Happy 2012

I never forget my blog, and every of you! I did involve a couple of projects but that couldn't stop me... until the examination (of my language school) came. I have been in Spain long enough but I didn't put any effort to learn the language. I am really feeling ashamed. So unwillingly, I had to leave my blog for a while in order to focus my studies.

Long before the exam, once I worked as a food stylist to a photo-shooting. The work was intense, but it wasn't the hardest part. How to be a good team player is a challenging though, especially something about art... the people are usually very subjective; plus, 'idea' this thing is completely abstract, finding words to discuss it is painful. So after many moments of mind-bleeding, lip numbing and spirit-murdering, I tried to set out something, and finally heard the photographer said, 'Ahh! THAT's what I want!!!' ***Firework***

These two photos are the reject, but I really love them. Hope you enjoy these little pieces of 'me' here.

Happy 2012! And to all Chinese fellows, Happy Lunar New Year!

Pomegranate & Pearl Sago Dessert with Chewy Coconut

It is the best time to enjoy fruit, so many choices, so many colors and so many flavors! If you get tired of having fruit cockfruit for dessert, this one with exotic pearl sago would be a nice surprise. I particularly make some chewy coconut cookies to go with it, use it instead of spoon to scoop that sticky yummy fruity sago to mouth ... sorry I can't talk now as am too busy in eating.

For the recipe I will post it on my Spanish blog.

Bread with Sardine & Garlic Spread

I was reading the boxes of canned sardine. An old fellow came by, just like me, was looking for a good one. He probably lived alone, or had extra time to spend, so he started a long conversation about sardines ...

I suddenly remember my grandpa, who chose to live alone for many years. When I visited him, I also loved checking his cupboard to see any left-over food for me to pick :) :) They're usually a few anchovies or canned sardines. "Uh-ooooh..." people may give out a sympathetic sign once they hear the word "canned". But look at this way, it's reflecting his fuss-free life style. Canned sardine doesn't taste like the fresh one for sure, but it has its own taste and it can be absolutely delicious. Quite often I have a craving for that taste.

In this recipe, using canned sardine is certainly better!

We'll make some fresh sardines when we're ready for mingle next time, ok?!

To make Bread with Sardine & Garlic Spread, you will need:

• Country bread, sliced, and slightly toasted
• Slow-roasted garlic until the flesh is completely soft
• Top quality canned sardine, drained well
• optional: paprika/ red peppercorns/ spices

Remove the garlic skin, generously spread the flesh on a slice of bread. Then either you mash the sardine to paste, or use it as-is, put the fish on the top, sprinkle some spice to finish

Lemon Chickpea Pastry

"Moon cake" (a molded pastry that we make/eat to celebrate the full moon in the mid-autumn in China), in general, has a tender crust with some moist and sweet filling. It is supposed to be rich; a small piece goes a long way, and the pastries aren't cheap anyway. In the old days, my family could only afford one or 2 boxes (four pastries per box) for us to eat, and a couple boxes more to give to our very close relatives.

Few days ago my friend put up some photos of mooncakes to Facebook. I gasped when I saw all that packaging... besides of the traditional plastic pack, wax paper and paper carton, an individual metal tin is made to just hold one pastry, then a few pastries/tins again are placed into a bigger tin. The tins are gold color, with sand-blashed mat finish and spectacular printing...

When the pastries gone, so as those tins (straight to the dumpster)... the earth is already beyond exhausted.

The food manufacturers probably add an extra dose of preservatives and additives in order to prolong the life span of the pastries, to go with the longer marketing campaign or whatsoever...

Can I just have one simple pastry? I don't eat metal, or plastic, or chemcial.

Want a beautiful pastry? You need nothing except your creativity, your hands and time. Additives-and preservatives-free. Environmental-friendly.

The crust intends to be buttery, using a top-quality of butter (Danish and Irish ones are my fav) is a must! Especially there is no egg in the recipe, the taste of butter is THE shinning star then. And about the filling, I used chickpea so as to mimic the texture of lotus seed paste (a popular filling for "moon cake") although its flavor is from cocina nova.

Recipe of the shortbread crust (for 10 tart shells) : 110g premium-quality of butter 150g regular flour a pinch of salt (if your butter has no salt) 1/4 cup powder sugar optional: cut fruit and egg wash

Soften the butter (not melting), beat it until it looks pale and fluffy, well combine with the powder sugar, flour and salt. You may add 1 tbp of flour if it looks too wet (but not too much otherwise the crust turns dry and brittle). Let it rest in fridge for a few hours so as to relax the gluten and also to ease the shaping since the dough is slightly firm.

Recipe of the chickpea filling: 200g cooked chickpeas (from jar with water, drained well), juice from half lemon, zest from 1 lemon, 1/4 - 1/2 cup powder sugar (sweetness to taste), 1/4 - 1/2 cup cream cheese.

Puree the chickpeas with the lemon juice, well combine with the lemon zest, powder sugar and the cream cheese.

To assemble the tarts:

1. Grease a tart shell and line it with a thin layer of dough, spoon in the chickpeas filling. If you make an open-face tart, arrange some cut fruit on top to avoid the filling dries up too quick during baking
2. If you want to make a molded pastry, you have to do more control on the (chill) temperature of the dough, because if the dough gets soft (as warm), it will stick to the mold. For molded pastry, please egg wash the pastries after unmolded.
3. Pre-heat oven to 325C. Bake the pastries about 25 minutes.

Fig & goat cheese filled sesame tartlet

Fig + dairy, they fit to any meal in a day.

Fig and plain yoghurt for breakfast.

Fig and soft cheese on open-sandwich (like this) for lunch.

Fig and aged cheese for dessert ...

... how about some fig-n-cheese tarts for between-meal as well!

Even I only had less than an hour to make (and photo-shot) these tartlets, I know the method is fool-prove and the result's stunning. What you need:

• Mini tart shell tray, pre-greased with butter
• Rolling pin
• Round cookie cutter
• White sesame seeds
• Sliced bread
• Fresh fig, cut up
• Aged goat cheese, premium quality is a must
• Honey
• Fresh herb

1. Sprinkle generous amount of sesame seeds on work table, roll a slice of bread on it. Cut out the bread to a circle and place it into a tart shell.
2. Bake the tart shells in a medium-hot oven for a minutes or two. Let the bread cools off inside the tray.
3. Assemble the tartlets only by the time when it's ready to serve. Fill the tarts with fig and cheese, drizzle some honey and place some herb to finish.

Lemon & Chrysanthemum Bars

Chrysanthemum is widely used in Chinese cuisine. When I make tea I always add a small handful of dried one (the species C. morifolium ) in it. Besides of giving it a lovely aroma, chrysanthemum supposes to be able to subside the "heatingness" of body specially during the hot weather. Last week the weather in Barcelona was unbelievably hot and dry, pretty much like roasting myself in a hot oven. I felt a bit sick, but I knew that an extra vitamin C and chrysanthemum shall be doing me good. Then I was thinking of make this version of lemon bars.

I've tasted some other lemon bars whose top pudding is buttery (and soft), which is divine, but this time of the year I really want something much lighter. This version of mine is tart, refreshing and (slightly) firm (to touch). You can re-adjust the amount of sugar, the flour and baking time to suit your own liking.

Recipe of Lemon & Chrysanthemum Bars
For the bottom layer, you can use your favorite shortbread crust's recipe. I've added 1 Tbp of ground fresh ginger into it too.
For the top layer (for the pan size of 25 x 15 cm):

• 1/2 cup of regular white sugar
• 1/2 cup of powder sugar
• 2 eggs
• 160 ml of fresh lemon juice (2 - 3 lemons)
• 1 Tbp of lemon zest
• 3 Tbps of flour
• 3 dried chrysanthemum, use the petals only
• 1/2 cup of low-fat milk

1. After the crust's dough is made, roll/ press a thin layer in the (lined with baking paper and leave two sides overhang) pan. Bake for about 15 minutes in a pre-heat oven of 350C. Take out the pan and set aside while you're preparing the pudding. Leave the oven on but lower the temp to 325C.
2. Mix the eggs and the regular white sugar for a few minutes. Then add lemon juice, lemon zest, powder sugar and the flour. Stir well. In the very last minutes, stir in milk and the flower petals. Immediately pour the mixture into the pan.
3. Bake the pie in a medium hot oven (about 325C) for approx. 25 minutes or until it sets. I prefer mine slight firmer, so I turn off the oven and let it sit for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove the pie from the oven and let it completely cools off inside the pan. Carefully lift up the baking paper's overhang and remove the pie from the pan. Now you can cut it to your preferred size.
5. Feel free to decorate the lemon bars with more dried flowers and lemon zest. Sprinkle more powder sugar if you like it sweeter.

Cupcake with rose infused frosting

I am terribly sorry not to inform you guys why I had been absent for so long. In mid June I took a trip to New Jersey but since I left in a such a hurry, I couldn't leave you a note...

Now I am seeing some comments from old friends and new visitors stuck in my Blogger account and not being published, apologize! And I will be reading each of them, one by one!

Many Chinese cooking, baking and beverage use flowers, which are mostly dried. I grew up with eating (or drinking) lily and chrysanthymum. I'd love to try fresh flowers more often if I had my own garden one day though... while I am still dreaming about it, let me present you these cupcakes, frosted with cream cheese and home-made rose syrup. (recipe to follow soon)