Gingerbread men

Last week, I bought a gingerbread cookie kit (see post 5th December). Well, I have made them and here is what they looked like cooling on a silicone non stick baking mat.


I must say that making them is trickier than I thought. The mixture was easy enough to make. However, the skill is in the rolling out and cutting. First, the recipe says roll out the dough to 3/16 inch thick. Well, if you do that, you do not get the 24 gingerbread men you are supposed to - 12 back (plain outline) pieces and 12 top pieces with feature (per picture). The dough really has to be about 2/16 inch thick to get that many. I do prefer them thinner as they are crunchier when baked. Also, they look better when you assemble them as instructed ie. sandwich two pieces with icing (see picture on the packet). Also, I found that the dough was a lot smoother with some extra kneading. I found this out after I cut out the first batch of cookies and was re-using the leftover dough. So, another tip is, knead the dough lightly before you use it. I also found that getting the dough to be evenly thick was a LOT harder than I expected. This would not be as important for small cookies but as the gingerbread cookies were rather large any unevenness was very noticeable.

Much to my detriment, I found that it is critical to be very careful when transferring the cut dough to the baking tray. Any movement and you will have trouble matching the back to the front pieces when you sandwich them. As you can see from my picture above, the legs of my gingerbread men are not all spaced apart equally. So, for my next attempt, I will use a paper template to check that the cookies are placed correctly .......... or just cut out plain outline pieces and add in the features (eyes, mouth, buttons etc) with icing and candy.

Fuss-free bacon and onion quiche for a casual lunch

I had some dear friends over for lunch yesterday. I decided that with the Christmas shoppers and the weekday lunchtime crush, we would enjoy catching up a lot more if we stayed home instead. This way, we could have a leisurely lunch without being squashed and hurried.

Here's what we had - carrot salad, bacon and onion quiche and for dessert, banana cake. The recipes for the salad and quiche follows. For the banana cake recipe, see my post of June 6th.

All 3 recipes are incredibly easy to prepare, fail proof and makes for a pleasant fuss free meal.

One Step Bacon and Onion Quiche

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion
2 rashers of bacon
3 eggs, beaten
¾ cup milk
¾ cup pouring cream (I used Paul's Thickened Cream)
½ cup of grated cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
¾ cup packaged pastry mix (I used Betty Crocker's Pie Crust mix)
20cm pie dish

Preheat oven to 180° C

Method
1 Cut the onion in half then slice into fine half rings. Remove rind from bacon and chop into small bits.
2 Melt butter in a fry pan. Lightly fry onion and bacon. Drain off fat and cool slightly.
3 Place pastry mix, chopped fresh parsley and grated cheese in a mixing bowl. Pour in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4 Grease pie dish lightly with butter.
5 Pour in mixture.
6 Bake for 30-40 minutes, until set and golden.
Note: the quiche is light and almost like a souffle with just a hint of pastry crust - scrumptious!
Alternative fillings could be asparagus, mushrooms, canned artichokes and chopped barbeque chicken.

Serves 4.

Carrot Salad

Ingredients
2 cups grated carrots
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Method
1 Combine carrots, raisins, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a salad bowl.
2 Top with chopped walnuts.

Best made close to serving.

Gingerbread Cookies

In preparation for Christmas, I have been looking up recipes for gingerbread cookies recently. I think it's always nice to give something home made in addition to the store bought gifts. It just seems a lot more thoughtful. Anyhow, I have a recipe from a friend from Norway. It's her mother's tried and tested recipe which she so kindly shared with me. But the trouble is, it looks so complicated. Then I came across a recipe in the South China Morning Post yesterday (Sunday) which is less complicated. Which recipe should I try?? Then, voila, I came across a gingerbread man cookie kit in the supermarket! All I need for the cookies is butter, honey and water; and for the frosting, butter, icing sugar and milk. In the box are a flour mix for the cookies and a vanilla frosting mix plus a gingerbread man cookie cutter. For $48, it seems like a reasonable price to pay for 12 "sandwich" cookies. I know it does seem like a cop out, but maybe after I get the hang of the technique of mixing, rolling and cutting, then, I'll move on to the "start from scratch recipes".

Here's what the "kit" looks like (snowman and tinsel tree not included :0) :-





This will be my project this week. If the cookies turn out well, I'll be making more in a couple of weeks to share with my family and friends over Christmas.

Water Chestnut Pudding 馬蹄糕

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all my American friends. Have a safe and happy holiday!

I am certainly looking forward to Christmas. I have even started shopping early and so far, I've already got my turkey and foie gras. I've even bought myself a chocolate fondue for a touch of elegance. Besides, nothing wrong with DIY dessert!

However, let's not also forget that it is "only" 2 months to Chinese New Year. So for those of you who are aspiring cooks, let me put out some recipes early for you to practise. This way, you can decide whether you want to order or make them for coming Chinese New Year.

Lets start with the iconic Cantonese/Hong Kong staple, water chestnut pudding. Making water chestnut pudding is very easy. You can either make it plain or with chopped up fresh water chestnut for added crunch. Here's the recipe. (Please note that I have another version of this recipe here.)

Ingredients

500 g water chestnut powder
750 g rock sugar
8 water chestnuts
3 litres water

Method

1. Peel water chestnuts and chop into little bits.
2. Boil 1.5 litres of water and the rock sugar in a large stock pot. Add in the chopped water chestnuts.
3. Place the water chestnut powder in a large mixing bowl. Add 1.5 litres of water and mix thoroughly. Make sure that the batter is absolutely smooth with no lumps of water chestnut powder.
4. When the rock sugar is dissolved, add in one cup of the water chestnut batter. Stir immediately. The sugar solution should thicken slightly and the mixture is clear. Bring to boil again.
5. Turn heat off and stir in the rest of the water chestnut batter. The mixture is now opaque. Keep stirring the bottom of the pot to ensure that the mixture does not stick.
6. Divide the mixture into 3 deep 8 inch dishes.
7. Place a steaming rack in a wok and fill with water to slightly above the top of the rack. Use high heat. When the water is boiling, place a tray of the batter on the rack and steam with the lid on the wok for about 20 minutes. When cooked, the pudding will be honey coloured and clear. When necessary, top up the water in the wok with hot water.

Leave the cooked pudding in the dishes to cool. Whilst still warm, cut into slices and serve.

Leftover pudding can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, fry slices with a little oil.

Times Square Barbie Christmas display is a hazard

The public space in front of Times Square in Causeway Bay has now got a colorful Barbie themed Christmas display. This was launched with some fanfare and there was a write up in the South China Morning Post. As with all such festive displays in Hong Kong, it is a photo oppotunity for many, locals and tourists alike - a great thing! However, I would like to share my concerns with you. Aside from the fact that one wonders what the relevance of Barbie is to Christmas, I believe that the display is an accident waiting to happen.

Here's why:

First, the floor is treacherously slippery when wet. I happened to walk through that area last week when it was raining and had to watch every step to make sure I did not slip. Mind you, I was wearing a pair of sensible flat, leather shoes. Imagine what it was like for ladies in high heels or toddlers who are unsteady at the best of times! One of the security guards had a lot of initiative and made productive use of the time minding the installation by asking pedestrians to watch out as the floor is very slippery. The other one nearby preferred to watch the clouds drift past.


I went back there today to check it out. It has been dry for several days. Well, there are several signs warning the public that the floor is uneven and it's slippery. Is that really all Times Square's management think is necessary to fix the problem? Really?

Second, the installtion itself is not ideal for a potentially very crowded area with a lot of through traffic. For example, take a closer look at this "cubby house". The roofline is about adult head height so that you have to duck to get in. Look at the shingles - metal, protruding and "in your face". I was there on a Thursday afternoon a month before Christmas and people had to step away to avoid knocking into the sharp metal. Imagine what it would be like during the weekend and closer to Christmas?










Enjoy....cautiously. Have a great day!

Macao Dragon Groupon Refund

On 15th September I wrote about how the short lived ferry service to Macau by Macao Dragon had gone bankrupt. I had bought 8 vouchers from the internet based company called Groupon and I still had 6 left for trips which I had not taken. Well, I am happy to report that I have just received my refund from Groupon.

Well done, Groupon!

Minute breaks in Central

I am discovering a few pretty spots in our urban jungle. Hong Kong Park remains my favourite "city oasis" at the moment.







I will be the first to admit though that it does have its limitations - you do have to just linger and be taken in by your immediate surroundings; ignore the signs that indicate you are in a man made park in the middle of the city. For example, look at this next photograph of the same waterfall:


Enjoy the beautiful flora and ignore the pots:

However, if you do not like to leave the air conditioned comfort of indoors for too long, you could try out the rooftop of IFC Mall. Its a public space, so you are welcome to bring your lunch to enjoy the outdoors without having to put up with the toxic fumes of traffic pollution at ground level.

Or if you are truly truly too pressed for time for anything else, you could at least linger a while enjoy the art work or other displays in the lobby of large buildings in Central such as this sculpture in the lobby of Jardine House:

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! Here are 3 photographs of a decorated shop front in Manhattan.

Lemon Bars from Magnolia Bakery

I am in New York and needless to say, I have already paid a visit to my favourite bakery - The Magnolia Bakery. My favourite recipe is the divine LEMON BAR. On the day I visited, the shop was filled and there was a long line to the checkout even though it was raining and already almost dinner time (well, my dinner time anyway, it seems New Yorkers eat anytime). Anyway, as it was close to dinner time, I saved my lemon bar for later.

Well, a few hours later, this is my lemon bar:



- a bit smooshed but definitely very yummy :)

Doctor Fish

Have you heard of the “Doctor Fish”? Sounds fishy? Well, it’s the nickname given to Garra Rufa fish which are reputed to nibble off dead skin.

I first encountered these fascinating little fish at a spa in Hakone not far from Mt Fuji, about 100 km from Tokyo. Guests first wash their feet and legs then sit around a shallow pool filled with warm spring water. The pool is also filled with the tiny Garra Rufa fish. Frankly, it takes a lot of resolve to keep your legs in the water when the fish swarm up to you and start nibbling. It is both ticklish and freaky at the same time. It is supposed to be very good cosmetically as the fish nibble off dead skin leaving your skin smoother and cleaner. The nibbling and the warm water is said to improve blood circulation, leaving your legs and feet with a healthy glow. Well, for me, I end up completely de-stressed after all the laughing and giggling.

In Hong Kong, there is a Doctor Fish place in the Peak Galleria at the Peak. Not quite as interesting as a spa in Hakone but the great thing about it is most times, you don’t have to share the pool with strangers, particularly if you go with a few friends. They have 2 pools at the shop, each with seating for 6-8 people. This is great as I never quite know what to think when you sit next to someone who is attracting the lion’s share of the Garra Rufa fish.

Here is a picture of me “feeding” the Doctor Fish at the Peak Galleria. Notice the plaster - for hygiene purposes, every scratch and wound is covered up.


Do give it a try, it’s really fun.

Macao Dragon goes bankrupt

I woke up this morning to news that Macao Dragon, the company which runs a budget ferry service between Hong Kong and Macau has closed down. Ouch! I am holding on to 6 Groupon Hong Kong’s vouchers for Macao Dragon from the original 8 I bought 2 months ago.

TV news reports hint that Groupon may issue refunds. So I tried looking up Groupon’s website. No news. Macao Dragon’s website is not accessible. So, I typed in a Google search and come across a discussion on Geoexpat.com from last week saying that there is news Macao Dragon would be filing for bankruptcy today. OK, where do people get these types of inside information – more to the point, how did I miss this?

According to this discussion forum, Groupon does not pay the service providers until the vouchers that customers have bought are actually redeemed. If this is so, then that means the money I paid for the 6 unused vouchers are still with Groupon. So, for those of you holding Groupon vouchers for Macao Dragon’s ferry service, don’t despair……. yet. Hopefully, it’s Groupon that owes you money and that they will do the right thing soon and offer refunds for unused vouchers.

What a great pity that this company had to close down - what great courage to take on the established duopoly. Its fares were materially cheaper than its competitors. Granted it ran a much more limited service than the others, but you could save money with a little planning. I paid $63 for a ticket, good for any day of the week. A one way daytime ticket to Macau either with TurboJet or with New World First Ferry costs $151-$163/6. Newspaper reports say that Macao Dragon launched its low-cost ferry services in January last year after waiting four years for the Macau government to issue it a license. The company said its business became economically unfeasible after the Macau government slashed the number of passengers it was permitted to carry by 35 per cent.

The government issued Macao Dragon a license entitling it to carry 1,152 passengers per vessel in January last year, but then the Macau Maritime Administration imposed a cap of 750 passengers once the company launched its services in July. Staggering!

Scheme $6,000 計劃

I guess there is no one in Hong Kong who has not heard of the $6,000 Scheme?
This was announced at the last Budget speech in March 2011. Under the scheme, permanent residents aged 18 or above as of 31 March 2012 are entitled to a cash handout of $6,000. Eligible persons may start applying for the cash handout from 28th August 2011 either via banks or the Hongkong Post The timetable is as follows:

Year of birth	Registration Period
1946 or before	From 28 August 2011
1947-1956	From 11 September 2011
1957-1966	From 25 September 2011
1967-1981	From 9 October 2011
1982-1993	From 23 October 2011

Registration by batches will close on 5 November 2011. What if you miss the deadline? It’s OK you may still register after this date. In fact, here’s a twist, if you are not in a hurry, register during the period from 1 April 2012 to 31 December 2012 and you will receive $6,000 plus a bonus of $200. The government will start making payments of $6,200 to these eligible persons from early May 2012.

What if you are not eligible to claim on 28 August but will be so by 31 March 2012? You will have to wait. You may submit your application anytime until 31 December 2012. Your application will not be processed until after 31 March 2012 and the option of receiving the $200 bonus does not apply.

Have you thought of how you will make use of your $6,000? Well, that was one of the motivation behind the cash handout – to put wealth in the people’s hands so they can decide for themselves how to allocate this money.

This scheme is costing the government an expected $38,000 million which will benefit an estimated 6.1 million people. That’s a lot of money. I am not even sure how to read the amount is it $38 billion? And the estimated cost to administer this scheme? $75.8 million.

Walking in Mount Butler

Here is my recommendation for something to do this weekend.

I went on a walk around Mount Butler last weekend and here are some photographs by way of introduction.

The route is fairly steep so you do get a bit of a workout (well, at least for a non regular hiker like me.)

Start your walk from the bus 11 stop just before Boyce Road on Moorsom Road in Jardine’s Lookout. Walk up the stairs towards the 聖公會 kindergarten. At the top of the stairs, keep walking uphill……………….

You can either head up to the top of the hill to the Bomb Disposal Depot or you could head to Braemar Hill (North Point). The view from the top is quite good, you can see all the way to the Harbour and over to Kowloon.







In any case, do take your time to enjoy the flora and fauna. Look at these beautiful blooms. I was early enough to still catch the morning dew on the flowers.



Here you can see a some ants busy stiching some leaves together to make a next. Simply amazing!



This is a picture of a little creek, not enough for fish but nevertheless, a refreshing sight.

Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. This year it happens to coincide with the month of August. Worldwide, there are about 1.5 billion Muslims. To most non-Muslims, Ramadan means a whole month of rigorous fasting. Looking at this year’s schedule on the Islamic Union of Hong Kong website, fasting starts before 5 am and lasts till about 7 pm each day for a whole month. Fasting fosters empathy for less fortunate people and encourages generosity. However, Ramadan is not just about fasting but also a time for contemplation, prayer, the giving of alms and self-discipline.

Each day, fasting ends in a celebratory breaking-of-fast meal which is a time of fellowship with family, friends and the community.

Ramadan ends in a celebration, the Eid ul-Fitr (Aidil Fitri, in Malaysia), the exact day of which depends on the sighting of the moon – so Ramadan could either be 29 or 30 days.

In Hong Kong, Eid ul-Fitr is not a public holiday nor is it widely celebrated by the general community. According to the US Department of State (2009) there are 250,000 Muslims in Hong Kong.

To my fellow Hong Kongers who are Muslims, Ramadan Mubarak! And to my friends in Malaysia, Selamat Hari Raya!

For those of you who wish to send Ramadan greetings to your Muslim friends, click here.

Inspiration Lake (迪欣湖)

Wondering where to go this weekend? Well, I highly recommend a little known treasure in Hong Kong – Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre (迪欣湖活動中心) located in Penny’s Bay, Lantau Island.

The entire Recreation Centre covers an area of approximately 30 hectares, with a 12 hectare man-made lake as a central feature. It is very well managed by the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort – clean, safe and well maintained. Another good thing is – no entrance fee.

Where else can you get such clean fresh air and be away from the crowds on a weekend without having to trek for miles whilst still being close to creature comforts? Quite remarkable for a park in Hong Kong – the absence of 6 million signs stating what you cannot do. It is quite a pleasure to be able to walk on lawn and we even brought a ball to kick around.

Here are some pictures from my trip last weekend.



It was a warm day so my family and I decided to skip the boating this time. The bikes are covered as you can see, so it was a rather “civilized” hour of fun in the sun. You can bring your own bikes but the sun-cover on the Surrey Bikes ($120 an hour for 4 people) is well worth considering during summer.



Facilities: Cycling, boating, walking trails, grassed areas, benches, a convenience store, undercover seating area with tables, toilets and paid car parking. For lunch, you could bring a picnic basket, opt for a quick meal from the convenience store or dine more leisurely at the restaurants at either of the Disney hotels.

We drove there and parked for $25 an hour but it is quite accessible by public transport.

How to get there by public transport: walk, take a bus or taxi from the Disneyland Resort MTR station.

SPOT THE HIDDEN MICKEY

Cool Wall Lamp

Here are two photos of a great wall lamp/table lamp idea. I love it - the elegance of a table lamp without the clutter it creates on a table. Also, light comes from the right height (don't you find that a table lamp is always too close to your face?).

Quick and easy

We were doing a bit of reminiscing last night and my son reminded me of his childhood favorite treat - honey crunchies. It was a must-have at all his birthday parties and his friends used to ask me to make them for their birthdays too. These are very easy to make and keep well, a good recipe to make together with children who want to try their hands at cooking. Honey crunchies are also good for school bake sales as they travel well in the school bus. Dare I say, they are quite healthy compared to store bought sweets – at least, they are additives-free. I took this opportunity to try out my new silicone muffin pans. My verdict? They are great as they stack up into a compact pile when not in use – great space saver in the cupboard PLUS you can fit more into the oven if you place them on a large baking tray. I think I am ready to get rid of my metal patty pans………

Honey Crunchies

Ingredients
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
4 cups cornflakes

Preheat oven to 170 C (or 160C if it’s a fan forced oven)

Method

1. Line cupcake or muffin pans with paper patty cases.
   
   
2. Place cornflakes in a bowl.
   
   
3. In a small saucepan, melt butter, sugar and honey over low heat. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved but be careful not to boil the mixture. (This step can be done in a microwave oven.)
   
   
4. Cool slightly then pour the melted mixture over the cornflakes. Toss lightly to mix well.
   
   
5. Fill paper patty cases with the mixture and bake for 10-12 minutes.
   
   
6. The honey crackles will still be sticky when you remove them from the oven. They will crisp as they cool. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

Makes about 12

Your turn

My friends found the jokes in yesterday’s posting funny, so I thought I’d add this for the benefit of the 30% of people who fall into the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department’s “never married” category:

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED

Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next."
They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

All in good time……………Thank God It’s Friday.

Census

With the census occurring at the moment, I thought I’d have a look at some data compiled by the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department after the previous census in 2001.One thing that caught my eye was the data on demographic characteristics:

Census Year	1991	1996	2001
Median Age	31	34	36
Sex Ratio (males per 1000 females)	1,038	1,000	960

Proportion of never-married population
Female	29%	28.9%	30.1%
Male	36.5%	34.2%	33.9%

It seems that between 1991 and 2001, the median age of the Hong Kong population had gotten older. This was attributed to 2 causes. The number and proportion of population below 15 years of age had fallen markedly, reflecting the sustained drop in fertility rates. At the same time, people are living longer as evidenced by the increase in the proportion of people over 65 years.

Of interest is the proportion of male to female in the population - this had fallen markedly………are men dying much younger than women? Do we have the reverse problem to mainland China? Are there more female babies being born? No, in fact,the proportion of females increased due to the influx of female foreign domestic helpers and mainland wives.

Another interesting statistic is the proportion of never married people. Did you ever realize it is so significant? Whilst there are articles on the Department’s website discussing gender imbalance and marriage prospects, there does not seem to be any explanation put forward as to why this is the case.

I will be very interested in seeing the outcome of this year’s census.


Meanwhile, a few words of wisdom:


MARRIAGE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

Hello…..

Here is a photograph of a most cute Hello Kitty floral arrangement I came across in a shop at an MTR station. I couldn’t resist taking a sneak pic of it to share with you:

Isn’t it clever? Enjoy!

Mango sorbet

We are having roast chicken and mashed potato for dinner tonight. Not the most obvious choice for a warm summer evening but with the air conditioner on, we can pretend that it is actually quite a pleasant day. Besides, I have made us some mango sorbet so all is sweet. Here's my recipe for an easy to make and entirely refreshing mango sorbet.

MANGO SORBET
INGREDIENTS
550 gm mango flesh (about one large 800 gm mango)
100 gm caster sugar
160 ml water
Juice of half a lemon (more if you like a bit of tang)

Pre frozen ice cream maker.
Makes about 1 liter.

METHOD

1. Boil water and sugar to dissolve sugar.
   
   
2. Leave to cool and place in a freezer until ice starts to form around the edges.
   
   
3. Peel mango and dice the flesh. Place in the freezer while waiting for the syrup to be ready.
   
   
4. Blend mango, lemon juice and cold sugar syrup until smooth.
   
   
5. Prepare sorbet in the ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
   
   
6. If you do not have an ice cream maker, you could place the blended mixture in the freezer until almost frozen. Then blend it once again to get a smooth, melt in your mouth sorbet. Freeze again.


Enjoy!

Serving suggestions:





1. Place a scoop of mango sorbet in a dessert dish with diced fresh mango. Add a tiny mint leaf.
   
   
2. Top a scoop of mango sorbet with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a cone.
   

Marmalade Muffins

Back in May when I published my Kumquat Marmalade recipe, I promised to work on a muffin recipe to go with it. Well, here it is:

INGREDIENTS
3 cups plain flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
50 g butter, melted
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup kumquat marmalade* (or orange marmalade)

Preheat oven to 190°C (fan forced)
Makes 8-10 muffins.

METHOD

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
   
2. Beat eggs and milk together and mix in melted butter.
   
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in egg mixture and marmalade. Mix to just moisten (do not over mix or the muffins will be chewy)
   
4. Either lightly grease and flour muffin tins or use paper muffin cases to line muffin tins.
   
5. 3/4 fill large muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked.
   
   * See recipe for kumquat marmalade on this website