Chocolate Crinkles

I have thought of baking these black and white goodies with my whilom friend Katy. She loves these cookies so much, she had to remind me of baking them every Christmas. Also, what kids love in every cookies? chewy and fudgy, they won't be able to keep their hands off them!

These delightful sweets are easy to make and fits well within your budget.

What you need:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

What to do:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla extract.
2. Add eggs one at a time; mix until well combined.
3. Mix in the cocoa powder.
4. Add the flour and baking powder; mix until smooth.
5. Chill the dough for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
6. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
7. Line a cookie sheet with greaseproof paper or a nonstick silicone mat.
8. Scoop out a dough using an ice cream scooper and roll generously in confectioners sugar.
9. Place on the cookie sheet each at 2 inches apart.
10. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool.
11. Makes 30 pieces.

Tip: Make sure the dough is well chilled before baking or the cookie will spread too thin.
More of these cookie-recipes? Visit yummy

For The Love Of Cheese!

Since when did man start learning to eat cheese, we don't really know, up to now the origin of cheesemaking is unknown but the practice had spread within europe. The word cheese comes from Latin caseus, which means "to ferment, become sour". Cheese has interestingly provocative smell or taste.

When I was a lardon, whenever I think of cheese or pasta, I remember Italians. What about you? We have our own cheesemaking process in the country, local cheese isn't bad at all. My favourites are goat cheese and brie! If you are not so familiar with all kinds of cheeses (just like me) let's do this basic get-to-know common cheeses that we most likely have eaten in some point of our lives. Here we go!

Hard Cheeses:

1. Parmigiano Reggiano - Sweet and fruity, almost like pineapple. Also known as parmesan - the grounded kind you sprinkle on your spaghetti.



2. Grana Padano

• Grainy cheese produced by curdling milk from grass-fed cow.

3. Manchego

• Named after Don Quixote's spanish town, La Mancha. Made from pasteurized sheep's milk, this has a black gray color on the outside and white to yellowish color inside, depending on maturity.
  

Soft Cheeses:

the smellier the better!

Brie

• The queen of cheeses. Has a very complex taste and needs maturing. Its more common stabilized form is exported internationally.

Camembert

• This famed french cheese dates back to the 18th century, originally dry and yellow-brown, but now softer and crumblier. Has a delicate salty taste.

Ricotta

• Fresh, raw cheese that's creamy and high in moisture.

Australian Mascarpone

• Almost like whipped cream, Mascarppone has mild flavor that complements sweet and savory dishes well.

Bleu d'Auvergne

• A blue cheese that tastes like tart, herbs and butter; gets sharper and spicier as it ages. Best for salads and pasta.

More cheese wiki later!

Breakfast Muffins

This is a sweet joyful way to start your day. Loaded with fiber, nuts, and fruits, this grab-and-go treat is perfect for the busy set.

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup muesli
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped ripe banana
• 1/4 cup min chocolate chips

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F. Line a muffin pan with paper cups.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix butter, honey, vanilla, eggs and milk.
4. Mix together both dry and wet mixtures. Then fold in the rest of the ingredients.
5. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake at 375 °F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and springy when lightly touched.

Makes 9 muffins. Prep Time 10 to 15 minutes. Baking Time 20 to 30 minutes.

Tried and tested! Yummy

Food Blog From BreadTalk

July 18 was a very special day for me. I had such an incredible time on that day because it was my son's birthday who turned eight. Pretty much, my life is composed of raising an active, bright kid whom shall I say made me who I am today. I planned a week before that, thinking of food escapades and movie and roaming around his favourite place. It's not something luxurious, we just made a little change from our usual zoo, park and beaches. We headed out to a magnificent mall near my work. It's been a while since we last visited BreadTalk - the best maker of pastries, bread, sweets with all its distinctive flavours!

We did a little sight seeings on those divine bread and sweets before we picked our order.

..And a light more sight seeing...freshly baked 'hot chic' on top! Yes that's what they call it 'hot chic' as it is topped with spicy, tasty fibers on top as what they termed as 'floss'. Uncertain as to why they are made of, but they sure taste like flaked salmon.

You see how long that line was? so many people craves for BreadTalk everyday!

Apart from baked goodies you see left and right, there you also see friendly bakers from outside the glass. They bake visibly to the public and you will know for sure that pastries are being handled well and clean!

..I do think my son has eyed on this..I knew he was going for this one..because he is sometimes redundant..oh such kids - very predictable :)

Finally he has picked his choice! Yummy!

I have more photos to show from the event - kindly visit my flickr.

Have you had any simple yet interesting food trip with your loved-ones? write me at gracesoy@gmail.com and will pick randomly any of your photos submitted with a little story in it and it will be definitely my next post!

California Maki (カリフォルニア巻き)

What is sushi? - Not just raw fish - The origin of sushi is not Japan. It is said that sushi was introduced into Japan in the 7th century from China. People began making sushi to preserve fish by fermentation when there were no refrigerators.

Not into raw fish? No problem! There are many kinds of sushi which don't include raw fish like cooked salmon, shellfish, and various other ingredients can be combined in sushi. It is low in fat and is a very nutritious food.

For sushi lovers, I'm going to introduce basic steps in making California Maki - sushi rolls wrapped by seaweed (nori). One of my favorite sushi!

What you need:

• cooked Japanese rice (cook 2-cups short grain Japanese rice in 3 cups water in a rice cooker)
• ground white pepper
• mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• bowl of water
• nori (seaweed) sheets, cut in strips
• wasabi
• ripe mango slices
• cucumber slices
• crab sticks
• fish roe
• Japanese mayonnaise
• bamboo sushi mat

What to do:

1. Season cooked rice with a pinch of ground white pepper and 4 tablespoons of mirin. Using a wooden rice paddle or a for, lightly stir the cooked rice to incorporate the seasoning. This makes the rice cool down quicker, too.
2. Get a bowl of water and ad 1 tablespoon of mirin. Wet both hands with this vinegared water to keep rice from sticking when rolling sushi.
3. Spread rice on the sushi mat, leaving an inch of margin on the edge. Then lay half a nori sheet in the rice. On the nori, lay out crab sticks, mango, and cucumber lengthwise. finish with Japanese mayonnaise.
4. With the help of sushi mat, roll up sushi and seal tightly but gently.
5. Then roll sushi on a bed of fish roe. Slice into 1-inch rounds using a very sharp knife. Cut firmly straight down. Serve with wasabi on the side and soy sauce.

楽しむ!

Yummy

Fruity Mocktail

I simply like fruit juices myself and one of my most informative cook book has delightedly share this mock sangria that even kids would love the refreshing and sweet taste. Go ahead! stir a pitcher!

What you need:

• 2 cups cranberry juice
  


• 2 cups orange juice
  


• 1 liter lemon-lime soda
  


• 1 1/2 cups strawberries (hulled and halved)
  


• 1 orange (sliced and quartered)

What to do:

1. Stir together cranberry juice, orange juice, lime soda, strawberries and orange.
   
   
2. Add ice cubes to the mixture before serving.
   
   
3. Dress up each glass with a quartered orange slice.
   

Makes 10 to 12 glasses or 1 pitcher.

Adapted from Yummy.

Watermelon Relish

Watermelon isn't too expensive to fill in your fridge. I think this is one of the cheapest tropical fruit that I can buy compare to ripe mangoes, lanzones and durian. The month of July is the full bloom of its season. When I went home today after work, I saw two vendors selling fresh big sizes of watermelons. They actually sell them per kilo or slices. Yes slices! if you wish to just grab a portion and eat in the corner, you may do so!

A relish that you can either pair with your all time favourite steak or grilled salmon or chicken. Whilst this is simple to create, this is quite appetizing and refreshing.

What you need:

• 2 cups watermelon,balled or cut into small triangles
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped leeks, white part only
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• seasoning to taste
• chopped mint leaves (optional)

What to do:

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Chill for at least an hour before serving. Top with chopped mint leaves if desired.

Enjoy with your favourite dish!