Mochi Recipe

Is a very soft and chewy glutinous rice ball with sweet bean filling. I like the super soft texture on my finger…because I tend to play with it first before eating it. It feels like the stress ball that you can squeeze and mold with you find at sporting good store, but a lot softer. It almost like the mochi that most frozen yogurt chain carried, only it softer and more tastier with filling.

The first time I had this was at a Korean bakery in Garden Grove. I was amazed that it looked so much like the Chinese version rice ball that we normally make during Chinese New Year just without the syrup. I knew I had to try it! And I tell you I can eat 3 or 4 of these at a time, because of it sweet and chewy texture with creamy red bean filling…I love anything that is chewy.

This is my very first time making this dessert. I was always very intermediated by the softness of the texture and never thought that I could succeed in it. Well I am here to tell you that it was a success! I found out the key ingredient that makes it soft even to the next day is the wheat starch…therefore this is a must add ingredient, forget this you will have a soft texture the first day and hard the next. And the plus is that it super easy and my kids love it. It helps because they do clean it up pretty fast, rescuing my waistline.


Ingredients:

1 Cup glutinous rice flour
3 Tbsp of wheat flour (makes it stay for a couple of days)
1 Cup of Water
½ Cup of Sugar or to taste
¼ Cup of corn starch for dusting

Filling:

Most time the filling are red bean paste, but I like to create my own flavor.
1 Cup of grated coconut
¼ Cup of palm sugar
1 Tbsp of black or white sesame seed
2 Tbsp of water
1 drop of food color (optional)

For the ice cream filling: To be continue...


Methods:

For the filling:
1. Put the palm sugar and the water in a pot and bring to boil. Then lower the heat to medium and let it thicken.
2. Add the coconut until the sugar is fully absorbed and there no more water left.
3. Stir in the sesame seed on low heat for a couple of minutes and remove let it cool.
4. Roll into quarter size ball and set aside.

For the mochi skins:
1. In a glass bowl, add the flour and water and stir well until completely blend.
2. Add the sugar and blend well.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes.
4. Take out and stir well until it completely blend and turn to thick blob.
5. Cover plastic again and microwave for 30 seconds.
6. Take out stir again completely.
7. Take the corn starch and dust all over the cutting board.
8. Put the hot mochi mixture on it and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
9. Taking a piece the size of half dollar coin and make a ball.
10. Flatten the ball and knead the side to make it bigger, about the size of your palm.
11. Place the ball filling in the middle and cover all filling and then roll again into a ball.
12. Slightly flatten the ball to about ½ thick and dust with corn starch.
13. If you want you can make all kind of new flavor such as white and black sesame seeds.

You can serve this cool in the refrigerator or room temperature.

Enjoy!

Beef and Shrimp Chow Mein

Here another dishes that you can always find in your pantry. Well at least the noodle part and at least at my house. My pantry is stuffed. And by stuffed I mean like no room to walk stuffed. Lol So I like to be prepared. Can you blame me? Well anyway, I saw this in my pantry and I thought of making some good old comforting chow mein.

It quick and easy and super filling late night snack. There something about this noodle that is hard for me to resist. I love how combination of soy sauce and garlic make this noodle so enjoyable. This is one of those dishes that every Chinese fast food carried and they all have their own version and taste. Of course noodle is like rice to Asian people, every dishes neither accompany with steam rice or mein. Hi in carb with oh so worth it.
And if you’re used to eating this way, no other carb will do!

By the way, I like my food bold and sharp. Some who eat bland, will think that it too salty, but that just our difference in taste bud. So feel free to added or subtract any measurement on the sauce part. And another point I like to make is that dark soy sauce it more for look than flavor. It gives the meat or noodle dish browning color, making it look tasty and enticing. This is my must have ingredients, because I like to make my food look edible and not white or bland looking. I truly believed that if the food looks good, the message that it will send to your brain is that it taste good!



Ingredients:

1 Package dried or fresh noodle
1 Cup of cabbage sliced
½ Cup of yellow onions
½ cup of scallion sliced
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp of rice wine
2 Tbsp of soy sauce ( or to taste)
2 Tbsp of dark soy sauce
½ Tsp of kosher salt
3 Dash of white pepper
1 Tbsp of corn starch
1 Tbsp of oil
1 Tbsp of sesame oil
1 Cup of rib eyes beef sliced
12 Shrimps clean and peel
½ Bunch of cilantro (life savor, make it smell nice)
1 Egg white

Methods:

* Soak and message the beef in the half of the corn starch and pinch of salt and half of the egg white and set aside for at least 1 hour. Do the same for the shrimp for the remaining cornstarch and egg white.

1. Bring water to boil and add the noodle, cook for 8 minute or until prefer texture.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. Put both vegetable oil and sesame oil in the wok heat to hot.
4. Add the minced garlic until slightly light brown. Add the onion until slightly brown.
5. Add the beef and stir in the soy sauce, salt, a bit of the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and rice wine. Cook until brown and done.
6. Now add the cabbage and stir well until cook, about 2 minutes max..Too long will be over cook. You want it crunchy but cook.
7. Add in the noodle and cook for another 2 minutes or so then add the scallion and cilantro and remove from the hot stove.
8. Lastly, give 3 dash of white pepper for the nice spicy smell.

Served and enjoy!

Banana (lotus) Leave Sticky Rice

This is another one of those items that could be found at your closest Dim Sum house. It normally wrapped with lotus leaves though. I just improvised and used banana leaves, but still taste yummy. I just love anything with sticky rice, sweet or salty or just plain. The chewiness of it and how it burst with sort of nutty flavor is just too hard to resist.

So prepared for lots of recipes with sticky rice! Those of you who like my 12 years old that associated this kind of sticky rice as a dessert, then you will be in for a surprise! For it not your basic sticky rice dish, but a unique and it an acquired taste. He doesn’t like it that much, because he think that it should be sweet with banana filling. Now my oldest relish this one. He just love the unique of it, and the salty yet flavorful taste of the rice and the meat combination.
I guess I can’t please everyone…



Ingredients:

2 Cup of sticky jasmine rice
¼ Cup dried shiitake mushroom thinly sliced
2 Cup of chicken broth
½ Tsp of white pepper
¼ Cup of pork or duck meat
1 Tbsp of rice wine
1 Tbsp of sesame oil
2 Tbsp of soy sauce or to taste
½ Tsp of salt
1 Chinese sausages

Methods:

1. Soak the rice with cold water overnight.
2. Clean and dried the banana leaves.
3. Cut into 8 inches squares.
4. Slowly roast it over low fire so that the leaves will be soft and easy to wrap without cracking or tearing apart. Just don’t burn it.
5. Bring the oil to hot and add the meat, Chinese sausages, salt, soy sauce and stir fried it for 5 minutes or until cooked.
6. Put the sticky rice in a pot over medium heat and stir in the chicken stock, mushroom, white pepper.
7. Stir until all the juice is dry and all the rice turn white.
8. Take off the stove and let it cool slightly.
9. Take the cut square banana leaf and scope about 3 to 4 table spoons of the rice on it.
10. Wrap it by folding the first corner closest to you. Then folding both side together and roll it to the end.
11. Placing the end on the bottom, put in the steamer and steam for about 1 hours.

Serve hot!

Siu Mai

Now this is my all time favorite dumpling. The combination of the melts in your mouth pork and shrimp with all the spices are so hard to resist. And this is always on my menu when I do make dim sum at home. It also help that the process of making it is so much fun and easy….even my son can do it! And that precisely what I put him up too! When I do make this cute little dumpling he gets to wrap it together. He is getting really good at it too! So I will teaches my two years old to do it too..that way I can just wait to eat at the table! Lol So not happening anytime soon though!

This is also a very popular item at the Dim Sum house. You can never miss this item in the cart that being push around the room. Beside from the taste, it probably the safest if you not sure what to order and item that doesn’t take a lot of guessing what in it for those not familiar with Chinese food. Also helps, that the taste never failed to amaze first time Dim Sum eater.


Ingredients:

1 Package of Dumpling wrapper (circle one best)
1 Lb of center cut pork
12 Shrimps devein and peel
1 Tbsp of corn starch
1 Egg white
1 Tbsp of Chinese rice wine
5 Shiitake dried mushroom
1 Steam of scallion
1/8 Cup of water chestnut (optional for crunchiness)
1 Tbsp of carrot cut into square for decoration, cut into thin tiny squares
1 Tbsp of sesame oil
½ Tbsp of minced ginger
2 Tbsp of soy sauce or to taste
1 Tsp of dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp of oyster sauce
½ Tsp of salt
½ Tsp of white pepper

Methods:

1. Soak the Shiitake mushroom wit hot water for at least 30 minutes. Then slice it into thin strips.
2. Peel and devein the shrimps. Grind the pork and put in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the all the ingredient together such as the corn starch, egg white, ginger, salt, both of the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, oyster sauce and message together.
4. Put in the refrigerator and marinated for at least 1 hours.
5. Remove from the refrigerator and mix in the water chestnut, mushroom, and scallion.
6. Remove one of the wrapper and place on your palm.
7. Place about a tablespoon of the filling in the middle and wrap it pull the wrapper up and slowly wrap it around the filling.
8. Place the cut carrot on top for some nice color.
9. Spray the bamboo tray with Pam and place the siu mai in it over water.
10. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes to cook well.

Served with Chinese hot mustard, chili sauce and soy sauce.

Enjoy!

Daikon Radish Cake

If you’re not familiar with this dish, well maybe this can help you. This is the dish that usually gets push around with the grill push cart that comes with the taro cake. It is usually served with the sweet hoisen sauce mix with something else. I can’t seem to get the ingredient on it yet. Anyway, it usually grilled in front of you until golden brown before serving. The fragrance and the texture is so good. It a creamy and has a lot of chew in it.

I always order this, but not everyone enjoy it as much as I do. Therefore, I end up packing it to go after everyone taste about a bit or so. It is an acquire taste. But I think it one of the best dish ever, beside the siu mai.


Ingredients:

8 Oz rice flours
1 Cup of water
1 1/2 Cup of daikon finely chopped or shredded.
2 Chinese Sausages
3 Tbsp of Scallion chop http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
4 Shiitake dried mushrooms
¼ Dried shrimps soak in water for at least 25 minutes
4 Tbsp of vegetable oil or lard
1 Tsp of salt
2 Tsp of soy sauce
½ Tsp of white pepper
3 Tbsp of cilantro

Methods:


1. In two separate bowl soak the dried mushroom and dried shrimp in hot water for 25 minutes.
2. After finished soaking thinly slice the mushroom and set aside.
3. Chop the sausages and daikon and set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix the flour and water until it is paste but not too runny. Add the 3 tbsp oil.
5. With the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, heat it to hot and then stir in the sausages, mushrooms, scallion, shrimps and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Then pour it into the flour mixture and mix well.
7. Spray the 6x9 inches square baking pan with Pam spraying oil and pour the dough into it.
8. Flatten the top out smoothly add the chopped cilantro and put it in the steamer for 1 1/2 hours. javascript:void(0)
9. After it cool down, place it in the refrigerator overnight.
10. Before serving, cut it into square shape of desire size and fried it with 1 Tbsp of oil until slightly golden brown on top.

Serve and dig in!

Ha Gaw

This cute little clear dumpling it a very popular Chinese item at every Dim Sum house. Maybe because it look nice with it transparent skin or maybe it the love for shrimp that makes it so popular! Whatever it is, this is a very easy and yummy dish to make…not to mention pretty to look at. It does take a little patient while you’re pleating it, but it so worth it when you see the finished product.

For me personally I just love the way it look! It just looks so pretty and delicate. And that it precisely what it is too...very delicate to work with. If the flour is not mix with hot boiling water it will fall apart when you try to work with it like an overcooked fragile pastry. Therefore, it is very crucial to follow the direction down very details. Beside this point, I really do enjoying making this dumpling. I like how pleating these tiny things relaxes me. It feels like I am in my own little serene corner and just concentrating….blocking out all the noise and crying baby! Well at least for that 30 minutes it takes to get it done.. 










Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup Wheat flour
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil or lard
1/2- 3/4 Cup hot boiling water

Filling:

1 Pack Jumbo Shrimp
½ Cup of bamboo shoot
1 Tbsp of corn starch
1 to 2 Table spoon of soy sauce (add to taste)
½ Tsp of dark soy sauce (optional, it for color)
½ Tsp of kosher salt
½ White pepper
1 Tbsp of Chinese rice wine
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Egg white

Methods:

1. Peel and devein the shrimp.
2. Add the corn starch, oil, wine, egg white, both soy sauce, salt, pepper and message it together with the bamboo shoot. Let it marinate for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. When the shrimp done marinating start the skin wrapper.

Methods:

1. Bring water to boil.
2. Shift together dry ingredient such as wheat flour, cornstarch, salt.
3. Make a well and add the hot water slowing and using a wooden spoon blend well. Do not pour at once, do it until dough soft and pliable.
4. Blend until it is pliable.
5. Wet a hand towel and cover the dough to keep it moist and soft.
6. Now make a quarter size balls and put it in the tortilla presser and press.
7. Remove and slowly pleat the from left to right, one over the other.
8. Put the shrimp filling inside and bring the back to close gently. Pinching the side flat.
9. Make sure to spray the bamboo steam with Pam spray first so that it won’t stick.
10. Place the ha gaw in bamboo tray and steam for 8 to10 minutes or until it turn transparent and the shrimp is pink inside.

*If it is not transparent or clear maybe because it too thick or while it hot in the steamer it tend to be less clear.

Sweet Rice Dumpling with Coconut and Mung Bean

This is a very popular dessert in Southeast Asia. This is usually made during the Spring Festival or Cambodian, Thai, Lao New Year during the month of April 10-13 and it is made to bring it to the Temple to honor the buddha for blessing. Also other popular event like a birthday, Memorial Day and other special occasion. It supposed to shaped like the pyramid meaning descending to heaven and the path to reincarnation. It is made of glutinous flour or sweet rice flour and usually fill with coconut and sesame or mung bean. I can’t stand the one with mung bean, because it more salty than sweet. I love the coconut and sesame version. The fragrance of the grated coconut and palm sugar is jut too good to pass.
So in my version here, I decided to add all three together: the mung bean, coconut and black sesame with palm sugar. And it is sooooo good. The mung bean just melts in your mouth and the coconut and sesame just linger with the sweetness of the palm sugar.

This is another one of those dessert that look very hard to make, but once you get the hang of it, it is as easy as pie….maybe even easier..lol





















Ingredients:

Skin wrapper:

2 Lb fresh banana leave
3 Cup of glutinous rice flour
1/4 Cup of wheat starch flour
½ Cup of palm sugar
2 Cup Hot boiling water

Filling:

1 Cup of palm sugar
1/8 Cup of water
1/4 Tsp of salt
1 Cup peel mung bean (cooked for 20 + minutes and blend to a fine paste)
1 Cup shredded coconut
1 Tbsp roasted black sesame seed

Methods:

Preparing banana leaves.

1. Clean and dried the banana leave thoroughly.
2. Turn on the stove to low and roll the banana leave over it slowly, careful not to burn it. This will make it softer and easier to wrap.
3. Cut the banana leave into 10 inches circle or 10 inches square. Circle wraps prettier. Set aside.

Filling:
1. Heat the water and the palm sugar and salt until slightly thicken and light brown.
2. Add the mung bean and stir until all the water has been absorb.
3. Add the coconut and cook until it is thick and paste like.
4. Removed and set aside to cool.
5. After it cool down, rolls into ball for desire size…half dollar coin is perfect.

For the skin:

1. Heat water to boil add the sugar and melt it completely.
2. Slowly add in flour an corn starch a little at a time until dough is pliable.
3. Dust some corn starch on your finger and take a dollar size coin and roll into a ball.
4. Flatten it with the palm of your hand and spread the side to look like a miniature tortilla. About 1/8 inches thick.
5. Place the filling in the middle and close it up. Roll into ball again.
6. Now take the banana leaves circle and fold it in half and then another half.
7. Open it up and it looks like a cup. Drop the ball of dough in there and carefully
fold the first corner in front of you. Then fold the one on the right side on top of it.
Now fold the left side on top of the right side and lastly fold the one that on top 12 o’clock on top of the left folded side and whatever left over tuck it under.
8. Put it in the steam and steam for 30 minutes. Make sure not to let water on it or it will be soggy.
9. Remove and eat while it hot or cold.

Japchae Korean Noodle (cold)

Since it is freezing below outside I decided that this yummy, chewy noodle will save the night! This is one of those dish that only get cook when I have no clue what to make for dinner. I can always rely on a package of noodle in my pantry and some vegetable and it ready to go.
Plus this is a fun and easy dish to make. And it is oh so pretty to gaze upon.

My love affair with this noodle began almost 15 years ago….
The first time I went to a Korean buffet, this is the first Korean noodle that I ever had. And the first time I ever taste this chewy and flavorful noodle, I instantly love it! Although every time I had it, it always tasted different at different place. I guess everyone will have their own version on how this is done.

As mentioned before, our house is a noodle house. Anything noodle is welcome with anticipation. And they are willing to do almost anything to eat! You know like cleaning the house, watering the plants and even babysitting the terrible two and my precious little 8 months old baby.

As for the noodle it is very different your originally noodle, because it is clear and the texture as mention above chewy yet very tasty. Now don’t let the translucent appear full you, this noodle is very filling. Of course while you’re eating it, you won’t feel the fullness right away, but once you done you will feel stuffed. Nevertheless, I still love this noodle. For it chewy texture, for it exotic flavor and how it a challenge just to try and eat it slippery strands.


Ingredients:

1/2 Package of cellophane noodle
6 Dried shitake mushrooms
A Handful of shred carrot
4 Scallions sliced diagonally
1 Small yellow onion slice
1 Bunch of blanch spinach (I don’t have any on hand)
A Handful of chop cilantro
½ Cup of celery sliced diagonally
1 Tbsp of dark soy sauce
2 Tbsp of soy sauce
¼ Cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp of sesame oil roasted
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
½ Tbsp of sesame
¼ Cup dried fungus
½ Tsp of kosher salt
1 Tsp of corn starch
2 clove of garlic minced
1 Tbsp of rice vinegar (optional but yummy with a tangy taste)
2 -3 White pepper or black
1 Tsp of sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp of water
1 Egg white
1 lb rib eyes steak slice into strips

Make sure to soak and message the beef with corn starch, water, a pinch of salt and 1 egg white for at least 30 minutes before cooking. That way the beef will very nice and tender.

1. Bring water to boil and put the noodle in. Follow direction cooking time. Usually 8-10 minutes.
2. Remove the noodle and run cold water on it, to stop the cooking process and so that it won’t stick together.
3. Heat the skillet up and then add both kind of oil.
4. When the oil is hot add the onion and then add the beef and stir in the soy sauce, chicken broth and salt.
5. When the beef look to be done, add the mushroom, carrot, celery and toss a couple of time.
6. For the spinach you can add in there too or you can blanch it.
7. Remove from the stove and pour over the noodle and mix well.
8. Add the dark soy sauce for color and the mirin for flavor. Mix completely.
9. Add the scallions, cilantros and sesames and a couple dash of white pepper.
10. Remove from stove and let cool then put in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. That if you like it cold…we normally like to right out off the stove!

Prosperity Steam Cupcake

This is a very easy recipe to make. This cupcake is one of the dessert is vital for Chinese New Year. Prosperity is a very meaningful adjective to wish other and received in return for Chinese New Year, beside from luck, health, happiness and longevity.

This cupcake is very soft and fragile unlike your ordinary cupcake that we all used to. That why it required lots of baking powder. I like this cupcake because it is our symbol of our New Year and also because it literally melts in your mouths.

I dread making this cake due to the fact that I am the only person in the house that appreciated the hard labor of making dessert. Therefore, I end up eating all of these yummy cake all by myself and it doesn’t do much for my diet or self-esteem afterward. Lol I need to stop making dessert until all my baby weight is shed…but then where the challenge in that? Anyone who reading this and have an 8 months old know exactly what I am going through right now. The plus side is the reward of your gummy baby smile at you is priceless. I take that baby weight any day!!

Ingredients:

1 Cup low protein or cake flour
4 Tsp Baking powder
2 Tbsp wheat starch
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk
2 oz Vegetable oil
¼ Cup of water
¾ Cup of powder sugar



1. Put the cupcake mold in the steamer so that it will get hot and ready.
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, egg and water together.
3. Blend well at high speed until fluffy.
4. Add color if desire.
5. Pour the batter into the hot steam cupcake pan and make sure the water is boiling.
6. Steam for at least 15 minutes on high and boiling.

Volia done!

Beef Pho

Just want to point a couple of things out before we get started. I grew up in an area where any kind of noodle is an abundant. Therefore, I never have the need to make my own noodle since it a lot cheaper and faster to eat out. I often take my boys to the noodle house every Sunday. So Sunday is our favorite day for everything, but since moving to Texas…there not much here, let alone a noodle house. So we often crave what we can’t have, but I’ve tried to accommodated all of our craving. Especially Asian food, but noodle is top of our most wanted list! Thus we all became a noodle head!

And to maintain our Sunday ritual, I make Pho very Sunday. Of course with my busy schedule I don’t have all day to cook the soup, so I made it the night before on Saturday.
On Saturday night, I get off from work really late like 11 pm. By the time I get home it about 11:30 at night as I started my soup stock. I like to cook overnight my soup overnight due to my busy schedule and also because leaving the soup overnight the heat help finishing cooking the meat and it way more flavorful. The added bonus the fat would deposit when leave in the refrigerator overnight and easier to remove. Love this soup!!



Ingredients:

For the soup:

6 pieces of oxtail or feet bone for more tendons
4 to 6 pieces of neck bone
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anis
1 onion
2 inches of ginger
1 to 2 cube of beef bouillon
1 pk noodle dried or fresh
3 to 4 Tbsp of fish salt
1 tsp of kosher salts


For the topping:

1 6 oz of filet mignon or rib eyes thinly sliced
Handful of bean sprout
Handful of cilantro
Handful of basil
Handful of scallion sliced
Handful sliced jalapeno

Methods:

1. With a 5 quart of pot or bigger put the oxtail, neck bone adds a little salt to about ¾ full and brings to a boil. While the water boiling make sure to grill the onions and ginger to a charcoal so that the aroma will give.
2. Remove from stove top and rinse the bone well off the scum and impurities. Refill the water to almost full and placed back on the stove top on high.
3. Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger, onion, beef bouillon, star anis, salts and fish sauce.
4. Bring to boil and then lower the heat to medium. Boil for at least 2 to 3 hours, depending how tender you want your oxtail and neck bone to be.
5. After the meat is tender and to taste turn the heat off and let it cool then put it in the refrigerator overnight.
6. The next morning before serving, remove all the fat that deposit on the off.
7. Reheat until boil.
8. If using dried noodle, make sure to soak it in water for at least half an hour.
9. Bring water to boil in pot and add the noodle in. Dried noodle cook about 2 minutes for fresh noodle as soon as you put it in, pull it out so that it won’t over cook.
10. Add the garnish and beef and pour the hot soup over the noodle.

Get your chopstick and spoon and dig in!

Sticky Rice With Coconut and Durian Sauce

This is my favorite all time dessert! I love the sticky rice texture with the sweet and creamy blend of coconut milk and yummy durian fruit. If you wondering what kind of fruit durian is…well let just put it this way. It is an acquired taste. Neither you love it or hate. It have a very strong smell that some whom love it will say it pleasant and yummy smell and for those that hates it will say that it is stink! Durian is a spiky on the outside and yellow creamy flesh in the inside. It is consider an exotic Asian fruit that plentiful in all over Southeast Asian. And it also not good to over indulge in it, because it supposed to make you feel hot inside. Pregnant women are caution in eating too much of this fruit, it can causes heartburn. This learnt this is from experiences.

I personally grew up with this acquired taste and loved it. I can’t tell you enough how much love eating this fruit and all that made out of it. That why I do cherish and looking forward to this dessert every time I made. Of course it help, that my kids and husband love it too. That way I won’t be the only one indulging in it and gain the excess weight. Those of you who had this dessert before and enjoyed it, you know what I mean. Just love that creamy coconut-durian over nice, hot sticky rice. This is one of those dessert you have to eat with your eyes closed and let the flavor rolls off your tongue, because it is that good!
This is a very popular dessert among Lao, Thai, Cambodian part of Asian.


Ingredients:

3 Pieces of durian frozen or fresh
1 Can of coco milk
3/4 Cup of sugar
2 Tbsp of palm sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 Cup of sticky rice soaked over night

Methods:

1. Put the rice in a bamboo basket and steam for at least 30 minutes or until cook.
2. When the rice is cooking make the coconut and durian sauce.
3. Put the coconut milk in a pot and bring to boil and lower the heat to medium.
4. Stirred in the sugar and palm sugar and salt.
5. Pour almost half of the coconut sauce and set aside for the sticky rice.
6. Shred the durian and add into the coconut milk,
7. Bring it to boil again and turn off. Set aside.
8. When the rice is fully cooked, pour the coconut milk that was set aside and mix well.
9. To serve. Just put scope some rice and put on a plate and topped it with the coconut and durian sauce.

Voila it done and enjoy!

Angle Hair Paste in Red Wine Sauce With Sear Scallop

As you might guessed by now, I love anything food. I love making it and I love eating it. To me all kind of food is enjoyable and challenging. I like to experiment with new recipes, ingredients and technique. As I was watching the Food channel a couple of years ago I saw a segment on pasta and red wine. Of course, I didn’t have a chance to take down the exact recipe, but always wanted to try it.

So a couple of days ago I have no ideas of what to make for our regular Sunday dinner. Coming upon some giant scallop and pasta, I decided to put it into good use. Sunday is the only day that I actually have time to make a good dinner. And it the only day where the whole family can sit down to a good home cooked meal. Therefore we all enjoy and look forward to our weekly Sunday dinner.


Ingredients:

4 Pieces of big scallop
¼ Package of angle hair pasta
1 Cup of red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon) you can also use pinot noir or shiraz
1 Tbsp of minced parsley
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
3 Tbsp of butter
1 Tsp of kosher salt
1 Tbsp of fish sauce (optional)
1 Tbsp of olive oil
1 Tbsp of black bean sauce

Methods:

1. Put enough in nonstick pot for the pasta and bring it to semi boil and add the pasta, make sure stir it well so that it will not stick together.
2. Cook about 8 to 10 minutes until pasta el dante.
3. Removed pasta and drain, running cold water on it to stop the cooking process.
4. Add half of the olive oil and parsley and toss together, set aside.
5. Heat the skillet until hot and then add the butter.
6. Cook the scallops by adding the salt and black bean sauce and sear it until golden brown, then flip the other side. Set aside.
7. While the scallops are cooking, put the butter on the hot nonstick sauce pan.
8. Add the minced garlic and golden brown
9. Add the red wine and bring to boil, then add the black bean sauce.
10. Lower the stove to medium and add the pasta until the sauce is all absorb. About 5 to 7 minutes.
11. Remove and top with Scallop and serve.

This dish is very nice with a good glass of white wine.