I LOVE COFFEE

I always drinking one or two cups of coffee daily (that is the limit that I made recently, otherwise I can have it uncontrollable). I can't resist smelling coffee which has just brewed. Seeing "Living Coffee" hosted by Paul Basset a world champion barista (http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/shows/show.asp?id=130) has dragged my imagination of being a barista myself (LOL!).
















I became a coffee lover since my high school time. Preparing myself for year end exam made me a coffee addicted.
In Bali yet I found two places where I like the consistency of taste of the coffee they served, one is Kopi Bali House and the other is Bali Budha (in Ubud and also at Canggu). Last Saturday I went to Kopi Bali House with my love ones for an early dinner. I ordered ice cappuccino and it is perfect! The taste is always the same. They maintain their standard very well.

The only thing that I don't like (and also in other places if they use it!) they use wooden stirrer. Somehow, I never like wooden food wares. I just feel it is not hygienic using wood for food wares.

Now, I'm going to 'brew' my instant coffee........., I like TORABIKA Cappucinno! Have a nice coffee times folks!

Food Supply for School Time

I had a chit-chat with a friend yesterday evening. She dropped at my home to pick up her son, the eldest of 6 brothers! I never have a thought of having more than 2 kids now days and maybe for other career women they will think the same too.

I was preparing my florentine cookies when she arrived, we had our conversation in my kitchen while the kids were happy barbecue-ing outside.

Then after talking and talking we entered mom's subject........, preparing food supply for the kids to be brought to school! I asked her what happened if each kid asked for different kind of food supply? I can't imagine, preparing 6 different food supplies in the early morning..........wow

But she said that her eldest son acted like the commander for his little brothers, and he is the one who decide what food will be prepared for the next morning!

Here I shared the recipe of the florentine cookies I made yesterday:
INGREDIENTS:
Based:
230gr unsalted butter
230gr sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
300gr All purpose flour
150gr Oatmeal

Topping:
150 g mixed peel
200 g dried apricot
100 g orange peel
200 g almond flakes
100 g unsalted butter
100 g Castor Sugar
120 ml honey

INSTRUCTION:
Beat the sugar + butter, put in the egg, almond extract and finally the flour & oatmeal. Mixed thoroughly.
Keep the mixture in the refrigerator until set. Roll the mixture into 6 mm thickness.
Put in a pan which already based with baking paper. Oven for +/- 5 minutes. Put aside.

Topping:
Cut all dried fruit into small pieces and mixed together.
Heat the sugar, honey and butter until butter dissolved put the dried fruit mixed in and stir smoothly.
Put the mixture on top of the base and oven at 180 degree of Celsius for 15 minutes.
While it still hot, cut into the shape you like and cool.

Hot Sweet and Sour Soup

I noticed since last year the weather is unpredictable. Scientists said it caused by the global warming. It is quiet cold lately in Bali. Temperature at the afternoon time in Denpasar showed about 29 deg of Celcius. At night we do not need air condition. The water is also very cold.

In November there will be a big international meeting related to the global warming issues held in Nusa Dua Convention Centre in Bali. Hope the meeting will run successfully and bring a solution to overcome the environment problems.

Since the weather was quiet cold last week, my love ones asked me to cook hot sweet and sour soup to warm themselves. So here it is I shared the recipe for you:

INGREDIENTS:

2Ltr Chicken Broth
Medium size Ginger - peel and crushed
1/2 Onion - slice thinly
200gr Shrimp – clean, peel and cut into cubes
150gr Beancurd - cut into matches shape
150gr Black Fungus (tree Ears) – Slice thinly
150gr Pork Luncheon – cut into matches shape
150gr Canned Bamboo Shoot – cut into matches shape
150gr Konyaku – cut into matches shape
100gr Streaky Bacon – slice thinly
50 – 75 ml Black Vinegar - to your taste
5tbs Vinegar
2tbs Chinese Cooking Wine
3tbs Soy Sauce
2 tbs Sesame Oil
2tbs Sugar
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 – 2 tbs Bottled Chilly Sauce (used the one that still contain chilly seeds)

INSTRUCTION:
Fry without adding cooking oil the streaky bacon, until crisp. Put aside.
Fry the onion with the oil produced from frying streaky bacon. Put aside.
Bring to boil the chicken broth + ginger
Put in the shrimp and wait until the shrimp turn red.
Put in the black fungus, bamboo shoot, konyaku, fried streaky bacon + onion, konyaku, beancurd, and pork luncheon.
Put in the seasoning.
Bring to boil once more.
Serve hot.

The More You Know, The More You......................??

When I was on my high school second level, a senior English teacher taught us this proverb: the more you read the more you learn, the more you learn, the more you know, the more you know, the more you stupid become. But I would add another phrase to make it complete. Here it is: the more you know, the more you stupid become, the more you will feel uncomfortable, unhappy….., the more you will be too proud of yourself!

Correct me if I am wrong, when the 911 occurred, many people becoming paranoia, but for those who do not know that chaos, they won’t be afraid. Correct?

Saturday night, I went to Ubud with my love ones. We agreed to go to the place where we used to have dating many years ago. We visited a nice restaurant that located in the Tjampuhan riverbank, a very nice and romantic place.

The food is standard, nothing is special. I mean you can get that quality of foods anywhere and anyplace here in Bali. But the atmosphere of the restaurant you will only get it there.

They had many artworks displayed as the ornaments of the restaurant, giving an antique touch to the interior. The sound of water flowing in the river gave you a natural music. (They did not play any music!)

I ordered Lasagna, while my love ones having Beef Curry Mysore and Fish Burger. Surprisingly the waitress who serve the food, handed my Lasagna from across my location, just in front my love one’s nose ha..ha..ha….!

I looked at my love one, he kept his naughty smile, and there was no words exchanged between us, but our eyes said……., the waitress do not know the rule of how to serve! We were fine, but feel a bit uncomfortable (then, we were not fine LOL). And why? Because we know the rules!

See, I told you, if we do not know the rules of serving meals we won’t be disturbed of such incident, do we?

But that is not the point………., what I would like to raise from writing this is, all we feel in our lives is depended from what our reaction in responding the experience that we have. If we react negatively, it will be negative and vice versa………. Just that!

SEAFOOD

I like seafood especially fish so much. Sadly, I read in many reports through internet, newspaper and from the television, most of seawater fish nowadays has been contaminated with toxin and metal.

One of my nice had an intoxication of metal from seawater fish that she had had during her early years which caused her of having a slightly autism behavior. She took a long process of medication because of it.

Now, I do be very careful in choosing fish to cook. My love one likes to do fishing and he knows where he can still get nice healthy fish. And the place is at Nusa Penida Area.

Nusa Penida is a small island located southwest of Bali. Why I believe the fish from there is not contaminated? Let me explain the topography of Nusa Penida. The island has many crags. You can see from the place you stand on the top of crag the base of the sea! The water is sparkling during afternoon hours and you also can see fish, turtles swimming. In that ecology like that, I believe the creatures live inside still not get contaminated.

I attached here picture of seawater fish of Nusa Penida (look at the colors! You will agree with me if I said those fish are very fresh and healthy!) and also the view of Nusa Penida. (this picture was taken by my friend Darmo, thanks for let me using your work!)

A freshly caught fish cooked with a simple seasoning like Chinese – Styled Steam Fish is the best. The freshness of the fish still can be tasted just because of its simplicity.

Here I share the Chinese – Styled Steam Fish recipe I often use.

1 medium size of snapper

4 cloves of garlic – slice thinly

1 medium young ginger – slice thinly

1 stalk of lemongrass

2 tablespoon rice wine

1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil

Salt and Pepper

METHOD

Clean and wash fish. Dry well with kitchen towel. Make 2 or 3 incisions on both sides of fish crosswise. Rub with salt and pepper to your taste. Set aside at least 15 minutes to let the salt and pepper absorbed.

Preheat the steamer for 10 – 15 minutes.

Put the fish on a plate (use one which is not to flat, since the fish will be a bit watery).

Rub the fish with rice wine and spatter the sesame oil on both sides.

Arrange slice garlic and ginger on top of the fish by turns.

Put the stalk of lemongrass on the fish.

Steam for 15 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.