FoodBuzz 24-24-24: Makan-makan Sushi (Sushi Party with a Twist!)

Makan is a Malay word which means "to eat". Makan-makan is a typical Malaysian gathering whereby friends and families commune together to eat, drink and be merry. The question "Come, let's makan-makan?!" means time to relax and unwind - an open invitation to party! Everyone looks forward to makan-makan to enjoy some good food and good times in good company! My husband and I wanted to re-create this experience for our American friends by throwing a exciting Sushi extravaganza at our home. You see, D moon-lighted as a sushi chef many years ago and has been eager to whip out his sushi knife again. Not only did we miss making the traditional sushi but we couldn't wait to serve some of our special creations - a twist to the Japanese sushi and an ode to popular Malaysian dishes. This is the first time I've ever submitted a proposal for 24-24-24 and we were simply delighted when FoodBuzz accepted our Makan-makan Sushi idea!

Welcome to DJ's House of Sushi. Let's makan-makan everyone!

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Need a flavor boost? Do the Sambal!

Say the word "sambal" (pronounced as sum-bahl) and this would send my taste buds into a frenzy and mouth salivating, longing, yearning just for a lick of that spicy-sweet-salty symphony of flavors!
Sambal is a spicy condiment, a cross between a sauce and chutney - a must-have staple in South-east Asian, namely Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai and Philippine cuisines. Sambal adds that zesty flavor to any dish, spice it up, give it that little boost or kick, if you will. Back in Malaysia, sambal was a usual accompaniment in our everyday meals and in recent years, with the increasing popularity of ethnic and fusion cuisines Stateside, sambal has slowly made its way into local restaurants in California. Most restaurants here have started offering sambal as a condiment, although I personally find the sambal served here are a far cry from the flavorful Malaysian sambal that I grew up on.

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TWD: Dulce de leche Duos

Another incredibly delectable cookie recipe from Dorie - sweet, creamy rich dulce de leche (milk caramel) sandwiched between two equally rich, buttery and cakey cookies. This week's TWD pick is by Jodie of Beansy Loves Cake and by the name of her blog, I know now why she picked this somewhat-cookie-somewhat-cake combination! Cake in a cookie -  not a bad idea at all!

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Wonderful First Day of Spring!!

I woke up to a pleasant surprise this morning: 20 March 2010!!. My iPod Touch cake is today's Top9 on FoodBuzz, a leading online food blog community. Woohoo!! Totally flabbergasted! It's a first for me - what an encouragement and such a thrill! Thanks for all your kind comments. Now let me continue to bask in this glory, however short-term it may be......

*my iPod Touch cake featured in box #7

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Not just any ordinary breakfast loaf......

I wasn't going to blog about this bake but after getting feedback from hubby's colleagues - all rave reviews - I feel that this is the only right thing to do. Sharing great recipes is a good thing, especially if it's a recipe by THE Dorie Greenspan!
I was on a quest to make breakfast more interesting for D; it has been cereal or oatmeal every single day for quite a while now and while there hasn't been an iota of complain from D, being the simple guy that he is, I myself would have been bored at even the sound of cereal crunch by now! So I reckon it's time to try something new for breakfast.
Dorie's Oatmeal Breakfast Bread from her "Baking From My Home to Yours" page 44.

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Not quite Pierre Hermé's......

Well, it's not perfect (yet) but it didn't crack, has that much-coveted "feet" and tastes mighty good! Not bad for a second attempt! Made my day!

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iPod Touch Birthday Cake - c'est moi qui l'ai fait!

Before:

After:

The 6-year old birthday boy was happy beyond words. Precious!!

The cake: Red Velvet Cake with Creamcheese Filling covered with Chocolate Fondant
Icons individually shaped with fondant


Photos by D.Hann Photography

Post publish update: this iPod Touch cake has been featured as FoodBuzz's Top9 on 20th March 2010! So thrilled! And this made it even sweeter!!

Do you have a celebration coming up? Do you live in the Bay Area California? Want a special custom cake? Please email me at jencrafted@gmail.com for further inquiries!

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The Fabrics of my Life

Those of you who know me will know that I love collecting stuffs. All kinds of stuffs; stuffs that aren't of much dollar value, really. Not expensive cars, exquisite jewelry or exotic animals (God forbid!) nor masterpieces of Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet or even Peter Lik (I wished!) One man's trash......another's  Jen's treasure!

Let me share with you what I "dug up" today from my closet

beautiful Sari fabric that I brought from Malaysia eons ago.........I had grand plans of making traditional Indian costumes with them. Oh well.......

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Of coffee mugs and to-do lists.......

Have you met? Allow me to introduce you to TD - my favorite mug of all times.

I've had TD as long as I can remember. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment indulgence while browsing the aisles of Sur La Table. I'm one who loves to make lists - a list of things to do for the weekend, a list of bakes to cover, a list of restaurants to visit, a list of places to see, a list of places to clean in the house (no cross-offs in that list yet so far!), and, and , and.........

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Sunshine and Fried Dough

At our home, the weather dictates when we get to cook BIG, and by big, I mean lots of high-heat, high BTU stir-frying like this or even deep-frying like these irresistable little poppers! You see, I simply do not do any form of deep-frying indoors. There's something about that lingering greasy odor that makes the food so unappetizing - yes, even 'em

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An Elegant Dessert - Meringue Chantilly

While I love the Chinese New Year baking season, the part that I would look forward to most was the end of the baking period when mum would use all the leftover egg whites from her CNY bakes to whip up lots and lots of meringues for us. My brother and I simply adore meringues, even to this day - I can safely speak for both of us on that! Sweet, and I mean seriously sweet, crispy shells that simply melt in your mouth and just downright addictive! I do have a sweet tooth but so did my guests! I wanted a dessert that's easy to prepare ahead of time yet still elegant and has that "wow" factor. 

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DJ's Party House

The day finally came.

The eve of Lantern Festival.  The second-last day of Chinese New Year. The day we opened our home to welcome close friends and have a real Chinese New Year celebration after a decade of not celebrating on a grand scale!!

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TWD: Toasted Coconut Custard Tart

It seems like I've been on TWD hiatus but looking back, my last TWD bake was just couple weeks ago. This tells you how much I'm enjoying TWD, isn't it? The week feels somewhat incomplete without a TWD bake, albeit last week was so crazy that I couldn't possibly slot in another bake. I know that there're some of you who're so eager to find out what I've been up to, especially with the teaser entry last week! Thanks for checking in (again and again!) and to all my stealthy yet wonderful visitors, that post is forthcoming!!

Before I go on to this week's bake, I've got a treat for all of you.

Click here to continue

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