Sausage Gravy over Cannellini Bean Puree

Hello my food friends! It's been too long, but it's definitely not because I've been sitting in my hammock wrapped up in a book and nice cold beverage (although you wouldn't hear me complaining if I were!) It's actually been one of the craziest, funnest, most exhausting months of my life. I wouldn't have traded any of it though for the memories and for the chance to spend so much time with family. In short phrases here are some of the things we've been up to.

Packed my bags to stay a month in Idaho. 

Received a phone call the day before my flight informing me that the mountain my parent's live on is on fire. 

Panicked. 

Followed the news all night long, learning hour by hour that more houses were being destroyed, not having any idea if one of them was my parent's (66 homes were completely destroyed). 

(They had JUST finished building it). 

Flew to Idaho anyway, with no idea if there would be a house to stay in or not. 

Found the house standing, but damaged with burn and smoke. 

Slept in six different beds in the course of a week, completely displaced. 

Mourned at church with and for those that lost absolutely everything. 

Finally moved back into parent's house for the duration of vacation, the smoke damage was no longer a danger to us. 

Still managed to throw in a good deal of swimming, bbqs, boating, a trip to Utah and Yellowstone, and relaxing. 

Endured the worst flight of my life, consisting of a missed flight (plane ran out of fuel), a child wetting their pants, horrible motion sickness, a freezing unplanned sleepover at the airport, an attempted robbery of my son's newly purchased neck pillow, and lost bags. I was alone with two kids. 

Needless to say, it's been a wild month, but one that I'll NEVER forget. With all that happened though, I was so glad that I was able to be there, especially with my parents, who were dealing with a lot at the time. My heart really goes out to the victims of the fires all over the country. While we didn't experience such a loss firsthand, we witnessed those that did, and it's tragic. Memories, valuables, sentimental treasures, all gone. The one blessing in our area was that no one was hurt, and we are so grateful.

On that note, let's talk about food!

My apologies to Kim, my dear bloggy friend who shared this amazing recipe, for the poor photo.  It does not do this delicious dish justice and you're really better off just going to her site for the recipe and pics.  However, I'd be remiss if I didn't at least gush about how delicious this unique dinner is.

First off, bean puree?  Hello!  Where have you been my entire life?  It's cheap, it's quick to make, it's a lovely "polenta style" palate for a million different toppings, and it's seductively delicious.  If you are a fan of beans, you must rush to make this.  It doesn't hurt either to have a rich, meaty gravy to go on top of this.  I would happily make this again and again.

Since Kim is wrote this rockstar recipe, I'm going to send you to her kitchen to check it out.  Check our her other stuff too, she never disappoints!

Ok food friends and family, I really do think I'm back for good.  Vacation season has ended for our family so I plan to be able to say hello a lot more.  Check back soon!

Indo-Chinese zaniness at Pandu's

You know those stories of ghost ships?  Not only spectral vessels like the Flying Dutchman, doomed to sail the sea for all eternity, but ships that are found drifting with their entire crew having vanished without a trace.  For a long time, Pandu's was my ghost ship.  It used to inhabit a bare-bones little spot in Buckley Street in the strip of shops now demolished for the rail link.  Mr Baklover would insist that it was a restaurant, that he had seen people inside eating, drinking and making merry.  Yet every time I drove past it would be empty, and though I craned my neck I could see no signs of life.  "You're going mad!" I told my long-suffering husband.  "There's no restaurant there!"

Very happily I was proven wrong when Kenny checked out Pandu's, reporting an exciting Indian-Chinese menu at prices guaranteed to make even the saltiest sea dog grin from ear to ear.  It closed down and again thanks to Consider the Sauce, we learnt that Mr Pandu would be taking up new deluxe digs where the old Western Mart had been on "Upper Barkly" (if you like).

It was a long time coming but Pandu's is finally open.  It's quite quirky inside, with pimpin' cream lounge suites almost levitating on tinted wooden blocks instead of legs.

There are lots of little nooks and kind of "private rooms".  I can totally see a Bollywood dance scene happening in here, with the star crooning on the table while big wok flames jump out of the kitchen and a flash mob of bodacious Indian babes start grooving seductively.  As it stands, though, the only sound is the hum of the kitchen extraction fan, and the lack of colour makes it feel a bit like a bunker.  With some art or other decoration on the walls and a banging sound system, there's great potential here for a very cool hang-out spot.

Indian Chinese is the result of Chinese restauranteurs in India adapting their cuisine for local tastes.  According to this quite authoritative article from CNN Go, the Chinese Hakka community has been resident in Calcutta since the 1700s.  Thus began the authenticity acrobatics which see migrant communities all over the world begin to adapt traditional recipes for local palates.  As author Sanjiv Khamgaonkar puts it, "Quick to figure out that Indians love spicy, oily preparations, the Chinese merely masala-fied and greased their cuisine into a glutinous, winning combination".

Source:  www.chingssecret.com

That's extremely matter of fact (and rather unappealing) but it's essentially Indian Chinese in a nutshell - take (sometimes vaguely) Chinese recipes like battered chicken and fried rice and add Indian flavours like curry leaves, spices, tomato, chilli, plus a generous helping of soy sauce.

An example at Chilli India, CBD

Oh, put those eyebrows down!  I know it sounds horrible, but I am a big fan.  Aangan in West Footscray do great Indian Chinese like gobi Manchurian - battered cauliflower florets in a dark, almost sticky sauce with onion and green capsicum, and Chicken 65 - battered chicken tossed with an intense, spicy red sauce, cashews and glistening green curry leaves.  Aangan are known for their Indian Chinese and it's what you'll see many Indian customers enjoying, rather than what we might see as "the classics" like butter chicken and Rogan Josh.

Cashew milk, $3.95

But anyway - onto Pandu's!   A liquor licence is in the works, so while waiting we imbibed this homemade cashew milk.  Holy Bolly(wood), this was delicious.  The honey drizzled down the sides mixed with the cardamom-scented, slightly frothy milk for a cooling taste sensation.

Szechwan chicken, $10.95

Just after we ordered, the sweet waitress came back and asked if we wanted our dishes "with sauce".  "Well, yes," we replied, thinking without sauce we might just receive a plate of battered chicken, not unlike KFC opposite.  This was a big mistake as instead of those wonderful intense, reduced sauces I'm used to, our Indian Chinese morsels came in a lake of glutinous sauce.  This Szechwan chicken was quite nice but the sauce - very thick tomato - was overpowering.

Cauliflower Manchurian, $8.95

Likewise the gobi Manchurian, battered cauli in a moat of sweet brown sauce, lacked that intense flavour punch I covet.  Moral - make sure you have your choices "dry" or "without sauce".  Check out Kenny's more successful visit for how your dishes should look.

$11.95

Sometimes I want something but I can't order it because I can't bear to say the words.  The very hip "magic" falls into this category - it's a double ristretto in a 3/4 cup and is quite a lovely drink (especially for single origins) but every time I try to say, "I'll have a magic, please", the hipsterese jams in my throat.  Likewise, don't you sometimes see things on a menu and have such a giggle that you simply have to have them?  Ladies and germs, I give you SEVEN JEWELS OF PANDU'S.  This Indian-style fried rice was delicious, each separate grain dusted with turmeric and other spices, and nestling amongst them crunchy almonds, fresh pops of colourful capsicum, juicy egg and nutty nuggets of well-fried chicken.  Yummo.

So unfortunately our Pandu's experience wasn't as good as it could have been, but that was probably our fault for not investigating what "sauce" entailed (it's probably served like that because they figured we were having rice and wanted to have lots of sauce to wet the rice - a really southern Indian thing to do).  "Indian barbecue" is coming soon, plus the liquor licence.  Good on you, Captain Pandu, and looking forward to climbing aboard your love boat again soon!



Pandu's Indo-Chinese Restaurant
351 Barkly Street, Footscray
Phone:  0468 378 789


View Footscrayfoodblog reviews in a larger map

Banana Pudding Toffee Cookies

Would it be weird if I set up a cookie stand on the beach?  Do sunbathers like baked goods?  Dolphins?  

Yesterday, because I couldn't resist the urge to bake, I used this recipe, substituted banana pudding for vanilla and toffee bits for chocolate chips.  They're soft and chewy, full of that familiar banana pudding flavor with the crunchy texture of buttery toffee.  The perfect cookie for entertaining a smaller crowd, because they only make 18 or so.  They're also the perfect cookie for pregnant people, because they only make 18 or so.  That's not too many to eat in one sitting, right?  I know - the fat jokes are getting old.  One day I'll try to lose the baby weight.  When my kids are 18 or so.    

Sweet Bing Cherry Chipotle Preserves

oh... how much do i love cherries?!...

i'll buy a pound or 2 with a recipe in mind and end up eating 1/2 the bag before i get it home.

DANG...i'll have to go buy more.

now that they are in season and on sale everywhere i can't help but find new ways to use them.  so far i've made Cherry Balsamic Jam, Cherry Clafouti, Sweet Spicy Pickled Cherries, this Sweet Bing Cherry Chipotle Preserves and i've got 3 pounds of plump Bing in the fridge waiting to be made into Sweet Cherry Balsamic Preserves.  i know i haven't posted about most of them yet, but i will get to it soon as possible...

so you too can get  going on the cherry train.

these little jars of sweet spicy smoky cherry preserves turned out absolutely fabulous...almost a mistake, but a blessing in disguise.  by that i mean...i was looking for more of a spreadable jam, kinda like my raspberry chipotle jam, but this just didn't want to pass the wrinkle test from the frozen plate.  it was thick, but not as thick as usual.  i didn't want it to go too far because i wanted to maintain the integrity of the cherries so i decided to pull the pot off the stove and "let it ride".  at first i was a little mad that it looked too runny after the 24 hour waiting period.  when i opened the first jar i was pleasantly surprised with not only the big chunky cherries, but the syrupy sauce is to die for.  not too thin at all...just thick enough to hold it's own.  the flavor has just the right amount pop from the lemon, heat from the chipotle and all the smoky adobo flavors.

the syrupy sauce glistens and runs all over the bread...i guarantee you will want to drink this stuff or at least lick the bottom of the jar...yum!

BING CHERRY CHIPOTLE PRESERVES

adapted from David Liebovitz and La Cuoca Ciccia

3 1/2 lbs fresh bing cherries...will probably equal 6 cups of pitted slightly chopped (*see notes) cherries

1 lemon zest

and juice from that lemon

NOTE...David calls for 2 lemons, but i think 1 will do because of the pectin in the granny smith apple slices and the acid in the adobo and balsamic.

4 slices of granny smith apple

4 1/4 cup sugar

2 chipotle peppers from can, minced

NOTE...remove seeds and mince peppers.  add seeds back in with peppers if using...the seeds are visible in the preserves and make it MUEY CALIENTE!

2 Tbsp adobo from can of chipotles

1 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar

per David Liebovitz...buy as many cherries as you feel like pitting ( i say no more than 3 - 4 lbs.).  after washing, stemming and pitting you are going to cook (soften) the cherries with the lemon zest, juice and measure the volume you have...then add 3/4 of that volume in sugar.

*NOTE...after doing this and it being kind of a hassle, i would just measure my prepared cherries (diced, halved and whole) and add the sugar accordingly, ie. 3/4 of that volume.  i found that the sweet red cherries probably did not need a pre-cooking.

i mostly followed David's recipe and did this...

don't forget to put a small plate in the fridge for plate test and start your huge pot of water for your canning if doing so.

use a large pot...the mixture will double in size and foam up.  you do NOT want cherry juice overflowing all over the stove top!

cook cherries, lemon zest and juice (i added the 4 slices of granny smith apples in at this time) stirring once in a while until they are wilted and soft...maybe 20 minutes.

measure volume, cherries and liquid, and use 3/4 of that volume in sugar.  i had 6 cups so i put a little less than 4 1/2 cups of sugar.

stir the sugar into the cherry mixture and cook over moderate to high heat.  per David, the best jam is cooked quickly.  watch and stir fruit often so as not to burn the bottom.

once the liquid begins to slightly thicken add the minced chipotle, adobo and balsamic.  stir and continue cooking.  when mixture reaches 220 F degrees do a plate test.

NOTE...my last cherry jam was a little too thick so i over compensated because i wanted to retain the look of the cherries.  i did not reduce my liquid as much as usual...i reached 220 F degrees a few times, but did not get the wrinkle on the plate test...

HENCE THE REASON FOR CALLING THIS PRESERVES INSTEAD OF JAM.

the end result did not thicken to a spreadable jam consistency, but it IS a nice thick syrupy base with big chunks of delicious spicy, smoky sweet cherries.
if you want a thicker base i think you could add more sugar at the beginning and or just cook it down a little more, but you might lose the look of the cherries.
i will experiment some more and give a report, but i think the next cherry concoction will be Pickled Balsamic Cherries...

Cookbooks for Right Now

It's Summer and easy to follow, straight forward recipes that don't take hours and hours to prepare appeal to me most. The cookbooks I've been enjoying lately definitely reflect that. But these are books you will treasure long beyond this season, they are filled with comfort food, creative recipes and great stories... 

What I like about Guliano Hazan's latest book, Hazan Family Favorites is the exact opposite of what I like about many of Marcella Hazan's books. It's loose and easy and very informal. It's about flavors more than about specific techniques. It's not all Italian recipes, though most of them are. The stories of Giuliano's take on beef bourguignon, Lael's meatloaf, and desserts from the nonnas are charming but the proof is in the pudding and I can't resist an easy recipe for Bolognese Meat Sauce, surprising recipes like Cold Minestrone with Rice and of course, the most famous Marcella Hazan recipe--My Mother's Butter, Tomato and Onion Sauce. Recipes like Italian Latkes, Maccheroni Soup with Sausage and Porcini, Braised Leeks and Peas and Polenta Cookies are all destined to become favorites. But that's just me, you may find other recipes win you over. If nothing else, the book gives you a peek into the home life of one of America's most respected Italian cooking families. The foreword by Marcella Hazan is also noteworthy. Don't skip it!

I've been a fan of John T. Edge since I heard him speak at the CIA Worlds of Flavor conference a couple of years ago. At the time he was working on The Truck Food Cookbook. I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally have this book! It's got great stories about the food trucks and vendors, but also terrific recipes. For me, the recipes are not necessarily ones I follow exactly, but use as inspiration. For example after making the Roast Duck Taco recipe once I'm now a kick of buying roast ducks from Chinese delis and turning them into curry, salad, and of course, tacos. The Sweet Potato Fries recipe taught me a trick that enabled me to perfect my parsnip chips. The book is packed with fabulous recipes for sandwiches, crepes, salsas, tacos and fusion dishes like Fried Brussels Sprouts (with fresh Thai chilies, mint, cilantro and basil) and Kimchi Quesadillas. Yum! 

It's been five years since I took a class from Ruta Kahate and reviewed her classic book 5 Spices, 50 Dishes. Her book and learning just a few key techniques definitely made cooking Indian food at home less of an ordeal and showed me how easy it could be. For even more ideas for Indian food in a hurry is her follow up book Quick Fix Indian: Easy, Exotic Dishes in 20 Minutes or Less. While I haven't cooked anything from the book yet, I did get to try some of the dishes at a lunch and cooking demo that Kahate recently did. My favorite dishes were the Wilted Spinach with Red Chili and the Coriander Shrimp with Zucchini but I've bookmarked the Paneer, Smoky Eggplant Bharta and  the "Instant" Chicken Biryani. One of the best features of the book is a shopping list of that will make cooking "quick fix" meals a cinch. With the right pantry staples and a few items you can prepare ahead of time like ginger paste, garlic paste, ghee, red masala, green masala and browned onions you are one step ahead of the game. No matter what the season. 

There are three  things I love about Herbivoracious, the first cookbook by food blogger Michael Natkin. His vegetarian recipes are not trying to replicate meat dishes and never call for "fake meat." As an omnivore I eat what I like, if I want bacon I'll eat it. But plenty of times, most of time in fact, I want vegetarian food. Vegetarian food that is bold, creative and satisfying. It's what I try to cook, and what Natkin cooks too. His very original recipes like Shiitake Tacos with Asian Pear Slaw, Bocoles with Spicy Sweet Potatoes, Tofu Packages fragrant with lemongrass and chiles and Golden Beet Tartare are exciting! His Mexican Breakfast Torta with refried black beans and scrambled eggs beats the pants off of any other breakfast sandwich you can imagine. His condiments like Sesame Salt, Onion Chutney and Tomato Confit will add pizzazz to almost everything. Last but not least, though not all the recipes are quite that original, they are all appealing and not terribly challenging to make. My only criticism of the book? Natkin shot the photos in the book himself, and the best ones are where he took a step back and styled the scene a bit. In general the photography suffers from too many close ups that don't always do justice to the food.

Disclaimer: These books were provided as review copies, the links are to Amazon.com where I do have an affiliate account. 

Chopper Chef Knife Giveaway & Favorite Knives

Congratulations to Greg Patent, A Baker's Odyssey cookbook author (a great book by the way) and The Baking Wizard blogger who won the Chopper Chef Knife in the giveaway.  

In looking at the comments I found it interesting that so most people love their chef knives best, especially the 8-inch, though some like larger and some like smaller knives. Santoku knives were popular too. 

If you didn't win, just a reminder, New West Knife Works is also holding a contest  and giving away an entire knife block. Head over to their Facebook page to enter.

Disclaimer: I was given a knife to review by New West KnifeWorks and they are also providing the prize in this giveaway

Cheesy Turkey Toast

I'm on vacation.  But does that mean I'm not making dangerous foods and eating them all up, guilt-free?  No sireeee, it actually means the opposite.  I even bought myself 22-grams-of-fat-in-each Haagen Dazs Bars the other day.  Yup, I'm taking this pregnancy out with a BANG! 

Lately I've been really enjoying the above for lunch - wheat sourdough bread, salted butter, turkey, sharp cheddar cheese - placed under the broiler until crispy and bubbly.  Super easy lunch.  You can make and eat it in a matter of minutes... if you're 35 weeks pregnant and you eat faster than those Olympic dudes run.  

The Garden Slug ... A Choice "Sluggish" Breakfast Place

The Garden Slug is a cosy diner located in Bright Centre of Lorong Telok Kurau L. Our GPS led us to a "sluggish" part of Telok Kurau and it didn't help that at 9am on Saturday morning, the car park was almost desolate. We chose the plastic chairs outside facing the main road. The ambience was so chill at that time that it rendered me sluggish. I felt like a slug who wanted to take my time over breakfast. The Garden Slug was awarded the Top 10 All-Day-Breakfast Place by Epicure magazine in 2010 and we were agreeable with Epicure's recommendation for breakfast ... minus the coffee.

Battered Seafood Sandwich - Battered ocean hake on multi grainbread, layered with greens, tomatoes & tartar sauce, served with a hearty side of calamari rings, potato wedges, veggie sticks, and a piquant dip. I hope it's not because we're overwhelmed with hunger but the bread was perfectly toasted and the hake crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The Ultimate Bangers and Mash - A happy medley of German pork bratwurst, chicken chipolata, and spicy Italian pork& beef sausages atop Real Mash with sauteed onions and mustard. May not be a pretty sight but the bangers was a BIG BANG for me. Yummilicious! Especially the spicy Italian pork and beef sausages.

All thumbs up for our breakfast except for coffee. When we were told that the Cafe Latte came in a 17oz cup, we immediately ask for a double shot but that didn't help us feeling that coffee was drowned by milk. We were too used to have cafe latte in a 5 oz cup.

55 Lorong Telok Kurau L

#01-59/61 Bright Centre

Singapore 425500

Tel : +65 6346 0504

The Garden Slug Blog

Trattoria Bonissima ... definitely an Italian gem for keepers along Tanjong Katong

The blessed folks living in Katong showered with abundance of good food must have noticed that traffic jams has never been this bad along Tanjong Katong Road. Tanjong Katong has recently added to it's stable of F&B, Eng's Noodle House, Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh, Big Bad Wolf and 2 other Italian restaurants. No wonder traffic is bad. One of the new Italian addition is the Trattoria Bonissima that I would like to recommend. Our experience in the trattoria was one of excellent food plus attentive service. Trattoria Bonissima has an array of wine to go with food. With this standard of hospitality and cooking, it's gonna be staying for a while and stand out against the more established Italian restaurants like Bruno's and Pasta Fresca da Salvatore.

Trattoria Bonissima is located along Tanjong Katong Road nearer to Goodman Road. The interior was cosy, warm and casual. I came in my T-shirt shorts and flip flops and nobody gave a damn at all. Nowadays meals for me would mean having little Julien and his stroller in tow. The good folks gave us a very strategic table where we can still fit in the trattoria where space is a luxury.

Calamari Fritti - They did the calamari the way I like it. It was floured uniformly so that it gave a thin consistent crisp on the outside yet leaving the squid ring still tender and juicy inside. A mayonnaise dip sauce accompanied the calamari but I was perked up one more notch when they ....

.... served me some Pepperoncino flakes (dired chilli powder, flakes) that I can dip with the calamari as well. It was spicy but was definitely up my alley. It certainly says authentic Italian on the sign board but the folks certainly knows how the Singaporean taste is like. "Hiam Hiam", "Hot Hot"!

Zuppa di Mare - For folks who have followed me for a while, remember HY and I were searching for good Zuppa Pesce in Venice, Italy and then came back and complained about below par Zuppa Pesce that we find here in Singapore? Search no more. If you are an Italian seafood soup fan, come here for the Zuppa di Mare. It's as close to our Italian experience as you can find in Singapore.

Salsiccia di Maiale -  So you like your sausage? Then you have to like it the way these guys did theirs. The smokiness came from the slightly charred exterior that wraps the wholesome savory yummy pork inside. A drizzle of lemon accentuated the taste. Only thing that bars me from eating this every other day is $$$ though.

Gnocchi di Zucca ... Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi with Parma Ham and Porcini In Marscapone Sauce. I never really like Gnocchi but pumpkin Gnocchi was something else. It's easy to recognize a good gnocchi when you chew on it and it goes "twang twang" This is it and on top of that the sweet pumpkin that made every chew feels more like a dessert than a main dish. A couple slices of Parma ham was all it needs to complete the dish. Savory from the ham marries well with the sweet gnocchi creating an appealing contrast. 

Almond Chocolate Cake topped with almond chips and custard cream. The friendly and attentive, Ganesh, the manager of the trattoria, recommended this warm almond chocolate cake that wasn't found anywhere in the menu. The almond flavor was delicately mixed in with the chocolate and the cake turned out moist and fluffy. It's good on it's own even without the help of custard cream that's another plus for the sweet tooth to swipe them off the plate.

308 Tanjong Katong Road

Singapore 437091

Tel : +65 6346 5845

Trattoria Bonissima Facebook Page

Parmesan Vanilla Bean Pound Cake

i love pound cakes...

i think i'll be on a never ending search for the perfect pound cake...
never ending because there is not ONE perfect pound cake.
there are too many perfect pound cakes.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE POUND CAKES.
perfect in it's own way.

a whole cup of Parmesan cheese sets this one apart from the norm.  the parmesan hits your senses first with the fabulous aroma, then the vanilla sets in with a bit of warmth and familiar flavor...the texture is not like your basic pound cake.  at first it is just a tad "cakie"...on the verge of crumbly, but not crumbly like cornbread...hard to describe, but holds together nicely.  as you'll see in the ingredients is 1 cup of corn starch.  i might think about changing this next time.  maybe more flour less cornstarch might make a difference.  if you let it rest for a day it seems to gather it's senses and acts more like a pound cake.

 results ?...rave reviews from all of my foodie friends and guinea pigs.  at first they thought it sounded odd, but after the first bite one remark was..."this might be the best thing you've ever given me."

i served it like little sandwiches shown in last photo...sandwiched with some Cherry Balsamic Jam...i will post the jam recipe soon.

i love pound cake for breakfast.  one of my favorite ways to eat pound cake is to give it a light saute in a hot skillet.  this one lends itself to this method because it wakes up the parmesan flavors.

warm toasty cake and cold smooth ice cream  (or vanilla greek yogurt in my case) is never turned down in this house.  throw on a few fresh seasonal cherries and you have quite the dessert.

PARMESAN VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKE

slightly adapted from Food Samba

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar...i used 3/4 cups regular sugar and 3/4 cup Z sweet sugar sub.

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 cup corn starch

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup good parmesan, grated fine

1/2 cup milk

preheat oven to 350 F degrees

butter and flour a tube pan...i used an angle food cake pan

cream together the butter and shortening in a mixer.

add sugar and mix until light and fluffy.

add eggs one at a time...beating after each one.  add vanilla.  mix well.

stir together dry ingredients in another bowl.

add dry to wet alternating with the milk.  mix until just incorporated.

pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes...until golden on top and toothpick inserted comes out clean...mine took 47 minutes.
you do not want this to overcook...i think it could tend to dry out very easily, so keep a close eye towards the end and use your toothpick or long skewer as i did.

NOTE...i like to let my pound cakes rest for a day.  they tend to develop flavors and less "cakie"texture when they sit.  go ahead and try it the first day out of the oven,  but save some wrapped in saran and try it 2-3 days later and see if you can tell the difference.

below is a fun way to serve a jam sandwich when you're faced with a pound cake cooked in a tube or bundt pan.  i usually like to cook in loaf pans for easy storage, but the tube or bundt pan makes a better presentation as a whole.

Hair for Hope ... I never thought I'll ever look good until I made bald a statement

I never thought I'll ever look good until I was present on the stage today to support Hair for Hope, an event by Children Cancer Foundation. There goes my hair but it's all worth while. I've never felt prettier inside me. 

Through this symbolic gesture of shaving bald, the Children Cancer Foundation aims to: 

1. Create awareness of childhood cancer in Singapore 

2. Show children with cancer and their families that they are not alone in their fight against cancer

3. Tell children with cancer that it is OK to be bald 

4. Raise funds to help children with cancer and their families

5. Build a community of support for children with cancer and their families

If you would like to support the cause, you can join the fun now (or tomorrow) at Vivocity (28th~29th July 2012). With a token sum of $20 you get to participate, go on stage to get a clean shave from professional hair dressers from Jean Yip Group and to show your support for childhood cancer. If you're not free to grace the event, and wish to donate, you can show your generosity through a friend of Hungry Cow, Ryan. I think Ryan's cause has more conviction than mine.

Thank You guys for supporting the cause! :)

Pineapple Coconut Vanilla Bean Jam

pineapple coconut citrus and vanilla bean...


one bite and you'll be transported to a sunny lanai on the north shore.

when we go to Hawaii we stay at this fabulous resort with one of those memorable breakfast spreads...  pastries, omelets, bacon, waffles, pancakes, jams, jellies, marmalade, bacon, oats, granola, bacon, bagels, smoked salmon, fruit, BACON, sausage. i think i over do it a bit...i mean REALLY over do it.

room service?...faget about it!  delicious.

and...shhhhhh...i always pocket the cute little jars of pineapple jam...just the pineapple.

i missed my Hawaiian vacation this year so i thought maybe i could bottle it up in a tiny little jar.  i'll make my own pineapple jam.
the result ?...pretty darn FABULOUS !
if i close my eyes i can hear the waves crashing and feel the sun shining.
i keep telling myself...soon...i'll get there soon,

but for now...
i have Hawaii in my little jar of jam.

PINEAPPLE COCONUT VANILLA BEAN JAM

1 medium pineapple...about 5 cups after peeling, coring, cleaning and slicing

cut into 1/4's and cut off core.  cut 1/4's into 3 wedges.  slice wedges very thin.

1 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut from white meat (no brown skin) of a brown coconut (see note)...use a cheese grater

3 1/2 cup white sugar

1 vanilla bean.  cut open and scraped

zest from 2 limes, 1 lemon and 1 small bright orange orange...peel citrus with a potato peeler and cut strips of zest into very fine slivers

juice from 1/2 lime, 1/2 lemon

1 heaping Tbsp fresh grated ginger.  again i used the cheese grater...not a microplane

1 1/2 tsp coconut extract...i only had cheap McCormick's coconut flavoring....  i thought i had the real extract in the pantry.

NOTE...since making this jam i have learned a trick to help low pectin fruits set better...throw in a few (3) wedges of granny smith apple while cooking and remove before putting in jars.
NOTE about coconut meat...refer to answer #1 on this site to remove coconut meat from shell if doing yourself

get all your stuff out and ready...
sterilize jars.  i wash them and dry them in a 210 F oven for 20 minutes, then turn the oven off and keep them in there until ready to fill.  HOT JAM MUST GO IN WARM JARS.  also bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil, then turn off.  put lids in the hot water until ready to use.
put 2-3 small plates in the freezer for plate test.

put all ingredients except extract and vanilla bean scrapings in a large pot.  i use a tall stock pot to keep splatter from happening.
cook on low heat until sugar dissolves and pineapple releases juices.  turn the heat up so it is a mild to medium boil.  carefully stir to keep an even heating and no burning on the bottom.  around 210- 215 F degrees add your extract and vanilla scrapings.  stir to inappropriate.  do a TASTE test.  BE VERY CAREFUL OF MOLTEN JAM when tasting.  at 220 F do a plate test.
NOTE...pineapple jam is hard to get a good set...so i've heard.  i did not have any problem.  i just kept it going (turning it down to low while waiting for the test in the freezer) until i had a good wrinkle on the plate test.  i might have done at least 5 tests before i was satisfied.  don't worry, it will turn out delicious as a sauce/jam if it doesn't set all the way.
skim off any surface foam if possible.
when plate test is satisfactory, turn off heat and ladle into warm jars.
process in water bath for 10 minutes (sea level)

NOTE...i am not a professional canner, by any means.  please refer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation...or google your questions.  there is a wealth of information out there, but don't get too technical about it..

don't forget to HAVE FUN !!!