Chik's Crib: December 2014

31 December 2014

Apple Crumble Recipe

Recipe December 31, 2014 0

I did a whole slew of baking over the holidays, like a Chocolate Orbit Cake, Italian Macaroons, Almond Tart and Tang Yuan (hey, it's a festive season in the lunar calendar too...). And today, I made with an apple crumble for today's gathering. Sorta today.

The best thing about this recipe is that the topping remains crisp for ages, baked or unbaked. You can double the recipe and keep the remainder in a zip-lock bag in the freezer for a couple of months. It also can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. And it couldn't be easier to make too. I whizzed everything up in a food processor the night before, and simply took the topping out of the freezer and baked it during the meal.

The topping remained crisp and crunchy even as the caramelised sauce from the fruits bubbled up and around it. And I'll imagine the topping would make a wonderful base for a de-constructed cheesecake as well.

Padre Coffee (South Melbourne Market)

Travel December 29, 2014 1

Along one of the rows of shops in South Melbourne Market is Padre Coffee. Padre was highly recommended to me by Miss XS, whose friend would cram his luggage with their coffee beans on every visit without fail.

I love their beans now, but I have to admit, my initial impression of Padre was not very favourable. We ordered their Flat White and Magic, and left disappointed. The coffees had a slightly sour taste, like they have left the beans out in the open for too long.

But then a few weeks after my first visit, when we found ourselves at South Melbourne Market again. Because Miss XS's friend was with us, we gave Padre another shot.

Pun intended. You're welcome. Too easy.

Sugar Tang Yuan Recipe (汤圆)

Recipe December 28, 2014 0

Tang Yuan (汤圆) is a common sight every year to mark dong zhi (冬至), the start of winter.

Tang Yuan is a recipe I've been meaning to write for a while. It has the simplest steps: mix glutinous rice flour and water to form a dough, and stick a piece of sugar into each ball of dough. But like any traditional recipe, I had a hard time getting the proportion down. Recipes handed down from generation-to-generation give a rough proportion of ingredients by whichever bowls lying around, and rely on the appearance and texture of the mixture to add a little more water, or a little more flour.

Because I know how much all bakers love hearing "add until it feels just right", I knew I had to get the exact measurement of the flour:water ratio. And I don't think starting a recipe with "Buy this white porcelain bowl with blue dragons and measure water almost up to the third blue line" would win me much favours. But finally, I have it.

My Favourite Bakery

Review December 28, 2014 0

Living in an Asian country has its perks. But on the cons side, the likes of many western delights such as cured meat, cheese, olives, wine, and fruits such as blackberries or peaches are exorbitantly priced and reserved for special occasions. No matter where I look, I could never find any that are priced within my budget. Of course, if your parents didn't grow up around these kinds of food, then you're doubly out of luck.

When I made the decision to study in Melbourne, it was a chance to indulge in these food. I mean, an all-you-can-eat-cherries/blackberries/blueberries/strawberries farms for $10 a pop? Or nectarines for 95c a kilo? Or dropping by a local winery and sampling their wine? What sorcery is this?? In Melbourne, when the best authentic Thai food I have ever had in my life is in the same price range as an unremarkable plate of nasi lemak, there's no excuse to continue living in an insulated Chinese bubble. One can't live by hor fun alone, no matter how flavourful it is.

One of the best finds this year was a rather unassuming bakery in Springvale, a nearby Viet town. It's located in a corner of a dilapidated shopping mall, and I must have walked past it a hundred times without even registering it.

Fortuitously, I recently bought a baguette ($1.30) from them on a whim. It was, to put it nicely, pretty f*cking good. In a good way. Not in a literal way. Minds out of the gutter folks.

The French says it's okay to grab the ends of a baguette and stuff it into your mouth immediately after the purchase. They call it 'le quignon'. Who am I to argue with them?

One way to distinguish whether a baguette is hand-made, or mass-produced in a factory, is to look at its underbelly. A hand-made one would be slightly rough and irregular. A baguette that's mass-produced would have little tell-tale raised dots like a Braille pattern.

I've heard that being a former French-colony, many Vietnamese has learnt the boulangerie trade well, and this is evident in the quality of this baguette. The first bite of the sesame-studded baguette was astonishing. The ends of the baguette I popped into my mouth shattered into little crackly pieces. I thought I had baguettes before (at those fancy-schmancy restaurants selling their 'baguettes' for $5 a stick), but this was another thing quite altogether.

I toasted slices of the baguette and paired it up with a recent Dutch Goat cheese purchase, and the taste go well together.

Although I didn't get a chance to try with this baguette, I also love spreading Speculoos over slices of toasted baguette and sprinkling flakes of sea salt over it.

My favourite midday snack is to toast the baguette with kraft sliced cheese, before spreading a layer of avocado and smoked salmon. Although with this baguette, I've been caught munching on this at other times as well.

Another variation, which I'm fond of, involves peanut butter with drizzled condensed milk. Don't knock it until you try it. I got everyone else hooked onto it now.

Pictures by R.

The Verdict:
The baguette is seriously good, and the price is about as cheap as I have ever seen. I have only bought it once, so I can't vouch for their consistency, though I plan to rectify this as soon as possible when I get back...

Must-Try:
Baguette. Duhh. Get the sesame-studded ones.

26 December 2014

Units Conversion for Baking

Recipe December 26, 2014 1

A couple of years ago, I got frustrated by the different types of measurement, so I compiled a list together to refer to whenever I start to bake. Most of the information here came from the ever-inspirational Cafe Fernando. I've added a few of my own, and would continue to update this list as I go along.

Some recipes like pies (or even cakes!) specify a pan size, which is important to adjust for when making batter, dough and filling. The formula I use for cakes is (Amount of Ingredient - gram or ml) / (Diameter_{specified pan size})² x (Diameter_{your
pan size})².

Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier

Review December 25, 2014 0

Just a short drive away from Steer is the famed Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier. A friend of mine went before I did, and generously gave me a Zonut, which was A. Zumbo's interpretation of the modern Cronut (a cross between a donut and a croissant). After one bite of the pastry, I knew I have to visit one day.

We went straight to Adriano Zumbo for desserts after lunch. But by that time, it was already far too late to get my hands on their Zonuts or their Zumbarons. Nevertheless, there was still a good variety of pastries available.

Out of the three that we ordered, the most impressive dessert we had was their Tarte aux Fruits de la Passion ($6). The passionfruit curd was soft, creamy and delicious, while the deeply browned base was crunchy and flakey. It was possibly the best pastry base I ever had.

We also ordered the Individual Aerocake ($9). This coffee mousse looks pretty impressive, but the taste wasn't as impressive as the appearance. It was pretty sweet for my taste.

We tried their Pars de Strawberry Gran ($9), a kind of strawberry tart with granola. Once again, mad props to their presentation skills. I'm probably not the best person to review this dish. I love strawberries, but being on the wrong end of one too many spoonfuls of pink fever medication growing up made me strongly aversed to any kind of artificial strawberry flavouring, This dessert tastes reminiscence of the same thick, pinkish fever syrup, and I gave up after a bite. Judging by how long this dwelled on the table compared to the other desserts, the rest of my family weren't crazy about this either. Perhaps it's because we all share the same medication?

The Verdict:
Their service was a little lacklustre. The darkness of the cafe's interior and the harsh neon lights did little to create an inviting atmosphere to linger and chat. In spite of all this though, some of the desserts are spectacular and is worth a trip.

Must-Try:
Zonut (I forgot which flavour I tried, but I enjoyed the texture of the pastry, which I'd imagine should be uniform across all their zonuts.)
Tarte aux Fruits de la Passion

24 December 2014

Berry Fruit Tart Recipe

Recipe December 24, 2014 2

After Miss XS came back from berry-picking, we decided to make a custard pie with berries on top.

Miss XS commented that the pastry cream was too egg-ish for her liking, and preferred a lighter style of custard. I was fine with it, but I'll imagine one way to address the issue would be to fold half a cup of whipped cream into the finished custard. Another recipe, from the Joy of Baking, has a lower proportion of egg yolks.

Blue Hill Cherry Farm

Travel December 23, 2014 2

I can't believe that there are several thriving cherry farms located just under an hour's drive from my school.

Well, I can, seeing how my area doesn't exactly look very urban or city-ish, but I still can't. Am I making any sense? I have spent too much time under the hot Australian sun. But sanity is a little overrated, and I'll gladly trade it away for a summer spent plucking (and eating!) berries.

We had the opportunity to stay for an extended period in Melbourne this summer, and there is no better (cheaper) place to await fresh summer fruits. Because we like to do our a-waiting a little closer to the source, we went to Blue Hills Cherry Farm on a couple of occasions over the holidays. By plucking cherries directly from the trees, this is as close to freshness as we can get.

The entrance fee is a flat $10 per head, and you can eat as many as you want once inside (or is it 'as much as you want'? I'm pretty sure the amount of cherries we ate might have come pretty close into being classified as 'uncountable nouns'). If you're bringing any cherries home with you, they'll be charged at $10/kilo. Which is not a bad price, for being able to individually handpick the freshest cherries in the world to bring home with you.

Steer Bar and Grill

Western Food December 21, 2014 0

My family follows a doctrine of Taoist-Buddhism that forbids beef consumption. My grandma, who I stay with, would explain to me why she choose not to have beef, though she was never one to impose her religious views on others. I was free to decide for myself whether to adopt the practice. Since it was my grandmother who usually cooks, however, beef wasn't part of my diet growing up. (See? It's not my fault for not being able to differentiate a cow from a goat...) Now, of course, I make up for all the lost time and eat all the steaks that come my way.

A month ago, my family made a visit to Steer, a steak outlet. It's a restaurant that offers fine-dining experience, and I was sure to be on my best behaviour.

Moooo

We went on a Friday, and they had a two course option for $39.50, which includes a steak, a side dish, a choice of an appetiser or a dessert, and a glass of wine or beer. Since I was being all fancy and everything, I opt for the house wine. (I'll save the wine critique for someone better-equipped for the task than me.) A basket of bread came alongside.

Wine and bread? This post is already so religious

I wasn't sure what the appetiser Steak tartare is, but it sounded delicious, so we ordered one.

Top Paddock

Review December 21, 2014 0

I had a few chances to visit Top Paddock over this summer, and if you know me at all, I gladly seize any and all opportunities (ie excuses) to eat food, especially in places I like. I was first introduced to Top Paddock by a friend who brought us there, and I later learnt it was one of the most popular brunch cafes in Melbourne. When my familiy came visiting recently, we went around 10 plus on a Monday morning and I was surprised to see it packed.

I had a Magic, though the latte (both $3.80) was nicer in comparison.

We had the Soft-Shell Crab roll in a Broiche Bun ($21), one of their signature dishes. I had a great experience with this dish before, but this time around, the crab was extremely salty. It was fresh and non-oily, trademarks of a great soft-shell crab, but the salt was over-kill.

We also had the Gin and Lime-cured Ocean Trout Fillet ($20). The freshness of the seafood was evident, and the poached eggs were cooked to perfection. And what I took as roasted pork belly turned out to be... wait for it... goat cheese curd. (As stated on the menu. I really should learn how to read.) It was a good safe dish to order, though not particularly outstanding in any distinctive way.

We also ordered a side of Scrambled Eggs ($3), despite my vehement protests that I make perfect ones, and would only charge them $2.50 if they want to try. Strangely enough, they went ahead to place the order, and we did enjoy perfectly done scrambled eggs when it came. Which, for $3, is a pretty good price.

The star dish was their Ricotta Hotcakes ($18), which was unbelievably good. The serving size is quite huge though, and is probably more suited for sharing.The first time I went to Top Paddock, I ordered an entire plate for myself, and it was too much for me and I bartered some of it for my friend's Soft Shell Crab Bun. In smaller quantities, though, it's delicious and I savoured every bite.

Their service, as usual, is top-notched, even though it was nearly full house. We managed to ask a passing waitress to take a picture of us.

She also took a picture of our food for us, and it was clear she was a pro at food photography. Pro tip: You can tell who's a novice at food photography when he/she points the camera at the food and counts 1,2,3 out loud before taking the shot.

She teetered on tip-toes, but still managed to snap a perfect shot.

The Verdict: Every dish we tried at Top Paddock was good, and there were no weak link in the dishes where we had to cajole others to eat more of a particular dish, as per all Asian dining tradition. The service was very friendly and top-notch.

Must-Try:
RIcotta Pancakes
Scrambled eggs

19 December 2014

Dandenong Pavillion (Flip City)

Western Food December 19, 2014 0

by Miss XS

Dandenong Pavilion makes some of the best burgers in Melbourne. On my recent visit, they really do live up to their fame.

It's kind of a long story how I came to learn about Dandenong Pavilion. I was in my workplace when one day we had lunch catered for us. I didn't have my hopes up for the meal (hey... it's free and everything). but holy sh*t the burger was so good. I've had great burgers elsewhere, like Melbourne's Brother Burger and The Marvellous Brew, beatbox, royale brothers, andrews Omakase Burger in Singapore and NYC's Shake Shack burger, but unlike the others where I went especially out of my way to try their burgers, this one was an unexpected joy. The bun was toasted and totally delicious. While I usually leave the buns uneaten, I ate up every single bite here.

The problem was, I couldn't find out which restaurant catered the lunch. The wrapper said "Flip City", and with all my google-fu, there still wasn't anything on the internet. I gave up as a bad job then. A few weeks later, much to my astonishment, I found a picture of a Flip City burger on Instagram. The caption read Dandenong Pavilion, and lo and behold, a brief search online showed the exact burgers. Jackpot!

The General

I had the opportunity to eat at Dandenong Pavilion recently, being just a short distance away from Dandenong Market. When I got to the restaurant, we were given their menu, which conspicuously lack burgers. Luckily, I learnt from the folks online that you have to ask for their 'Secret Burger Menu'. We did; the waiter gave a nod and came back with their burger menu.

We had The General, McDowwell, and Jiro burgers. They came with a side of fries and condiment, and all were equally delicious. Burgers are not known for being photogenic, but The General's bun was easy enough to identify because it was studded with seeds and grains. It had by far the best buns. Jiro, with its lamb meat, was very memorable as well.

One of The Other Two Burgers

The service too, was excellent. Because we were sharing the burgers, the waitress offered to have the kitchen cut the burgers in half.

The Verdict:
True to Dandenong Pavilion's online reviews, every burger is delicious in their own way, and I want to try 'em all. This is definitely my favourite burger in melbourne by far!

31 December 2014

Apple Crumble Recipe

29 December 2014

Padre Coffee (South Melbourne Market)

28 December 2014

Sugar Tang Yuan Recipe (汤圆)

My Favourite Bakery

26 December 2014

Units Conversion for Baking

25 December 2014

Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier

24 December 2014

Berry Fruit Tart Recipe

23 December 2014

Blue Hill Cherry Farm

21 December 2014

Steer Bar and Grill

Top Paddock

19 December 2014

Dandenong Pavillion (Flip City)

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