Banana Nut Cookies

Do you have a book that’s so old but you turn to every now and then, this book is one of them. I bought .............. a long time ago (her cookies make me want to bake, I really want to make cookies, that’s delicious as her, because at that time Mrs. Fields’ Cookie was very popular, oops! now all of you can doubt my age), but I still use it often as the recipe is easy and the cookie are delicious . I like the taste of this cookie but I reduce the sugar to the lowest that the cookie’s still enjoyable, I have to accept that as we get older, we need less sugar (or if you are younger than me you can write a comment to ask for an original recipe). The cookie taste like a little banana cake with a lot of chocolate and nut, you can use chopped dark chocolate instead of normal chocolate chip which will make your cookie more sophisticated and yummy. I think you know the rule of using banana, don’t use the one that still bright yellow, we need a little darken here.

Banana Nut Cookies

Makes 4 dozen

370 g	all-purpose flour
½ tsp	baking soda
¼ tsp	salt
1 tsp	vanilla extract
200 g	light brown sugar
140 g	granulated sugar
225 g	salted butter, softened
1	large egg
180 g	mashed ripe banana
170 g	semisweet chocolate chips
114 g	chopped walnuts (roasted to bring out the flavor)

Preheat the oven to 170°C

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In large bowl with an electric mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add egg, banana and vanilla extract, and beat at medium speed until smooth.

Add the flour mixture, the chocolate chips, and the walnuts, and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. .Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cookie edges begin to brown. Transfer immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.

Adaptation from: Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever!: 130 Delicious Cookie and Dessert Recipes from the Kitchen of Mrs. Fields

Home Made Cultured Butter

I made it for 5 times now, since I read about it from The Traveler's Lunchbox , this is the first time that I show you. Cultured Butter is a butter that has a slightly tangy taste due to the fermentation; some say it has a cheesy taste. Making cultured butter is bit fun, as you will see the transformation of heavy cream to butter, that usually a no-no when whipping the cream, the taste is good plus you can control the salt in your butter and you will get fresh buttermilk to use in making other sweet too. It’s so easy to do at home, the only precaution is the temperature, that has to be in control (not too low or too high). I find the home made butter melt more quickly than the purchased one, and it’s good to use with toasted bread (I use in when making sandwich and it’s delicious).

I have a suggestion for anyone who wants to make it; you should use the plain yoghurt that you like to eat, because the flavor of it will be in the butter too. Start making today and you may want to make it again and again (like me).

The Transformation of Cream to Butter

If you want to try go to this blog: The Traveler's Lunchbox

Tonkatsu Curry Rice

(Japanese curry with fried pork and rice)

I really love this dish, how can anyone resist the lovely smell of the curry and crunchy crust and soft meat of the pork make my mouth watering. This dish is so easy, starting by sauté the onion, the carrot and the potato (we don’t need any meat here because we will eat it with Tonkatsu (a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet)). Pour the water, let it boil until the potato and carrot are soften, then add the curry roux (a ready-made japanese curry sauce mix).

The Curry Roux

Let the curry simmer for an hour (if you read the package, you may find a word like “cook for 10 minutes” but believe me, you have to let the flavor of the curry penetrate into the ingredient, the curry will be thicken and the delicious smell will linger in your kitchen too). While the curry is simmering, prepare the rice (I have a rice cooker so it easy for me). The Tonkatsu is not hard to make (or you can buy the ready made one), just season, bread and deep fried the pork.

When all the thing are done, put the rice in a bowl, cut the Tonkatsu, place it in the bowl and pour the curry over the rice and you get the very delicious one plate meal.

Tonkatsu Curry Rice

Serve 5 as a big bowl happy meal

Curry
2	Onion (sliced)
2	Medium size potato (peeled and cut into 2 cm cube)
1	Carrot (peeled and cut into 2 cm cube)
9 blocks	Japanese curry roux (I use medium hot)
4-5 tbsp (optional)	Brown sugar (I find the taste will be very smooth than using white sugar, this is for the one who like the taste of lightly sweet curry that we usually find in Japanese restaurants )
1500-1700 ml	Water
1-2 tbsp	Oil (for sauté the onion)
Tonkatsu
5 pieces	Pork loin steak (pound with meat mallet)
1	Egg (lightly beaten)
	Plain flour
	Bread crumbs
	Salt and pepper
	Oil for deep fry
Rice (enough to serve 5 persons)

To make the curry:

Start by setting the pot over medium heat; pour the oil and sauté the onion until fragrant and soft. Put the carrot and potato into the pan and sauté a little more, pour 1500 ml of water in the pot, let it boil until the carrot and potato are soft. Lower the heat then put the curry roux in the pot (you may chop it to make it dissolve more quickly). When the curry roux already dissolves, taste the curry, add the brown sugar more or less to your taste (add only a tablespoon at the time until you get a balance of sweet and salty). Let the curry simmering for 1 hour until it thicken, and the carrot and potato seen to fall apart, you can add more water if it’s too thick.

To make the tonkatsu:

Salt and pepper on both sides of the meat.

Put egg, flour, bread crumbs in 3 separate trays. Dredge flour on both sides of the meat. Pat off excess flour then dip into beaten egg.
Sprinkle Spread meat onto bread crumbs. Cover top of meat with crumbs and press.

Pour the oil into frying pan, start frying when oil temperature reaches 180°C. When meat starts to brown, lower the temperature. Continue to fry until the tonkatsu is lightly golden.

Take the tonkatsu from the oil, pat with paper towel then cut into bite size slices.

To finish:

Put the rice in the bowl, place the tonkatsu on the rice, pour the curry on top, and serve immediately.

The Curry Roux come in a block; it dissolves very easy in the hot water.