Shrimp Salad
Labels: small bites, vegetables/salads
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Place blanched shrimps, sliced cumcumbers, tomatoes and salad greens in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle a little chopped parsley and dill all over and mix it all up with thousand island dressing. Season with salt and pepper if neccesary. For a bit more oomph, add a splash of Madeira wine.
Use as a topping for hor'deurves, on toast as a sandwich or alone for a starter or light lunch.
This salad, like revenge, is best served cold, so chill it for about 30 minutes before tucking in.
Enjoy!
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 8:36 pm
The Cheat's Guide - Tea Eggs
Labels: asian food, she cooks, small bites, tea, the cheat's guide
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I stewed a batch of tea eggs the other week. Not too many, only ten, as the consumer was a grand total of one person - me. These traditional eggs, typically sold by street vendors and eaten as snacks, are one of my comfort foods. And I must have needed lots of comfort for as soon as the eggs were done, I gobbled down three. It's funny how certain foods trigger off memories. In between eggs one and two, I was five again.
While I have a few 'from scratch' tea egg recipes, here I've decided instead to try one of those ready mixed spice bags from the local supermarket.
For the next hour or so, my kitchen was a heady mixture of five spice powder, aniseed, cinnamon, liquorice and a whole bunch of other aromatics, including the all important black tea leaves. Can't have tea eggs without the tea leaves. Where would we all be then.
Tea Eggs
You need:
10-20 eggs
1 bag of ready mixed spices
4-6 cups of water
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
splash of hua tiao wine
salt
sugar
You do:
Tea eggs can be eaten hot or cold. I personally prefer them warm, with a cup of Pu-erh tea. And just between you and me, I get a childish kick when peeling the eggs. I love discovering the patterns on the egg whites underneath their shells. Today, I had a spider web thing going. How purdy!
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 8:27 pm
Deep Fried Thai Chicken Balls
Labels: she cooks, small bites
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
This came about because I am in the process of cleaning out my stash of frozen ingredients but more about that later.
I found lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal (blue ginger) in the freezer - all brimming with hope of one day coming together in the form of Tom Yum Goong. I almost did too if not for the chicken filet I found in the next drawer.
I was feeling particularly Johnny-on-the-spot and decided to make up some Thai inspired chicken balls. I didn't have a recipe to follow and therefore, made it up as I went along.
The result: delicious, fragrant morsels - the perfect finger food.
Deep Fried Thai Chicken Balls
You Need:
300g minced chicken
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
2-3 slices galangal
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemon grass (use only the bottom white portion)
salt and pepper to taste
half tbsp cornflour
oil for deep frying
You Do:
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 7:11 am
Pickled Green Chilli
Labels: she cooks, small bites, vegetables/salads
Monday, December 10, 2007
As mentioned last week, I did a spot of pickling as we were out of green chilli. The Turkish grocer stocks them too but I just like doing it. Besides, I get to control the amount of salt that goes into it and my homemade ones has no nasty preservatives.
This is for anyone who wants to try their hand at it. It's dead easy and chances are, you may never want to eat the store bought ones anymore.
Pickled Green Chilli
1. In a medium sized saucepan, bring white vinegar, salt and sugar (to taste) to a gentle boil. Turn off heat and let pickling solution cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, slice the green chilli.
2. Fill another saucepan with water, bring to a boil. Blanche sliced chilli. Drain and set aside.
3. Add the blanched chilli to the cooled pickling solution. Give it a good stir to make sure the chilli is well immersed.
4. Leave it alone for at least 6 hours. Worry it once in a while by stirring, again, to ensure each and every slice is well marinated. When it's done, it will turn a shade of dull yellow green.
5. Store in clean glass bottles.
Note:
- To get crunchy pickled chilli, choose only the barely ripe ones and those that feel firm to the touch. Do not over blanche it either.
- I use 100ml of white vinegar for every 100g of chilli.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 4:04 am
Flavour Of The Moment
Labels: small bites
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Pureed dried chilli - my favourite condiment of the moment, a little something which I discovered not long ago at the Turkish grocer.
It sets the tongue on fire, yes, even my jaded nonya one which is all but chilli proof. It has a lovely deep roasted flavour and puts an immediate zing to any dish which calls for chilli paste. On the other hand, you can also do what I do, use it as a dip and eat it neat with your meals. Just make sure you've got a tall glass of iced water by you too. You know, just in case.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 4:16 pm
Tiramisu
Labels: 100% sugar, small bites
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Tiramisu literally means "Pick me up" in Italian. How apt! Nothing like a spot of coffee, alcohol and sugar to get the blood going.
I found this out when I was searching for the website from which this particular tiramisu recipe I've been using for years was from. Lazy me wanted to create a link rather than type the whole thing out. It's just as well because the recipe has been updated. Instead of raw egg yolks, Chef John V. (I don't know who he is but I sure want to thank him for this superb recipe) has added an extra step whereby the yolks are cooked in hot syrup. Wonderful! With the salmonella scare out of the way, we can now have our cake and eat it.
I've tried out many classic tiramisu recipes but for me, this is the definitive one. It's full of flavour, not too rich and best of all, easy to make. All you need is time. The longer you let it sit in the refrigerator before serving, the better it tastes. I normally make mine early in the morning so I can bring it out after dinner. Leaving it overnight is great too because by then, the lady fingers would have had fully absorbed the espresso, rum and Marsala mixture.
Tiramisu does not last very long in Cookalot. This is one of the few desserts we three agree on (Sonny-boy only gets a couple of mouthfuls on account of the coffee and alcohol). I made this for a small dinner party on Sunday as yet another set of in-laws came to visit. This time it was R, Brother-in-law #4, his partner C and their cute toddler V. I was making Laksa that evening and knew it was R's favourite so I got Hubs to invite them over for a bowl.
On Sunday, I was most gratified to see everyone clean out their bowls, especially since I spent all morning and a bit of the afternoon over rempah and gravy. The tiramisu went down well too. I did remember to selfishly set aside an extra portion for myself though - to be savoured slowly the next day while watching Oprah and sipping hot tea.
Now, that's what I call a "Pick me up".
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 4:25 am
Guilty Pleasure #57847
Labels: asian food, small bites
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
I have a bad habit.
Not the I-want-every-single-Ferragamo-shoe-I-see habit. The other one.
Where I graze the whole day.
Instead of eating a proper lunch, I'm picking and chewing from early afternoon to dinner time. Not unlike a cow. One wonders if I'm trying to emulate the bovine creature since I was born in the year of the Ox and am cow mad. Although some people (the ones who truly know me) might prefer the term mad cow instead. But, that's a story for another day.
Anyway, being well aware of my grazing habit, I try to keep my snacks as healthy as possible which is what happens in the ideal world. In the ideal world, I also own every single Ferragamo shoe I see. But it's not and I don't. As I was saying, I try (try being the operative here) to make healthy choices and go through different food phases with my snacking. One time it was celery sticks with thousand island dressing for two weeks. Another was a long and fattening love affair with brioché with full cream butter or Heinz sandwich spread which lasted almost a month. Yet another was Kettle Chips. You know the one with sea salt and crushed black peppercorns? And the sour cream and chive? Yup. Shame on me!
So this time, it's Japanese soya bean rice crackers. Available from the local fromagerie or Albert Heijn, these savoury morsels have key components for a great snack - too much salt and an exellent crunch factor. Strangely enough, it was Mother-in-law who introduced us and I can't thank her from my crumb filled mouth enough for it.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 4:45 am
Ravioli In Lobster Broth
Labels: seafood, she cooks, small bites, soups
Monday, September 24, 2007
I made this last Thursday, just before I fell really ill and still had my sense of smell and could taste.
This broth makes an excellent entreé. It warms up your tum, making it all fuzzy and warm, preping it up for the main course. Great for special intimate family dinners at home or to spoil yourself rotten if cooking for one, which was what transpired that evening. The other thing is, it looks impressive too. Like you slaved all afternoon over it and depending on your chosen method, it could hold true. You did work very hard, from preparing the lobster to boiling the stock and making up the soup. Me, on the other hand, bought the best stock I could lay my hands on and went from there. I love cooking but sometimes one has to work around it. Especially when one has to get her husband to drive her all the way to a certain supermarket in Belgium where they stock frozen raw lobsters, shell and all.
In this instance, I added cod fish, shrimps as well as langoustines (aka Norway lobster) in the broth. My only mistake was using the ready-made lobster and crabmeat ravioli I saw at the Albert Heijn. I thought I'd try it instead of making them myself. I now know better. It was so floury and if one imagined really, really, I mean, REALLY hard, you might even fool yourself into thinking hey, there's some semblence of crabmeat there. Forget about the lobster which is supposed to make up the other half of the ravioli. Nobody's imagination is that good.
After tasting the disappointing ravioli, I decided to concentrate on the rest of the soup instead. By the third comforting spoonful, I completely forgot all about it and began to seriously enjoy my broth. I don't know if it was the generous slosh of cognac I added to the stock during cooking or it was the super fresh langoustines doing it. Whatever it was, I went to soup heaven that evening.
Next stop: I want to try this recipe from Chubby Hubby. I love fusion cooking and dining and this is right up my alley.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 3:57 am
Rosebud Madeleines And Tea
Labels: 100% sugar, she bakes, small bites
Friday, September 14, 2007
Yesterday I did a spot of baking.
I made some madeleines from a recipe found in the Nigella baking book Karen gave me for my birthday this year. With a name like "Rosebud Madeleines", how's a girl going to resist? Also, I always welcome a change when it comes to the nibbles accompanying my pots of tea, which comes up to about two daily, more during winter.
Verdict: These little dainty cakes turned out superb. The were dense, buttery and left a pleasant rose aftertaste. The only downside was the amount the recipe yielded. Nigella says I should pop about 48 of those babies out but I only managed a paltry 10. Perhaps it's the size of my molds? Mine's the supersized version while hers are of the midget variety? No matter, this is just a small glitch - I can always double the recipe in future.
Initially, I'd wanted to have the madeleines with my very last ball of blossoming tea but I remembered a bottle of dried rose buds sitting in my tea drawer so I popped a couple of them in the pot instead. Not just any pot, you understand. Being fanatical about my tea, I have pots for different kinds of teas and moods. Today, I chose the transparent one with the glass filter so that I could see the pretty rosebuds floating about while I pour my tea. Something to feed the eyes, while feeding the tummy.
Why go through all that trouble over a cup of tea, you ask? Well, the simple reason is because I like it. It makes me feel special, calm and above all, it relaxes me. Although I do occasionally use prepackaged teabags out of convenience, I prefer the loose leaf ones and get mine from specialty stores in the bigger cities. Like I keep reiterating, a girl's got to make her own fun, especially the stay at home mum kind of a girl. So I get my kicks out of dried leaves when I'm not frolicking with my shadow.....
Here are more photos from yesterday's afternoon tea.
Lekker!
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 3:53 am
There Once Was An Old Lady
Labels: asian food, small bites
Thursday, September 13, 2007
There once was an old lady who (being shoe mad) wished she lived in a shoe.
She made so many bottles of kaya jam, she didn't know what to do.
"Here, I better go make meself a lovely batch of steamed kaya buns then!"
And so she did.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 4:36 am
Kitchen Is Closed
Labels: small bites
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I'm closing the kitchen today.
Hubs has a business dinner this evening so I thought I'd take it easy. Sonny-boy will have last night's leftover pizza and I will eat out of the fridge. Who said cooking was back breaking work?
Oh, don't feel sorry for us though. When I talk about leftover pizza, I meant homemade from scratch pizza, with loads of salami, chorizo and waaaay too much cheese topping. And I know for a fact the fridge has a bag of bagels, gourmet salmon, Philly herbed cream cheese, alfafa and if memory serves me right, a small potty of caviar as well. It's not Beluga but it'll do.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 6:20 am
Dutchess' Quickie Steak Sandwich
Labels: small bites
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 2:25 pm
Weekend Cooking
Labels: asian food, one dish meals, she cooks, small bites, soups
Monday, August 20, 2007
As mentioned earlier on, I spent the entire weekend cooking. I fiddled with new recipes as well as visited the old favourites.
The new kids on the (chopping) block:
Turkish Style Pizza With Ground Beef.
Spicy and flavourful.
Peanut Butter Hummus (left) and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (right).
Perfect with Turkish bread.
Old favourites:
These two dishes are so beloved in our family, I have the recipes committed to memory.
This is my mum's recipe. It may be Indonesian in origin as it doesn't use tumeric like the Malay version. One of the first dishes I learnt to cook, I can now do it in my sleep.
Beef Satay.
Made from scratch with Hubs in charge of grilling them over the barbecue. We believe in only using charcoal so there was this fanstastic aroma enveloping the patio. I'm sure our next door neighbours got a good whiff too if they'd been out in their backyard.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 10:49 am
Turkish Pancakes
Labels: out and about, small bites
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Between 11am - 4pm everyday, a lady will set up her pancake station in a nook under the jungle gym which is some 20m from the pool we'd take permanent residency in. It's a local specialty and you have a choice of four fillings: goat's cheese, spinach, potato and sugar. Or you can have it plain. It tastes like prata without the heavy ghee and is lekker! I would scoff down at least three every afternoon, mostly with spinach or sugar. The local goat's cheese was delicious too but only in small doses because of the distinct after taste. I don't know what these yummy snacks are called so if anyone can help me....
Anyway, these were hugely popular with the other wildlife guests as well and there would be a perpetual queue by her little niche. I normally hate queues but didn't mind standing in this one. It gave me the opportunity to study the process. A live cooking demonstration if you will.
Here are some pics I took of the Pancake Lady:
A note about the stick: I wanted to borrow it from her to jab at the queue cutters. Argh! Get in line like everyone else, you know? 
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 5:59 am
Easy Like Sunday Morning
Labels: home life, she cooks, small bites
Sunday, April 29, 2007
If any day was Family Day, today was it.
First up, we all had a sleep-in till almost 10am, yes, even the boy, who has a tendency to wake up at 7.30am on weekends but miraculously fail to get up at said time on a school morning. The mysteries of life.
Upon waking up, my husband proceeded to mow the lawn in the garden while I tended to the laundry and ironing. Our son tended to his PSP - Daddy bought him a new game yesterday, the one he's been hankering for forever. Two months is forever in a seven year old's life.
With ironing done, I proceeded to make a late brunch, English breakfast style. It wasn't entirely English since I left out the sausages and threw in some croissants.
Usually I make the croissants from scratch but since I've been there and done that croissant wise (or anything else for that matter), decided there was nothing to prove and popped in some pre-made frozen ones from the Delifrance label instead. I chanced upon them by accident at the supermarket and thought I'd test its quality. 'Made from pure butter' the label extolled. Okay, we'll soon see, won't we? It turned out rather good - crisp and flakey on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside. Mental note to self: This goes on the regular to-buy grocery list.
I also fried up some rashers of bacon, and a couple of eggs sunny side up. And of course, there was baked beans. Breakfast was eaten standing around our open bar counter in the kitchen. Very casual and relaxed, the way a Sunday morning should be.
I'm not a breakfast person and can't bear to see food in the morning. However, not wanting to spoil the mood, I had a piece of toast, croissant and some yoghurt instead. None of that greasy stuff my husband and son were scoffing down. I could feel my hips grow an inch just by watching them eat.
After brunch, my husband pulled out the deck of Uno cards and we all congregated at the patio table for a couple of rounds. Everyone won a game (or two). I remember playing Uno when I was around my son's age and now he's playing it with me. Talk about coming a full circle.
My husband and son then took turns at the PSP while I mosied around the garden, sniffing at the jasmine blooms. I cut a couple of stalks for the kitchen and living room. For the kitchen, I stuck a single stalk into a drinking cup as I wanted the careless, rustic look. For the living room, I put a bit more thought into it. I divided the stalk into tiny blossoms and floated them in a gold laquered bowl filled with water. It's on the coffee table now and gives off an incredible scent if you're in the vincinity.
At around 4pm, we went for a bike ride around the countryside. My husband chose one of the most hilly routes of Limburg. *ack!* At one point, the incline was so steep, I went on strike. I hopped off my bike and walked all the way up to the top and then got on my bike again. So did my son. It's not like we're in training or anything like that. As if to distract us from our exertions, we were treated to the most glorious view of fields, tilled land and assorted cows and horses. The sky was amazingly blue and clear. We were also treated to the most amazing stench of animal manure, something which my sensitive nose found most disagreeable.
The bike ride lasted for almost 3 hours during which we passed through a few villages. On the last leg of the journey, we made a pit stop by a small cafe in an even smaller village. Bottled water never tasted so good. We rested for about 30 minutes and then cycled homewards.
We ended the day differently. Some of us played with our PSP (yet again!), some of us watched soccer throughout the evening and some of us had a long, hot shower (to ease muscles I forgot I'd possessed until now) followed by a few hours of stitching.
Altogether a beautiful end to the week. I hope you all had a lovely Sunday, too.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 4:59 pm
