KBB#28 Torta Pasqualina (Savoury Bake)

Torta Pasqualina literally means 'Easter cake' in Italian. It's a typical Easter dish from Piemonte and Liguria.
The dough is a layered dough, a bit like 'fillo dough', but thicker.
It's called 'pasta matta' (i.e. crazy dough) As this dish comes from Liguria it contains a local cheese called Prescinseua which can only be found in Liguria. It is very creamy, soft and slightly acidulated.
It’s unlikely you will find Prescinseau so a very soft ricotta can or a regular ricotta with the addition of a little milk will do.

Here's the recipe

Torta Pasqualina
Source: Old Time Cooking Recipes

Ingredients:
DOUGH:
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) white flour
6 Tbs olive oil
a pinch of salt

FILLING:
1 kg (2 lb) Swiss chard (silver beet) or spinach
400 g (0.9 lb) cottage cheese/ricotta cheese
100 g (3.5 oz) parmesan
10 eggs
2 teaspoons marjoram, chopped
2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
garlic, minced (optional)
olive oil
salt, pepper

Preparation:
1. DOUGH:
-Combine flour, oil, a pinch of salt and enough cold water to make a
medium soft dough.
-Knead well for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic.
-Divide the dough into 14 balls.
-Cover with cloth and let stand for about 1 hour.

2. FILLING:
-Clean, wash and dry the Swiss chard.
-Place in a saucepan with little boiling water and cook at high heat
until wilted.
-Cool, then squeeze out excess liquid and chop finely.
-Add 50 g (1.7 oz) parmesan cheese, marjoram, parsley, garlic and 2
eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Oil a round shallow oven dish, 9 inches (22 cm) in diameter.
4. Flatten each piece of dough, one at a time, making each a very thin disk, larger than the baking pan you are going to use.
5. Lay the pastry on the oven dish, allowing it to flow over the edges. Oil it lightly.
6. Place another disk over it and repeat until you have used 7 disks.
7. Spread the Swiss chard stuffing over the dough, and then spread the cottage cheese over the greens level with a knife.
8. Make 8 small cavities. Pour a raw egg into each cavity and sprinkle each with salt, pepper and remaining parmesan cheese.
9. Cover the whole lot with the same number of pastry sheets, each brushed with oil.
10. Pinch the borders and trim the excess dough, prick the top of the pie in a few places and then brush with oil.
11. Bake for 1 hour in 190 C (375 F) oven. Allow to rest before removing from the cake tin

the ingredients and process of making

The Torta Pasqualina

As you can see I forgot to prick the top of the Torta.. This is the result of doing things in a hurry

Till We Meet Again

KBB#27 Fortune Cookies

Tantangan kali ini sebenarnya mudahhh sekali pengerjaannya..(kalau tidak melihat jari2x yg melepuh he..he.) Tetapi karena datangnya bebarengan dengan persiapan dan perayaan Imlek jadinya baru setor pas sudah super mepet... (Sorry Bu Hosts..aku jangan dikutuk jadi tambah gemuk ya..;-p)

Yang paling enjoy Fortune Cookies ini adalah bocah-bocah di rumah... mereka sibuk memecah Fortune Cokiesnya dan membaca isi "ramalannya" ("Ramalannya aku ambil dari Motivational Quotes he..he..he..)

Resep dan Proses pembuatannya seperti di bawah ini ya...dengan bahasa aslinya untuk menghindari lost in translation

Fortune Cookie

Source: http://chinesefood.about.com

Fortune cookies can be tricky to make - it's important to make sure that the cookie batter is spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Instead of using the back of a wooden spoon to spread the batter, it's better to gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth as needed. Wearing cotton gloves makes it easier to handle and shape the hot cookies. This fortune cookie recipe makes about 10 cookies.

Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons water

Preparation:
1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.
3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture.
4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.
Note: if you want to dye the fortune cookies, add the food coloring at this point, stirring it into the batter. For example, I used 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring to make green fortune cookies.

5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter.
6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes).
7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies

Not sure apakah hasil akhirnya sudah benar...tapi memang ada beberapa yang crack.
Atas permintaan bocah-bocah akhirnya sisa adonann aku buat tuilles dengan almond..

Semoga Fortune Cookies ini membawa Keberuntungan kepada semua KBBers
Untuk KBBers yang merayakan aku mengucapkan :

"Gong Xi Xin Nien...Gong Xi Fa Chai...Shen Thi Cien Khang"

(Happy New Year... Happy Prosperous Year... May u be healthy always)

Till We Meet Again

KBB#26 Italian Bread - Panettone

This KBB challenge is really challenging....
I tried and failed and tried then failed again.
But however the outcome is I have to report to the hosts because it's almost end of report time
Hopefully in the near future I can retry and success

The recipe is as below

Panettone (traditional Italian christmas bread)
Source: The Worldwide Gourmet

Ingredients
 - 1 1/2 cakes of fresh baker's yeast
- 65 ml (1/4 cup) sugar

 - 6 tbsp. warm water
- 6 egg yolks
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- A pinch of salt
 - 500-750 ml (2-3 cups) flour
 - 100 ml (6 tbsp.) diced candied peel
 - 100 g (6 tbsp.) + 2 tbsp.butter
- 4 tbsp. sultanas
- 4 tbsp. currants
 - 1 tsp. vanilla

>> Method
 Sprinkle 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and the yeast over the warm milk and let sit 3 minutes; mix and let rest in a warm draft-free place (e.g., a warm oven that has been turned off) until the mixture has doubled in volume, approximately 5 minutes;
 pour the mixture into a bowl, add in the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and remaining sugar;
gradually mix in 500 ml (2 c.) of the flour by hand until a smooth consistency is attained - the dough should easily come together into a ball;
 gradually add the butter cut into small dice and beat until the dough becomes smoother and more elastic;
 add 125 to 250 ml (1/2 to 1 c.) more flour until the dough is firm and silky but not sticky;
place the ball onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. When the dough is smooth and shiny, place into a buttered bowl; dust lightly with flour, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free place for about 45 minutes until doubled in volume;
 punch down the dough firmly with your fist and flatten it out in the bowl; add the candied lemon peel, raisins and currants and knead until well distributed but without working the dough more than necessary;
line a large bread pan with brown paper that has been well buttered on both sides; place the dough in the pan and trace a cross on top;
cover with buttered paper and let rise again in a warm place for 15 minutes;
remove the paper from the top; brush the top with softened butter.

 Baking

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F);
place the bread pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes;
 reduce the oven temperature to 160° C (350° F) and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, brushing again with melted butter; the bread is done when the surface is golden and crispy;
 remove from the oven; remove the paper and let cool for 15 minutes before unmolding.

Then the results....

The bread is not rising as it should be...I want to cry....

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NCC-CFW Mango Pudding

It's Time for Dessert....

Berhubung lagi musim mangga, jadi anak-anak minta dibuatkan puding mangga seperti yang di Restoran dim sum
Setelah googling akhirnya dapet resep yang sesuai dengan stok bahan yang ada di rumah.

Mango Pudding
(Adaptasi dari blognya Food-4tots)
Resep tidak aku terjemahkan karena takut jadi salah ;-p

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 small ripe mangoes (250g for puree and 150g for cubes)

9g gelatin powder (equals to 3 tsp or 1 tbsp)                                         1 tsp lemon juice

50-60g sugar (depending on the sweetness of the mangoes)                   100ml + 40ml water

80ml fresh cream (I used whipping cream)

Methods:

In a small glass bowl, sprinkle gelatin powder over 40ml water. Let the gelatin absorb the liquid and bloom (meaning each granule becomes enlarge). Set aside.

Cut mangoes. Place a mango on your palm or stand the mango on your cutting board with stem end down and hold. Slice the mango lengthwise as close to the seed as possible and continue for all the sides. You should have 4 (2 large and thick, 2 slim and thin) mango pulps (cheeks), and the middle section that included the seed. Take a sharp knife to make crisscross cuts (with 1cm apart) in each pulp to form a checkerboard pattern. Be careful not to cut through the skin. Turn the scored mango pulp inside out by pushing the skin up from underneath. Use the knife to slice the mango flesh away from the skin in several shallow layers to obtain the mango cubes (about 1cm thickness). Use a spoon to scoop out the remaining flesh. Blend 250g mango flesh into puree. Add in ½ tsp lemon juice and mix well.

Add another ½ tsp lemon juice to 300-350g mango cubes and set aside.

Use a medium saucepan, add in 100ml water and sugar. With low heat, bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Off the heat and add in the soaked gelatin into the pan to combine with the sugar mixture.

Add in mango puree and mix well. Add in mango cubes and mix well.

Add in fresh cream and mix well. Transfer the saucepan to a large pot (or any kind of container with large base) that filled with ice water. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir the pudding mixture until it becomes slightly thick. Remove the pan from the ice water. With a large spoon/ladle, pour the pudding mixture into moulds or ramekins. Place the moulds or ramekins onto a tray. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for the puddings to completely set.

Note : 

1. Untuk mangganya aku menggunakan campuran mangga harum manis dan mangga gedong. Karena mangga gedong agak berserat jadi puree mangga aku saring dulu supaya teksturnya lebih halus.

2. Jika ragu menggunakan gelatin dapat diganti dengan  1/2 sdt agar-agar yang dimasak bersama air dan gula

3. Jika menggunakan gelatin, usahakan simpan pudding di lemari es paling tidak semalaman agar teksturnya lebih set. Kalo waktu di lemari es kurang maka pudding akan seperti bubur kental. and we don't want that right?   

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NCC-CFW Stewed Beef Shank With Radish

Postingan ini untuk mengikuti even NCC - CFW

Ini adalah masakan yang sering dibuat oleh mami dan sangat disukai anak-anak

Stewed Beef Shank With White Radish

(Resep Mami Dewi Oni)

Bahan

500 gr daging sapi bagian betis, iris +/- 1 cm

500 gr Lobak Putih, iris 2 cm

2 bh bunga lawang

3 bh cengkeh

4 bh bawang merah iris

3 bh bawang putih, cincang

1 sdm gula pasir

4 sdm kecap asin pekat (pakai merek pearl bridge yang mushroom soy sauce)

2 sdm kecap asin encer (pakai merk angsa)

Cara Membuat

Tumis bawang merah dan bawang putih hingga harum, lalu masukkan gula pasir biarkan hingga mencair (mengkaramel) lalu masukkan kecap asin pekat aduk rata biarkan hingga mendidih lalu masukkan bunga lawang dan cengkeh kemudian daging sapi aduk rata hingga daging sapi tertutup kecap lalu masukkan air kurang lebih 500 ml beri kecap asin encer. masak hingga daging agak empuk.

Kemudian masukkan lobak putih dan 500 ml air.

Masak hingga daging empuk dan lobak meresap.

Note : 

1. Jika untuk dijadikan lauk : kuah tidak perlu terlalu banyak 

2. Dasar kuah Mie Sapi ala Taiwan adalah kuah ini yang dibikin encer... dalam arti air yang dimasukkan lebih banyak lagi. Gunakan mie hokkien (mie telur yang besar), kemudian siram dengan kuah daging tambahkan dengan daun ketumbar. Jika suka pedas dapat ditambahkan irisan cabe rawit. Yummmmm

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NCC-CFW What an Event....

Semua event yang diadakan NCC biasanya meriah....
Kalau bukan temanya pasti Hostnya...sampai Badgenya pun selalu keren....

Kali ini walaupun sudah mepet sekali, tetap berniat untuk ikut NCC- Chinese Food Week (NCC-CFW)
Dari berbagai ide untuk bikin ini itu akhirnya back to basic... Makanan yang sehari-hari aku masak untuk anak-anak di rumah lah yang aku ikutkan dalam event ini...

Aku akan posting per makanan saja....
Dimulai dengan appitizer... Sebenarnya ini bukan termasuk soup tapi lebih ke minuman.
Fungsi minuman ini bisa untuk mengurangi gejala batuk, sangat baik buat anak-anak....
Sejak mendapat resep ini setiap dua minggu sekali aku selalu usahakan untuk membuatnya

Double Boiled Apple and Pear
(dari berbagai sumber dan dengan modifikasi Dewi)

Bahan
1 Buah Apel
1 buah pear korea
1 sdt Goji
2 bh Angco (red date)
1 sdm gula batu
2 lt air

Cara membuat
Cuci bersih apel dan pear lalu buang bagian tengahnya.
Taruh di Panci Tim beri air, Goji dan Angco.
Tim selama 1 jam.
Setelah itu beri gula batu.
Dapat diminum hangat maupun dingin.

Sebenarnya variasi herbal untuk minuman ini ada beberapa tapi aku menggunakan herbal Goji dan Angco yang selain mudah didapat juga sifatnya netral.

Till we meet again

KBB#25 Devonshire "Birthday Party" Tea

Birthday Party...
Yipppeee it's the 4th year......

So glad that I made it through the years....Never once miss the assignment.
For me..It's an achievement, because I'm the kind of person that is easily bored in committing and tends to stop when things are no longer interesting to me.

A friend of mine suggest that if I want to learn to improve myself and be better, I have to be committed and to learn commitment I better take on something that I love....
At that time things I love are English and baking/cooking...
So for English : I join Toastmasters Club and try to be committed on every roles that given to me
For Baking : KBB is the club I joined..

Both activities really require strong commitments but because of the friends in the clubs, I become better and learn so much more than I've ever expected. I feel so blessed....

Well back to the assignment, which is Scone , English Scone to be exact....
The recipe I'm using was taken from Joy of Baking, because I found it more simple than the other recipes...

Cream Scone

(Joy Of Baking)

Ingredients :

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour                                         

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder                         

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract                                      

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or heavy cream

Glaze:

Cream or Milk

Method :

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, two knives, or with your fingertips. (The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.) In a small measuring cup whisk together the milk or cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat into a 7 inch (18 cm) round. Then, using a lightly floured 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing a few inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream. (This helps to brown the tops of the scones during baking.)

Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with Devon cream or softly whipped cream and your favorite jam. These scones are best the day they are made but can be covered and stored for a few days. They also freeze very well.

Frankly speaking I don't really like the scone with cream and jam, but want to try the savoury version.
As for the picture....Big Thank You for Empat Rana's book.... it really helps a novoice photographer like me that have no sense of art. I'm glad that I can finally produce a quite decent picture.

Till We Meet Again