Belacan Cake

This Parisan Browning Essence finally arrived from Melbourne to enable me to make this Kek Belacan. Thanks to my dear friend, Chan who carried it all the way. Truly, it did make my cake looked very much like Belacan.


Ingredients:
and
Method:

Follow recipe from Secretive Cake but replace the caramel sauce aka dark soya sauce with Queen's Parisan Browning Essence.

Serves

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Vietnamese meatloaf/Cha Trung Hap

My paternal grandmother used to cook an egg dish which is quite similar but not quite as her recipe is just eggs and ground pork. I remembered she used duck eggs instead of chicken eggs and had to put in alot of pepper to muffled the 'egginess' of the duck eggs.

This vietnamese recipe has more ingredients and putting the egg yolks on top of the loaf gives this dish so much more appeal.

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1 lb ground pork
3 tbsp dried shredded wood ear mushroom - soak to soften
1/2 a bundle of glass noodle - soak to soften, drain and cut into 1/4 inch lengths

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1 teaspoon salt

2 stalks spring onions - chopped
2-3 tsp fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Coriander for garnishing

Method:

Reserve 2 egg yolks and beat remaining eggs and egg whites.

Mix all remaining ingredients into beaten eggs.

Pour mixture into a large heatproof (flameproof) bowl and steam covered over medium heat for about 25 minutes.

Beat reserved egg yolks and pour over steamed egg mixture. Steam for 5 minutes.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot with steamed rice.

To test if the dish is cooked, simply insert a bamboo skewer into the middle of the meatloaf and if the skewer come out clean, the dish is cooked.




Serves

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Renee's 7th Birthday - Princess Cupcakes

Knowing Renee's friends loved cake and a birthday party without cake will not be the same, so, there was cake - Cupcakes for the Princesses. The cupcakes were vanilla flavored with cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

5 oz (150g)Butter - softened
5 oz (150g)fine granulated sugar
6 oz (175g)self-raising flour
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Cupcakes:

Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C).

Line a 12 cup muffin pan, with cup cake cases.

Crack the eggs into a cup and beat lightly with a fork.

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy.

Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Allow to cool fully before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat at low speed until sugar is incorporated.

Increase speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light and whipped, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes.

Serves

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Renee's 7th Birthday - Cinderella

Renee turned seven on March 23rd and this year her theme for her party was Princess and she requested Cinderella. Instead of the usual birthday cake, i made her Cinderella from konnyaku or rather, the skirt only was from konnyaku. The top skirt was made from a jelly mould and the bottom skirt was a bundt cake pan.

Ingredients:

3 pkts x 10 gm konnyaku jelly powder

630 gm sugar

2,850 ml water

Condensed milk

Blue food coloring

Method:

Mix the konnyaku jelly powder and sugar.

Bring the water to the boil and slowing add in the jelly powder and sugar mixture. Stirring until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear.

Separate mixture into 3 portions, color one portion light blue, dark blue and white which has condensed milk added.

Make the skirts by layering the bundt pan and jelly mould with alternate colors.

Put in the fridge to set.

When chilled, remove from moulds and assemble.

Top with a Cinderella doll.

Note:

Ensure layers are well set before adding the next layer.

Ensure the mixture for the layers are alway hot so that it can adhere to the set layer.

Serves

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Crab Cakes

One of the really missed food for me is the Mud Crab, luckily there is the Dungeness Crab. They are just as good, huge but expensive but it is worth the price cos the frozen ones have never met my satisfaction. Many commercially cooked crabs (and lobsters) are overcooked.

For a perfect crab, plunge it into a large pot of rapidly boiling, heavily salted water or steam the crabs. Cook/steam only until white foam appears at the joints, which indicates the meat is cooked. Remove it from the pot immediately and allow it to cool.

How can you choose a meaty crab? As if we have a choice, except for you lucky people who are in South East Asia, you know what i mean, but anyway - most crabs in general should feel heavy for their size. If the shell feels papery, the crab hasn't filled out yet.

A Dungeness crab at its prime is dark brown to purplish. Look for dark color. Light-colored arms indicate a crab that has just molted. A goodly amount of water is trapped inside the shell, so if the crab is weighed wet, and that is generally the way it is done,we are paying for water - $5.99 a pound.

Keep in mind that meat accounts for about 25 percent of the weight of a whole crab, so to have 1 pound of meat for this recipe, you would have to purchase 4 pounds live crabs.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. onion, chopped

1 tbsp. parsley, chopped

1 tsp. butter

1/2 c. Club crackers, crushed

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tbsp. heavy cream

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. salt(optional)

1/4 tsp. white pepper

Dash of hot pepper sauce

1 lb. crabmeat

Dry bread crumbs

Vegetable oil


Method:

Cook onion and parsley in butter until tender in small skillet.

Combine cracker crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, cream, Worcestershire, lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot sauce in large bowl.

Stir in onion mixture and gently stir in crabmeat.

Shape into 6 patties. Coat with bread crumbs.

Cook patties in hot oil until lightly brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Do not flip cakes before it is browned.

Serves

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Coleslaw

We had a late lunch, so come dinner, the family did not feel like eating and so i prepared crab cakes and made this tasty, tangy, creamy coleslaw which was a great choice for the sides.

Ingredients:

1 medium head green cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
salt, to taste
Homel Real Bacon pieces

Method:

Shred cabbage into a large bowl; add shredded carrot and onion.

Combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, celery seed. Whisk or shake in a jar. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste, or more mayonnaise and a bit more vinegar if too sweet for your taste.

Add dressing to the shredded cabbage mixture until well moistened.

Refrigerate to chill thoroughly for added flavor.

When ready to serve, sprinkle with Hormel Real Bacon Pieces.

Serves

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Lobster and Pork Noodle

Which way would you consider the most humane and best method?

A lot of people consider boiling a lobster alive to be inhumane and cruel. Other people believe that the nervous system of a lobster is too simple for it to feel any pain at all, similar to insects. This subject remains a topic of controversy, still to this day.

Studies have been carried out by a number of researchers and universities to determine the most humane method of boiling lobster. Various methods of relaxation techniques were carried out prior to boiling and the lowest number of tail flicks upon insertion into the boiling water was thought to mean that the lobster felt less pain.

It was found that the best way to minimize the tail movements of the lobster upon boiling is by placing the lobster in the freezer for a period of 5 - 10 minutes in order to numb the lobster before cooking.

I like steaming the lobster, although it require a longer cooking time to steam the lobster, however, the result is better than boiling, giving you a succulent and tasty lobster meat.

Ingredients:

Kon Loh Mein

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Steamed Lobster

Blanched Green Leafy Vegetables of choice

Method:

Steaming the lobster
Place a steaming rack to hold the lobster in the bottom of a wok/large pan
Pour 2 inches of water into the pot and add 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
Cover the pot with the lid and bring the water to the boil.
Once the water is boiling fiercely, place the lobster onto a rack, cover the pot and bring back to the boil.
Begin timing once the water is boiling again., steam the lobster for 14 minutes for the first lb of weight and then an extra 3 minutes for each extra lb. A 2 lb lobster will cook in 17 minutes, a 3 lb in 20 minutes.
Once the lobster is done, drain immediately and let it sit until it is cool enough to remove the flesh from the shell.

Serve it with Kon Loh Mein , Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and blanched green leafy vegetables and drizzle with the sauce from the pork tenderloin.

Enjoy with pickled green jalepeno or chilly sauce.

How to tell when your lobster is cooked

Care must be taken not to overcook the lobster, as this will result in tougher and less succulent meat.

Overcooking also means that some of the delicious flavour will be lost and the meat may shrink, become stringy or even mushy

.
Do not remove the lobster from the pot before the shell has turned bright red.

The lobster is properly done when an antennae comes off easily when pulled gently.

The cooked lobster meat will be firm and white in colour.

The internal temperature of the lobster meat will have reached 180°F (80°C).

The green tomalley or liver, which is situated inside the body cavity, will have turned a greenish yellow colour.

Which parts of a lobster can you eat?

The majority of the lobsters meat is found in the tail and in the two front claws. Smaller amounts of meat can also be found in the legs and in some parts of the body. Parts which should not be eaten, are the shell, the sac behind the eyes, the black vein running through the tail and the green tomalley, although this is debatable, as some lobster eaters claim this to be the best part.

Serves

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Jindo Mock Spareribs

Tofu skin also known as dried beancurd, yuba or bean skim, is a Chinese and Japanese food product made from soybeans. During the boiling of soy milk, in an open shallow pan, a film or skin composed primarily of a soy protein-lipid complex forms on the liquid surface. The films are collected and dried into yellowish sheets known as tofu skin or soy milk skin. Because it is derived directly from soy milk, the name tofu skin is technically inaccurate. Due to it slightly rubbery texture, tofu skin is also manufactured in bunched, folded and wrapped forms that are used as meat substitutes in vegetarian cuisine. Tofu skins can be wrapped and then folded against itself to make doù baō (Chinese: 豆包, literally "tofu package").


Ingredients:

1/2 lb dou bao/tofu package

1/2 lb carrot

Cornflour/tapioca for dusting

2 cups oil

Seasoning

1/4 tsp 5-spice powder

1 tbsp milk powder

1 tsp rice wine

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp soaya sauce

5 tbsp cornflour/tapioca flour

1 tbsp sesame oil

Sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Marinate dou bao for at least 20 minutes.

Cut carrot into 1/2 inch x 2 inches x 1 inch.

Cut dou bao into 2 inches strips and wrap it around a piece of carrot. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat oil until hot, dust each vegetarian sparerib with cornflour/tapioca flour and drop into hot oil.

Fry until golden brown.

Garnish with coriander and serve with sauce.

Serves

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Braised Tofu

Tofu is low in calories, contains beneficial amounts of iron and has no saturated fat. It is high in protein and calcium and well known for its ability to absorb new flavors through spices and marinades. Tofu also contains soy isoflavones, which can mimic natural human estrogens and may have a variety of harmful or beneficial effects when eaten in sufficient quantities. Due to its chameleon-like qualities and nutritional value, tofu is a staple of Asian cuisines for hundreds of years.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. oil

3 tbsp. soya sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

2 tbsp. shaoxing wine

1/2 c. water

1 tsp 5 spice powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

Pepper

1 lb. super firm tofu, sliced 1/2 inch thick

Method:

In a shallow bowl or baking pan, combine all ingredients except tofu.

Mix well and add tofu, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 4-5 hours.

Turn tofu slices several times while marinating.

After 4 - 5 hours, remove tofu and pour the marinate into a saucepan.

Bring to the boil and add in tofu. Cook until tofu is warm through.

Adjust taste and serve with a sprinkle of sesame oil and chopped spring onions.

Serves

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Spicy Chicken and Tofu Sambal

I had a bag of shallots and they were dying on me. No matter how lazy i was, i had to make use of them and besides, i was running out of sambal. So, i made a batch of Garam Assam Paste. The belacan used stunk the house but to me it was aroma of familiarity.

I am always in seven heaven when i eat dishes cooked with this sambal.

Ingredients:

1 piece of boneless chicken breast - cut into slices

1 pkt of extra-firm tofu - cut into small pieces

2 heaped tbsp of Garam Assam Paste

2 tbsp of liquid tamarind juice

1 tbsp fish sauce

Sugar to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Heat 4 or 5 tbsp oil and fry the sliced tofu until golden brown.

Remove almost all the oil that is left and add in the sliced chicken. Add in salt and pepper. Do not move the chicken slices until they are browned. Add in a little oil if you must. Flip chicken over and fry the other sides.

Add in the garam assam paste and the fried tofu. Stir to combine.

Add in tamarind juice and a little water and cook until chicken is cooked through.

Add in fish sauce.

Adjust taste with sugar.

Serve hot with white rice

Serves

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Banh Xeo/Sizzling Crepe

Sizzling Crêpes (Banh Xeo) are paper-thin omelets stuffed with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, wrapped in lettuce and herbs, and dipped in a sweet-tart dipping sauce. Banh xeo ("bahn SAY-oh") is a popular street snack in Vietnam, especially the south. The name means "sound crepe," and it indicates the sound the batter makes when it hits the hot pan. I wish to visit Vietnam one day and until i do, this recipe will do.

Ingredients:

Crepe Batter
Rice flour -- 1 cup
Sugar -- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric -- 1/4 teaspoon
Coconut milk -- 1 cup
Water -- about 1/2 cup

Scallions - chopped - 1/4 cup

Filling(Variations are at bottom of page)
Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
Shallots or scallions, minced -- 2-3 tablespoons
Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves
Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 3/4 pound
Fish sauce -- 2-3 tablespoons
Salt -- to taste
Mung bean sprouts

Garnishes
1 head red leaf lettuce or green lettuce, washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole
1 cup loosely packed fresh thai basil

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Nuoc Cham dipping sauce -- recipe is at bottom of page

Method:

For the crepes:

Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 200 degrees.

Whisk the water, rice flour, coconut milk, scallions, turmeric, sugar and salt together until uniform. Add in chopped scallions/spring onions.

Heat the oil in a wok/skillet over medium-high flame and add shallots or scallions and garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes without browning.

Add the shrimp and sauté until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the fish sauce and salt to season. Remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the wok/skillet (i used the crepe pan) and reheat over medium flame. Add a small amount of oil.

Stir the crepe batter well and pour 1/2 cup batter(amount depends on the size of pan) into the wok/skillet/crepe pan. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom.

Lay 3 or 4 of the cooked shrimp over one half of the crepe and then sprinkle a small handful of sprouts over the shrimp.

When the the middle of the crepe looks cooked through and the edges of the crepe begin to brown, fold the crepe over to cover the filling and slide onto a plate.

Hold in a warm oven as you finish the rest of the crepes.

Serve the crêpes with the individual bowls of sauce, passing the garnish platter separately.

(To eat, slice off a wedge of the crêpe, wrap it in a lettuce leaf, and dip it into the sauce.).

.
Variations
Pork Banh Xeo: Substitute half of the shrimp with pork loin or pork belly cut in thin strips. Sauté the shallots and garlic first, then add the pork to cook through, and finally add the shrimp.

Vegetarian Banh Xeo: Substitute fried, shredded tofu for the shrimp to make a vegetarian version. Add a variety of mushrooms to give a meaty flavor. Use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

Banh Xeo with Egg: Beat 4-5 eggs and pour a little over each crepe after you add the batter to the skillet, but before you add the fillings. Cover the pan for about a minute to let the egg set, then continue with the filling ingredients.

Sauté some sliced mushrooms with the rest of the filling.

Include some peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumber or julienne carrot with the rest of the salad ingredients if you like.

Nuoc cham is the all-purpose Vietnamese condiment served with and poured over many dishes. Its salty-sour flavor is wonderfully bright and fresh. Nuoc cham will keep for about a week in the refridgerator.

About 1 cup
Water -- 1/4 cup
Fish sauce -- 1/4 cup
Lime juice -- 3 tablespoons
Unseasoned rice vinegar, unseasoned -- 2 tablespoons
Sugar -- 2 tablespoons
Garlic, crushed -- 1 clove
Chile pepper, sliced into rounds -- 1
Carrot, shredded or julienne -- 1 tablespoon

Serves

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Bun Bo Hue

Unlike in Malaysia, my friends are either Chinese, Malay or Indian descent but here, i have made friends from all over the world and that is how my culinary ventures expanded. Not only do we become good buddies, we share our cuisine too. This is the first time that i cook Bun Bo Hue and it was delicious and not difficult to prepare. I do not claim authenticity but this recipe is a keeper for me, sorry no pig's blood and all unusual salads to garnish like banana flower blossom or perilla. The pig's hocks and the Gio were so delicious that there were none left for photo session.

Ingredients:

Water - enough to cover the bones, hocks and shank

4 lbs beef bones, cleaned
4 lbs pork bones, cleaned
2 - 3 lbs pork hock and trotters, cleaned

2 lbs beef shank
4 stalks Lemon grass, bruised

1 whole peeled onion

1 small piece of ginger
2 tablespoon Bun Bo Hue paste
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
2 teaspoons Salt
5 - 6 pieces rock sugar
2 tablespoons Annatto seeds
Oil for frying annatoo seeds

2 pkts Rice vermicelli size xl

1 lb beef balls - recipe is Here

1 vietnamese meat paste - Gio - recipe is Here- cut into slices

Garnishing:
Bean sprouts

Thai Basil

Red cabbage - sliced thinly
Limes, cut into wedges
4 Red chilies, 2 finely sliced and 2 pounded
2 tablespoons Fish sauce

Method:

Pre-boil the bones, hock, trotters, Beef shanks until the impurity floats on top of the water. Usually 5 to 10 minutes.

Drain and rinse the bones, hock and trotters and beef shanks.

Put back contents into stockpot with enough water to cover and add in the whole peeled onion, ginger and lemon grass. Bring to the boil and reduce to simmer.

Simmer until shank and hocks are tender. Remove shank and hocks and soak in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes until cool.

Slice beef shank.

Add in rock sugar to the stock and continue to simmer until flavorful.

When stock is done, strain stock through a fine sieve and add in fish sauce, salt, bun bo hue paste.

Add beef balls to the hot stock.

Heat oil and when oil is WARM, add add annatto seed. Steep seeds in warm oil until the oil turns red. Strain oil into stock. (I was advised by the cashier at the asian store that annatto seed will burn easily and if too hot oil is used for steeping, the color will be yellow and not red.)

Blanch vermicelli according to the intruction at the back of packet.

To serve, Put vermcelli in a large bowl, top with pork hocks, beef shank slices, gio and beef balls. Pour hot stock over.

Garnish with bean sprouts, thai basil, sliced red cabbage, lime wedges and sliced chilies.

Mix pounded chilies into fish sauce and serve on the side.

Serves

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Butternut Squash Cuties

This is another way to use up the other half of the butternut squash that has been my fruit's companion. These cuties are so easy to make and too pretty to eat. The color of the butternut squash is so vibrant and a few speckles of black sesame seeds is a crowned glory.


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup steamed buttersquash(mashed)
1 cup glutinous rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tbsp sugar
A pinch of salt
50 - 75 ml water

Oil for brushing

Filling:
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Garnish:

Toasted black sesame seeds

Method:

Mix the filling ingredients and set aside.

Mix glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, salt and sugar together.

Knead the steamed mashed butternut squash and water into the flour mixture until it form a soft dough. (Add some water at a time. You may need more or less water depending on the moisture of butternut squash.)

Cook mixture on high in the microwave, one minute at a time, stirring after every minute until the mixture is cooked - the color should change to a bright orange and the dough feels dry.

Use rubber gloves as the dough is sticky, rub a little oil before removing a small ball of dough and flatten ball into a circle. Spoon a little filling onto circle and bring edges up to form a ball. Using the edge of a plastic spatula, push sides of ball in to form ball to look like a flower. Top with toasted black sesame seeds.

Alternatively, drop back the filled balls into the filling and swirl around to coat or shape filled balls to look like mini butternut squash

Serves

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Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns,

Hot cross buns,

one ha' penny,

two ha' penny,

Hot cross buns.

If you have no daughters,

give them to your sons,

one ha' penny,

two ha' penny,

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are traditional buns baked for the Easter time celebrations. The fact that they are homemade makes them extra special.Hot cross buns are traditionally served on the Christian holiday of Good Friday and during Lent. They are smallish, slightly sweet buns containing spices and raisins, or currants, and they sometimes contain chopped candied fruit. Their tops are marked with a distinctive white cross made of glazed sugar or lightly cooked dough to symbolize the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.These festive buns are best served warm from the oven with a butter spread. They taste so good you will want to eat them the year-round



Ingredients:

Bun Crossing Paste
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup water
Pinch of salt

Bread:
All the Water Roux
100ml water
1 large egg
2 tbsp fine granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk powder
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp bread flour
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
2 tbsp butter

Water-Roux Paste:
2 tbsp bread flour
100ml water

Glazing:
1 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Apricot Jam

Method:

To make the Water Roux follow Tangzhong Starter-Water Roux.

For the Bread:

Put the bread ingredients into the bread machine bowl according to the order in the list. First the liquids and ending with the yeast.

Select the dough function and press to start. When the dough comes to a ball, add in the butter and continue the function. When a beep is sounded, added in the raisins and mixed peels. Continue the function until the dough has risen, in 1 1/2 hr.

When function is done. Remove the raised dough gently and divide into 8 pieces.

Rest cut dough for 10 minutes before shaping.

Shape each piece into a tightly formed ball and place on greased 10 inch x 6 inch baking pan.

Cover baking pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until buns are touching and doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush buns with milk

Place bun crossing paste in a ziplog bag and snip off one of the ends of the bag.

Pipe crosses over the surface of each bun.

Transfer buns to oven and bake until golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place apricot jam in a small microwable bowl and nuke on high for 20 seconds, until heated through; (strain through a mesh sieve set over a bowl if jam is very lumpy - in this case, use more than one tablespoon of jam, otherwise it is not worth the effort to strain ).

Brush heated jam over buns.

Serve warm with butter.

Bun Crossing Paste

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil and water. Add flour and salt, and whisk until well combined.

Let stand 1 hour before using.

Serves

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Yoke Lan Kai/Steamed Chicken with Ham and Kai Lan

This dish used to be on any chinese restaurant's menu of yesteryears and i wonder if it is still as popular. It is one of my favorite dish to prepare - the saltiness of the ham enhances the smooth velvety chicken, and the luscious green , crunchy kai lan gives a touch of sweetness. I garnished with a couple of spoonfuls of XO Sauce - homemade of course. This dish is easily prepared if you have leftover White cooked chicken, then you only have to cook the kai lan and assemble the dish.

Ingredients:

White Cooked Chicken slices

Boneless Ham Slices

Yau Kai Lan

2 tbsp XO Sauce

Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tbsp cornstarch/tapioca starch + 1 tbsp water

Sesame oil

Method:

Assemble the dish by alternating slices of chicken and ham.

Prepare kai lan and decorate it around the chicken and ham.

Heat saucepan or wok and pour in the chicken stock. When stock comes to a boil, drizzle in the cornstarch/tapioca starch mixture and bring back mixture to the boil. Pour sauce over the assembled dish.

Top with XO sauce and drizzle with sesame oil.

Serves

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Sweet And Sour Gluten Puffs

Typical dishes incorporating sweet and sour sauces are sweet and sour pork or chicken balls, sweet and sour prawns or sweet and sour stir-fried vegetable. I am going to introduce Sweet and Sour Gluten Puffs which is fun to make and to eat. This dish is dedicated to all vegetarians who i hope will enjoy this dish as much as i do. Many people find combining sweet and savoury foods together a little strange for their palettes, however, the sweet and sour dishes are possibly the most popular when visiting a Chinese restaurant.

Ingredients:

8 ozs Fried Gluten Puffs

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp shaoxing wine

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch + 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable stock/water

White pepper

Method:

Combine the ketchup, sugar, rice vinegar, pepper and salt in a small bowl, and set it aside.

Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water in another small bowl, and set it aside.

Heat wok and pour in the vegetable stock and add in the fried gluten puffs. Cook until puffs are soft and heat through.

Add the ketchup mixture and bring to a boil.

Add the cornstarch mixture and stir-fry until the puffs are coated with sauce and the sauce comes to a boil again(this is to ensure that the cornstarch is cooked through).

Serve immediately.

Serves

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Homemade Gluten Puffs

Making gluten the traditional way is time consuming. It calls for mixing 8 cups of flour with 3 to 5 cups of water and forming a dough. The dough is then kneaded and rinsed under running water to remove the wheat starch. After about 20 to 30 minutes of kneading and rinsing, which to me seems like a considerable amount of time, the resulting 2 or so cups of stretchy gluten is evident. At that point the gluten needs to be simmered in broth for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours or more or deep-fried to make gluten puffs

Luckily there are some shortcut methods for making gluten that make it a convenient food to prepare. I have had the most luck using high gluten flour or vital wheat gluten, although I have found that until you become familiar with the texture you are aiming for during the mixing and kneading process, the results will vary somewhat.

The added benefit of using this method is that you can flavor the gluten during the kneading process by adding herbs and spices of your choosing other than the traditional ginger and garlic. You can use poultry seasoning or chicken flavor broth powder to make a "chicken" flavored seitan, or a blend with paprika, cayenne, fennel, garlic, and Italian seasoning for a "sausage" flavor. Flavoring is limited only by your imagination.

Ingredients:

4 ozs Vital wheat gluten

5 ozs lukewarm water

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Put the wheat gluten in a large bowl.

Dissolve salt in lukewarm water and pour over the wheat gluten.

Mix into a dough and knead 8 to 10 times.

Cover dough and let it stand for 2 hours.

Heat a wok with 2 cups of oil and when temperature is 350 f, drop tiny pieces of dough to fry until golden brown.

The puffs are now ready for a variety of recipes.

Serves

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Butternut Squash Muffin

This butternut squash has been sort of a decor, sitting next to all the fruits on the countertop since Christmas. It was supposed to be served as a side for our Christmas Dinner, but ?????. Lately fruits have been in abundance, so the squash has to make way and that is how it turned into steamed muffins.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butternut squash - steamed and mashed

1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fine granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 - 7 tbsp thick coconut milk or evaported milk

1 egg

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Fill steamer with water and bring to the boil.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the mashed butternut squash, sugar, oil, egg and coconut milk/evaporated milk.

Add the dry ingredients, stir mixture until just combine.

Using an ice cream scoop, pour the mixture to greased silicone cups.

Put to steam on very high heat for 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove to cool completely.

Serve immediately

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Hokkaido Bread

The Hokkaido Milk Loaf has apparently been the rage of baking bloggers some time ago, and it has been in my 'to-try-list' for awhile. Finally, i have made it. This bread is fragrant and cottony soft, it is a 'can't-stop-at-one-slice' deliciousness! Extra good when fresh out of the oven and a favorite for those who like their bread sweet.


Ingredients:

1 cup Whole milk

5 fl oz Whipping cream
1 large Egg

1 1/2 tsp Salt

5 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp Milk powder

4 cups Bread flour
1/2 cup Cake flour
3 tsp Instant yeast

Method:

Put the ingredients in the bread machine according to the order , first the liquids and lastly the instant yeast.

Use the dough function of the bread machine.

When dough is proven , remove from bowl of bread machine and press out the gas produced during the proof.

Divide it into 4 portions.

Round up and let rest for about 20 minutes.

Grease 2 loaf pans.

Roll each dough out and roll up. Place 2 rolls into a loaf pan.

Let the dough rise up to double.

Brush with egg wash or milk.

Bake in a preheated 350f oven for about 35 - 40 minutes.

Serves

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Hard Boiled Eggs

Cooking hard boiled eggs can be a hassle because you have to kor hui and kor chui in hokkien, jaga api and jaga air in Malay and in english, meaning you have to regulated the heat and the amount of water used.
Jean Scully was so kind to share this method of cooking the eggs whereby you don't have to worry whether they are over-cooked or under-cooked.


Ingredients:

Rice Cooker

2 sheets of Kitchen Towel

2 or more eggs(enough to put in a single layer in the rice cooker)

Method:

Wet 2 sheets of kitchen towels and wring out excess water.

Put them in the rice cooker

Put 2 or more eggs on top of wet kitchen towels

Close the lid of rice cooker and press 'cook'.

When the 'cook' button is off and turns to 'warm' - eggs should be ready if they were in room temperature to start with, but if they were from the fridge, keep cooked eggs in the 'warm' function for a while to fully hard cooked the eggs.

Viola!! Hard boiled eggs

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Cream Cheese Tarts

I remembered baking tarts like these when i was in school at domestic science class. If i could bake these when i was 14 or 15, then i should be able to bake them again but i do not have a recipe. It is not that difficult, get a short crust pastry recipe and then the filling, which is a cream cheese cake, put them together and there you have - a tart.


Ingredients:

Short Crust Pastry:

4 ozs butter

2 ozs fine granulated sugar

1 egg

7 ozs all-purpose flour

Filling:

2 ozs butter

4 ozs fine granulated sugar

1 egg

4 ozs self rising flour

4 ozs cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

Raspberry jam

Almond slivers

Glazed cherries

Method:

Preheat oven to 350f.

To make the pastry:

Cream butter and sugar, lightly then mix in egg and cream well.

Add in flour and mix well until a dough is formed.

Leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into circles a little larger than the tart moulds. Line the tart moulds with the cut pastry and dock the base by using a fork.

Fill the pastry with a teaspoon of raspberry jam

To make the filling:

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in egg and vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour and milk and mix well to combine.

Top raspberry jam with the cream cheese filling.

Decorate with almond slivers and cherries.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serves

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Claypot Belly Pork with Salted Fish

Did you know Clay Pot cooking goes back thousands of years and was used by most of the early civilizations including the Etruscans, Romans, and Chinese. The clay pot is a wonderful addition to your kitchen for making one-pot meals. Here is a cooking style that allows for cooking just about anything you like slowly and gently while retaining the juices and flavor As a porous material, the clay in a pot that has been saturated with water slowly releases steam from its pores during the cooking process. Juices released by the food as it cooks cannot escape from the pot. This seals in flavor and keeps food from drying out, without the need to add extra fats or liquids. Along with the flavor, essential nutrients and vitamins are retained in the food.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb belly pork, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small piece boneless salted fish meat, cut into tiny pieces 4 slices ginger
2 shallots - chopped4 - 6 cloves garlic chopped
2 stalks spring onion, cut into 1 inch lengths(optional)

1½ tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp thick soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp Hua Tiau/shaoxing wine

½ tsp chicken stock granules
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp sugar or to taste
¼ tsp pepper

Method:

Heat wok with a little oil, enough to fry the salted fish. Fry until crispy, remove and set aside.

Add in the ginger slices and fry until fragrant.

Add in chopped shallots and garlic and fry until sweated and not browned.

Add in pork pieces and saute until brown

Heat a claypot over medium high heat. Transfer all the ingredients from the wok to the claypot.

Add in water, oyster sauce, chicken stock granules and dark soya sauce.

Bring to the boil, and cover with lid and turn heat to low.

Simmer until pork pieces are tender, stirring and adding water if sauce dries up and pork pieces are not tender yet.

Add in the fried salted fish, wine and spring onions (if using). Cook until sauce has thickened.

Adjust taste with salt and sugar.

Add in pepper and sesame oil before serving hot.

Serves

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Salted Chinese Olive Fried Rice

Chinese olives taste different than Western olives. There is a hint of five spice and very little of the Mediterranean flavor tones. The olives come in two forms, canned with pits and dry packed. Not to be obvious, but if you get the canned ones, you will have to pit it yourself before you cook with them. The dry packed ones look more like a paste than individual olives. This combination of salted olives and rice is lovely marriage, the dry packed olives which is not as salty, more liquorice like complement the bland rice very well.




Ingredients:

1/3 lb. small fresh shrimp, shelled and diced
2 eggs
10 Chinese salted black olives - chopped
4 garlic - chopped
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 tsp. fish sauce
4 cups long grain cooked rice - preferably leftover
6-8 Thai chillies, cut into very thin rounds
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Cilantro sprigs

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok until it is hot, add the shrimp and stir fry until the color has become pink and cooked through. Remove from wok, leaving behind the oil and set aside.

Toss in the ground pork and garlic and stir-fry, breaking the pork into little bits as it cooks. When most of the pork has changed color, add the eggs and stir to combine. When eggs are set add in the chopped salted olives.

Loosen the grains of the leftover rice before tossing into the wok. Stir-fry for several minutes until the rice is well heated through and well mixed with the pork and olives. Add in the cooked shrimps and adjust the taste with fish sauce.

Garnish rice with cilantro sprigs and cut chillies.


Serves

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Thai Green Curry

This Green Curry recipe features chicken but could also be prepared with beef, pork or fish. If sweet basil leaves are not available, you may substitute European basil, or leave it out altogether. I have included the recipe for the Green Curry Paste but the ready-mixed paste is just as good. I like the brand - Mae Ploy.



Ingredients:

For the Curry Paste:
4-6 jalapeno or 1/2 cup of thai green chillies
2 tbsp. chopped shallots
2 tsp. grated galangal
1 tsp. zest of one lime
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tbsp. chopped ginger
2 tbsp. grated lemongrass
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds - toasted
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds - toasted
1/2 tsp Salt
Ingredients for the curry:
2 cups sliced vegetables (eggplant, potato, broccoli, green or red peppers, etc.)
3/4 cup sliced Onion
1/2 lb chicken pieces - bite-sizes
1 tsp brown/palm sugar
2 tbsp. fish sauce
6 kaffir lime Leaves
4 stems of thai basil
1 can 400 ml coconut milk - Savoy brand
1 cup of water

Method:

If you wish to pound in the traditionally way, put Curry Paste ingredients in mortar. Pound with pestle until everything is mixed and ground thoroughly. Make sure there are no seeds left uncrushed. I do not own a mortar and pestle so i use the food processor, but if you have to use the blender, add in 1/2 cup oil to fasilitate movement for blending.

Green Curry:

Pour coconut milk into saucepan/wok and turn on medium heat. Stir until oil appears on the top.

Add green curry paste and chicken and stir until almost done.

Add vegetables, fish sauce, water, sugar and turn heat up and stir a little.

When everything is cooked, put in thai basil and kaffir lime leaves.

Serve with Jasmine Rice or Sticky Rice

Serves

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Spiderman Cake

This Spiderman cake was made for Jordan's 4th birthday. Time flies, it was just last year that i made Lightning Mcqueen's Race Track for his 3th birthday. This time the cake is frosted with this favorite traditional buttercream which is based on a cooked meringue. This is the crowning touch that surrounds and enhance the cake with it's luxurious creaminess. It might take a bit of time to put together, but the results are worth it! It pipes beautifully for decorations and can be flavored or tinted in many different ways. This recipe calls for the nutritionally dreaded shortening but you may use all butter, but the frosting will be more stable with the vegetable shortening; all butter frosting can melt or slide if kept in a wram room for too long.


Recipe for the cake is here Renee's Birthday Cakes

Recipe for Buttercream

Ingredients:

1/2 cup egg whites (4 ozs, the whites from 3 - 4 large eggs) or 1/4 cup(1 1/2 oz) meringue powder dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water.

1/4 cup(2 3/4 oz) light corn syrup

1 cup(7 oz) sugar

1/3 cup(2 5/8 oz) water

1/2 tsp cream of tartar(if using fresh egg whites)

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup(2 sticks, 8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temp.

1/2 cup(3 1/4 oz) vegetable shortening

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Method:

Place the egg whites(or reconstituted meringue powder) in the bowl of your mixer.

Place the corn syrup, sugar and water in a medium saucepan, with a cast-iron skillet at the bottom. Stir until combined and the sugar is dissolved. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, with the pan covered to wash any sugar crystals down from the sides. Uncover and cook to the soft ball stage, 240 f.

Meanwhile, begin to beat the egg whites on slow speed. When they are foamy, add the cream of tartar, if using fresh eggwhites, and salt. Gradually increase the speed and continue beating until soft peaks from.

As soon as the sugar syrup reaches the soft ball stage, remove it from the heat. Turn off the mixer. Very carefully pour about 1/4 of the hot syrup down the inside of the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on high speed, and beat well. Add the syrup in two more additions, stopping the mixer each time, working as quickly as possible. If the sugar is slightly overcooked and hardens a bit, return it to the heat for a moment to remelt it. Do not pour the sugar syrup into the bowl while the mixer is on; you may splash yourself with hot syrup or the syrup will end up all on the sides of the bowl.

Continue to beat the meringue until it cools to room temperature. This takes about 20 minutes of continuous beating. If you need to hurry it along, place the bowl of your mixer in a ice bath for a few moments while mixing by hand, then return it to the machine. If you attempt to add the butter before the meringue is cool, the butter will melt and the frosting will collapse.

When the meringue is cool, beat in the soft butter a bit at a time. If the frosting starts to separate, continue beating without adding any more butter until the forsting looks fluffy again. Beat in the vegetable shortening. Beat in vanilla and almond extract, if using.

Frost cake as desired.

If frosting is very soft, refrigerate before using, or beat in extra vegetable shortening.

If you have two mixing bowls, beating the butter and vegetable shortening together before adding will ensure you end up with the lightest, fluffiest frosting.

Variations:

LEMON BUTTERCREAM - Omit the almond extract. When boiling the sugar, use 1/4 cup water plus 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Add 2 more tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of lemon zest when most of the butter and/or shortening has been beaten into the frosting.

HAZELNUT BUTTERCREAM - Combine 1/4 hazelnut paste with 2 tbsp Frangelico liqueur. Mix this into the frosting with the last 1/2 cup of butter or shortening.

RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM - Mix in 1/4 cup strained raspberry puree alternately with the last 1/2 cup of butter or shortening.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM - Melt 2 ozs of unsweetened chocolate and cool to room temperature. Add to the frosting at the end.

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Chicken Feet Salad

Although eating chicken feet is an acquired taste, those who love to eat chicken feet will swear by it. It is a delicacy in its own right. Chicken feet can be cooked in many ways. Popular ways of cooking chicken feet are deep frying it and then stew, most people prefer these fried chicken feet cos if well done, the bones can be removed from the skin easily at a monthful. However, I would like to share another not so common but healthy chicken feet dish. This is a popular delicacy and although it looks complicated, it can be prepared quite easily at home. It is an appetizer and is eaten cold. This dish need boneless chicken feet of which one has to be skillful to take out the bones from the feet but ready deboned chicken feet is available in the asian stores.





Ingredients:

300 gm boneless chicken feet

100 gm big onion (cut strips)

4 shallots (cut slices)

Seasoning

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

6 chilli padi (chopped)

Garnishing

1 stalk of cilantro (cut finely)

cucumber (cut into strips)

2 red chillies (cut into strips)

Method:

Scald the chicken feet with boiling water, cool with cold water, then soak in ice water for 20 mins.

Drain off water, add in big onion, shallots and seasonings.

Mix well, Garnish with cilantro, cucumber & chilli strips.

Note:

To have your own chicken feet boned, get whole chicken feet that are fat and plump.

Clean them well and chop off the tips and claws.

Use a small sharp knife to ease out the skin. Do it slowly to prevent any breakage of the skin.

Steep deboned chicken feet with 1 tbsp kan sui in the fridge overnight.
Wash and drain well
Blanch the feet into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes.
Drain and plunge them straight into a big basin of ice-cold water.

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Tarte Nougat - Sweet Potatoes

This rustic sweet potatoes tart is a spin-off from the favorite 'Tarte Nougat - Pommes" from Au Peche Mignon Patisserie in Paris . It has a delicious crunchy almond topping which made this tart so decadent, an impression that may well have originally inspired this 'patisserie's' playful name. "un peche mignon" means, literally, "a little(forgivable) sin," or, more figuratively, "a particular weakness

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Ready made Puff Pastry

2 big sweet potatoes

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter - cut up

4 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

salt to taste

Nougat:

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp sliced almonds

1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar

3 large egg whites

Method:

Grease 8 - 9 inch tart pan.

Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a circle which is 1 1/2 inch large than the tart pan, and a thickness of 1/8 inch.

Fit the pastry without stretching into the tart pan, trimming it flush with the edges of the tart pan. Chill the pastry for at least 1/2 hr.

Preheat the oven to 375 f. Place the pastry shell in a jelly roll pan, which helps catch the butter expelled by the crust, or on a baking sheet, line the shell with lightly greased parchment paper or a aluminum foil, greased side down, and fill with dried beans or rice.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is pale gold. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the weights and paper/foil.

While the pastry is baking, peel the sweet potatoes and leave in cold water to preventing darkening. Cut the sweet potatoes in halves or thirds and then cut into wedges like you would for apples.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add some of the butter(you might need less if using a non-stick pan), then some of the sweet potatoes wedges.

Cook the sweet potatoes wedges, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add some of the brown sugar and a pinch of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cook, tossing, for 1 minute longer.

Transfer the sweet potatoes wedges to a plate with a slotted spoon and repeat until all the sweet potatoes wedges have been cooked until tender but still hold their shape.

Spread the sweet potatoes wedges evenly into the tart shell.

Nougat:

Combine the sliced almonds, sugar, and egg whites in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients without beating the whites.

Pour the nougat mixture over the apples and bake the tart for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the nougat is lightly golden and crusty.

Cool the tart on a wire rack and serve at room temperature.

Serves

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Sponge Cakes

This method of making sponge cake is fantastic. I must share with everyone, who like me, is never confident with sponge cakes. With just one recipe, i made several shapes and they are the best.

This is sort of yin and yang, not by choice, but i am glad it turned out this way. If you like the kuih bahulu to be soft crumb, do not heat the mould for too long before filling with batter and bake until just right. If you like hard crumb, heat the mould until very very hot, then pour in batter

The pattern side is light cos of the silicone madeliene mould.

Ingredients:

100 gram vegetable oil

30 ml milk

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

5 eggs

150 gram sugar

150 gram all purpose flour

¼ tsp baking powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 35o f degree and grease the moulds except for the kuih bahulu moulds. it would have to be heated first in the oven, then grease.

Bring to a boil oil, milk and salt, stir until foamy.

Remove from the heat.

Stir in 2 beaten eggs when warm and stir until thicken.

In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and form ribbonlike trail.

Sift in flour and baking powder and fold gently.

Fold in oil mixture until combine, do not overmix.

Fill the moulds with batter to almost full, this batter will not rise that much, then bake until surface is golden brown. (Cooking time depends on the moulds you are using)

Serves

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Ciabatta

This ciabatta makes the best Panini

When i was at the library last week, i ran through the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated and it has 'How to make Ciabatta'. This Italian loaf boasts a crisp, flavorful crust and a chewy, open crumb—in the hands of a master, but with this recipe, you can be the master.

Ingredients:

Biga

1 cup(5 ozs) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp instant yeast

1/2 cup(4 ozs) water, at room temp.

Dough

2 cups(10 ozs) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp table salt

3/4 (6 ozs) water, at room temp(i had to put alot more water to make it sticky cos i am in Denver)

1/4 cup(2 ozs) milk, at room temp.

Method:

For the biga:

Combine flour, yeast and water in medium bowl and stir with wooden spoon until uniform mass forms, about 1 minute. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp.(about 70 f) overnight (at least 8 hrs and up to 24 hours.

For the dough:

Place biga and dough ingredients in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.

Mix on lowest speed until roughly combined and shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute, scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.

Continue mixing on medium low speed until dough becomes uniform mass that collects on paddle and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 - 6 minutes.

Change to dough hook and knead bread on medium speed until smooth and shiny(dough will be very sticky), about 10 minutes.

Transfer dough to large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hr or more.

Spray rubber spatula or bowl scraper with no-stick cooking spray, fold partially risen dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees, fold again. Turn bowl and fold dough six more times (total of 8 times). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Repeat folding, replace plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes or more longer.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 450 f at least 30 minutes before baking.

Cut tow 12 x 6 inch pieces of parchment paper and liberally dust with flour.

Transfer dough to liberally floured counter, being careful not to deflate completely.

Liberally flour top of dough and divide in half.

Turn 1 piece of dough so cut side is facing up and dust with flour. With well floured hands, press dough into rough 12 x 6 inch shape. Fold shorter sides of dough toward center, overlapping them like business letter to form 7 x 4 inch loaf. Repeat with second dough piece.

Gently transfer each loaf seam-side down to parchment sheets, dust with flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Let loaves sit at room temp for 30 minutes(surfaces of loaves will develop small bubbles)

Slide parchment with loves onto inverted rimmed baking sheet or pizza peel.

Using floured fingertips, evenly poke entire surface of each loaf to form 10 x 6 inch rectangle, spray loaves lightly with water.

Carefully slide parchment with loaves onto baking stone using jerking motion.

Bake, spraying loaves with water twice more during first 5 minutes of baking time, until crust is deep golden brown and instant read thermometer inserted into centers of loaves registers 210 f, 22 to 27 minutes.

Transfer to wire rack, discard parchment and cool loaves to room temperature, about 1 hr before slicing and serving.

Notes:

I baked one loaf at a time cos i have a round pizza stone which can only hold one loaf.

BTW The bread is typically identified by its shape, which is that of a slipper, and thus the meaning of the word "ciabatta" in Italian.

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