HomeMadeS

Cezanne's Secret Admirer Here

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:38:00 +0000

It's moody and it's still life more than food photography. But that's what my 365 Project is about. Today is supposed to have 20 photos, but I missed a day when I heard the distracting news about Mum.

Anyway, I took all of these photos with iPad2 camera and post-processed them on several photo & video applications available on iTunes, and shared them on instagram and Flickr.

Why iPad2? Reading many thumb-downs on iPad2 camera reviews everywhere, I want to make a prove to at least myself, that although it only has 0.92mp, I still can do something about it rather than complaining and whining for higher resolution on a tablet PC.

I haven't really printed out the photos that I took just yet, but I don't think it matters. So, my project is on moody light, inspired by many still life paintings produced either modern times or Renaissance's. I'm a secret admirer of Cezanne. Don't tell anyone!

These are the 365 Project on moody light from Day 1 - Day 19

Have a great weekend!!

Sweet New Zealand January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:14:00 +0000

Happy New Sweet Year!

January is going to be sweet, indeed. I'm taking the baton from Bron to host Sweet New Zealand, originally created by our very own author and creative blogger, Alessandra Zecchini. Have a look at December's sweet round-up Bron had collected last year.

This event is open to all Kiwi food bloggers living in New Zealand or overseas. It is also open for expats living in New Zealand.
Send me anything sweet, as many submissions as you like.
Your entry must mention "Sweet New Zealand" and linked to the original page Alessandra Zecchini had initiated. You may attach the badge with the size to your liking on your post.
Submit your entry/ies to arfi.binsted@gmailDOTcom, with your Name, Blog Name and Link, your Post Link, and a 500pxls resized photo, please. I will still receive the latest submission until on the 30th January 2012, then I'll publish the round-up hopefully on the 1st of February 2012.
Hoping to see many great Summery entries!!

Although our weather hasn't given much an improvement for summertime, we can't wait to scream for ice cream. Since plums are abundant in our orchard, wasted by birds and rain, we picked them the other day just enough to make ice cream and sorbet. At least, some are not going to be wasted.

Before Christmas time, my beloved bought me an ice cream maker. A small one. I haven't used any ice cream maker before, so this is my first try out.

It went okay, though some features mentioned on the manufacturers manual instructions don't actually work. The ice cream did not freeze in 20 minutes, for instance, but it has to be frozen overnight after being churned.

Here is my entry for Sweet New Zealand.

Plum Ice Cream

500g blood plums

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

a little water

Cook plums with sugar and a little water until blistered and tender. Remove from the heat. Add in vanilla extract. Strained through sieve and discard the stones. Set aside.

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup vanilla caster sugar (I always have it handy, homemade and store in a separate jar)

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar. Put on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Keep whisking until double in volume and thicker, and the egg mixture is warmed through. Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool and then keep in the fridge.

300ml fresh cream

Whisk until fluffy and smooth. Whisk in the cooled egg mixture, and then plum, mix until well-combined. Pour into the ice cream bowl and churn.

You need to consult your ice cream maker manual on how long you should churn. I still have to put mine in the freezer overnight after being churned.

Have a blast January!

Dairy-Free Pannacotta

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:02:00 +0000

I am not really good at staying away from dairy products, as much as I have to. I still love nibbling my favourite cheese Camembert, or spooning a dollop of Mascarpone on a bowl of freshly picked orange juice macerated strawberries. I still like enjoying homemade cappuccino with heaps of milk foam on top and love devouring over creme brulee as my favourite desserts on a special occassion. All of those are too good to be substituted with dairy-free ingredients, if I have to be frank, but they are not without consequences that I have to deal with afterwards. If they are in any way substituted, I cannot find a parallel satisfaction I can get from dairy products counterparts.

Sometimes the consequence is so ugly that makes me promise myself right to the bone not to go back to the previous diets (although I often don't keep).

The older, the wiser I am (says me). If I want to live longer and healthy, please Arfi, don't break your own promises. If dairy-free products can keep me enjoy the world much longer and watch my kids grow up, then stick with them. It is a long-term conduct of well-being, I suppose. And (perhaps) self-discipline.

So, yes. I have to switch my palate to another direction my body tells it's safe to consume. Perhaps with a little adjustment, I will be alright.

I am sure I am not the only one.

The good news is, I am a bit lucky that I can find a lot of gluten-free and dairy-free baking substitutes at our local (Pukekohe, The Heart of Franklin, that is) specialty store, 'N Tolerance. They have Milk Alternatives, Soy Condensed Milk, as well as other baking substitutes you find on the website. Besides, you can just find milk substitutes at ordinary groceries, such as 'Pak n Save. Coconut milk and coconut cream are also widely available at local groceries or Asian shops. I don't think I would be able to complain anymore.

It's now the matter of being creative.

I have been experimenting on these products for such a long time to make pannacotta, not that I am paid to say these things, but just as you know. Soy milk and Rice milk are equally good. Almond milk will give slightly richer texture with nutty flavour more than the previous mentioned. But when you make pannacotta, you will need something quite thicker than milk. Therefore, I use coconut cream.

Dairy-Free Vanilla Rice Milk and Coconut Cream Pannacotta

Allison of Pease Pudding sent me a jar of agar-agar weeks ago (thanks, Alli!) and I use it to make this dairy-free pannacotta. The result will be a firmer texture of pannacotta, not as wobbly as a jelly would be like. I have been familiar cooking with agar-agar because this is what we mostly use to cook desserts in Indonesia, like Casablanca Pudding I made years ago, although nowadays gelatine has been introduced and been used widely. We enjoy this pannacotta with blueberry compote.

The interesting thing about agar-agar is that you can cook it with the other ingredients without the need to soak it in liquid firsthand. If you have some mixture left on your saucepan, it will slide away easily when you rinse it in cold water.

400ml coconut cream
100ml rice milk
1 Tbs agar-agar powder
1 vanilla bean, split and scrapped
1/2 cup caster sugar

Whisk all the ingredients in a large saucepan until well-blended. Boil on high heat until bubbly and then on low heat to simmer until the mixture is thicken. Discard the vanilla bean. Pour the mixture into prepared glasses. Let cool and then transfer into the fridge. Serve with your favourite topping.

Happy Holidays!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:13:00 +0000

What is so attractive about cracked biscuits? They are photogenic if you ask me.

These biscuits are my gluten-free version. I use milk chocolate for that what I only can find in my pantry, therefore, less sugar is used.

This is my entry for Sweet New Zealand, initiated by Alessandra Zecchini and now hosted by Bron Marshall for a sweet December treat.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Crackle Biscuits

1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1 Cup white rice flour
2 Tbs cornflour
1/2 tsp Guar gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
250g milk chocolate
60g margarine
1/4 cup caster sugar (use more if you want it sweeter and crispier)
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
icing sugar to coat

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line baking trays with baking paper.

Sift the flours, gum, baking powder and salt together in a bowl, set aside. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl which sits on top of a pot of simmering water. Let cool.

Beat eggs and sugar until thick, add in vanilla essence, beat again. Add in chocolate and butter mixture. Mix well. Fold in flour mix. Mix well. Let cool in the fridge until hardened and easier to work on.

Roll into little marbles, roll into a bowl of icing sugar. Arrange the coated balls on trays, and bake for more or less 12-15 minutes or until firm when touched. Let cool on trays for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Keep them in an airtight jars. Makes 20.

KBB#26: Panettone

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

I have made this draft weeks ago in Bahasa. I hope you don't mind. It's just another task of our baking club, KBB, to make Panettone (I think Alessandra will be able to tell a story about this further on, won't you Alessandra?). I quite like it. I like bread with dried fruits, like Bara Brith in England. Things are getting Christmasy the end of the year, so perhaps this will be one of your sweet on the table? Happy Holiday!!

Tantangan KBB kali ini bikin panettone, cake/roti-nya wong Itali. Sudah pernah bikin ini dulunya, pakai resep King Arthur Flour Cookbook. Menurutku sih seperti roti bluder yang dulu pernah dibawain Mbak Ine ketika ketemuan di Depok, cuma buah2an keringnya menclok-menclok diseluruh penjuru. Kalo roti bluder-nya Mbak Ine kan diisi dalemnya pake macam2 filling.

Ga ada masalah dalam pembuatan. Cuaca di NZ menyemangati pembuatan roti-rotian karena sedang musim panas.

Panettone (traditional Italian christmas bread)
Source: The Worldwide Gourmet

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cakes of fresh baker's yeast
- 65 ml (1/4 cup) sugar

- 6 tbsp. warm water
- 6 egg yolks
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- A pinch of salt
- 500-750 ml (2-3 cups) flour
- 100 ml (6 tbsp.) diced candied peel
- 100 g (6 tbsp.) + 2 tbsp.butter
- 4 tbsp. sultanas
- 4 tbsp. currants
- 1 tsp. vanilla

Method

Sprinkle 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and the yeast over the warm milk and let sit 3 minutes; mix and let rest in a warm draft-free place (e.g., a warm oven that has been turned off) until the mixture has doubled in volume, approximately 5 minutes;
pour the mixture into a bowl, add in the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and remaining sugar;
gradually mix in 500 ml (2 c.) of the flour by hand until a smooth consistency is attained - the dough should easily come together into a ball;
gradually add the butter cut into small dice and beat until the dough becomes smoother and more elastic;
add 125 to 250 ml (1/2 to 1 c.) more flour until the dough is firm and silky but not sticky;
place the ball onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. When the dough is smooth and shiny, place into a buttered bowl; dust lightly with flour, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free place for about 45 minutes until doubled in volume;
punch down the dough firmly with your fist and flatten it out in the bowl; add the candied lemon peel, raisins and currants and knead until well distributed but without working the dough more than necessary;
line a large bread pan with brown paper that has been well buttered on both sides; place the dough in the pan and trace a cross on top;
cover with buttered paper and let rise again in a warm place for 15 minutes;
remove the paper from the top; brush the top with softened butter.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F);
place the bread pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes;
reduce the oven temperature to 160° C (350° F) and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, brushing again with melted butter; the bread is done when the surface is golden and crispy;
remove from the oven; remove the paper and let cool for 15 minutes before unmolding.

Praktek pertama dari resep ini, aku ganti sultanas dengan chocolate chips karena pada saat itu sultanas sudah habis ternyata di kotaknya. Selain itu aku pakai loyang roti kecil. Ketika memasukkan adonannya ke loyang roti, perasaan kok rada kekecilan, bakal tumpah nih adonan. We'll see. Eh ya ternyata bener. Di pertengahan baking, sebagian kecil roti dari bagian yang kena silet di atasnya melorot turun. Jadilah aku ikat pakai benang, selamat.

Praktek kedua lebih mulus lus lus. Adonannya aku masukkan ke dalam loyang chiffon kecil minus bagian tengahnya. Letakkan di atas baking tray dialasi baking paper. Sultanas aku rendam dulu ke dalam orange juice hangat supaya ga kering, ga pake currants. Lemon aku maksimalkan tiga buah, supaya lebih wangi.

Review:

Rasa panettonne enak, crossing antara roti dan cake. Empuk, cocok untuk sarapan, diolesi mentega dan lime atau orange marmalade, sedaaaaapp!!!

Sweet NZ: Donna Hay's Brownie Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:21:00 +0000

Ever since I saw the recipe on Donna Hay's iPad app, I suddenly felt a crave for chocolate and peanut butter. You can view her recipe on her website, here's the link for brownie cookies.

Served it for morning tea with Mairi on the weekend. My entry for Sweet NZ #4, initiated by Alessandra and this month is hosted by Mairi of ToastNZ.

Have a great Sunday!

I'm a Food Blogger!

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:49:00 +0000

I still remember the expression of my optometrist when he asked what I do, that I casually answered 'I'm a food blogger'. He said never heard of that occupation before and never thought it ever exists. I had no intention to argue whatsoever, for I, myself, don't think that food blogging is an occupation. I simply supplied an answer for him to fill in the form for me. In the end, he asked my blog link and for a little while taking his time browsing through, while I was by his side, sitting on the chair staring at the letters beyond the wall. Then he murmured 'Oh, you're a food writer.' I was almost knocked out of the chair.

Should a food blogger be an occupation? Is there?

I don't even know if someone ever food blogging for money, however, I have acknowledged some food bloggers receive fund for ads on their blogs. But still, you don't earn a living by food blogging, do you?

I have been food blogging for 6 years now. I forget when I actually started, because I didn't use blogger dot com as my hosting right back in 2005 and don't keep the archives. I even forget the password to log in although I can just simply retrieve it by clicking 'forgot your password' button. I only don't think it's quite necessary by now.

Anyway, food blogger does exist!

And New Zealand Food Blogger Conference had just held its first gathering, initiated and organized by Allison of Peasepudding. I have read so many stories from so many local food bloggers. And many more food bloggers yet to be discovered. I am sure.

I did not come to the conference, no matter how much I wanted to. I promise though, that I will go to the next one. I believe that my baby will be old enough to realize that her mother deserves to get a life... well, (a little) time for herself.

But I managed to meet up with Bron of Bron Marshall and Jaco Swart of Rainbow Cooking, accompanied by Allison on their way back to Christchurch. It was a lovely short catch-up as Bron and Jaco needed to catch their flight.

I have been lacking of interest in blogging these past months and have been thinking to 'resign'. The main reason is that I just haven't got much time to write. My spare time has been filled with gardening, pulling out those darn weeds, making vegetable beds available for planting, and what's not. Sitting down and writing like this one I managed to squeeze in is a luxury. Luxury, indeed.

Well, I am not sure if this post is a sign that I'm coming back for more posts, but let's hope the time is on my side and my mojo kicks back in and then I still can say to my optometrist that I'm a Food Blogger!

Have a wonderful blogging out there!

HHDH: Anniversary Drinks

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:28:00 +0000

My entry for HHDH: Drinks, hosted by Barbara of Winos and Foodies and facilitated by Chez Us.

I also uploaded the iPhone version on instagram of this drinks.

Happy Anniversary, Donna Hay!

Cheese and Potato Bake

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:14:00 +0000

This is our dinner last night. Served with roast chicken and a large bowl of our fresh garden salad. While eating, I was thinking and thankful at the same time. What we eat is what we grow. Apart from cheese, these are all homegrown and homemade.

Cheese and Potato Bake

by Arfi Binsted

1.5kg potatoes, peeled, washed and diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

300ml fresh cream

350g Gruyere cheese, grated

100g Parmesan, grated

salt and pepper

oil for cooking (I am using my homemade garlic-infused rice bran oil)

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Boiled potatoes, about 15 minutes. The potatoes will be half-way cooked. Drained, set aside and put them in a butter or margarine-greased ovenproof dish. Meanwhile, heat the oil, enough to cook the onion, until fragrant and soft. Add in garlic, cook a little bit more until fragrant but not brown. Add in cream and most of the grated cheeses. Cook until cheese melted, and then pour over the potatoes. Bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes until bubbling and brown on top. Enough for 4 large portion.

Have a great weekend!

BW Wednesday: Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Been really slack with blogging, I finally can manage to squeeze myself at the desk and upload this photo for Black and White Wednesday, hosted by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. These are our farm free-range fresh eggs.

Donna Hay's Classic Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:06:00 +0000

Just a short note. I made this Classic Brownies from Donna Hay's latest 10th Birthday Magazine. I got the mag online on iPad. Have you heard? Yes, Donna Hay has got an app. Check your iTunes store, and you won't go wrong! I love, love, love Donna Hay!

Have a great (early) weekend!

on instagram

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:35:00 +0000

I know I have been slack on blogging. It seems to me time flies too quickly and the next thing I know I am too exhausted to be able to think and write. In the end of the day, I'd prefer to have my feet up and watch Rugby rather than to be bound at the desk and computer keyboard.

But I am not quite off of the internet though. iPhone and iPad have helped me sharing what I have done almost everyday on instagram. I have an account there. If you happen an IGer like I am, please search for me. My ID is arfib.

Here are some food photos I took using instagram that happened to be uploaded on Flickr, too.

And this is me, fertilizing our strawberries. I feed them once a fortnight with wormcast, diluted with water. Plants love wormcast!

So I have been busy in the garden and orchard. We almost beat kakuya grass weeds! That strawberry patch was covered with kakuya months ago, now it is as immaculate as your manicured nails.

Spring has been so pretty with all of the blossoms, buzzing bees and weather which is supposed to be improving. But you know how New Zealand weather is!

So, See you on instagram? Have a great day!

BW Wednesday: Fresh Walnuts

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:37:00 +0000

My entry for Black and White Wednesday, hosted by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. Got ideas for food in BW? Come join and share with us!

The Best Peanut Biscuit I Have Made and Eaten

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:46:00 +0000

If you are crazy about something, you might never get bored. That's what I feel about this peanut biscuit. Although I have come to bake any sort of peanut biscuits from time to time, I will always come back to this one, with more appreciation that grows bigger ever since.

I just love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, no matter how unappealing to some of you they are. To me, the combination is meant for each other. The chocolate biscuit with saltiness-if not sweetness-peanut butter filling for each bite, how can I resist?

Introduced first time by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook through her post some years ago, adapted from King Arthur Flour. I have made it many times since and include the photo on a post here. Just love it.

We've been through thick and thin, but it seems none of us can decide which one is the most favourite. They will always be finished quickly!

Today, I make them gluten-free. So thankful I am not allergic to peanut butter!

Magic In The Middles (Gluten-Free Version)
Source: The Well-Seasoned Cook; King Arthur Flour.

I am adapting the original recipe for gluten-free version and reduce some sweetness from the biscuit dough, and I also use icing sugar instead of caster. I think the slightly sweeten biscuits actually go quite well with saltiness and mild sweetness of the peanut butter filling. My gluten-free version yields 31 biscuits.

Biscuit Dough

1 cup + 1 Tbs rice flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I use Valrhona-superb!!)
1/4 cup potato starch
2 Tbs millet flour
2 Tbs corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup icing sugar + 1 Tbs brown sugar
115g unsalted butter + 15g margarine
50g smooth peanut butter

Extra caster sugar to coat

Sift all the flours with Xanthan Gum, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside. Beat butter, margarine, sugars and peanut butter until fluffy and pale. Beat in egg, mix well. Fold in sifted flour mix, mix well. The dough should be smooth, not wet and not dry. When you roll them into balls, the dough will feel silky on your palms. Roll 31 balls. Now, this is what I do with the balls: take one ball, make an indentation in the centre and goes from there flatten it a little bit at a time using your forefinger and thumb, as thin or thick as you prefer. Then, put this flatten dough in the centre of your palm, like when you holding an egg on it, fill the peanut butter balls in, then bring the biscuit dough up and around the peanut butter balls until you don't see any sign of it. Roll this filled ball in your palm to make it smoother, roll into a bowl of caster sugar to coat, and put it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Or you may grease your baking tray with a little butter or margarine. Flatten the dough as to your liking. I would sprinkle some more caster sugar on top, just to add more crunchiness. Repeat this until all your dough and peanut butter filling all use up.

Bake at 175C (my oven), for 8-10 minutes or until the biscuits feel firm when touched with the tip of your finger. Remove from the oven, leave it on the tray for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or you may gobble down if you wish. Eat it warm is a bit dangerous, though as the peanut butter tends to be hot inside.

Filling
195g smooth peanut butter + 1 Tbs
85g icing sugar, sifted
a drop of caramel essence
a pinch of salt

Mix the peanut butter, icing sugar, salt and essence well, and roll into 31 balls.

These biscuits are sooooooooooo good enjoyed with black coffee!

BW Wednesday: A Moody Cup

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:32:00 +0000

My entry for Black and White Wednesday, hosted by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. Come join us!

Happy Spring!

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:28:00 +0000

Just a photo, to tell you that I am still here. We are all enjoying Spring and gardening is a priority at the moment. If we don't do it now, we won't get Summer fresh crops! Have a great day, my dear friends.

BW Wednesday: Tutmak's Iced Tea

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Tutmak's Iced Tea at Tutmak Cafe and Espresso, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. My entry for Black and White Wednesday, hosted by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. Come join us!

Sweet New Zealand: Gluten-Free Chocolate Biscuits #1

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:48:00 +0000

Chocolate biscuits have always been a favourite in my small family. There is always a demand to make it more than a batch, especially when the schooling activities are as busy as bees in Spring, with sports and arts.

Bake them slightly undercooked and eaten warm, they will be soft with melted chocolate chunks.

Give you a closer look.

This is my entry for Sweet New Zealand, hosted by Alessandra Zecchini, our very own and lovely author of many recipe cookbooks in New Zealand.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Biscuits with Three Chocolates, Fruit, and Nut

by Arfi Binsted

I use gluten-free baking mix in this recipe. This mix has already had Xanthan Gum in it, so I don't need to add more.

125g butter

150g dark palm sugar, shredded

a little pinch of salt

2 Tbs caster sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

200g gluten-free baking mix + 50g cocoa powder, sifted

1 tsp baking soda

80g almond meal, sifted

40g milk chocolate chips

55g white chocolate, chopped

75g dark chocolate, chopped

30g raisins, chopped

a handful cashew nuts, toasted and chopped (use hazelnut if you'd like)

Preheated the oven to 175C. Line baking trays with baking paper.

Melt butter. Remove from stove. Mix in eggs, vanilla and sugars. Beat until thick and smooth. Don't worry if they are still lumps from the palm sugar, these lumps will produce melted sugar in cookies, which is quite pleasant for me, like a sugar bomb. Fold in sifted flour, cocoa, and leavening agents until well-combined. Add in the rest ingredients. Mix well.

Roll into walnut-size balls. Flatten a bit. And bake for 12 minutes for soft cookies, or 15 minutes for chewy cookies.

Very easy and delightful. Enjoy!!

BW Wednesday: Brownie and Milk

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:07:00 +0000

It's a slice of gluten-free brownie, washed down with milk. I would prefer to have it with a cup of black coffee, but I'm still breastfeeding. My third entry for Black and White Wednesday, organized by Susan.

BW Wednesday: Batan Waru's Breeze

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:00:00 +0000

A drink that quenched the thirst in a hot afternoon in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. My second entry for Black and White Wednesday, organized by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. Have a look at the BW Wednesday Week #4 Gallery! Come join us!

BW Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:08:00 +0000

My entry for Black and White Wednesday. Not so much fussy rules for this event, so come join us!

Chocolaty Winter

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:35:00 +0000

My father had been suffered from cancer for 6 months, yet the news about him passing away on July 21st struck me like a lightning. I could not think of anything else but wanting to get a flight and fly home, to give my mother a hug and strength, and to be with family. Instead, I am stuck here in New Zealand, cannot go home because of many reasons and conditions we are facing right now. I felt miserable, guilty, and sad. However, one thing I have to just accept that he will never feel pain anymore.

My father was so happy on my wedding day

He wasn't a sweet tooth person, but he never failed to spoil us with sweets when we were kids. I always waited for him to come back home with a pile of chocolate bars, or a box of lollies. The sweetest memory I had with him was when we were going fishing on a wooden bridge. He led my hand and put the bait for me, then let me fishing with my tiny fishing pole which he made himself from a strong tree shoot. He gave a smile and calmly cheered when I gave a yell that I caught a fish, although it was only a tiny baby fish. He made me proud of what I achieved.

Father, mother and uncles posed for family album on my wedding day

There are moments I would never forget, especially when we were both in the kitchen. He wasn't a modern cook, but he knew what he could cook and wanted to cook, although sometimes he would love me rather cooking him his favourite dinner which I did it in pleasure. I always loved cooking for him, because he always ate them all up. I can understand how suffering he was when he had to fight the cancer in his mouth. Anyway, he is no longer suffering now. A relief.

Talking about chocolate, I almost fill in Winter season with chocolate treats every now and then.

We have had chocolate pudding. A classic one, served warm and eaten after dinner in front of the fireplace. Delicious and soulful.

And every now and then we have Homemade Hot Chocolate served with Homemade Candied Orange Peel. It taste like Jaffa Hot Chocolate!

There was a Gluten-Free Two Layers Chocolate Cake. It was no celebration but I felt like making milk chocolate cake. Unusual of me as I am more a dark chocolate person, but it was quite satisfying.

My dear daughter has just turned 7 and I made her Gluten-Free Four Layers Chocolate Cake with cream cheese and mascarpone filling with milk chocolate buttercream, sprinkled with Valrhona chocolate pearls.

Her older brother served us his homemade pies for lunch, that he made from scratch, including the pastry, on that day. We all made it so special for her. And she was just so happy.

And now, KBB has its own task on pastry with chocolate this month. Another treat.

Pastry Making. Helped by my little kitchen fairy.

I adjusted the measurement for gluten-free flours. The mixture was much wetter than I expected. Perhaps, my little kitchen fairy did not measure it right, I just did not want to disappoint her, so I tried my best to keep the pastry balanced. I ended up making a lot more pastry than it should be. So, my pastry was quite thick. I rest it in the fridge for up to an hour.

Do you know how tricky it is working on gluten-free pastry? You can't expect it pliable quite the same as gluten flours. Although I have use Guar Gum and Xanthan Gum as the thickener, the dough will still be torn here and there. I just lifted it up carefully with whatever I could lift on the base of the tin, and press the rest of them to the sides. Rest it for an hour in a tin, before it is blind baked and cool for 15 minutes.

Filling Making. My little kitchen fairy beat the eggs and sugar. We use Valrhona Manjari. I did not use much sugar as I love it bittersweet than a too sweet tart.

And here is what we've got:

Would love to have it with berries, but they are not available locally here, so we just serve it with thick cream and Valrhona cocoa powder to dust.

Review: Kecewa dengan hasil kerjaku kali ini, ga sesuai dengan yang aku harapkan. Kulit pastry terlalu tebal dan filling yang tidak gooey. Sedih karena mengorbankan coklat Valrhona yang mahil!

iPhoneography #26: Rich Chocolate Tart

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:06:00 +0000

The pastry is gluten-free. I use Valrhona Araguani for the chocolate filling. Superb eaten while still warm when the filling is still soft and intensely dark.

The Taman Mesari Villa

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:24:00 +0000

It's been more than a year since we left Ubud, Bali. That was the year when we had started building our nest in the heart of Ubud.

Ubud is the village where we always come back to stay and enjoy the lifestyle for three and a half week, as well as to be experiencing beautiful cultures, customs and arts. We hope that we would be able to enjoy Bali more than we have been able to in future years.

The Taman Mesari, we call it, which is literally meaning the Beautiful Garden. It is located in the centre of Ubud with easy access to cafes, restaurants, traditional market, warungs, Ubud Palace, spas and health centres, many arts centres, workshops, and shops.

Our backyard is a small jungle, with its native trees and shrubs. There is a creek down the property if you care to have a little walk.

This villa is practically newly built and fully furnished. All you need to do is just bring your bags of clothes, perhaps some swimsuits to enjoy the warm water in our private swimming pool?

We have 4 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. Three bathrooms are with cold and hot showers, one bathroom is with bathtub. Three bedrooms have the jungle and pool view, and one bedroom with bathtub has garden view. We also have a large kitchen, dining room and a large hall upstairs, suitable for yoga practices with your friends.

All we need is just a good tenant who can live in our house, preferably in a long-term stay, although we are open for any other options.

We have low rates, to be compared with other commercial villas in Ubud. You can do currency converter with these rates on your computer easily and find out how cheap they are. We are offering:

IDR 900,000/night
IDR 5,500,000/week
IDR 9,500,000/month

We do not allow subletting, however, each bedroom can be fitted for two-three guests. If you are interested, please contact me for further inquiry and information at arfi.binstedATgmailDOTcom.

We do hope you will have a great time in Bali!

The Big Four and Pie Party

noreply@blogger.com (arfi binsted) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I know perhaps many of you in the Western world avoid talking about age. But I don't. I am honest, I am 40 on the 4th of July. The-start-of-life-kind-of age, some say. For me 40 is 40, older than 20, but younger than 60. Fair life, isn't it.

When you are 40, what would you wish on your birthday? I have had a long wish list, some are crossed, some are clean. Some are achieved, some are dreamed. It takes time, but when the time is right, I am hoping they'll be all crossed, one by one. If some are not crossed, perhaps someone will cross them for me.

40 is 40,
it is older than 20, younger than 60...

There is no party of a kind, with champagne and a chocolate cake, or a girlish group of good friends. Only a moment of deep concern about my father's health who had to receive 4 bottles of blood transfused and is now on further cancer treatment in Jakarta, which distracts my whole conscience about what's happening in my life at the moment. I have been thinking about him the whole time and been so regretful that I cannot be with him. I am just hoping he will be well again.

A news that brightens my life at 40 is that our book Food Photography Made Easy is on the print and will be released some time on either the 6th or 13th this month. This book was written by me, Dita, Riana, and Irra as our editor. It's been at least 14 months since we started, planned, drafted, proof-reading, and printed at last.

This is, perhaps, the only food photography book in the world which is written by full-time mothers with children, who has passions in food photography as well as being food bloggers. Although I am one of those photographers working for a stock photo agency, I consider myself a professional full-time mother. At least, I don't underestimate my own role of being a stay-at-home Mum.

We are just hoping this book will inspire other full-time mothers in Indonesia (and maybe you?) to know their functions of their camera much more, either pocket camera (as we also have featured photos taken with digital point-and-shoot cameras) or digital SLR, to explore, to express, and to be creative. There is nothing can stop you, unless you are dispassionate about what you are doing. Not even a cheap camera you own. Let me tell you, I am still using my entry-level camera for the book, although I have upgraded my lenses and using more equipment than I had 5 years ago.

...this book is to mark my journey
at 40...

To me personally, the book has made a mark on my journey. It is either an achievement, or rather an exclamation of a personal work that got printed in a book. I am happy. I have crossed one of the wishlist items, on my own goodwill and timeless efforts in between house chores, homeschooling, and nursing. I am hoping that our book will be found an easy handbook to read and, later on, perhaps to inspire.

When you are 40, perhaps you won't expect a euphoria like of being a 17. We are maturing, like Cheddar cheese; hardened and umami. However, my little family had started this euphoria since the night before 4th of July. They made an excuse for me to go to bed early, so they could wrap the presents up. Cheeky babies I have.

to give you a peek of my new kitchen, made from NZ Rimu. the big hole is for the dishwasher.

And I was surprised, indeed! Apart from the kitchen that we've been renovating for ages (which is sloooooooowly in progress), I was thrilled to find out that I am going to use my new oven (and of course, new stove top) in my new kitchen.

I also have received a box of Schoc frog chocolates and truffles, and New Zealand made Saint Clair Cookware's 30cm carbon steel skillet pan from a gourmet shop, Sabato and a few more stuffs which I chose myself. I will treasure these quality gifts (and make use of them, for sure!). My children also chose good presents for me: new pasta machine, new pie and tart tins. Now we are expected to make fresh pasta and pies, like a daily chore perhaps. I just had a lovely, lovely morning, and a wonderful,wonderful 4th of July.

And, now let's have a Pie Party!!

Talking about pies, it is another euphoria of Pie Party talks across the internet, which is held on 5th July. Shauna's idea. There is a talk over the Facebook and Twitter about it too, and I am joining in. We've been having pie days every now and then in Winter. Although it does not feel too cold for us up here in the North Island, pastry is reasonably easy to make in wintertime. We have to work it with gluten-free flour. The use of guar gum really helps to make gluten-free flour pliable for rolling out. Just like wheat flour.

We have Beef and Mushroom Pies for lunch, and then Black Bottom Pie for desserts. Both are gluten-free. I use homemade gluten-free biscuits for Black Bottom Pie crusts. I was not too happy with the cream topping. The texture is not as smooth as I would like it would be, and there are specks of gelatine in it. I confess, this is my weakness. I am not too good with gelatine.

Anyway, the taste is nice. I like the chocolate layer part, though. Next time, I'm going to make the chocolate custard thicker than the cream topping. That'll be MY PIE! We also had had slices of chocolate bites made from 72% dark chocolate and sour cream, swirled with white chocolate for an extra special celebration.

Have a wonderful Pie Party!