Made Japanese Kara-age on Saturday noon and gone just like that.

My sister loves it - of course!

It is really yummy and easy.

I use the recipe from here and in fact I did not use the sake but still taste yummy.

Looking at the original picture then looking at mine, I think mine is too pale.

I should probably leave it longer to get that golden brown color.

Anyway, go try it and enjoy!

This is probably the easiest cookies recipe I've ever seen.

And it only needs 3 ingredients. YES, THREE! Unbelievable!

I was in doubt that it will taste good before making it.

But I should now, anything with Nutella taste good. Hahahahaha!

This cookies are so so yummy especially when it's still warm (not hot) cos you still get that melting Nutella inside. I suggest to put it on microwave for few seconds if you're going to eat it the next day.

Recipe is adapted from here.

However, the original recipe said to bake for 6 – 8 minutes, but I bake it for about 10-15 minutes cos I feel 8 minutes is a bit undercooked for me.

Enjoy trying and you won't regret it!

So, I decided to start selling pineapple tarts or cookies or nastar or whatever you call it.

It is an Indonesian or even Asian cookies that is really popular usually during Chinese New Year but people still like to eat it for daily snack accompanied with tea :)

Here in Melbourne or Australia, we barely can find good nastar.

As my passion is in baking and cooking, I am thinking to give it a go by starting with this pineapple tart. And maybe more to come?

Anyway, I am selling this for $10 (250gr). You can always order for bigger portion and with another filling (jam or cheese). It's basically just like cookies. I will make this regularly and will also make on orders. Contact me if you are interested :)

Thanks!!!

Time for recipe post. Finally.... after a while :)

I am happy to be back, cooking and baking.

I made this when I did my housewarming 2 weeks ago.

Some of them are old recipes but never fail people's tongues.

Here is the picture taken from one of my friends as I completely forgot about taking pics. Yes, I was so busy that day!

First pic in the top left corner is the wonton beef taco, but this time I nailed it. I put more cheese and salsa sauce for more flavour, also topped with a bit of sour cream when serving it.

Recipe is still the same, 500gr mince beef, mozzarella cheese, chunky salsa sauce, taco seasoning, and wonton skin. It's all gone in 10 minutes. Love it!

The second pic is the one next to it, it's roasted asparagus and prosciutto. I got the recipe from Seasons and Suppers.

The pic below is the raw version before I roasted it.

It's served it with a slice of bread and with a cheese sauce supposedly.

But as usual, trouble always comes at the wrong time, my sauce is not thickened and my guess is I used wrong type of cheese so it didn't blend with the other ingredients.

It should look like the pic below:

I am back to the kitchen.

Have been away for so long cos I am too lazy to cook if it's only for me.

Hence, I decided to make something for my sister instead so at least I know someone will eat it.

I made this mac and cheese as this is one of her favorites while I personally don't like it.

I still prefer carbonara for my taste.

Ohhh... and in fact my bf likes it as well and asked me to make one for him when he is coming (soon), so I should practice first, shouldn't I?

I used the recipe from here.

They give you the tips and the videos as well which is very helpful.

But still, when I cooked it yesterday, it wasn't as simple as I thought.

I made only half recipe and it can feed 3 people already.

Thanks God it turned out not too bad so I also gave some to my friend who live across my apartment.

And Thanks God my sister likes it, even she only said 'OK' not like 'Yummy'. LOL!

All gone by evening, even the pic does not look attempting. Yeay!

Must be better for the next round.

Enjoy!

New season has come.

It's time for MasterChef Professional.

It's just week 1 but I feel the spirit is here.

I personally have not been cooking properly or even baking lately.

But watching the videos, looking at the pictures and reading the recipes from MasterChef is just.... unbearable.

I wish I have their pantry in my apartment, I will surely cook and try their recipes one by one every day.

Ahhh.. I wish!

I am saliva-ing!! >.<

I've been in the mood cooking savory food lately.

Time for chicken, I cooked Chicken Piccata last night.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

 1 chicken breast
100 gr flour
1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
 1 spring onion, white part only, minced
 1 tablespoon lemon juice
 125 ml chicken stock
 1/2 teaspoon honey
 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely zested

Direction:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup water

3 eggs

100 gr minced pork

1 tsp sesame oil

salt and pepper

chopped spring onion to garnish

Directions:

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

vegetable oil

220 gr spaghetti

salt

2 tbs unsalted butter

1 1/2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs minced garlic

270 gr prawn

pinch black pepper

5gr parsley leaves

grated zest of 1/3 lemon

lemon juice (1/4 lemon)

pinch of chilli

Directions:

Finally making my first nastar.

I can say it's such a mess.

Also, I don't know what I did wrong, but my cookies dough is not that perfect.

By the time all the ingredients were mixed, I just know that there was something not right.

And it's true... the dough is not like usual cookie dough, it's not that tight and thick as usual. Hmmmm....

Anyway, after it's cooled, it tastes like nastar should be.

Til the next post ;)

Made this on Friday and gave some to my friend for her birthday :)

Hope she likes it.

The Recipe: Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

Yield: 32 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp. sugar

For the topping:
6 oz. fresh raspberries
2 tbsp. sugar

For the filling:
2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar.  Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened.  Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Bake until just set, 5 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.

To make the raspberry puree, combine the raspberries and sugar in a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy.  Blend in the sugar until smooth.  Mix in the salt and vanilla.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

To assemble, spoon 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake batter over the crust in each cupcake liner.  Dot a ½ teaspoon of the raspberry puree in a few dots over the cheesecake filling.  Use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.

Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  (They will look quite puffed initially but will return to normal quickly.)  Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.  Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Finally I make my coffee macaron after last time I made it, it was totally failed.

I found out that even I am using almond meal and icing sugar, I need to grind it again to make it perfectly smooth.

So I use blender as I don't have any food processor at the moment.

I blend the icing sugar, almond meal and also the instant coffee powder.

There was also an accident when making this.

The first batch, it fell to the ground when I tried to move around the pan to get it even.

I almost cry because the macarons are pretty, feet are perfect and skins are so smooth. 

Anyway, accident is accident, it can't go back so I need to let it go
T-T

Lucky I still have the second batch but not much.

I've been craving for pasta lately... any pasta but maybe carbonara the most.

So I decided to find recipe instead of  buying it twice a week, draining my wallet.

Well, here it is!

Surprisingly this is good, and I notice it actually tastes better when it's not too hot. Weird!

1-1/2 tsp olive oil

2 shallot, diced

1/2 large onion, peeled and sliced

250 gr bacon

2 clove garlic, chopped

250 gr fettuccine

2 egg yolks

125 ml cream

90gr parmesan cheese, shredded

salt and pepper

Direction:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry shallots until softened. Stir in onion and bacon, and cook until bacon is evenly browned. Stir in garlic when bacon is about half done. Remove from heat.

2. Boil pasta in a lightly salted water. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta, then return it to the pan.

3. Whisk together egg yolk, cream and shredded parmesan. Pour the bacon mixture over the pasta, stir in the cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

And you're done!!! Enjoy!!

After making macaron for the past 2 weeks, I have a lot a lot of leftover egg yolks.

So try to find something using egg yolks and tadaaaaa....

Swiss roll! Trust me, it used load of egg yolks

Lunch today for me, my housemate and my sister.

Happy overload! :)

Recipe from here but I don't make the dipping sauce, I just use normal tomato sauce and it's really good alrd.

Enjoy!

Sunday baking, another chocolate macaron batch.

But this time, I use chocolate ganache for the filling which is taste way way better :))

I use different recipe and it turns out not as smooth as before but the feet is much formed and better, so not sure what causing it. Still need to practice a lot to make it perfect.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

225gr plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

115 gr butter

100 brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

113 gr white sugar

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the sifted dry ingredients and beat until just blended.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place each ball in a cup of a greased mini muffin tin. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are browned and crackled, the centers will not be completely set. Remove the cookies from the oven and use shot glass to make a small, deep well in the center of each cookie and fill with your Nutella. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

As usual, weekend is my baking day.

I baked this chocolate lava cake yesterday and it turned out really yummy!

Too bad I don't have ice cream or strawberry at home to complete this heavenly dessert

Anddd.... yesterday, I was neat enough to decor the plate... just need something more colorful :p

ENJOY!

Okay, this is not as easy as I imagined.

Making chocolate chunk cookies. lol.

First fault, maybe the pastry flour I chose is not the correct one.

Second fault, I never make cookies before so I have no idea if the outside skin will be hard as soon as it's out of the oven and touch the air so... I simply over-bake it and it becomes really crunchy. Stupid stupid me!

It still tastes good and Thanks Goodness, the second batch turns out well after I learned from my mistakes not to over-bake it.

So here it is...

Sunday brunch at home :))

Ingredients

Well, it should look like below pic, but I am unable to take it out of the ramekin as I don't have non-stick spray. lol!

Good luck trying! :)