ALL ZEST UP TUNA BUNS

Made it to the gym at 6:30am thrice in 6 days. Feeling super good about myself.

Today is Deepavali holiday.  I made Tuna Buns.  Spiking the tuna with lime zest and chilli flakes was a real brainwave!

On a trip to Taipei in September, I managed to lay my hands on a pack of Hokkaido bread flour named “The bunny that loves to dream” (爱作梦的小兔子). It came with a recipe. 

I don’t read Japanese so I asked the very nice Aiko from our Tokyo office to translate the names of the ingredients for me. If you're interested, here is what she came back with: 

17 grams sugar
3 grams dried yeast
5 grams salt
6 grams skimmed milk (I’m assuming it’s milk powder)
250 grams flour
180 grams water
10 grams butter, softened

A staff in Champion Hands recommended an instant yeast - Shirakami Kodama Koubo (白神酵母) - suitable for bread machine dough. She suggested 1 packet (5 grams) of said Koubo (yeast) for every 250 grams of flour. 

I kneaded my bread dough by hand using the technique which I learnt at Brettschneider's.

*****

Makes 6

Bread dough: 17 grams caster sugar, 1 packet (5 grams) Shirakami Kodama yeast, 5 grams salt, 250 grams Reve de Lapin flour, 45 grams low fat milk, 135 grams water, 10 grams butter (softened)

Filling: 2 x 150 grams tuna flakes in sunflower oil, 1 small red onion (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, 2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise, a pinch of sea salt

Topping: shredded cheese, dried Italian herbs

Proofing: 60 minutes + 15 minutes + 60 minutes

Baking: 200 degrees C, middle rack, 17 minutes

IT'S BEGINNING TO SMELL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

I haven't spent a lot of time in the kitchen in 2018.  Much of the year had been devoted to my Dad who, as you know, was admitted into a nursing home in early January.  In fact, it's hard to believe that the last time that I attended a bread baking class at Brettschneider's Baking & Cooking School was in February 2017.  An entire year has sped me by and I've been too caught up in all my day-to-day craziness to notice.

Today's Christmas Baking is once again sponsored by my very generous boss, Caspar!  We made Stollen, minced pies and fruit cake.  The recipes were fairly easy to follow.

Dean Brettschneider also demonstrated on how to make Panforte.

 



I'm so glad my co-worker, Wedad, asked me to sign up for the class with her.  'Twas a Saturday well spent.

Chilli Crab Kitchen is now on Instagram !

刺猬也能拥抱吗？

我恨你把我丢掉

但也很对不起

是我让你手痛了

只能选择放开我

不行。刺猬不能拥抱。刺猬如果抱了人，再怎么小心也会把对方扎痛了。

刺蝟可以拥抱，它們总是渴望拥抱，只是在拥抱以前会有些膽怯——有些事情让它們害怕至此，自卑、无力，甚至干脆逃避——但拥抱是好事，它们十分体会那种温暖，在抱著某个人的时候，彷彿拥有全世界。 ⠀

- 文字出自宇 Kaoru 阿嚕

NURSING HOME FUNNY

Ever since Dad was admitted into the nursing home, he would say the darnest things. 

Dad: Last night I got into a fist fight with the Government. 

Mum: Who?! 

Dad: People from the Government. There were five of them.

Dad (proudly): I fought one against five. And I won. 

*** 

Dad: Last night I came across two large parcels wrapped up with newspapers. I looked closer and saw that there was movement under the newspapers. I then realise there were humans inside! 

Me: Oook … 

Dad: I keep wondering … 

Me: What about? 

Dad: I keep wondering where you can find such big pieces of newspapers. Large enough to wrap a human being. 

Me: Do you know who were under those newspapers? 

Dad: One of them was YOU! 

Me: Me?!

Mum: (bursts into laughter)

Dad: How did he lure you inside? 

Me: Who lured me where? 

Dad: Him (points to an elderly patient who shares the same ward). Both of you were under the newspapers. 

Me: Could you be dreaming? 

Dad: If I was, then it was one absurd dream. 

*** 

Dad: I had eggs for dinner tonight! 

Me: Did you enjoy them?

Dad: Very much. The egg whites were the colour of egg yolks. 

Me: Do you mean steamed eggs?  I bet they were delicious! 

Dad: Yes, yes … they were smooth, and fragrant, I doubt you can make them at home. 

Me: Yup, it takes skill to produce good steamed eggs. 

Dad: It took 24 hours to stew them. On the rooftop (points to ceiling). 

Me: They cooked the eggs on the ROOFTOP? 

Dad: Yes, I saw them do it. 

***

Lunch time on Sunday 

Dad: They cook the rice well in this place. See here (points at the cooked rice on his plate), it looks hard but it is actually quite soft. Every grain is cooked to perfection. 

Mum: That’s good. 

Dad: They cook the rice for 3 to 4 hours here. In fact, they should be cooking the rice for dinner right about now. 

Me: It’s only lunch time, Dad. 

Dad: I know. As I said, the rice like this at least 3 hours to cook. They cook them on the rooftop, using the power of the electric fans on the ceiling. I think these people are brilliant!

Chilli Crab is now on Instagram !

DAD REMEMBERS!

I was with Dad in the nursing home this evening.  At one point he took my hand in his, looked me in the eye and uttered, "Happy birthday!"  A moment of perfect lucidity that made me shed a happy tear.