Cooking Classes Schedule Set 新班日期落實

This is the new class schedule for the Fall:

1)  Snowy Mooncake 冰皮月餅: August 31 Saturday (New fillings will be covered in this class, different from last year.)

2)  Chinese Pineapple Cake 鳳梨酥: Sept 21 Saturday

3)  Super Soft Pai Bao 超軟排包: Oct 5 Saturday

4)  Japanese Light Cheesecake 日式海綿芝士蛋糕: Oct 19 Saturday

All classes are on Saturday afternoon starting at 1:30. Some take about 2 hours and some may be longer. A mold for making mooncake and pineapple cake is included for these two classes. Class size is between 4-8. First come first serve. For questions and reservation, email me at phoebechow@morethanbread.net. Once I confirm your registration, I'll send you my address.

所有班都是在星期六下午一點半開始,為時二小時左右,有些班可能會長一點。冰皮月餅及鳳梨酥班包模具一個。每班四至八人,先到先得,如有問題或報名,請電郵致: phoebechow@morethanbread.net

Honeycomb Cake 蜂巢蛋糕

Do you believe looks are deceiving? I believe that we all have an experience of getting fooled by an object's appearance. Sometimes an unattractive look may hide something that is the opposite. It is so true to this cake. I did not find it very appealing at first sight, but as I cut across it and took a look, I was surprise to find the gem inside--a honeycomb-like appearance. The little holes are perfectly aligned to mimic the look of a honeycomb (just mimic, because a honeycomb is made up of hexagons, not circles).

Omega-3 Banana Muffins 超健康版香蕉蛋糕

By looking at the title of this post, you may wonder what this is all about. I was inspired by a recipe in a book called The Queen of Fats by Susan Allport. It is not a cookbook in any way. Its subtitle is "why omega-3s were removed from the Western diet and what we can do to replace them". By reading the subtitle I guess you can get an idea what the book is all about. I do not intend to do a book report here. If you are interested, you can check it out from the library. In short, omega-3 is the good fat that our body needs in order to function properly, especially our brain and eyes. Fish, walnut, flaxseed, fruit, vegetable, and so on are good sources of omega-3. But most of the processed foods in the market have had the omega-3 removed because it has a short shelf life. This is another reason to avoid processed foods in general.

New Cooking Classes Preview 新班預告篇

In the first half of this year, I have the honor to be invited by various public libraries in the San Gabriel Valley to conduct baking demonstrations. During these demos, there are numerous requests from the audience asking me to hold a more hands-on class. If you are one of them, there is good news for you.

Towards the end of Summer or in early Fall, I plan to have the following classes:

在今年的上半年,我很榮幸地被聖蓋博谷多間公共圖書館邀請,作多種烘焙示範,當中很多參加者都向我表示很有興趣參加能夠有實際參與的烘焙班,如果你是其中之一,我有好消息 !

在暑假之後或初秋時份,我計劃開以下幾班:

1)  Snowy Mooncake 冰皮月餅

2)  Chinese Pineapple Cake 鳳梨酥

3)  Super Soft Pai Bao  超軟排包

4)  Japanese Cotton Cheesecake  日式海綿芝士蛋糕

This is a tentative list. I welcome suggestions. All of the classes are held at my home in Diamond Bar, California. . A minimum of 4 students per class. If you have questions or are interested, please send me an email: phoebechow@morethanbread.net

這是初步的構思,歡迎其他提議。所有的班都是在舍下舉行 (Diamond Bar), 每班四人開班。有問題或興趣參加,請致電郵給我: phoebechow@morethanbread.net

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies 雙重朱古力曲奇

two versions of cocoa powder

What is your criteria for the perfect cookie? I like cookies that are crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle. If you also like this texture, then make sure you use brown sugar in the recipe. Your choice of sugar will affect the end result.

In making this double chocolate chunk cookies, I like to spice up the chocolate flavor by adding cocoa powder in addition to chocolate chunks. Instead of using the common natural cocoa powder (like Hershey's), I used the alkalized version which is milder, less bitter, darker and more intense in flavor. Cocoa powder is made by removing much of the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor after the bean is fermented and roasted. The resulting powder is acidic in nature. The Dutch invented a method using alkalies to raise the pH, making it more soluble, less harsh and darker in color. Most European cookbooks and chefs prefer this type of cocoa powder. But here in America, the natural version is more common.

Chestnut Cake Roll 栗子蛋糕卷

It's been a while since my last post on making cakes. I couldn't believe it's been that long--on July 16, 2012, the post on Match Mousse Cake was my last cake recipe. Almost a year has passed! Does it mean that I have not enjoyed having cake for the past 10 months? No way! It just means that there are other recipes or dishes that I would like to post more of. 

If you browse my recipe index, you would find 32 posts under the category of "cakes". That is quite a number. They are all my beloved cakes.

If you are a regular reader, you would notice that I am a chestnut lover. This is my 4th post relating to chestnuts already. Just like chocolate, I can't get enough of it. 

Black Sesame Roll 香滑黑芝麻卷

Have you ever wished that time could be reversed? I were ten, twenty or thirty years younger, then I would have done this and that, or I would not have done this or that....

I missed having this treat for a fairly long time. It used to be a common dish in dim sum restaurants when I was little. But nowadays, it is very rarely available, especially here in America's dim sum restaurants. It's nicknamed the "roll of film" because it resembles the rolls of film once used in the old cameras from the last century.

If only time could be reversed, I could enjoy it once more.....

Now you don't have to go back in time. If you want to enjoy this treat again in this digital age, follow the recipe below.

Whole Wheat Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce 全麥班戟配鮮士多啤梨醬

Ahhh... a cup of silky milk tea, a few whole wheat pancakes with fresh strawberry sauce and today's newspaper. This is my way to relax on a weekend morning.

Pancakes are one of those foods that are super simple and easy to make. It really cannot go wrong. It calls for the most basic ingredients that every family should have in their pantry. There is no excuse not to make it because you cannot find the ingredients in your local supermarket, nor does it require any special gadgets for assembly. Finally, this recipe is super healthy, using whole wheat, buttermilk, olive oil (another great way to use the whole wheat flour and buttermilk beside using them in 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Buttermilk.)Furthermore, instead of sugar-loaded syrup, it is paired with a sauce made with fresh fruits.  OK, let's go!

Hot and Sour Soup 酸辣湯

Sour is one of the four basic tastes (the other three are salty, sweet and bitter). In recent years, scientists have confirmed that there is another taste called umami (means delicious and taste in Japanese). It is described as savory and meaty and is produced by a common amino acid glutamate. Actually the discovery of this taste is not new. In 1909, a Japanese scientist called Ikeda had isolated a white compound from sea kelp. It is believed that this compound--glutamate/glutamic acid--gives savory and meaty flavor in food. It has been isolated by the food industry and is now commonly known as monosodium glutamate (MSG). Until recently in 2000, the receptor in our tongue for glutamate has been discovered. As a result, the fifth taste--umami--is formally confirmed.

100% Whole Wheat Bread with Buttermilk 百份百全麥麵包

Tong Zhong is a widely used method to make soft fluffy bread that has long shelf life. But it is not the only way. Today I share with you how to make healthy, fluffy 100% whole wheat bread that remains soft for more than 4 days.

Many people would like to incorporate more whole grain in their diet as recommended by nutritionists and health experts. But they do not like to have whole wheat bread mainly because of its texture. I admit that it is like chewing a piece of cardboard. Is there a way to make it more palatable?