Menu Juara: Soto Tangkar Betawi
Also known as Indonesian Beef Ribs Soup. A specialty from Jakarta, the city where I was born and grew up in. But what does “soto” means? Have a look ~ here ~ from my previous posting. Soto Betawi has become a regular menu that keeps popping up every two weeks or so. The reason is because I like it better than the chicken version and Michael would never say no this this.
I ran out of some ingredients & spices a few weeks ago. Little things like lemon grass, fresh galangal and frozen kaffir lime leaves. Of course you can substitute them with powdered ones if that’s the only option, but you know already, nothing beats the real thing. Even from the moment I started mixing the ingredients, I can tell whether the soto is going to have the correct taste or not from the scent of the cooked ingredients. Powdered or packaged ingredients usually have a slightly “off’ chemically taste to it – well, only a few very good brands like Munik, tastes almost like the real thing.
This weekend, a friend brought me a new supply of these ingredients from Shanghai. Whoa my gosh! That gift equals with a pouch of gold nuggets to me. No kidding, where can you get these stuff in the middle of a grassland? So here I am, cooking away my favorite recipes once again….
Recipe for Soto Tangkar Betawi
(or Batavian Beef Ribs Soup) you can have a look HERE
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My coffee affair: Macademia Brownies
As featured in Tastespotting & Foodgawker
I’m going to stick to the recipe I know works, the one I got from Bakerzin’s Dessert Book by Daniel Tay, founder of Bakerzin. Those brownies are so heavenly moist, chocolatey, perfect sweetness and keeps well in the fridge. I still have a bag of fresh macademia nuts bought from the market a few days ago, sprinkles of chopped macademia creates a whole new flavours with touch of nuttiness to this perfect chocolatey bites.
Perfect for my morning coffee and afternoon tea!
Reposting recipe
MACADEMIA BROWNIES
Ingredients:
* 325 gr all purpose flour
* 5 gr baking powder
* 150 gr cocoa powder (I use Droste & Van Houten)
* 225 gr cream cheese
* 860 gr sugar (a bit too sweet for me, I use 660 gr only)
* 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
* 10 gr salt
* 450 gr unsalted butter (softened)
* 400 gr eggs
* 300 gr chopped macademia
* butter for greasing
Cooking Direction:
1.) Preheat oven 180C or 350F
2.) Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa powder into a bowl
3.) Separately mix sugar & butter till fluffy, then add
vanilla essence, salt & cream cheese till well blended
4.) Fold eggs into cream cheese mixture, then gradually
fold in flour mixture. Add chopped macademia nuts
5.) Lightly grease the pan you’re going to use
Level the batter and bake for 20-25 mnts
(for shallow square pan I use baking sheets)
6.) Unmould & cool brownie. Top with warm chocolate melt
and sprinkles of chopped macademia
** Recipe Source: Just Desserts by Daniel Tay
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New Year Celebration, Nuts & Breads
Last chinese new year we managed to get away to Beijing. Unfortunately this year, Mike had to stay babysitting the hotel, as he sent all of the managers to take a few days leave. The city’s life is practically put on hold. Everywhere is so quiet, shops are all closed for more than a week (some would stay close for 2-3 weeks even), the hotel’s occupancy dropped significantly during these days. Food is getting scarce – *lucky that we live in a hotel where getting food is not really a problem* – unless one stocks up well prior to the celebration. The shopping frenzy happened 3 days before the celebration. Food stalls, street vendors, supermarkets were all packed with thousands of people and everything would be sold out instantly.
I’m not sure if I want to go out for the next coming few days, partially because of the weather that stay below minus two digits everyday, the other reason is that there isn’t much to do and see out there.
A few days ago, I experimented on the no-knead bread recipe. Thanks to Dita for her inspiring photo that makes me drool, I peeked the recipe from Steamy Kitchen. It’s amazing how one’s palate can change completely during pregnancy. I used to be more of a savoury person, but now I drool over things that’s super sweet, gooey, sticky caramelly with sprinkles of chopped nuts. A few months ago, I thought pickled cornichons was food from heaven. I must’ve gone mad!!!
No-knead Sticky Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Click here for recipe
Modification: We’re not a big fan of walnut,
so we use pecans instead. The filling is made without nutmeg &
black pepper (yuck!) I added chopped brazilian nuts & dates.
Double yums!!!
No-knead Gruyere Cheese Rolls
to view recipe click here
This is another modification I made, just by replacing the filling
with crushed garlic, sprinkles of oregano, sprinkles of basil,
grated vintage cheese and Gruyere cheese
All of the nuts I bought from the local market next door, literally, it’s a small alley located next to our place. On regular days this market is so full of vendors selling every unimaginable things. One day I spotted a guy walking around in the market with a live bull tied around the neck, he was selling it for the meat. Great little place to walk around and find little surprises. I bought a bag of fresh brazil nuts, macademia, pecans and roasted almonds (about 500 gram each) for 75 Yuan only – that would be about US$11 total.
From almonds, macademia, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds,
chestnuts, brazilian nuts, pistachios….
and some unidentified nuts. Take your pick!
Warm chestnuts is a beautiful snack in wintertime
This cost about 5 Yuan/bag – less than a dollar
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