September 30, 2014
I love limes. Be it the color, the smell, the taste, the health benefits, etc, I just can't get enough of this fruit. Here's why. Although lime is rarely eaten raw, they are used in flavoring savory dishes and desserts. Lime juice enhances the flavor of vegetables and salads without adding fat or too much calories. Win! The high content of vitamin C provides health related benefits too! Double win! They can also be used as a garnish, in the form of a slice or wedge, used in popular alcoholic beverages like margaritas and daiquiris. Lime zest is also used to add flavor in baking.
September 29, 2014
I'm a HUGE Kimchi fan. Be it baechu kimchi, kkakdugi, yeolmu kimchi, etc, I simply got to have it almost everyday. Looking at the amount of $$ I'm spending on kimchi, it makes economical sense for me to make it myself, right? After testing a few recipes, I found this to be the most easy-to-make and yummilicious version. The secret step here is making the flour paste. This step is optional but my Korean friend's mom told me it will bind the spices and absorbs better into the cabbage. Adjust the level of spiciness according to your taste bud.
September 26, 2014
So I did a post on Buta Don a couple of days ago. Since we are on the Buta topic, I thought I might just feature this recipe, for those who like some heat in their food.
September 25, 2014
They are generally a cross-sectional "ring" of onion dipped in batter or bread crumbs and then deep fried. Some would use onion paste (found in the frozen sections of supermarkets) but I personally think whole onion rings are the way to go. They are easy to make and taste oh-so-good. Dip your onion rings in ketchup or spicy sauces if you prefer. Now who can resist a plate of crispy crunch onion rings? I know I can’t!
September 24, 2014
This is one of the very first risotto dish I've learned 13 years ago. Risotto is a north Italian rice dish cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy but still with some resistance or bite: al dente, and with separate grains. There are many variations of risotto - chicken, seafood, asparagus, etc. But mushroom is my top favorite.
September 23, 2014
I've been getting many queries on measurement conversion - "what is 1/4 tsp equivalent to?", "how many ml is 1 cup?". To be honest, I used to have that problem too. Ever since I've started baking (that's usually when precise measurement comes into place), I've invested in a couple sets of measuring kitchen tools. Okay, maybe more than a couple. A few sets. Life has never been easier and best of all, they are inexpensive (hence, I could afford a few sets) and (seems) to last forever.
September 22, 2014
I've always been a fan of Yoshinoya's beef bowl. To be honest, I prefer the ones they serve in Japan. For those who does not know what is Yoshinoya, it is a fast-serving Japanese Beef Bowl restaurant found wildly in Japan and the restaurant franchise has gone internationally in Southeast Asia. But instead of beef, I'm going to share another version using pork. Buta Don is a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with pork simmered in a mildly sweet sauce. It also often includes onions and a sprinkling of green peas. Buta means "pig" or "pork", and don is short for donburi, the Japanese word for "bowl". The original version uses sliced fatty pork but I'm using pork collar used for shabu shabu.
September 19, 2014
What is olive vegetable? I checked with Wikipedia and sadly, he does not have a definition for it. I remember mom laying out this bottle of black stuff on the table whenever we were having congee and eating it as an accompaniment. That was my acknowledge about it. Fast forward 20 years, I reunited with OV when I was having this wonderful plate of stir-fried french beans with minced meat. The aroma coming from that dish was absolutely heavenly. Don't let the name fool you. It is not made from olive leaves. Rather, it is made with a combination of olives, mustard green leaves, oil and salt marinated for a long time. They are available in any supermarket here and if you are in overseas, any Chinese grocer.
September 17, 2014
Molten chocolate lava cake is a cross between a chocolate cake and soufflé. Other names used are chocolate fondant pudding or chocolate lava cake. Whatever name we like to call it, we can all recognize a MCLC by its signature oozing gooey centre. In this post, I'm going to show you just how easy it is to make this restaurant quality dessert at your own home, even for first-time bakers! You might want to do a test run on this recipe to be sure of the cooking time and the desired consistency. Mine was perfect in 10 minutes. This recipe has been tweaked to serve 2 so feel free to increase the the ingredients accordingly. Oh, another piece of good news. If you want to prepare the cake mixture in advance, you can! Just cover the ramekins with cling wrap and pop it in the fridge. Take them out about 30 minutes before baking.
