nice try, Michelle

One thing I do pride myself on is my ability to be a resourceful cook. I love scavenging, saving money, being thrifty, and dressing like a hobo. I would love nothing more than for someone to take me foraging for food in a forest.. or to teach me how to dress a deer, roadkill or game--to be able to utilize everything from the various cuts of meat, to the bones and tendons and offals.. OOOOH! i do relish the thought.

though that will not probably happen in the near future (to Pan's relief and my dismay), one thing I am licensed to do is forage around our kitchen looking for things to put together for a meal. Since Pan is away, I was tasked this afternoon with preparing lunch for one. I think it's close to insanity to try preparing asian communal meals-- you know the 3 dishes 1 soup and rice-- every day for one person, so I try to avoid that and eat simply when he's not around. One thing I found in our freezer was some cheap sausage meat we bought in bulk in Sam's Club. Should not have bought it. No offense to sausage lovers (of every kind), we utilize sausage in various means, from cooking pastas to stir frying with potato and kale (dead good, btw, if you caramelize the onions good) and the like, but home-made is waaay better than store bought, especially when it's cheap industrial crap sold in bulk. No fault of Sam's Club, which we dearly love; I can only blame our piggish appetites and greed for purchasing it.

So.. for lunch today, I found some leftover rice in our fridge (a common sight), half an anaheim pepper leftover from a penang assam laksa dish I made for friends yesterday, (notes to come another time) and said bulk sausages languishing in our freezer for over 4 months. Gross.

So what did I do? I popped the sausages in the toaster oven for 10 minutes, on low first to defrost then then broiled them on foil, chopped the pepper up, mixed it with some rice, and popped it in the microwave for a minute twenty. After which i sliced the sausage up and mixed it into my rice.

Mmmmm.. That be some yummy shit, said my mouth after 2 bites of hot steaming rice, rich, juicy sausage and fresh, mild pepper. Then, it became a struggle to finish the dish. The greasiness of the sausage, the oldness of the meat.. Too much. I wrapped up lunch (ate it all, of course, no waste) and had to remedy the situation with a fresh orange ¡pronto! at the sink. You know when you have to rush and get some fresh fruit into your system, it means that you just had a very greasy, unhealthy lunch. It's kinda like throwing up in the sink, but instead of letting food out, you put more food in. Yep.

That fateful dish spurred me on to document this soup, which I know you will I love dearly. It's light, full of umami, and so so good for you.

It's very rare for Cantonese to cook with pumpkin; in fact, I don't think I've ever seen my mom deal with this gourd-like squash. I found this soup online and tweaked it, especially the cooking times, and I've been making it repeatedly (to Pan's dismay; he hates eating the same food over and over again). Please try it, it's fantastic.

Kabocha, Pork and Dried Scallop Soup

Dead simple soup; I've memorized the ingredients, and here is Michelle Lee to walk you through the steps!

" Hi folks! You need 3 classes of ingredients:

1) your dried ingredients, which today will comprise of dried scallops, North and South Almonds (nam hung, buck hung), and a dried octopus.

2) Pork; I like meaty pork bones. They are cheap, and very flavorful. Take care to blanch them in boiling water though, to get rid of excess grease and blood. (I boiled them for a good 5 minutes with lots of water)

3) Your kabocha pumpkin. Find one that is heavy for its size, and with a dark green rind. The rind is edible, so wash it clean before preparing it.

That's it! Season with salt and sugar at the end if you must, but I have never found the need to do so, since the ingredients provide all the savory-ness and sweetness necessary.

Method; quick, simple-like.

Blanched, cleaned pork bones, dried ingredients, cold water, bring to rapid boil.

Lower heat to a simmer, simmer away for 1.5-2hours.
The stock should turn cloudy, and your whole house will smell soooooo yummy. It's the dried seafood at work.

Add the cut up kabocha pumpkin (seeds and strings removed), and return to simmer for 20 minutes tops. The pumpkin should be firm at the center, and fully cooked. Remove unsightly octopus that has already served its purpose. Season with salt and sugar if necessary. Serve up!

 

I say twenty minutes because the kabocha will have a tendency to dissolve into the soup, turning it into a halloween-orange liquid. Some people like it, others (Pan) don't. I think it's nice when there is a slight tinge in the broth, but any more than that and it's like eating a pureed pumpkin soup, which this is not. One thing I do do (not doo doo.. whatever) is slice off the pointy tips that tend to dissolve ultra quickly into the soup, since the surface area exposed to hot liquid is very high, hence rate of dissolution is very high. Should I draw a graph to explain this? Do I have to? Please say no.

 Just some artistic shots. Here, some pieces of pumpkin, along with its innards, delicately tossed on its deathbed. It is called "Abstract Art: Kabocha, Loved, Dissected, and Revealed.".

'But what about the proportions?' Do I hear you say? Indeed. I think a ratio of

# of servings	Water (litres)	Dried Scallop (pieces)	North Almonds (heaped tsp)	South Almonds (heaped tsp)	Dried octopus (piece)	Meaty Pork Bones (oz)	Kabocha (oz)
2	1	6	1	1	0.5	8	6
4	2	12	2	2	1	16	12
6	3	18	3	3	1.5	24	18
8	4	24	4	4	2	32	24

is a good approximation. Approximation I say, because I'm not very sure. I mean, the size of your dried scallop or the quality is probably different from mine. How meaty your pork bones are different from mine. What if you decide to use ribs? Some like to add lots of those fried almond anyway, other don't. Fuck. Isn't this post useless? Heck, just try it anyway!

As you can see, the kabocha I bought weighed in at a staggering 1lb 13 ounces. I did not use all (I followed the guide above); I cut myself a nice wedge and steamed it for a snack. "

I'm back with more food ideas!

a long hiatus..

so many things have happened..

1) Pan's father passed away after a long struggle against lung cancer. We were all there during his passing, which was, without going into too much detail, blessedly short but also very painful for all of us. We miss him every day.

2) we have been shuttling back and forth between bloomington and ann arbor, trying to move forwards with a deal with UM hospital. Pan's working hard on this, and he's currently not in town trying to structure a deal. Cryptic? let's just say nothing state-secret-esque, but I'd do best to leave business to business, unlike this person.. I do feel sorry for him.. Haha not really..

3) I'm effin' twenty five. TWO FIVE. what the heck just happened here? My birthday was great, spent with friends in ann arbor, hard cider, good old patron silver tequila shots, and monopoly deal. I loved it. But honestly, where the bleep did my life go? I'm twenty five! -sob-

And although I've been silently suffering from having to apply for jobs and be denied the opportunity to work in the field I would love best, I have been secretly amassing a variety of easy, quick meal ideas for you; I mean this website.

Ideas like.. Lacinto kale salad with a peppery, garlicky, mango dressing! Savory, entirely accommodating and easy tung oh soup! How about a selection of steamed toufu dishes that appeals to everyone?

Thank God for simple Chinese meals, or else this crazy energy in the kitchen would just grow and radiate and kill everyone around me. Everyone else but me, cuz i'd turn into a crazy, frothing-at-the-mouth monster welding a chopper. Yikes!



so let's start with the latest yummy little thing.. this beautiful veggie that all MUST spring to get. and "spring" indeed heh heh, because this delicate vegetable is seasonal and also survives in the cold (not like this cold weather is ever going to end..).

TUNG OH SOUP

Tung-oh, or shingaku in Japanese, is a wonderful veggie that you ought to try. A member of the crystanthemum plant, you'll be able to spot them in the Asian veggie isle by the characteristic leaves. Don't go plucking them off the flowers from the floral department though, you little hipster. That be different!

I've gotta warn ya though, it's a little of an acquired taste, but once you've learnt to appreciate it, it's delicious and will leave an indelible mark on your heart. How does it taste like? A delicate, subtle, herbal taste that I feel tastes closest to wild celery (not that I've ever tasted wild celery.. but.. JUST BELIEVE ME ON THIS.)  Recipes for Tom has a lovely write up on shingaku and also provides several Japanese recipes for it, which I highly encourage you to take a look at.

This soup I am dying to share with you make records for myself to remember is simple in that there are only 3 main points to remember

1) You need a meat to flavor the soup. This can be a delicate white, non-oily fish (like tilapia or flounder), chicken (breast is more ideal), a lean cut of pork (minced, loin, picnic or.. you get this right?) or beef balls-- the frozen, Vietnamese type. Pan and I go crazy for these. Umami-ballzzzz to the max.
2) Chosen meat needs to be seasoned with with sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce. salt and sugar optional. The quantities of which depends on how salty/sweet/savory/bland you prefer your soup.
3) Ginger. Ginger. Ginger. Use a generous, healthy knob of ginger, sliced, in this dish. Like the seasonings, if you are crazy for ginger, use a very generous knob, if not, scale it down a little. but this dish definitely needs ginger to balance the astringent taste of the tung oh. A very generous knob would be the size of my thumb, for a two-to-three person serving.

Oh, sorry make that 4 points

4) Don't use too much water for this soup. Think of it as a very brothy veggie dish. Too much water and you'll be diluting the awesome flavor of this veggie. So start off with enough water to simmer the ginger and meat pieces in it, then adjust as you go.
 

OK! So, now that that's out of the way, this part is simple-dimple. Of which i have none. :C no dimples on my sweet cheeks.. on my face???  Here are two examples for two tung oh soups I've cooked recently. They both feed two or three, depending on how many side dishes you are serving, and whether you're feeding a big hungry lad. Like Pan.

Example #1 : Tung Oh with Pork Soup 

Marinate 300g of lean pork (I used butt), sliced thin, with 1 tbs of oyster sauce, 1 tbs of soy, and 1/2 tbs of sesame oil. Let it sit. 
Slice ginger.
Bring pot with 2 cups of water to boil, add sliced ginger, let it boil rapidly for 5 minutes, add marinated meat. 
While that cooks, clean and prepare veggies. (About 250g; or 12 big stems worth, is enough for 2 people) Slice off bottom 1/2 inch, trim off yellowing or unhealthy leaves. There are two ways to prepare this veggie-- the easy way, and the more traditional way. The easy way dictates that you chop the stems in 1-2 inch pieces, then chop the remaining length of leaves in half, while the traditional method requires you to strip the leaves off each stem, and then snap the stems into desired length. 

I'd say each has it's benefits. The first method is quick and fuss free, but then the veggies might result in a not-so-easy-to-eat tangle. The second ensures that each bite of veggie is more enjoyable. If I were you, I'd decide based on how much time you have, and your energy level for that day. There are times when I! NEED! TO! GET! THIS! SHIT! DONE! NOW! and days when I'm like.. oh tung oh. I would like to write a haiku about you. and rhyme it at the same time..  

Don't forget to rinse the prepared tung oh at least 3 times though. This veggie, like many other asian vegetables, can be quite gritty, which is not nice when you're enjoying the broth and want to write a ditty.

Where were we.. oh yes, once the meat broth comes to a boil, let it simmer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the veggies, and once you're good to go, toss the whole colander of rinsed tung oh in, close the lid, and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring to make sure all the veggies get to simmer in the broth. Add more water if you'd like, season to taste, and serve. 

I like my tung oh stems soft; some like them crunchy. I would rhyme this but it's lame, and I'm too cool for that. Seriously, though. Cook it for as long as you want.  

 

Example #2 : Tung Oh with Beef Balls and a Tomato


 Now that you've gotten the hang of it, here's the recipe, quick-style

1) Boil ginger, beef balls, seasonings, 1 tomato sliced, in water, 5-10 minutes. 

2) veggies, trimmed, add in, 10 minutes. 

done. 

try them both. The tomato adds a delicious tang and umami to it. Fish is also very commonly used; the sesame oil marinade and tung oh helps mask the taste of any fishy-ness, so this is a very common Cantonese soup. Enjoy! Spring's almost here! 

happy new year everyone!

Happy new year to myself, I mean.  Wowzers Michie we've certainly come a long way eh? Uhh. yes, but we'd better stop talking in plurals like we're crazy


I have 10 minutes before I leave for supper (SUPPER! SUPER SUPPER! SUP SUP SUP SUP SUPPER!) -- i have to explain the Singapore supper scene in greater detail next time. hopefully with ugly photos. but oooooh supper. fresh, spicy, smokey barbecued seafood.. noodles galore.. eggs, proteins, yummy yummies..


and I digress again. Oh speaking of which, I should write down my new year resolutions but OH look at me digressing AGAIN.

I wanted to post this pretty fab recipe by ANGIEME on roasting a ribeye. I just did it for the first time using a 3.75lb angus ribeye that I flew from the US back to Singapore for my mum's birthday (wild! eh? but worth it!) (leaving 2 bags of brussel sprouts and the huge chunk of parmesan cheese in the fridge wasn't worth it, though)

Flowers for my mum's birthday! Which falls on Christmas day. Oh mummy.. :)


The timings are almost perfect, although I'd like to caution everybody myself that oven temperatures vary, so.. bear that in mind and don't go boo-ing the poor lass if your roast doesn't turn out. From her picture it looks like a medium-well done steak, but she mentioned she likes hers medium-rare, more toward the rare side. I'd say her roast looks a wee overdone for that.

I also use Montreal Steak Seasoning, which was rather good and so good when you are harried and pressed for time. If you want to go full monty and au natural, I suggest a concoction of thyme, rosemary, lots of fresh garlic, coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper. Did i mention to mix equal parts salted butter and canola oil to lubricate your lovely hunk of meat before seasoning?


That said, I went with my utter gut feeling and baked the bloody bugger sans meat thermometer. total champ,  I am. I cut a total of 17 minutes off the bake time and it was bloody delicious. I knew that my timings were definitely going to be shorter than from the guideline, since me oven's a nice hot baby and sometimes is over-eager to please (like.. men). The 17 minute decision was purely by gut, and I'm glad it worked out. Me mam and da like their steaks medium, me wee sis and her boy like it med-rare, and I'm a rare girl myself, so we all dug in in that order as I sliced up the roast from the outside in :)

*note before I forget: when I took the roast out of the oven it was still oozing juice, which ought to be caught and saved. It does not necessarily mean that your roast is undercooked, simply that it is juicy and yummy.

* also, before i forget as well: be not afraid to cover your roast with tin foil halfway through the baking process if you fear that it will be too burnt on the outside. Your instincts will serve you well.

*My roast turned out yummy, but with far more rare parts than medium/medium-rare. That was ideal for us cuz we saved the leftovers and i will coat is some more with the rub before broiling it quickly, hence cooking it some more. If we were planning to eat the whole bugger, I would have left it in for several minutes more.

Took a photo of the roast as I was cutting through it. As common sense would tell you-- slice thin, and only after letting it rest for at least 15 minutes, preferably 25.

OKAY gotta jump! barbecued stingray awaits!

Mapo Doufu

Ok folks. Here's something for those craving Chinese food that is lighter, flavorful, and doesn't cost very much to make. Well, provided that you have most of the primary ingredients.

So here's the thing about cooking Chinese food in the US, especially in non-Asian households. It can be challenging because you aren't familiar with the ingredients and how the final dish, the dish you've slaved so hard over, is supposed to taste. It also can frustrate the hell out of you because you don't have all the "exotic" ingredients waiting for you in the pantry. I get it.

So get these three items:

These two sauces are quintessential when cooking Chinese food, be it Sichuanese, Hunanese, Hokkien or Cantonese. Just get it. And oh hey, if you don't have the one on the right, the lighter brown bean paste, substitute it with miso. Just make sure it doesn't have dashi or MSG in it. It's.. an acceptable compromise, by my standards. Let's face it, girl's gotta put food on the table!

I like soft toufu for this dish because it melds so nicely with the sauce. Don't fret it you've got medium or hard toufu or whatever. It's personal preference. Mao will not turn in his grave. How to tell it's soft toufu? The packet should say so? Or else, pick one that is for soup or steaming. Hope that helps me remember! 

Also, this is a MUST if you want the tongue-numbing sensation and/or the fruity-floral taste of Sichuanese dishes. A MUST for this dish. I use about 1/2 to 1 tbs of this sensational spice for this dish. Please, feel free to add more if you like a culinary challenge. I have friends who eat Sichuan hot pot primarily for this spice. In Singlish, we call them "siao", ie crazy asses.

I believe some packets call it prickly ash.  Pick out the twigs, use the rest whole or ground in a mortar.

and.. to re-emphasize how in-authentic a cook I am, and also how resourceful and adaptive, use korean chili powder for anything mildly spicy, or buy a packet of dried chilis from an asian supermarket for a bigger kick.

Now, the recipe. I've been cooking this for ages, adapting a site I used to visit. Recently I bought Fushia Dunlop's Land of Plenty and realised it was rather similar! Except that her recipe uses beef instead of pork. I've never tried it but can only imagine I'd prefer the milder flavor of pork in here.
She also puts leeks in here. I never do, because Pan is picky about his food and this is one of the only ways I can get him to eat toufu, so no way am I going to jeopardize that by putting in a veggie he's not fond of. If you do use leeks, use only the soft white part, slice thinly on the diagonal, and add it in step 1.

Also,  possible vegan note: sub out the chicken broth for veggie, and pork for chopped mushrooms, and this could be an ideal meal! I must try this out.

Mapo Doufu Recipe 

Adapted from Appetite for China

Feeds 4 as a side dish (I paired it with a snow pea and shredded rotisserie chicken I had left over.. look!)

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

1)   1 tub soft tofu roughly cut into 1-inch cubes (or larger)

2)   1 tbs vegetable oil

3)   ½ lb = 8 ounces ground pork

4)   4 cloves garlic, minced

5)   2.5 TBS chili bean paste AND 1 TBS fermented black bean paste  or: 3 tbs dark brown dou jiang + 1 tbs chinese style sambal chili

7)   0.5 to 1 tbs Sichuan pepper (prickly ash), ground into powder

8)   2 tsp white sugar

9)   2 tsp light soy sauce

10) 1.5 cup chicken stock /water

11)  ~ 3 tbs cornstarch mixed with 4 tbs cold water

12) garnish: 2 bunches of spring onions, diced.

Optional:

1)   1 pack of white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2) Two young leeks, washed, white tender parts sliced thinly on the diagonal

Instructions

Heat veggie oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and stir-fry until fragrant.

Reduce heat to medium, add minced pork and stir-fry until brown. Add your choice of either/or for number 5) and the ground Sichuan pepper, and fry for about 1 minute, until the oil is a rich red color.

Pour in the stock and stir well.  Season with the sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste. At this point, taste it. It should taste savory, rich, with a tinge of sweetness.

Mix in the drained tofu gently by pushing the back of your ladle or wok scoop gently from the edges to the center of the wok or pan; don't plop the whole box in or you will have sauce all over your stove and your shirt! 

Stir very gently and only as needed, or the tofu will break up into mush. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, allowing the tofu to absorb the flavors of the sauce.

Then add the cornstarch mixture in 2 or 3 stages as required, mixing as you go. The sauce should just cover the back of your ladle. if it's too runny, you'll find that this dish doesn't taste as good because the sauce doesn't stick to the toufu. If it's too thick, every bite you take of the dish will be far too flavorful and you won't be able to enjoy very much of it. 

Enjoy!

Salutations! Hello! Welcome!

I say these greetings to myself, because I know that as the lowly, run-of-the-mill, plebeian home-cook that I am, I have no fans, no followers, no viewers.

And that's ok with me. I'm pleased as punch that I've finally put this blog up. Although not very put together, at least it's up. I'm fiddling with the template as much as I, IT-constrained as I am, can. I know that in the not too distant future I will be able to turn this into something my children and grandchildren and I can enjoy, reviewing memories and recipes. Did I just say not too distant future? Umm scratch that. A long time from now.. I mean to say.

My only problem with my carefully curated list of recipes is that I have no photos to show! I'm really not that kind of gal who would take photos of food before I eat it. I just eat. And eat. And eat. Oh dear. I suppose I'll have to learn how to make my food look appetizing and luscious. And remember to take a darn photo of it to put up!

Until then my darlings, I leave you me with a recipe of the not-so-famous..

Michelle the Hung Wai Lee Pasta

Serves: 6

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients: 

½ pound sausage,  or

½ pack bacon (or both, lets be serious. the more the merrier. Just add more sugar to balance the ! salt)

1 cup lightly packed Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped, reserve ¼ cup for garnish

3 pounds tomatoes – roma or vine-ripened

1/2 additional pound of tomatoes

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sugar (more to taste)

¼ cup olive oil

if desired,
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley.

1 pack barilla spaghetti

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and cut the 3 lbs of tomatoes into quarters and eighths. In a large bowl, mix tomatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil. Spread out onto a baking tray lined with foil, including the juices.

Bake in oven for 40-45 min, until the edges of the tomatoes are browned and the juices are heavily reduced. At this point in time, your whole kitchen will smell like heaven. 

Bring salty water in a tall pot to boil.

In a large pan, fry sausage with chopped onion (if using), remove and drain fat.

or/and
Bring bacon to the pan. Fry on medium heat until crisp, remove, drain and cut into pieces.

Cook pasta in the hard-boiling, salty water.

Remove stems of remaining 1/2lb of tomatoes, dice. 

Scrape baked tomatoes off the foil into a medium bowl, add the diced tomatoes and some sugar. Taste, add more sugar if needed and mix well. Mix in sausage and onion and chopped parsley.  Pour cooked pasta in, mix well to coat pasta.

Divide onto plates, top with parsley garnish and bacon.


loving note:

This pasta sauce (without the fresh tomatoes and parsley) keeps remarkably well in the freezer for up to half a year. Come summer, I find myself making large batches to freeze for quick, fuss-free meals.