Quay Po Cooks: cranberry

Showing posts with label cranberry. Show all posts

Monday, March 18, 2013

Why giving matters

You may have heard the old adage "it is better to give than to receive," but you may not believe it. Well, now scientific studies show that it’s true. — Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Sir Richard Branson are the proofs of "Giving brings happiness". They all said, "Stuff" really is not what brings happiness. Family, friends, good health and the satisfaction that comes from making a positive difference are what really matters.

We may not have so much to give like these billionaires but I believe we can always give within our means. For as long as we are willing to give, we will enjoy the same happiness like them. There are peripheral benefits as well. For example, we set a good example for our children to follow so they too will be givers and enjoy the benefits of happiness, more satisfaction, and general well being that it can bring.

So, when my BFF (best friend forever), Peng asked me if I would like to bake something for a charity fare organized by the temple that she goes to, I said, “Sure! it is a good opportunity for me to give and it is within my means." But then, after that, I forgot all about it. Aiyoh! I am sincere in giving but organizing skills and memory could use a fresh up. LOL! Fortunately, my friend knows me well, and she sent me an sms two days before the event to remind me. Then, I started scratching my head over what to bake for my contribution. I wanted to bake carrot cake

and banana chocolate cake

but then, these cakes need to be kept cold and they are not suitable for an event with no refrigerated facilities. Finally, I scratched out these muffins. My BFF told me the muffins were sold out quickly and another friend who bought it and tasted it said it was moist, fluffy and delicious. She said she wants to bake the muffins and there you go, the recipe will follow.

The ones I baked to sell at the event was not the upside down version because they would have been too difficult to pack. I baked the upright muffins with cranberry sauce on top. They was really no difference in taste whether upright or upside down. Make your choice

Upside down cranberry muffin

This bake is inspired by “joy of Baking”

Recipe for cranberry sauce, please click on the photo to get my recipe.

Recipe for the batter, please click the photo to get the recipe from "Joy of Baking". Two things I changed were 1) I used my own cranberry sauce recipe and 2) I reduced the sugar amount to 80gms from 100gms.

A LITTLE ABOUT THIS QUAY PO

Before I was married to my "Quay Lo" (Guaylo) husband, I did not know how to bake or cook. Subsequently I learned some baking and cooking Western cuisine from him, and providing his food for him launched an interest in cooking in general. Many of my Chinese friends and family told me that "Quay" is the wrong spelling for devil in Cantonese. The right spelling should be "Kwai" or "Guay". Well, somehow I like the spelling "Quay" better although I have to agree that it does not sound very Cantonese. Try asking a Westerner to pronounce "Kwai" and you will probably hear "Quay" haha. Whether is "Quay" or "Kwai" or "Guay, just know the devil woman is me when you see Quay Po Cooks. My hubby said if people pronounce "Quay" as "Key" is even better because I am the key to his heart. LOL!

Only now, have I started to learn the traditional Cantonese cuisine of my Mum. She cooks fabulously and all her specialties are divine. These two interests, my husband's Western food, and my mother's traditional food, prompted me to document them so they will not be lost.

Here, I wish to share my cooking and baking experience with my readers. I also hope to inspire those who do not know how to cook or bake to do so because, trust me, if I can, you can too.

Something I'd like to mention is that I find that many people are rather unwilling to share their recipes. However, for me, I think differently. I think good recipes should be shared thus allowing as many people to enjoy it as possible. Unless those recipes are for doing business, I don't see why we want to keep them all to ourselves. So if you are generous in sharing your recipes, you are welcome to share on my blog. Send the recipes to me and better still with pictures of the final products and I will be very happy to post them them with credits to you of course.

Our cuisine is a deeply embedded part of our culture. When two cultures come together under the same roof the results in the kitchen can sometimes be comedic, sometimes confrontational, but more often it is a journey full of surprises and discovery. There is joy in our food. If we think upon this, it is intuitively obvious. This blog is a journey of joy and sharing, reflecting what the French like to call "joie de vivre" (joy of living). No one could be more different from one another then my husband and my mother. Yet one thing they share in common is knowing intuitively that food, cooking, and sharing can be avenues of joy in life itself. So herein, help yourself, to a little joy and , if you like it, share it with your own family and friends. Joy is something that should be shared.