MVOTD: David Bisbal (Day 165)

As a special "shout out" to Life Is Too Short to Learn German, who is going on a trip and is my biggest blog follower, here's David Bisbal's Digale. May you enjoy it.


Yeah, that's right. Two endings in one song.

MVOTD Two Month Review (D165)

It's true. I've been slacking. In March there were many fine music videos. In April, not so much. Here is the list of music videos posted in the last two months.
 
Backstreet BoysAs Long As You Love Me
Big BangFantastic Baby
BOA (Duet with Daichi)Possibility
David BisbalEsta Auscencia
David BisbalEsclavo de sus Besos
Donghae & EunhyukOppa Oppa (Japanese version)
EXOHistory
Henry LauOff My Mind
JunoEverything
LEDAppleTime Is Up
NU'ESTFace
ShinhwaHero
ShinhwaVenus
SS501Déjà Vu
X-5Dangerous


The past two months of music videos and be divided into several categories:

Cheesy/Campy
Backstreet Boys, As Long as You Love Me
Anything David Bisbal
Juno, Everything
Donghae & Eunhyuk, Oppa Oppa (all versions)

Artsy and/or Odd
Big Bang, Fantastic Baby
BOA, Possibility
Anything David Bisbal
Shinwha, Venus
LEDApple, Time Is Up

Watch it for the Fashion/Song
Henry Lau, Off My Mind
X-5, Dangerous
Big Bang, Fantastic Baby
SS501, Deja Vu

Normal Pop Music Video
NU'EST, Face
EXO, History
SS501, Deja Vu
All the rest of the music videos

Pretty much Donghae & Eunhyuk's Oppa Oppa wins because I have great great affection for Super Junior. The music video itself is super cheesy and campy, has great (horribly tacky) fashion, and a super fun disco-esqe song. Therefore it has lots going for it besides my affection towards Super Junior. It's a fabulous music video. Here it is.


Thanks to reviewing the previous month's music videos I have news. Hanson is making a comeback....again. This time it's their album Shout it Out. If Youtube can be counted as accurate, that means that it will be the second time that Hanson has tried to make a comeback (that I know about). That means they have great determination, and maybe new skills. ...We can always hope for the best.

Monsoon Sunday

The Mixing Bowl: Lamingtons (aka Passionfruit Curd Cakes) by Polli


You may remember Tess and Maja, the lovely ladies behind the jewelry company Polli, from their previous Mixing Bowl contribution---the gorgeous to look at and wonderful to eat “I Scream Sandwiches.” I was so impressed with their last recipe that when they offered to whip up another delicious treat for Dessert Girl readers, I couldn’t wait to see what they came up with next! I was, of course, thrilled when they sent over this recipe for an Australian lamington by Polli team member Hannah. I’m a big fan of regional desserts, and this one looks sooo yummy. Plus, this lamington has got a bit of a twist to it (traditionally the cakes are square and covered in chocolate), which makes it that much more fun! With all that passion fruit and lemon curd, it really is the perfect summertime treat, although I guess it’s winter in Australia, so I suppose that makes it a perfect winter treat as well! Really, it works all year round! So be sure to try it out this weekend, no matter what part of the world you’re living in. :-)

From Polli: Imagine sponge cake with lemon curd filling coated in passionfruit jelly and rolled in coconut. The jelly is made with fresh passionfruit and agar powder not gelatin so it is vegetarian friendly and not overpowered by sugar. Delicious! Such moist little cakes.




I’m not the type of gal that goes ga-ga for jewelry. I don’t believe in jewelry for the sake of jewelry. I’m not into bling, but I am into Polli. I can’t get enough of their cool, architectural designs. Since we last heard from them, they’ve introduced some pretty awesome wooden necklaces and a jewelry collection designed by fellow Mixing Bowl contributor, artist Emma van Leest. Plus, they’re dedicated to maintaining a low carbon footprint by doing things like using recycled materials, walking and cycling to work, and using energy efficient lighting. They've even been officially named a low-carbon company by the Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI). How cool is that?


To check out more from Polli and to shop online, click here. You can find the complete recipe for the lamingtons and more photos after the jump. Thanks to Tess, Maja, Hannah, and the entire Polli team for another great recipe!


**If you need help converting the measurements, click here for a nifty conversion calculator.

Lamingtons (aka Passionfruit Curd Cakes)

Passionfruit Buttercake
90g butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
¼ cup passionfruit pulp

Passionfruit Curd
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup passionfruit pulp
60g butter, roughly chopped

Passionfruit Jelly (vegan)
7 grams Agar-Agar powder
200mls fresh passionfruit juice (no seeds)
700mls boiling water

Finishing touches
1 cup desiccated coconut
½ cup thickened cream, whip it good!

Step 1
Make Passionfruit Curd
-         Combine all ingredients in a small heat proof bowl, place over a small saucepan of simmering water; stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Cover tightly and refrigerate until cold.

Step 2
Make Buttercakes
-          Preheat oven to moderate 180 degrees celcuis, line your muffin tray with patty cases (makes 6 large or 12 regular size)
-          Beat butter, sugar, eggs and flower in the small ball of an electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture is changed to a paler colour. Stir in passionfruit pulp.
-          Divide mixture among cases and smooth surface.
-          Cook for 20mins (large cakes) or 25 mins (smaller cakes). Turn cakes onto a wire rack to cool, then remove from cases

Step 3
Make Jelly
-          Strain the passionfruit juice to remove seeds
-          Mix the Agar-Agar with the juice and water
-          Put in the fridge to set til the consistency of an unbeaten egg white

Step 4
Assembly
-          Roll the cakes in jelly; leave cakes to stand in jelly for 15mins turning occasionally. Roll cakes in coconut; place on a wire rack over a tray. Refrigerate for 30 mins.
-          Cut cakes in half; fill with curd and cream.

Hambre Hombre.

IF YOU ARE HAPPY....

Primary 1 children are learning about feelings: happy, sad, tired, angry and hungry. Marian taught them a song with all these feelings. Look ! They are singing and moving very well!


TRANSPORT GAME


TRANSPORT SONG


MEANS OF TRANSPORT

TEN IN THE BED

MVOTD: X-5, Dangerous (D 164)

Do you like 19th century Englishmen? Probably not. They're all dead now. Rather, do you like 19th century fashion? I do, and I expect that the stylists behind X-5's Dangerous did as well. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of harsh lighting and colour effects in the music video that impedes the fashion appreciation. There is also a great deal of hand dancing which is surprising for a male group. Other than that the only thing to complain about is that it sounds like club music... and the dub-stepping is awkward. Too bad.

A recipe: PANCAKES by Rosalía 6ºA

Ingredients:
- 2 eggs.
-100 of flour.
-300 millilitres of milk.

How to cook:
1-You have to weigh the flour.
2-You have to mix the flour.
3-You have to add the milk and the eggs to the flour.
  4-You have to put some butter in the pan.
  5-You have to add the mixture to the pan.
                                                                   6-You have to fry the pancakes.

                                   

Mushrooms with Chinese Goose Liver Sausage (and a giveaway)

title
Through almost seven years of blogging I realize, with a start, that I haven’t really changed all that much.  Well, I have grown somewhat I’d like to think.  I believe I can safely say that my photography skills have improved to some extent – although, truth be told, I suspect that is largely due to my camera upgrade than from any amazing talent on my part.  I have also, finally, managed to smarten up the look here – although that is, by and large, due to the talents my lovely blog designer.  So yes, there have been changes….but the basic essence of it, its soul (if you will allow me a little cheesiness here), remains the same.

And really, I’m glad for it.  For me, this blog has always been, from that first hopeful post in 2005 until now (a husband, a baby, and two moves later), an extension of my person, and as such, has always been immensely personal.  My food, my thoughts, my culinary journey.  Simple, overly and overtly simple at times…but, without doubt or discussion, all mine.

So, you could say, I am not the most savvy when it comes to what is actually going on “out there” in the heady world of blogging.  While others launch themselves wholeheartedly into a flurry of new and exciting ways to reach and interact with more readers, I’ve been right here clacking away at my keyboard, on my third latte, happily tucking into a Canadian ham/brie/wilted wild arugula/chipotle fried egg tartine.  I am blithering dolt at parties when people ask me about product reviews and sponsors and “how to engage readers” or “tap into more bloggers”.  I can tell you how to make really good scrambled eggs though!  Search Engine Optimization?  No clue.  Pork Belly Caramelization?  That I can do!

Be all that as it may, I just wanted to say, I DO love you dear readers!  Oh so very much actually.  Have I been a bad, bad blogger for not optimizing my reaching out to you?  If I have, I am sorry.  To make it up to you I have decided to have a giveaway!  Your comments and emails are a big part of the inspiration that goes into making this little space such a haven for me.  Let me show my gratitude with…mushrooms :)

Mushrooms with Chinese Goose Liver Sausage
  • Canola oil (or any other mild flavored oil)
  • 2 pieces Chinese goose liver sausage (about 70 grams total), sliced on the diagonal
  • 100 grams shitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and caps sliced
  • 100 grams oyster mushrooms, whole or cut in two if very large
  • 1 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mirin
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Some water, if needed
- Place the soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and sugar in a small bowl and mix well.  Set aside.
- Heat and wok or skillet on medium high heat.  When hot add a swirl of canola oil.  When the oil is hot add the sausage and sauté for a few minutes until sausage softens a bit and edges are slightly toasted.  Remove from pan a set aside.
- Add mushrooms to the pan and toss.  Add part of the sauce mixture, toss until all the mushrooms are coated, and cover.  Let this cook for a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have softened.
- Add sausage back to the pan along with the rest of the sauce mixture, stir, and cook just until the mushrooms have fully softened.  If it gets too dry add a bit of water.

I stingily used the last of my Chinese goose liver sausage for this and I can say, with all confidence, that it was well worth it.  Have this with heaps, and I do mean heaps, of steaming white rice and you will be in Chinese goose liver sausage nirvana.  Which is, in my book, a very good place to be.

So, without further ado…what I am giving away, to one lucky reader, is a pack of dried oyster mushrooms from the Ministry of Mushrooms!  I have mentioned them before here and I have been an avid customer since I first came upon them.  I love mushrooms, and I love local purveyors who are passionate about what they stand behind.  So I have decided to share that love with you. 

I will need to limit this giveaway to readers within the Philippines – sadly, I can’t guarantee that posting some mushrooms overseas will go off without a hitch.  For all of you over here, all you have to do is leave a comment, that’s it!  Before my next blog post (which should be a week from now) I will put all your names in a hat, and pick one, and ta-da, the mushrooms are yours!  I will announce the winner in my next blog post.

If lots of you think that this is fun then we will definitely do it again.  I have a bunch of ideas already brewing in my head and I can’t wait to share, literally, the things I love with you!  Happy weekend friends!

Where Ken go?




Hypebeast changed my thursday, and quite possibly, my life.

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