Weather's been a bit touchy lately. It was getting a little cooler early this week and I was feeling "Fall". Bought some meat and veggies and made a stew. It was nice and I was feeling all warm and cozy eating it. But before I get a chance to finish the whole pot (I even gave a bunch away to other people), "Indian Summer" finally hits. Temperature reached 80 or so the last couple of days. Good thing I work in an air conditioned building and really don't know what it's like "in the real world".
Anyhow, back to the main subject ... it's amazing what smells triggers. While my stew was cooking, I was hooked. I wait and wait and hope the thing will get done as soon as it can so I can start chowing down. No such luck (I used a crock pot) and it's slowwwww cooking. I woke up to a wonderful smell (food!) and promptly started dishing portions for future consumption. That was a couple of days ago.
Last night, I took one of the portions and heated it up for my dinner. I guess I should have kept my bedroom door closed like I did the night before. The greasy meat smell kept me up all night and I ended up having to get up in the middle of the night, rubbbed some smelly ointment stuff under my nose before I can go back to sleep peacefully.
Same dish, two different results. Go figure!
Took my staff out for dinner a few nights ago. Ended up dragging them to "Hot Pot". It was fun. One guy discovered lamb for the first time in his life. Liked it. The other guy told me a little psychological trick that the restaurant may be playing. Apparently, when a person sits there and keeps smelling the aroma of food cooking, the person just naturally feels more satisfyingly full (ummm ... satisfyingly ... is there such a word?) I haven't really tested his theory as I'm basically eating all the time. At least snacking on stuff. Who knows? Maybe he's got a point there. I don't normally feel hungry when I'm cooking. But then ... maybe it has more to do with my "testing" the food while I'm cooking though.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Friday, September 23, 2005
Why not get all your addictions satisfied at once?
Came across this (sent by a friend) earlier today: http://www.bongvodka.com/
Yea ... GREAT idea, guys! <-- with a degree of sacasm, of course. I just find things like this funny, in an absurd kind of way.
Been playing with podcasts lately (Apple's iTunes rocks!) and while browsing through some of the casts out there, came across a bunch of them that's food related. Some were even videos showing what they were doing. One had a couple of guys drinking beer and cooking (who knows what). As they continue cooking, they keep drinking more and more and their speech got to be PRETTY slurred by the end. Another one was actually pretty good where a couple of Aussies were cooking either in their own kitchen, or one of their friend's. I love what they call their podcast - CrashTestKitchen. One episode had them making a sponge cake in commeration of a friend's birthday (they were actually in a different country from where said friend was at the time, they just wanted to bake the thing and eat it in his honor). It was titled "Spong Blob Square Pan". Another episode had a bonue feature toward the end where they rescued an orange.
Great stuff. Quite a lot of entertaining stuff out there.
Didn't think I left out the food part, did you? Found a restaurant the other day where they'll cook and serve you up a whole cooked crab for 6 bucks! Went there with H. tonight and had us a feast. We ended up ordering 2 crabs and a few dishes. Whole tab came up to be less than the four sandwiches we ordered for lunch today.
Oh yes ... the sandwiches. Been craving these Phili. Cheese Steaks for a while now. There's a place not too far away from work who does a really great job with them. Ended up picking up a bunch for ourselves and some co-workers too. If you've never had it, it's well worth the trip. The restaurant itself's not really all that great, looks-wise, but the sandwiches ... Thin sliced beef, sauteed on a griddle with grilled onions, add cheese to it, with optional sweet or hot peppers. The whole thing comes out with toasted rolls and the beef all juicy and covered with gooey cheese. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them.
Yea ... GREAT idea, guys! <-- with a degree of sacasm, of course. I just find things like this funny, in an absurd kind of way.
Been playing with podcasts lately (Apple's iTunes rocks!) and while browsing through some of the casts out there, came across a bunch of them that's food related. Some were even videos showing what they were doing. One had a couple of guys drinking beer and cooking (who knows what). As they continue cooking, they keep drinking more and more and their speech got to be PRETTY slurred by the end. Another one was actually pretty good where a couple of Aussies were cooking either in their own kitchen, or one of their friend's. I love what they call their podcast - CrashTestKitchen. One episode had them making a sponge cake in commeration of a friend's birthday (they were actually in a different country from where said friend was at the time, they just wanted to bake the thing and eat it in his honor). It was titled "Spong Blob Square Pan". Another episode had a bonue feature toward the end where they rescued an orange.
Great stuff. Quite a lot of entertaining stuff out there.
Didn't think I left out the food part, did you? Found a restaurant the other day where they'll cook and serve you up a whole cooked crab for 6 bucks! Went there with H. tonight and had us a feast. We ended up ordering 2 crabs and a few dishes. Whole tab came up to be less than the four sandwiches we ordered for lunch today.
Oh yes ... the sandwiches. Been craving these Phili. Cheese Steaks for a while now. There's a place not too far away from work who does a really great job with them. Ended up picking up a bunch for ourselves and some co-workers too. If you've never had it, it's well worth the trip. The restaurant itself's not really all that great, looks-wise, but the sandwiches ... Thin sliced beef, sauteed on a griddle with grilled onions, add cheese to it, with optional sweet or hot peppers. The whole thing comes out with toasted rolls and the beef all juicy and covered with gooey cheese. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Shanghai Dumplings
Went to this place for dinner last night. It was featured in one of those "cheap eats" magazine articles. I had me a feast and ordered steamed shanghai dumplings (siu loung bow), green onion pancakes and wontons with red chili oil.
The green onion pancakes were crispy and flavored just right. I originally didn't eat them correctly, apparently I figured out after a half piece later that you're supposed to eat them faced together, not taken apart. No wonder one side was kind of greasy and salty!
The dumplings were good, but it's not as extraordinary as I would have expected, given the press it received.
The wontons with chili oil were great! I've had this dish at a different restaurant before and had wondered what else was in the oil as it was very flavorful and reminds me of something that I've had before, but couldn't quite place. So ... the restaurant last night had the chili oil mixed in with PEANUT BUTTER!!! The combination may be strange, but let me tell you ... it's GREAT!
Wish I had pictures to show, but I ate most of the food before I thought of it. Oh well, maybe next trip there.
The green onion pancakes were crispy and flavored just right. I originally didn't eat them correctly, apparently I figured out after a half piece later that you're supposed to eat them faced together, not taken apart. No wonder one side was kind of greasy and salty!
The dumplings were good, but it's not as extraordinary as I would have expected, given the press it received.
The wontons with chili oil were great! I've had this dish at a different restaurant before and had wondered what else was in the oil as it was very flavorful and reminds me of something that I've had before, but couldn't quite place. So ... the restaurant last night had the chili oil mixed in with PEANUT BUTTER!!! The combination may be strange, but let me tell you ... it's GREAT!
Wish I had pictures to show, but I ate most of the food before I thought of it. Oh well, maybe next trip there.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Kissing the chicken
I just got home from my friend's wedding banquet. As usual, I was in one of the rowdy tables waaaaay in the back of the restaurant and the bride approaches us with some degree of fear in her eyes.
The groom happens to be one of the "fun" people in wedding banquets past and had other (now married) friends do all kinds of strange things on their wedding day. One friend was made to kiss the duck's head (roast duck was on the menu that night), not to mention all the yelling and demands for the bride and groom to kiss.
So ... tonight was pay-back time for all my married friends. The groom was asked to kiss a chicken's head, a lobster head, a baby's head and his bride on her lips in succession. The only one he declined was the baby head. Go figure. Probably didn't want to make her cry (the baby, not his new wife).
Banquet itself consisted of a very respectable menu. There were a total of 10 courses altogether (always even numbers for weddings and odd numbers for funerals).
Of note were the shark fin soup. Not that it's spactacular-ly good, but there were LOTS of shark fin (in clumps) for everybody; and the abalone. I just haven't been to many banquets where they serve whole ones like we did.
Overall, the whole day turned out very nicely. Weather was great and I get to catch up with a lot of friends whom I haven't seen in a long time.
The groom happens to be one of the "fun" people in wedding banquets past and had other (now married) friends do all kinds of strange things on their wedding day. One friend was made to kiss the duck's head (roast duck was on the menu that night), not to mention all the yelling and demands for the bride and groom to kiss.
So ... tonight was pay-back time for all my married friends. The groom was asked to kiss a chicken's head, a lobster head, a baby's head and his bride on her lips in succession. The only one he declined was the baby head. Go figure. Probably didn't want to make her cry (the baby, not his new wife).
Banquet itself consisted of a very respectable menu. There were a total of 10 courses altogether (always even numbers for weddings and odd numbers for funerals).
Of note were the shark fin soup. Not that it's spactacular-ly good, but there were LOTS of shark fin (in clumps) for everybody; and the abalone. I just haven't been to many banquets where they serve whole ones like we did.
Overall, the whole day turned out very nicely. Weather was great and I get to catch up with a lot of friends whom I haven't seen in a long time.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Rice Cooker Chicken
Note to self ... large whole chicken in small little rice cooker doesn't work too well.
I've got an easy bake chicken recipe from one of my aunts from way back. Just dry rub this ginger spice powder all over a chicken with some salt and pepper (both in and outside of the bird). Sit it in the rice cooker and push the button. Presto! The chicken's done all juicy and tender a couple of button pops later. I don't know what the magical thing is, but it works every time.
So ... I haven't made that in a number of years and was craving it the other night. Stuck the thing in my one and only rice cooker, which happens to be this tiny little thing (4 cups, I think). Well ... it took a few more than just the two button pops to get the thing cooked, which is kind of a pain. Must remember to use parts next time.
Either way, the result was yummy.
Well ... gotta go. I bought some "breakfast steaks" the other day and wanted to play around and see if I can make a masala dish out of it.
Weather's getting a bit cooler and I'm dreaming about all these hearty comfort-food type dishes. Busting out the crockpot sounds mighty good right now.
I've got an easy bake chicken recipe from one of my aunts from way back. Just dry rub this ginger spice powder all over a chicken with some salt and pepper (both in and outside of the bird). Sit it in the rice cooker and push the button. Presto! The chicken's done all juicy and tender a couple of button pops later. I don't know what the magical thing is, but it works every time.
So ... I haven't made that in a number of years and was craving it the other night. Stuck the thing in my one and only rice cooker, which happens to be this tiny little thing (4 cups, I think). Well ... it took a few more than just the two button pops to get the thing cooked, which is kind of a pain. Must remember to use parts next time.
Either way, the result was yummy.
Well ... gotta go. I bought some "breakfast steaks" the other day and wanted to play around and see if I can make a masala dish out of it.
Weather's getting a bit cooler and I'm dreaming about all these hearty comfort-food type dishes. Busting out the crockpot sounds mighty good right now.
Friday, September 09, 2005
All you can eat
So this new Chinese Buffet place recently opened in my neighborhood. I went and tried it out with H. last night. Considering the price ($14), the food really wasn't bad at all. Aside from the usual fixings like jello (why do they all have jello?), cookies, cakes (can you tell I go straight to the dessert table first?), fried appetizers (they were actually crunchy and not cold and soggy - nice!), noodles and rice, assorted dishes, sushi, steamed dimsum, they also have crab during dinner times! H. polished a whole shell and said it was pretty good.
For some reason, whenever I go to one of those "all you can eat" places, I ended up stuffing myself so much that I basically waddle out of there. I wonder if it's the cheapskate in me who wants to get enough (or more) to get my money's worth? Maybe it's the adventurous side of me who wants to sample and try everything? More likely that I just have no self control, especially when it comes to food.
In the meantime, I'm thinking about one of my aunts' ginger chicken (dry rubbed with the spices and cooked in the rice cooker)
For some reason, whenever I go to one of those "all you can eat" places, I ended up stuffing myself so much that I basically waddle out of there. I wonder if it's the cheapskate in me who wants to get enough (or more) to get my money's worth? Maybe it's the adventurous side of me who wants to sample and try everything? More likely that I just have no self control, especially when it comes to food.
In the meantime, I'm thinking about one of my aunts' ginger chicken (dry rubbed with the spices and cooked in the rice cooker)
Monday, September 05, 2005
Lion's Head
That's the name of one of my favorite Chinese dishes. I wonder whether I like it for the cool name, or I actually like the taste. At any rate, the restaurant nearby which searves it is now under new ownership and don't serve it anymore.
For those who are curious enough, lion's head is a dish made with pork meatballs braised with vegetables and some other stuff.
Mom's old cookbooks to the rescue. I took my day off to attempt it today. The recipe is for the vegetarian version, with crumbled tofu, mushrooms, tofu puffs, fried (savory) donuts, etc.
I have to say that it took quite some time to make, not to mention the pile of dishes I had to do. Still debating whether the result is worth all that work.
For those who are curious enough, lion's head is a dish made with pork meatballs braised with vegetables and some other stuff.
Mom's old cookbooks to the rescue. I took my day off to attempt it today. The recipe is for the vegetarian version, with crumbled tofu, mushrooms, tofu puffs, fried (savory) donuts, etc.
I have to say that it took quite some time to make, not to mention the pile of dishes I had to do. Still debating whether the result is worth all that work.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)