One for the journey

I was about to lay my apron down to rest for the weekend, but i was too tempted to have just one more baking spree before i fly off at 6aM Tmrw! The cookies were a simple choc chip cookie recipe without the choc chips; made crunchy with a handful of toasted and pounded walnuts. Influenced by my chocoholic housemate; i decided to stir in half a block of melted cadbury milk chocolate to give it a chocolaty taste....turned out really well. Any suggestions for the name of my new cookie?
Dinner was looking good as well, jap style grilled fish with roast potatoes. If only i had fresher hoki fish fillets to work with :(

Leaving my sanctuary :(

Will be going to the Gold Coast for the weekend!!! WEEe themePARKS!...too bad i couldn't bring my beloved kitchen along :P.My housemates requested that I keep them happy and satisfied with their usual favourtie Indonesian fried rice...I think I made enough for an army of men! I'll only be home on Tuesday, so they will have to feed themselves take out or just maccers across the street for a few days.
Timing for dinner was a bit awkward last night, I made 2 bowls full of glass noodles "dong fun" and they were done eating it by 5pm.So I had to make last minute pasta for dinner. Half way thru my cooking, I discovered I had 1/4 of the tomato base pasta sauce I was planning on using (I know I should have prepared ingredients and checked if I had everything...blah..blah..the usual "cooking" routines; but it slipped my mind, and I was too busy trying to get everything ready by dinner time), so "lil-miss-improvise" beat up 2 large egg yolks, added a few sprigs of tarragon leaves and mixed it into the pasta sauce in the pan with condiments and meat already sitting there cooking. I then stirred in a lil cream and milk to thicken the sauce, added some zing with tabasco sauce,squeezed in a lil lemon juice, sprinkled a handful of grated mozzarella, and it was actually good! comment from a fellow diner was "its a lil sour", so I guess youu could leave out the lemon juice, or just add a lil sugar, depending on how much red sauce you're working with. I wish I had a photo to go with this..but I forgot to take one..and the pasta's all gone down our tummies.
I also made chicken wings to go with the dinner last night, they were tandoori chicken wings which got an A+ from me and a fellow housemate. Pinky still pulled the skin off of the wings, paranoid that they were covered in fat; despite the fact that I grilled them with absolutely no oil in the oven. But honestly...what's a chicken wing without its skin, the flavour in the spices and the crunchy bits are the best part! I try not to think of the cholesterol when I eat them >.

It's a ME day!

Everyday I whip up goodies for my lovely housemates, I get daily requests like; "GOooeey CHocoLATE!, BerRRy FiLLed yum stuff; NASI LEMAK!!!, black pepper chicken *MMmM*....list continues.. haha, today I decided to satisfy my personal love and craving for reeses peanut butter cups! Its fairly difficult to find them here in Sydney, I get an occasional surprise when I see them lying around the counters. I have had a love for all things peanut butter for years!(not the crunchy type...but the smooth creamy taste of peanut butter from a Kraft jar). I bet I'm not alone when I say I eat it with a spoon! Even the sexy and famous do --> brad Pitt did it in Meet Joe Black, he looked adorably gorgeous with a spoon stuck in his mouth! ;) Personally its the texture of soft and smooth peanut butter on its own, the fragrant tinge of toasted groundnuts with a subtle taste of sweetness ; pureed into a sticky 'melt-in-your-mouth' buttery consistency...(*MmmM...quickly runs downstairs for a spoon*)
Back on topic, i made a batch of heavenly chocolate cupcakes topped with peanut butter 'icing' and dotted with milk chocolate ganache. Just quoting a housemate of mine "Oh MY GOD! YuMm Mmm MmmmmMmm"she's satisfied..and so was i, after pigging out with 3!~ :P Discovering the gym was probably the best thing that happened to my body. I made a special lil one for myself, with EXTRA peanut butter topping. *teehee*
Secret to the cupcake recipe : Use your favourite basic cupcake recipe, add in 125g melted milk chocolate and an extra 1/4 cup of milk(depending on the consistency of the batter...fold in alternately with the flour) If your cupcake is usually fairly sweet, you might want to take of a lil of your sugar proportions. When they're done, toast a few walnuts in the oven in a sheet of foil for about 5 mins, take them out, fold the foil over and pound them with something heavy. Mix 2-3 heaped tbsp of creamy peanut butter,1/4cup icing sugar and the crushed walnuts together. Melt 50g chocolate and stir in 1tbsp of cream...that should give you a nice shiny ganache mixture.
assemble it however you wish...pipe it, spoon it on, spread it, whatever tickles your fancy *tip: if you love peanut butter like me, dig a lil hole in the cupcake before you spread the peanut butter topping!
ps: thanks yan for the url of the blog that gave me inspiration for these! they absolutely made my day! :)

A hint of the past

I compiled a few of my favourite pictures from a week ago to start off the blog. I guess this is where the idea of starting a blog came along, i began taking pictures of yummy looking food with my lil camera and wanted a journal to keep myself on track; see my progress...yadda..yadda. Ill be updating my blog regularly with my daily cooking activities, successful servings and occasional mishaps :P. So here goes...
that right there....is a double chocolate strawberry cheese cake...and the mice getting at the cheese was made out of sugarpaste; it is the most adorable lil cake ive seen! IMO ;)

The beginning of my blog

This blog is dedicated to my love for food and the culinary arts. I wouldnt call my "noob" cooking skills culinary arts..but its certainly headed in that direction. I am an enthusiastic junior chef-->yes wearing the apron does make me a chef *cheeky grin*...im still missing the chef hat! Being bound to my uni lifestyle (mini budget and schedule) i have very basic tools and ingredients, most of my concoctions i make from common items at the local grocery store, or the 27/4 gas station down the street! (when im desperate). Every now and then, i get to splurge on a few extras like fresh berries and good quality chocolate (still desperate for a proper pie dish!).
I am the queen of improvising! I have to, i've done it for years and i do it so well! Most of my recipes are derived from lil bit and pieces of what i have available. I have always been good at craft and creating "something" out of "nothing" and i dont see why I shouldnt apply that to cooking *shrug* saves me a $$! hehe. I guess i have learnt most basics of cooking and I have a good sense of flavour and taste. I love to eat; and i from that, sparked my love for cooking.
I have a long journey in pursuing this passion of mine, to learn, to experience and to EAT! :P.