Years ago, Ed’s mom introduced me to her ketchup soup. I couldn’t get enough of it! It’s sweet and sour and hearty. I am very grateful to her for telling me how she makes it. Hopefully you’ll like it too!
Posts Tagged ‘Recipes’
Chocolate Malt Cake Recipe
In Cakes on February 9, 2012 at am
As a child, my favourite comfort drink was the malted milk drink, Horlicks. When I grew up, it became hot chocolate. Now I am revisiting malted milk by baking with it, and everyone around me is falling in love with it all over again (or for the first time). (See my malted chocolate chip cookies recipe here.) I made this delicious, 3-layer, chocolate malt cake for my sister’s birthday. My family really liked it even though they’re not normally fans of chocolate cake. My mom kept picking the Maltesers off the cake and my sister kept stealing them from other peoples’ plates, so the next time I make this cake, I may cover the entire top of it with Maltesers. 
Jien Duy (Chinese Deep Fried Sesame Balls with Red Bean Paste)
In Asian Desserts on January 27, 2012 at pm
Jien duy are deep fried, sesame seed coated, glutinous rice balls with a sweet red bean paste filling. These homemade jien duy are the best that I have ever had and I’ve even tried the jien duy in China. These are crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside, and they have a perfectly thin layer of sticky and chewy glutinous rice flour. These are best when served warm and the day that they were made. They’re surprisingly easy to make, but getting the oil to the right temperature can be a bit tricky.
Baked Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake Variation)
In Asian Desserts on January 22, 2012 at amHappy Chinese New Year! “Nian gao” or “leen go” (translation: year cake) is a cake that is traditionally eaten at Chinese New Year. It has a soft, dense, sticky and chewy texture and is not meant to be very sweet. Traditionally, it is vegan and steamed. See the traditional recipe here. However, the non-traditional, non-vegan baked variation tastes even better (in my opinion). This baked version combines a Western cake-like crust with the traditional sticky and chewy middle. Traditional nian gao / leen go is usually made in 9″ or 10″ pie plates, but for the baked version, I prefer to make small individual sized cakes, because the crispy edges are the best part. These make cute gifts for Chinese new year and are great for introducing people to Chinese new year cake, because nian gao could be considered an acquired taste. Baked nian gao tastes best when served hot.
Cooking with Alison’s Two Year Anniversary!
In Random on January 15, 2012 at amCooking with Alison was created two years ago, today! A lot has happened in the past two years, including adopting my dog, Blue, and moving back to Toronto, ON (this very weekend actually). To the surprise of everyone (myself included), I’ve maintained the momentum of recipe testing and writing. I’d like to thank everyone for making my efforts worthwhile. (See the one year anniversary stats and shout outs here.) Hopefully I can keep up with the cooking and baking for a third year of Cooking with Alison!
The Statistics:
Total number of views: 300, 366
Number of views on the busiest day (January 14, 2012): 991
Total number of posts: 327
The most popular posts to date are:
Four Different Sauces for Mushroom Ravioli
Asian Bread Making Technique (Soft Chinese / Japanese Bread)
Braised Beef Brisket, Tendons and Daikon Radish (Chinese Restaurant Style)
Number of email* subscribers: 96 (plus 27 wordpress.com followers)
*Unfortunately, I don’t currently have a way of knowing how many RSS subscribers there are.
Most Importantly, The Thank Yous:
How to Make Shrimp Chips From Scratch
In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, How To, Other Asian Foods on January 11, 2012 at am
Shrimp chips (also known as prawn crackers) are light, puffed up, crunchy snacks that are very popular all around the world. In some North American Chinese restaurants, multi coloured (with food colouring) “shrimp chips” are served atop a deep fried whole chicken, but those shrimp chips almost never have any real shrimp in them. They taste like styrofoam and don’t resemble the real thing in flavour or in texture. The best shrimp chips in the world, in our opinion, are made in Brunei. It’s been many years since any of us were in Brunei, and I thought that I might never taste their shrimp chips again, until I discovered how easy they are to make at home.
The Best Saag / Palak Recipe (Indian Creamy Spinach Side Dish)
In Indian on January 5, 2012 at amSaag and palak are very popular Indian side dishes. Saag is a combination of greens such as spinach, mustard greens, and/or fenugreek leaves and palak is simply spinach. Some restaurants make these dishes thick and creamy whereas others make them thinner in consistency and healthier. The recipe I’ve shared below is for a quick and easy, thick and creamy saag or palak. I tried many different variations before I got this recipe just right. For example, I compared the textures of boiled spinach vs pan-cooked spinach, and food processor shredded spinach vs chopped spinach vs whole spinach leaves. I also compared the creaminess of using whipping cream vs yogurt vs whipping cream plus yogurt. I’m glad I didn’t give up, because I’ve made this for friends and family and everyone has loved it. (See here for tips on how to get the most flavour out of your Indian spices.)
Favourite Chicken or Turkey Casserole
In Pasta, Rice, and Doughs, Poultry on December 26, 2011 at am
Casseroles are simple, one dish meals that are commonly found in North American homes, at pot lucks, and at other gatherings. I have seen countless tv and movie scenes that portray families complaining about casserole dinners or that jokingly associate casseroles with poorly skilled cooks. I was in university the first time I tried a casserole and, jokes aside, casseroles are tasty, convenient, and most of them freeze well. They’re great for using up leftovers and they can be thrown together using any protein, pasta/rice, and vegetables that you happen to have on hand. I don’t make casseroles often, because they tend to be high in calories and sodium, and are often made with processed foods, but every now and then I will surprise my sister with her favourite casserole (recipe below).
How to Make a Gingerbread House (Ours Won 1st Place!)
In How To, Other Desserts on December 21, 2011 at pm
For our company’s gingerbread house decorating contest, I teamed up with my friends, Erin and Andrea. Thanks to Erin, who has a family tradition of making gingerbread houses, we won first place by most popular vote! I had such a great time making my first gingerbread house, so I’ve shared what I learned about how to make and decorate a gingerbread house. For some inspiration, see some amazing and elaborate gingerbread houses here. Happy holidays everyone!
How to Make Apple Cider
In Drinks, How To on December 16, 2011 at pm
I love apple cider and spiced hot apple cider. I’ve tried many different brands and the best apple cider I’ve ever had was homemade. Ed loved it too, and he’s usually indifferent when it comes to apple cider. This is an easy recipe for apple cider or spiced apple cider that can be served hot or cold. If desired, you could make this an alcoholic drink.
Green Beans with Shallot Butter and Crispy Bacon
In Sides and Sauces on December 10, 2011 at am
I made this side dish for my brother and sister over Thanksgiving weekend, 2011 and we all loved it. This is simple yet elegant, and it’s subtly flavoured, making it a great side for any entree.
Favourite Apple Turnover Recipe
In Pies & Tarts on November 26, 2011 at am
Ed and I were craving apple pie really badly late one night, and I happened to have fresh apples and frozen puff pastry on hand, so I made apple turnovers. (See my apple pie recipe here.) These were quick and easy to make and tasted much better than store bought turnovers. We Loved them; anything else would have been a disappointment in comparison. They were so good that Ed ate four large turnovers that night. I wasn’t much better… stopping after three of them. These are by far our new favourite apple turnovers. They freeze beautifully, if you can resist from eating them all right away, that is.
