Faulpez attempts to make Mint Chip Ice Cream

Actual recommended ingredients:
1 c ( 250ml) Milk
3/4 c (150g) Sugar
2 c (500ml) Heavy Cream
pinch of Sea Salt
2 c (80g) lightly packed fresh Peppermint Leaves (or more if you like)
5 lrg Egg Yolks
5 oz (140g) Dark Chocolate, finely chopped (do not use choc. chips)
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop. Makes about 1 qt.

Unfortunately I made an adaptation because
1. I don't know what is peppermint leaves. I just bought mint and hope it is peppermint and not spearmint?
2. I wanted a healthier version so I put more milk and less cream i.e.
2 C Milk, 1 C Cream
3. No sea salt so use normal salt

More or less I made some other adapations. Afterall Faulpez rarely follows recipe rigidly. Thus the directions that I followed are

1. Combine the 1 C of milk, sugar, cream, and salt in a saucepan and gently warm until bathwater warm. Squeeze mint leaves in your hands to help release the oils a bit and add to warm milk mixture. Stir until they are all settled into to the saucepan, remove pan from heat, cover, and set aside for 1-2 hours (depending on how minty you’d like the ice cream to be)

2. Strain the mint-infused mixture into another med. sized saucepan, using a fine mesh strainer (if you have all these equipments. For me I just hand squeeze the mint leaves to extract as much of the delicious minty-ness you can out of them, then discard the mint leaves, in the same saucepan).

3. Prepare for the final step by putting the remaining 1 c of heavy cream (or milk for my case) in a medium bowl with a fine mesh strainer over the top (I skipped that sorry).

4. Prepare an ice bath which this medium bowl will fit into. Set both aside.

5. Gently re-warm the mint mixture, and in a separate medium sized bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the mint mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat.

6. Heat over med. heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Pour the thickened mixture through the fine mesh strainer into the remaining heavy cream. Place bowl in the ice bath and stir to combine and cool the mixture in the ice bath.

7. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until fully chilled.

8. After mint ice cream mixture is fully chilled in the fridge, begin gently melting dark chocolate in a saucepan over simmering water (or directly in a saucepan if you have a cooktop which will cycle on and off like Thermador’s XLO (ExtraLow) function. Hmm mine was a heat stove which does goes on and off so I did it directly.

9. If you have an ice cream maker, continue this step:
begin churning ice cream in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is nearly finished freezing in the ice cream maker, slowly drizzle the melted chocolate into the ice cream, trying to avoid pouring onto the paddle or dasher. If the chocolate clings to the paddle (dasher) stop the ice cream maker and use a spatula or spoon to break up any chunks. Put mint chip ice cream in freezer to finish setting the ice cream if necessary.

10. If you do not have the ice cream maker... like me.. well.. more effort required...

a. Take your ice cream recipe mixture and carefully pour it into the bowl, then chill in the fridge for up to 2 hours, checking on it after 1 hour. The reason it can take longer than an hour is when a recipe mixture has had cooked ingredients added, therefore thorough chilling will take longer.

b. Take the bowl out of the fridge and transfer to the freezer for about half an hour. Then check just how much the mixture has frozen - ideally, it should have started to freeze at the edges but not fully through to the centre.

c. Take the bowl out of the freezer and beat the ice cream mixture until it’s creamy once again (to dislodge and break up the ice crystals that have formed).

d. Put it back in the freezer for another half hour, then remove and once again beat with a whisk (or spoon for my case).

e. Do this again so that you have beaten the mixture a total of 3 times whilst freezing in between. At the last time, you should pour the melting dark chocolate which will immediately freeze and starts behaving like choco chips when you break it into pieces.

f. Put the mixture back into the freezer for a final time until it’s ready to eat. This can take anything from 30 minutes upwards, depending upon the quantity and type of ice cream you’re making and also how you like the consistency of your ice cream (some people like it softer, some harder).

p/s: Actually I fell asleep by the last time but thankfully not much damage and my ice cream still looked like ice cream. Just probably tasted abit like toothpaste.. I guess I did use the wrong mint in the end?

Bflygal comment: Another 2011 memory.. 17th March 2011. I used to remember 18th March was once an important day for another context. But for this mint chip ice cream context, I had thought of deleting this post too. Like I have thought of throwing away the santa run costume so many times. I know I will not bring it back to SG when I finally leave this apartment, because the costume quality was quite disappointing. For a run I wished to join for so many years, it has somehow become the last run I did. Haven't had much inclination to embark another run. Maybe because I was sick for a few weeks.. all I wish for is to go home. First long weekend coming soon, perhaps something to cheer me up. 

p/s: I actually cannot remember the heat stove could go on and off. Queer. But lately when I was baking brownies and lava cake, I had to melt white chocolate. I tried the microwave but didn't like the method. So I tried the fancy Bain-marie method instead haha. Is just a double boil method and obviously I did the improvised method cos Faulpez will never buy any special equipment, at least not in a rented apartment. I did buy a square baking pan though for the brownie in the end because I couldn't accept a round brownie as the result. As for my ice cream making days, I know that year I even borrowed an ice cream maker later and made golden kiwifruit ice cream, coffee ice cream and matcha ice cream. Hmm but I think those were the days. Now my freezer only has store bought bailey ice cream and some fancy ice cream from Lygon. However I would like this golden-hued memory that has turned blue at this moment, to become more golden according to the Pollyanna principle. 

Faulpez and her Sisig Puzzle

Yes, I am staring at the can of Purefoods Sisig wondering what it is. It was left behind by colleague who last stayed in this apartment.

At first the instruction was very simple. Just empty the contents, cook it, add onion, squeeze calamansi juice and voila, a dish. As easy as 1-2-3. And was planning to cook it for my lunch box next week. But I wanted to know if I can add some vegetables and what vegetables would be suitable for it.

Thus began my research of sisig... and I found out it refers to Sizzling sisig, a Filipino dish made from parts of pig’s head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi and chili peppers.
- Source Wiki

Pig's head!!! Geez sometimes I really do feel Filipino and Chinese have a fetish for pork. My Fillipino friends raved to me how much they missed pig trotter which is also a pretty popular Chinese dish, not mine though unfortunately (thus I'm missing out on all the wonderful collagen).

The term ‘sisig' refers to the spicy and fatty meat dish which is a favourite in the Philippines. It is considered a specialty food because the long and arduous preparation of ‘sisig' is really a ‘labor of love.' Reminds me of MasterChef George Calombaris' mother Mary advice that to cook, you must use your heart.

‘Sisig' is best served with a mug of ice-cold beer because ‘sisig' has a unique blend of spiciness of chili peppers, sour taste of vinegar and calamansi juice, and the saltiness of salt and soy sauce. It can be often served with steamy rice and can even be a popular toppings on pizza.

Anyway I concluded to add bell peppers in my dish for some balance in diet. And I will consider including the last step 'add egg on top after removing it from heat.'

So if Sisig is the unofficial national pinoy dish, then Pork Adobo is the national pinoy dish cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. And I was lucky enough to be treated authentic pork adobo cooked by my Filipino colleague. Finally I got to savour this national dish..

Bflygal comment: This was written in 2011. Supposedly to have a photo of the dish but I cannot seem to find the image and FB has moved the folder structure. A few drafts had been deleted. Was thinking of deleting this too but since I had researched and written so much on Sisig, and because after this, I remembered another 2 more occasions where my Filipino colleague had cooked in Tokyo and my Filipino client (ASM) had brought me to an authentic Filipino stall in Yishun for lunch. These are treasured memories that I don't wish to delete away. So many treasured memories, I wish I can hold on to them forever. Suddenly I remember Inside Out's memory orbs. Sigh. 

Faulpez makes Noodle casserole

Casserole - A kind of stew cooked slowly in an oven

I never knew what a casserole is till I chanced upon some recipe because I was bored cooking maggi mee. And as I don't fancy peas nor onions but instead prefer mushroom plus some leftover red cabbage thus this is the outcome of my dish. The sauce tasted like cream of mushroom. Slurp. Oh and for this version, I used canned chicken breast as I finished up the tuna version without taking a photo "p.

Recipe from : http://www.squidoo.com/tuna-noodle-casserole

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 +1/2 cup milk
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese blocks
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained
1 (15 ounce) can peas, drained
1 (6 oz) Can dried onions

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Coat a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. In a large pot of salted water, boil noodles until al dente. Drain well.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine flour, butter, and salt. Stir until butter is melted and ingredients are combined evenly. Add milk, and whisk until the sauce thickens (usually it is at the proper consistency by the time it begins to boil). Add cheese to mixture, and whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in tuna, peas, and noodles.
5. Spread evenly in prepared dish.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Faulpez makes bento

My first time trying to make a bento set. Was cooking chicken rice so decided instead of making the typical steamed chicken, I made ginger fried Chicken Karaage.

Actually I don't remember how I did it already haha. I only remember I added ginger and garlic into the batter to fry with the chicken pieces. Here's the close up.

Yum yum.

Then I tried to make the egg flower twice though I barely made it both times.
1) Thinly cook an egg omelette.
2) Cut lines in the middle of the omelette. Do not cut through it.
3) Fold the omelette in half.
4) Roll up the folded omelette tightly to form the stem.
5) Fan out the petals of the omelette flower and tuck into the bento box.


FYI I follow this How to make a bento box ham flower from Parenting.com.

Boiled my flower carrots and did some arrangement and I got a yummy bento box! Not sure if I want to do again because it takes too much time.....

Faulpez boils Adzuki Beans

Azuki Beans are particular popular among Chinese cultures. They meant good luck, and so is often included in festive meal. Being a good source of protein, iron and B-group Vitamins, they are also low in fat and cholesterol free, while providing good quality dietary fibre.

In Japan, the whole boiled beans are served over ice with fruit or ice cream as a desert and is used as a sweet filling for cakes. In China the beans are boiled with sugar and water and served hot or cold as a sweet soup and the sweeten puree is used as a filling for sweet buns and pastries.

My style? Red bean soup with orange peel!

 

Ingredients:
* Red Beans
* Big Cooking Pot
* Sugar
* Water
* Dried Mandarin Orange Peel (Optional)

Instructions
1. Wash a 16-oz (1 lb) bag of red beans and a small piece of Madarin orange peel. Pour the beans, about 15 cups of water, and the orange peel in the big cooking pot. Red beans have to be fully covered by water. Cover the pot.

2. Heat the pot till water boiled, and turn heat to medium. Be sure to stir the red beans when they are boiled to prevent over spill because there will be lots of bubbles.

3. Keep the pot covered and cook for about 2 hours till the red beans turn pasty. It should look like soup but not as thick.

4. Lastly, pour about one cup of sugar (more or less) into the pot. Cook till sugar resolved.

Faulpez microwave eggs

Faulpez gets so lazy to wash an oily wok... that she resorted to her favourite appliance...

The Microwave

to fry the egg....

Break 1 egg into a microwave save bowl.
Scrambled with fork.
Cover the bowl with a plate, so the egg does not explode.
Put in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

Other ways to microwave egg that I will try...

Fried Egg
Break 1 egg into a microwave save bowl.
Gently poke the yolk of the egg with a knife.
Cover the bowl with a plate, so the egg does not explode.
Put in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

Hmm also has methods to hard boil or poach an egg but hmm, I am alright with the conventional method for those 2 which involves just a pot of boiling water.

Source: How to Cook an Egg in a Microwave | eHow.com

Faulpez's decorative cucumber

Doc suggested an easier way to make pretty cucumber...

Hmm but I think I cut the slices wrongly still...

So I'm going to try again the next time I buy a cucumber again... Aka Datang!

This is the second time I'm decorating my cucumber again.. hmm.. so which is nicer??

Anyway I had to cut strips because I was eating Peking duck... shall talk more about it in my next cooking post :)

Faulpez mixing her staples - tomato and egg

Ingredients:
- 4 tomatoes
- 4 eggs
- Ketchup sauce

Directions to make the Ketchup sauce:
Add some pasta sauce, 2 pkts of ketchup, half pkt of sugar.

Originally I was supposed to use ketchup but I don't have much ketchup sauces to begin with so I made do with my tomato pasta sauce for this special concoction.
If you want the original authentic method, use tomato sauce, and since tomato sauce is sour, add sugar until you get the taste you like. (too much sugar will make the sauce too sweet and too little will make it too sour)

Directions:
1. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt.
2. Fry the eggs first.
3. Then break into square pieces and take it out.
4. Fry garlic.
5. Then add the tomato and the egg.
6. Add the sauce.
7. Add a pinch of sugar again. (the sugar is added after u add tomato to lessen their sour taste, eggs don't need the sugar)
8. After 2 minutes or so, it's done. (Don't need to cook too long cos firstly they are both cooked and secondly, tomatoes when cooked too long will lose their shape and eggs will turn black...)

Chicken Soup for Faulpez

Ingredients:
- chicken carcass after carving, feet and bones
- 1.2 litres of water
- 6 pieces dang gui
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- chicken broth if you still have any left or a small piece of msg-free chicken cube
- 1/2 tbsp wolfberries

Directions:
Bring everything except wolfberries to a rapid boil for 10 minutes.
Reduce to simmering heat for 30 minutes.
Add wolfberries and simmer for a further 10 minutes before serving.
Discard bones.

Easy for a Faulpez I guess.

Faulpez varies her fried rice

By cooking tomatoes with broccoli in it...

Or mushrooms

My latest variation..

adding ikan bilis

haha.. thanks to mum for a bottle of it.. and probably thankful the custom did not confiscate it?? (But I learn not to try to bring preserved orange peel.. wasted a bottle of it sigh)

Oh ya, and one thing they all have in common, I never put soy sauce in them. Haha in fact I never knew fried rice needs soy sauce till xL asked me for it. Then I realised our cooking actually emulates from our mothers and mine happen to NOT like to put soy sauce in her fried rice and thus I never knew fried rice needed soy sauce. The ingredients though is totally not my mum's version. Hers is standard ham, carrots, peas, fried potatoes .. hmm I miss that though adding potatoes into rice is a bit too much carbo plus I'm lazy to fry potatoes haha.

Faulpez fries Thai Stir-fried Shrimp

Ingredients:
shrimps (I bought 200g of it)
2 Tbsp Chilli Paste in soy bean oil
fresh chilies (I bought 1 only because I can't take spice)
long green beans
1 red capsicum
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

Then I follow the instructions from Amporn's Thai Kitchen

1) Clean and peel shell of shrimps.
2) Wash long green beans and cut into short stripes.
3) Wash red pepper and cut into short stripes.
4) Peel garlic, wash them well then chop garlic.
5) Thinly slice the fresh chili.
6) Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.
7) When the oil is hot, add chopped garlic.
8) Add chilli paste in soy bean oil. Stir well.
9) Add cut long green beans and stir for 1 minute of until green beans are getting soft
10) Seasoning with sugar and thin soy sauce.
11) Add shrimps. Stir well until shrimps are cooked.
12) Add sliced fresh chilies.
13) Add cut red capsicum and stir until all ingredients mix thoroughly.

And it's done.. yummy! A bit too hot though so I ate with rice!

Lastly, I must be thankful for Amporn's Thai Kitchen for sharing such a great recipe!

p/s: More about Chilli Paste in Soya Bean Oil which was given to me by Thai gal when she left Melbourne last year...

Other names: Roasted Chilli Paste, nahm prik pow in Thai, chilli jam
Made primarily from roasted red chillis and ground dried shrimp with a wonderful mellow taste.
An excellent accompaniment to steamed jasmine rice. Often added to Tom Yum soup recipes to enhance taste and coloring. This paste is mildly spicy and somewhat sweet. Dip with shrimp crackers or chips, stir fry with vegetables or meat, or even spread on bread for an exotic sandwich.

Faulpez and her Napa Cabbage

Ingredients:
- Napa Cabbage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napa_cabbage
- Garlic

Directions:
1. Heat the oil
2. Fry the garlic first
3. Then add the veggies in medium heat
4. Add a pinch of salt, some sugar and chicken powder
5. Cook for roughly 3 mins (just make sure the trunks of the veggie are not raw, cos the leaves would have been fully cooked by then)

Tip: You can add carrots for more colouring haha.

Faulpez stir frys chicken and celery

Ingredients:
- 4 thighs
- 1 bundle of Celery (equal amount of celery with the thighs)

Directions:
1. Cut the thighs into small pieces
2. Marinate with salt, pepper, sugar (amt of sugar usually less than salt, otherwise the dish will be sweet which is abit weird), soy sauce, sesame oil, oil and cornflour (cornflour to be added just before cooking, purpose is to retain the water inside the chicken so that it will not come out and cause flooding)
3. Marinate it for 15-20 mins
4. Meantime, cut the celery into pieces
5. Heat the wok first then add the oil
6. Fry the garlic
7. Add the chicken
8. Then cook it till it is cooked.. (how to know it is cooked? When you can cut it easily)
9. Scoope it out
10. Lower the heat and add some oil
11. Throw in the celery
12. Add some water
13. Then add the chicken
14. Cooked for another 5 mins (well theoretically both the celery and chicken are almost cooked, the purpose of putting them together and let them stand for another 5 minutes or so is to let the celery juice sip into the chicken..)

Another variation I did was to add broccoli and more soy sauce.. though I didn't like the sauce as it still doesn't seem to taste like what my mum did. But it was still edible.

Faulpez test expired baking soda

To test baking soda:
Mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of vinegar - the mixture should bubble immediately - if not, replace it.

To test baking powder:
Mix 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1/2 cup hot water - the mixture should bubble immediately - if not, replace it.

Faulpez varies her eggs

French Toast. My first attempted frying dish just had to be that because when I was young, I recall mum making that dish and I somehow fell in love with it. Though I don't remember her doing it again (or rarely).

My favourite Tamago which I sliced it up haha... the presentation looks better this way..

Sunny side egg..

Was trying to cook egg with carrot and cheese like an omelette style

Of course I will also attempt my soft boil egg which I did not take photo haha. But one thing for sure, eggs and tomatoes are always in my fridge and are the first few items I will get every time I'm back in Melbourne.

Faulpez does has a penchant for croissants

I admit I do like croissants alot. So when I saw a special deal on 20 mini croissants, I immediately bought them. Then sometimes I will see the big ones having some slight discount of which sometimes I will buy and sometimes I will not. Afterall it is more expensive than white bread which just costs me 1+ AUD.

And I usually eat them plain. I remember getting a pack like this back in Sydney and having them as my breakfast plain. Haha that is the lazy way out I guess.

But recently, I caught sight of ham. Probably because mum bought lots of turkey ham for Christmas dinner and thus I started to miss ham a teeny bit.

And decided to put ham, tomato, iceberg lettuce and cucumber into my croissant.

Yummy!

Faulpez cooks curry

Another just follow the instructions. Chopped potatoes, carrots and chicken. Then pour in the curry paste and water. And viola, I have curry for breakfast with bread, curry for lunch with rice. Hmm I probably could have curry noodle too. Anyway I have another packet of curry (Thai Red Curry) to make.. so will probably cooked in and include in this post.

Faulpez cooks Bak Kut Teh

I did not dare to buy pork as colleague mentioned it has a different taste. So ended up with a beef rib. It was relatively easy to cook the Bak Kut Teh. I just pour everything in the packet, add garlic and the beef rib, boil for 2 hours (ok the time might be wrong because the beef ended up too elastic and I had a hard time chewing them for consumption). But the soup is great! With the rice :)

Faulpez makes cold noodles

Cold soba noodles was the first dish I really learn to cook (i.e. I bother to check internet) other than maggi mee. It was probably the only dish I made for my brother and another person too. I still remember them saying it was pretty yummy haha. Not that this simple dish could go too wrong I guess. I just need to cook the noodles, freeze it. Then mix the soba sauce with cold water, taste till acceptable and pour it on the noodle. Add the seaweed last.

And I was checking my past pensieve on it... Simple Beauty.. That was also a week where my parents went for holidays and I was home alone. The first time that happened, I was really home alone as my brother was in NS even. Hmm that time nothing much happened as it was just washing clothes, cooking my dinner and playing maple story I think. Hmm I remember I over boiled my kettle and probably almost lost a life if I had not been too careful? haha.. should be the second time.. in other words, I think I did get into a different kind of trouble the first time too as I remember mum saying it really is not safe to leave me with the house haha)  This time, my brother was around which was why I had to cook for him and which was why he actually praised my simple dish haha. Anyway while reading that month postings, I realised hmm, that was the year cL and I got to be close friends? Hmm.. hahha I don't have any recollection. 2009 seems so faraway. Those stuff I post, I somehow can only muster some faintest idea what rubbish I was talking about.

BUT there was this part where I talk about French Toast. Cool cos I think I succeed in doing that in Melbourne haha. Actually other than those 2 times where I was home alone, I guess Melbourne is the only time I was home alone for a much longer period. And the only time I really had to enjoy this simple beauty for an extended period. Imagine going to work, washing clothes, ironing clothes, cooking, for the past 3 months. Once again I did skip the cleaning part oops. Haha. And for 2011, I think I still like to indulge in this simple beauty for a while more. Still remember in 看破權勢離開明教,過著神仙般的生活 I mentioned

"Thinking back, it has been several years since I first know that girl. I still remember the scene vividly. Several years later, though we never really meet, I still get to hear her news. In a way, as a long lost acquaintance, I'm so glad for her. Just as I'm glad for the other who has left for Japan. Seems that I know quite a few people uprooting themselves. I know I will never do that, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I could be reckless. Afterall Xun Lan also left Japan for a year to forget Da Di Ge. "

I'm surprised to be reminded that I once felt I will never do that and yet here I am in Melbourne (though I do fly back pretty regularly and I know I cannot stay here for too long due to the visa issue and thus lessen any homesick impact). Sometimes fate can be so quirky. Anyway I did fulfil the first four words of "看破權勢離開明教,過著神仙般的生活"... now I'm waiting to fulfil the rest...

Faulpez makes satay

I had a packet of satay seasoning so forced myself to buy kehab from Woolsworth.

2 sticks each, 4 sticks in total. I remember I took the whole night cooking this dish because I need to defrost the meat, marinate the meat, and then I grilled them again and again till I lost count too. Because a microwave grill function isn't really a grill function. But then I guess I did end up with a satisfactory finished product. Made satay beehoon (yummy) and I probably ate a piece or 2 ala carte style too.