Over the rainbow cookies

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high.
There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops, Away above the chimney tops.
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere, over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then - oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
Why, oh, why can't I?

Note: I'm still using the same recipe of my cookies with royal icing.

Sushi Tei, Jakarta

My friend invited me to celebrate her birthday at Sushi Tei yesterday.

So glad with her choice of place because it's also my favorite place for having sushi.



This Sushi Tei restaurant that we went is located in Plaza Indonesia. It's very crowded as usual although this month is a fasting month for the Muslim.



We chose to sit beside the Kaiten Sushi (sushi train where a stream of plates winding through in the middle of the restaurant). We had total of 8 plates and pleased with the taste.


Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce), wasabi (green paste), gari (sweet pickled ginger) and ocha (green tea) as condiments.


A bowl of Tempura Soba for me.... so comforting with the crispy tempura.


My other friend ordered Tsukimi Udon with raw egg on the top.


No one ordered for dessert because.... there's no more space in everyone's stomach :)

Sushi Tei
Plaza Indonesia 1st Floor # 102 A&C
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28 - 30
Jakarta, Indonesia
Tel: (021) 39835108/09

Related post: Revisit Sushi Tei, Jakarta

Disclaimer:The review and opinion expressed here are purely according to my personal taste. There's a possibility that the taste of the food might change later on, which could affect the review and opinion here. I also affirm that no monetary or non-monetary compensation has been received from this restaurant for writing this review.

Soto Kudus (Chicken/ Buffalo stew from Kudus)

Kudus is a small city in Central Java. One of the most popular dish from that city is the Soto Kudus (stew). There are 2 choices of meat - chicken or buffalo. Probably you might question why buffalo, not beef? Well, the information that I heard is that most people in Kudus don't eat beef because they don't believe in killing cows.

This Soto Kudus restaurant is serving only the chicken stew. You probably will find that the chicken meat is not tender, a bit harder to bite because it's free range chicken which we called it as ayam kampung (trans: ayam = chicken; kampung = village).

I like eating Soto Kudus because it's consider light stew, savory and also flavorful because of the spices.

Soto Kudus Recipe
Source: Fatmah B.

Ingredients:
1 kg free range chicken
2 litters water
2 tsp salt
3 Indonesian bay leaves/laurel
200 gr bean sprout (only pour with hot water and then drain)
2 tbsp leek/ green onion (chopped)
2 tbsp fried shallots
1 tbsp fried garlic

Ground ingredients:
10 pcs shallots
5 pcs garlic
5 pcs nutmeg
2 cm tumeric
2 cm ginger
1 tbsp white pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp MSG (optional, I prefer not to use it)

Chili sauce ingredients:
10 pcs small red chili
50 ml sweet soy bean sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fried garlic

Directions:
- Boil water, put the chicken and salt. Let it boil again, then simmer it until becomes broth.
- Take out the chicken, fry in hot oil until golden. Then use hands to tear the chicken into small pieces.
- Fry the ground ingredients with vegetable oil until fragrance, add the Indonesian bay leaves then pour into the chicken broth.

How to prepare the Soto Kudus:

Put the bean sprout on the little bowl first.
Follow with the pieces of torn chicken.

And then, put fried garlic and then fried shallots

On top, put the chopped green onion,
and then pour the chicken broth in the bowl.

Soto Kudus

Usually, when you eat at a Soto Kudus restaurant, they will also provide a plate of quail eggs on skewers, chicken gizzards on skewers, scrambled eggs and croquette as a side dish.


I always love to add the fresh lime juice by squeezing the lime directly to the Soto Kudus.

The perfect companion of Soto Kudus is a plate of warm white rice :)

Cookies with royal icing

This is my first attempt to make cookies with royal icing as the decoration :)

I think the result turned out pretty good *happy*

Are you interested to try to make these cookies? Here are the recipes of the cookies and also the royal icing:

Roll-out Cookies
source: Wilton

Ingredients:
* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 1 egg
* 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon no-color almond extract
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt

Makes: About 3 dozen cookies.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 in. wide and 1/8 in. thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

Recipe may be doubled.


Egg White Royal Icing
source: Wilton

Ingredients:
* 3 egg whites (room temperature)
* 4 cups (approximately 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Makes: 2 1/2 cups.

Instructions:
Beat all ingredients at high speed for 7 to 10 minutes. Use immediately. Rebeating will not restore texture.


P.S: We had a big earthquake today! Not only the southern coast of Java but also Jakarta got hit by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake around 3 PM. I was in the office - on the 17th floor, when it happened.... It's so scary!!! During and after the earthquake, people were running out of the building and most of us got so dizzy.

The pics below were taken in front of the building's lobby.

Tukang Chi Chong Fan (steamed rice noodle sheets man)

Chi Chong Fan is an Indonesian version of steamed rice noodle sheets or commonly named as Cheong Fun (腸粉 cheong fan or 肠粉 chángfěn) and commonly served in dim sum. The rice noodle sheets are made from mixed rice flour and water, poured into a special flat pan and then steamed. The authentic ones are usually are rolled and filled with different types of meats like beef, shrimp or barbecued pork, often topped with sweet soy sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

The Indonesian steamed rice noodle sheets (Chi Chong Fan) is well known from Medan - capital of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Besides, the sauce and the sprinkles are different than the authentic ones, the rice noodle sheets here are remained flat and without any filling except those extra added little pieces of "ham". Chi Chong Fan has a very soft and smooth texture.

The vendor is selling on his bicycle.

You can see the red dots on the chi chong fan.
According to the vendor, it's ham *wink*3 bottles of sauces.
from left to right:
salty soy sauce, sweet sour sauce, chili sauce.

Cut the chi chong fan with a scissor.

Toss all the 3 kind of sauces.
Final touch, sprinkle with fried shallots.

A portion costs only Rp. 5.000 (about US 60 cents)