FABULOUS SUGAR

Comfort from leftovers

2015-04-21T20:49:00.001+08:00

It's been a long while since my last post. Life got in the way as usual. I'm still not baking much, but today I cooked. Not for me but for my brother. Something my mother used to make for us whenever she had excess string hoppers on hand. The measurements in the recipe below may look a little odd, but that's because I was using up whatever I had in the fridge.

Fried String Hoppers

2.5 pieces of String Hoppers, crushed

A sprinkling of Mustard Seeds

1 sprig Curry Leaves

5 Dried Chillies, snipped into 0.5cm pieces

1 medium Red Onion, sliced

2 small Potatoes, quartered and sliced

2 Eggs

Salt

Pepper

Oil

Water

Break Eggs into a bowl, add Salt and Pepper. Set aside.

Heat a little Oil in a wok. Add in Potatoes and fry till cooked through. Add in the Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaves, Dried Chillies, Red Onion and a little Salt. Cook for a few minutes until you get a nice aroma.

Then add in the crushed String Hoppers and mix. Sprinkle in a little water to moisten the String Hoppers.

After a minute or so, make a well in the centre of the wok and pour in the Eggs. Scramble the Eggs and mix it through the String Hoppers.

Once the Eggs are cooked through and the mixture looks dry, taste it to check if there's enough Salt. If yes, fine. If not, sprinkle in a little at a time, tasting as you go until you're happy with it. Remove from the stove. Serve hot as it is or with a mild curry.

A solitary candle

2015-02-11T19:34:00.000+08:00

... and Apple Cake for my birthday. As usual I took photos of the cake au naturel and it looks pretty naked though swaddled lovingly in baking paper. Naked and plain-looking though it is, it is still one of the most scrumptious cakes I've ever eaten. I sneaked slices of it throughout the evening and I'm wondering if I should soon have more. A nightcap of sorts if you will.

This is one of Dorie Greenspan's recipes. I made it first weeks ago because there were apples galore in the form of Granny Smith's and Fujis lying around in the fridge. I'd had the recipe bookmarked for awhile and the recipe didn't need me to wait for the butter to soften, so it was the perfect I-want-to-make-cake-now cake.

It smelled out of this world the first time I made it. Yesterday when I baked it again for my birthday it smelled even more amazing in the car as I transported it hot from the oven to SIL's parents' home to share cake with recently bereaved loved ones.

In the wink of an eye it magically disappeared. I only got a tiny piece which the SIL dutifully fed me and so today, I made another. What a lovely thing it is to be able to bake!

Marie-Helene's Apple Cake

Adapted from Saucy Gander

110g Plain Flour

3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

A pinch of Salt

4 large Apples (a mix of varieties)

2 Eggs

150g Caster Sugar

3 tablespoons Rum

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

115g Butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius. Line an 8-inch round tin with baking paper. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the Plain Flour, Baking Powder and Salt together. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, beat Caster Sugar, Eggs and Vanilla with an electric mixer until thick, pale and creamy. Add in the Rum and beat well. Then add in half the Flour mixture and mix well. Add in half the butter and mix well. Repeat with the remaining Flour mixture and Butter.

Peel, core and slice Apples. Mix the Apples into the batter making sure every slice is coated.

Pour into the baking tin and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the top is a golden brown, the cake pulls away from the sides of the tin and a skewer poked through the centre comes out clean.

Cool in the tin before removing and cutting into generous slices.

Then there were flowers from my darling friends' at Nook. Two gorgeous bouquets of flowers. One vase filled with baby pink and deep red roses as well as pale violet orchids. The other a wild arrangement of pristine white lilies and dark magenta daisies.

Both bouquets did a good job representing me as I've always thought I have a sedate, elegant side as well as a wild, devil-may-care one.

They're snuggled together looking rather cosy on my bedside table. Right now, everything smells of lilies and roses. Absolutely fabulously lovely.

Happy Birthday to me and a reminder...

Season's swan song?

2015-01-18T19:38:00.000+08:00

Handmade German Christmas ornament

The Christmas carols are still playing. At least in my car. Though in reality Epiphany is here and most Christmas things are down and put away. Mine included. Still, I am holding on to the belief that Christmas will truly be over for me only after my birthday and so the carols will continue for a few weeks more.

Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus

Slowly but surely, the world has somehow intruded in. The children are back in school, the early morning traffic is back to an unearthly level of madness and everyone - at least on this side of the world - is gearing themselves up for Chinese New Year.

My un-pretty but functional Christmas tree

The earth has grown old with its burden of care, But at Christmas it always is young. The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, And its soul full of music breaks the air, When the sonf of angels is sung.

Phillips Brooks

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month

Harlan Miller

Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

Augusta E Rundell

Christmas... is not an external event at all, but a piece of one's home that one carries in one's heart.

Freya Stark

Butter sugar love

2015-01-14T20:57:00.000+08:00

There's nothing more exciting than plotting what cakes and biscuits to bake for Christmas. For me anyway. The moment December descends, I'm almost always seized by a certain madness involving butter, sugar, flour, eggs and generous lashings of vanilla.

The 2014 plan was for the traditional Christmas Cake, Pineapple Jam Tarts, Chocolate Biscuits, Cashew Nut Biscuits and the super easy Sugee Biscuits. Then, a week before Christmas I fell ill. As I usually put off Christmas baking until the last week leading up to the day it was very frustrating. The only good news I had was that the all-important Cake was made and sitting quietly in a cool, dark place.

I baked anyway. A biscuit a day. Starting with the Chocolate Biscuits and ending with the Pineapple Jam Tarts. I would have liked to make at least one more type of biscuit but the Tarts took me almost six hours to make and completely did me in. I was so tired, I decided enough was enough. No more baking until I was well again.

The new kids on the block were the Cashew Nut Biscuits. The recipe I used was adapted from here. It turned out to be a most delicious biscuit. Most people loved it, the exceptions being the die-hard Pineapple Jam Tart fans.

Cashew Nut Biscuits
Adapted from KitchenTigress

150g Butter, softened
180g Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 Egg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
200g Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
200g Cashew Nuts, toasted, cooled and ground into a powder
130g raw Cashew Nuts, split into halves
2 Egg Yolks, beaten

Preheat the oven to 140 Celsius. Sift the Flour and Baking Powder together. Set aside. Line a couple of baking trays with baking paper. Set aside.

Cream Butter and Sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in Egg, Vanilla Essence and Salt. Mix again. Gently fold in the Flour and Baking Powder. Then fold in the Ground Cashew Nuts. If the dough is sticky, add in a little Flour at a time until it leaves the sides of the bowl cleanly. Divide dough into 8 pieces and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Dust a flat surface lightly with Flour. Roll out a piece of dough at a time and cut into shapes just slightly larger than a cashew nut. Place shapes on the prepared baking tray. Roll and cut shapes until all the dough is used up.

Brush with Egg Yolk and press a raw Cashew Nut half on each biscuit flat side down. Brush again with Egg Yolk.

Bake at 150 Celsius until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking tray. Store in an airtight container.

First on sixth

2015-01-06T21:26:00.000+08:00

There's nothing better to start the year with than being in the company of friends. So on 1 January 2015, I woke-up late from the previous night's revelries (of wine, fireworks and Mamee monster snacks) and got ready (albeit groggily!) to go over to a friend's for some lunch, baking, tea and a nice long chat.

Here are some photos of the cupcakes Miss P and I baked together. The recipe will follow at some point I suppose. I'll have to get it off Miss P, as it was from a baking kit gift she received which we are all going to benefit from (wink, wink).

Gosh, for the life of me I can't remember the name of the cupcakes, but it turned out nice and moist with warm scents of vanilla and almond topped with whipped cream and the all-important sprinkles!

Of course, Baby Patrick and his new in-pristine-condition Bunny friend came out to visit with me. As you can see, I've purposely positioned Baby Patrick at the back of Bunny, as I'm not sure you'd want to feast your eyes on His Tattiness in all his glory!

Updated on 18 January 2015

Cupcakes with Hundreds & Thousands

225g Butter, softened
225g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs, beaten
50g Plain Flour
150g Ground Almonds
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 tablespoon Milk

For decoration
150ml Whipping Cream
1 tablespoon Icing Sugar, sifted
Vanilla Essence
Hundreds & Thousands

Preheat the oven at 140 Celsius. Place paper cases into a 12-hole cupcake tin.

In a large bowl, beat the Butter and Sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the Eggs until well combined.

Sift in the Flour and Baking Powder. Then add the Ground Almonds, Vanilla and Milk. Mix well.

Spoon batter into the prepared paper cases. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.

To decorate, whip Cream, Icing Sugar and a few drops of Vanilla Essence until thick. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe out spirals on top of the cupcakes, or just dollop on with a teaspoon. Finish off by sprinkling on some Hundreds & Thousands.

Every new day is like a little wrapped present

2015-01-03T20:45:00.000+08:00

I've always thought that in January of each year we get a present of a new year waiting to be unwrapped. This year I've decided that each and every new day I'm grated will be a present which will unwrap itself at dawn.

Just like all presents, some will be beautiful, some welcome, some suitable, some unsuitable, some unwelcome and some downright ugly. And just like those presents, I will have to deal with each one as it unwraps. Deciding how to react and what to do will be sometimes easy, sometimes difficult.

All I ask is that I receive the strength to cope with everything and as Sarah Ban Breathnach says "Celebrate the Sacred in the ordinary'. Instead of saying 'I'm busy', to make time.

"Chronos is clocks, deadlines, watches, calendars, agendas, planner, schedules, beepers. Chronos is time at her worst. Chronos keeps track. Chronos is the world's time. Kairos is transcendence, infinity, reverance, joy, passion, love, the Sacred. Kairos is intimacy with the Real. Kairos is time at her best. Kairos is Spirit's time. We exist in Chronos. We long for Kairos. That's our duality. Chronos requires speed so it won't be waste. Kairos required space so that it might be savoured. We do in Chronos. In Kairos we're allowed to be. It takes only a moment to cross over from Chronos into Kairos, but it does take a moment. All that Kairos asks is our willingness to stop running long enough to hear the music of the spheres."

Sarah Ban Breathnach

The day after the party

2014-12-28T00:02:00.001+08:00

Yesterday was the day of the marvelous Turkish feast. Alas, I have no photos to share with you, as I had - while doing my hostess duties - completely forgot to get the designated photographer to do his duty!

Anyway, the food was ate, wine was drunk, Christmas crackers popped and crowns crowned in glorious rainbow colours. What did I cook? An array of mezze - ezme, hummus, cacik, fasulye piyazi, roasted patlican salatasi - served with pita wedges; as well as kuru koftes and ispanakli peynirli borek for mains. For dessert there was Christmas cake and biscuits.

There are no photos of food or recipes today, just some photos of the day-after-the-party and the Christmas decorations at home.

Mugs, dishes, wine glasses drying

My cop sis kebab skewers from Kemeralti

In vino veritas

My special Lincoln House silverware made its debut

J.O.Y.

A swan full of blooms

Red velvet pearl-studded Christmas tree

The Nativity scene

Presents for me... presents for you...

The Menorah

The day before Christmas Eve

2014-12-23T23:37:00.000+08:00

It's the eve of Christmas Eve. The last of the baking is done and put away. Brightly twinkling lights ushered in the Carollers this evening and my gold-y table-top tree from Ikea is finally out.

Tomorrow I'll take out the Holy Family from their wrappings and put them out. To remind myself of why this season really is. Faith, Hope, Peace and Love. The last the greatest of all.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government

Shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful,

Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Bodrum

2014-12-21T19:46:00.001+08:00

Is there anything to say about Bodrum? A lot I daresay, but the time's not ripe and I'd like to get my Christmas posts up soon so I can start feeling all properly Christmassy.

I'll leave you with a couple of rather boring photos and hopefully you'll wish to hear more about Bodrum soon. (wink, wink)

The view while driving by

Houses on a hill

Akyaka... and the best day ever

2014-12-21T19:31:00.001+08:00

Akyaka... so much to say and I don't know how to say it all. It was indescribable to say the least. There's nothing much by way of grand history here, but it's special nonetheless.

As it was the tail-end of summer when we were there, it was full of local tourists. Looking out over the beach we saw numerous deck chairs; conical woven umbrellas; and people of all shapes and sizes enjoying sun, sea and surf.

This place is much more than just sun, sea and surf. It is where a stream meets the sea. The Azmak, I believe it's called. It's deep enough for daily boat tours and clear enough for you to feast your eyes upon the rich underwater fauna as well as fish.

Then there are the ducks who call the stream their home. An entire gaggle of them swimming hither tither in crystal clear waters.

After the stunning boat ride we had, we sat down to cups of Cay (what else?) plus some nice, cold icy treats while watching the world go by.

Boats lined-up for the daily boat tours

On our boat with other tourists

Magical underwater fauna

Dear Mr. Duckworthy

...and his gaggle of friends

Para-gliders and sun-goddesses

All decked out

I'd love a little yacht like that

Pretty orange flower

Our dangerously delicious, slightly boozy treats

Marmaris

2014-12-21T19:01:00.001+08:00

After Cleopatra's Island, we went on to Marmaris. There we stayed at the Joya del Mar a lovely little boutique hotel by the sea.

I had a lovely little odd-corner room filled white-painted wood furniture decorated with hand-painted flowers. All very dainty and girly.

The kidney-shaped swimming pool looked inviting but was oh-so-cold, so I jumped out and then back in when forced to. I managed to swim very little as my feet couldn't touch the floor and the water was shivering-ly cold. Brrr... I suppose I'm spoiled here at home with all the sun-kissed warm pools around.

We ended the day with a gorgeous grilled fish dinner and started a new day with someone ordering a rather large Turkish breakfast which I will never forget. At the time, I didn't think of taking a photo of it, but now... I'd love a photo of the fantabulous spread!

Sun and sea

Little fishes swimming in the clear water of the sea

A pretty view

The very merry circumcision ceremony on the jetty...

2014-12-21T13:20:00.000+08:00

Here's one to remember! When we got off the ferry returning from Cleopatra's Island, we bumped into a family celebrating their sons' circumcision! Complete with much fanfare of clanging cymbals, drums a-drumming, etc. it was quite a sight to behold.

Cleopatra's Island

2014-12-21T13:09:00.001+08:00

Sometimes one is spoiled for choice. How in the world does one choose between the old glories of Istanbul and the Aegean blue? If I were a typical tourist my choice would have been Istanbul, but I'm not, and so the Aegean blue won hands down.

We went down to Cleopatra's Island (also known as Sedir Island), Marmaris and then on to Bodrum. We stopped off along the way to Marmaris for a breather. This is what we saw.

View from the top of the hill

Prickly shrubs

Look at that blue, blue sky

This little fellow was running about, with all the children (myself included) pointing out excitedly saying 'Oh look! Oh look'

Portakal suyu, anyone?

After the brief rest, we continued on. Eventually we turned-off at a rather unassuming junction and onto a rather country-fied looking lane that lead us to a jetty. We waited there for a bit after buying tickets and enjoyed the blazing heat while waiting for the ferry to arrive.

The story behind Cleopatra's Island is a romantic one. Legend has it that when Cleopatra was to visit the island, her lover Mark Antony had ships bring this sand in from the Red Sea so Her Royal Highness would not have to step on foreign soil.

The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,

Burned on the water; the poop was beaten gold,

Purple the sails, and so perfumed, that

The winds were love-sick with them, the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,

It beggared all description; she did lie

In her pavilion,--cloth-of-gold of tissue,--

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

The fancy outwork nature; on each side her

Stood pretty-dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

With divers-coloured fans, whose wind did seem

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

And what they undid did.

William Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra

It is said that each grain of this sand is a perfect sphere and is derived from seashells. As this sand is apparently not found anywhere outside Egypt, it is protected in Turkey.

So if you're ever in the vicinity, don't try to steal the sand. Doing so may incur the wrath of the armed-guard sitting in his watch-tower!

The jetty to Cleopatra's Island

The view while waiting for the ferry

The beach at Cleopatra's Island

See that fine creamy sand? That's protected. What you don't see in this photo is the guard sitting up in his watch-tower ready to go after anyone who takes even a grain off the beach

A gorgeous blue day

There's no getting tired of the blue

If you walk away from the beach, you'll come across some ruins. They are the remnants of a settlement long abandoned.

Love birds in the shrubbery

Mr. & Mrs. Sunshine

Tumbling stones

Where did this lead once you think?

Blue, blue sea

Ah... such gorgeousness

A feathery inhabitant of the island

Chicky, chicky, chook, chook

Cittantica, Kusadasi & Sirince

2014-12-15T21:59:00.000+08:00

We were on the way to Kusadasi when we stopped over at Cittantica - a newly-built sprawling site of... something. We didn't know what it was, but a string of coaches were stopping, so we had to stop too. What it actually turned out to be was a rather touristy shopping centre done up in the style of a Middle Eastern marketplace with lots of things to buy!

I must say we had a good time exploring the marketplace. It had all things that appeal to tourists in Turkey for sale. Mountains of beautifully boxed Turkish Delight and spices; hand-painted pottery bowls in all colours of the rainbow; hand-made soap; key chains; gorgeous blown-glass tableware; delicate table cloths; and so much more.

Not only that, we had arrived just in time for a show!

The elaborate show in Cittantica of dancing ladies and dueling men at a royal court

After the delights of Cittantica. We were off to Kusadasi, where we stopped for a local lunch of delicious Pide. We walked off lunch with a stroll by the sea.

Cruise stopover in Kusadasi

I'd love to live on this hill overlooking the sea

Let's take a break with a view

A beacon in the night

After Kusadasi, we took a winding drive up into the hills to a little village called Sirince. It is famous for its fruit wine. Other attractions include an old school house-turned-museum; cobble-stoned streets and little shops selling hand-made items of all sorts.

We stopped at a couple of wine shops and had a sip or two (or three) of this wine and that, finally settling on Apple, Strawberry and Melon.

And then, I met a 'boyfriend'. He runs a little shop selling hand-made glass pendants. He helped me make a deep burnt orange one and sold me another. It was quite fun making my own pendant! Alas, I had to say goodbye to him.

The village and the area surrounding it is very picturesque. We enjoyed the view while having a cup of tea and a sit down.

Sacred pomegranates

Wine in all colours and flavours

Our friendly wine shop proprietor

Drink, and drink some more

Which do you like best?

Have a smoke?

Hand-stitched dolls for sale. This one reminded me of a gollywog

More fruity wine to choose from

On the streets of Sirince

My 'boyfriend' of a few minutes

The artistic type. He taught me how to make my own glass pendant

Houses on a hill

Bostanli Market

2014-12-15T21:53:00.001+08:00

Before I get into the swing of all things Christmas, I am going to post all my photos of Turkey. So here's the first lot.

Bostanli Market is the first market I've ever been to in Turkey. We started off with a slow and lazy ferry ride across the Bay of Izmir. It was a day of blue skies, sunshine and a feeling of good things to come.

We took what we later discovered was a long walk to Bostanli stopping to get directions along the way. Once we started seeing people with trolley bags full of fresh produce, we knew we were on the right track.

The market is amazing. I do not know if all markets in Turkey look like this, but this one is fabulous. I've never seen so much fresh produce under one roof before. From sleek, shiny aubergines to sweet smelling peaches, the produce on display was quite something to behold. The sight of all that gorgeousness made me want to have weekly access to it very badly!

View of Izmir from the ferry

Bostanli Market

Sweet figs galore, which I of course forgot to eat before leaving Izmir. Sigh.

A basket of walnuts

Huge heads of broccoli

Grapes in abundance

Picking out vegetables for the week

Perfumed peaches that took my breath away

Itty bitty colourful lady's fingers

Come buy my produce

Try the strawberries, they're lovely

Giant red peppers

Let's go nuts on nuts

Say cheese

The bread of life

Hot, fresh from the griddle Gozleme filled with spinach and white cheese

It's December

2014-12-06T19:01:00.000+08:00

It's December. In fact, an entire week of it has gone by already. I haven't even finished uploading my photos of beautiful Turkey and my visit was in September!

In keeping with the season, I've baked a batch of cookies with a little friend, a cake for my Aunt's Cell Group and some Gingerbread Men (who all met their demise fairly fast).

Also in keeping with the season, I've received FOUR presents already. For someone who isn't getting herself any presents this, I've done really well done so far.

Two came unwrapped, while the rest came wrapped but were unwrapped very quickly. I got a copy of Luisa Weiss' My Berlin Kitchen; a set of Georg Jensen Christmas Ornaments; Ghillie Basan's The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking and Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour.

If you know me well, you'll know that I adore books. I've put each one of these books to use already. I've started reading My Berlin Kitchen, and have busy been poring over the cookbooks with great delight for ideas on what to cook for the little Christmas Party I'm throwing on the 26th.

In the meantime, I still have to eat. Here's what I did with a fillet of white fish recently.

Baked White Fish

1 fillet White Fish, boneless

1 Tomato, chopped fine with seeds and pulp removed

1 clove Garlic, chopped fine

Green Pesto

Salt

Black Pepper, freshly ground

Coloured Peppers, whole

Olive Oil

Preheat the oven at 170 Celsius. Tear-off a sheet of aluminium foil large enough to wrap the Fish in. Place the foil on a baking tray.

Place the Fish in the middle of the foil. Place the Tomatoes on top and sprinkle on the Garlic. Season with Salt and Pepper. Dot the top with Pesto and scatter the Coloured Peppers over. Drizzle over the Olive Oil. Wrap the Fish sealing the edges carefully.

Place the Fish and baking tray into the oven. Increase the heat to 190 Celsius and bake for about 25 minutes.

Be careful when you remove the Fish from the oven. Carefully unseal the foil for the steam will be hot. Dish out on a plate and pour the remaining juices from the parcel onto the Fish. Serve immediately.

Top of the world

2014-11-05T20:57:00.003+08:00

The ancient Greek city of Pergamon sits high on a mountain shelf about 26 kilometres away from the Aegean Sea. It is one of the seven churches of Asia as mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

To visit Pergamon, you have to travel to the modern city of Bergama and head up the mountain in a cable car.

View from the cable car

Once at the top, you'll be greeted by a row of rickety shops chock-full of colourful bits and bobs run by cheeky Turkish men who will first ask you where you're from, who then if your answer happens to be England, will respond by saying 'Buy something. It's cheaper than Tesco!'

Cheeky shopkeepers are not all you will see way up there. The prospect from the top is quite breathtaking.

We went up a ramp into the ancient city; got caught in a sudden shower of rain (nothing like the Malaysian showers though because it lasted all of 10 minutes or less, but guess who freaked-out and ran for cover thinking it was going to be like one of our violent tropical storms); got hoodwinked - you know who you are - into walking down into the rather steep Hellenistic Theatre (which has the steepest seating of any known theatre in the ancient world mind you); finishing off at the Altar of Zeus in the Upper Acropolis.

Look who's hiding in this photo?

View of Bergama while seated in the theatre

The Hellenistic Theatre

Interestingly, most of the Altar is located in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The cunning Germans carted the whole lot back to Germany years and years ago. All that's left for anyone to see in the Upper Acropolis is the base of the Altar.

A cluster of trees mark the base of the great Altar of Zeus

After the walk, we sat down to tea and a shop.

One of the many glasses of Cay enjoyed

Colourful bits and bobs. All cheaper than Tesco!

At the foot of Pergamon lies a great ruined temple called the Red Basilica. The building is one of the largest Roman structures still surviving in the ancient Greek world. It is thought that the building was initially used as a temple for Egyptian gods. Much later, the temple was converted into a church by the Byzantines.

As with all ruins so old, this one is slowly but surely being ravaged by time. The building was off limits, so we could only take photos of it from afar.

View of Pergamon from the Red Basilica

Cave troll cooks

2014-10-08T21:34:00.000+08:00

10 minutes out of the oven

My new name is Grumpy Cross the Cave Troll. Why? Because I've been laid-up at home with a fractured foot and beginning to get what a sharp-eyed friend of mine calls 'cabin fever'.

The fracture happened in Bodrum. Who, what, where, when, why, how don't ask. It's enough to say that I was having too much fun and was looking forward to more delights when I hurt the foot. (Turkey has lots of eye-candy and good-quality alcohol)

I still managed a short (very short) walk in Soke on the way back to Izmir; a cooking class; some shopping in Cigli; a 14-hour flight home; three days of work; a batch of Lahmacun and trying to drive twice before I took myself to the hospital to get it checked. Then of course I panicked when I found out it was a fracture. Fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal to be exact.

Since then it's been Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. The swelling has settled somewhat yet still lingers ever so slightly in certain areas. The doctor says it will only all go down once the foot is completely healed, which can take anything from 6 weeks to 3 months.

Meanwhile, I figure maybe if I look at it hard enough for some time every day it will get better. Growing bones is a worrisome business.

I hobble around preparing my own meals, washing my own clothes and basically being as normal as possible during the times it is necessary to walk; while the rest of the time my foot is kept up. Several trips to the grocer have been necessary as well as I'm at home the whole day with nothing else to do other than think of the next meal.

Still, being in the house all day has made me grumpy and cross. I suppose I'm not quite used to depending on others to get things done. It's also been a harsh reminder of two things - One, that I do MANY things by myself for myself and Two, that I cannot depend on anyone else entirely. It's been rough to say the least.

Some very thoughtful friends sent me gorgeous flowers and fruit baskets. I'm busy making inroads into all that fruit. I must say that since I'm now in the business of growing bones I've been disciplined about eating great amounts of the 5-a-day pedigree. That and drinking copious amounts of powdered Anlene milk. God, I hate powdered milk!

Crisp, warm and fragrant Apple Crumble

To cheer myself up today, I took an apple and quickly whipped-up a real cheat's recipe of Apple Crumble, all in the name of soothing the Troll. Considering I'm feeling better, I'll say it worked like a charm!

What I adore about these Crumbles are that while they're warm, they're nice and crisp on top with a soft, stewed inside; fragrant with apple juices, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon.

Apple Crumble

10 1/2 measured tablespoons of Plain Flour

7 measured tablespoons of Light Brown Sugar

6 measured tablespoons of cold Salted Butter (you can eyeball the Butter measurements)

A little Vanilla Essence

1 large red Apple

Cinnamon Sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven at 160 Celsius. In a bowl, place the Flour and Sugar. Mix through. Sprinkle in the Vanilla. Cut in the pieces of butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse, largish breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Cut the Apple into small cubes and divide into either 2 or 3 ramekins depending on their size. Sprinkle a little of the Cinnamon Sugar on top. Then smother the Apples with the Crumble.

Put all ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 190 Celsius just until the tops turn a golden colour. Remove from the oven, let it cool for about 10 minutes and then eat while still warm with or without a luscious Vanilla Ice-Cream.

*The recipe makes more Crumble than necessary for just one Apple. I simply put the access in an airtight container and in the fridge for another day of fruit Crumble later this week. It also depends what crumble to fruit ratio you prefer. I like mine slightly heavier on the crumble. Delicious!

Come to tea and biscuits

2014-09-27T12:08:00.001+08:00

In the days running up to my holiday, I was restless. The Turkish Cay glasses came out and I set out to bake small batches of little nibbly biscuits to go with the copious amounts of tea I'd started drinking.

These biscuits were truly a delight. They came together quickly and were melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Perfect as a pick-me-up or hostess gift in a hurry. Or perhaps for no reason at all but to accompany glasses of umber-coloured Cay while contemplating the endless delightful possibilities awaiting on your holiday.

Chinese Almond Biscuits

Adapted from BreadetButter

150g Plain Flour

100g Ground Almonds

65g Caster Sugar

Scant 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

Scant 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

A few drops Almond Essence

A pinch of Salt

100ml - 150ml Grapeseed Oil (or any other odourless Oil)

1 Egg White, beaten

Preheat the oven at 140 Celsius. Line a baking tray and set aside.

Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whisk everything together. Make a well in the centre and add in the Essences and a little of the Oil.

With clean hands, gently bring the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the Oil little by little as you go until you have a soft, crumbly dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. (depending on the weather and type of Oil used, you may need slightly more or less of it than stated in the recipe)

Roll into little balls and place on the baking tray. With a chopstick, make indents in the centre of each biscuit. Brush each biscuits with the Egg White. Bake at about 150 Celsius for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the tops turn a light golden brown. Leave to cool on the tray before storing in an airtight container.

Variation:

Coconut Oil Almond Biscuits

150g Plain Flour

50g Ground Almonds

60g Caster Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

A pinch of Salt

6 - 8 tablespoons of liquid organic virgin Coconut Oil

Preheat the oven at 140 Celsius. Line a baking tray and set aside.

Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whisk everything together. Make a well in the centre and add in the Essence and a little of the Oil.

Roll into little balls and place on the baking tray. Bake at about 150 Celsius for about 20 - 25 minutes. Biscuits will not turn brown, but to avoid over-baking remove from the oven at the time specified. Leave to cool on the tray before storing in an airtight container.

Semolina Almond Biscuits

Adapted from The Little Teochew

100g Plain Flour

60g Semolina

40g Ground Almonds

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

A few teaspoons Ghee

Preheat the oven at 140 Celsius. Line a baking tray and set aside.

Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whisk everything together. Make a well in the centre and add in the Essence and a little of the Ghee.

With clean hands, gently bring the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the Ghee little by little as you go until you have a soft, crumbly dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.

Roll into little balls and place on the baking tray. Press down with the back of a fork. Bake at about 150 Celsius for about 20 - 25 minutes. Leave to cool on the tray before storing in an airtight container.

Of markets, coffee and fish dinners

2014-09-25T23:22:00.001+08:00

It's commonly assumed that a person with a blog while travelling should or would take a gazillion photos to document every single bit of their journey. That's not so much me. While I'll readily admit to wanting to take a gazillion photos like every other person, I'm pretty adamant about enjoying the amazing sights and sounds without whipping out the Nikon every single time.

Sometimes, it's just best to put away the camera. Stop. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and open them again while ever so slowly sweeping your gaze across the horizon of wherever you are to simply soak it all in.

My time away is about the warm feeling that fills your heart while sipping a hot cup of coffee by the sea; shared laughter during dinner time conversation; the coziness of a hug; the coldness of ice-cream on your tongue while a cold wind whips around you; watching the sun go down in a spectacular show of colours and so much more. My time. My feast of senses.

Kemeralti was just that. Probably smaller than Istanbul's Spice or Grand Bazaar, it was still exciting to say the least!

When you walk in, you're assaulted by the loud, excited chatter of people that you would find in any bazaar across the world; along with smells of hot. brewed cups of Cay and Kahvesi; roasting meats dripping with fat ready to be sliced off and placed on flatbread to sop up its juices; dried peppers and aubergines hanging in bunches from rooftops; twinkling silver catching your eye in the silver shops and so much more.

The first thing I saw at Kemeralti was this very, very hardworking little Bear. He was busy pounding coffee beans outside a little coffee shop selling what looked like a whole range of coffee. Coffee, coffee, coffee.

Turks seems to have a passion for preserving fruit and vegetables, perhaps because everything is seasonal. There were dried chilli peppers and aubergines almost everywhere.

Ooey-gooey, sticky sweetie that sticks to your teeth and gums. Every colour is a different fruit flavour. The vendor twirls a bit of each flavour on a stick and dips the finished sweet in lemon before giving it to you. I felt like a child again eating it!

After a walk hither-tither peeking into little shops that sold anything and everything, we stopped for coffee just as some buskers came by to entertain everyone. There was some amount of eye-candy (wink, wink) as well, but sorry they're not in the photos!

More shops! I tried on some pretty Ottoman-inspired necklaces in a silver shop, poked around places selling pots and pans (my favourite!), antiques and inhaled the pungent aroma of spices in the spice shop.

Then, we were off to Urla for my first fish dinner! It was a perfect dinner that lasted almost 3 hours I think? Or was it 4? Who cares. We started with little plates of Meze and Calamari; then graduated to utterly scrumptious Grilled Prawns with Brown Butter and Fish; with Cay and a complimentary mother-of-all-fruit-platters to finish. All the while being carefully watched over by the neighbourhood cats and hounds.

The sun set over the sea while we were driving to Urla for dinner. It is quite a spectacular thing to behold in all its glory.

Grumpy, cross Miss loves magic

2014-09-24T21:59:00.004+08:00

I don't know about you, but when I return home from a magical holiday I usually am the grumpiest, crossest Miss you ever did see! Still, I'm not as grumpy and cross as I can be this time round.

Perhaps that's because I came home with a twisted foot and so spent the next few days in a drug-induced daze to kill the pain? Who knows? Either way, I'd give anything to wind back time a bit!

My first day in Izmir was just about perfect. Picked-up at the airport by a very kind person; breakfast out on the balcony - homemade Turkish Breakfast, if I remember correctly; a nice long walk along the seafront in Alsancak; cold, cold ice-cream and then tea (can't quite remember because I was so sleepy I would have fallen asleep standing-up) out on the balcony again and then a nap.

A nap that turned into sleep! I slept for almost 4 hours and woke at 9.30pm and trotted out to the balcony to find friends finishing dinner. Got served scrumptious homemade Pumpkin and Ginger Soup which I drank from a mug. That made me feel all warm and lovely inside.

That's all I can remember from the first day. So I'll leave you with some photos of the walk by the seafront. Hopefully they'll titillate you into paying Turkey a visit!

I've been away...

2014-09-21T22:09:00.000+08:00

I've been away. There will be stories and photos soon of what I think is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Here's a little teaser photo of where I've been.

Pork Cutlets

2014-08-23T21:17:00.000+08:00

I woke to a bright sunny morning today, complete with chirping birds and my favourite Strawberry Smoothie. As I was drinking my Smoothie breakfast, I wondered what I should do for the rest of the day. You see, it's not often that I have a whole, empty day of nothingness presented to me. So today was a treasure.

With all the healthy eating going on with me these days, I thought that it would be nice to have a slightly un-healthy lunch. I also had all that lovely minced pork in the freezer to use up. Since no one in my family has made my grandmother's Pork Cutlets in a long time, my decision was easy.

Just like the Fish Cutlets, I knew I was in for a long morning of prep in the kitchen. It's unavoidable with Cutlets. You'll understand why when you read the recipe.

I had them for lunch with a mixed vegetable stir-fry and brown rice. Delicious and very much like I remember from a time long gone.

PORK CUTLETS

300g Minced Pork

3 medium-sized Potatoes

Boil, peel the skin off and mash. Set aside.

1 medium Red Onion

2 sprigs Curry Leaves

4 small cloves Garlic

Oil

Chop and saute till fragrant in a little Oil. Set aside.

1 teaspoon Cumin seeds

2 teaspoons Fennel seeds

2 teaspoons Ginger Powder

Dry roast in a pan till fragrant. When done, let it cool for a few minutes, then grind into a fine powder in a dry grinder. Set aside.

1/3 cup Cashew Nuts

Dry roast in a pan till lightly brown. When done, let it cool for a few minutes, then grind into a coarse powder in a dry grinder. Set aside.

F
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Salt, to taste

Oil

In a large bowl, place the Minced Pork. Add in the ingredients from B, C, D and E which you already prepared. Add a few pinches of Salt to taste. Then with clean hands or a spatula, mix everything together. Once done drizzle in a little of the Egg and mix it through well. You may not need the whole Egg. Only use enough to bind the mixture. Roll into balls, flatten them slightly and shallow fry in some Oil until brown. Drain on absorbent paper to remove excess Oil and serve immediately.

It's all a certain kind of madness

2014-08-20T21:34:00.000+08:00

My camera is a year old and I don't know what I'd do without it. Interesting isn't it? Considering the fact that for years I never 'missed' having it in my life, it's remarkably odd that in the one year it's been with me I've tried to take it everywhere with me, only stopping short when I remember how intrusive it can sometimes be to others. In my case, stopping short happens most of the time, which sadly enough means lost photo opportunities.

In the past year, I've also read and re-read articles, blogs and whatever written material on photography I can get my eager little hands on like there's no tomorrow. Some make sense, some don't, but the voracious reading continues, rather more than the clicking!

Then there's the lens lust that has taken over part of my life. Which lens is sharpest, which has the best bokeh, which is best for wide-angle, which is the best zoom, which camera models are best, etc. etc.

I pored over what seemed like a gazillion articles and photos online to decide on a new lens. It had to be perfect. It had to do everything. So to the shops I went, saw and bought. The new lens is far from perfect and doesn't do everything - obviously - but rather, is just the right fit. For me.

There is a lot of debate between the Nikon 16 - 85mm and the 18 - 200mm. I tried both as well as some other lenses (which were way out of my budget) at the shop and one thing was clear. I'm not the sort of person who carries a bagful of heavy anything anywhere for any amount of time or reason.

In light of that, it was Mr. 16 - 85mm that came home with me. He cost a pretty penny, so when I got home I went back to reading and re-reading articles that I'd already read about him just to reassure myself that I'd made the right decision. I've now decided I'm perfectly happy with him (despite his sometimes horrifying bokeh) and so he's staying.

As you can see I then promptly took him into the garden for a spin. Looks like I need a lot more practice. Sigh.

Kueh Lapis Legit

2014-08-09T11:25:00.000+08:00

Sometimes life hits you with a sledgehammer. You emerge dazed, disorientated and demotivated while wondering what the hell just happened. It takes days, weeks and sometimes months to pick yourself up and out of it. Yet when you finally gain your equilibrium back, there still seems to be a lingering halo of instability following you around for a time before it finally disappears into thin air like it was never there before.

I've been feeling like that recently. With numerous things going on at work and in life, I felt it was time to shake off the halo sooner rather than later. So I baked. A cake.

Not a cake for the faint-hearted this one. Anyone will tell you that it takes a borderline OCD and sadistic sort to willingly sit in front of a hot oven on a day of scorching heat to bake precisely measured batter into layers of perfectly even cake. Sometimes that's just what you need. To immerse yourself in something positive to push out the negative.

I've been wanting to try a Kueh Lapis Legit for a long time. So when I finally found time to do it, I went to town with it and made TWO in just one day.

It is a cake with many names, variations and appearances. While I like calling it Kueh Lapis Legit, it's also known as Kek Lapis, Kek Lapis Legit, Kek Lapis Rempah, Spekkoek, Dutch Spiced Layer Cake, Thousand Layer Cake, Indonesian Layer Cake, etc. Call it what you want.

Juliet

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Everyone seemed to like one better than the other, so the recipe below (adapted from here) is for the one that truly knocked everyone's socks off.

KUEH LAPIS LEGIT

450g Salted Butter, cold and cubed

2 tablespoons Condensed Milk

100g Caster Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

15 Egg Yolks

130g Plain Flour

5g Cornflour

1/2 teaspoon Mixed Spice

1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

5 Egg Whites

100g Caster Sugar

A little melted Butter

Preheat the oven at 120 Celsius with Top and Bottom heat. Lightly butter and line an 8 inch x 8 inch x 4 inch square cake tin with baking paper. Make sure the baking paper fits the bottom of the tin perfectly. Do not line the sides of the tin.

Other equipment needed - A thin Cake tester/Skewer/Pin; a Fondant Smoother/Kueh Lapis Press; a Ladle; a Brush for the melted Butter.

Mix and sift B together. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl - preferably a stand mixer - beat Butter until soft. Add in the Condensed Milk, Caster Sugar and Vanilla. Continue beating until pale and fluffy. Beat in the Egg Yolks one by one, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold in B by hand.

In a separate bowl - you need a hand-held electric mixer for this - whisk Egg Whites until slightly frothy. Add in the Sugar little by little and keep beating until it reaches soft peak stage.

Gently fold in C by hand into the A and B mixture until well combined. Take care not to knock the air out of the Egg Whites. Set aside.

Heat the empty prepared tin a little in the oven for a minute. Be careful of the baking paper warping. Press it down firmly if it warps after the tin is warmed and removed from the oven.

Add about 3 measured ladles (level off the top) of batter into the tin. Spread it out with the back of a small spoon and bake at 160 Celsius Top and Bottom heat on the middle rack with the oven door slightly open until golden brown.

Remove the tin from the oven, prick any air bubbles present and press down gently using the fondant smoother. Brush lightly with melted Butter.

Measure out the next 2 ladles of batter, pour into the tin and smooth with the back of a spoon. Turn the oven to 190 Celsius with Top heat only and bake the second layer of batter on a higher rack with the oven door slightly open until golden brown.

Remove the tin from the oven. Prick, press, brush, layer and bake as with the first and second layers. Keep going until you use up all the batter.

After you do the same for the last layer, turn the oven to 160 Celsius with Top and Bottom heat. Bake the whole cake for 5 - 10 minutes on the middle rack with the oven door closed to ensure the cake is cooked through properly.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the tin on a wire rack. Once completely cool, turn the cake out of the tin and cut into slices.

Notes

Ensure you have your day completely free when attempting this cake. It will take about 3 - 4 hours from start to finish if you do it right.
Ensure you have all the ingredients and equipment ready at hand before you start the mixing the cake.
It is most convenient to have two electric mixers on hand when making this cake. If not, wash and dry the beaters of your electric mixer well in between mixing A and C.
Make the first layer of the cake slightly thicker than the others as it will provide a firm base for the rest of the cake.
Use only one ladle and measure the batter out carefully while baking to get even layers of cake.
Take care to use Top and Bottom heat or Top heat only where necessary. I left the oven door slightly open when using Top heat only so as to prevent the oven from getting too hot and burning the cake.
Do not walk away or leave the cake unattended at any time. It burns easily.