Sunday, December 29, 2013

Mini Cheesecake

Star Q
iii.  STPM 2013


There was supposed to be a meeting at school this morning at 8 together with a few of my colleagues.  I had already ordered breakfast for us, but it had to be cancelled because our head of panel could not make it back from Sarawak because her flight was delayed.  The meeting was later totally postponed to another date because she could not make it back in time at all.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Nasi Goreng Nenas / Pineapple Fried Rice

Star Q
ii.  STPM 2013


Before the holidays, I was among the guests at a year-end lunch organised for a group of students.  Actually, I was not only the guest, I was also in charge of finding a caterer for the lunch.  There was an array of dishes provided by the caterer and I actually had hoped that all the guests, including the students, were happy with the dishes.  I, on the other hand, was quite unhappy with a few of them; including the fried rice.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Ikan Terubuk Goreng Dgn Air Asam

Star Q
ii.  STPM 2013



I don't know what you call this fish in English, but it is really a tasty fish.  Even though it has many fine, small bones, it is much sought after, not only because of it's taste but because of the fact that is seldom available here.  As many may already know, Terubuk (as it is called in Bahasa Malaysia) can be prepared in many ways including Asam Pedas.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Ayam Panggang Sos Tiram

Star Q
iii.  STPM 2013


This is a creation which the well-known Chef Wan would probably call 'main campak-campak' (literally meaning simply throw!)  In fact this chicken dish was created when I simply threw together the ingredients that we had in the larder (how many times have you heard that before!)

Tartlet Keju / Cheese Tartlets

Star Q
iii.  STPM 2013


It is the school holidays but for the whole November, I had been commuting back and forth to Palong 4 (a FELDA settlement in Negeri Sembilan) carrying out my duty as an STPM invigilator.  This is actually my seventeenth year in the invigilating business be they for STPM, SPM or PMR.  And during all those invigilations, I have had the opportunity to be the chief invigilator, assistant invigilator or just an ordinary invigilator.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Kek Mangga / Mango Cake

Star Q


The second of our mango trees is now bearing fruit; and lots of it.  I have been waiting eight years for it to bear fruits.  Some may say it is rather a long time to wait for a tree to bear fruits, but I guess it comes with not using any fertilizer for any of our fruit trees.  I guess it has something to do with being organic!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Ayam Serai / Lemongrass Chicken

Star Q


This is yet another creation that I just rummaged through the fridge and plonked into the blender to be blitzed into a smooth paste.  Like I said, it can get tiring eating the same dishes and cooking the recipes all the time that once in a while I have to let go of my inhibitions and create something new.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Croissant Bread Pudding

Star Q


One of the things I like to buy when I do my stop-overs at supermarkets is to buy croissants.  Sometimes I buy them because I want to have them for breakfast, but most of the time I buy them because I just want to.  In my mind, when I buy them, I see them being turned into sandwiches with tuna or salmon and the likes.  But sometimes, the croissants just lie in the bread tin, forgotten; until it almost reaches it's use-by-date!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Guacamole Parmesan

Star Q


It's been raining almost every afternoon for the past few days.  And you know what comes with the cold that the rain brings?  Hunger pangs.  And I couldn't help myself but rummage through the pantry to look for something to eat.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Ayam Goreng Daun Kari Berempah

Star Q


Sometimes I think I have been eating too many chicken dishes too often that I am beginning to cluck like one.  Sometimes there just aren't too many chicken recipes that I would cook the same one over and over again.  Well, these past few days (since schools are having an extended weekend) I have taken some time to invent (or reinvent) some new chicken recipes; well, you know what they say : necessity is the mother of invention!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Lasagna Roti / Bread Lasagna

Star Q


There are many ways how you can use leftover bread, and I must say there is always some bread that has probably been lying around in the pantry for more than three days.  Other than turning the bread into breadcrumbs and bread pudding, I am often at my wits end trying to figure out what to do with them.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Peas and Feta Samosa

Star Q


Phew!  It has almost been a month since I made an entry into this foodie blog of mine.  However, I have been accumulating the pictures of all the dishes that I have prepared (or I helped to prepare)  The only thing was I didn't have the time to upload any of the recipes.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Udang Goreng Berempah / Spiced Prawns

Star Q


I am the happiest when I see my family silently (or noisily) devouring the food that I (and sometimes, the missus) prepare.  It just gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that they enjoy the food (even though they don't say it out loud!)  And it doesn't really matter if I can eat the food that I prepare or not.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Assam Laksa / Laksa In Sour Broth

Star Q



It has been a long time since I made this simple dish.  The reason behind this is because my youngest daughter does not like this dish at all; not one little bit.  I mean, she would rather eat instant noodles!  Of course she knows it has lots of vegetables, and yes she knows that there isn't a single ounce of fat in the dish, but hey, if she doesn't like it, she doesn't like it!

Tofu-Stuffed Portobello

Star Q


The missus was away the other day visiting her sick dad who had been hospitalised since Thursday last week.  We drove up to Seremban that day and went straight to Tuanku Jaafar Hospital.  When we arrived there at about 8.00 p.m., visiting hours was already over, but the security guards were given instructions to allow my father-in-law's relatives to come up and visit.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Raspberry White Chocolate Brownies

Star Q


This is a belated entry.  It is really late considering the fact that I bought these raspberries when I went back for Eid (that was almost two months ago!)  I made these brownies as soon as I got back from my holidays, but did not find time to write about it.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Potato Salad and Crispy Squid Wrap

Star Q


As usual there are times when I don't feel like anything at all (my late mum would scold me and say that is a bad omen!)  Frankly speaking, sometimes I don't have any appetite at all.  Even the sight of food, especially rice, makes me just want to walk away and crawl under a rock (or my warm duvet!)

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Tart Buah Lagi / More Fruit Tarts

Star Q


All the kids are home and the missus had been making a lot of noise, asking me to prepare fruit tarts to use up the extra shells I had made and stocked up earlier.  I find making extra shells and storing them for future tarts is a good idea, since making them is quite fiddly.

Pisang Muda Dengan Ikan Masin/Young Banana with Salted Fish

Star Q


This is something I have not had in a long time; one reason is because my children don't like it (mainly due to the young banana since they only eat the ripe ones!) and the other reason is because it has salted fish in it which can make the dish a little salty.  

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Koay Teow Goreng Vegetarian

Star Q


The days of open houses in conjunction with the recent Aidil Ftri celebrations have left a toll on my waist line among other things.  The chicken, the beef, the coconut cream and what not have numbed the taste buds somewhat.  So, it was a welcome change when the missus agreed with my suggestion to prepare something totally (sic) vegetarian for our lunch (and dinner!)

Monday, August 26, 2013

Selar Masak Taucu/Fish with Fermented Beans

Star Q


Another simple dish that I really enjoy eating is this one.  I remember my late mother making it when I was young.  I now realize that my mum used to have some kind of reason or rather to cook the dishes she did.  This one for example, she prepared when she did not have vegetables to prepare as a side dish.  It was difficult to go to the market when I was young and we only relied on this vegetable seller who made his rounds to the army barracks.  All the non-working army wives would gather around his blue car (I don't remember the model) exchanging gossips and buying the things they needed.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Star Q


Now, this is a recipe that is right up my alley.  It's simple, it's quick to prepare and most of all, it has only four ingredients.  I definitely love, love, love this sort of recipe.  Actually, it was almost 6.30 p.m. and the missus asked me if I was going to prepare dessert for Iftaar (this shows how backdated this recipe is!)  I didn't want to say no, so I scoured the net and found this recipe (it is so simple that I remembered the whole recipe and forgot to remember the website where I got it from but my thanks to the original owner nevertheless)

Friday, August 16, 2013

Pindang Serani Ikan Senangin

Star Q


Another go-to dish when I am fresh out of ideas as to what to cook is this dish which I learned from a friend when I was posted to Kluang, Johor.  I am not sure as to the origin of this dish, but the colleague who taught me this dish is definitely a Johorean and a local Kluang lady.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Tat Telur / Egg Tarts

Star Q


Well, I know this is probably not the newest type of dessert in the world but hey, it's the fasting month and the urge to bake something for iftaar is there.  And the easiest kind of pastry I can think of is to make some kind of mini tart.  I've made fruit tarts before and I've also made cheese tarts, so I thought I'd give egg tarts a go.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Kari Dal Sayur/Vegetable Dhal Curry

Star Q


Sometimes you just crave for a healthier version of your favourite dishes after many doses of your cholesterol-laden food; food that seem to have lots of oil, coconut cream, salt and sugar, plus the fatty drippings from beef and chicken!  Makes you want to become an instant vegetarian!

Muffin Labu Berkeju/Pumpkin Cheese Muffin

Star Q


This is another recipe I tried for Iftaar the other day.  I know that my kids love anything with cheese in  them and so I decided to give this a try.  I also know that my kids don't like pumpkins, so my idea was to merge the cheese that they like with the pumpkin that they dislike, and hoped that they would end up liking the muffins.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Ayam Panggang Madu/Honey Roasted Chicken

Star Q
One of the food that my daughter always asks me to buy for her every time we go to the night market is the Honey Roasted Chicken.  I always remind her that it is more expensive to buy cooked chicken than to cook it yourself.  But she says that since I don't know how to make Honey Roasted Chicken like the ones sold at the night market, we might as well buy them.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Marshmallow Cupcakes

Star Q



One of the things that my daughter likes to munch on is marshmallows.  There's no stopping her from getting a bag of marshmallows whenever she sees them; whether at a supermarket or in a bakery.  I can never fathom the reasons why she likes the sickly sweet pillowy things so much.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Koey Teow Ladna....Again

Star Q



Gastronomic challenges are usually more difficult in the month of Ramadhan especially when you have to face picky eaters like me; even though I only have one of them in my family.  But it always makes me feel so miserable when even a single person in my family doesn't seem to enjoy the food he (she) is eating.  Worse still when he simply wolf's down the plate of food which merely consist of rice and soya sauce! (I suppose this is done in protest against the food that he (she) doesn't like!)

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Kuzi Ayam/Chicken in Sweet Spice

Star Q


Kuzi Ayam (Chicken Kuzi) is one of those dishes that you only get to eat once in a blue moon (literally!) and always few and far between.  This is because you would only prepare this dish only on special occasions or if you have very special people coming over for dinner.  But having it for the second time after about forty years is really few and really far between!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Jejari Ayam Goreng/Chicken Finger Wraps

Star Q
i.  B4 DB1 E2


I'm sure every parent in every household would have gone through this situation.  You get up early in the morning and prepare food for your family's Sahur and none of them want to eat.  Instead of feeling elated, you feel depressed because after all that hard work, your kids just stare at the food!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Udang Goreng Berempah/Spiced Prawns with Breadcrumbs

Star Q


It really doesn't help if you oversleep for Sahur.   I would usually get up at about 4.30 a.m. and help the missus to prepare the meal.  But there is always that particular time when all of us oversleep, even when the alarm clock rings until it breaks down!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Star Q


Happy Ramadhan to all friends who are observing the one month of fasting beginning early this month.  Once again, one of the most talked about topics which get tongues wagging is the topic of food; what to prepare to entice the taste buds of the whole family!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Nasi Beras Sarawak & Talapia Masak Tempoyak

Star Q
iii.  Sore Winners



I have never eaten this type of rice before.  So, it was with much eagerness that I accepted a whole kilogram of this grain given to me by a colleague who had just returned from Sarawak, her home town.  We had been talking food (what else!) prior to that, and she had asked if I wanted to give the rice a try.  Where food is concerned, I am game to try anything (well, almost!)

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Kerabu Suhun Lagi/Glass Noodles Salad ... Again

Star Q
i.  July MUET



The torch ginger flowers are blooming again!  Usually when we've got lots of them blooming at the same time, our neighbour would come over and ask for a few.  She's one of those Johoreans who needs to have a torch ginger flower or two in her Asam Pedas.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Pasta Bakar/Baked Pasta Shells

Star Q


This is another simple dish that I prepared for a pot luck my friends and I had at the office the other day.  I actually made these a day in advance and kept them in the freezer.  Them?  I made five of the thing you see in the picture above!  I figured, since I was going to make something for my friends to eat, I might as well make sure they really eat!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Gulai Ayam Pucuk Ubi/Chicken and Tapioca Shoots

Star Q
iii.  B4 DL3 E1


This dish is another one of those from the garden to the kitchen dish that actually emerged out of convenience.   We had pruned our old tapioca plants earlier this month, and the shoots have been emerging aplenty of late, amidst the thick haze that has been enveloping our country recently. 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Kimchi Fried Rice

Star Q


My youngest daughter does not only have complete fondness for sweet looking faces and high pitched voices of South Korean singers and actors.  She also has this strange idea that she likes Korean food, especially Kimchi.  Well,  I feel that this sudden appetite for Kimchi can be blamed on the well-known fast food franchise that recently introduced fried chicken with Kimchi sauce!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Patenting the Asam Pedas

Star Q
iii.  Sukantara


Some people have a stronger sense of belonging that they forget that the same thing can also belong to other people too.  The subject here is the (outrageous) idea of Malacca's Chief Minister to patent the Asam Pedas as one of Malacca's heritage dishes.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Gnocchi and Tomato Bake

Star Q
iii.  Sukantara


I finally had the chance to prepare this dish!  All the reviews about how pillowy and sof t gnocchi is which I read in foodie blogs, were all true.  The gnocchi I prepared was indeed all that it was hyped to be.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Star Q
ii.  Homophones
iii.  Sukantara


One of my weaknesses is seeing fresh vegetables arranged beautifully for sale weather at the local market of the supermarket.  The thing is, I always feel a strong compulsion to buy these vegetables even though I don't really need them.  This time my compulsion was for zucchinis.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Haw Flakes Layer Cake

Star Q
ii.  Sukantara
iii.  Homophones


This is one of those cakes that you either love or hate to make.  The thing is, this cake is so tedious to make, it is no wonder that it is sold for such a hefty price in the market.  And the demand is always there, because even though it is difficult to make, it just simply delicious to eat!