Vietnamese Crab and Tofu Soup 越式豆腐蟹湯

Today, I and my husband went to Surrey for a visit. I used to live in this city during my university years. I went shopping, went to groceries and did lots of stuffs there. We haven't been back after I graduated. During this short trip before picking up kids from school, we went back to the grocery store that I used to go. They built a new building beside the old one and it expanded. We were so excited. This supermarket is mainly served Vietnamese, some Indonesia, and some Thai groceries and ingredients. We bought a crab soup base and a pack of frozen swimming crab there. Fresh crabs are very expensive now. $12.99 or more per pound. This frozen crab package contains 6 small crabs. $11.99 per box. And tonight, I will add tofu, tofu puffs (豆腐卜), dried small shrimps (蝦米), egg and tomoatoes as well as crabs to make a crab soup.

Ingredients: serves 3-4
3 crabs
Crab soup base
4L water
1 pack of medium firm tofu (cut in big pieces)
5 pieces of tofu puffs (cut in half)
1 tomato (cut in big pieces)
10 mini dried shrimps
2 tsp white pepper
1 lime cut in half (optional)
2 eggs (whisked)

Directions
Wash and clean crabs. Chop in 2 or 4 pieces for each crab.
Boil water and add in crab soup base according to directions on package.
Once the soup boil, add in all ingredients except egg into the pot and boil for 10 mins.
Add whisk egg on top of soup and continue boil for 3 more minutes or until eggs are done.
Serve hot!

Tiramisu Birthday Cake with Italian Chocolate Macarons (提拉米蘇)意大利芝士蛋糕+馬卡龍

This year I made this Tiramisu cake for my husband birthday. I asked him what does he like for his birthday cake and his first choice is persimmon mouse cake. Unfortunately this is not a season for persimmon now, we are unable to find any in the market. So the second choice comes to Tiramisu cake. Last time I made a Tiramisu cake was long time ago. I love Tiramisu cake as well. And it is a very easy cake to make ahead of time. Since I need to throw him a birthday party, I cannot afford any extra time to make the cake on his birthday day. This is a good choice and I can prepare ahead of time.

Here is the same recipe that I used before. But this time I use a 8" round pan.

(7x7" square pan)

Step 1: You will need:

• 3 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar ( I use light brown sugar instead)
• 250 g mascarpone cheese (Pic 1)
• 400 g cream, whipped
• 500 ml strong espresso, or 6 tsp of strong instant coffee in 500 ml water
• 4 tbsp  KAHLÚA (or other coffee liqueur drink)
• 20 lady fingers
• 50 g cocoa powder

Step 2: Cook the egg yolks

Place a saucepan 1/3 full of water onto the stove and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, mix together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl. Briefly whip them before placing the bowl over the simmering water. Continue to whip for a few minutes until the eggs are slightly cooked, and it has a smooth, runny consistency.
You can now remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly.

Step 3: Add the cheese and cream

Next, spoon the mascarpone into a large bowl with your rubber spatula. Add the lightly cooked egg yolks into the mascarpone cheese. Mix together until the cheese is fully incorporated and lump free. Now slowly spoon in the whipped cream and combine it well with your whisk.

Step 4: Build the tiramisu

Start by combining the espresso and the brandy together with a large spoon. Now dip the entire body of lady fingers into the mix. Let them soak and absorb the mixture for a few seconds. Then place the first layer of cake by 10 fingers each horizontally until the first layer filled. Next, pipe over the cream mixture to all sides and between fingers first (Pic 2). Then fill the layer with cream mixture. Use spatula knife to flatten the layer. Again, dip the whole body of the lady fingers into the espresso/brandy mix and place 10 fingers horizontally until the whole layer filled, Finally, pipe over the cream mixture to all sides and between fingers first. Then fill the layer with remaining cream mixture. Again, use spatula knife to flatten the top (pic 3).

Step 5: Cool & Serve

Place it into the fridge for a few hours to set. Dust with a little cocoa powder (Pic 4) over the top of cake. Then take out the cake pan carefully(Pic 5).

Recently I can successfully make Italian macaron very well. Therefore, I made another few dozens so that I can use as this cake decoration as well as another dessert for the party. I use Nutella as macaron's fillings this time.

Italian Chocolate Macaron recipe:

 Ingredients:

(make around 45-50 macarons - ~90-100 shells)

100g almond powder

50g black sesame powder

150g icing sugar

120g (approx. 4) egg whites (divided into 2 parts 60g/60g) room temperature

170g sugar (separate into 20g + 150g)

50g water

Directions:

1 Prepare egg whites 1 day before making. And remove them from the fridge 1 hour before use to bring them back to room temperature.

2. Pour icing sugar + almond powder + black sesame powder into food processor to obtain a fine powder. Sift them into a bowl and add 2 (60g) non-beaten egg whites .

3. Place the other 2 egg whites (60g) in a stainless steel bowl. Mix in 20g sugar then whisk until firm with an electric whisk on a low speed.

4. In the mean time, pour the water and 150g sugar in a pan. Heat until you obtain a syrup and has a temperature of 110C/230F. Remove the pan from heat as soon as the temperature is reached.

5. When syrup is ready, pour onto the meringue mix ( from step 3). Pour syrup near the edge and not near the whisk, keep whisking on an average speed until the mixture cools completely. The meringue mist be firm but smooth. It's ready when you can form stiff peaks with the whisk.

6. Mix the Italian Meringue into the powders and non-beaten egg whites (Pour in first quarter of the meringue and then gently fold together with a silicone spatula). Add in quarters, the remaining meringue and repeat the same process until it is all thoroughly mixed together. (the mixture must be shiny and slightly runny like Lava). And you must stop at the right moment.

If mixed too much it will become liquid and the macarons will not develop perfect edges during cooking...if it is not mixed enough the macarons will split during cooking!

7.  Once the mixture is ready, pour it in pastry bag and use the round nozzle.

8. Place silicon mat on (cold) baking pan. Place a small drop, about 2 cm wide.

9. Slightly tap the grill pan on the counter top to remove any air bubbles.

10. Leave (to crisp) at least 15-30minutes at room temperature (the shells are ready once they no longer stick to your finger)

11. Preheat oven to 150C/300F. Place macaron sheet in preheated oven and cook for 20-30mintues. 

Temperatures may vary from one oven to another, the cooking process must be monitored carefully and tests must be carried out to find the most adapted process: the shells must not dry out.

 

Oyster and Leek Soup served in Homemade Bread Bowl 大蔥蠔湯

 

 Ingredients:  Serves 16-20

1 stick of butter
6 tbsp regular flour
3-4 Leeks
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 shallot (chopped)
4L fish stock (or vegetable stock)
2 potatoes
1 tub of oysters (around 12 large size oysters)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup of white wine
1/4 cup of whipping cream
(Pic 1)

Directions:

1. Wash leeks thoroughly and only use the white and light green parts. Cut into pieces.
2. Wash oysters and padded dry. Set aside. (pic 4)
3. In saucepan, add butter (Pic 2). When butter melted, add garlic, shallot and leeks (Pic 3). Stir until sauteed.
4. Add flour and keep stirring until all ingredients are well mixed. Then add potatoes.
5. Now pour in 4L of fish stock or vegetable stock.
5. When fish stock boiled, add in oysters. Add ground black pepper, thyme, basil and bay leaves to pot. Keep boiling for a minute or so, turn heat to medium, cover and keep cooking for half an hour until oysters and potatoes are cooked.
6. Turn heat off and let it cool down. Take bay leaves out from pot.
7. Use hand blender to blend the soup(Pic 5).
8. If you want smoother texture, you can use a sieve and pour soup over a sieve to get a smoother soup texture.
9. Reheat the soup again before serving. Add in white wine and whipping cream. Boil a minute or so. Serve hot.

Bread Bowl recipe (bread machine):(Serve 4-6)

Ingredients

1 c warm water (110 - 115 degrees)

3 c flour (bread flour or ap flour)

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sugar

Direction:

Place the ingredients in the order listed into the bread machine and run the dough cycle. When finished, lightly knead the dough on a clean and floured surface. Divide the dough into 4-6 equal parts and form into the shape of a ball. Lightly sprinkle cornmeal onto a baking sheet and place balls of dough on top and allow to rise. Let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or golden brown. Let cool slightly before cutting the tops out with a bread knife or scoup part of the inside out.

Durian Ice cream (no egg)榴槤雪糕

Ingredients
425g Durian meat (pureed) 【pic 1】
3 tbsp condensed milk
400ml whipping cream 【pic 2】

225 whole milk 

Directions
1 If you use ice cream machine, remember to put the inner part to freezer to freeze until it is completely frozen (shake it to make sure the liquid between wall are all frozen with no sound). 【pic 4】 

2 Pureed durian meat in food processor with 3 tbsp condensed milk and milk. 【pic 3】

3 Mix pureed durian meat with whipping cream. (If you don't have a ice cream maker, we you need to whip the whipping cream until soft peak, then mix with pureed durian)

4 Pour into ice cream maker and mix for 20 mins. 【Pic 5 & pic 6】

5 Cover it with plastic wrap and place in freezer. Serve until set.

Tofu Cheesecake with Pistachios and Matcha 抹茶開心果豆腐芝士蛋糕

Tofu cheesecake was one of the earliest cakes that I made in the past. I made Black sesame tofu layered cheesecake and Matcha tofu layered cheesecake before (Year 2011). I decided to make this tofu dessert again. My husband hates cheesecake. But this time I insisted of making this cake. I told him this is different. The taste of tofu is stronger than cheese. And the texture is extremely soft like a mousse cake.

After I cut the cake. He tried the leftover cheesecake pieces after all the cutting and trimming. And →→ haha, he cannot stop!

Ingredients :

Tofu Cheesecake Filling

• 360g silken tofu
• 200g cream cheese (room temperature)
• 70g sugar
• 240g whipping cream
• 16g gelatin powder
• 96ml soy milk

Biscuit Base

• 200g digestive biscuits
• 80g melted unsalted butter

Matcha Pistachio Topping

• matcha powder
• crushed salted pistachios

Directions:

1. Line a removable base baking pan (8" square size) with baking paper and spray with non-stick cooking oil.
2. Crush the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs and combine with melted butter(pic 1).
3. Press tightly into cake pan with the back of a spoon. Leave baking pan in the freezer until required later(pic 2).
4. Dissolve and stir gelatin powder in soy milk. Microwave 30 sec until gelain dissolved. Set aside for use later.
5. Place tofu on sieve and drain out all excess water(pic 3).
6. Add tofu, cream cheese and sugar into an electric mixer, and mix until well combined(pic 4). If you still see lumps, you can try to mix it over hot water (not touching the water) until cream cheese and sugar melt and become smooth. Let it cool. Whisk whipping cream into soft peak form. Mix cheesecake filling ingredients and whipped cream together(pic 5). Add the dissolved gelatin at the end, stirring thoroughly.
7. Remove baking pan from the freezer. Pour your tofu cheesecake mixture into the pan(pic 6).
8. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or until firm to the touch, when it doesn't wobble too much when you shake the pan.
9. Sprinkle the top generously with matcha powder and pistachios. 

Watermelon summer dessert 西瓜盅

Last night, our friend Chef Joe made us a seafood dinner that served party of 26 people. We had 10 Lobsters, 40 shelled oysters, 4 lbs fresh clams, 3 lbs black tiger prawns and so on. This time I only responsible for dessert and to shop for all the dinner ingredients.

I made Tofu Cheesecake with pistachios that posted in last previous blog that I can made and prepared ahead. And I planned to make a Watermelon fruit dessert as well. Since we have 26 friends, we need a hugh watermelon to serve all. My husband helped me to buy a hugh watermelon from supermarket that I can barely carry it. It is 27 lbs watermelon. Woohoo!

You can add any fruits to it and add some syrup to it. This time I chose to add Dragon fruit, jelly grass and almond jelly to it!

Ingredient: Serve 20
1 Watermelon scoop into little balls or cut in little pieces (I use a 27 lbs this time)
2 2xDragon fruits (cut into little pieces)
3 One can of jelly grass (仙草/凉粉) (cut into small pieces)
4 One can of almond jelly (cut into small pieces)
5 pinch of salt
6 some water syrup

Directions:
1 Cut watermelon and scoop into little balls. If there are any watermelon left, blend it with watermelon juice and a little bit of syrup and become watermelon drinks.

2 Pour all the watermelon balls and dragon fruit pieces in large container. Add a pinch of salt and stir it (it can bring out the sweet taste of fruit). Then mix in jelly grass and almond jelly. Stir and mix well.

3 Then pour all fruits into the empty watermelon shell. Add syrup according to taste. Serves cold!

Scrambled eggs with sea urchin 滑蛋炒鲜海膽

Today we bought some live sea urchin from Richmond Steveston Fisherman Wharf. $10 for 3 pieces. Each sea urchin has around 6 sea urchin roes inside. My kids love to eat that with eggs. We used to steam egg with sea urchin. But this time I scrambled the egg with sea urchin. It is an alternate way to serve sea urchin other than eat it raw as sashimi.

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1/4 cup water
1tsp potato starch
1/2 tsp salt
Sea uchins

Direction
1 Mix potato starch and salt in cold water
Whisk egg and then add into potato starch water. Mix well.

2 Heat pan in high heat. Add oil. While the pan is hot. Pour egg batter and stir quickly.

3 While stirring and folding eggs batter. Add in sea urchin and fold. Turn heat off. Keep stirring and folding. Until egg just cook and smooth.

4 Take eggs out from pan immediately to keep the smooth texture.

Black Sesame Italian Macaron 黑芝麻意式馬卡龍

This batch is perfect! I was failed at least 4 times before making this batch of macarons. Why? Because I want to use French meringue for making macarons. I like the crispy texture more than the Italian Meringue. And the French way is much easier. However, I never succeed. Fail fail fail....:( 

I want to make some macarons to all moms in my fellowship group for mother's day this year. I need to be successful this time. Therefore, I made Italian Macarons for guarantee successful. Here we are!!! It is full of black sesame aroma. For the fillings, I use store bought Black Sesame Paste.  

Ingredients:

(make around 45-50 macarons - ~90-100 shells)

50g almond powder

100g black sesame powder

150g icing sugar

120g (approx. 4) egg whites (divided into 2 parts 60g/60g) room temperature

170g sugar (separate into 20g + 150g)

50g water

Directions:

1 Prepare egg whites 1 day before making. And remove them from the fridge 1 hour before use to bring them back to room temperature.

2. Pour icing sugar + almond powder + black sesame powder into food processor to obtain a fine powder. Sift them into a bowl and add 2 (60g) non-beaten egg whites .

3. Place the other 2 egg whites (60g) in a stainless steel bowl. Mix in 20g sugar then whisk until firm with an electric whisk on a low speed.

4. In the mean time, pour the water and 150g sugar in a pan. Heat until you obtain a syrup and has a temperature of 110C/230F. Remove the pan from heat as soon as the temperature is reached.

5. When syrup is ready, pour onto the meringue mix ( from step 3). Pour syrup near the edge and not near the whisk, keep whisking on an average speed until the mixture cools completely. The meringue mist be firm but smooth. It's ready when you can form stiff peaks with the whisk.

6. Mix the Italian Meringue into the powders and non-beaten egg whites (Pour in first quarter of the meringue and then gently fold together with a silicone spatula). Add in quarters, the remaining meringue and repeat the same process until it is all thoroughly mixed together. (the mixture must be shiny and slightly runny like Lava). And you must stop at the right moment.

If mixed too much it will become liquid and the macarons will not develop perfect edges during cooking...if it is not mixed enough the macarons will split during cooking!

7.  Once the mixture is ready, pour it in pastry bag and use the round nozzle.

8. Place silicon mat on (cold) baking pan. Place a small drop, about 2 cm wide.

9. Slightly tap the grill pan on the counter top to remove any air bubbles.

10. Leave (to crisp) at least 15-30minutes at room temperature (the shells are ready once they no longer stick to your finger)

11. Preheat oven to 150C/300F. Place macaron sheet in preheated oven and cook for 20-30mintues. 

Temperatures may vary from one oven to another, the cooking process must be monitored carefully and tests must be carried out to find the most adapted process: the shells must not dry out.

Orange mousse pudding 鮮橙慕斯甜品

Serves 16-18 (2oz cup)

Ingredients

1 package of orange jello powder

225ml hot water

1/2 cup orange juice 

1.5 cup whipping cream

1 envelop of gelatine (1 tbsp)

3 Tbsp cold water

Orange zest for decoration

Direction:

1. Pour orange jello powder into 225ml hot water and mix until all powder dissolved.

2. Sprinkle gelatine into 3 tbsp cold water for a few minutes. Then pour into the hot jello mixture and stir until gelatin melt.

3. Whisk whipping cream until firm. Slowly pour orange juice into whipped cream and stir until mixed.

4. Once the jello mixture become room temperature. Mix whipped cream with jello mixture. Then quickly pour into serving cups. Put in refrigerator for few hours until firm. 

5. Serve with cool whip/whipped cream and sprinkle some orange zest on top for decorations.