Joy Luck Kitchen

Chocolate Peanut Buttery Goodness

2010-12-21T10:12:00.009-05:00

If you love chocolate and you love peanut butter, this just may be the perfect cupcake combination for you.I accidentally stumbled on this recipe while viewing this food blog a few months agoI stared at the recipe for weeks. I've never baked anything with this many steps, so I was definitely intimidated! I thought I had the chocolate cake recipe pretty down pat, but the steps involving dropping

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

2010-06-26T20:38:00.002-04:00

A recipe that my grammie made for us. We all continue to make because it is sooooo yummy and you get some zucchini. So you can say, "but I am eating my vegetables!" and have your cake too :-)1 cup of brown sugar1/2 cup of sugar1/2 cup of butter or margarine softened1/2 cup of oil3 eggs1 tsp of vanilla1/2 cup of buttermilk (or 1/2 cup of milk and a splash of vinegar)2 1/4 cup flour1/2 tsp of

Indoor BBQ Chicken

2010-06-26T20:19:00.002-04:00

This is a post for my friend, Jen :-)4 pieces of boneless skinless chicken (more or less depending on your family)2 teaspoons of oil (canola is what I use)2 cups of favorite BBQ sauce (we make our own, but it is hubby's secret recipe)Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown the chicken on both sides (about 4 minutes on each side). Remove the chicken from the skillet. Add the BBQ sauce,

Saag Paneer

2010-06-26T20:00:00.002-04:00

This recipe I took from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. My hubby and I, the two fans of Indian food in the house, like to eat it with basmati rice, and naan. I made it recently with spinach from our CSA, and it was delicious!1 1/2 pounds of fresh spinach3/4 pound of paneer cheese (I use less than this and sometimes none at all)2 tablespoons of ghee1 tablespoon minced ginger1

I Know What You Did at The Check Out Line

2010-05-10T18:02:00.005-04:00

I seem to be wacky things lately. First, I copied down a recipe off a magazine at the doctor's office. Ok, well apparently, it runs in the family because my mother and sister do it too. But then, as if trying to stand out more than I already do, I had to do another thing; memorize a recipe in a magazine at Albertson's check out line.I have to tell the truth. I hate those check out lines. Why?

Say Cheese!

2010-05-01T16:36:00.008-04:00

It's creamy, rich yet not too overpowering, light yet not airy. It was perfect. I only wish I had a topping to pour on this off white smooth-topped cheesecake.I rarely do this (not out of aversion, but more out of laziness), but this time I did. At the doctor's office, I picked up a magazine, flipped through it, and a photo of a scrumptious cheesecake caught my eye. Without thinking, I quickly

Southwestern Corn Chowder

2010-01-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

I adapted this from a recipe I got off of recipezaar. My mom had this soup at work one day and I thought I could do an even better version from scratch. Now my mom can't eat the one they do at work anymore, she says mine is so much better! And it is a fairly simple and quick recipe to whip up on a cold night. We serve it with crusty bread and butter. Em likes to dip her bread in the

The Ch. Whatzisname?

2010-01-03T10:42:00.012-05:00

We both stood in silence in the kitchen, both trying to coax the darn name of the thingamajig from our apparently dormant Malaysian brains, or should I say, fake Malaysian brains.I have been thinking of this Malaysian snack. I miss it. This snack is one of those things that can be easily whipped up. Good for when company drops by unexpectedly or at short notice. These deep fried fritters can be

Salmon Patties

2009-11-07T01:30:00.002-05:00

This is something we have in the house once or twice a month. It is a good way to get some fish, as well as those omega fatty acids that are good for you. I use canned boneless skinless salmon. I used to use just regular canned salmon, but I found that I was throwing away more and more of it picking out the bones and skin (my dad's preference, otherwise I would leave the skin). This is a very

Crispy Oven Tilapia

2009-10-26T17:54:00.005-04:00

Another favorite in our house. Every Friday I try and get some fish into us, since we really should eat more. With my dad pretty picky, and my hubby not liking anything with a strong fishy smell, it tends to limit my options. Tilapia is a nice mild white fish that you can find just about anywhere these days. This recipe works with both frozen and fresh fish. Some recipes I have tried do not

Yodeling Chicken

2009-08-05T23:56:00.006-04:00

This was originally a recipe for chicken cordon bleu casserole, but I needed to leave out the ham, heehee. So my dad renamed it yodeling chicken (swiss cheese, swiss people yodel.... you get the joke). My husband got very excited when he found out I was making this for supper last night. I had been avoiding putting it on my menu because it involves turning on the oven, but I caved to the will

Chicken Enchiladas

2009-08-03T03:31:00.003-04:00

This is a family favorite. It isn't exactly a traditional enchilada, but the flavors are there and it is easy to do substitutions. I made this last weekend, and there are leftovers in the fridge.1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded3 cups of chicken broth (I reserve this from the water the chicken was boiled in)1 medium onion, chopped1 green pepper, chopped (you can use a hotter pepper if you

Saudi Champagne

2009-07-30T04:42:00.004-04:00

To some this name might sound a little weird! Haha... I was confused too, the first time I heard it. Alcohol is strictly prohibited in Saudi Arabia but this drink just happens to have the word 'Champagne' in it, even though it's kind of like apple cider.This isn't really much of a "recipe" just because there's really nothing to it. And yet, whenever I make it for parties or brunches, I am left

Simple No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

2009-07-30T04:05:00.005-04:00

This is a recipe that I had used a few years ago to make cheesecake. Of course, the non-baked cheesecake tastes different than the baked ones but this is a good idea for times when you are in a hurry and yet want to make a good dessert :)Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)- 8 oz Cool Whip Free (take it out 10 minutes before using)- 16 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)- 9 inch reduced fat

Fettuccine Alfredo

2009-07-30T03:43:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese3/4 cup milk1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine1/4 tsp. white pepper1/8 tsp. garlic powder8 oz. fettuccine, cooked, drained1/8 tsp. ground nutmegMethod: MIX cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, butter, white pepper and garlic powder in medium saucepan; cook on low heat until cream

Naan (A form of Indian Bread)

2009-07-27T03:39:00.004-04:00

As some of you may know, I'm pretty new to the whole cooking scene and so I don't really have much to contribute as of yet, but insha'Allah as a newly married person I hope to be contributing to this blog more and more.The recipe that I'm going to post is taken out of an Indian recipe cookbook which I have and my sister tried this at home while I was sick one day and the bread turned out AMAZING!

Herbed Green Beans

2009-07-27T01:27:00.003-04:00

I made these tonight for dinner, a variation on a recipe I found on recipezaar. The original had mustard in it, but my mom can't stand mustard and so I left it out. We got a basket of fresh green beans from the garden, and from my herb garden some garlic chives, parsley, and green onion. It was delicious! I ended up snacking on the leftovers all evening long, whenever I would walk through the

Spicy Chickpeas Snack

2009-07-26T02:38:00.001-04:00

Has anyone ever tried this snack before ? This spicy chickpea was one of my favorite snack when I was a kid and it still is. Love for the hot and spicy flavor with hint of sweetness from caramelized sugar or sometimes honey. This not greasy spicy snack is super easy to make with great result at the end. You will definitely love it as much as I do. It’s a big bonus for allergy people who

I Can Be A Mamak!

2009-07-23T17:43:00.001-04:00

I wonder about the origin of Murtabak, just as I began to write this post. Hubby's theory was that this food item was a fusion of Indian and Malay cuisines, as the dough that is used is the dough used to make Roti Canai, which is an innovation and modification made to the Indian paratha or normal roti by the Indians who migrated to Malaysia. As for me, I have no opinions whatsoever about the

Churros from New Mexico

2009-07-23T11:49:00.007-04:00

I have made these only once before, when we were in Georgia. I don't even remember where I found the recipe, but it must have been from some cookbook I was actively checking out of the public libraries for years when there was time (relatively, now my lifestyle has changed).Hubby is taking Spanish class this semester, and yesterday, they had a cultural event where everyone had to bring a dish of

Salmon On A Whim

2009-07-15T15:50:00.013-04:00

Brain food. That's what it's called, or at least that's what I call it. Omega 3 fatty acid. It has been a while since we've had salmon, and so when hubby called yesterday saying he had to go to Sam's Club, among the things I told him to buy was salmon.So, salmon he did buy. A big one too. All that was missing was its head. And guts, skin, bones of course. It was a filleted salmon,

If You Have Bananas and Sour Cream...

2009-07-14T12:30:00.001-04:00

I love this recipe. I have made banana breads and banana cakes, but by far, I love this recipe the most. I love Rose Beranbaum's cake recipes. Period. This is by far the most tender and yummiest banana cake I have ever tasted. I attribute it all to the sour cream and mixing technique. One thing I love about Rose's cake recipes is that she incorporates her knowledge in food science into her

Ma'aloubeh (Meat, potato, rice hotpot)

2009-07-09T23:35:00.016-04:00

This month when I made my menu, I was tired of the same old, same old recipes. So off I went to the library to check out some new cookbooks. And I chose several recipes that I have never made before from them. This was the first "new" recipe I made and it turned out great, alhamdulilah. It is taken from The Food of Israel by Sherry Ansky. Tomorrow I will make my first attempt at kibbeh. I

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

2009-06-25T16:47:00.003-04:00

When I was little, I loved to visit my grammie. And she would always make latkes at least one day for lunch while we were visiting. Now that I have found a recipe that compares somewhat to hers I am thrilled. We always at our latkes with a big dollop of cottage cheese on the side. Delicious! And it is super simple recipe. These have great potato flavor because of the use of the potato

When Kids Make Bread

2009-06-20T15:05:00.001-04:00

I'm probably known as the 'Bread Lady', at least for a while, to the Malaysians in D.C., as a result of this particular filled sweet bread. One Ramadan, the Malaysians asked if I could make 'more' for post Taraweeh. In Malaysia, there is a post tarawih indulgence, called more, which is usually a sweet porridge caller Bubur Caca. When the Malaysian Students Department staff paid a visit to

Easy Crispy Baked Eggrolls

2009-06-13T22:16:00.003-04:00

I made these tonight because I didn't want to pull out the fryer. And this way is healthier any way. They tasted delicious. I need to start keeping my camera in the kitchen while I am cooking to take pictures. I went out to take some pictures of the ones that were leftover only to discover that they had all been eaten, so next time insha'Allah. These were nice and crispy and the filling was

Lasagna

2009-06-12T21:31:00.003-04:00

Lasagna is a favorite in my house, we usually eat it about once a month. Since summer is coming I probably won't make it as much, but I usually get a request from those who do not have to stand in the hot kitchen and make it, heehee... And it is a good follow up to the tomato sauce recipe, since I use it in this recipe.1/2-3/4 of the basic tomato sauce recipe (depending on how saucy you like it

Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe

2009-06-11T19:57:00.002-04:00

A quickie introduction for me, since Em (my 3 yo daughter) is calling me, lol. I am a mom, daughter, wife and all around busy body. I love to cook, mostly traditionally American dishes. Right now I am learning to cook Indian food and loving it. This is a basic tomato sauce I use for many different things. It freezes great, and doubles fine. Usually I get the enormous cans of crushed

Beans & Anjeera

2009-04-19T18:51:00.005-04:00

We love beans in our house. Not only is the cooking time very appealing for this dish, it became extremely convenient after having my teeth filed this week. Anything that required using my front upper and lower teeth to eat became incredibly painful. So I resorted to anjeera and fuul (beans). I found a can of Heinz Deep-Browned Beans in Tomato Sauce in my cabinet. I had picked it up at the

Impromptu

2009-02-16T10:35:00.001-05:00

I was doing laundry and packing up to leave town while wondering what in the world we were going to have for dinner that day. I looked in the freezer and saw that we had ground beef. So my initial thought was to make spaghetti sauce (tomato) and pasta. I waited for the meat to defrost and prepared my ingredients. It was only after the ground beef was ready that I noticed we were out of tomato

No Name Chicken

2009-02-16T10:30:00.001-05:00

I literally marinated these drumsticks with every spice I had in my cabinet. Not a bad turnout huh? I'm not complaining :DCurryTandoori MixXawaaji (Cumin)PepperSaltYogurtSteps:1. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.2. Then add 1 tsp. each of every spice. Mix well.3. Dump in your drumsticks and make sure the spices are well incorporated.4. Refrigerate

Meat Lasagna

2009-01-07T10:44:00.005-05:00

Lasagna is another one of those dishes that looks really hard to make, but again, if I can do it, ANYONE can. I did a few things different with this lasagna. I actually wanted it to be more 'runny' so I added extra sauce. I LOVED this part... something about eating a sloppy lasagna appeals to me! Anyway, this is what you'll need, enjoy! (Please excuse my bad quality photo... I was far too hungry

Joy Luck Kitchen Pantry

2009-01-01T21:36:00.005-05:00

We are happy to announce Joy Luck Kitchen Pantry, in which you may find more information (necessary and extra) on ingredients used in the recipes posted on Joy Luck Kitchen.The hope is to make more convenient grocery shopping, especially for ingredients that are unfamiliar. We hope you find our pantry helpful !

Cold, Frigid, Chillly, Soup, Soup, Soup!

2008-12-30T15:56:00.002-05:00

Way back in September 2002, a family of five arrived in Columbus, Ohio, ready to settle down in a new town. They didn't know anyone, and the university family housing apartment they wanted to move into was not yet available. They were put on a long waiting list, and were told that the apartment would be available sometime in October. So they decided to find a temporary place until they could

Of Chickens and Weddings

2008-12-26T19:56:00.007-05:00

When I told my stepmother, "Ayam Masak Merah," I remember her going through her 'recipe book' in which she had amassed a collection of recipes cut out from newspapers and magazines, neatly glued onto the lined pages. She had asked me what I wanted to eat for lunch, or dinner, so she would have an idea of what to cook that day.The first thought that came to my mind was a chicken dish that is often

Bariis

2008-12-18T14:56:00.002-05:00

I swear we don't eat cake for dinner. My latest baking fascination might've given you the impression that that's all we've been eating :D. I haven't been able to try anything new except with cakes/cookies. I managed to experiment with bariis (rice) and leave my white rice comfort zone. I used the spices that I like (and not necessarily the spices normally used for bariis) and kept trying until I

Pound Cake

2008-12-13T21:38:00.012-05:00

If you're like me, you've been eating pound cake ever since you were a little kid. I remember my mom bringing it back each time she went grocery shopping. It's ridiculously easy to make, I almost didn't believe it when it turned out so good. I say this all the time, but if it worked out for me, it'll work out for you.I was browsing the Joy of Baking website and eyeing some recipes I'd like to try

Buttercream Icing

2008-12-12T16:44:00.008-05:00

Finally, an icing recipe that worked for me! Though I'm sure my prior mess ups were due to my own errors, this time I was sure to carefully watch my measurements.Thinking back to the last time I tried to make icing, I realize what an importance icing sugar (as opposed to granulated sugar) can make!The recipe I followed is by Wilton and can be found here. 1/2 cup solid vegetable

Eid Cookies Part II

2008-12-11T11:59:00.007-05:00

In deciding which cookie recipes to try for Eid from my new cookbook, I had decided off the bat that I would try home made chocolate chip cookies. Not the pre made Pillsbury cookie dough I've been making my whole life, this time I'd try from scratch.These unfortunately didn't last until the morning of Eid! They kept disappearing, one by one.I present the 2nd of 3 recipes, Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Eid Cookies Part I

2008-12-08T20:41:00.013-05:00

Having prepared a large iftar yesterday, I was in no condition to cook again today. Instead, we went and enjoyed Somali cuisine at Hamdi Restaurant here in Toronto.I did manage to bake some Eid cookies though. I figured since I've never made cookies from scratch, I thought I'd give it a try. I was also really excited to use my new cookie cutters :D. I picked 3 recipes that appealed to me from my

Good Company for Eid

2008-12-08T14:30:00.014-05:00

I thought I was going to lay off cooking for a while, but as it turns out, I had picked the wrong time to do so as Eid was just around the corner. Apparently (as I've come to realize a few days ago), we, the Aal Hamzah, have somewhat established our biannual Eid Open Houses in the past years, such that when I didn't email the sisters about it for this Eid, I received questions. Not in email, but

Eid Mubarak!

2008-12-07T18:03:00.002-05:00

No recipes this time. My kitchen's not as bustling as it usually is around Eid time. Let's just say I've had quite enough of cooking, and will take a much needed and deserved break for a while. Nevertheless, to all those who have honored Joy Luck Kitchen by dropping by, who are Muslims, no matter where you are,Eid Mubarak!Taqabbal Allah minna wa minkumMay Allah accept it from us and from

Naan

2008-12-05T21:18:00.008-05:00

This was my 2nd time attempting naan, and it wasn't nearly as bad as the first time! I can't really remember what went wrong last time, but I know it didn't puff up as much as I would've like it to. Perhaps I didn't add as much yeast as I should have, I don't know, but I'm not complaining this time :D And as usual, when something doesn't turn out right, I keep trying until I get it.I figured

Spanish Rice

2008-12-05T18:42:00.005-05:00

A few days ago my husband surprised me with my very first cookbook. I was extremely eager to try it out, and even though I was taking a 'break' from trying new recipes that day, I couldn't help but notice the convenient prep time of 15 minutes for Spanish Rice. I've been craving Spanish rice lately even though I've never had it before! So I removed page 87/88 from the Beans, Rice & Grains chapter

BBQ Chicken Bites

2008-12-03T13:16:00.014-05:00

When people ask me about my mom's BBQ chicken bites, I don't have much of answer for them cause I've never tried it out- until now. To be honest, I didn't even know my mom could make this until she opened up her restaurant and began to experiment. I grew up disliking barbecue sauce and anything that tasted like it. I don't even remember ever seeing a bottle in the fridge. We were more ketchup

Peanut Butter Lovers

2008-12-02T20:20:00.011-05:00

I may be the biggest peanut butter lover on earth. I can eat anything made with peanut butter, so it's no surprise that I would try this very easy recipe. This was my inspiration. The only thing I did different was dip one half of the cookie in chocolate and peanuts instead of both sides. I also only baked it for 10 minutes and let it cool down for 10-15 minutes. Preparation time was no more than

Rich Concoctions

2008-12-01T16:27:00.004-05:00

I'm good at following recipes, but not at coming up with my own, especially where baking is concerned, since baking is more of chemistry than art, unlike cooking. But I can say that this is an exception. I came up with this recipe on my own, and to this day, (I'm embarrassed to say) this is one of the very few dessert items that are actually of my own concoctions.The inspiration came from a cream

My Grandmother's Legacy

2008-11-30T21:07:00.001-05:00

I grew up getting used to eating animal organs, such as intestines, lungs, and liver. But that's about it. Tongue, brain, hooves, and others, that's where I draw the line, or is it because I was never served those growing up?It's pretty common to see animal organs cooked in many ways in both Malaysian and Indonesian dishes, but I would say that I see more of animal's internal organs in Indonesian

Baked Ziti

2008-11-30T11:49:00.007-05:00

My older sister is our resident Italian cook in the family. I had my sister's baked ziti for the first time a few months ago. I attempted weeks ago to make her baked ziti recipe. I changed a few things around for this one. Instead of ziti, I used rotini. You can also use penne or any other kind of pasta you like. I just happen to love rotini!Here's what you'll need- spaghetti sauce (baked ziti is

Chicken Sukhaar

2008-11-26T17:11:00.002-05:00

I've already shared my beef sukhaar recipe here. My chicken sukhaar recipe is exactly the same except I use small bite size chicken pieces. I normally add more spinach but ran out so that's why there isn't too much in the above photo. Follow the recipe here!Enjoy :)

Soup for A Wintry Day

2008-11-23T23:22:00.004-05:00

Nothing like a hot soup to take the edge off the biting cold of winter. This soup brought back memories of a wintry day years ago. If I'm not mistaken, it was during the blizzard of '04. I love blizzards. We got a lot of them in Iowa. I loved it then because it usually meant classes were canceled, though since it's Iowa, it took a really bad blizzard for them to cancel classes. I love it here

Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie

2008-11-22T22:34:00.005-05:00

I was browsing through some of my favorite food blogs and came across this amazing looking pecan pie recipe. I LOVE pecan pie. I'll be posting that recipe and pictures next. I made a batch of the Perfect Pie Crust put it in the freezer. In the meantime we got invited out so I decided to make another pie to take with the extra dough. Thats when I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Potato Soup

2008-11-18T17:57:00.000-05:00

Before I had my surgery I cooked myself up a batch of delicious potato soup to eat when I got home from the hospital! I didn't really follow a recipe and since I'm not really up to trying to remember how much of each thing I put in I'll just post a basic rough recipe which can be changed to ones liking. I like my soup a bit chunky, but you can blend it as well.Ingredients:3-4 tablespoons

O-HI-O

2008-11-15T20:42:00.000-05:00

A Malaysian brother's graduation. Perfect! An occasion to bake and decorate a cake for. An excuse to fling open the restless idea box in my head. An excuse to launch yet another experiment. A reason to practice my cake decorating skills. I can almost feel the itch consuming my hands at the time, as I'm typing this now, years later.Hubby had volunteered to organize a graduation celebration

Lemon Pancakes

2008-11-14T14:57:00.001-05:00

The egg whites man got me craving lemon pancakes today! I'm such a breakfast person too- my favourite meal of the day for sure. So I went searching online for recipes that I could try, and I finally found this one. I omitted the cream soda cause I didn't have any, I added 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and I used 1% milk instead of skim milk, but it was absolutely delicious! Possibly my favourite

A Squeal, A Whoop of Joy!

2008-11-13T17:54:00.000-05:00

Four tries. That's how many tries it took for me to come up with a banana cake you won't believe is allergy free!We had bought combs upon combs of banana so Z and I would have easy accessible snacks. Of course, after a while, these bananas screamed to be used up in something because they were starting to freckle. I had already made the allergy free Jemput Jemput, and on the same day, I had also

Something Milky, Something Cold, Something Mexican...

2008-11-13T17:47:00.001-05:00

I have eyed this recipe for the longest time, but I always put it back in the recipe box, intending to try it some 'other' time. So there it sat, in my recipe box, among my other handwritten recipes, lovingly yet arduously copied manually, by hand, at night, after the three kiddoes entered la la land. This was during the times when I was a young mother of three children under the age of 3. My

Ground Beef Spaghetti Sauce

2008-11-11T18:31:00.007-05:00

Often times I ask myself why I didn't watch my mom cook more often while I was home! She ran her own restaurant for a little over a year, and yet I still didn't learn from her."Why don't you bring your girls in the kitchen?" her friends would ask, baffled at the fact that we were over the age of 15 and still having our mother cook for us.One of the first things I learned to make was spaghetti

Allergy Free Banana Ball Fritters

2008-11-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

If not for Zeyoudee's allergies and a sister's determination in conducting her own kitchen experiments (despite not having any problems with allergies herself), I might have never learned about the properties of different types of flours, the different function of eggs, and eventually be moved to hatch some recipes of my own in concocting something my little Zeyoudee can eat without breaking into

When We Went Raspberry Picking...

2008-11-10T18:08:00.014-05:00

One year, we went strawberry picking with the Malaysians. When the next summer came, I wanted to pick something else. So I suggested raspberries. I didn't know what raspberry plants look like.It was a picking I don't want to go through again, at least not in that kind of weather. We were drenched with sweat under the sweltering heat, and those raspberries, they're too small that it felt like

Double Chocolate Obama Cupcakes

2008-11-09T21:03:00.008-05:00

My plan was to make double chocolate cupcakes and spell out 'Barack Obama 08' by writing on them with icing. Unfortunately, I didn't get everything on time, so I stuck with store bought chocolate icing. I made these the day before election night. Enjoy :)I followed Rachael Ray's recipe which can be found here. (the only difference is I didn't make the icing recipe on the site- I stuck with store

Home Fries

2008-11-09T12:40:00.008-05:00

I first fell in love with home fries after a couple of trips to Bob Evans with a few addict friends of mine ;)Having cut down on eating out, I decided I would try to make them at home. Here's what you'll need:- 5-6 large potatoes- butter- salt- paprika- pepper flakes- garlic powderRecipe:1. Boil your potatoes on high heat for 10 minutes (only cook them half way, do not boil more!)2. Remove from

Cheesy? Yum!!

2008-11-08T10:21:00.000-05:00

One of the easiest dish to prepare, and one of the easiest to make ahead and freeze for lazy cooking days, or for hectic days for that matter! I present, the Cheesy Yum. The name..ahh, the name was borne out of three active young minds; my children.I no longer make this because I can't take cheese, so I have been depriving the family of this dish the kids particularly love. Bad mother? Nahh...

Beef Sukhaar

2008-11-06T20:30:00.009-05:00

Beef sukhaar, or tender beef chunks is a staple Somali dish. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It can be sauteed with vegetables of your choice and can be served with anjeero, malawah, or pita bread. I serve it with store bought pita bread or naan when I'm running low on time- like I did today :)This takes about 1 hr-1hr and 15 min total, I leave it on the low heat longer because

Going Bananas!

2008-11-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Only after I got to know the Somalis in Columbus did I associate banana with the Somalis, because of the interesting fact that they eat their rice with bananas.Bananas, all kinds of them, grow in abundance in Malaysia, and I really mean in abundance! When I was prescribed glasses, I devoutly, every single morning after Fajr, headed out to our orchard and struggled to get drops of fresh morning

Malawah

2008-11-05T20:52:00.003-05:00

For those of you have been asking about the malawah recipe, here it is again. It was down temporarily. Enjoy :DWhat you'll need- 3 cups of all purpose flour- 1 1/2 cups of milk- 1/2 cup of water- 2 eggs- 1/4 cup of sugar- 1 tsp of saltPreparing the batterUsing an electric hand mixer, mix the above ingredients until the batter is smooth and free of chunks.Preparing Malawah1. Put a non stick pan on

Chicken Soup for the Soul

2008-11-05T13:43:00.001-05:00

Chicken soup, Malaysian style, is a very simple dish. It's one of the first dishes I learned or rather, was taught to cook. I also taught my 11 year old daughter to make it. My mother, introduced to me a way of making the soup really clear, that is by bringing the water to a boil before dumping in the chicken pieces, so the blood won't mar the transparency of the soup.I have tweaked the basic

Resurrecting Qabeelat Hayl - Fall '06

2008-11-05T11:51:00.001-05:00

Hayl al Awwal, Hayl At-Thaani. No, I'm not talking about the Islamic months. I'm talking about the student body of AlMaghrib institute in the 'cow-tipping' town of Columbus. Hayl was born in 2004. Hayls' first Almaghrib class was in the spring of 2005, The Code Evolved, taught by Sheikh Yaser Birjas. However, by the beginning of 2006, we were shut down. We didn't meet the required number of

Qurma, Kurma or what?

2008-11-04T16:31:00.002-05:00

When I was writing up an essay on mothering across cultures for an anthology, I had to google the origin of a Malaysian meat/poultry dish we call Kurma. In Malaysia, Kurma can mean two things; dates (the halal one, not the haram one!) or this particular dish. It can also be spelled Korma.I am currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, a story about Afghanis during the wars, and found the word

Tiramisu II

2008-11-03T11:05:00.006-05:00

Since making tiramisu for the first time, I knew there were tons of changes I was going to make. First and foremost, I don't like cheese that much :D that's no secret, so I was going to use MUCH less cheese, and I was going to skip the eggs- something about raw eggs didn't sit well with me :) I also used Jell-O instant vanilla mix after a sister advised me that it tastes much better this way. I

Halal Jello

2008-11-03T08:45:00.005-05:00

Ever since my toddler's allergies were diagnosed, I started an allergy free diet because I am still nursing him. Wheat free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, and peanut free it was. It was not easy. I craved ice cream, I mourned over baked goods, I missed bread, I eyed the bottle of soy sauce with ardent longing.Now, I'm much better at doing without food that has all the above allergens, and like

No Bake Cake

2008-11-02T23:28:00.001-05:00

When my Egyptian friend served us this creamy and very rich dessert, she served it in a glass casserole dish. When I asked her if it had a name, she just shrugged and said no. Curious, I spooned a scoop on my plate. To be honest, the blob on my plate didn’t look too appetizing. It was creamy white with light brown lines making haphazard patterns.As soon as it hit my taste buds, my senses went

Tandoori Chicken

2008-11-02T13:14:00.005-05:00

I like my chicken real spicy (not Malay spicy, just spicy) so I always add a little more chilli powder than I probably should when making tandoori chicken. Whatever meal I'm serving it with, I remember not to forget a banana- the two complement each other very well!Here's my tandoori chicken recipe:What you'll need- 8 chicken drumsticks, skinless- 10 tablespoons yogurt- 1 maggi cub- 4 tablespoons

Rice Pudding

2008-11-02T10:17:00.006-05:00

There are about a million different ways to make rice pudding. Each culture adds their own flavor and style. This is a very basic Middle Eastern style recipe and what I grew up with. It is easy to make and can be adapted to one's own taste.You will need:2 cups short* grain rice rinsed well6 cups of water8 cups of milk1/2 - 1 cup of sugar depending on taste1 teaspoon Rose water (optional)

American Eid 'Cookies'

2008-11-02T10:10:00.003-05:00

Our Eids thus far have not been traditionally Malaysian, as also depicted by the supposedly Malaysian 'Eid Cookies' (kuih raya) my kids hashed out during the last few days of Ramadan. Of course, a few years back, I did attempt to keep up with this Malay tradition, but unfortunately, I didn't have much experience making specialized typical Malaysian eid cookies, so my cookies were mostly gleaned

Carousel Cake

2008-11-01T18:01:00.004-04:00

Fun cakes. That's what I call them. I don't make a lot of them, unfortunately. And of the ones that I do make, this is my favorite so far. I call it Carousel Cake. It was the Summer of '04. I was about five months pregnant (it seems that the bake and cake decorating craze always struck me in my second trimester, how weird is that?).We were going to have the Malaysians over for lunch. I was

Even the kids can do it!

2008-10-31T21:12:00.004-04:00

I have to say up front; I don't like making cookies. Why? Because cookies bake in batches, and it requires you to remain the kitchen, by the oven, until all the batches of cookies are done. I prefer making cakes to cookies, because you can pop your pan of cake batter in the oven, set the timer, and go take a shower.That is why I tell my kids they can make Eid cookies if they wanted to, and lucky

Impromptu

2008-10-31T12:58:00.008-04:00

I was trying to will the Chicken Ginger to come to life so I wouldn't have to cook this morning, but alas! I still had to cook. So cook I did, albeit with sighs and groans. I had thawed some boneless beef chunks right after Fajr, intending to make Rendang when my Friday visitor comes over, but she couldn't make it, so my menu changed because Rendang takes forever to make!I wanted to make Pengek

Moroccan Fruit Salad

2008-10-31T09:31:00.005-04:00

I first tasted this at an iftar gathering over Ramadan and I fell in love. It's also a much healthier alternative to deserts at your dinner parties. Considering all of the cake and chocolate we've been eating lately, I decided to quickly put together a healthier option. With tons of school work and midterms underway, the 10 minute preparation time was also pretty appealing :)What you'll need-

Malaysianised Somali Bariis?

2008-10-30T20:06:00.000-04:00

I had the wonderful opportunity of watching a Somali make Bariis in her own unique style, which I think will be imprinted in my mind forever. Here in Columbus, OH, Darbo is popular among the Malaysian brothers. Most of them, being single hungry students who most of the time are too lazy/busy/tired to cook, would head out to Darbo and have their lunch and dinner.I have eaten rice cooked the Yemeni

Bariis & Sukhaar

2008-10-30T16:58:00.007-04:00

We eat different variations of bariis (rice) and sukhaar (small pieces of beef or chicken) about once a week in my home and what I love most about it is that you can cook it differently each time- no meal will taste the same. Here's one I made last week:The rice What you'll need:- 4 cups of rice- 1 tomato chopped- 2 maggi chicken cubes- handful of chopped parsley- minced garlic- 1/2 of an onion

Ginger and Chicken, No Oyster.

2008-10-30T12:43:00.006-04:00

Originally, oyster sauce is used for flavoring and provides authenticity of Chinese cuisines.. I think! But this time, I decided to make Chicken Ginger without oyster sauce because we were out of it , besides I could make it an Allergy-Free version who craves for the real taste of this wonderful chicken cuisines but can’t do shellfish - oyster, scallop, shrimp, squid and anything made from one of

Get the Ice Cream, Quick!

2008-10-29T19:21:00.010-04:00

I love this dish, and so do my children. It's considered a simple humble dish because it consists of eggs, not chicken or meat, but I can eat this dish with white rice and fresh slices of celery stalk or cucumbers over and over and over!I love spicy food. I can't live without them. However, I think I probably overdid it, since I recently found out that I can't take chomping down on fresh bird's

Eat Your Greens!

2008-10-29T15:13:00.007-04:00

I personally love stir-fried vegetables, Chinese style. The aroma of freshly cooked vegetables, particularly that of green beans, cabbage, and carrots drives up my appetite. It brings back memories of one vacation I had on the high plains of Malaysia's central mountain range, Cameron Highlands where my father rented a vacation house, and we got to cook freshly bought vegetables from the local

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2008-10-29T14:55:00.005-04:00

Alright, I followed Zurina's (UmmJuli) chocolate chip pancake recipe and made this for breakfast this morning. I too had some chocolate chips hanging around waiting to be used and have never made or had chocolate chip pancakes. Alhamdulilah. The recipe is as follows:1 cup plain flour2 teaspn baking powder2 Tblspn sugar or according to taste1/4 teasp salt2 eggs1/2 cup fresh milk1/4 cup chocolate

Somali Shaah (Tea)

2008-10-28T21:28:00.008-04:00

I love tea :D Need I say more?What you'll need- water- milk- sugar- tea bags- cardamom- cloves- cinnamonSteps1. Boil 4 cups of water2. Add one cup of sugar3. add your tea bags (I use 2)4. crush 5-8 cardamom pods and throw them in the kettle5. crush 1 cinnamon stick and throw it in the kettle6. crush 3-5 cloves and throw them in the kettle (I add a little extra)7. Boil for 5 minutes.8. Serve black

Chapati

2008-10-28T16:19:00.009-04:00

I normally stay away from making Chapati (a kind of bread) because it sets the smoke detectors off but when I do make them, I make enough for a few meals.Here's the recipe:What you'll need- 3 cups of flour- 2 cups of water- 1/4 tsp of saltWhat to do1. Mix the flour and the salt2. Slowly add in the water3. Keep mixing it with your hands until you make a dough like ball4. Divide the dough into

Baguette

2008-10-27T13:23:00.003-04:00

I made this french bread after I’ve been craving for so long to make it my own. The texture was perfectly crisp from the outside and gooey chewy from the inside.. great for lunch! It took me a good 4 hours to get it done but alhamdulilah.. not so bad for a first timer making baguette! I am truly satisfied.. I really am. I followed this recipe to the letter. It might look like tonnes of work

Tiramisu Cake

2008-10-27T09:50:00.005-04:00

Okay, so my 1st attempt at making Tiramisu was not without flaws. I'm not much of a baker so I tried it out hoping to ignite some sort of motivation, and surely, it worked! I plan to keep trying until I get it right =). The filling turned out a little too runny (too much cream and not enough mascarpone cheese) as seen in the photo, but I put it in the freezer for 1 hr before putting it together

Coconut Ice Cream

2008-10-27T00:16:00.000-04:00

Does coconut sound familiar to you? to my knowledge , It does for people who live in a tropical country

BBQ Southeast Asian Style

2008-10-25T18:24:00.002-04:00

Let's just begin by saying I have had bad experiences making satay. I followed all the tips regarding the skewer sticks, but they still smoked horrendously in the oven (I don't have a BBQ grill), thereby triggering an annoying persistent ear-piercing wail of the smoke alarm. I even soaked the wooden skewers overnight, yet they were still burnt.Fortunately, my love or rather desire, for satay was

Pumpkin...Pie?

2008-10-25T18:15:00.001-04:00

2 little pumpkins were still there sitting on my kitchen pantry since we bought them from the farm. Surprisingly, I had so many wish-to-do list to make with the pumpkins and didn’t know where to start. My mind started browsing up and down the list , let’s go with pumpkin pie first! I chose the bigger one , cut it, peeled , cored and diced it. Cooked the diced pumpkins and ready to use. I

Too Hot? Too Cold? Just Nice!

2008-10-24T22:22:00.000-04:00

People call it baby food. I remember eating my baby brothers' rice porridge cooked with grated carrots and anchovies, and enjoying it. I also remember making rice porridge for my daughters when they were starting to eat solids. I made it for my youngest son when he was starting to eat solids, except without the salt, spices and garnishes.I have to say I love baby food, adulterized that is (which

Welcome!

2008-10-24T22:12:00.001-04:00

Assalaamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa BarakatuhuWelcome to our blog! This blog is maintained by a few sisters who share a love for cooking. Although most of the food here can be labeled as Somali, Malaysian, Indian, or American- we like to consider our food as being a fusion of many cultures!We are not self-proclaimed chefs, and we sure don't expect you to be either! Believe in yourself and your