Pork and Lotus Root Soup

This pork and lotus root soup gets its deep colour actually from the lotus root. The lotus root itself is not coloured, but quite creamy in colour. I used meaty pork bones, which were boiled and washed before making the soup. A lot of fat comes from these bones, so I cool the pork broth and put it in the fridge overnight, and then skim the fat. The lotus is then added last and then boiled on low until tender. Usually in chinese type soups, salt is added at the end, and never in the beginning, at least this is what my parents tell me.
Lotus root is a traditional food to have around Chinese New Years. If you find really fresh ones that you can slice thinly, they're awesome in a stirfry.

Strawberry buttercream and custard wedding cake

I make cakes for family and friends. I did this one for a friend's wedding last summer. It was quite a challenge for me to get everything even and smooth. I always surprise myself with the results.

Blue and white floral and paisley wedding cake

Yes, believe it or not, another cousin's wedding cake. This was in April of 2007. Luckily flower can be made ahead of time for a real time saver. Since I was in the bridal party, I had to get this cake done asap, meaning only 2 hours of sleep. I think it turned out great, one of my best.

Calla Lily Fondant Wedding Cake

This three tiered wedding cake I made for my cousins's birthday. I filled it with lychee buttercream. Calla lilies are made out of gumpaste.

Macaroons, Macarons

I looked around for a good recipe for these almond macaroons. I was so excited and finally decided to try making them. The "feet" on the bottoms weren't as bubbly as I liked, and they definitely needed some extra flavour.

Coconut Macaroons

I saw Ina Garten on tv making these macaroons. They seemed so simple and quick, so I whipped up a batch for Christmas. They're quite good and sweet, luckily I used 1/3 unsweetened coconut, or else they'd be really really sweet.

Blueberry streusel coffee cake

Yummy coffee cake. Oozing blueberries are really delicious.

Basketweave cake

Cream cake with fresh strawberries

Strawberries are always plentiful in the summer, and I always make this cake.

Kids birthday cakes

I have lots of relatives.

Cake with animals

Using pressure piping, you can create some really cute animals.

Three chicks cake

Shaman King Birthday Cakes

Pink roses birthday cake

Cream cakes with fresh fruit

More birthday cake

Cream cake with pineapple

Chiffon cake, whipped cream, meringue buttercream and fresh pineapple. Piped flowers, chyrsanthemums, rosettes.

Flower Cupcakes

I have a lot of cousins, and a lot of birthdays. Some piped flowers on vanilla cupcakes.

Spiderman Birthday Cake

I made this for my little cousin's birthday. Chiffon cake, whipped cream, custard and meringue buttercream for the coloured piped decorations.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

I wish I had taken a picture with a slice cut out. The texture of this cake is really lovely, moist, light and loose. I find one of the hardest things to master is a good chocolate cake. This recipe is really quite good. The batter is so luscious, airy and thick, you wanna eat it before its baked.

Angel Food Cake

This was a huge cake. I love tall cakes, they seem to make more of an impression on me. Luckily, they now sell pasteurized egg whites, so its so easy to make this cake, and you don't have to crack and separate dozens of eggs.

Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Har Gow, 虾饺

The dumplings have finished steaming.

A folded dumpling ready to be steamed.
Fuzzy close up.
Ready to eat. Dip in spicy soy sauce.

I had so much trouble making the dough for these dumplings. After much research, I realized that the cookbook that I was using was wrong. It instructed hot water, "not too hot, and not too cold", but infact it needs to be boiling water, not just hot. This would then make sense since the dough is completely made out of starch. Starch and warm water do not form a dough. After I rolled it out really thin, the skin was excellent and transparent like in the restaurants. The hard part is to fold it like its supposed to look like. I'd like to try again and get some better pictures.

Birthday Cake

I made this cake for my little darling niece's birthday. Vanilla chiffon cake with vanilla pastry cream, fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. Its covered with freshly whipped sweetened cream, and decorated with swiss meringue buttercream. The little animals are also made from piped buttercream. The kids loved the animals and didn't want to eat them. The little leftover cake tasted even better the next day.