Carnevale di Castelnovo di Sotto (RE)

Carnevale di Castelnovo di Sotto (RE)

I wasn't there so I can't tell you about it. But apparently it's one of the better ones in the region. Hub took a few pictures with my camera and the Babies seemed to enjoy it (especially the bit where they got to throw confetti and spray foam on other people). Pity we didn't think to dress them up in costumes - especially when we have a rack full of them.

This evening we made our own pasta again and ate it in a broth. In brodo. The Teenager only managed to finish his homework (including French extra-scolaire) after dinner, but at least it was done. And at least one more month to Spring...

Teenage Crisis

Black Rice Seafood (clams, prawns, mussles, squids, octopus...) Risotto

Hub and the Babies have gone off to Castelnovo di Sotto to catch the Carnevale while I stay home to keep an eye on the Teenager who has lots of homework to do. This period is difficult as those who have sons this age will understand. Lately, I have been receiving notes from his various teachers complaining that he had not been handing in his work, that he lied about having done them (when he hadn't), that he's often on another planet.

I want him to work now when there is still natural light. I'm sure it'll help to motivate him. Sometimes it's a question of getting started and it's true that coming home from school during winter and having the sky turn dark an hour later doesn't help. Also, most of his work is done on the computer, and how often have I myself been distracted with other things when I actually went in search of something specific on the Net?

Finally, not everyone is academically-inclined. I have come to accept that, though in our friend's case, I am worried as he doesn't seem to have other talents either. Unless you consider doing an acceptable moonwalk as one. I am often told that he's good-looking. So I am thinking, quite seriously thinking, that maybe I should send him to a modelling agency (but he's short for his age) and see whether he couldn't do a few shoots for supermarket publicity or something. Just to earn enough so that later on we could send him to some University where he could buy his degree. Just not to end up sweeping the roads. That's me, 2-time Scholar speaking. I've sat for an IQ test for the first scholarship and they must have liked my practical nature.

Sweet and Sour Tempura Chicken

For lunch today I have made Sweet and Sour Tempura Chicken for the children and a Black Rice Seafood Risotto for Hub and myself. I think Hub has reached saturation point for black rice. It's too healthy for him. It's after all wholegrain and nutty and takes getting used to. Since I'm Asian, I've grown up on it and I just love it. In fact, I suspect that it will probably do to make Pulut Hitam with this black rice. I will try this out this week.

The coming week will be another busy one. Playdates, lunches and one very early morning. The Teenager will be going to Venice for the day on Thursday. And then it'll be the Chinese New Year!

Tandoori Prawns

Tandoori Prawns

Hub is all excited when you make him Tandoori Prawns. And best to make them yourself as they do tend to charge you alot for them in the restaurants.

I have both the ground tandoori masala spices and a ready-made paste. This time I used the latter and just added yoghurt to marinate the prawns (shells-on) overnight. It is best to remove the whiskers and legs before though.

Before being grilled

Heat up oven the next day to 220°C. Then turn on the grill as well as the prawns go into the oven to be grilled. I've also added bits of butter and aniseeds on the marinated prawns.

Just grilled

Turn the prawns to the other side halfway through the grilling. And reserve the cooked yoghurt juices to be served with the Tandoori prawns.

Rosewater Doughnuts with Sweet Yoghurt

Rosewater Doughnuts

Just got news that the cookery class tomorrow is cancelled. Power problem. Welcome to Italy.

Since I do not have to plan for my class, I decided to make a few Rosewater Doughnuts for the family's afternoon tea break. Mom gave me an old cookbook of hers titled "Easy Curry Cookery" and I've only started to read it yesterday. Found an easy recipe for this doughnut that I thought I could try out. I have as usual made a few changes.

Rosewater Doughnuts (20 small ones) :

250g Self-raising Flour

50g ground Almonds

45g Ghee (melted - I used butter)

40ml plain Yoghurt

40ml warm Water

1 Tsp Rosewater

ghee or strutto (for deepfrying)

Castor Sugar

Sweet yoghurt (optional) :

1/2 cup plain Yoghurt

1/2 Tsp rosewater

2 Tsp Icing Sugar

Combine sifted flour and almonds in a large bowl and rub in the melted ghee.

Stir in combined yoghurt, water and rosewater and mix to a soft dough.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's smooth.

Roll out the dough and cut with a doughnut cutter. Deep-fry the doughnuts in hot ghee or strutto, a few at a time, till golden brown.

Remove from the oil, drain on kitchen towels.

Toss the hot doughnuts in castor sugar and serve with the sweet yoghurt (optional).

I should have made more (I halved the original recipe) as they consumed faster than I could supply.

Baby Talk

Baby Girl : Mummy, I want a baby sister.

Me : Do you really? How about you, Baby Boy?

Baby Boy : I don't like babies. They pull your hair. And I'm the only baby here. Besides, you're too old to make babies now.

Me : Too old?

BB : Yes. You will die and the baby will still be little. It'll be very sad.

Ristorante Montana, Spezzano (MO)

Alonso and Rossella (he looked really happy in his Ferrari jumpsuit)

We have been here nearly 3 years and I have never been to the famous Ristorante Montana in our part of the world. No, it's not a Michelin restaurant with a few stars, it's not even chic. But it's not cheap and you usually need to reserve at least a day or 2 in advance.

The restaurant has been around for more than 30 years and we were told by regulars that the current owners Maurizio and Rossella have been managing it for 20 of them. This place serves very good home-made Modenese cuisine (cucina casalinga) and more importantly, generations of Ferrari F1 pilots have eaten there, Ferrari Managers and Directors (including Hub) regularly entertain there and everywhere in the restaurant you can see the close association between the establishment and the company.

Massa

Maurizio knows everyone who is worth knowing within the company and out of it. We were seated in a small room often reserved for Ferrari personnel. There you have signatures, F1 driver jumpsuits, photos of F1 pilots plastered all over the walls. Alonso has already eaten there and has had a photo taken with Rossella in the kitchen.

Salami, egg rolls etc on the table when you arrive

The owner took our orders himself and gossiped with the Hub. We had classic dishes to start e.g. tortellini in brodo, tagliolini al pomodoro...followed by grilled beef with salad and balsamic vinegar. The food was very good, but it's Modenese cuisine. Always the same.

Looked messy but the pasta was very fine and delicious

The beef was under the salad

For dessert, Hub and the Teenager had Tiramisu which I must say was very good. One of the best I've ever eaten, very light. The red wine we had (a Sangiovese) was good too and I found myself drinking 2 glasses which I don't often do.

Tiramisu

I am happy to have tried this restaurant. It's an institution for Ferrari fans and visitors, part of the few things you have to do and see in Maranello. Car-loads of tourists often land there for lunch and enjoy Rossella's very thin and fine tagliolini. The thinnest I've ever eaten.

Ristorante Montana
Via XX Settembre, 3
41040 Spezzano di Fiorano (MO)
Tel : 0536 843910

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.

Beef or Lamb Vindaloo

Lamb Vindaloo

While shopping with LS, I came across fresh banana leaves! That gave me the desire to prepare an Indian lunch for my dear Hub, for we do so love eating on banana leaves.

Tandoori Prawns, Crisp Fried Okra & Beef Vindaloo on Banana leaf on Thali

The first dish I started preparing the night before was a Portuguese-inspired Goan Beef Vindaloo. I was told that "Vindaloo" means wine (vinegar) and garlic. And the Indians add potatoes to the dish because "aloo" sounds like potatoes :-). This curry is famous for its fiery, aromatic taste and Hub often complains that I don't make it often enough. It is true that I am very fond of S. E Asian curries and make them more often than Indian curries. It can also be made with (leg of) lamb which would require less time to cook actually.

I have adapted my recipe from a chicken vindaloo recipe in "The Best of Indian Cookery".

Beef Vindaloo :

700g Piemontese beef for braising

2 Tsp ground coriander

2 Tsp ground cumin

1 Tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 Tsp ground cloves

1/2 Tsp ground turmeric

2 Tsp ground chilli

2 Tsp salt

1 Tsp ground black pepper

150ml white or red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 onion

1/4 Tsp onion seeds

1/4 Tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 Tsp mustard seeds

1 Tsp aniseeds

1 Tsp cumin seeds

12 curry leaves

1 bay leaf

1 green chilli or 2 Thai chillis (if you like it even hotter)

4 Tbsp concentrated tomato paste

500ml water or stock

1-2 Tbsp sugar

2 potatoes

coriander leaves

Marinate the beef pieces overnight with the ground spices, ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, salt and pepper.

In a heavy-bottom pot, brown the chopped onions in some vegetable oil or ghee and fry the seeds, curry leaves and bay leaf till fragrant.

Add the marinated beef and brown them in the aromatic oil. Followed by the cubed potatoes.

Pour the marinade and tomato paste onto the beef and stir well. Pour in the hot water or stock and the sugar.

Cover and simmer for 2 hours or till the meat is tender.

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Orange Chocolate Soufflé

Orange Chocolate Soufflé

Went shopping with LS this morning. I will be giving a cookery demonstration (with some hands-on) at her newly-restructured home on Sunday and we had to work out the logistics. Some of you may remember that she had won the bidding for my cookery class 3 Christmas Fairs ago and of course, we've never managed to do it before now.

I had a few oranges waiting to be consumed. Bought them for Hub as he was eating them by the dozen for the vitamin C, but all of a sudden, he couldn't peel them anymore. Because of that operation to remove one mole on his left wrist. And don't count too much on me, I never peel my oranges, I slice them.

I am in a soufflé mood lately. Have therefore decided to make a few Orange Chocolate Soufflés. In my porcelain ramequins.

Orange Chocolate Soufflé (5 ramequins) :

3 large Eggs (2 yolks + 3 whites)

60g Flour

20g Cornstarch

100g Sugar (70g + 30g)

1 Tsp Baking powder or Bicarbonate of Soda

1/4 Tsp Salt

50ml Corn Oil

Juice from 1 small Orange

Zest from the orange

Bits of Dark Chocolate

1/4 Tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

When the eggs are still cold, separate the yolks from the whites and leave them to warm to room temperate. The whites will still be thick and therefore make it easier to separate from the yolks. For better results, it's ok to use older eggs for this cake as they are usually easier to beat till stiff.

Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl. Add 70g of the sugar and the salt and mix well.

Make a well in the middle and beat in the yolks one at a time. Add the oil, followed by the orange juice, zest and vanilla extract, beating the mixture till it's smooth. Add the chocolate bits and mix well.

Before being baked

Before you start to beat the egg whites, make sure that the container (preferably metal) and whisk are dry, with no trace of yolk, water or oil. When the whites are at room temperature, start to beat them. When they are white and foamy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating till the whites form stiff peaks. Do not add sugar before that or it'll take double the time to do the job. The sugar normally helps to keep the peaks stiff. Add the 30g of the remaining sugar and beat the egg whites till stiff.

After being cooled. It was a little burnt as I've forgotten to put it on the lower shelf.

Fold the whites gently into the batter and pour it into ungreased ramequins. Bake in the oven on the lower shelf for 30-40 minutes. Leave it to cool before unmoulding it. Serve with some fruit, fruit sauce or cream.

Soy Bean Milk Jelly

Soy Bean Milk Jelly

I love soy bean milk. Especially when it's freshly made. 2 weeks ago, I saw the little Chinese shop here selling Yeo's sweetened soy bean milk in 1-litre packets for the first time. This gave me the courage to do something with the soy bean milk other than just drink it. When it's not easily available, you tend to hoard it.

I don't think one'll get fantastic results for soy bean flower curd (touhua) with packet soy milk, but there's no reason why it wouldn't do well with agar agar. So I compromised (is life not full of them) with some Soy Bean Milk Jelly for dessert. Very nice - after a dinner of Turmeric Roast Chicken (didn't take any pictures as we ate it up quickly, they couldn't wait).

Soy Bean Milk Jelly :

1 litre Yeo's sweetened Soy Bean Milk

6 Tbsp Sugar

7-10g powdered Agar agar (depending on how firm you like it)

1-2 Pandan leaves (knotted)

Combine everything (except the agar agar) into a pot and heat it on low-medium heat till the sugar dissolves. When the soy bean milk starts to smell of the pandan leaves, add the agar agar and stir well to dissolve it.

Bring the milk to a boil and once it starts to bubble, turn off the heat. Pour into moulds and leave them aside to cool. Chill them in the fridge for a few hours.

They taste like the soy bean milk - in jellified form. It's refreshing and will probably go well with fresh fruit. But give me touhua anytime.

Country Pineapple Tarts

Compote d'Ananas sur Sablés

What was I emptying a few cans of pineapple for yesterday? Why, for making Pineapple Tarts, of course! If you have been following this blog, you will know by now that Lotus doesn't like hard work and if she does anything, it'll more often than not require minimum effort. She doesn't believe in spending hours cooking something that will be gobbled up in a few minutes.

I have been thinking about pineapple tarts and once I started thinking about them, I realised that actually it need not be a labour-intensive operation. The pastry is made by just combining simple ingredients using the rubbing-in method and that I have learnt when I was 13. The pineapple filling is a pineapple compote and God knows that I've made fruit compotes of all colours daily when the children were still babies. So we're off.

However, do not expect pretty, artistically-designed tarts as I'm a minimum effort kind of gal. Besides, we live in the country, and the tarts were baked in a country kitchen. They will look rustic. Maybe I should call them Compote d'Ananas sur Sablés.

Pineapple Tarts (makes 60) :

The Pineapple Jam :

700g Pineapple slices (I used canned Indonesian pineapples)
180g Sugar

1 small Cinnamon bark

4-5 whole Cloves

1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract

Juice of half a Lemon

2-3 Pandan leaves

The Pastry Base :

400g Flour (sifted)

250g Butter (cold, cubed)

Pinch of Salt

4 Tbsp Sugar

3 Egg yolks (one for glazing - optional - I didn't bother)

Less than 1/4 cup Cold Water

I removed the pineapple slices from the can and pulped them in a food processor. However, I made sure that there were still bits of pineapple as I do not like it too fine. In fact, I don't like jam. Drain any liquid.

Before being cooked

Combine the pineapple, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, lemon and pandan leaves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and simmer till the pineapple jam is dry. Stir from time to time. If you want a more caramelised jam, make a caramel first or cook it longer. I do not like dry pineapple jam. Set aside and let it cool. It can be kept up to a month in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cooked Pineapple jam (still a little wet)

Heat the oven to 165°C.

In a big bowl, combine the sifted flour, salt and sugar. Rub in the small, cold cubed butter with your finger tips till they resemble breadcrumbs. You need a cold environment for this.

Add the egg yolks and cold water into the flour mixture and lightly bind the pastry. It doesn't have to be kneaded.

I used a silicon mat and a wooden roller I use to roll out pasta. Take a bit of the dough and roll it out to desired thickness. Using a pastry cutter, cut out circles and fill them with the pineapple jam. You could decorate, glaze etc the pastry - but I didn't bother.

Bake them in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes.

Yesterday I met the mom of a Spanish mom here and got to visit this new building near the school which had always intrigued me. Lady's lovely, I ended up staying more than an hour (when I planned on staying for 20 minutes - kids ended up missing tennis) trying to chat her up in my now-broken Spanish. They live between Jaén and Granada and that made me feel close to her because I have lived nearly 2 years in Jaén. I probably also have a thing for older women, a reflex from my years volunteering with the elderly. But she's not at all old, of course. Doesn't look old, anyway.

And why did I meet her? Folks, I have found someone to cash my El Gordo ticket.

Thai-style Pineapple Pork Rib Stew

Pineapple Pork Rib Stew

I have just emptied 4 cans of the pineapple and am left with a big bowl of light pineapple-flavoured syrup. Was toying with the idea of making pineapple jelly and then I remembered that I had fresh pork ribs that I was keeping for making Bak Kut Teh this evening. Divided the lot and used one portion to make a Thai-style Pineapple Pork Rib Stew.

I am haphazard and find myself too often in situations whereby I have too much of this or that and have to find ways to liquidate them. But I actually enjoy this very much - I feel like my favourite composer Bach working on his variations. It forces me to think of how I could use an ingredient, how I could marry it to something else. Sometimes I have to dig in my muddy memory to remember something that I've eaten or seen, something that could feature the ingredient that I am trying to use. Often fellow bloggers provide some inspiration, and on a few occasions I may have to invent a dish.

Thai-style Pineapple Pork Rib Stew :

500g Pork Ribs

300g Pineapple (in rings or in cubes)

1 Lemongrass stalk

1 Garlic clove

1 Tbsp Light Soy sauce

1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

3 Tbsp White wine

1 Tbsp concentrated Tomato paste

500ml Light Syrup from canned pineapples (or 2-3 Tbsp sugar and 600ml water)

100ml Water

1 large Carrot

In a large and deep frying pan, brown the garlic and lemongrass in some oil. Add the ribs to be browned, followed by the pineapple slices and carrots.

Mix the sauces, tomato paste , wine, syrup and water and pour it into the pan.

Simmer for an hour or more - till the meat is melt-in-the-mouth tender and drops off the bone.

Lunch at MB was lovely. We were 10 ladies altogether and had a great time chatting. She's a great hostess and made us salads and a variety of quiches to eat them with. There was even Maultaschen, surely imported directly from Germany. GA made us a Swissroll, I had 2 slices of it - with loads of whipped cream. I'd better not weigh myself this evening.

Beancurd Sheet Pearl Barley and Ginko Nut Soup

Beancurd Sheet Pearl Barley and Ginko Nut Soup

I have been invited to lunch at MB's at noon so I won't be making myself lunch today. Devoted the morning to making a nourishing Cantonese tangshui par excellence instead : Beancurd Sheet Pearl Barley and Ginko Nut Soup. Bakgo yimai fuchok.

This is the kind of sweet soups that my mom and late aunt used to make - that I detested. But with age and distance, one looks at things differently and I actually had a craving for it. Having leftover dried beancurd sheets is also a contributing factor.

We drink this soup on hot days, but I found it just as nice on a sunny but very cold day. It brightened up my busy morning, yes, busy cooking dinner.

Beancurd Sheet Pearl Barley and Ginko Nut Soup :

Organic Pearl Barley

Dried Beancurd Sheets (cut into small strips)

Ginko Nuts

Pandan leaves

Rock Sugar

Egg/egg white

Soak the pearl barley and beancurd sheets in cold water. It will make it faster to cook the barley and remove the oil that comes with the dried beancurd sheets. Drain and set aside.

Put the pearl barley and pandan leaves in some water and bring it to a boil. Add the ginko nuts and beancurd sheets and simmer for 30 minutes or till the pearl barley is cooked. I do not like mushy food (unless it's mashed potatoes) so I eat my pearl barley al dente.

Add the rock sugar to taste. As I like it really sweet, for 500ml of soup I added 2 fistfulls of the rock sugar. Dissolve the sugar in the soup then bring it to a boil.

Turn off the heat and crack an egg into it. Usually we only use the egg white but I do not see any point in wasting the yolk so I used the whole egg. Stir gently with a pair of chopsticks to create an egg flower in the soup.

Eat this soup hot or chilled for dessert.

Grilled Salmon on Black Rice Clam Risotto

Black Rice Clam Risotto

The Teenager was doing some research in the Net this evening on national anthems (e.g. French and Singaporean) and when he played a recording of the Majullah Singapura, I actually started having frissons and felt like crying. It is amazing how after all these years, the National Anthem could still do this to me. You can imagine how deep political socialisation has gone into me after 21 years in Singapore.

I now shop for food once a week. Yes, I'm cutting down on shopping whether for food or for other things. The economic crisis has thus far not affected us, but still, there's no point being complacent. Move around less = consume less petrol too. Besides, I'll look good for a new diamond soon if I spend less now.

Tuesday is more or less the designated supermarket day. The first day in the week we have fresh produce. So this evening I made Grilled Salmon on Black Rice Clam Risotto.

If you have never eaten healthy black rice, do give it a try, cooked properly, it can be delicious. It has a certain smell, nutty taste and bite that I like very much. Riso venere is Italian-grown black rice that originated from China. I have made a really quick version of a seafood risotto by using ready-made fish broth and a jar of clams. Top it with grilled salmon that has been marinated beforehand and it's a meal!

Grilled Salmon on Black Rice Clam Risotto

Grilled Salmon on Black Rice Risotto :

The Salmon :

3 thick Salmon filets/steaks
1 Tsp Kecap manis

1 Tsp Soy sauce

1 Tsp Teriyaki sauce

1 Tbsp White wine

Juice from half a lemon

The Risotto :

300g Wholegrain Black Rice/Riso Venere Integrale (this time I used pre-cooked)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

1-2 Garlic cloves

1 Onion (optional)

A handful of chopped Parsley

300ml Fish broth (more if rice is not pre-steamed)

1 jar Clams

60ml White wine

2 Tbsp concentrated Tomato paste

Salt to taste (much less if using ready-made broth)

Marinate the salmon with the sauces, wine and lemon juice. Set aside for at least an hour.

Heat up the fish broth. If making your own, choose flavourful white fish (e.g. John Dory) that has bones and firm flesh. Simmer with carrots, celery, bay leaves and onions till the fish is cooked, then remove the fish and pick out the flesh (can be eaten with the risotto). Return the carcass to the broth and simmer till you're ready to use it. If using fresh clams, add them in with the fish and remove them when they open up. Reserve the flesh for the risotto.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a non-stick pan and fry the garlic till fragrant. Add half the chopped parsley followed by the black rice. Stir to mix well.

Pour in the jar of clams including the juice and add the white wine. Mix everything well. Stir in the tomato paste.

Now start to ladle the (hot) fish broth onto the rice, letting the rice absorb it as it gets cooked. When the rice is almost al dente (actually black rice will have a chewy exterior), ladle in more broth and then turn off the heat and let the rice absorb the last of the broth this way. I like my risotto al dente but wet.

Grill the marinated salmon steaks on a hot grill skin side first. Then turn over and grill on the other side. The flesh should still be pink on the inside. Serve on top of the risotto with a wedge of lemon and more fresh parsley.

Bandung (Rose-flavoured) Sticky Rice Cake

Bandung Sticky Rice Cake

You may wonder why I'm showing you this ugly lump of a cake. There's that perverse bit about me, of course. But mainly I want to remember it.

I had leftover glutinous rice and coconut milk. I thought about what I could do with this and decided to make a sticky rice cake. The idea was to make a 2-layer rice cake : a bottom layer of glutinous rice soaked in sweetened coconut milk and a pinch of salt; and a top layer made of tapioca flour, plain flour, sugar and coconut milk. One can also use roots like yam or sweet potatoes, or leaves like pandanus to give it taste and colour.

I made this top layer with rose syrup. I was thinking once again of the bandung drink. And of course it's also because I do not have yam or sweet potatoes right now. Then my biggest problem is the lack of a suitable container for steaming this. Ideally it should be square, rather deep and should fit my wok. I made do with a tiny pyrex dish and made the added mistake of trying to fit too much into it.

But the thing is that it wasn't pretty at all, but the Bandung Sticky Rice Cake turned out to be quite nice taste-wise. If it could go in my stomach it could go on my blog.

Steamed Fish Paste Egg Rolls

Steamed Fish Paste Egg Rolls

I learnt to make Fish Paste Egg Rolls during Home Economics. I can still see my teacher hanging over us watching us roll our omelettes with the fish paste in it. We were still in the old school building and the cooking lab was a large kitchen with a big table in the middle. Though I think we didn't make the fish paste, it must be store-bought.

I've kept some of the fish paste that I made yesterday with this egg roll in mind. It's a simple Cantonese dish and awesome when you eat it freshly steamed. I had this for lunch today after a whole pizza to myself (it was on offer at Esselunga) and it made me wish I didn't eat the pizza.

Spread the fish paste on the omelette

First, make an omelette by beating 2 eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then spread the fish paste all over it and add some sliced fresh chillies and/or scallions on top. Roll the omelette tightly.

Rolled and ready for steaming

Steam it for about 10 minutes. Slice the egg roll and eat it hot. I never make a dip for it, I like it in its plain fishy goodness.

Fried Bean Curd Skin Fish Parcels

Fried Bean Curd Skin Fish Parcels

I just noticed that my only packet of beancurd skins is expiring soon. Stuck at home today, I thought I'd do something about them. While I may not have any fresh produce in the fridge, I do have some codfish in the freezer - for an emergency like today's. I am not using alot of imagination, but I did manage to finish up half the beancurd skin with a batch of Fried Beancurd Skin CodFish Parcels.

Fish paste and bean curd skins

I have blogged years ago about a similar bean curd skin stuffed with pork and prawns, and I usually like to fry my beancurd skin though they are also very nice simply steamed. Brother C gave me some ginko nuts before he left, if I buy some barley, we could be off to a dessert made with bean curd skin too.

I'm going crazy with the kids at home all day, of course. You could make them sign 10 class agreements about how to behave, but they wouldn't consider applying it among themselves or with their poor mother.

Fried Beancurd Skin Fish Parcels :

Bean curd skins

500g Fish fillet (I used Cod)

1 Garlic clove

Half an Onion

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 Egg

Put the fish, garlic, onion, salt, sugar, cornstarch and egg in a food processor and pulse till you get a smooth paste.

Cut the bean curd skins into squares or rectangles. Fill them up with some fish paste, fold and fry in some hot oil. I never bother to seal them, they seal themselves upon contact with the hot oil.

Adding a slice of cooked ham on top of the fish paste when filling up the skins adds a nice touch too.

Dried Shrimp, Onion and Chilli Pancake

Dried Shrimp, Onion and Chilli Pancake

I had half a cup of dried shrimp left. I saved them from the dustbin (cleaning lady's here today), remembering all of a sudden that I could have made savoury pancakes with them. Yes!

Dried Shrimp, Onion and Chilli Pancake. It's actually a very versatile pancake, as one can use any variety of vegetables to fill it e.g. radish, carrot, cabbage, spinach, coriander...The dried shrimps add a lovely touch to the pancake giving it some oumpf.

We're locked in today. Hub left with my car and told me not to leave the house. He said he couldn't trust me with the car on the icy roads.

Dried Shrimp, Onion and Chilli Pancake :

200g Flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Sugar

1 Egg

Pinch of black pepper

250ml Water

A few drops of Sesame Oil

1/2 cup dried Shrimps (soaked and drained)

1 Onion

1 fresh green Chilli or 2 Chilli padis

In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the centre and crack the egg in it. Sprinkle some pepper and sesame oil over the egg.

Slowly add the water into the flour as you beat the mixture into a smooth batter. Add the sliced chilli and onions and mix well. Let the batter rest for a while.

Dried shrimps soaked and drained

In a crepe pan, heat up some oil and fry the dried shrimps till fragrant/pungent. Remove and set aside.

Oil the crepe pan evenly and when it's hot, pour a ladleful of the batter in it. Spread it well all over the pan. Sprinkle some dried shrimps all over.

Cook the pancake on both sides and serve it hot. Since I am not fond of industrially-made chilli sauce, I often eat it with a chilli-soy dip that I make myself with soy sauce, chilli padi, minced ginger and some lime juice. Or just on its own.

I've made this pancake with different amounts of water and it's a matter of personal taste as to how much water you want in your batter. Use less if you want a thicker pancake, use more if you want a thinner, crispier pancake. Cleaning lady loved it. I've gone up one more notch in her esteem for this. Plus once again, I've given her some of my leftover curry for her lunch. Truth be told, I'm not being kind. I just couldn't stomach the sight of some of the lunchboxes she came with.

Sichuan Preserved Vegetable and Tofu Soup

Sichuan Preserved Vegetable and Tofu Soup

School is closed tomorrow. The town has decided that the grounds are too slippery for kids to be in buses and at school. I have received a call from LS that triggered the system where I, with the other class reps, had to call a few other families to pass on the message. The children are very happy, of course. But it means that I'm grounded. And Monday is always bad because the supermarkets are closed in the morning meaning that I usually have nothing fresh in the fridge.

On most Sunday evenings, the Hub usually makes a Leek and Potato Soup for dinner that he will eat with the children. This soup is delicious and is a great way for the children to eat some vegetables. Unfortunately, I do not really like creamy soups, being used to usually clear Asian soups. So I would make something different for myself. This evening, I made a Sichuan Preserved Vegetable and Tofu Soup.

Mum used to make us this soup when we were younger and we would have it with lots of rice. I had mine with mung bean vermicelli since I just had rice for lunch.

Sichuan Preserved Vegetable and Tofu Soup (for 1 or 2 persons) :

1 small packet of sliced Sichuan Preserved Vegetables (the Chinese eat this as a snack)

1 small piece of firm Tofu (cubed)

1 Chilli padi (sliced)

1 small packet of Mung mean vermicelli

500ml vegetable or meat stock

I like to have this soup simple. Just hot and salty. And it is really one of the rare anything that I eat preserved. I normally have a phobia of anything that comes in a can, that is dried or that doesn't look like what it looked like fresh.

And it's therefore not something to be eaten too often as preserved vegetables contain a lot of salt. Once in a while though, it's very satisfying.