Durian Cheesecake

Mum bought me a cheesecake recipe book 我和起士蛋糕的秘密. (I think she has been addicted on buying me recipe books recently.) I miss her cooking and till now I can't forget those delicious foods she cooked and baked. But, she said she had retired from the kitchen :( Anyway, I think I've inspired by her passion in the kitchen when I was young. She cooks three proper meals plus an afternoon tea to serve the whole family including my grandparent and aunties uncles. I like to touch the ingredients while she was preparing foods but I always got warning not to touch this and that. If you're a mother you'll understand why she warn me. But, that wasn't stop me from loving the kitchen stuffs :) Oppss... back to the cheesecake recipe book. To appreciate mum, I think I better try out one of the recipe from the book. Since I've still got some leftover durian in the freezer, I decided to try out durian cheesecake recipe.

I didn't put so much hope on this recipe at first, because this is my first attempt and the recipe is not that very precise. I used a slightly bigger cake pan to make this also modify the amount of ingredients used from the recipe.

Guess what! The result is absolutely fantastic! If you're a durian lover and cheesecake lover, you'll hardly to resist this. The cheesecake turn out moist, rich and smooth. You will like it to melt in my your mouth slowly and feel hard to let go!
The recipe didn't mention about steam bake but I did it as I think steam bake would produce moisture cheesecake, that's what I found from my previous attempts on other cheesecake experiments. There is just one thing I didn't do it properly for drawing the net pattern on the cheesecake, it wasn't as nice as the recipe shown from the book (need more practice!) However, I must say the texture is a winner! Really yummy! Thanks mum for the recipe book!


Recipe for 7 inches (I used 8 inches lose bottom pan)

For the base (I used my own recipe for the base):
160g crushed chocolate marie biscuits (200g digestive biscuits)
80g melted butter (100g butter, melted)

For the filling (Slightly change the amount of ingredients from the book)
450g cream cheese (500g cream cheese)
80g caster sugar
170g durian flesh (220g durian flesh)
3 eggs (medium size, total about 160g)
80ml milk (90ml milk)
1 tbsp cornstarch (1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp cornstarch)

Toppings:
1 tsp cocoa powder + 2tsp water
Some Oreo cookie crumbs

Method:

1. To make the base, stir all ingredients until combined. Press mixture into base. Set aside.
2. To make the filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and durian flesh until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Beat in milk and cornstarch until blended. Reserve 1 tbsp cheese mixture for topping, the rest mixture pour into tin.
4. To make the topping, mix well cocoa powder with water. Add in 1 tbsp of reserved cheese mixture, stir until well blended. Pipe on top of the surface of cheese mixture and draw net pattern with skewer.
5. Steam baked at 170C for 45 minutes (my oven 150C for 50 minutes) or until light brown.
6. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Chill in fridge 5 hours or overnight.
   Decorate sides of cake with crushed Oreo cookie crumbs.

When to Replace an Aging Furnace?

This is the question we at Horizon Services hear more than any other around this time of year. As the temperatures begin to get cooler, you know you need to be prepared with a furnace that will get you through the winter ahead. Should you invest in a new furnace...or do you still have a few more years left in that existing furnace? Here are some important factors to consider:

Most HVAC experts will tell you that a good quality heating system should last at least 10-15 years. With proper maintenance, many systems will continue to work for 20 years or more, but energy efficiency becomes an important factor with units that old. If your furnace is more than 15 years old, you could be throwing money away on high utility costs.If you have an older furnace you should have it inspected by a licensed HVAC professional who can determine if there are any urgent issues that could lead to a system malfunction. Beyond that, think about the following if your furnace falls into the 15-25 year old range.

Could you increase your home’s fuel efficiency—and save money—by replacing the unit? The annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) is a measurement of how energy efficient appliances are over the course of a typical year of use. A higher AFUE percentage means a product is more fuel efficient and cheaper to operate over time. AFUE was first used in 1992, but you can still get a general sense of your furnace’s AFUE percentage if it is older than that. Low-efficiency furnaces have an AFUE between 68-72%. They use natural drafts to move combustion gases, have a continuously lit pilot and a heavy heat exchanger. Mid-efficiency furnaces have an AFUE of 80-83%. They use exhaust fans to control gas flow, have electronic ignition instead of a pilot light and are lighter and more compact. High efficiency units register an AFUE of 90-97% and use condensation to move heat more economically.

Could retrofitting your older furnace take care of major issues? Many systems can be upgraded with things like programmable thermostats, new ductwork or temperature zone controls. These improvements will spare you the expense of replacing the unit while increasing efficiency and lowering your utility bill.

Was your furnace converted from coal-burning to oil or gas? Ancient coal-burning furnaces that were switched to gas or oil burners are prime candidates for replacement as they are notoriously inefficient, and the cost of a new system will pay for itself in a relatively short period of time thanks to the increased fuel efficiency and lower operating expense. If you have a gas furnace with a pilot light—not an electric ignition—you could also save significantly by replacing the unit.

Is your unit an oil-burning furnace that is more than 22 years old? While most oil furnaces can be perfectly reliable and surprisingly efficient for many years, once these systems hit the 20 year mark their efficiency and dependability begin to decline. If total replacement is not in the cards, consider upgrading your unit with a newer standard efficiency flame retention head burner. This is a special fixture that mixes a fuel oil spray with the air needed to cause combustion and can increase your furnace’s AFUE to around 80%. The flame retention head provides a more controlled fuel/air mix and makes the burning process much more efficient.

If you're on the fence about replacing your furnace, Horizon Services recommends that you do at least one of the following:

• Schedule a Precision Tune-Up for Your Existing Furnace: A Horizon heating technician can perform this 21-point check in less than an hour. It's your best guarantee that your existing furnace will start the winter season in the best condition possible and get you through the cold months ahead. While performing your Precision Tune-Up, your Horizon heating technician can check to see if there are any broken or damaged parts and give you an accurate assessment of how much useful life your furnace still has.

• Schedule an In-Home Energy Analysis: Horizon Services can do this for you for FREE. One of our Comfort Consultants can come to your home to examine your existing furnace, measure your home and understand your family's heating needs and budget. Your Horizon Comfort Consultant will give you an honest appraisal of your existing heating system and show you multiple options for heating your home more efficiently and affordably.

Tomato Thokku & Awards

Tomato thokku is a very common gravy made out of Tomatoes and Onion.It is a delicious side dish.When tomatoes are abundant and cheap in the market,this is the First thing that comes into mind.It is an all purpose curry.It goes well with Roti,Idly,Dosa, Rice and Bread.Tangy,spicy tomato thokku is something that I love,after marriage i found that its my Husband's favorite too.. so Every week i prepare this one.



Ingredients:

Onion-4
Tomato-5
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp
Salt-To taste
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-1 arc
Coriander leaves-little

Preparation method:

1. Heat the pan with 1/2 cup of oil.
2. Add Mustard & curry leaves,once it pop up add chopped onions.
3. Saute well,once it will become golden brown add turmeric,chilli powder and salt.
4. Saute well till the raw smell goes.
5. Now add chopped tomatoes,fry well until it will become soft.
6. Cover with lid cook till oil comes from curry.
7. Serve hot with Idly,Dosa,Rice or Roti.

P.S:
You can store this for a week in Refrigerator.





Awards:

Babli & Raje have Showered me With this Awards.I have to thank them for their encouragement by passing these Awards.Thanks for Thinking about me & Sharing the beautiful Awards with me.I am so Happy to Receive this award from you.

I am Happy to receive Giant bear hug from Babli.










Raje sent this Beautiful Presentation Award.Thank you Raje