Organic Leek & Potato Soup

The cold weather makes one crave for soup. And cold it definately is!
This soup was not too difficult to prepare, though slicing the leeks was akin to slicing onions.

Nevertheless, this was a good warm and hearty soup, so good that we don't have a photo of any of the soup. Gone before Mrs Kong could take a photo.

Great Brington

Mr Kong wanted a Sunday roast for lunch, so we made our way to the village of Great Brington, in Althorp, Northamptonshire.

For those who don't live in Northampton, Althorp is the ancestral home of the Spencer family, the late Princess Diana's family, since the 16th century. (To the Malaysian, this is probably the only significance of Althorp/Northampton!)

The village itself is beautiful, peaceful and its inhabitants extremely friendly.

We made our way to the local Fox & Hound, and found a delicious Sunday lunch menu.

Mr Kong had the Sunday roast.

And Mrs Kong had the vegetable lasagne.

The pub itself looked like most other English pubs, though its period features were quite well preserved.

It was clear that this was a local pub, where everyone knew each other - and it was clear that most people here were kind of posh (who would carry a mulberry handbag out for Sunday Lunch?) and of the hunting set. We received several curious glances of course, but more so friendly curiosity.

Mr Kong thought he spotted the late Princess Diana's aunt. Mrs Kong did not know she had an aunt. Hmmm, suspicious...

Of course, the surrounding countryside was beautiful, on this sunny winter's day.

Shewsbury Biscuits or Shewsbury Cakes

Don't really quite know what to make of this one. Perhaps this is a result of not having the right equipment. Unlike the shortbread, this recipe involves creaming the butter (rather than rubbing it into the flour). It also requires a 2.5 inch fluted cutter and a pastry brush, neither of which Mrs Kong owns!

Oh well, Mr Kong thought it tasted good. There are raisins in these. Makes great TV snacks.

A Tale of Two Fish Steaks

This is I, Mrs Kong blogging. We usually address ourselves in the third person, but for this blog, it probably is more appropriate if I did not.

Phing, my cousin, and I have recently started reminiscing about our late maternal grandmother and her wonderful cooking. I am sure everyone does of their grandmother, but believe me our po po was an exceptionally good cook.

Long before Shanghai emerged out of its communism age and resumed its position in the seat of capitalism (thus inspiring "Shanghai Tang", "Shanghai Chic" and a"Shanghainese restaurant" in every major city in the world), our grandmother had been whipping out Shanghainese dishes in her kitchen which left everyone quiet at the dinner table whilst trying to get more of everything on offer.

There would be fried Shanghainese nian gao for breakfast, a special tou chiang with maggi noodles for a snack before dinner, little sio ma cheh egg rolls, and the fish in a black sauce for dinner and Shanghainese wor tiea - just to name a few examples. And these dishes tasted like no other. I have tried to relive this culinary experience in several Shanghainese restaurants, including in Shanghai, but regret to report mere disappointment.

If she had lived this generation, she would be (ever so graceful in her silk cheongsams, stockings and velvety Bally Court shoes), the epitome of Shanghai Chic. However, Shanghai Chic would still fail to bring us the wonderful food she cooked for her children and grandchildren.

Thus my attempt at cooking this dish, and my queries into what makes a Really Good Cook. Phing dictated the ingredients to me, without any definite measurements or any ingredient or how it should look. In fact, if one had to write it down, we will probably only manage 2 long sentences, with very little guidance on how it should turn out: We nevertheless understood each other - this is all about how our po po cooks - no instructions, no ingredients list, no measurements. Her cooking involves a symphony of movements, and actions, and then a final taste. The final taste brings it all together (though this would also mean that if you did not know what it should taste like, then if won't come together).

Not helpful I know. I tried to replicate her fish in black sauce dish and thought of her whilst cooking it. I thought of the times I eyed this fish on the lazy susan, to check if there would be any more after I finished the mouthful I was chewing on. I thought of the left overs served cold. I thought of the times she and I stood next to the fridge, and her feeding me cold pieces of this fish with her fingers, whilst giving me a smile which said "don't tell anyone" but actually asking "hor cheh va?" (was that delicious?).

black halibut steaks - not the right kind but Northampton is famous for shoes and not fish!

I thought about the fish, the sauce and how it would feed two really hungry people for dinner. I thought about how the fish meat would break away in our mouths to give away that very special taste I remember so well.

Then I realised how she came to be such a Really Good Cook and (probably) why she was never able to teach anyone her techniques even though we'd beg her: It is because her cooking comes from a special place within her which she probably didn't think much of herself.

It came from her heart - the expression of unconditional love and the desire to be loved in return.

Sure, knowing fantabulous cooking techniques and dishes would help produce good food; knowing special recipes would impress. However, the Really Good Food comes from this special place - which explains why Really Good Food is known to feed the soul.

the result

This was the last dish Phing "sneaked" out of her just before she passed away. Her passing has left a huge void in our lives, our hearts and our bellies. But this is the cycle of life, to make room for many more Really Good Cooks and young ones to enjoy such food.

p/s: this also explains why I am always hungry.

Moist English Apple Cake

apples apples everywhere

I have to admit that this is not the best looking cake in the world. There wasn't a picture in the cook book, so Mrs Kong had in mind, a smooth, moist, apple cake, with the apples evenly distributed on the top of the cake. Instead, this emerged from the oven, with a strong scent of apples.

yummiieee!

A little ugly it may be, but it is a lovely moist and yummy apple cake! the top has a lovely moist layer of apples, which sort of combine with the sweet cake to give a delicious mouthful.

want some?

Mrs Kong's Shortbread Xmas Trees

On the weekend, we acquired a new member to Mrs Kong's baking team. Xmas Tree cookie cutter left the cushy confines of Abaxas cook store on St Giles Street, and ventured into the sweatshop labour environment of Mrs Kong's kitchen.

cookie cutter posing for the last time next to xmas lights

And it was put to work immediately; on another of Mary Berry's shortbread recipes, this time "A Very Special Shortbread". This recipe has slightly more flour and no semolina. Mrs Kong thought perhaps this would be the recipe for smaller cookies, rather than an entire shortbread tray (which was what the previous recipe was intended for).

The recipe started off fine, and this time, Mrs Kong made sure that the butter was cooler than before. It was a lot of flour and sugar relative to the butter, but it seemed ok. However, Mrs Kong soon found that the mixture would not dough. It was a little frustrating - with 45 minutes of light kneading, but still no dough! D**n it Mary Berry, I had to alter the recipe!! And it did dough up in the end. Since it has been altered, it should now be called Mrs Kong's Very Special Shortbread cookies, and not just Mary Berry's. Only fair! (Hah!)

Mrs Kong's xmas tree factory

before oven

all buttery smelling out of the oven

Unlike normal butter cookies (which according to Mrs Kong's godmother, involves melting the butter into the mixture), shortbread does require a lot of patience. It requires knowledge & experience of the shortbread mixture, and the exact time to stop rubbing and doughing up. It looks simple enough, but not something one can do without patience!

Just like any other thing in life really!

Teddybear pancakes ...

For breakfast today!!

teddy bear pile up.

disabled teddybear

Perfect Pizza

pizza prep - ed for oven. The white bits is not chicken though it looks like chicken.
Its mozzerella cheese!!

Right out of the oven

If it looks good, it tastes even better!

Tonight we had for dinner, Mr Kong's home made thin crust pizza with organic vegetables and ham - and it is superb! The thin crust is perfect, and if you have only ever tasted Dominos or Pizza Hut thin crust, you don't know what pizza heaven is!

Mr Kong has cracked it!!

Mrs Kong's shortbread for the day

The Characters, lead role: Butter

Mary Berry describes this recipe as "The Very Best Shortbread". So quite as expected, Mrs Kong was very excited about trying this recipe out. In addition, the recipe itself did not look all that difficult. As Mary Berry herself describes in this section (on biscuits and shortbread) ... "none of the sinking fears attached to cake making are relevant to biscuits". Right what can go wrong then?

Mrs Kong first mixed the flour and semolina together in a bowl. Then the recipe required the butter and sugar to be added into the mixture, and mixed together in a food processor. Being the poor migrants we are, we don't own a food processor.

Mrs Kong then moved on to the other alternative which was to rub the butter in with ones fingertips. Mind you, it is not easy doing this, especially when one has to remain seated to avoid agravating a swollen ankle.

And so, after a few rubs, Mrs Kong realised that the butter should not be 'over - rubbed'. Yes, there is such a thing, except that (i) Mrs Kong realised too late; and (ii) it was not Mrs Kong who realised, but more so the voice in Mrs Kong's head - Of Mrs ONG, Mrs Kong's Sains Rumahtangga Teacher!! (Sains Rumahtangga = home economics)

This is how my teddy bear shortbread were suppose to turn out.

The got a little bit fatter in the oven.

So much so they look like cramped snowmen in a budget japanese hotel.

It looks more like a snowman huh?

Well, Mr Kong has had some and thinks they are ok.

There are subtle things in this recipe that Mary Berry fails to mention; there is a reason why most people still buy shortbread from the shops (rather than make it themselves). I suppose the only difference is if you bought your shortbread, you wouldn't have a flat smelling like warm butter, and butter(ry) fingerS!

Will we or will we not ...

have homemade short bread for tea this afternoon?

Whilst walking out of a well known designer outlet yesterday here in Northampton, Mrs Kong missed a step off the pavement, fell and twisted her ankle real bad! Its extremely painful slightly swollen now and at home resting. Its also incredibly bored. She can barely stand, but the boredom is even worse so it might just be internet shopping today!!

Mummy Kong would approve

Today, I took a long walk to our local wholefoods store, and bought brown rice! While picking up a packet of our regular brown rice, I noticed this packet with the wild rice mix. Of course I had to get a packet of that too.

Having had it for dinner, I have to say that it is not bad at all! Definitely better than plain brown rice. Mr Kong said it is a little crunchy but said no more.

Mummy Kong would be proud.

Cluster of Macaroons

I just had to post this picture!

This is what happens when you place the macaroons too close together on the baking tray!

And Yes, we have Macaroons this Afternoon

1 pm on a Sunday afternoon and Mrs Kong has managed to bag a packet of semolina for the macaroons Mrs Kong has been thinking about ever since Jaime, Mrs Kong's old university mate, mentioned that he had fallen in love with a particular brand of macaroons only to be found in London. Well, I can't say for sure that London is the only place you will be able to get such macaroons but its where Jaime eventually found them again - in Piccadilly, London, at GBP1 per macaroon.
Mrs Kong's macaroons will cost substantially less - the recipe to be found in "Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book (Over 200 Classic Recipes)" was not to difficult to start with. Its a fantastic book for typical English cakes and cookies, with lovely shiny pictures telling you what the result should look like.

The most difficult part of the recipe I found, was having to halve the blanched almonds. At first, I wondered how one halved almonds. No it is not to be expected that I should know - I only learned what blanched almonds looked like yesterday in the supermarket when I actually bought them. The first almond was a breeze. One split on its side and walah!! Then, it started to go wrong ... the subsequent almonds would not split! I had shavings of almonds but not halved almonds. Sigh! Maybe Sainsbury's should have halved the almonds before they blanched them and put them on their shelves! Don't have time for this!!

Other main ingredients: ground almonds, semolina, sugar and egg white. The recipe required for the egg yolks to be separated and put aside. So arguably macaroons are healthy .. only if you turn a blind eye to the 175g of sugar that goes in of course. I whisked the egg whites, folded in the sugar and semolina and ground almonds, and added the almond essence at the very end. No idea what it should have looked like, but really, how would a Chinese auntie like me know.

into the oven!

All in all, I thought the recipe to be quite simple and good. The only thing I would add of course, is that one should resist the urge to add in more than a few drops of almond essence. I added two lots of "a few drops" and had a moment of panic when I realised that it might come out smelling like marzipan!

out of the oven!

Well, thank goodness that it did not. Mr Kong, the one who hates marzipan and the only one here who has tasted macaroons before, has given it the thumbs up.

We need an Italian friend to taste these! (Konon nya Macaroons are from Italy!)

Will we or will we not ...

have Macaroons this afternoon?

Well, it would depend on whether Mrs Kong finds semolina at Morrisons (closest local supermarket to those who have not been to Northampton)!

Beans on Toast

"Beans-on-toast" is, to the English, what "Nasi Lemak from Peel Road Market on Sunday morning" is to Mrs Kong. Never stand between an English person and his/her beans and toast (like you should not with Mrs Kong and her Nasi Lemak). It could get ugly.

On this occasion, we have resorted to buying (and preparing for lunch) cans of a particular brand of baked beans - the ones that come in a green can! (and or relation to the last democrat leader in the US running for president then - we still might see him make a re-appearance I hear).

Making do without Nasi Lemak ... for now.

Sniffle cough cough

Its Cold & Flu season and very few have been spared. Sniffles and coughs, some worse than others. Mr and Mrs Kong have been hit, but are well on our way to recovery. Cold & flu = days off work. No wonder they were handing out free flu jabs at Mrs Kong's workplace.

More interesting posts coming soon.