tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11456418889918177112024-03-07T04:01:55.287+08:00Rita's BasketA basket of stuff from my kitchen experiments, my hobbies, my discoveries, my thots, my life...Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-78256776258117209282012-06-13T10:02:00.000+08:002012-06-13T10:02:26.248+08:00Simple sponge cake
Light, soft
and fine texture, that’s what I like about Sponge cake. It’s the very first cake
I tried baking when I got my oven.
Looking
back…it’s not an easy cake to begin the journey into the world baking as
compared to the traditional butter cake. Strangely enough, I was not deterred
by the difficulty. I kept trying to improve and kept reading up on the tips.
And, so… my
lovely Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-46840051927547210172012-05-15T22:57:00.000+08:002012-06-13T10:03:46.506+08:00Quick Tiramisu
You would have read and probably tried many versions of Tiramisu, the Italian dessert...the Classic, the Traditional, the Authentic...if you like coffee, chilled creamy dessert with a hint liquer...you'll like Tiramisu.
(For those who may know about Tiramisu, you can check it out in the Wikipedia about its origin, history and the actual preparation).
I actually hesitated posting Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-34473656702961459322012-04-07T12:20:00.000+08:002012-04-07T12:20:00.472+08:00Claypot Bak-ku-teh (BKT)
I made this
some time back and got the thumbs up from the little one. I think
it is very nice, not too over-powering with herbs and just the right flavour with
pork ribs.
For 3 pax
1 packet of Bak-kut-teh herbs (I
used A1 brand) – 60gm
2 litre water
400g pork ribs
1.5 tbsp oyster sauce (I used Maggi)
2-3 tbsp light soy sauce (I used Lee
Kum Kee Selected, to taste)
1-1.5 tbsp Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-71005199732256901072012-03-31T23:38:00.000+08:002012-03-31T23:38:00.453+08:00Snow Fungus Tong-sui
Chinese,
especially Cantonese love sweet soup or tong-sui.
This is a
simple recipe with lots of nutritional benefits. It only needs 5 ingredients,
nothing too complicated.
For 4 pax
1 pc of snow fungus
10 pcs dried Chinese red dates
8 pcs gingko nuts, peeled
12 pcs dried longan
2-3 tbsp rock sugar (to taste)
1.5 litre water
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-10246154497359908592012-03-25T23:32:00.000+08:002012-03-26T10:32:53.264+08:00Pork Ribs Curry with Kaffir Lime Leaves
Spicy and tender
pork ribs in fragrant kaffir lime leaves curry gravy…appetizing!
500g pork ribs
5 pips of garlic
12-15 shallots
2cm ginger
4 tbsp of vegetable oil
2 tbsp curry powder (I used Baba’s)
1200ml water
200ml thick coconut milk
5 pcs kaffir lime leaves, remove
hard stem in center, cut into very thin strips
Salt, to taste
1. In a pot of boiling waterRitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-6440317266960660662012-03-24T23:42:00.000+08:002012-03-25T16:05:58.987+08:00Drunken Prawns
Drunken prawn soup, gingery, laced with brandy with a hint of fragrant angelica root (dang-gui)
12 large
prawns
2cm ginger,
julienned fine
4-5 slices
dang-gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis, 当归)
1 tbsp
sunflower oil
1 egg
white, beaten but not whipped
1 litre of
water
Salt
1½ tbsp Brandy
1. Trim prawn
feelers and snip off
the sharp points on the headRitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-339834777385655982012-03-23T23:18:00.002+08:002012-03-26T11:01:32.365+08:00School Term-Break
I’ve neglected my blogs and I am now trying to ease back in
slowly and gathering some long-lost momentum!
Too much has happened and I thank my family and friends for
their prayers, support and help.
Christmas 2011 has been spent in the hospital with the
little guy hospitalised a few days during the Christmas holidays for a very nasty
bug. He had very high fever, averaging 39.5 - 40°C,
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-15898757885468564492011-12-22T18:16:00.001+08:002011-12-22T20:16:45.950+08:00Dong Zhi Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)Happy Winter Solstice (Dong Zhi 冬至) everybody.
I got up early this morning to make some tang yuan (湯圓) which is enjoyed by many Chinese families, normally celebrated around 22 December.
Together with Hubby and the little one, we made some. To me they all turned out beautifully, does not matter that they are different or odd sizes but made as a family.
This is a simple recipe, made Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-24753273689913986622011-12-17T22:12:00.000+08:002011-12-17T22:12:06.612+08:00Santa's FruitcakeA Christmas fruitcake
I have a 20 year-old recipe shared by an elderly aunt. I've been making this fruitcake for the last 6 years for Christmas and Chinese New Year too.
It's not complicated, not too sweet or oily but flavourful and colourful. Don't worry if you don't have rum, I used brandy here.
Ingredients (A)
250g butter
(I used Anchor salted butter)
150g caster
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-20530233739806277552011-12-17T00:42:00.000+08:002011-12-17T00:42:19.385+08:00Hello December 2011
Should be "Hello Christmas"… which is more like it!
I’ve just got back my
laptop after having it being classified “Requires Hospitalisation” for some major
repairs. I wish I'm smarter then all I needed to do would be to hook it to a life-support machine, cut it open, change some organs, prescribed some antidote...run some tests and voila! 2 follow-up checks and everything will be Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-53061708178871742132011-09-23T23:39:00.000+08:002011-09-23T23:39:00.329+08:00Muffins...muffins againChocolate Chip Cranberries Nut Muffins and
Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins
Using the same recipe here, I made more muffins with dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries and chopped almond (almond nibs).
Chocolate Chip Cranberries Nut Muffins
Same recipe
Substitute strawberries with
1/4 cup dried cranberries (chopped)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips and another 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top
1/3 Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-80008212887404993662011-09-19T07:30:00.000+08:002011-09-19T07:30:01.365+08:00Funny #1 - Husband Day Care CenterFeeling Monday blues? :-)
This is a very different posting. Nothing to do with food but I found something just too funny!
I saw these pics and knew I just
gotta share with you. You may have come across these. :-D
Wife on retail therapy mission does not need to feel guilty
about abandoning hubbies at home or drag them along on shopping sprees, or to
carry the shopping bags. Hubbies Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-50696266330745864692011-09-16T23:19:00.000+08:002011-09-16T23:19:00.512+08:00Cooling Chinese Sugar Cane Drink
As the weather is not easing up with hot dry spells and occasionally
granted some scattered rain in the afternoons and some hazy days, my good
neighbour, Popo J gave us some Sugar Cane (In Cantonese, “Chook-Cheh”) from her
garden to boil to cool down our bodies.
The Sugar Cane stem is dark red-black. I chopped the stems into 5-6” in
lengths, and scrapped off the sides. ChoppedRitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-944951616135506512011-09-14T23:35:00.000+08:002011-09-15T22:24:46.324+08:00Homemade Beef Pepper Rice Teppanyaki-like Style
We have been visiting Pepper Lunch for their Beef Pepper Rice once too
often. It's really yummy and pretty addictive!… I’m embarrassed to admit, it’s something like 2-4 times in a month in
the last few months …sigh!... Max’s favourite (at the moment!)
So, Daddy decided to make Daddy’s Homemade Beef
Pepper Rice, his own version!
:-D
150-180g beef chuck tenderloin, Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-81811786429968206482011-09-13T23:36:00.000+08:002011-09-13T23:36:00.945+08:00Happy Mid-Autumn FestivalSori, this posting is a little late... :-(
Wishing all a very
Happy
Mid-Autumn and Lantern Festival.
I’ll bet most of you had a wonderful family-friends reunion
with lots of good food with mooncakes, water caltrops, baby yams to the
accompaniments of softly-lit Chinese lanterns and children chatter-laughters as
I did at my Mom’s place.
(Max with homemade Lantern, a car Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-29304604866236172492011-08-26T08:30:00.000+08:002011-08-26T08:30:01.226+08:00Strawberry Muffins
Breakfast
and school snack box gets more interesting this week with these fluffy muffins.
I tried these muffins after having read the good reviews and adapted slightly.
Daily snack of bread with jam spread, peanut butter, nutella, ham-eggs is
getting boring and "uncool" as I was duly informed by the little one…sigh!...oh,
the fussy one :-)
As strawberries are his favourite and his Dad's, I Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-60109534885316810012011-08-19T23:27:00.000+08:002012-03-24T18:05:46.361+08:00Chicken Thigh with Dang-guiQuick dish
Chinese sometimes incorporate herbs into their cooking for their nutritional benefits as well as enhancing the flavour. Here, I’ve chosen to use dang-gui (a powerful blood tonic) together with chicken thigh.
The chicken being steamed wrapped in aluminium foil, where the flavour produced is fully-contained within, resulting in chicken essence gravy, lightly salted with Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-49625816456879697742011-08-12T22:46:00.000+08:002011-08-12T22:46:02.542+08:00Okra with baconQuick dish
I seem to be positing lots of easy, quick dishes, especially for working moms. :-) I hope this is helpful...
I have posted about health benefits of steaming veggies that you may have read.
Okra is one of my favourite veggies. Wash and clean the okra, trim off the upper stem and cut into 2 or 3, cross-wise, about 4 - 5cm. Steam for 7-10 mins till fork tenderRitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-30718063807124832952011-08-10T22:38:00.019+08:002011-08-10T22:38:02.086+08:00Nutella Swirl Pound Cake
I made this some months ago when some friends came over for coffee. Being too busy at that time I forgot completely later about posting it.
This is a very beautiful recipe with my favourite Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut
Spread. I saw this in Food and Wine, thanks to Laura Chattman, Cake Keeper Cakes. If you like Nutella, you will like this!
185g plain flour, plus some for dusting
4 Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-62868557686983540542011-08-08T23:26:00.013+08:002011-08-08T23:26:00.400+08:00Oven-grilled Chicken Wings
We had some nice chicken wings last week. These yummy snacks were so popular, we had to wait 40mins for just 3 BBQ wings at the local hawkers center! There's a long queue for these in most places.
So, I decided to make our own… and it’s not too difficult.
6 chicken wings
2 ½ - 3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp maltose
1 tsp ginger juice
1 tsp chilli sauce (optional)
A Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-78900848543769395792011-08-04T23:57:00.001+08:002011-08-04T23:57:00.278+08:00Orange Chocolate Chip MuffinsHere are some good looking polka-dot muffins which will delight little kids, and adults too!
These muffins are moist, tender and not too sweet. As suggested I added more orange zest. I used the zest of 3 oranges as that’s all I have in my fruit basket. The chocolate chips will provide the needed ‘sweetness’.
I like the strong citrusy orange aroma… mmm…it’s wonderful! Chocolate chips andRitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-83751981202455733122011-07-28T23:57:00.000+08:002011-07-28T23:57:00.784+08:00Appliance Review - Elba Electric Food SteamerI share sentiments with most Kitchen Bosses (~_^), all gadgets and appliances make kitchen management so much easier and faster :-).
Here’s something that I took for granted till somebody mentioned how useful the electrical food steamer is.
The Elba food steamer model EFS-6882 is a 2-tier model with a 60-minutes maximum timer bell signal. I truly found the timer terribly Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-68221615844376017782011-07-25T23:13:00.003+08:002011-07-25T23:13:00.915+08:00Stir-fry Beansprout
My son shocked me one day with request for beansprout! But, he is not fond of veggies!!!
Quickly I went out to get a packet for 40cents. Never mind that the cost of fuel! 8-) … it’s good to see him taking a few forkful into his mouth.
This is one of the quickest dish…trust me! :-D
3 pips of garlic, chopped small1½ - 2 tsp of light soy sauce (to taste)1 tsp of oil
1. &Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-75269957276751709202011-07-22T23:27:00.000+08:002011-07-22T23:27:00.578+08:00Fruity SnackFruit Yogurt Parfait
Antioxidants, fruits, yoghurt, Vitamin C, ….and the healthy diets….and so on so on… J
I know I’m trying to get healthier with concoction of healthy servings of fresh fruits to battle toxins and aging…sigh!...yes, age is catching up. We have to ensure we get sufficient Vit-C and antioxidants to keep free radicals away.
Here’s something pretty easy to throw Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1145641888991817711.post-38232586493929912612011-07-14T23:38:00.000+08:002011-07-14T23:38:00.956+08:00A Bowl of TLC Goodness Noodles
My Mom used to make Mee Suah Soup (In Cantonese Mein Seen Tong) when we were young and sick or just recovering. It’s soft, easy on digestion and comforting. I loved it then and still do now.
Mee Suah is flour vermicelli, basically made of wheat flour and salt. The brand that I used, is a little salty, so I have omitted the salt as the anchovies soup is rich and a little salty too.
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03403540098620075048noreply@blogger.com3