A gratin is basically any dish that is baked in a shallow dish and that has a browned crust at the top of it, either with cheese or breadcrumb toppings. In French, gratin means ‘to scrape or grate’, which makes clear reference to the skin or crust that appears at the top of the dish. A potato-based gratin is the more common type of gratin, and the easier one to prepare as well. You can also make other types of gratin that consist of seafood, smoked fish, vegetables or pasta.
Why do I have to make chocolate when I can simply buy it off the shelf? Because I would like to experience the process of making it; because I want to see what ingredients make up chocolate; because I want to fill up my fridge with some snacks; because I want to be able to use the new pig tray that I bought from Phoon Huat.
Chinese popiah is a popular side dish which uses spring roll wrappers to roll up a combination of cooked, grated turnips and other ingredients including eggs, bean sprouts, prawns and some basic condiments. There are different types of popiah dishes in Singapore, depending on one’s dialect and preferences. For example, some would use omelette strips while others use grated or sliced eggs; some with more vegetables while others less.
I have considered the possibility of this recipe attempt becoming a nightmare. There are many challenges to overcome while making this roll: (1) the cake batter has to be baked just right (not too dense); (2) the cream mixture has to be whipped just right (not overwhipped); (3) the log has to be rolled up just right (not too loose). Also, I took a risk when I decided to pipe two stripes of red bean paste over the roll.
I can’t recall where I got this recipe from, it was many many years ago when I was still studying. And because I was still studying, I was unable to get hold of any sake, well, legally, nor did anyone from my house drank this for leisure. So, the attempt for this recipe had to wait, till now.
