Polo Bun 菠萝包

I was inspired by a Hong Kong drama as I saw the actors ate the polo buns are so delicious. Then, I looked for this recipe from the internet and finally I've got this wonderful recipe with full explanation and step by step decriptions.

The bread was made as usual, proof for one hour then punch out the gas and portion it to rest for 15 minutes. Then cover with the polo pastry and proof for another one hour and just wait for the 15 minutes of baking you could have a yummy polo bun. It's really smell good while I was waiting for it to come out from the oven. I like its cottony soft texture, and the crumbly polo pastry outside the bread. It's so tasty!

PS: It's yummy to eat plain as it is. I tried insert a piece of cheese and bake in the oven for the next day and it's wondeful. My other half likes to eat it with kaya. Whatever it is...it's delicious!

Recipe makes 4 buns:

For the bread: 150g bread flour / 1 tbsp milk powder / 1/4 tsp salt / 30g sugar / 1 tbsp beaten egg / 1 tsp yeast / 70g water / 15g butter

For the polo pastry: 50g plain flour / 25g sugar powder / pinch of salt / 1 tbsp beaten egg / 30g butter

How I made the polo bun:

1. Knead all the bread ingredients with the dough hook mixer for 15 minutes then proof for one hour.
2. Punch out the gas and divide it into 4 portions then rest for 15 minutes.
3. Make the polo pastry: beat the butter until pale and fluffy then gradually add in sugar powder, salt and milk powder.
4. Gradually add in beaten egg till everything combine.
5. Gently fold in plain flour, don't over mix the pastry. You might find it too sticky, add a little flour but not too much.
6. Divide it into four portions. I let it sit in the fridge for half and hour. (it would be much easier to handle later on)
7. Take a polo pastry on the left hand and a dough at right hand. Push the dough into the polo pastry from outside to inside by turning the palm of your left hand until 3/4 of the dough has place inside the polo pastry. (follow the photos show at the original website)
8. Place the dough seal side down and egg wash it then use a sharp knife gently draw chequer pattern on the pastry surface.
9. Let it proof for 1 hour then bake at 180'C preheated oven for 15 minutes.
10. It's delicious when you eat it fresh. I did reheat in the oven for couple of minutes on the next day and it's still yummy!

National Pachidi – Cucumber & Carrot Curd Dip

NATIONAL PACHIDI

CUCUMBER & CARROT CURD DIP

Pachidi is prepared with raw vegetables and curd, and acts as cooling side dish, when served along with spicy food. Sometimes vegetables like pumpkin or potatoes are boiled before making the pachidi. Fried ladies finger (Okra) pachadi is a delicacy too. Cucumber Pachidi is the most commonly prepared pachadi and very easy to prepare.

Once when I added some grated carrot to the Cucumber Pachidi my little granddaughter exclaimed “National Pachidi”. She was just learning about everything national – national bird, national animal, national flower –at her play school. I was amazed at her sharpness when she identified the colours of the National Flag in this dish. I wish to dedicate this recipe to my cute little granddaughter who has also christened the dish as NATIONAL PACHIDI.

Ingredients:
Cucumber -1
Carrot -1
Curd -1 cup
Salt – ½ tsp
Coriander leaves – a few
Cooking oil – ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 pinch

Method:
1. Grate cucumber along with the green skin, add salt and leave it aside.
2. Scrape and grate the carrot in another bowl.
3. Squeeze out the grated cucumber and add it to the carrot.
4. Add curd and blend well.
5. Season the Pachadi by spluttering mustard seeds in hot oil.
6. Decorate with coriander leaves.

I did not have the heart to spoil the 'National' effect by adding the seasoning for the photo. Refrigerate and serve if you want it really cool.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Re: Midwest Memo - The Kitchen Sink

In this nostalgic op-ed on The Kitchen Sink, Alan Shultz waxes poetic on the old wall-hung porcelain sinks of his grandmother's day.

He also has derogatory things to say about stainless steel sinks and dishwashers and Kitchen designers...ahem.

"Today's kitchen designers want us all to pretend dirty hands and dirty dishes aren't the norm and so all such unpleasantries must be hidden away."

Surprisingly, I too pine for the old porcelainized cast iron sinks of yesteryear. Unfortunately they went the way of the sinks of Alan's childhood.

Back in the 1970's, in response to concerns about health and safety, the lead was taken out of the formulations for coating cast iron sinks. The results have been disastrous for the genre. Today's cast iron sinks lose their shiny finish in a few short years with typical care and are dull and uncleanable after that.

The sinks I recommend for most of my clients are Corian and other high quality solid surface sinks, 18 gauge high-nickel stainless, or fireclay. These sinks will last the lifetime that the old cast iron sinks used to last, and be carefree their entire lives.

Most other sinks break down early and are not suitable for mounting underneath countertops.

Alan also pines for the days when families did their dishes together after a meal:

"As wonderful as the dishwasher is, I wonder what we have all sacrificed in sparing generations of children from the tradition of washing and drying the dishes. What lessons have gone untaught, what revelations have stayed untold because this post meal gathering has been done away?

More likely SOMEONE was stuck doing the dishes while the rest of the family lolled in the living room watching TV! Those family dishwashing sessions were a figment of Procter and Gamble's dreams and television commercials. I KNOW. I was that SOMEONE in a previous life!

It was labor saving appliances that freed women from the drudgery of endless housework and allowed them to consider a life outside the kitchen (I got out of the kitchen to get into kitchens).

Methinks Alan is really pining for the days when his wife was under his thumb. Methinks also that my clients would be really upset with me if I recommended a product out of nostalgia when it wouldn't perform for them.

Peggy