Thursday, March 28, 2013

Li Sheng Jie - Zui Jing



"What you wanted, I never could give. What I could give was never what you wanted."

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper

I’m nearing the point of explosion yet again; just that tad bit more and I’d really lose it. I’d send everyone cowering under thunderous fear with an Arian side but inasmuch as I’ll like to think that it’s possible, it’s merely an overstatement to keep me sane.

The failure of the recent cakes have elevated my fury to this unbearable level. What irritated me was that whenever the cake is perfectly baked, it will laugh its way to the bank but whenever I want the texture to be perfect, the cake’s forever partially baked.

That’s for the chocolate cake.


Believe me when I say that it doesn't resemble a cheesecake. Up until now, I don't even know how to describe the texture.

As for the no-bake cheesecake, the texture was terrible (as you can see in the above picture) and the taste was off. I can’t place whether it was caused by too much sugar (from the crust and 1 Tbsp molasses sugar) or the excessive liquid.

It's either the temperature of the oven or the recipe that needs to be worked on.

Until that day arrives, I shall take a break from baking (since I've ran out of cake/pastry flour) and explore more as a foodie instead...

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Curt Exploration


First attempt at homemade buns.

It turned out alright; taste wise, it was perfect but texture wise, it could've been softer.


Second attempt at pizza.

It was a disastrous result, even though I had bought the ready-made base.

Not only was it not crispy, the green bell peppers (capsicum) was a little undercooked even though it was left to bake at a high temperature of 220C.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

The Carpenter's Daughter, Subang Jaya

Spending the whole of Saturday morning running errands after the hill walk had left me spent, and with me wanting to loll around the house. When news had arrived that an acquaintance wanted to treat us to dinner on the very same day, it left me a little apprehensive.

But I threw on myself a graphic tee and a pair of Uniqlo jeans and we headed out anyway. The restaurant was not of my choice; it was the acquaintance's, and seeing that she's an adventurous foodie who's willing to sample new restaurants, it was best that she made the call.

Which she did.

And brought us to ... The Carpenter's Daughter in Taipan.


Have a look around their bakery section....


... where you can find a variety of artisan breads.

Oh, what's this?


It says here, Multi-grain Country Bread. Should've bought a loaf as a sample, but Mama Carrie mentioned that the texture was too soft and the weight was too light for her liking.

Don't look at me.

The variety of desserts offered: Red Velvet Cupcakes, Plain Cheese Cake, Crème Brulee and Apple Pie among others.


Looks lovely. Should've stayed with the original order instead of changing my mind at the last minute.

Sigh, talk about being deeply in love with the plain version. I'm a born and bred cheesecake lover, what. >.<


This is where their baked goods are for sale.

Have a peek around table. Who knows what you might just find?


I found this lovely dish, Chocolate Croissant, which reminds me of something that I had sampled in Shah Alam; and no, I didn't bring this home.


Seafood Flat Noodle (15.90)

Not to say that I didn't have any chance to sample this; my stomach would've exploded if I did. The acquaintance kept offering a portion to Mama Carrie, hoping to indirectly convince her to eat more.

Mama Carrie had a taste, added that although the soup leaned on the salty side, there was a generous serving of seafood, especially the squids.


Aglio Olio (15.90)

I'm so sorry, there's nothing special to scream about this dish. It lacked that touch of an extra teaspoon of salt but the taste was still alright.

I polished the plate clean and it filled the space in my stomach, almost to its maximum capacity.


Apple Pie (7.90)

It so happened that there was a clash of tastes. I felt that it leaned towards the sweet side whereas Mama Carrie commented that it was perfect; the amount of sugar used was just nice and didn't overpower the natural taste of the apples.

She even polished the plate clean!


Baked Plain Cheese Cake (9.90)

Everyone at the table complained that it was terribly too sweet for their liking at the first bite, and I must say that I have to agree with them. Even after setting aside the crust and glaze, it didn't do much to decrease the amount of sweetness.

How I wished that the baker had omitted the sugar; it may just allow the crust to make up for the lack of taste. Here's to hoping that he'll do something about it.


Peppermint Tea (5.00, part of desserts promotion)


Matcha Latte (5.00, part of desserts promotion)

This was my favorite drink, hands down; I love how the maker incorporated two favorite drinks of mine: skim milk and green tea.

My personal opinion? Would I return for another meal? I'm not sure, actually. The dishes suit my palate and I wouldn't mind spending an afternoon here over a cuppa and a conversation with my elementary school pal, but the parking hell of USJ 10 (Taipan) would send me back thinking twice and thrice.

If it was just me alone, I'd have ordered more dishes and brought home the leftovers for our next meals. =D

Address: The Carpenter's Daughter,
46G, Jln USJ 10/1E,
47620 Subang Jaya,
Selangor

Tel:
03-80811218

Business Hours:
9 am - 9.30 pm (for weekdays); 9 am - 10 pm (for weekends)

Landmark: It's opposite Ampang Yong Tau Foo and behind PappaRich. Within walking distance from RHB Bank.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Friday, March 15, 2013

Memorable Songs

Something for the Monday blues, and it's taken from Jade's Facebook with permission.

1: A song you like with a color in the title - Coldplay - Yellow
2: A song you like with a number in the title - Plain White T's - 1, 2, 3, 4
3: A song that reminds you of summertime - Fool's Garden - Lemon Tree
4: A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about - Li Sheng Jie -Shou Fang Kai (Sam Lee - [Let My] Hands Go)
5: A song that needs to be played LOUD - Phil Phillips - Home
6: A song that makes you want to dance - Psy - Gangnam Style
7: A song to drive to - Zhou Chuan Xiong - Huang Hun (Steve Chou - Sunset)
8: A song about drugs or alcohol - None that I can think of
9: A song that makes you happy - Fool's Garden - Lemon Tree
10: A song that makes you sad - James Blunt - Carry You Home
11: A song that you never get tired of - Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
12: A song from your preteen years - Westlife - My Love
13: One of your favorite 80’s songs - ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
14: A song that you would love played at your wedding - Sarah McLachlan - Angel
15: A song that is a cover by another artist - Rod Stewart - The First Cut Is The Deepest
16: One of your favorite classical songs - Pachelbel - Canon in D
17: A song that would sing a duet with on karaoke - Michael Learns to Rock - 25 Minutes
18: A song from the year that you were born - Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
19: A song that makes you think about life - Nickelback - If Today Was Your Last Day
20: A song that has many meanings to you - Yosui Inoue - Syonen Jidai
21: A favorite song with a person’s name in the title - The Beatles - Hey Jude
22: A song that moves you forward - James Blunt - High
23: A song that you think everybody should listen to - Wanting Chu - Drenched
24: A song by a band you wish were still together - Boyzone - Every Day I Love You
25: A song by an artist no longer living - Zhang Yu Sheng - Wo Qi Dai (Tom Chang - I Hope)
26: A song that makes you want to fall in love - Kobayashi Akiko - Koi Ni Ochite
27: A song that breaks your heart - Na Ying - Chu Mai (Natasha Na - Betrayal)
28: A song by an artist with a voice that you love - Adele - Don't You Remember
29: A song that you remember from your childhood - Britney Spears - Lucky
30: A song that reminds you of yourself - George Burns - I Wish I Was Eighteen Again

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Cheesy Egg Sandwich



Let's see. You'll need the following ingredients to whip up a "Cheesy Egg Sandwich":

2 eggs
4 slices of sandwich loaf
1/2 cup of grated cheese



If you don't keep track of the time, the half-boiled egg could and would easily become a perfectly done egg.





After laying the bread slices on a plate, crack open the half-boiled egg and carefully pour it onto the bread. I wasn't extremely careful, which caused the egg to run down the bread and spill everywhere.



Scatter the cheese onto the bread.

Bake at 100C for around 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Banana Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Seeds



It was never intended to be a muffin; I just didn't have the actual cake mould.

Dry Ingredients:
2cup cake/pastry flour
1 Tbsp Van Houten chocolate powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar

Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs, room temperature
A splash of vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 cup milk
3 bananas, roughly mashed

Additional Ingredients:
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Chocolate chips

1) In one bowl, sift all the dry ingredients and leave aside.
2) In another bowl, add vanilla and beat eggs with sugar, oil and butter until smooth.
3) Fold in 1/3 of the sifted mixture and 1/3 milk, and alternate between the two, before finally adding the bananas and the pumpkin seeds.
4) Pour the wet mixture into the oiled mould of your choice, and top it off with chocolate chips.
5) Bake for 45 minutes at 180C.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

3/6/2013



I dreamt that it was in the hospital that I ran into a blogger-friend, where we both learned that it was our mutual friend who had crumbled under the pressures of life and was admitted to the ICU.

The hospitable part of me suggested that since he hadn't been able to arrange his accommodation in advance, if he wished, he was free to put up at my place until our mutual friend's condition improved.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Adele - Don't You Remember (Live at Largo)



Watching you from a distance, it pains me to know that I’m a distant memory of yours but it gladdens me to see that you’ve made the right choice too.

Too many years have passed since our last encounters.

Cliques change, humans change.

My patience is seeping away by the minute; don't force me to wipe you out of memory, along with the laughs you left in me. 
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