SHOPPING AND LOOKING

I made a visit to Bangsar Village yesterday because I knew that with Christmas around the corner I'd be able to get glimpses of some very pretty things at the foyer of the complex. And so I did.

I didn't feel very comfortable clicking freely away with my point and shoot so each time before I did I asked for permission and believe it or not some of them did not allow me to take pictures of the stuff they were selling!! Flabbergasting don't you think?

However here are some of the things that I did get pictures of.

Lace, duvet covers, embroidery, table cloths, cushion covers from China and Vietnam. Those from Vietnam are a little cheaper and are hand sewn and very very pretty. I swooned but did not buy any. Shopping for lace wasn't on my list. If it's on yours be ready to spend not less than a few hundred before coming home happy and contented.



Aren't they beautiful? Tea cosies with the typical green and red of Christmas colours. I do wonder how many people use tea cosies these days? I love them but don't use them although I do remember that my mother used to use them about a century ago :). But beautiful nonetheless and it really wouldn't hurt to use them more often again. But then how many people sit down with the family to have tea at four o'clock these days what with traffic jams and the fact that no husbands or children would be home at that ungodly hour! And needless to say the ubiquitous enclaves of kopitiams and mamak shops are constantly beckoning us with ready made treats in their chatty, yet torpid atmosphere typical of a sunny, humid and tropical country.



This little piece was something I bought and have had for years. I was more intrigued by its purpose when I had bought it and I knew that I would never ever use it. Believe it or not it is a sandwich cover!




Yes it is. What you would do was to make a few, and I really mean FEW sandwiches and put them in the middle and the wrap them up like so in the following picture. And there you have a pretty display of a sandwich cover with the sandwiches inside. A novel idea really and it will certainly keep the sandwiches moist. But unfortunately I was thinking of stains and how it would only serve at most two people although very prettily. I have never used it because I can't imagine my husband and I sitting down to a 'feast' of three of four dainty sandwiches as opposed to two plates of rice. And the STAINS! So what I have done with it now is to throw it over one of my lampshades. It works and I'm a happy woman.



I walked into The House of Presentation and these were what caught my eye. I asked for permission to take some pictures for my blog and the lady in charge seemed hesitant at first and asked if I was going to sell them! Actually I would rather buy them. But I didn't of course because a set of those four pretty plates in a very pretty box would make me poorer by 148 ringgit. Besides I have enough collection of plates that I have yet to hang up on a wall somewhere in my house. But that did not stop me from thinking about buying them though.



Right next to those pretty plates were a box of matching cups and saucers. What else! These pretty things costs 208 ringgit. I suppose they weren't that expensive because I have seen some plates and cups and saucers that could blow your credit cards away for good (Somehow Ikea seems tempting now). So I must say that they were reasonably priced. They were not too much on the higher end and quite affordable to many I suppose.



I turned around and these were what I saw! So pretty and dainty were the tiered plates that I fingered them. I believe they cost around a hundred ringgit or more. Didn't buy them though.



Who wouldn't want a set of pots and pans like these? Tell me. Nope, didn't bother to check out the prices.



Back out into the foyer I saw these very Christmassy plates that costs 20 ringgit each. Love the colours and great for gifts.



Some more christmassy salt and pepper shakers. Would have bought them if the attendent did not chase me away for taking pictures! He probably saved me about 50 ringgit. Or was it 80 ringgit? Thank you very much.



Some more Christmassy stuff. Candle holders and flower pots? I just love the red. I just thought the shapes of the flower pots were very pretty. I realise now that I like anything scalloped.



Dropped in at the Khazanah stall. And I saw these lovely lamps. Very Alladin-like but to consider buying them did not cross my mind so unfortunately I did not check out the price. But they are beautiful aren't they?



Turquoise is soo middle eastern and I just love the colour of these thingys. I suppose they are candle holders or something of that sort. Dust magnets. That was what came to mind but I took a picture anyway because they were very attractive.



Necklaces. Beautiful and exotic. Wouldn't wear them myself because it would just take too much work and effort to mix and match. But lovely aren't they?



THEN I went to do what I always do. Grocery shopping. I dropped in at the Village Grocer Supermarket and since I seldom go there to do my not so weekly shopping I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all I stumbled upon a satisfying variety of whipped cream of which some were very reasonably priced. I bought the cheapest at 12.90 I think. It was dairy cream and not a vegetable product. These are what they had and I happily clicked away. So for those of you who are looking for whipping cream (dairy) at reasonable prices this is the place.



This is also the only place that I have seen extracts in these variety. Pure vanilla extracts, peppermint extract, orange and lemon extract and imitation rum. A little pricey of course so if you really want original vanilla essence go buy the vanilla beans at a bakery supply store. Much cheaper and more authentic I believe. But imitation flavours are available here as you can see. Imitation rum. Wonder if they will pass a fatwa on that?



Some more flavours! For lazy bakers.



Then I came across these. This is the ONLY place where I have seen these. I mean I've seen Betty Crocker's chocolate cakes and brownies etc but not pie crusts. Not that I need to buy them but it just goes to show that one can get lots of things here where you can't find in other supermarkets even in KL. As far as I know. Pricey aren't they? If you were to make them yourself it would probably cost a third of what you have to pay for here.



Button mushrooms at 28.50 per kilo. Quite reasonable but if you want to get it at a cheaper price go to the Taman Tun Pasar Besar. It will cost you only 20 ringgit per kilo at a certain stall! TTDI Pasar Besar here I come!

BREAD PUDDING

This recipe is specially for my daughter's friend Lyn upon her request. It's is one of the easiest desserts to make and it is very yummy. It can be eaten as it is or with a poured custard. We at home prefer eating it as it is.

4 slices of day old bread
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups full cream milk
3/4 cup castor sugar or according to taste
1 tspn vanilla essence
some butter

Grease an oven proof baking dish of about 1.2 liter capacity.

Slice the bread diagonally so that you get 8 triangles. This is not a rule but rather an option. You can slice it anyway you want or not at all. Butter the slices on one side and then arrange them in the greased dish anyway you like. Make sure that they are spread out though.

Break eggs into a large bowl. Add sugar and beat just until sugar dissolves. Do beat too much as you do not want the mixture to foam up. Pour int he milk and mix well again. Add a pinch of salt if you like and the vanilla essence. Stir.

Pour the egg mixture ontothe bread pieces in the baking dish and press down the bread if necessary to ensure that they are all covered by the milk. Let stand for about fifteen minutes to allow the bread to completely soak into the milk.

Bake at 180 C for about an hour or until the pudding is fairly firm to the touch.

Serve hot or cold with or without pouring custard. We like it cold....

..this reminds me of a nursery rhyme that I used to rattle off as a child...

Pease porridge hot
Pease porridge cold
Pease porridge in the pot
Nine days old
Some like it hot
Some like it cold
Some like in the pot
Nine days old

TIP : Bread pudding wouldn't last nine days

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

Ganache-Ganache and Terri from A Daily Obsession just tagged me and I'm supposed to reveal seven things about myself. Well here goes ........

I enjoy a good laugh because I think a person can't ever be complete without a good sense of humour.

I often wonder which is better. Reveling in the freedom of being unknown or suffering the confinement and scrutiny for the sake of 'famousity'.

I have reached a stage where I can walk into a household department, clothing store and a shoe shop and not buy anything.

I am a fast walker. So fast that my children can't keep up with me. I think each of my five children are beautiful, wonderful and special.

Inspite of having a food blog I'm still asking myself "What shall I cook today?". Everyday.

I have a deep and high regard for those who have willingly chosen nursing as a career knowing full well what they are in for and for their desire to care and to nurse. They are a different breed of human beings altogether and they deserve much admiration and a deep respect.

I reward myself at every excuse with a bar of chocolate. Love chocolates and ice cream.

I don't know very many food bloggers too well yet but what better way to get to know them I suppose. So most of whom I'm tagging here will be surprised.... but nicely surprised I hope!

Juli of Joyluck Kitchen
ICOOK4FUN of Kitchen Snippets
Chef E of Behind the Wheel Chef
Nate-n-Annie of House of Annie
Lydia of Mykitch3n
Julietilsner of Bad Homecooking
Audrey of Audrey Cooks

Rules! Always the rules...

Link my blog (tagger) on your blog.
Give seven facts about yourself.
Tag another seven bloggers by leaving a comment on their blogs and letting them know that they have been tagged.
List them on your blog.

STEAMED COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Ahhh.....I have been drooling over this recipe for years. Been looking at the pictures in the Taiwanese recipe book that I stumbled upon some years ago while in Taiwan and I have been pushing myself to Just Do It. Finally.... I did do it.

I suppose the only reason that I never brought myself to try out the recipe was because I knew that I could not get the perfect shredded coconut.

I believe for any sweet dessert that requires shredded coconut as an ingredient it is crucial that the shredded coconut kernel is coarse as in sweet, long, flaky and juicy strands that spell crunch and oozes a juicy sugary sweetness at very bite. That is my idea of a coconut filled dessert. I have no desire to work up the energy to bite into a sweet coconut filling that feels like a boring and flat sugary paste without interest, texture or life.

Then one day when I was at a bakery supply store which is constantly run by a staff of employees who practically scream "take it or leave it" into your face I stumbled upon a large packet of flaky coconut strands. With my hands wrapped tightly around the large dense packet I looked up into the heavens and thought that perhaps it was meant to be.

Coconut layer cakes here I come. I was ecstatic.

I thought it strange though that it was labeled Hawaiin Coconut Flakes. I sniggered and for a moment wondered quite naively why on earth did we have to import coconut all the way from Hawaii when the availability of nuts in Malaysia abound beyond needs and dimensions. Then I figured it out. We needed the word Hawaiin to make it mysterious and exotic and EXPENSIVE. Ten ringgit for a 500 gm packet of grated coconut! While thanking heaven though I meekly paid the amount to the horrible cashier and left.

The recipe called for candied papaya shreds too as a topping.

I forgo-ed that and used chopped glaced cherries instead. It was a mistake because the red of the cherries smeared the top and made the cake look quite messed up leaving stains of red where the pieces of cherries had fallen off. But the 'Hawaiin' Coconut Flakes more than made up for it and it was indeed heaven that I bit into.

Imagine squelching into a soft-puffy-pillow of steamed white bread layered with juicy-buttered-candied coconut flakes in your mouth.

Imagine.



The Dough :

6 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
13/4 warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp shortening

In a bowl dissslove the sugar in warm water and then add the yeast. Let it stand until the yeast froths. I used instant yeast granules but followed the instructions anyway.

Sift flour into a bowl. Add the shortening and rub it in until it becomes the texture of fine braedcrumbs. Add the frothed yeast mixture and bring the dough together and knead with the heels of your hand.

If dry add water by wetting your hands or if too wet add flour. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a large greased bowl and allow to rise unti it has trippled in bulk.

You can knead it again for 5 minutes and let it rise again or you can use it straight away. I let it rise a second time because Iwas watching something on tv.

Filling :

11/2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 melted butter

I actually ended up doubling the filling recipe because I ran out of filling for the second batch or thought that it wasn't enough to make it really yummy and moist.

Melt the butter in a pan. Stir in the coconut flakes and icing sugar. YUM! Oh ..divide the filling into 8 portions.

Construction :

Divide the dough into two. Roll out each half to a rectangle 16" by 6". I thought that 6 inches was a little narrow so I rolled it out a little broader. I suppose what should be the guide line is the thickness of the dough. The dough should be rolled out reasonably thin so that you do not get thick layers of bread and thin layers of coconut filling. The first batch I made was a little thick on the bread so I thinned out the second batch a little more.

Once you have a rectangle, mentally divide the rectangular dough into three parts and spread one portion of the filling on teh centre of the dough. Fold the left side over the midle portion and spread the filling. Fole the right side over.

Turn the folded dough to a horinzontal position and repeat teh rolling and folding process one more time. Then roll out the strip to an 8 inch square shape. Make the other half in the same manner. You can top it with the candied papaya/paw paw or with just some plain shredded coconut . I prefer the latter.

Prepare a bamboo steamer that has two tiers. On each tier lay a clean damp dish cloth and place the prepared square dough on each. It is obvious that one square will be ready before the next so you should place the first square first and let it rise for exactly 30 minutes. About ten minutes before the thirty minutes is up bring the water in the steamer pot to a rolling boil. Steam the bread for thirty minutes. Do not open the lid in between or the bread will fall.

Do the same for both halves. Remove the damp cloth from under the bread as soon as you can before it sticks to the bottom of the bread. Allow it to cool slightly. Slice and serve.

TIP : Do not let the prepared bread rise for more than 30 minutes or the dough will fall.

TIP :Always steam bread over boiling water, over high heat; otherwise the snack will be doughy.

TIP : When rolling out the dough do not knead it before rolling because it will cause the dough to be too elastic to roll out well or thinly. Just press down very lightly for a second or two and then roll out immediately while the dough is still soft and spongy.

TIP : I personally prefer to use ordinary bread flour even for pau or other pau like bread snack/cakes like this one because I do not like the fineness of a pau that uses those very refined special Hongkong flour to achieve a very very soft air-like pau. It is too fine and it just crumbles in my mouth before I can even begin to have a good chew or wonder what I had just eaten. The rustic quality of a pau that uses ordinary bread flour is much more to my taste and I enjoy biting into it and in this case sinking my teeth into the buttery coconut flakes in between each layer.

Drool......I'm going to make this again very soon.