Macaroon Step-by-step

My first French Macaroon baking experience. Not as difficult as I though it would be. Recipe found here.

Chocolate Macaroons

INGREDIENTS:
Macaroon Batter
1 cup (100 gr) powdered sugar
½ cup powdered almonds (about 2 ounces , 50 gr, sliced almonds, pulverized)
3 tablespoons (25 gr) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 egg whites
5 tablespoons (65 gr) granulated sugar

Prune Filling
15 medium prunes (pitted), about 5 ounces (150 gr) prunes
2½ ounces (70 gr) milk chocolate, finely chopped - I used whatever chocolate found in the fridge
2 tablespoons Armagnac - I used vodka+ I added some whipped cream into this recipe for a thicker and chewy taste.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready. I used silicone to replace the paper and spoon for the tipped pastry pastry bag.
Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps; use a blender or food
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you're alone).
Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch (3 cm) circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart.
Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the countertop to flatten the macaroons, then bake them for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

To make the prune filling:
Cut the prunes into quarters and pour boiling water over them. Cover and let stand until the prunes are soft. Drain.
Squeeze most of the excess water from prunes and pass through a food mill or food processor.

Melt the milk chocolate, (added whipped cream on my own) and the Armagnac (While thinking 'What-The' is Armagnac, I figured all alcohol taste the same so I substituted using my hubby's Chivas') in a double boiler or microwave, stirring until smooth. Stir into the prune puree.
Cool completely to room temperature (it will thicken when cool.)

Assembly
Spread a bit of batter on the inside of the macaroons then sandwich them together. (You can pipe the filling it, but I prefer to spread it by hand; it's more fun, I think.)
I also tend to overfill them so you may or may not use all the filling.
Let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze. If you freeze them, defrost them in the unopened container, to avoid condensation which will make the macaroons soggy.

Notes: My second batch of macaroons were so much more petite and cuter. So getting the pastry bag with tips! Love the taste of chocolate and prunes, although I did cut on sugar, it was still a little too sweet.

Hit & Miss in the Kitchen

Last Sunday I made brunch for friends and served Egg Benedict & Fruit with Granola. I had 4 egg whites left and I didn't feel like having egg white omelet so I went online and looked for Angel Cake recipe. The recipe calls for 12 egg whites, I only had 4 so I just went ahead and do basic math equivalents.
Cake Recipe found on Epicurious:
- oven at 325F
- 1 1/2c sugar
- 1c unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4c unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 12 egg whites
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- finely grated orange peel (add for tastier cake)

While I happily sorted everything out and ready to mix on my newly fixed Kitchen Aid, it actually went kaput again! After I spent $50 to fix that damned thing. It was exactly my 3rd time, I switched it on and when I put it on the speed 4, it exploded!!! If this happened in US, I would definitely sue them. Anyways I went using my ever loyal whisk.

I'm those who cook and enjoy my own food. Cake is served with leftover cut fruits from brunch.

Whisk the egg whites, lemon and vanilla until foamy

I added a little cream of tartar and a little sugar and whisk till soft peaks. Fold in the rest of the sifted dry ingredients with spatula slowly and by a little, until the flour mix disappears. Scoop into ungreased tube pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 45-55min. I waited for 40min as my pan is small. Remove from oven and invert the pan to cool cake completely.
I had to knife the cake from the pan to dislodge the cake. And ta-da! My chocolate Angel Food Cake. I cut down on sugar and added on orange peel. I likey!
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So thats the hit, here's the miss:

Irish Soda Bread or in my case Rock Bread

Flour (it said unbleached flour but I just used whatever flour available at that time)
Milk + white vinegar to replace Buttermilk
Baking Soda
salt
Sundried Tomatoes

Dinner @ Home

Dinner Tv Night
Program- My Name is Earl series
1st Menu - Wine and assorted cheese
2nd Menu - Ramen with egg and Tuna

Home-cook Korean Side Dishes

I find it so generous for Korean restaurants to give side dishes before the meals start and I was informed by my husband that you can tell whether a restaurant is good by seeing the quality of the side dishes. Now, side dishes are our staple food placed on our dining table.

The first image is Kaktugi, fermented radish kimchi and a favorite of my husband. I haven't learn this dish from my Ajuma yet so I can't share. However, I do have the know-how for the other dish.

The following dish is salted pickles. You cook them with sesame oil, red pepper flakes and finish with sesame seed. You can add a little sugar if you like.

Next is the dry anchovies cooked in rice sugar, garlic, pecans and sesame seed. I like this dish because of its sweetness and tasty anchovies.

Last is dry squid shreds cooked in Kojujang (Korean chili paste), rice sugar, green chilies, and sesame seed.

Easy side dishes for you to try and make them compliment with your other main dishes. Rice sugar can be acquired in Korean supermarkets.

Boys Will Be Boys

This is my husband's lunch bag. He actually likes me to pack his lunch into this Spiderman bag that was a promotion gift when we bought Spiderman3 movie tickets with snack and drinks. I was surprised at first when he asked for it but now I'm beginning to like this Spidey bag. Its roomy enough for 2 Lock&Lock box and a water bottle.

Healthy Grains

Koreans are very particular with healthy food and living, which I appreciate. It is said that kimchi is healthy, even claimed that to be a good diet food. No really, a friend confirmed that she tried kimchi diet and it works. If anyone tried before and how it works, let me know.

Above is grains, there are 17 kind of dry beans, peas and grains. I can recognize barley, red bean, azuki beans, yellow peas, black beans, black eye beans, pink beans, brown rice, etc. You get the picture- its healthy. You cook the short grain rice and add this good grains in your rice cooker with ratio of 70:30. It smells, taste and feel good rice!

Garlic Ginger Chicken with Broccoli

I enjoy cooking at home. I like the feeling of cutting the food on the chopping board, hearing the food sizzle in pans and the smell of the spices. But there are times that I just want fast and simple cooking. Plus I'm lazy to walk to supermarket to do my grocery so I just to manage to cook the food I have in my fridge.

Here's a simple recipe: chicken, minced garlic, ginger slices (powder good too), fish sauce, button mushroom, green onions, broccoli, white pepper and of course oyster sauce.

Almost most of my house cooking consists of oyster sauce; I grew up with oyster sauce. Also, I like to add a little sake or Korean white wine to my cooking. They give a different smell and a slight oaky taste.

I also find the chicken to be more tasty after marinating it with fish sauce before stir-frying them.

Bird's Nest

A delicacy that boast healthy benefits. When we were young, we were sometimes given few spoonfuls of bird's nest and we would feel good that day. Now, I have to purchase for my new small family some bird's nest and cook for our well-being.

My mother had taught me how to cook bird's nest. She usually cook with dry white ginseng, rock sugar and dates in her double-boiler. I had to purchase a small mini double-boiler for convenience and fit into my small kitchen.

Korea has the best ginsengs and the top quality is red ginseng. My mother-in-law just bought for me this can of red-ginseng.

It was very tricky to open this tin can. We had to use the key found below the can to roll it around the opener to open the can. Further more, we had to use a hammer to pound the wood lid off.

Homemade Kimchi Recipe

"Where's my Kimchi?" a favorite line of my husband's when we were in our 3months wedding bliss. He always reminds me that I got to put the Kimchi on the table for all meals for him or any other Koreans.

My mother-in-law's housekeeper, Ajuma (Auntie in Korean) a person I see most often after my family in Seoul, is good in making Kimchi. My mother-in-law said she hails from a province in S. Korea that is famous for making Kimchi and I dont doubt that. Our Ajuma's Kimchi is definitely better than commercial-sold Kimchi.

I had requested to learn how to make Kimchi so I can share this recipe to my friend. I had snapped pictures steb-by-step but I accidentally I deleted all my files on camera. Clever me wrote down the recipes so here it is.

This recipe is for about 2+ months supply if you are feeding a family of 4 daily. Before starting off, you will need a big metal bowl, a small metal bowl, grater, mesh basket, and dont miss out rubber gloves. With all the ingredients to make Kimchi, you wouldn't want to risk smelling like Kimchi for days.

Ingredients
1 C glutinous rice powder (add 3C water and thicken the liquid by stirring while cooking in the pot)**
7 salted big white cabbage*
1 bunch of chives (small leeks the koreans call)
1 bunch of leeks
1/2 bunch watercress
2 big radish (grated)
4 C crushed red pepper
1/2 bottle salted mini shrimps**
3-4C anchovies sauce (you can purchase in Korean supermarket; cannot replace with soy sauce)
4 tbs minced ginger
4C minced garlic
2tbs salt
6-8tbs sugar

* if you cant find ready made salted cabbages, you can make a day ahead by salting each layer of the cabbages and immersing them in water.
**see image below

Please email if you wish to know more details of the step-by-step. Its pretty much mix well everything and layer each cabbage leaf of the radish mix. Remember that the ingredient count is for 7 big cabbages, filling up 2 Kimchi basket shown above. Close lid and only keep in the Kimchi refrigerator a day after.