tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8292811125709319402024-02-21T00:47:08.523+08:00Fait MaisonIris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-12706383240209534502013-09-03T10:35:00.000+08:002013-09-03T21:07:53.916+08:00My little adventure in Paris<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Studying in Le Cordon Bleu Paris is unquestionably one of the best and craziest experiences I've ever had and dreamt to have! I have completed my course and returned home. I miss school and Paris terribly now! </span></div>
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In Paris, I gobbled up huge chunks of cheese as if I were eating slices of apples, consumed enough sugar to give me diabetes but still managed to lose some pounds because of the intense walking and whisking of 500ml of cream and 8 egg whites by hand every other day. Also climbed over balconies just to make it to school on time! Of course, I also got a little overenthusiastic and practised French<nobr style="color: #3e3e3e; line-height: 1.2; text-decoration: inherit;"> </nobr>whenever possible, so befriended fruit vendors, fishmongers, wine sellers and random strangers!<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For the first time, I did not feel like a tourist in another country. I really was living in Paris! Did I visit La Tour Eiffel? Well, not exactly but I passed by it. Did I visit Michelin restaurants? No, but I ate at amazing bistros and cooked for myself with the freshest ingredients straight from the open market just 5 min walk from home and the Bastille market. Did I line up to buy Chanel bags? No, because I did't have the money. I was already the happiest and proudest fellow on the street carrying big bags of fruits, veggies, seafood, meat and baking ingredients and utensils! Did I get the best view of the fireworks on 14 July at the Parc du Champs de Mars? No, but I did go to my French neighbor's party and together we ate, drank and watched the fireworks on his terrace from afar, donc, c'est pas mal (not bad)!<br /></span><br />
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Oh, and for those who always have the impression that Paris is a city of love- Did I fall in love with a romantic French man? No. I just got flirted at on the train, at the information centre, at the open market and randomly outside Hotel de Ville while I was sitting on the edge of the flowerbed looking clumsy searching for my phone in my super big bag. Sorry to disappoint. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, there're also many times when staying in Paris and studying in LCB weren't that glamorous. Every day I spent substantial amount of time doing household chores. I had to cook, clean the stove, clean the sink and dishes, clean the bathtub, wash and iron the endless pieces of uniform to get rid of the butter stains, chocolate stains and egg wash etc. Getting a French phone with Internet access was a pain. Long lines easily taking you an hour of waiting, if you're lucky. It wasn't easy but I was happy. I felt joy living alone, felt life was meaningful in LCB and felt free getting lost and wandering aimlessly along the old, beautiful cobblestone streets in Paris.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Before I headed off, many were happy to discuss why this might not and should not work, threw at me countless hypothetical problematic situations and tried to talk me out of going to the seemingly chaotic Paris by myself. They did this out of good intention and genuine concern for me, but sometimes they just didn't know what we're capable of. In face of the negative rush of opinions, I was lucky to have my sister, Warren and Kevin who told me I could do it and gave me an essential boost of self-confidence.</span><br />
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Apparently, reading John Wood's <i>Leaving Microsoft to Change the World</i> before packing was a wise move. Very relevant, hugely inspiring and also strongly encouraging. "<i>If there is something you want to do, do not focus on the obstacles. Do not ask for permission. Just dive in. Don't let the naysayers get you down.</i>"<br /></span><br />
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-26855419671740479242013-07-10T18:47:00.003+08:002013-07-10T18:50:05.940+08:00Lunch on the Seine- Day 6 at LCB<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">No Demo or practical class this day. LCB kindly prepared for us a combination of haute cuisine and sightseeing with this Welcome Lunch on the Seine. The food was average, but overall the experience was very pleasant. Great opportunity for us to mingle with other students who are studying Intensive Basic Cuisine. #</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As you see from the picture, a substantial portion of students are Asians, but there are also many from the States, Canada, Mexico, the Middle East and other parts of Europe. Quite a nice mix of people from very different faculties and with very different aspirations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl37Yt-rFLAmOEHANQ6plTj3AKe22mKihIRUo3h4VHYk533OopNHNNFJK0ZxJPIO2-6HPkIs_gWYQQw2Z6fbGWH7a0InkRZl2-pyHEk-dJ0IzIJYEH-7SpLi5CoUIRj8tIimm77mjFO9Yl/s1600/DSC_3191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl37Yt-rFLAmOEHANQ6plTj3AKe22mKihIRUo3h4VHYk533OopNHNNFJK0ZxJPIO2-6HPkIs_gWYQQw2Z6fbGWH7a0InkRZl2-pyHEk-dJ0IzIJYEH-7SpLi5CoUIRj8tIimm77mjFO9Yl/s640/DSC_3191.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">One of my favorite chefs, Chef Pascal Quere joined us for lunch. I dare not say heś my favorite after all we are just half way through the course. But am sure heś making it to the Top 3 in the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">He is responsible for many of the Demo classes, and sometimes supervise us in our practicals. He is by nature, not a very patient man, and he looks really pissed all the time! But he knows how to control his temper and tries very hard to keep his cool and even stay humorous even when in face of our very silly questions or mistakes and inefficiency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">He is gentle and helpful. When we mess up, he never shouts. Instead he quickly comes to our rescue and later explain to us what has gone wrong. Seeing how stressful and nervous we got during our practical, at the end, he took some time to give us a short but memorable speech. He said to us that pastry is a tough profession. We have good days and the bad. But we always have to take pleasure in what we are doing. We have to think of the person we are making pastries for and we have to really enjoy the process, otherwise the pastry will not come out right and we will of course suffer. We do not do things for the Chef, we do things for ourselves. It is ourselves to whom we are accountable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This really made me reflect upon my attitude towards the pastry classes. I often thought I was more of a savory person, spent more time experimenting on savory dishes but failed to adopt the same inquisitive attitude in pastry-making. Having already gone through half of the course, I really appreciate pastry now. I have so much fun kneading and whisking, and decorating. Even when I completely messed up one of my cakes (Dacquoise, in later post), I managed to stay cool, stay cheerful and tried my very best to remedy the situation. Chef Pascalś words stay in my heart.</span></div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-33254004480823309072013-07-07T01:18:00.001+08:002013-07-07T01:19:01.164+08:00Saint-Honoré- Day 5 at LCB<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">In this Demo class, Chef Cote made Paris Brest and Saint-Honoré<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Honor%C3%A9,_Quebec" title="Saint-Honoré, Quebec"></a>. These two extremely popular and beautiful French sweets are basically puff pastries sandwiching a massive hill of cream. I am not exaggerating, that blob of cream can be intimidating. No doubt it is perfect and irresistible to look at, but I don´t think many people in Hong Kong, a city that relatively appreciates thinness, will be able to stand eating the whole thing without secretly scrapping off part of the cream. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Like many other Hong Kong people, I have never been a fan of cream. I often try my best to avoid it. When I eat cakes, I only eat the sponge cake layer and scrap off the cream with the back of my fork. Whenever I order ice-cream, I often make the request to skip the cream. But this Saint Honore opened my eyes and woke my taste buds. The chantilly cream we made and whisked by hand for a whole 10-15 minutes, was super light, fluffy and just taste sooooo good. Our hard work really paid off. If I were at home, I would have simply used an electronic mixer. If I were to whisk that 500ml of cream by hand at home, I would have given up in just 1 minutes. So I guess sometimes I really need some people to push me, only then will I realize my own potential.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Practical class was super intense. The Chef assigned to supervise us this time is well-known for being strict. He is nice though, I like him. But his voice was the background music, rapping out strings of instructions with a cute French accent like ´Clean your station!´, ´What is this paper towel doing here?! It is like a market here!´, ´Allez, Allez! Quick, Quick, Quick!´, ´I want to see all the baking sheets on this rack in 2 minutes!´. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This can be quite stressful I can assure you, especially when you
already have super many things to do, including checking your cooking
and easily-burning caramel every now and then, but you still have to
clean the station and walk all the way to the other end of the room to
line up and wash your gear. BUT, looking back, I understand how
important it is to develop the habit of regularly cleaning and keeping
the station clear of garbages and idle utensils. As the Chef
always says, this is for our own good. This is afterall to protect us from
accidents and em... undesirable inefficiency.</span> </div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-46456218862377691012013-07-05T22:11:00.002+08:002013-07-07T01:19:01.167+08:00Tarte aux Pomme- Days 3 and 4 at LCB<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I
was quite excited about the classes because we're doing the classic
French apple tart, Tarte aux Pommes, for our practical (hands-on)
class! As I peeked through the windows of the pastry shops, the
beautiful presentation of the French apple tart never failed to impress
me. I always wondered how the apples could be so thinly sliced and so
delicately and strategically placed such that the tarte surface would
end up in the shape of a rose! Too much skill and effort required so I never attempted making one myself. </div>
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During
the demo, Chef Pascal made it look so easy to do. He could slice
apples at a lightning speed and all of regular thinness. He laid them
out at ease, stacked them till they look too tall and fragile and prone
to become, but not quite yet the Pisa Tower.</div>
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Along
with Tarte aux Pommes, the Chef also demonstrated the Tarte Normande
and Tarte Tatin. Yay, I finally know the difference between the first
two! Apparently, Tarte Normande involves the use of cream, eggs and
sugar to form a custard filling, whereas Tarte aux Pommes only has
butter-cooked apples inside. We were so lucky
that the Chef assigned to supervise us on our practical class is super
nice and helpful, making an otherwise frustrating, chaotic and hurried
situation quite fun and great for learning. He looks a bit like Santa
Claus, missing the moustache though.<br />
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The practical class this time was slightly more stressful than the last one, after all the tarte requires more time and effort. So the time was quite pressing, especially when you were not at all familiar with the practical classroom, we beginners often had to run to the ends of the classrooms to get the baking sheet, and then another end for the cooling rack, and around around the classroom opening drawers to see if there were still any rolling pins left. In addition, it was my first time using the core remover and a peeler to peel the apple (I usually use a knife), it took me some time to adapt and try not to cut myself. Anyhow, it was fun. My tarte turned out ṕas mal´, meaning not bad, but when you look closely at mine, there really aren as many layers of apples as that of the Chef. So, still have a long way to go, got to practice slicing the apples now!<br />
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-72103958191628826842013-07-02T23:54:00.000+08:002013-07-07T01:19:01.169+08:00Diamants- Le Cordon Bleu Days 2 and 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">My second day at LCB started out with 2 demo classes by Chef Cott. The Chef is very patient, fun-loving, and loves to joke around. On one of the demo classes, the Chef made classic French cookies, including diamants and lunettes that are shaped like eye glasses. For those who have been baking, this class does not seem to be particularly impressive or fancy BUT wait till you witness how quickly and organized the Chef works. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUiJNrPq-3V_WWDrkx26khjN5llpq4cmh_hEFV7d0n1pztPtZ2Yiyk_f1PV02GrTmfP0wo2zXyF0N6KzI9-mSx3knqj0rIKYxCp9_Xmr03oD6CAKYlfe2Fh9qeZCIUF6n2lWQvcZ2bFQG/s1600/DSC_2841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUiJNrPq-3V_WWDrkx26khjN5llpq4cmh_hEFV7d0n1pztPtZ2Yiyk_f1PV02GrTmfP0wo2zXyF0N6KzI9-mSx3knqj0rIKYxCp9_Xmr03oD6CAKYlfe2Fh9qeZCIUF6n2lWQvcZ2bFQG/s320/DSC_2841.JPG" width="209" /></a>In as short as 2 hours, the Chef managed to make over 15 dozens of cookies of around 10 different styles. Super quick. This also means that it is extremely difficult for us students to follow. For a moment, the Chef is making the dough for cookie A, and then in another second heś cutting out shapes for cookie B. Whatś worse, the school only provides us a list of ingredients but not the instructions, so we have to watch and listen to the Chef intently, jot down everything we need to do and bring for our practical class in the afternoon or on the next day. One thing I really like about Chef Cott, is that he often smiles at us mischievously and asks in a squeeky voice ´Do you want a little surprise?´ and of course expects us to say Óui, Chef!´. Then he will always happily show us extra techniques or interesting shapes or things that we have never thought of doing with a dough!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Finally our turn to bake on Day 3. Chef Patrick was there to supervise us this time. Very good-looking and well-built French man. Heś a cuisine chef, not specialized in patisserie but I guess diamants are so basic that every chef here knows the recipe by heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So, first things first. In the practical classroom, itś war. No time to sweet talk. Once we enter the classroom, we have to get all our equipment out and place everything in a steel tray to keep the station neat. Then we start weighing the ingredients, getting our hands dirty, running across the rooms to get the baking sheets and cooling racks, and of course, getting lost in a new environment just to find sugar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We learnt the technique of sablage, mixing in the butter with flour. As the Chef has taught us, itś like ćounting money´. Then we use the heels of our hands to push the dough to make sure everything is properly incorporated. When the Chef says something to us, 80% in French, he always ends with a ´dáccord?´ meaning ´understood?' and no matter if you understand it or not, we always have to reply Óui, Chef!' immediately to show respect and acknowledgement of the instructions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">My first practical class went pretty well. My diamants were well baked, cute and with the sugar around the edge, they do shine like diamonds! No wonder they give it the name diamants- diamonds!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />By the way, if you know me well enough, you should know Iḿ more into cuisine/ savory food more. I have been cooking quite a lot of savory food here in my little Paris appartment (living with host) and walking around different fascinating open markets here. Will update you on my life outside LCB too soon.</span></div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-90044587697516789802013-06-27T00:07:00.001+08:002013-07-07T01:19:01.172+08:00Le Cordon Bleu Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello all! Sorry about not writing for the past few weeks. I was having a great time in Germany, eating sausages, sauerkraust, pork knuckle and drinking beer!<br /><br />Now in Paris, at the mini computer room at Le Cordon Bleu. I have enrolled into the Basic Patisserie Course and today is my first class. Classmates from all over the world! So exciting!<br /><br />Todayś class is mainly on introduction, going through school rules, handing over to us our uniforms (jacket, pants, apron and hat) and the impressive set of equipments and of course, taking us a tour around the campus.<br /><br />
Bearing such a big name, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris is unexpectedly petit. Cramped all the time. Locker area- disastrous. Jardin d´hiver (Winter Garden) is pretty, presents tasty-looking gateaux and tartes, but cramped again. The practical rooms- a battlefield. The moment I got into one, where the Superior Patisserie students were working, I could only hear super intense whippings. Whippings of eggs or cream. Nope, not with those helpful, luxurious machines, but by the most simple em whips, quite a lot of hard work and sweat there. The students were also super quick and extremely concentrated with their weighing of sugar and flour etc. Not one of them had the time to look up and acknowledge the presence of us, a group of 15.<br />
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This undoubtedly reminds me of the first day of law school, just that it appears to be 10 times more intense. But, I know this is what I want. I want to receive the best, the most professional patisserie training and simply get stuck in the kitchen with people who are just as passionate about food and cooking as me.<br />
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Will think of a way to upload photos here later.</div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-76033981671918967772013-05-27T22:04:00.001+08:002013-05-27T22:09:27.041+08:00Shanghainese Broad Bean Mash 豆瓣酥<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broad Bean Mash may not look the most delectable, but it is one of the richest, most scrumptious and satisfying cold appetizers you may find on a Shanghainese menu. Good news for those who are not into cold appetizers, this dish may be served hot as well!</span><br />
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Unfortunately, not many restaurants in Hong Kong serve this dish. I don't understand this because unlike the yellow mung bean bricks which I have introduced to you in the previous post, broad bean mash is not at all difficult or time-consuming to make! So, I decided to experiment and reproduce this family-favorite.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0wpHvm3u7vwv-fHqi02Cxf4Stfdj3IHTXEBspSI-BU2mbq2485JxdaHAghOX0aNWwo60kFGhM_QTRMMwJxRF8V_o96J2TLbVF6qVRNShnI8LK3N7PsNjZG8Om0_PH3ThJ8QZXlJLG7yn/s1600/DSC_1121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0wpHvm3u7vwv-fHqi02Cxf4Stfdj3IHTXEBspSI-BU2mbq2485JxdaHAghOX0aNWwo60kFGhM_QTRMMwJxRF8V_o96J2TLbVF6qVRNShnI8LK3N7PsNjZG8Om0_PH3ThJ8QZXlJLG7yn/s320/DSC_1121.JPG" width="211" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4xCiEtUyUQSfAgAVN1N8za5Kaw0lcvi1Yu1qlyAYJZJt-QDUs3Y9OPMsGp4cKGKb8WUIaY-oHjCRUShXuWthECWy1GXaHT8pejkmGfZnR0pEwOCFuKgVUD1__eIjiqaPXSFl5a4TzxXT/s1600/DSC_1129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4xCiEtUyUQSfAgAVN1N8za5Kaw0lcvi1Yu1qlyAYJZJt-QDUs3Y9OPMsGp4cKGKb8WUIaY-oHjCRUShXuWthECWy1GXaHT8pejkmGfZnR0pEwOCFuKgVUD1__eIjiqaPXSFl5a4TzxXT/s320/DSC_1129.JPG" width="211" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Let me warn you in advance. Spoon after spoon, you can easily finish a whole pack of broad beans and still feel like you haven't had enough. But do try to restrain yourself from over-eating this because soon after 5 minutes, the bloating will sink in and hit you and cause great straining at waist! ARGHH!<br /></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shanghainese Broad Bean Mash 豆瓣酥</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 4)</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 400g skinned broad beans 去皮豆瓣</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 80-100g of Chinese pickled cabbage 雪菜</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 200ml of water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 100ml of chicken broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 teaspoon of sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 3 tbs of peanut oil</span><br />
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<i>Instructions</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Throw into a small saucepan the skinned broad beams, water and chicken broth. Bring them to a boil and then switch to low-medium fire and let them simmer for 15 minutes, until the water has more or less dried up and the beans have become mushy as shown in the picture above. Test it with a fork, the beans are ready when they are easy to break.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.Turn off the heat and mash the beans with a fork. It is alright to have little bits here and there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Turning to the Chinese pickled cabbage, squeeze out all the excess water and finely mince the cabbage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Heat the wok with 3 tbs of peanut oil and stir-fry the minced pickled cabbage over small-medium heat for 10-15 seconds. Be careful with the oil and keep stirring to avoid burning the cabbage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Fry the cabbage with sugar and the mashed beans. Stir to combine. If the mixture is already quite thick, a quick mix with do. Whereas, if the mixture appears too liquidy, keep frying over small-medium heat until the water has reduced and you have reached the desired consistency.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. You may serve it hot or cold. Both taste great!</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-80079535155476608242013-05-16T12:11:00.000+08:002013-05-16T19:34:00.505+08:00 Yellow Mung Bean Bricks 豌豆黃<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdEV3_PDhlAXFvOyoAl2kZDg-lP_DLOepsypGv3QT9QFkWWc_S_9f1lxCi5-w-usx1sZfdgHy-QhEGfdXS7KgS0RQjOlGufaSF1MUvGsE7Rt3W7023NuC2QT-BQcrfhsQUHC3-zEpsubO/s1600/DSC_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdEV3_PDhlAXFvOyoAl2kZDg-lP_DLOepsypGv3QT9QFkWWc_S_9f1lxCi5-w-usx1sZfdgHy-QhEGfdXS7KgS0RQjOlGufaSF1MUvGsE7Rt3W7023NuC2QT-BQcrfhsQUHC3-zEpsubO/s640/DSC_1033.JPG" width="422" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These delicate yellow bricks, born humble, accidentally made their way up to the royal lips one day in the Qing Dynasty a hundred years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Given the very specific timing, I am regrettably unable to start my story with our familiar "Once upon a time", but I can assure you that this story has our usual happy ending. So, one evening, Empress Dowager Ci Xi was enjoying some peace and quiet when suddenly loud, repeated sounds of the gong hit in outside the thick walls of the palace. The disturbance brought a frown to Ci Xi's thin, moon-shaped brows, so before questioned, her trusted servant quickly explained that it was the sound made by a peasant selling treats. Ci Xi then summoned the peasant, who frantically offered her a bite of the little mung bean bricks he made for a living. Just one bite, Ci Xi was utterly impressed and made the peasant the dessert chef of the Imperial Kitchen. These delicate yellow bricks since then became Ci Xi's particular favourite. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, you may be wondering- what is so magical about this little mung bean brick that managed to please the woman who was the most difficult to please?! These yellow bricks are sweet and refreshing. Delicate and light, but unlike jellies, there is this fine graininess that gives the dessert a bit of body and form this smooth, silky texture that just melts and silently slips away like sand when pressed against your tongue.<br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fs6J3qO46ta0NCow3qfNfAjzg5R-kCuvXeIQjnljNjjWOaeOEfc8kLOTnz1N5nUwZapGm8tis5Z0zT3B7yAjmBekFV65Klsl-4qE48sKQIDcKQpUc8zEAnuDb0eCt2mYmpn6nnsRDQmt/s1600/DSC_1043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fs6J3qO46ta0NCow3qfNfAjzg5R-kCuvXeIQjnljNjjWOaeOEfc8kLOTnz1N5nUwZapGm8tis5Z0zT3B7yAjmBekFV65Klsl-4qE48sKQIDcKQpUc8zEAnuDb0eCt2mYmpn6nnsRDQmt/s400/DSC_1043.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This imperial dessert is widely available in Beijing. You can find them in almost all Chinese eateries, both cheap and expensive. Unfortunately, it it not so in Hong Kong. My family and I all loveeeeee this dessert and we had experienced numerous counts of disappointment over the menus before its absence eventually became a matter of fact to us. So, my success in making these yellow mung bean bricks is the most recent big thing in the house! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I understand why these adorable bricks are not widely available- it takes so so sooooo much time to get them to the table! Soaking the beans requires 4 hours, simmering the beans requires almost an hour, and freezing the bricks requires another hour! BUT, the actual cooking time that requires you to actively work in the kitchen is in fact, quite little! I think around 30 minutes will do. So, have fun turning your kitchen imperial!<br /></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Yellow Mung Bean Bricks 豌豆黃</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 6-8)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients</i><br />- 250g shell green beans 去皮綠豆</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 cups of water (equivalent to 1L of water) and more</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 125g sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 5g of agar-agar 大菜, rinsed and cut into shreds with a pair of scissors</span><br />
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<i>Instructions</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Place the beans in a large bowl. Gently rinse them with water and drain for 2-3 times, like you're rinsing rice. Then fill in the bowl with water until it hits just an inch above the beans. Soak the beans for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge, they will puff up when it's done. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. In a saucepan, pour in 1L of water and throw in the already-soaked beans. Bring this to boil over high heat, and once it starts boiling, turn down the fire and let the yellow bean soup slowly simmer its way over low heat for at least 45 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. When the yellow beans are soft and half-dissolved, mix and stir in the sugar and let it bubble its way for another 5 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Switch off the heat and let the soup cool down a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Blend the yellow bean soup until it is smooth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Sieve the blended yellow bean soup to your wok. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Get the smallest saucepan you have and boil 1/4 cup of water. Throw in the agar-agar to boil until it is dissolved completely. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Now, back to the wok. Turn the heat to low fire, and pour the agar-agar water into the yellow bean soup. Keep frying the mixture to make sure it won't stick to the wok. Be patient, fry until the the yellow bean soup has reduced and thickened to a point when you lift your turner and gently drop a small amount back into the mixture, it slowly merges back in but leaving a trace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Turn off the heat and pour the thick mixture into a wide-surface tray. Let it cool down a bit, cover it with a damp tea towel and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (3-4 hours for maximum results) before serving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Cut them into whatever shape you like. We usually cut them into cubes or diamonds.</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-56550207997976007142013-04-29T23:57:00.001+08:002013-04-30T00:03:27.311+08:00Classic English Scones<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpONVq4sMfjP12alzFFhu4Lfjt45insQh-sNwNU8wgyAJp-w6T0l0wvzmhtVxLGjvdBlAi5La507f2YUtt_Y0Jr5utiPKPk7UVoPKxGTljKF02BjNHA_9lR8E6JAgGjepWkS5UoXgqYexm/s1600/DSC_1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpONVq4sMfjP12alzFFhu4Lfjt45insQh-sNwNU8wgyAJp-w6T0l0wvzmhtVxLGjvdBlAi5La507f2YUtt_Y0Jr5utiPKPk7UVoPKxGTljKF02BjNHA_9lR8E6JAgGjepWkS5UoXgqYexm/s640/DSC_1004.JPG" width="422" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love tea time! When I was in kindergarten, one of my favorite moments was to open my Minnie Mouse snack box which my mom packed for me every morning. I always knew there would be those pretty sugary belly-button biscuits, chocolate-coated Digestives and bite-sized sausages, but my anticipation for tea time never ceased. I know they are nothing fancy, but that was tea time and I was happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now in Hong Kong, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">afternoon tea sets can get quite lavish and sumptuous and having tea seems lofty and regal. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">really do not think tea time is </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">exclusive to rich taitais, rich married ladies who do not have to work and sip their Early Grey tea </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">well-mannerly </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with their pinkies up in the air. Instead, tea time can be simple, can be something enjoyed by everyone and form part of a child's fondest memories. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why pay a hundred dollars to restaurants when one can make scones that are just as amazing but more fresh at only HK$3 each in 30 minutes?!<br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdKTPC-4yekI36RQEZcD7wt8iF8zoEviI81eUG2A13ODT-B4Ms-da5QSKTowZ-1vQHPrbg6goL-A8ItcYygaZBf1VRW4Iymb_5yPLTHoaLr1-cDYA9yO8LfS0GpMZFXnbjEQPXPGNWu5P/s1600/DSC_0973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdKTPC-4yekI36RQEZcD7wt8iF8zoEviI81eUG2A13ODT-B4Ms-da5QSKTowZ-1vQHPrbg6goL-A8ItcYygaZBf1VRW4Iymb_5yPLTHoaLr1-cDYA9yO8LfS0GpMZFXnbjEQPXPGNWu5P/s640/DSC_0973.JPG" width="422" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scones</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 10 scones)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 350g self-raising flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 tsp of baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 85g of cold butter, cubed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 175ml of milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 3 tbs of sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 70g of raisins</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a few drops of vanilla essence</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a few drops of lemon juice (around 8 drops)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 beaten egg</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Instructions</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 200C. Line your baking try with baking paper. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. In a large bowl, mix together the self-raising flour, salt and baking powder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Roughly cut the butter into cubes and rub them into the flour mix with your fingers. You know you're ready when there are no more lumps of butter and the flour mix is fine and takes on a hint of pale yellow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Throw into the flour mix the sugar and raisins and mix well. So there's your dry ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gently heat the milk over the stove or microwave it for 30 seconds so it becomes warm, not hot. Stir in a few drops of vanilla essence and lemon juice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Pour the milk over your dry ingredients and incorporate them with a spatula.The dough is slightly moist at this point. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Dust a flat surface with some self-raising flour and knead the dough very lightly with around 4 folds. Do not over-knead otherwise the scones will be dry and tough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Gently pat and flatten the dough until it is around 2cm thick. Use a flour-dusted 6cm-round cookie cutter to stamp out the scones. Lightly knead the leftover/edges so to create one dough again, pat to flatten and stamp out more scones. Repeat this process to use it all up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Line up the scones on the baking tray and b</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rush the tops and sides of the scones with the beaten egg. This will help create the beautiful golden colour. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Bake the scones for 12 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. Cool the scones on a cooling rack and serve them warm with jam, butter or clotted cream. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can quickly warm up the scones with the oven but not the microwave.The microwave will soften the scones.</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-12090341488850165992013-04-19T15:51:00.003+08:002013-04-19T16:06:45.850+08:00Jamie Oliver's Sicilian Prawn Pasta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQnputUX6v61478a5CWZ9_dfxrAVMA2MGF80kcueZRU_uhs72FkepfW9ho_VVVADkgSaCC7y-ga1_iKiyA_lY-ia4Mj5rq1mVXX51XcBYx3rN1FLL4sAv1g0W14nv1lpYSE32dgCynF9y/s1600/DSC_0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQnputUX6v61478a5CWZ9_dfxrAVMA2MGF80kcueZRU_uhs72FkepfW9ho_VVVADkgSaCC7y-ga1_iKiyA_lY-ia4Mj5rq1mVXX51XcBYx3rN1FLL4sAv1g0W14nv1lpYSE32dgCynF9y/s640/DSC_0929.JPG" width="423" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I respect Jamie Oliver. He is creative and adventurous with food, travels to seek inspirations. He cares about people's health, started the Food Revolution to combat the serious trend of obesity in America yet faced numerous setbacks and criticisms from children who were only introduced to and used to fast foods and school caterers who recklessly believed that they had already fulfilled their obligation for promoting healthy-eating simply by including fries (reason: potatoes are vegetables) in the children's meal plans. Each year, Jamie also hires and trains young ex-cons and drop-outs at his restaurant Fifteen to help them see their own value and better integrate them into society.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So many reasons to like Jamie. He understands home-cooks like us too. Work nowadays makes home-cooking almost impossible or a luxury. When work becomes hard, it is especially important for you to eat healthy, stay healthy, and please yourself with delicious food instead of oily takeaways or pre-packed microwavable pizza with pathetically little toppings or rice that stick together and can only be broken down by a fork.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is taken from Jamie's <i>15-minute meal</i>. With break-neck chopping skills and cool kitchen gadgets, Jamie can easily whip up this pasta dish AND a lemon fennel salad in well under 15 minutes. I am not a particularly fast cook, but hey, in just 15 minutes I can make this pasta too! So do try this if you are pressed with time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This generously spiced Sicilian prawn pasta is extremely cool. Saffron and cinnamon adds to this dish the aromatic arabic twist. I quite like saffron but I can foresee that not everyone will like its taste, so do give it a try before adding it to the dish. The one element that gives this ordinary pasta the WOW effect is the crunchy garlicky breadcrumbs! They completely elevate the taste and mouth-feel of a regular pasta in tomato sauce, and transform the pasta into something much more fun, interesting and even addictive! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I seriously cannot help adding more and more of the breadcrumbs into my pasta as I eat it, I even grab handfuls of them and eat them like peanuts while watching TV. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can already see how versatile these crunchy breadcrumbs can be, suitable for many other pastas including mac & cheese.<br /></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jamie Oliver's Sicilian Prawn Pasta</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 2-3)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 250g pasta (The one I used is shaped like a snail shell, I seriously don't know the name of it. For this recipe I would suggest using shaped pastas, macaroni or penne that have enough body to hold onto more sauce)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 400g canned tomatoes, blended/ passata</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 slices of bread (baguette will do)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 300g prawns (cleaned and pat dried)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 cloves of garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 small fresh red chili</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 3 anchovy fillets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tbs of ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a small pinch of saffron</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a handful of fresh basil leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a handful of grated Parmiggiano Reggiano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- salt, sugar, pepper and chicken powder(optional)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Instructions</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Break the bread into smaller pieces and put them into your blender. Pop in 2 cloves of garlic, around 2 tbs of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until they become tiny pieces of bread crumbs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Once done, heat your pan over small-medium heat. No need to add any oil, just throw in the bread crumbs and toast them for 3-5 minutes. Give them a toss occasionally to avoid burning. The bread crumbs should be very crunchy by now. Set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Boil pasta as instructed. Always remember to add some salt to it when boiling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. If you have passata, that's great. Otherwise, just whizz up your canned tomatoes (If fresh tomatoes, make sure you strain them afterwards to get rid of the skin and seeds).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mince 2 cloves of garlic and and red chili. You may deseed the red chili, but keeping it will give your pasta a bit more heat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat a pan over small-medium fire. Drizzle some olive oil and throw in the minced garlic and chili, the anchovy fillets. Once the anchovy starts to melt, throw in the saffron and shrimps. Give it a toss and sautee them for a minute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour in the blended tomato sauce and add in the cinnamon. Season the tomato sauce with salt, sugar, pepper and chicken powder(optional). Keep tasting until the sauce tastes perfect for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. While your tomato sauce is bubbling away, drain your pasta. Throw the pasta into your tomato sauce and give them them a toss. Mix well and let them gently simmer for another 1-2 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Transfer your pasta to the serving plate. Sprinkle over the top 2 handfuls of bread crumbs and scatter sprigs of basil leaves. Leave the extra breadcrumbs by the side, you will need more of them as you eat your pasta. :)</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-52372037844374091362013-04-12T15:36:00.001+08:002013-04-12T16:00:24.711+08:00Shanghainese Wonton 上海雲吞<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxknQYJ0NMRxdhqVZptrsD3yyTRCrujHK4HLeb_smE8Z9wQ56sOEkg4wNRNoR5yElu15beWHLu0CJtkwlP8CpmXgs-85hTmAR4Hl9Ig5Ztps6ly4oSa9votNlAFBUwTKefPpfz20HtzRdg/s1600/dumpling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxknQYJ0NMRxdhqVZptrsD3yyTRCrujHK4HLeb_smE8Z9wQ56sOEkg4wNRNoR5yElu15beWHLu0CJtkwlP8CpmXgs-85hTmAR4Hl9Ig5Ztps6ly4oSa9votNlAFBUwTKefPpfz20HtzRdg/s640/dumpling.jpg" width="534" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a recipe passed down to me from my Shanghainese grandmother. Every year when I visit her in the San Francisco Bay area, she welcomes me with wontons. No matter what time I arrive, say, past midnight, she still cooks for me around 20 wontons. That is honestly too much, but knowing how much love and effort she has put in making them for me, and being a traditional Chinese who has been taught to place filial piety above everything else, I have to finish all the food placed in the bowl in front of me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My grandmother is proud of her wontons. She adds shrimps to hers. But I usually skip the shrimps because it is really time-consuming to wash, dry, remove the shell and pick out of the shrimps their intestines. Either way, the wontons still taste awesome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On certain days, my grandmother has to mass produce these pretty parcels for lunch with her mahjong friends. My mother and I, along with my grandmother's helpers, then help out under the direction and supervision of my grandmother. Making wontons is so calming and satisfying that it is almost therapeutic. It is, I must say, a great family activity too! I have tried my best to draw for you the steps to wrap these pretty parcels. Hope this helps and don't laugh! ;p</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e call these little parcels "nurse's caps". </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Shanghainese wonton wrappings are slightly different from those of Guangdong wontons. The Shanghainese ones are milk in colour and trapezium in shape. So make sure you buy the right ones for this recipe!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My grandmother only boils the wontons and serves them in chicken broth as in the picture below. For a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">naughtier </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and crispier version, which is greatly endorsed by my mother, you may pan-fry them and serve them with Zhejiang vinegar. They are sooo good, I eat them for breakfast, for lunch and even for dinner! So, enjoy!</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shanghainese Wonton 上海雲吞</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 80 wontons)</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 500g finely chopped already-cooked Chinese spinach 齊菜/ pak choi 白菜</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 600g minced pork</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 80 pieces of Shanghainese wonton wrapping*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 8 tbs sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 3 tbs soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 3 tbs liquid chicken concentrate (this is interchangeable with soy sauce)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 tbs corn flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tbs of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tbs sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- ground white pepper (I really don't know how much, I put quite a lot, I guess around 1/2 tbs)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Zhejiang vinegar 浙江醋</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- toban sauce 豆瓣醬</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (optional)</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions (Preparing the filling)</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. (If you use freezed already-cooked Chinese spinach, which will save you a lot of trouble and time) Defrost the Chinese spinach, squeeze out all the excess water and finely chop the vegetables. I bought these freezed already-cooked Chinese Spinach from Shanghai New Sam Yung 上海新三陽 on Hau Wong Road, Kowloon City.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. (If you use fresh vegetables) Add the vegetables to boiling water until they are barely cooked but tender. Then quickly drain the vegetables and submerge them in ice water. Once cool, squeeze out all the excess water and finely chop the vegetables.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Place the minced pork in a large bowl. Mix in the corn flour, soy sauce and sugar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Add in the chopped vegetables, sesame oil, chicken concentrate, salt and pepper. Mix to combine the ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Crack in 4 eggs, one at a time. Stir like a merry-go-round to combine the ingredients after cracking each egg. Your filling should now be quite moist and ready for wrapping.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions (Wrapping wontons)</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, it is really hard to explain the procedures without any illustrations. I have tried my best to draw the steps as clearly as possible. Hope this helps!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions (Cooking)</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Add the wontons in boiling water. When they float, they should be done. But to make sure they're fully cooked, I usually add in a cup of tap water and when that boils too, the wontons are sure to be ready. You may serve the wontons clean or with chicken broth. They taste great too with chili paste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Alternatively, you may pan-fry the wontons. To do so, you must first boil the wontons as directed above. Then, drain the wontons and leave them to cool on a tray. When the wontons turn warm, put them in the fridge for at least half a day, this will help dry up the wontons and make them more suitable for pan-frying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Heat then pan. Add a little bit of peanut oil and when it gets hot, pan-fry the wontons over small fire. Don't keep turning the wontons. I usually leave them the way they're placed for 3-4 minutes to make sure the sides turn crisp and golden. Only flip once to crisp the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Serve the wontons with Zhejiang vinegar.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Instructions (Storing wonton wrappings and wontons)</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--> The wonton wrappings can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge. If the wrappings get a little dry and crack easily during the folding, you may cover them up with a damp tea towel for 30 minutes. The wrappings will then become soft and suitable for folding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alternatively, you may store the wrappings for up to a month if you put them in the freezer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--> After wrapping the wontons, you may gently line up the uncooked wontons in a ziplog bag and put them in a freezer. These wontons will stay fresh for more than a month.</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-15405153982073935542013-04-05T17:19:00.001+08:002013-04-05T17:22:21.000+08:00Homemade Linguine with Mushroom, Thyme and Lemon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I look at my newly-bought pasta machine, I can't help smiling like a proud Wall Street banker who has just nailed a great deal. I'm serious, I still think it's one of the best kitchen investments I've ever made! It has made life much easier for me, especially when my life now pretty much circles around pasta-making from scratch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aren't they pretty? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hm, sometimes I really wonder if I actually think they're pretty just because I made them. But look! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Delicate and highlighted with fine sand-like semolina, the unintended twists and curls are just like gentle waves stretching across the moon-lit ocean. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMpqFF4F5B-iCuoAYFpOhk9u-4V3TWXGqWMjLvyPTufedpeQsoslD5Vmg3IXKSqT-rEyyg-ybxVVxPwU4sIxSagBK0YPi_p4siv11HDU9MzpvYc7CxCvIX8SN659tDMPCNjxyc-oyvcJY/s1600/DSC_0862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMpqFF4F5B-iCuoAYFpOhk9u-4V3TWXGqWMjLvyPTufedpeQsoslD5Vmg3IXKSqT-rEyyg-ybxVVxPwU4sIxSagBK0YPi_p4siv11HDU9MzpvYc7CxCvIX8SN659tDMPCNjxyc-oyvcJY/s640/DSC_0862.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linguine is spaghetti squashed flat, best served with light vegetable sauces. Introduced</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to this pasta dish through the beautiful Nigella Lawson's cooking show a few years ago, I've been making this since then whenever I want a tasty meal real quick. Really, there's nothing to cook apart from the pasta! The mushrooms are served fresh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know this pasta recipe is a keeper just by looking at the genius polygamy of mushroom, thyme and lemon. Like tomato and basil, mushroom and thyme, and thyme and lemon are best friends matched by heaven. So nothing can go wrong here. Perfect timing for me to share with you a little trick I recently learnt from Jamie Oliver on his <i>30-minute meals </i>series. Before you pick the thyme leaves off the sprigs, wake them up by dipping them in hot water. It takes less than a second but you can immediately smell the thyme then.<i> So good</i>.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homemade Linguine with Mushroom, Thyme and Lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Serving size: 4)</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 350g homemade linguine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 300g white button mushrooms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- juice and zest of 1-2 lemons</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 8 sprigs of thyme</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4-5 cloves of garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 10 tbs of extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- grated Parmigiano Reggiano</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Slice the mushroom and finely mince the garlic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Place the mushroom and minced garlic in a large bowl with the lemon juice, zest, thyme leaves (better wake up the flavor by just dipping the thyme sprigs in hot water for a second before removing the leaves) and olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge. The longer you let the ingredients rest and marinate in the fridge, the better it taste, so aim for at least 30 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Cook the pasta. Usually fresh handmade pasta takes only around 5 minutes to cook, but the most reliable way to check if it's done is to try it yourself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Once the pasta is ready, head back to the fridge and take out your bowl of mushrooms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Use a pair of tongs to remove the pasta from the pot and toss them into your mushrooms. Toss to combine. You may spoon in some pasta water to loosen everything up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Finish off with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano and eat with joy.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Homemade Linguine</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">(Servings: 3 people)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Ingredients</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">- 200g* of "00" flour** </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">- 2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">- 2 pinches of salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">- extra flour for dusting</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /><i>Instructions (Making the dough)</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1. Place the flour on a flat surface. Dig out a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Add to it a pinch of salt.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2. Start mixing the eggs and flour in the centre with a fork at first. Then mix everything with your hands. If you want to add some colour your pasta, you may add the tomato paste or the minced herbs at this stage. Mix and knead until everything is combined.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3. Be patient, knead the dough until it's smooth and silky, firm and dry. If the dough is too sticky, add some more flour. If it's too dry and cracks as you knead it, add a little bit of water or the tomato paste/ minced herbs.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Ultimately, you want a dough to be like playdoll, rubbery and elastic.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">4. Wrap the dough with glad wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to let the gluten relax in the flour.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /><i>Instructions (Rolling and Shaping)</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">5. Dust the station with a little flour. The least flour you use here, the better.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">6. Cut your dough in half. Cover one half of the dough with a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying. Meanwhile, place the other half of the dough on the dusted surface. Press and flatten it a bit with your fingertips.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">7. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">(Without a pasta machine) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Start rolling with a rolling pin. Turn your flattened dough 90 degrees and roll again. Keep turning and rolling until it is thin as a playing card or 2 playing cards max. If you're making stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini, make sure it's as thin as possible.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">8. (With a pasta machine) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Feed the dough through the machine at the widest setting. Then fold the dough twice towards the middle. press it with your fingertips and feed the dough through the machine at the widest setting again. Repeat this for two more times. The feed the dough through the machine at a narrower setting one at a time. Keep doing this until the dough is thin </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">to a point when you can see your hands through it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">9. Use a knife to carve out thin 3mm-wide strips of pasta. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">10. Gently place your linguine on a board dusted with semolina. This will prevent the linguine from sticking together.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">11. Let them dry for 5 minutes before cooking. Once completely dried, you may even keep them for weeks in a container.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />*Try to find a cup that holds 100g or 200g of flour when full. This will save you from the trouble of weighing the flour every time you make pasta.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">**"00" flour is finely ground and sieved flour. It is commonly known to make better and lighter pasta than normal all-purpose flour.</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-86850702086339226892013-03-28T15:46:00.002+08:002013-03-28T15:51:29.959+08:00Creamy Pumpkin Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJGln2vFUk_7qR20Yv55Hf6S1Q8EJhd6gv2da5F7F2M03chgLHGJl69Pf0xCBOVGxdKuwMfKDAolkLmzlZeLI97T4gaCw_B8HweiWopgs64ve0-GjdiOJX48Au1_ypD7j38HqMsNdUHp2/s1600/DSC_9991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJGln2vFUk_7qR20Yv55Hf6S1Q8EJhd6gv2da5F7F2M03chgLHGJl69Pf0xCBOVGxdKuwMfKDAolkLmzlZeLI97T4gaCw_B8HweiWopgs64ve0-GjdiOJX48Au1_ypD7j38HqMsNdUHp2/s640/DSC_9991.JPG" width="422" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pumpkin soup is the ultimate comfort food. It is rainy and bleak now in Hong Kong, and like sunshine, this soup is exactly what it takes to warm you up and drive away the gloominess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found that making creamy soup is not just about putting everything together in the blender. The trick required to turn an ordinary creamy soup into one that is truly fantastic, is to roast the ingredients beforehand. Roasting caramelizes and wakes up the inherent flavors of the ingredients to their max while adding to them a subtle nutty flavor. So next time you make your creamy soup, be it tomato or asparagus, roast them first and you'll definately push your soup to a whole new level!<br /></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creamy Pumpkin Soup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 8)</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1.5kg of pumpkin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 large potato</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 onion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2.5 cups of water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2.5 cups of chicken stock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 cup of cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tsp of grated nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tsp of ground coriander</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<i>Instructions</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 200C. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Peel and roughly dice the pumpkin, potato and onion. Place them on your baking tray (preferably wide-based) and drizzle over them around 4 tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle the garlic cloves, some salt and pepper and mix everything together with your hands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Shove it in the oven and bake for around 40 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Once done, pour in the baked ingredients into a large saucepan. Add in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of chicken stock and simmer it over slow fire until it boils. Then turn off the fire and let it cool down a little.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Once it has turned warm, blend it until it's smooth and creamy. (If you like it extra smooth, you may sieve this before heading to the next step. But I think the tiny chunky bits taste awesome.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Pour the puree back into the saucepan and add in the remaining 1.5 cup of water and 1.5 cup of chicken stock. Over low heat, stir well so the liquid is fully incorporated into the puree. Then put on the lid and let the soup slowly simmer for around 30 minutes, with occasional stirring. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Then, add in the cream, nutmeg and coriander. Stir well, taste and add in more of the spices if you want. Meanwhile, keep the fire low. You may switch it off once the soup begins to boil.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. If the soup is too thick for you, please feel free to add more chicken stock or water, a little at a time while stirring, until it has reached your preferred consistency.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. To serve, drizzle a spoon of cream and sprinkle some pumpkin/sunflower seeds or croutons on top. </span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-43831956345308551292013-03-21T19:10:00.003+08:002013-03-21T22:16:47.735+08:00Homemade Farfalle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
When people tell you that making your own pasta is extremely satisfying and no rocket science, believe them. I can verify this. For every 100g of flour, you just need 1 egg and a pinch of salt. There's really nothing more to remember!</span><br />
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But when these people, especially the Italian nonne, tell you that it's real quick and easy peasy, don't blindly believe them like I did. Well, actually you can! If you have a pasta machine, it's quick and easy. Without it, it's not the end of the world, but it will require a lot more effort. I will tell you what happened to me without a pasta machine in just a minute.</span><br />
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My recent pasta-making frenzy was actually provoked by a TV programme, <i>Simply Italian</i>, presented by a gorgeous, young Welsh-Italian, Michela Chiappa. In just 4 short episodes, she demonstrates how to cook the Italian way. From pastas of different shapes and colors, to delicious sauces and outstanding fillings, she never fails to impress! Unlike my beloved professionally-trained Little Paris Kitchen goddess, Rachel Khoo, Michela is not chained to the stove at all. Instead, she's a full-time marketing consultant. But thanks to her Italian upbringing, her family has been making pasta for generations and she's been taught all there is to know to cook and eat just like Italians.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After watching the show, I felt the urge to make my own pasta again. Since I was told by MIchela how easy and quick everything could be, I decided to go big and mass produce both green-hinted and orange farfalle and ravioli. At that time, I had absolutely no idea how ridiculously ambitious I was to have planned to accomplish all these without the help of a pasta machine! </span><br />
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So on and on I kneaded and rolled, tried so hard to flatten the dough which just by nature, loves to retreat and shrink back into their original size and thickness. <i>Phew</i>, when I finally managed to roll them thin and nice, bits of it somehow stuck to the station and I had to stretch and carefully pull it off the table, and rarely would I not tore it apart or rip some holes out of it. This is absolutely normal and still fun if you're making pasta portions enough for two people. But bear in mind that I was mass producing both farfalle and very thin ravioli, of different colors too! So without a pasta machine, it took me around 5 hours of rolling, cutting and shaping in total. I was completely exhausted, with sore arms and shoulders I walked to my bed like a zombie at 9:30p.m. And in just a day, I dropped 2 pounds. </span><br />
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Please don't get me wrong, I am not writing this to discourage you to make your own pasta. I am in fact encouraging you to do so while sparing you from any unnecessary pain and sweat! In short, if you don't have a pasta machine, it's fine, but be realistic and make limited portions of thicker pasta like fettuccine, as opposed to ravioli sheets that have to be really thin to be tasty. However, if possible, please buy a pasta machine! It's seriously one of the best kitchen investments I've ever made! It's not expensive, and I bought it from Pantry Magic in Hong Kong. Now, I can easily mass produce pastas of different sizes and shapes from scratch in just half an hour! You can now tell that there will be many posts on pastas up soon.<br /></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homemade Farfalle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 3 people)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 200g* of "00" flour** </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 pinches of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 tbs of tomato paste for orange colouring (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 handful of finely minced herbs/spinach/arugula for a hint of green (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- extra flour for dusting</span><br />
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<i>Instructions (Making the dough)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Place the flour on a flat surface. Dig out a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Add to it a pinch of salt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Start mixing the eggs and flour in the centre with a fork at first. Then mix everything with your hands. If you want to add some colour your pasta, you may add the tomato paste or the minced herbs at this stage. Mix and knead until everything is combined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Be patient, knead the dough until it's smooth and silky, firm and dry. If the dough is too sticky, add some more flour. If it's too dry and cracks as you knead it, add a little bit of water or the tomato paste/ minced herbs.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ultimately, you want a dough to be like playdoll, rubbery and elastic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Wrap the dough with glad wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to let the gluten relax in the flour.</span><br />
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<i>Instructions (Rolling and Shaping)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Dust the station with a little flour. The least flour you use here, the better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Cut your dough in half. Cover one half of the dough with a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying. Meanwhile, place the other half of the dough on the dusted surface. Press and flatten it a bit with your fingertips.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Without a pasta machine) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Start rolling with a rolling pin. Turn your flattened dough 90 degrees and roll again. Keep turning and rolling until it is thin as a playing card or 2 playing cards max. If you're making stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini, make sure it's as thin as possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. (With a pasta machine) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feed the dough through the machine at the widest setting. Then fold the dough twice towards the middle. press it with your fingertips and feed the dough through the machine at the widest setting again. Repeat this for two more times. The feed the dough through the machine at a narrower setting one at a time. Keep doing this until the dough is thin </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to a point when you can see your hands through it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Use a pasta cutter or a knife to cut nice lines on your pasta sheet and create long rectangles (3cm x 4cm, bigger or smaller as you please) out of it. Trim off the edge. Pinch each rectangle in the middle. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Gently place your farfalle on a board dusted with semolina. This will prevent the farfalle from sticking together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. Let them dry for at least 20 minutes before cooking. Once completely dried, you may even keep them for weeks in a container.</span><br />
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*Try to find a cup that holds 100g or 200g of flour when full. This will save you from the trouble of weighing the flour every time you make pasta.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**"00" flour is finely ground and sieved flour. It is commonly known to make better and lighter pasta than normal all-purpose flour.</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-91402102575514128772013-03-14T14:56:00.001+08:002013-03-14T19:03:49.399+08:00Baked Sweet Potato Wedges<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately I've been making a lot a lot of pasta, of different shapes and colors. But before I bombard you with those posts, I'm sharing with you my little experiment on this quick, scrumptious and flavorful snack (for me, breakfast). Baked sweet potatoes wedges. Oh yes, they are flavorful, they are sweet and salty, sharp and hot!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did not create this recipe. Credits to <a href="http://blog.yam.com/tzui">the Anthropologist in the Kitchen</a>- Zhuang Zu Yi. Zhuang wrote a book <i>The Anthropologist in the Kitchen</i> (in Chinese) on her culinary experiences in the Massachusetts Cambridge Culinary School and a fancy hotel in Hong Kong after quitting her PhD study in Anthropology to pursue her passion in cooking. Ever since I read her book a few years back, I have become a fan of hers. Okok, I admit, I am a fan of a handful. First Jamie Oliver, then Rachel Khoo, now Zhuang and a few more coming. But they're all very special, creative and live in their kitchens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Ok now, back to the sweet potatoes. Zhuang shared this recipe on her blog. She suggested adding honey, orange juice, salt and pepper and some chilli powder. At first I was quite skeptical about the sweet-sour-spicy combination. For me, it's either sweet and sour, sour and hot, or even sweet and hot, but just not that trio! Right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So putting on this geeky hat, I decided to do a little experiment. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made 4 batches of wedges, a batch of each combination. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My conclusion is that the sweetness from the honey and the citrusy twang from the orange juice are a heavenly match. Also, baking them together caramelizes the sweet potatoes, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yummy</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">! So, each of them is indispensable. Whereas, the chili powder, it's a "nice-to-have", gives the wedges a little kick, but not necessary. Unless spiciness is your thing, I would suggest you to skip it and let the sweet and tangy caramel take the stage all to themselves and melt in your mouth.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baked Sweet Potato Wedges</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 4-5)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 3 medium-sized sweet potatoes (yellow or purple*)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2-3 tbs of olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2-3 tbs of honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- juice from 1/2 orange</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a few pinches of salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- ground pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- chili flakes/ chili powder (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Instructions</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 200C.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into wedges. Place them in a big bowl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Add in all the other ingredients and mix them with your hands. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Place the wedges in a wide-based baking tray. Try to get all the wedges touch the base so they'll later be caramelized. Then bake for 35-40min. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Serve immediately when done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* Yellow sweet potatoes contain more juice than the purple ones. The yellow ones taste better in mashed potatoes whereas the purple ones taste better here as fries.</span></div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-7965343036636339252013-02-27T20:13:00.001+08:002013-02-27T20:15:21.158+08:00Crab, Mango and Avocado Salad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzjSGikAr2FQGFA8wHWXWZQ5bHi8UiKi_vqS8g-dBJAbz_qiVQY9PlndOBv2UJFBZS97IuxNp3mNaH4XFfQoz67YiT_rQRh3UGzGEAr9NyTKahT-_96R5Qk3IPYedpLUtRArsa7bFYNhu/s1600/DSC_9783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzjSGikAr2FQGFA8wHWXWZQ5bHi8UiKi_vqS8g-dBJAbz_qiVQY9PlndOBv2UJFBZS97IuxNp3mNaH4XFfQoz67YiT_rQRh3UGzGEAr9NyTKahT-_96R5Qk3IPYedpLUtRArsa7bFYNhu/s640/DSC_9783.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This salad stack makes an amazing appetizer. Great colour combination, just looking at it makes one happy, refreshed and the excitement over it can sustain throughout the rest of the meal. I do think that only by layering the ingredients elegantly like this can do this salad justice. But, not having a cylindrical mold/ cookie cutter should not be an excuse to not recreate this beauty at home. You can always have this salad layered in short tumbler glasses or even martini glasses. Really, whatever works!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another reason I urge you to try this out has to do with its fantastic taste and fulfilling mouth feel. First, the avocado gives to this salad the mild nutty flavour and makes a rich and creamy versatile base that is neither heavy nor greasy. The salad is then elevated by the tropical sweetness of the mango, which if finely diced, presents itself in a soft, pulpy texture that quickly melts in your mouth. Finally, the firm yet delicate crab meat, combined with lime juice, breathes in that gorgeous air of freshness from the sea.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0MU1HlGDo_C48xpEWgNCgJK6RnYTP6QXL0Fq3yBdKLTZ-uFGSsxwXEih9jPQuJAstspSb9WyWveX0Ttnp-uyVPv5XrPCJFVHMtOdnqRI3oGMqhvEswsNnIcTzUZeSHkQdndNbgrFtIee/s1600/DSC_9794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0MU1HlGDo_C48xpEWgNCgJK6RnYTP6QXL0Fq3yBdKLTZ-uFGSsxwXEih9jPQuJAstspSb9WyWveX0Ttnp-uyVPv5XrPCJFVHMtOdnqRI3oGMqhvEswsNnIcTzUZeSHkQdndNbgrFtIee/s640/DSC_9794.JPG" width="422" /></a><br /></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crab, Avocado and Mango Salad</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Servings: 4)</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 ripe avocados</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 bowl of finely diced ripe mango (1 big mango or 2 medium-sized ones)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 150g of cooked crab meat </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 limes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 handfuls of arugula or spinach (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Finely dice the mango, try to make them small. Even though I know this may be time-consuming, they taste and look better that way. Set aside and keep them cool in the fridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add to the crab meat both the juice and the zest of the limes. Combine well with some salt and pepper. Set aside and keep them cook in the fridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Cut the avocado into half, de-seed and mash them with a pinch of salt. Have to save this step as the last before assembling the ingredients because the avocado turns brown quickly once de-seeded. You may squeeze in lemon juice to postpone browning. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assembling</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Place the circular mold (mine is around 2.5 inches) on the plate. Use the back of the spoon to press half of the avocado into the bottom of the cutter. It's better to use avocado as the base since it is relatively dense. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Stack on top the finely diced mangoes. It should reach only up to 2/3 of the height of the cutter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Press in the crab meat as the final layer because it's the lightest. So you see, the heaviest ingredient at the bottom and the lightest on top. Otherwise the stack will easily tumble. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Gently lift up and remove the mold to reveal your pretty salad stack.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. This is optional. You may top the salad with arugula or spinach. Gently form the arugula with your hands so it may fit nicely on top the salad. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over your salad.</span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-66769198661021779612013-02-11T17:15:00.003+08:002013-02-15T10:09:34.933+08:00Marble Tea Eggs 茶葉蛋<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH_W9TbLGUTKvwRSOLHfbako1Mh86FNYEKPlzwJ9030r1-cwVIr9PcXe0xL-snEWfGilDKVAy1ipv63baCTQvfZSU0prsXAzWHGPXosRnLT7u63KnKIvdoIOG8gp3-vGcGIp8T5TsPYGr/s1600/DSC_9748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH_W9TbLGUTKvwRSOLHfbako1Mh86FNYEKPlzwJ9030r1-cwVIr9PcXe0xL-snEWfGilDKVAy1ipv63baCTQvfZSU0prsXAzWHGPXosRnLT7u63KnKIvdoIOG8gp3-vGcGIp8T5TsPYGr/s640/DSC_9748.JPG" width="423" /></span></a></div>
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Happy Chinese New Year! I wish you all great health, luck and prosperity throughout the Year of Snake! </span><br />
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This is my favourite and the most important festival for the Chinese! Throughout the entire period, families gather, juniors pay visits to the senior members of the families, children receive red packets (me me me! As long as I am not married I still get them!), lots of traditional cakes, sweets and snacks to eat, houses adorned with all sorts of colourful, symbolic festive flowers with the backdrop of dices rolling, mahjong pieces clattering and cards shuffling! Ohoh, and no matter where we are and who we bump into, we will definately generously pull out a string of 4-Chinese-character blessings which are mostly related to good luck and fortune!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of great fortune, I present to you these nice little tea eggs! I know those Chinese herbal tea houses and chain soup stores sell these tea eggs all year round but these eggs mean something to us. Tea eggs is a traditional must-have for Shanghainese every Chinese New Year. We call these brown, aromatic tea eggs <i>yuen-bo</i>, the traditional Chinese gold nuggets, outline of which I think, with a little bit of imagination, resembles an egg placed in a boat. Peeling off the cracked chestnut-color shell, you will find a pretty marble pattern printed on these <i>yuen bos. </i>They taste soooo good, I already had 3 yesterday! Yes, the egg yolks too, forget about the cholesterol, they are too good to be wasted!<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_08ftNTJsMK176lYaU_XEhCnsPZij8cLCahX5Uq7xIFC9o3DqB_QSWPiC_-q7RA3JoYr1Azx5xnRiNfWMNF-ge8iaYvHiFi72y-Kq9-y_dq2SZSLV1ePBpTPFAJNkKwLTRdq1Xl3vRcb/s1600/DSC_9737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_08ftNTJsMK176lYaU_XEhCnsPZij8cLCahX5Uq7xIFC9o3DqB_QSWPiC_-q7RA3JoYr1Azx5xnRiNfWMNF-ge8iaYvHiFi72y-Kq9-y_dq2SZSLV1ePBpTPFAJNkKwLTRdq1Xl3vRcb/s640/DSC_9737.JPG" width="422" /></a></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Marble Tea Eggs</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Serving: 28 eggs)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 28 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a huge pot of water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- around 2 cups of light soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- around 1 cup of dark soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 black tea teabags (I used Rickshaw)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">- a handful of star anise and Sichuan peppercorn </span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 20.98958396911621px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;">花椒八角</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 big lumps of rock sugar </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. First, boil the eggs over medium-high fire for around 10 minutes until they are fully cooked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Remove the eggs from the water. Gently pat all over each egg using the back of a spoon so each egg is gently cracked all around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. After you have cracked each egg, put them back in a large pot of water. Add in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, the tea bags, star anise and peppercorns and rock sugar into the pot and bring everything into boil over medium fire for at least 30 minutes. At this point, the spiced sauce will seep into the cracks and marinate the eggs inside their shells. This enhances the flavour and creates the marble pattern.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. After that, lower the fire and let the sauce slowly simmer until the sauce reduce to at least half.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. The tea eggs are now ready to serve. But the longer you marinate and simmer them the better they taste (plus the egg yolk will get so soft that it will melt in your mouth). So for me, I usually let them marinate in the sauce for at least 2 days before serving. Simmer the eggs over lower fire for 10-20 minutes each day. The whole pot can last for over a week. Great to be served as breakfast or snack!</span></div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-36676144454517853912013-02-08T12:16:00.001+08:002013-02-15T10:09:44.041+08:00Roselle Tea 洛神花茶<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Roselle tea is extremely popular in Tai O. You can find them in almost every store there! Bottled up and cooled in mountains of ice, roselle tea is extremely rejuvenating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite an eye-candy in itself, this ruby-coloured drink tastes tart like cranberry juice. Oh, in fact it tastes more like Ribena, the blackcurrant juice! But more to it, there is a faint, sweet air of freshness and earthiness, like the taste of those soft, fine fibre strands growing out of the ear of the corns. Thanks to Google, I finally know the proper name of these strands- </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">corn stigma, 玉米鬚.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently, roselle is a species of Hibiscus. It is well-known for its high Vitamin-C content, for reducing cholesterol and treating high blood pressure level. I used fresh roselle to make my pro-health drink, but I was told by the market vendors that the same could also be produced out of dried <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.046875px;">calyces</span>. You may also try making roselle jam by slowly simmering the flower with sugar.<br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRYFylpAw9i1JIkBIePJB-ZgPKBJQE24StVvqmSX7l5k0WyVN3uYKyCvl2YJR3ubxXeo3HP4oyumRXCS6Z9U6zcl6m_zUrx7IxEW4zJnGqa8sZBuCsc_R0C4FMeAL2N8vycBmqZuR2EQD/s1600/DSC_9162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRYFylpAw9i1JIkBIePJB-ZgPKBJQE24StVvqmSX7l5k0WyVN3uYKyCvl2YJR3ubxXeo3HP4oyumRXCS6Z9U6zcl6m_zUrx7IxEW4zJnGqa8sZBuCsc_R0C4FMeAL2N8vycBmqZuR2EQD/s640/DSC_9162.JPG" width="425" /></span></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roselle Tea</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Serving: 8 cups)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 lbs (around 450g) of fresh roselle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 10 cups of water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- rock sugar (4 lumps, less or more, depending on your taste)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Rinse the fresh roselle and bring them to boil over medium fire for around 20-30 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add 4 lumps of rock sugar. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Taste and add in more sugar if you have a sweet tooth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. The tea may be served hot or cold. Add a few ice cubes and they're perfect for summer. I suspect that this tea goes well with soda water too. </span></div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-88348553912130866542013-01-31T06:56:00.002+08:002013-02-08T12:20:53.517+08:00My Chinese Husband Taco 蝦豬餅<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKShtFN6Lq-biGBblUMaKSnMxEtkGcuZowY18_WGNd8pYVZDQWHXfVsMXxCAq9haIqwZ_f_Ckqul3MmLfS34Gi5GFSTrKRTh9-lfwcjaxXYuFtGkonmbubAuBxOHCbK0AwuvmmuT7mYml/s1600/DSC_9144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKShtFN6Lq-biGBblUMaKSnMxEtkGcuZowY18_WGNd8pYVZDQWHXfVsMXxCAq9haIqwZ_f_Ckqul3MmLfS34Gi5GFSTrKRTh9-lfwcjaxXYuFtGkonmbubAuBxOHCbK0AwuvmmuT7mYml/s640/DSC_9144.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi, I'm back! Literally and figuratively. I have to confess, I have been back from Beijing for a month already. But I have been so beguiled with all sorts of reading and only until this week that I have finally realized how strong this addiction has become and how much it has interfered with my life and cunningly lured me away from updating my blog! </span><br />
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Putting a stop to it, I am writing this post at 6 in the morning. 6am! Have I managed to redeem myself now? I don't know if me waking up so early today has something to do with my binge eating yesterday night, which has left me bloated now, OR is because my subconsciousness finally mans up and tells me to not let something so dear to me slip away i.e. leave my blog still hanging there in hiatus.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Ok, a little about my Beijing trip. The trip has brought me blessings and curses. Met some really nice, funny people, polished my Mandarin, to an extent that there is now a tendency for me to curl my tongue right up when I pronounce the very last word in every sentence- I call that the Beijing accent. ;p Oh, the curses, I gained 7 pounds in five weeks. Nothing much. Will share more about my trip later when I have shed some pounds. </span><br />
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Now back to this Chinese Husband Taco. This is one of the delicacies (my favourite!) I tried in Tai O and mentioned in my previous previous post. I did not fully make this name up, the Vendor really created the name "蝦豬餅", pronounced as "Ha-ju-bang" in Cantonese, they simply bestowed upon it the big title: HUSBAND. See the evidence below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMa2XkWAzIGF7KGNFRHpgl8_hAEnugGV-0kc4mpOKNYiEngayXSJFWMqEJ9OcPmd84t-vMGhVHlGtPMzuSZPV9w_hNXTFO6B_5WgI1y9m71zmXMYzXe0BQPRi7BH8xN_-9x9Gh0rvDjnK/s1600/DSC_8769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMa2XkWAzIGF7KGNFRHpgl8_hAEnugGV-0kc4mpOKNYiEngayXSJFWMqEJ9OcPmd84t-vMGhVHlGtPMzuSZPV9w_hNXTFO6B_5WgI1y9m71zmXMYzXe0BQPRi7BH8xN_-9x9Gh0rvDjnK/s400/DSC_8769.JPG" width="400" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The name "蝦豬餅" isn't just a gimmick. In as short as three Chinese characters, almost every ingredient used in this Chinese taco is listed out here. "蝦":shrimp paste, "豬":pork and "餅":roti. Poor lettuce, didn't quite make it to becoming our Chinese husband model.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 19.09090805053711px;">My Chinese Husband Taco</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Serving: 2, we're talking about 2 tacos per person here)</span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 pieces of roti,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- half a bowl of minced pork,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a bowl of chopped lettuce,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- about 1 tablespoon of light shrimp paste (LIGHT, not the usual one, otherwise it will turn out too salty and you won't be able to taste the shrimp)</span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Wash and drain the lettuce. Roughly chop the lettuce. Gently pat it with tissue paper to make sure the lettuce isn't too wet. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Over medium fire, stir-fry the minced pork for 2 minutes. Spoon in the light shrimp paste. Give it a toss, mix well and fry until the pork is fully cooked. Set aside. There is no need to add salt here since the light shrimp paste is quite salty already. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Use a pan and slowly heat the roti on both sides, 2-3 minutes for each side. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Assemble- spread over two big spoons of pork and sprinkle a handful of lettuce on each roti. There you go, in just about five minutes!</span></div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-41578981530111176662012-12-02T09:38:00.001+08:002012-12-02T09:38:33.737+08:00Gone for the Month<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm off to Beijing for a month so the blog will be on hiatus. See you in 4 weeks!</div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-68544151957815406682012-11-21T18:12:00.002+08:002012-11-22T01:08:37.563+08:00Tai O<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a public holiday. To get away from the usual city lights and hustle and bustle, me and my family decided to go to somewhere far and fishy- Tai O. Apparently many shared the same thought, so together we brought into Tai O an unintentional, phenomenal surge of rowdiness. Despite the crowd, Tai O was still scenic. Never seen in cities except Venice, there were pang uks, stilt houses built over the waterway. As we peeked into the pang uks, we crossed the bridge and entered into a narrow, noisy street of seafood stalls, tuck shops and welcoming (you don't say!) vendors selling local delicacies. As if the place was not vibrant enough, the pungent smell of seafood crescendoed.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As my dad, my brother-in-law and I went crazy experimenting with our cameras, capturing the animated faces of the vendors and the colorful mix of food, my mom and sister really got into buying, eating and feeding us the local delicacies. We ate so much! We had those extremely old-school but tasty biscuit sandwich with malt syrup 麥芽糖餅, barbecued squid, scallops, refreshing roselle tea, chewy egg puffs </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(texture similar to that of a waffle, but the inside is custard-like) cooked over charcoal, and of course, my sister's new-found favorites- </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">barbecued mullet roe </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">烏魚子 and Chinese Taco. I have reproduced two of these delicacies at home and shall share with you the recipes in the next two posts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is quite interesting as I look back, I realize that no matter where we travel to, our enjoyment and exploration always and inevitably involve FOOD.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we squeezed our way deeper into the other end of Tai O, farther from the food stalls and pang uks, there were peace and quiet. Along the shore sturdily stood a few simple, little huts made out of metal scraps, that housed mainly elderly and small families. The masters of the houses are usually out to fish, leaving behind the mothers and wives home, making and selling simple local delicacies such as cha guos (glutinous rice cakes with fillings made out of red bean, black-eyed peas etc.) and tofu pudding. I love seeing this other face of Hong Kong, so serene and pure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inside these blue buckets were shrimp paste. In that, we could taste Umami 鲜味</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- the 5th taste, well-known and familiar in the East and less known in the West. I have scratched my head and still cannot write an accurate and comprehensive description for this taste, sorry! You may learn more about this taste on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami#Discovery_of_umami_taste">Wikipedia</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having walked so much, we were too lazy to walk on the return route. We took a <i>speed</i>boat, which was so so fast, exciting and fun, and in less than a minute we got back to the narrow streets, just in time to grab the stall's last four Chinese Tacos!<br /></span><br />
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-4328139519622980412012-11-16T13:06:00.001+08:002012-11-16T13:55:00.568+08:00Poached Pears<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />There is
a reason why poached pears are always served as a round-up for a candlelight
dinner. There they stand with such grace and elegance, adding to the meal an extra
bit of romance and sophistication. I do also sense a subtle tinge of arrogance,
but I guess that is exactly what is missing from most of the other desserts,
thus makes poached pears more like a prize.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last
year, my best guy friend C asked me for dessert ideas since he would like to prepare
a super duper romantic Valentine’s Day meal for his then girlfriend at his
apartment in the US. Okay, a typical 20-year-old guy’s apartment has a wide
variety of liquor but no electric mixer. So, unless you’re prepared to do an
intense workout with your biceps and triceps, quite a number of desserts including
soufflé and spongy cakes are to be ticked off.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In face
of this, I suggested C to make either poached pears or molten chocolate cake,
both of which are absolutely tasty, fuss-free and perfect for beginners or lazy
bums who are keen to impress! In the end, C made molten chocolate cake to wow
his then girlfriend, after all there’s an unshakable association between
chocolate and Valentine’s Day. I should probably make a post on that later!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poached Pears</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Serving: 4)</span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 firm
pears,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 1/4
cup of red wine,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2/3
cup of water,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2
cinnamon sticks,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2
cup of sugar,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1
tablespoon of orange zest,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1
tablespoon of orange juice,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1
tablespoon of roughly chopped toasted almonds<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instructions<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. With
a rolling pin, gently roll the cinnamon sticks until they crack up a bit. This
allows the cinnamon flavor to come out and seep into the red wine syrup
profoundly. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Throw
into a saucepan the cinnamon sticks, wine, water, sugar, orange zest and juice
and slowly bring them to a boil over low fire. Stir occasionally to make sure
the sugar dissolves and does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Peel
the pears, leaving the stalk on. Level the pears by cutting the bottom part.
This allows the pears to stand upright and later give a better presentation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. If
you’re inviting over guests and seeking to impress, better deseed the pears. To
do so, carve out the cores from the bottoms of the pears, using a small pear knife. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5.
Slowly stand the pears in the red wine syrup in the saucepan. Spoon the syrup
over the pears. To make sure the red wine syrup evenly and thoroughly seeps
into the pear, especially the top bit peeking out of the syrup, </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">place a baking sheet* over the top of the pears and let them simmer over low
heat for 25-30 minutes. Every now and then while simmering, shower the pears with
the red wine syrup using a spoon and press down the baking sheet.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6.
Remove the baking paper and check if the pears have become tender (poke it with
a fork or toothpick) and evenly dyed in red.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Take
out the pears and arrange them on a serving plate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Further
cook the syrup for around 3 minutes over medium fire. The increased heat will
reduce the syrup and make it thicker. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Once
done, turn off the heat and spoon the syrup over the pears. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. To
give them some crunch, sprinkle on top some chopped toasted almonds (I love
them!!!). You may serve the pears hot or cold. If hot, a scoop of vanilla
ice-cream by the side rocks!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Referring to </span></span><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/how-to-make-poached-pears/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Lebovtiz</a>,<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cut a piece of baking paper smaller than the centre of the saucepan so the paper will fit and snugly cover the pears. Also, cut out a hole in the centre of the paper to help the steam escape.</span></div>
</div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-78732409784780311692012-11-08T17:07:00.001+08:002012-11-22T18:53:06.135+08:00Chicken Pot Pie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8l1uOwrX2gC7W_doM0yYKTVgS9vWuNeArsy7EPFtntoL144TTOkY0OXPM7E2dKX0wlz3U257XmJMczvCoTiP0rORFWlL3_Y-s94NzTOya8RvERKxc92CJXpwrOjY_yp0SvowyXNSC76g/s1600/DSC_8919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8l1uOwrX2gC7W_doM0yYKTVgS9vWuNeArsy7EPFtntoL144TTOkY0OXPM7E2dKX0wlz3U257XmJMczvCoTiP0rORFWlL3_Y-s94NzTOya8RvERKxc92CJXpwrOjY_yp0SvowyXNSC76g/s640/DSC_8919.JPG" width="640" /></span></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a thing for pies and soup topped with puff pastry. I think they look really classy, elegant and everything underneath the puff pastry seems extra special. Probably because puff pastry wasn't that easily accessible </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">back then</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Hong Kong, I only got to eat it on rare occasions when we visited some fancy restaurants and ordered French onion soup or lobster bisque. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I still associate French onion soup and lobster bisque with puff pastry. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever the soup is served puff-less, my heart drops in disappointment like a child goes "oh" when he finally makes it to an annual carnival only to find that his favorite cotton candy stand is no longer there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So you see, the puffy top is a real treat for me. Before breaking it, I usually give the content a gentle morning call. With a light, careful and thoughtful knock, little crispy flakes fall off the top. I pick them up, lick them off from my fingers one by one- this is the drum-roll before a kiss. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYds2YuxE3EWjfnU01a6ToTD3Y7799iOPbbPLIcm7rq7PW2rkQ-TXJwfOZLJLEFd0LqKI8QamiRc0TtSrMldvsBZpVy3ixik937YJpMNFAh6WzfwJEziQmycIsCOK2AcaSLdqAdxKbc2E/s1600/DSC_8907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYds2YuxE3EWjfnU01a6ToTD3Y7799iOPbbPLIcm7rq7PW2rkQ-TXJwfOZLJLEFd0LqKI8QamiRc0TtSrMldvsBZpVy3ixik937YJpMNFAh6WzfwJEziQmycIsCOK2AcaSLdqAdxKbc2E/s320/DSC_8907.JPG" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtMGbVlSfnToyr15pPwxZFTf_xIaRKITP6hTYNWGpB8slGyi8ZXB0G7jXUZQrb8HG7MorY21_LVGAcw0lsrjreVG4BB6qng0lZa98C-fo5DWyiLx_X6YG6TASf9M2s6d1z2XRMQ8w9kGz/s1600/DSC_8909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtMGbVlSfnToyr15pPwxZFTf_xIaRKITP6hTYNWGpB8slGyi8ZXB0G7jXUZQrb8HG7MorY21_LVGAcw0lsrjreVG4BB6qng0lZa98C-fo5DWyiLx_X6YG6TASf9M2s6d1z2XRMQ8w9kGz/s1600/DSC_8909.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />There is no fixed formula for the content of a chicken pot pie. Just do what you want, using your favorite, hearty and comforting ingredients. For me, I use mushrooms, peas, shredded chicken thighs and a dash of rosemary! Rosemary can never go wrong with chicken! :)</span><br />
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<br />
<a name='more'></a>Chicken Pot Pie<br />
(Serving: 4)<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
- 2 medium-sized chicken thighs, steamed (with spring onion and ginger) and shred,<br />
alternatively, you may use 1 cup of diced chicken breast to make things a lot easier and faster,<br />
- 1/2 onion, finely diced,<br />
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced<br />
- 1 cup of sliced white button mushrooms,<br />
- 1/3 cup of green peas, fresh or frozen doesn't matter,<br />
- 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, <br />
- 1 thawed puff pastry (I use the brand Pampas),<br />
- salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for the Bechamel Sauce</i><br />
- a small scoop of butter,<br />
- 1-2 tablespoon of flour,<br />
- 200ml (slightly less than a cup) of milk,<br />
- 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard,<br />
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg,<br />
- salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<i>Instructions</i><br />
1. If you're using chicken thigh meat, steam it over medium fire until cooked, it will take around 15 min. Test to see if it's cooked using a chopstick, poke the thighs and when it's cooked, there should be no bloody liquid oozing out. Set aside to cool. Tear and shred the meat with hand or fork, but not knife.<br />
2. In a pan, drizzle some olive oil. Fry over slow-medium fire the diced onions and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent and soft. Then throw in the peas and mushrooms and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Finally, add in the chicken, season with salt, pepper, chicken powder and rosemary and mix well.<br />
3. Now, prepare the bechamel sauce in a separate saucepan. First, over very slow fire, slowly melt a spoon of butter. This will take less than 3 seconds, and before the butter starts to brown, add in the flour and immediately whisk it with all your might. Ensure there are no lumps or burnt pieces. So please be quick. In say 5 seconds later, pour in the milk and start whisking again. At this point, you may start to calm down, grab your Dijon mustard and nutmeg and add them into the mixture. Mix well again. Over the slow fire, the mixture should begin to thicken. Keep whisking slowly and in less than 10 seconds, the sauce should be done. The mixture should be quite creamy and not lumpy. <br />
4. Pour the bechamel sauce over the fried chicken ingredients. Combine gently. Taste and do the final seasoning. Now, you're done with the content!<br />
5. Pre-heat the oven to 190C.<br />
6. Divide the content and spoon them into 4 ramekins.<br />
7. Cut the puff pastry into squares slightly larger than the ramekin mouths. Then cover the ramekins with the puff pastry. Slightly press the ends and corners of the puff pastry along the ramekins so the ramekins are tightly covered. <br />
8. Gently carve a cross on the puff pastry, then brush over it some egg-wash.<br />
9. Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes before serving </div>
Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-57903432206602930322012-11-02T22:32:00.000+08:002012-11-02T22:40:00.629+08:00Almond Jelly 杏仁豆腐<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE70KeUmEtYD3dEbwdsUch2wZWI-H2kfNovgrc5CbpueQCuR98TdmW-hsAJe2zS1NqF7U5RU4UqhGoWAt1OvPL6dCVq_oufttRg94NpMFyxNuZ6ak2s0qXci3d8g3qwSW8lUP_n2Kchmxh/s1600/DSC_8468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE70KeUmEtYD3dEbwdsUch2wZWI-H2kfNovgrc5CbpueQCuR98TdmW-hsAJe2zS1NqF7U5RU4UqhGoWAt1OvPL6dCVq_oufttRg94NpMFyxNuZ6ak2s0qXci3d8g3qwSW8lUP_n2Kchmxh/s640/DSC_8468.JPG" width="424" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Almond jelly is one of the few desserts my mother keeps asking me to make because it is extremely healthy with very little calories. Usually when we talk about healthy food, we immediately expect some sort of compromise on the taste. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But l</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">et me assure you, this almond jelly tastes just as refreshing and appetizing as it appears to be! So a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bandon this stereotype of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">healthy food being something tasteless and boring and embrace this dessert!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This very local traditional delight endures over generations. Distinct from the rest, which are mostly rich, silky, dense and soup-based, almond jelly is light and refreshing. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Y</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ou can eat as much of it as you want and still feel completely guiltless and light as a feather! Alternatively, l</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ike a cherry on top of that huge spoon of cream on a typical American-sized ice-cream sundae, it is a perfect ending to a super heavy meal!</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 22.03333282470703px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Almond Jelly</span></b><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(servings: 4)</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Ingredients</i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 10g of arga-arga/ Chinese jelly </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 22.030302047729492px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">大菜</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 tablespoons of sugar</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 500ml water</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 125ml milk</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 teaspoon of almond essence</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- a medium can of mixed cocktail fruits/ cocktail peaches</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.03333282470703px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Preparation</i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 22.016666412353516px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Cut the arga-arga into small shreds. Rinse and drain.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.016666412353516px;">2. Slowly boil the arga-arga, water and sugar over small-medium fire. Mix the ingredients every now and then. When this is done, strain the arga-arga liquid and set aside to cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.016666412353516px;">3. In your measuring cup, mix the milk and almond essence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.016666412353516px;">4. When the arga-arga liquid is slightly cooled down, pour in the milk mixture. Mix well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.016666412353516px;">5. Pour the mixture over a large, preferably square or rectangle-based pan and fridge it for at least 1 hour (3-4 hours for maximum results) and then cut the jelly into small cubes or diamond shapes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.016666412353516px;">6. Serve the almond jelly cold with cocktail fruits. Spoon over the almond jelly a few tablespoons of the cocktail fruit syrup for that extra bit of sweetness and smoothness.</span></div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-829281112570931940.post-74300635454070081972012-10-28T21:11:00.001+08:002012-10-28T21:16:33.173+08:00Green Pea and Mint Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr8VFrwTbZhULbdkBOiIHMmZDWs1nw-5bDjuOhNQOcqY1g9YC43cBm3vbmXE7hnAe4N0z7YcXWGG0m2GBgo3X7OO-5XAW2FETbvz2svmscbHYPn0oRWS9COkqBucN_nC8bmBEU4fx-CQm/s1600/Pea+Soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr8VFrwTbZhULbdkBOiIHMmZDWs1nw-5bDjuOhNQOcqY1g9YC43cBm3vbmXE7hnAe4N0z7YcXWGG0m2GBgo3X7OO-5XAW2FETbvz2svmscbHYPn0oRWS9COkqBucN_nC8bmBEU4fx-CQm/s640/Pea+Soup.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's admit it, most of us dislike green peas when we're young. At least that's what I have come to believe growing up in Hong Kong. Green peas often appear in fried rice, and almost every child on the table patiently forks them out of the rice and pushes them aside, followed by a stream of begging, reasoning and warning from the parents, all to deliver the message that "you have to eat your vegetables".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course I like green pea soup now, but it has already captured my heart since childhood when I did not even appreciate green peas. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a real school-lunch treat from my mom who usually bought it for me from Oliver's Super Sandwiches. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This soup is hearty, comforting and it makes me happy! Usually the green peas are paired with bacon bits but I have paired mine with mint for a healthier twist.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green Pea and Mint Soup <br />(adapted from <a href="http://www.takethoufood.com/2010/01/jamie-olivers-pea-and-mint-soup.html">Jamie Oliver's recipe</a>, note that I have skipped the celery)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">(servings: 6)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><br />Ingredients</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- a small scoop of butter</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- 1 carrot, diced</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- 2 medium onions, diced</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- 3-4 garlic cloves, diced (you may use less, but I am a huge fan of garlic!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- 5 cups of frozen peas</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.984848022460938px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 6-8 cups of chicken stock</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- a handful of mint leaves</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;">- full-fat cream</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.999998092651367px;"><i>Preparation</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. In a large, heated pot, add olive oil and butter. Saute the onions, garlic and carrots over medium fire. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the ingredients, especially the carrots start to appear soft. The onions should be translucent and golden-brown by then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add enough chicken stock to just cover the vegetables and let it boil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Once it boils, add in the frozen peas and let it boil for again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Once it boils, turn down the fire a bit and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Switch off the fire. Set aside to cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. When the soup reaches room temperature, pour it into your blender. Also throw in the mint leaves and start blending! Blend until the soup appears quite smooth and creamy. Don't worry about achieving 100% smoothness after all the little bits of mushy peas are what improve the texture and make the soup yummy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Transfer the blended soup into your pot again and add in chicken stock little by little (and stir at the same time) until you reach the consistency you want. You may also add in a little of cream for that extra bit of creaminess and rich dairy aroma. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Keep tasting the soup and do your final touches with some salt and pepper!</span></div>
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Iris Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949636045237874253noreply@blogger.com0