3/18/2012

【回想】

【回想】

地陷海唬懼一年,徬徨驚恐誰知曉。

核洩盡露人間惡,妻離子散數不了。
平常心對非常事,教訓銘刻心上之。

《小常青》



P.S. One year ago, when we celebrated my daughter's 9th birthday, we celebrated in dark, worried, dreadful atmosphere.  One year later, we celebrated in joy embraced with us, grandparents and uncle.  No matter what happened around us, I learned that we ought to live "happy" for long prosperity.

3/10/2012

【念恩】

【念恩】
 款客之道家嚴教,把酒設宴為友傾。
匆匆霎眼又五載,親恩永念重不淡。
春梅開,
秋葉落,
春來秋往相思淚。

《常青》
 

3/02/2012

二月的「為食會」煲仔菜 {Hong Kong’s Earthen-Pot-Casserole Home Party}



Earthern Pot Casserole dishes, a very ancient and authentic part of Chinese cuisine.  Tracing back my childhood memories, I remembered my dear grandma using mostly claypots in her cookings where stainless steel was never her choice of cooking ware.

Any double boiled Cantonese soups, stew-casserole dishes, etc... all were done with claypots.  I ought to admit that those dishes cooked with claypots tasted better with stainless steel cooking ware.

Not that I don't like Fissler pressure cookers nor le Creuset cast iron pots, you can call me a very traditional Chinese woman (老"土"C9) as my passion to claypots doesn't fade with time.

According to Chinese's five elements theory (Wu Xing 五行), our digestive system (脾- spleen) falls under the category of "earth" (土).  Not sure if it has any relationship or not, I always believe using claypots to cook will enhance our digestive system as spleen correspond with earth (脾屬土).

Tracing back the history books, the most well-known Chinese cooking  method, "stir-fry" (炒) was not mentioned at the very beginning stage of written Chinese history.  In Chou dynasty (周朝) more than 2000 years ago, in "The Rites of Zhou" (周禮), it mentioned the technique of boiling.  "Keng" (羹), a soup or stew was the most common type of food cooked during that period.

In the Rites of Zhou  (周禮), it said "三羹五齏七菹八珍”.  Clearly, "Keng" had a prominent status in those days' cooking.

Further, in the same book, it also mentioned, "食醫:掌和王之六食、六飲、六膳、百羞、百醬、八珍之齊。凡食齊視春時,羹齊視夏時,醬齊視秋時,飲齊視冬時。凡和,春多酸,夏多苦,秋多辛,冬多咸,調以滑甘。凡會膳食之宜,牛宜稌,羊宜黍,豕宜稷,犬宜粱,雁宜麥,魚宜菰。" Pointing out the "Food Doctor (食醫), equivalent to today's "dietitian" 's duties.

At an very important archaeological disvoery made near Chang-Sha (長沙) in Hunan (湖南) in 1972, which is known as the "Mawangdui Han Tombs"(馬王堆漢墓陳列), the archaeologists found foodstuffs that give a good picture of Han dynasty (漢朝) cuisine and over 300 bamboo slips itemizing foods, seasonings, and cooking methods.  Those slips indicated that "Keng"(羹) was the predecessor of today's "red-cooking) (紅焼), a way of cooking where simmering food in soya sauce until the sauce is thickened and giving out a pretty dark brown colour.

That's why I have been wanting to go to Hunan Provincial Museum (湖南省博物館) because The "Manwangdui Han Tombs" (馬王堆漢墓陳列) is one of their permanent exhibition.

Given the above, I have always been wanting to introduce earthern-pot-casserole to my friends in Japan.

 Welcome! Thanks for coming!

 
Introducing the ingredients that I used.

點點心意
萬象更新

點點心意
 梅菜茄子炒肉鬆、配煙韌薄餅


先潤喉
煲仔淮山肇實薏米排骨粥

主打
 沙茶鮮蠔粉絲煲

主打
 南乳齋煲
主打
 清湯蘿蔔牛腩煲



飯桶
臘味煲仔飯


甜絲絲
南瓜杏汁紫米露

 
これはごま ヘーゼルナッツ アーモンド ライスクリスピー 入り チョコレート。 薬膳の考え方で見ると、とても美肌の食材が詰めてるおやつなので、食べたら美人になるかも! すごく美味しかったです! 一人で4本も食べっちゃいました! いつもありがとうね!

カシスとフランボアーズのビューレをゼリー状にした Candy です! これは絶品です! ビタミンCをたっぷり補給して下さって、肌に美白効果があるかしら?~

いつも遠いところから足を運んでいただき、誠にありがとうございます!!!!!!!!!!




1/30/2012

Chinese New Year Eve's family dinner 團年飯

Finally, I had a moment to turn on my PC.  The past few weeks totally drained out my energy and I could hardly function as normal.  Now, I feel my stamina is gradually coming back and hopefully I can spare more time on my forever "continuous" self studies and to read a few more books at night.

I can't believe it is already the 7th day of the Lunar Chinese New Year which we call it "人日" in Chinese.  There is another meaning on this day, "人日" means birthday to all people, so I wish everyone "happy birthday".

Back tracking 8 days ago, on Chinese New Year (CNY) Eve, I was rather sick.  No energy to do anything but still wanting to give the kids a taste of CNY, I took a nap, woke up at 3 p.m., rushed out to shop for some grocery, then spent 2 hours to come up with this simple CNY Eve dinner.

If I have had better health, I could have made more "proper" CNY dishes and had a small celebration with my friends.  However, this was the BEST that I could manage this year.  Hopefully, next year I can go back to my normal routine where I usually have "發財蠔豉", "海參", "蒸雞", etc.....


I carried these bone china set all the way from China to HK, then from HK to Tokyo...... The price was sooooooooooooo good.  40 pieces for HKD700.

My friend made 8 of these wonderful knots for me.  Aren't they lovely?


撈起,撈起.  (Tuna and Salmon marinated in soya, wasabi and sesame oil salad).  The first dish was 撈起,撈起!  Meaning prosperity and good luck in job.  仕事運アップかな?(和訳)

Of course I asked Mr. Yim to "FLUFF IT UP" 撈起佢 PLEASE......  Please be successful in your job and spare me some of your BONUS!!!  If any..... ha ha ha.
大鴻展翅 (茶香翼 Smoked soya sauce chicken wings).  Spread your wings and fly high... keep your hopes up and never give up!  (I am talking to MYSELF!)

過年齋 (Vegetarian clay pot in fermented bean curd sauce).  A must for CNY in my family.

行運一條龍 (Steam fish).   Does it look like a dragon?

哈哈大笑 (蒜香蝦, garlic crispy prawns).  I seriously need more LAUGH!!!!!  Otherwise, how can I balance myself from all this crazy everyday!??? 

團年飯


大吉大利


團團圓圓,和睦幸福
十全十美

花開富貴
 
年貴糕 (桂花蓮藕糕).  At first I wanted to make 桂花馬蹄糕 but there is no fresh water chestnut in Japan, so I used lotus root instead.

年貴糕 (桂花蓮藕糕).  No kidding, this tasted just like 馬蹄糕.

蘿蔔糕.  Mr. Yim asked me to make some more and sell them at our nearby super market...............  meaning please find yourself a part-time job to bring income home!  Rolling my eyes back.



1/18/2012

New Year Banquet

Our regular home party was supposed to be held in November but got canceled because C had fever.  Then in December, I did 香港自由行 for an entire month, in the end, our regular home party got extended to until today.  I can't believe it is already 2 months since our last gathering!!!

I planned this winter menu in Nov but changed a little as Chinese New Year is fast approaching, added some CNY dishes to create a more festive atmosphere.  One year was so quick! I remembered the last CNY lunch that I prepared and so quick the year of DRAGON is here.

Wishing everyone a prosperous CNY and may this Dragon bring you peace and happiness.

Chinese New Year table setting.
I got this tassel at Jiyugaoka at a very reasonable price!  ha ha....

My Nyona China ware, an addition to my collection purchased at our family trip to Penang. 

Theme - Winter - Stay Warm!  It is freezing in Japan now!
Entree. 
韓意杯杯蠔 and
臘味蘿蔔糕 
  
蟲草紅景天烏鶏燉花膠
Black chicken soup
 
禿黃油豆漿擔擔麵 
Soya Milk Sichuan style noodles.
Condiments to go with the noodles.


金銀蛋浸貢菜


葱爆羊肉

生炒糯米飯

金桔酒釀桂花丸子
A gift from my friend.

Yum Yum!!!  Now, I can't eat any other roll cakes!!!


Hand made chocolate from my friend!  So yummy.............!!!





11/15/2011

蛋・蛋・蛋 ~ 巻・巻・巻 ~ 日式「蛋蛋卷」 的做法 (だし巻き)

每個運動會前夕,我都要開工煮「蛋蛋卷」 (だし巻き Dashimaki) 因為「蛋蛋卷」 是運動會便當的例牌菜式。

在日本,大至上有兩派「蛋蛋卷」。 關西派和關東派。 關西派 (だし巻き Dashimaki) 味道偏淡,無甜味,外形淡黃色。關東派 (厚焼き玉子 Atsuyakitamago) 味帶甜,外形帶啡焦紋,有時我去壽司舖會最後叫一個「蛋蛋卷」當甜品。因為事實真喺幾甜。

今日,有個好朋友問我「蛋蛋卷」 點整,我幾眼瞓都要今晚寫起佢, 因為佢是我大恩人呀~ 

我個人比較喜歡關西派的淡味「蛋蛋卷」。好朋友, 希望妳也鍾意啦!

Whisk 4 eggs until smooth.

Make Kelp (昆布) and Bonito Flakes (鰹節) consomme soup.

 
Take 100 cc of the consomme.
For those who are lazy to make this soup, there are instant Japanese consomme soup powders
available at your local Japanese grocery store.

Add 1 table spoon of Japanese light soya sauce (薄口醤油 Usukuchishouyu) in to the clear stock. ** If you can't find this, use a table spoon of light "Thai" fish sauce (魚露) and half a tea spoon of any normal soya sauce.  That will yield a similar result, too.

Add half a tea spoon of Kudzu starch (葛粉)into the clear stock.  ** If you can't find this, use half a tea spoon of corn starch or potato starch is OK, too.

Pour the soup mixture into the egg.

Some examples of Japanese consomme soup powders are as follow.  All you need to do is to follow the packet's instructions, add the required amount of water to yield your clear stock.

素材力 無添加本かつおだし

安心無添加だしの素 母心

Heat up your egg roll fry pan in medium fire and add a table spoon of oil.

Spread the oil evenly over the pan.;

Pour in 1/3 of the egg mixture and swirl the pan around so the egg mixture can be evenly distributed over the pan.

Use a spatula to fold the half cooked eggs forward.

Then bring it back.  Oil the pan and add egg mixture in again.

Repeat the above procedures until all the egg mixture is used up.

Cover the pan with a sushi mat.

Turn it over.

Tie it up with a rubber band.

There you go and your roll is done.