Koboi

For the past few weeks, i had this theme going on inside my head. (Yes..... i have an over imaginative mind.) A handsome cowboy on horse ride, the orange colour sunset background and that ULTIMATE cowboy song. (Listen to Ennio Morricone live version of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly at youtube- mind blowing!)

OMG!! Don't you just want to live in this kind of lifestyle? Makes me wanna tear up my punch card into pieces. Anyway, i watched tv a few months ago about the life of REAL cowboys and boy aren't they delicious. I mean the corn bread. *Cough*

So i keep playing that Clint Eastwood song on my mp3 player and i just had this kind of urged to cook real cowboys' food. I took out the beef from the fridge, spread it with HP sauce, cajun spice mix and grill it on hot pan. Yummy!

Luckily, there are plenty of cowboy cookbooks at Big Bad Wolf Sale. I bought it and savour the pictures of cowboys cooking/grilling. (and still manage to look so rough, haggard and manly)

Le Sigh.

Para Pencari Tuhan

Just look at their funny faces!

I seldom watch indonesian drama. (nope, not even malaysian's one, too busy with Mythbuster and sitcoms). But i think i need to mention how wonderful this 'sinetron' depicts the life of muslim society focusing on community and religion issues WITH a dash of comedy.

My grandmother is Indonesion so i didn't have any problem understanding the language but my poor husband had to really depend on the subtitle. (but he's getting better) Anyway, it's fun to learn a language so similar to bahasa Malaysia and yet so different (is this logic?). I would laugh out loud because that is how my grandma talks- kolong, rumah sakit, keroyok, kamar mandi.

Great drama. Syabas!

Real food by real people

Foods that i cooked/baked for the whole Ramadhan!

Super easy chocolate tart. I love the ice cream texture.

Thai salad with dried shrimp.

Strawberry cake.

Pucuk ubi masak santan.




Cream cheese cupcakes. Yummy.

Chicken curry


Nais minyak



Roasted Beef with sambal and nasi ulam



all time favourite Laksa Sarawak






Assam Pedas Fish



Mushroom, sausages and pita bread



I never liked celery. But i like to stir fry it with chicken, it seems to bring out the sweetness of celery. (I am phobia of celery juice especially the one that they blend with carrots and apple)

Pride and Prejudice 2005- Is it really great?

Let me get this clear, i've read the book when i was a teenager. I've seen the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice waaaay before the 2005 starring Kiera's version. So when i did watch the 2005 movie, i didn't really pay any attention for i fear that i might BETRAY the BBC Firth's Mr Darcy. (Yes, i like to pretend that he exist, shut up)

But yesterday i watched it again for the second time and find it quite tolerable. But you really have to catch all the subtle moments to trully apreciate the movie. Kiera as Lizzie Bennet had been potray to be a little bit like a tomboy with plain clothes. I like the way she snapped the book when she talked to Mr. Darcy. Smart girl with her own opinion and she is not easily intimidated.

I also like the scene when she came to the ball and was looking around (looking for Mr Wikham i guess) and suddenly Mr Darcy was following her and just swift to the side without her even realizing it. Mr Darcy face was so cold so i couldn't really read his face. Is he happy to see Elizabeth?

My favourite would be the hand thing. If you obeserve the movie, when Jane Bennet wanted to get into the carriage, Mr Bingley helped her. But when it was Lizzie's turn, Mr Darcy TOUCHED her hand, look at her for a moment and walked away while doing the hand thing. Had he realized that he actually like her? I am also as confuse as Lizzie, because when he did the hand thing, does he feel a burning desire or did he feel disgusted? Mmmh...

( Picture courtesy of prideandprejudice05.blogspot, not sure whether the mix up was actually intentional, Miss Darcy and Mr Elizabeth)

This seems to be everybody's favourite. The rain clearly potray the tension, the gloominess and the sad effect of the overall situation. The famous rejected proposal. Mr Darcy had been so mysterious (that's why we love him), but in this scene you can actually know his feelings by just looking at his eyes......... he is almost pleading, "please love me, i cannot stand it any longer". He even moved forward and you can see he almost wanted to kiss her ( you can hear all of us, gasping and holding our breath at the edge of our seat). Anyway, i know that we all pretend we didn't know the ending yet everytime we read the book or watch the movie. Crazy, i know.

I still prefer the hand thing. It's just a hand but it strike to my heart.

When i watch P & P 2005 for the first time, i didn't like Mr Bingley. Isn't he suppose to be good looking? Bonham Carter is still the best Mr Bingley. So will i watch it again? Those puppy eyes? Yes. But the BBC version is still in my heart. It will not go anywhere anytime soon because i can't just simply forget THE look. Smouldering look......

The end.

I still can't forget the hand thing.

Chef Wan Sweet Corn Bread Recipe

This book has been with me for 10 years.... I love it and tried almost every recipe from trifle to muffins. *fond memories*

Until one day i had the golden opportunity to meet Chef Wan (one of the top celebrity chef in the world) in person! The crowd was mad and i basically had to push myself forward. The 'bodyguard' insist that Chef Wan will have his lunch first but when he saw my book he quickly came towards me and sign it. Ha! Take that bodyguard!

It even smelled of dead cockroaches. But old, torn apart books are always welcome at my home.

Anyway, i love corn and how versatile it can be. From chilli corn bread to the sweet type, I just can't get enough of it. I've tried various recipe so far and Chef Wan's Sweet Corn Bread is the best!

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup rye flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

3 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup (250ml) evaporated milk

1/2 cup (125ml) creamed corn

Method:

- combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl

- in a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar and add butter

- fold in dry ingredients into the batter alternately with milk until well mixed. Add creamed corn

-pour into a square baking dish. Bake in an oven preheated to 205 degree celcius for 20 minutes.

Notes:

* Anyway, i've been having difficulties to look for rye flour so i just add the same amout of cornmeal. So far, i didn't have any problem with it.

* Just mix/ beat it lightly- the cake will be soft and fluffy. Yummy!

Currently reading at the same time having fun

All the equipments are ready and i bet my son will cry. Can't wait!! Yehaa!!

(Tears of joy)

Takuya!!! Argh!!!

"I can give you Gatsuby, Gatsuby, Gatsuby."

"Moving Raba. (Moving Rubber)"

Whatever it means.

Ha ha ha!

To eat or not to eat

" You look so skinny" Someone told me. I said " I don't know. i just eat whatever i want." Both of them look disgusted. They are ASSUMING that i'm on diet and i'm LYING. One day a bunch of us went out for lunch. Those 2 ladies set aside half of the rice, declaring that they couldn't finish it and other various excuses. Me? I ate my heart out and felt that the Tom Yam is delicious. That my friend is hypocrisy at its best.

Will you marry cook for me?

He's like Tom Delonge mix with Jamie Oliver!

I'm like a school girl. *shy* :-p

Necklace Frenzy

I would buy a new necklace every week. It's like a new hobby! And i love naming each of them!

Lost in space

Plain Jane

Full Moon





Fallen Angel

Can't wait for the next weekend to hunt for more!

One more

Pizza dough

8g yeast/ 2 teaspoon
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of plain flour (115g darab 2)
2 tablespoon of olive oil
180 ml (3/4cups) of warm water


Mix warm water, yeast sugar and salt into a bowl. Stir well with fork. Cover with plastic wrap set aside for 5 minutes. Preferably in a warm place.


Sift flour nto the same bowl, add oil, mix well with spoon. Knead dough - 10 minutes



Placed dough into oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Leaave for 30 minutes. Give dough a punch, knead.



200 degree celcius. 10-15 minutes.



Btw, recipe from karen cheng.

Roast Chicken Recipe

I have a bad habit of collecting cute notebooks of all sizes. Everytime i buy it i would imagine that i write travel journal, poem, recipe etc. But nope. I only did my travel journal for only 1 paragraph, no poem at all and my favourite recipes are everywhere. The fridge, under my bed, drawers and it got lost along the way. So this will be like a virtual future references for me and there's no harm in sharing it!

Oriental Roast Chicken with Sage and Roasted Vegetables

To blend:

2 inches of ginger

5 cloves of garlic

zest from 1 lemon

1 tbs dark soy sauce

1 tbs light soy sauce

1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

2 tbs honey

1/2 tbs of chinese 5 spice powder

1 whole chicken

1 handful of sage

5 carrots cut into halves

5 potatoes cut into wedges

5 leeks chopped roughly

some olive oil'salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Rub all the blended ingredients on the chicken, Make sure yuo rub inside as well. Marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 250 celcius. place chicken in roasting pan. season it with salt pepper and sage. put some sage leaves under the skin of chicken too. season carrots, potatoes, leeks with salt pepper and olive oil.]

Put the chicken in the oven and turn the heat down to 150 celcius.

After half and hour, add the carrots potatoes leeks into the roasting pan.

Roast for a futher 1 hour. Once you stab the thight with aknife and juice runs clear, chicken is ready.

Recipe provided by Cold Storage.

The Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Carefree, quirky and beautiful. MPDG. The dream girl of everyone. My impossible quest to be one was doomed during the first step. First, i can never pull off a pair of blue eyes. You know, my face is 100% asian. Quirky? Me? More like complicated and weird. Carefree? Yeah. I married. (Gasp!) Have a kid (Gasp!!) (No offence but i do love my family.) So no carefree, fun, easy, no strings attached MPDG. It's more like bottles, diapers and sleepless nights.

Oh Zooey, I should have known you earlier. But how long can it last, right? Once the wrinkle started to sprung out on your face, you'll be more like Manic Unpixie Horror Old Lady.

But a girl can still dream. Giggle.

Want some pizza? Nyom nyom

Rise and shine

I remember the first time i was learning to make a pizza dough, i was seventeen and i was young. It was a lot of work. Kneading kneading punch punch. I was thinking that maybe it would be easier if i just BUY it from Pizza Hut. But nothing beats a homemade pizza. Nothing.

Chocolate Almond Drops

200gm of chocolate
250gm of sliced almonds
butter (not included in the actual recipe but who am i to resist God's invention)

Toast almonds with butter for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Melt the chocolate. Double boil of course. Add a little bit of butter. Mix the almonds. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. Carefully do the same thing as the picture below and put it inside the fridge for about 30 minutes until fim.

Enjoy!! Angel drops made from heaven. Mmmh........

Almond Biscotti

Last friday, i was supposed to go to the libraby and also do some grocery shopping. But it turns out that i was destined to do some other things- rushed to the hospital to send an office mate due to have her baby. Congrats! By 11pm, i already bought all that was needed and start preparing this delicious biscotti. I managed to finished all the baking and cleaning by 4am. T_T

Anyway, i always have a love hate relationship with cookies. I never had the patience and preserverance to bake cookies. It's a different matter with muffins and cakes because it's so easy. The last time i baked cookies is 10 years ago!! Chef Wan's butter cookies.

My hands in the cookie jar.....

Waiting for it to cool down.

This recipe is from Flavours Magazine.

3 Grade A eggs

1 egg white

150g castor sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1/8 teaspoon of almond extract

Combine flour mixture

300g plain flour

2 teaspoon of baking powder

60g ground almond- toasted

400g whole almond with skin- toasted

1 egg white beaten with a pinch of salt- gloss.

Technique

Beat eggs, egg white, sugar, salt in electric mixer until creamy

add vanilla and almond extract

Add combine flour mixture with flat beater on low speed- sticky dough

shape dough into logs

line with a non stick parchment- don't forget the gloss

160 degree celcius 20-25 minutes

cool before slicing- diagonally 1cm thick

then arrange in a tray

baked it for the second time 150 degree celcius 25 minutes

turning halfway until crispy.

Important tips

- pan toasted almond until frangrant for 5 minutes

- don't over mix

- the best flour to use is cookie flour- Malayan Flour Mills Red Rose.

- Bake logs 5cm apart

Good Luck and ciao!!

OMG THIS PLACE IS DUSTY!!

Sweet treats!!

Star Anise seen through a glass



A pile of old woods

The whole collection!!

I grilled some chicken for my family during the new year's eve. But i chose to eat some simple herbal chicken soup and ham choi. Bliss.

Crash and burn chicken

I love delicious late night supper

Wild wild west again

The curse of the Big Bad Wolf Sale. Some are on the floor.

Guilty pleasure

Illuminating table

KLCC ya all!!

home made onde-onde

Ok bye. Wanna play my sony playstation.