Homemade Pineapple Jam - Chinese New Year Series

A short break from mom's recipe lol. I officially started my Chinese New Year baking just few days back. Our first year of celebrating it together here in the State, it's a a huge break from the usual family tradition of ours growing up. But that also marks the start to our very own family tradition here. No special plan, just a simple reunion dinner perhaps, and a relaxing weekend lazying away lol. We may have some friends over to make it a little merrier, but that's about it. So apart from the small family reunion dinner to think of (or a medium one with friends), I have another 10 days to go, free and easy!

Not going back has come with a price to pay too. That means a no to all the non-stop feasting back in our hometown, a no to a good chance for family and friends to get together and do crazy stuff together, and a no to all the special delicacies that you will only get to see and taste especially on a big festive season like this. The Chinese New Year cookies easily top the "Food that I shall Miss the Most" list of mine lol. To make things worse, I have never actually seen them sold anywhere around where we live here. So sad... So if you want it, then make it yourself! To make up for the rather low-key, unusual, fresh and out-of-the-norm idea of celebration that we will be having this year, I made a vow to make us feel good and at least contented with the decision of us to stay put this year. And I SHALL bake my own batches of cookies! Well lets just hope that the motivation won't dim off any moment soon lol.

I don't remember ever taking baking this seriously in the past. I'm not one who's so into festive baking. But I do bake for fun especially at times when it's least expected of me. This, however, is a whole different scenario. At least I myself am expecting something out of it as the New Year approaches lol. My very first attempt this year - the pineapple tarts! Whoa! Sounds like a big project! And it is! But honestly if I should just make do with one single type of cookies this year, it will have to be these tarts! I'm such a big fan that thinking about not having it for another year has sufficed in getting me started. Seriously! lol. And now I regret not learning it from Jin, a housemate of mine, when she made us all a batch when we celebrated that year's Chinese New Year back in Glasgow. And I regret not paying my full attention and helping my mom-in-law when she made that just a year ago when we were back in Malaysia.

Well then the Internet it is! This is a recipe I got from Wendy at Table For 2.....or More - the ever reliable source for cooking ideas and recipes! And sure enough, despite the hectic process with plenty of time invested and some hiccups in between, the pineapple jam turned out perfect! So good I could already picture how gooey and nice they will be when wrapped in the dough for the tarts soon, real soon! Now fingers crossed that the dough will turn out just as perfectly as this!

Chicken Rendang - Mom's Recipe #2

Updated June 13th, 2013 with new photos! :)

Added June 13th, 2013

When I pestered my mom for her Asam Prawns (Tamarind Prawns) 亚参虾 recipe, I made sure I took the chance to get a couple more other recipes too, all of which are specialties of hers. This chicken rendang is one of them. An all-time big favorite of hubby, I have been procrastinating forever to have a go and try making this dish at home. That makes the only chance he gets to indulge in this is solely limited to those times when a common friend of ours, Siew Gee occasionally makes her renowned nasi lemak that often comes paired with the chicken rendang and invite us all over. My excuses? I have not got a set of mortar and pestle to begin with. I probably would have considered giving it a try if I had had a good spice blender in replacement of that. But nope, I had never been bothered investing in a good one either back then. Having neither of those definitely had set some sorts of limitation here in my kitchen. Lame, but true! lol.

Things took a change last Thanksgiving when I finally convinced myself into getting a good spice blender. Sure enough there has been a lot of blending happening since. I slowly developed an interest in spices, I have a bigger and a more complete collection of spices these days, and I started to get all so intrigued with making things from scratch. That comes with a good feeling knowing that you do and can indeed have control over certain things, not forgetting the great sense of satisfaction you get at the end of it. I do owe this very episode in making this to mom, particularly for this long proven recipe of hers. It had not been a totally easy and breezy one to make I must say, considering that this was my first as a beginner myself. But to see especially how the end result had truly made hubby all so head over heels with it, it had certainly got myself well motivated to keep me going for now.

A sneak peak at some of the many spices used...

p/s If you are reading this, Siew Gee, please please please do not stop inviting us over for your nasi lemak, chicken rendang and everything else! lol.

Added June 13th, 2013

Asam Prawns (Tamarind Prawns) 亚参虾 - Mom's Recipe #1

One of mom's specialties, this was quite a regular back at our home growing up. But there was a brief period when we didn't see so much of this; mom probably has got plenty more specialties developed and kept us so contented that we stopped craving for this. Right until a week or two ago, I suddenly found myself missing this dish terribly for some unknown reasons. The night after immediately witnessed me getting my mom's recipe for this tamarind prawn version of hers over the phone. I think it is a statement well made to say that this is a classic dish in which every household has a version of their own. Same name, minor differences, similar tastiness.

This is a dish simple enough to be made with prawns and tamarinds bring the two most important ingredients. Here in the States, the tamarind pulp can be found in a huge solid block, usually come seedless. I have tried using the liquid tamarind concentrate too in the past, but personally the latter always feels as if it is never quite on par with the other option I have. To have recreated this dish soon after really did bring me a real sense of satisfaction. Craving satisfied aside, tasting this after so so long really did stir some memories of mine; a moment of reminiscence it sure is.

Mom's tips:

• This is best made with prawns of thinner skins. The idea with this tamarind prawns is that at the end of the preparation, every bit of these prawns should be all so flavorful, beautifully caramelized and crispy on the whole. So well created they are always had whole, leaving barely any remnants behind at the end of the meal. That will explain the need to have the thin skin variety in order to be pleasantly chewing them away. Over here, I think the white shrimps work best. Just be sure to get those with a considerably good size.
• Leave the shells on. Trim the head especially off the horns and tentacles, and cut away the legs. You can choose to make a slit down the back to get it deveined. Or just leave it as it is, they are totally fine too. But if you somehow did not manage to get those of the thinner shells, having these slits will help in getting them better marinated over time. Plus your guests will come to appreciate the little assistance from you as they try to get rid of the shells later lol.
• Leave the tamarind seeds and pulps all the way from marinating, cooking to serving. They maximize the seasoning and I think it simply looks good having those bits of tamarinds around when served later.

This was hubby's firt time having this tamarind prawns. For someone that does not particularly tolerate sourness that well, he surprisingly loved this! I guess this is the thing between tamarinds and seafood in general; they pair exceptionally well! Sour but not excessively so, it comes with a tad of sweetness coming from the caramelisation with a natural hint of fruitiness from the tamarinds itself.

Homemade Mee Hoon Kueh (Hand-Torn Noodles) 面粉粿

A post rather similar to the Flour Noodle Soup (Pan Mee Soup) 清汤板面, this was made to satisfy my sudden craving for a bowl pan mee out of the blue. So sudden I hardly had all the ingredients I needed to make this our dinner that day. Yet I wasn't quite that keen on making a trip out to get them all. With some store bought flour noodles left barely enough for an individual serving, I resorted to making my own dough this time. Not my first time, but definitely one that I have not done for a while now. Probably so since I have found the commercial pan mee that I got so contented with, one that I still think is somewhat comparable to those home made ones as mentioned in my previous post.

The good thing about making my own? I guess rather than having the usual thin and round noodles 幼面 that I regularly made my pan mee with, I can opt for the hand torn version of pan mee this time around. mmMMmm, suddenly all my taste sensations just felt so awaken simply picturing a bowl of this mee hoon kueh lol. Not having the "manicai" with me, I have that green substituted with the Chinese mustard green (choy sum). And instead of the fried baby anchovies that I previously used, I made a batch for garnishing with the regular kinds of anchovies. Simple variations, minimal changes, huge satisfaction!

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Fried Tofu Puffs 香菇豆包焖鸡肉

This braised chicken with mushrooms and fried tofu puffs makes a classic home-cooked dish. So classic you can hardly see it printed in the menu, let alone served in most Chinese restaurants. But this is a dish commonly seen in typical Chinese homes. Probably not the exact version, but definitely one closely resembling this in one way or another. Simple ingredients with nothing much fancy, this makes a very appetizing dish that will definitely remind you of your childhood and all the home-cooked meals you used to have growing up at home.

There can be an endless variations to this. Apart from the fried tofu puffs and shiitake mushrooms, their places can be well taken by tofu, fried bean curd sticks or the wood ear fungus even . With the light soy sauce being the main ingredient constituting the gravy, it comes balanced with a tad of sweetness coming from the sugar and of course, the natural sweetness from the chicken. This dish goes exceptionally well with a bowl of rice. That tames the saltiness, counterbalancing the overall flavor. This is a case where simplicity is truly at its best! Whether to include a small bundle of the glass noodle is optional. But do try incorporating a small amount of these carbs into the dish. You will be amazed by how well they taste as they absorb the gravy so packed with flavor and taste.