Dodo's Kitchen : Pineapple Upside Down Cake

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

ADAPTED AND MODIFIED FROM THIS LINK : http://www.joyofbaking.com/PineappleUpsideDownCake.html

STEP	INGREDIENTS	METHOD	DODO’S MODIFICATION / NOTES
The Topping	4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) (55 grams) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces 3/4 cup (160 grams) light brown sugar 1 medium pineapple(peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick) Maraschino cherriesor candied cherries (optional)	Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, for a few more minutes or until bubbles just start to appear around the outside edges of the mixture (the sugar starts to caramelize). Then remove from heat, and pour into your prepared cake pan. Evenly arrange the fresh pineapple slices on top of the sugar mixture. (Can also garnish with cherries.)	I found this to be too sweet and syrup-ish. So what I did was to put a few knobs of butter on the base of the cake tin and melt in the oven for a few minutes at 150 C. Then I took it out and arranged the pineapples on it. Don’t pat it dry. Use the syrup WITHIN the pineapple too. Then, I scattered brown sugar using a tablespoon. Just generally cover the base. About 3-4 tablespoons will do. Then put in the oven for another 3-5 minutes or till you see the sugar melting. I didn’t have CHERRIES so I put a dollop of whip cream and some colourful sprinkles instead.
The Cake Batter	1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs, separated 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar	In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture (in three additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), ending with the dry ingredients. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar just until the whites hold a firm peak. With a large spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter in two additions. Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top. Bake in preheated oven for 45 -55 minutes, or until the top of the cake has browned and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan (a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the pineapple) will come out clean). Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and then invert the cake onto your serving plate. Serve with softly whipped cream. Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cake. OVEN SETTING: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan with three inch (7.5 cm) sides.	Okay, so I didn’t have patience to do what they did. I just sifted the flour twice, made sure butter was melted well at room temperature, and put all the ingredients in at one go and beat the shit out of it. Now, if you’re going to do it my way. There is a technique you must use which my friend Thulsy Subramaniam taught me. 1)    You MUST use a SILICONE SPATULA! That’s right! Not wooden, cake mixer,  etcetera. The silicone spatula allows you to beat the life out of lumps. (Dodo’s Discovery) 2)    You MUST beat it in a shape of an 8 and make sure when you’re beating the mixture, you keep folding it in to  release trapped air. I DIDN’T HAVE CREAM OF TARTAR! So I replaced it with 2 tablespoons of ground almond powder. Almond helps the batter come together well. I used SELF RAISING FLOUR so no need for baking soda. I reduced the sugar to half. Just nice! OVEN SETTING: The same as original setting. However, since I only made half of the ingredient amount. I lowered it to 150 C. Baked it for 30-40 minutes. You have to watch your oven as mine is a small oven. If you’re using a bigger oven and want to modify the amount of batter you make, try it first at 150 C and increase it if you feel it’s not cooking evenly. You can do this by using a stick to test the sides and middle of the cake. Learnt that through experience! J

From Azlina Shah's Kitchen : Mini Pizza

Left: Kak Ina's Mini Pizza, Right: Dodo's Mini Pizza :Top (Cheddar Cheese) Bottom (Mozzarella) 

Ingredients	KAK INA’S RECIPE (10-12 Slices)		DODO HAD TO IMPROVISE J (2 Slices)
1)	Gardenia Bread		-          Same  -
2)	1 Tin Spicy Tuna TC BOY		I used my leftover bits of  tuna chunks in olive oil.
3)	1 big onion (diced)		I always have a bowl of chopped onions in the fridge. Only needed a few pieces on each bread.
4)	3-4 sausages (cut into rounds)		I had black pepper cocktail sausages. Just used one.
5)	6 crabsticks (cut into rounds)		1 crabstick
6)	1 cup mixed vegetables		1 tablespoon per slice
7)	1 cup tomato sauce (spread it like butter on the bread)		I don’t have tomato sauce, not my thing. So I spread Thai Chili Sauce instead. Plus, it makes up for the spicy tuna.
8)	Yellow capsicum (diced)		Again, did not have. So substituted with slices of green chili instead.
9)	Slices of Cheese (cut into bits)		I tried two types, cheddar and mozzarella.
10)	Mayonnaise		Didn’t have. Need to stock up my fridge! I did sprinkle some McCormick’s Italian Herbs on it! J
COOKING STEPS: 1)      Prepare the ingredients and place on bread. 2)      Top it with cheese and mayonnaise (Use a piping bag for the mayo) 3)      Bake!
Kak Ina’s Oven Setting: 1)      Preheat the oven at 180 C 2)      Bake for as long as you desire or cheeses melt.		Dodo’s Oven Setting: 1)      Preheat oven at  150 C 2)      Bake for as long as you desire or cheeses melt. I baked it for about 7 minutes not too crispy. 3)      I feel that at a lower temperature, it gives time for the flavours to combine evenly. Then you’ll have sweet, salty and spicy bouncing around your palate. I baked the first one at 180 C. It was good too. 4)      Another suggestion. Try cutting of the crusts.

Dodo's Kitchen : Mutton Paratal

The explanation involved in making mutton paratal might be lengthy but trust me, once you've done it, you'll realise how easy it actually is. I think it takes about an hour and a half for beginners to make this. Well, that's how long I took. Mainly because I use an electronic gas stove and multilayer pots.

I took the recipe from this link http://wwwfollowingmydreamsandtotscom.blogspot.com/2011/05/mutton-paratal.html but made some modifications to the steps according to my understanding. Do refer to the link too. 

Step	Ingredients	Dodo’s Notes
A	400 grams of mutton (I used boneless mutton shoulders)	It says to marinade with soya sauce. I didn’t have any so I did not. Plus, you’re gonna marinade A + B . Make sure the mutton is almost dry after you clean it. It doesn’t say in the recipe but I saw this once in a cooking show. Unneeded water will give you a headache when it comes to thickening and drying (which I experienced). Use a dry cloth/ paper towel and pat it dry but don’t squeeze the life out of it ;p
B	-1 pip garlic -1 young ginger (thumb size) -2 small onions -1  small lengkuas( ½  pinky finger) -1 green chili -1 dried chili (soaked in hot water)	Blend all these ingredients together. Make sure you don’t use a lot of water. At most 15ml. I feel it’s best to use a mortar and pestle! But I don't own one. You can add more chili if you like but this is (surprisingly to me) spicy enough.
C	1 level tablespoon of ghee ¼ big onion
D	-1 clove -1 small star anise -1 small cinnamon - ½ teaspoon cumin seed - A tiny pinch of fenugreek
E	-          A tiny pinch of turmeric -          1 ½ tablespoon of meat curry powder	A heap tablespoon of curry powder would do too if you’re using good strong curry powder. Not the mild kind. (Message me to find out what I mean. I don't want lawyers sending me letters.)
F	-          120 ml of Second Santan -          Salt	How to get Second Santan: 30 ml thick santan + 90 ml water.  Don't over do it with the santan or you'll end up with santan mutton and not mutton paratal. I realised after cooking, actually could have used a little less. I prefer a more savory taste but it was still good though following the recipe
G	-         30 ml Santan -          About 5-7 curry leaves	For the Santan + try to use the ‘trim’ type. Less cholesterol! Crush curry leaves before you throw them in. Better aroma she says. Smells the same to me. But then again, this is my first time making paratal.

Cooking Steps:

1)       Blend “B” till fine.

2)       Marinade “A” and “B” for about 15 minutes, more if you like.

3)       Heat pot/kuali with ghee. Fry big onion. Then add “D”. Stir fry and make sure even at this point, it’s a little dry.  Cover and cook for 5-10 mins. If you’re using a multilayer non-stick pot. Please spend some time stirring and making it dry from stage-to-stage of this cooking process, just don’t let it burn! (Thanks Kitchen Angel for the cooking wisdom J)

4)       Add in “E” stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remember to stir if you’re not using a kuali! (I think it's because of the multilayer pot I'm using, it's hard to dry fast).

5)       Add the Second Santan and Salt. Cook on low/medium heat (depending on the type of stove you’re using, gas is the best!) And fry till almost dry. Stir it if you have to. If not, all you’ll get is mutton curry!

6)    6)  Once it’s quite dry (but still moist) Add in “G”. Let it simmer on low/medium fire till almost dry and the oil comes out. And trust me, for all you multilayer non-stick Dodos (I say this with love) STIR! STIR! STIR!  You’ll see the oil at the end of the "tunnel" ! J

Almost gave up mid-way cooking this! Thanks Kitchen Angel! I shall never give up!

Now, what shall I do with the mutton bones and bits of meat I saved? J

Dodo's Kitchen : Baked Dried Prawn Curry Puffs

This is something I sort of conjured on my own based on the following link. I took the pastry recipe directly from the link http://theduckquacking.blogspot.com/search?q=curry+puffs  .However because i'm only making for 1. I modified the measurement by dividing it into 3 (see link for original quantity) :-

Pastry
1) 170 grams of plain flour
2) 50 grams of butter
3) 1/2 a beaten egg ( no worries, other half can be used for egg wash)
4) 17 ml iced water
5) pinch of salt
6) 1/2 a cap of vanilla essence

This makes about 20 puffs.

Filling Ingredients:


1) 1 big russet potato (dice sized)
2) 2 teaspoons chilli powder
3) 1 teaspoon masala powder
4) 1 teaspoon fish curry powder
5) some curry leaves
6) some dried prawns (up to you but i think 3 tablespoons is enough)
7) 3 tablespoons of green peas
8) salt
9) ground black pepper
10) 1 small onion

Cooking Steps:


Filling
1) Stir fry onions, curry leaves, potato and dried prawns.
2) Then add all the powders. Stir fry for about 2 minutes and give it a good mix. Add extra powders etcetera to your liking.
3) Add water. Not too much though, just enough to cover the potatoes.
4) Add some salt and black pepper.Try.
5) Cook it till the potatoes are soft and the curry dries up well or you'll have a problem when you bake! The juices will seep out.
6) Once it's dry. Try it. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Pastry:
1) Roll out the pastry flat. Make sure it's not too thick. I realized this when I tried a few first. Thin it out but not too thin until it breaks apart.
2) Lay the rolled out pastry on your curry puff maker and put the filling in. Don't stuff it to the max. Leave some room or your puffs seal won't hold when it bakes.
3) Do the egg wash! Mix the beaten egg with a little milk and brush on the outer layer of the pastry before you put it in the oven. I only brushed it with egg and not egg wash. So I didn't get a nice golden finish!

Oven Setting: 

1) Preheat 150C
2) Bake for 20-25 minutes

* If you ask me, after tasting the puffs, I would have personally added another 10-15 grams of butter. Nevertheless, it was tasty!

From Esther J. Neelagandan's Kitchen: Prawns with Dried Chili

Left: Esther's, Right: Mine

This is a really easy recipe you can do on a busy day!

Esther's Recipe Ingredients and Cooking Method:

"coat, cleaned prawn with salt and masala powder + chili powder. panaskan oil..tumis (stir fry) onion, ginger, garlic + curry leaves. dry chilis. add prawn. salt to taste, finally add green chili. done."

That's it!

How D'Dodo made it:

1. 7 Pieces of Prawns (i'm cooking for 1)
2. 1 heap teaspoon chili powder
3. 1 heap teaspoon masala powder
4. 1 dried chili torn into pieces
5. some curry leaves
6. some salt
7. some onion + garlic + ginger 
8. (I didn't have green chilies so I omitted it)

* For the cooking method, I followed Esther's order. 

What I should have done was coat the prawns when they were a little 'drier', mine were very wet and my tickling-taste-buds say it makes a difference! Put a ratio of 2:1 of chili powder and masala powder (meaning more chili powder) when you fry. Think it will help with the colour too! 

Be that as it may, the combination of the powders, chilies and leaves were awesome and if you're not bothered about colour and presentation, who cares!  Play around and do whatever tickles your taste buds. 

 Will try it again soon and let you know!

The Education of a Kitchen Diva

These past few weeks, I've been feeling very diva-ish.I talk like a kitchen diva in my head as I prepare the ingredients, explaining the cooking steps one at a time as if I had an audience in front of me hehehehe. The thing is, I truly have found a sense of joy in cooking. I remember when I used to read articles or hear people say  "It's such joy to cook", i'd think, bah-hum-bug.

The joy comes from your self-expression in the dishes you make. Every time I roll some dough or shape it into a cookie, I smile. Every time I watch something materialize into the colour, shapes and aroma I desire, I smile.

Of course, I'm not perfect. I've only begun a few weeks ago but I must tell you. It's been wonderful!

The education : So what have I learned these past few week of cooking?


Dodo Disaster # 1: The damn ghee Munchies were soooo sweet!!!!!! Felt so dizzy! Thanks for the tip Kak Suma: "Always taste the cookie the next day and never just after baking! The sweetness sets in after half a day or more and don't follow all recipes where is sugar is concerned. You have to experiment."


Dodo Disaster #2: Always google cooking terms and don't assume . An egg wash, which I learned for the first time, is when you beat an egg with another liquid such as water or milk to coat the outer layer of pastries. The egg wash is what gives the pastry a golden or brownish finish. I on the other hand thought all I needed to do was brush beaten eggs like a mad person on the pastry.


Dodo Disaster #3 : It's always good to plan your menu ahead so that you don't waste time!Other wise a simple dish could take your hours more to execute. ( I'm very spontaneous and don't have a fixed schedule so this is gonna take a lot of discipline on my part. Something I have to work on :)

Well, if at first you don't succeed.....try again dodo!

Dodo's Kitchen : Baked French Muffin

Sliced View

Ingredients:
Makes about 3 medium sized muffins.

1) 3 tablespoons butter
2) 15 grams of sugar
3) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (or half a bottle's cap)
4) 1 1/2 - 2 eggs
5) a small pinch of baking powder and salt
6) raisins / chocolate chips / whatever you fancy (optional)
7) About 3 slices of bread.

Cooking Steps:
1) Whisk everything except ingredients 6 & 7. Don't worry if it is a bit lumpy. Just whisk as much as you can.
2) Tear pieces of bread and put it in the mixture. Make sure it is well coated with the mixture. Put in two slices first, if there's room for more, keep adding.
3) Add your raisins/ whatever.

Oven Setting:
1) Preheat the oven to 150C. Bake for 10 minutes or until it rises. A little more if you want to brown it. Try to use a non-stick muffin tray. You can buy it in Giant for RM10-12. Raya sales!

The next time, I'm going to lessen the amount of sugar and sprinkle some brown sugar or add gula melaka in it. Wonder if it will work out. ;p