Let’s Celebrate!

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There are many ways to celebrate but for this household, the way to celebrate is cooking up a good meal and enjoying it together! (:

And the things to celebrate about might be something as small as doing well for a piece of assignment; or as big as getting a job. But tonight, we celebrated 2 things : the start of my school holidays and the mr coming back to melbourne! hehe Actually I think it’s just an excuse for me to get back in the kitchen (my comfort zone) and cook up something yummy for everyone. (: And so I did!

Went to Footscray market this morning, without having a clue about what I wanted to cook for dinner. This often happens to me haha. Getting inspiration by walking up and down the meats and seafood aisle. and I saw these gorgeous osso buccos that I just had to get them.

These gorgeous things are huge! haha So I bought 2 big ones for the boys and 1 small for me! Personally, I love to cook this over a low heat for at least 2 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. I think any longer than that, you would actually lose the marrow which the mr would be quite disappointed about. So I say, 2 hours tops!

Let’s do this!

Osso Bucco With Pasta (A Food Made With Love Original)

Ingredients :

3 beef/veal osso buccos

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, fine chopped

1 tbs plain flour, and extra to dust

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tbs tomato paste

1 can (400g) of tinned chopped tomatoes

2 cups beef stock

1/2 cup white wine

2 tsp dried mix herbs

4 tbs of olive oil, and extra to coat

salt and pepper, for seasoning and taste

Pasta, cooked according to the directions on the packet and drained

Steps :

1. Season the osso buccos with salt, pepper and chilli powder. Rub a bit of olive oil on the meat and coat with plain flour.

2. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a deep pan on medium-high heat and sear the meat for 2-3 minutes on each side till nice and brown. Take them off the heat, and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining 2 tbs of oil, and add the onion and garlic and cook till soft and fragrant. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and stir till well combined.

4. Add the flour and the mixed herbs and make sure you stir till there are no lumps. Add the tinned tomatoes and the wine and allow it to reduce by 1/4 before adding the beef stock. Bring to boil and reduce to low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Place the osso buccos back into the pan and cover to allow it to simmer for 1 hour. Remove the cover and continue to cook it over low heat for another hour (uncovered). The meat should be falling off the bone at this point.

6. Remove the osso buccos and place the cooked pasta in the pan and toss it to coat.

7. Plate  it as you like it! I prefer to have my pasta at the bottom and finish the dish with the osso buccos on top! (: of course, don’t forget the thick yummy gravy!

ENJOY!

PS: Remember to cook this with enough time to spare, so that your family or loved ones wouldn’t have to wait too long for dinner!

Bon Appetite! (: My mr. enjoying the marrows. hee

So how do you celebrate with your loved ones and friends? SHARE please! Would love to hear about it!

Crazy About Hazelnut.

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Macarons. I just can’t get enough of it. I don’t think my craze about them will diminish anytime soon. This was made a while back but this were the best macarons I’ve made. I made it before heading back to Singapore so I could bring it back for the loves of my life : family (:

And fortunately, they loved it! and these shells were the nicest I’ve made so far with happy feet!So sticking to using the Italian meringue for the shells!

I’ve made a few successful ones before : pb&j and bandung are just 2 of my favourite ones. This macaron was inspired by the sister-in-law-to-be! When she was in Melbourne, the only flavour of macarons she would have is hazelnut! So I promised her that I would try making them and bring them back home if they were successful. And thank goodness they were!

So I packed them nicely and neatly and compactly so that would be able to survive the 7 hour flight home!

Now enough about the shell. As for the beautiful filling, I attempted to make my own nutella! And I was so worried. Cos I LOVE nutella. and trying to make it from scratch was just something I never thought I would even attempt! When I made it, having it on its own (which I always do;digging a spoonful of nutella) didn’t have the “WOW” factor, but having it together – NOMS!

So here’s the recipe that I adapted from Anita from the Dessert First (: definitely a keeper!

Hazelnut Macarons with Homemade Nutella

Ingredients :

Italian Meringue Hazelnut Macaron Shell

200g hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
200g confectioners’ sugar
200g sugar

50g water
150g egg whites, divided into two 75g portions

A bit of cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)

Steps :

1. Stack two baking trays on top of each other. Line with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. (I actually prefer the parchment paper, but that’s just me!)
2. Process hazelnuts with confectioners’ sugar in a food processor. Sieve out any large bits of hazelnut. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium until all the sugar is dissolved. Meanwhile, place 75g of egg whites in a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup reaches 118 C/245 F.
3. While the sugar is cooking, begin whisking the egg whites. They should reach stiff peaks by the time the syrup is at  118 C/ 245 F. If it whips too fast, turn down or turn off the mixer. Turn the mixer speed to low. Carefully pour the sugar syrup in a slow stream into the mixer.
4. Turn the mixer speed to high and let the meringue whip for several minutes until it has cooled (to touch) and appears glossy and firm.
5. In a large bowl, combine the hazelnut mixture with the remaining 75g of egg whites until partially combined. Scoop the meringue on top of the hazelnut mixture. Using a spatula or dough scraper, carefully fold the meringue in, trying not to deflate it.
6. The final batter should be thick and flow slowly like magma. Do not overmix. Scoop the batter into a piping bag fitted with a ½” diameter plain tip.
7. Pipe 1 ½” rounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle some cocoa powder straight after piping. Let the sheets sit for about 30 minutes to let the shells harden. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160 C/320 F.
8. Bake one set of macarons for 15 minutes, rotating once. Let tray cool for a few minutes before removing from the silicone mat. Let finish cooling on wire racks.
Homemade Nutella

1/2 cup (70 g) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned

8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces

2 ounces semisweet/bittersweet chocolate

1 cup (240 g) heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps :

Place hazelnuts in food processor and pulse until nuts are ground into a paste.

Place both chocolates in a metal bowl and place on another saucepan of simmering water. Stir chocolate occasionally until fully melted.

Place cream in a clean saucepan and bring just to a boil on the stove over medium high heat.

Stir cream into chocolate until fully combined.

Add ground hazelnuts and salt and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into a container and chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours until it has firmed up slightly and can be spread/piped onto the macaron shells.

ENJOY! (:

A Keeper : Beef Stout Stew

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Remember the post I did a couple of days ago on Yorkshire pudding? I knew after posting that I had to post the recipe of my favourite stew to have the pud with. I’ve made a few stews but I feel that this one is definitely a keeper.

I don’t know if it’s the stout, but somehow. It does make the stew yummier. Might be in my head. haha (My Mr loves stout!) In saying that, I’m sure it will be fine if you leave the stout out and just use more stock. It’s just one of those stews that you can put all your favourite ingredients in it and it will turn out great! Although it takes a really long time to cook, it is crucial just so the flavours will develop and you will get the thick and lucious gravy! The waiting time is worth it!

There are many things you could have with a stew. Besides the yorkshire pudding, one of my other favourite sides to go with a stew is a good mash. I made parmesan mash with this beef stew. And it was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! (:

So what is the favourite thing you like to go with your stew? SHARE! (:

Beef Stout Stew (Serves 6 or freezes well)

Ingredients :

1.2kg gravy beef, cut into 3cm pieces (can use chuck as well)

1/4 cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

3 carrots, cut into chunks

1 big onion, cut into wedges

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

6 small eschalots

8 mushrooms, cut into quarters

2 tbs tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

1 cup stout

2 bay leaves

Steps :

1. Lightly dust the meat with the flour, shake off and reserve the excess. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a casserole dish/claypot on medium-high heat and pan dry the beef in batches until browned all over. Remove and set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium and heat the rest of the oil, adding the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring for 3-4minutes until tender. Add the tomato paste and the rest of the flour and stir for a further minute.

3. Add the stout, beef stock and bay leaves and stir till well combined. Bring to a simmer, cover and allow it to cook over low heat for 1hr. (Stirring every half hour just to make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom)

4. Add the mushrooms and eschalots and cover and cook for a further 1 1/2hrs or until the meat is soft and tender and the sauce is rich and thick. (Stirring every 30mins)

Serve with a side of your choice! (: ENJOY!

For The Love of Italian Food

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Italian food is one of my favourite cuisines. I cannot have enough of it! Whether it comes in big portions at family restaurants or small portions at fine dining places, I love them all! It’s no secret one of my favourite kind of food to cook is italian. Especially pasta!

One of the staples in this household is spaghetti and meatballs. Another is spaghetti bolognese. Especially on days that I have work or uni. Just cause it’s so quick and easy to whip up and it’s always yummy! (: And thoroughly enjoyed by everyone! However, on days that I have time to just be in the kitchen and cook something I really love, one of the few things I end up making is risotto.

One of my all time favourite risotto is without a doubt mushroom risotto. Especially when there is porcini in it. The flavour would just be so intense. I could fall in love. (: and with a mixture of different kinds of mushrooms. Just talking about it puts a smile on my face!

So after weeks of work and a hectic week of rushing an assignment to meet a deadline. I finally got a chance to be in the kitchen and cook something I love without rushing. Having the time to myself just to enjoy the whole process. And gain some arm muscles, I must add, with all the stirring. haha.

Even though it takes a long time to get it to where it should be, and it takes a lot of strength to stir it continuously. And also alot of concentration to make sure it doesn’t dry out. But trust me, it will all be worth the time and effort. Every single spoonful will be worth it! (:

So here is the recipe I came up with on my own! An original! Whoopeedoo! hehe Always exciting to come up with my own recipe. Hope you all will enjoy it!

Seafood Risotto (A Food Made With Love Original)

Ingredients

150g aborio rice

4 cups stock (I used chicken stock)

1/2 cup white wine

550g seafood

1 big onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

6 pieces of sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp hot paprika

1 tbs tomato paste

1 tbs yogurt (could use cream)

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs parmesan cheese, extra to serve

25g butter

salt & pepper, to taste

Steps :

1. For the seafood: Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a frying pan, and add 1 tbs of chopped onion and 1 tsp chopped garlic. Fry till fragrant. Add 1 tsp of chopped sundried tomatoes and fry for a couple more minutes.

2. Add the seafood and allow it to fry for 5 mins. Add the chilli powder and fry for another minute. Set a bit of the seafood aside to garnish.

3. For the risotto: Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a deep frying pan, add the rest of the chopped onion, garlic and sundried tomatoes and fry till onion becomes translucent and is softened (about 5 mins). Add the rice and make sure the rice gets coated with the oil.

4. Pour the wine into the frying pan and stir until it has reduced to half. Add the chopped tomatoes and two ladles of stock and stir continuously until absorbed. Continue to add the stock (1 ladle at the time), stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked but still al dente. This should take about 20-25 minutes.

5. Stir in the seafood, paprika, tomato paste and yogurt and stir till well combined (Stir gently, so that the fish will not crumble. You want it to keep its shape!). Add the parmesan and butter into the risotto. Season to taste.

6. Divide into plates, lightly tap it to allow it to spread. Place the seafood that was set aside on top to garnish. Top with parmesan and serve.

ENJOY!

Yorkshire Puddings.

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This is no ordinary pudding. Not something sweet, in fact it’s savoury!

The first time I sunk my teeth into these beautiful puff was at Cafe Vue at Melbourne airport and they were a whole plate of deliciousness with waygu beef, mash and a thick and and luscious gravy. O-M-G!

So when I returned back from Singapore, I had to try making it. I was reading one of the older editions of the Delicious magazine and I found a perfect recipe that was as easy as mix-stir-pour-bake-VIOLA! So I couldn’t resist and had to make it. And it’s the cutest thing!

loved how they just pop up and have that beautiful golden brown. You kinda have to eat it as soon as it’s out of the oven (with caution not to burn urself!) cause it’s not as nice cold!

I cooked a stout beef stew to go with it and it was a match-made in heaven! (: And the tummies were happy and very satisfied.I reckon it will go well with any kind of stew that has thick and yummy gravy.

So give this easy treat a go when you’re thinking of making a stew! (: You’ll love it!

Easy Yorkshire Pudding (Adapted from Delicious Magazine)

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil

2/3 cup plain flour

Good pinch of salt

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup milk

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in each of 12 holes of a cupcake baking tin. Out in the oven for 5 mins or until oil is hot.

2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and combine. Add egg and egg yolk and use a balloon whisk to whisk until combined. Gradually add the milk in a thin, stead stream and whisk until smooth.

3. Pour batter into a jug and divide evenly among the cupcake holes, pouring the mixture carefully into the hot oil. Return tin to the oven and bake for 15-20mins or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm!

ENJOY!

A Pie Like No Other.

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Ever seen a recipe and add it to your bookmark list almost immediately but have no courage to give it a try? This was one of them. I got about 100 more recipes bookmarked and still trying to give them a go! I’m not kidding or exaggerating.

Truth be told, I never had a very good experience with pies. Or tarts for the matter. Especially food that involve the pie/tart tin. haha. One horrible experience was the Chocolate Ganache, Cream and Strawberry Tart that I tried to bake after watching Masterchef. It was a DISASTER! Free form tarts like Hot Apple Tart I could still handle. anything to do with short crust pastry or a tin, not so much.

But I decided to suck it up, and give tarts another shot. One consolation was that I didn’t need to make shortcrust pastry. But that’s not to say that this is any simpler! Although I have to admit, I love the fact that the base is made of oats! That made me push myself even more to try this recipe!

And so I did. As you can see from the picture above, it’s not a perfect looking pie. But I think I did pretty well! And boy was it yummy! The gooey-ness of the filling was just to-die-for. REALLY. Everyone should give this a shot! Don’t think about the calories, just have it. You will love it!

One of the challenges I had was taking the pie out of the tin, without the sides and corners crumbling on me. Let me tell you this, it is not a one person job. You need extra hands for this! Thankfully I had the Mr help me! (: And he also helped me in finishing up the pie! haha and after you do finish the pie, you need to head to The Training Geek to get some exercise tips and work the sugar off! But it will all be worth it, I repeat, worth every calorie intake!

So here’s the recipe from the Momofuku cook book! Enjoy every single crumb!

What’s better than hot gooey pie and ice cream?

Oatmeal Cookie for Crust

Ingredients
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
Scant 1 cup rolled oats

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 190°C.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Stir in the flour mixture until fully combined. Stir in the oats.
6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Ingredients
Crumbled cookie for crust
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins (I used a long rectangular tin and 8 small round ones). Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon milk powder
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 egg yolks

Prepared crusts

Powdered sugar to garnish

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.
3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.
4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.
5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.
6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. Serve cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

You. Will. Love. It. I. Promise. (:

My Mr’s Special : Roasted Beef Ribs

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Ever had something that was so good, you had to try to make it at home?

We did. We had the best beef short ribs at Pancake On The Rocks in Sydney and we couldn’t stop talking about it. To the point where the mr had to go buy short ribs and make it back at home! (:

And boy did the mr do an awesome job! He made his own bbq sauce and the beef ribs were nice, succulent and yummy!

Doesn’t it look absolutely mouth-watering? hehe

The good thing about this recipe is you just need to make the marinade and allow it to take in all the yummy flavours; the bad thing is you would need to allow it to marinade for a whole day to get maximum flavour. so YOU GOTTA WAIT! haha as the saying goes “good thing comes to those who wait!“

And these babies would go well with anything and everything! You could cut it up and put it on pizzas (which is what we did the next day with the left overs), you could have it with salad, you could have it with chips. For that night, we had it with a side of salad, baked portobello mushrooms, and buns with homemade eggplant dip! (:

It was a super yummy and, not to mention, filling dinner! (: So here’s the recipe the mr adapted to create this yummos dinner! Give it a shot!

Ingredients (Adapted from Food.com)

1 (14 ounce) bottle ketchup1/2 cup honey3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
3 finely chopped green onions1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon all spice1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 dash tabasco
2 kg meaty beef ribs (or short ribs)

Steps :

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, except the beef, and adjust seasonings to taste (the sauce should have a good balance of sweet and savory flavors).
2. Place the ribs in a large bowl, and coat with the sauce.
3. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours or as long as 48 hours, turning the ribs every so often. (I would say the longer the better!)
4. Preheat the oven to 165°C. Drain the ribs (reserving the sauce), and place them in a large roasting pan, bone-side down.
5. Brush with sauce, and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, and turn the ribs over, brush with additional sauce, bake for another 30 minutes.
7. Turn one more time, brush with the remaining sauce, and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until ribs are tender, basting every so often.
ENJOY!! (:
On a side note, since it is the mister who cooked this dish. I would like to congratulate him on making the Fresh Press page of WordPress! (: All your hard work has paid off sweetie! Keep up the good work! And for all you guys who would like to get more exercise tips, head over to his website and educate yourself! Exercise Yourself Healthy! WOO!

Winter Warmer

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So it’s the middle of winter. Rather  2 months into winter and besides these couple of days that have been all about sunshine and clear skies; the rest of the days include cold winds, cloudy skies and temperatures below 10 degrees! I’m never a winter person, more an autumn or spring person. There’s something about leaves falling from the trees and flowers blooming (opposite ends of the spectrum, I know) that puts a smile on my face.

So the only way to cheer me up during this gloomy winter is to cook something that would warm us up (with a little kick of spice) What do I have in mind? Fish stew! (: And it goes really well with … Garlic bread ! My favourite winter warmer at the moment. A one pot wonder too! No mess, no fuss! And pretty yummy if I could say so myself (:

Please pardon the lack in quality of my photos. Was too hungry and didn’t really adjust the lighting well enough! Plus the messy bowl. Goodness me!

So here’s the recipe, give it a shot and warm yourself up this winter! (:

Fish and Seafood Stew (A Food Made With Love Original)

1 leek, sliced thinly

4 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly

1 onion, cut into wedges

1 carrot, cut into small cubes/pieces

3 red chillies, de-seeded and sliced thinly

2 tbs olive oil

1 tin chopped tomatoes

2 tbs tomato paste

1 tin tomato puree

2 tsp hot paprika

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic salt

2 fillets of basa, sliced into 1-inch pieces

300g marinara mix

50g spinach

750ml fish stock

100ml white wine

Steps :

1) In a large pot, heat the olive oil on a medium heat and add the leeks, garlic, onion, chilli and carrot and cook till soft and fragrant. (make sure the onion or garlic does not brown, just until the onion is translucent)

2) Add the hot paprika, chilli powder and garlic salt and stir to incorporate.

3) Add the dried oregano and allow mixture to cook for 5 minutes before adding the wine. Allow the wine to reduce by half before adding the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir it well and add the fish stock. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours.

(note : you don’t have to cook for this long, if you want a quick meal, just allow it to cook for 30 mins before going on to the next step. If you have the time, allow it to cook for at least 2 hours or more for more flavour as well as a thicker stew)

4) Add the fish fillets and seafood 20 minutes before serving, and the spinach 10 minutes before serving.

5) Serve with a side of homemade garlic bread or white rice.

ENJOY !

Stay warm everyone ! (:

Bandung Macarons

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For those of you who are not familiar with the flavour bandung, it’s basically a drink that consists of rose syrup and carnation milk! How delicious does that sound? Imagine that in a macaron – a whole mouthful or two of yumminous. Like a mini explosion in your mouth!

I have been in a baking macaron frenzy lately. And I am addicted to using the Italian meringue method. The macarons just turn out much smoother and shinier. And I just wanted to create a flavour that I miss and love. One flavour came to my mind : bandung. I love ordering this drink while eating prata. Just one of the best combinations besides teh cino. haha Maybe that would be my next flavour. hmm..

okie back to this macaron post! I wanted to also create a storng intense rose flavour when you bite into the macaron. So my solution is to make an intense rose syrup jelly to put in the middle! The deep red against the pink macaron shell and faint pink buttercream was a really good contrast! (: I was a happy girl. hehe

So it is basically a rose macaron shell filled with a rose syrup and carnation milk buttercream with a rose syrup jelly! One bite and you can really taste the rose. Not so much the carnation milk which I was hoping it would. Well, we always need to improve don’t we? But still yummy and everyone loved it!

so here’s the recipe of my bandung macaron. Have a go! Especially if you miss having bandung like me!

Rose Macaron (A Pierre Herme’s recipe from The Boy Who Bakes)

300g Ground Almonds

300g Icing Sugar

110g Egg Whites, aged

5g Red Food Colouring

300g Granulated Sugar

75g Water

110 Egg Whites, aged

Steps :

1. For the TPT : Mix the almond meal and the powdered sugar and put it int a blender to make the mixture finer. Sieve the almond mixture to make sure there are no big bits or lumps.

2. Place the egg white in a clean mixing bowl, add in the red food coloring then stir to mix. Add the almond flour mixture, using a rubber spatula, and fold until it forms into a sticky ball, cover with food wrap, set aside.

3. For the Italian merigue : Pour the water and sugar into a saucepan and swirl together. Add the second portion of egg whites to a mixer fitted with the whisk. Cook the syrup to 118C. Once the mixture reaches 115C start the mixer on high. Once the syrup reaches 118C take straight of the heat and pour in a thin stream down the side of the mixer bowl continuing to whisk on high.

3. Continue to whisk the meringue on high until the side of the bowl is no longer hot. You still want it a little warm, around 50C. Add the meringue to the bowl with the almond sugar mixture in 3 portions.

4. Using a large spatula fold the mixture together until it starts to shine and forms a ribbon that stays visible for about 30 seconds.

5. Pour the batter into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe the batter from the center of the drawn circle onto the baking sheets. Let dry at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to allow skins to form. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F/150°C, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

6. Once the batter is dry to the touch, place into the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to cool on the cooling rack. Once cooled, slide a knife (fragile, must be careful) underneath the macarons to remove from the parchment paper.

Rose Syrup Jelly

3 tbs gelatine

75g rose syrup

250ml water

Steps :

1. Place 3 tbsn. cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, let sit while you do the next step.

2. Mix the rose syrup with the water and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin. Stir until well combined.

3. Pour the mixture into a container that is wide enough so that the liquid will be spread thinly (1/2 cm). Allow it to chill in fridge for at least 3 hours or until you need to use it.

 Bandung Buttercream

200g sugar

75g water

150g eggs

90g egg yolks

400g butter, softened

4g rose water

30g rose syrup

20g carnation milk

Steps :

1. Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and cook over medium heat to 120C. Whilst the syrup is coming to temperature add the eggs and egg yolks to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk and whisk until the thicken and lighten in colour.

2. With the mixer still on slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl and continue to whisk until cooled.

3. Switch to the beater, begin to beat in the butter at medium/high speed one or two pieces at a time. Once all the butter is beaten in and the buttercream is smooth beat in the rose syrup, carnation milk and rose water.

4. Pair two macaron shells of the same size together, pipe the rose buttercream on the flat side of one of the shell and top with a small piece of rose syrup jelly, then sandwich them.

PS : if you are making this in winter, don’t panic if your buttercream looks like scrambled eggs, heat it over a water bath and continue to beat it until it becomes smooth!

So what is your favourite drink that you think could be made into a macaron?  (:

Fish Roulade

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On our recent trip to Costco, we found a good deal on fish! It’s $4 a kilo and sold in a 3kg box! (:

I know it seems a little crazy haha. But you see, we try to maximise our marketing money. So we tend to get the cheapest cut of meat which usually ends up being mince pork. haha So seafood is usually a rare treat! And since the mr needs to cut weight before his competition this Saturday, fish was a really good idea for our meals this week.

So one of the first things I decided to try was to do my own version of fish roulade! But just the simplest of roulades. haha Not sure if it should even be called that. I was trying to make it as healthy as possible. But I couldn’t resist putting a small slice of bacon, to add more flavour. Oops. haha

The subtle flavour of the fish, with the richness of the bacon and the texture of the crispy-ness of the fish was just perfect. Everything just went well with a side of salad and bread sticks covered with homemade eggplant dip! (:

healthy (most of it is! haha) and quick to cook ! You can have it from the oven to your plate in 20 mins ! Give it a try, and gain the goodness of eating fish too!

Fish Roulade (Makes 2)

2 slices of basa fillets

2 slices of streaky bacon

3 tbs bread crumbs

2 tbs dried herbs

2 tbs parmesan

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 small cubes of chilled butter

Salad, to serve

Avocado, slices (optional)

Steps :

1. Mix the bread crumbs, herbs, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl and set a side.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Place a slice of bacon on top of the fish fillet and roll it tight. Do the same for the other fish fillet.

3. Roll the fish in the bread crumbs mixture. Place it on a roasting rack and place a cube of butter on each roulade.

4. Bake the fish roulade for 20 mins. Slice it into half diagonally and serve with the salad.

A quick and easy meal is served! ENJOY! (: