A Claypot of ❤....

Proudly presenting, my lone claypot...

We never have a claypot in the house before. Then, we had the biggest we could lay our hands on. That was deemed too big now so we got our hands on a claypot which can serve two people and another for one person only. So, what's boiling in the claypot?

With lots of love in them....

I cooked something simple. If you understand the meaning of simple, the underlying current is very strong. A simple dish is not simple to make. Facing irony in English words now? It's true. The simplest dish must be prepared with lots of love. Everything in this claypot is prepared differently. From marinating the minced pork to making the most delicious soup which you will be asking for more and more.

I'm hungry already.... 

Nice to see, better still if you have them right in front of you. What's the price tag that you would put on this? One person actually said RM3. Please go to the nearest coffeeshop selling rice vermicelli served in a claypot. This is homecook so it's different. The price: Priceless. I made this to make the hubby jealous. He's away for work seminar and he's been sending food photos from the hotel which served them buffet. So, I made the nicest claypot rice vermicelli soup to let him know what he has missed out today. I'm a good wife, I kept his share for him so that he would be able to savour them when he's back :D The soup will be tastier after being kept overnight.

Mi mama selfie-ing with the claypot....

Mi mama loves rice vermicelli, what more soupy stuff. So, this one bowl is just the right amount. Hehe.... 

Konnyaku orange jelly...

Not to fret about thinking what with the hot weather and the sizzling soup in the claypot that would make you even hotter, we have jelly to soothe our throat. That's the best orange jelly mi mama has made. We have a rectangle container filled with jelly but after cutting into small cubes to feed the piranhas in the house, we're left with two rows of 8 small cubes in each row only. Keeping them for the hubby.

Cheese and ham mini cake....

I tried something new for my baking. It's a savoury type of mini cakes with cheddar and ham. Both are already salty then with a half-teaspoon of salt to add to the saltiness. Overall it wasn't that bad since it's just something to try on. We're all okay with this.

Finish....

I planned to make more for tomorrow since I have doubled the ingredients. But, I think I would like to make something else for tomorrow. Too bad I didn't leave one for hubby. The piranhas ate them all. 

A Simple Lunch...

Steamed tilapia...

Today's lunch was simple. We had steamed tilapia fillet marinated with ginger and drowned in rice wine. The taste was, errmm..... Chinese. Once you've tried Chinese food, then you will know it when you have it in your mouth. 

Simmered chicken in herbs...

The chopped up chicken thighs squeezed into a 28cm wok with the cubed potatoes, a couple of bay leaves, some coriander seeds and tomatoes, plus a few more other herbs. Since it was so easy and I have nothing else to do, I did not want to waste the yam bean.

A very simply yam bean soup....

A pot of chicken stock was prepared. The yam beans were cut into smaller cubes and then everything went into the pot. I've never made yam bean soup so I thought it would be as soft as winter melon where the melon would met int your mouth. The soup almost dried up but it was still a tad too crunchy for my preference. In the end, mi mama confirmed that the texture was correct. *sigh* Simple lunch we had today. And I'm sleepy after lunch but need to stay awake.

McJu Made An Appearance...

McJu's special appearance for the night....

Many of those in my circle know about McJu... my creation of burgers. The only funny part that I ain't laughing was, I experimented with so many kinds of patties for burgers and suddenly, everywhere burger shops were mushrooming. Those who have tasted McJu said I should and must open a burger cafe. Well, if I do so then who's gonna teach from morning until night? It's either I contribute my knowledge or I open a restaurant and be the slave to the stove. Both ways, I ended without much time left for self. I better labour in my own kitchen for the few hours and feed those I love.

Today, McJu did not walk in the limelight. I stopped posting my food photos in Facebook. McJu made a quiet appearance here, in this quiet diary of mine. Hey, McJu... love ya' all the same. If they know I made you, they would be asking me to give them. But I wonder how many people will accept you. You're without buns. That's McJu stacked up with tofu. Fancy having tofu burger for dinner?

Tofu burgers...

Yeah, that's McJu alright. The double stacked tofu burgers. Maybe before long, you will appear on some restaurant's menu and I would just sit here and stare. I wouldn't be angry because I know nobody will get the exact exquisite taste that will identify with McJu. Love ya' all the more. I guess many people miss ya' but it's not time to give out McJu now. 

My girl has a schoolmate who loves to cook. She just experimented on her first steak which turned out perfectly juicy. Then, I saw the comments posted by her friends who were asking or should I say unashamedly begging for free steaks. As the young girl, whom I believed will one day become a chef, is still studying and without her own income, how could she give out free food to her friends? So, she politely asked her friends to pay for the steak then she would prepare them. One of the comments was down right rude. Her friend said,"Pay u???? I would rather go to a restaurant!" Wow... then it dawned on me, maybe if I really operate a restaurant, none of my friends who appear in my kitchen will go to my restaurant, because they would only want free food. I do treat my friends to a hearty meal but I think once I put a price on the dishes, all would be gone faster than you can start the stove. Girl, go chase after your dreams and to that friend of yours, tell her you won't want to serve her at all. I know I wouldn't want to cook for such a person who doesn't even know how to appreciate good food. You want to pay me? Duh, did I say I want to cook for you? Such untactful respond....

A bowl of rice....

McJu did not get to be the main player on my dining table today. The rice plays the same important role as the staple food for Asians. You didn't see that wrong. It's long grain rice. That's basmati rice from North India. For many years, I cooked plain white rice. Then, mi mama changed our rice to brown rice which stayed with us for a few years. This year, hubby upgraded changed our rice to really expensive rice. I'm a thrifty and frugal person, when it comes to rice I bought the cheapest, let's say 5kg for RM12, ring a bell? That's the price for Jasmine rice, should be? Not sure, can't remember. Then, it was EcoBrown for 5kg at RM18 when Tesco made a major slash on the price. This year... *squirmed in seat*.... that basmati rice cost RM12 for 1kg. There are other cheaper brands but the long grain weren't that nice, so okay, I settled for the expensive one. My 'forever' neighbour mentioned that they only have basmati rice on Fridays or when there's  a special occasion and we're having basmati rice everyday. Time to count my blessings.

Pork belly with scallops...

Pork belly came to tango with the rice. I got the fermented bean curd imported from Taiwan. I couldn't understand why Taiwanese love to eat stinky stuff like smelly tofu, fermented this and that, and not to forget bamboo shoots cooked in a long list of different methods. When the fermented bean curd first hit the wok, dancing with the chopped garlic and ginger, the smell was really good. Then when it was brewing, the smell that came out was like some kind of food has turned bad and sour. Mi mama and hubby love the taste so, I'm the only who doesn't enjoy tonight's dinner. The scallops made me happy, though. I was suppose to use dried scallops but since I don't have any, I used the fresh scallops instead.

Deep-fried dumplings....

I'm still practicing how to cook for a small family. I'm used to cook for many mouths but we'll be downsizing soon. The kids are all grown up and flying away from the nest. Just left us. I do miss the noise at times but I'm okay with the silence. Finally, I have time for myself and do things for myself. My time used to be run for others and always for others. Now, it's for myself. Sounds selfish? That's not for you to judge since you're never in my position all these long and tiring years. The day my precious is done with her major exam, I will be the one shouting for joy louder than her. We made more dumplings today. The ingredients were far too many with minced pork as the main ingredient, followed by minced prawns, yam beans, carrots and even black fungus. I thought of sending a big plate over to my new neighbour but they were not around. Last week, I cooked too much, so I sent the girls to my new neighbour to drag them over for dinner and God multiplied the amount of food. I was trying to reduce the amount of food to zero but after the small family came over for dinner, the food never seem to lessen and both of them husband and wife were so full they could hardly move. I could invite a few more couples over for dinner and I bet the amount of food would still be the same. Thank you Lord for the provision.

Spinach buns with pumpkin seeds...

I have a pack of spinach leaves, plucked from the stems for the convenience of lazy people like me. The weight of 100g was just right for the buns. I was actually thinking of making a vegetable dish since our table always lack the appearance of green leaves. Then, somehow or other, we ended up making spinach buns with pumpkin seeds. Those were really healthy snacks.

The perfect texture of Incredible Hulk...

Perfect texture again. I'm very sure the kids won't like it. Looks like I will have to make a substitute that will go along with this too healthy spinach buns. My precious cried when she was asked to eat a spoonful of vegetables... and she's seventeen, not seven years of age. I shall look at her face when she's eating this bun. Her sense of taste has been trained up by me so I raised picky eaters. Let there be no famine or we would be the ones suffering the worst.

A Prawny Affair...

Steamed Stuff Prawns with Shrimp Sauce...

 I love seafood. Love prawns especially. It's not for any occasion. It was just dinner on a Saturday nite before heading off to church. I needed to work for 3 hours in the morning only so I have the time to prepare dinner. Usually on Saturdays, I will leave the house the moment I wake up and only come back an hour or two before midnite. Today, was an exception and I hope it would be so until the end of the year. I do enjoy weekends at home. I just like staying at home now. This is also my first time stuffing a prawn with minced prawn meat. The sweetness of prawns, oh, how wonderful *salivating all over*.

Steamed Stuff Prawns with Shrimp Sauce...

I can actually lick the computer screen now. We only had three prawns each. But I did cook other dishes. I tried to keep to three dishes in a meal so that we won't be over-eating.

Switzerland Simmered Chicken...

This is an altogether different kind of taste. The use of tamarind peel and cinnamon stick make the taste a whole lot more different. It's a little bit sourish yet sweet. And of course, I did add a whole more of other ingredients. Yen's secret ingredients which the hubby doesn't even know. The hubby can cook and the hubby doesn't share his secret recipes as well. We have our own secrets in the kitchen and we don't cook together. I would go crazy having to cook with another person. Likewise, hubby doesn't like me to be around in the kitchen when he's cooking. Both of us have different cooking styles so I don't interfere when he's cooking.

Chives Dumpling...

Another kind of dumpling this time round they're all pan fried. Hubby said that the juicy minced pork in the dumpling was perfectly seasoned. Thank you, love. It has a taste of China. Or the dumpling tasted more like gyoza but better. I love to cook for my hubby and mi mama. I don't get why so many people said that we're eating luxurious food all the time. How do you categorize normal food then? Even if I make fried rice, there will bound to be someone saying that there are lots of yummies in them. Well, if it has been said that we're having luxurious food every day, then praise God for providing them~!

Today and yesterday's dishes have totally different taste. According to hubby, they were all delicious but he preferred yesterday's dishes. Tomorrow, I'll prepare something else. I really enjoy cooking but again it's not my passion~! 

Fishy. Carrot. Pumpkin. Dumplings.

I have decided to start up this blog at the spur of the moment. It would be my virtual logbook to keep into memory what I have produced from my kitchen. Time flies. I have been cooking for 11 years. Only today, I'm going to start keeping track on what I've come out with from the kitchen. 11 years, I have hardly repeat any dishes. 11 years of cooking done with different dishes and recipes, yet only today, I started writing about what I've cooked. Looks like I will have to start all over again. Facebook's burden will be removed as I will not load up that many food photos there anymore. After looking at my old photos of food, I don't even remember how I could manage to come out with all those dishes. So, let's start anew. Whoever says new things must start on a New Year's Day? I just hope that I don't slack off once I'm busy with work. I'm quite free now as the end of the year is slowly creeping in but before you know it, the month of November and December would turn into January 2015.

Simmered fish...

This is the first time in my life that I successfully thicken the gravy. Yeah, most of the time I will need my hubby to thicken the gravy or else everyone would be served with a soupy dish. Both are equally delicious just that I really wanted to make it thick. A desperate person always find ways to succeed. That's a dish with filleted white meat fish, marinated with my own concoction of various types of powder. Then, the bean curd puffs and deep fried bean curd sticks acted as sidekicks. Good blend of different taste in one plate. I added some king crab's meat to enhance the taste. 

Spare ribs simmered with pumpkin..

Next came the spare ribs which I have mastered to such succulent tendency. It was stewed with pumpkins and braised peanuts. The amount of time used to make the meat succulent is at utmost importance. I like this dish a lot but well, I may not repeat this as I have other dishes which I want to try out.

Yen's Golden Dumpling...

Mi mama helped to wrap these dumplings. At the sight of it, the crumpled part looks more like the folds of a brain. I've never seen a real brain unless chicken brains can be counted. I'm practicing to make dumplings so that my international travel buddy who loves all sorts of dumplings and gyoza could enjoy my home cooked food when she comes over again.

Sunflower Seeds Carrot Buns...

As I was quite free, I was tempted to make my own buns for tea time. Talk about preparing food round the clock. I salute those from the Nyonya clan ladies who had to make time to prepare breakfast, scrub the floor clean, made lunch, make some sweet delights for tea time then cook some more for dinner, find time to make the shoes with sequins, then sew the beautiful and intricate nyonya kebaya. I would collapse after less than half a day. Mi mama helped out to measure the weight of each bun dough so that we would have buns with equal weights. Those were carrot buns with sunflower seeds. The texture of the bun... it's still soft on the second day and I've never tasted such softness in a bun. 

Those were what we had for yesterday. I was extremely happy with everything that came out perfectly. Thank you Lord for giving me the talent to cook delicious food. I live to eat and I'm hungry all the time. I like to cook my own meals because eating out is too costly and I wouldn't get what I wanted. I have such acquired taste that is hard to please.