food.talks.laughters

lots of snow yesterday. when the snow flakes starting to pour from the sky at round 3.30pm, you decide to let your co-workers leave as you also want to leave before the traffic and the rush hour. you left your office at 4pm and arrived home at 5pm. nice timing. early. then you heard in the news that there were in total 900km traffic jam in the country. on such a cold, snowy day you flash back to last weekend...
lots of food. lots of talking. lots of laughters. that's what happened when you have some friends around... round the table, catching up all the lost stories between the time you last met.

a parade of food. yes, but most of the dishes are not new to you and just to stress, you are not meat eater only, there were two more vegetables dishes didn't make it to this parade when the photo is taken...

smoked sea bass, apparently a hangzhou haute cuisine dish - the smoking agent consists of a number of ingredients and the smoke coats the fish with a thin layer of brown and the very gentle smoky taste which just rightfully does the justice to a super fresh sea bass...

this is snow white. you were 'forced' to make this dessert as he doesn't like the duo tone pumpkin chocolate cake. his definition of cake is something light and fluffy. the cooling down of the cake is handy as the outdoor temperature is close to freezing point, so you just put the cake at the garden while whipping the cream and by then the cake is already cooled down. a layer of cream and generous dust of shredded coconut to represent the season - a light frost that you expect to see in the coming weeks...

new wine. you drank a bottle of beaujolais primeur 2010 with the guests, this new wine just released on third thursday of november every year... not the best wine but it is just trendy to drink beaujolais primeur this time of the year...
the weather is really cold this week, the highest temperature will be in the minus. tomorrow you have an event to attend in amsterdam city center, a boat trip along amsterdam's canal. you wonder if the canal not already frozen and how the boat could move in the icy canal. and an early breakfast meeting on thursday , and all you want actually is to fast forward to another weekend where you can sit down, hold a mug of hot chocolate and enjoying the winter view from the house and not worry about the traffic situation.
!!happy tuesday!!

first.frost.in.november

taken at 1pm noon....
it's late now, have a blessed week ahead!

november.pumpkin

it's been cold, it's going to be very cold....
so cold that i decided to bake again, as a dessert for a few friends who are coming over for dinner.  as usual, he takes care of the dinner menu, i just have some fun with the dessert... and i have chosen this!

been wanting to do something with pumpkin, but just didn't have time to do it, today would be the day.  i picked up a organic pumpkin at a market last weekend and thought it's about time to do a dish or cake with pumpkin.

{that's the real organic pumpkin and the little marzipan pumpkin that i made in the project fantasy}
with the pumpkin in hand, next question is what i am going to do with it.

pumpkin pie ??

roasted chicken with pumpkin and garlic ?? but we had too much chicken lately...

pumpkin cupcake... ?? not challenging enough...

duo tone chocolate pumpkin cake, it's dense, heavy and moist.  it took a long time to bake but is worth the waiting time.  i like the texture, like the aroma of pumpkin in combination of the rich chocolate and a little bite from the chocolate nibs...

it's actually more suitable as mid morning or afternoon tea to wash down with tea or coffee than being served as a dessert after a complete evening meal.

nonetheless, viva pumpkin. viva november. viva gorgeous duo tone pumpkin chocolate cake.

somewhere.over.the.rainbow

the date for project fantasy was set long ago.  and i am excited about today that i have scribble the sketches of figures that i want to create in a piece of paper and already envision how the end result would be.  this morning i drive to her and bringing along almond paste (marzipan), fondant,  styling tools, colors and cakes…

much to my surprise, she surprises us me with this rainbow cake. two other neighbours of her suppose to participate in this project as well but decided to missing in action, and so the rainbow surprise is just for me, and her of course.

"somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, and the dreams that you dreamed of once in the lullaby…"

this is a really pretty and bright r a i n b o w cake, such a pleasure to the eyes and certainly a atmosphere enhancer in a wintry day!  what a pleasure!!

out of my suggestion, we also decorated a barbie doll princess cake , she is suppose to be an angel or fairy but her wings collapse…

we only got to do the project fantasy - almond paste miniature  past 2pm. we knead the almond paste, add a little color here and there, thinking on what we want to shape and  while our imagination ruining wild, our hands are working hard to make it happens…  it requires a lot of patience, precision and creativity and these are all the elements that we try to cultivate in this fun project!

ladies and gentlemen, presenting you with the barbie fondant cake, rainbow chantilly cream cake, marzipan miniatures and of course the two women behind these creations…

thank you for having me, the exchange of ideas and the fun we shared...

!!happy friday!!

miso.hotpot.hōtō

when he asked me what I want to eat for dinner, I said “stew " or "thick soup”… I was thinking of the Hungarian goulash, dutch erwtensoep (thick pea soup) or some broad bean soup which is think, rich and hearty enough to eat on its own, dip with some warm bread…

but we end up eating a pot of “stew” but not european but japanese style hotpot - hōtō. we did the shortcut way and i try to arrange the ingredients nicely in the pot and here is the vegetable pot

as we have different ingredients simmered in the pot, the miso soup got thicken up and absorb all the flavors of the seafood, root vegetables and tofu.

so we did have “thick soup” but with a japanese inspired asian twist.  the scallops were purchased in saint malo since august, where we brought them back in cool box and freeze them up for rainy day....

happy thanksgiving for those of you who are celebrating this special occasion.  although in my opinion giving thanks should not be done only on a particular day but every day!!!  we are expecting some snow today, some parts of the lowland already snowed but i haven't see a sign of snow yet and the forecast expecting light snow tonight.  i hope i will wake up to see a layer of snow tomorrow!!

return.to.childhood.apom.balik

yes, i am becoming nostalgic! nostalgic about my childhood, most importantly about my taste of childhood.  apom balik, sort of malay pancakes.  sometime i had this for breakfast as far as  i could recall….

i almost erase apom balik from my precious memory. it's not until i recreate sweet black char kueh (fried radish cake) and yum abacus beads that this dish suddenly jump into my mind. it's like waking up a sleeping child...  that's the reason i like about food, a taste that wakes up a sleeping child in me, a childhood taste that unveil another childhood taste...

i am old fashion when come to pounding, i could easily crush the peanut using an electric blender but i prefer to do it the traditional way because i am in nostalgic mood. so mortar and pestle i use.  i like the peanut just coarse and inconsistent in sizes.

i like the texture of my apom balik, the sunny and crispy side, a bite on the the blend of peanut, margarine and sugar to some extends allow me to see my happy childhood face once again…. a happy me eating the warm apom balik and a happy me beside my mummy as she carried me in this photo...

i reduced the sugar by half and substitute butter with margarine (blame the health concious me!).  I use the okinawa black sugar and cinnamon mix that left over from cinnamon buns.  the flavor would be stronger and real if i use butter but nah... nevermind afterall what is important to me is the fact that  i have rekindle my childhood once again through apom balik.

planting.dessert

some times ago i watched the bbc professional master chef series and the finalists had the privilege to work with a few world famous chefs, one of them is pierre herme and the other one is rene redzepi who runs the noma restaurant, copenhagen. i watched how the master chef finalists prepare the food at noma and that have left a deep impression on me. at noma restaurant i am amazed at how they decorate the food in harmony with the nature, using what is in the season, plants and vegetation found in the nordic woods.

i don't know about your weekend, but last weekend i was busy planting... i got my inspiration from noma, this is really not about playing with food but is about making food not only pleasant to the palate but also pleasing to the eye to look at...

what do you think of my pot of grass planted on brown soil... and by the way, they are eatable ....

another view of my pot of grass, as i unearth the grass and soil, more elements underneath the soil unveils...

i baked this a night before and i was planning to eat it just as it it and i did. that's why the pot that i planted a day after has an hollow section that i eaten a night before....

underneath the brown soil crumbles are slices of pear that are in the season and some candied ginger and coarsely chopped walnut, and then a generous chocolate crumbles to cover them

eat it slightly warm and is super, super delicious especially the combination of acidic pear, earthy walnut, sweet candied ginger, rich chocolaty soil crumble and a gentle scent from the grass dill.. perhaps a dollop of vanilla ice cream would go well with this, but i am not in the mood for cold dessert...

all in all a good experiment of decorating my dessert and an unusual experience of thinking about the nature and returning to the nature...

roast.pork.belly

this is probably one of his signature dishes.  i am not a real pork fan not especially when it comes to pork belly meat (or we sometime called this three layer meat 三层肉)but when he makes this, i usually will have at least an inch or maximum three inches… 

when he started to experience this dish - roast pork belly (烧肉火腩), I am against the idea as it’s all about meat, MEAT, MEAT!!! plus it is the fatty and thus unhealthy…

at a number of occasions when we have to bring a dish or two, or when we are hosting dinner for friends at home, the roast pork belly (烧肉火腩) somehow comes in handy.  it can be prepare in advance, at least the marinate part, and can be roasted a few hours in advance too as you are not suppose to eat it hot.  he somehow easily create the cracking and crispy skin without any difficulty.  this dish usually is wiped clean in split seconds when we serve it …

to minimize the possible intake, i usually eat it with a small bowl of rice, turning the dish into yakibuta don, a fancy Japanese dish - none other than a bowl of rice (gohan) top with roasted (yaki) pork (buta) in a bowl and it becomes a dish called yakibuta don. 

so here is my two variations of yakibuta ton from two different occasions when he made this dish. a few slices of roasted pork, some seaweed, shishimi peppers, spring onion and a splash of soy sauce, perhaps with a onsen egg (half cooked egg) if you want a little substantial meal… 

or just like this, may be with some pickled ginger or anything that would compliments the roasted pork belly...  in the winter, this is actually quite satisfying...
we are expecting some snow later this week, this could be a dish that keeps me warm and gives me the extra energies (fat) to embrace the snow...

happy.fifteen.anniversary

it's a sunny sunday, at least according to the dutch winter weather. it's a day that the Lord has made, at a special venue, a prestigious hotel in scheveningen.

that's kurhaus hotel, we parked the car some distance away for free and have to walk for slightly more than 10 minute but is well worth the walk because the weather is so so fine, not a trace of wind and thus a real pleasure to take a stroll to kurhaus, enjoying the beautiful mansions along the way leading to the hotel.

this is my view from the ballroom, a little higher than those chairs in the ballroom itself, i have the perfect view i must confess, right at the very back of the ballroom, some sort of director's room or control room. i am here because i have to do the english translation.

the main speaker is pastor niko njotorahardjo, a humble servant of God whom God has been using him to perform miracles and healing, unifying churches in indonesia, restoration of lives and many more, he is also a gifted song writer that i recently got to know of, that many christians praise and worship songs are written by him... the sermon is similar to the one he has preached on last friday during the worker's meeting with emphasis on John 10:10 "the thief doest not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly". God's presence is strong and many lives are touched by the Holy Spirit.

then follow by a series of celebration of dance and songs by the youth and the teenagers....

happy fifteen anniversary fmc, although i have not started the journey with you from the start but the last seven years i have the blessing to be part of this big family that under the great leadership of a couple who fear the Lord, who live their lives as a living sacrifice, who strive to walk every step under God's leadership... who have the vision for the lost and have encourage us to do the same to save souls no matter the cost. who have once and again reminding us we can live a victorious life in Christ and successful in all aspects of life.

a great milestone. a great progress. expecting a great expansion.

sense.and sensibility.of.fall

the sun suddenly breaks out and there is sudden light.  i couldn’t confine myself inside the house any longer.

as soon as he is back, i say to him “let’s go out for a walk, in the woods nearby…”

so we drove to the lake nearby, mid afternoon and the sun is shining. The reflection is picturesque.  I brought  my camera  along as I was anticipating some serenity moments to capture and I was not disappointed.  The autumn color is pretty, the reflection is stunning, the air is fresh, and the temperature is perfect, perfect for a stroll. 

although it is just five minute drive from home but right here it was as if i am in the country side.  the chickens are running around, welcoming us as we arrive.  frankly speaking i haven't seen that many chickens running around since my childhood time or at my hometown in the kampungs ( mean village in malay)...

can you feel the crisp and the freshness in the air as you inhale, even by just looking at this photo?  clear blue sky, autumn color leaves, some barren trees along the canal and the reflection on the still water....  it's a blissful moment, i have nothing more to ask for, sometime simplicity is all i need for, blessed by the nature, by the color of the season.

we walk along the canal, to the hanging bridge. a typical dutch scenery.  i am completely relax, am able to escape from the daily working life to enjoy this moment, a special moment of the season.

as we approach the bridge, the dog is barking hard and loud from the other side, as if we are intruders trying to cross the bridge to the other side. but, but we want nothing more than just enjoying the scene, that's all we want...

at the other side of the road, here there is no color but barren trees without a leave, reflecting the time and season that we are in, leaves are withered away to bring forth new life in the next season...

back to the big lake, autumn color is still evident, sky becomes grey and that's typical at this time of the year, day light is getting short as i learn to appreciate it more...

the.anointing

last night we went to the workers meeting at our church. our guest speaker pastor niko njotorahardjo and his team already arrived. the anointing of the holy spirit is strong and the message is simple. simple truth but powerful. the truth of God is always simple but yet it is difficult for many people to believe in it...
in these days, the Lord is shaking the Earth and He is pouring out His Holy Spirit (fire) on His people. this will follow by the signs:sign one: the anointing of love - so that we can have an intimate relationship with God
sign two: the anointing of the compassion of Christ - so that we can be compassion and witness to others
sign three: the anointing of miracles and healing
Acts 1:8 says "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth".
it is only tonight that i realize Jerusalem = my family, Judea = my brothers and sisters in Christ, people of same faith or of the same nation. Samaria = people of different faith of a different nation than me.
and yes, i will receive the power of the Holy Spirit, i am going to be a witness like what it says in Acts 1:8.

meeting.hometown.friend

well, it is almost a week ago already.... last weekend, a hometown friend and her family visited us from germany. i knew her from friendster time although we didn't know each other back then when we were at kuching. this is the power of social network that drastically transforms our lifestyles...

A came with her dutch husband and two kids, they live in germany nearby to the dutch border. we don't see each other that often due to the distance but do keep in touch regularly... again all asian gathering/meetings are centered on food, likewise for us. we had a dinner together where hubby cooked all the dishes (no photo as we were too carried away with chatting) and i made the japanese strawberry shortcake. here are some yummy gifts from her, all home made....

home made pineapple tart, it's so yummy... the pastry just melt in my mouth and the fragant of the pineapple lingering, i can easily pop two to three in my mouth each time...

A is a talented cook. she also made the 猪肉干dried pork meat (usually called as yuk kon in cantonese or bakpo in my hometown dialect) for us. i so love this snack except i have to really control my pork intake, too much pork is no good of course. i discover a good way to eat this, instead of avocado and ham sandwich, i just substitute ham with this, and eat the sandwich as my lunch. the creaminess of the avocado in combination of the sweetness and char grill taste of the dried pork is great! then again this is not something that i can do for my every day lunch... i have frozen half so that it will last... that's how pathetic living in a country when come to hometown food/snack that is hard to get.... so i have to cherish everything to bit...

shrimp cracker (keropok udang as we normally called it in malay), the taste of the shrimp is so intense and familiar. intense because a lot of shrimp meat is added to it familiar because these keropok are from brunei of which my eldest sister also brought us a pack years ago when she visited us with our late father...

the family photo taken after we had our dim sum lunch at china hotel, delft... from here we parted, we left for our sunday church service whilst they return to the hotel so that the little boy can have a bit of rest before driving back to germany....
well, so long farewell, see you all next time!

eat.rome

i watched the movie 'eat, pray, love' a few days ago. it's a boring movie i must say and thankfully i watched it free on-line over the internet and didn't pay for the cinema. the only part of the movie that really attracts me is the initial part of the movie about the eat in rome. and it reminds me of our recent trip to rome and the food we ate like the title of the movie. we didn't have as many pastas or pizzas or wine like her in the movie, plus we didn't take any food photo on the sucking pig and other dishes that we ate at a restaurant called ditirambo because i was so carried away and engaged in the conversation with two italian men.

well, let's first talk about the eat we had in rome according to what i have snapped in my camera...

giolitti is famous for the gelati, but on our arrival the queue for ice cream is too long and so instead of the ice cream, we opt for some sweet pastries....

the croissant is the choice of the boring historian, i went for the pine nut pie which is really high energy and perfect for the moment when we were really hungry after a loooong walk in and around the ancient sites... the mont blanc on the other hand is a bit of disappointment, instead of cream, it has a white meringue as the crust that was way toooooooooo sweet for me...

caloni is a common snack that you can find almost in every pastry shop, the interpretation may be a little different but i like the vanilla canoli from the bakery nearby our hotel most... the pistachio version is not bad either....

gelati is awesome in rome (or rather in entire italy), this particular one nearby to vatican has unconventional english name but a long queue. i had mine portion with blueberry yogurt, cinnamon and chestnut, while his in nutella, pistachio and banana flavors...

the sweet treats are quite amazing in rome although the tiramisu that i had was a little disappointing (i think i made a better one)....

of course there were plenty of savory moments too...

during our short stay in rome, we frequent a bakery just at the corner of our hotel quite regularly for a quick bite or a cuppa espresso... here are some savory we tried and i like the arancini di riso (fried rice ball) with a hint of saffron is really delis...

and some elegant sandwiches which have been decorated like a piece of art objects.. the spinach and mozzarella cheese sandwich is not just pretty to look at but also a pleasure to bite on....
well, so much about eat.rome