Regent Hotel Tea Lounge High Tea ........ another Tai Tai meeting place?

We've decided to have High Tea at Regent Hotel's Tea Lounge as one of HY's friend told her that they provide lemon curd and authentic clotted cream to go with the scones. But I'm the one that likes scones.

At the tea lounge high tea, there was a 50-50 mix between the savoury and dessert section.

The selection of teas

There wasn't as many tea selection as Rose Veranda but there's about 10 types for us to choose from. Assam, Earl Grey, Rose Petal, Morocan Mint ...............

Beef Tenderloin with Puff Pastry was one of the more impressive looking savoury dish in the High Tea. The chef would help cut a slice of it when you bring along your plate.

The tenderloin was still tender underneath the coat of golden puff pastry.

Mini Chicken Pie

Apart from the Mini Chicken Pie, there's the Cornish Puff and the Chicken Roll Pastry.

I was also impressed with the Laksa Flan. Inside the laksa flavoured flan was a shrimp and a quail's egg.

HY and I liked the Fried Chicken. I suggest eating the fresher ones that they refill.

Soft Shell Crab was not bad but a bit soggy as it didn't move very fast.

This was the reason we came to Regent Hotel for High Tea. The supposed authentic clotted cream. I couldn't tell what's authentic but the clotted cream tasted real good with the scone.

The dark and white chocolate pecan pralines were great.

Cream Filled Meringue

Candy Topped Cupcakes

Macarons

Fruit Sticks for Chocolate Fondue

Berries Stick for Chocolate Fondue

There was definitely more in the High Tea Spread than what I've shared. Hope you enjoy your chill out weekend there!

One Cuscaden Road

Regent Hotel Tea Lounge

Singapore

Sakuraya Sashimi House ....... Oiishi Ootoro!

Our stomach were growling after getting our tennis rackets from Queensway Shopping Center. Nobody rejected the notion of Japanese food for dinner.

The nearest Japanese food around the area must have been Sakuraya Sashimi House in Anchorpoint just across the road. Sakuraya started as a fish mart that import fresh Japanese seafood and produce. They had no frills dining at Parkway Parade and in West Coast Plaza. Sakuraya Sashimi House is their venture into the restaurant business. Even though, they haven't made a name as THE sashimi place, being a fresh seafood importer definitely sets a minimum standard.

The Sashimi Set @ S$99

The sashimi set includes maguro, kanpachi, yellowtail, ebi, scallops, cockles and just 3 slices of Ootoro for the 4 of us. The sashimi here was fresh but after we shared the 3 slices of ootoro among the four of us, the other seafood on the platter just wasn't impressive at all. Not that they were no good, it's just that the ootoro was too good. The tender texture and flavourful interlaced omega 3 fats were the main characteristics that made each of us cut the usual banter, pause for moment, to enjoy that private moment with the ootoro. 3 slices just wasn't enough. We ordered another extra set of ootoro.

An order of 5 slices of Ootoro @ S$48

Someone just couldn't wait for me to take the photo and how could I blame anyone?One slice was gone before I manage to capture this alluring prized part of the tuna. HY urged me to quickly get the shot taken. Her chopsticks were already hovering over the ootoro.

The heavenly slice of ootoro before I pop it into my mouth. Oiishiiiiiiiii!

The ootoro was definitely the highlight for last night's dinner. Unfortunately, our pockets wasn't deep enough to just eat ootoro to get our stomach filled. The following are the other less "pocket damaging" dishes apart from sashimi that was not bad.

Soft Shell Crab Maki

Fried Chicken

Service in the restaurant was alright. Just don't expect tip top service. At Sakuraya Sashimi House, sashimi and sushi are definitely the house specialty.

370 Alexandra Road

#01-32 Anchorpoint

Tel : 6474 2495 / 6774 8216

Singapore

Squashes and Sniffles

I’ve been sick. I never get sick and I’ve been sick. I have a cold. I guess I’m getting over it now. But what misery; a Summer cold.

As a result of this nasty cold, I spent my holiday weekend at home with season 2 of True Blood, a box of tissues, and my dog. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was so sick of being sick that I didn’t even care that my nose resembled Karl Malden’s from so much blowing and I ventured out to the Hollywood Farmers’ Market. I’m glad I did. It seems to be better for me to pretend I’m not sick and to continue to do my normal things – with the exception of late nights and too much wine. So I stocked up on beautiful produce gems and marched home to play in the kitchen.

I actually found the most incredible looking potatoes I have ever seen and used them in my World-Famous Breakfast Potatoes a mere hour later. Check these out...

After I made brunch (sans mimosas (gasp!)), I decided to test a couple of the recipes for the next Dinner at Eight: the chilled avocado-cucumber soup with ancho cream and the summer squash gratin with salsa verde. Would have been more fun with mimosas, but such is life.

I was really excited about the gratin recipe, one I’ve adapted from Suzanne Goin. While I am not a huge squash or zuchinni fan, in general, summer squash is the shining exception. And squash blossoms. I adore squash blossoms. They are so delicate, elegant and beautiful both in appearance and taste. I love that summer squash has the tender and edible rind (which is a result of it being harvested early). You could tear that thin veneer with a mere grazing of a fingernail.

In the past I have not waxed terribly poetic over summer squash. I have (rather boringly) sliced it lengthwise and grilled it alongside its plate partner for the evening--a meat item, I imagine. But this dish could very easily stand alone. It has layers of bold flavors within the salsa verde, shallots and garlic. It somehow manages to be both subtle and summery, yet warm and hearty.

Originally I had planned to serve it alongside a Bistecca Fiorentina but thought the flavors would compete too much with one another. Rather, I will be serving it with an herb-roasted pork loin. I feel confident that these two items will dance together brilliantly with their simplicity, comfort and sophisticated earthiness.

Summer Squash Gratin with Salsa Verde

Serves 6

2 pounds summer squash

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup sliced shallots

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh thyme 

3/4 cup salsa verde (recipe follows)

1 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash into 1/8-inch thick slices (on the diagonal). Toss the slices in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and let sit 10 minutes.

Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl.

Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Swirl in the butter and cook a few minutes, until it browns and smells nutty. Pour the brown butter over the breadcrumbs, scraping all the bits into the bowl. Wait for a moment for the butter to cool, and toss well.

Drain the squash and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add the shallots, minced garlic, thyme, salsa verde, and some pepper. Toss to combine, and add the cheese and half the buttery breadcrumbs. Toss again.

Place the squash in a gratin or casserole dish. Scatter the remaining breadcrumbs over the top, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the squash is tender and the top is crisp.

Salsa Verde

1 teaspoon marjoram leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint

1 cup coarsley chopped flat-leaf parsley

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 anchovy

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1/2 lemon, for juicing

Freshly ground black pepper

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the herbs to a paste. Work in some of the olive oil, and transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Pound the garlic and anchovy, and add them to the herbs.

Gently pound the capers until they're partially crushed, and add them to the herbs. Stir in the remaining oil, a pinch of black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Scotch Eggs...Not Scottish at all...

SCOTCH EGGS...

not Scottish at all ??? then why are they call Scotch Eggs ?!!! they were actually invented by the famous London department store, FORTNUM & MASON in 1851 and they were originally wrapped in SCOTCH Beef...just a fun little foodie fact i found at Wikipedia.

i don't recall where i first saw these and got the bee in my bonnet, but i knew i had to try them. i'm all about a good full protein breakfast and quite often i have to eat it on the go. these are perfect...and so dang CUTE as well.

so easy to make. i chose the easiest route. basically you cover a hard boiled egg in your favorite sausage, dip that in some breadcrumbs and bake 'till the sausage is done. there are so many variations out there with more involved meat recipes, but why go there when there are so many wonderful fresh handmade sausages at your favorite markets. Bristol Farms has an incredible selection. their Chicken Apple Sausage with chunks of granny smith is so delicious as well as the Chicken Jezebel and Spicy Italian Turkey. my first batch was made with good ol'Jenny-O's Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage found at most major markets. so... fancy sausage or packaged store bought, these are easy, fun, portable, ADORABLE and kids will love them.

i chose to bake these. i'm not a fan of deep frying YET. i like to leave that to the professionals. deep frying scares me a bit and since i don't do alot of it (YET), the oil would be a one time use. seems like a waste. then there's the pain of getting rid of it, not spilling it, letting it cool enough to pour it back into the container you were hopefully smart enough to keep and finally throwing away some perfectly good frying oil. i must admit, i think i secretly would love to fry more things. i kind of wish i could have a mini fryer in the kitchen. shhhhhhh.

SCOTCH EGGS
loosely adapted from Recipezaar #69970...

Ingredients
1 lb chicken, turkey or pork Italian sausage
4-5 large eggs, hard boiled (not too large)
flour (just a little to coat the eggs)
1 large egg
2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs (i used Panko). you don't need to use the whole 2 cups!!
Directions
1. remove meat from casing. one large sausage should cover 1 egg (a little less than 1/4 lb). use your judgement. i made 5 scotch eggs from a 1lb package of Jenny O Turkey Sausage for the first batch.
2. roll the eggs in flour. (this helps the meat stick to the egg)
3. wrap each egg evenly in a portion of meat, being sure they are covered completely. roll it around in your hands a bit to ensure even sausage coating.
4. beat the remaining egg in a small bowl
5. dip each egg/sausage ball in the beaten egg then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs.
6. optional...chill for one hour...or don't...i didn't.
7. bake until golden brown on a cookie sheet (line with tin foil for easy clean up) at 375°F; about 30 minutes. mine took about 35 minutes.

these keep really well in the fridge for a few days. just warm in the microwave. i like to slice in half and eat like an apple...on the go. of course, you could fancy these up for a fun brunch treat. they make for such a cute presentation with the surprise egg inside.

龍發豆沙餅 Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah

Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah (biscuit) has been my favorite tau sar piah. My mum would at times bring back a box of Loong Fatt Tau Sar biscuits after visiting a relative that was living in Balestier area. It's been a long while, my relative have moved away from the area but Loong Fatt still stay put in its original location in that shophouse at the end of the road. Loong Fatt serve the sweet or salty tau sar piah and my favourite is the salty one. The filling is certainly sweet but the difference is in the fluffy skin. The salty version has the skin a tard saltier than the sweet version. At least that's how I made out the difference. I just like the balanced salty fluffy exterior with the sweet tau sar filling inside. There may be some other tau sar piah stall near the stretch that also made quite a name but I'm still rooted to Loong Fatt.

Here's my box of six that I brought home.

The filling inside the fluffy skin.

Inside the kitchen where the tau sar piah making takes place.

*All photos here taken with the iPhone 3GS.

639 Balestier Road

Singapore

Tel : 62534584

LENTIL SOUP with ROASTED VEG. and SAUTEED APRICOTS

woops...i almost for got about this delicious soup. i'm so behind with my posts that i almost left this one behind. can't do that. this one is good and easy...a little time consuming if you're fussy about presentation like me. i think the sweetness of the apricots really works well with the savory roasted vegetables. i love the texture of lentils when they are cooked just right...tender to the bite, but still in their cute flying saucer shape. keep it monochromatic for an interesting presentation...anything orange is fun to work with. always bright, flavorful and comforting.

LENTIL SOUP with ROASTED VEG. and SAUTEED APRICOTS

1 cup red (orange) lentils

4-5 cups good chicken stock (homemade best, of course)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion. diced

1-3 cloves garlic. minced

1 tsp oregano

a pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste after cooking

3 carrots

2 cups banana squash or butternut. peeled, cubed

1 orange pepper large dice

5-10 garlic cloves for roasting (optional)

feta for topping (optional)

approx 10 dried apricots (whole)

make the lentil base...in a soup pan saute the onion and garlic. add the stock and lentils and bring to a boil. lower heat and cook until tender. i like my lentils to keep their shape so i pull them before they get mushy. remember they will continue cooking as you reheat the soup. check seasoning.
roast your vegetables at 350 degrees approx 20 minutes. olive oil, salt, and pepper. keep an eye on them and stir to brown all sides

3 med. carrots. sliced large

2 cups small cubed squash. i used banana squash. peeled, of course

garlic...i always throw in a bunch of garlic cloves when roasting veg. just to have on hand and/or add this to the soup/stew for extra yummy goodness

saute the apricots...i used a little olive oil and sauteed, or rather, seared the dried apricots. you could saute them with a little garlic and onion if you wanted, but i didn't. i left them whole so i could brown each side....dice when browned

serving suggestion...build your soup/stew plate. if you're one of those "on-the-ball-cooks" you'll have everything hot at the same time...not so in this kitchen. i have to bring everything back to temp. before serving.

i like this soup thick and layered...lentils (drain off some broth if necessary) then roasted vegetables then crumbled feta (optional)then diced sauteed apricots on top.

note...stir and reheat lentils carefully because they can turn to mush and lose their shape quickly.

if your not into the fuss and presentation just throw everything in, serve and enjoy. i thought the sauteed apricots really worked well with the roasted veg, garlic and the kick of heat from the cayenne. sweet...savory...spicy equals YUM in my book

African Cottage

Nicholson St, south of Hopkins, has always been my least favourite part of Footscray.  In the past, there has been a dearth of good food options around this area, and despite the relatively recent makeover of the mall, it's still the place I would least like to sit on any given day.  A woman, arms folded across her chest like a straightjacket, walks barefoot with quick, angry steps as she stares at the ground.  Two men stride past, arms waving and eyes staring wildly, declaiming society's ills as their jackets billow out behind them in the wind.  The evidence of drugs is all around.  I'm not afraid for my safety; rather, it's just an unhappy place.

Something is happening in the southern section, though, between Irving and Paisley.  A formerly disused arcade between Nicholson and Albert Sts, now known as the Little Khartoum Arcade, has been reborn as a sandalwood-scented passage to Africa.  I love to walk through slowly and window-shop - everything from kitschy Afro hair products, mysterious spices in unlabeled packets, and furniture that Franco Cozzo would covet.  The positive vibe is now spilling out onto Nicholson Street, where new restaurants and cafes have sprung up between the forlorn shopfronts.  Now, men meet in the street, smiling and shaking hands, before ducking in to their favourite cafe for a meal and a chat.

Chan and I were craving some of Khartoum's luscious ful (a broad bean mash, not unlike Mexican frijoles or refried beans) but that Sunday, it was closed.  African Cottage beckoned - a first here for me.

African Cottage have a mix of traditional Sudanese dishes and modern café fare, like lasagna and tortellini.

We kept it old school and went for ful and omnemia, a lamb stew.

The chef presented us with this complimentary starter, a bowl of chicken broth.  If you didn't already know, I am a total stock tragic.  If I don't have at least two litres of it in the freezer, I get palpitations.  I will scope the chicken shops at the market, not looking for who has the lowest price on breast fillets, but to see who has the meatiest bones.  Full marks to African Cottage - this broth was brilliant!  It was so comforting, flavoursome, and had a soothing, slightly thickened texture.

Ful, $6

Top marks for excellent ful, too.  This was chunky, with soft broad beans and pieces of tomato, sprinkled with two types of cheese and tangy spring onions.  It came with an impossibly large basket of pita bread to scoop it up with.

Omnemia, $8

The omnemia was a rich, slow-cooked, chunky lamb and tomato stew.  It surrounded an island of aseeda, or cornmeal porridge.  It was just fantastic!  The stew was so rich, without being fatty at all.  If you put a sprig of thyme on the edge, it could have passed for a hearty Italian peasant dish.  The aseeda was much smoother than normal polenta, but just as tasty.  We pinched fingerfuls of it and used them to scoop up the chunks of meat, or just to dip in the rich sauce.

The chef here is so friendly.  They have a coffee machine and a range of African beers, too.  Check it out - the $2.50 coffee lives at African Cottage!  Oh, and the bill?  $7 each for two courses.  That puts me in my happy place!

African Cottage
133 Nicholson St, Footscray (map)
Phone: 9687 8091
Hours: 7 days 

Soy Ginger Pig Ears-Two Ways

PIG EARS

not for the faint of heart...

BUT, i can now say with pride that i have conquered "THE EAR"

i have no idea what got into me. i saw them and had to buy them. so glad i did. what an interesting, bizarre and surprisingly delicious part of the pig. if you're a little daring or just curious and up for a challenge, please do try this. the texture alone is so odd. the outside is kind of soft, gelatinous, but the inside is crunchy? it's just skin and cartilage. hmmmm....very indescribable. very different one might say. ..i'm probably not selling you on this yet, huh?...well, just trust me. you'll only be out a few bucks, they're cheap, you'll have alot of fun, good conversation and another foodie notch in you belt at the least.

oh...i remember now, it was an article in the food section of the LA Times that caught my eye. i thought if the newspaper was going to put a recipe out there for the masses then i better get right to it before it gets to be old news...passe...i'm sure you've already heard alot of talk about the whole "nose to tail" concept...well, i'm slowly but surely making head-way...pardon the pun...i had to say it. i can't help myself...shoot me.

i found these at one of my favorite Mexican markets. you'll see them alot in Asian markets as well, but they are usually pre-sliced and don't have the extra chunk of meat these do at the base of the ear (quite possibly the best bite). i'm sure if you are near an Asian market, my favorite is 99 Ranch Market, they would butcher some any way you like. just look for what you think looks fresh (start by checking the date)...throw caution to the wind and buy a few.

i purchased 4 ears because i knew i would be trying a few different preparations. 2 ears would be fine for a 1st time ear eater. i was eatin' ears for a week because, of course, no one i knew was even the slightest bit interested in my little experiment...fasinated...intrigued...shocked and bewildered, but i definitely had NO TAKERS.

i decided to try 2 different preparations. the 1st photo and the small one to the right is braised, glazed and BBQ'd. deeelish!, but, i must say the ears were a bit unruly on the grill. they wanted to stick and char. i tried to skewer them whole to make them flat so that the grill would hit more surface. you should have seen my innovative skewering technique...i guess it worked, but next time i think i'll slice them, then grill them. there WILL be a next time.

below i sauteed the sliced ears with bacon..ooooh, now that was good. not too much to say about that recipe, just cook your bacon about 2/3 of the way then add in the sliced pig ears and continue cooking untill they look like they are crisping up a bit. use your judgement. serve plain as an appitizer or a side. i enjoyed it with a quick spicy slaw.

SOY GINGER PIG EARS

below is the initial ear cooking method i adapted from Gourmet Magazine Sept 2009. if you would like the full recipe click here for Thai Pigs' Ear Salad
Serves6 (side dish)
Active time:20 min. Start to finish:4 hr
September 2009
food editor Andrea Albin came up with this dish starring pigs’ ears;Braising the ears slowly in a robust brew of soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and garlic brings out their tender side. Hold on to the braising broth and add it to sauces or stocks for an instant boost of flavor (as it cools, the broth will thicken considerably because of its high gelatin content).

FOR PIG EARS

1 lb pigs’ ears
8 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup sliced ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, smashed
3 cilantro sprigs
1 fresh Thai chile, halved lengthwise (i used jalapeno)

Cook Pigs’ Ears:
•Shave any hair off of pigs’ ears with a razor. YIKES !!!... IMPORTANT NOTE: when i'm cooking odd body parts or things from open stock markets, i like to put the said parts in boiling water for about 5 minutes, drain and rinse. this makes me feel better about any bacteria or cross contamination that might be present. now you're ready....Transfer to a 3-qt heavy pot (or larger) with remaining ingredients and simmer, partially covered, until ears are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
•Cool ears to room temperature in liquid, then drain (reserve liquid for another use)

Carefully remove the ears from the broth, place them on a parchment paper-lined plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. if you are not using them all keep them in the cooking liquid in the fridge. Save the flavorful broth for a yummy Asian flavor stock. Once braised pig ears have been chilled, they can be tightly wrapped in plastic and frozen until ready to use. i kept mine suspended in the gelatinous broth (completely covered)and used as needed for the week.

NOW WHAT ?

#1...let me reiterate that refrigeration is key. these things are quite flubbery (for lack of a better word) and unwieldy when first out of the braise. once they are cooled they are much easier to handle and slice for any preparation you choose. now they are ready to take on any flavors hot or cold...they are even good as is , but 1st timers might need a little something more to disguise the wierd factor.

PIG EAR SAUTEED with BACON

this part was adapted from the LA Times article by Russ Parsons and is great served as an appetizer or over a spicy slaw as shown in photos

Cut the bacon crosswise into thin strips and cook in a skillet over medium heat. Cut the pig ear into similarly sized strips (cut the ear lengthwise into halves or thirds, then slice crosswise into thin strips). When the bacon is almost done, about 10 minutes, add the pig ear and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon has finished browning, about 3 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and pig ear slices to a medium bowl, draining well and reserving the fat. keep the fat if you are interested in using it for a dressing as suggested in the LA Times recipe. i just threw together a fresh light slaw using olive oil and lime juice with jalapeno and cilantro.

QUICK EDIT...today is the forth and you know i'll be lighting up the BBQ with some baby back ribs, but i think i'll run out right now and pick up a few ears. i told you there would be a next time. ...done, i bought SIX!

another quick note if you make it down this far...

remember i mentioned the extra meaty skin part at the base of the ear (shown at the forfront of the pic above...well, i glazed that with some Soy Vay-Hoisin Garlic sauce and threw it in the oven at about 450 with a watchful eye, turning as necessary. when they started to snap crackle and pop i took them out to cool. these could have been the best bites ever! a little fatty, a little moist meat with some crispy glazed skin and just a hint of crunchy cartilidge. i know you think i'm crazy, but i even got my mother to try this bite. she won't admit to it now, but i know she is a secret Pig Parts Lover.

9 Stir Fry Secrets from Grace Young

Are you a stir fraud? Do you stir fry or do you stir faux? During a recent taping of You're Doing It All Wrong for Chow, I learned I was making some pretty big mistakes when it comes to stir frying hence my less than stellar results. The video is not quite ready yet, but to tide you over, here's what I learned from stir fry master and cookbook author Grace Young. Her latest book, Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge is out now.



* Use a 14-inch wok. Other sizes are too small to cook enough food or too large to heat properly on a typical home range. Find a carbon steel flat bottom wok. RESIST the urge to use a non-stick wok! It cannot be heated high enough to give you good results. If you must, use a 12-inch skillet. But again, not non-stick!

* When you marinate meat for stir frying, which only takes five minutes, add a little bit of oil.

* Use a high smoke point oil such as peanut, canola, grapeseed. Grace said rice bran oil is good too and that's generally what I have on hand.

* Hot pan, cold oil! Do not add the oil to your wok until it is hot, hot, hot! Otherwise the food will stick, stick, stick.

* Use the highest heat possible!

* To get good caramelization, spread out the meat and really let it sear before stirring.

* Stir fry the meat only until it's 3/4 of the way done before removing it and adding the vegetables.

* Be sure vegetables are good and dry when they go in the wok.

* Don't crowd the pan! The amount of vegetables will vary depending on the type, but a rule of thumb is no more than 3/4 of a pound meat and maximum 4 cups vegetables.

But you want to know the most important thing I learned? You can make a better stir fry at home than you can get in a restaurant. Really. According to Grace, you are much more likely to use higher quality ingredients than your local Chinese restaurant. And if you do it right, your results should be better.

My thanks to Chow and Grace for inviting me to the taping. I'm only sorry I couldn't stay for lunch!



More tips on stir frying from Grace on Culinate

TOFU SATAY with PEANUT SAUCE

TOFU SATAY with PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE...

i never thought i'd see the day that i could honestly say...I LOVE TOFU !

well, i'm not really that in love with it...i am a pork lover that's for sure. if you can wrap it in bacon or cook it with duck fat i'm all over it. hey...i think the next tofu creation/experiment will have to be confit tofu wrapped in bacon...hmmmmm good idea, i might try that this weekend. but seriously, i do really like this recipe. if you're a little unsure about the tofu try it with chicken, i did and it was super fabulous. friends told me it was one of their favorites and demanded the recipe.

SATAY MARINADE

i found this while googling around for recipes with TOFU. i guess Daring cooks took on the satay challenge a while back and i came across this great idea from a fellow blogger... Mango & Tomato. i've always loved satay with it's yummy peanut dipping sauce so this seemed like a safe way to break into the world of TOFU

below is just the satay marinade recipe i found at Mango & Tomato. i'm sure her peanut sauce is fabulous, but i used another due to ingredients on hand. the one i made turned out incredibly finger lickin' good.

SATAY MARINADE
1/2 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cm piece of ginger
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Directions
1. Puree all ingredients in the food processor (how easy is that?).
2. Marinade cubed tofu covered for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Saute the tofu on all sides till golden brown (I used coconut oil).

i only used 1 block of tofu, but this is enough for 2

if using chicken (1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless) cut in large cubes

i sauteed the tofu

i skewered and grilled the chicken

tip for chicken...wrap in foil as soon as it's just done to keep in moisture)

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

found here at Recipekitchen

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy (i used 1/4 creamy and 1/4 chunky)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbl. lemon juice
2 Tbl. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground ginger (i added a little grated fresh ginger as well)
1/2 tsp. red pepper, crushed flakes

heat all ingredients in a sauce pan on low-medium heat. stir well about 5 minutes so all flavors will meld. add more water if it's too thick. it will thicken as it cools so if serving at room temp. be aware of this. the sauce saves well for leftovers. just give it a stir and a reheat.

to my amazement the tofu held up quite well the following day. good as new with a quick microwave (don't over nuke)..quite resilient i must say.

i will definitely be making this again, with both TOFU (in the fridge right now) and with Chicken. it's easy and a sure bet for Satay lovers. keep the recipe out because you'll be asked for it i'm sure.

Dosa Hut

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "Family Meal Deal"?  Some sort of high-fat, high-salt junk food "treat", no doubt, marketed by fast food companies as every mother's dream "night off."  For the record, this mother's idea of a night off is cocktails at Madame Brussels and associated debauchery, not a bloody variety bucket.  However, I could be tempted with Dosa Hut's "Family Biryani Meal Deal," a mammoth pot of biryani proudly advertised on this little restaurant's front window.  McDonalds, watch your back!

Dosa Hut, bolted on to the end of West Footscray's Barkly Village, have a staggering menu of South Indian treats.  Choose from idli (UFO-shaped rice flour cakes), vada (crispy lentil flour doughnuts), or dosa (huge, paper-thin crepes made from fermented rice & lentil flours).  If you are used to the familiar equation, Indian = butter chicken and rogan josh, it might come as a bit of a shock to find no curries on the menu at all!

Masala dosa is one of my favourite foods of all time.  The dosa is paper-thin and crispy, yet pliable enough to form a long cigar shape.  Dosa Hut has a plethora of fillings - choose from egg, lamb, cheese, or even chocolate!  To decipher the menu, "kal" dosa is one that is somewhat softer than normal, "podi" has a spicy powder, and "rava" is made from semolina.  "Masala dosa" means that the dosa will conceal a dry-style potato curry, spiced with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds.

Masala Combo, $9.95

Concealed within the folded dosa, Dosa Hut's potato curry was excellent, heavy on the delicious ghee and bursting with fresh spice flavours.  It also came with a vada or lentil doughnut, which I usually avoid as in my experience they have a poor unhealthy-to-delicious ratio.  This one was really good though, springy inside and crispy outside, perfect for mopping up the creamy coconut chutney.  The little tower on the right is upma, a kind of savoury, wet, couscous-type dish mixed with whole spices and tomato.  Unfortunately, Dosa Hut let itself down on the sambar, the spicy, thin soup that is so beloved in South India.  This version was too watery and lacked punch.

Goat biryani, $9.50

I normally avoid biryani, as it often tastes to me like nothing more than gluggy, oily fried rice.  Not so Dosa Hut's version.  Each impossibly long grain of basmati rice was separate and stained a multitude of hues from spices and saffron.  Within the pyramid of biryani lay nuggets of excellent, tender goat, redolent with cardamom.  It came with very thin, so-so raita and an interesting peanut sauce.  Be warned, though - it is chilli-hot and probably not great for kids.

So, fellow parents, when nothing seems to be going right and you want a night (or goddamit, a whole day) off, take the family to Dosa Hut.  They won't care if you make a mess, and if you have guiltily left the kids in the care of the one-eyed babysitter (the TV) all afternoon, you can assuage some guilt by combining craft time with dinner time:

 
Dosa Hut
604 Barkly St, West Footscray (map)
Phone: 9687 0171
Hours: 11am-11pm, 7 days