this rolling pin is essential and most suitable for small kitchens like mine. Easy to handle for rolling out smaller sized dough for making naan or cute tarts and easy to store too. Nope, no happy endings or beginnings with this tool, I ransacked my mom's kitchen and claimed the little bugger as mine :).

I find that all three items are the most useful and a god sent best kitchen utensils I have in my kitchen.

Stay Tuned...

2011-06-08T17:25:00.000+08:00

tonight is the night i will attempt to make coconut ice cream after a heavy craving and a long debate over to buy or not to buy from the supermarket. stay tuned...