A Special Birthday Cake

Ngoc, is a child with 'special needs' and she is so lucky to be in the United States where so much attention and care are given to children like Ngoc. Unlike my nephew, Eugene, who is in Malaysia - my brother could not find any special attention even when he is willing to pay for it. Preparing for the future is important but so is enjoying the pressent. Guessed my brother would have to 'focus on today and not tomorrow.

I found this Article so well written and meaningful and to all parents who have a kid with special need, please do spend a moment to read this and also to enjoy your child's speciality. I salute all you parents who are doing all the best you can and you are doing a really great job.  All of us could learn a thing or two as they are so special, actually at times, we are the handicapped ones.

Continue for recipe HERE

Gluten-Free Cheese Puffs

These just might be the best cheese puffs ever made and you would not believe me, if i tell you that they are the easiest to make.

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The texture was crisp on the outside but soft and chewy in the inside, yes, chewy, a lot like Japanese mochi.with lots of good cheddar flavor. The cheese made these puffs quite tasty and addictive, so many tasters especially the kids, kept coming back for additional handfuls and they were all gone before there was time to cool and that was good cos it tasted better slightly warm..

The recipe can be found HERE

Rice wine Residue Sweet Soup

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps

Looking out and this is what i can see - my backyard.

Yes, it is 'Bittersweet October" , today and the week to come is promised chill in the air as the changing of the leaves start to fall, in fact they have started to fall awhile back. Nothing takes away the chill or tastes better than a bowl of warm soup.

Continue for recipe HERE

Step-by-step Mui Choy Kau Yoke

A task which usually take 5 minutes was not so and it was so frustrating.  Anyway, how difficult or time-consuming it was, i made a promise to post the step-by step on How to make Mui Choy Kau Yoke and .........

the promise is kept

The step-by-step can be found HERE

Mui Choy Kau Yoke

This is a very popular dish in Asia which appears on the dinning table during any asian festivals.  It is very deliciously sinful, mouth watering. 

Taste the intense flavour and the fats of the pork melting in your mouth.  . The preserved Mui Choy (dried salted veggie but sweet) has a nice balance which is light tasting  and goes well with the meat soft texture.  This dish might not be so acceptable by healthy freaks who shy away from most fat but in this case the fat actually gets soaked up by the 'mui choy'  and become very 'mui', giving glory to it's name.  "Mui" in cantonese means 'soft' . 

Continue for recipe HERE

Cheesecake with Ganache

Have you ever thought that a sunken cake can be a success?  I was in this situation when i had to think fast to complete this birthday cake in time. .. 

 

It was the morning of the birthday and the cake has sunk to half of what it was when i turned off the oven the night before.

It was left it in the oven with the oven door ajar and meant to be taken out as soon as it cooled slightly.  But ...... i fell asleep and woke up hours later.  OMG  - think fast - Lily

Continue to recipe HERE

Gado Gado

Gado gado is a classic, traditional Indonesian salad drizzled with a luscious. mouthwatering  peanut sauce which has a rich, nutty flavor and a delightful creamy texture. Gado gado is such a hearty and filling salad that it can easily be eaten as a complete meal. A variety of vegetables can be used for this salad - like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, french beans, kangkong etc.  Preparing the vegetables is no big deal, just remember

to allow the water for blanching to return to a rolling boil after adding each vegetable to ensure they are cooked according to the times allocated. DRAIN the blanched vegetables and rinse under cold water to refresh.  For the potatoes - cooked them with skin on until fork tender, peel skin away and then cubed.  The only tedious prep is making the Peanut Sauce -if you have 'sambal paste' ready, it is not a big deal.  It will be easier if you don't want the roast the peanuts - use crunchy peanut butter.
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Ingredients

Satay Sauce

Cooked potatoes—peeled and cubed

Green beans—cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inches lengths - blanched

Cucumber - sliced

Cabbage - cut into bite size and blanched

Bean sprouts - blanched

Fried Tofu - cut into bite size

Sweet peppers - cut into bite size

Hard boiled eggs - cut into quarters

PREPARE the satay sauce following the method from Malaysian Satay

To assemble the salad:

 ARRANGE equal amounts of each vegetable on plates, garnish with egg quarters, and drizzle with satay sauce to serve.