Hi!
It has been a while since I blogged.
I was travelling these past weeks and will blog soon about my experiences, reviews of services and products in the countries I visited recently.
Just a quick run down of where I was these past weeks:
1. Brazzaville, Congo
2. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3. Gaborone, Botswana
4. Johannesburg, South Africa
5. Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
6. Brazzaville, Congo
7. Geneva, Switzerland
8. Ferney Voltaire, France
9. Role, Switzerland
10. Ouchy, Vaud, Switzerland
11. Vétraz-Monthoux, France
12. Rochers-de-Naye, Vaud, Switzerland
13. Montreux, Vaud, Switzerland
14. Paris, France
15. Kintélé, Congo
My most memorable travel destination was Rochers-de-Naye. The train station at Rochers-de-Naye is located at an altitude of 1968m. In summer, you can walk to the observation platform at 2042m - which is almost as high as Asmara, Eritrea which is at 2325m (which I think is my highest altitude of travel/destination in the past 30+ years). Baguio city in the Philippines is only at 1540m.
I would like to also discuss about the beef and university in Gaborone, Botswana.
Living and cooking in Ferney Voltaire.
My first experience in Durban: beachfront, The Roma revolving restaurant and "An Upper Room B&B."
Role, Ouchy and Montreux in Vaud Switzerland.
Arriving late at night in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Saturday, October 7, 2017
2nd 1 Cup Flour Recipe: Cookie (2nd try - now using 1 cup of flour)
My 2nd try at cookie recipe
After reading: Cookie Science: How Does Baking Powder Affect My Cookies? and Cookie Science: How Do Eggs Affect My Cookies? and The Food Lab: The Science of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
I wanted to try out a recipe with baking powder (levure chimique "alsacienne") and 1 egg
My decision for the 1st recipe:
1/2 cup flour (farine de ble bio T55) from Park and Shop
1/2 cup Quaker quick cooking white oats
1/2 cup butter (approximately: 115grams) or less than half of 200g butter from Park and Shop
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille
The decision for this 2nd recipe
1 cup flour (farine de ble bio T55) from Park and Shop
1 cup Quaker quick cooking white oats
1/2 cup butter (approximately: 115grams) or less than half of 200g butter from Park and Shop
1/2 - 1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon milk
1 egg
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille
I decided to cream the butter and sugar again. This creaming business still smells wonderful.
Now come the egg yolk. Which now makes it a "raw" and dangerous cookie dough
Then I added the Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille which made the whole dough smell very very very nice.
Once "creamy", I incorporated the oats and salt and mixed well.
Then the egg white was added with extra virgin olive oil and mixed it thoroughly (possibly mixing some air as well).
To decrease the gluten production I added the flour and mixed and folded. For this recipe as it felt wet, i did not add milk.
I balled the dough with spoon and fork and the first batched baked for 10mins under 200C oven.
At 7 mins the edges were turning too brown and I decided to open the oven and turn the cookies over but the cookies were too soft. So I have to complete the full 10mins it seems
I forgot the baking powder...
For the next batch I will incorporate the baking powder
Success!!! This will be my 1 cup flour recipe for the next couple of weeks / months here in Congo-Brazzaville!!!
After reading: Cookie Science: How Does Baking Powder Affect My Cookies? and Cookie Science: How Do Eggs Affect My Cookies? and The Food Lab: The Science of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
I wanted to try out a recipe with baking powder (levure chimique "alsacienne") and 1 egg
My decision for the 1st recipe:
1/2 cup flour (farine de ble bio T55) from Park and Shop
1/2 cup Quaker quick cooking white oats
1/2 cup butter (approximately: 115grams) or less than half of 200g butter from Park and Shop
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille
The decision for this 2nd recipe
1 cup flour (farine de ble bio T55) from Park and Shop
1 cup Quaker quick cooking white oats
1/2 cup butter (approximately: 115grams) or less than half of 200g butter from Park and Shop
1/2 - 1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon milk
1 egg
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille
I decided to cream the butter and sugar again. This creaming business still smells wonderful.
Now come the egg yolk. Which now makes it a "raw" and dangerous cookie dough
Then I added the Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille which made the whole dough smell very very very nice.
Once "creamy", I incorporated the oats and salt and mixed well.
Then the egg white was added with extra virgin olive oil and mixed it thoroughly (possibly mixing some air as well).
To decrease the gluten production I added the flour and mixed and folded. For this recipe as it felt wet, i did not add milk.
I balled the dough with spoon and fork and the first batched baked for 10mins under 200C oven.
At 7 mins the edges were turning too brown and I decided to open the oven and turn the cookies over but the cookies were too soft. So I have to complete the full 10mins it seems
I forgot the baking powder...
For the next batch I will incorporate the baking powder
Success!!! This will be my 1 cup flour recipe for the next couple of weeks / months here in Congo-Brazzaville!!!
Sunday, October 1, 2017
1st 1 Cup Flour Recipe: Cookie
After a lot of hours setting up this blog and linking to social media
Finally my first dive into the 1st 1 Cup Flour recipe: Cookie
In February 2017, after spending some time with me in Geneva and Paris, my partner had to go back home. Due to very strict check in luggage weight by Emirates, my partner had to leave with me big boxes of cookies and items from IKEA (Geneva). We were very much upset as the cookies and items were gifts for our kids back home. I had to bring all the items back with me to Congo-Brazzaville.
In August 2017, I had a chance to go back home and I brought along the cookies and IKEA items for our kids. They loved the biscuits and cookies and we had a nice time assembling the IKEA items for use in the children's bedroom.
I mistakenly left one box of IKEA Oat crisps KAKOR HAVREFLARN in my refrigerator. I was not a cookie person but really enjoyed these cookies - so much so that after 1 - 2 weeks of opening and closing my refrigerator, I developed a habit of taking one crisps / cookie.
I tried to recreate this delightful cookie using this recipe from Clotilde
But it was hard (*ehem* expensive) to find the ingredients here in Brazzaville
That is why I resorted to Google to help me find a 1 cup flour recipe for cookies which led me to this recipe: Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies from "the spruce" by Diana Rattray
Clotilde's recipe called for: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon milk, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 2 teaspoons honey, and some very exact measurements and some ingredients that was too expensive for me here in Congo-Brazzavillle. Cooking at 180C for 10-12 minutes
Diana's recipe called for: 1 cup 2 tablespoons of flour 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg and some some ingredients that was too expensive for me here in Congo-Brazzavillle. Cooking at 190C for 10mins
I only had 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, butter, milk, egg and baking powder and I have to rely on my oven's "thermostat" to accomplish the correct temperature,
My decision for the recipe:
1/2 cup flour (farine de ble bio T55) from Park and Shop
1/2 cup Quaker quick cooking white oats
1/2 cup butter (approximately: 115grams) or less than half of 200g butter from Park and Shop
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille
I decided to cream the butter and sugar. This creaming business smells wonderful. Then I added the Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille which made the whole dough smell very very very nice.
Once "creamy", I incorporated the flour then the oats. When everything seemed to be mixed well I added the 2 tablespoons of milk. Things got sticky and then I added the salt.
I pre heated the oven close to 200C for 10 - 15 minutes and then tried my first batch of balled dough (using a butter knife, teaspoon and my fingers.
The first batch did not "spread their wings", so I decided to give them 3 more minutes (mindful that my oven's bottom heating element was not on as it shorted out my circuit breakers)
I flattened the second batch on the same "cookie/pizza" pan which "spread the wings" but it was stuck to the pan and half of the batch was broken in half after vigorously persuading them to let go of the pan.
For the third batch, balled them up, placed virgin olive oil underneath the ball and flattened them. It spread nicely but I overcooked them (got a little bit too cocky).
Will try another batch of cookies next weekend!
Finally my first dive into the 1st 1 Cup Flour recipe: Cookie
In February 2017, after spending some time with me in Geneva and Paris, my partner had to go back home. Due to very strict check in luggage weight by Emirates, my partner had to leave with me big boxes of cookies and items from IKEA (Geneva). We were very much upset as the cookies and items were gifts for our kids back home. I had to bring all the items back with me to Congo-Brazzaville.
In August 2017, I had a chance to go back home and I brought along the cookies and IKEA items for our kids. They loved the biscuits and cookies and we had a nice time assembling the IKEA items for use in the children's bedroom.
I mistakenly left one box of IKEA Oat crisps KAKOR HAVREFLARN in my refrigerator. I was not a cookie person but really enjoyed these cookies - so much so that after 1 - 2 weeks of opening and closing my refrigerator, I developed a habit of taking one crisps / cookie.
I tried to recreate this delightful cookie using this recipe from Clotilde
But it was hard (*ehem* expensive) to find the ingredients here in Brazzaville
That is why I resorted to Google to help me find a 1 cup flour recipe for cookies which led me to this recipe: Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies from "the spruce" by Diana Rattray
Clotilde's recipe called for: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon milk, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 2 teaspoons honey, and some very exact measurements and some ingredients that was too expensive for me here in Congo-Brazzavillle. Cooking at 180C for 10-12 minutes
Diana's recipe called for: 1 cup 2 tablespoons of flour 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg and some some ingredients that was too expensive for me here in Congo-Brazzavillle. Cooking at 190C for 10mins
I only had 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, butter, milk, egg and baking powder and I have to rely on my oven's "thermostat" to accomplish the correct temperature,
My decision for the recipe:
1/2 cup flour (farine de ble bio T55) from Park and Shop
1/2 cup Quaker quick cooking white oats
1/2 cup butter (approximately: 115grams) or less than half of 200g butter from Park and Shop
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille
I decided to cream the butter and sugar. This creaming business smells wonderful. Then I added the Vahine Nappage Caramel Gout Vanille which made the whole dough smell very very very nice.
Once "creamy", I incorporated the flour then the oats. When everything seemed to be mixed well I added the 2 tablespoons of milk. Things got sticky and then I added the salt.
I pre heated the oven close to 200C for 10 - 15 minutes and then tried my first batch of balled dough (using a butter knife, teaspoon and my fingers.
The first batch did not "spread their wings", so I decided to give them 3 more minutes (mindful that my oven's bottom heating element was not on as it shorted out my circuit breakers)
I flattened the second batch on the same "cookie/pizza" pan which "spread the wings" but it was stuck to the pan and half of the batch was broken in half after vigorously persuading them to let go of the pan.
For the third batch, balled them up, placed virgin olive oil underneath the ball and flattened them. It spread nicely but I overcooked them (got a little bit too cocky).
Will try another batch of cookies next weekend!
Welcome to 1 cup flour - a travel / expat / cooking blog
Welcome to 1 cup flour - my 1st attempt at a travel blog / expat blog / cooking blog / and possible also a video gaming experience blog (and also a technology blog) - like a noon time variety show in the Philippines or a morning show in the US.
I am not an expert cook (or chef) - I am a discount hunter which by default / necessity I had to learn how to cook so that I can survive and thrive in the places that I am assigned to.
Why 1 cup flour?
I mostly cook for myself using the most cost effective (hopefully - cheap) ingredients I can find in the supermarket (and some times in the local / wet markets in the countries / cities that I am currently residing in).
Most of the recipes of my beloved meals / dishes calls for more than one cup of flour. When the recipe goes beyond 2 cups of flour it becomes a bit of a head ache for me as I need space in my refrigerator to store a huge dough or "pre cooking" / resting dish or left overs which I often forget about when I get engrossed with my work or travels / missions (or just by sheer lack or motivation and laziness)
I started to look for recipes that would call for less than 2 cups of flour - searching in google for 1 cup flour pizza or 1 cup flour cookie for example. I suddenly realized that there was not website / blog that contained "1cupflour." Hence I started this blog :)
On a rainy sunday midday in Brazzaville Congo which I just finished cooking my 2nd chicken adobo (which seemed to be the Philippine flag bearer of food known by most international foodies).
While watching the following youtube videos by:
Mei Leaf
Alex French Guy Cooking
check out their highly informative videos
Using my laptop: Dell Latitude E7470
While playing:
Pet alliance 2 and Chefdom
On my Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro (2017)
And using facebook messenger on my iPhone 5 (which is no longer supported by Apple)
I am not an expert cook (or chef) - I am a discount hunter which by default / necessity I had to learn how to cook so that I can survive and thrive in the places that I am assigned to.
Why 1 cup flour?
I mostly cook for myself using the most cost effective (hopefully - cheap) ingredients I can find in the supermarket (and some times in the local / wet markets in the countries / cities that I am currently residing in).
Most of the recipes of my beloved meals / dishes calls for more than one cup of flour. When the recipe goes beyond 2 cups of flour it becomes a bit of a head ache for me as I need space in my refrigerator to store a huge dough or "pre cooking" / resting dish or left overs which I often forget about when I get engrossed with my work or travels / missions (or just by sheer lack or motivation and laziness)
I started to look for recipes that would call for less than 2 cups of flour - searching in google for 1 cup flour pizza or 1 cup flour cookie for example. I suddenly realized that there was not website / blog that contained "1cupflour." Hence I started this blog :)
On a rainy sunday midday in Brazzaville Congo which I just finished cooking my 2nd chicken adobo (which seemed to be the Philippine flag bearer of food known by most international foodies).
While watching the following youtube videos by:
Mei Leaf
Alex French Guy Cooking
check out their highly informative videos
Using my laptop: Dell Latitude E7470
While playing:
Pet alliance 2 and Chefdom
On my Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro (2017)
And using facebook messenger on my iPhone 5 (which is no longer supported by Apple)
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