La Piadina Romagnola

Piadina

We were doing food tasting for English Hi Tea today. You know, those tiny miny types of pastries and sandwiches that are place in a 2 tier plates and serve with tea. Who was tasting it? Our beloved Datin wanted to taste it. The feed back? There are plenty of it but I won't blog about it. There is one interesting suggestion that she gave. She ate this bread when she was in Italy. She could't remember the name but as per her, it was hollow and served it with parma ham (dry-cured ham that is usually sliced thin and serve uncooked. The most expensive and renowned piece of ham come from central and northen Italy). I'll blog it in later part.

We were scrathing heads and toes, trying to figure out what type of bread it is. There are plenty of Italian bread such as Foccasia, Panini, Ciabatta and Grisini Stick, just to name a few. But we have not come across bread that are hollow in the middle. So, we went to do some research the old fashion way, Googling, and we came across this bread and its the one and only type of bread that are hollow in the middle. I supposed it was rolled with all the fillings, that make it look hollow in the middle. Its a flat type of bread (similar to our local chappathi, roti canai or tortilla flour) cooked on a testo, or griddle, and unleavened, originated from Romagna, along the Adriatic Coast. Made from flour, salt and lard.

This was the tenant farmer's food, and many families survived on little else. Little wonder; it's tasty to bite into, wonderful when spread with cheese, an excellent foil for cold cuts, and (when folded) perfect for containing all sorts of things, for example grilled sausages and onions.

Understanding Poultry & Bird Game

The versatility, the popularity and the relatively low cost of poultry items make them ideal for all kinds of food service operations, from elegant restaurants to cafeterias and fast-food restaurants. Also chicken and turkey are popular among diet concious people because they are lower in fat and cholesterol than other meat.

Game bird such as pheasant, are also increasing in popularity and availability because they are now raised domestically by many producers. Farm-raised game birds are similar, in many ways, to chicken, so learning techniques for cooking and handling chicken teaches you a great deal about handling these other birds as well.

Learning about poultry is, in some ways, easier than learning about meats like beef and lamb. Because chicken, turkey and other poultry are much smaller, they are not cut up in such details.

However, poultry has its own cooking problems, so it is important to observe both the similarities and the differences between meat and poultry.

Back To KL Episode 2: The Return Of The Chef

It has been 3 years since I left KL to work in Penang. When I know that I got the job back in KL, I was a bit worried. Can I survive? Can I cope up with the market in KL compared to Penang? Can I keep up with the life style? There are so many questions mingling on my mind.

But when I put it into a positive direction, I told myself, "what the heck, I worked in big city before. Then, why should I be afraid of it?" So, here I am, back to the big city. It was fun though to see the changes of it.

First day in office, most of the staff I have already known. I was here before for the function, working as a part time (I think my future-to-be-boss wants to see my performance). It was fun working in this kitchen. The staff, the superior and the boss. They are all very nice people (I hope this will continue until opening of the hotel). But one thing that I dislike is, there is another kitchen together with dry store (place where you keep all the dry items). Its located at basement 2 (and my kitchen is on Level 2). That is still ok, but one have to walk for 300 meter to arrive the other kitchen.

Back To Kl Episode 1

Well, it's the time again. Coming back to KL for my next big step. My career. I've been working in this industry for almost 15 years now. I love Penang, but the market was really slow if were to compare to KL's market. If I plan to retire, I'll spend my retirement days in Penang.

Back to my career, I found this exciting job in one of the job agency. So, I think its time to move on and decided to give it a try. I sent my resume to the company in Singapore and after a week, they reply me via phone. It was called Gallup (interview through phone). At first I didn't know that this restaurant was belong to Raffles Singapore. But I did heard that there will be one in KL soon. Continue with the Gallup, this was the first time I experienced it. It was weird at first but managed to passed through with 50 questions.

After I passed the interview, I received a second call. This time it was from the chef itself, for a second interview. I took time off to travel down to KL for the interview. The interview went smoothly and guess what. I got the job. Clap... clap... clap...

I was a mixed feeling. Happy because I got the job and sad because me and my girlfriend have to live separately. But it was for my career and I grab the opportunity. When everything is steady, we'll look back at it and laugh at it, right?

Steak

A steak (from Old Norse steik, "roast") is a cut of meat. Most steaks are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibres, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, though they are also often pan-fried. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from the chuck or round are cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized. The more tender steaks have a premium price and perception; the idea of eating steak signifies relative wealth.

The amount of time a steak is cooked is a personal preference; shorter steak cooking times retain more juice, whereas longer steak cooking times result in drier, tougher meat but reduce concerns about disease. A vocabulary has evolved to describe the degree to which a steak is cooked. The following terms are in order from least cooked to most cooked:

Raw - Uncooked. Used in dishes like steak tartare, Carpaccio, Gored gored, tiger meat and Kitfo.

Blue rare or very rare - (37.8°C/100°F core temp) Cooked very quickly; the outside is seared, but the inside is usually cool and barely cooked. The steak will be red on the inside and barely warmed. Sometimes asked for as 'blood rare'. In the United States this is also sometimes referred to as 'Black and Blue' or 'Pittsburgh Rare'.

Rare - (48.9°C/120°F core temp) The outside is gray-brown, and the middle of the steak is red and slightly warm.

Medium rare - (52.2°C/126°F degrees core temp) The steak will have a fully red, warm center. Unless specified otherwise, upscale steakhouses will generally cook to at least this level.

Medium - (57.2°C/135°F degrees core temp) The middle of the steak is hot and red with pink surrounding the center. The outside is gray-brown.

Medium well done - (62.8°C/145°F degrees core temp) The meat is light pink surrounding the center.

Well done - (73.9°C/165°F degrees core temp) The meat is gray-brown throughout and slightly charred.

A style exists in some parts of North America called "Chicago". A Chicago-style steak is cooked to the desired level and then quickly charred. The diner orders it by asking for the style followed by the doneness (e.g. "Chicago-style rare"). A steak ordered "Pittsburgh rare" is rare or very rare on the inside and charred on the outside. In Pittsburgh, this style is referred to as "black and blue" (black, i.e. sooty on the outside, Blue rare on the inside).

In Taiwan, a numeric system is used: 0 means raw and 10 means well done.

I was up early on Tuesday morning. Have the fresh air being sucked into my lungs, for I'm staying just next to a mountain. So, I decided to freshen up myself with brushing my teeth and washed my face.

Because the apartment that I'm staying was a corner lot, there are extra windows just near to where we freshen up every morning and where I hung out my laundries to dry. It was so coincidencely I was looking out the window to see my car (where I parked, I can see through that window), to my horrified, I saw a lady just landed on the ground and bounced out to the road side. Either she commited suicide or accidently fell, only god knows. I was stunned for 5 minutes before I started looking for my phone to call 999.

Dailing.....

Operator : 999, talian kecemasan, boleh saya membantu?

Me : Ya, saya nak buat laporan tentang ada orang jatuh dari blok bangunan saya

Operator : Encik tinggal dekat mana? Klang Valley atau Selangor?

Me : Penang

Operator : Georgetown ke?

Me : Ya

Operator : Apa alamat encik?

Me : Blok xx-xx-x, xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx, ayer itam.

Operator : Encik tinggal ayer itam ke georgetown?

Me : ??? ayer itam (what the f@#k)

Operator : Jadi, sekarang encik nak panggil polis atau ambulan?

Me : oO.... ??????? bukan ker kedua-dua patut datang? (what type of stupid question is he

asking). Hantar jelah kedua-dua.

Operator : Tunggu sebentar, saya sambungkan ke talian polis.

Me : Terima kasih (dan jangan tanya soalan bodoh lagi)

I doubted the lady that just landed on the ground survived. I think that she died instantly because something (some sort of fluid) flew out from her head and after a few minutes, blood oozing out from her mouth.

It was a very sad day although she does not related to me. Why does human being wanted to end their life just like that? You are not achieving anything by committing suicide. Say that you will be on the front page of the newspaper for one day and next day the whole world forgets about you except your family members and friends. Why do you commit suicide for this world that cares least about you? Instead live for the people who love you. You owe your life to your family, friends and well wishers.

BAN ON RIHANNA CONCERT???

Wow... Rihanna will be holding a concert in Malaysia on Feb 13. Although I'm not a big fan of hers, but this will be the first time everyone will have the chance to see her live, up close and personal.

But one thing that saddend me was some party wants her concert to be banned. The party said that inviting the Barbados-born siging sensation to Malaysia was akin to insulting eastern culture, belittling to local artises, intentionally causing loses to the country's economy and supporting Israel's war policy, which is supported by America.

To my opinion, our own artises does hold their own concert. Most of us do support our very own artises. Some even go hysteria over it.

How will it cause loses to our country's economy? Whoever artist performed in our country, you can see that most of our neighbouring country will fly over for the concert. And that means their currency will inflow to our country.

Regardless the taxes that she has paid, contributed to the war in Gaza, that one we wouldn't know.

The Grammy award winner has agreed to follow our regulations that won't offended our multi culture, what more can we ask for??

Yes, I agreed that we should show our displeasure against US in supporting Israel on the continues bombardment on Palestin. But, banning on her concert won't solve any problems. The Israeli will still continue attacking on Palestinian. If we really insist on banning America's product, so why are we still supporting all the fast food outlet and products that has been established in Malaysia for so many years? Does this make sense?

CHINESE NEW YEAR PROMOTION

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Every F&B outlets in Malaysia will be doing Chinese New Year promotion. Swensen's Cafe & Restaurant are not losing out either. They are doing a 5 course dinner at RM168.00 ++ for 4 pax, from 19/01 till 10/02.

The first course is SEASONS TREASURE. It's like Chinese 4 hot & cold combination but this one is 1 cold and 3 hot. It consists of Stuffed Squid with Minced Chicken, Deep Fried Breaded Mussel, Pan Fried Chicken Frank Sausages and Kerabu Chicken.

The second course is GONG XI FATT CHAI. It's mushroom soup with oyster, fatt choi, crabmeat stick, soft beancurd and off course black mushroom. This soup is something like shark fin's soup, only without the shark fin. Hehehehe.....

The third and fourth course is TWIN HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY NOODLE. Twin Happiness is breaded chicken and bbq chicken combo and it comes with pineapple kerabu on top of breaded chicken. While the prosperity noodle, off course, a noodle. It's stir fried seafood udon with black pepper oyster sauce.

Last but not least, RICH & SWEET. Swensen's famouse ice cream. A single scoop of ice cream of the day with toppings and mandarin orange.

SEASONS TREASURE

GONG XI FATT CHAI

PROSPERITY NOODLES

TWIN HAPPINESS

RICH & SWEET

Lastly, I would like to wish everyone A PROSPEROUS & HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR in this year of Ox. GONG XI FATT CHAI

Its been a while since I updated my blog. Now, I've been working at a new place. Its a francise restaurant actually. Located at Gurney Plaza and its a new outlet that opened by this franchisee.

I know, I know (don't remind me). In my previous blog, I've written something bad about this restaurant. But hey, I got bills to pay leh. Beggars can't be chooses.

Lets cut the crap. I've been working at this outlet for more than a month now. I have nothing to complaint about but only the kitchen are tremendous small. My staffs, outlet manager, supervisor and all the service crews are fun to work with but off course there is always a spoilt apple in the group. A lady supervisor (duhhhhhh).

The business? The first two weeks was like extremely busy. Customers are so aggresive, coming in and out non stop. It was like everyone working their butts out. After two weeks, business was like share market. Sometime goes up but most of the time goes down. Maybe because its like a new toilet bowl (san see hang) and everyone wants to try it (hahaha....)

Let me introduce the staff:

Ezzudin (Outlet Manager)

Daniel (my assistant)

Dexter (my reliable guy)

Wen Jun (the joker)

Ooi (the shopper)

Reuben (the kiddy)

Errr.. I think this one must be sesat

To those I never mentioned, guys and gals, you are the best. Thanks for giving me the co-operation although sometimes I'm a bit harsh on you guys. Uhuk... uhuk... uhuk....