Pepperoni Pizza

I made a pizza from scratch today! Though I make a mess along the way, we both agreed that the end product was well worth it.
Because OCT doesn't like pepperoni, I spared a 1/4 dough to make him a ham and pesto version. I actually thought that's a nicer version. We will be making a whole ham and pesto version soon!

I followed the instructions on this month's Cookinglight to make the pizza dough, and it was really easy to follow. There are quite a few of other pizza recipes on this issue, I think I will try to make the seafood one next, with prawn and calamari!

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Curry Baked Rice

It's a yummy creation! OCT said it reminded him of the baked rice in Swanson and NYDC. Yes, baked rice has been our favorite entree in these 2 restaurants. I wonder why it took me so long to try this very simple and do-able entree at home. Anyway, better late than never.

Present to you, my latest fusion creation :

Curry Baked Rice

4 chicken drumsticks, skinned and boned; cut into bite size
1/2 red onion, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup green pea
1.5 cup pineapple chunk
cooked and cooled rice
shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Marinate for chicken: ( marinate for at least 20 minutes)
ground coriander
curry poweder
salt
white pepper
mirin
cornstarch

Preheat oven too 400F.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a hot nonstick skillet. Add the marinated chicken to the skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove to a plate.

Add red onion and red pepper to the same skillet and cook until fragrant. 2 to 3 minutes. Add green peas, followed by chicken and pineapple back to the skillet and stirfry for another minute. Add rice to the skillet, and mix all the ingredients well. Add extra curry powder, soy sauce and salt along the way, until desired taste is achieved.

Arrange the curry chicken rice on a 9 inch baking dish and sprinkle sharp cheedar cheese on top, followed by another layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Baked in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts.

Serves 4

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Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake

This is another typical case of trying to use up the almost expiring stuff. This time, the items include 3 blocks of cream cheese and half a tub of sour cream. After some research, and some mental struggling of whether to make something new or follow a T&T recipe, I decided to try the Lemon Curd Marble Cheesecake, featured on Gourmet magazine.

There were mixed reviews on this recipe. But I decided to bake it anyway, since Gourmet has never disappointed me before. 2 of the common complaints were cracks on top of the cheesecake and the wobbly center when the cheesecakes were pulled out from the oven. Crack, is something I am familiar with. I am famous for forgeting how long the cake has been baking. So mine always come out a tad too dry, with cracks on top. They were still delicious (most of the time), but never presentable. So, crack is not an issue for me. Since overbake is my specialty, I don't see why my cheesecake will have the wobbly center, as some encountered. In fact, it will be a challenge for me to remember when to pull the cheesecake out when the center is still wobbly....

Anyhow, I proceeded to make the lemon curd, which proved to be very time consuming. Because I only have a tiny sieve. It took forever to force the residue-less curd through the sieve. After that was done, I took out a pack of graham cracker, and carefully crushed them into crumbs. Did I tell you that I get the lemon zest for the curd by first peeling the skin, and then cut them into tiny bits? Yes, everything here is pretty primitive and hence time consuming. But I believe once upon a time, this was how our ancestor did it. I should be thankful that I have a kitchen-aid blender to do all the mixing and beating.

After all these work were done, making cheesecake was a breeze. I baked mine for 1 hour, as suggested by others, and it was a bit wobbly in the center. And yes! I remembered the time! The cheesecake firmed up just as the recipe described. I am also thrilled that there's no crack for the first time! ( ok, there were some small cracks initially, but they somehow patched back as the cake firmed up.)

OCT brought a big piece for his collaborator who is leaving St Louis on Friday. It would be nice if we had time to dress the cake up a bit or wrote something meaning on the cake. But I guess, it's the thought that counts? Nevermind that he didn't contribute any effort in making the cheesecake.

I had a piece with OCT and another piece later for morning snack. They were delicious! I probably didn't add enough lemon curd to the batter. Because I didn't see the distinct line formed as described in the magazine. No matter, they still taste yummy. And I really like the tangy lemon curd in the cheesecake. I guess I like everything with lemon. Now, I must think of a way to use up the rest of the lemon curd...



Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake
(adapted from Gourmet July 2006)

For lemon curd
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For crust
1 1/3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Special equipment: a 9- to 91/2-inch (24-cm) springform pan
Accompaniment: blueberries


Make lemon curd: Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 6 minutes.

Force lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide shallow dish, scraping bottom of sieve, then cover surface with wax paper. Cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Make and bake crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide cake off bottom), then lock on side. 3Stir together crust ingredients in a bowl, then press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan. Place springform pan in a shallow baking pan and bake 10 minutes, then cool crust completely in springform pan on a rack.

Make filling and bake cheesecake: Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until combined.

Pour two thirds of cream cheese filling into crust, then spoon half of lemon curd over filling and swirl curd into filling with a small knife. (Avoid touching crust with knife to prevent crumbs getting into filling.) Repeat with remaining filling and curd.

Bake cheesecake until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center trembles when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. (Center of cake will appear very loose but will continue to set as it cools.) Transfer springform pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen. Cool completely, about 2 hours, then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours. Remove side of springform pan before serving.

Cooks' Notes:
• Lemon curd can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
• Crust (without filling) can be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
• Cheesecake can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 2 days. Cheesecake must be completely chilled before covering to prevent condensation on its surface.

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Monday Dinner : Beef and mushroom pasta nest

It is just another Spaghetti Bolognese recipe. Had I knew it earlier, I would rather make something different. By the way, it doesn't taste nicer than my own version, using chipotle chilli. OCT and I added lots of Asian chilli sauce to make this boring dish more appetising.

Oh, this is a recipe from Rachel Ray's 365 No Repeat book, a variation from the tomato and basil pasta nest we had last week. I love it so much to give this variation, printed next to my favorite one a chance, hoping that it's something extraordinary as well. I am definitely wrong this time.

I also tried another recipe of oven baked corn dog from the book. It tasted ok, but the dough was runny beyond believe! I doubt how RR got her hotdog covered with the dough! Anyway, it was too ugly, so I didn't take any picture of my corn dog.

Quite a depressing night when everything comes out from the kitchen didn't taste nice.

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It really bothers me

when the customer service personnels don't do their job properly. Recently, I received a reminder letter from my favorite magazine Cookinglight to remind me of the auto renewal program I enrolled last year. According to this letter, my subscription will be auto-renewed at $18 per annum, a "discount" offered to reward its loyal readers.

When I went into the magazine website and checked my personal detail, the yearly rate offered to me was $13. Feeling confused, I wrote an email to their customer service to clarify the matter, and following were our correspondence:

--- Original Message ---
From: novice baker
Received: 9/6/2006 2:10:12 PM Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 4:00 )
To: wes.ck@customersvc.com
Subject: Cooking Light Billing Inquiry,

On Wed Sep 06 14:18:46 EDT 2006 novice baker wrote:

Subject : Billing Inquiry

SubType :

Comments :
On August 23, I received a letter to remind me of the automatic renewal program. However, the rate offered was $18. It was different from the $13 per annum I see when I log into my customer service page online.
As my subscription is ending in Nov 2006, I am currently exploring various options to renew my subscription.
I look forward to your clarification on the subscription rate before I make any decision to renew my subscription.
thanks.

Keina F wrote:

Dear novice baker:

Thank you for contacting COOKING LIGHT Customer Service.

Please understand that testing different rates is a common marketing
practice. The offer you mention is targeting new subscribers. The offer
enables potential customers to review the magazines at that low rate to
decide if they would like to continue with a subscription. Because we
value your business, we will be happy to extend your current
subscription with that offer, if you like.

You may visit our website and renew your subscription from there. Or,
if you prefer, you may return this e-mail with your full name, complete
mailing address (including city, state, and zip code), and account
number. Please include your order and billing instructions.

We apologize for any confusion and look forward to hearing from you!

We appreciate this opportunity to be of service.

COOKING LIGHT Customer Service
www.cookinglight.com


--- Original Message ---
From: novice baker
Received: 9/7/2006 2:23:58 PM Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 4:00 )
To: KXXXX F
Subject: Re: Cooking Light Billing Inquiry,

I am afraid you didn't read my email clearly. Let me reiterate. I received a mail from Cookinglight to remind me of the auto renewal program. Under the program, I have to pay $18 per annum.
However, in my customer service page on cookinglight.com, the rate is $13!!!!! Why would I want to accept the $18 offer which is much higher than the rate quoted on the website?
Anyway, I just found out that I can renew the subscription at ebay for only $9.00. I may as well do so, since all the reply I got from your customer service is a "cut and paste" formal reply without even a close look at my inquiry.


From: "RXXXXX C OQ"
To: novice baker
Subject: Re: Cooking Light Billing Inquiry, <<#!$%^$#@!#$%#>>
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2006 01:11:35 GMT

Dear novice baker:

Thank you for contacting COOKING LIGHT Customer Service.

Please understand that testing different rates is a common marketing
practice. The offer you mention is targeting new subscribers. The offer
enables potential customers to review the magazines at that low rate to
decide if they would like to continue with a subscription. Because we
value your business, we will be happy to extend your current
subscription with that offer, if you like.

You may visit our website and renew your subscription from there. Or,
if you prefer, you may return this e-mail with your full name, complete
mailing address (including city, state, and zip code), and account
number. Please include your order and billing instructions.

We apologize for any confusion and look forward to hearing from you!

We appreciate this opportunity to be of service.

COOKING LIGHT Customer Service
www.cookinglight.com


I feel stupid to even bother to drop them a second email, for all I got in return was another thoughtless cut and paste reply like the first one. I wonder why they even have a link on the website for subscribers to inquire about other issues.

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Friday breakfast treat : Iced Lemon Shortbread Fingers

This is another recipe from Nancy Baggett's The All American Cookies Book. I personally like it a lot for the lemony taste. Trace of lemon zest could be found thoughout the shortbread and in the icing. You will like this if you are a lemon sucker like me. I saved some for myself to indulge (with coffee of course) while packing most for OCT's Friday lab meeting.

I made a mess cutting the iced shortbread. The icing just stick to the knife eventhough I wiped the knife after every cut. Maybe I should use some hot water to clean the knife next time. It works for cheesecake, so I guess it may work for pastry with icing too. I think the shortbread will appear more appetising if I cut them neater.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a single review from his colleague. But they did finish the whole tray that he brought. So maybe it's not that bad. Afterall, everything taste nice with icing right? However, on a health conscious note, this is certainly not the kind of dessert I should indulge on a daily basis. Maybe I should make myself a batch of biscotti. The yummy yet low fat biscotti. Anyway, I am thinking of baking a batch of chocolate pistachio biscottis for OCT's next lab meeting, but that will be later..

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Pork Carnitas and sauteed root veggie

Believe it or not, the pork carnitas took 2 days to prepare. First day, it was baked slowly for 1.5 hours in the 350F oven and refrigerated overnight to remove the solidified fat. Second day, the pork carnita was sauteed in a heavy skillet until most liquid had evaporated.

The end result totally justified the time and effort involved. For the pork was fork tender. OCT and I liked this dish very much, not to mention it used the very affordable pork butt! Definitely a keeper.

On the side, I sauteed some root veggies, a good accompaniment for the pork carnitas. OCT ate them with rice, while I went with the Mexican way.With the corn tortilla that is. Excellent both ways!

Because the pork carnitas didn't need much time to prepare on the second day, I have some time to kill. I decided to make some corn pancakes. Nice addition to our dinner. Though it can hardly be counted as a dish. Nowaday I pretty much cook anything I feel like eating at the moment.

Pork Carnitas
(adapted from Cookinglight Sept 2006)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 1/4 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven; pour broth over pork mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender.

Transfer pork mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Skim the solidified fat from surface; discard fat. Let pork stand at room temperature 30 minutes to soften. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in juice.

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Seared Tofu with Gingered Vegetables

Dare I say this looks pretty appetising? It was indeed a very appetising dish. Maybe it's the rice wine vinegar. It goes well with the sweet peppers. I think the only complaint was the lack of sauce.

I will add more liquid when I make this dish again next week.

Seared Tofu with Gingered Vegetables
(adapted from Cookinglight Aug 06)

1 pound reduced-fat extrafirm tofu
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced green onions, divided (omitted)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Place tofu on several layers of paper towels; let stand 10 minutes. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and bell pepper to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup green onions, vinegar, and soy sauce; cook for 30 seconds. Remove from pan. Wipe skillet with paper towels; recoat pan with cooking spray.

Place pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle tofu with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add tofu to pan; cook 8 minutes or until golden, turning to brown on all sides. Return bell pepper mixture to pan, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Drizzle tofu mixture with remaining 1 teaspoon oil; top with sesame seeds. Serve tofu mixture with rice; top with remaining 1/4 cup onions.

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Deviled Chicken Divan

This is a variation of the chicken with mustard sauce I made last week. OCT didn't like the mustard sauce but I think it has room for improvement. Hence, I decided to give it another chance. With some disguise of course, by adding broccoli, hot sauce and Gruyere cheese as Rachel Ray suggested.

A brand new chicken dish was born! Without OCT noticed they were one of the same dish. Chicken with Mustard Sauce

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped (from 4 sprigs)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
3 super-heaping Tbsp. good quality Dijon mustard
3 super-heaping Tbsp. sour cream

Season the chicken with the thyme, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with the foil. Turn up the heat on the skillet to high and add the chicken stock and mustard, whisking to combine. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

Whisk in the sour cream and continue to cook until slightly thickened, about 2 more minutes. Serve the sauce over the chicken and accompany with a simple salad and something to sop up the sauce, like couscous or bread.

VARIATIONS:

Deviled Chicken Divan

Add:
2 10-ounce boxes frozen broccoli spears
A few pieces of lemon peel
2 tsp. hot sauce
2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese such as Emmentaler

Cook the broccoli in boiling water in a shallow pan with the lemon peel. Cook to just heat through—you want the broccoli spears to retain their bright color. Drain well.

Preheat the broiler.

Prepare the chicken and sauce as directed in the master recipe, adding the hot sauce to the finished sauce (to "devil" it). Place the cooked chicken breasts and broccoli in a shallow casserole and top with the deviled sauce and the cheese. Broil until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve with crusty bread.

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Sunday Dinner

We had Spaghetti Bolognese on Sunday night. I made the sauce with a can of crushed tomato, red wine, lots of onion and carrot and some chipotle chile with adobo sauce. The smoky and spicy chipotle chile has officially become one of my favorite condiments. It added a new dimension to this otherwise ordinary meal. No wonder it's one of the must have items for many chefs.

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Oat and Golden Raisin Scones

I was motivated to make a batch of scones after seeing the outrageous price of scones at the Bagel Place downstair. Because I still have some buttermilk left, I decided to go with this recipe : Oat and Golden Raisin Scones. Which I have made another variation using cranberries and chocolate chips before. The original recipe called for dried fruits only (dried apricot, golden raisin, sour cherry or cranberries). But knowing OCT likes neither of the above, I added in some chocolate chips to entice him. So far, this method works. He happily finished the scones I made without complaining the dried fruits hidden in between.

Though scones are traditionally made with fresh cream, I find the version made with buttermilk gives more tang with lesser calories. More often than not,I like to make a batch of scone dough and freeze them for later use. Eventhough scones can be made in a snap. they only taste good on the day they are baked. By freezing the unbaked dough, I can easily bake some for weekend breakfast. Scone dough is a must have item in my freezer.

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Banana Chocolate Cookies

If you were as unadventurous as me, you will probably be cynical about adding banana to cookies. Chocolate chips with any nuts will probably be more appropriate. Or with cranberries and cherry.

I first came across the banana chocolate cookies from Nancy Baggett's Cookies book. And I was torned between making a hazelnut chocolate chips cookies or the banana chocolate cookies for this Friday. Fate had it when I saw a similar recipe in the Sept issue of Martha Stewart Living. It was on the last page. Like a sign that I MUST give it a try. The magazine described it as a cross between banana bread and chocolate chips cookies. And further asserted that if you like both, you will like this cookies. So cast away your cynicism and give it a try. (alright, the last sentense was my sentiment). Since I saw this recipe while browsing in bookstore, I quickly memorise the ingredients list and baking temperature.

When I came back and compared the Martha Stewart's version and Nancy Baguett version, they were almost the same in the proportions of dry and wet ingredients. In the end, I decided to try Martha Stewart's version, which she used half a cup of whole wheat flour.

While the cookies were baking in the oven, the whole apartment smells of banana bread. I can't help but worry that the cookies will turn out tasting like banana bread- texture wise.Not that I don't like banana bread, but I just think that a cookie should behaves like a cookie. Of course by this I mean the texture. I suddenly remembered what my mum told me while I was young : "A girl should behave like a girl". In case you wonder, I am never a girly girl since young. Except the fact that I cried a lot. Thanks to the good genes from mom, people can still distinguish me from boys.

It proved that my worry was not unfounded. When I pull the first batch out from oven, they didn't spread as much as the other cookies I baked. On the contrary, they rose a bit like how a muffin behaved. They were soft, on the tender side and not crispy. If you can get over the texture issue, they actually taste quite good. They were unlike cookies nor muffins. Maybe they should belong to their own class. Like Pluto, the poor planet; that has been demoted and classified under a new class as dwarf planet.

Whatever. OCT brought a batch to school and we shall wait for the verdict.

Update:
They tasted nicer and firmer when I refrigerated them for 2 days. Maybe they were meant to be made ahead.....

Banana Chocolate Cookies

1 cup all-purpose white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup thoroughly mashed or pureed overripe banana (1 medium banana)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (8 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease several baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until very well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until evenly incorporated. Beat in the banana, then the flour mixture, until evenly incorporated. Stir in the oats and chocolate until evenly incorporated.

Using an ice cream scoop or spoons, drop the dough onto the baking sheets in scant golf-ball-sized mounds, spacing about 2-1/2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until lightly tinged with brown all over and almost firm when pressed in the centers. Reverse the sheet from front to back halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks. Let stand until completely cooled.

These cookies are best when fresh but may be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Tip
For the best flavor and texture, be sure to use an extremely ripe banana. One that is too soft and brown to eat fresh is ideal for this recipe.

Note: Nancy Baggett used milk chocolate, while Martha's recipe recommended semi sweet chocolate. I prefer bittersweet chocolate, and hence used the 72% chocolate in this recipe.

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Chow Mein my way

I was too lazy to cook a full meal yesterday and hence decided to play around with pasta. A simple chow mein was what I made. It certainly lack all the qualities of a good chow mein. I think I will be more generous with the hoisin sauce and hot sauce next time. I only marinated the chicken breast with ground coriander for a few minutes before stir fry. But OCT liked it nevertheless. He added a lot of chilli to the chow mein, and ate quite a big portion.(to the point of bloated-ness when we went to bed at night)He said it was nice. Weirdo.

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More recipe from Rachel Ray

After yesterday positive review on tomato basil pasta nest, I tried another new pasta recipe from Rachel Ray's 365: No Repeat, together with a roasted potato salad which I always wanted to try. Since it was raining, and the weather actually cool down quite a bit, I was courageous to turn the oven knob to 450F.

The pasta-Spicy Shrimp and Penne with Puttanesca Sauce actually has an interesting story behind it. The very fishy sauce was made by ladies and intentionally left on the brothel window to attract fishermen in like strayed cats . After they finished their business, the Puttanesca sauce would be tossed with pasta, and served as supper or breakfast. I didn't make this up. This was what Rachel Ray said. Anyway, I didn't make this recipe with any bad thought in mind. This was simply a recipe I set out to try.

I think it was pretty good. But OCT thought the taste was a bit too exotic for him. I know what he meant. He saw me cooking. And he knew that I added anchovy and kalamata olive to the sauce. Both of which were new to him. His brain instinctly told him not to like the dish. Sometime it's funny how our brain can trick us. I think the brain can decide for you whether you will like a new dish even before you tasted it. It would be easier for him to like a new thing if he didn't witness the cooking process.

*recipe will be uploaded soon.

On the same ground, the roasted potato salad with mustard dressing didn't gain his approval too. Although I think this is one of the nice salads I tried lately. I like the combination of caramelised onion and roasted potatoes, eventhough I don't really like mustard. OCT promised to give the salad another chance. I guess I will have to make it when he was not watching next time. Compared to the potato salad I made a while ago, this one is certainly healthier. The amount of mayo used was only a tablespoon. Yet, it was very flavorful. Certainly less sinful to eat than the classic potato salad. Maybe I will make this as side dish for thanksgiving. Ok, I know that's a bit too soon to talk about....

Roasted Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing
(adapted from Cookinglight)

3 pounds small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 bacon slices (uncooked), chopped
2 cups diced Vidalia or other sweet onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring once. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 15 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized, stirring frequently. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds. Add onion mixture and bacon to potatoes; toss gently. Let stand 15 minutes.

Combine mustard, mayonnaise, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add mustard mixture and parsley to potato mixture; toss gently.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

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Home alone Italian Night

I tried 3 new recipes tonight! The first one: tomato basil pasta nest is from Rachel Ray 365: No Repeat, and a Caesar dressing from Everyday Food, which I used the leftover in baked tilapia.

It was an excellent meal. We thoroughly enjoy it though OCT and I had it at different time. The tomato basil pasta got a booast from a tablespoon of pesto sauce which makes it really outstanding. I am not crazy about pesto, but its subtle taste added some complexity to this otherwise simple dish. A dish worth repeating another day!

The caesar dressing is from the Sept issue of Everyday Food, a magazine I recently subscribed. Though it tasted quite ok, I still prefer Ina's version. After dressing the salad, I still have quite a bit of the dressing left. I guess the tang would go well with tilapia, so I baked them together. And they turned out well too.

The delicious meal made me forget temporarily that I was dining alone. You know people sometime tell you that no matter how delicious the food is, if you were to eat alone; the food will be pretty tasteless. Not for me! Maybe I was too hungry....

*recipes will be uploaded soon.

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Malaysian Pizza

I want to laugh when I see this recipe on Cookinglight.com. What? Malaysian Pizza? We eat roti canai at mamak stall and not pizza! So this must be a fusion dish. With a few tub of pizza dough on hand, I decided to make one Malaysian Pizza to investigate the authenticity of this dish.

I suddenly remembered the funny incident happened past few weeks when I was helping to main the Chinese booth in Festival of Nation. A few people dropped by and asked if we had chicken. One specifically asked for Orange chicken. When I told them that we didn't have any chicken that day, they were obviously disappointed. And looked pretty bewildered. They must be thinking: " huh? no chicken? and you dare say this is a chinese stall?" OK people, in case you don't know; chinese dish is not equavalent to chicken. In fact, I think chinese eat more pork that chinese. But no, authentic chinese dish doesn't equavalent to pork dish either. So stop looking bewildered when the chinese stall doesn't sell chicken in the next festival!

Coming back to this Malaysian Pizza from a westerner perspective. It was actually pretty good! The filling for the pizza resembled satay! So it's a satay pizza! This is the kind of dish that you can bring to a gathering (proudly) and have people raving at it all night long. Of course the credits goes to the genius who created this pizza. I must write to Cookinglight one day to tell them how well they have represented my country!

Because I was on the caution side and only made half the recipe for the filling, I filled up the other half of the pizza simply with tomato slices and cheese. Both sides were well received by OCT. And I have no doubt that the Malaysian pizza will come back on our menu soon.

Malaysian Pizza
(adapted from Cookinglight)

3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tub pizza dough (such as Pilsbury)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 500°.
Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken, and sauté 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.

Pour rice vinegar mixture into pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook mixture 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. (Mixture will be consistency of thick syrup.)

Sprinkle cheeses over prepared crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and top with chicken mixture. Bake at 500° for 12 minutes on bottom rack in oven. Sprinkle with green onions. Place pizza on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

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Gianduia Torte

I found a recipe of Gianduia Torte from epicurious.com during my research for birthday cake last week. I wanted to make it because the recipe coincidentally came from Bar Italia, an Italian restaurant below our apartment. Heading a frugal student life, we have yet checked out this restaurant let alone its dessert. I did a search and was excited to find that the Gianduia Torte is still on their menu, with $6.00 per piece.

With the recipe on hand, I decided to make my version of gianduia torte in my little apartment kitchen. Never mind the fact that I don't know how a torte should taste, and I don't have a food processor to grind the hazelnut..... Since I haven't fully recovered from the muscle ache caused by Saturday's house moving, OCT kindly took up the responsibility to smash the hazelnut using the meat mallet.

It was a flourless recipe and I can't help but wonder if torte and brownie were the same thing. Appearance wise, they really resemble one another. And both don't call for baking powder or baking soda. Maybe they are relatives. Because I remember adding flour in the brownie. So in that sense, they are different....

After 15 minutes of pounding, OCT presented the coarsely grind hazelnut to me. Good enough for now. I went ahead with the mixing, folding and baking. The torte was ready after 40 minutes.

The humble Gianduia Torte made her appearance on the subsequent night dinner with the company of Starbuck Coffee ice cream. She was too nervous to come out on her own because of her plain look, she said. It turned out that the torte and coffee ice cream were a great combination, and they received positive reviews from many. Bittersweet chocolate and hazelnut, the parents of gianduia torte and Mandy's Biscottis were relieved that both their creations were well received. They are contemplating another baby, namely chocolate hazelnut cookies for their dessert family.

I think they will do well. But I won't know for sure. The EBT (estimated baking time) is on 31 Aug 06. We will know in a few days time. Meanwhile, well done Gianduia Torte!

Note: Because Gianduia was too nervous of her first apperance, she refused to take photo. After the great review, she was promptly devoured by the greedy OCT on the subsequent morning....

Gianduia Torte
(adapted from Bon Appétit Dec 1997)

1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, husked
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

7 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar


Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Finely grind hazelnuts in processor. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool chocolate mixture to room temperature.

Using electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar in large bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture, then hazelnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth top.

Bake until cake is set and appears dry but tester comes out with very moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack. Lightly press down any raised edges of cake. Cool completely. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Invert cake onto platter. Remove pan bottom. Peel off parchment. Slide waxed paper strips under cake to protect platter.

Serves 12.

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An uninspired week

I think I am a bit slack this week. OCT has worked late most of the days, so I wasn't inspire to cook up a storm while knowing most of the dishes will need to be reheated later. At time like this, I like to go back to the reliable and comforting recipes, like beef stew and eggplant. I think I have cooked these so often that I can prepare them with both eyes closed.

However slack I am, I still baked something for OCT and his labmates. For the very first time OCT asked me to bake something one morning when we walked to school together. OCT requested something not too sweet for his breakfast since we have run out of bread. I looked up some websites, and found one that fulfilled his criterias. I baked him a banana bread, that used only half a stick of butter, and lots of banana. I never expect it to taste nice, (at least not as nice as Rose's version) but it turned out pretty good. The kind of bread that you feel healthy enough to eat on a daily basis, but not decadent enough for indulgence.

I also baked another batch of the dark chocolate pistachio cookies after one of his colleagues told me that they were awesome. That was what OCT brought to his Friday lab meeting. On Friday night, I made my first batch of brownie (from scratch) for his colleague's house moving. We are helping them today and I thought it would be nice to have something to nibble on after the "workout". The recipe is from Nancy Baggett. She described the brownie as "The One", which is light and dense at the same time. I know it doesn't sound logical. Things can't be light and dense at the same time. But after a bite into the brownie, I must admit that I share her exact sentiment!

To me, brownie is a quintessential American food. And I don't know how a nice brownie should taste. I have eaten brownies before, but will it pass the American standard? You know it's like the Chinese food you eat here compared to those back home.It suddenly striked me that I probably shouldn't have brought my first batch of brownie to an American gathering, where everyone knows their brownies as much as I know my rice. What was I thinking? Luckily, they assured me that mine tasted like what a brownie should taste.

Another colleague asked for the recipe. I hope she didn't just say it to make me feel better. Anyway, I am glad that they finished the whole tray that I brought.

After typing this out, I realised that eventhough my week has passed pretty uninspired, I still managed to bake a bread, a batch of cookies and some brownies. That's not too bad!

Hope I can bake more new stuff next week.And remember to take pictures of them before they are gone.

Classic Banana Bread
(adapted from Cookinglight)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Note: I used non fat vanilla yoghurt in place of the vanilla extract and plain yoghurt.

Fudge Brownies Supreme
(Adapted from Nancy Baggett's The All Amarican Cookie Book)

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, broken up or coarsely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose white flour
2 tablespoon unsweetened American-style cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan or coat with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang two opposing sides of the pan by about 2 inches. Grease the foil or coat with nonstick spray.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate on 100 percent power for 1 minute. Stir well. Continue microwaving on 50 percent power, stirring at 30-second intervals. Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts and let the residual heat finish the job. (Alternately, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over lowest heat, stirring frequently; be very careful not to burn. Immediately remove from the heat.)

Let cool to warm. In a small bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside. Stir the sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate-butter mixture until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended and smooth. Stir in the flour mixture just until evenly incorporated.

Turn out the batter into the baking pan, spreading to the edges. Bake in the middle of the oven for 28 minutes, or until the center is almost firm when tapped and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean except for the bottom 1/4 inch, which should still look moist.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until the brownie is completely cooled. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the brownie to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard the foil. If desired, cut away and discard any overbaked edges. Using a large sharp knife, cut the brownie into 12 bars; wipe the knife clean between cuts.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If freezing, leave the brownie slab whole, then cut into bars when partially thawed.

Serves 12

Note: I used a 9 inch square baking dish, and cut the brownies into smaller bites.

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Glutinous rice

I picked up a bag of glutinous rice from the Chinese grocery store yesterday, and can't wait to make my favorite glutinous rice for dinner tonight!

This is my first attempt and it was merely a passable one. OCT likes the Taiwanese sausage that I used. He said it tasted like the BBQ pork. I think the recipe needs some adjustment. I will probably post the recipe when I achieve the right flavor and consistency.

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Weekend pancake frenzy

Ever since I tried Ina Garten's sour cream pancakes, I was hooked and craved for pancakes for weekend breakfast. I have a few pancakes recipes on my to try list, so I decided to try out 2 recipes on Saturday.

The first recipe is a Blueberry Banana Pancake,from Shape magazine. It used mostly whole wheat flour, which I figured should be pretty healthy. Maybe a bit too healthy for my palate. And I also substituted the nonfat milk with buttermilk. Maybe that had somehow changed the structure or taste of the pancakes. Anyway, I doubt if I will give this recipe another chance.

The second recipe was from the September issue of Everyday Food. The pancake was featured prominently on its cover, so I thought they must have been very proud with it. In other word, it can only be good. My instinct was right! The buttermilk pancakes were really tasty. I added in some ripe banana slices, which added to the sweetness of the pancakes. OCT thought they were a bit too fluffy, he preferred the tougher version. Other than that, it was a perfect breakfast!

Too bad I didn't have a chance to take the pancakes photos, but they looked just like any other pancakes. Not very spectacular in term of appearance. But big in flavor!

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Onion Cheese and Bacon tart

If there's a word to sum up my cooking style, it will undoubtedly be Timid. Or some called it unadventurous. I normally will not try a recipe unless:
a) it has been tried by many with positive reviews
b) I can imagine how it is going to taste
c) it comes with a picture

So I actually surprised myself by baking a bacon and onion tart from scratch. By this, I mean I made my own tart pastry. An apparently daunting task for many cooks and bakers. Of course there are many celebrities chefs who trumpet the ease of making the perfect crust with food processor. I think I would join the food processor clan and mocked at those who couldn't make the crust. Too bad I don't have a processor.

I do have a loyal and dependable pastry blender. And some extra flesh on my arms that needed exercise. So I made the crust in the old fashioned way. You know what? It turns out that making the crust is not that difficult! Mine was quite presentable actually. This suddenly reminds me of the saying " The greatest fear is fear itself". How true!

Speaking of the crust, I think the key point is keeping everything cool. The butter and shortening especially. you want to cut the fat into the flour in the shortest possible time without melting them. Thanks to the countless scones making process, I am quite familiar and competent in this aspect. After the fat was cut into peas sizes, a few tablespoons of icy cold water was added to the flour mixture. Just a few tablespoons of water, until the mixture can be formed into a dough. That's about the most challenging part of the recipe for me.

To cut down on fat, I replaced the cream with nonfat milk. It still tasted very rich actually. I can see myself making this tart again soon.





On the same night, we had a yummy roasted potato salad with the leftover Caesar dressing from yesterday.

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Catching up on new recipes: Eggplant Parmesan, Salmon and Caesar Salad

I was feeling ambitious on Tuesday night,and tried 3 new recipes!

Eggplant parmesan is another recipe from The Best Light Recipe, which is supposed to be lighter than the regular stuff. Eventhough it's a lighter recipe, I think it tastes equally good, if not better.This is definitely another way to use up my extra eggplants other than the sambal style I used to cook. OCT being the conservative eater likes the dish too. And he ended up eating most of it.

Lime and honey glazed salmon is a recipe from Rachel Ray's 365 recipes no repeat. Quite a healthy and tasty way to cook salmon. We like its sweet and tangy taste.

Last but not least, the Caesar Salad, recipe from Ina Garten! I know it's an easy recipe, or you can actually buy a bottle of the vinaigrette, but the freshly made one taste very refreshing! Thanks to the freshly squeeze lemon juice.

It was a very satisfying meal. And for once, I was glad that OCT was home late. I didn't read the recipe carefully, and hence didn't realise that the eggplant parmesan was quite a time consuming dish. By the time he was back at 9:00p.m, it was the perfect time.I pulled out the piping old eggplant parmesan and icy cold salad for a great night meal.

Eggplant Parmesan
(adapted from The Best Light Recipe)
Serves 6

2 medium globe eggplants (1 pound each), ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/3inch thick rounds
kosher salt
1.5 cup panko
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/2 cup, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1.5 tsp garlic powder
ground black pepper
3 large egg whites
1 tbsp water
vegetable oil spray
5 cups tomato sauce
8 ounces reduced fat mozarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 tbsps minced fresh basil leaves

1. Toss half of the eggplants with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then place in a large colander set over a bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and 1 more teaspoon kosher salt, and transfer to the colander with the first batch. Let sit until the eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons liquid, 30 to 40 minutes. spread the eggplant slices on a triple thickness of paper towels and cover with another triple thickness of paper towels. Press firmly on each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, and wipe off the excess salt.

2. Adjust the oven racks to the lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat the oven to 475F. Combine the bread crumbs and oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes. Spread the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish and let cool slightly; when cool, stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan. Combine the flour, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together into a second shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, whisk the eggwhites and water together.

3.Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and coat with vegetable oil spray. Season the eggplant with pepper. Lightly dredge one side of each eggplant slice in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the floured side of the eggplant into the egg whites, and then coat the same side with the bread crumbs. Press on the crumbs to make sure they adhere. lay the eggplant, breaded side up, on the baking sheets in a single layer.

4. Lightly spray the top of the eggplant slices with vegetable oil spray. Bake until the top of the eggplant slices are crisp and golden, about 30 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking.

5. Spread one cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish. Layer in half of the eggplant slices, breaded side up, overlapping the slices to fit. Distribute 1/2 cup of the sauce over the eggplants; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Later in the remaining eggplant, breaded side up and dot with one cup of the sauce, leaving the majority of the eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the remaining sauce and extra parmesan separately.

Note:
The original recipe called for homemade tomato sauce, but I used the store bought sauce. It tasted fine to me. And I halved the recipe, as usual.



Caesar Salad
(adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!)
serves 6-8

3/4 pound pancetta, sliced 1/2-inch thick (omitted)
2 pints cherry tomatoes
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large heads Romaine lettuce
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

For the dressing:
1 extra large egg york at room temperature (or 2 tablespoons mayonaise)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
8 to 10 anchovy fillets (optional)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good mild olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400F

Cut the pancetta into 1/2-inch cubes and cook it in a skillet over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, until browned and crisp. Remove to paper towel and drain.

Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Sprinke with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Wash the lettuce leaves carefully and spin dry in a salad spinner. Stack the leaves on a cutting board and cut them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place them in a large mixing bowl.

For the dressing, place the egg yolk (or mayo), mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until thick. Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and pulse 3 times.

Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to moisten well. Add 1 cup grated parmesan and toss. Divde the lettuce among 6 to 8 plates and sprinkle with pancetta and roasted tomatoes.

Note: I halved the recipe. Even when the dressing was halved, it was sufficient to make 3 night's salad.

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My birthday cake: Devil Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Actually I wanted to make a torte for my birthday....but changed my mind last minute to make this supposedly more festive cake. The recipe is taken from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook and I actually saw her making it on TV once. I was quite worry that it would be too sweet to our liking, but was pleased with the final product. Maybe because I used the 72% chocolate in the ganache, it somehow counteract the sweetness from the cake.

OCT said he wanted to make me a cake initially. But I decided to let him help with the brainless work, like sifting the flour; in case his endeavor failed, I would end up having no cake for my birthday. Not good for a woman suffering from PMS on her birthday. So, I took things on my hands, and make myself a birthday cake.

It was supposed to be a layer cake, but I figured that 2 layers will be too big for the two of us. Hence I decided to use only one cake instead of two to make a single layer chocolate cake. But destiny has it that I accidentally made too much ganache, which was enough to frost 2 cakes....so we ended up having 2 chocolate cakes. I let OCT frosted one and I frosted another one.


Frosting one-two-three: Pour ganache onto the middle of the cake with steady hands and slowly spread out to the sides.

Colourful candles to dress-up the classic looking cake.

A bittersweet cake to remind me of the nature of life.

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A hit!

OCT tried my cookies yesterday despite his dislike of pistachio. And he likes it.

He brought a box of them to lab this morning, and was promptly finished by his colleagues.

I was a bit worried at first, because my cookies had never gained any praises from them. They preferred my cake, which were all generously frosted. Just now while talking to OCT over the phone, he told me of the positive reviews! Needless to say, I was in cloud nine.

Now, who say my cookies are not nice? I am going to try a batch with hazelnut when I get hold of them tomorrow.

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Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

This is the answer to that bag of pistachio that has been sitting in the cabinet for more than a month.As usual, I wasn't sure why I bought it in the first place. Maybe it's for the trail mix that I intended to conjure, or something.

This afternoon, while browsing for a potential birthday cake to make for myself, I came across a white chocolate pistachio cookies recipe. Since tomorrow is OCT's lab meeting, I decided to whip up a batch for his labmates.

Before the cookies are presented to others, it's imperative for them to pass the baker's quality control. I took one bite of the cookie that was still warm, and couldn't help to reach out for second.There isn't many chocolate pistachio cookies recipe around, and I am not too sure if it's interchageable with walnuts or hazelnut. But I definitely like the texture of these cookies. They are soft and chewy.

OCT doesn't like pistachio, so I am not sure if he would enjoy these cookies as much as I do. Anyway, I don't think the pistachio has any distinctive or unpleasant taste here. I shall wait for his review when he is back....

Pistachio Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
(adapted from California Pistachio Commission)

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk (omitted)
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (used 2 cups)
1 teaspoon each baking soda, baking powder and salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups natural California pistachios, coarsely chopped, divided
1 package (10 ounces) dark chocolate chunk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Process oats in blender or food processor, leaving some texture. Gradually add flour mixture and chopped oats to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in 1 cup pistachios and dark chocolate chips. Drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto greased baking sheets, allowing for spreading. Press remaining pistachios on top of cookie dough. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly on sheet to set up.


Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

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Turkey meatballs with homemade marinara sauce

Time flies and it's already Thursday today. I have been following the korean series that my friends sent me since Monday. Because of this, the quality of dinners suffered a bit. We had fried beehoon as dinner on Monday,and burned chicken with white wine and onion sauce on Tuesday. Fried beehoon is the kind of dish I like to cook when I miss home. The chicken with white wine and onion sauce should have tasted better if I didn't overcook the chicken and charred the onion.Minus the burnt taste, it is a dish worth revisit someday.

Yesterday, I was guilt-driven and wanted to cook something nicer to make up for the past nights. I settled on a turkey meatballs recipe with homemade marinara sauce from Giada De Laurentiis's Everyday Italian. Unlike most of the recipes I tried on the book, this one is a winner. A taste of the marinara sauce quickly resume my confidence in this book that many have raved. I am going to buy many more cans of crushed tomatoes to make my own marinara sauce from now on. Although there isn't a lack of choices for tomato sauces,neither are they expensive; I just think that it's healthier to make my own's. In Giada De Laurentiis's recipe, she used only a teaspoon of salt, and make up the flavor by using other wholesome ingredients like onion,carrots, celery, and herbs. I didn't add sugar, but the sauce was sweet, and flavorful. I will not be surprised that other commercial brands will need to add other flavor enhancing ingredients to make it taste as nice.

In short, I am going to make a lot of marinara sauce to freeze. or perhaps I can give some away....

The turkey meatballs are also flavorful. They reminds me of the minced pork meatballs we have in porridge.The Asian version is healthier, being boiled insteads of fried like its western counterpart. I wish I could get hold of some minced pork here, but I never recall seeing it in the grocery stores. It also seems to have lesser choices of cuts for pork here, compared to beef or chicken.Not that I am a big pork fan. Quite the contrary, it is one of the things I can leave without.

Unlike the pork meatballs where chinese condiments are used for seasoning; the turkey meatballs used 2 types of cheese, ketchup, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. I love both versions. And I am glad that the ground turkey doesn't turn out bland and dry. Though the whole cooking process took almost one and a half hour, I don't mind coming back to this recipe when ground turkey are on sale again.



Turkey Meatballs with homemade Marinara Sauce

1 small onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground dark turkey meat
3 tablespoons olive oil
26 ounces Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or store-bought marinara sauce

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Parmesan, Pecorino, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.
Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Add the marinara sauce, about 3 cups. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Marinara Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

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Thank you gals!

I received a huge parcel from Singapore this afternoon that's packed with lots of goodies! Thanks gals for your thoughtfulness. What have I done to deserve friends like you?

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Sunday mixed reviews

Sunday morning, I suddenly craved for pancake and decided to whip up some banana sour cream pancakes from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. Interestingly the taste is a cross of fried banana back home and Rose Levy Beranbaum's banana bread. Probably because Ina used lemon zest in her pancake batter.

I also noticed that the pancake rose higher than the buttermilk pancake I made before, and this tasted so much better. The texture is a bit like mini sponge cake with banana filling. I think I am going to make some next weekend for breakfast :) One downside though, the pancakes only taste good when served warm. And I certainly need to work on the presentation....

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
makes 12 pancakes

1.5 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced plus extra for serving
pure maple syrup

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minutes, until browned. Wip out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Tips:
- Use the 1/4 cup measure to drop the batter into the pan.
-Make sure the diced bananas are covered by batter, or it will stick to the pan.
- I used canola oil instead of butter, to reduce fat.

For dinner, I cooked Spinach Fettucine, which is a staff favorite in July issue of Cookinglight magazine. I substituted a few items; like 2%milk for half & half and Gruyere for 1/3 cream cheese. The result was a mess to say the least. I am going to try this recipe again when I gather all the ingredients. Poor OCT has to finish the leftover as today's lunch.

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Weekend lunch

Top: Cheesy Zucchini and red onion flatbread; hash brown
Bottom: Mixed fruit smoothies, parmesan zucchini

Although I knew there was going to be a big feast at night, I couldn't help to make something for lunch on an idle Saturday. Since I have assembled all the ingredients for cheesy zucchini and red onion flatbread, I decided to just do it! With the leftover zucchini and red onion, I came up with another 2 side dishes : parmesan zucchini and hash brown with caramelised red onion. To round up the meal, we had mixed fruit smoothies. Pretty substantial meal before the feast..

The flatbread was nice. I liked it a lot, but OCT thought it was too cheesy for him. Eventhough I used less cheese than what the recipe called for. This is definitely a great dish to serve your vegetarian friends.

Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread
(adapted from Bon Appetit August 2006)

13 oz tube refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 cup garlic and herb cheese spread (such as Alouette), divided
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided (I substituted half with Gruyere cheese)
3 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 small red onion, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
1 7- to 8-inch long zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch thick rounds
olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheet with parchment. Unroll dough onto parchment. Spread half of herb cheese over one long half of dough, leaving 1/2 inch plain border. Sprinkle with half of parmesan and 2 tbsp parsley. Arrange one row of zucchini down one long side of dough on top of the herb cheese. Arrange onion rounds in row alongside zucchini. Arrange one more row of zucchini alongside onion.Using parchment as an aid, fold plain half of dough over filled half (don't seal edges).

Spread remaining herb cheese over top; sprinkle with remaining parmesan.Arrange one row of zucchini down one long side of dough.Arrange onion rounds in row alongside zucchini. Arrange one more row of zucchini alongside onion. Brush vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake until puffed and deep brown at edges, about 24 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

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A very yummy Weekend

August is the month of this baker's birthday; and more importantly, the birthday of Singapore! Through the connection of my significant half, I got to know a few Singaporeans who have now turned into great friends during my short stay in St Louis. Since 9 Aug falls on Wednesday, they decided to hold the National Day party on an earlier date, i.e Saturday; for the convenience of everyone.

It was really a feast!

We had:
-2 types of curry chicken
-Singapore economy rice style potato and luncheon meat
-Lasagna
-Bak Kut Teh
-Spanakopita
-Beef Stew
-Tomyam tuna rolls
-Mixed Veggies Stirfry
-Stirfry Tofu with prawn and mushroom *
-Belachan Egg plant*
-Strawberry Country Cake*
-Almond jelly with mixed fruit
-Watermelon
-Almond jelly with mixed fruits

* are my contributions.




Some of the dishes captured by M.

The Stawberry Country Cake was the same one I made last week. I made this because red and white are the colour of Singapore Flag.

The varieties and quantities of the food could beat the buffets here in St Louis. Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit. But there really isn't any place that serves authentic Singapore food here. And all of the dishes are tasty! Being the inquisitive baker, I took the opportunity to ask the rest for their recipes (roughly).

For instant, the juicy and tender beef stew from the host BP. She told me the secret was her pressure cooker and the LONGER cooking time;
"I use the pressure cooker, and cook longer than usual. " Said BP
"Oh, how long did you cook?" I asked
"Usually, I cook for 15- 20 minutes. Today, it's 30 minutes"
"......"
That's merely a quarter of the time I used with my dutch oven, to achieve the same kind of tenderness.

Next, I asked SK, who brought the lasagna. Honestly, his version is really the best I have ever tasted. Better than the Pizza Hut's, which I once liked. This was his reply:
" I followed the recipe from the Barilla's box, and substituted ground turkey for the ground beef, and added extra red bell peppers"
"Really? That's it?" I asked in a bit of bewilderment. I have made lasagna twice. First time was inedible, second time was merely mediocre. Yet,he made making lasagna sounds so effortless.
"Yeah, just follow the instruction from the box" answered the talented SK. ( I wish I could introduce him to my friend ST since both of them are singles. And a guy who can cook so well is hard to come by)

Last but not least, I asked M, who was also the photographer of the night, for the recipe of his Singapore economy rice style potato and lucheon meat. According to him, it's a recipe from his grandmother. I was impressed, and secretly wished that my grandma had left me any recipe at all.. Anyway, he told me that the sauce was a mixture of tomato sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Brilliant! I never thought of adding fish sauce to the tomato sauce before.

I have once again seized the opportunity to learn and had a great time yesterday!

To the rest of the Singaporeans who read this blog : "Happy National Day"!

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