Journey to Nara Park from Kyoto Station

Protected with wind breakers and umbrellas in hand,
we are ready to venture out in the rain!

It had been raining ever since we touched down in Kyoto. It was so wet that we need to bring umbrellas when we left the Hotel every morning.   Our walking shoes could no longer endure such wet condition, so we bought plastic or rubberized shoes and slippers, just to give our walking shoes a day break to dry.

When the weather changed to sunny on 11 August 2014, we decided to leave for Nara Park (Nara Deer Park). We started 9.30am from Kyoto Station, taking the JR Nara Line.  The journey should take about 35min, but we stopped at one of the stations for more than 20min because of some disruption in the railway line caused by Typhoon Halong the previous night! 

One English speaking Japanese told us that we could disembark here and walk 8 minutes to Okura Station to take the Kintetsu Line to continue our journey to Nara. One of the tourists took out his handphone and searched for the location of the station and he led us ( a group of 12) there. We soon realized that the traffic in the whole town was jammed up because of the held up of the train at the station!  The drivers on the streets were calm looking as if  they were used to such situation. No one attempted to sound a horn.

At Okura Station, we were allowed to  board the train without any tickets. We reached our destination just before lunch. Also, we were given a refund of our train tickets. After lunch Yee and Fong took the opportunity to cycle around the park while both of us took a stroll down to the park, scouting for some gifts on the way.

What are the chances that the right person to be at the right place and at the right time so that we could connect with him? 
This is God's Provision. 

Although our train journey to Nara was interrupted, God was with us, watching over us all the way.  He sent his angels to lead us so that we could reach our destination safely and timely.  

Why? 
Our God is good. 
He wants us to have a good and fun time in Nara. 
The refund of the train ticket was definitely his favour upon us.  

I want to thank Him for His goodness.  
He is a faithful God and He promise to be with us at all times, 
Praise Him.  

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Shortbread Cookies are well recieved 

by those who love the buttery taste cookies.

So, its butter taste depends 

on the choice of the brands

Traditionally, 

these are made in rectangle shape  

but Christine suggests using cookie cutters.

Ingredients:

120g butter, at room tenperature

40g pure icing sugar

150g cake flour

25g rice flour

1/8 tsp salt

Method:

1) sift flours together, add salt & mix well

2) cream butter until smooth

3) add sugar in 3 addition, cream until pale & fluffy

4) fold in flour in 3 batches

5) Do not overmix, use hand to knead into a dough

6) with a rolling pin, roll out into 0.6" rectangle dough

7) cover & refrigerate 1 hour or overnight

8) preheat oven to 150'C

9) remove dough from fridge, leave for 10 min to soften

10) roll out into 0.4" * cut into shapes

11)  bake on lined tray, in preheated oven for 25min

12) leave cookies in oven for another 10min after baking

13) may need to rotate pan while baking for even heating

BAKED CURRY PUFF

Have been contemplating for awhile to make Curry Puffs,

but having them deep fried

just put me off the idea

until I read li-shuan's recipe

www.li-shuan.blogspot.com/2012/07/curry-puff.html

Pastry:

250g all purpose flour

50g rice flour

50g tapioca flour

50g butter

50g oil

130ml icy cold water

pinch of salt

Filling:

350g potato, peeled & diced

1 large onion, diced

160g chicken breast, cut in small pieces

1 Tbsp curry paste (I used A1)

1 Tbsp cooking oil

some curry leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chicken powder

1 cup water

Method:

Filling:

1) heat up cooking oil in kuali, add onions and fry until fragrant

2) add potato & curry paste

3) add water to cook until potato is soften

4) add breast meat & the rest of the seasoning

5) cook until liquid is reduced

6) dish out to cool before using

Pastry:

1) sift 3 types of flour into a large bowl, set aside

2) in a small sauce pan. melt butter in cooking oil

3) pour hot oil over flours & mix until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs 

4) add in icy cold water, knead to form a soft dough

5) cover dough & leave in fridge for 30min

6) divide into 25g each & wrap filling

7) arrange on baking tray & apply egg wash

8) bake @ 180'C for 10min, turning and bake another 5 min 

Notes:

1) can use toaster oven to bake

2) can freeze the unbaked puffs until required

KETUPAT DAUN PALAS

A Malay Traditional Kuih

made during Hari Raya Puasa

Recipe adapted from: www.nasilemaklover.blogspot.com/2011/0//homemade-ketupat.daun-palas.html

Ingredients:

330g glutinous rice - soaked overnight

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 tsp salt

daun palas

Optional: beans of any kind - pre-cooked until soft

1 tsp salt to be added to the boiling water

Method:

1) steam rice with coconut milk & salt, until half cooked (20min)

2) fill ketupat pouch with half cooked rice

3) if beans are used, mix beans into rice

4) boil a pot of hot water enough to cover the ketupat

5) add 1 tsp salt to boilng water before putting in the ketupat

6) boil ketupat over low heat for 2 hours

7) drain and let cool before serving

FOOCHOW KAN BUAN

This is a popular breakfast in Sitiawan 

among the Foochow people

The noodles are made flat and dried in the sun

for easy storage

You can easily get them from the sundry shops

The Foochow in Sabah prefer white "kan buan"

without black soya sauce

Since now we have the Char siew, 

another important combination is the pickled garlic

Simply mince the garlic and pickle in vinegar

can be kept in fridge and last a long time

Kan Buan Mian

2 serving of dried noodle cook in boiling water

                  when soft, add cold water to stop cooking

                  remove drain the noodles

Sauce (combine all in a bowl)

2 tsp garlic oil

1 tsp black soya sauce

2 tsp soya sauce

pinch of sugar

pepper   

Method:

Pour sauce over the cooked noodle & mix well

Topped with fried minced garlic

Complete with few slices of char siew

and 2 tsp garlic vinegar by the side

Enjoy

EASY CHAR SIEW

After a full day in the office

feel like having some char siew 

for dinner?

If you have the pork marinated

you can cook in less than half an hour

No need to preheat the oven

the toaster oven can do the job

Want to try?

2 thin slices pork belly

Marinate:

3 tsp Char siew sauce

1/2 tsp red wine residue (for colour)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp soya sauce

Method:

1) marinate the pork belly & leave in fridge overnight

     until you want to roast

2) roast in toaster oven for 15min

3) turn & roast another 10-15min

     checking every 5min

     cover with aluminium foil the parts that start to burn

l

MACARONS

This is definitely for people with a sweet tooth

I have tried baking several times

but they just refused to stick their feet out!

With special thanks to Ru Jing, 

I finally got them standing on their feet!

Yet, to my disappointment, 
they refused to step out of their base!

"underbake?"

"to leave on the pan for 30min after baking?"

"use different type of grease proof paper?"

I will make the necessary adjustment & improvement soon.

BRAISED MEAT

"LU NUK" in Hock Chiew is braised pork.

This is one of my husband's favorite dish,
prepared by her mom.

Many of his siblings also missed this dish.

The preparation is time consuming 
but the end result is delicious!

You will like the thick and tasty gravy.

Ingredients:

1 chicken thigh (with skin on, mine removed by mistake)

1 piece pork belly

1 Tbsp oil

6 pips garlic 

few pepper seeds (crushed)
1 star anise

2 cloves

2 Tbsp sugar

dark soya sauce for colour

light soya sauce to taste

Method:

1) heat oil in kuali

2) add garlic, fry awhile

3) add chicken thigh and pork chunks

4) turning the pieces to brown the sides (to get the nice fragrant)
5) pour 1 cup of water round the sides of the kuali

6) add the rest of the ingredients

7) cover & simmer 

8) turn the pieces & add more water to make sure there is gravy (about 1 cup)

9) if the chopsticks can go through the meat it is cooked

10) slice the meat when cool to the touch.

SUGEE (SEMOLINA) CAKE

Like a dense butter cake?

Like a flavorful butter cake?

This is for you!

Its rich butter taste, 

the texture of  semolina and almond meals, 

all contribute to this wonderful cake.

Ingredients:
A) 250g butter
     180g castor sugar

B) 1/2 tsp vanilla
     120g semolina, pan fried on low heat until slightly brown
     120g ground almond, toasted
     50g superfine flour

C) 6 egg yolk AA size

D) 2 egg white AA size

Method:
1) cream butter & sugar until pale
2) add B into A, stir well and leave for 2 hours to soften the semolina
3) after 2 hours, preheat oven to 175'C
4) add egg yolk to mixture & leave aside
5) whisk egg white until soft peak
6) fold into mixture and mix well
7) pour into a 7" square pan and bake for 40min until done

BAKED CHEESY POTATO

This is indeed an easy dish to prepare as claimed by http://anncoojournal.com//2014/06/cheesy-potato.html

Ingredients:
250g skinned,cooked potato
15g butter
40g grated cheddar cheese
1/2 Tbsp plain flour
1/2 Tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp salt to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten

extra cheese for topping

Method:
1) mash hot potato with a fork
2) add the rest of the ingredients to mashed potato, mix well
3) scoop into a baking dish
4) sprinkle extra grated cheese on top
5) bake in preheated oven 180'C for 15-20min until brown
6) Enjoy while it is hot.

Hayley likes:
- to have some of the potato remain in chunks
- to add some cooked rice at the bottom