Mum's Experiments: Faux Tiramisu!

Mum saw this quick tip on making "Faux" Tiramisu on TV, and we tried it out!

It's really simple and easy to make! All you need is some full cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar and some chocolate swiss roll from your nearest cake shop. Just beat the full cream, mascarpone cheese and fine sugar until it becomes smooth and velvety, then layer it on top of slices of chocolate swiss roll. Alternate and finish with the cream layer. Chill and before serving, sprinkle some cocoa powder on top! Alcohol is optional.



Try to use a smaller container, or there won't be enough for multiple layers, like what happened in the picture above! You can see why it's called "Faux" Tiramisu. There's no coffee, egg or liqueur in it, but it's just so easy to make!

And I has fun making the cream! :D

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First Makan Session at Buono Pizzar Bar

My very first Makan Session with makansutra forum kakis at Buono Pizza Bar and Ristorante! Many thanks to Uncle Eslim for organising this makan session, and Uncle TTC, Ivan and everyone else for giving me and Mum such a warm welcome! :D

Assorted Pizzas
Loved the aromatic mushrooms on the thin-crust pizza. Quote Jeremy: There's always room for pizza! :P


Seafood Soup
Tomato-based seafood soup with a fresh prawn, some squid rings, a mussel and clams. Served with a slice of toast at the side.


Baby Spinach Salad with Feta Cheese, Mushrooms, Cherry tomatoes and Winagrette


Mediterranean Salad with Chicken, Eggplant, Bell peppers, Onions and Winagrette


Penne with Spinach, Home-made Sausages and Saffron
Mum was so happy she made a better choice of the Penne...Hur hur! Jeremy loved the sausages.


Seafood Ravioli
The sauce was tangy and decent (though it reminded me of the seafood soup), but we didn't quite like the filling.


Lamb in Red Wine and Rosemary Sauce
When it came out, everyone went "Horrors! The huge serving!" We thought it was pretty good; I didn't mind grabbing it and eating like a carnivore. Despite our tummies, we relished this course. :P


Semifreddo Italian Ice Cream Yoghurt (blueberry)
Everyone agreed the mango was better than the blueberry, and tiramisu couldn't make it. According to Jeremy, we have two stomachs: One for food, the other for desserts. According to Mum, we have three stomachs: One for food, one for desserts and one for wine.

I learnt to appreciate the aroma of wine last night, and I could still remember the dessert wine with rose petals which Mum absolutely loved. Picked up a few beefy tricks from Ivan, experimented with food photography, slept really late too! (HAHA!) Thanks for an enjoyable night, makankakis!

P.s. Hungrybear: Wish you were here! :)

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Experiment: Mentaiko Spaghetti 明太子スパゲチ

I recently got introduced to Japanese-influenced Italian dishes, such as Tofu Mentai and Mentaiko Spaghetti, so I decided to try my own! Here's how I made my Mentaiko Spaghetti!

Here's the Mentaiko before opening the sac! I used one sac for a serving of two.



Using Chubby Hubby's recipe as a basic guide, it turned out pretty good even though I substituted butter with chicken fat and left out the wine.

XY's Mentaiko Spaghetti Recipe
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 Sac Fresh Mentaiko
3 Tbsp Chicken Fat (less sat. fat than butter)
5 Tbsp Chicken Bones Stock (according to taste for smoothness of sauce)
1/2 Medium Onion
1/2 Tbsp Light Cream
2 Tsp Japanese Mayonnaise
Roasted Nori strips (for garnish)

2 servings of Spaghetti
Cooking Oil
Pinch of Salt

Method
1. First, cook the pasta. Boil a pot of water and add a little oil and salt. When it boils vigorously, add the uncooked pasta.

2. Let the pasta cook until al-dente. You can pick up a strand to test whether it is ready. Make a note of the timing so you can refer to it again next time.

3. When the pasta is ready, simply drain the water and let it rest for a while.

For the Sauce:
1. Carefully cut open Mentaiko sac and scoop out the Mentaiko with a metal spoon into a small bowl.

2. Blend the Onion slightly to get a thick paste.

3. Heat a pot on medium fire and add Chicken Fat. When it has heated up, add a little less than all of the onion paste you made and stir fry until fragrant.

4. Raise the fire to medium-high. Now add the stock and stir a while longer until it starts to be reduced.

5. Turn heat off and add Cream, Mentaiko and Mayonnaise. Stir well so everything is mixed.

6. To serve, simply heat up a pan and add the pasta and sauce. Stir and mix well then put it on a plate. Garnish with some Roasted Nori strips and serve it while it's hot!

Enjoy! :)

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Experiment: Beef Lasagna

A little experiment I've always wanted to make, but as you can see from the picture above, it didn't turn out very well. There wasn't enough cheese to cover the entire lasagna pasta, and it dried out when baked. Also kinda over-greased the baking tray... In the end my lovely aunt had the privilege of sharing this with me! :D *smiles innocently*

Ingredients:
-Tomato Sauce-
1 bottle of Chunky Tomato Puree
1/2 can Tomato Paste
1/2 large Onion
1 clove Garlic
1 tsp mixed Italian Spices/Herbs
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp "Less Salt" Chicken Stock
Pinch of Nutmeg
1/2 Bayleaf
100g Minced Beef
Salt to taste

Cook the tomato sauce as with Spaghetti Al Pomodoro recipe. Add the minced beef just after frying the onion/garlic blend and cook for about 2 minutes (or until slightly brown).

1. Lightly grease the baking tray and layer with tomato sauce. Preheat oven at about 180 degrees C.

2. Put a piece of lasagna pasta on, followed by a generous layer of Shredded Mozzalrella Cheese. (Cover the entire pasta!!)

3. Repeat this, adding layer by layer on the lasagna, ending with the cheese layer.

4. Sprinkle some Grated Parmesan Cheese on top if you like.

5. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, or until cooked. (Check with a fork) Let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.



This must be the worst "sinful" eat for its high sodium, phosphate and calcium content! If you're on the diet, go easy on the salt and cheese (Try low-sodium ones), and avoid taking more than 1/2 of the serving pictured above. Share it with your loved ones! (like I did, hehe..) If you're making this for others, go heavy on the cheese because it helps retain moisture and keep the pasta soft.

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Recipe: Spaghetti Pomodoro

My homemade Spaghetti Al Pomodoro

Blend onion and garlic together. Fry in olive oil. You may add minced beef (optional). Add canned tomato puree, paste and sauce. Simmer and add
bayleaf (foglia di alloro), nutmeg powder (noce moscata) and beef stock (you can add more spices/herbs). Add salt to taste. Simmer for half an hour on slow fire.

The rich red colour is really appetising, isn't it? The result of the recipe can really vary with the mixture and kind of puree/paste/sauce used. We had to experiment with different brands and mixtures. The best recipe was the one pictured, but unfortunately we forgot to record the mixture! ):




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