Appetizer: crispy chicken croquettes

I learned to love croquettes from eating them in restaurants and parties. I still have to make them at home. The crab croquettes in Italianni's is really tasty. Here's another croquette dish I sampled from the cooking class of Mandarin Oriental Executive Chef Rene Ottlik at The Maya Kitchen. He demonstrated a number of tapas dishes and this was one of them. Looks easy to make too!

 Ingredients:

 400 grams chicken, boiled and finely shredded
200 ml olive oil
100 grams MAYA All-Purpose Flour
300 ml milk
30 grams garlic roasted
30 grams shallots roasted
salt, pepper, nutmeg
50 grams parsley, finely chopped
additional MAYA All-Purpose Flour
1 egg, beaten
400 grams bread crumbs
oil for deep frying

 Procedure:

Boil the chicken well in advance and keep the cooking liquid. Heat up in a pot the olive oil and stir in the flour, sauté for a while. Add slowly the milk and keep whisking until mixture is thick. Keep simmering for 20-30 minutes while continuously stirring. Add the shredded chicken, roasted garlic, roasted shallots and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for 10 minutes and add the parsley. Pour on a tray and place into fridge for several hours or overnight. Cut rectangular and roll to cylindrical shape. Roll in flour, egg and bread crumbs. Chill for an hour and deep fry golden crispy and serve on the side with garlic alioli dip. To make garlic alioli: Combine chicken stock, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.

Moist chocolate cake

I call this THE moist chocolate cake. And nothing else in life brings joy. A taste of chocolate-y goodness is enough to give you a high for the day. Most of the time, I am thinking "I should diet!" but this is definitely one of those things you can't resist.... simply because! :)

Recipe from Chef Kittin Z:

Ingredients -

1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups boiling water
2 ¾ cups MAYA All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Icing:
½ cup cocoa
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons MAYA All Purpose Flour
2 ½ cups milk


Procedure:
1. In a bowl, mix unsweeted cocoa with boiling water; mix with wire whisk until smooth. Set aside and cool completely.
2. Sift all dry ingredients together, except the sugar.
3. In a large bowl of mixer, using paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, eggs, & vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. At a low speed, beat in flour mixture and liquid cocoa mixture alternately, ending with flour mixture.
5. Pour equally into three 9-inch round pans.
6. Bake in 350°F / 177°C oven for 25-30 minutes.
7. Mix all choco icing ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot icing immediately to cover cake.