Cabbage with Bacon Stir Fry

Cabbage and Bacon Stir Fry

There are days when you want to eat simply. I do not need another medical checkup to tell me that my liver's getting too rich and oily. Not that cooking the humble cabbage with bacon is not rich nor oily, but it's a simple dish to prepare and if you often keep a head of cabbage in the fridge like I do (because it keeps well for a long time), it can be whipped up in a jiffy.

I have been busy trying to reorganise the house now that we have lived a year in it. Spring being round the corner also contributed to the desire to tidy up and age probably also had something to do with it. A quick poll among my secondary school mates revealed that quite a number of the ladies have become quite into packing and repacking in recent months/years (some age faster than others haha) though once you reach my MIL's age I'm sure said desire will go out of the window again.

So I've been to Ikea a few times and came back with new shelves for the Babies (that I'd have spent an afternoon or 2 assembling the modern woman being the new man), I've also bought new transparent plastic boxes (they were quite expensive, sigh) and repacked the garage. Need to return to Ikea next week to buy more boxes so that I can also reorganise the closets. Plastic is a good investment because if you had burst pipes or a leaking roof, you'd appreciate not having your clothes in paper boxes (speaking from experience, of course).

Now I need to find the energy to repaint the wooden garden furniture for spring. And finish my new mosaic projects. But sighting sunlight really helps to keep me moving, winter just doesn't agree with me.

I had rice porridge left over from dinner and felt that it would go really well with some Cabbage and Bacon Stir Fry. No time to cook elaborate meals lately though that would have to change with the coming of spring and a new season of entertaining.

Cabbage and Bacon Stir Fry :

small head cabbage (tender parts chopped into large pieces)

3 slices good-quality bacon (sliced)

2 garlic cloves (finely sliced)

a few dried chillies

sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Boil a pot of water and blanch the cabbage for 3 minutes. This would help make the cabbage less bitter but do not over cook or it'll lose its crunchiness. Remove and set aside.

Heat up a fry pan and fry the bacon pieces till the fat is rendered. Cook the garlic and dried chillies in the fat till fragrant.

Season to taste and add the blanched cabbage to the frying pan. Stir fry for a few minutes and serve hot.

Steamed Minced Pork on Silken Tofu

Steamed Minced Pork on Silken Tofu (with French Beans)

I have been busy. Like the Queen is English.

Though of course there are different kinds of busy. Like can-be-avoided busy (e.g. having lunch with friends, visiting Margi in Bologna, going to the sauna, learning how to knit with MD, planning holidays to London, Zurich, Shanghai and the French Alps...), cannot-be-avoided-anymore busy (e.g. doing the laundry because we've run out of underwear and socks, shopping for food as one has 6 adults and 8 children to feed in 2 days, making the kids do their homework...) and just-busy busy (aka I-do-not-know-why-I'm-busy busy).

When I was a kid I often wished that I could just sit around and do nothing (especially no cleaning windows every Sunday or doing tonnes of homework everyday). Though now that I am economically unproductive and the kids are at school - I find that sitting around doing nothing is one of the most horrible states in a person's existence.

So keeping busy is necessary even vital. Only some people are more productive in their busyness than others. I'm the sort who has been busy and has nothing much to show for it at the end of the day. Bollywood beauty spends her mornings busy in the gym and she has an hourglass figure to show for it; Me, I'm still fat, the house is still in a mess, the kids are still not brilliant, and my to-do list is so long I've lost track of where to start.

Anyway, I started out the morning booking the hotel for our weekend in Zurich (and I'm close to finalising our coming week in London) and I am just procrastinating on getting the clothes, furniture etc sorted out. We do not yet know for sure (meaning it's still not official) where we'll be going to next, but we do know that we will be leaving Modena in a few months. Hub had made his intention to leave the company known to his hierarchy a few months ago and they have finally approved it the day before. Once they've found someone to replace him, we'll be free to leave. And every one in the family is looking forward to the change - surprisingly.

Before being steamed

When I procrastinate, I cook. Steamed leftover minced pork and prawns from yesterday's dumpling soup on silken tofu. That was for breakfast. Now, what should I cook for lunch?

After

Steamed Egg Custard With Shark's Fin

Steamed Egg Custard with Shark's Fin

It is no longer politically correct to eat shark's fin. Nor foie gras and tuna. And even if you should go vegetarian, you have to keep an eye on the OGMs. Then do try not to buy produce that has travelled alot, keep an eye on the pesticides being used, and should you eat chickens that have been reared in cages?

It is no secret that political correctness was something that I haven't had as a module when I was at political school. And I've spent many many years in a few of them in both Paris and Singapore. Therefore while I do not ever eat tuna, I love my foie gras and shark's fin soup.

Each time I go home, mum buys me a can or 2 of shark's fin soup. Usually the ones that use not just the fins but also the animal's cartiledge in their preparation. For breakfast this morning, I've decided to make myself Steamed Egg Custard with Shark's Fin. I usually do not eat breakfast in Europe because I prefer a savoury breakfast, but after burning a few calories yesterday in the gym (*wink*), I felt that I had to replenish my blood or risk fainting alone at home.

Steamed Egg Custard with Shark's Fin :

4 eggs

1 tbsp dry sherry

1 tsp sesame oil

420ml (can) shark's fin soup

60ml still mineral water

2 chinese mushrooms

old dark chinese vinegar

Beat the eggs in a bowl with the sherry and sesame oil. Sieve through twice.

Add the filtered egg mixture to the shark's fin soup together with the mineral water.

Soak a few Chinese mushrooms in hot water to soften them. Add them to the custard. You can also add dried scallops and/or fresh coriander leaves to the custard if you so wish.

Bring some water to boil in a wok. Divide the custard into 2 portions and steam each portion in a porcelain or metal dish on medium-low heat for 7-15 minutes depending on your heat. Cover the wok during the steaming but leave a small gap for the steam to escape. The egg custard should be firm but smooth and silky.

Drizzle old Chinese vinegar over the egg custard and serve it hot.

Chawan Mushi aux Girolles

Chawan Mushi aux Girolles

I love steamed egg custard whether they are Cantonese or Japanese, though I could never be sure if it was the egg or the filling that I prefer. The latter for sure is a much more elegant way of eating the same thing and since I came across some pretty chanterelles (or girolles in French), I decided to make Chawan Mushi aux Girolles.

You have taken out the soaked-through towels and hung them out to dry and of course just when they were half-dry, it started raining. Water water everywhere, if you are superstitious like I often am, you may start to wonder where all this is leading to...

School started last Thursday and with it my social life. Thus far 21 new children have joined the school, though I must admit that I am no longer as curious as I used to be about them. I'm now into my 4th year in Modena and that's starting to be a little long for a seasoned expat like myself. I itch to explore new horizons...

Having said that, I like very much the new Italian mother whose daughter just joined Babinette's class and I look forward to getting to know her better. I am also very pleased thus far with the new teacher, especially after hearing her out yesterday evening at the school's Back-to-school Night. Apart from the flooding and the Teenager's bronchitis, the new school year looks bright and promising.

Chawan Mushi aux Girolles (serves 2) :

The Chanterelles :

60g fresh Girolles/Chanterelles (gently rinsed, dried and sliced into 2 if necessary)

1 Garlic clove (chopped)

2 Tsp Peanut Oil

2 Tsp Sake

A dash of ground Black Pepper

The Egg Custard :

1 large Egg

2/3 Tsp Chicken and Beef stock granules

120ml Hot Water

The Sauce :

2 Tsp Light Soy sauce

1 Tsp Rice Vinegar

1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Dry Sherry

1 dried Bird's eye Chilli (crushed)

2 Tbsp Hot Water

Fresh Coriander, Parsley and/or Spring Onions for garnishing

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic till fragrant. Add the girolles. When they are just cooked, add the sake and pepper. When they are golden, remove from the pan and set aside.

Dissolve the stock granules in the hot water and set aside to cool.

Beat the egg and add it to the cooled stock. Sieve it twice.

Just steamed (not pretty - lots of holes - heat too high)

In each small cup add half the mushrooms and pour half the egg custard into it. Steam over gently boiling water for around 9-11 minutes. Make sure that the pot is properly covered, but over some kitchen towels. Or just leave a small gap so that the steam can escape (but adjust the cooking time accordingly, it'll take longer). When the heat is too high, you get pockmarks in your custard like me. I must admit that I do not really care about that, but if you are a perfectionist, work on getting the right temperature before you steam your custard.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. When the egg custard is cooked - it should be firm but smooth and silky in texture - garnish with the chopped fresh herbs and pour the sauce over everything.

Orange Glazed Roast Chicken

Orange Glazed Roast Chicken

Many many years ago, a few of my classmates at University were interviewed for a job with the Secret Service. I wasn't one of them probably since I looked anything but secretive. My life, as I like to say, is an open book.

Anyway, at one point friend in question asked the recruiter about the Service's staff turnover. "We have very low turnover," the recruiter announced proudly. Friend flipped. Translate it to mean "Get in and you will never get out." He chose to be a school teacher instead.

This popped to the mind because of a remark that Hub made recently. An expat couple (actually very lovely people) we know here have always been very discreet about their financial activities. In fact they are more or less discreet about everything and keep pretty much to themselves and a few selected friends. You vaguely knew what the husband did, and they have a pretty comfortable lifestyle, from membership at one of the more exclusive clubs around to designer brands, holidays, restaurants...and a new house.

When I mentioned that - plus the way the wife was recently vague (again) about something - to Hub, his reaction was : maybe they were secret agents. Now, why didn't I think of that before? How very exciting just the possibility of it.

Now what has that got to do with orange glazed chicken? Nothing much actually, but that's the problem with me, I often start to write about something only to end up with something else altogether. It's like I lose control of my pen once the ink starts to flow. I still think sometimes of some of the compositions that I've written when I was a teenager at school. Even then I would often re-read what I've written at the end of the exercise/test/exam and wonder, "Did I just write that?" One of my Political Science lecturers at University once gave us a very good piece of advice : Read what you've written a few days after you've written it and see whether you still agree with it.

Unfortunately when it comes to my blog, I rarely find the courage to read what I've written earlier, scared to discover what I've been up to/thinking of/eating/blabbing about. Sometimes my dad or my little sister would ask me about something I've written about (and done) and I would shrink and think, "Shit, did I mention that?"

I had syrup leftover from the Atayef and decided to make Orange Glazed Roast Chicken with it. I also made Garlic Mashed Potatoes which is always a hit with the family.

Orange Glazed Roast Chicken :

The Orange Glaze :

150ml Orange juice

100g Sugar

1 Tsp Light Soy sauce

1/2 Tsp Orange zest

The Roast Chicken :

1 large free-range Chicken

1 large Garlic clove (bashed)

3 sprigs fresh Thyme

1 sprig fresh Rosemary

A few Sage leaves

A few pieces of Orange peel

1/4 Tsp 5-spice powder

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil or Butter

6 Tbsp White wine

Homemade Garlic Mashed Potatoes :

4 large Potatoes (peeled and quartered)

Olive oil or Butter

2 Garlic cloves (minced)

1 1/2 cup Chicken stock

1 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp ground Black pepper

3 heaped Tbsp Crème fraîche

Prepare the orange glaze by boiling sugar, orange juice, zest and light soy to a syrup. Set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 210°C.

Wash and pat dry the whole chicken. Stuff it with salt, the fresh herbs, garlic and the orange peel.

Rub the chicken with the 5-spice powder, salt and pepper. Gently smooth olive oil or melted butter all over the skin.

Bake the chicken breast-down in a baking dish in the hot oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and pour 3 Tbsp of the white wine over the chicken. Then brush the orange glaze generously over it. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes or till the skin is brown and crisp.

Remove from the oven again and turn the chicken over so that it is now breast-up. Pour the remaining white wine over it and glaze it generously with the orange glaze.

Return to the oven and remove every 10 minutes (2-3 times) to apply more orange glaze on it.

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting it up to be served. Recuperate the orange-scented roasting juices from the baking dish and serve it with the roast chicken and mashed potatoes.

As for the mashed potatoes, I like mine roughly mashed with bits of the potato still in it. Boil the potatoes in salted water till they are cooked, drain and mash them. Set aside.

In a pot, heat up some olive oil and fry the garlic till fragrant. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and return the mashed potatoes to the pot. Mix well and when the potatoes have absorbed the garlic stock, stir in the cream. Yummy...

Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian

Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian

I am chewing my nails now wondering if I'd gotten myself a speeding ticket from my shopping trip to Tuscany yesterday. It was the last day of the kids' Summer camp and I've decided to use my last day of freedom to shop till I drop.

Times like these I would wish that we had Autobahns (motoways) like in Germany where one could drive as fast as one's car would allow. I rarely drive to Firenze from Modena as I dislike the (1) windy roads (you have to be very alert and really concentrate on your driving), (2) the numerous speed cameras and (3) the lousy speed limits (e.g. very often 80 - 100 - 110 km/h). On the way back, as the motorway went downhill, I often found myself much above the speed limits without doing anything particular. Speeding tickets here usually could buy you a bag from Prada and since I've never found the courage to buy one, I would hate to give that money to Berlusconi instead.

It was a great day otherwise. Spent a fortune at Polo Ralph Lauren (how I've missed that shop!) and got a few things from Maui and Sons, Calvin Klein, Jean's Paul Gautier, Byblos..It's just as well that I would stop shopping (I hope) till the next Sale because I have almost busted my credit card's limit as well as my Bancomat's. Actually, it's not difficult when you're shopping each time for 5. Children do cost one alot of money :-).

I will have to start clearing out my old wardrobe seeing that I do not own a walk-in like Carrie in Sex and the City. And life goes on, it's washing, cooking etc during the weekend what do you imagine?

Hub wanted us to eat light for lunch so I made us a Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian. It's a simple dish that looks quite pretty when you're serving it and as long as you do not go crazy on the olive oil (like I do), it doesn't contain alot of calories. And it's full of flavours from the Provence.

Gambas, Zucchini and Tomato Tian :

400g Gambas

3-4 small Zucchinis

3 ripe oblong Tomatoes

1 large Red Onion

1 Carrot

Dressing :

2-3 Garlic cloves (minced)

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Juice of 1 Lemon

2-3 dried Bird's eye chillies (optional)

Fresh Basil, Thyme and Rosemary

Prepare the dressing (minus the basil leaves) at least 30 minutes in advance so that the flavours could marry. Set aside.

Prepare a tian or any dish that could go into an oven. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

Slice the vegetables into thin rounds and place them vertically in the ovenproof dish, alternating onions with tomatoes, basil leaves, zucchinis, carrots and gambas.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and gambas.

Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes. Or till the vegetables are as cooked as you want them to be (which could take up to 3 hours but on lower heat). Mine were not too cooked as I planned to re-heat them for dinner.

Freshly baked

Gently use tongs to remove stacks of the vegetables and gambas onto serving plates and ladle the dressing from the ovenproof dish onto the vegetables. Works well as a side dish (minus the gambas eventually) or as a meal in itself.

French Bean and Onion Omelette

French Bean and Onion Omelette

The other day one 0f my children asked if I could do something and when asked why I should do it, he answered that it was to make him proud of me. Now, it set me thinking that certainly times have changed since in my memory I've always had to work on making my parents proud of me, but the other way round?

Baby Girl and her good friends

I've been too busy to blog since last week. MIL arrived, I had to organise a gift for Baby Boy's teacher on her birthday which also happened to be on the school's annual Sports Day (kids' blue team came in last but Baby Boy was first in his race). Then we had lunch with Mu to celebrate her 40th and I had to dash for my last flute lesson for the year. MIL who has an eye for cute young men of course commented that I had a cutie for a flute teacher. :-)

Part of the Sports Day installations

Then there were children's birthday parties, the B's boogie night, trips to the pool at the golf club, CB's lunch, playdates, organising a gift for the kids who would be leaving the class, today's Grade 1 lunch...and tomorrow'd be my turn to do a cookery lesson for the cookery club. Hopefully I'll be able to do my first golf lesson this year on Friday (if it should stop raining), get through with Grade 2's Pool Party, prepare a room for the French Bs' overnight stay when they come over from Milan, attend the D's farewell party followed by EB's birthday party...

Baby Boy and his good friends

I've also been cooking, but really simple meals from a Paella to Sayur Lodeh, 5-Spice Roast Chicken, Fried Kangkong, Tarte au Citron...and French Bean and Onion Omelette. This is a nice and simple dish to make up a 4/5-course Chinese meal, something I whip up when I do not have a lot of time.

French Bean and Onion Omelette :

1 small Onion (sliced)

1 Garlic clove (minced)

1 Red chilli (sliced)

A handful of French beans (diced)

3 Eggs (beaten)

1/2 Tsp Fish Sauce (if really vegetarian omit this)

1/2 Tsp light Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Sugar

Juice of half a Lime

1 Tsp Sherry or Chinese cooking wine

Pepper to taste

Heat a wok with some oil and fry the onion till soft. Add the garlic and diced green beans and fry till the garlic is fragrant.

Add the chilli.

Beat the eggs with the pepper till fluffy. When the French beans are cooked but still very crunchy, pour in the beaten egg. Move the wok a bit to spread out the egg.

Mix the sugar with the rest of the ingredients. Pour it over the omelette. The sugar will caramelise a little and balance with the salty, tangy and spicy bits in the omelette.

I like my omelette fried on one side and still quite soft on the other side.

Guacamole (Avocado Purée)

Guacamole

I am not a vegetable person and do not ever eat avocado - even though I have heard that song about how good it is for the skin. But I am not a dictator and do not discourage the rest of the family from eating it. In fact, I occasionally make Guacamole and serve it as a dip for tortilla chips or as part of a Fajitas meal.

How do I know what it should taste like? Well, I asked the Hub how he liked his guacamole and kept experimenting with different ingredients until he gave the thumbs-up for it. And I now have extra tasters in the Babies though it's difficult removing the bowl of guacamole from them once they start to dip their fingers in it.

I am making Fajitas this evening and have therefore prepared a guacamole. I liked the idea of doing something vegetarian today as I've just had a lovely Indian vegetarian lunch at KB's. Told myself that I would have to start checking out my vegetarian repertoire if I hope to invite some of those healthy vegetarians to my place for lunch.

Guacamole :

1 large ripe Avocado

1/4 Yellow Onion

Juice of 2 large Limes

1 Tsp ground Cumin

A handful of Coriander leaves

Half of 1 fresh Green Chilli

1 Tsp ground Chilli or a few drops of Tabasco

1 Garlic clove (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil to taste

2-3 Cherry Tomatoes (cubed)

Mix the avocado, onion, ground cumin, coriander leaves, chilli, salt, pepper, olive oil and lime juice till you get a paste. Smoothness is up to you.

Top with cubed tomatoes and serve. When I told Hub I was making fajitas for dinner, he said to put a bottle of Corona beer in the fridge.

Almost Agedashi Tofu

Almost Agedashi Tofu

I wanted to make a small tofu dish for Teacher Appreciation as the School Principal likes tofu. And this tofu I had to drive to Reggio Emilia for as the shop in Modena didn't carry any when I was last there. As I had found silken ones, I thought that it would be appropriate to make a simple Agedashi Tofu with them and I call it Almost Agedashi because I didn't have bonito flakes and grated daikon and do not like to use them anyway.

This is a dish that is best eaten immediately (or put together at the last minute) or the crispy exterior of the tofu would become soggy immersed too long in the sauce. Still it is a lovely dish and one of my favourite ways to eat silken tofu.

Almost Agedashi Tofu :

2 tubes of Silken Tofu (for steaming or frying)

Cornstarch for dusting

150ml Dashi or Ikan Bilis Stock

2 Tbsp Japanese light Soy Sauce

2 Tsp Sugar

3 Tbsp Mirin (or 3 Tbsp Sake + 1 Tsp Sugar)

1/2 Tsp grated Ginger

A few drops of Sesame Oil

Spring Onions and Fried Onions for garnishing

Heat oil for deep frying. Coat the tofu (sliced into 2-3 cm thick pieces) in the cornstarch and fry the pieces till golden brown taking care not to have them touch each other. You can have smoothly-coated tofu or lumpily-coated tofu depending on how you dust your tofu and it's a matter of how you like your tofu to turn out after frying. Drain on a kitchen towel and set aside.

The tentsuyu sauce is what you would use for dipping tempura in and you can make it by combining dashi, mirin and shoyu the way you like it. Melt the sugar in the hot dashi stock and add the soy sauce, mirin and grated ginger. Add a few drops of sesame oil if you so wish. You can have the sauce hot, warm, cool or cold as you wish.

Just before serving, pour some of the sauce into a bowl and add a few fried tofu pieces in it. Garnish with spring onions and fried onions or with grated daikon and bonito flakes.

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.

Crisp Fried Okra

Crisp Fried Okra

It is just as well that the kids didn't go to school this morning. Today is Open Day and attendance is optional. We came home late last evening and for some reason the Babies took turns to wake us up in the night (they had nightmares) and we were all quite exhausted this morning. I even had to leave my bed at dawn to sleep in the children's room. 4 in the bed were 2 too many.

I bought some fresh okra yesterday and decided to make some Crisp Fried Okra to go with the Beef Vindaloo. Hub kept going "you're cutting them too thinly!" when I was preparing the dish and I had to shoo him away. He always has something to say when you're cooking and it's rarely positive.

Crisp Fried Okra :

Fresh Okra

Salt

Ground Garam Masala

Oil for frying

Wash and dry the fresh okra.

Slice them thinly.

Heat up enough oil to cover a layer of sliced okra in a large non-stick frying pan.

Fry the okra in batches. Each batch should cover the bottom of the frying pan.

Fry till they turn a light brown. Remove and drain on kitchen towels.

Sprinkle salt and garam masala to taste and mix well. Hub loved it. Now he understands why I was slicing them thinly.

Sayur Lodeh (Vegetables in Coconut Curry)

Sayur Lodeh

Our friend came back from the States with a T-shirt (it says "Chicago") for each child while their mother as usual had nothing. But she will be patient, the longer she waits, the more long-suffering she will appear. And we went shopping again as a family today, this time the breadwinner needed a few new suits and shirts. And shopping with the Hub meant no shopping for me, as he's incapable of shopping on his own, I had to hang around him all the time, from helping him figure out which shops to go to, decide which suits to try on, find the right sizes, hold on to the hangers or his coat/sweater, mumble the "right" comments...Once his shopping done, it would be time to leave because Monsieur couldn't take it anymore.

The rest of the family had a pizza at Spizzico while I waited patiently to return home to finish up this morning's Sayur Lodeh. This is a Malay/Indonesian Vegetable Curry that I grew up on. I especially love eating cabbage, jicama and French beans in the spicy coconut broth.

I thought of making this today as the Rendang Roast Chicken was dry as was the Nasi Kuning. Besides, I had a beautiful head of cabbage waiting for me in the fridge and this weekend's vegetable to use up was French bean. Tomorrow we would have Thai Fish Cakes for dinner and that would use up some of the French beans. I know, I know...

Sayur Lodeh :

1 Onion

2-3 Garlic cloves

1 piece Ginger

1 Lemongrass stalk

1 piece Galangal

1 Tsp ground Turmeric

1 Tsp ground Coriander

1 Tsp ground Cumin

2 Tsp curry paste (e.g. Thai green curry; or grind shallots, garlic, ginger, chilli and belachan into a paste)

1 fresh Chilli

2 Kaffir lime leaves

1 Bay leaf

French beans

Potatoes

Red Bell Pepper

Carrots

Cabbage

Jicama

Zucchini

Plum or Cherry Tomatoes

1 piece Firm Tofu

Hard-boiled Eggs

400ml Coconut milk

200ml hot water

1 1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Palm sugar or white sugar

Fresh Coriander leaves

Roast grated Coconut

To prepare this dish, get all the ingredients ready first. Chop and dice the onion, garlic and ginger, slice the lemongrass and galangal, shred the kaffir lime leaves. Chop the vegetables so that the longest-cooking among them will need maximum 20 minutes to cook. Boil the eggs and peel them.

In a wok, fry the onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and galangal till fragrant. Add the dry spices followed by the curry paste.

Start with the vegetables that would require a longer cooking time e.g. French beans and potatoes. Sautée them in the spice paste.

Followed by the bell peppers and carrots.

At this point, add the chilli, lime and bay leaves. Then stir in the hot water. And the coconut milk.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and jicama and simmer for another 10 minutes. Finally add in the zucchini, eggs, tofu and tomatoes. Stir in the salt, pepper and sugar.

Roast grated coconut

I always eat my Sayur Lodeh with roast grated coconut. Here we do not have it fresh, but I have some dessicated grated coconut in the pantry. Just heat up a frying pan on the fire and roast the grated coconut in it till it turns brown (keep an eye on it, stirring from time to time with a pair of chopsticks, as it can be very fast). Garnish the vegetable curry with fresh coriander leaves and the roast grated coconut.

It doesn't have to be vegetarian, of course. A few nice big peeled prawns would make the dish more complete.

Prima Taste Nonya Sambal Okra and Shrimps

Nonya Sambal Okra and Shrimps

One of the last items to leave the fridge : Fresh Okra and Frozen Shrimps. It is a bit of a race against time to clear out the cool box, I wish I could eat more than 4 meals a day and not grow fatter than fat. Anyway, thanks to Prima Taste's Nonya Sambal paste, I stirfried the okra with a bit of garlic, added in the shrimps followed by the sambal paste and voilà my lunch of Nonya Sambal Okra and Shrimps.

Now I have a few hours to air the kitchen before Hub returns and starts to freak out. Or cross my fingers that the Curry Puffs, Sausage Rolls and Bacon & Egg Sandwiches that I will be making this afternoon for tomorrow's lunch will camouflage the pungent shrimp paste smell in the air. Mmm...I like this sambal chilli paste. Sweet and spicy like they said. Nothing like a good dose of chilli to kick off 2 coming weeks of mainly ski resort French cuisine.

Kids finish school earlier today and with that we will begin our Christmas Holidays. First to Stuttgart, then to La Vallée d'Automne followed by Paris and Morzine.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!!!

PS : Guess who's at the door? The Hub. Came back to discharge his carload of Christmas gifts. Didn't have the time to air anything, as you can jolly well imagine.

Bhindi Masala (Okra/Lady's Finger Stir-fry)

Bhindi Masala

I love okra. It's one of my favourite vegetables and I am a carnivore as you know. But I can eat okra any time and I cook it at least once a fortnight - or whenever I can find it. Luckily here in Modena you can find it where there are many Africans or Indians, though where I come from, it's a popular vegetable too. I love it in sambal belachan or in assam pedas.

I also love it cooked the Indian way. It's simple and doesn't stink out the kitchen and I do not have to spend time blending anything.

Bhindi Masala :

Okra (washed, sliced and kept in the fridge for a few hours to dry it out)

Onion

Garlic

Fresh green chillies

Cumin seeds

Aniseeds

Ground Coriander

Ground Turmeric

Fresh tomato

Garam masala

Mango powder (optional)

Lemon juice

Salt to taste

I am now in the midst of buying Christmas gifts. And wondering if I should send out a few cards. Thing is I hate going to the post office here, never could meet its opening hours. It's a headache trying to buy gifts and not knowing what to buy. And this year we'll have to carry them to France and back since we'll be spending Christmas with MIL. After last year's extravagance, I think I'll just get books and DVDs/CDs for everyone.

Roasted Sweet Potato

Roasted Sweet Potato

It took me half a matchbox to light my BBQ. It was cold and windy outside. And know what? They don't seem to sell matchsticks in the supermarkets here. Afraid that we would burn the place down while shopping? It is actually quite frustrating when you remember that my BBQ came with that lighter function but after the cleaning lady hosed it down last year, no sparks ever flew from the machine again. Now you have to turn on the gas and throw in a lighted matchstick to light the BBQ. Or in my case, half a box of lighted matchsticks.

Anyway, I roasted this sweet potato. The part near the skin is extra sweet when it's cooked (almost directly) on the fire.

Next, if I have the courage maybe I'll make Steamed Sweet Potato Cakes, but for now, I have other fish to fry.

Ma Po Tofu

Ma Po Tofu

Petite Fleur did one gorgeous yummy one not long ago which sent me into Ma la Tofu frenzy. But mine wasn't bright red like most since I've decided to make my own chilli oil. Just by infusing Thai red chillies and garlic in - olive oil. Turned out quite well and the flavour is fruity and rich without being too oily. But you have to like olive oil which normally isn't used in Chinese cuisine because of its particular strong taste.

I followed her recipe more or less with modifications of my own :

2 blocks soft but firm tofu

Peanut oil

Ground pork

A few raw Prawns (optional but this when used in the sauce base adds taste)

2 cloves Garlic

Spring onions

My own chilli bean paste (Olive oil, thai red chillies, garlic, tau cheo/fermented soy beans)

1 tbsp fermented black beans

2 teaspoons whole Sichuan peppercorns (interesting taste when you bite into one)

1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp light soy sauce

Salt

2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with cold water

Okra

Knowing that I would be eating lots of jasmin rice with the hot and spicy tofu, I made a simple Okra dish (just ginger-garlic paste, onions, turmeric, cumin and mustard seeds) to go with it. And coutesy of the new Chinese mom in my daughter's class, I also have a few home-made Mantous (Chinese steamed buns) to dip in my sauce...

Steamed Mantous

Update 30/05/2011 : Chef's version here.

Potato and Cauliflower Masala

Potato and Cauliflower Masala

I'm on a cauliflower trip lately. As if I do not already fart alot. Anyway I was told that I'm so fat probably because I do not digest my food very well. I should maybe see some specialist on the subject. On the other hand, Hub's very punctual on the pot (armed with the newspaper and/or iphone) and he's still fat.

Made a Potato and Cauliflower Masala a few days ago. Do watch out not to boil the cauliflower for more than 15 minutes. It is best eaten slightly crunchy. Recipe's quite similar to the Chicken Tikka Masala, only there's no need of course to marinate the vegetables beforehand.

Cauliflower in Whole Spices

Cauliflower in Whole Spices

The slave driver woke me up with a slap on the shoulder (after just 7 hours of beauty sleep).

"Hey! Don't you think you ought to start cooking the curry?"

"What?"

"I am thinking of going sledding with the kids after lunch, so we'd better not eat late."

"What the ·$%&*+..."

So I had to get out of bed, put on my bathrobe, roll up the sleeves and go slave in the kitchen. Making Indonesian Beef Rendang today so that would take hours. Though managed to make the process shorter by using the Rendang paste that One Wheel sent me. Also made a Cauliflower in Whole Spices which on the contrary is easy and fast to prepare.

Cauliflower in Whole Spices :

1 Head of Cauliflower (cut into big pieces)

Ginger

Garlic

Fresh green chilli

Onion Seeds

Mustard Seeds

Cumin seeds

Cinnamon bark (tiny piece bashed)

Cardamom seeds

Anis seeds

Fenugeek seeds

Ground Coriander

Ground Turmeric

Salt

Pepper

Fresh tomato

A little water

Coriander leaves (optional)

Heat up water in a casserole and when it's boiling, add in 2 tsp of salt and cook the cauliflower in it for maximum 15 minutes. It should be cooked but still crunchy. Drain and set aside the vegetable.

In a wok, heat up some oil and brown the onions, garlic, ginger, chilli and whole spices. When they sizzle and are fragrant, add in the cooked cauliflower, coat it well with the spices and add in the diced tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add in a little water, cover for a minute, toss in the coriander leaves and serve hot.

Butter Basmati Rice, Cauliflower, Pappadum, Beef Rendang