Macaron Snob

i was really excited and psyched to make macarons this weekend. then i read this and all confidence i had went out d window :(

bread story

OMGG!!! byk nye work i can pengsann!!! ok im not procrastinating ppl.. system is down at d moment so i blog lah!! not much is happening in my life.. still dream of losing weight.. i swear this ageing thing does not bode well w me. i mean d way my metabolic rate is goin ud think im 60! i mean u used to be able to eat so much n stay d same weight but now!! haiyo.. i went to a wedding the other day. i woke up in d morning n immediately tried on clothes i wanted to wear to d said wedding. EVERYTHING FIT!! sum was even loose-ish u know! so i was uber happy and packed my stuff to go to his parents place to have lunch. we were gonna get ready and push off fr thr. after doing my hair n make up- he ironed my hair ok comel x!!- i put on my baju and i cud hardly breath!! i mean really how much cud i have grown in the span of 9 hours!! its crazy!! i love looking at myself in the morning before i shower... i avoid looking at mirrors before bedtime to avoid self loathing..

i havent cooked or baked anything in a while... he claims to have lost weight... i notice he looses weight wen i dont cook for long periods of time... wonder how ginormous he's gonna get wen we live togather after we're married... *shudder*

oh oh!! yesterday i bought charcoal bread!! i have a thing for bread and i love to try different kinds like w d seeds stuff and like green tea bread, or like red bean bread. so yesterday i got charcoal bread! ive been wanting to try it for sum time now bt he'd go 'ur never gonna eat it so dun bother la!' bt yesterday i got a loaf n fell in love! i love trying out new food and well bread isnt exactly like eating a spider or anything but eating a black coloured bread can be daunting for some. like jj who refused to take a bite.. and my bro who balked and refused to touch his plate after i put my half eaten charcoal bread on it. seriously la u ppl. dun b so boring can or not! i made an egg sandwich w my awesome bread n i loved itt! despite the colour, it didnt taste much diff den normal bread cept it tasted better!! coz it was slightly sweetish and really2 fluffy. spose to be good for u so try it ok!! normal white bread seems so boring now.. oh and we got tickets to watch disney on ice nx weekend! cant wait!!

delish!!

Sugar spice n all things nice

So i have been mulling over what to give as wedding favours for some time now... i think ive gotten the reception favours down pat. but im not sure about favours for our solemnization ceremony.. i kindda want to make something myself since there wont be too many guests, so i guess it'll be manageble.

i wanted something personal. something i made myself with love, from my heart. i scratched out cookies coz it has to be made fresh n there is no way im gonna slough in the kitchen on the day before my wedding, also, its rather dangerous as id probably consume half of it n not fit into my dress on the day. so cookies r a no no. then i thought about sumtin else. dun freak out ok. i thought of making flavoured salt! brilliant!? no? well u kno how much i LOVEEEE to cook!? so i thought what better to show thanks to those who came then to give them something which is so me!? n i will def be doing a considerable amount of cookng after the wedding so.. perfect!!! kan?? i though of making like a salt rub so people cn bring it home n rub their meat n chicken with it and grill or bake it or even bbq it or even make stir fry's with it! genius idea!!

Kindda like this but with a narrower prettier jar

i also thot of making sumthing simpler like rosemary salt or thyme salt! u know it smells heavenly and u can sprinkle it on ur pies n stuff till i thot about how often msians actually make pastries and scratched that idea... i planned to make some flavoured salt, and some flavoured sugar n put them in pretty jars tied with pretty bows with labels on them. i was plenty proud of myself till i went n told mom. she shot me down like a bird with a simple statement- "eee.. meraban la"

I wanted to cry!! i had all these ideas in my head n all sorts of recipes for the salt rub n flavoured sugar n types of jars i was gonna use n all. wen she saw my face she went "ok. we can consider it. well discuss it at next dewan rakyat meeting". haiyo, im already letting her choose the theme colour, lemme have my salt rub la maa!!! xsalt rub pon xpe. we can make pretty flavoured sugar kn!? so now my idea has been submitted to the dewan rakyat, pending approval. mcm approval xkn dtg je... mom really wants the pretty cut out cookies that r all the rage now. i think they're rather common kn? not like salt rub n flavoured sugar kn??

bagi pokok kang... but pretty kn d pokok.. ok i also suggested giving these little plants.. n got the same meraban response.. i think mama should really try thinking out of the box once in a while...

**All images courtesy of mr google

Tim's Nuts

so yesterday i uploaded a pic of a cake on fb. a cake that jj n i were in the process of pigging out on. when i say pigging out on. i mean- we had just picked it up from the bakers house and we were parked at a corner about 10 feet away from whr we pick it up and i found a diposable fork and spoon in the car which cakbina had been playing with days earlier. and we very ceremoniously digged in. and it was soooo good.. so so good. its a peanut butter banana cake. with layers of chocolate cake and fresh cream and peanut butter cream and bananas and topped with a dark chocolate ganache. OH EM GEE.. it was sooo good. this coming from me- who repel banana's. so not a fan!


eating a whole uncut cake with a fork out of the box was liberating.. it actually is something i had wanted to do for the longest time. i kno i kno. im embarassing like that but i saw a cake ad once whr this bunch of girls were eating this huge cake sans cake plates. just them and a fork. digging in to heavenly goodness. i wanted to do that too!! and jj was kind (glutton) enough to go along. so that was how we ended up on the curb eating a whole 8 inch cake to ourselves. and cake never tasted this good. i kid u not. u have to try it. put it on ur (bucket) list. now i can scratch it off mine :)

the cake is seriously good. i got it from fatboybakes. this cake we got is also known as Tim's Nuts, the cake comprises a choc biscuit base, a layer of peanut butter cream, bananas, fresh cream, chocolate cake and chocolate ganache. RM75 (approx 1.4kg)

The latest addition to my a**

Chicken with mushrooms and cream

ish this blogspot moodswings blowing hot n cold really irks me out. kjap2 ok kjp2 tak. kjap2 ticker kt atas kjp2 ticket kt bwh kjp2 ticker hilang terus. dont even get me started on the layout thats all over the place!! haih!

anyways! i cannot wait to get home today!! i have been wanting to make this chicken with mushroom and cream for-EVER but always seem to forget! wen i remember to buy fresh button mushrooms, i forget about the dish and make sauteed mushrooms with scrambled eggs instead. or cook it with butter and garlic n eat it with rolls. mmm... yummm... eh eh! focus focus!

ever since i saw amy adams preparing this dish in julie & julia i was hooked! butter! cream! mushrooms! chicken! wats not to love!?! i CANNOT wait to get home and get started! i even contemplated cancelling my tuition class today- bad teacher! then i remembered she has an exam tomorrow.. 

wen im cooking something, i actually get more excited about making the dish then actually eating it!- ok my rear end may give u an impression otherwise but i also eat out a lot so yeah. i dont eat much when i cook. unless its spaghetti. janna and spaghetti is a dangerous dangerous combo. i actully get up in the middle of the nite to go tinkle and get cravings. at like 3am. and i actully layan this crazy cravings. so id b raiding the fridge at 3am and eating a bowl of spag bol in front of the telly before falling asleep 10 mins later. hows that for unhealthy lifestyle!

so anyway! yes! i love the process of making something!! the going to the supermarket to pick up fresh ingredients! and cutting n slicing and zesting! i love zesting lemons for cakes! i love making lemon cakes coz i cannot get enough of the smell!! i never use lemon essences in my cakes- only the natural zest! i love it! eventho i have zested my fingers and hands along so many times i still love doing it! so worth the battle wounds!

i love love love cooking for people! and i live for the moment their eyes lite up n they go mmmmmmm!!! yummm!!!! yes yes i do like having my ego rubbed every now and then bt who doesnt eyh?

eh btw pls watch julie & julia if u havent yet. if that doesnt bring out the kitchen goddess in u then u def are a lot cause. i can get fat just by watching that. the cravings u get watching her create heavenly goodness out of pounds n pounds of butter is so wrong it has to be right! am i making sense? i cannot live without butter either. butter and garlic make up a huge part of my life- and my a**. i only watched it once, and went on a crazy cooking spree later. am afraid to watch it again.

so i cant wait to get home tonite! were gona have a little cooking date at home. im quite territorial when im in the kitchen- an issue im working on. hope the chicken doesnt come out pink!

this is the dish im talking about. are u drooling yet?

Lina's Bridal Shower

Last weekend we had a bridal shower for a dear dear friend of mine- Lina. She's a spunky lass n keeping such a big secret from her was difficult for me, esp since i see her almost everyday for lunch. i had to keep reminding myself not to say anything that would give any indication of the party. alas, our efforts in keeping mum was wasted wen sumone dcided it would be better if the bride knew of our plans. haish! despite all the drama, i had crazy fun. went home with half my sanity intact and a voice that was going due to the shouting n screaming playing charades (my all time fav game!)- peppered with karaoke sessions. it was great as we were just a small bunch of close frens so singing our hearts out didnt render the occasional throws of rotten vegetables like it would have had we been singing to strangers.

lina's sister made her this little tutu that was so cute and she was twirling around like a loon and 'combing' the strands of net ribbon that made up the skirt. the theme was pink, white and black. and we had sum pretty fun games and we ate n ate and ate. i think most people went home with a full stomach and memories to last a lifetime. i know i did

preperations were done just the week before via FB je ok! we were discussing themes and such on fb throwing ideas back and forth and finally came up with somthing everyone could agree on. not as easy feat when u consider how many hard heads were at work here :)

some people voluntereed to prep sum stuff. her sisters did the deco and gift bags while i did the food. and burnt my hands in 3 places in the oven- lina are u reading this?? please capture ok. ahhaah!- the lenghts i go thru to feed the people i love...

we ended the day with a 'prize giving' ceremony ala kerajaan dpt award with lina handing out our goodie bags. i loved it! in keeping with the black white n pink theme, we were each given a reusable grocery bag- which i personally love coz i collect them in a bid to save the enviroment and to make up for all the hairsprays and air conditioners i use. inside thrs a clock from ikea that has been personalized by her sister in law n is so cute! with a lacey pink doilly in the middle and a small crown on the number 1. complete with jewels on the crown. cuteness overload!! and thr are sum chocs and a cute sewing kit tin and a glass with sleeves custom made by her sister.

i hope the blushing bride to be had as much fun as i did. i had fun cooking for the party eventho i burned my hand in three spot- did i mention this? lina are u capturing this??

Enjoy the photos that i conveniently stole from the bride to be's fb

Strawberry Tart Recipe

Papa came home fr london the oth day and brought back 2 big boxes of strawberries. they were huge n was really juicy. as is always the case, it wud sit in a corner of the fridge, forgotten, and will eventually be tossed out all mouldy and stuff. so a few weeks back, i decided to make a strawberyr tart! having never made tarts before, i looked for measurements for the crust here.

It looked simple enough so i set right to work. so senang man!

165 plain flour

113.5 gm chilled butter

1-2 T iced water

pinch of salt

granulated sugar to sprinkle


Sift flour into a medium bowl. Add the salt and mix well. Grate the butter into the bowl. Just use your fingers lightly to mix the butter and flour up evenly.


I did not crumble the mixture until it became fine breadcrumbs because I wanted the pastry to be more flaky. Add iced water and stir the mixture and then using your fingers bring the dough together into a firm ball.


Do not knead so that the butter does not melt and the gluten is not worked up. Too much kneading will make a tough pastry.

Once the pastry comes together, chill it if necessary and then roll out in between 2 pieces of baking paper (*i didnt have this so i used cling wrap which works just as fine) to 1/8 inch thick. 


Cut a round slightly larger than the pie pan and then lift the pastry and line the pan. Cut the edges to neaten.


like her, also brushed my pastry with egg wash. i bake it in the oven for about 30 mins at 170C.
 For the filling.


20 large strawberries

2-3 tbsp icing sugar (according to preferance)


* you may subtitute with honey but be careful, it might burn faster


1-2 tbsp lime or lemon juice (depending on how tart you want it to be)


2 tbsp corn flour (mixed with water)

I cut up the strawberries and mixed them with the icing sugar. Place them in a pan and stir slighty (refrain from overstirring if you want chunky strawberries). 


When it starts to boil, pour in corn flour mixture bit by bit. stop adding when it starts to thicken and has lost that 'floury' taste. leave it aside to cool.


When the crust is ready, let it rest for 15 mins then pour in the filling.


The crust pastry might be a little difficult to handle to make the lattice, i added a bit more flour for the lattice part and rolled it again and cut into strips.


bake at 170C for 25 mins and tadaaah!!!

let it cool to a nice warm temperature and serve with vanilla ice cream.


welcome to heaven :)


love,


from Jane's Kitchen

Recipe: Roast Chicken

So a couple of weeks back i made roast chicken for lunch. I actually do a lot of cooking bt the hassle of running up the stairs to grab my camera is just too much for me sumtimes (all the time). but the last time i made it the camera was on d dining table from the last time i took it out so i snapped!


so here is my 1st recipe post!! weehooo!!! *que cheerleaders cheering my name*


so u'll need
- a whole chicken (i used 2)
- about 2 heads of garlic (ull repel edward cullen for sure)
- olive oil
- thyme and rosemary (preferably fresh)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chicken stock
- potatoes
- button mushroom
- white onions
- tomatoes
- leek


Basting
*mixed
- 2 tbs oyster sauce

- 2 tbs honey
- 2 tbs bbg sauce

i love burnt garlic. its more flavourful and aromatic

1. first u need to clean the chicken. i clean chickens with a water mixed with flour. it gets rid of the gamey smell. u can also use the exess water u use to clean rice.


2. then insert a very sharp knife under the skin of the chicken. do this all over.


3. peel and slice a head of garlic and slice em up and stuff it in under the skin. do this with the rosemary n thyme as well. save some herbs for garnish and stuffing


4. take the other head of garlic and cut it lengthwise (skin and all) and stuff it into the cavity along with herbs.

5. rub chicken with some chicken stock and salt.


6. then brush the basting sauce all over the chicken and let rest for a while.


7. cut the potatoes and boil in water with a little salt added. boil till half cooked and drain.


8. cut onions (quarters), leeks, tomatoes and any other vegetables you may have and mix it all togather with the potatoes and place them into the same baking tin as the chicken. Brush them with the basting sauce. drizzle all with olive oil

9. cover with tin foil (shiny side down) and roast at 180 degrees celcius for 40-50 mins depending on the size of the chicken.
i like to occasionally take the chicken out and brush with more basting sauce for more flavour.


10. when it looks about done (juices run clear when poked), turn temp up to 200 celcius and let it roast uncovered for about 5-7 mins and turn it over.


11. when both sides have been browned. take it out and let rest for 15 mins for the juices to be redistributed.

Bon apetit!

i love this coz its simple to make and the aroma of the rosemary and thyme is gorgeous! and the best part is, leftovers can be made into sandwiches or a chicken salad! 


also the garlic doesnt really smell after all that roasting so u wont repel those hot hunks from twilight~ or ur boyfren. in fact he'd love u more for making such a delicious meal!


and u can mash the garlic and mix it boiled potatoes along w sum cream to make a superb mashed potato. bt lets save that recipe for another post ey?


~luff from Jane's kitchen~