Monday, February 23, 2009


Had Curry Laksa for dinner today. Actually made this yesterday and tasted even better today.This recipe is different from the usual type of Laksa I make as this does not have curry powder in the mix. This is referred to as " Nonya' Laksa and the curry paste made from ground chilli, turmeric, shallots, garlic, galangal, belacan and lemon grass.This paste is sauteed until fragrant and added to an ikan billis broth. Coconut milk is also added at the end of the cooking process.
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Birthday Noodles


Today is my wife's birthday.Usually the family will go out for dinner to celebrate a birthday but we decided instead to have it tomorrow night since it is a Friday.So I made birthday noodles but instead of using the large fresh water prawns or "sang har" in Cantonese, I used lobster instead.Made it with lots of gravy so much so that the noodles in the picture were pretty much hidden! It turned out well and enjoyed by everyone.
Posted by Picasa

Quick Dinner

Made Thai Red Curry chicken for dinner last night.It was an easy quick dinner because I used the red curry paste made previously. All I had to do was to take out the portion I needed from the freezer, fried the paste in a bit of oil until fragrant and then added in the chicken. Added a new twist to this dish by using evaporated milk instead of coconut milk.The taste was the same as far as I could tell.
Also made a steamed egg dish called " sam wong tan". I typically make this dish in a pinch when there is a need for another dish.The trick to his dish is to add the right amount of water to the egg mixture.I found that 100ml water per egg is the optimun amount.So in this instance, I added 400ml water for the 4 eggs.The other crucial step is to ensure that the water is at a slow boil
To round up the menu, stir fried baby bok choy.I love using whole garlic for this dish.
Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Day Dreaming

BBQ is synonymous with Summer. So why these pictures of "beer can" chicken when there is a foot of snow on the ground and my BBQ grill does not look like it is ready for anything.Just day dreaming? Maybe not.
It is the middle of winter and the picture of the chicken from my archives is an ideal kick off for the recording of my culinary journey.I am a passionate home cook.I cook for my family and occasionally for my friends. It is time to record all the stuff that I have done and therefore I am getting off my butt to record this journey and I hope to share this with you.However this will not entirely on my adventures ( and sometimes misadventures!) in the kitchen.I will also record and share with you my other passions viz golf, baseball and my family.
"Beer can" chicken is one of the easiest ways to roast chicken.I simply season the chicken with soy sauce ( also to give it colour) and pepper. Stick an 8 oz of beer or soft drink into the cavity.Pre heat the BBQ to 350F. Stand it up right on the BBQ grill on indirect heat ie the heat source is is front and back or on both sides and not directly under the chicken.Roast with the lid down for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat thermometer reads 180F.I usually remove the chicken when the temperature reaches 170F as it will continue to cook.
I typically eat this with sweet Thai chilli sauce.
Posted by Picasa