Chinese Almond Cookies 杏仁餅乾

I remember one of our family's special treats growing up was when 媽媽 and 爸爸 would come back from a long freeway drive to Phoenix Bakery in Chinatown with a pink box packed to the brim with deliciously fragrant crumbly yet crunchy Chinese almond cookies, each with a toasty almond in the middle.  

These golden delights were eagerly snatched up by us three girls, each having our own style of devouring these almond scented treats.  My special method was to nibble away all around until only the almond was left on its own island of cookie.  Yummilicious!  

Sweet and Sour Pork Chop Onion 糖醋豬排洋蔥

This easy to make Sweet and Sour Pork Chop Onion, or 糖醋豬排洋蔥 is a great all in one dinner type of dish where you've got your delicious meat, a heap o' tasty vegetables, tangy sauce and rice all in one!  

This was something my 老公 whipped up the other day in the kitchen after we discovered some really nice pork chops.  It's an easy all in one dish.  Nothing like saving some time in the kitchen, especially during this heat wave we've been having in Hong Kong.  (Meltingly hot...uck!)  We've almost lost our appetites from the unrelenting heat and, well, there's nothing like a tangy sauced dish to perk up your tastebuds and get you hungry again!

Chinese Ma Lai Gao Steamed Sponge Cake 馬拉糕

I like to be able to have a bit of homemade cake or bread ready to feed my little girl before she goes to school everyday.  She is a very reluctant waker-upper in the morning and time somehow always ends up being squeezed tight in the rush to get her to school on time.  So it is very convenient to have a homemade goodie that we can grab and go, then eating leisurely on the walk to school.  

Sometimes we have my Best Banana Bread, sometimes Steamed Sugar Sponge Cake, sometimes homemade bread spread with Chinese Style Liver Pate.  But you know how kids are, they get bored really easily and say to you, with a grumpy face: 'Mom, this again?!'  Ouch, the hurt!  

But it's okay, this sort of rebellion inspires me to try new things!  So this is my latest for breakfast cake, the Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake Ma Lai Gao, or 馬拉糕.  A light, airy, sweet and buttery tasting cake that goes down real easy and  is a cinch to make!