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For this plate of mixed vegetables, I had used half a head of Beijing cabbage approximately 250 g, 50 g golden mushrooms and the remaining half a carrot. Some dried shrimps were washed, chopped and then stir-fried with garlic in olive oil till aroma filled the air. Since the carrot was julienned, it was added all at one go together with the rest of the vegetables. A tablespoonful of oyster sauce along with salt, pinch of pepper, ajinomoto and sugar were added. Turned and tossed the contents in the wok till the vegetables were cooked BUT, still crunchy. Sliced chillies were added at the end of cooking to add punch and colour!
Less tired feet, better meals, and smiles instead of frowns. (And who doesn't want all that?)
From the Harris Kit Homes catalog @antiquehome.org
This Saturday morning, February 3, ER and I went to the wet market as well as the supermarket. The sight and availability of fresh produce at supermarket prompted me to ask him,” I want to make achar, would you like to do it with me?” A positive answer got things going and I picked up all the ingredients that we liked.
We started to prepare the achar right after lunch. ER toasted both the sesame seeds and peanuts till they were golden and peeled and ground the later. He helped to ground the “spicy rempah” and fried this in oil till aromatic. I did the rest. It was a great relief that he could help out in the kitchen.
Achar is a favourite of the Southeast Asian pickled vegetables cooked or marinated in spices, vinegar and oil. The combination of vegetables is flexible; just go according to your preferences. Pineapple would be a great addition too. This achar were cooked with cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, green chillies, roasted peanuts and sesame seeds in a hot, spicy, sweet and sour concoction. After it cooled, I placed them in Pyrex glass containers and stored them in the fridge.
Eating achar is additive; never seem to have enough of it after each mouthful! With the Chinese New Year in mind, it is a much-needed relief to counter the rich food we eat during the celebrations of this festival. But then, we have already started eating it! It is too irresistible!
Achar is the Hindi term used for all different kinds of pickle including mixed pickle.
"mee goreng" (fried noodles) from Zi Char stall.
Use and purpose of alkaline water:
Alkaline water, also known as “gan sui” in Cantonese and “air abu” in Malay, is a clear solution of the salts sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, and sometimes sodium phosphate.
Because it is often called “lye” water, it is frequently confused with lye or caustic soda, which is sodium hydroxide, a much harsher chemical that has limited culinary applications in the West.
In the Asian kitchen, alkaline water has few and specific uses. The characteristic springiness of Hong Kong style “mee” noodle is due to “gan sui”, which is added to noodle dough to firm up its texture, and give it a yellow tint.
It does the same for glutinous rice in “kee chang” (yellow alkaline glutinous rice dumplings) and in their Malay cousin, “kuih lopes”.
Steamed rice-flour dough, for example, in Nyonya “kuih kosui” and “ang koo kuih” skin, can also be given a firmer consistency by carefully measured amounts of alkaline water.
Dried cuttlefish or squid are sometimes briefly soaked in “gan sui” for the opposite effect - it makes them more tender when rehydrated.
As Asians do not fancy the slightly sour, acidic flavour of slowly fermented bread dough so beloved in the West, dim sum chefs add alkaline water to buns “pau” dough to neutralise any yeasty, sour overtones.
Alkaline water is sometimes used as a rising agent in the same way that baking soda is. For instance, it is stirred into “ma lai kou” batter, where it reacts with acids in the brown sugar to produce bubbles that yield a light, fluffy steamed cake.
Tips extracted from Sunday Times
Retro stuffed owl and owl make-up bag. Make-up bag from Sew Pretty Homestyle.
Blogged at:
henhousehomemade.blogspot.com/2008/11/announcing-new-love...
Use and purpose of alkaline water:
Alkaline water, also known as “gan sui” in Cantonese and “air abu” in Malay, is a clear solution of the salts sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, and sometimes sodium phosphate.
Because it is often called “lye” water, it is frequently confused with lye or caustic soda, which is sodium hydroxide, a much harsher chemical that has limited culinary applications in the West.
In the Asian kitchen, alkaline water has few and specific uses. The characteristic springiness of Hong Kong style “mee” noodle is due to “gan sui”, which is added to noodle dough to firm up its texture, and give it a yellow tint.
It does the same for glutinous rice in “kee chang” (yellow alkaline glutinous rice dumplings) and in their Malay cousin, “kuih lopes”.
Steamed rice-flour dough, for example, in Nyonya “kuih kosui” and “ang koo kuih” skin, can also be given a firmer consistency by carefully measured amounts of alkaline water.
Dried cuttlefish or squid are sometimes briefly soaked in “gan sui” for the opposite effect - it makes them more tender when rehydrated.
As Asians do not fancy the slightly sour, acidic flavour of slowly fermented bread dough so beloved in the West, dim sum chefs add alkaline water to buns “pau” dough to neutralise any yeasty, sour overtones.
Alkaline water is sometimes used as a rising agent in the same way that baking soda is. For instance, it is stirred into “ma lai kou” batter, where it reacts with acids in the brown sugar to produce bubbles that yield a light, fluffy steamed cake.
Tips extracted from Sunday Times
My Version:
Recipe:
Tom Yam Prawns
Ingredients:
500 g prawns –trimmed and de-veined
3 ½ tbsp Tom Yam paste [ready-made]
1 onion – peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic - sliced
Salt, sugar and ajinomo to taste
1 Thai honey orange – extra juice - use 3 tablespoons
1 tbsp oil
Method:
1. Heat up oil in frying pan; add in the garlic and sauté till light brown. Put in the sliced onion and stir-fried till transparent.
2. Add in tom yam paste and stir to warm up, add in the prawns, swirl around till they change colour, but not fully cooked yet. Add in seasonings to taste and turn to mix well.
3. Add in orange juice, mix well and cook till prawns are just done and the gravy has reduced to a thick sauce.
There is another slightly different recipe of tom yam prawns here, read it if you like: Tom Yam Prawns
A few days ago, Rika bought pieces of breaded fried chicken laden with lots of black pepper...though tasty to me she found them too hot and spicy.
Black pepper garlic fillet was an idea span off from what we ate earlier minus bread crumbs because they absorbed too much oil when used in fried food.
Pisang tanduk is one of the varieties of bananas used to made hot-off-the-wok Malay snack pisang goreng/fried banana fritters, which are sold at hawker centres. Malay snacks at Geylang Serai Market are said to be reasonable priced besides there is a large variety to choose from.
“This banana is not ripe yet, got to wait for a day or two.” the “uncle” at the wet market told me. Those greenish patches on the banana skin indicated it is unripe. The flesh has an appealing light peach colour and is firm and sweet when ripe.
In the compound of my childhood home, my father had grown a few varieties of banana trees, no pisang tanduk though. In those days, besides using the banana leaves as linings for trays and wrappings when making kueh, the leaves were used during the ironing of clothes. The hot iron, filled with burning charcoal, was first pressed on the leaf before use. Until today, I still wonder the logic behind this action. Anyway, the smell from the burnt leaves was, in fact, pleasant!
Dessert Anyone ?
Happy Canada Day Weekend
#bitesize #homestyle #baking #whippedcream #berries #homestyle #culinart
Repotting a leaf cutting that has survived.
Latin name: Zamioculcas zamifolia
Common name: "Fat Boy" "ZZ Plant" or "Eternity Plant"
origin: Tanzania, Zanzibar
ideal temperature: 20°-24°C
Zamioculcas zamifolia - pronounced ZAM-ee-oh-cool-kass.
If you like to know more about this plant, please visit: www.indoor-plant-care.com/indoor_plant.asp?title=Zamiocul... and
So happy! Cooking nasi lemak using basmati rice was such a breeze! In my previous experiences, the rice almost always turned out a little soggy using fragrance rice! For this reason, I have not been cooking nasi lemak for a long time. Nasi lemak in Malay is coconut rice.
Today, we had our nasi lemak with fried pomfret, chicken fillets, sliced cucumber and sambal ikan billis.
:) Due to some delay, this lunch was served around 3 PM. Luckily, we had a good breakfast at the foodcourt.
My version:
Apricot Seed Honey Dates Dessert
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 large Chinese pear
8 large honey dates
1 ½ tbsp apricot seeds [mixture of nan xin + bei xin]
1.2 litres water
Method:
1. Rinse apricot seeds.
2. Boil water in a pot, put in apricot seeds and honey dates, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes. [Honey dates take time to release flavour and taste.]
3. Peel and cut pear into 8 pieces with core removed and add them to the pot of boiling contents, bring to a quick boil and then simmer for another 30 minutes.
4. Eat contents with dessert soup.
A really nice dish of vegetables, golden mushrooms, leaves of long cabbage, carrots and tomatoes, all ingredients blended in so all~
When it comes to stir-frying most vegetables, always cook till they “sweat” which indicates that they are almost done…watch out from now so that they are not over cooked. Food value diminishes in overly cooked vegetables!
Synchronized Shepherds Semi Sleeping & Coordinated Total Path Blocking - IMRAN™
K2, at the back in the picture, the 20-months old rambunctious puppy has a nonstop action personality. It is still so funny to see when he seems to mimic and replicate totally-different super-chill Kennedy’s poses. Synchronized Shepherds Semi Sleeping is also done in parallel with a coordinated total path blocking exercise. 😄🐕🐕
© 2021 IMRAN™
#IMRAN #Florida #Tampa #ApolloBeach #dogs #GSD #GermanShepherds #pets #animals #funnyAnimals #humor #homestyling #doglife
Pan-fried yummy dumplings~ ER helped out with the cooking while I did the wrapping. Still, the whole preparation took us two and a half hours to complete.
This lovely arched walkway is at the historic Guasti Plaza (located just north of the Ontario International Airport). At the plaza is the Guasti Mansion, the San Secondo d'Asti Catholic Church , Joseph Filippi Winery Tasting Room & Gift Shop, and the Homestyle Cafe.
Have a Beautiful Day Friends
#culinary #culinart #foodie #dessert #homestyle #SSS
"#3 Flickr Explored June 12th 2023"
Someone told me that it is best to use left over rice for fried rice, but I cooked the rice using less water in advance for 3 hours instead so that it would cool well. The result was just as good. - Jenny
One section of the meaty snow crab legs that I managed to break its shell and drawn out the meat completely successfully!
The PackUp Home really do pack up, look here!
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Structure: ✤PackUP Home - The [Den] @ The Liaison Collaborative
Trojan Horse Fragment - Apple Fall
Old Box - Kalopsia
Diving Helmets - Kalopsia
"The Tube" Beer Tap - Weissbier - 11th Hour
✤Mandala Canvas 2R-7 - ZcZ
✤It's rock n roll time! - Kuro
porthole frame / blue-ringed octopus - SigFig
✤Vintage Gamer Set - Fetch
geeky powerstrip with cords - Second Spaces
✤Vintage Amplifier & Vintage Microphone - 22769 ~ [bauwerk]
Daisy Bubble Chair - ARIA
✤Tripod Floor Lamp - 22769 ~ [bauwerk]
Nolan Painted Foosball Table - Cheeky Pea
Jar Chandelier - Trompe Loeil
Telescope/chrome - [ kunst ] & Abiss
Arch Sofa - Consignment
Wire Crate - 7 Emporium
Books (in the wire crate) - Apple Fall
Ace Table - Breno
RX9-1000 Boombox Keyboard - 7 Emporium
✤round boho rug. turquoise - junk
✤Color me Cat - Magazines Stack - Black Tulip
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✤ = Blogger copies
♫ "Up the lazy river, By the old mill run
That lazy, lazy river, In the noonday sun
Linger in the shade of a fine old tree
Throw away your troubles
Dream a dream with me" ♫
This song has been recorded many times by different jazz/swing singers. My fave so far is this one.
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Counter clockwise
- ✤ Self Made Bridge - 22769 ~ [bauwerk] @ The Fantasy Collective
- Hanging Fish Rack & Pile of Fish - Dysfunctional Designs
- A Fishing Getaway-Fly fishing case - Breno (old arcade item)
- Garden Tree 08 with Lights - HPMD
- boardwalk : ivory : straight - alirium
- ✤ Stones House - Kalopsia
- ✤ Dolce Vita Scooter - Kalopsia
- ✤ Artist Bungalow - Fetch
- Polka dot curtain - INK
- ✤ Sun chair (red) and (yellow) - Kuro
- ✤ Shed 1 - Stencil - Teal - Kalopsia
- ✤ Glass Fishing Float (blue) & Crate w/ Glass Fishing Floats - Soy
- River Erosion (rocky) - [ Organica ]
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This was lunch for YH and I cooked it without egg, though a nutrient rich protein, affordable food and a contributor to a healthy diet, but he regards it as high in cholesterol.
Egg is an essential ingredient in fried rice that gives a nice flavour, colour and even adds texture to the dish if done correctly. Anyway, instead of the usual ingredients of pork, prawns and Chinese sausage, crabsticks, dried shrimps, long beans and spring onions were used. This plate of fried rice equally satisfied his palates…he made a favourable remark~
Fresh Chinese mushrooms are delicious when stir-fried. Remember though; always wash any variety of fresh mushrooms under running tap water to avoid sogginess.
Here is the soya bean puffs that I long to eat. This is a popular item from the soya product stall in our neighbourhood wet market. ER and I were early this morning and thus managed to buy some. Like I always did, cut them into smaller pieces and braised them with whole spices. It was served with a bed of fried broccoli and cucumber.
Do you know that blanching vegetables in boiling water will cause them lose much of the nutrients? Hence, stir-frying is a better method of cooking.