Wednesday 30 July 2014

Sambal Goreng Petis II

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup coconut milk from 1/2 coconut
2 tbsp petis (black shrimp paste)
2-3 tbsp oil for sauteeing

Condiments:
3 shallots
2 cloves garlic 
2 red chilli
10 bird's eye chilli
1/2 knuckle turmeric
1/2 knuckle ginger 
1 stalk lemon grass
1 keffir lime leaf
1 tbsp palm sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cm lesser galangal and finger roots 
  • crush shallots, garlic, red chilli, turmeric in a mortar
  • crush lemon grass, lesser galangal and finger roots

To cook:
Sautee the crushed condiments over a slow heat, then add lemon grass, lesser galangal and finger roots.
Add coconut milk, black shrimp paste
Add keffir leaf, salt and palm sugar to taste
Keep stirring until the paste becomes thickens
Add bird's eye chilli

Lebaran Time

Lebaran. It is the most awaited time after Ramadhan. Eid -al- Fitr comees from Arabic language which means "Days to Eat". However, this Ramadhan I am  lucky to have this year's Eid with my family. Usually I just stretch myself thin allover Indonesia.




Living room








Sambal kerecek, everyone's favorites!

 Old school chocolate cake..



In the kitchen. Sambal goreng ati, sambal kerecek and soto padang condiments.

the Heru Nova's family. I knew he's smiling from heaven when he sees this picture!


Wish you all the best Eid al Fitr!


Love,
Lif

Thursday 24 July 2014

Chanel Rouge


Chanel Rouge. 

There is something about Chanel lipstick that I adore. The sleek packaging (Chanel puts  a spring mechanism here). The sweet fragrance, the balmy yet pigmented red-hue.. Aahh.. Here she is, in the embrace of Mr Skeleton. Rouge Allure in Enjouee is not something I purchase. I am too thrift to do that.. at least for now.  It was given to me from my auntie. 
This product has been launched since 2012, but I barely know this product since 2014 when my auntie wear it. It's such a nice matte-velvety lipstick, I mean, it's sort of matte, but it does not feel dry to my lips. However, I still can see the dark pigmentation around my mouth when I wear this, so.. I should wear a lip pencil if I want a full cover lipstick on. However, it's still a very good color: a coral lipstick that makes me happy.



Tuesday 22 July 2014

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW

For practical purpose, I have been a loyal devotee to waterproof, no-touch-up needed foundation when I have heavy duty job. I am talking about my ol' reliable Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. Heavy? Yes. Need a quick hand because it tends to be dry and flaky during application? Yes. Flat matte finish? Yes. Heck, my face is gonna be tad oily by noon anyway!

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow, is quite the opposite of Estee Lauder Double Wear. The formula is lightweight, and definitely will not suffocate pores. Thanks for it's non oil formula, this foundation would suit any skin type. The coverage is light to medium, and it will not look cakey on layering.The formula contains titanium oxide as sunscreen (SPF 25PA+++), vitamin C and E derivatives.


Known for their cute and practical packaging, Benefit delivers this product in a plastic pump bottle with a cap, means it’s travel friendly because it's quite light to carry on your luggage and will not spill everywhere, thanks to the plastic cap. AND I love the pump! It's so easy to squirt and control the amount of the foundation. It's waaayyy much better than Make Up Forever Face & Body Foundation. Did I mention I like the fragrance?


The application of this product is super easy. It blends seamlessly to my skin, even in the dry area at my cheeks and forehead. I thought the coverage will not be enough to even out my skin tone, but I am surprised with the result. The result is pretty close to flawless and I love how luminous my face after wearing this! I have my match in Beige (I am NC 40 on MAC). However, Benefit only provides 9 shades and most of the shades fall into medium skin-tone. So, olive skin tones girl is quite lucky now.



Actually, this is my second bottle of Hello Flawless.Last year, I had myself match in Toasted Beige when I was super-tan! It's bottled for $36 each, but the price is quite hefty in Indonesia (around 400 thousand rupiahs...). However, I keep coming back to this foundation time and again. Definitely in my top 5 foundation. Tell me.. What's your favorite?

Going Out with Maya!

Have I told you that my best buddy named MAYA? She is an OB/GYN works in Serang, the capital of Banten province. She is a devout Muslim, but she plays Call of Duty too.. We've been friends since we are in med-school. And after we finishes our specialist training, we remain close friends, especially since her workplace is just 30-minutes drive from Tangerang! We went to Ootoya, a posh Japanese restaurant in Summarecon Mal Serpong. We had sushi, salad, and pudding to break our fasting. We keep up conversations, and she remains a humble, funny yet witty friend. Our favourite dish in Ootoya. Salmon roll, torch-fried. marinated tuna with rice oblong major diet destroyer! our goofy selfie! Hope we can see each other soon!!

Sunday 20 July 2014

Hi Monday

Every Monday, I feel supercharged (most of the time). Because every weekend I meet my cute nieces and nephew. Fuad can call me Koko rite new... He's super cute. Anyway, life is quite busy now. I've been trying to keep myself highly pirated, but I just.. dunno... feeling kind of lame lately. I want to keep myself on the ground. I still want to reach dreams that I wanted. Where has all those kids dreams right now.. I just feel kind of meh.. I know I should feel thankful because I could have a life. I can eat, and now I can support myself. I should have been thankful for every bless that i have been given. keep up keep the good spirit

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Petis Telur

Bahan:
Telur puyuh 30 butir, rebus sampai matang. Siram air dingin. Setelah dingin, kupas telur dan goreng sampai matang. Sisihkan.

4  batang sereh
6 lembar daun jeruk
2 cup petis Ny. Siok
500 cc santan kental dari 1/2 butir kelapa
1 sdt garam
1 sdt gula pasir
1/2 sdt merica putih bubuk
20 buah cabe rawit merah
12 butir cabe merah giling
1,5 sdt bumbu gulai
Garam
Vetsin 1 ujumg sdt

Bumbu halus
10 butir bawang merah
5 siung bawang putih
5  cm jahe bakar
3 cm kunyit bakar
2 butir kemiri sangrai
Campur semua, haluskan

Cara:
Panaskan minyak, tumis bumbu halus sampai matang
Tambahkan serai, daun jeruk sampai harum
Masukkan petis, santan, aduk rata dengan api kecil. Jangan sampai gosong
Tambahkan merica halus, masak sampai bumbu meresap, terakhir beri garam secukupnya dan vetsin
Matikan kompor. masukkan cabai dan telur.

catatan: jika akan disimpan, pisahkan cabai rawit dan telur. 

Sambal Iris

Bahan:
1 ikat kemangi
1/2 butir tomat, iris halus
2 siung bawang merah iris halus
3 buah rawit merah iris
1  batang bawang daun iris tipis
2-3 buah jeruk kip, belah dua

Cara:
Campur semua bahan, terakhir kasih perasan jeruk kip
Sajikan di atas lauk seperti ikan goreng/panggang atau ayam goreng

Notes: 
sambal ini di sajikan dengan lauk, jangan dicampur nasinya. Rasanya jadi tawar.
Kalau mau disimpan di kulkas, jangan campur sama air jeruk.


Pisang Santan

Another banana Ternate treats!

Bahan:
Pisang kepok 10 biji, harus tua, matang betul dan bagus
Santan kental 1 cup (asal kerendem)
Garam dikit seujung sdt
Pandan 2 lembae

Rebus pakai api kecil, sampai sat, dan menjadi krim

Alternatives:
Pisang + santan, Bisa diberi gula merah sama daun pandan, sampai sat
Terakhir kasih mentega

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Red Fish Sauce

Resep ini saya karang saat saya di Tasikmalaya, dan di sana sangat susah untuk mendapatkan ikan segar. Walhasil jadinya pakai tuna kaleng saus tomat. Kalau ingin ikan segar, pakai saja 200 gram ikan tuna dan sausnya dibuat dari 4 buah tomat puree.

Bahan:
2 buah bawang bombay sedang. Potong kotak kecil
4 batang bawang daun
1 kaleng tuna in Tomato sauce merek Ayam Brand
1 ikat kemangi, ambil daunnya rajang kasar
1/2 sdt oregano
pala secukupnya
1/2 sdt garam
lada hitam tumbuk fresh secukupnya
butter 2 sdm
olive oil secukupnya
keju edam 100 gram
susu cair full cream (atau cooking cream)


Cara masak:
Di wajan, panaskan mentega dan olive oil. Masukkan bawang bombay dan bawang daun sampai masak.
Masukkan tuna kaleng, aduk rata, lalu keju, oregano, pala sampai betul-betul matang.
Tambahkan susu cair secukupnya sampai kekentalan yang diinginkan.. just at the right consistency
Tambahkan lada dan garam secukupnya


Disajikan dengan: nasi, spageti, roti pitta dan selada... Nyummyyyy

Lemon Fish Butter

Bahan:
1 ekor ikan tenggiri, ambil dagingnya saja
5 buah bawang putih
1 ikat daun kemangi, rajang kasar
5 buah jeruk nipis, ambil airnya
1 sdt minyak zaitun
Lada dan garam secukupnya

Untuk menumis: butter 3 sdm

Cara:
Campu semua bahan kecuali margarin, rendam kurang lebih 2 jam.
Panaskan wajan anti lengket, ikan digongseng sampai matang, sambil dagingnya dihancurkan

Good for:
sandwich filling, paling pool kalau makan dengan sambal cocol.


My Favorite Drugstore Finds!

Buying skincare and make up at drugstore can be quite tricky. The lighting was so harsh/almost impossible to review certain  color such as foundation and usually these stores do not provide take home samples. 
However, I believe that there are a lot of excellent products in drugstore waiting to be explored, and I do find a few things, which sometimes could be a real dupe, and even better than high end brands! Here is my take on drugstore best buys!

1. Bioderma Crealine H2O
One of the best cleanser ever! It takes off make up without feeling icky or oily. Plus, it does not sting into my eyes, so it's very good to use. The micellar water really do wonders as cleanser and toner. 


2. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum
It is the first foundation that I use since the first time I am into make-up, which is 3 years ago. The foundation has a gel characteristics, and spreads easily and evenly to face. The coverage is light/medium but it's buildable. I never look cakey when I use this, and this foundation has a soft fragrance that evaporates quickly. Some says it's a dupe for Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, but... I think this foundation has speak for it self. The downside is, in Indonesia, there are only 3 colors: no 51, 52, and 53. I use number 53, a light beige color.  I believe they should import more shades here since it's too good to be passed on. Available at Watsons, Guardian or other department stores. Price:  Rp 264.000

3. Wet n Wild Coverall Foundation
Another foundation gem in drugstore counter. I think Wet n Wild products have a more neutral base, so the foundations are not looking too yellow-y. Being gel-ish, this foundation spread easily to my skin, but make sure to use moisturizer first! This medium to full cover foundation can be a bit patchy for people with dry skin. Always use a setting powder, otherwise, this will wear off pretty quick.  The shade in this foundation unfortunately is quite limited too. 
Available at Watsons, Guardian or other department stores. Price: Rp. 99.000.

4. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick
Seriously, this is lipstick done right. Pigmentation is good, nice vanilla fragrance, with just the right balm-y texture. It's semi matte and it does not feel dry on my lips. The color range  is quite formidable..

5. Maybelline Liquid Dream Mousse Foundation
This pump-bottled foundation is really good. Blend beautifully into skin and the texture is just right. 


Blogging: Things I’d like to do better

I like to write, although actually it’s kind of difficult for me to keep my blogging schedule on time. However, I make a note for myself to remind me of things that I wish I could do better on blogging.
1. Beautiful photograph
Yes, I am such a lousy photographer. I do not understand composition, white balance etc. But I do love to stare at beautiful food, beauty and make up tutorial photograph. Seriously. I hope I can do better on this.
2. Own a real camera, tripod, and do a DIY backdrop
I have been searching all over the internet that I do not need a full size DSLR camera to make beautiful photograph. To be honest, I mostly usse my ipad and camera to upload pictures. As for backdrop, I want to make an “infinity” backgraound from styrofoam and fabrics, nut I still don’t get the time since I’ve been moving from my apartment.
3. Focus on Content
I like to write about things around me, I mean like literally documenting almost anything. So, sometimes my posts are kind of very random-ish. Furthermore, sometimes life around me happened so fast, and I really do not have time to take pictures (let alone stylized picture). i do really envy those people who could make simple occasions beautifully documented.
Well, Here’s my rant for now. Asta la vista!

Monday 7 July 2014

Nasi Kebuli, Kambing Kecap dan Acar

Saya senang banget makan nasi kebuli dan kambing kecap. Namun setelah beberapa saat mencari resep, buatan Jidah lah yang paling enak. Variasinya banyak, ada yang menambahkan kentang, cabe panggang dsb. Memang menu ini biasanya hanya keluar kalau ada perayaan di rumah kami, seperti akikah, lebaran atau acara buka bersama!

Bahan
1 kg daging kambing, campur tulang.  Kaga dicuci (don't ask! :)) )
1/2 kg bawang merah iris
1, 5 ons bawang putih iris
Sereh 10 batang
Jahe giling 2-3 sdm
Lada putih 3 sdm
Kayu manis
Cengkeh
Jintan

Cara Masak Kambing
Daging kambing 1 kg + lada putih + kayu manis 2 biji + kecap 3 sdm + 1 ons bawang iris merah + 1/2 ons bwg putih iris + cengkeh 10 + jahe giling 2 sdm. Diamkan kira-kira sejam 
Tumis kunyit halus 1 sdm,  1 sdm jahe halus,  1 sdm lengkuas halus sd matang. Pakai minyaknya harus rada banyak dan apinya kecil. Diaduk terus supaya tidak gosong dan lengket. Tambahi     bawang merah, bawang putih, n sereh. Biarkan sampai matang, awas jangan sampai hangus..
Tambah kapulaga,  jinten,  ketumbar, lada, cengkeh, kayu manis
Rendam sampai empuk, lalu kasi asam jawa 1/2 sdt yg belum diperas
Masak kambing dengan api kecil sampai lunak. Biarkan sampai mendidih, kalau airnya habis, tambahkan air panas. Proses memasaknya agak lama sampai kambing lunak.
Kasi air panas, cek daging sudah lunak atau belum. Tambahkan merica, kecap, garam sesuai selera.
Cara Masak Bumbu Nasi 
Cicip lagi. Tambahkan Royco sedikit (kalau mau). Diamkan sampai dingin

Acar:
Ketimun potong kotak
Nanas potong kotak
Sambal botol dan ketchup botol perbandingan 1:1, mix semua

Cara penyajian:
1. Kambing kecap dipisah sendiri
2. Nasi hangat dicampur bumbu nasi, tambahkan kismis
3. Taburkan bawang goreng di atasnya
4. Sajikan dengan acar dan sambal kering
Selamat menikmati..

Thursday 3 July 2014

FOUNDATION 101: Pilah pilih alas bedak

Kalau menurut statistik (dengan gaya ngomong cak lontong he he he...) produk make up yang paling banyak dibeli adalah foundation. Di sini saya akan sharing pengalaman saya dengan si alas bedak ini, yang ternyata... butuh beberapa waktu buat saya untuk tahu mana yang pas buat sehari-hari.

1. Kenali tipe kulit muka, dan kira-kira kita bakal berada di lingkungan seperti apa.
Ini pinting banget. Apakah kulit muka kita bermiyak? kering? kombinasi. 
Kalau sudah tahu jenis kulitnya kira-kira apakah kita bakalan sering indoor di tempat AC yang bikin kulit kering? Atau memang bakalan banyak kegiatan outdoor yang bikin kita gampang keringatan dan berminyak ? 
Untung kulit kering, selalu pakai moisturizer sebelum memakai alas bedak, karena kalau kulit kering foundation seringkali jadi ceplak ceplok alias patchy! Pastikan kalau moisturizer ini benar-benar take alias terserap di kulit! 
Kalau memang kulit berminyak/kombinasi dan seringkali kerja outdoor, mending pakai jenis HD foundation Make Up For Ever yang oil-free dan tahan lama! Baiknya juga pakai primer yang mattifying terlebih dahulu. 

2. Coverage
Kalau coverage sih, menurut gw soal selera. ada yang memang ingin full coverage, ada juga yang pingin medium atau sheer coverage. Kalau pas kulit nggak problematik atau tone kulit cukup rata, saya selalu milih yang light coverage. Favorit saya: Estee Lauder Invisible teint atau Make Up Forever Face and Body Foundation. 
Foundation medium coverage banyak pilihan: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, Maybelline Liquid Mousse, atau Benefit Oxygen. Wet n Wild foundation juga oke! 
Kalau yang full coverage: MAC studio fix, MakeUp For Ever HD, atau yang budget friendly : Revlon colorstay. Waktu saya masih tugas di Palembang sebagai dokter bedah yang sering gawean outdoor juga.. satu-satunya foundation yang gak lumer kena panas keringat adalah MUFE HD Foundation.

3. Warna
Beberapa jenis foundation menegluarkan 3 warna undertone: rose, neutral dan beige. Tapi gak usah bingung. Perhatikan saja warna kulit, dan mana yang paling masuk ke kulit wajah. Warna kulit memang terkadang berubah sesuai lingkungan dan musim, jadi foundation yang sudah dibeli gak akan cocok 100% selamanya. 
Beberapa brand rata-rata meiliki undertone kuning yang kuat seperti Bobbi Brown, dan MAC yang NC. Berhubung saya lebih cenderung netral, saya harus makai make  up ini tipis-tipis dulu, kalau nggak muka bisa keliatan oranye terang hi hi hi. Maybelline, Revlon, dan Wet n Wild punya warna dasar yang lebih netral di kulit.

4. Finish
Hasil akhir foundation ada yang matte (bebas kilap), dewy (kesan lembab), luminous (sedikit bercahaya, biasanya ada micro shimmer). Ini sih tergantung selera saja. Kalau saya lebih senang yang dewy dan matte untuk siang hari, sementara acara malam saya senang yang luminous.

All by all, alas bedak harusnya seperti second skin, dan bukan kayak dempul. Kalau liat foundation pecah karena dipakai overdosis serem deh... So.. go out and have fun!!






Wednesday 2 July 2014

June Hauls

Hello!
Last month was very busy and physically demanding. I am happy with my practice and I am thankful about it.
I also had my hands on several beauty goodies and books. 

SKINCARE
In June, I had to drop my Hada Labo routine.. I had a breakout and it was awful. I had several acne on my forehead, which is rarely occured to me. I really liked the Gokujyun series, they are awesomely hydrating perched skin and budget friendly. However, i cant wear it anymore.

Clarins Gentle Renewing Brightening Peel
A part of Clarins White Plus HP series, this product contains alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which suppose to exfoliate dead skin surface and reveal a luminous and healthy skin layers. This gentle chemical peel contains tamarind, white nettle and mimosa tenuiflora extract. It is VERY gentle (I compare this to Cliniques no.2 toner and Kiehl's cucumber toner which are stingy to my face!), and should only be used every other day. I dab this toner with a cotton pad to face and neck after using face wash, wait for 10 minutes, then I apply moisturizer. It does contain alcohol, but let me assure you, this toner is not irritating.


Decleor Aromessence White C+ Brightening Concentrate
This bottle contains essential oils & wax of acacia, parsley, lemon and camomile. Two drops of oil in the morning, and three drops at night. The fragrance is .. divine. Although many people are put off  by fragrance, I like this one!

Decleor Aroma Cleanse Fresh Purifying Cleansing Gel
I rarely use soap/gel celanser. I prefer a creamy and gentle cleanser such as Physiogel or Neutogena Extra Gentle Cleanser. I got this product for free from Decleor. It contains ylang-ylang essential oil and peppermint aromatic water. However, a major letdown for me- this product contains parabens. I don't think I will use this regularly.

HAIRCARE
Last month, I tried Aussie moist conditioner. it is awesome! I always need conditioner because I regularly use Selsun 7 Herbal shampoo which is very drying to my hair. I think I need to de-escalate my anti dandruff shampoo, so I will use this shampoo alternately with my good 'ol Selsun 7 Herbal.

Well.. that's all the update for now. How are you during this Ramadhan month? I wish we have many blessings this months!




Why I blog?

To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

Sebenarnya, saya menulis blog karena suka banget liat blog yang cantik-cantik kayak essiebutton.com atau abeautifulmess.com . They are visually engaging... Dan gw seneng banget belajar ngedekor blog (although the result ahem.. not always artistic!)

Kalau konten blog sendiri, saya seneng banget surgeonblog yang "gw banget!" hi hi hi.

Hari ini saya berhasil ngotak ngatik Pages menjadi seperti lama dengan post terpisah.. hehehe...
Mudah-mudahan saya bisa ngisi konten nya secara konsisten dan rutin.

Well, it takes courage to write about daily life in a public domain. But I think, life is too valuable if we don't document them..

Salam... Salut!

Lif


Sunda Resto: Gubug Mang Engking

Belakangan saya kangen banget makanan Sunda. Tiba-tiba pengen makan gurame goreng.. Dan pilihan saya yang paling dekat Tangerang sini yah cuma Mang Engking. Lokasinya di the Breeze, dekat gedung sinar mas.

Saya senang di tempat ini karena konsepnya memang seperti warung lesehan. Jadi nostalgia semasa kuliah di Bandung...

Tempat cuci tangannya juga enak (ada di tiap beberapa saung) dan kita makan di atas kolam hi hi hi.

Menunya.. cukup banyak. Gurame cobek nya highly recommended. Ayam bakar pun enak di sini.

Price-nya sesuai sama masakannya kok. Jadi jangan kuatir! 

Bon appetite!

French Woman Don't Get Facelifts

I've been reading almost all Mrs. Guiliano book.
Although many book critics resent her for Francophilia uproaring everywhere- well.. she states her brand down right. Being a "real" French ambassador in the US, she has certain wisdom of a 1000-years old culture behind her (yes, American culture is relatively young to Europe).

This book is a tongue in cheek descriptions about beauty, lifestyle and well being (as most of her book)- the French way. There are recipes, a few brand recommendations and skin care tips.

I do not think this book is superficial. Although her advices could be similar to columns in glossy magazines,  she got a better way to explain her beauty secrets which makes her writings far from boring endorsement scribblings.

Title: French Woman Don't Get Facelifts
Publisher: Simon&Schuster
Where to buy: Kinokuniya, Periplus
Price: Rp. 140.000