Focaccia Sandwich

Focaccia bread is just nice to serve with a bowl of warm creamy soup, that's what I normally do. However, I found another way of eating it. Yes, I know some of you already knew a better way of eating it but that's just what I've discovered few days ago. It's a bit shame that I only knew it recently but nothing is too late right?!

I like to use the focaccia recipe from 孟老师的100道面包. It's just so simple to make that I don't have to knead too long for the dough. This time, I made something extra for the recipe which is sandwiched some ham and mozzarella cheese with onion, garlic, herbs and cheddar cheese for toppings.

The result ended up very yummy that I can just eat it straight a way without a bowl of soup. It's a softness and crusty combination from the inside to outside. The topping enhance the flavour which the onion and garlic almost caramelized and the herbs bring out a fantastic aroma together with the cheddar cheese. I like it very much! Hope you'll like it too!

Recipe (I used half the recipe for two):

300g bread

10g sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon yeast

170g water

10g olive oil

onion, sliced

garlic, sliced

oregano and parsley

cheddar cheese

Mix all the ingredients together then gradually add in the olive oil and continue the kneading process until it become a smooth dough. You don't have to knead the dough like making a loaf of bread. Let it proof for 60 minutes.

Divide the dough into a few small portions, it's very depends on your whether you want to make two sandwiches or more or just leave it as a big portion of serving size then give it a rest for ten minutes. As for me, I divide the dough into two portions because I want to make a sandwich. After ten minutes of resting, roll out the dough in any shape you like and place it on a baking tray, I made it into rectangular shape. Then place a few slices of ham and mozzarella cheese on top of the roll out dough and don't forget to leave a space at the edges. Roll out another dough into the same shape and place it the on top and seal the edges tightly. Let it proof for 20 minutes. Egg wash the dough then put the onion, garlic, cheddar cheese and some herbs. Bake at 190'C preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown with a crusty texture. Enjoy!

I'm in HOT WATER!

As part of an energy upgrade to our home, which is winding up today; our energy auditor and contractor, Recurve (formerly Sustainable Spaces), recommended we install an Advanced Conservation Technologies Metlund D'MAND Hot Water System.

I had never heard of it, but was intrigued when they explained to me how it worked.

What it does is pump hot water from the hot water heater, through the supply line and bridges back to the cold water line until the water comes up to a preset temperature.

We have been living with the Metlund for a few days now and I am really excited about this product.

We push the button and it runs for a few minutes and then shuts down. Because it is installed in the bathroom farthest from the hot water heater, ALL of the faucets in the house are then ready to be turned on and immediately produce hot water.

We are using it several times a day.

This is so cool.
Recurve estimates that we will save 5000 gallons of water a year that would have gone down the drain waiting for the water to get hot (No more guilt when I water my bonsai).

Recurve estimates our payback will be two years. A person handy with plumbing (not me) could easily do the installation themselves and get a quicker payback. In fact, I can't imagine why anyone would not want to install this system!

Ours is installed in our crawl space under the house. I highly recommend this option if you have the supply lines and electrical connection available, or easy to achieve, there. The system is definitely utilitarian in appearance, so hiding it away is the best option.

Here's an installation video on YouTube:



P.S. For you Buy-It-Yourselfers: Take the POLL in the right sidebar at the Metlund web site and you get $50 off your purchase.

Peggy

An addendum:
Recurve has now given us two remote controls for the Metlund.

We keep one in the kitchen and the other in our second bath.

No more running back to the other bath to push the button to get hot water in the other locations.

This is GREAT!

Chestnut Chiffon Cake

You might be frighten by these alien. It might gives you an uncomfortable feeling. Don't worry it's not worm or insect or rope. My other half thought it's noodles at his first sight. There are non of them. It's just a chestnut cream that was decorated from piping bag.

Well, if you've seen this from the front page of a chiffon recipe book with this similar picture and this is the recipe book that I've been reading 戚枫蛋糕秘方传授. I think the taste of this chiffon might not be so popular, unlike chocolate, coffee or banana chiffon.

The sponge texture is really light, soft and fluffy whereas the taste is not very sweet as I pureed some unsweetened peeled chestnut which I bought from DAISO and mix it with the canned chestnut paste. The topping of the chestnut cream enhance the flavour that is just nice to eat with a bite of sponge and some cream. If you like it, you'll ask for more, but if you don't, you don't even feel to have a second bite. A piece is definitely not enough for me as its lightness really fascinated me.

Recipe:
Egg white mixture:

110g egg whites

55g sugar

5g corn flour

Egg yolk mixture:

40g egg yolks

50g water

40g vegetable oil

50g passion fruit

55g plain flour

35g unsweetened chestnut, blend into puree

35g chestnut paste in can

90g unsweetened whole chestnut, halves

Decoration:

250ml whipping cream

60g unsweetened chestnut, blend into puree

60g chestnut paste in can

30g milk

few unsweetened whole chestnut, halves

How I made it:

1. Mix all the egg yolks mixture except flour. When everything well combined then add in sifted flour. Mix everything well combine and no lumps left. The mixture would be quite thick and smooth.
2. Beat the egg whites in a clean large bowl until peak foam. Gradually add in sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Then finally add in corn flour. Make sure the corn flour mix well in the egg mixture. The egg whites mixture should be peak foam, smooth and shiny.
3. Gently fold in 1/3 of the egg whites mixture into the egg yolks mixture. When everything well combine then gently fold in the 1/2 of the remaining egg whites mixture. Lastly, fold in the remaining egg whites mixture. (Note: This stage took some times and patient and practice. Make sure all the egg whites mixture well combine with the egg yolks mixture without breaking the egg whites. Little egg whites left will cause a big hole in the cake during baking. And, over mixing will cause it hardly rise during the baking.)
4. Fold in the unsweetened whole chestnut.
5. Pour the well mix mixture into a 17cm chiffon cake tin and bake at a 160'C preheated oven for 40 minutes. After baked, let the baked cake turn upside down for cooling. Cling wrap the entire chiffon cake with the tin and refrigerated for over night. This will make the texture much nicer.
6. Unmold the chiffon cake. Whip the cream until thicken. In another bowl, mix the pureed unsweetened whole chestnut, chestnut paste and warm milk until smooth. Fold in 25g of the whipped cream until well mix. Place this chestnut cream into a piping bag.
7. Spread the chiffon cake with whipping cream then pipe out the chestnut cream on top of the cake and place a few chunky chestnut for garnishment.
8. Keep the cake in the fridge it could last for 4 days.