First off....HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR>>GONG XI FA CAI>>>>ETC, ETC, ETC.....all the rest of the good luck wishes....I don't know many...sorry..:)
Spent my first day of chinese new year RECOVERING from flu!! Been having it for two weeks and in the last week, the darn bug decided to go full blast! I was so sick that I could barely get out of bed! Yah..it was bbbbaaaddd...definitely one of the worst flus that I had ever had! Note to self: Next year, GET FLU SHOT even if husband STILL doesn't!!!
As of my current situation, still sick, coughing my lungs out but on "active duty" (Ethan duty that is). Ethan's got a little runny nose but that's about it, he's as happy as a lark...really doesn't bother him. He's a happy toddler....as long as he gets his way!
Couldn't get any of my chinese new year cookies done, nor was there any reunion dinner cooking! It was soooooo upsetting. I've never not able to make CNY reunion dinner since I have my own home... this is the first! Not that Ethan would notice (he was happy with his store-bought roast chicken!). But there's 15 days of CNY, so I'm still deternmined to get some baking done..*cross fingers* as soon as I can stop coughing for at least half an hour!!!
Meanwhile, just wanna wish everyone a good one this year...and happy dog year...:D woof woof...
Jan 30, 2006
Jan 17, 2006
Soon Kueh
This is the second time I'd made Soon Kueh, the first one we ate everything and didn't take any pics!! LOL!! PIGS that we are! Soon Kueh is more or less like a large savory dumpling steamed with vegetable filling then eaten with Kecap Manis(an Indonesian sweet and thick soy sauce) and chilli sauce(obviously) on the side.
I'd gotten this recipe for the dumpling skin from a friend and as for the dumpling filling, I used my own which is pretty similar to that of a popiah filling.
Skin dough recipe(for 10 servings/dumplings):
Ingredients:
100g Wheat Starch/flour
50g Tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
200ml boiling water,
1/2 tsp cooking oil
Method:
Sift wheat starch, tapioca flour and salt together. Add boiling water & cooking oil and knead it to a smooth dough.
Roll the dough into a jelly roll and divide into 10 portions. Then roll the individual portion into a ball and using a rolling pin, roll that ball into a flattened round sheet to be use as the wrap.
Then take about 1 TBS of filling for each sheet and place onto the flattened sheet. Fold it into a semi-circle and pinch the edges together and you get the dumpling. *The wrap is rather delicate, so don't use too much filling or it will tend to tear.*
Then have an oiled plate(safe for heating) and place the dumplings onto it.
Steamed them for about 10 mins.
Filling:
Ingredients:
1 medium Jicama
1 big carrot
garlic
one handful of dried shrimps
salt, sugar and pepper
Oil
Method:
Soak dried shrimps in hot water to soften. Julienne jicama and carrots. Mince garlic. Drain the shrimps and mince that too.
Heat some oil in a wok, add garlic and minced shrimps. Fried till fragrant and add jicama and carrots. Mix the vegetable and let it simmer to cook till vegetables are softened. Add salt, a little sugar and pepper to taste. *Eliminate dried shrimps if you want it to be totally vegetarian*
I'd gotten this recipe for the dumpling skin from a friend and as for the dumpling filling, I used my own which is pretty similar to that of a popiah filling.
Skin dough recipe(for 10 servings/dumplings):
Ingredients:
100g Wheat Starch/flour
50g Tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
200ml boiling water,
1/2 tsp cooking oil
Method:
Sift wheat starch, tapioca flour and salt together. Add boiling water & cooking oil and knead it to a smooth dough.
Roll the dough into a jelly roll and divide into 10 portions. Then roll the individual portion into a ball and using a rolling pin, roll that ball into a flattened round sheet to be use as the wrap.
Then take about 1 TBS of filling for each sheet and place onto the flattened sheet. Fold it into a semi-circle and pinch the edges together and you get the dumpling. *The wrap is rather delicate, so don't use too much filling or it will tend to tear.*
Then have an oiled plate(safe for heating) and place the dumplings onto it.
Steamed them for about 10 mins.
Filling:
Ingredients:
1 medium Jicama
1 big carrot
garlic
one handful of dried shrimps
salt, sugar and pepper
Oil
Method:
Soak dried shrimps in hot water to soften. Julienne jicama and carrots. Mince garlic. Drain the shrimps and mince that too.
Heat some oil in a wok, add garlic and minced shrimps. Fried till fragrant and add jicama and carrots. Mix the vegetable and let it simmer to cook till vegetables are softened. Add salt, a little sugar and pepper to taste. *Eliminate dried shrimps if you want it to be totally vegetarian*
Linguine with Shrimp in Homemade Arrabiatta Sauce
Did I mention I love noodles!!:D Well, I didn't have time the other day to make a "full-course" meal so I did a quick and easy pasta with salad on the side. I always have some canned tomatoes around so this is easy peasy. I don't really go for the bottled ready made stuff. I enjoy adding my own spices into the sauce, plus the fact I have to clear some of the fresh herbs that I had lying around...:)
Jan 14, 2006
Lil' Rocker
That's Ethan, all decked out in his favorite cap and his "electric" guitar! His daddy knotted up the strap so that Ethan could "carry" it instead of dragging that poor instrument around. Ethan llloooovvvveeessss music and each time he hears ANY music, he would drop whatever he's doing, runs to the source, stands in front and starts to dance. So when he got this guitar, he was totally impressed by it and carries it around! And with his cap, he does look like some alternative musician!! LOL!
Bean Curd
I found this recipe at KC during one of my "inspiration" trips. I had attempted to make this sweet beancurd dessert/"Tau Huay" before but it turned out looking like scrambled eggs. Don't ask. The original or rather, the traditional, recipe asked for the usage of Gypsum Powder. I was a little doubtful of using that but I did it anyway. However THIS particular recipe calls for agar-agar instead which is a more available than the former.
As usual, when a recipe is THAT easy, I HAVE TO DO IT!! Yah...it's almost like an addiction...*sigh*..... soooo....I did it WITH amazing results!! It actually tasted like the real deal! I did the "Tau Huay" as the recipe asked, and as for the syrup, I made a regular simple syrup with a few slices of ginger and a few stalks of pandan leaves/screwpine leaves in it. The final product was terrific. However the next time I make this, I think I'll cut the recipe in half as it turn out it was a little too much for us...hehe....(yah, I was THAT greedy for it!)
Jan 13, 2006
Kuih Bangkit
My relationship with this cookie is a love-hate relationship. I love EATING it but I hate MAKING them!!! Yes, as simple as the recipe may be it's one tricky tricky process. Either that or I just don't have that baker's touch...:(
I tried my luck making them last year for Chinese New Year and they turned out to be like rocks!! They were better protection for any home invasion than my home alarm system *sigh*. And I was so determined to make it successful that I kept on trying (5 times in a row to be exact and that took 2 whole days!). It just got worse on each try. Gave up and told myself that it just wasn't meant to be!!!
Then this year, I saw Ching's blog with a Kuih Bangkit recipe, pics included, I was hooked!! Of course, I was also drooling but that was besides the point. :D Her recipe was a whole lot simpler than most I've come across and with an added bonus, hers used MICROWAVE! There was only one thing left to do, I HAD TO MAKE IT!
The first batch didn't come out the way it should, but they were still edible and way better than what I've done before. So I tweaked the method a little. I changed the oven setting to 375"F and left them in there for 45mins instead. The results, as Edmand puts it, "hey, this is like the actual thing"...errrr....done....*wink*
Thanks Ching!! You're a wonder!!!!
Oh yah, I also added another extra ingredient in this recipe. I wanted the cookie to have a stronger flavor so I added Pandan Leaves/Screwpine Leaves to the flour and then microwave them together for 2 mins instead of 1 min (coz I've a real lousy microwave...:D). And I don't know if it's the high humidity level here in DFW but I ended up with a real "wet" dough, so I also added extra 1/2 cup of flour to the recipe. Everything turned out great....:D I'll definitely be bakng this cookie for CNY!!!
Ching, keep all these easy bake recipes coming!! :)
I tried my luck making them last year for Chinese New Year and they turned out to be like rocks!! They were better protection for any home invasion than my home alarm system *sigh*. And I was so determined to make it successful that I kept on trying (5 times in a row to be exact and that took 2 whole days!). It just got worse on each try. Gave up and told myself that it just wasn't meant to be!!!
Then this year, I saw Ching's blog with a Kuih Bangkit recipe, pics included, I was hooked!! Of course, I was also drooling but that was besides the point. :D Her recipe was a whole lot simpler than most I've come across and with an added bonus, hers used MICROWAVE! There was only one thing left to do, I HAD TO MAKE IT!
The first batch didn't come out the way it should, but they were still edible and way better than what I've done before. So I tweaked the method a little. I changed the oven setting to 375"F and left them in there for 45mins instead. The results, as Edmand puts it, "hey, this is like the actual thing"...errrr....done....*wink*
Thanks Ching!! You're a wonder!!!!
Oh yah, I also added another extra ingredient in this recipe. I wanted the cookie to have a stronger flavor so I added Pandan Leaves/Screwpine Leaves to the flour and then microwave them together for 2 mins instead of 1 min (coz I've a real lousy microwave...:D). And I don't know if it's the high humidity level here in DFW but I ended up with a real "wet" dough, so I also added extra 1/2 cup of flour to the recipe. Everything turned out great....:D I'll definitely be bakng this cookie for CNY!!!
Ching, keep all these easy bake recipes coming!! :)
Jan 10, 2006
Ice cream madness
I know, I've promised to post this for the longest time but I didn't forget, I just.....ok.....laziness...that's all! :D
Anyway, I used my KitchenAid Mixer plus ice-cream maker attachment for this ice cream. It's Meyer Lemon and Ginger Ice Cream. I found some Meyer Lemons in season when I was at the market and bought it on an impulse!! So I had to find a way to use them and it turn out that I had the EXACT amount of lemons(for the juice) needed in that recipe. I found the recipe at William-Sonoma site but apparently it's not there any more...oh well...still that's a good site to check out.
It was a little of a hassle to make your own ice cream but the final product was so worth it! It was a lot creamier than the commercial stuff and thing is, you know exactly what went in and "control" the ingredients. I love the end product and now waiting to try out another ice cream recipe. I was thinking of strawberry and mint or something to that extent. Still have not decided....hmmm.....I'll see how it goes...hehe..
Anyway, I used my KitchenAid Mixer plus ice-cream maker attachment for this ice cream. It's Meyer Lemon and Ginger Ice Cream. I found some Meyer Lemons in season when I was at the market and bought it on an impulse!! So I had to find a way to use them and it turn out that I had the EXACT amount of lemons(for the juice) needed in that recipe. I found the recipe at William-Sonoma site but apparently it's not there any more...oh well...still that's a good site to check out.
It was a little of a hassle to make your own ice cream but the final product was so worth it! It was a lot creamier than the commercial stuff and thing is, you know exactly what went in and "control" the ingredients. I love the end product and now waiting to try out another ice cream recipe. I was thinking of strawberry and mint or something to that extent. Still have not decided....hmmm.....I'll see how it goes...hehe..
Jan 8, 2006
Bath Time Fun
Water + bubbles + 20 mth year old boy =
Yep...Ethan tends to get a little crazy at bathtime! Oh yah, his "cap" is actually his water bucket but he likes to take it from us and wears it on his head!! Like I said, he's a little goofboy!
Yep...Ethan tends to get a little crazy at bathtime! Oh yah, his "cap" is actually his water bucket but he likes to take it from us and wears it on his head!! Like I said, he's a little goofboy!
Meme----> You're what you eat
It's true, I've been delaying in doing this meme...hehehe...the lazy lazy person that I am!! And how true this phrase is, "you're what you eat". When I think about it, I think the food you eat defines you as a person and your character. So here's my top ten....:) Enjoy!
1. Avocado : I LOVE THOSE DARK GREEN OVAL SHAPED FRUITS!!! What can I say, I can eat it with Sushi, I can eat it with salad, I can even eat in my sammies. I can eat it here, I can also eat then there, I can eat them ANYWHERE!!! (okkk...a little overdose of Dr Seuss here!). I was introduced to them when I first lived in Canada and since then, I'm hooked!
2. Tea : I love black tea most but I drink almost any tea. I used to drink them on a daily basis, but had to stop doing that coz I think the caffeine in it is keeping me up all night!!! And for the tea lovers out there, go to Teavana!!! You would be in tea heaven!!!
3. Sea Urchin Roe : I know, I know, but it's not as bad as it looks! I love them!! I could just eat them as a meal! Most of all I like it as a piece of sushi!! Oh man, just thinking of it makes me want to eat them!! Hmmm...I wonder if Ed would be up for some Japanese food this weekend!!;)
4. Tofu : I eat almost any form of tofu except for tofukey! For those people out there who "invented" this monstrosity, you totally ruin the beautiful delicacy of the simple tofu!! Tofu I think, best enjoyed as a dish by itself! I make sure that we have tofu at every meal! hehe..that's how much I like it!
5. Chicken : Everyone loves chicken, I'm no exception. It's great tasting, versatile, and great accompaniment for many food.
6. Water Convulous/water spinach/Kang Kong : Yes, I throughly enjoy this humble vegetable, my only regret is that I can't eat it everyday! Most of all, I like it stir-fried with sambal!! Yummy!!!!
7. Sushi and Sashimi : Yes, I guess it's an acquired taste. Yes, I do love those sliver of raw fish pieces....hehe....a little seaweed here and there and a tad of rice too wouldn't hurt! :D
8. Fresh Cherries : With the exorbitant prices for fresh cherries these days, eathing them in some thing of a luxury. The price to date for Fresh Oregon Cherries, $7.49 per pound! You kidding me!!!!
9. Noodles : I think I love noodles more than rice. There, I've said it! hehehe...Yes, I'm a noodle person, if I get my way, we would have noodles every meal or at least WITH every meal
10. Shellfish : Scallops, clams, mussels, oysters, abalone, etc. Yah, I love my shellfish!! Not something I can get every day coz of the high cholestrol count on shellfish. But they are soooooo sooooooo very good!!!! *sigh* Guess I would have to wait for special occassions for those lovely morsels!
Now, let me go tag someone else....
San....you know the drill!! :D Have fun!!!
1. Avocado : I LOVE THOSE DARK GREEN OVAL SHAPED FRUITS!!! What can I say, I can eat it with Sushi, I can eat it with salad, I can even eat in my sammies. I can eat it here, I can also eat then there, I can eat them ANYWHERE!!! (okkk...a little overdose of Dr Seuss here!). I was introduced to them when I first lived in Canada and since then, I'm hooked!
2. Tea : I love black tea most but I drink almost any tea. I used to drink them on a daily basis, but had to stop doing that coz I think the caffeine in it is keeping me up all night!!! And for the tea lovers out there, go to Teavana!!! You would be in tea heaven!!!
3. Sea Urchin Roe : I know, I know, but it's not as bad as it looks! I love them!! I could just eat them as a meal! Most of all I like it as a piece of sushi!! Oh man, just thinking of it makes me want to eat them!! Hmmm...I wonder if Ed would be up for some Japanese food this weekend!!;)
4. Tofu : I eat almost any form of tofu except for tofukey! For those people out there who "invented" this monstrosity, you totally ruin the beautiful delicacy of the simple tofu!! Tofu I think, best enjoyed as a dish by itself! I make sure that we have tofu at every meal! hehe..that's how much I like it!
5. Chicken : Everyone loves chicken, I'm no exception. It's great tasting, versatile, and great accompaniment for many food.
6. Water Convulous/water spinach/Kang Kong : Yes, I throughly enjoy this humble vegetable, my only regret is that I can't eat it everyday! Most of all, I like it stir-fried with sambal!! Yummy!!!!
7. Sushi and Sashimi : Yes, I guess it's an acquired taste. Yes, I do love those sliver of raw fish pieces....hehe....a little seaweed here and there and a tad of rice too wouldn't hurt! :D
8. Fresh Cherries : With the exorbitant prices for fresh cherries these days, eathing them in some thing of a luxury. The price to date for Fresh Oregon Cherries, $7.49 per pound! You kidding me!!!!
9. Noodles : I think I love noodles more than rice. There, I've said it! hehehe...Yes, I'm a noodle person, if I get my way, we would have noodles every meal or at least WITH every meal
10. Shellfish : Scallops, clams, mussels, oysters, abalone, etc. Yah, I love my shellfish!! Not something I can get every day coz of the high cholestrol count on shellfish. But they are soooooo sooooooo very good!!!! *sigh* Guess I would have to wait for special occassions for those lovely morsels!
Now, let me go tag someone else....
San....you know the drill!! :D Have fun!!!
Jan 6, 2006
Happy New Year
Hey I hope everyone had a great one!!! I know we did! We had a week long feast....almost continously, I'm glad that it's over now, with a little break before another "feasting", Chinese New Year!! Now that the barage of cooking, baking and eating's over, it's time to keep up with my New Year's resolution! So far I'm doing good...hehehe...
For Christmas, we had loads of the usual Christmas fixings; honey baked ham, Yum Woonsen, Prawn Crackers, Stuffed Mushrooms, and buns. But know what, we got so hungry that I forgot to take a pic of it!! Talk about greedy!! ehhehe.... But I managed to take a pic of the dessert which was great!! Considered that I've NEVER EVER seen or tasted this recipe!! I guess I fell in love with the ingredients of it that I could envision it!! hehehe... As for the "decoration" of it, I simply use my imagination!! hehehe.... If anyone's interested, it's called "celebration cheesepie" and it's from foodtv.com. For those who are weight conscious, I substitute most, if not all, of the possible ingredients with either their fat-free or light counterparts. Trust me, you don't lose anything in taste!!! It's that great! I used my KitchenAid for it and it totally whipped a lot air into the cream portion of the pie! It's GREAT!
With all the cooking and baking over the Christmas holidays, we decided to dine out for New Year instead. We went to this Brazilian restaurant called Texas de Brazil and let me say, they are good! We had been to another similar restaurant, Fogo de Chao and I loved that one. Now I know I would have another option! I love the ambience of this style of service. They are actually a form of brazilian grilled meats, mainly beef here. And they would bring the whole meat on the skewer to the table and carved it for you! I LOVE THE WHOLE PRESENTATION! Of course, with a little kid by your side, you've got to make sure that he's at the end of the table in case of accidents!! They DO carried very sharp knives! Overall I think my friends had a great time here for their New Year celebration! I know we did! Of course, there's always some celebratory drinking! :D Found some seriously great wines too, will share with you all in a later post! ;)
With all those outrageous amount of eating and drinking and what not, all of us managed to catch stomach flu!!!! ARRGHHHHH!!! I know, it's a virus and not the food! But that did stop us from eating for a while! It's payback I say, payback for all those lavish consumption!! :D`
For Christmas, we had loads of the usual Christmas fixings; honey baked ham, Yum Woonsen, Prawn Crackers, Stuffed Mushrooms, and buns. But know what, we got so hungry that I forgot to take a pic of it!! Talk about greedy!! ehhehe.... But I managed to take a pic of the dessert which was great!! Considered that I've NEVER EVER seen or tasted this recipe!! I guess I fell in love with the ingredients of it that I could envision it!! hehehe... As for the "decoration" of it, I simply use my imagination!! hehehe.... If anyone's interested, it's called "celebration cheesepie" and it's from foodtv.com. For those who are weight conscious, I substitute most, if not all, of the possible ingredients with either their fat-free or light counterparts. Trust me, you don't lose anything in taste!!! It's that great! I used my KitchenAid for it and it totally whipped a lot air into the cream portion of the pie! It's GREAT!
With all the cooking and baking over the Christmas holidays, we decided to dine out for New Year instead. We went to this Brazilian restaurant called Texas de Brazil and let me say, they are good! We had been to another similar restaurant, Fogo de Chao and I loved that one. Now I know I would have another option! I love the ambience of this style of service. They are actually a form of brazilian grilled meats, mainly beef here. And they would bring the whole meat on the skewer to the table and carved it for you! I LOVE THE WHOLE PRESENTATION! Of course, with a little kid by your side, you've got to make sure that he's at the end of the table in case of accidents!! They DO carried very sharp knives! Overall I think my friends had a great time here for their New Year celebration! I know we did! Of course, there's always some celebratory drinking! :D Found some seriously great wines too, will share with you all in a later post! ;)
With all those outrageous amount of eating and drinking and what not, all of us managed to catch stomach flu!!!! ARRGHHHHH!!! I know, it's a virus and not the food! But that did stop us from eating for a while! It's payback I say, payback for all those lavish consumption!! :D`
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