Homemade... the Duck & the Chicken

Once I've tasted Su's homemade recipe of Salted Vegetable Duck Soup咸菜鸭汤 and I've then felt in love with the dish. On a request to try the dish again and to take some pictures for my blog, we've decided to gather for a home-cooked dinner whereby Su and Phui Yee will be the Chefs. Su has prepared her Salted Vegetable Duck Soup a day earlier that I've not managed to capture more images yet here is the recipe for sharing. It's actually quite easy to prepare this dish that all you need to do is to get ready the raw ingredients that range from salted vegetable, duck, tomato, mushroom, dried chili to nutmeg seed. Then, they're all put into a big pot once they've been cleaned properly. This big pot of soup is boiled slowly for about.... Lastly, the lemon juice is squeezed into the soup to give the sourness and a little refreshing taste to the soup that is slightly spicy. This is a special recipe by Su that she has created during oversea study instead of using the Tamarind or "Asam Jawa". Elaine and I dislike the slight bitterness that may due to the nutmeg seed. I guess Su will exclude it for the next cooking session. By the way, this is the 1st time for me to learn that nutmeg seed is actually being used in cuisine. I've finished 4 bowls of the soup as I'm indeed loving the sourness and the spiciness. It's definitely appetising!

(Source from Wikipedia: Tamarind)

Phui Yee has decided to show her cooking skill on the spot by preparing the Potato Chicken. Firstly, the garlic, onion and ginger are chopped into tiny pieces. Secondly, they're mixed into the chicken meat and being seasoned with dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper and sugar. Then, the ingredients are mixed properly and they're left aside for marination of about 5 minutes. Meantime, peel and cut the potato into slices. Now, get ready for the cooking! Pour the chicken meat into the wok with the cooking oil that has been heated. Then, fry it for some minutes before adding in the sliced potatoes. Finally, add the water and let the mixture of chicken and potato to boil slowly on the fire. Phui Yee lets the potato to simmer inside the sauce for about 15 to 20 minutes that it gets soft. I like the dish as it's delicious and I do enjoy the taste of the chopped ginger. I've not tasted the chicken because it's drumstick but I guess it should be as well quite delicious.

It has been an enjoyable night with eating, drinking and chatting. I've had a very full stomach and a great time to laugh together with the girls.

Homemade Italian with Prego

To help on adding articles to my blog, Su has allowed me to take pictures of her Homemade Bolognese Spaghetti. Bolognese is a meat-based sauce that is originating from Bologna, Italy. It's also being known as tomato-based sauce or red-based sauce for the tomato concentrate that is being used or sometimes, the red wine is being added to enhance the aroma.

 

The laziness is conquering and Su has decided to use the instant Prego pasta sauce that is easily available in any shopping malls. The Bolognese sauce is ready by adding in some chopped garlic and onions, sliced mushroom and minced beef. Topping the sauce onto your choice or noodle such as spaghetti, fettuccine  penne or macaroni, here is the bowl of Bolognese Pasta. Other than complaining that the spaghetti is not salty, the pasta is indeed quite delicious. I like the "just-nicely-cooked" noodle that is neither too soft nor too hard. Su has been patiently watching over the boiling water while Phui Yee has been a good tester to ensure that the noodle is achieving a balance of biteness.

For my own homemade recipe, I guess I'll use the pork instead of the beef because I'm not really fancy over the strong smell of the meat. Besides, I'll recommend to use the tomato concentrate together with some freshly diced tomatoes to increase the deliciousness of the sauce. Another small tip, you can add some Mexican Chili Powder to give a little spiciness to the sauce. Well, this is a recipe that I've learnt from my Boyfriend's Mama :)

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i mum mum... It Sounds Like 'I Want to Eat'

'i mum mum, i mum mum...', it sounds like 'I want to eat' in Hokkien. i mum mum板面專賣店 is specialising in the Chinese style flat noodle or the 'Pan Mee' whereby its name means the noodle that is flat alike the wood. I've visited once the original shop that is located at Gat Lebuh Cecil 1 at Weld Quay and the owner has setup a branch nearby Sunshine Bayan Lepas now.

Either being served dry or with clear soup, you can have the noodle being made as thin細, thick粗 or hand tear手捏. I've ordered a Dry Pan Mee乾撈板面 with thin noodle and a bowl of Egg + Sweet Leaves Soup蛋和馬尼菜湯. The noodle that has been mixed with dark and light soy sauce is garnished with black fungus and minced pork meat. To add flavour to the noodle, they're serving 3 types of chili that is one in black, one in red and another is in green. I've no clue about the black paste, but it's definitely spicy while the red and green are with dried shrimps and cili padi respectively. I find the noodle to be quite sweet that I've squeezed in the lime instead of adding it to the chili paste. I feel that something is lacked of inside the noodle that I think it's the "saltiness" and I don't smell any nice aroma. The soup is not bad except that the egg yolk is a little over-cooked.

I've additionally taken the pictures from Su, Phui Yee and Elaine's orders that include the Crispy Pork炸肉, Mushroom Pan Mee蘑菇板面 with an Egg and the Pork Belly Pan Mee五花肉板面. The fried pork meat is sliced and being topped with a brownish sweet sauce and being garnished with white sesame and spring onions. I like definitely Phui Yee's noodle because it looks very appetising. Elaine's Pan Mee is served with the pork belly that has been boiled in the dark soy sauce and it looks alike the pork stew.


I'm not really impressed by the i mum mum Pan Mee as it's not really very delicious. But, it's still surprising to me that the shop is overwhelmed by customers during the lunch hour.

Mexican Has Landed in Penang! At Habanero

Lunch after back from Chinese New Year's Holiday, we've decided to try out the Habanero Mexican Dining that is located at 3rd floor of Queensbay Mall. It's definitely another surprise for me to see a new addition of food in Penang. Why is it Habanero? I've then learnt from Wikipedia that it means a variety of chili pepper that is then widely spread in Mexico. Here in this restaurant, you're not only getting the seasoning sauce that is made from green Habanero but also from the Picante, Chipotle and Cayenne that are red or purple in colour and they're all varied by the level of spiciness.

(Source from Wikipedia: Habanero)

How to start? Firstly, select your order of either Burrito, Taco or Bowl. Then, choose your choice of meat that ranges from Rollado Chicken, Parrilla Chicken, Camino Beef to Rebozado Fish or just be a Fajita Vegetable. Followed by is to add a Mexican Rice that is "cooked" with Cilantro Lime, Tomato Chili or Black Bean. Finally, garnish with some vegetables and sauces to make up a complete Mexican meal. Additionally, upgrade to set meal by adding the Nacho Chips that are served with Cheese or Salsa Dips and a drink.

I've ordered a bowl of Tomato Chili Rice with the Parilla Chicken. I like the rice as it's really appetising while the chicken meat is slightly "tasteless" as it's not up to my level of saltiness yet it's juicy. My favourite taste inside the bowl is indeed the Salsa or the sour-based mixture of tomato with onions. I've voted for Camino Beef instead of chicken as the beef has been boiled for long hours that it's not only juicy and tender but it has as well absorbed the sauce completely that the meat is very tasty. Su prefers for a longer hour of beef stew that the meat is softer but I find it to be just prefect. It's up to your tongue for decision! Mei Ling has ordered a Burrito, it's indeed very big!

I find the Mexican food to be quite tasty but it's neither very special nor very delicious that it has impressed me. Anyway, I'm happy that I've tasted a new food and to learn some information about it.

Kürtős Spiroll, the Hungarian

Kürtős Spiroll is in Penang, located at the 3rd floor of Queensbay Mall! Sharing the news with Attila by buying him an Original Hungarian, he's indeed amazed by the originality of this cake. My Hungarian Boyfriend is having a little doubt that it's being claimed as 'Traditional European Chimney Cake'. Kürtős Spiroll is actually Kürtős Kalács whereby 'Kürtős' means trumpet or it's a type of musical instrument while 'Kalács' means cake. Anyway, chimney has been more officially known than the trumpet. Well, it sounds better?!! The name actually comes from the circular shape of the cake that is a empty hole at the center. 

I've visited the restaurant twice that I can complete the photographing for my blog. The Original Hungarian Kürtős is the bread roll that has a thin layer of caramelized sugar whereby it's very crispy yet the dough is still very soft. Firstly, the dough that has been fermented for 16 hours is then flattened and pasted onto the cylindrical wooden rod. Next, the dough is swept with the oil before being coated evenly with the white sugar. The final step is to bake the dough in a special oven till it gets the perfect brownish skin. Additionally, you can choose from their Favourite or Premium Series that range from Sunflower Seeds, Hawaiian Coconut, Sesame Seeds, Cinnamon Sugar, Chocolate Rice, Nutella Walnut, Peanut Butter & Choc Chips to Premium Chicken Floss whereby the added ingredient is then coated onto the Kürtős that has been completed baking.

I've definitely enjoyed the Kürtős for its crispy skin and the softness of the bread roll. Either with sugar only, the owner has as well offered dipping sauces such as chocolate, butterscotch caramel or the garlic cheese. Being written on the paper box is the 1-by-1 steps to eat the Kürtős:
1. Pinch the tip!
2. Unravel it!
3. Break it!
4. Dip it!
5. Take a bite!
6. Start again!

I'll skip the step no. 4 as I've loved it plainly...

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Jelly is in the Coconut

BBQ-ing on the 3rd night of Chinese New Year, Su has been so kind to prepare a dessert for us. A refreshing dessert during the hot days of after the "heaty" food, a cold coconut jelly is definitely a good thirst quencher.

Joez Coconut has aimed to be a well-known coconut products supplier in Penang. The coconut jelly is one of their famous product that is easily accepted by the customers. The coconut juice that has been extracted from the young coconut is then turned into the semi solid form of smooth jelly. Eating the jelly and drinking the coconut juice, the texture is made in the way that one can enjoy a glass of jelly drink. Finishing the jelly, you can then eat the coconut meat with a spoon. I indeed prefer that the jelly is more solid that I can feel its "biteness". Anyway, I do quite enjoy the coconut jelly except that it's a little too sweet for myself. Guess what, you can D.I.Y by pouring in some spoons of Martell liquor to enhance the aroma of the coconut jelly! Like it or not, try it out :)

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Homemade Watermelon... Jelly

To fulfil my target for year 2013, my sex-i-tary has volunteered herself for an article with her 'Homemade Watermelon Jelly'. I'm indeed a little eager about what it will turn out to be because I doubt that she is able to cook or make something. It's shocking me at the moment I see the watermelon jelly by myself, it's alike a piece of art. She's definitely good, isn't she?!! It's too late that her Mom has kindly cut the watermelon into pieces that I'm unable to take a picture of its original shape. But, it's funny yet thankful to Su that she has worked so hard to "combine" the pieces into a whole watermelon.

How to make a beautiful watermelon jelly? Firstly, the "Aga-Agar" or the jelly is boiled slowly and the coconut milk is then added to mix properly. Secondly, they're poured into a round bowl to simulate as close as the shape of a watermelon. Followed by is to drop in some red colouring at the center of the white mixture of liquefied jelly and coconut milk and then do quickly stir them in slow pace to obtain a uniform mixture. Afterwards, the black Cincau or the grass jelly that has been cut into small pieces are then immediately scattered into the red mixture; these are the seeds of the watermelon. This bowl of the mixture is then put into the refrigerator for solidification. After the jelly has solidified, it's being taken out from the refrigerator and being flipped over onto a flat plate. This is the last step to colour the outer of the jelly into green that it's the green skin of the watermelon.
(Source from Wikipedia: Agar-agar, Cincau)

Gosh, it's a long procedure to make the watermelon jelly! It's tasty as it's not too sweet for me and I do like also the texture of the jelly that is not too soft. Meantime, I'm really appreciating Elaine's effort for preparing such a complicated dessert. Not to forget her Mom that has been helping as well. If you're interested to make the watermelon jelly by yourself, let me know and I shall obtain the correct grams of the ingredients for you :)

Satay, Without the Peanut Sauce

Teluk Kumbar Satay沙爹 can be the famous if people are talking about the "No Sauce" Satay. This small stall is located beside the Good Friends Seafood Restaurant. Their specialty is the Chicken Satay that is served without peanut sauce. It's a beautiful sunset view if you're here at about 6pm.

Here comes the Satay that is served with cucumber! Each Satay costs us RM 0.80 and it's indeed quite a big piece of meat on the stick. The meat is marinated with the turmeric powder that is then being swept with a spicy and sweet sauce that is sort of chili and lemongrass while grilling on the charcoal. I like the tenderness of the meat but it's a little annoyed for me to taste the fat skin of the chicken.

I find the Satay here to be tasty but it's very filling to finish all the Satay by myself. I think it's because of the grilling sauce that is very sweet instead of spicy. Sometimes, I do miss the original Satay that is served with peanut sauce.