This baby pancake puffs with red bean paste are very popular in Malaysia. It is so captivating to watch how they are made and more fun when you make them at home.Ingredients: 1 level tsp instant yeast2 cups all-purpose flour2 large eggs1 tsp sugar1/2 tsp salt1 1/4 cups warm milk1 tbsp butterSweet red bean paste - make tiny 1/2 inch balls Method: Combine the flour, eggs, yeast, sugar, salt and half the milk. Whisk smooth. Now add the remaining milk and beat again.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour.Heat Baby pancake mould and grease the holes. When it sizzles, pour teaspoonfuls of the batter into the greased holes and drop a ball of red bean paste. Turn the puffs around as soon as the bottom has set and the uncooked batter will flow down to complete a ball. Cook until golden brown.Serves

Nori is commonly used as a wrap for sushi and onigiri. It is also a common garnish or flavoring in noodle preparations and soups. Here in this dish, nori is sandwiched with spring roll wrappers, fried into a most addictive snack. This would be an easy snack to serve for theChinese New Year.Ingredients:10 pcs seaweed sheets, cut into half20 sheets spring roll wrappers1 egg, lightly beaten for glazingOil for deep fryingMethod:Lay a piece of spring roll wrapper on the pastry board. Brush with egg glaze Place half a sheet of seaweed sheet on half of the spring roll wrapper. Fold the spring roll wrapper to enclose seaweed sheet.Roll it up like a you would roll a carpet and then cut into bite-size pieces or just cut into strips.Heat oil in a wok. Fry seaweed crisps until golden brown.Remove from oil onto baking rack which has been lined with kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.Let cool completely and store in air tight container.Serves

On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eleven Pipers Piping..... It took me this long, eleven days to be exact, to upload photos of the Christmas Cakes which I made this year. Some were orders, some are for colleagues and the rests, for friends and relatives. I marinated a total of five kilos of dried fruits in a mixture of brandy, rum and Kirsh. I did not use the usual mixed fruits which are nothing more than glaced cherries, citrus peels and raisins. I have never liked fruitcakes made with such mixed fruit as it makes the cakes overly sweet. I opted instead for apricots, cranberries, dried sour cherries, dates, prunes, candied ginger, sultanas and currants instead.Moist and dark, not the usual 'doorstopper' kind of fruitcake. I called them the 'Not Your Usual Fruitcake'.Decorated, packed and tagged with a personalised gift tag.

YAY!! Chinese New Year is creeping up on us so very quickly!!!*phew* Christmas is barely over! haha It wasn't easy changing the festive moods between celebrations so quickly. I found it terribly difficult getting in touch with my 'Gong xi fa cai' while christmas carol's were still ringing in my head! *giggle* Well, fret not.. all is well! andTADAH!!I have Delectable Lunar New Year Specials!!!*CLICK LINK*So sorry Indonesia and Singapore. Shipping logistics and transport is going to need a little more time than 3 weeks to organize. NExt year! I promise :)The closing date for placing orders is the 14th of January 2009.Call me or Write me! *CLICK* for more infoXOXO;Su

The name of this dessert is confusing in cantonese. "Mak' is 'oats', but the grain used for this 'chook' which is porridge, is 'wheat'. The name 'Bubur Terigu' is more proper as ' terigu in Indonesian means 'gandum' aka 'wheat'. Terigu derives from the Portuguese word 'trigo'Ingredients:A:2 ozs quick cooking oats10 fl oz waterB1 can 400 ml coconut cream1/4 tsp saltC10 ozs biji terigu (without husk)2 liters waterD12 ozs sugarE3 tbsp rice flour mixed with 1/2 cup waterMethod: Mix A and cook until oats have thickened.Soak biji terigu in cold water for 10 minutes, drain. Pound to break up the terigu.Bring it to the boil with 2 liters of water till terigu is tender and swelling.Add in sugar, cooked oats and stir well. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then add coconut cream and salt.Stir in the rice flour mixture and bring it to a boil. Stirring well.Remove from heat and serve hot.ServesServes

A lazy bug! *giggle*Having recognized the busiest season of the year for Su; it's hard to believe she's succumbed to temptation of celebrations all around her. AHHH crap; she should be working hard at cakes... but there she was; struggling to say no to family vacations and snuggling in front of the TV with her Jo. "He's visiting all the way from Sydney!" she attempts to reason with herself. *grin* Excuses!I suppose the little breaks in between didn't exactly make too much damage in her tightly packed schedule. Borrowing a couple hours from occasional free moments here and there to create a 3 day weekend was certainly a genius little sneaky way of doing it.She kept her fingers busy; snapping away at the intriguing sights of Macau and Hong Kong.Naturally; having delicious food as the point of focus throughout her adventures. She loves sharing snapshots of fun times!3 hectic days of sight seeing and an overdose of MSG later; she has now returned to her cake filled office and waddled straight into catching up with work. Time waits for no one. Not even for good little Su *pout* :PChinese New Year is round the corner...and her inbox has been flooded with Chinese New Year 'Specials' inquiries. Ahhh... patience my friends. She's getting everything organized as prompt as possible. Su's running late... but she's trying not to ruin the surprise. .......................... .....its COOKIES!......*guilty grin*..hehe

To achieve a good sponge cake, the name of these sponge cake is self-explanatory, the cups used for baking, have to be lined with parchment/greaseproof paper. The cups have to be tall, so i used drinking/party paper-cups. I lined a few and used muffin paper cups for the rest of batter. Now the batter - i have made with any normal sponge cake recipe but it was rough and cakey. The cake has to be fine textured and soft - and to get this, cake emulsifier has to be used.Ingredients:4 large eggs3 ozs bleached all=purpose flour1/2 oz cornflour3 1/2 oz fine granulated sugar1/2 tbsp ovalette(cake emulsifier)30 ml milk3 ozs butter - melted Paper party cupsparchment/greaseproof paper - size 6 - 8 inch square - depending on size of cupsMethod:Line paper cups with parchment /greaseproof paper. DO NOT grease the papers. Preheat oven at 375f. Put all the ingredients except the melted butter into a mixing bowl. Whisk everything on high for at least 7 mins until ribbon stage. In other words: when you lift the whisk out of the bowl, the mixture should fall, leaving a "ribbon-like" trail on the surface of the mixture.This will be the right constitency for your batter. Add in melted butter and whisk thoroughly. Pour batter into the lined cups about 3/4 full and bake it in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 mins. Remove the cake from the paper cup immediately and leave it on wire rack to cool.Serves

Yup! After my dementia episode last night, I am back in the business of blogging. I guess I really needed someone to push me a little to get me going.During the last few months, I did make some stuff on and off. So just give me some time now to rattle off what I have made and upload the pictures now before I slip into dementia again and forget the password to my Photobucket account.******I was on a day's leave to finish up my Strategic Management project and boy was I stressed up. In the midst of 'thinking strategically' and squeezing out every ml of brain juice available, I just needed to let off some steam and what better way than to bake a bread. Bread baking is therapeutic with all the kneading and punching. Was I imagining myself to be punching my lecturers for the never ending projects that have to be submitted days within each other? I rumaged through my larder to see what I have on hand and hey presto, I had everything needed to make this Rustic Country Bread Loaf that is brimming with flaxseeds and oats*******Another bread episode is this Mochi Bread which nearly caused the early demise of my Kenwood Major. The bread dough had to be mixed and kneaded with a cooked mochi paste and my dough hook was resisting so much that I was afraid the spindle would snap any moment. As the hook drags and works hard incorporating the resilient mochi paste into the bread dough, I had to hold the the neck of the mixer tightly to reduce the exaggerated movement and pull it had on the mixer. So this is recipe is definitely not for those who owns one of those puny cake mixer.The cooked mochi paste in the mixing bowl.Mixing the mochi paste into flour.The bread dough and mochi paste before kneading with the dough hook.The dough after some huffing and puffing by my mixer.Ready for 1st Proof.After the 1st Proofing.Proofed dough, ready for the air to be knocked out.Shaped and ready for 2nd proofing.Baked and in all its golden glory.Another view of the buns.*******Then there was this great tasting spicy Mentaiko Spaghetti with a hint of citrus from the addition of lemon rind. This is really a easy-peasy recipe that you can whip up in a jiffy. And then the Plum Ribs, which is similar to Hugbear's 123 Ribs. I updated the recipe by added mashed chinese sour plums and cola to the marinade. When the ribs were tender after the slow braising, I popped the ribs under the grill to give it a more caramelised taste.The melt-in-mouth meat with a hint of tangy sour plums.********I have a couple more pictures but I guess I will just stop here for the moment and continue later with the rest of the pictures.

Last evening I was short-messaging with LY and she reminded me that my blog is getting rusty from the absence of blog entries.I have to admit that I am really getting rusty and lazy to boot. I thought that the moment my studies are completed, I would quickly start blogging about my cooking escapades again. Alas, none of that happened. As you can see, my last entry was in June 08. I completed my degree in the first week of November 08. And then.......nothing happened. At least not until now when I was prodded by LY. Thanks chum, you have woken me up and had given me the mojo to start blogging again.So last night, close to midnight actually, I started first by editing some photos of stuff which I have cooked and baked over the last few months and I was about to upload the photos to my Photobucket account and HORRORS! I have forgotten my login password. Worst still I could not remember which email address I had the Photobucket account registered to (some email accounts are no longer in use!). What a serious case of Dementia!So there I was, staring blankly at the "!Incorrect Username or Password" screen contemplating what's next? Ah....go to bed!This morning, I sent a long email to Photobucket, answering eleven questions supplied by Photobucket to verify and ascertain that I am the rightfulowner to my photo account. For now, I shall just sit and twiddle my thumbs as I wait patiently for Photobucket to reactivate my account. Well, no harm slacking a little bit longer right?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009It's time to have something simple after all the rich holiday food. A clear bowl of congee is very inviting, your stomach deserves the rest by this easier and more friendly congee.Ingredients:1 cuip riceA handful of glutinous rice1/2 lb skinless chicken breast/lean pork1 can of white nuts/pak ko/gingko nuts1 tsp oil1 small piece rock sugar1 tsp saltMethod:Put rice and glutinious rice, oil, rock sugar, salt, chicken breast/lean pork and enough water - at least 2 inches above the rice.Bring to the boil and continue to cook until rice is soft. Inbetween cooking, add cold water and using a whisk, whisk and stir to break up the rice. When the chicken is cooked and no more pink, remove and shred.When rice is the consistency to your liking, adjust the taste with more salt.Add in the white nuts/pak ko/gingko nuts and the shredded chicken.Serve hotRemove the chickenServes

It's the beginning of a new year.Most people think of it as a milestone; a day to commit new resolutions... I suppose it is a significant excuse to allow yourself a clean slate to start over.As for Su; new years day is just a change in the number ending 200-?-. Every morning is a new beginning to something different. Of course the 31st of December makes good reason to party and an excuse to get together under fireworks, reminiscing about the post 365 days.With the holiday seasons all bundled up real close to the last couple of months; Malaysians have been in the mood for celebrations of many sorts. That often includes the need for delectable cakes and other yummy things! *grin* That's where I come in.As business begins to pick up; I've been braving myself for the reality of growth. Growth? well; it's getting to be a lot more than I can handle at this point; I'm sure some may have noticed from the delayed frequency of email responses to readers and inquiries. It's getting a little bit overwhelming to have my mind work in a million directions. I do acknowledge all of it as a positive challenge; it's just a foot out the door for what I intend to do with Delectable.. I can't let that energy die down! *grin* It's going to take a lot more to wear me out! hehe2009 will be about embracing challenges and new adventures. I can foresee it without the help of clairvoyance. *laughs*I was greeted with a few very pleasant surprises in these last couple of months to help boost me to my next 365 days.A big thanks to ..Victoria (grace silverline); Winnie and crew (blu inc).Mr and Mrs Er (Y3k publishing)Siddal Lee ( Turner Entertainment; Cartoon network Asia)It's been heaps of fun; I sincerely appreciate the many opportunities our collaborations have given me for the year ahead...Su signing off with lots of love and hugs!It's going to be a tough 2009 for everyone; but we'll make it through with perseverance and diligence. WHo's with me!

My brain is still on halidays, so are all parts of the body. The mind knows that there is dinner to be served, but the body is not leaving the warm comfy couch. Finally, i yanked myself up from the couch and went straight to the freezer, found some pork chops and decided to cook something fast. This dish, although fast to prepare, is very delicious with white rice.Ingredients:3 boneless pork chops - diced2 tbsp spicy fermented bean sauce3 cloves garlic chopped1 tbsp chopped ginger1 tsp sugar2 tbsp oilCilantro for garnishingMethod:Heat the wok and add in 1 tbsp of oil. When oil is shimmering, add in the diced pork and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Flip pork when it is brown on bottom, then brown the other side. Remove pork and leave aside. Add in the remaining oil and spicy fermented bean sauce. Saute until fragrant, the add the garlic, ginger and the fried pork. Adjust taste with sugar. Dish out, garnish with cilantro and serve hotServes

Bitter gourd (Latin Momordica charantia) is also called Balsam pear or bitter melon. Bitter gourd contains vitamin A, B1, B2, and C. It also contains minerals like calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper and potassium. From the ayurvedic perspective, bitter gourd is excellent for balancing Kapha. It helps purify blood tissue, enhances digestion, and stimulates the liver. Definitely an acquired taste, many do not like it cos of the bitterness but those who like it, say that it is 'kum' in cantonese - a special sweetness.Ingredients:2 Chicken thighs - cut into bite-size1 bitter gourd3 tbsp oil MARINADE 1 tbsp Dry sherry/shaoxing wine1 tsp Cornstarch 2 tsp Thin soy sauce 1 tsp Sugar1/4 tsp pepper SAUCE 2 tsp Fermented black beans 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 inch ginger - minced2 shallots - minced 1/2 tsp Brown sugar 2 tsp Black soy sauce 3/4 cup Chicken stock 1 tsp Cornstarch plus 1 tbsp water Method:Cut bitter gourd in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a sharp spoon or corer and discard. Cut into 1 inch squares, and blanch for 3-4 minutes in boiling water to which a little salt has been added. Drain Marinate chopped chicken with the marinate ingredients for 20 - 30 minutes Rinse fermented black beans. In bowl, combine and mash black beans , ginger,shallots,garlic, brown sugar, black soy sauce and chicken stock; stir; reserve for 15 minutes. Heat wok with 1 tbsp oil and when oil is very hot, add chicken. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes on high heat - or until chicken begins to shrink and firm up. Remove chicken to holding bowl. Reheat wok to high, add remaining oil. When oil is hot, add black bean sauce. Stir-fry until fragrant and aromatic. Add bitter gourd, and saute. When sauce boils, add cooked chicken; toss to combine. Cover the wok and cook until chicken is tender. Dribble in a little cornstarch paste if needed; cornstarch in chicken marinade might be enough. Toss ingredients until sauce thickens. Dish out and serve hot with white riceServes

Time flies, Christmas is over and 2008 has only 3 more days left. The Chinese New Year is creeping on us fast next year, it will be January, 26th, so less than 30 days to prepare all the goodies. These snacks are so mini and tedious to prepare that thank goodness, the CNY is only once a year. This is a buddy project, so gather all your buddies and have a good time with them while making them.Ingredients:500g chicken/pork floss/sambal hae bee/sambal lengkong/serunding 1 packet large spring roll skin, cut into 9 equal squares 1 egg, lightly beaten for sealing Oil for deep frying Method:Cut one spring roll skin into 9 equal squares.Place some floss on to each square, enclose and wrap like spring roll.Heat oil in a wok; fry rolls till golden brown.Remove from oil onto baking rack which has kitchen towel at the bottom to catch excess oil.Put fried rolls in to bake at a preheated oven 350f for 5 or 10 minutes, so that the rolls are thoroughly cooked through and excess oil will be removed.Let cool completely and store in air tight container.Recipes related:Sambal LengkongPork Chicken FlossSambal Hae Bee

I love salted fish cooked this way especially if the flesh of the spanish mackeral is soft and powdery - the cantonese way to describe this texture is 'MUI HEONG". MUI - means can be torn easily - that is if it is a piece of cloth but for the fish - MUI means melts in the mouth. HEONG - Fragrant to those who have acquired a taste for it. Unfortunately, this salted fish bought in the Korean Store, is very different from the salted MUI HEONG from Malaysia. The flesh is not salty and it is firm. Anyway, it made a very good accompaniment to plain rice or congee.Ingredients:1 piece of salted spanish mackeral or any salted fish2 tbsp of julienned ginger5 tbsp oilMethod: Place fish on a dish which can fit the rice cooker. Put ginger slices on top of fish and pour oil over. Place dish on top of the rice when no more big bubbles are visible. Close the lid of rice cooker and let fish and rice to complete cooking. When the rice is ready, the fish should be cooked too.Serves

Steaming meat dishes is one of my favorite ways of cooking, cos, not only is it healthy, it is so fast to prepare. This dish gets cooked when the rice is ready. Ingredients:2 chicken legs - chopped into bite-size3 - 4 dried shitake mushrooms - wash, soak and cut into slices1/2 cup dried cloud ear - wash, soak and drain1/2 cup dried lily buds - wash, soak and tie into a knot1 tbsp fragrant oil - shallots or garlic Marinate: 2 tbsp soya sauce1 tbsp shaoxing/hua tiau wine1 tsp ginger juice1 tbsp oyster sauce1 tbsp tapioca starch/cornstarch1/2 tsp sugar1/2 tsp pepper1 tsp sesame oilMethod:Marinate the chopped chicken pieces with the marinate for 20 - 30 minutes in a deep dish that can fit into the rice cooker.Mix the sliced mushrooms, cloud ear and lily buds into the marinated chicken and drizzle with fragrant oil.Place the dish of chicken on top of rice in rice cooker, when big bubbles are no more visible on the rice surface. Close lid tight. The chicken will be cooked when the rice is ready for serving.Serves

I've been getting more acquainted with churning out orders in large quantities just recently.I suppose the end season rush got me practicing my ability to handle the pressure to produce. It's taught me lots about time management and efficiency; something I used to think I was good at. *blush* I was so wrong.There were lots I had intended to do with my first half of the year, but it has been extremely difficult trying to discipline my brain to compartmentalize and organize my thoughts...Designing; writing, baking...lots more other secret stuff *I shan't disclose till later :P* Hehe.I never expected this to be easy; and to be honest; the temptation from this holiday season and family around me makes it even more difficult to concentrate!I caved.I cleared off and delivered everything for this weekend and we're packing off to a 3 day trip to Macau and Hong Kong in a couple of hours. Pretty spontaneous; but I figured I needed a few days to breathe before the next rush period in January. Chinese new year! I'm coming up with a couple of special goodies too. Won't be penguins this time. *grin*Aight.. Will bid everyone a happy day before I sign off with pictures of cake.The recent trend for me has been cupcakes. It seems like it still is what's 'Hot' in Malaysia. *shrug*I've been making an attempts at creating more elaborate presentations with them. It's costing me a fair price to do; but the impressive looking results are worth that extra trouble. Makes it so much more interesting to look at. Little cakes in boxes bore me. *grin*Tata! XOXO;Will catch up with everyone in a couple of days!

You would say that i am not doing justice to this fine textured fish by pan frying it but i would not no, cos the flesh is just as delicious fried this way. To serve steamed fish is quite difficult here, especially winter, food gets cold so fast and every member of the family has to present and ready to eat, then only can the steamed fish be served. Ingredients:1 white pomfret - gutted, cleaned, wipe dry and sprinkled with salt1 tbsp tapioca starch/cornstarch for coating4 tbsp julienned ginger1 tbsp soya sauce1 tbsp sugara dash of pepperOil for fryingMethod:Coat the salted fish with the tapioca starch/cornstarch.Heat wok and add in oil, only when the wok is shimmering hot.Lower the fish into the oil carefully to avoid splatterings.Fry until golden brown before flipping and fry the other side of fish until golden brown too.Remove fish and place on serving plate.Remove all the oil except 2 tbsps oil.Fry the julienned ginger until crispy. Remove and put them on top of the fish.Add soya sauce and sugar to the oil in the wok and cook until it thickens.Spoon over the fish and serve hot with white rice.Serves

Renee and Alexander with Santa, 2008MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS This rich almond tart is always a perfect dessert to be served after Christmas Dinner. This is super darn tasty!! It has a strong almond flavor but it is also delicate and lovely. The best part is, it is relatively easy to bake, looks impressive and and tastes delicious without being overwhelming.Ingredients:1 sheet (1/2 of 17.03 oz box) puff pastry - thawed in the fridge1-7 oz box Odense Almond Paste, grated1/3 cup sugar1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature2 large (not extra large) eggs, room temperature3 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 large can (30 oz) pears halves in heavy syrupOptional: Raspberries or powdered sugarTOOLS & EQUIPMENT9-10 inch tart panMethod:Preheat oven to 375° F.Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Lay in ungreased tart pan and gently push dough into sides. Roll across top with rolling pin to cut off excess. Place pan on baking sheet.Add Almond Paste, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl. Beat on low speed to incorporate. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Beat on high for 3 minutes and pour batter into tart shell.Drain pears. Place pears cut side down on a cutting board. Make 4 length-wise diagonal slices, about 1/8" from top of pear through the bottom, so pear slices will fan out.Place pears close to edge of tart, and arrange decoratively on batter and bake for 45 minutes or until firm.Save any remaining pears for serving with cooked tart.Tent with a piece of aluminum foil if tart is browning too quickly.Tart is done when a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.Rest tart on wire rack for 10 minutes then unmold.Serve tart warm or cold with raspberries, pears or sifted powdered sugarServes