Friday, October 29, 2010

涼伴粉皮

Another first. This is an appetizer to be served cold, akin to its entrée counterpart of cold noodles. This particular product is made of mung bean, as is glass noodle (a.k.a. cellophane noodle). The ethereal, crystalline appearance and silky, sensual texture render me a fervent fan. The sesame-based sauce comes in many varieties depending on the region. Most native cooks will name 5 - 8 ingredients and suggest that you wing it and taste as you go. For the longest time this simple project has been daunting to me. Perhaps I deemed it blasphemy to attempt to create a dish popular in places far from where i used to call home. Perhaps again I have succumbed to self-applied pressure to excel at any culinary endeavor that may be labeled "Chinese", even if my first taste may have occurred way into adulthood.

Must... conquer... fear. Even in the absence of expected garnishes, this looks lovely to me. And, boy, is it delicious!

Roasted Mango Chipotle Prawns


I neglected to showcase the sauce with flecks of red and gold...

Porcine 19



Thursday, October 28, 2010

Porcine 18

Vintage 16

A case of buying the bottle cuz it's pretty...

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Snippet 182

RJ:
Is sticky rice a different kind of rice? Or just how you make it?

V:
It's glutinous rice. I don't remember how it's different. I must've looked it up before, but it didn't stick.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Quote 228

Don't pee on my head and tell me it's raining.

- Adam Richman

Grace

The prettiest bathroom, ever!

The walls were lined with used tealights. Clever!


Lunch with Denisse Today 14

Another Taiwanese feast!



Homemade Tomato Soup 2

With grilled cheese sandwich, RJ's comfort food from childhood.

Homemade Tomato Soup

So plump it looks like tuna


With homemade chicken stock, not pictured.


Thump 8

Mojo Pork and Homemade Slaw

A Puerto Rican pork roast recipe





A heap of a sandwich!

Lunch with RJ 3

Agedashi tofu with shiitake and crab

Philly roll

The Rainbow

A contrast in personalities

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Quote 227

Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.

- Josh Billings

Quote 226

Spooky is the most neglected of the five basic human emotions: spooky, joy, sorrow, grouchy, and wet.

- Groupon.com

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Quote 225

It's just one of the things that make one of the miis chuckle.

- Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory

Friday, October 22, 2010

My Lunch Today 7

Spicy miso ramen combo. I added a lot of deep-fried garlic slices to the broth. Mmm...

Snippet 181

RJ:
May I consolidate the pizzas?

V:
Sure, as long as they don't touch.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

柱侯牛筋蘿蔔

More culinary firsts today! I am so proud i could burst!

Beef tendon and daikon (in Chu Hou sauce incidentally but a myriad of broths would have been yummy!). For this particular creation I consolidated three recipes and improvised (reviewing notes from interviewing Elsie's late mother, God bless that woman*). Whew! Yes, i am serious about my art. Attempting this favorite since childhood meant more than just good eats - it was getting in touch with my roots, embracing them and growing up.

Sure are strange-looking things.

Dramatic shrinkage after a quick boil for 5 minutes. Miraculous that these still yielded a potful!

I have to admit: most of the time, slow cooking is NOT for me. The wait and the sense of responsibility was torturous! This pot happens to have taken 3.25 hours, prepping not included. Now it has to marinate overnight and cook some more tomorrow!

But the smaller pieces are already tender, the broth very delectable. A labor of love indeed. And so worth it!


*Elsie's late mother used to make some version of this dish when i would come to visit. I was living in SoCal and knew nothing about cooking then. Just cuz she knew i liked it. Recreating this dish is like recreating love.

Seared Scallops with Kale Chips

First success of the kind, thanks to the concise instructions of Alton Brown.

I read that kale leaves baked to golden crispiness has been all the rage lately. So simple, so cool!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Snippet 180

Cleverbot:
What sound does a dog make in space?

V:
Nil in vacuum.

C:
And I am dust.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Egg Piercer

Finally broke down and bought one, promised to make my hard-boiled's less likely to crack and easier to peel. It'd better deliver!

Enoki Shrimp Stew

Monday, October 18, 2010

Frosted Over

Roaster with V-Rack

This baby can hold a 30 lb. turkey!

"How many people are you planning on feeding?" RJ teases.

Just learned that the average turkey weighs 12 lb., sufficient for a party of ten.

Dang! Better make some friends, fast.

His and Hers

No Caption Necessary 23

Lunch with RJ 2

Midori pineappletini

My last Sloppy Joe was at age 18!

Spark

This Christmas ornament reminds me of lanterns i had for Mid-Autumn in my childhood.

Porcine 17


Friday, October 15, 2010

沙茶豬肝炒米

My version of Southern Taiwanese shacha stir fry with pork liver and rice vermicelli:

I'm a veggie freak. And, oh, again this screams OCD.

Seriously, liver is gross. Witnessing the slivers slide out of the glass bowl in seeming slow motion i almost whimpered. But what can i say: every now and then i must have it!

Another wokking lesson well learned.