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" Vegetables are the food of the earth, fruit seems more the food of the heavens." (Sepal Felicivant)

February 25, 2010

Spicy papaya flower


papaya flower, originally uploaded by diananovita.

Long time no write. I forgot how to write and fortunately still remember how to cook. There are so many things to manage. Not to complaining, I’m just telling. Okay let’s start with the new recipe.
I suddenly remember many many years ago, when my mother got papaya flower from neighbor. My neighbor had a garden with papaya tree. Not a common species of papaya, we said in Bahasa Indonesia: Pepaya Gantung (Hanging Papaya). The flower and fruits has longer stalk than common papaya. My mother cooked it. For a child like me, it had strange taste. It was bitter, absolutely. It was spicy for certain, stunk my tongue and my mouth. But somehow, I remember it was delicious. Maybe that’s why it is called delicacy.
Last couple week ago, I found the same flower in fresh market nearby. I called my mother to ask how to cook it. Below, there’s something I don’t use that my mother always use it. It is teri, salted tiny sea fish (anchovy).


Ingredients:
400 g papaya flower, wash, soak in water for about 15 minutes
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
5 shallots, sliced
1 salam leaf
1 pieces galangal root (about 5 cm), crushed
1 pieces ginger (about 3 cm), crushed
5 red chilies, sliced
5 green chilies, sliced
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons pepper
Sugar
Salt

Instructions:

To reduce the bitterness, we have to treat the flower first. Some people use baking soda. But my mother usually boils the flower in salted water.
So..boil the water, add 1 tablespoon salt, then add the flower.
When it gentle enough, half done (look fresh but not as fresh as when it still raw) take the flower out, drain it.

Set the heat in high, pour cooking oil.
Sauté sliced garlic, sliced shallots, sliced red and green chillies.
Then add crushed galangal root, crushed ginger, and salam leaf. Sauté until it is fragrant.
Then, add the half boiled papaya flower.
Don’t forget sugar and salt as necessary. Pepper..of course, don’t ever forget it.
This is another way to reduce the bitterness, make it as spicy as we can..:D
And done.


Related posting:

Common Indonesian Herbs and Spices for Daily Cooking

April 22, 2009

Klappertaart, A Dessert from Manado


I’ve just made my very first klappertaart, kind of dessert from Manado, Indonesia. I thought it was difficult, at last I found that it is an easy one to try for beginner.

Actually, someone in my sport club gave me a klappertaart when I and my husband helped him figure out his laptop’s problem. I have the recipe at home but never been inspired to make it myself. A month later, I attended a cooking class, the subject was Italian Food. It was nice and very useful. I found out that the subject for tomorrow class (I didn’t register) was Klappertaart! I didn’t join it. I decided to make it myself at first. I told my tutor, “If I’m not success making my own klappertaart, I will make up my mind, I’ll join your next class.” :))

Ingredients:

Margarine, as necessary
Young coconut, rubbed down and get 500 g, marinated in coconut water
100 ml evaporated milk
100 ml water
110 g white sugar
10 cm cinnamon
30 g roasted walnut, minced
50 g wheat flour (all purposes/medium proteins), dissolve in 100 ml water
80 g egg yolks (organic eggs/ low cholesterol eggs)
60 g egg white (organic eggs/ low cholesterol eggs)

Topping:

60 g egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used jeruk nipis)
1 tablespoon white sugar
Raisins, as necessary
Ground cinnamon, as necessary

Instructions:

Preheat the oven in 180°C.
Cover aluminium cups (or you can use pyrex) with thin layer of margarine.

Beat egg yolks and egg white. Set aside.

Mix evaporated milk, water, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Boil them in medium heat.
In Low heat, pour dissolved flour and beaten eggs. Gently stir it until it get thick.
Take out the cinnamon stick. Pour rubbed young coconut, minced walnut. Stir it.
Pour into aluminium cups. Remain ⅓ left on top for topping.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until it ‘freeze’. Get them out. Set aside.

Beat egg white in high speed. Add lemon juices. Beat them until stiff and shiny.
Place it to the top of each cup, gently spread it out.
Put raisins on the top.
Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until it turn into gold color.
Take them out.

After they reach room temperature, sow ground cinnamon on them.
Serve it immediately or keep them in chiller to prolong the durability. You can keep them 4 days until a week in chiller.

(for 8 peoples)


Related Posting:

Tapai Ketan Pudding ( Fermented Glutinous Rice Pudding)
Common Indonesian Herbs and Spices for Daily Cooking
Common Indonesian Flours Used for Daily Cooking and Baking

April 8, 2009

Fun Gifts for Food Lovers

Hi Guys, we have a guest writer here, Jon D, and expert at cookware.com
He gives us clues to decide what gift we are able to choose for our friends or relatives.
I hope you'll enjoy it.


Some people are easier to shop for than others. Luckily if the person you are shopping for happens to have a passion for food and drink, then you have a wide variety of fun options to choose from. Items like kitchen appliances, dinnerware, and cookware are somewhat impersonal gifts. Kitchen gadgets on the other hand are an ever popular gift choice for foodies because they are fun, useful, and relatively affordable. The key is to find a gift that is fun and practical, but also appeals to the person’s particular kitchen passions.

Anyone who is a fan of cooking with fresh ingredients would love to have their own indoor herb or veggie garden. The Aero Garden hydroponic growing system allows people to grow their own fresh herbs without all the hassle and dirty work of working with garden soil. You can even buy special seed pods to grow your own Italian herbs, lettuce, and salsa veggies. People that enjoy gardening can grow herbs year round in the comfort of their own home, which makes this a great gift for foodies who also have a green thumb.

Unique bottle, can, and wine openers also make excellent gifts as people are always looking for easier ways to open their favorite beverages. Modern openers and cork screws have options like pressurized handles that help take the pain out of uncorking a bottle or removing a bottle cap. These types of openers are especially helpful for elderly persons who may have trouble opening bottles by themselves.

Small kitchen gadgets like fruit slicers, cheese cutters, and pizza cutters can also make for a unique gift idea. Most kitchens are already stocked with traditional staples like pots, pans, and knives, but there is always room for more helpful gadgets. Lots of brands have unique takes on items like pizza cutters and cheese cutters and these tools can be a great way to add a little character to san otherwise traditional kitchen.




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