Yule Chocolate Log Featured @ Yahoo Makanation

It's three more days to Christmas and I am sure most of us are busy getting gifts, preparing bakes or planning  for the Christmas Menu for family or friends gathering. For this year, if you would like to make something easy and yet filled with festive feel perhaps you could try your hands on this quick and easy Yule Chocolate Log.

About two weeks back I received an email from Lorraine of Makansutra requesting to feature a quick and easy recipe post on Christmas Log Cake. So with some twist on my old recipe, I made a chocolate swiss roll and assemble it with some chocolate spread and whipped cream.

For more read-up and recipe of this Yule Chocolate Log, please refer to the article at Makanation HERE.

Once again!!! I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and feast more!!!!!

{Featured @ inSing.com} Happy Birthday Singapore - Part 2, "National Day Bento"

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This year 09 August 2011, Singapore will be celebrating her 46th Birthday together with all citizens of Singapore as well as spectators and National Day performers at the Marina Bay floating stage. But even if you can't get hold of any National Day Parade tickets, you can still join in the celebration with friends and family members to enjoy some special holiday buffet, shop around at flea market, viewing fireworks and etc to enjoy a fun-filled National Day. (more details HERE).

Here upon the request of my boy, I have made a National Day Bento for him which I used his favourite Chicken Rice to make a rice parcel that is wrapped using red and white egg sheets to resemble the National flag. The concept of this bento is made to represent the different races and food cultures in Singapore. Example:- Chicken Rice is a well-known Chinese cuisine whereas Putu Mayam is one of the old-times Indian breakfast treat. In this way, at least my boy get to know and try the different kinds of food eaten by the different races in Singapore. If you are interested you can also take a look at our National Day Icing Cookies done by WaiFong at this link HERE.

Lastly for more details and recipe of this National Day Bento, please refer to the article at inSing.com HERE.

Once again!!! We would like to wish everyone a Happy National Day and Happy Birthday Singapore!!!!

Spooky Bento Featured @ inSing.com

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A few weeks back I was approached by Javan from inSing.com on whether I could do a bento base for their 7th Month, "Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival" theme. Upon reading his email I was actually stunned for a few minutes and I even "text" a few friends for their opinions and most of us feel this is quite a sensitive month and topic to handle.

So after much considerations and drafting we decided to settle with something more kid's friendly that resemble "Halloween" theme just for some fun and spooky chill on this Chinese 7th month. But before this, initially I have a few design such as using charcoal bread/squid ink pasta to form a black coffin or well with "pool" of tomato pasta sauce to create a bloody effect with accompany ghostly images or broken hands and etc. And Javan even suggest that whether I could do a "paper talisman" sort of design but I find it rather "Spooky" to use for bento especially in this Hungry Ghost Month.

For more details and recipe please refer to the article at inSing.com HERE.

Penguins Bento and Bento Making featured in ZaoBao(联合早报)

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Recently my boy was fascinated with "The Penguins of Madagascar" showing on #kto(here) every Monday - Thursday at 6.30pm. He loves those 4 crazy Penguins known as Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private who rule the roost at their Central Park Zoo home with thier all-new adventures together with King Julian. And with his favorite show he has always wanted to make a Penguin Bento.

So finally last Sunday, I managed to come up with this Penguins Bento which is similar to his favourite Madagascar Penguins using Charcoal Bread(read more HERE) bought from "Lavender Bakery" at City Square Mall, Johor. He was so excited when we cut out the penguins shape from the charcoal bread using the cutter and assemble it featured with cheese and carrot. I am sure no matter who you gave this Penguins Bento to the receiver will definitely be thrilled.

This photo shows the tools and steps on how to assemble this cute Penguins Bento.

Ingredients:

1 Slice of Bamboo Charcoal Bread
1 Slice of Sandwich Cheese
2 Thin Slices of Carrot
1/4 Portion of Sweet Corn
Fresh Fruits of your Choice
Some Prawn Crackers
Nori sheet
1 Toothpick

Method:-

1. Blanched Sweetcorn in boiling water for about 2 - 3 minutes, removed and add in the carrot. Cook for 30 seconds, remove and set aside.

2. Using a Penguin shape food cutter to cut out two penguins from the bamboo charcoal bread.

3. Next with the same cutter cut out another two penguins from the cheese and using toothpick and drinking straw to cut out the stomach, mouth and eyes of the penguins.

4. Place the cut out cheese features on the prepared bread (give it a gentle press to stick the cheese on the bread), before securing the legs(you can use a flower shape cutter to cut out semi-circle from the carrot) of the penguins using carrot and thin spaghetti strips.

5. Lastly, assemble the sweetcorn, fruits, crackers and penguins bread into the bento box and serve.

FEATURED in 21.06.2011

ZaoBao(联合早报), Family Page

Here is a screen shot of our bento making featured in today's ZaoBao(联合早报), Family Page which might be an encouraging article for working parents to create a bonding time with kids by making bento as a food art and educational theme for them.

Although bento making in Singapore is not as popular as in Japan and Taiwan but there are still a lot of bento makers and bento item collectors in Asian countries. And my bento journey starts with a group of bento friends whom always inspired me with their creative ideas where you might be interested to take a look and read-up their fabulous bento from their blogs shown below:-

1. Mothering Corner @ http://motheringcorner.com/

2. Bentolicious @ http://www.mybentolicious.com/

3. Susan Yuan @ http://susanyuen.blogspot.com/

4. Hippomum @ http://www.wretch.cc/blog/hippomum/11108126

5. Tona Mummy @ http://ourfirstbabykimiboy.blogspot.com/

Kung Fu Panda Bento Recipe Featured @ inSing

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Last week we have the Angry Birds Bento Recipe(read more HERE) to join in the fever of the Angry Birds Mobil Game. Today we have another bento recipe to catch up with "PO" from Kung Fu Panda which is my 2nd featured bento post over at inSing.com. Same as the preview article, this recipe also provide readers with step-by-step photo illustrations on making the cute Panda Onigiri, Mini Panda(using quail eggs) as well as how to assemble the food in the bento box.

If you are keen to do a Panda Bento for your friends or kids during this June School Holiday, you can take a look at this featured recipe and starts making your very own bento with the guide of details step-by-step photos.

For more details please refer to the article at inSing.com HERE.

Red Angry Birds Bento Featured @ inSing

Continue with the series of Angry Birds Bento fever, I was invited to write a related bento recipe over at inSing.com. This recipe provide readers with step-by-step photo illustrations on making the Angry Bird Onigiri as well as how to assemble the food in the bento box.

More On Japanese Steamed Cakes

Thanks everyone for your kind comments given to my previous 3 entries on the Japanese Steamed Cakes post. To share the joy with you today I was so surprised to notice a mentioned about my Japanese Steamed Sweetcorn Cake(Chinese version) while flipping through my daily reads on MyPaper( pg B2).

Asian fusion of the Durian Steamed Cake(榴莲蒸糕)

After the previous 3 steamed cake posts, I have received some email enquires regarding either on their failures or success attempted on those recipes. A few of them ever mentioned that their steamed cake ttends to urns out hard and flat compared to the rise and “open/huat” cakes that are shown on my posts.

So here are a few tips that I would like to share from my view:-
1. The water for steaming the cake must be boiling before you put the cake batter in.

2. Steamed over Medium High heat for about 8 – 12 minutes depending on the size of your steamed cakes.

3. While whisking egg and sugar, try to beat till foamy and pale roughly about 5 minutes including stopping time.

4. The final cake batter should be of dripping consistency instead of gluey and sticky.

Steamed Pandan Cake with Sweet Potato Cubes (香兰番薯蒸糕)

Lastly from the photos above, you can see that there will be some other NEW recipes coming out soon such as the Steamed Durian Cake, Steamed Pandan Cake with Sweet Potato Cubes and etc flavour that you will be surprised with. So do stay around and keep a look out for these recipes soon.

Features Of My Exclusive Recipes

Dear readers of Cuisine Paradise, thank you for your support during these years. Today I have a good news to share with you, the Author of Cuisine Paradise, who is me, Ellena, has being invited to be a featured recipes contributor for a Singapore leading kids and parents magazine name "Parents World".

I have never dream that my blogs writing hobbies can bring me so far to such a stage that my recipes can actually be published on a local magazine. All these credit to the editor, Daniel Goh who is willing to give me such an opportunity to feature and published some of my very own exclusive recipes that is not posted in my blogs. So if you happen to find this Magazine in your kids school bag or at any newsstands or bookstores do give it a flip through and you will find that it acutally contains a lot of useful information and tips on parenting and kids issue.

Furthermore, you might also find some of my exclusive recipes in the magazine too... :0



p/s: So sorry I won't be able to post the recipes from the magazine here as due to copyrights issue.

Foodies Confidential @ Sunday Times

Some of you might found this page familiar at Today's Sunday Time, Life Page Section. Yeah! All thank to LiJie from Strait's Time Food Blogging who give us this wonderful opportunity to share our food blogging experience with even more people in Singapore. For those who didn't get a copy of the sunday times, and you are interested in the interview details, you can click on Baking and Bonding on Ellena & Reyon to read the articular.


From this column, I only can said it really a great experience to share my thoughts and views on food blogging. On the other hand, it's also an excitement for Reyon and I to actually do a home baking and be photograph by a professional photographer. And I had to thank to all those friends who actually went to buy the newspaper to support us and as well as to get more information on our recent progress.

Lastly I do hope from this blog and some other links of mine can actually give those new reader some help and tips. I also looking forwards to receive any email regarding of exchanging of cooking/baking tips. Thanks again for visiting my humble blog :)