Taste of Time

The Wedding

2009-11-07T17:36:00.010+08:00

I promised everyone photos. So I ask my daughter, Natasha to help me to take more photos when we were setting up the cake and mini cakes at the wedding reception.

If you look at the original cake photo (yesterday's blog post entry), you will noticed that the flowers on the top tier seem to have grown more leaves..! Final touches were made this morning at 7am. I found it a bit too bare at the top. And added more leaves to surround the top.

The overall cake at the church's hall.

My sister, my aunty helped to assemble the mini cakes at 2 coffee tables. To give it more presence due to its mini size, we 'build' a pyramid with it. It was beautiful.

However, I won't be showing photos of the bride and groom. I didn't think they would want their photos on public viewing.

Thank you for viewing...

The Project of THE year!

2009-11-06T09:21:00.006+08:00

The long awaited(and also long winded!) post for this year. The ultimate cake I was to bake, decorated for Ru Shin. A girl I knew since she was little girl. Watching her grew up, seeing her in all our family parties we had over the years. It was such a privilege to me that the family ask if I could bake and decorated the cake for Ru Shin's wedding.

At that time, the shop wasn't opened back then, and I didn't expect the store to take up most of my days and nights and hours. So I said "Yes" without much doubt or thought.

Ru Shin was clear about what she wanted. She envisaged how the cake will look like. But she was also worried if we could pull it off. Honestly speaking, I was a bit fearful myself. Because I have never decorated any wedding cakes for anyone. Although I have taught many to do it themselves.

She would send me photos of the cakes she saw online and thought about the flowers she wanted too. She didn't want roses which was seen in every wedding cake. She wanted something different for a change. She wanted Peonies. And it has to be pink.

Photo source : no idea. Just to show me how a peony look like. Because I have never seen a peony in real life before.

She wanted the cake to be 3 tier, covered in sugarpaste that was tinted light green so that the flowers will stand out from afar. And it must only have 6 flowers. Why six flowers? Because Ru Shin family name was "Look" and that sounded like the number six in Cantonese.

I didn't have time to make the flowers myself, so I contacted my source for gum paste flowers. This lady gave me fantastic advice on how big or small the flowers should be, based on the gap between the tiered cakes.

I send her photos of how the flowers should look like..and my gum paste flower maker did this for me:

Oh, how I prayed about this project I have. I asked God only for two things and that is Wisdom and Strength. Wisdom, so that I would know what I need to do, how I should do it. Strength so that I have the energy by the end of the year and possibly the stamina to carry through with this.

Initially, I had planned that my students come by to help me. In the end, I realised many are away for their kid's exams or travelling. So I took upon this task to do it myself.

The wedding is tomorrow, 7 November 2009. But for now, here is the cake I baked, decorated for Ru Shin. More photos to come tomorrow, after the wedding.

The guests (about 400 or so) will get a slice of the cake too. Wrapped and packed into the wedding favour boxes I have prepared.

The cake is actually a very simple cake. But Ru Shin and her family insisted that it was one that made with Love..lots of it. I had to modify an existing recipe I had used for my classes to suit their family needs of less sugar, with more plump cherries and juicy at every bite.

So I modified the recipe..here it is:

Sweet Cherries Fairy Cake
Recipe By Gina Choong

Ingredients
250g salted butter(soften in room temperature)
120g fine sugar
4 eggs(room temperature)
200g plain flour

1 can of Dark Sweet cherries(S&W brand)
400ml Cointreau(orange liquor)

Method
1. Drain cherries from the can. Put the cherries in a glass jar to soak with liquor.
2. Leave this jar in the fridge and covered. Soak for at least 7 days.
3. Drain from liquor and leave aside. Do not discard the liquor. You can add 7 Up or Sprite to it to drink.
4. Whip butter and sugar on high speed for 10 minutes.
5. Note that you must whip until the butter look very pale yellow.
6. Then lower the speed, add eggs one at a time
7. Continue to whip for 5 mins.
8. Add flour and continue to whip for 2 to 3 mins or until its evenly mixed.
9. Lastly add the cherries. Do not turn up the speed. Or the cherries will crush.
10. Pour batter into cake pans .
11. Baked in preheated oven 180C for 35 to 40 mins.
12. Leave to cool in the oven. Then removed.
13. Best to eat this after its aged for 1 day or 2.

Just to let you know how much ingredients I have used for this project:

60 pieces of SCS Salted Butter(250g)
4kg Fine sugar(yeah, that little!)
40 cans S&W Dark Sweet Cherries
20 packs of Prima Plain Flour
200 eggs
3 bottles of Cointreau liquor

A packet of flour

2009-11-05T08:55:00.006+08:00

What to do with a packet of flour that has been sitting in your pantry for months? We often get that urge to bake something. So we head down to the store, get a couple packs of flour, bake in a frenzy. Then occasionally, we have a packet of flour lying around too.

On days when I really don't feel like baking, the flour can sit in the baking cabinet for weeks. Rather than to waste it, I would just use the whole pack to make vegetarian gluten. At least that can last longer, in frozen state and I can use it later to create other vegetarian dishes.

Here's how to use the packet of flour in your kitchen:

Vegetarian Gluten
Recipe taken from The Chinese Kitchen(cookbook)

This is Raw Gluten. The texture is very soft and has a rubbery feel. But does not stick to your hands or the plate.

Makes 300g of gluten
Ingredients
1 kg plain flour
2 tsp salt
600ml warm water

Method
1. Sift flour in a mixing bowl.
2. Add salt and water to form into a dough.
3. Knead until smooth and cover with a damp cloth and leave to stand for 1 hour.
4. Place dough in a large sieve. Run cold water over it while you press and squeeze the dough with your hands to wash out as much as starch.
5. Do this till the dough reduces to half its size.
At this stage, the gluten dough is formed. You can use it for various recipes.

Storage for later use
Keep in a plastic container and cover it. Store in the fridge for upto 10 days.

More water will be secreted over time..just throw away the water

Here's what I have used it to make..enjoy!

Vegetarian Fish Maw
Recipe by Gina Choong

Ingredients
100g vegetarian gluten
1 tsp fine salt
oil for deep frying

Method
1. Cut gluten into thin slices. and sprinkle salt on both sides

2. Heat up the wok with oil and drop in each slice to fry till golden brown.

3. Drain excess oil and use per recipe.

Notes
Vegetarian Fish Maw can be use for cooking with steamboat or with soup. Uneaten ones must be kept in air tight containers. It goes soft very fast. To make it crispy, just toast in preheated oven 200C for 5 mins.

You can eat it on its own by dipping it straight into chilli sauce or mayo

What makes you cry?

2009-11-02T09:08:00.006+08:00

A sad story? Watching a sad movie? Sending a close friend or relative off and won't be seeing them for quite awhile? Being fearful? Being hurt? I guess there are so many ways to make a person cry.

For me, its photographs of past. Of memories of someone or something cherished. Today, uncle Bill send me an email. And told me about family portraits they have taken and it was hosted on the photographer's website. He said "quick, go and see. Because we do not know how long the photos will be hosted online..."

Visit this website to see all the photos..click FEATURED(at the top) and scroll down to view YEOS.
http://www.frozenreflections.com/index2.php

And so I did..and in the glimpse of the photos, I saw a collection of memories past. As if it was telling a story of moments we had in the past. Of the tears and the joys of life itself. Unfolding right in front of me. I saw Uncle, Auntie who loved me as if I was their child. Uncle Bill is my mom's elder brother. The big boy in the family of Yeo's. They now lived in Vancouver, Canada and has been living there since my marriage in 1988.

They would visit us once in a bluemoon. But these days, uncle is getting too old for long trips. Health is not on his side. My greatest wish was to be able to fly to Canada and spend time with them.

I remembered some years back, they visited Singapore and stayed a day with me. At that time Natasha was barely 4 years old. Uncle, Auntie and I sat in the room, talk for hours and we started crying! Natasha asked me did Uncle and Auntie scolded me? I told her "no, we talk about the past. of my days as a child, and how they loved me and took care of me."

Now looking back to old photos I had kept, there is only one photo which shows me combing uncle's hair and he was trying to lift me up to sit on his lap so I can reach his hair better..

And that was uncle, forever loving, forever forgiving. Like a father who loves his little one, he loves me! Every Sunday, I spent all my Sundays with him and Auntie. From my tender years as a baby till I was a teenager. I would spend all my school holidays with him too.

He and auntie was my Sunday parents. Before Church starts, he would drive us to a Hainanese kopi tiam(coffee shop at Joo Chiat Road) and would get me a pack of Magnolia Fresh Milk and a yummy cream puff for breakfast. After church, he would drive us for lunch. Then off to his home at Bartley Road. I would stay there till after dinner and my dad would come by to pick me up and go home.

During the school holidays he would fetch me to the Singapore Swimming Club at Tanjong Rhu area. Where he had membership. He would show me how to tread water, and allowed me to play for hours on end. When I was very young, I remember Auntie bathing only me, not even John, her only son who was younger than me. This is how much a person can love another!

One photo in the photo gallery at Frozen Reflections that speaks out to me was this. I had to do a screen shot to show this.

Seeing them in their autumn years now captured only in photography. If only, I could be there with them, growing old with them dailly. If only....

Here is a song called the Circle Game by Joni Mitchell, sang by Steven Curtis Chapman. And the lyrics for the song is also very touching. At least to me.

The Circle Game
By Joni Mitchell

Yesterday, a child came out to wander
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

Then, the child moved ten times 'round the seasons
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Words like, "When you're older", must appease him
And promises of someday make his dreams

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels through the town
And they tell him, "Take your time. It won't be long now.
'Til you drag your feet to slow the circles down"

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
There'll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is through.

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and 'round and 'round
In the circle game
And go 'round and 'round and 'round in the circle game.

Chocolate Chocolate

2009-10-29T10:11:00.003+08:00

I am allergic to Chocolates, in any form. Cocoa powder, dark sweet, semi sweet, very sweet, whatever. MC ask me when I found out I was allergic to Chocolates. I told her it was when I was in Secondary 4, after O level exams. My uncle won a lottery ticket and went on a month long tour to most of Europe. As he travel from country to country, he bought chocolates and send it to me.

I think I ate more than anyone could eat chocolates in one session. After that, I became hooked on chocolates. I started to buy more, ate more. When I started working, I developed serious allergies where the skin will just itch and swell almost like having Hives. Severe itching follows and I started scratching. The skin tears and it took me over a year to fully recover from it. I had to take steriods, applied creams and cannot wash my hands with soap or touch detergent.

The skin specialist told me that I can still eat chocolates, except that I had to ration myself. Down to 100g per month. Over time, I learn to live without it. So the craving literally stops there and then.

With Singapore getting more affluent, more people can now afford good quality chocolates and many are venturing into baking it too. I think everyone loves chocolates at some point of time in their lives. Except my hubby. He is a strange creature. Maybe that is why God found him for me. So I don't have to smell chocolates or use it to bake something for him.

But often enough, I had to bake chocolate cakes and other pastries for class, for friends and also for families. This is one Chocolate cake that was created for my supplier who sells the Ao Mori Silicone ware.

For this recipe, I insist that you use Valrhona Cocoa powder..it really brings out the chocolatey flavour, aroma of Chocolates. That is what it should be.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Bundt Cake
Recipe by Gina Choong

Ingredients
250g butter(salted)
100g soft brown sugar
200g Plain flour
50g cocoa powder (Valrhona)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 eggs
100ml milk( I use Meadow Fresh New Zealand Full Cream milk)

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in eggs one at a time.
2. Add flour, cocoa powder. Fold into egg and butter mixture alternating with the milk.
3. Pour mixture into cake tin.
4. Bake in 180 deg C pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Cool outside oven before decorating.

Notes
This cake is deliciously light. Smells of chocolate at every bite.
You can bake this in any size of cake pan or straight into cupcake liners too.
If you bake into cupcake liners, limit the time to 15 to 20 minutes, maximum

Vandalism

2009-10-28T09:13:00.004+08:00

This is a frustrated post. Every other day, we have some one who would come into our store and 'vandalise' our displays or move things around. Some people find it fun to do such things. While others did it merely for the 'kick' thinking that they will never be caught for it.

What kind of conscious does these people have?

The most recent ones are often happening on Saturdays. Days when my two daughters helped out at the store and man it by themselves. While me and hubby had a good rest at home and goes there around 7pm.

There seems to be a lady with short hair*ya! we caught a glimpse of her dashing out immediately* who comes into our store every Saturday around 5pm to 6pm. She would always do the same thing. That is to remove all the nuts/dried fruits that are hung on the hooks, mess up the Konnyaku jelly packs, break a few pieces of Wine yeast and sweeps her hand over the many bottles of Bake King's essences and baking powders we have!

And yesterday, we had a teenager who came in and pouedr his drink into one of the containers which holds the plastic gift tag "Happy Birthday".

My brother in law, Willie, had to remove it, wash it and painstakingly wipe clean each tag before putting it back for sale.

The worst damage we had was someone cutting our packs of Valrhona cocoa powder and spilling the contents out on the shelf.

Why do people do such things? Maybe they find gratification from it? Or thrill, excitement ?

If I ever catch anyone doing this, I will hand him/her over to the police!

Smile ...

2009-10-27T13:21:00.005+08:00

I had a class on cupcake decoration using fondant a week ago. Since we had time and leftover batter which we didn't want to bake into cupcakes, I pour the batter into a snowman pan and baked into a large cake.

This was done out of excess time we had. Showed the students how to cover a whole cake in fondant and do the minimum in fondant decorations. Still the cake was beauitful and everyone was smiling too. Just like Mr Frosty.

The big round eyes are made of Chocolate Fondant(Bakels). The rest of the fondant was just plain white fondant that had been tinted in various shades.

The base cake was a rich Mango fairy cake which was later sliced into two for the students to bring home. They went home gleefully happy.

Also this was done last month. Was supposed to teach Kid's birthday cakes but in the end, they wanted an adult cake for a change. So I showed how to do a simple cake using whatever moulds they have. For this flower, I use the mooncake mould.

Actually, with fondant, you don't really need fancy cutters or tools to get the designer look. Just a bit of imagination, creativeness, you can do some very good stunning effects.

Baking is a Science!

2009-10-21T09:26:00.004+08:00

A few customers have asked me if I have a cookie recipe that mimick the Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookies. Well, I don't. But it didn't stop me to make my own crunchy cookie.

This cookie was initially created for a Hindu lady. She told me she's Vegetarian. And I thought it meant "No eggs" so I had to improvised a recipe I had just for her. I did this No Eggs Chocolate Chip cookies for her. Only to find out later when she came to pick up her cookies "We can eat eggs, dear!"

So I baked a bit more, left it in the store for others to try. Many ask for the recipe as they say it tastes like the Famous Amos extra crunchy cookies.

I had a regular customer, R, while paying for her items at the counter, she couldn't stop munching the cookies..a box of the cookies was almost gone ! She simply loved it.

Here's the cookie for you to try at home. For this recipe, I INSIST that you use the 'branded' ingredients stated below for that maximum taste factor.

Enjoy! I think I will make another batch today for people to try.

No Eggs Chocolate Chip Cookie
Recipe by Gina Choong

Ingredients
250g SCS butter(salted)
150g soft brown sugar
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Bourbon extract
100g semi sweet chocolate chips(I use Hershey's)
1 tbsp Valrhona cocoa powder
380g Top Flour (Prima)

Method
1. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl till liquid.*
2. Add sugar, vanilla extract and cocoa powder to stir till well combined
3. Add flour, choc chips to mix till it forms into a dough.
4. Scoop out on baking tray, press down to flatten it.
5. Baked in preheated oven 180C for 20 mins.
6. Remove to cool on wire rack before storing.

Yum Yum Tom Yam!

2009-10-17T07:45:00.008+08:00

I tried hard..really hard. To encourage folks who frequent my shop to pick up baking. Some do, others find it easier to buy the finished product. But many who did pick up baking, somehow had to give it a pass when I baked the Tom Yam cookies for them to sample and handed out the recipes to them.

When they saw that they had to blend and fry the paste, many just gave up altogether. While they may found a new love in baking, they haven't figure out pounding spices and cooking it.

And many who have tasted my signature Tomyam cookies, ask me time and again if they could pay me to bake them a tub. So I relented. Because it was Deepavali. So far, 2 ladies have ask me for this. And baked for them. :)

Anyhow, here's the recipe for you to try at home. I only have pictures of the cookies in a tub because I didn't have time to take individual closed up shots.

If you want it extra spicy, just add more paste to the cookie dough. But I find that too much of a good thing may make this cookie lose its real taste. You are eating a cookie, not drinking tom yam soup. You should eat it and taste a hint of after taste of Tom Yam lingering in your taste buds. Giving that sensation of spicy, lemony hotness in your mouth!

Enjoy!

TomYam Cookies
Recipe By Gina Choong

Ingredients
150ml corn oil
100g fine sugar
350g Cake flour
3 tbsp tomyam paste
6 pcs Kaffir Lime Leaves, shred

Method
1. Add oil to mix with tom yam paste.
2. Add sugar and shredded leaves. next to mix.
3. Next add flour, mix to combined.
4. Scoop out portions using a cookie scoop. Baked in preheated oven at 180C for 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely before storing.

TomYam Paste
Recipe by Gina Choong

Makes 200g
Ingredients A
15 large chilli
10 chilli padi
10 shallots
5 cloves of garlic
1 stalk of lemon grass
5 petals from the Torch ginger plant (sometimes called the rojak flower)
1 inch of galangal (blue ginger)

Ingredients B
100ml assam juice(use 1 tbsp assam paste mix with 100ml water)
2 tbsp salt
5 tbsp sugar
6 pcs of kaffir lime leaves(cut into shreds)

Method
1. Blend all the ingredients A except ingredients B till smooth
2. Heat up the wok with corn oil and add puree paste.
3. Fry over low heat, stirring occasionally till its fragrant (about 15 mins)
4. Add salt, sugar, assam juice and continue to cook for another 10 mins.
5. Finally add kaffir lime leaves and turn off the fire. Stir to mix evenly.

This is the Kaffir Lime plant. The lime is that big speckled green fruit. This plant belongs to my neigbhour who lives across my flat. He and his wife are retirees and spend their time pottering round their little herb and fruit garden and whipping up delicious Peranankan dishes. I had my own Kaffir lime plant too but it just had leaves because I didn't have space for it to grow and blossom.

This is how the Torch ginger plant look like. These are easily available from the market. Occasionally, you may find this in our local supermarkets. All you need is the pink petals.

When the flower blooms, it cannot be use for cooking. But its such a beautiful flower when its in full bloom. I took this photo while holidaying with my in-laws in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

I love my job!

2009-10-14T15:26:00.007+08:00

This arrived from Germany late last night. It was like opening Christmas pressie in mid October. Although I had to pay for these, it was such to open it. Hubby stayed back with me and we tagged and shifted stuff around to put up the new toys we got to sell in our store.

Here's what in store now
We both loved this the most..its so beautifully packed. A Nativity scene box of cutters of 11 pcs. With Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus in his crib, a donkey, a palm tree, a king, shooting star and parts to form the Stable. The back of the box also tells the story of the birth of Christ. Such a wonderful gift for a friend who loves to bake ... I have only limited stock of this. Costs $48.

If you have my KC Privilege card, you will get a 10% discount for the above too!

Find out more here..

All in a Day's work!

2009-10-05T16:19:00.003+08:00

An indian customer came by our store last evening..and tasted the Tom yam cookies I have baked for customers to sample. Basically, it was just to share my newest cookie recipe and to encourage them to cook the paste themselves to be use for baking the cookies.

But this lady wanted me to bake for her. She didn't have any sob stories for me. It was my hubby who ask me to do it. He said, we must make our customers happy.

And so I did..take this order of 7 tubs of cookies. I don't know what I am getting myself into this time. Luckily I still have a pack of frozen pineapple paste in the freezer which I have made for Chinese New year earlier this year.

This is all in a day's work..I started baking at 10:30am. Stopped at 2pm. Rested for an hour and carried on the last batch.

Pineapple tarts : 2 tubs..one open type, the other closed.
Sri Lankan Black Tea Cookies
Rose Petal Cookies
Tom Yam Cookies, also 2 tubs.
Chocolate chip cookies

all packed..waiting for her to come by to pick up this evening..!

Now I really need to rest.

the babies have landed

2009-10-03T09:23:00.007+08:00

I have ordered this from Germany, under the Gunthart brand. Beautifully done. These sugar icing dolls. Together with the bears, they now sit pretty in our store.

Many people are curious enough to just buy one and nibble on it. Others are amused to find the bears so pretty and cute. While there are also others who have bought it to decorate cakes and cupcakes.

I envisage that the baby collections would go well with cupcakes for baby's christening or our chinese Baby's full month celebration..

Baby Blue collection for the little boys

Baby Pink collection for the little girls

Also these 2D roses are pack in 20 pcs for each colour. Check it out with our store. Limited stock.

The bears...and chocolate stars are delicious too. Though made of Royal Icing, it smells like the Bakel's Chocolate fondant.

A Tribute to a friend who inspired me

2009-10-02T10:32:00.005+08:00

Today, I cried. Just found out through FaceBook and with my friend Dennis P that Chef Billy Cotton has passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Though we never met in person, we spoked often on the NET and whenever I post recipes at Chef2Chef.net forum, Billy never failed to encourage me and to inspire me. There are so many ways to love someone whom you never met, this is just one way. His way. Billy was an inspiration, to me, he was like a god father to me in all things culinary. He would encourage me, send me notes and stuff like that.

He would address me as "little girl" sometimes. In his own affectionate way, he lovingly called me "young sis". I will missed him terribly.

This is how the late Billy Cotton looked like. This photo is extracted from Facebook. The way he would have wanted all of us to know him..always in his apron, in the kitchen, whipping up and trying new recipes on the fly.

Billy was also a dog lover like me. When Beauty died, I was unconsolable for days. Billy would write to me and 'cried' with me over the NET. He would send me long and short notes every now and then to lift up my spirits.

Though we never met in person, we are like soul buddies.

Billy, dearest Brother Billy, may you rest in peace. And know that God loves you as you loved others and share unselfishly with total strangers. I will always remember you, and will inspire others like the way you have always inspired me

AMEN!

What God Has Promised

2009-10-01T08:08:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, one of my cooking students , Miss L, visited me at the store. We talk a fair bit, of all things below the heavens. Of fun things, of food, of course. And of friends. And I was reminded of a friend I once helped who in the end, never appreciated or at least shown any to me.

I ask myself, "Is it worth it? You wanted help, and I gave it to you. Wholeheartedly, never questioning you. In the end, I get nothing. I wasn't expecting much or anything. But at least we stay as friends in this unforgiving world..but alas, you disappeared. Excuses, upon excuses.."

Miss L said to me :

"Gina, don't let this stumbling block your life. You are kind and warm hearted. Continue to bless others as that I see is what you are made of. "

And then I remembered an old hymn by Annie Johnson Flint(1866-1932) where she wrote this. Read the hymn below. And be encouraged, be inspired too.!

What God Has Promised

God has not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives thro’;
God has not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

God has not promised
We shall not know
Toil and temptation,
Trouble and woe;
He has not told us
We shall not bear
Many a burden,
Many a care.

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel,
needing no guide;
Never a mountain,
rocky and steep,
Never a river,
turbid and deep.
But God has promised

Strength for the day,
Rest for the laborer,
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

****
God Bless you..Miss L, you bless me today. I am blessed to have good friends, people from all walks of life walking into my life. Reminding me each day, how bless I am.

And to all out there, continue to do what God has set you up to do. Be inspired and inspired others along the way.

5 Grace Rocks!

2009-09-30T09:43:00.007+08:00

Well, that's according to Melody. She ask me to do cupcakes, but I heard it wrongly. I heard "Cake". She wanted fondant cupcakes this time but I didn't have the time to mould each figurine for her. And with a full cake, its too heavy for her to lug it all the way from ground floor to 4th floor.

So I baked a Double Chocolate Cake and had it covered with fresh cream that was tinted purple. The cream was also flavoured with Jupe Blueberry concentrated paste. It smells and tasted really nice.

Why purple? Its her favourite colour and Blueberry was her favourite flavour too.

The rocks are chocolate pebbles. I had intention to do a 2 tier cake for her as there are 39 students in her class! But realised she may not be able to carry the cake there. So in the end, the 2nd tier cake(a smaller one) was decorated and given to my neighbours downstairs who had 4 kids. 2 are still little ones, 2 are in their late teens.

These white baby Polar bears are sugar icing from Germany. Aren't they pretty? You can get them from KC store. Its S$7.50 per set of 6 bears.

And my wish for all children today:

Happy Children's Day..enjoy your kid-hood till it lasts. :)

Roses are Red

2009-09-27T11:26:00.003+08:00

I created this cookie just to show customers who frequent our store what they could use the Jupe concentrated fruit pastes for. It was such a hit..many bought the pastes and tried baking at home.

The cookie was also a delight with vegetarians as there was no egg used in the recipe. As Deepavali is coming next month, this would be a delightful cookie to serve family and friends during the Festival of Lights.

Enjoy!

Rose Cookies
Recipe by Gina Choong

Ingredients
250g Butter(Salted)
400g Self Raising Flour
150g icing sugar
3 tbsp Jupe Rose Concentrated paste
6 pcs dried rose buds(soften in warm water)

Method
1. Remove leaves, stalks from rose buds, peel and separate rose petals.
2. Melt butter in microwave oven for 1 min till liquid.
3. Add icing sugar, rose paste and stir to mix.
4. Add flour, rose buds petals and mix till it forms into a crumbly dough.
5. Scoop using a cookie scoop and place on baking tray.
6. Bake in preheated oven 180C for 15 mins.
7. Remove to cool before storing.

Notes
Dried rose buds are purely for decoration only. You can omit it. It will not alter the final taste of the cookies.

Work or Play?

2009-09-26T10:42:00.004+08:00

When I used to work for others, it was just purely work, work and more work. Occasionally I enjoyed what I do. Provided my bosses appreciated the work hours and time put in. Some days when things don't turn out well, bosses aren't the nicest people around, they are quick to put the blame on us. That's when work is no fun anymore.

Come to think of it, since I left school in 1982, I have been working for others in various companies. While some are fun work, others are monotonous. The need to work was just to earn money, supplement family income and to have money in CPF to get a house. Years later, it was just to cure that need of climbing that corporate ladder.

Thank God, He provided me all of these. My last job was a senior position in a large MNC. With much accomplishment in my career, I decided to give up everything and quit my job. That was in June 2003. Since then, there's no looking back.

Over time, I got bored at home..literally doing nothing except to go to school with Melody and fuss about her going to Primary one back then.

Then I decided to learn about web design and started a new hobby..Cooking and Baking. I created a website called Kitchen Capers and hosted an online discussion board(forum) with it. It was just to share recipes that are tried and tested and proven to work.
Over time, I moved on to teach cooking and baking, before long, I started KC online store last year to sell bakeware and paper ware.

This year, Kitchen Capers Retail started with just a dream, lots of hope and lots of love from my hubby dearest. He feels that I should have a real shop than an virtual shop.

Ever since we started the shop, friends have ask me about life ...was it all work or was it all play?

Its definitely all PLAY now. Why? Because each time when a new shipment of goods arrive, I literally jumped for joy. Its like opening a present (except that I had to pay for it first..!)

This week, I had cookie cutters arriving from USA. And some exotic stuff from different places too. Its fun when you enjoy your work. Its passion that keeps you going too. I look forward to waking up early each day. Its been 4.5 months now...though I have not taken a day's rest, I don't feel stress or drained or tired. In fact, I felt more lively than ever. Going to work now is like going to play.

Here's some of the stuff that came with the post man yesterday:

Bamboo Charcoal Powder

2009-09-25T12:27:00.003+08:00

There seems a craze about this ingredient that is used in baking breads. Personally, I do not like anything that is BLACK in colour that is edible. The colour puts me off. But hubby ask me to try it in bread making. Just to see how it tasted like and maybe to run a short demo on its usage outside our store.

I started to look around for a local supplier who import this in. And I found one.

Its now repackaged for sale at my store at 40g for S$9.50.

As of now, I have 20 bottles left..already sold some 8 bottles.

Here's a link about what it is all about.

And here's fellow blogger's take on using it to bake a black bread.

I might just as well try it on a cookie. I won't have time to fuss about proofing and waiting for bread dough to proof over time.
See how..maybe next week.

Of Pumpkins, Asian style

2009-09-25T09:16:00.007+08:00

I have been invited by Cold Storage Singapore to do a LIVE Cooking demonstration outside their store next month. The theme was Halloween and the most important ingredient I had to use was Pumpkins.

This is what I will be doing. No recipes now. That's copyright to Cold Storage Singapore. But do come to the demo and get a copy of the recipes and watch me in action!

4th October, Sunday
2 pm to 3:30pm
Cold Storage Gourmet(Guthrie House)
1 Fifth Ave Guthrie House #01-05 Singapore 268802

View Map by Streetdirectory.com

Pumpkin Spiced Rice by Gina Choong

Pumpkin Custard by Gina Choong

No pre-registration needed. Just come early and reserved your best seats in front!
See you there..watch out for the full advertisements on Straits Times a week before the event!

Sinful rice

2009-09-22T13:45:00.004+08:00

Well, we are not much of mooncake lovers or eaters. Actually, we prefer to eat the salted yolk that is buried inside the moonies. So hubby thought it would a wonderful dish if we use it to cook fried rice.

This is just try out recipe as no restaurants we knowed of have done this. Surprisingly it was good. Although very unhealthy as I had to use as many as 4 yolks to get that taste. Otherwise, its good to indulge once in a while.

Enjoy!

Salted Yolk Rice
Recipe by Gina Choong

Serves 4 persons
Ingredients
4 bowls of cooked rice(overnight)
2 pcs of chinese sausages(sliced thinly)
3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
4 salted egg yolks
200g bean sprouts(remove roots and bean on top)

Method
1. Remove egg yolks and wash away the salty whites. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat up wok with olive oil and add sausages to stir fry till cripsy brown.
3. Remove and set aside.
4. Leaving oil on wok, add raw yolks to cook. It will look foamy like soap bubbles, use the spatula to press and break the yolks.
5. Add cooked rice, and stir fry to coat rice with yolk flakes.
6. Add bean sprouts and rest of the ingredients to cook on high heat for 5 mins.
7. Dish out, serve hot with freshly cut chilli or coriander leaf.

yums!

Memories are made of this

2009-09-19T10:22:00.010+08:00

As Dean Martin would sing it, these are really memories for a young couple as they take their vows tomorrow in front of family and friends for a lifetime together.

Memories are made of this
Dean Martin

Sweet, sweet memories you gave-a me
you can't beat the memeories you gave-a me

Take one fresh and tender kiss
Add one stolen night of bliss
One girl, one boy
Some grief, some joy
Memories are made of this

Don't forget a small moonbeam
Fold in lightly with a dream
Your lips and mine
Two sips of wine
Memories are made of this

Then add the wedding bells
One house where lovers dwell
Three little kids for flavor
Stir carefully through the days
See how the flavor stays
These are the dreams you will savor

With His blessings from above
Serve it generously with love
One man, one wife
One love through life
Memories are made of this
Memories are made of this

++++++++++
Olivia rang me and ask if I could teach her to decorate a wedding cake in fondant. I found out later it was for her own wedding. Not for a friend or a relative. I was really skeptical that we could pull this off..imagine the bride would bake the cake herself, and decorate it and still had to do makeup and dress up for her wedding.

And the cake has to be her late mom's special fruit cake. Not any cake I have in my stash of recipes to use for wedding cakes.

I am a sucker for sob stories. Unfortunately so. The story behind the cake was really heartwarming. Her mom was to bake it for her wedding. But unfortunately, she passed away suddenly. Olivia wanted so much to share her late mom's favourite cake with all her friends and her hubby's family.

So I relented on my end and promised to help her in the process. My private lessons with her ended yesterday. Where she and her hubby came and did the cake together. I took photos of them in the process of dolling up the cake and the little disagreements they had along the way. Like any couple, they started a bit of arguing..then I had to break the air of discontentment and told them how I had my wedding done years ago.

Along the way, there were tears. Tears of fear that the cake wouldn't hold up because the weather wasn't too agreeing. It rained cats and dogs and fondant cannot take rainy days. I had to tell them to leave it to God. Everything will be perfect in the end.

Showing here of Ryan and Olivia piecing the cake together.

Olivia making final touches on the side of the cake.

Ryan putting the blue dragees along the border

Finally, the cake was completed at 6:30pm last evening. Olivia was in tears again..but now not in fear but in joy. We took a group photo together using Ryan's camera. So I have to wait till the images come from them.

Olivia and Ryan
May you both have a beautiful wedding and the Lord bless you and you with a lifetime of happiness and joy.

Love
Gina

Golden Harvest

2009-09-15T12:14:00.003+08:00

Or should I say Golden goodness MINUS the sugar! I wanted to try using the Jupe Yuzu concentrated fruit paste to bake a cake. After telling everyone its great for making ice cream, fresh cream and what noughts!

I reduced the sugar by as much as half and a little more. The cake was surprisingly still sweet, light and refreshing in taste and flavour.

A die die must try (at least once!) recipe

Yuzu Fruit Cake
Recipe By Gina Choong

Ingredients:
250 g butter (salted)
4 eggs
100g fine sugar
220g Top flour
3 tbsp Yuzu concentrated paste
100g dried citrus fruit(orange)

Method:
1. Beat butter with sugar till light and creamy. About 10 mins.
2. Add eggs, one at a time to beat till well combined. Add yuzu paste to mix.
3. Add flour and whip in 1 minute.
4. Finally add citrus fruits and whip for 1 minute till well mixed.
5. Pour into baking pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven 180C for 30 mins.
7. Remove to cool completely before slicing.

Revisiting Old Charms

2009-09-14T10:10:00.008+08:00

Fellow blogger Honey Bee Sweets ask me for this recipe of the teochew Soon kueh. So here it is, not just for her but for all who might be interested.

My dear mother-in-law taught me how to make this years ago. She measured every ingredient by 'gut feel'. Just pour, just grab! To my dismay, nothing was actually measured to the last gram or dash. I had to re-do and re-test it a few times before I figured out what or how much which ingredient was more or less or the ratio of flour to water.

After 6 months of struggling, I finally did it!

Showing you too..the photos of Ah Mak(whom we affectionately address her) making soon kueh. Hers were in the shapes of UFOs..I cheated and did the hawker style which was half moon shape.

Her original UFOs shaped

My half moons shaped, pan fried the next day till crispy, drizzled with sweet sauce.

A family tradition that must be handed down...getting my younger girl, Melody to make some too:

Our little girl Melody's soon kueh. Making her granny very proud of her

TEOCHEW SOON KUEH
Recipe by Gina Choong

Makes 24 pieces
Ingredients
500g turnip, skinned, shredded
100g dried shrimps, soaked in water to soften
5 pcs dried black fungus, soaked in water to soften, shred
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar

300g Rice Flour
80g Tapioca Flour
500ml boiling hot water
1 tbsp corn oil
1 tsp salt

Method:

1. In a wok, add 2 tbsp of corn oil to heat. Add dried shrimps to fry till fragrant. Then add black fungus and turnip and stir fry for 5 minutes over high heat.
2. Lastly, add light soya sauce, sesame oil, sugar to mix. Remove and leave it aside to cool completely.
3. In a mixing bowl, add sifted rice flour and tapioca flour, salt and hot water. Stir quickly and it should look lumpy. Add corn oil to mix. Cover the bowl and leave it aside for 15 minutes.
4. Remove and knead into a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 24 portions.
5. Flatten each ball, add a tablespoon of cooked turnip in the centre of the flatten dough.
6. Seal by picking up the sides. Brush with corn oil before steaming.
7. Steam in a steamer over high heat for 10 minutes. Serve hot with sweet sauce or chilli sauce.

Enjoy!!

Bowling Good Time!

2009-09-12T09:29:00.006+08:00

I had a student for a private lesson with me yesterday. She wanted to bake a cake and decorated it with fondant. The theme is Bowling. She already had in mind what she wanted to do and achieved by the end of the lesson.

I taught her 3 recipes for cakes. All good for use with fondant. The one she covered with fondant was my famous Nutella Chocolate cake recipe. The other two was a new recipe called the Yuzu Fruit Cake and a Raisins Cupcake which uses fresh orange juice to make.

These are what we did yesterday..

Photos showing the cake. In the background you see all the white bowling pins..she made it herself. The cake was covered with Chocolate fondant that was tinted a bit off dark brown with white fondant. The taste and fragrance of the chocolate fondant was still evident.

She also learn how to do 'marbling' effects in fondant modelling. She said her friend had a bowling ball that was black and pink marbling colours. So we created the look alike in the ball too.

The wooden panelling was done with marbling effects too.

These were done at my place..then she had to bring it home and finished up with the rest of the decorations. I also taught her how to make shoes, boots, etc. So she could do a pair on her own to put on the cake.

These 2 photos were emailed to me yesterday. I am VERY SUPER Impressed! She has never work on Fondant before. It was her first try yesterday. And the whole cake was very impressive. I think her friend will either faint or kiss her silly!

By the light of the silvery moon

2009-09-08T09:13:00.005+08:00

I loved the movie..no wait, I loved that old song that it had by Doris Day.

By the light of the silvery moon

This is by far the only thing I like about 'moonies'..the song..not the 'cake' though. I still find it too sweet for my liking. But customers have been asking me to run a demo on moon cake making. At least a simple one like snow skin mooncakes. And also to show them how to use the various moulds we have in store.

So make a date on your calendar, this Sunday from 2pm to 3pm. Come down and watch a live demonstration by my friend, Amy Ou of Chef Secret's Cooking Studio on how to make these delightful little 'moonies'. She will be baked some traditional mooncakes for sampling.

Find out more at our website about Amy Ou.