Curry Mee

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.—Brillat-Savarin

I found a bunch of pictures of Malaysian food that I had took during my last trip home and so I'll slowly post them up. Here are two pics of Curry Mee(curry noodles) from my favorite stall in Penang. It's located on Dato Kramat Road, in the little corner coffee shop next to the small Chinese temple/Convent Datuk Kramat. Ask the locals :)

This couple's stall sells Curry Mee, Koay Teow Th'ng and Kai See Hor Fun. All of the dishes are sooooo GOOD, but it's the Curry Mee that always has me salivating.

The curry broth is utterly scrumptious and just lemak (creamy/rich) enough without leaving a jelak (how to translate this....er...overly-rich) taste in your mouth.


This stall also makes their Curry Mee old-school style, meaning it has see ham (blood cockles), jew-hoo (rehydrated cuttlefish) and too-huik (congealed pig's blood). Aww....don't gag people... it's absolutely delish! Honest! Ok....it's also an acquired taste and I've been eating this stuff since I was a child.


Looks good doesn't it? I would kill for a bowl of good Curry Mee, here in good ole Wisconsin.

Funny Comedian/singer

I was just browsing around You Tube and found this guy. He is seriously hilarious!!! Just click on the link play and listen. When I get smarter, I'll hopefully learn how to post the video directly on my blog. Anyone willing to teach me? A big shout-out to Tine for teaching me how to do this. You rock girl!!



Just for the record, Pachelbel's Canon in D is one of my absolute fav piece of music. So, lovers of Canon in D, don't kill the messenger.

Enjoy!

Korean Delights at Seoul Garden

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.—Brillat-Savarin

The bf and I were filling up my car with gas on Prospect Ave, when we happened to glance down the street and saw that a new owner had taken over the former Han Kuk Kwan, a Korean restaurant that we were not very impressed with. So unimpressed were we that we had never gone back after eating there once.

When I lived in KL (Malaysia's capital city), I had these two Korean friends who would either cook kickass Korean food (do they just call it food in Korea?) or take me to great, authentic Korean restaurants. I became spoilt. I mean, I remember going to a restaurant in the middle of a bunch of nondescript office buildings where nobody on the wait staff spoke a word of English and the utensils were made of solid stainless steel (old school, man). If you didn't go with someone who spoke Korean, you were reduced to pointing at pictures and gratefully eating whatever they put on your table. Yes, the food as THAT good. Now, I cannot remember the name of the restaurant and have lost contact with my two friends but the taste of what constitutes as good and authentic Korean food has been permanently burned into my taste buds. Needless to say, I have been searching for a good Korean restaurant since moving to the US but have been unable to find one....until now. The name to remember is Seoul Garden.


The restaurant is situated in a little building where Ichiban used to be before they moved into the bigger, nicer building next door. The decor has changed but the cozy setting of the dining space has not. I still love the coziness of the space and especially find the tiny little nook that serves as a semi-private dining area (only fits 4 people, I think) very adorable. But the food....is spectacular. It's homemade (cooked by the owner's mother and brother), flavorful, authentic and delicious. Most, importantly, it's non pretentious. The owner confided to us (the bf, a friend and me) that she had asked her mother to cook up something different (think fusion) to make the food more acceptable to mainstream American diners and her mother had replied, "I don't know how to cook that. What you get from me is authentic Korean food." Wow!

Seoul Garden serves a buffet lunch from 11:30 am to 2:30pm on weekdays. I think it's USD 7 something per person. The bf and I have been there several times to eat and the buffet remains mostly the same with the exception of 3 dishes that is changed daily.


View of the buffet. The rice cooker is being blocked by the plant.


The far end of the buffet contains pickles, kimchi, lettuce leaf of a sort of wrap and sauces.


These two dishes are my favorite: Top-Bulgogi (beef), Bottom-Jeyuk (pork). I can't even begin to speculate what the seasonings are for the two dishes. I can only say...I likee a lot!


You can even use the lettuce leaf to wrap up the meat, add the sauce, (I recommend the fermented soyabean paste on the far right), roll it up and stuff it into your mouth before the darn thing falls apart. You think that after years of eating lettuce wrapped bang-kuang char, I'd be able to do this with finesse but noo....I still suck at it. Mine fell apart so I had to improvise (see pics below) You can also add a small dollop of rice to the roll but I was having technical and mechanical problems so I skipped the rice.

This was also the first time that I had tried barley tea. It's just brewed barley pearls from what I gathered and is served unsweetened. It's not bad but I prefer green tea. To me, a barley drink has to taste like good old barley-peng from a kopitiam (typical coffee-shop in Malaysia). This bland drink, I was not crazy about.


My first round at the buffet. Will only show the first round because to paiseh (embarassed) to let you know how many times I went back.


The bf went hunting and gathering next and came back with this.


Remember the lettuce roll that I was talking about earlier? It's called ssam and is supposed to look like this, pre-wrapping/rolling. The disaster comes with the rolling/wrapping part.


The bf attempting to properly assemble a ssam. Note that there is significantly more leaf than there is filling. That's just not good eats :)

Finally fed up with my crappy assembling skills, I made modified ssams and just spooned them into my mouth. Yummmy, less of the lettuce leaf and more filling. Ya gotta think outside the box!


I went back to the buffet table and put together this plate, which I proceeded to devour. After taking a few pics, of course!


Close up shot. Isn't that absolutely scrumplicious looking? It tastes even better than it looks. Like a little bit of heaven.

I am so happy to have found this little gem of a restaurant. And the service was absolutely wonderful. We went there late for lunch once and the waitress was supposed to get off her shift but she stayed to serve us and was as nice as can be despite the circumstances.

If you live in Milwaukee, you need to try this treasure of a restaurant out. I promise you'll like it. They also have dinner but that's another post.

Seoul Garden
2178 N Prospect Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-289-8208

Drugged and Drunk

I came home from work this morning at 4 am and saw the bottle of Nyquil that I had asked the bf to get for me sitting on the kitchen table. I picked it up and thought...hmmm.....I'll get some sleep tonight. I then took the recommended 30ml (had to read the label because it was my first time ever taking Nyquil, I usually let my body battle it out with the virus) and got ready for bed.

THEN.....my head started pounding, my face felt tingly and flushed. I shifted uncomfortably in bed and held my breath....yes, my heart was racing and I began to feel nauseated.....oh crap, what was in the damned Nyquil? I finally made my way back to the kitchen and read the label. Oh shit! Alcohol is listed as the first inactive ingredient...alamak!

I can't process alcohol......

Was passed out till 2 pm today

SICK!!

Arrrgghh......I fell victim to the evil cold virus that is circulating out there....and now in my system. I thought my immune system was at it's peak from being exposed to so many types of bugs and viruses at work but it suddenly lost the battle yesterday...just as I was going to work. Then, I spiked a fever at work and it was all over....the virus took over. I started sniffling, having hot and cold flashes, stomach cramps, the shakes (yeah, I found that one new symptom AS I was suturing up a patient's face), a headache, I can't hear out of the right ear and my throat is KILLING me.

I HATE BEING SICK!!!

Anyway...I was craving for some comfort food but my body was aching too much to cook. So I sat in front of the computer for an hour, then finally had enough caffeine in me to move. This soup based dish is really simple to make if you have the right ingredients in the kitchen already. Since mine is always stocked to survive a famine, I didn't have to drag my body to the grocery store.

Mee Suah or Tang Hoon Soup

Ingredients:

• Half a package of Mee Suah or Tang Hoon (dried)
• 2L of Swanson's Chicken stock
• One can of baby straw mushrooms (drained)
• An assortment of meat balls, fish balls, squid balls etc
• 4 stalks of baby bok choi, cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of soy sauce

Cooking method:

• Put stock into pot to boil.
• Add the assortment of meat/squid/fish balls and cook until they float to the surface.
• Add the straw mushrooms, baby bok choi and the mee suah or tang hoon.
• Season to taste.
• Consume.

Simple and most importantly, minimal work.

Enjoy...pic coming, no energy to edit.

Guilty pleasures: Coach bags

I kept telling myself, cannot spend money frivolously, cannot, cannot, cannot!!!

And then I saw it, looking back at me from the display case....calling my name...and I knew. I had to have it.

Isn't it gorgeous? It reminds me so much of springtime and flowers and sunshine and rainbows!!


I stood in the store for quite a while and was mentally tallying up the damage to my credit card and finances. Then, I thought, "I shouldn't make an impulse buy, I have to really think about this." After all, I was in Naples, Florida and I was about to board a plane in 2 hrs. How to carry so much baggage? I was rather proud of myself as I walked out of the store without making a purchase.


Then, I landed in Milwaukee and went to the Coach store the next day and burned some plastic...hehe :)

And then, I saw this other baby.....and thought, what the heck, if I'm already burning plastic, may as well make it MELT!


I am so in love with my new bags. *Mentally calculating how many extra shifts I have to work*


Do you love bags?

Bah Kut Teh

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.—Brillat-Savarin


I made Bah Kut Teh (pork bone tea soup, for the uninitiated) last night but didn't even get a chance to take pictures of it before it was devoured. I was cooking this delicious soup meal for a fellow Penangite, S.H who was visiting the bf and I from New York after suddenly being struck with homesickness.

I was puttering around the kitchen from 7pm last night, trying to recall how to cook the dish. Mom and Dad conveniently neglected to answer the frantic phone calls that I made to them to ask for advise. Thankfully, S.H was a big help in the kitchen and we managed to get the pot going.

After I announced that dinner was ready, I went to grab a quick shower and walked out to discover that they were on helping #2 already!!!! I didn't get any pics for my blog, needless to say but here's the recipe for those of you who may be homesick for the dish. We had stopped at the chinese store and even bought some Yew Char Koay (fried cruellers). Man, it was delicious!

Bah Kut Teh recipe: a word of warning....all these measurements are agak-agak (a rough guess-timation). My philosophy, just add stuff until it tastes good. And have Pizza Hut or Dominos on speed dial.

Ingredients:

1. One packet of A1 Bak Kut Teh Spices (should have 2 sachets inside)
2. 2 plus pounds of cut and cleaned pork ribs with bone. I asked the butcher to cut it into short rib pieces for me.
   
3. Three or four pieces of Tong Kwai.
   
4. One whole head of garlic-peeled and smashed.
5. One package of pork/beef balls (I bought the ready made frozen kinds from Vietnam)
6. Five stalks of baby bok choy....cleaned and separated from the stalk.
7. 10-15 cups of water. I just fill up my pot to almost 3/4 full.
8. Freshly cracked peppercorns (I like using the white peppercorns)...use one heaping tbs.
   
9. One cube of Knorr's pork bouillon.
   
10. One can of Golden Mushroom (Kim Chiam Koo), well drained and separated.
11. One packet of ready made Yew Char Koay
12. Two tbs of thick soy sauce
13. Three tbs of oyster sauce
14. Three tbs of normal soy sauce

Yeah...the preparation is so hard. I am a fanatic and will spend a lot of time stripping fat and skin away from the meat. The soup is a lot healthier and leaner but of course, the oomph factor is a little compromised. What the heck, it was still good. So good that the boys just continued to eat and eat. They each ate 3 full servings!!!

Okay....now comes the easy part. You still have to stand in the kitchen though and watch the pot. But if your kitchen has a little bar area that opens up to the living room, you can also relax and watch TV at the same time. I was watching House.

To Cook:

1. Put the pot on the stove and boil the water on High.
   
2. When the water is really bubbling, put in everything else, starting with the meat EXCEPT for the beef balls, baby bok choy, mushrooms and Yew Char Koay.
3. Boil in High for 3o mins, then turn the heat to Medium and cover. Stir occasionally.
4. After 1 1/2 to 2 hrs (whenever the meat is soft enough to just fall off the bone), turn heat to high and put in beef balls, mushrooms and then blanch the baby bok choy in the boiling soup.
5. Remove baby bok choy and serve on a platter. Place cut up Yew Char Koay on a serving platter.
6. Dish up soup and dinner is ready.
7. Do I have to tell you to cook white rice as well??? This one is a no brainer.
8. Oh....word of warning...don't leave the food undefended to take a shower. No good can come out of this.
   

Down on My Knees......Begging Please..

You guys have really done it.

I check my blog daily with puppylike enthusiasm to look out for any comments and I am always disappointed. I am now reduced to begging people to comment, comment, comment please on my posts. I need some feedback to see how I'm doing and so far...I am only relying on word of mouth info and data from sitemeter.com. And sitemeter tells me that you guys are reading my posts.

So guys, if you are reading my blog and like it, let me know. If you hate it, keep it to yourself! I am kidding, I'll always welcome constructive criticism.

To the bf, the god-sister, sweetcontemplation and Misery, thanks for being such loyal supporters and leaving comments. I love you all for that. Ok, not just only that but other things as well.

A special Easter shoutout to all my family, friends and readers. May you have a wonderful Easter this year, surrounded by the ones that you love. May your days be filled with joy and laughter always.

I was going to write an Easter post on a magnificent buffet brunch at Westmoor Country Club but I was operating on only 2 hrs of sleep after a 10 hrs stint last night in the ED so I boo-booed and forgot to take any pictures of food...or the Easter bunny. It took a huge amount of make-up this morning to look as though I was not wearing any (ironic isn't it) and I was concentrating on trying not to look dead at the brunch table. As tired as I was though, it was still nice to spend quality time with family and I had such a wonderful time.

Naples, Florida. Part Deux: Sunsets

Every evening, at sunset, a large crowd would gather along the beach-front and on the beach to watch the sunset. By 7pm, people would start milling around the swimming pool and beach bar of the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club. It's a great time for people to mingle, chat and relax after a long day of.....A) laying on the beach, soaking up the sun (lazy-bugs) or B) long medical lectures and workshops (me...super hardworking). Alright, I managed to do a bit of both every day.
When the sun starts sinking down towards the horizon, the crowd will migrate towards the beach and stare at the great ball of fire for what seems like hours. When the sun finally sets, you eyes are temporarily blinded from staring for such a long period of time and you literally see stars (and not only the ones in the sky).


I had the pleasure of watching the sun set with friends for a total of 5 nights and each night's show was completely different. This was also a time when the dolphins would come close to shore and play, so we also spent a lot of time scanning the horizon, hoping to see dolphins. It was really a beautiful and enchanting time of day.


Being the doofus that I am (as a result of absorbing too much UV rays), I had forgotten to bring my camera to capture pictures of the first 4 sunsets. Luckily, on my last night there, I brought my camera along and was able to get these shots.


I shot hundreds of pictures and almost blinded myself in the process. Looking at an LCD screen with sub-optimal light is a bitch, I tell you. There were lots of oohs and aahs of appreciation as the great golden ball of fire finally touched down on the horizon. It was absolutely fascinating to watch it sink, and sink and sink. Then you suddenly realize that the air is getting cooler and cooler and every strand of hair on your arms is standing at attention because you are still wearing a tiny bikini, sitting on the beach, shivering without the sun's rays to warm you. Not to mention the fact that you have family and friends that live part time in Naples but no one has advised you to bring a sweater.....

And then you hear it. It starts out as a single clap....then more clapping... and then the whole crowd joins in the applause at the magnificent display of nature that they had just witnessed. I have never heard or seen such a thing...applause for a sunset. Then I shrug and join in. What the heck, if you can't beat them, join them.

Ok....now what's for dinner?

Naples, Florida aka Paradise. Part I

I landed at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee 2 nights ago and immediately wanted to turn back and board the next flight back to Florida. It was cold! And I was told that it would only get colder in the next few days. I wish that Wisconsin would quit doing it's 'spring menopause' thing soon because I realize that I am addicted to 85 degree weather.

I spent 6 glorious days at the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club with 3 other former PA classmates and 350 other Emergency Room PAs, going to lectures, workshops, eating, drinking, dancing and lazing in the sun. I hadn't anticipated the immensely satisfying sense of belonging that washed over me as I interacted with so many like minded individuals who had so much in common. The ER stories that we told!! It was rather amazing to talk to other ER PAs and to learn about how they practice.

The other great thing about going to a conference was being on an expense account. In an expensive city like Naples, there is no way to eat cheaply (unless you had sandwiches and soda for every meal= $8-10 USD) so it was nice that my meals were taken care off by someone other than moi :)

We obviously had many meals at many restaurants but I am only going to highlight the best places that we ate at. The restaurant featured on this post is called "Yabba Island Grill" and serves Carribean style seafood. I quickly learned that there was no point taking home doggy bags as we were living in a hotel so I started ordering 2 appetizers which served as an appetizer and an entree. No more wasted food!!!



Steamed Mussels with Garlic, Roma Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, Basil, White Wine and Lemon

Verdict: The mussels were very succulent and plump (unlike the 3 other disappointing mussel dishes that I'd already had) and perfectly bathed in the golden colored broth. The broth itself was very flavorful (and garlicky) without being too salty and the acidity of the tomatoes balanced the sweet juices from the mussels. Loved it!!!!! I sopped up all the broth with the toasted, thick sliced sourdough bread and the server removed a completely empty, almost clean plate.

“Maryland Style” Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with an Old Bay, Citrus and Sherry Wine Remoulade

Verdict: I thought that the portion was rather small. Each crabcake was approximately 5cm in diameter and there were only 2 crabcakes per portion. Yet, each tiny bite packed a huge punch of soul satisfying crab meat (no fillers here, ladies and gentlemen) and I was completely full as I devoured the last bite. The crabcake tasted like it was deep fried, rather than baked and as a result, had a crunchier crust which contrasted very nicely with the creamy crab filled center. This was also a spectacular dish.


Looking very pleased with my mussel dish and choice of restaurant!!!!

Stay tuned for more pics and of course, food.................

Pretty Fruit Tart

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.—Brillat-Savarin


We picked up this absolutely scrumplicious strawberry and kiwi fruit tart at Whole Foods Market up the street from our apartment for dessert. I kept staring at it on the way home coz it's so pretty. I took tons of pics but due to the bad lighting (and poor cameraperson- my dad always said that a bad carpenter blames his tools) this is the best picture.

And then, we ATE IT!!! Yummo....the sweetness of the strawberry and custard balanced out the tartness of the kiwi slices. The pastry shell was perfectly made, able to hold up it's shape, despite of the moisture in the custard and when placed in my mouth...melted into a mass of buttery goodness.

Wouldn't you like a fruit tart for dessert tonight?

My First Meme

I got tagged by SweetContemplation and decided to try my hand at my first meme. Here goes:


[A is for age]: 26 plus. My mom has been yelling at me for being too honest about my age, "Where got people so proudly announce that they are 26 one???"
[B is for booze of choice]: Alamak, cannot drink at all. Lacking an enzyme called acetaldehyde dehydrogenase....makes me turn red, sick in the stomach and then puke...without the benefit of getting high first! Supremely unfair, kan?
[C is for career]: Physician Assistant in an inner city ER
[D is for your most dreaded]: Flying cockroaches. Euuww!! Can't think of anything worse than this, Tine.
[E is for essential item you use everyday]: Cellphone-also doubles up as camera, alarmclock and mp3 player. Love it so much!!!
[F is for favorite song at the moment]: How To Save a Life by The Fray.
[G is for favorite games]: Twister. I remember the good old days in high school playing that game.
[H is for Hometown]: The sunny, beautiful island of Penang.
[I is for indulgence]: Laying in a hammock on the beach of Redang Island, looking out to the beautiful, crystal clear water and reading a romance novel. The is a warm breeze stirring about and the sky is completely cloudless as I look up. And a hot guy bringing me a cool, tall glass of watermelon juice....paradise.
[J is for favorite flavor of juice]: Watermelon
[K is for kids]: None=Tadak
[L is for last hug from husband]: Tadak also
[M is for years of marriage]: Not married yet
[N is for name of your crush]: Hahaha...most of my CGL cronies know this one. Man, I was so obsessed with this guy until I met him socially for the first time, then....big letdown.
[O is for overnight hospital stays]: Tadak
[P is for phobias]: I am claustrophobic.
[Q is for quote]: "SHUT UP! Enough already, Ballstein! Who cares about Derek Zoolander anyway? The man has only one look, for Christ's sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same face! Doesn't anybody notice this? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! I invented the piano key necktie, I invented it! What have you done, Derek? You've done nothing! NOTHIIIING! And I will be a monkey's uncle if I let you ruin this for me, because if you can't get the job done, then I will!" Mugatu from Zoolander
[R is for regret]: Not pursuing a career in mass media and broadcasting. I played it safe and choose medicine, a stable career instead. Sometimes, I daydream about being on TV. Would love to be on a food/travel/leisure tv show like Samantha Brown or Rachel Ray.
[S is for status, married or single]: Still single.
[T is for time you wake up]: When my alarm tells me it's time to get up. I have weird shifts and get up at weird times.
[U is for underwear]: Sloggies from Triumph.I love them...have to stock up everytime I go home to Msia.
[V is for vegetable you love]: Kangkung=water convulvus. Majorly need some belachan kangkung right now.
[W is for worst habit]: I grind my teeth at night. Very bad for jaw.
[X is for x-rays you’ve had]: Chest and back. Hahhah, it's sounds like T&A
[Y is for yummy food you make]: Blush...hopefully everything is yummy lah.
[Z is for zodiac sign]: Gemini. Hmmm...a Gemini who is born in the year of the Monkey...it's like a double whammy, isn't it?

Not really sure who to tag because not sure who reads my blog on a regular basis. Anyone offering to be tagged?

The Real Pulut Mango

I took a picture of a Thai dessert called 'Pulut Mango' at my favorite Thai restaurant, Chok Dee when I was back in Penang but somehow misplaced the file. I found this today and thought that this would be a good time to let you guys know what the real thing looked like, following my post about sticky rice dessert. Doesn't it look scrumplicious?





I had to jilat (lick) my spoon and scrape my plate clean after eating the absolutely fabulous dish at the restaurant. Yeah, sorta was an embarrassment to my parents because all sense of shame fled my body as I claimed the half-full plate of pulut mango for myself. My fellow diners were complaining of being full after the meal.

Man, I can't even begin to tell you how sweet and juicy the mango slices were, combined with the steamed, sweet, sticky and chewy glutinous rice. I was transported to a Thai paradise at that instant when the first bite made contact with my tongue. One minute, I was sitting in a crowded noisy restaurant in Penang and the next, I was lounging on a chaize on a pristine white beach on Phi Phi Island in my bikini and eating a delicious juicy mango. Just like in the movies.....

http://www.charteryachts.info/arabesque/newimages/monbeach.jpg

The Making of Sticky Rice Dessert

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.—Brillat-Savarin


I made this sticky rice dessert because I was craving Pulut Mango (a sweet coconut cream glutinous rice dessert with fresh mango slices) in winter. Obviously, there were no mangoes to be found in the dead of winter...way to go, taste buds!! I thought to myself, make the rice first and worry about the topping later.

I used sweet glutinous rice from Thailand and soaked them overnight. My mom had once tried to make Loh Mai Kai (Steamed Savory Glutinous Rice with Meat and Mushroom) without soaking the rice and spent hours (plus a whole tank of gas) steaming a dish that was never going to cook.


Then, the rice was drained well and placed in a stainless steel shallow pan for steaming.

Some people use fancy bamboo steamers or a rice cooker but I just used a big pot, added 2 inches water at the bottom and suspended the stainless steel pan over a wire rack. I have a very small apartment with a tiny kitchen so I have learned to be creative and not need so many specialized equipment. Just cover the pot and turn on the stove. I put the heat on High and steamed the rice for 30 minutes, regularly checking the level of the boiling water and topping it up when the level runs low.


After 30 mins, the rice is ready and turns transparent. I like mine chewy but you can obviously tailor the texture of the rice to your taste by either shortening or lengthening the cooking time.



Meanwhile, I opened a can of coconut cream...also imported from Thailand. Seriously, you can get anything here in the Midwest nowadays, unlike 20 years ago.


Just spoon 3 tbs of coconut cream onto the rice, add a dash of salt and some sugar and incorporate well into the cooked rice. I mixed the ingredients in a little mixing bowl before adding it to the rice.



I substituted fresh mango slices with Kemps vanilla ice cream. I could have used Haagen Dazs but it would have over powered the humble steamed rice.


Three scoops of Old Fashioned Vanilla on sticky rice and I am good to go!! Enjoy with a good book or a loved one. I did both :)


It doesn't photograph that well but I assure you it was scrumptious. Mmmmmmm.....

A Simple Home Cooked Meal

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.—Brillat-Savarin

Ever since I came back from Penang, I have been craving a simple home cooked meal. I have also told myself that I should cook and eat at home more instead of going out to eat so often.

A) It's much healthier and more nutritious.
B) It's easier to lose weight-yes, I put on weight in Malaysia. I'd to be insane not to eat my fill while I was home.
C) I can save more money.

The only obstacle: My laziness

I used to love cooking and it used to relax me after a long day but since starting work in the ER, I have been working wonky shifts and feeling jet lagged 24/7. How to cook like that? By the time I come home, I am completely whacked. Mentally and physically. The bf will attest to that.

Now, I only cook on my days off.....when the 'jet lag' wears off. Those days are few and far in between, I can tell you.

A few days ago, I was inspired to make this simple but wholesome meal by RasaMalaysia's post on making egg omelette's. I decided to kick my basic "tua liap chang nui"(onion omelette) up a notch by adding luxurious lump crab meat and scallions. The seasoning for the egg batter was shamelessly copied from RasaMalaysia's blog. The results, delish!!!



As you can see, the dish had very little egg and LOTS of liao (fillings)

Crab, Scallion and Onion Omelette

It really tastes better than it looks here. I just need to work on my macro photography skills.

To accompany the egg dish, I also made butter-garlic stir fried broccoli and black soy sauce minced pork.

Butter-Garlic Stir Fried Broccoli

This recipe, I got from my beloved god-sister and it really kicks ass! Ok, hers is much better but I think I didn't do too badly for my first attempt. I just need to not overcook the broccoli. Me likes it cruncy!!!

Black Soy Sauce Minced Pork

This is one of my favorite childhood dishes. I remember my grandmother cooking this dish and after she had plated the meat, she'd scoop out 2-3 cups of cooked white rice from the rice cooker and "fry" the rice in the recently vacated wok so that the sticky sauce clung to the white rice and flavored it. My brother and I would fight for the pleasure to eat the scrumptious "brown rice". Waste not, want not, after all. Unfortunately, the rice was not cooked by the time my meat dish was done so I had to "sacrifice" the sauce to the garburator.

The bf had never eaten the dish-ever! I couldn't believe it. Next time, I'd even fry the rice for you, baby.

A simple Chinese home cooked meal. Kinda took me home AND down memory lane. Can you think of a dish that takes you back to your childhood?

GONG XI FA CAI

GONG XI FA CAI!!!!

Wishing everybody a Happy Chinese New Year. May your cup overfloweth with prosperity, good health, happiness and may your bowl always be filled with delicious morsels of food.

I wish I was home in Penang like RasaMalaysia. I have made up my mind to go home for Chinese New Year next year. I can't believe that I have not been home for CNY for the past 6 years :(

Mom and dad, I miss you lots.

The Cheesecake Factory

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.—Brillat-Savarin

The bf and I braved the bitter cold and ventured newly renovated Bayshore Mall (intended to rival MayfairMall) yesterday, having decided to have brunch an early dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. It was 4:30pm and thankfully, almost empty. The Cheesecake Factory (TCF) is a very popular place to eat and there is usually a 30-45 minute wait during lunch and dinnertime. We were lucky to just hit the period in between and was shown to a table by a very gracious hostess right away.

Hypoglycemic to the point of fainting, I was tempted to order everything on the menu but my last thread of sanity reeled me back. We intended to go shopping afterwards and then spend a cozy few hours at Barnes and Nobles, my favorite bookstore so we did not want any leftovers to cart around. Hence, no appetizers.

The wind chill was reported to be -31^oF and so we needed to warm up fast. Naturally, the bf has a mojito (a cocktail made with rum, mint and traditionally, sugar cane juice).

Because I am useless when it comes to drinking am allergic to alcohol, I settled on a pot of nice black English Breakfast tea, with a spot of milk (yes, yes, how very British, we colonized, remember?)

Our server, Nicole brought some freshly baked bread which TCF is famous for and we dug in with great gusto. To my disappointment, the normally chewy and flavorful breads were rather dry and hard. Nicole explained that they were probably baked for too long and offered to get us a new batch that the kitchen made. Not wanting to spoil our appetites, we declined

Shortly thereafter, the entrees arrived. I had ordered Renee’s Special, consisting of
one-half of a chicken salad sandwich, a cup of wild mushroom soup and a small green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. The hearty mushroom soup really hit the spot and helped the thawing process. I found the sandwich bread a little too greasy for my taste but I have no complaints about the chicken salad filling. They did not skimp on the chicken meat and the dressing was delightful. The salad was a welcome side dish after consuming all that buttery, creamy, high caloric foods.

The bf had Cajun Chicken Littles, a huge platter that came heaped with mashed potatoes, corn, and pieces of boneless chicken breasts, breaded, seasoned and then deep fried.

When the waitress, Nicole picked up this plate in the kitchen, SHE complained that the portion of chicken pieces were smaller than usual and made the kitchen fry up an extra portion of chicken! This is what I call customer service. Have you even heard of such a thing in Malaysia? As a customer, I wouldn’t even DARE complain for fear or retribution (eg spit in food or worse. Go watch “Waiting” if you don’t believe me) and here is a waitress, championing our cause. We were honestly floored. Believe me, she got a good tip.

This is the extra portion of fried chicken that our dedicated waitress scored for us.

After such a fantastic meal, we thought, what the heck, we have leftovers anyway so let's order dessert to go and we can have supper later. The bf had his predictable carrot cake while I went with the raspberry-lemon cheesecake. Due to the huge bag of food that we had walking out of The Cheesecake Factory, we had no choice but to leave the food in the car before hitting the shops. I don’t know about the bf but I was warmed by the good service and wonderful dining experience that we had.

Kudos to Nicole and the Cheesecake Factory!

The Cheesecake Factory
Bayshore Mall,
5799 N. Bayshore Dr. #L100,
Glendale, WI 53217
(414) 906-8550