Thursday, June 30, 2011

clafoutis



Lucinda  (DH France) baked some clafoutis recently. She told me it was originally from Limousin dated back from 1860. Traditonal cherry clafoutis do not remove the seeds/ cherry pit. This French dessert can be accompanied with Rose wine, Anjou wine, Muscat or Champagne. Now, bon appetite!






Photos and recipe courtesy of Lucinda (DH France)







It is really cherry cherry good.




Monday, June 27, 2011

Blackforest Cake by Lianne (DH Germany)







Some 20 years ago my mum visited Germany with her friends and returned and told us how she was amazed by the place Blackforest. Isn't that a cake? I asked. Little did I know it is a famous place in Germany. The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is a wooded mountain in Baden-Wurttemberg Southwestern Germany. Because of the dense growth of conifers blocking out mast of lights, it is yes, you guessed it right, hence the  dark dark black forest. And I was told the name Blackforest Cake is really not named after the forest but rather the Kirschwasser the region specialty, the clear liquor distilled from tart cherry.

It is cherry season now over here and I happen to know a DH friend who resides in Germany. And someone who could whip anything up good and divine in the kitchen. So I asked Lianne ( DH Germany) about cherries and Germany. Here is what she wrote :




Better late than never. A saying I hold dearly whenever I procrastinate doing something I´ve been wanting to do but never got around doing it. For this, I really have to thank DH Almere for giving me this opporturnity to feature ´The making of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte or Blackforest Cake` as how it is

known internationally here. Without this invite, I would not have known how good this cake taste. I would not know how much work goes into making them too. And without this invite, I would not have known that there is so much to know about whipping a simple cream till stiff during summer season! And importantly, I felt as though I am connecting a bit more to my other half, whom is a German and hopefully is proud of me now that I had finally
attempted it :-D

So yes, one more time .. thanks Yueky for the invite!

Lets start with the recipe itself. There is a whole lot of Blackforest Cake recipes on the internet I must say, but I chose a recipe from one of hubby´s old German cookbook. It is a handwritten recipe, the format is very different from what I am accustome too and there are a few pointers to why I felt it is authentically German or all Blackforest Cake out there :-)

a) The recipe calls for Kirschwasser, or Cherry Alcohol in the cake so, this cake as how I´ve come to know is actually meant to be for adult consumption only.

b) The recipe calls for Schattenmorellen. It is a bottled Morello Cherry and do look out for those produced in the region of Blackforest, Germany.

c) The pan size in this recipe is typical German cake size of 28cm wide. It is not as high as what you´ve come across in many bakeries in town. The real German cakes are much shorter but wider in diameter.

So, lets begin with the recipe and method





























Recipe and photo courtesy of Lianne.





Thank you Lianne, who had worked through the density of conifers of procrastination and paved the way to the brighter side of the forest for me. Hahaha, I never knew so much was required for this Blackforest Cake. Now, knowing more about it, I came to appreciate this cake more than ever when I eat it. Divine good! Cherry mood cherry good!
:)
allaboutyum.blogspot.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Shoes





Shoes was supposed to protect and comfort our feet when walking or standing. But its functionality has changed to decorating our feet.







I drew this in the winter, the next day I saw my friend Lynn had lunch with Jimmy Choo.




This summer I am planning to get myself some cool high wedge shoes. 










Coincidently, I read about Keatsthesunshinegirl.blogspot.com 
   visited and checked out some cool unique shoes.






Tuesday, June 21, 2011

DH talking art







DH1 : What is this?


DH in Holland : I dont know I was just drawing and here it is.



DH2 : This Lady can't talk?


DH in Holland : Oh yeah! A Desperate Housewife with no mouth, she can keep a secret!


DH1 : Modern "Little Nyonya"?


DH2 : Definitely a Desperate Housewife!


DH1 : Looks more like Little Nyonya!


DH2 : I like the DH mole! Sexy!


DH1 : Impossible a desperate housewife can keep a secret!


DH2 : But her hairstyle and make up is soo Amy Winehouse? AH! I know why she has no mouth! So that she can't drink hahahaha!


DH in Holland : Good one! Hahaha! The healthier version of Amy! How is she going to sing with no mouth?


DH3 : Impressive! you make me wanna luv art!


Dh in Holland : More like a Flamenco dancer.








And the conversaton went on to food, cooking, cleaning, sick, good looking stars, men, travelling and so on...






Sometimes I do feel an artist paint a canvas with paint, the viewers paint it with words.

















Monday, June 20, 2011

Fuut a water bird ( And I am Happy)















After seeing these Podicep Cristatus or affectionately called the Fuut in Dutch for the first time I decided to paint them. And someone who found them beautiful decided to buy this painting from me not long ago.


This Great Crested Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver. They moved fast(Sounds like a TV commercial here). Any of my attempts of photographing them proved to be difficult.

I especially admire their elaborating mating display. They breeds in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes. Living on a lake I would be able to see them often performing the "penguin dance" to impress each other in the mating / courting process. I think they are monogamus too as they usually swim in pairs. How romantic.


I was so happy someone find them beautiful. They look so regal and elegant. I like them so much I even wrote and illustrate a book about them.


Today I got an email from someone who is interested in buying my other paintings. Not a Fuut painting but I am happy nevertheless, happy enough that my toes curls. I can't keep this to myself so I suppose I have to blog about it. I hope no one's jaws are dislocated by now because they have to yawn so much from this boring "short" story.









Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Kaya by DH Friesland Lannie

Today, Lannie is here to show the step to step to making  'kaya'. Kaya is coconut jam/spread/curd prepared from ingredients like coconut milk, sugar, eggs and screw-pine/pandan leaves. It is typically spread on toast or crackers or used as fillings for puff pastry.




Whisk eggs.






Sieve eggs.





                                

DH1    : Quite a lot of sugar.
 

Lannie : Yes, 1 egg 45g sugar, 50ml coconut milk, 5g screw-pine     leaves










coconut milk





             

 Sieve coconut milk into eggs










DH1 : Just 44g pandan (pinescrew leaves)?

Lannie : Actually depends how "heong" / fragrant you want your kaya. I used more.

DH2 : If frozen ah Lannie, how different is the smell from the fresh ones?

Lannie : I don't smell any difference.









Dh1 : You blend the whole pandan leaves?




Lannie : Yes, frozen and with water and sieve the pandan.





Lannie : Double boil the kaya mixture with lots of water , keep on mad whisking.


DH2 : 1 hour? Faint!


Lannie : No, only 1/2 an hour. You can pause and multi-task, I even fried ham and bacon on the pan and made lunch. Whisk non-stop so the kaya set faster.


DH1 : Around 30 mins non-stop whisking?


DH2 : I thought I saw some recipe say blend it with blender?


Lannie : Only use blender when there is lumps, real perfect kaya has no lumps.



















DH2 : Oh, like that, stir non-stop.


Lannie : Yes,..stop less than 1 min.


DH2 : I can't do this, no way.


Lannie : Actually, the more you whisk the faster the kaya set.


DH1 : Very nice colour.





DH2 : I love the colour of this kaya.

DH3 : On a cracker?

Lannie : Yes...damn "cheng" mannn...( damn good/divine good)



Thursday, June 9, 2011

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Pandan Chiffon Cake Saga by DH Dubai Natasha






I have fallen out of my blog rhythm. To get moving again I asked a group of DH to guest write in this blog. Many are enthusiastic. First to have materials ready and gotten off ground is Natasha (DH Dubai).

My friend Natasha( DH Dubai) had baked more chiffon cakes than I have eaten them. So I invited Natasha to bring me through her episodes of creating a Pandan Chiffon Cake. Here is what she wrote:









Natasha suggests :






























This does look divine! Thank you Natasha, this is really inspiring.