Lychee Mousse Cake 茘枝慕斯蛋糕

Oh summer is here...this means there will be plenty of mangoes, peaches, plums, watermelons, and lychee around. Lychee is a tropical fruit that originates in China. Through global trading and local cultivation, many countries around the world can also enjoy this delicious, flavorful fruit.

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。

Seeded Whole Wheat Bread 全麥種子麵包

Since I started making my own bread a few years ago, I have almost exclusively been using the Tong Zhong method. It gives me consistently soft and fluffy bread that lasts up to four or five days at room temperature. However, I learned this is not the only method for soft, long-lasting bread.

I have been exploring new ways to make bread with a higher percentage of whole wheat. Most breads that are labelled as whole wheat in the market are made with only 30% whole wheat flour while the majority is white bread flour. I think the main reason is not so much the cost but the nature of wheat flour.

Mango Ice Cream 芒果雪糕

Many of you would probably think fresh mango is the best choice to use in homemade mango ice cream. But contrary to that thought, freeze dried mango is a better option. Fresh fruits are best to enjoy when they are ripe and juicy. However, when they are used to make ice cream, the juice is your enemy. The more juicy it is, the worse it is to make ice cream. That may be the reason why watermelon is rarely used in ice cream even though it maybe good in making sorbet. Juice will turn into ice and make ice cream icy instead of creamy.

Tea Eggs with Five Spices 五香茶葉蛋

There are certain things in life that really train or test your patience. If I were to rate which role would be the toughest test of patience, I would vote that being a parent is number one. I think many parents would be on my side. From taking care of an infant to parenting a teenager, there are endless challenges a parent has to face. It is through these trials that we all mature and grow up.

Another role that build up one's patience level is to be a cook. As it is said, no pain, no gain. To make a good meal, you simply have to put in time and effort. I am not referring to instant TV dinners or instant noodles. I have learned much about patience and perseverance through cooking and baking. Making yeast bread takes hours; aged dough takes days to mature; a successful batch of French macaron took me over ten trials to achieve.

Take these tea eggs as another trial of patience. Making hard boiled eggs does not require a lot of time nor patience. But to make delicious tea eggs, there is no shortcuts. In order for the marinade to infuse into the eggs, they have to sit overnight. Without patience, you will just have hard boiled eggs.

Remember, no shortcuts!!

Chinese Pork Jerky with Fruity Flavor 果汁豬肉乾

I am a big fan of jerky. It is a great snack to have while watching TV or to serve in a party. However, instead of American store-bought flavors I more particularly like jerky styled after Chinese flavors. It is more juicy and flavorful. The last time I visited Hong Kong, I had a great time satisfying my appetite! Too bad meat products are prohibited from entering or leaving the country, or otherwise I would have filled up my bags with them.

Here in America, you can only buy jerky that is made in this country. Those Chinese brands that you see in Asian grocery stores most likely are not made overseas.

Making it at home is far simpler than you would expect, with a low failure rate. You can easily choose a flavor you like without adding sodium nitrate or any preservatives!

Pistachio Cake with Orange Flavored Honey Whipped Cream 開心果蛋糕

The Mediterranean diet has been advocated by many nutritionists because it is low in saturated fat and high in dietary fiber. Statistics have also shown that a plant-based diet is good for the heart. Using olive oil instead of animal fat helps to lower cholesterol. Eating less red meat and more fish in addition to regular exercise contributes to a healthy life style.

Although they are high in fat, nuts are a key part in the Mediterranean diet because they contain good fats--omega 3 fatty acids. This cake is loaded with ground pistachios which gives it a lot of flavor and those healthy fats. In addition, the nutty flavor perfectly compliments and is accented by the orange scented honey cream.

What a cake to have to celebrate the arrival of Spring!

Lava Custard Bao 流沙包

Dim Sum Series, part 5:

This is another classic steamed bao in dim sum restaurants. I think it is a rather recent addition because I do not recall having it before I immigrated to the US. I still remember my embarrassing moment when I first encountered it. It was quite messy because the custard just burst out like lava from an volcano. The salted duck yolk in the custard adds a different dimension of flavor. It is an amazing and wonderful experience.

Chinese Steamed Cake Ma Lai Gao 古法馬拉糕

Dim Sum Series, part 4:

This steamed cake is called ma lai gao. I have tried a few recipes using different ways to leaven the cake batter: beating whole eggs (physical), using yeast (biological) and/or baking soda/powder (chemical). None of the above gave me a satisfactory result.

The average maximum heat a household steamer can generate is about 212F/100C. This temperature is so much lower than the usual 350F/180C oven temperature used in baking a cake. It means that the way the cake batter is prepared is a crucial factor in determining whether it is a dense or soft cake.

I kept telling myself that there must be a way to make a fluffy and moist steamed cake. So, as a last resort, I went back to the traditional method: using an aged (prefermented) dough. This is a combination of biological and chemical methods. By making an aged dough (similar to a levain in making a sourdough bread), natural yeast and bacteria are cultivated. Later on, baking soda is added to balance the pH level. Leavening is provided by the yeast and baking powder. Although egg beating is not required in this recipe, some patience and time is required :).... However, you will be rewarded with a steamed melt-in-your-mouth cake that was achieved without the addition of lard (commonly used in restaurants).

For an updated recipe, click here

Matcha Pastry 旋風綠茶酥

Dim Sum Series, part 3:

Matcha is just another name for green tea, right? This is what I always thought, until I recently attended a food show in Northern California. The Fancy Food Show is an international food show offered twice a year: San Francisco hosts during winter while New York City hosts the summer show. With over a thousand exhibits from all over the world, it is an exciting time for all those related to food industry, whether you are a retailer or wholesaler, or somewhere in between. New trends, products and tastes are often introduced during the show.