Mastering the Art of Making Pavlova and Cream Puff

Update on **24 March 2017**

Here at the 4 hours (8.30am-12.30pm) baking class of D’Hospitality Restaurant yesterday. D’Hospitality Restaurant covers two well-known desserts: Pavlova and Cream Puff

My instructor demonstrated on how to make Pavlova before I attempted to make my own. 

It was a great eye opening experience when seeing Pavlova was made by beating the egg white, vinegar and caster sugars. Pavlova finally turned into well decorated as desired when topped it with whipped cream and fresh fruits such as kiwi and strawberries. 

Here’s the recipe given by the instructor:

Ingredients:

1) 3 eggs white

2) 250gm caster sugars

3) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

4) 1 teaspoon cooking vinegar

5) 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Methods:

1. Whisk the egg white with mixer on a low speed. Beat it until stiff.

2. Adding caster sugars spoon by spoon while continuing to beat the eggs white.

3. Adding vanilla essence, cornstarch and vinegar again and beat it until smooth

4. Creating round lines on baking sheets

5. Shaping the meringue in the round lines

6. Preheating the oven at 150c.Enter the meringue batter. In 15 minutes, lower the temperatures to 140c. Cook for 1 hour. Pavlova cooker over medium heat.

7. Cook until the color meringue turned into brown. Do not remove the meringue straight from the oven. Wait until it cool. 

This was the fresh cream brand (to make the whipping cream) highly recommended by the instructor, Pride (RM 10.40)-more fragrant, not too sweet, white looking and smooth type fresh cream. 

Making Pavlova really was an art because it allowed the rooms for variations. Look at so many variations below. 

This was instructor's final Pavlova

Meanwhile, this was first group's Pavlova

And this was second group's Pavlova

Of course, I loved our group's design and shapes. LOL. 

How cool is that? Never expect one day in my life, a beginner in the baking world like me managed to make a good looking Pavlova. LOL

Needless to say, it was not my solo masterpiece, but the joint products with the other two group mates. It was such a wonderful time.

Besides that, I realized my favorite part was piping the whipping cream on the top of meringue.  It needed the skills to decorate it. I didn’t have. So, I chose the very simple decorations compared with other group mates.

Most importantly, the most proud moment when making Pavlova was took the Pavlova out from the oven. I wanted to see my own handiwork. It tasted better when you make it yourself. HOORAY…….

After that, I shifted my way to make cream puffs. 

So, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 125 gm self-raising flour/wheat flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder

2. 100 gm butter

3. 250ml water

4. 1 teaspoon sugar

5. 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

6. 3 eggs

Methods:

1. Bring sugar and butter for boiling. 

2. Adding flour and stirred it from times to times in order to prevent it sticked to the pan.

3. Adding beaten eggs and sugars into the flour mixtures. Stir well.

4. Then put the mixture into piping bag and pipe it. 

5. Bake it in the oven till golden brown for approximately 25-30 minutes. 

6. Cut the side of the puffs and put the filling. 

 Ta da....my own group's cream puffs was the most beautiful thing in the world. LOL. 

At that moment, I felt like the proud Mama when seeing my own masterpieces. And next dorm room neighbors loved them too. 

She said "first in my lifetimes eat Pavlova and it was made by Tay" What a big surprise for me and her! Hahahah. 

Last but not least, one classmate shared the useful tips on making cream puffs based on his experiences. I guess he observed instructor forget to tell us. 

Here's the TIPS:

1. Don't forgot to apply butter on the baking sheets to avoid cream puffs sticked on it.

2. Baking cream puffs in 170-180c based on capacity of the oven. And please don't open the oven frequently.

3. Make sure cream puffs were baked in the oven since removing early caused the cream puffs flatten 

4. Applying water on the surface of the cream puffs before putting in the oven. This was to ensure cream puffs looked puffy and impress the eaters. 

# Tips 1

# Tips 2

Hope these valuable tips helps for those interested to make cream puffs. After attending this class, I found myself love Pavlova, cream puffs and couldn't get enough for them. Hahahaha 

Vegetarian Recipe: Sweet & Sour Fresh Soy Chip

JoJo guided me on how to make her favorite vegetarian dish-sweet and sour fresh soy chip during Chinese New Year.

So, here's the recipe:

2 main ingredients: 

"1. sweet & sour sauce"

 "2. Fresh soy chip"

From left- fresh soy chips, sweet and sour sauce. Both of them could be obtained easily from supermarket especially in the frozen section.

Closer look of the fresh soy chip's packaging. 

Firstly, heating the frying with 2 spoon of vegetable oil. Then added shredded shiitake mushrooms and fried it till fragrance. 

Since it's the vegetarian dish which was not allowed any garlic and onions, so shiitake mushrooms was used. If you're not interested, you could replaced with garlic and onions. 

Secondly, added the sweet and sour sauce onto shredded shiitake mushrooms. Put it aside after that

Thirdly, deep fried fresh soy chips. But frying them need extra cautious. The waters of the fresh soy chips caused the oil splattered and spread. 

 Deep frying until golden brown, removed and then drained them. 

Finally, mixed the sweet and sour sauce with fresh soy chips well.  

In fact, this dish was really good. The outer of the fried fresh soy chips were crispy while the inner so soft and firm.

It even became tasty when paired with the sweet and sour sauces. This dish went extremely well with white rice. It really open my appetite and I remembered I had 2 bowls of rices. 

Hopefully this recipe will help those who are looking for the vegetarian recipe. That's all. Till the next times, guys!

Bites & Pieces of Recent Life

"8 February 2017"

(From left)-Tuna Onigiri & Oden, Family Mart, KLIA 2-RM 8.90

Japanese foods and snacks were very common in Family Mart as it was the Japanese convenience stores. 

I had Tuna Onigiri, a triangular shape rice that wrapped in the plastic. It was big, filling and tasty. 

Also, I chose fish balls from soy sauce based Oden (a Japanese hot pot with fish balls, corns fish cakes and eggs). The soy sauce broth was flavorful and the fish balls were perfectly braised. *swallow saliva*

Being assigned with AirAsia hot seats for that day's 2 connected flights. So thrilling and exciting 

 but it's nothing at the end. I had to wait other passengers to on board too. The plane wouldn't took off immediately just because you're the hot seat passengers. 

"11 February 2017"

A very good scientific and academic style of wedding invitation. Hahaha. A good joke to cheer my day. But it was surely not my type of wedding invitation. Feeling stressed and depressed after all. 

"13 February 2017"

Annual pilgrimage at Kuan Yin Ting, Georgetown 

I went for praying till this uncle recognized me and said "why this year so late?".

"You remember me?"

"Yes, you come very far, Sabah or Sarawak. You pray for entire family with all girls and mostly students"

"Hahaha. Thank you for remembering me"

 Since I stayed nearby hotel and came to this well-known duck kway chap stall for dinner. 

Duck kway chap with internal organs of pigs, ducks and eggs (RM 7). The soup of duck kway chap was really aromatic and all the meats tasted tender. 

If compared to Sarawak Kuey Chap (my hometown), I preferred it as the firm and bigger sizes of kway chap added a crunchy touch. There was also a lingering taste of the soup and I believed it came from five spices powders. Not to mention, "sambal belacan" even make the Kuey Chap tasted better!

"17 February 2017"

Next dorm room neighbor always generous in giving big bowl of nasi lemak to me.  This type of friendship so genuine and real. Totally not involve any benefits. 

"1 March 2017"

Hooked into China & Taiwan drama, best times （美好的时光）。钟汉良took my breath away.

In episode 39, he said:

如果你愿意的话，我陪着你回去，谈笑风生得吃完这顿饭。

如果你愿意走，我陪着你不打招呼就回家，甚至你想掀翻桌子，我陪着你过去遣责那个辜负你的人，我不管你选择哪个办法，我会陪着你

I believed it's the love relationship's essential. The man still be standing there with the woman in the hard times for wiping the tears and holding her arms. 我不想你孤零零面对这一切，我会陪着你-is the great statements than others. 

Nice song 

"4 March 2017"

Didn't know how long I able to stay here for recording my student life

 New bus-myBAS that send us over to Changlun, Jitra & Alor Setar started from February 2017. I liked it's punctuality in moving. It followed the bus schedules strictly. 

 Partner in crime brought me to try famous foods in Alor Setar, Nasi Lemak Royale Kedah at Pekan Rabu 

rices + fried chicken = RM 5.50-considered reasonable based on the foods we ordered.

Don't be surprise, it's not the Nasi Lemak as the name. In fact, it's Nasi Kandar which was significantly different with I usually had. 

The rices were in yellow colors, quite fragrance and aromatic. And then the "Kuah Campur" so syoik-combination mixtures of curries created different flavors. 

Partner in crime told me the compulsory menu for Nasi Lemak Royale Kedah were salted eggs, vendi (i.e lady fingers) and chicken. These three created salty and sweet flavors perfectly. I'll try for the next visit. 

An old blind and deaf man approached us in Syahab Perdana Bus Terminal. 

I entertained him when he asked the first few questions. I displeased with him after that because he continuously asked the same questions. 

"Cik, bus pi Jitra habaq"

"Cik, bus pi Jitra dah sampai? Habaq nanti"

"Adik, nak pi mana?"

"Adik, balik mana ni?"

Some more, he created noise by knocking his walking sticks. I understood he wanted to make his presence felt. The best way was holding his hands or stroking his shoulders to reassure and calm him down. But I couldn't since he was a man and stranger. I had the bad mood since we missed our bus. I blamed myself for not checking and confirming the bus schedules with partner in crime and the person in charge of the bus company. Careless mistakes. 

Guilty overwhelmed me for wasting times at the bus terminal for 2 1/2 hours. I requested the help of partner in crime to deal with the old blind man. She was really patience with him. She never raised high pitch voices on him. She spoke to him like her usual voices-soft, slow and clear voices. She didn't shout with him at all although it may be necessary to speak louder and louder. She send the old man to the bus finally. At the end before he left, he asked "adik, tak tahu macam mana nak balas jasa. Adik nak apa?". Then she replied "tak payah, jasa kecil sahaja,tak ada apa-apa"

I should learned from her and not sure whether I able to become more patience and tolerance especially handle disabled people. Further, doing favors and never expect anything in return. 

"5 March 2017"

"The distance between son-in-law and mother-in-law was a house. If don't have, let's address as auntie instead of mother-in-law"

LOL. But it's the truth. Who didn't want their daughters had the good life if you're parents?

Let’s Glimpse other Breathtaking Views of Hong Kong

I watched Romance of 7 Days (7 日罗曼史）TVB in recent days. I suddenly found that there few nice views in the drama and searched them on Google. They were Nam Shang Wai (南上围）-Nam Shang Wai ferry and scenic line tree path. 

Nam Shang Wai actually had been appeared in olden day’s drama. But this time I fall in love deeply. Perhaps gorgeous female character, 黄翠如  and handsome male character，安信源.  I then searched again for the videos about Nam Shang Wai. After that, there were recommended videos in the Youtube newsfeed. 

All were Hong Kong’s breathtaking views using aerial photography by 随我行FollowMe (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmvPuu8uIob3vEsy-1rU3rw). I didn’t know how to describe my feeling after watching. All the views were amazing. Tourists seldom visit those places because I believed it never showed in the Hong Kong tour itineraries.  

Furthermore, the background music pretty great. Without those video, I wouldn’t realized there were so much to explore in Hong Kong. It made me forgot it’s a place which crowded, unfriendly and high scrapper buildings. And I hope someday I able to explore them with someone.

Here’s the several videos. If you’re free, took a look.

★★★★★★★ 1st favorite
★★★★★-2nd favorite

#1- Poi Toi Island ★★★★★★★

#2-Cape D'Aguilar ★★★★★★★

#3-Tai Tam Reservoirs ★★★★★★★

#4-Lamma Island ★★★★★★★

#5-Yi O ★★★★★

#6-High West's sunset ★★★★★★★

#7-Miu Ko Tai ★★★★★

#8- Ha Pak Nai's sunset ★★★★★

#9- Yam O Wan's sunset★★★★★★★

#10-Woo Yeung Shan ★★★★★

The Inspiring Lesson I Learn from Blind Masseuse

Last week, I was in the KLIA 2, while waiting the next flight back to Alor Setar.

After strolling around, I determined to have the foot massage in the reflexology center. The rates were reasonable and fair.

Here's the reflexology center 

Besides that, the setting of reflexology center had privacy where thick layer of fabrics between each blinds.

The staff in the counter arrange a Malay lady, Syikin for me. Then, I just realized she was blind.

I was not new to the massaging. Despite that, it counted as my first time to deal with the blind masseuse.

I found that all the masseuses in the reflexology center were blinds. But most of them were male.

When she sat down in front of me, I took a closer glance. She was young, probably in early twenties.

I began the conversation because I curious to know her story.

“How many years you trained to be the masseuse?”

“1 ½ year at the Blind Association at Brickfield, Kuala Lumpur”

“Did you receive any salary when training at there?”

“Yes, only few hundreds living allowances. The training and accommodation fees were free”. She quickly replied.

“I see”. I replied with a nod.

“Blind Association provided job for all the blinds?” I asked again

“Not sure, but I being offered the job.”

“How you come to work and back home everyday?”

“The reflexology center had pick-up service”

“What makes you blind?

“I had born with blind when separating with the twin sister that glued together”. “My sister became abnormal after all”.

In between the conversation, she managed to ask and share her personal stories as a way to engage and connect with me.

“What time is your flight?”, “Where you going to?”

“8.30pm, going to Alor Setar”

“You work at there?”

“No, I study there”.

“What course you take?”

“Management”.

“My elder sister and brother like you too, study in the university”

“This name being called by the airport staff exactly same with my customer” Isn’t she? She will fly to Singapore?”

After 20 minutes conversation with her, I learned that:

Staying Positive and Optimistic All the Times

I’m pretty amazed with her positive and optimistic attitudes despite visual impairment when was born. She could not see anything in her whole life. This even included her parents and siblings- the people that close to her in this world. She totally experienced darkness and hopeless. This disability did not stop her to learn the massage skills and employed.  She liked an asset with value. She could earn a living to support herself without rely her family. She was not the society parasite. Instead, she contributed to the society. Truth to be told, I’m not sure how many people able to maintain positivity and optimistic in their life. Maybe less than 10 people. I’m sure I’m the same. “Sigh” will be voiced out frequently.

The Power of Small Act of Kindness-Can Make Differences

I gained faith in humanity once I heard blind association, reflexology center provided training and jobs for them. I thought business organizations are always profit-oriented. Hiring disabled persons incurred costs (e.g sick leaves, compensation & occupational safety and health regulation). Besides that, people with disabilities hard to manage in the workplace as well as it took times. However, they had changed my thinking. People with disabled were not that easy to accept by the society. Some even not received equal treatments like normal people. They hard to obtain fulfilling opportunities either in the workplace or daily life. Right now, the job given by reflexology center has changed their life. Well done, reflexology center. Their act really inspired me and forever thankful.

I left with this quote:

“Never underestimate the power of a single act of kindness. Your act maybe the added lift that someone needs to go from falling to flying”-Zero Dean 

So Hard to Reunite, So Pain to Bid Farewell!

Good times of Chinese New Year 2017 always passed quickly. I utterly engrossed with all the happiness till forgot the concept of times and its passing.

These were the moments I tried hard to hold on to. And yes, the moments that I didn’t wanted them to pass. But what the hell, Chinese New Year 2017 had been ended.

How cruel the times were!

Chinese New Year was one of the Chinese festive celebrations that I looked forward every year. Mama felt the same way too.

Mama expressed her joy and hope through preparing all her kids’ favorite dishes like Kacangma, shark fin and fish maws soup.

It’s the times to be with the family and enjoyed wonderful things Chinese New Year offered: ang pows, cookies, cakes, good foods and decorations.

Most importantly, family bonds were revitalized again! Hectic work schedules and different university breaks make my family members scattered and fragmented whole year round.

So, Chinese New Year was unique, fun and meaningful. I started feeling sad once any of the family left home.

Rationality reminded me not to but can’t control my own emotions.

Mama surely sad than me. She was going to see everyone left. JoJo was the first person to leave followed by Rosamond, me, Naruto and Mickey.

The first thing usually Mama would do was took down all the Chinese New Year decorations in the front yard. I sensed her disheartening.

It left me wondered “have to wait next year? When is the next Chinese New Year?” Second, she stopped cooking Chinese New Year dishes.

We indulged New Year Eve dinner’s dishes on the second, third and fourth day of Chinese New Year.

It was replaced with the common dishes we had on those days. She purchased our medicines and favorite snacks to fill the suitcase.  

That’s was the greatest love in the world.

I felt guilty while Mama had to adapt “two persons’ life” with Papa. The homes suddenly turned to quiet homes.

Their emotions severely affected.

And that’s why, I would not say goodbye with parents when it’s my turn to leave home.  

Because there was no goodbye and no such thing as separation. Wherever they’re, they’re always in my heart. They are the one I loved with heart and soul.

Right now I imagine what would Mama do everyday? Checking calendar, marked it and counted the day her kids will be back home.

The rest of her kids still figured out their holidays and university breaks.

I want to tell them how bless I'm to be part of this family members