Holiday in Penang

Last week my partner and his kids and me all went to Penang also known as the "Pearl of the Orient" for a holiday. We stayed at Bayview Beach Resort Hotel located at Batu Ferringhi and were quite pleased that they upgraded our standard room to superior room without any extra charges. The room is clean and spacious with adequate toiletries provided.

On some nights we ventured out from the hotel to the shops closed-by for a meal. We also took a tour to explore Penang further, visited the Batik Factory and witnessed the traditional technique of batik painting, introduction to spices, local fruits and rubber tapping, stopped at a typical Malay Village, visited the Snake Temple and lastly a visit to OE Design to observe the art of jewellery making. We couldn't tour Penang Hill because it was closed due to some repair work being carried out.

It was a nice get away and I came back with a nice tan.

Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken on a quiet Sunday night.

Spicy Prawn Fettucini

Spicy Prawn Fettucini for dinner.

A New Year...2010

Time really flies ! Before you know it, we ushered in another year. We celebrated new year's eve quietly at home last night with frozen champagne, waiting patiently for it to melt. Good question, why was it frozen (because my partner put it in the freezer and forgot about it). However we couldn't wait that long and thank goodness we had another bottle of chilled white wine.

When the clock struck 12, we toasted to a new year with good wishes. We saw fireworks being launched from KLCC from our apartment's window. A very spectacular sight indeed. Too bad I couldn't take a nice picture from where I was.

May this be a great year to everyone...!

Christmas....

I just love Christmas time.... the Christmas tree decorations, mistletoe, candy cane, spending time with family and friends, the joy of giving gifts to your loved ones and not forgetting food. Food such as roasted turkey, apple strudles and so much more that are so delicious and delightful. Christmas day is a timeless favourite for giving, feasting and merry-making. Some of my favourite things are wrapping of presents and decorating the Christmas tree. This year, we will be celebrating our Christmas eve at One World Hotel and on Boxing Day there will be family gathering for dinner.

The next day after Boxing Day, one of my many cousins is getting married, so more good food to enjoy. I am truly blessed to have such terrific family, a loving partner and good friends. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year !

Apple Crumble

It has been a while since I last baked. It is a public holiday today and I thought I better do some baking and decided to make apple crumble.

. 4 apples

. 100 g white sugar

. 100 g brown sugar

. 200 g plain white flour

. 120 g butter

. 1 cinnamon stick

. 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1) Peel and core the apples and dice them into chunks.

2) Put the apple chunks into a pan, add 3 quarters of the sugar, lemon juice and the cinnamon stick.

3) Stew the apples gently for half an hour, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

4) Check that the apples are cooked by mashing it a bit with the wooden spoon. The apples should be soft and not pureed.

5) Put the apples into the serving dish and allow to cool.

6) Mix the white flour, remaining sugar and the butter with your fingers in a bowl until it becomes like a breadcrumb consistency.

7) Preheat the oven to 180 C.

8) Cover the stewed apples with the crumble topping, without pressing down.

9) Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown and crunchy.

10) Serve with vanilla ice cream or sauce.

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Spaghetti Bolognaise...