Thermal Cookers and Thermal Pots

This definitely ranks amongst the top of my list when it comes to cookware. My cooking khaki recommended this to me 6 years ago. It is a God-send for busy mums! My mum and my siblings have since bought their own sets too.

What's so wonderful about this cooker and how does it work?

A thermal cooker typically consists of two stainless steel pots, one within the other. The inner pot is used to bring the food to the boil and the outer thermal pot, which is double-walled with a vacuum between the walls, is used as the container to allow the cooking process to continue in the inner pot.

To use the thermal cooker, put food into the inner pot and bring it to the boil.  Let it boil for about 15-20 minutes to create sufficient latent heat. Then, place the inner pot inside the thermal pot to continue the cooking process for another 4-6 hours.  As the food is cooked using its own latent heat in the inner pot, do not open the cover of the inner pot as this will cause heat to escape.

For soups, you may want to consider bringing it to boil again around 2 hours before consumption to increase the latent heat and bring out the flavour. Before dinner, just bring the soup to a boil if you prefer piping hot soup. Reheating is not required for rice.
I own a Thermos Shuttle Chef which comes with 3 pots - 2 3-litre inner pots and a 6-litre inner pot.  I find that out of all the thermal pots available in Singapore, this is the most versatile set as it allows you to cook two items at the same time, and gives you the option to use the large pot for a larger quantity of food,  eg. oxtail soup or porridge for the whole family.  Thermos is also a trusted brand and a has been in the insulated flasks business for over 100 years.  Look out for deals at Isetan, Robinsons or Tangs when a complete set goes for around $300-$400.

The benefits of using thermal pots include: 

• Great for Chinese cooking. This cooking method works wonderfully for foods that need prolonged slow cooking and simmering. It is fantastic for Chinese soups and braised meats. The prolonged cooking really brings out the flavour.
• Nutritious food. As the cooking process is slow and gentle, and the food is cooked entirely in the pot, all the vitamins, nutrients and flavours stay in the food. 
• Saves time and fuel. Instead of boiling soups for 2 or more hours on the stove, the actual cooking time on the stove can be reduced to around 30 mins or so, including bringing a pot of water to the boil. This helps you save gas and fuel in the long run too. With good planning, you can prepare the food in the morning or early afternoon, and run out for errands. Dinner can be ready in a jiffy by the time you’re back.
• It’s safer! Imagine young children who think of the kitchen as a playroom… Having pots of food cooking on the stove can be dangerous. Having the food cooking in the thermal pot will reduce the risks of young children “playing with fire”. 
• It’s convenient! I bring my shuttle chef along for picnics and potlucks too. It’s portable and keeps food hot for up to 8 hours.

I’ve also used my shuttle chef to cook staples such as rice and pasta.  I’ve not used a rice cooker since I bought my shuttle chef. It’s very easy to use and very versatile.  Check these out.

Using Thermal Pot to Cook Pasta

Bring water to the boil in inner pot.  Add salt to taste.  Add pasta when the water boils, and stir gently so that the pasta doesn’t stick together.  Cover and switch off the fire. Put the inner pot into the thermal pot immediately for 20 minutes. The pasta will be al dente …. just perfect!  Do not exceed 20 minutes as the pasta will be too soft.  
During the 20 minute waiting time, you can go ahead to prepare and cook your pasta sauce and set the dining table. No more hot steam and hot kitchen from cooking pasta!

*Note: this method works for hard pasta such as spaghetti, macaroni, fusilli and penne pasta.  It won’t work for very thin pasta such as angel hair which only requires 2 minutes to cook.

Using Thermal Pot to Cook Rice

Wash the rice grains in the inner pot and add sufficient water as per your usual method.  Bring the inner pot to the boil and let it boil for 5 minutes.  Then put the inner pot into the thermal pot to allow the cooking process to continue.  You’ll have perfectly cooked rice in 30 minutes.  You can keep the rice in the thermal pot longer to keep it warm.

Mother Nurture & the Depleted Mother Syndrome

When Big C was born 9 years ago, I went through what only mothers can understand. By all means, I have a wonderfully supportive husband and Big C was a wonderful baby. Big C fed well and had a sleeping pattern that was like clock work. In fact, he started sleeping through the night when he was about 3 months old. I never felt that I lacked sleep. But somehow, the stresses of being a first time mom and having a full time job took a toll on me. I remembered the feeling of exhaustion, helplessness, senselessness and living through the weekends numbly...


Then I chanced upon this book "Mother Nurture", and came across the term "Depleted Mother Syndrome" which was coined by the authors Rich and Jan Hanson to describe the overall feeling of physical and emotional stress commonly experienced by mothers. This book and its many case studies totally resonated with me and I began to understand the situation I was in and the emotions I was going through.
 
I had pushed myself to work at the same level as I was before Big C was born while taking on my new responsibility as a mom. As a result, like many first time mothers, I had less time to take care of myself, be it exercising or eating healthily. This depletes the body of the essential nutrients it needs. If this physical depletion continues over time, mothers could become less capable of handling and juggling their many responsibilities and the feeling of exhaustion, failure, helplessness and emotional depletion could set in.

That was how I felt 9 years ago, so much so that I had difficulty enjoying my work, my new baby and family life. Reading this book helped me recognize what I was going through, and enabled me to take some positive steps towards enjoying motherhood. Nine years on and 2 more children later, I've learnt how to nurture myself. I must say I've never felt happier and more balanced. Work, children and family life are simply gratifying!

Here's a snippet of what the authors recommend:

• First, acknowledge how you feel. Comfort yourself and get comfort from others, especially friends and family. Accept yourself and who you are. Don't push yourself down. Let go of unwanted feelings, past upsets or activities that don't work for you. Take into yourself the good things around you and make them a part of yourself. 
• You'd need to take care of your body before you can take care of your family. Take care of your body. Go for regular health-checks. Eat healthy. Eat green, leafy vegetables (for hormone balance), and foods rich in taurine (for energy and relaxation) and magnesium (essential for sleep). That's why I'm really for preparing home cooked meals for the family!
• Find time for exercise. Simple exercises like walking, jogging and swimming burn off stress-related chemicals and strengthen your body to withstand the ravages of work and motherhood. 
• Get support, including more quality help with the children and housework. Simplify household chores. Schedule some "me-time" once in a while and go out with friends. Connect more with other parents especially those in a similar situation. They can be part of an incredible social support network.

Do check out this book if you're in a similar situation as I was 9 years ago. Honestly, you may say that the remedies offered in the book are "common sense", but somehow, when I was stuck in a rut, reading about other people's experiences helped me realize i wasn't alone.  The more important thing is to develop a plan that works for you and implement it. 

Best Tiramsu Recipe... and it's Easy!

This Italian dessert is a wonderful concoction of cream cheese, liqueur, coffee and cocoa. Delicious! I'm not kidding when I said that this recipe is easy as the end product looks sophisticated and tastes so heavenly.... It is a great dessert to prepare for dinner parties and will sure impress your guests! Once you get the hang of it, you can have this prepared within 15-30 mins. The good thing is you have to prepare this beforehand as it requires around 8 hours chilling time.  The only equipment needed is a good electric whisk / egg beater or cake mixer. A simple hand-held cake mixer will do.

This set of ingredients serves about 8-12 people.

Ingredients

500g Marscapone Cheese (recommended brand: Polenghi - can be found in larger NTUC Fairprice stores, Cold Storage and Jason’s)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 eggs

Italian lady finger biscuits (1 packet) (can be found at NTUC Finest and Cold Storage in the biscuit section)

Coffee Powder

Cocoa Powder (eg. Hershey's 8 oz, available at NTUC Fairprice and Cold Storage)

Kahlua Coffee Liquor

Method

1. Separate egg yolks & white.

2. Beat up egg white till stiff and fluffy using the cake mixer.

3. Mix cheese, yolks and sugar together till a smooth mixture.  Do loosen up the cheese first so that it’s easier to mix. I use the hand-held cake mixer for this.

5. Fold in the beaten egg white into the cheese mixture. This should yield a fluffy mixture.

6. Make 1 cup liquor coffee. If you prefer strong coffee, use more coffee powder, eg. 2-3 teaspoons.  Add the Kahlua according to taste.  I usually use 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup Kahlua to make my liquor coffee.

7. Dip lady fingers in coffee using a shallow bowl or plate so that the biscuits are not too wet. It really depends on whether you prefer a wet or drier cake.

8. Line the coffee-dipped lady fingers neatly in a dish.  It is easier to use a rectangular dish as it is easier to arrange.  Top with half of the cheese and egg mixture. Then add another layer lady fingers dipped in the liquor coffee and top with the rest of the cheese and egg mixture.

9. Sift cocoa powder over top layer.

10. Put in the fridge (not freezer) for at least 8-10 hours before eating.  The texture of this tiramisu should be quite firm.  Enjoy!

*Do note that raw eggs carry a risk of samonella...  Salmonellosis is typically spread through the consumption or handling of raw or undercooked eggs, and raw meat, poultry and dairy.   The egg’s shell normally protects the yolk and egg white against contamination, but salmonella present on the shell can infect the yolk and egg when the egg is cracked, or can enter the egg through microscopic cracks. Hence it’s a good idea to wash eggs before cracking them, as well as discard any eggs that have cracks. Cooking kills the salmonella bacterium, however, even if it has contaminated the yolk or white.

Tuna and Egg Mayonnaise Salad

Made tuna salad for Big C when he came from from school yesterday and he loved it! He wanted to have it for lunch again today, and I decided to add an egg mayonnaise topping as well for more protein and greater variety.  It was great! Very refreshing and colorful, and not as heavy as the usual rice or noodles dishes, which tend to make him sluggish in the afternoon.  Salads make fantastic meals, especially during hot weather and exam time, when I need him to be more alert and less lethargic. They're easy to prepare and don't require any heavy cooking!

In a way, I wasn't sure whether this should go under "Main Course" as we usually have salads as a main meal itself, but since restaurant menus tend to have these under "Appetizers", this recipe shall stay here for the time being.

I've made this salad with both tuna and egg toppings.  You can choose to have either one or both, depending on your preference.  If you like, you can also add additional ingredients such as olives, raisins and walnuts.

Tuna and Egg Mayonnaise Salad (serves 2)

Ingredients
185g canned tuna (in water or brine), drained and flaked
2 eggs, boiled and chopped
Romaine lettuce
Cherry tomatoes, sliced into small rounds
1/2 a carrot, thinly sliced and shredded
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1.       Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and a dash of black pepper to the tuna and mix well.  Chill for 15-20 mins.
2.       Add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and a dash of salt and black pepper to the chopped eggs and mix well.  Chill for 15-20 mins.
3.       Wash and cut the salad vegetables, and serve with the tuna and egg mayonnaise toppings.  Enjoy!

Bran Muffins

My neighbour has been posted to the Middle East and whenever the family comes back for vacation, they always bring back the best dates from the region. They gave me another packet of dates from their recent summer vacation, I was determined to look for new ways to incorporate the delicious dates into a muffin recipe.  And these healthy muffins turned out nice and fluffy and yummy!  Even my eldest son, who is usually resistant to health foods, would eat them for breakfast :-).

This recipe uses buttermilk, which really helps give the muffins a wonderful texture as the lactic acid present in the buttermilk acidifies the baking powder and baking soda to produce carbon dioxide.

You can use half a packet of a 600 ml carton of buttermilk and freeze the remainder for the next time you require it.

You may also substitute the dates with any other dried fruit such as sultanas, cranberries or apricot.

Freeze extra muffins for breakfast in a zipblog bag.  Remove the frozen muffins from the freezer the night before to defrost. They'll just as nice and yummy the following morning. 

Bran Muffins with Dates (yields 12 muffins)

Ingredients
85g wheat bran (you can also use mixture of bran and wheat germ, eg 50g bran and 35g wheat germ) 300ml buttermilk
5 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 egg
60g dark brown soft sugar
125g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
100g dates (de-seeded and chopped)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Method
1.       Preheat oven to 190 C.
2.       Mix together wheat bran (and wheat germ if used) and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.
3.       Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk mixture. Sift together flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Stir buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just blended. Fold in chopped dates and spoon batter into prepared muffin tin or paper muffin cups.
4.       Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!  

Easy Muffin Recipes

A colleague gave this recipe to me years ago, and I've been using it ever since! The muffins are great for breakfast or afternoon tea. Try this out if you're new to baking. The recipe doesn't require any mixers, and you don't need fancy muffin pans either. The ingredients are simple and easily available too. Just get the paper muffin cups from Phoon Huat or SKP and off you go!

Muffins (American, makes 8-10 using big muffin cups)

Ingredients
225g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
80g caster sugar
pinch of salt
250ml milk
100ml sunflower or corn oil
1 medium-sized egg
50g raisins*

* You may also substitute with chopped cranberries, almond nuts, dates or whatever you have available

Method
1. Set the oven to 180 deg c.
2. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and salt.
3. Pour the milk and oil into a medium-size bowl. Add the egg and mix together well using a fork.
4. Make a dip in the middle of the flour using the mixing spoon, then pour in the liquid ingredients. Stir together until you can't see any flour. (You may see some lumps but don't worry about those!) This must be done carefully but quickly. If you mix the mixture too much, muffins will not be light and airy.
5. Using the tablespoon, fill each muffin case about ¾ full. If any mixture drips onto the tray, wipe it up before putting the tray in the oven.
6. Wearing oven gloves, place the muffins in the oven, near the top. Cook for 20-25 mins.
7. Use oven gloves to remove the muffins from the oven. When cooled, the muffins will look a little brown and feel springy when gently pressed with a finger. Let them cool for a few mins before removing them from the tray.

Follow the method above but try different flavourings:

Lemon Muffins
Add grated rind of a lemon to the flour mixture.
Add lemon juice of 1 lemon, and add sufficient milk to make up a mixture of 250 ml.
This yields really refreshing lemony muffins!

Blueberry and lemon muffins
Add 200g washed blueberries and the grated rind of half a lemon to the flour mixture.

Chocolate chip muffins
Use 175g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder (instead of 225g flour), sieved together. Add 100g chocolate chips to the flour mixture and ½ teaspoon vanilla essence to the liquid mixture.

Breakfast muffins
Use 100g wholemeal self-raising flour and 125g plain flour. Use 50g caster sugar (instead of 80g). Add 100g chopped dried (ready to eat) apricots to the flour mixture and 1 tablespoon of honey to liquid mixture.