Do I get the "ooos" and "aahs" from you?

As most of you know, I was recruited to be on the panel of judges for The Nutriplus Baking Competition. I guess I was what might be referred to as the local "anchor" judge as I was to join each day of the event. 

Judges for the semi final -round 1

From left: Chef Bernard, Chef Federick and Quay Po

The competition took place over five days and a new panel of judges were empaneled each day, recruited  from the many celebrated chefs here in Malaysia plus me. Needless to say it was a little intimidating. On the other hand, it afforded me a ring side seat for the flurry of creativity that took place and that was thrilling. The first four days of competitive baking were for the semi-finalists, selected from all of the applications. On the fifth day the four finalists from the previous four days met for the finals round.  

Not only did I get to rub elbows with seasoned chefs (no pun intended) but I had the chance to watch other home chefs work their magic. Through observation, I gained knowledge about pastry making, not only from my fellow judges but also from the twelve very talented contestants.

Semi final - Round 1 contestants:

Semi final - Round 2 contestants:

Semi final - Round 3 contestants:

Semi final - Round 4 contestants:

The Charlotte recipe which I am going to share with you is inspired by the Winner of this competition, Wendy Yip of "Table for Two or more". Her winning bake was a water melon charlotte. She used ladies fingers, mousse and water melon. She made the ladies fingers from scratch. 

I was inspired by Wendy to make one. I did not make the ladies fingers from scratch but used what I had in my pantry which was store bought. For the fruits, I used strawberries and pineapple. Instead of making just mousse, I added  American sponge cake and marmalade jam to sandwich the mousse. There are many steps to make this but the result is stunning and the taste of the charlotte was to die for so it is all worth it. I can assure you that you will get lots of "ooos" and "aaahs" from the finished product. I want to see if I get that from you all. LOL!

Strawberry Pineapple Charlotte

Ingredients to make the marmalade jam: 

(This can be made ahead of time)

Please get the recipe from the link provided:

http://nancyharmonjenkins.com/recipes/bitter-orange-marmalade/

American Sponge Cake

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, separated

½ cup (50 grams) sifted cake flour

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoons water

Zest of 1/2 lemon  or orange

Method to make 6 inch diameter the Cake:

Have ready an ungreased 6 inch diameter cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees Separare the eggs, yolks in one bowl and the whites in another. Set asid and let eggs comes to room temperature (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile sift or whisk the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Place the egg yolks and 2/3 cup (66 grams) of the sugar in the bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat on high speed until they are thick, fluffy and light in color.  Stop beating when you raise the beater and the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon. Add evanilla extract, water, and lemon zest and mix well . Set aside while you beat the egg whites.

Whisk the egg whites until foamy and continue whisking until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup (34 grams) of sugar and continue whisking until the egg whites are shiny and just form stiff peaks.

Next, sift the flour mixture over the beaten egg yolks. Gently but quickly fold  the flour into the egg yolk batter. Then gently fold a little of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites, folding just until incorporated Pour the batter into cake pan and smooth the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 28 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove and allow the cake to cool completely before unmolding (about one hour). Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and then invert the cake onto a greased wire rack. When it is completely cool, slice the cake into three pieces.

Ingredient for Vanilla Mousse:

Adapted from Shawn Scarborough

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tbs of cornstarch

1 1/2 cups of full cream milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup whipped cream (see the recipe below)

Method to make the mousse:

Combine the milk, cornstarch and sugar to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about three minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Pour the contents of the saucepan into a mixing bowl and add the vanilla extract. Stir in the vanilla extract. Fold in the whipped cream and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Fruits:

Strawberries - cut off the top

Pineapple - diced

To assemble of the Charlotte:

To arrange cakes, ladies finger in 7 inch diameter cake pan:

Use a 7 inch cake pan, lay a parchment paper at the bottom and grease the side with oil or butter. Place one piece of cake at the bottom and line the sides with ladies fingers. Apply jam and ¾ of an inch mouse, put another piece of cake, repeat the process and end with the last piece of cake. Put in the fridge to chill for one day.  Prepare stabilized whipped cream(see recipe below) just before serving and top the charlotte with a layer of whipped cream as the same level of the top of ladies fingers. Arrange the fruits and tie a ribbon.

Stabilized Whipped Cream:

Ingredients:

2 tbs cold water

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 cups (1 pint) chilled whipping cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs icing sugar

Method:

Prepare the gelatin: Place the dry gelatin in a small bowl. Pour cold water over it. Let it bloom for 5 minutes. Dissolve by placing it in a container over a small pot of simmering water. Set aside to let cool.

Next, place the empty bowl  and whisk in the freezer to quickly chill. Beat cream on high speed in its pre-chilled mixer bowl. Just before it becomes soft and billowy, slowly add the sugar and vanilla extract to the whipped cream at the sides of the bowl. Continue to whip on high speed until the cream barely starts to stiffen. Stop the whipping. Take about 2 tablespoons of the cream from the mixer bowl and stir it into the cooled gelatin. Return the cream/ gelatin mixture back into the main mixing bowl with the rest of the semi-whipped cream. Continue to whip the cream on high until soft peaks form. Finish whisking till the right consistency. Cover and refrigerate.

A dish born of not having a crucial ingredient

We have a Kamias tree in our garden. It bears fruit throughout the year. The Kamias tree is called cucumber or sorrel tree in English. Its fruit is used both for cooking and traditional medicine. Kamias fruit is very sour so it is often used to make chutney or sauces for meat or fish dishes. I love the dish my mum cooks with it.  She stir fries thinly sliced kamias fruit with sliced pork and fermented soy bean paste all balanced out with garlic and sugar. I usually end up eating an extra serving when she makes  it. It is so aromatic that one can be forgiven for failing to resist. 

The dish I am sharing with you today is a bit of a happy accident born of not having "buah cermai" (Malay gooseberry) at hand. For this chef inspired dish it is a critical ingredient. These greenish, yellowish little fruits grow in clusters. Like kamias fruit, they taste rather sour too.

The following recipe is inspired by Chef Malcom Goh's Crispy Skin Salmon with buah cermai. As I did not have buah cermai in stock, I made my version of Crispy Salmon with kamias fruit instead. I am very happy with how it turned out because it is a pretty dish and had a slight umami taste experience. My Quay Lo is not a big fan of the aqua-culture salmon we get here. As a sport fisherman in the U.S. he always caught wild salmon which he prefers. On the other hand,  I am not a big fan of cooked salmon, preferring the sashimi style of serving it. However, we both agree we are happy to have a way to prepare the salmon that we both like.

Crispy Skin Salmon with kamias compote

Inspired by Chef Malcom Goh - Back to the Streets on AFC

This dish was featured in Asian Food Channel (Official) Facebook Page 

on 8th November 2012

Ingredients:

2 x 100gms salmon fillet

Method:

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Pan fry in a pan with some corn oil skin side first on low heat. Once the fish is cooked three quarters though, using the change of colour on the flesh as your indication, turn over the fish and allow to cook on the other side for 10 more seconds. Remove the salmon and allow to rest.

kamias compote ingredients:

50gms kamias, diced

1 nos tomato, remove seeds and diced

2 nos sliced shallots

¼ cup fennel, diced

1 chilli padi, finely diced 

2 tbsp sugar

100ml water

40 gms butter

½ tsp salt

1 stalk serai (lemon grass) pounded

½ tsp roux

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

bean sprouts shoots for garnishing

Method:

Boil water and sugar till sugar is completely dissolved. Add in tomato, shallots, kamias, lemon grass and chilli padi and let it simmer till kamias is soften. Add in butter and salt and mix well and let it simmer for another 5 minutes on low heat. Add in diced fennel and simmer till fennel is translucent. Add ½ tsp roux to thicken the sauce. Lastly add in the toasted sesame and place it on the serving plate. Put the piece of salmon on top of the sauce and garnish with bean sprouts shoots. Serve with freshly baked baguette and a green of your choice.

Aunty Power!! Agak Agak Dish

A friend once shared a link to a video titled "Chef Gordon Ramsay in Malaysia". In this video, he had learned how to cook our Malaysian dishes from all the aunties who cook their dishes with “agak agak” recipes.  Both Quay Lo and I had so much fun watching this video because there were so many funny moments. If you want a good laugh to brighten up your day, you must watch it . Also, you will understand why he called it “Aunty Power” LOL! KUDOS to all the Aunties in the world!

"Chef Gordon Ramsey in Malaysia" video

Two months ago, I made this dish which I am going to share with you. This is my first time cooking a dish “agak agak”. (no measurements) and exercised my "Aunty Power". So, I won’t be able to give you a precise recipe but I will let you know what I use to cook this "agak agak" dish. LOL! 

My Quay Lo love this dish and said it was delicious so I went ahead and made this again for my good friend on the day he was discharged from hospital after a surgery, to cheer him up. He told me later that he enjoyed the dish and it was good. So good things must be shared and here it is.

Braised pork shoulder loin

This dish was featured in Asian Food Channel (Official) Facebook page

on 6th November 2012

Agak agak ingredients:

Chunks of pork shoulder loin

Garlic cloves

Duck fat

Ground sage

Sea salt

Ground mustard seeds

Ground toasted fennel seeds

Some carrots

Fennels

Pork or chicken stock

Method:

Clean the pork should loin and remove all the silvery connective tissues and cut into big chunks. Rub the meat with sea salt and ground sage and set aside.  Add duck fat in dutch oven and brown the chunks of meat. Add in garlic cloves and stir fry till fragrant. Remove meat from dutch oven and deglaze with pork  or chicken stock. Return the meat into the dutch oven. Add fennels, carrots, ground mustard seeds and ground toasted fennel seeds and braised for 3 hours in a preheated oven at 150 degrees C. In about 1 ½ hours, dish out the fennels and carrots and set aside and continue to braise the pork shoulder loin. Return fennels and carrots to the dutch oven till they are hot before serving.  

I have read all your comments

Dear friends and readers,

I apologize for not responding to your comments promptly the last two days. This is because I was tied up at the Nutriplus Baking Competition as one of the judges. I will be till the final on 31st October 2012. I have read all your comments and will reply to them after that. Thanks for dropping by and take time to leave your comments. It is always, greatly appreciated.

For those who are staying in Kuala Lumpur, do head over to 1 Utama to watch the competition and demos by pastry chefs. There will be three contestants competing everyday and the winner will go on to compete in the final on 31st October 2012. Kelly Siew was the winner for the first round.

Here is the competition schedule. The competition starts at 12 noon everyday. I am in the panel of judges and I will be there everyday. If you are there, do come over and say hello so that I can meet you in person. 

The cookbook "Think Out of The Shell - Vol.II" will be on sale at the competition hall. You get two for the price of one.  How cool is that? Hurry, not many copies left to grab. 

What an eye opening

Finally, Le Cordon Bleu courses are here in Malaysia. 

There is a network of educational institutions dedicated to providing the highest level of culinary and hospitality instruction through world class programs in gastronomy. Le Cordon Bleu is considered to be the guardian of French culinary technique through its culinary programs that continue to preserve and pass on the mastery and appreciation of the culinary arts that have been the cornerstone of French gastronomy for over 500 years.

Anyone who would like to pursue a degree in either pastry or cuisine with Le Cordon Bleu, you can now do it right here in Malaysia. Programmes offered are Certificate programmes, Diploma in cuisine and Diploma in patiserrie. If you are interested to find out more about all the courses, you might want to contact these two friendly and nice ladies to arrange a tour of the institute and meet the instructors. I believe after that, you will be convinced that this is the institute you would like to pursue your career as a chef. 

Here are the contacts:
Sherlyn Lee at +6012 366 1378 or Ming at +6012 2423522. Ming is the General Manager.

From left: Evelyn of Missyblurkit, Quay Po, 
and Ming, GM of Sunway Le Cordon Bleu

I was so happy to be invited to attend The Duo Chefs Cooking demo on Vol Au Vent A La Parisienne by the head Pastry Chef, Chef Tierry Lerallu

and the Technical Director and Cuisine Chef, Chef Frank Bruwier.

Upon my arrival, I was greeted by the Student Recruitment and Marketing Executive, Sherlyn Lee and guess what? We were given a goody bag and served with platters of delicious pastries prepared by Chef Tierry. What a warm welcome!

On the way to the cooking demo room, we were brief how classes were conducted and we were shown how the kitchen was set up in the classes. According to Sherlyn, each student will have their own station and kitchen tools and there will be no sharing.

Shortly after we arrived at the demo room, we were introduced to the two chefs. Chef Frank is a humorous guy and so is Chef Tierry. It is obvious that the both of them truly enjoys what they do. 

Chef Frank said that pastry and cuisine always work hand in hand, just like the dish, Vol Au Vent A La Parisienne.

The demo class was fun, interesting and easy to understand. Most of all was the unforgettable gastronomy experience. The dish was out of this world delicious.

Ready to see how the Vol Au Vent A La Parisienne take shape? There you go.

Chef Frank preparing the chicken mousse

Chef Tierry making the pastry

Chef Frank preparing the fillings for the pastry
Preparing the smoke duck and bacon

Preparing the butter glazed mushroom


It was interesting to see how Chef Frank clean up the mushrooms.
I tried doing that but all my mushrooms were broken! LOL!

Preparing the gravy

Assembling the dish

Drum roll!! - The final product

I will definitely try to replicate this dish, maybe a fusion version, then, I shall share the recipe with all of you.

Once again, I would like to thank Sherlyn and Ming of Sunway Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts for the invitation. A big hug to Eveyln Ang Loo of Missyblurkit and Kevin of Ah Tee Kitchen for taking the photos for me and with me. Kevin, it was so nice of you to come over to say hello. It was a pleasure to meet you in person.

Quay Po with Kevin of Ah Tee Kitchen

It has been a long time since I last seen my friend, Cheng Yi of Fat Boy Bakes, a famous blogger whom I am sure you all know. I am glad to meet him at this event and we managed to have a little chat over tea and pastry before the demo started. We missed taking a photo with him because he left immediately after the demo. By the way, if you guys want to buy some unique yummy cakes for special occasion, you might want to check out his bakes for sale at his website. My Quay Lo's favorite is his OOZY chocolate caramel cake with sea salt. Cheng Yi has inspired me to make the pavlova and now it is a dessert I make for my friends and family very often and they all love it.

You may click on the pic to get the recipe I used

Honey, I am home! Where is my dinner?

Tips for working couples

I came across this article in The Wall Street Journal titled “Putting the Honey Back in 'Honey, I'm Home'”.

If you and your partner are a working couple, I am sure you can relate to this article. I could, because yours truly has been there, and done that.

It is a drag to have to cook when you've just returned home after a hard day's work, isn’t it? If you are like me and do not think that char kway teow, KFC, or pizza are a good answer and do not want to  nag your partner into pulling his/her share of the work,  I have a suggestion. How about making a big batch of pulled pork during the weekends? Divide the pork into meal sized portions, and store in  properly sealed containers and put them in the freezer. Before you leave for work, just take one container out of the freezer and put it into the fridge. By the time you return from work, it is ready to warm up on the stove top and whip up a delicious meal. All you have to do is to mix the pulled pork with your favorite BBQ sauce and heat it on the stove to make pulled pork sandwiches.  If you wish to do a little more work, you can serve them with corn on the cob, fried or roasted potato wedges and coleslaw. You might even add some butter sauteed green capsicum to the pulled pork. That will make a perfect meal but if you are too tired, don't even bother. Eat the pork with some fresh tossed greens or some quick stir fried spinach will be fine too.

P.S. I have a lot of recipes and tips for working couples and am thinking about featuring these under a title of "Tips for working couples.

Pulled Pork Burger

Please click on the picture to get the recipe for pulled pork

How to prepare corn on the cob:

This is featured on the Asian Food Channel (Official) Facebook page 

on 25th October 2012

Hust the corn, pull off the silky threads. Drop the corn into a large pot filled with boiling salted water. Cover the pot and bring water to a boil again. Turn off the heat and keep the pot covered. After about 5 minutes, serve with lots of butter and salt.

How to make coleslaw:

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp sour cream or buttermilk

1 cider vinegar

1 tbsp sugar, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Remove any wilted outer leaves from the cabbage. Quarter the cabbage, cut out its core, then shred them. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream or buttermilk, sugar. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots. Mix well until the vegetables are uniformly coated with the dressing.

Season to taste with salt and white pepper. The sweetness and tartness can be adjusted to your taste with more sugar and vinegar. If you prefer more creamy dressing, add more sour cream. Refrigerate for at least an hour, up to four hours, before serving.

In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sour cream or buttermilk, the optional mustard or horseradish, and the sugar and celery salt.

Add the shredded cabbage, carrots and onion. Mix well until the vegetables are uniformly coated with the dressing.

Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Adjust the flavoring with more vinegar if it's too sweet or more sugar if it's too tart. You can also adjust the creaminess with more sour cream or buttermilk if you like.

Refrigerate for at least an hour, up to four hours, before serving.