January 2012
1 post
13 tags
White Chocolate Panna Cotta
I have a friend who loves white chocolate. I am not addicted to it, but I am willing to use it in a panna cotta. I have found a really good-quality white chocolate where you can see the black specks of vanilla. It is also very cheap and very tasty.
I reduced the amount of sugar by half, but it was still quite sweet. However, the bitter coffee syrup helps with that. The texture was quite firm,...
December 2011
3 posts
13 tags
Mushroom Crepes
I’ve had bad experiences with crepes before. This hasn’t been one of them. This was delicious and filling, and just so good. There’s not much more to say.
I changed the recipe for the mushroom filling a bit. I rid the alcohol and added some extra seasoning. The crème fraîche topping has also been replaced by a cheaper and more accessible sour cream topping. The combination of...
13 tags
Red Velvet Cupcakes
In the end, I only made two of my planned four cupcakes. I ran out of time and I got lazy. The red velvet cupcakes tasted amazing though. They were beautifully soft and had a great flavour. I tweaked the cream cheese frosting quite a lot and made it my own.
The cupcakes were so nice and fluffy, and the frosting was a sweet complement. I added a few drops of lemon essence to the frosting to...
15 tags
Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Ever since I started cooking, I’ve always tried to give presents which I made when it comes to gift-giving season. This year is no different and I have decided to give a few of my teachers and friends cupcakes for Christmas. There are four designs which I drew up and this is the first. Introducing: Pendelton Rose - named after a dear friend. He knows who he is.
It consists of a chocolate...
November 2011
2 posts
2 tags
Garlic and Chilli Prawn Pasta
I am very OCD when it comes to some things, such as switching off power points. I am also pedantic when cooking with prawns. I cannot bear to cook prawns which still have their veins in-tact, because that is just gross. I have to patiently cut open and remove the vein in each prawn, all the while thinking to myself, ‘this is prawn poo’. Luckily, they sell peeled and deveined prawns...
4 tags
Chocolate Swiss Roll
I’ve made a lot of swiss rolls before. They’re very addictive to make and eat. Plus they’re easy and fancy-looking. This is my go-to recipe for chocolate swiss roll and it tastes awesome.
The filling is a fruit-flavoured cream which can be changed infinitely. It’s simply cream whipped with fruit jam, and it goes well with the soft chocolate sponge. Swiss rolls are just...
October 2011
3 posts
6 tags
Baby Spinach Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad might be my favourite salad. But not traditional Caesar, mind you, but Caesar with chicken and/or bacon and/or egg. Meat is good, and a delicious way to bulk up a salad. This Caesar is made with unorthodox baby spinach as opposed to the traditional Cos or Romaine. Mainly because I didn’t have any lettuce on hand. To make up for the lack of crunch, I made a parmesan tuile to...
5 tags
Chocolate Coffee Mousse Cake
This mousse cake came to be when I had made a sheet of chocolate chiffon cake, but didn’t know what to do with it. I decided to make some sort of layered dessert, and thought a coffee-flavoured mousse should be alright.
The cake isn’t very sweet, and the flavour of the chocolate and coffee lingers for a long time. The mousse is incredibly creamy, but not too rich. I can imagine...
September 2011
3 posts
30 tags
Volume Three is OUT! →
Yes well… yay…? Elliot is very excited.
elliotsen:
I ALMOST did not believe it when I saw it! I was in the middle of a conversation in Steam chat after playing a very satisfying session of Portal 2 co-op when I suddenly remembered that we were still waiting for the third volume to come out!
Here is an extract from the conversation:
10:26 PM - Elliot Sen: OH AND 10:26 PM - Elliot...
6 tags
Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pot Pie
When I was little, when we went to a Pizza Hut in China, my mum would always get me a creamy mushroom soup, which had a puff pastry crown on top. In recent times, I have become obsessed with pot pies, which are very similar to the dish I had at Pizza Hut. I’ve tried Nigella Lawson’s chicken pot pie, but I prefer this recipe better, which is lengthier, but tastes better in my opinion.
...
2 tags
Mini Chocolate Syrup Brownies
Brownies confuse me. I don’t understand the difference between fudgy brownies and cakey brownies. I imagine that I would prefer cakey brownies, because I prefer cakes to fudge? I don’t really know how to classify these miniature brownies, but they do taste more like cake than fudge.
The only chocolate in these brownies is chocolate syrup. The quality of the syrup will obviously...
3 tags
Profiteroles
I have made profiteroles several times before. I have come to the realisation that they are just too fiddly to make at home. All the piping and filling leads to a lot of clean-up.I did make it easier this time round by splitting the baked choux pastry into two then piping the cream onto a half. Previously, I piped cream into the pastry through a small hole, which lead to several breakage.
This...
August 2011
4 posts
3 tags
Chocolate Lava Cake
This dessert has many names. Chocolate Lava Cake, Molten Lava Cake, Molten Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Fondant, etc. I prefer to call it Chocolate Lava Cake. No reason.
I used to be very hesitant when it came to making this because I knew that the ‘lava’ within the cake is really just uncooked batter. However, I really needed to use up left-over egg yolks one day and decided to make it....
12 tags
Watchelliotsen:
Here is me. Running and then disappearing.
5 tags
Lemon Mascarpone Tart
Among the things I bought from Costco was a tub of mascarpone cheese. It was unbelievably cheap compared to normal retailers and I knew I was going to use it in many a dessert. Tiramisu is given, but I also used it in this lemon tart.
As of yet, I still have not found a reliable, go-to recipe for shortcrust pastry. They always shrink during baking or crumble due to weak structure. This pastry...
3 tags
Blueberry Muffins
First off, let me profess my absolute love for the new Costco which opened a few weeks ago. I went for a visit on the night of the grand opening, and indeed proceeded to go 5 more times since it opened. I don’t think living 10 minutes walk away from it is helping with this somewhat addiction of mine. But the prices truly are cheap compared to Woolworth’s and the quality surpasses Aldi...
July 2011
1 post
4 tags
Char Siu (Cha Shao) Buns
AKA BBQ Pork Buns.
From my blog posts, it is quite clear that I rarely cook Asian or Chinese dishes. The thing is that they rarely have a recipe, and the ones I can find are mostly butchered-down, western-tainted versions. Hence, I can only resort to things that have a set recipe with precise measurements.
A few weeks ago I came across this recipe in a Marie Claire cookbook. I love eating these...
June 2011
2 posts
3 tags
Coconut Panna Cotta
There is only a few days of school left for this term and I can’t wait for the holidays. Not that I dislike school (much), it’s just that during these holidays many exciting things will occur. The most important of which is my Student Research Project, which involves chocolate - and lots of it. For the multimedia presentation I will be creating a video which blends science, cooking and...
5 tags
Smoked Salmon Tarts
I am officially lacking food inspiration. I am also lacking verbal inspiration. I honestly have no idea what to cook next, and whether or not I can be bothered to shoot it. I have had a slew of failed recipes let alone ugly photos. I am hoping that I shall regain my motivation.
By the way, I attempted macarons a few weeks ago. However, the stupid little buggers are so damn annoying. I shall try...
May 2011
1 post
3 tags
Corned Beef (Silverside)
When I don’t cook because of a lack of time or sheer laziness, I don’t stop thinking about food. I thoroughly plan out what I am going to make the following week, what items I need to get from the shops and how I am going to compose my photos. People do give me weird looks when I browse online catalogues for weekly specials. It’s my idea of receiving gifts – you never know what you’re going to...
April 2011
2 posts
2 tags
Marble Bundt Cake
I heart Nikon. I heart my new camera :)
Yes, I got a new camera. It’s very awesome. But I won’t brag to you about it. I will, however, show you the pretty pictures of cake it can take.
The recipe makes quite a small amount of batter, and i think because of this it bulged so much. The top of bundt cakes should be relatively flat, so once inverted the cake sits fluch against the...
2 tags
Hello Again. (+cheesetartlets)
For the past few months, I have been thinking about where this blog was going. I thought nobody was reading it and I argued that there was no point in keeping it. I then realised that I don’t need a large audience to speak. Throughout these months I lacked motivation to pick up my camera, but with the arrival of my new camera, the old incentive returned. So I have come back to this rather...
December 2010
2 posts
5 tags
Cherry Frangipane Tartlets
It is finally the holidays. I can’t help but feel this year went past unbelievably fast, but there’s no doubt the six weeks of freedom will go by even faster. Following on from the resaturant-themed dishes comes a frangipane tart. Frangipane tarts are almond flavoured and often have fruit or berries studded on top. I decided to make small tartlets instead of one large tart because I...
4 tags
Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta
My english presentation is finally over so I can stop making restaurant-theme dishes, however I still have a list of them to post, so stay tuned. To make this as homemade as possible, I also made the baguette which is then sliced up and topped with vegetables.
Instead of dicing the onion, I sliced them, which I think looks better. I also ran out of basil and substituted with parsley which...
November 2010
6 posts
5 tags
Chicken and Thyme Penne
Before I go on camp, I wanted to post something. This pasta recipe originally called for sun-dried tomatoes. I didn’t have any, nor did I want to use fresh tomatoes, so I left them out. I don’t think they affected the outcome too greatly, and I think I prefer this dish the way it is.
I used dried thyme in lieu of fresh, because I prefer the stronger taste of dried herbs. This tasted...
3 tags
Roasted Tomato Soup
I once had tomato soup at a buffet, and it’s been on my mind for ages. I looked everywhere for a recipe that seemed about right, and I found this one. Roasting the vegetables help concentrate the flavour, increasing the yum.
I didn’t have bay-leaf, so I omitted that. I served this with a dollop of sour cream and croutons. This is another restaurant-themed dish that I have made....
3 tags
Mushroom Vols-au-Vents
Tumblr is so different to Blogger. It’s taking me a while to get used to it, but I’ll get there. Like I’ve said, I have been making restaurant-themed dishes lately for an English project and these vols-au-vents are one of them.
I made the vols-au-vent shells myself, from puff pastry, simply because I dislike the shape of the ones at the shops. The mushroom filling has a slight...
2 tags
New Beginnings (and Mud Cake)
Welcome to my Tumblr blog. As you can see, I’ve imported all my posts from my Blogger, so it’s like a twin. I’m thinking of converting my Blogger into a photoblog in the future. But as for now… cake!
This is the first of a list of restaurant-themed dishes. It’s for an English project. Enjoy and subscribe.
Bye.
2 tags
Peanut Butter Cookies
Been a while. I am postponing my change to Tumblr as I am having second thoughts. It would be like starting a completely new blog, and I’ve had this blog for almost a year. I’ll probably need a second opinion. Today’s yumminess comes in the form of a cookie. Cookie? Yes, Peanut Butter Cookie.
I have a friend who is in love with peanut butter. He knows who he is. I enjoy the...
2 tags
Totally Chocolate Chocolate Cookies
These are totally chocolate, chocolate chip cookies. They contain chocolate in four forms: cocoa powder, melted chocolate, dark chocolate bits and white chocolate bits. The original recipe called for chocolate chips which I found out I did not have. Instead I chopped up some dark chocolate and white chocolate. This resulted in a much richer cookie. But what’s wrong with that? I did give...
October 2010
7 posts
2 tags
Cheesecakelets
Ok. The exams are over. Be happy. No use being nervous now because there’s nothing you can do about it. Happy thought: cookies. I will post some delicious cookies in a few days once I sort through my photos. People who I gave some to loved them so I know they’re good. But for now: Cheesecakelets. These had a weird texture and left me with a somewhat sour aftertaste. It’s...
5 tags
Strawberry Swiss Roll
Short post today and I think you all know why. Yearlies. I remember eating this at a bakery, and I loved the light cake filled with juicy strawberries. I made two of these cakes - one for my family to eat and another to bring to a picnic. The second one I frosted with some leftover filling.
My pan is smaller than what is called for, so I ended up with a thicker cake. A thicker cake means less...
4 tags
Mocha Brownies
I am so nervous about the yearlies, but I’m too lazy to revise. I probably will have to cram in the last few days. Oh well, never been the conscientious type anyway. Brownies! These mocha (coffee)-flavoured brownies were tasty, but only to those who enjoy coffee. I myself am a tea person so these weren’t that exciting. People who love coffee though would love these. I don’t know...
7 tags
Black Forest Cheesecake
I don’t like birthday cakes. They are expensive and often I can replicate them at home. This year, I did not plan on making a cake because I was lazy, but I ended up putting together an easy cheesecake. I found it on the back of a package of cream cheese, but it’s also on the Kraft website. I love black forest themed stuff. It was light and creamy and not too sweet or rich. This was...
3 tags
Baked Rice Custard
Thanks for the birthday wishes. It’s not all fun and games though - I’m nearly halfway to thirty, and that scares me. My friends were originally going to take me out to the city and celebrate, but they cancelled. Thanks guys. It’s kind of like this rice custard/pudding thing. I had high expectations a few weeks back but the actual results just… weren’t good. ...
4 tags
Spinach and Cheese Triangles
I made these delicious triangles for a picnic and they were easy and tasted great. I always loved cheese and spinach triangles that came from the freezer, and these ones were very close. The only problem is that the filling wasn’t as creamy and cheesy. I could only find frozen spinach that came in 250g packages so I used that. Once all the liquid has been drained, it’s weight...
5 tags
White Chocolate and Cherry Brownies
I have a love-hate relationship with white chocolate. I refer to it as fake white crap as in it’s not real chocolate, containing no cocoa mass. But occasionally I crave it because dark chocolate is too rich and milk chocolate is too sweet (ironic?). I can eat a small piece of white chocolate, and every piece after that causes toothache. I had to make these blondies though because I love...
September 2010
6 posts
2 tags
Ultimate Mashed Potatoes
It is the holidays once again, and this time I plan on finishing all my work within the first few days so I can have the rest of the holidays off. I plan to, but most likely I will end up cramming on the last few days. Moving on, I made mashed potatoes! I used to love mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC, but I detest KFC hence I don’t get to eat much mashed potatoes. But I will in the future...
5 tags
Teriyaki Chicken and Soba Noodle Salad
I made this salad for myself when I had a friend over. It was flavoursome and refreshing. The soba noodles were light and the vegetables were crisp. I made my own teriyaki marinade, but I recommend using store-bought which has much more flavour. The chicken breasts I marinaded for many hours, which enhanced the flavour. The soba noodles were very easy to cook, and not much different to pasta. I...
5 tags
Strawberry Shortcakes
My 50th Post! Don’t know why it’s significant, just thought I’d mention it. Up until a few months ago, I disliked the idea of Strawberry Shortcake. I’m not sure if it was the relation to the doll, or the fact that I thought shortbread was dry and yuck. Not anymore though, now that I know I don’t have to make a big shortcake but can make small scones and fill it with...
4 tags
Blueberry Tartlets
Remember the Strawberry Tartlets? Well when I was making those I also made a small batch of blueberry tartlets. I was originally planning to make a big batch of these tartlets for a friend’s assignment, but cancelled (sorry). Fresh blueberries are so frickin’ expensive, so I simply substituted frozen blueberries. For some reason there was an excessive amount of syrup leftover, so next...
5 tags
Coconut, Chocolate & Banana Muffins
A quick post today, I’m really busy. I made these muffins a few weeks ago, and they were very impressive. They had a great texture and tasted fantastic. I think it would taste better if white chocolate replaced the dark chocolate. The recipe calls for small muffin pans, but I used normal-sized ones and made 15. My mum’s going to China tomorrow for a month, so I don’t know how...
4 tags
Strawberry Tartlets
I said I was making a lot of tarts, and I wasn’t lying. I immediately wanted to make this when I saw the delicious photo in The Big Book of Baking. The hardest part is the Crème Pâtissière (pastry cream) which ended up lumpy and ugly, but you can hardly see it under the strawberry. The recipe calls for redcurrent jelly, which I couldn’t find, so I substituted with strawberry jelly to...
August 2010
8 posts
6 tags
Lemon Cheese Tart
It’s the last day of Winter, which means Spring is tomorrow. I’m sad that the cooler months are over, but happy since berries, mangoes, pineapples and other Summer fruit are coming. Technically lemons should be out of season soon, but these days shops have everything all year round. This recipe comes from a cookbook called Cheesecakes by Maxine Clark. I made this for a dinner with...
3 tags
Morello Cherry Clafoutis
I wanted to use the oval ramekins I got with my blowtorch, and cherries were on my mind so I decided to make cherry clafoutis. Clafoutis is traditionally unpitted cherries baked with a crepe batter. The pits that are left in gives of an almond flavour. It’s still Winter here, so cherries aren’t in season. I decided to use jarred pitted Morello cherries. I put too many cherries into...
3 tags
Caramel Slice
The Apple store in Castle Towers has opened and I went to the grand opening with my friends. I got an oversized T-shirt, which was cool. You should all go and check it out, though apparently it’s not as big as the one in the city. I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been. I’ve loved caramel slice ever since a Year 3 friend gave me a piece of her’s. It was sweet, chewy and...
3 tags
Caramelised Onion and Mozzarella Omelette
I wung this recipe when I was away from school. I was hungry for something salty, but I didn’t have many interesting ingredients in the fridge or pantry. I did have half a bag of mozzarella cheese stored in the freezer, so I decided to use that. First I caramelised half an onion. This is actually the most time-consuming part, but you do not have to do much work. I cracked a few eggs and...
4 tags
Butterscotch Self-Saucing Pudding
I GOT A BLOWTORCH!!!!!!! So happy. I have mentioned before that I rarely make things I have before. Last week I tried out a self-saucing pudding recipe from Taste. Quite simply, it blew my mind. It was rich but not too sweet, and the sauce was thick and delicious. I tweaked the recipe, adding more water and golden syrup for more sauce. We had it with cream, and everyone loved it. The top is...
4 tags
Penne alla Boscaiola
Heh, who knew having an eye infection for three days can give me time to cook loads of yummy food. I was feeling hungry yesterday and I looked in the fridge, then the pantry, then back at the fridge. I had bacon, mushrooms, cream and some other vegetables. I decided on pasta, which seemed the easiest way to go. I boiled some Penne, and made half a batch of Boscaiola sauce to top it with. ...
4 tags
Chicken and Corn Soup
Whenever I go to an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet, there will always be Chicken and Corn Soup. I always loved this soup, but knew it contained many preservatives and artificial flavours. I was browsing through a cookbook, when I found a recipe for Chicken and Corn Soup, so I decided to try it out. I realised, after I had started, that I did not have enough chicken stock, so I made up the volume with...