Category Archives: Recipes

Red Tomato Gazpacho

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white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

this a counterpoint to my white cucumber gazpacho. ^^

each gazpacho is delicious on its own, but they combine so beautifully, both aesthetics & also taste. shiok!

gazpacho in 2 styles

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

we went to stellar at 1-altitude for dinner on 9.11.2015.

other food so-so, but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

yes, i got inspired to try out the gazpacho at home. hehe! 🙂

red tomato gazpacho

red tomato gazpacho

& so i googled online recipes. some i used & adapted-

gazpacho is 2 styles

gazpacho is 2 styles

& produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

red tomato gazpacho

red tomato gazpacho

for tomato gazpacho i used 4 large tomatoes, 1 large red pepper, 1/3 peeled japanese cucumber, 1/2 red onions, 1 clove garlic remove heart, 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 2tsp sea salt, 1 slice bread, 1 cup stock or water

& blend.

& i also did croutons like for the white gazpacho –

put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

so easy to prepare!

& the result of my first attempt was a really delicious tomato gazpacho. not quite the standard of stellar’s for sure, but almost there.

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the wonderful sweetness of the red pepper & tangy tomatoes, and the delicious combination of onions & other ingredients.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 1 large red pepper
  • 1/3 peeled japanese cucumber
  • 1/2 red onions
  • 1 clove garlic remove heart
  • 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2tsp sea salt
  • 1 slice bread
  • 1 cup stock or water
  • few slices of baguette

Directions : –

  1. place all ingredients (except baguette for croutons) in blender & blend till smooth. taste!
  2. put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

White Cucumber Gazpacho – Soooo Delicious!

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white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

white cucumber & red tomato gazpacho

gazpacho not my favourite & i hardly take gazpacho by choice.

gazpacho in 2 styles

stellar at 1-altitude’s gazpacho in 2 styles

we went to stellar at 1-altitude for dinner on 9.11.2015.

other food so-so, but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

white cucmber gazpacho

white cucmber gazpacho

so i googled online recipes. some i used & adapted-

gazpacho is 2 styles

gazpacho is 2 styles

& produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

white cucmber gazpacho

white cucmber gazpacho

for cucumber gazpacho i used 1.5 cucumbers, 1/2small yellow onions, 1 clove garlic (removed heart), 1x140ml plain yogurt, 1 slice bread, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2tsp sugar, 1tsp sea salt, 1 cup vegetable stock & blend.

& i also did croutons for the first time!

i just put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

so easy to prepare!

& the result of my first attempt was a really delicious gazpacho. not quite the standard of stellar’s for sure, but almost there.

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the wonderful coolness of the cucumber, and the delicious combination of yogurt & onions & other ingredients.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

  • 1.5 large cucumber (peeled & cut)
  • 1/2 small yellow onions (cut)
  • 1x140ml plain yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic (remove heart)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 slice bread
  • 1 cup stock or water
  • few slices of baguette

Directions : –

  1. place all ingredients (except baguette for croutons) in blender & blend till smooth. taste!
  2. put sliced baguette on a on-stick pan on low fire, added sea salt & some shaved parmesan.

Homegourmet Adventure 4-course Dinner on 15Nov2015

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had great fun discovery yesterday experimenting several “first” for a wonderful 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

truly a homegourmet adventure. 🙂

all 4 dishes had some new elements-

  • prawn veloute was an accidental invention.
  • gazpacho was completely first attempt.
  • prawn capellini was a new preparation &
  • slow-braised pork collar was my second try on a new preparation

in a sense, my recent dinner at stellar at 1-altitude spurred my interest, not so much an inspiration (excepting the gazpacho at stellar which was really good!), as i thought the food was expensive & not value-for-money. i thought i could recreate something similar. ^^

first course was pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute. 🙂

i did not do the pan-searing well this evening. still the scallops were very good, plump & tasty & very good texture, not really the standard of disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallops, nor the stellar’s scallops.

the prawn vegetable veloute though was an accidental discovery. it was just so good! ^^

intense yet very smooth, and very tasty, and just the right body & texture. this really is an excellent recipe & among the best soup i have made.

i would say for myself, though the scallop itself was not comparable to stellar’s, but the overall taste experience including the prawn veg veloute was better than stellar’s, but not comparable with disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallop dish (above photo).

my second dish was entirely new.

gazpacho not my favourite & i hardly take gazpacho by choice but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

so i googled online recipes & produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

& the result of my first attempt was a really wonderful gazpacho. so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the coolness of the cucumber & also tangy tomatoes.

not quite the standard of stellar’s (above photo) for sure, but almost there.

prawn capellini was done alio olio style. i also did not have uni & ikura (nor mentaiko).

still my own prawn capellini was a very tasty pasta.

i guess nothing so unusual, and may not be better than my usual seafood alio olio, but it was a different & drier style, adding butter like for my mentaiko pasta or squid-ink pasta.

king crab uni & sakuri ebi capellini

stellar’s king crab uni & sakura ebi capellini

didn’t have the top ingredients of stellar’s king crab, uni, ikura & sakura ebi pasta (above photo).

but just the taste of the pasta alone, i think mine was just as good though differernt (w/o the unique salty uni & ikura flavours).

the slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce was my second attempt, it was as good as the first, and a really great recipe i created myself.

the pork was very flavourful & so tender yet not sinewy & falling apart like the usual braised meat texture.

i think this is really an excellent recipe. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Yuzu Cheese Cake

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yuzu cheese cake

yuzu cheese cake

the other day my good friends & mei mei bought a dinner for my wife & i at imperial court restuarant.

they also bought a nice yuzu cheese cake from cat & the fiddle..

yuzu cheese cake

yuzu cheese cake

yuzu cheese cake

yuzu cheese cake

i already make a good tofu cheese cake.

cat & the fiddle’s yuzu cheese cake was very nice with distinct yuzu flavours but not really that much different, so i thought i should be able to make one quite easily.

gold citron tea yuzu jam

gold citron tea yuzu jam

gold citron tea yuzu jam

gold citron tea yuzu jam

the main ingredient missing was yuzu, so i went to phoon huat & got a bottle of citron tea yuzu jam (which looks much like orange marmalade but with yuzu flavours), about 580g costing S$7.95

yuzu cheese cake

yuzu cheese cake

i varied my tofu cheese cake recipe, dropping the tofu & increasing the yogurt. i added 2.5heap tbsp of the yuzu jam, and reduced sugar from 4.5tbsp to 2 tbsp. it’s a bit of a experimentation, basically to taste as i blend.

the result was a pretty good yuzu cheese cake, tangy, light & refreshing.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 105g digestive biscuits (7 pieces)
  • 60g melted butter – i used unsalted
  • 250g cream cheese (cut to 2cm pieces)
  • 280g plain yogurt (2x140ml yogurt cups)
  • 100ml whipping cream
  • 30g Sugar
  • 40ml yuzu jam (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 3 tsp gelatin powder (15g)
  • 50ml warm water

Directions:

  1. put a wax paper over the bottom then tighten the springform cake pan & ensure bottom is smooth.
  2. put digestive biscuits in ziploc bag & break & roll to powder. melt butter in microwave (40sec) & add to biscuits. mix well then empty into cake pan. spread evenly to form an uniform flat base. put in fridge.
  3. add plain yogurt, cream cheese, whipping cream, yuzu jam, lemon juice & sugar to a blender, pulse & blend
  4. add 3 tsp gelatin powder to 50ml hot water & stir to dissolve completely (i heat another 30sec in microwave to help dissolve). add to blender & blend.
  5. empty into the cake pan & place in fridge for 4hrs. when serving release the springform & remove from the bottom. voila!

Spicy Black Beans Bittergourd

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#12 spicy black beans bittergourd

spicy black beans bitter gourd

had nice spicy black beans bitter gourd at ye shanghai recently on 7.10.2015 & wanted to try it out. 🙂

this i did as one of the 15 teochew muay dishes for my RI friends on 28.10.2015. ^^

lee kum kee spicy black bean sauce

lee kum kee spicy black bean sauce

i used lee kum kee spicy black bean sauce. 🙂

spicy black beans bittergourd

spicy black beans bitter gourd

first time i am doing the dish. luckily it is really easy to do-

cut one large bitter gourd into 1/2′ by 2″ pieces & soak in water for 4hrs (i added 1 tsp salt). rinse thoroughly in slow running water to remove some of the bitterness

add 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1/2 cut chilli padi & 1 – 2 tbsp spicy black bean sauce (to taste) & stir-fry till fragrant

add bitter gourd & stir-fry to coat & infused it with the tasty sauce

add 1.5cups stock, cover & reduce

spicy black beans bittergourd2

spicy black beans bitter gourd

the bitter gourd turned out to be very tasty! ^^

very important to reduce.

it made the black bean sauce combined with bitter gourd flavour more intense!

spicy black beans bittergourd

spicy black beans bitter gourd

i think it was really very good standard. 🙂

spicy black beans bittergourd4

spicy black beans bitter gourd

tasty, very slight bitter taste enhanced by the slight salty & spicy black bean sauce.

& it was so easy to make, and cheap – 1 large bitter gourd cost just about S$1.50. & yet it delivers such a wonderful mildly bitter & very intense flavourful dish.

c.h.e.f andy

Teochew Stewed Cabbage – Easy Comfort Food

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#13 stewed cabbage

stewed cabbage

had really nice teochew muay at ye shanghai recently with my group of RI friends. ^^

the cabbage was so sweet & tasty!

such a simple dish, just cheap cabbage, and such wonderful tasty comfort food.

i knew that cabbage needs to be boiled for a while to soften (but still need to be crunchy to give the bite) & make it sweet. and of course stock is paramount.

i was preparing a 15 teochew muay dishes lunch for my good RI friends, so i prepared the stock 1 day before hand using chicken & veg. a very tasty stock! 🙂

stewed cabbage

stewed cabbage

basically i added cut chilli padi, chopped garlic & fried, then added the cabbage, oyster sauce, fish sauce (or light soy sauce), then add stock, cover & reduce.

stewed cabbage2

stewed cabbage

“reduce” is the key, so flavours are more intense, too much water will dilute the taste. make sure cabbage not overcooked & still retain the crunchy bite.

& my friends all loved the stewed cabbage! ^^

it was so sweet & tasty with the reduced stock & still crunchy not overcooked.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:-

  • 1 whole cabbage sliced
  • 1 cut chilli padi
  • 2 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1.5 cups chicken/veg stock

Directions:-

  1. add cut chilli padi, chopped garlic & fry
  2. then add the cabbage, oyster sauce, fish sauce (or light soy sauce), and fry for 2 mins to coat the cabbage with the sauce.
  3. then add stock, cover & reduce, maybe 10-15mins.
  4. reduce is the key, so flavours are more intense, too much water will dilute the taste. make sure cabbage not overcooked & still retain the crunchy bite.

Immense Thrill & Satisfaction – Homecooked 15 Teochew Muay Dishes for 9pax RI Friends’ Lunch on 28Oct2015

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did 15 teochew muay dishes for my friends on 28.10.2015. ^^

gave me immense thrill & satisfaction.

teochew muay dishes are supposed to be cheap food (indeed mostly cheap ingredients). but most teochew muay are not cheap, mostly overcharged for quite poor quality food.

recently my friends & i had been trying out 2 excellent teochew muay places that are truly “cheap & good”

  1. shi le yuan 实叻圆糜 at red hill market &
  2. ye shanghai at bukit merah view

i like both places. ^^

spread of 16 teochew muay dishes

spread of 15 teochew muay dishes

anyway i got inspired to try out teochew muay dishes.

for this lunch i put out 15 teochew muay dishes + 1 banoffee (banana toffee) cake.

spread of 16 teochew muay dishes

spread of 15 teochew muay dishes

the few new dishes included stewed cabbage, stir-fried egg plants, spicy black beans bitter gourd, spicy bean sauce sting ray. all these dishes i recently practiced once or twice. the dish that i did for the first time today was the spicy black beans minced pork. & it was pretty good leh! 🙂

friend's

friend’s “famous” sio bak烧肉

a friend brought his famous” sio bak烧肉. i did not put out all as we had a lot of dishes, so i was enjoying the remaining very much afterwards. it was really good – the texture & flavours were just “oomph”, though today the crispy skin was  not his usual standard.

my most popular dish was the #1 stir-fried manila clams with curry leaves!

everyone loved this, so no. 1 hands down! 🙂

the #7 steamed yellow croaker 小黄鱼 was a top dish for many friends.

this is a variation of the hk steamed style. i think light soy sauce is excellent for steaming fish, very pleasant taste. anyway i did a variation using tsuyu, mirin & olive oil.

fish was so fresh of course, and fine tasting texture, and the sauce was just awesome!

#5 teochew chilled mullet

#5 teochew chilled mullet

the #5 teochew chilled mullet was as good as any of the teochew muay stalls or bakuteh stalls that sell chilled mullet (like lau ah tee).

one differentiation was that i steamed with the scales on, so that the skin came out easily with the scales, whereas many of the teochew muay stalls here steamed w/o the scales & that makes it difficult to tear the skin when it is chilled.

#6 teochew chilled sotong - sotong texture was superb!

#6 teochew chilled sotong – sotong texture was superb!

the #6 teochew chilled sotong texture today was superb! & so sweet.

tau jeon (for chilled mullet), kik you (for chilled sotong) & the braising sauce

tau jeon (for chilled mullet), kik you (for chilled sotong) & the braising sauce

especially when taken with the condiments. 🙂

the #2 pig head jelly 猪头冻 today was awesome, my best so far! absolutely good restaurant standard. ^^

the braising sauce jelly was so tasting, the clear light colour with fat removed was just perfect, and the texture of the pig’s heat meat was perfect too, great bite! well nearly the standard of chui huay lim!

#3 braised belly pork #4 braised pig head meat, pig's ears & jowl meat

#3 braised belly pork #4 braised pig head meat, pig’s ears & jowl meat

my braised meats this time was also my best, even better than my last very good kueh chap standard! 🙂

the braising sauce was so flavourful (i will post another recipe update later), and the meat texture were just incredible, tender yet crunchy with nice bite.

my helper’s＃8 salted fish minced pork 咸鱼饼 was a hit with many friends too.

and it is also one of my perennial favourites.

many liked the #9 steamed egg with minced pork too!

they all liked the light soft yet not watery texture, and the taste too.

#10 spicy black beans minced pork

#10 spicy black beans minced pork

and this was my very first #10 spicy black beans minced pork. 🙂

taste was good. look wise a bit drier & not as oily & reddish as the one at shi le yuan. i will try out a bit more to see which is the best way.

i cooked this #11 spicy bean sauce sting ray with salted veg recently for my family dinner on 24.10.2015, so this the second time.

i think colours, flavours wise was pretty ok, but not among the most popular dishes for my friends.

the #12 spicy black beans bittergourd i think was really very good standard. 🙂

tasty, very slight bitter taste enhanced by the slight salty & spicy black bean sauce.

& my friends all loved the #13 stewed cabbage! ^^

it was so sweet & tasty with the reduced stock & still crunchy not overcooked.

#14 sitr-fried egg plants

#14 sitr-fried egg plants

the #14 sitr-fried egg plants was a tasty dish, but not so wow for me.

somehow not the ye shanghai style i was trying to achieve. 🙂

must try again see how they do this.

#15

#15 “shatin” chicken congee

this was not quite yet the keung kee chicken congee standard

still congee was very good, very tasty & smooth. 🙂

and of course we ended with a nice cake.

actually friends bought a cake also, so we had 2 cakes. 🙂

very nice cake, not too sweet, nice biscuit base, bananas & light whipped cream.

we all had a wonderful lunch & a swell time together among old friends! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Teochew Porridge Style Stir-fry Eggplants

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stir-fry eggplants

stir-fry eggplants

had some teochew muay lunch with friends at ye shanghai recently.

many dishes like braised belly pork etc, salted fish minced pork 咸鱼饼, chilled fish (eg mullet) i can already make.

was thinking to recreate other dishes like the spicy stir-fry eggplants, stir-fry bittergourd, & the chilli sting ray dishes.

for this evening on 12.10.2015, i tried the spicy stir-fry eggplants.

stir-fry eggplants

stir-fry eggplants

the process is similar to what i did for the wafu 和风 braised eggplant, only the sauce is different-

  • cut 2 eggplants in halves, sliced diagonally then cut each halves into 4 pieces.
  • fry cut chilli padi, sliced ginger, minced garlic in oil in pan, add the cut eggplants
  • add 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1/2tbsp tomato sauce & 1 tsp fish sauce & 1cup water, add to pan, cover & reduce.

& that’s all there is to it, about 10 to 15mins.

stir-fry eggplants

stir-fry eggplants

the texture was perfect.

the diagonal cuts also allowed the eggplants to absorb the sauce fully & well infused.

stir-fry eggplants

stir-fry eggplants

the sauce though was not quite the flavour i was looking for. i will drop the tomato sauce the next time. maybe use light soy sauce with oyster sauce.

stir-fry eggplants

stir-fry eggplants

anyway need to experiment to get nearer the taste of the excellent egg plants we had at ye shanghai. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Steamed Yellow Croaker, Japanese Seabass or 小黄鱼

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steamed yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼

steamed yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼

bought yellow croaker, also called japanese seabass or 小黄鱼 at chinatown market, so decided to steam it for dinner on 7.10.2015. ^^

my helper does a very good hong kong steamed red garoupa. it is really of good zi char & restaurant standard. though the red garoupa we bought from chinatown market were not live (or swimming), they were always very fresh.

i was thinking of varying the hong kong steamed 港蒸style, & i had previously done very good tasting-

steamed yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼

steamed yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼

so i marinated the fish (a large one for yellow croaker maybe 600g+)with 3tbsp light soy sauce, 2tbsp olive oil & 2tbsp mirin (optional). & that’s it!

then it’s garnishes like sliced red chilli (i forgot to add sliced ginger), & cut spring onions near the end of steaming.

steamed yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼

steamed yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼

i steamed in the steam oven for 12mins. if not using a steam oven, then similarly in a steamer for 12mins.

the fish was really excellent, very sweet & tasty & fine. 港蒸style小黄鱼 texture is finer than red garoupa & equally good.

the sauce was very tasty & not really so different from hong kong steamed 港蒸style, the same flavourful light soy sauce taste, not too salty, but it is a very good variation & equally tasty, instead of resorting to the proven style everytime.

小黄鱼 is also good served chilled similar to the chilled mullet 乌鱼.

we had very good ones at chao inn 潮楼 at kwun tong in hong kong on 3.6.2015!

fried yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼14.9.2015 fried yellow croaker, japanese seabass or 小黄鱼14.9.2015(2)

i also tried fried yellow croaker 煎小黄鱼 (above 2 photos), not too bad too!

that after trying a pretty good one at imperial treasure nanbei at taka on 23.8.2015.

but really, steaming is the best to bring out the freshness & sweetness of the fish la!

c.h.e.f andy

Sambal Sauce Seabass – Another Crowd Favourite!

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#12 helper's sambal sauce seabass - this everyone's favourite

sambal sauce seabass 26.8.2015 – this everyone’s favourite

in addition to the spicy pork ribs/pork soft bones, another regular crowd pleaser for my dinners is the sambal sauce seabass (& spicy tau jeon seabass). ^^

i love the dish myself & all my friends love it too. in fact i think it is more popular even than the spicy pork ribs. 🙂

i guess fish is more neutral, tender & easy to eat even when placed against a very tender pork ribs or soft bones.

it’s a dish my helper cooked regularly for the family & for my dinners. i have done only once.

& i have served it many times in my dinners for my friends. 🙂

sambal seabass

sambal seabass – 6.2.2015

above photo does not require elaborations, haha! ^^

#10 sambal seabass

sambal seabass – 3.10.2014

the farmed seabass in singapore is not like the australian barramundi or the french seabass. it has a bit of “mud taste” and is a bit “hu” ie not the very firm, bouncy type of texture, but slightly mushy.

#9 aunty bes sambalsauce seabass

sambal sauce seabass – 28.5.2015

certainly not my favourite fish.

btw, my favourite fish, even more than usual cod, is the chilean seabass, the patagonian toothfish, which is not even a bass, but a cod. 🙂

aunty bes' spicy tau jeon seabass

spicy tau jeon seabass – 19.8.2013

by steaming with the spicy tau jeon sauce, and in more recent times, the sambal sauce, not only it took away the “mud taste”, but complemented the fish sweetness very well. also, i believe the sauce tensioned the skin a bit & made the fish just slightly more firm & less mushy. 🙂

heinz assam fish sauce

hai’s 海士 instant assam fish paste

i used the hai’s 海士 instant assam fish paste in recent times, as we liked it a bit better than the spicy tau jeon, and also because i could not find the latter in giant lately.

i used 1 packet for a large seabass (700g) or 2 smaller ones (500g), and garnished chopped spring onions & chilli padi (sometimes my helper used sliced red chilli & spring onions). then in the steam oven (or a usual steamer) for 12mins.

c.h.e.f andy

Chocolate Lava Cake (Revisit on 3Oct2015)

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choc lava cake

oozing choc lava cake

chocolate lava just happened to be the first dessert i picked to try out 3 yrs ago, shortly after i started “seriously” cooking in mar2012.

web recipes are always too sweet for the asian palate (usually i used only 1/3 of the sugar quantity). for chocolate lava cake, it’s like too large serving, too much effort adding cocoa etc, so i basically experimented & created my own recipe –

I was successful in my 3rd attempt in creating the oozing chocolate lava cake, and thanks to Facebook for being such a faithful repository of memories, that was on 22.8.2012!

after lava cake, i went on to do a few very good cakes –

  1. tofu cheese cake
  2. tiramisu
  3. banoffee (banana toffee) cake
  4. jam crumb cake
  5. apple pie

my popular cakes are the first 3.

the jam crumb cake was good, but not so special, the apple pie was tedious & ok, again no wow.

recently, did the lava cake again for a 9pax dinner on 28.9.2015.

choc lava cake x 6 (muffin trady)

choc lava cake x 6 (muffin trady)

& it wasn’t that great, so i thought i gave it a try again.

it is really very easy to make. i use the same chocolate lava cake recipe i created previously –

  • beat 3eggs + 2 egg yolks with 1 tbsp flat sugar & 1 tbsp flat sifted normal flour
  • melt 100g cadbury old gold 70% cocoa with 60g unsalted butter (i use 1min 10secs in microwave & stir to melt the chocolate)
  • add slowly while beating the egg (i use a hand whisk)
  • grease bottom & sides of muffin tray with butter & add the cake mixture
choc lava cake

choc lava cake

then it’s just 3mins 30secs in a preheated 210degC oven on the grill function.

choc lava cake

choc lava cake

i timed on phone timer & removed immediately.

choc lava cake3

oozing choc lava cake

the cake would have lifted from the side near the top. i use a knife to move round the edges to separate the cake from the tray.

choc lava cake

oozing choc lava cake

then i inverted the muffin tray over another flat try & served the cake with ice cream.

the taste was wonderful! ^^

that i knew as i had tasted the cake mix before baking. there was certainty & confidence on the taste & flavours. the flowing lava was somehow an unknown though previously i did not have much difficulty reproducing the oozing lava.

i am still not satisfied this time. will probably try one at 3mins 15secs to get more oozing lava.

c.h.e.f andy

Spicy Black Bean Sauce Pork Ribs or Soft Bones

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spicy pork ribs

spicy pork soft bones – 6.2.2015

spicy pork ribs. i really love it! ^^

this a favourite dish for my son, younger daughter & me.

when i am doing a homecooked buffet that featured chinese, this is also among the favourite dishes for all my friends, a perennial crowd pleaser of sorts. 🙂

the number of times i served the dish testifies to its popularity-

aunty bes' spicy bean sauce pork ribs

spicy bean sauce pork ribs 19.8.2013

spicy black bean sauce pork ribs

spicy black bean sauce pork ribs – 7.11.2013

spicy pork ribs

spicy pork ribs – 28.5.2013

spicy pork ribs

spicy pork ribs – 24.4.2015

#11 helper's spicy black bean sauce pork ribs

#11 helper’s spicy black bean sauce pork ribs – 26.8.2015

usually my helper cooks this. & for my dinners i would leave her to do it.

when she was away on homeleave for 1 month last year, i did it a few times myself.

lkk spicy black bean sauce

lkk spicy black bean sauce

recipe is simple & easy to do. i use lee kum kee spicy black bean sauce.

i scalded the pork ribs (or pork softbones) to remove scum & cleaned. i fried 2 (or 3) tbsp of lkk spicy black bean sauce with some chopped garlic in 1 tbsp oil for short while till fragrant. then added 600g (or 1 kg) of pork ribs or pork soft bones. i fried for about 30mins to 40mins on low fire, adding some water to avoid burning & cover. then i placed it on a tray in the steam oven for 30mins. this makes the pork soft & tender.

if you are not using a steam oven, cook pork ribs for about 50mins. taste it to make sure it is to the texture & flavour you like. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients –

  • 600g (or 1kg) pork ribs or pork soft bones
  • 2 (or 3) tbsp lkk spicy black bean sauce
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2tsp garlic

Directions –

  1. scald pork ribs (or pork softbones) to remove scum & clean.
  2. fry 2 (or 3) tbsp of lkk spicy black bean sauce with some chopped garlic in 1 tbsp oil for short while till fragrant.
  3. add 600g (or 1 kg) of pork ribs or pork soft bones. fry for about 30mins to 40mins on low fire, adding some water to avoid burning & cover. then place it in a tray in the steam oven for 30mins. this makes the pork soft & tender.
  4. if not using a steam oven, cook pork ribs for about 50mins. taste it to make sure it is to the texture & flavour you like.

Wafu 和风 (Japanese Style) Braised Eggplants – Simply Wonderful!

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#5 wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants － this dish was simply excellent!

wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants

japanese is a very wide cuisine like chinese, indian, french, italian (whereas my impression is korean cuisine is quite limited).

in japanese cooking there are so many very nice side dishes and great combination of different dishes even in a simple bento at the railway station.

& in kaiseki they always have many diffferent types of appetizers, steamed, broiled, poached, boiled, stewed, braised, vinegared, cured, stir-fired, grilled, hotpot, really endless array of dishes.

for my recent 9pax japanese course dinner on 28.9.2015, i paired the shabu pork with grated radish & small japanese cucumbers.

& i wanted to pair the wafu (和风) pasta with teriyaki cod & a veg.

after surfing/looking up a bit, i found a simple interesting wafu (和风) braised eggplant recipe from japanesecooking101 here.

following the recipe, i cut 2 egg plants in 1/2, then sliced the egg plants (this to let the sauce infused into the egg plants), then cut in 1/2 again, so i have 8 quarters. i fried them a bit, turned over, then added 1 cup dashi (i used chicken/vegetable stock), 1 tbsp tsuyu, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake (basically to taste) & reduced & set aside. when serving i reduced a little further while warming up & served. 🙂

wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants

wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants

the wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants was simply excellent! this the first time i did a japanese braised eggplant. it’s so easy & the taste was just fantastic!^^

egg plant is really a very nice veg. you can do it in so many ways.

i had very nice eggplants with minced pork in hong kong at 富记大排档 at tai wai, and i recreated the minced pork egg plant dish at home,

and later a vegetarian version of the egg plant dish. 🙂

& i still want to do the chinese version though (i like the ye shanghai one very much). don’t think much difference, probably just use oysters sauce instead.

a wonderful, most satisfying dish! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Wafu (和风) Pasta – Outstanding!

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wafu 和风 pasta

wafu 和风 pasta 1.10.2015

did an excellent wafu (和风) pasta the other day, and served it with teriyaki cod & wafu (和风) eggplant for a 8pax japanese course dinner on 28.9.2015.

wafu 和风 pasta

wafu 和风 pasta 1.10.2015

this the first time i did a kind of “wafu (和风) pasta” other than mentaiko pasta. & the taste was wonderful!

i followed the recipe on japanesecooking101 here.

wafu 和风 pasta

wafu 和风 pasta 1.10.2015

very simple ingredients – just streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions.

i did it again today 1.10.2015 just a few days later using leftover ingredients, this time using shitake mushrooms as i did not have shimeji. my wife & i were going out for dinner. my daughter came back from her squash game at 9pm & walloped the whole dish! ^^

wafu 和风 pasta

wafu 和风 pasta 28.9.2015

& the sauce again is the key – dashi (i used chicken/vegetable stock), mirin, tsuyu & a little sugar (optional) & reduced.

wafu 和风 pasta

wafu 和风 pasta 28.9.2015

taste was, what can i say, just exquisite. it’s not better than most of my pastas which are also very good, but it’s good! equally good! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

9pax Japanese Course Dinner on 28Sep2015

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#1 shabu pork on grated radish & japanese cucumber, miso belly pork, & kakuni (japanese braised belly pork)

#1 shabu pork on grated radish & japanese cucumber, miso belly pork, & kakuni (japanese braised belly pork)

trying out japanese dishes like chawanmushi & steak don recently & decided to do a full Japanese course dinner for my good friends, RI friends & spouses, on 28.9.2015.^^

daughter came home & joined dinner so we had 9pax.

it was very fun! haha! 🙂

we had a 6-course menu

#1 i decided on a shabu pork starter after looking at a shabu pork salad recipe on japanesecooking101.

just to be sure, i try out with shabu beef the day before & it was very good!

the grated daikon (radish) was a great idea. below that i had 4 julienned small japanese cucumber. very refreshing.

but the key is the sauce – just 1part sushi vinegar, 1 part mirin, 1 part tsuyu. this like the best sauce ever! haha! ^^

i also had miso belly pork. this done 12hrs in 85degC oven then browned on medium low fire in non-stick pan. very tasty dish.

i also had kakuni (japanese braised belly pork), and a friend brought kimchi. that made up the first dish. 🙂

#2 second dish was a chawanmushi. it was pretty ok but not as good as my first trial of the dish few days day.

quality was inconsistent. i had to steam 2 batches of 4 ramekins for 15mins at each go when friends were here. for one batch my phone timer stopped at 12m20s in between & i lost the timing.

#3 prawn bisque - not so great today

#3 prawn bisque – not so great today

#3 my third dish was a prawn bisque. while it is european & not a japanese dish, i had been to a few restaurants in kyoto & also osaka where they served western starter & soup as part of a japanese course meal.

prawn bisque was below my usual standards.

#3 prawn bisque - vegetabkes base

#3 prawn bisque – vegetabkes base

the method was ok. i had enough good mix of vegetable base to balance the prawn shells & heads stock.

#3 prawn bisque - not so great today

#3 prawn bisque – not so great today

i think i should have reduced the liquids further to get a more intense bisque.

#4 wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod

#4 wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod

#4 the wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod was an excellent dish though. ^^

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions - pasta was really good!

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions – pasta was really good!

#4.1 this the first time i did a kind of “wafu (和风) pasta” other than mentaiko pasta. & the taste was wonderful!

i followed the recipe on japanesecooking101 here.

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions - pasta was really good!

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions – pasta was really good!

simple ingredients – just streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions. & the sauce again is the key – dashi (i used chicken/vegetable stock), mirin, tsuyu & a little sugar& reduced.

taste was just exquisite. it’s not better than most of my pastas which are also very good, but it’s good! 🙂

#4.2 teriyaki cod is one dish i cooked a number of times & always, invariably good.

this time i reduced the sugar & also a little less salty.

#5 wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants － this dish was simply excellent!

#4.1 wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants － this dish was simply excellent!

#4.1 the wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants was simply excellent! this the first time i do a japanese braised eggplant. it’s so easy & the taste was just fantatsic!

again i got my recipe from japanesecooking101 here.

i still want to do the chinese version though (i like the ye shanghai one very much). don’t think much difference, probably just use oysters sauce instead.

#7 kakuni (japanese braised belly pork) don with miso salmon belly

#5 kakuni (japanese braised belly pork) don with miso salmon belly

#5 for the gohan course, i had a don.

the friend who brought kimchi doesn’t take beef, so i prepared kakuni, a japanese braised belly pork.

this time though i used a different braising method, a 6hr gentle slow braise in a crockpot from cold to 85degC (using meat thermometer). ^^

#5 wagyu ribeye & black angus ribeye steak don with miso salmon belly

#5 wagyu ribeye & black angus ribeye steak don with miso salmon belly

#5 for the other diners, i had a 400D grain-fed wagyu ribeye & a 150D grain-fed black angus ribeye. both were excellent!

and the japanese rice was perfect! so very tasty, one friend went to add rice & just ate the rice plain.

#5.1 miso salmon belly

#5.1 miso salmon belly

#5.1 the miso salmon belly was very good too.

#5.1 miso salmon belly

#5.1 miso salmon belly

very tasty, just like eating in restuarants in japan.

i also had tamago. the shape & folding was a disaster & one could not even make out the lines, but taste was pretty ok & quite a good addition to the meaty don dish! 🙂

#6 i not very sure how i lost it. haha! 🙂

lava cake was the very first dessert i made, not sure where has all the lava gone.

anyway seems that everyone like the taste though….wait till they have my really lava ones..haha!

like this one! looking back at the records, it was during a dinner on 28.1.2013! 🙂

“shanghai” moon cake

a friend brought “shanghai” moon cake, one lotus paste, the other red beans.

“shanghai” moon cake

so pretty, and very good moon cake too, mainly because the lotus paste was not so sweet like most moon cakes are, and the pastry, with some addition of nuts, was excellent! 🙂

ondeh ondeh - everyone loved it!

ondeh ondeh – everyone loved it!

amelyn brought ondeh ondeh - everyone loved it!3 amelyn brought ondeh ondeh - everyone loved it!2

one friend brought ondeh ondeh. everuone loved it!

chong lee brought rose champagne chong loong brought white wine leck san brought choya umeshu

some friends brought rose sparkling wine & white wine too.

lisa's whiskies lisa's whiskies2 lisa's whiskies3

& wife offered up her whisky collection. 🙂

very fun enjoyable evening with friends.

c.h.e.f andy

Shabu Beef Rice Burger

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shabu beef rice burger

shabu beef rice burger

made a shabu beef rice burger on 26.9.2015. ^^

i used to quite like mos burger but had not taken the rice burger for many years. until 9.9.2015 when 4 of us went early to watch workers’ party rally at bedok stadium, my friend parked his car at bedok mall & we bought some food to bring along.

i bought yakiniku rice burger & some friends bought subway sandwiches & other burgers. 🙂

anyhow i bought some shabu beef & pork at hentick & decided to try out a shabu beef rice burger.

i checked out a facebook rice burger recipe here. good enough for me.

later i found a more advanced preparation recipe here.

anyhow i cooked the usual sushi rice – 1.2cups water to 1 cup rice, added 1.5tbsp mirin, sushi vinegar & tsuyu (basically to taste) & i tbsp flat roasted sesame. then i pressed some rice on a cutting board & cut out 2 round pieces & browned them on both sides in a non-stick pan on low fire.

300g quick frozen shabu beef from hentick

300g quick frozen shabu beef from hentick

for the shabu beef, i poured boiling water over 300g of shabu beef (above) i bought from hentick for about S$7.20, and cleaned away the scum. then i prepare the sauce – 2 tbsp ea of sushi vinegar, mirin & tsuyu. trust me, it’s a very very tasty mix!^^ beef was already cooked but can always stir-fried a bit in the sauce if required.

for the vegetable, i just made do with what i had, so sliced tomatoes & grated radish, can also add onions or small japanese cucumbers etc.

anyhow, the whole concoction came out pretty ok. the shabu beef & sauce were really good. the sushi rice burger itself was good, very tasty but the compacting & shape need to be improved. 🙂

my daughter commented that eating it open sandwich style was like eating a don. of course we wanted to have low carbs, but i hear her that maybe for a proper rice burger i should do the burger style together with the seaweed etc. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Easy Char Siew (Encore)

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char siew

char siew

did another char siew this morning. ^^

same recipe as what i used previously here.

char siew

char siew

this is a really easy recipe as there is no basting needed, meaning there is no need to take the pork in & out & turning over & basting with sauce repeatedly!

char siew

char siew

pork collar this time less fatty. i added 1/2tsp red colouring & reduced dark sauce to 1/2tbsp.

char siew

char siew

flavour was excellent! ^^

char siew

char siew

i also reduced oven time from 20mins to 18mins as the collar was slightly thinner.

char siew

char siew

anyhow it looks like 18mins would be sufficient for charring the outside, cooking the inside, and keeping it moist & tender. 🙂

char siew

char siew

easy recipe, no turning over & basting required, just 18mins in oven.

& very tasty & tender & moist!

c.h.e.f. andy

Chawanmushi & Steak Don Dinner

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chawanmushi 茶碗蒸

chawanmushi 茶碗蒸

i had some marinated miso salmon belly in the chiller for 2days. was thinking what to match for dinner & decided to do a don.

to accompany the don, i thought maybe do a chawanmushi. i have not done chawanmushi before so googled & found this chawanmushi recipe at japanesecooking101.com.

i did not have dashi or chicken stock, so just used 2cups water & added 2tsp mirin, 2tsp light soy sauce, 1tsp sugar (basically to taste) & whisked with 3 eggs.

i marinated prawns & chicken breast & placed them in a ramekin. also added shitake mushrooms & scallops.

& steamed for 15mins.

chawanmushi 茶碗蒸

chawanmushi 茶碗蒸

texture was perfect, very light and very tasty. ingredients were steamed just right. of course cannot c/w a good crab chawanmushi like that at hachi.

but otherwise, it was a really good standard chawanmushi. beginner’s luck on first attempt! ^^

beef miso salmon belly scallop don

beef miso salmon belly scallop don

i had some 150D grain-fed black angus striploin in the freezer leftover from my last 12pax homegourmet dinner. i did the usual high fire with fat & a bit of butter on my heavy stainless steel pan until it was chargrilled to produce the maillard reaction to give it flavour (as they say, no colour no taste). i flipped once & charred the other side using the finger test for medium rare. 🙂

& i had some scallops in the freezer too. i started the scallops on hot olive oil in a non-stick pan & turned to medium low & covered. when they were grilled i turned them over & grilled the other side. 🙂

beef miso salmon belly scallop don

beef miso salmon belly scallop don

not forgetting the miso salmon belly.

i placed the miso salmon belly on a rack covered with aluminium foil which i poked holes with a knife to drain any liquids so the the salmon belly would be dry oven grilled, and placed it in a preheated 250degC oven for 15mins. 🙂

for the sushi rice, i used 1 cup sushi rice for 3pax added 1.5tsp mirin, 1.5tsp sushi vinegar, 1 tsp tsuyu (basically to taste). rice was very good but keeping low on carbs. ^^

beef miso salmon belly scallop don

beef miso salmon belly scallop don

the flavours of the beef was excellent. scallops were good too, and the miso salmon belly was super!^^

the sushi rice was perfect too, nicely vinegared sticky but not too wet & overcooked.

c.h.e.f andy

Cook Vegetarian – Steamed Eggplant with Peas & Onion sauce

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#6 steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

my sis & i had a nice daipaidong 大排档 dinner at 富记大排档tai wai in hong kong recently where they served an entire steamed eggplant in minced meat & onion sauce.

i later recreated this at home & made a much better tasting whole eggplant with meat onion sauce by adding oyster sauce to balance off the tomato sauce.

#6 steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

i washed & steamed the whole eggplant first, about 10mins.

for the vegetarian take, i cannot use oyster sauce so only light soy sauce + tsuyu sauce, and i replaced the minced meat with frozen peas i bought from sheng shiong. ^^

the key to this dish is the texture of the eggplant, which has to be just cooked & not mushy. i cut it with kitchen sears (scissors) & if it were mushy it would not hold up. 🙂

the pea onions sauce with corn flour was pretty tasty too.

#6 steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

i served it at a recent 10-course vegetarian dinner for 8pax for my niece’s birthday. everyone liked it.

the presentation can certainly be improved, haha! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Cook Vegetarian – Spaghetti alla Nerano (Zucchini Pasta)

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#5 spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

this the first time i attempted spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta). this btw is an amalfi coast specialty!^^

we first tried this in fresco & cummino in milan & this was 1 of the best vegetarian pasta i had, though i like my funghi linguine equally. 🙂

i followed an internet recipe, & blended 1 yellow zucchini with some onions & vegetable stock after softening them in olive oil. i sliced & pan-grilled another yellow zucchini in some olive oil in a non stick pan over low fire.

#5 spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

when serving, i tossed the pasta with the grilled cut zucchini & added some butter to give it more body. added browned garlic, shaved parmesan cheese & added a bunch of basil for flavours & garnishing.

#5 spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta)

it was a very good pasta, al dente & tasty.

i served it at a recent 10-course vegetarian dinner for 8pax for my niece’s birthday. everyone liked it. son said more parmesan shavings would be good. i think overall it can be improved.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 300g spaghetti
  • 2 yellow (or green) zucchini, sliced
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 100ml vegetable stock
  • 1 bulb garlic in cloves, browned in olive oil
  • sea salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. peel & brown the cloves of 1 bulb of garlic & set aside.
  2. blend 1 sliced yellow zucchini with 1 sliced small yellow onions & 100ml vegetable stock after softening them in olive oil. add sea salt & pepper to taste.
  3. slice & pan-grill another yellow zucchini in some olive oil in a non-stick pan over low fire & set aside. sprinkle sea salt generously.
  4. when serving, reduce the blended sauce. toss the pasta with the grilled cut zucchini & add some butter to give it more body. add the browned garlic, shaved parmesan cheese & add a bunch of basil for flavours & garnishing.