Owner: Melting Wok : Asian Flavors & More. URL:http://www.meltingwok.com Join Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 18:59:23 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: An Asian food blog to cater your diversified taste buds. From easy home cooking to authentic food recipes, tips, and more. Site statistics:Click here
Big Burger Ballyhoo 2007 : Tofu Burger 2007-05-14 21:20:00 I’m not really a hamburger connoisseur, but I've suddenly developed an urge to sink my teeth into a big, juicy burger with all the works after watching "Pink Panther", particularly this scene. Could this be a conspiracy by the hamburger industry to transform us into hamburger - chomping - special - sauce - dripping - from - the - sides - of - our - mouths junkies ?!? Haha ... no I'm not crazy. You know how when you have a song stuck in repeat mode in your head? In my case, it was that scene as I was whipping up this recipe for the Big Burger
Ballyhoo 2007. Even as I was grinding the ingredients for my entry, I swear I could hear the food processor yelling, "I WOULD LIKE A HAMBURGER !" with a french accent each time I hit the pulse button.For this burger recipe, I'll be going the m00-friendly route with a healthy hand-crafted meatless Tofu Burger variation. Instead of regular tofu, I've chosen to use Chinese baked tofu. They have a firmer texture than regular tofu and are availabl
My Top 5 Place To Eat in Southern California 2007-05-11 21:49:00 I was having some store bought frozen dumplings for supper last night, and boy.. they were not luscious. My mind was wandering off again..those luscious dumplings Wandering Chopsticks had. That reminds me, she had tagged me a while back on Saving Our Favorites 2007 and there's Amy, with her Top 5 Favorite Place
To Eat in Seattle, and not forgetting tigerfish in Sunnyvale, CA, with her Tasty Joys at Trader Joes ! In reality, I don't eat out much, but when I do, I am gamed for a great authentic cuisine of some theme, and sometimes I'm all in for an arsenal feast, like a buffet. So, here I am, my Top 5 Save My Favorite Place to Eat here in SouthernCalifornia
.After watching "Finding Nemo", the first thing that comes to mind is sinking my chompers into some sweet, succulent, and juicy lobster tail. Yes, I admit it. I'm a seafood-aholic. Fortunately, California is abundant with Oriental "eat-till-you-drop" seafood/sushi buffet restaurants. So every once in a while I get to indulge Read more:Southern California
Spaghetti Stir-fry With The Works .. 2007-05-09 09:32:00 As much as I love Asian flair in rice and noodles, I occasionally enjoy preparing just a simple pasta meal at home. No chopping, no dicing, and no leftover herbs. This is my kind of comfort meal ! That, besides a simple custom request to Olive Garden got rejected when I ordered my Alfredo Pasta with Portobello Mushroom with a light wine sauce :POn a meatball spaghetti night, I love using jarred spaghetti sauce, especially the four cheese kind. Whereas on lighter days, I cannot do without canned tomatoes with all my favorite herbs - Del Monte Organic Tomatoes With Basil, Oregano And Garlic. I usually don't use canned tomotoes in stir-fries. With that, I am determined to put my taste buds to the test. This pasta recipe is an easy, breezy one, makes your summer days less hectic, I promise !Look .. I found these huge luscious looking beauties - Heirloom Grilla-bella mushrooms.I love chunks of these loaded up in my spaghetti pasta dish. If you have never had them, you must ! As much as I l Read more:Spaghetti
, Works
Pesto Chicken 2007-05-03 11:33:00 More into some extra delicious finger licking good, chicken recipes..PestoChicken
or simply, Basil Chicken !I have got a little over half a bunch of wilted basil leaves and three wrinkly jalapenos, what do I do ? I am thinking homemade Pesto Sauce, my own version : basil leaves, jalapenos, garlic and another Weekend Herb Blogging at Kalyn's Kitchen ! Both greens complement each other, the light "fire up my taste buds" jalapeno chilli peppers balance out the sweet, fragrant basil leaves perfectly ! Too bad I don't have any pasta lying around, I guess six chicken drumsticks left over from making my sweet Honey Spicy Chicken will do.In Malaysia, basil leafs are known as "kemangi" or "selaseh", the leaves are smaller and darker in color, and the stems and young ribbbony leaves are distinctly reddish-purple in color. They are used mainly in strong-flavored dishes like fish curries and chilli-flavored stir-fries like in shellfish or poultry dishes. In other parts of Asia, basil leaves are
Spicy Honey Chicken 2007-04-26 10:17:00 Well, from my Spicy
Chili Chicken
post, I guess it's no secret that I'm a big fan of spicy chicken recipes. Here's another one that I enjoy - "Ayam Masak Merah Madu" ( Malaysian Style Spicy Honey Chicken ). A special thanks to my good friend, PrincessJournals for reacquainting me with this truly finger licking good chicken recipe. This dish is widely popular in Malaysia and is known in the Malay language as "Ayam Masak Merah", which literally translates to "Red Cooked Chicken". The chicken is cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, hence it's colorful namesake. "Ayam Masak Merah" can be found in most hawker stalls in Malaysia and Singapore that serves "Nasi Campur" ( Rice served with a variety of meats and vegetables of your choice ) and also at "kenduri kahwin" ( Malay wedding receptions ).Although it may look like any other Malaysian spicy meat curry, it is the sweetness of the honey and the sour taste of the tomato sauce that sets it apart from them. There are many versions of "Ayam Mas
Clay Pot Sticky Rice 2007-04-19 09:23:00 Remember when I cooked Claypot Chicken with Mushroom ? I've been so eager to whip up another one of my favorite claypot dish - Claypot Sticky Rice. After drooling over Lyrical's "Claypot Chicken Rice", Precious Pea's "Lor Mai Gai" ( Sticky Rice with Chicken ), and WMW's Sticky Rice Feast, I screamed to myself, "I've got to have them all !" Oh well, since I only have two hands, I guess I'll stick to what I had originally planned on - Claypot Sticky Rice. Luckily I already have most of the ingredients I needed at home. Some leftover peanuts from my last peanut soup dish, chicken, dried shrimp, dried chinese mushroom, and wood ear mushroom (I enjoy the crunchiness so I tend to use it in any dish I can). All I needed from the Asian grocery store were just the glutinous rice and some quail's eggs.There are numerous popular glutinous rice dishes in Asia. In Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Burma, glutinous rice is commonly used to make sweet savory desserts such as Durian/Mango stic
Peanut Soup 2007-04-12 09:24:00 Growing up around 6-footer cousins can be really intimidating. Mom never failed to pushed her 1001 remedies to make us grow as tall. Making us drink peanut soup is one of her super-hero ideas. There's a chinese tradition, or rather a myth, that eating peanuts help stimulate growth. Anyway, I grew to love mom's peanut soup in my late teens. And if you are wondering if that has helped me any, the asnwer is I think I've failed miserably in the height department. Hahaha.. On a serious note, on days when you are sick of rice, or on a low-carb diet, peanut soup with ribs or lean pork is a good substitute because peanuts contain about the same amount of protein as soy, and are low in starchy carbohydrates.Like any other signature soup out there, eg. clam chowder can't do without clams, Malaysian Asam Laksa is not complete without fish, peanut soup calls for none other than dried squid or cuttlefish. Known as "Mak-Yu" in Cantonese, dried squid comes in various lengths, from as short as 4 Read more:Peanut
Steamed Carp 2007-04-06 21:16:00 "Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it."Lao Tzu quotes (Chinese taoist Philosopher, founder of Taoism, wrote "Tao Te Ching" (also "The Book of the Way"). 600 BC-531 BC)Most people, myself included, love eating fish because it is healthy, packed with nutrients like Omega 3, and is a great source of protein. However, many people are at loss on how to handle fish, either putting too much spices or overcooking it, thus reducing its quality. Hopefully, these easy tips that have helped me will come in handy for you as well ...1) Buy Fresh.Always buy fresh if possible. The fresher the fish, the better the taste and the firmer the flesh is. From personal experience, the longest you should store fresh fish in the freezer is about two days before the flesh starts to toughen.2) Look at the eyes.If you're not getting your fish fresh from the tank, make sure the eyes are clear and not red or dull. I've also read somewhere that the fins should also be pointing up
Tiger Lily Buds And Edamame Stir-fry 2007-03-31 06:37:00 You have seen and eaten these in Hot and Sour Soups, and perhaps a couple of Moo Shu dishes. Traditionally, these exotic lily buds are woodsy tiger lilies, and they are actually unopened yellow day lily flowers. Because of its bright golden color when it is raw, lily buds are known as "Gum Jum" in Cantonese, which translates to "Golden Needle". At the Asian grocery market, look in the dry foods section where they are packed in plastic baggies and appear slightly pale yellow in color. Dried lily buds are mainly used in authentic chinese stir-fries, soups and hot pots aka fondues. In the chinese tradition, tiger lily flowers also represent "wealth", and you will see loads of it added to Chinese New Year vegetarian dishes such as Buddha's Feast. They are also great when paired up with any recipe that calls for shitake mushroom or wood ear mushroom, such as my Clay Pot Chicken recipe.It's a pleasure munching these long, slender, needly flowers. Crunchy in texture when cooked, these tiger
Lion's Head Meatball Soup 2007-03-26 11:40:00 I may be in sunny California, but as soon as it turns dark, I still get the occasional shiver as the chilly spring breezes battle valiantly to fend off the advancing forces of the summer heat. Tonight, especially, is one of those nights when I would like nothing more than to wrap my cold, clammy hands around a bowl of hot soup and sink my teeth into something meaty. It didn't take long for my noggin to remind me of a dish I had seen at someone else's table on a recent visit to a Shanghai cuisine restaurant - Lion's Head Meatball
Soup. Yes ! That should do the trick :)If you are unfamiliar with "Lion's Head Meatballs", they aren't really meatballs made from lion's heads. This popular Shanghai dish got it's name from the resemblance of the meatball to a lion's head and the accompanying napa cabbage to it's wavy mane. Funny thing is, as I was shaping the meatballs, my mind was actually conjuring up a visual of the movie "Monster's Ball" starring Simba (from "The Lion King") inst
Instant Noodle 101 2007-03-21 09:02:00 Since I ventured a little into instant noodles on my last post, I thought I might as well deliver the whole enchilada while my "noodle" is still in "oo-dle" gear. In my last post, I gave Mr. Yi from China his props for the concept of the instant noodle. But it was a Japanese company called Nissin that kicked it up a notch and gave birth to the colorful plastic-wrapped rectangular 4" by 6" bricks of dried "instant ramen" noodles that we are more familiar with today. Today, instant noodles aren't just about quick-fix meals for rat-racers or low-budget meals for starving students anymore. They are balanced with meat and vegetables and served as proper meals not only at home, but also at many Oriental restaurants, especially in Hong Kong-style cafes.My favorite brand of instant noodles is "Maggi". I've tried many different brands that get all mushy after cooking but Maggi noodles retain that chewy, springy texture that is the first thing I look for. Not to mention their soup seasonings c Read more:Noodle
Braised E-Fu Noodles 2007-03-16 09:53:00 After having seen the new Olive Garden "Crab Alfredo Venezia" commercial pop up on tv for the umpteenth time this past month, it's no wonder I've suddenly developed a craving for seafood and noodles. The power of subliminal messages indeed ! I've tried a variety of seafood-noodle combination, from a simple seafood rice noodle stir-fry to a lavish seafood udon served on a sizzling hot plate, but none of them can hold a candle to E-Fu noodles and seafood. They are.. IMHO that is.. a match made in food heaven, kind of like spaghetti and meatballs or the popular Malaysian noodle dish, "char kway teow" with cockles even :)Also known as "yi meen" or "yi noodles", E-Fu noodles were invented and named after some guy called "Yi" in ancient China who deep-fried some noodles so he could keep them longer and boiled the noodles in water later before serving. I wonder if he had have some potatoes lying around the kitchen when he thought of that if we'd be having Chinese fries today instead of Fr Read more:Braised
Spicy Chili Chicken 2007-03-13 09:19:00 Chinese New Year has come and gone, marking the end of my extravagant feasting forays which has been in overdrive ever since Thanksgiving last year. Settling back into my regular diet of good ol' steamed rice with a couple of simple dishes, the first thing that came to mind was something spicy, easy to prepare, and low fat ! Eenie, meenie, minie... Rendang ? Curry Chicken
? Hot and Sour Fish? ...Nope. A simple SpicyChili
Chicken ? Yeah sure, why not ! The ingredients for this Chili Chicken recipe is actually quite versatile. A combination of spices and chilies ranging from cumin to turmeric and jalapeno to serrano can be used... Whatever floats your boat basically.Preparing this dish always bring back fond memories of my carefree college days. It was the the beginning of the oriental buffet restaurant boom here in the states. Back then, those eat-till-u-drop-for-under-five-bucks joints were heaven for starving college students such as myself, who have been surviving on one too many p
Chinese BBQ Pork 2007-03-09 11:52:00 I had a terrible experience the last time I had a craving for some "Char Siu" (Cantonese style BBQ
Pork). After fighting an hour's worth of traffic to reach Chinatown and waiting in line for half more at my favorite BBQ restaurant "Sam Woo", I was left staring at the last piece of Char Siu which was practically screaming, "I'm dry and burnt, but I'm the last piece standing and you've come this far ......" And that was enough inspiration for making my own Chinese
BBQ Pork nowadays whenever I have a craving for that sweet, sticky, tender hunk of "red" meat.The choice of meat is on the top of my list when it comes to my BBQ Pork. For a leaner Char Siu, use pork cushion or pork loin. If you prefer it to be really tender (like I do), pork belly is the way to go. If you can't decide, start out with pork shoulder or pork butt, which is leaner than pork belly, yet quite marbly and moist.Traditionally, Chinese BBQ Pork is skewered with long forks and roasted in ovens, which is how it's na
Happy Chinese Valentine's Day 2007-03-05 09:26:00 "Chap Goh Meh" is a term in the Hokkien dialect which literally translates to "the fifteenth night". This auspicious occasion which falls on the first full moon of the Lunar New Year also marks the fifteenth and final day of the Chinese
New Year festivities. This year, "Chap Goh Meh" falls on the 4th of March. The usual Chinese celebrations include feasting, eating "Tangyuan" (Glutinous rice flour balls served in boiling water), and the Lantern festival.However, in South East Asia, this day is also celebrated as Chinese Valentine
's Day. In the days of old, this is the only day of the year when unmarried couples are allowed to be seen together with each other. As for single girls, one of the traditions in Malaysia include the throwing of tangerines into the sea. This is done in hopes that it will be found by their soul mate. Maybe it will work even better if they write their name, phone number, email address with permanent ink on the tangerines. Haha.. just kidding about that writing d Read more:Happy
, Happy Chinese
Cottage Pie 2007-02-26 02:37:00 Jack Handy quotes :"When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it's not, mmmmmmmm, boy."(American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003.)The Cottage Pie recipe traditionally originates from England, perhaps somewhere in Kent or Somerset county. The Cottage Pie is named after the pot they cooked it in, which resembles a thatched cottage. And also when they heaped the mash (or posh food word, pomme puree) on the top, it looked like a thatched roof made of straws (thanks to the info from my online cooking buddy, Scotty, in Rochester, UK, and his mom for sharing her family's secret pie recipe with me). Cottage Pies originally had beef, peas, carrots, swede and mashed spud toppings.A few confessional ramblings here. First off, I have not baked a pie in 2 years. Secondly, this marks my very second pie quest. Cooking is one thing, but baking pies is yet another culinary skill I need
Colt-en Shrimp Fritters 2007-02-06 11:58:00 So, how do you like your shrimp fritters ? What is your secret technique for a mouth-watering recipe ? Mine would actually be the hybrid of the traditional Malaysian all time favorite shrimp fritters, known as "Cucur Udang" and the Indian "Vada".I was actually thinking of just fixing the Malaysian Cucur Udang, which is a concoction of shrimp, fresh cut green chilis, bean sprouts, and chopped green onions mixed in a plain floured fluffy batter and deep-fried to a crunchy perfection. But then I was also craving for some of Asha's assortment of winter munchies, especially the variety of vadas and pakoras recipes.So basically all I did was substitute the vegetables from the Cucur Udang recipe with "chana dal" flour, aka yellow gram flour, slap a fancy Super Bowl related name to it and voila! The "Colt"-en Shrimp
Fritter is born.When preparing the batter, make sure it is not runny, otherwise it won't stick to the shrimp when you deep fry the fritters. The batter should be stirred to a smo Read more:Fritters
Chicken Lollipop 2007-02-01 07:49:00 The votes are in! The "Bear"-ffalo ChickenLollipop
s have a slight lead over the "Colt"-en Shrimp Fritters. However, due to popular request, it seems like I'll be going into overtime and fixing both of these delicious Super Bowl party treats. Okay, first to kick off is the Chicken Lollipop recipe. Remember when I made the Tea Eggs with Chicken Wings ? I only used the wing part and the drumettes I saved are perfect for this recipe. Anyway, someone was making fun of chinese cheese the other day and dared me to use some of that stinky yogurty chinese cheese to fry some chicken :P So, I did! I used the chinese red cheese, aka "nan roo" in mandarin, which means "fermented red beancurd". Yes, the westerners call it chinese cheese !!"Chinese cheese" comes in different varieties. In the Cantonese Cuisine, the fermented red beancurd is used in braised pork recipes. My grandmother, who is of Hakka descent, used to marinate pork bellies with the fermented beancurd in a rich wine sauce to prepare
Superbowl Food Kickoffs !! 2007-01-30 01:02:00 This year the Super Bowl kicks off at the Dolphin Stadium in South Florida February 4th. Whether it's the Bears or the Colts you are rooting for, I'm sure my fellow foodies will agree that the real winner is a "Super Bowl" of food that stand out from the usual fare of chips, dips and chili. While all the football fans out there are contemplating on who will win this year, I, on the other hand, will be contemplating on delivering a winning snack for this year's Super Bowl party. This year, I am going to stick with a simple party food recipe so I can be in the living room during game time joining in with the cheering and yelling, and most importantly, among the company of good buddies. I have narrowed down my "teams" to two favorites - the tempting "Colt"-en Shrimp Fritters vs. the equally alluring "Bear"-ffalo Chicken Lollipops. *grins* So, fellow foodies, which of these two teams do you think will be the winner of my Super Bowl party food this year ? Read more:Kickoffs
, Superbowl
Rice Noodle Rolls 2007-01-28 06:05:00 Two weeks of craving this Malaysian Style Chee Cheong Fun is a torture. Desperate needs call for desperate measures. I wasted no time at the Asian grocery market picking up a pack of rice noodle rolls and had a satisfying time with an easy rice noodle recipe. In Cantonese cuisine, rice noodle rolls are prepared by wrapping shrimp or BBQ pork in rice noodle sheets. Many times you will also see long and crunchy chinese dough cruellers wrapped in them as well, served at many Cantonese dimsum restaurants. In Vietnamese cuisine, rice noodle rolls, aka "bahn cuon", are served with crispy mungbean and shrimp fritters, crispy sweet potato strips, slices of pork meatloafs, bean sprouts with fish sauce. Rice noodle rolls are also call "lai cheong fun" in Hong Kong, which literally means pulled-intestinal-like-noodles, aptly named for their appearance. I love all variation of ways they are prepared and have tried them all. I am glad that they are widely available in Southern California so every o Read more:Noodle
, Rolls
Mud Crabs aka Egg Crabs 2007-01-22 11:58:00 Wholely crab !!! Yes, I was quite "thankful" when I chanced upon a "tankful" of one of my favorite shellfish the other day - the "Mud Crab".Though the name itself might be a put-off, I'm sure most seafood connoisseur will agree that the taste is a different story altogether.Don't mean to come off sounding sexist, but IMHO only the female mud crabs, also known as "egg crabs", are the ones that really make good eating. Haha.. go figure.The mud crab is not as fleshy as the dungeness crab, so I always choose the heavy ones to get more flesh for my buck. Besides, the heavier they are, the fresher they are too.The mud crab is rarer than its cousins in the North American market, which is why it comes with a higher price tag here. Here in Los Angeles, it is around ten to fifteen dollars when its in season and can easily go above twenty dollars off-season. So you can imagine my joy when I found a couple of "drop dead" gorgeous female mud crabs for only three dollars per pound at the market. Y Read more:Crabs
Masala Tumeric Squid With Coconut Cream 2007-01-18 03:09:00 Calamarrrrri ... I just love the way this fancy word for "squid" sounds, especially when I let the last syllable slowly roll off my tongue. With much anticipation from Rasa Malaysia, Claude and Schneier, I am more than happy to share my Masala
Tumeric Squid recipe using my home made sambal paste. Yes, I'm spilling the beans. You would be surprised to discover that it is not as difficult as you think to diversify your taste buds. Something new, something old and something intoxicating.As I have mentioned in my Shrimp Stir Fry with Curry Leaves recipe, tumeric spice is simply great. It adds much flavor to any spicy dish without the "spicy-hot"ness. When using tumeric spice in cooking, not only does it add that mild aromatic flavor to your food, it also helps in removing odors in raw seafood and meats. It is definitely the next best thing to ginger !!In Thai and Malaysian cuisine, kaffir lime leaves is one of the few favorite herbs when cooking many hot curries, spicy dishes and chinese Read more:Cream
Glass Noodles Stir Fry 2007-01-14 08:06:00 The age-old debate on who invented the noodles was finally settled when they found a 4,000-year-old bowl of noodles in China a couple of years back. Today, owls of noodles can be found all over the world in a variety of shapes and sizes. The more popular ones are the Chinese yellow noodles and rice vermicelli, the Italian spaghetti and macaroni, and the Japanese udon and soba to name a few. Speaking of noodles, can anyone enlighten me on how the phrase "using your noodle" came about to mean "using your brain"? :POne particular noodle I haven't had in a while is the "glass noodle", named for it's translucent appearance when cooked. It is also called "bean thread" because it is made from mung bean, not to be mistaken with the rice vermicelli, which is quite similar uncooked. I haven't tried this noodle in a while because there were rumors of lead-poisoning surrounding it a few years ago. I'm glad the whole mess is finally cleared up so I can finally get to enjoy it once again.Two of Read more:Glass
, Stir Fry
Steam Black Cod 2007-01-12 09:35:00 When it comes to fish, my favorite is the Black
Cod because of it's unparalleled silky, rich flavor and delicate buttery texture, especially if it's procured live from the tank. The most famous Black Cod recipe is Chef Nobu's Black Cod with Miso. I would certainly like to try that sometime. But for today, I'll stick to the popular Cantonese cuisine old time Chinese favorite fish recipe - Steam
ed Fish with Ginger and Scallions. One thing to remember when cooking black cod is to steam it WHOLE. In chinese tradition, it is a sign of prosperity, especially during Chinese New Year. Well, at least that's how mom taught me. Besides, I find that it's tastier when it's cooked bone-in. The restaurants in Chinatown can easily charge over twenty dollars for this fish and the black cod they use is only slightly over a pound. Furthermore, they like to serve it the Teowchew cuisine's style, that is to steam the black cod with with "choy po", in cantonese, for preserved turnip, so it's a l
Egg Tofu Scallopini 2007-01-05 13:57:00 I'm a big fan of beancurd, also known as "tofu". You can find them in a various textures in any Asian grocery stores today. There is the run-of-the-mill firm white tofu for deep frying or stuffing with fillingss; the soft, silken ones for soups or stewing; the 5-spice and cured white ones for salads and stir frying; and last but not least, the thin sheet kind for wrapping deep fried vietnamese shrimp patties. Today, I am going to share my favorite kind with you - the Japanese Egg Tofu . These are vacuum- packed in plastic tubes, medium-soft textured, and the color is slightly off-white. It turns a mild shade of yellow when cooked and has an eggy taste to it as it melts in your mouth. For those living in the Los Angeles area, you can only find this delicious egg tofu at the Hawaii Supermarket in Monterey Park.I have never lost my craving for egg tofu ever since I moved to the States, and it was pure joy when I rediscovered them. Mom used to buy them for me almost every other week at th Read more:Scallopini
Japanese Rice Cake (Mochi) 2007-05-21 13:17:00 Thanks to Kat for sharing her Ichigodaifuku Mochi recipe (Strawberry and Red Bean mochis). Yummy .. I'm sure I'd be in confection heaven too if I had a a chance to sink my sweet tooth into that ! The first time I read the mochi recipe, I did not realize that I actually had Mochiko at home. A little googling enlightened me that Mochiko is actually Japanese
for glutinous rice flour and I was fortunate enough to have three bags of it originally intended for some Malaysian style glutinous rice balls. Woohoo ! I'm halfway to treating my taste buds to some sweet, chewy, wholesome goodness that I've been longing for a while.I must confess that this is my first attempt at making Mochi. But from what I've read so far, it's a breezy no-bake recipe (similar to my no-bake coconut macaroon). And it is, a simple nuke and cook was all it took to get my mochi dough ready to rock and roll :) After that, it's just sheer delight portioning them out and dressing them up with an assortment of sweet
Muffin Monday : Pandan & Coconut Muffin 2007-05-28 23:13:00 Every Monday
, I look forward to another action-packed "24". I forgot the season had come to an end last week :( As I sat on my recliner, rocking away ... rocking away ...Jack Bauer tackled me down at CTU, Melting Wok division, Los Angeles. This takes place between 21:00 and 22:00.Jack Bauer : I'm federal agent Jack Bauer, and today is the longest day of my life.Me : Abort your mission, join me for a quick bite before you tackle your real enemies.Jack Bauer : *What* is your primary objective ?Me : I have some colorful papercups leftovers from making mochis, a polished muffin pan, some eggs and flour. Lets get the action rolling, shall we ?Jack Bauer : You are absolutely sure you can do this ?Me : Well .. I wanted to make you some of my mom's Pandan
Chiffon Cake, but with your busy schedule, I'll settle with a quick and easy muffin bake recipe, 20 minutes tops..Jack Bauer : You're not a field operative !Me : I have a pistol-shaped thingy in my kitchen that shoots fire and I'll lend Read more:Muffin
Tortilla Wraps For Sesame Pancake 2007-06-04 07:12:00 There are a few variations of Asian/Chinese wraps that I crave for from time to time. The Nanjing crispy scallion pancake, Taiwanese pancake beef roll ups, and the ever popular Chinese Moo Shu wrap. I guess today was one of those days when I needed an escape from rice and noodles, so some kinda pancake wrap it is. Well I certainly didn't really feel like going out and getting something too greasy nor did I feel like rolling out some pancake dough. Maybe a simple chinese pancake recipe to conveniently finish up some leftover tortilla wraps will suffice.For the health-conscious, there are actually low-carb tortilla skins (which are the kind I used). This isn't exactly the traditional way of making Asian pancake wraps, but after a light coating of egg white wash and toasted seame seeds and a quick pan-fry, I definitely find myself preferring this over the thick chinese sesame pancake bread or the fragile thin Moo Shu wraps.As for the filling, I went with some slow-cooked boneless beef s Read more:Pancake
, Sesame
, Tortilla
Beef Canape 2007-06-08 02:14:00 Previously, I used a few pieces of slow cooked braised beef ribs, pulled, shredded, and stuffed them in my crazy tortilla turned chinese sesame pancake wraps. Check out the flickr slideshow here. Now what to do with the leftover beef ? It's still sitting in the freezer as I recollect that I also have some old bread ! Hmm..perhaps some cute bite-sized hor d'oeuvres filled with deli style beef, sliced, and served with a dollop of ginger and green onion dressing and some cut five spiced tofu. Yes, I'm bringing some tempting Canapes with beef to Melecotte at the Deep Freeze Challenge table.Speaking of Deep Freeze, how do you store cooked meats safely ?To store in the refrigerator, you simply wrap the cooked meat in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or store it in a tightly covered container and use within two to three days. For frozen storage, wrap the cooked meat in heavy duty aluminum foil or freezer paper and use within two to three months. If you may have kept the food refrigerated for
Rice Vermicelli In Dried Scallop Sauce 2007-06-16 01:12:00 Rice vermicelli (or rice sticks) are one of the more common variety of noodles stocked in many Asian households. They are not as starchy as most noodles are and certainly easier to prepare. Thus making them my number one choice when I want a quick home-made noodle fix or when the weather is hot and I'm looking for something that's lighter than ramen, chow mein, or even my favorite, e-fu noodles. Rice vermicelli is also a splendid choice for the health-conscious as it is free of gluten, sodium, fat and cholesterol.One trait that really sets Asian noodles apart from their Italian counterparts is versatility. And if I were to pick an Asian noodle to showcase the various ways one kind of noodle can be cooked, I would definitely go with the rice vermicelli. Not only can it be stir-fried, served in soups and salads, braised, or tossed cold to name a few ways. But it can also be deep fried or stuffed in spring rolls as well. The rice vermicelli is truly the "noodle of all trades" in my book Read more:Scallop
Recommend Site To A Friend
