Dunia Dapur

Salam Semua,

I have been working on this e-book project (with the intention of making money, obviously) for the past 2 years. I figure since I am surfing the Net, might as well leverage on its opportunities available. So finally, after endless days and weeks trying to come up with this e-book (based on my experience), we finally are able to launch it a couple of days back. I'm no writer and definitely not good with technical stuff.
But with the support from my husband, I managed to come up with www.duniadapur.com that sells my very own e-book on how to make money from your kitchen. It's in Bahasa Malaysia as the tips and pointers are meant for local business set up.
It's only a beginning for me. InsyaAllah.
Want to take a peek at my website, click here. And I have also set up a business blog here.
Tolong doakan ya.

(P.S: The e-book cover above was designed by my daughter Arissa)

Ice Cream Cake

Last weekend, our daughters invited their friends over for some Raya makan-makan. As usual I wanted to surprise them with something new. And the result was this Ice Cream Cake.
I've gotten this recipe from Chef Anuar's cookbook (the chef is one of my sifus - a very sincere and charming person, I must say). If you had a chance, do attend his cooking classes, or at least buy his book... usually published by Berita Publishing (kes promote company husband ler pulak ni). Once he went out of his way to help me with my business. Thank You!!!

The recipe for this can particular cake be found in his book - Langkah Demi Langkah Bersama Chef Anuar. And I am happy that the cake became a huge hit (along with chocolate brownies) among the girls and my anak-anak buah who came over... so much so both my husband and I did not get to taste it. Must bake it again la.

Biskut Samprit

Pix by Asma

This is Samprit. It has been one of the many staple cookies during Hari Raya in many households since as far as I can remember. It is still popular but not many people knows how to make it as it can rather tedious. But in actual fact, samprit is one of the easiest cookies to make and the ingredients are easy to find.

In fact my husband has been bragging that he too know how to make a good and tasty samprit (which he claimed he did before we got married). Unfortunately, until this very day, we have yet to taste his famous samprit. Ye la tu!!!!! He doesn't even help me when I'm making samprit nowadays. Haaah!

I've been making samprit for quite a number of years. Not too long ago, I even sell samprit during Raya. Not this year though but I still have to make quite "banyak" for my mother, MIL, sisters and aunts... jadik buah tangan Raya. For those who wants to make a samprit for Open House.. here's the recipe:

Ingredient:
25og butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup flour
1 cup corn flour

Method:
Beat the butter and icing sugar until fluffy
Add egg yolk and the flours
Use the samprit mold and press slowly onto the baking pan
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 100-150C

Pix by Asma

Tips:
Use butter instead of margarine
Don't over mix the "adunan" as it may make your samprit out of shape
Be patient... it takes quite a while to get the hang of mooulding sampriit into the desired shape
Add more flour if the texture is too soft

Salam AidilFitri.... 2008

Hari Raya is yet again here.... it has been a rather uneventful Ramadan (which is good I suppose) for us here. It is pretty much a quiet Ramadan too as I decided not to sell cookies this year (barang mahal la) and just made cookies for our own and of course for my mother as well as my mother in law.
InsyaAllah, we are driving back later today (alhamdulillah! the man of the house was given one week's Raya leave - something he did not get in last three years at his previous employment). I've just packed a few biskut raya to bring home ... (pix above).

But we did the unthinkable yesterday (Sunday 28.9.2008) - as we went to Jalan TAR to shop for some tudung Raya and other stuff. HUGE MISTAKE!!! It took us almost 2 hours (yeay that's right!) to find a parking spot. We circled the Jalan TAR for god how many times! Finally, my husband swung into Pertama Complex parking space. Then we walked over to Jalan TAR, which was not really that far, actually but the crowd was crazy. Jalan TAR was sooo jam packed with people that we find it difficult to move. Yeah, it's that bad!!! My husband was muttering "what economic slowdown? semua orang banyak duit ni ha!!!". Yes, and we were there too!!!
But the drama began when we were at one of the road side stall selling tudungs and suddenly the skies open up. Naturally, we ran up to the front of Jalan TAR (near Globe) to take shelter. Suddenly Alia turned white and was close to fainting. It was real drama!@!@, I tell you. I was panicking real quick and blaming myself for coming down there in the first place. We sat her down by the shop's pillar and husband rushed off to buy drinks (Alia mmg tak leh puasa pun.. hahahah). Luckily, the fainting spell was not that bad and soon after she's feeling better. And the five of us quickly walked back to the car. Nak balik! Never again. Ever.

Anyway, di hari baik bulan baik ini, kami sekeluarga mengucapkan:

Andai langkah membekas lara
Andai kata merangkai dusta
Andai tingkah menoreh luka
Izinkan saya bersimpuh sila
Menghulurkan tangan di bulan mulia
Memohon ampun meminta maaf
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

Salam Ramadhan and Kuih Keria

To all,

Selamat Menyambut Ramadan Mubaak. Semoga amalan kita diterima Allah.

Salam,
Azian

Di bulan puasa sebegini teringat pulak masa kecil-kecil duhulu.... kalau berbuka mesti ada kuih-muih memenuhi meja... paling diingati ialah Kuih Keria seperti di atas dan bawah ini... kami panggil kuih gelang... (yang ini pula dimasak beberapa minggu yang lalu.)

Birthday Asma

Our second daughter Asma turned 13 last Sunday. To Asma, semoga terus jadi anak solihah, murah rezeki, panjang umur dan berjaya dunia akhirat. Amin.
Unlike Alia's birthday about two weeks earlier, Asma decided to celebrate just among us.. at home. So I decided to throw a western style lucheon too.

My birthday girl cutting the cake. The girls spent a considerable amount of time making each other up for the occasion.
The table setting fit for my princess
Main course - roasted chicken (sendiri punya resipi)
The starter - the salad
Asma wanted a Chocolate Banana Cake .. something like the Secret Recipe's Indulgence.. The topping unfortunately was not as smooth as I was making it in a hurry. But janji Asma likes it.... and she did. Alhamdulillah.

Birthday Alia

I always wanted to organise a small sit-down lunch/dinner do. A western style (must be due to numerous AFC channel shows).
I've got a chance to showcase my desire today when Alia invited her friends over for her birthday. She is 14 today. Happy Birthday Alia, semoga menjadi muslimah sejati.........
Since the lunch for teenage girls, I decided to incorporate youthful theme. So I used a lot of colours and flowers. No, I did not splurge but I utilised whatever yang ada kat rumah.

For table mats I cut off gift wrapping papers into two and it looks nice, kan. I simply bought a hair band (pengikat rambut from Mydin, murah aje 90 sen each) and tie it with the napkins. And the girls got to keep the hairband. And for sitting arrangement, I simply printed out their names on a manilla cards and cut it, punched a hole on it and tied a ribbon. They can keep that too.....to be used as bookmark.

The table setting from a wider angle.

As there were nine person in the party, we have to set up a smaller table by the side.

The lunch started off with a bun and butter + a chicken mushroom soup.

Followed by the main course. A fusion of spaghetti bolognese and roasted chicken.

A cake cutting session. Alia requested for a tiramisu cake which I baked a day earlier. Her friends seems to like it soooo much.

Birthday girl, my Alia.