nyonyachef

Rare Food

2011-07-15T18:27:00.003+08:00

Report animal abuse !? Erh....bird abuse !? Poor chicken ! Imagine a can of beer thrusting into or through the rear....

Anyone seen this in Malaysia ? Well, I seen and heard of Beer Can Chicken in the states but rarely seen this in any of the restaurant here. Please let me know if you have seen this anywhere...

The last I had this was in a restaurant in Sunway Damansara...ad hog, the chef was so kind to prepare the Beer Can Chicken for us. It was excellent and I just want to try elsewhere to have a comparison.

The beer aroma, taste, texture....prefect ! For the info. the food was found in ad hog. You might want to check out ad hog at Google. They serve exotic food !

Curry Wild Boar

2011-07-11T19:33:00.012+08:00

Couple of days ago one of my friend just threw me a piece of meat and....asked me what and how I want it to be ??!! Hmm....looks like a piece of nice chunk of meat..to me !

Huh !...juicy !...not much fat !....WILD BOAR ! where the h@+#...they got it !?

Erh...dunno and don't want to know ! What am I going to do with it ?...Well, wild boar can be tough and has a strong smell if you do it the wrong way. The safest way to do the wild boar is the wild boar way !...Braised it ?!!...Stewed ?!! or....Curry ?!!

Ok...curry will be safer i guess...

Preparation: Clean the wild boar, rub the meat with corn starch and blanched it. That way the meat will not be tough ! Boiled some potatoes in salted water and set aside.

Cooking: Heat up the wok, sauteed the spice ingredients for 20-30 minutes in low heat. Add in the wild boar meat, stirred fry for 10 minutes. Pour in the water just to cover all the ingredients and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Simmer for 1/2 hour or till the meat is soft and tender.

Throw in the potatoes and let it simmer for 30 minutes, add in the coconut milk and let it cook for another 10 minutes. Pour in 3 tbsp of lime juice to have some sourness taste in it and it's done !

How it looks like....here you go !

Prefecto ! Goes well with hot steamed rice or bread !

Ingredients
1.5kg Wild Boar Meat (Blanched)
250g Potatoes (Boiled)

20g Dried Chillies 1
50g Shallots
30g Turmeric
10g Coriander Seeds
5g Cumin
5g Fennel
20g Cloves Garlic
20g Belachan
2tbsp Curry Powder

2 pcs Cinnamon
5 pcs Cloves
2 pcs Star Anise
2 Stalks Curry Leaves
5 pcs Cardamoms
250ml Coconut Milk
2 pcs Stalk Lemon Grass

2tsp Salt
2tsp Brown Sugar
3tbsp Lime Juice
1/2 cup oil
2 cups Water
2tbsp Corn Starch

Bak Chang (Glutinous Rice Dumpling)

2011-06-06T20:13:00.007+08:00

Today is the day !...Today is the day for meat !...Today is the Dumpling Festival !

Erh...sounds a bit dramatic , right !?...After a decade longing, finally, I am going learn how to make "Bak Chang" and I am going to inherit my family recipe.

This is how it looks like....if you happens to go buy "Bak Chang" this will be considered the "Special One"...means "ka liew" or additional of all ingredients.

Well,...wait till I tell you the process....

....Two days preparation and cooking ! Gosh...it was a tedious process..preparation, cooking, wrapping, boiling,..and the eating, ..oh...the eating takes 5 minutes !

Preparation
Soak the glutinous rice over night.

Soak the dried mushroom, chestnut and the dried shrimp.

Boil the leafs and wash it piece by piece to get rid of any unwanted foreign ingredient.

Wash the pork belly, cut it into one inch chunk, marinate the pork belly with 3tsp salt, 3tsp pepper, 3tsp five spice, 4tbsp oyster sauce, 3tbsp dark soy sauce, 3tbsp light soy sauce and 2tbsp corn flour, and leave it over night.

Cooking
Heat up the wok with oil, sauteed the garlic for couple of minutes and then in goes the marinated pork belly. Throw in the chestnuts and mushrooms. Add in some seasonings 2tbsp Dark Soy Sauce, 2tbsp Light Soy Sauce, 2tbsp Oyster Sauce, 1tsp Salt , 1tsp Pepper and 1tsp Five Spice to further enhance the taste. Stir fry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for it to cool off.

Now for the Glutinous Rice, similar cooking process, just the rice and add in the same seasonings and stir fry for 15 minutes. Do add some water if it's too dry. Set aside.

In a small wok, stir fry garlic and dried shrimp for 2 minutes or till fragrant.

Finally, we are ready to wrap !....to eat ?...maybe another 5 or 6 hours !!!

Wrapping
Take two leafs and fold into a cone shape. Add 1tbsp of Glutinous Rice, 2-3pcs Pork Belly, 1/2pc Salted Egg Yolk, 1/2pc Mushroom, 1pc Chestnut, 4-5 Dried Shrimp and fill up with Glutinous Rice. Fold and wrap the leaf to close the gap. Make sure there's no gap. Secure with the string tightly.

You know what is the best part of making your own "Bak Chang" ?

Adding in more of what you want !....More Pork Belly,...More Salted Egg...More Chestnuts or Mushroom.

Cook the "Bak Chang" in large pot of boiling water for about 3.5 hours.

Two days of tedious process,...it's priceless !

Ingredients (60pcs)
3kg Glutinous Rice (soaked overnight)
2kg Pork Belly (cut into chunks)
30pcs Salted Duck Egg (Yolk only)
300g Chestnut (soaked)
300g Dried Shrimp (soaked)
300g Dried Mushroom (soaked)
400g Bak Chang Leafs (boiled and soaked)
6tbsp Dark Soy
6tbsp Light Soy
6tbsp Oyster Sauce
2tbsp Cornflour
5tsp Five Spice
5tsp Salt
5tsp Pepper
1 Garlic (chopped)
8tbsp Oil
500ml Water (for cooking glutinous rice)

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Rice)

2010-05-18T23:35:00.001+08:00

Authentic Nyonya-style Nasi Lemak is simply coconut milk rice served with fried anchovies and peanuts, fried tamarind fish or fried tamarind prawn, cucumber, boiled egg and THE SAMBAL BELACHAN. Trust me, nothing is complete without the Sambal Belachan.

There are many version of Nasi Lemak....the coconut milk rice itself varies,....example; the steamed coconut milk rice (Nasi Lemak Kukus) and many different side dishes, some with fried chicken, curry chicken, rendang chicken, curry squid, curry cockles....and the list goes on and on.....depends on what you prefer.

Well,...what I cooked is a mild version. Not so much of coconut milk but I emphasized on the fragrance.

Check out the simple recipe.....

Coconut Milk Rice:
Use one cup of rice, wash and drain a few times till the water is clear.
Add it one onion, one slice ginger, screwpine leaf (Pandan Leaf), a pinch of salt, water and 1/4 of coconut milk (from one grated coconut)
Cook the rice in a steamer till almost dry, sprinkle another 1/4 of coconut milk and mixed the rice well.

Fried Tamarind Prawn:
Use 600g of medium size prawn (to your likings), wash and drain.
Marinate with one handful of (50g) tamarind pulp, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tbsp of sugar for 1-2 hours.
Heat up the wok, add in some oil and in goes the prawn.
Fry till aromatic. Some might want it slightly dry and burnt, some preferred still soft and juicy. You choose !

Check out the ingredients for Sambal Belachan:

This is my weekend favorite.....try it !

So Much Yet So Little

2010-04-01T05:00:00.001+08:00

Would you believe it, if I tell you all these ingredients....approximately 20+ of them and 4 hours preparing and cooking....

....this is all you get !!??? Imagine all the hard work, and gone within seconds into the stomach !!???

....so why cook it ?

This dish is getting rare these days, eventhough you can find in some of the nyonya restaurants,...it no longer has the authentic taste anymore. I have xplore most of the nyonya restaurants in Klang Valley and not to my liking. Furthermore, for this small bowl you see will cost you about RM 15.00 to RM 18.00....now you know for all the hard work this is the price you pay for.

Why so expensive ? Well, it's like chicken and egg story ! Because it's time consuming and the ingredients are hard to find,...the price is high,....so when the price is high,....people might not want to eat this....so where does this lead to....extinction !....of it's kind ! The new generation don't even know what is this !

So, before this dish disappear from our menu, I start to learn the recipe, introduce to all my food connoisseurs....and pass the recipe around.

Try it out and share with your friends the recipe Perut Ikan.

Trust me,...no regrets !

Thai Shrimp Paste

2010-03-29T23:09:00.012+08:00

Try to go green ???!!!! I always love green, green raw veggies with sambal belachan,...but not everyone can accept having just green without any other dish. Well, sambal belachan is tasty and a pungent dip to go with, cincalok or budu would be lovely too,....but I have tried most of it and running out of choice.

So let xplore what other choice we have ! I was in Thailand a few days ago and I came across some cute looking containers look like this....

Looks suspicious and tempting ! Let's see what can we do with this !!!???

Preparation: Dried shrimp (Soaked), Garlic, Tiny Eggplant, Thai Shrimp Paste, Chillies
Smashed the Dried Shrimp, Garlic, Tiny Eggplant, Thai Shrimp Paste and Chillies in a mortar or pestle. Mixed all the ingredients and add in Fish Sauce, Brown Sugar and Lime Juice. Voila ! Done !

This is how it looks like. Taste pungent, sweet, sour, salty and HOT !

Serve with steamed rice and raw veggies. Healthy stuff ! Try this for a change !

Fuzhou Red Wine Stewed Chicken

2010-02-01T14:07:00.124+08:00

Another Fuzhou's wonderful creation....the secret all liaise within the potent Fuzhou Red Wine !

Check out this tasty simple to do recipe....

Preparation: Chicken (Blanched with boiling water), Ginger (Sliced), Fuzhou Red Wine, Black Fungus (Soaked) and Coriander Leaves.

Heat up the claypot. Add oil and saute the ginger till fragrant, then throw in the chicken. Stir fry for 5min.

Add water and let it come to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 20min. Add the Black Fungus and pour in the Red Wine.

Season with Salt and Pepper. Garnish with the Coriander Leaves.

Serving for 2 paxs

Ingredients

500g (1/2) Village Chicken, blanched with Boiling Water

10g Ginger, sliced

5g Black Fungus, soaked

5g Coriander Leaves

1tsp Salt

1/4tsp Pepper

1tbsp Oil

1cup Water

1/2cup Red Wine

What's Cooking for Xmas

2010-01-10T23:30:00.021+08:00

When I was in HK I bumped into one of my close friend and what you know,...I was cordially invited to her Xmas party...cool !

But what I was not aware, after a couple of beers.....I realized that actually I was the party so called chef...huh !!??? BBQ for thirty people ! Simple thing...sausage, chicken wings, pork ribs, baked potatoes, corn, grilled prawn and what else ?

It's Xmas...so let's stirred up something additional and unusual !Roast Pork and Kerabu Beehoon for a treat...

...check out the Roast Pork Recipe!...also check out kerabu beehoon recipe

Ingredients; Pork Belly, Five Spice, Parsley/Rosemary, Mixed Herbs, Garlic, Vinegar, Coarse Salt, Salt and Ground Black Pepper.

Make sure the pork is dry,...dry,...if not, you won't have a nice perfect crispy skin.

Mixed the Five Spice, Mixed Herbs, Parsley, Ground Black Pepper and Salt together,...rub evenly on the pork belly. With a small knife pierce bottom of the pork and gently force garlic slices into the cuts. Rub vinegar and coarse salt over the top of the pork.

Roll up and tie the pork belly. Bake in the preheat oven over the temperature of 230C for 60min to 75min.

Half way through turn the pork to ensure the skin cracks evenly (Haha...this step is only necessary if the oven is small and insufficient heat)

Once the roast pork is done, let it rest for 10min before slicing.

Ingredients

3kg Pork Belly

20g Garlic

10g Parsley

1tsp Salt

1tbsp Coarse Salt

1tsp Ground Black Pepper

2tsp Five Spice

2tsp Mixed Herbs

1tbsp Vinegar

What's For Tea in HK

2010-01-04T19:39:00.005+08:00
What's for tea break ? The next few food stuffs are definitely a delicacy in Hong Kong....

...don't xplore, don't try, then how to know whether it's good !

Tea break ! the locals will be surrounding this kinda place.....sometimes you wonder where all this people come from !? It's in the middle of a working day....

The delicious food must be attracting people away from work....I guess ! Check out what's cooking....

Grilled squid with spicy sauce HK$6, Deep Fried Japanese Smelt Fish or known as pregnant fish HK$12. Damn delicious especially during winter....Hot and spicy !

Curry Fish Balls HK$6. Sometimes when you see everyone eating, you tend to join them, as if it's super super good and it's a must to try ! So join the crowd...

Dare or not ! Imagine your office colleague ran out to have Chow Taufu, paid HK$6 and comes back to have a meeting with you !?...What do you think you should do !

Don't know how smelly...check out one of my glutton's expressions

Hong Kong style-milk tea HK$9 cannot do without it...so when you are in HK alone or with your loved ones do try to xplore and live to tell...

What's For Lunch in HK...

2010-01-02T15:08:00.004+08:00

...continuation from what's for breakfast in HK

What's for lunch,....just wait for lunch time and follow the crowd in the busy street of HK and see where they ended up.

Every corner of the streets in HK you will tend to find these few dishes and this is what the locals have for lunch....

Char Siew Fun with additional salted egg, octopus and Kailan. Simple, fast to serve and tasty too. Value for money too,....normally I will just order a plate for two.

Noodles with voluptuous wantan. The wantan is filled with prawn and a bit of meat.

Hong Kong Famous Beef Brisket Noodles. Must not miss this ! So sad if you chose not to take beef !

We have done...breakfast,..lunch....check out what's for Tea Break

What's For Breakfast in HK

2009-12-30T14:28:00.020+08:00
When you are in foreign countries it's a must to xplore and try the local food.

I was just in HK last week and everyday we go around Tung Chung, a small township 5min away from the HK international airport to have breakfast....and I saw common faces in the same place everyday for breakfast and they tend to have the same thing most of the time.

Well, lets eat we they eat....and if you happens to be in HK do try their local daily breakfast.

Check out what's for breakfast....

Glutinous Rice with Chinese Sausage, Chicken, Shitake Mushroom and Dried Shrimp wrapped with Lotus Leaf. Highly Recommended !

Porridge with Pork Intestines. Good to have during winter !

Fried BeeHoon. Too common but it seems many having this. You might think it's cheaper but all breakfast set cost average HK$20

Dim Sum for breakfast, Har Kow, Siew Mai, Lo Bak Koe and Chee Chong Fun. A must in HK ! Do check out the time ! Most restaurants determine the prices based on time. ie 7am to 11am low price, 11am to 1pm high price and during 1pm till 3pm average price.

Check out What's For Lunch in HK

Cabbage Soup with Chinese Ham

2009-12-25T14:25:00.020+08:00
Check out my secret ingredient for making a perfect broth...Chinese Ham !

The first time I was exposed to this when I was walking down one of the back street in Kunming....xploring the wet market and my friend stopped in front of a butcher...

That butcher was having a wooden box as a table,....just selling a leg from some animal !???It was dirty, hairy, what a rotten looking thing....my friend was speaking mandarin and the butcher just sliced a small piece of the rotten looking meat and passed to him to try !!! He did ...He ate it !

Erh...a bit shocking to me ! I can take raw,....but not rotten ! Well, if my friend can do it, so wth....anything salty, smelly,...my kind of food ! It taste similar to prosciutto.

That was the fear factor experienced, the real thing I bought looks much cleaner than what I described.

All the way from China...my two favorite places to get a good Chinese Ham, either from Kunming or Hangzhou.

I found out this is actually a rich man food, this Chinese Ham is one of the must ingredient used in luxurious restaurants to make exclusive dishes, supreme broths/stocks and much more....one of it is the exclusive dish-Buddha Jumps Over The Wall.

Well, check out my simple...clear Chinese Cabbage Soup with Chinese Ham.

Blanched the Chinese Ham and Pork Ribs with boiling water to get rid of the smell.

Place Pork Ribs and Red Dates in a pot and bring to a boil, and let it simmer from 1hour. Add in the Chinese Ham and Chinese Cabbage and continue to simmer for another 20min.

Season with salt. Serve hot with a dash of pepper !

Simple with an exclusive ingredient...

Serving for 4

Ingredients
400g Pork Ribs, blanched with boiling water
100g Chinese Ham, blanched with boiling water
300g Chinese Cabbage, cut into chunks
20g Red Dates
1tsp Salt
1lit Water

Vegetable Dhal Curry

2009-12-10T18:18:00.036+08:00
Feel like having something spicy and appetizing....try this for a change !

No meat,...purely vegetables and spices.

Erh...actually I loved eating the green thing shown in the picture, I don't know what it's called, all I know is you are suppose to eat the seed from the green thing only and it looks like the seed from the okra....can somebody tell me what's that green thing called....

In a pot add in the Water, Garlic, Potatoes, Carrots, Red Chilli, Onion and Dhal. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer till the dhal is soft.

In a separate pan, heat up the oil and add in the mustard seed. Let it pop ! Add in the garlic, shallots, fennel, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric power and the curry leaves. Saute for 2-3min. Once fragrant, add these mixtures in the pot.

Throw in the tomatoes, cauliflower and let it cook for 10-15min.

Season with salt

Serve with steamed white rice.

Ingredients
1tsp Turmeric Powder
1tsp Chilli Powder
1tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2tsp fennel
1/2tsp Cumin
1/2tsp Coriander Seeds
10g Shallot, chopped finely
5g Garlic, chopped finely
1stalk Curry Leaves

100g Dhal, soaked
60g Tomatoes, diced
200g Potatoes, diced
150g Carrot, diced
100g Onion, chopped
100g Red Chilli
100g Cauliflower, blanched with hot water
10g Garlic, sliced
2tbsp Oil
1tsp Salt
2cups Water

Nyonyachef Xplore Exotic Food

2009-11-23T23:55:00.004+08:00

I always wonder...If one is a glutton or a food connoisseur how do you know whether the food is good or not if you have not try anything and everything that is foreign or exotic to you ?!!

In Thailand...the locals eating insects, The Philippines....duck fetus, In China..dog, snake or any/every animals with the "back facing the sky"...and much more.

We tend to look at things and commented good, delicious, Mmmm or....Yucks ! How do you know if you don't try or xplore....!

Glutton ?....Let's go to the extreme to find out how far your stomach can take it !

Dare...or...Not ! Let's xplore ! Get ready the first aid kit !

First stop...what the +x@-!#...ugly, slimy, disgusting, indecent thing

Sea Worm ?....it's only RMB 58

Second stop...something crawling out....suddenly caught my attention !

Water Bug ? Only RMB 33 for 50g....not cheap, must be a delicacy in China !!!!

Lunch is served,....Stir Fry Water Bug with Spicy Sauce ! Hehe....I actually frightened everyone in the dining room...they ran out...Glutton ?!!!

Actually it taste crunchy and tasteless ! It's the spicy sauce that gave it a boost.

You should try anything and everything the locals eat then you can be the judge of it !

Nyonyachef Xplore Food in China

2009-11-21T23:37:00.015+08:00
It's amazing to xplore all the food in China, with wide range of varieties and techniques of cooking just like in Malaysia we have Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka, Sichuan, Foo Chow styles,..and many more but many have been altered or mixed due to the crossed breed among themselves....so which one is the original....unknown....Want to find out ? Fly to China !

I landed in one of the main city in China and my task was to taste at least 200 varieties of food all over China within 5 days,...40 varieties a day,...20 dishes per meal,...and not over eat cause I still need to try some of the thousand types of beer in China...Trying !

Check out some of the few highly rated authentic dish chosen by the gluttons....

The Seafood

Steam Fish with Fermented Bean, Shrimp with Long Jing Tea Leaves, Boiled Hangzhou Shrimp, Steam Carp with Spicy Sauce, Deep Fry Butter Prawn Mantis, Stir Fry Lala with Chinese Herbs, Crab with Sweet Sauce, Baked Shrimp with Salt, Deep Fry Fish with Sweet & Sour Sauce.

Nothing extraordinary about the seafood when you are in somewhere near the mountain side. We had fish, Prawn Mantis, Crab, Lala, Prawn & many, many, more. Most gluttons commented on the fish....Fishy ! Muddy smell ! and blah...blah...blah, but the cooking was delicious and very tasty.

The miniature prawn seems tiny but tasty,..so where's the big one ? Nowhere to be seen in this part of the world !

The Meat

Tong Po Meat, Beggars Chicken, Pork Leg with dark soy, Peking Duck, Pork with Preserved Veggie, Mince Pork with Salty Mustard, Chinese Ham with Beancurd, Sweet & Sour Pork Rib.

Among all the meat dishes, the Tong Po Meat was the main highlight.

The Veggie

Golden Pumpkin with Pork Ribs, Stir Fry Mushroom with Oyster Sauce, Plain White Radish, Cabbage Soup with Chinese Ham, Plain Cucumber, Plain Cucumber with Cream Mustard Sauce, Peanuts with Sour Plum, Stir Fry Pak Choy with Soy, Celery with Chinese Sausage.

We had at least 5 veggies per meal and these are the highly rated ones,...based on tasty, freshness and artistic cooking techniques....and the Golden Pumpkin was simple but very tasty. I can't remember why they chose the cucumber,...maybe most of the the veggie dishes were a bit on the oily side and salty.

The Authentic....

Out of the 200 ++ dishes, somehow these were the best...of the best. Tong Po Meat, Shanghainese Siew Long Pau, Hangzhou Bak Chang, Wuzhen Lamb Noodles, Steam Egg with Tiny Shrimp, Duck's Tongue.

The Wuzhen Lamb Noodles was the main hit. Hot spicy and damn tasty !

The Steam Egg with Tiny Shrimps was a surprise to us, the tiny shrimp looks like the Fermented Shrimps (Cincalok)

The Exotic Duck's Tongue was a delicacy indeed.

The Season....

Hairy was on season, never miss it for the world.

...next the exotica !

Foo Chow lang...it's Time

2009-11-12T16:20:00.018+08:00
After a long wait...patiently...it's done !

Dedicated to all the Foo Chows for their wonderful food and recipes....

After taking a journey to the North, back to where most of our ancestors came from and came back down to the South where most of the Foo Chows are residing....after much, much, more xploring,....finally this is what we have....the fundamental secret recipe for making a healthy, delicious dish....The Ang Chiew (Red Wine)

Cheers ! Sweet and Strong ! Erh....don't really advise for drinking !

From the process you will have two goodies....

The residue: The Foo Chows would turn this leftover together with some ginger and chicken into a delicious dish ! Stir Fry Chicken with Red Wine.

The cream after the filtration process: Fuzhou Red Wine for stirring up a healthy Ang Chiew Mee Suah. It is suppose to be taken by those Ah Nya's during their confinement period !

Check out Fuzhou Red Wine for the recipe

Timun Char Swee (Stir Fry Cucumber with Vinegar)

2009-10-27T19:35:00.016+08:00
Stir Fry Cucumber with Vinegar

This is one of my all time favorite nyonya dish. Very little chance I get to eat this,...only see this dish during Chinese New Year ! I can't recall seeing this dish in any of the nyonya restaurants in Klang Valley.

Seems that traditional nyonya dishes are getting lesser and lesser...the only time I can really find all the dishes are during the Chinese festive season or some special occasions.

Better note it down somewhere before it extinct....

Preparations: Peel Cucumber and remove the seeds, slice, then marinate with a pinch of salt, sugar and vinegar. leave aside, cut the Carrot and Onion, minced the Garlic. (Forgot to buy Red Chillies)

Prawn(shelled) , wash and clean the Chicken Gizzard & Chicken Liver thoroughly. Slice thinly !

Heat up the oil, saute the garlic till fragrant. Add in the prawn, gizzard and liver and stir fry for 2-3minutes.

Throw in the cucumber, carrot and onion, mix all the ingredients. Add in some water. Pour in cornflour(premix with water) to thicken the gravy.

Lastly salt to taste.

Ingredients
400g Cucumber (peel, remove seed & cut)
80g Carrot (sliced)
50g Onion (sliced)
10g Garlic (minced)
150g Prawn (shelled)
30g Chicken Gizzard (sliced thinly)
30g Chicken Liver (sliced thinly)
1tbsp Sugar
3tbsp Vinegar
1tsp Salt
1tsp Cornflour (mixed with 3tbsp water)
100ml Water

Fuzhou Red Wine

2009-10-22T18:08:00.025+08:00

Dedicated to all the "Foo Chows"

I have a Foo Chow friend who taught me almost everything about their Fuzhou Red Wine,... the food,...the restaurants in Malaysia...an even on the recipes how to prepare their delicacy the...Ang Chiew Mee Suah.

I was fascinated to xplore more !...So check it out !

I was in China recently and I was given the opportunity to check out one of the thousand wine breweries. Before I reached the destination, I was taken for a ride almost a mile journey through many back lanes just like the one you see....imagine yourself like a rat running around in a maze...no ending.

...till I saw this shop ! So it's for real....small wooden shop selling all sorts of Chinese wine.

Hooo....check out the backyard ! Thousands of urns filled with Chinese wine.

The owner took me tour round his factory, showing me the wine brewery equipments and took me through the wine making process....cool !

Of course it' never complete without the wine tasting to demonstrate the quality of their wine. Arrggh....too strong, taste almost like kerosene.

Now, the moment you have been waiting for....

Glutinous rice+Red yeast rice+Yeast

Cook the glutinous rice and let it cool down. Grind the red yeast rice and the yeast till they become powder form.

Mixed all ingredients together....

Wait for the fermentation process to take place ! 3 to 4 weeks.

To be continue....need to go back to China to check it out !

Ingredients
1kg Glutinous Rice
150g Red Yeast Rice
10g Yeast
3cups Water

bsg: You need to be there...it's coming your way

Fried Rice with Mustard Green

2009-10-03T14:33:00.005+08:00
Mom's recipe !

I found a leftover mustard green lying in my fridge,....I told myself besides making tasty kiam chai boey what can I do with it !

So call back Penang and ask....this is what I came out with....

I don't know whether call to it...fried rice or lotus rice, coz the cooking method is similar to preparing the lotus rice...but without the lotus leaves.....so I cannot branded it as lotus rice, right!....so, fried rice !

My mom has been cooking this for at least few decades !!!!...Boring ! but then again now staying alone...kind of missing this dish. Oooh ! actually it's because of the mustard green has been lying around and occupying the fridge....so it's has to go ! Cook without choice !

Basic Ingredients; Rice, Pork Belly, Garlic, Shallots, Mustard Green, Shitake Mushroom, Ju Hu See (Shredded Cuttlefish) and Dried Shrimp.

Heat up the oil, saute the garlic and shallot till slightly brown. Then add in the pork belly, dried shrimp, shitake mushroom and ju hu see, stir fry for few minutes. Add in the uncooked rice, light soy, dark soy, salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix all the ingredients together.

Once all the ingredients are well mixed, transfer all the stuffs into the rice cooker and add in the mustard green.

Add water like how you used to cook rice but slightly lesser.

Done ! Half fried rice....half lotus rice ! Mom's recipe !

Trust me it's tasty. You get the sweetness from the pork, dried shrimp and ju hu see and yet you get a bit of the sour taste from the mustard green.

Serving for 4 paxs

Ingredients
200g Pork Belly, cubed
10g Ju Hu See, soaked
10g Shitake Mushroom, soaked
20g Dried Shrimp, soaked
500g Mustard Green, cut into chunks
10g Garlic, chopped finely
10g Shallots, chopped finely
11/2cup Rice
2tbsp Light Soy
1/2tbsp Dark Soy
1tsp Salt, or to taste
1/2tsp Pepper, or to taste
2cups Water
2tbsp Oil

Nyonya Aunty's Home Cook Food

2009-09-28T17:41:00.004+08:00
Nyonya aunty demonstrating her culinary skills to nyonyachef....

One evening I was invited by my friend to check out his family's version of Loh Bak. The mom who is also from nyonya descendant was showing me her family recipe. According to her, this is how her grandma and her mom taught her how to cook Loh Bak.

I was trying to figure out the origins of this dish, whether it's from Melaka, Johor or is it different cooking methods from different Chinese dialects...Teochew,..Hokkien,..Hakka...or a mixture of here and there.

My personal findings; Because of distance and a period of time !...our ancestors carrying the recipe across many provinces and countries, and meeting many different men and women has altered the ingredient and appearance resulting no one to prove which is the original.

Well,...just enjoy and appreciate the varieties of cuisine !..Be happy

Check out this Nyonya aunty taking her precious time to show me her ancestors recipe....

Nyonya aunty in action dishing out 4 spectacular dishes....

The main highlight....Loh Bak !

Loh Bak or meat roll made from pig's intestine, minced meat, carrot, yam bean, eggs, beancurd sheet, tapioca flour, oyster sauce, five spice, sugar, salt & pepper.

This differences between Nyonya aunty and Penang Loh Bak; She uses pig intestine as the wrap and minced meat. Taste unusual but...still tasty! By using minced meat the taste is quite similar to the meat balls and the pig's intestine will give different texture to the Loh Bak.

The Rounded Loh Bak...

Same taste but instead of a roll...it's made into a ball shape. Something different !

Sambal Stuffed Fish....

Another nyonya creation...really taste like mom's cooking.

Sambal Stuffed Fish made from heavenly spices; turmeric, chillies, shallots, garlic and belachan...pound it, stuffed into the fish and deep fry it.

Sweet and Sour Prawn

Prawn cooked with tamarind juice and sugar. Simple appetizing home cooked food !

Kudos to the Nyonya aunty for fixing up the spectacular dishes !

You can also check out Penang Loh Bak recipe here

Nyonyachef landed in Frankfurt II

2009-09-27T13:35:00.007+08:00
Day II...Nyonyachef started off by exploring what the locals have for breakfast. Let's see where they go...!

It was a Sunday morning 8am and the town was already swarming with people, but they all seemed heading the same direction.

Found them....!

...all gathered around the mobile vans !..."Mobile Meat Van" with all sorts of pork !

Sausages or wurst...hooo ! That's their usual breakfast, not like back home where you can have Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, Pau, Tim Sum, Char Bee Hon...etc.

I found they too have many varieties,...sausages with sauerkraut & mustards, plain sausages, bacon, ham, boiled or fried pork leg, boiled pork ears, boiled pork tongue...etc. Interesting...all pork !

Let's join them,....so I ordered a giant sausage with bread and.....

....pork cheek !...and soup of the day....bone marrow soup ! It seemed to be the locals delicacy,....my neighbours are having it, so are most of the tables.

Nyonyachef xplores...and eats...the pork cheek...is soft ! The soup taste...raw ! They soaked the bread in the soup and eat it...."lecker",...but...erh, I think I need something to wash it down...

Well,...what can I say....the soup taste raw (bloody smell) to me. I need my medicine !

Two days in the row, breakfast with beer.....

Nyonyachef sitting at the backstreet enjoying his beer while waiting for brunch.

Course 1; Meat spread with some spices and herbs. Goes with bread.

Course 2; Mushroom with cream sauce and fries.

Course 3; Pork Knuckle with sauerkraut...most of the German restaurants in Malaysia served this...crispy version.

Course 4; Two Foot Long Beef Sausage with some potatoes.

Course 5; Meat Balls made of Liver with herbs and Red Wine sauce.

A bit weird right ?!!! These 5course dishes are actually main course,....what can I say, it's all in German !....I can't read....I just point at the beautiful pictures on the menu and these are what I ordered.

What was in Nyonyachef's mind and how he made his decisions on what to order.....

Course 1; looks so cute with the pretzel sticking on top, how the heck I know it meat spread !??
Course 2; mushroom and fries = appetizer with beer...good...erh...right choice !...order !
Course 3; pork knuckle, right choice...small portion just nice !
Course 4; ok...never seen such a long sausage,....longest I ever seen !...so order !
Course 5; beef balls should be safe !...so orderlah ! Why..? How the heck you find liver balls !

Luckily I had two more gluttons with me,...but they don't take exotic stuffs !

Well,....just xplore !

Nyonyachef landed in Frankfurt I

2009-09-22T17:32:00.017+08:00
Nyonyachef went to Frankfurt last May !

Another of my fun eating trip, not so much of sight seeing,....just eat, and eat only.

Check out the 3days eating spree....

Landed in Frankfurt.....45min to Mainz,....8am, Nyonyachef sighted checking out one of the famous meat shop !

Germany is famous for the sausages,...frankfurter, all sorts of pork. Haha...I am in heaven!

Imagine they have so many different types of sausages....the German said they have more than a thousand types of sausages.

The simple original German sausages are best with....of course; bread, sauerkraut, mustards...and...and....

...a beer ! In the morning ??!!!! Why not ?!!...I see the Germans on the road side irregardless of gender, age, size....they are all drinking beer or wine in the morning,...at that time it was only 9am....so..."Prost" (cheers in german) and join them !

Nyonyachef had his 2nd breakfast at 1030am !

I spotted a fish market, interesting concept,...it's a grocery shop selling mainly fish and they cook for you if you want. Either boiled or just simple preparation,...grilled salmon with salad.

It's definitely taste good coz....it's fresh ! Well, after two breakfast, so I skipped lunch and slept. Jet lag syndrome !

...what's for dinner ?

Nyonyachef goes around town asking whether they serve Pork Knuckle...

When you are in Germany,...Pork Knuckle is a must,....but I was looking for something more original rather than Pork Knuckle served in some fancy restaurant, so the locals told me there's one near the Rhine river and it's the original !!??? Hmmm.....definition of original !???

Cool ! the home look alike restaurant is just 2blocks away from Hyatt (nyonyachef stayed there)

Well...check out the place

It's a small cozy restaurant with a bar counter and there's less than ten tables in it...with only two staffs running it; mother and daughter. Did I go to the wrong place ?

OK ...! Let's do some checking ! I was taking some pictures,...you know....act like you are a raw and green tourist....you know what I mean....

Anyway, one of the lady told me this is the only restaurant around, and it has been operating for the past 50years or more !!?? From...great grandma,...to grandma,....and now mother and her....not that I want to say it, but...oh my god !

Ok....not only that I found the place for Pork Knuckle, but this is the original and has long history to go with it.

Well, let's check out the food.....

Cream of fresh "white" asparagus soup...you can only get it in the month of May. In German, it's called "Spargel"
So this is the season for "white" asparagus....that means eat it while you can, so the lady fixed up another typical asparagus dish, boiled and served with hollandaise sauce. Main course; Pork chop with lentil and potatoes,...and the highlight of the evening,....traditional, original, home cooked Pork Knuckle with sauerkraut and potatoes.

"Lecker" (delicious in German)

Actually I did not order, the lady told me she would fixed up my dinner ! How friendly !

After an hour later, the home look alike restaurant was....full ! A priest came to me and start chatting with me, knowing me....a foreigner ! The priest was surprised that a tourist can find this place, according to him the diners are usually regulars and the restaurant only serve limited choices. Eat what is served ! Just like home !

Good experience ! Wait till you see what's for tomorrow....

Kiam Chai T'ng (Salted Vegetable Soup)

2009-09-20T16:10:00.002+08:00

Kiam Chai Ark or Salted Vegetable Soup is one of the eight main dishes served during feasting on the eve of Peranakan wedding or during some praying...which I tried not to know, except for the eating part...

In this dish I am only using pork leg and pig's tail....same ingredients, only without the duck.

I am more used to cooking pork rather than duck....

It'a quite simple...just like preparing any other soup dish.

Prepare the ingredients; Kiam Chai, Pork Leg & tail, Shitake Mushroom, Onions, Tomatoes, Tofu (Optional), Ginger, Peppercorn, Nutmeg seed, Garlic, Sour Plum & Coriander Leaves.

Bring the water to a boil, add it the Pork, Shitake Mushroom, Nutmeg seed, Garlic, Ginger and peppercorn. Let it boil for 15min, lower the heat and let it simmer for 45min or till the meat is tender to your liking.

Add in the Kiam Chai, Tomatoes, Onions, Sour Plum and let it boil for another 15min before throwing in the tofu.

Adjust the soup to your preference by adding salt and pepper. Garnish with Coriander Leaves and serve it hot.

Serving for 4 paxs

Ingredients
500g Pork Leg, blanched with hot water
300g Pig's Tail, blanched with hot water
400g Kiam Chai, soaked to get rid of the excess salt
20g Shitake Mushroom, soaked
20g Garlic
30g Ginger, sliced
60g Tomatoes, cut into chunks
50g Onions, cut into chunks
100g Tofu, cut into chunks
1 Nutmeg Seed
1tsp Peppercorn
2 Sour Plum
1/2tsp Pepper
1/2tsp Salt
1.5 lit Water

Curry Fish Head

2009-09-15T22:16:00.014+08:00
Nyonyachef deviate from nyonya cooking and....embrace his fear !

....FISH !

To start with,...I am never good with fish ! It's never in my menu when it comes to nyonya cooking. In fact in nyonya dishes,...there's not much exotic fish dishes beside; Perut Ikan, Curry Kiam Hu Kut, Acar Hu, Sambal Stuffed Fish, Assam Pedas...etc.

You realized one thing !...all involved small fish, preserved fish or fish fillet....nyonya cooking seldom or do not have dishes like steam Garoupa, Pomfret or Siakap....I wander why !?

I think it's scary !...big eyes, sharp teeth, shining skin, fishy smell....etc.

Well,...one has to eat !

Prepare the spice paste; Shallot, Dried Chilli, Belachan, Coriander seeds & Cumin seeds.
Low to Medium heat saute the spice paste till fragrant or till the oil separated (Approximately 10min)

Prepare the fish head; Rub the fish head with salt, let it rest for 10min and wash it. Bring water to a boil and steam the fish head for 3-5min. This should get rid of the fishy smell.

Prepare the vegetables; Wash and cut the tomatoes, onions & green chillies.

Heat up the oil in a wok and saute mustard seeds till you can hear the popping sound, add the spice paste, onions, curry leaves and continue to stir-fry for 3min.

In goes the tamarind juice and bring to a boil.

Then add in the fish head, tomatoes, green chillies and stir in the coconut milk.

Add seasoning and bring it to a boil. Garnish with some onions and a bunch of mint leaves.

Serve hot !...with rice.

Serving for 3paxs

Ingredients
Spice Paste
10 Dried Chilli
8 Shallots
1tbsp Coriander Seeds
1/2tsp Cumin Seeds
20g Belachan

1 Red Snapper Fish head, Rub with salt & wash
80g Onions, sliced thinly
60g Tomato, quartered
20g Green chilli, seeded and halved
1 stalk curry leaves
30g Tamarind pulp, soaked
1/2tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 Coconut Milk
1lit Water
2tbsp Oil
10g Mint Leaves
1tsp Sugar, to taste
1tsp Salt, to taste

Nyonyachef call chicken in Hatyai

2009-09-14T00:24:00.012+08:00
This is a must to do !...whenever you have passport or license to go Hatyai...!

According to many that patronized Hatyai, they told me,....before you do anything....call chicken first !!???

So...I did ! Let me lead you...!

After you have passed the boarder,....drive approximately 30min, it's quite hidden if you are not familiar with the place.

Take notice on your left hand side !.....The landmark is a Seven 11 !

Then you should see this crowded place ! Picture shown below.....

That's what many Malaysian told me...a must thing to do before you reached Hatyai.....call chicken before you really entered Hatyai.....

Welcome to the best chicken rice shop in Hatyai....

What were you expecting.....?

Nyonyachef xplore "The best Kampung Chicken" The crowd comes in by a bus load ! Must be a good place to eat. Anyway, by the time you go through the immigration, half an hour drive,....you must be damn hungry....right ?

Well,...it's really good. The main highlights....Lean kampung chicken, crunchy chicken intestine, gizzard and roast pork.

Nyonyachef xplore the rest of the famous Thai dishes....

Pork Leg, Petai, Omelete, Kesom.....not forgetting hot fury "The TomYam"

Cheap n Good....For 5person.....RM 80 only...of course with a few Singha beer

Street food for supper; Grilled cuttlefish, Fried oyster, Beef noodles, Seafood....A Must !

Bird nest....sharks fin....insects !....if you are dare.

Singha beer to detox the insects in your stomach, or to intoxicated yourself !

Sighted....Team bsg doing what he does best.....chilling out in one of the busy street of Hatyai !

Check out Hatyai if you dare,.....call chicken first !....try the delicious Thai food, insect with Beer !

Well,....this is what life is all about,....xplore !....do it !

Steamed Pork with Salted Fish

2009-09-13T22:02:00.013+08:00
Fixing up a fast simple home cook food

This is one of simplest nyonya dish you can try out....I think it merely takes you less than 30min to dish out this simple creation.

Preparation; Minced pork, Salted fish (Soaked & Sliced), Ginger (Sliced finely) and Garlic (Sliced)...optional Red Chilli

Place the minced pork as the base, lay down the ginger strips, garlic and salted fish on top.
Add a little bit of water, splash some soy sauce and steam it for 15min, or till the pork is cooked.

You might want to add a dash of pepper, some garlic oil and sesame oil before serving.
Simple dish to go with the rice !
Serving for 3paxs

Ingredients
400g Minced Pork
80g Salted Fish (Kurau Fish) soaked if too salty
30g Ginger, sliced finely
10g Garlic, sliced
1/4 cup Water
1/4tsp Pepper
1/2tsp Soy Sauce

Nyonyachef check out Sydney

2009-09-06T22:36:00.025+08:00
Nyonyachef check out some of the main attractions in Sydney

First stop !

The Gap, an ocean cliff located in the east of Sydney. Beautiful view of the sea,...too beautiful that you might feel like jumping into the sea....!!??? The locals somehow picked The Gap as a suicide location. As least 50 suicidal cases a year. Hmmm...

Another place that you must not miss...Port Stephens ! A place sighted with Dolphin with many wonderful bays and beaches along the coastline hosting beautiful landscape views. Port Stephens has remained relatively unspoilt, avoiding the high-rise rush adopted by other areas along the NSW coast. Just drive towards north of Sydney for two and a half hours and you will reach the beautiful port. Check it out !

Once you are at Port Stephen, don't miss the opportunity to go skiing..?!..Snow ?!!..Sand !!!
It's actually called "sand boarding" Interesting,....at first, I was like, no...no way I am going down !...."chicken"....all the ladies just jumped down with the sand board.

150m all the way down !? Well, finally I have to go down,....without choice !...if not, how to face all the ladies. It's fun though....but I don't really know how much sand I have swallowed.

Hmmm....I remember there were 4 of us slid down,....erh...why there's additional sand board on the ground !? One person missing....Must be eaten by the quicksand ???

Some parts of it....this looks exactly like the actual dessert....wwwhy ?

Camel !!! Check out that lady touching the camel. First encounterment with a camel...her question to me..."Can the camel bite".....she is touching the camel but the body action was half way ready to dash out in case the camel makes a sudden move !

It was a memorable experience and exotic too....

...back to the city.

One thing I loved about Sydney, our movement seems to be easy and convenient.....you can either take a bus, cab, train, walk or even take a water taxi.....interesting ! Apparently, the water taxi or The Sydney Ferries has been a mode of transport in Australia for the last 135 years.

How convenience ! The Sydney ferries explored 39 destinations. By taking the ferries, you will be able to have a close up view of the harbour bridge, the opera house and.....also to our next destination.....

....Taronga Zoo ! It's nearer to take the ferries than taking one big round if travel by road.

Taronga Zoo is the nation's leading zoological garden featuring Australia's finest collection of native animals and the best thing is its location. It is situated on elevated land along the waterfront, in one of the most beautiful vantage points on Sydney Harbour overlooking Sydney Cove, the Harbour Bridge and also the Opera House.

Like they said, if you not seen a Koala,....you have not been to Australia !

So it's a must for Nyonyachef to go to the Zoo !

Well,...Sydney is nice, is like having a mixture of rush hour in the city, and yet it's very relaxing,...beautiful scenery, cooling weather and the culture is diverse and multicultural. Sydney has many of the individual cultures that make up the place mosaic are centred on the ethnic, linguistic and religious communities formed by waves of immigration.

I was so tempted to just relax,...do nothing !...Just let the flow goes by !....and take some photo of the flowers.
...and one more thing you have to do !...if you have not done this, than you have not been to Australia....??!!

...Haha ! Must try the delicious,...juicy kangaroo steak ! Taste sightly like beef but...it has a strong smell....turn off smell !

Well,...nyonychef motto,...u xplore, u eat !

Nyonyachef goes to Sydney Fish Market

2009-08-23T15:03:00.020+08:00
Before I even reached Sydney, many recommended a must go place to me,...The Sydney Fish Market. A must go place !...when you are in Sydney. Let's see what they have....

Hey ! nice place...it's just like a huge wet market, but they only sell seafood.

Check out some of the succulent oysters, apparently they have many varieties ranging from miniture to XXX extra large size. Price from AUS$ 17.90/dozen to AUS$ 29.90/dozen.

They told us to pick the small oysters coz it's much sweeter, so sometimes the size and looks can be deceiving....well, let's pick both small and big for comparison....

Lobsters AUS$ 89.90/kg....1 live lobster will cost you approximately AUS$ 250++ depending on the size, but the huge guy can feed at least 5-8 persons.

These are cooked lobster at AUS$ 66.90/kg

Cool !...prawns AUS$ 22.90/kg. Serve cold with soy and wasabi.

Spanner crab at AUS$ 22.50/kg

Beautiful fresh Atlantic Salmon at AUS$ 33.80/kg....make your pick !

Well,...after 1/2hrs admiring all the stalls, nyonyachef is ready to make his pick !...Hmmm that oyster only cost AUS$ 15.00/dozen...but looks dry though ??!!! Nah....next ! I can do this all day long. It's interesting picking from almost 10-15 stalls with different presentations.

Check out 1kg lobster AUS$69.90, 1doz miniture oyster AUS$17.90, 1doz XXX extra large oyster AUS$19.90, 1kg prawn AUS$ 22.90, 2kg crab AUS$ 30.00, 1/2kg Atlantic salmon AUS$ 16.90 and a 4 liters white wine AUS$ 10.00.....total damage AUS$ 187.50 for 5 persons.

On a beautiful sunny Sunday with good fresh seafood and wine,....who is complaining !

What I enjoyed most...nice ambient by the pier, the fish market..come to think of it,....it doesn't smell fishy at all, and the amazing thing is there's lots of seagull sitting next to you,...watching you,....waiting,.....waiting for you to make a mistake...then,...within split second you just lost a lobster....haha !

If you do drop by at Sydney don't miss Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd

Nyonyachef goes to Sydney

2009-08-22T15:20:00.031+08:00

Nyonyachef went for hibernation in one of the farm in Sydney. Back in my teens I always loved adventurous, outdoor activities, and xplore things that I cant's imagine doing....but it happens without me knowing.

Looking back,I used to canoe 3hrs in the open sea at Batu Ferringhi just using,...not a canoe, but a surf board !...jumping off the boat in the middle of the sea,...camping alone for 2 nites !!??? Scary at times !....having oyster, mussels, sea creatures for breakfast. Wow ! still alive !

But when I started my work,..it's all about work....work...and work, no more country life,...merely city life. Well, it's time I change and get away from all the pollution, haze, deadlines, phone calls,....and haha !...back to basic farm stay at Mowbray Farm. I just want to capture this moment of peace. Check it out !

Mowbray Park Farmstay is just located 1hr off Sydney Airport. From their history this farm was founded almost 2 centuries ago,...and still standing ! Cool ! I have a snooker table, fire place, equipped kitchen...etc. I was staying in Barker's Lodge. Hey ! it has nice cool weather here and fresh air....argh...my lungs find it difficult to adjust to the fresh air!...haha, no haze !

Once I have settled down, let's check out what does the farm has to offer....

Hmmm....horse riding, sheep shearing , canoeing, feed the wild dangerous cow !!???, how to hit someone with Australian boomerang, milking and whipping ?.....whipping ! Yup !....see the picture on top,....they even teach the women how to whip their husband !...Interesting !

Meals were pre-arranged, no mamak, no chinese, no fusion, or japanese....only one type of food,....the farm cook food....Whatever they serve that's it ! It's interesting coz I actually ordered a BBQ meal before I came,...and the six foot lady chef came out and apologized saying "I am sorry, I only can do it tomorrow" and "today I am cooking cauliflower soup and stewed chicken with tomato sauce".....Mmm, that's it ! Either you eat or....starved to death.

Another interesting thing.....I tried to order beer or wine....."Sorry we have not alcohol license so no, no, we don't sell beer.....BYO !??? For a moment I was thinking hard what is BYO ?!!!....Hehe I need to refresh my cultural moments.

After dinner, well enjoy the beautiful sun set. Beautiful quiet moment ! But it's that all for the day ?!!...no,no for nyonyachef !

What is next ? Cannot be sleeping at 7 in the evening...right ?

Liquorland ! my kinda home !

Happy hour just started

Either I am seeing double, or the camera man was drunk !

This is heaven ! Very rare I have the chance to really take a break and I can say,...this is a life time opportunity to see and experience the beautiful Mowbray Park Farmstay. Check it out, who knows, you might like it too.

Nyonyachef's Recipe on Safety Driving

2009-08-19T16:59:00.039+08:00
When Nyonyachef don't cook or travel...he has another hobby !?

Driving....fast !!!

Have any of you watched the movies called The Fast and The Furious ?....or Initial D ?

Full of actions,...stunts,...fast cars,...chicks....DRIFT !

...what is the drift or...drifting

Drifting is a driving technique where your car will slides at an angle....it's just like moving side ways.

All I know is when your steering is turning right....your car is going left....I think !+x*@?

Anyway, don't try this at home !

Sounds fun and wooo....you can feel the adrenalin rushing to your skull !
But,...but....you must not ignore the precaution steps written somewhere...in fine print
Nyonyachef's 8 simple ingredients on safety driving !
1. Never drift on the road. It is illegal.
2. When you are drifting for the first time,...don't go faster than you can handle.
3. Tyres should either be checked out by a professional before and after the stunts.
4. Wrong types of vehicles can cause you and your vehicles to flip over.
5. No...no...drifting during down pour ! Road is slippery !
6. Must have safety equipment such as roll cage, racing straps,...and don't forget to bring your airbags along.
7. No Carlsberg before you drift ! Carlsberg please...after you drift !
8. You must be a skilled and experienced driver in order to do this.

Failing to comply to any of the following steps will result in the following damages shown in the pictures below:
Damage case no. I due to : Drifting without proper braking system, bald tyres, before drifting....no, no to Carlsberg !

Damage case no. II due to: Drifting on wet surface and so obvious,....non-experience driver !

If, you do need any further info on drifting, check out http://www.wikihow.com/Drift-a-Car

Again, reminder...don't try this at home !

Assam Laksa (Kedah Version)

2009-08-02T13:59:00.026+08:00
Dunno exactly what to call it,...the Malay version or Kedah Laksa.

The differences...compared to Penang Assam Laksa...it's much sour, whereas, Penang version is on the sweet side. To add to that, they tend to blend the fish into a thick paste.

Check out the Assam Laksa Kedah version !

Prepare the laksa paste; shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, fresh chillies, dried chillies & belachan. Blend together till become paste.

Cut and clean the fish. Bring water to boil, add the fish. Boil for approximately 5min. Remove the fish and let it cool down before you blend it. Boiled the remaining bones again for another 5min. Strain the fish stock into new/clean pot.

Add the laksa paste ingredients, tamarind juice, tamarind peel & polygonum leaves, and boiled for 20min. Then add the fish flake simmer for another 30min. Salt and sugar to taste.

How to serve....add in the laksa noodles and garnish all vegetables on top. Pour the Assam Laksa soup in.

Remember to serve with a spoonful of prawn paste (Har Ko).

Ingredients

100g Shallots
30g Fresh Red Chillies
5g (10) Dried Red Chillies, soaked
30g Galangal
20g Turmeric
20g Stalks Lemongrass
10g Garlic
30g Belachan, toasted
500g Mackerel
2Lit Water
20g Polyganum Leaves (Daun Kesom)
10g Stalks Lemongrass, bruised
100g Tamarind Pulp, soaked with water
10g Tamarind Peel
250g Cucumber, cut into thin strips
100g Lettuces Leaves, cut into thin strips
50g Mint Leaves
50g Ginger Flower, sliced finely
5tbsp Prawn Paste, mixed with hot water
300g Laksa Noodles, scalded
1tsp Salt, or to taste
2tsp Sugar, or to taste

Braised Pork Leg

2009-08-01T00:22:00.016+08:00

Another Tau Eu Bak...looked alike ! Recap from my previous blog on Tau Eu Bak...there are many version, cantonese style, Hokkien style, Teochew style & many more....well, which one you like ?
This is another version from one of the Penang Hokkien Girl, claimed her mom's recipe is the original of all the originals !!???
Let's see the recipe

Ingredients; Pork leg, Shitake mushroom, Garlic, Shallots, Chestnuts, Light Soy, Dark Soy, Sugar, Salt & Pepper.

Methods; Add in oil, saute the garlic & shallots till fragrant. Add the pork leg, chestnuts, mushroom and all the seasoning....fry for 10min. Add in water, cover pot and let it simmer for 90min. Cooked till gravy has reduced to half, or thick.

Serve with steamed rice !

Ingredients

500g Pork Leg
100g Chestnuts
10g Garlic, minced
20g Shallots, chopped
10g Shitake Mushroom, soaked
2tbsp Light Soy
2tbsp Dark Soy
1tsp Salt
1/2tsp Pepper
1tbsp Sugar
500ml Water
2tbsp Oil

Roast Pork

2009-07-28T16:08:00.004+08:00
What inspired me to do this...!?
...coz the roast pork seller is charging me RM10 for a strip of roast pork !...Ridiculous !
For RM20+,....I got this !

...1kg of pork belly...I can feed 5 person at least. Very simple to do...not tedious at all, all you need to do is....buy an oven ! Not microwave oven..ok !

The most important thing when preparing a roast pork is how to have a perfect crispy crackling roasted skin....and I have xplore from few chefs. Each of them have different methods....!

First lesson I've learned, after rinse the pork belly you need to make sure that it's absolutely dry.

Lesson no 2, poke the surface of pork belly skin so that the skin will be able to crack.

Lesson no 3, rub some vineger on the skin.

....if not, you will not have a perfect crispy crackling roasted skin.

Then give the pork belly a body rub with salt, Five spice powder, pepper, and coarse salt on top the skin. Optional, garlic if you want to....!

Pre-heat the oven for 10min at 200°C. Lay the pork belly into the oven with skin facing up.
Let it roast for 30min, then take out the pork and remove the coarse salt. Place it back into the oven and roast for another 25min at 220°C.

Let it rest for 10min before slicing the roast pork

Ingredients
1kg Pork Belly
1/2tbsp Five Spice Powder
1/2tbsp Pepper
1tbsp Salt
1tbsp Coarse Salt
2tbsp Vineger

Ang Chiew Mee Suah (Red Wine Vermicelli)

2009-07-26T20:36:00.015+08:00
I found a bottle of Ang Chiew(Red wine) in one of the kitchen cabinet, Hmmm....from France ?...Chile ?..Australia ?...no label ? Aiyah...must be from my Hock Chiew friend.

The Ang Chiew(Red wine) it's quite foreign to Nyonya cooking actually, the Nyonya normally will cooked Mua Eu Kay(Sesame Oil Chicken) with chinese rice wine,...the Hock Chiew will cooked Ang Chiew Kay or Ang Chiew Mee Suah,...either you want stew or soup.

Both the cooking methods are almost similar, in addition to that, both are good for during the confinement to help get rid of the "wind" in the body system.

So....did anybody just gave birth ?....I don't mind cooking for you coz it's pretty simple

Check out the ingredients and method.....

Preparations; Chicken drumstick(Wash & cut to desirable size), Garlic(Sliced), Ginger(chopped into strips), Mee suah(Vermicelli)...blanch with hot water, salt & pepper.

Remember the Ang Chiew(Red wine) !

Heat up the pot, add in some oil to saute the ginger and garlic. Cook till fragrant.

In goes the chicken, stir fry for 2-3min, then add in the water and let it boil. Once it's boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for approximately 30min, or till the chicken is tender.

Add in the Ang Chiew(Red wine) and simmer for another 5min. Season with salt & pepper.

Some of my friends said when they cooked...it taste a bit sour !....they blamed the quality of the Ang Chiew(Red wine)....I don't really know how true is this.

I have tried 4-5 Ang Chiew(Red wine) from different sources, By right,....it should be Sweet ! All you need to do, is to balance the quantity of the....chicken(sweetness), salt(saltiness) & the Ang Chiew(sourness) then it will be the perfect..."yin & yang"

Note: Team bsg, it's about time we reopen the vineyard...

Ingredients
500g Chicken
1/2cup Ang Chiew
100g Vermicelli (blanch with hot water)
30g Ginger (chopped into strips)
10g Garlic (sliced)
1L Water
1tbsp Oil
1/2tsp Salt, to taste
1/2tsp Pepper, to taste

Spaghetti with Garlic & Olive Oil (Vegetarian)

2009-07-25T17:13:00.005+08:00
One of my favorite simple and healthy food.

I always liked to prepare this,...nice aroma from the olive oil,...the fresh taste from the...garlic and the...fresh basil.

You should try it...

Boil water, add in salt (be generous with the salt). Once the water is boiling,..add in the pasta. Let it boiled for 8-10min.

While waiting, prepare the rest of the ingredients....

Preparation; garlic (sliced), chilli padi (chopped), basil leaves, salt, ground pepper, olive oil.

Heat up the saucepan, add in olive oil, saute the garlic till sightly brown, throw in the chilli padi(depends how hot you want it)

By now, the pasta should be ready....strain, add into the saucepan give it a quick stir and season with sea salt, ground pepper & basil leaves.

Simple and healthy !

Ingredients
300g Spaghetti
30g Garlic, sliced
3 Chilli Padi, chopped
5g Basil Leaves
2tbsp Olive Oil
1/2tsp Sea Salt, to taste
1/2tsp Ground Pepper, to taste

Turkey Breast Marinated with Tequila Lime

2009-07-24T11:05:00.008+08:00
Christmas already !!!?....

Nope !...Nyonyachef just getting ready for Christmas party.

Recently, I got a foreign object from New York....a turkey breast marinated with Tequila Lime.

so,...I tried xploring the recipe.

The turkey menu that I came across in some of the hotels/restaurants during Christmas are quite common, such as; stuff turkey, turkey breast with cranberry sauce, mushroom sauce & etc... I find it quite common and it's time to xplore something new.
Well,...in order to find out,....let's operate on the turkey and check out the recipe !

Hmmm,....Turkey Breast, Tequila, Lime juice, Cilantro, Sugar Syrup, Salt & Pepper. Combined all the ingredients and let it marinate overnite.

Pre heat the oven at 200C for 15min, in goes the turkey for 45min. Turn up the heat to 250C and let it roast for another 15-20min. Let it rest for 15min before you cut it.

It done !

Sightly roasted and crispy on the outside...tender and juicy on the inside ! Perfect !

Ingredients
1kg Turkey Breast
1/2cup Tequila
4tbsp Lime juice
2tbsp Sugar Syrup
5g Cilantro, chopped finely
1tsp Salt
1/2tsp Pepper

Vegetarian Mushroom Soup

2009-07-22T12:54:00.002+08:00
Nyonyachef fixed up a simple healthy Vegetarian Mushroom Soup.

My dad is a so called pure vegetarian for the past 18 years, all he eats is the same old things...vegetables, bread, grains, oats.....and some chinese vegetarian dishes. Nothing much to xplore !

So I fixed up a simple, but healthy soup...from what I can find in the kitchen.

Simple ingredients; Mushrooom, Potato, Carrot, Onion, Garlic, Tomato, Coriander Leaves, Mixed Herbs & Clove

Cut all the vegetables into chunks.

Add a few drops of olive oil and saute the garlic, mushroom and the onion till soft.

Add in the rest of the ingredients in the pot, fill up with water just enough to cover all the stuffs in the pot and let it boilLower the heat and let it simmer for 30min. Use a hand held blender and blend it till smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serving for 2 paxs
Ingredients
300g Mushroom
200g Potato
120g Tomato
150g Carrot
50g Onion
20g Garlic
2 Cloves
1 tsp Mixed Herbs
10g Coriander Leaves
1tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1L Water

Kiam Chai Boey (Stew Salted Vegetables)

2009-07-20T11:13:00.002+08:00
This dish is normally prepared during festive season. Mainly...Chinese New Year, or during chinese prayers. In nyonya cooking there's only kiam chai ting or kiam chai ark which is the soup dish,...nothing mentioned on this particular dish, as in...either it's not significant enough to highlight, or it's not delicious enough,...maybe it has no clear identity on it's own.

Anyway I loved this dish & I would like to share with you !

The base of this dish is mainly,...kiam chai (salted mustard green)...vegetables...meat, mushroom....etc. Taste sour, salty & spicy

If you want it to cook the best kiam chai boey...bring on the gabbage,...erh...leftovers. The best part of an ideal kiam chai boey is when you start adding in a bit of this & a bit of that...all the leftovers of Too Tor T'ng, Lobak, Jiu Hu Char, Chap Chai....and whatever you can grab hold of....and it will be the best of the best !....Trust me !

But in this post,...erh...I will only show you the decent one !

So, check out the recipe !...

Preparation; Wash & cut all the ingredients...tomato, carrot, onion, garlic, corn, mustard green, kiam chai (salted mustard green), ginger, dried chilli (soaked) and lemongrass (bruised)

Preparation; Halve the straw mushroom, abalone mushroom, shitake mushroom (soaked), wash & blanch the pork leg. Cut the roast pork into smaller chunks.

Heat up the pot, add in the oil and fry the pork leg for 3-5min. Throw in the vegetables, mushrooms and pour in 2 cups of water(enough to cover all the ingredients) in the pot and let it come to a boil.

Once boiled, turn down the heat and let it simmer for approximately 2hrs. Add in salt, pepper & sugar, to taste.

Well,...the preparation might take some time, but the cooking part is easy...right !

Another thing about this dish,....never cook this without the...Sambal Belachan !

Serving for 5 paxs

Ingredients
80g Sour Plum
5g Dried chilli, soaked
20g Lemongrass, bruised
20g Ginger
30g Garlic
100g Onion, cut into cubes
100g Corn
150g Carrot, cut into cubes
120g Tomato,
500g Mustard Green
400g Salted Mustard Green, soaked
80g Abalone Mushroom
5g Shitake Mushroom, soaked
100g Straw Mushroom
500g Pork Leg
200g Roast Pork
600ml Water
1tsp Salt, to taste
1tbsp Sugar, to taste
1/2tsp Pepper
1 Nutmeg Seed

Sweet Potato Bun

2009-07-18T22:59:00.003+08:00
Hmmm,...Alien !????

Cute right ?

Mmmm,...there's more than one !....is this an alien invasion ?

Not really, but....this is Sweet Potato Bun invasion ! ?

The kids will definitely love this cute sweet potato bun....and it's pretty easy to make.

Make the dough; Mix 1 tsp yeast, 1 tbsp flour & 2 tbsp sugar into the luke water and leave it aside for 10 minutes. The yeast mixture is then ready.

In a separate bowl add in the flour, sweet potatoes, baking powder, sugar, oil and mix well. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix lightly. Bit by bit pour in the water, mix and work it into a dough. Knead dough for about 20min and leave aside for 1hour, or till bloated/doubled in size.

Once you shape it into an alien to be,...bun or pau,...let it rest for 15min. Remember to insert the raisin.

Steam it for approximately 10min....Done !

Kids will love this for sure. Try this !

Ingredients
200g Sweet Potatoes, boiled
500g Flour
1/2tsp Baking Powder
3tbsp Oil
200ml Water
1tbsp Sugar
1tsp Yeast
2tbsp Water

Kari Kay Pau (Curry Chicken Bun)

2009-07-18T12:10:00.004+08:00
Nyonyachef & Nyonya mum Xploring...Kari Kay Pau !

I was amazed for the first time when somebody told me that the rest area in Tapah has a nice Curry Chicken Bun....Huh ? The only pau that i know is Tai Pau or Char Siew Pau, something not common to me &...it's at the highway.

I used to buy for my mom to try, quite ok,....but the standard deteriorated over the years.

Well,....my motto....you like it...you xplore !

Make the fillings;
Blend the dried chilli, turmeric, shallots, garlic, belachan, fennel, coriander seed & cumin. Heat the oil, saute the spice paste for approximately 10min or till fragrant. Add in the pre-boiled potatoes & chicken. Simmer till the chicken & potatoes are cooked. Salt & sugar to taste. (Optional, add in coconut milk)

Make the dough;
Mix 1 tsp yeast, 1 tbsp all purpose flour & 2 tbsp sugar into the luke water and leave it aside for 10 minutes. The yeast mixture is then ready. In a separate bowl add in the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oil(optional, you can use shortening) and mix well. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix lightly. Bit by bit pour in the water, mix and work it into a dough. Knead dough for about 20min and leave aside for 1hour, or till bloated/doubled in size.

Wrap the pau;
Cut the dough into smaller pieces & then flatten dough by rolling it out, put the fillings in the centre and bring up the sides to seal.

Once you shape it into a pau, place it on a piece of grease-proof paper then let it rest for 15min.

Steam it for about 10min.

Not bad at all....The rules of the game !..Knead the dough long enough !..Let it rest !...Add in more fillings !

To fix up a 3hrs non-stop...authentic/typical dish is not a big deal to Nyonyachef,....but anything got to do with pastry/bakery...somehow, I was drained out. I have to say...I really have to salute to all the bakers....for being able to maintain their precision & perfection.

Ingredients
500g All Purpose Flour
1/2tsp Baking Powder
3tbsp Oil
1tsp Salt
300ml Water

1tbsp Sugar
1tsp Yeast
2tbsp Water

15g (8) Dried chilli, soaked
100g (10)Shallot
10g Garlic
10g Belachan, toasted
10g Turmeric
5g Coriander Seed
1/2tsp Cumin
1/2tsp Fennel
300g Chicken Breast, cut into cubes
200g Potatoes, cut into cubes
1tsp Salt & Sugar

Nyonyachef Xplore foreign, exotic,...weird food

2009-07-05T17:19:00.003+08:00

Beside travelling, cooking & eating....fixing up some snacks in between....I like to xplore some foreign food too.

As I was going through my kitchen,..to my surprise...this is what I found....LOST & FOUND in some corners of my kitchen...Mmmm....these are what I have in my kitchen....either foreign, exotic or....weird !???

What the....

Sausage from Holland ! Expiry date 27/07/09....! ? I wonder it's for who ?

I already have mine !....a foot long !

Can somebody come forward and claim this ?....foreign !

What else....?

I found 5 pieces of SeaHorse swimming in one corner of the cabinet !

...can't remember how they got there, when they got there too...?

SeaHorse from Guangzhou

Erhhh....how to cook them ?....exotic !?

As I was going through my fridge.....

...found one pair of big huge thing stucked,...occupying one corner of my fridge !

It's written there a....PAIR OF BREAST !..What breast ?

Turkey from New York...? ok..so it's a pair of breast !

Tequila Lime marinated turkey breast...weird ?!....foreign ?!

This is definitely foreign to nyonyachef !

Next....

Fins from Xiamen, China ?....shark fins ? Looks more like "fei chow yee" or tilapia fins !

What am I going to do with it ? Weird !

It's getting weird....

Huh !.....looks like a piece of rotten wood

Crocodile meat from Bangkok....haha...exotic !

Looks like guni sack !

Tea from Brazil ? Fill up the tea in the mug, add hot water & use the metal straw to drink !

Seems like anyone in Brazil carries that on the road side slurping away....like us with a cup of coffeebean walking down the street.....Foreign ?

Product of Malaysia

They claimd this is the artificial abalone 1/3 the price of the real thing....but in other country ie...HK, they are charging a premium price for it. Time to come this is going to be an expensive food.

Seek out...enjoy while we can !
....foreign

What's this ?

Honey..my dear ?

Cooking oil ?!!...Nah....home made roast pork oil...lard ?...the remainings of it !

Cool...Exotic ?...Weird ?...or foreign ?..,but it's tasty

Some of the high prestige chinese restaurant is using the pork oil to garnish the steam rice.

MOSI BEER.....!

When & How...the heck this got to my kitchen ?!

Local beer from Zambia.....foreign ! Mmmm...Zambia produces beer ?

What else is new ?

Caviar !...my favorite....all the way from Russia

The highest rank of caviar rated in the world...."Sturia Caviar"

You will be paying approximately €85 per can !...The most exclusive stuff !....foreign !

Well, this is what I have in my kitchen....glutton or not....tell me how to dispose all this.....

Pan Mee

2009-07-05T13:14:00.003+08:00

Xplore & eat is my motto. You try,...you like it,....you do it !

In Penang I seldom see this dish,...or maybe I didn't really fancy, well,....maybe coz my favorite is always....spicy, sour, pungent....like Assam Laksa

I first experienced this dish from a Hakka mixed Teochew home cooking....it really open up my eyes at that moment.

Then only in KL I found this dish is everywhere.....worth xploring !

Make the dough: Flour, egg, pinch of salt, few drops of water,...and knead it

Preparation: Garlic, & chilli padi (chopped finely), shallot & mushroom (sliced into strips), minced pork, mani chai/sweet leaf, anchovies (put in the oven for 10 min or till golden brown)

Optional...you can also deep fry the anchovies

Add it some oil in the pot and saute the garlic & shallot sightly brown,...then fry the minced pork & mushroom for 3 min.

Add it chicken stock and bring to a boil. Tear the dough into 1 inch size & throw into the boiling stock...add it the mani chai/sweet leave let it boiled for another 3-5 min, or till cooked.

Serve with anchovies, a dash of pepper....& shallot crisps

For the sauce; mixture of garlic & chilli padi (chopped extra fine), lime juice & soy sauce.

Aiyah, I left out the black fungus !....forgot to buy !

Serving for 4 paxs

Ingredients
200g Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Egg
5 tbsp Water, or just enough to mix the dough

200g Minced Pork
100g Anchovies
50g Mani Chai/Sweet Leaves
80g Garlic, chopped
50g Shallots, sliced into strips
30g Shitake Mushroom, sliced into strips
1.5L Chicken stock
1tsp Salt, to taste
1tsp Pepper, to taste

Sauce
2tsp Lime juice
2tbsp Soy sauce
30g Garlic, chopped finely
20g Chilli Padi, chopped finely

Tau Eu Bak (Soy Sauce Pork)

2009-07-04T19:37:00.005+08:00
A common dish among the meat lovers, sometimes you wander why some have beancurd puff, potatoes, mushroom, some even with sea cucumber,...I have tasted many versions.

Which is the right version or the original one ?!....what can I say....how you like yours to be !
My mom & all the aunties used to cook this very often when I was young,...

..mom's home cooked food !

I always like mine with intestines, potatoes & lots of garlic...so check out the recipe

Cut and rinse the pork belly, intestines (rub with salt and boiled it for 5 min), potatoes (peeled) and boiled the eggs.

Then marinate the pork belly with garlic(with skin), star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns, 5spice powder, salt, sugar, soy sauce & dark soy sauce. Let it rest for 1/2hr.

Heat up the pot, throw in all the marinated ingredients and fry it for 3-4min.

Add in water, potatoes, and bring it to a boil. Turn down the fire and let it simmer for 45min.

Remember to add in your eggs,...just let it simmer for another 10 min.

I wander why my mom kept feeding me with this dish,...it's like every fortnightly...? Healthy? Tasty?....perhaps it's easy to cater for both adults & children. Potatoes, meat, eggs...good for the growing up....& children will love the sweet gravy, but I hated the intestines those days.

Try it who knows your kid might like it...

Serving for 4 paxs

Ingredients
500g Pork Belly
50g Intestines, rub with salt & boil
2 Eggs, hardboiled
100g Potatoes, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp 5Spice Powder
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
2 pcs Star Anise
1 pc Cinnamon
15 Peppercorns
100g Garlic
400ml Water

2009-07-03T10:48:00.003+08:00
Nyonyachef fix up a simple meal

Macaroni...anyone ?

Just gather all the ingredients that are available in your house.

Imagine you are preparing for a bachelor party for "2"...?!

All you need to do is to prepare some of the items like,....minced beef, onion, garlic, mushroom, corinder leaves

Use this paste sauce for easy handling, it will definitely save you all the time in the world.
Anyway we are just fixing up a simple meal !
Boil a pot of water for the macaroni, add it a handful of salt...let it boiled for 5-10min max

While waiting, saute the garlic, onion, throw in the minced beef, mushroom, sprinkle some herbs...down goes the sauce, add it some water and bring to a boiled.

Once the macaroni is done, strained the water, mixed the sauce,.. garnish with some corinder leaves

What's next ?

Grab a bottle of wine,...what ever you can find &...you are about to start "the bachelor party"

Sambal Petai with Prawn

2009-06-30T22:39:00.012+08:00
Pungent...either you like it or you don't !

But from many sources petai has lots of goodness; high in fibre & iron, contains vitamin A, B6, B12, rich in potasium, magnesium & other minerals..

..so why not ?

Preparation: dried chilli, garlic, shallot, belachan...blend all together into paste

Wash & deveined the prawn, peeled the stink bean (petai), chopped the onion, mix tamarind pulp with water and strain.

For busy...or lazy people ! I have a solution...

...buy this "LIZA'R CHILLI CURRY SPICES" it will saved you half the time...and still taste good

Medium flame, add in the oil and saute the paste for approximately 10-15 min or till fragrant.

Throw in the prawns & tamarind juice, and bring it to a boil + -3 min.

Add it the stink bean (petai) & onion stir fry for another 2-3 min,...season with sugar/salt

I like to garnish with mint leave or sprinkle some ginger flower (bunga kantan) on top for the nice aroma

Serve with steamed rice will be the best.

A piece of advise,..stay away from your loved ones a day or two....!

Serving for 3-4 paxs

Ingredients
15g (10)Dried chilli, soaked
200g (15)Shallot
20g Garlic
15g Belachan, toasted
200g Stink Bean (petai), peeled
300g Prawn, shelled
50g Onion, chopped
30g Tamarind Pulp, mixed 1/2cup water
2tsp sugar, to taste
1tsp salt, to taste

Nyonyachef fix up an easy snack

2009-06-30T18:22:00.003+08:00
This is what I do when I don't really cook

...or when you are not in "the" mood to eat..and trying to avoid eating out !

Just grabbed whatever in the fridge....

Pate,...Ham from Amsterdam ?! ...Mmmmm

Many will ask..what is that thing ?... pate it's actually a mixture of minced liver, meat, herbs & with plenty of...FATs.

Haha, rich, healthy food !...? Can be quite an expensive stuff if you get the premium one

Get some crackers, cucumber & shallot to go with it,...done ! light & simple

You should try it....rich food,...get a bottle of wine to go with it

....lazy, not in the mood ?....try this !

Ulam (Herbed)

2009-06-28T19:33:00.003+08:00
Fed up with all the oily food, MSG, this meat....& that meat everyday ?

Well....Detox yourself with all the greens !

Very refreshing, healthy meal ! Try this for a change ! If you dare !

Most of these veggies & herbs are good for digestion,...and some articles say: good for skin, eyes, reduces blood pressure, prevent cancer, &....much, much more !

....Hangover too ! (...to drinkers) This is how I would like to eat it....with sambal belachan & dried prawn

Cucumber, Four Angled Bean, Stink Bean, Mint Leaves, Ulam Leaves, Lemongrass (Option: Lady Fingers/Brinjal)

All you need to do is prepare the sambal belachan & the dried prawn

Sambal Belachan: toast the belachan, pound together with fresh red chillies & add lime juice

Dried Prawn: soaked in water, pound & add lime juice

...no oil, no msg,...EAT RAW !...Serve with rice

Serving for 4 paxs

Ingredients
300g Fresh Red Chilli, pound
50g Belachan, toasted
3tbsp Lime juice
50g Dried Prawn, soaked & pound
3tbsp Lime juice
150g Cucumber, sliced
100g Four Angled Bean, cut half & steamed 2 min
100g Stink Bean, peeled
50g Ulam Leaves, raw
30g Mint Leaves, raw

Homemade Roast Chicken

2009-06-28T18:34:00.003+08:00
Sometimes you just don't know what to eat,....noodles, rice, fast food, hawker food, restaurant food, fine dining,...what else ?...you just feel that you want a simple....home cook food !

Of course nowadays we tend to save time,....or tend not to waste precious time!!???

Well, this is what I came out with...when I dunno know what to eat

Roast a chicken,...my way !

Get half a chic, Five spice, mix herbs, garlic, pepper & salt.

Stuff most of the spices under it's skin, rub some on the outer layer and let it rest for 1/2hr

Turn on the oven, set on 230 C and let it burn for approximately 30min.

Brush the chic with honey and let it grill for another 10-15min.

Done,....simple and tasty ! Cheers

Serving for 2 paxs

Ingredients
600g (1/2)Half Chicken
1tsp Five Spice Powder
1tsp Salt & Pepper
2tsp Mix Herbs
2tbsp Honey
10g (3) Clove Garlic, minced