Brown Sugar: Pack It!

Lets talk about brown sugar! Its easily one of my favorite baking staples. Its deep, sweet, and utterly lovely.

Commercially produced brown sugar (the kind most of us probably buy) is a mixture of granulated sugar (from canes or beets) and molasses.

Wait do you know how brown sugar is made? Unrefined sugar is stripped down to bare bones sugar crystals. Two things are created in this process: granulated sugar and molasses. Did you know that molasses is a by-product of the sugar-making process? Pretty cool, I think.

Molasses is then added back to the processed granulated sugar to create Light Brown Sugar and Dark Brown Sugar. Light Brown sugar has less molasses than Dark Brown Sugar makes sense, right?

You probably have granulated sugar and molasses on hand. You can totally make your own brown sugar! Its a thing. Its a total lifesaver.

Lets also talk about measuring brown sugar.

You might see a recipe that reads: 1 cup brown sugar, packed.

If were using measuring cups instead of weighing our ingredients, heres the deal- spoon brown sugar into measuring cup. With medium pressure, use the back of the spoon to press sugar into the bottom of the measuring cup. Were packing brown sugar so we dont have any air gaps in our sugar measuring. Continue to spoon sugar and pack it down until full, and sugar is flush with the top of the measuring cup! . Dump s ugar into prepared bowl. The sugar will hold its shape as it comes out of the cup, then collapse and break up into the bowl. Thats an evenly packed cup of brown sugar, with no sneaky air pockets!

Then! Youre all set to make Brown Sugar Sugar Cookies!

Sweet life!

xo j

South African, Brazilian wines to be served at Olympics

Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter

This one is for my sister - a lifelong sunflower seed enthusiast. I flipped to page 205 of Marisa McClellan's new book, Food in Jars, and there it was - a recipe for homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter. Here's the thing - if you have sunflower seeds, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla bean paste (or pods), you can make it right now. It takes next to no time. As I'm sure you can imagine - it's perfect on good toast. But you can also thin it out to the consistency of (a sweet) tahini - great with apples or pears, or as a component on grilled sandwiches.

This sunflower seed butter calls for what might seem like a lot of cinnamon (and vanilla bean paste, for that matter). Have faith, it all works out nicely. I've made this a few times now, and will work in a few extra notes and suggestions in the recipe.

I'd love to know if you guys make it - and if so, what you do with it.
And huge congrats on the new book Marisa, I've enjoyed your site for a long time.

Continue reading Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter...

Silicon Valley

April 16, 2012

We were invited by K to stay a couple of days so that they can show us the Silicon Valley, the place where all the Internet, the dot-coms and the high tech industry started and are still being developed.

K's orange trees were dotted all over with big ripe oranges and we had them, and some tangerines from K's friend, for breakfast. The oranges were so plump and fresh they squirted when peeled and the juice was awesome.It is a such a privilege and pleasure to stay with friends because we get to spend time with them and get to learn and see more than we otherwise would if we were on our own.





K's hubby, FC, took us to the Apple! headqua rters in Cupertino but we didn't know anyone there so we weren't allowed into the offices. The Apple Company Store is open to the public though, and it is different from other Apple stores because although Apple products such as iPhones and computers are on display, they are not for sale. It is the only place where you can buy Apple T-shirts, caps and accessories so I grabbed a couple of caps and T-shirts before we left for the next Internet wonder, Google. Again, we didn't know anyone there and I stayed in the car while the rest of us walked around the grounds of the 'campus'. Google has many offices here and there but I think the headquarters is Googleplex. I would have loved to visit Google because I think I can live without Facebook but not Google.

Btw, andI don't know if it's a fact,I was told that Steve Jobs named his company 'Apple' because Santa Clara (where the Silicon Valley is) where he grew up in, was a fruit farming (apples included) area.




Lunch was seafood and steaks but I've lost all my photos. I found the food rather greasy.

After lunch, it was Stanford University, the most awesome university I've been to. Its architecture is very Californian and I was reminded of The University Of San Diego. Stanford is huge (3,300 ha), very well-kept (no graffiti or cigarette butts), very pleasant and has this utterly awesome (again) academic vibe. It felt more serious than U Berk, and the students are noticeably more preppy than U Berk's. The ! academic tension was definitely palpable and I'd like to be there to see Stanford (and Harvard) students do their 'Primal Scream' at midnight during the final exam week, howling out their dorm windows in unison to relieve their stress. My university had a couple of naked runs and once a year a naked Lady Godiva with long blonde hair rode through campus on a white horse(am not sure if this is still practiced)although I don't think it was to relieve stress.


At the entrance of Stanford, thrilled.




Past the entrance, there is a big church. It is beautiful inside.








Those are statues by Auguste Rodin.


Of course the computer science building has to be named after Bill Gates.

When you think of it, it's no wonder that the Silicon Valley is the leading center for high-tech innovation and development, since some of the countries' best universities, Stanford in particular, are in the state. That, plus the fact that American is quick to recognise and accept innovations and creativity. Another factor is the tremendous amount of funds they have. I've forgotten the figure but research studies in the medical department recently received funds amounting to tens of billions.


So big there's a golf course.

We spent a couple of minutes on top of a hill to check out the San Andreas Fault, which runs under the valley in between the hills in the photo below. There is a beautiful house built smack right on the faultline (not in picture). That's either true faith or blind faith.







We ended the day at the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately, the fog rolled in and we couldn't get good photos. It was also the coldest night I've ever had in SF so it wasn't exactly the best time to be up in the mountains where it was windy but Hub was leaving the next day, and I wanted him to see as much of SF as possible. Dinner was at Grant Place in Chinatown. It was very yummy but I've lost all my photos.

Thanks, FC and K, if you are reading this, for being the best hosts ever. Our memories of SF are made even more special because of you.

Pangkor Laut Resort, Perak Book the Residents Package by YTL!

I was just back a while ago from Tanjong Jara Resort, Terengganu and shortly after the trip, I discovered about the Tanjong Jara RM799 RESIDENT PACKAGE which I quickly sharedHERE.

After that, I found out about the Bali one Spa Village Resort Tembok, Bali, another Summer Holiday Special from YTL Hotels.

I toyed with the idea of going Bali since I never been there, but the recent Europe trip was exhausting enough. Besides, Pangkor was more affordable as no extra cost will be incurred for flights and at the same time I can explore some Ipoh delicacies like dim sum and re-visit Julie again for desserts . I love her designer breakfast atIndulgence Restaurant & Living, Ipoh.

This is such a good deal for Malaysian and Singaporean residents (expats included!) . For RM2068, this was my 3D2N holiday at the beautiful Pangkor Laut Resort by YTL.

Access the booking page at: http://www.pangkorlautresort.com/packages/residents-package.htm

A quick comparison of the Resident Package and the usual is below. I took weekdays in an effort to save cost.

Standard Rate: RM1,900 (Hill Villa 3 days 2 nights).

Residents Package: RM 2068 (Hill Villa -3 days 2 nights from Tuesday to Thursday)

Ok, hold your horses and dont jump at me just yet. Yes, at a glance it may seem that the usual package is cheaper. HOWEVER, the difference is ONLY RM168. The Resident Package includes the following:

From two nights accommodation:
Daily meals for every night of stay consisting of:
- Breakfasts at Feast Village (this is similar for both the usual and the Resident Package)
- 2-course lunches at Royal Bay Beach Club or Chapmans Bar
- Set dinners at Uncle Lims Kitchen(trust me, Uncle Lims was superb! ) or Feast Village
- Complimentary coffee, tea and mineral water served during meals
Return scheduled boat transfer! s from M arina Island Pangkor

Complimentary activity:
Jungle Walk with Resident Naturalist

So yes, think about it. All those meals will cost a bomb if it wasnt covered under the package. So all in all, paying about RM2000, you dont have to worry about anything else during your stay.

Yes, not worry and just have fun like I did!

If you do not already know, Pangkor Laut Resort is ONE RESORT, ONE ISLAND. So basically there is not other option to dine other than in their F & B outlets on the island itself.

So what did I do during my stay?

And so the story begins

To access Pangkor Laut Resort, every guest leaves via a speedboat or a chartered boat service via Marina Island Jetty in Lumut, Perak. Another option is via helicopters, but frankly, you wouldnt want to consider that as the bill runs along the lines of RM13 20K per trip.

Marina Island Jetty.

This is the fully air conditionedlounge where you will wait in absolute comfort for the departure time of thespeed boat. It has WIFI (powered by YES 4G this is a property of YTL after all) and complimentary drinks were served throughout the day. Your luggage are taken of as the staff will assist you to load them onto the boat. They even park your car at the designated carpark and then return your car key to you. Parking is RM10/night.

On the boat!

The ride was smooth and really speedy, thanks to the powerful, efficient dual-engine speedboat.

Barely 20 minutes later, we rested our eyes on the first sight of the resort. I craned my neck to see if! the elu sive crystal clear waters that Ive longed for is here; but at first sight the waters around the resort was a pleasant green but certainly not crystal clear. Though disappointed, I brushed that thought aside and focused on the resort instead.

A warm welcome greeted us at the jetty and all of us were quickly ushered to the lobby. Cold towels were handed out and a dedicated resort personnel briefed each guest individually about the resort and its surroundings, their accommodation (Hill Villa, Spa Villa, etc), the F & B outlets available before being escorting them to their chosen villa.

Below: The Garden Villa at the front, Hill Villa in the background.

At the villa, we were given a quick tour and thereafterwe were left to settle in.

Below: Entrance to our villa!

I got to work immediately; capturing a quick video of the villa and the necessary shots before our luggage crashed the place!

The Hill Villa is perched on higher grounds amidst the rain of the island and offer spectacular views of the island! and bey ond.Housed in double-storey units, the villas on the ground floor feature a huge bathtub in a private open courtyard while the bathrooms in the villas on the first floor open out to the rainforest.
Mine was the one on the ground floor so I had this!

Magnificent isnt it? A mini pool right outside our villa.

In theme with nature, each unit is built with natural resources with wood being the main component.

Welcome Rebecca.my, I truly value such personal touches!

I loved the balcony, which extended out to quite a huge space. From there, the island stretched out in the distance, offering panoramicview of the sea and sky.

Its actually big enough to throw in a personal sun-tanning corner!

Similarly to Tanjong Jara, certain features in the suite are provided in twos, such as the vanity table and wardrobe.

As expected, all necessary shower amenities are provided. The products are similar to the ones in Tanjong Jara so Im guessing its same across all the resorts!

View from the balcony.
Daytime.

Night time.

I rushed to lunch shortly after as my spa appointment was booked for 3pm. Lunch was at one of the F & B outlets here; The Royal Beach Bay Club, which offers a mix of international and local cuisine.

Speaking from a personal but general observation derived from my stay; the restaurants at Pangkor Laut Resort focuses primarilyon local cuisine; though you may find a few Westernised items dotting the menu. Thats with the exception of the Japanese bar (Jamu Bar) and Fisherman Cove, which offers Japanese andWestern Grill, fresh seafood and Italian cuisine respectively.
I guess the reason for that is to cater for the international tourists who no doubt would prefer to have a taste of our local delicacies when they are here in Malaysia.
Anyhow! , there were a large percentage of locals and Singaporeans during my visit on the first week of June; much contributed by the school holidays. So Pangkor Laut Resort is popular with the locals as well; and in realizing that, YTLs Resident Package offer aims to make Pangkor Laut Resort accessible to this market.

Heres my lunch; in my usual sequence of order; starting with a salad followed by some meat.

I decided to try something local Soto Ayam!

The strawberry milkshake turned out to be my favourite item here! I blame it on my sweet tooth and the sweltering heat.

I spent the next 4 hours being coddled by the resident therapist of Spa Village in one of the most indulgent spa session ever; so ethereal it wasthat it deserves an entire post of its own. If you think the ! Spa Village experience I had at Tanjong Jara wasexquisite, wait till you see my pictures of my Royal Secrets of Puteri Lindungan Bulan session here at the Pangkor Laut Resort!

Note: Spa Village experience is not included in the Resident Package.

After being spoiled rotten at Spa Village, it was dinner time. If you remember, all dinners are complimentary as part of the Resident Package. The first night we had dinner at Uncle Lims Kitchen; a restaurant whose specialty areNyonya and Hock Chew, home-cookedstyle cuisines.The chef at helm was apparently the No. 001 staff of Pangkor Laut Resort (or was it YTL?).Oh my memory!

Since its under the Resident Package, there were a set amount of dishes that you may order.
As an example, for 2 pax the order would be 1 appetiser, 3 dishes from the main sections of seafood, vegetables or meat and finally 2 desserts. Any additional drinks other than water is subject to additional charges.

Uncle Lims Aromatic Style.
Steamed on banana leaves with lemongrass, imparting a delicious fragrance our signature favourite RM100 (Est +-300gm) Fillet. Whole (+-800gm). RM140.

Asparagus with Scallops RM70.

Duck Spring Rolls RM60.
Tender roast duck slices, crunchy cucumber, sticky-sweet plum saucce and scallions in a soft flour wrap.

Oyster Omelette -- a perennial hock chew favourite!
RM60.Fresh plump oysters cooked omelette -style with scallions and sliced red onions.

Banana Fritters RM25.
Sweet local deep-fried until golden, served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Avocado Cream with Citrus Pearls RM25.
Chilled cream of fresh avocado topped with orange flavoured tapioca pearls.

Since this is not an individual food post but rather one that covers the full Resident Package, Ill skip my usual lengthy food descriptions alright?
In summary, I enjoyed dinner immensely and Uncle Lim is a superb chef!
The seabass was moist and flaky. I was served a perfect dish of crunchy asparagus & sweet scallops. Same sentiments applies for the oyster omelette; which was non- oily with fat oysters within its folds. I think I might actually prefer this over the Penang one! *gasp*

So, Ill reiterate; go for the Resident Package.
Having all meals covered during your stay is really worth the price paid. Just imagine if youre paying for dinner on a separate bill!

After the excellent dinner, I went for a walk in the hope of shedding some added pounds. The sea breeze, the tranquility and the vibe of the whole island is so soothing. Strolling around the island, my roving eyes caught a number of spellbinding sights; such as this.

I got a few good shots of myself too!

Ohhfinally some time with a chick-lit! I do really miss reading an actual book!

The next day I woke up early for a jog on the beach. I love my runs but running in the city can be such a pain. Traffic, safety, undulating pavements and the populated air arent factors for an enjoyable heart-thumping satisfa! ctory jo g, but crisp sea breeze, chilly air and emerald green waves certainly was!

Breakfast was at Feast Village and yes, it does look similar to the Feast Village we have in Starhill, KL.

These little packets of nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf really aims to bring the Malaysian experience to the guests!

I inhaled the fragrant banana leaf infused nasi lemak and tucked in heartily!

BREADS!!

There were copious amount of fruits, salads and fresh juices.

Another favourite; dim sum. These were sesame seeds coated glutinous rice balls filled with lotus paste, made fresh on the spot.

Chappati and roti canai/pratha were prepared by order as well.

Below: The assortment of chutneys, dhall and curries. All aromatic and appetising.

I couldnt resist!

Fried noodles. Take your pick and the chef will cook it per your request.

The westerners in me opted for the cereals.

And pancakes and waffles! Sorry, waffle was devoured before a picture was taken and as you can see, I was already working my way through the pancakes! :P

Stuffed, Im now ready to explore the island further. The Resident Package includes aGuided Jungle Trek with the Resident Naturalist, which was rather educational.

Plants, flowers, seeds, animals and the surroundings of Pangkor Laut Resort was explained. For example, this was a fossil (SERIOUS!); albeit a plant one, which grew under the stone.

Lunch was at Chapman Bar, which sits on Emerald Bay and serves light lunches daily, including sandwiches, traditionalsatay, salads and seafood dishes. A variety of beverages are served throughout the day, including beers and wines, all a short walk or a languid wave from your beach chair.

Now, what should I eat?

Chilling while waiting for my lunch.

Ok, Ill continue later.. got to run!

NOTE:
My post serves as a a guide to anyone whos thinking of booking a Resident Package soeveryone can understand whats involved from a first hand perspective.

Terms and conditions:

• Package is applicable to Malaysian and Singaporean residents, including its expatriates. Proof of resident identification must be presented upon check-in. Failing which, the daily prevailing rate at check-in will be strictly enforced.
• Rates quoted are in Ringgit Malaysia (MYR) and subject to prevailing service charge and government taxes.
• Package is based on full prepayment and is not refundable, with a limit to five! rooms a vailable per day.
• Package is valid for individual bookings, not group bookings.
• A minimum stay of two nights is required.
• Daily meals included in the package consist of:
  - Two breakfasts at Feast Village
  - Two 2-course lunches at Royal Bay Beach Club or Chapmans Bar
  - Two set dinners at Uncle Lims Kitchen or Feast Village
• Maximum of two adults and one child below 12 years old in the Hill, Garden and Beach Villas.
• Sea and Spa Villas can only accommodate two persons above 16 years old.
• Package is subject to availability and prices are subject to change without prior notice.
• All activities, spa treatments and private dining experiences are subject to availability and weather conditions.