Buns in my Oven

I am happy to be able to share some recipes here. This blog is intended to share about health and Food is a big part of being healthy. I hope that the recipes i share would inspire you to eat at home, spend more time cooking your own food and help you be on track towards a healthy lifestyle.

Cooking at home has many benefits. Most notable for me is that you know what you are eating and thats very important. to bake your own bread means you will have a fresh loaf free of preservatives and added chemicals for flavouring or coloring.

The satisfaction of creating something for your family and yourself is undeniable awesome. It helps relieve stress and it help to keep the family bond strong. But cooking doesnt have to be gruesome and long. It all depends on you and the time you have. There are recipes that requires very little prep, and there are recipes that requires days to prep. choose the right one for you according to your wants and needs.

Today I will share my secret arsenal of bread making.

lets start with the time consuming Sourdough Recipe

I have of late been into baking (breads). What a joy it is to see simple ingredients of yis water and flour turn into a symphony of texture, flavor and aroma. yumm.. just thinking about bread makes me hungry

So sourdough is the "ibu roti" or base to which you culture your yis, ferment the dough and bring flavour to the bread. Having sourdough gives your bread a different dimension. you can make bread with the simple steps skipping the making of a sourdough, but do try it if you have the time.

traditionally, sourdough is made from yis that exist in the air. so you just let your dough sit until it "catches" something. but this process is slow and the yis isn't as active as the commertial ones. flavour wise, the 'wild' yeast brings a better flavor.. but it is hard to manage. so for a novice like me, i will teach you the commercial sourdough recipe.


Sourdough:(will update pics later for a better step by step instructions)

ingredients:

1 cup water - warm, not hot or yis will die, not cold or the yis will take extra time to activate
1 sachet of yis
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar

method:

1. dissolve sugar in water, then dissolve yis
2. add the yis solvent to the flour and mix well
3 make sure the items are in a sealable container.
4. cover with a dry n clean kitchen towel and leave to rest in a warm place (msia, smua pun warm place ok, jgn saja kau simpan dlm frigde).
5.leave for up to 6 hours. stir and mix occasionally.
6. you should see it bubbling, and you should start to smell the fermentation.
7. put your dough mixture in the frigde, cover (do not use airtight container, the yis needs to breathe)

creating the sponge:

1. before using your sourdough, you need to add more flour n water so you get more quantities of the good flavor.
2.so add 1-2 cups flour and equal amount of water in the sourdough mix. Add a little sugar as well. this is also called "feeding" gives more food for your little yis pets and make them thrive. when they thrive, you get more flavor.
3. when you add / feed, leave the mixture outside to let the yis get active. leave for 1- 4 hours. depending on how strong u want the flavour to be.
4. put in the frigde if not used. take out and use as the recipe require.
5. make sure u mix well and let the mixture come to room temperature before every use.
6. when you see the mix change color or smell funny.. its time to throw it out. a good kept sourdough can keep for years...


Whole meal BUNS/bread (depends on how you shape them)

ingredients

2 cups sourdough
2 cups wholemeal flour
1/2 cup plain flour for dusting and kneading
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon butter/margerine/olive oil

method

1. mix all of the above  ingredients in a bowl, with a wooden spatula except the plain flour (to prevent your fingers from becoming fish in batter... its a joke.. dont be serius
2. once everything clump together, dust your table or working board with flour and start kneading your bread
3. knead and dust with flour until the dough doesnt stick to our hands or the board. the longer you spend kneading the dough, the better the texture and rise later on. when kneading make sure u stretch the dough. u can watch you tube to see examples if unsure. I knead at least 10 minutes. sometimes more. wholemeal doesnt form as much gluten as flour so it needs longer kneading and work to get better results.
4. put the dough in a dusted or oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap, then cover with dry kitchen towel and let rise for 1-2 hours. the first proof is the flavouring part.
5. after you are happy with the rise... destroy it!! haha. i mean punch it down. you may knead lightly and shape to the size and shape you want. buns.. make em small, bread leave it whole. you can go round, oval.. anything and its  all up to you. but cooking time will vary depending on the shape and size
6. after shaping, leave to rise for second time. second proofing is to collect air in the dough. and give it that light texture. thats why you need to knead well so that air gets trapped in and not just seep away. proof for 30 min-1 1/2 hour. you can add nuts/herbs on top before baking.. or just leave it plain with some cuts (scores) to let it rise evenly

7. preheat oven at 200 (or 190 with fan), bake in preheated oven for 30-40 mins. how to know it is done? when you tap, the crust is firm and it produces a hollow sound... (dum dum dum)
8. take out when happy with the color n texture... and cool on a rack.
9. you can cut into hot buns and eat.. but bread loafs should be cooled before you cut.

enjoy!!!

My seafood passion

So yesterday I posted a couple of pics of our local crabs, fresh and alive, waiting to be cooked into delicious food. It will be the inspiration for my piece and recipe share for today.

I love the sea and everything that comes with it. Maybe not a tsunami, but you know, beaches, sailing, swimming, and all the delicious gems hidden inside the sea.

I grew up on an Island called Labuan. back in the 1980s my dad stumbled into the Island for a job and he never left it since. He said he would live his life to the fullest there and die on this unknown Island. He even told to have his ashes sprinkled in the sea so he could forever be one with the sea that he so loved. Yeah, he got every single one of his wish. - Just a short memoir for my late father who passed on this day 10 years ago.-

So, His love for the sea passed on to me. Maybe because he always brought me to the sea. At only 7 days of life, my dad took me to the sea and let me have a swim. My mom went beserk! yeah, crazy german guy! But no worries, babies have instincts to swim, so i was alright. Picnics, swims, sailing and fishing were some of our usual activities. Seafood was definitely a staple. Lobsters were abundant and cheap back then, so were shells and a variety of fish and crustaceans. I learned alot of dishes from my dad. Oh yes, he loved to cook. He was the one who thought me cooking, not my mom. From the tender age of 6, I was attending every single one of my dads kitchen sessions. He taught me stuff like sharpening your knife, peeling, baking breads, roasting and much much more. Food from the soul.

So crabs, naturally were super abundant at the time and always big, fat and fleshy. These days it is hard to find one with all those qualities.

Lucky for me, yesterday, some ambitious crab dealer came along the clinic and offered us some enticing selections of crab. I bought a Kilo, and got 6, 3 males and 3 females. The gender of the crab is important. I find that the flesh of the female is sweeter. It also has a softer shell and hence easier to work with. But males have more flesh but they are sometimes a little bit bitter.

Arent they just so cute. I find crabs super adorable and whenever I go to the beach, I would hunt for them. The small ones of course. Hubby is super scared of crabs. traumatising experience as a kid. poor dear.

Anyways, I decided to make my mom's improved recipe of Stuffed Crab Au Gratin.
Au Gratin basically means topped with crumb or cheese and then browned. I only got to know about it yesterday. We learn stuff everyday! so fun.

Ok so here is the recipe for

Stuffed Crab Au Gratin (I dunno if I pronounced it right... lol)

So in case you are wondering what is on that blue plate, I have the stuffed crab, roasted sweet potatoes purée  and leftover meat cutlet from the day before. might not have been the best combo, but the crabs arent going to be filling enough on its own, and I didnt want to waste food since we still had some leftovers.

So the ingredients- these makes 6 medium sized crab shells. should serve about 2-3 people.

So fresh live crabs 1 kg - i got 6
3 eggs- A grade, hard boiled and chopped fine. dont turn it to paste, make it like egg salad kind of shape and consistency.
condensed milk,
mayonaise- 1 table spoon
salt and pepper to taste
coriander leaves, finely chopped - about 1-2 tablespoons.
Mozzarella and strong cheddar cheese. - grated or sliced

note on the cheese, mozzarella on its own doesnt have much flavor, but I use it for its stretchy and smooth qualities. makes it visually attractive. I usually use Edam cheese, but I had some leftover strong cheddar, and that worked fine as well.

Steps:

very simple.
1. cook the crabs (whole and alive) in a pot of boiling water infused with bay leaves and a little salt. gets rid of any funky seafood smell if present and gives it a hint of aroma. does not affect the taste. in-case you do not have bay leaves, you can sub with lemon-grass or other aromatics. you can also skip it altogether.

2 let it simmer for 5 mins, drain it and cool it. once cooled enough to handle, comes the gritty part, peel them and get the flesh from the intricate shell. carefully remove the crab top (the head shell), clean and wash it, dry it one side. you need them to stuff back the filling.

3. once all the flesh has been extracted, in a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the cheese. use just enough evaporated milk to moist the mixture. if you have pooling of liquid in the bottom, its already too much. (agak agak la, i didnt measure)

4. once the ingredients have been mixed, taste and season well. you should get the taste of the sea, hints of coriander and sweetness from the milk. dont over do the pepper. you will hide the flavors of the crab.

5. scoop the mix into the shells. top them off with as much cheese as you like. dont put too much, they will just melt away onto the tray.(yeah ambitiously overdid the cheese).

6. broil/ bake the crabs on the top tier of your oven, close as you can get to the top heat source, max the temp (mine goes to 230 cels) and cook till u get the color you like on the cheese. its not very long. maybe 5 mins. dont lleave them. watch them closely, once the color change, they brown really fast.

Tadaa.... there you have it. delicious crab flavor accentuated by the ingredients.


Do try it, and I hope you like it as much as my crab fearing hubby. he ate 3 shells. plus the meat nugget and the purée. 

Rantings of a Broken Hearted Non-Citizen

Earlier this year I was shocked to know that my working contract was not being renewed as it was always year after year. This year they said, they needed to sit down and deliberate.

So for a month, I sat at home staring at my medical degree (Distinction? it doesnt matter if your jobless) and wonder what would my fate be.

After much hustling and pushing and begging, finally, they came to a decision to give me another year of contract. They did not even give me the grade I deserved, they kept me at UD 41. Its ok, beggars can be choosers, I thought to myself to just be thankful I can get back to work.

It was apparently a fluke, they already gave me mine this year, so thats fine, but it seems that they have no intentions to prolonged any more non citizen contracts despite them being married to locals or already having PR. I know of a Doctor, who is a non-citizen, married to a local. wife a doctor and a specialist. he just passed his exam and qualify to be a specialist, but they said NO, we only pay you as MO. (details and name have been kept to keep the confidentiality of the Doctor)

So that means, I'm sure to be jobless next year past february when my contract for this year will be terminated. How to be a productive citizen if the country doesnt allow you to work. Go private? I called MMC the other day and they said that non specialist cannot receive licence to work with private. Work abroad? then.... i just leave my husband and family here? go alone? and most countries want a minimum experience of 5 years in service.

Not to mention that the Gov still owe me money. my gratuity money from my previous contract is still being owed to me. It may not be a whole lot, but it has been a year and still i haven't received it for various reasons from various people. Miss A say call Mr B. Mr B said waiting for Mr C. Mr C said waiting for KKM. n KKM said tunggu! bagus la.

Did I mention that my husband is a local, a doctor, and working for the goverment too? yeah, but does it matter? no, not at all. Gov only want the spouses to make babies for the country. Let the husband be the only bread winner in the family. His pay? mere pennies. How to pay for 2 loans, house rent, insurance, overheads, groceries and family support? Now they put the icing on the cake - GST!

Thats not even the best part of this tragic drama. The best part is that I was born on Msian soil. in 1987 was born on an Island of labuan. I was raised on that soil till i was 18. I ate msian rice, seafood and vege. I went to local schools, aced all the local papers and only finally when it was time to go to University did i leave msia for 6 years to complete my medical degree. and after that i came back and worked in service in Sabah, a place where not many want to go with my husband who was a msian. 

Many Ask me why I'm not malaysia. why i dont have IC or at least PR? I return you the questions. Its your country. you should know!

When I ask to be citizen, they said NO, you dont qualify. (even if im born here and lived more than 18 years, just coz my parents werent locals) When i ask for PR status they told me NO, i dont qualify coz i need to have a dependant visa for 5 years. its ridiculous because i have been married for 8 Years now! and when i said, ok ok fine at least give me some leniency and give me visa 5 years. they said again NO, they said coz i got no kids!

the frustration is endless. I work in a district filled with people who are just from over the border. people who, some regarded as enermy of the country after recent breach in tawau. But these people come in at night by boat, land on some shore, and poof, within a year, sometimes less they will somehow be citizen. I dont know if its legally, via some back door, or some gov policies. all i know is, they go to the hosp, sometimes to the point were they dont even speak malay, but they have IC! best of the best!

Maybe this is my ticket to be accepted. Maybe in my resume i need to write, landed on shore by boat.

I don't hope for anything out of this, just want to rant my heart out. the frustration is killing me. But I shouldn't be selfish, I know it bothers other non citizens who are in the same boat as I am. Some have served for even longer year, suffered through greater trials and hardships. Have children and families here brought all the way from afar only to be rejected with a flick of a finger.

Go out they said, go to another country. No worries, at this rate, we wont have a choice. And we will bring our spouses with us, and our children and the whole family. and in the new country, I bet their laws to be citizen isnt as crazy as yours, like exp australia or singapore. just work there, live there for a certain time and bam, you be accepted as one of them. Is it my loss? I dont think so. I think its your loss. With the decline in your birth rates already, you can't afford to loss your citizens. But at this rate, you will loss not just your citizens, but your smart citizen with professional careers and high educations. Your loss since you are the one that paid for their education, their healthcare, and everything else till this point. 

Again, just some rather random rants. Nothing will change after this. Maybe I am unlucky, maybe I wasn't born with a silver spoon, or maybe it just fate to be this way. I learned to take it easy, because being a control freak only makes me grow white hair. I will let the boat ride the waves, I'll paddle with the waves, and I hope the waves bring me to an Island with treasures beyond. 

If I am wrong in any of my statements, i would love to be corrected. I write based on my personal experience. You could ask my husband, he would sing the same song. Maybe I should change professions. LOL. I can't think of doing anything but medicine. so not flexible.. maybe consider joining showbiz? too old sudah ba kan. sigh. 

Chow mates.. Life is a box of chocolate, some of them are poisonous :P