2013

2013 is coming to an end when the clock strikes at 12 tonight. There goes a wonderful year filled with laughter, happiness and much more.

Though it's new year's eve, everyone is busy celebrating the last day of the year, I'm still busy spring cleaning my house - done with my room, now cleaning my study room. Sigh... Oh well, I manage to spare my time blogging here as I decide to dedicate this post to my bunch of mates who have made this year such an unforgettable one for me. Without them, I totally have no idea how my high school life will be.

Let's take a ride back to all the events of the year in 2013.

St John Divisional Camp
Being elected as a camp committee as a Quartermaster was a total surprise to me. Despite of all the happenings before and after camp, I will proudly say that this year's division camp has truly given me such a good lifetime experience! Never in my life I will be given the chance to sit on a short stool and cook using the traditional type of stove, the super huge wok to cater for more than fifty campers. Waking up in dawn 4 am after four hours of sleep was much more challenged. I was so exhausted but still managed to go to school on the day after camp ended!

St John Sports Day Marching 
So reluctant to join the marching team, the idea of pulling out from the team played constantly in my mind. Gratefully,  I had made the right choice to stay as a family in team. Getting tanned, sun-burnt, marching under the hot sun, feeling sick, sacrificing my time for studies were all I have given in. Though my parents weren't supportive it, I managed to hold on to my own perspective that if I has chosen to do something, I will give my all and glad to say our hard work for months has finally paid off with a medal!

Leo Forum

Not long after our sports day marching, we headed to Port Dickson for Leo Forum. Whenever I take a glimpse at all the pictures we took, we all looked equally tanned ( bad timing indeed ) nevertheless we still had a whale of time staying up at  night, gossiping, sleeping together ( getting squeezed in one room ) and of course locking 'someone' outside the room for coming back late at night! 

Leo Dinner

 Again being part of the committee, it opened up my eyes to all the thorough plannings that holding a dinner for 300 people wasn't as easy as expected. I took up the challenge to be part of the sponsoring team and indeed I learnt so much from it. Not to forget all the guidance from the one and only Leo Advisor of our Leo Club, Lion Chu!

State Cadet Camp 

 *All pictures credit to KSS Facebook page*

KSTU FAMILY ! I'm standing in the second last row, first one from the right!

Applause for myself for forcing myself for the five-day-four-night camp in Broga because is DA BOMB! Note the words I have used and you will know how much fun I had throughout the camp! I will rate it as my best camp experience throughout these years :) This year round, the activities, the campsite and our juniors made the camp such a wonderful one! Though I could not make up my mind yet, I do hope that next year SCC hosted my our area, KSTU will be equally fun! 

To my friends for life: Ziyin, Zhiying, Xinyuan and Eunice,

Thanks for carving so much memories in my heart! Without any single one of you, I won't be living my high school life to the fullest. It will never be complete if I'm missing out anyone of you. We are destined to be friends when we were placed in the same class in form one. No matter what had happened in the past years or even when Xinyuan moved back to Penang, our friend-ship was still sailing safely in the sea through all the waves and tides!  I am beyond grateful to have met all of you, again thanks for everything, I will cherish this friendship and the memories forever and ever.

To my sister for life, love you to the moon and the back! I feel so blessed to have such an amazing friend like you. You understand me, always be my best listener, my best soul mate, my best laughter pill, my gossip mate and of course my bestie for life!

Christmas Eve

Being too busy with my holiday plans, I have been away for quite some time and I can't spare much time to indulge in cooking or baking. That's something sad. Once I get the momentum of doing it, I will be so hooked up in it to the extend that I feel I'm addicted to it. I guess I have somehow lost the momentum now. This may last till the end of next year when I have finished SPM. It's just a few days more to Christmas but it's quite pathetic that I could never celebrate this festive of joy as much as how the Westerns do. In Malaysia,  I do feel that chrismasty feeling in the malls. All I wished for is the icy weather with the fluffy snow, decorations and ornaments of the traditional characters of christmas such as Santa and reindeers, and of course a feast with lots of incredibly good food! That's how much I love a Christmas. 

Okay, back to what I will be sharing today - State Cadet Camp 2013! As a St Johner, I had the burning spirit to serve the mankinds of all and to be promoted to higher ranks! That's once my dream. My confession here is that nothing is as easy as how I wished, many things had happened, some people whom don't deserve to be there as a leader manage to be elected, some experiences had made me stay stronger. Things didn't turn well as how I wished, wanting to acheive the prized Grand Prior from the international HQ, I braved myself again to sign up for the state cadet camp this year.

I was beyond grateful that I did not pull out from camp on the very last minute (which I wanted to). This year's camp was loaded with so much fun and unforgettable experiences. It was my best experience in camps in my years as a St John. First of all, the campsite, the scenery, the atmosphere, the facilities  were so good that we felt that we were on a vacation than in camp. It was rather a challenge by the unpredictable weather which was gloomy most of the time. During the evenings, rain started to fall and wind blew horrendously that most of our tents were flooded on the third day. The campsite was in a chaotic site as some of the luggages were soaked, tents collapsed etc etc (imagine that scene) We were not given a second choice to spend our night elsewhere like what we used to do for the pasttwo years so we cleaned up the mess together with the help of the committees and all the accompanying officers. This was my first experience having my tent flooded which I considered really lucky, simply because my clothings weren't wet at all! 

On the forth day, we have witnessed our Harry Potter flying tents! We fell in according to our areas for short briefing before campfire night. In the midst of it, one of our division's tent flew in the air while our tent decided to switchi it 'spot' to somewhere further. We requested to save our tents and 'rendered help' for our tents which we were supposed to sleep in on that night. Like angels sent from the sky, we grabbed hold of the flying tent and secured it well at the four sides so it won't be spreading its wings in the air again. 

To wrap up my experience in this year's camp, I honestly think that it's the best of all! It had even set such a high benchmark for the other areas to host the camps in the years to come. I'm looking foward to next year's camp which may be my last year attending state cadet camp (hopefully) though I stillcan't make up my mind whether I should chase my dream to acheive the Grand Prior.

For now, I shall put this aside because IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE! Second year in a row, I'm celebrating Christmas in Johor which I always love to! We wil be heading to our usual Japanese restaurant for tonight's Christmas eve dinner and probably for a countdown too. 

To all readers, hereby I will like to wish all of you a blissful Christmas Eve and Happy New Year! May this festive season light up your heart and home with joy!

Revealing the veils of Johor (Two)

Sungai Rengit, Pengerang

Few shops away from Sin Kong Restaurant, I spotted the shop selling homemade local delicacies which is well-recommended. Unlike another shop which is well-furbished, this humble little shop still remains the traditional look of the shop and the pastries as well. As a brief recommendation, there's Durian Biscuit 榴莲饼 (not exactly a biscuit, but directly traslated from Mandarin wordings), self-claimed Seremban Siew Pau 芙蓉烧包, Heong Peng / Fragrant Pastries 香饼, Tambun Biscuit 淡汶饼 etc.

I personally love the Heong Peng! The crust is well done with real thin flakes, while the layer of flakes is not to thick but totally perfect to go with the sticky malt! I always have a sweet teeth for Heong Peng, that's why I fell in love in it on the first bite. I used to eat Yee Hup Heong Peng from my parents' hometown, Ipoh whenever we travel back there. The thing I dislike about Yee Hup or any other brand's is that the crust is way too thick and not as flaky. I always have to peel the excess crust away.

For the Heong Peng, it's RM 10 per packet. Though it's slightly more expensive, but I will say it worth the money for such a good Heong Peng. And also the Heong Peng are directly fresh from the oven when we bought it!

Those in the packets are Heong Peng.

Durian Biscuits

Later on, we set out to explore around the town. 

The landmark of Sg Rengit : An enormous lobster!

Look what we found! It's a replication of the Lego mural as a sticker, but the policeman sticker was missing :(

This was the original mural! Sadly it was removed as the local authority claimed that the graffiti on the street wall was not acceptable while some of the leaders said that the mural would portray a bad image of Johor where the crime rate was always on a deplorable state. To read more about this, feel free to surf this web.

Picture credits to The Malay Mail Online

My dad decided to drove further up from Sg Rengit and went to an actual fishing village where the fishermen were drying their nets. According to the fishermen there, that place was called Da Wan 大湾. We were lucky enough to meet a fisherman who was ready to set out to sea. He welcomed us to purchase seafood from him on certain dates based on the lunar calendar when they will have a good catch and fill their boats with all the fresh seafood.

 -- The End for Sg Rengit Day Trip --

Stay tune for more about food review around Johor Bahru!

Revealing the veils of Johor (One)

Sungai Rengit, Pengerang
Pengerang is a coastal town in southeastesrn Johor, Malaysia where Sungai Rengit has its fame among Johorians and Singaporians for seafood. Sg Rengit is an essential fishing village for both economic and tourism.

Senai-Desaru Highway is newly built for the convenience of the locals and to ferry the seafood out of the village. From Senai to Pengerang, it take more than one hour for a one way journey. Whereas, from Singapore Changi Point Ferry Terminal, there's bumboats to and fro Pengerang. For more imformation, refer here.

Senai-Desaru Highway

Fishing village, view from the bridge

When the highway has ended, head right to Sungai Rengit where one will drive admist the lush greeneries. (Towards left will lead you to Teluk Ramunia.)  In the journey, there's a stretch of road which isn't the usual tar road which we have seen so look out for it! According to my dad, it's originally a railway track.
Also, along the journey on the highway to Sg Rengit, beware of potholes! Some are real big, so the cars have to slow down to avoid them.

The freshness of the seafood provides an assurance to the locals, which the succulent prawns and lobsters as well as fishes are supplied to restaurants in Johor as well as to our neighbouring country, Singapore. The fisherman which we stumbled upon declared that the high demand of fresh seafood from Pengerang has lead to a drastic hike in the price, especially during the current season when Chinese New Year is one month ahead. I will greatly reccomend Sungai Rengit for the variations of seafood, especially lobster. The juicy and bouncy meat of the lobster cooked in the broth or fried are equally delicious, just that the fried butter lobster needs a hint of spice for a better kick on the taste bud. However, I do think the price is slightly more expensive than other coastal areas of Malaysia as this fishing village which is easily accesible to Singapore by bumboats has gradually turned into a tourist attraction.

With the recommendation from dad's colleague, we decided to give Sin Kong Restaurant a try though there's quite a number of seafood restaurant around the town. Jade Garden and You Kee are directly opposite to Sin Kong so we can see that the competition here is pretty tough.

Sin Kong doesn't offer much choice of cooking the lobster, from what I could remember, there are pepper lobster, steam lobster with mashed ginger, lobster in herbal broth, butter-fried lobster, sambal lobster and salad lobster. Sadly, they don't serve Cheese Lobster like Straits View Seafood Restaurant.

Large lobster in a thick herbal broth. I find that the broth goes well with rice! 

 

The thick, juicy flesh of the lobsters

 Lobster: (L) RM160 per kg (S) RM130 per kg

 Stir Fry Broccoli with Scallops

RM22

Steamed mantis shrimp (locally known as Lai Liu Har 攋尿蝦 or Xia Gu 蝦蛄) in egg whites and ginger

 RM 40

Deep fried butter Lobster

We ordered a total of five dishes including a braised fish maw (花膠/鱼鳔) and sea cucumber (海参）which is not shown in the pictures. I dislike the gel-like taste of these so I never give it a try.

Total Bill:
Lobsters ( a total of 1.35kg ) - RM120 + RM 96
Prawn - RM 40
Braised fish maw and sea cucumber - RM 25
Stir fried broccoli and scallops - RM 22
Rice and drinks - RM 4
Total - RM 307

My Ratings:
Taste: 3.5 out of 5
Price: 3 out of 5

Sin Kong Seafood Restaurant  新光冷气海鲜酒楼
Address: 9, Jalan Kerisi, Sg. Rengit, 81620 Pengerang, Johor
Contact Number: 07-8265540

To be continued..

Fluffy Oreo Cupcakes (with Vanilla cake base)

Looking for a soft, fluffy and a delicate little cupcakes? This will be perfect! The best of all is it's easy peasy. All you need are four ingredients and a growling tummy to satisfy your cravings. The folks around PJ will have heard the well-known +Wondermilk cupcakes although it's quite costly. I have given it a try few months back by buying a box of four for a cheaper price. I will say my first try on these cupcakes worth every cent I have paid. The cupcakes are prettyyy and their texture are unbeatable -- moist, soft, milky etc etc. Words can't describe how good they are, not to forget the buttercream icing and cream cheese frosting, they are mouth-watering. I'm so tempted with their rainbow cakes, just looking at the colours amused me much. So... proud to say that my next challenge is rainbow cake with buttercream icing (it will be up very soon), Stay tune, peeps!

All pictures credit to +Wondermilk Cafe Website

Circus Lola Cake (1kg) RM 70

+ Wondermilk Cafe
My rating ( for the cupcakes and the ambience ) : 9/10
Address: 41, Jalan SS 21/1A Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya
Contact Number: 03 77258930
Shop Hours: Open daily from 10am to 10pm, closed on public holidays

The cupcakes taste best fresh from the oven with a slight crisp on the top. Try topping with nutella!

Oreo Cupcakes (with Vanilla cake base) (reference: Something Sweet - Cakes, Bakes, Desserts by Food Lovers) refer my preious recipe
Yield 5 - 6 cupcakes

*This recipe is exactly the same with the recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes which I have posted, the difference is that I added crushed oreos.
* I halved the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Self-raising flour - 175g
• Butter - 175g
• Sugar - 175g
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Eggs - 4 (beaten)

Method:
1. Heat the oven to 180 degree celcius. Place paper cases in a 12-hole bun tin.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well.
4. Sift in the flour and gently fold into the mixture until combined.
5. Spoon into the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes until golden and risen.

Hassle-free lunch: Bibb Salad with Baked Chicken Nugggets and Cauliflower Soup

The month of November is coming to an end. All I can say is that time flies. I'm looking foward to Christmas this year. Though my family doesn't have the tradition to celebrate is festive season, I personally can't wait for Christmas every single year. The gaily decorated shopping malls as well as the red and white themed ornaments indeed lift up my spirit to usher this festival. For me, Christmas is never a season simply for one's personal religious belief, it in fact brings one family closer. I do looking foward for the day where I can hold a Chirstmas party or more of a feast to celebrate the joy and happiness with my family and friends beside sharing the wholesomeness of good food. Last year's December or the month of celebration was unforgettable. As a Leo, I seized the chance to attend two Christmas parties which both are with the orphans. In my lifetime, I have never witnessed any Christmas celeration. Those experience means much more to me, which is an eye-opening experience for me and also for a good cause! Best of all, my family had a Christmas eve dinner in our favourite Japanese restaurant back in Johor. We had the usual Japanese food such as sushi, grilled Saba, spinach salad with bacon and garlic etc. How ironic this is!

The following recipe will be lighter and healthier lunch.

Bibb Salad (reference: Jamie's America Book)

Serve 3-4

• Bibb lettuce/ butterhead lettuce - 2
• Tomato - 1
• Croutons (refer the following recipe)

French dressing:

• Extra virgin olive oil - 9 tbsp
• White wine vinegar - 3 tbsp
• Dijon mustard- - 3 tsp
• Sea salt and freshly grounded black pepper

1. Get rid any tatty outer layers on the lettuces and gently wash the rest. Dry the lettuces properly so that the dressing will stick to the lettuces.
2. Slice the tomato and set aside. (optional: you may vegetables of your choice such as pan-fried mushrooms as shown in the original recipe)
3. Mix the oil, vinegar, mustard and a good pinch of salt and pepper. 
4. Assemble the lettuces, mushrooms, croutons and the dressing. Add the croutons last so it won't turns soggy from the dressings.

Homemade croutons (reference: Noobcook)
Make 2 cups
Ingredients:

• 3 slices bread
• 50 grams butter
• ½ tbsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp favourite herbs (either fresh, dried or combination of both)

1. Using kitchen scissors, first cut bread to strips, then to even-sized cubes. Optional: You may trim away the bread edges if preferred (I left them on).
2. In a heated saucepan, melt butter, garlic powder and salt, stirring to mix well. Add croutons to the melted butter mixture and toss to coat evenly. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. (I replaced garlic powder with chopped fresh garlic) 
3. Finely snip fresh herbs of choice (I am using Italian parsley here) directly onto the croutons, and toss to mix well. Alternatively, you may use dried herbs. Suitable herbs include parsley, oregano, rosemary and Italian herbs
4. Transfer croutons, one layer, onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake at pre-heated oven of 180°C (356°F) for 15 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and crispy. Add them as topping for your salads and creamy soups.

Baked Chicken Nuggets Recipe (reference: Rasa Malaysia)
Serves 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 12-14 minutes
Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (approximately 1 pound) 
• 1 1/4 cup panko (bread crumbs)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• cooking spray (cooking oil will do too)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut the chicken into 1.5-2 inches pieces. Set on a dish. 
2. Spread panko in a thin layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown (watch out for the panko closely, my first batch of panko was burnt)
3.  Transfer the panko to a shallow dish and mix in the Parmesan and coarse salt. Drizzle the oil and mix well. 
4. Set out the flour and eggs in separate dishes. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F. 
5. Place a wire rack on the baking sheet, lightly coat with cooking spray.
6.  In small batches, coat the chicken in flour, shaking off any excess, dip in egg, and lastly coat well with panko. Transfer to the rack. 
7. Bake the chicken until desired tenderness, about 12-14 minutes, turning when halfway through. Serve nuggets with any dippings of your choice. (I prefer tomato sauce)

The cauliflower soup isn't to my liking but no harm giving it a try.

Creamy cauliflower soup
Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp unbleached flour (all purpose is fine too)
• 1 medium head cauliflower - chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 4 cups fat free chicken broth (vegetarians can use vegetable broth)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, make a roux by melting the butter on low heat. Add the flour and stir about 2 minutes. 
2. Add the chicken broth, onions and cauliflower and set heat to medium. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes.) Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Korean Feast: Bimbimbap with Dak Bulgogi

Bibimbap? It's a must to order in a Korean restaurant. It's usually served in a hot stone pot as the ingredients with raw egg sizzle so temptingly. Basically, there's rice and several types of vegetable and a meat of your choice. The aroma of the sesame oil is so indulging that I can't stop finishing the whole bowl of mixed rice which comes with an array of side dishes in a Korean restaurant. However, most Korean restaurants here in Malaysia serve Bibimbap in a ceramic bowl or even a steel bowl for convenience, that's why raw egg can't be served but replaced with a sunny side-up egg.

According to Korean Bapsang, "Bibim means mixing, bap means rice and the mixing usually happens at the table right before eating."

Bibimbap with Sunny Side-up Egg

Bibimbap (Korean Rice Bowl with Vegetables and Meat) (reference: Korean Bapsang)
Serve 4-5
Ingredients:

• Rice for 4 servings
• Soy bean sprouts/ mung bean sprouts - 400g
• Cucumber - 1
• Zucchini - 1
• Carrots - 2
• Broccoli - 1
• Garlic cloves - 4 to 5
• Eggs - 4 to 5
• Soy sauce 
• Sesame oil 
• Roasted sesame seeds 
• Salt and pepper 
• Vegetable or canola oil

1.  Soybean sprouts: Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the bean sprouts and boil for 3 minutes. Drain quickly and shock in cold water. Toss with 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp of seasame oil and 1/2 tsp of seasame seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cucumber:  Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise. Generously sprinkle salt over sliced cucumbers and set aside for 10 - 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. Toss with 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp of sesame seeds.
3. Zucchinis: Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise and then thinly slice crosswise. Generously sprinkle salt over sliced zucchinis and set aside for 10 - 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid from salted zucchini by hand. Add 1 tsp of minced garlic. Sauté in a lightly oiled skillet for 1 - 2 minutes over medium high heat.
4. Carrots: Shred the carrots. Sauté in a lightly oiled skillet for 1 - 2 minutes over medium high heat, sprinkling salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Broccoli: Cut the broccoli head from the stem. Cut the head into small florets. Peel the stems and cut into small pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and broccoli, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it reaches the desired tenderness. Drain well.
   Combine the broccoli with the 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1/2 tsp of sesame seed and toss well. Add salt to taste. (reference: Seasame Broccoli from Korean Bapsang) 
6. To Assemble: Place a serving of rice in a big bowl. (If using a stone bowl, heat it on medium heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and rice and cook the rice for several minutes until the rice sizzles.) Nicely arrange a small amount of each prepared vegetable and meat over the rice. Drizzle a little sesame oil over. (optional: sprinkle some roasted sesame seed on the rice) Top with an egg fried sunny-side up and serve with the sauce.

Yangnyeomjang sauce: (reference: Maangchi)

Chop 4 green onions and put them in a small bowl. Pour half cup of soy sauce in there (I replaced with Japanese soy sauce and dark caramel soy sauce of ratio 1:1), and add 1 tbs of sesame seeds, 2 tsp of sugar, 1 tbs of sesame oil and mix it up.

Dak Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Chicken) (reference: Korean Bapsang)
Serves 4-5
Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken thigh - 2
• Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1tbsp 
• Brown sugar - 1 tbsp
• Honey - 1 tbsp (or 1-1/3 more tablespoons brown sugar)
• Rice wine (or mirin) - 1 tbsp
• Minced garlic - 1 tbsp
• Grated ginger - 1 tsp 
• Sesame oil - 1 tbsp 
• A pinch of black pepper 
• Sesame seeds - 1 tsp

1. Rinse chicken pieces. Trim off excess fat. Cut each of the chicken pieces into small sizes (about 2-inch long and 1-inch wide).
2. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade. Marinate for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade. Cook until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes each side. (The sugar and honey in the marinade will burn easily, so watch it carefully and add the reserved marinade by tablespoon when the pan gets dry. You can slightly reduce the heat to avoid burning, if needed.) 

* I did not wait till the marinade on the chicken caramelized, that's why my chicken is paler.



I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #37: Korean - Feast of Hansik (November 2013) hosted by Grace of Life can be simple