Coconut Cake & Cupcake Cookbook Winner

It is time to announce the winner of the first ever cookbook giveaway at My Feasts. Thank you all for the gracious comments! I had asked folks for their favourite cupcake flavour and most of you liked chocolate. I had an inkling that chocolate would be the the popular choice.




Some of you e-mailed to inquire the beautiful rose icing on top of the cupcake. You see...I had just bought a cake decorating kit ( in a blue tool box) and have been busy playing around with the tips. As you can see here, I have been attempting to make roses - not bad for a first timer I think ;)

Back to the winner - it is Zoe from Zoe Bakes. Check out Zoe's lovely creations at her blog. I made this coconut cake to celebrate this event (!) . This lovely cake is moist and rich (it is Ina Garten's recipe after all!) and also an early birthday cake for yours truly ;)


Coconut Cake - Ina Garten
3 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 extra large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 12/ tsp almond extract
3 cups all purpose flour - sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
4 oz sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 , 9 inch pans and set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder and set a side.




Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and light. Add eggs one by one and beat till light and creamy. Pour in vanilla extract and almond extract. Alternate flour and milk in three stages with the mixer on slow. Add in salt and sweetened coconut. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti With Soy Chorizo & Almonds

I had left the meticulously written grocery list at home again and was trying hard to remember some of the menus I had in mind for the coming week. I came across soy chorizo while browsing the aisles of Trader Joe's ( lots of browsing when one does not have a list). I have been looking for the real thing but nevertheless was excited when I came across the vegetarian version. After a lengthy debate with Brad as to whether the vegetarian version would taste any good , the soy chorizo made it to the check out.

Chorizo is coarsely ground fresh pork sausage flavoured with garlic, chili powder, smoked pepper and other spices. Spanish chorizo is often made from smoked pork and it spiciness can range from very spicy to mild. Chorizo is also popular in Basque cuisine. You could make this dish with the real thing or omit it altogether.

I made this dish with the stash of organic whole wheat pasta that we found when we cleaned our pantry last week ( that , some cocoa nibs, goji berries and matcha. I will have to use it up when I return from vacation ). The recipe below serves 5, and the leftovers were enjoyed for lunch the next day :)

Spaghetti with Soy Chorizo With Almonds
1/4 cup vegetable broth
salt to taste
6 oz soy chorizo from T.Joes
4 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
1 med red onion - peeled and sliced
2 tb olive oil
10 oz whole wheat organic pasta
1 can organic chickpeas- drained and rinsed
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley- chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds - pan toasted

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

While waiting for the pasta to come to a cook, heat 3 tb olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat and fry the sliced garlic until golden. Remove garlic chips from oil and set aside. Saute onions in the same pan till it starts to caramelize. Add crumbled soy chorizo ( it will crumble on its own as you have to remove the casing prior to cooking) and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in vegetable stock, drained chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Adjust seasonings.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and toss with the chorizo mixture. Sprinkle chopped parsley, garlic chips and toasted almonds over pasta. Makes 5/ 6 servings.

And a remainder - don't forget to enter the cupcake contest!!! The deadline is Wednesday night.

Carrot & Cardamom cupcake and cookbook giveaway

I have caught the cupcake bug. It seems like I have been baking a variety of cupcakes recently and I blame it on the weather. It is the time of the year to put away the shorts and pull out the sweaters. Except some of my summer clothes are going into my check in luggage...I will be visiting my family in less than a week!

Back to the cupcakes - You do not need mixer of any kind to make this- just a whisk, a large bowl , a grater and 15 minutes tops for it to come together. The cupcakes stay moist for a few days. The freshly ground cardamom and ginger gives it a gentle hint of spice . Think of it as a quicker and lighter version of a carrot cake. This recipe comes from Susannah Blake's books aptly titled Cupcakes. This book is filled with recipes that are straightforward and perfect for hesitant bakers :) AND this is your lucky day - I am giving a copy away! What is your favourite cupcake? Leave a comment and I will randomly pick a winner. Deadline is Wednesday, Oct 1st.




Carrot and Cardamom Cupcake - by Susannah Blake
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 tsp ground ginger
5 cardamom pods - seeds only - finely crushed
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup walnuts - roughly chopped
a pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

Pour oil, sugar, eggs in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Add in orange zest, crushed cardamom seeds, ginger and grated carrots and mix well. Fold in flour, carrots and nuts to the oil mixture.

Spoon mixture into the lined muffin pan and bake for 20 - 30 minutes to until cupcakes are done. Cool completely on a rack. Makes one dozen cupcakes.

How to clean a fish and recipe for steamed fish

It is no secret that I enjoy seafood. I would tag along my dad to the pasar/ wet market early Saturday mornings ( my mother could never stand the stench of a wet market). I loved market days because it was always just the two of us. I was taught at a very early age to always look out for freshness and quality of whatever produce we were purchasing that day.. By the age of 9, I was an old hand at choosing fish and picking out the live chicken at the pasar that would be freshly slaughtered and cleaned on the spot. When choosing fresh whole fish look out for:

- firm flesh
- clear and bright eyes ( no sunken eyes)
- all scales attached
- bright red gills
- no funky smell, fresh fish should smell like the sea
- slippery skin
- bright and natural colour



Steamed Red Snapper With Ginger Sauce
Minced ginger brightens the flavour of the sweet fish. Served with steamed rice, it is quick, delicious for a weekday meal and elegant enough for company.

Fish:
1 whole snapper (medium) - gutted
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tb minced ginger

Wash and pat dry fish. Rub the salt all over the fish and sprinkle minced ginger on the fish and set in a steamer. Steam for 10-15 minutes (this depends on the thickness of the fish).

Sauce:
1 tb light soy sauce
2 tb dark soy sauce
2 tb stock
1/4 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic - thinly sliced
1 tb peanut oil
2 tsp sesame oil
2 scallions - sliced thinly for garnish

Heat peanut oil in a small pan and fry the thinly sliced garlic till crisp. Set garlic chips aside for garnish and remove the pan from heat.

Once the fish comes out of the steamer , pour out any juices that may have accumulated from the steaming. Heat the pot of oil again on medium heat and pour in both soy sauces, stock and sugar. Bring to a boil. This does not take long, maybe only 3 minutes.Take off heat, swirl in sesame oil and pour over the steamed fish. Sprinkle garlic chips and sliced scallions and serve immediately.

TWD - Chocolate Chunkers

This week's TWD recipe was chosen by Claudia. Some of TWD members were hesitant to make these because of the way the baked cookies looked. Between you and me the one I made last week ( and did not post) looked worse. But one bite of these cookies will make you clamour for more.



The recipe had more chocolate in form of chocolate chips and cocoa powder than flour. I used dried organic blueberries, some raisins and threw in a handful of chopped cranberries that I had sitting in the pantry. It is not a good idea to chill the dough for long as it would be rock hard. I chilled it for a 20 minutes so that it firms up just a bit before proceeding to bake the cookies.




I brought the baked cookies to our annual rock garden picnic this past weekend. I was secretly wishing for leftovers of the fudgy and addictive treat but no such luck.

Cassava Chips

Cassava root ( ubi kayu in the Malay language) is a common root vegetable in Malaysia and most tropical countries. Cassava ( also known as manioc or yucca) is also known as tapioca in Malaysia.

Ubi kayu ( direct translation - stick potatoes, maybe because it looks like a thick old stick before it is peeled) is a starchy tuber that is able to grow in poor soil conditions. It is used in sweet and savoury dishes . Some of my all time favourites are fried ubi kayu drenched in hot sambal, steamed ubi kayu topped with freshly grated sweet coconut and shredded palm sugar.


You could buy these chips is most stores at home but my mom always made it. All you need is some elbow grease to slice the chips, a pot of hot oil, salt and a dash of hot chili powder. I used a mandolin to slice the ubi and the slicing was done in a no time at all. I heated up some vegetable oil ( you could use peanut oil if you are so inclined) to 350 degrees. Fry the chips in small batches, lay them out to cool on a rack lined with some absorbent paper. Sprinkle some salt and hot chili powder while the chips are still warm. While waiting patiently for the chips to cool, make yourself a hot cup of sweet milky tea to further enhance the experience of feasting on the golden and crunchy chips. Take a serving or two of cooled chips and your cup of tea, find a quiet corner to savour not only the chips but also the memories they evoke - and that's what I did on a late rainy Saturday afternoon.

Fresh Figs with Brie

I was inspired by the latest edition of Donna Hay magazine to make this austere but delicious dish. I have been on a fig kick lately and I am unable to pass the little baskets of fresh figs displayed in the grocery store every time I walk past it. I have been coming home with these little jewels every time. Yesterday I broke down and whole case of figs and and got busy with making some jam. More on that later...


I gently washed, halved the figs and tossed them in a little white balsamic vinegar, a handful of tender mint leaves from my patio garden and let the fruits macerate for an hour. When I was ready to serve, I arranged the figs mixture on the cheese and drizzled some blueberry honey that my friend Carol so thoughtfully brought back from Maine. Our friend Jason flew in from Toronto that evening. The three of us gathered around the table, sipping our wine, nibbling on cheese and halves of succulent figs with some organic crackers, talking all at once, catching up with news of friends and foe ;) It was the start of a wonderful week.

Peanutty Goodness

I made Chunky Peanut butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters chosen by Proceed With Caution for TWD. This quick, drop cookie is made of oatmeal, chocolate chips, and lots of peanut butter. I used smooth peanut butter (which I bought by mistake) instead of the chunky peanut butter that was recommended by Dorie. I did not feel like running back to the store and I had to bake these cookies last week as I had company coming and may not have time to bake. The smooth peanut butter did not prove to be a disaster - I had a little panic as I carefully measured the peanut butter. I also added 1/2 cup of roasted, unsalted and chopped peanuts to the cookie dough.



A note about the oats - I used quick cooking oats ( quick cooking oats are steamed, cut finely and then rolled) for this recipe. The recipe calls for the cookie dough to be chilled prior to baking. Quite a few TWD members had problems with rock hard cookies which were baked with dough that chilled for a lengthy period in the fridge. I chilled my dough for about half an hour prior to baking. The cookies spread a bit,was chewy and moist. Brad adores oatmeal cookies - it is a family favourite, there was always a stash of it in the freezer of his parents' basement...just in case of emergencies ;-) My company left this morning ( time flies when you are having fun)- he was happy to take some to snack on the flight back home to Toronto.


The recipe is here. And if that is enough, here are more cookie recipes!
Carrot Cookies
Earl Grey & Currant Cookies
Chocolate Morsels