I love bread. There are few things better biting into warm, super soft bread. What's more bread topped  with cheese!!! 

I been wanting to make tangzhong bread for a really long time. My first attempt was a couple of years ago, when I didn't really know how to make bread or knead it at all. But I'm glad to say that I fear you no more! 

(Oh look at that soft fluffiness!) 

Tangzhong is basically a paste made by cooking flour and water or milk. It's not the same as a sourdough starter, because this paste is cooked and it is not fermented. You can use it the same day you make the bread, just ensure you add it to the dough at room temperature. 

Super soft, savoury buns topped with toasted sesame seeds and cheddar cheese. The secret ingredient - tangzhong!  I  love bread. Th...

I made these scones after a trip from Australia. Because, well I got a block of Grana Padano. 

It's a firm, hard cheese, similar to Parmesan, but oh-so-good.

I made a salad the other day for a couple of friends and served it with some shaved Grana Padano cheese using the vegetable peeler. Perfect match in heaven. 

These scones are a tad too dry for me, but the cake flour makes these guys really light and soft. The addition of Sundried tomatoes add a real zing and the cheese gives the scones a savoury bite. And the addition of dried oregano? - it just rounds up all the flavours and makes it reminiscent of a good pasta.

Sundried Tomato and Parmesan Scones

Adapted from Drizzle and Dip

Makes 6-8 scones 

1 cup cake flour 

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt 

30g cold butter 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan* 

6 Sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano 

1 egg

45ml milk 

Extra egg for egg wash 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. 

Using your finger tips, rub in the butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. 

Stir in the Parmesan, tomatoes, oregano, and egg.

Gradually add in the milk until the dough starts to come together. 

Lightly knead the dough and flatten with the palm of your hands. 

Cut into desired shapes using a cookie cutter or a sharp knife. 

Brush with a beaten egg and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

* I used 1/2 cup of grated Grana Padano cheese, but you could use any hard cheese you like 

Tender, flaky, savoury scones with Sundried tomatoes and Parmesan - a great morning treat!  I made these scones after a trip from Australia....

For the next 3 days of my life it's going to be camp, camp camp. 

Excited or not excited? I really don't know. I'm not a camp lover, but I've been to many camps. 

But this camp is different- I'm planning this camp, along with a bunch of my batchmates. It's going to be a tough road to climb, but I'm sure we'll make it through. 

I joined this CCA 3 years ago, not knowing where it led me, how if was going to be like, and what I was going to become. I guess it has changed me in some way- I've learned to be more responsible, to know when to be nice and when to be fierce, and how to differentiate the better people from the worse. To learn to tolerate the different personalities I meet, and to learn to accept them for who they are. I've got to know many new people whom I never talked to 3 years ago- perhaps not as close friends, but as great friends and real batchmates, and I've seen the true side of them. 

Tomorrow's not going to be easy, but I know it's going to be fun. It's going to be 3 days of getting to know familiar faces, finding friends, gaining responsibilities, and learning from mistakes. It's going to be 3 days without wi-fi, technology, and time to play. It's going to be 3 days of ground up learning, experience and fun. 

And I know it's going to be a fufilling experience. 

Nacho Cheese Dip 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

2 tablespoons plain flour 

1 cup milk 

2-3 cups cheddar cheese 

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste 

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. 

Whisk in the flour, and let the rue cook off some of the raw flour taste. 

Gradually whisk in the milk until it is smooth and thick. 

Stir in the cheese, and whisk until melted and smooth. Add a pinch of cayenne if desired and season with salt and pepper. 

Smooth, cheesy and creamy nacho cheese dip- perfect for dunking nachos, mini pretzels, drizzling over veggies and stirred into mac and chees...

Meat and cheese filled ravioli and brown butter with onions, garlic and enoki mushroom. So, so good!  Holidays call for pasta making, and to...

This is everything you would have wished for. 

It's everything you wanted in mac and cheese- smooth, velvety and cheesy. Of course, cheesy.

This is the thing you would want when you're feeling like you've conquered the exams and you're on top of the world. 

It's 7 papers down, 2 more to go. Just 2 more!!!

This mac and cheese is epitome of goodness. It's so, so rich and cheesy and full of this good for you like butter and milk and a whole lotta cheese. Oh and the onions make everything better. 

You just sauté a knob of butter with some finely diced onions, then make the béchamel. It's a simple combination of flour to make a rue, then adding the milk. Then add some meatballs. I always keep a stash of cooked meatballs in my freezer so I'll have some meat whenever I need it. Just make your meatballs, bake them, then freeze them on a baking tray. You can place them in a ziplock bag or wrap them in individual portions in aluminium foil.

The last thing to add is the cheese. It's all about the cheese. Using freshly grated cheese is the best, but when you're busy and hungry and in need to comfort food like now, just grab the packet of sliced cheddar. Add 2 slices. Or 3 if you're feeling extra cheesy. 

Just stir stir stir until everything's combined and you've got the most perfect bowl of comfort. Eat it in front of the TV or in front of your homework.

It makes your homework 10 times more interesting. 

Rich, creamy, cheesy- so perfect and so easy.  This is everything you would have wished for.  It's everything you wanted in mac and chee...

The perfect snack- salty, garlicky and cheesy fluffy biscuits. Perfect for a rainy day.

These cheesy biscuits are made from sharp red cheddar cheese and really simple ingredients right from your pantry! All you need are all purpose flour, your leavening agents, the cheese, garlic, butter and buttermilk! 

The leavening agents used here are baking powder and baking soda. 

Baking powder is necessary to give the biscuits a soft and fluffy rise while the baking soda reacts with the acid in the buttermilk to make the biscuits rise beautifully. 

If you haven't heard of buttermilk, it is basically "sour milk", or milk that has been curdled with an acid, such as lemon juice or white vinegar. To make your own buttermilk, substitute one cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and fill the rest of the cup with plain milk. Leave the mixture to curdle for about 5 minutes and you've got your very own buttermilk! No need to search high and low for this important ingredient in your local supermarket. Buttermilk is also an important ingredient in make fluffy pancakes, scones and cakes. 

I used shredded sharp red cheddar in this recipe, but you could definitely replace this with shredded mozzarella or white cheddar, depending on your taste. I find sharp red cheddar gives this biscuits a beautiful orange hue and lots of cheesy flavour, but any cheese works fine! Try not to use processed cheeses- you will realise the flavours will be quite different! 

Cheese + Garlic= Matchmake in heaven. I mean, who doesn't love cheese and garlic? My mum found these a little too garlicky, but it was the perfect combination for me! The original recipe uses garlic powder, but I used fresh garlic instead! I minced my garlic up finely and just dropped it together with the dry ingredients. Go ahead and use whatever you have on hand. 

At this point, you can also add any flavourings you like. Go ahead and mix a variety of cheeses into your biscuits. I added cayenne pepper, which added a great kick of spiciness into these biscuits. Adjust the flavours if you like and suit them to your taste :) 

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Adapted from "http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2013/04/18/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits-recipe/"

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)

1 cup buttermilk, cold

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes

For the Topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley (or ¼ teaspoon dried)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder and cayenne. Stir in the cheddar cheese; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps.

4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix gently with a rubber spatula just until a dough forms and no dry ingredients remain. Use a greased ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop out portions of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little more than an inch between biscuits.

5. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 12 minutes. While the biscuits are in the oven, stir together the 2 tablespoons melted butter, garlic powder and parsley. Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with the topping mixture. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top back at room temperature for up to 3 days.

The perfect snack- salty, garlicky and cheesy fluffy biscuits. Perfect for a rainy day. These cheesy biscuits are made from sharp red ched...