If I fall into a hole, I know you will "Cover Me"

It was a great way for us to end 2012 and start 2013 because my son, Nick Davis launched his second single “Cover Me” at 12 midnight 31^st December 2012.



On "Cover Me", Nick collaborated with another local performer under the name of, Róisín. "Cover Me" is a song about unconditional love and friendship.

"2012 has seen many ups and down for me. Lost In Time was written during a down time but I am glad the year ended with "Cover Me" which is a song written and produced during a happy time. It has been a great way to end the year and to start a new one with a bang. All these songs that I've written or am currently writing as a solo project, are deeply personal to me. It is from there deep inside me that my music resides. Giving them shape with music and lyrics is like keeping my personal diary. Songs like Cover Me and Lost In Time undoubtedly are realized within a very different side of me compared to performing as the front man of the alternative rock band, "Rosevelt", but I am loving it and I am very comfortable with it. 2013 will be an exciting year for me, and I am sure there will be more songs, more music. If I can point the way for my listeners to that part of them where their own songs are, I will realize my own dreams." - Nick Davis



Have you listen to his first single “Lost in Time” yet? If not, you may listen to it here.

If you like the song and would like to own the track, please purchase it from either iTune or CDbaby for US$0.99 only. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

As a mum, I am always very happy to see my son achieving another of his goals and hear that he is happy. He has been so busy with his 2^nd single that we have not seen him since Christmas day. I can’t wait for him to come home to have a simple meal with us. I will make my mushroom spinach quiche.

Mushroom spinach quiche

Largely adapted from food.com with modification

Ingredients:

1 (9 inch) pie shells

76 gm butter

3/4 cup mushroom (sliced)

1 cup spinach (blanched and chopped)

1 cup milk

2 large eggs

(A)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

¼ tsp chopped fresh thyme

¼ tsp chopped fresh rosemary

¼ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp sea salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Saute mushrooms and spinach in butter. Beat together milk and eggs and then add (A). Combine the two mixtures and pour into pie shell. Bake for 35 minutes.

To make the pie crust, I use the recipe I learned from Joy of Baking (with a little extra care to keeping things cool in our equatorial weather).

Pictures speak a thousand words - Part 1

Last week, I received an email from Jade of Mustard Tree Communications asking me if I would be interested in attending a two days "tart" class at the Academy of Pastry Arts, Malaysia. As an amateur baker and not even a very good one, I jumped at the offer! Although I already knew how to make some pastry, I was eager see how a professional pastry chef does it. I knew this would be two days filled with fun (or at least my idea of it).  I would get to meet with others who love baking, and would be able to pick their brains on the subject and learn from them.  Oh yes, Swee San of The Sweet Spot and Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover were in the class with me. When Jade asked me if there were any food bloggers that I knew that would be interested to join the class, I thought of them and a few others who were not able to make it.  Hey, Pei-Lin, if you are reading this post, I am sorry, we missed you this time. I think it would be fun to have local food bloggers weekend events someday. 

Chef Guillaume Lejuene himself conducted the tart class. He is a graduate in pastry arts (BTM en Patissier) and CAP Pâtissier- Chocolatier- Glacier- Traiteur. Chef Lejuene has been trained under some of the great pastry chefs ( M.O.F) of France. He is now the Director of Academy Pastry Arts, Malaysia. If you want to know more about him, please click here. The Academy offers both full time and part time courses in Certificate and Diploma Pastry and Bakery Arts. To find out more, please click here.

If you are someone in Malaysia who is thinking of entering the pastry world, you might like what I am going to share with you, so have a sneak peak at the academy and see if this this is the kind of pastry school you are looking for.


Although "yours truly" has been married to a Quay Lo for almost fifteen years, I still have not learned good English or how to speak like an American. Even my Quay Lo has given up teaching me.  So, I have to think of ways to tell my story without having to write too many words. I decided I had a better chance of learning more about photography and let the pictures tell the story for me. My husband, who helps a great deal with editing, has told me that I am an enthusiastic communicator. (I think he meant I talk a lot.) However, he also loves photography and agrees with me - a picture can truly speak a thousand words.  


Tart Class, Day 1 - 25th June 2011
Item 1 - Quiche Dough and Royale

Chef showing us how to make the quiche dough

Hands on

Using the right cheese is important

We made two kinds of quiche. Spinach tomato and asparagus tomato

Chef showing us how to roll out the quiche dough

He explained that we need to shape the dough perfectly into the pie ring so as to get a good looking quiche

Do not put too much filling, this will do.

Preparing the chocolate pastry cream

Filling the quiche with royale cream and then they are ready to go into the oven

Happy students with the chef, all excited to send those lovely quiches to be baked. We can't wait to taste them.

Our creation! Gorgeous looking and tasted even better than they look.  YUM!

Item 2 - Choux Chantilly and Chocolate Eclaires

preparing the chocolate pastry cream for the eclaires

 the pastry cream is now ready to go into the fridge for 1 hour

 Making choux pastry dough

 Chef showing us how to check if the dough is ready for piping. 

After piping, and baking. Choux Chantilly and Chocolate Eclaires. LOVELY!

this is how you make craquelin (mixture of butter, brown sugar and flour) we put this on top of the choux dough before baking)

In addition to all the visually appealing and delicious tasting goodies we brought home, the opportunity of learning from Chef Lejuene, and a day surrounded by people who share the same interest as I, had given me much joy.  I am so happy that I can in turn share my joy with you.

I will definitely share those wonderful recipes and valuable tips from Chef Lejuene with you when I make these decadent bakes at home again but before that, I have yet to show you what I have learned on the second day of the class. 

http://www.academyofpastryartsmalaysia.com

Spinach Bacon mini quiche

Do you have days that you just want to eat something simple? Here is a recipe for a quick, simple and delicious meal. You can make a big batch of this and keep in the freezer. They come very handy on days when you just want to drop on your couch and eat your meal in front of the TV watching your favorite show.  Don’t even have dishes or cutlery to wash.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups shredded Asiago cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 red capsicum, thinly sliced (if want spicy, replace with 1 red chilli)

2 to 3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry wasabi

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 (10 ounce) package spinach, cooked, chopped and drained

1 (9 inch) short crust pastry (divide by 4 make 4 mini pie shell)

Method:

In a large bowl, beat eggs; whisk in milk, 1 cup cheese, capsicum,onion, bacon, salt, mustard and paprika. Add spinach. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean.