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Chinese New Year Celebration

2/16/2018

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HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! This is the 3rd year where Morris is celebrating Chinese New Year. Started the first year being in my arms and the year after where he run around curious about everything. This year, he socializes more where he invites his cousins to join in mini games like “London bridge is falling down”. So adorable! 
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his outfit for school's celebration
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​We started the eve with the boyfriend and papaTan to fetch me off work so that I can rush home to make steamboat for the eve’s dinner. Some last-minute marketing for fresh groceries and it was crazy at the Sheng Siong down my block. Because of 2 days closure, the supermarket was selling fresh groceries at a steal since they are perishable. I managed to grab 2kg of clams at $2, 3 peaches at $1.50, 1 bunch of asparagus at $1 @_@
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 We invited GrandparentsKWAN over for Reunion dinner this year. Our usual steamboat session prepared all by myself. Something special goes to the beancurd ring roll, Saba prawn as well as the korobuta pork & wagyu shabu slices! These shabu slices from don don donki were awesome! Will definitely head there again to grab the meat if I want to make steamboat or bbq again.



新年初一 ~ CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 1

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新年初一 ~ CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 1 BREAKFAST!
​Woke up at 7.30 am on 初一 to make breakfast for the family. One of our culture where we always start Chinese New Year’s daily breakfast with scrumptious food spread to kickstart the day. It will also fill our stomach before we head off for visiting sessions. First stop of visiting to GrandparentsTAN ‘s house before we head off together to GreadGrandFather’s house.

My OOTD for 初一 : Lularoe Amelia Dress with JuJuBe DSS be set large piece.
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GrandfatherTAN prepared for lunch.
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We ended the visiting around 3-4pm before I head home to prepare the PEN CAI 盆菜for 初一’s dinner. PEN CAI is a traditional one-pot Chinese dish from Cantonese origin which has become very poplar dish in Singapore for Chinese New Year. There are plenty of layers of ingredients which are cooked separately before layered and filled with an assortment of seafood delicacies such as abalones and scallops. This signifies abundance and richness in the coming year. 😊
 
Auspicious symbolisms of Pen Cai ingredients:
  • Fat choy (dried moss) sounds like “fatt choi” (striking it rich)
  • Prawns (sounds like “ha” in Cantonese) symbolizing laughter (笑 “哈哈”) and happiness
  • Green ingredients (broccoli): 青春常驻 (perpetual youthfulness)
  • Red items (carrot and wolfberries): 鸿运当头 (good fortune)
  • Abalone: 年年’包’有余 (increasing abundance). They also looked like ingots (ancient China currency symbolizing wealth)
  • Golden ingredients (scallops, tau kee, fish maw, tau kwa): 翩地黄金 (abundant wealth)
  • Carrots cut to flower shapes: 花开富贵 (blooming success).
 
Prepared the following ingredients that layered up within 1 delicious pot:
  • Cabbage
  • Fish maw
  • Beancurd skin
  • Yam
  • Mushroom
  • Duck
  • Roasted Pork
  • Scallop
  • Dried Scallop
  • Abalone
  • Sea Cucumber
  • Saba Prawn
  • Broccoli
  • Carrot​
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Karine's version of 盆菜.
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Mahjong session after dinner is a MUST for our Chinese new year celebration



新年初二 ~ CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 2

On 初二, we will always prepare our breakfast early so that we can 开年。We are having Braised Mushroom with roasted pork, dry oysters and lettuce as well as pig stomach soup (焖冬菇， 猪肚汤). My Pressure cooker were extremely useful when we need to braise and simmer dishes. Most importantly, we do not need to monitor unlike cooking over stove.
 
Many will ask me what does 开年means, 开年开个好意头，全年顺顺利利。“鸡”与“界”方言同音，谐音寓意“好世界”，即兴旺发达;开年的汤圆不同于元宵节汤圆的团圆意义，而是水开汤圆浮起，取“发”的意头;桔子谐音吉利。
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焖冬菇
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猪肚汤
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We will usually visit papaTan’s sibling house for dinner session during 初二 but this time round we decided to head back to GrandparentsTAN’s house instead. This will be the last CNY reunion session at their place since they will be shifting house already. We had dinner at the Indian Muslim stall before heading home for more Mahjong sessions. 
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Macarons making : ABC Cooking Studio

8/25/2017

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I am always grateful that I have meet wonderful friends in life and Teri is one of them. She is my partner-in-crime for baking lessons in ABC Cooking Studio. We decided to make it into a monthly event so that both of us gets to meet at least once a month. To just spend some quality time together and making something that will make us feels proud of it. Lol.
We decided to challenge 3 stars difficulty level and pick to make the Macarons. Always wonder why is it so expensive when we are to buy from the shops when these are just like egg whites and sugar? Well, after this class, it changes my mindset. Macarons are honestly very tedious in making as there are sooooooo many steps to make one bite size dessert. 
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The thing I like about ABC cooking studio is that it is fuss free. The ingredients are measure to requirement and we do not need to wash the tools used. This shortens the time taken in class since the class duration is about 2 hours only.  First thing, we will need to make the meringue by adding egg white and sugar and whisk together. As the portion is 1:1 (1 portion of egg white : 1 portion of sugar) the whisking time is rather long to achieve the stiff peak forms.
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Whisk to bubbles like beer bubbles, add sugar
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Almost ready, still can whisk a little more.
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Done! turn the whisk and see if there is any kind of light suction feel.
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​We were provided with a macaron template to place underneath the baking paper. This is especially useful as it gives us a good gauge to pipe the macarons out. On Scientific terms, we are supposed to pipe 3.5cm circles of batter (1 shot) but seriously, who will measure them!!! So these small cheat sheet is awesome! 😊

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​We took the tray and started to knock the tray against our palm many times to ensure that the batter do not have any “nipple” (the sharp pointed edge at the top as we pipe out). 
​​Our instructor told us that we will need to dry the macarons first before baking them. Suggest drying in an Air-conditioned room for about 1 hour. It is easy to identify if they are dry and it is by touching the edges of the macarons to feel that slightly hard. We were told not to make macarons during raining days (resembles the bread proofing lesson earlier on too) which makes the macarons harder to dry.

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Pandan Chiffon Cake

6/11/2017

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My 3rd Attempt for Pandan Chiffon cake. Apparently the first two times went bad where cake shrink and lost the fluffiness of the chiffon signature. Was kinda dishearten because of the repeat failure but somehow i decided to try 1 more time today. The Pandan Chiffon cake i tried this time round uses Cream of tartar to stable the egg whites which seems to work better as compared to the first couple of times. Cracked but at least, it is still rather fluffy!

Step by Step:  9 egg white recipe
Ingredients:
Yellow Team
Egg yolks 6
Castor sugar 100g
Corn Oil 115ml
Coconut milk 140ml
Cake flour 200g
Baking Powder 2 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Pandan juice 2 Tbsp
Vanilla essence 2 tsp
Pandan essence (optional) 1 tsp
White Team
Egg whites 9
Castor sugar 100g
Cream of tartar 1 tsp

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Will attempt again!
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My Trial Class in ABC Cooking studio (BREAD)

6/9/2017

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The trial class for JUNE : Cheese and Bacon Fondue Bread. Seems pretty impressive and decided to invite Teri to join me for this girlfriend session. Been a long while since i last met her and we have sooooo much to talk about. The motherhood talk goes endless and i am just so glad that i met this wonderful woman! :)
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAREST HUSBAND!

6/6/2017

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dearest Husband! This year i decided to bake you a cake to celebrate your birthday since we are celebrating at home this time round :D Something small but time consuming as you know i am not well verse in baking yet. Hope you like the cake as much as i do! Thank you for your effort in creating an awesome roof and support for Morris and me. We love you <3 

May this special day be filled with love and laughter. One year older and one year wiser. 
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My Trial Class in ABC Cooking studio

5/26/2017

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Have been hearing from my friends about ABC Cooking Studio but just couldn't find time to arrange for a trial lesson. The recent seasonal trial lesson to make a raspberry ombre cake excites me. After speaking to Ferlyn, she invited me to the trial lesson. The Studio is located in Takashimaya Orchard, very spacious and it is open-concept. Classes are a team of 4 usually and there can be several classes running concurrently. 
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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to my favorite GrandmaKWAN

5/14/2017

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MAMAS IN THE WORLD! YOU HAVE BEEN GREAT AND AWESOME! Please give yourself a PAT on the shoulder and appreciate yourself! Ever since i promoted to being mother, i understand the difficulty to be working and showering tender, loving and care to the child. Work is important but being there for the family is a priority for me instead.

This year, i gave myself a challenge which is to create a whole cake to celebrate for the event. It is meant as a surprise for grandmaKwan. Chanced upon my colleague's ondeh ondeh cake and decided oh yes, this is what my mama will like. Googled for recipe and decided to adapt bakewithpaw's recipe on the Pandan cotton cake with Gula Melaka Swiss Meringue Buttercream :) 
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PANDAN COTTON CAKE
Adapted from Butter, Flour & Me with some modifications from Bakewithpaws and followed the method of Jeannie Tay’s Pandan Sponge Cake. 
Two 7″ Round Cakes Recipe
Ingredients:
174g cake flour or all purposed flour
½ tsp double action baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 egg yolks
106g corn oil
66g fresh milk
66g pandan juice (screw-pine leaves juice), very thick and concentrated juice.
8 egg white
106g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar


Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 170C.
  2. Shift flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
  3. Combine fresh milk and pandan paste. Set aside.
  4. Heat corn oil in sauce pan over low heat until it bubbles, then add in the shifted flour mixture and mix well. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Then add in milk and pandan mixture, mix with spatula until all incorporated. Gradually add in the egg yolk and whole egg mixture, stirring with a spatula or hand whisk until smooth. Set aside.
  5. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg white until frothy before adding cream of tartar and continue to beat until foamy. Gradually add in sugar and whisk until firm peaks formed (firm peaks is between soft peaks and stiff peaks).
  6. Mix 1/3 of meringue with yolk batter with a spatula. Add another 1/3 portion and fold gently. Then pour in balance of meringue. Fold gently using a spatula until well incorporated.
  7. Pour the batter into the 2 prepared round tin and tap tin lightly to remove air bubbles.
  8. Baked in water bath at 170C for 30 to 35 minutes. Then another 40 minutes at 150C.
  9. Remove from the oven and drop the pan at a height of 10 cm onto a table top. This will prevent cake from sinking.
  10. Unmould as soon as you can. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan and invert the cake on non stick baking paper. Peel off baking paper from the base and re-invert onto a rack to cool.
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    GULA MELAKA SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
    Adapted from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Dreamer Loft with some modifications.
    Ingredients:
    Gula Melaka Caramel:
    50g gula melaka, crushed or chopped
    2 pandan leaves, tied a knot
    1/8 cup (25 ml) of water
    Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
    3 large egg whites
    80g caster sugar
    150g butter, room temperature
    ¼ tsp vanilla extract
    ¼ tsp salt
    Method:
    To prepare Gula Melaka Caramel:

  11. Combine gula melaka, pandan leave and water in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Keep on stiring until all the sugar has melted and reduce slightly. Remove from heat, strain & discard the pandan leaves. Keep aside to cool. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
  12. To prepare Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  13. Cut the butter into cubes. Set aside to room temperature.
  14. Combine egg white and sugar in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk with hand whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Rub between your fingers to check if there is any unmelted sugar.
  15. Transfer the egg white mixture to a bowl of mixer. With Whisk attachment, beat over high speed until stiff peaks and the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
  16. Turn down the speed and add in the butter cube gradually then turn to high speed. Beat until the mixture comes together. You may change to Paddle attachment. But, I did not.
  17. Add in salt and vanilla extract until well incorporated.
  18. Turn down the speed and in gula melaka one teaspoon at a time. Scrap the bowl with spatula and beat until all well combined. I used all the gula melaka caramel.
  19. To Assemble the cake:
  20. Cut the dome off from the cake and place on a cake board. Spread a layer of Gula Melaka Swiss Meringue Buttercream (GMSMB) on top of the cake. Then stake the second cake on top. Coat the entire cake with GMSMB. Sprinkle some chopped roasted cashew nuts on top of the cake and pipe swirls.

I actually added grated coconut in gula melaka as fillings to create the ondeh ondeh feel. What i did is to melt the gula melaka and add in pandan leaf while i pan fry the grated coconut. Add in the melted gula melaka to the grated coconut and mix it up! Super yummy! And for the sides, i added salt and pan fry the grated coconut to create some sweet salty taste while eating :D
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DIY Airfry Ngoh Hiang

5/10/2017

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I took almost 2 hours to finish cleaning, chopping, dicing and mixing these tiny rolls of Ngoh Hiang. 

Manage to do up about 20 rolls and we finished almost 10 rolls today! Gosh! I promise i will appreciate Ngoh Hiang more now after it! Sooooooo many ingredients needed to make this awesome roll! ​
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Recipe

​Ingredients:
Minced pork
Prawns 
Water Chestnuts
Carrots
Parsley
Spring Onion
Bread crumbs
Onion
Garlic
Fish Paste

Mix the above with salt, sesame oil & pepper. Lastly, Add 1 egg & mix properly.

Cut beancurd sheet into desired size. Wipe lightly with cloth to remove excess salt. Scoop the above mixture onto the smaller sheet and wrap.

Steam for 8 mins. Open and remove cover after an additional 4 mins.

Brush wu xiang with oil and AF using grill pan.180 degrees@ 8 mins first. 
Flip wu xiang over and brush with a little oil and AF another 5 to 8 mins.
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DIY Mee Hoon Kueh

5/7/2017

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The family requested for 面粉粿 again and here we go! Made from scratch on the broth and dough! Yums!!! Best combine with the chilli gonna from whampoa! 

Recipe Source - Home Cooking Magazine - July 1999
Ingredients for Noodle Dough [serves 5]
300 gm plain flour
1 tbsp tapioca flour [optional]
1 tsp salt
1 egg - lightly beaten
2 tbsp cooking oil
150 ml water [as required]

  1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  
  2. Make a hole in the centre, add in the egg and oil.
  3. Slowly knead the flour mixture into a dough, adding water gradually until it forms a soft dough.
  4. Shape into a ball, cover to rest for at least 1/2 hour before shaping the mee hoon kueh for a quick preparation [I prepared the dough earlier and refrigerate until needed].
  5. Flatten the dough and shape into noodles with a noodle maker or pinch the dough into small flat pieces [mee hoon kueh].
  6. Bring a big pot of water to boil, blanch the mee hoon kueh to cook.  When the kueh floats up, it is cooked.    Dish up and add to boiling soup to serve.

Ingredients for Mee Hoon Kueh Soup
50 gm anchovies - rinsed and drained
150-200 gm minced meat 
3 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut strips
a bunch of sweet leaves [mani chye] or choy sum
1.5 litres water
1 cube ikan bilis stock granules
salt and pepper to taste
some chopped garlic
some chopped spring onions or coriander leaves 

  1. Marinate minced meat with some salt, pepper, sesame oil and cornstarch.  Shape into meatballs, set aside.
  2. Heat up some oil to fry anchovies until golden and crispy.  Dish out.
  3. Using the remaining oil, fry garlic until aromatic, add in the mushrooms.
  4. Add in the water, bring to boil for several minutes.
  5. Add in minced meat, seasonings to taste.
  6. Add in blanched mee hoon kueh and vegetables.  
  7. Once vegetables are cooked, dish out into individual bowls to serve.
  8. Top noodles with fried anchovies and chopped spring onions/coriander leaves.  Serve with cut chilies in soy sauce.

NOTE:
-  Air fry the anchovies with sesame oil which makes them really crispy.
- I uses PPC to create the soup broth. "Soup mode" for 30 minutes KPT.
- Try to pinch the dough and stretch it to as thin layer as possible.
- Added 鲍贝 and Roasted Pork for more flavors.
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DIY KAYA (Pumpkin & Sweet potato) Egg-less.

4/22/2017

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MIL has been wanting to eat Kaya for the longest time but unfortunately the kaya is not quite healthy. Googled on some recipe and decided to make this pumpkin + sweet potato kaya (egg less) for her! Yums. I think i will make it more often. Hope she likes it
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