Joy the Baker + Lost Crates

Hi friends!

Ive had a partnership in the works for a few months, and Im so excited to bring it to you today!

Joy the Baker is partnering with LOST CRATESto ship out super rad, curated gifts, monthly or quarterly! Remember in the 90s, when your parents signed up for that wine of the month club and boxes of wine would randomly show up every few months? These gifts are just like that except curated by Joy the Baker! These gifts might be something you can use in the kitchen, something you can bake up, a special treat youll want to keep in your purse, or something for your vanity. Im sharing things that I love, and encouraging an experience in or out of the kitchen.

You may recall that last year I started my own giftsubscription program called ENJOY! Well Enjoy is folding into Lost Crates!

Lost Crates is an incredible Chicago-based company that provides awesome curated gift boxes on a monthly and quarterly basis. Theyve got all sorts of crates! Coolstationary kits,housewares packages, and now.The Joy the Baker Crate!! My partnership with Lost Crates will allow me to select cool monthly or quarterly gifts for you, and the program will be 100% supported by a team of people who work to help me design and s! hip gift s, as well as support your customer service needs. Theyve got great taste, loads of energy, and theyre super reliable. Its a perfect pairing.

Sign up now for the Joy the Baker crate! Wed love to have you! Currently crates are available to United States subscribers. We love you dearly, but Im afraid we arent able to accomodate international subscribers at this time. Should you have any questions about the program, wish to see examples of past gift boxes, or if you have any questions about your current Enjoy subscription, you can find some answers here.

Thank you for being here! Thank you for being excited about the things I love doughnuts and otherwise.

Rice and Sesame Pancakes

After traveling quite a lot this spring, summer has taken on a completely different rhythm. As most of you know, because of this, I've been keeping close to home, and it's nice. Saturday mornings are my favorite, and they've developed their own little ritual. I get up early and go to the farmers' market, driving the back way, through North Beach, where it's quiet, empty, and peaceful at that hour. At the market I look at the bay and the bridge, and buy eggs, and favas, and strawberries and flowers, and sometimes get cappuccinos with friends. Wayne bakes bread while I'm gone, and when I get home we stand around slathering butter on slices while chatting. I unload my bag, and set to work trimming flowers for the house. I start a pot of brown rice, which I use throughout the week in any number of things - to stretch leftover soup, in fried rice, and in these pancakes, which became a fast favorite around here - I make them savory, and they work for just about any meal.

The inspiration came from Massa Organics. I buy their brown rice at the market, and wondered if Greg and his family had favorite ways to use their own rice. After a few moments of poking around on their site, I found an adaptation of a rice pancake recipe they love - originally from The Pancake Handbook: Specialties from Bette's Oceanview Diner! . No surprise, the Massa's bumped up the amount of rice in the recipe significantly, and it's great. The brown rice adds a nutty texture, and lots of substance to the pancakes. I've been doing a version with crumbled nori, sesame, and spices, the recipe is down below.

Hope you all have a nice holiday. Here are a number of links to other recipes that might come in handy over the 4th - a really great salsa, lime & peanut coleslaw, summer corn salad, and an excellent, simple chocolate cake.

Continue reading Rice and Sesame Pancakes...

IKEA SALE for July 2012!

The IKEA sale is back!

As usual, expect fabulous price cuts for your favourite IKEA items and furniture. Too bad there aint discounts for the meatballs huh? :P

Below: Enjoying IKEA meatballs wherever I go. Guess where I was?

So heres the juicy news as promised Sale will start on the 5th July and like before, there will be an IKEA FAMILY (new IKEA membership card to replace IKEA friends) preview from 7am 930am on 5 July.

So PLEASEdear readers and friends, sign up as IKEA FAMILY before the Sale starts so that you can enjoy the Sale Preview!
Grab those items you been eyeing for before someone else does. We all know how crazy the IKEA SALE can get dont we??

The IKEA FAMILY membership is free anyways. Please find more info on IKEA FAMILY here: http://family.ikea.com.my/en/index.asp

Last but not least, guess what I boug! ht recen tly?

Who says you cant have a walk-in wardrobe for an affordable price of less than RM600? At IKEA you can! Thats the details for my next blogpost!

So who wants to go for the IKEA Sale Preview at7am 930am on 5 July?Drop me a comment and see you guys for breakfast?

I baked: Chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting

A sweet treat, just for you..

Chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting

I enjoy baking cupcakes as they are easy to make and always turn out lovely and moist. Instead of the usual cream cheese frosting, I wanted to try a different one this time. With a peanut butter-loving friend in mind, I decided on peanut butter frosting on chocolate cupcakes.

I baked using my usual chocolate cupcake recipesince it is fail-proof. I substituted the granulated sugar with caster sugar for a smoother texture. These cute paper cup liners hold slightly more batter, hence baking time was increased slightly to 22 minutes. When you bake, you should keep an eye on your cupcakes - around 16-18 minutes, you can insert a skewer and if it comes out clean, that means your cupcakes are ready. If not, bake for a little longer. It all depends on individual ovens and settings.

Pretty swirls

Most recipes use a lot of icing sugar in their peanut butter frosting. Since the cake itself is already quite sweet, I tweaked the recipes and made my own version - the basic ingredients you need is butter, peanut butter, vanilla extract, icing sugar and milk/cream. This frosting will definitely appeal to peanut butter lovers as the ratio of peanut butter that I used is high, with minimal icing sugar - so this fr! osting i s salty more than sweet. But you can always adjust the level of sweetness according to your own tastebuds.

And the test to whether this chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting is a success? Give it your kids and they will reward you with a huge smile if it's good, followed by "mummy, can I have another one PLEASE?"

Smile of approval

Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting
Preparation time: 20 - 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 - 25 minutes
Makes 12

Ingredients
For chocolate cupcake
175g all purpose flour, sifted
2 tbsp baking powder, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
50g cocoa powder1 cup boiling water
113g unsalted butter, softened
200g castersugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence or extract

For the peanut butter frosting
45g butter, softened at room temperature
140g smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
25g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp whipping cream (or double cream)



1. Preheat oven to 190C. Line 12 muffin cup tray with paper liners.

2. Stir the hot water and cocoa powder and let it cool to room temperature.

3. In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt and leave aside.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar using an electric / hand whisk for 2 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter mixture and beat until smooth.

6. Add in the vanilla essence or extract and mix.

7. Next, add in the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Finally, add in the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

8. Fill each paper cup until 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and springy to the touch, an! d a skew er inserted into the centre comes out clean.

9. Remove from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool.

10. To make the peanut butter frosting, mix the butter and peanut butter together with a spatula until well combined.

11. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Then, add the sugar gradually until incorporated. I would recommend that you start with 15g, and gradually add more to taste. Most recipes will ask for 1 cup of icing sugar (approx 125g) but that is definitely way too much for me. Each time you add more icing sugar, mix it well and then taste it to see if it's sweet enough for you.

12. Using a piping bag with a star tip, swirl the frosting on the cupcakes. Decorate with some white edible pearls.

13. These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days in the fridge.

A gift for my peanut butter-loving friend :)

Tery Pork Cafe

Pursuing pork in a commercial complex we rarely venture into: Southgate's Tery Pork Cafe, a no-frills eatery with a catchy name that completely explains its raison d'etre.

Possibly KL's cheapest parma ham recipe, partnered with organic rock melon for RM13.90+. Sure, it's not as lavish as what El Cerdo serves, but the meat tastes perfectly OK.

Noodles with pork shoulder slices and fried egg (RM10.90+). Our favorite for the evening; break the runny yolk, mix it with the slick, slippery noodles, then scoop some up with a slice of succulent pork. It's paradise on the tip of your fork.

Braised pork tortilla wraps (RM11.90+). A bit fast food-ish, but considering the price, not a rip-off. Kids will almost certainly relish this one.

Bacon-wrapped ribs, perhaps Tery's most expensive item at RM38+. Thick chunks of flavorsome pork that contain both tender flesh and melt-in-the-mouth fat, swimming in savory gravy.

Roast pork minestrone soup. Another bargain, at RM5.90+, though there are merely tiny morsels of soft-textured pork _ reminiscent of ham _ in this tangy broth.

Minced pork burger with streaky bacon (RM11.90+). Alas, instead of a pork patty, this burger only features a thin layer of minced pork beneath the cheese. Thankfully, there are shreds of streaky bacon to help dial up the flavor.

A small selection of beer is available, all the way through 10 p.m. Tery Pork also has a branch at Kuchai Entrepreneur Park.

Bonus porky place: a short stop at Morganfield's at Pavilion.
Main entry on Morganfield's:! August 1, 2011.

Here's what popped up on Morganfield's menu this month: Oriental roast pork belly! Meaty and flavorful (though some might say it should be less salty), with a top that's crispier than expected.

Bacon-wrapped pork balls, too sinful to justify, considering this was a supper snack.

Feeling fruity: Peach Margarita and Lychee Martini.

Lynchburg Lemonade and strawberry milkshake.

Tery Pork Cafe,

Southgate Commercial Center, Jalan Dua, Kuala Lumpur.
Morganfield's,
Pavilion, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

Zest Cafe @ The Sphere (Bangsar South)

This area now known as Bangsar South use to be known as Kampung Kerinchi. It has now turned into a MSC status commercial center where it house all the big names like MEPS, MELILEA, FPROT and some other big names. At the back is where all the offices sits and at the front theres a range of restaurants and a hypermarket at the basement. I was invited for a food review at Zest Cafe located at the restaurant area.

The ambiance are cozy and comfortable with a nice table setup for private or business dining. You can get a nice good cup of coffee hear as they had a wide range of coffees and teas ready to serve you. Aside having a good cuppa, foods are important too. Zest Cafe has a range of healthy and tasty Mediterranean food to greet you.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Warm up your belly with a good plate of wild mushroom soup where you can get plenty of mushroom chunks in every spoon.

Pumpkin Soup

You can go for the pumpkins, if you are not fond of mushrooms. However I personally prefer this to be thicker and Itll be perfect.

Zest Salad

This is not the normal salad we dealing with. We are having a grilled aubergine, pumpkin toss with rocket salad, prawns and olive.

Vegetarian Fresh Spaghetti

This is a healthy option for people who are vegetarian or want something not ! meaty. F resh homemade pasta cooked in traditional bolognese (tomato)sauce. Noodles were soft and mushy.

Prawn Spaghetti in Pesto Sauce

Home made pasta tossed with pesto sauce and topped with prawns.

Seafood Aglio Olio

This dish is the simplest of all spaghetti dish but it is definitely not easy to prepare. The done level on the spaghetti must be right and quality olive oils and ingredients makes a difference. I personally love it to be laden with loads of chili flakes to make it more oomph.

Aubergine Spinach Lasagna

This is something new to me where it is made of aubergine and spinach stacked.

Rosemary Chicken

English home style baked chicken with all the big half cut potatoes with rosemary. It is marinated with herbs and then baked in oven till the meat is tender.

Seafood Chicken Paella

The texture of the rice were close to risotto and topped with grilled chicken and prawns. I kinda like it with a dash of black pepper and some chili flakes to spice it up.

Stew beef in tortilla wrap

A healthy wholemeal version of tortilla wrap with stew and garden salad.

Pan grilled Salmon on Potato Gratin

Pan-fried Salmon stripson the bed of Potato Grati! n. Dress ed with a house special sauce and paired with iceberg lettuce. A great combination for salmon lovers.

Tuber bean kofta

Middle east style where beans were made intopattyshaped then pan fried. Dip it with the mushroom sauce and walla! It turns into another level of taste.

Stew lamb with Pilav Rice

Rib eye steak

The steak are done medium rare just the way many likes it. It is tender and juicy. Just look at the photo above. A pinch of salt and black pepper alone enough to satisfy me. If you looking for a new taste, check them out with the house special sauce.

Pancake with pineapple cocktail compote

Zest cafe Profile Statements

• Zest Cafe is passionate about healthy & delicious food. Our Mediterranean-inspired dishes are light, flavourful and colourful. All prepared in our kitchen, using 100% olive oil and MSG-free.
• At Zest Cafe, its about food for the body & food for the soul.

• At Zest Cafe, we care for your health and palate at the same time. Youll be happy to know that our kitchen employs the following food philosophy:
• No added-MSG, low salt, low sugar, low cream, no deep-fried food, no margarine, only butter, 100% olive oil.
• Relax, unwind and allow yourself to enjoy your meals.

Last but not least,Bangsar South will be organ! izing co ntest on Facebook. This contest is call as Foodilicious Campaign and each day, RM50 Food Voucher will be given out. The questions will be prepared from the content of my review post of Zest Cafe & Restaurant .

https://www.facebook.com/BangsarSouthCheck this out to know more!!

Zest Cafe

Unit 1-2, 1st Floor, The Sphere, No 1, Avenue 1,
Bangsar South, 8 Jalan Kerinchi
59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Phone: 03-2242 0389
Email:bengchung.ong@zestcafe.com.my
Website:http://www.zestcafe.com.my
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/ZestCafeRestaurant