Thursday, April 3, 2014

Cream Puff

So you know you are getting old when you started to spend more time in kitchen instead of facebooking or outing. Sigh, it is a sign of aging when i am kinda into kitchen nowadays.
My third bake in the UK today after egg waffle and conflakes snack. Tried to get some simple recipe and got this cream puff's recipe. It is really easy for noobie beginner like me.

Again, photo not in good quality coz of my photography skill sucks and I wasn't took it serious. Another reason is my hand get quite oily when so i don't feel like touch on my camera.

Ingredient:
Group A (pastry crust):
50g butter
85ml water
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
50g bread flour
20g cake flour (i used plain flour and cornstratch)
2 eggs lightly beaten.

Group B (Custard cream):
240ml milk
5tsp sugar ( i reduce to 1tsp not sweet at all maybe 3-4 will do)
1/2 tsp vanila extract
1 full egg and 2 egg yolks
2tbp cornstarch

Method:
1. cook water, butter, sugar, vanila extract and put a pinch of salt in a non-stick pan until bubbling hot and turn the heat to low. i accidentally put 100g of butter due to the bad mathematic (don't know how to read on scale) and it turned up so watery. anyway, i succeed in second attempt)

2. mix bread flour and cake flour before pour into the pan. stir with a wooden spoon until dough is formed.

3. still at low heat, continue cook the dough for 1-2 mins.
4. transfer dough into a mixing bowl and beat until lukewarm.
5. add the 2 eggs and mix until well blended and smooth. you can use electric whisk if u have.

 6. place the batter into pipping bag and pipe into a line pan. spray some water on it. ( i use sandwich bag and cut a hole at the corner and pipe it out). so damn creative right. hahaha


 7. bake in a preheat oven of 200 degree celcius for 20 mins and 180 celcius for 8-10 mins. immediately turn off after that but don't take it out. leave it for 10 mins or more before  take out.

8. now the custard part. mix 60ml milk with cornstarch until smooth. 
9. add beaten egg and egg york with cornstarch mixture and mix well.
10. boil the remaining 180ml milk with sugar and mix well into a non-stick saucepan until bubbling hot. pour some hot milk into the mixture in step 9 and continue stirring.
11. pour the egg-cornstarch mixture (step 9) through a strainer back into the rest of the boiling milk. stir constantly until the it becomes thicken at medium heat. 
12. wrap the custard with a layer of clingwrap before send it to fridge for ready use. this is to prevent a hard film forming on the custard. 
13. cut the puff and insert the cold custard and send to mouth!


so yay, despite the wrong measurement on butter, it actually turned not bad and really easy la. i would try durian flavor when i back in malaysia next time. love durian puff so much especially the one keep cold in fridge one. hehe. 

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The UK - York

My prep course ended last week and i've had 3 weeks off before my MBA start. so yay, HOLIDAY!
Initially i planned to go Bath and Stonehenge with coursemates (vietnamese gang) but they decided not to go at very last minutes. I was quite upset and unhappy cause i'd planned everything included the itinerary, hostel, budget and everything. so fine. i changed the plan and all of a sudden York appeared in my mind.
checked on train ticket - affordable
checked on attractions - quite a lot
checked on hostel - not bad
Lastly, checked on bank account. hahaha

Not forget to mention my travel mate, my coursemate, a pretty lady from Laos. She is an easy going person as she never asked anything before the trip but just help her book everything and she will pay me. BBQ.
And my 3 days 2 nights trip basically was free and easy.
" A real traveler has no plan."
Sounds cool right. BBQ. the main reason is I am too lazy to plan out everything and i'd too limited time. the only thing i did was searched on the must-go-places. and try to get those brochures when arrive in York.

Here we go! As usual, ran to platform and boarded into train ON TIME! UK's train depart 40 seconds after the departure time. damn chun one ok. pheeeww.

25 - Mac -2014 Chester to York (change train at Manchester Picadily)
27- Mac - 2014 York to Chester (have to transit too)

The poser. 

Killing time in the train

After 2 hours and finally, hello York!

YHA Hostel - I am satisfied with this hostel compare to those i stayed in London. It's quite new and very very clean. The most important is the staffs are very helpful and friendly. I read the review before I booked and they actually received very good feedbacks from guests except for their breakfast which is not worth. So, smart la me i bring my own bread. hehehe. 

Female dorm with own bathroom, 15 pounds per night and only us in the room at second night. hehehe

The lobby. 

Self-catering. The kitchen's equipment are clean and full-set. 

Went for food-hunting after checked in and accidentally found this restaurant/pub.

Cozy environment

Best food! Cheese pasta with bacon and garlic bread. Sorry, my camera lost focus or perhaps my photography skills sucks. argh

 This is not a normal wholewheat bread ok. It is beef sandwich. super duper yum!

me and the food!

Time to explore the city!


York Minster. one of the world's magnificent cathedrals. 

Behind


Front view

Side view



The street

Found her name on bookmark. Julie

 Disney shop! I want to have daughter next time so i can buy her all these dolls. 

Me and doll

 Selfie with mirror.

York has at least 3 bridges. I am not sure so please google and found out why. maybe it is surrounds by river or something. 

Walked until the sky turned dark

Another bridge

Nightview. #nofilter

Nightview 2

Day 2: had breakie in room and starbucks for drinks. wanted to go country side where most of the attractions are there (especially lavender field) but after done preparing was almost 1pm. T____T

Her chocolate and my caramel frappucino. not good! 

puffy face due to water retention maybe? ok la. i gained weight. :(

 went for shopping and went back to the same restaurant for lunch again! chicken with bbq source and tequila wrap. yum yum yum

sausage and mash potatoes

her

us

Clifford towel


The famous tea room in Yorkshire! Betty's tea room! First time i saw ang mo queuing for foods. hence we decided to join the queue too! it turned up didn't disappoint us! and i got my favorite macaron! not sweet and affordable price! 1.2 pound each!  


fattening hi-tea! 


Night club only two of us. one apple sourz and cocktail for each. 

free show on dance floor

skipped dinner as we were too full but had a sinful supper. Julie cooked egg noodle with sadin. 

day 3 meals before heading back to Chester. Chinese food! Roasted duck with cha xiu, ma po toufu and seafood udon noodle! expensive! three of these 25 pounds!


Here end the 3 days 2 nights trip in Yorkshire. So basically it is a historical city not much difference with Chester but bigger and more shoplots. The city also full of tourist and students especially Asians, i met a Chinese in every 3 steps. not exaggerate but it's true and chinese restaurant quite a lot too. anyway, i think the huge population of chinese almost cover quarter of the uk. anyway, i had a relaxing trip but i don't think "no plan" is a good plan coz it is such a waste when i was there but didn't get to go the places i wanted just because i missed the time and bus. next time, should have plan and go flexible with the plan.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Thought

As my aunt always remind me that money is indeed important especially in relationship. I never denied it tho. Most of people think that students in oversea are from rich or luxury family. But too bad that's not for me. I don't have sufficient funds here so that i have to really plan on my financial and trying to earn for my living as well as travel expenses. On the other hand i also wan to pay back my dad and reduce their burden. So each time thinking of this really make me headache. Argh.

But lucky me have got a job on last month and my paid has been increased from 5.5 pound per hour to 6.5 pound per hour despite i broke 3 glasses and pour on customer I still did a good job la. I keep on praying for second job as this not really cover my rental. sigh. and you know the things here so damn cheap i hardly control myself not to buy. and i cant keep on staying at home without hanging out. such a waste right. but but but all the outing i need to spend. sigh.  

After ngam cham on financial now I have another issue which is friendship. As i said most of the students here are rich, which included my classmate. She keeps asking me for outing or likes to stick with me most of the time. I am not sure is due to the generation gaps (4 years) i feel like am too old to mix with her. Ahh. Or maybe i prefer to be alone, more relaxing more enjoyable or damn it i am an austism. Ok fine, i just being choosy in friend and i really need personal time. really personal that kind. so most of the time, i will be alone walking on the street jogging or shopping. i am enjoying tho. 

lastly, since im a student, i should talk about my studies la. bbq sometime i feel like it is such a shame i am from Malaysia but i need to attend this pre-sessional english class? I should have be able to master in english what. but heck, sometime i can't really understand what people talking. i promise myself i will fully utilize the time in uk here and i will speak a fluent english when im back. IT IS A MUST!