Hey There Everyone!

Chloe, me, Ming and Paige at King's Park


Happy 2009! Just a short post to say 'Hi!' and Thank you for all your lovely emails - I am very well, just really busy having a Great, Great time enjoying my family these holidays! I have a Huge, no, GIANT post coming up with so many photos to share you won't believe! I've had a really busy but extremely fulfilling time over the last six months and I'm going to tell you all about it in my upcoming post. And of course, not to mention a Gorgeous little recipe for a SEXY cupcake! So Stay Tuned!

Before I go though, I want to wish all of you a Blessed 2009 from my Family to yours - I hope 2009 will be the year that things that truly matter will happen for you, that you will find Love, families will be reunited, relationships will be cherished and most of all, that you will find God, because, when you do, everything else will fall into place!

One last thing, before I really zip off.. I have the pleasure of presenting to you, a new member of the Rodé-Chong family! Drum roll please!



Introducing.. 'Puppy'! our Budgie. For the longest time, the Girls and Ming have been bugging me for a Puppy, but Mom knows Best, our circumstances and habits hardly allows for it - so, we got a Bird instead and named him 'Puppy'! Not a bad idea, don't you think?

See you all real soon!

Carol xoxo

Cream Cheese-stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes

I turned 40 over the weekend. I did not wake up to find extra fine lines on my face or new crows' feet at the corner of my eyes. It wasn't raining buckets and the sky wasn't a gloomy grey. On the contrary! The sky was the prettiest blue and the odd cloud or two were like cotton -candy suspended in the air. And me? well, I was 40 and fabulous! So sue me! The way I see it, '40' is just another number and you are only as old as you feel. Anyway, we picked Chloe up from a sleep-over party a little past 10.30 am and then we were off to pick up Aquilla. Yes, I'm allowed to say his name now. A Q U I L L A. My 14 year-old daughter, Chloe's boyfriend, that is. Chloe and Aquilla have been 'going out' for about a month, now. And on the 12th of July, on my Birthday, it was official. It was official because he finally got Ming's permission to date our daughter. The 12th of July was the day that the whole family got to 'bond' with Aquilla.



Since they started this relationship, Chloe and Aquilla have been THE topic of conversation among their friends and ours. There has been expressions of sheer surprise as well as hush-hush gossiping, snickering, glares of disapproval and of envy from people we know and people we don't as a result of this young relationship. A few genuinely concerned friends asked me if I approved of this relationship. 'Approve'? I rejoice in it. I celebrate it. What's not to approve? Love is the most beautiful gift from God and Young Love is no different if there is loving support, guidance and understanding from parents. To put it in a blunt way, your kids are going to have relationships with or without your approval. The only difference is whether they let you in on their lives when they have these relationships. Do the math.



So.. continuing what I was saying earlier on, we picked Aquilla up from his home and proceeded to have lunch in one of our favorite restaurants, 'Little Seoul'. Aquilla was understandably nervous at first, being around 'the father'- the more 'intimidating parent ' as he puts it. I had gone shopping with the the girls and Aquilla the Thursday before, and we had broken the ice then. Ming was 'on the other side of the fence' (being 'the father', not 'the boyfriend) for the first time too, and I could tell he was 'fumbling' , not knowing for sure how to handle the situation. He told Aquilla a couple of embarrassing 'home truths' about Chloe which did break the ice but got Chloe a little grieved. Poor Chloe. After Lunch, we grabbed some cakes and slices from David Jones then headed for home.






Once we got home, I put out some tea and coffee and got out the cakes and the monopoly set. It was bonding time. I would say this day spent with Aquilla put our minds at ease as to where this young relationship was going. Parenting and Life doesn't come with a manual and we are learning the 'operations' one day at a time. One thing is for sure, I want to be a vital part of my daughters' lives, and if I have to break the 'mold' of this society's 'norms' and 'values' - so be it.



Chloe and Aquilla



Now.. let's talk cake, shall we? Ever since I came back from my Holiday, it's like I've been put under a 'Bad Cake Spell'! Every new recipe I've tried has been less than passable. To be fair though, I must admit that I am a terrible, terrible 'Cake Snob'. Don't misunderstand, I am not making an apology here. If the recipe is not up to my standards, I absolutely refuse to share it. So now you know why I haven't been posting for so long. I pondered over and over as to whether I would share this recipe. It's not the worst recipe I've tried, neither is it one of the best. But if I am to continue to post, I guess I will have to stop being such a perfectionist all the time.



Paige, Chloe and Aquilla


There were a few reasons why I wasn't 'comfortable' with this recipe. First, there was no BUTTER! This recipe requires 'Vegetable Oil' instead. ( If this had been a Sponge,it would have been ok) This almost sounded vulgar to me. Then, the recipe required the inclusion of Chocolate Chips ( which I omitted and replaced with melted dark chocolate) in the cream cheese filling in the center. The texture just felt all wrong in my head. The other ingredient I didn't approve of was instant coffee. I substituted that with Espresso. And the frosting.. how can I put this,.. The chocolate frosting was made from cocoa powder, not chocolate. It tasted artificial. It was rich but not satisfying, like a mocha made with chocolate flavored syrup for example, as opposed to a mocha made with real Belgian Chocolate. Do you know what I mean? I went with the recipe just to see how it would turn out.For the benefit of those of you who would like to try this recipe, I have altered the method of hiding the 'surprise' filling, so that it will not burst out of the cakes like magma from a volcano.



Ming, Paige, Aquilla and Chloe, skipping stones

We went for a walk in the Picturesque area where we live after our game and then we sent Aquilla home. I had a Birthday Dinner with the entire family after that at a new Vietnamese Restaurant in Victoria Park and then we returned to my place for Birthday Cake. It was lovely to have my sister Jacq bake me a Birthday Cake, as you can see, she's the artist in the family. Life is Good.


My Birthday Cake made by my extremely multi-talented and Gorgeous sister, Jacq


Look at the work Jacq put into decorating the cake! The mittens and choc-chip cookies are intricately fashioned with marzipan. Notice my computer on the oven? My Blog page is on it too! Thanks, Jacq! muaw!


The Rode/Chong Mob


I must get my Darling Photographer in one of the shots at least!











Cream Cheese-stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from this cookbook

for the filling

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup melted dark chocolate, cooled

for the cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup Dutch -processed cocoa powder
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsps white vinegar
1 shot espresso (optional)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate frosting

8 tbsps unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 cup Double cream
a dash of espresso (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsps pure vanilla extract


First, make the filling. Fit your mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese until fluffy, scraping the bowl often. Blend in the egg yolk and vanilla and then add the sugar and melted dark chocolate. Mix well. Now, preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius and line your preferred cupcake tins with paper liners.

To make the cupcakes, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a large measuring jug, combine the water, oil, vinegar, espresso (if using) and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fill each cupcake liner one-third full of batter, then add a dollop of the cream cheese filling into the center before adding more batter on top to bring the batter to two-thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes have puffed on top and are firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the tins.

To make the frosting, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the caster sugar, cocoa and salt. The mixture might look grainy or sandy and this is ok. Whisk the cream and espresso into the cocoa mixture and cook over low heat, while stirring to dissolve the sugar grains. The mixture should get hot to the touch but never simmer or boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Cool the frosting a little before putting in the fridge to thicken. Stir the frosting every 15 minutes or so . When the frosting has thickened, remove from the fridge into the mixer and whip very quickly to get the frosting fluffy. Fill the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle then pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes as desired.

Hey, Look at what's NEW in Perth! If you live in this Beautiful city and Love Cooking, Baking and Food in general, read on!


What is Food Lover's Link about?

The Food Lover's Link is the newest Foodie Club to hit Perth! It's a gathering of people with a common interest in cooking, baking and most of all, Eating! Anyone can join this link and it's aim is to create new friendships and bond present ones. Free Cooking and Baking demonstrations take place at these meetings followed by a tasting session. Eating out and writing food reviews is another activity of the Food Lover's Link. Members can volunteer to do cooking/baking demos if they wish and on occasions we may invite Guests to do this. Perhaps you have a recipe you want to share. Meetings are held on Saturdays on a fortnightly basis. Come along and join us, you might just enjoy yourself!

For more information on the Venue and time for the Upcoming meeting, e-mail Carol Rode - carol-rode@hotmail.com or Tasia Limawan - cintapopia@mac.com

Matcha Love Hearts

"..Give, give in any way you can, of whatever you possess. To give is to love. To withhold is to wither. Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace."

-Author unknown





One of my favorite bookshops in Perth is the 'Inspiration Factory' in Subiaco. I hardly ever leave the place without a purchase. Just last Saturday, Ming, the girls and I were spending the afternoon in Subi - Ming had decided to give Badminton a miss and just hang out with us. We've all been so busy with our own stuff ever since we came back from our holiday, so I guess it seemed appropriate for us all to put everything aside and just spend some time together, just the four of us. We grabbed some lunch at Nippon, got lured into a couple of stores displaying their "Up to 70% off everything" sales banners before we settled down for some drinks at Dome. We talked about so many things - how Ming can spend more time with me before I looked for his replacement in the form of a Gorgeous, Romantic Korean man (wink, wink), we teased Chloe relentlessly about her new boyfriend 'A', we laughed, we cried (from laughing so much) and we ironed out a few 'issues' that have been bothering us.





Then, we made our way to the 'Inspiration Factory'. Being there was like taking a breath of fresh air. I came across a book I hadn't seen before, 'Blossom - Affirmations for Personal Growth' by Janine Brown. After flipping a couple of pages of the book, I knew I couldn't let it go. I just loved it so much - there were so many quotes that were my own believes, and some that I wanted to believe in and embrace. The virtue of Generosity, the act of giving and sharing is a reward in itself because it brings so much joy to it's recipients. I came across a post on 'Green Tea Sweets' - Cookies that looked like jeweled-encrusted pieces of Jade in Foodbeam last week and couldn't help reading on. The recipe for these beautiful cookies won Kelli Bernard of Amai Tea and Bake House the Finalist Award for Best Bakery Recipe in Pastryscoop.com's 2007 Golden Scoop Awards, and Kelli was generous enough to share her recipe with the whole world via her blog Lovescool.




These Matcha cookies have been the delight of so many Food Bloggers all over the globe since the release of it's recipe last year that I couldn't resist giving it a go myself, especially too, after my success with the Matcha Macarons last year. Besides reducing my oven temperature to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced) and using salted butter, I followed Kelli's recipe closely. Oh, and I decided to use a Love Heart cookie cutter instead of a leaf-shaped one. After all, giving , sharing and love are inter-connected! The result was a distinctively Aromatic and buttery cookie with a delicate crumb.The slight bitterness of the matcha was complimented by the pretty sugar coating.




Matcha Love Hearts (Green Tea Sweets)

Ingredients
Yield : Approx 25 2' Love Heart Cookies

3/4 cup/ 2.25 oz/ 64 g Icing sugar
5 oz/142 g Salted butter, cut into cubes
1 3/4 cup/ 8.5 oz/ 241 g All-purpose flour
3 Large egg yolks
1.5 TBS Matcha (powdered green tea)
1 cup Granulated sugar (for coating)





* Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F( 160C fan-forced). Line a cookie sheet with baking paper.
* Whisk the icing sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
* Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until combined and smooth.
* Add the flour and mix until well combined.
* Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
* Form the dough into a disk and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes
* Roll the dough out to ½” thickness.
* Cut the dough with a Love Heart cookie cutter.
* Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
* Place the sugar-coated cookie on the lined cookie sheet and bake at 180C/ 350F( 160C fan-forced) for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

Kelli Bernard and the team at Amai Tea and Bake House recommend that these cookies be served with light and sweet white teas or an aromatic Oolong.

Singapore 2008!

Boat Quay - by Sudharshan Murthy


About 2 months before our holiday, I received a very heart warming e-mail from my Best Friend Miti. It reads like this:

'I’ve got an assignment in Hong Kong on the dates that you'll be here and Eugene will bring the kids over to meet me . I would like for you, Ming and the girls to stay atmy new place. I guarantee that you’ll like it. It’s only a 10 minute walk from the MRT station. You and Ming can use my room and the girls can either share a room if they like or they can use the kid’s rooms. Call it house-sitting!

When you stay here, you do not need to bring anything … not even your toothbrushes . My domestic helper will be here, she will change the bed sheets, clean after you and even feed you. Just tell Ani (her name), I would like Assam Pork, Gado-Gado and Onde Onde for dinner … she’ll know what to do! There’s no need to have the keys as Ani will be home except for Sunday. You can get the keys from her if you like. Feel free to use our home like it's your own and tell Ani if there's anything else you might need.

Some facts about my place –

There are 5 bedrooms plus 1 maid’s room.

3 bathrooms and plus one toilet.

You can use the computers, they're in the office on the third floor

The supermarket is 10 minutes walk from my place

Get the Car Keys from Ani if you would like to use the car

There's a Bus Stop just outside our place too

The swimming pool is right at the door step, there’s a gym as well.

The kitchen is open concept – you can cook whatever you like, we have both outdoor and indoor cooking. It’s usually well stocked; you can get your milk and eggs from the supermarket when they run out, or you can send Ani to get it.

Since my kids are all young, they are perfectly happy to bunk in with us on the floor – we have loads of extra mattresses and they love sleepover parties! So,there’s no need for you to move when we return from our trip. We’ve got enough room for everyone. I think I’ve covered everything … let me know what else you need.
Happy house sitting!

Love, Miti '

Wouldn't you just LOVE to have a friend like this? A Friend like Miti is like a Hug from God. Coincidently we were making accommodation arrangements when she so generously offered us to stay in her home, and what a home it is!


The main entrance opens up to the pools


Paige, enjoying a snack after a dip in the pool


Chloe and Paige - what are they doing??!


This is THE life!


Paige sure knows how to relax..


How to make 'Lemper' - 'Lemongrass infused Glutinous Rice wrapped around Spicy Chicken. Ani is a great cook! We enjoyed 3 meals prepared by her this trip.


Ani wrapping up the 'Lemper' for our tea time treat..


'Lemper'


Our favorite place to eat when we're out and about shopping is at the 'Food Republic' . We've been to two of these chain food courts so far, one with a ' yesteryear village' simulation theme and the other with an 'old library' theme.


Deciding where to go after a satisfying meal at Food Republic, Suntec City


Don't you just love the colors in this pic?


Paige and I posing for a photo. Notice the 'books' behind us? This Food Republic chain is the one with the 'Old Library' theme. Very cosy indeed..


A Roast Chicken Rice set


Beef Bulgogi


Chicken Bibimbap


'Loh Bak'- an assortment of fried snacks


Singapore Laksa


Notice the 'Old Village' theme decor? I love those colored shutters..


What about the suspended antique Bicycles and Bird Cages? Cool, huh?


Cheers!


Ming and I


What do you do when you meet up with relatives? Eat Of course! Ming's uncle who is an ardent Fishing and Boating fan, invited us to the Singapore Yacht Club for Dinner one evening. The Dinner was great - we got to 'hand-pick' our seafood and have it cooked the way we wanted. I didn't take any photos of the food though, I thought it would be rude to let everybody wait while I positioned their food this way and that while I snapped. After dinner as the sun was setting, I excused myself from the table and took these shots..


The Yacht Club Restaurant


Ahh...


This is what serenity looks like


So peaceful..


Again, Ahhh...


The pool by the restaurant


Can someone help me with this caption? I don't really want to say 'Ahhh..' again


Wouldn't you like to spend an evening here?


Paige came looking for mommy


The girls dipping their feet


On our last trip here, we had the pleasure of meeting the Gorgeous Annette Tan of 'Greedy Goose'. This trip, Annette invited us over to her place for Dinner - she cooked up a storm of the yummiest Peranakan fare, a Eurasian Devilled Curry, A Berry Clafoutis (?) and served up flavor after flavor of the most beautiful home-made ice-creams! We had the privilege of meeting Mervin, Annette's very cute and youthful-looking partner, her good friend Deborah and her lovely, lovely critters Ralph and Oxford.


The Feast..


Annette and the girls


Annette, the girls and the frolicking hounds!


The great thing about going to S'pore is that I get to catch-up with old friends. I've known Yean , Dee and Stefan since my school days. We met for Dinner at 'Bayang' , an Indonesian restaurant in Clarke Quay and later for coffee and cake at 'Nectarie'.


We passed a quirky looking bar on the way to Dinner - 'C Clinic'- all the seats are either wheelchairs or hospital bed look-alike thingys. What a strange concept!


See what I mean?


Another Bar - this time a Moroccan Shisha Bar. Don't you just love the lighting at the entrance?


A group of Latin Dancers at the Samba Lounge (I forget the name)posing for a shot


Here we are at our Dinner venue - 'Bayang' which means 'shadows'


The 'Shadow Puppets' at 'Bayang'


The girls on the left, then across, Ming, Dee and Yean sitting at the far end


Most of us ordered this - Spicy Grilled Chicken


Ming's order of 'Bebek Panggang' - Grilled Duck


Paige's favorite side dish - Stirfriend Sambal Kangkong (Watercress). Behind that are our drink orders of 'Chendol' and Avacado shakes


My little poser, Paige


Our Dessert Venue, 'Nectarie'


My Good Buddie, Stefan, Ming and I


Say 'Cheese'!


Chocolate Fudge Cake



Mango Mousse Cake


Raspberry and Gianduja Mousse


New York Cheesecake


There are two other people that I adore in Singapore and they are Stefan's Dad and Mom, Chee Nan and Mei Ho. They are like parents to me. This time around, Uncle Chee Nan was out of town but I managed to pay Aunty Mei a visit..


The girls, Aunty Mei and I at Aunty Mei's 'Heartroom Gallery' in Owen Road near Farrer Park MRT. Mei Ho is a Brilliant Folk Artist. She conducts folk art painting classes at the gallery and does pieces on commission. Proceeds from the sale of her work goes to the Church. She's an AMAZING lady and a great inspiration to me.


The girls showing off their gifts from Aunty Mei


Two days before I left Singapore, Miti returned from her trip to Hong Kong and we did what two best friends do. We hung out, went for a massage, and had meals together. We didn't get to visit 'Lodger' (Roger) my Reflexologist in China Town this time around though, which is unfortunate, but I will make a point of doing so on our next trip.


Miti and I


Miti and her wonderful doting husband, Eugene


We had dinner at the 'Soup Restaurant'. Unfortunately we only remembered to take photos of two of the dishes we had. This is their Signature Homemade Egg Tofu.


Stewed Pork Ribs

This concludes my report on my Singapore vacation. I hope you've enjoyed reading this post. Loading so many photos was a pain in the bum! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Kuala Lumpur 2008!

View from the Tower View Room at Westin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur by Ahazan

Hello Bloggers! Did you miss me? Holidays are always Great but nothing beats the feeling of coming home to your very own abode! The sweet smell of Lemongrass and Ylang Ylang filled my nostrills as I entered our home, my shoulders relaxed as I gazed at the tranquility that I left behind some weeks back. It sure is Good to be home, to finally be in my own bed, to sprawl luxuriously on my lounge. I love to be in a state of 'awareness' like this because I can genuinely appreciate and be grateful for all that God has so lovingly provided for me. Sure, I thank God everyday for all this but so often this prayer is a mere 'template' I use. Feeling authentic about yourself is I really beautiful and humbling, my Friends!

I must really remind myself (and Ming) not to lug our laptops with us when we travel in future! (we would have more hands to carry more Valhrona Chocolate, Vanilla Beans and other baking-associated stuff!) Internet access for us was next to zero and I was so looking forward to keeping you updated. Either that or the speed was sooooooooooooooo SLOW! So, as I'm sure you've already guessed, we gave up after the first few days. I apologize for not answering your emails and not coming by your blogs to say 'thank you' for your comments. I hope this post (and the next/final installment) featuring 'snippets' of our Holiday and the photos will be a worthy peace offering.


Chloe and Paige at the 'Curve'

This Vacation like a lot of my other vacations are all about Food and Shopping, so you won't see many scenic photos at all. A heap of Happy moments captured is what I can promise you though. One of our first stops in Kuala Lumpur was the 'Curve', a trendy shopping district with yummy food haunts. One particular 'quirky' cafe we visited was 'The Apartment' - What drew us to it was that it looked like the inside of a cosy little apartment with a loft. We headed straight for a Day Bed in a corner, took our shoes off and huddled together like we often do at home. After a while, I realized we had become a 'spectacle'- everyone that passed by the cafe had stopped and looked in at us, some smiling, laughing and pointing and some even looked at us in amazement. We felt a little strange at first, like we were animals in a zoo. But being 'us', we just continued with what we were doing with our "who cares?" attitude.


Chloe, Paige and I posing for a shot on the comfy daybed at 'The Apartment'


Ming and the girls making themselves at home..


Having a bit of fun..


One of the best things that have come out of blogging for me are the nice people that I've had the pleasure of getting to know, and on this trip, I got to meet some of them for the first time - Jackson Kah of 'Living in Food Heaven', Sunny Yaw and Sidney Kan of 'Big Boys Oven and last but not least, Chong Kok Wai , of 'Young Patissier Journey' who is known by his very witty blog persona 'Bread Pitt'. We met at Jackson's cosy new establishment, 'Pick and Brew' at One Utama. Jackson's blog is a comprehensive journal of his food reviews, done locally as well as on his travels and is an invaluable source of reference for anyone who loves food. Sunny Yaw is the ever-creative half of the Big Boy's partnership, always coming up with Dreamy cakes and desserts while Sidney Kan is the editor and mastermind behind Big Boys Oven. Chong Kok Wai, with his boyish good looks on the other hand, is a Junior Patissier at a local Five Star Hotel. His passion and artistry reflects in his creations even at this tender age - I dare say his success in this industry is imminent.




Food Blogger's meet at 'Pick and Brew'..
From left; Sidney, me, Kok Wai, Sunny and Jackson


Some of the shots taken at 'Pick and Brew'..


Having a "getting to know you" cuppa together..


Miyako Japanese Restaurant at the Sheraton Subang

Oh, Did I mention that Sidney is a free lance food reviewer for Foodstreet? We were his guests at a Food Tasting /Review at the Miyako Japanese Restaurant at the Sheraton Subang. The evening was superb - we received such a warm greeting from Datin Jasmine Abdullah Heng, the General Manager of the Sheraton. We had a brief conversation but I will never forget those warm twinkling eyes of hers. Her staff were just as cordial. We had the privilege of the company of Bel Shem Wei, the Public Relations Executive and Farhana Tan, the Food and Beverage Coordinator all through the Food Tasting. The food was delicious and fresh-tasting and I would definitely recommend Miyako for a memorable meal. At the end of the evening, we had a chat to the Assistant Japanese Chef, Ronnie Wong who prepared our food.


Paraphernalia at the Multi-Award-Winning Miyako





Assorted Sashimi Platter


'Dobin Mushi' (small teapot soup)


Assorted Seafood and Vegetable Tempura


A Consomme of Chicken and Bean Curd with gingko nuts,oyster and enoki mushrooms


'Toriyaman-yaki'(Spicy barbequed chicken fillet)


Pan-seared Cod Cutlet with Green tea noodles in a Lemongrass broth


The 'Spread'..


Chloe and I, listening intently as Chef Ronnie Wong introduces the evening's dishes. Chef Ronnie is originally from Penang and has been in the Japanese Cuisine Industry for 22 years. He trained under Japanese Master Chef Tadashi Mayashi for 5 years.

Miyako Japanese Restaurant
Sheraton Subang Hotel and Towers
Jalan SS 12/1, 47500 Subang Jaya
Selangor Malaysia
www.sheraton.com/subang



Garra Rufa Fish Therapy

Have you ever heard about Fish Therapy? It's the newest 'thing' that's come to Kuala Lumpur. Sitting at a cafe one afternoon, I actually overheard some ladies talking about their experience, something about a spa where you put your feet in and little tiny fish nibble on them. Before I could tell Ming about what I heard, he hands me a brochure for Garra Rufa Fish Therapy! Being the curious people that we are, we decided to check it out. Ming was quite excited about the idea of fish nibbling on his feet, and I must say that he was the driving force for this family adventure. I must admit I wasn't very keen but went along just to be a good sport and to see what it was all about. Chloe needed a little coaxing but finally agreed. Paige on the other hand, well.. we practically had to drag her yelling and screaming!
The Garra Rufa species of fish, as I learned, originated from the Middle East over a century ago and was used as an alternative treatment for skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis. What happens is, the fish consumes dead areas of the skin whilst releasing healing enzymes, leaving healthy skin to grow. You don't have to have one of these skin conditions to experience this treatment, it's just a novel and fun way to pamper yourself while exfoliating dead skin at the same time.


The friendly staff at the Reception Area


Chloe and Paige cleaning their feet. They get you to do this before you immerse your feet into the warm pool


Ming looks like he's enjoying the experience. Can you see the Garra Rufa Fish? They're also known as 'Doctor Fish'


Here's a closer look. What do you think?


Chloe about to dip her feet. As you can see, this place has a pleasing and relaxing ambience


Paige - a little apprehensive


We paid for 30 minute sessions and 20 minutes down the track Paige is still deciding if she will dip her feet! Chloe doesn't look too impressed with her sister


Finally! It Looks like (both) the girls are having fun!


And we're ready to leave. It sure was a relaxing 30 minutes! You should definitely give it a go!


Garra Rufa Fish Therapy
No.4 Jalan Telawi,
Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone + 60 3 2287 5518
www.garrarufafishtherapy.com
Open Daily 10am-10pm




Earlier on this post I mentioned one of the best things that came out of blogging, well, here's another! - About a month before I went on this Holiday, I got an e-mail from a childhood friend of mine, Jackie Rajoo who I had not seen since the age of 16 and whom I had lost contact with! Isn't it AMAZING? Jackie was looking for a macaron recipe on the internet when she came across my blog and saw photos of me. So, we met up for dinner one evening and talked about old times.. It was really fun reminiscing and catching up on the last 20 years or so!


Purple Cane Tea Restaurant - This was the place where we had dinner with Jackie. All the dishes are prepared with tea in some way or other. How cool is that?


Eating and 'yakking' at the same time..


A photo taken inside the restaurant. Notice all the tea canisters in the little cubicles..


..and the teapots


Peking Duck Pancakes - Yummmmmm!


Peppered Beef


Ooooh... this is their Homemade tofu, I really enjoyed this!


Stirfried baby Kale


I can't do without this ever! Rice! The food here was light on the pallette, really refreshing and comforting too. I like the concept of using tea in the food..

Purple Cane Tea Restaurant
Lot LG 206, Lower Ground Floor,
The Gardens, Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur
tel: +603 2283 6090
www.purplecane.com.my




After Dinner we walked over to 'Alexis' to finish off the evening with coffee and cake..



The 'Alexis' menu..


Inside 'Alexis'


Ooooh.. I see the cakes!


Let me at 'em!!


An 'Ooogling' session. The cakes here are supplied by 'Suchan', a fairly-newcomer to the cake scene and who's causing quite a buzz..


The Girls - waiting patiently for their dessert..


Jackie and I


This is what we came here for - the Tiramisu! It's quite different from the classic Tiramisu, this one is loaded with almond praline chunks on top and is served with raspberry coulis. This is one of the best cakes I've tasted in a long,long time.


The Rich and moist chocolate cake was good too..


The 'White Forest'- This was delicious as well, white chocolate and blueberries


The 'Black and White'- Jackie seemed to think that this usually tasted better..


The Girls attacking the Chocolate Cake..


Alexis Kitchen + Bar
Lot f209 1st floor
The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur
tel: +603 2287 2281
info@alaxis.com.my
www.alexis.com.my



One of our favorite cuisines is Korean and there's this area in Ampang that has a 'Little Korea' where all the Businesses be it Restaurants, Hair Salons, Supermarkets, Boutiques or Bakeries are owned and operated by Koreans. My Cousin Chelsea took us to Lunch at 'KangSane Restaurant' the last trip we were in KL (January 2007) - the food was so good we decided to go there again this trip. Chelsea has been such a gem to us, taking time out to drive us around especially when Ming is not familiar with the area that we want to go to.


In Kangsane Korean Restaurant - Paige, Chloe and my cousin Chelsea


Look at all this! and these are only the side dishes!


My all-time favorite - Spicy Seafood and Bean Curd Soup


I'm sure these cockles were tasty but I stay away from these fellas these days after a food poisoning episode I'll never forget..


Another favorite of mine - Chili Pork

KangSane Restaurant
C5-1 Jalan Ampang Utama 1/1
One Ampang Avenue
68000 Ampang
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel:(03)42512598



Another Restaurant that Chelsea took us to was a Tim Sum place called the 'Oriental Pavilion' . This is a very popular place for Tim Sum but I reckon the Tim Sum we had the last trip at 'Luk Yue Teahouse' in Starhill Gallery was by far tastier and more refined.


The facade of the Oriental Pavilion


Steamed Bean Curd Pork rolls


Steamed Glutinous Rice with Chicken and Barbecued Pork


Prawn Dumplings


Pork and Prawn Dumplings


Barbecued Pork Buns


Chinese Egg Tarts


Fried Taro Puffs


Pork and Century Egg Congee


Braised Pig intestines - Ming's favorite! (eew)


Fried Seafood in Bean Curd skin


Fried Radish Cakes


My Mob

Oriental Pavilion
Lot P104, 1st Floor,
Jaya 33,
No.3, Jalan Semangat,
Section 13
46100 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
tel:03-79569288
www.orientalrestaurants.com.my


We spent a lot of time window-shopping during the course of this trip, my favorite places being the Mid-Valley Mall and Bangsar Village. In the last few years, flea markets have become popular in KL too, but since they're only open on weekends, we only managed to visit two, the one at the 'Curve' and the one at 'Mont Kiara'.


Chloe and Paige at Bangsar Village


The girls and I at Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC)


Outside a pretty Homewares Store


Chloe and I roaming the flea market at Mont Kiara


Paige at Mont Kiara Flea Market


Before I leave this post I just want to say how happy I was to have the opportunity to meet my fellow food bloggers and am so grateful for their Hospitality - I had the pleasure of being a guest at The Big Boys Oven' 'De Rouleau Demonstration Class'. Sunny Yaw is an excellent Baking Instuctor and being present in his class gave me an insight of how I might run my own classes in the near future. I'm also thankful to Kok Wai for taking my family and I Pastry shop 'hunting' on his day off. Thanks also go out to Jade of 'Smorgasbord of Delights who gave me an award when I was on Holiday.


The Lovely Tea Time Treats prepared by Sunny Yaw for his De Rouleau Class


The award presented to me by Jade of 'Smorgasbord of Delights'

I hope you've enjoyed this post, next up: Singapore 2008! See you soon!

UPDATE 19 MAY

Dear Readers,

This Blog almost vanished into cyberspace while I was experimenting with new templates two days ago! Fortunately, my archives are still intact, but I had lost everything else that was previously on my sidebar,eg. my important links, award badges, BabelFish translator etc. Please be patient with me while I try to get everything back the way it used to be. So, bloggers, I've learned a very important lesson from this, and that is to BACK UP my blog!! Looks like I'll be a very busy girl! Thanks for your support.. Carol

Hazelnut Espresso Babycakes

Before we get on to anything else, Please congratulate Nags of "For the Cook in me" for her brilliant winning photo in Jess Dang's Food Porn Contest! Nag's photo of Curd Rice with Pomegranates served with chow chow sambhar is truly a sight for sore eyes as is her Beautiful Blog. So, for Gorgeous Southern Indian Food Recipes, don't forget Nags!






I've been craving a Coffee cake of some sort for the longest time and last week, out of pure desperation, I bought a Coffee Sponge roll from a local bakery in Northbridge. Unfortunately it just tasted really artificial and left me feeling very very dissatisfied. You see, I've been really busy getting things done and tying up loose ends before we go on Vacation in three days. Can I slip in a 'Yay'? YAYYYYYYYYYYY!! So with my craving not satiated, I've been feeling a wee bit irritated to say the least.





You can imagine my excitement though, when I saw a recipe for 'Coffee Teacake' in the April issue of Delicious - I rushed home, put away the food shopping, sat myself comfortably on my lounge, put my legs up and started flipping the pages to where the recipe was. As I read through the ingredients list, I felt my excitement deflating. It was a boring recipe. You can actually tell it's a boring recipe when they say " Chocolate, coffee or vanilla ice cream to serve" at the end of the Ingredient's list. The word 'Teacake' is a bit of a giveaway too.



But I had to have a Smashing Coffee Cake that day. So I brought out my pen and note book and started to make some changes and additions to the recipe. Very soon it looked like a totally different recipe, but I was happy with the ingredients - Espresso coffee, Hazelnuts, Frangelico (Hazelnut Liqueur) and Nutella - they all totally complimented each other. And the cupcakes turned out extremely well, fragrant and full of flavor with a tender crumb. I couldn't be happier with the result.





For first time readers of my blog, don't be alarmed that I used Salted Butter in my Cake, I use it in ALL my cakes. I find it renders a richer, more flavorsome cake. I use Sponge Cake Flour regularly too when a recipe calls for Self Raising Flour, and even sometimes when ordinary cake flour is used. I like my cakes soft and fluffy. For this icing recipe, use any Coffee Liqueur if Frangelico is unavailable.




Hazelnut Espresso Babycakes
Makes approximately 12 Cupcakes or one 22 cm round cake that will serve 8



170 g Salted Butter, softened
150 g Caster Sugar
3 eggs
120 g Sponge Cake Self Raising Flour
50 g Ground Hazelnuts
1 shot/ 10 tsp strong espresso coffee
Coffee Beans for decorating




Frangelico Icing

90 g Unsalted Butter, softened
90 g Cream Cheese, softened
75 g Icing Sugar
1 1/2 tbsp nutella
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp Frangelico


Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius or 160 degrees celsius if you have a fan forced oven. Line a muffin pan with cupcake paper or if you are making a whole cake, grease and line the base and sides of a 22 cm round springform cake pan with baking paper.

Now, here comes the crucial bit of this recipe - you have to dry roast the Ground Hazelnuts in a shallow pan over low heat. This will ensure an amazing tasting cake. Keep moving the ground hazelnuts around in the pan with a spatula until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the hazelnuts into a small bowl to cool. Sift the sponge flour then add the ground hazelnuts to it, mixing to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and pale.



Add the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture after each addition, and beating well. Fold in the remaining flour, then the coffee. Spoon the mixture 1/2 full into the cupcake cases or into the prepared pan. The baking time for the cupcakes is approximately 15 minutes. Bake a whole cake for about 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. For cupcakes , remove from the muffin pan after 10 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

For the icing, put all the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Spread or pipe the icing as you desire. Enjoy!


OK Bloggers! Next destination for this blog is Kuala Lumpur and Singapore - You Comin'? Over and Out.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Early last week, I received an email from Jess Dang, a foodblogger from the United States, whom I had never 'met' inviting me to join in her blog event known as 'The Petite Pig's Food Porn Contest' for a chance to win $200. I clicked on the link that was on her email and was transported to her gallery of photo entries. There were less than 10 entries then. I submitted a photo of my Coconut and White Chocolate Ganache Baby Mud Cakes from my previous post. Two days later, I was on The Petite Pig again, checking out the latest entry submissions. I realised that a couple of foodbloggers had submitted more than one entry. So I wrote an email to Jess, asking her how many entries each blogger was allowed. Very promptly Jess replied saying that we could enter as many photos as we liked.





"Well in that case.." I thought, I might as well enter in a couple more photos. It was fun watching my photos loading onto the gallery. My fingers started clicking and typing and before I knew it, my photos had taken up almost a whole page in her gallery! Oh no, where's the delete option? This was bad. It really amazes me sometimes how slow my brain works. I was monopolising Jess' competition and putting the other contestants at a disadvantage.




Realising that I could not remove my photos, I, very sheepishly wrote to Jess again, apologising for the matter and asking if she could remove all my photos except for the first one I submitted two days before. I mentioned as well that I would like to withdraw from the contest to be fair to the other contestants. I was just happy to be able to show my work on her blog. Jess wrote back saying that it was ok and that she preferred more entries than not, and left it at that. So, fellow foodbloggers, I extend my sincere apologies to you all that entered this contest. And for all of you who are reading this now, please go to The Petite Pig and vote for some other foodblogger.




Pheww! I'm so glad I got that out of the way. Next topic. What did you get up to this Easter? We had a lovely, lovely longggggg weekend spent relaxing and catching up with good friends. And of course we were at Church on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. These Double Chocolate Cupcakes were Sunday's beautiful finish to our Dinner. I made some specially decorated for the kids as well, as you will see as you scroll down the page. If you prefer, you could add the zest of two oranges to the cake recipe and a splash of Grand Marnier to the Chocolate fudge Icing for a decadent Grown-up treat.




We have a little over two weeks before we go away for our vacation, YAY!! It will be another exciting time for me, meeting some of you face to face for the very first time and of course eating my favorite foods! I invite you to come along on this trip with me through this blog as I shall be updating you regularly. But till then, take care, won't you?






Double Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Donna Hay's Simple Essentials - Chocolate
Makes 12




125 g salted butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup Self Raising Flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
100g good quality dark chocolate, melted
1 quantity chocolate fudge icing




Chocolate Fudge Icing

Place 250 g dark couverture chocolate, 1/2 cup single or pouring cream and 70 g salted butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove and set aside to cool completely then beat with electric beaters until thick and fluffy.




Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well in between. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa and beat until combined. Fold through the milk and chocolate and spoon the mixture into 12 x 1/2 cup capacity muffin tins lined with paper patty cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on wire racks. Spread or pipe the chocolate fudge icing over the cupcakes .