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Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I did not know that pickling is a process until the day I learn how to cook. All those times, I assumed that pickles are just some preserved cucumbers on burgers. To this day, I am still wondering why they are called pickles. Anyway, as soon as I found out about pickling, I was absolutely fascinated by the whole process. Americans are very good at pickling; they can pickle just about anything, from carrots, onions and garlic to chili, cucumbers and even fruits. They even have pickle pie! I am not really into pickles tho as I will always remove them from my burgers. But as I grow older, I grow wiser. I begin to understand the term "the perfect bite". Acidity is pretty essential in almost every dish. Because you want an element to cut thru' the richness and pickled veg is the best option. You can use the below recipe for your pickling adventures. It works on pretty much any vegetables and fruit. Be sure to thinly slice them. I will be using these pickled onions for my next recipe. Stay tuned. Ingredients: (Make about 1L) Water, 500g Apple Cider Vinegar, 500g Granulated Sugar, 400g Sea Salt, 24g Equipment: Sauce Pot Sterilized Jar Directions: I'm gonna pickled some red onions and cucumbers. Slice red onion thinly. Peel the layers into separate rings. Using a potato peeler, peel the cucumbers into thin slices. Transfer into sterilized jars. To add flavor, I will be adding some coarsely sliced green and red chilies. In a sauce pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring it up to a boil. Let it boil for 3 to 5 mins. Pour into the jars. Set aside to cool completely. Close the lid tight. Keep chill in the fridge for at least 24 hrs before using. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I actually made this recipe some years ago. As one of my goals for 2021 is to revamp some of my old recipes; kinda to breathe life into them again. This is one of those recipes and many more to come your way. I do not like to brag, but this is a pretty versatile dough. You can use this dough to make bao, turnover bao sandwiches, or swirl the dough to make mantou. Hell, you can even deep fried the mantou. I am using a mixture of flour to build more structure for the dough. The end result is a fluffy, soft and chewy bao. I will be creating more recipes with this bao technique in the future, please stay tuned. In the meantime, let's get started. Ingredients: (Make 8 bao) Canola Oil, 60g + More For Greasing Whole Milk, 240g Granulated Sugar, 25g Active Instant Dry Yeast, 2 TSP Cake Flour, 240g Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 240g Sea Salt, 6g Baking Powder, 1 TSP Baking Soda, 1 TSP Canola / Peanut / Vegetable Oil, For Greasing / Frying Equipment: Steamer Dutch Oven 3.5" Round Cookie Cutter Directions: Preparing the dough. In a bowl, add oil, milk, sugar and yeast. Stir to combine well or until the sugar and yeast have dissolved. Set aside for 5 mins. In another large bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Create a well in the middle and gradually pour the oil mixture into the flour mixture while still stirring with a spatula. Once it comes together as a dough, knead the dough inside the bowl until all the nooks and crannies of flour are kneaded into the dough, about 5 to 8 mins. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and continue kneading for 5 to 8 mins. The dough should be soft, smooth and it should pass the " window-pane " test. If the dough is too dry, add in milk, 1 TBSP at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add in cake flour, 1 TBSP at a time. Form the dough into a ball. Transfer onto a lightly greased bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside to rise for 90 mins or until doubled in size. After 90 mins, fold the corners to the center, flip and shape into a ball. This is to deflate the dough to sorta make sure that the yeast is probably activated. Cover and ferment the dough in the fridge overnight. You can freeze the dough at this point. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge the day before using. The next day, allow the dough to sit at room temperature before shaping, at least 2 hrs. There are 3 methods to form into buns; ball, turnover and swirl. Ball bao method: Divide the dough ball into 8 equal pieces with a weighing scale, depending on the size you desire. Form each into dough balls. Turnover bao method. Divide the dough into 2. Roll the dough out on a working surface into a rectangle with a thickness of 1/4". Using a cookie cutter to create as many discs as possible. Fold the discs into halves. *It is not a good idea to re-roll the scrap dough into turnover bao. You can use the scraps to shape into ball bao.* Swirl method: Divide the dough equally into 2. Roll the dough on a lightly floured working surface, into a rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Starting from the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Tuck the dough tightly as you roll. Once a log shape is formed, slice the dough into 1" thick pieces. You can slice 2" thick pieces if desired. Proofing and steaming. I usually cut parchment paper into a large circle to fit my steamer's tray and lightly grease it with oil. You can prepare an individual paper for each bao. Place the bao onto the greased parchment paper and cover the bao with a lint-free kitchen towel. Proof for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Prepare a steamer. Wrap the entire lid of the steamer with a kitchen towel. *This will prevent any water vapor from dripping onto the mantou or bao.* As soon as the water comes to a rolling boil, steam the bao for 11 mins. Turn off the heat and tilt your steamer cover to allow hot steam to escape for 2 mins. Remove from heat, slice and serve. Fried the mantou: You can also deep fried the swirl bao aka mantou. Add oil into a dutch oven, about 2 inches in depth, over medium high heat. *To check if the temperature of the oil is ready, place a wooden chopstick into the oil. If bubbles start to form, the temperature is ready for frying.* Gently drop the swirled bao into the oil away from you. Deep fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and drain off excess oil on a wire cooling rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat the steps for the remaining swirled bao. Slice, sandwich with your favoite ingredients and serve. The classic ball method... The turnover method... The swirl mantou method... The deep fried mantou method... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video A lot of people have been asking me about this underrated underused syrup. This is actually coconut palm sugar syrup. It is widely used in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine, especially in dessert dishes. It has that caramel coconuty nutty aromatic flavor profile. It goes really well with coconut, spicy or pandan dishes. I prefer to drizzle mine over some frozen yogurt for that extra sweetness. You can try making some pandan pancakes or waffles with some drizzling of gula melaka syrup. I hate to say this, but it tastes so much better than maple syrup. Maybe in the future, I might post that recipe. In the meantime, let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Make 1 Cup) Water, 63g Gula Melaka Corasely Chopped, 150g Pandan Leaves Tied Into A Knot, 6 Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: In a sauce pot over medium heat, add in all the ingredients. Stir until the gula melaka has completely dissolved. Bring it up to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for 1 min or until the syrup coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pass it thru' a sieve over a bowl. Discard any residue and set the syrup aside to cool down slightly. Transfer into a sterilized jar. It can be kept up to 1 month chilled in the fridge, I like to serve gula melaka syrup over some frozen yogurt with some blueberries and ground macadamia nuts. View from my apartment... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Just like gula melaka syrup, quite a handful of you lovely people have been asking about Kecap Manis. It is a sweet soy sauce with a thicker consistency. It is vastly used in Indonesian cuisine, as a dipping sauce, a stir-fried dish or even as a marinade. I believe you can purchase kecap manis in any Asian grocery. But if you can't get your hands on any kecap manis, then you come to the right place. This recipe is for you. I added some spices for more flavors. You can skip the spices steps and just cook soy sauce with coconut palm sugar (aka gula melaka) and molasses into a thick syrup. It is very much like a teriyaki sauce. Let's get started with the recipe. I served my kecap manis with some fried eggs, nori flakes, salt and shichimi togarashi. Ingredients: (Make 1 Cup) Star Anise,1 Cloves, 2 Cubeb, 1/2 TSP Garlic, 2 Cloves Ginger, 1/2" Soy Sauce, 127g Gula Melaka Coarsely Chopped, 85g Molasses, 1 TBSP Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: In a sauce pot over medium heat, add in star anise. cloves and cubeb. Toast until aromatic. Transfer into a pestle and mortar. Pound until the spices are coarsely ground. Transfer back into the sauce pot. Add garlic and ginger into the pestle and mortar. Pound until paste forms. Transfer into the sauce pot. Add in soy sauce, gula melaka and molasses. Turn the heat up to medium and stir to combine well. Continue stirring until the gula melaka has dissolved. Bring it up to a simmer. Continue simmer for 2 mins or until it coats the back of a spoon. Pass thru' a sieve over a bowl. Discard all residue. Set aside to cool down slightly. Transfer into a sterilized jar. It can be kept up to 1 month chilled in the fridge, View from my apartment... I know drizzling a sweet soy sauce over eggs sounds weird, but you needa give it a try... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I am not sure if this should be called a recipe. I have some leftover fresh turmeric from my previous recipe: Eggs Benedict Don Fit For A Queen. So, I thought why not turn them into powder. Turmeric is largely used in Indian and South East Asian cuisines; from stews to marinades to even beverages. It has that pungent earthy bitter aromatic with a peppery spicy taste. Ingredients: Fresh Turmeric Equipment: Oven Spice Grinder Directions: Preheat oven to 100 degrees celsius or 212 fahrenheit. Peel the fresh turmeric with a spoon. *Wear gloves while doing so.* Coarsely slice the peeled fresh turmeric to about the same thickness. Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Wack into the oven and bake for 1.5 to 2 hrs or until the turmeric has dried completely. They should be crispy as well. Transfer into a spice grinder and blitz until powder forms. *You can pass the powder thru' a fine sieve to ensure no large chunks.* Store in a sterilized jar. I like to keep them in the freezer for a prolonged period of time. From fresh... To dry... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video If you know me well enuff, you will know that I don't eat pork as much as I can and I always preach about how bad pork is. Some may disagree, but turkey bacon is a good alternative. This jam goes well with almost anything; toasts, sandwiches, burgers and maybe even pizza? Lol! Hmm... Guess I will have to explore that in the future. Anyway, you can omit the alcohol and use coconut extract instead; you can even try vanilla paste or extract. Don't be alarmed with the use of coffee for this recipe. Trust me. You will be surprised with the end result as the coffee sorta brings out the rest of the ingredients. I had seen chefs use chocolate on their curries too or coffee on steaks. We will have to explore that as well. I usually just spread this jam on some buttered toast or with my scrambled eggs (which I will show you very soon), because this tastes so good, even on its own. In closing, I really hope you give this recipe a try and treat yourself to one of the finest jams. Ingredients: (Make 1 pint) Ancho, 1 Adjust To Preference Dried Mushroom, 1 Cumin Seeds, 1/2 TBSP Cinnamon Stick/ 1/2" White Peppercorns, 6 Sesame Oil, 2 TBSP Turkey Bacon, 400g Red Onion Coarsely Sliced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Garlic Crushed, 4 Cloves Apple Cider Vinegar Preferably Organic, 58g Fresh Espresso / Strong Brewed Coffee, 180g Dark Muscovado Sugar, 50g + Pinch Maple Syrup Preferably Grade 'A', 45g Dark Rum / Bourbon / Brandy, 59g Stubb's Liquid Smoke, 2 TBSP Equipment: Blender Spice Grinder Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Hydrate ancho in a bowl of hot water. Set aside for 30 mins. Toast mushroom, cumin, cinnamon and peppercorns in a skillet until aromatic. Transfer into a spice grinder and blitz until powder forms. Set aside until ready to use. In the same skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the bacon. Sear the bacon until crispy browned on both sides. Remove from heat and coarsely slice them into bite size strips. Transfer the bacon into a blender. In the same skillet, add onion, season with salt and sugar. Saute until lightly caramelized. Add in garlic. Saute until aromatic. Remove from heat and transfer into the blender. Add in the vinegar, coffee, sugar, maple syrup and rum. Pulse it a few times until well combine and the bacon is in fine pieces, but not a paste. Return the mixture back into the same skillet over low heat. Bring it up to a simmer and add in the liquid smoke. Give it a quick mix and simmer for about 30 mins or until the liquid has almost evaporated. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. The consistency should be sticky and syrupy. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Give it a final stir. Remove from heat and set aside to cool down completely. Transfer into a sterilized jar. *It can keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.* Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Post covid19 recovery hasn't been smooth sailing; been having a nasty cough and fatigue always kicks in after some movement. So, simple egg recipes like this are all I can think of at this moment. I found a cast iron tamagoyaki pan at a flea market, and it was in pretty bad shape. So I thought, why not restore it and make tamagoyaki. I must admit, this came out not how I wanted it to be. I was thinking of scrapping this recipe and calling it an epic fail, but it tastes so good not to share. I heard that it takes years for a sushi chef to master this dish. So, it might take me decades? LOL! Maybe perhaps, after years of practice, I might get it right. I will definitely keep you lovely people posted once I do (fingers crossed). This is actually the sushi restaurant style of making tamagoyaki; it is not the more common way of adding thin layers after layers and rolling into an egg roll. The controlling of heat when cooking is really important. If the heat is too high, it will be burnt. If it is too low, it will not cook properly and evenly. I would also suggest getting a cast iron tamagoyaki pan. It regulates heat better. The caramelized crust adds so much texture and flavor. An absolute umami bomb. It takes a bit of a workout, patience and effort, but it is worth it in the end. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Nagaimo / Japanese Mountain Yam Peeled, 70g Sea Salt, Pinch Eggs, 4 Egg Yolks, 3 Granulated Sugar, 30g White Soy Sauce, 15g Mirin, 50g Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Cooking Nori Flakes, Pinch Shichimi Togarashi / Japanese 7 Spice, Pinch Equipment: Suribachi Surikogi / Japanese Mortar & Pestle Cast Iron Tamagoyaki Pan Sushi Bamboo Mat Wrapped with Foil Directions: In suribachi surikogi, add nagaimo and salt. Grind until smooth and slimy. Add in the eggs and yolks, a couple at a time, grinding until fully incorporated. Once the mixture is homogenous, add in sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Continue grinding until well combined. Over low heat, add about 2 TBSP of oil into the tamagoyaki pan. Using kitchen paper, wipe the oil all over the pan. This is to create a non-stick coating. Add in the tamagoyaki batter. Cover with the foiled-wrapped bamboo mat. *The heat has to be on low* Cook for 3 to 5 mins or until the bottom is slightly dark-browned. It looks like it is burnt, but it is caramelization. If it is black, it is burnt, so do keep an eye on it. Remove from heat and flip. Grease the pan with some oil to create a non-stick coating again. Return the tamagoyaki back into the pan and cook for another 1 to 2 mins. Remove from heat and flip. The yellow side should be facing up. Sprinkle some nori flakes and shichimi togarashi over the top. Slice and serve immediately. Look at the wonderful texture despite the failed attempt... An umami bomb... Recipe Video: If you are interested in restoring cast iron tamagoyaki pan...

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I am gonna be 100% honest with you lovely people, before I discovered Lao Gan Ma about 4 years, I had never tasted any chili oil in my life. Yes, never! You must be judging me right now as you may know that I am Chinese. Not 100%, but my last name says all. I oughta be ashamed of myself, you might think. But hear me out, I grew up with little exposure to Chinese cuisine. All I know are my grandma's and mom's Indo-concoction food. I also grew up with American-Chinese cuisine too. I know that shouldn't be an excuse for me not to know much about Chinese cuisine. Well, anyway, here's my version of chili oil. I am keeping things very simple for this recipe; I am using what I can get my hands on without over-complicating. You can use whichever dried chilies you desired, I am using Kashmiri. You can try some Sichuan red chilies or even a combination of Mexican chilies. Be sure to adjust to the level of spiciness of your palate. It has to be 30g. As for the "zhacai" (aka Chinese pickled mustard), you can use pickled relish, pickled daikon or even sauerkraut. That extra zing and crunch will boost the flavors and texture. If you are intrigued, you can also add some peanuts too. I added some smoked paprika and liquid smoke for that smokey kick. In closing, I hope you will give my version of chili oil a try. Ingredients: (Make about 500ml) Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, 225g Star Anise, 2 Black Cardamom, 1 Cloves, 1 TBSP Cinnamon Stick Preferably Hexa , 1 Miso, 30g Chinese Rice Wine, 30g Dried Chilies, 30g Smoked Paprika, 2 TBSP Demerara Sugar, 1 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Shallots Finely Sliced, 5 Ginger Finely Minced, 1" Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves ZhaCai (Chinese Pickled Mustard) Finely Chopped, 40g Sichuan Peppercorns, 2 TSP Sesame Seeds, 2 TSP Liquid Smoke Preferably Stubb's , 2 TBSP Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Spice Grinder Directions: Add oil into a skillet and turn the heat up to medium-low. When you insert a wooden chopstick, it shouldn't be bubbling rapidly. Add in star anise, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick. *Be careful as it might splatter.* Allow the spices to sizzle for about 3 mins, turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for another 30 mins. In the meantime, toast dried chilies in another skillet until aromatic and lightly charred. Transfer into a spice grinder. Give it a few pulses. *Do not take it too far as we want it to be coarse ground and not powdery.* Transfer into a large bowl. Add in paprika, sugar and salt. Mix to combine well and set aside. After 30 mins, fish the spices out of the oil. Turn the heat up to medium-low. When you insert a wooden chopstick, it shouldn't be bubbling rapidly. Add in shallots, ginger and garlic. Saute until aromatic. Saute in the zhacai. Add in the miso mixture while stirring slowly to combine well or it might split. Stir in the peppercorns and sesame seeds. *Be careful as it might splatter.* Once everything is incorporated, bring it up to a slow sizzle. Allow the mixture to sizzle for about 3 mins. Remove from heat and immediately pour the oil mixture into the chili mixture. Mix until well combined. Lastly, add in the liquid smoke. Stir to combine well. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt or sugar. You can transfer it into a small bowl or a sterilized jar. It can be kept chilled in the fridge for about 14 days. Not too numbingly spicy. Full of flavors... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video You must be wondering why it took me so long to post some Mexican dishes. Maybe I find it intimidating? Or perhaps, Mexican cuisine is as vast as Indian cuisine that almost different household has their own versions. Yes! Mexican cuisine isn't just tacos and burritos. When Hexa sent me some taco seasoning, I finally decided to post some Mexican dishes starting with this recipe. If your location is available for Hexa to deliver, please order from their website. Ingredients: (Make 1/2 Cup) C umin Seeds, 1.5 TBSP Cubeb, 1 TBSP Chiles de árbol, 2 Guajillo, 1 Garlic Powder, 1/4 TSP Onion Powder, 1/4 TSP Dried Oregano Preferably Hexa , 1/4 TSP Smoked Paprika, 1/2 TSP Sea Salt, 1 TSP Dried Mushroom Powder, 1 TSP Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Spice Grinder Directions: In a skillet over medium heat, add cumin, cubeb and the 2 chilies. Toast lightly until aromatic. Transfer into a spice grinder. Blitz until powder forms. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Give it a few pulses to combine well. Transfer into a sterilized mason jar. Cover tightly and store in a dry cool place. I like to keep the spices in the freezer. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video If you know me well, you should know how much I love bread, especially flatbreads. And yes, it took me long enough to post a tortilla recipe. To be honest, a friend of mine (who is an expert Mexican cuisine cook) gave me this recipe. He told me that this is the simplest and easiest tortilla recipe. I 100% agree with him. There are basically 5 ingredients and there is hardly any waiting time for rising and resting. The end result is a light and fluffy tortilla. I also include some tips (all written in the directions down below) that he had taught me as well. And I gotta say, those tricks do pay off. Ingredients: (Make 8 tortillas) Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 204g Sea Salt, 1/2 TSP Baking Powder, 1/2 TSP Sunflower / Peanut / Canola Oil, 38g Lukewarm Water, 120g Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Directions: In a large bowl, add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix until well combined and create a well in the center. Add in oil and water. Fold until well combine and it comes together into a dough. Once it becomes a dough, knead the dough inside the bowl until all the nooks and crannies of flour are kneaded into the dough, about 5 mins. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. If the dough is too dry, add in water, 1 TBSP at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add in flour, 1 TBSP at a time. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and continue kneading for another 5 mins. Weigh and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight dough ball. Lightly flatten each ball. Do not keep this step. This is to prevent the dough from springing back during the rolling process. Cover with a kitchen towel and rest for 15 mins. After 15 mins, working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll into a disc about 6 to 7" wide. *Keep the rest of the dough balls covered with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.* Heat up a skillet over medium heat. Place the rolled dough onto the skillet. The dough should puff up. Once the bottom is lightly browned, flip. Continue cooking until the bottom is browned. Transfer onto a plate and cover with another kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls. Use the tortillas as tacos, enchiladas or burritos. Flattening the dough before allowing them to rest... Recipe Video: