Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

EASY, SIMPLE BITES FOR A GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

 

Let's face it, Malaysians love a good celebration! Whether it's a wedding, a birthday, or even the grand opening of your kedai runcit, there's one thing guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone's face: great food! 

But when you're busy setting up, decorating with grand opening flowers (because, let's be honest, they make everything merrier!), and getting everything ready, the last thing you want is to stress over a complicated menu.

Catering vs. DIY?

Before we dive into the details, let's talk about the age-old question: to cater or cook it yourself? Both options have their pros and cons. Catering takes the pressure off you, but it can be expensive. Cooking yourself gives you more control over the menu and budget, but it's definitely more work.

If you have a small crowd and the time to spare, DIY is the way to go. It's a great way to show your personality and add a personal touch to your grand opening. But if you're expecting a large crowd or are short on time, don't be afraid to outsource some of the work. Remember, you can always mix and match – make some things yourself and order others.


Easy To Eat

Kuih: These bite-sized treats are naturally finger-friendly and come in a variety of flavours and textures. Think colourful kuih lapis, fragrant kuih bahulu, and the ever-popular kuih kapit. Arrange them on a platter, add some colourful sprinkles, and you've got an instant crowd-pleaser.

Satay: A classic for a reason! Marinated chicken, beef, or even seafood skewers grilled to perfection and served with a creamy peanut sauce and crunchy cucumber slices. Set up a mini satay station with skewers and dipping sauces, and watch them disappear!

Mini Curry Puffs: These flaky pastry pockets filled with savoury fillings like potato and sardine or chicken and peas are a guaranteed hit. You can even offer vegetarian options with lentil or mushroom fillings. Serve them warm with a dollop of chilli sauce for an extra kick.

Spring Rolls: Fresh and light, spring rolls are a great way to showcase your culinary skills. Fill them with julienned vegetables, shrimp, or even tofu, and wrap them in rice paper. Serve them with a sweet and sour dipping sauce for a refreshing treat.

Sweet & Savoury

Murtabak Bites: This popular street food can be easily transformed into bite-sized portions. Fill mini roti canai with your favourite fillings like cheese and egg, chicken and curry, or even Nutella and banana. Cut them into triangles and watch them vanish!

Nasi Lemak Cups: A deconstructed version of our beloved national dish, nasi lemak cups are fun and easy to eat. Layer cooked rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies, and a fried egg in small cups or cones. It's a complete meal in one bite!

Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Butter Dip: Mini skewers of grilled chicken with a playful twist! Dip them in a creamy peanut butter sauce flavoured with a touch of soy sauce and lime juice. Kids and adults alike will love this sweet and savoury combo.

Mango Sticky Rice Balls: These bite-sized versions of the classic Thai dessert are perfect for a grand opening. Mix sweet sticky rice with ripe mangoes, form them into balls, and roll them in toasted sesame seeds. They're a beautiful and delicious way to end the celebration.

Tips for Success

Variety is key: Offer a mix of savoury and sweet options, as well as vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices.

Presentation matters: Arrange your food creatively and use colourful platters and garnishes.

Portion control: Smaller bites are easier to eat and help avoid waste.

Label clearly: If you have any dietary restrictions catered for, clearly label the dishes to avoid confusion.

Don't forget the drinks: Offer a variety of beverages, including water, juices, and coffee or tea.

Relax and have fun! This is your big day, so enjoy celebrating with your community.

 

Monday, January 29, 2024

THURSDAY ASIAN BBQ NIGHT AT LE MERIDIEN PETALING JAYA

 


Asian BBQ takes centrestage at the dinner buffet (630 pm – 1030 pm) every Thursday night at Pasar Baru all day dining restaurant, Le Meridien Petaling Jaya. Priced at RM98 nett per adult and RM49 nett per child, eat to your heart’s content the plethora of barbecued fare, hot off the grill.

Chef Afifi Ghani said the idea is to allow diners to select their protein of choice: chicken, beef, tiger prawns, clams, flower crabs or fish fillet and the chefs on duty will cook the ingredients on the spot. Whether it’s Malay, Chinese or Indian style of cooking, all you have to do is pass the chefs the tag indicating your table number and once the food is ready, it will be delivered hot off the stove, wok, grill or tandoor.
While waiting for your Asian BBQ order to be prepared, scour the buffet where a myriad of appetisers, main dishes and drinks await. Curtain-raisers include a DIY salad station where salads of choice or fruit rojak can be made, or sample chilled appetisers such as Assorted Cold Cuts, Melon Salad with Prawns, Potato Salad and Smoked Duck on Skewers.

Lending substance to the parade of offerings are a huge steamer filled with piping hot bowls of Chinese soup, a range of Italian pasta and a noodle live cooking station proffering soupy noodles of your choice.

Head over to the Chinese section for crunchy Deep-fried Spring Rolls, Money Bags and nugget-size Fried Chicken. Kabsa Rice, Mutton Sukka, Butter Chicken and Palak Paneer beckons invitingly. If you fancy some Chicken Tandoori, the chef will be happy to oblige.
 
We like the comforting Duck Fried Rice, tender and slightly peppery Ginger Beef and Steamed Egg with Prawn Sauce from the Chinese kitchen.

When our platter of seafood, meat and fish arrived, we dove in and relished the various items with two different sauces: black pepper and tartar.
Dessert includes Assorted Ice Cream with various toppings, Bread and Butter Pudding, Malay Kuih, Ais Kacang, French Pastries, Lavender Panna Cotta and Strawberry Mousse. My most notable pick was a refreshing and subtly sweet Cendol Jelly. 
Don't miss refreshing and hot beverages served to accompany your meal. I like the Dilmah flavoured tea range and freshly prepared teh tarik or coffee. They make a most satisfying round-off to wrap up the hefty dinner.
For reservations at Pasar Baru, call tel: 03-7682 0000. Le Meridien Petaling Jaya is located at No.1 Jalan SS7/26A, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

 

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

MEAT LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA LAMBASSADORS’ WORKSHOP AT HILTON KL


(left-right) Hilton Chef Steven Wong, Australian High Commissioner Dr Justin Lee, Chef Eric Siew and Agriculture Counsellor Sanjay Boothalingam

Australian lamb is not only lean, tender, and healthy but also versatile and easy to cook. With many different cuts available, the meat is suitable for both Asian and Western cooking. 

Meat Livestock Australia (MLA) recently hosted a fun-filled Lambassadors’ Workshop to showcase the great attributes of Australian lamb at Chambers Restaurant, Hilton Kuala Lumpur.
Australian High Commissioner Dr Justin Lee (left) and Agriculture Counsellor Sanjay Boothalingam joined local media members in making open-face lamb pies in a hands-on workshop conducted by Lambassador Chef Eric Siew and 
Hilton KL Chef Steven Wong.
In his welcome speech, Dr Lee highlighted that 38% of the global supplies – approximately 431,000 tonnes – of sheep meat comes from Australia. Malaysia is the second largest destination for Australian sheep meat in South-East Asia as the country imports 84% of its sheep meat from Australia.


Dr Lee said: “Our red meat export industry is underpinned by a strong biosecurity framework and export regulations in addition to our world-class food regulatory system. Australia also supplies over 17 Islamic markets with Australian halal red meat. We abide by importing country requirements, Australian export legislation, and the Australian Government Authorised Halal Program (AGAHP).”

After observing the two Lambassador Chefs in action (refer to recipe enclosed), the media members then made and decorated their own lamb pies. They were also treated to an array of afternoon tea treats featuring Australian beef and lamb prepared by the Hilton KL team.
According to Valeska, Meat & Livestock Australia’s Regional Manager for South-east Asia, maintaining current production and consumption levels of Australian red meat – beef and lamb – will not contribute to additional global temperature rise – otherwise known as ‘climate neutral’. This means eating Australian lamb does not have an adverse impact on the environment.


“In addition, greenhouse gas emissions from our red meat industry have halved over the last 16 years. There is significantly more tree cover on Australia’s grazing lands than there was 30 years ago, and it takes 68% less water to produce a kilo of beef,” she said.
Australian lamb is halal to the bone. The animals are slaughtered under the Australian Government Supervised Halal Programme, by Muslims approved by accredited Islamic certifying authorities in accredited processing plants, according to strict Islamic law or Syariah, and in compliance to importing country’s strict halal protocol. This programme is guaranteed under the Australian law, and administered by the Federal Department of Agriculture.
A good source of protein, Australian lamb contains 13 essential nutrients required for good health. Among them are Iron, Zinc, Omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins.
For more Australian lamb recipe ideas, visit: https://www.trueaussiebeefandlamb.my/#
 






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