Soup

Leek and potato soup

(4-6 serving)
-25g butter
-2 large leek,sliced
-250g potatoes, diced
-1 onion
-750ml chicken stock
-300ml milk
-salt and pepper
-little chives to garnish

Procedures
-Melt the butter in a large saucepan or pot.
-Add in leek, potatoes, and onion and stir well to coat with butter.
-Cover the saucepan or pot with the lid,cook it with low temperature, stirring it
 frequently,for about 15min until the vegetables is softening.
- Add stock and milk,season it with salt and pepper.
-Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for another 20 min until vegetable tender.
- Cool down the soup, blend it in a blender, and heat it up again before serving.
-Garnish with chives and serve immediately.





Vegetable soup(your choice)

-1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable, your favorite, depending on the vegetable and how thick you like the soup
-1/4 cup chopped onion
-1/3 cup sliced celery
-1 clove of crushed garlic, or to taste
-salt and peper to taste 
-1 bay leaf
-500-600 ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups of milk/cream

Procedures
-add in vegetables of your choice, celery, onion, garlic and chicken stock and boil it slowly till tender.
-Blend the vegetables with a blender with the stocks.
-Put in butter and flour in a pot, heat it up. Stir until it boil, Then pour the vegetables puree into the pot.Stir until the soup is hot and thick and serve it immediately.
(I actually never tried this vegetable soup before, so please be more careful when cooking  this.)


(Not that free this week, alot of planning.)

Main course of the day

Cycle down the hill this morning at 8.00a.m, to get the fresh ingredients i need for this main course. Its related to fish, because fish is good for all ages , high in protein, low in fat, tender texture, juicy and more. The fish i bought today was greenback flounder. Sg.long market seldom sell because its a hard catch. This fish always stayat the bottom of the sea, hidding itself.


(greenback flounder)

Ingredients
-One handful of baby french bean
-4 pak choy
-1/3 of a carrot
-4 cloves of garlic(chopped)
-400g of greenback flounder(fillet)
-30ml of cream
-2 tbs of butter
-salt and pepper to taste
-few slices of lotus root


Procedure
-Fillet the fish, season it with salt and pepper.
-Cooked the pak choy, carrot, and baby french bean ina pot of boiling water for about 1 min.Cooked it seperate.
-Use a pan, add in oil and pan-fried the fillet for 1-2 min high heat.
- On the other side, take a small pot and make the sauce.
-Add in butter, then garlic(1/2 of the 4 cloves above) and pour in the cream, boil it under low heat and reduce it to half.Salt to taste.
-Turn over the fish, and fry for another minute.
-Use another pot to fry the sliced lotus root.
-Remove the fillet from the pan and rest it .
-stir in baby french bean and carrot into the pan and stir fry it just a while. Add salt and pepper to taste.
-Stack up the Vegetables, then put the fish fillet on it. Pour the sauce around the plate and ready to be served.

Detail
-put a little flour on the fish skin surface before pan frying.
-Remove the head and tail of the baby french bean, taste better.
-Serve it when still hot.

Final product


(My way of presentation)



(Grandma way of presenting)


Guess how much is the total cost and how much it cost outside plz.(by looking)

Books

Almost a month nt blogging... no mood to post anything yet. But how? I still have to get something written on my blog so my html counter will go on and on and on...

 
(Ingredients)

SPM is over... Its a relief, no need to flip any of my biology, chemistry or physics books anymore.. NEVER!!!! Its time to move on, moving on to the next stage.. Its cook book time! I got a book today... I can see from Simon's eye that he feel that the book not worth buying, because its full of pictures, and some are pixelated too. This book is all about ingredient, the tittle is "Ingredients".

Its a good book actually for beginner who likes cooking so that you can know more ingredients so wider your field of cooking.For me , recipe books are nt really helpful for a  beginner, when you start reading the recipe, you will start asking your mom "mom, what is sage?" "mom, what is this, where can we get this?" all sorts of question will be throw to your mom. Recipe books provides lots of idea for preparing a dish , but ingredients are what you need for a dish. If you life western food, getting a western cooking recipe book, lots of ingredients  you cant get it in your own country. Its just like you need to learn  A-Z before you can make up a word.

So basically this "Ingredients" is to show and explain to you those ingredients around the world. They explain about the origin of the ingredient, the use of it and the taste or smell of it.You can also get a chance to know body parts of pigs(sensitive issue),lamb,hare,calf,cow,
chicken, duck and many more.Herbs and spices, vegetables, fruits, cheese, meat, dried foods are all in this ingredient bible.


(types of friuts)



(Types of cheese)

I think its time for me to know more about ingredients, so i can create something new for my farewell party and some dishes to dine with my F.U.C.K.(Friends you can keep) XD. So to my dear friends, this book is bought just for you people....

Next on, this book i bought 1 year ago, its quite a goob book for me. The name of this book is "Hamlyn complete Cook". 400 ingredients explained,100 tools and utencils, 1000 recipes and 50 basic technique, what can you expect more? this book have a weak point, not enough pictures. So whatever recipe you tried from that book, you wont be able to know how the real final result looks like.


(Hamlym Complete Cook)



To young people around who wish to start cooking, don not rely on cook books too much, because cook books are cant be perfect. Cook books can guide you throughout the cooking process, but many little technique they wont tell you. So, follow you heart, if you cant get the exact ingredients, its okay. Try it out with other alternative ingredients, the result could be better. 
Everyone have different taste buds. Its up to your own liking.

(Next post... my own recipes)

Herbs and recipes

These are some common herbs that you can get easily either fresh or dried at market or supermarkets. Herbs provides unique flavours to dishes. Culinary herbs are usually non-woody plant, typically using the leaves. By contrast, spices are the seeds, berries, bark, root, fruit, or other parts of the plant, even leaves in some cases.


(Thai basil)

BASIL
Basil is a popular ingredient in Italian cooking, its peppery flavour particularly complementing in a pot and can be preserved well in oil, making herbal oil. It can also be bought dried, but unlike many herbs,the flavour is completely altered during drying .There are few types of basil, but the taste are just slightly different.

Used in: Spaghetti Bolognese( see below), tomato soup, stew beef , stir-fried minced chicken .

Stir-fried minced chicken(homemade recipe)
- 100g of minced chicken
- Soya sauce
- 1-2 tsp Dark soya sauce(colour)
- 10+- Basil leaves
- 2 Shallot(chopped)
- Oyster sauce

Procedures
-Add oil in a wok, stir in shallot , fry till fragrant and add in minced chicken .
-Fry under medium-high temperature for 2-3 min, add in soya sauce(to taste), dark soya sauce and basil leaves.
-Fry for a little more and serve with rice.


(curly parsley)
PARSLEY
Parsley is one of the most essential herbs to have in kitchen. There are two main varieties, curly leaf or flat leaf. Parsley has high vitamin C and mineral content and considered to be one of the best natural tonics. Chopped parsley adds flavour to potatoes, steamed vegetable, garnish on top of steamed fish, steamed vegetable, scramble egg, sauces, salad and stuffing.

Used in: Spaghetti carbonara, sauces, soup, baked potatoes, scramble egg

Scramble egg
-2 eggs
-1 tsp butter
-oil
-salt and pepper
-parsley
- ham(optional)
-quarter of onion
- 1 egg shell of milk/cream

Procedures
-Beat the egg and add in butter , salt and pepper.
-Heat up the pan with oil, pour in onion, and ham .
-Fry till golden brown , turn to low temperature, add in egg.
-Add in parsley immediately ,stir around for 30-60 sec and serve when hot.
(do not overcooked the egg)



(lemon grass)

LEMON GRASS
These are stalks with an intense lemon flavour, that are normally sold trimmed in supermarkets. Lemon grass can be kept in fridge for 2-3 weeks if fresh. Its used in many Thai dishes. Very strong aroma.

Used in:Thai curry, Tom Yam, Laksa, asian cuisine.



Bay leaf

BAY LEAF
Bay leave come from sweet bay tree . Ideally the leave should be used 3-4 days after freshly picked. They can also be dried , but will not have much flavour compare to the fresh bay leaf. Bay leaf are particularly good for flavouring sauces, soup pickle, kebabs, and meat. Stong aroma.

Used in: Chicken stock, Pumpkin Soup, all sorts of sauces.

Pumpkin soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 large sprig parsley
1 bay leaf
1 lb cooked pumpkin
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Procedure
-Melt butter in large saucepan.
-Add green pepper, onion, parsley, and
bay leaf.
-Cook 5 miutes. Add pumpkin and chicken broth.
-Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Blend together flour and milk and stir into soup.
-Add slat and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil.
-Serve immediately. For 5-6 pax


pumpkin soup

Food Science?Culinology?Culinary Art?Hotel management?

Okay, nothing about food for this post. Its serious business.After 2007, friends of mine are all taking off to a new direction, new environment. For me, i am still wondering what can i do after graduated from high school. I have passion to cook, eat and sleep... i mean not sleep but creating new dishes.  These are some option for people like me.

FOOD SCIENCE
Food science is a discipline concerned with all technical aspects of food, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption. It is considered one of the agricultural sciences, and is usually considered distinct from the field of nutrition.Lets make it short, food science means "science of food", anything related to food by using science CONCEPT.

Food safety,Food microbiology ,Food preservation,Food engineering,Product development,Food chemistry,Food packaging,Molecular gastronomy,Food technology and Food physics are what a person will study along the course.

As you can see, you need to have good grades for your science subjects,and thats what i am studying, but suck at it. "Student that get 12-16 A1 in Malaysia are still JAHIL". Not Many people in Malaysia went into this course because its still a kind of new subject. After graduated, you will get a bachelor degree. Company such as Pepsi, Nestle, Colo, Dutch lady might tap you up for a job, working in a lab and good pay.(If you are lucky)

CULINOLOGY
Culinology is an approach to food that blends the culinary arts and food technology. Its a really new field which created by the first president and founder of the Research Chefs Association, Winston Riley.Culinology is a new word too. You cant find it in a dictionary yet. ITs a combination of Culinary+ Technology.So the first meaning of the word was the convergence of culinary arts and all technology, which includes communications, chemistry, physiology, economics and many others.

I dont have much  detail about this course, because it is still fresh from oven.And again, chemistry , physics, and economics..... Sick.

CULINARY ART
Yeah...at last.Culinary art is the art of cooking. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with cooking or kitchens.Normally, people who learnd culinary arts will become a cook or a chef.They work primarily in restaurants, fast food franchises, delicatessens, hospitals and other institutions and corporation. Kitchen conditions vary depending on the type of business, restaurant, nursing home etc.It is a diploma subject, takes a round 1-3 years to complete.

Executive chef, sous chef, pastry chef, chef de cuisine are some example of top level chef.Its not easy to get to the top, maybe 6-10 years, depend on your hardwork and abit of luck.Chefs life aretough, starting with low pay, long hours, hot kitchen, odd hours, and anti-social.Dont think you will be one on the tv like Jamie Oliver ,Gordon Ramsey and Chef Wan.They are a few in a million. Life of a chef is not as fantasy as you think.


(chef wan)


HOTEL MANAGEMENT
This program provides industry professionals with sound knowledge , strong decision-making and team skills, and rich global perspective.Its a position those executives for new levels of innovative management and the creative thinking that an advancing international hotels. resort, hospitality or restaurant business demands.

Throughout the whole course, you will learn how to manage hospitality in international context, strategic principles,leading and managing people, managing a restaurant, housekeeping, risk and contingency management and so on.

Every hotels need a good management board.  A management board needs good managing teams.Room division manager,financial Controller, 
banquet manager , human resources manager and many other team. There are over 100 working in a hotel. The bigger the hotel , the more employee they need. Imagine there are 100 hotels in KL, how many employee they need?


So , have you make up your mind? I Haven't.  Give me some idea and comment please.

Spaghetti recipes

Spaghetti can be prepared or cooked easily...Maybe you just need to spend around half an hour in the kitchen and you can enjoy the product of it.These are some basic and easy spaghetti recipes. Enjoy it.

Spaghetti Bolognese
100g  spaghetti
oil
salt
100+- g lean minced beef
pepper
1/4 onion(chopped)
2 button mushroom  
2  tomatoes (diced,peel)
1 teaspoon basil
2+- tbs tomato puree( depend on colour you like)
1 tsp oregano
parmesan cheese
Chicken Stock /water

Procedures
1)Cook the spaghetti in a pot of boiling water for 10-12 min.
2)Add in a suitable amount of oil into a frying pan ,fry the onion until fragrant, add in minced beef and fry for 2 min with medium-high temperature.
3)Add in mushroom. Fry for a while.
4)Add in tomatoes and tomato puree.Once boiled, switch to low heat n stirfry it.For another 2 min.
5)Add in basil and oregano(can get this fresh or dried in supermarkets easily). Cook for 5 minute.
6)If the sauce is too dry, add in stock or water.Taste it by adding salt and pepper.
7)Drain the spaghetti and put it on a plate.Scoop the sauce onto the spaghetti.Finally, top it with granted parmesan cheese.  





Spaghetti Bolognese



This is just a guide for beginner.There are many ways of cooking spaghetti bolognese.So, good luck to those who try out this recipe.


Spaghetti with bacon and button mushroom cream sauce
1 tbs oil
1-2 tbs  grated Parmesan cheese
a slice of bacon( cut into smaller pieces)
2 button mushrooms
100ml cream
1tsp butter
Black pepper and salt to taste
100g spaghetti
1 tsp parsley flake
1/4 onion(chopped/fine)
1 clove of garlic(chopped/fine)
Chicken stock / water


Procedures
1)Boil the spaghetti in a pot of boiling water for 10-12 min
2)By using another pan, add in oil and fry the bacon until golden brown.
3) Add in onion and garlic, fry till fragrant.
4) Stir in button mushroom,add in butter and fry.
5)pour in cream, turn to low heat.Add in parsley flakes .
6)Pour in the cooked spaghetti into the pan and fry for a minute.At the same time, add in grated parmesan cheese.Finally, add in salt and pepper to taste.
7) If the spaghetti turns too dry, add in stock or water to dilute it.(Same time in the pan)



(Ben love this although there are no cheese in it)

Spaghetti with bacon and button mushroom cream sauce




Notes:
1)Its better to get parmesan cheese in a block than grated parmesan cheese.Its more fresh and taste better.
2)You can add in white wine in the spaghetti with bacon and button mushroom cream sauce, which will give you a whole new taste.
3)The quantity of ingredients are flexible.The recipes above are made for 1 pax.(maybe american size).

Suggestion:
1) For a healthier diet, substitute cream with milk, butter with oil.
2) Add in some vegs(bolognese: celery)(cream sauce: green pea, brocolli).

Thats all from now.Hope you can learn something from here.
Thank you

woel

Stocks- The key of great taste

I have provided a basic stock recipes, I suggest you try making it at lest once before using those canned stocks.The canned stuff is very convenient. I use it myself occasion. But making stock is not as hard as you may think. And the canned stuff is usually not much more than salty water.

Chicken Stock
1kg of chicken breast and chicken bones 
2L of water 
3 celery stalks, chopped
2-3 carrots, sliced thick, no need to peel
2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf( optional)

First, clean up the chicken bones and chicken breast.Put the chicken breast and bones into a pot of boiling water to wash of the blood and smells.Just for a minute.Bring up the chicken and pour it into 2L of water and start boiling.Add in celery, carrot,onions and bay leaf(optional) and simmer for 2-3 hours with medium/low fire.Strain out the meat , bones and veg and that's it. The stock is ready to be used!!
(No msg, no preservative, no colouring, no salt)= healthy

Anything unclear please leave a question. Thanks.