Maybe u'd like to know me better....

I'm Wendy, YWY are my Chinese initials.  As on 1/3/12 I changed my moniker to WendyinKK, just the same as my blog's address to avoid confusion. Born and raised in Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. Went to KL to further my studies, worked in the corporate world before I took up teaching. First posting was to rural oil palm estate in Selancar, Pahang. After 2 years looking at oil palms, I got married to Mike  and moved back to KL, taught in PESS for 18 months before I came back to Mike's hometown, Kuala Kangsar when he decided to raise a family away from the big city, hence the name  Wendy in KK.

Currently I am on child care leave until 2014. Why so long??? I wanted to care for my kids as no one is available to get paid doing this.

I love teaching.. and I also love to play in the kitchen. Guess I was influenced since young by Grandaunt. Daily, I'd stand by the stoves(from a safe distance) and watch her cook. Masak-masak(play cooking) never bores me out, until now.

I learnt cooking mostly by experience. Mom taught me the very basics, but she refrains from cooking anything with more ingredients than her fingers can count or that requires more than one wok wash per dish. Mom can really whack up a good pot of stew and soup (1 pot stuff). If the annual 2 cooking/baking classes in lower secondary were considered cooking/baking classes, then they were all I ever attended, plus some cooking sessions in church

Internet and blogs are my main gurus. There are so much information out there to read and to see. Tried and true recipes, experiences, success stories or disasters. They all provide good knowledge. I learn from there. I only started baking seriously after I started my blog,  I mean, besides those occasional school-taught butter cakes. Only started decorating cakes less than 2 years ago, although I had been in the kitchen eversince I was 11. It only takes some courage to experiment and maybe a few failures, but it will work out in time.

The kitchen is the place I spend most of my time in, besides the bedroom, and it's a never ending journey into the culinary world. Still have much to learn along the way.... Walk with me :)

I took from the internet, so therefore it's only right that I give something back to the www. To share what I've learnt so that u may learn too.

Initially, I planned to blog about how I cook for 2, hence the name, Table for 2 or more...... as a reference to newly wed couples or small households, but as time went by, I wasn't just doing simple dishes for 2, but baking and doing non dinner stuff.

I have always loved sharing my cooking experiences. I may not be an expert, but I'll try to share with what I know.

My friends have always loved my cooking and surprisingly simple recipes. Many of them wondered how I cook for 2. They often ask me how to cook this and that. So, if I have a blog, I cut short the verbal explanation and say "Go to my blog."

I often forget what I've done for this dish or that bake, so, this is my cooking journal too. Something that I can refer to, when I want to replicate what I've done before.

I know some people that say that people blog for self gratification. Hmmm.. Am I one of those?
Search my heart....If one day, no one reads my blog anymore, will I still write?
I will, cos I'm not doing this to earn people's praise, I'm doing this for myself, to record my culinary journey. That's the main reason. You won't know when one day u wake up and totally forgot everything. I've got pictures of my family, my kids, but my passion...I don't want that part of me to be lost.

It's not that I do not need any readers[you :)], I do. I appreciate my readers. It's through the interaction that I learn and I grow in my passion. But I will not let the presence or absence of others to influence my main objective for this blog. I will greatly appreciate feedbacks if u've tried my recipes. If they work out well, then good!!! If they don't, tell me, and I'll try troubleshooting for u. I won't know if u don't tell me. Filling in the comments section is FOC :)

I can be contacted via email at wendyinkk @ yahoo dot com
Or you can keep updated via my blog's Facebook page.

About My Blog

Some information about my ingredients and tools that I use in my recipes.

1. Measurements.
All measurements are done with standard measuring tools. Measurements are all leveled, except when stated as heaped.
1 Tbsp = 15ml
1 tsp = 5ml
1 cup = 250ml
Even when it comes to cooking, I do not use those tablespoons for eating rice to measure. One rice spoon is only 5ml, so you can see 3 rice tablespoons is equivalent to 1 measuring Tablespoon. Your dish may turn out bland just because you used the wrong spoon to measure the soy sauce.
When it comes to flour or sugar, I always prefer weight measurements. Should you need conversion to cups, there are a lot of conversion tools online. I am not a conversion tool.

2. Oven and Baking Temperatures
Before May 2011, I used a Microwave Convection Oven that is more 15 years old.
If there are 2 temperatures stated in my recipe, I use the lower one, because my oven is a convection oven.
For conventional ovens, please use the 2nd temperature. If there is only 1 temperature stated, please jack up the temperature by 20C if you are using conventional ovens, as the stated temperature was the one I used.
Convection: Ovens with powerful fans
Conventional: Ovens with regular top and bottom heating elements
Why does the convection oven uses a lower temperature?
-If you have the air-cond on... then u have the fan on, do you feel cooler or no changes? Definately cooler cos the cold air hits your skin more. So, if your oven has a fan, you will feel a more intense heat.
After May 2011, I began using a built-in Bosch oven. Still temperature specs in blog remain the same, Convection/conventional.

3. Egg Size
All eggs used are large unless stated otherwise.
Large eggs weigh about 65gm shells on. Locally known as Grade A.

4. Flour
If no specific flour is stated, then it is all purpose flour. Local brands like Cap Sauh, or Tesco house brand flours are all purpose flours. Even those that you buy by weight at the sundry shops are all purpose. And yes, all purpose flour is the same as plain flour.

What I use interchangably
For Cakes:  Cake flour or superfine flour or low protein flour or Hi-Ratio flour, or substitute with 1 cup flour, take out 2 Tbsp of it and replace with 2 Tbsp cornstarch. I rarely use Self Raising Flour.
For Bread : Bread flour is also called as Hi Protein flour
For Pau/Steamed buns : Pau flour can be substituted with all purpose. Just that you will have a slightly coarser texture. They have about the same gluten level, just that pau flour is finer. Hong Kong flour is also suitable, the only difference is it will be whiter and more expensive to use. Hong Kong flour is a highly bleached flour, therefore I try not to use it too much.
Starches: For cooking, cornstarch, potato starch and tapioca starch an be used interchangebly. For making kuih or traditional cakes, please ask me if you are unable to find the type of starch stated and they may yield different textures.

5. Butter and Fats
I only use pure butter. No margarine, no dairy spreads (Buttercup, Farmcows). Unless I cannot change the ingredient to butter, only then I will use margarine.
For recipes calling for shortening, I don't have any specific brand of preference.
For cake recipes calling for vegetable oil, I will use corn oil.
For cooking or frying, I only use Malaysian Palm Oil.

6. Milk products, Creams and Coconut
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is rare in Malaysia. I substitute this with either plain yogurt or 1 cup of full cream milk soured with 1 tbsp lemon/lime juice.
Milk: Whenever a recipe calls for milk, I always use Full Cream milk or unless stated. Substituting with low fat milk shouldn't be a problem unless the recipe says no to low fat.
Dairy cream: For whipping purposes I use 35% and above. For cooking I use whipping cream as well, as that is the only type of cream that is easily available.
Non Dairy Topping Cream (Fresh Cream, as commonly refered to for Malaysian bekeries) : I try not to use this after I discovered that it was made with palm kernel oil. Palm kernel oil is not the same as palm oil. I only use this for decorative purposes. Although this is easier to whip and manage than dairy creams, it is far inferior in taste when compared to dairy creams.
Coconut Milk : I only use freshly squeezed coconut milk, undiluted with water, unless stated to make up for a certain amount. Not all places sell fresh coconut milk in the same amount. If you ask for 1 coconut, they might give you 180ml, some places 200ml and some 250ml. So, if I say 300ml coconut milk from 1 coconut +water, it means, whatever your coconut milk sells you as 1 coconut, just add extra water to make up 300ml. If boxed coconut milk, 200ml is equivalent to 1 coconut's milk.

7. Sugar and Seasonings (Please use seasonings by own discretion, as different brands may yield different levels of saltiness and intensity of flavour)

Sugar:
For baking, I use fine granulated sugar. You may use Castor sugar and castor sugar is finer than fine granulated. But do not use granulated sugar, unless stated, like the Castella Cake.
For cooking or making syrups, any sugar(except icing sugar) will be fine

Salt:
For cooking: I use sea salt. Those cheapo RM1/kg bought from sundry shops.
For baking: I use fine salt.

Light Soy Sauce:
I regularly use Lee Kum Kee (this has a sweeter end), Knife brand or any other Chinese style soy sauce. I do not use Japanese soy sauce like Kikkoman.

Dark Soy Sauce:
I regularly use Lee Kum Kee. Those thick caramel soy sauce like Bidor Kwong Heng may also be used, but it is less salty and much much darker.

Oyster Sauce:
I only use Lee Kum Kee.

Ketchup and chilli sauce:
No brand loyalty unless stated, but I only buy reputable brands.

Sesame oil:
I only use red label Ghee Hiang brand. Knife, Ajinomoto or Lee Tsun Hing are also ok, but I do not recommend any "blended sesame oils".

Belacan: Dried Shrimp Paste
I only use Choong Kim Chuan brand, blue or gold label will be fine.

Chinese Cooking Wine
Rose Wine - There is no substitute for this fragrant wine.
Shao Xing Wine - I only buy those aged 5 years. It cost around RM18 above per bottle, depending on the brand.

8. Photographs
Just in case you need to know, I use a Canon 350D, with stock lens (the lens that comes with it). Don't ask me about photography, I don't know much. I just put it on auto focus and click away.
When I photograph indoors, I use an external flash, bounced off the wall and ceiling.
When I want to photograph with natural light, I put my subject in a well litted area, and turn off the flash before I click away.
I use PhotoImpact to do some minor editing. I do not know much about this software too. Me tech idiot.

9. Cake mixer
I own a Philips handheld mixer, bought for RM59. Since May 2011, I've got myself a Kitchen Aid to knead breads, but cakes are still mostly made with the Philips handmixer. The model I use is as shown below. I bought mine in US, and used it with a suitable transformer.

10. Amount of ingredients
Please adhere with the amount I state. If the recipe calls for 500gm of chicken and you decide to cook 1kg, please increase everything else accordingly.
I measure my ingredients with a weighing scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons. If you find it bland, add more salt, if too salty, either discard some gravy and add more water to dilute the remaining gravy. Just adjust it before it lands on your dinner table.
When it comes to soups, do not use way more water than stated(+20% is still acceptable) and then find the soup being tasteless. How much ingredients used affects the amount of salt needed. The quality of the soup ingredient also affect the taste of the soup.
Feedbacks of tastelessness or blandness weren't stated in the blog, not that I deleted them, but these were made to me by mouth or other forms of personal written communication, and after a short troubleshooting disscussion, I found that these people didn't follow the recipe as much as they should have. Should you ever need to adjust the recipe, please do so with proper consideration and calculation.

For more information about my kitchen, kitchen tools and toys, baking utensils and whatever... check out

My Kitchen Info

I do hope that my readers will enjoy my recipes as much as I enjoyed preparing them for my family.

If U Want to Use My stuff

Many of us learn from the internet. We learn from each other in the blogosphere and whatever internet sources out there.
How many of us really create all our recipes from scratch?
How many of us begin baking or cooking without a given written recipe or verbal recipe?
How many of us can really come out with something that nobody has ever done? Wow!!

I don't believe that there could be anyone that started to cook and bake with nothing but only intuition. There must be a source. I state my source of recipe in my post labels, Personal Creations, Tasted and Recreated, From the net, From Friends and Family, From Books  or Ideas From TV.

The rules below apply strictly to Personal Creations, Tasted and Recreated and From Friends and Family.
Personal Creations: My brainchild, therefore I guard them zealously.
Tasted and Recreated: I might not have invented them, but what I decided to put in to recreate them came from my brain juices.
From Friends and Family: Ideas derived from people around me, recipes taught to me verbally. So, u must not use them in a wrong way.

"

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. "
Please link back if you got a recipe from my site. Link back means put my blog post's link in your post to show you took the recipe from my site

Should u want to post a recipe that I adapted from another site or book, please credit the original author, not me. Only that seems fair.
Altho the recipes are permitted to be copied under the stated circumstances, do not copy and paste my write ups. They are my experiences, not urs. U don't have the same life and exact situations like me.

Lastly,
I hope u understand what I meant.

Happy reading and happy blogging!!!!