the life of a me

Alcohol-free Tiramisu

2010-08-21T13:51:00.008+10:00

1st time i made this, I didn't know what to expect. It was for a bbq in the middle of autumn. Never made tiramisu before, and the most worrying part is I altered the original Gordon Ramsay's recipe which serves 4 to fit a casserole of mine, to serve about 20 :p And most importantly, to omit the brandy or tia maria. Would it still taste good? It turned out great, definitely a winner! Although it became quite soft, as i let it out of the fridge during the outdoor feast, and because it was originally meant to be served in dessert cups instead of cut-slices.

Over time, I added some more ingredients to perfect it and now I'm fully satisfied with the recipe. Oh yes, for my Muslim friends, the substitute of the alcohol is Orange Juice (read it somewhere). A cousin asked what did I put to give it the 'zingg!', and was surprised that it's orange juice!
Here's the recipe, easy and quick.

Serves 16-20 (1 casserole of abt 40cmx30cmx8cm)

Ingredients :
250g Mascarpone cheese at room temp)
600ml double cream
3 packs of 250g scotch fingers biscuits
Juice and zest of 1 orange
150ml hot black coffee (or 4 tbs full nescafe) - dissolve with 3 tbs sugar
4tbs sugar
5tbs corn flour
1tsp vanilla essence

Garnishing :
3 tbs cocoa powder
50g shaved cooking chocolate bar

Method:
1. Beat mascarpone cheese until smooth and fluffy.
2. Whisk double cream, orange juice and zest, sugar, vanilla essence and 2 tbs of the coffee. Fold the mixture to the cheese and beat over medium speed. Add corn flour 1tbs at a time. The mixture consistency should be like thick cream, not too runny. If you feel that it's too runny, add more corn flour.
4. Dip the biscuits into the coffee and arrange them inside the casserole, covering the whole bottom. Pour 1/3 of the cheese mixture to cover the biscuits. Repeat with 2 more layers of biscuits and cheese. You'll get 3 layers of each.
5. Put in the fridge for at least 4 hours. When the top cheese mixture is firm to the touch, it's ready to be served.
6. Dust the surface with cocoa powder and sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Cut into desired size and serve.

Enjoy this simple but heavenly "pick-me-up" and be sure to be asked for more! :)

Rezeki Ramadhan

2010-08-21T12:17:00.003+10:00

Alhamdulillah, baru-baru ni Allah bukakan pintu rezeki utk hambanya yang unemployed and super-bored dok melangu kat rumah je ni :p As we know, since moving down under, this housewife kena la mula masak hari2 for both of us. Firstly, because we can't afford to eat out everyday, then homesick makes us craving for all types of food you'd never find here and lastly, what's the point of having a housewife at home if she doesn't cook? Kan? :)

I've always been interested in cooking, but never really cook..haha. So, as we're here in our own house with our own kitchen, I got to experiment whatever I feel like. And I also enjoy guests dining at our place (even max boleh sumbat is just around 12-15 ppl.. :p).

Oleh kerana kawan2 dah tau of my passion ni, ada la diorang order dessert sikit2..Started with a tub of tiramisu for a friend's dad's birthday. Since kat sini all the tiramisu ada alcohol, so boleh la si chalizee jual her alcohol-free tiramisu kat kawan2 Melayu..hehe.

Then on the 1st week of Ramadhan, a friend called and asked if I could prepare some morreh cakes. Alamak, nak buat kuih apa ni? Bukannya pandai buat kuih2 Melayu. Sebab dah tak sempat nak eksperimen, so si chalizee pun buat la samosa kentang yang asalnya nak buat karipap pusing, tapi takut lambat. Lagi satu buat my always-in-the-house dessert, chocolate muffins. Sebabkan nak dapat feel Ramadhan, maka si chalizee pun tambah chopped dates dalam muffins tu and garnish with chocolate cream cheese frosting and whole dates potong 1/2 on top.

Tapi tak sempat nak snap any pics sebab fully occupied sampai la si peng'order' datang collect. InsyaAllah, kalau ada buat lagi (maybe dlm masa terdekat coz hubby dah hint2 kata sedap and dah habis pun baki order haritu), I'll add the pics ok?

Habis letih sehari suntuk berdiri kat dapur buat order tu, esoknya kawan yang order tiramisu tu msg and kata nak order chocolate cake, nak bawak ke housewarming supervisor dia. Alhamdulillah, rezeki jangan ditolak. Boleh beli kasut raya nanti..hihihi. Inilah hasilnya yang buat si tukang buat pun dok terliur je tgk. Daripada lepas subuh start masak, sebab kek tu kena totally cooled down before applying frosting. Nasib baik dah plan nak buka kat luar harini, takyah masak, so banyak la masa si chalizee nak eksperimen deco2 kek. :)

Chocolate banana cake ala Secret Recipe, tapi sorry tak boleh nak potong and tgk dalam sebab orang punya..hihi. You can find both the tiramisu and this cake's recipe in my Pots and Pans :) Cheers!

Happy Anniversary to me & Melbourne!

2010-08-18T15:21:00.004+10:00

Last Monday was noted as the 1st year of my residing down under, ikut kalendar Islam, 5 Ramadhan. Selalu terfikir, setahun bukan tempoh yang singkat, tapi kadang2 tak rasa lama. Wonder where have all the time gone? And the most important, what have I achieve?

Let's start with a week before the big departure. Bila DIAC call kata my visa has been approved (after quite some issues and running everywhere to get the approval), my heart leaped with unspoken happiness. I can finally reunite with Mr.Anden :) And so the preparation began. Clothing wasn't really one of them because dah di'warning' awal2, jangan bawak banyak sangat...hehe. But mostly on food, sebab utama, I'll be spending Aidilfitri in Australia. Baru2 sampai, so maybe terkapai2 lagi nak cari kedai itu dan ini, so bawaklah banyak2 stok benda yang Mr.Anden kata mahal kalau beli kat sini. i.e. cili kering,ikan bilis,rempah ratus ribu n so on and so forth.

Dalam proses packing tu, I was worried because suddenly the excitement seemed to fade. "Eh, kenapa dengan aku ni? Takkan dah tak chenta sama Mr.Anden? Choiii!!" hahaha..The mixed feeling continued for the whole week before the big departure. Truth is, I could not imagine living in a strange place. Sebelum ni pun, pernah pegi overseas untuk holiday and study trip. Macamana la gamaknya nak duduk sana beberapa tahun ye? Boleh ke teman ni? Boleh ke idak ke, sumbat2 la jugak baju n benda2 lain yang perlu.

Even on the night day of the departure pun, kadang2 masih x percaya. Frankly, langsung tak ada excitement macam selalu kalau nak pegi holiday, walaupun x pernah jejak lagi bumi kangaroo ni. Patutnya, mesti la seronok sangat kan? Takpelah, nanti lama2 hilang la kot, bila dah jumpa Mr.Anden mesti rasa best yang tak terhingga...kan?

Takyah cita la pasal moment2 nak berpisah dgn family tu, rosak pulak keyboard ni karang, banjir..hehe. The flight was scheduled at 1340, and alhamdulillah tak delay. Pergi berdua dengan mak mertua, buka posa dalam flight, makan Nasi Lemak Pak Hasan(kot) yang sedap tapi sikitnya..huhu..bedal cadbury seketul. Tido bangun tido bangun..last2 bila dah takleh tido..cuba2 on lappy. Sekali terus announcement "Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be landing in Tullamarine Airport in 20 minutes." Tutup lappy, pasang seatbelt and duduk diam2.

The scenery down through the window was typical city at night. At last, percaya or not, sampai la sudah ke Melbourne. Berdebor jugak la nak jumpa Mr.Anden..hehe..Terus ditanya, lapar ke? Uish..mesti! Maka, kebab Alasya jadi tujuan..itu je yang buka lewat2 malam. Sampai rumah..makan atas lantai, sedih betul. Sebabnya, rumah bersepah dan penuh barang2, tukar contract dengan kawan2 bujang Mr.Anden. "Eh..sedap gile kebab ni." Sampai sekarang, it think it's the best kebab I've tried so far.

Konon2 nya nak beli kebab kelmarin, reminiscing the nostalgic moment, tapi busy pulak. Takpela, esok2 kita beli celebrate anniversary. To Melbourne, Happy Anniversary, I'm still trying to love u, but Chintaku Tertinggal di Malaysia daa. :)

Onion French Toast with 4 Cheese

2010-07-15T15:37:00.004+10:00

Bored with the same old french toast style? Why not be a little bit more naughty today? There's some veges in this recipe though, and the breads are wholemeal, so don't feel too guilty! :p

Serves 2-3

Ingredients :
6 slices wholemeal bread
2 eggs - lightly beaten
1/2 onion - finely chopped
1 small carrot - grated
salt and pepper
2tbs mozzarella cheese
2tbs grated Parmesan cheese
2tbs grated Swiss cheese
2 slices processed cheese
butter, for frying

Method :
1. Preheat the oven to 160d celsius.
2. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Season egg mixture with salt and pepper.
3. Dip breads into egg mixture on 1 side and fry in pan until golden. Remove from pan.
4. Top cooked bread with onion, carrot and all the 4 cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for 5mins or until cheese has melted. Serve hot.

Quickie Curry Pizza

2010-07-15T14:32:00.008+10:00

This is where leftover from yesterday's curry puffs comes handy. Spicy curry topping for these individual pizzas changed the mood of any usual breakfast!

Serves 2-3

Curry topping
Ingredients :
2 large potatoes - peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
50g beef - diced
1/2 onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 chili - finely chopped
1tbs curry powder (mix with 4tbs water)
salt
1tbs oil
1/3 cup water

Method :
1. Preheat oil in a non stick pan. Fry the onion, garlic and chili until just sweating.
2. Add the curry powder mixture and cook for about 2-3 mins. Add beef and continue cooking for 3mins.
3. Add potatoes and water and let it simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender and gravy has almost dried.
4. Season with salt. Remove from pan and set aside.

Pizza
Ingredients :
6 slices wholemeal bread
6 tbs tomato sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (can be substituted with cheese slices)
Parmesan cheese - to garnish
Curry topping

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 160d celsius.
2. Spread 1tbs tomato sauce on 1 slice of bread and continue with the rest.
3. Spoon curry topping onto bread and top with mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake in the oven for 5mins or until cheese has melted.
5. Serve hot with sprinkles of Parmesan on top.

Spanish Omelette on Croutons

2010-07-14T12:33:00.025+10:00

Add a twist to your usual toast, omelette and baked beans breakfast with this dish. Bite-sized croutons make them easier to pop in! A scrumptious and filling brekkie served with a steaming cup of coffee, a great way to kick off the day!

Serves 2

Spanish Omelette

Ingredients :
4 eggs - lightly beaten
1 potato - peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
1/2 red onion - finely chopped
1/2 cup canned tuna
1/4 cup milk
4 tbs oil
salt and pepper

Method :
1. Heat 2 tbs oil in a heavy-based frying pan, add onion and potato. Cook until tender.
2. Transfer potato mixture into a bowl, add tuna, eggs and milk and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oven into 160d celcius.
4. Add remaining oil into pan, pour in omelette mixture. Cook over low heat until eggs just began to set on the surface. Place pan into the preheated oven for 3-4 mins or until top has brown.
5. Stand several minutes in a warm place. (Omelette will set more on standing)
6. Cut into wedges or desired shape.

Croutons

Ingredients :
4 slices wholemeal bread - cut into 2cm cubes
dash of onion salt - optional
dash of garlic salt - optional
1 tbs olive oil

Method :
1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
2. Spread bread mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
3. Bake in oven on 160d celcius for 4-5 minutes or until golden, tossing once.

To serve, place croutons on a plate, add omelette slices and top with baked beans.

Banana & Corn Pancakes

2010-07-14T11:44:00.016+10:00

One of husband's favourite brekkie. Easy peasy light and fluffy :)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients :
2 cups self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups milk/buttermilk
2 eggs
2-3 ripe bananas-roughly mashed
4 tbs cream style corn
a pinch of salt
butter for frying

Method :
1. Preheat a non stick frying pan.
2. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined.
3. Divide the batter into 2 bowls, add bananas to 1 and corn to the other.
4. Lightly grease frying pan with some butter.
5. Spoon a large ladle of mixture into the pan, cook until bubbles start appearing on the surface and edges are crisp.
6. Turn and cook other side until golden brown.
7. Cover with clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
8. Serve warm with honey/butter/chocolate sauce/ice cream.

again

2008-06-24T13:46:00.005+10:00

yes i know the word 'regret' probably has been planted on every inch of me..will be so until i get to do things to brush it off me..in the age of nearing 24, i've done mistakes that i dare not share with anyone..i'm afraid of the reactions..i'm scared of the abandones..never felt so tensed and insecure and chaotic until yesterday..all of the past mistakes outcomes were poured on me on one single moment..which makes me the most helpless alive human on earth..

i'm too embarrassed to ask for help which i knew i shouldn't if it's because of my mistakes..i can't decide..i can't move on..i don't know what to do..and there's things i can't publish here because i'm too curled up with myself..not a good thing people would say..but the least that i face is not some more sympathy and empathy..and perhaps some insults..

questions

2008-05-29T12:56:00.006+10:00

why am i here? the transition spot, i'd like to assume..yerp, i've made my decision..though it's not the most i prefer..but we dont always get what we wish for rite? what do i lose? some good future opportunities, yes..what do i gain? the rightful way of living my life, i'm certain..let's just pray that there're more great things to follow..

if this is the way, then dear Allah, let me live through it with robins singing and roses blooming..

and yes..currently i'm badly missing someone..

i need therapy

2008-05-28T16:33:00.007+10:00

Currently in desperate need of self-esteem boosting therapy..dont have any idea of why i keep looking down at myself..perhaps past regrets still shadows my imagined future..i need self confidence..i need to not needing someone for things i should be doing on my own..i need a chance..

And when it comes to having the right chance to right the wrongs right before me, i am not able to grab it due to some unforseen circumstances..i need a black rose..usually given to someone going for a war and not expected to come back.. i am not going for a war, and i am expected to come home..but ironically i need a decision that will lead me forward and not to look back and regret..

regrets...regrets...

2008-02-11T16:20:00.003+11:00

actually experienced the meaning of regret...for the realll first time...hurmmm....just thinking bout it made me sober again....knapa?i really regret the fact that i played around a lot during my studies..n it caused me a good few important opportunities to move on with my life...a promising future...damn..if only i knew..if only i realized it a lil sooner than now..if only..if..if..if..

dilemma

2007-12-10T17:49:00.002+11:00

"awak keje utk kepuasan diri ke utk menampung hidup?"....damn..one fact that i tried to ignore all this while..kak ju yg tanye soalan ni..well,to begin with..i'm currently not satisfied with me myself..let alone the job that i..well..not hate..but i can't find the satisfaction in it..cane nih?

what do i really want in my life? adoihh..dah xleh pikir dah ni..i can't find the answer myself..i have a great passion in designing..yes..but i don't favor doing drawings..hurmm..
n just bout just now i received news that i tried to avoid..have to move to a new site which is hard for me to reach..with the ambience i know wouldn't suit me..adeh...cane nih..

mr guard

2007-11-28T18:17:00.002+11:00

dah lame nak tulis..tp xtertulis2 gak..tula...layan teka imej nye pasal la ni..nothing important actually..tp selalu teringat..there's this one security officer(pakgad) kat opis ni..dah tua pakcik tu..hmm..tahla cane diorg amek gak org yg dah berumur jd guard kan..patutnya fungsi guard ni sama mcm polis gak..so kena la yg masih muda n tegap..

back to the story,aku ni memang xleh tgk org2 tua yg kena kerja ni..jadik cam sayu sgt hati..dok fikir,knapa diorg masih bekerja dlm umur yg mcm tu kan..patutnya dlm usia mcm tu diorg tgh rehat2 kat umah, bykkan beribadah..main dgn cucu2..ataupon kalo mcm mat saleh tu diog rajin travel..tp tula..tatau la knapa kan..aku menahan diri dari tnya kat pakcik tu..mane tau,mungkin ade isu sensitif ke kan..

tp mmg ksian sgt rase..terbayang kalau babah aku..babah pon dah berumur..tp aku akan pastikan usia tua dia dihabiskan dgn berehat(walaupun dia mmg x suka dok diam)..maknanya xyah lagi keje..

there was one sunday afternoon..i was on my way back from souq..after breakfast picnic with my dear friends..lalu kat boulevard..nampak pakcik tu tgh berjalan kat jmbatan tu..dr kat souq lagi dah nmpak dia..lunch kot..sbb selalunya kitorg kat site ni lunch kat mof nye cafe..tp sunday kan..gov mana bukak..mase nmpak dia tgh jln tu i was at the middle lane..n masa tu mcm x terfikir sgt..tp bila dah lepas tu baru terfikir.."ya Allah, jauhnye pakcik tu jalan"..drpd site office kitorg ke souq tu nearly 1km..mgkin x jauh bagi kita yg muda n sihat ni..tp bayangkan pkcik yg dah berumur nearly 70thn tu..

since then aku rase bersalah sgt..kalaulah aku cepat berfikir sikit dari awal,i will definitely give him a ride..ksian sgt..bila tringat mesti mata bergenang..pakcik tu masih bekerja di site kami ni..pg2 bila dtg keje n bila nak balik ptg2 msti dia akan tegur..kdg2 borak2 sket..dia pon peramah..n suka bertanya..walaupon kdg2 bila "ada angin" aku mcm mls nak brckp esp pagi2 kan,haha,tp aku lyn gak..that's the least i can do utk hburkan hati tua dia..

aku anggap dia mcm atuk..aku pon dah takde atuk lagi..kedua2 atuk dah kembali ke rahmatullah..mungkin dia xda keluarga,xda anak,xda cucu..x kesahla..byk sgt andaian aku ni..mungkin dia suka2 nak keje..most importantly i did n will continue doing what i can..just as what a daughter and a granddaughter would do..org tua kan..sensitif sket..

i pray to Allah to bless him will good health and that we wouldn't have to continue with the job..
amin..

turning point?

2007-11-27T13:32:00.002+11:00

it's been a while..haven't been writing much lately..nothing new..work, as usual.there are times when i can't even sit at my place for more than a minute..but there are also daaayyss when i have nothing to do besides surfing the internet from 8-5.

i thought i've made a concrete decision on not pursuing my part 2 in architecture..but lately there's someting at the back of my head came crushing into my peaceful sleeps..who am i actually? what have i achieved after graduated? i have a job,yes..a good income,yes..but deep down i know i'm not good at anything..i need something to master..

n i can painfully admit that i've not been doing well during my studying years back then..it's been lingering around in my head since but i'm just too ego to admit n correct it..but something made think bout it seriously now..i need to go back to studying n prove that i can do well..that i shall have something to be proud of someday..

super tensed

2007-09-20T03:01:00.002+10:00

life promises good and bad things..and always do we stumble on the bads before smiling at the good ones..it's been quite some time that tense crash onto me..and it's happening again now..
can't complaint much cos it's the nature of my job..dealing with people you dont always favor..

just wondering if people ever consider others,at least once..

unmoved

2007-07-26T17:56:00.003+10:00

i stirred when they move
i moved while they're ahead
i followed where they left me crawling
i ran...only to realize i ended at the starting place..

alone

2007-07-19T10:14:00.002+10:00

alone..
what do i do?
where do i go?
whom do i talk to?
when do i leave?
should there be no more room for me..

floating

2007-07-18T18:16:00.002+10:00

time flies..and still i am here..
me and all me..
standing but stagnant..
breathing but barely living..
laughing but not quite enjoying..