PROSPEROUS AND WEALTHY PLATTER

From Y3K Recipes Issue no.10 - Jan/Feb 2003.
Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:
150g good quality dried oysters (soaked till soft)
100g fatt choy/ black moss (soaked)
100g dried scallops (soaked till soft)
10 pieces dried mushrooms (soaked till soft)
1 big bowl superior stock (see tips)
12 pips garlic (peel skins, deep-fried)
10 plants choy tam/ greenie vegetable (blanched)
1 tbsp fragrant oil (see tips page 19)

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

For thickening: mix well
1 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp water

Method:
1. In a big bowl, place dried scallops, oysters, mushrooms, fried garlic pips. Pour in the superior stock.
2. Place bowl to steam over high heat for 2 hours. Replenish water whenever necessary.
3. Drain off the stock. Invert bowl over a deep big plate.
4. Scald black moss with the stock from no.(3) and surround with blanched vegetable.
5. Use the fragrant oil to cook the stock from no.(3). Add in oyster sauce and wine. Thicken gravy and pour over no.(4). Serve hot.

Tips: To prepare superior stock, simmer 1 mother hen and 3 litres water for 3 hours, strain residue. Excess stock can be freezed.

A SEA OF SILVER THREADS

From Y3K Recipes Issue no.10 - Jan/Feb 2003.
Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:
Half a winter melon (approx. 1 1/2 kg)
100g dried scallops
500g presoaked sharksfin (processed type)
1 slice Yunnan cured ham (optional)
750ml superior stock

Seasoning:
A little salt

Method:
1. Peel the skin of winter melon. Scoop out all seeds and place it inside a big steaming bowl. Combine all ingredients and seasoning. Fill the melon with them. Double-boil for 4 hours over high heat. Replenish water constantly.
2. Scoop out soup. Keep aside. Be extra careful when you invert the hot melon shell into a huge soap bowl. The ingredients are fork-tender and it is a real delicious treat to sip the beautiful soup which you can repour into the huge soup bowl.

Tips:

The following are all available at Chinese sundry stores or merchant shops dealing with dried seafood.

1. Dried fish maws are normally sold in packet forms.
2. Dried Bonito fish belongs to the Tuna fish family. In Cantonese, it is known as Chai Yee. Substitute with dried sole fish if unavailable.
3. Kombu or dried sea kelp is a form of seaweed sold in greyish-black ribbon blocks. Very high in iodine and is normally used as a flavouring especially for the Japanese cuisine.

FESTIVE RED-COOKED ABALONES

From Y3K Recipes Issue no.10 - Jan/Feb 2003.
Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:
5 whole pieces canned abalones (do not open it)
10 pieces dried mushrooms (soaked)
10 plants Shanghai flat cabbages/ siew-pak-choy
500ml superior stock

Seasoning:
1 tbsp osyter sauce
3 tbsps Chinese cooking wine
2 tbsps fragrant oil (see tips page 19)
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

For thickening: mix well
1 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp water

Method:
1. Put the whole can of abalones (pronounced as aba-loh-nees) into a steamer and double-boil it for 4 hours. Replenish water whenever necessary.
2. In a claypot, pour in superior stock, oyster sauce and wine. Add in abalones from no. (1). Be careful when you open up the can of abalones.
3. Place claypot into a wok and steam over high heat for 2 hours. Replenish water whenever necessary.
4. Carefully remove claypot and bring contents to a rolling boil. Add in dark soy sauce, fragrant oil, thicken gravy. Remove whole abalones. Place them in a deep plate. Add mushrooms into above stock to allow flavours to seep in. Remove mushrooms and arrange around abalones.
5. Blanch vegetables and surround the plate. Pour above sauce over dish.

Tips: To prepare superior stock, simmer 1 mother hen and 3 litres water for 3 hours, strain residue. Excess stock can be freezed.

Cashew Nut Coffee Cookies

(Y3K Cookbooks Vol.3 - Popular Cakes and Desserts With Step-by-step Guide热门蛋糕西点步步教)
Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredient A:
250g butter
200g castor sugar

Ingredient B:
4 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant coffee

Ingredient C:
350g plain flour
300g cashew nuts
50g tapioca flour

For glazing:
1 egg yolk (beaten)

Method:
1. Beat ingredient A till creamy.
2. Add in ingredient B, beat till it is light and fluffy.
3. Put plain flour and cashew nuts of ingredient C into a food processor, beat till the nuts turn powdery. Remove it and add in tapioca flour, mix well.
4. Add no.(3) into no.(2). Mix well.
5. Remove the dough. Shape into cashew nut shapes with a mould. Put on a greased baking tray. Glaze with beaten egg yolk.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes till golden in colour. Cool well.

Roast Pork (Home-Made)

Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredient:
400g belly pork (square shaped)

Marinade A:
Some white vinegar

Marinade B:
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp minced garlic

Method:
1. Clean pork. Score the inner portion of meat with a chopper as shown above.
2. Rub the meat portion with marinade B evenly.
3. Brush the skin portion with marinade A.
4. Keep the meat in the chiller box for three days. Brush the skin with marinade A twice a day. After this period, the skin & meat should darken in colour.
5. Just before roasting, prick the skin all over. The excess oil will flow out during the oil will flow out during the roasting process. Thus, a crispy skin can be achieved.
6. Preheat turbo broiler at 250 degrees Celsius ( normal oven at 300 degrees Celsius). Roast it with the meat portion facing upwards for 15-20 minutes. roasting process. Thus, a crispy skin can be achieved.
7. Turn the pork upside down, with the skin portion facing upwards. Roast for another 20 minutes, or till plenty of popped-up bubbles have formed on the surface.
8. Remove the roast pork and cut into pieces. Most ideal to serve with rice or as an accompaniment snack with beer.

Crispy Almond Squares

(Y3K Cookbooks Vol.3 - Popular Cakes and Desserts With Step-by-step Guide热门蛋糕西点步步教)
Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredient A:
250g butter
200g caster sugar

Ingredient B:
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredient C:
400g flour
40g corn flour
200g almonds

Egg white glazing: dissolved & strained
60g egg white
30g sugar

Method:
1. Soak almonds of ingredient C with boiling water for 5 minutes. Rub off the skins.
2. Slice some of the almonds for decoration purposes.
3. Put remaining almonds and flour into a food processor. Blend well and pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Mix in corn flour.
4. Beat ingredient A till fluffy. Add in ingredient B, beat till it is white.
5. Add in no.(3), mix well to form a dough.
6. On a baking tray, sprinkle some flour.
7. Take a portion of dough, cover with a plastic sheet, roll out to form a very thin sheet.
8. Place no.(7) onto tray. Mark out the pastry sheet into squares with a metal ruler. Glaze it with egg white solution. Place some sliced almonds on pastry.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Remove it and cut the baked pastry according to the markings. Rebake for another two minutes. Cool well before storage.

Y3K is No.1

Y3K is No.1

Popular Book Company General Manager Miss Wee informed us that our publication has come out top in the annual sales data for local recipe publications.

We stared at her with evident disbelief.

How could it be when we do not publish variety issues as others?

What more our overall design artwork has not reached the masterly level?

And neither the price is the lowest in the market!

She had thought so either but it was certainly right as she had checked through the compiled data from different branches nationwide for the year.

Seven years of hard work for us has not gone unrecognized.

We felt honoured and proud.

It was one occasion we were on Cloud Nine.

Of course we have to thank Popular Book Company for the constant backing even though we are a tiny publishing company.

Our heartfelt thanks goes to all contributors for their genuine efforts and readers who have shown much support.

With this form of flattery, we can say with confidence, we will strive harder.

May The Year of The Ox Brings You Good Bullish Runs.

Note: "Y3K Recipes" issue no.46 (Jan - Feb 2009) available on 25th Dec 2008.

销售量No.1

大众书局总经理韦翠群小姐透露：「本地食谱当中，《Y3K》的销量排第一！」

我们抱着怀疑的眼光看着她，心想：这怎么可能？

我们所出版的刊物并非最多，不是最美，价钱也不是最便宜的一家。

她似乎看透我们的心理，补充道：「我本来也不相信，但是根据全马“大众书局”业绩报告显示，《Y3K》的销量的确是排名第一！」

七年多默默耕耘，得到各地读者的认同，这令我们雀跃万分。

我们必须感谢大众书局对这间小出版社的照顾，让我们的刊物得以与读者近距离接触。

我们也必须感谢这些年来为《Y3K》及读者提供正确好食谱的烹饪老师，没有他们的贡献，就没有《Y3K》。

我们会坚持我们出版原则：

每个食谱均真实无欺，遇到问题均可通过电话、书信或电邮与烹饪导师及出版社交流。

我们也会尽量配合读者的要求，不断寻找好的导师，推出好的食谱。

在这开心的日子，我们全体同人祝福各位：牛年行大运！

注:2009年1月-2月《Y3K》双月刊第46期2008年12月25日面世。

Fruit Tartlets

(Y3K Cookbooks Vol.3 - Popular Cakes and Desserts With Step-by-step Guide热门蛋糕西点步步教)
Copyright of Y Three K Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredient A: Pastry
150g high protein flour
100g plain flour
150g butter
1 egg
50g caster sugar

Ingredient B: Custard Cream
60g instant custard powder
150g water
200g whipping cream
Some fresh milk

Ingredient C: Fruits Topping
1 dragon fruit
1 slice honey dew -(scoop into melon balls)
1 kiwi fruit
Some strawberries
1 peach (sliced)

Method:
1. Beat ingredient A slightly, till a dough is formed. Do not over beat.
2. Divide no.(1) into small portions. Press dough into tart moulds, trim edges.
3. Prick the base with a fork.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes for 10 minutes till golden in colour. Leave aside to cool.
5. Mix instant custard powder and water well.
6. Beat whipping cream till stiff. Add in some fresh milk if it is too thick.
7. Pour no.(6) into no.(5), mix well. Fill it into a piping bag, pipe mixture into cooled tarts.
8. Place fruits as a garnish on the top. Chill well before serving.