Pflaumenkuchen German Plum Cake

It is a moist tray- baked German plum cake. Enjoy this German Pflaumenkuchen with a cup of afternoon tea or coffee. Freeze them for another day if any left.

Dough	Topping
300 g German #405 flour 1 tbsp Backing powder 75 g Caster sugar 1 package /8 g Vanilla sugar Pinch of salt 200 g Quark, low-fat 100 ml Milk 100 ml Sunflower oil	1 kg Damson plums 50 g sugar 1 Package / 8 g Vanilla sugar 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground 2 tbsp Almond slices (optional) 2 tsp Powder sugar for dusting

1. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add in the rest of dough ingredients. Starting on low speed, beat briefly with an electric mixer. Turn speed up to medium and beat until you have a smooth dough. Roll out the dough to 30x40cm onto a parchment lined backing tray.
   
   
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Wash, dry and quarter the plums. Cover quark dough with the plum wedges. In a small bowl, combine together the sugar, vanilla sugar and cinnamon powder. Sprinkle the mixture and almond slices (if use)over the cake.
   
3. Bake in the middle of the hot oven for about 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Dust the top with powder sugar. Cut into the squares and serve.

Preparing Tofu With Gypsum / 制作石膏南豆腐

400 g Soya beans 1.5 l Water for soaking 3 l Water for grinding 2 l Water for blanching 1 tsp Baking soda	400克 黄豆 angiesrecipes 1.5升浸泡用水 3升 搅拌用水 2升 焯豆用水 1小勺 小苏打
Coagulant Solution	凝固剂
15 g Gypsum-calcium sulfate 120 ml Warm water	15克 石膏-硫酸钙 120毫升 温水

1. Clean soybeans by removing dirt and the damaged soybeans. Pour into a large deep pot filled with 1600 millimetres tap water (usually 3 or 4 times of the dry soybean by weight) and leave the soybeans to soak overnight at room temperature. Drain and rinse soaked beans again with tap water. Dehull the beans and the weight should gained twice, i.e. about 800 grams. Bring 2 liters of water to a boil. Add in baking soda, then the dehulled soya beans into the boiling water. Blanch for 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with hot water. Grind the blanched soybeans with 3 liters of water (in general, the ratio of water for grinding is 7-10 times of the dry bean by weight) in 2-3 batches into slurry in a blender for 3 minutes at high speed. Filter through a colander lined with cheesecloth to remove soya fiber-okara and to collect about 3 liters of soya milk.
   
   黄豆洗净，挑出杂质和坏豆。放入一个大且深的锅，加入1600毫升饮用水（通常浸泡水多于豆子重量的3-4倍即可）室温下隔夜浸泡。用清水再冲洗干净，去皮上秤，应该是原豆重量的双倍，也就是800克。大锅入2升水烧开，拌入小苏打，接着加入豆子煮8-10分钟。沥干后用热水清洗干净。把苏打水焯过的豆子和3升水（搅拌的水量一般是干豆子重量的7-10倍）分2-3次用搅拌机高速搅打3分钟成为浓浆状。过滤网铺上薄纱布，过滤出豆浆和豆渣。
   
   
2. Divide the soya milk into two 3-liter deep pot and set them over medium heat and bring the whole mass to a boil. It will foam up while heating the mixture, skim it off with a ladle. Adjust the heat to low, continue to cook about 10 more minutes. As soya milk cooks, dissolve 15 grams of gypsum-calcium sulfate (the amount of coagulant used is 0.3-0.5% of cooked soymilk by weight) in half cup of warm water.
   
   把打好的豆浆分到两个3升左右大小的深锅，中火烧开。边煮豆浆，边撇去浮沫。豆浆煮开后，调低火候继续煮约10分钟。这时可以开始准备凝固剂了。15克硫酸钙-石膏（凝固剂用量约是煮好豆浆的is 0.3-0.5%）和半杯温水调开。
   
   
3. Turn off the heat, but leave the pots on the glass tops to keep it hot. To be precise, the temperature should reach 95C/200F (with Nigari, the temperature should low down to 75C/160F). At this point, slowly pour in the gypsum solution in a few additions, stirring gently in one direction. Immediately stop stirring as the curd begins to form. Allow the curd to set without disturbing for 10-15 minutes.
   
   关掉火源，但不要移开锅，使其保持温度。测试后的温度读数应该在95C/200F。（如果使用盐卤的话，温度应该稍微低些，大约在75C/160F）。将调好的石膏凝固剂分次慢慢倒入热豆浆里，朝一个方向轻轻搅拌。豆浆开始凝固时，立即停止点浆及搅拌，静置10-15分钟。
   
   
4. Now the chunks of forming curds stay at the bottom and yellowish liquid on the top. If there are still some milky areas after adding all the solution, mix additional one teaspoon of powder and two tablespoons of warm water. Gradually add in until no more white particles float. Transfer the curds into a tofu box lined with cheesecloth. Any container that has many small holes to allow residual liquid to drain can serve as a tofu mold. Fold cloth, cover with tofu lid and press with a heavy object, such as a pot of water, and allowed to sit for15 minutes or so. Remove tofu lid, unfold the cloth and remove the tofu. Place tofu in water and chill until needed.
   
   这时候你会看见豆腐脑和浮在表面类似乳清的浅黄色液体完全分离了。如果加入所有的凝固剂后仍有豆奶，那么再取一小勺石膏和2大勺温水调和。逐量加入直到看不见有漂浮的豆奶即可。将凝固的豆腐脑勺入铺好薄纱布的豆腐模子里。可以用任何带有排水小孔的容器都可以拿来当豆腐模子。翻好纱布盖上盖子后，在上面压上重物（比如一大盆水）静置大约15分钟。打开盖子，掀去纱布后取出豆腐。放入水里入冰箱保存，需要时取出使用。
   
   
5. When making soya milk from JOYOUNG automaton, follow instructions as per user's manual. Add the soaked soya beans to the cup of the soya maker, then pour in water between the water level marks. Lock the head attached with cylinder in position. Plug in and press the START button. That’s all. Pour all the batches of soya milk into a large pot and simmer for about 10 minutes. Cool down to 95C/200F if using gypsum, and 75C/160F with nigari.
   
   如果你用的是九阳全自动豆浆机，那么要参照随机配送的使用手册来制作豆浆。分次将泡好的豆子放入杯体中，加水至上下水位线之间，将装好拉法尔网的机头正确放入杯体中，接通电源，按下豆浆健就可以了。豆浆都做好后回锅加温。温度要根据不同的凝固剂来调整。

Kung Po Tofu With Pine Nuts / 宫保松仁豆腐

	Sauce
350 g Tofu 30 g Pine nuts angiesrecipes 3 Pickled chillies angiesrecipes 3-4 clove Garlic, minced 2 stalk Scallions	1 tbsp Sugar 1 tbsp Black vinegar 2 tbsp Chilli sauce 3 tbsp Water 2 tbsp Maggi sauce angiesrecipes Pinch of salt
	酱汁
350克 豆腐 30克 松仁 3个 泡椒 3-4瓣 蒜末 2支 青葱	1大勺 砂糖 1大勺 黑醋 2大勺 辣椒酱 3大勺 水 2大勺 美极汁 1小撮 食盐

1. 豆腐切成1寸左右的丁状。青葱洗净切成松仁大小。酱汁材料放到小碗里调匀备用。烧热油锅，入豆腐炸至金黄色出锅，沥干油备用。
   Cut the tofu into inch-cubes. Clean the scallions and cut into pine-nut-sized pieces. Combine together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Heat up a skillet with oil and fried diced cubes until golden brown. Drain.
   
   
2. 锅中留半勺油，入泡椒，蒜末和松仁炒香。豆腐回锅，倒入调好的酱汁翻炒至豆腐均匀上色，随即入葱花和盐翻炒兜匀即可出锅。
   Save half spoon of oil in the skillet and add in pickled chillies, minced garlic, and pine nuts. Stir until aromatic. Return the tofu to the skillet and then pour in the prepared sauce. Gently stir until all tofu are coated with the sauce. Sprinkle the chopped scallions over and toss until all ingredients are well-combined and flavours have mingled.

Chicken Nuggets / 吮指鸡块

	Seasoning
220-250 g Chicken breast 1/2 cup Potato starch 1 tbsp Cornstarch 1/5 tsp Black pepper powder 1/5 tsp Chilli powder	1 tbsp Garlic paste 1 tbsp Egg, lightly beaten 2 tbsp Cornstarch 1 tbsp Light soya sauce 1 tbsp Maggie sauce 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tbsp Jiafan rice wine 1/2 tbsp Rock sugar 1/3 tsp White pepper powder, 1/4 tsp Five spices powder

1. Clean the chicken breast and pat them dry. Cut into 5x2-cm strips and pound them out into thin slices. Add in all the seasonings and let marinate for 2 hours in fridge. Whisk together potato starch and cornstarch. Set aside.
   
   
2. Coat the marinated chicken evenly with mixed starches. Heat up a deep skillet with oil over medium fire, and lower the chicken into the heated oil. Now turn the heat to lower level and fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes. Scoop out the chicken and drain. Heat up the oil till very hot and return the chicken to fry one more minute until golden brown and crusty.

Stewed Streaky Pork / 红烧肉

600 g Streaky pork with rind 1 tsp Rice vinegar 2 tbsp Jiafan rice wine 1 handful Dried black mushrooms, soaked and drained 8-10 Dried oysters 1/4 cup Water 1 tbsp Cooking oil 2-3 tbsp Rock sugar 1 stalk Scallion chunks 3-4 clove Garlic, crushed 3-4 Ginger slices 1-2 Whole star anise 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns 2-3 Pickled red chillies 1 tbsp Dark soya sauce 1 tbsp Light soya sauce 1 tbsp Oyster sauce 1 tsp Salt 1/3 tsp Chicken bouillon

600克 带皮五花肉 1小勺 米醋 2大勺 加饭酒 1把 水发香菇 8-10个 蚝干 1/4杯 清水 1大勺 食用油 2-3大勺 冰糖 1支 葱段 3-4粒 蒜，拍松 3-4片 姜 1-2粒 八角 1小勺 花椒粒 2-3支泡红椒 1大勺 老抽酱油 1大勺 生抽酱油 1大勺 蚝油 1小勺 食盐 1/3小勺 鸡精

1. 蚝干用水浸泡15分钟。过滤浸泡液留用。三层肉洗净切成2厘米见方的条状入锅后加水，水量以没过肉为宜。加入醋和1大勺加饭酒，中火煮开。勺去飘在表面的深红色的浮沫，火力调低些，再煮2-3分钟。熄火勺出肉块用凉水冲净，滤干待用。
   Soak dry oysters in water for 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve, reserving the soaking water for use in the recipe. Rinse pork and cut into 2-cm wide strips. Place them in a pot filled with enough water to just cover the pork. Pour in vinegar and 1 tablespoon of rice wine. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Skim, reduce the heat and cook 2-3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop out the pork. Rinse under tap water and drain thoroughly.
   
   
2. 炒锅入油，烧热后放入砂糖，炒成焦糖状。放入葱姜蒜，花椒和泡椒以及肉块煸炒。加入香菇和蚝干，接着淋入酱油，蚝油，和料酒。兜匀所有材料。
   Heat up a skillet with oil. Add in rock sugar and stir until caramelized. Stir in scallion, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, pickled chillies and pork. Stir in black mushrooms and dried oysters. Pour in soya sauces, oyster sauce and rice wine. Toss all the ingredients together.
   
3. 将锅里的材料倒入电压锅，倒入留用的浸泡水。水量以略没过肉为宜。放入八角和盐。盖上盖子，调至煮肉档。煮好后电压锅会自动调到保温档。冷却后打开盖子，肉回炒锅，开旺火收汁，用鸡精调味即可盛盘。
   Pour the whole mass into an electric pressure cooker. Pour in the reserving soaking liquid, which should barely cover the ingredients. Add in anise star and salt. Close the lid and turn the knob to pork cooking cycle. After cooking, the cooker automatically enters the "keep warm" status. After cooling, return the pork mass into the frying pan and stir over the high heat until the whole mixture comes together into a sticky, gooey mass. Season with chicken bouillon and dish off.

Spicy Braised Tofu / 家常素豆腐

300 g Tofu block(home-made) Vegetable oil 1 clove Sliced garlic 50 g Hot bean sauce 15 g Black fungus and mushrooms 1 chunk Carrot 1/4 tsp Sesame oil

1 stalk Scallion 1-2 stalk Pickled chillies 1/3 cup Water 1 tsp Jiafan rice wine 1 tbsp Light soya sauce 1/4 tsp Chicken bouillon 1/4 tsp Salt 1/2 tbsp Starchy solution

1. Rinse and drain tofu. Cut into the thick slices. Soak black fungus and mushrooms in water for 10 minutes. Squeeze the water out and cut into smaller pieces. Save the soaking water for use in the recipe. Slice the carrot.
   
   
2. Heat some oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot. Lower the heat and pan-fry tofu slices until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper towel. Use little oil left in the skillet to stir-fry garlic and hot bean sauce until aromatic. Add in black fungus, mushrooms, carrot slices, scallion chunks and pickled chillies. Stir briefly.
   
3. Return the tofu and pour in the soaking water, rice wine and light soya sauce. Cook over the medium until tofu slices are evenly coated with sauce and flavours have mingled. Season with chicken bouillon and salt. Thicken with starchy solution and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot.

French Genoise Butter Sponge Cake / 法式牛油海绵蛋糕

French Génoise=Butter Sponge Cake=French Butter Sponge Cake
Génoise [zhayn-WAHZ; zhehn-WAHZ] is a light sponge cake developed in Genoa, Italy and adapted by the French.

我用了28厘米/11寸的心型和圆形烤模；圆的用来做慕斯层，心型模烤好后，我就这么掰着吃了。。。。虽然少了Chiffon那种湿润细腻的口感，不过味道还是相当不错的。

2 tbsp Unsalted butter, melted 150 g Cake flour, sifted then measured 1/5 tsp Salt 5 Eggs 130 g Caster sugar 1 tsp Rum extract

2大勺 融化无盐牛油 150克 低筋粉，过筛后秤重 1/5小勺 食盐 130克 细砂糖 5个 室温鸡蛋 1小勺 郎姆香精

1. Preheat oven to 175C/ 350F. Grease and line a 28cm heart-shaped springform pan. Set aside. Melt butter over low heat. Pour into small mixing bowl and set nearby.
   烤箱预热到175C/350F。28厘米心型模子抹油铺纸。小火融化牛油后倒入一个小的搅拌盆备用。
   
2. Beat eggs, caster sugar, extract and salt in the bowl of stand mixer about 5-6 minutes on high speed until the mixture is lemon white in colour and triples in volume. If you beat the mixture with a hand-held electric mixer, then set the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water at about 40C/105F. The base of the bowl should not touch the hot water. After the mixture has become thick and pale, remove the bowl and continue beating for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is cool.
   鸡蛋，细砂唐，香精，和盐放到搅拌盆里，高速搅打5-6分钟直到蛋液体积3倍大，色泽为柠檬白。如果你用手提搅拌器，那么准备40C/105F的热水，隔热（搅拌盆不要触到热水）高速打发蛋液至浓稠且色泽为柠檬白后，移开盆继续搅打至蛋液温度凉下来。
   
3. Fold the sifted flour into mixture, one third at a time, just until incorporated. Pour about 1 cup of batter into the melted butter, and fold just until combined. Return butter mixture to reserved batter, and fold to combine.
   低粉分3次筛入，每筛入一份，都要拌匀后才添加下一份。取一杯左右拌好的蛋糕糊放到装有融化牛油的搅拌盆里，拌匀后将其拌入其余的蛋糕糊。
   
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth batter evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until top springs back slightly when lightly touched. Run a table knife blade around the outside edge of cake, freeing the sides and allowing air to get under the layer. Invert cake onto rack and allow it to cool completely.
   将拌匀后的蛋糕糊倒入备好的烤模，抹平表面入预热后的烤箱烘焙25-30分钟，手轻压蛋糕表面如果有弹性就表示熟了。用餐刀沿着蛋糕里圈滑动，散去蛋糕底部热气晾凉。

Bake in round springform and serve as layer cake/Gâteau base.

Homemade Tofu Without Nigari or Gypsum / 不添加盐卤和石膏的家庭制豆腐

Equipment: box (plastic, wood or bamboo-made) with holes. I used tea leaves filter of my black tea set to make a tube-shaped tofu
, and colander to make balloon-shaped tofu
.

Making Tofu with Vinegar

300克 黄豆 适量 清水 20毫升 沙拉醋

300 g Soya beans Water 20 ml Salad vinegar extract

1. 黄豆洗干净放入一个稍深的大锅，加入6杯左右的清水。浸泡12-18小时。浸泡期间要换2-3次水。夏季就把浸泡的豆子放在冰箱里。黄豆会很明显涨大，滤掉水份后冲洗一遍。准备个2大深锅，各倒入5杯左右的水放到炉上小火加热。
   
   Place the soya beans in a large deep pot after rinsing and fill in 3 times of the amount of water, about 6 cups. Soak for about 12-18 hours until soya beans Change the water 2-3 times during the soaking period and in summer keep them in the fridge. Soya beans should become larger after proper soaking. Drain the soy beans and rinse. Prepare 2 large deep pot, each filled with 5 cups of water. Start heating up over the low heat.
   
   
   
2. 泡好的黄豆分2-3次放进搅拌机内，加入适量水，没过豆子即可。搅打约3分钟。将其分倒入2个深锅。容量尽量控制在锅一半深度。中火煮滚豆浆，用漏勺拂去表面的泡沫。调低火势，用小火继续煮约15-20分钟。要边搅拌，别糊锅。煮的时候人不要离开厨房，豆浆很容易溢出的。最后你会看见奶一样的豆浆和豆渣分开了。
   
   Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pots you previously. The mixture should not come up higher than halfway up of the pot. Adjust the heat to medium and bring the soya mixture to a boil. Turn the heat lower and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Don’t leave your kitchen and watch the pot. Soya mixture can boils over easily any minute. Continue to cook this for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally the soya mixture looks kind of grainy as milk has separated from okara.
   
   
   
3. 取个带孔木制容器（塑料或不锈钢都可以）铺上纱布。纱布要长些，翻出容器边沿。醋放入一个大盆，加入2大勺水稀释。过滤豆浆到另外一个干净的锅。然后冲入稀释醋里头。注意一定要将豆浆冲入醋里而不是稀释醋倒入豆浆里。一会儿就能看到有类似豆腐脑的凝固体了。将有凝固物豆浆倒入铺好纱布的容器内，翻上纱布包好。压上一个大碗或盖子，让其渗出些水份。重物越重，加压时间越长，豆腐口感就会越结实。
   
   Line the plastic mold with holes, (bamboo, wood or stainless steel work too) with long cotton muslin. Place the vinegar in another large bowl and dilute with 2 tablespoons of water. Strain the soya liquid into another clean pot. Pour the strained soya liquid into the diluted vinegar. Shortly you would see the soya milk start curdling. Then pour those curds into the prepared molds. Fold the muslin over to cover. Weigh it down with a bowl or lid, so that some water can be pressed out. The heavier the weight, the longer the soya curds are pressed, the firmer tofu have you.