DACHSHUND

The first stuffed toy I made 5 years ago,

for my grandson, Ethan,

was a little Dachshund

which he still keeps with him in his bed.

Little children do love stuffed toys.

I made this second one (bigger than Ethan's one),

 for little Hannah who is 18 months old.

She loves cats, dogs and birds.

When our 4 daughters were young,

we had pets like tortoise, rabbits and dogs at home.

Dachshund, one of our pet dog, is light brown in colour.

It was given by my brother-in-law, Doa Ming when he and his family were residing in Ipoh.

Dachshund is a very smart dog so we gave him the name - 

SMARTEE

It was a playful dog which my children loved to play with.

He barked loudly 

and chased away cats and birds from the compound.

He would catch and bite snakes and bring it to the door to show us!

but then, 

my girls would be screaming away!

BARRY APEK KOPITIAM ROTI

  

Kopitiam Roti

is shared by Barry Apek

who takes pride in its soft and light texture.

The total weight of the final dough is about 565g

and just nice to fit into a 8"x4" loaf pan.

If soft & light bread is what you are looking for,

this is just the right recipe for you.

325g bread flour

25g sugar

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp yeast

200g water

20g shortening

1) all ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle 1.5 hours

2) shape dough into a single loaf or 3 small rolls to fit into a loaf pan

3) allow to proof to double its size, about 1 hour

4) bake in preheated oven 180'C for 40min

5) you may need to tent the bread towards the end of baking time.

LONGAN JELLY OREO CHEESE CAKE

My grandson Ethan likes Oreo Cheesecake.

He also likes Longan.

I have decided to bake this 

Longan Jelly Oreo Cheesecake for this Chinese New Year.

Base

130g Oreo biscuit crumbs

50g butter, melted

Cheese Filling

1 Tbsp gelatine

4 oz hot water

250g cream cheese

90g sugar & cream from Oreo biscuits

4 oz syrup

4 oz whipping cream

1. Combine biscuits crumbs & melted butter & press into the base of a 8” pan

2. Leave in freezer and start preparing the filling

3. Dissolve gelatine in 4 oz hot water, heat the mixture until it is clear

4. Leave to cool

5. Cream cheese and sugar until smooth, whip in cream & syrup

6. Add cooled gelatine mixture

7. Pour onto the cheesecake base, leave to set in fridge for 4 hours

Jelly

240ml syrup

100ml Water

1 Tbsp gelatine powder

1. Sprinkle gelatin over the water, stir to mix well

2. Heat the mixture and add syrup, and bring to boil

3. Leave to cool

4. Break the Longan in halves & arrange on the cheesecake

5. Pour the jelly over the Longan & leave in fridge to set

CLEAR BROTH

For Chinese Cooking,

many a time we need a clear soup base.

To mention the common one is

 'Buddha Jump Over The Wall' 

a Foochow Specialty which I have already posted earlier.

This is done simply by double boiling.

Bones, can be of chicken or pork,

add 

amount of water you require for cooking the dish

and 

double boil for 4-6 hours!

One peeled large onion may be added to enhance its flavour.

Done!

BREAD MACHINE MEAT FLOSS

A specialty 

enjoyed during Chinese New Year

and

As gifts to relatives and friends

This is a simple bread machine recipe 

which requires no fuss at all.

Bread machine Meat floss

400g meat, chicken or pork
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp Fish sauce
salt & pepper to taste
Knorr Aromat or chicken granules

Method:
1. boil meat until cook, let cool & shred into pieces
2. all ingredients into bread machine, JAM cycle
3. check on it every 20-30min to make sure it is evenly spread
4. floss is ready when cycle completes

Note:
I have prepared another version, in chunks!

 The meat is coarsely shredded & marinated before going into the bread maker.

Enjoy!

PEANUT PUFFS

Peanuts 

are popular during gatherings and get-together.

Skilful fingers of the olden days Chinese

 have their  peanuts roasted and

wrapped into sweet and crunchy little puffs.

These Kok Chai has passed down from generations.

These are definitely a traditional Chinese New Year Goodies,

still found in many homes

during this auspicious celebration.

It is a sign of abundance and wealth!

Filling:
to combine

100g peanuts, toasted & grounded
60g sugar

Dough

150g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

45g oil

50g water

1. combine salt and flour
2. mix in oil
3. add water slowly until the dough comes together, knead awhile
4. rest dough while preparing the rolling tools
5. divide dough into 24 parts & roll to flatten each ball
6. put a teaspoon filling into the dough & fold 1/2, sealing the edges
7. pinch the sides as if pleating
8. deep fry puffs, strain & store in air tight container.

SALTED DRIED CALAMANSI

Salted Dried Calamansi

fondly called
陳年咸桔

by moms and grandmothers alike.

It is precious to them because

 It is a natural remedy
for sore throat & throat irritation

and

also used to clear the heat from the body.

How to eat it?
Simply take out 1 or 2 salted calamansi,
tear into pieces,
and pour hot water over it.
Drink the water when it is cooled.

How to make it?
Refering to Desirable recipes:

Only 2 ingredients, calamansi and salt,
easy to combine them,
but it will take weeks to mature.

(1) Clean calamansi, snip away the stems & drain well

(2) pour calamansi into a pot of hot water (already removed from heat)

(3) stir the fruits

(4) once the colour of fruits turns dull, drain & let cool

(5) once cooled, place calamansi in a bottle, adding salt sparingly as shown,

      allow to stand for one night.

(6) next day, pour out the calamansi and salt, and spread on a stainless steel or glass pan

      to dry in the sun. Turning the fruits every day.

(7) It takes weeks for it to dry.
      I used a dehydrator to shorten the drying process.
(8) The calamansi should be dried and wrinkle before storing in a jar.

AH MA'S KIAM BAK

Ah Ma's Kiam Bak

A traditional dish loved by many.

Kiam Bak in Hokkien means salted meat!

As such, many refrain from it because they consider it unhealthy.

For health reasons, we have greatly reduced the amount of salt used.

Koay Ai Tih 

has this traditional recipe to share with us in Facebook,

"Ah Ma's Kiam Bak"

Method

1. clean 1 piece pork belly, whole

2. cook in boiling water for a few minutes until meat is set

3. rub salt on the meat & leave aside to for an hour or so

4. slice meat

5. pan fried with a little oil, until the meat pieces are dry & crispy

6. drain & serve

Note:

I have used less oil to pan fry, so the side is not be as crispy as Koya Ai Tih's.

Nevertheless, it still taste good.