Candyland Café

Oven Testing Success!

2009-05-19T22:16:00.003-10:00

I just finished testing the oven by baking cookies. The oven is awesome even though the size is smaller than what I used to have. However, it is very powerful. The cookies turned out very well and they didn't take me lots of time. Nice!

Got An Oven!

2009-05-19T19:58:00.002-10:00

Yeah! I am so excited! I finally got an oven. I am going to try it out today by making my oatmeal chocolate chips cookies. Will see how they turn out! Wait for my next post!

Living Without An Oven!

2009-05-12T02:13:00.002-10:00

Hello everyone! I haven't had a chance to update this blog because I just moved to Hong Kong a month ago.

My cooking life has completely changed. I don't have an oven! It's killing me! I just can't live without an oven. I am actually looking for a portable one, but have no luck yet. Also, cooking ingredients (western style) are hard to find. Good that I stocked up all my spices from Costco and brought them here.

I will put new recipes up soon! Don't think that I have given up this Blog. Never! I just don't have much time to do that!

Thanks for waiting!

Candy's Chicken Pot Pie

2009-03-14T10:03:00.000-10:00

1/2 Roasted Chicken from Costco or any supermarket
3 Stalks Celery, chop in small dices
3 Carrots, chop in small dices
1 small Onion, chop in small dices
1 Big Potato, peeled and chop in small dices
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 8oz Cream Cheese (regular or less-fat), cut into pieces
3 Cup Whole Milk
4 Tablespoon Flour
2 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
2 Tablespoon Dry Parsley
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 teaspoons each Salt and Pepper
1 pkg store-bought pie crust or puff pastry, thawed (I like the puff pastry better)
1 egg, beaten

1. Cut the chicken meat (dark and white) in small pieces.

2. Cook celery, carrot, and potato dices in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain afterward!

3. Add olive oil in a pot. Turn the heat to high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes. And then, add celery, carrot, and potato into the pot.

4. Add flour into the vegetable and stir until well combined.

5. Add dry herbs, milk and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted and sauce is thicken.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and see if there needs more salt.

7. Add shredded chicken and combine well. Turn off the heat.

8. Put the mixture into a casserole dish for family serving or small ramekins for individual serving.

9. Brush egg around the edges and the sides of the casserole dish. Put pie crust over the dish and light press the crust to the edges and sides of the dish. And then, cut away excess dough.

10. Preheat the over to 375F.

11. Brush egg all over the pie crust before baking. And then, make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

12. Bake pie for 20-30 minutes or until pie crust turns golden brown. Serve Hot!

Tips:

1. You can put use any vegetable in the mixture, like mushroom, corn, broccoli, etc. You can also use frozen vegetable.

2. I use cooked rice instead of potato last time. It turned out so good!

3. You can use 1 cup of heavy cream in stead of cream cheese.

Roast Pork Tender Loins

2009-02-26T08:39:00.004-10:00

1 package Pork Tender Loins (each package usually comes with two loins), in room temperature

4 Tablespoons Italian Herbs Seasonings (the kind that without salt)

1 Tablespoon each Salt and Peper

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Regular Olive Oil

Preheat oven at 425F.

Wash the loins and pet them dry with paper towels.

Rub oil and the rest of the ingredients all over the loins.

Place them on a baking sheets and bake for 20 to 40 minutes. The smaller piece only takes 20 minutes. And the bigger piece needs the extra 10-15 minutes. It really depends the size of the loins! Take the smaller one out first when it is done. Never over cook the tender loins.

After the loins are cooked, let them rest on the counter top for 10 minutes. Don't cut the meat right after it is out of the oven because all the yummy juice will rush out and you will have a piece of dry meat. No Good!

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is simple! I love to serve it for the holidays!

Cheese Straws

2009-02-26T08:32:00.007-10:00

1 Sheet Frozen Puff Pastry, thaw in room temperature

1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tablespoons Paprika

Salt and Pepper for taste

Preheat oven at 425F.

Unfold the puff pastry sheet and lightly roll it evenly.

Sprinkle cheese, paprika, salt and pepper on top. And then use hands lightly pass them into the puff pastry.

Cut puff pastry sheet in 1 inch thick strips and then twist each of them. Just like the picture above.

Bake them on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

2009-02-26T08:29:00.002-10:00

Ginger Butternut Squash Soup 4 Servings
By Candy Fife

Butternut Squash 2
Carrots 3 to 4
Potato (medium size) 1
Onion (small) 1
Ground Fresh Ginger 1 Tablespoon
Nutmeg 11/2 teaspoon
Dry Rosemary 1/4 teaspoon
Chicken Broth (low sodium) 3 can or more, enough to cover the vegetable
Heavy cream 1/4 to 1/3 C, at room temperature
Salt and Pepper for taste
Sour Cream for garnish

Peel all the vegetables, and then cut them in big cubes. Try to cut them in similar size.

Put vegetables in a soup pot. Add chicken broth and rosemary. Bring the soup to boil. Then turn the heat to medium. Cook vegetables for 20 minutes or until they are fork-tender.

Use an immerse blender or blend the vegetable and a little bit soup in a blender. Remember to be careful of the steam. If you use a blender, take away the small cap at the top cover and cover the top loosely with a towel. This way the steam can escape. Blend everything together until smooth. Pour the soup into the pot.

If the soup is too thick, add a little bit more broth. Don’t add too much. Just a little bit at a time. You don’t want the soup becomes too loose!

Turn the heat to medium-low. Add ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Taste if it needs more salt. If you want more ginger flavor, you can add a little bit more ginger.

Simmer the soup for another 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and then add heavy cream. Stir well.

Before serving, add a little bit sour cream on top for garnish!

Enjoy!

Adam and Mandy Fong's Wedding Cake!

2008-12-30T15:04:00.005-10:00

Here is the wedding cake for Adam and Mandy.

Candy's Cheesecake Factory 2 and Cooking Class!

2008-09-29T11:07:00.005-10:00

Here are the pictures of the last Relief Society Cooking Class.

Dropping Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Filling on top of the plain filling.

Using a spoon to make the "8" figure in order to creating the marble effect.

Triple Chocolate Cheese Cake

New York Cheesecake

Dark Chocolate and Lemon Marble Cheesecake!

Candy's Cheesecake Factory!

2008-09-26T11:23:00.009-10:00

I made three Cheesecakes for the Relief Society cooking class on Wednesday. They were New York Cheesecake, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake, and Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake Bar. The cooking class handout and recipes are below the pictures.

If you really want to make the perfect cheesecake, please read the cooking tips carefully and strictly follow them. Have fun!!!!

Tips:
1. Only use the full fat cream cheese.
2. Only bake cheesecake at 325F. NO higher than that!!!!
3. Bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing. This usually takes thirty minutes.
4. To soften cream cheese in the microwave: place unwrapped 8 oz. cheese in a microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds. Add 15 seconds for each additional bar of cheese.
5. Mix filling only until combined. Don't over mix.
6. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. It can make the filling very smooth.
7. Use a spring form pan so that the sides can be removed.
8. Butter sides or use a metal spatula around the edges immediately after removing the cheesecake from the oven.
9. Cover bottom and up one inch around the sides with aluminum foil to avoid leaks in the oven.
10. A perfectly baked cheesecake will be puffed around the edges. When shaken, about an inch in diameter in the center should jiggle.
11. Cool slowly (about 2 hours) on a wire rack, away from any drafts.
12. Store in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to four days.
13. Cheesecakes taste best when brought to room temperature. This takes about 30 minutes.
14. Securely wrap an already firm, about 4 hours in the refrigerator, cheesecake to be put in the freezer. Cheesecakes can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator.
15. I usually bake my cheesecake in a 12” spring form pan. If you use a smaller size, just add about 15 minutes more into the baking time.
16. If you like citrus flavor in your cheesecake, add about 1 Tablespoon each juice and zest of a lemon, orange or lime into the cheesecake mixture.
17. If you make cheesecake bar, only double the amount of butter and crumbs.
18. If you want more cheesecake ideas, go to Kraft.com.

How to Cut Cheesecake:

Step1
Fill a tall container with hot water. Dip your knife into the hot water. Wipe the blade before making every cut. The constant dipping in the hot water and wiping any cake stuck to the blade will result in a nice neat slice.

Step2
Dental floss can also be used to cut your cheesecake. Unroll unflavored floss to span the entire diameter of the cheesecake. Wrap the floss tightly around one finger on each hand. Hold firmly and press down, cutting through the cheesecake.

Step3
The first cut should always be made to cut the cheesecake in half. This will help ensure even slices. Simple removal can be achieved by running a knife or spatula between the crust and the pan before removing the first slice. Enjoy!

How to Do Marble Cheesecake

Step1
Save about ½ - 1 cup of plain cheesecake filling in a mixing bowl.

Step2
Add the desire flavor into the plain cheesecake filling. For example: 4oz melted chocolate or 1 cup pumpkin purée + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spices.

Step 3
Mix well together.

Step 4
Spread plain batter into the crust. And then, drop the flavored cheesecake mixture randomly over the top. And then, with the tip of a knife, swirl the filling to create a marble effect.

Extra Tips:
If you use fruit preserve, you don’t need to mix it in the plain cheesecake filling. You just need to warm about ½ cup of desired preserve up in a microwave or on a stove top. And then, follow Step 4.

New York Style Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups finely ground HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup corn starch
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 12” spring form pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. of the sugar; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar, corn starch, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Scrape down the bowl. Mix again. Add 1 cup of the sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Scrape down the bowl again. Mix until well combined. Pour over crust.

BAKE 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours or completely cool. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups finely ground Oreo Cookies (cookies only, NO Filling) Crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
10 oz Bittersweet/Simi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup corn starch
3/2 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate fudge topping
1 cup mixture of mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 12” spring form pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. of the sugar; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Melt chocolate chips. Let it cool.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar, corn starch, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Scrape down the bowl. Mix again. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Scrape down the bowl again. Add melted chocolate into the mixture. Mix until well combined. Pour over crust.

BAKE 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours or completely cool. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Before serving, warm up 1 cup of fudge topping. Pour over the cheesecake. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top. Enjoy!!!

Brown Rice Health Benefits

2008-09-03T21:47:00.004-10:00

We have been eating brown rice for a little while and we love it. In many different ways, brown rice is much better for you than white rice. If you never try it before, try some! You will be surprised and amazed how yummy it is.

Here are a few health benefits from brown rice:

Helps lower cholesterol - The oil in whole brown rice, not its fiber, lowers cholesterol.

Helps prevent atherosclerosis - the fiber in rice has been shown to help prevent atherosclerosis.

Helps to maintain a normal body weight - A study published in November 2003 of the America Journal of Clinic Nutrition cites the importance of having a diet rich in whole grains vs. refined grains as a means to help maintain a normal body weight.

Reduces risk of metabolic syndrome - The latest research shows that refined grains and the foods made from them (e.g., white breads, cookies, pastries, pasta and rice) are now being linked not only to weight gain but to increased risk of insulin resistance (the precursor of type 2 diabetes) and the metabolic syndrome (a strong predictor of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), while eating more whole grain foods is being shown to protect against all these ills.

Common features of the metabolic syndrome include visceral obesity (the “apple shaped” body), low levels of protective HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure.

Helps prevent colon cancer - The selenium, a trace mineral found in brown rice, substantially reduces the risk of colon cancer.
Brown rice is a good source fiber. Fiber has been shown to speed the transit time of fecal matter within the colon, this minimizes the time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells.

Helps prevent gallstones - Eating foods high in insoluble fiber, such as brown rice, can help women avoid gallstones, shows a study published in the July 2004 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Helps increase energy levels - Manganese helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, which are important for a healthy nervous system, and in the production of cholesterol, which is used by the body to produce sex hormones.

Manganese is also a critical component of a very important antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Antioxidants provide protection against damage from the free radicals.

TIP:
Be sure to check packaged brown rice "use by" date, since it has a potential to become rancid if kept too long due to its natural oils.

Brown rice will keep fresh for about 6 months, if it is stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator.

Mrs. Fife Nutty Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2008-07-13T23:13:00.005-10:00

Cookies Dough

My Little Helpers!

In the oven!

Mrs. Fife Nutty Chocolate Oatmeal Cookes! These cookies are not too sweet but full of flavor! And the texture is amazing. Soft and chewy on the inside and just a perfect light crisp on the outside. You really have to try making them!

Oh! I forgot to mention that these are the best cookies that I have ever made or created! They are way better than Mrs. Fields Cookies!

Mrs. Fife Nutty Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
(Make 2 dozens)

1. Preheat oven at 375F.

2. Cream (very well mix) 1 Cup Soften Un-Salted Butter, 3/4 Cup Sugar, and 3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar together in a big mixing bowl.

3. Add 2 Eggs and 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract into the butter mixture.

4. In another mixing bowl, mix 2 Cup All-purpose Flour, 2 Cup Regular Oats, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, and 1 teaspoon Baking Powder together.

5. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Well combine. Once it well combines, stop the mixing process! (Over-mixing creates tough dough! NO GOOD!)

6. Add 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips and 1 Cup Chopped Walnut or Chopped Pecan into the cookies dough. Lightly mix!

7. Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of dough (for small cookies) or Spoon an ice-cream scoop size dough (for big cookies) on a cookies sheet. You can fit about 8-12 small dough or 6 big dough on a cookies sheet. Bake for about 8-15 minutes. I suggest you to check your cookies half way through baking because cooking time is varies for different oven. No more than 15 minutes. Never over bake your cookies. Have fun!

Baby Show Cake

2008-07-13T22:34:00.002-10:00

I made this baby show cake for my good friend, Tiffany Araki. She is finally having a girl after having two boys. I am so happy for and jealous of her at the same time!!! This cake is so "girlie and elegant"!!! I really love the pink and white marble fondant. I really had so much fun making it for her. The cake was yellow cake with chocolate and pink cream frosting. By the way, the color of the shower were pink and white. The decorations are made out of white and dark chocolate.

Food I Had in Hong Kong

2008-06-30T09:03:00.013-10:00

Jumbo Japan Sea Scallops Sushi. The scallops are super fresh and sweet.

This is the traditional Hong Kong style breakfast. Noodles, Steam Rice Noodles (Cheung Fun) with Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) and Plain Rice Noodles (Cheung Fun) with soy and sesame sauce.

Steamed Fish Head with Chinese Herbs! Super Yummy! This is my favorite! I grew up eating steamed fish head and even my cousin remembers it. He specially ordered this for me when we were having Dim Sim in a tea house restaurant. How sweet of him! By the way, did you see the eye?

Chinese Dim Sum and my Jumbo Seafood Dumpling with Seafood Broth. How I miss the food in Hong Kong!

Here are something Western! As you know that I am a seafood freak, I can't go to Hong Kong without loading myself with seafood. I had a seafood buffet dinner with my nephew, my brother and a couple of our friends. I had my favorite fresh oysters, smoked salmon, etc.

This one is the Japanese BBQ Squid Balls. I couldn't get enough of it.

This one is the Hong Kong style pizza from Pizza Hut. It is called the "Sausages Bites Pizza". I didn't have a chance to try it but I will try to make it at home. The pizza looks so yummy in the picture.

These few pictures are the Shanghai Style Chinese Food. Pork Chop Fried Rice, Steamed Soup Dumplings with Crabs, Plain Steamed Soup Dumplings (Siu Lung Bao), and Hot and Spicy Soup. It was so worth waiting in line for an hour for this incredible food. Thanks Zoe (my sister) for taking me to this great restaurant.

Sushi again! Yes, I had sushi a few times during my five days trip in Hong Kong. This restaurant, Monster Sushi, is a new sushi restaurant in Mong Kok. And the owner is the famous handsome actor, Daniel Wu. Everything I had over there was great, and the price was very reasonable. The only thing that disappointed me was that I didn't see Daniel Wu in the restaurant. Oh well...
Will go there again for sure!

After having so many yummy food in Hong Kong, I really can not go back to the food and restaurants in Hawaii. Hong Kong has the best food in the world. The variety is unbelievable, and the taste and quality are amazing. One more great thing is that the price is cheap everywhere. I really want to move back right NOW!

My First Five Tiers Wedding Cake

2008-06-30T08:43:00.006-10:00

I finally finished this "Giant Wedding Cake"!!! I score this cake 70 out of 100. This cake is the most difficult one I have ever made so far. The bottom cake is carrot cake with cream-cheese frosting, the next one is chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, the next one is lemon cream cake, then the next one is yellow cake with buttercream frosting, the top one is chocolate cake with chocolate frosting again. Since each frosting has different texture, it is hard to keep each tier in perfect shape. Plus, the hot and humid weather add some bad side effect to the fondant and frosting. Therefore, you can see in the picture that the bottom two cakes are kinda funny looking. Oh well... I had tried my very best. I am glad that the people in the wedding think this cake is beautiful and love the flavors of the cakes. I learned a great lesson from making this cake.

If I would have another opportunity to make a huge cake like this one in the future, I would definitely do better, much better.

Wedding Cake for JK and Mandy Kung

2008-06-25T11:21:00.005-10:00

Congratulations to Mandy and JK Kung!!!! It was my honor and pleasure to make this cake for them. This cake is a Chocolate and Chocolate Mousse Cake.

Turtle Cakes!

2008-06-13T21:53:00.002-10:00

Here is another fondant cake I made today. I actually made two cakes with the same turtle designs, one cake was 8 inches and another one was 10 inches. The inside of both cakes was chocolate cake with vanilla whipped cream frosting. I cut all the turtles with a craving knife since there is no cookies cutter has that particular turtle design. Glad that the turtles and the cakes turned out great!

Yard Animals Cake

2008-06-10T09:20:00.003-10:00

This cake is for Joseph who turn 3 today. He loves to play outside and that's why I made a yard cake for him. By the way, the date of the pictures is wrong. I just got a new camera and I forgot to set the right date and time. :) The date should be June 9, 2008.

Football Cake

2008-05-26T21:48:00.002-10:00

I made a football shape cake yesterday. The inside is dark chocolate and yellow marble cake with chocolate chips. The birthday boy is Matthew Araki and he is turning 6 next week. He is so into sport and that's why his mom ordered this cake for him.

Whale and Under the Sea Cake

2008-05-24T07:54:00.005-10:00

I made another cake in this week also for Sidon Miyamoto. He is Omni's cousin. They are gonna have a birthday party together. I am happy that I made each of them a cake. Sidon loves whales and the ocean, so I created this cake for him. I made everything for this cake and everything is edible. The cute sea creatures and sea shells are made out of chocolate. The rocks are crushed Oreo cookies. The inside of the cake is dark chocolate cake with Oreo cookies whipped cream frosting. The outside is white buttercream frosting which is tinted with blue and green coloring. This cake is so cute!

Transformer Cake

2008-05-24T07:45:00.002-10:00

This Transformer Cake is for Omni Miyamoto who turns 3 years old today. His mom told me that he had been wanting a transformer cake for a while. I am so glad that I was able to do it for him. The transformer and the logo are dark and white chocolate. The cake inside is dark chocolate cake with white butercream. And the cake is covered with white fondant. I painted blue food coloring and edible gold dust on the fondant. I really like how the cake turned out. I was so worried about it and I had spent so much time do research on the Transformers.

Cooking Class for This Month

2008-05-24T07:32:00.003-10:00

We made some very yummy pizzas for the cooking class in this month. We had Margarita and Shrimp Pizza, Spinach, Chicken, and Garlic Alfredo Pizza, Spicy Sausages, Mushroom and Onions Pizza, and Candy's Chocolately Tropical Sweet Pizza. We had so much fun having a pizza party afterward.

Fondant Cup Cakes

2008-05-14T13:46:00.008-10:00

Shawna and I decorated these cup-cakes with fondant together last night. We had so much fun doing it and all the cup-cakes turned out so beautiful. And I got to practice making fondant roses. They turned out unexpectedly gorgeous and real looking. I am so proud and excited! Now, I can do that for wedding cakes. However, the fondant is only good for looking. It actually doesn't taste that yummy. It just tastes like blend sugar dough. Oh well...

Beef and Broccoli

2008-05-13T12:07:00.002-10:00

All my friends in the US love this recipe. I would like to share with all of you!

1 lb beef, sliced and marinate in 1t salt, 1T soy sauce, 1t sugar, 1t sesame oil
1 head of broccoli (if the broccoli is small, get two)
1t fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2T oil

Sauce:
2t cornstarch
1/4t salt
1T sugar
2T oyster sauce
1T soy sauce
1/2t sesame oil
2T water

Mix the sauce together and set aside.

Cut broccoli into small pieces and cooking in boiling water for 2 minutes, and then take them out.
Heat pan and add 2T of oil and sauté beef for 30 sec. Put on a plate and set aside.

Heat pan and add 2T of oil and sauté ginger, garlic, and broccoli for 2 minutes.

Add beef. And stir-fried for 1 minute.

Mix the sauce again to loosen the cornstarch up. Then add it into the pan.

Stir-fried everything together for 1 min.

Serve Hot!

Apple Chicken Salad on Crispy Wonton Wraps

2008-05-09T15:38:00.000-10:00

Half Roasted Chicken, debone and finely chop the meat
3 Apples (any kind), skinned and finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Mayo
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Oliver Oil
1-2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1 to 2 teaspoon Salt (add one teaspoon at a time and taste as you go)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 package Wonton Wraps, cut in half corner-to-corner
Vegetable Oil for frying

Mix everything (except wonton wraps and oil) together. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Fry wonton wraps in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Lightly pat wonton wraps with paper towels in order to get rid of the extra oil.

Finally, put about 1 Tablespoon of chicken salad on top of each crispy wrap. Enjoy!

Italian Bake Chicken

2008-05-09T15:24:00.000-10:00

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3Tablespoons Italian Seasonings
2teaspoons Salt
1teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
2Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

Put everything in a zip bag and marinate in the fridge for at least two hours or up to a day ahead.

Take marinated chicken out for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat oven at 375F.

Heat a non-stick pan on high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in pan.

Place chicken in hot pan. Cook each side for 2 minutes.

Put all the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. No longer than that!

Serve Hot!

Enjoy!

No Cabbage-Chopping-Require Egg-Rolls

2008-05-08T14:42:00.000-10:00

1 pkg egg rolls wrappers
2 pkgs coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage, carrot and red cabbage)
1 pkgs bean spouts
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 T soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 T water (for sealing the edge)
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Cook coleslaw and bean spouts with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for 2 minutes.

Turn off heat. Add all the other ingredients (except vegetable oil) into the vegetable and mix well.

Let vegetable mixture cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Wrap the mixture with egg-roll wrappers (wrapping directions is on the back of the package). Use water to seal the edge.

Deep fried in hot vegetable oil until golden brown. Serve hot!

*You can also put ground chicken, ground pork or shrimp into the vegetable mixture.

*You can freeze the uncooked egg rolls for up to 2 weeks. No need to threw them before frying.

Stuffed Bread and Fillings Recipes

2008-05-08T10:16:00.000-10:00

Candy's Hong Kong Style Stuffed Bread

Dough:

Mix together:
2 cup Warm Water
2 Tablespoons Yeast
1/2 cup Sugar or Honey

After mixing all three ingredients together, wait for about 5-10 minutes to proof yeast. When you see small bubbles around the mixing bowl, the yeast mixture is good to go.

Add:
2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
3 cup All Purpose Flour

Mix them well.

Add:
1 Egg and 1 Egg Yolk
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 to 2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour (one cup at a time)

Mix them well together. Lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover mixing bowl with a towel. Let dough sets in a warm place and raises for 45 minutes to an hour or until tripled in size. Preheat oven at 375F.

After rising, punch down the dough. Dough will be a little bit sticky and that is what supposed to be. Lightly grease your hands with cooking spray or vegetable oil before working with the dough. DO NOT add more flour in the dough or put flour on your hands. It will make the dough dry and hard. More flour you put into your dough and harder and tougher it becomes.

Make whatever shapes or bread that you want. Remember to grease your hands when the dough sticks on your hands.

Take a little bit of the dough, about a golf ball size, and form a ball shape with your hands. Then, pat it flat, like a small flat pizza dough, with your hands. Put 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (depends on how big your dough is) of stuffing in the middle of the dough. Seal the edges together. Seal side down when you put on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Let the formed bread raises for the second time for 15 minutes.

Egg wash: Mix 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water, milk, or cream.

Brush egg wash or melted butter on ready-to-bake dough before putting it in the oven.

Baking time:

Normal size loaf: 25 to 30 minutes

Small stuffed bread, rolls, or bread sticks: 10-12 minutes

Big stuffed bread: 15-20 minutes

Stuffed Bread Fillings:

Cheesy Tuna Rolls 12 rolls

2 cans Albacore Tuna (drain well)
1/8 cup Celery (finely chopped)
1/8 cup Green Onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/3 cup Grated Cheese (Mozzarella or Cheddar)
1 teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Mix everything together. Chill for 15 minutes before using.

Green Onion Cream Cheese Spread

1 8oz Cream Cheese (soften)
1/3 cup Green Onion (finely chopped)

Mix them together and chill for 15 minutes.

This spread is very good using with hotdogs in “Piggy in a Blanket”. Put spread on dough before wrapping hotdog. Try it. This is my favorite!

Creamy Chicken Rolls 12 to 15 rolls

1 8oz Cream Cheese (soften)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise or Ranch Dressing
2 cups Chopped Cooked Chicken (I personally prefer baked chicken meat)
1 clove Garlic (finely chopped)
2 Tablespoons Dry or Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 Tablespoons Green Onion (finely chopped), optional
1 teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Mix everything together and chill for 15 minutes.

P.S. You can add thawed frozen chopped spinach, or any kind of frozen vegetable in the filling.

Culinary Diploma Graduation!

2008-05-07T11:33:00.001-10:00

I went to a culinary school to get my Professional Chef Diploma in Westlake, California in September 2005. I graduated in March 2006. In those short six months, I learned so much about French Cooking and Fine Dining Cooking. I got to work with so many different interesting ingredients and got to make so many delicious dishes. I was blew away by all the incredible food that we made in class every time. It was so much fun to learn how to make high-class dishes. My teacher, Chef Cecilia De Castro, was a great teacher. She taught us so many things and she never held back any secrets. Whatever cooking questions we asked her about, she could immediately give us a clear answer. She is wonderful and I do miss her.

Here are the pictures of my graduation day banquet. We worked so hard on it. We prepared this banquet at the Hilton Hotel in Westlake for about 200 people, our friends and families. Of course, we prepared for all the food for them. I am so glad that my mom and brother were about to fly all the way from Hong Kong to this special event. Tim's parents, uncle and aunt were there also. What a great time! I do miss my wonderful and fun cooking buddies! I hope they are all doing well and keep cooking great food!

Gourmet Cooking

2008-05-07T10:38:00.000-10:00

This one is Salmon Tar Tar with Crispy Wontons with Wasabi Aioli.
I made this salmon dish for a Valentine's Day Dinner. Seared Pesto Salmon and Mashed Cauliflower with Dill Sauce and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
This one is Miso Glazed Halibut with Spinach and Wild Mushroom on Ginger Rice.

This is Salmon and Scallops Mousse in Puff Pastry. I made the puff pastry also. I learned this in cooking school. This dish is sooooo yummy! I need to make it again! And I will make the fish looks better!

This is Rosemary Garlic Lamb Chops, and Roasted Potato and Asparagus with Balsamic Reduction and Mint Oil.
This is my seafood medley. I made this for my brother, Calvin, when he was visiting with us last October. We all love seafood in my family back home as well as my own. OK! Here we have Bake Lobster Tail with Cheesy Garlic Sauce, Seared Sea Scallops, and Hong Kong Style Pan-Fried Ginger and Green Onion Shrimps.

Bread And Desserts

2008-05-07T10:05:00.000-10:00

I love making this little cute stuffed buns. The bread is so soft and fluffy. The top one is Tuna, the next one is Spams (my favorite), the last one is my "piggy in a blanket". I actually grew up eating them in Hong Kong. I had Spam and egg bun almost everyday for breakfast when I was in high school coz' there was a great bakery right across the street from school. Well... I had it for snack after school sometimes. I am so glad that I can make them now so I don't need to wait until I go to Hong Kong. It not, that would be a great torture. I have a long enough list of the food that I am waiting to eat back home. :p
I made this chocolate pretzel bird nest for last Easter. I lightly coated the pretzel sticks with orange flavor dark chocolate (melted dark chocolate with orange extract). There were dark chocolate truffles and marshmallow birds inside the nest. I made the truffles but not the birds.

Cakes I Made!

2008-05-06T19:06:00.001-10:00

This one is another chocolate cake that I made for Tommy and Tim back in 2006. Tommy turned 2 that year. The name of this cake is Chocolate Cake with Mascarpone (Italian cream-cheese) Frosting, Whole Fresh Strawberries, and Shaved Dark Chocolate. Absolutely LOVE it!!!!

This was the first wedding cake I made ever. This cake was for my friends, Daniel Yu and Amyee Lo. Those were yellow and chocolate cupcakes with white butter-cream frosting and sugar flowers. The decoration was beautiful fresh yellow roses and green leaves. It turned out so gorgeous and elegant. The most important thing was that Daniel and Amyee loved this cake. I was so glad!
This cake was for my son, Tommy, who just turned 4 last week and for my husband, Tim, who just turned 30. Tommy picked this cake from one of my baking books. However, I didn't like the original design in the book. I changed it, of course. Tim and Tommy are both chocoholics!!! Therefore, instead of green frosting around the cake, I changed it to dark chocolate ganache. The inside was dark chocolate cake with mint Oreo cookies and whipped cream frosting. The trees are white chocolate tinted with green and dark chocolate. The guy, Diego, in the middle was a candle. He is one of the Tommy's favorite cartoon characters. My family and I loved this cake. It not only looked good but tasted very yummy also. The mint Oreo whipped cream frosting was amazing. It was actually my husband's, Tim, idea. Good job, Honey!

This one is the Winnie the Pooh Cake. It one was so difficult to make, especially the face of Pooh. It took me so long to make it right. Thanks goodness that I DID IT! The inside was yellow cake with fresh strawberries with whipped cream. The outside was butter-cream frosting. This cake actually was a two tiers cake. Pooh looks so cute!!!

This one is a 3 tiers Safari Cake for a little boy who turned 1 year old. The inside was yellow cake with butter-cream frosting. The bushes were butter cookies with green royal icing. The animals were toys. I hope I can make animals and flowers out of gum paste soon. I am actually finding books on this particular subject.
This one is the Star War Cake. The inside was dark chocolate cake with whipped cream and butter-cream frosting.
This is my first fondant cake. I was so proud of my work. I couldn't believe that I really made it. The inside was dark chocolate cake with white butter-cream frosting.

Welcome to Candyland!!!

2008-05-06T18:50:00.000-10:00

I have been making cakes for people for the past few months. I really enjoy doing it. In order to get the pictures of my food and cakes organized, i have decided to create a Blog which only focuses on my passion, cooking and baking. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this Blog. Bon Appetit!!!