Thursday, October 7, 2010

[Get A Way] Coming Home To Aceh

Finally, Lebaran of this year we road to coming home to Aceh which is my husband hometown. In Indonesian peoples term, simply they calls the activity as "mudik". Well..."mudik" at this time become our very first long trip as family that is me, my husband and ade Affa. Yes, i have little family now with my baby ade Affa which still going on 10 mos. Hmmm...a bit exciting and worry at the beginning since we'll do a trip with baby in our side but we try to prepare traveling as cozy as we can. And one way is we arrange the prime airways to reach convenience flight, despite it will make a high-priced.

Our destination in Aceh is Langsa which located in Eastern Aceh and closer to Medan (North Sumatra) rather than Banda Aceh as provincial capitals of Nangroe Aceh Darussalam. Therefore, our flight was landed on Polonia Airport in Medan instead of Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport in Banda Aceh. Hohoho...summer weather like say welcome to us while we going out from airport but we still have big passion to enjoy our travelling. We picked up by Affa's grandfather or we just call him Ayahchik in Aceh name. He pass 68 but he stay well driving from Langsa to Medan and just accompanied by his 9 years old grandson. Amazing!

.: view of Kuala Simpang :.

Start from Medan we lead to Langsa with 3-4 hours running via car and now turn to my husband as driver. In fact, overland trip Medan to Langsa was longer than the air traveling from Jakarta to Medan but we just try to give our best passion to enjoy this way. Well...just in my mind, more pronounced of long trips since on the roadside scenery only palm forest and tends a bit quiet.

Alhamdulillah...at last we get up to our family home sweet home while Maghrib time arrives. Timpan and hot tea become my first object for break fasting, oh my God...very durian tastefully. Timpan is one of traditional food in Aceh which made from glutinous rice flour and filled with srikaya. As a rule, timpan in this home is always homemade and my mother in law as the maker.

.: kue timpan :.

The other conventional cake from Aceh is karah made of rice flour and the taste is not too sweet with crunchy sensation. This food paired with hot coffe or tea would be the perfect couple. Sorry i'm just share the picture not a recipe since i am not a person behind this food hehehe...

.: kue karah :.

3 days after Lebaran, we drive away to Kuala Simpang, city in Eastern Aceh and we come to see our fine fellow. First to do while we stay in this city is we are looking for places to eat and we pick a conventional coffe shop or warkop. As my deep desire before i go to Aceh, i really want to try original coffe from Aceh since i've heard that Aceh's coffe like Gayo or Ulee Kareng are so famous among coffe lovers. Therefore, i choose hot coffe and martabak aceh as my lunch at that day and so complete!

.: top - banner of Aceh Raya coffe shop ; middle - how to serve original coffe ; bottom - original hot coffe is ready :.

I had time to catch how to make original hot coffee in this coffe shop, still with the equipment and simple way but it was unique for me. The point is how to filtering so that the coffee powder is reduced or disappear altogether since we play with original coffe not instant coffe. In Aceh Raya coffe shop, you can order also mie kocok of course served in Aceh culture. And i think mie kocok in here is compound of mie aceh and boiled egg drenched with some sauce, but slightly sweet taste for me.

.: top - martabak aceh & bottom - mie kocok :.

As far as i see, so many tones appear in a few corners of Kuala Simpang and i like 'becak motor' or motor pedicab in Aceh style. Slightly different with pedicab at Java island, this vehicle is combination of pedicab with motor beside it and makes a different way to enjoy a pedicab. Well...long story if i write down all of our trip around Langsa so just enjoy through the picture!

.: atmosphere of some corners at Kuala Simpang with 'becak motor' :.


Monday, May 24, 2010

[Get A Way] Taman Wisata Mekarsari

Well...its litle bit out of "culinary" topic, but free me to share to you our last week end in Taman Wisata Mekarsari. Start with entry ticket 18.000 for everyone but i think its just upcoming ticket. If we want to enjoy the real of Mekarsari we must pay different ticket such as Wisata Air has 10.000 and Wisata Buah 50.000 each visitor. For me the original object of Mekarsari is fruit gardens so we make a choice for Wisata Buah.

.: mark for Wisata Buah participants :.

.: get around Mekarsari with mini train :.

.: the other mini train :.

.: inside mini train :.

If you have interest in Wisata Buah, you will get sticker as your sign that you pick-up this package and 5 vouchers: 3 vouchers for each fruit gardens and 2 vouchers for souvenir and plant seed. Wisata Buah will drive us from one fruit garden to the others also include Wisata Air in final destination. There are 3 fruit gardens as our heading, gold melon, snake fruit and star fruit garden but i think the good view is in gold melon garden.

.: gold melon garden :.

.: Ayah & ade Affa in the middle of gold melon garden :.

I have no picture while we stay in snake fruit garden because of there is no spot with catchy eyeshot. Moreover, the weather is cloudy, it will make my camera run into very hard work to get good picture with plenty of light. Moves to the next garden that is star fruit garden but i only have one nice view which is pile of star fruits. And i think its not in best shot... :P

.: pile of star fruits :.

The ends of Wisata Buah is we are visiting Wisata Air space. We can found artificial lake & outbond area which orginized by Sabut Kelapa as an adventurer provider.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

[Family Recipe] Kolak Durian


This recipe is only for durian lovers! Yeahh...you know some peoples unfriendly with this fruit especially because of the smell. As usual most of foods in my blog comes from simple recipe and also this one, so easy, smooth & durian tastefully. You just need some slices of white bread, durian, coconut milk and sugar as main ingredients.
I get this recipe from my mother in law, she'll never dissapoint in cooking term, you're gonna to belive it! :) In future, i have plan to share to you our family recipe since many of them are sophisticate for me. But this is still in my mind, dont expect to much and pls consider about the mood hehehe...

Well...lets me to show you about the recipe even its not created by my self :))

Kolak Durian

8 pieces durian, move the seed
3-4 cup thin coconut milk
10-15 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 sheet pandan leaf
10 slices white bread, chopped as cube

How to :

Make durian as crumble with hand.
Pour coconut milk in it. Add sugar and salt.
Whisk and heat until boiled.
Put the chopped bread to the bowl and pour the durian sauce.

Maybe you still worry if you eat this food your tummy will stay in air fulfilled condition, and i can say it will not happen. Dont bother with durian gas since it will reduce while we cook. Just enjoy in cold or hot and the taste will be the same. :)

Friday, January 1, 2010

Sus Buah

Akhirnya bisa ngupdate blog lagi, setelah sekian bulan sampai berganti tahun susaaah banget nemu kesempatan bikin sesuatu untuk blog ini. Memang lagi ada beberapa moment penting sih...hamil, pindahan rumah & November kemarin lahiran. Lumayan lah repotnya apalagi di Jakarta cuma berdua suami, semuanya harus diupayakan sendiri. Alhamdulillah malah makin menempa sisi kemandirian kita.

Yah...akhirnya diniatin bikin sesuatu untuk membuka postingan di tahun 2010 ini dan fruit sus jadi pilihannya. Menurut saya fruit sus ini hikmah dari silaturahmi. Jadi ceritanya saudara lagi ngadain acara tujuh bulanan, nah pulang dari acara itu dibawain snack yang salah satunya fruit sus ini. Pertama makan sih belum tahu kalau namanya fruit sus, karena penasaran pingin makan lagi & pingin bisa bikin sendiri jadilah googling resepnya.

Resep sus & vla nya diambil dari web site mba Anne, komposisi bahan hampir sama dengan resep NCC, beda untuk sus hanya di jumlah air sedangkan resep vla-nya beda di jumlah susu yang dipakai. Sebenarnya ada resep sus buah tersendiri namun sus buah saya memakai resep sus dengan vla biasa dan kemudian hanya ditambahkan topping buah, karena menurut saya pada dasarnya sama saja. Untuk pemilihan topping buahnya bisa disesuaikan selera, saya memakai stroberi & kiwi karena mudah ditemui di supermarket dan perpaduan warnanya kontras.

.: bongkahan sus yang sudah jadi :.

Dan gampang ternyata, dua kali bikin sukses berat lho...Yang terakhir bikin malah ga pakai timbangan kue karena lagi dalam proses reparasi a.k.a rusak :-). Jadi takaran bahan2nya pakai sendok makan & filling aja, patokannya sih 1 sendok makan kurang lebih 15 gram. Cara ini sudah lumayan sering dicoba, misalnya bikin puding dengan gula sekian gram, karena repot kalau harus nimbang gula lagi jadi takarannya sendok makan. Tapi kalau untuk bikin kue yang takaran semua bahannya memakai sendok makan ya baru kali ini dicoba. Alhamdulillah...ga ada masalah.

.: sus yang sudah dipotong & ditumpuk :.

Sus Buah
Source : Buku ‘Kreatif Pastry Lengkap dan Lezat’ dari Sedap Sekejap

Bahan Kulit Sus
250 ml air
½ sdt garam
125 gr margarin
150 gr tepung terigu cakra kembar
4 butir telur

Caranya
Rebus air, garam, dan margarin sampai mendidih.
Masukkan tepung terigu, aduk sampai kalis. Angkat dari api. Dinginkan.
Tambahkan telur satu persatu sambil dikocok.
Semprotkan adonan di loyang yang telah dioles margarin.
Oven 25 menit dengan api bawah 200 °C.

Bahan vla (buat dalam 2 resep)
200 ml susu cair
75 gr gula pasir
25 gr tepung maizena
1/8 sdt garam
1 kuning telur
2 sdm rhum (1/2 sdt vanilla)

Caranya :
Rebus susu, gula, maizena, dan garam sambil diaduk hingga meletup-letup.
Ambil sedikit campuran susu dan aduk rata dengan kuning telur.
Masukkan lagi ke panci, aduk sampai meletup-letup. Angkat.
Setelah dingin, masukkan rhum/vanilla, aduk rata.
Masukkan vla dalam plastik segitiga.

Bahan agar-agar
1 sendok teh bubuk agar-agar
1 sendok makan gula
1/2 gelas air

Caranya :
Masak semua bahan di atas api hingga mendidih.

Penyelesaian :
Ambil sus dan gunting menjadi dua bagian secara horisontal/melintang.
Letakkan hasil guntingan bagian atas sus secara terbalik di sus bagian bawah.
Semprotkan vla ke sus hingga penuh.
Tata topping buah di atas vla.
Sendokkan sedikit cairan agar-agar di atas topping buah.

Tips :
- Pastikan campuran tepung sudah dingin sebelum dikocok dengan telur.
- Hindari mengoleskan margarin terlalu banyak di atas loyang. Sus akan bergeser-geser hingga saling menempel.
- Saat mencetak sus di loyang, porsinya jangan terlalu banyak dan rapat karena akan mengembang kurang lebih 3x nya.
- Pastikan suhu oven benar2 200 derajat.
- Setelah diangkat, aduk vla sus sampai agak dingin. Maka vla akan tampak mengkilat.
- Untuk 1 resep bisa menghasilkan kurang lebih 40 sus ukuran sedang.
- Jika suka vla nya lebih berasa sebaiknya bikin dalam 2.5 atau 3 resep.

.: parade sus buah :.

Proses pembuatan sus buah ini yang lumayan lama adalah di finishing nya, kalau untuk sus nya sendiri sih ga memakan waktu banyak. But its worth...karena ini salah satu makanan favorit saya dan suami, favorit dalam tekstur, rasa dan penampilannya, awfully gorgeous!