My Laptop LCD Screen Had A Black Out.....

Yesterday....the lcd screen on my more than two years old laptop...suddenly fail to open its window....it is fill with distorted lines that render me helpless with no way of putting myself connected....my IT smart son had gone to sleep....so when my son came back from work today...he check on it and told me the lcd screen is having problem and i might have to replace it...so my dear readers...i might be doing less blogging...when i sent my laptop for repairs this Monday....hopefully i can get it repair by next week....

If i can manage to get hold of son's computer....like what i'm doing now...i might get connected to all of you....

The Making Of Colourful Tapioca Cubes..........

The above is a slide show of the making of tapioca cubes.........i would like to share it with my fellow readers.........

To made these tapioca cubes.....you have to pour 120ml of hot boiling water into 180 g of tapioca flour in a bowl......mix it quickly with a metal spoon....then place it on a work surface to knead it while it is still warm....til soft and smooth...divide into 3 or 4 portions.....add colouring and mix well.....roll out into thin strips on a lightly floured surface....cut into diamond shaped cubes.....put into a pot of boiling water to cook til it rise to the surface.....scoop out with a perforated ladle and put them in a bowl of ice cold water to prevent it from sticking together.....drained and served it with bubur cha cha.............

Passion Fruit and Banana Soufflés.......

Reading the Star paper today....i come across an article on the secrets of making great ...soufflé...click here for some lovely soufflés recipes from Amy Beh.......and it also reminds me of sharing my son's passion fruit and banana soufflés recipe that he made on valentines day...........here it is......

Cream Base:

150ml milk

100ml thick cream

15g plain flour

10g cornflour

3 large egg yolks

50g castor sugar

Heat milk and cream in pan..til almost boiling...sift flour and cornflour tog....beat egg yolks and sugar tog in large bowl.....then mix in flour...add a splash of hot creamy milk and whisk well til mixture is smooth...then gradually mix in the rest of the milk...pour back into pan and whisk over medium low heat for 3 to 5 mins til thicken and smooth...transfer to a bowl..cover and cool to room temperature...stirring occasionally to prevent skin forming.

Soufflé:

4 ripe passion fruit

1 banana- 100g-peeled

squeeze of lemon juice

2 tbsp banana liqueur (optional)

20g melted butter for brushing

50g castor sugar,plus extra for dusting

2 large egg whites

icing sugar for decoration

Halve passion fruit...scoop out seeds and juice into a sieve set over a bowl...press to extract juice and pour into blender...break the banana into pieces and add into blender with the lemon juice...whiz til smooth...then add the mixture to cream base and set aside....

Heat oven to 190 degree C...brush 6 to 8 ramekin cups...with a generous layer of melted butter...coat the inside with castor sugar and chill to set.

use the upward stroke ...when brushing with a thin layer of butter...

ramekin coated with castor sugar.....to be chill before using....

When ready to serve...whisk the egg white in a clean bowl...to firm peaks...then gradually whisk in the castor sugar...a spoonful at a time...to make a firm glossy meringue...whisk a third of the meringue into the cream base...then very carefully fold in the rest...using a metal spoon.

Divide the soufflés mix among the ramekin cups...and tap on the table to level the mixture...smooth the top with a palette knife and run the knife around edge

to help it rise evenly....put ramekins on a wide baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 mins til well risen and lightly golden on top....dust with icing sugar and serve at once.

the nicely risen soufflés just right out of the oven........

Classic Steak with Bearnaise Sauce.........

Yesterday my son H cooked a bearnaise sauce to go with his steak and served it with oven baked potato chips and rockets salad with parmesan shavings.......

Bearnaise sauce is actually a sauce of butter and egg yolks that is flavoured with shallots...tarragon....chervil....cooked in white wine vinegar......it goes well with all grilled meat.....here r some pics i took while he cooks....

cooking the chopped shallot..(1 no )and chopped tarragon in 2 tabs of white wine vinegar and 2 tabs of white wine....reduce to 1/3 of its liquid........strained and leave aside to cool.....

add egg yolks....(3 nos)... to cooled vinegar mixture and whisk well with a balloon whisk......

melted and cooled butter.................... 125 gms

continue whisking the egg yolk mixture over a pan of simmering water while gradually pouring in the melted butter til the sauce thickens and smooth......

the cooked bearnaise sauce looks like this...............

seasoning the steaks with sea salt and black pepper before grilling it in a hot pan til medium rare or well done.......see the two portions ? one is for his lucky brother.........i do not really like steaks......i only eat the chips and salads.....

son preparing the potatoes.....by dipping it in peanut oil ....and placing it in baking pan.....sprinkle it with salt and pepper before going into a hot oven to bake til cook..............

the delicious homecook steak with bearnaise sauce ready to be served...............

A Tag Of Red.................

This is the first tag of year 2008......i got from the pretty mom in red.....of babyshern........this tag requires you to post a pic of yourself in red....the colour red is an auspicious colour to the chinese......it represents good luck and is a colour you see on happy occasions like weddings.....birthdays....and chinese new year.........so off i go searching for birthdays pics of me in red.....coz i have not been wearing anything red for ages......here is a pic i found in one of my backup disk.....a pic of me in red celebrating the birthday of my niece iris.....back in 2005.......

START COPY HERE
Here are the rules:

1. Post YOUR photo wearing red, may it be a red top, bottom, the least would be red accessories if you hate wearing red… If you can’t find one, you still have an option…. Either post your Significant Other’s photo or your child’s photo, if you have one. Of course, they should be wearing red.

2. Let us know the reason why you were wearing red that particular day. Was it your birthday? Is red your fave color or was it the shirt that you first saw in your closet that day?

3. Tag 3 people close to your heart. By the way, they have to be in your blogroll. No cheating heart pleaseeeeeeee!

4. Once you’re tagged, could we please keep it going - just for this month?

END HERE.

Now i pass this tag to the 3 buddies close to my heart:
1. bokjae..........2. healthfreakmommy....... and......3.dora

Bubur Cha Cha......for Chap Goh Meh....

my bowl of yummy bubur cha cha........................

Yesterday was 'Chap Goh Meh'... in hokkien means the 15th day/night of the new lunar year.............In Penang....the chinese celebrated this day that marked the end of the chinese new year celebration by.....having fireworks....worshiping their gods and ancestors....and not to be missed.....the throwing of oranges into rivers or sea by the maidens......wishing for a good husband.......

Me of course with no oranges to throw......ended this new year celebration by cooking a pot of sweet dessert called ' bubur cha cha' to enjoy............here is how i cook it.......

Ingredients:

300 gms sweet potato - the orange variety

300 gms yam

100 gms pearl sago

1 can of ready cooked red beans

500 gms of grated coconuts

sugar syrups

2 to 3 pandan leaves

Method:

First...washed and cubed the sweet potato and yam....steamed seperately til cooked....about 10 mins.....keep aside to cool.....

then add 1/4 cup of water to the grated coconut and squeeze out some thick milk in a muslin cloth.....add a pinch of salt to the thick milk and keep aside in fridge......then add 6 to 8 cups water to the the squeezed grated coconut....mix well and squeeze out the diluted milk in a muslin cloth or fine strainer ......put the milk in a big pot.......together with the knotted pandan leaves and sugar syrup to boiled for about 5 mins......( if you do not have sugar syrup....just add in some sugar )........cook the sago by washing it in running water in a fine sieve before putting it in a pot of boiling water to cook til transparent........strained and wash under running cold water again ....to prevent it sticking together before adding it to the pot of boiling coconut milk......together with the cooked potatoes..yam....and red beans ....( i boiled some colourful tapioca slices which i bought ready made fr. wet market).......lastly add in the thick coconut milk....stir evenly .....under gentle heat........at the first sign of boiling.....removed from heat immediately to prevent the thick coconut from curdling.......served hot or cold...

steamed sweet potatoes and yam...........

the diluted coconut milk boiling in pot with knotted pandan leaves.....

my favourite ....colourful tapioca slices bought from market at rm 2 per packet....i used to make my own by pouring hot boiling water into tapioca flour to make into a soft dough.....add some coloring and cut up into diamond shapes...boiled it in boiling water til transparent... strained and wash under running cold water before using.....spend rm 2 and save you all those backbreaking work.

colourful tapioca slices boiling in a pot.....................