Grissini

Sunday Brunch is a major event at the resort. It is also the busiest day of the week for us. As for me, I do the usual baking when I get in early in the morning then help at the dessert and cold kitchen section once I finish up.  There are times when I stay at the bakery the whole day prepping up for the days ahead. Some Sundays, I get extra request from the chef.

A week ago, there was some misunderstanding with the market list for Sunday. The grissini, which the restaurant usually orders from the supplier were not delivered. I was in the middle of making pastries when the chef asked me to make grissini (bread sticks) for brunch. I only had an hour before the brunch started so I hurriedly wrap the rolled out pastry in cling film, put it back in the chiller, cleared my work table and mixed bread stick dough. I had not done it before so I referred to my guide the whole time. Looking back and forth actually made the process longer but I wanted to get the recipe right.

Authentic Thai Food at Sabeinglae Restaurant - Lamai, Koh Samui

Sabeinglae is probably the most popular Thai restaurant in Samui. When you go round the island, you will see the restaurant signs plastered all over. My friend who works at Banyan Tree had so wanted to eat there after hearing good reviews from her guests. She was so excited when I said we could go later in the week.

It was my second time to the restaurant. I was there many weeks back with a friend. I only had tasted a couple dishes as the people I was with ordered more seafood dishes. Just so you know I don't eat seafood (sea creatures without scales) for religious purposes. Good thing she and I both love fish so we decided to get two fish dishes

Whole Wheat Bread

I have tried several version of whole wheat bread  and this one stood out among others. I adapted it from  Dutch whole wheat bread called Volkorenbrood. It became my  trusted recipe and have used it since.

I used a mixture of wheat flour, Imperial whole wheat mixed flour and wheat germ. It's surprising how the combination of the three makes a delicious, good textured whole wheat bread.

Night Out with Kath at Ark Bar

My friend Kath took some time to visit before flying back to America. It is probably our last rendezvous in Thailand as her family is moving back to the US for good. I can't imagine not seeing her family in Bangkok when I go back.

Anyway,  it was only a short stay but I had a wonderful time visiting with her. On her first night on the island, I took her to Ark Bar where a DJ friend works. Unfortunately, we're not able to meet him as he was on holiday  again.  AB is a good place to chill out, away from the busy Chaweng streets so we decided to stay and get a drink. We talked, laughed and reminisced the past years while we sat comfortably on the beach and sipped our mango shake.

Mango Sticky Rice Pudding (Khao Niao Ma Muang)

Another addition to the dessert menu is this classic Thai mango sticky rice. I have eaten it countless times but I had never cooked it until today. The executive chef asked me to cook the  pudding and arrange it on a dessert plate.  I used banana leaf as the base. I molded the sticky rice in a mousse ring and laid it on the banana leaf. I put diced mango on top, poured coconut sauce on them and sprinkled roasted black sesame seeds. To garnish, a fresh mint leaf or Thai orchid can be used. The chef was in a hurry and neither of us wanted to sprint into the kitchen to get  mint leaf. (The bakery is in a separate building, on the other side of the resort) . He needed to show it to the big boss immediately so just for the photo taking purpose, he used basil leaf instead. :) I had no idea where he got it though.

Plating dessert is a daunting task for a beginner like me

 Cheesecake is a new addition to the dessert menu. The executive chef and I tried different plating designs for cakes. Some staff joined in. We designed the plate  by putting together ideas based from our experiences and what we got from internet. Both were too fancy for the big boss. She liked it simple and the chef wanted a dessert plate that is quick to assemble so we settled for a simple design  another staff had come up with. Funny eh? Sorry I don't have a picture of it as it was devoured by the staff before I could even click my camera. I managed to take a picture of the two though.

Danish Envelopes, Pinwheels and Cinnamon Rolls

There was a  time when making pastries scared the life out of me. I still recall the struggles I faced when I encased the  butter in  dough. That was so long ago. Now, making croissants and Danish pastries has become my stress reliever. That's something I look forward to doing when I go to work. I am in a world of my own once I start working with pastries. When I see them double in size and finally smell the rich buttery aroma that fills the bakery, I feel my mission for the day is accomplished :)