THE sandwich

Assalamualaikum!

Isn't that a beauty?
So its the time of the month again where I crave for every single food known to men.Yes.Even those that I've never tasted before.The thing about going out to try new food is you need 1) Money  2)Friends 3)Good weather.Which of course I have none at the moment.Okay.I do have some money left but still..its negative 16 degrees outside.Say what?!There is no way I'm going out in this weather just to go any try the paninis at Joe's Panini on Drummond.=(
Also,at this time of teh month I am super carnivorous.I'm DYING to have all meat paninis and there's only one halal panini place that I know about.The thing is,I have to buy the whole panini set which is super huge and they'll give me two.As I've said before,I've never tasted panini's before so what if they're not good?See where I'm getting at here?So,being the super moody carnivorous me,I decided to make my own beef sandwich.I bought this packet of meat awhile ago and I really should cook them.

I don't even know what to call these babies.They are SOOO good.I died.

Le Sandwich de Boeuf

500g or diced meat
4 tablespoons of mayo
2 tablespoon of chili flakes
3 tablespoon of honey
Salt and pepper
Bread
Butter

Set the oven to 350 degree Fahrentheit
In an oven safe dish,generously season the diced meat with pepper and salt.
Bake the meat for 20 minutes for medium to well done meat.
You'll see that the meat eliminates water.So keep the broth aside.
Cut the meat into thins slices.
In a bowl,mix the meat,broth,honey,chilli flakes and more pepper.

Season the meat with salt and pepper

Bake for 20 minutes

Small pieces of meat

The broth

Add mayo,broth and chilli flakes

Say hello to Mr Bear

Tadaaa!

Chunks of butter.

Buttered toasts

Toast buttered bread in the oven.For extra yumminess,add more honey on each sandwich before serving.

If I could fry things without making my whole house and apartment smell like curry,I would have loved to add some caramalized onions.TO DIE FOR.or..you could add cheese on the bread.Imagine,the best sandwich with grilled cheese.We also could make it more healthy by adding bell peppers,lettuce and tomatoes to it too.Wouldn't that be just lovely?Eating sandwich for a light lunch,with a cup of mango tea and a book on your lap with a cat curling at your feet.Yes.Bliss.

Bon apetite!
Wasalam

Till then,Salut,
Love,
Anggerik

Brookies

Assalamualikum!

About a month ago,I baked for McGill's Think Pink bake sale.All profits went to help fun the Breast Cancer Research.I'm trying to be more active in all the clubs that I joined.For that bake sale,I wanted to bake something easy,fast and affordable,so I baked brookies.I first came across Brookies from http://www.bakerella.com/.
Brookies are brownies with cookies in it.Sinful.I know.
Its one of the easiest thing you could ever make.Fool proof I tell ya.

Brookies

1 box of Brownie Mix (any brand)
1 box of Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix (any brand)
 Eggs/oil/water/etc (depends on the mix used)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.Its better to follow the temperature stated on the brownie mix if its different.
2. In separate bowls,follow the instructions on both boxes.
3. Pour the brownie batter in a 9x9 pan.
4. Scoop a generous amount of cookie dough and put it into the brownie batter an inch apart from one another.
5. Bake for the required time as stated on the box.

Brownie batter

Brownie batter poured into baking pan

Chocolate Chunk Cookie dough

Cookie dough in brownie batter

Side view

Pink Ribbons Yeay!

Think Pink!

So basically,this recipe is just combining to mixes together and that's it.Try to be more creative by adding nuts,mint chips or M&Ms into your brookies to make it taste even better.

Since these brookies were baked for the Think Pink bake sale,I decided to make it prettier by piping pink ribbons on each slice.(Plus,I have extra whipped cream icing in the fridge).

Easy peasy.:)

Wasalam.

Till then,Salut,
Love,
Anggerik

Tiny round bed

Assalamualaikum.

Its freezing outside.It was zero degree one day the next is -16.Say what?My skin is peeling and dry.Yikes.
Since i decided to stay here in Montreal,i'm taking care of my friends' fish and cat.No.not in the same house.Imagine if I were to go out and came back to an empty fish bowl.=.='
Laila is Owais' female cat and the fish (I have no idea what's his/her name is) is Alyssa's.
I was going through my "blog" file in my computer and found pictures of cat bed that i made for Orked a 2 months back.It was my first cat bed that I ever made.I should have made it bigger because its a bit too small for Orked.:/

What you'll need,
Fabric
Sewing machine/sewing skills
Foam
Pins

1)Draw two big identical circles on the fabric and cut it out.This will be the size of the base or basically the size of the bed.
2)Measure the circumference of the circle.Draw a rectangle on the fabric.The length of the sides should be the same with the length of the diameter.The height of the rectangle is the width of the bed.
3)On the wrong side of the fabric,sew the longer sides of the rectangle together.It'll now look like a tube.
4)Sew on of the end shut.Insert foam in it.Once its all fluffy,sew the opening.
5)On the wrong side again,sew the circles together leaving a two inch opening.This too,should be filled with foam.Sew the opening carefully.
6)Pin the outer circle together with the base circle.Sew around it.Tadaaa!

What the cut fabric looks like

Orked chilling out

Sorry,I really though I have more pictures.But oh well.:)

Wasalam

Till then,Bonsoir,

Love,

Anggerik

Great Company,Great Food!(III)

For the dessert,I used the recipe from here:http://www.canadianliving.com/food/baking_and_desserts/chocolate_pavlova.php

Dessert:Chocolate Pavlova

4 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar (I used half light brown sugar,half normal sugar)

1 tsp  cornstarch

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp  vanilla

3 tablespoon of cocoa (I used milo,i know..)

1 cup whipping cream

Assorted berries( I used black berries and raspberries..they were on sale=p)

1. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or greased foil; using 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan as guide, trace circle. If using paper, turn over. Set aside.
2. In  bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 2 tbsp at a time, until stiff glossy peaks form. Beat in cornstarch and vinegar, then vanilla. Fold in chocolate.
3. Spoon egg white mixture onto circle on baking sheet; spread to fill evenly. 
4. Bake in center of 275°F (140°C) oven until crisp on the outside but still soft on the inside, about 1 hour. Turn off oven; let meringue cool in oven for 1 hour. Slide metal spatula under meringue to loosen from paper; slide onto flat serving plate. 
5. In a bowl, whip cream; spoon onto the meringue , leaving raised rim bare. Arrange berries on top of cream. 

Separate the egg whites from the yolk

Egg whites

Beaten egg whites and sugar

Add cocoa/chocolate powder

Draw a circle on the parchment paper

Spread the meringue on the parchment

Cream

Whipped Cream

Spread the whipped cream on the baked meringue

Arrange yummy fruits on top of it

Serve

Tips:Try using not-so-sweet fruits or sour fruits because the meringue and the cream itself is sweet.You dont want to overwhelm yourself and have your guests blame you for their diabetes.

My meringue should be a lot fluffier,the thing is,you have to make sure that the bowl or mixer is really dry.Plus,my whipped cream is not as airy as it should be.I should've beaten it longer.

Phew,that was a long one.Happy holidays people!

Wasalam

Till then,Bonsoir,

Love,

Anggerik

Great Company,Great Food!(II)

Main Course :Steak

Steak of your choice,1 inch in width (Sirloin, T-bone, etc)

Sal and Pepper

Olive oil

1. Marinate the meat with salt and pepper.
2. Pour some olive oil onto frying pan.
3. With medium heat,cook the steak for 10 minutes on each side.

I prefer mine medium,if you want it well done,cook longer on both sides.

Mushroom and Black pepper gravy

1 cup of chicken stock

2 tablespoon of butter

3-4 tablespoon of flour

1/2 cup of chopped mushroom

black pepper

1/2 to 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

1. Using the same pan for cooking the meat (why should we waste all of the delicious flavours stuck on the pan?), melt the butter.
2. Add the flour and make a roux.
3. Pour the chicken stock in.
4. Add the mushroom and pepper (depending on how you look it)
5. Add the oyster sauce for a darker color.
6. Let it thicken.
7. Serve the on the side,or on the steak and mashed potatoes.

So this is how the steak looked like,

Note:The pasta was made by my dearest Zainab.=P Which was delicious!

Great Company,Great Food!

Assalamualaikum.

This winter break everyone leaves Montreal.Everyone went back to their families in Toronto,Boston,Bali and what not.And here I am,alone in front of my computer typing this up.But i'm not complaining.Things are just great now.Alhamdulilllah.It is true that sometime we're at the bottom,and with patience,insyaAllah we can be on the top of the wheel. For a year and four months of being here,I've seen a lot!and from there,I've learnt a lot too.When times are hard,its always easier to have someone there with you to share all your problems and troubles with.=)
Last week,my girlfriends and I decided to have dinner together at my new place before Trisha goes back to Toronto.She wanted steak so I made her one.Although I wish it could've tasted better.=p
I never imagined making my own steaks but my former housemate Hayati taught me how to.ITS EASY AND WAYYYYYYYYYYYY CHEAPER.A steak from the butcher can cost you less than 4$!If I were to go to a fancy restaurant and order steak,it might cost me 30$ per plate!Not that they have any fancy halal steak place here,not that I know of at least.So I made Steak for the main course,mashed potatoes and garlic bread , mushroom black pepper sauce for both potatoes and steak,also a pavlova for dessert.These past couple of days,I've been cooking A LOT!Fun,fun,fun!So here are the recipes.

Appertizer: Mashed Potatoes (makes 3)

2 big potatoes
3/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoon of butter
1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese grated (i might have used less,but you definetely could add more!)
Salt and pepper

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into smaller chunks.
2. Boil them in a slightly salted water until tender
3. Drain the water and mash them.For a finer and softer mashed potatoes,press the mashed potatoes through a sieve (my sister taught me that=))
4. Add the milk little by little.(Reduce the amount of milk if the potatoes are too liquid-y and add more if you need to)
5. Add the pepper and cheese.Stir well.:)

Cooked and drained

Add pepper

anddd cheeseee!:)

Appetizer II:Garlic bread(makes 3)

1/4 cup of butter

3 cloves of garlic

a dash of parsley flakes

1. Put the butter and garlic in a microwave safe dish.
2. Heat them for about a minute until the butter melts 
3. While its still hot,using a fork,mash the soften garlic cloves.
4. Add some parsley flakes
5. Spread them on bread slices
6. Put them in the oven (350 degree Fahrenheit) for 5 minutes or until slightly browned.

Before going into the oven

Tips:Make this in the morning or the day before so that you don't have to make it last minute.:)

Winter break

Assalamualaikum.

I haven't bogged for a quite awhile now.Alhamdulillah,I've finally settled in in my new apartment and I'm done with my exams.Phiew!This break however,I decided to stay in Montreal.After 3 months plus of non-stop classes and what not,I need some " me-time " and do things that I've wanted to do but never had the chance to.Here are the things that i'm planning to do..

1. I'm doing a DIY project for my bathroom currently.Will post more about it later.
2. I have gazillion fabrics in my sewing box to be sewed!SKIRTS!CURTAINS!DRESSES!
3. Also,I never really got the chance to explore Montreal.The last 2 days had been tiring and crazy!We went to the China Town,Mile End area, and St Denis.I'm really into vintage and quirky stuffs.I'M definitely going back to the stores we went to!
4. Books!I'm buying Aleph online right after writing this.I found a better deal online:)WEEHOO!I might also go to the library today and borrow more books.They don't have Maktub:(
5. Sorting out my future.Applying for internships,writing a CV,sending out emails and other stuffs.I want to do my internship in Europe.Badly.
6. Trying out new recipe!I'm dying to make Nasi Kerabu,Yong Tau Foo and Chocolate Mousse.Well,not at once.Eww.
7. Blog more.I have soooo many pictures of my cooking that I want to post but I never really sat down and type it all in.My problem is that for cookings (not bakings) I rarely follow the recipe.So when I want to blog about it,I often forgot how much of what did I put in.(This blog is my online recipe book :p)
8. Taking care of others' pets.

Did I miss anything?

Wasalam

Till Then,Salut,

Love,

Anggerik

Do you miss me too?

Assalamualaikum.

I should be studying.There are till a few recordings I have to listen to plus I haven't start on the textbooks.Still,I feel like writing about the kittens that we fostered a while ago.

Since I was small,I've always wanted kitties.ALWAYS.Until today,I still ask mama every now and then and her answer is still 'No'.=(To this age,I'm still know as the Meow of the family.
I came across this facebook page about cat fostering and I was super excited about it.Talked to my housemates about and it and BOOM!We got 4 kittens to take care of for a month!
Two of them were black and the other two were brown-white-ish.I don't mean to be racist or cat-racist, but I simply can't bond with the black kitten.They always rub me the wrong way or its just me being uncomfortable with them.Our neighbor of 14 years had a black cat that come to our house everyday and perhaps that's the reason why?But in general,to be honest, I'm not comfortable with black animals.Oh,and that's why I don't really have their pictures.I took their pictures from my housemate's facebook.:)

We all decided that we will each pick one kitten and name it and for the last kitten,the odd one out,we will name him together.
So,me,definitely attracted to this one cute white Kitty decided to name her(at that time) Orked. So I love flower,kill me.I even made her(at that time) a flowery bed to sleep in.Awhile later we learned that she was actually a he.and BOY! wasn't he playful and naughty.The most playful of all!But among all of them,he i the cleanest!He'll lick me clean when i'm sitting next to him while he is cleaning him self.He lovvvessss to give kisses too.He is independent too!He only come for a pet or two when he feels like it.Sigh.Cats are proud!
He sleeps like a baby too.He'll wake up when there is a strange noise and then falls back to sleep when he's used to the sound.Pft.So whenever we come back and he's no where in sight,he must be sleeping somewhere.=.='

The one is miss most is my baby Escobar.He was initially Yati's baby.He's my kind of kitten,the one who would follow me everywhere and constantly need my attention.Maybe I'm like that too?=/
He's MY baby. Cats wouldn't know what a nickname is, whenever I see him,i just kept on calling him baby instead of Escobar.Perhaps that's why he started responding to Baby instead of his name?Anyways,he IS SUPER ADORABLE.See, they are still kittens who are still learning how to jump and untangle their claws from the couch and poop in place.When Escobar still haven't learned the art of jumping,he'll make a sad face waiting next to my chair when I'm doing work.He would mew once in awhile.Making that irresistible face.So I just Had to pick him up.He would then sleep on my laptop,my book,dip his tail in my coffee(true story =.='),kiss me for attention and what not.Since I am easily distracted,he's not helping!=(
Escobar is the kind of kitten who would throw himself at you.No pride,no shame.
Whenever I'm in the kitchen,he would sometime lie down near my feet, wanting ti e pet and rubbed.Yes,i rubbed him using my feet.Don't judge me,I'm learning how to multitask.

My friend told me not to get attached.But really,can you?Having so much love to give,can we somehow tll ourselves that we shouldn't love something or someone?It just happened.

That one month,really opened my eyes.To the responsibility of having a cat.They're like our kids forGod sake!They are in our care.We feed the,clean them..
The other thing that really surpsied me,at how little patience I have.Don't get me wrong,I ALREADY know i'm not the most pateint person in the world,but I scared myself.What kind of mother would I be?Some people might think that cats and babies are different. But it's different for me,because for awhile then,i really felt like they're my kids.

Baby sleeping on me bed

Mischka and Orked sleeping behind Yati's door

Selamat Laptop besar boleh menapung berat baby.=.='

He couldn't care less

This is the look that I was talking about.:(

Again,of all places..

How can I say no

This is Orked and my bio book

I have to teach him that eating the book won't help

Baby jumping to catch my hand/camera while I'm snapping his picture

Da makan tidurrrrr

Orked enjoying the attention

Macam anak terbiar kan?:(

Thank you for accompaniying me while I did my Econs homework baby!

Sometimes he thinks he's a bunny wabbit

Time makan

WHile I'm on the chair,he'll sit/lie down on the floor.

Orked naughtily playing with my towel

Escobar the Eskimoo

Bonding time

This is Mischka.He's a beauty!

Orkeddd!

Orked in her flowery bed:)

Melampau tidur

I can't imagine losing or giving away your kids for real.It was hard for me to let go.There were nights when I cried while petting Escobar (sigh,writing this is hard).Its hard to let go.But he's not mine.I'll try to visit him soon enough.Before this,I though of fostering kittens or cats one after the other,but this experience changed my mind.I don't know if I'm strong enough to love something so much,then having to let it go.Again.

I guess he didn't know that at a point,I have to turn the page over.

I'll miss you baby.You were my first.:(

Wasalam

Till then,Salut,

Love,

Anggerik the Meow