Memories in the Cooking

Every year, my husband gets his favourite tiramisu cake for his birthday. However, tiramisus often come with coffee, liquor and raw eggs, which are not suitable for children. So, I improvise this "family-friendly" recipe where Baileys Irish cream and coffee are only added to individual servings. Now, the children can have their non-alcoholic and non-caffinated version, while the adults can enjoy our cake with as much coffee and liquor as we like! Ingredients: - 20 pieces of Italian Ladyfingers (about 1 200g packet) - 250g of mascarpone cheese  - 3/4 cup of caster sugar  - 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract  - 500g of whipping cream  - 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder  - a blend of Baileys Irish cream and strong coffee  Procedures: 1) In a mixing bowl, whip whipping cream until firm peaks formed.  2) In another mixing bowl, add softened mascarpone cheese, caster sugar and vanilla extract. Whip it until smooth.  3) Combine whipped cream and cheese mixtur

My husband's birthday celebration traditionally lasts for a few weeks. It would comprise a few celebration meals before, during and after the actual birthday. This year, we are kick-starting the celebration with one of his favourite dishes - Mint Crust Lamb Rack! Ingredients: - 1kg of lamb rack, cut into two halves  - 2 tablespoons of mustard  - 50g of mint leaves  - 1 cup of bread crumbs  - 1 tablespoon of olive oil  - 3 cloves of garlic, crushed  - salt  - pepper  Procedures: 1) Wash and pat dry the lamb rack. Season with salt and pepper.  2) In a pan, add some olive oil. Seal all sides of the lamb rack.  3) Brush mustard on all sides of the lamb rack.  4) In a blender, blend mint leaves, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, some salt and pepper.  5) Coat the lamb rack with the mint and bread crumbs mixture.  6) Place the lamb rack on a baking tray. Arrange it such that the two halves of the lamb rack are upright and the bones are interlaced. 

This is another simple (read: cheat) recipe using store-bought dumpling skins. The rich and creamy tortellini go very well with refreshing tomato-base pasta sauce. Ingredients:  - 200g of cream cheese  - 4 cloves of garlic, crushed  - 100g of spinach  - 25 pieces of dumpling skin (1 packet)  - tomato-base pasta sauce  Procedures: 1) Mix soften cream cheese with garlic and chopped spinach.  2) Wrap them in dumpling skins to form tortellini shapes.  3) In boiling water, cook the tortellini. Drain away the boiling water when cooked.  4) Serve with tomato-base pasta sauce. Refer to this page  for recipe.

I always like to simplify (read: cheat) my recipes. Instead of making pastries from scratch, I would use store-bought roti prata pastries, spring roll wrappers or dumpling skins for dishes like pies, puffs. These mini taco cups are made using spring roll wrappers and they give the snack a super crispy base. Ingredients:  - Spring roll wrapper, cut into quarters  - 500g of minced beef  - 1 onion, diced  - 3 stalks of celery, minced  - 1 carrot, minced  - 1 can of pastata  - 1 beef cube  - 1 tablespoon of mixed Italian herbs - salt - sugar  - pepper  - mozarella cheese  Procedures:  1) In a pan, add some vegetable oil. Stir fry onions until fragrant.  2) Add minced beef and fry until turn brown.  3) Add minced celery and carrots and fry for a minute.  4) Add a can of pastata and 1 cup of water. Let it simmer. 5) Season with beef cube and herbs. Adjust the taste with salt, sugar and pepper.  6) In small cupcake moulds, use 2 layers of quarter

My boys love sushi. Take less than 10 minutes to assemble 40 sushi? It is possible if you use ice-cube trays! Presenting the lazy sushi. You can use salmon sashimi, grilled unagi, other raw seafood, cooked prawns or tamagoyaki (Japanese egg omelette).  Ingredients (20 sushi of each type): - 400g of sashimi grade salmon - 400g of grilled unagi - 3 cup of sushi rice - 1 cup of sushi seasoning - wasabi - Japanese pickled ginger Procedures: 1) Soak sushi rice for 30 minutes. Cook it in rice-cooker with rice and water proportion of 1:1. 2) When the rice is cooked, add sushi seasoning to it and mix well. Let the rice cool. 3) Line a ice-cube tray with cling wrap. Insert one slice of salmon sashimi or grilled unagi in each ice cube mould. Smear a bit of wasabi on the fish. 4) Fill the cooled sushi rice to its brim. Chill the ice cube tray with sushi in the fridge for 30 minutes. 5) Invert the ice-cube tray on a serving plate. Remove the tray and the cling wrap. Serve.

Chawanmushi is my elder boy's must-order dish at the Japanese resturants. As it is so easy to make, we occasionally have it at home too. Ingredients (for 6 chawanmushi) : - 3 eggs - 400 ml dashi stock/water - 6 pieces of tofu cubes - 6 pieces of chicken - 3 pieces of shitake mushrooms, sliced - spring onions, chopped - half a chicken cube - 1 tablespoon light soya sauce - 1 tablespoon of sugar - 1 tablespoon of sake - salt Procedures: 1) In 6 cups, add chicken pieces, tofu pieces and shitake mushroom slices. You may add other ingredients such as Japanese fish cakes, gingko nuts, carrots etc. 2) In a mixing bowl, beat up 3 eggs lightly. 3) In 400ml of dashi stock/water, add chicken cube, light soya sauce, sake, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix well. 4) Gently mix the stock into the beaten eggs. Drain the egg mixture through a sieve. 5) Pour the egg mix into the cups. Sprinkle some spring onions. 6) Steam for 15 minutes, cover with kitchen towel. Serve.

I still remember the time I had my first chicken mushroom pie. It was during my first train ride to Malaysia. My auntie baked this for our supper during the overnight train ride. Hence, this snack reminds me of the excitement of the trip and the view of the train track from my train bunk bed. Ingredients for 6 pies: - 5 roti prata pastry (spring home) - 1 onion, chopped - 3 cloves of garlic, minced - 1-2 chicken thigh meat, diced - 1 carrot, diced - 1 potato, diced - 4-5 brown mushrooms, diced - 1 tablespoon of flour - 2 cup of milk - 1 chicken cube - pepper Procedures: 1) In a frying pan, add some vegetable oil. Stir-fry onions and garlic until fragrant. 2) Add flour and fry until no more rawness. Add 2 cups of milk and cook until a thick sauce is formed. Season it with chicken cube and pepper. 3) Add chicken pieces, carrots, potatos and mushrooms. Cook until tender. 4) In a muffin tin, line each base with half a roti prata pastry (use 2 quarter pieces to form

I have some over-riped bananas and I was planning to make some banana pancakes or banana muffins. But, gasps, I realised I have no eggs in the fridge! So, change of plan. I switched to make some self-invented banana toasts instead. Ingredients: - 2 over-riped bananas, mashed - 8 pieces of bread, flattened with rolling pin - 1 large tablespoon of nutella - 2 tablespoons of milk - 1 knob of butter Procedures: 1) Wrap mashed banana in bread slices. Fold into half. 2) Melt a little butter and pan-fry the toasts. 3) Make chocolate sauce by combining nutella and milk. Serve.

This is my new creation! Mashed banana wrapped in popian skins, dusted with sugar-cinnamon mixture and eaten with hot nutella sauce. Sounds like Churros? Honestly, it tastes like Churros! This is indeed a Great Churros Masquerade!  Ingredients: - 3 mashed bananas - 24 pieces of small size Popian skins  - 2 tablespoons of sugar  - 2 tablespoons of cinnamon powder  - 1 tablespoon of nutella  - 2 tablespoon of hot milk  Procedures:  1) Wrap mashed banana in 2 layers of Popian skins into tube-shapes.  2) Pan-fry the banana 'churros' until it is crispy.  3) In a plate, mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon powder.  4) Coat the banana 'churros' in the sugar- cinnamon mixture.  5) In a sauce container, mix 1 tablespoon of nutella with 2 tablespoon of hot milk. Mix well to form a sauce.  6) Serve banana churros with nutella sauce. 

Tomato Omelette is a simple dish found in most homes. Somehow, children seem to enjoy dishes with tomatos and ketchup. My kids think that this dish is a delicacy. Ingredients: - 5 eggs - 2 large tomatos, cut into chunks - 4 cloves of garlic, minced - 1 packet of spring onions, chopped - 3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup - 1 tablespoon of sugar -  tablespoon of light soya sauce Procedures: 1) Beat 5 eggs. 2) Heat the wok, add a little vegetable oil. Fry eggs into omelette. Push the omelette to the side of the wok. 3) Add minced garlic and fry until fragrant. Add tomatos and fry until soft. Mix the tomatos and omelette together. 4) Add tomato ketchup, sugar, light soya sauce and a little water. 5) Add spring onions and mix well. Serve.

Thai Basil Pork is a must-order dish when we go to a Thai restaurant. My husband loves it! I always tone down the spiciness level so that the children can eat. As they grow older, I am going to progressively add some chili padi to increase the spiciness to the right level. Ingredients: - 500g of minced pork  - 100g of sweet basil leaves  - 4 cloves of garlic, minced  - 4 shallots, chopped  - light soya sauce - corn flour  - dark soya sauce  - sugar  - fish sauce  - 1 large chili, chopped  Procedures: 1) Season minced pork with 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce and 1 tablespoon of corn flour.  2) To a heated wok, add some vegetable oil. Fry minced garlic and shallots until fragrant.  3) Add minced pork and fry it until brown. Add chili and fry a little.  4) Season with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar.  5) Add basil leaves and fry until soft. Serve. 

I love creamy food. Hence, Butter Cream Pork Chop is one of my favourite zichar dishes. This dish is so rich with butter and full cream evaporated milk. So, for health sake, do enjoy it sparingly. Ingredients: - 5-6 pieces of pork shoulder butt - 4 cloves of garlic, minced - 1 large chili, sliced - curry leaves - 1 can of evaporated milk - 50g of butter - 1 chicken cube - 1 tablespoon of sugar - salt, sugar - 2 tablespoon of flour - 1 teaspoon of baking powder Procedures: 1) Wash pork and pat it dry 2) Prepare a bowl of flour with baking powder. Coat the pork with the flour mixture. 3) Fry the pork pieces in vegetable oil until cooked. Set it aside. 4) In a wok, add vegetable oil. Fry minced garlic until fragrant. Add butter and cook until melted. 5) Add curry leaves and chili slices. Add evaporated milk. 6) Season with chicken cube, pepper, salt and sugar. 7) Add pork pieces back to the sauce. Mix well and serve. I tried to cook mussels in this sauce and it is

My husband and I love otah. This recipe is hassle-free. It uses the pre-mix sauce and is not wrapped in banana leaf. But it does not have any "filler" and you can enjoy the taste of fresh fish and prawns. Ingredients: - 300g of mackerel/batang fish, minced  - 100g of prawns, deshelled and chopped - 1 packet of Dancing Chef Thai Seafood Sauce - 1 packet of coconut milk, 200ml  - 1 egg  - 1 tablespoon of cornflour * add minced chili for more spiciness  Procedures: 1) Mix mackerel, prawns, seafood sauce, coconut milk, egg and cornflour in a mixing bowl.  2) Fill fish paste in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush the fish paste with vegetable oil. 3) Bake at 180 degree for 20-30 minutes, covered. Or steam for 20 minutes. Serve. 

In our house, the Husband is usually the Fried Rice Chief. But today, I just feel like giving his classic Salted Fish Fried Rice a go. The verdict? My Husband gave the dish a 'not bad'. But judging from his expression, I knew he actually meant 'so good!' Ingredients: - 3 pieces of threadfin salted fish, washed and cut into small pieces - 1 packet of spring onions, chopped - 6 cloves of garlic, minced - 200g of beanspouts - 1 boneless chicken thigh meat, cut into small pieces - 2 eggs - 4 bowls of leftover rice - fish sauce - sugar - pepper Procedures: 1) In a frying pan, fry the salted fish until fragrant. Set it aside. 2) Fry 2 beaten eggs into omelette. Add minced garlic and shredded ginger. Fry until fragrant. 3) Marinate chicken in corn flour and light soya sauce. Add chicken meat and fry until opaque. Add rice and fry until well mixed. 4) Add beanspouts and spring onions and fry until well mixed. 5) Add salted fish and season with fish sauce,

I have been wanting to collect some low-carb recipes since modern sedentary lifestyle really does not require us to ingest much high caloric food such as rice and noodles. To kick-start this endeavour, I made Aubergine Lagsane. Ingredients: - 2 large aubergines/brinjals - 500g of minced beef - 5 sticks of celery - 1 carrot - 1 onion, chopped - 3 cloves of garlic, minced - 1 can of pastata - 200g of cream cheese - 1 egg - 1 can of cream - 250g of mozarella cheese - 100g of parmesean cheese - mixed italian herbs - salt - pepper - sugar - beef cube Procedures: 1) Slice aubergine thinly, lengthwise. Lay in on a grill. Spray with vegetable oil and grill it for 20 minutes at 180 degree celsius. 2) Mince celery and onion in a blender. 3) Make meat sauce. In a frying pan, add a little vegetable oil. Fry onions and garlic until fragrant. Add minced celery and carrots and fry a little. Fry minced beef until brown. Add pastata and half a cup of water. Let it simmer for

I have some lotus seed paste leftover from making mooncakes last month. So as not to waste the leftover, I decided to make them into these small little parcels. These small parcels are so easy to eat and addictive. This certainly gives me an idea to innovate my Chinese New Year niao gao next year. Ingredients: - 400g of white lotus seed paste - 20 pieces of small spring roll skins - white sesame seeds, optional Procedures: 1) Divide white lotus paste into 80 small portions. 2) Cut spring roll skins into quarters (4 small squares each). 3) Place the white lotus seed paste in the middle of the small square spring roll pastry. Foil such that the 4 corners meet. 4) Bake at 180 degree for 10 minutes. Serve. I also made some into crispy lotus seed paste pancakes. Yummy! 

Vinegar Pork Trotters is another of my favourite confinement dish. I promise my sister that I will make her this dish when she delivers in December. Before that, let me practise first. Being a lazy cook, I decided to let this dish "cook by itself" using the slow-cooker.  Ingredients: - 2 pork trotters, cut into chunks  - 500g of zhejiang black vinegar  - 1 cup of brown sugar  - 1 large ginger, cut into slices  - half a cup of sesame oil  - 5 hard-boiled eggs  - salt - sugar  Procedures: 1) Add sesame oil to a slow cooker (high setting).  2) Add ginger slices. Cook until fragrant.  3) Add brown sugar. Cook until melted.  4) Add pork trotter. Cook until brown.  5) Add black vinegar. If it does not cover the pork trotters, top up with a little water. Let the pork trotter cook for 3-4 hours on high setting.  6) Add hard-boiled eggs and cook for another half an hour.  7) Adjust the taste using sugar and salt. Serve.