Food - Page 3

Just because international travelling is impossible right now, you can always have a taste of another country through food.

How about ‘travel’ to Italy and try their deep-fried pastries by making them yourself?

Unlike French pastries which require a lot of time and work, Italian deep-fried pastries are comparatively easy to make.

Here are five Italian deep-fried pastries you should try to make at home:

1.Bombolone

Many refer bombolone as the Italian version of the doughnut but it is also similar to German berliner pfannkuchen.

It is basically round fried dough, either empty or filled with creme patissiere, chocolate, Nutella or jam and topped with icing sugar.

The basic ingredients are flour, yeast, salt, sugar, egg, water and butter as well as oil for frying. Some variation of bombolone does not include eggs.

Plus, the original version of bombolone actually uses lard for both the dough (instead of butter) and for frying the pastry.

To add an extra kick in flavour, the modern version of the recipe even uses a bit vanilla and rum in the dough.

Give these recipes a try here, here and here.

2.Zeppole

Zeppole is another Italian deep-fried pastry topped with powdered sugar.

Traditionally, it is eaten to celebrate Saint Joseph’s Day on Mar 19 every year.

As for the filling, the common ingredients are custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry cream or butter and honey mixture.

To make the dough, you need flour, eggs, salt, sugar, butter, water and milk.

So what are the differences between zeppole and bombolone?

Unlike bombolone which is rolled into shape from a dough, zeppole is almost a batter. To fry zeppole, you need to spoon them into the oil.

Zeppole is practically more like a fritter, hence it is less chewy than bombolone.

While bombolone is filled with flavoured ingredients such as cream and chocolate, zeppoli has its added flavour on top of the pastry.

Here are some of the recipes for zeppole; here, here, here.

3.Frittelle

Known as Venetian doughnuts, this Italian deep-fried pastry is commonly served during carnivals.

It is more similar to bombolone compared to zeppole as they are yeast-risen fried pastries.

There are many variations of frittelle, both filled and unfilled version.

The unfilled version have raisins mixed into the dough while the filled version has fillings such as pastry cream.

If you like your deep-fried pastry without extra calories of fillings, you can definitely give frittelle a try.

Here are the recipes; here, here, here.

4.Castagnole

Speaking of Italian deep-fried pastry without any filling, here is an easy pastry to make at home.

Castagnole are soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside that are best eaten while they are still warm.

The common ingredients are flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs and butter.

The key to make the perfect castagnole is to fry them at the right temperature.

Cook them in a too high temperature then the pastry is cook on the outside but not on the inside.

However, fry them in a too low temperature the pastry would become soggy.

The perfect temperature is between 170-175 degree Celsius.

Here are the recipes; here, here, here.

5.Crostoli/Sfrappe/Chiacchiere

This Italian deep-fried pastry is known by many names according to the different regions in Italy but they all refer to the same sweet dough which has been rolled out, cut-up and then fried.

They all made from flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, oil, liquor or wine, citrus zest and icing sugar.

Unlike other pastries on this list, chiacchiere is more on the crunchy side.

For Malaysians, imagine kuih lidah buaya or kuih tiram.

Traditionally, they are eaten in the period before Lent season according to Christian calendar.

Here are the recipes: this, this and this.

Staying at home during this pandemic has become the perfect chance to hone your baking skills. If you have run out of ideas on what to make, how about a real challenge like some French pastries?

Here are 8 French pastries you can try to make at home:

1.Croissant

Kicking off this French pastries list is none other than the good old croissant. While the croissant is widely known as part of the French pastries family, the ‘ancestor’ of the croissant actually has Austrian origins.

Legend has it that the croissant is an adaptation of the kipfel or kifli which originated from Austria-Hungary. An Austrian artillery officer named August Zang founded a bakery in Paris some time in 1839 which served Viennese specialties such as kipfel and the Vienna loaf.

Soon enough, these pastries caught the attention of French bakers who proceeded to make their own versions, including the croissant.

Like any other French pastries, the croissant is a labour of love which requires a lot of patience and practice.

Chef Dominique Ansel shared seven tips for making the perfect croissant, including how to practice your rolling pin technique and to keep a close eye on the dough temperature.

For beginners, it is advised to choose a cold day with a room temperature below 20oC for your first attempt. This way you will have more time for the whole process and less chance of butter being absorbed by the dough.

Keeping the butter solid between the layers of dough is what gives the croissant its flakiness.

If you live in a tropical country like Malaysia, there are a few tips on making the perfect croissant. Cool the ingredients as well as the utensils in the fridge before use. Additionally, cool your dough for longer if you need to.

While croissants are amazing on their own, you can always turn them into a sweet dessert or a savoury meal.

Have it with jam or butter for your afternoon tea or enjoy it as a light lunch by eating it with hams, cheese and lettuce in between.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

2.Brioche

In a 1611 dictionary, a brioche was described as “a rowle, or bunne, or spiced bread”.

It is basically a French bread with rich and tender crumb thanks to its high egg and butter content. You can cook it with fruit or chocolate chips and serve it on its own.

Similar to other French pastries, it can be served as a basis of a dessert with various kinds of fillings or toppings.

When it comes to the do’s and don’ts there are plenty to follow if you want to bake the perfect brioche.

Adding in the butter for instance, must be done slowly and with great patience. Food website Delish.com shares the butter addition process should take no less than 10 minutes.

It stated, “If you add the butter in too fast, it will not ‘emulsify’ into the dough and result in an oily, broken dough. It’ll still bake off well enough, but do it right and your dough will satisfyingly smooth, glossy and plump.”

To make the dough, it is important to let it rise to double its size at room temperature and then punch it down again.

After that, let the dough rise again in the refrigerator for varying periods.

The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours (some even put it in for 48 to develop a stronger flavour).

Once the dough is nice and cold, you can divide it and shape. You can bake them in loaf pan, cake pan or a baking tray.

If you do not have the patience to wait until the next day, you can bake it on the same day, provided that you let the dough to rise double in size.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

3.Beignet

While the origin of the beignet can be traced back to Ancient Rome, the term ‘beignet’ comes from the French word for ‘bump’.

In the 17th century, French settlers brought beignets with them as they migrated to the eastern coast of Canada in a region called Acadia. From there, they were known as the Acadians.

A hundred years later, the British took control of the region causing thousands of Acadians to move elsewhere.

Many of them settled in Louisiana bringing along their language and food including beignets.

Fast forward to 1986, beignets became the Louisiana State Doughnut.

If you are into French pastries but you don’t have an oven at home, you can try to make a beignet instead because it only requires frying.

The basic ingredients are butter, all-purpose flour, water, salt, eggs and oil for deep frying as well as powdered sugar to dust over the top of your beignet.

Those who have tried beignet might compare it to a doughnut. Some even called it the square, hole-less doughnut.

However, there are some differences between the beignet and the good-old doughnut.

Since it is made with more yeast and fewer eggs, the beignet tends to be more airy or puffy than the doughnut.

As for cooking tips, one of them is to make sure the dough is refrigerated for at least two hours before frying.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

4.Canelé

Sometimes, it is not just the recipes that make great French pastries but it is the meticulous process behind them.

You can have the exact recipe from a world-class baker but it won’t work if you cannot understand and master the skill behind the process.

The same thought goes to the canelé, a small French pastry flavoured with rum and vanilla.

This pastry has a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelised crust.

There are different versions of how the canelé came about. The history can be traced back between 15th and 18th centuries. It is understood that the pastry came from a convent in the regions of Bordeaux in Southern France.

These regions were famous for their wine. Hence, winemakers used to clarify wine using egg whites and would give the leftover egg yolks to the nuns. Combining it with other ingredients such as milk, flour, butter and sugar, the nuns created the canelé.

One of the tips to prepare the batter is by placing sugar, flour, egg yolk and salt in a blender. Then, blend the ingredients on the slowest speed and slowly put in warm milk and butter.

By blending the ingredients for about one minute, you should have a very thin batter.

Canelé has its own mold. Do not worry if you cannot find canelé mold in your local baking supply stores. These days, almost everything can be bought online. You can even find them on shopping apps such as Shopee.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

5.Cream Puff

A cream puff or profiterole is a French choux pastry ball filled with whipped cream or custard.

A choux pastry is a type of delicate pastry dough which contains only butter, water, flour and eggs. While other pastries essentially need a raising agent to rise, choux pastry uses high moisture content to create steam to puff up the pastry.

A perfect choux pastry has a light and crisp outer shell with soft, creamy filling. The pastry has to be air with large air pockets inside as well.

There are two simple rules for choux pastry. Firstly, stick to the ingredients and measurements which means there is no room for improvisation.

Secondly, do not open the oven while it bakes.

Unlike other doughs, you need to boil the liquid ingredients with butter first before mixing in in the flour. Once this doughy paste is ready, let it cool down before beating the eggs in.

To make a profiterole, you need to pipe the choux pastry dough through a pastry bag into small balls.

After baking it, these little balls will form largely hollow puffs. You can then inject the cream puffs with fillings of your liking using a pastry bag.

It is believed that a chef by the name Panterelli or Pantanelli or Popelini invented the dough in 1540. This was seven years after he left Florence with Catherine de’ Medici as part of her court when she married Henry II of France.

Soon enough, the pastry became famous among the French.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

6.Pain Au Chocolat

If you love chocolate, this is the pastry for you. Pain au chocolat literally means chocolate bread. It is also known as chocolatine in the southwest part of France and in Quebec.

Legend has it that Marie-Antoinette introduced this pastry to France but it is actually considered a modern invention.

Once you have mastered the skill of making your own croissant, pain au chocolat should not be a problem for you.

It is made of the same layered dough as croissant except that you put one or two pieces of dark chocolate in the centre.

Like many of the French pastries on this list, pain au chocolat requires lots of resting and less time on your counter.

You can leave your covered dough to rest in the fridge for four hours and up to 24 hours.

Another tip is while rolling make sure the dough stays cold. If it is too warm especially after a few rolling, cover it and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling it again.

Remember that every time you work on the dough, only lightly flour the work surface, the dough and your rolling pin. Do not pour too much flour.

Lastly, if you find any air bubbles in your dough, just pop them with your finger then light flour the area where you popped the air bubble.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

7.Pain aux raisins

If you have mastered the skill of making croissant or pain au chocolat, then making pain aux raisins should not be a problem for you. This pastry is practically another variant of the croissant or pain au chocolat.

Also known as escargot, this is a spiral-looking pastry often eaten for breakfast in France.

It is made with a leavened butter pastry with raisins added and shaped in spiral with custard filling.

Speaking of custard filling, you can make it the night before and refrigerate it.

Another tip is to use a floss to slice the rolls instead of knife. By doing so, you can prevent the roll from unrolling while you slice the dough.

Once cooled, you can brush apricot jam to give a great glaze and extra sweetness to pains aux raisins.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

8.Palmier

All these pastries seem so hard to make, there must be an easy one to try, you may be thinking.

Let me introduce you to the palmier, also known as pig’s ear, palm heart or elephant ear. It is a French pastry which is curled, very much like an ear. (Although, the more poetic one of us may describe it as a butterfly shape.)

Here is the thing; you can actually make palmier by using three ingredients. As long as you have frozen puff pastry, butter and sugar, then you are good to go.

It is made by alternating layers of puff pastries and butter, rolled and folded over to create (possibly) hundreds of flaky layers.

Once the puff pastry is rolled out, coat it with sugar, and then the two sides are rolled up together so that they meet in the middle, making a roll.

Then, the roll is cut into slices and baked.

While the origin of palmier could be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century, the history of puff pastry started way earlier.

Traditionally, it is believed that French painter and cook Claude Lorrain invented the puff pastry in 1645.

He wanted to make a loaf of bread for his sick father who was prescribed a diet of water, flour and butter.

Lorrain then prepared a dough, kneading the dough over and over, folding it again, and repeating the procedure ten times, unknowingly created the first puff pastry.

Check out the recipe here, here and here.

All photos are from pixabay.com

Malaysians love cornflakes. However, the weird thing is that we do not necessarily enjoy them as breakfast cereal with milk poured on top, but have (improved?) upon this Western breakfast staple with local stylings.

Here are five favourite ways Malaysians eat their cornflakes:

1.Cookies

Even if Malaysian households do not buy cornflakes on a daily basis, they most probably buy it during the festive season.

Malaysians love to make cookies out of cornflakes. The most common one is Honey Cornflakes.

The recipe is quite easy; melt some butter with honey (some even add sugar), once the mixture is melted, mix in the cornflakes. Then, divide the cornflakes into small paper cups. Bake it until it is golden brown.

Other cookies recipe include cornflake cookies, milky cornflake cookies and nestum cornflake cookies.

The easiest way to make a cookie out of cornflakes? You only need cooking chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, pour in the cornflakes and mix it until the cereal is well coated. After that, divide the chocolate into small paper cups. Finally, let the cookies set inside the fridge. Easy right?

Watch how to make chocolate cornflake here.

2.As a snack with fried peanuts and anchovies

Who doesn’t love to munch on snacks? Another favourite Malaysian spin is Spicy Cornflakes with fried peanut and ikan bilis (small anchovies).

The key ingredient of this snack is sambal.

Fry the sambal with oil first before putting other ingredients such as fried peanuts, fried anchovies and of course corn flakes. Make sure every ingredient is well-covered in sambal and crispy before you turn off the stove.

3.Salted egg cornflakes

Salted egg flavouring truly reigned supreme in 2019-2020 and cornflakes were no exception. Malaysians love to flavour this corn cereal and the latest trend was with salted egg powder.

The basic ingredients are 150gm butter, 500gm corn flakes and 100gm salted egg powder. For a little bit of spiciness and flavour, add in dried chilies and curry leaves.

Firstly, melt the butter and pour in the chilies and curry leaves. Then, add in the salted egg powder. Once the mixture is well-mixed, pour in the cereal.

The final step is optional which is to bake the cornflakes at 160 degrees for eight minutes.

Trust us, this snack is so addictive that it is hard for you to stop once you start munching.

Watch how to make it here.

4.Ice-cream toppings

Forget colourful sprinkles or crushed nuts, cornflakes are the perfect way to top your ice-cream.

Its bland taste and crunchy texture is the much needed oomph for your cold dessert.

5.Add some crispiness to your breaded meat dishes instead

Again, forget about panko or breadcrumbs, coat your meat dishes with blended corn flakes the next time you fry your protein.

One of our favourite Malaysian dishes is crispy butter prawn. We love it so much that we have different variations of it. From butter chicken/pork to butter nestum prawn/chicken/pork and of course we have the cereal version using corn flakes instead.

Regardless of the version of this dish, each of them would not be complete without- drum roll please – curry leaves. Don’t you agree?

What is your favourite variation of this famous breakfast cereal?