And for those whose weakness, handbags........

One step up from perfume, the handbag is also the most accessible item an ordinary working woman can afford from a very exclusive house. Status bags are a cheap thrill, comparatively speaking, for those who want business class but are living coach.

 I bake one instead......

Presenting my designer bag.

“Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor: For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich; and as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds, so honor peereth in the meanest habit” William Shakespeare.

This size of this cake is width 10 inch x height 5 1/2 inch x diameter 3 inch

Chocolate Mud Cake

375gm butter
300gm dark chocolate
3 cups castor sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp espresso
1 1/4 cup self raisin flour
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 large eggs

Ganache Coating
300 gm chocolate
100gm double cream
50 gm butter
1) Double boil the ganache ingredients until chocolate melt. Cool slightly and spread on cake.

1/  Add butter, dark chocolate, castor sugar, water, espresso together  in a pot cook in low heat until chocolate and sugar melt. Cool for 10 mins.
2/  Sift the two type of flour and cocoa power together, stir into the butter mixture and beat gently.
3/  Beat the egg lightly but do not injure your wrist.
4/  Add the eggs to the flour mixture and mix gently.

5/  Lined the 10 inch square cake pan with grease proof paper. Pour cake batter into cake pan and bake in pre heat oven at 170 deg c  for 1 1/4 hour hours or until cook.
6/  Leave the cake in the cake pan until completely cool.
7/  Remove grease proof paper, cut the cake into 3 pieces.
8/  Apply a thin layer of chocolate ganache in between each stack.
9/ Chilled in the fridge until chocolate set.

To make the handbag cake
Ready made white fondant 1 kg
Scissor
Knife
Basic fondant tools
Rolling pin
Tracing wheel
Wilton Christmas red coloring paste
Wilton green coloring paste
2 small paint brush ( soft type )
water as glue
Edible gold dust 18K

Roll 1/8 inch x 2 inch and loop 2 together to form into chain link. Make 21 pairs  plus 2 single rings and logo for the bag. Brush with a little tiny bit of water and use a dry brush and paint with edible gold dust.

Use red fondant  make a 1 inch leather strap and run 2 sewing lines on the side with a tracing wheel. Make 24piece.

Lay the chain link on the bag and thread the leather strap through it. Press lightly.

Pinch both end of the leather strap  and shoved into each link, press lightly.

Bake the cake 1 day a head. Cut the 10 inch cake into 3 pieces. 2 pieces cut 2 1/2inch  width x 2 inch height, 1 piece 2 1/2 inch x 1 inch height and stacked together. Apply a thin layer of chocolate ganche in between each tier. Coat the cake with chocolate ganache  and smooth it with a spatula. Chilled in the fridge until set.

 When you try this cake make sure husband  don't disturb.

Roll the fondant to 1/8 inch thick, run the tracing wheel on the fondant to make the quilt design.

You need 2 pieces of fondant for the front and back of the bag. While you wrap the cake with fondant, cover the top part of the cake with cling wrap to prevent chocolate stain all over the bag.

2nd part cover the side of the bag, make a 1/2 inch fold  as per picture to make it look slightly bulging.

Roll another piece for the top part of the bag, fold in 1/8 inch for all the four edges to make it look like the seams on the real bag. Remove the cling wrap. Covered the back of the bag about 2 1/2 inch and went up and over the front of the cake for the flap.

The front flap is about 3 inch. Pinch the edges of the fondant with your fingers.

Use the white fondant to make the bag logo and stick on  a 1 1/5 inch small flap. Glue with a little water just below the flap. 

Roll a 1/8 inch piping to seal the 4 corners of  the bag.

 

When a man meets catastrophe on the road, he looks in his purse, but a woman looks in her mirror.

The piping for the edge is completed.

Lastly lay the chain link and leather strap to the bag.

My bulging bag which it's full of cash.

Fondant Roses 

Roll the fondant to 1/8 inch thick and cut 8 pieces of tear drop shape and 1 piece of  oval shape. Press the edge of petal slightly to make it thinner.

Roll the oval shape petal to make the rose bud.

Wrap the 2nd piece of petal on the rose bud and the 3rd piece facing the 2nd piece petal.

Repeat the 4th and 5th piece and fold down the petal slightly to make it more realistic.

Attach the7th and 8th piece of petal and press firmly. Trim of  the excess fondant at the rose base.

My fondant rose.

Have a fabulous week ahead.

Pineapple Grilled Fish

This style of seafood dish compliments of my Canadian friend, Lee. He suggested to me how to grill fish he had tried before. When he went deep sea fishing and then camped on a deserted island, eating pineapples, he had this idea of what to do with the pineapple skins.
He says eat this will see moon rise half hour early, see shooting stars streaking across the sky.
Lee, thank you very much for this delicious and unique recipe.

Pineapple Grilled Fish

1 ( 500gm ) red snapper fish fillet or any other fish fillet
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp rum or ginger juice
2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp pineapple cube
1 big pineapple ( make sure it's very sweet )

Garnishing
1 bowl pineapple cubes - grill for 10 mins

1/  Wash fish fillet and pat dry with kitchen towel.
2/  Pound the 2 tbsp pineapple cube and squeeze out the juice, keep aside.
3/  Marinate the fish fillet with salt, pepper, rum/ginger juice, curry powder and pineapple juice.
4/  Cut the bark off the pineapple, 2 pieces for each piece of fillet.

 5/ Cut 4 pieces of pineapple bark, 1 bowl of pineapple cubes, few slices of pineapple. 

6/  Put the fish fillet on the pineapple bark. The juice from the pineapple bark marinate the fish with a tinge of sweetness summer flavor.

The pineapple infused the fish with a delicate sweetness and kept it moist and juicy. The enzymes in the pineapple also helped to tenderize the fish.

Pineapple is more than a delicious tropical fruits. It offer exciting health benefits that can help improve many people's quality of life.

7 /  Sandwich the fish fillet between 2 pieces of  pineapple bark and chilled in the fridge  for 1 hour.
8/  Grilled in the over for 10 mins, remove the upper piece pineapple bark, grill for 5 mins or until cook.Turn the fish fillet and grill for another 5 mins or until cook.
9/  You can use outdoor BBQ pit to grill the fish.

 10/  Serve with grilled pineapple cube and chilli sauce of your choice.

11/  Let's enjoy the pineapple grilled fish. Very yummy with a tinge of pineapple flavor.

Well, you all know what pineapple juice is also good for......Drinking a good glass of pineapple juice a couple of hours before the " aheeem deed"  might hear the sound of waves splashing to shore, see the moon come up. One way of letting hubby trying it sure to produce results......
9 months later...... don't blame me.



Pineapple Pudding
Serve 6

2 ounces fresh pineapple, chopped
2/3 cup superfine sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tbsp lime juice

1/  Process pineapple in a blender or food processor until pureed.
2/  Scrape the puree into a pan and add the superfine sugar; cook about 5 minutes until reduced by 1/3 (mixture should be thick, but not as thick as preserves so you can add a little water to thin out).
3/  Meanwhile, make the caramel by placing the granulated sugar in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat until the edges start to caramelize, shake pan, do not stir.

 Garnish this silky smooth pineapple pudding with grilled pineapple flowers.

4/  Remove from heat once all the sugar has dissolved and the sugar is golden brown.
5/  Carefully stir in the lime juice (it will sputter and spit).
6/  Divide the caramel among 6 ramekins and turn them so caramel distributes evenly.

7/  Preheat the oven to 180 degree C
8/  Stir the eggs into the cooled pineapple mixture; divide egg mixture evenly among the ramekins.
9/  Place ramekins in a roasting pan and pour warm water into the roasting pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins; cover with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes until set; let cool.
10/  Invert ramekins onto dessert plates (loosen sides with a knife, then place dessert plate over the ramekin and flip over). Serve warm or chill.

One spoon in the mouth.... I blink my eyes 3 times.....not only see stars but UFO. LOL

Very irresistible.... hard to stop eating. 

Enjoy this pineapple pudding and forget about Monday blues.

I'm submitting this posting to Foodie Friends Friday.  
 

Have a great week ahead.
Amelia

Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook

Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook. - Chinese proverb.

Rice is more than just a side dish -- it's one of the most important and widely consumed food staples in the world. For many cultures, it's not just a food, but a way of life. It's grown throughout the world, especially in Asia, with China as the leading producer.

You'll find that many classic dishes from around the globe are made with rice. Just think of Asian stir-fry recipes, Italian risotto, Spanish paella, Southern dirty rice, Japanese sushi and so much more.

When you're shopping for rice at the grocery store, you probably reach for the same box or bag every time. The rice you probably use most often is white rice, which is a long-grain rice that is polished down to remove the bran and germ, leaving just the white endosperm (the rice kernel).

But there's more to rice than just the standard white. Brown rice, which is gaining popularity, is considered whole grain, because it includes the bran and germ. But before we get into brown vs. white, you must know that rice comes in three types or sizes, long grain, medium grain, and short grain.

The Sizes Of Rice
Long grain is a classification for rice that is at least three times as long as it is wide. Think of long-grain white rice, like Carolina, or long-grain brown rice.

Basmati and Jasmine, popular in Indian and Thai cuisine, are also long-grain varieties. Medium grain rice is less than three times as long as it is wide.

Sushi, picture compliments from a friend.

Risotto rices, like Arborio, Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano are considered medium grain, but are sometimes lumped together with short grain. Short grain rice is less than twice as long as it is wide. Sushi rice is a good example of short-grain rice.

Cooking Rice
There are two other methods for cooking rice beyond the simple method mentioned above. Rice can also be cooked like pasta, in an abundant amount of water and then drained.


Or, as many Asian cuisines dictate, certain rice, like sticky rice or sushi rice, should be steamed, which involves placing the rice in a fine-mesh steamer basket over boiling water.

Cooking rice can be as simple as combining rice with double the amount of water and boiling it until tender. That works best for long-grain white rice, but other varieties can take longer to cook, or require less water.

Terrance rice fields of Indonesia.

Storing Rice
White rice can last many years, because the bran and germ are not intact. But brown rice and other whole-grain rices tend not to keep longer than 6 months. It's best to use whole-grain rices within 3 to 6 months. It's also a good idea to store the rice in a cool dry place, or better yet in your refrigerator or even freezer.

There is no place like home, and there's no cooking like a delightful home cooked meal in your own way.

Coconut rice and grilled pineapple with shrimps
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp butter
3 shallots - slice thinly
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 in ginger- slice thinly
4 cloves

Western style coconut rice

1/  Wash and drain jasmine rice.
2/  In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, saute shallots, garlic, cloves, ginger.  Stir fry until fragrant, about 5 mins.
3/  Add rice stirring to coat and lightly toast for 2 to 3 minutes.

You can enjoy a simple, delicious home cook gourmet meal with style.

4/  Stir in coconut milk, salt and bring to boil.
5/  Transfer to rice cooker or steamer. If use steaming method, steam for 25 mins.
6/  Fluff the rice, garnish with fried shallots and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

When baking follow directions. When cooking go by your own taste.

Sweet Sour Pineapple Shrimps
Ingredients for seasoning
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp rum
1/2 tsp pepper

500 g shrimps ( peeled and deveined )
4 o 6 slices of pineapple

Truly scrumptious and satisfying. 

1/  Remove the head of the shrimps in snapping motion. Discard the head.
2/  Pull the legs and shell from the shrimps. Leave the tip of the tails for presentation.
3/  Devein the shrimps. Using the small knife, cut along the outer edge of the shrimps.
4/  If you can see it, remove and discard the vein. If you cannot see the vein, don't bother with it. It won't cause any harm to your  health.

5/  Wash and pat dry. Season the shrimps with the seasoning ingredients for 2 to 4 hours. Chill in the fridge.
6/  Line the baking tray with aluminum foil. Arrange the shrimps on the tray and pour the seasoning sauce on top the shrimps. Grill over medium-high heat, turning once until shrimp are pink.
7/  Grill the pineapple until slightly charred.
8/  Serve coconut rice and sweet sour shrimps with grilled pineapple.

This shrimps dish taste awesome with tinge of sweetness, sour and paired it with coconut rice and grilled pineapple, it sure taste heavenly. I ate it, rolled my eyes 3 times, my mouth Ooooo.....YUMMYLICIOUS!

Rice field

Chicken pot pie cupcake
Pastry for cupcake ( make 10's )
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
7 tbsp butter - chill
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp honey

1/  Sift the flour together with baking powder.
2/  Cut the butter into small cubes, using your finger tips rub the butter with the flour until resembles bread
 crumbs.
3/  Add honey and milk and mix into a dough. Knead lightly for 2 min.
4/  Dust your working table with flour. Roll  the dough into rectangular shape about 5mm thick. Fold the top portion over the centre segment. Then fold the bottom segment up. Like a business letter. Make a half turn so that the opening edges on both ends face you and the first fold is on your right. Rest for 10 mins.

Chicken pot pie cupcake

5/  Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick, cut with a 3 inch cookies cutter and press the dough onto the muffin tray.
6/  Fill the pastry cup with 1 tbsp full chicken pot pie filling.
7/  Bake at 190 deg c for 20 to 25 mins or until pastry is slightly brown.
Note: If the bottom pastry is not brown, you can remove the cupcake from the muffin tray and line on a baking tray then bake for another 5mins. Enjoy while it's piping hot.

Chicken pot pie cupcake filling
1 piece chicken breast
1 (300gm) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp Herbs De Provence
1 small onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

I made this, I ate it and saw stars and birds singing. LOL

1/  Poached the chicken breast meat and diced into small cubes.
2/  In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs, onion and spices. Mix well. Chilled in fridge till ready to use.

One bite and mmmmm......enticing.

Overall I had an enjoyable and scrumptious home cook gourmet meal my own way.  Simple but flavorful.

Beautiful sunset rice field, picture compliments from my friend.

This post is link to Foodie Friends Friday host by Marly of This & That.

Have a fabulous week ahead and have fun. Cheers.
Amelia