MUNG BEAN PUDDING

Mung Bean Pudding is very popular throughout South-East Asia and the recipe doesn't vary much from one country to another as certain places like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia or Singapore tend to have certain culinary traditions in common...

Mung beans (or green gram, golden gram, green "soy" , moong dhal) are used for desserts in all of Asia and are a very healthy nutriment. These pulses are a nourishing, yet easy to digest source of dietary fiber and folate, and contain many minerals. Mung beans (Vigna Radiata) were originally cultivated in India and migrated to China where they have been used for thousands of years...

Mung Beans are vastly used in Chinese cuisine and the germinated mung bean sprouts are a common ingredient for stir-fries or salads. Many different Asian countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Philippines, Indonesia, etc...) cook with this pea and it's diverse byproducts (flour, split mung beans, bean sprouts, cellophane noodles, etc...)...

I'm going to introduce you to the Thai version of this delicate dessert (Kanom)... Mung Bean Pudding is called "Tau Suan" in Thailand and is very much appreciated.

Tau Suan is generally eaten warm and topped with slightly salted coconut milk. It is a type of mung bean porridge which is thickened by tapioca flour (cassava starch) and sweetened.

This dessert is easy to make and very interesting taste-wise and texture-wise. But, of course, for somebody who is not aquainted to the subtleties of Asian desserts, it might be a little bizarre and foreign to her/his palate as, in Asia, sweets and desserts are not always very close to our idea of how a dessert should be. In fact, "Tau Suan" is an acquired taste for a non-native person...

Anyhow, I found it fine, soothing and pleasantly gooey (as my boyfriend would say, it's like "noseblow"!!!). As I'm a fanatic of Asian desserts and sweets, I loved it and will surely prepare "Tau Suan" again!...

The original recipe for Mung Bean Pudding was taken from www.thaitable.com and certain elements were changed by myself...

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Yellow mung beans
1/4 Cup Tapioca flour
1/4 Cup sugar
Vanilla flavored sugar (optional)
Pandan extract (optional)
Topping:
1 Pinch salt
1/3 Cup Coconut milk

Method:
1. Boil the mung beans in 2 cups of water until tender. It should take about 20 minutes. 2. Dissolve the tapioca flour in a cup of water and add to the boiling mung beans.
3. Stir quickly and constantly to prevent the bottom from burning. It should get a little sticky.
4. Add the sugar, bring it back to a boil and turn off the heat.
5. In a separate bowl, mix 1/3 cup of the coconut milk with the salt.
6. Heat it up for a few second just to warm it up.
7. Serve hot with coconut milk on top.

Remarks:
When adding the tapioca flour to the cooked mung beans, the mixture should get a little sticky.Add more water if it gets too sticky or more flour if too waterly. A consistency of gravy is ideal.
Don't let the coconut milk boil, or else it will separate.
If you wish, you can add a bit of vanilla flavored sugar in the pudding or even replace some of the water with pandan extract.

Serving Suggestions:
Eat at any time, as a desserts, a snack or as a meal with a good cup of jasmine or green tea.

(Palace Of Bangkok -Pic by Alasdair Churchard www.trekearth.com)
(Mung Beans -Pic by www.sawasdeefood.co.uk)
(Thai Dragon -Pic by Threedet Chaiha www.trekearth.com)

TOO MUCH BLABBERING

Poor dog!...

MOUNTAIN

Yesterday afternoon: the French Salève mountain as seen from out of my kitchen window...

"PAIN AU LAIT" BREAD

This „PAIN AU LAIT“ recipe is in fact that of the “Parker House Rolls“ which originates from Boston.

The dough of this bread is enriched with butter and eggs and glazed with more butter for best result. Their smooth texture is very light and their outside is soft.

Taste-wise, they have a fine round buttery aroma that will enchant both your nose and palate…

These "Pain Au Lait" are delicate little rolls which are very enjoyable and so cute looking!

The recipe was taken from Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno’s wonderful bread book “Ultimate Bread” and adapted by myself.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Tsp Dry Yeast
250ml Milk
60g Unsalted butter, melted
30g Unsalted butter, melted to glaze the rolls
2 Tbs Castor sugar
2 Eggs (~50g), beaten
560g Plain white flour
2 Tsps Salt

Method:
1. Sprinkle the yeast into 100ml of the milk in a small bowl, leave for 5 minutes and stir to dissolve.
2. Warm the remaining milk in a saucepan with the sugar and butter. Stir constantly until the butter has melted.
3. Cool until tepid, then beat in the eggs until combined.
4. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together.
5. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeasted milk and the butter/sugar/milk mixture.
6. Mix in the flour to form a soft, sticky dough.
7. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth, shiny and elastic.
8. Put the dough in a buttered bowl and cover with a teat towel. Leave to rise until doubled in size for about 1-1 1/2 hours.
9. Knock back and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Divide the dough into 16 pieces.
11. Roll each piece into a 30cm rope and form into a coil, tucking under the end.
12. Place on a baking pan lined with baking paper, cover with a tea towel and prove for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.
13. Brush each roll with melted butter.
14. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
15. Leave to cool on a wire rack and brush again with a little melted butter.

Remarks:
If the dough is too sticky while kneading, add 1 tablespoon flour at a time.
Don’t add too much flour; the dough should not be too dry, but soft.

Serving suggestions:
These rich bread rolls are delicious with almost anything (cheese, jam, pâté, etc…) and can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

(Boston -Pic by Chris Lovett www.trekearth.com)

COLD SATURDAY EVENING FOOD

As it was blistering cold outside on Saturday, my boyfriend and I decided to eat one of his favorite meals: RACLETTE!!!...

So, we bought fine Cremo Raclette Mazot cheese (one of our favorite) as we always do; I really recommend this cheese to those who can buy it as it's really raffined and tasty.

For those who didn't read my posts regarding Swiss food, Raclette is a Swiss speciality which consists in melting Raclette cheese and eating it with boiled potatoes, smoked bacon (Speckwürfel or lard fumé) or dry meat, special Raclette spices (Raclette mix), shallots and pickled vegetables (onions, shallots, gerkins, baby corn...) or whatever you wish to add. The bacon and shallots are added over the cheese before it's melted (that's when you use a Raclette oven) and the spices can be added once the Raclette has melted. The other ingredients are to be eaten together with the melted cheese, as accompaniment...

I love putting small cubes of red pepper on top of the cheese, along with shallots, dried herbs, garlic powder and bacon. Once the cheese is melted, the topping is nicely cooked (slightly grilled) and the aromas are beautiful...

It was a very tasty and comforting meal which is a classic at our home. The cheese was light, creamy and had a delicate flavor. All in all, this supper was very pleasant...

When in doubt, choose "Raclette"!!!

The Raclette we ate:


(Raclette Cremo -Pic www.cremo.ch)

WEEKEND CAT BLOGGING #35

Fellow bloggers, it's again time for our weekly cat round-up, so grip your mouse and add your hairy monster to the ever growing list of other kitties from around the world!

Our little Fridolin (aka Nesquick) looking very content and rather calm... That's when he is not running around like a rocket and crying like a monkey on acid!!!

You will also find this picture as well as others on the great Eat Stuff blog from Sydney, Australia. If you also want to participate to Weekend Cat Blogging, then just leave your blog name, URL and permalink in a comment on Clare and Casey's site.

A list of the pussycats you can admire:

1. Check out Nicholas getting in one last smooch with Luke before they are away on holidays at Sweetnicks

2. Check out the 2 pusscats at passionatenonchelance

3. Check out Ywette and Glinda having a cuddle on the couch at Anne’s Food

4. Check out the puss the basil and the chicken at Tomatom

5. Check out Bella, the organic veggie foodie at A few of my favourite things

6. Check out the lucky kitty that prefers to play with the parcel and not the kitty toys at These days in French life

7. Check out Ally cat, and read Boo making amends to the little cutie at Masak-Masak

8. Check out the cute kitty reject pile at GastronomyDomine

9. Check out Kashim and Othello who have taken over and made their mummy post her kitty food recipe at Paulchen’s foodblog

10. Check out Squirt, doing what good kitties should at Slowly she turned

11. Check out the amazing adventures of Gigolo kitty at GigoloKitty

12. Check out the Kross-Eye’d Kitty and send him some Happy Blogversary Wishes to Kross-eyed Kitty

13. Check out the vintage Mrs Cat pics at Belly-Timber

14. Check out the crazy french moustached kitty at Why travel to france

15. Check out Aggie, what is she waiting for? at Kayaksoup

16. Check out Vodka, and see who she has fallen in love with at Cel’s home page

17. Check out Spooks and read about what an attention hound she is at Heather’s Space

18. Check out the fluffcat Tilly, doing the cutest running away ever at Frans Flavours

19. Check out Colin posing for us at The westering hills

20. Check out howManhatten cats stay clean at Peanutbutter Purple Onions

21. Check out New cat getting undercover at Farmgirl fare

22. Check out Tuxie and Mars lying sacked out at Country Life for the urbanites

WINTERY FOG

My village on a foggy day...
What you see here is the old village which I have the luck to see from my bedroom window (I live in an apartment).

BLOG AWARDS

HODLER AND GENEVA

Here are a few paintings by the famous Swiss painter, Ferdinand Hodler who skillfully depicted the beautiful Geneva countryside like no other has done until now...

Hodler was born in Berne (capital of Switzerland) in 1853 and died in Geneva in 1918. He came from a poor family and lost both his parents at an early age. His eerily surreal landscapes and stilized figures are reminiscent of the Art Nouveau, Expressionist and Symbolist movements.

Enjoy!!!

An autumnal view on the Salève mountain and on the Arve river.

Geneva countryside.

Les Évordes.

(All Three Paintings by FERDINAND HODLER)

GINGER-FLAVORED BANANA CAKE

Here’s another banana cake which is flavored with ginger…

Once again banana proves to be a very perfumed ingredient that gives baked goods a delicately attractive and sweet taste. This “Ginger-Flavored Banana Cake” is special, yet not shocking to the palate, but just spicy enough to be delightful!

This recipe was originally published in The Australian Women’s Weekly “Cakes & Slices” cookbook and was freely modified and adapted by myself.

Ingredients:
90g Unsalted butter
2 Tbs Light molasses or golden syrup
55g Castor sugar
55g Light brown sugar
1 Egg (~50g)
2/3 Cup banana, mashed
225g Plain white flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Bicarbonate of soda
2 Tsp Ground ginger
1 Tbs Milk
Topping:
Light brown sugar

Method:
1. Peheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. In a big bowl, cream the butter, molasses (or golden syrup) and sugars together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and beat until combined, then mix in the mashed banana.
4. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and the milk, alternately.
5. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan.
6. Sprinkle the top with a bit of brown sugar.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes in the middle of the oven.

Remarks:
The cake is cooked when a wooden skewer or a cake tester comes out clean from the thickiest part of the cake.
Stand for 5 minutes before turning on to wire wrack in order to cool.
If you wish, you can top it with a quantity of lemon frosting.

Serving suggestions:
Just eat this cake whenever you want with either tea or coffee.

(Ginger Banana Cake -Pic by Rosa www.rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com)
(Light Brown Sugar -Pic by www.hormel.com)