Chocolate Chip Cookie

The chocolate chip cookie was accidentally developed by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1933. She owned the Toll House Inn, in Whitman, Massachusetts, a very popular restaurant that featured home cooking in the 1930s. The restaurant's popularity was not just due to its home-cooked style meals; her policy was to give diners a whole extra helping of their entrées to take home with them and a serving of her homemade cookies for dessert. Her cookbook, Toll House Tried and True Recipes, was published in 1936 by M. Barrows & Company, New York. It included the recipe "Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie", which rapidly became a favorite to be baked in American homes.

Ingredients

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal & blend in blender to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips (eryne gune brand Hershey)
1 tsp. salt
18 oz. Cadbury bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
1 cup black raisins or dried cranberries
2 tsp. vanilla

Method

• Cream the butter and both sugars.
• Add eggs and vanilla;
• mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.
• Add chocolate chips, Cadbury bar and nuts.
• Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.
• bake for 15 minutes at 170 degrees.
• Makes 122 cookies.

Crème brûlée

My favorite crème brûlée is a very plain one. Crème brûlée is one of those immortal French dessert recipes. Crème brûlée somehow manages to pull off a sense of grandeur while still being an incredibly simple thing to prepare. Among its many virtues, it'll keep for several days in the fridge, making it an ideal dessert to serve at a dinner party. You simply pop them out of the fridge, caramelize the tops and you're good to go.

Ingredients
6 large egg yolks
100 grams caster sugar
1 pinch salt
500 ml double cream
50ml full-cream milk
1 whole vanilla pod
¼ cup caster sugar (for the caramelized tops)

Method
1. Steep the vanilla pod with its seeds in the cream for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 140°C. Put the cream, milk & salt mixture in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Beat the caster sugar and egg yolks together in a large bowl. Strain the cream over the eggs (discard the solids); return this to the pan on a low heat, stirring until it thickens.
4. Put 6 ramekins into a roasting tin. Strain the custard and fill the ramekins three-quarters full. Pour boiling water into the tray to come two-thirds of the way up the ramekins.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until just set. Take out of the water and cool a little. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over each. Caramelize under a hot grill.

Chocolate brownies

It’s a great recipe, but the real trick is to make sure you don’t overcook them - otherwise they will go hard all the way through. As all ovens are different, you’ll need to keep your eye on them - and remember that chocolate always firms up at room temperature, so if you take them out of the oven when they’re a little bit gooey, they’ll be perfect.

Makes 8 - 10

Ingredients
250g - unsalted butter
200g - best-quality dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), broken up
80g - cocoa powder, sifted
65g - plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
350g - caster sugar
4 large - eggs
100ml – double cream
150g - dried cherries/raisins
150g - chopping nuts (walnuts or pecans)
100g - chunk chocolate

Preheat your oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / gas 4. Line a 30cm / 12 inch rectangular baking tin with greaseproof paper.

In a large bowl over some simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate and mix until smooth.

Add the cherries, chunk chocolate and nuts, if you’re using them, and stir together.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar, then add this to the chocolate, cherry and nut mixture. Stir together well. Beat the eggs and mix until you have a silky consistency lastly add the cream.

Pour your brownie mix into the baking tray, and place in the oven for around 25 minutes.

You don’t want to overcook them so, unlike cakes; you don’t want a skewer to come out all clean. The brownies should be slightly springy on the outside but still gooey in the middle. Allow to cool in the tray, then carefully transfer to a large chopping board and cut into chunky squares.

Beef Curry (Indian style)

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon - Ghee
- Spice
3 - Green cardamom
1 - Star anise
1 - Cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon - Mustard seed

- Bland items
8 cloves - Garlic’s
¼ inch - Ginger
3 - Onion’s
½ cup - Tomato puree/paste

- 1.5kg - Beef chuck (cut into cubes)

- Spices (ground)
4 small packets - Beef curry powder
4 tablespoon - Chili powder
2 tablespoon - Garam masala
2 tablespoon - Poppy seed
1 teaspoon - Coriander seed
2 teaspoon - Salt
2 tablespoon - Sugar
140ml - Natural yogurt

- 6 - Potatoes (cut into ¼)

- 140ml - Double cream / Coconut milk
- Onions
- Curry Leaf

Method
1. Ground all the spice and marinate the beef for 6hours.
2. Melt the ghee, then add in the spice and cook it until u smell the aroma.
3. Add in the items that u have bland and cook for a while.
4. Add marinated beef and water.
5. Cover the pot and cook until the beef tender.
6. Add the potatoes and continue cooking without the pot cover to reduce the curry.
7. Once the curry is reduce to half, add in cream, onion and curry leaf.
8. Check the seasoning before serve (salt, sugar).

OUZI (Baked Lamb and Spiced Rice)

This is a traditional special occasion main dish in Lebanon, where a whole lamb is often prepared to serve large crowds. It is a beautiful presentation that will impress your guests.

Lamb Marinate
whole leg (cut into 2 inch slices)
salt and pepper
175ml plan yogurt
100g cinnamon
20 cloves garlic, (finely diced and crushed with sea salt)
4 bay leaves
Prep: Marinate for overnight

Water
6 liter salt water
bouquet garni
• 4 inch Cinnamon
• Nutmeg (crush)
Prep: Boiled for one hour

Lamb Juice
250g ghee, melted
marinated lamb
add water regularly
1½ tin evaporated milk

Prep: Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender about 45 minutes. Drain water from lamb and reserve for preparing Rice Stuffing. Keep the meat warm while preparing rice.

Rice Stuffing
3 kg basmati rice
250g ghee
2 onions (slice)
lamb juice

Garnish
1 cup pine nut
1 cup pistachios
1 cup white raisins
Sugar
Prep: Lightly toast

Preparation

To marinate the lamb
Brush the lamb with ghee, rub it with salt and black pepper inside and out, dust liberally with cinnamon and the diced, salted garlic. Allow to marinate, overnight if possible.

For the rice stuffing
Melt the ghee and add the onions and cook it until golden in color. Add the rice which has been soaked for half an hour in salted water before being partially cooked.

Baking
Layer the rice with evaporated milk, bay leaves, almonds, pistachios, raisins. Add the marinated lamb on top of the rice. Cover the pot and bake for 2 hours at 225 degree. Then open the cover and baked another 45mins.

Asparagus Masak Belacan & Udang Kering

Bahan-Bahan:
• Minyak
• 2 ulas Bawang putih
• 3 sudu udang kering

• Belacan paste
- 1 inci belacan (dibakar dahulu)
- 1 sudu makan cili kering (yang telah di bland)
- 3 sudu besar udang kering (direndam setengah jam dalam air)
- Garam secubit
- Gula secubit

• Suku cawan air
• 1 bundle asparagus (biasanya supermarket akan jual sayur ini dalam kuantiti sebegini)
• 1 Bawang Besar (dihiris)

Cara:
1. Rebus asparagus dengan air mendidih selama 30 saat dan sejatkan.
2. Tumiskan bawang putih dan udang kering hingga naik bau.
3. Masukkan belacan paste dan air suku cawan. Kemudian rasa. Jika tak cukup garam, sila tambah.
4. Setelah kuah agak pekat, masukkan asparagus dan hirisan bawang goreng hingga bawang layu. Kemudian siap.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS:

• 50 pieces chicken wings either center or upper portion
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 bottle tomato ketchup
• 1/4 pound butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled into fine pieces
• 2 tablespoons fine chopped yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Pinch Cayenne Pepper
• Peanut oil for deep frying
• Celery sticks for garnish
• Cheese deep

PREPARATION:

Mix the wine vinegar with the milk, and allow the milk to curdle. Add the yellow onion, garlic, parsley, milk, sour cream, mayonnaise, tomato ketchup, blue cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix well. Refrigerate before serving.

In a large skillet melt the butter over low heat, and stir in the hot sauce. Add more or less to taste. Deep fry the chicken wing pieces in small batches in peanut oil at 385f for about 10 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels (if you wish to avoid the fat, bake the chicken wings in a 400f oven for 25 minutes).

When all the chicken wings have been fried, reheat the skillet containing the hot sauce, and toss the chicken wings about in the sauce. Serve the chicken wings hot or at room temperature with the cheese dip and celery sticks.

Blossom cheesecake

As requested by friend of mine (Ms. Jumie). I’m going to share with you my favourite cheesecake recipe. But before I start, does u know that cheesecake is a dessert that originated from Greece? Then cheesecakes were introduced to Great Britain and Western Europe by the Roman conquering armies. Cheesecakes were flourishing throughout Scandinavia, England, and north-western Europe. Ever since the dawn of time, mankind has striven to create the perfect cheesecake. Now days there are hundreds of different cheesecake recipes. The ingredients are what make one cheesecake different from another.

For the base
• 150g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 250g digestive biscuits, crushed

Filling
• 90g caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons corn flour
• 600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 300g tub mascarpone cheese
• 115ml whipped double cream
• 2 large free-range or organic eggs
• 1 vanilla pod or 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• zest of 1 lemon


Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4, and grease and line the bottom and sides of a 24cm spring form cake tin. Mix the biscuits and butter in a bowl, press into the base of the prepared tin and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and allow it to cool.

Turn the oven up to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Combine the sugar and corn flour in a bowl. Add the cheese and beat, ideally with an electric whisk, until creamy. Add the eggs and beat well. Gradually add the cream, beating until smooth, then beat in the vanilla seeds or extract and lemon zest.

Scrape the mixture on to the biscuit base, and gently shake it to level out the surface. Put the cheesecake in the centre of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling has set around the edges. (A piece of foil over the top will stop it browning too much.) Let it cool at room temperature and serve after 2 or 3 hours, or, for a slightly firmer texture, put it in the fridge until it’s nice and cold.

Gulai Ketam Aunty Azmah

10 ekor Ketam (potong ½)

2 senduk besar Minyak

1 helai Daun Pandan

2 inci Kayu Manis

1 biji Bunga Lawang

3 biji Buah Pelaga

8 biji Bawang Besar (potong halus)

2 sudu besar Cili Kering (mesin)

3 peket kecil Serbuk kari ikan (1 babas & 2 alagapas)

2 peket kecil Rempah ketam (adabi)

½ cawan Air

2 sudu besar Sos Cili

1 ½ inci Halia (ketuk)

RM 2.00 Santan

1 mangkuk Air

2 sudu besar Kerisik

Cara-cara

1. Masukkan minyak, daun pandan, bunga lawang, buah pelaga, kulit kayu manis dan tumis hingga wangi.

2. Kemudian masukkan bawang dan goreng hingga kuning. Masukkan halia dan kacau.

3. Masukkan rempah dan kacau hingga rempah tersebut masak.

4. Selepas itu, masukkan ½ cawan air sedikit demi sedikit dan kacau.

5. Setelah sebati, masukkan 1 mangkuk air dan kacau.

6. Masukkan santan dan kerisik kemudian kacau hingga sebati.

7. Yang terakhir, masukkan garam, sos cili,daun kari dan ketam kemudian kacau hingga ketam masak.

Lamb shanks

Lamb shanks are quite simple to prepare and make a very good dinner recipe. They can be prepared and left in the oven to cook so that the meat falls from the bone and melts in the mouth as it is eaten. They make a good dinner party recipe and are almost hassle free in preparation.

Browning
• 6 lamb shanks
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Boiling (Lamb juice)
• 800ml water
• 1 tin Tomato puree
• 6 lamb shanks
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 leek, roughly
• 2 sticks Celery
• 1 spring Thyme
• 1 spring Rosemary
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns

Baking
• 6 tbsp Olive oil
• 6 lamb shanks
• 2 Carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 Onions, roughly chopped
• 4 potatoes cut into 4
• 1 head Garlic, broken up into cloves (unpeeled)

For the sauce
1. 3 finely chopped Shallots
2. 150g button mushrooms sliced
3. 2 tbsp unsalted Butter
4. 1 tbsp fresh mixed herbs
5. Basil finely chopped
6. Parsley finely chopped
7. Lamb juice
8. ½ Lemon, juice only
9. 2 tsp Honey

For the vegetables
• 12 cherry tomatoes, on the vine
• Broccoli, (blanched, refreshed)
• Butter


Method

1. Browning - Heat the oil in a frying pan. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and brown the shanks.
2. Lamb juice - Take a casserole (or any oven-proof dish) and place on the hob over a high heat, pour in Tomato puree, Chicken stock, Bay leaf, leek, Celery, Thyme, Rosemary, Whole peppercorns and the shanks. Boiled them until the meat tender.
3. Remove the shanks; let the juice to reduce about half its volume.
4. For the sauce - sauté the Shallots, Mushrooms with Butter than add in Mixed herbs, Basil, Parsley, Lamb juice, Lemon juice and Honey. Cook it and check the seasoning.
5. Now it’s baking time - Take a deep baking tray and grease with olive oil, place the shanks, onions, carrots, garlic and the sauce
6. Oven temp 150C and baking time is about 1 hour.
7. Once the shanks in the oven, sauté the vegetables. Serve the lamb shanks with the cooking juices poured over the top.
8. To serve: Place the shanks in the centre of warm plates, then drizzle the sauce over , but not too much. Arrange the cooked vegetables around the lamb.

Chocolate fudge

This cake is best made using a food processor, as you can simply add everything and blitz it up together, but you can easily make it by hand if you buy ground almonds and grate the chocolate into the mix. Like most desserts, this isn’t exactly the healthiest thing in the world, but it’s absolutely gorgeous. Just make sure you enjoy it as it’s meant to be enjoyed – a special treat every now and then

Ingredients
• 200g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• 175g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 120g soft brown sugar
• 100g blanched almonds
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• a pinch of salt
• 4 large eggs, preferably free-range or organic
• 150g self-rising flour
• 100g fudge
• Crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream

Making your cake
• Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F
• Break up the chocolate, put it into a food processor with the butter, sugar, almonds, 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder and the salt, and whiz until smooth
• Crack your eggs, one at a time, into the food processor and add the flour
• Whiz again until smooth

Baking your cake
• Get a deep baking dish roughly 25 x 25cm in size
• Butter the dish really well and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder over it
• Shake it around a bit so it lightly coats the whole surface of the dish
• Pour the cake mixture into the dish, using a spatula to scrape it all out of the processor
• Break the fudge into pieces and sprinkle these over the top of the cake mix, pushing any larger pieces down into the mixture
• Pop the baking dish into the preheated oven and cook for 18 to 20 minutes
• Take the cake out of the oven and stick a fork into the middle of it
• If there’s a little bit of cake mixture on the fork when you pull it out, that’s okay – you want the cake to still be a little moist inside so that it’s nice and squidgy
• However, if it seems a bit wobbly, pop it back into the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes to firm up a bit

Chef tips serve your cake
• Let your cake cool slightly and serve it warm and gooey
• Lovely with a dollop of crème fraîche, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a bit of double cream

Mee Rebus Penang

Mee Rebus - a rich gravy made out of sweet potatoes, is ladled over fresh yellow egg noodles and bean sprouts. It is garnished with cooked squid, prawn fritters, boiled egg and fried shallots. A squeeze of a fresh local lime before serving.

Kuah Mee Rebus:

½ kilo ubi keledek merah (rebus & blander)
1 tin tomato soup
½ botol sos chili
1 paket cili boh (ikut suka pedas)
300g daging lembu (potong kecil2 & rebus)
300g udang basah (rebus dan diambil airnya)
100g bawang besar (mesin)
Minyak masak

Mee Kuning (celur sekejab dengan air panas)
Taugeh (celur)
Telor Rebus
Tahu Goreng
Daun Bawang
Bawang Goreng
Cili merah (hiris)
Limau kasturi

Cara-Caranya:

* Panaskan minyak dalam periuk
* Tumis bawang & cili boh sampai wangi
* Masukkan cili sos & tomato soup
* Masukkan udang & daging bersama air rebusan
* Masukkan ubi keledek yang telah diblander
* Tambah air mengikut pekat mana kita nak kuah tu. Tambah garam, gula,serebuk perasan mengikut selera sendiri. Kalau nak tambah pati ayam/daging boleh. Masak sampai mendidih dan tutup api.


Cadangan Hidangan:

Campur mee, taugeh , telor rebus, tahu goreng, bawang goreng, daun bawang dan cili potong dalam pinggan. Tuangkan kuah dan hidangkan