CHOCOLATE FRENZY

After the earlier success of my chocolate muffins, I was inspired to give the trusty pound cake recipe another go. Although the recipe calls for a 6 inch can pan, I used an 8 inch ring pan instead coz that is what I have on hand. The rest were 2 inches too big so I really don't want to risk the cake 'stretching' unnecessarily.

Since the temperature stated is 375 degrees Fahrenheit, I set my oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Also I added 3 tablespoons of milk to the recipe as I read somewhere that cocoa tends to dry out the cake texture during baking. After the cake had been baking for a while, I noticed the top was cracked. This indicated the oven was too hot or it could be due to my own foolhardiness in using that ring pan!

Anyway all's well that ends well. After 45 minutes I realised the cake had shrunk away from the pan edges a little so I quickly removed it from the oven. Luckily no further damage was evident. Phew!



Here's a close-up of the end result. Doesn't look too bad does it? Tastes great too I must say. It was a tad dry when it was still warm but after 1-2 days, the texture actually became more moist. To cover up the unsightly cracks, I decided to slather the cake with some chocolate frosting.



I used 200 ml whipping cream mixed with half a large bar of cooking chocolate and a small pat of butter for the frosting. Can you believe it was my first time making this? I got really worried when the mixture looked too runny when I poured it onto the cake - I guess I should have let it cool down first before even thinking of using it! Nevertheless, nobody complained about the taste so I reckon it was fine. Once overnight, the cake appearance looked much, much better as the frosting has taken on a nice sheen.



This recipe is for keeps!

BINGING ON BISCOTTI

I will never forget the first time I attempted to make biscotti. It was a disaster! Instead of achieving a light, slightly crunchy texture, everything ended up hard as rock. Only the flavour was agreeable but I was thankful that my Mom encouraged me not to give up. She also gamely finished the trial batch which I truly appreciate.

Happily, my subsequent attempt turned out better - thanks I suspect mainly to Rohani Jelani's recipe which appeared in a backdated issue of Flavours magazine. Having purchased several jars of Rohani's splendid biscotti before some years ago, I had never quite forgotten how nice they tasted. So I was estatic when I discovered her biscotti recipe! The results were so good, I actually made about a dozen canisters of them a week before Chinese New Year as pai nin giftaways. Not quite enough to go around so a small coterie of relatives and friends were the lucky beneficiaries.



For those who are game to try their hands at churning out a batch or two here's the recipe.

ROHANI'S ALMOND BISCOTTI

3 eggs (size A)
160 g caster sugar (the original recipe has it down as 200g but I used less)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (you can also use real vanilla flecks scraped from 1 vanilla pod - the flavour is fab! It's pricey though as 3 pods cost RM20)
50g ground almonds
200g whole almonds (I use skinned almonds but again these tend to be slightly pricier. You can also use hazelnuts or pistachios or even a mixture)

Sift together
320g plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Spread whole almonds onto baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool thoroughly before using.

Stir ground almonds together with sifted flour. Then add in whole almonds and mix evenly. Divide mixture into three portions

Cream sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until light and frothy. Using a large sturdy spatula or metal spoon, fold each portion of the flour mixture into the egg and sugar batter. You should end up with a soft, sticky dough.

Dust your worktop, baking tray and hands with flour. Roll 1/4 of the dough mixture on the floured surface with your hands. Shape roughly into a log and place it onto the baking tray. Leave enough room in between for the dough to spread during baking.

Bake for 15 minutes. The logs should feel firm to the touch. If they are not, bake for another 5 minutes. After that, remove from oven and leave them to cool down.

Use a serrated knife to slice the logs thinly. Lay the slices on a clean, dry tray. Bake each side for 6-8 minutes depending on thickness. When done, remove and let the slices cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, be sure to store them in airtight containers.

MAY DAY MAKAN

What better way to celebrate Labour Day on the first day of May with some great eats! After reading tons of rave reviews by online floggers, I personally thought it's about time we check out the famous Green View Restaurant in Petaling Jaya for ourselves.

Since the outlet is renowned for its Sang Har Meen or freshwater prawn noodles, that was the first dish we ordered.



Doesn't it look slurpilicious? Our portions were for two persons but it was enough to feed three adults and one kid. The prawns were fresh albeit a tad overcooked but we had no complaints about the crispy noodles and egg sauce topping. Still both hubby and I agree its taste simply can't rival that of our gold benchmark - the tai shee tow (big tree) outlet behind Kota Raya in KL.

We also had Crabs with Stir-fried with Salted Egg Yolk. I must say the crabs were very fresh and meaty. Just look at the size of the crab claw! It was bigger than a tablespoon ok. Was so busy chomping down on the crustaceans I quite forgot to snap the actual dish ... The dish was a tad rich though and we regretted not ordering it cooked with sweet and sour sauce.



Overall, Green View left a good first impression. We probably will return to try the other dishes - that is if we can prise ourselves away from Fatty Crab which has always been our all-time crab feasting outlet. But that's another story huh?

CHOC MUFFINS THAT TAKE THE CAKE!

Every kid is a sucker for chocolate. Ditto for mine. Yesterday at the spur of the moment, we thought it'd be kinda fun to churn out a batch of chocolatey muffins. We were really pleased at how they turned out...



I used this easy-peasy Pound Cake recipe from my school's Home Science book and was amazed how well it worked.

3.5 oz plain wheat flour
0.5 oz cocoa powder
3.5 oz caster sugar
4 oz butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp chocolate chip

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together. Cream eggs and sugar until mixture turns light and pale cream in colour. Beat eggs and add 1/4 of it into the egg and sugar batter. Stir well and add in 1 tbsp of flour mixture. Gently fold to incorporate everything evenly. Add in beaten egg alternating with flour until both mixtures are used up. Line muffin pan with paper cups. Divide and scoop cake batter into each cup until it is half filled. Scatter chocolate chips on top to decorate. Pop them into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Test with skewer - if it comes out clean, the muffins are done.



This close-up shot looks kinda 'spacey' huh? Like some alien territory...but one that really takes the cake!

FOOD TRIP

A recent trip to Johor Bahru means lunch with an old friend who is a good cook and an ardent food lover. We had lunch at Danga Palace. The Sichuan Hot & Sour Soup was notable in which the sour, spicy and saltiness are well-balanced. It was also brimming with goodies - strands of soft beancurd, wood ear fungus, bamboo shoot, etc.



We ordered a chicken dish prepared in two ways - one with a piquant Thai-style sauce while the other coated in Marmite. Again the harmonious blend of flavours made the dish truly memorable. The latter was outstanding as the batter coating was thoroughly imbued with the Marmite sauce.





The other dishes we had were Stir-fried Kai Lan and a simple Beancurd dish. Later as we were wandering around JB, we stumbled upon an old bakery which has a 66-year old oven. They sell the real Roti Bengali that is popularly used for thick Hainanese toast, butter rolls, curry puffs and rounds of butter pastry. We bought one of their chicken curry puffs - the flaky pastry tasted richly of butter and the filling had a surprisingly generous amount of diced chicken meat. Too bad I forgot to snap a pix before it was devoured!

For dinner, we drove to Singapore. Found this decent Prawn Noodles with Pork Ribs in Chinatown. Quite different from our Malaysian version but it was tasty nonetheless. I luuuurrrvvve the soup - thank goodness it wasn't MSG-laden or else I would have suffered the consequences! Its hearty sweetness probably stemmed from the prawns and pork in it. Speaking of which, the pork ribs were equally nice and tender. Even the soft bones are edible with a nice crunch to them.



Hubby's Pork Rib Wantan Mee also came up to mark. In fact, it was better than some local ones from our "instant hawkers" here. It certainly put paid to our old presumption that Singapore-style wantan mee is weird and laden with tomato sauce. Well, not anymore. And if we Malaysians aren't careful their hawkers may just beat ours one day. Prices were another surprise - let's not do the currency conversion ok. Dollar for dollar, mine costs S$4 and hubby's S$3 for ours were small portions. I can't imagine us getting such decent food nowadays in KL...not when big prawn and pork ribs are concerned.



Other goodies which we had during our Chinatown jaunt included this German cheese sausage with mustard, a durian cendol (better than average which again was unexpected) and some roasted chestnuts (fresh, fresh, fresh without any badly shrivelled up ones like I sometimes get when I buy them in KL).



The following morning I had a most delicious kon lou (dry toss) meehoon with minced pork, pork and fish balls, sliced fish cake and deep-fried lard dices! Even the soup came with chopped seaweed which lent so much flavour. I can't get over the fact that I only paid S$2.20 for it!

All in all, it has been quite a revelation. It looks like their street food is fast gaining on us. Not a threat yet but if we are not careful, they will be.

We also went to Food Hotel Asia the next day but sadly, the show was a letdown. Perhaps my expectations were too high but there was nothing ground-breaking unlike when I first attended the event some years ago. So much so that I didn't even bother to shoot any photos...

Enroute back to KL, we stopped by the Machap rest area for a quick bite. Since I didn't have lunch, I grabbed a packet of Nasi Ambeng. This is Johor's equivalent to Nasi Lemak. A Malay friend told me it's a Javanese speciality usually served at weddings and auspicious kenduri or celebratory feasts.



Here's a not-very-good photo of the packet of rice - it has plain white rice with some fried yellow noodles in it, two pieces of salted fish (extra-large anchovies), spiced kerisik (grated coconut), fried chicken in a sweetish, mildly spiced black sauce and sambal. Unlike Nasi Lemak, it leaves you feeling less jelak (bloated? overly satiated?) and the multiple spice flavours more aromatic than red-hot spicy. A nice way to round off this business cum food trip ;-))

BONE UP ON BAK KUT TEH

Shah Alam is not somewhere one would think of when the urge for Bak Kut Teh strikes.

Last week an acquaintance introduced us to He Take Bak Kut Teh, a 6 month old outlet in Kota Kemuning. It was our first time setting foot at that part of town but luckily it was still a breeze locating the shop.

What strikes us most at first glance is the rustic decor. The interior is purposedly done up with horizontally laid wooden planks reminiscent of old Chinese village houses. I grew up in one - my grandparents' old house in Jalan Ipoh looked exactly like He Take's so I felt right at home straight away! Aside from a hand-carved black and gold Chinese calligraphic signage, the walls are adorned with some old Shanghainese posters and mini oil lamps. Classic Chinese wood/marble chairs and tables complete the setting.

The outlet owner, Mr Eng is no stranger to the world of bak kut teh (BKT). His father's Teochew-style BKT recipe so popular in Malacca, his family now have cornered almost 80% of the Malaccan market. But Eng has a bigger bone to chew.

"I want to turn this into a franchise," said the former financial director. "If Old Town Coffee can turn their kopi tiam into a successful franchise, I aim to do it with He Take BKT". Having spent a good number of years overseas with several MNCs, Eng is now setting his plans into motion with He Take.

He said the outlet name is a phonetic reference to his father's name. "It's easy to pronounce and remember." And what of the outlet specialities?

"He Take offers BKT lovers two versions of the meaty broth - the thick, hearty Klang-style BKT or our lighter, more delicate tasting Malacca-Teochew version," Eng said. "We also serve 'dry-style' BKT, besides seafood and mushroom/vegetables variants for better variety."

While your BKT orders are being cooked, whet your appetite with Sichuan-style streaky bacon with spicy sweet and peanut sauce. If you dislike fatty bits, then steer clear of this as 2/3 of each slice consists of pure, white fat! Served slightly chilled, the delicacy simply melts in your mouth! The piquant, nutty sauce needs to be less though as it tends to overcome the natural porky taste.

Another tantalising option is the Japanese seaweed salad - fresh wakame and finely shredded carrot tossed with sesame seeds in a mouth-watering sweet, tangy sesame oil dressing.

I surprise myself that after sampling both, the Malacca-Teochew version seems nicer on the palate despite its more subtle nuances. The single portion comes with meaty ribs, sliced 'ng fa yoke' or five-layered belly pork, black mushrooms, beancurd puffs and sliced celery.

However, if you like your BKT potently rich and full-bodied, then the Klang-style version will be more agreeable. You can specify whichever parts you want i.e. knuckle, belly pork, soft ribs or chunky shin bones. It also comes with crisp-fried foo chook or beancurd sheet and black mushrooms. This hearty delight goes well with the yam rice and will have you asking for seconds.

The 'dry-style' version is darker, richer and tastes slightly spicy. It's better with white rice. Other goodies available here are steamed ladies fingers drizzled with crisp fried shallots and soya sauce, stewed chicken feet and BKT with mee sua (wheat noodles). Prices are reasonable - not much different from your average BKT outlet.

HE TAKE BAK KUT TEH
25g Jalan Anggerik Aranda C31/C
Kota Kemuning Shah Alam Selangor
Tel: (03) 5121 3219

LET FRANKIE WOO YOU

I have nothing against celebrity chefs but it does get a tad worrying when some get carried away flogging books, TV shows, live appearances, etc. instead of sticking to their actual vocation - that of cooking.

Chef Frankie Woo, therefore, I daresay is terribly ‘old school’. This is one Chinese chef that eats, breathes, lives on and even dreams of good food with such deep-seated passion, it is hard not to share his enthusiasm.

This lanky, stick-thin veteran chef has been in the business since he was 13 years old. Whether it's a no-frills restaurant or top 5-star hotel outlets, Chef Frankie Woo has worked in them all. Today, he calls the shots at his own restaurant, Gu Yue Tien. Don't be fooled by its low-key existence though - although it is just three years old, Gu Yue Tien often attracts a discerning circle of fine Chinese food connoisseurs including the rich, powerful and famous. So don't be surprised if you spot superstar Jackie Chan or Datuk Michelle Yeoh and her beau at the table next to yours.

Did you know that Chef Frankie Woo is one of the few Asian chefs who has had the privilege of being a guest chef in the US of A at the invitation of the prestigious James Beard Foundation in 2004? James Beard is one of America's most respected chefs and his foundation is seen as a guardian of excellent culinary standards for top-notch restaurants and the F&B industry. Every year only a handful of young, talented chefs from all over the world are invited to showcase their culinary prowess at a special 'by invitation only' dinner. "Just how important is it? Well, it's like being invited to do a film with Steven Spielberg or George Lucas!" said Chef Woo.

Yes, one can literally talk till the cows come home with Chef Woo once you get him started on the subject of food. His ardent passion and superior knowledge of Chinese cuisine, its origins and intricate links to a rich, primeval cultural legacy are further substantiated by his wealth of experience and skills. This is one chef who is well-versed with the nitty-gritty of cooking up everything and anything under the sun, whether it's wild exotic meat or contemporary Chinese dishes that incorporate the wealth of ingredients sourced from different corners of the world. But one thing is for sure - diners can be assured that his modernistic approach never detracts from their quintessential Chinese essence.

For instance, his Double-boiled Pig’s Stomach Soup with Golden Coin Shark’s Fin (RM80++ per bowl) is a masterful blend of humble rusticity and sheer extravagance. Robust and peppery, this timeless home-style soup is transformed into a gastronomic treat thanks to the addition of shark's fin.

While the cold appetizer of Smoked Salmon Roll with Crab Meat Salad and Salmon Roe (RM12++) is more Continental than Chinese, you can't help but marvel at the interplay of textures and flavours emanating from the wickedly indulgent creation.

The sublime dressing in the Oven-Baked Fresh Oyster with Honey Glaze and Lemon Dressing (RM14++) does a great job of heightening the mollusks’ inherent sea-fresh sweetness and succulence. Concocted from honey, lemon zest, aged Chinese vinegar and spring onion, it will leave an indelible impression on you long after the dish has been consumed.

Like Merlin the Magician, Chef Woo's ‘saucery’ skill once again comes to the fore in the Baked Fresh Water Prawns with Home-made Butter Sauce (RM13++ per piece). Velvety-smooth and rich, the sauce is superbly aromatic thanks to the curry leaves in it.

We also had a chance to savour Steamed Empurau, a highly-prized native fresh water fish (Tor tramboides) from the pristine rivers of Sarawak. Due to its elusiveness and dwindling numbers, the fish which can weigh up to 7-8 kilos, can sometimes command between RM400 and RM800 per kilogramme in the market.

Chef Woo said the fish is rich in omega-3 oils as it is fond of feeding on oil palm seeds. "I usually steam it whole with the scales intact to ensure its clear, sweet flavour and fine texture are maintained.” Indeed, the fish has an ethereal melt-in-the-mouth silkiness to it. Its fatty belly area is especially appreciated for its smooth, custardy texture.

Another signature dish is Braised Black Pig with Mushroom and Radish (RM26++). The pricey pork is known to be unbelievably tender as the black-coated Spanish pigs are raised on a natural diet of grass, herbs, roots and acorns. Having been braised with radish and mushrooms, the fork-tender escalopes are suffused with an enticingly earthy sweetness.

If you love soft-boiled eggs, Chef Woo's trademark Half-boiled Egg with Foie Gras (RM8++ each)is a 'must have'. A decadent treat imbued with the indulgent richness of foie gras, the lightly poached egg is served in its shell.

Even dessert is slightly off the beaten track – his Bittergourd Pudding with Honeydew (RM8++) stands out for its subtle kum (gold) aftertaste, an astringent bittersweet nuance which is a refreshing counterpoint for this creation.

Located at Chulan Square across from The Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Gu Yue Tien’s understated elegance makes it a favourite amongst corporate types and fine Chinese cuisine lovers. Its discreet, personalised service is further boosted by the owner/chef’s hands-on approach. Expect to pay around RM99++ per person or more when you dine here but some of the signature specialities are worth every sen.

GU YUE TIEN (non-halal)
Lot 5A Chulan Square
Jalan Raja Chulan
Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: 2148 0808