Sometime last week I had a sudden craving for Bulgogi beef. I literally ran outside to get beef and cooked it the very same day. Because when I crave for something, I will have to satisfy it no matter what it takes. lol. 

Bulgogi is a kind of korean recipe whereby meat-usually beef- is marinated with a sauce mix. The main ingredient in the mix is sesame. Once you taste it, you will notice that the beef is packed with heat and savoury flavours with a hint of sweetness . You can spice it up with some fresh chillies if you like. But for me, this recipe is perfectly fine as it is. So these are the ingredients I used, followed by the full recipe:

NOTE: I did not have sesame seeds at the time but if you have them, you can add them to create a more authentic korean taste. 

2 green onions

2 cloves garlic

3 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs sesame oil

1 tsp black pepper

A pinch of salt

2 tsp brown sugar

350g diced beef

1. Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2. Use a girdle or a pan to grill the bulgogi beef after marination. You may grease the pan or girdle surface otherwise, if you find the beef to be oily enough, like how I found mine, there's no need to grease it.

3. Be sure to cook the beef until you get your preferred level of doneness. I like my beef medium rare so that's how I cooked it.

4. Bulgogi beef dishes are best served with soft boiled eggs or even sunny side ups, with rice and fresh vegetables like cucumber and bean sprouts.

5. Garnish the beef with more green onions and even sesame seeds if you like.

Enjoy your meal!

Yours truly,

A.T.

I love pies. My mother makes the best chicken and apple pies. I love that show 'Pushing Daisies' because the main character is a pie-maker and it features a lot of pies in every episode. 

You get the idea ,right?

Sometime in February, Tasty by Buzzfeed uploaded a shot video on how to do mini pot pies. I instantly fell in love with the idea and on the very next day, I bought ready-to-roll pastry sheets and then made my version of their recipe. So here is the full recipe. Have fun trying and most importantly, enjoy it!

For the filling, 

500g sirloin beef; diced

1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets

1 carrot; diced

1 cup of green peas

1 big onion; diced

2 tbs corn flour

2 tbs HP sauce/ soy sauce/ worcestershire sauce

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried parsely

1 bay leaf

2 cloves garlic

2 cups of beef stock/  2 cup of water with 1/2 cube of beef stock

S&P

1 tbs butter


1. Use butter to grease a pot.

2. Simmer onion and garlic with bay leaf.

3. Add in the carrots and cauliflower.

4. Add in beef and stir until carrots slightly change in colour.

5. Add in the HP sauce.

6. Once beef begins to tender, add in the stock. Let it simmer and bubble for a while.

7. Then as the mixture begins to reduce, thicken it with corn flour. Remember to mix the corn flour with water before adding it into the pot.

8. Let it continue to bubble for 1 minute and it will be ready to be added in the cooked pastry.



For the pastry,

1. Simply roll out a ready-to-roll pastry sheet.

2. Make small circles about the size of the mouth of a mug.

3. One pie needs two pieces. So for each pie, you get two circle pastry sheets. One is the base, while the other one goes directly on top of it.

4. Before you place the second sheet on top, trace a slightly smaller circle on it. By tracing, you're not supposed to cut it out. And then just place it on top of the base sheet.

5. Brush melted butter or egg wash on each pastry and sprinkle some dried parsley as well. Bake them all for about 10-15 minutes at 175 degree centigrade. You may remove the pie pastries once they begin to have a golden brown colour.

6. Simply cut through the inner circle that you traced earlier. Simply fill in the pastries with the pie mix you made earlier.

Yours truly,

A.T.

Hello! 

I'm trying to remain consistent with my blog-posting (1 post a week!) so here is a recipe of tiramisu which I created sometime last month. This is an alcohol and egg-free recipe however it is not vegan as I used heavy cream. Feel free to use and share. 

The recipe is as below:

250g mascarpone cheese

300ml double cream

2 tbs brown sugar

1 packet lady fingers

3 tsp ground coffee

3 cups water

1. Boil coffee and sugar together with the three cups of water. Let it cool for 1-3 mins.

2. Whip the cream until medium peaks are formed ( or hard if you prefer a more solid layer) then fold it in mascarpone.

3. Soak the fingers in the cooled coffee-roughly 10 seconds each.

4. Arrange soaked fingers in a container for the first layer of tiramisu. I used an 8x8 pyrex container. I think a clear container would make the tiramisu look more appealing as you get to see the layers.

5. On top of the fingers, spread the mascarpone mix. Remember not to layer too thickly as you may run out of the cream for the following layers. Just make sure you cover all the finger bits.

6. Sprinkle the almond and cocoa powder with some grated dark chocolate.

7. Repeat steps 4-6. Refrigerate overnight before consumption. The longer the storing the better the taste. But not too long as it contains cheese and cream. Best within 4-5 days.

Enjoy ;)

Yours truly,

A.T.

Sorry for not posting anything for two weeks. I was travelling in Italy and Holland. I have yet to edit my photos from the trip. Once done, I will share them on this blog. 

These are portraits of the people I saw while I was travelling in China. Most of these are taken in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province . I generally enjoy taking candid photos of random strangers. It is as though I am capturing a wee part of their soul and take it back home with me. Some  would genuinely smile, some, would turn away, annoyed. They all equally intrigue me. 

A man on a city bus in Chengdu

Little girl on the same bus

An old woman using a wheelchair to carry what appeared to be recyclables

 

A toddler in Zigong

Two little girls dancing at the Emeishan summit

A man transporting cardboards with a tricycle in Jiu Zhai Gou

My mother and a woman we met who was kind to show us around the park of Jiu Zhai Gou. She couldn't speak English, and my mother couldn't speak Mandarin but this photo shows that despite the linguistic barrier, they both enjoyed each other's company.

And last but not least, yours truly with a friend I made in Jiu Zhai Gou, Alice

Yours truly,

A.T.

The snow monkeys are quite the favourite among nature photographers. I had seen so many stunning photos of them prior to my trip to Nagano, Japan, spring 2015. These snow monkeys are unique and quite docile. However, the weather was not exactly on my side at the time. I was expecting snow so I could mimic those famous photos I saw. Anyhow, these are some of the photos of the snow monkeys that I took.

 

Adult snow monkey grooming a younger one

They enjoy grooming each other as seen in this photo

A female snow monkey with her infant

Another adult snow monkey

More grooming scene


A cute little infant


Infants playing around


Favourite past-time


Atop


Adult monkey posing nicely by the water stream

Their very own 'Onsen'

Time for a sip!


Just an adult snow monkey hanging around

Yours truly,
A.T.

During my trip in Chengdu, China, I went to the breeding centre to see pandas for the very first time. They are very adorable and clumsy too.  The breeding centre itself is a beautiful attraction with breath-taking lakes and parks. I sure hope I will visit it again. Here are some photos I took there:

A young panda

Another young panda

An adult panda

A young panda cub

Yours truly,

A.T.

There are times that you just want a good plate of steak right on the table. I like my steak medium rare as always. Honestly, I can't remember how long it'd take to cook a medium rare steak. Usually, after searing the steak I'd finish it off in the oven for 10-15 minutes. During that time I would check on the doneness from time to time. The trick is to compare the firmness of the steak with your palm. The palm can have different firmness depending on the number of fingers that you bend. I have been relying on that for a couple of years now. I will demonstrate you a simple steak recipe with gravy and mash.

  Here is the recipe for one serving ;

A

1 beef sirloin portion

1/2 tsp oregano

S&P

Olive oil

B

1 shallot –sliced

1 clove garlic –sliced

1 tbs butter

3/4 water

1 tbs corn flour

1 thyme

S&P to taste

C

1/2 cup broccoli florets

french beans

1/2 shallot -sliced



D

2 clove garlic

2 tsp parsley

2 potatoes

1 tbs milk

2 tbs cream

S&P 

1. Use items in A to prepare the sirloin and over medium heat, sear it for 3-4 minutes on each side for a medium rare steak with the garlic in D (unpeeled).
2. Now that you have made the steak, put it aside and let it rest. 
3. In the same pan, add the shallot and garlic from B with butter and stir until slightly golden.
4. Add thyme and water. As water begins to bubble, take some of it and mix with corn flour and add the mixture in the pan. Season well and your sauce is done. 
5. Boil your veges in C and the potatoes in D together. As the florets turn deep green, take the florets and beans out and let the potatoes continue to boil until tender. 
6. Sauté the greens in step 5 with the shallot in C. Season to taste and your veges are done. 
7. Once the potatoes are soft, strain and mash them in a bowl. Mix in the garlic you have seared the beef with -this time peeled- with the parsley and milk. If the mash is already so creamy, add 1/2 to 1 tbs of cream. Otherwise, go ahead and put 2 tbs of cream. Season mash with salt and pepper.  
8. Now put the beef, veges, mash and gravy together!

Yours truly,

A.T

I was so lucky to see the sakuras in Japan a year ago during spring. These photos were taken in Tokyo, Osaka , Kyoto and Nara. Again, I travelled with the same travel companion that you may have seen in my first entry under 'Photography'. She is Kak Nina. We were travelling in Japan for two weeks- Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagano and finally Tokyo. 

Pink sakuras in Kyoto

Pink sakuras in Nara

White sakuras in Tokyo

Kak Nina and sakuras in Osaka

Yours truly,

A.T.

I love fish. Lately, I have been buying only fish in the supermarkets. I can't fathom why I no longer tolerate the aftertaste of chicken. And since I am aiming for a healthier lifestyle, I'm trying to restrain my urge to eat red meats. So I'd like to share a really simple fish recipe that I always have. It is quick, simple and scrumptious of course!

 The method of cooking used is grilling or pan-frying. Here is the recipe for one serving ;

A

1 salmon portion

1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp dill

S&P

Olive oil

B

1 shallot –sliced

1 clove garlic –sliced

1/3 cup double cream

1 tbs butter

2 tbs water

S&P to taste

C

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1/2 carrot - sliced

1 potato - halved

S&P 

1. Use items in A to prepare the salmon except the olive oil.
2. Heat up a non-stick pan on medium heat and grease it with olive oil.
3. Pan-grill the fish skin on for a minute and then on the other side for another minute.
4. If the fish is not cooked through, you may repeat step 3 for less than a  minute on each side. Otherwise, in a pre-heated oven, cook the fish at 170 for about 7 minutes. Always check on your fish in the oven to prevent over-cooking. 
5. With the same pan, grease it with butter and then add garlic and shallot from B .As the condiments begin to change in colour just slightly, add water. 
6. As water begins to bubble quickly stir in cream and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Your cream sauce is done.
7. Sauté pre-boiled veges in C in the same pan. You could add some garlic or shallots. Sometimes I would just boil the veges and not pan-fry them later. Season veges with S&P.

Voila! Your pan-grilled salmon is ready!

 

Yours truly,

A.T

I was in Sichuan province of China in Spring 2014. I had the chance of visiting Jiu Zhai Gou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nature reserve and national park. Here are some stunning views I managed to capture.

The Panda lake

My travel companion at one of the lakes

The duck at the Panda Lake

Yours truly,

A.T.

I love being at home mostly because I get to cook. And cooking ,as always, is a therapeutic routine. In most occasions,  I would cook pasta because it's quick , healthy and tasty.My family loves pasta and Fettucine Alfredo is one of our favourites. And so on a fine and sunny Sunday, I prepared the recipe together with home-made croutons and dried chili condiment. It is a simple, easy and quick recipe. It's something you can do as you roll out of bed- kid you not!

The recipe is as below:

A

500g chicken carcass

5 stalks of celery (remove and put leaves aside)

4 tbs of olive oil

3 tsp of salt

1 medium sized pot of water

B

3 NOS chicken breasts

750ml of heavy cream

1 NOS big onion - chopped

2 stalks of celery - sliced thinly

1 can of button mushroom - chopped

4 cloves of garlic - coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp italian herbs

1/2 tsp oregano

1 NOS bay leaf

S&P to taste

1. Start by making a chicken stock. Over medium heat, boil water with all ingredients in A. Once boiled, turn the heat off and put it aside.

2. To make the sauce, firstly,over low heat sauté the onions, celery and garlic with the bay leaf.

3. Until the onions turn slightly golden, add the mushroom in.

4. While sautéing, take the carcasses out of the stock's pot and add in the chicken breasts. Over medium heat boil it until cooked.

5. Add a few ladles of stock into the sauce mixture and leave it to simmer for about a minute then add in the heavy cream little by little. Stir continuously.

6. Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the stock and shred the flesh in strands. Add them all into the cream sauce.

7. Stir the sauce continuously while adding oregano and italian herbs. You may need to add more stock to get a nice consistency for the sauce ; not too thick that when you raise your spatula, it would take 4 seconds for sauce to drip. Add in parmesan cheese to replace salt ,if you like, then season well with pepper.

You may refer to my recipe 'Perfect Salad' for croutons and as for the chilli below, simply chop dried chilis and toast them on a pan for a minute or so. And then put them in a small bowl, with about 3 tbs of olive oil.

Serve fettuccine with this sauce as well as the croutons and chilli, and you will love your creamy indulgence!

Yours truly,

A.T.

Here, read my rant on why I should buy a waffle-making machine:

I sauntered the capitalistic corridors of a mall massively filled with day-time materialist-zombies sucking out every single bit of the mad dog-eat-dog world of consumerism. I stop at almost every clothing outlet thinking what would actually be worthy of my money. Each time I get all drained out by window-shopping, I would find an interesting snack to champ on. So typically, I would rush to the food court like a fat kid chasing an ice-cream van in summer and see where my smelling sense would take me. In the end, I will always end up at the waffle stall. I don’t know about you, or anyone, but I can never resist the smell of a warm waffle, and the crisp sound it makes as it is spread with a generous amount of peanut butter and chocolate. I am already salivating. I love waffles. I adore waffles. And quite frankly, I cannot live without waffles. The ones I get from this stall called ‘Nelson’ or any simple snack stall, costs me less than 3MYR. What’s not to love; it’s cheap and scrumptious. It is a warm snack with a sweet decadent finishing to it. I always order mine with a chocolate and peanut butter spread.  The combination is superb.  It’s so good that I grow tiny wings at my back and flutter in awe levitating myself to reach the holy light of food-gasm.

On other occasions, when I feel a tad more adventurous, I would visit high-end cafes or restaurants and indulge in a plate of good ‘ol waffle. There is a Belgian waffle stall in the heart of Kuala Lumpur but it is sadly not to my liking. The ‘stall’ is called Wafflemeister and it is situated smacked in the middle of the Petronas Twin Towers. The waffle is alright, but the toppings, they are about the amount of Prince William’s hair at his wedding. That’s right; the waffle is not generously covered with toppings, unlike the real Belgian waffles. Not only is it disappointing, but having to pay exorbitantly for it is far more ludicrous. I had to pay nearly 20RM for a waffle that tastes much less than OK- horrid! The stall claims to use the ‘finest’ chocolates but in the end, the 3MYR Nelson waffle is far more worthy. And yet, people would still go there because as materialist-zombies, they think it’s chic and cool to spend a lot on something so overrated. Bless them. On the other hand, my visit to The Daily Grind in Bangsar, at the south of Kuala Lumpur was a  delightful epicurean moment. I paid just about the same amount, but not only did I get a bigger portion of a waffle, I also got a heap of whipped cream, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, strawberry cuts and a heart-warming maple syrup. Now that ladies and gentlemen, is how you treat a customer-don’t ever try to trick them into spending more than what you can a c t u a l l y offer.

All these adventures and misadventures are all but a riddle- how much more do I have to spend on waffles? And how much longer do I have to anticipate my next trip to the Nelson’s. It’s a sting to my hungry soul. I want a waffle-maker. And yes, I am getting one. I shall fret no more, bemoan no more and ponder no more, for I will get the soulful machine that will make my heart skip a beat.

YOLO

The shameful waste at Wafflemeister

The glorious waffle at The Daily Grind

Yours truly,

A.T.

I constantly remind myself to restrain the urge to binge on sweets or any other unhealthy snacks. I think the perfect alternative is either a really delicious salad or a fruit parfait. When i don’t stack up some yogurt, I would make myself a perfect salad. And so I have named the dish as ‘The Perfect Salad’ . The flavours, textures all unite in a harmonious, nutritious mix displaying vibrant colours.

The recipe is as below;

A

50g of bread trimmings or 2 slices of bread

3 tbs of unsalted butter

2 cloves of garlic, mashed

½ tsp dried parsley

S&P to taste

B

1 avocado , cut into chunks

½ Sunkist orange cut into chunks –squeeze a wee of the juice out

20g of chopped walnut

1 tbs sliced black olives

1. To make home-made croutons, slice the bread and or bread trimmings (I usually save trimmings from bread to make croutons and plus,they are crispy) into cubes.
2. Melt the butter with the mashed garlic and dried parsley. Stir well.
3. Mix all of them together and then season to taste.
4. Combine all the ingredients in B with the croutons made earlier. No seasoning is required.

In this recipe, I guarantee you that no seasoning is required for the salad; the croutons are already imparting its seasoning, the black olives are salty and the flavours oozed by the orange and the avocado all incorporate perfectly together. The bountiful fat coming from the avocado is cut by the citrus-y orange creating a balance in the salad. The walnut contributes minerals to the dish, the croutons are high in fiber and the olives provide just the right amount  of savoury into the dish. It’s the perfect dish for those who are hungry but are concerned about their waistline. But for me, I would have this any time of the day ‘cause its that good!

Yours truly,

A.T

I have a never ending romance with seafood. It’s so intense that I sometime wish I could build a home by the sea just so I could have endless –and not to mention fresh and affordable- supplies of seafood products. I yearn a good piece of lean white fish meat and pack it up with some fresh off the sea squids and prawns. I really don’t mind going through the tedious and messy shelling and veining processes .Although not quite enjoyable, flashing visions of what the end bit will look and taste like indisputably entice me to go through it like a real cook. So in this entry, I have decided to share with you one of the best seafood recipes I have ever delivered. I recall having seen a similar version on TV sometime ago but I cannot remember which channel ,but most importantly which celebrity chef shared it. All I remember are some ingredients- shrimps, pineapple, ginger, corn starch, soy sauce and peppers.  So this is my rendition of the aired recipe–a creation based on faint memories of that one particular episode of a cook show. I figured, what else could you do with those ingredients combined?

 The method of cooking used is sauteeing and and pan-frying. And the number of ingredients used is surprisingly small but they are intense in flavours. Here are the ingredients and steps ;

A

500gm of shrimps

2 tbs of corn starch

3 table spoon of light soy sauce

½ tsp of mashed ginger

1 garlic clove- mashed

B

1 red onion -sliced

3 shallots –sliced

3 cloves of garlic –sliced

¾ cup of light soy sauce

2 tbs of fish sauce

1 tbs of sesame oil

½ pineapple –chunks

2 bell peppers –yellow and red , small slices

1 tbs chili flakes

S&P to taste

1. After preparing the shrimp, combine all ingredients in A and refrigerate it for 45 minutes to an hour.
2. The next step is to pan-fry the coated shrimp about a minute on each side until you get a golden crispy exterior on each side. Put the shrimp aside once cooked.
3. Heat up the oil and then sautee the onion and shallots until translucent and add in the garlic.
4. Add in the peppers and sautee through for about a minute. Then add the sauces, coating the ingredients thouroughly before adding the pineapple chunks.
5. At the very last minute, add in the shrimp and season to taste

 

Yours truly,

A.T

            Let's face it fellas. Tempe is not just delicious. It's seductively inviting; deliciousness to the level of obligatory ingestion. Well in my case at least. I simply can't resist the sight of tempe. Fried, stewed, steamed, dried or even breaded, you name it, I've tried it all. The texture of a tempe is so magical, like biting into cotton candy clouds as they burst like fairy dusts in your mouth while unicorn babies prancing around your head. The soya bean patty that you bite into simply crumble into individual beans and each bean would tickle your oral cavity with it's firm yet delicate flesh.

The tempe is basically made of fermented soya beans formed into patties. The commercialized ones may come wrapped up in banana leaves or conventionally, in plastic wraps. Those that come with the banana leaves are better;  albeit cooked unseasoned, it would have a distinctive flavour on its own unlike the other kind which requires a pinch of turmeric powder or at least salt and pepper or else, it would taste brackish .  The tempe is nutritionally beneficial to us as it is abundant with protein. As the soy beans go through fermentation, they are somewhat fortified with more protein. Which is why tempe these days is a good substitute for meat; a vegetarian/vegan gift from God.

My favourite kind of tempe dishes are those cooked with chili, like sambal, which is a chili paste simmered over low heat and of course, deep fried ones. I've created a few  tempe treats of my own :

1) Breaded deep fried tempe

2) Tempe fritters

These snacks are great for any ocassion! Not only are they tasty, but they surely add a great variety to your whole palette with its crunchy exterior and soft interior! for more info on tempe, google! :P

yours truly,
A.T.

I wanted to create a new refreshing recipe for an all-time favourite delicacy, the muffin. So I figured a way to combine two of my most favourite ingredients; walnut and strawberries. The techniques are simple and the result is spectacular. The feeling of seeing the muffins baked to perfection is truly exciting. Sometimes, as the baker, you don't really want to fulfil your greedy taste buds,but that itching feeling, the desire of wanting to see the end result. So,I must say, I was a little overwhelmed with how beautiful my muffins,of my own recipe turned out to be.

Here is the recipe for my Strawberry Walnut Muffins (12-16 servings)
Ingredients:

 400 g all-purpose-flour
200 g castour sugar
24 g baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
280 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
160 g butter(in room temperature)
100 g of ground walnut
200 g strawberries cut in cubes
Strawberry jam to taste

The easy steps are:

1. Pre-het the oven at 180 ^oC.
2. Mix the dry and wet ingredients in two separate bowls,except for the butter. This way, you will save more time and space.
3. Firstly, beat the butter. If you have an electronic mixer, be sure to use the whisk. Beat from slow to medium speed than fast until butter becomes fluffy.
4. Then you add the wet ingredient mixture that contains eggs, milk and the vanilla extract. Always beat the batter at low speed first as you add new ingredients. This will allow the items to be in contact before becoming fully incorporated at medium or high speed.
5. Then, you add the dry ingredients-flour,castour sugar,baking powder and salt. And finally, just stir in the walnuts and strawberries.
6. Spread an ample amount of butter to grease the muffin tray before putting the paper cups.
7. Put a half tablespoonful of the muffin batter into every cup. Than add one teaspoonful of  strawberry jam before adding more of the batter until the cup is about 3/4 full. If you wish to have a slightly flattened muffin,you can just put the batter to about 1/2 of the cup. Just before you bake them, add a swirl of jam at the top of the muffin batter.
8. Bake the  muffins for 20 minutes.You can basically just use the basic muffin recipe you may have and then just add any ingredient you wish to add in a muffin. Another 'magical' combo would be blueberry and banana. So go ahead and try it! 
   

Yours truly,

A.T