sookie's cookie: September 2007

Semi-housemates

I borrowed the Gourmet Traveller Essentials cookbook 2 weeks back. I was reading it in bed about to drop off when the semi-housemate walks in and starts laughing. After she finally stopped, I offered to cook dinner and we decided on poached chicken. The laughter started up again when I read the recipe to her and told her that chicken is meant to sit in the water for 2 hours. She of little faith reminded me that if it doesn't work, I can always steam it to save time. Huh..honestly.

The chicken ala Hainanese style was BRILLIANT!! The meat was tender and juicy and just really yummy. I also cooked taugeh and salted fish and made special Hainanese rice. Mmmmm.....

To poach chicken:
Rinse the chicken and place (last) in pot with COLD water (must cover chicken), salt, coriander roots, ginger, peppercorns and spring onions. Return to boil, cover with tight fitting lid, turn off heat and leave covered for 2 hours.

note: I used breast & thigh fillet (both skin on) and only left it for about an hour.

Of Bagels and Banana

It's an interesting time of my life...
Schoolwise, I'm feeling quite overwhelmed.
Spiritually, tests of faith
Physically, rounder than ever
lol

I made banana bread the other day...I used a recipe from Elise, Simply recipes. Very simple indeed! I takes only 5 minutes to prep.
I would make it again!

The shot a bit koyak. Sorry.

Anyway, I'm moving soon.
And I saved some potato water for bagels..it's kinda embarrassing to have to move house with frozen potato water..haha. so I HAD to make the bagels!

Soooo delicious! Very simple. I'm sure you can find some changgih recipe somewhere , but at the moment, I can't deal with anything complicated.

Hot, fresh, with maple butter. Fantastic midnight snack.
I wonder whether it'll be chewier tomorrow. Right now, it's soft like a good fresh bagel should be. :))

Look at this baby!
waaahhhh!

mm..lovely

nice crumb

all in all, success!

Flowers, flowers everywhere

I psyched myself up to be sociable and family-like and joined my cell group for an outing on Saturday to a tulip farm in Mt. Dandenong. *pats self on back*

There was a little bit of a detour on the way to the meeting point at church though. Semi-housemate dropped me off at at Melbourne Central & I had to walk through the shops. Lo and behold, I passed an AV shop and thought to myself... maybe they have the headphones SN told me about. AND they had a sale sign on its windows too! I asked for a PX 100 (I missed out the M and then only realised later that a asked for a whole different model). Anyway, I ended up with a PX 200 and I really love it!
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/05207

Back to tulip farms....

I was really carsick on the way up. Combination of driver, driving, mountains and bad suspensions. I cheered up once I saw the tulips though. It's still a bit too early in the season so the tulips weren't in full bloom yet but still very very pretty.

We went to the Observation Deck for a view of the city. (Sorry..didn't manage to get a shot of the city but I did get the sunset. *grin*)

And ended up at the Mount Dandenong Hotel for dinner
http://www.mountdandenonghotel.com.au/index.htm

My stomach was too queasy for food but I still got to try their signature dish (stolen from a friend..hehee) :
Crackled pork belly served with pickled red slaw, apple, walnuts and raisins

The picture really doesn't so it justice because it was GOOD. The pork crackling really crackled and the pork just melts in your mouth. Highly recommended.

The chicken parma...typical pub fare. In wonder if they have these in other parts of the world.

I had Caesar's salad because just could not stomach anything else. Unremarkable.

It was a loonnngg day but nice. I'm glad I went. Kinda :)

Busy

Not much time to bake..wait..no..that's a lie. I just forgot to take pictures! oops! :(
I'm not sure what I made..hm..something with chocolate..ohh.

It's a recipe posted by La Tartine Gourmande
I used Teff and Amaranth flour instead of Quinoa. It makes a sort of brownie-type cake. Very dense and moist. Nice! mm.

Ok. Other than that, I didn't bake anything. :)
Are there any requests? Any lovely dish you saw that I should try?
:))

Back to work

Yes, I am still here

Hi!

I have to confess that I don't have any new photos to upload at all. I'm really sorry. One reason is that I haven't been cooking much and the other is that I really am so busy with work & moving. Sorry :(

So, here is a blast from the past when I was home in June. It started early one morning when 2 young ladies & their mummy went for somebody's favourite breakfast.

They had to traverse through some dodgy lanes and pass some pretty interesting/disgusting (only to non-Malaysians, for us...biasa sahaja) food stalls . Dead chickens hanging??? Only in Malaysia..

They finally reached their destination...YONG TAU FOO!!! YUMMMYYYYY!!! This young lady when to the stall to order and watch the aunty in action. I ordered mostly foo chook pieces....heheee..

In the less than 5 minutes I was away, mummy went off to get more 'nibbles'. She came back with half a duck!!!! And chee cheong fun to boot!!! Needless to say we were so full. She said she thought we would just like to try. haha... I wish I could try them now.