Monday, April 19, 2010

Pandan Panda




Ingredients:
600g loaf (206 x 108 x100h)
230g bread flour
70g cake flour
30g sugar
milk + 1 yolk = 210g (I used skim milk)
4.5g salt
18g unsalted butter (I used 20g)
4g yeast
8g green tea powder dissolved in 10g boiling hot water
8g cocoa powder dissolved in 8g boiling water

Method:
1. Heat up milk and yolk to temperature of 38C. (I beat the yolk lightly with milk and send it to the microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds).
2. Put everything in bread machine and set to dough cycle. Let it knead for 20 minutes. Stop the cycle and restart the dough cycle and let it knead for another 15 minutes.
3. Divide dough (about 560g) into 3 parts: 75g for the chocolate, 210g plain and the rest of the dough which is less than 280g for the green tea.
4. Add chocolate to the 75g dough and knead till the colour is even. Add green tea mixture to the 280g dough and knead till colour is even. (I did this step manually).
5. Prove all 3 pieces of doughs on separate greased plates covered loosely with oiled cling wrap for 30 – 40 minutes.
6. Punch air out of dough and prove for another 20 – 30 minutes.
7. Use 90g plain dough for the face and 2 pieces of 27g chocolate dough for the eyes. (Refer to photo guide in Step (7) in TARO’s site).
8. Fill the hollow of the eyes with 30g plain dough. (Refer to photo guide in Step (8) in TARO’s site).
9. Roll remaining plain dough over the patterned dough. (Refer to photo guide in Step (9) in TARO’s site).
10. Divide the remaining chocolate dough into 2 pieces (17.5g each) for the ears. (Refer to photo guide in Step (10) in TARO’s site).
11. Use 70g of the green tea dough to fill up the hollow between the ears. (Refer to photo guide in Step (11) in TARO’s site).
12. Wrap the rest of the green tea dough all around the patterned dough. (Refer to photo guide in Step (12) in TARO’s site)
13. Place dough into a well-greased loaf pan and cover it with a lid and prove for 50 – 60 minutes in an enclosed area eg. microwave oven.
14. Bake at 200? for 25 – 30 minutes.

Notes:
1. This is not an exact translation of TARO’s recipe because I used the bread machine to help me so the first few steps might be different from TARO’s.
2. For Step (12), I did not wrap the green tea dough all around the patterned dough. Compare my finished product to that of TARO’s, you can see the difference.
3. My first prove is 60 minutes, 2nd prove is 30 minutes and final prove is 60 minutes.
4. I bake at 185C for 25 – 30 minutes.


~ Source: http://perfectpandas.com/2008/01/08/panda-bread/

~Original Source: http://wlteef.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

Q

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Love the Earth

The Qee Flocked Green Love Bear: Save the Earth. ( Special Limited Edition)
~ I just got one !!!!


Earth Week: April 16-22 .


Everyone's talking about Earth Day on the 22/4.

Actually Earth Week started last Friday on the 16th .:)

A week to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.


A week where less is more. :)

Q... Love the Earth. Save the Earth . Embrace it.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Most Beautiful Cars In the World

Rolls Royce Phantom (Coupe)
Bentley Mulsanne
Mitsuoka Galue
Mercedes Benz CLS
VW Passat CC
Porsche Panamera
Aston Martin Rapide
Jaguar XJ
Maserati Gran Turismo
Renault Laguna coupe
Audi S5 Coupe

Some might add a few of their own opinions and options.

But any of the above will surely rank easily as some of the most successful shapes to ever grace our roads.


Q ... watch out for 'The Most Beautiful SUV' article up soon .

Losing my Mind




Taking care of a post-stroke patient, with their impulses, ill-tempers and erratic behaviors, is almost worst than the stroke itself.

I should know.

Breaking point. Sooner.

Q

Am A Rock !







The 2010 Volkswagen Amarok .


A stunner in form and function.

Like all VWs, this is a precision-made machine of high quality, sophisticated techno-wizardy of an advanced gear box, powerful turbo charged engine and then some.

Traverse the rough terrain and you know you are The Rock.


Q

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Saving Graces

Chevy Cruze


Opel Insignia

The economy was at crashing point and the auto giants that ruled the 80's to early 2000's saw their customers dwindle and their drafts ballooning.

General Motors now has the Opel Insignia to point it's guns and rivals insight.

Chevrolet has got the Cruze to cruise through the competition . Trample over , even.

Well done.

Q

Saturday, April 10, 2010

This OC girl is Statuesque





I am in love .... ^^)

She's a total Giant German Supermodel!

All 20 metres of her graces Singapore's Tallest Mall, Orchard Central.

( Me thinks , other than this amazing girl, sadly, there is really nothing else worth a second look at OC.)

Q.. her proportions are so out-of-this world that you could walk right pass her many times over and not notice! Amazing. Try to believe.

Beary Popular

I want this !!!!


You heard it here first .

Care Bears. The iconic bears of cute symbols and 'heavenly powers' and everything saccharine for the 80's babies .

Is now back en vogue.


Grab your favourite ones now and show them off !

Q

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Mock and Mockery

The Quintessential Audi A3. A long-time icon of style, substance and sophistication for the junior executive.


The Cherry A3 : The wannabe that is getting there. In a world so used to poking fun at shady Chinese cars, this brand is beginning to come into its own. With vastly inproved quality, a gorgeous coupe-5 door body penned by Pininfarina almost seals the deal.



Until of course, you factor in the poor ergonomics, the painfully sluggish engine and mediocre gear box, you know , appearances can only do so much.

Q .... The Monach butterfly could be emulated. But it was never duplicated.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

H-E-L-P

Just got a domestic worker to lift the burden of what is now part of life.


Have Faith. Help is on the way.

Have Faith. What's on the way is help.

Have faith. All will be better.

Have faith.

Q.. many months and much money later .

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Salty Family Jewels



I used to hate Macarons.


To me they were so revoltingly sweet to the point of almost insulting.

Not to mention, so awfully expensive.

Thus, for the longest time, other than admiring the candy colours, I laid my hands of these french sins.

Until recently, a friend of mine, who abs-olutely loves them to hell, started introducing me other places about town that does amazing macarons.

And , I totally agree.

I am in love with the Passion fruit version and especially , so , the Salted Egg flavour.

Sounds weird yeah, the latter one. But trust me on this, it tastes to die-for.

Salty and sweet makes it so irresistibly savoury .

Where to get one at $2 per pop ( yes, at least this time, the amazing taste makes it justifiable!)?

This exquisite place called 'Jewels' at Orchard Central, along Orchard Road, Singapore; Singapore's tallest mall.


Q

i, Wild Cat



Rawrrrrr. Grrrrr. :)

I just couldn't resist.

The Ris Low-saga has certainly died down ( maybe a little) but her leopard-prints-speech had made this pattern such a must have on everything.

Actually, it's more the Wendy Williams Camp-meets-Cougar influence that plays a bigger influece for good or for worse. LMAO.

I mean I saw Pierre Goh flaunt one , so I know I gotta have one too ! (Erm, nothing about him; just focus on the phone please.)

Took forever to search but finally found it . ^^)

Rather expensive but me thinks, worth it.

Q