This recipe might seem very difficult to follow, and it does need a bit of practise to make perfect. But it is spectacular to look at & delicious to eat. So start practising!

BASIC SHORT-SHORT SWEET PASTRY:

1½ cup flour                                       

½ tsp. salt

3 tbsp. sugar                                       

¾ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes

2 tbsp. vinegar--more or less

Using a food processor fitted with steel blade, process the flour, sugar and salt a few seconds. Add the chilled butter and process with on/off pulses until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With machine running, drizzle vinegar through feed tube and process with on/off pulses until mixture just begins to come together. Do not over process.

Transfer dough onto a large piece of wax paper. Gather the corners & sides of the paper together and gently press the dough into a ball. Knead with hands a couple of times only to combine the ingredients. Flatten ball of dough out into a large round flat shape & rest it in fridge for 10 minutes.

It is now ready to be rolled out to fit a 9-inch tart case. Refrigerate roll-out dough in tart case for at least 30 minutes before putting in fillings.

Pastry can be used to make sweet tarts and flans.

 

PEAR AND ALMOND CREAM TART:

short-short sweet pastry

Filling:

    ¾ cup-packed ground almond                               

    6 tbsp. sugar

    5 oz butter, cut into cubes & chilled                                     

    1½ egg yolk + 3 egg whites

    1-2 drops of almond extract                                 

    3 firm pears

    lemon juice to brush pears

Glaze:             

    1 tbsp brandy or cold water                       

    3 tbsp peach jam, strained  

Roll pastry out, between 2 pieces of waxed paper, to between 1/8 & ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to rest and firm up the dough slightly. Peel off the top piece of wax paper & flip the dough onto a 9-inch flan case with removable bottom. Peel off the other piece of wax paper. Fix & adjust the dough to cover the bottom & all around the flan case, with small amount of excess pastry dangling over the edges. Check edges to make sure the dough is of even thickness all around the circumference. Roll the rolling pin across the top of the flan case to cut off excess pastry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before filling.                  

Peel pears, half and core them and brush them with lemon juice. If pears are too firm, place them in a microwavable container and microwave them for 2-3 minutes on high power. Place each pear half, cut-side down, on the cutting board. Use a small paring knife, and starting from the narrow top end of one pear, slice thinly & evenly crossways all the way along the length of the pear to the bottom end. Repeat the cutting process with the other five pieces of pear-halves.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In food processor with steel blade attached, process ground almonds and sugar together for a few seconds. Add butter and process until creamy, and then add egg yolks and egg white and almond extract. Pulse on/ off a few times to mix well. Pour the filling into the pastry case and spread it out evenly.

Slide a large flat pastry cutter under one pear half; and with the pear sitting securely on the cutter, press down gently to separate the cut pieces slightly while retaining the original pear shape. Make a mark in the filling to divide the tart into 6 equal portions. Carefully slide & transfer pear half to the filling to cover the first marked line, with the narrow top end facing the middle, and larger bottom end next to the edges of the circle. Repeat the process with the other 5 pear halves, placing them on the filling like spokes of a wheel. 

Transfer tart carefully to hot oven. Bake tart for 50 to 55 minutes or until the filling is set & the pastry is well browned. Transfer tart to a wire rack.  Warm the brandy or water with the jam & mix well, straining off large bits. Brush mixture over the pears & filling to glaze while tart is hot. Serve warm.

VARIATION:  ALMOND CREAM TART:  Prepare as before but omit the pears.

How about that--a whole temple built inside a cave?

What a sight at Mt Sanquin!

The Mt Sanqing adventure--walking the 3600m long passageyway built 1600m up the mountainside.

How about a nice dessert to go with dinner? Creme Caramel is so good when served hot, straight from the oven. It is a bit tricky to make, but so satisfying once one masters the technique.

CRÈME CARAMEL:

Caramel sauce:

    8 to 10 tbsp. sugar                                       

    8 to 10 tbsp. water

Custard:

    4 eggs                                                                     

    4 egg yolks

    6 tbsp. sugar                                                

    4 cups milk

    ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  Arrange 8 to 10 ramekins in oven to warm.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, dissolve sugar in water. When sugar is completely dissolved, turn heat to high and bring water to a boil. Allow water solution to boil vigorously without disturbance, but watch it carefully until sugar begins to caramelize and turn colour. Take warm ramekins out & have them ready to use.

Remove sugar solution as soon as it is golden or very slightly brown, thick & bubbling. Use a small hand towel or facecloth to hold a warm ramekin in one hand--preferably the left hand if right-handed--& the saucepan in the other. Immediately pour a small amount of caramel sauce into the warm ramekin, tilting it around to cover bottom of ramekin completely with sauce. Repeat process with the rest of the ramekins. If caramel cools down & does not pour easily, return pan to heat to warm it up & continue coating ramekins.

This part in the preparation can be done earlier on in the day. Custard can be added shortly before the desert is ready to go into the oven.   

When ready to put desert together, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs thoroughly with a fork and add sugar. Add milk and vanilla and mix well. Strain mixture into a large jug.  Fill each ramekin almost to the rim with the milk and egg mixture. Cover each with a piece of foil.

Arrange ramekins in a large baking pan. Add boiling water until it reaches half way up the sides of the ramekins. Transfer baking pan to hot oven. Bake 30 minutes or until custard is set when tested.

Remove pan from oven & take out ramekins. Run a knife around each ramekin to loosen it. Cover each ramekin with a serving plate, and turn it over to un-mould.  Viola! Serve immediately.

If preferred, cool and chill dessert. To reheat one ramekin at a time, use high setting for the microwave and cook 50 seconds. Invert over a plate to un-mould. But it is best to serve it immediately after desert is made.

Here is the recipe for "Spicy Shrimp & Corn Soup" that Dorothy requested. It starts with a basic chicken stock that can be used for practically any soup except vegetarian ones. If one has a stock soup on hand, one can turn out any soup just by adding whatever additional ingredients that are called for in a particular soup recipe. Watch for more soup recipes later.

BASIC CHICKEN STOCK:

1-2 lb. chicken parts, or thighs and legs, blanched in boiling water, skin removed, or the carcass of 1 cooked chicken

1 large onion, quartered                                               

2 stalks celery, chopped coarsely

2 carrots, cut into large pieces                                      

bouquet garni: tied in several layers of cheesecloth--optional

   

    1 bay leaf                                                    

    4 white peppercorns

    1 onion, stuck with 4 cloves

10-12 cups water

Put all ingredients in a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. Strain and cool. Remove as much oil from the surface if possible. Stock may be made in advance & freeze until needed. Remove solid fat & defrost in the fridge.

Recipe may be doubled or tripled for larger quantity of stock.

SPICY SHRIMP AND CORN CHOWDER:

10 cups or more basic chicken stock

                                               

1 lb. medium or large shrimp

2 shallots, chopped                                          

1 leek, white only, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 carrot, diced 

1 red pepper, diced                 

2-3 hot chilli pepper (or to taste) halved           

1 medium potato, peeled and diced                  

4 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed

1 x 14oz canned whole corn kernels

2 tbsp. canola oil                                 

½ cup 10% cream                                           

¼ cup dry white wine--optional

chopped cilantro to garnish                              

Seasoning for shrimp:

½ tsp each salt and sugar                      dash of white pepper

½ tsp tapioca starch                              1 tsp rice wine or dry sherry

                       

Rinse, remove shells & de-vein shrimp. Wrap with paper towels and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cut shrimp into halves or quarters, depending on size, and season with seasoning for 30 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. oil into a large pan, preferably a non-stick saucepan, & heat it until hot. Add shrimp & cook for 2-3 minutes until they turn pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Into the same pan, add shallot and leeks. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add garlic and toss for another minutes.  Add chilli peppers, red pepper, carrots, potato and thyme. Toss well to combine. Add white wine, if using, to deglaze pan; then add the stock. Cover pot and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender and flavour has developed. Taste for spiciness after 5-10 minutes of cooking, removing or adding more chilli peppers according to taste.  

Use a hand blender to puree the soup until smooth. Add corn and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add cream & shrimp and cook for 5 minutes more. Adjust seasoning before serving. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.

How about a photo of the lotus flowers--something wonderful to see in China during the summer months.

Afternoon tea, any one? Here is a good scone recipe to enjoy with freshly brewed tea.

BUTTERMILK SCONES:

3 cups flour                                                     

1 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar                                                   

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda                                          

¾ cup unsalted butter

1 cup buttermilk                                               

¼ cup currants (or raisins) +  ¼ cup sunflower seeds

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp. cold water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Combine dry ingredients in a food processor. Add butter and process on/off until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs.  Add buttermilk in a continuous stream through the feed-tube, and use on/offs pulses to process a few times only or until a dough is just coming together.  Do not over process. Add in sunflower seeds and raisins and pulse on/off just once to combine.

Transfer content of food processor to a large piece of waxed paper; gather the corners of the wax paper together to form the dough.

Transfer dough onto a floured cutting board. Pat the dough out lightly & gently into a flat round shape about 3/4-inch thickness.  Use a 2-inch round cookie-cutter to cut dough into rounds. Put rounds on greased baking tray, about 1 to 2-inches apart. Brush tops with egg yolk mixture.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. 

Split a scone into half & serve warm with jam and clotted cream.

BBQ pork is very popular with the Cantonese. It is a staple in Hong Kong & a particular favourite in my family. Have fun with this version of it & save yourself some money by not having to buy it from the BBQ shops.

CANTONESE BBQ PORK 义燒:

2-3 lbs pork butt                                                         

Liquid honey for basting                                           

Marinade:

    5-6 tbsp. sugar                                                        

    2 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry

    2 glove garlic, crushed                               

    ¼ tsp. 5-spice powder                                                                                            

    2 stalks green onion, cut into long pieces  

    ½ tbsp. salt

    3 tbsp. light soy sauce                                            

    few drops of red food colouring

Cut pork into 2-inch wide long strips and place them in a large bowl. Mix marinade ingredients together. Pour marinade over the pork & mix well to ensure that the strips are well coated. Cover and marinate meat for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange pork pieces on an oiled rack over a large roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes, basting often with marinade.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking, coat pork strips generously with honey to glaze. Finish cooking when juices run clear when pieced with a skewer. Let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Slice pork into serving pieces of desired thickness to serve.

Alternately, cooking can be done on a BBQ grill over medium-high to high direct heat. Cooking time depends on thickness of the strips. On average, a 1-1 ½ -inch thick piece of pork takes 5-6 minutes to cook.  Check for doneness & do not over cook. Dilute honey coating slightly with warm water, & do not glaze meat until it is almost cooked, to avoid excessive charring.

I've adopted this recipe for roasting beef from a cook book long ago. It is not difficult to follow & the result has always been good & worth the time & effort put into it. Please try it.

ROAST BEEF WITH YORKSHIRE PUDDING:

6-8 lb. standing-rib (prime rib) roast  

3 to 4 cloves garlic, cut into slivers                            

Herb Mix:


   ¼ tsp. dried basil                                

   ¼ tsp. dried thyme                 

   ½ tsp. chervil

Gravy:


   1 tbsp. vegetable oil                           

   salt and freshly ground pepper

   2 tbsp. finely chopped carrots            
   2 tbsp. finely chopped onions                        
   1 tbsp. shallot, finely chopped           
   1 tbsp. finely chopped celery
   1 bay leaf                                           
   1-2 cups hot beef stock
   2-3 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp. water

Yorkshire pudding (optional):


   ¾ cup all purpose flour                      
   freshly ground black pepper
   1 egg, lightly beaten                           
   4 tbsp. milk
   3 tbsp. water                                      
   beef dripping

If beef has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.

Cut a very thin slice of beef from the roast and cut the slice into ½-inch pieces. Mix herb mix in a small bowl and roll the small pieces of meat in the spices.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  With a sharp paring knife, make small incisions, at least ½-inch deep, all over the roast. Insert a sliver of garlic and the herbed beef in each incision. Make incisions between the ribs if a rib roast is being used. If the cut of meat  you are roasting does not contain any fat, rub the meat with oil. Season roast with pepper, but do not add salt yet as it will toughen the roast.

Add 1 tbsp. of oil into the roasting pan and place pan in hot oven for 3-4 minutes, or until oil is very hot. Sit the roast in the hot oil in roasting pan, fat side up, and return the pan to oven. Cook roast for 30 minutes to brown the meat.

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. F. Take meat out and season all sides with salt generously. Return roast to oven.

Total roasting time, including the 30 minutes of browning at 450 degrees:

15-18 minutes per pound for rare. 19-20 minutes per pound for medium-rare and 24 minutes per pound for well done.

If a meat thermometer is to be used to check doneness, insert it into the center of the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, fat & gristle.

         125 degrees for rare to medium rare

            145 degrees for medium-rare

            160 degrees for medium

            170 degrees for well-done

At the end of cooking time, remove the roast from oven and transfer it to a carving board. Loosely cover roast with tin foil & let it stand for 20 minutes, to allow juices to settle and to complete the cooking process. Remove hot beef dripping from the roasting pan & reserve.

Place roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stove. Add carrots, onions, celery, shallot and whatever herbs left over from dredging the beef. Cook vegetables for 5 to 6 minutes. 

Add hot beef stock and scrape up all the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of roasting pan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in cornstarch solution and cook until sauce is thickened Strain sauce and serve with carved meat.

To make Yorkshire pudding: While beef is cooking, sift flour into a bowl, and add pepper to taste. Make a well in the center of flour and drop in the egg. Use a wire whisk to combine egg with flour. Slowly beat in milk and water, whisking well to combine. Let batter stand until needed.  When beef is out of the oven, raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F.  Add 1 tsp. of the hot beef dripping into each of the 6 cups in a muffin pan and place muffin pan in oven to heat dripping until sizzling. Stir batter and pour into muffin cups. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until puffed and golden, while preparing the beef for carving.  Serve immediately.