每週新挑戰 Weekly Challenge – May 4

除了要給自己新挑戰，也打算要好好記錄一下這個過程和成績！將來回頭看一定會覺得很滿足！

Apart from giving myself new challenges, I decide to keep a journal to record the process and what I have made. I strongly believe that this is going to be a rewarding journey!

5月4日到10日，這週收穫滿滿，做了一些新嘗試，也有在新廚房重複練習做過的菜式，包括一些拿手菜。

May 4 to 10! A very rewarding week.  I have made some new trials but also practiced some dishes that I’m good at in the new kitchen

1. 蔥油餅 Scallion Pancake
2. 芝士蛋糕 Cheesecake
3. 奶油燉雞 Butter Chicken
4. 豉椒炒排骨 Stir Fry Pork Ribs with Black Beans and Pepper
5. 烤豬排配芝士節瓜 Roasted Pork Chop with Cheesy Zucchini 
6. 乾煎咖喱雞 Dried Curry Chicken
7. 炒土豆絲 Stir Fry Potato Slices
8. 鬆餅 Pancake
9. 薑蔥照燒雞肉片 Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger and Green Onion

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畢竟一日三餐都要煮，嘗試新菜式我也希望能多謝研究不同食譜不同朋友的經驗，因此，打算每週能有2-3個新嘗試應該算是不錯的了。蔥油餅和芝士蛋糕是上週的全新嘗試，其他的都是一些做過（甚至拿手）但希望在新環境新工具下繼續練習，精益求精！

Since I need to cook 3 meals per day, I am not too aggressive in terms of making new trials.  My plan is to have 2-3 new trials on a weekly basis.  I think it’s already a pretty good goals (I will end up picking up 24 new dishes in 3 months!).  Scallion pancake and Cheesecake are the new trials last week.  All others are those I’ve made (or even good at) before and I would like to practice more.  Practice makes perfect!

蔥油餅之前在facebook分享過了，雖然我覺得在味道上可以再大膽點放蔥和鹽，但整體算不錯，自己做，不放油煎，相對要健康點（但其實澱粉也沒什麼營養可言），最開心的是這次揉麵比較有感覺了，明顯有進步。

I have shared the recipe of Scallion Pancake in my facebook earlier.  Overall I’m happy with what I have made though I think I can be more “aggressive” in terms of putting more scallions and salt.  I didn’t put any oil when I pan fried the pancake which should be healthier (yet, not much of nutritional values from Carbs honestly).  The biggest reward in making the pancake is that I think I’ve master making the flour dough better this time (which is essential for making different kinds of flour made Northern Chinese food).

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要票選（就我跟西人兩票）上週最佳，一定是芝士蛋糕，話說西人自從我們買了instant pot一直碎碎唸說要做芝士蛋糕，烤盤都買好了，但我就一直對於用instant pot做蛋糕保存很懷疑的態度，因此，搬進新公寓有了大烤箱，我就必須兌現承諾學做芝士蛋糕。參考了好幾個食譜，發現其實材料分量都差不多，烤芝士蛋糕最多人討論的是關於是否需要一個叫water bath的東西（就是把蛋糕盤放在熱水中烤），主要是保持蛋糕在烤箱中的濕度避免蛋糕會裂開，爭論點主要是覺得麻煩，最後我還是決定要用water bath，我是覺得本來自己做蛋糕就麻煩呀，不差多一步，其實也很容易，如果真的那麼怕麻煩倒不如直接去蛋糕店買就好了。

If we need to vote (only two votes in total from me and Mr. Large) the best of last week, it would definitely be the cheesecake.  Mr. Large has been nagging me to make cheesecake since we’ve go the instant pot.  However, I strongly doubt about making cake in an instant pot.  Since we’ve moved in the new apartment with a decent oven, I have to keep my promise of learning and making him a cheesecake.  I have taken references of several recipes.  I found that most of them are similar in terms of the use and portion of ingredients.  One biggest discussion is around whether a water bath is needed (basically putting your baking pan in a baking tray with hot water).  Putting your cheesecake in a water bath when you bake it will help keep the cake moist in a more humid environment in the oven so that lower chance that the cake will have cracks.  Some people think that it’s too troublesome and thus some recipes said “o…actually, you don’t need to”.  I have decided to use a water bath.  Making cake at home is “troublesome” comparing to buy it directly from a cake shop.  The water bath is really simple to make.  If you really hate “troubles”, I would suggest that you just buy a cake from a cake shop.

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我不是芝士蛋糕專家，所以只能說這裡是跟大家分享一下我這個處女作的食譜和一些在參考不同食譜中常提到的關鍵點。

I’m not a cheesecake expert.  So, here I’m just sharing the recipe of my “first” cheesecake and also the most important tips I found across different recipes.

我用的是一個七吋的盤，做出來大概也就是盤的一半滿，材料大家可以相對根據你家烤盤來調整。I used a 7 inch baking pan.  It’s about half full of the pan.  Please adjust the portion of the ingredients based on the size of your baking pan.

餅底材料 Crust Ingredients：餅乾碎+麥皮碎 Graham cracker and oatmeal crumbs 1 1/2 杯 cup，黃糖 Sugar 2 tbsp，溶化黃油 Melted Butter 4 tbsp

芝士餡材料 Cheesecake Ingredients：奶油芝士 Cream Cheese 16oz，糖 Sugar 1/2 杯 cup，酸奶油 Sour Cream 1/2 杯 cup，香草精 Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp，鹽 Salt 1/8 tsp，雞蛋 Eggs 2

餅底做法 Crust Instructions:

1. 預熱烤箱 350F Preheat oven to 350F
2. 把餅乾麥皮碎跟糖拌勻，再加入溶化好的黃油，用叉拌勻 Combine graham cracker and oatmeal crumbs with sugar and stir well.  Add melted butter and use a fork to combine
3. 把混合好的餅乾麥皮碎放進烤盤，在盤底和周邊壓緊做成餅底 Pour crumbs into the pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan.  
4. 放進烤箱烤8-10分鐘 Bake in the oven for around 8-10 mins
5. 烤箱拿出來後要放涼 Set aside and let it cool

芝士蛋糕做法 Cheesecake Instructions:

1. 烤箱預熱325F Preheat oven to 325F
2. 先把奶油芝士用攪拌機低速攪勻，攪到順滑就可以，不要過度攪拌，過度攪拌會有太多空氣進去 In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy in low speed.  Don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air.
3. 加入糖，再攪拌至順滑 Add sugar and stir again until creamy
4. 加入酸奶油、香草精、鹽，繼續攪拌 Add sour cream, vanilla extract and salt, and stir until well-combined.
5. 攪拌機繼續保持低速，續一加入已經略打雞蛋，打到雞蛋融合就可以，不能過度攪拌 With mixer on low speed， gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated.  
6. 把芝士餡倒入準備好餅底的蛋糕盤，用鋁紙包好蛋糕盤周邊（不要蓋住），在一個大一些的烤盤放入熱水，再把蛋糕盤放進去，一拼放進烤箱烤60-75分鐘 Pour cheesecake batter inot the prepared baking pan.  Wrap the baking pan with alumni foil (don’t cover up the cake).  Put the wrapped baking pan in a baking tray with hot water.  Bake for around 60-75 mins
7. 蛋糕邊轉成一點黃色和中間輕輕摸起來不濕就代表好了 Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch.  This means the cake is ready!
8. 蛋糕要放至室溫才可以放進冰箱，需要在冰箱放至少6小時才可以啊  Let the cake cool down to room temperature and put in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

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幾個關鍵要點 Few Key Tips!

• 所有材料要提早從冰箱拿出來，放至室溫 All ingredients should be taken out from the fridge and sit until room temperature
• 不要過度攪拌，避免空氣進入蛋糕餡裡 Don’t over-beat.  Take it easy!  This is to avoid incorporate too much air in the batter
• 芝士蛋糕放涼也是有技巧，烤好後不要立即從烤箱拿出來，關掉烤箱，半打開烤箱門，先讓蛋糕在烤箱裡降溫，大概一小時後，才拿出來，溫度一下子轉變太大，蛋糕就容易裂 There’s trick to cool down the cheesecake.  Don’t take it out from the oven immediately.  Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside.  Let the oven door half open.  Let the cake to first cool down inside the oven.  After about 1 hour, take the cake out and further cool it down to room temperature.  Sudden change of temperature will make the cake crack.
• 烤的時候不要總打開烤箱門看，這樣會影響烤箱溫度影響效果 Don’t open the oven when you are baking the cake.  This will change the oven temperature

整體而言，我覺得不太難（寫那麼多都不難？），真的，如果你細心看，其實最大的技巧就只有一個 – 耐心，沒有什麼打發雞蛋的技巧或者複雜的工序，所有關鍵點都是叫你需要有耐心，就這麼簡單你做得到嗎？

Overall speaking, I don’t think this is difficult (what?  you’ve written so much and you think it’s not difficult?)  Honestly, if you read through my sharing again and key tips especially, what’s asking you is – BE PATIENT!  There’s no special techniques on how to beat the eggs or complex procedures.  All you need is TO BE PATIENT.  Can you do that?

西人很滿意我這個首次製作的芝士蛋糕，下次要挑戰什麼好呢？Mr Large is very happy with my “first cheesecake”.  What should be my next challenge?