Fried Rice With Petai.

Petai is a very pungent flat edible bean, the pod need to be peeled before cooking.
The smell is very pervasive and lingers in the mouth and urine.
It has many good medicinal values, too !

Fried rice with petai is one of my all time's favorite dish.

For one serving:

1 bowl of cooked Basmathi rice.
20 matured petai beans-split and cut each into four.
3 onion-chopped.
3 shrimps-diced.
1 egg-fried/scramble and leave aside.

Fried and scramble an egg-leave it aside.
Heat Extra Virgin olive oil in a wok-fried onion until fragrant.
Add the shrimps, rice, scramble egg and toss for awhile until cooked.
Add the Petai beans and season it with salt and pepper-mix it well.
And it's ready to serve.



Fried rice with Petai-crunchy with every spoonful !

I cooked: King Prawns with Garlic Butter and Curry Leaves

Last week, a trip to the market saw us score some large king prawns. When they're as fresh as these, all you need are a little butter, garlic and some curry leaves. Light flavours so you can enjoy the natural sweetness of the prawns. We also opted to cook the prawns unshelled to retain its size while cooking (deshelled prawns sometimes shrink in size when cooking) plus it tastes a lot yummier like this.

Curry leaves impart a wonderful aroma and taste to the garlic butter. However, if you cannot get hold of curry leaves, you can substitute it with some finely chopped parsley.

Juicy prawns

King prawns with butter and curry leaves

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 6-7 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients
14 raw banana prawns, washed, pat dried and heads trimmed
1/2 bulb of garlic, finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped
100g butter
A bunch of curry leaves
1 stalk spring onion, cut into 1.5 inch lengths

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 tbsp ginger wine (optional)

1. Melt butter in wok under medium high heat. Add garlic and shallots and fry until golden brown.

2. Add curry leaves and cook for 1 minute to release the flavours of the leaf. Add the prawns and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shell turns pink and opaque, signifying its cooked. Remember not to overcook them or the flesh becomes rubbery and tough.

3. Add ginger wine (if using) and spring onions. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from heat and serve.

Finger licking good!

Homemade Celery Salt

A number of you requested I post about making homemade celery salt. It's great. I mean it. You should make it too. If you make some each time you buy a bunch of celery, you end up with a bottomless jar of celery-spiked salt. And this way, minimal celery parts go to waste, except the celery strings - my suspicion is there won't be many tears shed over that.

A few weeks back I mentioned I like it sprinkled on this corn soup. It's just as good on buttered corn-on-the cob, in yogurt, sprinkled over eggs. This time of year its great on things like macaroni salad, or egg salad, this shaved fennel salad, or this buttermilk farro salad. I bet it'd be great on Sara's Green bean salad, or Deb's Israeli salad. You get the idea.

Here's the catch though. You have to find celery with leaves still intact. You'll likely have more luck at farmers' markets, but I've noticed more and more grocers sparing leaves from the trash. Also, leaves hide. You'll find more and more as you work your way from outside stalks to inside ones.

I make other salts on occasion too - a mixed citrus version comes to mind. Also, one with herbs de Provence. Hook me up with other ideas if you've got them. I'm sure I'm not the only one game to try out new salts.

Continue reading Homemade Celery Salt...

Gong Bao Ji Ding

The spicy Sichuan dish gong bao ji ding (Gong Bao's--whoever he was--chicken bits) is equivalent to the Cantonese gu lao rou (sweet and sour pork) in terms of popularity. Chinese restaurants in the USA without fail will have gong bao ji ding, gu lao rou andbeef with black soy beans on their menu.

I used to cook this dish until I taught my MIL who then cooked it so well that I gave up cooking it. Through the years however, MIL's gong bao ji dinghasevolved according to my FIL's taste and she now makes the dish a mild version with lots of soy sauce, Shanghai-style, so recently I started cooking my version again and since she doesn't read my blog, I'll declare that my version is not only better than hers but also better than all the restaurants in this town because theirgong bao ji dingarea black sticky mess of burnt chilies and a few chunks of chicken. Idare say that this recipe is so fool proof that there's no need for tweaking. You just need to know how to fry the ingredients to get them at their best flavor and texture.


Sichuan dried chilies are smaller than our red chilies and much hotter too.

What makes a gong bao ji dingbetter than just good? Firstly, it must not only taste good but look right too. By that I mean the dish must look dark, not pale, and the sauce must be thick, not watery yet not starchy. Secondly, I look chicken chunks that should be small so that there's greater surface area for the sauce to coat and for that, the sauce must be caramelized en! ough to cling to the chicken. If the sauce is thickened mainly by cornstarch, it will not have that caramelized soy sauce flavor and thickness. I do add a very small amount of cornstarch to hasten the thickening but not so much that the sauce is starchy. Thirdly, the chilies--preferably Sichuan dried chilies because they are packed with heat and capsicum fragrance--must be done just right: crispy yet not burnt. I'm not particular about the Sichuan peppercorns; this dish is good even without those numbing explosives. Fourthly, the nuts. Some restaurants, especially the upscale ones, use cashew nuts instead of peanuts. I've tried using cashew nuts but found that the dish is far better with peanuts. This is a dish that you pick at with chopsticks, savoring the sauce-covered chicken or leeks or nuts and perhaps washing them down with a cold beer. Cashew nuts just fill the stomach up too quickly compared to peanuts. Finally, the chicken. Even when you get the sauce right, you fail if the chicken turns out tough or dry. To make sure that doesn't happen, marinade the chicken in egg white and cornflour a few hours ahead of cooking and do not overcook. I like to use chicken breasts for this dish because they are very tender when cooked right.

Gong bao ji ding is best piping hot and I like to cook it when my guests are seated at the table. It's a simple dish but you may need to practice cooking it before it's perfect.


Gong Bao Ji Ding
250 gm skinless chicken breast (one side of a large breast)
3/4 cup dried chilies (if big, cut into 3 cm lengths)
1 t Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
3/4 cup leeks, cut diagonally about 2 cm long
1 large handful (50 gm) fried peanuts
2 t finely chopped garlic
2 t finely chopped ginger

Chicken marinade:!
2 t cornflour
1 small egg white
a few shakes of white pepper
2 T rice wine
a pinch of salt

The sauce:
1/2 T white rice vinegar
1 1/2 T black soy sauce (Lee Kum Kee is good)
1 1/2 T castor sugar
1 1/2 T chicken stock or water
1/2 t cornflour
--mix all the sauce ingredients together until the sugar is dissolved

1. Cut the chicken breast into small chunks, about 1.5 to 2 cm square. Massage marinade into the chicken with your hands, cover and leave in fridge for at least 1 hour.

2. Heat 1 cup veg oil in a wok, add the chicken and spread it out into a single layer. When chicken has turned white at the sides (high heat), turn over and stir. Do not overcook. I check by cutting one piece of chicken with the frying ladle. It should take about 1 minute only, less if the fire's very hot. Remove chicken onto a plate, leaving the oil in the wok.

3. Pour away the oil into a metal or ceramic bowl until about 3 T is left in the wok.

4. Fry the chilies, in very low heat, until crisp but not burnt (be careful, dried chilies burn quickly). Remove. Pour away all the oil because it is chili-hot. You can keep the chili oil for other dishes.

5. Add 1 to 2 T of the oil used for frying the chicken to the same wok (this IS a greasy dish; be brave) and add the garlic, ginger and Sichuan peppercorns if using. Throw in the leeks, stir until they turn bright green, then pour in the sauce, stirring all the time. The heat is at high. When the sauce is very dark and thick, add the chicken and stir quickly, then add the peanuts and dish up. That's it. Serve straightaway.

Huck's Cafe @ Bangsar

Back to Huck's for a magical meal that lasted nearly four hours.

Earlier entry on Huck's @ Bangsar: July 5. Huck's @ PJ: Nov. 24, 2010.

Kicking off with little bundles of joy, like birthday gifts to unwrap gleefully.

Tenggiri in otak-otak sauce. Firm, fresh and fleshy fish, well complemented by the Nyonya-influenced, herb-&-spice-laden gravy, together with what seemed like edible "daun kadok." Huck can tone down the fieriness (but not the flavor!) for those of us who are terrified of too much chili.

Spinach cannelloni. A commendable Italian-inspired effort, alluringly presented. Aromatic and addictive, though the portion might be too much for small eaters, since this is richly cheesy. But this dinner proves that even though Huck's chicken dishes are his strength, it's possible to have a fulfilling evening here that's meat-free.

Durian mud pie for dessert. Available only during certain weeks of the durian season, but it's a total triumph. Creamy but not cloying, sweet without being too stinky, enhanced by a nice nuttiness that illustrates Huck's culinary creativity.

Also worthwhile: chocolate mud pie, which ice cream & cookie lovers will adore.

Huck's signature basil seed soda, with fresh mint & pandan leaves.

Equally refreshing: a zesty beverage of lime & sour plum.

Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, suitable for both seafood and cheese.

OK, there wasn't th! at much food, but time flies here, since we're always having fun.

Huck's Cafe,

22, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Authentic Organic Village Cuisines at Guangzhou, China

Ben's, Suria KLCC and Pavillion

I reckon I should blog about Ben's before it got too stale- the photos have been sitting in my album for some time now :p

The first time I noticed Ben's was at KLCC- it took over CPK and refurbished to a 'darkish' corner. Somehow, it didn't pique my interest at all, until Diha told me to check it out- she had a good time there.

And so I did went to have a look.

Went there for dinner (heard lunch's ultra pack), Ben's at KLCC has a relaxed ambiance and jazzy tunes in the background to sooth a hectic day at work. The spacing between diners was at a comfortable distance, compared to Ben's at Pavillion, which had a cosy, cheery concept, diners sitting rather closely to be able to hear next table's gossip..hehe..

I digress, lets get back to the food instead, shall we?

Some mocktails to start...

Muddled Mary and Berry Freeze..

Mary's too spicy to my liking, berry was ok..

We had the soft shell crab salad (RM20.90)..

A lighter version of somtum, they were generous with the soft shell crabs and papaya. Not too sour nor spicy, the salad had a good crunch and eating it with the piping hot crabs does give a nice oomph to this dish.

I always have a soft spot for duck and I zoomed in straight for the Duck Confit Spaghetinni (RM22.90)..

And yes, in case you're wondering why the dish looks so familiar, Ben's owned by the same people who started Delicious. Alas, similar in look does not translate in taste- this was ultra greasy and salty.

The Portobello Mushroom Sandwich (RM22.90) fared much better..

The mushroom was juicy, filled with smoky, woody flavour. The accompanying side kicks were commendable too- the grilled capsicums was juicy, the rocket fresh and nutty and oozing melted cheese completes the picture. Yup, this is a vegetarian dish.

Ben's at Pavi had something that KLCC didn't...

Think it's perfect if you are in the company of introverts and shy people..haha

And the desserts- hits and misses..

The chocolate banana cake

Compact, dry, fudgy. I feel like I was eating Winnie the Pooh, and not in a nice way. Dont like it at all.

Blackforest was way better..

Dark chocolate mousse was fantastic with the moist cake, the meringue bits gave a bit of excitement to the else melting cake.

Not a cake person? Maybe you should try the Banofee Sundae..

Lots of bananas, vanilla ice cream, butterscotch, choc fudge, short cake with chocolate and roasted almond slivers. A delicious combination, what can I say?

I feel that Ben's food was not the main attraction (it's pretty decent, dont get me wrong), but it's the ambiance, target market crowd that draws in the like minded.

There are a few branches around town- Ben's KLCC, Ben's Pavillion and Ben's Bangsar Village 1. I heard that the menu differs slightly between these three branches.

Lulu and the green peas

Green peas and purple beans

On ira chez Louisa, (Well go to Louisas house) I told Lulu as I was trying to get her ready.

Remove her pajamas. Brush her teeth. Dress.

Such straightforward activities in the day, Ive quickly learned, even if simple, can take a long time. Oh yes they do

I knew I shouldnt make an issue of it. I didnt want to focus my attention on it, reminding myself, as to help, that many of my mum friends also say that It always takes for ever to leave the house in the morning. Our little ones are persons with strong opinions.

But hints like Garden. Louisa. Outside. Soquette the cat. I knew these would work like magic.

Instantly, my words piqued Lulus interest. Jardin ? she repeated, looking excited.

The change happened right there. Lulu removed her pajamas without fuss. She brushed her teeth and agreed to the clothes we chose together. She even let me braid her hair.

She was ready.

So as promised, I drove her to her little friends house, to feed Soquette, sit in the little chairs at the back of the house, and then collect peas, tomatoes, zucchini and beans, since I am looking after my friends garden while they are vacationing in France.

And oh how much fun the two of us had that morning in Louisas garden!

We found beautifully sweet green peas, delicious cherry tomatoes and zucchini enormous in size. And as to th! e beans, I could not get over their dramatic deep purple color.

Lulu started to help with the beans but fairly quickly showed a strong preference for the peas. She was a champion at collecting them.

I found one! shed exclaim every time shed spot a pod. Open it please! shed add.

She was quick at making the peas disappear inside her mouth as soon as we added more in our white colander.

I was smiling while watching the scene. I couldnt help but feel moved as I remembered my mother and I sitting in our garden in France when I was Lulus age. Every summer, wed be sharing the exact same pea activity. I knew I used to be as skilled as Lulu at the eating part.

Tu men laisses pour le dner de ce soir, daccord? (You will leave some for tonights dinner, ok?) I eventually told her.

Oui, she replied casually without stopping to eat. She wasnt listening.

She was enjoying a delicious mid-morning snack moment that I simply could not interrupt.

Im doing it toute seule! (I am doing it on my own!) she added proudly every once in a while, between peas.

It didnt matter if there would not be many peas left. I was already thinking that diner would revolve around the idea of a medley of spring greens.

Since I had fava beans and green asparagus from the market, I would steam them with the peas in a very simple way, and then Id serve the veggies with millet and a vinaigrette with piquant.

Its a! dish Iv e prepared a lot this season. One that I absolutely love for the cheerful hues of green it offers on the plate. For its simplicity and freshness.

So thats what we ate.

Lulu, in particular, was paying attention to the peas. Cest toi qui les a ramasss, (You picked them!) I told her when I served her some on her plate.

That immediately brought a happy look on her face.

She was carefully choosing each pea before bringing it to her mouth. Her engagement in her food showed that she was really enjoying it.

And by watching her and hearing words like I did it maman slip out of her mouth here and there, I knew shed be talking about our morning at Louisas garden again. Shed be telling me about how much fun she had had when she ate the peas, when she tried to catch butterflies and when she petted Soquette the cat.

I knew that she had created a memory around all of these.

Give body to the vinaigrette with mustard, lemon and garlic; and tons of garden flavor with mixed herbs: dill, parsley and basil were the ones I chose.

Serve it with the steamed greens and millet, and ricotta salata and slices of prosciutto on the side.

Humble food that fits perfectly the mood of a hot summer day. And oh so delicious!

On another note, I was really honored this morning to find outthank you Hilda and Keiko for letting me knowthat the English newspaper The Independent chose La Tartine Gourmande as one of their 50 Best Food Wesbites. See the complete list to be inspired!

Millet with steamed spring greens and its lemon vinaigrette

Millet with steamed spring greens and its lemon vinaigrette

For 4 people

You need:

• 1 cup dry millet
• 1 cup fava beans
• 1 cup shelled green peas
• 16 green long asparagus stems

For the vinaigrette:

• Sea salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey-flavored mustard
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pistachio oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil, dill and parsley

Steps:

Cook the millet and keep it warm on the side (I use 1 cup dry millet to 3 cups water or light chicken stock, with a pinch of salt).

Cook the fava beans in boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse them under cold water. Remove the bean carefully from each pod; set aside.

Steam the peas and asparagus stems for only 1 to 2 minutes and rinse them under cold water.

In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients in this order: sea salt and pepper, mustard, lemon juice, garlic. Emulsify with the oils.

Top the millet with the peas, asparagus and fava beans and serve with the vinaigrette. Add slices of ricotta salata and prosciutto for a more substantial meal.

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Ramadan Buffet 2011: Dorsett Regency KL RM75++ (RM60 nett now!)

Im so looking forward to the next coming weeks. I had my 1st taste of mooncakes for 2011 (HERE)& just a few days back, I gorged on a full spread of Ramadan buffet at Dorsett Regency Hotel KL, right besides the Ritz Carlton on Jalan Imbi.

Oh yes, its that wonderful time of the year again!
30 days of holy fasting (for those who observe this practice), 30 days of raiding Ramadan bazaars all over town & 30 days of feasting on Ramadan buffets (if you can afford it!). Oh yea! *happy dance*

Here at Dorsett Regency KL, BOOK EARLY (like NOW!) for the spread you see below for only RM60 NETT.< br>
Variety is always the key to buffets; and Im as usual, thrilled to see Japanese fare on the buffet line. Not much, but good enough for me as there were salmon & unagi (eel)!

I always tend to skip the soups during buffets. Why waste precious stomach space on heavy soups & liquids right?
But not so this time. Both varieties I sampled that night (Cream of Mushroom & the Sup Ekor Berempah)was marvellous. Why? Because both soups were prepared fromscratch & lovingly simmered for hours, in addition to using a very good recipe that produces the perfect flavour.

*Chunks of oxtail in the pot, of which I dug out to chow ! on. The meat was falling off the bone!

* Thick & hearty Cream of Mushroom which wasnt too cloyingly creamy. *thumbs up!*

Next worthy- of- note items on the buffet is the fresh seafood. Buffet -goers are after all, seekers for value- for- money deals.
Well, you will get your monies worth here; as there are freshly snucked oysters, mussels & bright red prawns plus a WHOLE lamb on the spread!

Delicious marinated lamb with briyani rice.

Tender, firm meat & perfect when paired with the fragrant rice; (which was pretty plain on its own) so do eat it with the tasty marinated lamb; doused in some mint sauce if you wish!

Picked up some tender, well marinated satay while I was at it too!

After some lamb & grilled chicken & beef satay, its time to hit the live stations. The grill station offers pretty decent seafoodselections.

All grilled wrapped in banana leaves for that lovely lingering after- grill smoky taste.

Grilled & good to go.

I had some to sample of course, and personally found them to be a bit plain. Perhaps thats cos I missed out on! the chi lli?? Duh! My bad.

Talking about chillies, this is fabulous news for chilli fans.
Variety of sauces, sambals and pickles were available Sambal belacan, sambal tempoyak, sambal nenas, cincaluk, kicap pedas, budu, sambal mangga muda, sambal cili kelapa, sambal bawang garam berlada, sambal hijau.
AWESOME! Douse your food with these traditional sauces for that added zing!

You can choose to start your buffet with some punch too, and steer away from the conventional salads for the selection of Malaysian appetizers and salads Gado-gado, acar rampai, ulam-ulam melayu, ketam goreng berempah, pecal, tahu sumbat, serunding daging, hati ayam goreng berempah, kerabu pucuk paku kerang, kerabu ayam, kerabu perut, kerabu jantung pisang, kerabu paru air asam, som tam mangga dan betik, telur masin, ikan masin goreng.

Ok, this post is getting a bit too wordy. Ill leave you to the pics!

Bubur Lambuk! Its really nice to see old time traditionals like this at the buffet.

Not missing out on the smoked items like salmon, etc of course.

Mee rebus with condiments.

Ketupat.

Beef Rendang. A perennial favourite.

The perfect match with some lemang.

Lamb Vindaloo.

Ayam Goreng Rempah Basah.

Ikan Keli Goreng Cili Padi.

Braised Chicken with Sea Cucumber and Beancurd.

Apam balik pancake with corn and ground peanuts.Pisang goreng & cempedak goreng Fried banana and cempedak fritters.

Drinks :Malaysian beverage counter Sirap bandung, sirap selasih, sugar cane, soya bean

My favourite! Ice Kacang!

Topped with 2 scoops of ice cream for me alone!

My other favourites: Creamy & richSerawa Pisang, Bubur Chacha, Bubur Pulut Hitam & Red Bean.

Not forgetting th! e desser ts like cakes & traditional snacks.

And our Malaysian fruit salad Rojak.

DIY!

Healthier options Plenty of local & international FRUITS.

Plain fruits too healthy for you? Dip them in this chocolate fondue then!

Just a thought, how does chocolate coated dates taste like??? Never mind, Ill try it next time!

Chicken rice counter Roasted chicken with flavored rice and condiments.

Heres your chance to catch Chef Jaafar Oon in action too!

Ok, heres the FULL LIST of items, possibly more during the Ramadan month itself!

CHECKERS CAFE RAMADHAN BUFFET MENU.

Malaysian beverage counter Sirap bandung, sirap selasih, sugar cane, soya bean.

Selection of Malaysian appetizers and salads Gado-gado, acar rampai, ulam-ulam melayu, ketam goreng berempah, pecal, tahu sumbat, serunding daging, hati ayam goreng berempah, kerabu pucuk paku kerang, kerabu ayam, kerabu perut, kerabu jantung pisang, kerabu paru air asam, som tam mangga dan betik, telur masin, ikan masin goreng.

Variety of sauces, sambals and pickles Sambal belacan, sambal tempoyak, sambal nenas, cincaluk, kicap pedas, budu, sambal mangga muda, sambal cili kelapa, sambal bawang garam berlada, sambal hijau.

Assorted crackers and condiments keropok ikan, keropok udang, keropok sayur, keropok ubi, keropok malinja, kacang kuda rebus, papadoms, kacang pedas, tapai pulut, buah kurma, jeruk mangga, jeruk cermai, jeruk betik, jeruk mangga muda.

Cold cuts and salad bar Assorted cold cuts with mustard, relishes and pickles; assorted salad with dressing and condiments.

Selection of sushi With soya sauce and wasabi.

Noodle counter Mee rebus with condiments.

Chicken rice counter Roasted chicken with flavored rice and condiments.

Roti canai and murtabak Indian pancake with lentils curry and sambal.

Apam balik corn and ground peanuts.

Grilled items Marinated grilled meats, seafood and satay with condiments.

Pisang goreng and cempedak goreng Fried bananas & cempedak.

Ice kacang and cendol Shaved ice with variety of condiments and syrups.

< p>Hot beverage counter Teh tarik and kopi tarik.

Ice cream counter Variety of ice creams and toppings.

Dessert counter Serawa pisang, chilled peach with sago and coconut, dates crumble, selection of Malay kuih and Nyonya kuih, international cakes and pastries, homemade cookies, assorted mousse and jelly, selection of Malay cookies, bubur pulut hitam, bubur cha cha, fresh fruit platter.

Soup counter - Sup ekor berempah and cream of mushroom soup with condiments.

Carving counter Whole roasted lamb with sauces, pita bread and Lebanese bread.

Hot dishes counter Gulai ikan kering, sambal petai dengan udang, sambal tempoyak pucuk ubi, ikan asam pedas, kari kepala ikan, pais ikan bakar, ikan bakar air asam, ayam goreng rempah basah, ikan keli goreng cili padi, rebung masak cili padi, pucuk paku masak lemak cili padi, sotong tumis jintan, lamb vindaloo, braised chicken with sea cucumber and beancurd, stir fried choy tam with garlic, mini steak with rosemary cream sauce, bubur lambok, nasi seri tanjung, steamed white rice.

Jaafar Onn signature dishes Nasi lebaran, nasi pusa, nasi seri tanjung, ayam masak dara, daging masak muara, daging patang pinang.

Checkers Cafe is located on the 1st floor of Dorsett Regency KL.

Conclusion: If you are looking for an affordable Ramadan buffet in the vicinity of KL, Checkers Cafe is an ideal choice; good buffet spread, delicious traditional favourites prepared by a famous season! ed chef & is a comfortable classy venue for both corporate gatherings or family or just among friends.

RESERVATIONS: Please contact: (Its only RM60 nett/pax NOW).

Ms. Chen Sea Kin
dl - 60 3 2716 1174 gl 60 3 2715 1000 df 60 3 2716 1163
e -chen.seakin@dorsettregency.com.my
Site:http://www.dorsettregency.com.my/kl/

Need ideas for corporate gifts, etc? Check out some of these cakes!

All pictures are: