A Dish A Day

I Like Bananas, Bananas Are Good: Caramel Banana Panna Cotta

2011-12-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

So I've been on a banana milk kick lately. If you don't know what it is I suggest you go to a nearby Korean supermarket and buy some. I can't really describe it, not really banana tasting (unless it's in an artificial way) but it's very creamy and not cloyingly sweet.

So panna cotta is good because it's just pretty much all banana milk but in a different state. Banana and caramel are lovely together so I added some caramelized bananas to add some other flavours as well as a different texture. Then for the top layer I added an evaporated milk. Evaporated milk have a more sweet and really complex flavour that tastes soooooooooo much better than regular milk (but is very fatty) so I added a small layer of it.

Caramel Banana Panna Cotta
Serves: 5 cups

Ingredients:
Banana: 1
Banana milk: 300ml (1 1/2 boxes)
Evaporated milk: 80ml
Gelatin: 5g (almost a pack, 2 teaspoons?)
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Evaporated milk: 80ml + 1/4 cup (um...makes more sense in context)

Instructions:

Evaporated Milk and Banana Milk Layers

1. First, add 1g (1/2 teaspoon?) of the gelatin and mix with 25ml of the cold evaporated milk, let it bloom for 5-10 minutes.

2. After, heat up 55 ml evaporated milk, when it starts to boil, add the gelatin mixture and mix until all dissolved.

3. Pour a thin layer to each cup evenly (you can use any small cups, I only had these jello ones but a ramekin also works), put in fridge.
4. Now repeat with the banana milk. Add 4 grams of gelatine to 100 cold banana milk ad let it bloom.
5. Heat up the rest of the banana milk and then add the gelatine mixture until everything is dissolved.
6. Let it cool.

Caramelized Bananas

1. Add the sugar to the pan, turn to medium heat.

2. When it starts to melt, turn down to low heat, stirring constantly. DON'T GET DISTRACTED!

3. When it gets to this colour, add the 1/4 cup of evaporated milk.

4. Add the bananas and turn up to medium heat and cook until bananas are soft.
5. When the bananas are soft, put it on a silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper to cool down.

6. When everything is cooled down, add a little of the banana milk gelatin mixture and the caramelized bananas.
7. Add the rest of the banana milk to the cups evenly and put in the fridge until firmly set. Best to put it overnight.

Plating
1. To unmold, heat up some water on a shallow pan (just a regular saute pan or something). Water must be lower than the height of your panna cotta cups.
2. When the water is boiling, put the panna cotta on it for 5 seconds.
3. Then using a small paring knife, cut around the edge of the panna cotta to loosen it from the cup.
4. Put a plate on top and flip upside down.

Banana Crown

1. Using a small paring knife, make an incision on an angle, push the knife to the center of the banana.

2. Make an other incision on the opposite angle (so it makes sort o a 'v').
3. Repeat that around the banana.

Ta-dah!

Enjoy!

Chorizo Madness: Eggplant Casserole, Miso Honey Bokchoy, Mashed Potatoes

2011-12-06T22:43:00.000-08:00

Chorizos are great! So much flavour is such a small package. It has a smokiness, really salty, and a bit spicy. Like a very condensed pepperoni if I have to compare it with something.

So it's a great enhancer and a great way to spice up a few dishes. So I used it for my eggplant and mashed potatoes.

Eggplant casserole, it is baked with kimchi and chorizo then topped with cheese until golden brown.
Miso honey bok choy, it is stir fried with butter and mixed in a miso and honey sauce.
Mashed potatoes, with a kick from the chorizos.

This serves three people.

Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients:
Chinese eggplants - 3
Kimchi - 2 cups (by which I mean handfuls lol)
Chorizo - 1 stick (120g)
Kraft tex mex cheese mix (I can be trashy sometimes and it tastes good) - as much as you like
Cornstarch - 1 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions:

1. Cut the eggplants in half, (like so they're equal), then in threes.
2. Add some oil in the pan at medium heat and give some browness to the eggplants. (Only half of the eggplants are in that picture)

3. Take the eggplants out, add a bit more oil to brown the chorizo (sliced), when there is some browned bits on the pan, add the kimchi and let the kimchi juice deglaze* the pan.

4. When the kimchi is hot, add the eggplants, then add enough water till it's half way. Turn the heat to low then cover with a lid. Eggplants will shrink down so you don't have to worry that it's too little water. Rearrange the eggplants once in awhile so they all get submerged in the liquid at some time.
5. When all the eggplants are cooked, preheat the oven to 350.
6.make a slurry with the cornstarch and just enough COLD water to dissolve it (so like 2 teaspoons of COLD water) and add it to the liquid. Turn the heat back to medium and wait till the liquid thickens into a more saucy (like pasta sauce) consistency. If it doesn't reach to a consistency to your liking you can add more slurry.
7. Add the eggplants to a pan, should be fairly large since you don't want to stack the eggplants too much. (In fact mines was mostly just one layer of eggplants and than cheese lol) Top the thing off with cheese (don't go too crazy now...)

8. Put the pan in the middle rack for ten minutes, than turn the temperature to broil, put the pan on the top rack and wait till cheese turns all golden brown.

*Note: What is deglazing? Well when you heat something up on the pan, there will eventually be some sort of brown bits stuck at the bottom right? Well that's all flavour, adding some liquid and then using your spatula to lightly scrape the bottom will get it off the pan and mixed in the liquid, adding tons of flavour to it. If the brown stuff turns black you shouldn't use it though because that is just burnt. Also non-stick pans don't do this so when making a nice sauce for your steak or pork chop, always go for the cast iron or stainless steel or something.

Miso Honey Bok Choy

Ingredients:
Bok Choy - 1 bag (1 pound maybe? It's about the same in all Asian supermarkets)
Miso - 1 1/2 tablespoon (or to taste)
Honey - 1 1/2 tablespoon (or to taste)
Butter

Instructions:

1. Wash the bok choy by cutting the ends and submerging it in water. Then dry it off in a salad spinner.

2. Melt butter in a pan at high heat. Add the bok choy.
3. When the leaves are wilted, turn down to low heat, add a bit of water and cover till the stems are soft.

4. Turn it back to high heat, when only a small amount of water remains, add the miso and honey. Stir evenly. You can always change the amount of miso and honey to your liking. There's no screw ups in stirfrying! Well don't burn it...
5. When the sauce is to the consistency and taste you like. Take it off the heat and it's done.

I love stirfrys, so easy and so many ways you can really make it your own!

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
Russet Potatoes - 2 large
Chorizo - 1/2 stick (60g)
Milk - to taste
Salt and pepper - to taste

Instructions:
1. Peel and dice the potatoes, cut the chorizo in quarters (lik 4 long sticks) then slice into little pieces.

2. Put the potatoes and chorizo in a rice cooker*, add water to 1/4 way and turn it on to cook. Check periodically to make sure there is enough water.

3. When the cooker is on 'keep warm' make sure the potatoes are fully cooked (if not just add a bit more water and put the button on cook again) then add the milk until the right consistency, season.

Note: If you don't have a rice cooker, just boil a full pot of salted water, add the potatoes. After 14 minutes, drain the water out and then add the chorizo and milk and stuff. It won't have as much chorizo flavour but it'll still be good!

So this was actually a really easy meal. The chorizo made something relatively simple and sometimes a bit boring (like mashed potatoes) and made it sound and taste more special.

Keeping Your Cabbage Undercontrol: Kimchi

2011-12-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite things to keep in the fridge. Why? Well first of all it's really easy to make, and I'm all about the easy. Second of all it adds instant flavour to everything. Since lately I've been kinda lazy with the stock making I'll just add some kimchi to water ad add some meat and vegetables and call it a jjigae (Korean stew).

I used this site as reference but made some changes cause I didn't like the result as much: http://drbenkim.com/how-make-kim-chi.htm

Cabbage Kimchi

Ingredients
Napa cabbage - 1 kg (very large one or two regular ones)
Salt - 1 cup
Apple - 1 1/2
Asian Pear - 1 1/2
Yellow Onion - 1
Fish Sauce - two table spoons
Honey - 2 tablespoons
Garlic - 2 heads
Ginger - 1/4 cup
Korean hot pepper flakes (Gochugaru) - as much as you want

Note: To be honest, I eyeballed a lot of the ingredients because for the sauce it's really suppose to be to your taste but these are the ones I used.

Instructions:

1. Cut the cabbage in half. With the end in tact, make cuts on the side like layers. Then from the top, cut vertically and then horizontally to make large rectangular pieces. Discard the ends. Basically cut it like how Gordan Ramsay is cutting into this onion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwGBt3V0yvc but you know...bigger.
2. Wash the cabbage by submerging it in water and then dry it off with a salad spinner. It's fine if there's water left after spinning it. In fact there should be some water. Put the cabbage in a big container. I used my stock pot.
3. Add the salt (so you needed some water left on the cabbage for the salt to stick to) and mix it thoroughly and leave it there for several hours. Mixing the cabbage once in a while.
4. After several hours, there should be a lot of liquid and the cabbage should be wilted but not mushy or anything. You know, like how the texture of kimchi is. If it takes more than 4 hours...you'll probably need more salt.

5. While the cabbage is wetting itself you make the mixture. Chop the ingredients up (minus the pepper flakes), like just a dice for the apple and pears and onions. Peel and slice the ginger, and peel the garlic. Puree them in a food processor for a bit of water. Like the consistency in the picture.

6. Add the pepper flakes to your heart's content! I like them very spicy so I added quite a lot, also flakes can come in mild and spicy so if you don't like spicy. You can buy mild flakes. Also it will sometimes say hot pepper powder but it'll look like flakes.

7. Now just mix the mixture a little bit at a time to the cabbage until all the cabbage is well coated
8. Put in the container with a lid. If you like fresh kimchi and in no need for really sour ones just put it in the fridge now. If you're like me and enjoy the really sour kimchi it'll speed up the process considerably by storing it in a dark cool place (like a cupboard not in the kitchen or your basement) for a day and a half before putting it in a fridge. Or you can put the cabbage in a large clay pot and bury it in a hole in the ground but I think the fridge might be easier.

So what can you do now? Well beside soups and stuff like that, you can also use it in stirfrys, kimchi pancake, top it on burgers etc...but those are another post!

If this kimchi recipe made your head spin I also love this woman's blog so I would recommend her recipe: http://www.maangchi.com/ she's great!

Using Up Halloween Treats 3: Camamilk Cookies!

2011-11-30T21:56:00.000-08:00

You know what's a good sensation? Having warm, sticky, gooey liquid exploding into your mouth...

Yep, biting into a caramilk! In case you don't have it wherever you are, it's a chocolate candy bar that are divided into small squares...and each square is filled with a gooey caramel!

The best part of it is you get chocolate and caramel side by side so you get chocolate and caramel and not have the flavours muddled up together. So I wanted to keep them more separate in my dessert. Also, since I already made a pie and I made a cake I thought it was the most logical place to go.

Cookies!

Now I'll confess, I was trying to make thin cookies but that didn't turn out. The good thing is...these are actually fantastic! The cookie was really light, airy, almost cake like and the chocolate and caramel made it special and it was just the perfect balance because you have the immense sugar rush from the candy but the cookie dough is more mild and subdue.

Caramilk Cookies
Serves: 14 cookies (they're rather large though)

Ingredients:

Caramilk: 10 small bars (so 20 squares)
Flour: 300g (2 1/5 cups)
Butter: 200g (almost 2 sticks, go wild!)
White Sugar: 50g (1/4 cup)
Brown Sugar: 50g (just for the sake of simplicity it'll be 1/4 cup, it's close enough, accurately it's supposed to be 11/50 of a cup)
Egg: 1 large
Milk: 60g
Salt: 1 pinch
Baking soda: 1 1/2 teaspoons

Instructions:
1. Break off the caramilk pieces into the neat squares and put in the freezer. I froze them so it'll be easier to mix them later.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Cream the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment until well incorporated.
5. Add the egg and milk until it's all mixed well.
6. Turn down the speed to it's lowest and add the flour mixture, when it's all in, turn up the speed to high.

End result.
7. Now add the frozen caramilk squares to the batter and mix with a spatula.

8. I used a soup spoon that they use for eating pho =P. Then I scooped it till bout that high, don't pack it in too much, just cusp it to make a shape like that. Each one was about 50g...almost 2 ounces!
9. Slide it down on the parchment paper (it'll be like ice cream scoop shape)
10. Put in oven at middle rack and take it out when the sides are bit brown, give it a light poke, insides should feel soft...like a moist sponge.

And then you patiently wait for it to cool down fi--

I expect no one to follow that last rule. Although I did last like...five minutes =O. But cookies are like best when they're fresh and the chocolate is all hot and velvety...mmmmmmmm...

Ahem...I mean, enjoy the cookies =)! Approved by my picky father.

Turkey Day 2011! Forth (and Final)

2011-11-27T23:20:00.000-08:00

Part One: Appetizers
Part Two: Mains and Sides

Yes folks! What you've all been waiting for! A good ole' slice of pumpkin pie. Well the picture could be better but this was when I just started using the camera.

So...

(I'm trying to distract you with sexy James Mcavoy)

Pumpkin Pie
Servings: 1 pie

Ingredients:
Pie dough: 225g (recipe found here)
Pumkin: 1/2 a small sized baking pumpkin (200g)
Evaporated milk: 100ml
Cloves: 1 1/2 teaspoon
Allspice: 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
Nutmeg: 1 teaspoon
Egg: 1 large
Brown sugar: 100g (or to taste)
Vegetable oil

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut and gut one half of the pumpkin.
2. Rub some oil on it, put the pumpkin on a pan and into the oven, middle rack.
3. In the meantime, shape the pie dough in the pan and blind bake (which means bake the pie crust first), seen here
4. When the pumpkin is soft, take it out and turn down the oven to 275
5. Scoop out all the pumpkin flesh, add the spices, milk and sugar and blend in a food processor (or mash it with a fork)
6. Add the egg.
7. Add the pumpkin mixture into the pie crust, bake it in a shallow water bath. Bake until the mixture is set, like custard.
8. Let it cool before even attempting to cut it.

So there you have it! My whole thanksgiving meal. It was a bit tiring but something quite rewarding making a meal and sharing it with your closest friends. And by sharing I mean showing off. Also you can make a long ass blog post about it. Priorities...

But all in all it was a fun night and when you get to eat your delicious food and hang out with friends...you forget about the meltdown you had 24 hours prior.

Can't wait till Christmas!

Turkey Day 2011! Third Phase

2011-11-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

For part one which have the appetizers.

Right, there's no turkey on turkey day, oh noes! The truth is I am not that big of a fan of turkey and it's just so damn temperamental so I'm going to be Chinese and cook pork! I used pork shoulder because it has more fat and therefore is juicy longer than a regular tenderloin.

For sides I made mushroom casserole, potato rosti, and pan fried vegetables.

Garlic Pork Loin:
Servings: 5

Pork shoulder: 1 (like around 1kg?)
Garlic: 1 1/2 heads
Salt and pepper: to taste
Butter: 1/2 stick

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Peel the garlic cloves, boil hot water, add the garlic in until soft but still somewhat firm.
3. Trim the outer fat layer and connective tissue on the pork loin.
4. Poke holes around the loin with a knife and stuff the garlic clove in it.
5. Rub the loin with some oil and season with salt and pepper.
6. Put the loin in oven, until it is 145 degrees in the middle (light pinkness), Fahrenheit of course
7. Let butter soften at room temperature, rub it all over the loin.
8. Turn the oven to broil until the outside is brow, flip and repeat.
9. Let it rest for five minutes before slicing.

Mushroom Casserole

Ingredients:
Portabello mushrooms: 5 big ones
Cremini mushrooms: 2 small packs
Shallots: 5
Cream: 150ml
Wine: 150ml
Mozzarella: 200g
Butter
Flour: 1 tablespoon

Instructions:
1. Slice the portabello and cremini mushrooms.
2. Melt some butter in a pan at medium heat, add the mushrooms and some salt.
3. When the mushrooms are cooked, add the flour and put on low heat, stir for a minute.
4. Add the white wine, turn the heat to medium again.
5. When the wine has thicken, add the cream and stir until the cream thicken as well.
6. Put the mushrooms onto a loaf pan, top it off with sliced mozzarella.
7. Turn the oven to broil and put the pan under until the cheese is melted and browned.

Potato Rosti
Serving: 2 rostis

My favourite way to eat potatoes. You get the big potato flavour and texture because it's thick and it's really just potatoes nothing else so the flavour's like unadulterated but also the nice caramelization from frying it on a pan. At the same time because you shredded it first, it feels a lot fluffier than just simply roasting potatoes!

Ingredients
Russet potatoes - 5
Salt and pepper - to taste
Butter

Instructions
1. Heat salted water in medium heat.
2. Wash the potatoes, scrub with a sponge until clean. Put potatoes in pot.
3. When the potatoes are half cooked (fork should be going in with a little resistance), drain and cool.
4. Leave the potatoes in the fridge overnight.
5. The next day, using a grater, shred the potatoes, don't rub it back and forth the grater though, you have to push it down and then take the potato back to the top and push it down, like just in one way don't go up and down.
7. Heat up just enough butter to cover a non-stick pan at low heat, you need bout an 8 inch pan. Add half the potatoes, salt and pepper.
9. Cover with the lid, when the bottom is nicely browned, put a plate on top, flip it around so it's on the plate with the browned part on top and slide it back on the pan.
10. Cover and wait till the bottom is golden brown.
11. Repeat with the second one.

Note: Russets are best because they are the most starchy out of the common varieties so they are less held together and more fluffy, you want a soft texture with a rosti so you go with this kind of potato. As opposed to like the red potato which will be more firm.

Pan Fried Vegetables
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
White asparagus - 1 bunch
Radish - 1 small bag (20 radishes about)
Carrots - 3
White wine
Butter
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Boil salted water.
2. Cut carrots into matchsticks, radishes in half, and trim off the ends of the asparagus on a diagonal bias.
3. Blanch the vegetables first until a fork can go through them but they can't be mushy. (one minute for radishes, 30 minutes for asparagus, and 2 minutes for carrots about)
4. Melt butter on a large pan at medium high heat. Add the vegetables, stir quickly, adding some pepper and white wine to taste.

So that's the mains and sides. Pork > turkey definitely. Still very juicy and have a strong kick with garlic. Also the vegetable sides are delicious and very hearty to complete with the feel of a comforting but interesting meal.

Turkey Day 2011! First and Second Phase

2011-11-27T17:11:00.000-08:00

Well, being Canadian, this was actually in October but I was lazy and forgot to post my photos till it was...November lol. So let's just pretend it's because I like celebrate with our neighbours down south (America: Canada's pants).

So like last year, I designed the menu and did most of the cooking.

First Course
Potato and Leek Soup

Second Course
Stuffed Campari Tomatoes
Smoked Salmon Rolls

Third Course
Roasted Garlic Pork
Mixed Mushroom Casserole
Potato Rosti
Pan Fried Vegetables

Forth Course
Pumpkin Pie

Yea, I had ambitions! The key is to plan ahead as much as possible, and I did most of the prep the day before.

Anywho...on to the food!

First Course

Potato and Leek Soup
Servings: 8 - 10 people (I had a party of five but they like seconds lol)

Ingredients:
Russet potatoes: 5, peeled and diced
Leeks: Three big nice ones
Chicken stock: 2L
Ginger: 1 sizeable chunk (bout 100g)
Butter: 1 1/2 sticks (175g, hey it's the holidays!)
Salt and white pepper: to taste

Instructions:

First of all lemme channel my inner hillbilly

LOOK AT THIS PHOTOGRAPH!!

1. Heat up your stock at a low heat, a simmer, there shouldn't really be any movements in the liquid.
2. Referring to the leek diagram, cut out section one, the darkest green part, it's very flavourful but really tough so you will use it to flavour the stock. Clean it by submerging it in some water first than throw it in with the chicken stock.
3. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly, add that to the stock as well.
4. Now wait for an hour or so, or until the stock seems have a nice flavour of ginger and leek.
5. Divide the leeks into section 2 (light gree) and 3 (white) , save maybe one leek's worth of section 3 for later. (That's a bad leek btw, you should choose a leek with more white parts than that!)
6. For the rest of the leeks, cut the end of them and then cut it in half vertically, then you can see the different layers, run them under the water while flipping through the layers...much like a book.
7. After they are wash, just slice them horizontall, thinly.
8. Melt half a stick of butter in low heat, then add the sliced leeks, add a two pinches of salt.
9. After the leeks have sweated out a lot of moisture and they are really soft, add the stock.
10. Peel and cube the potatoes, add them to the stock. Cover the pot with a lid and turn to high heat.
11. When the potatoes are very soft (check after 15 minutes) you should blend it till smooth. Turn it down to low heat.
12. Add the rest of the butter, and season with salt and white pepper (black pepper makes it look like specks of dirt).
13. If you like the consistency then it's good, if you want it to be thinner you can add more water or stock, if you want it to be thicker, let it simmer out some more liquid!
14. For the leek you reserved, cut it in half, wash it, then separate the layers and julienne it. You place a few slices as garnish for the soup.

This soup is really simple but elegant while being comforting. Like drinking a baked potato!

Second Course

Stuffed Campari Tomatoes
Servings: It makes 20

Ingredients:
Campari Tomatoes - 10
Ricotta - 125g
Chives - 30g
Salt - to taste

Instructions:
1. Cut the tomatoes in half, using a serrated spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp.
2. Mix the ricotta with a bit of salt and the chopped chives.
3. Using a towel, dab the tomato halves dry, scoop the cheese mixture into the tomatoes.

THAT'S IT!! You can experiment with cheeses too, I personally prefer goat but my friend really hates goat cheese and goat products.

Smoked Salmon Rolls
Servings: 7 rolls (times are hard and salmon is expensive)

Ingredients
Stuffed Salmon - a small pack (7 pieces)
Apple - 1/2
Small Cucumber - 1 (50g)
Celery - 1/2
White wine vinegar - to taste
Olive oil - to taste
Honey - to taste
Chives - 4 strands
Salt - to taste

1. Julienne the cucumber, celery, and apple.
2. Make dressing by mixing the vinegar, olive oil, honey, and salt.
3. Mix with the julienne fruits and vegetables.
4. Lay out the smoked salmon, add some of the vegetable mixture at the end of the salmon, and roll the smoked salmon.
5. Cut the chives in half, horizontally and gently use it to tie the salmon roll.

Yea, easy right?! These two appetizers are quick to make and make your dinner look seemingly classy!

Using Up Halloween Treats 2: Crispy Crunchy Cake

2011-11-23T00:59:00.000-08:00

Yes Halloween has been over for awhile now but good thing about candy, they pretty much last forever with that much sugar...

But you only live once!

So...

Crispy Crunchy Cake, as you might have guessed it's made with the candy bar, Crispy Crunch.

They're peanut buttery but somehow it's has a lot of bite into it and really good. So I decided I want to not really do anything to the candy bars because I want to keep that crunch. Then I wanted cake and duh, chocolate cake for a chocolate bar! Which somehow jump started this whole chain of perfect combinations which starts with peanut butter -> chocolate -> bananas -> Nutella!

So it ended up with a moist chocolate cake filled with bananas, Nutella frosting, and covered in Crispy Crunch.

Okay I'm going split the recipe in the categories of "making the chocolate cake" and "decorating the cake" and the second part is...quite picture heavy I must say.

Crispy Crunch Cake

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Flour - 300g (2 1/5 cups according to Yahoo answers 140g unsifted flour = cup...buy a scale already!)
Cocoa powder - 100 grams (3/4 cup)
Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon
Baking Powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Salt - a pinch
White sugar - 200g (1 cup)
Brown Sugar - 200g (bit less than 1 cup? It's supposed to be 220g for 1 cup for brown sugar)
Butter - 200g, cubed (1 1/2 cup, if you have a block uh...just cut it a bit smaller than half it's also about two sticks)
Shortening - 50g (1/4 cup)
Cream - 100 ml

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Cream the room temperature butter and shortening with the sugars until light and well incorporated.
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and 100ml of the cream
4. Add the eggs slowly, one at a time at low speed until well incorporated, then turn the speed to high till the batter starts getting fluffier. Add the melted chocolate.
5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the batter at slow speed.
6. Turn up the speed till the batter is light and fluffy.

Like so. You can see I added some candy bar bits but I don't think you should because it melted anyways and the flavour gets lost in the chocolate.
7. Pour the batter into two 7 inch pans and put in the oven, middle rack.
8. Take out after 30 minutes or check with a toothpick (when it does come out clean, have a feel for the cake so you know how it feels when it's done.)
9. Let the cake rest until it's room temperature.

Decorating The Cake

Ingredients
Crispy Crunch - 15 small bars (or you can use like 4 big bars)
Nutella - 250g (they come in 400g jars so half of that and then two big spoonfuls)
Unsweetened chocolate - 100g
White chocolate - a small handful
Cream - 400 ml
Bananas - 4-5, ripe (there should be a few dots on them, but not full of dots)

Instructions

1. Now make the frosting, whip 390ml of the cream till it's firm (shouldn't drop if you hold it upside down)

2. In low speed, add the nutella, then turn it back to high speed until well incorporated. Keep the frosting in the fridge until it's time to use it.

3. Once the cake is cool, cut the top part (the part that looks like a dome) so the cake will be flat...like a perfect cylinder. Than cut the cakes in half, making four cake layers. If you're wondering why one of the layers there is different looking...I dropped the pan mid bake and it collapsed within itslef, it's more condensed.
4. Now you only need three of the layers because I thought it's a bit tall with four layers but you can if you want to.

5. Add a bit of the frosting to one of the cake layers, spread it around with a palette knife but not all the way to the edge.

6. Cut the bananas in half, lengthwise.

7. Line the bananas at the edge, as you can see, the pressure from the bananas kinda pushed the frosting to the edge, it would've went overboard if you spread the frosting all the way to the edge in the first place.

8. Put as much bananas as possible.

9. Fill in the gaps with more frosting.

10. Chop 6 of the candy bars (1 1/2 large one), sprinkle the chopped candy bar on top of the bananas.

11. Repeat with the second layer and then top it off with the final layer.

12. Pour most of the frosting on the top of the cake. Using a palette knife, spread the frosting on top, pushing the frosting to fall down on the sides until there's a thin but adequate layer on top.

13. Just run the palette knife around the cake to spread the frosting thoroughly. If there isn't enough to cover the cake, if there is not enough, add more frosting, but you have to do the same as in step 11, add it to the top and use the palette knife to spread it.

14. Chop up the rest of the candy bar. Just grab a handful and gently pat it on the edges. Then transfer the cake to a cake board or whatever you plan to hold your cake.
15. Now melt the white chocolate with the 10 ml of cream.

16. Using a spoon, just randomly drizzle circles on top.

17. Get a fork and drag it from top to bottom in lines.

Instantly looks more professional!

Phew! Typing it all out was more tiring than the actual process (fortunately for everyone who wants to make this cake...unfortunate for me who had to type all that.)

I have to say, I think the cake looks alright for me, who never really had to do much cake decorating (it's why I make cupcakes...so I don't have to deal with this bullshit).

Of course you have to look at the inner beauty as well. It's not just a pretty cake, it has a lot of layers, very complex.

Everyone wants a piece of it!

Well...this cake is just really indulgent which is great for those days when you just want something sweet to make your day happier. Like everything good just comes together, chocolate, banana, Nutella, peanut butter. I love the bit of crunch that the candy bar gives.

Using Up Halloween Candy: WunderPie! (StarPie)

2011-11-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

So for Halloween this year I was giving out candy and I bought a big box of various Cadbury chocolate bars.

So before I had this much

And afterwards

Yea not a lot of children, I think they all went to the rich white neighbourhoods which is okay somewhat justified cause Chinese people usually don't give out free things but joke's on them because actually this year a lot of my neighbours were also giving out stuff.

Anyways so I have copious amount of candy what should I do?

Baking the answer is always baking.

This one is all about the Wunderbar (or Starbar if you're from Europe), my favouritest candy bar EVER! It's like there's peanut butter which is delicious and then there's this chewy caramel that matches so well and it's all covered in CHOCOLATE! Also there's this crunchiness that I don't even know how they do it!

So I thought I got this imagery of it being all gooey and melted and I know the best way to do that is put it in a pie! A cup pie to be specific. Nothing ever goes wrong in a pie! I added a cream cheese filling for additional goodness and topped it with meringue to give some lightness to the dessert.

WunderPie
Servings: 5 cup pies

Ingredients:

WunderBar - 5 (one per pie)
Pie Dough - 225 g (I made a post on how to make pie dough here: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/84794.html#cutid1 don't mind my old shoddy camera though!)
Cream cheese - 125g (1/2 block)
Cream - 75 g
Eggs - 2 large, separated
Sugar - 60g (1/3 cup)
Icing sugar - 50g (1/4 cup)

Instructions:
1. Preheat to 350, take the cream cheese out, separate the eggs

2. Roll your dough till it's about 3 mm in thickness, remember to flour the surface and the roller frequently!

3. Just cut them in squares and mold it around the cupcake tin, if there is space or tears, just take some more dough and fill it, no one will notice!

4. Line wax paper ON TOP of the dough, and fill with rice, this keeps the bottom from rising up. Then I can use the rice later for cooking!
5. Put in oven at bottom rack for ten minutes or until done.
6. While the dough is in the oven, take out the paper and rice, check if the bottom is done, put it back in the oven (without the paper and rice) at middle rack, until done.
7. Cut the cream cheese into square and beat with the sugar in a mixer (stand or hand) with whisk attachment till soft and lighter.
8. Slooooooooooooowly add the cream at low speed until throoughly incorporated.
9. Add the eggs YOLKS, when it's well incorporated, change to high speed to beat some more air into it.

10. Add the mini wunderbar into the bottom, top it off with the cream cheese mixture.
11. Change the oven to 325, put the cupcake tins on a cookie sheet and add some water to the SHEET (not the cupcake tins lol) this will make a water bath. Put it on the middle rack. Check after 10 minutes.

12. In the meantime, whip up the egg whites, MAKE SURE ALL THE EQUIPMENT IS CLEAN!! Any oil and it won't work. Beat the whites till it starts foaming, then add the icing sugar.
13. When the cheesecake part is done (the texture should be jiggly but definitely solid. Like custard basically), let it cool for 30 minutes.
14. Using a star tipped pipe (mines say 825 so I think that's the size...) and make small rosettes around the top, I made five around and one in the middle. (see note)
15. Put in the oven at the middle for five minutes, take out of the oven.
16. Turn the oven to 400, when it reaches 400, put the pies in at the top rack until the top is nicely browned.

Note: I will make a piping post soon (I only know like three styles though) but a good place to learn how to make rosettes are here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfbh1UaZSe0 she also did shells!

Porno shot:

Well the pie was lovely, surprisingly not that sweet. It has all the taste of the wunderbar but with a bit more indulgence with the cream cheese and the meringue give it a lighter texture and flavour that works well with the heavier ingredients. Also it makes the pie all nice looking =D!

Going Green: Baked Stuffed Avocado With Asparagus And Chorizo

2011-11-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Lunch time is healthy time! Also my fridge is ridiculously bare normally I would try to add some colour to my plates. But I try to find a way to utilize as much vegetables as possible.

Let me just wax some poetic about the lovely avocado first though. It's something that works well in savoury and sweet, it can be cubed, sliced, and mashed, it adds a nice flavour to any dish but never overpower, and most importantly IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

Baked Stuffed Avocado With Asparagus and Chorizo
Servings: 2

Avocado

Ingredients

Avocadoes - 1
Canned tuna - 60g (half a can, drained)
Carrot - 1/2 small stick, brunoise (small dice, about 1-2 mm if possible)
Celery - 1 small stalk or 1/2 huge stalk (brunoise)
Leeks - 25g ( half a cup)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
1. Wash the outside of the avocado thoroughly, use a knife to cut the avocado in the middle and move the knife around the pit so there is a cut in the middle throughout the avocado. Twist and the two halves should pull apart. Take out the seed and scoop out the flesh without destroying the skin.

2. Add a little butter to the pan at low heat, add the carrot and a pinch of salt. Add the celery a minute later, than add the leek after another minute. Add more butter if necessary.

4. Using a fork, cut the tuna flakes to smaller pieces, mix with the avocado. When the vegetables are cooked, add to the avocado mixture.

5. Carefully scoop the avocado mixture into the shell.
6. Put in the oven at the top rack for ten minutes.
7. Turn the oven to broil and take out when the top is golden brown.

Note: You can substitute tuna for sardines, I actually think sardines work better because it is less fishy to me. Also sardines are healthier and more sustainable (to go with this green theme I have going on).

Asparagus And Chorizo

Ingredients

Asparagus - 1 bunch
Choizo - 90g (I used 3/4 of a stick, Piller's brand ones), sliced in 3-4mm slices
White wine

Instructions

1. Add the chorizo to pan with a tablespoon of oil, turn to low heat, this is to try to render out some of the fat
2. When some fat is rendered, and the pan is starting to brown, turn to medium heat and add the asparagus, add some more oil if neccessary (I couldn't get a lot of fat our so I did add some more oil)

3. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, about 3/4 cups but I just eyeballed it.
4. Put the lid on top, with the spatula in the pot to stop it from fully closing, turn it down to low heat, add the chorizo.
5. When the asparagus is cooked turn it back to high heat and cook off any excess liquid.

Note: Do you see anything missing from this recipe? Yea, SALT! Well the chorizo was quite salty (like those pepperoni stick you buy from the convenience store) so I thought adding salt will make it too salty. So try the chorizo first and salt to your discretion!

So I loved the avocado, the fat from the fruit mellowed out the fishiness of the tuna and the vegetables, especially the leeks really gave it a kick of complex flavours. Asparagus is always tasty and it works well with chorizo, which is also delicious.

Everyday I'm tumbling: http://lifeofjoyciel.tumblr.com/

Ms. Lonely - Pan Seared Halibut in Beurre Noisette With Parmesan Peas And Cauliflower Gratin

2011-10-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well this was for a meal a few days before, quiet night at home and the boyfriend is out of town so I just made a simple meal and I tried to make it a bit healthy. Key word is try.

Pan Seared Halibut in Beurre Noisette With Parmesan Peas And Cauliflower Gratin
Servings: 1

Halibut

Ingredients:
Halibut - one long fillet, cut in half (400g perhaps)

Cilantro - 2 tablespoons (or more! Cilantro = love), fine chop
Lime - 1/4
Butter - 2 1/2 tablespoons
Oil

I love cilantro.

Instructions

1. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan at medium heat. Season fish with salt.
2. When oil is heated, add fish into the pan, when one side is golden brown, flip to other side and repeat. Put aside when done.
3. Pour out the oil, add the butter to the pan
4, When the butter turns brown, squeeze the lime and add the cilantro. Turn the heat off.
5. Pour on top of the fish.

Note: Y'all probably already know this but just in case (cause my boyfriend didn't and I have to yell at him and then there was this whole argument...) but don't pour oil down the drain, pour it in a cup or something and throw it in the garbage when it cools. Pouring it down the drain encourages clogging.

Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1/3 a big one, or 1/2 a really small one
Parmesan cheese - to taste
Panko bread crumbs - 1/4 cup (don't have to be panko...just won't be as good...)
Cream - 1 cup
Milke - 1 cup
Flour - 1 tablespoon
Butter - 3 tablespoons

Instructions
1. Prehea oven to 325. Wash and slice cauliflowers like so

2. Make a roux, melt one table spoon of butter at low heat and add the flour when the butter is all melted, stir for minute.
3. Add a little big of the cream, stir evenly, turn to medium heat until the cream starts to thicken, do the same with the rest of the liquids, little by little until it becomes a creamy sauce. Add some Parmesan cheese to the sauce.

4. Add parmesan and season to your liking. Turn off the heat and add the cauliflowers and coat it with the sauce evenly.
5. Put the cauliflower in a small rectangular pan.
6. Melt the rest of the butter in another pan at low heat, add the bread crumbs and stir. Add the panko to the top of the cauliflowers.
7. Grate some Parmesan, add on top of the breadcrumbs.
8. Put pan in oven, until cauliflower is soft. Than turn the oven to broil and take it out when the panko is golden brown.

Parmesan Peas

I have a caving for parmesan.

Ingredients
Frozen peas - 150g (bout 1 1/2 cups)
Parmesan - to taste, shaved
Shallots - 1
Butter - 1 tablespoon

1. Blanche the peas by boiling salted water. Add the frozen peas and take it out after ten seconds.
2. Melt the butter at low heat and sweat the shallots, with a small pinch of salt.
3. After the shallots give off some liquid add the peas and cook until the peas are warm.
4. Shave some parmesan and mix into the peas.

Well I guess not extremely healthy teehee but it was satisfying and that's all that matters!

In Case You Can't Tell I'm Chinese: Spam Fried Rice

2011-10-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Also poor...

What do you do when you have nothing in the fridge except a bunch of random shit? Fry it with rice and call it lunch.

Spam Fried Rice
Servings: 2

Ingredients
Spam - half a can, diced in 1 cm cubes
Red Onion - half a huge one, also diced
Ginger - table spoon, grated
Cilantro - two tablespoons (as much as you have? No such thing as too much cilantro!)
Egg - two large (I thought I only needed one hence the picture), mix
Rice - one and a half cups uncooked (you should cook the rice and leave in fridge overnight)

Note: Leftover rice is harder and have less water so it's easier to fry and won't stick to each other as much which is ideal for fried rice!

Instructions
1. Using an non-stick pan (no need to show off but if you do use a regular pan you should use more oil), heat oil at medium high heat
2. When oil is heated (should be more liquidy, less viscous) add the onion and ginger. Add a little salt. Using a spatula, be sure to mix the vegetables quickly so they don't burn. Stir for ten seconds then add the spam. When the onions are cooked, and the spam have some colour to it, put aside.
3. Add a bit more oil and put the eggs in, scrambling them. When eggs are almost done put aside.
4. Add oil and fry the rice. A small pinch of salt.
5. When rice is throughly heated and is well lubricated (teehee, but anyways most of them shouldn't stick together), add the vegetables and eggs and mix until it looks evenly distributed.
6. Add soy sauce or other sauces (I added some vinegar as well) to your liking
7. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro.

Note: A small pinch = a pinch with your thumb and index finger. Regular pinch = thumb and index and middle finger.

The Blogging Dead: Chewy Chocolate Burnt Almond Cookies

2011-10-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

I won't say "I'm back!" cause everytime I say that I don't really. So I'll just say I'm like a zombie, I'm back but not quite the same.

Anyways, one of my close friends who went abroad (or a few cities away) for a Frech program recently came back for a visit so what better way to send her off than with a batch of warm homemade cookies?

She loves all things chocolate and she loves almonds which is great cause that was kinda all the ingredients I had. So I decided to put my own twist on the chocolate almond cookie...which isn't really a thing...but it's a common pairing.

I also got a new camera that has like double the mega pixels!

Chewy Chocolate Burnt Almond Cookies
Servings: 20 cookies

I'm going to separate the dry ingredients and wet ingredients because in this recipe you prepare them separately and just mix it together in the end.

Dry Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour - 225g (uh, just measure one cup and take two tablespoons out it'll be about that?)
Cocoa powder - 75g (quarter cup and one tablespoon)
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
Almonds - 25 (I just guesstimated how much I needed though it's up to how much you like almonds)

Instructions:
1. First sift all the dry ingredients minus the almonds and put it aside
2. For the almonds, just cut it into small pieces (size is up to you, that's the good thing about cooking, it's really personal)
3. Turn on the stove with a pan on medium high heat, when the pan is hot, just add the almond pieces and stir it around a bit until the nuts get a more toasted taste, if some pieces get burnt it's okay.

Note: I used all purpose but if you want to up the chewiness more you can use bread flour because of the higher gluten content, not gluten is the substance that gives bread that chew.

Wet Ingredients
Brown Sugar (sugar always counts as wet ingredient in baking for some reason) - 150 grams (1/2 + 1/8 of a cup...THIS IS WHY I ALWAYS ADVOCATE SCALES!! It's only twenty dollars for mine and I bet there's cheaper ones cause mines digital.)
White Sugar - 50 grams (1/5 of a cup)
Eggs - 2 large
Butter - 100 grams (one stick), browned
Chocolate Chips - 65 grams (about one cup bit higher than level)
Instant coffee - 1 1/2 tablespoons (you can add more but I think this is a good amount that doesn't over power the chocolate but gives it something extra)
Cream - as much as you need (I'll explain later)

1. Brown the butter by melting it in a pan until the milk solids (the white foamy stuff) browns, watch very carefully because once it starts browning it gets black and then it's ruined.

The colour should be like the amber at the middle, there were lighter layer of stuff on top but overall it was like the darker colour, the froth was just covering it.
2. When the butter is brown add the chocolate to the pan until thoroughly melted.

Note: Why so much brown sugar? Because brown sugar has molasses, which is sticky and liquid which makes the cookies more moist and chewy. I also used some melted chocolate so it'll give more moisture. And why browned butter? BECAUSE IT'S DELICIOUS! Brown butter just have a much better nutty aroma which matches well with the almond's nutty flavour.

Combining
1. Using a whisk attachment (or a regular whisk using the power of your hands!) mix the eggs and sugar until it looks a bit creamy and fluffy, add the melted chocolate and brown butter mixture.
2. Switch to a paddle attachmennt (disregard this if you don't have a stand mixer) and slowly add the flour and in small batches, scrape down the bowl when neccessary.
3. The batter should be firm but malleable but not too dry, it should be like mouldable chocolate, you should be able to shape balls with it. If it's too dry add a bit of cream until a nice consistency.

4. Chill the dough for 2 hours.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 375, put one rack on the bottom and one on the top.
6. Measure the dough in 42g or 1.5 ounce portions (like a bit smaller than a golf ball)

7. Round them up into balls and put them on a piece buttered parchment paper or silpat. DON'T PRESS THEM!!! (You should put them in the oven when they look like in that above picture)
8. Put them in the oven at the bottom for 8 minutes, than turn them around and put them on the top rack for 7 minutes.
9. Cool down for five minutes before eating.

Note: Chilling the dough makes all the difference, especially since you melted the butter when you put it in the oven right away the fat will melt quicker causing the cookie dough to slide and spread more, making them more thin and crispy rather than thicker and chewy.

This is one of my favourite recipes, my boyfriend ate a few and he also loved this cookie, he declared it "The Best Cookie He Ever Ate!". I think taking time to do each step makes all the difference. Toasting the almonds so they are more fragrant, browning the butter accentuates the nuttiness, the coffee gives it more of a well rounded flavour and nice bitterness so the cookie isn't too cloying sweet. Also the chewiness of the cookie and the crunch of the nuts gives a nice balance of textures.

Visit my tumblr: http://lifeofjoyciel.tumblr.com/ where I not only talk about food I also do a lot of other ranting on other bunches of stuff!

Two Of Us Riding Nowhere/ Sending Postcards

2010-07-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Some people just always stick together no matter what and some people treat food the same way. Certain combinations are just very ubiquitous, banana and chocolate, hazelnut and chocolate, strawberries and chocolate...wow some really needs to give chocolate a rest. Anyways, another is pork and apples. I mean Homer Simpson sure loves pork chops and apple sauce.

Now it gets kinda boring and shaking things up is great! But these combinations are so popular for a reason: they work really well together. Somehow pork just works well with fruity flavours like apples.

Now I'm no fan of apple sauce so I just sauteed them in butter and made a reduction type sauce. I also paired it with sauteed radishes with onion and garlic and roasted a squash with maple syrup (I'm so Canadian).

Pork Chops and "Applesauce" with Sauteed Radishes and Maple Glazed Butternut Squash
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
Pork Chops - 1 (around a pound or 454g)
Apples - 1 (I used a Gala apple but you can use another if you like)
Red Onions - 200g (bout one regular sized one, you can use other onions if you like yellow ones or something)
Butternut Squash - half
Radishes - 250g (bout 10? Honestly I just took a bunch, but I think five per person is good)
Garlic - 3 cloves (I love garlic though)
Maple Syrup - 250 ml (a cup, or even more if you really like maple syrup)
Unsweetened Apple Juice - 250 ml (2 cups)
Chicken Stock - 150 ml (bout little bit more than 1/2 cup)
Thyme - 2 sprigs

Pork Chops and "Applesauce"
Applesauce:
1. You should start with this first, peel and cut the apples into six pieces, now use a paring knife and cut out the seeds part, now put the parts that you've trimmed in a large cheese cloth (or you don't have to but it'll make your life easier)
2. Pour the apple juice and chicken stock on low heat to simmer and let it slowly reduce
3. Add the trimmings and thyme
4. Julienne half (HALF) an onion and then add it to the liquid
5. Make a slurry, which is cornstarch with a little bit of cold liquid (usually just water), and add to the liquid. DON'T, I REPEAT, DO NOT!!!! JUST ADD THE CORNSTARCH!!! The heat will just turn it to a great big lump!
6. Anyways, turn up the heat a bit so the cornstarch will thicken and then lower the heat when it starts to do it's job
7. Take the trimmings ad thyme out (this is why you should have used the cheesecloth, or you could have simmered all the flavor out of the trimmings first and strain them through a mesh and then add onions, or if you want a clear sauce, you can just strain everything at this step)
8. Season with some salt and add some more apple juice or chicken stock depending on whether you want it to be more sweet and fruity or more savory, anything's possible when cooking!!! You can even add more onions if you like onions!
9. For the pieces of apple, add some butter to a non-stick pan at medium - medium low and when the butter starts to bubble and just saute the apples till it has some browning, I will use clarified butter just to be safe and not have burnt buter.

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cut the pork chop in half, width-wise 454g is a bit big for me so I use one chop per 2 people, yea you can buy thinner chops but I really like the thickness
3. Season the pieces with salt and pepper
4. Heat the pan to medium high, add oil and brown both sides of the pieces
5. Transfer the pieces to the oven, middle rack, until the pieces reach 150, it should feel firm but not rock hard, you can push in the meat easily but it will bounce back quickly, look at my last post for reference for how it should looks inside
6. Keep the meat in the pan and cover with foil when it's done so the heat won't escape.
7. Serve with a three pieces of apple on top of the chop and ladle some sauce on top

Sauteed Radishes

1. This is so easy, wash and slice the radishes thinly, I'll use a mandoline for optimum thickness (2 mm)but you can slice them with a knife as well
2. Mince the garlic cloves
3. Julienne the other half of the onion, just melt some butter at medium heat and saute at medium high heat.
4. Add the garlic and radishes until the radish is done to your liking

Maple Glazed Butternut Squash

1. Turn oven to 350
2. Cut the butternut in half and take out the seeds
3. Using a knife, make a cross hatch patter on the squash, cut into the flesh (until near the skin) to make diagonal lines and then cut perpendicular lines, this will make the glaze fall into the sides so there'll be more maple coverage
4. Melt some butter and brush it on the squash, get a pan and add a bit of water and put the squash on the pan and into the oven in the middle rack
5. Now in a small pan add the maple syrup and simmer on low heat to reduce to a more syrupy consistency, then add a little bit of butter (that's optional but I like the flavor butter adds, who doesn't?!).
6. Once you're done reducing, brush on the maple syrup and do that every once in a while until the squash is very tender

Whoooooo! So this meal is a bit more laborious but I really liked it, a more sophisticated one I guess. Pork had a nice juicy interior with a nice crust and the flavor of the pork does really go well with the apple. Also I love radishes and it gives some crunchy texture to the meal while the butternut squash make the meal whole and like the pork plays along the lines of savory and sweet.

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

Riiight Lisa, Some Magical Wonderful Animal

2010-05-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

"Magical Wonderful Animal"

I just realized, not enough people talk about pork! I mean, I'm Chinese so pork is like pumping through our veins so I am shocked that not a lot of restaurants really have dishes featuring it. And I'm not just talking about bacon, only liking pork for bacon is like dating someone just for sex. Sure it's the best part but you need to appreciate the other things too. Besides, you can eat only so much things that taste like chicken before you want to annihilate (ooh, I spelled that right on first try! them all.

Besides, when done right pork is flavorful and oh so juicy.

So I bring you...

Pan Seared Pork Infused With Roasted Garlic With Bacon Mashed Potatoes And Truffled Asparagus

Oh god don't make me say that again. Anywho, I went to a local (not really, the bus ride was deceivingly short looking on google map) meat shop that apparently have some good meat. I was sick of the ones from groceries so I went there. I know pork isn't exactly new or anything but there's looked gorgeous when it was raw with nice amount of fat so I got two. It was $15...which I thought was holy shit expensive! But I did not spend that much that week and it turns out, one was so huge if I make a bit more of the sides one can easily make two people full. But for this dish it was for lunch and my friend unexpectedly came over at that time so I cut it into three and I made a heavier mashed potato (we were very full after) and added some more asparagus. So it was worth it after all and it's Yorkshire pork which is supposed to be high quality.

Pork With Mashed Potatoes And Asparagus (I said I'm not going to say that huge ass sentence again!)
Serves: 3

Ingredients
Pork Chop - 1 huge thick one, it was seriously like almost a pound or something, 400g? But you can use your own digression if you like more pork, go for it
Garlic - 7 cloves
Bacon - 2 strips
Red Onion - 150g (half a big one or just one small one)
Russet Potatoes (the brown ones, usually for baking) - 500g (about five one on the small side or three really big ones)
Asparagus - 18
Cream or milk - too taste
Truffle Oil - 30ml (two tablespoons)
Salt and pepper - two taste

Instructions

Pork Chops Infused With Roasted Garlic
1. Peel the cloves of garlic, wrap in tinfoil and add a little oil, put in oven at 400 degrees, take it out when the outside is brown and inside is soft but not very mushy (20 minutesish)
2. When the garlic is roasted, use a knife and make a criss-cross incision in the flesh and stuff a clove in it, make sure the incision is deep, five cloves in five different incisions (it'll be a bit messy
3. Season your pork chops with salt and pepper, remember to season both sides
4. Turn the oven down to 350
5. Heat the pan with oil (I use sunflower) at high heat, quickly brown the meat (a minute on each side or when it has a nice golden color) and put it in the oven, if you use a pan with a plastic handle, transfer it to a baking tray first
6. When the meat reaches 143, take it out. It should still be soft when you poke it but it will bounce back quickly. Cover with tinfoil so it doesn't get cold and let it rest for five minutes before cutting and serving. It should be a bit pink in the middle

Note: I know that people always say "oh no! Pork should be well done! WELL DONE! Well WRONG! The fear is that trichinosis is in pork but actually, they're killed at 137, bit below medium and at 143 (which will be 145 because the pork is still cooking from residual heat even out of the oven) which is medium it's perfectly fine and safe for consumption.

Resting meat is very important, ever notice that when you cut open a nice piece of steak and all the juices come pouring out and then you end up with bloody soup? Well I kinda forgot about the logistics (am I using that correctly?) of it but letting the meat rest for a few minutes will make the juices even disperse through the meat and stay there better so your meat will stay moist and your plate will stay dry.

The more common way to roast a garlic is to just roast the whole head with the skin and everything. But for this preparation I like to keep the clove whole and doing the other way you have to peel is after wards which sounds troublesome.

Bacon mashed potatoes
1. Sweat two slices of bacon in low heat, low heat renders the fat out better and you want the fat
2. There are two ways I like of making mashed potatoes
a) Boiling method: cut potatoes into small cubes and put in salted boiling water for 14 minutes and drain or
b) Rice cooker method: cube them and put in the rice cooker with 125ml (half a cup of water) and press "cook", I like using a rice cooker cause I always run out of stove space (I have one faulty stoves and the other one is unusable when the oven is on: venting gas) but keep an eye in case they need a bit more water
3. Anywho, despite what method you use, go and julienne yourself some red onions
4. The bacon should be crispy and there sitting on a lot of it's own fat by now, take the strips out, put on a rack to drip off excess fat. Reserve all but one tablespoon (15ml) of fat in a bowl
5. For tablespoon of fat in the pan? Put in you onions and sweat it, bacon fat is very flavorful and a little goes a long way. The onions are done when it's caramelized on the outside and sweet. Red onions doesn't exactly as caramel as yellow/white onions though
6. Mash the potatoes (I would use the rice paddle) and then add the onions and roasted garlic left over from the pork
7. For me, I used some of the bacon fat and added it (same calories as olive oil! Just a lot more trans fat...hehe) and some cream but for a healthier alternative you can add milk (and maybe some sour cream for some tartiness and some chives for a more refreshing herby note =)), anyways, add it until it's to a smoother consistency, season to your liking
8. Chop the bacon into tiny bits and then and add it when you're serving to have maximum crispiness!

Note: Why should you save your bacon fat? Okay, I'm not going to lie and say it's not as bad as you think unless you think it'll stop your heart from beating with one tablespoon or something. Calories-wise it is the same as olive oil and cholestral wise is the same as butter, not so bad but unfortunately it has trans fat. However, since it's so flavorful you can really use less of it while giving more than other oils. A good way to ultilize it is just to use a tablespoon or so and use it to wilt greens, that'll get even your picky eating partner to eat some vegetables.

Truffled Asparagus

1. This is really easy, heat some salted water at medium heat
2. Cut off the stems of asparagus, don't know where to cut? usually I will cut it off when it starts get white and it feels more wood? People like to just bend the asparagus and let it naturally breaks off but that's kinda unreliable cause it kinda depends where you bend it. Just when you cut off the stems and the ends are crisp it's fine. I like cutting on a bias (diagonally) cause it looks nicer.
3. Anyways, put it in the water till a knife goes through but with some restraint, um, it should still have a liiiiiitle crunch and the asparagus is a vibrant green
4. Drain the pot, dry the asparagus and add the truffled oil (you can add more if you like, I loooove truffle oil but it's really pungent so taste first and then decide) and finish with some salt and pepper. I used regular sea salts cause it doesn't melt easily so there's a crunch to it.

Note: Finishing salts are as it's named, salts you sprinkle on dishes AFTER, usually different finishing salts have their own taste which will be destroyed if you cook with it. They are larger and more like flakes then just fine grains so they give nice texture too.

Oh wow that is a long post. Sorry for lack of pictures but didn't have time to take more that day.

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight! Chicken Tonight~

2010-05-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

If we are what we eat I bet most people will be chickens, especially chicken breasts. Chicken is both under and overrated. Everyone flocks to the skinless breasts (just like in real life ha!) but the thighs are neglected even though they are juicier and skin is good. I'm obviously more of a leg woman, but that is not to say I hate breasts, they have their own preparations where they shine, I just think that they are heralded for being THE diet protein when thighs aren't that much fattier (still healthier than pork or beef actually).

They both gets subjected to the horrible treatment of overcooking though. When your chicken is stringy IT IS OVERCOOKED!!!

But tahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a way to harmonize both parts to deliciousness. A classic dish, 40 cloves of chicken.

(The boyfriend plated that, if it sucks blame him!)

That's 40, yes 40, cloves of garlic baked with chicken. Served with sauteed watercress and radish with roasted garlic. The dish I technically got from Alton Brown: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/40-cloves-and-a-chicken-recipe/index.html but it's an old dish that a lot of people have made, they all about the same though.

Forty Cloves of Chicken With Sauteed Watercress And Radish With Roasted Garlic
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Chicken - 1 whole
Garlic - 40 cloves
Oil - 150ml (about 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons)
Radish - 400g (about 1 bag if it comes in those small bags)
Watercress - 500g (they come in mini bunches in my supermarket, like 3 bunches will be 300g)
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Instructions

Chicken
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Peel the garlic, it can be pretty tedious. You can press the garlic with your knife and it'll be easier to peel
2. Take apart the chicken, with the breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings (here's a good video on how http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiwHpDtZHOE)
3. Heat pan on medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil
4. Season chicken with alt and pepper, when the oil is hot enough (add a drop of water and it dances), add your chicken to brown the outside. Around 1 minutes on botch sides
5. Put the chicken in a pan with the garlic and add the remaining oil. Cover with tinfoil and put in the oven
6. When the chicken pieces reaches 165 Fahrenheit or when the insides are not pink take them out. Garlic should also be very soft and deliciously roasted and golden brown.

Note: You can tweak the recipe to anyway you like, you can add some spices to your seasoning (but I would add some oil on the chicken first I find that dry spices and hot oil equals burning but for some reason when I add some oil to it, it doesn't) and you can also add some herbs while baking with the oil and garlic. Woody herbs is best because they can withstand the heat. Woody herbs is like rosemary, thyme, and bay leafs. Parsley is unique cause the stems are more durable and you can add those in too but the leafs are very delicate.

Also, the oil from the roasting with the chicken is not very flavorful garlic oil! More about that at the bottom.

Sauteed Watercress And Radish
1. Wash the watercress and dry in a salad spinner (if you don't have one you can lay it out on paper towels and roll them, or just leave them in a colander they don't have to be super dry)
2. Wash radishes and slices them thinly with a knife or ideally, a mandolin, should be 2mm thick about
3. Heat up a large pan to medium, add some of the garlic oil from the chicken dish and when it's hot add the radishes
4. Cook for half a minute, season with a pinch salt and add the watercress, wait another half minute and salt to your liking
5. When the watercress is wilted, add in a couple pieces of the roasted garlic and incorporate with the vegetables
6. Add pepper to your liking

Note: Garlic oil is great but WARNING!!!! garlic contains botulism which can easily be lethal, it is fine when exposed to oxygen but since oil has no oxygen the oil is DANGEROUS the garlic oil MUST be refrigerated and for no longer than 3 weeks but I will throw it out at the 2 week mark just to be safe. So after the oil in the pan cools down a bit, strain the oil and put in the fridge! Store the garlic in the fridge too they are also good eats!

For uses of the garlic and oil. You can use the oil to cook other things or make toast! And garnish with the roasted garlic. You can also add the garlic to mashed potatoes or make garlic mayonnaise (but of course the mayonnaise can't be stored for too long now, but homemade mayonnaise only stay good for like a week)

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

Bluffin With Muffin

2010-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

A muffin is not a cupcake. A MUFFIN IS NOT A CUPCAKE! A cup cake is jut a cup-cake, cake in a cup but a muffin is made totally different with it's own technique, method, make up.

The good thing about muffins (especially for diets) is that they use more liquid and less fat, also, muffins don't rely on sugar to soften it like a cake so you can sweeten it to your liking.

I had a craving for strawberries so I made a strawberry yogurt muffin.

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins
Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients
Stawberry Yogurt - 250g (about 1 cup)
Stawberries - one box
Sugar - 50g (1/5 cup) + to taste
Flour - 180g (about 3/4)
Egg - 85g (1 large)
Butter - 30g (2 tablespoons)
Baking Powder 15g (1 tablespoon)
Baking Soda - 5g (1 teaspoon)
Salt - 5g (1 teaspoon)
Vanilla - 5-10g (1-2 teaspoon, depending on how much you like vanilla)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit
2. Dice strawberries
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
4. Melt butter, mix with yogurt, eggs, and vanilla, add sugar to your liking but should be sweeter than you'll like cause the flour will balance it out
5. Add dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until the flour is incorporated BUT NO MORE THAN THAT!!!
6. Fold in diced strawberries
7. Put in muffin tins and put in oven until you poke a toothpick into a muffin and it comes out dry

Here's a blurry picture of the inside:

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

Wow, It's Only Been Two Days Since I Last Posted!

2010-04-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

I love outdoor barbecue. You get to enjoy the ocean and the beach sand while waving a stick with meat around charcoal with your friends. For some reason my Chinese parents liked to put honey on a lot of their meats, especially chicken wings and it makes sense. I didn't realize it was weird till later when I can't find it in Canada at all. The closest is honey garlic chicken wings but those were deep fried and just not it. So I resorted to make it myself and it's really simple. I used the same method with my chicken thighs since they were on sale!

Honey Glazed Chicken With Balsamic Zucchini
Servings: 2

Ingredients
Chicken thighs - 4
Soy sauce - 250ml (1 cup)
Honey - 55 ml (about 3 1/2 tablespoons)
Butter - 20g
Zuccini - 300g (I reduced the amount from the picture, that was way too much zucchini)
Oil - 15 ml (1 table spoon)
Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper - to taste

Instructions

Chicken
1. Add chicken to bowl (preferred) or plastic bag Brine chicken with a tablespoon of honey and enough soy sauce to cover the chicken halfway, brine for an hour, flipping the chicken once after half an hour
2. Turn oven to 350
3. Rub the thighs with the oil and put in oven on the middle rack, skin face down
4. Heat up honey in the microwave, mix with a little bit of soy sauce (not the ones that touched the chicken), it should be a bit sweeter than your like
5. Brush the honey mixture on the chicken, brush generously
6. After 10 minutes, flip the thighs and then brush the honey on the skin
7. After 10 minutes, brush again and move the chicken to the top rack till done (10 more minutes)

Note: I don't really want to give a time to when the chicken is done cause all ovens are different. I say you should use a thermometer to make sure the chicken is at 163 degrees Fahrenheit so the carry over heat will cook it to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You could also tell when the meat is quite firm but gives in. If the meat is stringy you overcooked it.

Zucchini
1. Cut zucchini in quarter slices
2. Melt butter at medium high heat
3. Once butter is melted and starts getting a bit blubbly,add the zucchini and salt
4. Season with pepper after almost done cooking
5. Add vinegar

I really like how the sweetness of the honey and the saltiness of the chicken and soy sauce really balances out and work together. Also balsamic vinegar really makes the zucchini tastes more refreshing!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

Going Off Tangent

2010-04-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have a new mission! I think I've gain quite a bit too much weight lately so I'm trying to lose it...and instead of starving myself like an idiot I'm going to eat my weight off. Not like diet pills or anything, just good to honest nice, balanced meals with more vegetables and some what less fat.

So for the next while, I'm going to focus on more healthful food so to say though I don't want to label it that cause it usually means "inferior tasteless cardboard and you might as well kill me now".

NO! I'm going to make things that you actually want to put in your mouth! So no steamed vegetables or boiled to death chicken breast. Just flavorful, filling, satisfying food. Now lets get this shit started.

Something easy: a sandwich.

Avocado and Tuna Sandwich. It was actually a byproduct of me trying to make this sardine toast by Alton Brown but I was missing...um, everything but avocadoes, and especially the sardines (it's in the freaking name!) cause my mother ate them. But I had tuna and it's a fish too! I like the more fishiness of sardines cause avocadoes really mellow out the fishy taste but it still tasted fabulous.

And I shall now attempt to write out a recipe:

Ingredients
Avocados - 2, medium sized
Tuna - 1 can
Tomatoes - 1
Bread - 4 slices, whole wheat
Salt and pepper - to taste

Instructions
1. Pour out any water from the tuna, dump tuna into a bowl and using a fork, break them into pieces
2. Cut avocadoes in half and take out the pit (just hit the blade of your knife on it so it gets lodged in and twist, or you can use a spoon), using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and add it to the tuna
3. Using the fork, mix and mash the avocado with the tuna till well intergrated
4. Salt and pepper it till it's a bit more seasoned than youjavascript:void(0)'ll like (only a little, the bread and tomato will balance it out)
5. Toast bread, and slice the tomatoes, spread the avocado-tuna mix onto one side, add slices of tomato and put the other slice of bread

See? Don't even really need a recipe. This sandwich is really healthy since while you do need fat for your body to run we eat too much bad fat (that tastes amazingly good) but avocado is fatty but gives you good fat (monosaturated and polyunsaturated) and for the tuna, it gives you vitamin D like nothing else. Also whoever said carbs are bad, it's a bunch of bullshit, you do need carbs but white flour and shit are very refined so they don't really give much nutritional value unlike whole grains. It's not as fine and fluffy but it tastes more complex than just white bread. And the tomato...it's a fucking tomato, of course it's healthy!

And I do highly recommend you try Alton Brown's recipe, because I love sardines. Not only do they have low mercury levels but they are plentiful, not endangered, and can be farmed like crazy without any terrible repercussions!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

Happy New Year!

2010-03-21T14:39:00.001-07:00

So I haven't updated in...forever but I finally buckled down and used my camera! School is like taking up my life at the moment so I haven't really made anything that great lately and photographing actually takes a lot of time (yea, just imagine how ugly my photos will look if I DIDN'T TAKE MY TIME, and you think they're bad now! Anyways, I made a somewhat fancy meal last week so I whipped out my camera (which is half dying but never mind that).

So my boyfriend never had lobster (yea, I know, but he's a small town boy ~~in and out of South Detroit~~~) so I decided to make him a more special meal.

Lobsters don't photograph well upclose...but anyways, I made garlic roasted lobster with pasta with tomatoes and basil, and cheddar biscuits.

Come along with me~ http://joyciel.livejournal.com/118713.html

So Here It Is, Merry Christmas! Everybody's Having Fun....

2009-12-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

Well it's actually Merry Fourth Day of Christmas! (I wiki'd it up cause the 12 days of Christmas song was confusing me).

Now my family is very typically Asian so they don't celebrate but this year we finally decided to stop procrastinating and me and Jenny had a Christmas dinner. Like a normal dinner party it is awkwardly filled with people we don't talk to that much. But I did get to cook a four course meal!

First and Second Course - Starters:

Krab Kakes

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

They're Krab Kakes as opposed to Crab Cakes because I used those imitation crab sticks from sushi places =P. Real crab are expensive D=! The Krab Kakes turned out well though, my dad bought it and it's the kind they used in his restaurant. A bit sweet and not too fishy. Also, it had a nice crust outside. The soup was creamy and really flavorful.

Third Course - Main:

Turkey!

Sides: Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Stuffing, and Roasted Vegetables.

There was also Garlic Roasted Portabello Mushrooms but they didn't photograph well. Unfortunately the turkey was a bit overcooked, it was perfect the first time but then I never cooked a Turkey and thought it would take longer to cook and then when I reheated it it was dried =.=. But the mashed potatoes were really good and really easy to cook, I used a rice cooker and you just have to add a VERY small amount of water and it steams itself! Than you add cream and butter and seasoning! I cheated on the gravy (cause Jenny hates homemade gravy for some reason), it was powder with turkey drippings and on the stuffing (cause stuffing is annoying0.

Fourth Course - Dessert:

Fruit Cake - Asian Style~

The cake could be a bit lighter but I liked it, it was not too sweet and I thought the flavors are really genuine unlike the crap you usually get at Chinese bakeries. But need more refrigerating time or just use more gelatin for the whipped cream, it was still to soft. There was supposed to be an apple sorbet as a palate cleanser but I forgot it >.>...

Drinks!

A great cocktail that Jenny made: peach juice, Sprite, and Ice Wine (which apparently comes in red!). I'm really sensitive to the taste of alcohol (I personally think beer taste like wet socks) but I couldn't taste alcohol in it. So great for getting young girls with low tolerance drunk! DO NOT DO THAT!!!! I'LL CALL THE COPS ON YOU!!!

We also had copious amounts of Jack Daniels and I had drunken sex.

Merry Christmas =D!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

Would You Like Fries With That?

2009-12-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

Okay so we can all kinda agree McDonald's is kinda shit right? But there is one thing I just can't escape from: their ORGASMIC fries. It's like deep fried in cocaine or something it's SOOOOOOOOOOO addicting. Of course I later learned it was "natural flavoring" which I'm guessing is as natural as the breasts on those playboy bunnies. So I try to do second best: my own homemade version!

Yep fries with mayo. IT'S A CANADIAN TRADITION OKAY!!! And anyways, nothing is better than homemade mayo, I use to hate mayonnaise too but it's because I thought it was Miracle Whip all this time. But real mayonnaise is creamy with a bit of tang but it's more subtle and does not taste like cheap vinegar you use to clean the tables.

Instructions: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/114981.html#cutid1

Oh god I'm updating this place so little I should call it A Dish A Month or something =/. Hopefully with break soon I can post more =D!

A Long Laborious Dish For My Long Not-So Labourious Absent!

2009-11-21T23:51:00.001-08:00

This is one the MOST time consuming things EVER!

Xiao Long Baos, if you're Chinese you better have had these orgasms wrapped in a tiny and cute package. Exploding, leaky juices and everything >D!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/113340.html

A Taste of Childhood

2009-10-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

When you bring your own lunch to school and your mother just packs you a tiny ass sandwich in between two slices of white, soft, bread.

Well this is an upgrade of that...because I read the recipe wrong...and put in a lot more butter than I was supposed to XD! But there is never really too much butter, that's just ludicrous!

Screw Santa! These Cookies Belong to Me D=!

2009-09-27T23:54:00.000-07:00

Since we had to do piped shortbread cookies last class I thought I would practice!

So how do they turn out? HOW?! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW?!?!?!?!

Find out here: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/106528.html

I Live My Life For The Stars That Shine!

2009-09-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

I made my first (successful) risotto!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/106088.html

I Don't Mind, As Long As There's A Bed Beneath the Stars That Shine~

2009-09-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I don't care what people say about Oasis' later albums but I still like them. Especially when Noel still writes masterpieces like The Importance of Being Idle. Finally! A song that celebrates laziness!

And when I'm lazy I want something snack on so I make something easy, decadents, and loaded with chocolates!

For some food and music:

Maybe You're Gonna Be the One to Save Meeeeeeeeeeee

2009-08-30T23:09:00.001-07:00

Well not anymore I won't! Noel, you bastard! Well some of you might have heard, Noel Gallagher left his band Oasis and I am very sad, I'm a HUGE fan of them and absolutely depressed that I never saw them live and will never get a chance ever again! Unless they make up of course...I hope they make up o.o.

So I made an I am very sad that Noel left Oasis so I'm going to eat my sadness pie

*sigh* I can't even look at their cute gifs anymore!

Like this:

LIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM I WANT CHEESY POOFS!!!!!

2009-08-24T14:07:00.001-07:00

There must be some reason why Cartman love them? I mean, besides him being morbidly obese...so he probably eats like everything...

But Alton Brown had a recipe for them and how could I resist. They're not like what I thought they would be like. Instead of being cheetos they're like cheese bread. Really cheesy, and rich.

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/100900.html

What Is That Amazing Smell I'm Smelling?

2009-08-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

Is what you're smelling a Georgia peach cobbler?

Than I'm your guilty Georgia peach =D!

Very simple to make and really delicious, very fruity but the pastry makes it richer and I just love crusts <3!

Instructions: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/100532.html

Life Itself is the Proper Binge

2009-08-11T04:01:00.000-07:00

- Julia Child

I'm going to watch Julie and Julia Child today! So in that honor I made a cup pie! I got it from the movie Waitress. And in that movie there's this amazing sounding pie where it's bitter, BITTER chocolate melted in hot, MOLTEN caramel. The waitress in the film creates pies based on the life and what she's feeling at the moment. And I think the bitterness of the chocolate is really good representation when you're just utterly depressed but the caramel gives you some hope because after the chocolate you have a pleasant sweetness that's just wonderful~

So follow over to see what happens when this:

and this:

Comes together with lots of pictures and instructions:
http://joyciel.livejournal.com/99318.html

Pie is Home~ And People Always Come Home~

2009-08-04T00:46:00.001-07:00

Quoted from the Piemaker from Pushing Daisies <3!

I finally made the penultimate Pushing Daisies pie! The famed pear with Gruyere baked into the crust! I also made a brioche! BY HAND!!!!!!!! D=!!!!!! Always going to use the stand mixer next time! It is quite hard doing it manually *kisses stand mixer*!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/98855.html

What is This?! A POST?!?!?!?!?!

2009-08-04T00:37:00.001-07:00

=O! Gasp! I know I'm shocked too. Been really neglecting this place ^_^"!

What is the most perfect bread in the world? A perfect crescent of warm buttery layers piled lightly on top of each other. Delightfully crunchy, aromatic outer shell and a soft, sweet, chewy innards?

Yea...

For detailed, and pic heavy (oh so pic heavy u.u) instructions: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/98426.html

Ferrero Rocher Cake, Like the Chocolate, But in Cake =D!

2009-07-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

So much labor, excruciating, excruciation labor...*fetals position*

It tastes like it's namesake, hence it's name...I was hoping for something more revolutionary but I suppose this is fine, a crowd pleaser I suppose.

More details here: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/97481.html

Pie in the Sky

2009-07-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's THAT good. I like, ate 75% of it in ONE sitting!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

The World Is My Scallop! I Will Eat Congee! A Double Whammy!

2009-06-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

I finally made scallops! Simply fried in clarified butter. Really simple and they tasted great. They are best made simply, and you MUST use naturally dry scallops (or diver scallops they are also called) because the other stuff don't give you a nice crust. Fresh scallops just taste sweet and like the sea but in a good way~

And since I haven't updated in a while, there's more! I didn't take picture cause I was pissed off half way through I made chicken congee, much better than the ones in restaurant in my opinion.

Recipe and instructions: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/94863.html

I'll Have My Cup and Eat It Too!!!!

2009-06-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

Now I'm actually not a big fan of cup cakes because...it's essentially small cakes why have it in a cup? And with the whole trendy and Sex and the City and Magnolia's....yea...(though I do love that show!). But I'm experimenting and...I'm not making a big ass cake just to experiment on it and have it fail! So yea I made small cupcakes with it.

For more pictures and my wit and sass *bats eyelashes*
http://joyciel.livejournal.com/94407.html

When All Else Fails

2009-06-21T22:58:00.001-07:00

I love cookies! They are so easy to make! And they are in abundance =D!

Simple Chocolate Cookies, they are also break up cookies!

Instructions and stuff: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/93778.html

A Sand Witch~

2009-06-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

Mob: Burn her! Burn her!

Uh...sandwich! SANDWICH!

As in:

Toast, guacamole with tomatoes and topped with steak. Mmmm sandwich *drools*, it's very simple but so good!

5 Minute Meal

2009-06-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

Suck on that Rachel Ray!

I was lazy and wanted some good and fast. Had ground chicken, basic aromatic vegetables, and noodles from yesterday that were superfluous and needed using up. I browned the ground chicken, add salt, add in the onions to sweat, add pepper, add butter and a little bit of flour, added some stock, then noodles, and topped it off with cilantro. It reminds me of being a child and my grandmother will just mix everything together for dinner =.=. Very...nostalgic, except of course mines taste better o.o.

This is Madness.

2009-06-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

No! THIS. IS.

Yea I made pasta with a mushroom cream sauce.

It doesn't look very...like the dish I just said but it is. Perhaps I should have added more cream though~

recipe and instructions: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/90908.html

Nothing Is Real and Nothing to Get Hung About

2009-06-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Strawberry pie forever?

The first time I remember eating strawberries was when my cousins came from HK and we went to pick them in bushes. It was hot and full of bugs (the fields not the strawberries) but the strawberries were absolutely DELICIOUS! And that's when I start liking strawberries.

Unfortunately not all strawberries are created equal and Canada is stuck in an ice age 75% of the time. Out of season strawberries are sour, bland, and just never taste like what they could taste like. Makes me wonder why so many people like strawberries, I think they just like the idea of them, and they're pretty.

But I was in St. Lawrence Market a while back and the strawberries looked really nice so I picked up a basket anyways. It was five dollars! But tasted sweeter and better than the ones at the grocery stores. And after a marathon of Pushing Daisies I was in pie mode again.

It all starts here:

The strawberries of course, they were quite inspiring.

And ends like this:

For recipe and instructions: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/90654.html

The Bitch is Back!

2009-06-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Cause it felt so empty ~without me~!

After a week of emancipation from the kitchen and outside food I had to cook again to appease my queasy stomach (too much junk food =(). I did not hate it, I think I am starting to like gastronomical activities again!

To celebrate, I popped some popovers (champagne is overrated) with some homemade chocolate ice cream. Popovers are sort of like cream puffs, they have one big hole in the middle amongst several tinier holes. Usually there's a depression from the top when the steam eventually escape and cannot support it anymore but I sorta broke the bottom so it's not enclosed (._.').

Popover from the culinary genius, Alton Brown! Ice cream recipe from David Lebovitz =D!

It's Been Too Long and I'm Lost Without You~

2009-05-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed, that this blog does not really live by its name. But I am currently going through a cooker's slump and do not feel inspired to so much as to dice a carrot let alone cook a dish =(.

If I do try to cook it will only result in me burning down the kitchen in a fit of anger.

Hopefully, I'll get over this hump of annoyance and go back to cooking but till then~ lalalalalalalala

Curry Me, Love~

2009-05-19T01:09:00.000-07:00

That is what happens when there are no cliche quotes about curry or any popular references it to it. I have to make up my own! Curry me, love...like carry me, (comma) love but it can also be like means curry, me love! Yea...I'll stop that now.

Lamb curry, I love this picture! I think mutton works better on account of being more flavorful and better for slow cooking involved in curry but lamb is good too. I brown the lamb than sweat the onions with star anise.

Added the curry powder and stock.

And then I forgot to photograph the rest of the steps so here's another bowl of curry I made, this time it's chicken and carrots. The carrots make it a lot sweet, kinda like Japanese style curry.

What's Up Doc?

2009-05-17T23:29:00.000-07:00

I hate your snotty little ass, that's what =.=! And nothing illustrates my hatred of that pesky rabbit more than me eating it.

But animation is not that delicious so I had real rabbit instead. Very classic preparation, rabbit stew in stock, white win, shallots, garlic, green onions, carrots, and celery.

I hate the phrase "tastes like chicken" because they say that for everything and everything can't possibly "taste like chicken" but in this case, it quite tastes like chicken. Except gamier, more flavorful than most chicken I've ate but also more dry. I will try this again when I go to the farmer's market where it should be cheaper than No Frill =.=!

And this is a bunny that I will LOVE to eat:

Roar~ ;D (yea, I know he bats for the other team...)

Crepe Expectations

2009-05-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

I love crepe, but mainly, the IDEA of crepe. A flat sheet of pastry (I guess you can call a crepe a pastry...right?), filled with all kind of wonderful flavors? But for some reason, it's one of the hardest things to get right! Usually, they overfill it, use out of season fruits (Are you sure this is a strawberry? Are you sure it's not A LEMON?!?!), and ladle it with too much sauce so it becomes all drippy. So I kept ordering crepes because they LOOK and sound so enticing but always ended up disappointed. UNTIL one day, I went to Japan (sounds like I just decided to take a plane there but no, I'm sure my parents did some planning) and had the most delightful crepe! It was bananas and cream. And then the second time of my crepe epiphany was when I was in downtown and ate at this really popular crepe place and I loved it! Downside was that it's far from my house (Scarborough, BOOOOO!!!!), shit overpriced, and they did not put enough fillings!

So I decided to make my own a year later. Yea, that chronology makes sense.

I had my Nutella and bananas and went wild~

A crepe, Alton Brown's recipe, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

Generous amount of Nutella.

Bananas! (Do not quote Doctor Who again! Do not quote Doctor Who again!)

Yea, it kinda looks like a burrito...

UNF!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

A HK Cafe Staple

2009-05-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

And a Chinese classic. I remembered wanting to make it since I saw this old HK show with Bobby Au Yeung called Happy Ever After. It's set in like the olden times and Bobby is like a talented chef and eventually becomes the royal chef (I never got why people actually wanted to be that, if the Emporor so much as coughed, your whole family is dead), and like all good TVB series there is backstabbing and conspiracies!! Anyways, the dish I remembered the most is Ma Po Tofu, because that's the dish he remembered when he was a kid before someone (father?) died while making them, and he was trying to recreate it but failed several times. Finally, the secret was coating tofu with egg whites and using meat juices to flavor the sauce rather than actual ground beef. I never even heard of that dish before I watched the show but it made me REALLLLLY wanted to try it. I didn't do any of that shit of course but I make Ma Po tofu!

It was both a successful and an unsuccessful dish, it was good tasting...but...it failed in the sense it did not taste like Ma Po Tofu...hmm...=/. Still good though!

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/

I've Got Crabs!!!

2009-05-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Stop it you perverts.

I meant:

I steamed it in white wine =D!

<3

I love crab, I think they are sweeter than lobsters and they have more of that yellow stuff and crab roe is sooooooooooo good!

More pictures and how to disassemble it: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/87225.html

A Pie for a Fun-Gi!

2009-05-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

I love mushrooms, I love pie, so of course the obvious equation to that is a mushroom pie! And I am loving the taste of white wine with everything so I made a mushroom cream pie (or I'm going to be fancy here and call it a galette, which is french for free form pie crust or something like that) with a white wine crust.

IT. WAS. FUCKING. DELICIOUS!!!!!!

Try it! Recipe and instructions here: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/85640.html

Kermit Bale approves =D!

The Pie Hole: As in Shut Your-or in This Case Open Yours

2009-05-05T22:58:00.001-07:00

Cause this pie is so damn good!

An American classic (what does that have to do with me when I am a Canadian? Nothing...I was born in America though..) but it tastes fantastic, good pie should not be so nationalistic!

Anyways, it's apple pie with cheddar baked in and on the crust, and underneath the filling. Yes, I do watch and love Pushing Daisies.

Anyways, follow my journey here! http://joyciel.livejournal.com/84794.html

And may I just say, how can ABC cancel this lovely, LOVELY show?! Where else can I see my favorite pie maker and dead girl?! And Itty Bitty! And knitting detective (he doesn't really had a nickname...) And where else can we see something like this?!

Ugh, television viewers.

I Like Bananas, Bananas are Good

2009-05-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ah! Look at that, look at that. Best banana muffins ever and courtesy of Alton Brown. His recipes are seriously, THE BEST! The muffins had a lot of banana flavor, they were moist, and soft, and ADDICTING.

But of course, you can't get great results without great effort and this had a whole lot of effort!

I took pictures of the step to step process here: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/83504.htm

And remember:

Bananas: Great for fighting EVIL!!

Blogging: Redux

2009-05-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, originally concept not working out, I really don't need a normal blog if I have a livejournal (which you should all read!!) so it's going to focus the thing I love most (not me, besides me...) FOOD! So I will TRY MY BEST to live up to the name of this blog! I'm thinking of posting one food picture a day? Maybe even more than one! And a story or two...and by story I meant actual story, I like writing stories, about food. I will make it into like a comic or something (have been reading Kitchen Princess <3!) but I can't draw so it'll just be words. I wish Blogger have cuts.

http://joyciel.livejournal.com/ and that is my main blog, where I just ramble...on and on...about food as well as everything else...(no filter).

In the Moment of Anger

2009-03-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

I just want this to be my "life" blog but I'm kinda pissed. I missed the deadline of this writing thing so I'm not eligible for the week's entry. So I am linking it everywhere I can (all three of my blogs...none of which is really followed...hmm...>.>")

Anyways, yea: http://joyciel.livejournal.com/74872.html

Listen to hypnotoad

Let Me Introduce Myself~

2009-03-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllll, this blog was originally created for means of having a backup blog in case livejournal goes under. It didn't but I made this blog already and I made a name and everything so hello! Welcome to my life!

Sorry about crappy default layout, can't figure this shit out o.o".

So uh...well... My name is Joyees, I live in Toronto, Canada. I am a psychology student at the moment (no, I do not know what you're thinking) but I am going to go into chef training soon. My life's passion is food and generally enjoying my life. I like to cook (obviously) but I also like to write and whine about stuff.

Interests hmm...I am in love with Nicholas Tse (I'm going to be his wife he just don't know it yet o.o) and David Tennant (he shall be the mistress =D), I also want to be Denise Ho. I like Scissor Sisters, Oasis, Beatles (I know along with EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD!!!), Muse, Eason Chan, Big Bang and a whole bunch of other peoople.

Hm...don't know what else to say really? Except, um, READ ME!!!

Hello...uh, well I guess it's just me...

2009-01-08T02:28:00.000-08:00

I hate this thing about livejournal, no offense to blogger but it ain't the same. It's good for blogging but LJ offered so much more! Like communities, COMMUNITIES! Where will I get my fanfics? Where can I ask for help when I need to know the ph level of duck fat (okay, that I'm pulling out of my ass but yea...)

ARUIO:EGISJIEJSKESE

I had a lot of posts on that journal too =(. Good times, good times...I hate change .V.! Roar!!!