Red Velvet Cupcakes...because I can :)

I believe I now have perfected the recipe to the way I like it.

Fluffy, moist cupcake - with the icing a bit sugary, more cheese tasting compared to the famous Hummingbird, and a wonderful splash of vanilla flavour bursting through. :)

Third time's a charm I always say :)

x
Sush

Jade: Bitemyboef

I think I must have watched the film Julie and Julia about 5 times. Love love love food-themed movies. Meryl Streep's falsetto aside, the one thing that made a real impression on me was the much revered Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon ~a dish that was just about cooked to death on the show. I'm not usually a fan of beef and 5 years of hospital food has pretty much guaranteed a shudder at the mere sight of anything resembling stew. But I am an utter pushover...and the heartfelt 'yumm' from the Amy Adams and Judith Jones were really very convincing ;)

Boeuf Bourguignon with Quenelle of Mashed Potato[ While it was based on Julia Child's recipe found here, after all the shortcuts I took, I rather think I would get shot point blank if I dared call it Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon]

2oz cooking bacon

500g stewing beef, cubed

1 carrot, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 tbsp flour

1 cup red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/4 tsp thyme

1 crumbled bay leaf

6 shallots, brown braised in stock

200g mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in butter

Salt and pepper and a bit of sugar to taste

** Julia Child said to put everything in a casserole and braise it in the oven. I don't have one, so I did everything in my trusty stock pot.

1. Pour stock into a small pot, add shallots, and braise slowly for about an hour or 2.

2. In the meantime, brown the bacon in a non stick pan, set the bacon aside and reserve the fat

3. Dry the beef thoroughly with a paper towel and toss in flour to coat lightly. [ Damp beef won't brown, neither will beef in a crowded pan]

4. Brown beef in bacon fat. Do it in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan.

5. Set the beef aside

6. Now brown the chopped vegetables in the same pan..I know, I nearly fell asleep reading the recipe too. Thank god for shortcuts

7. While the vegetables are browning, put the beef, bacon, and the braised shallot, stock and all into fairly large pot.

8. Add the red wine so you have enough liquid to barely cover the meat.

9. Add tomato paste, garlic, herbs and give it a quick stir.

10. Now chuck in the vegetables, pop the lid on, and simmer gently for 3-4 hours.

** I get quite annoyed with the electric hobs here~they're essentially big black metal plates which heat up fairly slowly and then retain said heat like a bitch. The words 'gentle simmer' are but a distant dream...normally..but I now have a new toy that completely solves that problem. Heat diffuser. Get one.

11. Prepare the mushrooms and add them to the stew during the last hour of cooking

12. Season to taste, dish up your meltingly tender beef and that beautifully robust gravy...and top with a pretty little quenelle of mashed potato for a truly hearty meal :)

** It's a little quirk of mine, but I don't actually like my stews piping hot simply because I can't taste anything. I find you can appreciate all the different layers of flavour so much more once the food has cooled down a bit...win-win situation for me since I talk so much my food always ends up getting cold anyway ;)

Jade: Bitemyfish

I never liked fish, growing up..I was perfectly happy staring at them in my favourite tropical fish shop, but eating them was a completely different story...I'm not sure if it's the guilt I felt towards the countless guppies and goldfish that ultimately ended up being flushed down the toilet, or the horrific memories of choking on pesky little fish bones....All I know is, up till about 6 months ago [when I discovered cod loin, skinless and boneless thankyouplease], the number of fish dishes I deemed worthy of a cursory prod with my fork came up to a pathetic 2. There was "Hu Bngui"...thick slabs of fish layered over sugar cane, dried shiitakes, dried chillies and garlic, bathed in lush soy broth..braised for hours and hours until even the bones all but disintegrate...and Assam fish...refreshingly tangy with just the right amount of sweetness..and lots and lots of vegetables to soak up the rich, spicy gravy--the kind of dish that is perfect for those days when you're craving a big bowl of sticky white rice :)

Assam fish [adapted from Rasa Malaysia, tweaked to taste like the Assam fish my mum makes at home]

1 slab cod loin

6 ladies fingers, cut in half

2 baby brinjals, pared into chunks [ My mum makes it with native brinjals..no idea what the proper name is, but they're round and orangey...they look a bit like bloated persimmons..taste like a cross between brinjal and cooked apple..love the stuff]

1 tomato, cut into wedges

1/2-1 tsp turmeric powder

small handful mixed fresh coriander and mint, chopped [ original recipe called for laksa leaves, I couldn't find any :(]

1/2 -1 tbsp gula melaka/ palm sugar

fish sauce to taste

Spice paste:

1 clove garlic

half a stalk lemon grass [ I had a very small stalk so I used 1]

2-3 shallots

2 birds eye chillies

1 tbsp dried chilli flakes [ depends how spicy you want to it to be]

1/4 tbsp belachan/ shrimp paste

Oil

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

1. Grind spice paste

2. Soak tamarine pulp in 1/2 cup warm water for a few minutes, squeeze and drain, reserving the tamarind juice...or whatever you call it

3. Heat up some oil and fry the spice paste till fragrant

4. Add vegetables, toss to coat in spice mix

5. Add tamarine juice, turmeric powder and bring to boil

6. Pop the lid on and let it simmer till vegetables soften

7. Add sugar and fish sauce to taste. It's all about finding that addictive balance of sour, sweet and salty

8. Add fish, simmer on low heat until fish is cooked..should take about 5 minutes

9. Dish up some steaming jasmine rice, spoon over the fiery and deliciously zingy gravy...sigh...I'm so glad I decided to start eating fish:)

*Having said that, with a few oyster mushrooms thrown in, sans the fish, this would make for an amazing vegetarian dish as well.

Jade: Happy New Year, everyone:)

It's here!! My favourite holiday! and the fact that all 4 of us girls are Tigers makes it all the more special, so happy tiger year, ladies;) And can someone please check if the Tiger has pissed the Tai Sui off again this year?...because if that's the case, I'm going to pretend I'm a different animal...just until finals are over.

I couldn't decide what to have on new year's eve...as petulant as it sounds, nothing seemed elaborate enough to make up for the glorious spread I would've gotten back at home. Call me spoilt, but if you had an uncle who sees any festival as an opportunity to cook up an absolute storm~ 4 types of slow-boiled soups, ginormous braised lionhead meatballs, fat pomfrets steamed 2 ways...and a mum who makes the best 'lor ak' [braised duck]...you would be an insufferable little food snob too. So I opted for a quiet evening in with a friend and my new flannel pyjamas, munching on the tubs of cookies piled high on my desk and the one dish that never fails to remind me of home:)

Ma's char bee hoon...well..wannabe anyway..[ my mum's version uses sayur paku, a fern that I've only seen in Sarawak...possibly Sabah..Since the UK isn't exactly known for its lush rainforests and exotic tropical delights, I had to do without]

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp dried shrimps, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 spring onions, chopped

Chili flakes

Mixed seafood, because I had some left over from my laksa

Rice noodles/bee hoon. [I got mine in one of those ready prepared packs from Asda, best bee hoon I've had in this country. Perfect amount of bite, and it didn't disintegrate into mush despite all the tossing and stirring]

Fish sauce and light soy to taste

1. Heat up some oil, chuck in the garlic, shrimps, and spring onions.

2. Fry till fragrant and the garlic bits start 'popping'. Hurts, but it's worth it

3. Add the chili flakes and rice noodles and toss till noodles turn a pretty pale gold

4. Add seafood, toss

5. Season to taste

6. I served mine with a sprinkling of spring onions and chili flakes in a pretty white bowl...but when I'm at home, I just wait around with a fork until my mum's done. Then I all but run over and eat..straight from the wok;)

Jade: Bitemylaksa

My friend made the most amazing curry laksa a few nights back. I tried so hard to eat it as slowly as I could..and when it was all gone, I licked the bowl clean..and when there was nothing left, I was sad.. I love a good laksa. Coming from a country where each state has their own brand of laksa and I don't mean slapping a different name on what is essentially the same bowl of noodles; from the tangy, fish and tamarind based Penang Laksa to the richer Sarawak Laksa~thick, coconuty broth jazzed up with fiery sambal and a squeeze of lime, each type of laksa is so delightfully unique.. a perfect reflection of local cultures..What can I say..I'm a lucky, lucky girl ;)

Now that I'm here though...there are times..only about 5 times a day..when I get mad cravings for a scaldingly hot bowl of spicy laksa. I could just go to this hole-in-the-wall Malaysian restaurant in town, but now that it's gotten to the point where I have only to walk through the door for the chef to shout: 'yes, yes, curry laksa!', I figure it's time to sort myself out. So when I saw a recipe for pumpkin laksa on Masak-masak, I just HAD to head into the kitchen.

Roasted Butternut squash and seafood laksa~[adapted from Masak-masak who adapted it from Nigel Slater..*shockhorror* ang moh making laksa! what to do..I am that desperate]

Spice paste

2-3 cili padi [or normal chilli]

2 cloves garlic

About an inch of galanghal

2 stalks lemongrass

a handful coriander leaves, stems included [the recipe called for coriander root but I had no idea what that was so..]

2 tablespoons sesame oil

400ml chicken or vegetable stock

400ml coconut milk

350g butternut squash, peeled, cut into chunks and roasted at 180 degrees for about 45 minutes. [ original recipe said steamed pumpkin...no pumpkin, no steamer..improvise]

3-4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

Mixed seafood[ so prawns, mussels, fish...whatever makes you happy]

light soy sauce to taste

juice of 1 lime

Egg noodles

Rice noodles [ you could choose to use either, but I used both~egg noodles for body, and rice noodles to soak up the flavours of all those gorgeous spices.]

1. Blend ingredients for spice paste

2. Heat up some oil and fry spice paste till fragrant

3. Add coconut milk and stock, bring to boil

4. Add roasted squash and simmer gently for a few minutes

5. Season with fish sauce, soy and lime

6. Blanch seafood in laksa gravy~ I used pre-cooked seafood, so if you're using fresh, just dump them in the pot and simmer for a few minutes

7. Arrange noodles in bowl, ladle laksa gravy over it, garnish with some fresh coriander and mint or basil, chili flakes, and a spritz of lime.......What are you waiting for? Slurp!;)

Jade: Bitemymomo

Before I go on my usual rants, which kind, clever person did the fancy hyperlinking for the macaron references?? Thank you!!! *Hugs*

I remember my first kuih momo..I was 5 and it was huge-the size of one of those bouncy balls you get from the 20cent plastic egg machines. Although..it could've just seemed enormous because I was only 5...But whatever...Point is, I took my first bite..was hit by an instant burst of buttery, milky fragrance...and then.. at the tender age of 5..I fell in love. I was always a precocious little thing ;)

So as much as I love pineapple tarts, I think Chinese New Year just would not be complete without one of my favourite cookies~ kuih momo. [Honestly, on the basis of that endearingly ridiculous name alone, how anyone can not like it is beyond me]. Not just any kuih momo though..a perfectly made cookie should be firm enough to pick up, yet crumbly enough to shatter and melt the instant it hits your tongue...gorgeously buttery but not too rich, with a slight nuttiness to it that you'll only get by slowly toasting your flour. I love Chinese New Year..dum dee da...

Kuih momo

250g plain flour

50g milk powder

150g butter [ It's usually made with ghee..but the ghee in this country tastes like margarine..which just ticks me off; so I tried butter after reading Greg and Nee's blog and absolutely loved it...but use ghee if you prefer]

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup icing sugar

2-3 tbsp milk powder

[ I've been told to use powdered glucose to coat but I always find there's a very unsettling metallic aftertaste...maybe it's just me..but I don't like it, so there you go.]

1. Roast flour and milk powder in 150 degree oven for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Once it's turned the shade of lightest caramel, let it cool.

3. Melt the butter, takes about 30 seconds in the microwave. Let it cool and whisk in the egg yolk

4. Pour mixture into your bowl of flour slowly, mixing as you go along.

5. You'll end up with a really crumbly, slightly sandy dough.

6. Preheat oven to 140 degrees

7. Most recipes say to roll into little balls, but I find it so much easier to press the dough into spheres instead...only because it is very fiddly. And I quite like the knobbly surfaces you get by pressing.

8. Bake for about 15- 20 minutes. In the meantime, mix icing sugar and milk powder in a bowl

9. Once the cookies are done, let them cool for a few minutes..until they're warm enough to touch, and coat with sugar mix. You don't want the cookies too hot, because it'll just melt the sugar and you won't get that lovely powdery coating; too cold and the sugar won't stick too well.

10. Now pop one in your mouth and wait for afore mentioned flavour explosion ;)

Jade: Bitemymacarons!!

I've been on a bit of a baking spree lately...slight understatement...So now besides the 2 cakes in the fridge and the 5 filled cookie jars in my room, I also have 6 egg whites sitting in a pretty little ramekin wrapped in cling film. I could make a massive egg white omelette ..but I have no cheese..I could do egg fried rice..but it wouldn't look very good without the yolk for that burst of colour..or maybe a lemon meringue pie..actually ya la...I should've, considering the huge jar of lemon curd and kilo of butter I still have..damn hindsight. pfft..

I digress. I have been aching to make my own french macarons since I paid GBP 2. 50 for an uninspiring one from Paul's London. So with 6 aged egg whites and some leftover ground almonds I found at the back of my cupboard, remnants of an orange cake I made many moons ago [ I disgust myself sometimes], I had the perfect excuse to attempt a dessert that is the bane of most bakers/food bloggers. I have to say, with all those impassioned posts floating about the blogsphere about 'feet' and 'flowing magma', I was properly excited ..even though I don't actually like macarons ;)

Vanilla French Macarons with Nutella and Lemon curd

[adapted from Tartelette, who has an 8-page pdf document on her blog detailing tricks for the perfect macaron and this excellent video on youtube by the owner of Kitchen Musings...I don't know how to do the fancy hyperlink stuff so google it]

3 egg whites [aged, so store them in the fridge for a few days and bring to room temperature

before using. Something to do with reducing moisture.. aren't I helpful]

Pinch of cream of tartar [optional, but I've always used them in meringues so..]

50g castor sugar

200g powdered sugar

110g ground almonds

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1. Mix powdered sugar and ground almonds, and give it a few quick pulses in the food processor to break up lumps. Set aside

2. In a separate bowl, add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat on medium speed till foamy

3. Add castor sugar gradually, still beating on medium speed, until you get soft peaks

4. Add the vanilla and beat until glossy. The mixture should stay put even if you tip the bowl upside down. I know because I tried....3 times.

5. Now add the almond mixture in about 4-5 batches, giving 1 or 2 quick folds with each addition, just to wet the dry ingredients a bit.

6. When all the almond has been added, beat with a rubber spatula. I did 5 rounds of 10 counts each. Shouldn't take more than 30 seconds.

7. Now take some mixture and drop it on a plate. If it flattens, giving you an even surface, it's ready. If you're still getting little peaks at the top, give the mixture a few more folds.

8. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe onto parchment paper or a silpat. All the blogs I've read recommend drawing a template, but really, if you have a steady hand, I wouldn't bother. It will flatten out into nice circles anyway. Or if you're really lucky like me, you'll have an awesome friend called Robynne who got you a silpat that comes with ready drawn circles for your birthday!

9. When you're done piping, give the tray a few gentle taps on the kitchen counter to get rid of air bubbles, and leave it to dry for 30-minutes to an hour.

10. Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

11. Touch the top and the sides of the unbaked macarons, they should have formed a skin.

12. The recipe said to bake for 10-12 minutes, but my oven is a bit funny, so mine had to bake for about 15-18 minutes.

13. The instructions above may have sounded like a pain, but it took all of 15 minutes to pull together. The most difficult bit for me was getting the damn things off the tray. Be gentle

14. Let cool and let your imagination run wild with ideas for fillings! I used nutella mixed with melted dark chocolate, for that bitter edge to take the sweetness of the macaron down a notch; and a very tangy lemon curd. Anything to cut through all that sugar.

15. Fill, sandwich, and enjoy~Crisp meringue shells that melt away to a chewy centre...unctuous chocolatey cream....the perfect accompaniment to a steaming mug of thick, black coffee :)