Out of Africa

Handpainted on Ikea mugs for presents.


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The Goddess's Apple and Walnut Cake

1/2 cup golden raisins
6 tbs rum
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp walnut oil
3/4 sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 pund apples - peeled, cored and cut
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cups walnut (optional)

Put golden raisings and rum (or water) into saucepan and bring to boil, then remove from heat, letting the raisins plump up aromatically.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat oil and sugar in a bowl.
Add eggs one at a time, beating until it looks like light mayonaise.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixture, folding with a metal spoon.
Stir in apples, lemon zest, drained raisins and walnuts.

Smooth the fairly stiff batter into greased cake tin.
Bake for 1 hour.
Serves 6.

Blue Plate by Beeworks

For me, the Goddess-in-the-making...
I didn't have golden raisins. I used yellow raisins instead.
I skipped the rum.
I didn't have walnut oil. I used olive oil instead.
I love brown sugar. So, I used it instead of regular castor sugar.

The batter came out really, really stiff. I panicked and thought it may come out looking like biscuits! So, I added some milk.

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The Earl of Sandwich didn't think of this one...

Sambal Sandwich Filling

Makes 2 small jars

300g (10oz) dried prawns
5 fresh red chillies
3 dried chillies
1/2 cup shallots, peeled
4 tbs oils
sugar to taste

Wash dried prawns and soak for 5 minutes in hot water to soften.
Save soaking water.
Soak dried chillies in hot water to soften.

Process dried prawns until fine.
Remove, then process chillies and onions until fine.

Heat oil in wok and saute spice paste until fragrant.
Add a little shrimp water.
Add dried prawns.
Continue to fry until golden brown.
Add sugar to taste.

Cool and store in jar.

Excellent with bread!

Rescue 911
Since my sambal turned out too salty, this is what I did:
Resoak the whole sambal in hot water (I know...I know...this is unconventional....but I'm making up for my earlier mistakes)
Cut some potatoes into cubes.
Strain the sambal from the water.
Fried the sambal in the wok with the potatoes, minus the shrimp water.

Apprarently, potatoes can suck out the salt from the dish.

Result: It's less salty now....but it's still potent.

How do I get the salt out of my system?

I wonder whether if I eat some potatoes, it will suck the salt from my bloodstream.

I am thinking....

Meanwhile, one jar goes into my suitcase.

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Otak-Otak for Dummies

Growing up, I simply love when my mum's homecooked Otak-otak. Then, the "supply" stopped because it became all too convenient to eat it in the restaurant.

I have be toying with the idea of making it for a long, long time. But, I was often intimidated by the ingredients.

What is galangal? candlenut? etc...

Then, I found this simple recipe....for dummies like me!

No pounding of spices, no squeezing of milk from coconut...excellent!

2 cups minced white fish meat (kurau)
1 packet of coconut cream (200ml)
1 tbs bottled sambal chilli paste
1 tbs coriander powder
1 tsp tumeric powder
4 large eggs
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
White peeper to taste

Daun limau purut (kaffir lime leaves)
Daun kadok
Banana leaf

Place fish meat into bowl.
Add coconut cream, sambal, tumeric and coriander powder.
Beat eggs separately and pour into bowl.
Add sugar, salt and pepper.

Line dish with banana leaves. Then, with daun kadok.
Slice finely the lime leaves and some daun kadok.
Mix sliced leaves into mixture.

Pour mixture into dish.
Place dish into baking dish, filled with water.
Bake at 180c till golden brown.

Mum said to add a bit of rice flour to help set the mixture.
I love a lot of lime leaves and daun kadok in my Otak-Otak. So, I am generous in my dish.

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Birthday Blooms

Flowers by Pure Seed

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The Big Breakfast Ritual

Step 1: Get lots of chilly sauce from the dispenser.
Step 2: Sprinkle the black pepper over eggs and patty.
Step 3: Add creamer to coffee. No sugar...watching my weight!
Step 4: Place the patty on one half of the bun.
Step 5: Eat and enjoy the newspapers too...
Step 6: Sip coffee
Step 7: Move on to scrambled eggs...
Step 8: Give away hash brown... watching my cholestrol level.
Step 9: Spread the strawberry jam on the other half of the bun.
Step 10: Eat and enjoy...
Step 11: Finish the coffee
Step 12: Ask for a refill. Coffee on the go...

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How do I love Thee?

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints - I love thee with the breadth,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

One of my favourite poems.

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A Piece of Cake

I used to remember a time when I get an urge to eat something, I would go out and buy it.
I am trying a different viewpoint.... to be more self-sufficient. Moreover, you cannot trust what they put into food these days. So, I have started to bake...

Carrot Cake on Apple side plate by Beeworks

Part A
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 salt
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 1/2 cup brown sugar

Part B
1 cup corn oil
4 eggs

Part C
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped ripe pineapples
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely sliced apricots
1 inch finely chopped young ginger

Sift all ingredients in Part A into a mixing bowl.
Mix Part B into bowl, in parts mixing slowly.

Add Part C into bowl. Blend mixture.
Line baking tin with greaseproof paper. Grease the sides of the baking tin with some oil. Pour in baking tin.

Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes in oven at 180 C.

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