Fat
Dough

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Duanwu or Dragon Boat or Rice Dumplings Festival is just a few days away. To be honest, I am not a fan of rice dumplings. Maybe it is just me, but the rice tends to be too gooey and mushy for me, the flavors of the fillings are quite bland after cooking for hours too. Don't you agree? That's one of the reasons why I decided to go an unorthodox route and create this open-faced version. The rice and fillings are cooked separately, instead of the traditional method which is wrapping them into pyramids and boiling them for 2 hours. I used a 3 tier electric steamer to cook the rice until al dente. The fillings were then steamed on top of the rice to allow any juices to drip onto the rice. I also steamed the rice on some bamboo leaves and pandan just to have that rice dumplings aroma. I had included steps for the traditional method down below too, just in case. As far as I can remember, my grandma used to make these Nyonya style rice dumplings by the hundreds. She would sell or give to her neighbors and anyone who passed by during this festive season. I would sit quietly in her kitchen and watch her wrap the dumplings tirelessly. I can feel her joy. Needless to say, making these dumplings in this festive season is like paying homage to her and every bite is reminiscing nostalgic memories. In closing, I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 8 / Make 20 Dumplings) Prepared The Night Before: Dried Bamboo Leaves, 40 Less or More Chinese Dried Mushrooms, 40g Rice: Organic Dried Blue Pea Flowers, 10g Glutinous White Rice, 1kg Chicken Stock Room Temperature, 1.5kg Sea Salt, Pinch White Pepper, Pinch Mushroom Powder, Pinch Chinese Dried Mushrooms, 6 Dried Scallops, 30g Dried Shrimps, 10g Chicken: Chicken Thigh Skinless Boneless, 600g Sea Salt, Pinch White Pepper, Pinch Mushroom Powder, Pinch Garlic Powder, 1 TSP Demerara Sugar, 1 TBSP Chinese 5 Spice Homemade , 1 TSP Maltose / Maple Syrup, 1.5 TBSP Hoisin Sauce, 1.5 TBSP Oyster Sauce, 1 TBSP Light Soy Sauce, 1.5 TBSP Dark Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Sesame Oil, 1/2 TBSP Shao Xing Wine / Hua Tiao Wine, 2 TBSP Dumplings: Duck Fat, For Stir Frying Shallots Finely Chopped, 3 or Red Onion Finely Chopped, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch White Pepper, Pinch Granulated Sugar, Pinch Garlic Finely Minced, 8 Cloves Ginger Finely Minced, 2 Inches Light Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Unsalted Butter, 1 TBSP Coriander Powder, 2 TBSP Candied Winter Melon Finely Diced, 150g Scallions, Finely Chopped, 1 Bunch Nori Flakes, Pinch Assembly: Hemp Strings, For Tying Pandan Leaves, A Handful Equipment: Large Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Electric Double Deck Steamer / Bamboo Steamer 2 Decks 2 Large Heavy Pots Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Chinese 5 Spice " page for the recipe. Night Before Prep Soak bamboo leaves and mushrooms in water overnight. Wash glutinous rice until clear. Soak 2/5 of the rice in blue pea water with salt, pepper, mushroom powder. Soak remaining rice in chicken stock with mushrooms, scallops, shrimps, and seasonings. Mix minced chicken with sauces, spices, and seasoning. Chill overnight. Cook Fillings Sauté chicken in duck fat until browned and dry. Set aside. In same skillet, sauté shallots, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and scallops. Deglaze with mushroom water. Add soy sauce, butter, coriander powder, winter melon, scallions, and nori. Return chicken to pan. Stir until well combined. Open-Faced Style Line steamer tiers with bamboo and pandan leaves. Steam seasoned rice in bottom tier for 40 mins. Steam chicken mixture in top tier for 30 mins more. Layer into ring mold: white rice → chicken → blue rice. Compact gently and garnish with scallions. Wrapped Style Soak hemp strings and cut pandan leaves. Form bamboo leaves into cone shape. Layer blue rice → white rice → chicken filling → white rice. Fold into pyramid and tie securely. Boil in water for 2 hrs. Hang to drain. Best served the next day. Decided to cook with my electric steamer instead... The chicken-mushroom concoction... I am not a fan of this method of cooking... I still prefer cooking them separately. The rice isn't mushy and gooey. The flavors are still intact. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video If you know me well enuff, you would know how much I missed Filipino cuisine. And salted egg chicken wings is my top 5 Filipino dish that I adore (or craved). Don't get me wrong. But this Filipino style is better than the Singaporean/Malaysian version. Maybe because it contains more spices? Or maybe because the wings are fried twice? Or I am just being biased. Lol! Don't be surprised that Filipinos use salted eggs in their dishes more than the Chinese. Hexa Salted Egg Sauce Powder... If you are a Singaporean, you will know that salted egg exploded everywhere on almost every dish ever since that salted egg lava croissant incident. Sometimes, Singaporeans take their creativity too far (sarcasm). Either way, I am not gonna bash the food culture in Singapore, I just wanna share this underrated Filipino version of salted egg chicken wings. My final question: flat or drum? Ingredients: (Serve 4) Chicken Flats or Drumlets, 500g Sea Salt, Pinch White Pepper, Pinch Granulated Sugar, Pinch Mushroom Powder, Pinch Chinese Rice Wine, 2 TBSP Egg Lightly Beaten, 1 Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 2 Heaped TBSP Potato Starch, 1 Heaped TBSP Smoked Paprika, 1/2 TSP Garlic Powder, 1/2 TSP Onion Powder, 1/2 TSP Rapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Frying Duck Fat, 50g Unsalted Butter, 65g Hexa Salted Egg Sauce Powder, 80g Chili Flakes, Pinch (Optional) Parsley Finely Chopped, A Handful Equipment: Dutch Oven / Deep Fryer Large Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Marinate the Chicken In a large bowl, combine chicken flats, salt, white pepper, sugar, mushroom powder, rice wine, and egg. Mix well by hand for best results. Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Prepare the Dredge In a shallow bowl, mix flour, starch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, white pepper, and mushroom powder. Stir until well combined. First Fry Add about 4 inches of oil to a dutch oven and heat over medium. Test with a wooden chopstick—bubbles should form gently. Dredge the marinated chicken in the flour mixture until fully coated. Swirl half of the chicken in the oil briefly before gently lowering it in to prevent sticking. Fry until lightly golden on both sides. Remove and drain on a wire cooling rack. Repeat in batches—do not crowd the pot. Let the chicken rest for 30 minutes. Second Fry Increase heat to medium-high. Test again—the chopstick should produce rapid bubbles now. Fry the chicken a second time until deep golden brown. Drain again on a wire rack. Make the Salted Egg Sauce In a skillet over medium heat, melt duck fat and butter. Add Hexa Salted Egg Sauce Powder and stir to combine. The sauce may appear to split at first—keep stirring until it emulsifies. Add chili flakes if desired. Continue cooking until the sauce darkens slightly. Finish and Serve Add the fried chicken to the sauce. Toss until fully coated. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Never could have done it without Hexa Salted Egg Sauce Powder... Spot the difference? 1 is fried once, the other is double fried... I am a flat kinda guy... 1 word. Succulent... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video A couple of my InstaFam suggested an Elvis sandwich. As intriguing as it may sound, I went down the rabbit hole and found out that the Elvis sandwich not only exists, but it is actually a popular sandwich too. I know it is bizarre to combine peanut butter, bacon and bananas together. But, once you give this a shot, you might just love it as much as Elvis did. And you might just put on some blue suede shoes and dance to some jailhouse rock. Lol! I dislike how when you bite into a sandwich and the bacon was being pulled out as well. I know! It is frustrating! But I guess I figure it out. Bacon jam might just save the day. And instead of a sandwich, I would prefer an open-faced toast. Enuff of this rubberneckin', let's get started with this recipe. Long live the king! Ingredients: (Serve 1) Stale Baguette, 1 Loaf Unsalted Butter, 2 Heaping TBSP Creamy Peanut Butter Preferably Pic's or Amazin' Graze Turkey Bacon Jam Homemade Bananas Sliced, 2 or More Granulated Sugar, For Brûlée Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Blowtorch Oven Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Turkey Bacon Jam " for the recipe. Preheat the oven to 190 degree celsius or 375 fahrenheit. Soak the stale baguette under running water. Transfer onto a baking tray and wack into the oven. Bake for 15 mins or until the bread is soft. Carefully slice into halves, lengthwise. *Once the bread starts to cool down, it will become hard again.* Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the sliced baguette onto the melted butter. Toast until crispy browned. Spread the peanut butter onto the toasts. Next, spoon the turkey bacon jam over the top. Top it off with some sliced bananas. Sprinkle some sugar onto the bananas. Brûlée the bananas with a blowtorch. Serve immediately. Amazin' Graze peanut butter... Let's devour this... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This is what I do whenever I have lots of leftover bread. And what you see here is probably 1/3 of the usual portion. My grandma always tells me that throwing bread away is a sin. And wasting food is like stealing from the poor. Best 2 pieces of advice ever! To make the bread extra cwispy, is to place a baking tray onto the sliced baguette and press it down. This will also ensure that the baguette is sitting evenly. The rest is just the magical combination of tomatoes, cheese and herbs. Why complicate the holy trinity? Someday if I have a cafeteria, I will put these on the menu. Anyway, let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Make 4 baguette pizzas) Baguette Stale / Fresh, 2 Tomato Sauce Homemade , 1/2 Recipe Low Moisture Mozzarella Parmigiano Reggiano Fresh Basil, A Handful Fresh Parsley, A Handful Scallions, A Handful High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, For Drizzling Equipment: Oven Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Tomato Sauce " for the recipe. Preheat the oven to 220 degree celsius or 425 fahrenheit. Slice the baguette lengthwise in halves. Using a baking sheet, press the baguette down to slightly flatten. *This will ensure extra crispiness.* Transfer onto the baking sheet. Spoon the tomato sauce onto the baguette. Pinch some mozzarella and toss over the top. Followed by grating the parmigiano. Wack into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and immediately use a pair of scissors to cut basil, parsley and scallions over the baguette. Lastly, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top. Serve immediately. Looks pretty decent to be a cell phone wallpaper, don't ya think? A bite of heaven... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Somebody requested a dalgona tiramisu. They asked and they shall receive. You know what? Let's kickstart the dalgona trend again! I mean, since the whipped coffee is lit, why let it die off as just a one-time viral sensation? Agree? I am using the same recipe for the cream cheese fillings as my previous dalgona cheesecake. The rest is just dipping the savoiardi into coffee and stacking them up. Yes! Tiramisu is actually pretty simple and easy to make. No excuse for you not to make 1. Isn't this heavenly? I am just using my drinking glasses to serve this tiramisu. Maybe someday, I will do a proper full-size tiramisu. In the meantime, let's indulge in this dalgona version. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Tiramisu: Freshly Brewed Coffee, 1 Serving Coffee Liqueur, 2 TBSP Lady Fingers / Savoiardi, A Handful High Quality Cocoa Powder Preferably Callebaut or Valrhona, For Dusting Mascarpone: Egg Yolks, 2 Demerara Sugar, 70g Egg Whites, 2 Sea Salt, Pinch Mascarpone, 225g Fresh Orange Zest, 1/2 Orange Dalgona Coffee: High Quality Instant Coffee Preferably Little's , 5g Granulated Sugar, 15g Water, 15g Equipment: Double Boiler Hand / Stand Mixer Directions: Make the Coffee Soak Combine coffee and coffee liqueur in a bowl. Chill in the fridge until ready to use. Make the Mascarpone Cream Set up a double boiler. Add yolks and whisk until pale. Add sugar and whisk until thick and darker in color. In another bowl, whisk egg whites and salt until stiff peaks. Fold mascarpone into the yolk mixture in 2 additions. Fold in egg whites in 3 additions. Add orange zest and fold to combine. Transfer to a piping bag and chill. Assemble the Tiramisu Dip each savoiardi into the coffee mix, flipping once. Place into glasses (break in half if needed). Pipe in mascarpone cream. Repeat and stack to the top. Chill overnight. Whip the Dalgona Coffee In a bowl, stir together instant coffee, sugar, and water. Whip with a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form (10–15 mins). Finish & Serve Spoon dalgona over the tiramisu. Dust with cocoa powder. Stick a savoiardi into the top. Serve immediately. This is pure foodgasm... I'm in heaven... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I had posted a pizza bucket list on my Instagram quite some time ago and I thought why not pay tribute or homage to one of my pizza heroes? I do not own nor can I afford a pizza oven. If I cannot replicate wood fire oven pizzas at home, I wouldn't bother. And perhaps, the only way I know how is by grilling or frying pizzas. I thought, let's start with the epiphany of Grilled Pizza: George Germon's Grilled Pizza Margherita Al Forno in Providence, Rhode Island. George has perfected grilling pizza, but sadly, he passed on in 2015 at the age of 70, RIP. :( The pizza is grilled into a thin crisp crust with just dollops of tomato sauce, a blend of 3 kinds of cheese and a combination of 3 greens: basil, parsley and scallions. George probably put scallions on top of anything on his menu. To my surprise, scallions sorta add that oniony crunch at the back of my mouth which compliments the whole pizza beautifully. After many attempts and experimenting, I'd finally get the thin cwisp crust right. As mentioned in my " My Grilled Pizza Journey and Beyond " page, too many toppings will ruin the grilled pizza. Less is always more which makes grilled pizza so delicate, simple and yet sophisticated. I am not saying that my Margherita is as perfect as George Germon's, but this is just my metaphor; my painting on grilled pizza dough. Ingredients: Inspired by George Germon (Makes 2 grilled pizzas) Grilled Pizza Dough, 2 Dough Balls Toasted Sesame Oil, For Brushing Fontina Parmigiano Reggiano Pecorino Romano Tomato Sauce Homemade , 1/4 Recipe Fresh Basil, A Handful Fresh Italian Parsley, A Handful Scallions, A Handful Equipment: Griddle / Grill Oven Directions: Please visit my " Grilled Pizza Dough " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Make Tomato Sauce " page for the recipe. Once you have rolled out your pizza dough, brush the dough with sesame oil using a pastry brush. *Remember to use a fork and gently poke all over. This is crucial as it will prevent the crust from puffing.* In a griddle over medium heat, gently place in the dough oiled side down. *If you have a grill oven, use it.* Carefully and gently, use your hands to press down the dough to make sure the whole dough sits fully on the griddle. Brush the top with sesame oil. Grill until the bottom is lightly charred. Flip the dough. Immediately turn the heat down to medium-low. Grate fontina, parmigiano and pecorino over the dough. Dollops a few TBSP of tomato sauce onto the dough. Lastly, drizzle some more of that sesame oil over the top. Immediately cover the griddle to generate steam so that the cheese will melt. As soon as the cheese melts and the bottom is lightly charred, uncover and remove the pizza from heat. Transfer onto a serving plate. Immediately using a pair of scissors coarsely cut the basil, parsley and scallions over the pizza. Repeat the steps for the remaining pizza. Serve immediately. My metaphor... Took me a while to get this thin cwispy crust right... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This is hands down my favorite flan dessert; nothing beats this French custard dessert. It is also well known for its simplicity and sophistication. You know what they always say, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. What makes Parisian Flan so fascinating is the soft custardy interior with a crispy crust, especially when you get to the edges. To take things further, I baked the flan on a sablé breton base. Doing so adds more texture as well as flavors. This flan only uses a few ingredients, so using the best ingredients, especially vanilla, will make a whole lotta difference. You can serve the flan chilled, or as I prefer, serve while it's still warm. As soon as I slice and serve this Parisian Flan, it is gone in an instant! My daughters are always hungry, I do not know why. Lol! Anyway, I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Make 1 six inch flan) Sablé Breton Homemade Unsalted Butter, For Greasing Egg Yolks, 57g Demarara Sugar, 69g Corn Flour, 29g Whole Milk, 285g Heavy Whipping Cream, 70g Pure Vanilla Paste, 1 TSP Equipment: 6" Pastry Ring Oven Sauce Pot Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sablé Breton " page for the recipe. Bake the Sablé Breton Base Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Roll sablé breton dough to ¼" thick. Use a pastry ring to cut a disc and transfer onto a lined baking tray. Bake for 6–8 mins or until crisp and golden. Cool slightly and lightly grease the inside of the pastry ring with butter. Make the Custard In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale. Add corn flour and whisk until smooth. Set aside. In a pot over medium heat, combine milk, cream, and vanilla. Heat until bubbles form at the edges, then remove from heat. Slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return everything to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking vigorously until thickened. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Press cling film directly onto the custard and chill until cooled. Assemble and Bake the Flan Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Loosen chilled custard with a spatula. Pour over the sablé breton inside the pastry ring. Bake for 30 mins or until golden brown with caramelized spots. To Serve Cool completely—flan will pull away from the ring as it sets. Slice and serve warm, or chill and enjoy the next day. The perfect slice? Just outta the oven... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Granola is one of those food that you can simply make at your home. I mean store-bought granola is usually over-priced and super sugary. Making it yourself gives you 100% control. You can taste and adjust the amount of sugar as well as the type of sweetener used. Speaking of sweetener, I am using gula melaka syrup aka coconut palm syrup. You can use maple syrup. As for the nuts, I am using whatever I have on my hands, which are hazelnuts and pistachio. You can of cos switch them out. Almonds, macadamia, pecans or walnuts are pretty decent replacements. I also added dried currants. You can use raisins, dried apricots or even a combination of dried fruits. The possibilities are endless. And when I said you have 100% control, I mean it. No excuse for you not to make your own granola. On a side note, your kitchen will be permeated by the wonderful aroma during the baking process. Ingredients: (Serve 1) Hexa Breakfast Oat Mix, 160g or A Combination of Rolled Oats, Desiccated Coconut, Flaxseeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds and Chia Seeds. Desiccated Coconut, 30g Hazelnuts or Any Nuts Coarsely Chopped, 50g Pistachio or Any Nuts Coarsely Chopped, 50g Chia Seeds, 15g Coconut Oil, 100g Gula Melaka Syrup Homemade , 50g Hawaij (Sweet) Homemade , 1 TSP Sea Salt, Pinch Dried Currants or Any Dried Fruits, 85g Equipment: Sauce Pot Oven Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Hawaij " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Make Gula Melaka Syrup " page for the recipe. Preheat the oven to 135 degree celsius or 275 fahrenheit. In a large bowl, add Hexa Breakfast Oat Mix, coconut, nuts and chia seeds. Mix until well combined. In a sauce pot, add coconut oil, maple syrup, hawaij and salt. Stir to combine well. Turn the heat up to medium. Fold in the oat mixture, 1/2 portion at a time. Fold until fully combined, making sure the oat mixture is coated well. Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spreading out evenly. Wack into the oven and bake for 45 mins or until lightly browned. *You can smell the amazing aroma.* Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the dried fruits over the top. Mix until well combined. Set aside to cool down completely. Store in a sterilized jar. It can be kept for up to 7 days. Serve it with some milk. Hexa Breakfast Oat Mix... I like to serve my granola with some milk and blueberries... This is the dessert of brunch... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This toast is inspired by a close friend of mine, @beerbourbonandbbq . I am blessed with the nicest and finest people I've met along this food journey. It is rare to find like-minded people these days. I am grateful to find a handful. It is no surprise that @beerbourbonandbbq gave me this idea saying that he usually makes a PBJ with bananas and honey sandwich whenever he is going for a dive. The combination sounds very intriguing and I know I have to give it a try. During my Russian-Ukraine recipe project, I found a thingy called burnt honey. My gut tells me that it will be perfect for this toast. With little twists and turns, out came this toast. This just leveled up a normal PB&J into something awesome. I am not bragging, you just have to give this recipe a try to find out for yourself. Ingredients: Inspired by @beerbourbonandbbq (Serve 2) High Quality Real Honey, 50g Frozen Blueberries, 100g Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 Lemon Granulated Sugar, 1 TBSP Cointreau / Brandy / Rum, 2 TBSP Unsalted Butter, 2 TBSP Baguette / Batard, 2 Thick Slices Peanut Butter Preferable Amazing Graze or Pic's , 2 Heaping Spread Bananas Sliced Lengthwise, 1 or More Chia Seeds, For Garnishing Equipment: Sauce Pot Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Add honey and 10g of water into a sauce pot over medium heat. Stir to combine well. Once the mixture starts to foam up, keep a close eye on it. As soon as the color turns to dark amber, remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Set aside until ready to use. In a cleaned sauce pot over medium heat, add blueberries, lemon juice and sugar. Stir to combine well and until the sugar has melted. Once the mixture has thickened, add in the liqueur. *Careful as it might flambé.* Continue cooking until it has thickened into a jammy consistency. Remove from heat and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, add butter. Once the butter has melted, add in the bread. Toast until the bottom is crispy brown. Remove from heat and spread the peanut butter onto the toast. Followed by the blueberry compote. Place the sliced bananas over the top. Brush the bananas with the burnt honey and sprinkle some chia seeds. Serve immediately. Heavenly... Always use high quality peanut butter... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Just like my grandma used to say, it is a sin to throw any bread away. The Pasta Queen said the exact same thing. Well, not word for word, but the same intent and meaning. And this dish is inspired by one of her TikTok videos. I am a big fan of hers since I love Italian cuisine, but also, just love her simple recipes. This is a very simple recipe that requires minimal time and effort. It will be a perfect brunch. You can check out her original recipe here . My version is slightly different from hers. I toasted my bread, I used different greens and I used my homemade tomato sauce instead of fresh ones. Well, and of cos, that extra touch of parmigiano to bring it all together. A recipe like this is simple and uses very few ingredients. So, be sure to use the best ingredients that you can get your hands on. Or in other words, use the brands of ingredients that you love. Everyone has a unique palate. Go find yours, you might be surprised with what you end up with. Ingredients: Inspired by The Pasta Queen (Serve 1) Any Stale Bread, 2 Slices High Qualiy Extra Virgin Olive Oil, A Drizzle Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Tomato Sauce Homemade , 2 TBSP Shallot Finely Minced, 1 Dried Parsley, For Garnishing Basil Coarsely Sliced, A Handful Scallions Coarsely Sliced, A Handful Parmigiano Reggiano, For Grating Equipment: Oven Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Tomato Sauce " for the recipe. Preheat the oven to 190 degree celsius or 375 fahrenheit. Soak the stale bread under running water. Transfer onto a baking tray and wack into the oven. Bake for 15 mins or until the bread is soft. Transfer onto a serving plate. Drizzle some olive oil over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Dress the toast with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle shallots, parsley, basil and scallions over the top. Lastly, grate some parmigiano over the toast. Serve immediately. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication... Mama Mia... Recipe Video: