CHOCO CHIP

Went up to Bedugul last Sunday, ended at Roti Bedugul, my favorite bakery on the remote place. Besides their super quality croissant, they sell several lines of cookies too.
First time visiting Roti Bedugul, Pak Ketut - the chef, asked me to try their choco chips.

"This is an American style choco chips. American said that it has to be deep into coffee if you want to eat it! That is the best way to enjoy choco chip."

His explanation brought me to a documentary movie......., Mad Labs I think? On that movie was described the best way to deep your cookies into coffee or tea? What a weird subject! But still very interesting to know, since I also found difficult to get the just right deep. If you deep too long, you will easily lost a part of your cookies, if too short................, it will still hard! Oh my.......................














Promising good friends of mine in Ubud - Roti Bedugul's choco chips, reminded me of Mrs. Fields.

Mrs Fields? Who is she???

Ok...., ok...., let me tell you. Mrs. Fields was an ordinary housewife who finally becoming a famous business lady by selling her choco chips! And chocolate is the main ingredients in her bakings.

I can't even remember how did I get to know Mrs. Fields. I only remembered finally I put an order to Amazon for Mrs. Fields recipes book, and then be stunning when receiving the books and see the picture inside. So mouth watery! You don't believe me? No?? Just see the picture of Mrs. Fields website? Still don't believe me? Ok....., visit: http://www.mrsfields.com

Well......what about if I am living in her town? Oh no.........., maybe will be really difficult to maintain shapes!

Here it is a video from youtube.com on HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE CAKE!

THANKS FOR THE MAGAZINE, PUTU!

My friend who knows exactly how I love culinary world - Putu Sekar - handed me the October edition of a food & entertainment magazine titled APPETITE JOURNEY.
(visit Putu's blog: http://putusekar.blogspot.com, she posted many interesting articles - in Indonesian- but I think she will expand her blog into an English edition as well!)

I found on the cover the magazine's website: http://www.appetitejourney.com, click on that if you wish to know more about the magazine, or if you miss your free edition.













As a lover to a culinary world, I would expect kind of culinary journals will be long lasting or don't be last please....! BUT.........., for sure the content should be also valuable.

I was very sad few years ago, when found a good culinary magazine titled "SANTAP" was discontinued their publishing. Each edition of Santap was beautifully done. Very educated and contained lots of information. An elegant magazine!

Thanks for sharing the journal, Putu! I will enjoy it for my weekend reading.

DON'T EAT IT! TRUST ME!

"What would you like for your afternoon tea time? Chocolate Cake, Orange Pie, Strawberry Pie or Apple Pie?"
"Hmm..................., I like all of them, but just a small piece please..........."
"Certainly!"
"And what would you like, tea or coffee?"
"Do you have mint tea?"
"Certainly!"

Talking about mint tea, last night I watched Discovery Travel & Living Asia, there was a documentary movie about Morocco Culinary. It was said the best way to make a fresh mint tea, is by using fresh mint leaves (generously), sugar (I thought it must be rock sugar they used not the cube tea sugar), and tea. The man on the movie said, do not stir the tea, but pour the mixture (which already combined with hot water) to a glass, and then pour back the tea into the tea pot. Do it several times until the sugar dissolved. Higher you can pour the tea is better.

BUT........., let me tell you. The above Chocolate Cake and various pies are not real. They are all made of Polymer Clay. I made it last year. Looks good, doesn't it?
















Psssssssssst......................! These breakfast choices is also not real. It is all made of polymer clay.

Last year I was addicted to make any kind of food, fruits ......... anything from clay.
Now, I am very busy doing many things at work, and has to forget my hobby.

Have a great day!

RUNNING A RESTAURANT BUSINESS by HEART

I went to a bookstore near my house last Friday (Thanks God, finally a decent book shop opened on a walking distance from my house!), and found a book about Carnegie Deli on a NEW BOOK display table. (http://www.carnegiedeli.com)

Can not wait to reach home and start reading the book, that night. Anything about culinary or running a restaurant business always attracted me very strongly.

I am a believer of how happy a person can be, earning for living from doing what they love & like.

I have examined business that run by heart. It always shines more brightly. People who involved in running the business have more smiles, and indirectly influenced their customer to have a happier feelings too.

These people enter ordinary fields of business, which many people even more expert has already in there, but since they did it happily, the end result is different.

I want to get the book in its original version in English (the one I bought is in Indonesian). I found many mis-spelling words in it.

In this post, I also want to share a story about a small cafe which I am very sure are run by heart by the owner. I have written about this last time http://foodiecookie.blogspot.com/2007/09/taste-improved.html
But on my previous post, I did not highlight of the business, it was a story of my three 'musketeer' friends (GRIN).

The cafe named "CAFE TERAS LEMPUNA". Located in Bedugul, a hilly region of Bali Island. I knew it is owned by a Japanese lady.

It has a very cozy interior. A Japanese alike neat, with several cute ornaments inside. They also put several sets of dining table + chairs on its verandah. Giving a pleasant outdoor place to have your meals. But beware, do not eat outside during mango & jackfruit season! You will get crazy in getting rid of flies :-(

My latest visit to Cafe Teras when I took all pictures displayed here, was Saturday, 13th Oct 2007. The plantation planted on its yard, being one of the focal interest too! They changed it regularly. This time they have a beautiful white lily on the yard. It was still raining heavily when I arrived there. But soon after ordering our lunch, the rain stopped gradually, leaving a freshness on the white lily.

A bush of pink wild roses was planted near the right side wall if you are facing the road. Whilst, tomato planted in a row next to the front fence, carrying its fatty fruit. Yet, not ripe but it would be a lovely fresh tomato from the garden.











Inside, you will find a nice little bar, where the waiter prepare drinks for the customer. Many kind of glasses and cups displayed on its bluish rack.

Next to liquor & wine displayed rack, you will find a door - the entrance to the kitchen. What I missed is only a good music. It must be lovely if they have a nice easy listening jazz selections as a background music.

If you decided to visit this place, don't think that you will get a 5 stars categorized meals. The food is good but not so special! You can get similar lines of foods any else where easily. What you won't get is the nice ambient of the place.

Cleanliness of the place included the toilet is two thumbs up! Except one thing, I never agreed when people liquefying the density of liquid hand-soap usually for saving reason by pouring water into its container. You must be thinking I'm weird now :-D!

Last but not least, I found this unique wind chimes hung below the verandah roof.

What else to be shared? I don't have anymore, but just experienced yourself. I think you will be agreed with me, that CAFE TERAS LEMPUNA is one of the business which is run by heart.

HAPPY EXPLORING!

BALI - TRADITIONAL FOOD (2)

You might have known a famous traditional Balinese food restaurant located in Lukluk, a village not far from Denpasar.
The place is very famous for its dishes called "LAWAR LUKLUK".

Lawar is a kind of traditional balinese food, which made from shredded steamed pork or beef skin combined with shredded coconut, fried onion, slices chilly, shrimp paste, and other spices.

But lawar is not the only main dishes, it should be accompanied with "KUAH" a kind of spicy soup with several small cut of meat (either beef or pork - you can choose which one do you want, or mix). Besides that on the plate you will also find sweet jerked meat (again either beef or pork), fried skin crackers and fried innards.















Again, if having kinda Balinese traditional food, best........ if you have it at the place it sold. Otherwise, it tastes different. One more of this LAWAR LUKLUK speciality is their sambal (hot chilly sauce), which made of shrimp paste. It tastes really good, who can resist a plate of warm rice with shrimp paste sambal + lawar + kuah.........??

Interested to try? Drive along main road to Tabanan, it is located in Lukluk - Sempidi, on the right side just after a traffic light. It opens early in the morning around 07.00 - 07.30 Bali local time to about 15.00 - 15.30 only.