Penang 2014 – Part 3 Around Georgetown

OMG! Year end holiday has already started and I'm still not done talking about September holiday..

Continues from here.

♥Sept 16th Tuesday♥

Here is how a Executive Suite looks like in Traders Hotel (oh, now it's called Hotel Jen). It's 2 rooms attached, 1 being the bedroom, the other being the living room where they have placed an extra mattress for us.


Started the day at Lebuh Armenia (Armenian Street), rented bicycles again from Chin Seng Leong Bike Shop and wanted to ride around Georgetown, but it was such a hot day we returned the bike after less than 15mins (without any refund, sigh).

We walked instead. Enjoying the sights and trying to hunt down more street art/murals.










On a hot day like this, it's nice to spot an Ice ball seller.


And the girls have a chance to taste our childhood dessert.


We visited the Peranakan Mansion just to show the girls how the Babas and the Nyonyas live.


Such a grand mansion, which is a favourite spot for wedding photos.


After that, we had a simple lunch and then spent the rest of the evening at Golden Sands Resort at Batu Feringgi. (This is the thing about staying in Traders Hotel, you get to make use of the facilities at Golden Sands Resort; with the hotel now rebranded to Hotel Jen, not sure if the same still applies).


That night's dinner, we went to Nyonya Breeze Desire at Straits Quay. We'd been going to Nonya Breeze every year during our (11 years) annual visit to Penang, not one year we missed it. However, after this visit, we're no longer compel to go there as the menu here is limited, and taste wise it wasn't as good as how it was like in the Lorong Abu Siti outlet.

♥Sept 17th Wednesday♥

After breakfast, we checked out and did more exploring at Georgetown. First stop was Toh Soon Cafe (again) for a nice refreshing cup of coffee.


Zaria insisted on a visit to La Vanille (located at : 122 A Hutton Lane, Pulau Penang) for macarons. Ah... again, this round, we didn't think it was that nice.


Then we went to the famous Lorong Selamat Char Kway Teow (located at : Kafe Heng Huat, 108 Lorong Selamat, Penang, Malaysia).

Auntie Shower Cap now has an apprentice who fry along side her (the apprentice used to be an order taker). That stove the apprentice was using was not a charcoal stove, but a gas stove.


Hubs and the girls got a plate from Auntie Shower Cap herself (this photo); I got a plate from the apprentice which was drenched in oil (I tilted the plate, and oil was dripping down!), and there's not enough wok-hei. Just horrible!


Luckily the Heh Jian (fried prawns) from the neighbouring coffee shop (yes, you can order over) was good, so it was my lunch instead of the Char Kway Teow.


Unplanned, we passed the Made In Penang Interactive Museum and the girls seeing a crowd outside, wanted to visit it as well.

It's basically a trick eye museum.


With a few interactive screens.


And some small models depicting life in Penang decades ago.


One visit is enough.

When we left, Zaria wanted to have a caricature draw her, but because there were 3 people ahead of her (a long wait), we decided against it.


It was time to leave Penang, and we took the ferry across.

My Best Bread Recipe

Life has been crazy for me. To think that I'll be less busy after the girls' school exams; not knowing there'll be the school talent time, the various events the girls' will be performing in, their involvement in all the different examinations I have signed them up for.

Anyway, despite the busy schedule, I'd been baking bread rather frequently, and this is the recipe I like using as it yields beautiful European style bread with crispy crust (when it's just out of the oven). It's my best recipe for this kind of bread.



♥Recipe adapted from Richard Bertinet♥

Ingredients:
For the ferment：
350g flour
180g water
1/2 tsp yeast

For the dough:
450g strong white flour
10g yeast
340g water
50g olive oil (I sometimes use avocado oil)
15g salt

Method :
For the ferment :
1) Mix ingredients for the ferment together (I use hand) for a bout 5mins until you have a rough dough.
2) Place in bowl, cover and leave it to rest 8hrs or overnight.

For the dough:
1) Put the flour in a mixing bowl and add in the yeast. Scoop the ferment into the bowl, then add the water, oil and salt, mixing well until all combined; knead for 4-5mins (I use the Thermomix and knead for 4mins; but you can use hand or a mixer with dough hoook).
2) Remove the dough, and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, forming it to a ball, cover
3) Leave it to rest for 1.5hrs
4) Flour your work surface generously with flour and turn the dough out in one piece. Divide the dough equally into 2 portion. Shape the 2 pieces of dough lightly and gently (it's very soft but supple) into a ball or loaf.
5)　I use proofing baskets, one longish and another round, so I shape one into round, and another into a loaf. Dust my proofing basket generously with flour, and gently place the dough into the baskets. (If you are not using a proofing baskets, you can place the formed dough onto your baking tray generously dusted with flour). Cover with tea towel and let the dough proof for 45mins to 1hr until double in size.
6) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240C. When the dough is ready, spray the inside of the oven with a water spray and then pour out the dough from the proofing basket onto the baking tray (heated). Turn down the heat to 220C and bake for 18~20mins.

And there, a nice airy loaf of bread with a crust.


Here are some photos on the ferment and the dough before it went into the oven.
The ferment at the initial stage.


The ferment after 12hours or more.


The ferment when pulled, lots of bubbles and elasticity.


Mixed dough with ferment.


Mixed dough after resting, which has doubled in bulk. (Photo taken with phone under low light, not so nicely taken)


Dough proofing in baskets.


Bread before entering the oven.