Lunch on the Seine- Day 6 at LCB

No Demo or practical class this day. LCB kindly prepared for us a combination of haute cuisine and sightseeing with this Welcome Lunch on the Seine. The food was average, but overall the experience was very pleasant. Great opportunity for us to mingle with other students who are studying Intensive Basic Cuisine. #

As you see from the picture, a substantial portion of students are Asians, but there are also many from the States, Canada, Mexico, the Middle East and other parts of Europe. Quite a nice mix of people from very different faculties and with very different aspirations.

One of my favorite chefs, Chef Pascal Quere joined us for lunch. I dare not say heś my favorite after all we are just half way through the course. But am sure heś making it to the Top 3 in the end.

He is responsible for many of the Demo classes, and sometimes supervise us in our practicals. He is by nature, not a very patient man, and he looks really pissed all the time! But he knows how to control his temper and tries very hard to keep his cool and even stay humorous even when in face of our very silly questions or mistakes and inefficiency.

He is gentle and helpful. When we mess up, he never shouts. Instead he quickly comes to our rescue and later explain to us what has gone wrong. Seeing how stressful and nervous we got during our practical, at the end, he took some time to give us a short but memorable speech. He said to us that pastry is a tough profession. We have good days and the bad. But we always have to take pleasure in what we are doing. We have to think of the person we are making pastries for and we have to really enjoy the process, otherwise the pastry will not come out right and we will of course suffer. We do not do things for the Chef, we do things for ourselves. It is ourselves to whom we are accountable.

This really made me reflect upon my attitude towards the pastry classes. I often thought I was more of a savory person, spent more time experimenting on savory dishes but failed to adopt the same inquisitive attitude in pastry-making. Having already gone through half of the course, I really appreciate pastry now. I have so much fun kneading and whisking, and decorating. Even when I completely messed up one of my cakes (Dacquoise, in later post), I managed to stay cool, stay cheerful and tried my very best to remedy the situation. Chef Pascalś words stay in my heart.

Saint-Honoré- Day 5 at LCB

In this Demo class, Chef Cote made Paris Brest and Saint-Honoré. These two extremely popular and beautiful French sweets are basically puff pastries  sandwiching a massive hill of cream. I am not exaggerating, that blob of cream can be intimidating. No doubt it is perfect and irresistible to look at, but I don´t think many people in Hong Kong, a city that relatively appreciates thinness, will be able to stand eating the whole thing without secretly scrapping off part of the cream.

Like many other Hong Kong people, I have never been a fan of cream. I often try my best to avoid it. When I eat cakes, I only eat the sponge cake layer and scrap off the cream with the back of my fork. Whenever I order ice-cream, I often make the request to skip the cream. But this Saint Honore opened my eyes and woke my taste buds. The chantilly cream we made and whisked by hand for a whole 10-15 minutes, was super light, fluffy and just taste sooooo good. Our hard work really paid off. If I were at home, I would have simply used an electronic mixer. If I were to whisk that 500ml of cream by hand at home, I would have given up in just 1 minutes. So I guess sometimes I really need some people to push me, only then will I realize my own potential.

The Practical class was super intense. The Chef assigned to supervise us this time is well-known for being strict. He is nice though, I like him. But his voice was the background music, rapping out strings of instructions with a cute French accent like ´Clean your station!´, ´What is this paper towel doing here?! It is like a market here!´, ´Allez, Allez! Quick, Quick, Quick!´, ´I want to see all the baking sheets on this rack in 2 minutes!´. 

This can be quite stressful I can assure you, especially when you already have super many things to do, including checking your cooking and easily-burning caramel every now and then, but you still have to clean the station and walk all the way to the other end of the room to line up and wash your gear. BUT, looking back, I understand how important it is to develop the habit of regularly cleaning and keeping the station clear of garbages and idle utensils. As the Chef always says, this is for our own good. This is afterall to protect us from accidents and em... undesirable inefficiency.

Tarte aux Pomme- Days 3 and 4 at LCB

I was quite excited about the classes because we're doing the classic French apple tart,  Tarte aux Pommes, for our practical (hands-on) class! As I peeked through the windows of the pastry shops, the beautiful presentation of the French apple tart never failed to impress me. I always wondered how the apples could be so thinly sliced and so delicately and strategically placed such that the tarte surface would end up in the shape of a rose! Too much skill and effort required so I never attempted making one myself.

During the demo, Chef Pascal made it look so easy to do. He could slice apples at a lightning speed and all of regular thinness. He laid them out at ease, stacked them till they look too tall and fragile and prone to become, but not quite yet the Pisa Tower.

Along with Tarte aux Pommes, the Chef also demonstrated the Tarte Normande and Tarte Tatin. Yay, I finally know the difference between the first two! Apparently, Tarte Normande involves the use of cream, eggs and sugar to form a custard filling, whereas Tarte aux Pommes only has butter-cooked apples inside. We were so lucky that the Chef assigned to supervise us on our practical class is super nice and helpful, making an otherwise frustrating, chaotic and hurried situation quite fun and great for learning. He looks a bit like Santa Claus, missing the moustache though.

The practical class this time was slightly more stressful than the last one, after all the tarte requires more time and effort. So the time was quite pressing, especially when you were not at all familiar with the practical classroom, we beginners often had to run to the ends of the classrooms to get the baking sheet, and then another end for the cooling rack, and around around the classroom opening drawers to see if there were still any rolling pins left. In addition, it was my first time using the core remover and a peeler to peel the apple (I usually use a knife), it took me some time to adapt and try not to cut myself. Anyhow, it was fun. My tarte turned out ṕas mal´, meaning not bad, but when you look closely at mine, there really aren as many layers of apples as that of the Chef. So, still have a long way to go, got to practice slicing the apples now!

Diamants- Le Cordon Bleu Days 2 and 3

My second day at LCB started out with 2 demo classes by Chef Cott. The Chef is very patient, fun-loving, and loves to joke around. On one of the demo classes, the Chef made classic French cookies, including diamants and lunettes that are shaped like eye glasses.  For those who have been baking, this class does not seem to be particularly impressive or fancy BUT wait till you witness how quickly and organized the Chef works. 

In as short as 2 hours, the Chef managed to make over 15 dozens of cookies of around 10 different styles. Super quick. This also means that it is extremely difficult for us students to follow. For a moment, the Chef is making the dough for cookie A, and then in another second heś cutting out shapes for cookie B. Whatś worse, the school only provides us a list of ingredients but not the instructions, so we have to watch and listen to the Chef intently, jot down everything we need to do and bring for our practical class in the afternoon or on the next day. One thing I really like about Chef Cott, is that he often smiles at us mischievously and asks in a squeeky voice ´Do you want a little surprise?´ and of course expects us to say Óui, Chef!´. Then he will always happily show us extra techniques or interesting shapes or things that we have never thought of doing with a dough!

Finally our turn to bake on Day 3. Chef Patrick was there to supervise us this time. Very good-looking and well-built French man. Heś a cuisine chef, not specialized in patisserie but I guess diamants are so basic that every chef here knows the recipe by heart.

So, first things first. In the practical classroom, itś war. No time to sweet talk. Once we enter the classroom, we have to get all our equipment out and place everything in a steel tray to keep the station neat. Then we start weighing the ingredients, getting our hands dirty, running across the rooms to get the baking sheets and cooling racks, and of course, getting lost in a new environment just to find sugar.

We learnt the technique of sablage, mixing in the butter with flour. As the Chef has taught us, itś like ćounting money´. Then we use the heels of our hands to push the dough to make sure everything is properly incorporated. When the Chef says something to us, 80% in French, he always ends with a ´dáccord?´ meaning ´understood?' and no matter if you understand it or not, we always have to reply Óui, Chef!' immediately to show respect and acknowledgement of the instructions.

My first practical class went pretty well. My diamants were well baked, cute and with the sugar around the edge, they do shine like diamonds! No wonder they give it the name diamants- diamonds!

By the way, if you know me well enough, you should know Iḿ more into cuisine/ savory food more. I have been cooking quite a lot of savory food here in my little Paris appartment (living with host) and walking around different fascinating open markets here. Will update you on my life outside LCB too soon.

Le Cordon Bleu Day 1

Hello all! Sorry about not writing for the past few weeks. I was having a great time in Germany, eating sausages, sauerkraust, pork knuckle and drinking beer!

Now in Paris, at the mini computer room at Le Cordon Bleu. I have enrolled into the Basic Patisserie Course and today is my first class. Classmates from all over the world! So exciting!

Todayś class is mainly on introduction, going through school rules, handing over to us our uniforms (jacket, pants, apron and hat) and the impressive set of equipments and of course, taking us a tour around the campus.

Bearing such a big name, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris is unexpectedly petit. Cramped all the time. Locker area- disastrous. Jardin d´hiver (Winter Garden) is pretty, presents tasty-looking gateaux and tartes, but cramped again. The practical rooms- a battlefield. The moment I got into one, where the Superior Patisserie students were working, I could only hear super intense whippings. Whippings of eggs or cream. Nope, not with those helpful, luxurious machines, but by the most simple em whips, quite a lot of hard work and sweat there. The students were also super quick and extremely concentrated with their weighing of sugar and flour etc. Not one of them had the time to look up and acknowledge the presence of us, a group of 15.

This undoubtedly reminds me of the first day of law school, just that it appears to be 10 times more intense. But, I know this is what I want. I want to receive the best, the most professional patisserie training and simply get stuck in the kitchen with people who are just as passionate about food and cooking as me.

Will think of a way to upload photos here later.

Yellow Mung Bean Bricks 豌豆黃

These delicate yellow bricks, born humble, accidentally made their way up to the royal lips one day in the Qing Dynasty a hundred years ago.

Given the very specific timing, I am regrettably unable to start my story with our familiar "Once upon a time", but I can assure you that this story has our usual happy ending. So, one evening, Empress Dowager Ci Xi was enjoying some peace and quiet when suddenly loud, repeated sounds of the gong hit in outside the thick walls of the palace. The disturbance brought a frown to Ci Xi's thin, moon-shaped brows, so before questioned, her trusted servant quickly explained that it was the sound made by a peasant selling treats. Ci Xi then summoned the peasant, who frantically offered her a bite of the little mung bean bricks he made for a living. Just one bite, Ci Xi was utterly impressed and made the peasant the dessert chef of the Imperial Kitchen. These delicate yellow bricks since then became Ci Xi's particular favourite. 

Now, you may be wondering- what is so magical about this little mung bean brick that managed to please the woman who was the most difficult to please?! These yellow bricks are sweet and refreshing. Delicate and light, but unlike jellies, there is this fine graininess that gives the dessert a bit of body and form this smooth, silky texture that just melts and silently slips away like sand when pressed against your tongue.

This imperial dessert is widely available in Beijing. You can find them in almost all Chinese eateries, both cheap and expensive. Unfortunately, it it not so in Hong Kong. My family and I all loveeeeee this dessert and we had experienced numerous counts of disappointment over the menus before its absence eventually became a matter of fact to us. So, my success in making these yellow mung bean bricks is the most recent big thing in the house! 

Now I understand why these adorable bricks are not widely available- it takes so so sooooo much time to get them to the table! Soaking the beans requires 4 hours, simmering the beans requires almost an hour, and freezing the bricks requires another hour! BUT, the actual cooking time that requires you to actively work in the kitchen is in fact, quite little! I think around 30 minutes will do. So, have fun turning your kitchen imperial!

Classic English Scones

I love tea time! When I was in kindergarten, one of my favorite moments was to open my Minnie Mouse snack box which my mom packed for me every morning. I always knew there would be those pretty sugary belly-button biscuits, chocolate-coated Digestives and bite-sized sausages, but my anticipation for tea time never ceased. I know they are nothing fancy, but that was tea time and I was happy.

Now in Hong Kong, afternoon tea sets can get quite lavish and sumptuous and having tea seems lofty and regal. But I really do not think tea time is exclusive to rich taitais, rich married ladies who do not have to work and sip their Early Grey tea well-mannerly with their pinkies up in the air. Instead, tea time can be simple, can be something enjoyed by everyone and form part of a child's fondest memories. 

Why pay a hundred dollars to restaurants when one can make scones that are just as amazing but more fresh at only HK$3 each in 30 minutes?!

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Lately I've been making a lot a lot of pasta, of different shapes and colors. But before I bombard you with those posts, I'm sharing with you my little experiment on this quick, scrumptious and flavorful snack (for me, breakfast). Baked sweet potatoes wedges. Oh yes, they are flavorful, they are sweet and salty, sharp and hot!

I did not create this recipe. Credits to the Anthropologist in the Kitchen- Zhuang Zu Yi. Zhuang wrote a book The Anthropologist in the Kitchen (in Chinese) on her culinary experiences in the Massachusetts Cambridge Culinary School and a fancy hotel in Hong Kong after quitting her PhD study in Anthropology to pursue her passion in cooking. Ever since I read her book a few years back, I have become a fan of hers. Okok, I admit, I am a fan of a handful. First Jamie Oliver, then Rachel Khoo, now Zhuang and a few more coming. But they're all very special, creative and live in their kitchens.

Ok now, back to the sweet potatoes. Zhuang shared this recipe on her blog. She suggested adding honey, orange juice, salt and pepper and some chilli powder. At first I was quite skeptical about the sweet-sour-spicy combination. For me, it's either sweet and sour, sour and hot, or even sweet and hot, but just not that trio! Right? 

So putting on this geeky hat, I decided to do a little experiment. I made 4 batches of wedges, a batch of each combination. My conclusion is that the sweetness from the honey and the citrusy twang from the orange juice are a heavenly match. Also, baking them together caramelizes the sweet potatoes, yummy! So, each of them is indispensable. Whereas, the chili powder, it's a "nice-to-have", gives the wedges a little kick, but not necessary. Unless spiciness is your thing, I would suggest you to skip it and let the sweet and tangy caramel take the stage all to themselves and melt in your mouth.

Crab, Mango and Avocado Salad

This salad stack makes an amazing appetizer. Great colour combination, just looking at it makes one happy, refreshed and the excitement over it can sustain throughout the rest of the meal. I do think that only by layering the ingredients elegantly like this can do this salad justice. But, not having a cylindrical mold/ cookie cutter should not be an excuse to not recreate this beauty at home. You can always have this salad layered in short tumbler glasses or even martini glasses. Really, whatever works!

Another reason I urge you to try this out has to do with its fantastic taste and fulfilling mouth feel. First, the avocado gives to this salad the mild nutty flavour and makes a rich and creamy versatile base that is neither heavy nor greasy. The salad is then elevated by the tropical sweetness of the mango, which if finely diced, presents itself in a soft, pulpy texture that quickly melts in your mouth. Finally, the firm yet delicate crab meat, combined with lime juice, breathes in that gorgeous air of freshness from the sea.

Roselle Tea 洛神花茶

Roselle tea is extremely popular in Tai O. You can find them in almost every store there! Bottled up and cooled in mountains of ice, roselle tea is extremely rejuvenating.

Quite an eye-candy in itself, this ruby-coloured drink tastes tart like cranberry juice. Oh, in fact it tastes more like Ribena, the blackcurrant juice! But more to it, there is a faint, sweet air of freshness and earthiness, like the taste of those soft, fine fibre strands growing out of the ear of the corns. Thanks to Google, I finally know the proper name of these strands- corn stigma, 玉米鬚.

Apparently, roselle is a species of Hibiscus. It is well-known for its high Vitamin-C content, for reducing cholesterol and treating high blood pressure level.  I used fresh roselle to make my pro-health drink, but I was told by the market vendors that the same could also be produced out of dried calyces. You may also try making roselle jam by slowly simmering the flower with sugar.

Poached Pears

There is a reason why poached pears are always served as a round-up for a candlelight dinner. There they stand with such grace and elegance, adding to the meal an extra bit of romance and sophistication. I do also sense a subtle tinge of arrogance, but I guess that is exactly what is missing from most of the other desserts, thus makes poached pears more like a prize.

Last year, my best guy friend C asked me for dessert ideas since he would like to prepare a super duper romantic Valentine’s Day meal for his then girlfriend at his apartment in the US. Okay, a typical 20-year-old guy’s apartment has a wide variety of liquor but no electric mixer. So, unless you’re prepared to do an intense workout with your biceps and triceps, quite a number of desserts including soufflé and spongy cakes are to be ticked off.

In face of this, I suggested C to make either poached pears or molten chocolate cake, both of which are absolutely tasty, fuss-free and perfect for beginners or lazy bums who are keen to impress! In the end, C made molten chocolate cake to wow his then girlfriend, after all there’s an unshakable association between chocolate and Valentine’s Day. I should probably make a post on that later!

Almond Jelly 杏仁豆腐

 

Almond jelly is one of the few desserts my mother keeps asking me to make because it is extremely healthy with very little calories. Usually when we talk about healthy food, we immediately expect some sort of compromise on the taste. But let me assure you, this almond jelly tastes just as refreshing and appetizing as it appears to be! So abandon this stereotype of healthy food being something tasteless and boring and embrace this dessert!

This very local traditional delight endures over generations. Distinct from the rest, which are mostly rich, silky, dense and soup-based, almond jelly is light and refreshing. You can eat as much of it as you want and still feel completely guiltless and light as a feather! Alternatively, like a cherry on top of that huge spoon of cream on a typical American-sized ice-cream sundae, it is a perfect ending to a super heavy meal!

Madeleines

I loveeeeee madeleines! They are born to attract affection with that sweet shell-like shape! 

Don't be jealous! Just because they're pretty, it doesn't mean that they don't have substance! But if you do, I completely understand because with my jealousy unleashed, I once had that misconception too. I was so sure that my misconception was right after I had my first madeleine, which was awful. I got it from a supermarket. I guess you can get the picture now, it was one of those mixed in with a lot of artificial coloring and additives and never turn bad until 3 years later. The texture was horrible, it was unbearably sweet, not spongy and it was so so dense that I felt like I had swallowed a huge damp teabag filled with sugar instead of tea leaves!

Anyway, my misconception was utterly shattered 2 years ago when I worked as a summer intern at a place that is, in this case, seemingly irrelevant- Deacons, the largest local law firm in Hong Kong. Deacons has its own kitchen and the chef there (I hope he is still working there) is extremely friendly and welcoming. Eating his madeleines has made me realize that when madeleines are made right, they taste heavenly! Delicate, moist and soft like muffin, oozing with a warm buttery aroma and a slight lemon twang. Perfect.

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I have tried out different recipes and I think Rachel Khoo's produces the best madeleines so far. However, I don't fill the madeleines with lemon curd as she has demonstrated because I think that they are already moist enough without any aid from the lemon curd, and more importantly, the buttery aroma of madeleines really deserves the stage. With that extra bit of red in the middle, these gorgeous madeleines are surely hard to resist!

Chouquettes

Rachel Khoo's The Little Paris Kitchen has become my new addiction. I find it immensely enjoyable to watch her cooking show not just because she's pretty and has a great sense in style, she also makes cooking look so easy and fun and completely breaks that cliche of French food being complicated. On top of that all, she has lived out my dream of living in France, cooking, hitting the nearby markets for fresh produce and of course, bargaining in French fluently! ;p

In one of her episodes, she made chouquettes. Chouquette is actually pastry puff, rich egg flavour and pillowy texture. They are usually covered with nipped sugar then baked until golden-brown. Since I could not find nipped sugar anywhere in Hong Kong (if you could, please let me know!), as a chocolate-lover, very naturally I added chocolate chips to my cute little chouquettes! I also added grated Gruyere to some, making them what the French called- Gougères (Cheese Puffs).

These chouquettes are so easy to make, out of ingredients you are very likely to already have in stock! Milk, butter, flour and eggs. They are such sweet devils, so delicious, so alluring, so easy to pop into your mouth, and before you even realize it, you're already eating the 8th piece!

Hazelnut Macarons with Chocolate Filling

Knowing that my best girl friends were coming over, I made macarons again last week.

One of them, H, is surely a macaron expert, she has tasted huuuuge amount of macarons from the most renowned pastry shops around the world! She told me about all the interesting flavors a macaron can carry, say olive, champagne, passion fruit with chocolate which turns out great but tastes like our 薑蔥白切雞 (steamed chicken with ginger and spring onion)! Hm. Maybe I should make some and verify this.

So, I was very inspired and motivated to play with the macaron flavours! I am planning to give my macarons an Asian twist! Goji berries, ginger, dates, lotus seeds, and all sorts of Chinese tea! So please bear with me, I will be making quite a number of posts on macarons in the very near future.

This time I made hazelnut macarons with chocolate cream cheese filling. Love the combination. For those who are planning to make these, do pay attention to the amount of ground hazelnut you put in along with the ground almond. The two nuts have different moisture content, so my suggestion would be to keep them in the ratio of 1:3.

Matcha Macarons

Macarons! Macarons! We were in a love-hate relationship. It took me so long to be able to make them well! Mastering the macaron technique is more difficult than taking a law exam. Seriously.

Failed 3 times, frustrated, persisted, searched the web, and realized that macarons had been harsh on others too! The macaron shell is the source of all troubles, the common problems include, no "feet" (the tiny ruffles along the circumference), soggy crust, cracks on crust, or they just turn out to be extremely sweet almond cookies.

The first time I had macarons was very unpleasant (that patisserie makes really bad macarons). I was so turned off by its excessive sweetness and hard crust which stuck to my teeth that I stayed away from it for a number of years. Macarons and I finally crossed paths again when my sister made me try one from the Island Shangri-la, telling me that it's really good. So I tried, very unwillingly, and then taking another bite, willingly this time, admitted that the macaron did taste great!

The perfect macaron shell should have two layers, a very thin, smooth, egg shell-like crust and beneath it is the soft, slightly chewy, meringue-like texture. It took me three failing attempts to finally get the macaron technique and make decent, "legit" macarons. I will share with you all the "secrets" to making macarons, however, it is inevitable to experience some flops before you truly grasp the technique. Meanwhile, you may also read "Demystifying Macarons" by Helene Dujardin for inspiration. Have fun experimenting!

Tips for making nice macaron shells:
1. Use aged egg whites (48-72 hours).
2. Beat the egg whites until they stand.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients (almond power and sugar and any other flavouring  e.g. matcha powder) into the beaten egg whites with a few very quick strokes and then slow down for a few more strokes until all the ingredients are well combined and form a slightly runny but also a little thick batter. Do not over mix. 
4. When you're done piping out the small rounds on the baking paper, leave it there for 45-60 minutes before shoving it into the oven. This process and the aged egg whites are crucial for creating the "feet".
Please click read more for the recipe.

Palmiers

Pretty daring to make Palmiers as a gift after all it is not difficult to get good ones from Cookies Quartet or Royal Garden's cake shop. But to show my appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to the nice people I have met lately, I decided to roll up my sleeves, get my hands down and really do something for them.

I referred to the recipe from the website, Christinesrecipes, but I did not follow the exact measurements. The amount of sugar you put really depends on your personal taste. I scattered the sugar over the pastry until it was all coated, not piled, with sugar. Also, to get that hint of creamy sweetness, I gave the melted butter a splash of vanilla essence.

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

I just had an amazing afternoon. I watched my favourite movie, Something's Gotta Give, and made crème brûlée with my very good friend Natalie while listening to Pink Martini's feel-good music. I know I know, crème brûlée always gets the attention and it is many people's favourite. But for now, (next entry please!) it has to make way for this luscious, beautiful and heart-warming Bread Pudding!

I usually cook by myself but last Saturday, Daisy et son bébé joined me. Cooking by yourself and cooking with someone is very different. When I cook by myself, I experiment, focus on the food and enjoy the peace and quiet. Whereas cooking with someone can create more mess, more chaos, but it makes you realize that good company is just as important as good food itself. Having someone to share with you the joy and sense of satisfaction is incredible. 

Bread pudding is my favorite dessert. I like its golden brown crust and its creamy, custard-like inside. It was once called "the poor man's pudding" because the recipe, born out of necessity, was created by someone who had too much stale bread in hand but did not want to throw them away! Even today, when fresh bread is everywhere, I insist on using bread that is of at least 2 days old. Fresh bread has too much moist and does not absorb the creamy mixture well enough to create the custard-like texture. 

Croissants have a buttery flavor, so you can skip the butter and do it the express way. Since Daisy and I are chocoholics, we added dark chocolate bits too along with the raisins. Yumm!

Follow Michael Chiarello's recipe, spend 15 minutes in the kitchen and you'll make everyone in house very happy! 

The Perfect Pandan Cake

I finally had the long-anticipated rendez-vous with E, a very nice and experienced cook, who guided me through the essential steps in getting the perfect pandan cake!

I like pandan cake because I like the vibrant green hiding beneath the thin coat of golden brown and the unique and unforgettable taste of pandan. I also like its fluffiness, softness and lightness that take you to the clouds and keep you lying to yourself that this will be your final piece of pandan cake for the day.

"This is a really simple cake. The ingredients for panda cake are relatively little." This is true, you only need self-raising flour, eggs, sugar, pandan paste, oil, milk and cream of tartar. "The trick is to be very accurate." Oh. Accuracy. This is a nightmare! As I told you before, I usually rely on my intuition and never really bother to measure and weigh the ingredients. But having the honour to learn from such an experienced cook, I did as I was told.

The cook was extremely patient and demonstrated to me the whole process of creating the perfect cake. She has all the measurements and procedures remembered in heart and she stirs with so much poise and grace while I struggle and battle clumsily. She makes me realize that cooking should be enjoyable and relaxing, not hectic and chaotic.

Further tips shared by the cook include:
1. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites very neatly. Not a single drop of egg yolk and water is to touch the egg whites.
2. Beat the egg whites at very high speed and very quickly. Never stop until you are done.
3. Extremely fine flour.

Oh and if you have any other tips to add, please let me know! You may also send me recipes that you like or want me to experiment for you!

Peanut Butter Cookies

I adore peanut butter so very naturally I find classic peanut butter cookies extremely tasty and comforting.

I love peanut butter to an extent that I insist on making my own peanut butter sandwiches so to ensure that all the corners are drenched in the rich, creamy but also chunky peanut butter. Yet this is not the end of the story. After eating my sandwich, I secretly dig my knife into the Skippy peanut butter jar, give it a nice swoop, pull it out, and oh my goodness, I do what Winnie the Pooh does when he finds his "hunny".

I think my first time making this cookie is about 6 years ago, when I took my one and only cooking class at Town Gas with my sister. I still remember how the teacher guided us in creating that classic crosshatch pattern with a fork before shoving the cookies in the oven.

Sweet food is really my weakest area and peanut butter cookie is one of the few sweet food I manage to make properly. I am sure that it is because of my reluctance in following the recipes word by word. I am always too lazy to make really accurate measurements and that is a big NO for dessert-making. This time, I used Martha Stewart's recipe, she is reliable and she even offers around 20 different recipes for adding some twists to this classic cookie.