Mango Cheesecake (Baked) 芒果芝士蛋糕

Are you a cheesecake lover? Do you like mango? If your answers are both positive, then don't miss out on this mango cheesecake. What makes this cheesecake different from all others is the concentrated mango pulp mixed into the mango cheese filling. As you bite into it, you experience an intense mango flavor.

This recipe is adapted from the newly published Baking Bible by renowned baker and cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Winners of Giveaway

Three lucky winners are drawn for the Christmas and New Year Cookbook Giveaway sponsored by Tuttle Publishing Company:

1) Sushma P
2) Alex Hui
3) Christine Lui

Congratulations ! Please send me (phoebechow@morethanbread.net) your mailing address. If I do not receive your address within 48 hours, you will be replaced by another participant.

Merry Christmas to all of you !

Sriracha Honey Popcorn 是拉差爆谷

The popularity of this hot sauce is quite the phenomenon. There are not a lot of products that only rely on word of mouth and reach such a level of success. People who love Sriracha put it in almost everything they eat. There are even Sriracha mayonnaise and ketchup in the market.

So when I was flipping through the pages of a new cookbook named The Kitchn (without an "e"), this recipe for Sriracha popcorn caught my eyes.

Christmas and New Year Cookbook Giveaway 食譜免費送贈活動

I should say this giveaway is killing two birds with one stone. The holidays are approaching, making it a great time for a giveaway. This event is also a way to reward my readers who have been so supportive in following my blog. I was so busy lately that I forgot to celebrate my blog's fourth anniversary.

What have I been busy with? Here are some pictures (visit my facebook page for more):

During the last week of November I was honored to cater a wedding with over 200 guests. It was a great challenge and I am thankful that it went well with very good responses from the hosts and guests.

To celebrate the holidays and my blog's fourth anniversary, I am giving away Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low and The Ancient Art of Tea by Warren Peltier, courtesy of Tuttle Publishing Company. Three winners will be chosen to receive one copy of each book.

1) Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low. Bee is also a Southern California blogger (rasamalaysia.com). This cookbook has a lot of easy-to-follow recipes and many tips for novices in making Chinese food.

2) The Ancient Art of Tea by Warren Peltier (Chinese name: 夏雲峰) Mr. Peltier is an expert on tea. He spent years in China studying the history and culture of tea. In the book, he will show you how to brew an amazing cup of tea. 

For more information on the books, click on the links.

Instructions for the giveaways:

1) Like my blog page on Facebook (skip if you already did)
2) Follow my blog either by directly subscribing or signing up for updates by email (skip if you already did)
3) Comment on this post (with your full name) on what you like about this blog.

Deadline for submission: 12/17/14 midnight PST

I will generate the results on Random.org and announce the winners on 12/18/14. There is no geographical limitation. The publisher will send the books to the winners worldwide.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for reviewing the cookbooks or holding this giveaway. The giveaway is courtesy of Tuttle Publishing Company.

Walnut Cinnamon Swirl Bread 核桃肉桂麵包

I always get excited about learning, no matter if it is new knowledge, technology or, of course, new recipes.

Until recently, I did not know about this kind of bread, called Povitica. It is a Croatian sweet bread. For Croatians, Povitica is a very common gift between friends and families. This culture is very similar to gifting of mooncakes during Mid Autumn Festival for the Chinese.

Although Povitica is similar to cinnamon rolls here in America, it has its own characteristics. The dough needs to be rolled out as thin as possible and it does not need a lengthy second rise as in making regular yeast bread.

And the filling is decadent: lots and lots of ground walnuts with cinnamon and cocoa powder, all of my favorites. Perfect choice for the Holidays.

Please read the recipe and the notes at least once before you begin for best results.

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。

Purple Rice Bread 紫米麵包

If you are like me who eat bread on a daily basis, do you get bored with white toast or whole wheat bread? Here is something different: whole grain bread, not only with whole wheat flour, but also with rice.

This is my first time using rice to make bread. I should have made it earlier! It stays soft for 3-4 days in room temperature, just like tong zhong bread.

Purple rice is also called black glutinous rice or sticky black rice. It is one of the fragrant type of rice. Cook it in a rice cooker and cool before adding to the bread dough.

Banana Flavored Roll 香蕉糕

Glutinous rice balls, mochi, Chinese New Year steamed cakes and boba all have something in common. They are comprised of glutinous flour as the major ingredient. It is what gives them their chewy, gummy texture. Banana rolls are also one of these foods which fit the description. But it has a misleading name (just like bo lo bao/pineapple bao without pineapple). Anyhow, how I have missed this glutinous flour roll! Besides Hong Kong Style Waffle and Chinese Steamed Cake, this is my other favorite childhood snack.

It only has a few major ingredients--water, sugar, glutinous flour, and banana flavoring--but the right ratio is important to bring out the best texture. I have been searching and experimenting a long time for a good recipe. Some make it by steaming raw glutinous flour while others use cooked flour to make the roll without further steaming. The following recipe from another blogger has the best texture with the right ratio of glutinous flour, wheat starch, and tapioca flour and it is super easy to make.

Matcha Ice Cream 綠茶雪糕

Summer seems never end in Southern California. Mid Autumn Festival is over but it still has a few weeks before official Fall (Sept 23) arrives. This Asian flavor matcha ice cream is refreshing and full of green tea flavor. It greatly helps to relieve some summer heat.

Godiva's Chocolate Mooncake 朱古力月餅

The Mid Autumn Festival or August Moon Festival is the second most celebrated holiday in Chinese culture. If you live in an area highly populated with Chinese people, there will be some sort of celebration around this time of the year. This holiday, to the Chinese, is like Thanksgiving to Americans; the first thing that pops up in your head when it is mentioned is, most likely, food.