【客家咸汤圆】Hakka Savory Glutinous Rice Balls Soup

2020年终于到了年末，今年真是很不一样的一年，希望疫情尽快过去，大家可以过点安心日子。

这款咸汤圆其实是去年冬至时候做的，却一直没时间写食谱，一等又是一年。今年就把食谱整理好，用这款客家咸汤圆祝贺大家冬至快乐吧！

It is the week leading to Christmas, 2020 is finally coming to an end. I am truly wishing that with the New Year coming, we will also celebrate the end of this very eventful year and welcoming a peaceful year of 2021 full of joy and health.

It is Winter Solstice today, so I decided to write this savory glutinous rice balls soup to wish everyone a happy Winter Solstice.

【南瓜苗咖喱】Pumpkin Shoots Curry (Gulai Pucuk Labu）

冬天的时候我家前院处于休耕状态，我会在天气比较暖和的时候翻翻土把厨遗埋到土里堆肥。去年冬天堆肥时埋下的日本南瓜种子今年春末时钻出土长出两棵小苗，我把一棵给了朋友，自己留了一棵种在前院里。

殊不知夏天时它越长越壮，不但把我前院覆盖满了，还开始蔓延到邻居的地里。某个周末趁有空我就把分支的苗修剪了和一些雄花一起做了这个素咖喱，非常开胃美味。

Sometimes during the winter last year I bought a Japanese Kabocha pumpkin to cook and buried the seeds and rinds in my raised bed to compost. The seeds germinated and gave me 2 seedlings mid-spring.

I transplanted one of them in my front yard and was doing really well, the plant began to bloom around the end of June/early July. When one pumpkin plant was about to take over my entire front yard, I had to start trimming some shots and leaves to make it manageable. 

With that, I also harvest some young shoots and male blossoms to make this pumpkin shoots curry.

【菜脯蒸鱼】Preserved Radish Steamed Fish

几年前晒的菜脯/萝卜干熟成得特别棒，打开罐子就满室芬芳。今天刚好在Costco买了几条鲈鱼看起来很新鲜，取一条做菜脯蒸鱼，吸收了萝卜干香气的鱼肉鲜嫩美味，就连酱汁都特别下饭呢！

I have made a few batch of Preserved Radish/Chai Poh few years back, it has aged really well and is smelling so fragrance. It is perfect for this Steamed fish dish.

【咸排骨花生粥】Salted Ribs and Peanut Congee

 

自从三月新泽西州宣布“就地避难” （Shelter-in-place）后，除了少数出门买菜的时候外，我们一家三口就闭关在家那么多个月了，上两周天气闷热，没什么胃口，也不想站在炉子前做饭，就做了一锅咸排骨花生粥，味道真的非常好。

I have been cooking 3 square meals everyday for the past 6 months since the order of shelter in place back in March, it is getting more and more challenging to think of dishes to cook on daily basis. 

Since the weather was quite humid and it is hard to labor in front of a hot stove, I decided to make a one pot meal today for the three of us. A very tasty Salted Ribs and Peanut Congee.

【黄梨饼】Pineapple Tart

黄梨饼是在马来西亚的时候每每过年必须要有的年饼/货，也是我们一家大小都很喜欢的甜点。平时到亚洲超市买菜时我都会顺便带几盒台湾产的凤梨酥回家，台湾的凤梨酥和马来西亚的黄梨饼口味虽然接近，但口感和味道还是有细微不同的。

居家令开始时我囤了两盒凤梨酥，很快就被爷儿俩吃完了。儿子要求续货了好几次，都因为没出门买菜而不了了之。后来在Walmart网上订菜时发现它家黄梨有货，价格也还不错，就买了两只自己炒了黄梨馅，做了一批我想了很久的马来西亚黄梨饼。

必须要说的是爱尔兰草饲牛油（Grass fed Butter）做糕点真是太香了！成品入口即化，做了一大罐的黄梨饼也是一下子就被消灭掉了！

Pineapple tart is not only my favorite Chinese New Year Cookie, it is also something I will bring home from the Asian market whenever I sees one. The pineapple tart I find in the Asian Market here are mostly imported from Taiwan, though it is very tasty on its own, it is not entirely the same as the one we have back home.

I brought two boxes of the Taiwanese Pineapple Tarts at the beginning of Shelter in Place Order, it was long gone since and DS has been asking for replenishment for weeks. Since I have not been shopping much at The Asian Supermarket lately to reduce the frequency of going into a public place. I decided to make the Malaysian Pineapple Tarts with the fresh pineapples I bought from Walmart online delivery.

I have to say that using Grass-fed butter to make these tarts was the best decision I have made, the tart crust turned out so good that it melts in the mouth in every bites!

【印式鹰嘴豆零嘴】Kacang Putih

马来西亚有很多路边摊，其中一个路边摊是由早年印度南部淡米尔移民垄断的“Kacang Putih摊”，小摊子摆着很多罐子，卖的是各色香辣脆口小零嘴。

其实这些小贩一开始卖的只有蒸熟调味的鹰嘴豆，马来语就叫Kacang Putih/Puteh, 这款蒸鹰嘴豆需要不断地保温避免在炎热的天气里变馊或因被风干变得口感不好，所以售卖的时候就需要带个小炉子和蒸笼摆卖。

因为携带不怎么方便，渐渐地各个摊贩就开始卖起各式在家制作好、携带方便的炸物如脆豆饼、炸豆糕等等的小吃，有的摊贩甚至都不卖以它命名的鹰嘴豆零嘴了。

今天来带大家一起做这款健康的古早味零食，做法简单又营养美味哦！


According to https://www.timeout.com/kuala-lumpur/restaurants/guide-to-kacang-putih:

"The history of the kacang putih (literally translated as ‘white nuts’) business goes back to the 1940s, when the British brought in migrant labourers from the Ettayapuram village in Tamil Nadu to Malaya.

A few families settled down near the limestone hill in Gunung Cheroh, Ipoh – until 1973, when the residents were relocated to Teluk Kurin B in Buntong after a slab of limestone fell onto a longhouse, killing 42 people.

 It was in the new settlement that business kicked up. The new, larger homes allowed owners to set up retail storefronts selling kacang putih, as well as other fried Indian snacks like murukku and assorted fried nuts made using recipes from Tamil Nadu. Business was so brisk that the settlement’s unwieldy name was changed to Kampung Kacang Putih – and until today, remains as the heart of a growing kacang putih industry across the country. "

The Kacang putih men have since progress much into selling different kind of snacks including Muruku, vadai and of course this original "Kacang putih"

网上抓的Kacang Putih 摊照/The Kacang Putih Stall Picture from google search

【蝶豆花椰浆饭】Nasi Lemak Biru

好友在佛罗里达州成功培植了蝶豆花，她晒了一大包邮寄给我。我就拿来做了这个蝶豆花椰浆饭，真是色香味俱全的一道美食。

蝶豆花是个健康保健的好东西、有抗氧化、提升脑力、护发、提高抵抗力的效果。 在泰国，人们会把蝶豆花泡热水做成蓝色的饮料，有消暑养生的效果。

According to Wikipedia:

Clitoria ternatea, common names including butterfly pea, blue pea, Aprajita, Cordofan pea and Asian pigeonwings, is a plant species belonging to the Fabaceae family.

......Names in other languages include bunga telang (Malay), อัญชัน `anchan (Thai), đậu biếc (Vietnamese), अपराजिता Aparajita in Hindi and 蝶豆 dié dòu (Mandarin Chinese), 'Sankhu Poolu/Sankham Poolu' in Telugu, "Shankupushpam" in Malayalam language and অপরাজিতা (Aparajita) in Bengali.

A friend of mine sent me a packet of her sun-dried Blue butterfly peas, I used them to make this beautiful Nasi Lemak, it is so beautiful that I almost feel bad eating it!

【泰式酱油炒粿条】Pad See Ew Recipe ผัดซีอิ้ว

这款泰式炒粿条是每次到泰国餐厅就会点的一道面食，比起 Pad Thai, 我更喜欢这款炒粿条。
可能因为它口味很像我思念的马来西亚槟城炒粿条吧！

I like to order this stir fried flat rice noodle at Thai restaurants, the taste of "charred" in this dish is very similar to my favorite Penang Char Kuay Teow, brings me right back to the humid street of South East Asia.

【薄荷冰粉】Mint Syrup Ice Jelly

冰粉和台湾有名的爱玉冰长得很像，也都是果籽加水搓出的果浆凝固成的。只不过两者用的果子是不同的植物，冰粉的原材料是一种教冰粉树、也叫假酸浆的植物的种子，它属于茄科，而爱玉则是用桑科榕属植物果子的种子做的。虽然是两种不一样的植物，做出来的凉粉口感却非常相似的哦！

几周前网购一些调料的时候发现同一个网站也卖冰粉粉，就买了几包打算天热的时候做冰粉吃。冰粉是中国南方夏天的一种小吃，冰凉爽滑，天热的时候吃着真的很舒服。

Ice jelly looks a lot like Aiyu Jelly, can also be served the same way. Though the texture and the way of preparation of these two jellies are very similar, and are both natural. They are both made from seeds of two very different plants.

Aiyu jelly is made from the gel from the seeds of the awkeotsang creeping fig found in Taiwan and East Asian countries of the same climates and latitudes, the plant belonged to the family of fig, where ice jelly is made from the seeds of Nicandra physalodes (Linn.) Gaertn, from the same family of Tomatillo.

I bought a few packets of ice jelly powder online few weeks back, since the weather is at the mid 90s F/30s C these days, I made this Ice Jelly for us as dessert, the whole family loved it very much!

【爆浆脆酥球】Golgappa/Pani Puri

今天我们来做电影《摔跤吧，爸爸》里面女主爱吃的脆球饼，也是我家LD特别爱吃的一款点心。这种空心球，电影里叫 Golgappa，它还有另外一个名字叫 Pani Puri （पानी पूरी）Pani 的意思是水，指的应该是灌入的香料水；Puri 指的是炸好的空心小面球。这种小球球可是印度街头热卖的小吃，只要有街头小吃摊的地方，就有它。

它的吃法是在油炸的空心面球里塞入土豆泥或者煮软的豆子，放入一点的酸子沾酱、薄荷沾酱再灌入辛辣的绿色香料水，一口放进嘴里咬破，口感味道特别丰富，是个很特别的味觉体验！

Years back, when I was still dating my husband, he brought me to a roadside stall in Delhi and brought 6 tiny puffs full of spice water and seasonings. That was my first encounter with this interesting snack called Golgappa/Pani puri.

When I popped the puff into my mouth the very first time, the burst of flavors and the combination of liquid and crunchiness of the fried puris is really a very unique experience.

Since there is no roadside stall selling this snack here in the United States, and the local Indian supermarkets are selling freshly made puri puffs for this snack, I have learnt to make it at home, and have since perfected the recipe.

【马齿苋菜馍】Purslane Steamed buns

去年夏天我在野外带了一株马齿苋回家栽到后院，收获了好几茬。今年开春后院又长出一大片密密麻麻的马齿苋，摘都摘不完，难怪马齿苋有个别名叫不死草呢！

今天摘一把比较肥美的马齿苋做了这个玉米面和白面两掺的菜馍馍，健康又好吃。多两周可以再做一批冻起来，冬天就有好吃健康的馍馍可以吃啦！

据百度百科记载：

“马齿苋含有丰富的二羟乙胺、苹果酸、葡萄糖、钙、磷、铁以及维生素E、胡萝卜素、维生素B、维生素C等营养物质。马齿苋在营养上有一个突出的特点，它的ω—3脂肪酸含量高于任何植物。ω—3脂肪酸能抑制人体对胆固酸的吸收，降低血液胆固醇浓度，改善血管壁弹性，对防治心血管疾病很有利。”

I brought a bunch of purslane from the woods last year and threw the seeds at my backyard, it grew into few large plants and I harvest a couple of time to make purslane salad, I also sun-dried a batch to be used in winter time.

Little did I know that the purslane will return this year so much more than before... I had harvest it thrice since and the last batch that I brought home I used it to make this Steamed buns, very healthy and a great way to get more nutritions!

According to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

Purslane is best used for human consumption as a green vegetable rich in minerals and omega-3 fatty acids [20]. Omega-3 fatty acid is a precursor of a specific group of hormones. It may offer protection against cardiovascular disease, cancers, and a number of chronic diseases and conditions throughout the human life.

【豆沙碱水粽】Kee Zhang/Alkaline Dumplings with Adzuki Bean Paste

Every year during the dragon boat festival (端午节), mom will make a lot of Nyonya and meat dumplings for us. 

But for prayer purpose, she would order some Kee Zhang/Alkaline Dumplings (碱水粽）from some ladies in town. Kee Zhang is normally much smaller in size, only about 1/3 of the normal dumplings. 

The dumplings have a very unique flavor and texture after adding alkaline water/lye water, the color of rice changes and take on a yellow hue, the alkaline water also makes the rice turned firmer and finally the taste of Alkalinity, a very distinctive, slick and pleasant feeling in the mouth, it is hard to explain, but a unique experience.

Since I have some Sweet Adzuki Bean Paste at home, I decided to make this Alkaline Dumplings with Adzuki bean Paste this year instead of the normal Kee Zhang. 

I really love the texture and color of this dumpling!

小时候每逢端午节妈妈都会裹上好多的咸肉粽和娘惹粽，但拜拜用的碱水粽却总是向乡里的一些家庭主妇买的，碱水粽有股特别的碱水味，家里的小孩都不爱吃，所以一般会沾了甜味的香兰咖央，或焦糖咖央吃。

今年端午节我裹了好些肉粽和朋友们分享，冰箱里还有一大盒我自己熬制的红豆沙，裹粽子还剩下一些糯米和粽叶，就随手裹了两串的豆沙碱水粽，真是香甜美味，颜色也特别漂亮！

【花生肉粽】Bak Zhang with Peanuts

咸棕子里我最喜欢的就是烧肉粽了，小时候不会欣赏加了花生和豆子的肉粽，就喜欢糯米和多多馅料的烧肉粽。现在反而喜欢带有花生和各种豆子的粽子，人的口味真的会改变的呢！

今年裹了一批红豆肉粽和一批闽南烧肉粽后又做了这个花生肉粽，一样好吃。

When I was young, my favorite dumpling was Bak Zhang. But as I grow older, I started appreciating dumplings with various kinds of pulses in it, this year I decided to make a type with peanuts and it came out absolutely delish!

【泰式芒果糯米饭】Thai Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niaow Ma Muang)

夏天终于来了，超市里开始出现各种芒果，全都香甜美味。泰式芒果糯米饭是我们家每个夏天都要吃的甜点之一，前几天买的芒果熟度刚刚合适，今天的饭后甜点就是泰式芒果糯米饭啦！

Summer is finally here and so is mango season! A good time to make this classic Thai dessert khao niaow ma muang. It is the most famous of all Thai desserts, and is a must have for us every summer when mangoes are in season.

【日式米汉堡】Japanese Rice Burger

多年前日本快餐连锁店摩斯汉堡（MOS burger）进军马来西亚，开业时我和几位同事一起去尝了他们家有名的米汉堡，一吃就爱上了米汉堡的味道。后来摩斯汉堡店选择了离开马来西亚市场，我也再没机会吃上我喜欢的米汉堡了。

前几天我做了日式汉堡肉当晚餐，第二天早上做了我想念的米汉堡当早餐，真是让人分外满足的一份早饭呢！

Years back the Japanese fast food chain MOS burger opened its stores in Malaysia, I went with my colleagues and fell in love with the Rice burger they served. Unfortunately the restaurants didn't do too well in Malaysia and they had to eventually pull all stores out from the market.

I made Japanese Hambugu Steak (ハンバーグ) few days back for dinner, and made this delicious Rice Burger with the remaining burger meat for brunch the next day. 

Just so that you know, This Rice Burger is actually the reason I made the Hambugu Steak! It really did taste like the signature rice burger of the MOS!

【日式汉堡肉】Japanese Hambugu Steak (ハンバーグ)

多年前去日本当交换生时第一次吃这个日式汉堡肉，对于汉堡肉不带面包吃的这个操作充满好奇，也非常喜欢。来了美国后一直想要在家做这个汉堡肉吃，但我们家很少吃/做牛肉，所以也一直没实现。

最近因为疫情一直被关在家里，邻居法兰克是个独居老人，平时我做了好吃的会送一份过去放他门口。自从超市开放早上时段让老人购物后，法兰克去购物时就会给我带些食材，我不想给没收入的他带来压力，所以每次他问我要什么的时候都说我不需要。于是他就会按他自己的购物习惯给我多带一两样，前几天他送来了两包的有机牛肉末。

既然有了牛肉末，就做一次日式汉堡肉给儿子尝尝吧！结果儿子非常喜欢，吃完了还交代说第二天一定要吃一模一样的午餐噢！

The first time I had this Hamburger steak was in Japan as an exchanged student, the way Japanese served their burger patties without bread was really new to me and with great surprise, it tasted really well together with some rice served on the side!

My neighbor brought me two packets of organic minced beef few days ago, I immediately know what I am going to do with it! Dear son loves the hamburger steak I made with it and was requesting the same lunch again the next day.

【红糖马拉糕】Brown Sugar Ma Lai Gou

马拉糕是每次到茶楼都会点的甜点，我们一家大小都很喜欢。现在很多广东茶楼里的马拉糕多是简易马拉糕，制作和发酵时间较短，但口感状态更接近发糕。

古法制作的马拉糕的特色之一是气孔有三层，顶层是直的，而低层是横的，带有天然的香气，吃起来蓬松柔软，非常美味。

为了做出比较正宗的马拉糕，我尝试调制了几次不同的配方，把发酵时间拉长至24小时，制作出来的马拉糕色泽好看，气孔非常漂亮，口感也特别松软，特别满意。

Ma lai gao is a popular Chinese dim sum dish, it is widely served at almost all the dim sum place. Unfortunately, not too many dim sum makers making Ma Lai Go the traditional way anymore, the Ma Lai Gou served at many restaurants nowadays are rather a version of steamed cake using baking powder as a leavening agent.

The real Ma Lai Go made the traditional way is a 3-day process, the long fermentation process produces soft yet very spongy texture of the cake.

I have created this recipe with just 24 hours of fermentation instead of 72, though it is not as long time as the traditional recipe called for, the recipe still produces the characteristic three ways holes in the cake that make Ma Lai Gou very soft and spongy.  I am really pleased with the recipe!

【印尼红辣酱蘸茄子】Terung Belado/Balado

这款印尼红辣酱用处非常多，可以拿来做菜调味，也可以作为蘸酱吃。我最喜欢的吃法是蘸烤茄子或煎/煮鸡蛋，非常下饭好吃。

辣酱的做法不复杂，比较麻烦的是找到新鲜的红辣椒，所以每次只要看见红美人椒我都会买一包回来做这个辣椒酱，做好的辣酱可以冷藏好几周。

Sambal Balado is a very versatile chili paste from Indonesia/Malaysia, it can be used as seasoning in many dishes and is a very good condiment for many recipes. My personal favorite ways to serve this chili paste is with grilled egg plant, fried/boiled eggs. All serves really well as side dish to some hot steamed rice.

It is fairly easy to make at home and could be stored in refrigerator for weeks to come.

【蚝煎/蚝烙】Fried Oyster Omelette (Or Luak/ Or Chien)

在娘家的时候每每和家人出去美食中心吃饭，爸爸就会点一盘蚝煎和大家分着吃。是我们一家大小都很喜欢的一道美食。

家乡的蚝煎用的蚝是新鲜的小生蚝，在美国我只买得到大生蚝，这次买的还是打折的冷冻生蚝，做出来的蚝煎味道却一点都不差噢！

正宗的蚝烙/蚝煎用的是蒜苗而不是葱花，刚好院子里种了些蒜苗，就剪了一小把做蚝煎，自己种的就是好吃哦！

When I was young, whenever my parents bring us out for dinner at the hawker center, dad will always order this Oyster Omelette for the family to share, a very good side dish to go with noodle or rice dishes.

I bought two packets of frozen oysters from the Korean supermarket not long ago with this dish in mind, with the garlic I planted in my front yard finally growing tall enough for harvest, I made this omelette for brunch and hubby and I both enjoyed it very much!

Note: The original recipe for this omelette is to use garlic green instead of spring onion.

【巧克力甜甜圈】Chocolate Glazed Donuts with Sprinkles

俊宝最喜欢的点心之一就是甜甜圈，平时每每经过卖甜甜圈的甜品店都会要求我买给他吃。最近因为疫情俊宝已经六周没出门了，也好久没吃他喜欢的甜甜圈了。

趁前几天终于买到断货许久的面粉，在家带俊宝一起做一批甜甜圈，出来的成品他非常满意噢！

My son A loves donuts and it has been 8 weeks since he last had one due to the lock down situation in my town. 

Thanks to my neighbor T, who helped bringing me the long out of stock all purpose flour few days back, I can now make some doughnuts together with my son at home. 

A was elated and had 3 donuts in a day!

【五香眉豆糕】Steamed Black Eye Peas Cake

芋头糕、萝卜糕、金瓜糕 是星马人经常早餐和茶点吃的糕点。我们喜欢沾上特制的叁巴辣椒酱或甜酱，再配上一杯浓浓的咖啡乌（就是不加奶只加糖的黑咖啡），实在是简单又风味十足的点心。

今天做的这款眉豆糕没有上边提到的三种糕点那么有名，却非常非常好吃。在这个禁足在家的日子，干豆子可比萝卜芋头更好储藏，所以做眉豆糕更合适，只要几种干料就可以了噢！

今天的眉豆糕是自己磨米浆做的，浓浓的米香真的很让人欲罢不能噢！

Steamed Yam Cake, Steamed radish cake and Steamed pumpkin cake were my all time favorites for breakfast and teatime.

This version of steamed cake is using black eye peas and homemade ground rice, Steamed black eye peas cake is a little rarer and is most likely only found homemade even back home in Malaysia.

At the time of shelter in place and when we are told to limit our grocery shopping trips, dried pulses like black eye pea are really good choice of protein to have and have a long shelf life! This steamed cake can be made with few dried ingredients at home. Delicious and very comforting food indeed.

【酱香茄丁卤面】Eggplant Black Sauce Noodle

Traditional Beijing Zhajiang Mian (Black sauce noodle) is one of my favorite ways to have noodle. Today I am making a variation of the noodle using Japanese Eggplant, another favorite cooking ingredients in our house. It turned out to be so delicious that even my 7 year old had a full bowl.

老北京炸酱面浓浓的酱香味是许多人欲罢不能的美味，我也经常在家里做了吃。今天做了带茄丁的这款面，依然是美味得不得了。连俊宝都吃了一整碗呢！

【马来咖喱角】Karipap Kentang （Curry Puff)

咖喱角在家乡是一块钱三个的小点心，一般就是路边的小贩，架起油锅，卖很多不同的糕点，这个咖喱角是肯定要有的。

雨季的时候，泡一杯奶茶，加上几个热腾腾的咖喱角，就是很好的下午茶了。

Curry puff is a very hearty snacks for me, I am still living in the world of 3 curry puffs for a Ringgit (Malaysian Currency).

I was surprised to see the increase in price and reduced in size of curry puff sold at the road side stall when I visited Malaysia the last time.

It was costing a lot more at a much smaller portion! Talking about inflation huh! It makes sense to make it at home... I guess.

【马来炸虾饼】Cucur Udang

年少时放学后会和几位要好的同学到离学校不远的小摊子买小吃和零食吃。小摊子卖各种各样的炸物和糕点，有我喜欢的炸香蕉、炸香蕉糕和这款马来炸虾饼，马来友族的炸虾饼和华人小摊的炸虾饼不太一样，因为加了酵母，所以口感是外酥里嫩的，能更好的吸取酱汁。

This shrimp fritter is one of the snack choices in my hometown, often sold at the roadside hawker stalls. The hawker selling this also sells other snacks like fried bananas, fried banana fritters and some beverages.

【小鸡炖蘑菇】Chicken With Dried Mushroom Stew

几年前出差的时候认识了一位哥哥，他是东北人。因为工作时间比较长，我们几个同事经常下班后一起吃饭，渐渐地就成了好朋友。我哥回中国后每次往美国寄货的时候总会夹点东北的特产给我，野生榛菇是必定不会少的。

前几天去亚洲超市囤点粮食的时候买了一只走地鸡，那么好的榛菇当然要好的鸡肉才配得上罗！今天午餐就吃小鸡炖蘑菇，真香！

A few years back, I went to work on a project in upstate New York and met a few clients from the

North Eastern part of China, since we were all working on a project and were also staying in the same hotel, we also had dinner together every evening and eventually became friends.

Once the project was over and the clients back to China, we were still keeping in touch and one of them keeps sending me stuff from China whenever he has a shipment to send to USA. 

Wild Zhen Mushroom (榛菇) is one of the special items from North Eastern China that he has sent me, the comment way to cook it is with chicken and make into a stew, very delicious and precious.

【素炸三明治】Stuffed Bread Pakora

最近因为Covid-19 冠状病毒肆虐，州长两周前就下了禁足令，好多餐厅和超市都暂时关门了。呆在家里没事，就做点想做很久的小点心。

以前在印度的时候，租住的小区门口有个小咖啡馆，这款素炸三明治是他们家的招牌点心，很多人排队买来吃，俊爹也很喜欢。

很多年没吃这款小点心了，材料家里都有，就给因在家上班一直开会的男主人做一次吧！

We have been ordered to Stay-At-Home by the authority to combat spreading of COVID-19,  since staying home means I have to make three meals a day. I decided to make a few dishes that I have been wanting to make for a long time.

This Stuffed Bread Pakora is one of them, we used to order this pakora as late afternoon snack at a small cafe near our rented apartment in Bangalore, it has been years since I tasted it.

【英国热威士忌饮】Hot Toddy to fight the Cold

十六岁的时候我到日本当交换生，去的时候正值严冬，一下飞机我就感冒了。后来一直咳嗽不停，吃了好些药都不好。

一天夜里我又咳得睡不着觉，寄宿家庭的爸爸给我弄了一杯这个威士忌热饮，一杯下肚整个身子暖暖地，咳嗽也止住了，那还是我第一次喝酒呢！第二天醒来感冒居然就真的好了一大半。

虽然不知道是不是这款热饮的功劳，平时感冒如果症状不是特别严重，我会弄一杯热威士忌饮当药喝，既能减缓症状，也能提升病时的睡眠质量，让感冒更快好起来。

Years back, I went to Japan as an exchanged student and contracted cold during my stay, the cold symptoms lasted for weeks even after taking some medication.

One night I was coughing so bad that I couldn't sleep, my foster father made me a cup of this hot toddy to help easing my pain, it was my first encounter with alcohol and it was tasting quiet good. 

My cough and cold magically improved the day after I had the hot toddy, though I wasn't sure it was the medicine that I took finally started working or that this hot toddy really did lived up to its fame.

In any case, it is a very nice soothing drink that relieve cold symptoms and helps one sleep better when I was under the weather. 

【葡萄牙烧海鲜】Portuguese Grilled Seafood

马来西亚吉隆坡茨场街有档卖烤鱼/海鲜的生意非常好，几乎每一天都可以看见小摊子前排得长长的人龙，等上个把钟为了吃上这摊有名的特色葡萄牙烧鱼/海鲜是很平常的事。

这道烤鱼/海鲜非常香辣，口味非常刺激，和葡萄牙有什么渊源，就无从考察了。不过根据口味来判断，这道菜像是结合了马来西亚当地的辛香料和葡萄牙菜的做法，大概是葡萄牙统治时期带来的一种烹调模式。就这样一直流传下来了。

Portuguese grilled seafood/fish is a very famous dish in Malaysia,there is one stall in Petaling Street KL that used to be one of the famous grilled fish stalls in Kuala Lumpur, there used to be such a long waiting time to get to eat one meal at the stall.

And I can completely understand why! This tangy,spicy seafood grill is so tasty that even after years, I still miss the taste of it. So much so that I replicate it at home.

元宵节快乐！【梅花汤圆】Happy Chap Goh Meh！【Plum Blossom Rice Balls】

2020 年春节是这么多年来过得最闹心的，天天捧着平板电脑看新型冠状病毒的新闻，跟着一则则新闻流泪难过。

不知不觉就到了年十五了，带着我做的梅花汤圆来祝贺大家元宵节快乐，希望2020年世界和平，家家都平安健康！

The Chinese New Year of 2020 is a very difficult one for all the Chinese in China and around the world... I spent a lot of time following the news of the 2019 coronavirus, I cried reading some of the heroic acts of common people in, and around China. We are all common people trying hard to live a meaningful life...

Today is the last day of Chinese New Year, I decided to write a post on this beautiful Plum Blossom rice balls, with it I pray for safety and health for people in the world.

Happy Chap Goh Meh to all that are celebrating!

大桔大利【桔子豆包】 Chinese Mandarin Tau Sa Pau

年初九家乡的习惯是要拜天公的，今年因为新型冠状病毒肆虐，所以我也没什么心情过节。

一晃眼就到了年初九，看见家人们寄来拜天公的照片激起了我的思乡之情，刚好是星期日不需要出门，就做了几个桔子豆包吃吃。

带着做好的桔子豆包祝贺大家2020春节大吉大利，平安健康。希望世界和平，病毒早日湮灭，武汉加油！

I made these Mandarin steamed buns on the 9th day of Chinese New Year, when I posted the pictures of these buns on my FB page, many of my friends thought there are real Mandarin oranges!

It was so much fun making them!

【古早味咸蛋糕】Traditional Steamed Sponge cake with Minced Meat

小时候过年过节的时候，我们会做传统的“鸡蛋糕”（Guay Neng Koh）吃，在电动搅拌机并不普及的时代，做蛋糕是一大家子轮班用大大的弹簧大力搅拌而成的。家里祭祀祭祖时，都要做这个鸡蛋糕，用村里人自己养的土鸡生的蛋，做出来的蛋糕分外香甜。

传统鸡蛋糕可以还可以变化做出精致版的这款加上肉臊的咸味蛋糕，虽然它叫做咸蛋糕，其实口味是葱香咸甜的，一种闽南人都钟爱的丰富味道，也是我忘不了的童年和家乡味。 

I made Traditional steamed sponge cake/Kuay Neng Koh for the Chinese New Year celebration few days back. The same recipe can also be use to make this "Salted cake", which has minced meat with fried shallot added to the cake as filling, a type of savory cake that also smell heavenly with the shallot added to the mix.

It is an upgraded version of the simple steamed cake, a heritage delicacy that carries in the family for generations, it is very tasty and has the taste of home and my childhood.

Happy Chinese New Year 【富贵萝卜花】Blossoming Rich

时间过得真快，一转眼就到了除夕夜。带着我做的富贵年菜来跟大伙儿拜年，希望大家鼠年健康、如意、顺利！

It is the time of the year again, it is Chinese New Year!! 

Here is one of my Chinese New Year dishes to wish all my family and friends a very Happy Lunar New Year of 2020!

【椰香红豆烤年糕】Baked Adzuki Bean Nian Gao

这款年糕我几乎每个过年都要做一次和朋友聚餐时带去，今年暑假回娘家的时候做了两次给家人吃，他们都很喜欢，弟弟还说是一款吃了就停不下来的点心呢！今早和妈妈视频的时候她提起说想要这个年糕的食谱，想新年的时候做了请朋友们吃。

这款年糕网上食谱很多，我也忘了一开始用的是谁的食谱了，今天记录的是我按自己口味微调了的配方，希望大家会喜欢噢！

This version of Nian Gao is my go-to whenever I have a Chinese New Year gathering here in the States, a dessert that is easy to make and loved by many.

I made this cake for my family back in July during my visit and they loved it so much that I had to make another one before leaving for the States！Mom has been asking for the recipe since my returns, and since Chinese New Year is around the corner, it is about time to make it again and to record the recipe!

【肉末烤茄子】Grilled Eggplant with Minced Meat

我家冰箱里几乎每天都会有一盒多用途肉臊冷藏着，它是个用处非常多的一个常备食材。今天来写个我家经常做的微波炉版肉末茄子，这是只要有做好的肉臊，十分钟就可以上桌的快手菜。非常简单也非常美味。

I always have a box of Minced Meat Sauce in the fridge, it is a very versatile and useful ingredient for cooking.

Today I am going to use it to make a type of grilled eggplant that I make very frequently, it takes only about 10 minutes to prepare if you already have the minced meat at hand.