...About Chocolate Ganache Recipe

This ganache can be used as the filling for the chocolate macaroon.

Ingredients:
Bittersweet Chocolate 325g
Heavy Cream 300g
Unsalted Butter 75g

Method:
1. Bring the cream to a oil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth.
2. Add butter and stir well. Allow to cool until thickened.

Alternate microwave method:
1. Put cream in microwave safe bowl, heat it up for a few minutes.
2. Put the chocolate into the heated cream, stir until melt.
3. let it cool slightly then add the butter. Stir. Allow to cool until thickened.

Best made a day ahead of use.

I haven't made this yet though. Am thinking of making it to keep in the fridge. Eat it as a bread spread.

Sugar level climbing anyone? Ahaks!

...About Baking Macaroons Successfully

Finally! Well actually this was months ago but, my mom and I finally managed to successfully bake macaroons. Just follow the recipe I've posted up, follow it exactly and you can't go wrong!

 Finally got to use my mom's KitchenAid mixer. Ain't it just shiny and pweeeeetty????

 Beating the egg whites.

Okay, my pictures skipped a whole lot of steps but what the heck! All piped out and left to dry.

Dry it out until it doesn't stick to your finger when you touch it.

Voila! Tip though, don't be lazy like my mom and I by just folding the parchment paper to fit the tray, please cut the paper, cos the folded edge will lift up, causing your macaroon to slide. Observe the one on the bottom right of the picture >_<

All in all, it was a success! Do try the recipe. Very sweet though. We're gonna try and see how much sugar we can reduce without spoiling the recipe.

Happy Baking!

...About Strawberry Macaroon Recipe

Recipe taken from At 19 Culinary baking class.

Ingredients:
125g caster sugar(fine sugar)
3(90g) egg whites (aged for 3 day)
125g Ground Almond (almond powder, the finer the better)
150g Icing sugar
Red gel coloring. better to use gel type of coloring.

Method:
1.Pulse the almond powder and icing sugar in a food processor until fine powder and equally mixed.
2. Place egg whites in a bowl and beat until soft peaks.
3. Add caster sugar to egg whites and beat until all sugar is dissolved and hard peaks forms.
4. Using a spatula,fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites until completely incorporated. (fold in half of the dry ingredients first for a more even mix, then add on the remaining half).
5. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. (DO NOT use grease proof paper).
6. Fill a piping bag with the batter. Pipe the mixture to about the size of a 50 cent coin. (make sure to leave enough gap in between each mound)
7. Once done piping, bang the tray on the table to flatten the mounds slightly and remove air bubbles.
8. Allow to dry for 20-30 minutes, until dry to the touch.
9. Bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for 12 to 14 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, let it cool a little. Remove for paper onto a rack to cool.
11. Pair up the macaroons and fill with strawberry jam.
12. Store in an airtight container, best consumed after 2 days.

For pictures, click here to view my previous post.

...About: Macaroon Baking Class at At 19 Culinary

Attended my first ever baking class on new year's eve. Macaroon baking! Paid for by my mommy. We have baked macaroons a few times, but didn't know if we were doing it right.

The class was held at At 19 Culinary, in Damansara Heights. It's a bungalow house. Forgot to take a picture of the building >_<

 The recipe given to us. The class was informative. The chef shared loads of tips on how to make sure your macaroons turned out right. At the end of the class, not a single macaroon came out of the oven without 'feet'.

 The ingredients, prepared for us beforehand.

 The chef showed us the steps first. Then it was our turn.

 My ingredients were for the strawberry ones. It's not actually strawberry flavored, it's just the coloring, but you use strawberry jam filling for this one. As opposed to chocolate ganache for the chocolate macaroons.

 All piped out. Leave it to cool and dry before popping it into the oven!

 2 of the ovens available at the place.

 Pots and pans for other types of culinary classes.

 Chocolate ones out of the oven.

 My tray in the oven. The most exciting part is watching it bake and rise.

 Rising....

 Rising...

All raised! Happy feet!

 

 All paired and filled and ready to be taken home by eager eaters!

Why are macaroons expensive? If you buy them, you can't find any cheaper than RM2.50 a piece (unless it's the mini ones) Well, it actually takes 5 days to make a macaroon.

The egg whites have to be aged 3 days ahead.

Chocolate ganache has to be made a day ahead.

It's best consume after 2 days. That's when it gets chewy.

Kept in an airtight container in a fridge, it can keep up to 2 weeks.

Will put the recipe up here next (when I actually get around to it)

All in all, was a fun class. Nice to know that the macaroons mom and I baked all this while tastes the same with the ones baked in class, only we didn't always get the 'feet' on ours.

;)

At 19 Culinary's website.

...About Eat, Pray, Love

Image from here

 There's gonna be loads of long overdue book reviews. Scratch that, all my posts are long overdue posts. Ahaks, what can I say, I put the 'pro' in 'procrastination'.

So here it goes.

It took me days to finish this book. Like 5 days. partly because I was reading it at work, so I couldn't go through so many pages at time. Plus the fact that it's a slow book.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice book. Not fiction though, more like autobiography-ish. But the story kinda like unfolds slowly. You sort of actually go on a journey with the writer. If I could afford it I would love to do what the writer did, take a year off and live abroad in 3 different countries, learn a new language.

Some of the stuff the writer went through is a bit out of this world. I can grasp the eat and love part of the book, but not the pray part. It's just too weird for me, if you've read it you'll get what I mean.

This is a great book to enjoy the leisurely pace.

Now all I have to do is watch the movie and compare the hell out of it.

...About Breakfast Buffet at Four Points by Sheraton.

Needless to say, throughout my 2 weeks there, breakfast was the best meal of the day. (except on the day that I went for the seafood dinner). Behold what I had for breakfast for 2 weeks!

 This was rice vermicelli with blanched vege in laksa broth. You can choose different types of noodles with a choice of 3 different soup/broths.

Salad, chicken bologna, hash browns, beef bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, apple juice.

Chicken piccata, toast, beef bacon, french toast.

 Omelette. Choose your own toppings.

Salad, beef sausage, chicken bologna, sauteed potatoes.

Cupcake, jam, (over)whipped cream, scone, croissant. The croissant is to die for! Soft and buttery! Their bread pudding was also delish, can't believe I forgot to snap a pic of that. So this is pretty much what I had for breakfast every day, plus/minus 1 or 2 plates. Huge breakfast man.

Breakfast like a King.

...About Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, Kuching.

Yep, I stayed at a 'by Sheraton' hotel for 2 weeks during my work trip there. Cool or what? I don't even stay in a hotel that nice when I go for hols. Definitely a welcomed changed. So of course I took pictures! You kidding me?

This is the view as you walk into the room

The beds. Down pillows. DOWN pillows. Oh so soft. The mattress is also soft, feels like sleeping on a cloud o_O

 

TV and the dressing table.

Beyond that window is the bathroom.

TV and entrance.

 

Stuff in the drawer of the dressing table. Nope, I didn't take any home, more clutter I do not need.

Ze toilet.

Ze sink and huge ass mirror.

Ze shower room. Rain shower head.

 Ze bathtub. Nope, did not have the time to use it.

 It's a pretty green hotel, no smoking is allowed in the premises. Bed sheets are changed only when you request, by putting this card on your bed.

 They slip this under you room door when they couldn't come in to do house keeping due to...

 ...this sign on your door.

 The most confusing ac control.

 Complementary water.

 Their serviettes have bullet point lines for you to doodle on. How cute is that?

For more info on Four Points by Sheraton, click!

...About Trying Out Local Kuching Food

Yup, still posting about my work trip there. Tried some local food, mainly the ones people say is a must try.

Kolo mee, had this at the canteen at work. Basically instant noodles, with beef, some vege and some seasoning sauce.

Ok, this is not a local Kuching food, but just wanted to put this in. Ayam Penyet, had this at a  place nearby the hotel.

 

Nasi Goreng Dabai. Dabai is a fruit. A very salty fruit. Tinges the rice a purple hue. When eating this, do not bite on the fruit on it's own, it's very salty.

Another version of Mee Kolo. Had this one at the Satok Night Market.

That's about it, more Kuching posts to compose. Let's hope I get around to it. >_<

...About: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

So comes the end of the 7 part (well 8 actually) movie installation of the Harry Potter series. No, it's not as epic or emotional as the release of the last book, but it was still something. And yes, I iz so kiasu I had to watch it on it's release day.

I have to say, thankfully this one was not disappointing. I have to admit, Part 1 was better, but Part 2 is still good, wasn't bad at all.

I'll try to go through the movie in sequence of the events that I have comments about. Part 2 open with the closing act of Part 1 - Voldemort taking the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's grave. The conversation between Harry and the Gringotts goblin and Ollivander the wandmaker was quite decent I must say. Not as how I remember pictured in the book, but it was ok.

Breaking into the Gringotts, this scene was quite long in the book. It was nicely done in the movie without being dragged too long. I especially liked the scene of the ride down to the vault, the 'Thief's Downfall'. The escape from the bank on a dragon was not as dramatic as I felt it was in the book, but it was good enough.

The significance of the Horcrux items were not explained in the movie, like how it's an item significant to each house of Hogwarts, items belonging to each of the House founder. But they managed to make up something to incorporate in the movie to justify how Harry knew what the items were, the Hufflepuff Cup and the Ravenclaw Diadem (cause I sure don't remember Harry being able to 'hear' the Horcrux in the book)

Ok, I know I sound like total Potter head right now, but that's how it is, skip this post if you must.

The trigger sound that was set off when Harry Apparated into Hogsmeade was amazingly exactly how I imagined it in my head! But they left out the part where Harry casts his Patronus. Nevermind, forgivable.

The most magical scene was the one where the Professors and Ron's mother was putting  protection spells on the Hogwarts castle. Beautiful.

The number of Death Eaters shown were crazy, I did not imagine the group to be so big.

The fights scenes were ok, nothing to shout about. Heart feeling scenes were attempted, like the one where Tonks was holding her hand out to Lupin, not emo enough though. Scenes that did work was the one where they showed who had died. Tugged my heartstrings even though I know who dies.

The killing of Prof Snape, now I remember it taking place in the Shrieking Shack in the book, correct me if I'm wrong. But oh well, the main gist of that scene is Snape giving his memory to Harry anyways, and that part was not left out. Too crucial.

When it got to the scene where Harry died and went to King's Cross, I went "Aha! so they decided not to do the nude scene!" Ahaks, not a bad thing to leave out, I ain't complaining!

The killing of Nagini and the duel between Harry and Voldemort was not how I remembered it, but it was okay. Didn't have time to reread book 7 anyways, can't recall everything (yes, I usually reread each book before watching the movies)

Super love the fact that they put in the scene where Ron's mom mouthed off Bellatrix before killing her! Kudos!

Closing scene was not as paramount as portrayed in the book, but it was ok.

All in all, it was not bad, not as good as Part 1, but it was good enough.

Potter Heads unite!

...About Fuel by Jeremy Chin

In my last post about books, I mention that the last book I read was very good and that I'll write a review about it soon. Well, now is soon.

Fuel. This book. When it first got shoved into my hands - by my mom - all I did was read the prologue. And it got me interested. The whole idea of the story in the prologue was a great way to present the essence behind the actual story of the book.

Because I think this is a very good book, I'm going to try my very best to actually write a review. Bare with me.

The main character, Timmy, a Brit, a successful man. Lost his parents when he was young. Never opened up his heart to anyone. Very into running. Been training for most of his life.

He has 2 goals in life. To nail his dream job is the US, and run the NY marathon. He doesn't take part in any marathons, he just trains, and plan to one day take part in the NY marathon and win it.

Then one day, he does lands his dream job. But he also falls in love. He made a choice between the love of his life and the dream job in US.

Turns out, the love of his life, Cambria, also runs. They trained together and made plans for the NY marathon.

Finally in NY, both excited for the marathon. On the eve of the marathon, tragedy struck, leaving Timmy devastated.  This book has a tragic ending. No cliches. Nice, but tragic ending. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I like Jeremy Chin's style of writing. Straight to the point sentences. Not much flowery sentences. Even when he's describing something, it's sharp and clear.

Here's my interpretation, Timmy, who's been training all his life for the marathon, only to lose his fuel for life - Cambria - in the end, runs the first and last marathon of his life, ending it as well, because he has lost his fuel to carry on living.

Will definitely pick up and read any other titles by this author.

Good job man.

Fuel- The Book FB page
Jeremy Chin's homepage.

...About The Green Lantern

The actual goal was to watch X-men. But after driving to 3 different places in 2 different states and finding that the show times has passed, my friend and I finally gave up and watched The Green Lantern. And to make the trip worth while, we watched it in 3D.

The unexpected pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively didn't turn out so bad. In fact, the very fact that Ryan Reynolds was playing a superhero character turned out quite well too (it actually plays well with the movie's plot). And have you seen him in the costume? Can you say hot? hehehe

I find that the movies that blow me away are usually the ones where I did not plan to catch. Like Kick Ass.

So, to summarize the story, Green Lanterns are guardian of the universe, their job is to protect the universe. When a Green Lantern dies, the ring will find it's worthy replacement. Ryan's character gets chosen, he's the first homosapien to become a Green Lantern. Bad guy comes into the picture, good guy fights back, yada yada yada.

Eheh, if you've been reading my blog long enough you'll know that I suck at summarizing a movie. I'm only good at telling you what I think of it.

My verdict, good movie, teaches a whole lot of life lessons in an attractive and action packed way. Worth watching in 3D.

So go. Watch it. I iz recommend it.

...About Random Shots: Out and About Jakarta

Months ago, I was in Jakarta. More than once mind you, and I am only know posting up pictures. Random shots around Jakarta city.

We should have them in KL, so you can safely cross the roads.

In the car. Bless this 2 guys. There ARE still nice people in the world.

Push cart stalls. Damn old school. Loads of them over there.

JAM WORST THAN KL

Stopped right on the train tracks.

Motorists at the traffic light.

They've got statues all over town.

You know how they say the grass is always greener on the other side? Not always true. We have it so much better here. OMG the potholes over there, epic weih.

All in all, I prefer Bandung.