Udon - Japanese Noodles

Ingredients:
Udon*
Noodle soup*: e.g. Ninben Tsuyu no moto
Kitsune Udon:
Naruto*: Fish sausage with a pink pattern when cut
Atsuage*: baked tofu. You can use the triangular atsuage bags that are used for Inari Sushi; but put them first in boiling water for a moment to reduce their strong taste a little bit.
Leek or green onion
Tanuki Udon:
Naruto*
Tenkatsu: crispy pieces that are left when deep frying tenpura. If not available, you can cut some leek, mix it with tenpura batter and deep fry it.
Leek or green onion
Tsukimi Udon:
One egg per person
Naruto*
Leek or green onion * This ingredient may not be available in Western supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in Japanese grocery stores that exist in most large European and American cities.

Method:
1. Boil Udon and boil some water in another pan (about 400ml per person, depends on the size of the bowl in which you will serve the noudles).
2. Cut naruto (about 7mm thin) and leek/green onion.
3. Put Udon into sieve and rinse it with hot water.
4. Add noudle sauce into prepared hot water. Consult the bottle label about the proportion.With "Ninben Tsuyu no moto" sauce the proportion sauce-water is 1:8.
5. Put the hot Sauce into a bowl and add Udon into it. (Use one bowl per person) Kitsune Udon
6. Decorate Udon with atsuage, cut leek and naruto. Tanuki Udon
7. Put the deep fried pieces (Rests of Tenpura deep frying), naruto and cut leek onto the noudles. Tsukimi Udon
8. Put the york, cut leek and naruto onto the noudles.

Serving and eating:
Noodle eating directions: Keep the distance between your mouth and the bowl quite small, and lead the noodles with the chopsticks step by step into your mouth producing sipping noises.

Tempura - Seafood and vegetables deep fried in tempura batter

Ingredients:
Tempura batter mix*
Tempura dipping sauce*
Prawn: raw and large
Seafood: almost everything is possible
Vegetables: pumpkin, carot, sweet potatoe, eggplant, and more
Mushrooms

Method:
1. Prawn: Remove the head and the shell. Make little cuts on the inside of the curved prawn since they look nicer if their posture is straight.
2. Cut the vegetables in about 1cm thick pieces.
You can use whole mushrooms.
3. Cut various ingredients in small pieces and mix them together, eg. green onion, prawn and carots.
4. Mix Tempura flour with the amount of water described on the package. 5. Do not mix it completely, but leave some small lumps in it.
6. Cover all the ingredients completely with the batter. Mix also the mixtures made of the small cut ingredients with batter, and try to deep fry it together. Don't let them fall apart in all the pieces.
7. Deep fry at 180 degrees celsius. Be careful, and do not use wet ingredients because the water would react strongly with the hot oil, which may harm your skin or eyes.
When the Tempura pieces are beautifully golden, take them out, and try to remove as much oil as possible.

Serving and eating:
There are a few different ways to serve Tempura. Here are two of them:
Serve the Tempura pieces on a plate, and prepare some bowls with Tempura dipping sauce.
Tendon (Tempura Donburi): Put the pieces in Tempura dipping sauce, remove them, and put them on top of cooked rice in a bowl. (One bowl per person)

Fried Black Pomfret with Chilli Sambal Paste

Ingredients:
1 black pomfret (rinsed and cleaned. Sprinkle a little salt and marinade it for 15 minutes. Rinse the salt very quickly before frying. If the pomfret is very thick in flesh, make a cut across the flesh till the bone so that it will cook faster)
Cornflour (lightly dust the pomfret before frying)
Oil for frying

Chilli Sambal
3 to 5 red chillis (remove seeds)
5 bulbs shallots
5 cloves garlic
1 cm galangal (lengkuas)
2 cm ginger
1 large onion
Juice from 3 pieces of lime
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method
1. Blend chilli sambal ingredients (except cooking oil) together till it becomes a paste.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil on medium heat and lightly saute chilli sambal paste till fragrant (about 3 minutes or more) taking care not to burn the paste.
3. Add salt and / or sugar to taste. Set aside.
4. Fry the pomfret in a clean wok till golden brown.
5. Place fried pomfret on serving plate and “paste” the chilli sambal over it.

Chocolate Souffle

Ingredients:
0.5 oz gelatine
0.5 pint cream
3 oz castor sugar
2 whites eggs
pinch salt
4 tablespoons water

Method:
1. Dissolve gelatine in water, and when free from lumps, add the sugar.
2. When the sugar is dissolved, add the essence.
3. Whip the cream and add the flavoured gelatine, which is now cool though still liquid.
4. Lastly, fold in the beaten whites.
5.Place in a souffle dish to eat and decorate as fancy dictates.

Nasi Lemak with Crispy Fish Fillet

Ingredients:
Rice:
2 cups rice, washed and drained well
2 cup coconut milk
1 cup water, or more if necessary
4 tbsp coconut cream (optional)
pinch of salt
3 pandan leaves, knotted

Sambal:
30g dried chillies, soaked then drained well
10g fresh chillies, bird-eye if you like it hot
2 onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp dried silver fish or ikan bilis, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp tamarind pulp, mixed with 1/3 cup water
2 tbsp sugar, or to taste
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp oil

Crispy Fish:
4 fish fillet, with skin
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp freshly roasted and ground rice
4 hard boiled eggs, cut in halves
½ cup raw peanuts
200g ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
2 cucumber, sliced

Method:
1. To cook rice, mix all ingredients (except coconut cream) and cook in rice cooker until done. When rice is cooked, mix in coconut cream and fluff rice with a fork. Cover and let it stand for at least 5 mins.
2. Grind dried/fresh chillies, onion, silver fish and garlic until fine. Heat oil, add the ground ingredients and fry until fragrant and paste looks ‘glossy’. Add sugar and salt and continue frying. Strain the tamarind juice and add to the sambal. Cook until sambal is of thick consistency. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven at 180 degree C. Combine ground turmeric, chilli powder and salt, then rub mixture on the fish fillet. Lightly dust some ground roasted rice on the skin side.
4. Heat oil in an oven-proof pan. Place fish, skin side down, on the pan and fry for 3-4 mins. (do not move the fish at this time) Place in oven to continue cooking for 2-3 mins or until fish is done. (alternatively, flip the fish over in the pan and pan-fried for 3-4 mins)
5. Heat oil and deep fried peanuts and ikan bilis until crispy, then drain well. 6. Mix half of the fried ikan bilis with a couple tbsp of the cooked sambal. To serve, place rice on serving plate accompanied by boiled egg, cucumber, ikan bilis, peanuts, sambal and fish fillet.

BUTTER SAUCE SOFT-SHELLED CRABS

Ingredients
4 soft-shelled crabs, halved
1 egg white
4-5 tbsp tapioca flour
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 bird's eye chillies, chopped
1 tbsp instant oats
3 egg yolks, beaten
200g butter
1 tbsp oil

Seasoning
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp evaporated milk

Method
1. Dip crabs in egg white and coat in tapioca flour. Shake off excess flour and deep-fry the crab pieces in hot oil until crispy and golden brown. Drain from oil and place on a serving plate.
2. Melt butter in a clean wok over medium-low heat. Pour in beaten egg yolk from a height and stir quickly whilst pouring the yolk.
3. Stir until bubbles are formed. Add in oats, curry leaves, bird's eye chillies and seasoning. Pour into a wire sieve to drain off excess oil. Pour egg-shred mixture over crabs and serve immediately.

Mee Goreng ~ Mamak Style

Ingredients:
1 large white onion - diced
2 garlics - diced
1cm ginger - diced
5 tbsp dry chilli powder
minced meat
2 eggs
cabbage - sliced
salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp black sweet soy sauce
3 tbsp tomato sauce
a little water if its too dry
400g yellow noodles
soybean oil


Method:
1. Heat oil and sweat diced onion, garlic and ginger. Add in minced meat and fry till meat's done.
2. Break the eggs and fry well. Add in soy sauce, sweet black soy sauce, tomato sauce and dry chilli powder. Mix well.
3. Add in the yellow noodles and fry wok-hay style. Just like the hawkers do. 4. Lastly, add in the sliced cabbages. DONE.Just make sure that you have all the ingredients within reach coz it'll be one in after another with this style of stir-fry.

Green Chillies Belacan Fried Rice

Ingredients:
8-10 green chillies - chopped
1 onion - chopped finely
1 garlics - chopped finely
1 handful ikan bilis - chopped
1cm belacan - baked slightly
cai xin vege or any vege
1 egg
salt to taste


Method:
1. Heat oil and sweat onions and garlic. Then add in chopped ikan bilis and fry till crispy.
2. Add in baked belacan. Break an egg an mix well.
3. Add in cold rice (best to use yesterday's rice).
4. Add in veges, salt and white pepper. Stir-fry well till all combine and off heat. Serve hot.

Condense Milk Agar-Agar

Ingredients:
1 tin condense
1 packet agar-agar (I used Rose brand 13g)
1 litre water Pandan juice / green colouring


Method
1. In a pan add agar-agar powder into water and bring to a boil.
2. Pour in 1 tin condense milk and stir till thoroughly mixed.
3. Pour half into mould with added pandan juice or green colouring. Let first pour cool before adding the rest of the mixture.
4. Let it sit in the fridge overnight. Serve chill.

Chicken and Bacon Shish Kabobs

Ingredients:
40 ml soy sauce
40 ml cider vinegar
20 ml honey
20 ml canola oil
6-3/4 large mushrooms, cut in half
1-1/3 green onions, minced
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
150 g sliced thick cut bacon, cut in half
2/3 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
skewers

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey, canola oil, and green onions. Place the mushrooms and chicken into the mixture, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill for high heat.
3. Wrap the chicken chunks with bacon, and thread onto skewers so that the bacon is secured. Alternate with mushroom halves and pineapple chunks.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange skewers on the prepared grill. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, brushing occasionally with remaining soy sauce mixture, until bacon is crisp and chicken juices run clear.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
1 mix canned fruits
1 green apple - chopped
green grapes - halves
Sultanas
Evaporated milk
Condense milk
Yogurt (plain)

Method:
1. Drain juice of canned fruits and pour content into a bowl.
2. Add in chopped green apples, grapes and sultanas. Drizzle enough evaporated and condense milk till the fruits are coated.
3. Scoop a couple spoons of yogurt.

Note - DO NOT pour in liquid ingredients too much coz it'll 'flood' the salad and will look unappetising. You can also add in other varieties of dried and fresh fruits.

Chinese Pork Chops

Ingredients:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 boneless pork chops

Method:
1. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, vegetable oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Set aside some of the mixture in a separate bowl for marinating during cooking.
2. Pierce the pork chops on both sides with a fork, place in a large resealable plastic bag, and cover with the remaining marinade mixture.
3. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.
4. Preheat the grill for high heat.
5. Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill pork chops 6 to 8 minutes per side, or to desired doneness, marinating often with the reserved portion of the marinade.

Sardine Roti John

Ingredients:
6 mini wholemeal baguettes - halves
1 tin sardines in tomato sauce
1 large white onion - chopped
2 garlic - chopped
2 green chillies - sliced
ground black pepper
3 eggs
extra virgin olive oil

Method:
1. Pour out half of the tomamto sauce in the sardines so that it'll not be too wet later. Place the whole tin of sardiens in a large bowl. Mash with a fork. 2. Add in chopped onions, garlic and chillies. Sprinkle some ground black pepper. Crack all eggs into bowl. Mix well.
3. Heat oil. Take the already halved baguette and spread a heapful of sardine mix.
4. Place in hot oil with the spread mixture down. Shallow fry till it browns. Flip to crisp the other side. Serve warm/hot.

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredient:
1 pkt agar-agar powder (Rose brand 13g)
2 cups water
3/4 cup condense milk
1 cup sugar
1 litre UHT Chocolate Milk (any brand)
3 tbsp VanHouten cocoa
2 tbsp Milo (opt)

Method:
1. In a pan, heat water and pour in agar-agar powder under a low fire. Stir. 2. In another bowl, mix well cocoa powder and Milo with some water. Pour into the agar-agar mixture. Raise fire a little and stir constantly.
3. Add in UHT chocloate milk and condense milk. Note - Lessen condense milk / sugar if you want it less sweet. Stir till all combine and let cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Pour into desired moulds. Let cool before putting in the fridge overnight. Serve chill with mix canned fruits and drizzle evaporated milk.

Spaghettini Bolognese

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped 1
glass of white wine
50g pancetta/bacon, finely chopped
300g minced beef
1½ can chopped tomatoes (or 1 can chopped tomato + ½ can water)
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp (sundried) tomato paste herbs of your choice (thyme leaves, sage or basil)
4 servings of Spaghettini

Method:
1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and saute onion until soft. Add garlic, carrots and celery and fry until all vegetables are slightly soft.
2. Add the pancetta (or bacon) and mince. Stir fry until the meat changes colour.
3. Add glass of wine and let it sizzles for a few minutes. Mix in chopped tomato, bay leaf and tomato paste. Cover and simmer for an hour, stirring every now and then.
4. Stir in fresh herbs and continue to simmer for 30 mins or until desired consistency is achieved. Cook spaghettini until al dente.
5. Serve spaghettini with sauce and some parmigiono reggiano.

Oyster Omlette 蚝煎

Ingredients:
8 tbsp sweet potato flour
2 cups waterfinely chopped garlic
fresh baby oysters
fish sauce
3 eggs
chopped coriander


Method:
1. Dissolve flour in water. Fry garlic in oil till fragrant, stir and add mixture(through a seive if the flour contains impurities).
2. When it's hardened and somewhat brown, add in eggs and scramble. Splash in fish sauce (don't foget the sizzling part:-) ), last the oyster. The oyster need not be cooked.Garnish with coriander and serve with garlic/chili sauce.

Soy Sauce Chicken

Ingredients:
1 bowl of dark soy sauce
2/3 bowl of sugar (variable)
3 bowls of water (variable)
6 chicken drumsticks (no need to marinate if got no time)
baby carrots (one handful)
2 medium-sized potatoes (cut into bite-size chunks)
2 large onions (sliced)
3 slices of ginger
5 pieces of smashed garlic
A sprig of spring (green) onion (break into 4 parts)
Chopped green onion and red chilli as garnish
A dash of pepper and salt

Method:
1.Put the soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, and spring onions in the pot and bring to a boil.
2.Add in the sugar and taste the resulting gravy, it should be on the sweet side.
3.Add in the pieces of chicken and the carrots.
4.When the chicken is just about cooked, put in the potatoes and the onions.
5.When the chicken is cooked (fork can easily be inserted into the meat), the dish is ready to be served.
6.Garnish with chopped green onion and red chilli.

Note: The sauce can be kept and used later to cook with same or other ingredients eg Tofu

Stewed Sea Cucumber

Ingredients
Sea Cucumber (soaked)
450g Broccoli
300g Spareribs
225g Shallot (grated)
2 cloves Spring onions (sectioned)
2 slices ginger

Marinade
1/2 Tablespoon Light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Corn flour

Seasoning
1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
1/3 teaspoon Salt
1/3 teaspoon Corn flour
1 cup Water
1/2 tablesppon Wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Methods:
1. Cut spareribs into chunks. Wash and marinate.
2. Bring water with spring onion and ginger to the boil and stew sea cucumber. Wash and cut into chunks.
3. Finely cut and wash broccoli. Blanch in salted water with oil and set aside.
4. In the inner pot heat 2 tablespoons of oil and stir fry shallot until fragrant. Add sea cucumber and spareribs and stir fry for a while. Sizzle wine. Add marinade, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the inner pot to the outer one and cook for 20 minutes. Mix with sesame oil and broccoli.

Grilled Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
10 - 12 chicken wings

For Marinate:
5 shallots (peeled and chopped into small pieces)
5 garlic (peeled and chopped into small pieces)
2 inches of ginger (peeled and chopped into small pieces)
1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
5 teaspoon of soy sauce
3 dashes of white pepper powder
3 dashes of sesame oil
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken wings for 12 hours.
2. Grill over fire and constantly turning them so they are evenly grilled. Serve hot.

Pandan (Screwpine Leaves) Chicken

Ingredients:
Pandan leaves
2 pieces skinless and boneless chicken breast (cut into 2 in. x 1 in. cubes)1/8 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon fish sauce
3 inches fresh ginger (grated and squeezed for juice)

Method:
1. Mix the chicken pieces with all the seasonings above.
2. Add the ginger juice and marinate for 1 hour.
3. Put a piece of the chicken towards the end of the pandan leave and roll it up tightly.
4. Hold tight with a tooth pick.
5. Deep fry until the golden brown.
6. Dish out and serve hot.

OTAK

Ingredients
500g fish meat (horse mackerel or bei kah, pound or blend two-thirds of it, and slice remaining one-third for more bite)
50ml water
11/2 tsp salt


Ingredients A
120g shallots
2 slices galangal
5 slices turmeric
6 buah keras
2 lemongrass stalks
1 small piece belacan
32g dried chilli (boil briefly and leave to cool)
8 fresh chillies

Ingredients B
200ml coconut milk
1 Tbs sugar
2 eggs
2 limau purut leaves, finely diced
11/2 tsp coriander powder
1 Tbs cornflour
8 Tbs oil for frying
Several banana leaves, cut into pieces about 18cm x 20cm, wash, scald in boiling water briefly to make them pliable, then wipe them dry
Toothpicks

Method
1. Dissolve salt in water.
2. Scrape fish using a spoon and pound in a mortar, adding salt water gradually. Use ice water to blend fish meat if desired. Mix fish meat well till it becomes sticky and firm.
3. Blend Ingredients A. Heat oil in a wok and fry ground ingredients over low heat till oil exudes. Leave to cool and put into fish meat. Mix well.
4. Add coconut milk, eggs and rest of Ingredients B. Mix well.
5. Scoop 2 Tbs of fish paste onto a banana leaf, fold leaf and secure with toothpicks.
6. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes at about 200 deg C till otak is cooked.

Tip: Use fresh coconut milk rather than the processed version as the result tastes much better.

Fried Rice In Pineapple

Ingredients
4 tbsps oil
2 tbsps chopped garlic
20g French beans, cut into 3cm pieces
300g cooked rice
2 eggs beaten
½ tsp salt or 2 tbsps soy sauce
100g pine nuts
20g roasted almonds
Half a medium-size pineapple
5 small sheets of dried nori seaweed, (from supermarkets) cut into strips

Method:
1. Heat oil in large work over a medium fire. When hot, add garlic and stir-try quickly for about 30 secs until fragrant but not brown.
2. Add French beans and stir-try for another 1 min. then add rice and continue stirring to mix well.
3. Make a space in centre or work and pour in beaten eggs. leave for 30 secs, then quickly scramble and mix with rice. Season with salt or soy sauce.
4. Continue frying for about 1 min, then add pine nuts and almonds. Cook for another 30 secs.
5. Spoon into pineapple half and garnish with seaweed strips. Serve at once.

GARLIC PRAWNS WITH SCALLOPS AND BRANDY

Ingredients
200 g tiger prawns, shelled (with the tails left intact) and deveined
A pinch of salt
1 tsp corn flour
2 tbsps oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 shallot, peeled and sliced finely
1 chilli, sliced finely
2 stalks spring onions, sliced finely
5 dried scallops soaked in hot water for 1 hour and sliced (reserve water used for soaking)

Seasoning
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp corn flour (mixed with 1 tbsp water)
1-2 drops sesame oil

Method
1. Season prawns with salt and coat with cornflour.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Fry prawns for 1 to 2 mins. Set aside.
Using the prawn-flavoured oil and remaining 1 tbsp oil, fry garlic, shallot, chilli and spring onions till fragrant. Add scallops. Fry for 1 to 2 mins.
3. Add water used to soak scallops, sauces, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced. Add brandy.
4. Return prawns to pan. Mix well. Stir in corn flour and water mixture and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot.

Chocolate Supreme Cake

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2 cups sour cream
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup melted butter
5 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in sour cream, melted butter, eggs and almond extract. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Blend in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly

1 cup milk

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Greese twelve muffin cups or line with paper liners.

2. Shift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Mix milk, butter and egg together

3. Pour liquid ingredients into flour mixture. Mix together only enough to blend.

4. Gently fold blueberries batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and bake in the preheated oven for 13-16 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

Ingredients :
Yellow Noodle 1 pack (500 g)
Rice Noodle (always 1/4 portion of yellow noodle)
Prawns (5 - 10)
Pork (100g - marinate with 2 tbsp Soya sauce)
Chives (9 stocks)
Bean spouts (200g)
Eggs (2)
Chicken stock / Scallop stock (2 cans of stock - Swanson/Champell brand)Garlic (3 cloves, finely menaced)
Limes (3)
Salt (1/2 tbsp)
Oil (3 tbsp)
Water (1 liter)

Method :
1. Heat the oil and fry the garlic then add fry the pork, prawn and egg.
2. All the meat put aside of the wok. Put in the rice noodle add some water about 1/4 cup and cover. Cook until the rice noodle soft.
3. Add in the yellow noodle fry together.
4. Put in Beans spout and Chives.
5. While you are frying gradually add in stock and water. Last make sure the noodle is wet and juicy.
6. Serve with limes and Chili.

Tips :
Instead of pork you can put in some squids.
Instead of Chives you can put in Chai Sin.
You can fry half of the noodle at once time.
You can use spaghetti instead of yellow noodles.

Tiramisu

Ingredients:
5 eggs, separated
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Syrup:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup rum

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

Topping
2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, grated
1/8 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whip egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites (with clean beaters) to soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar while whipping to medium stiff peaks. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Gently fold in the flour and 1 teaspoon vanilla. The batter should be thick and pale yellow.
3. Trace two 9 inch circles onto the parchment paper using a cake pan as a guide. Spread or pipe batter to completely fill inside the lines of the circles. Batter should be about 1/2 inch tall.
4. Load the remaining batter into a pastry bag fitted with a half inch tip or hole. Draw parallel lines onto another piece of parchment that are 3 inches apart. Pipe the batter back and forth just between the lines in a compressed S motion, until you run out of batter. This is the part that wraps around the outside of the cake. (It helps to have it in one piece, but you can pipe individual fingers using the guidelines drawn on the paper, if you prefer.) There may be extra.
5. Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes, until firm but not browned. Remove from the oven and dust generously with confectioners' sugar. Set aside to cool.
6. To make the syrup, stir together 1 cup sugar, boiling water, coffee and 1/4 cup rum until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
7. To make the filling, combine mascarpone, 2 cups confectioners' sugar, dark rum and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk together until completely smooth, scraping the bottom of the bowl to remove any lumps. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream. Whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stop whipping when the mixture shows the first sign of graininess.
8. To assemble, line the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment or waxed paper. Place one of the ladyfinger rounds in the bottom of the pan. Brush generously, but do not soak completely, with syrup. Place the 3-inch high ladyfinger strips around the inside edge of the pan, so that the sides are completely covered. Brush generously with syrup.
Spread half of the filling mixture over the first ladyfinger round in the pan. Place the remaining ladyfinger round on top of the filling. Soak the second ladyfinger round with syrup until it cannot take any more. Spread the remaining filling over that and smooth the top. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
9. To serve, remove the sides of the pan and carefully remove the parchment or waxed paper from the outside of the cake. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Pig trotters with ginger and vinegar

Ingredients:
1.2kg old ginger
1 bottle (750ml) of Chan Kong Thye black rice vinegar (it has a picture of a dog on the label with the words 'double ingredients' in Chinese)
3.75l water
500g black sugar
2 pig trotters
1 tsp sesame oil

Method:
1. Remove skin of old ginger and wash. Drain well.
2. Heat wok, add sesame oil slowly and fry ginger until fragrant. Add water, vinegar and sugar to boil, then simmer for about two hours. Leave aside to cool.
3. After a week, boil it, then simmer for an hour every day for six days for fuller flavour. Remove ginger.
4. Blanch trotters in boiling water for about five minutes and place them in vinegar stock. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and put ginger back. Let it boil once more. The trotters are best eaten the following day.

Braised baby cabbages in wine stock

Ingredients:
4 baby Beijing cabbages or 2 medium-size ones
3-4 cups fresh chicken stock (from boiling 2 chicken carcasses, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick and 1 onion together)
1 cup rice wine
2 slices Chinese ham, diced
1 stalk fresh coriander, chopped

Method:
1. Wash and drain cabbages and remove enough outer leaves to make a neat cabbage ball.
2. Cut a cross at the base of each cabbage but leave the stalks intact, otherwise the leaves will detach during the cooking.
3. Bring chicken stock and wine to the boil in a pot large enough to accommodate the vegetables, then place whole cabbages in the stock. Add half of the diced Chinese ham. Cover pot with a piece of foil if the lid does not fit.
4. Reduce heat to simmering and poach cabbages gently for about an hour or till tender when poked with a fork.
5. Cut a deep cross at the top of the cabbages and pour hot stock over from time to time during the cooking to allow the flavours to penetrate.
6. When ready to serve, gently open up the slits on top and scatter with the rest of diced ham and the coriander leaves.

Ngoh hiang

Ingredients:
500g chicken meat with some skin (preferably thigh meat), cut into strips

Marinade:
Fried shallots (made from 10 shallots fried in 3 Tbs oil)
1 Tbs shallot oil
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
2 Tbs oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp chicken seasoning powder
1 egg
2 Tbs cornflour
1 stalk parsley, chopped
1 big black fungus, soak till soft, chopped
1/3 carrot, chopped
4 water chestnuts, chopped1 beancurd sheet for wrapping (cut into required sizes)

Method:
1. Marinate chicken with the marinade ingredients for about three hours.
2. Add parsley, fungus, carrot and water chestnuts. Mix well.
3. Scoop some of the mixture onto a beancurd sheet and roll up firmly.
4. Deep-fry the rolls in hot oil till golden brown.