Tuesday, 9 February 2010
The Chinese New Year gravy train is steamrolling at full speed now with only five days left until we usher in the Year of the Tiger! And honestly, I don't care if we have KFC for Chinese New Year as long as I have my batch of Malaysian cookies to gorge over, especially these nutty balls of peanut buttery goodness.
One thing I know about peanuts is that The Father loves them especially in Malaysian treats. So these peanut cookies were perfect for him and in fact these were a hit with the whole family. Even Critique Numero Uno - The Mother - was absolutely impressed with them and took great joy in telling me that her work colleagues were in raptures at a mere taste. For me, these cookies are so easy to make that I'm confused as to why I've never tackled them earlier!
Simply put, these are even better than any of the packet or processed peanut cookies that you buy but I certainly can't take credit for these gems. The recipe comes from one of my favourite bloggers A Table For Two, who loves to churn these cookies out every year. He in turn adapted it from here.
Ad-break for some Chinese New Year trivia! Did you know that peanuts are popular to eat during this time as it symbolises longevity and also fertility? Personally the fertility boost I can do without but yay for living longer! In any case who's to stop you from enjoying these at any time of the year? The crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture and the unmistakable peanut buttery taste with the touch of saltiness are just too hard to resist on the other 364 days of the year.
Ingredients
300g shelled and unsalted peanuts
200g caster sugar
250g plain flour
180-200ml peanut oil (or any flavourless oil like canola) - you'll only need enough to bind the mixture
1 tsp salt
1 egg beaten or 1 egg white, lightly beaten until slightly frothy
Method
1. Preheat the oven at 200°C and line some baking trays with baking paper or silicone mats.
2. In a frying pan over medium heat, roast the peanuts until fragrant (be careful not to burn!). Grind them in a food processor until finely grounded.
3. Tip the grounded mixture into a large bowl and break any lumps with a wooden spoon. Sift in the flour, sugar and salt into the peanuts and mix to combine.
4. Pour in about 100ml of the oil into the bowl and use your hands or wooden spoon to knead the mixture together.
5. Pour in the remainder of the oil little by little, while still kneading the mixture until the sugar has melted and has just come together as a dough without it sticking to the bowl or your hands. Dough is ready when it doesn't break or crumble when you roll a bit of the mixture into a ball in your palms.
6. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place them on the baking sheets (I made them slightly bigger and got exactly 40 cookies out of this recipe).
7. You can either:
- Stud each cookie with half a peanut to decorate
- Or use a round piping tip to score decorative circles on top of each cookie (the original recipe used empty pen cases for this!). For me, I used a star piping tip for a slightly prettier indentation.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and store in airtight containers. Will last for about a week before it starts to go a bit stale.
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Monday, 8 February 2010
The sacred act of catching up with friends over a meal out of home is a expensive hobby so my eating crew and I are always on a lookout for cheap and cheerful eats. It's comforting to know that there are still places out in Sydney for this cheap drunk to go get two tacos and pissed on a shot of tequila for only $9!
On this night it was Taco Tuesday in Glebe at The Flying Fajita Sistas and us hungry ladies were excited. Luckily we had a booking because even at 8:30, lines were queuing out the door.
For large dining groups, you can get a taco banquet of sorts for only $12 per person which will get you 4 tacos of different fillings plus side dips in case you feel inclined to lace your taco with salsa, sour cream and the like.
Rather than go for $3 shots of tequila - a surefire way to put me on a path of insobriety - us ladies got summery and ordered two jugs of Strawberry and White Wine Sangria - a delicious concoction of white wine, brandy-soaked strawberries, dry ginger ale and pineapple juice. I definitely prefer this sweeter, lighter Sangria to the normal dry red wine version.
1L Strawberry and white wine sangria (19.50) - Brandy soaked strawberries, white wine, pineapple juice and dry ginger ale
Our starters were crunchy homemade blue, white and yellow corn tortilla chips or totopas with a trio of dips. The Pepian is like a Mexican pesto made from pumpkins and fresh green chile, which had a slightly bland but nutty flavour. I loved the dip of Frijoles made from pinto beans and spices but my surprise favourite was the Queso Fundido, potful of melty cheese, ancho chile salas and roasted tomatoes. I was scared that it was going to be too cheesy for a cheesephobic such as myself but fortunately it was just fragrant and smoky. Chocolatesuze takes much delight in dipping the thick cut chips into the oozy cheese over and over again.
Trio of pepian, queso fundido and frijoles dips with blue, white and yellow corn totopas ($14.90)
Our four platters of tacos arrive but they were the soft flour tortilla variety even though they had the option of corn tortillas. Next time I'm asking for corn, which is my favourite, and doesn't get as soft and soggy as flour tortillas. Nevertheless, I immediately head for the Achiote pulled pork tacos with its tender strands of meaty goodness. The firm favourite of the night by all.
Achiote Pulled Pork Tacos
The Ropa vieja tacos with its strips of tender beef were equally tasty but I was still wishing I had the pork instead.
Ropa Vieja Tacos
While the Frijoles were a winner as a dip, it doesn't quite induce the same spark in taco form. Combined with the soft tortilla, it quickly turned into a gooey mess while the Frijoles filling were a bit grainy and mealy for my liking.
Frijole Tacos
Lastly the sweet chipotle chicken tacos were tender enough but I was a little unexcited by the flavour. Nothing that a lashing of the three accompaniments - guacamole, sour cream and salsa - can't fix! At this stage, I was also over the cheese factor.
Sweet Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Don't forget to order an extra batch of Totopas to polish off any remaining dips and sauces. I was obsessed with these chips and they were the perfect thickness for the dips. Nothing worse than having a chip break and snap midway through dippage!
Trio of taco accompaniments - guacamole, salsa, sour cream
On a final note, if you're really brave, there is the beautiful sounding Wall of Pain downstairs for those who likes their Mexican food with a side of crazy. For the truly sadistic, there is the top shelf stuff but heed the warning of seeking staff advice first, lest you spend the next two days burning on the loo! Speaking of the rear end, do you dare try the Rectum Ripper or Baboon's Ass on your next taco?
Wall of Pain
Was there any question of dessert? "One of each!", we gleefully ordered and it wasn't long before they arrived. The Orange, coffee and caramel brulee sounded like an odd combination but it was surprisingly good. Although the orange flavour wasn't all that strong and it was more coffee than anything. And cheers to the girls for allowing me the pleasure of the first crack into the requisite toffee shell.
Orange, Coffee and Caramel Brulée (12.90)
The Chocolate Mousse Cake was, as expected, rich and sweet with a chocolate genoise sponge brushed with Kahlua that was topped with Mexican mousse, espresso anglaise and cream. I could only manage a few bites before pushing it away defeated.
Chocolate Mousse Cake (12.90)
A crowd favourite was the Banana and Chocolate Chimichanga - a flour tortilla wrapped around banana and chocolate then lightly fried and served with cinnamon anglaise, caramel sauce and a coconut creme. The combination of chocolate and banana is always a winner!
Banana and Chocolate Chimichanga (13.90)
Not so much the Platano frito - fried banana finished with fresh coconut creme, toasted coconut and white chocolate. Now I love banana fritters and the like but this... was something else. It was hard and crunchy with a really starchy texture and virtually no taste. It was like eating chalk. Note to self: an unripe plantain banana is really not pleasant to eat. The only thing that this dessert brought on was a fit of immature giggles and phallic jokes (well we were a table of 8 girls!).
Platano Frito (11.90)
I was hoping for big things for the Mexican bread pudding - brioche, spiced pecans and chunks of Mexican chocolate baked in a rich custard and finished with a cinnamon anglaise. But again it was... something else. There was barely a detection of oozy melted chocolate and it was more like a really dense, starchy cake. For me when I think bread pudding I think of this, and this was far from it.
Mexican Bread Pudding (13.90)
You gotta love a meal that's easy on the wallet. Especially when a mere $30 grabs you plenty of taco love, a feast of desserts and two jugs of alcohol. But be sure to book in advance because chances are, you won't be the only ones in Sydney lured by cheap tacos and tequila!
Flying Fajita Sistas
65 Glebe Point Road
Glebe NSW 2037
(02) 9552 6522
Open 7 days 6pm until late
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Friday, 5 February 2010
Poultry Porn
I seem to be on a bit of a Lebanese bender lately. From virtually being a cuisine that I never considered to one that I actually ache for! Naturally, I have my blogger friends to thank for the good influence. The love affair started with Rowda Ya Habibi and was fueled by Frank's (oh Frank *fans herself*) and now I've sought my own gratification in The Captain's old hood of Granville. I definitely earned my frequent flyer miles trekking back and forth between his suburb and mine during the first 6 months of our relationship! So I ask myself... how in the blazes did I not know about El Jannah? An unforgiveable oversight!
Felafels, baba gannouj, garlic sauce, tabouli
Anyway, forget the nostalgia. Today it's all about the garlic sauce! And the chicken! And oh, the baba gannouj! Situated down the end of South Street alongside the train station, El Jannah is a local favourite and hugely popular. I was lucky to escape the dinner rush by getting there early but after we left, the lines started to queue. The restaurant itself is light, modern and clean but I highly recommend takeaway rather than eat in simply because the prices are nearly 50 to 60% cheaper.
If you only imagine the smell of their charcoal chicken and how crazy it drove us in the car. You know that feeling when you and your beloved are driving home, feeling randy, and you both can't wait to get home and tear into each other? Well we felt like that, only that it was the poultry we wanted to ravage, not each other.
We had one and a half charcoal chickens to feed four people but it's definitely enough to feed six (remember from my twitter bio, I can hoove down whole roast chickens without pausing for breath). But the meal is never complete without the usual tasty accompaniments.
Inside of the felafel
The felafels are only 50c each for takeaway and they were jaw-droppingly good. Not as crunchy as Frank's but the flavour was heavenly. Fresh tabouli is also a wondrous thing indeed, especially for somebody who doesn't do salads. El Jannah's was a little more generous with the lemon than most places, but its tangy kick did a good job in cutting through the richness of the rest of the meal.
Thick cut chips (takeaway large $4)
But let's talk about the aforementioned seductive poultry. OH MA GAWD! Give me smoky, give me charcoal, give me a flavour and I'm all yours. Give me juicy, give me tender and I'll soon be emitting the most animalistic groans. In Granville, you can literally smell the charcoal in the air, so much so, that on warm nights, I can just close my eyes and imagine I'm back on the hot streets of KL. There may be no satay men here but damn the Lebanese chicken is fine!
Bestill my beating heart!
You simply cannot have chicken without the garlic sauce. Period. And I've never tasted one as good as El Jannah's. It's incredibly garlicky but without the raw spiciness that most others have. Not that I mind the spicy kick but this was something else. I'm a firm believer that garlic is an underrated aphrodisiac. Or is that just me? And if you add the luscious smoky baba gannouj to the mix... well, how many times can a girl climax in one meal?
I can't imagine how I did without El Jannah after all these years. So much darkness! So many pleasurable nights missed! But I guess the most important thing is I have seen the light. And that light comes charcoaled with lashings of garlic.
El Jannah
4-6 South Street
Granville, NSW 2142
(02) 9635 0977
Open daily 10am - 11pm
NEW STORE
Shop 2
209 Punchbowl Road
Punchbowl, NSW 2196
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Wednesday, 3 February 2010
I love Chinese New Year! Being a lover and student of ancient history and religious studies, it remains one of my favourite holidays along with Christmas and Easter. Year after year, I revel in the ritual, the colour and the red packets of money (heh). The heart of CNY isn't just the strange superstitions (no housework and no washing hair - woohoo!) but it's in the food... of course!
Traditional kuih bangkit molds
I admit that my family isn't as intensely celebratory or ritualistic in their Chinese New Year fare. We are actually rather casual about it all with a simple dinner here and there. Heck, I'm still a little clueless about Chinese New Year dishes but I do remember the biscuits!
Cooking the tapioca flour with pandan
I'm not sure whether it's just a Malaysian/Singaporean thing, but we really love eating sweet biscuits at this time of year. And living in Australia is a huge barrier for those who are homesick for the exquisiteness of pineapple tarts, peanut cookies and one of my favourites, coconut tapioca biscuits or kuih bangkit (aka kueh bangkit).
They don't look great but they sure tasted good
I've never made any of these before but I promised myself I'll learn this year so I give you my inaugural Chinese New Year effort! Kuih Bangkit are heavenly little morsels of coconut cookies that have the most unusual texture. The perfect kuih bangkit has to be dry and crispy but light as a feather and almost 'hollow' sounding when you tap it. And with every bite, the kuih bangkit cookie has to crumble and melt on your tongue into a delectable pile of squeaky coconuttiness. Bliss! But this perfection doesn't come without trials. Though they're easy to make, they are a bitch to perfect.
Gorgeous intricate carvings on the wooden molds (my favourite is always the flowery designs)
Kuih Bangkit can be shaped from cookie cutters, however I'm lucky enough to be in possession of the traditional wooden molds that house the most beautiful and intricate carvings. Nowadays passing through such wooden items through Australian customs would be next to impossible so I couldn't be more thankful to The Mother, who brought it over from Malaysia back in 1991. But for those without it, you can try and source some plastic versions from Asian grocery stores that also stock mooncake molds (Sydneysiders, your best bet is Cabramatta) or Ebay. If not, cookie cutters will still work.
Molding the kuih bangkit
Since this is my first time making it, I went in blind and plucked a random recipe from the air of the interwebs and in this case, Nasi Lemak Lover. And it wasn't too bad but the texture wasn't quite right as they were a little hard, crunchy, not melty enough and they cracked a little after they were baked. But at least it didn't turn out to be toothbreaking bricks.
Knocking out the kuih bangkit out of the molds
As for the taste...it was rather authentic for pre-packaged coconut milk. Kuih Bangkit will never be as good without the milk from freshly grated coconut flesh but it's my burden to bear living in a country where fresh coconuts and a coconut grater are rare finds indeed.
If you have to use pre-made coconut milk or cream, I highly recommend Kara branded tetrapaks for everything. Other brands just don't stack up for flavour and don't even think about using coconut powder mixed with water! If you have the time, maybe you could source some frozen packs of grated coconut flesh from Asian grocers and and squeeze out some fresh coconut milk for yourself? I guarantee you the kuih bangkit will be taken up a whole new delicious stratosphere!
One of the better brands of coconut milk and cream
In any case, this recipe isn't perfect but it'll soothe the cravings nicely for Chinese New Year and I don't think I did too badly for my first go. I definitely can't complain since I've been deprived of these beautiful things for too long and to eat something that was close to it was pure unadulterated pleasure. My search for the perfect kuih bangkit recipe continues so feel free to leave me your recipes, criticism, tips and recommendations!
Molded and uncooked kuih bangkit
Kuih Bangkit
(adapted from this recipe)
260g tapioca flour
4 screwpine (pandan) leaves, cut into thirds
1 egg yolk
85g icing sugar
70-80ml coconut milk (adjust accordingly)
pinch of salt
Red food colouring and toothpick to decorate
1. Stir fry tapioca flour with pandan leaves in a clean wok or large flat frypan for 75 mins over low flame, until the flour is very light (prepare yourself for a flour-covered kitchen!), slightly yellow tinged and the pandan leaves are crispy. The final weight I had was around 210g. (FYI, you might like to cook a little extra flour on the side and save it for dusting of molds/cookie cutters).
2. Cool flour over a couple of days I left it to cool to room temperature, then stored into an airtight jar in the fridge.
3. Preheat oven to 160°C. Whisk egg yolk until creamy, add in icing sugar and add about 35-40ml of the coconut milk and whisk to combine.
4. In a mixing bowl, sift in the tapioca flour and add in the egg mixture.
5. Slowly and gradually add in the balance of the coconut milk into the mixture little by little, mixing by hand until mixture clings together to form a stiff dough that's smooth, pliable and neither too wet nor dry.
6. Dust a Bangkit mould lightly with extra cooked flour, take a knub of dough and press into the mold but not too hard or it might stick. With a knife, trim excess dough and level. Angle the mould at 45° to the bench and knock the mold to remove dough. Repeat with remaining dough. Have some toothpicks on hand to scrape out any dough stuck to the crevices of the mold.
Note: I found that my dough wasn't that sticky so I didn't really need to dust the mold after the 1st initial dusting.
7. Bake for for 25 mins or until biscuits are fully cooked through. Cool on wire racks. When cooled, use a toothpick to dot red food colouring onto the centre of the 'flowers' and the eyes of the 'animal' shapes. Store in an airtight container in a cool and dry place.
Notes from me
1. If you don't have the molds, roll or pat out the dough to a 1 to 1.5 cm thickness and cut shapes out of it. Remember the thicker your shapes, the longer it'll take to bake.
2. Set aside extra coconut milk to add in dough when dough turned dry and extra flour for dusting. Alternatively I covered the bowl with a damp (not wet) tea towel to stop the dough from drying out.
3. Do not try to shorten the cooking time of the flour. We want to get rid of the raw flour taste.
4. Different ovens behave differently, which'll affect the baking time of your cookies. So you'll might need to experiment by baking a couple of cookies first. Test a cookie by biting into it. If it's not cooked, then return to the oven and then check again after a short period of time. Rotate the tray each time to ensure even cooking. The insides should be fully cooked without any soft, 'doughy' bits.
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Monday, 1 February 2010
So on any other normal Saturday, I left The Captain at home to go out with a few lovely ladies. The conversation went a little like this...
Boy: "Where are you off to today?"
Me: "Going to Frank's for lunch"
Boy: "Who the hell is Frank?"
I suppose I could've avoided his sudden spout of jealousy by mentioning that I was going to Frank's Lebanese Food, but where's the fun in that?
Lebanese Bread ($3.90)
But whether Frank by name or Frank by restaurant, you should hear people swoon at the mention of it. I'm not an expert on Lebanese cuisine, but ask any of my friends in the know and immediately they start blubbering sweet nothings about Frank's and his amazing chicken.
Since I'm such a newbie to Lebanese food**, I left the hard work of ordering to my lovely dining companions while I sat with my knife and fork at the ready. The basket of Lebanese bread is like candy to me especially when paired with the smoky baba gannouj so I tucked in with gusto.
Falafel ($10.90)
My eyes bulged at the sight of the Falafels, which looked perfect in all their deep fried glory. In the past, I've always dismissed these as nothing but, um, dry balls but obviously that was because I haven't had Frank's. Crunchy on the outside, moist and flavoursome on the inside - I immediately wanted more.
The Fattouch salad looked fresh and I loved the colours, but unfortunately I don't do salads (unless there are anchovies or bacon in it!). Recently I converted myself to tabouli so who knows? I might just get down with the Fattouch in the near future. I did love the crispy Lebanese bread 'croutons' in the salad though.
Fattouch (small $4.50 / large $7.90)
But this was what I was after! Charcoal chicken! If you've seen my Twitter bio , you would've read about a secret vice of devouring whole roast chickens. I just love the stuff and at Frank's, I was utterly besotted by its crispy skin and juicy meat. Even better when it comes adorned with hommos, garlic cream, tabouli and baba gannouj. Bad breath be damned!
Half-chicken served with hommos, garlic cream, tabouli and baba gannouj ($9.90)
Our other dose of meat laid in the Mixed Plate - Shish Kebab (lamb skewer), Kaftah (minced lamb skewer) and Shish Taouk served with tabouli, hommos, baba gannouj, pickles and grilled tomatoes and onion. I fell in love with the Shish Taouk, a grilled chicken skewer that was super tender and fragrant.
Mixed Plate of Shish Kebab, Kaftah and Shish Taouk served with tabouli, hommos, baba gannouj, pickles, and grilled tomatoes and onion ($11.90)
Lebanese cuisine is still all shiny and new to me but if the food is as good as Frank's, then I'm definitely seeing the light. The service here is warm, friendly and professional and they take great pride in their cuisine, as evident by the fussing of the waiter to make sure we had the best shots of their food!
Oh yes. I am smitten. Something tells me that The Captain is going to want meet Frank soon but I think he's going to like him very much.
Frank's Lebanese Food
16 Smart Street
Fairfield NSW 2165
(02) 9724 3000
**Beginner's guide to Lebanese Food
Baba Gannouj / Baba Ghanoush: smoky eggplant dip with tahini, lemon and garlic.
Falafel / Felafel: balls of chickpeas and spices fried in vegetable oil for a crunchy outer coating.
Fattouch / Fattoush: a salad made from toasted or fried pieces of pita bread combined with mixed greens and vegetables.
Hommos / Hummus: a dip made from chickpeas and tahini puréed with lemon and garlic.
Kaftah: skewers of grilled minced lamb (like sausage on a stick).
Shish Kebab: skewers of lean lamb.
Shish Taouk: grilled chicken breast skewers.
Tabouli / Tabouleh: A refreshing 'salad' of parsley, tomatoes, shallots, mint and crushed wheat mixed with fresh lemon juice and olive oil.
Tahini: a paste made from sesame seeds, used in cooking.
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