Friday 11 September 2009

Kitchen Blues

When I was in Std. One we were taught nursery rhymes such as this one:

Mix a pancake,
Stir a pancake,
Pop it in the pan.

Fry the pancake,
Toss
the pancake,
Catch
it if you can.

Nope, not making pancakes today.


Just taking a breather from the kitchen.

Why can't I ever make a perfect omelette?

The tomatoes and the daun bawang and sliced onions and garlic all combine so perfectly in the beaten eggs, the colours are enticing, the shape's perfectly round, the bottom's done perfectly, and when I flip it - a part of the edge koyak!!!

Now it's NOT perfect - SHEEEEEESSSSH.


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41 comments:

Saya... said...

Oh, besa la tu...i like pancakes tho...flipping them in the air using just the pan...makes me perasan like famous chef...hehehe

Kak Teh said...

zendra, i went the extra mile and did murtabak guna kulit popia. It wasnt perfect at first - berterabur dging di dalam and I had to rescue and repair some by enveloping them in eggs. Jadi juga akhirnya.

My omelettes are never that fancy -

But you know there is a trick. Once you've put everything in the pan and it is nearly cooked - put the whole pan with the omelette in a pre - heated grill. That way you dont flip the omelette and ruin it in the process. The top up will be beautifully cooked and you get your perfect omelette. Give it a try.

Capt's Longhouse said...

Zendra,

pls try this,,add some mild and butter with the eggs but tabor the vege. on top of the frying eggs (don't premixed them as you are doing-lah),,,and flip them over another preheated pan with butter...walla - perfection !!.
adoii...lembut enak, m'cam anak dara Yeop Oii !!

Chef Uban .
(buat nasi ayam untok berbuka hari-lah..best tak terkira..ayam di-goreng with butter, kitcup, tiram and served with honey topping !)
,,,waaduuu haii !!!!

Soup lidah Tommy Yammmi..next haha !!

Capt's Longhouse said...

oop,,,milk-lah haha !!

Saya... said...

Ya grilling is great, that way it looks really nice especially with thick spanish omelettes-types.

I love those heavy pans yg boleh masuk grill...but havent got any yet. The non-stick ones are not too chef-like...hehe

The cast iron ones for cornbread pun best betul tgk...

Zendra-Maria said...

Update:

Even though dia koyak sikit tapi rasa dia Mak oii PURRRRRfection, must be cos I added the bit of left-over sambal belacan..... my oh my .... sob, sob ... whenever I make a purrrrfect-tasting dish, my tears just flow.... sniffle.... sorry.... hehe

Zendra-Maria said...

Saya: Whatever I flipped, flopped

Kak Teh: memang duduk di perantauan kena pandai modipai. Berapa lapis kulit popiah did you use per murtabak?

OK, neat trick with the grill, cuma my grill is so tiny, grilling sausages lepas lah

Kak Teh said...

zendra, I should have said - oven - masukkan dalam oven - tapi pasang grill. masak atas saja.

satu murtabak satu kulit popia. Mat gebu ajar macam tu. But of course fire must be slow kalau tidak hangit. am doing it again today. semalam tak puas makan.

Zendra-Maria said...

Capt. Lanun Chef Tok Uban:

My method I learnt from a chinese friend is to tumis the bawang and tomatoes and whatever you fancy. This time I campak the left-over sambal belacan, then pour the beaten eggs over, tutup the kuali for it to cook in it's own steam for a while. When the eggs like 90% set, I tabur the spring onions on top. Pakai kuali lor, that's why got problem flipping. Tapi chinese chef senang saja flip with long-handled wok.
Using two frying pans like you is also a neat trick - but end up with extra pan to wash. I neither have a maid nor a dish-washer lah.

For me, pakai susu tu only for breakfast omelette or scrambled eggs lah Eh Tok Uban ni ingat lagi ke .... macam anak dara tu???

Capt berbuka dengan siapa ye? Tak kan Jane pun puasa?

Zendra-Maria said...

Saya, I make do with very little utensils sebab malas nak basuh banyak2.

I use Visions for lauk berkuah or sop, straight from the stove to the table, kuali for stir-fries and deep-fries. That's about it. Minimalist Zen maaah.

But if we use a frying pan that can go in the oven, then have to buy the one with detachable handle pulak.

Is that what you're using Kak Teh? A pan with a detachable handle?

NanaDJ said...

Zendra,
Am yet to make the perfect omelette although my pancake is ok. Wah, you are like that chef who make the Hyderabad Beryani, cry when what you are cooking turn out to be nice. Imagine if I do that, my maid will also cry, she thinks she must imitate me in whatever I do!

mamasita said...

Zendra..its not how it looks..yang penting its the taste..I am worst..my omelette hancur macam telur scramble..bawang plus chillie padi plus salt..blender together with eggs..then fry..bila nak turning startlah pecah here and there..tapi bila kat dinner table..licin!

Zendra-Maria said...

NanaDJ, itu nangis part terkena cili padi hahaha menyengat tapi terangkat, wow!

Have you tried cooking the briyani? It really looks easy, but heavy-bottomed pan is really essential.

I have a heavy flat-bottomed royal doulton wok which i got by saving Giant stamps couple of years ago. Yet to be deflowered, maybe I'll try it for the briyani, agak2 boleh tak?

Hey nice of you to drop by my dapur.

Zendra-Maria said...

mamasita, itu yang buat puashati masak tu - when you see them gobble everything up. Wah you blender everything kah? Macam tu lagi senang. Tapi kene cuci blender pulak - banyak leceh cuci blender sebab I jenis bukak everything to wash. Sambal belacan pun I prefer to tumbuk.

a.j. said...

salam auntie z ...

hentam je! asal superlicious =D
owh ayah nye omelette purfect most of the time

Zendra-Maria said...

Yub, ini mesti dah rindu omelette ayah haha. Raya lagi 9 hari jer, sabar ok? Eh Ayah flip tak omelette dia?

Saya... said...

I had too much to eat just now at the Pelita...reading pasai teluq ni again...nak muntah pulak...imagine it going into my already bloated, sinful tummy...

(yg tak leh posa lebih makan dari yg posa)

Word veri pun cakap "overlat"...overfat? overate? uekkkk?

Zendra-Maria said...

hahaha saya, pi masuk tidor and sleep it off

Capt's Longhouse said...

Zendra and the Ladies yoo !!

The trick is to add some sos tiram in your cooking if vege. are included o.k. ??...terangkat Yeop !!..not too much but just to add the extra flavooooor to the taste butts.
,,you dah ada apa ?? a heavy flat bottom now !..hehehe and kurang pakai adoiiiii Yeop !.. sakit perut kita tergelak dgn Jane di-pulau haha !!.
,,,(ada 4 houseguests lah dua dari Switzerland and dua dari France, kena nasi ayam saja malam ini..o.k. o.k.-lah)..cari makan-kan, di-mana pon boleh kalau usaha dgn rajin kan ?.
,,,esok orang K.L. booking 2 bilik pula.
,,,Alone bermakna tiada Bib-lah...but Jane keeps me in good company, she is as blond as most of the tourists haha.
,,,always buy busy like a bee, no worries be happy..that's the spirit to be 4ever young yaa. i think you got that too.?? hehe.
Yes Saya..sweet dreams of telor !!

Tommy Yewfigure said...

Hi Zen, when u were in Std 1, do u go to school pakai bullock cart and used quill pen dip in Indian Ink as a writing implements?...heheh.

Tommy’s omelette;

Use flat pan; Make sure pan is red hot before u add oil (generous serve of extra Virgin olive oil). Once oil is bubbly hot, add mince garlic with slice onions until golden brown, add diced prawns, and sprinkle with cracked black pepper and sea salt. Add julienne carrot and red chilli, diced tomato & green capsicum. Quickly add the well bitten egg over the well spread mix. Garnish top side of omelette with finely chopped shallots. Flip over (all in the wrist work). Serve garnish with some parsley.

Hey Kapitan, soup lidah Tommy only taste good using the French recipe….muahaha. Next time ask your Vikings or European tourist to show u mah.

Salam,
Tommy.

Capt's Longhouse said...

,,,indeed, Tommy i think the ladies would like your after am done with it...sweet sour?? hhaha !! how's the weather there ?. its hot n sunny on the island, with many hungry pet sharks waiting for a taste of Tommy Yam lips. hehehe. no worries mate, take it easy i will make it fast n quick !!. Salami italian dish can do too. hahaha. mafia & pirate are the same kind yaa !!. but pirate chef can be very imaginative most times.

,,,gee guess together we can cook something extra special for our ladies one of these days too yaa ??

,,,take care, be happy till we meet hohohoo !

NanaDJ said...

Yes Zendra he does make it look so easy. I am going to try it after first week of Raya after I recover from Raya cookathon.I have tasted the authethentic Hydrabad Beryani at a wedding here (the Chef was flown in from Hyderabad for the ocassion)and its out of this world. No wonder our Chef cries when he tasted his own cooking.
Remember, if you don't have heavy bottomed pan, alas your periok with another tudung periok. I know that will work, thats what they do in Johor when they cook beryani gam. (The gam is actually the dough they use to seal the cooking pot to make sure no steam escapes)

Saya... said...

Capten!
Butt, butt, butt...taste butts???? How to taste with the butt?

Tommy,
I will reserve the comment about your "well-bitten egg"...but sounds darn painful.

Haiya...men, men! These fellas I tell you Zen. Bukan Capten jer tergelak sakit perut...I lagi nak pecah perut ketawa.

Zendra-Maria said...

Chef Tok Uban:

Everything put Oyster sauce little bit is like everything put ajinomoto little bit. Oyster sauce I only use in mee-hoon / mee goreng, and beef kailan, and once in a while chap-chai.

Ye lah Yeop, a royal heavy flat bottom - shiny on the outside, non-stick on the inside - yet to be deflowered HAHAHA now I know why you mentioned taste BUTTTSS - so you are THAT way inclined hor! Tommy you better watch out - I don't know.........

Saya... said...

Zen,

I agree wth you...i tak berapa suka artificial additives...and the regular oyster sauce is full of perasa and fake stuff only lah Capten!

Sekali-sekala ok la...dua kali dua kala not healthy la yooooo! read the label on the botol, yoooooo!

Zendra,
Ingat tak benggali 50 sen joke Uban buat...agaknya itu kes pot calling kettle black...tu yg tersasul "taste butts" tu....

Zendra-Maria said...

Tommy:

When I was in Std One I was ferried to school in a kereta lembu because my mum so kesian to let me and my siblings walk 10km barefooted everyday to school. One lembu-power wasn't much of a speed so we had to get up extra early. My dad steered the kereta lembu whilst my mum cooked breakfast like lempeng pisang, goreng pisang, cekodok pisang, maybe pengat pisang, (dad had a small banana orchard, you see) and freshly brewed coffee on a dapur minyak tanah on the cart. By the time we got to the missionary school run by strict caucasian sisters, we were wide awake from the breakfast and the fresh air and ready to recite nursery rhymes to our hearts' content.

Kids nowadays they eat too much daging lembu, sop lembu, susu lembu, kacang menglembu. Those days we let the lembu berjasa to humans first, no chance to load us up with cholesterol.

Yup those were the days.

Wah you talk like a pro chef lah, diced lah, julienned lah. I do omelettes your style lor, tumis first the rencah-rencah baru add BEATENed eggs. But my wrist is just too delicate for the the hardware. Omelette koyak pun takpa lah.

Zendra-Maria said...

Wow NanaDJ, a Hydrebadi chef specially imported. Let us all perfect our briyanis first then we buat joint venture and offer our services for weddings haahaha.

Alas periok with a tudung periok - gotcha. I do that too when occasionally I cook rice on the stove - to prevent nasi berkerak.

Zendra-Maria said...

Saya, that benggali 50 sen really lah. SO CRUDE. Hope not to repeat here (spoken in benggali accent). For all your feelings about things benggali, you do attract some of them what - as in your recent posting?

Saya... said...

Zen,

My gene pool same as the benggalis next door, only depa tak sampai seru...hahaha

Uban!

Dengar itu! No repeats of x-rated jokes. Kah kah (blame him lah as usual) Nah I kasi 20 sen...pi main jauh2...(beli mercun ka)

Zendra-Maria said...

Kak Teh, so how was your 2nd attempt at the murtabak kulit popiah?

Actually it reminds me of my sis-in-law's specialty - a shrimp-based filling with scrambled eggs and shredded carrots wrapped in pre-soaked kulit tauhu - and then lightly fried. Enak dimakan but very delicate work cos the kulit tauhu could open up in the pan and mess up the others.

Tommy Yewfigure said...

Haiya Zen & Saya, why lah u ladies so pedantic one (nick picking?), spelling salah sikit pun nak taruk, idea was there cukup lah, betul tak Kapitan? For us men; Close enuff is good enuff mah. See how u ppl butchered the Queen’s English with your SMS text msg.

You know why u like that one? My fren says it’s becoz we got opposing reproductive agendas. Woman takes 29.5 days to produce one egg, which, if inseminated, consigns them to nine months of pregnancy, followed by months & years of breastfeeding. Men, on the other hand, take a few seconds to produce 300 million sperms. Look at bison, birds, apes, and your dog. Mostly, u sees slutty males & picky females. Modern man has moved on from the apes in every respect but two; we still leave the seat up & we still check out other women. And we pay for both those things dearly in trips to the shopping centre and long, cold, duvet-free nights. Overall u win lah. And we rest our case.

Hey Zee, (after reading ur previous post, nasib I takde baik); semalam kat rumah of hope & luck, Tommy kena baik2, seluar kena gadai & terpaksa balik terlanjang..heheh.. every now & zen, u win some u lose some! Cie la vie again!

Salam,

Tommy

P/S – BTW, u have to toss in some chopped coriander & sliced shiitake mushroom on Tommy’s omelette then serve with sour cream & chive dip. I like tossing in stuff for added measure but me no tosser lah in anticipation of what u had in mind!! :)

Capt's Longhouse said...

Zendra,

,,,if you take an uncooked roti canai and cincang it into small pieces then you mixed all the vege./daging/bawang/telor/butter/garam plus some sugar together,,,you get murtabak kapas kulid telor !!..slow to high fire but must turn over often for properly cooked murtabak-lah..guna olive oil best.
,,,try it out esok bila berbuka, you will like it.
,,,just finished making speghartti beef !!...tunggu berbuka with 4 houseguests saja at 1911 hrs today.

..Beautiful day at Kapas Island..Sunny with Blue Sea Yoo !!

Kak Teh said...

Zendra, I have been tagged to help create awareness of the plight of one of our fellow bloggers. I am tagging you to help this good case. Please visit my site. Thanks. May your omellete flip without a tear!

Capt's Longhouse said...

Tommy, ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies !!.

Why don't you blogg too ? aaaahh.

,,,or do you have it somewhere hidden !!. hahaha.

Capt

DrSam said...

I do hope if I were given the chance to taste your yummilicious omelettes, I won't have to cry like those briyani chef for it gastronomical goodness.

Zendra-Maria said...

Tommy, it's NIT-picking lah - haha just being pedantic.

Itu lah you Tommy, if you follow the "naked" path, sure you kalah strip-poker. Nanti hari2 kena makan omelette.

But I sure will try your recipe one of these days, it does sound yummy.

Zendra-Maria said...

Capt: murtabak capt ni bungkus dengan apa ya? Macam semua terburai jer, even the tepung canai you cincang-cincang. Sungguh aneh Yeop oii.

Zendra-Maria said...

Dr Sam, I guarantee you WILL cry because terkena sengat cili padi. But if you had pun a dab of that famed minyak kasturi as well, I guarantee you WILL experience something else.. What is IT? IT is ECSTASY TELUR DADAR hahaha!

Zendra-Maria said...

Kak Teh, have posted it. All those I've tagged are renown humanitarians - so hopefully they too will help increase awareness about NF.

Capt's Longhouse said...

Zendra,

use egg white to hold them together, just spare some of it and pour over the mixture while cooking..bila keras masak one side, turn over and repeat again n again until fully cooked..slow fire ya !..don't make it too big-lah just 4" x 4" max. - belajar cara ini in Sarawak Yeop..guna double scraper to hold it together bila turning-lah. try tengok sure o.k. punya...kalau bertarabor pon boleh makan murtabak tsunami-kan.

Zendra-Maria said...

Capt: Owh, this Sarawak Murtabak is more like an egg-white omelette binding a peninsular murtabak yang dah berkecai haha. Okie dokie, I get it now.

Wait for you to cook it for us first lah.

Hey why don't we be extras in your coming Astro shoot, you know, like guests appreciating your cooking? Ada chan masuk TV hahaha!