tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76789833179286263112024-03-13T20:48:59.280-07:00Loving TastesBelonging to the fairytales and wonderous dropletsI love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-61973925908413170152009-10-23T21:48:00.000-07:002009-10-23T22:27:41.995-07:00Time of AutumnIt's been two months since I entered a blog post.... time flies! I have started my new job in Hong Kong, and I am so busy with it that my food blogging got halted.. :( Finally there's the Chung Yeung festival here and we all get a holiday! I want to share with you my nice birthday dinner at Conrad Hotel here..<br /><br />My sister in law and I have the same birthday (different year) and we thought it'd be great celebrating together in a nice French restaurant! Our family was the first guests and we felt the place and the service was nice. We had foie gras, duck breasts and legs, fish, beef, among ourselves and everyone enjoyed the dinner especially the desserts. I'll let the pics tell you how satisfied we are...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbGUCxQ83fr41yLs-Caku6X4zXNJ0_UQOcg1mzzysIonR7Lrqu2xCMiOQ0R5WfBd2KH-qRYO8M8HJIUEu3ViIIAqWTi7ikBSaxplTQFS9uSV8rfwqp3nofRCcr5Q_3xmwdZBKRBBK9e8/s1600-h/IMG_0753.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbGUCxQ83fr41yLs-Caku6X4zXNJ0_UQOcg1mzzysIonR7Lrqu2xCMiOQ0R5WfBd2KH-qRYO8M8HJIUEu3ViIIAqWTi7ikBSaxplTQFS9uSV8rfwqp3nofRCcr5Q_3xmwdZBKRBBK9e8/s400/IMG_0753.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396030799219750402" border="0" /></a>Joanne loves foie gras and Grand likes scallop for appetizers~~<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNFmq4HofoAVzCbVlOvNnsFIz56vzyeSx9jhLbGNJv9L8i4F43Ty_wAFDwn-g8GXdaO5Dy4pneW_v83f8zzL9U9TVD23oHVdN1OxUB80lX2VunEF19ggcy6uUsNCHvNQKzWhoRq9_Hhg/s1600-h/IMG_0760.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNFmq4HofoAVzCbVlOvNnsFIz56vzyeSx9jhLbGNJv9L8i4F43Ty_wAFDwn-g8GXdaO5Dy4pneW_v83f8zzL9U9TVD23oHVdN1OxUB80lX2VunEF19ggcy6uUsNCHvNQKzWhoRq9_Hhg/s400/IMG_0760.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396031173267176018" border="0" /></a>My ducklicious trio: duck breast, duck leg, and foie gras.... yummm!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaa-X8WF2NW05IMq7Gi9037iDQ-UskK25EbKrXWYmN_nWIZcoLHMJkoCguSFPgjotYYgIcYUYB692_MGeEU_LfevEFuKz056VeLTd4ONVN8QW_lfqyzPWHYriXmUcHuvOimGoxdZ7Y2E/s1600-h/IMG_0762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaa-X8WF2NW05IMq7Gi9037iDQ-UskK25EbKrXWYmN_nWIZcoLHMJkoCguSFPgjotYYgIcYUYB692_MGeEU_LfevEFuKz056VeLTd4ONVN8QW_lfqyzPWHYriXmUcHuvOimGoxdZ7Y2E/s400/IMG_0762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396031355488903458" border="0" /></a>Fish Fish Fish for my dad and sister!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69ne7BQ54pZmI7_EBCbXIJ7jMydke3KF3WZnR5Yt5oVfZB8HyrRf4Ihu7F7p94LGx1AAF5nF9f3qIMo7ouHH90rHq6GfRQtgZfgUFlP30rgWIbpQWYcfvilCOBWUw6svArMh1KBySH_8/s1600-h/IMG_0763.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69ne7BQ54pZmI7_EBCbXIJ7jMydke3KF3WZnR5Yt5oVfZB8HyrRf4Ihu7F7p94LGx1AAF5nF9f3qIMo7ouHH90rHq6GfRQtgZfgUFlP30rgWIbpQWYcfvilCOBWUw6svArMh1KBySH_8/s400/IMG_0763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396031526140143378" border="0" /></a>Mom had a grilled steak and salad! Looks equally delicious ~~<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHD1P4tYtDeEt7YN29hmIWdBpERqRG8UMaaEFDOg_U-hELiTScpHalSGrImvgoeao1Ita-xRZUbLRNCk801ZiRq4MXMnIe2KlYrDCXzsKOz5zHHrOrwzVD12TylUz1u-y7eupzrZ3ogk/s1600-h/IMG_0769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHD1P4tYtDeEt7YN29hmIWdBpERqRG8UMaaEFDOg_U-hELiTScpHalSGrImvgoeao1Ita-xRZUbLRNCk801ZiRq4MXMnIe2KlYrDCXzsKOz5zHHrOrwzVD12TylUz1u-y7eupzrZ3ogk/s400/IMG_0769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396031765611235186" border="0" /></a>Nice dessert platters! Tiramisu.. panna cotta, melting chocolate cakes, oranges in nice liquor..<br /><br />Another great thing I want to share is that my sister will be getting married next year and my sister in law will be delivering her baby girl in January 2010! I can't wait to see the new star in our family!<br /><br />Next week I'll be heading to Kuala Lumpur for my company's annual retreat. I am excited since it will be my first time in Malaysia. I can't wait to taste their nice food and explore their lifestyles.. i guess i've stayed in Hong Kong for too long and am really happy to take a break!<br /><br />Also, I have to share my nice birthday cake from my mom this year.... ^^ yeah my favorite brand of chocolate!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yV9jlmHJIZ_Cp4jzZuERpQl-tABuPLNDQ2qsC5BUV53E4z9rSpCcIGxOOFvjPRW-9WJQgyvRcgZBBCxHtvvmoOErKmrHZkdHZoSuxY87iFkfJotwJxPZ-rBHUciIPdSbW-7OY5JpeVM/s1600-h/IMG_0770.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yV9jlmHJIZ_Cp4jzZuERpQl-tABuPLNDQ2qsC5BUV53E4z9rSpCcIGxOOFvjPRW-9WJQgyvRcgZBBCxHtvvmoOErKmrHZkdHZoSuxY87iFkfJotwJxPZ-rBHUciIPdSbW-7OY5JpeVM/s400/IMG_0770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396031951816682770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT353vVU0EFqG5CD0Z4Lj94GvOb1H7OPHu6aSszq5LjoFod_UR_LX5mxZ_iN9SddPGhUEAHltV7Hm-SjJEWtGPpbJe_4_XKj4PUEYZVU1PdBXNait7TPzlYTcSWYFNhxqmVhUd9VsR7Hw/s1600-h/IMG_0772.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT353vVU0EFqG5CD0Z4Lj94GvOb1H7OPHu6aSszq5LjoFod_UR_LX5mxZ_iN9SddPGhUEAHltV7Hm-SjJEWtGPpbJe_4_XKj4PUEYZVU1PdBXNait7TPzlYTcSWYFNhxqmVhUd9VsR7Hw/s400/IMG_0772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396032154174994418" border="0" /></a>HOHOHO! Nice memories!I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-63335402348801590192009-08-20T07:16:00.000-07:002009-08-20T22:15:17.576-07:00Blueberry Cheese Tart & Blueberry Muffins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfrC_EYy6kmxQYH4M3ABNuNXXuCE2hsl_NZQdJTZc9GXOCRPXvxsBRc-tTRLNF2L6QHukIlYTnEh9lIbuZvnyfsKLSbehYJc_4cabRTWNIzhwa3ZmiNRMj0ltxuOpVIwkJp35vIm72jM/s1600-h/IMG_0608.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfrC_EYy6kmxQYH4M3ABNuNXXuCE2hsl_NZQdJTZc9GXOCRPXvxsBRc-tTRLNF2L6QHukIlYTnEh9lIbuZvnyfsKLSbehYJc_4cabRTWNIzhwa3ZmiNRMj0ltxuOpVIwkJp35vIm72jM/s400/IMG_0608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372278309001529474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I know... here comes desserts again and we love fruit desserts! It is summer right now and who can live without nice summer fruit? I have made two all time favorites this week with the healthy ingredient of fresh blueberries which have lots of anti-oxidants, good for your skin and eyes! Moreover, have you heard of a type of fruit called bilberry? It resembles that of wild blueberries and it is very good for the human eyes that its juice has become mandatory in some pilots' diet. Blueberries have proven to be the top ten healthiest food on earth! I just had a warm blueberry muffin with a cup of wildberry fruit tea this morning and it makes a great relaxing breakfast! The blueberry cheese tart, inspired by Evil Shenanigans' <a href="http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2009/07/cherry-cheese-tart/">Cherry Cheese Tart</a>, makes great tea break snack or after dinner dessert.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blueberry Muffins:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />For 12 muffins you will need:<br /><br />1 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />2 1/2 tsp baking powdeer<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 cup fresh or unthawed frozen blueberries<br />3/4 cup milk<br />1 egg<br />1/3 cup melted butter or margarine<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in blueberries.<br /><br />2. Add milk, egg and butter. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Do not overbeat.<br /><br />3. Spoon batter into twelve 2 1/2 inch greased muffin cups.<br /><br />4. Bake at 400F for 25 min. or until tops spring back when lightly touched.<br /><br />Serve warm!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blueberry Cheese Tart</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crust:</span><br />1 pkg Italian Amaretti cookies (100g), crushed<br />50 ml butter or margarine, melted<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Filling:</span><br />1 pkg (250g) cream cheese, softened<br />1/3 sugar<br />1 Tbsp lemon juice<br />1 Tbsp lemon zest<br />1/4 milk<br />1 Tbsp flour<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blueberry Dessert Sauce:</span><br />1 cup fresh blueberries<br />2 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar<br />1 tsp lemon juice<br />1 Tbsp cornstarch<br />2 Tbsp water<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the Amaretti crumb with the melted butter and press evenly onto the bottom of a 7 inch springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 min. until lightly browned. Cool.<br /><br />2. Mix all the filling ingredients in a mixer over medium speed for about 2 min. Do not overmix. Pour mixture into baked crust and bake for 30 min. or until filling is well puffed. Cool on wire rack.<br /><br />3. In a small saucepan mix all the dessert sauce ingredients together and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 min. until sauce thickens, changes to a dark purple colour and blueberries are softened. Cool and refrigerate in covered container until needed.<br /><br />4. Refrigerate cooled cheese tart for about 3 hours or overnight and serve with blueberry dessert sauce!<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9jkiB5mO99DkhQFDacak3gdlQVSuub_jYb3pmtOIhrNRAHAD7U9-LzBOFjdwIeDih_XF1eTFI5rJf3FrJxmHHSGDC2c6g907RTBEAlChQ6Pt5jy9PtdFWxKVvKfvzJUQvzDtvk1HxoQ/s1600-h/IMG_0581.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9jkiB5mO99DkhQFDacak3gdlQVSuub_jYb3pmtOIhrNRAHAD7U9-LzBOFjdwIeDih_XF1eTFI5rJf3FrJxmHHSGDC2c6g907RTBEAlChQ6Pt5jy9PtdFWxKVvKfvzJUQvzDtvk1HxoQ/s400/IMG_0581.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372276991702068338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Meditate on the Truth</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />If we can realize and meditate on ultimate truth, it will cleanse our impurities of mind and thus eradicate the sense of discrimination.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">by Dalai Lama</span>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-52773669955473334142009-08-11T03:38:00.000-07:002009-08-17T18:07:25.286-07:00Lemon Delicious and Dalai Lama<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73uNDx7PDR-hWaAnu1NXgM-Qo5Y3PLPvvU3kQqncsAoQ51JptLq9YDVsYlw4zlUqsZj7fsZFqFB825PuKHR77chkJbVafLhjePYtsUeAf8IXbRqsECAIM5xwJtRGo3OvDGyJHoVCuBmo/s1600-h/IMG_0655.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73uNDx7PDR-hWaAnu1NXgM-Qo5Y3PLPvvU3kQqncsAoQ51JptLq9YDVsYlw4zlUqsZj7fsZFqFB825PuKHR77chkJbVafLhjePYtsUeAf8IXbRqsECAIM5xwJtRGo3OvDGyJHoVCuBmo/s400/IMG_0655.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371101560891368306" border="0" /></a><br />Lemony desserts are almost my favorite. This recipe comes from the <a href="http://gourmettraveller.com.au/lemon_delicious.htm">Gourmet Traveller website</a>, and as soon as I saw it I knew I was going to love it. It turned out nice and tangy, soft, souffle like on the top, with a luscious, creamy sauce at the bottom. It is very lemony and nice! I will make this again!<br /><br />Recently I met my supervisor at my previous work on Facebook, and I am really happy because he is an inspiring person in my life. We are both really interested in arts and different cultures and he always motivates me to explore more. One of his trips last year was a visit to the rural area of Gansu, China. He said that people there lived in poverty and yet the county is famous for churning out academic achievers. I think those kids must have worked really hard and makes people respect them a lot because they can raise themselves to successful people in such a difficult environment. I hope one day I will also have a chance to pay a visit to them!<br /><br />Also, I have found out the little book of sayings by Dalai Lama, the much admired spiritual leader. I want to share one of his quotes in each of the blog post here because they are very meaningful! The first one is:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Love Springs Eternal<br /><br />"The foundation of all spiritual practice is love"<br /><br />by Dalai Lama</span>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-38671733883403102982009-08-08T05:47:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:54:31.991-07:00Marshmallowy Three Milks Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzl5SS9HU9SYC-qRfpjS1187CqPvT-CHi_1-_-TgpvVAISKuKFoy7IKWWGCcYjVAEtWs2sV0f7oTfwvV7IQjNOkdl_KqGvxTyzpXu0xLjEZWcQWzDph-QOWGeHSiJiAjh-CspcWq3GtQ/s1600-h/IMG_0544.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzl5SS9HU9SYC-qRfpjS1187CqPvT-CHi_1-_-TgpvVAISKuKFoy7IKWWGCcYjVAEtWs2sV0f7oTfwvV7IQjNOkdl_KqGvxTyzpXu0xLjEZWcQWzDph-QOWGeHSiJiAjh-CspcWq3GtQ/s400/IMG_0544.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367582171779769714" border="0" /></a><br />Very very milky....<br /><br />This dessert is sweet and milky and anyone who loves the taste of milk would fall in love with the <a href="http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/2009/04/three-milks-cake-torta-de-tres-leches.html">Three Milks Cake</a> invented by Erica from her Columbian recipes. The cake is delicious and the frosting is very interesting... soft and white like marshmallow that I love.. Who doesn't like marshmallow? Although I made these into cupcakes I would suggest using Erica's original plan of a cake mold because it makes things easier, less messy, just because, as you spoon the milk sauce onto the cake, the entire cake gets wet while soaking up the sauce and it is better to do that in a cake pan... though it is still nice, moist, and delicious at the end!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUUTNuHZn6QkdEpauaTAa7T6g7f2rIOIgY8jE88PtpH__kvIMv0yfl0Sc_PNF_zVQ7TrYurw8ED8GIkUOq7P516fOBLz1DrkOIZlwZimUpxyGydJzqhIzRyMGWxDV5dC3NhOk2E_qbqM/s1600-h/IMG_0543.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUUTNuHZn6QkdEpauaTAa7T6g7f2rIOIgY8jE88PtpH__kvIMv0yfl0Sc_PNF_zVQ7TrYurw8ED8GIkUOq7P516fOBLz1DrkOIZlwZimUpxyGydJzqhIzRyMGWxDV5dC3NhOk2E_qbqM/s400/IMG_0543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367582417459827650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As promise that I would be showing my previous pet "Glutinous Rice Ball" picture here, isn't she adorable? Everyone likes her!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66hzigsrMEw8VgYAHyRShbSg4NA42Q5oVPLMQy1BgPtB6ZJZUoXTghOAtOqAlNItwHAHtxojCvjNjBcpWqB4eF485VPsXsyTGQjd99IMA334U-pmlXI0qZKmbxVSlEp9hv9JYV0hYoGA/s1600-h/IMG_0191.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66hzigsrMEw8VgYAHyRShbSg4NA42Q5oVPLMQy1BgPtB6ZJZUoXTghOAtOqAlNItwHAHtxojCvjNjBcpWqB4eF485VPsXsyTGQjd99IMA334U-pmlXI0qZKmbxVSlEp9hv9JYV0hYoGA/s400/IMG_0191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367582579415513650" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-69409000611573579602009-08-06T00:24:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:55:34.428-07:00Chinese (Chiu Chau) Shrimp and Pork DumplingAlmost a week went by that I haven't posted any new cooking and dessert results, and I am already missing food blogging. I am still really passionate about food and looking forward to explore more into the cooking/food world. I keep reading foodies' blogs and enjoy them a lot. There are just times when one does not feel like speaking or writing, or feel lost. Back with some spirit, I will show you here the Chiu Chau style dumpling! There are many types of Chinese dumplings. Some are steamed, some boiled, and others are pan fried or deep fried. I think they are all good and distinctive, in flavor and texture, thus the feelings one gets when eating them are different. The dumpling featured here is made of a rather thick and semi transparent wrap, and steamed to tender with shrimp and pork fillings. I hope foodies from around the world can try to get as close the ingredients as possible because, the different types of flour yield a totally different experience!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dough:</span><br />175g ungluten flour (澄麵粉)<br />75g tapioca or corn starch<br />pinch of salt<br />1 1/2 cup boiling water<br />75 g tapioca or corn starch (reserved)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Filling:</span><br />175 g diced or ground pork<br />100 g diced shrimp<br />50 g green onions or chives<br />50 g peanuts<br />50g salted turnip<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp sugar<br />1 tsp cornstarch<br />1/2 Tbsp oil<br />dash pepper<br />dash sesame oil<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sauce:</span><br />1 tsp corn starch<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp soy sauce<br />50 ml water<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Mix all the dough ingredients together except the reserved corn starch. Cover and let rest for 10 min. Then add the remaining corn starch and knead until dough is no longer sticky, abt 5-6 min.<br /><br />2. Mix all the filling ingredients together and let marinade for 20 minutes. Then in a frying pan, add 1 Tbsp of oil and fry the filling till the pork is cooked, and then add all the mixed seasoning ingredients and cook until sauce thickens. Let the fillings cool.<br /><br />3. Divide dough into twelve pieces, rolling each into a ball and flatten into 2-3mm rounds. Place fillings in the center of dough and fold to form a half moon shape. Make some folds if you wish.<br /><br />4. Place all dumpling into a large plate into the steamer and steam over high heat for 20 min. Careful the dumplings will be extremely hot!<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQE-zDpseR40zfc2kr5ZUjjGyXPTWqeIswQu7JCcb9IOq5SEDXn2fr1g8PArtYES5jp2XjQviEtet_-mgp13EjNH_iB9xi3PtbBKHbL8RVPuLgrMC-hd3MRSKvuXwVE2fxCS69YIy-k8/s1600-h/IMG_0547.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQE-zDpseR40zfc2kr5ZUjjGyXPTWqeIswQu7JCcb9IOq5SEDXn2fr1g8PArtYES5jp2XjQviEtet_-mgp13EjNH_iB9xi3PtbBKHbL8RVPuLgrMC-hd3MRSKvuXwVE2fxCS69YIy-k8/s400/IMG_0547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367550480964035602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjfLlYLCXXpA0DuQ3lcBUCUP9MGkUPNA4mLtYjBD-P4OCcfxR7RlJsq9W1J9iZnTSVV9Mhc_1WHY92KwW4lJ2bCaVP3OZ1xgg6BW58SJGi7M1sPZSsZigY4z8YJB5dRr9hLrSGGOAQfs/s1600-h/IMG_0550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjfLlYLCXXpA0DuQ3lcBUCUP9MGkUPNA4mLtYjBD-P4OCcfxR7RlJsq9W1J9iZnTSVV9Mhc_1WHY92KwW4lJ2bCaVP3OZ1xgg6BW58SJGi7M1sPZSsZigY4z8YJB5dRr9hLrSGGOAQfs/s400/IMG_0550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367550679808829874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg131jjCFzHYQzYpI2Fq9B6nKApZYMu2F4VVbnjg-Ng_lNFaAVfQSPQ-i9JfpunOU2_WWPmxNGMZEv_WUw3Adi6i_-vP75cYPTD3eX8qqmrHie6wLp7eDIzdvMhgXlbX2Kh2qKorAHP-hA/s1600-h/IMG_0554.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg131jjCFzHYQzYpI2Fq9B6nKApZYMu2F4VVbnjg-Ng_lNFaAVfQSPQ-i9JfpunOU2_WWPmxNGMZEv_WUw3Adi6i_-vP75cYPTD3eX8qqmrHie6wLp7eDIzdvMhgXlbX2Kh2qKorAHP-hA/s400/IMG_0554.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367550881410515682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QCvKTRU6Z0Br-APZVWksxS0GerfFAH0aOUFogaygMHWjv6ZybWOZyy09ir6J2MPXhUrdjvXTCOLHdFcNUQZbPm-hPWddqqAuyuuC9bi917vM1dQEWJH06Bn6CkMMGlmvqWyJLQCLNTc/s1600-h/IMG_0558.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QCvKTRU6Z0Br-APZVWksxS0GerfFAH0aOUFogaygMHWjv6ZybWOZyy09ir6J2MPXhUrdjvXTCOLHdFcNUQZbPm-hPWddqqAuyuuC9bi917vM1dQEWJH06Bn6CkMMGlmvqWyJLQCLNTc/s400/IMG_0558.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367551139444302898" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-81003354092708227082009-08-03T00:25:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:56:06.600-07:00Sauteed Cod fillets in Orange Honey Sauce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHsTGIq5kq-LPDTG6WQrTWNWzye9eyJFqIJnVrxlrs2BUFSmjZqrPVUeRjS4ALhHCx8eGh-PgF47Q7WlTnRcEe9eZK_hC0dRE5CEQp6plR7W8n66uEHhW2i53r85olhUd5bNkCr18wEI/s1600-h/IMG_0530.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHsTGIq5kq-LPDTG6WQrTWNWzye9eyJFqIJnVrxlrs2BUFSmjZqrPVUeRjS4ALhHCx8eGh-PgF47Q7WlTnRcEe9eZK_hC0dRE5CEQp6plR7W8n66uEHhW2i53r85olhUd5bNkCr18wEI/s400/IMG_0530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365678731971472018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />This is a simple yet delish dish adopted from the real food show on Deutsche Welle TV. I really enjoy the TV show because they always use very nice and fresh ingredients, neat kitchen equipment and utensils, and have very friendly and funny chefs and audience on performance. Although it is only on once in a week (Saturday morning in Hong Kong), it is one full hour long without commercials, and I usually sit still happily to watch the entire show. This weekend they have a new elegant lady chef cooking this orange fish fillet which looks luscious and refreshing for the summer. I could not understand German so I had to reinterpret what the ingredients were and kind of recreated the recipe on my own. I figured that orange is definitely present, and that white wine would go well with white fish to boost its flavor and frgrance. As well I like it a little on the sweet side so I added the nuts and honey. If you like it a little more flavorful I suggest adding some chicken stock to the sauce though I found the sauce quite nice on its own with the white wine, OJ, and honey!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />400g cod, red snapper or sea bass fillet<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1/2 tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon<br />1/4 tsp schimi powder or chilli powder (optional)<br />2 cloves garlic, minced<br />1/4 cup almonds, toasted<br />1 orange, peeled and cut into slices<br />3/4 cup white wine<br />2 Tbsp honey<br />1/3 cup orange juice<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Wash and pat dry the fillet carefully and season with salt and pepper and schimi powder. Sprinkle with tarragon.<br /><br />2. Heat some olive oil in large pan over medium high heat, add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, add the fish fillet and turn the heat to medium low and cook for about 5 min. on each side until done. Set fillets aside in warm plates.<br /><br />3. Deglaze the pan with white wine and turn the heat to medium high and allow wine to evaporate to about one quarter. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock if using, and add the orange juice, honey and nuts. Season with salt and pepper.<br /><br />4. Place the fish fillet back into the pan and simmer for a few minutes until sauce thickens and then serve hot with pasta or rice and vegetables!<br /><br /><br />Desserts of the Night:<br /><br />Blueberry Sundaes and Strawberry Kitkat McFlurry from McDonald's! They are both new flavors available in Hong Kong and we don't know how long they will last. Although I still like the strawberry sundae more, theses new twists are quite interesting to give a try! Can you buy these in your countries or do you have some new exclusive flavors of ice cream in the McDon Don in your place too?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD0ZAmC4h5lOFT1Zk6gHWDJBFW7vxyCye6N_ssSjn5o3q2pMhf99qFw4CI_gkwBad1l1RAtXhyzJqlCF-hzoqab6IsGaoyKsb_LilWoM-Sn1OVfEGsXOGoKpMDpKjvzJVWSQ7nLnRJvw/s1600-h/IMG_0532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD0ZAmC4h5lOFT1Zk6gHWDJBFW7vxyCye6N_ssSjn5o3q2pMhf99qFw4CI_gkwBad1l1RAtXhyzJqlCF-hzoqab6IsGaoyKsb_LilWoM-Sn1OVfEGsXOGoKpMDpKjvzJVWSQ7nLnRJvw/s400/IMG_0532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365685360289158994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gJfoqgbiIpMIbLt9w4jJewv8D4IHXWozKh6qpp_C4SnsK_25BbpzEDvhF_9wbVJ3Wej4cyynMGFI2DL97E0_t1Nvao47ScRJomERst2UBbYb4G9QQhxtEeUnPDBK8LFrYEBHJUiqj_M/s1600-h/IMG_0535.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gJfoqgbiIpMIbLt9w4jJewv8D4IHXWozKh6qpp_C4SnsK_25BbpzEDvhF_9wbVJ3Wej4cyynMGFI2DL97E0_t1Nvao47ScRJomERst2UBbYb4G9QQhxtEeUnPDBK8LFrYEBHJUiqj_M/s400/IMG_0535.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365685574848707698" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-63084098526252164752009-08-01T06:06:00.001-07:002009-08-10T06:56:27.213-07:00Spaghetti Cabonara<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpIBthXVifA0LH6HpnoAXe_XArq_IDrEvkDucjuEWOAdZfmJwEEVM7SqHJxX5DeH4WhII5LHmtMGG2Vjq5IiqbTFXETzynxLBXlWDazJca3vrznv_csulq5ftNUwZh4AaTiQm0WQWl9k/s1600-h/IMG_0499.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpIBthXVifA0LH6HpnoAXe_XArq_IDrEvkDucjuEWOAdZfmJwEEVM7SqHJxX5DeH4WhII5LHmtMGG2Vjq5IiqbTFXETzynxLBXlWDazJca3vrznv_csulq5ftNUwZh4AaTiQm0WQWl9k/s400/IMG_0499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364986768639988162" border="0" /></a><br />Spaghetti Cabonara was once my favorite pasta because I used to crave bacon a lot and Cabonara has a full taste of bacon! Not to mention its nice and warm cheese and cream flavors, you know what I'm saying if you like this pasta as well! Later I learned to appreciate many other ingredients on earth, the pure tastes of food without much seasoning especially when cooked with pasta, so Cabonara went down in my favorite list. However, I still miss this classic and have finally got a recipe of it from an Italian cookbook from the library. I am more than happy to share it here!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>:<br /><br />20g Butter<br />80g Bacon, diced (or other cured ham like proscuitto or pancetta)<br />80 ml cream<br />2 egg yolks<br />parmigiano reggiano cheese (add according to your liking)<br />150g dried or 300g fresh spaghetti<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Melt butter over medium heat and add bacon bits and stir fry until fragrant, for abt 5 min. Discard most of the fat.<br /><br />2. Cook pasta in another bowl for about 7-8 min. till al dente while making sauce.<br /><br />3. Mix together cheese (grated into fine powder), cream and egg yolks and add mixture to a large pan with the bacon. Add in the hot pasta and cook over a very low heat and stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and turns a little powdery, about 4 minutes.<br /><br />4. Serve immediately with a glass of crisp white wine!I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-11016633427574718682009-08-01T00:29:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:56:46.431-07:00Chicken cooked in spiced wine (Coq au vin)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRtqBT7DTQxh4G2n1sBITRGrM1Dqszd49PfkTwEnDxbpU1gFq5fb0Px_5voxiQrtiM0Jek5PxuM0cR9_IoYWHoTI6-GSXq-0WcCTsEF-WYRO8NDL_d0VuwPJicCMnEBd7gIhA-bDNnWY/s1600-h/IMG_0525.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRtqBT7DTQxh4G2n1sBITRGrM1Dqszd49PfkTwEnDxbpU1gFq5fb0Px_5voxiQrtiM0Jek5PxuM0cR9_IoYWHoTI6-GSXq-0WcCTsEF-WYRO8NDL_d0VuwPJicCMnEBd7gIhA-bDNnWY/s400/IMG_0525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364903249134430082" border="0" /></a><br />This coq au vin dish is one breathtaking dish that requires lots of time and attention! The return is quite satisfying, so no regrets! The smell of the chicken and wine penetrates my dining room almost to the bedroom! It is delicious and special and normally cannot be eaten unless we go to some very nice French restaurants. The recipe comes from the book Botanical, featuring a great restaurant from Melbourne. I basically love all the recipes in the book, although sometimes I cut the ingredients like cream and butter somewhat because of their richness. If you have got plenty of time and love chicken, this is probably a dish you will enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />1 x 2.4 kg free-range chicken<br />1 1/2 litres shiraz (or other red wine)<br />1 red onion, diced<br />2 celery stalks, diced<br />1 large carrot, diced<br />1 head of garlic, halved horizontally<br />4 field mushrooms, sliced<br />8 large shallots<br />1/2 tsp crushed black peppercorns<br />2 cinnamon sticks<br />1 star anise<br />1/2 tsp crushed juniper berries<br />100 ml extra-virgin olive oil<br />50 ml olive oil<br />150 g quince paste<br />1 litre chicken stock<br />1 litre veal jus<br />1 bouquet garni for Meat<br />1 Tbsp sugar<br /><br />Serve with sauteed mushrooms, sundried tomatoes frittata, and French bread croutons<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Remove the chicken legs and cut between the joint of the drumstick and thigh. Cut out the chicken breast and half widthwise. Cut out chicken wings. Place chicken pieces into deep container and cover with shiraz, then add the vegetables and spices. Massage into the chicken pieces and drizzle with EV olive oil and marinate overnight or for at least 6-8 hrs.<br /><br />2. Once marinated, drain the chicken, vegetables and spices. Pass the wine through a fine strainer into a saucepan. Bring gently to the boil over a very low heat. As the wine boils remove the foam on the surface with a tablespoon and discard. After simmering gently for 4 min a clear stock will remain. Remove from heat. Pat the chicken pieces dry.<br /><br />3. Heat an ovenproof flameproof dish over a high heat. Add some olive oil and then the chicken pieces skinside down. Brown on all sides very well, then remove and set aside. Add the reserved vegetables and spices from the marinade. Fry these very well until they are richly coloured. Then add the quince paste. Put the chicken drumsticks back into the pan and add the clear wine stock. Bring to the boil slowly over a low heat and reduce the liquid by half. Refrigerate the chicken breast and thigh pieces until required.<br /><br />4. Preheat oven to 400F<br /><br />5. Add the chicken stock, veal jus and bouquet garni to the dish containing the drumsticks. Cover with a circle of greaseproof paperwhich has a hole in the center. Some evaporation of the sauce will intensify the flavour as it reduces. Transfer the dish to the oven and braise for 15 min. until the legs are almost tender. Add the breast and thigh pieces to the braise and continueto cook for a further 15 min. until tender<br /><br />6. Remove all the chicken and the whole shallots and cool to room temperature. Return the braising juices to the stovetop, add the sugar and reduce slowly over a low heat to a rich sauce.<br /><br />7. To serve, reheat the chicken and shallots in the sauce. Serve alongside with sauteed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes frittata, and French croutons.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Broccoli and Sun-dried Tomato Frittata</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilr_XZfz9NkkNwKzgcUIzLQBfNAtbaQPVnPmWH02hPEs6853ZGpOW5sFmbmEfF_Yk7jNwDKS7N-LrbH0yEZ-GcIQ_08QN0GZ0IoLwJ7BCm1VanCKnTcetSsWJqeDkBoIk8Bfp5giYSpLc/s1600-h/IMG_0527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilr_XZfz9NkkNwKzgcUIzLQBfNAtbaQPVnPmWH02hPEs6853ZGpOW5sFmbmEfF_Yk7jNwDKS7N-LrbH0yEZ-GcIQ_08QN0GZ0IoLwJ7BCm1VanCKnTcetSsWJqeDkBoIk8Bfp5giYSpLc/s400/IMG_0527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364903444356089266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />8 pieces sun-dried tomatoes<br />10 eggs<br />1/2 cup milk<br />1/4 cup minced fresh parsley<br />1 tsp dried basil<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp pepper<br />2 cups chopped cooked broccoli<br />3/4 cup shredded cheese of your favourite (I used Montaiso DOP)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. In a large bowl beat together eggs, milk, parsley, basil, salt and pepper until just blended. Stir in tomatoes and broccoli.<br /><br />2. Heat oil in a 10 inch (25cm) oven proof skillet over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture. Cook over low to medium heat until eggs are almost set but still moist on the surface, about 10 to 15 min., lifting the edges to allow uncooked egg to run to bottom of skillet.<br /><br />3. Sprinkle top with cheese and place under hot broiler until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 min. Cut into wedges and serve with coq au vin.<br /><br /><br /><br />We had a nice strawberry mille foglie cake from Cova for dessert! It was one of my sister Shirley's birthday cakes. I was so happy because I really enjoyed the buttery puff pastry, sweet and smooth pastry cream, and rich whipped cream along with very fresh strawberries in apricot jam!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvpQew-3zdqerO1_rY6DSnnjjw9utHhc_itDZuoZ1wbEOnRO_Q0O99CxDI_OBrxFd7KXeeal3_MWR8ZTM6kRvxHAq2sPj-Gqw4xBxpFeOVva9Kq_GFVlraf-f8bwSfVlfNCOx64ZqcDo/s1600-h/IMG_0524.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvpQew-3zdqerO1_rY6DSnnjjw9utHhc_itDZuoZ1wbEOnRO_Q0O99CxDI_OBrxFd7KXeeal3_MWR8ZTM6kRvxHAq2sPj-Gqw4xBxpFeOVva9Kq_GFVlraf-f8bwSfVlfNCOx64ZqcDo/s320/IMG_0524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364904361921936354" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-13758407953761197292009-07-31T20:28:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:57:13.164-07:00Night Before Cheddar Bacon French Bread Casserole<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0_s0_NrtsqZbl53-JP8w8hWFkDMOQV-2SuvQpcSsQGK9kN-wQij6LOvEK-4wzEqw6nV_CYOTpx1OPLcDQ8_-VcwGVsBXf4_YNhFC6_sDCz4AJMtp5jNS5wA9JovmI-VCgWQmp-cdp54/s1600-h/IMG_0505.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0_s0_NrtsqZbl53-JP8w8hWFkDMOQV-2SuvQpcSsQGK9kN-wQij6LOvEK-4wzEqw6nV_CYOTpx1OPLcDQ8_-VcwGVsBXf4_YNhFC6_sDCz4AJMtp5jNS5wA9JovmI-VCgWQmp-cdp54/s400/IMG_0505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364143682480879346" border="0" /></a><br />This dish is somewhat similar to Croque Monsieur, and I am simply in love with it! Its crispy cheesy top, soft and creamy interior and tasty bacon all make me drool! Again this dish is simple enough to prepare the night before, and it turns out great fresh from the oven! You may alter the cheese that you use (Gruyere and Swiss/Emmenthal would work perfect), and add things like herbs or vegetables and it will still be great!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />8 thin slices of French bread<br />2 slices of bacon, diced<br />3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese<br />2 eggs<br />100 ml milk<br />1 Tbsp mustard powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Lay four bread slices in a fitting greased baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon and top with half of the cheese. Arrange remaining bread slices over cheese mixture.<br /><br />2. In a bowl beat together the eggs, milk, mustard, and salt. Carefully pour over bread mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.<br /><br />3. In the morning take bread out from refrigerator one hour prior to baking.<br /><br />4. Preheat oven to 350F and bake casserole for 35-40 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cover with foil in midway of baking to prevent over-browning.<br /><br />Serve hot with fresh fruit!I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-80037871684349230522009-07-31T19:42:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:57:42.893-07:00Blueberry Lemon Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7d-FZr-HUeDyIwyf5P9hHC1bKuk_eWjnrGPaMUuXL0Oj0OtixCen5cjIwZzUwQU7-xmkM7i6Kl3nIabTVqYKSGxFLFjysKfLRAuFBDW6enpk7FPz7loXcbS-EGT-j6GI0y_x9XeUuPM/s1600-h/IMG_0520.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7d-FZr-HUeDyIwyf5P9hHC1bKuk_eWjnrGPaMUuXL0Oj0OtixCen5cjIwZzUwQU7-xmkM7i6Kl3nIabTVqYKSGxFLFjysKfLRAuFBDW6enpk7FPz7loXcbS-EGT-j6GI0y_x9XeUuPM/s400/IMG_0520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364087817685761506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Very light in texture and rich in flavors, blueberry lemon cake is what I like to have once in a while especially in the spring/summer seasons, when I crave for something lemony and tasteful. This version of blueberry lemon cake has a crispy crunch topping, enriching this nice on its own treat!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened<br />2/3 cup sugar<br />2 eggs, at room temperature<br />1 Tbsp each lemon juice and zest<br />1 1/4 cup flour, sifted<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/3 cup milk<br />1 cup blueberries<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crumb topping</span><br />2 Tbsp butter or margarine<br />1/4 cup flour<br />2 Tbsp sugar<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Grease an 7 or 8 inch cake pan. Preheat oven to 350F.<br /><br />2. In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Add the lemon juice and zest and beat well.<br /><br />3. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the egg mixture in three batches, alternating with milk and mix well after each addition.<br /><br />4. Fold in the blueberries and pour batter into prepared pan.<br /><br />5. Mix together all the crumb ingredients and sprinkle them over the batter evenly.<br /><br />6. Bake cake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 min. or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSbdTBuc8kTvvblHFLzaSQGWtxeLViYfvmbqgmBRq9Y4n_UWHnapgi32QNxhUtg2TB-R_4yKW0LpfymfYtYxKgaEcg4An1ohObD3MHMB8-qn6LZOyIt4tebbSrLBCDRdiPzWhsxbGT78/s1600-h/IMG_0514.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSbdTBuc8kTvvblHFLzaSQGWtxeLViYfvmbqgmBRq9Y4n_UWHnapgi32QNxhUtg2TB-R_4yKW0LpfymfYtYxKgaEcg4An1ohObD3MHMB8-qn6LZOyIt4tebbSrLBCDRdiPzWhsxbGT78/s400/IMG_0514.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364087540567220210" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-26466269867013204762009-07-31T01:38:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:58:06.928-07:00Arroz Con Coco Y Camarones (Rice with Coconut and Shrimp)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK79UZczs5vEqnU1QHU_pntlcvvhjo7k9o40vsZQUdA4QtUrrmkpuVVXlvNor2Rn5fZ6UodCJ_-3ILtzCYAxFhLIgWRKE0uRJbBy3xF3pz_N0GIMD3th4kEgy8bwpXxUyxCrXWsEwBtEk/s1600-h/IMG_0053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK79UZczs5vEqnU1QHU_pntlcvvhjo7k9o40vsZQUdA4QtUrrmkpuVVXlvNor2Rn5fZ6UodCJ_-3ILtzCYAxFhLIgWRKE0uRJbBy3xF3pz_N0GIMD3th4kEgy8bwpXxUyxCrXWsEwBtEk/s400/IMG_0053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364183002327699362" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is one creative and tasteful dish from Columbia! I really enjoy reading Erica's blog -<a href="http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/">My Columbian Recipes and International Flavors</a> and I've made her <a href="http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/2009/06/rice-with-coconut-and-shrimp-arroz-con-coco-y-camarones.html">Rice with Coconut and Shrimp</a> the other day which turns out marvelous! I will make time to try more of her recipes given I've made a successful one! The sweetness of the coconut mixed really nicely with the rice and shrimp, and the spices enhance each ingredient and not overpoweringly. I find a lot of Erica's information interesting, for example the unique fruits of Columbia and the creative and neat dishes by her! They look super appealing to me! Also, I have had pitahayas from Columbia and it is really really nice and tasty. I like to try plantains because there are so many wonderful recipes out there about this special fruit, sweet and savory!<br /><br /><br />Pitahaya from Columbia:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdJPbajU3XoGfaAa2PEbMDYSHCz7yqDqkDYdNHnw3JysyS6bNOqOYx1lHzI0eOCOwTOA-NRa7bFrjI7hbeEKNfKqZ_ce4C5Xj3c9XSNZ7V9QMJcrZEnANu7EJwAZlA3C8G95c6kzPcko/s1600-h/IMG_0157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdJPbajU3XoGfaAa2PEbMDYSHCz7yqDqkDYdNHnw3JysyS6bNOqOYx1lHzI0eOCOwTOA-NRa7bFrjI7hbeEKNfKqZ_ce4C5Xj3c9XSNZ7V9QMJcrZEnANu7EJwAZlA3C8G95c6kzPcko/s400/IMG_0157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364182215562694930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjqiwC9X2tSEflsoSqHk3amsFCgqHCh2Ag2BYClQNvsnmOK_xxX9ndOIaoYpXD93vBt9e7SejQxj64AIweXR5DUeMzqPDAxSpDJeLTFNPU1YNBIwZ9KruaMZHNmlmXeSixhOO9NNBbT8/s1600-h/IMG_0164.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjqiwC9X2tSEflsoSqHk3amsFCgqHCh2Ag2BYClQNvsnmOK_xxX9ndOIaoYpXD93vBt9e7SejQxj64AIweXR5DUeMzqPDAxSpDJeLTFNPU1YNBIwZ9KruaMZHNmlmXeSixhOO9NNBbT8/s400/IMG_0164.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364182510069330050" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-2083568622746965122009-07-30T00:19:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:58:40.453-07:00Weetabix Spicy Meatballs in Sweet Tomato Sauce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEXqVfl89RkYmTw1hh-fsE6CFfJl0kUkHTFw4KchuWYriz2ugC9oRqehc8pONolsi7MLtmYJ_y3o5C8IBfjkvN3CQcOO2tp49Ezr2LbAKazRHu1a8VLkWnzgP_R-mZYd5NfI0VkH9Rao/s1600-h/IMG_0468.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEXqVfl89RkYmTw1hh-fsE6CFfJl0kUkHTFw4KchuWYriz2ugC9oRqehc8pONolsi7MLtmYJ_y3o5C8IBfjkvN3CQcOO2tp49Ezr2LbAKazRHu1a8VLkWnzgP_R-mZYd5NfI0VkH9Rao/s400/IMG_0468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364158340212255266" border="0" /></a><br />Beware....these baked meatballs can be delicious! You may want to have them accompanied by lots of fresh greens and whole wheat bread to mop up the sauce! Perhaps some cheese on the side would be even more tempting... When I make this dish I think about partying. What about you? My dad cannot hide from his liking for these little devils because they disappear quite fast, and my mom keeps murmuring that the sauce is really nice....!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />2 Weetabix biscuits, crushed<br />500 g lean ground beef<br />1 egg<br />salt and pepper<br />1 can (156ml) tomato paste<br />1 Tbsp Dijon mustard<br />1/4 cup chopped onions<br />1/4 cup brown sugar<br />1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce<br />1 cup water<br />1 can (396ml) tomato sauce (I used fresh tomatoes)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. In a large bowl thoroughly mix: Weetabix, ground beef, egg, half a can of tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br />2. Shape into 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) in diameter meatballs and place in a single layer in a greased shallow baking pan. Bake at 375F for 25 min.<br /><br />3. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients (including remaining half can of tomato paste) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 20 min.<br /><br />4. Pour tomato sauce over meatballs and return to the oven for 5 to 10 min.<br /><br />Serve with pasta and salad or as an appetizer!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ncZsccjBocLyhRsntqqb6QZBIR-g9wAeL6LqMd92cYQ0hrAuY0koCInXKJ2i-LiUWc62RuvrqG9q2-nQXctGzVqkOZstnd88IPUnDRluyoCPHvaVN2SB3KkDXqKGkOZVwDn54Llu1s/s1600-h/IMG_0465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ncZsccjBocLyhRsntqqb6QZBIR-g9wAeL6LqMd92cYQ0hrAuY0koCInXKJ2i-LiUWc62RuvrqG9q2-nQXctGzVqkOZstnd88IPUnDRluyoCPHvaVN2SB3KkDXqKGkOZVwDn54Llu1s/s320/IMG_0465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364159137061428210" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-19454753105857601592009-07-29T21:36:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:59:09.606-07:00Chick Pea and Dill Dip<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZcdoZptDj6bIh1PsX8Kstni1tsfisaTtvuazHit2TmKjfm-pKx3O4dtkdCIToadqU3iFQYfnuKRz258CxaAuh-WSTbABRiONdDP2FlP3BEMzPoWw1iSomaGA5wJabXBte11uedYuJ-8/s1600-h/IMG_0507.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZcdoZptDj6bIh1PsX8Kstni1tsfisaTtvuazHit2TmKjfm-pKx3O4dtkdCIToadqU3iFQYfnuKRz258CxaAuh-WSTbABRiONdDP2FlP3BEMzPoWw1iSomaGA5wJabXBte11uedYuJ-8/s400/IMG_0507.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364121642449838354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Try this simple, healthy and refreshing dip for a hot summer day and you'll notice how it kills the heat off! It is rich in protein, dietary fibre, and flavors!<br /><br />1/2 can Chick pea<br />1/4 tsp Japanese schimi powder (chili powder)<br />1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/4 cup mayonnaise<br />1 tsp white wine vinegar<br />1/4 tsp dill<br />1 tsp lemon juice<br /><br />Just blend everything in blender or food processor and chill to serve cold with French bread slices, or vegetable sticks or anything you like!I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-22938517279966759782009-07-29T20:22:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:59:38.638-07:00Chicken in Three Cups Sauce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicPLIV7cc4F6hd9Jao0E_4uAtOBvmjdDzJnIjLmibjASNJmKbEy-ZTfyR0ZnaLceXxpcKSH0GlrTfSi3bHyVozvY7NlH96pLQdmC_1jM06V4cjIjL3l3XPynUG8bkTIe4dmLmlxoTgvI/s1600-h/IMG_0510.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicPLIV7cc4F6hd9Jao0E_4uAtOBvmjdDzJnIjLmibjASNJmKbEy-ZTfyR0ZnaLceXxpcKSH0GlrTfSi3bHyVozvY7NlH96pLQdmC_1jM06V4cjIjL3l3XPynUG8bkTIe4dmLmlxoTgvI/s400/IMG_0510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364101479170026994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rycisOZoEucn3JyvoxqnrrIjvuivR37w3VFcQLopkyM9ZNcBinmYdKRzYfssQ_wLrWph4K3xetgyM2nlhc9o6B9RYTuPvXdzU0uZCG7dqZeN5lrMyLVf1rRBr7PCRtrue7g9fIaCEg4/s1600-h/IMG_0512.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rycisOZoEucn3JyvoxqnrrIjvuivR37w3VFcQLopkyM9ZNcBinmYdKRzYfssQ_wLrWph4K3xetgyM2nlhc9o6B9RYTuPvXdzU0uZCG7dqZeN5lrMyLVf1rRBr7PCRtrue7g9fIaCEg4/s400/IMG_0512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364101269911298322" border="0" /></a><br />This tasty Three Cup Sauce Chicken is a very popular and tasty Chinese dish, in memory of the last meal of the righteous senior minister Wen (文天祥) of late Sung Dynasty as some suggested. An old lady, who thought Minister Wen was dead, intended to go worship him bringing with her some chicken and wine. She then surprising found him alive in jail and so prepared his last meal with the limited ingredients with the jail officer who also greatly respected the virtuous minister<span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span>Three cup sauce refers to one (small) cup of oil, wine, and soy sauce each<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>and</span> along with other ingredients brings out the very nice and subtle flavor of the chicken. The dish has been passed on in China since the historic times!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Ingredients:</span><br /><br />1 lb. chicken pieces<br />2 Tbsp sesame oil<br />20 g ginger, cut into slices<br />3 cloves garlic<br />1 tsp red pepper, sliced<br />3 Tbsp soy sauce<br />3 Tbsp Rice wine<br />2 Tbsp rock sugar, crushed (can substitute sugar)<br />1 Tbsp Taiwanese basil (I used thyme)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. In a large pot boil 3 cups of water and 1 tsp salt and cook chicken in water for 3 minutes. Drain the chicken pieces.<br /><br />2. In a separate frying pan heat the sesame oil over medium high heat, add the ginger, garlic and red pepper and cook until the garlic is lightly browned.<br /><br />3. Add the chicken pieces to the same pan and cook until almost done, about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients to pan and stir fry until fragrant and sauce is mostly absorbed.<br /><br />4. Serve hot with rice and vegetables.I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-33971581450945871582009-07-26T20:38:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:00:03.152-07:00Shirley's Birthday Cake -Mango and Strawberry Mousse Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JgxcOaN4_Ub4HvRS3DBxTTioUcrrnGYyNgyWFsP_v_U4dljZldchogjTchE7bQgHHVyW7fvZfRUkIRpA07O5G-vQd43zUfvjmfLKqF2Jqp2CR6hjGBcEYweoayJlz7nkGOHFl6Rxrn0/s1600-h/IMG_0453.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JgxcOaN4_Ub4HvRS3DBxTTioUcrrnGYyNgyWFsP_v_U4dljZldchogjTchE7bQgHHVyW7fvZfRUkIRpA07O5G-vQd43zUfvjmfLKqF2Jqp2CR6hjGBcEYweoayJlz7nkGOHFl6Rxrn0/s400/IMG_0453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363408226022685986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span>July 26</span><span> is my sister Shirley's birthday, and this year I have decided to make her favorite cake, the strawberry mousse sponge cake, which is also perfect for summer, with the additional treat of big mangoes on top! Although there are many ways of making fruit mousse, this one is particularly easy and has a more pure taste of the fresh fruit in season, so it is becoming a family favorite. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Ingredients:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sponge Cake:</span><br />3 eggs, separated<br />6 Tbsp sugar<br />2/3 cup cake flour<br />1 Tbsp warm milk<br />1 Tbsp melted butter<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Strawberry Mousse Filling</span><br />1 cup strawberry puree (from blending fresh strawberries)<br />2 tsp. dissolved gelatin<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup whipping cream<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mango Layer</span><br />1 1/2 cups mango cubes<br />1 Tbsp creme de <em>pêche</em> or apricot<br />1 Tbsp sugar<br />2 Tbsp hot water<br />1 tsp gelatin<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Assembly:</span><br />1/2 cup whipping cream whipped with 1 Tbsp sugar<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Line a 7 or 8 inch cake pan with parchment. Preheat oven to 350F.<br /><br />2. In a small to medium bowl beat the egg yolks with 3 Tbsp. sugar until thick and light yellow, similar to mayonnaise. Set aside.<br /><br />3. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites with 3 Tbsp sugar until stiff and glossy, and not dry. Gently fold the egg yolks into the whites, keeping the air foam. Mix in the warm milk gently.<br /><br />4. Sift the flour over the egg mixture in three additions, folding in lightly and thoroughly after each addition.<br /><br />5. Take a little of the cake batter and mix it with the melted butter. Then add the butter mixture to the egg mixture and mix gently and thoroughly.<br /><br />6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake cake for 25-30 min. until cake is springy and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in its pan upside down on wire rack.<br /><br />7. Strawberry Mousse Filling: mix the strawberry puree, sugar and gelatin together and refrigerate until slightly firm. Whip the cream and fold into the cold strawberry puree lightly. Refrigerate until needed.<br /><br />8. Mango topping: Mix the gelatin in the hot water and then add the creme de <em>pêche</em> and sugar.<br /><br />9. Assembly: Cut cakes into 2 layers and spread bottom layer with strawberry mousse. Place the second cake layer on top and spread entire cake with whipped cream topping. Place mango cubes on top of the cake and brush mangoes with the topping mixture.<br /><br />10. Refrigerate cake for a few hours and best served the day made!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKevgkwcigsBEH3xlqIAW41X3MQlZuL_EQn6Lh3-gSOgF2I0Q9WeVynx3RBGLYbB0IeRUIqrJck08Cjwqgnsja2VaT9H9xuuiRLWx2Y6Wh51sOUYFevnYUKU_bmDAafBYvU27nv-9t5YA/s1600-h/IMG_0447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKevgkwcigsBEH3xlqIAW41X3MQlZuL_EQn6Lh3-gSOgF2I0Q9WeVynx3RBGLYbB0IeRUIqrJck08Cjwqgnsja2VaT9H9xuuiRLWx2Y6Wh51sOUYFevnYUKU_bmDAafBYvU27nv-9t5YA/s400/IMG_0447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363406500305604466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPPxRwE6foBz0TyxzdvpEBhWvHO5eifFldASYC4w-5cyySNdTPJidNKe5nAkazN6M2fRS5-5udIm7ezqbSYesni_PNcCVihyphenhyphenRcKHIHj1LeZnJX-h2ZO2I_AKH4j3-FVBEmwH_YfEIll0/s1600-h/IMG_0450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPPxRwE6foBz0TyxzdvpEBhWvHO5eifFldASYC4w-5cyySNdTPJidNKe5nAkazN6M2fRS5-5udIm7ezqbSYesni_PNcCVihyphenhyphenRcKHIHj1LeZnJX-h2ZO2I_AKH4j3-FVBEmwH_YfEIll0/s400/IMG_0450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363407007080962050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73roRSNjBq3hb0LpEzpMlRrxIesNh3jUMxxfkOpK29TiiR2Le8TjTQ9YsOMp92AuFJyUx0kVEZrGEC9GhZ-RNfbGVAihkF64-hUHEgWEHlhn3-jgW1SxXwCBX2RG5RuVRWZUFq06GeLI/s1600-h/IMG_0451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73roRSNjBq3hb0LpEzpMlRrxIesNh3jUMxxfkOpK29TiiR2Le8TjTQ9YsOMp92AuFJyUx0kVEZrGEC9GhZ-RNfbGVAihkF64-hUHEgWEHlhn3-jgW1SxXwCBX2RG5RuVRWZUFq06GeLI/s400/IMG_0451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363407734506923938" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9poT8n7V-R6mCkYbGMk7D3Ep3ZXgaVgb5_Cv0lzP_0IDS1tLhJIhVA-IhhgFeiKmsmdSc1E2hBHVg5ET9Ju0cw1PwAlC4LYXi0XaAbR39hhlexjTwYrmn5flgE6Zd-XoU3QTdhK_uRA/s1600-h/IMG_0491.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9poT8n7V-R6mCkYbGMk7D3Ep3ZXgaVgb5_Cv0lzP_0IDS1tLhJIhVA-IhhgFeiKmsmdSc1E2hBHVg5ET9Ju0cw1PwAlC4LYXi0XaAbR39hhlexjTwYrmn5flgE6Zd-XoU3QTdhK_uRA/s400/IMG_0491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363410262645810034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv6wUNkWIn8oirZTa2wEZT1b2GVSaejVLEPwh5IL90d925rw-RBj9xBfyB-uV3Ii2Y27v2OGjRLOggYn9KwmMSyEqcBeHFLCConAlG33KkLw_PjBCdfpTK2YSrYQJG-r6-RhEgSV6TfE/s1600-h/IMG_0458.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv6wUNkWIn8oirZTa2wEZT1b2GVSaejVLEPwh5IL90d925rw-RBj9xBfyB-uV3Ii2Y27v2OGjRLOggYn9KwmMSyEqcBeHFLCConAlG33KkLw_PjBCdfpTK2YSrYQJG-r6-RhEgSV6TfE/s400/IMG_0458.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363408804979094642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span>In the evening our family went to Pizza Express for dinner, and I love their really fresh salads</span> and pizzas! Pizza Express is having more and more outlets in Hong Kong. Currently there are seven of them I believe. We had a Peking Duck pizza and one with meatballs. All of them were delicious!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WmAgQHU4njur537q5wvahG2WAJ100uwMpBz7yrRosNrcvARfY24pgYlAN0avAwYcMoP04lMnpXVNn1JNHg7R6vO4bCWb23LNVuLb23OSt4W4cZANkcYWqB4E6a_okolAtL8X7dRfepo/s1600-h/IMG_0473.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WmAgQHU4njur537q5wvahG2WAJ100uwMpBz7yrRosNrcvARfY24pgYlAN0avAwYcMoP04lMnpXVNn1JNHg7R6vO4bCWb23LNVuLb23OSt4W4cZANkcYWqB4E6a_okolAtL8X7dRfepo/s400/IMG_0473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363410627259633250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtxKIrml8RkaMXS2kbaV76kEGyiSu8rBIeHk-PuV8TLUwcrB0WkpuPnm3vbcWXOSLlU01NkKGynKLOzxJzH7BSME17oErBqkWZ8o3XEFRXZHzXsJM17GOCzwRxCeWOk4nZflZwODjcwE/s1600-h/IMG_0475.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtxKIrml8RkaMXS2kbaV76kEGyiSu8rBIeHk-PuV8TLUwcrB0WkpuPnm3vbcWXOSLlU01NkKGynKLOzxJzH7BSME17oErBqkWZ8o3XEFRXZHzXsJM17GOCzwRxCeWOk4nZflZwODjcwE/s400/IMG_0475.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363410889722123842" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-12052033053603468252009-07-25T05:07:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:00:19.911-07:00Cinnamon Buns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje255dm-95_QQSTj-KAFUlIYUBvZwI1PEDNScidpjbCSgTQpKG8xjiVpHkeb7nzzTyAYW9IabKsThnxDoFTdlLhYYyj7NeenPpjJRvwGwBrBH0LKuEFTjmzySYf1lMhLQ5LIJ8Az9wFP0/s1600-h/IMG_9829.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje255dm-95_QQSTj-KAFUlIYUBvZwI1PEDNScidpjbCSgTQpKG8xjiVpHkeb7nzzTyAYW9IabKsThnxDoFTdlLhYYyj7NeenPpjJRvwGwBrBH0LKuEFTjmzySYf1lMhLQ5LIJ8Az9wFP0/s400/IMG_9829.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362377517396599218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />You may label these cinnamon swirl coffee ring as these cinnamon buns are so rich and tasty. They make perfect breakfast or afternoon snacks. Even without the cream cheese frosting, they are very delicious with their intense cinnamon flavor.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dough:</span><br />3 1/2 cups bread or AP Flour<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 cup warm milk<br />1/4 cup butter, softened<br />2 eggs, beaten<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Filling:</span><br />2 Tbsp butter, melted<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<br />1 Tbsp cinnamon<br />1/2 cup currants<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frosting:</span><br />1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened<br />1/4 cup cream cheese<br />3/4 cup confectioner's sugar<br />1/4 cup milk<br />1/2 tsp. vanilla extract<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Mix yeast with a little of the warm milk to dissolve.<br /><br />2. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add milk, eggs and yeast and beat in mixer for 2 min.<br /><br />3. Add butter and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 min. Cover and let rest for 30 min.<br /><br />4. Roll dough out into 9 x 24 inch (23 cm x 60 cm) rectangle.<br /><br />5. Combine all filling ingredients and spread over rolled out dough.<br /><br />6. Roll into a long thing log and pinch seams. Cut dough into 12 equal portions. Cover loosely and let rest in warm place for 30-40 min.<br /><br />7. Bake in preheated 375F oven for about 15 to 20 min. or until golden brown.<br /><br />8. Beat all frosting ingredients together and drizzle over warm buns. Cool on rack or serve warm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqB34WemVScxckJPpHiX8bcP2yZDJf31r0rnQTwBnpFmTuHzVdvTJK4EgpS38dA1jLpu660kUHVgcbT2f3fTuETCvm6AGZ1XOk167paFpDgGt7k5PdCDpOzVawpq5IX1OZPBZo2Wm0fc/s1600-h/IMG_0276.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqB34WemVScxckJPpHiX8bcP2yZDJf31r0rnQTwBnpFmTuHzVdvTJK4EgpS38dA1jLpu660kUHVgcbT2f3fTuETCvm6AGZ1XOk167paFpDgGt7k5PdCDpOzVawpq5IX1OZPBZo2Wm0fc/s400/IMG_0276.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362374351146352466" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-47553822506029887022009-07-21T19:05:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:00:39.619-07:00Fig and Bread Pudding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1gPY9tJxxfTEVQLzuRlaTvirsQy5hMz8yJXa4DyK1WAqjZOWyvfQ1AuZzRlMEPYILh3wrZ03ANG3oLujeg8B2lw9kjneKoE6yygLKTNvt_TSLoIx3GaqtIv7lPE5MkZPI25eVWdrHlM/s1600-h/IMG_0243.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1gPY9tJxxfTEVQLzuRlaTvirsQy5hMz8yJXa4DyK1WAqjZOWyvfQ1AuZzRlMEPYILh3wrZ03ANG3oLujeg8B2lw9kjneKoE6yygLKTNvt_TSLoIx3GaqtIv7lPE5MkZPI25eVWdrHlM/s400/IMG_0243.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362336065356201010" border="0" /></a><br />I had this bread pudding for breakfast and they were very nice right out of the oven... the smell was very awakening for the start of a weekend! I hope you guys also enjoy this comfy, healthy and delicious version of fig and bread pudding.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />1 pkg (227g) dried figs<br />1 egg, slightly beaten<br />2 Tbsp sugar<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1/8 tsp cinnamon<br />1/8 tsp nutmeg<br />1 cup milk<br />1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted<br />2 cups (2cm) firm white bread cubes (French bread is good)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps</span>:<br /><br />1. Cover figs with water in saucepan; bring to boil. Remove from heat and let cool and cut figs into quarters.<br /><br />2. Combine the egg, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well. Blend in milk and butter. Stir in bread cubes and figs; let stand 5 min.<br /><br />3. Divide mixture into 4 greased (6 oz/175ml) custard cups. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg if desired. Set cups in baking dish and add hot water to come halfway up sides of cups.<br /><br />4. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. Top with ice cream or fresh fruit if desired.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCmlqJopm9LqxJ9oAw70LRk-rZ6q9JbLlC9EH-E4_YNoBhYvjdHGN__EMRbu3Fx5MaikqTIsI73RriwWR0Rn-TSaOoVz-waQflrP5E_8nZoP2teBnGJ0in1zpO7XQf8NEKPZDGOnyGR0/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCmlqJopm9LqxJ9oAw70LRk-rZ6q9JbLlC9EH-E4_YNoBhYvjdHGN__EMRbu3Fx5MaikqTIsI73RriwWR0Rn-TSaOoVz-waQflrP5E_8nZoP2teBnGJ0in1zpO7XQf8NEKPZDGOnyGR0/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362336518511204402" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-47160056824099159342009-07-21T04:20:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:01:21.355-07:00Baked Country Breakfast Cup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxLQI1C48C4QNqb9fl1uoHzPi1S14tx63W3X_dllkcP3WV33QjKZd9BuGo5jcKQ07J-euvqImyo1pQn6jR87xLWQA725h4jRIeNXajiTmCC0q2DH7M-AQz1NAhDF7mSgs_sX0WFPex1Q/s1600-h/IMG_0202.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxLQI1C48C4QNqb9fl1uoHzPi1S14tx63W3X_dllkcP3WV33QjKZd9BuGo5jcKQ07J-euvqImyo1pQn6jR87xLWQA725h4jRIeNXajiTmCC0q2DH7M-AQz1NAhDF7mSgs_sX0WFPex1Q/s400/IMG_0202.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360875057575013506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This slow baked eggy breakfast cup is a really delicious and comforting meal, and can be served at other times of the day too! Try homemade salsa and tortilla for an extra homey touch! Recipes for homemade salsa can be found in <a href="http://rouxbe.com/">Rouxbe cooking school</a> and for flour tortilla can be found in <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BASIC-FLOUR-TORTILLA-102301">Epicurious</a>.<div><br /></div><div><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>6 flour tortilla</div><div>1 small red pepper, finely chopped</div><div>6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled</div><div>6 fresh eggs</div><div>1 tsp. Italian seasoning</div><div>salt and pepper to taste</div><div>3 tbsp. salsa</div><div>6 tbsp. shredded Italian cheese</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Steps:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>1. Lightly grease six individual baking dishes or deep muffin cups.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Press tortillas into each cup, folding to fit.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Mix red pepper and bacon and divide among baking cups.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Gently break one egg into each and sprinkle with seasonings.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Bake at 375F for 15 to 20 min. until whites are set and yolks are still soft.</div><div><br /></div><div>6. Spoon salsa and cheese over top of eggs during last 5 min. of baking time, and cover loosely with foil during last 5 min. to prevent over-browning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bon appetite! </div>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-20254721489340099892009-07-10T05:41:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:01:47.851-07:00Wild Salmon Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor8ZS_7Z_tXIElMNSoKigR1jaeDQ_NEfoEdz8H-WMe0rxJ501rrc7SFQO7cdD3wguFaLsHhYP9brBra471aagppbzkTbmVHZxku-rYScm0y5zcpuEZeSZ8DAy4M05Avekj_AkMRaOcVE/s1600-h/IMG_0181.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhor8ZS_7Z_tXIElMNSoKigR1jaeDQ_NEfoEdz8H-WMe0rxJ501rrc7SFQO7cdD3wguFaLsHhYP9brBra471aagppbzkTbmVHZxku-rYScm0y5zcpuEZeSZ8DAy4M05Avekj_AkMRaOcVE/s400/IMG_0181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356843351233052226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />I have just purchased a piece of wild salmon originated from Australia, from my local organic supermarket - Three Sixty. I have to admit that this is probably the best cooked salmon I have ever had! It is distinctive in a way that it tastes really pure and the texture is very fine and tender. It does not have a strong fish taste and it has a light fragrance of itself. I have heard that smoked wild salmon is even more difficult to get, so may be I will have to go out of Hong Kong or smoke a fillet by myself or with some friends.... On the other hand, this wild salmon reminds me of having sushi in a really edgy sushi bar at Hokkaido, Japan that features the best and freshest seafood from the seawater around Hokkaido and Japan. The seafood there was so awesome that I kept complementing throughout the entire meal and ranked it as the best sushi bar in my life up to now. I'll post any updates if this choice changes. The sushi shop website is http://masazushi.co.jp/, and below is a picture of the sushi shop. Lots of snow were there when I went there!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgps4-823SBSwUS10PDGtkXJ-G1c1iNHjE8RECQgUw3iSqK9GLJOkXBIbYYhkMdXTG2UqBtsFxd1_7lCyKJNqk50GB9hX3FsCV2MjjSErqOLJ7TQFTwDrF5H7rOAnieLkj8Epo7xBJPpI0/s1600-h/9540.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgps4-823SBSwUS10PDGtkXJ-G1c1iNHjE8RECQgUw3iSqK9GLJOkXBIbYYhkMdXTG2UqBtsFxd1_7lCyKJNqk50GB9hX3FsCV2MjjSErqOLJ7TQFTwDrF5H7rOAnieLkj8Epo7xBJPpI0/s400/9540.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356837161047797602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <span>Wild Salmon Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette</span> is a recipe of the BC Grown vegetables, and it is light, well matched and fabulous!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wild Salmon Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgHxJFoSMVkLVeXSIJqCxUdPsI9nOKhesxFG5uBP2TQSpG0BfgX4-mI7RrRQj6XtLvWzKfT5gXKL9uv-LZueoCvoibRsGJz-yHBP3KTBUy2gYTk5WrkzEHkLlPIUGOmF8KfW-VVD2108/s1600-h/IMG_0178.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgHxJFoSMVkLVeXSIJqCxUdPsI9nOKhesxFG5uBP2TQSpG0BfgX4-mI7RrRQj6XtLvWzKfT5gXKL9uv-LZueoCvoibRsGJz-yHBP3KTBUy2gYTk5WrkzEHkLlPIUGOmF8KfW-VVD2108/s400/IMG_0178.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356842669785671298" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dressing:</span><br /><br />Olive Oil .............................................1/4 cup<br />White Wine Vinegar...........................2 Tbsp<br />1 Small Shallot, finely diced<br />Dijon Mustard.....................................1 tsp<br />Minced Tarragon, Thyme, Chives......1 Tbsp each<br />Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Salad:</span><br /><br />4 Salmon Steaks (2lb, 1-inch thick)<br />Olive oil............................................2 Tbsp<br />Salt and Pepper to taste<br />Mixed Lettuce.................................8 cups<br />Red Potatoes or New Potatoes, ......1 lb<br />cooked and cut into cubes<br />Green Beans....................................1/2lb<br />Cherry Tomatoes............................16<br />Hard Cooked Eggs..........................2<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. In blender or by hand, mix the dressing ingredients well and set aside.<br /><br />2. Brush the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for eight to ten minutes, turning salmon once, until fish flakes easily.<br /><br />3. In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, potatoes, beans and tomatoes. Pour in dressing and toss to combine.<br /><br />4. Divide evenly among four large salad plates. Garnish with sliced eggs and top with salmon lightly.<br /><br />Makes 4 filling servings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUX9LNFDaPpJ_PuQG1R0hChdf27VGhS2O1v-R1BDjFNt0bEQGDF74iqIVc45Vx9D7pNZnFxgoE-nbkkSa2pNNSDGO0OlaTnHgwOOsfUgX2X6VaWqEU7IpMFR2VLcQlzv2Pt_YrImy3GZU/s1600-h/IMG_0180.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUX9LNFDaPpJ_PuQG1R0hChdf27VGhS2O1v-R1BDjFNt0bEQGDF74iqIVc45Vx9D7pNZnFxgoE-nbkkSa2pNNSDGO0OlaTnHgwOOsfUgX2X6VaWqEU7IpMFR2VLcQlzv2Pt_YrImy3GZU/s320/IMG_0180.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356846147130139810" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-63307075398406408472009-07-09T06:50:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:02:20.799-07:00Crunch Top Fruit Salad with Creamy Dressing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52VXs9egPuEpOnVsiwNpRwQEwlJ_SbJRtKTuvjG9x1PwYx_EBIwOdy1CeAiBbctyyQbQ3f4opsB42MrDT4clgHHidhih0vgobrJCWxeEGeNlhJ8eevOZSfEgWi71hfWCWGtraTonXuwM/s1600-h/IMG_0172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52VXs9egPuEpOnVsiwNpRwQEwlJ_SbJRtKTuvjG9x1PwYx_EBIwOdy1CeAiBbctyyQbQ3f4opsB42MrDT4clgHHidhih0vgobrJCWxeEGeNlhJ8eevOZSfEgWi71hfWCWGtraTonXuwM/s320/IMG_0172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356464272097995138" border="0" /></a><br />Summer is my favorite season and I am almost always happy when it comes! Tis the season for swimming, salad, icy desserts and just a longer bright day everyday. Although the extra heat generated sometimes can make one get tired easier, it is also this heat which is so fascinating that it makes me feel energetic! I remember that when I had a pet, a really lovely Dutch rabbit, she liked to lay under the sun, stretched out her arms and legs, and she looked totally comfortable and relaxed! She ate a lot, did not like to be held, and so sweet that I liked her very much! I'll post her picture later on my blog!<br /><br />Back to food, this morning I have made a fruit salad for breakfast, and it tasted very nice and refreshing that I can't wait to share it on here. It's really simple and quick to make, I've learned to make it in high school home econ., and you almost always have these ingredients on hand so it makes a convenient and delicious treat any time of the day!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crunchy Top Fruit Salad</span><br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Topping:</span><br /><br />Quick oats or Oatmeal ...............1/2 cup<br />Butter or Margarine...................20ml<br />Brown Sugar...............................1/4 cup<br />Cinnamon...................................1 tsp.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dressing:</span><br /><br />Plain Yogurt (or Sour cream)......1/2 cup<br />Sugar............................................1 Tbsp.<br />Orange Juice (optional)...............1 Tbsp.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fresh Fruit</span> (Most types of fruit will be fine):<br /><br />e.g. 1 apple, 1 orange, 1 banana, 1 kiwi, 1/4 melon, with 20 ml of lemon juice<br /><br />or<br /><br />1/2 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup of strawberries, 1 cup of mango<br /><br />*In the picture there are wild blueberries, pitahaya, and mangoes. Yummmm!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375F. Mix together topping ingredients and spread them over evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about eight minutes till golden and crunchy. (Oatmeal is faster to cook than Quick Whole Oats!)<br /><br />2. Chop fruits into bite size equal pieces, mix lightly and well, and place in serving bowls.<br /><br />3. In a medium bowl, mix dressing ingredients together. Divide evenly over fruit salad.<br /><br />4. Sprinkle topping over fruit and serve fresh!<br /><br /><em>A bientôt</em>!I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-21337450553676008802009-07-07T19:22:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:02:38.627-07:00Whole Wheat Sourdough with milk and honey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXA-DQBtuFNxToTQac3ebhS_ZSu6fy7yYh2etmK3mg2efzu5sXyqnhQYKnnGn7YQUAgC-Nx8SZkVQqvgGvAcG7C9g-LWTvAQUUkkvjF1nEX9Upt397lNVRp4hYvPnGRR9XjphlIuEzOQ/s1600-h/01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXA-DQBtuFNxToTQac3ebhS_ZSu6fy7yYh2etmK3mg2efzu5sXyqnhQYKnnGn7YQUAgC-Nx8SZkVQqvgGvAcG7C9g-LWTvAQUUkkvjF1nEX9Upt397lNVRp4hYvPnGRR9XjphlIuEzOQ/s320/01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356086295456143778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I love bread, especially the sourdough kinds. Their flavors are tasty, sophisticated, subtle, changing, and long lasting. There are literally trillions of varieties of sourdough bread, and each of us can devise our own formula from experience to suit our tastes. The kinds of flour for sourdough bread can range from all sorts of wheat: soft, hard, whole, red, white, to semolina, spelt, potato, rye, and just anything you can imagine. Each time i feed my little starter, i feel like feeding my baby, keeping it alive, in the hope that it will turn into another brilliant offspring. And the process of breadmaking? Exciting, observative and precision aiming, sometimes tiring, sometimes anxious about whether it's going the right way. It is mostly happy to see when the dough rises, pissed if it deflates as you turn it over onto a baking sheet after long hours of fermentation, (thinking about what to do if it does), and exciting to cut through the bread's very crispy crust to its pillowy crumb. Siting more, it is interesting to find out how different combinations of ingredients and the different mixing/folding/shaping methods in different environments arrive at the bread's designated taste/texture. Like in many areas, practice makes perfect in sourdough bread making. The tasting process is marvelous of course, the taste is almost different every time! Therefore, I like baking sourdough bread and appreciates all who shares in this field. <a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/handbook/buttermilk-and-honey-wholewheat-sandwich-bread"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Fresh Loaf</span></a> has a recipe for a simple whole wheat sourdough with buttermilk and honey Sandwich bread w/ slight sweetness, not so sour, and soft. I've altered it a bit as followed, and this bread is good with jam, honey, butter, or many sandwich fillings. (Try lobster, mayo and lettuce! ;p)<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Whole Wheat Sourdough with milk and honey</span><br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />Whole Wheat Flour.......................................2 cups<br />Bread or All Purpose Flour............................1 1/2 cups<br />Sourdough starter (about 60% hydration)......200g<br />Water........................................................150ml<br />Milk(or buttermilk)...................................... 150ml<br />Honey.................................................... 1 1/2 Tbsp<br />Butter or Margarine......................................15g<br />Sea Salt.........................................................10g<br /><br />Steps:<br /><br />1. Place both flour and sea salt in the bowl of stand mixer and mix thoroughly.<br /><br />2. Add milk, water, starter and honey to the same bowl and turn mixer on low speed to mix for 3 minutes.<br /><br />3. Add the butter to the bowl and knead on machine at medium speed for about 8 minutes. Rest dough for 8 minutes and knead again for 8 minutes. The dough should be elastic and pull away from the bowl when done mixing.<br /><br />4. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and do a stretch and fold and shape the dough into sandwich loaves like this. (<a href="http://www.breadcetera.com/?p=8">video at the bottom</a>)<br /><br />5. Place the dough, covered with plastic film or clean wet cloth and let rise for 4 to 5 hours till almost double in size. Preheat oven to 350F. If you like a crispy crust, place some hot water in the oven in a small heatproof container to generate steam.<br /><br />6. Bake in preheated oven for about 55 min. or until bread sounds hollow when tapped (bread is very hot!)<br /><br />7. Cool bread on wire rack and let cool for a while if you can wait before slicing.<br /><br />** Notice that usually making bread involves two fermentations, the first in bulk and then shaping followed by the second rise. However, the above method is faster and the bread still taste soft and good with a less sour and less springy characteristic. You may also proceed with the twice fermentation method as in the original recipe.I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-78727559200800067222009-07-06T23:50:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:03:18.787-07:00Chocolate Pancakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCH2c_ngs5z5WBURFRdWAMxPpQxXXR-OmP8A5qstVHmXTfGZIpXUnmSuF2JURvToMbcMV8I9B3KTtbIyeqOgACTHlfXvhAdEZfofv15dj5LUvtBd8KVWJOrcnqI8xb-EegL0sUWpnSJdY/s1600-h/IMG_0153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCH2c_ngs5z5WBURFRdWAMxPpQxXXR-OmP8A5qstVHmXTfGZIpXUnmSuF2JURvToMbcMV8I9B3KTtbIyeqOgACTHlfXvhAdEZfofv15dj5LUvtBd8KVWJOrcnqI8xb-EegL0sUWpnSJdY/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355614868927607714" border="0" /></a><br />New, fresh chocolate pancakes with raspberry compote were my breakfast. I was like one happy girl. It was my first time making and eating chocolate pancakes, inspired by Laura in her <a href="http://littlechefandi.blogspot.com/2009/07/chocolate-pancakes-with-home-made.html">blog post</a>. It was so nice of her to share, and I could not really wait to post my results here. I altered Laura's recipe a bit, because I ran out of baking powder. Keeping everything the same, I separated the egg whites from the yolks, added the yolks to the wet ingredients, and whipped up the whites with half of the sugar till stiff and folded them into the batter to create a light texture. Everything went well and the aroma of the chocolate batter filled the kitchen. The pancakes tasted good, and and they're quite healthy and filling for breakfast! I could become addicted to these great new pancakes... given I had eaten the plain ones for twenty plus years.... Next time, i can give them a twist, add some candied orange zest and cointreau, or strawberries, vanilla ice cream...cherries... apricot jam, foie gras and butter.. mixed fruit and fresh cream... coffee flavored syrup with praline dust...mango and mint... watermelon compote.. dried fruits and mascarpone cheese...more dark chocolate... so many good possibilities!I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-13315763713253312982009-07-05T03:33:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:03:38.358-07:00My Dreamy Cheesy Summer Pasta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcY6Wf957CkYXKYddmGMN2ac51QVCiVUt0qMDbVjt46DKqG_5aIM5KIBvdlD7pLocKfYOkH3lzwA6LdiWszydnKxQ5QHVe3HXBnoBJGJKBngMsS_erQt4YuyhDDfUNS3dFIhHNuHUbms/s1600-h/IMG_0140.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcY6Wf957CkYXKYddmGMN2ac51QVCiVUt0qMDbVjt46DKqG_5aIM5KIBvdlD7pLocKfYOkH3lzwA6LdiWszydnKxQ5QHVe3HXBnoBJGJKBngMsS_erQt4YuyhDDfUNS3dFIhHNuHUbms/s400/IMG_0140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354928715475388002" border="0" /></a><br />Today is another rainy Sunday. It has been a few weekends that Hong Kong is pouring heavy rain and it makes all beach plans delay... :( So, after a big feast yesterday till this morning, I have decided to make a light dinner. The recipe is adapted from the blog of <a href="http://themealplanner.blogspot.com/2009/07/spring-vegetable-lasagna.html">Meal Planning 101</a>, and since I am running out of parmigiano reggiano cheese, I substitute some ham flavored cream cheese to the sauce, and I also use lemon juice mixed with skim milk instead of sour cream called for in the original recipe. The pasta sauce was a bit curdled and runny at first, so I added an egg yolk to thicken and enrich it! As you can see, there is a rather cute pink color of the sauce at the end, and this is because the kind of vegetable that I use is called "red yeen choi" and it has a beet root color in its leaves and so the sauce becomes pinkish! The color plus the nice lemon scent and the cheesy taste makes this dish really dreamy and happy to consume! Also, the green beans are at their peak during the summer time, so crisp and sweet! Although this is an improvisation of the original recipe, I really like it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNDNFO5hRBQFJ2Rs72n3hO0KKZxjuxd1FggfX1eQsZ6Cvz2NiRi7WFJVK_89jAhzxTWXNtrX8UoELSVs7xN3_dOD2hyutWfdd74VhYdWX4OLm89XgzdFCVU9sNvK-rZ0AUdshBpGepKM/s1600-h/IMG_0142.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNDNFO5hRBQFJ2Rs72n3hO0KKZxjuxd1FggfX1eQsZ6Cvz2NiRi7WFJVK_89jAhzxTWXNtrX8UoELSVs7xN3_dOD2hyutWfdd74VhYdWX4OLm89XgzdFCVU9sNvK-rZ0AUdshBpGepKM/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354930953769969762" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-71686244557268303362009-07-03T20:40:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:08:50.108-07:00Independence DayBorn in Hong Kong and immigrated to Canada when I was twelve, Independence Day of U.S. has never been a public holiday to me. However, I really like the States as a country and she so often gives me lots of inspirations. So when asked to post some recipes for the Independence Day, I have decided to stay at home and make a big feast for my family! It is also rainy in Hong Kong today.. it is nicer to stay in than to be outdoor when it can pour buckets of rain onto your within seconds!<br /><br />First, I made a big breakfast for myself since others are still sleeping in till lunch or out to the banks for some unknown reasons in the morning. I had slow baked pork ribs with homemade bbq sauce (from the night before...obviously...), soft scrambled eggs, pan seared tomatoes and... beancurd "sausages"! Yum.... and I finished the whole thing! The recipe for this slow baked pork ribs is easy and delicious, and you can work on other things while they're cooking =)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx5Oh3rUHCkl1oY3nvONvjLOIJt5l6d0LJ_b0N8vsmWoNxdAFm6AYvjgBAivYBCy4Pvsbzod59x2nAPyW3j70HE1rHvunG_d8qfri8-zIr851JELRtmtsO9V_IyM6EGakiokUUz-afLo/s1600-h/IMG_0077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx5Oh3rUHCkl1oY3nvONvjLOIJt5l6d0LJ_b0N8vsmWoNxdAFm6AYvjgBAivYBCy4Pvsbzod59x2nAPyW3j70HE1rHvunG_d8qfri8-zIr851JELRtmtsO9V_IyM6EGakiokUUz-afLo/s400/IMG_0077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354647699533106226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Slow baked pork ribs in homemade BBQ sauce:</span><br /><br />2 lb. baby pork ribs<br />1/4 onions<br /><br />Seasoning:<br />Salt................................ 1/2 tsp.<br />Cayenne Pepper.............1/4 tsp.<br />Black pepper..................1/4 tsp.<br />Rice Vinegar (or any kind that you like... red/white wine, balsamic, cider, fruit etc)......30ml<br /><br />Basting Sauce:<br />Ketchup............1/4 cup<br />OK sauce...........20 ml<br />ginger brown sugar ( or ginger + brown sugar)............50g<br />balsamic vinegar............. 15ml<br />soy sauce.........................5ml<br />oil....................................10ml<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Mix the seasoning with the ribs and onions, let marinade for 1 hour in the refridgerator.<br />2. Preheat oven to 350F, mix the basting sauce ingredients. Place the ribs on baking tray and bake for 1.5 to 2 hrs depending on your liking. In between every 30 min interval, bast the ribs generously with basting sauce.<br />3. Let cool for five minutes and serve hot!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lunch Menu for July 4th:</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpfTTaJXpgfqbuj-iR52Vs7uoK-mwSSbtR_ni5vAtrggppmfrbfduM1QIc8Sha8RQk_F5RyxzUTM9AWdtlEP_w3mdsgNDaebwn-7O1Ef00ZG4FuT0pOnoNiA_qBrG2uTfTDpl1jPV55o/s1600-h/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpfTTaJXpgfqbuj-iR52Vs7uoK-mwSSbtR_ni5vAtrggppmfrbfduM1QIc8Sha8RQk_F5RyxzUTM9AWdtlEP_w3mdsgNDaebwn-7O1Ef00ZG4FuT0pOnoNiA_qBrG2uTfTDpl1jPV55o/s200/IMG_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354648219246454706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span>Nobu style saute scallop</span> with Jalapeno Salsa<br /><br />Nobu style crispy skin Poussin with spicy lemon sauce<br /><br />X.O. sauce fried rice<br /><br />Lemon, Blueberry and Pineapple light cheesecake in chocolate tart shell<br /><br />**The Nobu styles recipes are adopted from the books <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Nobu Now</span> and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Nobu West</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nobu style saute scallop</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> with Jalapeno Salsa</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xDz_J3JBR6aTlV0DYugujs1ugrBViYw8VWmi7EsXnMyJo4f9upg9AU0B8dkz-pP-wLKGwWB-GDVDHtSrfQAek6-S10dVldRBBtEJzP7kRNd_VG3GKXS8nhP3QQLTq3WlrnPhcUoFXVo/s1600-h/IMG_0082.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xDz_J3JBR6aTlV0DYugujs1ugrBViYw8VWmi7EsXnMyJo4f9upg9AU0B8dkz-pP-wLKGwWB-GDVDHtSrfQAek6-S10dVldRBBtEJzP7kRNd_VG3GKXS8nhP3QQLTq3WlrnPhcUoFXVo/s400/IMG_0082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354648552583778226" border="0" /></a><br />A very refreshing starter or even a main course, the scallops is saute so that the outside is golden brown and the inside is medium rare.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>:<br /><br />4 large scallops<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1 tbsp oil<br />5 Brussel Sprouts<br />2 tsp clarified butter<br /><br />Jalapeno Salsa:<br />red onions..........1/2 tsp.<br />minced garlic......1/2 tsp.<br />rice vinegar ........1 tsp.<br />sugar...................1 tsp.<br />Jalapeno peppers... 10g<br />olive oil ...............2 tsp<br />salt.......................1/4 tsp<br />pepper.................1/4 tsp<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Make the jalapeno salsa by mixing all the salsa ingredients.<br /><br />2. Add salt to the scallops. Then, add a tbsp. oil to a medium pan. Pan fried the scallops on both sides until browned on the outside, about 1 min. on each side.<br /><br />3. At the same time, in another skillet, add a tbsp. olive oil and saute the brussel sprouts for a few minutes and add salt to taste, then add the clarified butter and mix well. The vegetables should still be crunchy.<br /><br />4. Divide the brussel sprouts into four serving plates and place a scallop on top. Spoon over some jalapeno salsa and serve fresh.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nobu style crispy skin Poussin with spicy lemon sauce</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0WDrZMnuWo55Sk6i4CA5sn4nxJUj7OVovAYFv6P99vISiRdHELkTg_AbCKq5ambJG9UWx0aD4IXjWnDBvFVJH60AOSaHtAk2B-XdLIM3zrwdacBMfXeY_q4FegGbFbWo8KnhugKfxKk/s1600-h/IMG_0084.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0WDrZMnuWo55Sk6i4CA5sn4nxJUj7OVovAYFv6P99vISiRdHELkTg_AbCKq5ambJG9UWx0aD4IXjWnDBvFVJH60AOSaHtAk2B-XdLIM3zrwdacBMfXeY_q4FegGbFbWo8KnhugKfxKk/s400/IMG_0084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354649248694038978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 whole Poussin (baby chicken)<br />1/4 head of pointed (summer cabbage, finely shredded)<br />olive oil, for brushing<br />sea salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />1 head of Belgian endive, split in half lengthwise<br />3 cherry tomatoes<br />3 tbsp. spicy lemon dressing<br />1/4 lemon<br /><br />Spicy lemon dressing:<br />61/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />3 tbsp plus 1 tsp soy sauce<br />1 tsp. minced garlic<br />1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce (similar to chili sauce)<br />1 tsp sea salt<br />1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />scant 2/3 cup grapeseed oil<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:<br /><br /></span>1. Heat the oven to 400F.<br /><br />2. Place the poussin, breast side down, on a chopping board and cut through the skin down to the bone in the middle of its back. Making small cuts, remove the meat away from each side of the carcass. Cut the wing and leg joints at the knuckle and separate from the carcass, then remove the wishbone and continue cutting away the breasts from the breastbone to leave the carcass completely separate from the breasts and legs. Bone out the thigh bones from the legs, keeping the leg and breast meat still attached together in one whole piece.<br /><br />3. Season the inside of the bird and the shredded cabbage with salt and pepper. Place the cabbage in the middle of the bird and wrap the sides of the bird around the cabbage so they overlap. Place on a baking tray, then brush lightly with olive oil and season.<br /><br />4. Cut the Belgian endive into quarters lengthwise and brush them and the whole cherry tomatoes with olive oil; season.<br /><br />5. Cook the poussin in the oven for 15 min., then add the cherry tomatoes and Belgian endive to the baking tray and roast for 10 min. longer.<br /><br />6. Meanwhile, mix all the dressing ingredients together except the oil until the salt dissolve. then add in the oil and mix well.<br /><br />7. Place the poussin on a suitable serving dish and garnish with the Belgian endive and cherry tomatoes. Spoon the lemon-flavoured dressing over and garnish with lemon wedges.<br /><br />8. Serve hot!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">X.O. sauce fried rice</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vPKj3Kg68i0KDu1cid0P75pHQBPgB_KgbrQ6s6pIEYpbUH5Tqit5YNPX2va1D2T1sfqzf-TxN8EUuHIhzKMV72rhiYVHBLCwFPagSKmCDqgAesN20ZVglHh8AKoewXeAhhkr6KcMxBY/s1600-h/IMG_0087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vPKj3Kg68i0KDu1cid0P75pHQBPgB_KgbrQ6s6pIEYpbUH5Tqit5YNPX2va1D2T1sfqzf-TxN8EUuHIhzKMV72rhiYVHBLCwFPagSKmCDqgAesN20ZVglHh8AKoewXeAhhkr6KcMxBY/s400/IMG_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354649591076461682" border="0" /></a><br />A simple yet delicious fried rice!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />2 broccoli stalks<br />2 egg white<br />1 cup of cooked Japanese or long grain rice<br />1 tbsp. X.O. sauce (from Asian markets, usually contains dried shrimp and scallops, chili etc)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps</span>:<br /><br />1. Dice only the stalk parts of the broccoli into 5mm cube. Beat the egg white slightly.<br /><br />2. Separate the rice to prevent them sticking together too much.<br /><br />3. In a medium high heated wok or large non stick pan, heat 2 tsp. of oil and swirl throughout the entire pan. and add the broccoli. Stir fry for about 2 min till cooked. Place into a bowl and set aside.<br /><br />4. Add 1 tbsp. of oil to the same pan and swirl, and add the egg whites and stir fry until just cooked. Place into a bowl.<br /><br />5. Finally, turn on high heat, add a tbsp. of oil to the same pan and add the X.O. sauce. Stir for 30 seconds and add the rice and stir fry until well mixed. Add the broccoli and egg whites and stir fry for another minute and place into serving bowls. Serve hot.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Lemon, Blueberry and Pineapple light cheesecake in chocolate tart shell</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23N73_OeC-uDHOwBN6EuefeY5eyDWPUJs8GvCbC1-vES5p5svcdEUQ3f0LoVuUMCP7hAN4s2FAxN5SDU-qZIdf1I6TYG9eo0_lajJOFVOscS8l7p7gEmkaAQm4CKftm_JHFTjOAqy7_c/s1600-h/IMG_0093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23N73_OeC-uDHOwBN6EuefeY5eyDWPUJs8GvCbC1-vES5p5svcdEUQ3f0LoVuUMCP7hAN4s2FAxN5SDU-qZIdf1I6TYG9eo0_lajJOFVOscS8l7p7gEmkaAQm4CKftm_JHFTjOAqy7_c/s400/IMG_0093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354650190015958786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The cheesecake wasn't successful because I mistakenly put fresh pineapple into the cake... Pineapple can't be mixed with cheese because it will destroy their protein and produce a weird taste. Therefore, next time, I will omit the pineapple and just make a light lemon and blueberry cheesecake! If you really want pineapple cheesecake, you may instead add the pineapple flavored jelly powder mixed with hot water to make this cheesecake!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr9p9mjQXrMdIe3BcU_IRN5zfetkGBv_tDEfzyiGzBASE3cp2XSTic5FnkYevbvxFBgk3VH4KrC3SIZsgYSTE1_h9cqeCEZeg31fWac2ec16rB6sjPHkHM7hzgRcNqXW_vilbleHg2lg/s1600-h/IMG_0058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBr9p9mjQXrMdIe3BcU_IRN5zfetkGBv_tDEfzyiGzBASE3cp2XSTic5FnkYevbvxFBgk3VH4KrC3SIZsgYSTE1_h9cqeCEZeg31fWac2ec16rB6sjPHkHM7hzgRcNqXW_vilbleHg2lg/s200/IMG_0058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354646996604424610" border="0" /></a><br /><br />1 pkg (250 g) regular cream cheese, softened (I used Organic Valley)<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />Zest and Juice of 1 small lemon<br />1 egg<br />1/3 cup skim milk<br />2 tbsp Pineapple jelly powder mixed in 2 tbsp hot water<br />1/4 cup blueberries, cut into halves<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Follow David Lebovitz method for making the <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/05/french_tart_dough_a_la_francaise.html">butter tart base</a> except substituting 1/4 cup of cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the flour in the original recipe. Bake the tart shell for 15 min. Cool on a wire rack.<br /><br />2. Beat the soften cream cheese and sugar until well mixed. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix well. Add the egg and mix well, then add the milk and mix well again. (If adding pineapple jelly, add them at this point). Fold in the blueberries lightly.<br /><br />3. Pour filling into tart shell and bake in oven for 1 hour until set. Cool on wire rack and refrigerate for 8 hrs or till firm to serve!<br /><br />I'll be posting the rest of the recipes tomorrow... happy Independence Day!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And then...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B5-iqLQAHIa0svx0nr_DePIMeLsZtmjinIhNbU50dNRJhyphenhyphenFqrlp10nbvqcO6ijoLHUdHs1eq8LDpWJiPvfi5XiCyXzCe5qeHxqIY4KekZTk02POB78lQ837BRlLWc1NO34nDYwLJAVc/s1600-h/IMG_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2B5-iqLQAHIa0svx0nr_DePIMeLsZtmjinIhNbU50dNRJhyphenhyphenFqrlp10nbvqcO6ijoLHUdHs1eq8LDpWJiPvfi5XiCyXzCe5qeHxqIY4KekZTk02POB78lQ837BRlLWc1NO34nDYwLJAVc/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354837275926837346" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks to Foodbuzz having a Flavor of the month topic of summer fruits, in which I saw the recipe of a raspberry pound cake by Jonna that was attracted to me a lot! I made the lovely cake for Afternoon Tea on the 4th, served with a cup of wild strawberry green tea and a string of churro which is all so yummy and comforting. The raspberry pound cake recipe can be found <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/1185706-raspberry-almond-poundcake">here</a>, and it is so rich in flavor and yet so light in texture with scents of raspberry and lemon that I both like a lot. I didn't make the icing as I like the simple butter taste of the cake and later I served it with some macerated cherry liquors from the dessert for dinner and it was delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B_8DNp3BP-ag0ZweBDkOV7GtHfUznkAuTJxh6L7cr9YWAam2OKZrOxkQss5RZIpiUm7Z8OKUSgNw2SSuowe_na5QdoWiN28cXbz0Xa1W6YLcfbpxlnYiF8Wemm5AQV0VwAGO3z1L1XU/s1600-h/IMG_0101.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B_8DNp3BP-ag0ZweBDkOV7GtHfUznkAuTJxh6L7cr9YWAam2OKZrOxkQss5RZIpiUm7Z8OKUSgNw2SSuowe_na5QdoWiN28cXbz0Xa1W6YLcfbpxlnYiF8Wemm5AQV0VwAGO3z1L1XU/s400/IMG_0101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354836833668349250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dinner for the 4th:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTf06UZoDnfGHTmUmO5GwAnfp5vZ6N7T8FXTBXCz2hpHYT73cJjn9KWNIILTIJBk9MeTQBvhveSRNp1xTSx2-HPvrv-h6oBpmu3m3VsNB4Vp3y627W13o15m71abTI1oY091U2cPtmdY/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTf06UZoDnfGHTmUmO5GwAnfp5vZ6N7T8FXTBXCz2hpHYT73cJjn9KWNIILTIJBk9MeTQBvhveSRNp1xTSx2-HPvrv-h6oBpmu3m3VsNB4Vp3y627W13o15m71abTI1oY091U2cPtmdY/s320/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354841089593139698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Grilled assorted vegetables<br /><br />Pan seared cod fillets with lemon, green olives and butter dressing<br /><br />Roast sirloin steaks with balsamic cherry red wine sauce<br /><br /><br />Cherry and Apple Strudels with Peach Sorbet<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can tell that it's been a really busy cooking day for me, as all these dishes and desserts require great details and attention! The payoff is more than worthy, because it is such an indulgence when it comes to nice food...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grilled Assorted Vegetables </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhiP5gkt_Vqsrub6Fu88r-6r3hT6KEpCRJxK66j_55speZJi4nIxHym8Qfh248yOFGtcjAD5vtkjCjcl-D2VFOoWMEhj6_idvxwyrsq7Ne1ro_Sabf7Hr6OZt4MppxnSlsTNTlVqRtiQ/s1600-h/IMG_0116.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhiP5gkt_Vqsrub6Fu88r-6r3hT6KEpCRJxK66j_55speZJi4nIxHym8Qfh248yOFGtcjAD5vtkjCjcl-D2VFOoWMEhj6_idvxwyrsq7Ne1ro_Sabf7Hr6OZt4MppxnSlsTNTlVqRtiQ/s320/IMG_0116.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354839366663248258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>:<br /><br />1/4 of Japanese pumpkin, skinned and seeded<br />2 purple sweet potatoes or yams<br />1 aubergine or egg plant, sliced<br />1 broccoli, cut into medium sized pieces<br />1 tomatoes, cut into wedges<br />Olive Oil<br />Sea Salt<br />Black Pepper<br /><br />Steps:<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 400F and place some foil on a large baking sheet.<br /><br />2. Cut the pumpkin and yams into 3cm cubes and lay them in single layer on the baking sheet. drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and place them into the oven to roast for 40- 60 min. until they are tender.<br /><br />3. After 35 minutes of the roasting time, place the rest of the vegetables on top of pumpkin and yams and drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil over. Season with sea salt and pepper and return to the oven for the rest of time.<br /><br />4. For the last five minutes of the roasting time, turn the oven temperature to 500 and grill the vegetables till they're lightly crisp on the outside and still soft on the inside! Give them a nice mix, and serve warm/hot with the fish and steaks. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pan seared cod fillets with lemon, green olives and butter dressing</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5efdZOc6_IYyP2N_gd9omceX2A1-clvr-SxML3x4ybbC7Vwbzo-By_xl423_2POQXXc4GJ-S1_4bEQuclz30eDDa6aOvsyDBheciiuQLZWdS-lpkDX4aWInE0gVPLtRqvHuyJMZEglhg/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 335px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5efdZOc6_IYyP2N_gd9omceX2A1-clvr-SxML3x4ybbC7Vwbzo-By_xl423_2POQXXc4GJ-S1_4bEQuclz30eDDa6aOvsyDBheciiuQLZWdS-lpkDX4aWInE0gVPLtRqvHuyJMZEglhg/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354840597154754226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>:<br /><br />4 cod fillets, skinned and boned<br />salt & pepper to taste<br />Small handful of fresh or dried Dill<br /><br />Lemon olive butter dressing:<br />Butter..........20 g<br />Lemon juice.......2 Tbsp<br />Green olives (sliced).......3 Tbsp<br />Garlic (minced)...............1 Tbsp<br />Shallots (finely chopped)..1Tbsp<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Clean and pat dry the cod fillets and season lightly with salt and pepper.<br /><br />2. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the fillets and cook each side of the fillet for about 4 minutes or until cooked and lightly browned. Place on serving plates and keep warm.<br /><br />3. Make the dressing by using a low heat to melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the the rest of the ingredients to the butter and simmer for one minute. Turn off the heat and spoon over fillets, sprinkle fresh dill and serve immediately.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roast sirloin steaks with balsamic cherry red wine sauce</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhgBWrhPDmYHWNznI4u6YISdKkottla22_FpOKeMNlbaLPbD9Z8A_6RLDnGf5cNIfng4jp7wOsduDa1vdVg1gM0cEdwOMytz4bfNyqhYVkYfPi0LlZX2HCmR9nHishcVFsLbugW1yCp0/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhgBWrhPDmYHWNznI4u6YISdKkottla22_FpOKeMNlbaLPbD9Z8A_6RLDnGf5cNIfng4jp7wOsduDa1vdVg1gM0cEdwOMytz4bfNyqhYVkYfPi0LlZX2HCmR9nHishcVFsLbugW1yCp0/s200/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354843006593912578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br /><br />2 Sirloin Steaks<br />Salt & pepper to taste<br />1 Tbsp Olive oil<br /><br /><br />Balsamic Cherry Red Wine Sauce:<br /><br />Cherries.......1/2 cup<br />Balsamic vinegar..............30ml<br />Sugar................................30g<br />Red Wine.........................1/4 cup<br />Flour................................1 Tbsp<br />Shallots............................5 g<br />Beef Stock........................1/4 cup<br />Cayenne pepper...............1/4 tsp.<br />Cumin.............................1/4 tsp.<br />Salt & and black pepper to taste<br />Butter.............................1 tsp.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steps:</span><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350F. In an oven proof skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the steaks, sprinkle the salt and pepper and sear each side of the steaks for one minute. Immediately place the skillet into the hot oven and let roast to your liking. When the steaks are done place them on a warmed plate and rest. Meanwhile make the sauce.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvhS2F9yV2ZT96zHf9yR85_cARvpvZPm_8yoAfBXa61RVPugXDWiPBZENWHnzFyyszoqmajrO5o2PgV2mdF66JmFkKfu-jYn9B1aiu863qeJnGKXWzXvJtFZ4lUpk_qtwpS9aQiET1zI/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvhS2F9yV2ZT96zHf9yR85_cARvpvZPm_8yoAfBXa61RVPugXDWiPBZENWHnzFyyszoqmajrO5o2PgV2mdF66JmFkKfu-jYn9B1aiu863qeJnGKXWzXvJtFZ4lUpk_qtwpS9aQiET1zI/s200/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354843799610240578" border="0" /></a>2. In a medium sauce pan heat the cherries, vinegar, red wine, sugar, and flour over medium high heat and stir often. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes and add the remaining ingredients and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.<br /><br />3. Take the juices from the sirloin steaks after they have rested for 5 minutes and add them to the red wine sauce. Continue to cook for one minute before adding the butter and stir well. Remove from heat and serve with the steaks.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Apple and Currant/ Almond Cherry Vienna style Strudels </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAydXXlWKDU1R1nbaZPOv9T4bZteTepnyRq_O5MXvS1fMnrDWCZO6B8_r8jpXlPYJwcPBPqBd5EZY4QZuTXFc2nVd1-qz8rptNQ_ttpmB1dGVHpJP7AVUmpYV0RIrKBIt0I75t7kdOy6s/s1600-h/IMG_0124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAydXXlWKDU1R1nbaZPOv9T4bZteTepnyRq_O5MXvS1fMnrDWCZO6B8_r8jpXlPYJwcPBPqBd5EZY4QZuTXFc2nVd1-qz8rptNQ_ttpmB1dGVHpJP7AVUmpYV0RIrKBIt0I75t7kdOy6s/s320/IMG_0124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354844595675958818" border="0" /></a><br />These strudels are really tasty, flaky, and actually not difficult at all to make at home and they look like the sophisticated desserts that we eat outside! The different liquors in these Viennese desserts gave them a nice fragrance and extra depth flavour. You can find the recipes at <a href="http://sandrakavital.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-06-17T14%3A30%3A00%2B02%3A00&max-results=5">Le Petrin</a>, a really nice French blog dedicated to great desserts and baked goods, and I think you will love them as much as I did! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dpEYpcccB_bYMGjIQZoNWjPv7Vv3LJMhoMzsBWCVs362GzpyD2VeeuGMAMvyxYA1Q7_-OfrmmATTBG4h1hcvTG7Rw66wuXyRw4EjVu30y_pvCiJNZd7i4KtZjh9aISUaCH_0Otz2LhY/s1600-h/IMG_0127.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dpEYpcccB_bYMGjIQZoNWjPv7Vv3LJMhoMzsBWCVs362GzpyD2VeeuGMAMvyxYA1Q7_-OfrmmATTBG4h1hcvTG7Rw66wuXyRw4EjVu30y_pvCiJNZd7i4KtZjh9aISUaCH_0Otz2LhY/s200/IMG_0127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354846141580856450" border="0" /></a> I had the apple strudel with peach sorbet at night, and saved the second half of the dough for the next morning to have freshly baked cherry strudel for breakfast! Yeah! a bon appetit Independence Day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTdzspK5wyhBBBLtSM3VMiss8FpaYevrdW2DaKx7aO42G-WWXl_WkB1pnwSVasb3bJsdooF2xtlmF-L2_CZQSsPKrYIwFhErlf7ext1S7eunN_gHzzW-cex99bkVkEJasJUqNnyk7XEU/s1600-h/IMG_0132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTdzspK5wyhBBBLtSM3VMiss8FpaYevrdW2DaKx7aO42G-WWXl_WkB1pnwSVasb3bJsdooF2xtlmF-L2_CZQSsPKrYIwFhErlf7ext1S7eunN_gHzzW-cex99bkVkEJasJUqNnyk7XEU/s400/IMG_0132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354845795915508962" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7678983317928626311.post-18863537078159321732009-07-01T07:13:00.000-07:002009-07-01T08:36:41.090-07:00Lunch at Lung King Heen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MdFmQPep__RWGLD0InN5kufgcUYasRbZeVQjyfkSuiBaXz1hZFxlifn1gYUwCjvFrKuIcsmZ5jdhzhNagxUegLXCsuecqanWteByWm2PskBRvf1_9Oo8pVr-zjyangmSs8LQf8rPWEw/s1600-h/IMG_0049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MdFmQPep__RWGLD0InN5kufgcUYasRbZeVQjyfkSuiBaXz1hZFxlifn1gYUwCjvFrKuIcsmZ5jdhzhNagxUegLXCsuecqanWteByWm2PskBRvf1_9Oo8pVr-zjyangmSs8LQf8rPWEw/s400/IMG_0049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353507442800231410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Today is a special day. First of July, not only is it the national day of Canada, it is also the celebration day of the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. During this day in year 2003, more than 500,000 people in Hong Kong united for a march to protest against a legislation: the famous Article 23 of the Basic Law of China. Many of us feel that implementing this concept of "national security" would infringe Civil Human Rights which was so important to people in Hong Kong, as we always enjoy them. It was and still continues to be a big event.<br /><br />I invited Winnie to come to Lung King Heen for two other reasons, one for the celebration of her big birthday (I won't say the age ;p) and the other that she has completed her Master in<br />Finance! Big Congrats!! I hope she enjoyed the lunch as much as I was fascinated, as I like Lung King Heen the best when it comes to Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong. It's the only three star Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong!<br /><br />Lung King Heen features "Hong Kong style" Chinese Food with its seasonal and best ingredients cooked in perfection in every detail, and served with the best service I think. I was delighted to be there enjoying such a beautiful sunny day of the summer overlooking the highest resolution clear blue sky and ocean, with a few old ferries (rare treasures of HK), using beautiful cutlery and eating in nice ambience with my great friend! Alright, first came the dish "Dragon Prince", a green velvety dumpling skin wrapping up juicy and tender pieces of prawns, scallops, and lobster! Very delicious! Next runner up would be the crispy fried foie gras with shrimp morsel, infusing the aroma of the foie gras in my senses long after I have finished eating it. Pure seduction. Next would be the lovely baked cheese and smoked salmon pastry combining west & east which tasted so yummy! Loved it. Then finally we had our treat of black truffle "siu mai" and until today I thought all truffles come from Europe somewhere close to Italy... when in fact it was Australia where our truffles were originated from. It's all good! I'd have to do more research into food trends.<br /><br />Of course, we have to leave some space for desserts! We were looking forward to our sweeties which took twenty minutes to come! Winnie ordered the egg white and milk custard puff tarts which were so beautiful, soft like babies, pure and yet utterly buttery and milky with the perfect sweetness when it comes to flavours! Winnie and I did not say much, may be we were falling in love with them! Not to exagerate, our perfect sweetness continues to come as our sampler dessert platter arrives! There was almond tea first which is an old classic of Hong Kong dessert, with two kinds of almonds mixed together for an underlying bitterness to harmonize with the sweetness which equals a subtle flavour with melt in your mouth texture eventhough it was served cold. I loved it again! Next, there was that rich and yummy salty egg yolk custard pastry which was shaped into a tiny pear with great portraying details. I love the art as well as the taste of it, including the nice crumbly texture and sweet taste that can only be achieved if it was made very fresh! The next healthy and yummy choice is the Gui flower and Jizi (red dried fruit) jelly pudding. At first I was a bit reluctant to try it because I didn't particularly like the Chinese dried fruit flavours dessert.. however it was a complete break out of my frame as i place my first bite into the refreshing devil.... it was yummy! I like it even more than the egg yolk pastry before, probably because of the fragrance from the Gui yellow flower. Winnie's sesame cookie was also very appealing and looked scrumptious... I will have that next time if possible! I had Winnie to try the most trendy and famous dessert of Hong Kong, mango pomelo cream sago soup! It is so nice in colour for the summer! I bet it tasted top notch! Haha... I wasn't sure how else to describe such a treat. Lunch at Lung King Heen is a hit to me.... I mean... how can they make things so perfect? It's a mystery.... and it could be magic....either way, I love it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUpB0V0AdKrE-W3S3qP8Q-Sm4Urxd7Ka3TJe1Q7JbYJ88xxg-U313ABUsJbUAXivKTEAsIAo2MthceEgWXgwhZ7_QTtK-U6vQa4M9EL_Ti7fOgOB_OKO2zVYmkraA6rix-KyDp967CRg/s1600-h/IMG_0047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUpB0V0AdKrE-W3S3qP8Q-Sm4Urxd7Ka3TJe1Q7JbYJ88xxg-U313ABUsJbUAXivKTEAsIAo2MthceEgWXgwhZ7_QTtK-U6vQa4M9EL_Ti7fOgOB_OKO2zVYmkraA6rix-KyDp967CRg/s400/IMG_0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353507320070219010" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIL6YXwAkRMg7zVcUXt2E6ethZVpYCf8xp3ly4Woxal-bxVMAEqXLLe-gb2axFBVUqpN2vxut9bfmgjXZhh8mXyp_OiIFHtylbZnsccNY1uwY57pRwk8fyxfI-TnSDyz7Pzp2tbCqd-0/s1600-h/IMG_0046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIL6YXwAkRMg7zVcUXt2E6ethZVpYCf8xp3ly4Woxal-bxVMAEqXLLe-gb2axFBVUqpN2vxut9bfmgjXZhh8mXyp_OiIFHtylbZnsccNY1uwY57pRwk8fyxfI-TnSDyz7Pzp2tbCqd-0/s400/IMG_0046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353507185673826706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTWtVKhOxSQVfbNl_MsrqMYluw3tUmuZGqYWeAH0-2Lw1C3fl7iEy4mQA8txRBrRb6L8e8HsQojuLnrKDoR6n4gRkwgC4xJh6HyhxQYZKRedhvS6Ndw8x7wc8RYb_e-iL-_9jURRaC-I/s1600-h/IMG_0048.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTWtVKhOxSQVfbNl_MsrqMYluw3tUmuZGqYWeAH0-2Lw1C3fl7iEy4mQA8txRBrRb6L8e8HsQojuLnrKDoR6n4gRkwgC4xJh6HyhxQYZKRedhvS6Ndw8x7wc8RYb_e-iL-_9jURRaC-I/s400/IMG_0048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353507715765541650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ0fGQ2C9ge2i2ARQJ2cwAJmONNoTOQuhjMA9MEPE4WneiEVmEfKsgL2w5Q8bbEtpZaVXkMIZeO5ti8DwDXS7yqCHuK7NvDW03PjWWuaJN9LPpJZDy_584redkjVYSYzGkOy5hsa3vwk/s1600-h/IMG_0044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ0fGQ2C9ge2i2ARQJ2cwAJmONNoTOQuhjMA9MEPE4WneiEVmEfKsgL2w5Q8bbEtpZaVXkMIZeO5ti8DwDXS7yqCHuK7NvDW03PjWWuaJN9LPpJZDy_584redkjVYSYzGkOy5hsa3vwk/s400/IMG_0044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353506925353296002" border="0" /></a>I love tasteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11403949336762244532noreply@blogger.com0