Ladies days out, Indonesian Food Party and Heart Locket Award

After one month scheduling our plan for a trip to Bandung, finally me and my co-worker, Novi, off to Bandung. This was ladies days out, 2 days 1 night. We had listed the places we want to visit. It was really fun ! Aside that we don't know the Bandung areas very well, we were carried our heavy backpacks for hours before we finally arrived at the hotel, but thank God we have Google Map. LOL

Too many places we wanted to visit in so little time. Novi wanted to try Martabak Bolu, so we went there. The owner of Martabak Bolu, Nadia Damara, gave me one free box of Martabak Bolu :) (she's nice and very friendly) That was because I asked her permission to take pictures of the store and the products. I said I want to feature the products on my friend's blog. Click here. (I wrote in Bahasa)

After that, we continue our trip to Cihampelas. I love the view in Ciwalk (Cihampelas Walk). Big trees, green, fresh and eco friendly. Beautiful place, indeed. Then we had dinner at Cimanuk Street, ramen time at Kuma Ramen. Been curious with Kuma Ramen since I read the review in a food magazine. Nice place, nice people, delish foods, I'll be back again, Bandung !!! *Back to Jakarta


I'm very excited with Indonesian Food Party (IFP) event hosted my Tata and Momon. I think it's a good idea to preserve Indonesian culinary heritage. Proud to be one of the participant and cook something that come from our motherland. Indonesian food is rich in flavors and heavily spiced. With so many regions, cultures and influences have made great number varieties of Indonesian food.
With this event I hope every Indonesian food bloggers, no matter where you are, can take part in this noble event. Cook, shoot and note. Easy, right ?

Every family has their own favorite food. Something delectable, has specific taste and memorable. I love soto Kudus since I was a kid and now my son loves it too. My parents used to take their children to soto Kudus restaurant at Radio Dalam. It was long long time ago.

Kudus is a small town in Central Java, Indonesia. So, soto Kudus is a Kudus style chicken soup. Indonesia has various types of soto. My mum cooks her own style of soto, also my grandma cooks different type with my mum's, while my mother-in-law, gosh....her soto Surabaya always make me craving for more and more.

One fine day on Sunday morning, I made this especially for my hubby and my son. Not exactly the same taste as the one I used to eat at the restaurant, though. But it taste good. To all my dear Indonesian readers who read this post, I'll be grateful if you give me the recipe of Soto Kudus which has the same taste with the one at Soto Kudus Restaurant.

Soto Kudus / Kudus style chicken soup

Ingredients :

- 1 chicken, cut into 4 pieces
- 3 boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
- 100 gr bean sprouts, boiled half done
- 2 tbsp finely chopped celery
- 2 tbsp garlic, sliced and fried
- 75 ml soy sauce
- 2 lime fruits, cut into 4
- 2 lemongrass
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1500 ml water
- cooking oil for sauting

Spices Paste :
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 6 shallots
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 6 candlenuts
- 3 cm ginger

How to :

1. Simmer chicken in water until tender.
2. In a wok, heat cooking oil  with medium heat. Stir fry the spices paste until fragrant. Add in lemongrass.
3. Pour into the chicken pot, add salt, sugar and fried garlic. Cook over medium heat until 25 minutes to let the chicken absorb the flavor. remove from the heat.
4. take the chicken out, remove the meat from its bones and thinly slice it into bite-size pieces and discard the bones.
5. Serve the soto in a small bowl with warm rice (if you like), chicken, bean sprouts, eggs, celery then pour with hot chicken broth from soto and squeeze the lime juice.

Enjoy.....

My dear foodie blogger friend, Tata from Bonita's Cooking & Bento Wonderland gave me a Heart Locket Award ! Thanks so much, Ta.  But now I have to find 7 wonderful blogs to pass this award to them. If you received this award, please read these rules carefully :

1. If you get this award, pass it on to other 7 blogs

2. Put in the award picture in your post

3. Don't pass the award back to the award giver

4. Answer the questions below and post them in your blog
 
Only 2 questions, it's good to know you better :D

1. What makes you feel great about yourself?

2. Who inspires you most? Also be more specific, which qualities inspire you, in each person? You can list as many people you like.

My answers :

1. I think I'm a self-taught person and I believe the power of sharing. So I love to share what I've learn so far to anyone who want.

2. I do take good things from everyone around me. I was inspired by my mom for her generosity, my hubby for his patience, my son for his kindness, my dad for his courage and my mother-in-law for her modesty.

So, this award goes to :
1. My Diverse Kitchen
2. Smoky Wok
3. Food and Story
4. Lekkericious
5. Rosa's Yummy Yums
6. Violet's Hill
7. Swing your cooking spoon

Okay...my job is done :)

A slice of caramel pudding

You could use this recipe if you have leftover egg whites. Really really need extra effort to make this pudding. But hey...don't hold yourself if you want to make it. Just be patient and follow the steps carefully then you will get the perfect layers and shape. Because mine wasn't perfect after all !

Peanut Caramel Pudding

Ingredients :
- 24 sponge finger/lady finger biscuits

Pudding 1 :
- 175 gr granulated sugar
- 600 ml hot water
- 18 gr agar-agar powder (no color)
- 3 tsp instant coffee powder
- 50 gr granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites

Pudding 2 :
- 500 ml fresh milk
- 18 gr agar-agar powder (no color)
- 2 yolks
- 100 gr peanut jam
- 3 egg whites
- 100 gr granulated sugar

How to :

1. Use sponge finger biscuits standing them upright to cover the outer edge of the cake. Line side of a round mold (22 cm in diameter, height 6 cm) with sponge fingers.
2. Pudding 1 : melt 75 gr sugar in a sauce pan over moderate heat stir until golden brown. Add hot water and stir evenly. Add in agar-agar powder, instant coffee powder and 50 gr sugar, bring to boil. Remove from the heat. Take about 250 ml from the agar-agar mixture. Set aside.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks. Pour in the lukewarm agar-agar mixture into egg whites a little at a time. Stir well after each addition.
4. Pour it into the prepared mold. Wait until the surface has set.
5. Reheat the 250 ml agar-agar mixture, stirring constantly then bring into boil. Remove from the heat. Pour over the first layer. Let it chill.
6. Pudding 2 : bring milk and agar powder on a saucepan. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Set aside.
7. Beat the yolks until thick. Add in peanut jam. Mix well.
8. Pour in the milk and agar mixture into the yolk mixture. Mix well.
9. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar, keep beating until stiff peak form. Pour in the yolk and agar mixture a little at a time. Mix well.
10. Pour over the second layer on the mold. Spread evenly. Let it chill in the fridge before serving.

Bahasa Indonesia

Bahan :
- 24 biskuit sponge finger

Pudding 1 :
- 175 gr gula pasir
- 600 ml air panas
- 1 1/2 bungkus agar-agar putih
- 3 sdt kopi instan
- 50 gr gula pasir
- 3 putih telur

Pudding 2 :
- 500 ml susu cair
- 1 1/2 bungkus agar-agar putih
- 2 kuning telur
- 100 gr selai kacang
- 3 putih telur
- 100 gr gula pasir

Cara :

1. Tata sponge finger di sisi loyang bulat diameter 22 cm tinggi 6 cm.
2. Pudding 1 : gosongkan 175 gr gula pasir. Tambahkan air panas sambil diaduk hingga larut. Tambahkan agar-agar bubuk, kopi instan dan 50 gr gula pasir sambil diaduk hingga mendidih. Ambil 250 ml rebusan agar-agar. Sisihkan.
3. Kocok putih telur sampai mengembang. Tuang sisa rebusan agar-agar sedikit demi sedikit sambil dikocok rata.
4. Tuang ke dalam loyang yang sudah disiapkan. Biarkan hingga setengah beku.
5. Panaskan sisa rebusan agar-agar (250 ml) sambil diaduk hingga mendidih. Tuang ke atas lapisan pudding pertama. Biarkan setengah beku.
6. Pudding 2 : rebus susu cair dan agar-agar sambil diaduk sampai mendidih. Sisihkan.
7. Kocok kuning telur sampai kental. Masukkan selai kacang. Kocok rata.
8. Tuang rebusan agar-agar ke dalam kocokan kuning telur sambil dikocok rata. Sisihkan.
9. Kocok putih telur sampai setengah mengembang. Tambahkan gula pasir. Kocok sampai mengembang. Tuang campuran kuning telur sedikit demi sedikit sambil dikocok sampai rata.
10. Tuang ke atas lapisan pudding di dalam cetakan sedikit demi sedikit hingga rata. Bekukan.

Enjoy......

Lemon and Pistachio Biscotti

Hi guys....new look on my blog. I did some changes here and there. I added horizontal menus, change the background, header, I also added link of beautiful blogs from wonderful and talented people around the world. I will continue to update the link if I find out new ones. So, welcome and hope you enjoy your ride here. And I hope you like my new blog appearance  as much as I do :)

Do you see the picture above ? It has reached more than 300 viewers and more than 30 favorites on my Flickr in less than a week since the first time I uploaded it. I didn't expect that some of the viewers love this photo. And some of my friends love the colander :D (sssttt...I bought it on ACE Hardware).

Frankly speaking, I was looking for an idea with the pistachio. Right after this photo being uploaded, Aisha Yusaf (my dear Flickr friend) offered me the recipe of biscotti. What a nice coincidence :D The following week, I insisted to make it. I want to serve this for tea time on the weekend. But good intention is not always enough.

My handmixer suddenly stopped working while I was beating the butter and sugar. Oh nooo....I just started ! Maybe this is one of  a cook's nightmare. But finally I could managed everything back on track (you don't want to know what I have used to mix the mixture :D and I won't tell you either, hahaha...shame on me !)

But my nightmare was not over yet ! I set the oven temperature too high and also forgot to line the baking tray with parchment paper. Bad..bad..bad... !! So you can see, my burnt biscottis. It tastes good though :p (Aisha ... I promise to make it again and I'll make it in a good and pretty shape ! Promise).

I should tell you, "No, those aren't potato wedges !"

Lemon and Pistachio Biscotti
(a recipe from Aisha, written as what she wrote to me)

Ingredients :
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shelled pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped

For the icing:
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup lemon juice

How to :

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add to the butter mixture and blend thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. (The dough will be soft.)
5. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half.
6. Lightly flour each piece and shape it into a log about 1 1/2" in diameter and 9" long. Place the logs about 3" apart on the baking tray.
7. Press each log down to make it about 3/4" thick and 3" wide.
8. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven until puffed and lightly browned on top, about 25-30 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the tray.
10. Carefully slide the logs onto a work surface. Using a long, sharp knife, cut each log crosswise into 3/4" thick slices. (Make each cut with a single swipe of the blade. Don't use a sawing motion, which will break the biscuits.)
11. Place the slices cut side down on the baking sheet (can be touching to fit them all on the sheet).
12. Bake on the middle shelf for about 8 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven, turn the biscuits over and bake for another 8 minutes till golden. (Keep an eye on them, you don't want them to burn.)
14. Immediately transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing:
1. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat until smooth. Beat in additional drops of lemon juice if necessary to make an icing that will coat the biscotti lightly.
2. Dip one whole side of the biscotti in the icing (you just want one side dipped in the icing not both.)
3. Place on a wire rack icing facing up until the icing sets.
4. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy....