Double chocolate raisin ice cream

I've tried the basic chocolate ice cream recipe and could never get it right because the chocolate always splits. I've learnt that you should never use anything other than a melted spoon to stir the chocolate because if the chocolate touches water, it will split. I've also learnt that chocolate buttons, having a low chocolate content, can also split after heating. In both previous attempts, I created a happy accident because the chocolate became little flecks, not unlike chocolate chips!

This time I decided to use good quality 70% cocoa dark chocolate but it still split, albeit to a much lesser extent than using chocolate buttons. I think the reason is because the chocolate hardened again. If (and when) I decide to try this recipe again, I may introduce just a bit of cream into the melted chocolate (like a ganache), still using 70% cocoa chocolate. Hopefully this may finally give me a smooth chocolatey ice cream!

Gyeranjjim (steamed egg)

This is a really simple and easy dish to prepare, and actually a staple of Oriental cooking. I grew up eating a slightly different version which I assume is the Cantonese version and it has minced pork in it. The Japanese have a version which uses chicken stock and is similar to the Korean Ttukbaegi gyeranjjim although Maangchi does it over a stove and as far as I know, the Japanese steam it in a cup.

The version I'm trying today however is the Korean version which only uses water and egg and no minced pork or chicken broth. It's called gyeranjjim and this is Maangchi's recipe. My version has been tested on my microwave because everyone's microwave is different.

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Ingredients

3 eggs

3 tsp fish sauce

dash of white pepper

1/2 cup water

Method

1) Beat up the eggs with the other ingredients.

2) Skim off the bubbles from the surface with a spoon. This step is optional, but just creates a smooth surface on the top.

3) Microwave on 30% power for exactly 8 minutes and 40 seconds. I actually watched this like a hawk, so the second all the liquid dried up, I stopped the power. I guess the timing would thus vary with the size of the eggs and amount of water used (since I used the Australian measuring cup rather than the standard US or UK measuring cup), so it might be good to watch it from minute 8 onwards.

4) I garnished with chives and parsley. To be served with rice.

Updated: I tried 1 min 45 seconds on high and got a lovely result! At least the egg (under the skin) was melt in the mouth and not hard like when it's done for 8 minutes plus at 30%.

Kai tung gho (Steamed egg cake or 鸡蛋糕)

I've previously tried this kai tung gho recipe in the past because I didn't want to use soda water or 7Up or Sprite. However, the cake always ended up being really heavy and worse, took 1 hour to steam. The cake becomes even harder the next day after it's been in the fridge overnight.

I've had to re-evaluate this idea and concluded from various recipes that the secret to success is:
1) wrapping the lid with a cloth so that the steam doesn't condense and drip onto the cake,
2) need to use old school soda water instead of baking power
3) hand whisking is better than machine whisking for a more consistent texture and
4) using cake flour rather than regular flour. Sifting is then optional.

I've since found alternative recipes:

1) Little Teochew: quoted by quite a few other food bloggers and uses an interesting method of folding in the cake flour, alternating with the soda water. Recipe uses cake flour.
2) Bits of taste: More ang mo-fied recipe. Uses cake flour and baking powder, and interestingly, adds milk. From the picture, I imagine the texture will end up being closer to that of a Japanese cheesecake?
3)  Empower network: Recipe uses normal flour but no baking powder. Uses lots of eggs and old school soda. However, the texture of the cake in the picture looks just as heavy as mine. Also takes 45 mins to 1 hour to steam, so outcome isn't going to be very different from the original recipe I used.

Would like to try them out some day! Watch this space!

Update: New comparison post in 2020

Fried bee hoon

I had a craving for this, which is the bee hoon version of fried rice, both essential parts of a Singaporean diet. It's not something I ever thought I'd miss, but here it is. In fact, it's not something we often find at even Malaysian restaurants because the zhi tsar version is never quite the same as the home made version.

Surfing around, I found a few versions but decided on to mix and match to produce my own version, and here it is.

Ingredients
1 packet bee hoon (I only had Vietnamese rice noodles in the cupboard so that will have to do)
2 tbsp dried shrimp, rehydrate in some warm water
15 dried mushrooms, rehydrated in enough warm water to cover (approx 5 Chinese rice bowls)
1/4 wombak, shredded
4 carrots, shredded into matchsticks
1 packet tau pok, sliced thinly
8 chillis, deseeded then sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 eggs, beaten (optional)

Sauces
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp Chinese wine
1 tsp chicken stock powder
Dash of white pepper

Method
1) Rehydrate noodles according to instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.
2) After the prawns and mushrooms have rehydrated, drain and set aside. Remove the stalk of the mushroom and slice them up.
3) Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a wok. If using egg, make the omlette now. remove.
4) Stir fry the dried shrimp until fragrant. Add the tau pok and stir fry for another minute. Add the garlic, then the mushrooms and carrots. Cover for 5 minutes.
5) Add the wombak and incorporate. Pour on the noodles and sauces and carefully stir till everything is well incorporated. Chopsticks might help so the noodles aren't broken up. Cover and simmer till the liquid has dried up.
6) Sprinkle on the chopped chilli on top and serve immediately.

Microwaved Mug Brownie

http://www.kidspot.com.au/best-recipes/Dessert+6/Microwave-brownie-recipe+4887.htm

2 minutes to prepare, 2 minutes to microwave!

Ingredients

1/4 cup (40g) self-raising flour

1/4 cup (60g) caster sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp (60ml) water

1/2 tsp icing sugar (to sprinkle on top)

ice cream (optional)

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Add flour to the cup.

2. Add sugar to the cup.

3. Add cocoa to the cup.

4. Add oil to the cup.

5. Add water to the cup.

6. Mix all together until you have a smooth mixture.

7. Place into the microwave on high for 1 min 40 seconds.

8. Dust with a little icing sugar and EAT!

Review
I added 1 tsp of vanilla, pinch of salt, and used 1/4 cup flour with 1 tsp baking soda. The taste of the baking soda was quite obvious, so next time I really might have to use self-raising flour.

Next time, I might try using milk instead of water too.

Microwaved 1 minute on 100% power
: This results in a good fudgey texture, although the result isn't a very elegantly risen top. Instead, it was uneven in areas.

Microwaved 1 min 10 seconds on 70% power
: The top is more evenly risen, and still fudgey, although I am a tiny bit concerned that the bottom may not be cooked through (using a skewer) so I thought I'd put it in for a bit longer.

Microwaved 1 min 25 seconds on 70% power
: The look didn't change much, but it became much drier inside but was cooked all the way though time time.
: Perhaps a good compromise with the previous would thus be 1 min 20 seconds on 70% power.
: Will try more power settings next time.