P/S : He is not my husband. Dont get confused. Oh c'mon girls also have male BFF : D

..

So lets check the easy recipe of classic Beef Stew by Chef Micheal Smith (Chef at Home AFC Channel)

I also used flour, mix 1/4 cup flour with the beef before your brown it

Instructions
Preheat a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, pat the beef dry with a clean towel and then cut it into large cubes and season it with the salt and pepper.
Add a splash of oil to the pot—enough to cover the bottom in a thin layer—and toss in enough meat  to form a single sizzling layer. Sear the meat on every side until it’s evenly browned.

Be patient when you’re browning the meat; it takes a little time but it’s worth every minute. The caramelized flavours are the secret to a rich hearty stew. As the meat browns, remove it from the pan, adding more oil and meat as needed.

Once the meat is done, discard the remaining oil but keep all the browned bits in the pan; they’ll add lots of flavour to the stew.
Add half of the vegetables—reserving the other half—and all the meat back to the pot. Add the tomatoes and enough wine and beef broth to barely cover the works. Add the bay leaves and rosemary and bring the pot to a simmer.

Continue cooking until the meat is almost tender, about 1 hour, then add the remaining vegetables, the baby onions and the frozen peas. Adding the vegetables in 2 batches allows the first batch to dissolve into the stew while the second retains its shape, colour and texture. Continue simmering until the meat and veggies are tender, another 30 minutes or so. When the stew is tender, taste it and season as you like.

Our life is a faint tracing on the surface of mystery, so we ask questions every single day of life. We always have funny or weird questions or thoughts to ponder..

But there are questions you just cant answer...

Life is complicated, its confusing, and full of questions. But maybe thats the point. Maybe we need the complicated to make us or break us. Maybe we need the confusing to help better understand. And maybe, just maybe its these questions that help decide how things will turn out, for it may be complicated but the answers are simple..

I bet everyone know how to bake a red velvet. But when it comes to the frosting part, its tough! I learned from past experience, if you want to frost your cake, bake one day ealier, let the cake completely cool in rack, using plastic wrapper, wrap cake, and chill it in freezer. You  found, it will stiffen up the cake and make it easier to frost.

But when it comes to frosting idea, its very forgiving, whatever you want, you can use piping or just spread and swirl, like my pathetic rustic swirls frosting hewhewhew :p


In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the milk or  heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

Recipe courtesy Martha Steward

Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar for simple syrup
Ice cubes
1 2/3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons julienned mint, plus leaves for garnish
1 lemon, sliced 1/4-inch thick, plus more for garnish

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water . Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Let stand until completely cool. I boiled the syrup with the lemon skin that has been squeezed for the juice just to get a nice and strong aroma of lemon)
In a large pitcher half-filled with ice, add 2 cups water, lemon juice, simple syrup, mint, and lemon slices. Stir to combine. Serve over ice. Garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices.

1 whole chicken
Fresh ginger
2 - 3 stalks green onions.
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Modification :
2 cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, star anise and cloves.

1. To clean the chicken, with a small handful of kosher salt (garam kasar pun boleh), rub the chicken all over, getting rid of any loose skin and dirt. Rinse chicken well, inside and outside. Season generously with salt inside and outside. Stuff the chicken with the ginger slices and the green onion. Place the chicken in a large stockpot and fill with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then immediately turn the heat to low to keep a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes more (less if you're using a smaller chicken). Check for doneness by sticking a chopstick into the flesh under the leg and see if the juices run clear or insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone. It should read 170F.

2. When the chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Immediately lift and transfer the chicken into a bath of ice water to cool and discard the ginger and green onion. Don't forget to reserve the poaching broth for your rice, your sauce, and the accompanying soup. The quick cooling will stop the cooking process, keeping the meat soft and tender, and giving the skin a lovely firm texture

FOR THE RICE
2 tablespoon chicken fat or 2 tbsp vegetable oil - I used vege oil.
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1'' section of ginger, finely minced
2 cups long-grain uncooked rice, washed and soaked in cool water for 10 min or longer
2 cups reserved chicken poaching broth
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Modification :
2 cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, star anise and cloves, also 2 pandan leaves and shallots (blended with garlic and ginger)

 To cook the rice: Drain the rice. In a wok or sauce pan (use a medium sauce pan if you plan on cooking the rice on the stove top), heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ginger, garlic and shallots, all the spices and pandan leaves and fry until your kitchen smells like heaven. Be careful not to burn the aromatics! Add in your drained rice and stir to coat, cook for 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil, mix well.

FOR THE CHILI SAUCE
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoon reserved chicken poaching broth
2 teaspoon sugar
4 fresh chillies,
4 cloves garlic
1'' ginger
a generous pinch of salt, to taste

FOR THE TABLE
1/4 cup dark soy sauce - I used 1/2 cup chicken broth / soup mix with half cup of soy sauce (kicap jalen pon boleh)
1 cucumber and tomato, thinly sliced or cut into bite-sized chunks

Method :

To make the rice on the stove: In the same sauce pan, add 2 cups of your reserved poaching broth, add salt and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit (with lid still on) for 5-10 minutes more.

To cook rice in a rice cooker: Pour aromatics and rice (after frying) into your rice cooker, add 2 1/2 cups of your reserved poaching broth and salt. Follow the instructions for your model (usually this will just mean "turn it on!")

 While your rice is cooking, remove the chicken from the ice bath and rub the outside of the chicken with the sesame oil. Carve the chicken for serving.

To make the chili sauce: Blend your chili sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth and bright red.

 To make the soup: You should have six or seven cups of the reserved poaching broth left over to serve as soup. Just before serving, heat up the soup, taste and season with salt as necessary.

Serve the chicken rice with chili sauce, dark soy sauce, cucumber slices, and a bowl of hot broth .