Hot pot:

Hai di Lao Hot Pot Broth: I added the goji, dates slices that comes with it.
I added 2 pcs of bones of chicken, 4 slices of ginger, 1 medium sized Onion (cut in wedges), Chinese Cabbages

1 cup of Jasmine Steamed Rice
Gyoza dumplings on the two tiers of tray
1 egg
1 tomato (cut to wedges)
Dumpling Skin (1 pack)

 

SALMON AVOCADO ROLL

 Salmon Belly Sashimi S$21 for 7pcs — at Tampopo たんぽぽ.

With Francine, we had a great catch up after a hi-tea at 10 Scotts Grand Hyatt. Tampopo is a recommendation made by her after a 3hr shopping near Tangs and Takashimaya. We were actually quite full already but was hoping to find a place for drinks and talk more. She ordered some Japanese Green Tea and was happy to share with me this 7 pc plate of Salmon Belly Sashimi and she also ordered a Chawanmushi. It was quite fatty and huge piece of Salmon Belly with these 'Pineapple-Cut' :) I've only eaten sotong with pineapple cuts LOL

By the way, it was my first time eating Sashimi in Singapore. The reason is in the 1990s, I had my first Japanese Sushi experience in Japan Tokyo - so since then I don't go for imported sashimi! I only dine in and eat cooked sushi like Tamago or piping hot Japanese Ramen.

This Mother's Day 2022, I gave my 9-year old daughter a treat at Sushiro, Singapore, Salmon Mentai, Salmon Avocado Roll. We went there after a swim at a nearby ActiveSG Sports Swimming Complex, initially to get her a new pair of swimming goggles. This was my first time eating in, with largest kaiten (conveyor-belt) sushi chain from Japan. The past two years was mainly in locked down, and almost all dine-in options were restricted.

We ordered quite a lot for one adult and one child, 2 pax dine-in. The bill came in at about S$46 and just showed that my kid though young, she's really a good eater! 

I think the best Salmon belly mentai is at Ichiban Sushi. Here you can see my previous review.

Ingredients

Pasta

1 batch of my Homemade Pasta, recipe in my book
or
250g/8.8oz Dried Pasta (egg free)

Sauce

2 tbs Olive Oil
2 Shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
100g/3.52oz Gaz’s Bacon, cut into small cubes

Small handful of Fresh Parsley, lightly chopped

1 cup/240ml Vegan Cream
3 tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp White Miso Paste
1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
1 cup/150g Frozen Peas (optional)

Garnish

Fresh Parsley


Method

Pre heat a large saucepan over medium heat & add the oil.

When the pan is hot add the shallots & garlic. Sauté until softened & lightly golden. Then add the bacon & parsley.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook to the packet instructions.

Cook the mix whilst stirring for about 2 more minutes then turn the heat down low.

Add the cream, miso, nutritional yeast & a pinch of seasoning.

Add the peas.

Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes.

Drain your pasta from the water & add it to the saucepan.

Stir the pasta making sure it’s coated in the sauce.

Serve straight away with chopped parsley

These are really good. I have not been baking for so long since the pandemic hits, today I suddenly felt the need to make some of these lovelies. These are scones (rhymes with 'gone', is how I will pronounced it, nothing wrong some people says 's-cones' like rhymes with 'cone' I noticed.) My recipe is rather from my Hungarian side of my in-laws, my sister-in-law, and my aunt-in-law, and even my cousin-in-law could make them this way. They are really heavenly SO GOOD! Hungarian people likes it savoury (salty) as compared with the English Scones which are unsweetened and rather lightly bland and fragrant (taking the sweetness from jams or the raisins or currants). This version is using bacon bits (what would be better are pork cracklings - made from rind of pig's skin). I think during this time, many people are also avoiding animal products, so even though it is tastier, it is frown upon by plant-based diet groups. I have made them larger, so it doubles an older recipe which I have first tried on, yielding 24 large rounds.

Yield 2 dozens

•  1/2 cup heavy cream, heated to 45 deg C
•  12g fresh yeast
•  2 Large Eggs (+1 yolk for egg-wash/shine)
•  1/2 tsp or 2 pinches of sea salt
•  4 cups all purpose flour
•  100grams cheese, finely shredded (optional)
•  200g unsalted butter, softened
•  1 tsp sugar (to activate the yeast)
•  50g bacon bits (or pork cracklings if you can find/make them)
• 
  
• Topping
• Extra 30grams cheese, finely shredded (optional)

1. Step 1
   In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast and sugar. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes.
2. Step 2
   Add flour, cheese, salt, egg, butter and sour cream to yeast mixture. Mix til dough comes together, smooth and not sticky.
3. Step 3
   Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Make a shallow cross-hatched pattern with tip of sharp knife over the top of the dough. Brush with egg yolk. Sprinkle cheese and pork cracklings on top.
4. Step 4Cut out rounds with a 1 to 1.5 inch cutter.
5. Step 5
   Arrange circles in rows at 1/4 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Step 6
   Put pan in a cold oven, set to 200 deg C and bake for 22 minutes. Until scones or pogacsa are nicely browned on tops and bottoms. 
7. Step 7
   Let it cool completely and (optional to store in airtight container).
8. *It can be frozen up to 1 month. Thaw and reheat at 100 deg C for 20 minutes.

This is a pastry made with Apple, Walnut, and Poppy Seeds. There are usually many flavours within one: walnut, apple, poppy seeds, cinnamon, dried fruit and plum jam all between sheets of pastry.

Ingredients
For the dough
300 g flour
125 g butter
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 pinch salt
100 ml white wine
2 egg yolks
5 g fresh yeast

Poppy seeds filling
175 g ground poppy seeds
90 g sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon raisins or other dried fruit
1 tablespoon bread crumbs (I used whole)
90 ml water
lemon zest / orange
vanilla

Walnut filling
150 g ground walnuts
80 g sugar
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (white)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon raisins or other dried fruit
125 ml water
peel of lemon / orange
vanilla

Apple filling
375 g apples peeled, grated
2 tablespoons raisins or other dried fruit
1 tablespoon ground nuts
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (white)
cinnamon

Prune stuffing
1 jar of plum jam thick


Preparation
Dough
Place all ingredients in a bowl and knead until dough is elastic and non-sticky.
Then put it in a bag and refrigerate.

Meanwhile prepare the fillings.

Poppy seeds filling
Place in a saucepan of water, sugar and honey and let it on the stove top, until the sugar has melted.
In a bowl, place the dry ingredients, then pour hot water over them (with sugar and honey) and mix well.

Walnut filling
Follow the same procedure above.

Apple filling
Mix all ingredients.

After making the fillings remove the dough from refrigerator and divide it into 5 equal balls, then spread each on trays of 22 cm diameter cake.

Pierce with a fork three of the stretched round shapes of dough and bake them in round baking pans that were previously coated with oil and sprinkled with flour, for 8 minutes at 180C/360F, until they brown.

After you have baked the three tops, take one of the sheets that was not cooked (raw sheet) and lie it in a 22 cm cake pan, pierce it with a fork, then add the Poppy seeds filling over it and level it.

Over Poppy seeds filling place one of the baked sheets and then, on top, place the Walnut filling and level it.

Over the Walnut filling place 2nd baked sheet, pressing gently, and then, on top, place the plum jam / jam and level it.

Place over the Plum jam the 3rd baked sheet, top it with the apple filling, then level it and, at the end, place over it the second unbaked sheet, then pierce with a fork and put it in the oven preheated to 180C/360F for 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and powder sugar over it.

Recipe from Oana Silion

Topping:
1/4 cup of Brown Sugar
1/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
2 tbsp of Flour
1/2 tsp of Cinnamon
2 tbsp of Cold Unsalted Butter


Method:

1. Beat/whisk butter with sugar til mixture turns pale yellow.
2. Add in eggs.
3. Add in sour cream, vanilla extract.
4. Add in sifted dry ingredients (flour, cacao powder, Espresso powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder) to wet ingredients.
5. Mix until mixture is well incorporated.
6. Pour into baking tray. Spread it out with a spatula knife to have an even layer.
7. Grate the topping mixture onto the chocolate cake mixture.
8. Bake at 190°C for 20-25 minutes.

Sometime ago, I made these "Air-Fried Teriyaki Chicken Fillet Bento - Japanese" for my daughter as her lunchbox item. Today, I tried this same recipe for the chicken fillet except that I deep fried it in oil. It turned out really good crispy looking. Just sprinkle salt and pepper seasoning, coat it with Japanese Panko breadcrumbs and dip into the hot oil to deep fry til golden brown. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar or icing sugar
3/4 cup Almond Flour (Ground/Powder)
2 egg whites room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Your choice of Food coloring (optional)

Lemon Yoghurt Buttercream Filling:
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp Yoghurt
100g or 7 tbsp softened unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice





French Macarons:




Preparation of Macaron Shells:

1. Place the ground almonds and confectioners sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground (about 1 - 2 minutes). Sift the mixture to remove any lumps.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment (can use a hand mixer), beat the egg whites and a few drops of lemon juice, on medium speed until foamy. 
3. Gradually add the granulated sugar, and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until the meringue just holds stiff peaks (when you slowly raise the whisk the meringue is straight up, no drooping, called a 'beak') *Be aware to not overmix the meringue or it will 'break'.
4. Then, in three additions, sift the ground almond/sugar mixture over the meringue. When folding, cut through the meringue and then fold up and over, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. 
5. Once the almond mixture is completely folded (called macaronage) into the meringue (the batter will fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon) it is time to pipe the Macarons.

1. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with 1/2 inch (1 cm) tip, with about half the batter. Pipe about  3 cm rounds onto the parchment paper, using the circles you've drawn as a guide. 
2. Then gently tap the baking sheet on the counter to break any air bubbles (can also break air bubbles with the end of a toothpick). 
3. Let the Macarons sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes (depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen) or until the tops of the Macarons are no longer tacky.
4. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees C with the oven racks in the top and bottom third of the oven.
   Bake the cookies (two sheets at a time) for about 14 - 16 minutes. The Macarons are done when you can just barely separate the cookies from the parchment paper. 
5. Remove from oven and let the Macarons cool completely on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack. 

1. To assemble the Macarons, take two cookies and sandwich them together with your filling (place filling on flat side of cookie). 
2. Popular choices are a Swiss buttercream frosting, lemon curd, chocolate ganache, jam, or dulce de leche (Caramel). 
3. While you can serve the Macarons the day they are made, these cookies really need to mature for a day or two in the refrigerator. Best served at room temperature.