Gwyneth Paltrow's Duck Ragu... well, sort of...

I have been wanting to try this recipe for a while and I am so glad to have finally done it this weekend. With a total of five hours preparation and cooking time, yes, this recipe is time consuming. But, there's hardly anything to do while the duck is roasting in the oven or when the ragu is simmering gently. And it's perfect for me at the moment, since I am in the middle of moving, cleaning and packing. I can do all the housework and every now and then, I just need to stop by the stove to stir the ragu.

When testing a recipe for the very first time, I normally stick to the ingredients and instructions. And from there, if anything needs changing, I'll then adjust it to my liking. However, Gwyneth's recipe for this duck ragu calls for duck bacon which I could not find here in Sunderland. I could perhaps order it online, but they do not come cheap. So, instead, I used pancetta which is more accessible and affordable.


The recipe also calls of Italian red wine, perhaps something like Chianti which I often use when cooking beef ragu. But what I had was Cotes du Rhone which I like to drink; or use when cooking boeuf bourguignon and then drink with the stew later. 


The process of making the ragu is pretty simple. You begin by roasting the duck in the oven for a couple of hours. The cooked and cooled duck is then shredded and added to a slowly cooked tomato sauce which includes the pancetta (or duck bacon, if you're fortunate enough), finely chopped onions, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary and the red wine. Tomato paste is also added at the last stage of the cooking.  

You can find the amount of ingredients by clicking the link below. This makes quite a lot of ragu and if you have some leftovers, it gets better the next day. Serve the duck ragu with tagliatelle pasta.

Have a great weekend!

Gwyneth Paltrow's Duck Ragu
Serves 4 - 6
For list of ingredients and instructions, click here.

Graduation Day and Hazelnut Prune Cake

It was my graduation day a couple of days ago and I had a fantastic day. Well, why wouldn't I? I was surrounded by family and friends I love dearly. This is my second graduation and I personally think the second time round was better. Like many things in life, the first time was good, but I was nervous... Now that I know the drill, I can just get on with it and enjoy...

Although, it was still nerve-racking when I was told that I was going to be the first one up on the stage to start the ceremony. Yeah, no pressure at all! Thankfully I did not trip or embarrassed myself in anyway like I would normally do. When my name was called by the Dean, I walked on stage, I shook hands with the Vice-Chancellor, the Chancellor (Steve Cram, BBC Chief Athletics Commentator and World Champion), I thanked my lecturers and I waved to my friends and family and fellow graduates. It was only for ten seconds or so or perhaps less, but it was just a great feeling hearing all the cheers.

In case if you are wondering I graduated in Master of Arts in Media and Cultural Studies from University of Sunderland. My dissertation focuses on the exploration of identity via food choices and eating culture (it's about food... Shocking! I know). The graduation was held at Sunderland's football ground, the Stadium of Light. And here's a narcissistic picture of me on the day:

OK, enough about the graduation, now time for cake. Packing is going and I am very pleased that it's almost done. I was cleaning my cupboard the other day and I found a bag of prunes that needs using and I just hate wasting food. I can't do it and won't do it. So, thank you to Google and Dan Lepard that I found this great recipe. It is not a summer cake, I know. Very Christmassy in fact. 


The cake is moist from the prunes and not too sweet which I like. And after it bakes, the top is drenched with delicious brandy. Enjoy with your morning coffee whilst blogging like what I'm doing now; or in the afternoon with a glass of chilled sweet wine, Dan suggests. 

Hazelnut Prune Cake
Recipe by Dan Lepard
For list of ingredients and instructions, click here.

Random Recipes #18 - something a little different...

Hi. My name is Michael Toa and I am a cookbook junkie.

For a couple of months, during my long holiday on the other side of the world, I have missed Random Recipe challenge. Now that I am back, although only for a short while before I head off again (I feel somewhat like a jet-setter, but clearly I am not), that simply needs to change. No more excuses.

The brilliant Dom has challenged us with something a little different. Instead of cooking a recipe from a random page of a cookbook, we have been asked to show each other our cookbooks collection. And I am very happy with the theme of this month's challenge. Not only because I am incredibly nosy - I love seeing what's inside other people's fridge for example - but also, I feel it's the appropriate time to showcase my cookbooks collection before they all go in a box and move to a new home... More on that later...


I don't have a bookshelf... well, I actually do, but I don't put my cookbooks there. The bookshelf is for my kitchen knick knacks. All of my cookbooks reside on the window shelf in my bedroom. I do find great pleasure in reading cookbooks, especially ones that are filled with personal stories; because I believe that the process and the story behind it, makes the food even more exciting.

I suppose there is no order as such in how I arrange my cookbooks, but I do like to group them together by the author. The section on the far right is the Food Network collections from my teen years which include Food Network all star cookbook, Rachael Ray, Dave Lieberman and Giada de Laurentiis. Giada's Everyday Italian is the first cookbook I owned. Moving on, is the Jamie Oliver section. I don't have all of his books but most of them I think. Jamie's Dinners is often my go to book when I am in need of inspirations. I do take a very good care of my cookbooks. I don't like creases and no greasy fingers, but the one book that's pretty worn out is Jamie Oliver's My Guide to Making You A Better Cook as you can probably tell from the fading cover. For one year, a couple of years ago, this was my bible and I am very proud that I have successfully cooked every single recipe in that book. Right after Giorgio Locatelli's Made in Sicily is the all important section: Nigella Lawson. I LOVE (notice the capital 'LOVE') all of her cookbooks.  

Continuing on to the rest of the cookbooks...

I am appalled to say that even though I have Nigel Slater's Toast and Eating for England (both are excellent reads) I have none of his cookbooks (friends reading this, yes, it's a hint). Every so often, some cookbooks are located next to my bedside table for easy access when I am on the bed. These are often new books or current reads. This week I've been sharing my bed with the following books.

I am anxiously waiting for the postman to deliver a couple of new books: The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo and Giles Coren's How To Eat Out which I know I will very much enjoy reading. 


In my living room, under the coffee table, that's where I keep my magazines, cuttings and supplements from Sunday papers. I subscribe to GQ because obviously I am man about town and I like to look at nice things I can't afford; and also Jamie Magazine which is the source of many of my cooking inspirations.

Well, that's all friends. Tomorrow, all the books and magazines will be living temporarily in a box until they move to their new home somewhere in London...

Thank you Dom for this month's brilliant theme. Have a great day everyone... and now back to never-ending packing... *sigh...

Indonesia so far... part 2, noodles

I had an absolute brilliant couple of weeks at my hometown in Medan, North Sumatra. I got to see my parents, slept in my old room, met more extended families, this time from my father's side and I got to play with my dog, Molly. Most importantly, I was reunited with so many delicious dishes in Medan.

Perhaps I've told you this before, but I'll tell you again, Medan is well-known for, one, its dreadful traffic. I am so glad my driving license has expired and I don't have to drive here. It's a thrill I do not want to endure. The second thing Medan is known for is the delicious foods this city has to offer.

I am spoiled for choice. And with so many eating occasions and very minimal exercise, no surprise that I gained weight here. But I'm not gonna worry about that now. I am still on holiday mode.

Rice is THE staple food of Indonesia. No matter where you go, you will find rice. And I do like rice, but if I had to choose my favourite carbohydrate, it's got to be noodles. Be it Chinese, Japanese, Italian or Indonesian, I love noodles. I suppose it's got to do with the slurping sensation which I find very satisfying. So, in this second part of my trip in indonesia, I'm going to share some of the delicious noodles I had here.

Before we go any further, feel free to make yourself a cup of coffee first or grab a light snack because this is gonna be a somewhat long post.

Now, if you're ready, let's begin!

Tiong Sim Noodle

There is just no way for me to visit Medan and not eating Mi Tiong Sim (Tiong Sim Noodle). It is located at Selat Panjang street and my family have been eating here for as long as I can remember. The noodles here are handmade and they are very thin which is a distinct feature of this dish. The cooked and seasoned noodles are topped with Chinese barbecued pork (char siew pork), pork dumplings, shredded chicken, slices of spring onions and crispy shallots. A fragrant pork broth will also be given on the side. Absolutely beautiful.

Kwetiau Mesjid

Another childhood favourite is kwetiau mesjid. Kwetiau means flat rice noodles. And mesjid, meaning mosque, refers to the name of the street where you can find this great dish. Again, we've been coming here for many many years. The dish is very simple and straightforward. There's kwetiau, veg, bean sprouts, duck egg and impeccable seasonings. Served on a plate that's been covered with banana leaf. Another example of some of the greatest things are the simplest.

Kari Bihun Tabona

Next is kari bihun or rice noodles with curry from a place called Tabona at Mangkubumi street. The curry is golden and fragrant and slightly spicy but just enough, to keep you wanting more. And the rice noodles are just the perfect vehicle to soak up all the spices. You can choose between chicken or beef curry here and I recommend both! With the beef curry pictured above, you can also ask for the offals which I love, but it's entirely optional.

Ak Bihun

Another fantastic noodle dish using rice noodles is Ak Bihun (rice noodles with duck). This noodle dish is one of my favourite breakfast item. You think eating duck meat is too rich for breakfast? Well, the duck here is poached so it is not at all fatty. Each bowl is filled with rice noodles, plenty of duck meat, veg, minced crispy garlic, fresh coriander, spring onions, with the broth served on the side.

Noodles with shiitake mushroom - Khek-style noodle

Now that I've mentioned noodles for breakfast, above are another two of fantastic noodle dishes, perfect to start your day or just about anytime in my case. The picture on the left is known as mie jamur or noodles with shiitake mushroom but obviously, there are other delicious ingredients as well which include melt-in-you-mouth pieces of pork, spring onions, crispy shallots and fresh coriander. The one on the right is khek-style noodle with loads of delicious sweet pork and a little heat from ground white pepper and spring onions.

Laksa

Next on my list of favourite noodle dishes is laksa. Laksa is a sour and spicy noodle soup that is widely popular is Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Depending on where you go to, you might find laksa that has a coconut based broth which is nice, but a little too sweet to my liking. I prefer Medanese laksa, pictured above, that uses tamarind and chilli based broth, and plenty of holy basil, making it lighter and fresher. This particular seafood laksa with sardines uses thicker udon-style noodles which is great for slurping. Yum.

Blitar-style noodle soup - Noodle soup with water spinach

Literally translated, mie sop means noodle soup. Mie sop is one of the most popular street food in Indonesia and there are so many variations, that it is impossible to sum everything up only in one paragraph. But, I'll share with you a couple of examples of sublime noodle soups I had here. The picture on the left is Blitar-style noodle soup from Java (but the vendor is in Medan) with rice noodles, shredded chicken and an extra plate of chicken for me :) And the one on the right is new for me and I can tell it going to be an old favourite soon, mie kangkung. This is so simple but yet incredibly delicious. There's egg noodles, chicken, bean sprouts, water spinach (kangkung) and then... the broth... it's dark, packed with flavour and it is just amazing. So delicious. Just the thought of it makes me salivate.

The eating continues...

Indonesia so far... part 1

So, it's been over two weeks now that I've been in Jakarta, Indonesia. I've got many stories to tell you, but where do I begin?

It's been wonderful spending time with my family and seeing relatives that I have not seen in years and some I finally met for the first time. I almost forget that I have a huge family. My mom's side of the family, most of them lives in Bandung, the capital of West Java, about three or four or five hours away from Jakarta; depending on the traffic. She has 4 sisters and 5 brothers. And just from that side of the family, I have almost, if not over 30 cousins, several nieces and nephews. I really need to do a proper count.

My dad is the 7th child out of the 9 children... But I'll tell you the details later. Anyway, I have this idea to create a family tree which I think is much needed... For me anyway. Can anybody recommend any good app or software for this? Thank you.

This must have been the longest I've been in Jakarta. It's a weird feeling, everything is familiar, but I feel like a stranger. Maybe that's because I have not lived in Indonesia for almost ten years now. Or perhaps that's just because Jakarta is not my hometown and I don't know the area well. Medan in North Sumatra is. It's about 2 hours flight away from Jakarta and is my next destination as soon as I'm done with all the business here.

I must appear different as well or too tourist-like. For some reasons, when I go to a shop or approach a taxi driver, people start talking to me in English or ask if I could speak Indonesian. Maybe that's just the norm now. I don't know.

Anyway, now to the all important business, the food! What else? Ah, I've been treated to so many delicious foods here; traditional dishes that I love and some new favourites too. I couldn't put everything into one post (or it's gonna be a really long post), so I'm gonna break it down to several posts. Here are some of them...

Walking down the streets of Jakarta... err... that's a lie... it's too hot to walk around here. Everybody drives, either a car or a motorcycle, and that's why the traffic is just a nightmare. Seriously. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, anywhere you go in Jakarta, you'll find plenty street-vendors selling ketoprak. This particular one consists of tofu, bean sprouts, green beans and rice noodles. The sauce is made from ground peanuts, palm sugar, garlic, sweet soy sauce, chilli (optional), seasonings and a little water to thin it slightly. No ketoprak is complete without kerupuk (crackers) and a little extra drizzle of sweet soy sauce. Actually, throughout the island of Java and Sumatra, you'll find many versions of ketoprak. They will be called under a different name and the ingredients will vary slightly, but the idea is pretty much the same.

Sate kambing or mutton satay is another street-food I love. They are grilled to order on a charcoal grill to add smokiness and flavour. Very often you'll have the option to choose between a peanut sauce or sweet soy sauce to accompany the satay... Being somewhat indecisive when it comes to food, I asked for both! The more the merrier, I say. The satay is then topped with crispy shallots, picked shallots and sliced spring onions. Beautiful.

Empek-empek / Pempek originates from Palembang in South Sumatra. But you can find it all over Indonesia. There are many different kinds of pempek, but they are essentially fish cakes with tapioca added to make the dough. One of the most famous is pempek kapal selam (literally translated: submarine pempek), which reminds me of Scotch eggs. Because it is made from a chicken egg wrapped in the pempek dough and then deep fried. The one pictured below is pempek lenjer. When still whole, it is shaped like a sausage and then it's thinly sliced, mixed with beaten eggs and fried like an omelette.

Pempek is often served with noddles and sliced cucumbers and most importantly the dark vinegar-y sauce which I adore. It just gives tang and freshness to the dish. However, be careful, the sauce can also be spicy. I mean like crazy. So watch for the label or ask for the mild one.

There is another version of fish cake, called otak-otak which can also be found in other parts of South East Asia, like Malaysia and Singapore. Translated into Malay and Bahasa Indonesia, otak means brain, yet otak-otak has nothing to do with brains. So, don't be scared of this dish. Otak-otak is often wrapped in banana leaves and then steamed or grilled. The one I had below is steamed and then fried. Just steaming it, don't do it for me. Then topped with fresh shallots, spring onions and dark vinegar, like pempek above.

Five hours drive outside Bandung in West Java, you'll get to the town of Kuningan which is famous for its tofu, tahu Kuningan. Here, I saw the tofu making process and it is fascinating. No, I haven't planned to make my own tofu now. Not yet anyway. The tofu is then deep fried... oh, yeah... deep fried. These little mouthfuls are so good when still warm. I like it just by itself, but if you like it spicy, ask for the birds eye chilli. They are tiny, but they pack a punch.

That's for now... the eating continues...