JUICY CAKE IDEA

Kum, kum and more kum...with Chinese New Year due to run its course by Thursday (5th March), there's piles of kum (mandarin oranges) sitting in my fridge. The hot weather isn't helping as the fruits spoil faster. Having thrown out several, I'm at my wits end trying to salvage as many as possible.

Turning them into marmalade or mandarin preserve seems a viable way but the thought of sweating it out in the kitchen was unbearable. Well, baking is just as bad although it's the lesser of two evils since I can have the fan full blast while I whip up the ingredients. So that was what I did. A quick search on the internet led me to a clementine cake recipe from 

http://willowbirdbaking.com/2010/02/22/clementine-cake/

  

I tweaked the recipe a little for my Mandarin Orange Cake - the eventual result turned out fab. I didn't bother with the frosting though but the glaze helped to moisten the cake.

MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE 

Cake Ingredients:
225g unsalted butter, room temperature
170g granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon grated clementine zest
250g all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons fresh squeezed mandarin orange juice
Glaze Ingredients:
1 1/2 – 2 cups icing sugar
4 tablespoons fresh squeezed mandarin orange juice
grated clementine zest
Fresh Whipped Cream Frosting (optional)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
 
Directions:

Heat oven to 180°C. Butter the sides of a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the paper and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar well for several minutes, until it is very pale and thick.

Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Then add the zest followed by flour, baking powder and salt together. Beat well, then slowly add mandarin orange juice until it is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Use your judgement here as baking time may vary from oven to oven. Or test with a skewer after 35 minutes – if inserted skewer comes out clean then the cake is done. (If it starts to brown too much on the top, cover loosely with a sheet of foil.)

Allow cake to cool in pan for 15-20 minutes on a wire rack. Then invert onto a plate, remove the parchment paper and allow to cool completely before glazing.

To make the icing, stir the mandarin orange juice into the icing sugar until you have the right spreading consistency. Using a skewer, dowel, or toothpick, poke holes through entire cake to allow glaze to seep down into it. Pour the icing onto the cake and spread with a spatula or butter knife, allowing the icing to drip down the sides of the cake.

To make fresh whipped cream, whip cream and icing sugar together until the mixture forms soft peaks. You can frost the cake with this cream or serve it separately with the cake.


Tip: I also added some chopped pieces of fresh mandarin oranges (about half a fruit) into the cake. They lend unexpected bursts of juiciness and sweetness.

TURNING OVER A NEW LOAF

An edible tablet made from gingerbread fit for the occasion

 Love him or loathe him, former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad still draws attention wherever he goes. At the recent launch of the new flagship outlet of Malaysia’s premium Japanese-inspired bakery The Loaf at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, he drove the crowd into a frenzy when he appeared at the outdoor patio. Watching him affably shaking hands with locals and tourists while others snapped feverishly away with their smartphones, there was no doubt that his magnetic personality hasn't dimmed an iota.

Tun M and MD Jiro Suzuki played 'chef' at the relaunch

 For once, I was the early bird who snagged one of the best seats in the house...well among the papparazzi anyway ;D to witness Tun M and The Loaf managing director, Jiro Suzuki unveiling a gingerbread plaque to mark the outlet's relaunch.

A surfeit of The Loaf's new and existing items for the tea party

 Opened in 2007, The Loaf at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur  now boasts a new ‘baked-to-order’ concept  - a menu that showcases and delivers oven-fresh bakery items by The Loaf’s master bakers to their table fresh from the kitchen.

Tun M in his public speaking element

As chairman of The Loaf, Tun M said: “The premium bakery market is becoming increasingly competitive and it was time to reinvigorate our flagship outlet. We have introduced full waiter service in our café/restaurant while maintaining a self-service counter within the shopping centre entrance.

Great quiche save for the pastry shell which was a tad burnt

“The Loaf is uniquely Malaysian; a blend between a Parisian bistro and a slick New York deli, hence the new improved concept of ‘The Loaf Version 2.0’. I want The Loaf to be accessible to all Malaysians as well as to showcase the concept to discerning international visitors.”

Miniature versions that thrilled and filled us up

Diners will find about 20 varieties of creative breads in the line-up including breads with spicier toppings, Middle Eastern-influenced ones and assorted doughnuts with sweet toppings in addition to its regular Japanese-styled bread and pastry items.

Chanteuse Junji Delfino kept the party rolling with her dulcet tones

The Loaf opened at the picturesque Langkawi’s Telaga Harbour Park in 2006 and has since expanded to include outlets at the Empire Shoppng Gallery Subang Jaya, IOI Boulevard Puchong, Bangsar Village II, Tokyo Street The Pavilion Level 6, The Mines, Great Eastern Mall, Paradigm Mall Kelana Jaya and in Pantai Cenang, Langkawi.

www.theloaf.com.my

PIZZA PARTY

It was a pizza fest like no other thanks to the Lune PR team from IACT. With more than 10 bloggers present, we were treated to an evening of pizza galore...good thing the toppings were as varied as everyone's imagination!

Held at Aria Italian restaurant in the Damansara Heights enclave, we spied a table laid out with assorted toppings for the planned pizza-making contest the minute we stepped in.

Aria which means air, space or melody in Italian is a double-storied restaurant that's perfect for quiet dinner, Sunday brunch, family gatherings or small business meetings. 

 

For that night, we counted 12 types of toppings in all; from cold cuts to fresh greens in addition to the basic condiments of tomato sauce, cheese and what looked like tortilla wraps doubling up as the pizza base.

Since it was our maiden visit, we trooped upstairs to check out the cosy dining area adorned with lots of retro posters and black&white prints.

A long bar and wine room occupy part of the downstairs dining premise. The mellow lighting and warm hues throughout the outlet lend the ambience a welcoming feel.

To get the party rolling, we were given slips of paper to note down the desired toppings for our pizza and think up a name for it. Then the chef helped to place our choice of toppings on each pizza before it was sent into the kitchen for baking.

We were ravenous by the time the first pizza made its appearance. Then it was non-stop feasting as about 15 pizzas were offered up. We naturally loved the first few but as the evening progressed, we found the surfeit of pizzas began to taste more or less the same...although a few stood out for their extravagant and sometime odd selection of toppings.

Still it was a fun-filled evening and the restaurant even fed us its house versions. We had to decline the last 2-3 that came to our table as we were simply too satiated to devour another piece! Overall, there was a couple of hits and misses but frankly, this occasion is not a fair evaluation of Aria's actual menu.

So you don't take my word for it when it comes to the menu. Toddle along to Aria and sample its pizza and other Italian fare at your own leisure. After all, the proof of the pudding is always in the eating!

ARIA, 44G Plaza Damansara, Jalan Media Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, KL. Tel: 03-2095 0016

CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE HAIRY KIND

Black, beady eyes, furry, spindly legs and flailing claws adorned with tufts of fine hair provide diners with plenty of hairy moments each autumn in China. These aren't some far-fetched Halloween ghouls but 'da zha xie' or hairy crabs - a seasonal delicacy that makes their appearance during the cooler autumn and early winter months in the populous continent. 

Also known as big sluice crabs or mitten crabs, these greenish-grey creatures are so highly-prized by Chinese gourmands for their rich roe that demand has far outstripped supply for years. Those that hail from East China's Yangcheng Lake and Lake Tai are said to command triple the market price but you'd need to ensure they're the real McCoys. Due to rampant counterfeiting (yes, even for crabs!), the originals come with plastic ID tags to certify their authenticity. 

However, it's not a fail-safe method as vendors are known to transplant crabs from other lakes and let them frolic in the actual Yangcheng Lake for a brief spell (ranging from three months to two weeks) prior to export or sold domestically, hence they're known as 'xi zao xie' or shower or bathing crabs.

Yet such practices haven't dampen enthusiasm for hairy crabs a bit. Most of the crabs are now bred and harvested on contract; it takes two years for mature crustaceans to be market-ready. The palm-size crabs are exported live and has to be kept inside temperature-controlled chillers to ensure their freshness. 

Executive Chinese chef Thian Taik Yong of Di Wei Restaurant, Empire Hotel Subang informed us that the crabs are immersed in ice-cold water twice daily for about 10 minutes and checked to ascertain they're still alive. "The hairy crabs should have a glossy carapace while the underbelly should be ivory-coloured. They should be heavy to the feel. Those with round belly denotes female crabs."

At Di Wei, the waitstaff does most of the tedious work of prying open the Steamed Hairy Crabs (RM88++ each, RM148++ for a pair) for you. The top shell is then placed back onto the crustacean itself whilst the legs and pincers are snipped off so that diners can pick up and devour the individual pieces.

Each mouthful of the crabs' rich, orangey roe taste like a dense custard that's not unlike salted egg yolk. The meat is delicately sweet; its mild fishiness tempered by a tart dark vinegar and ginger dip. Since hairy crabs are considered cooling (yin), most restaurants serve a cup of warm ginger tea to diners as a tonic to balance the after-effects.

Di Wei also serves Steamed Shanghainese Dumplings (xiao long bao) with Hairy Crab Roe - delicate, dainty parcels of soup-filled pouches stuffed with minced pork and crab roe.  

For the impending year-end festivities that herald the months of November and December, Chef Thian has another treat in store: Rock Salt Baked Chicken (RM68.80++ each). Those who spend RM60 and above on a la carte orders stand to land a better deal as it will only cost  RM28.80++.

An updated version of the traditional favourite of Beggar's Chicken, the 28-year old chef decides that the offering could do with better presentation and some dramatic flair; to enhance one's dining experience and add to the merriment of diners' year-end revelry.

Hats off to Chef Thian for his painstaking efforts. First, he fries the whole cleaned chicken first to give its skin that appetising brown hue. Then he stuffs it with three types of mushroom, dried scallops and some Chinese herbs before wrapping it in greaseproof paper and aluminium foil for steaming. This partially cooks the poultry before it is encased within a fine salt and egg white crust, studded with cloves.

Once an order is received, the chef will bake the chicken for about 20 minutes. This gives the rock salt crust a lovely golden brown and for additional oomph, the whole thing is set aflame at the table with some mui kwai loh (Chinese rose wine). Whose mouth won't water once the nose catches a sniff of the fragrant sweet wine?

More droolworthy aromas emerged once the layers of foil and paper were peeled back, revealing a fall-off-the-bone tender chicken with a layer of light, clear broth on top. We dug in and picked at the soft, juicy meat, marvelling at the pleasant woody herbal accent that permeated the flesh.

Di Wei also serves a selection of evergreen broths such as Double-boiled Watercress and Pork Rib Soup that should provide ample succor for the city slicker's soul. Chunky pork ribs lent the sweet clear broth a nice richness whilst the mildly bitter greens are said to be good to combat an overly yang or 'heaty' body.

Another signature dish is the Mushroom and Spinach Beancurd topped with assorted mushroom, a simple but scrumptious creation that has fried jelly-soft beancurd layered with blended spinach. A generous serving of viscous sauce laden with dried scallop and tiny bunashimeiji mushroom lends the dish moistness and flavour.

Peking Duck and dim sum rank among the outlet's highly sought-after specialities.

Di Wei Chinese Restaurant, Empire Hotel, Jalan 16/1, Subang Jaya, Selangor. Tel:+603-5565 1388

SUNDAY CHEESY SUNDAY

Doesn't this Mac & Cheese look good? The best thing about it is the recipe's so simple that you can whip it up in a jiffy on a lazy Sunday...especially when the wallet runs dry and you don't feel like slaving away in the kitchen but the family still needs feeding!

I use a mixture of mozzarella cheese and creamy Jack cheese to give the pasta moist stickiness and of course, wisps of stretchy threads that kids love. You can also add sliced mushrooms of your choice, some chopped bacon or even strips of sweet yellow and red pepper into the equation.

Here's what I used:

500g dried macaroni pasta
3 cloves garlic (peeled)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups whipping cream
2 cans of Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
3 cups of grated cheese (I used a mixture of mozzarella and creamy Jack cheese)
2 cups water
Ground black pepper to taste

Partially cook macaroni in a big potful of boiling water (added with salt and a drizzle of olive oil) for about 5-8 minutes. The pasta doesn't need to be cooked through as it'd be baked again later.

When the pasta turns slightly opaque, remove pot from stove and drain off water from pasta using a colander. Toss until dry and keep aside.

Heat oven to about 160 degrees Celsius. Smash garlic using cleaver and mince finely. Heat oil in pan and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes.

Pour in cream, Campbell's soup and 2 cups grated cheese. Stir well to mix evenly and add water. Stir again thoroughly and season to taste with ground pepper. (Salt is unneccesary since the cheese and canned soup are already quite salty)

Bring to a gentle boil and turn off heat. Place macaroni into a large baking pan or deep casserole.

Stir in cream and cheese mixture into the macaroni. Sprinkle the remaining cup of grated cheese on top.

Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes; the cheese crust on top should have turned slightly golden brown.
Let the pasta dish cool down for 5 minutes and it's ready to serve.

Any leftovers can be kept in airtight containers and reheated for later consumption.