Kinda late, but better than never: congratulations to Obama & America! ^_^



Curious to find out what the next President & first family will be dining on in the White House? I can tell you this: it won't be beets! Click here to find out more =)

How adorable/tempting/dangerous is this:



Mari's NY brownies come in different gourmet flavors such as classic, caramel sea salt, coconut, and Thai coffee. Each of the brownies are tiny, they're gone in just 2 bites, so they don't do much harm.... or do they?

They remind me of those reduced-fat snacks, which people think it's ok to pig out on because they don't contain that much fat, so they end up doing as much damage, or maybe even more, than regular fat-laden snacks.

You know what? I still want them anyway =)

I read an article in the LA Times discussing the many merits of Baked Alaska, in recognition of yesterday's VP debate between Biden and Palin. I'm not a big fan of the Governor of Alaska and her drill mantra, however I am a very big fan of the dessert.



Baked Alaska is not a dessert I seem to find that often in Indonesia. It's a classic dessert - maybe it's gone out of fashion a bit? - but it's a real treat for your eyes and mouth =)

Basically, you:
- take some sort of cake, use it as your base - not too thick, just 2 cm will do
- pile ice cream/sorbet on top of it, 3 flavors will do very nicely, e.g. the classic neapolitan trio of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, or you could do it the haute cuisine way and use some type of fancy shorbet like blood-orange sorbet
- cover the whole thing with meringue - plain meringue will do, or again you could go all the way and use flavored/scent-infused meringue
- pop the thing into your freezer for an hour or so, till it's frozen
- then slightly scorch the surface of the meringue with a broiler or a creme brulee torch
- classically, you would then pour some sort of liquor all over, then flambee the dessert in front of your guest's eyes - this is optional though, I think the dessert tastes just as good without the flambee.

And there you have it - Baked Alaska!

Charles & Marie are two very rich people who live in a world that most of us only see in movies & TV shows. At least I think they do. Anyway, their Epicurean Delight blog is a great source of delicious, trans-fatty food (sorry Arnold) that you can find all over the world, such as Dean & Deluca's Whoopie pies, mmm... Hop over for a peek into the privileged life =)

Health-conscious Californians can thank their governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for making California the first state in America to ban the use of trans-fats.

Trans-fats are widely used for frying or baking tons of food, such as donuts & french fried. It's sad, but true: if something tastes really good, it probably isn't good for you.

Trans-fats are made by adding hydrogen to liquid oils, like veggie oils, so they become solid & stable (i.e. they don't spoil quickly & can stay on supermarket shelves forrrrevvvaaaaahhh). The problem is, that solid stuff, when you heat it up e.g. for deep frying donuts or fried chicken, it melts, sure, but once it gets inside your body, it solidifies again, gets stuck in your circulatory system & then wreaks havoc on your heart. Nasty.

So, hooray for Arnold! He's proving himself to be quite a capable governor after all! =)

The Wall Street Journal posted an article & this video on "The Perfect Wok"; apparently even ultra-wealthy brokers need to cook, and look after, themselves =)

Still craving for cupcakes like this one: A Good Appetite's Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes: strawberries, sour cream & cheese cheese together in a cupcake that tastes like a cheesecake. It even has a graham cracker crust, yum! Curious on how to make it? You can find the recipe here =)

sigh... what I wouldn't give to have a sprinkles cupcake right now.. their perfectly frosted but minimally decorated cupcakes look so good.. and the descriptions sound so delicious.. e.g. "Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with canilla marshmallow cream, glazed with a rich bittersweet chocolate ganache".. i actually asked if it was possible for me to buy the prepackaged cupcake mix & have them deliver it to indonesia/singapore, but they said no.. sigh...

item #11 on my list: sprinkles cupcakes! =)

yum... this NY Times recipe was adapted from Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres =)



Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

The 4th of July has passed, but I couldn't resist posting this - it's gorgeous!! Who wouldn't want a piece of this cake? Good news is, you can make it yourself! To see the complete recipe for Spice Cake with Blueberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting, please visit Two Fat Als' blog here =)

I just received my EC chocolatier badge today! I will display it with pride on my blog from now on hehe =)

"The egg soufflé with vegetables at Gresca, one of a number of Barcelona restaurants that practice bistronomia, offering high-quality cuisine at an affordable price. Bistronomia is a combination of bistro (a nod to the traditional dishes that form the starting point for these chefs) and gastronomia (a reference to the haute cuisine techniques used to update them)." - Creative Plates at a Good Price in Barcelona, NY Times.com

Spain seems like such a great place to eat & enjoy food. Why? A few reasons:

• Tapas: plates of hot & cold savory tidbits that accompany you as you make your bar-run
  
• Olive oil: Spain is one of the best producers of 'liquid gold'
• Ferran Adria & el Bulli: the 3 Michelin star chef & his No.1 ranked restaurant - in the world
  
• Jamon & Manchego: Spain's delicious ham & sheep's milk cheese - they transform a cheese & ham sandwich to a completely different level
  
• San Sebastian: a city which has the highest concentration of Michelin stars per capita than any other city, including Paris
  
• and now this: Bistronomia!

So.. although there's nothing directly related to chocolate here, Item #9 on my Wish List™  is:  go on a culinary tour through Spain! =)

I love picnics. Picnics = summer to me =) The idea of packing up some food & drinks in a basket, heading off to a sunny, sandy beach or green, leafy park on a warm & bright day; it's one of my favorite ways to spend my spare time. Mark Bittman's just written an awesome article with 101 picnic-friendly recipes that take 20 minutes or less to prepare. He's even divided them into categories such as cold noodles, potato salads & egg salads, desserts, sandwiches, seafood, fruit, etc etc etc. Get your picnic basket ready here =)

The Washington Post's also getting all summer-y and posted an article on summer desserts, and no-bake desserts for that! They have recipes for the Cherries and Fudge Ice Cream Cake pictured above and Raspberry White Chocolate Fool, mmmm... Ready to start indulging yourself? Then please click here =)

The Vancouver Sun posted an article about some more chilly soups for summer, such as Cold Asparagus Soup with Smoked Salmon. Yum! =)



COLD ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH SMOKED SALMON

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 4-6 servings

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 lb. asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
33/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus 4-6 small sprigs for garnish
Salt and white pepper to taste
4-6 teaspoons sour cream
2-3 slices smoked salmon, sliced into thin strips

Place the oil in a pot and set over medium heat. When it's hot, add the asparagus, onion and garlic, and cook 3-4 minutes. Mix in the flour. Slowly, stirring steadily, mix in the stock. Mix in the potatoes and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer the soup until the potatoes and asparagus are tender, about 10 minutes. Purée the soup in a food processor or blender or with a handheld immersion blender. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in the chopped dill; cover and chill the soup in the fridge at least 4 hours, or overnight.

To serve, divide and ladle the soup into 4-6 ice-cold bowls or decorative glasses. Set a teaspoon of sour cream in the center of each soup. Decorate the top of the soup with the strips of smoked salmon. Garnish each soup with a dill sprig and serve immediately.

The article also has recipes for Mint Chilled Cherry Soup and Cold Tomato Soup with Corn Salsa. Spicy! =)

There seems to be a new brand of premium chocolate gaining popularity in Indonesia, i.e. Elmer. They're so new they don't have a website yet, but they're doing demos all round Jakarta. I've never heard of them before - but I heard that Elmer is available in Bandung too, so I'll try to get my hands on some Elmer chocolate on one of my weekends sometime soon =) It just sounds a bit too similar to Elmer's Chocolate in America though, in my opinion.

This soup really looks like gazpacho, which is one of my favorite soups to eat, but it's not. It's Chilled Papaya & Watermelon Soup - with Lemon Coriander Cream! The ingredients are very Asian & very easy to find. I haven't made it yet, but it sounds really cool & refreshing, perfect for a hot, steamy day =)

At first I thought the concept of eating normally hot/warm food - such as soup or noodles - at a cold temperature was kind of weird. I still remember the first time I tried Korean noodles served with a spicy wasabi-flavored broth and ice cubes!! I couldn't get my head around the concept at the time. But now, I love the contrast between intense heat (spiciness) and cold. Just as with gazpacho, the spicier & the colder it is, the better! =)

If you'd like to try another cool, summery soup, you can also take a look at Canada.com's Strawberry Soup with Cucumber, Basil and Black Pepper Aspic =)

I just submitted my 8th and last chocolate assignment for EC. I'm done! =) But I still have tons of practice & trials to do before I can consider myself a true chocolatier. I hope to eventually be able to produce not only beautiful chocolate truffles, but chocolate flavored snacks & confectionery as well, such as La Maison du Chocolat's chocolate sorbet...



or Oren's Cestropbeau ganache brownie.



I'm always inspired when I read/see/eat something new & magnificent. Another thing that just stoked my fire: I read yesterday's Sunday Times Life section, which featured several young up & coming Singaporean chefs, including my former chef de partie =) and it really inspired me again to keep on developing my skills during my free time outside of work - and to keep my dreams alive.

How could I not include Thomas Keller in this blog? He is one of my most admired - if not indeed THE most admired - culinary hero of mine. His approach to food & cooking is truly inspiring, as portrayed in the books by Michael Ruhlman, and even in the bonus mini feature that's in the Ratatouille DVD.

One thing I admire most about Thomas is his determination. He went through multiple failures during his career, yet after 20 years+ of persistence, he finally made it. Success doesn't come easy for most people, but it's ok to fail over & over again, as long as you pick yourself up every time, continually improve yourself, and keep on trying =)


epicurious.com has the recipe for Thomas's version of profiteroles. Please note that he does not scoop his ice cream in the shape of quenelles - a fact that must make life a tiny bit easier for his pastry chefs hehe =)

I just discovered Cocoaroma, a magazine devoted to chocolate, looks quite interesting. You can browse excerpts of their articles for free or buy their previously published issues if you feel inclined to do so. =)