Happy Chinese New Year 2014 马年大吉

这是今天中午才做的牛油蛋糕，用了分蛋法，蛋糕特别细致柔软，留到明天吃刚刚好。

在这里祝大家马到成功，一马当先，马年大吉，新年快乐！

2014 German Cookies 德国酥饼

每年过年German cookies就会热起来，讲到易做好吃的饼干第一个让我想起的就是这款曲奇。

沿用一样的食谱 （http://angelcookbakelove.blogspot.sg/2011/01/melt-in-mouth-butter-cookies-aka-german.html），今年加了10g（一大匙）奶粉，味道几乎更好，喜欢！以后做都加奶粉好了，下次试试减少面粉量看看效果如何。

Crispy Baked Cod Fish Strips (By Air Fryer & Oven) 香烤鳕鱼丝 (气炸锅和烤箱）

去年跟风赶在新年前烤了紫菜鳕鱼片，家人很喜欢，今年买不到片状的（很像比较不普遍）于是只好买条状的，连紫菜也省略。

这里做一个记录，四条鳕鱼丝对折后用一条鳕鱼丝打一个结绑好，打结的动作要轻不然很容易拉断。当然断的都进了我的肚子。Air fryer 120C 6 mins，oven 140C 7 mins, 焖 1 min。

Happy New Year! 新年快乐！

On the last day of 2013 I'd like to wish all my friends and readers a wonderful 2014 ahead, one which will be filled with good health, peace and many happy moments. ❤️

Happy New Year! 新年快乐！

Merry Christmas & Happy 2014!

It has been a long time since my last update. How are you my dear friends and readers? Due to my work and family commitment I am unable to update my blog and leave you comment as often as I wish. I hope everyone is doing well and I believe so.

It's a last minute decision to bake a log cake this afternoon. With limited cream on hand, I apply a thin layer of cream and cover the cake with desiccated coconut and tada Snowy Log Cake is done! 

The cake base is vanilla chiffon cake with Hokkaido milk. I also brush some rum syrup on the cake before adding cream and rolling up. 

We have a mini Christmas Eve party at home tonight. Let's see what I have prepared. 

Air fried prawns with fresh fruits (apple, guava and strawberry). 

Chocolat Blanc Et Langue De Chat, cocktail sausages, roast pumpkin and sweet corn.

Fried chicken 

Wishing everyone Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2014 ahead with full of love and laughter! ❤️

祝亲爱的朋友和读者们圣诞快乐，在来临的2014年幸福满满，身体健康！❤️

Umani – Japanese Stew Root Vegetables

Umani is Japanese stew root vegetables with chicken. I had it in a small Japanese family restaurant recently and I fell in love with it immediately. So I tried to imitate the dish at home. My family liked it very much.  

Traditionally the main ingredients used are radish, carrot, lotus roots and burdock. Since the portion will be too big for my small family so I didn't add burdock. I also replaced chicken with pork belly as I need to “clear stock” in my freezer. If I were to cook again I would prefer to use chicken wings. 

Here is my version of Umani.

Ingredients: (serve 4)

300g-500g chicken thigh/wings/ pork belly

1 radish

2 lotus roots

1-2 carrots (depends on size)

6 shiitake mushrooms (pre-soak in water)

+/- 2 cups bonito flavoured dashi stock*

*I used water + 1 sachet (4g) of bonito dashi powder bought from Daiso

Seasonings:

3 tbsp shoyu

3 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp sake

Sugar to taste

Method:

1. Cut all ingredients into big chunks.
2. Heat a deep pot with little oil; add meat and sauté till fat is released.
3. Add mushrooms, sauté till fragrant.
4. Add the rest of ingredients (see note), stir to mix and add stock to about the height of ingredients, add seasonings to taste.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium low heat, stir occasionally, until all ingredients are fork tender and stock reduced by half or more.

Kitchen notes:

1. You may want to add the lotus roots first to cook for a while before adding other ingredients as it takes more time to cook.
2. Place a piece of baking paper/grease-proof paper on the ingredients helps to keep the moist and ingredients will be cooked faster.
3. Suggest cooking this in advance and let it sit in the pot to allow all ingredients especially the radish to fully absorb the stock.