Last visit to Penang State Museum

January 2017. After coffee with besties at Constant Gardener, since I still have some times until he done his appointment and pick me up; I decided to walk over to Penang Museum for a short visit. Despite been here numerous time, I still find it interesting and Nyonya room is one of my favourite section. I am so glad that I drop by here today, as the museum is going to close down for a long time for renovation in April. These photos taken going to the precious memory of Old Penang Museum. Look forward for the new face of Penang Museum when I am back again for visit. 

Waiting for someone, coffee~ Constant Gardener Coffee, Lebuh Light, Georgetown

January 2017. 等一个人的咖啡。Having cappuccino alone at Constant Gardener Coffee while waiting for bestie to come over to meet me up. It's been a while since I have some 'me time' by myself when I am in Penang. Whenever I come back, time always not enough or always gather with friends or family. Too bad the view outside which suppose to be Padang Kota Lama, with bits of Fort Cornwallis and esplanade sea are cover up due to some construction on going. Nevertheless, the cozy cafe is rather quiet in the morning and I manage enjoy a short and peaceful coffee break by myself ~ 

Korean Rice Cake Soup ~ Tteokguk 떡국

January 2017. Happy Chinese New Year~ 새해 복 많이 받으세요~ Tteokguk is traditionally eaten on Korean Lunar New Year which symbolize turning 1 year older, also bring lucks and longevity. Korean Lunar New Year falls on the same day as our Chinese New Year. Therefore I will make Tteokguk for husband on Chinese New Year Day 1 morning if we did not go back to Korea for Seollal (Korean New Year). This year we spend our CNY in my hometown. So I brought some freshly made garae-tteok from local Korean Mart a day before we drove back to hometown to make tteokguk for him and my family. If you couldn't get the freshly made garae-tteok, some supermarket (e.g. Jusco Aeon) which is selling Korean products is selling packaging tteok too (where the rice cake is thinly sliced). Tteokguk generally consists of the broth/soup (guk) with thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok), garnished with thin julienne cooked eggs, shredded marinated meat and crushed roasted seaweed (gim).

Ingredients (4 Servings)

4 handful Slice Rice Cake 

350 grams Beef (brisket or chuck)

1 Yellow Onion 

6 gloves Garlic 

2-3 stalks Spring Onion 

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1-2 tablespoon soy sauce

1-2 pinch of salt

1-2 pinch of pepper

How to Cook

Step 1

In a large pot, add in beef, yellow onion, spring onions, garlic gloves and 10 cups of water and bring it to boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 1 hour with cover. 

Step 2

Since the garae-tteok that I bought is freshly made and doesn't required to be keep in fridge, I just need to thinly sliced it and set aside for cooking later. Store-bought rice cake in package normally required to keep in fridge, therefore it is recommended to soak the rice cake in room water for about 10-20 minutes until soften before use. 

Step 3
Simmer until the beef is tender (about an hour is enough). Off the fire, remove all ingredients from broth. Discard the veggie except the beef chunk. Seasoned the broth with 1-2 tablespoon of soy sauce, a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Step 4

After the boiled beef chunk cold down, shred the beef chunk into strips by using hands or thinly julienne it with knife. Then, seasoned it with 1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper, mix well and set aside for garnish later.

Step 5

Make Ji-dan (egg garnish) Separate the egg white and egg yolk in two separate bowls. Beat both white and yolk gently. Heat up a non-stick pan, coat the pan with a little cooking oil, cook the white and yolk separately on medium low heat like how you cook egg crepe / pancake. After cook, roll the egg layer and thinly slice it into strip and set aside.

Step 6

Roast a sheet of unseasoned gim (seaweed sheet) on a pan or direct above the stove fire, crush it or use a cut it into bits using scissor. Or you may use the seasoned seaweed sheet too for the garnish. I am using roasted seaweed seasoned with sesame oil made by myself here.

Step 7
After prepare all the garnish, it's time to cook the tteok with broth. Bring the broth to boil, then add in the tteok and let it cook for 5 minutes, until it turn soft then it is ready to serve. You may add in mandu (Korean dumplings) and boil together with the tteok, and it will turn into another delicious Korean delicacy - Tteok Mandu-guk ~ which is also one of  his favourite dish. Just serve the tteok and guk in bowl, garnish it the seasoned beef strips, ji-dan and gim, Tteokguk is ready to serve! 

Roasted Seasoned Dried Seaweed~ Gim Gui 김구이

January 2017. Early this year when my parents in law visited us in Kuala Lumpur, my mother-in-law bought me few hundred sheets of unseasoned seaweed (or raw laver seaweed sheets) as I requested for it. These raw laver seaweed is sold in 100 sheets per bulk at Korean traditional market. I saw it selling at Seoul Mart at Desa Sri Hartamas, about RM25 to RM35 per bulk. Even though we can easily get these seasoned roasted seaweed in convenient pack at any grocery stores / local supermarket. Sometimes I prefer to make our own roasted seaweed. Simply because it is more tasty with the sesame oil and perilla oil that get from Busan. It is less salty too as we control the amount of salt, and definitely way more economic. These roasted seasoned seaweeds often taken as snacks by Asians but Korean love to have it with rice. It appear on our dining table pretty often as one of the side dish. It can be roasted without seasoning too or use it to make kimbab (Korean rice roll). 

Ingredients:

Raw Dried Laver Seaweed
Sesame oil
Fine sea salt

How to make:

Step 1 - Coating & Seasoning

Apply a light coat of sesame oil on both side of the dried seaweed sheet using a brush. Season with light layer of fine sea salt the top side of the dried seaweed sheet, then repeat for the remaining dried seaweed sheets. 

Tips: Don't season with too many salt as it will be very salty after resting and roasted. Take a very small pinch of salt (about 1/4 or less using finger tips) and sprinkle all over. You may seasoned it later too after roasted if you afraid it might be too salty. 

Do take note that the flakes from raw seaweed might fly and drop everywhere. Hubby once turn on the standing fan and it was blowing at where I am making dried seaweed...and disaster happen. haha!

Step 2 - Grill & Toast

Use a grill net (I purchase mine from Daiso), one piece at once. Place the seasoned seaweed sheet in the net and roast it slowly above the small medium fire. Keep some distance and don't burn your laver seaweed as it is easy on fire since it has sesame oil coating. 

One side takes about 10-15 seconds. You will notice some smoke coming out and the seaweed sheet turn crinkle, as well as color change from purple-ish / green-ish to brownish green. Don't forget to roast another side with same tempo.

Tips: I don't recommended to use non-stick pan to grilled the laver seaweed that seasoned with oil & salt for mass volume (above 10 pieces). The non-stick pan will have gummy or grease layer which is hard to remove after continuously roasted more than 50 pieces seasoned seaweed on heated. If you only have non-stick pan, it will be better to take a break after roasted 10 pieces, cool down the pan then wash the grease away before start grilling again.

Step 3. Stored the roasted seaweed

Place the roasted seaweed aside to let it cool down, cut into bite sizes (cut into 6 or 8 piece per sheet) before store into airtight container and keep in freezer (the place that make ice) if you are not consume it right away. That way it stays crisp and fresh compare to store in refrigerator.