Egg White Soup / West Lake Beef Soup

I always look for ways to used up my egg whites. Some people use egg white for face mask but with all the ice cream I make, I would never be able to finish my left over egg white even if I used it on my face every day. My baker friend, Bertha often make this soup for her family so I was thrilled when I hear she uses egg whites to make this soup. Yay!

One of the ingredients is shiitake mushroom, you can use the dry in, just soak it in warm water first for about 30 minutes or if you use the fresh one, you can use it right away. 

Green Tea / Matcha Ice Cream

We love matcha ice cream especially after tasting the very good one in Japan. We bought some green tea powder from our trip Japan and so excited to try it.

First thing first: cook the milk, cream, salt and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. In another bowl, stir together the egg yolks and green tea powder then pour some of the milk mixture into the yolks. Pour the milk and yolk mixture back to the saucepan and reheat it while continue stirring until it reach 80 degree Fahrenheit.

Strain the custard into a container. Let it cools until it reaches room temperature then refrigerate over night. 

Churn for about 25 minutes or according to your ice cream machine manual

Take a spoonful and too. It surely doesn't disappoint. 

Green Tea / Matcha Ice Cream

Yield: enough for 8 people

Author: Kiki

prep time: 5 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 20 M

ingredients:

• 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
• A pinch of salt
• 130 grams sugar
• 1 pint (473 ml) heavy cream - Don't use the ultra pasteurized one.
• 5 large egg yolks
• 5 teaspoon green tea of matcha powder

instructions:

How to cook Green Tea / Matcha Ice Cream

1. Heat the milk, salt, cream and sugar in a medium saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved then turn off the heat.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks and matcha powder. Rewarm the milk mixture then gradually pour some of it into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks, matcha, and milk back into the saucepan.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula, until it reach 80 degree Celsius.
4. Set a strainer on the top of a container. Strain the custard into the container.Let it cool until it reaches room temperature.
5. Refrigerate overnight, pour the custard inside your ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes.
6. Place in the freezer for at least an hour then enjoy!

Recommended Products:

Ice Cream Machine

Thermometer

Strainer

Ice Cream Making Tips & Tricks

We have been making homemade ice cream for years now. I love the fact that I can make any flavor I like, reduce the amount of sugar, and the fact that it doesn't have additives. 

We use Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. First time my then curious toddler see how the machine works:

We made a lot of ice cream and create lot of memory with the ice cream machines over the years

Some tips and tricks I learned on Ice Cream Making: {so that you don't make the same mistakes I did}:

1. We use Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, which has yet fail us these past 8 years. 
2. For the heavy cream: Do NOT use the ultra-pasteurized one {like the one normally sold in most grocery stores. I also don't like the one that Costco sells}. I got mine either from Trader Joe's or Wholefoods. 
3.   
4. Use digital scale for more exact measurement of weight: and 
   
   
    measuring cup to measure the liquid: 

Camping Menu Ideas

Our family love camping. I never thought I would say it but the benefits truly outweigh the inconveniences. I started to really enjoy camping after we start sleeping inside the van instead of in the tent. After a few camping trips, we have a list of regular camping menu ideas. I thought I put it here for future reference or in case anyone need it.

Indonesian Corn Fritters a.k.a. Bakwan Jagung

Growing up, my grandma cook this appetizer often for lunch or dinner. Unlike American's corn fritters, this Indonesian version is more on the crispy and savory  rather than chewy and sweet.

On the past, I tried cooking with canned corn, using the usual "approximate" recipe and it didn't turn out so well. I am tempted to cook this again after seeing my friend's picture of the dish on Instagram and she told me she was using real fresh corn so I gave this dish another try after finding fresh corn from Trader Joe's. It tasted so much better than my previous attempts but still didn't taste like my grandma's corn fritters. Since she passed away already, I asked my aunts thankfully they know exactly what's the missing ingredient: ground kempferia galanga (Indonesian: "kencur").
So I gave it another try:

Place all the ingredients, except the oil in a mixing bowl