Sous Vide Rib Eye Steak 真空低溫牛扒

I am a believer after trying this sous vide method to cook steak. It is never overcooked and dry, I think this is the best way to cook an expensive cut of meat. Although it may take more time to do it, your patience will be greatly rewarded. The active working time is so minimal that I can literally walk away after setting it up.

Sous vide is not new (French meaning "under vacuum"). It has been a well-known French cooking method for hundreds of years. By submerging food that has been vacuum packed in a constant temperature over time, no moisture is lost and the whole piece of meat/food is consistently cooked to perfection.

Crème brûlée 法式燉蛋

Three simple ingredients--egg, cream and sugar--make this an incredible popular and yummy dessert. The addition of vanilla bean or extract (and liqueur, like rum or Grand Marnier ) makes it more flavorful. Just in time to make it for your Valentine!

Another aspect which makes this a welcome dessert is that it can be made ahead of time. Just add sugar and burn with a torch, then a caramelized crunchy top and silky custard is ready to be enjoyed!

Raspberry Tart with Almond Cream 紅桑子杏仁醬撻

Raspberry is often referred to as the king of berries. It is often used to make all kinds of yummy desserts. When it is paired with the other king of nuts--almond, it makes a superb tart.

紅桑子被稱為莓中之王，實至名歸，用來做各款甜點，都大受歡迎。另外，杏仁也有果仁之王的美譽，將兩者用來做這個撻，實在相得益彰。

Lemon Cream Tart 檸檬撻

When pastry chefs develop recipes, there are a few elements that they always have in mind. Being able to incorporate different textures is important in producing a delightful dessert. Furthermore, it would be wonderful if the dessert also has some acidity to balance the sweetness. Therefore this lemon tart truly satisfies all of the above: a creamy, smooth and tangy lemon curd with a sweet and crunchy meringue topping a flaky tart shell. A dessert made in heaven!!

一款美味的甜點，除了甜味之外，如能有不同的質地去提升口感，便能雙得益彰。就以這個檸檬撻為例，甜中帶酸，餡料幼滑，撻皮鬆化，加上脆口的法式蛋白餅，實在是一款絕頂的美點。

Quail Egg Croquettes 鵪鶉蛋薯蓉球

What is a croquette? If you search it up online, you would get "a small cake or ball of minced meat, poultry, or fish or of rice, potato, often coated with beaten egg and bread crumbs and fried in deep fat." (dictionary.com)

Its French root "croquer" means "to crunch". But since its French birth, there have been many many varieties from many many countries trying to give it a new twist. In this version, I attempted to bake it for a healthier version in comparison to deep frying it. My food critics at home gave them thumbs up. This is a great party and finger food.

See which version you like!

2013 New Baking Classes 新年有新班



This is a short video shot from one of my classes last year. Thanks to my dear friend May who recorded and edited it for me :) Enjoy!



Chocolate Expresso Dacquoise 朱古力咖啡杏仁蛋白餅

I had a hard time finding the English or Chinese translations for "dacquoise" (pronounced da-kwaz). Basically, it is a meringue baked with ground nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts, for an extended amount of time in a warm (250F)--not hot--oven. Usually it is left inside the oven to further dry out the meringue resulting a crisp texture. The aroma of almonds from the oven is irresistible! It is then layered with an expresso flavored buttercream and dark chocolate ganache. Both of them blend so well to make a delicious dacquoise!

Chicken in a Pot with Garlic and Preserved Lemon 惹味雞煲

There are a few things in making this dish that I have never done before. First, this is my first time baking a chicken using a Dutch oven (cast iron pot). It was far easier than I anticipated it to be. After browning the chicken and slightly sautéing the vegetables, just put every thing in the pot and stick it in the oven. Then you will have a room filled with a delicious aroma in about an hour and dinner is ready.

Secondly, I never used this much garlic in a dish: 4 heads (about 30-35 cloves). The cloves are separated with the skin still attached. Perhaps it is what makes it so tasty without an overwhelming garlic flavor. 

Last but not least is preserved lemon. I made preserved kumquats for a remedy for sore throat but never preserved lemon. But to my surprise, it adds a distinct flavor to the chicken. I was also surprised as to how much more delicious and flavorful the leftovers are the day after. Maybe next time I should resist the temptation to eat it right away!

Mango Mille Crêpes 香芒千層薄餅

What comes to your mind when you hear the word "cake"? Sweet, soft, something made with flour, eggs, sugar, oil/fat and then baked? According to the Webster dictionary, a cake is "a breadlike food made from a dough or batter that is usually fried or baked in small flat shapes and is often unleavened."
I think this is the first time I make a cake that is not baked but fried. It is called Gâteau de Crêpes in French or Mille Crêpes. Essentially it is a stack of 15-20 plus very thin crêpes with pastry cream or jam spread in between. It is not served at breakfast as Americans do with pancakes but enjoyed as a dessert.
I was a bit shocked to see the price tag of a 9 inch Mille Crêpe Cake sold in a fancy cake shop in New York City (Lady M $75-80). The ingredients are nothing extraordinary. But it does take skill, patience and time to fry those twenty plus pieces of paper thin crêpes. It took me about 30 minutes to fry a batch. After that, just layer with whatever flavored pastry cream you prefer. I picked mango for this one, but you might like strawberry, dark chocolate ganache, vanilla or green tea better. The batter of this French crêpe is much thinner than our regular American pancake batter. Just remember to fry it as thin as possible for best texture.

Croissant with Grapeseed oil 牛角包,健康版

I love to have croissants because of their flaky, buttery layers. But every time I have to constrain myself not to have too many because of their high fat content. However, this isn't the case if they are made with more healthy grapeseed oil (but the flakiness has to be compromised a little)! 

Matcha Macarons 抹茶馬卡龍

It's been such a long time since I've made macarons that I almost forgot how to make them! I admit that I have a love/hate relationship with macarons. I love them because they are so attractive and delicious with all the different colors and yummy fillings. But at the same time they are such a pain to make. If the oven temperature is a bit high or they aren't dry enough, they may crack on top. If you bake them a minute less, you can't even remove them in a whole piece. If you didn't mix it right, the little "feet" may not come out. No wonder they fetch a premium price among bakery items and not too many bakeries have them on the menu. But at the same time, it is so rewarding and satisfying if they come out well!

Mont Blanc 蒙布朗

It is not the fine writing pen you are thinking of (if you Google the term, it is what comes up on the first page). It is the highest mountain in the Alps. A pastry chef (not sure he was French or Italian. Probably French.) was inspired by it to create this famous dessert in the fifteenth century. It has a cake base with Chantilly cream in the middle, topped with a creamy chestnut puree. Since it has a long history, many different versions or variations are available. The Japanese have made it with pumpkin and taro puree. However, I still prefer to make the original with yummy chestnut puree.

Fraisier 法式草莓蛋糕

I have been trying to make this cake for a long time. The traditional fraisier is made in a square mousse ring. Since I do not have a square mousse ring, I didn't know how it would turn out if I used a round springform pan. But strawberries are in season and I just don't want to pass up this opportunity...

Strawberry Soufflé 草莓梳乎厘



After making the mango soufflé successfully, I couldn't wait to try out some other flavors. Strawberries are one of my family's favorite fruits. By using fruits to make desserts, it is more refreshing and healthy. The recipe is basically the same as the mango soufflé. I pureed the strawberries in a blender and got rid of the seeds by straining it through a sieve, then proceeded with the rest of the recipe.

Croissant 牛角飽

It is a popular belief that consuming breads (especially those made from white flour), pastries and desserts will make you gain weight. These foods are loaded with carbohydrates (mainly starch and sugar. Fiber is also a type of carb.) and fats. Modern city dwellers "input" a lot but "output" only a little.

Mango Soufflé 芒果梳乎厘

Soufflé means "puff up" in French. It is a classic French dish that can be made either savory with cheese or sweet for dessert. Whether it is savory or sweet, a base sauce is usually made and then folded with some stiffly beaten egg white, which provides the lift. I always turn on the oven light and watch anxiously as it is rising inside the oven. It is an amazing show.

Sourdough Baguette

This is the first time I have made sourdough bread. Oh my...it took me more than a week to make the seed culture from scratch. It reminded me of the days I was in the cancer research lab doing cell cultures...

French Apple Cake 法式蘋果蛋糕

In different seasons there are different cakes. In summer time, the abandunce of fruits becomes the center of attention: mango cake, blueberry pies, etc. Now comes fall and winter: apples and pumpkins become the stars. They are the main ingredients of pies. But I always wonder why there are not that many cook books that have recipes for making cake with apples.

Dorie Greenspan has a newly published book called, "Around my French Table".

French Baguette 法式麵包

I was looking for something in the pantry the other day and found an unopened bottle of extra virgin olive oil that I bought last year from an olive farm in Phoenix. Its shelf life only lasts for a year, so my daughter suggested to make baguettes to dip it in.

In a commercial setting, a baguette is baked in a steam oven that produces its crunchy crust.

Macaron--a life lesson learned (updated with recipe)

Chocolate Macarons



I have a love-hate relationship with macarons. I love it because it is so beautiful and yummy, but I also hate it because it is so finicky to make. It took me more than 10 times to get it right and give me consistent results. If you ask 10 bakers what is the most challenging or difficult thing to bake, I bet 9 of them would say: macaron. It is made up of 3 simple ingredients: almond flour, egg white and sugar. But it is hard to conquer. Cracked tops, no "feet", hollow shells...and there are so many factors affecting the outcome, like quality of egg white, almond flour, humidity of the kitchen, over beating or under beating, over folding or under folding, baking temperature...Long story short, just before declaring defeat, my son said, "Don't quit, mom! They are so good." I said, "Ok, one last try."