Life is cooking and baking - Honey glazed pork buns

Honey Glazed Pork Buns

蜜汁叉烧餐包与普洱荼

Wow, wow, wow...... these are my latest creation of honey glazed pork buns..... thanks to Agnes Chang 蓝赛珍, the celebrity chef of Malaysia for the beautiful basic sweet dough recipe. I am so happy with the result. It's spot on!

My version of sweet dough recipe:

480g baker flour

3 tablespoons custard powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

100g caster sugar

140ml luke warm water

140ml luke warm fresh milk

60g unsalted butter and,

1 egg for glazing

Cook the filling to your liking ..... this recipe yield about 18 buns. I am very very sure your tasters will love them.

不可抗拒的 fruit loaf which I paid A$7.95 for.

I buy this fruit loaf from South Melbourne Market (one of Melbourne's most popular markets), it tastes good except the bottom part of the loaf is a little over cooked and burnt..... I think I can do better.....

Aussie kids' favourite foods

Foods that my Aussie kids love to eat at my work place ..........

1. Spaghetti Bolognese - voted #1 by kids

This is the most popular lunch at my work place, ingredients use in this recipe are beef mince, onions, celery, carrots, tomato paste, crushed tomato, mixed herbs, fresh parsley and tasty cheese. Bolognese sauce is the most versatile sauce for quick and delicious meals.

2. Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagne - yummy

I have been cooking this dish since I began work at this early learning centre - both the kids and the educators love it ..... I think the gooey cheese brings this dish to another level ...... a higher level, the dish is more sophisticated, tastier, and appetising.

"Find a job that you love so you do not have to change job" 何乐而不为呢? 可是.....

3. Fried Rice - my "cheat" fried rice

Short cut fried rice ..... 捞饭

Egg is the most risky ingredient used in cooking as some of the kids are allergic to it especially for those who suffer from anaphylaxis 

不要一个被科学游戏污染的天空,不要一个被现实超越的时空,不要一个越来越远模糊的水平线,不要一个越来越近沉默的春天,不要被你们发明变成电脑几童......

被遗忘的时光

古早味之鸡蛋糕

My mom used to make this 鸡蛋糕 when we were kids and this "cake" is popular during 初一十五, 拜天公, 观音旦, new year and so on .... Normally my mom would put a red dot in the middle of the cake to hopefully bring some 喜气 ...... those were the days.....

Mom's recipe for this 鸡蛋糕 is One China bowl of eggs, One China bowl of sugar and One China bowl of plain flour, place the cake mixture in the basket lined with paper and steam it in the wok.

For me, I use 5 free range eggs, 250g of caster sugar, 200g plain flour and a few drops of vanilla essence ..... I am back on my memory lane.....

Also thanks to my friend Shwu Ling who recently reminds me of this beautiful cake......next I would like to try is 年糕 - 年年高升 as CNY is approaching.

Life is cooking and baking - Ogura Cake

Chocolate ogura cake Vs Orange ogura cake

My style ..... agak agak and alter the standard recipe, therefore the texture isn't as fine as the orange flavor one. I love making cakes, breads, cookies by using my patisserie instinct as it gives me great personal satisfaction if the result is good ..... 

I love Sunbeam - it's my great helper; Sunbeam hand mixer, my new kitchen tool

I can't stop loving you ..... spongy, cottony, soft, fluffy and orangy ..... Wow Wow

Yum Cha, 饮茶

Yum Cha Vs Coffee

In Melbourne yum cha is a favorite dining experience, especially weekends, that takes place between 11am to 3pm that involves the serving of a variety of small Chinese dishes (they are usually steamed or fried, savoury or sweet) accompanied by drinking Chinese tea. But the Gwei Lao here always have yum cha with wine or coke. 九唔搭八.....

And my favorite yum cha dish is 叉烧包。“食为先” (Shark Fin Inn) 的叉烧包 is the best of them all!

Yum Cha with 太后 at 王朝

王朝 in Little Bourke St has nice ambiance, spacious, comfortable and good service from the wait staff. It scores top marks and is the "best yum cha" restaurant in Melbourne in this department

曾家太后与 my old man - 太后is happy with us and I am her 三千宠爱 today, 呵呵!

So far this is the best 马来糕 I ever tasted

My lovely FIL and one 叔公 from Ipoh, they did not join us for yum cha because they have so much to catch up (Man Talk) and the FIL does not want the 太后 to join them .......

                               In the mid afternoon .......偷得浮生半日闲

We have a cup of coffee at Pepper Cafe near Pin Oak Crescent at Flemington after yum cha

青春小鸟

呵呵!

太阳下山明早依旧爬上来, 花儿谢了明年还是一样的开, 美丽小鸟一去无影踪,
我的青春小鸟一样不回来,我的青春小鸟一样不回来.

Transformer - Jess Kwan

Jess Kwan is in Melbourne..... she has finally emigrated to Melbourne. The process has been long and arduous but she has been persistent.

We met in Research Pacific many years ago.....she was 18 and i was 27.....both of us were from KC.... At that time she was soft spoken, timid, gentle.....

Over the years she has transformed herself into a 女强人 .... self-determined, strong willed, and "successful". But along the way she has also become skeptical of things, of people. I guess it comes in the territory.

So this is for Jess Kwan .... from Mun Teng to Jess Kwan!

管文婷与 Jess Kwan 似乎已扯不上关系......我的思绪飘呀飘.....

Life is cooking and baking - 戚疯了

戚疯了..... 红豆戚风蛋糕又相思戚风蛋糕

蛋黄面糊的部份有些失误,切记!

红豆生南国,春耒发几枝,愿君多采撷,此物最相思. 诗人 - 王维

女为悦己者容

Our Pink lady...... Ling Chew in full-fledged pink.

云想衣裳花想容，春风拂槛露华浓。若非群玉山头见，会向瑶台月下逢。

I remember this phrase as a song ......

Jessie Ng and Ling Chew - 桃李争艳

小病是福

Today I have a great time and fellowship with friends Ling Chew and Jessie Ng .....

Fun times begin with these two lovely ladies...... 

Ling has visited me a few times since i injured my ankle, each time she would bring home cooked "tong sui" for me .... and also noodle stir fry .....

I cherish my 3 days sick leave. Soh Ching visited me yesterday, Ling and Jessie accompanied me today, tomorrow is Jess Kwan and her son ..... this is the second time in a month I feel over the moon!

Life is cooking and baking - muffins

Nice little muffins for an afternoon tea, not too rich and heavy but very satisfying......

Avocado, milk choc chips and sour cream muffins

Raspberry, white choc chips and sour cream muffins

Sour cream is one of my favorite ingredients in baking and cooking. I love to incorporate this ingredient into my muffin mixture. Sour cream tenderizes and softens baked goods giving great results of very yummy and moist muffins.

My right ankle ....

祸不单行 at Chadstone shopping mall last Saturday afternoon. We were window shopping and wanted to have a cup of coffee.....

He liked this bigne .....

Flat white for him .....

AND cuppa chino for me .....

I strained my ankle while browsing some shoes and unknowingly missing a step in a shoes shop at Chadstone - it became swollen and was hurting so so much..... 不幸中的大幸 is I have 3 days sickies from my doctor ...... 黑暗中的曙光..... Why would a shoes shop have steps in it???

I am now on anti inflammation + neurofen which helps reduce the swell and giving me pain relief.... 

Saturday lunch

Simple Saturday Lunch at home .....

我对紫色根茎食物情有独钟

 The beet roots are from my vege patch .....  I just pick them from my garden and cook immediately ..... a very short logistical route.

chicken and dried scollop congee, no stock or msg added, simple and lovely

served with chilli + sesame oil.....

Life is cooking and baking - Cup Cake

Chiffon Cup Cake with Parmesan Cheese

I love these cup cakes .... they are light and flavorsome, I can eat ten of them at one go.