Weekend Apple Cake

from Baking Chez Moi

Ingredients

- 1 1/3 (181gm) cup of flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 stick of butter ( 8 Tbsp, 4 ounces, 113 gm)
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 1/2 (60 gm) confectioner's sugar

- 3 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 Tbsp dark rum (or additon 1 tsp of vanilla extract)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples, peeled cored and cut into small chunks

- about 1/2 cup (106g) apple jelly or strained apricot jam (optional)

Centre rack in oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees
BUtter 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan, dust with flour, tap out excess, put pan on baking sheet lined with parchment or silpat

Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt together

Beat butter on medium speed until smooth, add both sugars and beat until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time, beat for 1 min after each egg.  (the mixture will look curdled and be thin) Add the rum and vanilla.  Reduce the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter.  With a flexible spatula, fold in the apple chunks then scrape into the prepared pan.

Bake for 60 - 65 mins

Taro root cake (wu tau goh) - recipe still in development...

- 1 taro root (2 lbs), cut into 1-2 cm cubes

- 3 lap cheong sliced

- 6-8 chinese mushrooms (reconstituted), diced

- 6-8 dried scallops (reconstituted), shredded

- 1/4 cup dried shrimp (reconstituted), chopped

- 4 cloves garlic

- 2 shallots diced

- 2 tsp salt

- 6 chopped green onions

- 1/2 tsp 5 spice powder

- white pepper

- 3 cups rice flour

- 1 1/4 cups glutinous rice flour

1. fry off lap cheong in oil until crispy, remove from wok

2. fry shallots and garlic until aromatic, then add mushroom and scallop (drained), then green onion 

3. add taro to wok with salt, 5 spice powder and pepper, stir fry for 2 minutes 

4. add back lap cheong and 2 1/2 cups of water to make sure all taro is submerged

5. cook for 8-10 minutes (until taro soft)

6. combine flour, in separate large bowl add a total of 2 cups of fluid (first with the reserved liquids, then water) then slowly add the combined flours until a thick paste forms, when the majority of the flour has been added, add the taro mixture and mix, then the remaining flour

7. divide the mixture into 2 and place into oiled 9 inc round or square pans

8. Steam for 45 mins until firm to the touch, cool to room temperature then refridgerate

9. slice and fry over med high heat in a oiled pan until golden crispy and delicious, serve with oyster sauce mixed with soy, white pepper, and sambal

NOTES:

the texture was not quite right, too glutinous, not firm enough, consider different flour (no glutinous) or maybe less liquid ? 

still working on method to combine flour and liquid to get right consistency with no flour clumps

Green tomatoes

Fried green tomatoes - already eaten

Green tomato chutney

Green tomato kimchee

Green tomato pickles 

No knead bread

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp instant yeast ( or traditional dissolved in water)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 5/8 cups water

Mix together dry ingredients 

Mix water in until it forms a shaggy dough cover with Saran Wrap for 12-18 hrs

Cover work surface with flour fold over 2 times then wait 15 mins

Work into ball then cover cotton towel with flour bran or cornmeal place ball seam side down the cover with flour again and towel and let rise for 2 hrs

Bake in 450 degree oven in lidded pot ( heat pot up with oven ) 30 mins then remove lid and bake additional 15-30 mins

Kombucha tea recipes

Lychee

Lychee mint 

Lychee and ginger

Ginger 

Ginger mint

Ginger berry 

Guava lime

Guava

Apple cinnamon clove lemon

Orange, Fennel, Chicken and Herb Salad (adapted from Jerusalem)

- 1 orange
- 2 1/2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups water

- 2 lbs of chicken breast
- 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
- torn cilantro
- torn basil
- torn mint
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- sirracha to taste
- salt and pepper to taste

- 4 sticks soba noodles (optional)

1. Trim top and bottom of orange, slice orange into 12 segments.
2. Combine orange, honey, vinegar and water in pot. Boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
3. Puree mixture in food processor, adding water to make runny consistency.
4. Season chicken breasts with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill 10 minutes (5 min each side), on direct medium heat.
5. Leave to cool, hand tear into pieces.
6. Combine half of orange dressing, and all remaining ingredients. 

Kimchi Tomato

- 10 roma tomatoes, skins peeled, large dice
- 1 bunch Chinese chives or green onion, chopped
- 4 tbsp gochugaru
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 knob ginger, minced

1. Combine, let sit for several hours refrigerated.

Yangnyeomjang - Korean Seasoning Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons gochugaru
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, crushed or whole or ground
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 clove garlic, crushed 
1 scallion, chopped