K, This is for you. Each time I cooked this dish, Aoki San - my ex-tenant - a Japanese chef came to mind. He brought me his own teriyaki sauce which is so good that I often find ways to use it. Aoki San is fondly remembered by the neighbours for contributing the best supper we ever had. That memorable night, he came home late as usual and handed me...
"HRH" returns from the internship in China recently and rattled about the street food. He was surprised to find miso glazed tofu in the streets of China and according to him, they were excellent. He loves tofu, period. "HRH" speaks no Mandarin, sort of an "Ang Mo Kia", so I caution him on saying "eating tofu"(a Chinese idiom) to a lady which describe man flirts with a woman; we had...
Not to be confused with Babi Assam which is the braised pork in tamarind sauce. This is the dry version, and it is my late husband favourite Nonya dish. He likes his charred food and no need to ask him what he wants for dinner on weekends as he would have said BBQ. And if I feel he needs a little cheer up during the weekdays,...
I never attempt to make soufflés till now all because of it infamous temperament. Instead, I would goad my chef friends to make it for me. (with little success, though, I have smart friends) I like this classic French dessert for its creamy and delicious yet light as feather texture. Soufflés came to mind as I was planning for a French meal and I was game...
A casual remark that eggs will go well with the roast ham and turkey - and I took it as an order and crack my head over salad with eggs. I have to decide the style of the egg as it will help determine how the salad will come together. (chefs do a lot of thinking too, not merely cooking or eating) I already...
No one will chide you for offering a variety of salads particularly during the festive season where serious feasting takes place. Salads are perfect meals accompaniment, and often the justification for our unashamedly, unapologetic feasting. One cannot ignore dried cranberry if one wants a cheery festive salad. I am pairing it with the shredded carrots which can be prepared a day ahead, made easy with the food processor. Instead of the usual...
We have settled the main dishes - Roast Ham and Turkey and I am to come up with sides and salads to accompany the meat. I wanted something cheery to pretty up the Christmas table, something festive. Pomegranate is in season and the sweet, juicy red seeds fit the bill. Toss in the fruity pears, tangy feta cheese, crunchy walnut and pulled together with a mustard...
I decide to blog about this cranberry sauce since we received rave reviews from dinner couple of days ago. Some suggested I should bottle and market it. I preferred to share it. I thought I will not be cooking this Christmas since everyone is not around, and then I was roped in to organise an appreciation dinner for 100 people. Our wise Pastor reminds us that some may not eat Ham...
Believe it or not, this is made from left over spaghetti sitting in the fridge. I always make the mistake of cooking way too much pasta as I am afraid it would not be enough. So here I am, torn between making a fresh pot of kimchi tofu soup and the balance pasta for dinner. I dislike throwing out food, so pasta it is....
Over the "Bat Tuk Teh" lunch, my friends from Belgium asked if I can make brownies. I watched their jaws dropped when I told them I don't bake. And I explained to these stunned faces that baking requires precise measurement of ingredients and that I am not known to follow instructions and have the problem sticking to a recipe. Defiant as a child and now being much older - stubborn....
This is my favourite Shanghainese dish, commonly served cold or at room temperature as an appetiser. I love the dish for the succulent meat steeped in deep flavours of Shao Hsing wine, a sweet Chinese yellow wine most ideal for this recipe. I chose to steam the chicken which in my opinion is easier than poaching it in simmering water. (Alright, I admit I am just naturally impatient)...
I will let you on a little secret, I cannot resist sambal cuttlefish. Without fail, I will always order this dish at the Nasi Padang stalls. I can't explain why this is my favourite dish at the Nasi Padang stalls, perhaps it has to do with the texture of the cuttlefish and the dark red sambal. I came across the nicely packed cuttlefish at the local...
We were introduced to Japanese food during our teenage years as the then young "Empress Dowager" was working as a part-time waitress in a Japanese restaurant. This kakiage tempura was probably the only Japanese dish she learnt and cooked for us. Kakiage is a kind of tempura which different ingredients are mixed together in tempura batter before deep-frying. Various vegetables, mushrooms, and seafood can be...
