Coconut Mango Mochi Roll (椰汁香芒糯米卷)

When I saw my favorite Ataulfo mangoes in the market the other day, I was so excited!  I almost purchased all that they had put on the shelves, seriously!  I simply can’t resist these sweet, fragrant, and juicy mangoes.  If you haven’t check out my previous recipe and video on how to make Mango Panna Cotta yet, you’re missing out.  Simply click here to get that recipe as well!   



Onto these Coconut Mango Mochi Roll (椰汁香芒糯米卷), they are absolutely one of my favorite mango treats.  The mochi part of this dessert is not overly sweet,  therefore, I recommend that you use the ripest mangoes that you have on hand.  The filling is refreshing, juicy, and fragrant, thanks to the gorgeous mangoes.  The coconut mochi layer on the outside gives this dessert a slightly sweet and chewy texture because of the glutinous rice flour.  With a hint of coconut flavor on the outside, it compliment the mango fillings perfectly.  This is also a naturally gluten-free treat because of the types of flours that I used.  See the list of ingredients at the bottom of this post for your reference. 



You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to prepare this Coconut Mango Mochi Roll.  I would say, they are perfect for my next friends and family gathering!  I can’t wait to share them with everyone!



If you love mangoes, you’ve got to give this recipe a try.  I’m sure you and your family will love it as much as my family does!  Make this dessert while these mangoes are in season!  I know I’ll be making these Coconut Mango Mochi Rolls quite often in the weeks to come!  Enjoy!




Tools and ingredients used:
Glutinous Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Rice Flour (Click here for more information)
Corn Starch (Click here for more information)
Coconut Flakes (Click here for more information)
Heavy Whipping Cream (Click here for more information)
Roll Up Window Blinds used as backdrop (Click here to see product information)
Bamboo Cocktail Knotted Picks (Click here for more information)

Cream Corn with Chicken Over Rice (忌廉粟米雞粒飯)

Are you all enjoying the lovely Fall weather?  I certainly hope so.  Somehow, Fall makes me craves for comfort food.  Maybe it’s the chilly and rainy weather?  Or, maybe it’s the fragrant in the air that makes me long for something familiar.  And my definition of comfort food are something that’s easy to prepare, something that I feel satisfied after eating, and something that brings back childhood memories.  And this, Cream Corn with Chicken Over Rice (忌廉粟米雞粒飯) falls into all these criteria!



This Cream Corn with Chicken Over Rice dish is a popular dish that I grew up eating, quite a lot!  Ask anyone who grew up in Hong Kong, they would know about this dish and probably have many different memories associating with it.  Not only it’s a popular dish to serve at home, it’s almost always on the menu of the Hong Kong Style cafes.  But since it’s super easy to make at home, why bother eating out, right?



If you haven’t try this dish, I highly recommend that you give this a try.  It’ll probably be your new favorite dish to make.  It’s perfect for weeknight dinner, especially when you only have 20 minutes to put dinner on the table! ha!  So, I always marinate the chicken the day before so that I’ll have it ready to go.  Also, I always double the recipe as it’s even better the next day…or just in case, the kiddos ask for seconds! 





 
 

Lemon and Strawberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

Easter is just around the corner.  I truly adore this time of the year as Springs symbolized growth and new lives.  (In case if you wonder...NO, I'm not pregnant, I'm just referring to my plants in the garden!)  Another great news for foodies?  It’s the strawberry season!  Although I pretty much get strawberries all year round in California, I know many of you had been looking forward to the strawberry harvest time for a while.  The inspiration for these Lemon and Strawberry Cream Sandwich Cookies?  The Easter bunny of course.  And I love pairing strawberries with lemons, as the refreshing and citrus aroma compliment well with the sweet and tart strawberries.  Okay, these are not exactly Easter bunnies as you might already knew.  It’s a very famous children books/cartoon character called Miffy.  Click here to the link for the Miffy Cookie Cutters if you’re interested.    



I added some almond meal (almond flour) in the cookie dough for a hint of nutty flavor.  The cookies are packed with lemon zests and the lemony aroma truly shines through in these cookies.  The cookies alone are wonderful and makes perfect ice cream toppers, such as this one.  The strawberry cream filling is one of the easiest fillings I've ever made.  Yet, it’s packed with wonderful strawberry goodness and flavor.  Both the cookies and strawberry cream are not overly sweet.  But if you like yours sweeter, feel free to add a bit more powdered sugar when you make the fillings. 



I can’t wait to take my Kiddos out to the annual Easter Egg Hunt.  I know, that sounds like a big even/outing.  Actually, we usually just “hunt” the goodies packed plastic eggs at the backyard.  However, my kids always look forward to it and enjoy it so much every time.  I love it when little things in life like this can bring so much joy to them.  Do you have any plans for Easter?  I would love to hear from you.  

Homemade Tofu Pudding (To-Fu-Fa) with Ginger Syrup 自家製豆腐花

To-Fu-Fa (Tofu Pudding) with Ginger Syrup 豆腐花 is one of my favorite Chinese Style dessert that I've got to order every time I go to Dim-Sum restaurants.  I crave for this dessert from time to time.  When I go for Dim Sum on the weekends with my family, I always make sure this dessert is available so I that I can save some room for it.  It’s a very comforting dessert, smooth and not overly sweet.  The silky softness and melt in the mouth texture always melts me away.  Unfortunately, not many restaurants offer this traditional dessert any more. 




Traditionally, this To-Fu-Fa is made with culinary grade Gypsum Powder (食用石膏粉) to solidify the soy milk.  Since most of us won’t have access to gypsum powder, and I always doubted the safety on the consumption, even when they say "culinary grade"!  So, I tested my recipe with a safer alternative ingredient.  And the secret ingredient is…agar-agar.  Agar-Agar is derived from algae, and the solidify powder releases when it reaches boiling point.  Why did I use agar-agar and not gelatin?   Since agar-agar is a plant base ingredient, verses gelatin is derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products, using agar-agar in this recipe will be perfect for anyone, including my vegan friends.   




See the picture below?  Yup, this To-Fu-Fa is super soft and barely solidify, that’s the consistency you want to obtain for this dessert.  What’s the secret to do that?  Using the exact amount of Agar-Agar in ratio of the liquid, in this case fresh soy milk.  If you use too much agar, the texture would be too hard and bouncy, not good for this type of dessert.  On the other hand, your dessert won’t form/solidify if you use too little agar.  But I've done the leg work for you and tested out the perfect amount to use so you don’t have to go through eating bouncy To-Fu-Fa.  And you're very welcome!



Since I don’t have the soy milk machine, I took a short-cut and use store bought organic fresh soy milk from the Chinese supermarket, which are widely available these days.  The perfect way to enjoy To-Fu-Fa is drizzle some ginger syrup on top and spoon away.  I can totally skip the dim-sum restaurant and just enjoy this To-Fu-Fa at home!  You can enjoy this dessert chilled or, do what I did.  Put it in the microwave for a minute to warm up.  hm…perfect for a cold winter night.  I hope you like today’s recipe and recipe tips.   Stay tuned for some Chinese New Year (January 31st, 2014) recipes coming out on the blog soon.



1/12/2014 Update:  Since quite a few of you asked about the brand of Agar Agar powder that I used.  Below is a picture of the one that I used.  After looking at it closer, the Chinese translation on the package does say the brand is “Golden Trophy”.  Click here to the link for a similar product that you can get online if you can’t find this in your local supermarkets.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake (巧克力天使蛋糕)--with Pictorial

Finally, Kids are back to school and things are back to “normal”.  Or should I say, back to the usual routine?  My Kids are always hungry when they get home.  They would ask for their afternoon tea to fuel up before tackling homework.  This Chocolate Angel Food Cake (巧克力天使蛋糕) is one of their favorites afternoon tea to enjoy.  Aren't they spoiled or what?



This angel food cake is light and spongy, yet very chocolate-y.  There’s no oil, cream, nor butter used in the recipe.  Therefore, this is perfect if you like a low-fat cake recipe.   But of course, I can’t help it but add a dollop of freshly whipped cream on top….and some dark chocolate curls to finish it off!  That's kind of not an option, but a must for me!




Angel Food cake, or Angel cake, is a type of sponge cake that is originated in the United States. The main ingredients in this cake are egg whites, lots of egg whites. As you know, I've been making lots of ice creams this summer (which means using lots of egg yolks). So, this is one of my favorite cake that uses up all the egg whites, besides making French macarons. This cake is super light, fluffy, soft and spongy. Because of the lightness of this cake, it was referred to as the "food for the angels", and I couldn't agree more!




I recommend that you use an Angel Food Cake Pan for this recipe, click here for more information.  The center tube allows the cake batter to rise by 'clinging' on to all sides of the pan. For the same reason, never greased the angel food cake pan so the cake batter have something to "climb on".  After baking, the cake pan is inverted, to allow cooling, to prevent the cake from falling in on itself.





Come into the kitchen with me to see how I make this cake. (see pictorial below)

1) Preheat oven to 325 degree F.  Place un-greased angel food cake pan on the baking sheet.  

Tips and notes: Make sure the pan has a removable tube and don’t grease the pan so the cake batter has a chance to “climb up” and stay tall in the baking process.  Since there’s no leavening ingredients in this recipe besides the natural whipped egg white, this step is very important.

2) In a large mixing bowl, sift cake flour, cocoa powder and 3/4 cup of sugar together.  

Tips and notes: Yes, we add a portion of the sugar with the dry ingredients and the rest to whip up in the egg white to form the meringue.  The reason is that if you add all the sugar into the egg white, the cake would be too stiff and chewy.  Putting a portion of the sugar with  the rest of the dry ingredients will ensures a tender and spongy cake.  (you are very welcome!)

3) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites, water, cream of tartar and salt together until foamy.   Then, add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a steady stream. 



4) Add coffee mixture and vanilla extract, beat until stiff peak forms.

5)  Just want to show you the volume after the egg whites at stiff peak.

6) Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the dry ingredient mixture onto the egg white mixture.  With a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredient into the meringue.  Be careful not to deflate the foam.

7) This is how it looks after folding the first round.  Then, repeat with the rest of the dry ingredient until all used up.

8) Pour batter into a 9 1/2-inch un-greased angel food cake pan. A 10-inch pan would work just as find if that's what you've got.

9) Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean.  Then, invert cake pan on a wiring rack too cool for at least one hour, or until completely cooled.  This step is to ensure the cake stays nice and tall in the cooling process.


If you follow me on Instagram here, you might remember this picture below.  Yup, that’s how I usually cool my angel food cakes, over a large bottle of cooking sake.  Of course, you can use any bottle that fits the middle ring.  Just make sure the bottle is big and steady enough for this job!  Otherwise, you can simply invert it to cool on the wiring rack as shown above.  I do prefer it over the bottle because it’s better air circulation and will prevent the condensation from the heat of the cake.




To remove the cake from the pan, use a knife with a long and flexible blade. 

1) Insert the knife between the cake and the outer edge of the cake pan and go around the edges until the knife return to the original point.

2) Then, insert the knife between the cake and the inner rim of the cake pan and go around the edges until the knife return to the original point.

3) Place your hand underneath the cake pan with a gentle push.  The ring of the pan should come out easily.

4) Insert the knife between the cake and the base of the cake pan and go around the edges until the knife return to the original point.  Then, invert the cake onto your favorite cake stand.   Serve and enjoy!



I love my Chocolate Angel Food Cake with a little freshly whipped cream and a few chocolate shaving.  

Special tips and notes:  To make the chocolate shaving, use a vegetable peeler to shave the curls off a small block of chocolate.  The key is to use room temperature/slightly warm chocolate for this.  You’ll get these beautiful curls every time!  I hope you like today’s recipe, tips and pictorial.  Hope you all had a wonderful back to school transition!  All the best to everyone in the coming school year!




Note:  This is the Angel Food Cake Pan that I use.  Click here for more information.

What We Did This Summer….

I can’t believe Summer is almost coming to an end, well, almost!  We still have less than 2 weeks left before school starts.  Of course, we’ll continue to make the most out of it.  So far, we had a blast, a little drama, a few tears, an E.R. visit, lots of laughter, lots of food, and lots of fun.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  So, I’ll show you some pictures and less talking in this post.  Please excuse the quality of the pictures as most of them were taken with my Android phone.   

The Kids took a swimming class this summer.  It’s offered by the local YMCA.  Let’s just say, there are still a lot to learn and practice!



We visit the library and the parks quite often, both the regular parks, and theme parks.  This is my Baby Girl with Duffy at Disney's California Advanture.  Aren’t they both adorable?  So cuddly!  But I feel bad for that guy in that furry outfit when it’s 90+ degree F outside!



We went to the Orange County Fair, it was fun but the tickets for the rides were quite expensive.  We started off visiting the barn and farm animals.  Picture below is my Little Boy with the Moo Moo Cow.



This picture below was taken from the top of the Ferris Wheel Ride at the Fair.



I used to love crazy rides like this one (see picture below), key words here are “used to”.  Guess I’m getting old and can’t bear too much excitement from these crazy rides anymore.  Do you love crazy rides like this?  I feel dizzy just by looking at it now.



Of course, you’ve got to enjoy some 'Fair-Food' when you are there!  What’s your favorite 'Fair-food' to have?  Funnel cake is definitely on top of my list. 



If you follow me on Instagram here, you might remember this picture below with the “Sea of Turkey Legs”!  What a magnificent sight!



We also went to the Orange City Night Out Event organized by the City’s Polices Department.  It was pretty fun.  We enjoyed some free food, some games for the Kids, talent show, and I even won a free dinner at a local restaurant from the drawing!



The highlight of the event would be the K-9 performance.  They are super smart!



Unfortunately, we also visited the E.R.  Fortunately, we didn’t have to stay long before we were discharged.  It was more of a precaution than anything else.  Don’t worry, we are all fine now.  It was just a minor accident at the playground.  But I have to say, this is a top notch hospital, from equipment to customer service!  The Kids were even offered Lego, coloring pages, stickers, and so on while we waited.  I felt like I was in a 5-star hotel more so than in an E.R.!



Still remember my cherry tomato plants?  There are so many tomatoes now.  But somehow, they were taking so long to ripen this year.  Did that happen to you too?  Or is it just me, again? They stay green and orange for the longest time, I swear!




The good thing is, they are worth the wait!



These Cherry Tomatoes are super juicy and super sweet.  We've been harvesting 5 to 10 tomatoes a day.  Most of them went to my Baby’s Girl’s tummy as these are her favorites.  I’ll share a recipe using these tomatoes if I get enough of them in a day.



Last but not least, we've been out so often that we dine out more often too.  This little dumpling house is my Kids’ favorite.  We dine there so often.  But then, I realized I haven’t do a review for this restaurant yet.  So, stay tuned for the review.  I promise, I’ll show you lots of good food. 

I hope you’re enjoying your summer so far.  Any activities or event that you want to share?  I would love to hear what you did this summer too. 

Happy Birthday to a Little Princess and a Special Guest, Plus A Birthday Cake Decorating Idea

It was my Little Princess’ Birthday and we celebrated early this year.  Since Hello Kitty is (still) the Birthday Girl’s favorite character, I have to make sure the Kitty banner was in place before the party started.  Do kids ever out grown Hello Kitty?  If you know the answer, please share!  I was never a fan myself when I was young so I couldn't tell.  And I don’t think I would miss all the pink Hello Kitty items around the house if, one day, my Princess decided she doesn't like it anymore.  Hahaha…wish me luck that it will happen one day!  Besides my Little Girl’s birthday, it was also my Hubby’s Aunt’s birthday on the day we hosted the party.  She happened to be visiting the States from Hong Kong so we celebrated her Birthday as well.  It was our honor to have her at the party. 



In the afternoon, I served up these Adzuki/Red Bean Ice Dessert (紅豆冰, see picture above) , made from the Homemade Red Bean Paste, recipe here.  It’s a very popular Chinese dessert and perfect for hot summer days.  Simply fill a tall glass with some shaved ice (I blended some crushed ice in a blender to turn them into shaved ice consistency).  Then, top with some red bean paste, more ice, more bean paste; last but not least, splash in some evaporated milk and that’s all.  It was so good, refreshing, chilled, creamy, and very satisfying!  You bet I’ll be making this very often this summer!

Next, onto the birthday cake, its a Chocolate Mousse Pocky Cake!  Can you tell I'm quite excited about this cake?  You might noticed that I haven't show you the entree and appetizers and jump right to the cake. You bet that's the way we roll here, always start with desserts first.



Little Princess requested a chocolate cake for her birthday, so I made a chocolate mouse layer cake for her. (Similar to this chocolate mousse cake but in bigger scale.)  This dark chocolate mousse cake started with a chocolate cookie crust on the bottom, two layers of chocolate sponge cake in between the dark chocolate mousse layers, and topped with cocoa powder.  As you can see from the picture below, the sides of the cake wasn't that neat, so I decorated the cake with my kids’ favorite snacks, Chocolate Pocky and Strawberry Pocky!  As you might have guessed, pink is my Little Princess’ favorite color, that’s why I used the Strawberry Pocky as part of the decoration.  If you’re not familiar with Pocky, they are chocolate covered (or strawberry covered) pretzel sticks.  They are really tasty and fun snacks on their own.



I simply line and pressed the Pocky sticks onto the side of the cake.



Then tide it all up with some pretty ribbons.  But if I would do it again, I probably would apply a thin layer of cream on the side of the cake before adding the Pocky so that the Pocky sticks would stay-put when we cut into the cake. 



To go with the Strawberry Pocky theme, I simply decorated the top of the cake with a few strawberries right before serving.  The Pocky sticks are great for cake decorating if the sides of your cake doesn't look perfect.  As you all know by now that I'm not a crafty person, so, this is probably the easiest way to make the birthday cake looks great.  Hope you like this simple cake decorating idea.



Besides the cake, we had plenty of food.  Such as Chicken Cold Noodles with Sesame Dressing as shown in the picture below.  My Parents also prepared tuna sashimi and a self-serve sushi hand roll plates.  And somehow I didn't have a picture of those dishes alone.  They were surrounded by people constantly!  That’s how good they were.  The self-serve sushi hand roll plates was definitely a perfect dish to prepare for summer parties.  I’ll try to post a recipe in the future when I make it again.   I also made fried shrimp balls as appetizers and they were all gone before I had a chance to even take a picture.



I also prepared some Meyer Lemonade for the party.  It was Little Princess’ latest favorite drink.  So refreshing and perfect for any guest.  It was a nice party and we all had a great time.  It was filled with food, laughs, gifts, fun and love.  I hope you enjoy these pictures from the party and the cake decorating idea.  Stay tuned for my next post on more summer treats and recipes.