strawberry summer cake

It is not summer yet. In fact, its been raining for more than a week, and another week the one in which I presume well be introduced to our new mosquito overlords is promised. In fact, it was so cold that I met a friend for lunch today and had to wear both a light wool sweater and a jacket. Its almost like summer looked at New York City and said pbbbblt!

But I know its coming. I know its coming because strawberries appeared at the Greenmarkets last week and if you think I dork out pretty badly when the first asparagus stalks appear, you aint seen nothing like my the strawberries are here! dance. (And hopefully, you never will, or at least until Jacob gets his tell-all YouTube channel.) Suffice it to say that it is awkward but thats almost besides the point. Strawberries the kind that really taste like strawberries are always promised for weeks before they appear and without fail, I go overboard when they arrive, bringing home pounds, plural, when a single box would get us through the weekend. When Monday rolls around and the strawberries are on their last legs, if you listen closely to them, theyll tell you that this cake is how theyd like to go out.

... Read the rest of strawberry summer cake on smittenkitchen.com

smitten kitchen 2006-2011. |permalink to strawberry summer cake | 13 comments to date | see more: Everyday Cakes, Photo, Strawberries, Summer

Roast Suckling Pig @ Jasmin Cantonese Restaurant, Bangkok

Prior to our flight to KL, we paid a visit to Jasmin Cantonese Restaurant located within the Times Square Building. Since 1991 Jasmin is known for serving authentic Hong Kong Cuisine at a reasonable price that is frequented by locals and expats.


Roasted Suckling Pig




This was recommended by Eric's Grandpa who visited this restaurant a number of years back. The Suckling Pig was quite good but was definitely not as good as Tang Jai Yoo nor Full Wealth Restaurant KL. The skin was quite crispy but did not shatter in your mouth. Our Pig also came with a basket of Bread Slices which was great with the Skin.


Deep Fried Pork Meat with Garlic

This was ! our seco nd course of the Suckling Pig and I'm not a fan of it. The Pork Meat was quite dry. We only had a few pieces


Braised Sharks Fin Soup

Eric ordered this soup. We both found the soup to be a little bland despite the generous portions of Sharks Fin. The texture of the Sharks Fin was excellent. It had a nice bite.


Mushroom and Fish Maw Soup

This was my soup and it was decent. The Consomme had a very clean flavor and was good with the Fish Maw and Mushroom


Mushroom Siu Mai

The Siu Mai did not resemble any Siu Mai I've had before. It looked more like a Minced Pork Ball that was topped with Mushroom. Flavor-wise it was good. It had a nice combination of Pork Meat and Pork Fat making it flavorful and maintaining a bouncy texture. The Mushroom reinforced the meaty flavor of the pork.


Stir-Fried Morning Glory with Garlic

The Morning Glory was perfectly cooked maintaining a nice crunch with a nice garlic f! lavor in fused into it.


We were definitely stuffed from our meal having shared an entire Suckling Pig between the two of us. However the quality of the food was mediocre in my opinion.


Food: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Price: $$ (Approximately $25 per person)


Contact Information
Contact Information:
Address: , 23/2 Sukhumvit Soi 13, Sukhumvit Road Klongtoeynua, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 250 0502
Map:

View Larger Map

BAKED BLUEBERRY OATMEAL

May is always a crazy month. We have half a dozen birthdays in our family, Mothers Day, bridal shower season, while I took on a part time job and a freelance deal, as well. Sometimes having more tasks helps you to manage your time better at least Im telling myself that is some proven theory. Im honestly a bit spent on creativity at the moment, which ebs and flows for me, so Im taking a few days to edit through the recipes I already have for the book. For your sake, edit out my ramblings mid-recipe or cut unnecessary descriptive words like smooshy.

I made this baked oatmeal for a picnic with friends, and next time I host a brunch, these will be part of a larger spread. They would be great to make ahead of time and grab on your way out the door in the morning, too (although I am a proponent of sitting at a table for breakfast, even if you have to get up earlier, I know thats not always practical). Maybe even do raspberries and pistachios and replace the milk with coconut milk. The baked oatmeal world is your oyster.

BAKED BLUEBERRY OATMEAL // Serves 6
Adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

I used frozen blueberries because I had them, but I think that contributed to them coming out purple/gray color after baking. Id suggest using fresh berries if you can.
You can see the original recipe at Lottie +Doof.

2 Cups Blueberries, plus extra for garnish

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Aluminum Free Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 Cups Whole Milk
1 1/2 Tbsp. Melted Butter
1/3 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
2! tsp. Va nilla Extract

1 Cup Toasted Chopped Almonds
1/4 Cup Turbinado Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Divide the berries between six small mason jars.
2. Mix the oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Divide the dry mix between the jars, just layering on top of the blueberries, about 1/3 cup.
3. Mix the milk, butter, maple and vanilla together. Pour a scant 1/2 cup on top of the oats, letting it seep through to the bottom. Place all the jars in a baking dish, sprinkle a few fresh berries on top, and bake on the middle rack for about 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, tops are just browned but the oats are still moist.
Sprinkle the tops with the toasted almonds and a pinch of turbinado sugar and serve warm!

* I poured a bit of extra milk on mine and Hugh preferred more maple, so adjust as you prefer.
If you are going to be reheating them, I suggest undercooking them 5-8 minutes to avoid dry oatmeal. Keep the nuts on the side until ready to eat.

Rice Dumplings Festival & DESSERTS @ West Lake Garden, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa

The elegant & stately decor ofWest Lake Garden, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa greeted me as I entered the restaurant from the lobby.

Relaxing immediately from the after- work rush hour, I soothed my eyes on the pretty eye piece & breathed in the sweet-smelling scent in the air that is distinctive to this hotel.

West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant exudes modern oriental opulence. I was captivated withthe traditional furnishings; the chests, the panels & the paintings on the walls.

But nothing prepared me for the sight o! f this.< /p>

A whopping 3kg dumpling!

Packed to its very leaves with dried scallops, dried oysters, barbecued chicken, lotus seed, chestnut, 20 salted egg yolks, mushroom, dried shrimps and yellow peas, this baby took 6 hours to cook!

Each of this goes for RM188++ each, a steal if you ask me, considering the amount of gourmet ingredients that goes into this Yuletide Log like creation. And you know what? This is actuallyHALF (HALF!!!!!) of the actual size.

My recommendation? Buy one to feed the whole clan in the house since this easily feeds 10 12 pax.
(RM188++ = RM218.08, divided by 12 pax = RM18.00/pax)

No no no, dont go shaking your head & cross this off your rice dumplings shopping list just yet. West Lake Garden actually sells this by slices, & by weight. Heres the less scarier version of it.

By reasonable estimates, a slice of this is equivalent to a medium sized dumpling. Which is totallymanageable to digest.

I love how all the dumplings here are non-overly oily & very well prepared. By well-prepared I meant perfectly steamed with every grain of rice soft yet firm, and all the stuffing that goes into their dumplings are not over or undercook. Thumbs-up to the chef!

While the massive dumpling is alike one big delicous loh-mai-kai, Im more inclined with the Hong Kong Style Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumplings. Priced at RM28++, this is an authentic & more traditional form of the rice dumpling with the usual prosperity fillings of dried scallops, salted egg yolk, black mushrooms, chestnut, dried shrimp, barbeque chicken & yellow peas.

I guess its due to the amount of the yellow peas here. I just love the mushy peas & also the mellow taste of this dumpling which makes it lighter on the palate as well.

We sampled a total of 5 different varieties of rice dumplings that night. Another intriguing one is the newSteamed Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Yam & Lamb, an addition that showcased the Chefsinventiveness. He told us that he had wanted to create a new flavour that is uncommon and we concurred that lamb in a rice dumpling is certainly something new.

Taste-wise the lamb dumpling didnt disappoint, with the flavour of the lamb permeated into thedumpling, lending a nice aroma to the overall package.

But if I have to choose my favourite of the night, the winner is surprisingly the humble Vegetarian Rice Dumpling (RM18++). Maybe Im plebeian (LOL!) but the simple dumpling was a winner in my books with its chewy texture & nutty aroma from the wild rice.

Combining 3 varieties of mushrooms; enoki, abalone & black mushroom, the meat element here is the mock meat/chinese ham & there a nice fat chestnut thrown in for good measure.

Last but not least, the dessert or sweet dumpling, made with alkaline based rice dumpling (kee -chang as we call it in Hokkien) and filled with creamy red beans, RM12++.

The filling is perfect; none of that powdery-processed taste commonly detected in mass produced bakery shops packed ones. A little saucer of honey accompanied this, which surprisingly paired really well with the red bean dumpling.

We accompanied our rice dumpling feasting journey with some delightful desserts from the kitchen. I ordered my favourite; the almond soup with glutinous rice balls (RM12++). I didnt care that much for the balls, but was pleased as a lark that the almond soup was freshly made in-house. Chinese almond soup is an acquired taste; and I absolutely adore it.

The word durian caught my eye immediately & this platter has the clever combination of chilled mango puree with vanilla ice cream, fresh fruits & a durian puff of which I would classify to be more ofdurian pulp encased in fine filigree casing than an actual puff.

No complains here at all, for the durian filling was of a reasonably good quality & the mango puree was obviously made fresh in-house too.

The aftermath.

More desserts: The Double Boiled Dried LonganwithAlmond & Apple (RM12++).

Double Boiled Fresh Ginseng with Sea Coconut. RM 12++.

Homemade Cincao Homemade Jelly. RM12++.

Im happy to report that all the desserts were good and so were the dumplings! These rice dumplings will be available for dine -in & take away from 25th May 6th June 2011.All dumplings are pork-free !
For further enquiries, call (6-03) 7495 1888.

About West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant:
Located on the Lobby Level of Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa with a stunning view of the lagoon.

.has 8 private dinin! g rooms that can accommodate between 10 20 guests respectively. (pic below: the private rooms are at the far end)

..boasts of an open & spacious dining area & my personal favourite high ceilings!! I dont think Im claustrophobic but I love the feeling of space..

Lunch: Open daily 12.00pm 2.30pm (Mondays to Saturdays)
10.00am 2.30pm (Sundays & Public Holidays)
Dinner: 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Mondays to Sundays).
Pork-free.
For reservations, call (6-03) 7495 1888.