spot the monkey

We only got to see the monkeys because there was a group of people who were feeding them despite signs instructing people not to. They went into hiding after the food was gone.

Photos taken on 17 January 2012 at Taman Kebun Bunga (Penang Botanic Gardens).

pizza night

We have pizza night every once and in a while at home. Pizza night meaning ordering pizza from the local joint on the phone and depending on the weather, walking or driving down to collect them. 

But hey, since we got a bread machine, might as well use that!

Instead of the usual flavours, I tried to recreate the pizza my aunt bought from a pub on Little Collins Street. Baby spinach, sliced mushrooms, ricotta and pineapple were scattered over the thin and crisp base and, I'm sure there were garlic and parmesan as well. Unfortunately, the one I made at home was quite bland compared to the one bought, but the flavours were rectified with Korean chilli flakes and a crack of sea salt for the mini spinach and ricotta pizza I was saving for later.

After two medium? and mini sized pizzas, there is still enough dough to make a couple more mini pizzas! I think I will try making a dessert pizza.

the little tart

The last cake I made was somewhere during February! No wonder my mum has been hinting that there was no cake around the house as of late (I used to bake a cake every week or so!). So for Mother's Day, I decided to make a Mont Blanc-inspired cake, only that didn't work out as planned so I transformed it into a tartlet instead.

It's chestnut season over here as of late, but I bought a bag of chestnuts from the Asian grocers since I didn't have time to prepare the fresh ones. I expected them to be peeled, but they were shelled! I was impressed for a good few seconds until it hit me. I had to peel them myself and boy, they were a pain in the butt. I ended up breaking most of them but it was fine, as long as I had a few 'perfect' ones for decorating.

Decorating was done in a mad dash, but they seem to look alright (?!) Taste wise, I really enjoyed the chestnut cream and the contrasting textures. Next time, I'd like to try making a whole cake. But if it was in the tart form, to just bake the sponge in the blind baked tart shell so the tart would be more even.

In composition order: pate sucre shell, chocolate sponge brushed with sugar syrup, unsweetened whipped cream, chestnut pieces and chestnut cream. Garnishes used: half a chestnut, thyme and a light dusting of Dutch cocoa powder.