BananaWalnutSpongeCake (GlutenFree Recipe)

                                        On the left is the normal recipe, with flour and sugar, and on the right is the
                                        gluten free.

This recipe was recommended from a youtube source and it was recommended by a friend and I have baked it a few times and like it a lot, as it feels very light.

Recipe
150g Ripe Banana (mash it) 4 Egg Yolks (separate from egg whites) 70g Vegetable oil (I used red palm Oil), preheat it for about 15 minutes until it is warm 20g Fresh Milk, full cream is better 65gm rice flour
20gm Tapiaoca flour
5gm Glutinuousriceflour 4 Egg whites which was separated from from the egg yolk earlier 38gm dates powder (replacing sugar, but can be like 20gm if you have very sweet and ripe banana. A handful of Walnut (chopped it, and if you like it more, add more).

Steps:
1) mash the banana, put aside.
2) The preheated oil, add in flour mixture (rice,tapiaoca and glutinuous rice) and stir well. Then add in the egg yolk, milk and mashed banana, mix it well.
3) Beat egg white with sugar (dividied into 3 times) and beat it until it well, until it is kind of becomes very stable (and it won't flows freely if you overturn the mixer bowl).
4) Mix in this into 3-step a portion each into the premixed mentioned in step 2. Stir well.
5) Prepare a baking mold and it will be good to line up with a layer of baking paper. Then pour the batter into the mould and then flatten it.
6) Then put this mold into a water bath

7) Then bake it at preheated oven of 150 Deg C for 1 hour at least or until it is fully baked. Take it out and let it cool.
8) when you tap on the well baked cake, it sound fluffy, or spongy.

Choong

25th APril 2019

Salted Eggs

I always love these Salted Eggs, can be Duck Eggs or Chicken, it is up to you. But from my past experiences, from the appearance of Yolk, it seems like eggs from the Chicken looks better but in terms of taste, Duck Eggs seem to taste better.
Normally, I do not add in anything except salt and water but this time around, I added some StarAnise and a Pandan leaf.

Eggs-between the range of 14-18, I used both Chicken and Duck's eggs
Salt-8cups
Water-8 cups
Pandan Leaf-1piece
StarAnise-a small scoop

Method:
1) Boil water, add in Salt, stir, and then add in Staranise and Pandan leaf. Let it boil for a 2mins.
2) Let the brine cool down and pour into a glass container/jar.
3) Make sure the eggs are well cleaned in advance and dried properly.
4) Then add all the eggs, once at a time, into the salt water (brine).
5) Since fresh eggs usually float on the surface due to presence of air. Hence we should fill in  a small Ziplog sandwich bag (or any plastic bag) half full with water. Squeeze as much of the air out as possible. Gently stuff bag with water into the glass container/jar to weigh down the eggs so that they are totally submerged. This is an important step.
6) Cover jar with lid and place jar in a cool spot at room temperature for 4 to 5 weeks.
7) Chicken eggs will take 4 weeks while duck eggs should be left in the brine for may be 5 weeks.
8)After 4 to 5 weeks, do a test to see if eggs are ready (you may take one of the eggs and boil it, taste if it is salty enough and the color of the yolk should be dark or golden orange.
9) If eggs are not ready, leave them in the brine for another week. 
Finally, remove all eggs from brine and store in a container in the refrigerator.

Happy trying.


Choong
25th April 2019

Consume salted eggs within a month.

visit to Northern Thailand-April the final 2 days

The final two days in Chiangmai is just spent visiting the city, reminiscing certain parts of the city, walking and enjoying the market and sceneries though the air was still bad and weather was hot. Once place that I like to highlight is the restaurant located in the same shop unit as Chiangmai Celadon. In the front portion, they sell the Celadon and in the backyard, they have a cafe which uses the celadon. And we had our tea here.

And on the way going to have our finale massage, PP brought me to the Silver Wat, the temple that really uses silver for its construction.

 And one part of the trip involves going to a local massage at the hidden corner of the city, and it was very good one, in fact one of the best.

The trip was a very happy one for me and I am thankful to Professor Pidi for the time, in showing me around, and the hospitality in every aspect during my trip there.

With deep gratitude.

Choong

Visit to Northern Chiangmai-Pai

To be honest, I have not really done my homework on this trip and I have not heard anything of Pai, before Professor was suggesting that I should go over here and have a look.According to him, his parents like this place when they first visited. It is kind of like a big village in a small valley town, where you are very much living with nature. And you see more of western tourists, trying very much to be locals.
I like Pai in every sense, except the food, I think they add too much sugar in all their food. THe cafes are nice and actually the area is very green.
Food here are relatively cheaper compared to Chiangmai city, and you can get some local handicrafts here. Nite time, there is one street where you can buy and eat (kind of like pasar malam). One stall that is quite creative with their types of curry puffs they sell, which I like and also there are Thai Muslims living in this town (second town that I see Thai Muslims that are actively participating in business activities after Hatyai city).

First, the breakfast in the hotel was very good, really like the attention given by the chef, Joy and the waitress in waiting, Ms. Ku. They are very attentive, and the hotel name is Yoma hotel, Pai.

Breakfast serves

The famous wat in Pai on the way to the Chinese Village.

                                         The Chinese Village, most of them came from Yunnan, during Kuomingtand time and has settled down in this village in Pai.

The famous white Buddha statue

The nice cafe we went to for our tea break

Lunch we took in Pai, and the chicken rice is quite good. Noodles are too sweet for me

 Another picture of white Buddha in Pai

Evening walk in Pai down, and this one was taken while we were on the way for a short massage before dinner

Dinner of local Pai food, which we ordered, but as I said before, I do not like the local food here cause they are too sweet (they like to use lots of sugar in their diets)

                                         Very much like our satay, but very sweet

Nite market-selling some toys

The Pai Canyon which I do not think is interesting enough for me

Breakfast with HK fried beehoon, which is tasty. I asked the chef not to use any sugar.

Pictures below are cafe we stopped by on the way going back to Chiangmai from Pai, again, very nice environment.

Overall, I think Pai is very relaxing and worth a visit but according to PP, the hotel rates has increased a lot and during peak season it is very expensive. True enough even now, during our visit, the rate is higher than hotels in Chiangmai (Chiangmai has more choices as it is a bigger city and with more tourists hence more competition).

Choong
7th and 8th April 2019