Hello! 台北

On this 2nd visit to Taipei I thought perhaps I could have afternoon tea at Paul but when I arrived at the restaurant I found it fully seated.

I didn't want to wait 30 minutes as advised by the restaurant manager.  A 15-minute walk landed me in the much talked about Hello Kitty Sweets restaurant. As one might expect, everything inside is like a fairy tale -very kawaii ... deathly sweet and deadly pink!

If you happen to be a Hello Kitty fan, this restaurant is to die for. If you're not a fan, the sweetness of it all could very well kill you!

There's a minimum spending of TWD300 per person. The food presentation is cute but nothing to write home about.  The berry juice tasted like something pulled right out of my medicine cabinet!

早安台北

On my second morning in Taipei, Sally had a craving for 豆浆油条 and any craving must be met (especially while one is on holiday). The hotel staff pointed us in the direction of  延吉街。A queue had formed when we arrived. It looks like we've come to the right place!

Quite a Q

Soy milk TWD15, 油条TWD13

肉松蛋饼TWD35

葱饼with egg TWD30

Rolling out fresh dough

The place is open 24 hours.  The 山东大饼, 萝卜糕 and 烧饼 all look pretty amazing.  It's a pity I can't stomach them all in one seating!

宏记豆浆

延吉街64号

MELAKA

Because Tammy fell in love with The Little Nonya, she felt she had to visit Melaka to experience the Peranakan culture.  I've already been to Melaka several times but was happy to show her the sights.  Our first stop was the Baba Nonya Heritage Museum.  This is my third time joining the one-hour guided tour of the place but I'm not yet tired of it.

Melaka is no longer the quiet little town I came to love a decade ago.  My favourite chicken rice stall on Jonker Street has flourished into a busy restaurant.  A modern shopping mall has established itself right next to Hotel Equatorial.  Frankly, I don't like the progress at all.  I much prefer to capture the sleepy side of Melaka.

RESTORED

This beautiful 1950’s cabinet (above) was given a new lease of life by the folks at Second Charm. They salvage what others deem junk and restore them to their former glory.  This piece now sits proudly in my study, holding my growing collection of cookbooks. I’ve been eyeing similar pieces of vintage furniture since January but my mother was determined that no book case was coming into our home until after the Chinese New Year for the simple reason that the word “书” (book) sounds the same as “输” (lose). LOL! 

Anyway, it has finally arrived! 

In the recent years, I've grown increasingly intriuged by vintage furniture.  Each piece has its very own character and story.  I especially love furniture made of solid teak, like this retro art deco piece with U-shaped legs (below), which was a wedding gift to my parents from their friends.  It'll remain a treasured piece in my home for many years to come.

SUMMER LOVIN'

When you see lemons in abundance, you know that summer has arrived. I love lemons - so fragrant, so versatile.  And they are especially plump and juicy this season.

The time has come, said ChilliCrab, to make French-style Lemon Yogurt Cake. 

It's hard not to fall in love with this cake. Just how good is it? Mama Crab and Papa Crab gobbled up 3 slices between themselves even before I had time to grab my camera.  When I take them to work, they're gone long before I had a chance to draft the hi-everyone-there-is-cake-in-the-usual-corner email.  It's that irresistable.  One cake never last very long.

So how about FOUR?

Gâteau au Citron

FRENCH-STYLE LEMON YOGURT CAKE
Adapted from this recipe by Orangette

Makes two 16.5cm x 8cm x 7.5cm loaves or

two 18.5cm x 9.5cm x 5cm or

one 20.5cm x 10cm x 5.5cm

For the cake: 
125 grams plain yogurt
200 grams granulated sugar
3 large eggs
140 grams all-purpose flour
60 grams almond meal (ground almond)
2 teaspoons baking powder
Grated lemon zest from 2 lemons
95 grams canola oil

For the glaze: 
Juice from 2 lemons
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees C.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended. Add the flour, baking powder, and zest, mixing to just combine. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. At first, it will look like a horrible, oily mess, but keep stirring, and it will come together into a smooth batter. Pour and scrape the batter into oiled cake pan/s.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. 

Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely. 

When the cake is thoroughly cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Serve.

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