Fusion Food

I just witnessed my son, Rodney, tossing 2 slices of cheddar cheese into the pot of Tom Yam flavoured instant ramen  he was cooking. "Fusion food, Ma!", he quipped, in response to my grossed-out face.

Actually, he wasn't wrong. Isn't fusion food after all, borderless? The hubs eats lasagna with kimchi! Korean-Italian fusion, he says!

I am a big fan of fusion food, but not lasagna with kimchi or cheese with ramen though!
Fusion food is like pairing the best of two cuisines together to make a dish that's better than each on its own.  I love Bahn Mi (Vietnamese ingredients inside a French inspired baguette). Yummmmm! Cheese naan (oven baked Indian flatbread heavily stuffed with gooey melting cheese), Thai Tom Yam Pizza, Japanese-Italian fusion pasta... these are all my favourite foods.

Have you tried Chinese style baked cheese rice? Apparently, it is very popular in Hong Kong. Essentially, it's pork chops on a bed of fried rice, topped with mozzarella cheese. Chinese-Italian fusion, if you will. It's Josh's favourite.

Here's the recipe to share.

HONG KONG BAKED RICE

INGREDIENTS
6 pork chops
oil for frying

MARINADE
1 tbsp Chinese wine
1 pip garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
a pinch of ground black pepper

Coating
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten (for coating)

FRIED RICE
6 cups cooked rice
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp oil

SAUCE
4 large tomatoes, diced
6 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup chicken stock
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
salt
ground black pepper

TOPPING
250 g cups grated mozzarella cheese
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

METHOD

PORK CHOPS
Marinate pork chops for at least an hour.
Dip marinated pork chops in beaten egg. Coat with flour.
Pan fry pork chops until golden brown. Set aside.

FRIED RICE
Using a wok, heat oil until smoking point.
Add rice and salt and stir fry for a minute.
Make a well in the middle of the wok , pour in beaten eggs. Allow the eggs to set just a little before scrambling gently. Mix the rice and egg and stir fry for another minute.
Remove from wok and  set aside.

SAUCE
In a bowl, mix tomato ketchup, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and cornstarch. Set aside.
Sauté  garlic and diced onions until the onions turn transparent. Add diced tomatoes, followed by the sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Place the  fried rice in a casserole, followed by the pork chops. Pour in the sauce and then top with the cheeses. Bake in a  preheated oven at for 220°C for  15-20 minutes or until the cheeses are browned.

Enjoy!

So what's your favourite fusion food?

A Goat Story

Remember my goat story three years ago? He came to 'pet' me when we were visiting the village where hubby's uncle lives. Story here. I've just found out the goat's name is Manja (pampered in Malay).

Me and Manja when he was just a kid

We were driving into the village to visit Uncle Beng during the Chinese New Year when we saw Manja, now a full grown billy goat, charging head-on towards an oncoming motorcyclist and head-butting the vehicle! Next, the old goat rammed his head against a tree nearby when the man on the motorcycle chided him!

Uncle Beng explained that Manja had wandered too far off into the next village and the owner had to look for the old goat to herd him home. Manja wasn't quite ready to return to his pen and like a spoilt brat, he was throwing a tantrum!

Suddenly, Manja started to bawl hysterically as if something spooked him. He darted back into his pen on his own. According to Uncle Beng,  the old goat went weird because he knew it was going to rain. And sure enough, within minutes, raindrops came pouring down!

Manja

Apparently, Manja is one spoilt goat, hence the name. As the villagers were largely Hindu, Manja is considered a sacred animal and is honoured and revered. Hindus believe that animals may contain the souls of their ancestors or may be reborn as friends and family members. Besides, Manja's weather forecasting ability makes him even more important! He is a reliable weather vane and his predictions are 90 percent spot-on. In fact, the villagers count on him to tell them when it is going to rain. If he is near his pen, rain is expected. If he is far out in the next village, the weather will be fine!

Evidently, goats hate water. I wasn't able to google for a scientific answer. Veterinarians have not identified any reasons. Goat breeders don't have the real answer either and so far no goat whisperer has come forward with an explanation! It would be really interesting to know why.

I wanted a take a selfie with Manja but Uncle Beng cautioned that the ornery old goat was likely to head-butt me.

After watching this video, I am sure glad I didn't!

                                                        

Fine Dining On The Cheap

Shhhhh! I've discovered a secret for fine dining at a price that is less than a fraction of what you would otherwise have to cough out in a fancy restaurant.

The secret, my friends, lies in the in-house restaurants of culinary schools! And lately, I have been enjoying  fancy 3 to 10 course dinners at my sons' university campuses. Haha! A  10 course dinner prepared by student chefs costs less than a bowl  of soup in a five star restaurant!  I am cheap, I know!

I am a messy eater and more of a soup and sandwich girl although I do enjoy the occasional formal dinner in a posh restaurant and  ONLY with people I am really comfortable with.  Haute cuisine served up by culinary students is more fun and less intimidating.

One - You don't have to deal with poncey waiters/waitresses. The rookie serving staff are probably more nervous than you.

Two - You don't have to sweat over the confusing tableware. Nobody cares if you are eating your fish with a soup spoon instead of a fish knife. The other diners who are mostly students are too busy having fun snapping photos with their phones. Heck, I could eat my fish with a pair of chopsticks and nobody would bat an eye! Hey, I am very talented with my chopsticks! I can pick the tiniest bone off my fish with chopsticks, even a microscopic sesame seed! Fun fact -  did you know it's easier to eat spaghetti with chopsticks than a fork? All that twirling with a fork is a sheer waste of effort.

Three - You don't have to dine with pretentious guests. No one rolls their eyes at you if your fork clanks a little too loudly or if your escargot bounces of your plate!

Remember that famous Julia Robert dining scene? It never gets old!

                                                       

Four -  Who knows, you may even experience the talents of the next top chefs before they become Michelin stars!

Five - You don't need to attend a fine dining etiquette workshop to learn about the right utensils to use. You get all the practice you need!

The downside? The RARE occasion when your steak is a tad underdone. Pardon the lame pun.

My latest experience to share. A Valentine-themed dinner inspired by Spanish Chef Elena Arzak. She is one of only six women in history whose restaurant has been awarded three Michelin stars. Arzak was named best Female Chef in the World in 2012.

THE MENU

It was a 10 course dinner - Amuse-Bouche (3), Starter (2),  Main (2),  Pre-dessert (1), Dessert (2).

The rustic bread and Spanish garlic rolls were really good. At home, just these and soup alone would make a hearty dinner for me.

Gotta love the fun names the students DISHed out for their creations.

BLIND DATE
Deep fried butterfish in Kataifi

IT TAKES 2 TO TANGO
Marinated sardines with balsamic strawberry

FIRST DAY OF SPRING
Raspberry gazpacho with melon

BUILDING CASTLES IN THE SKY
Yabbies with mangosteen and garlic

POP THE QUESTION
Baked egg with yolk veil and chicken broth

JUST THE TWO OF US
Seared red snapper with green and red parterre

KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR
Rack of lamb with pea purée, green sponge and fondant potatoes

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, SMOKE THEM!
Lime soufflé with smoked lemon ice cream

MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Chocolate sponge and mousse with orange parfait

ON CLOUD 9
Petit fours - Banana marshmallows, almond biscuits, passion fruit jellies, white bean truffles

Burp! That was a mighty fine dinner. I heard that a Gordon Ramsey inspired dinner is next on their calendar. Can't wait!

Devil Curry

Debal Curry, a quintessential *Eurasian dish is The Hubs' favourite curry. It is also my favourite recipe to bring to a potluck 'cos I always come home with an empty bowl and lots of compliments! It's like bringing a rum cake to an AA meeting! There's nothing sorrier than leaving a potluck with a plate that is still three-quarters full, don't you agree?
Debal curry is unique to Malaysia and Singapore and is usually made on Boxing day with the leftover meats from the previous day's Christmas feast.  In Creole-Portugese, Debal means  leftovers.  I am guessing that this dish might have been coined Devil Curry because it is laden with chilies and therefore fiery hot.

*Eurasian - A person of mixed European and Asian ancestry.

Many Eurasians in  Malaysia and Singapore  trace their roots to the sixteenth century when Portugal conquered Malacca. Marriages between the Portuguese men and the local women of Chinese, Malay and Indian descent led to a thriving Eurasian community.

Sharing my late Godma's recipe.

DEVIL CURRY

INGREDIENTS
600 gm chicken/pork cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 tomato, quartered
1 green chili, seeded (optional)

INGREDIENTS TO BE GROUND
6 dried chilies
10 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size ginger
2-3 thin slices fresh turmeric
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp prepared mustard
2 tbsp sugar
salt to taste
1/2 cup water

METHOD
Heat oil in pan. Fry ground ingredients until oil separates. Add meat, carrot, onion and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25-30 mins or until meat is tender. Set aside for 30 mins before serving. Better still, refrigerate overnight if you can resist eating the curry right away as this will allow the flavours to mellow. Devil curry always tastes better the next day!

Have you ever brought a dish to a potluck that nobody ate??

The Pregnant Deer

Ever heard of the pregnant deer story? It resonates deeply with me. Time and time again, I draw great inspiration from that very scenario  whenever I feel that I am inundated with negativity and adversities around me. I think of myself as the pregnant deer with the happy ending. The allegory is so very symbolic of life. Negative thoughts are toxic. They can destroy your morale and oftentimes be overpowering enough to be incapacitating.

The story goes like this.
A pregnant deer is about to give birth. She finds a secluded spot in the forest near a swift flowing river. Just then, dark clouds gather in the sky above and lightning starts a forest fire. She looks to her left and sees a hunter aiming to shoot her with an arrow. She looks to her right and sees a hungry lion waiting to pounce on her. What is she to do in a desperate situation like this?

1. There is a forest fire
2. There is a swift flowing river
3. There is a hunter on her left
4. There is a hungry lion on her right

It seems like she is doomed and there's no way out in such a hopeless situation,

But the deer knows there is only one thing she can do so she decides to focus on the one thing she can focus on - giving birth. And as she gives her full attention to the process of just giving birth, a sequence of events happens.

There is a bolt of lightning.
The hunter gets disorientated and  releases the arrow.
The arrow zips past the deer and strikes the lion.
The lion flees.
Rain pours down heavily and puts the fire out.

And at that very moment, the deer delivers a healthy fawn.

The moral of the story? We should stop worrying about things that are beyond our control and just  give our full attention to what is most important at the moment and focus on giving our best.  In the midst of a storm, do not lose faith.  Surrender to God and He will guide us through the puddles and remove the obstacles in our path.

Watch this video. It is life changing!
Let this be our motivation for 2018

image source - Returning To Oneness

Dog Yu Shang

Canine-inspired Yu Shang seems to be trending this Chinese Lunar Year of The Dog.
For the clueless, Yu Shang is explained here.

I scoured the net and found these.

image source - instagram  @logeswaran_vadiappan

image source - instagram @lovefoodlove3

image source -  twitter @mytownpharmacy

image source -  http://dingoozatfood.blogspot.my

image source - instagram @michelecheong

image credit - instagram @trinston_lee

image source -  http://www.straitstimes.com

The above Yu Shang costs a whopping S$999.00 (USD756.93)!  It is a limited edition masterpiece created by the chefs at the Singapore Fullerton Hotel. Inspired by Pekingese dogs and their resemblance to Chinese Fu Dogs, the intricately assembled showpiece looks like a cross between the two. Orders are made three days in advance.

Why The Cat Is Not In the Chinese Zodiac Calendar

My cute shiba door stickers

2018  is the Year of the Dog. According to Chinese zodiac, an animal is assigned to your birth year and impacts on your personality traits and fortune. The dog is one of the 12 animals associated with each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. In order, the 12 animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

What? No Cat? Don't Chinese people love cats, you wonder. Yes we do! So why isn't Cat in the cycle?

image credit -  https://www.dramafever.com

There are many versions of the folktale behind the missing cat in the Chinese zodiac.
Here's the one I grew up on.

The Great Race

The Jade Emperor wanted to devise a way to measure time so he decreed a race between all the animals in his kingdom. The first 12 animals to make it across a river would earn a spot on the zodiac calendar in the order they arrived.
Rat knew he was no match against the other bigger and stronger animals so he hopped onto Ox’s back. Cat, who disliked getting wet, also hitched a ride on Ox. When the three were almost ashore, Rat pushed Cat off  Ox's back, jumped ahead and was the first to arrive. Ox lumbered right behind and came in second. Tiger was third. Leaping from boulder to boulder to keep dry was Rabbit  but halfway across the river he slipped and tumbled into the water. Rabbit grabbed onto a floating log nearby that would later take him to shore. He was the fourth animal to arrive. In fifth place was the flying Dragon. The Jade Emperor wondered why a swift airborne creature such as Dragon should fail to reach first place. Dragon explained that he was held back as he had to stop and make rain for a village suffering from a drought. Then, on his way to the finishing line, he saw Rabbit clinging onto a log, drifting helplessly so he again, stopped to let out a huff of wind to push Rabbit to shore. Horse galloped up next but unbeknownst to him, a snake that had coiled around his leg slithered out in front. Horse reared back in fright, giving Snake the sixth spot, while  Horse placed seventh.
Coming right behind were the Goat,  Monkey and Rooster. The trio had been working together as a team to paddle a raft across the river. When they pulled the raft to shore, they marched to the feet of the Emperor in the same order they had been seated, thus coming in eighth, ninth and tenth place. Finishing eleventh was Dog followed by Pig.

Cat eventually drowned and therefore, never  made it in the zodiac

Watch this super cute video that tells the story.

Good news! Cat didn't die in the video.

Haha! Rat was, after all,  a rat!

HAPPY YEAR OF THE DOG, PALLIES!

So what is your Chinese zodiac animal? I am a Tiger. Roarrrrrrrrr!

#ChineseZodiac #YearOfTheDog #Folklore #OriginStory #CuteAnimals #Tiger #Horse #Roar #Adventures

God of Prosperity

Me and The God of Prosperity

You are at the mall, browsing through clothes on a rack and someone behind you taps you on the shoulder. You turn around and see this big guy in a red dress with an enormous head. Don't freak out!  You've just been blessed by The God of Prosperity and wealth will be upon you soon!

"Hogwash!", you say. Well, that was what I thought too. Then you go home, check your e-mail and scrolling down your inbox, you see the words, "Congrats. You've won..." on not one, but two subject lines. You win one $250 Paypal cash giveaway and another $100 Amazon Gift Card giveaway all on the same day, right after you've been touched by The God of Prosperity?! Fluke or what?

image source - https://www.dhgate.com

According to Chinese mythology, Caishen aka God of Prosperity is a powerful deity, usually depicted  in red clothes, riding a black tiger and holding a Ruyi (a scepter with the power to turn rock, some say iron, into gold). He also has magic pearls that would explode as grenades. He's one cool dude! Caishen is also heaven's accountant and he guards all the treasures above. More than that, he has the power to bestow fortune and wealth to humans on earth. Zeus has nothing on Caishen!

Once a mortal, Caishen was the uncle and  minister to Emperor Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. An honest and successful merchant, Caishen was loved and revered by many as he was benevolent to fellow merchants and the needy. He would fund the failing businesses of his merchant pallies with no obligations  and share his riches with those in need.

Soon his increasing popularity invoked the jealousy of Emperor Zhou and his family.
Daji, Emperor Zhou’s most favored concubine killed Caishen by digging out his heart. But legend has it that he did not die. He was given a magical panacea by a hermit that saved his life. Caishen fled to the woods with his wife, children and fortune. He would continually emerge from the woods to distribute his wealth to the peasants. The magical panacea gave him immortality and he ultimately ascended to heaven as The God of Prosperity.

While Caishen is worshipped in temples and homes all-year round, the deity is a popular icon during the Chinese New Year season. You would see mascots like the one above in many malls in Malaysia. Think Santa Claus! Instead of gifts, The God of Prosperity hands out candies, faux gold ingots and ang-pows (red packets with money inside) as symbols of wealth and good luck.

My cookified God of Prosperity

Dog...er... God of Prosperity

2018 is the Year of The Dog, pallies!

Swan Taro Puffs and Piggy Baos

Look what we found when The Hubs and I were having breakfast at a new yum cha joint in our neck of the woods!

I've seen dumplings and baos in the shapes of Minions, pandas, Disney characters, etc. on Instagram but these swans are my first.

I don't usually photograph my food before I devour them but these are just too cute to pass!

Guess who was waiting impatiently and rolling his eyes while I took the pictures!

Do you get annoyed when a meal is served and your Instagram-obsessed friends yell for you to stop just as you are about to dig into your favorite food so they can shoot every dish on the table?

In Memory of Oreo

Oreo crossed  The Rainbow Bridge at 12:30 AM on July 9th 2016

Our beloved guinea pig, Oreo, crossed the Rainbow Bridge 2 years ago but the pain was too raw and fresh then and I couldn't share about her passing. Now that the pain has dulled just a little, I want to blog about my little buddy. I want to remember every detail before my memory fails me.

She was 8 years old (144 human years) when she died. A couple of months prior to her death, we found an abscess on her body and took her to see Dr. J, a darling lady vet . Oreo adored her.

Dr. J drained  Oreo's abscess. I remember a lot of shrieking, squeezing, flushing and ... cottage cheese. Yep, the foul smelling pus looked like runny cottage cheese! I didn't know a guinea pig could shriek so loudly!

After cleaning the wound,  Dr. J sent us on our way. We were overjoyed that we weren't going home empty-handed.

Oreo's wound healed completely and for the next few months she was eating well and back to her old happy self.

Late one night, I noticed she was unusually quiet and listless. Her fur was all puffed up and her breathing seemed laboured.  I searched the guinea pig forums on the net and learned that a puffed up coat was usually symptomatic  of a cavy in pain.

It was close to midnight and everyone else was asleep. As I was about  to go to my son's room to awaken him so he could drive us to the vet, I heard Oreo suddenly dashing round and round her pigloo in a frenzy. My first thought was that she must be getting better or else she wouldn't be darting maniacally in circles like that.

When I went to check on her, she was lying very still on her side, gasping for air. I assumed that she was merely exhausted after all that crazy running.  I stroked her gently and thought that a session of cuddling and petting would probably fix her. Just as I was lifting her out of her cage, her head flopped to the side, her breathing stopped and her body went limp. I stared at her lifeless body in disbelief! Her death was too sudden. There wasn't even  time  to realize what was happening. A minute ago, she was so lively and now she was gone in the blink of an eye. I didn't even have the chance to cuddle her or say goodbye. I just couldn't bring myself to put her down in her cage and I held her in my arms and petted her until  her body grew cold.

Looking back, I believe there was a reason for her strange behavior before she collapsed. Despite her pain and difficulty breathing, she had managed to summon up whatever strength she had left in her frail body for that final surge of energy that enabled her to bolt like that. She was trying to get my attention so I would go to her. She had known that her time was up and she wanted to say goodbye to me before she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Goodbye, my little buddy. *Popcorn in that grand  meadow across the sky.  Know that you are forever loved and cherished.

Missing you, my little piggy.

*Popcorning is a name for those crazy leaps a guinea pig does in the air when it is happy