Those Glorious years...

Footloose Dance Sequence : Footloose movie

I stayed up last night just to watch a re-run on TV on this movie called Footloose(1984). Well, more like I stayed up just to catch the last dance scene..only to find out that its on youtube too.  And in the process found that there is a remake of the old movie..with newer songs added and possibly some changes to the script and more dance sequences..looks like I have to go and get the DVD for it now.

This movie brought back many memories for me. Bittersweet..some are happy, some are not. The year the movie was released in Singapore and the song became a hit on radio all time. I was working long hours with the now defunct Emporium Holdings. I travelled on public buses with earphones to the Sony Walkman, listening to all these 'hits'. There is Footloose by Kenny Loggins, or "Let's Hear it for the Boy" by Deniece Williams.

1984 was a year of big happenings , big milestones that shaped my life. My late granny died suddenly a year earlier..I was 21 in 1984. Sidney and I were still dating. I had a birthday celebration at home.. It wasn't anything fantastic I did. Because I was still grieving over ah ma. I just want to make ah kong happy. He was already wheelchair bound and often in tears when we gather the family together because he was reminded that his beloved wife wasn't around him. Sigh..life at home is often about our elders and how we should make them happy. Now I looked back in time, I am happy that we make an effort to make Ah kong happy. He passed away peacefully..

This is not intended to be a sad blog entry today. It was a year I learnt new skills, made a difference in my life and made a stand to choose to be happy forever. A year I took to grieve and to let go. The pain I felt and the tears I shed for ah Ma finally came to an end. 

I started teaching in Sunday School in our church and was graced by God for that. I spent much of my Sundays in church. Worked with young kids and got a yearning to study on Ministry to Children and got a certification on it too.  I was taking care of very young kids who are born into unhappy homes. With abusive parent or neglected families.

A year it took me to realise how blessed I was being born into a family where my parents doted on me. My relatives (aunties, uncles, grand parents, cousins, etc) are very close knit. 

A year before, my sister, my 2 cousins and I went to watch Grease at the cinema..after my granny's passing, we stopped doing those cousin with cousin outings. My uncle Andrew told me to keep the family alive by getting the younger cousins to look out for each other as it was something Ah Ma use to do. So it became a life long goal..

Several years forward, having my own girls now..I must have done something about that in the works. My niece, already an adult, would drive the family car to fetch my cousin Doreen and pick up my daughter Natasha for a night out with the girls..drinks, party in downtown Singapore to meet up with Dagmar(another one of my cousins who was visiting us from New York, USA)..

Ah ma..from where you are up there, I did it!!! 



Mind you, Natasha was under-aged at this time when this photo was taken. She was barely 16 years old. But could easily pass out as a young adult so they let her into pubs and night spots and she went drinking and partying with the girls.

The boys in the family hang out in the usual places..the elderly gather together once a month for food, chit chat and gossip on life and everything else.

Till today, I am so proud to talk about us..about our family together. Where we cared for each other, the way Ah Ma expected us to be.

A year later in 1985, I gave up on Sidney and met Benny, the love of my life and the one and only person who completes me. A friend once ask if I had the chance to live my life all over again, what choices I would have made. I would chose to meet Benny again, in fact, sooner. So that we can be together longer and earlier.

Benny and I did many things as most young people did in their age and time. We go dancing together..he was a better dancer than me. We sung all the 60s, 70s hits together too. In every facet of my life, he was there for me. And we shared common interests in life and things, in food and even in drinks.

Today, my life still  evolves around them..the people I grew up with, my family. The man I loved and continue to love. Some days I am tired and hateful of general things. And Benny senses my unhappiness and jumps to it and 'rectify' it. He would say things like "today, you don't have to go to the shop. " or "I bought fresh watermelon juice for you, no ice". I am a simple person, with very basic and simple needs. I don't need fancy lifestyle or gifts to make me happy. To live with me, you need to understand me. And no one does it better than Benny.



Nobody Does It Better Sung by Carly Simon

I hope one day in time..when I grow really old, I can tell my girls that life is better now because we dare to make a difference and make a stand to choose and find happiness for ourselves and to be happy forever.. 

Rain or Shine

Rain drops keep falling on my head Theme song in the Hollywood Movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

I seemed to have run away from blogging. Well, I almost did. My days now are spent waiting for the Sun to come and watching the skies to make sure the rain comes after the clothes are dried.

My domestic helper aka maid has run away sometime last month. She woke up very early in the morning on a Sunday, wash the clothes, hung out to dry and left..the main door was left unlocked. Luckily Benny had woke up at 7am, and left the house. It didn't occur to him that the door was left unlocked..!

By the time I woke up, I noticed the house was super quiet. And I call out to her "Yati" and no reply or response. I search the kitchen, the toilet, the rooms and found her no where in sight. I check her luggage and personal belongings..all intact. And its obvious that she just bolted out and left.

Since it was a Sunday, the maid agency will only be opened after 1pm. I just rang them and left a voice message. By noon, the agency rang me to say that Yati is there with them. I went there later that day to sign her out of my household.! She told the agency that she cannot work for me anymore and she told them I never seems to be satisfied with her work.

The agent told Yati this :

"Your madam has been our customer for 10 years. To date, no maids has come here with problems. All came and went after the contract is over. Her last maid was with her for 4 years. Your madam has a good track record and there were never any high expectations she wanted from anyone. You are the first..so we think you are the main problem here"

Well, I don't want to dwell on this subject anymore. My new maid will come in a week's time..I hope. For the past 4 weeks, we have been living like squatters at home. Food was served in plastic plates or paper disposal plates. To ease with the washing, cleaning. And I cook one dish meals instead of the elaborate 4 course menu.

I spent my mornings waking up to look up at the sky..asking God, "Shine today? or Rain today?". And He answers my prayers knowing how much soiled and smelly clothes I have in my laundry basket. By the time I washed it, hung out to dry..and kept later..the rain would come and cool off the house.

So when it rains, I ironed all the clothes. My girls helped me with the other chores in the house. They would come home from school in the evening to help to feed the pets, cleared their poo/pee and sweep the floor and mop the floors for the whole house.

I would come home late at night around 9pm, have our dinners which my mom cooked for us. And my girls would help us to clean up and wash up.

AMEN for them.

Lately, I have been tired and ill. Natasha took it on herself to help me to wash the toilets..scrubbing down and cleaning it. I told them to bear with the extra work they have to do for another week or so.

I slowed down on my classes this month. Just too much work at home and at work and I don't have time to rest. So the next time it rains, I think that God is giving me a good weather and a signal from Him to say I should slow down and rest. And when the sun comes out, He is telling me to get up and work.

So be it, Rain or Shine, give Thanks to God. For He is good and He endures us forever..AMEN!

A Bag of Flour

The Candy Man sung by Sammy Davis Jr..one of my favourite songs as a child...!

What do you do with a bag of flour? Most people would use it for baking or mixed into a thick batter to dip seafood and meats for deep frying. That's provided its still all good, before the expiry date. But what if its expired? Most I know would trashed it.

But I would put it to good use..outside food. Since I can't make it edible, at least I can use it for something else.

A Salt Dough. Just flour, lots of salt and water. Mix it all up to form a dough. Leave it aside to settle and then mould it, bend it and shape it. Either you use it to make 'clay' figurines or like play dough for kids, you don't have worry about poisoning should the kids swallow it. Because they won't. Its too salty. Or worry if the ants will come either. Salt is a natural preservative, and this salt dough keeps for a lifetime or until someone breaks it.

This is what I use my expired flour for..I put into a mould which I recently got from Guangzhou. Its a silicone mould, intended for ice sculpture and chocolate moulding. But I bought it for making 3D Fondant figurines instead. Since I had some leftover flour which is near to expiry date, I decided to use it for this purpose.


A pekingese dog which was a favourite with the Chinese Emperor

The Lion Dog which is often seen outside a rich man's house..guarding the gates. This figurine of the lion dog is sitting on a pile of Gold coins.



The mythical Chinese Dragon guarding its Crystal ball...



The dough once taken the form of the mould, was removed and baked in preheated oven at 200C for 30 minutes. So that its dried up and harden. Unfortunately, I only had food colouring at home, no poster paints. So I can't paint these.


Here's the recipe of the salt dough

Ingredients
1 cup of flour(expired, any type of wheat flour )
1 cup of salt(fine salt will do)
60ml to 70ml of tap water

Method:
1. Put flour in a large mixing bowl
2. Add salt to stir and mix
3. Add water and knead into a dough.
4. The dough may feel grainy due to the salt. Now its ready for use.
5. Shape into patterns or roll out on the table like you would with cookie dough.
6. use various cookie cutters to cut.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 20 mins.

* even if it gets burnt, no worries. No one is going to eat it anyway! Decorate it with oil paints or poster paints. When its dry, paint nail varnish on it to make it shine.

You can use salt dough to make any figurines or even ornaments like bracelets, brooches or any art and craft work you need to make with your kids..

Here's the ice sculpture I did recently..

Baby, you can drive my Car..

Drive my Car sung by The Beatles

Yesterday Benny gave up his Honda MPV and drove home a new car from FIAT Motors. We went to view it soon after Chinese New Year as we have been planning to buy a new car. Couple of things crossed our minds about getting the ideal car.

It has to be big, inside out. Just like the MPV. It must be able to ferry at least 6 persons comfortably behind(not counting the driver and his queen) LOLz! And it must have leg-room, it must have room for our stock and stuff, shopping bags and to fit our dog Jing Jing.

Tall order?? Maybe. He took a day's leave last week and took me out on a window shopping spree..to shop for a car. Okay, I can't drive, never will. Due to my knee injury years ago which I had surgery done on it. I could never run due to this injury. I could not even kneel. My left knee is swollen to this date. My right seems normal. Sometimes I walk with a limp. When I get out of a car, my left knee comes out first..but it could not stand..several nerve ending on it have been severed. If I put pressure on it, I won't feel anything, but I may fall because its weak. With age, its worse.

For a long time, Benny has been my chauffeur, if he can't, he gives me money for taxi. And he once told Natasha that when she is old enough, he will pay for her driving lessons. And when she passes her tests and certified to be driver, one of the things she must promised is always to be there at my beck and call..to drive me around.

Even when we were dating, and I have to go home myself after meeting him(as he has to go back to work) he would never allow me to take a bus. He would wait in line for a taxi with me and send me off with money in my hands to pay for the journey home.

So when he said he wants me to tag along to view a car, I told him :

"I can't drive. I don't know anything about cars. I am just a passenger in it. You go and choose what you like, make sure its comfortable for the driver. That's important."

But Benny said :

"Buying a car is like buying a second home. Everything I buy or do, you are a part of it. I want you to come and see."

So off we went..and saw this car. There were 2 models, a cheaper one and a more costly one. He was trying to save money but I could see that he didn't like it very much. The driver seat area was cramp and small. After much test driving at the showroom, I pull him aside and said

"Ben, buy the bigger one. the more expensive one. You are the one driving, you must feel good about it. If you are happy, I am happy. Sure, its more expensive. We can scrimp and save a bit here and there. At our age, we should live like half a millionaire, not a full pauper."

So its settled..we signed, sealed the deal and bought a FIAT Doblo 1.6cc. The interior was Maroon..the dash board, etc. KC corporate colour. The car will be Metallic Silver. And it will be registered to me..aka Kitchen Capers. Our very first company car.

A proud moment for us..our first shop in May 2009, our first Company car by March 2011.

Here's how it looks like :


Outside my mom's place..we drove it there to show her.

Parked downstairs of our apartment..


The registration shows Kitchen Capers..but I blur out the address as it shows our residence address. KC was registered in the beginning as a SOHO(Home Business). A year later we open shop.


Incidentally, I noticed that our car plate reads as GBC 722k. Jokingly I told Benny its a short name for "Gina Benny Car"

Happy Talk

Happy Talk sung by Junita Hall from the movie "South Pacific"

When I was a kid, I didn't have many dreams of things I wanna be or to do. I have no ambition. One day in my secondary school, our English teacher ask us to think about our ambitions and what we want to be when we grow up. She wants us to write an essay on it. I went home, disillusioned and I didn't know what I want to do. Because I saw myself as a failure. I couldn't do many things. Due to my medical history, I couldn't run or play like everyone does. I became an introvert and stayed at home all the time. I don't mingle with my peers, nor read the books they read or watch the movies they did.

So I went home, and told my dad about that difficult essay I had to write. I told him I didn't know where to start writing because I have no dream, no point of interest to start it off.

My dad told me :

Start talking about happy things, things you like to do. Forget about the essay for now. Its when you talk about happy things, you know what you want to do. Remember that song they use to play over the Radio ? Happy Talk ?..this is how it goes :


Happy talk, keep talkin' happy talk,
Talk about things you'd like to do.
You got to have a dream,
If you don't have a dream
How you gonna have a dream come true?

This is the many reasons why I loved my dad. He belongs to the generations of fathers who are often the sole breadwinners in any family household. Who spent all their time working and feeding the family. Who is the figure head at home and delegates duties. But my dad was different. Besides all these, he played an important role in shaping me. In helping me to see what I am and what I can be if I try a little harder.

My dad told me once that I had to try all the jobs I could land myself in. So that I have an idea of what I can be, what I can't be. Because life itself is a journey. A journey of wonders. And it will only end when you stop breathing...or when your life has come to an end.

Fast forward to today...what I have become? What have I done? Many many many things...My dad will be 79 years old this August 2011. Yet he has not stop trying new things or learning new things. I know he has picked Banjo playing, and could read Hebrew and he is learning Greek now. My dad is an inspiration to me..that life goes on, dreams can be fulfilled if you start on it.

Many people envied me of my work, my shop and my classes. Some wrote to me and chatted with me online asking me to mentor them. While many thinks I am a super woman who seem to have time for everything. Others wondered where I found the energy to do so many things in a day.

My answer is always the same..."Happy Talk..talk about the things you like to do.." Its the thing that keeps me going, each day. I enjoy doing the things I did every day. That enough gives me boundless energy.

So start dreaming for a while...

Swinging on a Star

Song sung by actor Doris Day..A song I loved as a teenager when I use to be in the school choir. Our choir teacher use to teach us to sing this song. I don't like Birthday songs..so I decided to use this for my birthday post.

I literally swinging on a star now..coz my king at home is happy with the Birthday noodles I made for him on his birthday, that's yesterday. I couldn't post yesterday because I had to go to Robinsons at Centrepoint. To assist Chef Halimah in her first class there.



Benny ask for Tonpo Ruo(Stewed Pork Belly) for lunch this weekend. And I thought it was such a good way to use that for his birthday noodles. Litrally breaking way from tradition for a while.

Here's my recipe for this..very elaborate and long winded. But the time is not wasted when someone you are trying to cook this for, appreciates it.

Tea Smoked Tonpo Ruo with noodles
Recipe by Gina Choong

Ingredients
1kg pork belly
5 pcs Slab brown sugar
30ml Dark soya sauce
100ml Light soya sauce
2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp Tie Guan Yin(Chinese Tea leaves)
800ml water
200g spring onions

Ingredients for Smoking
1 cup rice(uncooked, raw)
2 tbsp Tie Guan Yin(chinese tea leaves)

Method to cook the pork
1. Heat up a pot of water to briefly cook the pork for 5 minutes. Discard the water, wash the semi cook pork in tap water.
2. Using a large claypot or big casserole, lined the bottom with spring onions.
3. Put the pork belly(side side down) on top of the spring onions.
4. Stuff tea leaves in a tea bag and also the pepper corns in another tea bag.
5. put in on top the pork.
6. Pour in all the liquid ingredients and making sure the liquid covers the pork.
7. Turn on the fire and leave it to boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot to simmer for 2 hours.
8. Check on the liquid, add hot water occasionally if the level drops below the meat.
9. Test for tenderness of the meat to make sure its cooked through.
10. Turn off fire, remove the pork from the sauce and leave it on a plate.

Method to smoke:
1. Line an old wok with aluminium foil.
2. mix rice and tea leaves together and toss it all over the foil.
3. Put a wire rack/steamer rack on top.
4. Cover the wok and turn on the fire at high heat. Wait till you see some smoke emitting from the sides of the wok, then turn off the fire.
5. Place the plate of pork on the rack, cover the wok again.
6. Leave it to stand(without turning on the fire) for about 1 hour. This allows the meat to absorb/fused with the tea smoke.

Method to serve :
1. Cook noodles over hot water, drain in cold water.Toss it with sesame oil.
2. Add it into a bowl. Place sliced Tonpo Ruo on top of the noodles.
3. Pour hot stewed sauce on top of the noodles.
4. Serve immediately.

Notes:
I use Tie Guan Yin tea because its 'greener' despite being dried. And it emits a nice robust tea flavour in cooking and smoking.

If you have the patience for smoking, go ahead and try it. Use it to smoke any kind of meats(only after its cooked).
If not, just omit the smoking part.

I mentioned old wok because I have a wok that is heavily scratched/spoiled by the domestic helpers I have in the past. I never throw it out. But use it for such purposes.

Love Is.. An Anniversary

Today is our 22nd year of wedded bliss..yes, Benny and I were married on this day, 22 years ago, in 1988. The day after, we flew to LA, USA to have our honeymoon. It was also his birthday.

I remembered our first anniversary, spent in our first home. We were broke after spending all our savings on the wedding, the holidays and doing up our first house. Back then, I couldn't cook a decent meal. I was literally an amateur in every aspect as a home maker. Being old fashioned and old school, Benny wanted no cakes just a bowl of noodles soup with an egg and maybe a chicken thigh on the side. And that was what we had.

To make it look romantic, I tried to put up 2 candles, and I bought sparkling juice to make up as champagne like the kind we see in fancy Hollywood romantic movies.

It was the most memorable day for me that day, 21 years ago. Why? Because I can't cook, I think I was a lousy wife. And I cook that noodles straight out of a pack of Instant noodles with the soup base pack. The chicken wasn't even there. Just a soft boiled egg swimming inside the soup.

When he came home from work, he knew I was up to something. After all, its our first anniversary. He sat down to have noodles with me and drunk up all the juice. He was smiling at me. But I couldn't bring myself to smile. I was really miserable. And then he said to me :

"Love, why so glum? I want to remember us in all the years to come that you are my wife, the one I married because she loves me and cares for me. Never mind if she can't cook very well. But she meant well, and tried her best."

by then, I was almost driven to tears. . And then I said to him:

"Ben, I am such a failure. I promised to cook something you like to eat. But all I could do was instant noodles and an egg. I couldn't figure out how to cook the chicken till its tender like those Hainanese chicken style. I am sorry if this meal was not what you expected"

And then he said:

"Its you I need by my side, all the days of my life. And all the things you can think of and plan for me. Even though you couldn't do it properly. From this day forth, let us not celebrate our anniversary. But showed each other our love, attention and care every moment of our lives together. Its better that way than to wait for that one day to celebrate. Because we do not know what the future holds for us. We should love and care for each other every moment."

So here it is..we kept true to that promise. We are not celebrating in any way our Anniversary. Because we have been celebrating it every day, every moment, every minute of our lives together. In everything we do. In every breath we take. We tell each other of happy things and sad things and angry things we do everyday, the people we meet..the places we been in our day past.



This song "I Can't Smile Without You" By Barry Manilow was a song Benny use to sing to tease me, whenever I was trying to do something that was beyond me..mainly it was to cook something for him and I can't do it well.

May you have a Blessed life and wedded bliss with your better half..!

Sing a Song of Six Pence

That old nursery rhyme :

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?

In this case, my king at home wants an unusual dish for dinner this week. I was watching House on Channel 5 2 nights ago and suddenly he came and say this to me :

"Shall we have CCF with Curry Chicken?" (CCF stands for Chee Cheong Fun, a kind of flat noodles rolled up like a swiss roll. Its made of rice flour, water and salt..delicate to make but very delicious to eat..!)

I said :

"I am trying to watch House..what kind of weird dish is that?"

and then he said :

"Well, something different for a change. I am sick of eating the same old dish every week. I want some variety. I just thought of this. Its just cut up the CCF and pour the piping hot curry chicken over it. Like that!"

To him, everything I cook its simple enough or "like that!".



So yesterday, he shop for all the ingredients needed for his unusual dish. Here's my simple and anyhow do dish. Hope you like it too..

note : There are only 5 persons at home. I always have to assume my King is x2.

Curry Chicken with Chee Cheong Fun
Serves 6 persons

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, about 1.8 kg
1 can of Evaporated milk(I use Carnation's Full Cream)
500ml water
500ml Coconut cream
4 medium red onions
6 local ripe red tomatoes
8 local potatoes, skinned, cut into quarters.
1 tbsp salt

Curry Paste ingredients
10 pcs dried chilli(soften in water)
5 pcs chilli padi
3 small red onions
1 clove garlic
50g dried shrimps
1 pc Lemon grass
1 tsp belachan(previously roasted, pounded into powder)
2 tbsp Curry powder

100ml corn oil

Method:
1. Wash and cut up chicken into smaller pieces.
2. Heat up wok with 50ml corn oil , add onions to saute till soft
3. Add cooked paste to fry for a while.
4. Add chicken parts to fry over high heat for 5 mins.
5. Lower heat to simmer for 5 mins.

6. In the meantime, heat up a large casserole or pot with water. Once it starts boiling, add potatoes, tomatoes.
7. Turn off wok heat, pour contents into soup pot.
8. When it starts boiling again, add milk and coconut milk, lower heat to simmer till potatoes are cooked. About 15 mins over low heat. Add salt to taste.
9. Turn off heat, serve over steamed CCF or rice or roti prata.

Method to Cook the paste:
1. Blend paste ingredients except oil in a blender till smooth.
2. Heat up oil in wok and add paste to fry till fragrant and it should turn slightly darker orangey red.
3. Set aside for later use.

Notes about CCF
The King bought it from a market somehow..have no idea. Costs S$2 for pack of 10 strips..enough for 2 persons. So he bought 2 packets.

To serve, just steamed the CCF over rapid water for 10 mins or until soft.

A Recipe for Love

Is there ever such a thing for a recipe for love? I once saw this poem written and printed on cards, some were made into a wooden plaque and others framed in a nice picture frame. A gift for newly wedded couples or someone you know who is celebrating their wedding anniversary.

Here's the poem:

Recipe for Love
Author, unknown.


Ingredients

2 Hearts Full of Love
2 Heaping Cups of Kindness
2 Armfuls of Gentleness
2 Cups of Friendship
2 Cups of Joy
2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness
1 Lifetime of Togetherness
2 Minds Full of Tenderness

Method

Stir daily with Happiness, Humor and Patience.
Serve with Warmth and Compassion, Respect and Loyalty.

********************************************************

Well, my recipe of Love is somewhat similar. Only that it is also edible. I go to great lengths to make Benny happy. Happy to know that he is home, happy that he knew his tummy will be filled with the comfort food he loves to eat and happy to know that all he needs is just to tell me what he wants.

Last week, he wanted the buns I taught my friend Janice Yu when she came from the Philippines. He wanted a more spicy version. It was a Susie Bun with char siew pork recipe. I use the basic Susie bun recipe but tweak it and added curry powder in it. For the fillings I didn't have pork meat so I use canned luncheon meat..mashed it and fried it with onions, peas and curry spice.

This is My Recipe for Love..for him. Sharing with all, my so-called secret recipe.

Curry Spiced Buns
Recipe by Gina Choong




Ingredients :
500 g plain flour
270 ml water
1.5 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
100 g castor sugar
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp curry powder(I use Baba's brand for Meat Curry)

30g melted butter(salted), for brushing /glazing

Method :
1. Mix sifted curry powder, flour, yeast, salt, castor sugar into the Mixer bowl(kitchenAid)
2. Turn the dial to no. 1 and slowly pour in the water.
3. Let the mixer knead the dough for 30 mins.
4. Add melted butter and knead for another 5 mins till evenly mixed.
5. Stop the mixer. Remove the dough and place in a greased bowl.
6. Cover with a wet cloth and place in a warm place to let it double in size.(about 60 mins or 1 hour).
7. Shape dough into 50 g balls. Flatten each dough ball and add 1 tbsp of curry meat.
8. Cover and seal the dough. Place on a grease loaf pan.
9. Brush with melted butter. Let it proof again for another 10 mins.
10. Bake in preheated oven 180C for 20 mins.
11. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Curry Luncheon meat
Recipe By Gina Choong

Ingredients
1 can Pork Luncheon meat(removed from the can), mashed it with a fork
2 medium red onions, peel and chopped
1 tbsp cooking oil
1.5 tbsp curry powder
100g frozen mixed veggie
1 tsp sugar

Method
1. Heat up the wok with oil and add onions to fry till soft.
2. Add mixed veggie, curry powder and fry over high heat.
3. Add mashed meat, sugar and stir fry quickly to mix evenly.
4. Remove to cool completely.

I made extras like 25 buns. My students who came for the Chiffon cake I had last week had a sampling of the buns. And I gave them one each to bring home to share with their loved ones.

Enjoy..!

Mocha Madness

Benny doesn't like cakes. Who cares whose is the best. But recently I started selling a particular brand of concentrated paste from Germany, there was a flavour I wanted to try. That's Mocha, under the Pastarom brand.

It started to be something I wanted to do for my mother in law's birthday which we celebrated with her over dinner last week. But Benny said, his siblings already brought a cake there..so he said "leave this at home".

So I did..and have to slice it and give a quarter to my mom, to my maid to enjoy and the rest, we ate just for fun.

Then out of the blue, Benny said "This cake is nice..very fragrant and not too sweet. I like it. Can you bake another one for me to bring to the office?"

And so, I did. The first cake is the first version I did with just fresh cake. The red sides are just food colouring.

The 2nd cake I did was for his office. And that was made only last night after we closed shop. The things I do for his office!!

The 2nd cake's topping was Mocha Mousse..not fresh cream. It tasted like coffee ice cream on top. Now I am regretting that I didn't make this mousse topping in my first cake.


This is the paste I used. Pastarom Mocha Paste(imported from Germany)


Selling at KC store at S$5.50 per jar of 100g

Here's the recipe for all..
Mocha Sponge Cake
Recipe by Gina Choong

Ingredients A
150g Top flour (or Cake flour)
2.5 tbsp Mocha Paste(Pastarom brand)
100ml Dairy whipping cream
5 egg yolks

Ingredients B
7 egg whites
120g fine sugar

Method
1. Beat egg yolks with whipping cream till creamy and fluffy. Add mocha paste and stir till well blended.
2. Fold in flour with egg yolk batter and set aside.
3. Whip egg whites till foamy then add sugar until it peaks.
4. Mix the 2 batters together until its well combined.
5. Pour into cake pan.
6. Bake at preheated oven 170 deg C for 25 mins. Remove to cool before removing from pan.

Ingredients for Cream
150ml non dairy whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp mocha paste(Pastarom)

Method:
1. Add all together in a mixer bowl and whip till it peaks.
2. Store in the chiller till ready to use.
3. Decorate on the cake only when the cake is completely cooled.

Mocha Mousse
Recipe By Gina Choong

Enough to cover a 9 inch cake with 2 inch height
Ingredients
250ml Thickened Cream(at least 35% Fat)
3 tbsp Mocha paste(Pastarom)
4 tbsp icing sugar

Method
1. Add all the ingredients into a mixer bowl and use a balloon whisk to whip till it peaks.
2. Store it in the chiller for at least 2 hours before using.
3. When the cake is baked and completely cooled, pipe or simply covered it with the Mocha Mousse topping.
4. Sprinkle with Valrhona Cocoa powder on top or mini silver dragees.
5. Chill the cake before serving.

Notes
The leftover Mousse can be piped straight onto hot Coffee without sugar or cream. The mousse will melt when its in contact with hot coffee and will sweeten the coffee.

Keep well, chilled for upto 3 days.

Man Eating Shark!

Image Copyrights to Disney ® This is Bruce, the Shark from Finding Nemo, animated movie.

Good..I caught your attention.

But take this topic in a different light and perspective. Its more like Man eating the Shark..not the Shark turn into a man hunting predator.

Benny bought a couple of shark steaks from the supermarket recently. I decided to have it pan fried and cook this for lunch today. Here's what I did. You can use other types of fish. In case you feel squeamish about having Shark on your dinner table.


Shark Steak Curry
Recipe by Gina Choong


Serves 2
Ingredients
2 pcs of Shark steak fillet
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp Garlic powder

200ml Evaporated milk
1 tbsp Fish curry powder(I use Baba's)
3 shallots, sliced

Method
1. Seasoned shark with salt and garlic powder.
2. Heat up a griddle pan with olive oil and pan fry the shark steak for 10 mins..5 mins on each side.
3. The meat will look like burnt.
4. Turn heat down, add shallots to fry on the side.
5. Mix milk with curry powder and pour into the pan to slow cook.
6. Leave it to cook over low heat for another 10 mins till curry thickens.
7. Turn off heat, serve with warmed rice.

7th Heaven...

By the way, I love this song from Sesame Street's muppets..!

A break from my usual post. Recently I was trying new recipes to teach. Since I love cheesecakes, I decided to make one without the use of Gelatin powder or having eggs in it. Making it halal, vegetarian and all that too.

With Facebook popularity, my cousin read my thoughts when Natasha wrote to say "Mummy, I suddenly feel like eating your blueberry cheesecake... The one with the crumbly base." And that started a serious wild fever of eating Blueberry Cheesecake within the family and my cousins who are living in Singapore.

A funny chain of events followed soon after I made 3 sets of Blueberries Cheesecakes. My cousin Connie came by to pick it up one evening..stole a slice of it and gave the rest to her brother. One cake went to my mom's place and my sister wrote about it on FB giving her reviews. My cousin Des went to my mom's place and stole the last slice of cheesecake..

Here's the elusive, super-licious Blueberry Cheesecake I did..



I made another batch using Dark Sweet Cherries. And had it served in a dessert cup. These were for Benny's office.


You can use the same recipe. Just change the type of fruits you prefer to have.

Ingredients for filling
250g cream cheese
250g Lite Sour Cream(Dairy Farmers)
250g Thickened cream(at least 35% fat content)
60g icing sugar


Ingredients for Crust:
30 pcs Oreo cookie with cream
80g butter(salted)

Ingredients for Topping:
1 can of Blueberries(or Dark Sweet Cherries)
3 tbsp corn starch
100ml syrup from canned

Method for crust
1. Pound and mash cookies till powdery.
2. Add butter and microwave till liquid
3. Stir to mix, then spread into on the base of a cake ring or spring form pan.
4. Leave it into the chiller(fridge, non-freezer) for 1 hour to set.

Method for Filling
1. Leave cream cheese out on the table to melt slightly.
2. Cut it up into smaller pieces so it is easier to whip later on.
3. Add cut cheese and rest of the filling ingredients into a mixer bowl.
4. Whip at medium speed till its smooth and creamy.
5. Scoop cheese to fill cups(from the fridge)
6. Leave it in the fridge.

Method for topping
1. Drain blueberries and add into a sauce pot.
2. Do not discard the syrup. Use 100ml and add cornstarch to stir till evenly mixed. Make sure there are no lumps.
3. Turn on the stove and add the syrup mix and cook over low heat till the mixture turns sticky like those pie filling.
4. Do not over cook..turn off fire when the mixture appears thick, not runny.
5. Leave it to cool slightly. Pour into cheesecake and spread it out flat.
6. Chill for a good 2 hours before serving.

Notes
You can freeze this and serve later..like a month later!

Here's what I use which are bought from KC store:

S&W Blueberries S$8.60 per 454g can


Palmdale Dark Sweet Cherries(Product of Italy) S$3.60 per 454g can



Philly Cream Cheese 250g S$4.50 per block


Dairy Farmer's Lite Sour Cream 250g S$3.30 per can



Dairy Farmer's Thickened Cream 250g S$3.80 each

Chilli in my Rojak Part 1

Everything I do, I do it for you Sung by Brandy

I am starting a new series of my life story. It will be called "Chilli in my Rojak". Why Chilli, why Rojak?

Chilli is a spice ingredient which everyone is familiar with. Its spicy, chilli hot, depending on how much you put into your dish. The varieties it has, where its grown and processed, harvested and used in every part of the world, in every culture, race or religion.

Rojak is a local term here in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia of vegetable salad dish that has a mixture of local fruits, vegetables and a spicy, sweet tamarind sauce that is toss around with roasted peanuts.

A twist to these 2 words, it means my life from as young as I can remember to the present. For as long as I can remember and writing it down. The people(Chilli) I have met, things I have done, places I have been and how they affected me and my outlook in life. "Rojak" but very good, some bittersweet moments, some sad days, some happy ones, some angry ones.

After all, my blog was Taste of Time...Why I suddenly thought of Chilli in my rojak was that Benny and I worked at the shop yesterday, 18 April, Sunday. While many couples are probably spending quality time at home, either with their kids and extended family or by themselves. Benny and I shared our time together in the shop.

While he manned the cashiering counter, I sat in the office to do some admin paper work. Then he came by to say that he is seeing the chinese physician for a neck and shoulder massage. He ask if I wanted to have Rojak later on. When he gets back, he would buy a pack for me.

I love to eat rojak. So I said "Yes. Of course"

After a hour or so, he returned and ask me to go to the office to have rojak. So I ask him if he wants to eat too. He said:

"You go and eat first. Save some for me"

I went to the office and open the packet of rojak. As I was eating it, I realised the simpliest of all things..and that was

There was NO chilli in my Rojak.

I love to have chilli. In some food, not in everything. I love it as a dip, or a sauce. For my chicken rice but not in my rojak. Because I want to taste each vegetable or fruit minus the spiciness. As chilli tends to numb your sense of taste.

That is why you won't see ordering dry noodles with chilli sauce added into it and toss around. But I will eat Laksa or mee siam.

Benny loves chilli in everything. But when he orders food for us to share, he orders it without chilli. If its for himself, his portion will have chilli added, tossed into it.

When he eats with me, literally, he omits all the things he enjoy having. Chilli is one of them.

My mom once told me, finding a life partner is actually finding someone you can dine with. Someone who do not dictate your lifestyle or what you should have.

When we were dating, Benny only eat Red meat and anything that is meat-wise. I go for salad, fruits and vegetables more. When our paths crossed, we didn't quite match. A carnivore and a herbivore in real life do not mix. And I remembered what my mom used to tell me. So I learn to appreciate a little red meat along the way. And in turn, Benny started to eat salads with me at the salad buffet bar at Ponderosa Restaurant.

Sometimes we need to change a bit here and there and yet keep ourselves true to each other. Not so much that we lose sight of what we are or what we aim to be.

Well, there is no chilli in my rojak. And if there is, Benny will have my portion. And he will get me another portion without it.
As his reward, I served that last bowl of Double Boil Chicken Herbal soup for him which I didn't get to drink.

End of Part 1 ...

Generations of Love

When I was a kid, my late granny used to tell me to love and care for my little cousins as if they are my blood related siblings. And she also told them never to address me in my name. But to call me as Second Sister. Why Second sister? Because of my eldest sister was the 1st born of the rank of cousins in our family. I was the 2nd. So my granny derived that I should be ranked as No. 2 as in Second Sister.

At a young age, I grew up in a family of many 'siblings'. All my cousins are younger than me. We were very close, almost like siblings. But I was also taught to be a big sister to them, setting a good example. Which also meant that I had to be a good-two-shoes and at my best behaviour all the time.

When each of my cousins were born, I helped my aunt to care for them. Running around to do simple errands of getting the milk bottle, picking up the soiled diaper to be washed. In the growing up years, I played with them. Watch TV cartoons with them. Tell them stories and tucked them in for nap time.

For years my cousins treated me as their big sister. Someone they would confide to, someone they loved and adored. As years past, we all grew up. I got married and settled down. And had children of my own. And as if, history repeats itself, my cousins now played that role I once did.

They in turn, cared and loved my children. Played with them, tell them stories and loved them the way I showered my love to them.

Here's one photo which showed 2 generations...

On the left is my niece, Tricia. Next to her is Natasha, my eldest daughter. Third lady is my cousin, Doreen and lastly, Dagmar, my other cousin. Seen here, they all took my teenage daughter to a dinner at a posh restaurant down town and brought her for drinks.



Thank you, Ah Ma..for instilling LOVE to all of us for young. And I will always remembered to pass this on the many generations to come.

Let's Go to the Movies

My dad was the one who used to take me to the movies. When I was a kid, he bring me to watch all the Disney's classics. When I was a teen, he took us all to the movies. Now, I still watch these movies, reminds me of old times and the actors/actresses I loved. I got the classic VCD/DVD and watch them once in a while. Sure, I can watch these over on the NET or on Youtube, but nothing beats to watching this in the comfort of my bedroom, fast forward or play back anytime I want.

Here's the many few I loved which my dad brought me to watch..some have great memories and stories. These are some of my all time favourites which my girls also grew up watching it.

How to Steal a Million : Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole


Breakfast at Tiffany : Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard


My Fair Lady : Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison


Towering Inferno : many actors. This movie help me to write an essay competition that won me FIRST Prize in the year 1975.


Lili :Leslie Caron. I can't find the DVD for this. :( Only to be contented with youtube


Splendor in the Grass : Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty


West Side Story : Natalie Wood .... This show made famous many songs. Like "I Feel Pretty" which was later used in a movie with Adam Saddler in Anger Management


Fiddler on the Roof : My dad loved this movie. In this movie that inspired him alot and so much so that he wanted me to take up violin! But my mom thinks my neck with go sideways due to violin playing and switch me to Piano lessons instead. hahaha


Oliver! The musical. My girls watched this all the time..The Original version that was produced in 1969. I read that the boy who acted as The Artful Dodger is Phil Collins. This is a wonderful movie. We watch this together as a family.


Of course I also watch the famous cartoons by Warner Brothers and the Hanna Barbara series that is on TV all the time. That's Tweety the Bird, Slyvester the Cat, Bugs Bunny, Dafty Duck, Leghorn Rooster, Wile E Coyote, The Road Runner, etc. My dad still watches these all cartoons..now with my girls too.

All the wonderful memories, my dad had with me and its nice to evolve it around with movies. And now, I shared the same with my girls.

Do you watch any with yours?

Bittersweet Goodness

Okay, now everyone knows I can't take chocolate. Thank God, He still give me my coffee! I must have coffee with cream and sugar, every morning. Then can go without it after that. Occasionally, I ask for coffee if I dine out with friends at restaurants or cafe.

Just the other day, I read about IceBox cookies from Joy of Baking. Sounds simple enough. But I didn't want to do the usual stuff. So I use Stephanie's recipe, tweak it somewhat and voila! my version of Ice box cookies...Instead I think I should call this Coffee Squares.

Note that Stephanie's recipe uses egg. I didn't..because I forgotten about it!. :( Surprisingly it was just as good. yums!

Here's my tried and tested one.


Coffee Squares
Recipe by Gina Choong

Ingredients

250g Butter(salted)
150g light brown sugar
2 tbsp instant coffee
1 tbsp Vanilla extract
300g plain flour
80g Rice flour
100g chocolate rice

extra fine sugar for sprinkling

Method
1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla extract, coffee, flour and chocolate rice.
3. Continue to whip till the dough forms and leaves the side of the mixer bowl.
4. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Roll into a baking parchment paper and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
5. Preheat oven at 200C.
6. Roll out, cut into thins and place on the baking tray.

Before baking..all lined up...



7. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 mins.
8. Sprinkle sugar on top, cool on rack, keep in air tight containers.
After baking...



This is REALLY Crunchy! And it goes very well with any weak tea or even just with cold milk...

Baking is a Science!

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!

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.

the babies have landed

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.