What am I doing?

Many friends of mine were asking: "Are you busy making something?", "Is there any beading project that you currently do?", "Are you wiring things this moment?". And, I also have some questions for myself, such as: "When will I try to wrap my cameos as challenged by my 'beading guru', Wulan?", or, "When will I work on the necklace project for my friend in Paris?".

Hff...

I hardly could do any beading or wiring projects at these previous weeks. And I only have one excuse for that. Hormon. I think there is a connection between my laziness and my first trimester hormon. Well, I still want to learn, try and make something with my beads and wire, but I have to wait until I am ready. Meanwhile, I just take a look at other people creations which are very stunning!!

My Pelecing Kangkung

Finally I met fresh water spinach at Paris Store, the big asian supermarket. Before, everytime I saw this vegetable there, it did not look fresh, seemed so ugly... not interesting. But today, when my neighbour, Hélène, and me did a little shopping there, I could find the fresh one. Yuppie!

Then I browsed for cooking ideas at the internet. It came up with a final decision to make Pelecing Kangkung. Hoaaa... very hot...

The original recipe was taken from Dapoerkoe. But as usual, I modified according to the ingredients I had at home.

Voila... special for my baby...!


Ingredients:

• 200 - 300 g water spinach (liseron d'eau), cut the hard part of the stem and then cook in the boiling water for around 7-10 min
• 50 g peanuts (arachide), fry in hot oil

For sambal:

• 5 red chillies, cut into two pieces
  
• 1 fresh tomato (I replaced with 8 table spoons of fresh tomato puree from my mother-in-law)
• 2 tea spoons of ready-to-use shrimp paste
• 1 tea spoon of salt
• a half tea spoon of sugar in powder
• 2 tea spoons of lime juice

Instructions:

• For sambal:

1. Grind the chillies and the shrimp paste.
2. Mix with salt and sugar, grind together.
3. Add the tomato puree and lime juice, mix well.

• How to serve:

1. Put some rice on the plate, add some cooked water spinach over it.
2. Pour the sambal
3. Add the fried peanut
   

Notes:

• Please reduce the chillies according to your condition. With 5 chillies, I believe some of you will drink so much water...
• If you use fresh tomato, cut into pieces, then grind together with the chillies before adding salt and sugar.
• I added some fried anchovies to complete my eating-indonesian-food desire...
  

Tempe

Tempe, tempeh or soybean cake is one of my favorite. In my country, it is not difficult to have it while in here, hff... very difficult. Donc, j'ai appris de faire tempe by myself. Some of my Indonesian friends in France have tried to make it and they were succesfull. Following their steps, I brought some fermentation starter from Jakarta when I moved to France. Fermentation starter is the most important ingredient for making tempe (please see here for more information).


The first time I made tempe was in May 2008 (finally... hff...). It was also successful for me (thank's to my friends who have guided and supported me!). Then I made it again couple times, especially these days when I miss Indonesian food so much... Ngidam bow...


If you need the detail recipe and instructions, these are some suggested links:

• Jadi Bandar Tempe by Dewi: in Indonesian language
• Homemade Tempeh by Arfi: in English language
• Step by Step: Cara Membuat Tempe Sendiri by Sylvie Gill: in Indonesian language
  

Sorry, no link in french... hehe...

Mie Ayam Bakso

I got the recipe from my friend in Lille. In the middle of my first trimester, it has been difficult to see Indonesian food at every friends' blogs I've visited. Hff... So, for this recipe, I decided to try. Of course, with the ingredients that I had at home.

Well, here it is, my Mie Ayam Bakso, with pieces of red chillies... hehe.

Di rumah sudah ada ayam suwir matang dari mertua, jadi tinggal dipakai saja. Kemudian, kami tidak punya saus tiram maupun minyak wijen. Jadi ada yang dihilangkan, atau diganti. Sedangkan untuk sambal, karena di rumah tdk ada blender, jadi aku cuma memasukkan irisan cabe merah ke dalam kuah bakso. Satu saja cabe-nya, takut pada kepedasan...

Ini aku catat supaya ndak lupa modifikasi yang sudah aku lakukan. Dari segi rasa, dua orang komentator di rumah menyatakan enak... :)

Tapi aku mau coba lagi lain kali dgn mie yang berbeda. Juga dengan cabe yang lebih banyakkkk...

Ingredients:
Untuk ayam:
- Ayam suwir matang dari +/- 5 paha atas (sptnya kebanyakan, soalnya sisa banyak nih)
- 1 Jamur champignon kaleng kecil
- 2 siung bawang putih
- 1 batang sereh
- 1/2 sdt kunyit
- 2 sdm kecap manis
- Merica
- 1/2 kaldu Knorr ayam, dilarutkan dalam 1/2 gelas air panas
- Minyak sayur utk menumis

Untuk mie:
- Mie telur 4 keping
- 1 sdm Kecap Kikkoman
- 1 sdm minyak sayur
- 1 sdt minyak Colza Grillé
- Merica

Untuk kuah:
- 8 bakso
- 1 batang daun bawang, iris
- 1 cabe merah, iris
- 1/2 kaldu Knorr ayam, dilarutkan dalam 1/2 gelas air panas
- Garam
- 1 liter air (atau sesuai selera)
- 1 sdt minyak sayur

Directions:
Untuk ayam:
- Tumis bawang putih yang sudah dihaluskan, masukkan kunyit bubuk, ujung batang sereh yang sudah di-geprek.
- Masukkan ayam suwir, jamur, kecap manis, merica dan air kaldu Knorr. Setelah tercampur rata, angkat, sisihkan.

Untuk mie:
- Rebus dalam air mendidih sampai lunak. Angkat.
- Dalam mangkok besar (seperti mangkok salad), campur kecap Kokkiman, minyak sayur, minyak Colza Grillé dan merica secukupnya.
- Masukkan mie yang sudah direbus ke dalam mangkok dan aduk rata.

Untuk kuah:
- Didihkan air, masukkan irisan daun bawang, irisan cabe, air kaldu Knorr, garam, minyak sayur serta bakso.
- Masak hingga daun bawang dan cabe layu.

Cara menghidangkan:
- Siapkan mangkuk, ambil mie secukupnya, berikan ayam jamur di atasnya.
- Siram kuah dan bakso di atasnya.
- Hidangkan