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 :)