Friday, July 30, 2010

All in a week

Busy week. Caught up with a friend whom I haven't seen in more than 20 years. We found each other on facebook but never got to meet up back home. And here she was visiting a friend who was seeking treatment in Cleveland Clinic and we finally met. What are the odds? Culinary class 2 evenings of the week. Potluck at girlfriend's place yesterday. Hubby's company family day picnic this Saturday and a dinner party on Sunday. And this afternoon, I'll be doing lunch and checking out west side market with a newly made friend from culinary class. To tell you the truth, I'm absolutely knackered! :P Looking forward to sleeping in and long afternoon naps next week before another friend from Singapore comes visiting on Friday! :)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Mission accomplished! :)

So last evening's meal went pretty successfully! My first attempt without cheating with pizza delivery or ready bought food! *Yay!* I took practically the whole day preparing for it in my hell's kitchen. It was so darn hot in there that my face remained flushed the whole evening. Did not have time to take pics of my dishes but I managed to capture just this one shot while we were eating.


The menu included:
Pickled cucumber and carrot
Egg drop soup with tofu and enoki mushroom
Sesame grilled asparagus
Steamed corn with butter
Beer braised BBQ ribs
Kung Pao chicken
Fruit & mochi ice cream for dessert

I guess my biggest challenge was coordinating the cooking so that I could serve them hot when the guests arrive. I think it helps that I had all my recipes typed out on a piece of paper and I did all the prep for the ingredients and sauces early in the afternoon. I also used different modes of cooking and included a few dishes which were really quick and easy to cook (e.g. steamed corn & grilled asparagus). I prepared the pickled cucumber and carrot a day in advance and cooked the soup slightly earlier and kept it warm in a slow cooker. All in all, it worked out pretty well but I don't think I will be repeating this anytime soon. Well, not until the weather improves!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

My Crudités platter

We were made to practise the different cuts for a vegetable platter at our culinary prac class yesterday. Julienne, batonnet, chiffonade, brunoise, dicing, paysanne... Didn't really manage to perfect the cuts but it was fun.


My mini platter. The dip was made with plain yogurt, mayo, thousand island dressing and dry herbs.

It is interesting to see all the different designs that can come out from the very same ingredients.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Rice cooker "claypot" rice

I wanted to use up the leftovers in my fringe and I wanted a no fuss meal so this was what I cooked....


Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (cubed and marinated with 1T oyster sauce, 1 T dark soy sauce and 2 T light soy sauce and a dash of pepper for 30 minutes)
5-6 dried shitake mushrooms (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, remove stems and sliced)
Lettuce
1tsp sesame oil
1 T cooking oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 stalks of scallions (chopped)
2 cups rice
Coriander for garnish

1. Heat cooking oil in frying pan for few minutes.
2. Fry garlic till fragrant and add in the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes
3. Add mushroom and stir for a minute before adding in the uncooked rice.
4. Drizzle in sesame oil and dark soy sauce and mix evenly.
5. Transfer ingredients from pan into the rice cooker
5. Add in 2 cups of water, lettuce and stir to mix evenly. Press cook.
6. Give the rice a stir mid-way through cooking.
7. Garnish with coriander and spring onions and serve hot.

Variations:
* Use chicken/vegetable broth instead of water to cook the rice. Adjust salt content accordingly.
* Replace chicken with beef or pork and throw in some Chinese sausages for the sweetness.
* Replace lettuce with any other veges you like.
* Add ginger to enhance taste.
* You can choose to omit the frying and simply mix and cook the ingredients in the rice cooker directly. I personally prefer to cook the meat first to be on the safe side.

Celebrating life.

Alfonso "punished" for not eating his parsley ;P

Since Chewy's passing, I have been waking up every morning with fear of losing Alfonso as well. The first thing I do each day would be to check to make sure he is okay. Thought I had gone bonkers but it was only after talking to hubby the other day that I realized I was not the only one feeling that way.
We can't turn back time and bring Chewy back but we are thankful to have Alfonso here with us. It is just the three of us now but we will make the most of our lives together while Chewy watches over us from bunny heaven. :)


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Hijacked!

My laptop that is. Hubby's laptop has been sent for repair for a week. He also happens to have conjunctivitis so he is home hogging my computer for the last two days. I will resume proper online activity once he is okay to go to work again. Hopefully tomorrow! :P

Sunday, July 18, 2010

The Pressure is On....

After months of procrastination, it is finally happening. We are inviting 4 guests over to our place for dinner this Friday and I will be cooking. To tell you the truth, I feel as if I am about to take a culinary exam. I am sticking to tried and tested recipes and I already have my menu planned and typed out. But...what if I can't find the ingredients I need? What if one of my electric cooker decides to break down at the last minute? What if there is insufficient food to go around? What if my food turns out like crap??! :S
Seasoned homemakers will probably look at this post and think "It's just a simple dinner. What's the big deal, anyway?" Well, it's a mental barrier I need to overcome and hopefully I will gain enough confidence to start cooking for other people other than my guinea pig - my hubby. ;) *fingers crossed*

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Chewy is Home

Cheap Thrills Friday!

A day out with a girfriend
A one for one all-day breakfast lunch 
$1.50 movie ticket
Great buys:
$2.98 Skirt (original: $54)
$4.98 blouse (original: $18)
$8.97 bermudas for hubby (original: $28)
Cheap, fresh fruit from Marc's

Whoever said hanging out had to be expensive? ;)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Kung Pao Chicken

This is a rather spicy Sichuan dish. I was coughing away while frying the chilli but the end product was delicious! Cut down the number of dried chilli for less spice and don't forget to deseed them!

Recipe from Rasa Malaysia 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 boneless & skinless chicken breast (or 3 boneless & skinless chicken drumsticks)
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
8-12 dried red chilies (deseeded and cut into halves)
3 tablespoons cooking oil
5 slices peeled fresh ginger
2 gloves garlic (sliced diagonally)
1 stalk scallion (chopped)

 For the marinate:
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon oil

 For the sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon corn starch
  1. Cut the chicken meat into small cubes, rinse in water, pat dry with water and marinate with the ingredients above for 30 minutes.
  2. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Heat up a wok with one tablespoon cooking oil and stir-fry the marinated chicken until they are 70% cook. Dish out and set aside.
  4. Clean the wok and add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until it smokes.
  5. Add in the ginger and garlic slices and do a quick stir before adding in the dried red chilies.
  6. Stir fry the dried red chilies until aromatic and they smell spicy, then add in the chicken meat.
  7. Do a quick stir before adding in the roasted peanuts and continue to stir a few times.
  8. Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is nicely coated with the sauce.
  9. Add in the scallions and stir evenly.
  10. Dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.
Enjoy! :)



Only in my household.

I have succeeded in vacuuming down one of the blinds in my room and the elastic band in my vacuum cleaner broke. Just brilliant. *sigh*

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Culinary Bootcamp!

Escoffier Hollandaise sauce / Roux/ Temperature danger zone (40 - 140 degrees F)/ Clean chopping board between cutting meat and poultry. Prevent cross contamination!/ On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals/ BlanchingSave those broccoli stems! / Vegetable trimmings for stock

Those were some random things I picked up from my first lesson at the community college last evening.  Figured if I'm to be a homemaker, I might as well get the fundamentals right. By the end of this module, I should be working those knives and cooking like a pro (not!). Heh. Anyway,  it's high time I assimilate into the community and make some new friends too. *Exciting. Exciting!*

My Ladybug Friend, My Inspiration


I've got this strange affiliation with ladybirds and beetles in general. Every time I see one appear in my home, I feel  particularly inspired to study or work. Sounds mental but it perks me up tremendously. =)

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Monday, July 12, 2010

A Day With Mother Nature

On Saturday, hubs and I took a 3 hrs drive to Hocking Hills State Park. It certainly did not disappoint. It was wonderful to simply bask in nature's splendour and forget all troubles - even if it's for a little while.


Thursday, July 08, 2010

Hot, Hot, HOT!

The weather has been so incredibly hot these days that our apt literally feels like an oven! We decided we couldn't stand it much longer and ordered a portable air-con online 2 evenings ago. Since it will only arrive next week, hubs has been coming up with all sorts of ideas to cool the apt down. This is the most successful method thus far:
I call it the "wet underwear on fan" method. ;)
I know it's not the most aesthetic looking but it has certainly cooled the air by a few notches! Well done, my man! ;P

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Beer- Braised Ribs in Barbeque sauce

As you can see, I am on a roll with pressure cooking. This recipe is so easy and oh so tasty! And oh, do pop by Hon, what's for dinner? if like me you are clueless about what you should be cooking for dinner everytime! Better still, contribute! ;)

Recipe from Pressure Perfect: Two Hour Taste in Twenty Minutes Using Your Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
4 lbs pork spare ribs, country style or baby back ribs
1 bottle beer (12 ounces)
1 cup water
2 tbsp cider or red wine vinegar
Barbecue sauce

1. Slice ribs into three or four rib portion.
2. Pour the beer and water into a 6-quart of larger cooker.
3. Arrange ribs in cooker so that none are directly on top of each other. (Lean ribs against side of cooker but do not fill cooker more than two-thirds full. Ribs do not have to be fully submerged in liquid to cook properly.)
4. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes and quick release pressure.
5. Preheat oven to 400 F. Transfer ribs to a rack set over foiled-lined baking sheet.
6. Brush BBQ sauce on both sides of the ribs.
7. Roast until browned and crisp on top, 7 to 10 minutes. Turned ribs over and baste with additional BBQ sauce. Continue to roast until second side is deeply browned, abt 5 mins.
6. Brush a little extra sauce onto each rib and serve.

Variation
*Lamb ribs (20 mins + quick release)
*Beef short ribs or flanken (25 minutes + natural release)
*Instead of BBQ sauce, use honey-mustard sauce +/- 2 to 3 tsp of toasted sesame oil and 2 tsp of sesame seeds


A Taste of Home


Today I received not one but two love packages from Singapore! Am really touched especially when they're from friends who are not particularly close to me! And I'm a little shocked and embarrassed to see the amount of postage spent to send those spice mixes over. *blush* Hopefully they'll be willing to let me pay for them! All I know is that I'll have enough spices/ sauces (including a previous package sent to me on my birthday) to last me a very long time here...Yums! *burp!*

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

The Happiness Project


Granted, I'm not exactly in the happiest of times right now. But this reminds me that no matter what crap life throws at me, I'd always be loved and it is important to stay positive and be happy! :)

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What a [emotional] ride...

No, I did not see it coming. Life has certainly hit me hard below the belt this time. To make Chewy better and then take her away from me.  It is hard not to be angry. But to whom and what can I channel this anger to? I can only take comfort in the fact that Chewy had lived a good nine years of her life. A good old age in rabbit years. She had given us so much love and joy and was loved dearly in return. May she continue to spread that love in bunny heaven and have plenty of carrots to munch on without falling sick. She will always be remembered in our hearts, our dear bunny girl.

My period came today. A brand new cycle. In more ways than one. Hopefully, life is done playing cruel tricks on me.

Saturday, July 03, 2010

In Loving Memory of Chewy

(2001 - July 2010)

For all the love and joy you have brought to us...
We will miss you, our dear bunny girl.
We have loved you too, so so much.

Friday, July 02, 2010

A Wound So Raw

This morning, I learnt that my girlfriend is pregnant.
In another life, we would have been screaming wildly for joy especially after finding out that we would be mothers at around the same time.
Instead, I felt as if someone had just ripped open the stitches to my wound and poured salt right down it.
It hurts. So bad.

oh, I wish I could be happier for her...

You Capture: Hands

My man hand in hand with his mistress. And I saw red. ;)


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Thursday, July 01, 2010

Helloooo July!

June has been such a crap month that stepping into July feels particularly hopeful & refreshing! We'll be kicking it off with the Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Festival tomorrow evening! With fireworks and music from one of the finest orchestra in the world, it would be nothing less than spectacular. Woo... I am excited! I should go plan my picnic basket now... ;)
But before I head off, here's a British ad I would like to share with you.


Embrace life. Always wear your seat belt.

Simple and yet so powerful.

I am absolutely blown away...

...by the magic my pressure cooker can do! Tender, succulent meat in just minutes. Wow. Makes me feel like a pro in my own kitchen. ;)

Five spice pork roast

Recipe adapted from Pressure Cooking for Everyone

Ingredients: (makes 6 servings)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 lb boneless pork loin, fat trimmed to 1/8 inch, tied
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 scallion, chopped
2 tbsp shredded fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp dry sherry
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
11/2 tbsp cornstarch
Ground pepper to taste
Chopped green scallions for garnish

1. Brown pork roast on all sides for abt 4 mins over medium high heat and transfer to a platter.
2. In a small bowl, mix five spice powder and salt together. Season pork with mixture.
3. Add scallion, ginger and garlic to pot. Stir over medium heat until fragrant, abt 30 secs. Add sherry and stir well. Add stock and return pork to the pot.
4.Cook under high pressure for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and quick release the pressure. Insert meat thermometer in the center of pork roast. It should read 150 F.
5. Transfer roast to serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let roast stand for 10 minutes before carving.
6. Let cooking liquid stand for 5 mins. Skim off fat that rises to the surface. Return cooking liquid to medium heat and bring to boil uncovered. Dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce in a small bowl. Stir into boiling liquid and cook until thickened. Season sauce with pepper.
7. Arrange roast on the platter and sprinkle with scallions. Serve immediately with sauce passed on the side.