The Avocado, Carrot and Beet Salad

I am done whale watching. It was an ethereal trip, a much needed one too, before the balls and chains of the good ol' 9-5 comes falling down.

Anyway, back to food postings as I've neglected this blog far too long. I will start with a simple carrot, avocado and beet salad. Ooouff! That's a mouthful, isn't it? Let's just call it the CABS. I guess I could call it SCABS too but that would be a bit gross. :P

A big part of this salad recipe is assembling everything together. But it does involve a little big of cooking.

The CABS salad is healthy and surprisingly hearty. The orange and balsamic vinaigrette gives it a good tangy punch that leaves you pleasantly surprised at just how good everything feels and taste in your mouth :) There is a surprise spice in there that rounds it all off. It's also a best friend to carrot. See if you can spot it.


Carrots, Avocado and Beets Salad recipe:
2 carrots, peels and cut into 3 inch length-wise
2 beets, peels and quartered
Beet leafs, washed and drained (optional, but they are lovely as salads)
1 avocado, skinned and sliced
1 zucchini cut into the same size as the carrots (optional ingredient but I added it in)

Dressing:
1 whole orange juice and some pulp
zest of a whole lime
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted on hot pan for 1 min and crush slightly with the back of your knife
salt and pepper


Method:
1. Heat up a half full pan of water. Season the water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
2. When water boils, add your zucchini to boil for 2 minutes. Take the zucc's out with a slotted spoon.
3. In the same water, add your carrots and beets in to cook for about 8minutes. You can cook the carrots and beets separately but i like the color the beets imparts to the carrots, it becomes a ruby orange :)
4. As your vegetables are cooking, make your dressing. In a large salad bowl, add your quartered avocados in. Add orange juice, zests, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and season with some salt and pepper onto the avocados. Toss to mix and set aside.
5. Assemble your vegetables, hot and steaming, by adding it into the bowl with the marinated avocados and toss together.


Serve with some croûtons and drizzle with a little bit more balsamic.

Tastiest salad ever. And cumin was the surprise spice. It goes very, very well with beets and carrots :)

A whale watching hiatus!

Havin' a whale of a time

Dear faithful readers (yes, all 3 of you :P),

I am writing live from a wonderful place upper north of Quebec called Charlevoix. I will be on a hiatus until further notice because I am currently on a whale hunt! Not to kill but to observe. This trip will be a memorable one because it's my first time going on a whale watch and I do hope to catch a sight or two of belugas or perhaps the endangered blue whale near the coasts of Charlevoix where the great St. Lawrence river and the Atlantic Ocean meets!

Apparently it is the best time of the year to be whale watching because the weather is not too cold but the waters is still freezing and is thus perfect for whale watching. The whales usually swim against the currents to feed and it is this time of the year that they feed and bulk up.

To be quite honest, I haven't exactly been eating excellent food at all since I got here. It's the usual eggs, bacon and ham for breakfast and meats and potatoes for lunch or dinner. It's pretty boring gastronomy if you ask me. BUT i did get to taste some excellent cheese and will probably buy one of the 400 available cheeses in that region when I get back! Oh, they eat meat pies as breakfast here too, which I thought was rather heavy but I had it twice so far because they're included in their breakfast platters!

Alrighty, I'll post more about the trip +pix when I get back but till then, i'm on a whale watching hiatus!

Childhood flavors - Wantan et. al.

One thing I love about Malaysia is the fact that food is in abundance 24/7. It's a known fact that Malaysians eat all day and their favorite past time is also, eating. All that pot belly has to come from somewhere since Sin tax for alcohol is rather high in that country.

Anyway, I would like introduce you to two of my favorite side walk hawker food from Penang. I know everyone raves about the awesome seafood (me included), the curry noodles, Laksa, Hokkien mee and char kuey teows but I rave about the wantan noodles in Penang.
When I was a little girl running around barefoot in my grandparents' abode, i remember my grandmother carrying her rattan basket as she walks to the wet market early in the mornings. I was asleep most of the time when she heads out but I am almost always awake to catch her walking back with fresh produce and breakfast for everyone. She would either buy Bah Cheang Kueh (a crispy pancake filled with peanuts, creamed corned and sometimes grated coconut) or Wantan noodles back. And as a child, those foods left a deep impression on me ...up till today.

There was nothing sweeter than the bah cheang kueh dripping with rich butter and cream corn hot on my hands. I just loved every bite of it and my grandmother would vicariously live through my eating of the pancakes because poor grandma had diabetes. Since she passed away i haven't really had good Bah Cheang Kuehs, at least not exactly as I remembered it. Maybe tastebuds changed as we grow older, nevertheless I still crave that orgasmic sweetness of my first Bah Cheang Kueh.
However, I did find wantan mee that is sort of a replica of the ones my grandma brought back years ago. The noodle is translucent and bouncy to the bite. The sauce is dark enough with a hint of bitterness that is just proportionate to its sweetness. I said it sort of replicate the one I had years ago from the market because its wantan is not deep fried.
This wantan dish hails from the corner of Heong Giam Si temple, which incidentally is where both my grandparents ancestral tablets are resting.


I am afraid I don't know an exact address except the sidewalk hawker is right next to this temple. There is a primary (or was it secondary school) opposite this temple though. Hm... this is definitely one of those cases where I know how to get there but I don't know the address.

My header image is missing

I don't really know what happened but after that Tanjung Tokong crab post, my header image just went missing! I tried going to the layout to check it out and everything *seemed* to be fine except that my header won't show.

Argh...*goes elbow deep in html grease again*
&^$#$%@%!


**edit: Found a temp solution till someone from HELP center in blogger helps. It's such an irony that the help center rarely helps anyone.

Crabs at Tanjung Tokong, Penang

Of all the places I've eaten crabs, nothing beats the sweetness of the crabs in Tanjong Tokong, Penang. It's the taste that makes you crave. And almost always, the aftermath of eating seafood here is never pretty:The restaurant situated on Tanjung Tokong bay next to a Tua Peh Kong Temple is no stranger to the locals and history buffs alike - reason being that the age old temple used to be a meeting place for one of the famed Chinese gangs Ghee Hin/Hai San. Well, I may not be a pro with the history in that area, I'm only writing what one of my uncles told me years ago. But as you drive, you'll be welcomed by a the temple's big gate:

This eatery has a name but the locals wouldn't know it by it's fancy, albeit misguided, Anglo-fied name, Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe, it's just Hai Choo Hooi to most of them really.
And I MUST eat their seafood whenever I am back in Penang. There is really only two things that I really like here - their coal-baked crabs and salt-baked prawns. They do have other methods of prep for these shellfish as well as other seafood. But those two are the ONLY dishes worth their salt, in my humble opinion.









Ambiance wise, don't expect any fine-dining finesse. Someone once asked me about the interior decor of the place and I said "What interior decor?". It's al-fresco, Penang-style, with metal stools and metal table under huge rain trees and a salty breeze from the sea. Your waiters/waitress are probably the first generation owners of this place, hurriedly clearing the empty shells, bowls and spills off tables so the next customer can be entertained - the cycle then repeats itself. Nothing fancy but location wise is charmingly idyllic, none the less.

But back to the star attraction, there is something about the taste of the crab's flesh in this eatery. It's the method of preparation which is just a simple baking procedure over hot coals, probably. The sweetness of the crab's flesh and the smoky undertone of its flavor is unlike any other I've tasted. As you can see, there is nothing fancy with these crabs.


Black burned bits, salty sweet flesh and oozing with crab roe you must lick and suck to savor all its goodness - simple and yet delightful. The prawns are baked in salt on top of charcoal as well, which imparts its flesh with a smoky sweetness.Sigh, I'm drooling just thinking about it. The aftermath of such a delectable affair is never pretty but it is necessary. How else do you leave your mark of victor after tackling such a delectable meal? You're not allowed to throw the shells off the balcony anyway.

Eating is my family's past time, as it is for many other Malaysian families as well. Food is the glue that keeps us together and united. Seafood in Tanjong Tokong is my family's annual pilgrimage. I just thought I'd share it with you guys. I do highly recommend you to try their crabs and shrimps, coal-baked, if you're ever in Penang (address below), it's one of those few places in Penang where you can eat great seafood for a pretty good price - RM48/kg for crabs. Okay, okay, maybe it's not very "cheap" to the locals but paying for quality is fair game. :)


Contact Info: Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe, Penang
Address (because I want you all to go):
338 MK 18, Tanjung Tokong,
Penang 10470.
Malaysia
Phone: +60 4 899 0375
Neighbourhood: Northern Coast

Great Thai Food in the Heart of Kuala Lumpur

Did you know that you could get really, really authentic Thai food in Kuala Lumpur? Yes, i know you probably know a few places that's rather posh and you pay for your peanuts and refreshments but this place is by the road side of the notoriously popular Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur.

It's right at the end of Jalan Alor, next to Nova hotel. A yellow sign that says:

And you're at the correct place.

I kid you not when I tell you that even Thais visiting KL come here to eat. When I tried the place out with my parents one fine evening, after walking around Jalan Alor and shopping around Bukit Bintang, I saw fleets of cars and FWDs in front of the place with number plates from Thailand. Where the Thais eat Thai food, the food must be good. And here I stand undefeated, by it's extremely spicy food, I live to tell the story that if you want awesome Thai cuisine, you must go to Ocean Food Court on Jalan Alor.

Don't let it's pompous notice board, which reads, " Thai Seafood Specialists" put you off. They're only being honest.

Thai Lime and Chili steamed Seabass

We ordered: Thai Lime and Chili steamed whole Seabass, Tom Yam Koong with very generous portions of big head prawns, belacan kangkong thai style and Som Tham (papaya salad), rounds of drinks because it was bleedin' spicy food and 3 rice.

The $ = RM62, which I thought was a very good deal since we had such a big fish and that many prawns to begin with. Everything at this place is authentic because 1) I saw them taking out that huge wooden mortar and pestle to pound the Som Tham 2) the tom yam broth is rich, lemak, sour, salty, undiluted with every bit of spices used visible and not to mention generous in portions, 3) the fish was fresh and flaky with an addictive limey spiciness made out of pounded bird's eye chili that makes you go back for more and more even though your mouth is burning away.

Tom Yam Koong

And if the Thai waitress asks if you want your Som Tham "mild, medium or hot", please say mild because their definition of medium is Malaysian's definition of extremely spicy. But whatever rocks your boat, just don't say I didn't warn you. :P

I would go back again if I had the time for their great Thai food because there are so many things I haven't tried yet on their menu. My stomach is just not big enough. :( But I would recommend this place to anyone who wants good Thai Food without all the frills and air conditioning. This is just good, wholesome Thai food by a person name Mook.

You will be sitting on the road side like all the other eateries along Jalan Alor, which gives a fantastic observatory view to the street life of Kuala Lumpur :)

*** of course, the definition of "good" is always subjective but I say give this place a try ;)

Give me a Jamie any day!

I am putting all responsible work duties behind to blog because I have to and I need to. One of the main reasons is that I have something to admit to all. As you probably know, I was back in Malaysia for a few weeks visiting friends, family and eating great food. Now that I am back, I want to put all those glorious experiences into this blog, i.e. pictures.

Here's the big thing; my camera's battery is flat.... and i left my cables back in Malaysia!

*pregnant silence*

I KNOW!! I am Such a klutz! Now I can't access my pictures until my parents send the cables back to me via courier, which they are doing/have done/etc. I know I will expect them next week. SIGH. But why don't you just use a memory card reader or something? Well, my camera uses XD card instead of the common SD card and i NEEEEEEED the cables to transfer those pictures otherwise I would have just stuck the SD card into my printer and have it read there. SIGH.

And those cables are not the ONLY things I left behind. I also left a bunch of hair clips, a cute headband with ribbons, my bag of dong guis, and a set of my makeup brushes! But being the true foodie that I am, I brought back all the other food items though. I stocked up on Bak Kut Teh packs (try the brand "Wonderful" Bak Kut Teh, if you're in Malaysia. The pack is blue in color with an obscure logo of a king sniffing on a steamy pot. It's about +/- RM2.95/pack and it's the BEST BKT pack i have ever tried!). I will show you pictures of it WHENCE my cables are back.


If anyone's wondering why I wrote the subject as "Give me a Jamie any day", it's because i watched Jamie Oliver on Iron Chef America battling Mario Batali. It's the BEST challenge yet because in my humble opinion, Jamie is like the "Rolling Stones" of Italian cuisine while Mario is like the sage of Italian cuisine. One's young, wistful and bold; the other wise, experienced and refined - I was leaking with anticipation come tallying time.

But give me a Jamie any day. Jamie lost by 3 points, which turned me into a ball of screaming-bulls*it-fits! Like..how can the judges rate Jamie less on taste?? Jamie's a BALL of taste...i bet it's that Chen-bot woman from The Daily Show that screwed up the scores. ^&$$#$%@$!

Obviously, I am more bitter about the loss than Jamie is LOL!

Jamie came to Canada here's a video to prove it!



I didn't go to Toronto to meet him at Indigo because [insert an excuse that will never be good enough anyway here]

I really wish I had just take a Fuckidol pill and went. :P


Babes, Gentlemen and Food-boppers, I am really sorry about the cable. Next week is when I will get my cable and then we can get the food porn rolling again. :)

I'M BACK

OMG, what a grueling 26 hours of flights and transits it has been! I am jetlagged, tired and feeling a little euphoric all at the same time. I have many things to share from my trip and tomorrow, I will be treated by my partner to an unforgettable dining experience. It's an outing to celebrate Valentines since we missed it from being thousands of miles apart. Where would we be going?

O.Noir.

I shall be dining in the black of darkness and experience food as a blind foodie for 1.5 hours! Needless to say I look forward to this dinner and hopefully to make up for lost V-time :)

I am still pondering what I should pick for my entre, mains and dessert - you're suppose to make a decision before you enter the dark room. Maybe I should just pick "Surprise" on all three and let my taste buds tell me what I'm eating.

Jetlag begone!

Food updates soon and you can count on it! I just need to sort out some pictures and get back into grove with my kitchen. If you could only imagine how much I miss my Shun knife. The knives in my mom's kitchen pale in comparison - cooking becomes more of a chore when cutting and slicing takes too much effort. Which explains why I did not cook as much when I was in Malaysia.

Anyway, more soon. Now, i need sleep!

Burnt and Alive

Hi foodies! I am in Malaysia right now enjoying the sun a bit tooooooooooooo much. I am burnt and have turn a shade darker amidst the peeling skin. Ugh. I look every bit as awful as a snake shedding it's skin, a red snake for that matter.

Anyway, I just want to say that I am still alive. I haven't been able to post much food pictures/recipes/escapades because of the inconvenience of the extremely slow internet connection here. It's not a new thing that Internet in Malaysia sux even tho they give unlimited bandwidth.

I will try, try, try to post up new food recipes soon. I am very keen on the reunion dinner. My mom is making some of the most traditional Nyonya cuisine for us and rest assured, I will be helping her cook, eat and snap pictures. I think one of the things on the menu is Nyonya's Nasi Ulam ...or how should i put it...hmm...nothing comes into mind better than this translation: Nyonya Rice Salad :D It's full of herbs and spices and it's the perfect accompaniment to curries and sambal. *drooools* Alrighty, I will post soon *crosses fingers*

Have a Happy Chinese New Year if you're Chinese and have a good week!

xoxox

All things sweet and nice!

Happy New Year folks!

I am back after a back breaking ski trip and wholesome family-style Christmas. First, before I start with all things sweet and nice, let me talk about my ski trip: I was a ball of pain when I got back. I reckon falling approx. 20 times didn't help as it was my first time ehhehe but I never ate so much snow in my life! Anyway, apart from the pain, I came out skiing better than I never did and fell much less. Oh and I also cried like a baby in the locker room too because I was having period cramps on top of the falls...BOOO. But like a champ, I stuck to it. My partner was so proud of me.

Would I ski again? Definitely. And this time, I want my own skis and not the crappy rental stuff that gives my shin bruises.

SO next to all things sweet and nice! How's your New Year's been? Time sure flies when you're not looking, I am still adjusting to the fact that I have to write 2008 now and not 1998. Ahem. And I can't believe I am getting older.....I was 17 a blink of an eye ago. Wtf? lol. *goes into denial mode*

I was suppose to get to sweet and nice stuff and look where that got me! Okay, I made this really cute and yummy chocolate gingerbread men/women/stars as Christmas gifts for my partner's family. If you want an affordable pressies that pleases the mass, nothing does it better than homemade stuff. Trust me, it's just better and you can get creative without burning a hole in your pocket.

And since I added chocolate chips into my gingerbread men, they're just delightful and surprisingly good. Frankly, I don't like gingerbreads, I made the whole batch for my partner's family :P

Here they are:


I've just rolled the dough out and cutting them with my newly acquired cookie cutters. I couldn't get over how cute they were.

Here they are freshly baked out of the oven. Warm and soft but they do harden up as they cool. It's better if you let them cool up to 12 hours before decorating them. They store very well in the freezer for up to 6 months ;)

Here they are decorated amateurishly snuggled in boxes. I bought these boxes and paper linings from the 1 Dollar store. In all, for these pretty boxes and ribbons, it costs me less than $10, how sweet is that?

Here they are all wrapped up, pretty and ready to be unfold by unsuspecting relatives. The Jack Daniels is for them to wash it down after a nibble of course...... nah, the Jack Daniel's for me especially. The silver package on the right is a beautifully adorned cast-iron teapot for my partner's mother. Really heavy stuff but she loved it to no end when she saw it :) I am just happy.

I'll let the picture do the talking here. Pfft. Shoo!

After getting back from Christmas, I was itching to bake again. It must be because I was still in baking mode after all that gingerbread men/women/stars. So when I saw sticky buns on the food network channel, I made up my mind to make some.

They are outrageously good. OUT OF THIS WORLD. Hips beware.

And to end the All things sweet and nice! post are blueberry pancakes. Use frozen or fresh blueberries for an antioxidant filled breakfast. Yum...


I know, i know. Where are the recipes? I will get to that soon :) One by one hehehe. Or maybe I will save the chocolate chip gingerbread men recipe for next Xmas!

Memories restored

I received an early Christmas gift from my dad today. It came in the form of a DHL package, inside are books carefully wrapped in gift wraps; one of them was a cook book called Nonya Flavors: A Complete Guide to Penang Straits Chinese Cuisine by Julie Wong.It's a collection of Peranakan cuisine from Penang, which is a big part of my heritage. I was born in Penang. My grandparents lived in Penang for all of their lifetime and this cookbook, although new, is like the only reminder I have left of them, in a very sad way. All the recipes were buried together with my grandmother the day her coffin was let into the ground. So did most of the traditions.

I never realized how much my family life revolves around food until today. I mean, I did know that it played a big part but what catches me by surprise is the overwhelming feeling flushing within me as I read through the cook book. Its introduction page consisted of a short history of the Peranakan lifestyle, scattered beautifully with pictures that reminded me vividly of a memory. All the plates, the wood fire stove, the china, the spoons, the kuehs, the festivals.....

For a moment, while I poured through the pages, I was ashamed of myself. I had allowed these memories to be buried deep within me that I no longer remember them. I haven't thought about the kebayas, the sarong and the intricate metal belt my grandmother wore to keep her sarong in place. I haven't thought about the designs and various chinas that adorn my grandfather's collection. And that cabinet in the kitchen filled with nonya-wares used for special occasions and festive seasons. I haven't thought about the familiar smell of my grandmother's kitchen since the grand old house got torn down.

I just haven't thought about my heritage for a long time.

It pains me to have these memories rush back into my brain like waves of tsunami. How I laughed with joy and looked upon in wonder every time i was back in Penang, in my grandmother's kitchen on the eve of new year's eve. The chopping, the sizzling, the hot kitchen bustling with my grandmother, unmarried uncles and grand aunts preparing for the big day. Lor Bak, Kiam Chye Ark, Gulai Kay, Jiu Hu Char, Pnee Hu Char, Hu Pio Th'ng, Loh Hon Chai, Chap Chye Th'ng, Perut Ikan, Too Tor Th'ng, Assam Heh, Sio Ark, Sio Kay, Sio Bak....... all this, while my grandfather sits on his rattan rocking chair with his mug of hot water, rocking gently unaffected by the clamoring noises.

Somehow, all that seemed like a long time ago. And yet, I can still smell my grandmother's kitchen when I close my eyes and hear the bustling sound of utensils and knives knocking around like gongs.

I felt that feeling of anticipation swelling up inside me again, the same feeling I had felt as a little girl, face plastered with chui hoon, dressed in her newest night gown. I was waiting for the new day to arrive of red, firecrackers and ang paus so I can flaunt my new clothes and new shoes in front of my grandparents.

And how they loved me so much.

***

I am glad I have this book now. I was a little young when I savored all these food my grandmother made but I think I can still remember the tastes. I am sad because I know that my taste buds may not be as accurate and what I taste right may only be a half-right.

I see it so clearly how at every generation, our heritage (gastronomic or not) gets halved with newer generation. My father could still remember his mother's hong bak recipe but he could never replicate it, while my mother tries her best to replicate the recipe, her efforts are appreciated but the results are halved - something is always missing.

And in a way when it is passed down to me... it is further halved .... my children may not know what their great grandparents' heritage use to be anymore except for what they read in wikipedia about Peranakan heritage. They will never get to taste that authenticity in my grandmother's recipes because I cannot reproduce what she did.

BUT...with this book, I can reproduce them again and adjust until my taste buds tell me it is just right.

MY LE CREUSET, Oh how i love thee

Oh my birthday, ahem, not too many moons ago, I was presented with a le Creuset cast-iron pot that is almost 25 years old. But because it's so rarely used, it's almost new. Can you believe it??

With a gaping mouth and wide sparkled eyes, I felt like my dream came true. And then I reached out to it to hold it for the very first time and....almost dislocated my elbows. The bloody pot has to be at least 10 pounds heavy. It's a very large pot and apparently they don't make it that large anymore. Unfortunately I don't know how many quartz it can hold but on the cover, it says H. Model H, i think. I googled it and I can't find anything on Model H of Le Creuset's collection. Oh well, I have a Le Creuset now!!!! *grins*

Here's my orange honey:

Here's my orange honey in action, roasting vegetables for my badge of vegetable broth:

The the multi-purpose vegetable broth:
3 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
4-5 sticks of celery, diced roughly
2 large onion, diced roughly
1 head of fennel and its leaves
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 400 F or 200 C and prep your vegetables. Wash them and pat dry.
1. Combine all the vegetables together into a baking dish or (the Le Creuset ;)) pot.
2. Add olive oil, salt, pepper in and start mixing them until the vegetables are well coated.
3. Pop the vegetables into the oven and let it roast for up to 45 minutes or until corners of the vegetables are slightly brown.
4. Once the vegetables are done, take your pot out (or if you're using a baking dish pour every bit of thing out into a pot) and add 7 Litres of water. Bring it to a boil, cover and let it simmer for up to 2 hours.
5. Let it cool down and sieve the roasted vegetables out. Pour the broth into individual mason jars or containers. Keep in freezer until needed.

Broths like these are so handy and healthy. Just pop some noodles in, add your favorite ingredients in and voila, a nice meal. Or you can use it as braising liquid as well as to cook your favorite rice recipes. Roasting the vegetables before hand gives your broth a full bodied and rich flavor, see the beautiful rich brown broth in the picture? It's flavor, flavor, flavor! But you can definitely skip the roasting step during unbearably HOT summer days :)


******************
A lot of people grade the cambridge diet as the only idiot proof diet. The hoodia diet pill is good too and much better than its adversary, adipex.

The Ultimate Smoked Meat

I live in a city famed for housing one of the best, if not the best, smoke meat joint in the world. Schwartz's, a Hebrew delicatessen has been serving up it's specialty smoked meat for almost 80 years. What is laudable about this place is that even after so many years of fame, the little shop set on St. Laurent's boulevard hasn't changed since 1928 - it never expanded or franchised. The family's smoke meat secret stays within the family, and rightfully so.

While it's competitors, Ruebens et. al. have expanded to several restaurants across Quebec, Schwartz's stayed a uni-business. And due to that, even under extreme temperatures of -28 degrees, you will see a long line waiting to get into Schwartz's for their smoke meat sandwiches. It is definitely "a smoked meat sandwich worth dying for", according to the Montreal Gazette.

And I crave for it soooo much. I lived quite far away from this smoked meat haven. Being extremely under-dressed with a weather of -2 the other day, me and my partner forged through the bitter wind on St. Laurent Boulevard, after having a nice Italian dinner at a posh restaurant nearby called Primadonna, for a pound of smoked meat. Only $9.95/lb and worth several delicious smoked meat sandwiches, once taken home. And it's allllll mine!

This is my loot!

I speak so much of it to my family and friends and yet, this is the first time I've actually posted a picture of Schwartz's smoked meat. Other times, I was just too busy wolfing it down to be arsed about taking pictures :P

When two of my friends came to visit from US and UK, I took them to Schwartz's - and they both loved it. Again, because it looked so good when the sandwiches arrived, we just tucked in without even thinking twice about taking a shot!

In Penang, you'd say "if you haven't had their Curry Mee, Char Kuey Teow, Nasi Kandar, Kueh Chap, Farlim's Hokkien Mee, Anson (sp?) Street's Assam Laksa and crabs in Tanjung Tokong, then you have never really been to Penang". Same goes in Montreal, "if you're in Montreal and you haven't been to Schwartz's then you have never really been to Montreal at all". And I speak of this in a purely gastronomical sense :)

Today, Schwartz's is a landmark of Montreal - follow your nose or lookout for a strangely long queue. It's a sign for awesome food, ahead! The waiters in Schwartz's are all either cousins or brothers as they all have green eyes, a white apron strapped on their waist and a white Schwartz's t-shirt. Some of them are even quite hot (and friendly) :P - now that's a double whammy!

If you think my sandwich looks mean (mine has been bastardized with spinach and dijon mustard), it's nothing as compared to the deal they serve you in Schwartz's.

Now that's what I call "all decked up!". On rye and Schwartz's Yellow Mustard with a cherry cola to down it all.

If any of you are coming over to Montreal, I'll definitely take you to Schwartz's - it's become my personal duty to introduce these marvelously smoked meats that melts in your mouth to everyone I know.


Front view of Schwartz's, taken from Man In A Suitcase.

Rah! Rah! Rah! First Published Review!

Haha I'm quite excited. My first online restaurant review published on Vezeo.com - a San Francisco base international travel/food blog. They're just starting out but already they have quite a collection on restaurant reviews from around US and Canada. Actually, I have 5 restaurant reviews published on Asian Gourmet Magazine's fall edition 2007 on their "Eating Out..." section but I haven't gotten to scanning them yet due to other uncontrollable circumstances like EXAMS AND WORK :/ pffttt.... I will get to them soon.

Anyway back to this review published on Vezeo, I wrote about Tokyo Sushibar, a Japanese restaurant located in Old Montreal. The restaurant has a very specific name, even though they serve a myriad of Japanese fares. But they have been around for ages; I guess they must have started as a sushi bar before expanding into a full-fledge restaurant. Here's a screen shot of said review *beams with pride* :D

The article was published on November 5th but ....I sorta forgot about it until today.. Hehehe!

You can read the whole article here: Tokyo Sushibar; It's all in the rice!


Edit: It appears that I have been too quick to be joyful over this review posted. In my haste and excitement, I failed to read the article with thought and has now realized that the article posted up on that site has been modified beyond recognition. I am pissed. They have changed my article, presumably, to shorten it and in the process made it sound like it was churned out a word processing machine. It lacks soul and character; the article was VERY cold - as you would have noticed but was too nice to tell me so i could still keep my bubble (I love you guys :)). If they had wanted it to be shorter, they should have come back to me and I would gladly shorten it without compromising its fluidity - but they didn't so I am going to cook up a raging storm with them now.

I have wrote to them and to tell them how I feel about this. Let's see what happens.

In the mean time, you might wanna read the original article here - tell me if there isn't a difference and if mine isn't better.

Word to the wise: It’s all in the rice.

One of the many Japanese restaurants that litter the streets of Old Montreal is Tokyo Sushi Express. Do not let its name fool you into thinking that this is a sushi counter/bar; this is a seat in restaurant that specializes in sushis. With its exquisite décor that rings a familiar bell with the far East, one is welcomed with a nicely lit restaurant that smells like spicy sandalwood and Mirin. With large glass windows, the restaurant is situated in an old stoned building overlooks the busy St. Paul’s cobbled street, bustling with locals and tourists alike.

The welcoming sight and smell forged an impeccable but fleeting impression as the waiters were not only disorganized but unfriendly. Without a smile, we were finally seated to a table much earlier than the standard supper time. Being given their dinner menu and wine list, I began scrounging its content and was very pleased with their selection of sushi and Japanese fares. Everything from Nigiri to Sashimi to the humble but delicious Oyakodon were available.

Since Tokyo Sushi Express is known for their exceptionally good sushi, naturally it became our selection for our meal.

I have dined in many Japanese restaurants only to find many disappointing sushi, which is the most basic of Japanese cuisine. It is always in the rice! Sushi masters takes 10 years in their training to perfect their rice cooking skills before they were allowed to advance into making sushi, and for a very good reason too. The sushi rice must not be too soggy or mushy, and yet it must be glutinous enough to hold its shape showcasing every grain of glistening rice with a well balanced flavor of sweet, salty and sour. The perfect sushi rice makes for a perfect sushi. Everything else is secondary.

Imagine my pleasure when I bit into my 3 Jewel seafood (shrimp, sea urchin and scallops) roll and found it to be the perfect sushi; excellent rice and fresh, fresh seafood all rolled into one. Frankly, it was quite a surprise to find the quality of their sushi rice exceed my expectation. I was ready to devour under par but edible sushi rice due to their lack of quality service and management style. I only have myself to blame for such quick judgement.

There is nothing more comforting than the crunch of nori seaweed, bouncy texture of its sticky rice and the sweetness of fresh seafood all bundled in one. For this beautiful morsel of food on my chopstick, I forgave their lack of friendliness in service.

After consuming what seemed to be a piece of heaven, it was not long before the cravings for something sweet swelled within me. I beckoned a bored looking waiting shifting around the bar area to bring me the dessert menu and without much contemplation, I ordered their green tea ice cream as the perfect ending for my perfect sushi meal. What’s the point of having chocolate gateau in a Japanese restaurant when you can have it at your nearest cake shop?

Alas, what is best about green tea ice cream is that unexpected bittersweet flavor that no bittersweet chocolate can emulate. I would have liked to have my green tea ice cream slathered in green tea sauce but I guess this will have to do. I enjoyed every bite immensely here but I would have enjoyed it more had their service been more pleasant.

Tokyo Sushi Express is like an unpolished gem, tucked in between English pubs and high scale French restaurant in Old Montreal; unexpectedly surprising and full of potential.


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A healthy diet is the key to a healthy life. Relying on diet pills is ok to some extent. But thinking in terms of meridia or even ionamin is not good.

HIATUS FOR REAL

If i post anything between now and Dec, please shoot me. I need to study for an important exam and also work at the same time. Life outside the kitchen has taken its toll. I will still take pictures of food that I cook and when I am finally "free" - I will post all of them to justify my absence.

I will answer to comments still, I just won't be posting much. So leave a comment and drop by to say hi - it's always nice to hear from you :)

Keeping my itchy fingers off the keyboard is gonna be hard. I will miss food blogging!

I WANT THIS....

Isn't it gorgeous?? *gazes over it lovingly*
I love it that it's red and that little heart shape fondue set that comes with it is soooooo cute.

Next time in my open space kitchen, I am going to have a complete set of cast iron cookware! Just. Like. This. I don't care if it bores a hole down my thigh! Unfortunately, I just do not have the the space for it right now, dammit! But I will tell you what, I am going to move. Yes, move! Move to a place where I can have a bigger space, with a bigger kitchen and a dog! My stupid landlord does not allow dogs :( Let's just cross our fingers that he doesn't read blogs, shall we? He doesn't even speak much English!

*Sigh*...i so want that set! I don't think it's Le Creuset's, but it doesn't matter much right now..I just want that *points* "Je le veux! Je le veux! Je le veux!", says the rabid pseudo-french kitchen geek.

Oooh Ooh! Christmas is just 3 months away! *rubs hands*

P.S. you can get one of these lovely sets from Cookware-Depot.

My Cuisinart food process cum blender

Random photo of my newly acquired Cuisinart blender/food processor. What you see is just the blender intact, i didn't take a picture with the food processor on. Oh well, just thought i'd camwhore my gadget (and my kitchen towel, part of my electric kettle and random yellow plastic of something) before i head off doing misc but important stuff for the week. Meh..:/

Nasi Kunyit (Turmeric Rice)

Nasi Kunyit is rice dish that transcends two cultures in Malaysia; Chinese and Malay. For the Chinese, Nasi Kunyit is part and parcel of baby's full moon. It's a Chinese custom to celebrate your child's 1 month anniversary since it's birth; sort of a celebration of life. My mom used to tell me that baby's one month celebration signified that the child had crossed the danger period of his/her life. Old wives' tale but during full moon celebration, nasi kunyit, red hard boiled eggs and chicken curry are distributed amongst friends and family. Apart from this, nasi kunyit is also a favorite tea time/breakfast accompaniment. The Malays usually cook Nasi Kunyit during their festive season like during the month of Ramadhan, Aidfiltri, Aidiladha, and during weddings and kenduris (feasts).

There are many ways to cook Nasi Kunyit and one of its key ingredients is turmeric. It's what gives the rice dish a yellow color. Glutinous rice is used instead of the normal long grain rice. The high starch content make Nasi Kunyit a sticky affair but delicious when eaten together with curries.

uncooked.

I made Nasi Kunyit the other day using the traditional method, which is soaking the glutinous rice in turmeric and other spices over night before steaming it for a few hours. As it turns out, it was delightful and not at all soggy..:)

Here's what you will need:
1 3/4 cup glutinous rice
1 piece of dried tamarind skin (asam gelugor)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
500ml coconut milk (get fresh if you can)
100ml water
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
2 pandan (screwpine) leaves, knotted (optional but encouraged)
4-6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Method:
1. Wash glutinous rice thoroughly and transfer it to a big bowl.
2. On a pan, roast white peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick for about 2 minutes or until fragrant. You want to activate the oils in these herbs :)
3. Put the roasted ingredients in the bowl with the rice and throw everything else, except the pandan leaves, into the bowl and let it sit overnight or at least 6 hours.
4. Scoop the rice out with a sieve and transfer the rice and all the other ingredients (throw away the tamarind rinds) into a steamer with the pandan leaves and steam for 2 hours or until rice is done.
5. Serve it with your favorite curry :)

I ate mine with lamb curry. Recipe for the lamb curry will be up soon!

Reaping what you sowed

Puny but packs a punch.

First off I need to apologize for the lack of food postings. I haven't really made anything inspiring in my kitchen due to life outside the kitchen. I just want to get it over and done with but that won't be happening soon because some things are just out of my control.

Remember those garlic cloves I planted? Well they've grown but they do not look like your typical garlic. Well, they didn't grow into multiple bulbs but I quite expected it because I planted the garlic in the wrong season. Merely just to try really.

Small roots, small bulb.

You need to plant garlic during fall so that the roots will have time to develop and the tops do not break before winter starts. If you plant it this way, it will yield you a nice bulb of garlic by spring. A good place to refer to for planting garlic would be the Boundary Garlic Farm's website.

So what I reaped from my garlic patch is this small bulbous, onion looking, one unit clove. It smells like garlic but texture wise, it reminds me of springs onions. Unlike garlic the usual texture, which is rather dense, it is rather light and airy. It does resemble an onion, texture wise.

Before and after

I cleaned and chopped them for a little stir fry. All I can say is i feel really good eating something home grown. I am going to try planting garlic again and this time I am going to plant it in the correct season. :)

Other garlic growing posts:

A Short Note on Planting Garlic

Eggs of Love

I've been tagged by River of Karma for this blogging tips meme. It's quite an effective blog marketing tool, if you ask me. You give and receive, you know that sort of thing.

What do you give?
A food for thought.

What do you receive?
People flocking to your blog, hopefully. lol

Anyway, here it goes:

-Start Copy-

It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)

Write your own blogging tip for other bloggers.Try to make your tip general.

1. Look, read, and learn. http://www.neonscent.com/*****
2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. http://www.bushmackel.com/*****
3. Don’t let money change ya! http://www.therandomforest.info/*******
4. Always reply to your comments. http://chattiekat.com/*****
5. Blog about what you know & love. http://sugar-queens-dream.blogspot.com/*****
6. Don’t use filthy language-buy a dictionary. http://shinade.blogspot.com/*****
7. Blog about something educational http://climateofourfuture.org/***
8. Be yourself; others will follow http://sfgirl-thealiennextdoor.blogspot.com/< ***
9. Don’t have too many blogs that will become a chore to maintain http://cubicledenizen.blogspot.com/**
10. Keep it simple, user-friendly, interesting and organised! http://erishaling.blogspot.com/ ***
11. Keep the blog simple and sweet!! http://www.leslieho.com/ ***
12. Share with others your thoughts and don’t be shy! http://groovy-olives.com/blog
13. Never ask for link exchange. Blog hop to increase traffic. http://www.jessieling.com/*
14. Blog about something uniquely you. Or post some unique pictures http://bernardchan.net
15. Beautify your post with a good pic. http://driftings.blogspot.com *
16. Put at least *some* thought into what you write. http://www.kitchenexperiments.net

–End Copy-

Tag! You're it:
Tigerfish
Steamy Kitchen (now that you're going to be a superstar, you would still need to expand your stardom with more traffic flocking into your foodblog!)
The Hunger