26 October 2012

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 26, 2012 S AT I S F Y I N G

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O F

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PUMP UP THE PUMPKIN

Specially for Halloween, celebrate with these pumpkin inspired dishes

24 COVER PICTURE RECIPE

PUMPKIN WA CRANBERRY

PUMPKIN MOUSSE WITH SALTED CARAMEL TOPPING

Don’t be confused with the bread name as this i Halloween, this version comes studded with lot

220g pumpkin flesh 90g butter 150g caster sugar ¾ teaspoon salt 2 “Grade A” eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 240g plain flour, sifted 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon powder, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted ¾ teaspoon soda bicarbonate, sifted 120g plain yoghurt 60g dried cranberries 60g walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

(4 to 6 servings)

pumpkin mousse 300g pumpkin flesh, steamed till soft and mashed finely 375ml UHT whipping cream 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 60g caster sugar 4 egg yolks

topping 2 tablespoons coarse sugar 30g walnuts, toasted and chopped 150g pumpkin, cut into large cubes

120ml UHT whipping cream, chilled salted caramel walnut 120g coarse sugar 30ml water 30g walnuts, toasted and chopped ½ teaspoon sea salt

To prepare the mousse: Place all the pumpkin mousse ingredients in a pot.

Cook over low heat, stirring continuously to prevent the cream from burning. Once the mixture thickens, remove from the heat. Set aside to cool. If the mixture curdles, pour into a blender to blend into a fine texture. Using an electric mixer, whisk the chilled whipping cream until it has stiff peaks. Pipe the pumpkin mousse into the glasses, and top with the beaten whipping cream. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

To prepare the topping: Line a baking tray with a sheet of foil. Stir sugar with a wooden ladle in a pan over low heat to dissolve sugar. When it starts to bubble, quickly pour in the water. Be careful at this stage as the syrup tends to pop. Cook awhile until the syrup turns into a golden caramel colour. Quickly pour the hot syrup onto the tray, swirling to spread it.

Top with walnuts and drizzle with sea salt.

Set aside to cool.

To serve: Chop the topping into small pieces. Garnish the mousse and serve immediately. – Recipe by Debbie Teoh.

Photography by Kenneth Lim, Gray Studio.

Taster Comments:

I like the taste of the mousse and won’t mind doing this again as the recipe is simple and straightforward to do.”

SAMANTHA LOW, Student

EDITORIAL NOTE

by Lee Khang Yi

|

Crave Editor

Get ready for the scary season with our pumpkin recipes devised by Debbie Teoh. For trick or treat ideas, and even spooktacular parties to attend, check out our digital edition. Eu Hooi Khaw also checks out delicious seafood in Klang and introduces the angled loofah, a versatile vegetable. There’s also a chance to catch French food by Chef Phillipe Marc at Prime, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur until October 27. Email me at khangyi@mmail.com.my with any feedback.

Happy Halloween!

ADVERTISING SALES Rajan Gopal Senior Manager, Direct & Classifieds Direct line: 03 74951282 rajan@mmail.com.my

Prehea 23cm pumpk just ten with a electric and sa the egg well co mashe vanilla cinnam soda b alterna and wa the pre walnut Bake fo a skew comes oven. T the bre some e Recipe

by Ken

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER 2012

ALNUT AND BREAD

is actually a dense and moist loaf-shaped cake. In honour of ts of delicious pumpkin. Try it for dessert or even brunch.

at oven to 180C. Line a x 10 cm loaf pan. Steam the kin flesh for 8 minutes or until nder. Lightly mash coarsely fork and set aside. Using an c mixer, beat the butter, sugar alt until it is creamy. Beat in gs, one at a time, until it is ombined. Fold in the coarsely ed pumpkin flesh and the a essence. Fold in the flour, mon powder, baking powder, bicarbonate and yoghurt ating with the cranberries alnuts. Pour the batter into epared pan. Sprinkle sugar, ts and pumpkin cubes all over. for 45-50 minutes or until wer inserted into the centre s out clean. Remove from the Transfer to a wire rack. Serve ead warm. It tastes good with extra butter spread on top. – e by Debbie Teoh. Photography nneth Lim, Gray Studio.

Taster Comments:

The bread is really moist and delicious with a good mix of walnuts and cranberries. I suggest though bigger chunks of pumpkin in the bread. I will bake the bread again as it is yummy!”

JAIME LIM,

Teacher, Singapore

THE MALAY MAIL

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FRENCH FINESSE For this week only, Chef Phillipe Marc can be found in Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, a continent away from his base in Paris. Marc who is a faithful disciple of the famous Alain Ducasse is cooking up a five-course dinner, specially designed for Kuala Lumpur diners.

Marc started cooking since he was 9, whipping up pancakes, mash potatoes and fritters. The boy from Bescanon, a town near Switzerland, came from a family of cooks. “My grandmother ran a bistro, the first in a railway station that served real authentic French food,” he says. The young boy apprenticed as a chef from 16 onwards for five years. His career took him to the kitchens of various hotels such as the Vista Palace at Roque Brune, and Don Ceaser in Antibess. It was at Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, where he met Ducasse, the French master chef. In the 1990s, Ducasse was the first chef in 60 years to win six Michelin stars at once, three

apiece for his two restaurants in Paris and Monaco.

Subsequently, after a break, Marc joined Ducasse at the Hotel Plaza Athenee. According to the Hotel Plaza Athenee’s website, Ducasse appointed Marc as Executive Chef of the kitchens of the Hotel Plaza Athenee.

The hotel has numerous eateries, including Alain Ducasse du Plaza Athenee, which has the distinction of being awarded three stars from the renowned Michelin guide. Marc is also named as the executive chef of Le Relais Plaza, a restaurant under the Paris hotel.

For more than 25 years, Marc has been Ducasse’s faithful lieutenant, upholding the French master chef’s food philosophy of treating the product with respect, and working with seasonal

The dinner menu According to Chef Phillipe Marc, the five-course dinner menu is designed to suit the Asian palates, and uses familiar flavours such as ginger, vinegar and even oyster sauce.

Marc’s forte is aromatic sauces, and the play of textures in each dish.

You start off with an amuse bouche of Potato foam with smoked halibut and Arenka caviar. Mix this with the pesto to get a burst of smoky and salty tastes. The Arenka caviar is a rarely seen ingredient here and an alternative to fishy eggs.

It may resemble caviar, but it is made from smoked herring roe with squid ink, lemon juice and spices.

Next comes the cold starter of King crab and celeriac remoulade with its Granny Smith apple base. This was refreshing with hints of ginger. What topped its scale to greatness was the delectable coral jus, made from slowly cooking lobster coral and stock, capers and mustard, to achieve its brilliant red colour.

This is followed by a hot starter of Sea scallop topped with fine crispy filo pastry served with aromatic truffle and sweet basil leaves. The parmesan foam hid a velvetly sweet artichoke puree that paired well with the sweet tasting fresh scallop.

The main course is a choice of seabass fillet or lamb. Specially imported from France, the steamed fish is paired with a green asparagus polenta and an unusual sharp tasting sweet and sour sauce. The oyster sauce base is cooked with cinnamon, coriander seeds, honey, vinegar and ginger. For the

French ingredients, sourced from artisans. In order to stand head and shoulders above the other restaurants, Marc believes that it is all about the right cooking time, product and seasoning.

KING CRAB AND CELERIAC REMOULADE, GRANNY SMITH APPLE AND CORAL JUS

lamb, the perfectly cooked cutlet is served with sautéed zucchini, and artichokes poivrade.

Enjoy the tender lamb with the delectable classic caramelised onion jus.

According to Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Chef Antoine Rodriguez, the sweet ending is a special treat concocted by Christophe Michalak, the pastry chef of Hotel Plaza Athenee. Michalak was a winner of the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie (World Pastry Cup) in 2005. The All chocolate is made from layers of caramel, chocolate cake, ganache and mousse that is finished with chopped hazelnuts. A chocolate piece dusted with gold crowns the light yet delectable dessert.

Catch Phillipe Marc’s special 5-course dinner at Prime, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur till October 27. The dinner is RM488++ per person and RM598++ per person with wine pairing. For reservations, call 03-22637434.

The humble chef upholds French classics and dismisses molecular cuisine as just a passing phase.

“Molecular cuisine is like fashion and has past like a wind,” he says. He believes, molecular cuisine with its powders and jellies just created a wow effect but it did not catch on, as it was not something people could eat all the time or share with others.

“The cuisine was not something you could share and recreate it at home,” he says.

With French classic dishes, there are tweaks though to make them lighter, or even using different products. “The classics stand but there’ll be a different touch such as deconstructing it to make it more fashionable.

However, the base is still classic, “ he says.

CRISPY LAMB CUTLET, SAUTEED ZUCCHINI AND ARTICHOKES POIVRADE

STEAMED SEABASS FILLET WITH GREEN ASPARAGUS POLENTA

POTATO FOAM WITH SMOKED HALIBUT AND ARENKA CAVIAR ALL CHOCOLATE

SEA SCALLOP TOPPED WITH FINE CRISPY DOUGH

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FRIDAY 26, OCTOBER 2012

In the Kitchen

THE MALAY MAIL

ANGLED LOOFAH SOUP

with Eu Hooi Khaw

2 tablespoons oil 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 100g ikan bilis, peeled, washed and drained 1.2 litres water 1 large angled loofah, peeled and cut into small chunks 3 teaspoons tung choy (preserved vegetable), washed, drained and squeezed dry 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 50g glass noodles, soaked in water and drained 1 egg, beaten with a little soy sauce and pepper

ONE vegetable I have grown to like is the angled loofah or sing kua in Chinese. It is also known as petula, ridged gourd, and even dishcloth or towel gourd in reference to its non-food uses when it is dried. The Luffa Acutangula Roxb. (its scientific name) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. This gourd has dark green leathery skin with angular ridges, which needs to be removed to reveal its soft flesh. When cooked, the gourd has a silky texture and sweet taste that makes it ideal for stir-fry dishes. In Chinese restaurants, it is often served with deep fried homemade egg beancurd. The gourd can also be cooked with chilli, cumin and black pepper. For the best results, choose the young gourd that is smaller in size.

The gourd comes from a fast growing annual climbing vine native to India. Unlike other gourds, which are not as nutritious as leafy vegetables, the angled loofah is a source of fibre, calcium, Vitamin C and traces of Vitamin A. According to Chinese beliefs, the vegetable cleanses the intestines and colon. It is also believed to have a cooling effect on the body.

If the gourd is allowed to mature on the vine, it will produce the fibrous loofah sponge you use to scrub your back. The light brown gourd is soaked in a solution of bleach and water for 24 hours, then the skin is peeled off and the gourd is left to dry. Loofahs can also be used as sponges for washing up. There is even a loofah project in Ecuador to help save the rainforests at the bottom of the Andes mountains. The project provides alternate incomes for the farmers to prevent the felling of trees.

In a wok, heat oil and deep fry garlic till golden brown. Add ikan bilis; sauté till it turns light brown. Pour the water and cover the wok.

Bring to boil, simmering for 10 minutes. Remove and drain the soup, discarding the residue. Pour the soup back in the wok and bring to boil and add angled loofah and tung choy. Season with salt to taste.

Simmer for two minutes. Add glass noodles and bring to a boil. Swirl in the beaten egg in the soup and remove. Serve immediately.

DELICIOUS EATS IN KLANG

BY Eu Hooi Khaw

Fried Fish head Kampung Style

CLAYPOT CHICKEN WITH WINE

Fish Porridge with Garoupa slices

Steamed clams in Wine

ky spoo Grab eats and tr ween Hallo end those with att es parti n. c i t s a t io fang- igital edit om. ail.c our d w.mm . w w See r link my fo yat pun woh

YOU might wonder what’s in store in a restaurant that calls itself Restoran Jin Hoe Chak Seafood. Its name in Hokkien literally means “so delicious to eat”. We were to find out with our orders at the restaurant, which stands out with its kampong style facade in Taman Aman Perdana, Klang.

First, the Claypot chicken with wine (RM15) wafted up some stirring aromas of ginger and wine as it was served. It wasn’t the usual chicken cooked in a wine broth, but chunks of chicken well marinated in rice wine and soy sauce, that was cooked and simmered in a claypot with heaps of deep fried old ginger strips. The rice wine and old ginger made a

The restaurant in Taman Aman Perdana

potent, aromatic combination, with the chicken soaking in all these hot scrumptious flavours. It tasted even better the next day, as I had packed the rest of it home.

My friend Jeanie Lee had highly recommended the Fried fish head kampung style (RM16), which she would have each time she comes here. The flavours are intense, with the chunks of fried garoupa fish head drenched with a sauce made with soy bean paste, fried choy poh (preserved radish), lots of ginger and garlic, chillies and onions. It’s hot and zesty and so delicious with the fresh, sweet fish.

Then there are ladies fingers in it to soak up the sauce. Jeanie also likes the sauce stirred into plain noodles, and she has eaten them in this style here.

I can never resist ordering clams whenever I see these on the menu hence we ordered the Steamed clams in Wine (RM13). The large white shelled clams were fleshy and so sweet that all it needed was a dash of Shao Xing wine and garlic. We also ordered the Indon Prawns (RM18), which came with firm and fresh prawns in a curry that was fragrant with spices. The Yat pun woh (RM20)

Crave pays for all its meals and all its reviews are conducted anonymously.

was deep fried yu piu or fish maw, fresh scallops, prawns, sweet peas and carrots in a light sauce finished with a dash of Shao Xing wine. The dish served in a small wok, was delicious with its subtle and refined flavours from the sweet essence of the scallops and prawns.

The Fish porridge with garoupa slices (RM8) may sound ordinary, but it’s an excellent texture that is not too thick or starchy for you to appreciate the smooth fish slices.

Adding flavour to the porridge is julienned fresh ginger, a spoonful of fried garlic and shallots together with chopped spring onions.

The restaurant also serves Crab porridge, Hakka Poon Choy, crabs in hot and sour sauce, as well as the spicy kam heong style.

Other dishes to note on the menu include Salt baked chicken, Ikan pari curry, Salted egg mantis prawns, Salted fish pork and Dry chilli squid.

The seafood is brought in from nearby Kuala Selangor every day, said Lee Soon Aik, owner of the restaurant, so you can be sure the fish, prawns, squid, clams, crabs and mantis prawns served in this restaurant are fresh. The price of the crabs is about RM40 per kilogram, says Lee who has been in the restaurant business for 32 years.

Restoran Jin Hoe Chak Seafood, 41, Jalan Aman Perdana 10A/ KU5, Taman Aman Perdana, Klang. Tel: 016-3808679, 0176352398. Open: 10.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 10.30pm. Closed second and last Tuesday of the month.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 26, 2012 S P E C IAL

D I G I TAL

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O F

TRICK OR TREAT e e n w o l l

BOO

Something Wicked

a H

Beware

October Spooktacular Party

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TRICK OR TREAT Stock up these spooky treats for a ghoul-ish Halloween CREEPY

PUMPKIN HEAD

Crunch down on this jack-o-lantern head made with milk chocolate, roasted peanuts with a salty zing.

RM4.90, Butterfinger Pumpkin, Ben’s General Food Store

BLOODY HEADS

Chopped off heads never tasted better with a combination of milk chocolate and its gruesome red caramel filling. RM16.99 for 150g, Cadbury Deadheads, Mercato

SKREME FOR

PUMPKIN KISSES

The classic kisses get a seasonal flavour revamp of pumpkin and spice.

RM23.99 for 100g, Hershey Pumpkin Spice Kisses, Mercato

A DOUGHNUT Specially for the season up to October 31, Krispy Kreme is serving a ghostly cast, which comprises of the Sprinkle, all decked out in the spooky season’s colours of orange and chocolate. For a creepy time, the Skreme with its ghostly white face will make your skin crawl as you bite down to a bloody strawberry jam filling. Be tempted with the Pumpkin with its wicked smile that hides an orange filling and the Spiderweb, a chocolate iced creepy crawly treat.

RM2.80 per doughnut, Krispy Kreme.

POP ME UP Crackle up the mouth with the orange and green powder candy in Halloween flavours.

RM4.90, Pop Rocks, Ben’s General Food Store

FRIDAY 26, OCTOBER 2012

SMART

THE MALAY MAIL

GHOULISH

PUMPKIN

CHOCOLATE

Crack open the pumpkin head for a hit of colourful Smarties.

RM3.90, Smarties Pumpkin, Ben’s General Food Store

Chocolate just went scary with these ghost and pumpkin lollipops made from Belgian chocolate. RM7.99, Weibler Chocolate, Mercato

EYEBALLED Harvested from zombies, these bloodshot chocolate eyeballs are filled with peanut butter goo.

RM7.70 for a bag, Creepers Peepers, Ben’s General Food Store

PEANUT BUTTER HIT Melt-in-

the-mouth peanut butter meets chocol ate in these pumpk in shaped go odies.

RM10.90, Ree se’s peanut bu tter pumpkins, Ben ’s General Fo od Store

BONE

Find it at

APPETIT Lick on these tangy orange, green apple and grape lollipops with gruesome skeletal arms and legs.

RM16.99, Crazy Bones Lollipops, Mercato

WITCHY DIGITS

Be creeped out with these witch finger lollipops with crusty finger nails, wrinkles and warts. RM6.90, Witch Fingers Lollipops, Ben’s General Food Store

Ben’s General Food Store is at Lot 1A 83-95, Level UG, Publika Solaris Dutamas, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 03-62091717; Krispy Kreme is at Berjaya Times Square, Sunway Pyramid, Plaza Shah Alam, Subang Parade, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Setia City Mall (www.krispykreme.com.my); Mercato d’Marketplace is at G26, Lower Ground Floor, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Jalan Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:03-62011561. (www.mercato.com.my)

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FRIDAY 26, OCTOBER 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

SPOOKTACULAR PARTIES

Creep through the night or afternoon (for the young ones) for eerily fun Halloween eats and drinks

LATEST RECIPE of Finger cookies. There’s even a Brainy nuts tart, good for those who have spilled theirs out. A must for Halloween is the crunchy sweet candied apple. Join the fun and dress up in your favourite Halloween costume. The best outfit takes home a prize. The buffet is from 6.30pm to 10.30pm, for RM108++ per adult and RM54++ per child.

When night falls, the fun begins at the Latest Recipe.

For Halloween (October 31), it will be transformed into a spook-tacular place with grinning jack-o-lanterns and candelabras. Expect hair-raising experiences, as the night prolongs and darkness falls. Bite into the vamped up eerie menu of crudités with vomit vinaigrette, treacherous Worm salad with mouse ears and sautéed caterpillars, or even Semolina coffin cakes.

You will have a howling time with the Monster strawberry fruit tartlet or the eerie digits in the form

EUROP EAN VA M

PIRE IN FESTED

For reservations, email to dining.lmkl@lemeridien.com Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, 2, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:03-22637434.

SYMPHON Y OF HALLOW

EEN NIG H

T

DSHARK

RM 78 NETT

ADOWS

2 HOURS FREE FLOW (BEER, COCKTAIL &WINE) HALLOWEEN INSPIRED MENU LIVE MUSIC

LIFE CENTRE (NEXT TO THAI CLUB)

2012.11.02

COME DRESSED IN FREAKY BLACK CALL 03-2162 2788 STARTS AT 8PM INFO@AMADEUSBISTRO.COM.MY

AMADEUS BISTRO & WINE BAR Bring your fangs out at this European bistro’s vampire themed Halloween party on November 2. Sink your teeth on Halloween inspired eats, as you listen to the live band or watch tricks by a magician. Imbibe yourself with free flow cocktails, beers and wine from 8pm to 10pm. The dress code is ghoulish black and there’s

a chance to pick a prize in their lucky draw. Fork out RM78 nett per person for a fright night of food, drinks and fun. The bistro serves European cuisine with a strong Austrian influence.

M-03, Mezzanine Floor, Life Centre, 20, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:0321622788

THE DAILYGRIND The little monsters can create mayhem on October 27 for tea-time. They can enjoy a special set meal of alien burger, monster fingers and Halloween themed cupcakes for RM35++ per child (3 to 9 years old). The kids will also be enthralled with tricks galore from a magic show and given a free party pack. A pair of adults can also enjoy a special set menu for RM40++.

Come in your best costumes,

as attractive prizes can be won.

For Halloween, the party starts from 2pm onwards until late, as drinks are happy hour together with ghoulish bar snacks. Bring out your vampire teeth, and you get a fang-tastic Halloween alcoholic drink on the house.

LG 8, Lower Ground, Bangsar Village, Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel:03-22876708.