Monday, November 28, 2016

Kashmiri Pulao 【克什米尔香饭】


Unlike most Pulaos in India, Kashmiri Pulao is known to be mild, aromatic and slightly to the sweet side. Garnishing with fresh fruits like pomegranate and some dry fruits makes it look so colorful and appetizing.

克什米尔菜在印度是比较特别的一个菜系,口味更接近中东菜。这个米饭比较味道温和,很香甜爽口,不用任何的配菜就很好吃了哦!

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Hasselback Potato 【风琴土豆】


I made these grilled potatoes to go with our XinJiang Style Lamb Chops today. This spiced potato chips are so good that we fought for the last bite!

For those who doesn't like your potato too spicy, you can try the non-spicy grilled potato chips that I made earlier.

感恩节烤羊排的配菜我做了一盘的烤蔬菜和这款风琴土豆,撒上自制的烧烤撒粉,土豆和孜然香料出奇的配,结果都还吃不够呢!

不嗜辣的朋友可以试试我之前做过的做法类似的烤薯片


XinJiang Style Lamb Chops 【孜然烤羊排】


It is Thanksgiving today, we decided to have a quiet celebration this year, just the three of us.  I decided to make hubby's favourite lamb chops instead of Turkey as there is no way we could have finished the whole turkey, no matter how we try. 

I have made this lamb chops many times with my Homemade BBQ seasoning powder, it always turned out very juicy and delicious. 

今年感恩节我们决定在家过,就我们一家三口静静地感恩一切,感恩所有帮助过我们的人,感恩让我们成长的事。

两个半的人口是吃不了十几磅的大火鸡了,冰箱里刚好有一排Costco的羊肋排,就做了俊爹很爱吃的这款新疆孜然烤羊排。烤羊排的撒粉是我前阵子调配的烧烤撒粉,在我们家它可是百用调味料哦! 

Sunday, November 20, 2016

【泰式炒河粉】Pad Thai (Thai Fried Flat Rice noodle)


Pad Thai在泰国是大街小巷都可以找到的炒粉,它几乎就是泰国人口味的缩影,酸甜辣鲜。来了美国我尝试过好几家泰国餐厅,不得不说的是,都让我非常地失望。

尤其是这个Pad Thai,来到了美国变成又甜又腻的炒粉。在泰国,它不是这样的,泰国街边的Pad Thai,干爽,香辣,火候足,颜色没有那么红艳。今天,让我们在家试试泰国街边摊的Pad Thai吧!

Pad Thai is a very common street food in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, those hawkers who made this dish day in and day out do it with such a perfection, they managed to stir in right amount of char to the rather common ingredients of all Thai foods and make it taste so unique and unforgettable!

I have tried Pad Thai in many restaurants here in the states and in Europe, I wouldn't hide my disappointment, as it is often too oily and way too sweet! I stopped ordering from a restaurant, when I crave for it, I just make it at home, since I almost always have the ingredients needed at home.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Mustard Green Rice/Dua Cai Peng 【芥菜饭】

My mum used to make this Giam P'ng (Hokkien Salted Rice) back home, there are similar dishes made with pumpkin, Long bean and yam.

It is prepared almost like the Spanish Paella, the rice is cooked together with ingredients and seasoning in a pot/wok and later simmer to perfection. It is simply irresistible, every spoon of it is a charm!

I have planted some Chinese mustard green end of summer, harvested handful of times, with the last two batch, I made this rice casserole to remind me of the taste of home. 

咸饭是我在家乡时妈妈常做的一个饭食,妈妈常做的有菜豆饭,芥菜饭,芋头饭和南瓜饭等等。

就是把蔬菜类的食材加上香菇,虾米,葱蒜和五花肉焖好,再炖一锅汤,就能美美地喂饱一家子。很方便,又美味喔!

夏末的时候我在后院撒了一把芥菜籽,后来张出一大片的小芥菜,我收了好几茬送朋友,最后两茬我自己做了芥菜饭和芥菜粥。好吃又营养,很适合秋末养生。

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Sotong Kangkung 鱿鱼蕹菜


Sotong Kangkung or Cuttlefish salad with Water spinach/Convolvulus is a very common street food in Malaysia, it is normally sold at the same stall that sales Rojak Buah/Fruits Rojak since the sauce are pretty similar.

Sotong Kangkung contains blanched cuttlefish and water spinach/convolvulus then are tossed with prawn paste, chili, sweet sauce. It will then top with sesame seeds and grounded peanuts before serving.

鱿鱼蕹菜是一款水发鱿鱼和蕹菜烫好后拌上虾膏,辣椒酱,甜酱油和海鲜酱混合酱料的小吃。吃之前会撒点烤香的花生和芝麻。

在马来西亚,它通常和水果罗惹一起卖,可能和酱料的材料类似有关系吧!

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Fennel Dumplings/Jiaozi 【茴香饺子】


We love Jiaozi/Chinese Dumplings a lot, frozen dumplings are often my go to for a quick fix for dinner or snack. Though I am very happy with the frozen Jiaozi from the local Asian market, I still make Jiaozi from scratch once in a while when I have time at hand.

I made Dill Jiaozi today for lunch, it is one type that is not sold as frozen, maybe because it is not that common and dill for many, is a taste yet to develop. 

One thing though probably worth mentioning. I planted the dill I used today in summer, I just sprinkled a handful of Fennel seeds I have in my pantry and it grown into dill plants! 

So now, I am really confused, if fennel seeds gave me dills, why is it called fennel seeds?

我们全家都很爱吃饺子,忙的时候一包冷冻饺子就能喂饱一家大小。虽然买来的冷冻饺子味道不错,我却更喜欢自己擀皮拌馅包的饺子。

我家有很多做咖喱用的茴香籽。夏天时随手撒了一把到菜地里就长出一大片的茴香。

这几天比较空,收了来做茴香饺子,茴香有股很特殊的清香味,调出来的饺子馅特别香,特别好吃。


Fennel leaves on the left, Dill on the right
左边的是茴香,右边的是莳萝

Update:I have received a couple of feedbacks on the forum I frequented about the plant I planted. With great curiousity I did a little research and find that the plant I used for these dumplings is indeed Fennel.

According to : http://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/fennel.cfm

There are two types of fennel.

One is treated as an herb (herb fennel – Foeniculum vulgare) and one that is treated like a bulb type vegetable (Florence fennel or Finocchio – Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce).

The herb type grows 3-5 feet tall with fine textured foliage resembling dill. Flat topped clusters of yellow flowers appear in late summer. Stems, leaves and seeds of this type of fennel are harvested and used. Florence fennel is shorter with darker green foliage and is grown for its large, flat thick rosette of petioles at the base often referred to as a “bulb.” Both forms have an anise or licorice flavor.

更新:食谱贴出之后好几个网友就茴香和莳萝进行了一些讨论,基于好奇,我到网上做了些搜索。

看来印度超市买的茴香籽是真茴香,种出来的茴香和中国国内吃的茴香类似,不带球茎,只长枝叶。

资料来源:「廚房好朋友」球莖茴香。茴香。蒔蘿

想念茴香的朋友们,可以到印度超市买茴香种子种茴香罗!



Thursday, November 3, 2016

How to Soak and Prepare Dried Cuttlefish 如何泡发鱿鱼干


I wanted to make Kangkung sotong for a long time, but I had difficulty finding pre-soaked cuttlefish in the local market. I read an article about how alkali/alkaline water was made from the wood ashes in old time.

Since I have ashes in my Charcoal BBQ grill and some dried cuttlefish, I decided to create alkaline water and soak the cuttlefish the old fashioned way.

我一直想做家乡有名的小吃鱿鱼蕹菜和叁巴水发鱿鱼。但我家周边的亚洲超市都找了个遍,没找着水发鱿鱼。

有一天在网上游览时读了一篇有关古法制作碱水的文章。突然灵机一触,后院的炭炉里还有炭灰,冰箱里还有鱿鱼干,不如就尝试一次古法碱水泡发鱿鱼试试看?