ajitsuke tamago, ni-tamago or known to some simply as molten/lava egg, is a japanese flavored soft boiled egg commonly used as a topping for ramen or pork belly rice. i think this type of egg has been the fascination of many people, including myself coz of the texture and supposed difficulty in making, not unlike macarons. i've heard stories of how the people working in ramen shops would be unwilling to disclose their secrets or techniques, much to the frustration of those who asked. some even went to the extent of experimenting with a malt vinegar bath to soften the shells so they would be easier to peel. and if i'm not wrong, the high-end ramen shops like ippudo ramen charge $2 for an egg which is just ridiculous if you ask me! i just found out how simple it is to make them, thanks to a japanese youtube video i saw.

something simple for sunday breakfast. wouldn't really have thought of making until i got these white ceramic chawanmushi cups. i've been on the lookout for these white cups for the longest time! most of them are floral/japanese-inspired so i was really elated to find white ones at daiso. cup + lid for just two bucks is definitely worth it! plus its just the right shade i like - creamy white :)

made this for breakfast quite sometime back and forgot to post. i think gordon ramsay's synonymous with good breakfast food coz i've seen quite alot of people used his hollandaise sauce recipe and it turned out really well. similarly when i googled for the 'perfect scrambled eggs', i got quite alot of search results featuring his recipe. even on youtube, the same video showing him making scrambled eggs hv been posted repeatedly. basically the technique is putting the pan on & off the heat to ensure you don't overcook it. i've had really dry scrambled eggs all too many times and this tip really came in handy. i ended up with really creamy eggs, so its really good.

christmas this year is rather disappointing coz i didn't manage to make any x'mas goodies. i was up to my elbows with orders even until the eve itself and these peppermint dark chocolate macarons you see here were specially requested by a customer, else i wouldn't hv anything festive to post. i had lotsa things in mind to bake actually - panforte, stained glass cookies, two-toned peppermint marshmallows and white choc rum truffles coated with four different toppings but in the end, i made none.

my breakfast for today - eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce on ham & toast + pineapple juice. not my first in making poached eggs but in hollandaise sauce. and maybe you already grew tired of me saying this, but my 1st attempt in making hollandaise sauce was so awesome i just couldn't believe it. previously i had been putting it off coz i always felt it was very tedious, especially after coming across this recipe. sure, its gordon ramsay's but i just wanted something simple and to boil 500ml vinegar until it reduces by half + complicated steps thereafter isn't my idea of simple. so i turned to one of my trusted sites, epicurious and settled for this instead.