Cheesecake

In a shallow bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, white sugar and melted butter. Press evenly at the bottom and on the sides of a round pan. Refrigerate.

For the filling, whisk together 16 oz (2 bars) of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of white sugar and 2 tbsp flour. Add 3 eggs. Avoid overbeating. Add 1/2 cup of whipped cream, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp vanilla extract or banana essence.

Pour the filling over the chilled crust. Preheat oven at 250 degrees Celsius and bake the batter at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Continue baking for another 1 1/2 hrs at 120 degrees Celsius or until firm. Let it cool. This cheesecake is best served frozen. Serve with fruit sauces (blueberry, strawberry, etc.) or sour cream on top.

To make chocolate cheesecake, modify the filling by adding a cup of powdered cocoa or melted chocolate and substitute the whipped cream with sour cream.

Chocolate Crinkles

Using a double broiler, melt 4 tbsp of butter and a cup of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate over low heat. If you are using cocoa powder, you may just use a saucepan to combine the two. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together a cup of flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk 2 large eggs while gradually adding a cup of granulated sugar. Add 2 tbsp vanilla essence. Combine this with the dry mixture and the chocolate mixture. Mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Place the confectioner's sugar in a shallow bowl. Form 1-inch diameter ball using the chilled dough and roll it in sugar until it is completely covered. Continue forming the cookies and place them 1 or 2 inches apart from each other in the baking sheet.

Preheat oven and bake the cookies at 175 degrees Celsius for 5-8 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm. Do not overcook. The cookies should be toasty on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. Remove from the oven and let it cool. These cookies are best served when warm.

Chicken in Creamy Garlic and White Wine Dressing

Marinate chicken breasts in salt, pepper, a pinch of dried oregano, garlic cloves and a little balsamic vinegar. Remember, just a little -- it depends on how much chicken you would use. Otherwise you could end up cooking adobo instead. Place the marinated chicken in a heat-resistant container and let it stand for 30 mins to an hour or overnight. Preheat oven and cook chicken for 25 mins at 375 degrees (180 degrees if using a turbo broiler). Set aside.

For the white sauce: Melt some butter in a non-stick pan over low heat. Put a little flour. Mix. Quickly add in the buttermilk (or evaporated milk) and heavy cream (or all-purpose cream). Add some white wine. Stir. Add a little water or milk to adjust thickness -- the thinner the sauce, the better. Add salt, pepper and a dash of thyme to taste. Put some minced parsley if you have it. Put away the pan from the heat and set aside.

For the potatoes: Boil the baby potatoes in a deep pot. Drain and set aside. In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat and add the finely chopped garlic. Saute for a minute then add the baby potatoes. Keep mixing until potatoes are coated with flavor. Add salt and pepper.

To serve, place the chicken in a huge plate, smother with white sauce, then garnish with baby potatoes on the side!

Chopsuey

Saute garlic, onions and pork pieces in a big pan. Add a cup of shrimp stock and salt. Mix in the shelled shrimp and chopped vegetables - young corn, snow peas, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower and celery. Add another cup of shrimp stock, fish sauce and dissolved cornstarch. Simmer until the vegetables are done. Careful not to overcook the vegetables. You may add drops of sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Crab Adobo

Chop the crabs into quarters with a large knife. Remove the crab fat or aligue and combine it with vinegar. Pour any liquid out of the back shells and do not use the brown meat for this dish, it will make the sauce look and taste muddy. Set aside.

In a large wok or pan, heat oil and stir-fry garlic, onions and fish sauce for a couple of minutes. Add crab pieces, lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the crabs turn orange. Pour the crab fat-and-vinegar sauce and let it simmer until the sauce turns a little thick.

For Singaporean Chili Crab recipe, simply take off the vinegar, replace the onions with minced ginger and add tomato paste or kethcup, melted butter, sugar and red chilies to the crab fat sauce.