August 22, 2011

Soy Sauce King Prawn Stir Fry 豉油王煎蝦

chinese, king prawn, stir-fry, prawn, recipe, seafood, shrimp, soy sauce, 豉油王煎蝦
By Published: 2011-08-22
This simple yet sophisticated stir fry of the Soy Sauce King Prawn, or 豉油王煎蝦, is a dish that tests the wok skills.  It is one of those fast and furious stir frys where your skill makes or breaks the dish.  So be forewarned.  And be challenged.  If you succeed you will have the sweet reward of succulent King Prawn cooked and flavoured to perfection.

Tomato Anchovy Pasta with Chives

anchovy, anchovy paste, chives, pasta, recipe, tomato, vegetable
By Published: 2011-08-22
There nothing else that has the simplicity, elegance and good taste of pasta.  One night we were too tired to go shopping for groceries and just scrounged around the kitchen to find cookables and ended up with this beauty of a pasta dish.

Poached Egg - The Holy Grail of Eggdom

egg, poached egg, recipe,
By Published: 2011-08-22
The debate on the methods for achieving the perfect poached egg were overwhelming the first time we decided to try making poached egg for ourselves.  We tried various methods that were vouched for including some rather exotic methods (such as cling film wrapped egg, which did not work but ended up giving us an endless laugh at the final strange looking product).  In the end nothing really worked and we gave up for a time the search for the holy grail of eggdom.

Choi Sum 菜心 - A Gentle Blanch

boiled, blanched, choi sum, vegetables, chinese, recipe
By Published: 2011-08-22
As a newcomer to Hong Kong, one would be inclined to wonder about the popularity of a certain humble green vegetable, otherwise known as Choi Sum or 菜心 which translates literally as 'vegetable heart').  Compounding the mystery is the way it is usually served, simply blanched and then piled high on the plate with perhaps a splash of oyster sauce on the side.  It doesn't look like much.

For myself, it took a long time before I began to appreciate Choi Sum, preferring for many years the more obvious crunch and spiciness of the Gai Lan, or 芥蘭, another popular vegetable in Hong Kong.

August 14, 2011

Cauliflower Stir Fry 清炒椰菜花

chinese, Cauliflower, Stir Fry, recipe, vegetable
By Published: 2011-08-14
We always like to investigate new food happenings and so it was with the recent rash of small neighborhood 'organic' markets.  Especially so since we have been feeding our wee toddler with a mostly organic diet.  We had checked out the 'organic' market organized at the Star Ferry in Central on the weekend and were disappointed.

But then one quiet humdrum day, just around the corner from where we live, we discovered a new little organic market shop, rough and ready, rather with the charm of a farmer's market: surly shopkeeper, mouser cat and all.

August 12, 2011

Cherry Frozen Yogurt - No Machine Needed

cherry, frozen yogurt, ice cream, no machine needed, recipe

Making our own ice cream, or frozen yogurt to be precise, for the first time was a revelation. Luscious, creamy, bursting with flavor, tasting of, gasp!, sun-ripened fruit, it was something to long achingly for on lazy summer days. And all this without an ice cream machine!