Category Archives: Sweet Dishes

Making Mooncake with Love

By Kian Lam Kho | Published: September 11, 2008
Moon Cake with Tea

All my friends thought I was out of my mind when I told them I was going to make homemade mooncakes. Well you see mooncake is one of those things better left for a professional bakery to make. Making them is time consuming and can be very tricky to handle. But the idea of making them at home intrigued me, and I was determined to make an attempt for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival this year. In fact I wanted to experiment with more modern and innovative flavors. So, I got on Amazon and ordered two mooncake molds and made my very first homemade mooncakes: Earl Grey Tea Mooncakes with Egg Yolk and Pine Nuts.

Also posted in Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Recipes | Tagged | 25 Responses

Refreshingly Cool Mango Pudding

By Kian Lam Kho | Published: June 9, 2008
Mango Pudding

Located virtually on the equator, Singapore offers a wide variety of fresh fruits year round. Although many tropical fruits are harvested year round, a small number of them are seasonal. When I lived in Singapore I used to follow these seasonal fruits like people in temperate climates follow changing season. Among the seasonal fruits, mango is the one I always eagerly anticipated. Its season starts at the end of the dry months, which is around July. Local mangoes start appearing in the market around August and continue to be available through October.

Also posted in Recipes, Vegetarian | Tagged | 33 Responses

First Full Moon and Tangyuan

By Kian Lam Kho | Published: February 23, 2008
Sesame Tangyuan in Peanut Broth

Sesame Tangyuan in Peanut Broth

We braved the subzero temperatures last Wednesday night to view the lunar eclipse. It was too cold to spend much time outside, but we managed to witness the beautiful red moon at its peak. This beautiful sight made me ponder the moon’s place in Chinese traditions and lore. The moon’s round shape is very appealing to the Chinese and variously symbolizes harmony, fulfillment and reunion. And the Yuanxiao (元宵節) festival, which marks the end of The Chinese New Year’s festivities and celebrates the first full moon of the new year, would be celebrated the very next day.

Also posted in Recipes, Vegetarian | 1 Response

Red Bean Paste and Meringue?

By Kian Lam Kho | Published: February 19, 2008
Gao Li Dou Sha

Gao Li Dou Sha

I worked on a stir-fry technique post just before Chinese New Year, and was hoping to post it right after the banquet post. But the response to my red bean paste meringue dumpling, or Gao Li Dou Sha (高力豆沙), was so overwhelming that I decided to replace that post with a recipe for the dumpling instead.

I was rather surprised by the response to this sweet dish. My prior experience with serving red bean paste was not always very successful. Perhaps the manner it was served had something to do with it. The concept of fried dough is very familiar to the American palate. However, there is a surprise when one bites into it. The hot steamy center with earthy bean fragrance, plus the crisp elastic dough together create a completely new sensation.

Also posted in Recipes | 11 Responses

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