Is there a chef that you like very much, and you have no doubt that his recipe will work out perfectly everytime? 

Since young, I had seen my mom watching cooking show on TV. I didn't enjoy much of them but I didn't mind watching Chef Wan's show, mainly because the way he present himself- confident and humorous. Although I didn't understand much that time, I could still watch on. Fast forward the time now... now that I enjoy cooking, his recipes had become some of my best inspirations. 

Today, I am using his recipe to make mee rebus for my family. Mee rebus is a noodle dish with sweet curry-like gravy. It is very popular in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, and is a must try if you are visiting these areas. It is only mildly spicy, even my toddler enjoy it! Hope that you will like it too.

Recipe adapted from the book "Simply Sedap 2", written by Chef Wan

Mee Rebus

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 30g curry powder
• 1/2 cup perserved soy bean paste (taucu)
• 750ml water
• 2 medium size orange/yellow flesh sweet potato, boiled, peeled and mashed
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground peanuts
• salt, to taste
• sugar, to taste
• 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 700g -1 kg yellow noodles, cooked as per instruction on the packaging
• 80g beans sprout, blanched

Spice Paste

• 7 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cm ginger

Garnishing

• 2 hard boiled egg
• 1 tau kwa (firm bean curd), fried and cut into cubes
• 1 sprig chinese celery, chopped
• 1 green chilli, seeded and sliced
• 4 calamansi, cut into half
• 4 tablespoon fried shallots

Cooking Directions

1. Blend the spice paste in a blender until smooth
2. Heat oil in a pot, add spice paste and curry powder, fry until fragrant.
3. Add soy bean paste, water and sweet potatoes. Stir through and bring to the boil.
4. Add tomato, peanuts, then season to taste with salt and sugar.
5. Stir in corn flour solution. Continue to simmer, stir constantly until the gravy is thick.
6. To serve, place the yellow noodles and bean sprout in a bowl, then ladle hot gravy over. Top with desired amounts of each garnishing ingredient.

马来卤面

4 人份

材料

• 1/4杯食用油
• 30克咖喱粉
• 1/2杯黄豆酱（taucu）
• 750毫升水
• 2个中等大小的橙色/黄肉地瓜，煮，去皮，捣碎
• 番茄1个，切碎
• 1汤匙的花生碎
• 盐，适量
• 糖，适量
• 1 1/2汤匙玉米淀粉，用3汤匙水混合
• 700克-1公斤的黄色面条，照包装上指示煮熟
• 80克豆芽，烫水

香料

• 辣妹粘贴
• 7瓣小葱头
• 2瓣大蒜
• 2厘米生姜

配料

• 2粒鸡蛋
• 1块豆腐，炸好后切成四方块
• 1棵中国芹菜，切碎
• 1条青辣椒，去籽，切片
• 4粒酸柑，切成一半
• 4大匙炸葱头子

做法

• 用搅拌机把香料打成泥。
• 锅中烧热油，加入香料和咖喱粉，翻炒爆香。
• 加入豆瓣酱，水和番薯。搅拌均匀，煮沸。
• 加入番茄，花生，然后用盐和糖调味。
• 拌入玉米粉水。不断搅拌，直到酱汁浓稠。
• 食用时，将黄色面条和豆芽放入碗中，然后舀入热酱汁。随喜好加入配料。

Red residue, or ang chow, is the residue of red rice wine. During the making of the wine, wine cake is being mixed together with red yeast rice and left fermented. The result is wine, together with a layer of fermented red rice floating atop, namely ang chow.

Ang Chow is in a rather bright shade of red color. Many may feel daunted to try it and I even has a friend who got diarrhea everytime she had this. But, it is really tasty! One of the most famous dishes made with ang chow is this red residue chicken, which is really easy to make, and my favorite too! I always has a bottle of the paste sitting in the fridge waiting for me, just in case if I need to make a meal in hurry.

Red residue chicken
This recipe serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 inch ginger, sliced
• 4-6 tablespoon red residue paste
• 1 chicken
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 litre water

Cooking Directions

1. Marinate chicken in red residue paste for an hour.
2. In a pan, heat up sesame oil.
3. Add ginger and stir fry until fragrant and brown in color.
4. Add in chicken and the paste, stir fry for a few minutes.
5. Add water, bring it to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 35 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Serve with mee suah

This recipe had been sitting around my 'to do list' for quite a while. It had been neglected mainly because it looks rather simple that I didn't think it will turn out fantastic, and also that I was too ambitiously on my quest to challenge the more difficult recipes.

But it hasn't been an easy week this week, family got sick, little ones got grumpy... so it turns out, this recipe came in handy.

It was really tasty! Even when the cake was still being baked in the oven, the aroma lingering in the air was enough to make my stomach growled. I need a good self-control in order not to prematurely open out the oven door for that tantalizing addictive aroma. 

Look at that smiling cake, it brighten up my day already!

Pineapple Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 110g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz mashed banana (around 4 bananas)
• 1/3 cup drained crushed pineapple
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cooking Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Add in eggs and continue to beat for another minute.
3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (banana, pineapple, flour, baking powder, baking soda, lemon juice and salt), stir until just combine.
4. Pour the mixture into mold.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 45-50 minutes.

凤梨香蕉蛋糕

材料 

• 1杯面粉 
• 1杯全麦面粉 
• 110克黄油 
• 1杯糖 
• 鸡蛋2粒 
• 10oz香蕉泥（大约4条香蕉） 
• 1/3杯捣碎菠萝 （去掉水分）
• 1/2茶匙泡打粉 
• 1/2茶匙小苏打 
• 1茶匙柠檬汁 
• 1/2茶匙盐 

做法

1. 奶油黄油和糖打到蓬松 
2. 加入鸡蛋，继续打一分钟。 
3. 拌入原料的其余材料（香蕉，菠萝，面粉，泡打粉，小苏打，柠檬汁和盐），搅拌均匀。 
4. 倒入模具中。 
5. 放入预热烤箱烤180度45-50分钟。

What do you like to have for breakfast? It seems like everyone in my family has different liking. Some prefer porridge, some prefer sandwiches, some prefer biscuits and chocolates (what?)...

Anyway, this is our freshly steamed flower rolls with spring onion, it will be our breakfast tomorrow. Simply store it in the fridge and steam it for 10 minutes before serving. It is very simple, the dough was fully hand kneaded and who knows, it might be the new favorite in your family too!

p/s: the super fussy one in my house loves this bun very much, she adores the flower shape especially. She enjoys peeling out the 'flower' strands and eat 'em up one by one. The joy of watching her gulping down the bun is priceless. You will only understand it if you too, have a fussy one at home. =p

Flower roll / flower bun with spring onion 葱花卷

Ingredients　材料

Dough 面团

• 225g / 2 cup cake flour
  225克/2杯低筋面粉 
• 40g sugar
  40克糖 
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
  1/2茶匙即食酵母粉 
• 10g butter
  10克黄油
• 140ml water
  140毫升水

Glaze　

• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
  2汤匙香油／麻油
• 2 tablespoons of chopped spring onion
  2汤匙切碎的青葱 
• a pinch of salt
  盐,适量 

Cooking Directions　做法

1. Mix all the dough ingredients together and knead the dough until it become smooth (around 10 minutes). The dough will be a bit sticky at first, it will get less sticky as you knead on.
   把所有的面团材料混合在一起，揉面团至光滑（约10分钟）。面团开始会有点粘手，揉多一会儿就不粘了。 
2. Place the dough in a bowl, cover the bowl and leave it to rise until double in size.
   将面团放入碗中，盖好，让它发酵至两倍大。 
3. Mix the sesame oil with a pinch of salt, set aside.
   麻油加入少许盐，备用。
   
   
4. Divide the dough into 12 pieces.
   将面团分成12块。
5. Roll each pieces into rectangular shape.
   每块滚成长方形。
   
   
6. Cut the dough as shown.
   切开面团，如图所示。
   
   
7. Brush the surface of the dough with salted sesame oil and sprinkle some spring onion on top.
   面团表面上刷上香油，洒上一些葱花。
   
   
8. Twist the dough.
   拧面团。
   
   
9. Tie a knot with the dough as shown in the picture/video.
   将面团打结，如图/视频所示。 



    
    
10. Let the dough rest for another 10 minutes. Steam over high heat for 12 minutes.
    让面团松弛10分钟后，大火蒸12分钟。
    
    

I had been sick for the past few days, sore throat, runny nose, heavy headed...look like it is the flu season again. Many said that it is not good to have spicy food (heaty) when you get sore throat, but I, for one, would not mind eating spicy even though my throat so sore that I lost my voice. Of course, that is not advisable.

This is one of my favorite spicy food - sambal stingray. If you have a bbq pit, you could make bbq sambal stingray. As for me, I used my little toaster. I have to say it did a decent job too, although certainly not as good as a truely barbequed one.

This sambal kept well in fridge for a week or 2. I usually make more so that I could always make a quick meal with it. 

Just in case if you wonder, my voice did become deeper and sexier the next day.

BBQ Sambal Stingray

Ingredients

• 300-400g stingray
• 40g tamarind paste, mashed in 1 cup water, seed removed
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 banana leaf and 2 toothpicks
• 30g dried shrimp, washed, blended and stir fried until fragrant (optional, it will be quite salty if you add)
• 1 banana leaf (substitute: aluminium foil)

Spice paste

• 8 shallots
• 4 garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 15g belacan, roasted
• 25g dried chillies, soaked and deseeded

Garnish

• 2 calamansi
• 1 shallot, sliced

Cooking Directions

1. Grind the spice paste.
2. Heat 4 tablespoon of oil, stir fry spice paste until fragrant.
3. Add tamarind water, sugar, dried shrimp, and simmer until sauce thicken.
4. Soften the banana leaf with hot water.
5. Spoon half of the paste on banana leaf, lay fish on top, and then the other half of the paste.
6. Wrap the fish with banana leaf and secure with toothpick.
7. Baked in the preheated oven at 190 degree celsius for 10-15 minutes, then open up the banana leaf and bake for another 10 minutes (watch out not to burn the spice paste. Timing may vary depending on the thickness of the fish).

烧烤魔鬼鱼

材料

• 300-400克　魔鬼鱼
• 40克　罗望子膏，加水1杯，除去种子
• 1汤匙　赤糖
• 4汤匙　植物油
• 1叶　香蕉叶和2支牙签
• 30克　虾米，洗净捣烂，煸炒爆香（选择性,加了口味偏咸）
• 1香蕉叶（可用铝箔代替）

香料

• 8粒　葱头子
• 4粒　大蒜
• 1寸　姜
• 2根　香茅
• 15克　马来栈，烤／炒香
• 25克　干辣椒，泡软和去籽

配料 

• 2粒　酸柑 
• 1粒　葱头子，切片

做法

1. 把香料用搅拌机搅碎。
2. 锅里4汤匙油，把香料爆香。
3. 加入罗望子水，糖，虾米，煨至变浓。
4. 用热水软化香蕉叶。
5. 勺一半的香料在香蕉叶上，上面放上鱼，然后再将剩余的香料铺在鱼上面。
6. 用香蕉叶包鱼，以牙签固定。
7. 预热烤箱，用190摄氏度烤10-15分钟，然后打开香蕉叶，再烤10分钟（注意不要烤焦香料膏。烧烤时间可能取决于鱼的厚度而异）。

Don't underestimate these plain looking little buns. These buns are very easy to make and have a simple taste, yet my fussy little one could reject everything from porridge, rice, vegetable to fish but will happily munch down these buns without any complaint. There is no magic in it, perhaps simple is better sometimes.

You can have many variation with this bun. Stuff some vegetables or meat, and you can eat it like a sandwich. You can make a lot of 'em and freeze the leftovers. Just reheat the buns by steaming 'em for 10 minutes and you can enjoy it as good as freshly made.

Lotus Leaf Bun / Foldover Bun
Makes 18 buns

Ingredients

• 3 cups / 336g cake flour
• 210g fresh milk
• 40g sugar
• 1 tsp yeast
• 9g butter
• 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil (for brushing the bun)

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all ingredients (except vegetable oil) together and knead the dough until smooth.
2. Let the dough rest until double in size.
   
   
3. Divide the dough into 18 similar sizes portions.
4. Roll each portion of dough into round shape and brush some vegetable oil on top.
   
   
5. Fold the dough into half.
   
   
6. Let the dough rest for around 15 minutes.
   
   
7. Boil water in steamer. Steam the bun over high heat for 8 minutes.
8. Leftover buns can be stored in the freezer. To reheat, steam over high heat for 10 minutes.

荷叶包
做１８个包子
材料：

• 3杯/336克蛋糕粉 
• 210克鲜牛奶 
• 40克糖 
• 1茶匙酵母 
• 9克黄油 
• 1.5汤匙植物油（用于涂刷包子） 

做法：

1. 将所有材料（植物油除外）掺在一起揉面团，直到光滑有弹性。 
2. 让面团松弛发酵至两倍大。
   
3. 将面团分成18等份小面团。 
4. 把每个小面团擀成圆形，在上面刷些植物油。
   
5. 将面团对折成半圆形。
   
6. 让面团松弛发酵15分钟左右。
    
7. 在蒸锅烧开水。以大火蒸包子8分钟。

Yang Yu Huan, or Yang Gui Fei (Imperial Consort Yang), also known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China, was the consort of Emperor Xuanzhong. As with the beauties of that time, Yang Gui Fei had a full and plump body. Her favorite fruit was lychees, which at that time only grew in southern China. The emperor, in order to please her, got the lychee delivered day and night by the imperial courier's fast horses to the capital for her.

Other than lychee, she also loves chicken wings. It was said that there was once she lost the favor from the emperor. Feeling sad, she indulged herself in the wine, hence the birth of this dish - Gui Fei chicken wing.

Gui Fei Chicken Wing

Ingredients

• 8 chicken wings
• 60ml red wine
• 40ml cooking wine
• 10g ginger, sliced
• 2 stalks spring onion (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 1 tablespoon Si Chuan peppercorn oil
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 lychees (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Clean the wings and pat dry.
2. Marinate wings with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a wok, add ginger and spring onion (white part), stir fry until fragrant.
4. Add chicken wings, stir to brown the skin.
5. Add red wine, cooking wine, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to simmer until the sauce thicken.
6. Dish out. Garnish with spring onion and lychees.

贵妃鸡翅

材料 

• 8个 鸡翅
• 60毫升 红酒
• 40毫升 料酒
• 10克 姜，切片
• 2棵 葱（切碎）
• 1汤匙 糖
• 1汤匙 麻辣油
• 2汤匙 食油
• 盐和胡椒 调味
• 8粒 荔枝（选择性）

做法 

1. 把翅膀洗净，拍干。
2. 用盐和胡椒腌鸡翅。
3. 锅里烧热油，放入姜片和葱段（白色部分），翻炒爆香。
4. 加入鸡翅，煸至褐色。
5. 加入红葡萄酒，料酒和糖。 煮沸，转至中低温火慢煨至酱汁浓稠。
6. 将鸡翅盛入盘里，洒上葱（青色部分），配上荔枝。

I am not such a fan of Oreo biscuit, mainly because I don't like those dark black crumbs sticking on my teeth after having them. Surely, you don't want that to happen if you are meeting someone you want to impress, right? However, making them into dessert is another story. It adds a nice crumbly texture to the dessert, and spice up the dessert with its unique sweet chocolate taste. Tsk tsk.. what a double judgement I have.

Does this cake looks small? Yes, your eyes didn't play trick with you. I have a family of weight watchers, so this is a special mini size cake that I made. You don't have to be afraid of having dessert, you just need to have everything in moderate amount.

If you find the oreo cheesecake too creamy, then its raspberry counterpart is sure to provide you some refreshing taste. This cheesecake is a no fuss no bake version, almost not much technique required.

Oreo Raspberry White Chocolate No Bake Cheesecake

Makes 3 small-size (4 inch) cakes
note: also suitable for one 6 inch/ 7 inch mold

Ingredients

Crust

• 3/4 cup (around 50g) Graham crackers crumbs
• 30g butter, melted

Oreo cheesecake

• 125g cream cheese
• 40g sugar
• 3/4 tsp gelatine, melted in 22.5g boiling water
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 50g crushed oreo
• 50ml whipping cream, whipped
• extra oreo for topping

Raspberry cheesecake

• 125g cream cheese
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp gelatine, melted in 22.5g boiling water
• 50g white chocolate, melted 
• 60g raspberry, fresh or frozen
• 60ml whipping cream, whipped

Cooking Directions

Crust

1. Line the bottom of springform cake pan.
2. Combine Graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and press into the base of cake pan. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Oreo cheesecake

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Add gelatine mixture, lemon juice and crushed oreo. Beat until well combined.
3. Fold in whipping cream (whipped).
4. Pour into the cake pan and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or until the cheese hardened) before adding the next layer.

Raspberry cheesecake

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Add gelatine mixture, melted white chocolate and raspberry. Beat until smooth.
3. Fold in whipping cream (whipped).
4. Pour into the cake pan.
5. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least another hour.
6. Sprinkle oreo crumbs on top before serving.

奥利奥覆盆子白巧克力免烤乳酪蛋糕

做 3 个小尺寸（4寸）蛋糕
备注：也可以用１个６寸／７寸模型

材料

饼底

• 3/4杯 （约50克） Graham全麦饼干碎（可以用搅拌器打碎或用面杆压碎）
• 30克 黄油，融化

奥利奥芝士蛋糕

• 125克 奶油奶酪
• 40克 糖
• 3/4茶匙 明胶，融化在22.5克开水
• 1/2汤匙 柠檬汁
• 50克 奥利奥饼干碎
• 50毫升 奶油，打至7成发（即搅拌有纹路但扔能流动）
• 额外的奥利奥饼干碎 （撒在蛋糕上） 

覆盆子乳酪蛋糕

• 125克 奶油奶酪
• 2汤匙 糖
• 3/4茶匙 明胶，融化在22.5克开水
• 50克 白巧克力，熔化
• 60克 覆盆子，新鲜或冷冻
• 60毫升 奶油，打至7成发（即搅拌有纹路但扔能流动）

做法

饼底

1. 在蛋糕模型底部铺上烤纸。
2. 将融化的黄油倒入碾碎的消化饼，搅拌均匀。压入模型的底部。 放入冰箱冷藏30分钟。

奥利奥芝士蛋糕

1. 奶油奶酪和糖适当打发。
2. 加入明胶，柠檬汁和奥利奥饼干碎。 用打蛋器搅打均匀。
3. 加入打发好的奶油，混合均匀。
4. 倒入蛋糕模型，放入冰箱冷藏至少1小时。

覆盆子乳酪蛋糕

1. 奶油奶酪和糖适当打发。
2. 加入明胶，融化的白巧克力和覆盆子。 打至光滑。
3. 加入打发好的奶油，混合均匀。
4. 倒入蛋糕模型。放入冰箱冷藏至少1小时。
5. 食用前撒上奥利奥饼干碎。

When I was a little girl, I was always attracted to the refreshing tea aroma from the constantly simmering tea eggs selling at the Chinese herbal shop. However, I seldom bought it as I find it too troublesome to peel the egg shell, especially I didn't want to get those dark tea gravy all over my hands, leaving my hands sticky from the sauce. One day, a childhood friend of mine invited me for tea eggs, and then she taught me a trick: leave the tea egg inside the plastic bag, roll the egg around with both of your palms, now the shell will crumble easily and you can use the plastic bag to rub the shell away pretty effortlessly.

Tea egg is an extremely easy dish. If you wish to have it for breakfast, you can boil some eggs and whip up the sauce the night before you sleep, and leave them in a thermal pot. Let the pot do the job for you while you are having your beauty nap. When you wake up, your tasty breakfast is awaiting you. Just heat it up and tada... time to fill in your stomachs.



Traditionallly, tea eggs are made with Chinese black tea. By using earl grey tea as gravy base, you would get a slight citrus flavour and aroma from the Bergamot oil. Do you like Earl Grey? If yes, try this out! If you prefer the traditional taste, no problem, just substitute the Earl Grey tea with your regular Chinese black tea and it is done.

Earl Grey Tea Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 2 Earl Grey tea bags
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 tablespoon reduced salt light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups water
• pinch of salt

Cooking Directions

1. Place the eggs in a pot, add enough water to cover the eggs. Bring the water to boil and continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the eggs are cooked through.
2. Discard the water. Gently tap the eggs on table top to crack the eggshell (to create the marbling effect).
3. In a pot, put together all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer for another 1 hour (otherwise, you can simmer for another 5 minutes and transfer the tea eggs into a thermal pot).
4. Let the eggs sit in the tea mixture for at least 4 hours before serving.

Tips: Ideally, the tea mixture should cover your eggs while cooking. If your pot is too big relative to the amount of eggs you are making, you will need to make more tea mixture.

材料

• 6粒 鸡蛋
• 2个 伯爵茶包
• 2寸 肉桂棒
• 4汤匙 低盐酱油
• 2汤匙 老抽
• 1茶匙 五香粉
• 3汤 ​​匙 白糖
• 2 杯水
•  盐少许

做法

1. 将鸡蛋放入锅里，加入足够的水覆盖鸡蛋。 把水烧开，再继续煮10分钟，待鸡蛋熟透。
2. 把水倒掉。 把鸡蛋轻轻的在桌面上拍打，直到蛋壳出现裂痕（创建大理石花纹的效果）。
3. 在一个锅里，把所有材料放在一起，煮沸， 继续煨1小时（你也可以煨5分钟，然后把蛋和茶汁放入保温壶里）。
4. 让鸡蛋浸泡在茶汁里至少4个小时。

温馨提示：煮的时候茶汁要盖过鸡蛋。

Mushroom soup is one of my favorite breakfast dishes. It doesn't take long time to cook,  most likely you would spend more time cutting the ingredients instead. That said, if you have a food processor to chop your ingredients, you can whip this soup up in a breeze. You could make your chicken stock ahead of time or simply use store-bought chicken stock in order to save time. 

Waking up in the aroma of simmering mushroom soup, enjoy every spoonful of creamy mushroom bits, lazying over a cup of coffee, how does it sounds like to start your day with?

Mushroom Soup / Cream of Mushroom

Ingredients

• 200g button mushroom, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1.5 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup cream
• 1/3 tsp dried thyme
• 3 tbsp plain flour, dissolved in some warm water (you can add more flour if you prefer the soup to be thicker )
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp butter (for stir frying)

Cooking Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat, stir fry onion until fragrant.
2. Add button mushroom, stir fry until soft and brown.
3. Add lemon juice, stock, cream, thyme, plain flour (dissolved), salt, and pepper, simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot.

Serving suggestions: You can put a dash of black pepper, and drizzle some oil of your choice, e.g. olive oil, truffle oil on top of the soup before serving.

奶油蘑菇汤

材料

• 200克 蘑菇，切碎
• 1个 洋葱，切碎
• 1/2 汤匙 柠檬汁
• 1.5杯 鸡汤
• 3/4杯 奶油
• 1/3茶匙 干百里香
• 3汤 ​​匙 面粉，溶解在适量温水里（如果喜欢汤更浓稠些可以多加面粉）
• 盐和胡椒，适量
• 2汤匙 黄油

做法

1. 融化黄油，中火加热，翻炒洋葱爆香。
2. 加入蘑菇，翻炒至软。
3. 加入柠檬汁，鸡汤，奶油，百里香，面粉，盐，胡椒，小火煮10分钟。
4. 趁热食用。

配餐建议：可以加些黑胡椒粉，或淋上您所喜欢的油，如橄榄油，松露油等。

I don't usually deep fry my food, I try to bake them as far as I could. Firstly, it is because I don't like to clean up the mess after the spilling oil war; secondly, I kind of having a phobia against deep frying. However, when it comes to buffalo wings, I not only have the appetite of a buffalo, but also the courage of it. 

Traditionally, the wings were deep fried with no batter, and the sauce is only made up of Frank's hot sauce, butter and vinegar. However, I just couldn't resist those crispy batter, which acts like a thirsty sponge readily absorbs all the hot sauce. Biting down the crispy yet sauce-drenched batter immediately wake up every inch of my taste bud. Yum yum...

So, no, this is not the traditional buffalo wings. But, yes, it is very delicious.

Beware, if you are not a fan of sour food, this is not for you.

Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

• 7 chicken drumlet
• oil for deep frying

Sauce

• 25g butter, unsalted
• 75ml hot sauce (I used Frank's hot sauce)
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• few dashes of garlic powder

Batter

• 50g plain flour
• 15g cornflour
• 2g baking powder
• 60g water
• salt
• 10g cooking oil

Cooking Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together plain flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add in water and stir to combine (do not keep stirring in the same direction to prevent the development of gluten).
2. Add oil into the batter and let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Evenly coat the chicken drumlets with the batter.
   
   
4. Heat oil (enough to cover chicken wings, around an inch) in deep fryer to around 190 degree Celsius.
5. Deep fry the chicken over medium heat until the drumlets turn brown, around 10 to 15 minutes.
   
   
6. Meanwhile, heat up a sauce pan over low heat, combine the ingredients for sauce. Stir to combine.
7. Toss together the sauce with the drumlets. Serve immediately.

布法罗鸡翅

主料

• 7个鸡小腿
• 油，油炸用

酱汁

• 25克有盐牛油，
• 75毫升辣酱（我用弗兰克的辣酱 Frank's Hot Sauce）
• 1/4茶匙隐汁
• 2茶匙醋
• 1/4茶匙辣椒粉
• 少许大蒜粉

炸浆

• 50克普通面粉
• 15克玉米粉
• 2克发粉
• 60克水
• 盐
• 烹调油10克

做法

1. 在一个碗里，把面粉，玉米粉，泡打粉和盐混合在一起。缓慢加水，搅拌至结合（不要持续保持同一个方向搅拌，以防止生面筋）。
2. 油倒入面糊，让面糊休息至少30分钟。
3. 面糊均匀裹上鸡小腿。
   
4. 热油（足以覆盖鸡小腿）大约摄氏190度左右。
5. 加入鸡，用中火炸直到鸡小腿呈褐色，大约10至15分钟。
   
6. 同时热锅慢火，放入酱汁的材料。搅拌均匀。
7. 酱汁均匀裹上鸡小腿，即可食用。

Whenever passing by an Asian bakery store, I always adore those round shaped, cute looking steamed cake. There are so many flavors to choose from: mangoes, cheese, strawberry....

Somehow, I have a notion that eating steamed cake is more healthy than baked cake, maybe I am just cheating myself... At the very least, these pandan steamed cakes are made with all natural pandan juice, the aroma so fragrant that one piece is barely enough. With the natural bright green color from pandan juice, there is no need for artificial coloring too, suitable for those who are health-conscious.

Pandan Steam Cake
Makes around 10

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggs
• 100g sugar
• 80g butter
• 130ml pandan juice

Dry Ingredients

• 1.5 cup cake flour, sifted
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cooking Directions

1. Heat a saucepan, melt butter.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add in sugar in 3 stages. Beat the mixture until frothy and light yellow in color.
   
   
3. Add melted butter and pandan juice to (2).
4. Add the dry ingredients to (2) in 3 stages, fold the mixture to combine well.
   
   
5. Pour the mixture into mold and steam on high for 15 minutes.

Pandan leaf is a rather commonly used ingredient in Asia cuisine. It can be used to make savory dishes such as pandan wrap chicken, or get its juice extracted to make sweet dessert. The leaf on its own is coarse and fibrous, hence you don't actually eat the leaf, but only use it for flavoring and coloring. It possesses a unique natural aroma and if juiced, imbues a bright green color to the dishes.

 I happened to have bought a whole bunch of pandan leaves which had been sitting inside my fridge waiting to wither. I took some and cooked rice with it to infuse the pandan flavor to my rice, but there was just too much leftovers. 

1,2,3... 20 I counted. Whatever I have to do with it, I have to do it fast... My final decision? Juice 'em! It is so easy, and it only take 2 ingredients - pandan leaves and water. Just like making a fruit juice yeah...

All Natural Pandan Juice

Ingredients

• 20 pandan leaves
• 100ml water

Cooking Directions

1. Wash the pandan leaves and cut into small pieces.
2. Blend the leaves with water in a blender.
3. Remove from blender, strain the juice out using a strainer or cloth.
4. Keep the juice refrigerated no more than 2 days.

If you have tried the texture of Ipoh Hor Fun, I believe you will be impressed by its silky smooth texture. It is so slippery that grabbing it with chopstick require quite a bit of skill. Just in case you have not tried it before, Ipoh Hor Fun is similar to Kuay Teow, but with much more delicate texture.

The key of making a bowl of delicious Ipoh Hor Fun lies in the taste of the soup. So, be generous with the ingredients going into the soup base, you won't regret it.

Ipoh Hor Fun

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g Ipoh Hor Fun
• 1/2 chicken
• 1 chicken carcass
• 8 medium size prawns (cooked and shelled, set aside the shell for use)
• 2cm ginger
• 30g chives (cut into 1.5 inch length)
• 50g bean sprouts
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 litre water / chicken stock
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 2 bird's eye chillies, cut (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, stir fry the prawns, prawn shells and prawn heads until fragrant.
2. Bring water to boil, add the ginger, half chicken, chicken carcass, prawn shells, prawn heads, salt and pepper. Simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Add chives and bean sprouts and simmer for another 2 minutes.
4. Take up the half chicken, shred the meat.
5. Cook Ipoh Hor Fun as per the instruction on the package.
6. Place hor fun in a bowl, garnish with prawns and shredded chicken. Ladle soup into bowl.
7. Serve hot, with cut chillies.

Do you know that the history of pao zi can be traced back to the 3rd century AD, and it is believed that pao was invented by the Zhuge Liang (my favourite character in Romance of Three Kingdoms)?

And coincidentally, pao is also one of my favorite. I could eat 'em all day long - breakfast, lunch, dinner... Call me obsessive? You may!

Red Bean Pao

Ingredients

• 150g low protein flour
• 3/4 tsp instant yeast
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 20g caster sugar
• 75g milk
• 2g shortening
• 150g red bean paste (home made or store bought)

Cooking Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, knead for around 15 minutes.
2. Cover the dough, let it rest until double in size.
3. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, roll up to form a round wrapping (the edges should be slightly thinner than the center).
4. Roll fillings into balls. Place fillings at the middle of the dough and wrap it up. Seal the edges and place the sealed part facing downward on a piece of square baking paper.
5. Steam the pao for 15 minutes.
6. Serve hot. Keep refrigerated (3 days) if not consume immediately. Re-steam for 10 minutes before consume.