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.