10.05.09
Olive Oil Cake
Came across this article in NYMag on the emergence of the Olive Oil cake in cafes and decided to try this as a replacement to Banana Bread. I no longer have to wait for bananas to blacken!
09.28.09
Nailis on the Runway!
09.19.09
For all your Taiwanese imports….
So I headed down to this event that my Grandma’s ’school’ was holding – it was a food fair fundraiser. Found every Taiwanese dish from beef noodle soup, to fermented rice to bubble tea… all the food you grew up with. Came across these tiny tapioca balls – I’ve always avoided making the regular tapioca that you find in the tea shops – the larger 1cm diameter ones because it needs to be watched, carefully cooked and is time consuming. Found these tasty small ones about 1/5 the size – cooking time 5 minutes!
Got introed to this Taiwanese warehouse that supplied the tapioca, along with Taiwanese imports such as rock sugar, tea, fruit syrups (for all your bubble tea needs), 8 treasure beans (and all your ice plate needs), grass jelly, egg milk powder etc.
Shine Enterprise Limited
1624 West 75th Avenue
Vancouver BC V6P 6G2, Canada
tel: 604-737-8403
Fax: 604-737-9849
08.29.09
Packing burgers
From Chef T himself (my cousin) – burgers will shrink horizontally, but expand vertically. So make sure to make the patties a little wider (use a cookie cutter) and a little thinner. If it’s too watery, add breadcrumbs. Stack only 2.
08.24.09
Top 10 Secrets From The Skin Experts
Top 10 Secrets From The Skin Experts
Posted using ShareThis
06.16.09
Taiwanese Salt Pepper Chicken (鹽酥雞)
As usual, all measurements are just a guideline, but this came out quite delicious! Just need to figure out now to make it even crispier – if I remember correctly, my 2nd uncle (who’s a fantastic cook) double fried it in a large vat with lots of oil and over a gas stove.
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 lbs chicken – cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp cooking wine
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 scallion/green onion – segmented
sliced ginger – large pieces
sugar
Coat:
sweet yam flour/starch
corn starch
flour
egg <– I didn’t use this, but will try the next round
Season:
peppercorns
salt
five spice powder
Other:
oil
pan
pot
tongs/chopsticks
gloves
paper towels/lettuce leaves
1) Combine all the marinade ingredients and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Don’t cut the ginger and green onion too small or they might stick when you fry it and will burn.
2) Heat oil slowly in pot. I also pan fried a few pieces to see the effect – about the same, but used less oil. For best results use a gas stove, heat on low heat for about 5 minutes, then increase to low/medium. Adjust accordingly.
3) Combine all the dry ingredients for the coating. Should be 60% yam flour, 25% flour, 15% corn starch.
4) When the oil is hot enough, coat the chicken in the egg wash (optional) then dip into dry coat mix. Make sure it’s fully coated, squeeze as much powder as you can get on it (makes it crispier/fluffier) and drop into oil. Try a piece at first to test if the temperature of the oil is right. Fry till brown and remove onto paper towel or lettuce leaf.
5) Top with seasoning (see below) and serve immediately.
Seasoning:
1) In pan, panfry dry ingredients on very low heat till fragrant. Pepper 50%, salt 40%, five pice powder 10%.
06.06.09
Summer smoothie/milkshakes recipes to try
Kiwi Connection Smoothie
“Kiwi, mango and pineapple are blended with sweet and creamy yogurt and ice for this refreshing fruit smoothie.”
INGREDIENTS
- Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into glass and serve immediately. Yields 2 servings.
Pineapple Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1 cup 1% buttermilk
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 2 (8 ounce) cans unsweetened crushed pineapple
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth. Pour into glasses; serve immediately. Yields 6 servings.
Sugar-Free Cardamom-Mango Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
* 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced
* 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
* 8 cubes ice
* 2/3 cup nonfat milk
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
* 1/2 cup granular sucrolose sweetener (such as Splenda®), or to taste
1. Place mango, yogurt, ice, and milk into a blender. Sprinkle in cardamom and sweetener to taste. Puree until smooth, frothy, and creamy. Yields 4 servings.
Mango Lime Smoothie
This is a delicious and refreshing summer drink. It also makes an excellent cocktail with the addition of rum. Serve in margarita glasses for a festive touch.
INGREDIENTS
* 3 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch chunks
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
* 1 tray ice cubes
1. Place the mangoes, lime juice, confectioners’ sugar, and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until slushy. Yields 4 servings.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
* 1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
* 2 bananas, cut up
* 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
* 2 tablespoons wheat germ
* 1 tablespoon honey
1. Combine the yogurt, bananas, strawberries, wheat germ, and honey in a blender; blend until smooth. Yields 2 servings.
Honeydew smoothies/milkshakes
Honeydew is one of those things that you eat in conjunction with cantalope, prosciutto or alone. Like with all fruits, when its overly ripe you liquify it. Instead of just making juice, try the following refreshing recipes:
Honeydew Smoothie
- honeydew (fresh or frozen <— preferred)
- frozen yogurt
- banana
- ice
- milk
- agave syrup to taste
- Blend and add agave to taste. Will be quite watery, unless you freeze the honeydew first.
Honeydew Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups honeydew melon, cubed
- 1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons apple juice, from frozen concentrate
- Ice
- Honeydew melon slices, for garnish
Directions
In a blender, combine melon, yogurt, and apple juice concentrate. Blend until smooth. With blender running, add ice until frothy.
Pour into 2 (16-ounce) glasses and garnish with sliced melon.
Honeydew Lemon Smoothie
2 (15-ounce) servings
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup sugar-free lemonade
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 1/2 cups diced honeydew melon
- 4 ice cubes
Directions:
- Combine lemonade, lemon juice, and honeydew melon in a blender. Blend on high speed until fruit is puréed and mixture is smooth.
- Add ice cubes and blend on high speed again until smooth. Serve immediately.
Tips: Substitute cantaloupe for honeydew melon.
Melon Smoothie, Watermelon & Honeydew
With summer around the corner, watermelons, honeydews and cantaloupes become the norm in the supermarkets. Well, this recipe has 2 out of 3 and that ain’t bad.
Melon Smoothie Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups seeded and chopped watermelon
- 1 1/2 cups seeded and chopped honeydew melon
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 cup vanilla lowfat yogurt
- 1 cup ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Yield: 4 servings
Cucumber Honeydew Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2 cups cubed honeydew melon
- 2 cups passion fruit juice
- 8 sprigs fresh mint, or amount to taste
- 2 cups crushed ice
DIRECTIONS
- Combine cucumber, honeydew melon, passion fruit juice, and ice in a blender. Pull leaves from mint springs and add to blender. Blend mixture until smooth. Pour into tall glasses.


