Hello Kitty Baking /Cooking Utensils

Recently, I started to have this interest on collecting the Hello Kitty Theme baking and cooking utensils. They are really cute and innovative to use as a creative tools for making cute meals for the kids as well as adults.



These are some of the gifts from my friends which added on to my collection. Reyon loves the Kitty Sushi Rice Mould as well as the Egg Moulds which he always request them to be used whenever he wanted to eat Sushi. These moulds are very useful as you can used them to make Snow Skin Mooncakes as well....... :)

This Kitty Head Bread cutter is so cute that it can actually make a adult size portion of sandwich compare to the mini type that I used above. I had used this cutter to make a cute little kitty sandwich for Reyon during one of the breakfast. Eg: Reyon's Kitty Breakfast

Next is this Kitty Cookie Cutters collection, they come in different kitty design stamps which can make into interesting kitty cookies that bring joy to all ages of kitty fan......

When I saw this, I immediately bought it. Because I knew I wanted to make these cute little sandwiches for Reyon. This set come with a metal cutter and a kitty stencil to make the features in more detail. Eg of the end-products: Mini Kitty Bread

I bet you will love this Kitty Ring Mould which can act as a cutter or mould to make bread of pancake. How fortunate it will be like if you can have a plate of these Kitty Pancake for Breakfast or snack........

I bought this 3D Hello Kitty Cookie Cutter because I want to make something for my friend and her kids who loves Kitty. And my 1st inspiration was actually from a Japaness Site that sells Winnie The Pooh 3D cookie cutters. Since I can't get hold of the Pooh's cutter from Singapore, it's good that I can find this Kitty version and make something useful out of it :)

This is the 1st set of Microwave Kitty Sponge Cake Mould that I bought two years ago during a shopping trip. I bought this set because the I thought other than making sponge cake I might use it to make small cute jellies for kid's party or even mould them into sushi rice with these cute shapes.

These are cute little Kitty Vegetable Cutters that use to stamp out Kitty Image on Root vegetables like carrot, radish or pumpkin and serve them on bento meals or pasta. You can even use it as cookie mould.

I find these stencil will be useful if I need to make small cupcakes or cake and I can use it to do some simple decoration on top of it.

Edible Fungus

Edible Mushrooms are used extensively in cooking, in many cuisines (notably Chinese, European and Japanese). Though commonly thought to contain little nutritional value, many varieties of mushrooms are high in fiber and protein, and provide vitamins.



The general term "Shimeji" refers to about 20 species of mushrooms which contributes to a great deal of confusion among both mycologists (mushroom scientists) and chefs. The Buna shimeji, sometimes refer to as Hon shimeji, is highly esteemed in Japan where cultivation techniques were first developed. The Bunapi or White Beech mushroom, is a white strain of the same species. In nature, Buna Shimeji grows on wood, often on beech trees hence the common name Beech Mushroom.

Keep refrigerated. Beech mushrooms have a relatively long shelf-life of up to 30 days. Superior strain selection, carefully controlled growing environments, optimal harvest timing and packaging technology all contribute this remarkable shelf life.

Enokitake (金针菇) are long, thin white mushrooms used in Asian cuisines, particularly those of Japan, Korea, China, and Vietnam. The mushroom is available fresh or canned, the fresh mushroom being preferable. They are traditionally used for soups, but can also be used for salads and other dishes. They have a fruity flavor and a crisp texture. The mushroom can be refrigerated for about one week.

Golden Mushrooms:

Woodear is a type of mushroom that resembles a large ear when it is fresh and grows as large as half a foot. The surface of the mushroom is purplish-grey in color and the flesh is a dark purplish grey to almost black in color. They have a slightly crunchy texture and delicate, almost bland flavor that more often than not absorbs the taste of any strongly flavored ingredients with which they are cooked. They have both fresh and dried wood ears sold in the supermarket, the dried one usually look like brownish-black, dried chips. Upon soaking in water it might increase 5 to 6 times in size and resemble the shape of an ear. Wood ears are mainly popular in stir-fries and soups.

Recipes Using These Edible Fungus:
Grill Mushroom With Mixed Vegetables & Tuna Mayo Tomatoes
Stir-fry Cabbage With Golden Mushroom & Woodear
Stir-Fry Cabbage With Assorted Mushroom
White Fungs & Wooden Ear Soup

Assorted Dried Mushroom

Other than fresh mushrooms that can be found easily in the supermarket. We do have a few kinds of dried mushrooms that can be used for boiling soup, stir-fry with vegetables or meat. The most common dried mushroom used is the Shiitake Mushroom which is normally used for stir-fry vegetable, stewed with oyster sauce or dark soy sauce with meat.




Dried Shittake Mushrooms(香菇/花菇)
It is naturally sweet and used to aids stomach to live blood vessels. It supplements engery and benefits stomach, fights cancer and lowers blood cholesterol.


Monkey Head Mushrooms(候头菇)
It shapes like the brain of monkeys and has many hairs on the surface. It not only improves and strengthens the internal organs, but also helps digestion. Soak until soft before cooking.


Dried Chaxingu(茶树菇)
The stalk of it is long and thin. It tastes fresh, sweet, refreshing and chewy. Soups made by it are refreshing and sweet . It has beneficial effects on fat elimination, beautifications, anti-aging and lowering blood pressure.


Dried Brazil Mushroom姬松茸(巴西蘑菇)
Agaricus Blazei Murill mushrooms originated in the Piedate mountain region outside of Sao Paolo, Brazil. These mushrooms contains vitamins B1, B2, amino acids, niacin, phosphorous, iron, calcium and lots of protein and polysaccharides and Beta Glucan which is the active constituent that drastically enhances the function of the immune system which builds the body to defenses against diseases.

All About Avocado

Avocado with their delicate flavour and buttery texure make them great in salads, sandwiches, desserts and so much more....

Buying
The avocado ripens on the tree, but it do continues to ripes after harvest. It is ripe when it yields to gentle pressure at the stem end(skin colour is not always a good indicator of ripenes). Avoid buying avocado that are very soft with black/brown spots or bruises.



Storing
Avocados should be ripened at room temperature and when ripe, stored in the refrigerator until ready to eat. To hasten ripening, place into a brown paper bag with a ripe banana away from direct light. To store cut avocados, leave the seed in place, drizzle some lime/lemon juice and wrap the avocado firmly in plastic wrap.

Preparing
Cut avocados in half lengthwise, then gently twist halves to separate. If using both halves, remove the seed with a knife. Peel skin away gently(it will come off easily when they are ripes). Slice, chop or mash as required. Brush cut side with a little lemon juice to prevent discolouration.

Varieties
Sharwill: They are oval-shaped with rough skin which don't have a neck. They are available from May to July.

Hass: Rounder and smaller in shape, hass avocados have a rough skin that turns purple/black on ripening. Available July to November.

Reed: These are large, round avocado that have a meaty texture and buttery flavour.

Cocktail/Salad: This small, seedless avocado shows up most often in the greenskin variety. They are popular for their excellent flavour and they are 2 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter.

Nutrition
Avocados are one of only a few fruits to contin fat. However, it's the "Good Fat", like that found in olive oil. It don't contain cholesterol and are a great source of vitamin C, E and potassium. They are also a fantastic source of dietary fibre and are rich in antioxidants.

Miniature Liqueur Collection

For those who loves to bake and make desserts you might often come across some name of these familiar liqueur like: Grand Mariner, Tia Maria, Kahlua and etc. Each liqueur had their special fragrant and taste which is used in different bakes and desserts. For example: Kahlua is usually used in making Tiramisu because of it's strong coffee fragrant while Grand Mariner is used for making Orange Souffle or anything that had need an extra orange favour.



For those who are interested in getting these miniature liqueur you can go to Isetan at Shaw Centre. The price range from $6 - $8 depending on the kind of liqueur.

Baking Utensils I

These are some of the Common Baking Utensils that are used for different types of baking purpose. All these are my beloved collection from years to years. I hope with these picture, it will help some of you to identify what are the name of each utensils that are commonly found in baking recipes. For eg: You can use the spring form tin for baking cheesecake which is easier to remove the cake when baked or chilled.



Mousse ring for making mousse cake and loaf pan for making loaf bread or loaf cake. You can also use the slice tray for making brownie or mini swiss roll.

It's good to have all kinds of baking utensils as when the recipes call for it, you had the equipment ready for use. But for my case, I seems to be collecting them more than using it... :)

I had a wide collection of cookie cutter as I love their shapes and patterns. Usually other than making cookies, I also use the smaller cutter to cut out patterns from carrot, yam, potato or etc. This will help you to make your dish more presentable like restaurant style....

All these disposable baking cups and trays are a great way to serve your baking as a gift. In another way, it will save your time and effort on greasing or washing the tins. You can get different sizes for making cakes or muffins, sometime it can also be used as a base for baking bread like those sold in the bakery shops.

Burdock & Chestnut

Burdock - 牛蒡
It is definitely an acquired taste. When you chew on a piece of raw burdock, the strong woody and herbal taste is almost overwhelming. In some supermarket, these burdock can be found packed in pairs in bags that may be fully half a metre long. In Japan, burdock is a favourite vegetable that is widely used in soup or added to stews. Burdock is believed to be antibiotic and antipyretic. It also lowers blood sugar and there are claims that it is anticarcinogenic. Eg: Korean Chicken Soup

Blanching the Burdock will remove its pungency and also soften it to a nice crunchiness. To avoid roots that are too fibrous, choose burdock that is lighter coloured and make sure the growth rings are not too dark. Look at its cross-section to check this.

Fresh Chestnuts - 鲜栗子
Choose Fresh Chestnuts that are smooth and glossy, free of blemishes. They should feel heavy for their size. Avoid any that are shriveled, cracked, or rattle in their shell. Shake the shell. If you hear movement, you know they are drying out. Fresh chestnuts will dry out easily, so keep them in a cool, dry place free of drafts and use within a week.

To facilitate removal of the shell, you'll need to use a sharp pointed knife to slice either a horizontal slash or a large X along the flat side before roasting or boiling. To boil, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for three minutes. Remove from heat. Scoop out a few at a time and peel off the shell and skin with a sharp knife. As they cool, they become more difficult to peel, so keep them in hot water until you are ready to peel. Eg: Braised Yam & Chestnut With Chicken