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Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I am not saying that this is the most perfect way to make the best pasta, what I meant is, that this is the best way to make perfect pasta every single time. There are millions upon millions of pasta recipes online. Some would debate that making fresh pasta is the best option, but I beg to argue. A close up... I personally find that fresh pasta is too rich. Imagine using fresh pasta to make carbonara, it is just too rich. The best Michelin Starred restaurants in Italy use dried pasta. Maybe they are sending us a message that dried pasta trumps fresh ones. So, dried pasta it is. But how to choose the best dried pasta? You will get all the information you need in the recipe video below. I mean, a video paints a thousand words. Expensive branded pasta doesn't mean that they are of high quality, not necessarily. Do keep that in mind. After we get the correct pasta out of the way, let's talk about the water, salt and olive oil. The correct ratio is 100g of pasta to 1L of water with loads of salt and oil, right? It is not exactly right, however. After years of cooking pasta, I find that the shorter you cook the pasta, the creamier the texture is. So what is the correct ratio? 100g of pasta to 400g of hot water. Yes! Hot water will shorten the cooking process. As for salt? Do not add until the water tastes like the ocean, just a pinch will do. Lastly, no oil. Adding oil while cooking will make the pasta super greasing and the sauce will not cling. Now, it is down to the ingredients. Remember less is always more, very much like pizza. Today, I am using some slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, a bit of cheese and herbs with a touch of lavender. As the Pasta Queen will say, just gorgeous... Ingredients: (Serve 2) Cherry Tomatoes Preferably With Vines, A Large Handful High Quality Olive Oil, For Brushing Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Good Quality Spaghetti, 100g Tomato Sauce Homemade , 1/4 Cup Dried Lavender, Pinch Fresh Mozzarella, A Few Pinches Basil Corasely Chopped, A Handful Parmigiano Reggiano, Freshly Grated Extra Virgin Olive Oil, A Drizzle Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Oven Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Tomato Sauce " page for the recipe. Preheat the oven to 100 degree celsius or 210 fahrenheit. Place the tomatoes onto a baking dish vine side down. Brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Wack into the oven and bake for about 2 to 2.5 hrs or until the skins of the tomatoes start to shrivel like a raisin but are still plump and juicy. *Check at the 1.5 hr mark.* Remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. In a skillet over medium heat, add 400g of hot water. Add in the spaghetti. Gently pluck the tomatoes from their vines and toss the vines into the pasta mixture. *Doing so, will add more tomato flavors to the pasta.* Season with salt and cook until the spaghetti is al dente. With the simple calculations of math and science, by the time the pasta is al dente, the water has almost evaporated. Immediately transfer the pasta mixture to the cherry tomatoes. Toss and deglaze. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Toss until everything has been fully incorporated. Serve immediately. Mama Mia... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video While having my homemade avocado ice cream, this is the 1st idea that popped into my mind. I used to make this whenever I have some leftover ice cream. And I know that you are judging me for having leftover ice cream. Lol! This makes an excellent treat! The trick is not to overfill and to seal the edges tightly and properly. You do not want ice cream leaking out during the deep frying process. Trust me. Another important note is the oil temperature. Always check the temperature by sticking a wooden chopstick into the oil. If bubbles start to form around the chopstick, the oil is ready for deep frying. I decided to take things up a notch by spreading some chocolate sauce. You will get a hot, cwispy, crunchy, old, creamy, chocolaty, coconuty and avoy sensation. You have to give this recipe a try to find out. Ingredients: (Serve 1) High Quality Dark Chocolate Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 50g Coconut Oil, 20g Instant Coffee, Pinch Fresh Orange Zest, 1/2 Orange Hazelnuts Coarsely Chopped, 20g Rapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Frying Sandwich Bread, 2 Slices Avocado Ice Cream Homemade / Any Store Bought Ice Cream 1 Large Scoop Egg Lightly Beaten, 1 Desiccated Coconut, For Dredging Equipment: Dutch Oven / Deep Fryer Large Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Double Boiler Directions: Please my " Avocado Ice Cream " page for the recipe. Melt the chocolate on a double boiler . Once melted, remove from heat and add in the coffee, orange zest and hazelnuts. Mix until well combined and set aside. Add about 4 inches of oil to a dutch oven over medium heat. Slice and remove the crusts from the bread. *You can use the crusts for bread crumbs, or simply dredge them into beaten egg, desiccated coconut and deep fried them. Serve the crust sticks with any leftover chocolate sauce* Pinch the 4 edges of each slice of bread. Spread the chocolate mixture onto each slice of bread. Place some avocado ice cream onto the center of 1 bread. Sandwich together and pinch the 4 edges tightly together to seal properly. *That is crucial as the ice cream will leak and create a huge mess during the frying process.* Dredge the sandwich onto the beaten egg, coating well. Followed by the desiccated coconut. *To check the temperature, insert a wooden chopstick into the oil. If bubbles start to form, not rapidly, the temperature is ready.* Place the dredged sandwich onto a spider and gently drop it into the oil. Deep fried until golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat and drain off excess oil on a wire cooling rack or on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Serve immediately. Hot, cwispy, crunchy, old, creamy, chocolaty, coconuty and avoey sensation... Mama Mia... Don't waste the crust. Make bread sticks and dip them into any leftover chocolate sauce... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Every time I had an affogato, I always get disappointed by the taste and result. I seriously don't know why. Maybe perhaps, ice cream and hot espresso or coffee do not go well together? Or maybe it is the ingredients of the ice cream? Hmm... Despite those countless disappointments, I still go ahead with my homemade avocado ice cream. To my surprise, it works! The pairing goes so well together. Perhaps the ingredients of typical regular vanilla ice cream do play a part? Or perhaps, avocado and coffee are match-made? Hmm... Ingredients: (Serve 1, sadly) Coffee Granules, 8g Boiling Water, For Coffee Avocado Ice Cream Homemade , 1 Large Scoop Equipment: Vietnamese Coffee Dripper Directions: Please visit my " Avocado Ice Cream " page for the recipe. Scoop the avocado ice cream into a serving cup. Place the spanner over the serving cup. Followed by the chamber. Add coffee granules into the chamber. Give it a light shake to even out. Place the insert on top of the coffee. Pack it down tightly. *If your insert is the screw-on type, screw it down tightly and release it just a bit.* Add 1 to 2 TBSP of boiling water into the chamber. *Water has to be boiling.* Let it sit for 30 secs. Pour boiling water into the chamber in a circular motion. Fill it up just below the brim. Place on the cap and watch it drip. Once the dripping stop, remove the cap and place the dripper on the cap. *You can find out more about the Vietnamese dripper parts here .* Give it a stir Cheers! Cheers! Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video The insane heatwave is slowly melting me away. Climate change is inevitable. But what we are doing is actually speeding up the process, rapidly. Sorry, I got off track. Anyway, there are lots of ways to cool our bodies down. 1 is stuck in an air-conditioned room. 2, is to keep ourselves hydrated with cups of tea. Especially this chrysanthemum tea. You can google the health benefits of chrysanthemums. One of which in particular is helping to cool our bodies down, especially in this scorching hot wave. You can probably find all the ingredients in a Chinese grocery store. Or try Amazon. Chrysanthemum gives off this wonderful floral aroma and flavor. Some like it hot... You have to give it a try to find out for yourself. Cheers! Ingredients: (Serve 2) Chrysanthemums, 25g Wolfberries / Goji Berries, 15g Jujubes (Chinese Dried Red Dates), Pitted, 4 Rock Sugar, 25g Adjust To Preference Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: Soak chrysanthemums, wolfberries and dates in 750g of water for 15 mins. Turn the heat up to medium and bring it up to a simmer. Once it starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low. Slow simmer for 15 mins. Remove from heat, strain into serving cups. Serve immediately. If you would like to serve it cold, you can keep chill in the fridge and pour over some chrysanthemum ice cubes. Cheers! Some like it cold... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This idea has been floating around in my mind for quite some time. I am glad I finally get it out of my system and actually make it today. Do you ever feel that procrastination gets hold of you? It is like you wanna do something, but you kept finding excuses not to and just keep pushing it till tomorrow. Most of the time, that tomorrow never comes. Anyway, enuff of my mumbo jumbo. If you are a fan of biscoff, you will know that it goes really well with coffee. So why not combine both of them together? Voila! Ingredients: (Serve 1, sadly) Coffee Granules, 8g Boiling Water, For Coffee Biscoff Spread, 1 Heaped TBSP Whole Milk Biscoff Cookie, 1 Equipment: Vietnamese Coffee Dripper Milk Frother Sauce Pot Directions: Place the spanner over a serving cup. Followed by the chamber. Add coffee granules into the chamber. Give it a light shake to even out. Place the insert on top of the coffee. Pack it down tightly. *If your insert is the screw-on type, screw it down tightly and release it just a bit.* Add 1 to 2 TBSP of boiling water into the chamber. *Water has to be boiling.* Let it sit for 30 secs. Pour boiling water into the chamber in a circular motion. Fill it up just below the brim. Place on the cap and watch it drip. While the coffee is dripping, add biscoff and milk into a sauce pot. Turn the heat up to medium-low and stir until the biscoff is completely dissolved. Transfer the milk mixture into a milk frother and froth until foamy. Once the dripping stop, remove the cap and place the dripper on the cap. *You can find out more about the Vietnamese dripper parts here .* Pour the frothed biscoff milk into the coffee. Scoop out any foam and place it on top of the coffee. Crumble a biscoff cookie over the top. Cheers! Cheers! Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video It took me a number of years to craft this recipe. Imagine the number of pizzas and the different types of pizzas that I had experimented with and eaten. I have also given up on making any form of pizza with a home oven. I had tried so many different ways and tricks, but I still cannot get the results that I want. So, I turned to Pizza Fritta aka Fried Pizza, Pan Pizza and Grilled Pizza. I thought Pizza Fritta is like a cult; it is actually founded in Naples, Italy. The more I see chefs and pizzaiolos make Pizza Fritta, the more confident I get into making and sharing it. Gordan Ramsay, Franco Pepe and Roberto Caporuscio from Keste , for example. As for Pan Pizza, let's just say Pizza Hut used to be gourmet and their Pan Pizzas are to die for. Key words, "used to be". Very much like Foccacia, spread the dough out in a cast iron skillet and wait for it to rise, spread the sauce + cheese, bake and voila! Crafting this pizza dough requires a bit of time and effort, but the end result is 100% worth it. I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: Inspired by Franco Pepe (Make four pizza fritta dough or two pan pizza dough) Poolish: Unbleached Bread Flour, 80g Water, 85g Active Instant Dry Yeast, 1/8 TSP Dough: Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 190g + 285g Water, 250g Poolish / Leftover Pizza Dough, 40g Smoked / Sea Salt, 13g Active Instant Dry Yeast, 2/3 TSP Olive Oil, For Greasing Equipment: Personal Size Stovetop Kettle Smoker NordicWare (Optional) Directions: Prepare the poolish. *If you have any leftover pizza dough, you can skip this step.* In a bowl, add flour, water and yeast. Mix until well combined. Cover and set aside for 3 to 4 hrs. Set aside 40g and freeze the remaining dough in a grease ziplock bag. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Prepare the dough. Prepare your smoker and smoke 190g of flour for 15 mins. The flour should be lightly browned and crumbly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool down, for about 1hr. *The above step is optional. You can skip it if you do not have a smoker.* In a large bowl, add the smoked flour and water. Mix until smooth. Add in the poolish or leftover pizza dough. Knead until well combined. Next, knead in the salt, followed by the yeast, until well combined. At this point, your dough should be very sticky and wet. Add in 285g gradually while still kneading the dough together. Once it becomes a dough, continue kneading the dough inside the bowl until all the nooks and crannies of flour are kneaded into the dough, about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should not be sticky or tacky. It should pass the window-pane test. If the dough is too dry, add in water, 1 TBSP at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add flour, 1 TBSP at a time. Lightly grease the bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough back into the greased bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge overnight. The next day, take the dough out from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for at least 3 to 4 hrs or until doubled in size. Weigh and divide the dough into 150g for pizza fritta or 250g for pan pizza. Freeze any leftover dough for your future pizza adventures. Form each portion into tight dough balls. Cover and set aside for another 2 hrs or until doubled in size. Shape and deep fried or shape in a greased cast iron skillet. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I saw this recipe from @the_pastaqueen . As intriguing as it is, I thought I give it a shot and I am so glad that I did. This taste almost like a cloud of coffee! I do not have an espresso machine, so I have to do it in the Vietnamese way of making coffee. If you have an espresso machine, use it. I added some coffee liqueur for a bit of a kick. It is totally optional. And I also garnished with some raw cacao nibs and more coffee granules. If you have those fancy small coffee chocolate truffles, it would be heavenly. In the meantime, let's indulge ourselves in this elegant coffee cream. Ingredients: Inspired by @the_pastaqueen (Serve 2, sadly) Coffee Granules, 8g + More For Garnishing Boiling Water, For Coffee Heavy Whipping Crea, 200g Coffee Liqueur, 2 TBSP Demerara Sugar, 1 TBSP (Adjust To Preference) Raw Cacao Nibs, For Garnishing Equipment: Vietnamese Coffee Dripper Hand / Stand Mixer Directions: Place the spanner over a serving cup. Followed by the chamber. Add coffee granules into the chamber. Give it a light shake to even out. Place the insert on top of the coffee. Pack it down tightly. *If your insert is the screw-on type, screw it down tightly and release it just a bit.* Add 1 to 2 TBSP of boiling water into the chamber. *Water has to be boiling.* Let it sit for 30 secs. Pour boiling water into the chamber in a circular motion. Fill it up just below the brim. Place on the cap and watch it drip. Once the dripping stop, remove the cap and place the dripper on the cap. *You can find out more about the Vietnamese dripper parts here .* Chill the cup of coffee in the fridge until cold. In a large mixing bowl, add the whipping cream. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add in the cold coffee, coffee liqueur and sugar. Continue whisking until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, light and fluffy, almost like a cloud. Transfer into serving glasses. Garnish with cacao nibs and coffee granules. Serve immediately. Almost like a cloud of coffee... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Lately, I have been seeing lots of Greek frappe videos popping up on my feed. Maybe it is a sign for me to make some. I am not really a fan of instant coffee, and if I have to choose, I will always choose Little's . Don't worry, it is not an ad. This is a product which I think it is good and you should give it a try. Anyway, I made 2 versions of Greek frappe. You can check the videos out down below. The key ingredient is cold water; if the water is not cold enuff, the coffee would not foam up. And if it is frothed for too long, the coffee will collapse. I made this version with milk ice cubes and carbonated water... Once you keep the 2 things in mind, you will have an excellent cup of frappe. Yes, far better than any overpriced Starbucks frappe. Cheers! Ingredients: (Serve 1, sadly) Instant Coffee Preferably Little's , 5g Granulated Sugar, 5g Cold Water, 30g + 160g Whole Milk Equipment: Milk Frother / Frother / Cocktail Shaker Directions: I am using my milk frother. Add instant coffee, sugar and 30g of cold water into the frother. Froth until foamy. *Do not take it too far or it will collapse. You can also use a stick frother or a cocktail shaker.* Transfer into a serving glass. Top it up with 160g of cold water and milk. Serve immediately. If you wanna be adventurous, you can make some milk ice cubes or try carbonated water. This? Or this? Recipe Video: Greek Frappe Part I Greek Frappe Part II

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Yeah! It is this time of the year. I love it when the months end with "ber". That means all the holidays and festivals are on their way! We just celebrated Mid-Autumn. Diwali and Halloween are just around the corner. I still prefer toasting whole spices and grinding them up. It permeates a trail of amazing aroma compared to those store-bought pre-ground. And you probably know what's coming next. Stay tuned. Ingredients: (Make 1 Cup) Cinnamon Sticks, 2 All Spice Berries, 2 TBSP Cloves, 2 TBSP Ginger Powder, 1 TBSP Nutmeg Freshly Grated, A Large Pinch Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Spice Grinder Directions: In a skillet over medium heat, add cinnamon, all spice and cloves. Toast until aromatic. Remove from heat and transfer into a spice grinder. Blitz until powder forms. Add in ginger and nutmeg. Give it a few more blitzes. Transfer into an airtight container. Store in a cool and dry place. I prefer storing my spices in the freezer. Still prefer toasting whole spices... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video As I had said in my previous post, this is the time of the year. This latte needs no introduction. I don't know about you, but there is something calming about pumpkin spiced latte. It gives me that cozy vibe. Dawn, the sun just barely rising, the air is misty, and this warm latte just suits the atmosphere. I make everything from scratch. If you do not wanna trouble yourself, you can use store-bought canned pumpkin puree. I am not judging. You can also skip the whole spice blending plus syrup making process and use store-bought ones from Starbucks too. But I would highly recommend that you make your own. It makes a lot of difference. Besides, who doesn't want their house to be permeated with the aroma of fall? Ingredients: (Serve 2) Pumpkin Puree: Pumpkin Preferable Japanese Kabocha, 1 Pumpkin Spiced Syrup: Water, 360g Granulated Sugar, 150g Dark Muscovado Sugar, 150g Pumpkin Spice Homemade , 2 TBSP Pumpkin Puree, 125g Latte: Medium-Course Ground Coffee, 20g Boiling Water, 200g + More Oat Milk Homemade or Any Desired Milk, 320g Pumpkin Spiced Syrup, 60g Equipment: Oven V60 Coffee Brewer Milk Frother Sauce Pot Directions: Please visit my " Pumpkin Spice Blend " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Make Oat Milk " page for the recipe. Prepare the pumpkin puree. If you are planning to use store-bought canned pumpkin puree, you can skip this step. If not, preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius or 400 fahrenheit. Remove the seeds and membrane. *You can wash and bake the seeds with some olive oil at 150 degree celsius or 300 fahrenheit for 45 mins or until they are cwispy.* Slice the pumpkin into quarters. Wack into the oven and bake for about 30 mins or until it is fork tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down slightly. Once the pumpkin is cool enuff to handle, scrape the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the pumpkin with a fork or a masher. It will keep for 4 days chilled in the fridge or frozen for 4 months. Prepare the pumpkin spiced syrup. In a pot over medium heat, add water, sugar, spice and puree. Mix until well combined and the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until reduced to 3/4. The syrup should coat the back of a spoon. Pass the syrup thru' a sieve and into a pitcher. Squeeze any residue until it gets too annoying to squeeze. Discard the residue. Give it another stir to combine well. Transfer into an airtight container. It will keep for months chilled in the fridge. Prepare the latte. I am using a V60 to brew my coffee. You can check out James Hoffman's detailed guide here . Lightly wash the coffee paper filter with boiling water. Discard the water. Add ground coffee into the center of the filter. Create a small well in the center. Bloom the coffee with 40g of boiling water. Gently swirl the brewer and sit for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, pour the remaining 160g of boiling water. Allow the coffee to drip. While the coffee is dripping, froth the milk with a milk frother. Pour the syrup into individual serving cups. Follow by the coffee and the milk. Top it off with any leftover milk foam with a light dusting of the pumpkin spice blend. Serve immediately. Cheers! I'm falling in love with V60... There's something about Pumpkin Spiced Latte... Recipe Video: