Spiced Taro Cake 五香芋頭糕

The number one factor about this cake that appeals to me is its aroma. Someone said we eat with our eyes. But many times we eat with our nose as well. Before we can see the food, the aroma can lure us even though we are far away from it. This may be the reason when we have a cold and congestion, all food tastes bland. The sense of smell plays an important role in how we taste food.

The aroma from the five spice powder is unbelievable. The main ingredients of the five spices are powdered fennel, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. It is amazing how these spices can greatly elevate the taste of a dish.

In addition to making turnip pudding for the Chinese New Year, it is a good idea to make something different this year.

Class Date Change and Addition

Please note that the macaron class has been rescheduled to 2/23/13 Saturday, 1:30pm-4:30pm.

Japanese Light Cheesecake has been changed to 3/9/13, 1:30-3:30pm

And a new class to make Bo Law Bao and Tong Zhong Toast has been added on 2/18/13 Monday, 1:30-4:30pm.

Send me an email if you want to sign up: phoebechow@morethanbread.net

請注意: 馬卡龍班改了上課日期: 二月廿三日星期六 下午一時三十分至四時三十分。

日式輕芝士蛋糕改在三月九日, 下午一時三十分至三時三十分。

詢衆要求在二月十八日星期一加開一班做菠蘿包及湯種吐司,時間是下午一時三十分至四時三十分。

報名請致電郵:phoebechow@morethanbread.net

New Free Library Baking Demo 2013 全新免費烘焙示範

This year's Chinese Lunar New Year is on 2/10/13. In order to celebrate the year of Snake, a few Los Angeles County Libraries have invited me to do cooking demonstrations. I am delighted and privileged to be a part in promoting Chinese culture in the area. Below is a list of the libraries, date and time, and the cooking subject. Click on the library name for its address and direction. Hope to see you there !
今年二月十日是農曆新年,洛杉磯縣圖書館為了慶祝蛇年的來臨,特别邀請我在幾所圖書館作烹飪示範,我很高興及榮幸可以為提升中國文化出一點綿力。以下是各圖書館的名單、日期及時間、示範項目,地址及詳情可點擊圖書館名稱,希望到時可以見到你 !

Portuguese Curried Shrimp with Rice 葡式咖哩蝦飯

Seafood is one of my favorite foods, especially shrimp and lobster. Gone are the good old days I spent in Boston when lobster was on sale for $2.99/pound or even less! I could have a few lobsters in a meal.

This is the first time I try to make a curried shrimp with rice dish. Instead of using water to steam the rice, the rice is cooked with shrimp broth. It makes the rice exceptionally flavorful and unique.

It is relatively easy to make and I think your family would want to try it as well, especially during winter time.

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!

Christmas Cake Pops 聖誕蛋糕棒棒

I guess everyone is familiar with popsicle or icicle but how about cake pop? Instead of using fruit juice or ice cream to put on a stick, it is basically a stick with cake crumbs and frosting. It has been around for a while and mainly popular among the younger demographic. It can be molded into different shapes and decorated with colorful candies or other edible ornaments. No wonder it is so warmly welcomed by the kids. Instead of making cookies for Christmas, it is a nice change to make cake pops!

Another Great Year--2nd Anniversary 两週年慶

Do you have a dream? I would describe myself more as a down-to-earth person than a dreamer. Why? Maybe too many unfulfilled dreams or unattained goals? But we all know that having a goal or dream is important to press a person to go forward. Being a Christian, I believe in the sovereignty of the loving God over my life.

Looking back this year, there are things that happened in my life that I never dreamt of. Being an introvert and a low key person, I do not like being under the spotlight. If given a choice, I would prefer to be a listener than a speaker. I would never dream of myself doing a cooking demonstration in a public library. Days before the event, I tried to prepare myself, thinking the better prepared I was, the less nervous I would be. But no matter how well prepared I was, I was still very nervous. Ultimately, the performance was far from ideal....However, the demonstration was well received. The audience was very interested and this outcome was way better than I anticipated. And in the following months, five more libraries sent me invitations...I never dreamt something like this would happen!

Konjac Jelly with Fresh Osmanthus 桂花水晶糕

Last time when I made Osmanthus Jelly, I can only used store bought dried osmanthus. But this time I am fortunate to have some freshly picked flowers! Thanks to my friend Josephine Tse who has an osmanthus tree in her backyard.

Food Additives 人造色香味

"Plasticiser", "black water", "science bread"...you may not know about these terms but you may have consumed them without even knowing it. They might well be "legitimate" to be added to the food we buy and consumed. But our body is designed and built to eat real food, not food additives, in order to function normally. The advancement of modern science is breaking new grounds every day. New technology is no doubt creating a brighter future for our next generation. Food science helps prolong the shelf life of many foods so that in this global market, we can enjoy them from around the world. Food additives enhance the texture, color, taste and shelf life of many processed foods. Technology even can create fake food that tastes, looks and smells exactly like real food.