Some people love tofu, some absolutely hate it. I belong to the tofu loving camp. What's not to like? Some don't like it's simple taste and brand it as bland. It is this simple fresh taste that makes it desirable and so versatile. It can blend in well with most dishes to add bulk, texture and nutrients.
I know that I've said that making dim sum is best left to the experts. I have to say it again. I just can't help but tinker with recipes that intrigue. These wu gok or taro croquettes, for example, I wonder how they burst into these flaky, almost feather-like crumbs.
I am sorely in need of more chicken recipes. My daughter said we should only eat meat from four legged animals twice a week. We love fish but fresh fish is not always easy to find. So chicken is the most likely option. Not wanting to bore people with the same old recipes, I must aim to create new ones. Nice ones preferred.
My daughter asked me to buy some lemon and coriander hummus for her at the supermarket. Ok, that won't be hard, or so I thought. Reaching the supermarket shelf, I was faced with a wide variety of hummus and it took me some time to find the one I was supposed to buy. Mmmm, I was such a hummus novice. I thought it only came in chick pea flavour.
I love Kung Pao chicken and the exciting buzz it gives when eating it. Kung pao chicken is a classic Szechuan dish of chicken and peanuts in a fiery hot sauce spiked with Szechuan peppercorns and dried chillies. It is that double hit of peppers that make this dish so exciting. The Szechuan peppercorns has a citrusy flavour and a numbing effect in the mouth. The dried chillies has a hint of smokiness and distinct chilli flavour and heat. Although good with rice, I thought adding glass noodles would be a great one dish meal.
One thing I would never tire of is cheese cake. I just crave for the stuff. I used to be hooked on a very dense and rich cheesecake that is sold by weight at our neighborhood Jewish bakeshop. It was so delicious and satisfying that all it took was a sliver to satisfy my cravings.
If this rice sounds Greek to you, you may be more enlightened if I call it Hokkien fried rice. Still doesn't ring a bell? How about house special fried rice? Most restaurants call it that and it was only after a few years of eating it did I know what it was actually called.
Aren't spinning doner kebabs, shawarma, gyrosjust hypnotic. I can't stop but stare at them through the restaurant windows. The glistening, charred crust with juices dripping between the layers are just too much of a temptation. They are not exactly healthy choices because they contain a fair amount of fat. Unfortunately, making them at home is not exactly doable because that upright, spinning rotisserie is not something most people own.
