We Ate This!

Food Trip Frida 009: Taro spring roll

2009-06-26T12:18:00.004+07:00

My favorite snack - taro spring roll. Wonderful blend of shredded taro, pork, and shrimps with secret spices, fried and dipped in Khmer sweet and sour sauce.

Food Trip Friday 008: Malpuwa Khuwa

2009-06-18T20:44:00.003+07:00

This week, dessert is on me; this time it's Nepali:

Malpuwa Khuwa, Nepalese mini pancake topped with Khuwa

It was, about two years ago, in Nepal that I had one of the most delightful dining experiences of my life. Come with me as I relive my old-world dining experience in Nepal.

Food Trip Friday 007: A slice of carrot cake

2009-06-12T08:16:00.003+07:00

Dear FoodTrippers, please excuse my absence. I snagged a short-term consultancy work with an international NGO for some health campaign. While I enjoyed doing the work, my blogging duties had to be given up temporarily. However, now that the first phase is done, I have free time to do some food-tripping! Yay! One afternoon, while having a relaxed YM meeting with my boss, I suddenly had a craving for carrot cake. With the meeting over, I raided the fridge to see what I had and voila -- the carrot cake from scratch was made!

A slice of yum!

Food Trip Friday 006: Fresh Spring Rolls

2009-05-14T22:48:00.002+07:00

Fresh Spring Rolls
Boat Noodle Restaurant
Corner Streets 294 and 9
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

These fresh spring rolls from the Boat Noodle Restaurant are a favourite and they were gone in a few minutes! They are a refreshing, and healthier, change from the usual fried kind. It is never served without the accompanying dipping sauce which helps bring out the flavour. Served in a boat, don't you think they make a pleasing and appetizing presentation with the colourful filling? :)

Just about 200metres away from the Philippine Embassy, you will find the Boat Noodle Restaurant. Set in a beautiful and charming wooden house and a sprinkling of wooden artefacts and decorative flowers and plants, Boat Noodle Restaurant is the favourite of many, locals and ex-pats alike. My husband and I have tried other restaurants with similar offerings but we keep on coming back to the Boat Noodle Restaurant. And who wouldn't? The food is spicy (you can ask the waiters to "de-chillify"), authentic and tasty, and the prices are low. Whenever I crave for food - spicy mango or green papaya salad, fish amok, my favorite fresh spring rolls, and many others -- this is where I go.

FoodTrip Friday 005: Ginger and Scallions Chicken

2009-05-07T19:58:00.002+07:00

Back in my university days in Cebu City, there was this Chinese restaurant in downtown Colon Street where my roommates and I were regular customers. This unassuming restaurant, dark on the inside with nothing much but rows of tables and chairs, arthritic ceiling fans, and grumpy ladies in cheap cheongsam attires pushing food-carts. To the newcomers, the sight was a disappointment. To us, old-timers, it looked basic but the lip-smacking and cheap food, albeit oily at times, more than made up for the oh-not-so-fantastic interior.

My regular order was the chicken-rice topping for only P12 (about US$0.30) at that time. So when I found a chicken recipe resembling this from Rasa Malaysia, I wasted no time in trying out the recipe... and voila!

It has the same taste, the ginger is not overpowering and just enough hint of Shaoxing wine. Memories of my university days flooded my consciousness! Back in the old days, it's serve in a small bowl and topped with the chicken dish and we downed it with a glass of softdrink. Aah, those were the days.

You can get the recipe here or here.

Happy Food Trip Friday!

Blue Man Group show in Las Vegas

2009-05-03T11:45:00.003+07:00

I have friends who have visited the US and a lot of them have been made it a point to go to Las Vegas - and who wouldn’t? Las Vegas is an amazing place and to me, the very name evokes an image of bright lights, fun entertainment, vibrant life... among many others. Rightfully so, Las Vegas is dubbed as the entertainment capital of the world!

My friends were amazed at the diversity and variety of entertainment offered in Las Vegas. Some shows have lavish production numbers, complete with Cancun dancers ala Moulin Rouge; others are simple musical concerts of popular artists, grand magic or circus shows ala Cirque du Soleil, or the awesome Blue Man Group, to exciting boxing matches like the Hatton-Pacquiao fight that happened just awhile ago. Literally, there are hundreds of choices every single night for every person’s preference and there seems to be no need to sleep while you are there!

The hottest show in Las Vegas these days is the intriguing and awesome Blue Man Group. Need Blue Man Group Tickets? Buy now as ticket prices tend to go sky-high – even if there’s so much competition. And with an in-demand show like the Blue Man Group, ticket prices could go even higher and they go very, very fast! Buy tickets as early as possible. You might even get a huge discount if you reserve early with your friends.

Pacquiao-Hatton fight in Phnom Penh

2009-05-03T10:11:00.004+07:00

Dear Pinoy Friends in Phnom Penh... do you want to chase homesickness away, or, are you looking for something new to do this weekend?

Check out the Winking Frog in Sothearos Blvd. They are airing the Pacquiao-Hatton fight as it happens in Vegas. For $10/person, it includes buffet lunch (with lechon!) and 2 bottles of SanMig beer. As of this writing, Pacquiao downed Hatton two times already just into 2mins of the first round.

Later, in the evening, head over to Meta House. Meta House will be presenting NU PHILIPPINE CINEMA, featuring not one, but two Filipino (Indie) films back to back:

7PM - CAVITE (2005, 80 min.)
The breathtaking feature CAVITE by Ian Gamazon/Neill dela Llana focuses on terrorists and proves its mettle and drawing power by its searing and intense representation of a cityscape in the clutches of violence, poverty and globalisation.

8.30PM - PI7ONG TAGPO (2007, 130 min.)
Director Rahyan Carlos puts together seven films about seven lives, seven struggles, seven decisions, seven realities — all shot in one take.

Don't let the rain spoil your weekend. Call all your friends now and set a date for tomorrow night. Let's watch Indie Pinoy movies at Meta House. See you there.

***
META HOUSE
Street 264, #6
Sangkat Chaktomuk, Khan Daun Penh,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia

Meta-House is Cambodia's first art/communication/media center just a few minutes away from the riverside and Royal Palace. Know more about the Meta House and their work here.

UPDATE!
Pacquio defeated Hatton via a TKO on the second round. Hatton was definitely stunned not knowing where did the left hook that knocked him out come from!

Finding your soulmate online

2009-05-02T23:49:00.005+07:00

Did you know that the world wide web just turned 20 this year? The world wide web contains gazillion of interesting stuffs. Having said that, I am sure a lot of people will agree with me when I say that the second most popular thing to ever come out of the web is online chatting. Nowadays, from being a communication tool, it has evolved and become a popular tool for singles to find friends, and even soul mates and partners, creating lots of room for interracial dating. And a lot of people I know attest that it’s an exciting way to meet people of different races and backgrounds.Wanna know how it works? Visit www.blackbbwsingles.com now!

Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe 006: Ginger and Scallions Chicken

2009-05-02T20:45:00.006+07:00

Here's another tried and tested Chinese recipe that I borrowed from Rasa Malaysia. You can say that I am a fan of Rasa Malaysia's blog and have tried some of its recipes.

The taste reminded me of my favorite chicken-rice dish I always order at the Chinese dimsum restaurant in Colon Street, Cebu City (Philippines) where my roommates and I frequented long ago. This was considered the "staple meal" of university students like me at that time. It's easy to make, tasty and can be prepared under an hour. So for busy mums out there... this recipe is for you:

Ginger and Scallions Chicken
from www.rasamalaysia.com

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut lengthwise into 2-inch
4 stalks of scallion, cut into 2 inch sections
2 inches ginger root, sliced into pieces
3 tbsps cooking oil (1 tbsp for marinating chicken)
1/2 tbsp of corn or potato flour
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1 dash of white pepper powder
Salt to taste

1. Marinate the chicken strips with corn or potato flour and add 1 tbsp of oil to seal in the chicken juice. Set aside for 15-20mins.

2. Heat up your wok (or frying pan) and pour the remaining cooking oil into the wok. When the wok gets very hot and begins to smoke, add in the ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the scallions and stir until thoroughly hot. Add in the chicken strips and continue to stir well. Just when the chicken strips start to cook, add in oyster sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine, white pepper, sugar, and toss the wok a few times. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed white rice.

And it's done! Here's the end result:

Blog disclosure

2009-05-02T10:47:00.002+07:00

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Phoenix Locksmith

2009-05-01T21:49:00.007+07:00

Long ago, I blogged about one peculiarity about living in Phnom Penh - and that is how many keys could accumulate in one's pocket. I myself carry a huge bunch wherever I go. It’s interesting because we live in a typical French-styled Khmer apartment and yet it feels like living in a high-security level building. You see, we have keys for every gate and door, inside and outside of the house, accompanied by padlocks. Imagine, if I lose my keys, how could I ever get inside my own apartment?

So right after moving into our new apartment, one of the first things we did was to see a locksmith to have our keys duplicated. In Phnom Penh, there are no locksmith shops where you can just leave your keys and come back for it afterwards. In the US, people simply go to locksmith shops. In Phoenix, Arizona, the popular name in locksmith services is the Phoenix Locksmith. Started in 1979, Phoenix Locksmith’s popularity has grown over the years for proven quality service to their costumers. Now a household name, tens and thousands of costumers are relying on Phoenix Locksmith’s fast, honest and reliable services which they are known for. These services range from re-keying, repairing and installing locks to high-security locking systems and safe openings and repairs, and catering to the needs of homes and business establishments. To know more about Phoenix Locksmith, go check out its awesome website - www.phoenixlocksmith.biz.

Croatian Dalmacija Cheese

2009-05-01T21:45:00.003+07:00

I just want to post here this fun and cheesy postcard I recently received from a friend in Croatia.

Sent by Tomislav Dolar
Postmarked Nedelisce
Dated 05 March 2009

It's in the shape of a cheese, with holes you can punch to simulate cheese holes. Cool, eh? This odd-shaped postcard shows views of Vir, a beautiful island located on the coast of Adriatic sea. It has only one village, also called Vir, and is connected to the mainland via a road-bridge. Vir has a small population, but the numbers drastically increase when tourists arrive at the coast during summer. Apart from being a holiday town, Vir is also popular for producing the Dalmacija cheese.

Before Vir became a popular holiday destination, it was a barren island. In the 1980s, the then Yugoslav government considered building a nuclear power plant there due to its barren condition, causing the price of real estate to fall to an all-time low. Because of that, people who normally couldn't afford it were able to buy parcels of land. In a twist of circumstances, the planned nucler plant was not built and that's when people started building resorts.

The island of Vir gets over-populated during summer holidays, but with the existing resorts, the demands of the tourists are met. Off-season, Vir is a quiet island with a fantastic Mediterranean landscape and shoreline.

According to the Wikipedia, the word 'vir' is Croatian for "whirlpool". However, the name of the island probably originates from the word 'ueru' (probably from an old Dalmatian dialect) which means "pasture".

To see my postcard collection, please visit Postcards Crossing.

Web-hosting blog at Web-hosting Geeks

2009-05-01T19:51:00.004+07:00

As a non-technical person, I chose a free blogging platform when I started blogging. I was very much contented with the service and didn’t feel the need for web hosting. To me, web hosting is just another internet thing or trend. I really don’t know what web hosting is all about and why must we invest on it. But as time went on, to generate more traffic and for aesthetic purposes, I find myself wanting to add widgets and features in my food blog that a free blogging service could not accommodate or is not capable of accommodating. This has led me to seriously consider whether to upgrade to my own domain and search for web hosts.

The benefits of web hosting blogs are boundless because web hosting will put you right on the internet map, giving your blog a much wider reach for a small amount of investment. With a hosting package, you will have your own domain name, no more worrying about sharing bandwidths, give you the luxury and flexibility of designing the look of your site, plus, there is technical assistance when needed. What’s more, web hosting also gives you the benefit of starting your own business through reseller hosting. Isn’t it a great way to earn extra income in this time of recession?

Web-hosting Geeks provide you with a lot of web-hosting choices to suit your preferences. Plus, they also have independent reviews of the top 10 best web hosts to help you a bit in making your decision. It is always best to turn on to professionals before making your decision. If you are unsure about the making the move, Web-hosting Geeks' web hosting blog will give you reasons why web hosting blog is a smart choice. Go check it out today.

Food Trip Friday 004: Shrimp ouzi

2009-04-30T21:14:00.006+07:00

One thing that I love living in Phnom Penh is that there is no shortage of restaurants offering genuine international cuisine. So two years ago, when news of a Lebanese restaurant opening spread out to the expat community, my husband and I and fellow blogger Toe went there, eager to sample what it has to offer. The restaurant, the very first in Cambodia, is called Le Cedre. I know the name sounds French but the food is authentic Lebanese. And we weren't disappointed; we were instant fans. Two years on, Toe had already left Cambodia, and my husband and I still keep on coming back for more Lebanese specialties.

And here's one reason why:

Shrimp Ouzi - rice and shrimps with pine nuts, herbs and other spices wrapped in what looked like a pastry.

Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe 005: Kao soi (Chiang Mai curry noodles)

2009-04-25T19:17:00.012+07:00

Once upon a time, I went to Bangkok. I was received very well and my Thai colleagues were very eager to show me around. Being a newbie in Thailand, it was an opportunity for them to introduce me to everything Thai, especially to their delectable food. They took me to the usual touristic places, and most importantly, to the best eats in Bangkok.

Of course, they know where the best places are -- and they're not in restaurants but in the food stalls by the roadside. There are a lot of these roadside food stalls around Bangkok and for about 50 Baht ($1=35.48Baht), you can enjoy a plate of fried rice, noodles, and a whole lot more. Some would frown at the thought of eating at roadside stalls but I think that it is not bad at all and they are missing if you haven't tried it yet.

Having meals in these food stalls, I was introduced to one of the popular dishes, kao soi, or the Chiang Mai curry noodles. Reminiscent of the Malaysian laksa that I also love so much, the spicy, savoury, rich and creamy flavor started my love affair with this Chiang Mai specialty. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

600ml/ 1 pint/ 2 1/2 cups coconut milk
30ml/ 2 tbsp red curry paste
5ml/ 1 tsp ground turmeric
450gms/ 1lb chicken thighs, boned and cut into bite-size chunks (pork and beef may also be used)
600ml/ 1 pint/ 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
60ml/ 4 tbsp fish sauce
15ml/ 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
juice of 1/2 - 1 lime
450gms/1lb fresh egg noodles, blanched briefly in boiling water
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Garnish:
3 spring onions, chopped
4 red chillies, seeded and chopped
60ml/ 4 tbsp sliced pickled mustard leaves, rinsed
30ml/ 2 tbsp fried sliced garlic
coriander leaves
4 fried noodle nests (optional)

1. Put one third of the coconut milk into a large saucepan, bring to a boil and stir with a wooden spoon until it separates.

2. Add the curry paste and ground turmeric, stir to mix completely and cook until fragrant.

3. Add the chicken and stir fry for about 2minutes, ensuring that all the chunks are coated with the paste.

4. Add the remaining coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce and soy sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Simmer gently for about 7-10minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

5. Re-heat the noodles in boiling water, drain and divide between individual bowls and ladle in the hot soup. Top each serving with a few of each of the garnishes.

Et voila --

A hot bowl of comfort food

I used a dried flat noodle so I soaked it first for about 15minutes in warm water before being drained for use. I added some green beans when I made this dish just for added color. There was very little sauce left when I poured the sauce on the noodles, perhaps the noodles absorbed it. Nevertheless, it still has the same aromatic and spicy flavor of kao soi that I love. Hope you'll like it too.

For more delicious recipes, head over to Tamy's Simply Delicious Sunday Recipes site.

Food Trip Friday 003: Tamago kake gohan*

2009-04-23T20:27:00.003+07:00

When I was in Japan in 2006, breakfast was served for free in the hotel where I was staying in. Out of curiosity (when in Japan, eat what the Japanese eat!), I ordered the the traditional breakfast. The whole meal is consisted of grilled fish, fermented soy beans (natto) soup (miso), pickles, dried seaweed (nori), steamed rice and other side dishes.

For the second time, I ordered another breakfast meal that is also traditional Japanese (photo above). The usual soup, fermented soy beans, seaweed, pickles, steamed rice with fresh egg. The egg is simply mixed in with the rice and soy sauce. It is known as tamago kake gohan, or, simply translated, egg-sauce over rice. As you can see in the picture, the bowl of rice is traditionally placed on left side with the soup on the right. Both traditional breakfast sets were good and light, just enough to give my stomach a little more space to accomodate more food in a little while.

See other Food Trip Friday entries at Willa's Food Trip Friday site.

***
This is a re-post.

Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe 004: Stir-fried Napa Cabbage with Dried Shrimps

2009-04-19T16:15:00.004+07:00

As promised, here is how to make stir-fried napa cabbage with dried shrimps. As I told friends before, I am no good cook. All I am good at is finding great food blogs over the net, trying the recipes out, and then blogging about it. And this is one of those instances. The recipe is not mine, I took it from Rasa Malaysia. I made this dish long time ago and my husband and I loved it that it's become a favorite. I emailed Bee, the brain behind the yummy recipes at Rasa Malaysia and she was very kind to give me the go-signal to post one of her family recipes in my blog.

So here are the ingredients needed:

3 cups chopped napa cabbage
6 straw mushrooms (optional)
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 tbsps dried shrimp, soaked in warm water for 10mins, drained
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp cooking oil

1. Make the garlic oil first by stir-frying the chopped garlic with the cooking oil. Dish out half of it when the garlic turns golden brown.

2. With the remaining garlic oil in the wok, add in the dried shrimp and do a quick stir-fry until you smell the aroma of the dried shrimps. Add in the straw mushrooms (I used shiitake mushrooms) and do a quick stir, then followed by the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for one minute and then add in the oyster sauce. Stir well and dish out the napa cabbage when it's still crunchy and not over-cooked. Top the stir-fried napa cabbage with the remaining half of garlic oil. Serve immediately.

And here's the result:

Thanks again, Bee. For more Chinese, Malaysian and other mouth-watering Asian recipes, head over to her site, Rasa Malaysia. I guarantee you'd visit her blog again and again, as I have been for several months now. I have never met her in person, yet, but I think she is a very good cook and photographer. In her blog you will find not only authentic and easy-to-follow recipes but also beautifully photographed dishes -- it makes me drool by just looking at them!

Food Trip Friday 002: Stir-fried Napa Cabbage and Dried Shrimps

2009-04-17T09:31:00.002+07:00

... and dried mushrooms, too.

Please come back on Sunday for the Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe where I will tell you how this simple Chinese dish is prepared :)

Happy Khmer New Year!

2009-04-16T22:39:00.002+07:00

I'd like to say... suosdei chhnam thmey to my Khmer friends. Happy New Year to the Buddhist world. Today is leung sakk, the last of the 3-day celebration of the Khmer New Year. I didn't go out today as I didn't fancy (dirty) canal water thrown at me, as is the tradition here.

"New Year in April?!?", you may ask. Don't worry, my non-Buddhist friends also asked me that in a rather incredulous tone, the same kind of incredulous response I get from them upon learning that after nine years, I am still here in Cambodia. But that's another story.

To answer the question... yes, dear friends. Not all cultures celebrate the new year on January 1st, and one of them is Cambodia.

The Khmer New Year started Tuesday, April 14. It began around 1:36pm, according to the Buddhist astrology, and runs until today, April 16th. Here, and in other Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka, among others, the new year is based on astrological calculations. When the old year ends and the new year begins, is also based on these calculations. So the year here now is 2553 BE (Buddhist Era) -- that is, 2,553 years since Buddha achieved enlightenment and entered the state of nirvana.

The first day of the celebration is called the grand Maha Songkran, or the first day of the Khmer New Year. According to the Buddhist beliefs, angels known as apsaras or devatas come down to replace the old ones here to watch the earth. Cambodians clad in their best clothes go to wats and pay homage to Buddha and offer food to the monks.

Our landlady preparing her offerings

And this is our offering at home

The second day is called vanabot. It is the time when families donate or give to their less fortunate neighbours and relatives. They also go to wats for a special ceremony dedicated to their ancestors. The third day is called leung sakk, and the one I like the most. Cambodians wash all their Buddha statues in scented water. Children pay respects to their elders by washing their feet in water, and in turn, they are blessed by them. Read more about Khmer New Year traditions here.

A facade of Buddhist wat decorated for the Khmer New Year celebrations

Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe 003: Chicken laap

2009-04-12T13:35:00.006+07:00

Dear friends, I was away for a long time, so my apologies for being absent in our weekly meme. My husband and I went to Laos for a much-needed holiday. It was a great trip, albeit a tiring one. We decided to go up north of Cambodia, in Stung Treng, and then cross the border to Laos via Dang Kralor border in Champasak province, traveling to Pakse city. There we then boarded a bus that took us to Vientiane, the capital. All in all, it took us two days and two nights to complete that stage. It was then we realised that we are now too old for backpacking! But with the aching bodies aside, we did enjoy the trip. And the food.

We like a particular Laos dish so much that I made it right after returning to Phnom Penh. This is what I am blabbing about:

... and that is called chicken laap, the national dish of Laos, which my husband and I had grown fond of. So for this week's Simply Delicious Sunday recipe, I am coming back with a recipe so easy to make and yet so tasty. I adapted this laap recipe from Kit Chan's Classic Thai cookbook.

Chiang Mai is a city in the north-east of Thailand. The city is culturally very close to Laos and famous for its chicken salad, which was originally called laap or larp. Duck, beef or pork can be used instead of chicken.

Ingredients:
450gms/1lb of minced chicken
1 lemon grass stalk, finely chopped
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
4 red chillies, seeded and chopped
60ml/4tbsp lime juice
30ml/2tbsp fish sauce
15ml/1tbsp roasted ground rice
2 spring onions, chopped
30ml/2tbsp coriander leaves
mixed salad leaves, to serve
cucumber and tomato slices, and a few sprigs of mint, to garnish

1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan. Add the minced chicken and a little water to moisten while cooking.

2. Stir constantly until cooked; this will take about 7-10minutes.

3. Transfer the chooked chicken to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

4. Serve on a bed of mixed salad leaves and garnish with cucumber, tomato slices and a few sprigs of mint.

And voila --

Since I adapted this from a Thai cookbook, I noticed the absence of banana bud, red onions, and black pepper in the recipe while mint was used merely for garnishing, ingredients which were very much present in the chicken laap we ate in Vientiane. So when I made mine, I just had to add about 50gms of grated/chopped banana bud and red onions and generous amounts of mint leaves and ground black pepper, for authentic Laotian taste. You may omit the ground roasted rice and chillies, to suit your taste, but my husband and I love it with chillies.

Chicken laap is very easy to prepare, great with fresh vegetables, and great as an appetizer or as a main dish, or for your husband's beer-food.

Food Trips Friday 001: Chicken laap

2009-04-10T15:52:00.009+07:00

My blogger-friend, Willa of Fickle-Minded invited me to join her latest photo-meme called the Food Trip Friday. What a coincidence, I said to myself, as my food blog is also known as Food Trips... We Ate This! So of course I had to say yes. It is so easy to join, the rules are here.

Here is my first entry for this week's Food Trip Friday:

It's called chicken laap, a national dish of Laos. It's a simple dish best eaten with fresh vegetables and goes well with Laos beer, the other pride of Laos. We love laap so much that when we came back from our Laos holiday, I immediately tried the recipe I got from the cookbook I bought and voila -- my husband absolutely loved it. I am thrilled at the result and so will be seeing laap - in pork as well - served on our table in the future.

For the recipe, please come back on Sunday when I feature this dish for the Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe :)

The Cook on Leave

2009-03-17T21:35:00.000+07:00

I'm off to the land of million elephants, Laos, tomorrow, via Phnnom Penh-Stung Treng-Pakse-Vientiane-Luang Prabang-Vientiane route. The husband and I will be on a two-week holiday -- a much anticipated R and R. As I am looking at more time spent on rural areas where internet access is rare, I might not be able to update as much as I'd like to. I will, however, give you a detailed account of my road (and food) trip, with pictures, when I return. Ciao!

Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe 002: White-peppered Pork

2009-03-15T11:21:00.005+07:00

For this week's Simply Delicious Sunday Recipe, I am re-posting a recipe that I borrowed from the Cooking Ninja several months ago. Here it is:

My husband loves pork chop very much that it is served every week at home. They are tasty on their own, but I have to say that they're even tastier when they are marinated before cooking. Soaking the pork in basic marinade such as soy sauce, lemon, and sugar, gives a better flavor to the meat.

I have to admit though that it gets boring after a while making the same pork chop over and over again. It challenged me so much that I scoured the Net for more ideas and, luckily, I stumbled upon this exciting recipe (and bookmarked it), white-peppered pork slices, from the Cooking Ninja.

I tried it not long ago and I am happy to say that my husband loved it! In fact, he asks for it every week :) So I paid another visit to the Cooking Ninja to tell her how we love her recipe and to ask if she would allow me to post her recipe here. I'm glad that she gave her go-signal ... big, big thanks!

Ingredients

* Pork (cut into big slices)
* Ground white pepper
* Black soya sauce
* Potato flour or cornflour
* a bit of sugar
* oil (for frying)

Directions

1. Tenderize the pork slices.
2. Coat the slices with ground white pepper (to your desired amount).
3. Add some dark soya sauce, and a little bit of sugar on it and marinate them well with your hands.
4. Then sprinkle some potato flour on it and mix them well.
5. Heat up some oil in a frying pan or wok till hot, fry the marinated pieces for a few minutes or until cooked. Then drain it on paper towel.
6. Serve it while hot. Can be taken as part of the main dishes.

Cooking Ninja's original recipe didn't include minced garlic but we at home love garlic so much I had to add it in. I marinated it overnight and the result - a succulent, sweet, garlicky flavor. It did remind me of tocino, the sweetened cured pork native to the Philippines, but the white-peppered pork is spicier (superb) and more flavourful. For my husband, I served it with chips (french fries to our American friends) - it was an instant hit - while I prefer mine with steamed rice and a side dish of sliced tomatoes and cucumber.

Again, many thanks to the Cooking Ninja for sharing me her recipe (and the photo above) and for letting me share it to others through my blog. For more exciting recipes, visit the Cooking Ninja's blog.

Four Foods Friday 005

2009-03-13T14:45:00.000+07:00

Here are this week’s four questions.

1. Olive oil. What kind do you prefer to use?
- We just use ordinary olive oil, Latino Bella.

2. Meatballs. Do you make them from scratch, buy premade cooked or buy premade frozen?
- I make them from scratch.

3. Do you use napkins at home? Paper or cloth?
- Paper napkins

4. Share a recipe for a white sauce.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter over low heat. Stir in chopped onion, ground pepper, and milk, and bring to a boil. Add in a can of Campbell's cream of broccoli or cream of mushroom soup, your choice of herbs, e.g. coriander, and let it simmer. Voila, it's done in minutes.

On restaurant furniture

2009-03-13T10:43:00.003+07:00

After choice of menu, one of the factors that make us decide which restaurant to dine in is the restaurant’s ambiance and interior. But of course, if we’re paying more than the regular price for the food, we expect that the restaurant is comfortable, has a nice atmosphere where we can enjoy the food and talk.

It is difficult for some restaurants to maintain its ambiance. Nowadays, restaurants seem to offer same things that you get the impression they are merely copying each other. If I were to open my restaurant, I want mine to be unique. And how, you may ask? I am no expert myself but I say aside from the choice of menu (food), the next most important factor is the concept. For example, romantic, cozy, bistro-style, etc.... The concept of choice basically will dictate the ambiance and to achieve the ambiance, it is important to determine what kind of restaurant furniture works best.

Choosing the right and proper restaurant furniture could be very daunting – imagine having to decide amongst the multitude of materials, sizes, designs, colours, among others. For example, what size of tables and chairs would be ideal for a specific dimension of the eating area. Don’t forget the bar counter and the size of the matching bar stools for functionality.

I am sure there are other great ideas to spice up a restaurant’s interior. Tthe things mentioned above are but some of the crucial choices a restaurant owner has to take into consideration right from the beginning. It is important in a restaurant business to invest in the right kind of equipments to ensure success.