Breakfast Bread Bowl 面包碗早餐

Whenever I see postings of those perfectly cooked eggs with runny yolks, I am grossly tempted to take a bite. There is something about half-cooked eggs with sinful runny yolks, all bright and inviting. The yolk that graciously flows out when you cut into it, glorious indeed. And, mind you, my flesh is weak. I have no resistance to this. None what so ever.

After seeing these breakfast bread bowl recipes on social medias, it took me no time to make my own. There is not a need for recipe really. It is just a matter of assembling your typical breakfast ingredients, and nicely arranging it into a bread so that it looks more intriguing and inviting.

Braided Japanese Milk Bread 编织牛奶麵包

It has been a while since I last baked soft breads. Normally, the lazy me would just roll out the proofed dough and slather something in between before rolling it into a log and cut it into pieces. Today, I attempted something different. I have always been intrigued by the patterns on a Challah, a braided bread that the Jewish eat on Sabbath.

The Challah has many meanings related to the braids and shape of the bread. The strands that intertwine signifies love, whilst the round shape (which I am attempting today), signifies continuity. Instead of using an original Challah recipe, I am just using my prized Japanese milk bread recipe. I can't seem to divorce myself from this Japanese milk bread recipe ever since that faithful day I tasted it. Weird? Definitely! I use it on every recipe that requires soft bread. This recipe for Japanese milk bread yields some really soft fluffy bread. The tangzhong method used enables moisture to be retained, keeping the bread soft for days. You could read more about it from my older post here.

Canned Tuna Fish Cakes 罐头金枪鱼肉饼

Today I was looking for a quickie, a shortcut for my dinner dish. Suddenly, I had an aha moment to use canned tuna. I know the thought of canned food is not appealing at all. Therefore, least I could do was to repackage it and give those poor tuna a facelift. And this facelift took just minutes.

Yam Cake/Taro Cake 芋头糕

Taro cake or yam cake? Well, in this part of the world, it is called yam cake. Don't be deceived by the name. It is not a cake per se. This cake is savoury with lots of yam and other ingredients such as mushroom, dried shrimp and five-spice powder. I guess most of my Asian peers would have known that already. There is a slight difference between the Hong Kong version and our Southeast Asian version though. Ours is normally eaten steamed while the former is pan-fried after steaming. The Hong Kong version also have Chinese sausage and dried scallops added to the dish.

How to Get Silky Smooth Chinese Steamed Eggs

The Chinese steamed eggs is a popular dish. It is simple, with only eggs, salt and water as base. Because of its soft custardy texture, it is perfect for elders or babies who do not have the ability to chew. So what's the big deal about steaming eggs? If you think steaming eggs is easy, you are most probably right. But if your quest is that silken, smooth, flawless glob that glides into your mouth and dissolves into nothingness, you might perhaps want to read on:

Banana Flambe

About twenty odd years ago, I went for a short holiday in Germany. I stayed with my auntie who owned a quaint Chinese restaurant there. It was winter and the restaurant served this fried banana with ice-cream as dessert. To add on to that, the banana would be presented with liquor and set aflame in front to the customer. This banana flambe has etched itself in my mind ever since. I just love the theater, the drama that comes with the dish. It is really not a big deal but I think it serves up an excellent conversation point. It is really a genius way to elevate an otherwise common dish, both taste wise and presentation wise.

Strawberry Birthday Cake 草莓生日蛋糕

You don't think I am going to leave you in the lurch with just a sponge cake recipe, do you? Well, here's the final product - A Strawberry Birthday Cake. As I have mentioned earlier, this cake was intended for my niece. She adores strawberries. So this is what I came out with - loads of strawberries and cream. If you like strawberry cakes as much as she does, this one is for you!

Basic Sponge Cake II 海绵蛋糕 2

This one is for my niece. I made her a strawberry cake for her birthday since she adores strawberries. For the sponge cake, I adapted from my chocolate sponge recipe that I made two weeks ago since it was a hit. I replaced cocoa powder with cake flour and adjusted other quantities accordingly.  The end result was as delightful as I have imagined. The cake turned out soft, fluffy, but at the same time structurally strong to hold the fillings and jam.