Joey

Joey is a Yorkshire terrier and he belongs to our Pastor and his family. Knowing that we are dog lovers, our Pastor asked if we are able to take care of Joey while he and his family go on a short holiday. We jumped at the opportunity as we have met Joey before and knows that he is very cute.

Joey has been at our home since Thursday. He will be staying with us for about a week. Here are some photos showing how he has been enjoying his doggy vacation!

Hi! I'm Joey.. you can call me JoJo

It's nice to just laze around ... i love holidays!

Here's a short video showing Joey playing with us last night. The funny thing was that he was sleeping the whole day and only started becoming active at 10pm! Joey is a late night owl it seems.

Japanese Chiffon Cheesecake

I am really enjoying my new found interest in baking following my macaron making experience.

Recently,  I tried a recipe I found online for Japanese Cheesecake. I usually do not like cheesecake as I find it too dense and rich. However, Japanese cheesecake is very light as the amount of cream cheese used is significantly lesser. I can easily have two slices at one go without feeling sick. I've made it three times and it turned out successful everytime - no cracked surface and very fine texture.

Japanese Chiffon Cheesecake

Macarons

Over the last few days, I have been experimenting with making macarons. I've only ate them once or twice and like how they come in various colors.

From what I read about macarons online, these French cookies are not easy to make. However, once the technique is mastered, it is actually very easy. The most difficult part is getting the right consistency of the macaronage. I agree as my first couple of attempts yielded unsuccessful results.

This was the first batch that I made. Piping all looks good but once it entered the oven, the crust cracked and were not smooth. The crust were hollow underneath too and it was very chewy. There are several macaron troubleshooting guide online, however, they made me more confused over what went wrong. Just have to try again and again. 

I made another batch soon after. This time I used a pink liquid food coloring that I bought. Looks nice when piped but the crust browned very quickly, leaving a dark edge rim around the macaron. 

Not wanting to give up, I tried a few more times, baking small batches each time and trying different methods and temperature. Finally, I think I got it right especially the consistency of the macaronage and the oven temperature. I found that the position of the racks plays an important role too. Every oven is different so one will need to find out the ideal temperature and rack position for the recipe. 

Foot is forming on each macaron. Shell is smooth and shiny!

Finally successful - Almond buttercream macaron :)

Weather

Possibly the record highest temperature in Central Indiana since the 1930s!

Spaghetti Carbonara

I enjoy cooking spaghetti carbonara especially on days when I am feel lazy and do not want to spend too much time prepping ingredients and washing pots and pans.

Besides, this dish utilizes a few simple ingredients that is often available at home. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

Spaghetti (amount for 2)

2 whole eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup of grated cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)

black pepper (amount to taste)

1 tbsp cream

Prosciutto (sliced in rough pieces. If using bacon, slice into small pieces and pan fry before adding in step 4.)

Peas, optional (I like to add peas to bring some color to the otherwise pale dish)

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt it and put in the spaghetti. Cook until al-dente (about 8-10 mins on high heat)

2. While spaghetti is cooking, mix eggs, cheese, black pepper and cream in a bowl. 

3. Strain spaghetti when done. Promptly return it to the pot. Quickly stir in the egg mixture and combine well with spaghetti. The heat from the spaghetti will cook the egg mixture.

4. Add in prosciutto / bacon and lastly peas (heated up in a bowl of water for 30 seconds in the microwave). 

Serve with extra sprinkling of cheese and black pepper. Enjoy!

This week's bento lunches

Prepared 5 bento lunches this week (no pic for Monday as I forgot to take the photo). 

Here they are ... 

Tuesday

- leftover Japanese style potato salad

- red wine beef stew (recipe here)

- sliced french loaf to go with the stew

Wednesday

- fried rice with Chinese waxed sausage, imitation crabmeat, salted fish, prawns and eggs

- a small serving of brownie (from weekend's gathering with friends)

Thursday

- Miso-glazed pork on a bed of rice

Recipe
3 palm sized pork fillet
2 tbsp Miso
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp ginger juice
1 tbsp sugar


Mix seasoning in a bowl and pour over pork fillet. Let it sit in the fridge for 2 hours (i left mine overnight). To cook, pan fry lightly on both sides. 

- ABC soup (from yesterday's dinner :)

- two small slices of walnut butter cake

Friday

- Kraft mac & cheese (got feedback that the pasta hardened and was dry by lunchtime. Point noted)

- Ikea meatballs and some Horseradish cheese cubes we bought during our recent trip to Vermont

Love the Panda pick!

Bento lunches

I started my interest in bento boxes and packing lunches in 2007 when we were living in Australia. After returning to Singapore, I stopped bento-ing except the occasional sandwiches that I bring to work for breakfast.

Last week, I started to pack bento lunches for my other half again as he started internship at a local company. This will last for 8 weeks, so I get to 'play' with my bento boxes again!

Here's are some bentos that I prepared last week.

In the lock & lock box:
- Egg mayo sandwiches on white bread, sliced into halves for easy eating
- Mini cheddar sausages with ketchup for dipping in the blue elephant container
- 2 clementines for dessert

In the Zojirushi Ms Bento thermal jar:

- bottom layer holds spaghetti with tomato cream sauce 

- top layer holds Japanese style potato salad and some cherries. 

Stay tuned for more bento lunches coming your way!