Making My Own Sourdough Sandwiches

For those who have followed my blog long enough, they'd know how much I love bread.  It's one carb (my one weakness) I find extremely difficult to give up...and so, I shall not!

Well, according to my blogger friend (phonghongbakes), there are better/healthier breads (like wholemeal bread and, specifically, sourdough)...and not-so-good/less healthy breads (like white bread).  Well, I'm no doctor or nutrionist but if it's good enough for phonghongbakes, it's good enough for me...lol! ^_*

There's this neighbourhood cafe, CoffeeLicious, I visit regularly to get my bread fix...specifically sourdough. And well, they sell sourdough too...and that was what I bought after breakfast one morning (one whole loaf at RM15 which I thought was a very decent price).  I asked them to slice up the loaf for me...and as you can see, there are 8 slices...but the slicing (by hand) was poorly done (very uneven, some parts thick and thin within the same slice).  The other drawback with buying a whole loaf is there'll be wastage of the not-so-good parts...both ends of the sourdough as it's mainly crust and can be very chewy and too hard to eat/bite into.

So, when life gives you sourdough, you make western-style breakfasts, of course...starting with a Scrambled Eggs & Bacon Sourdough Open Sandwich.  Everything starts with bacon...hehe....3 rashers of fragrant, crispy goodness! ^o^  Sorry, my scrambled eggs seemed a little overdone (that always happen when it's homemade) but it's alright since I prefer it slightly overdone at home coz I don't know how fresh my eggs (from the supermarket) are.

So good when having it with a cup of iced coffee...unfortunately it's not a coffee from a cafe but my favourite brand of made-at-home instant white coffee.

I also made a Bacon & Omelette Sourdough Sandwich for lunch one day with layers of bacon, omelette and sliced cucumber on buttered and lightly toasted sourdough slices.  Two thick, huge slices of sourdough make for a very filling lunch.

Sometimes I would just simply have my toasted Sourdough with Butter & Jam accompanied by two soft-boiled eggs...a super quick breakfast to whip up but a super satisfying one to eat.  Simple but good! ;)

Besides sourdough, my other go-to for a healthier bread option is the wholemeal bread from GBB Bakery (RM4.80 for 6 slices).  I actually prefer to buy these smaller loaves from bakeries as it takes a shorter time for me to finish them (since I'm the only one eating), so I can always have fresh bread.

This is my homemade Big Breakfast with sausages, bacon, fried egg, mushrooms and baked beans served with wholemeal toast and butter.  This wholemeal toast is studded with some chopped walnuts...nice! ^o^

Judging from the portion size, this was definitely not for breakfast.  Only the name is Big Breakfast...but I like to make them for lunch and dinner too.  I can eat this breakfast dish anytime of the day coz I love it so much!

Sometimes when I'm a little bit more hardworking, I'd make French Toast and eat them with bacon, sausages, mushrooms and baked beans.  Again, I ate this for dinner...so good! ^.^

For breakfast, it'd be a simpler (and smaller portion) with just French Toast & Bacon.  Can anyone tire of eating bacon?  Well, certainly not me! :D

I was even naughtier here...I had some leftover luncheon meat (another thing besides bacon that one does not get tired of eating...lol) and made a Wholemeal Sandwich with Bacon, Luncheon Meat & Omelette.

I bought these gourmet ham from Aeon and they tasted pretty good when I made French Toast with Ham & Omelette.  If you're lazy to go through the trouble of cooking bacon in your pan or air fryer, ham is a more convenient protein for your sandwiches as they're loads easier to fry than bacon.

Since I can't give up bread (just like phonghongbakes), the only viable solution is to, at least, choose a better bread in sourdough or wholemeal.  Don't force yourself to stay away from something that makes you happy (I'm not going to anymore)...and bread (and coffee) makes me happy. ^o^

There were days when I thought I felt depressed when I had to refrain from bread (and coffee)...and I find myself much more contented now when I don't restrict myself.  Of course, anything we eat...we must eat in moderation.  We all should eat things that make us happy coz we live only once..and we might as well enjoy our one life when we can...live well, life is short! ^_~

A Gift of Caviar

Caviar, as we all know, is the roe (eggs) of a specific fish...the (wild) sturgeon fish, to be exact.  A gift of caviar.....is a gift of luxury!  Well, that is if you get real caviar (as true caviar only comes from sturgeon)! There are many different grades of caviar out there...from super expensive ones to cheaper substitutes or alternatives.  Though only sturgeon roe is considered true caviar, roe of other fish like salmon, trout or lumpfish, even whitefish, carp or paddlefish is also referred to as caviar by some.  This one I got (from Iceland) as a gift is actually lumpfish roe (also referred to as caviar).

From what I know, read and seen (on TV), one of the most prized caviar it seems is Beluga caviar (coz the Beluga sturgeon is critically endangered).  Malaysia has also become a producer of caviar of late, specifically a luxury brand called T'lur Caviar with its farm in Tanjung Malim, Perak.  Even these locally produced ones can cost hundreds of ringgit for just 30g! O_o

It's not that I'd ever get to taste real caviar anytime soon...or in my lifetime...lol!  What I do get to taste are the cheaper versions of caviar or, maybe, imitation caviar that some restaurants offer.  I remember my first ever taste of 'cheap' caviar was in the form of a starter from Victoria Station in Jalan Ampang but that was before I started blogging, so no photos were taken.  In case you're gifted a can of caviar and don't know what to do with it, let me show you just a few ways you can use them in some simple home recipes.

#1 - Caviar on Toast Points

But that appetiser in Victoria Station remained vividly in my mind that I'm able to replicate it at home.  Turns out that's the traditional way of eating caviar...with a selection of condiments like chopped hardboiled egg (some would serve the whites and yolks separately...why, I don't know, coz when it goes into our mouths, they'd be together...lol), finely chopped shallots/onions and chives with optional lemon wedges and creme fraiche.

My rendition is a little simpler with less components.  The way to eat this is you scoop a little bit of everything onto a slice of buttered toast point (a toast point is a triangular piece of bread that has been toasted with the crust cut off), top that with a bit of caviar...and take a bite! ^o^

It's very good, I tell you...biting into these tiny discs of caviar, you get this crunchy texture with a briny, salty burst of juices for a pop of sensation in your mouth.  Somewhat similar to tobiko (flying fish roe) in its crunchy texture and ikura (salmon roe) with its pop of juices.

#2 - Caviar on Crackers or Blinis

Of course, the simplest way is to put the caviar on crackers.  Some would serve it on blinis (a small, savoury pancake) together with a dollop of creme fraiche.  Creme fraiche and caviar is a classic combination that pairs perfectly well together.

I'm not sure if I've had creme fraiche before...I'm sure I've had and not know it.  Since I'm not that into cream, I omitted it (+ it's not easily found at our regular supermarkets anyway)...perhaps the higher-end supermarkets might have it.  These bite-sized lovelies are great as hors d'oeuvres or finger food for parties.

#3 - Caviar on Eggs

Besides the great pairing of creme fraiche and caviar, the other match that's perfectly made for one another is the pairing of eggs and caviar.

#3.1 - With Deviled Eggs

I'm sure many of us have seen this dish on TV or in food magazines and cookbooks.  It's pretty easy to prepare and it also makes a good appetiser or finger food for parties.

I've made this deviled eggs before...but that version was missing the luxurious ingredient of caviar, of course. I didn't even need to salt the eggs as the caviar was quite salty (which I wasn't expecting) or, should I say, taste of the sea! ;)

#3.2 - With Soft-Boiled Eggs

I once had soft-boiled eggs with black truffle shavings (and foie gras) that I thought elevated the humble soft-boiled eggs.  If a prized delicacy like truffle can do that, I'm assuming the luscious addition of caviar can do so too, and rightly so, it sure did.

This is not the kopitiam version of soft-boiled eggs, so no soy sauce, please...hah..hah.  Anyway, the caviar brings enough saltiness to the dish.  Who wants the typical kopitiam version now that I've tasted the luxurious version...and wish I can have that to start my every morning! ^_~  

#3.3 - With Scrambled Eggs

If it works with hard-boiled and soft-boiled eggs, why wouldn't it work with scrambled eggs, right?  The rather crisp tiny pearls of caviar create a nice contrast to the soft scrambled eggs.  It'll take your humble western breakfast to a Michelin star dish (lol!) and make it that much fancier.

If you're making this for friends/guests, your posh breakfast will be the subject of conversation among friends for a long time to come.  Seen here paired with some gourmet chicken garlic slices.

Sprinkle some finely chopped chives over the eggs if you have (I don't).  And yes, you can use a bit of freshly grinded black pepper with caviar as it can enhance the flavour profile of the caviar.  If the scrambled eggs look a bit less runny than usual, that's because I like my scrambled eggs cooked a bit more that way.

#4 - Caviar on Potatoes

One of the chefs on Top Chef once mentioned that caviar goes very well with potatoes.  For a cheffy rendition, it'll probably be in a dish of confit or fondant potatoes.  For the non-chefs in us, we can just pan-fry or bake the potatoes lah.

Dollop each potato rectangle with a little sour cream, mayo or creme fraiche and caviar (you can make it pretty with some strands of chives too).

#4.1 - With Potato Chips

If making potatoes is too troublesome for you, the easiest would be to use potato chips (unsalted, of course). Some (like the caviar connoisseurs) might frown upon this way of pairing caviar with potato chips but it's really good, I can vouch for that....crispy, salty, heavenly in one bite! ^.^

I think I went a bit overboard with too much caviar (for the sake of photo taking :D) on such a small, thin piece of chip...lol! :D  Just a little will do, otherwise you may end up with too salty a bite.

#5 - Caviar on Seafood or Pasta

When I think of caviar with seafood, the obvious ones that come to mind would be oysters, scallops, cured/smoked salmon, shrimps and crab cakes which I've seen on many food/cooking shows and competitions.

You can use the caviar to elevate a common appetiser like prawn cocktail to make it just a little bit more posh for your guests.  Equally as common is a dollop of caviar on top of pasta...the same way you'd see tobiko and ikura on pasta, so you know this is a winning combination also.

Overall, the caviar was good...it certainly elevated the dishes (and snacks) that I had.  I wasn't expecting the caviar to be that savoury, so I only needed to salt my dishes very lightly or not at all.  I enjoyed it the most with the scrambled eggs and soft-boiled eggs.  The bottle might look very small (100g) but a little goes a long way.

While lumpfish roe and sturgeon caviar may look fairly similar (except that lumpfish roe is really tiny unlike the larger, more luscious pearls of caviar), lumpfish roe is technically not caviar (though many such alternatives are still referred to as caviar)!  While lumpfish roe is not quite caviar, it still tasted great.  So, imagine if this was the real, luxurious, fine caviar! O_o  Due to its accessibility and affordability, you can use as much as you like...spread it on toast points, use it as a topping on your dishes (specifically eggs) or simply as a hors d'oeuvres.

So, thanks to my sister-in-law for her gift of lumpfish caviar which she got from her travels to Iceland....and even though this is not the real or super expensive caviar...it still tasted pretty darn good to me (and I wished there was more).  If I find them selling here, I would surely buy without hesitation...but, no, I googled and it's not sold here! :'(

The Making of a Big Breakfast

Who doesn't like a Big Breakfast?  I know I do.....and I can eat it at anytime of the day be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! ;)  It's one of my most favourite things to cook at home as it's among some of the easiest food to prep and execute.  All you have to do is fry up some eggs and processed meat.  Yeah, yeah, you may say it's commercially procured meat...but isn't that what most cafes serve you anyway (it just depends on the quality of the processed food they source)...lol.  Most wouldn't bother to make their own and if they do, it's usually only limited to sausages and hash browns.  So, I might as well cook my own (which I do quite often) at a fraction of the price the cafes charge.

And that thought came to mind when I got hold of some organic sourdough from Kenny Hills Bakers which will elevate my Big Breakfast to be a a bit more atas lah!  And in line with an atas version, I got some expensive asparagus to go with it. ;P

You can cook an entire Big Breakfast in a non-stick or cast iron pan, of course...but, just for the heck of it, I put 4 gadgets to work...just because I could.  I was hoping that maybe using a few gadgets at one time, the food/individual ingredients can all be ready at the same time.  Wishful thinking! >_<

I cooked the asparagus first in the oven as this would take the longest (based on my experience with roasting vegetables).  It took more than 20 minutes, I think, and that's because I was waiting for the asparagus to get the requisite charring.

Even with the time it had in the oven, it didn't quite get the charring that I was hoping for...and ended up extra soft.  For a better char on the asparagus (the way I've always been successful with green beans), it'd be better to cook this in a pan (but the oven is certainly ideal if you've a big batch to cook).

I'm sure you've heard about the tip on how to prep asparagus...and that's to bend it and it'll snap at exactly the right place where the good eating stops and the woody bit starts (quoting Jamie Oliver's mate, Pete). But the kedekut in me wasn't about to do that as one spear of asparagus costs at least RM1!  So I trimmed an inch off at the bottom.  Nope, not the wisest decision as I didn't get rid off enough of the stringy and chewy end parts. >.<

While the asparagus was cooking in the oven, I sauteed the Swiss brown mushrooms in a pan.  For non-soggy mushrooms (each and every time), try these few tips I put out here.

If there's one thing I can't do without in my Big Breakfast, it has to be the mushrooms...and it has to be fresh button mushrooms.  They're so juicy when bitten into that they provide a much needed relief from the other so-called "dry" ingredients on the plate.  No amount of mushroom is too much for me.

Next, I put the bacon to cook in the air fryer...which is now my favourite way of cooking bacon as it's so quick, it takes only 5 minutes (a far shorter time than in the pan) and it comes out really crispy coz the fats/oil can drip away underneath the rack.

But cooking bacon in the air fryer can be a little tricky as you really need to watch it (especially in the last 1 - 2 minutes) as it can easily burn if left in the fryer just a few seconds longer (it has happened to me before).

Then it was time to get cracking at cooking the eggs.  For my Big Breakfast, I would usually cook sunny side-up eggs (with runny yolks hopefully) but decided to make scrambled eggs this time since my first attempt at scrambled eggs turned out rather well.

While the eggs were cooking, it was time to put my atas bread (organic sourdough) to toast in the toaster oven (which does a better job of crisping up the toast than in an air fryer).  The texture of sourdough can be a bit on the chewy side, so it's advisable to lightly toast it first.  You can sapu the butter before or after toasting.

Gently stir the eggs over medium-low heat until cooked.  I left my eggs in the pan to check on my toast and ended up with overcooked scrambled eggs as the residual heat continued to cook the eggs.

The second time I cooked the eggs, I made sure I pour it onto a plate immediately (or, if your toast is ready, you can pour it on top).  It's advisable not to leave it in the pan so that the eggs don't overcook.  See, I nailed it this time...soft and runny.

Sourdough is good in any breakfast platter...but it's also equally good and satisfying with just simply good butter and jam.  This was what I had for dinner after my lunch at Teow Chew Meng and light bites at Kenny Hills Bakers.

Ah, my Big Breakfast with an atas feel....elevated by the sourdough....like one served in a cafe! ;)  Eating it was a pleasurable affair.....cooking it was a chaotic affair! :D  I was running around like a headless chicken trying to multi-task and cook everything everywhere all at once.....lol! :D

For a homecooked version, we just have to accept that not everything on the plate will be served hot as one cook (mua) can only do so much with two hands...lol!  Even a professional chef is assisted by his sous chefs and assistant chefs with each tasked at doing a certain component of the dish so that the dish comes together quickly.

But that doesn't take away my enjoyment of cooking...and eating my own-made, still lightly warm when served, Big Breakfast any less! ^_~