vickichowder: SWEET POTATO

BAILEYS

I never really had to cook for many people - it was usually for about 3-4 people (my family or a few of my friends), so cooking in big batches is typically not done by me. The large cake and dessert orders are excepted of course.

But one day my mom was blessed with so much business she had to hand over her apron to me (where in fact, I have my own apron which mommy made me) so I could make the dinner for that day. We were expecting 10 people in total, so I had to start cooking around 1630 to get ready to eat around 1830!

Flan is best served cold

The night before this feast, I made creme caramel, or flan, or custard pudding as Cooking with Dog calls it. I used CWD's recipe, but cut down the sugar in the custard to half because I like the custard to be less sweet since the caramel will be quite sweet.

Our large scale dinners are more than often served buffet-style. So we will have our salads, hor d'oeuvres, mains, and sides all on one (or two) tables so everyone can help themselves:

I like sweet potato with savoury dishes (like curry), and any kind of meat

The first thing I started on was the beef ribs and sweet potato stew. In a large pot (because there was a lot of beef rib!), I put in the ribs, a large cans of chunked tomato and I skipped the salt for now because the canned tomato is already quite heavily salted! Then keep it simmering on low-medium after it boils, for 1.5 hours. You want to taste it along the way, adding some more sugar or salt as you like.

When the meat is soft and falls of the bone, transfer just the meat (leaving the sauce in the pot) into your serving dish. Add your chunky cubes sweet potato and simmer until it is cooked thoroughly. When it's time to serve, add your meat into the pot again, heat it thoroughly, plate it, and serve with a big garnish of roughly chopped parsley.

The chicken and potatoes were topped with a dose of sweet oyster sauce at the last minute

While the beef ribs are simmering, I baked chicken legs (drumsticks and thigh) which were marinated in soy sauce and sugar the night before, atop a bed of cubed potato. 30 minutes into baking at 400 F, I gave them a nice dousing of the juices that collect on the bottom of the pan and kept them baking until thoroughly cooked through.

Parsley should be added at the very last moment, and chopped only once!

After the chicken, I started with a vegetable gratin, consisting of sliced carrot, mushroom, and broccoli. After giving the broccoli a very quick blanch, I layered it onto a oven-safe baking dish with the carrot and mushroom. I poured cream of mushroom over top, sprinkled on some grated cheddar then popped it in the still hot oven to bake until it becomes bubbly.

For the pasta, I used farfalle because I like how it's so easy to spoon up when serving a buffet-style dinner. I minced three-four cloves of garlic and cooked it in olive oil and butter until golden. To that was sliced asparagus and dried basil and oregano, which was sauteed until it looked it it was grilled, and lastly, the chopped tomato - oh yes, and lots of cracked black pepper. It was still a bit tangy from the fresh tomato, so I put in more butter which did wonders to the sauce. I kept the sauce warm until serving time, when I tossed the al-dente farfalle with the still warm sauce, then put in a large dish.

We also cut bell peppers and celery into sticks to dip in a creamy dressing

When you're making a meal for so many, foods that take little time to make are the best! So I bought mini frozen quiches which have two different flavours, popped them into the oven 30 minutes before my guests are due, and voila: hor d'oeuvres done.

I love salad

Lastly, I toasted sliced garlic bread, and prepared the salad. The salad that night was made of a bed of romaine topped with juicy cut tomatoes, honey roasted peanuts, dried cranberries, and toasted sesame seeds. I combined olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, freshly cracked black pepper, dried basil and oregano, and tossed it with the salad when serving.

Happy eating everyone!

MUAH MUAH MUAH

VICKI CHOW

P/S

Here's the cake I made for my little friend's 4th birthday. It was everything she liked: pink and strawberries. It was also everything I liked: pink and strawberries. I had the most amazing time while making this pink batter. I was happy and all grins before it was even baked!

What does your dream birthday cake look like?

It will be mother's day and my birthday soon because my birthday this year lands on mother's day - just like when I was born *yay*

Now excuse me as I go Google some mother's day brunch ideas.

What are you making for your mom on mother's day?

, by vickichowder

ASAM

RECIPE: PENANG LAKSA

A couple weeks back I called my mommy to tell her that I really wanted to eat laksa. So that week when I went home mommy gave me a list of things to buy at the grocery store for this sour and spicy noodle soup.

I love going home to eat - all I do is do what my mom tells me to do:

"Cut these onions thinly...wait let me do it...okay nevermind you cut it"

"Open this can and dump the sardines in"

"Drain the juice from the pineapple..let me have some of that juice...it's so good, have some too!"

I don't think there is a set recipe for laksa since there are so many variations for it, but the one my mommy makes is Penang laksa, which is the one from the Penang region of Malaysia.

To get this, follow the following steps:

We start with a big pot of water.

Add six cans of these spicy sardines which you crush in the soup with the back of a spoon or whatever you like to use

A handful of laksa leaves (you can find it at Asian grocery stores)

The white part of lemongrass, sliced thickly

6-8 pieces of peeled tamarind

A spoon or two of shrimp paste

Fresh red chillies, with seed

Then you just boil for a couple of hours until everyone gets hungry from the smell and can't wait any longer.

The noodles we used were lai fun

Ladle the soup over hot rice vermicelli, then drain the soup back into the pot. Do this three times (so the noodles get nice and hot, and you collect all the good bits from the soup in the bowl of noodles), then finally ladle soup into your bowl of noodles, leaving room for many garnishes.

We topped them with thinly sliced onions, thinly sliced lettuce, thinly sliced cucumber, canned pineapple bits and mint leaves.

I don't have to make dessert tonight!

To end the night, mommy sandwiched nian gao between two slices of sweet potato, coated it in batter, and deep fried it. It's a Malaysian dessert that is made during the new years (because nian gao is a new year dessert), and is typically made with a slice of taro and a slice of sweet potato. But I bought the wrong taro and mommy said we can't use it, so just use 2 sweet potato instead.

Crunchy on the outside, soft sweet potato, and chewy nian gao ~

Please read on beyond the "P/S" part --

MUAH MUAH MUAH

VICKI CHOW

P/S

If you've read the "P/S" section of my previous Food Porn post, you'll remember I had you guess about a picture (the left one):

It's Brie Cheese (which we baked) topped with strawberries, from FMT

I sat in the middle seat = I get food from the grill on both sides

On a side note, I was lucky to try Chako Korean Grill on their soft opening night in Mississauga (where my home is)! Now I don't have to drive a minimum for half an hour to feed my stomach unlimited amounts of meat! *yay*

On the other side note *haha*, the Spring weather has finally begun to overpower the Winter chills, meaning my enthusiasm to go to the gym has shot up significantly *yay again*

Good luck to those writing exams soon (or already are)!!

, by vickichowder

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RECIPE: SWEET POTATO CHIFFON

COOKING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE

RECIPE: PENANG LAKSA

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