Sugar Art Works With Chef Patrick Siau . . .

Recently I was invited to a dinner and demostration of sugar art works by Chef Patrick Siau. This event was held at Swiss-Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with Taylor's College. The method of sugar art works inclusive of melting sugar to the right temperature and proceed to the hardening hardening at the right temperature where the sugar can be molded by hand. Got to warn as this processes are done at a high temperature which can burn your hands, therefore woollen glooves are needed. Every piece of the sugar art is make individually and then assemble.

Chef Patrick Siau is also the recipient of numerous prestigious culinary awards, the most recent being Food Hotel Asia(Silver). Among the other awards that he has won include the Overall Champion in the La Classic Grand Prix 2004, Silver Medal in the Malaysia National Team Food & Hotel Asia 2006 Culinary Challenge, Malaysia International Bakery and Confectionary Challenge 2006 for Pastry Showpieces (Sugar Art), Overall Champion at the 2nd La Classic Culinary Grand Prix 2006 and Culinare Malaysia FOod Hotel Malaysia 2007 (Bronze)

A pieces of hardened sugar at high temperature.

Molding the harden sugar.

The parts for assembling the dragon stand.

Purple flower being assembled onto the stand.

The Orange Dragon created by Chef Patrick Siau with sugar art.

The creation of Chef Patrick Siau is awesome, getting to watch him making and assembling the dragon composition was a sure awesome experience. Can't wait to attend his class one day . . . SidneyK

Bojari Rice by Chef Faizal from Rempah Ratus Nasi Lemak Restaurant

Chef Mohd. Faizal is just only 34years old, a young innovative chef with more than 10years experience in culinary, specialising in malay cooking and heading the kitchen of Rempah Ratus Restaurant. He also had been working in many kitchen through his culinary journey such Genting Highland Resort, Pearl International Hotel, Summit Hotel and Mines Beach Resort.

One of the things that he can't do without till today is his set of knives which had been following him all this 10years. He loves cooking especially having the chance to cook for Tun Mathir and also some royalty families but his top celebrity fan is his own mother! He advices young chefs to be more motivate, focus and dedicated to their work. One of Chef's wishing list is to able to work with Chef Gordon Ramsey one day!

Here is the recipe that Chef Faizal would like to share with us, Bojari Rice.

Bojari Rice (for 2-3person)

Ingredients
A
500gm Rice
B
100gm Onion
80gm Garlic
50gm Ginger
80gm Lemongrass
80gm Candlenut
80gm Dried Shrimp
10gm Tumeric
C
150gm Ghee Oil
1.2litre Water
20gm Ginger Flower
8gm Screw Pine Leaf
30gm salt

Method
1. Blend ingredient B
2. Wash the rice
3. Saute blended ingredients till fragrant in a pot with ghee oil.
4. Add in rice, salt and screw pine leaf.
5. Add in water
6. Cook for 20minutes or until rice cooked.
7. Before serving, sprinkle the chopped ginger flower


OTAK-OTAK(Steam Fish Paste with Egg, Herbs & Spices)

Ingredients
A
500gm Fish Paste
B
50gm Onion
20gm Garlic
20gm Ginger
40gm Lemongrass
50gm Candlenut
C
50gm Dried Cilly(soaked and blend)
4nos Egg
10gm Rice Flour
5gm Tumeric Leaf
10gm Salt

Method
1. Blend all the ingredients B
2. All all the ingredients
3. Pour in a flat mould which had been layered with banana leaf.
4. Wrapped the mould with plastic wrapper.
5. Steam for 30minutes


Fried Chicken Rempah Ratus

Ingredients
A
1kg Chicken (cut into desire size)
B
100gm Onion
50gm Garlic
50gm Ginger
80gm Candlenut
50gm Lemongrass
30gm Fresh Tumeric
3gm Lime Leaf
C
40gm Dried Chilly(soaked and blended)
20gm Salt
10gm Sugar
2nos Egg

Method
1. Blend all the ingredient B
2. Mix all the ingredients.
3. Marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours before deep frying.
4. Fry till golden brown.

Chefs Reminisce Mothers' Old Ramadhan Favourites

Recently I got the luxury to taste the Ramadhan spread of lovely dinner at Atrium Cafe, Pyramid Tower Hotel, Sunway Pyramid. There were appetisers such as Pecal(assorted vegetables with spicy peanut sauce), Solok Lada(stuffed chilli with fish paste and coconut gravy), Kerabu Mannga(young mango salad with crushed peanuts), Pergedil Daging(Deep fried minced beef ball with egg) and Ulam-Ulam Melayu(Malay Salad). The soup served was Soto Ayam(clear chicken broth with rice cake, peanuts, spring onion and fried glass noodle)and also next was the roasted whole lamb with mild surabaya sauce plus Roti Jala(malaysian net-like Crepe served with chicken curry). There were also a spread of main dishes such as Udang Galah Goreng Brechilli(fried fresh water prawn with chilli paste), Ikan Tenggiri Masak Tempoyak(mackerel cooked in spicy durian paste), Sayur Goreng Lodeh(stir fried mix vegetables with soya bean cake), Kambing Kuzi(braised mutton in tradisional malay spices), Ayam Kaleo(chicken braised in turmeric and chilli coconut sauce) and Nasi Tomato(tomato rice).As for desserts, there were local sweets such as Bubur Pulut Hitam Bersantan(sweetened black glutinous rice stew wuth thick coconut milk), Talam Ubi Kayu(baked tapioca cake with palm sugar) and Kuih Lopes(steamed pandanus glutinous rice with grated coconut).

Pecal
(Assorted Vegetables with Spicy Peanut Sauce)

Ingredients
200gm Fern leaf(blanched)
300gm Kangkong(blanched)
200gm White cabbage(blanched)
200gm Young jackfruit(blanched & sliced)
200gm Long beans(diced)
6pcs Hard tofu
2pcs Soya bean cakes(sliced)
10 Boiled eggs (wedges)
500gm Pecal sauce

Method
1. Blanch cabbage and long beans.
2. Fry tofu and soya bean cake. Cut into slices.
3. Arrange all ingredients on a platter and serve with pecal sauce.

Pecal Sauce

Ingredient
500gm Peanut
100gm Cooking oil
120gm Shallot(peeled & blended)
50gm Garlic(blended)
50gm Ginger(blended)
150gm Red chilli(blended)
50gm Shrimp paste
150ml Tamarind juice
20gm Galangal(crushed)
20gm Salt
120gm Sugar
100ml Water

Method
1. Heat oil in apot and add in all blended ingredients. Fry unitil golden brown and add in chilli.
2. Put in crushed peanuts, tamarind juice, chrimp paste, salt and sugar. Simmer until gravy thickens.
3. Serve with pecal.



Pergedil Daging
(Deep Fried Minced Beef Ball with Egg)

Ingredients
500gm Minced beef
400gm Potato(boiled & mashed)
4 Eggs
20gm Red Chilli(chopped)
500gm Cooking oil
50gm Chinese celery
40gm Fried shallots
5gm White pepper
3gm Salt

Method
1. Stir-fry minced beef until dry. Leave aside.
2. Place mashed potatoin abowl and mix with minced beef. Season well.
3. Add in sliced Chinese celery and fried shallot. Mix well.
4. Roll the mixture into a small, round-shaped cake.
5. Dip beef cake in beaten eggs and deep-fry until golden brown.



Kambing Kuzi
(Braised Mutton in Tradisional Malay Spices)

Ingredients
(A)
1kg Mutton(cubed)
500ml Evaporator milk
150gm Kerisik
200gm Onion(sliced)
500gm Cooking oil
100gm Cashewnuts(fried until golden brown)
10gm Lime juice
200gm Tomato(wedged)
300gm Tomato puree
50gm Chilli
100gm Fried shallots
100gm Mint leaf
100gm Chinese parsley

(B)
150gm Briyani powder
50gm Ginger(blended)
100gm Chilli paste
80gm Green chilli(blended roughly)
80gm Red Chilli(blended roughly)
100gm Onion(blended)

Method
1. Mix mutton cubes with ingredients(B) and let it stand for 1hour.
2. Add in tomato puree, kerisik and salt.
3. Heat oil in a wok and saute sliced onion until tender.
4. Add in meat and water. Cook until the meat becomes tender.
5. Then, add in salt, milk, tomato, red chilli, green chilli, lime juice, cashewnuts, mint leaf, chinese parsley and fried shallots.
6. Stir well until the sauce thickens.



Kuih Lopes
(Steamed Pandamus Glutinous Rice with Grated Coconut)

Ingredients
1kg Glutinous rice
Pandanleaves(blended with 1 cup of water 5 pieces and strained. Keep water)
1 Coconut
1cup Gula Melaka
1cup Water
1/2teaspoon Salt
Few sheets Banana Leaves

Method
1. Soak glutinous rice in a bowl of water until it expands. Steam it until half cooked.
2. Mix and stir well with pandan water.
3. Wrap it in banana leaf to form a triangle shape.
4. Steam until fully cooked and keep it cool.
5. Boil gula melaka with water. Keep cool.
6. Grate coconut and mix with salt.
7. Coat the cool cooked rice with grated coconut.
8. Serve with sugar syrup.



All these lovely food was the hotel's 30-man strong Malay cuisine brigade recollects their mothers; time-homoured recipes and uncomprising details in presenting a symphony of traditional delicaies, the chefs under the tutelage of Chefs Reduan Ahmad Tarju, Fazli Baharudin, Zulkiflee Zaharudin and Azzul Azmi, promise to make "Berbuka Puasa" with more than 200 dishes, an occasion to look forward to at Atrium Cafe every sundown from 1 to 30 September 2008.

COool Chefs just like Big Boys Kitchen . . . . . it was truely an experience to dine the food churned by the master chefs themselves! . . . . SidneyK

Sun & Surf Cafe from Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa is also serving this Ramadhan buffet from 1 to 30 September 2008, 6.00pm to 10.00pm nightly.

Price is RM88++ per adult and RM44++ per child at Sun & Surf Cafe and RM75++ per adult and RM37.50++ per child at Atrium Cafe.

For reservations or enquiries, your readers may contact (6-03) 7492 8000 Extn. 3169 for Sun & Surf Café or Extn. 6305 for Atrium Café.

Endulging The Beauty of Mooncake . . .

I visited the Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur early this week for a Mooncake making demostration by Master Dim Sum Chef Loo Sai Wah of Tai Zi Heen Restaurant. . . got to tell you, it is really an honor to be able to meet the Master Chef of Dim Sum as I am truely a Dim Sum fanatic fan, my favourite Dim Sums are "Har Kau" & "Siew Mai" just like Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio both are so lovely and so desireable. Anyway my mission was to learn, understand and have my hands all over the mooncakes.

Gosh . . . . an amazing variety spread of mooncakes waiting for me to taste . . . I just felt like I was an emperor at that moment endulging the mooncakes in my beautiful dining room. Sssssssssshhhhhhhhh...... I was a bit greedy as I had also set my eyes on this delighted golden orangy dessert just sitting infront of me, refusingly to leave me alone . . . . a chilled mango puree with vanilla ice cream, sago and pamelo . . . just exactly what I had in Hong Kong last year . . . so yummy especially you are a sweetie fan.

The Chef in charge had already preprepared the chocolat whiskey with walnut ball fillings and the snow skin mixture waiting to roll on.

Firstly Chef Loo roll the snow skin.

Once the snow skin is rolled, chef divided it into a few sub rolls.

Chef then roll the individual snow skin till flat forming a round flat snow skin.

It was time to cover the chocolat whiskey and walnut ball with snow skin.

The snow skin had fully covered the chocolat ball.

Place the snow skin ball into the mold and gently press the snow skin ball into the mold to form the prints.

Once completed, hit the mold gently to release the snow skin mooncake out of the mold.

These were many variety of snow skin mooncakes such as chocolat whiskey, mango cheese cake, sweet corn lotus paste, vanilla custard & gummi bears and lavender with almond egg custard fillings.

Oh! I was so lucky . . . as I got to taste other baked mooncakes available at the Prince Hotel, Kuala Lumpur such as the pandan & pumpkin paste with single egg yolk, white lotus paste with macadamia nuts and also my favourate one, five variety nut with rum and raisins. I truely felt this trip was so worth while and so fruitful as I was educated about the varieties of mooncakes available and yet get to experience the learning from the chef himself, Chef Loo.

Chef Loo, I will definitely be back to see you again . . . but what I had in mind is to get you to teach me how to make the real Dim Sum . . . even if I need to report to the class at 5am in the morning . . . thank you Chef, SidneyK

Tai Zi Heen's Mooncake Odyssey is at:

Tai Zi Heen
Prince Hotel & Residence
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03-2170 8888 ext 8200 or 03-2170 8808
(1st August to 14th September)

ISETAN KLCC
Level 3
(26th August to 25th September)

The Way to Indulge A Duck. . . . . !

AROMATIC & CRISPY DUCK

This dish is served and eaten in the same way as Peking Duck -wrapped in a pancake along with shredded spring onion, cucumber sticks and Hoi Sin sauce. I prefer to add spicy dry prawn chilli paste, very oishi delicious. In a restaurant, this dish can be much conviniently served than Peking Duck because a quantity of duck can be precooked in the marinade or cooking sauce and put aside. When required, they are simply deep-fried for 10-11minutes and served, bcause of th final deep-frying, the duck meat will invariably be crisper and without the care and precise timing required when preparing and cooking traditional Peking Duck.

Ingredient

4-5lb duck
vegetable oil for deep-frying

Cooking sauce
6cups good stock
6tablespoons sugar
6slices fresh ginger roots
a bunch of spring onion
2/3cup soy sauce
4teaspoons yellow bean paste
6tablespoons dry sherry
6pieces star anise
1/2teaspoon five spice powder
1/4teaspoon pepper

Garnish
cucumber sticks
shredded spring onion
Hoi Sin sauce
pancakes

Preparation

Mix ingredients for cooking sauce together in large saucepan. Clean duck thoroughly and cut in half down backbone. Place into liquid and submerge.

Cooking

Simmer duck gently for 2hours. Remove from cooking liquid and leave to cool. When required to serve, heat oil, place duck gently in oil and fry for 10-11minutes. Drain well.

Serving

Place duck on large heated platter. Serve by taking meat off the carcass at the table and wrapping it in pancakes together with Hoi Sin sauce, cucumber sticks and shredder spring onion.

Cooking time: 2hours 10minutes
Serves: 6-8

Gosh, I got to admit that I can have half of a duck all by myself, you must try this recipe as it is pretty awesoe, simple and yet not difficult at all. You can even prepare it a day earlier, just deep fry when need to serve. If not try at your nearest chinese restaurant or if you are in Petaling Jaya, you can drop by the CUBES . . . . . . yours SidneyK