some cooking notes

Weight & Sizes

• for accuracy, it's better to weigh ingredients rather than use cup measurements.
• fruits and vegetables are medium-sized unless specified in some recipes.

Chocolate

• Cocoa solids give chocolate its flavour. Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa solids than milk chocolates. Choose from 65% to 85% depending on how bitter you like it.
• Avoid chocolate with added butter oil, as it's not suitable for cooking. 

Cream

There are three types of cream in the market:

• Pouring cream has (35% butter fat)
• Thickened cream has (35% butter fat) contains gelatine and is most suitable for whipping.
• Double cream has (48% butter fat) and is usually for serving as it is. 

Eggs

• I recommend using eggs that are approved by a certified body, or local authorities such as the health department. 
• Always use eggs at room temperature. 
• In most egg recipes, all the eggs used are 59gm (extra large)

Onions

• There are six types of onions in the market:
• Onions: refer to the brown varieties.
• Red Onions
• Spring Onions: are the long, thing green variety.
• Bulb Spring Onions: are the long thin green variety with white bulb.
• Eschalots: are the small, sweet variety with golden-coloured skin.
• Asian Red Eschalots: are the small, sweet variety with pinky red skin available from asian groceries. 

Segmenting Citrus

• Using a sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom of the citrus and place upright on your chopping board.
• Slice the skin away from the flesh using even downward strokes, following the curve of the fruit. 
• Cut away any remaining pith, then slice between the membranes and flesh to release the segments.

Skewers

• Before you thread food on skewers for the barbecue or grill, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes to ensure they don't ignite. 
• You can also use metal skewers, available from kitchen shops. These become very hot, which assists in cooking.

Vanilla

There are three forms of vanilla:

• Vanilla essence: is usually artificially derived in an alcoholic base. A few Australian companies produce natural vanilla essence.
• Vanilla extract: is an extract from vanilla beans in an alcoholic base.
• Vanilla bean paste: is derived from vanilla beans. 1tsp vanilla bean paste is the flavour equivalent of the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean.
• Vanilla bean: is vanilla in its purest form. To extract vanilla, split the bean lengthwise and scrape seeds.

paneer

Paneer, is a fresh cheese made out of milk and lemon juice which is very popular in Indian cuisines. Paneer is a great additional to many vegetarian dishes, such as my favourite Palak Paneer, which is spinach cooked with paneer. It is often mistaken as firm tofu because of the appearance and texture. However, paneer has a distinct taste by itself. It also acts well as a flavour transporter and companion to many great dishes. Paneer is very high in fats and cholesterol. People with diabetes and and hypertension should reduce intake of paneer. But like what we chefs say, all flavours in food comes from the fat in it. So, its tasty and deadly at the same time! ahhaha. 

I include here a recipe of Palak Paneer that I made with my girlfriend few months ago. Tastes awesome! But if you guys think that this recipe can be improved, please leave your comments. 

Recipe:

4 cup                                      freshly chopped spinach

1/3 lb                                      paneer

2                                             tomatoes, puree

1 tsp                                       ginger

1 tsp                                       coriander powder

1/2 tsp                                    tumeric powder

1/2 tsp                                    red chili powder

1 tbsp                                     oil

1/2 tsp                                    cumin seeds

1/2 tsp                                    salt

2 tbsp                                     flour

1/3 cup                                   heavy cream

Method:

1. Give the spinach a good wash, and finely chop it. 
2. Place tomatoes and ginger in a blender and blend till fine. Mix in the coriander powder, tumeric powder and red chili powder into the tomato puree and set aside.
3. Mix the flour and heavy cream and set aside.
4. Cut the paneer into 4x4cm cubes. Heat up oil in a wok and fry the paneer till golden brown. Strain it and set aside.
5. Heat up some oil in the wok, and put in the cumin seeds. The cumin seeds will start to crackle and that releases its aroma. 
6. Pour in the tomato puree and fry for 5 minutes. 
7. Add the spinach into the tomato puree and let it simmer covered for 10 minutes. 
8. Add the cream and flour mixture and stir well to prevent any lumps. Add in the paneer and stir well. Season to taste with salt. Serve.

masterchef final week top 6!

wonderful world of tomatoes

Baby Roma Truss
Having a more elongated shape is one of the many differences compared with other types of tomatoes. They also have lower water content than other varieties making them great for barbecuing and baking. Also taste delicious on their own. 

Cherry Truss aka Cherry Tomatoes
These cherry like tomatoes are very sweet and crunchy. Renowned for there small shape they are a perfect and healthy snack, ideal for the kids lunch box. Goes great with sour plum powder. 

Kumato Tomato
Unique with exceptional flavor. The kumato has set a new flavor standard within the tomato category. It has a rich sweet flavor that has a distinctive taste. Don't be afraid of the dark brown coloring, once you try it you will be adding it to every meal. A perfect tomato for gourmet dishes and salad. 

Grape Kumato Tomato
The baby of the kumato family is slightly sweeter than the regular kumato. With great eating attributes at each stage of ripening, these cute size tomatoes are ideal in salads, sandwiches and pasta sauces. 

Gourmet Tomato
Gourmet tomatoes are the most regular seen type of tomato and a great all rounder. They have a bright red color and round shaped. Great for all dishes, salads, sandwiches and sauces.

Roma Tomato
Roma tomatoes are more elongated than the regular gourmet tomatoes. They are similar in flavor with other tomatoes, and they are more favored in gourmet dishes. 

Vine Riped Tomato
These are the best flavored tomatoes and can be a bit more expensive than other tomatoes. Great in sauces for pastas and many great Italian dishes. 

apple and berry crumble

Apple & Berry Crumble

One of my favorite crumbles, a simple weekend dessert that will blow your guests mind away. So rich in vitamin c and antioxidants, berries and apples are a great combination. 


Recipe:


Filling
1                                    orange, zested and juiced
6                                    golden apples
500 gm                           packet frozen mixed berries
1/4 cup                           dark brown sugar
1 tbsp                             plain flour
Crumble
125 gm                           cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup                           plain flour
1/2 tsp                           ground cinnamon
1/3 cup                           dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cup                        rolled oats
1/4 cup                           flaked almonds


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200'c. Grease a 1.5L oven proof dish with butter. 
2. To make crumble topping, mix flour, cinnamon into a large bowl. Using your hands, add the butter into the flour and cinnamon mixture and massage all the butter into the mixture, making sure all is mixed. Avoid working too much on the butter with your hands, if the butter starts to melt place the mixture into the fridge. This will prevent an oily topping.
3. The mixture should look like coarse breadcrumbs at this stage. Using a large spoon, stir in the sugar, oats and almonds and mix well. Place aside.
4. To make the filling, zest (using a grater) and juice the orange. Place in a bowl. Peel the apple and cut into small cubes. Mix into the orange mixture, adding in the berries, sugar and flour. Mix well with hands. 
5. Place mixture into the oven proof dish and top it with the crumble topping. Place on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden and juices are bubbling. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. 
6. Serve the crumble with vanilla ice cream. 

an emotional end for Masterchef

Masterchef favorite Marion Grasby has been bundled out of the competition being the biggest disappointment in the season. Marion's team which consists of Aaron, Jonathan and Adam lost in the team challenge two days ago sending the whole team straight into elimination. Adam used his immunity pin to avoid elimination, leaving behind Aaron, Marion and Jonathan. A simple satay sauce elimination between Aaron and Marion sent the 27 year old "food thesaurus" home. Marion has been the favorite contestant in Masterchef season 2 followed by Jonathan then Alvin. Her exit surprised everyone.. Alvin actually asked Aaron if its a joke about Marion being eliminated. It has been a shock to millions of Australians. "I feel really disappointed but Ive had a good time in this competition, and this is not the end of my story" said Marion. We all bid goodbye to Marion and wish her all the luck! Good job Marion, we will all miss you. 

even the bad can be good

Candy causes cavities, right? Well, chocolate is candy and it has been proven to reduce tooth decay. Any bad done to your teeth by chocolate is offset and chocolate may protect the enamel of your teeth. The reason for this chocolate is loaded with calcium and protein. Cocoa bean, which is the primary ingredient in chocolate, has been shown to be able to kill bacteria and plaque. Scientists are even tossing around the idea of it being added to toothpaste and mouthpaste. Protecting teeth isn't chocolates only perk. Thanks to research from universities, we now know that eating a small portion of dark chocolate daily can assist in normalizing insulin levels. This is great for people who are at high risk for diabetes as it provides extra protection.

Chocolate is not alone in preventing tooth decay. Want to protect your child's teeth? Feed them cheese. Kids who eat cheese regularly have almost 33% less tooth decay than kids who eat little or none at all. The reason for this is that cheese neutralizes acid in the mouth. The acid is what the bacteria that cause cavities live on and without it, the bacteria cannot survive. 

If you need to reduce allergy symptoms, try eating a few ounces of nuts every day. Their full of omega-3 fatty acids which help keep your immune system strong. A strong immune system is better able to fight off viruses and bacteria and lessen the likeliness of a reaction to pollen. 

brioche

Whether eaten plain or transformed into the most luxurious French toast or bread-and-butter pudding, brioche is one of the world's greatest breads.

Brioche would have to be one of French cuisine's greatest gifts. Buttery, rich and moreish, what's not to love? Although it's classified as a bread, it's so much more, and comes in all shapes and sizes. There's the widely recognized brioche a tete, or Parisian brioche, where the dough is placed in fluted tins and topped with a smaller ball of dough to form a head. Or the ring-shaped brioche Bordelaise, studded with candied fruit and crowned with crushed sugar cubes. Or it can be formed, as we have, into a simple loaf. 

As brioche is made with a yeasted dough, there are a few key points to remember. Have the milk lukewarm and all the other ingredients at room temperature to assist the activation of the yeast and the proving of the dough. Pay particular attention to the consistency of the butter. It should be very soft, but in no way melted - dice it and leave it at room temperature for several hours before you start mixing. It will incorporate more easily into the dough at this consistency. 

The way you work the dough is very important and you'll need an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook to do it. Unlike other bread recipes where you can get away with hand-kneading, elbow grease just won't cut it here. Add the butter little by little, beating all the while, and make sure each addition is incorporated before adding more. Beat well until the dough is shiny, smooth and elastic. 

Brioche is double-proved, once in the bowl and again after its been shaped, so allow plenty of time for this. Some recipes - usually those for the more butter brioche mousseline, or rich man's brioche, shaped into a tall cylinder - call for the first proof to take place overnight in the refrigerator so that the dough is much easier to mold. But it isn't necessary for the recipe here . Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and stand in a warm, draught-free place. Usually preheating the oven will be enough to warm your kitchen to a suitable temperature for proving. 

Brioche is a star in its own right, and needs little in the way of embellishment. Simply sliced, toasted and served for breakfast with homemade jam - or your favorite shop-bought variety and creme fraiche, it's a revelation. It's great toasted and slathered with a rich duck liver pate, or topped with garlicky sauteed mushrooms. The dough can also be used as a casing, say for a classic salmon coulibiac or fillet of beef en croute. 

go the American way

Independence, stars and stripes, fireworks and blueberry pie! That's what July 4th is all about. It's a day full of tradition that falls in the middle of the lazy days of summer. The 4th of July is America's Independence Day and i still can recall the time when i was in America, probably 2 years ago i reckon. There were music, dance, and of course lots great food! I still remember going to one of my chef's house for a classic southern american bbq and it was just amazing! BBQ ribs, corn on cob, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and something chocolate for dessert. Today Im gonna share with you my simple recipe for a succulent bbq pork ribs the american way. Not complicated, easy to make and its finger licking good. Enjoy. 

Recipe:

1 rack                                         pork ribs

2 cups                                         ketchup

1/2 cup                                       english mustard

500gm                                        brown sugar

1/3 large                                    onion

3 tbsp                                         vinegar

2                                                lemons sliced

1 tbsp                                         tobasco sauce

3 tbsp                                         fresh ground black pepper, to taste. 

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients together in a pot except the ribs, and simmer it under medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. 
2. Heat up a hot pan/grill and oil the ribs a bit. Place meat side down on the grill/pan and broil it until its golden brown. Turn and cook the other side till brown again.
3. Now brush both sides of the ribs and cook on each side for five minutes. Be careful to watch closely on the heat as it will burn easily. 
4. Cut the ribs apart and dip each rib in the sauce. Pile the ribs high on a full sized oven pan and pour remaining sauce over it. Cover the ribs with heavy-duty aluminium foil, tucking in around the outside edge of the pan to make an airtight container. 
5. Cook in the oven for 2 hours at 175'c . 
6. Once done, remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot with sauce from the pan. 

Coq Au Vin or Cocovan?

Coq Au Vin or Cocovan? 

You Decide !

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes which you just stir everything up in a pot and bake it off the the meat is so tender it falls off the bones when you eat them. A good dish to serve up with some pasta, or some cous cous or maybe even some fragrant jasmine rice for a change. I haven't made this dish for a while, so i don't have the original picture of my cooking, and the above picture is just a replica on how the dish will look like when you try it. Enjoy.

Recipe:

1 whole                               chicken (you can use drumsticks)

50 gm                                 plain flour

2 cups                                 dry red wine

2 strips                               streaky bacon

2 whole                               shallots

1 clove                                garlic

1 tbsp                                 fresh thyme

250 gm                               fresh button mushroom 

1/2                                     carrot (diced)

1/2 cup                               brandy

500 ml                                chicken stock

2 tbsp                                 tomato paste

                                          fresh parsley to garnish

Method:

1. Rinse the chicken with cold water to remove dirt and excess fat. Season with salt and pepper over chicken. 
2. Coat the chicken lightly in plain flour and pan fry them in oil until they are golden color. This is to seal all the juices in the chicken when its cooking and also helps to thicken the sauce. Remove the chicken from the pan once its done. 
3. In a oven proof pot, saute shallots, garlic, bacon, mushroom, carrot and thyme until fragrant. Shouldn't burn the garlic and shallots as it will give the sauce a bitter after taste. 
4. Once its nicely colored, stir in the tomato paste and continue cooking for at least 2 minutes. 
5. In the mean time, place a hot pan over high heat with no oil or liquid. (make sure its dry) . Pour in the brandy to flambe it, (burn off the alcohol) and do be careful of the flame that will come bursting up. 
6. Once the fire is completely gone, pour the brandy into the pot. Now place your chicken onto the cooking mixture together with your chicken stock and red wine. 
7. Cover it with the lid and place it in an oven at 180'c for at least 1 1/2 hours. Slow cooking process will help infuse the flavor into the chicken and help reduce the sauce. 
8. Once its done, remove the chicken from the pot and place it on the plate. Over high heat, reduce the sauce and stir in some butter to make the sauce looks shiny. Sprinkle some salt and pepper for taste. Pour it over the chicken and serve it with either rice or pasta. 

a tie in masterchef?

A battle of an afternoon tea team challenge sent the blue team's Aaron and Jimmy into elimination yesterday night. Seeing the fact that Aaron is always really bad in making pastries and Jimmy the curry man who can't even make a simple apple and fig jam, that challenge wasn't for them at all. I suppose it was just a big nightmare cooking for the members of the CWA (Countries Women Association). CWA members are masters of masters in pastry and dessert making. They have mastered every single recipe up their sleeves and will not give in to any mistakes. They were like angels of pastry. So the challenge started with 2 teams, red and blue as usual. Cooking up some of the CWA's famous recipes, which were scones, fruit cake, jam, neapolitan cake and laming tons. These are famous CWA afternoon tea recipes, that the top10 cannot screw up. So after the challenge, blue team lost by the jam and scones done by Aaron and Jimmy, sending them straight into elimination. What a challenge.. elimination this time was to fix a bad dish with 8 ingredients and the best dish wins. It was a classic French Cocovan, which is chicken braised in red wine and mushrooms finished off with some fresh parsley. As a matter of fact, i made this dish when i was back in America and loved it. However, i am not really sure why Aussies call it cocovan, as i remembered in America we called it Coq Au Vin. It looks exactly the same and cooking method similar too. Well, it was a great dish, and i might put the recipe up soon. So the battle for survival between Aaron and Jimmy stirred up ingredients ranging from brandy to shallots, garlic to panchetta. They both served up very different looking dishes, but both taste fantastic. What surprises me was, it was actually a tie. George liked Jimmy's dish, while Gary loved Aaron's dish. So at the end of the day, no one was sent back home and everyone back at the house was very surprised seeing both of them walk back. It was a good ending, didn't really want Aaron to leave the competition so soon. He is one hell of a cook i can tell you. Well, that wraps up Masterchef for the week and Masterclass is on tonight and we'll see what happens more nxt week. Ciaoz.