My favorite Bao

My grandma (maternal) stays in Tiong Bahru. When I'm still very young, I often stay over at the old apartment and Sunday morning she'll bring me to Tiong Bahru market. 

At that time, Tiong Bahru market is half attap structure selling raw merchandise like meat, fish and vegetable while the other "newer" half selling hawker food. I was told the newer half was build after a fire broke out that burn that half to ground. Not sure. 

Photo credit: mothership.sg http://mothership.sg/2016/03/tiong-bahru-market-looked-like-this-in-the-1980s-when-it-was-called-seng-poh-road-market/

While the morning, market sells all kinds of raw material that housewife bought the daily necessities and at night, the hawker half are busy with people have their local favorites. One of them is Tiong Bahru Bao. 

I simply love them. 3 items that's top of my list. Char Siew Bao, Deep Fried Popiah and Deep Fried Egg Meat balls. These 3 items I've being eating them since the original stall exist in Tiong Bahru market. The old uncle together with his helpers (sons and daughter?) would be busy making, steaming, frying till late in the night and people would just queue up. The queue always seems endless. 

I remembered the taste. Their Char Siew Bao is totally different from those you'll get in coffee shop. The filling meat are tasty and sweet savory. The white skin is fluffy and sweet while eaten warm. The Popiah is the only one I ever tasted with meat inside the filling, the rich taste that I always remember. The Deep Fried Egg meat balls are actually half a hard boil egg with minced meat smeared to make a whole egg shape ball and coat with a sticky watery dough before deep fried. I believe it's call Dragon Pheonix Egg. 

As years goes by, Tiong Bahru Bao had move and expand with more and more stalls around the island. Of cause the price increase over the years. Just this morning I bought 2 char Siew bao and popiah for lunch and found the chat Siew but shrinks while the popiah skin layer had increase multiple fold. I wonder where it would go to one day. Would it still be the same sweet savory local favorites that I used to live in my childhood?

Miam Miam @ Bugis: Follow up

My original post can be found here: Original Post

I went back to Miam Miam 2 more times, bringing a friend and the other trip alone. Ordered Squid Ink rice and Miam Miam Spaghetti on the trip with friend and the Souffle Au Nauge when I am alone. I must say that I am impress! Both trip have proven me that the food are less salty and I simply love it (But I am not sure if that would please the younger crowd who are used to saltiness). And for every main course comes with free Brocolli Soup, which I think is nice, not very creamy like some other soup from restaurants and cafe, I don't feel sick after drinking this soup and it helps waking up my appetite.

I must say, Restaurant that listen to their customer should be the one people would trust and go back again.

No photo this time, hahaha, I am not a person who remember to take photo for everything I eat :P

Stuffed Tofu Puff with Fish and Prawn Paste

I love Saturday and Sunday! Not only I can wake up late (I still wake up at 7am), I can also cooked and try different recipe and make some nice food, yum!

I have craving for stuffed tofu puff today, so I went to NTUC to get my ingredients.

Ingredient:

Tofu Puff - I bought Unicurd Tofu Puff as these are softer and nicer.

Fish Paste - I bought Dodo's fish paste, 180gm

XXL Tiger Prawns - 230gm

These are what I bought, you can change the weightage around, but I maintain half half for fish paste and prawns.

I didn't shot the picture of Tofu Puff. This is what I bought last month for my sister, don't misunderstood NTUC for selling expired stuff, hahahaha :P

I prefer tiger than grey prawns as they are sweeter and more bouncy when use as stuffing. The tiger prawns is about 230gm. 

Cut the prawns into small dice and start to chop them into a mash, for about 1 minute. Don't mash them too finely so that you can still feel the texture of the prawns bits. I pick 2 stalk of spring onion from my garden and chop them finely. 

Stir the fish paste, prawns paste and spring onion till fully mix. Then I prepare the tofu puff by snipping the square on top and split them open slowly by hand, careful not to tear them into 2.. Then  using a spoon to stuff enough paste. I did not add anything to taste in the paste as I am not eating them directly but cooking them in soup or steamboat normally.

Steam them for about 10 minutes or till you notice some red colour appearing in the paste, which is the prawns getting cooked. I don't steam them too long cause I'll normally cook them in bee hoon soup. 

See those red red dots in the fish paste? They are the prawns bits that I did not mesh thoroughly.

I cook some bee hoon soup.

My soup base is just a teaspoon of deep fried shallots and a teaspoon of deep fried garlic. Both I got from Sheng Siong that is soak in oil. And then I add a teaspoon of Hao Chi (好吃) powder. A dash of white pepper and sesame oil. I add baby spinach and cook the Stuffed tofu puff till it boil. Then I add beaten egg and off the fire so that the egg will be soft and nice.

Notice the chilli beside the pot? I made it myself too. My favourite chilli, just grind chilli padi, ginger and garlic (1:1:1) and thats it! I added abit of those japanese sasame dressing for salad with the chilli, and it taste superb!

My first Home-made Pizza!

It was a quiet and nice evening yesterday and remembering the dough I made previously for this big day! I am making my pizza!

iPhone Photografreak me, likes to overdo in tuning the picture. Its actually not that burn hahahaha.

I found this recipe in Loft48, thanks a lot!!!

Maybe I can repeat the dough formula over here. But all credits goes to Loft48, you rocks! As for topping, I just add what I have, Salami, Pineapples, Corns, Tomatoes Puree, Smoke Duck Breast sliced etc.

Ingredients

• 2 cups bread flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp instant yeast (1pkt of 11gm)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup warm water

Method

Preparing the pizza dough

1. Mix warm water with yeast, oil, sugar and salt
2. Add bread flour
3. Beat until a dough is formed
4. Chill in airtight container for 24 hours

Preparing the oven

1. Preheat the oven at 250 degrees using top and bottom baking mode

Sheeting the dough

1. Bring to room temperature 1-2 hours in advance
2. Divide dough into 3 portions
3. Scatter bread flour onto clean table top
4. Roll the dough and scatter bread flour over it while rolling
5. Roll the dough till thin layer
6. Transfer to baking tray
7. Using a fork, dock the dough

Baking the pizza

1. Using the top and bottom baking mode, bake for 4 mins
2. Remove pizza from oven
3. Spread pasta sauce
4. Add toppings
5. Add mozzarella cheese
6. Transfer pizza back into oven
7. Switch to fan grill mode
8. Bake for about 7-10 mins or until cheese & pizza base edges turns golden brown
9. Switch back to top and bottom baking mode
10. Open oven door
11. Retrieve pizza carefully as the oven & pizza baking tray are extremely hot
12. Put pizza baking tray on stove top

Breakfast #2: Pita Bread

I like pita pockets and it has many ways of making into delightful breakfast. I made a pizza on Saturday night.

All I did is just spread tomatoes puree on it, add baby spinach, add grated mozzarella cheese, add cheery tomatoes and some slice of Italian Salami, then bake it in a oven for about 7 minutes.

I also made a sandwich this morning with mix spring salad, ham and smoke duck breast with some mayo and add some feta cheese and cherry tomatoes as a side.

Yum yum, convenient breakfast!