Walnut Raisin Bread

I had not planned to do any baking that morning but it was such a waste of some extra time since I had got up earlier than usual. Besides, I had bought some walnuts, but have yet to get active with the walnuts that I had toasted.

Toast walnuts at 375 degree for 5-10 minutes on foil/parchment paper till fragrant. Be careful not to over brown them. Keep them fresh in a jar for later use.

Looking through my recipes and bread ingredients, I found that I am short of 100 gm of bread flour. Not to be deterred, I substituted the shortage with wheat flour, and it turned out just great.

Walnut Raisin Bread

Ingredients :

300 g high protein flour or 200 g bread flour and 100 g wheat flour

7 g active yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

½ yolk (original recipe is 1 yolk)

40 g castor sugar

¼ tsp salt

140 g water

50 g walnuts coarsely chopped, 50 g raisins

3 tabsp olive oil (original recipe is 20 g butter)

3 extra walnuts, chopped, for decoration

3 tabsp water and 1 tsp red wine (original recipe is 2 tabsp orange juice or rum), I add an extra tabsp water to replace the half egg yolk

¼ tap instant coffee granules (omitted by leehwa)

10 g milk powder (omitted by leehwa)

The reason, I substituted the butter with olive oil and omitted the milk powder is that my hubby does not take milk products (even a teeny bit) and does not like eggs in his bread. I do not like to use margarine, a trans fat which is not so healthy.

I find the consistency a bit wet when I add the 3 tabsp of water, otherwise it is pretty dry from but then I find difficult to handle dough always taste so much better.

Method : (as modified by leehwa)

1. Prepare starter dough with some sugar, yeast and 40 gm water. 
2. Allow it to ferment well for about 10 mins.
3. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients together. ( flours, sugar and salt). Add int the egg yolk.
4. Mix in the olive oil and water gradually. (including rum mixture if using)
5. Knead well till smooth and elastic.
6. Spread or roll out dough a little and spread the raisings and walnuts on the dough.
7. Knead lightly, shape into a round ball and leaving in a oiled bowl, covered with a piece of damp tea-towel. Let it proof for about 40 minutes or double in size.
8. Punch down dough and divide into 4 equal portions.
9. Roll into long buns, leave aside on a lightly greased try. Let it proof for another 30 minutes or double in size.
10. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the extra chopped walnuts. (you could brush with milk or egg mixture too).
11. Bake at 375 deg/190 deg. for 15 to 20 mins. or until cooked.

They tasted just great, soft and fragrant. You could reduce walnuts a little if you do not like their slightly natural bitter taste. It’s a yummy!

Dry Sambal Prawns

Ingredients :

300 gm white fresh sea prawns (large)

8 dried chillies (seeded for a mild flavour)

10 shallots

5 pips garlic

1 inch piece of fresh tumeric (about the size of your distal phalange of middle finger)

1 lemon grass

1 inch piece of belachan

Some limau purut/kaffir lime leaves (shredded or tore up)

Assam jawa (about 1 teaspoon), mixed with some water, a few tablespoon will do
Salt and sugar to taste

I usually buy large prawns as they are easier to work with.

Trim off the heads and sharp tail. It is so much easier to work with a pair of sharp scissors.

I would cut and slit down the back, to remove the intestines. This would also help the flavour of the ingredients to permeate into the prawn better. The slit down the back makes it easier to shell the prawns when you eat them. I do not shell the prawns to retain the sweet taste of the prawn. You could remove them if that is how you like it. And trim off legs (or swimmerets) if they seem untidy.

Method :

1. Grind the chillies, shallots, garlic, tumeric, lemon grass and belachan together.
2. Fry the ingredients in oil till fragrant.
3. Add prawns, fry in curry paste for a few minutes.
4. Add the kaffir lime leaves.
5. Add assam jawa juice, not too much if you like it dry.
6. Add sugar and salt to taste.
7. Simmer till prawns are cooked and sauce reduced.

 

Try it for yourself. Need I say more?

Our Singapore Trip

It was easy, just hop onto Air Asia for a direct flight. We (four of us, including my niece and nephew) touched down at Changi Airport, at about 11 a.m. The last time, my sister and I were visiting my brother and his family in Singapore was in December 2006.  I have forgotten the dates till I did some checking on my old passport. Back then, Air Asia only stops at Senai Airport, Johor Bahru.

We decided to try out the MRT from Changi Airport to Jurong East.  The trip was easy and we only have to pay S$4 plus each for the trip. My brother, then pick us up at Jurong East, enroute to his place.

The View

Little Quilin

We have not been to my brother’s new place and have been making plans to visit him for some time now. It is a nice, compact home with a fantastic view, particularly that of beautiful Little Quilin from their condominium window.

Little Quilin

Condo Grounds

Sunset View

We were there for 4 days, 3 nights. Spent some time shopping and sight seeing. Luckily for us our main objective was not sight seeing as entrance fees to most of the tourist attractions are exorbitant. (most places of interest charge more than one set of fees for their various attractions).

The Food Trail

We were literally on a sumptuous food trail, not unsimilar to those shown on television. We had a great time at the Golden Mile Food Centre, Beach Road. The variety of food there is just great and the chefs there have some great food, that is uniquely Singapore’s. We tried their Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee, their Beef Noodles, their Chilli Mee (with prawns and pork ribs) and Haji Kadir Sup Tulang. Sadly, we missed their Boneless Chicken Rice. (They were closed on that particular day).

When going for Food Courts, do go for those old food masters who have been serving these wonderful fares for years. Do not go for the new establishments, who have yet to build up their reputation, and not so uniquely outstanding. Yes, we did have some standard, average meals here and there, when they were conveniently around for us during those times when our stomachs or our legs directed us to the nearest available food.

We tried some great Japanese food at Nihon Mura Restaurant. Yummy, yummy. (that’s international, no?). It’s actually is English, origin unknown….more like baby talk, but international enough for me.

We had Kim Dae Mun Korean Food at the Juz Food Court aka Concorde Hotel Food Court. Admittedly, it is one of the best Korean Food you can find in Singapore. Another great lure at the Food Court is Red Rubies and Sago Gula Melaka dessert. I just bought some sago, and I hope I can come up with something nearly as good as theirs. After all, isn’t “Imitation, the best compliment.”

We had the infamous Singapore Chille Crab at Jumbo Seafood at Dempsey Road. Awesome, the ambience, the great food, the service :-) and of course ….. what they charged us.:-(

It was definitely a case of ‘too little stomach, too much food.’

Sightseeing

We made some lucky wishes at their Fountain of Wealth, Suntec City. We had to circle the small fountain below the largest fountain in the world, three(3) times to have our lucky wishes granted. A shame that we missed the ‘big one’ that evening, but you surely can’t have it all, anyway I would always opt for our alternative spectacle that evening.

Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

We were walking and lucky us, found ourselves right in front of the famous Hajjah Fatimah Mosque. The mosque is a national monument and is named after a wealthy businesswoman, whose generous donations were used to build the mosque. It is located at Beach Road, and is nicknamed the “leaning tower of Singapore”, because of its tilting unique minaret.

The Flyer

Marina Bay Sands

Lotus-Shaped ArtScience Museum

Merlion in the distance

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique (at The Shoppes)

Horse Statue at The Shoppes

Shoppers (at The Shoppes)

Lotus pond at ArtScience Museum

Lotus pond at ArtScience Museum

The SkyPark (at the Top)

We, especially me had a wonderful time at Marina Bay. We did not go up the Marina Bay Sands but being around the bay, practically took up the whole afternoon and evening. The view that evening was amazing. We were tired but the lights, the images and sounds really lifted our spirits and melted away, those aches crying from our tired muscles.  Please see for yourself!! Mine pictures taken on my compact Canon are not so good.

Marina Bay Sands is a spectacular creation by Moshe Safdie Architects. I, am most fascinated its cantilevered platform which houses the 340m long SkyPark and Infinity Pool. (which has a vanishing edge). The SkyPark has a public observatory deck, where you can get a 360 degree view of Singapore. Next to the Marina Bay Sands, three towers is a lotus like structure where the ArtScience Museum is. There are lots of beautiful pictures on Marina Bay Sands, just search for it on the internet.

These 2 links will give you some idea of what it is like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marina_Bay_Sands_model.jpg

http://www.greenteadesign.com/thedesigntree/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Marina-Bay-Sands-Singapore.jpg

Our outing to the Singapore Science Centre was a disappointment. Most of the displays at the Centre is over used and old. I could easily say I had more fun on the bus ride there than at the Science Centre. Oh oh, we botched on the stops, but it was fun. All routes, destinations and charges are clearly displayed at the bus stop. All you have to do is know where you are heading, when you are to alight and of course get ready some small change.

So Long

Glad we finally made it, holidays are the best. You get to meet the people you missed, you chat till the wee hours of the morning, you get to enjoy the taste of Singapore and you laugh at being together and at every silly little thing. I love the laughter most, it is so very light and refreshing, and of course the beautiful views and sights.

Each time, I am back from Singapore, I would miss all the neatness and convenience of a fabulous public transport system. I used to think that maybe I would get to enjoy such convenient facilities in Malaysia when I am old but not anymore. I have given up that dream and hope. It is depressing when you think about it, for me and for the millions of public commuters in Malaysia.

Singapore is the most expensive city in the world, (latest statistics). More so with our Malaysian Ringgit conversion, Malaysia sure has to work on catching up. It is a tight race between Singapore and Hong Kong, but that is one race most would rather not be the winner.

Lights Display at Changi Airport

If only Malaysia could make it so easy and attractive for Singaporeans, tourists to cross over to Malaysia, do their shopping, feast on our food and enjoy our sights, would not that do a lot for our economy. If only we can improve on the traffic jams and immigration jams.

All in all, it was a happy, tiring trip for the not so young ladies. Guess, playing host and hostess is tiring and happy too especially if you have very busy schedules.

I always feel a little bit blue when I am back home. Funny thing now that I am older, I do miss home, just a teeny bit when away, especially on the first day.

Civet Cats

Caught one again, the previous one was in April 2012.

For some reason, the Malayan Civet (Oriental Civet) has been frequenting our house and they can be very annoying especially at night. There have been occasions when they made their homes here too.

This was caught April 2012

Although they behave and have a slight resemblance to a cat, and Malaysians call them Civet Cats or Musang they do not belong to the cat family. They are from the Viverridae family. They have short legs and long tails and some have a special gland (civet) that secrets a special strong scent. They have been hunted for this special civet for perfume making. Honestly, some of their scent is so overpowering; not in a nice way. Some though exude, a scent similar to that of our ‘pandan’ leaves. Hearsay is that this ‘pandan’ musang is good for the curry pot.

For some reason they seem particularly attracted to our roof/ceiling. It could be that with the destruction of their habitat in the forests, they have no alternative but to make their homes in human settlements.

So far, we have entrapped about six or seven of them over a span of five to six years.

We had initially requested for assistance from Jabatan Perhilitan, but we now do it ourselves after being shown how to set up the traps. We would usually use fruits to lure them into the cage. However, we found that bananas made better baits. Once, my neighbour handed the staff from Jabatan Perhilitan a fish for bait. When we caught them, my husband would transport them (in the cages, which measures approximately 2.5’ x 1.5’x 1.5’) to some secondary jungle, beyond a river further away from our home and release them.

Just entrapped, could be the mate

Being omnivorous, they could be attracted to the fruit trees, birds and bats in our garden or that of our neighbours. These Malayan Civets usually feed during the night and their claws and teeth are very sharp. One has to be careful to avoid getting bitten when releasing them. Not to worry, they would be so relieved dashing to their freedom that, being hostile is not their preoccupation.

Do you think they could backtrack and come back? Is that why there are so many of them?

Or do they just follow a food trail ? I do hope they cannot swim well.

The Dabbawallas of Mumbai

When I wrote about minimum wages and productivity, I could not help but recall a news reporting that I had stumbled across. The Dabbawallas story, was, still is a chronicle of achievement, and I was utterly impressed by their commitment, discipline and teamwork. They received a Six Sigma Performance rating of 99.9999%, or having only one error in 6 millions deliveries.

Six Sigma is a performance measurement strategy. It is an methodology that works on elimination of errors for better efficiency.

From the suburban homes, where the food is being prepared and delivered to the offices of Mumbai (Bombay) Dabbawallas work together as a team to bring food to the masses of office workers. Dabba meaning lunch box, and Walla meaning man.

What started out as a simple delivery service for catered food more than 100 years ago, is now a world renowned.

These very special, Dabbawallas, or lunchbox man started the day filling up their Tiffin carriers with the food ordered in the suburbs, identifying each customer by simple colour and codes. These tiffin carriers are then transported by bikes, rail, motocycles and finally delivered to the lunch recipients in their offices.

Each working day, 5000 Dabbawallas deliver 200,000 home make meals for less than $10 a month. They first leave the homes where these lunch meals are prepared heading toward the first railway station. They were then sorted at the railway station and boarded onto the luggage carriage. The 3^rd Dabbawalla will travel with these lunches to their nearest destination. These lunches were then picked up and delivered by another Dabbawalla and delivered to their various destinations. The empty lunch boxes are then returned to their original location in the evening in a reversal of the earlier journey. Each Dabbawallas travel approximately 70 miles each day.

Food for lunch anyone? Food for thought too for Malaysians to get ‘unstuck in the middle,’ and strive to become a high income economy.

Watch a Business Lesson by cbsnews.com on Dabbswallas, the Indian Lunch Carriers on youtube, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxfHB5wPWeQ

So Sad for The Little Birds (Yellow-vented Bulbul)

It is sad that the elements sometimes create havoc and parents have to do what they can to survive. I had on two occasions unluckily experienced the abandonment of two Yellow-vented Bulbuls nests, although under circumstances that the parent birds deemed risky and even life threatening.

These Yellow-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus goiavier, Merbah Kapur (Malay),

are a familiar sight in Malaysian gardens. They feed on fruit, berries, sucks nectar and insects. They thrive well in our current day small garden home environment.

The first nest was built by the parent Bulbuls, about 2 feet from my exercise bicycle among one of my potted Red Palm leaves, under the awnings, well camouflaged.     

I tried not to exercise anymore and make way for these feathered parents. Alas, that was not enough as the nest was also only about 5 feet from my front door. I noticed that the parents have not been coming to the nests anymore although I hope they would. Unfortunately, one rainy night some night predator consumed the 2 small eggs.

The second nest was built also about 2 feet from my exercise bicycle. We tried our best to stay away from our bamboo plant where they built their nests and the bird lay only one egg. Peeping from my curtained windows, I saw the parents incubate and kept the eggs warm for a couple of days. But alas, it must be the noise or the traffic flows through my front door, the parent birds decided not to take the risk and left, maybe to build another nest at a better location.

Yellow-vented Bulbuls’ nests are deep, cup-shaped nests that open skyward. That could explain why they have been trying to find a safe haven for their nests as the thunderstorms that we have been experiencing of late have been very heavy and unpredictable, that could easily ravaged a skyward nest. These birds build their nests with whatever that they find around the garden carrying strip by strip of different types of leaves, grass and even small twigs. They particularly like palm leaves, maybe because of its tensile strength and the availability of these lofty leaves from my garden. These birds, cleverly wove the nest, making sure the inner side is well lined, soft and comfortable for their young ones.

I tried to get some pictures of the adult Yellow-vented Bulbuls, but they are quick to take to the air as soon as you get to about 15 feet near them. The pictures are not very good with my camera from such a distance, but good enough for anyone looking at them to be able to identify them.

 

 

Compare with the other photos to see if you can identify the location of the nest in this picture.

A female resting on my neighbour's rambutan tree. No, it might be a male.

This is a better picture, isn't it? You can at least see the colour of its plumage.

If you like to find out more on the various species of Bulbuls found in Malaysia, kindly click on the link. http://www.malaysianbirds.com/bird-family/bulbul.htm