Kalena's Kitchen

Yay To 2009!

2009-01-01T22:51:00.007+08:00

This is going to be an exciting year for my family. Not only do I get to meet my little girl in April, I'm also looking forward to a good pal's wedding in romantic Bali, to Chinese New Year in S.'s hometown and X'mas back home.

The arrival of Bubu (that's what S. and I call her since we first found out of the pregnancy) is making me all hyped up and anxious. A friend suggested I name her "Cookie" since I love baking cookies so much. Erm, really didn't know how to react to that.

I've been thinking "Kate" would be nice. Yup I think this would be it if there are no violent objections from S. Not that he has many opinions about baby names (which frustrates me!)

My activities in cyberspace have diverted to avid reading of pregnancy-related articles and baby stuff shopping. That's why I've become such a bummer with blogging and confectionery making lately. As a redemption (if you came here to read about chocolate,) may I offer you an interesting article I just read online. This article about chocolate "sweetening" pregnancies could bring some cheer to you if you are expecting and craving for dark chocolate big time! Well, moderation is always the key! Please do speak to your ob or gynae regarding your caffeine intake to be on the safe side!!!

Yay to more chocolate and to 2009!

Onion Flowers

2008-12-22T08:33:00.007+08:00

These elegant onion flowers are sitting in my living room now, and I can't resist taking a photo or two to capture their beauty. They last well too, I've gotten them 3 days ago and they look just as fresh as they were on day 1.

Very happy to find a florist near my place. It's run by a cheery chatty old gentleman. Somehow in Hong Kong, people manage well with small spaces. He runs his shop in a meter-wide lane between 2 buildings. It's feels like treasure hunting during flower shopping. ^__^

Coffee Truffles - Tribute to Cee

2008-12-05T21:24:00.009+08:00

Unveiling... *drumroll*

*Tada!!!*

I have to thank Cee for the start of my home chocolate making venture. It's been months since I left off. After moving to a new city and bad bouts of morning sickness the past few months, I'm finally ready to hit the kitchen again.

She brought me 3kg of Manjari all the way from Singapore! I've never worked with this dark chocolate from Valrhona before, and it's a going to be lots of experimentation with this new flavor. Manjari has a very light and refreshing taste with sourish notes.

The first batch of chocolates from this bagful is coffee truffles. Cee has something for her coffee, be it a wake-me-up in the morning, caffeine-high in the office at 2 pm, or an after-dinner dessert. Just pure addiction for her. I think she would have love them if she could try some. Till we meet again in January, I can only dedicate these truffles to her for now!

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For this batch, I used:

- 350g of Manjari
- 250 ml of heavy/whipping cream
- 40g of butter (cubed)
- 40g of sugar
- 4g of instant coffee

1) Half melt the chocolate in a double boiler. (Some work with unmelted chocolate pieces. I use buttons too, but I find that many times, I cannot emulsify properly and get lumps or a grainy texture when I work with unmelted chocolate. Some chefs work with melted chocolate. I wonder what works for you?)
2) Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and coffee. Stir till sugar and coffee granules are melted, and cream comes to a boil.
3) Pour cream over chocolate.
4) Stir mixture slowly. (A chocolate chef once told me to stir from in to out, meaning you work the chocolate from the center of the bowl and then outwards, in small and widening circular motions.
5) Add butter cubes slowly, a few cubes at a time.
6) Continue to stir till mixture is well emulsified.
7) Pour into a 8" square tray.
8) Let mixture cool till room temperature before putting the tray into the refrigerator. (Please be sure to wrap with plastic wrap, as chocolate takes on odors very easily.)
9) Leave overnight (or enough time to ensure a hard ganache to be cut into pieces.)
10) Cut into desired dimensions.
11) Coat or dust with cocoa powder.
12) Keep refrigerated! These truffles are not coated with tempered chocolate and do not keep well w/o refrigeration!

Thoughts:

- I like it a lot, but would have liked it more if it were to be more milky. The acidity and aromatic "roastiness" of coffee complemented with the sourish, refreshing notes of Manjari but it left too strong an aftertaste for me. But it's just me. It's just like how some people would add milk to their coffee, and some would never have anything else but black.

Sorry for the MIA!

2008-09-08T08:30:00.003+08:00

Been busy, been lazy, had not been baking, had not been making chocolates, had not been myself! And it's for months. I've recently moved to a new city, and yes, besides being homesick and sick of unpacking, I haven't figured out where to get ingredients from! Cranky, grouchy and simply out of sorts. Did they tell you baking could be therapeutic?

I guess, when I can't stand it any longer, I would be doing Betty Crocker's brownies to get started. Speaking of which, I even messed up a BC brownie years ago when I just started baking. I accidentally switched my oven to grill mode and set the top of the brownie on fire! I jumped up and down on the kitchen floor, took the brownie tray out, and quickly slammed shut the oven door. Really didn't want to panic the smoke detector (Mom) and be banned from the kitchen forever. Haha...

Will still be missing in action for a while. Hope to be forgiven by Spatula, Whisk, Oven & Mixer. Hope to be back with a vengeance...

Chocolates seem to make me popular...

2008-03-31T00:51:00.004+08:00

Haha... terrible blog title I know! Like all food bloggers or foodies would know, food unites. If there is something more I can add for chocolate, it's "Chocolate DELIGHTS".

It seems truffles have brought me some new friends, and have given me very good reasons to meet up with old ones. I enjoy packing things neatly, and adorning them with a simple ribbon; Nothing pleases me more when what's inside is edible. Sometimes I wonder if I have baked cookies and rolled truffles so I can package them and give away as presents? (and not really to eat them myself?) Nonetheless, the effects of my interests seem to have helped me break out of my sometimes-prolonged bouts of anti-social behavior, and I am happy I did. K. sent me a lovely test message telling how much the bag of truffles brighten her day. That text message brightens up mine too. :)

I met up with W. for coffee because he had long been a loyal guinea pig (well, I hope he no longer feels so...), and I wanted him to try this new recipe. Maybe W. (and E. and A.) didn't enjoy it, have not heard from him. It's okie! I think meeting up for coffee was the real deal.

Haha... silly post, I hope I'm the only one reading it! ^__^

Truffles Au Cocolat

2008-03-02T16:23:00.006+08:00

Beautifully rich and austere, these truffles turned out lovely. I didn't quite know what to expect actually. Having made dozens of batches of truffles with cream, I found myself drawn to Alice's recipe (she has gotten the recipe from her landlady years back in 1973) in this book, which uses egg yolks and boiling water to emulsify with butter and chocolate. An "authentic and virually obsolete" recipe, I knew it was THE recipe to try (was my birthday actually, so I just had to try something different).

Pleasant pleasant surprise! The ganache turned out smooth and rich, definitely less creamy (but still as creamy? arrgghhh, I don't know how to describe that melting-on-the-tongue intense feeling). The best part was, the recipe didn't ask for a coating of tempered of chocolate! Woohoooo! Just the run-and-go kind of recipe I needed for that rushed afternoon in the kitchen. I came back 5 hours later to roll them out, half of them plain, and the other half with some Les Perles Croquantes (Valrhona chocolate pearls). I love some texture in the truffles but I find most nuts overpowering. These crunchies are a wonderful complement to the plain truffles. Not my first time making crunchy truffles actually!

As with all other batches, this is yet again too much for myself and S. to finish. I usually like to consume the truffles within 2 weeks, or it'll end up untouched beyond 14 days. I can't tell you how much chocolates ended up in the bin previously, and I feel horrible horrible throwing them away. (terribly wasteful, which eventually made me stop baking/chocolate making for a while). But now that I vowed to finish or give away everything I make or bake while they are still fresh before I start on another baking/chocolate projects, I have been conscientiously meeting up with friends and eating. Maybe I should vow to exercise too? (hahaa.... better not commit to something I have never really started doing...)

I made S. bring a whole tray full of truffles to his colleagues, I hope they enjoyed it! If not I'll be known as Miss Truffle-Shuffler-Into-Your-Face.

Some pictures from the process:

An Early Valentine

2008-01-17T23:54:00.000+08:00

I know it's a month away, but I have baked these heart shaped cranberry white tea cookies months ago, and kept the photos in my hard disk for the longest time before they are allowed to unveil on a .com.

Cliche cookie cutter for Valentine's Day, but tried as I had, no other shape pleases more than a heart shaped one for this special day. I remember old school times when classmates gave out tiny bears, pink cards, heart shaped balloons to one another. Shy boys love to pick this sometimes not too auspicious day to confess their long kept secrets. Anonymous notes get passed around in lecture halls. Roses stuffed into bags. While I was never part of this romantic chain of melody in school days (blame the geeky specs and very bad haircut), my girlfriends and I have enjoyed hanging out on this day, often purposefully making sure we be out some where and not at home (now I wonder why?). Like Christmases, new Years and birthdays, February 14th brings happy memories of great company from old friends.

If you are baking for friends, family or a secret crush (hush hush), get a heart shaped cookie cutter. Shape them into a lucky clover (secret crush will find it more discreet).

I'll be baking for some friends, and will offer some for sale if I can manage. I do advise that you bake some yourself though, it really means a whole lot more! Enjoy ~~~

A sweet goodbye to 2007...

2008-01-09T01:44:00.000+08:00

It was a loved one's birthday on 31st Dec, someone very special. Special people get special gifts (argh, always tough to go shopping with such a objective.) I can't think of anything else except for something handmade or a big fat bag of cash. Since I can't quite afford the latter, I decided on a handmade bouquet (no oven, no chocolate making tools, no penknife, no paper, no fabric, no sewing machine in this situation). It's got to be an auspicious colour (sort of decided on pink).

I can't decide if the posy turned out well; It looked quite fine to me, but certainly not roundish like the rest of the wedding posies I have seen. Maybe I should go for floral arrangement classes or work at a florist's. Always dreamt of having a floral shop with country style decor and whimsical looking furniture and huge glass door. (sorry I got distracted again...)

I guess this kind of wraps up 2007. A year for new things, discoveries of hidden passions, loads of hands on, random acts from compulsive behavior and most importantly, a time to dream. I don't know what 2008 would entail, but I'm certainly hoping there would be enough time to bake and craft. I am en route to making the best dark chocolate cookies ever (evil grin), and when that happens, oh yes when it happens... I'll be posting and raving about it! Wish me luck!

Cookies Cutters & Ribbons: Green Tea Cookies Part II

2007-11-27T01:39:00.000+08:00

I've fallen again.

Fallen prey to these gleaming metallic, sturdy stainless steel cookie cutters with Japanese motifs.

Fallen in love with a roll of beautiful ribbon. It is printed on both sides!!!!!!!!! (Yes, it's almost impossible to find consumer-available, double-side printed ribbons these days!) Sorry to sound like such a creep, but I look out for details like these.

At the point of purchase, I haven't figured when I would have a chance to use this lovely piece (I wanted to use "precious" but the word took on a whole new meaning after watching Lord of the Rings). But having a weak spot for ribbons (and paper, fabric, stationery by and large), my approach is to buy when in doubt. Hee hee :)

Things started to piece up slowly: a sakura cookie cutter, green tea powder (leftover from the previous bake), a ribbon which seems a perfect match to package green tea cookies.

I got on to more baking again, and packaging, and eating.

Actually there is one overlooked point about packaging baked goodies in pretty, small sealed bags: It delays gratification! I absolutely love these cookies, but I can't bear to tear the little pyramids apart! The calories accumulate still, just more slowly... ^_^

Nostalgia with the Coming of X'mas - Green Tea Tree Cookies Part I

2007-11-21T01:50:00.000+08:00

Had recently gotten some very likeable X'mas tree cookie cutters from Cuisipro . I almost ran out of ideas on how to make a green cookie without any colour additives (even contemplated grinding some fresh herbs and puree-ing avocado), green tea powder appeared on the supermarket shelf just in time to save me from some making some cookies which probably just looked green and just aren't too edible. Relief.

The fun part of making rolled cookies is really the cutting part. I subsequently bought more cutters, expressing no signs of restraint for my (over-)spending habit on baking supplies (gasp). I personally prefer metal cutters to plastic ones, but the great shapes and ascending sizes from Cuisipro's are irresistible (words from a baking-gear-fallen-prey).

Just some small tips on making rolled cookies:

1) Metal cutters tend to have a smoother "release" than most plastic ones, but take note to get good stiff stainless steel ones, it's frustrating to work with flimsy malleable cutters (imagine your round cookies turning oval-ish after some tough handling).

2) If your dough isn't sweet enough, dip them in granulated sugar before baking. They will bake beautifully. I did that for this batch of cookies, and the sugar coat adds a crunchy crust.

3) Chill. Chill. Chill. Chill till firm before rolling. Chill again if dough turns soft during handling. You can bake trays of chilled dough, just adjust baking time accordingly (usually 1-3 min more, depending on oven).

I can't believe X'mas is so near. It's often a love-hate relationship with X'mas. Whilst I enjoy the festiveness, shopping, spirit of giving, warmth, good company from old friends, I often can't bear to see the end of the year coming. I hope time could pass a little less quickly! There's so much more to do, so much to bake, so many more things on the 2007 to-do list that haven't been striked out yet!

The turquoise tea towel probably isn't too X'mas-y, but imagine a weekend morning, with tea in your favorite teacup, your little journal with the year's resolutions (and probably 2006's), and some cookies. Probably a good time to look back on things, in anticipation for the year's end. ^___^

To Christmas~~~~

Gooey Gooey...

2007-11-04T00:10:00.000+08:00

It would be fun to called these blobby cookies little brownies, except it is fudgier, gooey-ier and probably walnutier. (pardon the blunt non-existent adjectives!). I can't think of a better description than the author's.

Adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet Decadence Cookies, these little treats are "ultrachocolatey and richer than sin, slightly crunchy on the outside with a divinely soft center..." True to every word and more, this cookie delivers a lovely jolt of bittersweetness and an intense (not to mention instant) chocolate fix.

Nothing subtle, and definitely not for the cocoa-neutral, the batch of 700g dough comprises of 300g-400g (depending on cocoa content percentage) and only 35g of flour. Ahhhhh... if you are a nut-lover, you would be pleased to know that there is 200g of walnuts in the batter as well. So, really, it's actually chocolates and nuts baked with some eggs and a tiny dust of flour.

Exciting proportions, a good sunny Saturday afternoon, ample chocolate and some fresh nuts = these gooey treats.

Baking these was not hard (except loads of cleaning up because of such a wet batter), but photographing them was a total nightmare! I never really know how to make dark brown little things look pretty, and it's getting harder with each post (if you notice I made loads of truffles and different chocolate cookies). I have decided to jar them up, so there is a little gloss. It turns out to be a great packaging size. Yeahhhh, my little cookie business seems to be shaping up! (unrealistically optimistic.. haha...)

Crunchy Truffles

2007-10-19T16:07:00.000+08:00

It turned out all delightful. It was partly because I was too lazy to infuse tea in my ganaches, so I looked through the kitchen stash, and decided to make some truffles with chocolate crunchies, a valuable buy from Shermay's.

It was a high cream to chocolate truffle. 500 ml of whipping cream to 300 g of Araguani! I always loved creamy yet dark, melt-in-the-mouth truffles, so I went to quite an extreme for the cream proportion. The ganache was surprisingly easy to roll, maybe because the morning was a chilly one.

All of it was shared with friends promptly and finished up in less than a week!

I was not working from my own kitchen, so I was a little short on some of my favorite tools and packaging materials. Nonetheless, I managed alright. No fancy pictures, no cookies with ribbons, no truffles in martini glass. Just a little hill of truffle balls, crying to be eaten, and rightfully deserving so.

Yum... I'm thinking of dark truffles of white chocolate balls now. It's true you can't stop once you start, be it the eating or the making.

Baking with Chunks - Part II

2007-10-06T12:26:00.000+08:00

I got down to the real baking! For readers looking for recipes, I am afraid I can't offer you much (yes, you are free to click on another blog link), because I have recently decided to give a shot at setting up a cookie shop (had a sudden awakening). Most of the recipes I'll be trying out in the next few months would be those I'm keen to use for my shop. So, I'm going to evolve into a cookie-ninja and you'll find me posting pictures with vivid descriptions but elusive, evasive references (if at all) to the recipes. Yes, call me awful, selfish, annoying, but I had kept those precious recipes in my 10-over year-old notebook with a tingling thought during my teens that I could set up a bakery one day, and like the baker-owners all say, "Ah.. that's my secret recipe." You won't deprive of having a chance (no matter how slim) to say that one day yup? ^___^

While this blog have never really been targeted to garner a huge audience (Yup, I think and write like I would love to read, and it serves more as my own kitchen diary). Those who have been reading regularly (I'm very thankful) would know they can skip the first few paragraphs because I never get to the point quickly. Alright point taken, let's get to it!

I have been baking a chocolate cookie with different types of chocolate chunks. I had used Valrhona's Guanaja before, and now recently tried the same recipe with Araguani, thinking its floral notes and subtle bitterness would go well with some cookie sweetness. The cookie is still good, but Guanaja's slight citrus sourness had a better go with this ultra chocolatey treat. (Personal take of course!)

I tried a sister cookie (yes I treat white chocolate and strawberries as feminine objects). It's really hard to get dried strawberries (please let me know if you know!). I emptied these morsels from an entire box of Post's cereal, and they were weightless on an digital scale! They rarely filled half a cup.

There are some distributors carrying freezed dried fruit (which researchers have reported to retain high levels of nutrients), but we have to order by the kg.

These cookies turn out quite crisp on the outside, and some bigger choc chunks remain liquidy, giving slight chewy centre. Ever wondered why some cookies turn out crispy and thin, some thick and chewy? Ah... mystery mystery. I have a thing for permutations and possibilities. I variate the same core recipe with difference types of sugars, flours, fats, and alter the amounts slightly. I would also bake the same dough under different conditions (temp. and time). Of course, with experimentation comes loads of failures and some nice surprises. Please check out this great information site on chocolate chip cookie for the theory part of it! The practical side of things: You just have to get down to doing it. The same dough produces different textures from different handlings, different ovens (tricky, but it's the whole mystifying nature of baking that gives you the kick ne? ^_-)

The second best part of baking goodies is definitely packaging them! Eating them comes a close 3rd. Yes I am one of those weird ones who doesn't eat much of what I make, my taste buds are numbed from the long hours of baking (and test tasting). These are carefully packaged to be given out to friends to "test-run" for me.

And you absolutely have to eat cookies with chilled milk. The duo sends a lovely cold jot of crumbliness, crunch, melting-ful of sensation, milky goodness, loads to chew and starts a new day like it's going to be a real good day.

The last lecture of Dr. Randy Pausch

2007-10-05T01:45:00.000+08:00

I have been contemplating setting up a cookie store for a long while. It's a childhood dream (okie, not exactly childhood, more like teenhood).

After watching a touching and inspiring last lecture by Dr. Randy Pausch, I couldn't help but tear and started rethinking things in life reflectively and my future strategically.

I won't have pictures for you today, but some very important links. Please click here to view the full video. If you have buffering issues, try this on youtube instead. There are 10 videos on youtube for the full lecture. It would be a riveting 90 minutes, so sit tight.

I have been profoundly touched and inspired by Professor Pausch and I sincerely hope to share this with all of you stumbling onto my blog.

And to Dr. Pausch, thank you so much for sharing your life's lessons with us. My prayers go out to you and your family.

Baking with Chunks

2007-10-03T23:30:00.000+08:00

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, if you do continue to see me missing from time to time on Kalena's Kitchen, I'm probably inking/printing something, working on photoshop, or cutting paper in the studio! Back to the chocolates, here's a little peep into the chocolates in my fridge. A dear friend and I used to bake mountain-heaps of cookies during our teens; it's my friend's mom's secret recipe for choc chip cookies and I remember buying loads of Hersheys mini chocolate chips.

Ever since I got fixated on home made truffles, I tapped readily into my supply of couverture chocolate and chop chunks out of blocks and buttons. Ummmm... uuuummmmMMMMmm... It's so true that you can't skimp on chocolate for chocolate desserts. It just gives the extra "Om" and gratification which chocoholics crave. Chunks (if not over overbaked) also gives rich liquidy centres, retaining fudge like qualities in chocolate cookies.

I am a big fan of some Valrhona chocolates, and I admit I stock up quite excessively (often blowing the monthly grocery budget, shhhh... *classified* to my husband). I don't take much milk and white chocolate, but I do keep a little so I don't need to make another trip when some good recipes come by. To allow myself (and some chocolate-loving friends who are guinea pigs for new recipes) to constantly try all at one time, I save little pastilles in containers, label them with a big smile like it's part of a prized collection. Everyone has a personal favorite, it's interesting to guess who might like what.

Ever since I started working with flavoured truffles, I can't stop thinking about chocolate pairings:- Guanaja with white tea? Too subtle? Caraibe with expresso, ahhh, dark and smoky indeed. Araguani with caramelized nuts? Should I try to accentuate or balance the bitterness? Which one goes well with rose? The questions go on and on. I am closer to grasping why there are plentiful flavours offered in our epicurious environment today. The endless possibilities with chocolate present ample room for creativity and fuels the sense of adventure pervading a chocolatier's kitchen. (even a pseudo one!)

As much as I love experimenting, the sentimental side cries for the classic and traditional. It's weird how some flavours just grow on you, and you almost feel bad to "turn your back on them". Ekks, sorry to sound so freaky, I am well aware of my longtime tendency of personifying my favorite things. I still whip out batches of plain old truffles from time to time; they are the familiar sights of comfort food in the fridge. When I run out, I reach for bars and buttons of couverture chocolate. All forms and textures, all yummy~~~

Say No to Bad Food

2007-09-15T09:13:00.000+08:00

It's an absolute heartwarmer.

First it was the brochure outside the cafe, which I couldn't help but pick up (for the punchy lines and great graphics!) but didn't have time to check out the place itself due to time constraint. Then it was coincidence 2 weeks later when Shareen (a very old friend of mine, with whom I hardly meet up but always have loads to catch up whenever we did) suggested we try this new café, which was exactly where I had in mind. Finally, it was the place. And it greatly surpasses our expectations.

This place has a lot of soul. I have never seen an open kitchen so packed with friendly staff, whisking, mixing, churning, brewing, cooking and smiling! Food for Thought exudes an inexplicable charm of familiarity (though it's our first visit!) and a vibrant sense of community. We got ourselves a bench seat, ordered a roasted pork sandwich and a lemon tart. Homemade goodness! (Sorry I didn't have my camera with me then) For those who have seen Ratatouille, do you guys remember the scene when Anton Ego had a flashback in time when he tasted the humble dish:- Rémy's recipe? Well, though mine wasn't drastic like Ego's (no no, please don't imagine me with that shocked blank face), I felt a little reminiscence seep in, it wasn't a singular experience but a recollection of hearty times with old friends, the same vim and vigor of youth, the passion and drive, the binding belief of the group.

When I was there last week, they were calling out for creations from hidden bakers! If you have something good to feed, they would try and might buy it from you to sell at the café. Go for it!

All in all, I'll be back for more, and with some very dear friends.

Food for Thought

420 North Bridge Road
#01-06 Norh Bridge Centre
+65 6338 8724
eat@foodforthought.com.sg
www.foodforthought.com.sg

Ganache 101

2007-08-21T10:57:00.000+08:00

These truffles won't turn out well if I had not picked up Alice M.'s Bittersweet some time ago. The ganache broke:- curdled up into a oily puddle, greasing the sides of the bowl, instead of emulsifying into a uniform pudding-like texture. I panicked a little and wonder what wrong I did this time round. Could it be the tea? Or did I overmix (huh, I don't think so) or could it be the cream that got too hot and burned the chocolate? I didn't have much time to figure out while in the kitchen. I stared at the oily curdle, froze for a few seconds, and got down to fixing it.

I have done this twice (and I bet I'll still freeze in the state of panic the next time it happens) and it worked well for me. According to Alice M., no matter how much ganache you are fixing (I have never worked with over 1 kg of chocolate for truffle centers, so I can't testify it works if you work in a chocolate plant), heat up 4 tbsp of cream to a simmer, pour into a bowl, and slowly add the broken ganache to the heated cream, little at a time, stirring slowly. Voila! I was very relieved. To add to the distress, my visiting cousin was staying with us for a month, and she got into the kitchen just in time to observe the curdly mess. I was hoping she didn't quite figure it went "wrong" at first, as it would affect her tasting buds psychologically.

It seems this white tea dark truffle turned out well enough to get a few "wow"s from friends. I love it personally, small, bite-sized, bittersweet, smooth, deep, with hints of apricot and floral notes. So subtle that you won't think it had been flavoured. Think I would increase the white tea dosage in future.

Thumbs up to Alice M's tip! You could also refer to this page on Baking 911 a few ganache how-tos.

Welcome to the mystifying world of chocolate. ^_^

Good Morning Mousse...

2007-08-15T16:27:00.000+08:00

When you get a ice cream base so yummy before it gets churned in the ice cream maker, you get a no-nonsense mousse. Real, rich, smooth, thick. Most of the mixture went into the Kitchenaid ice-cream maker, which had been well utilized since it got recruited into my kitchen's regiment. The rest of it which didn't get churned are dressed with bows and floral headpieces, decidedly ready to be eaten at an imaginary wedding.

The mixer itself, however is crying for the whisk and paddle to be fitted on more frequently. Yes, I got the order mixed up. We bought a 5 qt mixer before we got an oven. For 2 months, I have only made a few batches of cookie doughs with this astute member of our kitchen, freeze them, and brought it to my mom's house to bake. We can't seem to be able to find the elusive ideal oven. I had wanted to get a larger-than-our-usual-domestic oven because I bake a lot of cookies during X'mas. Built an affinity for the industrial ones in bakeries but was dismayed that they are unsuitable for domestic use. Contemplating to get 2 90cm long ones and build one on top of the other. Justifiable for just baking for X'mas? Errrmmmmm... let's get back to the mousse and ice cream.

This recipe created an end mixture so thick that it was hard to pour, and got my hands all gooey after (which resulted in a massive licking aftermath). If you don't believe in finger-licking goodness, try this recipe. And be sure to lick your fingers and favorite spatula clean. (don't tell me I'm the only gross one?)

Though the ice cream turn out a little icy/grainy (most likely due to freezing that happened too quickly), its deepness, darkness and fudginess would please any chocolate lover. When I do it again, I would add more burnt caramel and less milk (caramel to deepen the complexity of flavours, and less milk to balance the water content).

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
recipe from The Essence of Chocolate

Ingredients
- 3.5 oz 62% semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 70%)
- 4 large egg yolks (I used 9 medium ones for 2 batches)
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar (150g plus 25g)
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (about 80g)
- 2 cups whole milk (480 ml)
- 2 tsp water

Steps

-- Place the chocolate in a large bowl. Set a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl, and set aside.

-- In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and 3/4 cup of the sugar until slightly paler in color. Add the cocoa and whisk until a paste forms.

-- Bring the milk to a bowl over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the milk into the cocoa mixture, and whisk until smooth. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 3-5 min. (Yes, please be very watchful as the mixture thickens slowly at first and more quickly gradually)

-- Strain the hot mixture onto the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

-- Place the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the caramel is dark brown. Swirl the saucepan to achieve an evenly cooked caramel, remove from heat and pour immediately into the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. (Please start whisking just before you pour, as the super-hot caramel creates a little "explosion" when added to the chocolate mixture) If any of the caramel solidifies into small chunks, strain.

-- Let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least several hours, or overnight.

-- Churn and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Because the mixture is so thick to begin with, it may take less time than most ice cream to freeze to the desired consistency.

-- Enjoy! Yummmmmmmmmmmm.......

Does anyone need some wrist corsages?

2007-08-03T13:51:00.001+08:00

My first experience with wrist corsages was a month ago when I helped a distant friend out with making some for her wedding. S.C. thought she could use some of my artsy talents (or so she claims, but I think it was more because I was the only available one on a weekday afternoon!). It's fun actually, but tough, tedious and quite exhausting to put small fresh flowers all round a wristlet. It would be easier to make a chest corsage (for the groom and groomsmen), or a wrist corsage that resembles the pin-on version, just with an extra ribbon attached. I guess we liked the journey less travelled, and wanted the bridesmaids to feel a little special. We did the corsage in a bracelet form, with small flowers all round the first half of the wrist. Tedious, arrghhh tedious... I think I took more than half an hour for 1.

I didn't bring a proper camera then, and one month later, a sudden urge came. I recreated these corsages, with wax (not candle wax, not ear wax either, hehe... it's a cute hardy flower) and limonium, to take proper pictures. Except that, these are not for any particular occasion, and I am really not sure what to do with them. I am kind of kicking myself now. I better be reading this entry 10 years later for a good laugh to make all the work well worth it!

It is very enjoyable though, I am reliving part of my childhood dream of being a florist. If you intend to make some yourself, equip with:

- good sharp scissors
- florist tape
- wire (may not be applicable, it depends on your design)
- ribbons (I used 1/4" thick for the above design)
- flowers and greens of your choice (best to pick hardy ones to withstand the twisting torture, and small ones if you want to make wristlets like mine)
- patience (it probably won't turn out well on the first try)
- ample time! you can't rush it...
- refrigeration (don't leave the wrist corsages to wilt in sweltering heat!)

P.S. Let me know if you are getting married this weekend? I would love to see these worn on a joyous occasion. ^^

"Muji" of Chocolates?

2007-07-31T23:22:00.000+08:00

When some of my chocolate taster friends gave advice on how to improve, C.M. a funny comment, "yummm... nice, but it's too soft, can you make it harder like Royce's?" I explained it's probably because it's been out of the fridge for close to 6 hours and she came up with a crazy idea; she will get a box of Royce's, take a few pieces out of the fridge for 6 hours before testing the texture. Haha... warped, but hey, it's isn't all too hard an experiment. I don't know if she has the results yet, but all I know it was starting to whet my appetite (yet again) on chocolates (someone else's...).

My girlfriends and I were introduced to Royce during our schooldays. The Suntec boutique was (and still is I think) located strategically in front of Carrefour. Back then, we would share a box (usually champagne flavoured). It was wondrous, cold, creamy, velvety and melt into a smooth lush on the tongue. It's still sweet looking back, haha... and hey, in case you doing some math at the back your head, school days aren't exactly THAT long ago for us. ^^

I got to it quickly (normally quite efficient at food shopping). Went to the basement of Takashimaya in the next morning and got a box of "Bitter". I later found that it contains liquer (VSOP) and went back a few days later to get a box of "Mild Cacao". Not that I know what "Mild Cacao" flavour would taste like at that point of time, but the salesperson explained it was bittersweet, and I gladly parted with some cash.

Nama "Bitter" is quite strong in liquor flavour, it is one of acquiring taste I feel. Maybe it's because I don't normally eat chocolate with liquor, the first try was one of overwhelming alcoholic gush. I was eager to stop after the first piece, and drank some water to wipe the aftertaste clean. S. really liked it, and asked me to keep trying. Yup, slowly but surely, after a few pieces over the week, I started appreciating the complex flavours of chocolate with aged brandy. The flavours unfold slowly over time, so don't be hasty eating them! I'm quite hooked I must say. I'll try different liquor for some future batches.

"Mild Cacao" is a little too sweet for me. A bittersweet addict, I think I'll give it a miss next time and revert to "Champagne" or "Bitter". Referring to the picture above, here's my guide on flavours (hope I did not remember wrongly). Clockwise from dark blue: Milk, White, Champagne, Mild Cacao (which isn't bittersweet nor milk) and Bitter (with liquor). There is a seasonal one from Royce's catalogue.

I think a lot of us have a penchant for Royce because of its instant melt-in-the-mouth, velvety qualities. That aside, while most chocolatiers in the market enrobed their chocolates with a thin glossy shell for ease of storage and a good snap, use different molds/forms/decorations for differentiation, sell chocolate by the piece, it is somewhat refreshing to have someone dust cocoa powder over plain rectangular pieces of ganache and sell them in denominations of 20!

Har Gau Siew Mai Char Siew Bao!

2007-07-16T04:11:00.000+08:00

hahahaha... this is exactly what was spurted out in a flowing fashion while ordering dim sum this afternoon. For my family (and many others I believe), this "threesome" is the cogent part of our traditional dim sum palate at new restaurants tried out. If any of the three items falls short of expectations, it's hardly redeeming even when the rest of the food is good. I don't proclaim to have tried many dim sum places (I have the habit of going back to the same place again and again, pledging high loyalty out of non-adventure), but I hope to recommend these few. Dim sum lunches are fantastic, affordable, hearty get-togethers, and everyone seems to have a consistent favorite(s). Mine's char siew bao. kekeke....

Most preferred dim sum places:

1) Crystal Jade Golden Palace
- for the chic setting, great well-rounder on all cooking styles: steamed, baked, deep fried. "char siew soh" aka bbq pork pastry and egg tarts are MUSTs! I cannot retaliate enough. you can probably skip desserts like almond and walnut paste though.

Paragon, #05-22
Tel: (65) 6734-6866

2) Lei Garden at Chijmes
- I very much prefer the Chijmes branch (the other one is at Orchard Shopping Centre) for the lovely daylight, tall roof and pretty windows. Try to get a seat in the main hall if you enjoy the bustle of dim sum "ladies" shuffling their little treats into your conversations. (just kidding... Lei Garden's service crew is an exceptionally attentive and efficient bunch). It is imperative to try the cheesy lobster deep fried with thin noodle crisps. Mango lovers should save room for dessert; try the mango pomelo sago.

#01-24 Chijmes, 30 Victoria Street
Tel: (65) 6339 3822

3) Li Bai Restaurant
- Exquisite. I am not sure if this would be a fair post, because we last ate there more than 2 years ago. I remembered I had the freshest "har gau" aka shrimp dumpling ever. The sheer freshness was impressive.

Sheraton Towers
39 Scotts Road Basement 1
Tel: (65) 6839 5623

4) Hua Ting Restaurant
- We just had it today in fact. It's the source of motivation for this post. The "Siew mai" has a whole load of shrimps in it. They are generous on the sizing of these hearty treats, though we should be mindful they do put less on 1 portion (ie 3 har gaus in 1 bamboo steamers vs 4 which is the usual for other restaurants). Bring your UOB card for 18% discount, I think citibank saves you 15% as well :)

Orchard Hotel, 442 Orchard Road
Tel: (65) 6739 6666

Go Go Go Go Go Go Go Go Go !!! What are you waiting for!??!

Please let me know if you have other recommendations!

Only for Cookie Monsters

2007-07-12T12:00:00.000+08:00

haha... I moved away from chocolate making the past week, as I still have loads of truffles in the fridge. At times like these, I start to reflect on my social life (lack of), and start counting friends with only fingers, never toes. And I contemplate if I should knock on the neighbours' to offer some chocolate treats. Cringing at the thought of being shooed away or bitten by alsations, I decided to keep them where they are:- back in the fridge.

Well, I moved on to something that can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature, in order not to face unnecessary pressure to buy a new fridge. This will be classified to my husband, shhh... can you imagine I was goggling wine coolers to store chocolate?! The impulse usually comes in the wee hours from 1200-0200. In the mornings, I would wake up and shake my head in disbelief, relieved that I didn't clicked on "buy it now" a few hours ago.

I should start talking about these Sablé (shortbread in English) to give them due justice. I was dying to eat some homemade cookies and I jumped in. I was lacking some ingredients actually, but I was pretty sure I had substitutions, so I went ahead. I am not sure if you had noticed or think so, and I may be all wrong about this, but I do feel that bakers and chefs are prone to some sort of compulsive behavior (not just in the kitchen). Sorry.. I digressed again... back to the cookie:

This cookie is a bundle of flavours, crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, not too sweet, oozing with deep chocolate flavour, right dose of saltiness. Melting chocolate chunks as you bite into, even chewy if you are patient enough. They smell wondrous while in the oven, you can almost judge the readiness from the heavy chocolate scent. I used my favorite Valrhona Guanaja 70%, (it almost seem like nothing could go wrong with these chocolates). They are one of those cookies that taste good even when they had grown a little soft (I forgot to keep those 2 I photographed... keke...)

I think they will be *THE* recipe for christmas this year.

Reviews so far:

CK: very gooodddd
HL: very nice!! are you baking for cny? can order from you!?
SY: damned nice, mmmmmmmmmm (reaching for another)
SC: good stuff! very crispy!
P: very nice worrrr... do you know how to make soft cookies too?
Ma: (i don't usually allow my folks to eat my fattening bakes) hahaa... give me just 1 small piece... how to taste? but not bad!
CM:
YC:
PYi
PYu:
Ed:
Ja:
Jo:

P.S.: just thought you would be keen on this gourmet salt guide I goggled!

Was not an ice cream fan but...

2007-07-10T22:22:00.000+08:00

Love this ice-cream, I find myself walking to the freezer ever so often to steal another spoonful. I didn't really dare to indulge after I knew how much calories were packed into that little tub. I still don't, but if you knew 1 quart (0.946 litres) of this yummy churn has 370g of whole milk (3.7% fat, not the low fat type we normally reach out to), 170g of sugar, 5 extra-large egg yolks, 200g of whipping cream (38% fat), would you be in the same dilemma as I am? Well, you would be sneering if you fall into the please-let-me-gain-some-weight category, but for I, who fall in the gain-some-weight-drinking-water, there is always a slight hesitation to spoon another mouthful of creamy not-low-fat ice cream.

I can't resist this one though. Oh yes, I had not introduced. This is some Cocoa Nib Ice Cream with Caramelized Cocoa Nibs, recipe from Chocolate Obsession by Michael Recchiuti & Fran Gage. You might have notice how much I refer to this book from the past posts :) The ice cream has a complex cocoa flavour, one's that deep and derived, subtly teasing on first smell, deeply gratifying on tasting.

It has a hint of vanilla taste (though I omitted the vanilla), burnt caramel, roasted nuts, bittersweet crunch, deep cocoa flavour (but not very chocolatey)... aargghh, i can't figure it out, nor can I describe it well, but I just love it. It has a richness you will miss right after eating it, so I'm heading back to the freezer for more!!!

About nibs: Cocoa nibs are "tiny nuggets of roasted, shelled, and cracked beans, not yet crushed or ground to homogeneity, not yet transformed into chocolate liquor..." as per Alice M. in Bittersweet. I had gotten a kg of cocoa nibs and am trying out all sort of recipes with this bagful of wonderfully fragrant crunch.

Belated Ganache Squares for the birthday girl

2007-07-05T16:41:00.000+08:00

It was Jane's birthday on 2nd July and I texted to send her some morning greetings. She had a special request for chocolates or cakes (homemade). I haven't gotten an oven yet (yup, that quite explains why I am making chocolates, I only have all the baking/confectionary equipment except the oven), so most cakes are quite out of question. I decided to make some plain ganache with dusted cocoa powder... in a squarish box, and personalise it with her name. It'll be lovely to have a 4" by 4" ganache square further cut into 1" by 1". Love squares. (no squares for long names like Jennifer or Mirabelle ^^)

Huh... but I couldn't find a pretty box at home so I ended up making one. (excuses excuses to dish out the pen knife!). I spent so much time working out the die cut that when I fell asleep that night, I recalled my whole day was really just about the paper, ruler, pencil and pen knife. Other nights, I am thinking about chocolates, cream, a new mixer, new fabric prints. In this in-between phase of trying to start something on our own (entrepreneurship as they would put it), I sometimes experience bouts of guilt when I consume myself in such indulgences, instead on working on business plans. Maybe I should spend less time blogging too. It's turning into a chocolate blog. Hehe... okie that was a big sidetrack from the present.

For this ganache, I upped the cream proportion. 4 parts cream to 3 parts chocolate. No butter. I wanted something really melt-in-the-mouth. I decided on something simple, no fuss, but the proportions may not turn out too right. Whilst combining, I was very worried; The ganache wasn't like pudding-like, unlike what I had worked on before, it would take a longer time to set. I let it set for close to 24 hours (which is why it's belated) "Something has to be different", I thought, be it uglier, softer, creamier. It's after all, Jane's birthday.

Mmmmmmm...mmmmmm....mmmmmm..... this has got to one of the best chocolates I ever tasted. It's totally melt-in-the-mouth, creamy like... like... cream?? (pardon the lack of vocabulary). Chocolate taste lingers soothingly on the tongue, not overpowering, but still intense. Bittersweet, yes bittersweet... I like it as much as my favorite Royce chocolates! I am very glad Jane and Ed enjoy them, they said it's better than the first (the ugly yummy truffles). Man I was over the moon. I'll keep working on it, testing out different recipes and proportions for the classic ganache.

Yes, she likes the box too. ^^

References:

Die Cut adapted from Structural Packing by Josep M. Garrofe

Pseudo Chocolatier Fridays - The Revered Earl Grey

2007-07-04T10:13:00.000+08:00

Alas... I jumped into making Earl Grey truffles, I had meant to try out the classics a few more times before I go on to try the infused ones, but I just couldn't wait, after drinking some very-fragrant earl grey tea.

After the ganache has set, I tasted it and to my dismay, the tea flavour turned out very strong, and further sharpened by an intense sweetness. I don't have a very sweet tooth to be honest, so the first reaction was "oh mannnnnnnnnnnnnnn". I was a little disheartened to roll them out to give out, so I scooped them (with a melon scooper) into tiny spheres and froze them (knowing I won't be able to continue in the same day).

I returned to the frozen balls of ganache yesterday (4 days after I first tasted them, no, please don't even start thinking I'm gross. According to Alice Medrich, with whom I would continue to "apprentice" fervourly, ganache can kept in an airtight container and be frozen up to 2 months.)

I was decidely very positive that morning and my head was almost ringing," I am sure some people with a sweet tooth would like to taste you". I went ahead to handroll them lightly with chocolate on both palms (another great tip from Alice M. from Bittersweet) in melted (untempered) bittersweet chocolate, and then drop them in trays of cocoa powder, nibs and chopped pistachios.

I tasted a few during the chocolate making process (and whilst photographing them.. keke..), it was as if I gained a sweet tooth or two, because I started finding them a little addictive. The cocoa powder created a bitter coat, and the chocolate coating was almost nonexistent. As I pop it into my mouth, the bitter coat melts almost seamlessly into an intense burst of bergamot flavour. The ganache though not as smooth as the previous plain truffles I made, is still mouth-melting. (arrgghh! how come not as smooth!??!! I suspect I need a finer strainer and I whisk a little too hard this time round...) Nuts and nibs tamed the sweetness with a crunch. (fine discovery, yup I admit that was more of an after thought and counter reaction to the ganache's sweetness.)

The earl grey flavour could be too strong for some, but lovers of full citrus flavour won't complain. I think I would lessen the amount of tea and sugar in my next try; I am a lover of earl grey but I am anxious to taste how a mildly flavoured earl grey truffle would be like (especially with such good chocolate used!), and definitely not as sweet as this one. Bittersweet is always yummier.

Sorry, but I can't resist putting this trivia down. You may have already known and find me silly actually: Do you know that earl grey tea is flavoured by an essential oil from the aromatic peel of the bergamot orange? And that the bergamot orange has no relations to the bergamot herb, which is grown primarily for ornamental purposes (and potpurri making). It is named so, because its "odor" is considered similar to that of the bergamot orange. All the while, I thought bergamot flavour had something to do with the bergamot herb! Yes, you would have realise I don't find knowledge that general, and sense not that common! haha... I love Wikipedia for many reasons.

^__________^

Reviews on truffles

2007-07-01T19:40:00.000+08:00

(-) Negative (critical but constructive)

"They are too soft... but the taste is good" (from 2 folks who tasted some 6-hour-out-of-the-fridge truffles)

"They need to be more regular" (from the consistent)

"Too much nibs! Too bitter" (haha.. she ate 1 round one rolled all round with nibs)

(-+) Neutral

"....................." (silence.... she didn't like chocolates but picked up one of mine because she knew I made them, I don't know what to make out of this situation)

"Did you really make them???" (from unbelieving friends who never stepped into their kitchen more than necessary, not sure what to make out of the comment too!)

(+) Positive (encouraging and esteem boosting)

"Wowwwwwwww........." (before tasting, which means they probably like the box)

"Mmmmmmmm..........melt in the mouth, not too sweet" (definitely from folks on the dark side)

"Yummieeeeee............" (from the cheerful and greedy)

"The box looks so you!!!!" (huh, not sure if it's a compliment, let's assume it is? ^^)

Overall, I am happy with the results, but wait, I would be happy even if they didn't quite like them, because I'm really enjoying the process of making chocolates, especially the finger-licking part before washing up! (Don't tell me I am the only one doing it...)

Psuedo Chocolatier Fridays - Some Ugly Yummy Truffles

2007-06-25T12:45:00.000+08:00

Haha... this post is going to be embarrassing... I didn't quite expect truffles to look good anyways, but I think mine turn out uglier than expected. Making them was quite a nightmare actually. I think it has to do with starting at 9 pm in the night and finish washing up past 2 am. Did I also mention my hands were full of chocolate and cocoa powder and I spastically tried to open the fridge with my elbows (pausing in front of the fridge wondering if I should dirty it or twist my arms)? And I had to very anal-ly insist on making very tiny squares so they are really bite-size, so I made about 100 instead of 50 as what the recipe suggests. I have to really kick myself in the ass for that...

They are done though! Definitely not pretty but I think they taste very good. (not my credit really, it's the very good chocolate used) It's really melt-in-the-mouth, smooth, not overwhelming but very intense, bittersweet, but with a sweetish aftertaste, with some crunchy bits of nibs.

To give a very blunt detailed description: (no wonder I never did well for English as a subject)

"These are ganache squares made from Valrhona 70% Guanaja, with President whipping cream (35.1% fat), President unsweetened butter. They are encrusted with a very thin chocolate crust made of Valrhona 55% Equatoriale, sprinkled with some cocoa nibs and dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder. To prevent your hands from getting dirty whilst enjoying them, they are served in tiny black paper holders. Because we eat with eyes too, they have been carefully packaged in a self-made box lined with some Japanese brown paper. (I just have to make some efforts to distract you from the not-so-pretty chocolate treats). Finally, because we all enjoy receiving presents, the box is finished with grosgrain ribbon."

I am dreaming earl grey and rose truffles already.. hee hee...

Because chocolates are best eaten fresh (I REALLY REALLY mean it... I was not a fan of chocolate until I ate some homemade 30-minutes old truffles made from very good dark chocolate), I am going to try give out all these truffles within the next 2 days.

While the Ganache sets...

2007-06-23T12:46:00.000+08:00

Yay! Finally close to finishing all the chocolates from 2 weeks. I was eating chocolate barks almost everyday. Good thing they are 70%s, if I am a white chocolate person, I would be at least 2 kg heavier I bet (and start to look more like mom, kekeke...)

I started preparing ganache yesterday for truffle rolling with s.t. later. Guess it would be quite a fun couple activity for a Saturday.

I have gone through multiple chocolate books to compare ganache recipes. Chocolate Obsession by Michael Recchiuti & Fran Gage has loads of different infused ganaches, and very specific instructions. Real Chocolate by Chantal Coady featured a few recipes: Rococo's, Robert Linxe's (La Maison du Chocolat) and Michel Chaudun's. To top it up, I had detailed notes taken from Patrick Heuberger's chocolate making class some time ago. Chocolate, the definitive guide by Sara Jayne-Stanes has a just cream and chocolate recipe (no butter). It's interesting how different chocolatiers variate from the basic method. Some whisk the truffle mixture to aerate it. Some swear by invert sugar. Some pre-melt the chocolate before combining with cream.

Huh... confused and often tempted to try multiple recipes at one go, I decided to discipline myself to stick to just 1 in this weekend. Mine's a marriage of Chantal's proportions, and adapting methods from Michael's and Patrick's. I used

330g 70% Valrhona Guanaja
300g Whipping cream (35% fat)
75g Butter

Pre melt the chocolate (at about 50`C), bring cream to a rolling boil and add immediately to the chocolate. Whisk till well combined and then add diced chilled firmed butter.

I can't wait to for truffle rolling later today... dust them with cocoa powder and nibs!!!!!!!! Woohoooooooooo~~~~~~~~~

Before they are all gone!!!

2007-06-19T17:48:00.000+08:00

I have finally finished making these mini photo frames/albums for friends, about 100 over of them. They are pictures of guests taken at our wedding some months ago. I made them in batches, so I never really had all of them at any one time. Multiple trips to the photoprint shop, more trips to the paper and ribbon shops (mostly due to indecisiveness in colour selection). Then, loads of paper cutting, pasting, and creating little "window", which is a cut-out frame for each guest, and the ribbon tying for the finishing touch. I could have finished them all in a week, but I took a few months! The cut out frames were really arduous, and as much as I dread going back to my pen knife and ruler, occasional motivation steeps in (from what reasons, I am not sure...). I have a habit of working in spurs-of-moments, and stayed up late one night to finishing the remaining 40! Voila...

Before they get passed to friends over lunches and sent off via snail mail, I thought I would capture the last few before they too, get slipped into the envelopes.

Some Conclusions

2007-06-15T00:15:00.000+08:00

I am almost done collating feedback from friends and folks! Whilst most comments were encouraging and almost flattering, I was actually more motivated by the negative/neutral ones. It got me brainstorming into new flavours. What was more interesting is I am starting to notice some patterns how people enjoy their chocolates. From a small pool of 15-20 friends who have tried the 8th June recipes, I have drawn some extremely-unsubstantiated conclusions and stereotypes:-

1) Most like dark chocolates. (only 1 wished I had used milk instead)

2) Much to my surprise, most do enjoy nuts with their chocs. (some like it caramelised, some do like it lighted salted!)

3) Those who enjoy nuts with their chocs don't enjoy the nibs. (huh... am I the only weird one who love nibs?)

4) Some especially like the barks thin! not skinny thin like Lindt thins, but not blockish like regular bars either (oh yeah...)

5) The cynics just don't like things with their chocolates; Nuts and what-nots are contaminants (yes, designers are often purists)

I love dark chocolates, enjoy good, fresh, toasted nuts with them, LOVE the dark chocolate bark with cocoa nibs, like the bark thin enough to give a light snap and enjoy plain good bars tremendously. Not exactly the most critical person am I? (^_-)

Pseudo Chocolatier on Fridays - 3 Chocolate Barks

2007-06-09T22:24:00.000+08:00

I am not sure if I can discipline myself to do this regularly, but I have finally started my chocolate dessert sessions. "Fridays would work well..." I thought, as I can share all the cocoa goodies with my dear folks and friends over the weekend. It would be unimaginable to be selfish to have a kg of good chocolate to myself (for fear of gaining the kgs too of course). Once a cookie churning monster, I never baked a tub of cookies, I always made a mountainful. I can't bear to do so much washing for just 40 cookies! At least 200, or enough to feed a few groups of friends! For chocolate recipes requiring tempering, it is also due to practical reasons as well; It is tough to temper small quantities of chocolate. This time round, I tempered 1 kg of chocolate with the seeding method, and I'm already finding it hard to handle the temperature fluctuations.

Loads of patience, good daylight, soothing music would be great ingredients for some chocolate recipes. Though they are no-bake recipes, that 6 hours in the kitchen still feels a terrific baking therapy. 3 Chocolate Barks with the Valrhona 70% Guanaja. I can't be a dessert critic because I am never too picky. I like all 3, so I am going to depend on my friends and folks to give some honest feedback.

Dark Chocolate Bark with Caramelized Macadamia & Orange Grate
Always a macadamia mania, I added orange grate during the caramelizing to add a citrus note.

Dark Chocolate Bark with Demerara & Cocoa Nibs
For lovers of good dark chocolate. The cocoa nibs add a crunch, without taking away the limelight from the chocolate. I hesitated adding demerara, (so I only added for half a tray). The demerara accentuates the bitterness of the cocoa nibs, yet gives a sweet aftertaste. keke.. yummmm.....

Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachio, Hazelnuts & Salted Pumpkin seeds
Recipe adapted from Chocolate Obsession by Michael Recchiuti & Fran Gage, this has got to be one of best looking chocolate barks around. I really love the purplish pistachios. ^^

Trainstation-Spotting

2007-06-06T20:27:00.000+08:00

This entry doesn't have anything brownish nor creamy... it's a little dusty, blue-grey and not that yummy. ^^

I normally sleep on trains, but on one particular ride from Taichung to Kaohsiong, I didn't sleep a wink. A whole collection of train stops form an interesting album, different font types, different medium.

My favorite is Jhih Ben.

The Artisan

2007-05-15T13:15:00.000+08:00

S.C. bought 2 very nice boxes of chocolates for me, and asked l.t. to bring them back to Singapore. Irony was, when I was happily savouring the sweet treats, she was down with a nasty bout of chicken pox in London. I haven't gotten the depressing and potentially scarring pox yet, and I was praying tight my vaccination (some more than 12 years ago) might still be keeping the nasty virus at bay. "Probably not..." friends told me the vaccination doesn't last more than 10 years, and if Wikipedia is a reliable good source (protection of no more than 5 years), I should have lost the immunity for at least 7 years by now! Huh... I should stop procrastination and get ready for further immunization.

Well, s.c., if you are reading this, I am hoping you feel better and all the herbal teas you mom prepared has helped. Look on the bright side, now you are likely to have lifelong immunity. No risk of getting it during pregnancy, which can cause serious problems for babies... :(

Okie, let's talk about something less itch-inducing...

I have finished the whole box of L'artisan du chocolat (the one in camel brown square box). A big YUUUUMMMMMMM... each little piece has a different flavour. Though I can't make out the flavours of more than half of them (in some cases, I was very greedy and ate them a little too quickly.. heh), I love them all. The texture is great; the ganache is smooth and melt in the mouth. Those with nuts and seeds were very finely crushed (but not powdery) and form a velvety paste with good "口感“. (how do I translate that?) The chocolate taste lingered a long time after the eating, which is real nice...

I really like it that they were all simple rectangular blocks (not to mention it's really bite size, so I really didn't need to share with anyone... haha), and the many flavours distinguished in very simple subtle ways. They were neat, pretty and uniformly irregular enough, to evoke a certain sense of "handmadeness" with skill and professionism. Many chocolatiers have different moulds for different flavours, and I personally find most moulds too elaborate and the finish too "sleek" and polished. Personal choice really! I am a sucker for great packaging and presentation, but what really matters is the taste...

What would very absolutely enticing, is the inclusion of a little flavour booklet that would fit in the box, featuring all the flavours like what they did on their online flavour catalogue. Guess there are just too many flavours... ^_^

I won't act like a connoisseur because I am really not one, but I hope to recommend to whoever might have a similar box to taste their chocolates at room temperature. I tasted a few pieces before putting the box in the fridge, and they melt almost instantly in the mouth, and the flavour very distinct. After refrigerating them (I really have to, because it's an average of 28 degree celsius all day here), and eating them straight from the fridge, it (of course) took a long time to melt in the mouth, and I was very tempted (and some cases succumbed) to chew them before they started to melt, which I find didn't do justice to getting full utility from these delightful treats. Subsequently, I ate them only after resting them for a while (after refrigeration) at room temperature, and I enjoyed them a lot more.

I dedicate this entry to dear s.c.. Though it's a trifle too late to wish you something like "speedy recovery"(hahaha... and I'm sure you feel better already), just want to let you know that little box is absolutely treasure-ful! Thanks madame!

Ribbons Galore...

2007-05-02T17:37:00.000+08:00

It's wonderful to receive presents, and more so to be presented with a prettily wrapped one. Since Christmas last year and my wedding recently, I have accumulated a vast collection of ribbons and textured papers (as I handmake all the wedding favors/cards etc.). It gives great satisfaction to tie a perfect bow, and I can't seem to get enough of it. After the invitations, I used ribbons for wedding favors, and after I am done with favors, I designed another post-wedding album which uses ribbons too. To make things slightly worse, I have a weakness for double faced ribbons which often cost up to twice as much as single faced ribbons. In lay man terms, double faced ribbons have same texture on both sides. I find them a whole lot more "intergral" and "ribbony". But as a friend has described, she feels this fetish is a mere extension of my sometimes-senseless pursuit of perfectionism. Erm.... I can almost agree with her on that...

But as the months passed, the fascination grew. I didn't buy them what I needed, I bought everything I fancied, and I bought them in bulk from manufacturers and distributors. (some really great stuff are only available from rare collections from hard-to-find distributors, and I can't bear to get just a few yards since I travelled such a distance). It's scary how much there is now. I have a dedicated drawer to ribbons. I probably have enough supplies for gift wrapping for the next 50 years; friends and folks can probably bring their gifts over for the next 50 years too, and I bet I will still have a surplus.

As with all things in a series or collection, it brings great joy to photograph, and a neat challenge for ribbons because I wanted to capture the textures accurately. I started off photographing some for auctioning on ebay. Then it became more of a hobby. I waited for early mornings and late afternoons, which seem to work well for me (gives very good daylighting) given my resources (my apartment cum studio/camera etc.). Here are some pictures.

Merry Marie Belle!

2007-04-12T12:47:00.000+08:00

I am no connoisseur at tasting chocolates compared to Chloé Doutre-Roussel, and though as we all know we should engage the 5 senses, I can't bear to engage the 5th test (to taste it!!!) on these Marie Belle chocolates! They are like small pieces of art, and it's the first chocolate I feel bad about imagining them melt in my mouth! Arghhhh... yet.... the smell of it lingers below my nose as I work on my laptop, continuing to entice.

I hope my pictures do them justice, as these little gems really are utmostly lovely to look at. Each flavour come with a different picture, most of which are French-flavoured and some others are retro prints. There seems to be little correlation between the print and flavour except the passion fruit flavoured, which is a silhouette of a kissing couple, but who cares about what makes sense when they all look so pretty!

C.M. did a big favour to help bring these back from NY, and asked me to try them, but I still can't give her a verdict on the taste. I am trying to stretch my utility by looking at them, and will put them in the fridge to keep fresh (though I hate to, because I am afraid of blooming). Silly as it may sound, I will only taste them close to their expiry date. "No! Please don't do that!" is a little voice at the back of my head. Chocolates taste BEST when fresh. Nothing beats fresh melt-in-the-mouth ganache. *dilemma*

The great thing about having chocolates in a box secured with ribbons (no sticker seal please), is that (I am going to sound very stupid)... is that... you can still keep the box, package it like how you had received it, and voila! it's brand new and it's easy to pretend you had not eaten them. I must sound like some psycho to you now, well, now that I had typed it out, I am starting to feel I am one. (*_*)

I will definitely hit the Marie Belle Cacao Bar when I have a chance. Friends who have visited said it's utterly French and pretty. I can't wait! Also a visit to Kee's Chocolates, Black Hound, Jacques Torres Chocolates are musts!

Gourmet luxurious bread

2007-04-05T15:42:00.000+08:00

It's a pity the pecan roll was hungrily chewed up before it could make its way before the camera. I wanted to stop myself midway of the relishing moments, but it was hard (and not to mention unhygienic) to make a half eaten roll look good. I continued chewing, and chewing, and chewing. It's hard to tell you how much was packed in that portion of bread. Crusty, heavily-textured, moist, chewy (sorry I have to use this word again!) with a generous dose of pecans, flavoured lightly with cinnamon. Mmmmm..... Mmmm.... "Maison Kayser..." I looked at the paper bag and checked out their website. For those who can read French, you have more luck than me to check out their product lines and bread making stories.

I don't eat a lot of bread though I love them. There are loads of native carbos in Asia (and I do like them too) and great bread is not too accessible where I reside. And when you do feel like having a sandwich for lunch (and spot a cafe with good loaves) you could face some mild objections from friends/colleagues who have cravings for laksa, fish noodles (鱼片米粉）and many other local delights. Huh... "okie lor, chew kee chicken rice also can..." is an usual answer. I am not very picky on food, though I enjoy good food tremendously. I guess I don't qualify as a foodie do I? ^^

What a sidetrack. Back to the pecan roll. The reason why I am writing about it is because I found it exorbitantly priced. Though NTD 85 (SGD 3.90) did not burn a big hole in the pocket, I start to wonder why this bread (the size of 2 fists put together, about 9 cm in diameter) costs more than the usual, and why people were making a beeline for them. Most have an average of 4-5 rolls/loaves on their trays. It was more out of curiosity that motivated the purchase. Conclusion: I enjoyed the bread tremendously and I do think I would buy it again (probably the same flavour as I tend to eat the same good thing repeatedly) when I get a chance to go back. Probably only 1 roll though... ^^

What started out as a trip to the Dean & Deluca store in Taipei gave some other nice surprises. The French gourmet bakery and chic haven for food lovers are just side by side in basement 2 of Breeze Centre (微风广场）at No.39, Fu Hsing South Road Section 2.

Darker Than Dark Chocolate Cake

2007-03-13T23:32:00.000+08:00

Good morning Taipei! I was craving for some hot you tiao (deep fried dough, 油条), but ended up getting some chocolate cakes instead when I saw 2 interesting looking cafes. Just a side track, and it's purely my guess:- I noticed there are plentiful "Yong He Dou Jiang"s (永和豆浆) in Singapore, China and Taiwan. Please don't quote me on this, but I think I have chanced upon the place of origin. Yong He （永和）is a district in southwest Taipei, and yes I witnessed more than a handful of shops with the same name, with almost the same palate of delightful morning snacks, with a steady stream of patrons on scooters and regulars from the neighbourhood.

Yes! Back to the cake. And no, I have not added a black filter over the picture. I had a shock when I unwrapped the translucent wrapper, (though I had expected it won't be a regular choc cake since it's named Black Chocolate Cake "黑炭巧克力蛋糕" and I hope I remembered that correctly as I don't read traditional Chinese too well). It revealed to be charred-er-than-charred-brownie cake! Pleasantly amused and not-too-hungry, I decided to keep it back in the fridge for some better photos tomorrow morning.

Having bought 2 cakes from 2 shops just 3 metres away from each other (added some night shots of the 2 when I passed them again), it is interesting to find similar looking packaging in similar colours. I got home with a choc mousse cake from Cafe 85°C and a dark (a-hem, i mean a really dark) choc cake from Cafe 8. The cakes don't come with ribbons actually (sorry to mislead!). They are some of my rewards from 2 hours of ribbon shopping at the wholesalers'. I am not sure if anyone of you reading this share this fetish (or being anal, as a friend has put it), but I really have this thing for double faced ribbon; They do a neat job of completing a knot effortlessly. You need to twist and turn single faced ones to have the shiny-sides-up! If you bother, that is. ^__^

I am overall very impressed with the cute and chic appeal of the cake boxes. They are especially neat in such small packages. I don't do them justice with such bad lighting and photography. If someone have some good tips on photography (especially for food), please do drop me a note!

On a finishing note and a prelude to some sweet dreams, I will try to hit the Taipei store of Dean & Deluca tomorrow. It would be tempting not to window shop, and almost insurmountable to exit the shop without aa long and big lunch, but we should always press on when we are in a city with such a street-food galore and some of the best Chinese food around yeah? (in my opinion that is!)

Amazing Cocoa Discovery

2007-03-09T23:15:00.000+08:00

I attended my first ever chocolate workshop last week, and it opened up a whole new world. Had a peep into some chocolate handling techniques, chocolate tempering process and had my first bite into a 45 minute old ganache coated with Valrhona Equatoriale Dark 55% (ganache not prepared by myself unfortunately, but of which recipe I do have). I got to bring the entire box (as above) home! If you are a baker or chocolatier reading this, and think my work (remember it's just an hour of experience) is worthy of consideration for an entry into your kitchen, please doooooo let me know!

Marvelicious... I cannot describe well enough how satisfying that feeling was. Melting ganache in the mouth, with freshly chopped and toasted nuts on the outside to add good texture and a swelling sense of pride; these really made my weekend.

The rest of the week was spent reading about the subject. I have just gotten hold of The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes from Scharffen Berger Chocolate Makers and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger, Robert Steinberg, and Deborah Jones and Chocolate: The Definitive Guide by Sara Jayne-Stanes. I can't wait to get hold of some equipment to try making my first Devil's Chocolate Cake. (Is it a valid excuse to replace good old Kenwood for Kitchenaid?) I shall continue eating the self-made chocolates in the meantime.

Oh... by the way, if you love macadamia and milk chocolates, you might love Meiji's. I find it a little too sweet but it's a generous dose of nuts in a small box. I would have some friends going to New York next week, I am hoping they can help bring back a box from Kee's Chocolates and Marie Belle (can't resist great packaging).