Holiday Baking Classes 節日蛋糕甜點班

It's hard to believe that Fall is already here when Southern California's temperature is still in the triple digits. But Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays will be here in no time. It also means that family gatherings and party celebrations will fill our calendar. Do you want to impress your friends or guests with a homemade dessert this year ? Mark down on your calendar the following dates (or iPhone, iPad).

Happy Mid Autumn Festival ! 中秋節快樂 !

I am happy to share with you some of the pictures of the classes that were held during the past two weekends. I was overwhelmed by the responses after I made the announcement to have the mooncake classes. Because of the size of my kitchen and the limited supply of the mooncake mold, I felt sorry to turn down some who wanted to come. Anyway, thank you for all your interest and support.

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!

Snowy Moon Cake Class 冰皮月餅班

It has been a while since I conduct cooking classes. I have been busy doing baking demonstration in various libraries. But Mid August Festival is coming up on September 30 and many friends have shown interests in making this lovely moon cake, so I decide to open three classes:

Black Sesame Ice Cream 黑芝麻雪糕

What a way to enjoy dessert the healthy way--whole grain ice cream! Store-bought black sesame ice cream can never come close to this homemade version. The aroma of the freshly toasted sesame is what makes it distinct. Dessert usually appeals to us with presentation, color or other arrangements. But this ice cream's wonderful aroma is amazingly tempting and appetizing. I almost could not wait for it to harden before digging into it.
This recipe is not custard based (no egg yolk) therefore it does not involve any cooking. How easy and simple can it get!

Mango Konjac Jelly 香芒水晶果凍

I just can't get away without making dessert with mango in summer time. This attractive transparent jelly is made with konjac/konnyaka powder. After some searches in the internet, I learn that it is a super healthy natural food that have numerous benefits to our body. It has been consumed over a thousand years in China and Japan. It has the highest viscosity soluble fiber in nature that makes it the ideal natural food to lower blood sugar (click here for more information). The texture is a bit different from gelatin or agar agar. It sets up very fast compared to the two. So make sure every thing is ready before you start making it. This is super easy to make and it will be great to make it with kids !

炎炎夏日,怎可沒有冰涼的飯後甜品呢? 正在當造的芒果是做這款甜點的首選,這個凍糕我採用了蒟蒻粉,它晶瑩剔透,十分吸引,更能增加食慾。它的質感與魚膠粉及大菜有別,十分獨特,值得一試 ! 蒟蒻在中國及日本有過千年歷史,是一種十分健康的天然食品,對糖尿病患者尤其有幫助(詳細資料請點擊這裏)。 這款甜品超容易做,更是親子活動的好機會 !

More Demos to Come 免費示範陸續有來

For those who are interested in attending the Bo Law Bao Demonstration but missed the previous ones, here is great news: there are two more chances in September:

9/8/12 Saturday at 2pm in Rowland Heights Library
9/22/12 Saturday at 2pm in El Monte Library

Parking may be a bit tight on 9/8/12 because it is the Centennial Celebration of Los Angeles County Library. Please come early.

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.

Matcha Mousse Cake 綠茶慕絲蛋糕

Matcha always gives me a light and refreshing feeling. It's also great when I infuse it into a mousse cake. The addition of Italian meringue makes it very light and smooth.

我很喜歡綠茶那種清新的口味,用它來做慕絲蛋糕讓人有一種飄然的感覺,再加入意式蛋白霜,更加令到它有軟滑之口感。

Korean Kimbap 韓式紫菜飯卷 김밥

It has been a pleasant summer so far in Southern California, compared to the rest of the country where triple digit temperature has been prevailing. We have been blessed by marine layers from the Pacific Ocean which serve as a natural air conditioner to keep us around 80F for most of Los Angeles.
On hot summer days, light meals with easy to fix ingredients are preferred, like kimbap, a Korean dish similar to California rolls. It is fun to make (my daughter LOVES to do it) and easy to eat. It can be an appetizer or side dish. You can make kimbap whenever you don't feel like cooking. The ingredients do not need any cooking, except the fried egg and rice, but like the rest of the ingredients, it can be replaced with other foods of your choice. It can also be completely vegetarian.