Fried Thai Prawn Cakes (Tod Mun Goong) with Sweet Chilli Dip

Thai Prawn Cakes with Sweet Chilli Dip

We have been eating fried prawn cakes at the Thai restaurant in our compound that cost a good 10 euros for 4 pieces which considering that we are in China seemed a lot of money. Hub had a guest over for dinner last night and wanted me to cook a Thai meal. I thought hard about what to make for the aperitif and finally decided to try making a few Fried Thai Prawn Cakes with Sweet Chilli Dip.

I bought 500g of good-quality frozen prawns for 50rmb. That yielded 10 prawn cakes. Moral of the story : prawn cakes are expensive to make.

I have been extremely busy as 6 members of my family came over to Shanghai 2 weeks ago. Only my parents are still staying with me now, but we have to prepare for our short trip to Jiangmen in a few days and there are still many odds and ends to tie up before we leave. The weather had also been extremely bad, it rained almost every day since they were here.

We now have a bathroom that has had its floor ripped up to be water-proofed and a toilet is waiting for a new paint job once they have part of the roof repaired. Not funny when you had 11 people under your roof and needed all the bathrooms you could come up with.

Thai Prawn Cakes :

500g raw prawns

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

juice of half a lime

white of 1 small egg

1 tbsp corn starch

panko breadcrumbs

oil for deep frying

Sweet Chilli Dip :

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp fish sauce

50ml white rice vinegar

100g sugar

2 garlic cloves

1 large fresh red chilli

Peel and devein the prawns. Add salt, pepper, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, egg white and corn starch and mix into a rough paste using an electric mixer. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Pound the garlic and chilli till you get a rough paste, add it to the water, fish sauce, sugar and vinegar in a small pot and simmer/stir till you get a syrupy sauce. Set aside to cool.

Heat up enough oil for deep frying in a frying pan. Fill a shallow dish with panko breadcrumbs. Scoop up a tablespoonful of the prawn paste and drop it onto the breadcrumbs. Coat it thoroughly and shape it with your hands if necessary. Gently lower the prawn cake into the hot oil and fry till golden brown and crispy.

Serve hot with fresh cucumbers and the sweet chilli dip.

Clams and Mussles with Chanterelles and Sancerre

Clams and Mussles with Chanterelles and Sancerre

The kids are on holiday this week and we'll be away in London to visit Legoland, the Science Museum and do a spot of shopping! Weatherman has predicted rain, but what the heck, we'll beat the weather and try to have fun - I hope.

Have therefore been busy trying to get the luggage packed and a few odds and ends tied up before we leave. We were in Milan yesterday to collect the kids' passports and met up with the B's for an Indian/Nepalese dinner in the evening.

Didn't feel like cooking much, so prepared really simple dishes in the last few days. One of them was this Clams and Mussles with Chanterelles and Sancerre.

The usual olive oil, garlic, white wine, salt and pepper. Only it's still mushroom season so we also had some fresh chanterelles that had been sauteed with the garlic and a few drops of Hub's very good Sancerre. Not forgetting a few slices of crusty fresh baguette to soak up the sauce.

Foie Gras and Porcini Raviolis with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Foie Gras and Porcini Raviolis with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Hub's last words before he went to bed last evening were, "Those foie gras & porcini raviolis were really delicious...".

And he woke up this morning saying more or less the same thing. It is interesting how something as simple and easy to make as Foie Gras and Porcini Raviolis with Aged Balsamic Vinegar should make such an impression on my dear Hub. A pleasure for the cook, of course.

I had 6 adults and 8 children to feed last evening which was nothing new nor exceptional since I have been doing dinners of this size, see bigger, for a few years now. No, I do not have any domestic help and I cook everything myself. The only thing I lack is a huge fridge/freezer. I also wish that I have a larger reception. Hopefully this would be rectified in the next house we rent.

Foie Gras and Porcini Raviolis (makes 24) :

180g foie gras (cuit or demi-cuit)

3 fresh porcini mushrooms (cleaned)

2 tbsp sauternes wine

salt and pepper to taste

24 fresh won ton wrappers

dense porcini-infused broth (for poaching the raviolis)

aged balsamic vinegar of Modena

Slice the foie gras into approx. 3x1 cm slices. Slice the porcini into small cubes.

Marinate the porcini with the sauternes, salt and pepper for 15-20 minutes.

Fill each won ton wrapper with foie gras and porcini. Seal them making sure that there are no air pockets.

Bring the porcini-infused broth to a boil. You can use a stock cube or make one yourself using dried porcini. Lower the heat to medium-low and poach the raviolis 4 at a time. You just need to cook the wrapper so the cooking time is really very short.

Gently fish out the porcini & foie gras raviolis and arrange them on a plate. Drizzle aged balsamic vinegar over them and serve immediately. You'll need at least 4 raviolis per person as a starter.

PS : This was the ugliest ravioli. I kept it just for the photo and it was unfortunately torn before the poaching.

Porcini Won Tons on Udon Noodles

Porcini Won Tons on Udon Noodles

You may have guessed it, it's mushroom season again! The fridge is full of fresh porcini and chanterelles, I have bought them by the kilo, and my mind is occupied with visions of delicate little dishes that I could make them with.

Spent last evening making chocolate brownie and this morning baking curry puffs for the Teenager's birthday celebration at school. He turns 14 tomorrow and for once we've decided not to organise a party. Last year I spent a fortune on his birthday and while it is true that everyone had a great time, it was alot of work and let's face it, some of the presents were crap. He has decided that we should save the money and travel to London to buy him a really good present instead. Fine by me.

I love porcini. And I know that I have to keep things simple with this delicate mushroom in order not to overpower it. Hub said that some varieties need to be cooked or they could poison, a pity as I like eating them raw too. In any case, porcini should not be handled roughly, but keep an eye on the worms nonetheless, they love the mushroom too. :-)

For lunch this afternoon I made myself Porcini Won Tons on Udon Noodles. They were simple and lovely, I would recommend trying them whether you are vegetarian or not. But they are best made with fresh porcini. That's the idea.

Porcini Won Tons on Udon Noodles (serves 1) :

dry udon noodles for 1

vegetable stock

fresh won ton wrappers

2 small fresh porcini mushrooms (cleaned and cubed)

fresh coriander leaves (chopped)

1 tsp light soy sauce

2 tsp dry sherry

good pinch of ground black pepper

1 tsp roasted minced garlic

I would cook the udon in vegetable stock to give it more flavour. The vegetable stock could be store-bought or home-made. In the case of the latter, adding some dried porcini to the stock as you are making it could be a good idea.

Mix the fresh porcini and the rest of the ingredients together and fill the won ton wrappers with it. Cook a few of them each time in the boiling vegetable stock, fish out and set aside.

Serve the porcini won tons on top of the cooked udon noodles, pouring a bit of the vegetable stock over it. Best eaten hot.

Thai Pineapple and Prawn Salad

Thai Pineapple and Prawn Salad

I really like moving from one place to another and being surrounded by people who are different from myself (though maybe not if our spirits were to be too different). Yet, as far as I know, I do not descend from any nomads, only immigrants on both sides of my family.

Have been away from Singapore 15 years now (on the 5th of September). Since then I have lived in France, the USA, Spain, Germany and now Italy. In between I have also travelled in North America, Europe, Australiasia and North Africa. And I still feel that I need to discover more of the world, that we need to keep moving.

It is fortunate that Hub shares the same need to see/live the world. Because it is not given for most to leave their homes, families and friends, in other words to uproot themselves again and again. Just come here to Maranello, many men live and work here in the week, returning to their wives and children in Turin, Milan or Firenze on Friday evenings. And those cities are not so far away, but still it would be uprooting and many Italian women absolutely hate the idea.

One also knows of so many foreign wives and children who have gone home leaving their men behind to work in Modena. Mainly it is because of the schooling problem, but often it would also be due to the fact that they were not happy here. How could one not be happy in Italy? Many of the Italians as well as you out there would wonder.

But an expat's life is not a bed of roses. It is about starting/adapting all over, learning a new language, understanding a new culture, eating new food, meeting new people and constantly having to figure out how to return home on the best routes for the best price. It could be fun/interesting, or it could be a nightmare. And many people often just do not get it right. Add to the fact that the city you are in may not be the most welcoming and you have a recipe for personal and domestic unhappiness.

I am fortunate that I am usually happy no matter where I am. It helps that I like both my own company and that of others. I have a home to look after, I shop/cook/eat and I blog. I love learning new languages and I am quite independent. Generally I am also a positive person. Wait, I do complain about this and that like everybody else, but I never let the negative weigh me down. Life is too short to spend it whinging - and I fear that I may not live long enough to be able to look back and say that I've lived my life to the fullest.

I was reading about MM Lee's wife's recent death and funeral. And I spent the whole morning in tears. But what a life she had led, surely she must have had few regrets as she blew out her last breath. What an inspiration.

Anyway, I am trying to enjoy my time here in Modena as well as I could. And that includes cooking for others and being fed in return. MD prepared this yummy Thai Pineapple and Prawn Salad for me the other day and I have decided to pamper myself by reproducing the same dish for dinner last evening. She didn't share her exact recipe with me, so I've done it my way.

Thai Pineapple and Prawn Salad (serves 2) :

1 whole ripe pineapple

300g cooked peeled deveined prawns

1 tbsp white or brown sugar

5 tbsp lime juice or 4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 dried bird's eye chilli (crushed)

1 garlic clove (minced - optional)

2 tsp olive or vegetable oil

fresh herbs like coriander, thai basil and mint

2 tbsp toasted peanuts or pine nuts

salad leaves, cucumber and/or red peppers

Cut the pineapple into 2 and remove the flesh, cutting it up into cubes. If you wish, reserve the skin of the pineapple and use it as a plate to serve the salad on.

Mix the sugar, lime juice, fish and soy sauces, chilli, garlic and oil in a bowl. Add the pineapple cubes and mix well. Chill in the fridge till ready to serve.

Before serving add the cooked prawns to the pineapple cubes and toss well together. Arrange them on the pineapple skins and serve on a plate with some salad leaves and fresh herbs. Sprinkle some of the toasted nuts over everything.

Grilled Gambas on Raw Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

Grilled Gambas on Raw Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

Porcini season seems to be here again, time certainly flies! When we were in William's the other evening, they served us warm octopus with raw fresh porcini and it was delicious. I always buy porcini and chanterelles when I see them, so when I needed something quick for lunch solo yesterday I whipped up a simple plate of Grilled Gambas on Raw Fresh Porcini Mushrooms.

I was right not to have stuffed myself at noon as dinner was an English BBQ at JoW's...with English people...complete with lots of booze and bad weather in the form of cloudy skies and finally rain. An authentic experience that deserves to be repeated, if I may say so.

The company was great (with some of my favourite ladies, the kind you want to hug) and I've stuffed myself so much I couldn't sit down. We had (chilli) beef burgers, turkey sausages, really yummy pork ribs, chicken satay (with homemade peanut sauce), chicken kebabs, zuchini and black olive clafoutis, apple crumble, brownies and tiramisu. KF brought some sbrisolona from Mantova that I refused to buy the last time I was there, so I finally got to try out this dry-looking specialty. It's a huge shortbread with almonds, not too bad actually.

You know why you need to invite the husbands when you do a BBQ because somebody has to cook the meat. And men who usually do not cook somehow will always know how to barbecue better than you. Maybe it brings out their stone-age instincts, starting and lording over a fire, "providing" the meat. Anyway I think we've done the food justice, because there wasn't anything left at the end of the evening.

Hub and the Teenager played in a 9-hole golf competition yesterday, seeking that elusive golf handicap. They have dreams of playing in some of the most beautiful golf courses in the world - but most clubs only allow golfers with a handicap to play, thereby the quest. Hub missed getting his by just one point - though he turned out to be first in the competition and has won himself the Tortellino d'Argento. Plus an invitation to play for free this morning in the reserved 18-hole Tortellino d'Oro competition. Want to bet that I'd have to do all the work this week in bed? He'll be whinging about a backache for at least a week.

Grilled Gambas on Raw Fresh Porchini Mushrooms (serves 1) :

7-8 raw gambas (shell-on)

1 garlic clove (finely sliced)

1 small fresh porcini mushroom (sliced)

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

lime juice (optional)

Heat a bit of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic till fragrant (but not brown). Grill the gambas in the oil. Remove and peel them.

Arrange the sliced porcini mushrooms on a plate and drizzle olive oil over them. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the peeled gambas on the porcini and drizzle olive oil etc on them. Add the roasted garlic slices as well if you wish, but not too many of them or they'll overpower the delicate fragrance of the porcini.

Steamed Egg Custard with Fried Salted Fish

Steamed Egg Custard with Fried Salted Fish

A week ago I blogged about my Chawan Mushi aux Girolles that was really quite yummy except for the fact that as usual I was distracted and didn't watch the heat that day. Holes appeared on my egg custard. I've posted a photo of it anyway so that it would serve as a reminder to all egg custard makers to watch the heat.

In the same week, 2 blogs that I'm a fan of blogged about their very smooth steamed egg custards :-). No, I'm not envious since the wonderful thing about blogging is that you get to learn from and be inspired by so many people. But I certainly am embarrassed. I felt that it was a gentle reminder of how I tend to be so légère about getting a job done properly, how whether it comes to my person or my food I do not bother enough to work on the presentation. I usually am in a hurry to get ready/get it done and just go/eat. How many times has Hub complained about that?

When I had a craving yesterday for salted fish, I made my favourite Steamed Egg Custard with Fried Salted Fish. When Hub wasn't around, of course. He hates the smell of salted fish.

This time, I made it a point to watch the heat. Custard turned out smooth, firm and silky. Whew. The only blemishes you see came from the salted fish, oil and black pepper. I allowed the water to come to a boil after which I lowered the heat and put in the egg mixture to steam. Left a small gap for the steam to escape and watched the custard from to time to make sure that it was becoming firm.

We went out for dinner just Hub and I last evening. We had a few things to discuss and wanted to dine on fish. So we went to William's in Maranello. We had Octopus with raw Porcini mushrooms (excellent), grilled Scampi, Fish fritters and a Salt-baked Sea Bass. One of the best meals that we've eaten in the restaurant.

Steamed Egg Custard with Fried Salted Fish :

3 eggs (beaten)

360ml filtered tap water

a pinch of ground black pepper

a piece of good-quality salted fish

1 tsp light soy sauce

a few drops of toasted sesame oil

3 tbsp light chicken stock

1 bird's eye chilli (crushed)

Fry the salted fish till crispy and pungent. Remove and slice into tiny pieces.

Beat the eggs and mix with the water. I didn't season it (except for the pepper) or use chicken stock as the salted fish will be very salty already. Sieve through twice.

Bring some water to a boil in a large wok.

In a shallow dish add half the salted fish and pour the egg custard mixture over.

No holes, custard is smooth, firm and silky

Lower the heat and place the dish on a metal rack in the wok, making sure that the water doesn't touch the dish. Cover the wok leaving a small gap so that some of the steam may escape. Steam for around 20 minutes or until the egg custard is firm. If the temperature's right, there will be no holes in the custard.

Prepare the sauce. When the egg custard is cooked, sprinkle the remaining salted fish on it and pour the sauce over. Serve hot.

Bruschetta and Tomato Tart

Tomato Tart

I have not read Amy Tan (e.g. "Joy Luck Club") for a number of years and decided all of a sudden to check her out again. Ordered two of her latest books ("Saving Fish from Drowning" and "The Opposite of Fate") one of which is an autobiography of sorts.

I am drawn to her writings because I am "western-educated" like the writer, but we also grew up in Chinese families with mothers who were superstitious and who often felt it necessary to warn us against all the dangers that could befall us if we do or do not do certain things; Mothers who believed in the supernatural and the afterlife; who believed in fate and yet had faith that we (the children) were destined for greater things.

As I was reading Tan, I shudder over her account of the Ouija board that she would use so often to help her mum obtain answers to certain dilemmas in life. To those who have not heard stories about the ouija from their mums, it would just be another board game from the Parker Brothers, but I still remember what mine had told me of the spirits who had been summoned and who wouldn't leave in peace. I am reasonably logical and I believe that everything in life could have a scientific explanation, but I also feel that there is room for the unexplained, my upbringing having planted more than the seed of doubt (in the absolute nature of the former).

Do you believe in premonitions and the afterlife? Tan's story about how her friend Pete dreamt of his own death before it happened was eerie, but unlike Hub who had been brought up to not believe in spirits and in the supernatural and who would without any doubt dismiss it as utter rubbish, I, not for the first time in my life, spent some time wondering about the mysteries of life and how one's belief is so shaped by one's upbringing. I also wonder why we see or at least feel spirits so easily where I came from, but wouldn't even think of it where I'm living in now. The only ghost in these parts as we know is the Holy Ghost.

Hub thinks that seeing is believing, but isn't it also true that if you don't believe you may not see?

Anyway that's what I've been up to lately, finding yet another excuse to not fold the mountain of clothes that I've washed and dried in the past 2 weeks. I read, I muse, I cook and I eat.

I've been having a love affair with something I usually refuse to eat i.e. raw tomatoes. I pick out tomatoes in my salad, I hate tomato ketchup and will only eat tomatoes in the form of home-made tomato sauce. But I love Bruschetta. And after our recent weekend in the Piedmont, I especially love my bruschetta when it's made with freshly baked foccacia.

Once I got started with the olive oil, garlic and herb-marinated tomatoes, I decided to marry them with my beloved puff pastry and so we had Tomato Tart for tea yesterday. Yum yum...

The Tomato Dip/Filling :

500g of ripe cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered according to their size)

good-quality extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover the tomatoes)

2 large garlic cloves (bashed)

fresh rosemary and basil leaves

a pinch of ground black pepper

salt to taste (only just before serving*)

freshly-baked foccacia

Put everything together in a bowl (except the salt - or it'll drain the juice out of the tomatoes) and marinate for a few hours before serving. Cover with clingwrap. Sprinkle in the salt just before serving. Goes really well with freshly toasted country bread or freshly-baked foccacia. I used Buitoni's ready-made foccacia dough and improved it with salt, olive oil and rosemary before baking it in a very hot oven for 10-12 minutes. My guests at my last class lunch seemed to love it.

For the tomato tart, heat the oven to 180°C and bake the puff pastry (bords rolled inwards and dough pricked all over with a fork) for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the tomato filling (minus the juice) on it. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Omelette aux Girolles

Omelette aux Girolles

An omelette is a basic dish in France. When you do not know what else to cook, make an omelette. We had a large barquette of Girolles/Chanterelles in the fridge and didn't have the time nor the mood to make a feast of it. So we made an Omelette aux Girolles.

Omelette aux Girolles :

Girolles (cleaned and sliced)

Garlic (chopped)

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh Parsley (chopped)

For one omelette :

Olive Oil

3 Eggs (beaten with a fork)

A dollop of Cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fry the girolles till golden and fragrant using the mentioned ingredients. Sprinkle the parsley over them at the end.

Spread the mushrooms evenly over the frying pan and add more olive oil if necessary.

Beat the eggs with a fork and do not over do it. Beat in the cream, salt and pepper. Pour over the girolles in the frying pan.

The pan has to be hot when the eggs first come into contact with it. At the beginning, keep lifting part of the omelette up with a spatula and tilt the pan so as to allow some of the uncooked egg on the surface to flow underneath and form more layers.

Lower the heat and cook the omelette until the surface turns slightly opaque (which is quite fast) - but do not cook it through. We like our omelette baveuse (moist and frothy on the inside).

Fold both sides of the omelette one slightly over the other towards the middle and serve it hot, maybe with a salad.

Carpaccio di Polpo

Carpaccio di Polpo

No, I didn't cook the octopus myself though I could have, of course. But being more or less the only person in the family who would eat it, it'd be a waste of time and energy. Not to mention of octopus as they are usually gigantic and could feed an army as an antipasto.

I bought it at the supermarket. Was intrigued by its beautiful purple colour. And boy was it a breeze preparing the dish, just open the packet, take out the thin discs of octopus carpaccio and place them on a plate.

Drizzle good-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar over it and tuck in. It was surprisingly good.

Feuilleté de Chèvre et Tomate

Feuilleté de Chèvre et Tomate

I don't ever eat goat's cheese. Though there is no reason why I couldn't make it for my guests. In mozzarella-land we tend to forget this humble cheese that figures largely in many Mediterranean diets, especially in the ones that supposedly prolong your life.

I prepared them simply :

Fresh Puff pastry squares

Fresh Goat's cheese

Fresh Basil leaf

Thinly-sliced fresh Tomato

Fresh Thyme

Salt, Pepper and Olive Oil

20 minutes in a hot 180°C oven.

Borlenghi

Borlenghi

The Borlenghi is a crepe made of flour, water and salt that is served in the mountains surrounding Modena and Vignola. I fell in love with it the first time I ate it at the Christmas market in Castelvetro and having a craving for it today, decided to make my own.

They usually fill it with lard, rosemary, garlic and parmesan cheese. I have replaced the lard with olive oil. The fresh rosemary came from my own garden. The result was yummy, though my borlenghi was not as crispy as the ones they usually sell. I will have to keep working on it and pay more attention the next time I see a vendor prepare his.

I do not have the big heavy pan they usually use to make the borlenghi nor bricks to heat up and cook it on (like in the past), so my little crepe pan will have to do.

It is a little tricky getting the right consistency for the batter so it was trial and error. Basically it has to be quite watery, but capable of being cooked into a crepe without sticking to the pan.

Otherwise it's very simple, just flour, salt, and water. Approximately 1 cup flour to less than 2 cups water. Mix together and let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes. The crepe pan has to be oiled and hot.

The fragrant filling

The Filling :

Olive Oil or Pork Lard

1 Garlic clove (minced)

1 sprig of fresh Rosemary (chopped)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the oil, garlic and rosemary in a bowl and microwave it for 30-40 seconds. It should become fragrant.

When the crepe is cooked, put it on a plate and spread a bit of the garlic and rosemary filling on it. Sprinkle grated parmesan, salt and pepper over it, fold the borlenghi and it's ready!

Prawn and Asparagus Frittata

Prawn and Asparagus Frittata

How much of one's life is subject to fate or destiny, and how much a question of will?

It was raining yesterday morning and I had a coffee morning to attend in Modena centro. For some reason, there was no parking to be found at 10:30am on a Wednesday which was quite rare. I drove round all the parking areas near the centro, but had no luck. On my 4th round, I decided that it would be my last and that I'd call it quits and apologise to AH for not being able to turn up after that.

I would hate to do this it being her first time organising a coffee morning since arriving in Modena a few months ago. Plus I was partly responsible for helping her make it happen. Wanted to make sure that it would kick off the way we had hoped it would. But you know, trying to find parking sucks.

Of course I had to see a car leaving right in front of me when I was waiting out a red light on that last round. Those were long moments as the car next to me started looking like it wanted to overtake me. That got me into battle mode and I dashed into the empty lot the minute the light turned green and barely resisted showing the other car my 3rd finger. Yes, I am this unladylike.

I have walked in her street countless times on my way to the covered market, but of course I didn't know that she lived there then. Now each time I walk through it (if only in the near future) I know that I'd probably tell whoever's with me that I knew someone living in a flat above it. I didn't have to do it, of course, but it felt inevitable that I'd do it.

I was the first to leave the coffee morning in a lovely flat filled with loads of lovely ladies and cute toddlers as I had a lunch date with SB, ES and KB. Not to forget SB's young and promising boy Ameya who would be flying home to India today. To loads of Hindi and Maths tuition before the new school year starts in June.

We ate at a Greek restaurant Da Kostas in the via Giardini. I was too busy talking to remember to take any pictures of the food or the company. We always do have a good laugh when we meet up, it is a pity that SB had to leave when she had to leave - though if it's any consolation, she'll be back briefly in June to wrap things up. We could have a farewell meal together then and say goodbye properly. Who knows if we'll meet up again one day? And will that depend on fate or on the will?

On this note, I made myself a Prawn and Asparagus Frittata for lunch. Before heading out to the Golf Club to hit a few balls. I have arranged to sell my remaining gym entries to KB as I have more or less given up the idea of exercising. Exercising bores the hell out of me and only makes me want to eat more. And the incentive to drive to Modena to use the sauna at the gym is lost because I now have access to the sauna at the Golf Club and it's just 5 minutes from my house. I totally admire those ladies who are dedicated to working out as often as they can. I have given it a try and it's not written in my stars that I should go on doing it. Why in/re-sist?

Zucchini and Bacon Frittata

Zucchini and Bacon Frittata

I am taking a break from blogging about Rome. In the past, I would just visit a place, take a few pictures and eventually have them printed and archived in an album. Ever since I've started blogging, I re-live my trips on my blog and that's like travelling all over again - and just as time consuming. Though one doesn't burn any calories this way and often ends up with no photos in the album.

This morning, I made brunch for the kids and a Zucchini and Bacon Frittata for myself. A frittata is an Italian stuffed omelette and unlike its French counterpart, often has its ingredients cooked first in the pan before having the eggs added. The eggs for a frittata are also usually well-beaten/whisked to incorporate air into them so that they would be more fluffy. Finally, the top of a frittata is usually bronzed (either by flipping the omelette in the pan - difficult - or by finishing the preparation under a grill in the oven). It's much easier to prepare than a good and light French omelette whose preparation is a Science in itself. And it is just as delicious. You can use whatever you like e.g. cheese, meat, vegetables to stuff it with.

Zucchini and Bacon Frittata (serves 1) :

1 Zucchini (cubed)

4 thin slices of Bacon (cut into smaller pieces)

1 small Red Onion (sliced)

1 Garlic clove (diced)

3 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)

A handful of fresh Parsley (chopped)

2 large Eggs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Heat up a small frying pan and fry the bacon in it. Once a little oil starts to seep out of the bacon, add the zucchini and onions. Drizzle some olive oil over them.

When one side of the zucchini is bronzed, turn them over to be cooked. Add the garlic.

Add the tomatoes and gently stir them into the rest. Sprinkle the parsley on top. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the filling is being cooked, crack the eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper and beat/whisk till the eggs are fluffy. Pour over the filling in the pan.

If using the oven to grill the top of the frittata, the oven has to be hot so do think of pre-heating it beforehand. And the pan that is going into the oven has to be oven-proof, of course. Grill until the frittata is fluffy and bronzed.

If finishing the cooking in the frying pan, either flip the frittata to its other side, or heat up another frying pan and transfer the frittata to it. That's what I did since I'm not into acrobatic acts.

A frittata is usually served sliced like a pizza. It can be eaten as finger food, an entrée or a meal on its own.

Soufflé au Fromage

Soufflé au Fromage

One tends to hoard things one cannot find easily preciously. With the ironic result of having precious things turn mouldy or spoiling with over-storage. I always have this problem with Cheddar cheese.

As I clear out my fridge this morning, I had to admit to myself that today would be the time to use up the last bit of cheddar cheese that I've brought back from France on our New Year ski trip. Yes, that long ago. I made Soufflé au Fromage for lunch.

Soufflé au Fromage (for 1 person) :

1 Tsp Flour

100ml Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

A pinch of ground Nutmeg

1 Egg

40g Mature Cheddar, Beaufort or Cantal (grated)

melted Butter (for greasing the ramequin)

Put the flour in a small saucepan and turn on the heat. Add the milk bit by bit, stirring all the time as it starts to thicken. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool a little. If you want this to be richer, make a bechamel by adding 2 Tsp of butter.

Separate the yolk from the white of the egg. Add the yolk together with the grated cheese to the flour and milk mixture.

In a separate clean and dry bowl, beat the egg white till fluffy and stiff. Fold it carefully into the yolk and cheese mixture.

Beaten egg white

Butter the ramequin and pour the batter into it. Bake in a pre-heated to 180°C oven on the lower shelf for 15-20 minutes.

Serve immediately as the soufflé will usually sink once it starts to cool.

Clam Omelette

Clam Omelette

I have been thinking about our Oyster Omelettes back home. Those evenings when I was a kid in Toa Payoh and dad bringing us to the nearby hawker centre for supper. I don't like oysters, but I sure like the oyster omelette, its oily gooey gluey goodness. So I substituted with clams and made a Clam Omelette for my lunch today. But I was distracted by my Beef Rendang and overcooked my omelette without having it crispy. Failure.

Clam Omelette :

1 Tbsp Rice flour

2 Tbsp Tapioca or sweet potato starch

7 Tbsp liquid from drained clams + 1 Tbsp water

65g Clams

2 Garlic cloves (minced)

3 Eggs

1 Chilli padi

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine

1/4 Tsp Sesame Oil

Fresh Coriander leaves

Mix the flour, starch and liquid into a batter. Heat some oil in the frying pan and pour the batter onto it.

Once the bottom of the batter is cooked, break the eggs into the pan one at a time and stir roughly.

Push the egg batter aside, add some more oil into the pan and fry the garlic, chilli and chopped coriander leaves till fragrant.

Place the clams (marinated in the sauces and wine) on top of the omelette, cook for a minute and mix everything together.

You usually serve the omelette with a chilli sauce, but since I dislike chilli sauces, I ate mine with a bit of curry. I think the amount of oil used helps to determine the crispiness of the omelette. I probably didn't use enough. My sister said it looked gross.

Crabmeat Pancake, Duck and Cucumber Salad

Crabmeat Pancake, Duck and Cucumber Salad

I love crabs. Unfortunately the Sri Lankan ones we get back in Singapore are unavailable in Europe and here in Modena, even the big hard-shelled ones you don't see much of. I therefore resort to buying canned crabmeat, though when they are not fresh and shelled, you have to cook it differently e.g. in soups, salads, omelettes...and Crabmeat Pancakes.

This recipe is adapted from Ken Hom's Wok & Co cookbook. Makes about 6-8 small pancakes.

55g flour
1 egg

1Tsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tsp salt

ground black pepper

1 Tsp chopped fresh ginger

1 Tbsp chopped onions or spring onions

Half a dried or fresh Thai chilli

125ml milk

1 Tbsp lemon juice

120g crabmeat

Mix the flour, eggs, sesame oil, salt, pepper, ginger, onion, chilli, milk and lemon juice in a large bowl. Then add the crab meat.

The batter

Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

Crabmeat Pancake

Heat a little peanut oil in a crepe pan and prepare the pancakes as you would the usual crepes.

Duck and Cucumber Salad

I ate my crabmeat pancakes with a Duck and Cucumber Salad. Using leftover duck breast, fresh cucumber and a light soy sauce and toasted sesame oil seasoning for the cucumber and a drizzling of good balsamic vinegar on the duck. That's my lunch for today, eaten in front of the computer as I watched the Korean drama "He who can't marry". Like I said, I do so adore handsome Korean leads...

Tarte aux Girolles (Chanterelle Tart)

Tarte aux Girolles

Was supposed to stay away from puff pastry, bacon and crème fraiche, but when I saw those chanterelles the other day in the supermarket, I had to buy them and forget the diet. Of course I could do just the simple sautée with olive oil, parsley and garlic (which I actually did - for the tart), but with the quantity of chanterelles I have, I could do a few different dishes with them and Tarte aux Girolles oblige! Hub prepared his famous French vinaigrette to dress his frisée salad to accompany the tart.

This evening, we'll have the classic Poulet aux Girolles (Chicken in Cream and Chanterelles).

Brick à L'Oeuf

Brick à L'Oeuf

When we eat in a North African restaurant in Paris, we would usually start off with a Brick à l'Oeuf. The brick is pretty similar to our Popiah skin. And in it you usually just have an egg with a few coriander leaves or you could also add a bit of tinned Tuna, onions, lemon juice and parsley. At the Club Med in Tunisia, the bricks we had also contained some mashed potatoes and minced beef so basically you can fill it with whatever you want as long as it can be cooked quickly.

Olive or Vegetable Oil for frying

Approx. 20cm round or square Brick or Spring Roll Skin

Fresh Egg

Mashed Potato (optional)

Minced cooked Chicken, Beef, Tuna or Mutton (optional)

Coriander Leaves or Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Lemon Juice

Heat up some Olive or Vegetable Oil in a frying pan.

Put a sheet of the brick on a flat plate. If using the mashed potatoes, meat etc, place a bit in the middle of the brick. Break an egg on top of it, or if you want it to hold better, make a hole in the mashed potatoes for the egg. Add salt, pepper and the herbs.

Fold over the other half of the sheet. You should have a crescent-shaped parcel if using a round brick.

Slide the brick gently into the hot oil holding on tightly to both sides of the folded brick (and turning up the corners a little to prevent the egg white from slipping out). There is no need to seal the brick as it will automatically seal itself once it's in the hot oil. Using a pair of tongs, turn the brick over to the other side when the egg starts to be cooked. Do not overcook if you do not want a hard yolk. It should still be runny when you start slicing into the brick. Brick is a light golden brown in colour.

Serve hot with some lemon juice squeezed over it.