My first cooking video

When Chef Mario Batali introduced a new dish called Uova da Raviolo (ravioli with a soft egg yolk inside) many home chefs may have been persuaded that it was almost impossible to cook at home. In fact, it can be done and it is not as difficult as I thought. My kitchen is very basic and I have no special kitchen utensils, just the usual ones, but with a little attention to detail even in a modest kitchen it can be done with stunning results.

In the following video, you will see my recipe and the steps.  The video was sponsored by Nutriplus, and produced by Nourish magazine, in preparation for the upcoming Think Out Of The Shell - Vol. II cookbook launch and the Nutriplus Pastry Challenge. 

You may pause whenever you want to look at the recipe and directions, which tend to flash by too quickly. All instructions are in text on the video.  

Uova da Raviolo (ravioli with a soft egg yolk inside) 

by Quay Po

You can serve the Uova da Raviolo with sauces, puree or soup of your choice. Think out of the shell, let your creative juices flow and most importantly, have fun. LOL!

By the way, I would like to remind all interested home cooks and bakers to submit your entries for the Nutriplus Pastry Challenge. Don't be shy or afraid. If you have the passion in cooking and baking you will have a wonderful time and have the chance to show off your baking skills. Why not?

THINK OUT OF THE SHELL - Join the Pastry Challenge

Do you know that the egg is one of the most versatile super ingredients for both cooking and baking? Eggs have been a staple of diets all over the world, and likely are as old as history itself. Their popularity can be explained by being a readily renewable source of protein. They were easy to produce, readily available in most climates, not to mention they came in their own nice packaging design. Two years ago when I was not this preoccupied with cooking or baking, I used to cook a lot of egg dishes, especially when my mum and my Quay Lo were not at home. I knew the basic techniques of scrambling, poaching, frying, boiling and making omelettes and I am able to rustle up a meal in minutes! Of all the techniques, I find that poaching a perfect egg is still the most challenging. I have eaten a lot of not perfectly poached eggs. More infuriating, I still fail to get a perfectly poached egg in all attempts but I am getting better. A perfectly cooked egg on a plate with almost anything is still a joy to look at and to enjoy.

Eggs, along with flour, are almost always present in most baking recipes. Patisserri chefs come to know all there is to know about eggs as they are so important to their finished product. We home "chefs" need to know at least the basics. You will probably have to know how to differentiate old eggs and fresh ones as that can affect the outcome in baking. (Hint: fresh eggs are not always the best as some recipes call for slight older eggs.) It is also important to know the techniques of separating eggs as many recipes call for one, or the other, or both in differing quantity and used differentlly in the same recipe. I gathered the following tips from various articles I’ve read about eggs and I would like to share them with you.

To know an approximate age of an egg, you need a bowl of cold water. This is what you have to do. Gently drop the egg into the bowl of water. It

is about three to six days old when it sinks to the bottom and stays there. If...

it sinks, but floats at an angle, it's more than a week old. If..

it sinks, but then stands on end, it is about two weeks old.

Finally, if it floats, it's too old and should be discarded.

For a test just to see if the eggs are all right to use, dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 2 cups cold water, then put the egg in the water. If it sinks, it's good; if it floats, it's too old.

It is also good to know various methods of separating eggs if you love to bake because lots of recipes call for this:

1. Crack the eggs on a flat surface so that it will break more evenly and no small pieces of egg shell will get into the eggs when you open the egg shell.

2. Use cold eggs because the yolk and the white separates more easily. If the recipe calls for room temperature egg, separate it first and let it come to room temperature.

3. Use the 3 bowls method. Crack egg in the first bowl and pour the egg yolk onto our fingers and let the white run through them into the bowl. The yolk goes into the second bowl. Pour the white collected in the first bowl into the third bowl. Continue this process till all required eggs are separated. In that way, if any egg yolk should break on you, you will not spoil the whole batch of egg whites you have collected before it.

4. Place a dessert plate and 2 bowls next to each other. Crack the egg into the dessert plate. Use a well washed and rinsed empty plastic bottle (such as a mineral water bottle). Squeeze the bottle, pushing most of the air out of it, and still squeezing, place the mouth of the bottle near the egg yolk. Release your hand and the egg yolk will be sucked into the bottle while the egg white remains. Pour the egg yolk into the first bowl and empty the white on the plate into the second bowl. (it is almost magic how this works).

Since I am on the subject of eggs, I would like to share with you the launch of the cookbook “Thinking Out Of The Shell – Volume II”  in conjunction with the Nutriplus Pastry Challenge. How about joining in the fun? Participants will get to meet featured professional bakers in the cookbook and learn some tips from them, as well as each other.

I am excited about this event as I am with the chef that heads up the group that is responsible for organizing it for the sponsor Nutriplus. I am helping them to get the word out for a very fun event that I am looking forward to. I hope all of you will join me.

If you are one of the shortlisted contestants, you will get a chance to show off your baking skill and your delicious bake. On top of that, you will stand a chance to win attractive prizes.

It is so simple to submit your entry. Click on the picture to go to get the online application form and submit your entry. 

Terms & Conditions

The competition is open to all Malaysians aged 18 and above.

Eight entries shall be selected from all submissions for participation in the contest. 

Submissions shall be judged based on originality and creativity. To enter, contestants must complete this Registration Form.

There is no entry fee. Only one entry may be submitted per person.

The competition will take place at AEON One Utama (formerly known as JUSCO) from October 27th to October 31st, 2012.

The contest is intended for amateur and home bakers only. Professional bakers or those who earn a portion of their livelihood from baking or cooking may not participate. Employees of Lay Hong Berhad, AEON, and any or all organising parties may not participate in this contest.

Each contestant must submit a recipe with an attached picture as registration material. All entries must be submitted with any AEON receipt for the purchase of any NutriPlus product, as proof of purchase. This is only valid for purchases made after September 2012 and before the 21st of October 2012.

All recipes must include the use of NutriPlus Eggs. Creators of entries that are selected to advance to the competition shall be notified of the schedule one week before the 27th of October.

Each baked product must be made from scratch. Baking equipment will be provided by the organiser. Pre-made store-bought ingredients are prohibited, though home-made ingredients are acceptable. All ingredients required for recipes must be classified and confirmed for acceptance prior to the competition.

NutriPlus reserves the right to improve, enhanced, recreate and distribute submitted recipes as part of promotional programs. Due credit shall be given to the creators of all recipes used for this purpose.

The winner and runner up of the contest is entitled to one prize each only.

The decision of the judges are final and cannot be disputed. All rights for judgement go to NutriPlus.

The organisers and NutriPlus reserve the right to alter the conditions of the competition without prior notice.

If you are shortlisted, you will be featured in “Think Out Of The Shell” Facebook Page. Imagine the exposure you will get. This will definitely bring traffic to your blog if you have one.  

Not sure what kind of recipe to submit for the challenge?

Here is an example. For this challenge, Nutriplus eggs must be one of the ingredients.

Savory galette

This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel (Official) 

facebook page on 17 September 2012

Crust ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

Dash of salt

6 tbs chilled butter

1 Nutriplus jumbo egg

1 -2  tbs cold water

Ingredients for fillings:

40 g Parmesan, grated

40 g Gorgonzola, sliced

350 g spinach, drained

1/2 cup celery

1 medium onion, sliced

200 g Parmesan roasted mushrooms

1 roasted red capsicum, cut

1 head roasted garlic, sliced

1/2  Nutriplus egg, lightly beaten for glaze

Method:

Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut in the cold butter and mix with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle ice water into the bowl and continue to mix ingredients with your fingertips. Turn out the dough onto your work surface and gather the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball with a plastic film and flatten the dough into a thick round. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to form a 15-inch circle. Sprinkle half of Parmesan and Gorgonzola in the center, leaving 2-3 inches border all around. Then mound the spinach, roasted mushrooms, roasted capsicum and roasted garlic, onions and celery on top of the cheeses.

Fold the border up and over the filling to form a rim, pleating as necessary. Now sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and Gorgonzola over the vegetables. Brush egg glaze over the rim.

Bake the galette until the crust is nicely golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Slide onto a serving platter and serve hot or at room temperature.

Quick & Easy A Frittata Can Be Elegant & Satisfying

As I have mentioned before, my husband has been a great source of knowledge about Western cooking. Through him I have learned much about the wonderful yield of a crock pot and a convection oven as well as about cuts of meat such as roasts, steaks, ribs, the wide variety of hams and sausages, the incredible beauty of a good marrow bone, and the amazing large dinners that often feature two or three kinds of starchy foods. However, those large dinners are for special occasions. When we dine alone, we almost always opt for simple and easy to prepare dishes. One of these I especially like is a frittata. They are quick and easy. Served with a glass of wine, a crusty baguette and some salad, they can be as soul satisfying as their close cousins, the omellete, quiche, or pizza. The beauty of these dishes is their nature of being a blank canvas, receptive to almost any ingredient we have on hand (though we tend to avoid peanut butter and canned tuna). Here is the latest verson of a frittata my husband made just last Saturday evening.

This dish was featured on Asian Food Channel (Official)

facebook page on 24 July 2012

 

Serving: 4


Ingredients:


(use your own imagination here) various mushrooms, cleaned and sliced to fill 1 1/2 cups six eggs
two or three dashes of soy sauce
3/4 cup shredded emmantel cheese
3 tblspns whole milk
2 tblspns water
3 medium shallots, sliced thin
1 ounce sweet saki
1 whole diced bell pepper (capsicum)
2 small or (one large) tomatoes, deseeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (pepperoncin)
2 tablespoons 2 or 3 long stem chives, sliced in 1/4 inch lengths (for color and flavor on top) arugula or mustard greens (for color and flavor on top)
2 tablespoons regular olive oil

Method:

In a large mixing bowl add six eggs, soy sauce and water and whisk vigorously to incorporate air. (Hint: a large bowl should result in a shallow mixture that more readily allows the air bubbles to develop. An electric hand mixer can reduce the labor.) Set aside. In a ten inch non-stick pan add olive oil and heat over a medium flame. Add olive oil and sliced shallots, fry until just approaching transparency Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and red pepper flakes stirring frequently until all are tender and shallots show very slight caramelization Without removing the contents, deglaze pan with the saki, stirring and scraping the bottom vigorously for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and cook for one more minute Giving one last vigorous whisk, add egg mixture to the pan and reduce flame to low. Cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil with the reflective side facing in Check pan contents frequently. Using a spatula to lift an edge of the frittata will allow you to check the bottom. Your looking for the top to approach firmness and the bottom to become golden brown. Timing is critical. With the top half inch of the frittata still slightly liquid, add shredded cheese, spreading evenly across the surface. Replace cover and cook until cheese melts, approximately 1 minute. Toss chives across the surface and lace with fresh ground black and red pepper to taste Replace cover and cook for one more minute or until firm on top. Turn off flame and allow to set for two - three minutes. The frittata can be loosened with a large plastic spatula and slid on to a serving plate or served directly from the frying pan using a plastic pie wedge spatula. Serve with a tossed salad and crusty bread. Serves four as a simple main course or six as a starter.

Fried Tomatoes and eggs

The first time Mum made this dish for me when I was a little girl, I did not really like it .  I find that eggs and tomatoes are rather odd combination. As I grew older, I like it better.  However, during the time when I had absolutely no interest in cooking, this is one of my favorite dish to cook when I have to.  It is so simple to cook, cannot go wrong with the taste and looks pretty.  If I am not mistaken it is a very popular dish in all the non expensive restaurants in Beijing, China.  This is supposed to be a Chinese dish but you can turn it into a Western dish by adding Cheese.

Fried Tomatoes and eggs

Ingredients

4 tomatoes (sliced) (Try using plum tomatoes, it taste much better)

3 eggs

3 bibs chopped garlic

2 tb vegetable oil

Salt & white pepper to taste

Spring Onion (diced)

Method

Beat the eggs and throw about one third of the garlic (chopped up small) into the beaten egg with a dash of salt. Heat up 1 table spoon of  oil and add the eggs.  Stir till it is almost cooked but not dry, and take it out of the pan again. Heat up another table spoon of oil and add tomatoes and fry them with the garlic until it is soft. Add cooked eggs back in, and fry it for a few more minutes.  Add salt and white pepper to taste. Garnish with spring onion.