Something to Lighten the Day

While I was reading on soccer news there's this ad which really made my mind lighten up..Hope you guys enjoy it...Love the chick~

Escape to Nanjing Feb 2009

The capital of southern China province Jiangsu, Nanjing has had its fair share of history, culture and tragedies. Nanjing has been the capital of China for six dynasties and Republic of China during the Chinese Civil War the city is the hub for education, research transportation and tourism throughout history. (read about Nanjing here)

My visit was a short 2 days 1 night trip but it was an extremely exciting trip. Apart from being able to visit the beautiful purple mountain where the mausoleum of Dr Sun Yat-sen lies, the ancient Linggu Temple, Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and the purple mountain observatory, it was a getaway from work for me and a wonderful family trip with my family over the Chinese New Year.

DAY 1 - We took an early Speed Train from Shanghai Train Station in the morning. It took us just slightly over 2 hours to reach Nanjing Train Station. The fare train fare for the Speed Train from Shanghai to Nanjing costs under 200RMB per person.From there, we took a cab to our motel which is located in the middle of Nanjing City at South Zhong Shan Rd, Bai Xia District. It costs us about 25RMB for the cab ride from Nanjing Station. After checking in, we took a cab to purple mountain(紫金山) which took us about 20mins ride and about 30RMB. There were a lot of people as it was only the third day of the Chinese New Year. We bought our tickets 150RMB per person and took our way into the entrance of the Mausoleum of Dr Sun Yat-sen.

The scenery was a welcoming sight and had it not for the weather I would've worn T-shirt and short running all the way up to the mausoleum. The walk up to the mausoleum was no easy task. 392steps to the top after the first gate plus the walk from base was no joke but reaching the peak was a breathtaking view of the Nanjing.

After we came down, we paid 200RMB to rent a tour guide with a cart to visit Linggu Temple, the pagoda and the civil war shrine. After that, we had to squeeze our way into the free train ride back to the mausoleum base then took a walk to the Ming Xiao Ling Mausoleum. It was just a day that we walked and walked and walked til the evening that we decided to go back for a good rest.

DAY 2 - Our visit was restricted due to the downpour in the early morning. We went to the Nanjing Museum which was free entrance and it was an exhilarating experience having to see ancient artifacts and handicrafts created thousands of years ago still lie in front of your very eyes. It gave me a thought that no matter how much technology has advanced, we must never forget about history that had gave us what we have today. Soon after the museum we headed over to Fu Zi Temple where confucious is worshipped here. After that, we had to make way to the train station to depart home for Shanghai. It was a wonderful visit to Nanjing eventhough there were many other beautiful and historical places which I did not manage to visit. I'll be back to Nanjing the next time to learn more about its history.


Walking towards the entrance...


At the entrance to the Mausoleum of Dr Sun Yat-sen

At the base.


Walking through the first gate


The climbing of 392 steps


Outside the mausoleum


Statue of Dr Sun


Linggu Temple


The museum tribute to those sacrificed during the civil war






The 'Purple' Lake


Stone Elephants at the long stretch walkway


THE MUSEUM


The Emperor seat made of Jade


An extremely fine art made of jade


Fu Zi Street


Outside Fu Zi Temple


The Wishing Tree


Fu Zi(Confucious) Temple


A strike on the bell for Good Luck

Do Eat is Back

It's just gave me a big surprise on how long I have not updated this blog since the last posting. I did have a few drafts which I wrote halfway and then I just paused which leaves me no clue to what I had wanted to continue about. Working life has taken it's toll on personal time and freedom hence this idle blog. Much has changed over the past 2 years and this time, it'll not just be food, it's going to be about life as well, and some rants on daily frustrations. Stay tune, and hope to have everyone interested in reading what's coming up next...

Cheerio and good day =)

Do also visit http://watsurflavor.blogspot.com on our food hunt around KL town as well as overseas adventure....stay tune.....

Flipped It Just Right!

Hohoho, finally, found some time for blogging....well, my laptop just got fried by good'ol zeus' lightning and I have no choice but to land my foot in the cyber cafe to do my surfing. Anyways, back to the main point - 'Flip it right' is what they promise and that's what they hold up to at Paddington House of Pancakes. It's not my first visit but I dare to say, it's a whole new innovation to how to cook pancakes.

This review was specially done because my girlfriend and I really enjoyed our time at the Paddington House of Pancakes at the Curve shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
(My apologies...didn't manage to take any pictures on the dishes we ordered ^_^ gomen gomen...promise there will be pictures the next time I come up with a review)

There were aplenty of different choices of pancakes over a wide variety of styles to choose from - from appetizers to main courses to desserts. I had one of the most fulfilling meal of the week. I had their pancake burgers which was, with two chicken patties in between served with fries and potatoes..I would rate it 7/10 for its taste but the draw back was its price...We also had a vegetarian pannekoek which comes with mushrooms and eggplants inside of it baked with cheese. Rating- 6/10

This is one place you will need to pay a visit to with your girlfriend/boyfriend or buddy. It's ambience is soothing but there's one drawback, the kitchen's a little too open and noisy for us to see and distracts us a little when we're in a conversation. Food? Needless to say, it's satisfying.

Here's their official website -http://www.paddingtonpancakes.com

Here's my rating of the restaurant:
Ambience - 7/10
Taste - 7/10
Price- 5/10
Service- 6/10

Ladies!!!!!Watch your Cola Intake!!!!!!

As I opened the Yahoo!homepage this morning, the interesting headline read:'Cola Raises Women's Osteoporosis Risk'. My reaction was, how would Cola could potentially harm the ladies although I know many of my girl-friends are not Cola fans. However, I have friends who are caffiene-addicted and takes 2cups or more a day of coffee...It's scary....and now, caffiene intake inteferes calcium absorption which will result in less bone formation...Hmm...I wonder, whether Coca Cola will introduce a new product - Coup 'yer Bone Up!

Read more about the report here

Satay for the meat lovers~

Do you like to eat meat? Do you like grilled meat? Well, most people love eating meat and what's more if it's grilled! If you do love eating meat, you must try one of our Malaysian exotic delicacy - satay. Usually, satay is a popular dish in Malaysia especially during celebrations and could be found throughout the country.

Satay consists of slices of meat on bamboo spine skewers, which are grilled over (usually)charcoal fire. Tumeric is often used to marinate the meat which gives its characteristic yellow colour. We usually have a variety of meat to choose from such as chicken, beef, mutton, pork(available in Malacca and Johor), venison, rabbit meat, ostrich meat and fish.

Satay is usually served with spicy peanut sauce dip, slivers of onions and cucumbers and ketupat. Pork satay can be served with pineapple based sauce. The ketupat is boiled rice wrapped in palm leaves.

The most popular types of ketupat found in Malaysia are ketupat nasi (made with plain rice) and ketupat daun palas (made with glutinous rice). Both varieties are wrapped in palm leaves and then boiled in water until cooked. It is said that ketupat daun palas originated from the northern states of Penang, Kedah and Perlis while ketupat nasi is more popular in Perak.

Satay Ingredients:

• 1 lb. meat- chicken, beef or pork
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup shallots
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 inch piece turmeric root
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• about 35 bamboo sticks

Directions:
Cut meat into small thin pieces. Grind together the shallots, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds & turmericuntil very fine. Combine ground spices with salt & sugar. Season meat with the ground spices and let marinate overnight(in a refrigerator of course).

When you are ready to grill soak the bamboo sticks in water so they won't burn, skewer the meat with the sticks, don't overcrowd.

Grill satay sticks over a charcoal fire (barbeque grill), basting occasionally with oil using lemon grass, smash and flatten to resemble a brush. Turn the skewers often to avoid the meat from getting burnt.

Ketupat ingredients:

• Rice, washed and drained- 2 cups
  
• Water - 4 cups
• Pandan(screwpine) leaves - 2
  
• Palm leaves(usually that is how they serve it in the picture shown above)

Directions:
Cook rice in water with a pandan leaves. When rice is soft, transfer it to a shallow square or rectangular dish.

Place a layer of plastic wrap over it. Place a folded clean dish cloth over it to compress the rice downwards until the dish is firmly packed. Put weight over the rice layer by placing a tray to fit and put some weights on it such as any can food.

Allow the rice to firm up into cake and cool it overnight in the refrigerator. Turn it out and cut into 2inches cubes.

Spicy Peanut Sauce ingredients:'

• Dry roasted peanuts - 2 cups
• Peanut oil or canola - 1/3 cup
• Water - 2-3 cups
• Sugar - 2 tbsp
• Tamarind Paste juice - 4 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Spice paste:

• Dried chillies, soaked in hot water - 6-8
• Garlic - 6 cloves
• Shallots - 6
  
• Candlenute(kemiri nuts) or macadamia nuts - 3
• Lemon grass stalks - 3
• Galangal(a type of ginger, a.k.a thai ginger) - 1 inch piece
• Coriander - 2 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Directions:
Crush peanuts coarsely. Chop spice paste ingredients and blend until fine.
Heat oil and fry the spice paste with tamarind juice until fragrant on medium high heat. Add water slowly to thin mixture. Add sugar, salt and peanuts and stir frequently for 3-5 minutes.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or longer, stirring every few minutes until oil begins to separate. Taste and don't be afraid to add any extra ingredients to achieve the level of sweetness, tartness or heat you prefer. Serve sauce with sticks of satay, ketupat and sliced cubes of fresh cucumber and red onions.

Hope you'll enjoy the recipe~!

How to prepare Nasi Lemak

If you wish to prepare Nasi Lemak and try it out, here are the ingredients:

• Rice - 3 cups
• Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
• Water - 3 cups
• Pandan(screwpine) leaves, cleaned and knotted - 4 pieces

For sweet chilli paste(sambal):

• Dried chillies, softened and pounded - 50g
• Shallots - 50g
• Shrimp paste - 1 tsp
• Anchovies(ikan bilis) - 30g
• Sugar - 2tbsp
• Tamarind, soaked in 4tbsp water, squeezed and strained - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method
For sweet chilli paste:
Heat 8 tbsp oil in a wok, fry the anchovies until golden brown then put in chilli paste and fry till fragrant. Add sugar and tamrind water and stir fry it. Taste the paste with a spoon and add salt to taste. Continue to cook till paste thickens. Cool and serve with coconut rice.

For coconut rice:
Wash rice and drain it. Mix coconut milk with 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Then, add the coconut milk and pandan leaves to the rice and cook. When the rice is almost dry, lower the heat. Let the rice to stand over low heat for 15 - 20 minutes. Serve hot(best for it's fragrance and taste) with peanuts, crispy anchovies(I personally like anchovies a lot that's why i have anchovies in my sweet chilli paste too!), cucumber slices, omelette or hard boiled egg and not to forget, the sweet chilli paste!

Servings: 4 persons

Enjoy this recipe! Hope you will be able to have a feel on one of Malaysia's breakfast~

Malaysian's favourite breakfast!!!

Well, well ,well, how should I start on this? Basically, reading this blog, I'll write about food, recipes and reviews of restaurants that I've tried, tasted, make and dine. I've not written any reviews on any restaurants because I do not have a digital camera >.<(don't laugh, it's really true!), and I have not been going to restaurants lately due to my busy working life~ Back to the topic. As a malaysian, I dare to say that most of us will have their own favourite breakfast. And I think that most malaysians like to have a breakfast of their own kind - Nasi Lemak!

Nasi Lemak, derived from the cooking process, the rice soaked in rich coconut cream and the mixture steamed with knotted screwpine(pandan) leaves for more fragrance. Occasionally, herbs such as ginger and lemon grass may also be added for additional fragrance.

This dish is served with cucumber slices, small dried anchovies(ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, hot spicy sauce (sambal), hard boiled egg, sometimes with pickled vegetables (achar) and stir fried water convolvulus (kangkong). Nasi lemak can also come with any other accompaniments such as chicken, cuttlefish, cockle, beef curry(beef stewed in coconut milk and spices). Most of these curry are spicy in nature.

You can find nasi lemak nearly anywhere as they are sold at roadsides, petrolstations, mamak stalls and restaurants. You can have it as breakfast or lunch or even dinner as you like because this dish is certainly going to be a love to your taste buds!

A Curry A Day Keeps Your Taste Buds Awake!

Hello! It's been really a long while since my last post on recipes. Been buzzing around with work and studies and the internet was out of my reach for 5months or so. That's why...

Anyway, I woke up early in the morning today and my dad told me he needed to use the car. Hence, he accompanied me to work as I drove to my office. We stopped by a mamak stall nearby my office and had breakfast. I had a roti telur with dahl curry.

I wasn't quite happy with the curry. Liquid, too clear, can't taste a good dahl for sure. It was one of the worse dahl curries ever made out of the hands of the mamaks! I have known quite a few mamak stalls who actually cook good dahl curry. So, I thought why not share the curry recipe with everyone?

Here it goes, it's really simple:

• 1 cup skinned dahl or yellow split peas

• 1/8 tsp. ground tumeric

• 1 tbls. peeled and very finely chopped shallots

• 1 tsp. ground cumin seeds

• 3-4 whole fresh green chillies slit down their middle

• 4 tbls. vegetable oil or 2 tbls. coconut oil and 2 tbls. ghee

• 1/2 tsp. whole black mustard seeds

• 10-12 fresh or dried curry leaves

• 1-2 whole hot dried red chillies broken up into 2-4 pieces each

• 2 tbls. peeled and finely sliced shallots

• 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped

• 5 oz. (1 medium) sized tomato chopped

• 3/4 - 1 tsp. salt

• 1 1/4 cups tinned or fresh unsweetened coconut milk

Pick over the dahl and wash it in several changes of water and drain. Put in a pot and add 3 3/4 cups water as well as the tumeric. Stir to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Simmer the dahl for about 45 minutes.

Now put in the chopped shallots and ground cumin. Stir, cover in the same way as before and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the green chillies and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the dahl is tender. If the dahl seems too thick at any point, add up to 1/2 cup of boiling water.

The dal, at this stage should be like a thick paste-like soup. Leave on a very low heat as you complete the final step.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium flame. When hot put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop. (this take a few seconds) put in the curry leaves and the red chillies. When the red chillies darken (this happens almost immediately) put in all the sliced shallots and garlic. Stir and fry until the shallots turn a reddish-brown color. Now add the tomato pieces. Stir and fry until they soften.

Pour the entire contents of the small frying pan into the dahl. Add the salt and mix. Add the coconut milk and stir it in. The dahl may be cooked several hours ahead of time and then reheated.

Hope you enjoy the recipe~

The Durian Season is back!!!!

A selection of branded durians in a plantation in Balik Pulau, the durian centre of Penang


The Durian season is back! And it's ready to kill all your noses! Durian, Malaysia's king of fruits is set to dish out it delights to all you durian lovers out there! For those of you who do not know what durian is, here is some information for you.

Wikipedia defines durian as:
The durian (duɾiɑn) is the fruit of trees belonging to the genus Durio. There are currently 30 recognised Durio species, all native to south-eastern Asia. At least nine species produce edible fruit. Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market, but other species can be found in local markets in their native region. The durian fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and its formidable thorn-covered husk. Its name comes from the Malay word duri, meaning "thorn".

The fruit can grow up to 40 cm long and 30 cm in diameter, and typically weighs one to five kg. The shape of the fruit ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on species. Its hard outer husk is covered with sharp, prickly thorns, and the flesh within emits a strong, distinctive odour. Some regard this odour as fragrant, while the uninitiated often find it overpowering or offensive. The edible portions of the fruit are the custard-like flesh and the seed.
And what they say about the odour?

Writing in 1856, the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace provides a much-quoted description of the flavour of the durian:

A rich custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy.

Wallace cautions that "the smell of the ripe fruit is certainly at first disagreeable"; more recent descriptions by westerners can be more graphic. The English novelist Anthony Burgess famously said that dining on durian is like eating vanilla custard in a latrine. Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:

... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia.

The unusual odour has prompted many people to search for an accurate description. Comparisons have been made with the civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray, and used surgical swabs. The wide range of descriptions for the odour of durian may have a great deal to do with the wide variability of durian odour itself. Durians from different species or clones can have significantly different aromas, and the degree of ripeness has a great effect as well. In fact, three scientific analyses of the composition of durian aroma — from 1972, 1980, and 1995 — each found a different mix of volatile compounds, including many different organosulfur compounds, with no agreement on which may be primarily responsible for the distinctive odour.

This strong odour can be detected half a mile away by animals, thus luring them. In addition, the fruit is extremely appetising to a variety of animals, from squirrels to mouse deer, pigs, orangutan, elephants, and even carnivorous tigers. While some of these animals eat the fruit and dispose of the seed under the parent plant, others swallow the seed with the fruit and then transport it some distance before excreting it, the seed being dispersed as the result. The thorny armored covering of the fruit may have evolved because it discourages smaller animals, since larger animals are more likely to transport the seeds far from the parent tree.The seed should be consumed with caution as it can possess a sharp, bitter flavor.

So, I'm going to introduce the different species of durians in Malaysia.

The following is a selection of branded durians which was photographed during the 2004 and 2006 AsiaExplorers Durian Feasts.

D11

"Number Eleven" is a very popular durian in the 70's. It has creamy yellow flesh with a pleasant taste and a subtle smell.

D604

The D604 was first cultivated by the late Mr. Teh Hew Hong of Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh is quite sweet, and has some "body" to it as the seed is small.

D600

This durian originates in Sungai Pinang in Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I documented is a bit hard.

D700

The flesh is darker than D600, like chrome yellow. Also slightly hard. Crispy, but the smell is not very strong.

Ang Sim (Red Heart)

Ang Sim is a durian with flesh which is quite soft and very sweet, and dark yellow in colour. It also has a nice aroma.

Khun Poh

This durian takes the name of the late Mr Lau Khun Poh, who first budded it. Khun Poh has beautiful orangy flesh with a slightly bitter-sweet taste and a heavy aroma.

Hor Loh (Water Gourd Durian)

The flesh of the Hor Loh is very soft, dry and quite bitter. It has a sharp smell to it. Hor Loh was first cultivated at the Brown Estate of Sungai Ara. It got its name from its appearance resembling a "Hor Lor" pumpkin. If the durian hits the ground hard when it falls, the flesh tends to be bitter thereafter.

Ang Heh (Red Prawn Durian)

Ang Heh originates from Pondok Upeh, Balik Pulau, and has a round-shaped husk. The orange reddish flesh is highly aromatic, very soft with a bitter-sweet taste.

Xiao Hung (Little Red Durian)

Xiao Hung, whose name means "Little Red One," originates in Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I tasted for this write-up is a bit hard. There are only one or two seeds per section, but the flesh is thick.

Yah Kang (Centipede Durian)

Yah Kang flesh is whitish, the taste is superb, milky, like very sweet, melting chocolate. The name "yah kang" means centipede, and accounts for the number of centipedes found at the foot of the tree, hence giving it the rather unusual name.

Bak Eu (Pork Fat Durian)

Bak Eu has a slightly acidic aroma. The flesh is whitish while the taste is quite bitter but nice.

D17

D17 is dark cream flesh. The taste is slightly dry but sweet. It is a tasty durian.

Coupling

This durian is gets its unusual name because it looks like two durians joined together, one big and one small. When split open, you almost thought the two halves belong to two different durians. Coupling has whitish flesh which is slightly dry but tastes good.

Ooi Kyau (Tumeric Durian)

The name Ooi Kyau (tumeric) describes the colour of the bright yellow flesh of this durian. It is very sweet and tasty.

Chaer Phoy (Green Skin Durian)

Chaer Phoy is shaped like a small canteloupe. The skin is bright green, giving it the name which means "green skin". Chaer Phoy has creamy white flesh which is a bit dry, not too sweet but tasty.

Ang Jin (Red Yoke Durian)

As the name suggests, Ang Jin Durian has deep orange flesh. It is very sweet and tasty.

Lin Fong Jiau

This durian is named after Lin Fong Jiau, aka Mrs Jackie Chan. I wonder whether it is indicative of the relationship of the celebrity couple, for Lin Fong Jiau is bittersweet.

A healthy diet treat~

Yesterday, I was on the road on my way back home in the afternoon and this radio station had a pretty interesting topic. The deejay was talking about healthy foods and it just struck in my mind about writing on a simple healthy yet tasty recipe. I thought, fruits are important to outr body where we need the vitamins, fibres and the minerals. Hence, I thought of introducing the easiest and nice delight which you can do it at anytime, anywhere. Introducing the yogurt!

Fresh Yogurt

1. Use one or two large glass jars to measure the amount of milk you would like to make into yogurt. Pour the milk into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat stirring frequently.

2. Heat the milk until it is “hot to the touch” but not boiling. After the milk becomes hot, turn off the heat and let the milk cool for at least twenty minutes so it approaches room temperature.

3. Now pour the milk back into the jar(s) and add several large tablespoons of fresh yogurt, from what is left from your prior batch or from a health food store variety of plain yogurt.

4. Keep the jars warm (90-120 degrees) for the next 10-12 hours. This is the part of the process which requires some ingenuity. You can put the jars in a sunny window or warming in a pot of water that is on low simmer. You should use a cooking thermometer so that you are sure that the water stays at the correct temperature.

5. After 10-12 hours give the jars a good shake and place them in the refrigerator to cool. Then your yogurt is ready to eat!

Try mixing in fresh fruits, granola, or cereal with a little apple juice for sweetening.

Why yogurt? Here are some interesting facts about why i choose yogurt as a choice of a good healthy diet.
1. It has been and is touted as a cure for everything from insomnia to yeast infections, as a cancer preventive and a life-extender.
2. Low-fat or nonfat yogurt is nutritious--an excellent source of calcium and protein, and a good source of riboflavin, phosphorus and vitamin B12.
3. It is more digestible than milk for some people with lactose intolerance.

Enjoy the recipe!

Main course is back!!

Finally after a month's lay off due to my busy studies schedule, I've finally found some time to sit down and update my blog a little. Here's the main course for the day, allow me to introduce to you - Pork Chop Potato!

The recipe is as follow:

Ingredients:

8 whole tiny new potatoes, halved (about 1 lb.)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
4 boneless pork loin chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (1 lb.)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper (use these to season the meat and keep in fridge overnight)
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin, bite-size strips
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized strips
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth(chicken stock)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

Directions:

1. For each serving, place one-fourth of the potatoes on a piece of 18x12-inch heavy-duty foil. Place one-eighth of the onion on the potatoes. Place pork chop on top of the onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with one-eighth of the onion slices and one-fourth of the sweet pepper and carrots.

2. Combine broth, mustard, and thyme in a bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the broth mixture over each pork chop. Bring up 2 opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold remaining ends to completely enclose mixture, leaving space for steam to build.

3. Grill foil packets on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the meat reads 155 degree F and vegetables are tender, turning packets twice. Makes 4 servings.

p/s: for those of you who can't take pork, try it with chicken. It'll taste just as great too ^_^ enjoy this meal! bon apetite!

Finger Food ichiban!

I'm pretty sure everyone of us like to have finger food when we're enjoying a movie. So, I've decided to write a recipe on a simple finger food recipe which could be done in a jiffy. Here's one interesting food which can be prepared in a short frame of time : Spiced Nutty Popcorn!

Ingredients:
100g(3 1/3 oz) sachet butter-flavoured popping corn
2 tablespoons olive oil
125g(4 oz) blanched almonds
125g(4oz) roasted unsalted cashew nuts
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup(100g/3 1/3 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Prepare popcorn as directed on packet, then distribute between two serving bowls. Heat the oil in a medium pan, add the almonds and cook over moderate heat until lightly toasted. Add cashews, seeds, chilli flakes and paprika and stir over heat for about 1 minute or until aromatic.

2. Remove from heat, add the cheese and sprinkle over the popcorn. Set aside to cool before serving.

*Make up to 1hour in advance if you would like. Preparing this would take at least 20minutes. :) enjoy!

Another soup to come...

Today's soup of the day will be Mushroom Cream soup. It's pretty easy to make since it doesn't take too much time and energy to prepare it. This is one soup which i would love to have when i'm losing out of ideas thinking of what to cook for soup. It's best to go back to the simplest of all. And it's a favourite for many especially mushroom lovers. Try out with assorted mushrooms in it. Cut it into small cubes. It will go great with some garlic bread.Some white wine and cream make it a delight for the palate. Enjoy!^^

Ingredients:
fresh mushroom 250 g/8 oz
3 spring onions (scallions)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 cp milk 125 ml/4 fl oz
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock (broth) 500 ml/17 fl oz
1/2cup white wine 125 ml/4 fl oz
1/2cup cream 125 ml/4 fl oz
salt
freshly ground white pepper
nutmeg
1 bunch parsley croutons

Directions:
1. Clean the spring onions (scallions) and cut into fine rings. Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the onions.

2. Rub the mushrooms with tea towel, cut into fine slices san sweat them briefly. Dust with flour and stir in. After about 2 minutes, pour the milk over and stir in carefully to avoid lumps.

3. Add the vegetable stock (broth) and white wine. Simmer for 15 minutes. Puree the soup. Add the cream, bring briefly to the boil again, remove from heat and add grated nutmeg to taste.

4. Wash the parsley and chop finely. Ladle the soup into soup bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve with croutons.

Tako Tako!

Have you guys tried takoyaki before? I just have to share this delicious japanese snack with you. Takoyaki is a popular japanese dumpling made from batter, octopus, pickled ginger, green onion and konnyaku topped with okonomiyaki sauce, green laver and mayonnaise. It's a fast food snack where it's crispy on the outside while it's mouth-watering fillings are covered in the soft sticky paste. There are different types of fillings that are made available like octopus, prawn, ham& cheese and unagi. I like the taste of the takoyaki and it's a great snack when you're feeling like muching something in your mouth :)

Here's the recipe for takoyaki but i don't know if it'll work 'cuz i've never tried making it before ^^ This is the simplest recipe that i could find.Good luck trying it!

Serving: 50-60balls

Ingredients:
200g chopped boiled octopus
cooking oil
benishoga (pickled ginger) (to taste)
chopped negi (or scallions) (to taste)
tenkasu (or rice crispies) (to taste)

To make the batter:
450cc water
1 piece konbu (kelp), 10cm square
15g powdered katsuo-bushi (shaved dried bonito)
200g flour
2 eggs

Sauce:
commercial takoyaki sauce
or worcestershire sauce
or mayonnaise

Directions - batter
1. Clean the konbu by wiping it lightly with a cloth.
2. Cut the konbu into 2-centimeter-wide partial strips against the grain, but don't cut all the way to the edge -- see illustration.
3. Add the water and konbu to a pot, and cook uncovered over a slow fire.
4. Just before the water starts to boil, remove the konbu from the pot. The liquid should be a light yellowish or greenish color.
5. Add shaved katsuobushi to the water as it starts to boil.
6. After the liquid has been boiling a minute or two, turn off the heat.
7. Quickly remove the shaved katsuobushi from the liquid with a filter or strainer or cloth. Try to remove the katsuobushi while it's still floating on the surface, before it has a chance to sink.
8. Allow the liquid to cool, then add the liquid, flour and eggs to a bowl and mix.

For the takoyaki:
Make a small test batch of 4 or 5 takoyaki at first, to check the consistency of the batter. Add more flour or water as needed.
1. Oil the takoyaki pan.
2. Add pieces of chopped octopus to each cup.
3. Pour in the batter.
4. Add benishoga, negi and tenkasu to taste.
5. Cook the takoyaki pieces until they achieve the desired degree of firmness, turning them over frequently.
6. Remove from the pan and serve with sauce and/or mayonnaise.

Here comes dessert...

I'm going to serve you with Cold Raspberry Souffle.

Ingredients:

300g(10oz.)frozen, thawed and drained, or fresh raspberries(i use strawberries instead since it's easily available in my country than to find raspberries)
1 tablespoon honey
500g(1 lb) low-fat natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons apple juice
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Combine the raspberries, honey and yoghurt. In a bowl, soften the gelatine in the apple juice and dissolve over hot water or in the microwave for 10seconds. Add to the raspberry mixture.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, adding the sugar gradually. Fold into the raspberry and spoon into 4-6 small moulds. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

點心; Dim Sum

A cantonese term, dim sum is usually a light meal or brunch eaten in the morning-to-early-afternoon with family or friends. I used to have dim sum meals every week with my family back when i was living with my grandmother. It was enjoyable because you get to share such a nice and enjoyable moment with your family members. It was like a family activity on every sunday morning for our family.

On we go with the introduction of dim sum. Dim sum usually includes buns such as bao, dumpling and rice rolls which contain a range of ingredients including chicken, pork, prawns and vegetarian options. Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed vegetables, roasted meat, congee porridge and other variety of snacks.People go yum cha when they are having meals in a Chinese teahouse or a dim sum restaurant, and tea is always served along with dim sum.

Dim sum can be cooked by a variety of ways namely steaming and frying and many other methods. The size of the dim sum are usually small and normally served as three or four pieces in one dish. It is customary to order family style, sharing dishes among all members of the dining party. Because of the small portions, people can try a wide variety of food.

Dim sum dishes can be ordered from a menu or sometimes the food is wheeled around on a mobile cart by servers. Dim sum is certainly a favourite breakfast choice for the chinese because people especially the elderly. I feel that dim sum is a really wonderful creation because not only it gives us to taste such great food with great tastes, it also helps to strengthen the relation between the family and friends and will always be one of the best type of food in my list for breakfast. Hope you enjoyed what i wrote on and find it informative.

Main Course for the day

Today's main course would be.......Fish and Chips! It's one of my favourite dish when i'm looking for something simple and easy to cook. It's as simple as snapping your fingers. Here goes the ingredients and directions. Hope you could try it out when you're free to try!

Servings: 6 person

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh cod fillets (choose thick ones)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup water2 extra large eggs
Vegetable oil

Baked Chips (recipe as follows):
4 large baking potatoes, unpeeled
4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves (see note)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Directions:
Lay the cod fillets on a cutting board. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Cut the fillets into 1 1/2-by-3-inch pieces.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 1 cup of water and then 2 eggs.

Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a large (12-inch) frying pan and heat it to about 360 degrees. Dip each fillet and allow the excess to drip back. Place carefully into the hot oil. Don't crowd the pieces.

Keep the oil between 360 and 400 degrees. Cook each piece 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove to plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

Note: To keep hot for up to 20 minutes, line a baking sheet with paper towels and put the fish into a 200-degree oven.

Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. You'll have 6 long wedges from each potato. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together, making sure the potatoes are covered with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with one cut side down.

Bake the potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, turning to the other cut side after 20 minutes. Bake until lightly browned, crisp outside and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt.

(Note:If you don't have fresh rosemary, these chips are delicious with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.)

p/s: if you can't find cod, i would recommend dory fish. remember to clear off the black line of the dory fish if you don't the fish will taste awful :) i personally like to deep fry the fish. it's up to you actually. trying something new is always a challenge :) enjoy your meal!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-autumn festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, around the time of the autumn equinox. Usually, for us here we usually have a gathering with family members, have dinner and enjoy the night with drinks(usually chinese tea but some have wine) and mooncakes while appreciating the beautiful moon that night.

I ripped this off from a website on chinese festivals regarding this festival. "This day was also considered a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables and grain had been harvested by this time and food was abundant. With delinquent accounts settled prior to the festival , it was a time for relaxation and celebration. Food offerings were placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. Apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates , melons, oranges and pomelos might be seen. Special foods for the festival included moon cakes, cooked taro, edible snails from the taro patches or rice paddies cooked with sweet basil, and water caltrope, a type of water chestnut resembling black buffalo horns. Some people insisted that cooked taro be included because at the time of creation, taro was the first food discovered at night in the moonlight. Of all these foods, it could not be omitted from the Mid-Autumn Festival."

A little history on the mid-autumn festival goes like this. In the Zhou Dynasty(1066 B.C.-221 B.C.), people hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival sets in. It becomes very prevalent in the Tang Dynasty(618-907 A.D.) that people enjoy and worship the full moon. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.), however, people send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion. When it becomes dark, they look up at the full silver moon or go sightseeing on lakes to celebrate the festival. Since the Ming (1368-1644 A.D. ) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911A.D.), the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival celebration becomes unprecedented popular.

Together with the celebration there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers and fire dragon dances. However, the custom of playing under the moon is not so popular as it used to be nowadays, but it is not less popular to enjoy the bright silver moon. Whenever the festival sets in, people will look up at the full silver moon, drinking wine to celebrate their happy life or thinking of their relatives and friends far from home, and extending all of their best wishes to them.

I'm pretty excited for tonight's celebration at my friend's house. There would be a small number of us but it will be exciting with all the lanterns lighted, the food being served, the laughters in the air filled with the joyous mood of the mid-autumn festival. I hope that you will too enjoy this festival if you ever have the chance to celebrate it.

Caesar Salad

It's a simple dish that could be done within a short time and you can just live with it for dinner! A favourite dish of mine and here's the recipe that i wish to share:

Servings: 2 - 4 servings

Description:
* Use only good-quality Spanish or Portuguese anchovies in your dressing. Anchovy paste may be substituted (approximately two inches squeezed from the tube will provide the equivalent taste of one anchovy fillet).
** Fresh lemon juice is essential. Some chefs squeeze the lemon through a cheesecloth to ensure that only the juice ends up in the salad. If you are careful to keep the lemon seeds out of the salad, a simple squeeze will do.

Ingredients:
1/2 to 3/4 cup croutons (see directions below)
1 coddled egg (see directions below)
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (1 to 2 medium cloves with inner green germ removed)
1 anchovy fillet, mashed*
Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons (1/2 lemon) freshly squeezed lemon juice**
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano), divided
1 head Romaine lettuce, hearts and tender leaves only
Coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:
To make croutons: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the crust from day-old peasant-style bread (Italian or French bread) and dice into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with enough olive oil to coat, but not drench. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until just golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, give the pan a shake to make sure the croutons toast evenly. Remove from oven and completely cool croutons. Store in an airtight container.

To coddle egg: Coddling causes the yolk to become slightly thickened and warm. Bring a very fresh egg to room temperature by immersing it in warm water (otherwise it might crack when coddled). Place the egg in a small bowl or mug and pour boiling water around the egg until it is covered. Let stand for exactly 1 minute. Immediately run cold water into the bowl until the egg can be easily handled; set aside.

To make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy, and salt until blended. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the coddled egg until the mixture is thick, approximately 1 minute (this enable the lemon juice to "cook" the eggs). Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with one hand while vigorously whisking the mixture with the other. When the dressing is well combined, whisk in 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.

To assemble salad: Separate the Romaine leaves and discard the coarse outer leaves. Wash, drain, and pat with paper towels or spin dry the remaining leaves. Note: Lettuce should be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. Tear into bite-size pieces and set aside. In a large wooden salad bowl, add 1/3 of the dressing and toss with the croutons until well coated. Add the Romaine lettuce pieces and the remaining dressing; toss until coated.

To serve: Divide the salad between two chilled plates and sprinkle each salad with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and coarsely ground pepper. Serve immediately with chilled forks.