Word of the Week: Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of certain trees native to Southeast Asia. It is also mentioned in the Bible when Moses was instructed to add cinnamon to the holy anointing oil. The aroma comes from the essential oil present in this bark. Some people don't like the taste or smell, but I've found it to be divine, especially when used in baking. 

Recently, I wrote about the Vanilla I had bought from Bali. In the same spice market, I picked up these giant cinnamon sticks and lugged them into the plane.

I saw the Cinnamon Challenge on the web, where a person tries to eat or swallow a full tablespoon of ground cinnamon under 60 seconds without drinking and then posts their video online for all to laugh at. Can you believe this competitive eating challenge has been around for more than 10 years? I strongly advise you not to try it - there is a toxic chemical compound in cinnamon called coumarin that can induce coughing and gagging if you inhale it. 

Giant cinnamon sticks next to vanilla pods 

Now I just need a giant cuppa to go with these.

Ratatouille - rat food never tasted or looked this good

I learned to make Ratatouille at the social enterprise, and wrote about it as one of my Word of the Week some time back. In the restaurant, we made them by tens of kilos at one go. But a few days ago, I was inspired by Wendy, a very talented cook and food blogger, who posted the most beautiful ratatouille dish I've seen. You really should check out her blog here. Caution: her food pics are stunning and will make you drool shamelessly. Wendy could open a restaurant and have long lines outside her door anytime but she has chosen a higher calling to cook only for her family and friends. 

An opportunity popped up today as I was going to have lunch with my girlfriends, one of whom makes it a habit to eat only vegetables every Thursday. We decided on an impromptu picnic at the park and I thought a ratatouille would be perfect for this occasion.

Again, it's one of those you-cant-go-wrong recipes - one green zucchini, one yellow zucchini, one eggplant, a couple of roma tomatotes, a few sprigs of thyme, EVOO, sea salt, black pepper. I used so little salt in this dish that I was afraid it might taste bland, but it actually turned out super yummilicious! Just be sure to use fresh and good quality ingredients. That bottle of EVOO that you think is too expensive is actually worth it!

I made my own sauce but you can get ready-made ones from the stores and they are perfectly fine. I checked Ragu and Barilla - these 2 brands have no chemicals or preservatives, just pure vegetables. All you need to do is heat them to a simmer, then place them at the bottom of a baking dish.

Slice the vegetables in equal thickness, mix with salt, pepper and EVOO, saute each type of vegetables separately, then place them on top of the sauce and bake in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes.

I added a few sprigs of thyme before baking, and was rewarded for this small bit of effort with an awesome aroma later.

A dear sister-in-Christ

I got some store-bought egg crepes meant for desserts but this thickness, or should I say, thinness, was perfect for my soft gooey ratatouille.

Good friends + good food + in a park + 25 degrees C + no crowd = Awesome with a capital A. A great day in the office.

BBQ Pork Ribs

I saw the chefs make this at the social enterprise I volunteered at. This is a monkey-see-monkey-do dish, together with the home-made BBQ sauce. I was happy with it overall. It's finger-licking good and sticky to the lips. And I didn't overcook it! Plus there were family members who came back for a second helping (bless their hearts and appetites).

The butcher convinced me that this slab of pork rib weighing 1.6 kg is perfect for my roast. It cost me S$28, and the butcher and his wife looked too happy too long. He made deep lashes in between the ribs   - all the better for the flavours to penetrate, he muttered.

I decided I would boil it for 10-15 minutes so as to minimise the time in the oven and prevent overcooking. 

Then I glazed it with the BBQ sauce I made while it was boiling, double wrapped it in aluminium foil and popped into a preheated oven at 200C.

This was what greeted me after 50 minutes, plus the caramelized sauce filled the air in the kitchen. I inserted my meat thermometer, and yanked the baby out of the oven when it read 70C, a safe temperature for pork.

I didn't get meat that fell off the bones, but it was moist and juicy and very flavorful. I considered if putting it back for another few minutes might get me to Uto-pork-pia but decided that I didn't want to risk a dry rib.

Recipe for sauce for BBQ Pork Rib 1.6 kg

Whatever herbs or spices you want to clear from your cabinet! 

Or you can try the following like I did.

Tomato Sauce 2 TBSP (I used tomato ketchup)

Apple Cider Vinegar 2 Tbsp

Kicap Manis 2 Tbsp (I used dark soya sauce)

LP Sauce 2 Tbsp (I used Worchester sauce)

Brown Sugar 2 Tbsp

Honey 2 Tbsp

Garlic Powder 1 tsp (I used chopped garlic 2 tsp)

Onion Powder 1 tsp (I didn't use)

Chilli Flakes, to taste (I used 2 Tbsp chilli powder)

Cinnamon Stick, one

White Pepper

Black Pepper

Water as needed

Did you notice there's no salt in this recipe?

This is the consistency you want to achieve in your BBQ sauce - thanks to a chef at-Sunrice who taught me this.  

Method

1. Make deep lashes in between each pork rib without cutting through.

2. Boil in salted water for 15 minutes

3. Meanwhile, make BBQ sauce as per recipe and add whatever is about to expire in your cabinet

4. Remove ribs from water, discard water, pat dry the meat

5. Lay aluminium foil in a roast pan.

6. Place rib, fat side down, in the roast pan and glaze with the sauce. 

7. Cover fully and tightly and place in a preheated oven at 200C for about 50 minutes. 

8. Check after 30 minutes and you can add another layer of glaze if preferred.

9. In the last 10 minutes, open the aluminium foil to expose the meat directly to the heat in the oven.

10. Watch carefully so meat does not overcook and become dry. 

11. Remove and rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

12. Slice and serve individual ribs. Enjoy this finger-licking good cut. 

'Magic' Steamed Banana Cake

A dear and thoughtful friend bought me the Magic Steamed Cake cookbook by Alex Goh, a supposedly famous baker with more than 30 years of experience in the baking industry. I stared at my overly ripe Del Monte bananas and thought it's time to try out a steamed banana cake. The closest I've come to making is a banana bread which I always love. I can't imagine a steamed cake of any form or flavor can be too alluring so I harbored low hopes of this being a killer recipe for me.

As it turns out, there was no aroma coming out of my oven during the steaming process unlike a baked banana bread which emits a strong aroma around the house, and just whets the appetite. The cake also does not look fancy at all. And despite using so much more banana than the recipe calls for, it still was not banana-ish enough for me.

So why is it, I could not stop eating this plain Jane?? It's still too sweet even after cutting down on the sugar but I found myself going back for more! The texture is not as dense as it looks. Maybe there really is some magic to this after all.

Looks more like a sultana fruit cake. 

By the way, I have to tell you the story of this plate. It's from the Shangri-la in Shanghai! No, I didn't technically steal it. Tsk, tsk, how could you think that of me, a woman of high integrity! I had ordered room service so I could work through an urgent proposal - those good old corporate days. Plus I was put in a gorgeous suite and I wanted to indulge in some decadence despite the hectic schedule.

I couldn't help but notice how pretty the plate was in the food I had ordered and took the opportunity to ask the service staff turning down the room if I could buy it. Seeing how much I adored the plate, she said to me like a partner-in-crime - Keep it! I didn't need very much persuasion at all and I wasn't going to argue on the technicalities of what constitutes stealing. She even offered me some newspapers to wrap my loot! Bless this elderly Shanghainese lady who has a radical concept of delighting customers. I think of her everytime I use this plate. And can I just add, we need more service staff like her in this world of restrictions and boundaries.


Recipe
3 eggs
160g sugar (I used 110g. Note to self: adjust further to 90g in next attempt)
250g bananas (I used 3 Del Monte bananas which weighed about 370g as I want the sweetness to come from the fruit rather than from sugar. Also I love a strong banana taste in my cake. The more ripe the bananas, the sweeter the taste.)
1/4 tsp salt
50g milk
240g flour (I used plain flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
90g corn oil (I used canola)
180g sultana (I soaked these before using. Seems like a lot and this will give added sweetness so sugar can be considerably reduced.)

Method
1. Whip eggs and sugar until thick. Mash bananas with salt, then add the 2 mixtures. Whip till thick.
2. Add milk and combine well.
3. Add flour, baking powder and soda and mix well.
4. Add oil, mix well. Add sultanas and mix well.
5. Pour into greased and floured cake mould. (Doesn't really matter what size or shape.) Steam for 20 minutes.

Minced Chicken Crunch

Calling all moms with fussy eater kids. Here's one devious recipe to get them to eat whatever you want them to eat. Minced chicken with the usual Chinese seasoning of sesame oil, soy sauce, hua tiao jiu, salt and white pepper. Mixed with leeks or any veggies you want them to take. Add an egg if you want, it's optional. Wrap it in pastry sheets and pan sear for a couple of minutes for a koko-crunch texture. Very easy. Quantity is flexible. You can't really go wrong.

I saw this served ala-minute at the breakfast table in a Bali resort recently and noticed it was popular with the Japanese. Maybe it's like a type of gyoza for them.

My fussy-eater son came home from school and devoured 3 pieces before he put his school bag down. It's a culinary feat and a maternal joy to me when I can get him to eat any vegetables.

If you prefer a soft covering, click here to see minced chicken wrapped in cabbage leaves.