Sunday, January 25, 2009

Steamed Fa Gao















Fa Gao Literally translated as "Prosperity Cake", fagao is made with wheat flour, water, sugar and leavened with either yeast or baking powder. Fagao batter is steamed until it rises and splits open at the top. The sound "fa" means either "to raise/generate" or "be prosperous", hence its well intending secondary meaning





Starter

200gm Hong kong flour
1 tsp Instant yeast
150ml water


Dough
250gm Hong Kong flour
20gm Double-acting baking powder
160ml water
200gm brown sugar or gula melaka


Method

  1. Starter : Sift Hong Kong flour and mix well with instant yeast and water. Cover with damp cloth and set aside for 2 hours.
  2. Dough : Sift Hong Kong flour and baking powder together.
  3. Dissolve brown sugar in water. Fold in sifted ingredients. Add starter and mix well. Use toothpick to cut a cross through the mixture. Sprinkle sugar on the cross line.
  4. Line aluminium cups with paper cups and arrange on steamer tray. Pour batter into cups until 90% full and leave to rise for 290 minutes. Steam over rapidly boiling water for about 15 minutes.

(portion : 2 big, 2 small bowl)

Reunion Meal














Get together with close family members for the reunion meal. In my family, all the members must be present at the table for our meal and we will have Chinese dishes.
All prepared by Mr Chef , what a wide spread !

Kueh Lapis















Ingredients
550gm salted butter (prefer white butter, less oil. Avoid SCS brand use french brand like
President, Lupak)
30 eggs yolk
300gm Icing Sugar
3 tbsp brandy (optional)
140gm condensed milk (dutch lady)
100gm egg white
50gm Icing sugar
150gm plain or cake flour
2 tsp lapis spices
Method
  1. Place tracing paper at bottom of tin. Grease bottom tin so that baking paper station. Grease top tracing paper and sprinkle flour over it.
  2. Preheat oven to 200 c
  3. Cream cold butter till light and fluffy (about 10 mins at high speed). Watch up make sure no oil. (about 10 mins at medium speed).
  4. Beat egg yolk and 300 gm icing sugar till creamy. Thick in texture / slight pale yellow.
  5. Add in condensed milk and beat at medium speed (5 mins).
  6. Fold butter into the mixture gently and continuous to beat at low speed for 3 mins (mixture hold together not liquid). Fold in flour with spices, then brandy.
  7. Whisk egg white lightly with 50gm icing sugar (high speed till soft) not stiff.
  8. Fold in egg white into mixture (light mixture- final mixture - not dilute).
  9. Base - 4 tablespoon (Grill 2 or low function) 2 mins. First layer prick some holes with toothpick.
  10. Second layer - 2 tbsp, don't pull too far apart. Short stoke to avoid marble.
  11. Third layer - 2 tbsp and repeat step
  12. Last layer thicker mixture 2 1/2 spoon (bake at 160 c) 10 - 15 mins.

Lo Hei










In Cantonese it is known as Lo Hei with lo also meaning "tossing up good fortune". The tossing action is called lo hei, which means to "rise" (hei).


We have our "Lo Hei" lunch early this year due to the tight work schedule.

Yusheng (鱼生)













鱼生

Yusheng (also spelt Yu Sheng) meaning "raw fish" is a Chinese New Year dish, served traditionally on the seventh day of Chinese New Year or Ren Ri ("Everyman's Birthday"). It is a salad dish made of thin slices of raw fish and various spices, mixed with tossing actions by diners. A play on Chinese homonyms links the ingredients and tossing actions to prosperity and longevity, all adding to the good wishes for the new year.










Ingredients

2 large red carrots ) grated into strip

1 radish ) grated into strip

1 green radish ) grated into strip

1 pkts of sweet candies (about two pieces each of sweet ginger, lotus, coconut slices, lime, kiwi, carrot etc).

Sauce

4 tbsp Plum Sauce

4 tbsp Lemon Sauce

Syrus (2 tablespoon mix with 4 tablespoon of sugar)

10 ml oil

(mixed together)

Lemon (squeeze into salmon)

Salmon

Sweet lotus, kiwi, lime, carrot, ginger, dates, winter melon slice (cut into dice size ready for use)

Ground Peanut

Sesame seed

(mixed together)

Plain Cracker (mix 80gm of plain flour with warm water and knead until dough is form. Rest for 10 minutes before roll and cut into square shape. You may add a little bit of water if is too dry or add flour if dough is too wet. Deep fry in oil until golden brown. Leave to cool).

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The God of Stove (灶神)


The 24th of 12th lunar month is the Farewell Day for The God of Stove (灶神)

In Chou Dynasty (1122 B.C.), Mr. Chang was born in a rich family. He was very wasteful and spent all the family money very quickly. After running out of money, he decided to do a small business, but without money. He sold his wife to someone as a maid. But he promised to buy her back.

Unfortunately, he was a real prodigal and couldn't change his habit. He became a beggar after spending all his wife money. Finally, he woke up and was very regret and very sorry for his wife. But he couldn't do anything.

One day he begged for food on the front of his ex-wife house. His ex-wife recognized him and brought him into kitchen for better food. Meanwhile, his ex-wife husband came back into kitchen. Mr. Chang hides in the stove very quickly and quietly. But the husband put the fire into the stove to prepare hot water for bath. Mr. Chang kept inside and didn’t make a sound to protect his ex-wife reputation. Certainly he was burnt to die.


Later, his ex-wife prayed for Mr. Chang over the kitchen stove every day. People asked her what she was doing. She always answered she worshiped the God of Stove. The name of God of Stove was spread from there.


It is therefore a tradition to offer sacrifices of sweet candies made of Lotus, carrot, winter melon, ginger, kiwi, lime, coconut slices to the Kitchen God so it can seam the mouth and he has difficulty speaking and passing on any negative reports. Ones need to be grateful and thank the Kitchen God to bring you food. It is almost the same as you pray for grace on every meal. The Chinese people just do this once a year. We need to remember and thankful what we have got, so the luck of food source will continue.


The farewell meal must be served in the early morning, because returning to heaven is a long way trip. The god of Stove must leave in the morning, so he can arrive heaven on the same day.



Interestingly enough the sacrifice is a compromise since the Kitchen God never minds the sweet candy and usually accepts it.

Same for the rest of the God, "send gods" 送神 it is believe all were report to the Jade Emperor of the family household's transgressions and good deeds.

After burning the paper sedan chairs and paper horses (with the word "送") and sprinkling three cups of liquor, people give the gods a send-off. Then it is the turn for every family to offer their memorial sacrifices to their ancestors.

Oops ! dont forget to "receive gods" burning the paper sedan chairs and paper horses (with the word "迎") on 4th of Lunar New Year. You can do it as late as possible so that the deity can have good time up there.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Peanut Puff

Peanut Puff is one of my favorite Chinese New Year delicate. In my younger day, I used to do this with my mother and one of the Cantonese neighbors "Ma Jie". In fact Ma Jie taught us how to knead the flour and folding of the trimming.

In the eve of Chinese New Year, she will stay up the whole night to make this peanut puff to keep her awake for the purpose of 守岁, it is believe that by doing so, it can prolong the parent life.

I missed the chatting and bonding time with my mother while kneading the peanut puff. Is really an asset to me as I can't get the same flavor from the ready make peanut puff.
Most importantly the tactics of folding the timming that I have acquired over time.


















Ingredients

For the pastry filling
100gm groundnut
(fry, cool, shell the skin and blend coarsely)
4 tsp Sesame seed (roasted)
4 tsp fine sugar
(mix together and ready for use)

Pastry
300gm plain flour
half cup of syrup (boil half cup of water with 2 dessert spoon of sugar)
2 tbsp of cooking oil


Method:
  1. Pour syrups into plain flour.
  2. Knead and mix well
  3. Add in the cooking oil gradually and knead in between
  4. Leave dough with wet covered cloth for 10 minutes
  5. On a rolling area, take small portion of pastry and roll it out
  6. Use a circle mould to cut out the design
  7. Take the cut pastry, put in 1 tsp of peanut filling and seal the edges.
  8. Continue til pastry is used up
  9. Heat the wok and deep fry the peanut puff
  10. Leave to cool and keep in air tight container

Deep Fried Crispy Groundnut Biscuits (Rempeyeh)


Rempeyeh Kacang - Is a kind of crispy groundnut biscuits likes/commonly know by the local in Indonesia. However, each might use different spice to enhance the favour.

A popular snack to enjoy while you watching a television programme/movie, when gathering with friends and also a all time favourite for the afternoon tea break.

I add this to my Chinese New Year's Cookies collection.

Ingredients (Batter) : (mix together)
40gm Rice flour
40gm Tapioca flour
1 egg
150gm coconut
1 tbsp Ikan billis
1/2 tsp Jintan manis
1/4 tsp Jintan putih
1 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

150gm groundnuts
5 cups oil for deep-frying

Method :
  1. Wash and dry groundnuts.
  2. Put all the ingredients for batter together into a big mixing bowl. Mix well until there is no lumps. Add a little bit of water if batter is too thick.
  3. Heat up oil for deep frying. Soak the mould in hot oil till hot, pour a little batter into the mould to make it round and pour the excess batter away, stick 5-6 groundnuts on batter and let it fry till it come off from the mould, fry till the groundnut are crispy and the batter is golden in colour. Dish and drain.
  4. Repeat till all the batter is used up.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Marshmallow Crispie Bites

































Ingredients

150gm bag of toffees
50gm butter
3 tbsp milk
115gm marshmallows
150gm Crispy Rice Puff
Method
  1. Lightly brush a 8" x 13" roasting tin with a little oil. Put the toffees, butter and milk in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the toffees have melted
  2. Add the marshmallows and rice crisps and stir until well mixed and the marshmallows have melted.
  3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared roasting tin, level the surface and leave to set.
  4. When cool and hard, cut/break into pieces, remove from the tin and serve.

Garlic N Spices Cookies


Ingredients

(A)
250gm butter
100gm icing sugar
2 egg yolks

(B)
360gm plain flour
20gm cornflour

(C)
100gm garlic and spices spread

Method

  1. Beat (A) until creamy, fold in (B) to form a dough.
  2. Put dough in icing pipe and press out pattern.
  3. Bake at 160 c for 15 minutes

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Prune Delights





Ingredients

Pastry
500 gm flour
1 tsp baking powder
50gm icing sugar
300gm slightly salted butter or ghee, chilled
80ml Marigold King of Kings full cream evaporated milk

Filling
500gm pitted prune (blend into paste)
100gm icing sugar (mix with the prune paste)

Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
1/2 egg white

Method
  1. Sift the flour, baking powder and icing sugar into a mixing bowl
  2. Rub in the butter till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Add Marigold King of Kings full cream evaporated milk and knead till the dough just come together.
  4. Chill the dough in the fridge for an hour or until firm enough to handle.
  5. Take 10gm of dough and shape into round ball.
  6. Flatten the pastry.
  7. Wrap pastry with 1 tsp of prune paste.
  8. Shape it into a ball.
  9. Place pastry ball on baking tray (lined with non-stick baking paper) and press down slightly with your index finger.
  10. Brush with egg wash (beat 1 egg yolk with 1/2 white of an egg).
  11. Bake in preheated oven of 160 c for 15 minutes.
  12. Remove from oven and brush the prune delights with egg wash again.
  13. Bake for another 5 - 10 minutes
  14. Cool thoroughly on wire rack before storing in airtight containers.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

ETC

Shopping for New Year’s goodies at the wholesale outlet is so interesting and rewarding. Together with KK, her husband and Mr Chef we met in the morning at 8.30 am of Jan 18 (Sun) to set off with our shopping experience.

To my surprise there are a lot of big charter bus (organized by the community Centres/Club) to bring the public to this place for their New Year purchase (of course you need to pay for this service). Be it dried, seafood, tidbit, confectionery or steamboat stuff, lot of variety is available for you to choose from.

Here are some of the values for money good stuff to share with.

Fassler Gourmet Pte Ltd
46 Woodlands Terrace
Singapore 738459
Tel : 65-62575217

Prawn : $7.50/kg
US Scallops (500gm) : S$18.00
Crab meat 250gm : S$3.50



Wang Foong Foodstuffs Suppliers Pte Ltd
48 Woodlands Terrace
Singapore 738460
Tel : 65-67594388

(1 pkt = 1kg) Price before GST (7%)
Chicken Cocktail : S$11.50
Garlic Pork Cocktail : S$11.50
Cheese Cocktail : S$14.40
Bratwurse Sausage (German sausage) : S$17.00



Note : Foodedge Gourmet : 26 Woodlands Terrace, Tel : 65-63394953 also selling sausage, but closed on Sunday. Both are equally good.

Got this at the unit next to Foodedge Gourmet (forget to note down the company name and unit #). Items such as sotong ball, fish egg roll, fish meat ball are at 3 pkts for S$10.00. Other stuffs like mushroom ball, crab meat, crab meat ball are at 5 pkts for S$10.00 (or S$2/pkt).


William Koo Sea Product Processing Factory

56 Woodlands Terrace
Singapore 738464
Tel : 65-62692129


Shark fin 250gm = 1 pkt (1pkt = S$8.00, 2pkt = S$15.00, 3pkt = S$21.00)
Sea Cucumber (1kg) = 1 pkt (1pkt = S$24.00, 2pkt = S$45.00)

J & C (Fong’s) Food Industrial
15 Woodland Loop (Drive in car park)
#03-03
Tel : 65-63394953

Pineapple Tarts S$13.50 per tin
Fragrance Foodstuff Pte Ltd
60, Woodlands Terrace
Singapore 738466
Tel : 65-62578608

Xiang Wei Bakkwa
500gm S$20.00
1kg S$40.00 (come with a air-tight container)


Dried Fish Maws – 1pkt = S$7.00, 2pkts = S$13.00
Note : usually these wholesale outlet are closed on Sat & Sun (except during this festive season).