Bacon and Maple Macaron

I know, I know..

This is purely for fun and u know its just one of those day where u think, one day, bacon will conquer the world and any thing with bacon taste better. I think bacon is as versatile as it can get. Ive done it with chocolate cupcake before and its pretty good actually cause bacon usually bring saltiness to the palate and salt works almost anywhere be it savoury or in desserts.

On another note, Its Macaron Day today!!

So I then took the idea of caramelizing bacon with maple syrup in the oven then chop finely to put on top of the shell. I didnt chop as fine, Im thinking I should have let it dry, then pulse it in the food processor to make like a bacon dust. The weight and oil of the bacon sunk some parts of the macaron shells, which is totally understandable. So the next time IF I make it, Im going to do the said and dust on top instead. And I dont know, maybe I want to add caramelized onion inside as well. (Im crazy)

For the filling, oh my goodness, if it aint artery-clogging enough, Ive used French buttercream. My all time favourite. Mixed in with some maple syrup and salt and sandwiched with another piece of bacon in between. Seesh this is getting abit ridiculous isnt it ?

Despite all that It is infact, one of the good macarons Ive made. Sweet and salty ;D

I used the regular macaron recipe using Italian Meringue method.

Bacon ! Macaron with Maple Buttercream

(makes 20-24 macarons)

100g Almond meal
100g icing sugar

36g fresh egg whites (about 1 egg white)
pinch of salt

100g caster sugar
20g water

36g aged egg whites (about 1 egg whites)
1g egg white powder

4 strips bacon
maple syrup

French Buttercream

3 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
30ml water
225g butter, cubed.
pinch of salt
50g maple syrup

Method:

1. Pat dry bacon, drizzle maple syrup and roast it in the oven at 180 C till caramelized. Turn over to the other side roast it till its crispy. Grill works too. Once done, remove from oven and let it cool. Then finely chop some (save some for the filling) bacon bits. Set aside.

2. Make macaron.Sift almond meal, icing sugar and earl grey tea leaves in a wide bowl. Add in the egg white and salt and mix well. Do this only when youre ready to cook the sugar, otherwise it gets hard. (Picture 1st row, left & right)

3. In a medium sized pot, pour in caster sugar and water. Bring to a boil and to 118 C. Which means that yes you need a candy thermometer. When the sugar syrup reaches 110 C, in a mixing bowl, whisk egg whites and egg white powder (Ive tried without it, its alright) It should be somewhat medium peaks when the sugar syrup reaches 118 C.

4. While the mixer is still whisking (about medium speed), gradually pour in the sugar syrup. (To wash the pot, add in water and bring to a boil, its easier to wash) Then turn up the speed of the mixer for about 2 minutes till it turns glossy. Reduce the speed to medium and let it whisk till its stiffer. It should be somewhat stiff, but not so stiff. (Picture on row 3, left)

5. No! w, add i n 1/4 of the meringue into the almond mixture from step no.1. Whack it till its well incorporated. At this first step, I usually literally do it un-TLC-ly just to get some air out from the meringue and to lighten the almond mix.With the remaining 3/4 of meringue, add into the almond mix and fold it in. This time, a little more TLC until it becomes lava like.

6. Im using a 10mm nozzle. Fit into a piping bag and scoop the batter into the bag. Pipe onto a tray lined with parchment paper or silpat. Lightly tap the tray on a table top. Sprinkle some chopped bacon bits (make sure its really fine) Let it rest for about 5 minutes then bake at 150 C for 14 minutes.

7. When its cooked, remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Once its completely cool, it should be able to peel off easily.

8. Pair the right sizes and arrange them on a tray. If the macarons turn out right for you, then proceed to make the filling.

9. Make the buttercream.In a pot, bring caster sugar and water to 118C at a medium heat.When its about 105 C, whisk egg yolks in a mixing bowl till its light and volumed.

10. When the sugar syrup has reached 118C, slowly pour into egg yolks while whisking at the same time. Whisk till it doubles in volume and becomes thick (about 3-4 minutes).It will be slightly warm.

11. Add in butter slowly (1-2 at a time) into the pate a bomb and whisk. It will be soupy at first but just continue whisking till comes together. Add in maple syrup and mix well.

12. Assemble. Pipe a dollop of maple buttercream, add a slice of bacon and sandwich with another macaron of the same size.

I am submitting this toAspiring Bakers #17 March Macaron Madness! (Mar 2012) hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies

Europes first N.Korean eatery a window into Pyongyang

Waiters of the Pyongyang sing songs for the guests. AFP pic

AMSTERDAM, March 20 It has nothing to do with politics, insisted owner Remco van Daal as he welcomed patrons to Pyongyang, Europes first North Korean restaurant, according to its owners.

The eatery, taking its name from the isolated Stalinist capital, aims to offer customers a different glimpse on a regime otherwise cloaked in secrecy.

Its evening dining offering which includes a sumptuous meal and floor show starts at the door of an unassuming, typical Dutch brick building in a quiet suburb on Amsterdams outskirts. Hostess Miss So, dressed in a traditional yellow bell-shaped robe topped by a disarming, shy smile, welcomes patrons.

You can think what you want about North Korea, said Van Daal of the regime whose tension with the US, Japan and Europe, notably over its nuclear and missile programmes, was fanned this week when North Korea announced it would launch a long-range rocket next month to put a satellite into orbit.

But we want to help patrons discover the people and the country. It has nothing to do with politics, he told AFP.

Outside, the name Pyongyang is painted on a modest signboard decorated with a floral design.

Inside, depictions of fearless North Korean hunters and soldiers are interspersed with portraits of naive young girls, all glorifying the regime of Kim Jong-Un. A karaoke machine stands against one wall, waiting for the fun to start.

Amsterdams Pyongyang bears the same name as a similar chain of restaurants set up in Asia, which countless media reports have linked to the North Korean regime and activities including money-laundering.

Van Daal, however, said this is a personal initiative and has nothing to do with the regime. The money to finance the eatery, he said, came from funds supplied by his partner Remco Hellingman, owner of a neighbour! ing hote l that houses the restaurants nine employees, all North Korean.

After serving customers the first four of a nine-course menu that included roasted oysters and came to a total of 79 (RM318) a person Miss So and two other hostesses took up microphones to start the entertainment.

The trio broke into a hymn to Mount Kumgang, the diamond mountain and one of North Koreas national symbols, as the lyrics paraded across a nearby television screen.

Foundation DPRK

All we want is a window into a country thats largely unknown, said Van Daal, cradling a cup of North Korean green tea and sporting a pin of the late leader Kim Jong-Il on his jacket.

We had an opportunity to travel to North Korea and since then we have always tried to learn things about the country no one else knew, said the Dutchman, who used to work at a printing company.

In 2009, he set up Foundation DPRK (the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea), which he said aimed at bringing Dutch and North Koreans together.

The restaurants staff were selected by the North Korean government and trained by the Pyongyang Restaurant in Beijing. They arrived in the Netherlands in December with their luggage and 72 kilogrammes of paintings, books and kitchenware.

The four waitresses, three cooks and a translator answer to Han Myong Hui, a forty-something woman dressed in black pants and a sweater who oversees the kitchen, keeps tabs on the cash flow, and a general eye on her staff.

Van Daal baulked at suggestions the establishment might be a propaganda tool for North Korea, an impoverished state with serious food shortages.

North Korea has received millions of tonnes of food from around the world since 1995 to help alleviate hunger. Earlier this month it said it would suspend long-range missile tests in return for new massive US food aid, but Washington on Friday voiced doubt it could go ahead with the delivery after North Koreas announced launch.

We are totally independent, Va! n Daal s aid.

The North Korean ambassador based in Switzerland, who is also charged with affairs in the Netherlands, did attend our opening night in February, he added, but it was out of pure interest for our work.

After more songs, Miss So returned to serving clients dishes such as black chicken soup and kimchi fermented pieces of Chinese cabbage, radish or onions before placing small traditional Korean barbecues on the tables.

North Korean food is not so different from South Korean food, Van Daal said, adding sushi actually comes from North Korea, you know. AFP/relaxnews

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Sony Mobile Malaysia The Xperia NXT Xperia S, Xperia U & Xperia P

Last week, Sony Mobile introduced its lineup of Xperia NXT smartphones.

The Xperia S (above) is at the high-end of the product suite, while the Xperia P and Xperia U fills Sony Mobiles offering in the mid and lower-end of Google Android smartphones.

Im currently on the look-out for a new smartphone to replace my BB. Thus out of both curiosityand personal interest, I just had to check out the SUP short for S, U and P range of Sonys Xperia NXT range.

Apparently Im not the only one, as the launch venue was packed. All media & fellow tech heads are just as keen to see what Sony Mobile has to offer.

My first hand impressions of the Xperia NXT was so-so. It looked good on the presentation videos, and the specs were alright. But frankly, they seemed ordinary.

The Xperia S is the big boss of the trio, with the highest specs dual-core chipset clocked at 1.5GHz. The other 2 trailed behind with1GHz, dual-core processors. We were given a sneak preview of the Xperia Sola as well.

Whats more, Sonys new phones are launching with Android 2.3 Gingerbread,upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the second quarter 2012. There are already news of Huawei & HTC launching their phones with the Ice Cream Sandwich. Anyhow, these Xperia phones are not available now.
The Sony Xperia S will be available through telcos (check Celcom, Digi, Maxis and Umobile sites) and also through Sony Centres and dealers (Price is RM1,899)by 21st March.
Extra baits for buying The Xperia S will be the RM534 bundled worth of accessories out of the box including 4 SmartTags; all for a limited time only of course.

Unfortunately I had to leave soon after the main presentation. I had badly wanted to have a touch & feel of the phones but there were too many people and too little phones to go around. Sony Mobile Malaysia please take note!

I only managed to held one (which wasnt even one of the launch display units) by Effi (via Amanz.my). Effi said the camera is extremely snappy, but Ill only venture my opinion once I have actually tried it myself.

It left to be seen if the Xperia NXT would be able to grab a sizeable chunk of the smartphone market share. Smartphones are now synonymous with Samsung and Apple, with HTC, Nokia, Motorola and LG playing catch up.And Chinese makers Huawei and ZTE have several devices planned that will be sold internationally in ! 2012 as well.

Lets hope the Xperia NXT smartphones are worth a second look. Its primary selling factor the key component of Sonys overall consumer electronics strategyof marrying all of Sonyshardware, content, and services with mobile feels cult-ish.
Each of these devices is supposedly optimized for watching, listening or playing Sony Entertainment movies, music, or games. But then, how many of us buy our electronics from only one brand?

Ah well, Im no expert. Im just looking for a good smartphone. If you want to check out the full specs, click over HERE.

Im waiting to be impressed with White Magic and the Floating Touch technology (for Xperia Sola).
Now, where do I get a review unit??

Meet the Pros: Favola Sous Chef, Sazli Nazim - Le Meridien KL

One of my favourite things to eat in Favola, Le Meridien KL are scallops. Huge, bouncy and fresh scallops.... give them to me any day and I will be a happy girl.

Pan fried sea scallops on leeks, lemon zest, chilli and basil risotto

Meet the chef who created the risotto and scallop dish (photo above) as well as the seared jumbo scallop starters and many more delectable dishes in Favola. Presenting Favola's sous chef, Sazli Nazim.


Sazli received the award for "HAPA Masterchef -Western Cuisine, Platinum Award" in the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards (HAPA) 2011-2013.

My cuisine is unpretentious and honest, yet luxurious and constructed with passion and flair - Sazli Nazim

Sazli has worked in numerous prestigious establishments such as JW Marriott KL, Sheraton Imperial KL and Grand Park Royal Hotel before joining Le Meridien KL in 2004. He received culinary training atthe MARA Institute of Technology's culinary school in Shah Alam.

This local culinary talent has real flair, great imagination and bucketsful of enthusiasm. His superb skills and creativity won him the Most Outstanding Chef Prime Minister Golden Hand award at the Culinaire Malaysia 2007. Sazli has also participated in many other culinary competitions and won sil! ver meda ls such as the Food Hotels Asia, Singapore in 1998 and Hong Kong HOFEX in 2001.As a member of the Malaysian National Culinary Team, Sazli has represented Malaysia numerous times at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg, where he won silver medal in 2002 and 2006.

Sazli's favourite tools in the kitchen are the pots and pans. "Without pots and pans, we cannot cook."

The menu at Favola is updated every 3 months to reflect seasonal ingredients. When asked if he has a favorite ingredient, he replies "I don't have a favorite ingredient, usually I will try and find one which the guests like and create a dish to suit them." He also explains that his philosophy of cooking is to "source the best ingredients, and prepare them with minimal seasoning and bring out the natural flavours." His favorite food when eating out is Asian food and he counts "Ampang yong tau foo" as one of them as it is "simple, full of taste and fresh."

In Favola, the team is made up of over 10 kitchen staff. "We have a great team in Favola, one can't run the show alone." When asked what is his aspiration, he says, "I hope to be as good as Executive Chef Antoine Rodriguez and be in his position one day."

Sazli's mentor is Chef Zubir, and he explains, "Chef Zubir has been mentoring me for a while now. I have followed him around the hotels for a few years, he is always teaching me and passing on a lot of knowledge to me. He is a great chef and teacher."

To read another interview with Pastry Chef Loh Mee Foong of Le Meridien KL, please click here.

carrot cake pancakes

If I could have a breakfast rallying cry, a breakfast mantra, if you will, it would be, Its not cake! Its breakfast! It would be rather dull, naturally. I know that the line between Cake For Breakfast and our various formats of Breakfast Cakes (muffins, coffee cakes and pancakes) is thin, I know the distinctions on either side of it are, at best, tiny, but they are what allows me to pretend Im eating cake for breakfast when Im really not, so I cling to them.

I said as much a few weeks ago when I made coconut muffins. Oh sure, theyre like a glorified macaroon, but! a macaroon full of healthy oils and Greek yogurt and whole wheat flour and a moderate level of sugar. They win at breakfast. Cake, 0, Breakfast 1, you could say. But when I spotted a recipe for carrot cake pancakes, replete with what we all know is the very best part of carrot cake, a sweetened cream cheese topping, I said, No way, uh-uh. Carrot cake is dessert, not breakfast.

... Read the rest of carrot cake pancakes on smittenkitchen.com

smitten kitchen 2006-2012. |permalink to carrot cake pancakes | 7 comments to date | see more: Breakfast, Carrots, Pancakes, Photo

Brunch @ S.Wine & The White Cup

Heading back to S.Wine @ Publika, this time for brunch, & checking out The White Cup.

Earlier entries on S.Wine: March 16 & March 18 (it's a full-fledged trilogy!).

Mexican-style pulled pork & baked beans with poached egg & avocado-feta mash on toast. If 'creamilicious' were a word, this recipe might be the definition. Trivia: S.Wine fortifies its baked beans with ham hock for a richer feel & relies on Korean eggs for a smoother finish.

The number of eateries in KL that serve Eggs Benedict with pork can probably be counted on two hands or fewer. Pierce these eggs, let their yolks weep over the BIG-baked ham & trickle through the toasted English muffins. Pure poetry.

S.Wine's own-made sausages, one infused with arugula (see the little green bits?) & the other with garlic, both pleasurably coarse ! & me aty enough to provide a real protein rush. Served with sour cream & potato rosti laced with sauerkraut.

French toast, deliriously high-piled with a dastardly dollop of peanut butter, apple-wood smoked bacon, bananas & maple syrup. Much more elaborate & extravagant than The Red Beanbag's simple, almond-coated version, but both are masterworks in their own fashion.

Another shot of the French toast, focusing on the peanut butter for three friends who are peanut-butter fans _ Bern, Chee Kiong & Hon Choong _ all coincidentally with the surname Lim, two of whom have already eaten with me here.

Don't skip the waffles, supplied with a savory-sweet twist thanks to maple-glazed pork belly (!!!) & strawberries. Would be even more satisfying with bacon ice cream on the side (we're thinking of the ice cream at The Hungry Hog in Subang).

Casa L! apostoll e Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile).

Needing penance, we headed next to The White Cup, also at Solaris Dutamas. This outlet is marketed as a "lifestyle club," helping customers drink & exercise their way to better health.

A "meal" here starts with what looks like tap water but is supposedly aloe water. It's like a litmus test of well-being: it tastes sweet to you, that means you're in good shape. If it's sour, your health could be better. We were told to finish the entire glass.

Second course: hot tea. The White Cup opens weekdays through the early evening, offering group exercise activities every few days & smoothie-making classes.

Finally, creamy smoothies, one with sesame seeds & another with blended veggies & basil seeds. Yep, they taste wholesome & nutritious, if that's what you're after. Caution: you might get a follow-up phone call from The White Cup offering you nutritional products & services, but it's easy to say 'no thanks' without any hassle.

Note: S.Wine's breakfast items are served only until 6pm daily. The sausages come from the dinner menu, which is available starting 6pm.

S.Wine Cafe Deli @ Ben's Independent Grocer,

Publika, Solaris Dutamas.

The White Cup,

D1-G4-06, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.

Vietnamese Food @ Restaurant Kah Hing, Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut

It sounded a little too good to be true.


A place that served cheap and cheerful Vietnamese food in Kuala Lumpur?


My friend S had searched online and discovered this place tucked within the confines of Segambut.


I'm always game for any food brought in by the immigrants that have landed on our shores since that is truly the best way to enjoy foreign cuisines as good as in their homeland.


While we have had an influx of Burmese, Indonesian and Thai cuisines in the city, the one cuisine that always eluded me was Vietnamese.





I yearned for a good beef pho, the kind that Luke Nguyen was showing on Food Network Asia during his travels to Vietnam. Those visions of him fanning the fire while the beef stock slowly cooked away always made me wish Apple had invented some super smell-vision television or gadget that gave us a 6D effect where we could lick and taste the food on the small screen.


Despite visits to Pho Hoa (the closest to almost the real deal according to my Vietnamese friend) and even that swanky place in Starhill Gallery (what possessed me but I guess I was hopeful wagyu beef would be the answer), I was nowhere near the holy grail of pho.


Unfortunately, at this particular place I was to be dissapointed. No pho in sight either.





It seems there is no aromatic beef broth noodles here as a lot of their customers who were Chinese shunned the red meat.Instead, the modus operandi here was to blend with the locals.


Hence you had kuey teow soup (RM4.50 for small) staring up at you in the menu which the owner tells me is a specialty. Exactly how unique it was, I confess I didn't discover anything within that bowl of clear soup. Maybe it was because they forgot my side dish of herbs. I only discovered it is usually served with those aromatic herbs when I looked online for past reviews on this place. Nevertheless that mistake just exposed their weak point.


Even before I tripped over here on a Saturday, I was having a niggling suspicion that it was the same place I had tried before in Segambut. A quick chat with the owner revealed that they are the one and the same. The place had relocated here about seven years ago. Read the previous review here.


Their trump card is "I serve pork!" This pleases their Chinese clientele who swarm the place to indulge in a little porcine. Hence you find pork steak mingling with the noodles and vegetables (pork steak mee, RM5). It would have worked miracles to the traditional dish but instead it was a cop out. While most of the dried noodles would have been tossed in a tangy spicy clear sauce, this one wasn't aromatic or even noticeable. Big fail, we both waved our score cards.


Dish after dish we ordered was met with dissapointment. None hit our G-spot of yummy food. Instead it was just a "so-so" reaction that ha! d us plo dding through the food. Vietnamese pork ribs noodles (RM7 for small, available on weekends) were home tasting with its carrots that brought in the sweetness but it tasted so ordinary. Our Vietnamese rolls (RM4.50 for 5 pieces), wrapped in the white netting and deep fried till crisp had minced pork with chopped vegetables but eaten on its own, it was tasteless. Instead we had to liberally dip each crispy roll with the sourish garlic and chilli dip on the side.





One thing that did get our ears all pricked up...was literally the braised pork ears (RM7). Beautifully tender, we lapped it all up with the pork belly and stomach that came in a slightly sweet sauce. On the other spectrum is the free range chicken (RM6) version, a braised dish laden with lemongrass to give it aroma. That got a ho-hum impression from us.


Vietnamese coffee (RM3) served cold and hot are also available here. Believe me, you need that strong taste of caffeine as this place uses MSG liberally in their food that had me feeling thirsty the whole afternoon.





Would I return back again, you ask?


I somewhat think not unless I happen to be in the neighbourhood and I am craving for braised pig ears or the trotters with the hard boiled egg that was rather good in my first visit. Sadly, this Vietnamese food has been so diluted that it no longer bears much resemblance to the real deal! . I thin k I better just stick to Pho Hoa for the genuine article in the future. And for those who love Vietnamese food, do throw out your ideas on where I can get good pho as I'm desperately seeking it like Susan in the movie.


Restoran Kah Hing
Jalan 6/38D
Taman Sri Sinar
Segambut


(Non Halal. Place opens from morning to afternoon. Night time has a tai chow serving fried noodles at the same shoplot. For more pictures, see my Flickr set.)


*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.