Japanese Kimono

This time we went to Japan and we completed our mission: To have a family photo wearing Kimono. It was such an experience! I had difficulty sitting down. The belt was so wide. They needed to tighten it too. I was trying to hold my breath. I didn't like my make up at all. I looked very old :-( Next time I will wear another one and will completely change my hairstyle. Goodluck to me!

Lasagne

I seldom make Lasagne because it's time consuming. My friend is leaving Jakarta (forever) and she requested if I can make it for her. I said yes I will and here it is ;-)

Home made Lasagne. I got the recipe from bbcgoodfood.com. I'm at the process of making it, that's why it looked like this. The finish product? Dunno,  I didn't have a chance to take a snap, it was gone after I laid it on the table. I also added Shitake mushroom for more flavor. I guess the mushroom fitted the taste of my Japanese friends!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 carrot (about 100g/4oz) finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves , crushed
• 140g pack cubetti di pancetta
• 500g pack beef mince (we used 10% fat)
• 500g pack pork mince or British veal mince
• 200ml milk
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 500ml red wine
• about 400g dried pasta sheets
• 50g Parmesan , finely grated

FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE

• 1½ l milk
• 1 onion , thickly sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 100g butter
• 100g plain flour
• good grating of nutmeg 

1. First infuse the milk for the béchamel sauce. Put the milk, onion, bay and cloves into a large saucepan and bring very gently just up to the boil. Turn off the heat and set aside for 1 hr to infuse.
2. For the meat sauce, put the oil, celery, onion, carrot, garlic and pancetta in another large saucepan. Gently cook together until the veg are soft but not coloured. Tip in all the mince, the milk and tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon, stir together and break up and mash the lumps of mince against the sides of the pan. When the mince is mostly broken down, stir in all the herbs, the stock cubes and wine, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hr, stirring occasionally to stop the bottom catching. Uncover and gently simmer for another 30 mins-1 hr until the meat is tender and saucy. Taste and season.
3. To finish the béchamel, strain the milk through a fine sieve into one or two jugs. Melt the butter in the same pan then, using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the strained milk, a little at a time - the mix will thicken at first to a doughy paste, but keep going, adding milk gradually to avoid lumps. When all the milk is in, bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly (if you have lumps, give it a quick whisk). Gently bubble for a few mins until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Spread a spoonful of the meat sauce over the base of a roughly 3.5 litre baking dish. Cover with a single layer of pasta sheets, snapping them to fit if needed, then top with a quarter of the béchamel. Spoon over a third of the meat sauce and scatter over a little Parmesan. Repeat the layers - pasta, béchamel, meat and Parmesan - two more times to use all the meat sauce. Add a final layer of pasta, the last of the béchamel and remaining Parmesan. Sit the dish on a baking tray to catch spills and bake for 1 hr until bubbling, browned and crisp on top.

Car Free Day Jakarta

 Amazing Sunday morning! I was on my way to attend the first service but the roads were closed. I asked my driver to drop me near Phloey ( Thai resto located in Sudirman. I will update you all later about this great resto. For now please have the address and location  )

Phloey Fine Thai Cuisine

Panin Center Building Basement
Jend. Sudirman Kav. 11

Jakarta Pusat

DKI Jakarta - Indonesia

PH 1: (021)726-1570

 I walked ( I wish I owned a bicycle ) to reach the church. It was kind of hot but I can say better coz without cars heat is lessened. The first photo is the side going to Kuningan and the other one is around Plaza Senayan, where the famous Pizza Man is.

Tokyo Banana

My colleague introduced Tokyo Banana to me. We were having tea and she said "I have the best sweet to compliment our tea". She took out this bread looking bananas and asked me to try. I did and it was sooo good. This time I got a box of it. Thanks to my hubby. He's so sweet to bring me my request.

 

 

 

Stir Fried Beef Noodle

This recipe is really good! I got it from Yummly.

salt pepper 3 cups broccoli florets 8 ozs rice noodles (pad thai) 2 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 tbsps red curry paste (green)

2 tbsps fish sauce 2 tbsps vegetable oil 1 lb flank steak (cut into thin strips) 1 tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped) 2 cloves chopped garlic

1	1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and rice noodles; cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, curry paste and fish sauce.
2	2. In a large skillet, warm oil over high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper; add to skillet in a single layer. Cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
3	3. Add ginger and garlic to skillet; sauté 30 seconds. Add broth mixture, beef, noodles and broccoli to skillet and sauté until sauce thickens and ingredients are heated through.

salt

pepper

3 cups broccoli florets

8 ozs rice noodles (pad thai)

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 tbsps red curry paste (green)

2 tbsps fish sauce

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 lb flank steak (cut into thin strips)

1 tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)

2 cloves chopped garlic

1

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and rice noodles; cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, curry paste and fish sauce.

2

2. In a large skillet, warm oil over high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper; add to skillet in a single layer. Cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3

3. Add ginger and garlic to skillet; sauté 30 seconds. Add broth mixture, beef, noodles and broccoli to skillet and sauté until sauce thickens and ingredients are heated through.

Taiwanese Cusine (in Malaysia)

Fried Rice

Abalone

Stir fried tofu with celery stick

Appetier consist of egg, wakame, and pig's ear.

Sizzling pork chop!

Innard Soup

 

Jalan Alor (Malaysia)

 

Tempura Soba

Soba is a Japanese Noodle made from buckwheat flour.
It is served either chilled (Zaru-soba) or served hot. I got this recipe from foodnetwork.com.

Ingredients

• 200g soba noodles
• 1 green pepper, cut into 8
• 1 sweet potato, cut into 2cm thick slices
• 1 aubergine, cut into 2cm thick slices
• 1 courgette, cut into 2cm thick slices
• 8 shitake mushrooms
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 bunch spring onions, chopped
• 8 king prawns, peeled and de-veined
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 100ml sesame oil

• For the broth:

• 800ml vegetable stock
• 50ml soy sauce
• 100ml mirin

• For the tempura batter:

• 300g self raising flour
• 1 egg
• 200ml ice cold water

Use imperial measurements

Method

How to make Tempura Soba

To make the batter, pour the flour in a bowl. Mix the egg in a separate bowl and add the water. Slowly pour the water/egg mixture into the flour and lightly mix. The batter should still be slightly lumpy. Season.
To make the broth, pour all the ingredients into a pan, season to taste and bring to a simmer.
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes then drain and refresh in cold water.
Pour the vegetable and sesame oil in a pan and heat up. Test the temperature by adding a small drop of tempura batter in the oil, if it rises to the surface then the oil is ready.
Individually coat the vegetables in the batter and deep fry until crisp. Leave the prawns until last.
To serve, place some soba in the bottom of a bowl, top with the tempura, pour the broth into the bowl and finally finish with some spring onions.

Wonton and Noodles

 

Green Tea Moon Cake (with Single Yolk)

This moon cake was purchased from a bakery during our travel to Kuala Lumpur. I tried making one but it was not successful. If you want to give it a try here is the recipe and I would like to have a photo if you succeed ;-) Here is the link of the fellow blogger where I got the recipe http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.com/2011/09/green-tea-snow-skin-mooncake.html

Green tea moon-cake 绿茶冰皮月饼
(recipe source: adapted from Jane's corner)
*makes 2 moon-cakes x 3” diameter


Snow Skin
50g Koh hun (cooked glutinous rice flour) 糕粉
60g Icing sugar糖粉
16g Shortening白油
60g Cold water冷水
1tsp greentea powder绿茶


Green tea lotus paste filling
200g white lotus paste白莲蓉
melon seeds瓜子
Method-mix all together to form a soft dough, weighted 100g and shape to ball


Method
1. Sift Koh Fun,matcha powder and Icing sugar into a mixing bowl.
2. Rub shortening into the flour mixture.
3. Gradually mix in cold water and mix to form a soft dough.
4. Weight each dough 60g and shape to ball.
5. Flatten the dough ball and place a green tea lotus paste ball on top, wrap and seal the dough by slowly push the dough until totally cover the whole lotus paste ball. Slightly shape into a ball again.
6. Place mooncake inside the mould, flatten dough to conform to shape of mould.
7. Knock the mooncake mould on solid surface and slowly remove the mooncake.
8. Chill before serving

Durian Chocolate (Malaysia)

 

Steam Egg "Chawanmushi" Japanese version

My girls love Chawanmushi. This dish is very easy to make. Just mix all the ingredients and steam it, voila! Enjoy.




 Recipe from About.com

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2 cup dashi soup stock
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sake
• 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 enoki mushrooms, chopped, or 4 shiitake mushrooms, stem removed and thinly sliced
• 4 leaves mitsuba (trefoil)
• 8 slices kamaboko or narutomaki fish cakes

Preparation:

Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Try not to bubble the eggs. Mix cool dashi soup stock, soy sauce, salt, sake, and sugar in another bowl. Add the dashi mixture in the egg mixture gradually. Strain the egg mixture. Put mushrooms, chicken, and kamaboko or narutomaki slices in four chawanmushi cups, or tea cups. Fill each cup to third-forths full with the egg mixture. Cover the cups. Preheat a steamer on high heat. Turn down the heat to low and carefully place cups in the steamer. Steam for a few minutes on high heat. Turn down the heat to low and steam for about 10-15 minutes, or until done. Poke a bamboo stick in the chawamushi and if clear soup comes out, it's done. Place mitsuba leaves on top of chawanmushi. *Makes 4 servings.

Buffalo Wings

Try this delicious recipe from foodnetwork.com 

Ingredients

• 12 whole chicken wings
• 3 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl along with the garlic. Pour this along with hot sauce and salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine.

Remove the wings from the oven and transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

Tofu with Chili

Enjoy the recipe I got from food.com

5 cups pinto beans, cooked
2 lbs frozen tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce (tamari)
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons corn oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 medium green pepper, diced
2 large onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Directions:

1. Cut tofu in bite-size pieces and freeze overnight. Thaw out the next day (about 1 hour). Mix soy sauce, tomato paste, corn oil, garlic powder and liquid and add thawed tofu; heat up in a skillet. In a separate skillet, saute green pepper, onions and garlic in oil until onions turn clear.
2. Put all ingredients in a pot and simmer together.
3. You may have to add more liquid.4Cook 20 to 40 minutes.

Kidzania (Jakarta)

My girls had so much fun in Kidzania. There are so many things to do. If you have children with different age  better bring somebody to help you to explore different activities, otherwise one would get bored waiting and just waste time. Glad I have my kids nearly the same age. They can do most activities together.

Dentist at work.

Painting the wall! Things that is not allowed at home, yey paint paint paint!

Look how serious they are, sooo cute!

Helping at the Nursery Room.

Making their own food, chicken nuggets!

pizza pizza ;-)

at salon

pharmacy

making ice lolies.

And their favorite, the noodle factory, yey were ready to go home.