Merdeka Cupcakes: Exhibit B and Exhibit C

The second part of my Merdeka Cupcake quest.

By tweaking my favourtie Nuttella Cupcake Recipe and with inspiration from boo_licious, I managed to come up with another two cupcake flavours with a Malaysian twist.

Introducing Vanilla-Kaya Cupcakes and Pandan-Kaya Cupcakes!

I didn't make many changes with what I already consider to be a wonderful recipe. I just didn't put in essence while making the batter and when done, halved the completed batter, mixed in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence in one half and 1/2 teaspoon pandan essence in the other. Filled cupcake liners with batter, topped it up with about 1/2 teaspoon of kaya and swirled the kaya in with a toothpick.




I didn't manage to get my swirls as pretty as boo's but the end taste was pretty good, I felt that the eggy cupcakes were well complemented by the egg-based kaya. The pandan essence went well with the cupcakes too, very fragrant =)

Happy Merdeka to all Malaysians!

Merdeka Cupcakes: Exhibit A

Happy 5 days till Merdeka.

5 more days till the nation celebrates it's 50th year of independance.

Thought I'd experiment and come up with a few 'Malaysia inspired' cupcake recipes. Here's the first one.

Milo, according to Wikipedia originated from Australia. However I feel that its something that has now become firmly ingrained into the life of Malaysians. I remember drinking loads of Milo when I was a kid. I rember making chocolate sandwiches by spreading Milo powder over slices of bread. Remember those huge Milo trucks that would come around to primary schools distributing free cups of Milo? Even today you find huge billboards all around town prmoting the 'Malaysia boleh, Milo boleh' campaign which has been going on for years. Everyone I know seems to have grown up on Milo.

Yes, Milo may have originated from Australia but I feel that I can quite safely say that it can be called one of Malaysia's official drinks.

Thus my inspiration to come up with a Milo themed cupcake recipe, which I shall call "Milo Milo-nuggets Cupcakes". Now that's a lot of Milo.

Milo Milo-Nuggets Cupcake recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup self-raising flour, sifted

1 cup milo powder

1 cup/230g butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 packet/about 125 g milo nuggets, break apart the lager pieces into halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar till light and fluffy. In a seperate bowl, mix together flour, salt and Milo powder.

3. Mix eggs, one by one, into the butter-sugar mixture. Add in milk and flour mixture in 2 parts, mixing until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix.

4. Gently stir in Milo nuggets until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Spoon batter into paper liners till about 3/4 full. Pop a Milo nugget in the centre of each cupcake (optional, I found that this doesn't make much difference since the nuggets in my cupcakes seemed to have risen while baking).

5. Pop cupcakes into oven, and bake for around 20 mins, or until toohpick inserted comes out clean.

Before going into the oven.

Ta dah!

Look at the nuggets peeking out of the cupcakes like yummy uh, nuggets of chocolatey goodness.

Meet Pat.

This little feller sits at my desk at work. I'm not sure where he came from or what's his name, so I shall just call him Pat. Pat the dog. Get it? Oh dear, I'm so lame.

Hello Pat.

Pat has Chinese Takeaway. Pat likes Chinese food (I think)

Aha, Pat spots a Banana-Walnut Muffin.

*Sniffs* Hmm... Smells good.

Decisions, decisions what shoult Pat eat first?

"May I have this yummy smelling muffin?"
"Pretty please?" (Big puppy dog eyes)

Sorry Pat. I ate the muffin.
(It was good btw, thanks Elaine =D)

Pat sulks. Aww poor pat.
*Pats Pat* Geddit yet?

Pat is still sad.

He decides to drown his sorrows by diving into a vat of cheesecake.
(Which was also delish, thanks Elaine's mum!)

Thus ends the story of Pat.

P.S.
Don't worry folks, Pat didn't really drown in cheesecake. He's still at my desk today, staring at another huge muffin courtesy of Elaine.

Mix your own rojak.

From prepacked ;)

What you need:

2 x pack pre-cut miscellaneous fruits that usually go into rojak.

2 x pack fried crunchy crackers

2 x pack rojak sauce

Directions:

Pour cut fruits into large mixing bowl, cover with lots of rojak sauce.

Using a large wooden spatula, mix until cut fruits are well coated with rojak sauce.

Do not overmix, or sauce will become watery.

Sprinkle with lightly crushed crackers.

Dig in!



This mix-your-own-rojak episode has been brought to you by your friendly Damansara Jaya medan selera rojak stall. RM3 for a small portion, RM4 for a large portion.

After reading numerous reviews I thought I'd give this place a try when I was in the area a few weeks back collecting my contacts. What do I think of it compared to my favourite Damansara Uptown rojak?

Pros: I like that they seperate the sauce from the fruits, makes it easier for me to take home and eat later. Also, I must say that the sauce is really much nicer than the Uptown stall's.

Cons: The packs didn't come with my favourite fried 'yau char kwai'. Also missing is the yummy dried cuttlefish and squid.

I think my idea of the perfect rojak would be the Damansara Jaya rojak sauce with the Damansara Uptown ingredients. But right now I'll settle for rojak from any of the two areas. They're both good stuff.

Address:

Rojak Stall

Opposite Atria, outside the medan selera

Damansara Jaya

Other reviews:

masak-masak

backStreetGluttons

I like soooo found my dream job!

In last Thursday's edition of The Star:

Wanted: Food Writer (Journalist)

FOOD Writer

Such an ideal job scope...

Job scope:

This is a job for someone who enjoys multitasking.
I am such a multitasking pro wei; can talk on the phone, watch tv and blog all at the same time.

Responsibilities include being a food scout
I like new places.

restaurant and wine critic
woohoo I get to be all posh, poised and snooty.

food stylist
yay!

recipe tester
yay!

and dish washer
erm... can larh... I'm pretty tidy around the kitchen.

You are expected to be able to conduct food research and tasting independantly
good food can be good company =)

And now let's see how perfect I am for this perfect job...

Requirements:

Someone with a lot of drive, passion, conviction, a great sense of adventure, a modern outlook and an intelligent, analytical and inquiring mind.
Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!

A foodie with no food inhibitions and a large capacity.
I may be pint-sized but I have a hugeeee appetite.

You feel equally at home chowing down in the streets or in a fine-dining restaurant.
I'm your typical Malaysian, unfazed by finding the stray hair in my food but my alter ego love posh restaurants with champagne and foie gras.

You are aware and concerned about the onslaught of fast food (yes, but doesn't mean I'll stop eating it, moderation's key), GMO (don't mess with mother nature ppl!), chemical additives in food (boo MSG) and uhealthy farming practices (go organic!), and want to do something about it (serious, bride-like expression: I do, I really really do.)

You must possess a formidable command of the English language.
English Language undergraduate, present!

Not more than 35 years old.
I have many more years to go. Yes, this is me gloating about my age. =P

If you think you possess many of the skills mentioned above and consider this a dream job.
Eh, I just dedicated a whole post(not to mention a long one) to this job which I can't even apply for yet wei!


BUT...
I still have one year to go before I complete my degree!!!! *Sobs* I doubt they'll wait one year. So come on you other foodies out there apply apply (and when I'm out in the big bad world of job hunting next year, think of me =D) Deadline's August 25th, e-mail me for details.

Sigh... Dream job... One day. Till then I'll just keep eating la.

flavours Merdeka special: Restaurants over 50

In conjunction with the nation's 50th year of nationhood, flavours magazine published an article featuring 35 restaurants all around the country which are more that 50 years old.

I've only been to 6 of them. Sadness.

New goal: To eat at least once in all these places. Well, maybe at least the ones in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang.

Here are the places I've been to so far. Sorry folks very few photos I went to most of them when I was much much younger. No camera, no blog, no crazy obession with food back then. Ah, how much I've grown.


KUALA LUMPUR

No. 1
Coliseum Cafe and Hotel, 87 years old
98-100 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman

My parents used go there for dates. My grandad brought my mom there for a treat. Memories.

I think my parents brought me there when I was around 11. To be honest, I can't remember what the food tasted like. I do remember that we ordered the famed sizzling steaks. And the memory about this place that is most firmly embeded in my mind is the smell of the place, the slightly musty, smokey smell of years and years of sizziling hotplates. I read somewhere that smells are one of the things that tend to stick in your memory. It's true.


No. 2
Sek Yuen, 58 years old
313-1 & 315 Jalan Pudu

The most recent place of of the lot that I've been to. Went there to attend a birthday dinner of the Boy's dad. I was told that back in the days Sek Yuen was the 'it' place to hold Chinese wedding dinners.

What I think of the place? It's old, and it looks its age. The food was nice, not super-fantastic. Still it feels nice to know I had dinner at such a historic location. And its reputation is still going strong there was not an empty table in sight when I was there.


No.3
Song Kee Beef Noodles, 62 years old
3, Jalan Tun Siew Sin

My dad insists I've been here, I can't remember the place at all. Don't really think it should be on my list of places if I don't remember anything about it, but then again why not. After all, I "have" been there.


NEGERI SEMBILAN

No. 4
Seremban beef noodles, 60+ years old
Stall 748, Pasar Besar Seremban
Jalan Pasar, Seremban

For some reason, I have memories of visiting this place quite frequently when I was younger. And waiting in anticipation for my dad to bring packets of these yummy noodles home whenever he went to see client in Seremban. It was these yummy noodles that got me over my squeamishness of eating animal innards. Hee.

I miss those noodles, haven't been able to find anything remotely similar anywhere else.


PENANG

No. 5
Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng, 81 years old
Seng Lee Coffee Shop,
270 Jalan Burma

Went here on a family trip last year, after my obession with taking photos of food had begun. The friendly Mamak owner there speaks Hokkien like a native! And omg the mee goreng! It's a psychedelic orange! And oh so so delicious, the perfect combo of noodles and spices. And a mountain of sotong/squid there's a mouthfull it every bite. I'm starting to drool just thinking of it...

Hmm, maybe the orange coloured plates make the noodles look even more orange.

The mee rebus is pretty good too.
Don't forget to "tambah sotong"

PERAK

No. 6
Pun Chun duck noodles, 69 years old
Pun Chun Chicken Biscuits & Restaurant
40, Main Road, Bidor

This was a stop on the way home from the Penang trip last year. Wantan noodles in a delicious chinese herbal soup, topped with braised duck that's so tender it practically falls off the bone. I didn't forget to take back a few packets of their famous chicken biscuits (there's no chicken listed among the ingredients, I checked). Absolutely adore the thin, crispy ones, I can finish a packet by myself in one sitting.

delicious duck noodles

Heng Kee Bak Kut Teh

Ah, yummy bak kut teh or 'pork bone tea'.

This restaurant has been around for as long as I can remember.
Which is a long time.
And may it be there for a long time to come, I want to bring my kids here someday.

All the magic happens behind here.
Look at them hard at work, churning out bowls and bowls and bowls of fragrant soup.

'Pai kuat' pork ribs

'Chee chang' a mix of lean and fatty meat.

Innards. Hehe. Not many people my age eat this stuff nowdays.

Shame.

Sweet taufoo pok. This place has one of the best I've tasted so far.

Mushrooms!! In case you haven't noticed by now, I'm a huge mushroom fan.

A family feast of the best kind.

Served the old school way, in plastic bowls.

And different parts and ingredients are seperated instead of being

Yau char kwai to dunk in the soup, I usually just ignore my rice and eat a bowl of this.

Mmm..

For me the soup is the key ingredient of any bak kut teh. I find the one served here to be fragrant, sweet and not too overpowering. Perfection. No wonder they've been going strong for years.

Non-halal.

Address:

16, Jalan 1/10 (Old Town),

46000 Petaling Jaya

Tel No:

03-7785 1663

012-333 1063

Opening hours:
5.30pm to 12 midnight, closed on Mondays

Other reviews:

Kyspeaks

Rasa-rasa Malaysia

Big Apple Donuts

I finally got to try the much talked about Big Apple doughnuts from The Curve when I went there for the flea market last Sunday.

What patriotic packaging.

Remember Malaysia's celebrating her 50th year of nationhood really soon people!

Pretty doughnuts all in two rows.
Clockwise from top left: Durian, Kiwi, White Chocolate with Almond Flakes, Oreo, Banana Choc, and Vanilla Cream

The most unusual one of the lot the spiky, smelly durian doughnut. Not really a fan of durian so I can't say this was really nice but it was different.

Overall, what do I think of Big Apple donuts? Not much at all actually. They're cake-like so there's not much 'bite' in them which I like in my donuts. The flavours I tried were alright but nothing to shout about, though I kind of liked the oreo flavoured one. Don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon.

Pretty, pretty donuts though, points for the variety! I like looking at pretty food.

Big Apple Donuts and Coffee
Lot G72A (Behind TGIF)
Ground Floor, The Street
Western Courtyard
The Curve
Mutiara Damansara
Petaling Jaya
Tel No: 03 - 7726 4250

Other reviews:
masak-masak
Eat First Think Later
NicoleKiss

YHK Seafood

I love living in DU where good food is everywhere.

And I don't have to drive all the way to Pudu to try this famous Yong Tau Foo.

Yong Tau Foo 80 sen a piece if i'm not mistaken.

Too be honest I actually find them quite ordinary, maybe slightly bigger than usual.

I suspect I'm not a Yong Tau Foo person.

More Yong Tau Foo.
Not much left since we went pretty late.
Also chicken gizzards (red bowl) for the ppl that fancy that kind of thing.

Boiled

Fried.

Loh Shue Fun
Small portion RM 14, for two persons
Now this is what I came for. I love the sweetish, herbal soup. Generous servings of chinese black mushrooms, enkoi mushrooms (I heart!) and buttton mushrooms. Also taufoo, clams in fish paste and some other mystery items which I'm not sure what to call.

Rats tails anyone? (The white stuff)
That's what the direct translation of loh shue fun is. Really!
And more enkoi mushrooms <3

No 31 Jalan SS21/56B
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya

Headquaters:
45 Jalan Brunei Barat
55100 Kuala Lumpur

Opening times:10am - 9pm

Other reviews:
Babe in the City
A Whiff Of Lemongrass
WaiSikKai