A Year-End Dinner with Royal Acquaintances: Part Deux

Semua tetamu menanti dengan sabar nak masuk Mulberry Cottage
*Tengah mengata iol la tuh 

Ho ho ho..kembali bersiaran. 3 hari tak tidor lena sebelum ni terkenangkan apakah nanti reaksi tetamu di Raja apabila menikmati santapan chef verangan tak hengat..(kuat berangan macam Bridget Jones ehhh?). Semalam tak larat nak update blog sebab sejurus tetamu pulang ke rumah agam masing-masing (katernyer darah bangsawankan, mestilah duduk mansion, takkan duduk kat Flat PPRT DBKL Jln Jelatek opppssie), iol terus terbongkang macam kura-kura sampai ke subuh hari..PENAT okay!!

Anyway, tanpa berlengahkan masa..*bunyi macam MC rancangan Bintang RTM...I revealed the outcome (food) of the dinner party 2 nights ago, in conjunction with Boxing Day (kalu cakap bersempena xmas nanti org ingat iol dah hilang akidah kekdahnya, dikutuk kang macam bekas pelajar perubatan di Dublin ittew padahal akidah org yg mengutuk tuh belum tentu betul...zassstttt!!)

Here is what I cooked.

Entree

1. Beef Pepperoni and Mozzarella Bruschetta with Fresh Basil

This is my very own creation. First time I made this. Initially, one of the guest wanted something with beef pepperoni  *macam Masterchef Australia. Kene create recipe from a mystery box* so I came up an idea about bruschetta. So inilah hasilnya. 

Komen tetamu:

i) Love this so much. It is crispy, crunchy and fresh.

ii) Fresh basil really works well with the chewy mozzarella and salty beef pepp.

iii) Ini black pudding kah? *motif ko kater beef pepp black pudding, ko tahu apa benda tuh?? darah cik bab okey!

2. Crab Crostini

Personally, I love this one! Recipe was taken from my Kitchen Goddess in her book Nigella Christmas.Thanks to my soulmate who gave me this book a week ago.It is a real winner!

Komen tetamu:

i) Yummm, I could eat this alone while watching DVD or baca novel Ombak Rindu ehhh??? .

ii) Dah kenyang makan ni ajer.Cemana nak makan main course pulak? (dah ko makan macam makan nasi!)

3. Mulberry Winter Carrot and Coriander Soup

My signature soup! (tetapp nak naik stage!). I add this one in the menu last minute. Sebab tgk carrot murah kat Econsave! Soup ni iol dah buat sejak 7 tahun lepas. I improvised the recipe so it taste differ than the original and it works! Sesuai dimakan sewaktu winter kesejukan *matilaa org kecam berangan & perasan!, or waktu hujan lebat sepanjang hari or tika demam and tak selera nak makan.

Komen tetamu:

i) Sesuai sgts cicah soup ni dengan bruschetta. *ko feeling2 cicah biskot keras dgn kopi kah?

ii) Boleh diet dgn makan soup ni *tapi tetap ko tanya ada dessert tak nanti?

4. Italian Leafy Green Salad with Chick Peas and Feta Cheese

iol ubah sikit daripada original list. Dengan salad, apa2 pun boleh campak dalamnya. So instead of walnut yg mahal harganya *berkira ehhh??, iol ganti dengan chick peas sebab dah berbulan lamanya dalam kitchen cupboard (tak expired lagi yerr).

Komen tetamu:

i) Ada parmesan cheese tak? Kurang masin. *pengkritik dah bukak mulut ko.sentap! Nasib baik ada simpan cheese tuh.
ii) Suka sgtsss sebab lemon dressing tak terlalu acidic sgtss.*selalu minum acid kah??

Main Course

1. Moroccan Style Roast Chicken with Onion Gravy

2. Italianne Roast Potatoes with Garlic and Thyme

Tuh dia ayam 3 ekor!!. The chickens were roast to perfection. Potatoes were gorgeous. Crispy outside and fluffy inside. Thanks to Nigella again for the recipe. And onion gravy tuh last minute idea and nasib baik jadik :) (sebab mushroom mahal) *Black cab pleaseeee

Komen tetamu:
i) *senyap tak de komen sebab sebok meratah ayam dan potatoes dengan lazatnya! Terkasima iol.


2. Mix Vegetables with Butter and Parsley

Macam corn in the cup pun ada. kalu plan asal was carrot and peas tapi sebab soup based dia carrot, takkan nak makan carrot lagik? merasala besok pagi yg kuar kaler oren semata euuwww..so yg ni takde la byk carrot sgts :)


Komen tetamu:
i) Masing2 diam lagi tak der komen. Katernyer ingatkan nak buat nasi goreng Cina. Motif??


3. Mulberry Classic Yorkshire Pudding

Tahun ini..sedeyyyy :((

Tahun lepas...gebu, segebu tukang masaknya :)

Ini satu hal. DISASTER!!! My favorite yg satu ni tak menjadi tahun ini.puncanyer, gi gatal pakai tepung Low Protien apsal???. Kisahnyer, kat umah All Purpose Flour dah habis.So iol ingat Low Protien Flour okaylah since it is good for baking. Bila masuk dalam oven, tak naik.*iols terus tersembam depan oven! okaylahkan, not everything is perfect and always turn out good. 

Komen tetamu:

i) Kenapa pudding nih tak manis? rasa tepong ajer . *sah2 tak penah rasa Yorkshire Pudding

ii) Wahh, kuih Akok serve dgn ayam.Tak penah tgk *pitammmmm

iii) Terror chef kita masak kuih Melayu..kuih Kelantan lagik *terlopong molot iol.

Dessert

1. Mango and Pineapple Sorbet with M&S Vanilla Curls

First time buat sorbet. Kira not bad jugak. But I do admit it is very sweet. tak sangka mangga and nenas tu sweet sgts bukan masam,So, di tambah dengan 200ml sugar syrup, merasa ko kencing manis!


Komen tetamu:
i) Manis macam chef nyer. *mengampu sangat kannnn
ii) Ada lagi tak cookies nih? *ko hengat biskot Jacobs


2. Local Fruits

Ini sah2 lah tak buat (ko tuhan ke nak buat buah ni?) It was brought by 2 meletoppp guests . Katernyer baru petik siang tadik. Iol tanya petik kat Fruit Farm in Hexham ker? *pecutttttttttttt 

Overall, the dinner was a huge success. Everyone was very happy and enjoyed not only the food, but  also the union. Thanks to everyone who made it and brought the joy and laughter into my cottage. zillions thanks to the "sponsor" who wanted this party happened. Hope next year ada sponsor lagi besar dari syarikat korporat gergasi. *matilaa dah buat blog nih macam rancangan Akademi Fantasia.

Gift exchange games was fun. Nasib baik tak
dapat bekas lilin kedai RM5 *teksiii

Ciao Bella!!

A Year-End Dinner with Royal Acquaintances: Part Un

Tuh dia tajuk post...*matilaaa verangan kuatssss...well, I like to call my fantastic friends with high caste title..tak salahkan.It is a way of appreciating them with all my heart!

As usual, since the last few years, I'd like to organize or cook a year-end dinner whether at my place or at people's places. Tahun ni tak terkecuali. Salah sorang kawan iol bermurah hati utk sponsor dinner tahun ni so that we all get together and I will be the cook *pressure melampau dah ni. Byk yg nak organize and invited me to join in tapi maaf lah, this invitation comes first and I have to decline others. Perhaps next year ya. *berangan celebrity chef!

So yesterday, iol cracked my brain out to think what would be this year's menus. Mulalah kuar kan segala sumber utk mencari resepi utk di jamu para pengkritik makanan di Raja nih. Kalu tak sedap, merasalah makanan kene critic. Lepas tuh iol akan mogok masak 44 hari (macam pantang lepas bersalin ehh?)

The Chronicles of Good Food

1. Menggeledah buku-buku resepi by Kitchen God and Goddess. PENING BANYAK SGTS!

Yes, many times my ultimate reference would be these two people who have been my great inspiration in cooking and baking all these years...I LOVE YOU GUYS as much as I love my Kitchen Aid Mixer!!!

"Pilih resepi iol noks, iol byk  kali jemput uols dalam
cooking program iol"...ehh??

"Ko kene pilih resepi mak nok, kalu tak mak tak bagi lagi
free buku  mak in the future" *pitammm

Cinnamon Nutella and Hazelnut Cake

Last night, I paid a visit to a very lovely friend in Cheras with some of my gorgeous friends. Also at the same to celebrate birthday to a friend who just turned 30. (I remember when I was turning thirty, I freaked out all day, opsss no meroy story). So being British *lariiikkk..I decided to bring something for the host and the birthday boy. 

Here is what I found in my cooking binder. A cake recipe that I ve not tried yet, CINNAMON NUTTELLA and HAZELNUT CAKE. Sounds delicious, right? It is also very easy to make.

This is the original picture from the recipe

Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and milk into a bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer ( of course I used my Kitchen Aid) for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. If you do not have a mixer, you can use wooden spoon and beat for 3-5 minutes.

Tip three quarters of the mixture into the tin, spread it level, then spoon the Nutella on in four blobs. Top with the remaining mixture, swirl a few times with a skewer, then smooth to cover the Nutella. Any Chocolate hazelnutspread can be used, kalau yang murah pun ok.

Sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until risen, nicely browned, feels firm to touch and springs back when lightly pressed. But mine is already baked in 45 minutes.

This is how it looks like after it was cooled down for 15 minutes and removed from the cake tin.

I like to mess the top with dark and white chocolate. Just to give a bit of decoration. Does it look nice or horrible?

You can serve immediately with a nice and hot cup of tea. As my friends said last night, the cake works fantastically when you sip a cup of tea after you eat it and you just want more and more after that.


My comments:


1. I want it to look brown like the original recipe but it turn out to be butter in color. That is not necessary but next time maybe I can substitute castor sugar to muscovado or brown sugar.
2. The nutella should spread all over the cake instead of just static at one place. Perhaps, next time I should pour a small dollop of nutella and instead of 1 layer, pour it into 2/3 layers. Also make sure it swirled evenly.
3. To me, the cake is moist enough but one of my friend commented it would have been better if i could adjust to be more moist. but how???/
4. The cinnamon blends well in the cake and it does not taste so powerful.


After all, I like the cake very much and I will bake more in the future.


Ciao bella!!

Kitchen Essentials

Back again. Two weeks now since I posted my very first write up for this blog. Sorry peeps, I have not got any idea what to write. Writer's block, ehhh?

Well, hari ni Iol nak bercerita pasal what do we need in the kitchen if you want to start cooking. You all can get these gadgets easily and cheaply in any stores or shopping malls. Dari yg se-grand macam Pavillion, hingga ke old market seperti di Chow Kit. Bila you all tak de benda-benda ni nak masak, mesti bengang kan dan terus terbantut and mula laa nak gi kedai mamak sebelah makan maggi goreng!!!

Here are the top gears that can make a difference in your kitchen, well at least mine :). These are what I ve got in my kitchen and they are my precious!!

Verangan nak Country English Kitchen cenggini with Aga Cooker & Oven.
Ada sapa nak sponsor ehh? 

Knives, Chopping Board, Can Opener, Peeler & Kitchen Scissors

Knives are the most essentials gear you need in the kitchen. Kalu tak de pisau, you all nak belah, potong, chopped dgn apa? Gigi? Kuku?? (euwww). Good quality knives are best to buy sbb tahan lama and bila beli yg ada jenama sket, barulaa confident bila memotong (walaupun bila potong bawang air mata dah mencurah-curah bagai menonton Ombak Rindu, eh??).

Bila dah ada pisau, kenelaa ada chopping board. Nowadays, there are many types of chopping board you could find in the market, from classic wooden to marbled chopping board. whatever it is, best to have small chopping board for different jobs, e.g. fish, vegetable and meat. Kalu tak nak membazer, just buy a big one for all tapi make sure you all bersihkan sebaiknya lepas masak. kalu tak, tak hygiene yerr.

Can Opener and Kitchen Scissors kene laa ada untuk bukak tin and potong baking sheet etc. Skrg kebykan makanan dlm tin dah ada pembuka sendiri on the top of the can, macam Susu Cap Junjung, Waitrose Chopped Tomatoes (love this!), Kimball Chick Peas tapi yg tak der macam Sardine Econsave or Giant Baked Beans, kene laa bukak dgn can opener yeh. Peeler bagus ada kalau you all tak reti nak kupas mangga atau ubi kentang guna pisau. Tak yah susah2 yer. Beli aje peeler and your peeling job is done in 30secs.

Kat Ikea banyak yg murah tapi lepas pakai 3 bulan kene buang oppssss

Ini bukan pisau utk bersunat yerr

Spatula, Tongs, Ladle and Sieves

Spatulas and ladle can be used both in cooking and baking. I found using silicone spatulas than wooden spoons are easier to scrap cake batter during baking. Ladle, of course, takkan nak pakai jari bila goreng telor kann and sieves are good for draining washed vegetables and when you want to sieve vegetables to make pureed soup. jugak boleh guna utk ayak tepung.

Best to have one coarse and one fine sieve. 

One not to forget is Tongs. bukan yg ehem ehem ehem tu yer. If you are a pasta lover, then you should have it. Senang nak amek and kacau pasta dgn sauce. Guna utk angkat laksa pun boleh atau nak hidang bihun goreng. Tongs give better control when you want to grill or turning meat on the barbeque.

Cantek tak I bercolorful cenggini???

L-R: Tongs, stainless steel spatula & plastic  spatula

Sieves

Measuring jug, Potato Ricer, Sieve, Colander and Grater

Setengah orang bila masak boleh campak2 je dalam kuali and periuk.Itu kira dah hari2 masak and dah tahu mcm mana rasa nak masak sorang, 5 org , 20 org or kenduri kendara. If you are not a great cook and even 1st timer, best to keep one measuring jug at home. Beli yg plastik pun boleh kalu yg kaca mcm di bawah mahal.

Colander senang guna bila nak drain pasta atau chunky vegetables mcm ubi kentang. kalu guna sieve nanti kang ada lak yg jatuh dalam lubang sinki. If you all suka eat mashed potato, Iol encourage you all keep one potato ricer or you can buy potato masher too. I like to use potato ricer sebb bila buat Seafood Pie or Shepherd's Pie, guna potato ricer gives a fluffy texture to cover the top of the pie..ermmm dah lama tak buat seafood pie :).

The sieve is for sieving flour when you bake. (tak sama dgn yg atas tadi).Esp bila bahan2 kering seperti tepung, baking soda, cocoa powder and bicarbonate soda kene bubuh sekali, you can use this miracle gadget to make sure all the ingredients mixed together and to avoid from lumpy batter. If you are a cheese lover and love pasta baked, grater is a must have!

L-R: Sieve, Measuring jug & Potato ricer

Grater for cheese. Boleh gak kalu nak grate hali dan bawang putih

Colander...merah lagik sbb nak match dgn mixer and scales 

Pans 

Ada banyak jenis pans yang you all boleh beli dan guna. One that is very versatile in the kitchen is frying pans. You can use to stir fry, deep fry or pan fry. The best one to buy is non-stick frying pans. It has non-stick coating, a nice thick bottom and an ovenproof handle (you can put in the oven esp when cooking steak or spanish omelette). Iol rasa worth investing in a few different sizes as they can be used for so many things.

Another pan that you could have is griddle pan. One of my dear friend called me last week, asking if I dont have an oven, how can I cook chicken without frying it (katernyer nak masak healthy dish). so i suggested to him to get a griddle pan. You can griddle meat, fish. vegetables etc easily and all the fat from the meat will drain into the deep line in the pan. Plus, bila griddle chicken breast or steak, the lines give a better decoration to the dish :).

Last but not least is saucepans. Masak kari ke, lemak cili api or bolognese sauce etc sumer boleh guna saucepans. kalu yg suka buat sup ayam and daging, kene laa ada size yg besar sket. Again, good quality pans are best to buy. Kalau tak mampu beli Tefal, Anolon, Alessi or WMF, cap crocodile yg macam kat umah nenek and mak kita pun boleh and tahan lama lagik. Membesar pun you all sampai masuk university makan masakan yg di masak periuk cap buaya. Tapi lepas tuh jenuh laa nak menyental bontot periuk :D. *pengsannn

Frying pans

Frying pan

Griddle pan

Saucepans

Ovendish

Yang ni kalau selalu masak guna oven seperti baking and roasting kene laa ada. ada macam2 saiz dan bentuk. Triangle, square atau oblong. Kalu dah masak guna ovendish, tak yah nak salin dlm mangkuk, boleh hidang. terus aja atas meja. lebih2 lagi kalu ovendish tuh buatan nyer cantek dan colourful. tak malu nak hidang kat tetamu hihihih. tapi makesure bila beli ovendish yg tertulis kat bawah microwave and oven safe. kalu tak tengah2 dlm oven terbelah dua kang (penah terjadi kat iol and drama sgts!)and no melamine yerr...choii!

Boleh terus hidang lepas masak sebab Le Creuset *larikk

Food Processor

Kalau dah pakai lesung batu tuh carry on je la. or kalau ada blender moulinex kat umah tuh pun takper. Iol suka food processor macam Kenwood nih sebb dia ada pelbagai guna. tak semestinyer kene ada. kalu dah ada hand blender pun kira ok dah. Iol ada hand blander tp terlupa lak nak amik gambo hehehe.

Kene baca manual 2 minggu baru paham cemana nak guna

Barang untuk Baking

Iol memang suka baking. tak de laa pandai sgt tapi ok laa makan kek yg dibuat sendiri daripada yg beli kat kedai kek mcm Secret Recipe tuh. It was ok tp lama2 makan kek secret tuh jadi muak..cream aje yg byk tp kek nya nan adooo.

The Three Musketeers - Measuring cup, Measuring spoon and Whisker

Yes, I call this Three Musketeers sbb mmg berkawan rapat kann. Kalu tak de tiga benda nih cemana nak measure ingredients and nak whisk the batter???  In baking, doing right measurement is very important sebb kalu tak kek or pastries yg uols buat tak jadi..bantat ke, tak naik ke, keras ke..tak boleh campak2 mcm masak assam pedas yer. So get yourself these gears ok.

L-R: Measuring cup, Measuring spoon & Whisker

Nest of Mixing Bowls and Rolling Pin

I really want you to go for it with these mixing bowls and get a whole selection. tak kisah laa you all beli yg stainless still one sbb murah (macam yg you all nampak kat kedai nasi kandar) atau yg mahal macam porcelain.  Tak rugi beli sbb you will use them all the time for mixing, marinating, and simpan makanan dalam fridge!

Rolling pin tuh kalu jenis yg buat biskut raya, belilah satu, Yg kayu pun tak per. Iol punyer marble. Berat giler tp sbb masa beli tuh murah, £1 and nampak elegant bila nak roll dough ewahhhh.

Marbled Rolling pin yg boleh hentak org masuk pecah rumah

Scales

Again, measurement. Kalu resepi jenis measure pakai cup and spoon ok lagi so scales tak penting tapi kalu yg pakai gram segala, nak timbang pakai apa? so beli yg classic one macam kat bawah ni atau yg digital. yg murs2 pun byk skrg tp betul ke dia measure??? bayangkan you all timbang berat badan guna scales dari Watson dengan brand Tanita...yg mana satu betul??? Lu pikirlah sendiri!

Red scales by Typhoon 

Baking Tins

Yes, nak buat cake, muffins, cupcakes etc kene laa ada baking tins. Muffin tray, sandwich tins and cake tins are all the essentials in baking. Iol suker pakai jenis non-stick ones sbb senang basuh and mudah tanggal cake bila dah masak. sekarang ada yg jenis silicone. I have a few but I have not tried baking using the silicone ones. next time Iol tunjuk rupanya mcam mana and try guna utk baking.

L-R: Muffin tin, sandwich tin & Cake tin

Mother of All in Baking- Mixer!

Yes, this is my ultimate collection and possession! Mixer nih kalu nak dapur cantek and impress boleh dapatkan satu. Bak kata one of my friend, tak pakai pun tak per, display je kat dapur sbb bila org dtg tgk terus kagum hahaha (ko nak dapur ko jadi museum ke??).Kalu tak de, guna laa senduk kayu utk pukul bahan2. Merasa tangan lepas tuh bermaskuls and tak yah nak gi gym lepas tuh. This mixer helps me baking in no time.jimat masa and really useful. *Teringat kumpul duit dari macam2 keje..from floor engineer, sales assisstant kat Mark & Spencer sampailah duit invigilating examination kat uni. but in the end, it is worth waiting and I got the color I wanted, RED!

Masak kek mesti sedap kalu guna Iol yerrr 

I hope this info will help you all in setting up your own kitchen and inspire for you to start cooking or baking. Banyak lagi barang2 yg lain you will need in the kitchen but the list I ve got here is enough for you to enjoy cooking and baking as much as I do. Start browsing now in the shops and if you have generous amount of money, you can buy them all at once. If not, beli je laa sket2 yerr.

Ciao bella!! * Matilaa panjang sgt tulis

First time blogging...hooorayyyyyy

Wow..finally iol created my first blog.Dolu-dolu iol amatzz skeptikal dengan orang yang menulis blog or ada blog. Macam tak de keje lain kekdahnya.Motiff nak berblog segala kann. *matila molot jahat masa ittew. Tapi bila dah baca blog orang, veranganz kuat nak ada blog sendiri. Tapi sampai sudeh tak der nyer nak menulis uhuk uhuk uhuk. But now, here I am, writing my very own blog..*naik stage pegang obor macam Statue of Liberty. Vangga sgtss!

Ko hadoo crown cam mak nihh?

Sesuaii dengan tema blog nih..COOKING and FOOD. dah biasa sangat kann. tapi ade aku kesah, eh? So iol akan menulis tentang masak dan makan. Hal2 peribadi, meroyanzzz, meraongg, dan cinta segala ditolak ketepi yerk.cukoplaa meroyyy kat FB..*sudah-sudahlah, hujan pun tahu berenti kann. Tapi meroyanz pasal makanan NZ (oppss) tak sedap tak per.

*matilaa kutuk NZ padahal ujung minggu melangot tak hengat melayan waiter2 nepal  oppsss

OR 

meraong pasal Santa Claus tak bagi hadiah xmas set Le Creuset tuh kira okess lagi yaa

ehh mek bukan Santa, mek Sunti...acha becha

ataupun 

Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver jemput iol jadi chef jemputan dalam rancangan masakan diorg...harus 7x girang *verangan lagi kann.

*Helo mate, kami satu sekolah dgn Mrhotmuffins masa kat Convent Kajang dulu 

Daaa..sampai sambung lagi. 


Ciao Bella!!