Cooking Master

POTATOES MUD (LUMPUR KENTANG)

2009-03-19T10:18:00.004+07:00

Ingredients :

2 pc eggs

250 gr wheat powder

250 gr potatoes (boiled and pestle)

150 gr sugar

50 gr liquid margarine

2 glasses milk squeezed from coconut (1 pc coconut)

50 gr raisin

Little salt and vanilla

Methods :

Shake egg, sugar, and vanilla until expand
Mix with liquid margarine,
Mix with wheat powder, potatoes, and milk squeezed from coconut
Baked on container like bikang container
Ready to serve
Serve when it's hot

Cucur Loka

2009-03-16T10:15:00.001+07:00

Ingredients :

3 pcs eggs

10 pcs (750 gr) king banana ( Pisang Raja)

50 gr sugar

2 teaspoon lime's water

0.5 salt

20 pcs small container made of banana leaves

Sauce :

150 gr sugar

300 ml milk squeezed from coconut

1 pcs pandanus leaves

2 teaspoon wheat powder

Methods :
1. Mix all ingredients
2. Pour on Small container made of banana leaves
3. Steam on metal vessel for steaming rice with average fire 20 minutes, lift
4. Mix all sauce ingredients on average fire until thick, lift
5. Be cascaded cake with sauce
6. Ready to serve

Potatoes Kroket ( Kroket Kentang )

2009-03-13T15:41:00.001+07:00

Ingredients :

1.5 kg potatoes

35 gr margarine

3 glasses cooking oil

0.5 wheat powder

3 pcs eggs

0.5 teaspoon salt

0.5 teaspoon nutmeg

Methods :

Fry the potatoes until it has yellow color and pestle
Mix salt, nutmeg, egg yolk and liquid margarine
Shake hard egg white
Mixed all ingredients, make spherical form
Roll on wheat powder then dips on egg white
Fry on hot cooking oil
Ready to serve

Soto Betawi (Betawi Soup)

2009-03-12T12:28:00.000+07:00

Ingredients:
* 400 gram beef ribs
* 1 kg brisket (some bones if you have)
* 2 pcs bay leaves
* 3 stalks of lemon grass - bruised, tied into a knot & dump into pot
* 3 cm fresh galangal - roast in naked flame until fragrant
* 2 cm fresh ginger, sliced
* 3 pcs kaffir lime leaves
* 250 ml coconut milk
* 500 gr potatoe - cubed
* 4 cm cinnamon stick

Ground spices:
* 12 pcs shallots
* 7 pcs garlic
* 5 pcs red chilis
* 8 pcs candlenuts - roast in naked flame till fragrant
* 1 tbs coriander powder
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1 tsp white pepper powder
(all ground smoothly, then stir fry in cooking oil until fragrant)

Methods :

Boil water with lemon grass, roast galangal, bayleaves in a pot & cook ribs + brisket until tender. This should take a while.

In the mean time shallow fry cubed potatoes until golden brown (this time, I only steamed the potatoes, running out of cooking oil)

When ribs & beef are tender enough, mix in the stir fried ground spices, kaffir lime leaves and cinnamon stick.

Add salt + pepper, and pinch of sugar if needed

Serve steaming hot. Place cubef potatoes first, then the ribs & soup. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions, chopped tomatoes

Eggnog Ice Cream

2009-03-10T13:31:00.000+07:00

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
4 whole cloves
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
2/3 cup white, granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbsp rum, bourbon, or brandy

Methods:

1 Put the 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of the cream into a heavy saucepan (2 quart). Add the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and heat until steamy, but not boiling. Lower the heat to warm, cover, and let spices steep for at least a half hour. Pick out the whole cloves and discard. Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved.

2 Put remaining 1 cup cream in a metal bowl, resting in a larger bowl of ice water. Place a fine mesh strainer over the bowl of cream.

3 Whisk the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Slowly pour about half of the heated cream milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks are tempered by the warm mixture, but not cooked by it. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

4 Return the saucepan to the stove on medium heat, stirring the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon. You should be able to run your finger across the coating and have the coating not run. This can take about 10 minutes. The second this happens the mixture should be removed from heat immediately, and poured through the sieve over the ice bath to stop the cooking (step 5).

5 Pour the custard through the strainer (from step 2) and stir into the cold cream to stop the cooking. Once initially chilled in the ice bath, chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (at least a couple of hours).

6 When it comes time to churn the ice cream, stir in the vanilla extract and the rum, bourbon, or brandy. Then process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

7 Remove ice cream from the ice cream maker and transfer it to an airtight container; store in your freezer for several hours before eating. Note that the ice cream will be quite soft coming out of the ice cream maker. It will continue harden in your freezer. If stored for more than a day, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes to soften before attempting to scoop it.

Makes about 1 quart.

Warm Duck Salad

2009-03-10T09:58:00.002+07:00

Ingredients

2 boneless duck breasts, skin on (about 12 to 14 ounces each)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 1/2 tablespoons good sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup good olive oil
3 heads Belgian endive
3 ounces mache or other delicate baby lettuce
Navel oranges, peeled, cut in 1/2, and sliced
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1 cup toasted whole pecan halves

Methods:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the duck breasts on a sheet pan, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and roast for about 20 minutes, until medium-rare. Remove from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the fat and skin on top (unless you're making cracklings), slice the duck, and then cut the slices crosswise into julienned pieces.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar, orange zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.

For the salad, trim the bottom half-inch from the endive and cut them diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Separate the leaves and discard the cores. Place the slices in a large salad bowl. Add the mache leaves, oranges, raspberries, and toasted pecans. Toss with enough dressing to moisten. Gently toss in the warm duck meat and serve immediately.

Indonesian Ingredients

2009-03-06T16:31:00.003+07:00

Basil, Lemon (daun kemangi): A fragrant, lemon-scented herb added at the last minute to keep its flavor, or used as a grarnish. Although the flavor will be different, you can use another type of basil.

Candlenut (tingkih/kemiri): A round, cream-colored nut with an oily consistency used to add texture and a faint flavor to many dishes. Substitute macadamia nuts or raw cashews.

Cardamom (kapulaga): About 8-12 intenselu fragrant black seeds are enclosed in strawcolored, fibrous pod. Try to buy the whole pod instead of cardamom seeds or powder for maximum flavor, and bruise lightly with the back cleaver to break the pod before adding to seasonings.

Celery (seledri): The celery used in Indonesia is somewhat different form the celery used in the Western world. It has a very slender stems and particularly pungent leaves. It is often referred to as "Chinese celery" abroad and is used as a herb rather than a vegetable.

Chilies (cabai, also called cabe or lombok): There are several types of chili pepper used in Indonesia. One thing that is important about chili pepper, the amount of heat increases as the size of the chili pepper diminishes. Green chilies are the unripe fruit, and have a flovor different from red chilies. Fresh, finger-length red chilies are the most commonly used. Dried chilies also used in some dishes and they should be torn into pieces and soaked in hot water to soften before grinding or blending. Hottest of all chilies are the tiny fiery bird's-eye chilies (cabe rawit). To reduce the heat of the dish while retaining the flavor, remove some or all the chili's seeds.

Cinnamon (kayu manis): A thick, dark brown bark of a type of cassia. Do not substitute with ground cinnamon if you can.

Cloves (cengkeh): A small, brown, nail-shaped spice. Whole cloves are frequently used to flavour cooking liquids for simmering fish, poultry or meat.

Coconut (kelapa): The grated flesh of the coconut is frequently added to food. It can also be squeezed in water to make coconut milk. To make fresh coconut milk, put 2 cups of freshly grated ripe coconut into a bowl and add 2 cups of lukewarm water. Squeexe and knead the coconut thoroughly for 1 minute, then strain thorugh cheesecloth into a bowl to obtain thick coconut milk. Repeat the process with another 1 cup of water to obtain thin coconut milk. Combine both for the coconut milk. Coconut milk can be frozen; thaw and stir thoroughly before use. The best substitute for fresh coconut mik is instant coconut powder. Combine this with warm water as directed on the packet. For richer, creamier flavor required for desser and cakes, use canned (unsweetened) coconut cream.

Coriander Seeds (ketumbar): Small straw-colored seeds with a faintly orange flavor. Whole seeds are usually lightly crushed before use.

Cumin (jintan): use sparingly as it has a strong smell.

Cup Leaves (daun mangkok): The shape of the leaf is like a cup. It's also known as tapak leman (Nothopanax scutellarium) and it usually used to cook stew dishes. A good substitute is curly kale.

Garlic (bawang putih): The cloves of garlic in the Western countries are considerably larger. Adjust the amount to suit your taste.

Ginger (jahe): This pale creamy yellow root is a very important ingredient for Indonesian cooking. Always scrape the skin off fresh ginger before using, and never substitute powdered ginger as the taste is quite different. Ginger can be stored in a cool place for several weeks.

Kencur: It is sometimes known as lesser galangal. This ginger-like root has a unique, champor flavor and should be used sparingly. Wash it and scrape off the skin before using. Dried sliced kencur or kencur powder can be used as a substitute. Soak dried slices in boiling water for approximatley 30 minutes; use ½-1 tsp. of powder for 1-inch fresh root.

Laos (lengkuas): Sometimes is called galangal, this is a member of the ginger family and it has a very tough but elusively scented root that must be peeled before use. Substitute slices of dried laos (soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes) or powdered laos (1 tsp = 1 inch).

Lemongrass (serai): This is an intensely fragrant herb that is used for soupd, seafood and meat dishers and spice pastes to produce lemony flavor. Cut off the roots and peel off the hard outer leaves, use only the tender bottom portion (6-8 inches).

Lime: There are several types of lime used in Indonesia. The most fragrant one is called kaffir lime (jeruk purut). Kaffir lime has virtually no juice, but the double leaf is often used whole or very finely shredded, while the grated skin is occasionally used in cooking. The picture on the right shows Kaffir lime. The round yellow-skinned limes which size is slightly larger than a golf ball (jeruk nipis) and small, dark green limes (jeruk limau) are used for their juice. If limes are not available in your area, you can subsitute it with lemon.

Nutmeg (pala): Always grate whole nutmeg just before using as the powdered spice quickly loses its fragrance.

Palm Sugar (gula jawa): Juice extracted from the coconut flower or aren palm is boiled and packed into molds to make sugar with a faint caramel taste. If palm sugar is not available, substitute with soft brown sugar. To make palm sugar syrup, combine 2 cups of chopped palm sigar with 1 cup of water and 2 pandan leaves. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, strain and store in refrigerator.

Pandan Leaf (daun pandan): The fragrant leaf of a type of pandanus sometimes known as fragrant screwpine, this is tied in a knot and used to flavor dessert and cakes.

Peanuts (kacang tanah): Used raw and ground to make suace, or deep fried and used as a garnish or condiment.

Pepper (merica): Both black and white eppercorns are crushed just before usel ground white pwpper is also used on occasion.

Salam Leaf (daun salam): A subtly flavored lead of the cassia family, this bears no resemblance whatsoever to the taste of a bay leaf, which is sometimes suggested as a substitute. If you cannot obtain dried salam leaf, omit altogether.

Shallots (bawang merah): Widely used in Indonesian cooking, pounded to make spice pastes, sliced and added to food before cooking, and sliced and deep fried to make a garnish.

Shrimp Paste (terasi): This ingredient has a strong fragrance; it is always cooked before eating, generally toasted over a fire before being combined with other ingredients. The color of this ingredient range from purplish pink to brownish black.

Slaked Lime (kapur sirih): A paste obtained by grinding sea shells in a little liquid. This is the lime which is chewed with betelnuts, gambir and tobacco.

Soy Sauce: There are two types of soy suace that are used in Indonesian cooking, thick soy sauce (kecap manis), and the thinner, more salty thin soy sauce (kecap asin). If you cannot obtain sweet soy sauce, use the dark black Chinese soy sauce and add brown sugar to sweeten it.

Tamarind (asem/lunak): The dark brown pod of the tmarind tree contains a sour fleshy pulp, which adds a fruity sourness to many dishes. Packets of pulp usually contains the seeds and fibers. To make tamarind juice, measure the pulp and soak it in hot water for 5 minutes before squeezing it to extract the juice, discarding the seeds, fiber and any skin.

Turmeric (kunyit): An essential root in Indonesian cooking, usually sold in dried or powdered form in the US and Europe. It imparts its yellow color and pungent taste to many dishes. If you can buy fresh turmeric, pick roots that are dark in color.

balinesse Spices Chicken

2009-03-04T13:56:00.002+07:00

Ingredients:

1 chicken cut into 20 pieces
1 cm lengkuas, smashed
2 salam leaves
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 tomato each cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

Finely pounded spices into paste:

7 red chilies
5 pieces shallot
4 cloves garlic
2 cm ginger
3 eggs candle nuts
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste, which has been in the frying

Methods :

Chicken, seasoned with salt, leave it briefly, and half-cooked.
Stir-fry spices paste until fragrant, add lengkuas, salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, tomatoes and sweet soy sauce.
Add the chicken that has been half-fried, cooked until the tomatoes crushed and spices inveterate into the chicken, ready to serve.

Tasty Onion Chicken ( Ayam Bawang Gurih )

2009-03-04T13:53:00.000+07:00

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 12 pieces
1 onion, cut into 6 pieces long
3 clove garlic
1 tbs margarine for saute
600 cc coconut milk from 1/2 coconut

Thickening:

2 tbs flour
5 tbs water

Finely Pounded Spices into Paste:

1/2 tsp cumin
4 candlenuts
1 tsp corriander
salt
pepper
sugar

Methods :

saute garlic, onion until fragrant. Add spices paste.
Add chicken. Saute untill colour change.
Pour coconut milk. Cook until the chicken tender.
Pour Thickening.
Ready to serve.

Shrimp Paste Sambals ( Sambal Terasi )

2009-03-04T13:50:00.001+07:00

Ingredients :

20 red chilli
10 small chilli
2 tsp fried/roasted shrimp paste
1 tsp salt

Methods :

Ground all ingredients until mixed well
ready to serve

Mie Goreng ( Indonesian Fried Noodles)

2009-03-04T13:46:00.000+07:00

Ingredients:

250 g Fine egg noodles
250 g Shrimps, raw or cooked
4 tablespoons Peanut oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Fresh red chili, seeded and sliced
1/2 teaspoon Dried shrimp paste
2 stalks Celery, finely sliced
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1-2 tablespoons Light soy sauce
Small wedge of cabbage, finely shredded

Garnish:

4 Spring onions
Thinly sliced cucumber
Fried onion flakes

How To:

Soak noodles in hot water, while bringing large saucepan of water to the boil.
Drain noodles and drop into the boiling water, allow to return to the boil and boil from 1-3 minutes, depending on the noodles.
Some are cooked in the shorter time, while others take a little longer.
Keep testing one strand every half minute of so, because they must not overcook; like spaghetti they must be tender but still firm to bite.
As soon as they reach this stage, drain in colander and run cold water through them until cool or they will continue to cook in their own heat. Drain well.
Shell and de-vein shrimps.
Heat peanut oil in a wok or large deep frying pan and fry onion, garlic and chili until onion is soft and starts to turn golden.
Add dried shrimp paste.
Add shrimps and stir fry until cooked through.
Add celery, cabbage, salt and pepper and fry for a further minute or just until tender.
Vegetables should retain their crispness.
Add noodles and keep turning the mixture so that every part of it gets heated through.
Season with soy sauce to taste.
Pile into a serving dish and sprinkle onion flakes over the top.
Chop the spring onions, green leaves and all, and sprinkle over.
Arrange cucumber slices around edge of dish.
Serve hot.

Serves 4

Gudeg ( Mild Chicken Curry with Jackfruit )

2009-03-04T13:33:00.001+07:00

Ingredients :

1 roast chicken, about 1.2 kg/2 1/2 lb
4 kemiri nuts (or macadamia nuts)
5 cloves garlic
9 shallots
1 piece galangal root, about 2 cm/3/4 in long
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon palm sugar
2-3 salam leaves (or bay leaves)
1/2 teaspoon trasi (shrimp paste)
1 jati leaf
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
2 cups coconut milk
4 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) eggs
1 can young jack fruit, about 550 g/19 oz

Serves 4-6

Method:

Crush the kemiri nuts in a mortar. Peel the garlic and shallots and also crush in the mortar. Peel the galangal root and crush.
Then mix all these ingredients with the rest of the seasoning (coriander, cumin, trasi, palm sugar, salam leaves and jati leaf: the latter gives the dish a reddish color) and stir well.
Fry this mixture in groundnut oil. Cut the chicken into eight pieces and add to the fried spice mixture. Pour in coconut the milk and simmer over a low heat for about 30 minutes.
When the chicken is cooked, add the jackfruit from the tin and the hard-boiled eggs. Simmer for a further 14 minutes.
Gudeg is served with Nasi liwet and Sambal bajak (refer recipe).

Sandwich

2009-03-04T12:59:00.004+07:00

A little bacon or ham jazzes up this easy, hearty breakfast or lunch sandwich. For a lighter sandwich, make it with only 1 egg or egg substitute and omit the bacon or ham.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon diced tomato
1 slice cooked bacon, diced, or 1 tablespoon diced cooked ham
dash salt
dash pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 croissant or lightly toasted English muffin, split

Methods :

Whisk the eggs with green onion until well blended then add the tomato and bacon or ham. Season with a dash of salt and pepper.

Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. When butter is foamy, add the egg mixture and cook until slightly set around edges. Begin turning the edges inward with a spatula, turning over when the bottom is set. When the eggs are firm, place on half of the split croissant or English muffin and top with the other half. Serve with sliced tomato, if desired.
Makes 1 breakfast sandwich.

Chicken Satay

2009-03-04T12:32:00.001+07:00

Ingredients :

2 1/2 lb. boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:

6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tsp. coriander
4 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shoyu
4 tsp. ginger, chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice
6 tbsp. oil
1/4 c. fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish)

Mix marinade ingredients. Cut chicken into 1 1/2-2 inch cubes. Add to mixture and marinate at least two hours.

Chicken Satay:

Thread chicken pieces onto one end of satay sticks. Broil or much better, barbecue, baste with marinade. Serve with peanut sauce for dipping.

Peanut Sauce:

1 c. chunky peanut butter
1-2 tsp. hot chili sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. shoyu
1/2 c. peanut oil

Mix ingredients together. Should have a sweet/hot peanut flavor. Taste and adjust ingredients accordingly.

Pepper Steak With Rice

2009-03-04T12:09:00.001+07:00

Ingredients :

1 to 1 1/2 pounds top sirloin steak or sirloin tips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or seasoned pepper blend
1 teaspoon Louisiana seasoning or seasoned salt
1 green bell pepper, cut in thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
1/2 cup beef broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes
2 tablespoons regular or spicy (Tabasco) soy sauce
salt, to taste

Methods :

Cut beef in thin strips.
Heat olive oil over medium heat; add steak strips.
Cook, stirring, until steak is browned.
Add onion, garlic powder, pepper, Louisiana seasoning or seasoned salt and cook, stirring, until onion is tender.
Add the pepper strips and beef broth; cook for about 3 to 5 minutes longer.
Add tomatoes and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Taste and add salt as needed.

Serves 4 to 6.

Bakso ( meatball Soup )

2009-03-04T11:41:00.005+07:00

Ingredients :

With 1 pound beef(steak)as 100 %

10% tapioka starch

0.25% (accord) emulsion powder

4% salt

0.25% white pepper(merica)

1.5% garlic fresh(chopped)or garlic powder

20% crushed ice cube

for the broth :

beef ribs( bones) to make the stock

1 bulb garlic

salt as desire

1/4 cup thin soy sauce(or regular soy sauce)

1 tbs black pepper

6 cup water

for the fried wonton :

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tbs butter

1 large egg

water as needed

1 tsp salt

oil to fried

condiment :

rice noodle blanced till soft (bihun rebus)

baby bok choy blanced (daun caisim)

celery leaf (daun seledri)

fried shallot (bawang goreng)

Indonesia sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)

ABC Chilli sauce(sambel ABC)

distiled vinegar (cuka)

fried wonton (pangsit goreng)

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

Methods :

In the food precessor grind the lean beef with chrused ice cube 2-3 times until they all sticky

in the mixing bowl, add ground beef with the rest of the meatballs ingredient until they all mixed together

scoop with 2 teaspoon,make round ball

boil some water,drop the meatballs in the hot water,when it float it's done

and now it's time to make the broth.

add salt on boiling water

put the beef ribs(bone) to make stock

and the rest of the ingredient

boiled and shimmer

now it's time to make the fried wonton

mixed all the ingredient until it for like a dough

rolled thin and cut square

fried wonton

Now to make the meatballs soup

put the meatballs "bakso" in the beef stock

prepare all the condiment and arrange in a bowl serve it while its hot

Gado Gado

2009-03-04T11:26:00.002+07:00

Gado-gado is a traditional dish in Indonesian cuisine, and comprises a vegetable salad served with a peanut sauce dressing. It is widely served from hawkers carts, stalls (warung), and small restaurants up to star hotels restaurants in Indonesia, and in Indonesian restaurants in other countries.

Gado-gado is part of a wider family of Indonesian peanut sauce - salad; with lotek, pecel and karedok. Some of salad's peanut sauce is made in individual batches, fresh in front of the customers (like the picture on the right - which should say the way lotek is prepared), however gado-gado sauce is made a head of time and cooked in bulk). Compare to Western salads, gado-gado has much more sauce in it (the vegetable should be well coated in the sauce)

For the convenience of modern world, both gado-gado and pecel sauce is available in block of dried sauce that can easily be made liquid by adding warm water.

Vegetable salad

The exact composition of the vegetable salad varies, but usually comprises some form of mixture of

blanched - shredded, chopped, or sliced green vegetables such as cabbage, watercress, and bean sprouts, young boiled jack fruit, and string bean, bitter melon; in other places even carrot is added;
uncooked - sliced cucumber and lettuce
fried tofu and tempeh;
sliced boiled potatoes; and
peeled and sliced boiled eggs.
kerupuk and emping (indonesian style fried crackers, the latter is made from melinjo)
fried onion

In addition to the vegetables, several kinds crackers and fried onion are added to give crunchiness to the dish. One of the most important ingredient is Limo lime. Without this lime, gado-gado does not have the smell of a real gado-gado, at least for the Jakarta style gado-gado.

In Indonesia gado-gado is a main dish and is usually served with rice, lontong (rice cake in banana leave wrapped) or ketupat (rice cake in bamboo wrapped). In western style setting it is usually served with nothing else as salad.

Peanut sauce dressing

What distinguishes gado-gado from a plain vegetable salad is the peanut sauce dressing, which is poured on top of the vegetable salad before serving. The composition of this peanut sauce varies as well. One may use a commercial Indonesian peanut sauce or satay sauce, or make the sauce oneself. For making the sauce, the common primary ingredients are as follows:

ground fried peanuts with most of the oil drained off
spices
coconut sugar/palm sugar (can substitute brown sugar)
chilies (according to taste).
limo lime juice (this is indispensable).
terasi (dried shrimp/fish paste)
tamarind water.

Nasi Pecel ( Pecel Rice)

2009-03-04T11:14:00.004+07:00

Ingredients :

Lalapan

1/4 lb bean sprouts
1/4 lb cabbage, roughly shredded
1/2 lb water spinach (kangkung) cut into 2 inches or
1/2 lb spinach
1/2 lb long beans, cut into 2 inches

1 pack tofu or tempeh
3 cups oil

Boil 4 cups of water in small saucepan. Blanch the bean sprouts follow by cabbages, spinach or water spinach and last, boil the long beans until tender but still crispy. Each of the veggies after you blanched it, place into a colander and run it under a cold water.
Heat oil over medium heat. Fry the tofu/tempeh until golden brown and set aside.

Pecel Sauce:
300 gr roasted peanut
8 bird's eye chillies
4 garlic, sliced
10 kaffir lime leaves
1 TB salt
5 TB brown sugar
250 ml water
2 TB tamarind
1 tsp shrimp paste
4 TB oil

Methods :

Heat the oil in small sauce pan.
Fry the garlic until fragrant but not burned then add the chilies, turn off the heat.
In food processor, combine everything, pulse it into a thick sauce. The texture shouldn't be too smooth.
Adjust the taste and serve.

Chef's Note While you are eating this, picture a scenery of rice field, cool weather, the water buffalo pulling the wooden sleigh followed by the rice farmer and the duck noises surrounded the places. Then suddenly you hear everybody laughing and you were screaming and running for your life.

Sate Kambing ( Lamb Satay )

2009-03-04T10:50:00.002+07:00

Ingredients :

300 g Young lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 X 2 X 3 cm pieces.

150 g Lamb liver, cut into 1 1/2 X 2 X 3 cm pieces

1 tablespoon Sweet soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon Oil or melted margarine

Sambal (Spicy)

Sweet Soy Sauce

2 Red chilies, boiled, finely sliced

5 Bird's eye chilies, boiled, finely sliced

25 cc Water

4-5 tablespoons Sweet soy sauce

1-2 Tomatoes, chopped into small pieces

2 Shallots, finely sliced

4 Kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

Method :

Thread 4-5 pieces of meat and liver onto the skewer.
Combine sweet soy sauce with oil, and dip meat into this mixture.
Grill over hot charcoal until golden brown.
Serve immediately with sambal sweet soy sauce or peanut sauce.

Sambal Sweet Soy Sauce : Combine chilies with water and stir well. Add sweet soy sauce, tomatoes, shallots and lime leaves.

Peanut Sauce : Fry 2 tablespoons peanuts, then pound until fine. Combine with 2-3 tablespoons water, then add sweet soy sauce and sliced shallots.

Note : Lamb satay from East Java is usually eaten with sweet soy sauce. West Javanese like to eat satay with peanut sauce.

Chicken Soup ( Soto Ayam)

2009-03-04T10:33:00.004+07:00

Ingredients : serve for 6

1.5 kg chicken

8 cups Cold water

3 teaspoons Salt

1/2 teaspoon Whole black peppercorns

1 Large brown onion, sliced

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 Daun salam or 6 curry leaves

2 cloves Garlic, finely grated

1/2 teaspoon Finely grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon Dried shrimp paste (belacan)

1/2 teaspoon Ground turmeric

2 teaspoons Ground coriander

1 teaspoon Ground cumin

4 Candlenuts, finely grated

125 g Rice vermicelli

2 Large potatoes, cooked and diced

Few celery tops

Lemon juice to taste

Garnish

8 Spring onions, finely sliced

2 Hardboiled eggs, finely chopped

Crumbled potato crisps

Method :

Cut chicken into joints and put into a large saucepan with cold water.
Water should cover the chicken.
Add salt, peppercorns, celery tops and half the onion.
Bring quickly to the boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Allow to cool to lukewarm (if chicken is taken out while it is hot, the flesh will be dry) then strain stock into a bowl.
Remove skin and bones from chicken.
With a sharp knife cut flesh into dice or strips. Set aside.
Heat peanut oil in the saucepan and when very hot, fry the daun salam and onion until onion is golden brown.
Add the garlic, ginger, belacan and stir over medium heat, crushing the belacan with the back of a spoon.
Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and candlenuts and fry, stirring, for a few seconds longer.
Add the strained stock and bring to the boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile soak the rice vermicelli in hot water for 10 minutes, drain and cut into short lengths.
Add it to the simmering soup, return to the boil and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken meat, potatoes and lemon juice and heat through.
Pour into a large soup tureen and garnish with the spring onions and egg.
Serve the potato crisps in a separate bowl for sprinkling on individual servings.

Java Fried Rice Recipe (Nasi Goreng Jawa)

2009-03-04T10:22:00.003+07:00

Ingredients :

2 Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Cooking oil
3 cloves Finely chopped garlic
1 Finely chopped onion
2 Seeded and very finely chopped red chilies
1 teaspoon Shrimp paste
1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
400g Raw prawns, peeled and deveined
200g Rump steak, finely sliced
1 cup Long grain rice, cooked and cooled
2 teaspoons Kicap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 tablespoons Soy sauce
4 Finely chopped onions
1/2 Finely shredded lettuce
1 Thinly sliced cucumber
3 tablespoons Crisp fried onion

Method :

Beat the eggs and salt until foamy. Heat a frying pan and lightly brush with a little of the oil.
Pour about one quarter of the egg mixture into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until the omelet sets.
Turn the omelet over and cook the other side for 30 seconds.
Remove the omelet from the pan and repeat with the remaining egg mixture.
When the omelets are cold, gently roll them up and cut them into fine strips; set aside.
Combine the garlic, onion, chili, shrimp paste, coriander and sugar in a food processor or mortar and pestle, and process or pound until a paste is formed.
Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large deep frying pan; add the paste and cook over high heat for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the prawns and steak and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they change color.
Add the remaining oil and the cold rice to the wok. Stir-fry, breaking up any lumps, until the rice is heated through.
Add the kecip manis, soy sauce and spring onion and stir-fry for another minute.
Arrange the lettuce around the outside of a large platter. Place the rice in the centre and garnish with the omelet strips, cucumber slices and fried onion.
Serve immediately.

History of Chocolate

2009-03-04T09:54:00.000+07:00

An Age-Old Obsession

A Brief History of Chocolate

* Confectionery history has a record of at least 4,000 years, when Egyptians displayed
their pleasures on papyrus. Sweetmeats were being sold in the marketplace in 1566 BC.
Yet chocolate didn't appear on the scene until the ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures
discovered the value of the cacao plant. It is reputed to have originated in the Amazon
or Orinoco basin.

* In 600 A.D. the Mayans migrated into the northern regions of South America,
establishing the earliest known cocoa plantations in the Yucatan. It has been argued that
the Mayans had been familiar with cocoa several centuries prior to this date. They
considered it a valuable commodity, used both as a means of payment and as units of
calculation.

* Mayans and Aztecs took beans from the "cacao" tree and made a drink they called
"xocoatl." Aztec Indian legend held that cacao seeds had been brought from Paradise and
that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the cacao tree.

* Ancient chronicles report that the Aztecs, believing that the god Quetzalcoatl traveled
to earth on a beam of the Morning Star with a cacao tree from Paradise, took his offering
to the people. They learned from Quetzalcoatl how to roast and grind the cacao seeds,
making a nourishing paste that could be dissolved in water. They added spices and
called this drink "chocolatl," or bitter-water, and believed it brought universal wisdom
and knowledge.

* The word "chocolate" is said to derive from the Mayan "xocoatl"; cocoa from the Aztec
"cacahuatl." The Mexican Indian word "chocolate" comes from a combination of the
terms choco ("foam") and atl ("water"); early chocolate was only consumed in beverage
form. As part of a ritual in twelfth-century Mesoamerican marriages, a mug of the
frothy chocolate was shared.

* Arthur W. Knapp, author of The Cocoa and Chocolate Industry (Pitman, 1923) points
out that if we believe Mexican mythology, "chocolate was consumed by the Gods in
Paradise, and the seed of cocoa was conveyed to man as a special blessing by the God of
the Air."

* Ancient Mexicans believed that Tonacatecutli, the goddess of food, and
Calchiuhtlucue, the goddess of water, were guardian goddesses of cocoa. Each year they
performed human sacrifices for the goddesses, giving the victim cocoa at his last meal.

* Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) was dissatisfied with the word
"cocoa," so renamed it "theobroma," Greek for "food of the gods."

* Christopher Columbus is said to have brought back cacao beans to King Ferdinand
from his fourth visit to the New World, but they were overlooked in favor of the many
other treasures he had found.

* Chocolate was first noted in 1519 when Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez visited the
court of Emperor Montezuma of Mexico. American historian William Hickling's
History of the Conquest of Mexico (1838) reports that Montezuma "took no other
beverage than the chocolatl, a potation of chocolate, flavored with vanilla and spices,
and so prepared as to be reduced to a froth of the consistency of honey, which gradually
dissolved in the mouth and was taken cold." The fact that Montezuma consumed his
"chocolatl" in goblets before entering his harem led to the belief that it was an
aphrodisiac.

* In 1528 Cortez brought chocolate back from Mexico to the royal court of King Charles
V. Monks, hidden away in Spanish monasteries, processed the cocoa beans and kept
chocolate a secret for nearly a century. It made a profitable industry for Spain, which
planted cocoa trees in its overseas colonies.

* It took an Italian traveler, Antonio Carletti, to discover the chocolate treasure in 1606
and take it into other parts of Europe.

* "With the decline of Spain as a power, the secret of cacao leaked out at last, and the
Spanish Crown's monopoly of the chocolate trade came to an end. In a few years the
knowledge of it had spread through France, Italy, Germany, and England." (The Nestle
Company, Inc., White Plains, New York, The History of Chocolate and Cocoa, p. 2.)

* When the Spanish Princess Maria Theresa was betrothed to Louis XIV of France in
1615, she gave her fiancé an engagement gift of chocolate, packaged in an elegantly
ornate chest. Their marriage was symbolic of the marriage of chocolate in the Spanish-
Franco culture.

* The first chocolate house was reputedly opened in London in 1657 by a Frenchman.
Costing 10 to 15 shillings per pound, chocolate was considered a beverage for the elite
class. Sixteenth-century Spanish historian Oviedo noted: "None but the rich and noble
could afford to drink chocolatl as it was literally drinking money. Cocoa passed currency
as money among all nations; thus a rabbit in Nicaragua sold for 10 cocoa nibs, and 100 of
these seeds could buy a tolerably good slave."

* Chocolate also appears to have been used as a medicinal remedy by leading physicians
of the day. Christopher Ludwig Hoffmann's treatise Potus Chocolate recommends
chocolate for many diseases, citing it as a cure for Cardinal Richelieu's ills.

* Chocolate traveled to the Low Countries with the Duke of Alba. By 1730, it had
dropped in price from $3 per lb to being within the financial reach of those other than
the very wealthy. The invention of the cocoa press in 1828 helped further to cut prices
and improve the quality of chocolate by squeezing out some of the cocoa butter and
giving the beverage a smoother consistency.

* With the Industrial Revolution came the mass production of chocolate, spreading its
popularity among the citizenry.

* Discussing the introduction of coffee, tea, and cocoa into Europe, Isaac Disraeli (1791-
1834) wrote in his six-volume Curiosities of Literature: "Chocolate the Spaniards
brought from Mexico, where it was denominated chocolatl. It was a coarse mixture of
ground cacao and Indian corn with roucou; but the Spaniards, liking its nourishment,
improved it into a richer compound with sugar, vanilla and other aromatics. We had
Chocolate houses in London long after coffee houses; they seemed to have associated
something more elegant and refined in their new form when the other had become
common."

* Prince Albert's Exposition in 1851 in London was the first time the United States was
introduced to bonbons, chocolate creams, hand candies (called "boiled sweets"), and
caramels.

* An 1891 publication on The Chocolate-Plant by Walter Baker a Co. records that, "At
the discovery of America, the natives of the narrower portion of the continent
bordering on the Caribbean Sea were found in possession of two luxuries which have
been every where recognized as worthy of extensive cultivation; namely, tobacco and
chocolate."

* Chocolate was introduced to the United States in 1765 when John Hanan brought
cocoa beans from the West Indies into Dorchester, Massachusetts, to refine them with
the help of Dr. James Baker. The first chocolate factory in the country was established
there.

* Yet, chocolate wasn't really accepted by the American colonists until fishermen from
Gloucester, Massachusetts, accepted cocoa beans as payment for cargo in tropical
America.

* Where chocolate was mostly considered a beverage for centuries, and predominantly
for men, it became recognized as an appropriate drink for children in the seventeenth
century. It had many different additions: milk, wine, beer, sweeteners, and spices. Dri
nking chocolate was considered a very fashionable social event.

* Eating chocolate was introduced in 1674 in the form of rolls and cakes, served in the
various chocolate emporiums.

* In 1747 Frederick the Great issued an edict forbidding the hawking of chocolate.

* By 1795, Dr. Joseph Fry of Bristol, England, employed a steam engine for grinding cocoa
beans, an invention that led to the manufacture of chocolate on a large scale.

*Around 1847, Fry & Sons sold a "Chocolat Delicieux a Manger," which is thought to be
the first chocolate bar for eating.

* Nestle (The History of Chocolate and Cocoa, p. 3) declares that from 1800 to the present
day, these four factors contributed to chocolate's "coming of age" as a worldwide food
product:

1.The introduction of cocoa powder in 1828;

2.The reduction of excise duties;

3.Improvements in transportation facilities, from plantation to factory;

4.The invention of eating chocolate, and improvements in manufacturing methods.

* By the year 1810, Venezuela was producing half the world's requirements for cocoa,
and one-third of all the cocoa produced in the world was being consumed by the
Spaniards.

* The invention of the cocoa press in 1828 by C.J. Van Houten, a Dutch chocolate master,
helped reduce the price of chocolate and bring it to the masses. By squeezing out cocoa
butter from the beans, Van Houten's "dutching" was an alkalizing process.

* In his 1923 volume The Cocoa and Chocolate Industry, Arthur W. Knapp attributes
the rise in popularity of cocoa to these innovations:

1.The introduction by Van Houten of cocoa powder as we now know it.

2.The reduction of the duty to a low figure which remained constant for a number of
years.

3.The great improvements that have taken place in the methods of transport.

4.Improvements in the manufacture of eating chocolate.

* Daniel Peter of Vevey, Switzerland, experimented for eight years before finally
inventing a means of making milk chocolate for eating in 1876. He brought his creation
to a Swiss firm that today is the world's largest producer of chocolate: Nestle.

* In 1879 Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, produced chocolate that melted on the
tongue. He invented "conching," a means of heating and rolling chocolate to refine it.
After chocolate had been conched for 72 hours and had more cocoa butter added to it,
the original "fondant" was created.

* Cadbury Brothers displayed eating chocolate in 1849 at an exhibition in Bingley Hall at
Birmingham, England.

* Swiss confiseur Jules Sechaud of Montreux introduced a process for manufacturing
filled chocolates in 1913.

* The New York Cocoa Exchange, located at the World Trade Center, was begun October
1, 1925, so that buyers and sellers could get together for transactions.

* Brazil and the Ivory Coast are leaders in the cocoa bean belt, accounting for nearly half
of the world's cocoa.

* While the United States leads the world in cocoa bean importation and chocolate
production, Switzerland continues as the leader in per capita chocolate consumption.

* In 1980 a story of chocolate espionage hit the world press when an apprentice of the
Swiss company of Suchard-Tobler unsuccessfully attempted to sell secret chocolate
recipes to Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.

* By the 1990s, chocolate had proven its popularity as a product, and its success as a big
business. Annual world consumption of cocoa beans averages approximately 600,000
tons, and per capita chocolate consumption is greatly on the rise. Chocolate manufact
uring in the United States is a multibillion-dollar industry. According to Norman
Kolpas (1978, p. 106),

"We have seen how chocolate progressed from a primitive drink and food of ancient
Latin American tribes -- a part of their religious, commerce and social life -- to a drink
favored by the elite of European society and gradually improved until it was in
comparably drinkable and, later, superbly edible. We have also followed its complex
transformation from the closely packed seeds of the fruit of an exotic tree to a wide
variety of carefully manufactured cocoa and chocolate products. Beyond the historical,
agricultural and commercial, and culinary sides to chocolate, others: affect on our health
and beauty, and inspiration to literature and the arts."

Chocolate Nutrition FAQ

2009-03-03T19:09:00.001+07:00

The Sweet Truth About Chocolate

Chocolate is America's favorite flavor. But myths about chocolate abound, perhaps in
the mistaken belief that anything that tastes good must be bad for you. Here are some
answers to questions most frequently asked by consumers about our products.

Is chocolate high in saturated fat, the fat that raises blood cholesterol levels?

It once was believed that all dietary saturated fats increased blood cholesterol levels.
Not any more. Recent studies have shown that stearic acid, one of the primary saturated
fats found in chocolate, behaves differently than other saturated fats. In fact, recent
studies show that stearic acid has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels.

Does chocolate contain high levels of cholesterol?

A 1.55 ounce Hershey's milk chocolate bar contains only 10 milligrams of cholesterol,
all of which comes from the milk used in the milk chocolate. An 8-ounce glass of whole
milk, for comparison purposes, has about 36 milligrams of cholesterol. Hershey's cocoa
and Hershey's unsweetened baking chocolate have no cholesterol.

Is chocolate high in caffeine?

A 1.55 ounce Hershey's milk chocolate bar contains only 9 milligrams of caffeine.
This compares to 137 milligrams of caffeine in a 5-ounce cup of regular automatic drip
coffee, 30-46 milligrams in a 12-ounce can of regular cola beverage, and about 3
milligrams in a 5-ounce cup of instant decaffeinated coffee.

Does chocolate promote tooth decay?

Tooth decay is a food-related disease. Sugars, as a group, play a role in tooth decay, as
do most foods. Tooth decay occurs for a variety of reasons, including: genetic makeup,
lack of good oral hygeine, food lingering in the mouth, consistency of the food and the
frequence of consumption. Less well known is the fact that chocolate promotes less
tooth decay than do crackers, raisins or granola bars. Chocolate actually appears to
modify the cavity-causing potential of its sugar. It contains a component that blocks the
production of plaque, the first stage of tooth decay. In addition, the cocoa butter in
chocolate melts quickly and helps to clear the mouth, thereby reducing the potential to
cause cavities.

Is chocolate high in sodium?

A 1.55 ounce Hershey's milk chocolate bar contains only 40 milligarms of sodium.
Much higher amounts of sodium are found in other processed foods such as an ounce
of cheddar cheese (198 milligrams) and a slice of whole wheat bread (132 milligrams).

Are many people allergic to chocolate?

Very few people are truly allergic to chocolate. Less than two percent of the
population have true food allergies. True food allergens that might be in chocolate bars
are milk, nuts and soybeans. If you are allergic to any of these foods, read ingredient
listings or contact us for information regarding which of our products contain these
ingredients. (1-800-468-1714).

Does chocolate cause hyperactivity in children?

Many studies, including the Food and Drug Administration's "An Evaluation of
Health Aspects of Sugars Contained in Carbohydrate Sweeteners" (1986), have
concluded that there is no scientific evidence to link sugar to hyperactivity. In fact, sugar
has been shown to have a calming effect because it increases a compound in the brain
involved in sleep.

What is the whitish color or streaking that sometimes appears on chocolate?

Temperatures of 78 degrees F. or more cause chocolate to melt and the cocoa butter in
it to rise to the surface. If this happens, you will see a whitish appearance on the surface
of the chocolate known as cocoa butter "bloom." Ordinarily, this has no effect on quality.
However, prolonged exposure of the chocolate to excessive heat may cause further
discoloration of the product and loss of flavor.