Pages


Showing posts with label Macau. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Macau. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Chinese Style Egg Waffles (aka Eggette)



Few months ago, I saw this Chinese style egg waffles pan from one of my friend's facebook's wall.  Except for cool, I didn't think of purchase it at all.  Until I went to the mall last weekend, and saw the pan in "real person" at Williams-Sonoma, I was so excited and kept asking Mr. G if he remembers that's what we had in my hometown (Macau).  He said yes, they are pretty good.  I said yes, they are and I SO miss this street food.  I so wanted to buy it.  However, after looking at the price tag, I put it down and told myself not worth it, it's quite too much (about $50.00 usd).  After I got home, I tried to look for it from Amazon and ebay, but NO LUCK!  After 3 day deep consideration, I finally went to the store and purchased it today.

I of course could not wait to get home to try it out.  Luckily, I have all the ingredients at home.  So after having a quick dinner, I immediately tried out my new toy.  I guess the 50 dollars I spent not just for the pan, it's also for all my fond memory I have about my childhood and the place I love.

If you never heard of this famous Chinese (especially in Hong Kong and Macau areas) snack, here is a little introduction of eggette:

An eggette is a kind of spherical pancake or ball waffle popular in the Cantonese-speaking regions of China, including Hong Kong and Macau. The food item is also referred to as an egg puffegg wafflebubble waffle or by its Cantonese name,gai daan jai (鷄蛋仔),[1] and is made from eggs, sugar, flour, and light evaporated milk.[2] They are best served hot, and often eaten plain. They can also be served with fruit and flavors such as strawberry, coconut or chocolate.[2] They are sometimes referred to as "Hong Kong cakes" in Chinatowns across America, especially in New York.


For more information, please go to here.






So I used the recipe on the back of the pan, the ingredients are pretty simple, and you can get everything from the store.  Williams-Sonoma also sell the mix in a box for $10.00 at the store and online, but to be honest with you, I don't think you need to spend that 10 extra dollars to get the mix if you can find everything from the pantry.


Ingredients:
4 large yolks
3/4 cup milk (I used a little bits of buttermilk to substitute the milk for a fluffier texture)
About 1 tbs vanilla extra
6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
6 egg whites, beaten to medium peaks
Vegetable oil for cooking


Direction:


In another mixing bowl, mix the egg yolk, milk, vanilla, melted butter (put in a microwave for 25 sec) and sugar and whisk until they combined.
In a third mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
Whisk the wet ingredient into the dry ingredient until well combined and no lumps remain
Add 1/3 of the beaten egg whites t the batter and stir until lightened.
Gently fold in the remaining whites in 2 additions.
The batter is well combined and ready to pour on the heated pan.
Preheat both sides of the egg waffle pan on separate burners over
medium heat until hot.




Grease both sides with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.


Pour 3/4 cup batter on the hot and greased pan.


Cooked on each side for about 1.5 mins over med. heat



One batch makes about 6 eggettes.


They are good just as is.  Or you could add fresh fruits, powder sugar and jam.
(Source:  Serving suggestion from Williams-Sonoma)

Next time, I will do different flavors (like matcha green tea, chocolate or seaweed, stay tuned.)




Sunday, August 7, 2011

Portuguese Egg Tart (aka pastel de nata)


I was born and raised in Macau, the last colony of Europe.  My home town is a special place that combined both Portuguese and Chinese cultures - and of course I am talking about our food culture too. 

People often ask me what Macauese food is, and how they taste like.  And here are little abstract of Macauese food -

Macanese cuisine is unique to Macau, China and which consists of a blend of southern Chinese and Portuguese cuisines, with significant influences from Southeast Asia and the Lusophone world. Many unique dishes resulted from the spice blends that the wives of Portuguese sailors used in an attempt to replicate European dishes. Its ingredients and seasonings include those from Europe, Latin America, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, as well as local Chinese ingredients.  Talking about Asian Fusion cuisine, Macauese had created Asian Fusion before everyone else.  It's not just the fresh ingredients or the skillful and experienced chefs make Macauese food so delicious or unique.  It's because you could taste the history from your dishes. 

Got it?!  No...then you NEED to visit Macau to see it, smell it and taste it yourself! 


One of my favorite Macauese desserts is the Portuguese egg tarts (aka pastel de nata).  Pastel de nata is a traditional Portuguese custard pastry that consists of custard in a crème brûlée-like consistency caramelized in a puff pastry case. It was created more than 200 years ago by Catholic Sisters at Jerónimos Monastery at Belém in Lisbon. Casa Pastéis de Belém was the first pastry shop outside of the convent to sell this pastry in 1837.  It is now a popular pastry in every pastry shop around the world owned by Portuguese descendants.

 
The Original Lord's Stow Bakery

Inside Lord Stow's Bakery
 
Margaret's Cafe e Nata

A lot of tourists waiting outside at Margaret's

In Macau, you could see these sweet little things everywhere now, even at KFC!  But the best two stores go to Lord Stow’s Bakery at Coloane island and Margaret’s Cafe e Nata located at G/F, 17A Rua Alm Costa Cabral R/C, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro.  Lord's Stow's Bakery is the first bakery to make this dessert BIG and famous in Macau.  Rumor said that the owner Andrew of Lord Stow's Bakery had divorced his wife, Margaret.  After their split, Margaret opened up her own bakery and sell the exact same items as Lord Stow's.  I don't really care about their rumor, I just know that pastries from these two bakeries are equally tasty!