My household capers!

NATTER: ADIOUS AMIGOS

2010-03-26T11:03:00.007+11:00

Thank you to everyone who have visited my blog, written to me and some of you have also become my good friends. Due to personal reasons, I will no longer update my blog but I am most happy to hear from you or answer any questions you may have, via my e-mail address:

v-g@live.com.au

Take care and god bless.

Love, VG

NATTER: MY WILL

2009-11-05T15:00:00.002+11:00

Last night, my husband and I were sitting in the living room, and I said to him, 'I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'

He got up, unplugged the computer and threw out my Jim Beam and Coke.

He's such a bastard!

NATTER: WELCOME TO CANBERRA, SR!

2009-10-28T11:51:00.003+11:00

My cousin SR, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is currently visiting me. It has been so great to have her here, especially since it has been 16 years since I last saw her.

On our outing to the War Memorial in Canberra, she was so fascinated with the suave Australian police patrolmen that were chaperoning the Macedonian President (on his visit there to place a wreath at the Memorial) that she got me to ask the boys for a picture with her. Don’t they all look great????

RECIPE: BEEF, POTATO AND ROSEMARY BRAISE

2009-10-28T11:20:00.002+11:00

Okay, so I have been a little slack…..agreed. I think I am going through ‘blog fatigue’ - I saw this phrase coined somewhere on the net; apologies for the plagiarism…..but it is an apt phrase!!!

Also, I am still feeling so tired that I do not have the energy to take pictures, load them and type up recipes. Oh well, I guess I am just going to have to take it easy and only do a posting or two each week. So if I go AWOL again……you know blog fatigue has taken over…..again.

Not only this, I have a new toy and hobby at the moment too. Converting my old vinyls and songs into high quality cds and also restoring old bollywood vinyl covers and movie posters with the aid of ‘adobe photoshop’. I just love the art and to date, I have collected nearly 2000 pieces. But it is a slow and painstaking process. I MAY put up my pictures on my blog…..but I don’t know if that infringes copyright laws!!!!

Anyway, talking about pictures, here’s a ‘not very good attempt’ at taking them. Actually, it is because I forgot to take a picture of it served up nicely in a casserole. Don’t let my half hearted effort put you off. This is one easy and yummy dish, perfect for the cold winters. I got this off the Sunday Telegraph magazine and it is by Donna Hay. Enjoy.

Ingredients

2 tbsp veg oil
2 tbsp plain flour
1 kg chopped beef chuck steaks
1 brown onion – chopped
4 cloves garlic – chopped
2 carrots – chopped
2 celery sticks – chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup dry red wine
1 ½ cups beef stock
400 g can dice tomatoes
4 Sebago potatoes – peeled and sliced (see my GLOSSARY post on POTATOES)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Place the flour and steak in a large bowl and toss to caoat, shaking off any excess flour. Heat oil in a large pot over high heat and cook the steak, in batches for 3 to 4 mins or until browned. Set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary to the pan and cook, stirring for 8 to 10 mins until brown.

Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and wine and cook for 2 mins. Add the beef, stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 mins. Add in the potatoes and seasoning and simmer for a further 45 mins.

Check seasoning, remove from from heat and serve hot with fresh crusty bread.

Note: If there are leftovers, remove any leftover potatoes from the stew and freeze the stew for future. Serve with mash potatoes.

GLOSSARY: POTATOES

2009-10-28T11:08:00.004+11:00

The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family (also known as the nightshades). The word potato may refer to the plant as well as the tuber. Potatoes are believed to be from Peru where it was cultivated as long as 10,000 years ago. Potatoes are the world's fourth largest food crop, after rice, wheat and maize. The name Potato comes from the Spanish word ‘patata’ which is compounded from two south american words (of different dialects) – papa and batata.

Although Peru is the birthplace of the potato, over 99 per cent of all cultivated potatoes worldwide are descendants of a subspecies indigenous to south-central Chile.

The potato was introduced to Europe in 1536 and subsequently by European mariners to the rest of the world. Once established in Europe, the potato soon became an important food staple and field crop. Lack of genetic diversity, due to the fact that very few varieties were initially introduced elsewhere in the world, left the crop vulnerable to diseases in the introduced countries. In 1845, a plant disease known as late blight, spread rapidly through western Ireland, resulting in crop failures that led to the Great Irish Famine.

China is now the world's largest potato producing country, and nearly a third of the world's potatoes are harvested in China and India. Potatoes are now a staple in nearly all cuisines throughout the world.

TYPES OF POTATOES AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA AND COOKING GUIDES

ATLANTIC:
An attractive potato with white skin and flesh. Good for boiling and baking, superb for frying and chips.

BANANA:
Yellow, banana-shaped, waxy-type tubers with firm texture that have wonderful flavour baked, boiled and steamed. Perfect for salads.

BINTJE:
A waxy potato from the Netherlands. It is creamy with a yellow flesh and ideal for potato salads.

BISMARK:
Ideal for roasting or frying when you want crispy skins. Available only around mid Summer.

BROWNELL:
Brownish-pink tubers and white flesh. It is excellent for boiling, especially when new, and for mashing and chips when more mature. Not recommended for baking. Stores very well.

COLIBAN:
A white potato ideal for mashing or roasting.

DELAWARE:
A white potato ideal for roasting and chipping.

DESIREE:
A pink skin and yellow flesh potato ideal for boiling.

DUTCH CREAMS:
Originally from Holland but grown widely in Australia; the best hailing from Tasmania. Best boiled and eaten with a little salt.

RUSSET BURBANK:
White fleshed potato good for chips, roasting and mashing.

JERSEY ROYAL:
Cream skined and white flesh potao great for boiling whole or in potato salads.

KENNEBEC:
Creamy skin and white flesh - the old staple potato.

KING EDWARD:
White flesh. Great for roasting, boiling and mashing.

KIPFLER (OR GERMAN FINGER POTATO):
A waxy, finger shaped with creamy-coloured flesh. Great boiled, steamed and in potato salads and for presentation purposes.

LATONA:
Yellow skin and flesh. Good for boiling and mashing.

LUSTRE:
An oval, white-skinned and white-fleshed potato. Excellent flavour. Good for baking and roasting, makes great chips. Especially recommended for boiling. Very similar to Kennebec.

NADINE:
Creamy-coloured skin and flesh. A general purpose potato except for chips.

NICOLA:
Yellow flesh. Excellent for mashing and gnocchi and good for boiling, chips and roasting. It has a very buttery flavour.

OTWAY REDS:
Good all rounder.

PATRONE:
Ideal for roast or salads. Waxy, very firm and never fall apart. Light yellow flesh and skin. Great for curries.

PINK EYE (OR SOUTHERN GOLD):
A cold climate potato, so those from Southern Tasmania are usually the best. A very nutty flavour. Good for roasting, boiling and salads.

PINK FIR:
The ultimate salad potato. They are very waxy and very firm.

PONTIAC:
Pink skin and white flesh A good general purpose spud.

PURPLE CONGO:
Originating from Peru, it has a subtle lavender flesh which can add a decorative touch to potato salads or gnocchi. No need to peel.

RED NORLAND:
Early red potato with excellent flavoured white flesh. A very versatile potato, best for salad, boiling and mashing.

ROYAL BLUE:
Purple skin and yellow flesh. Good for roasting, mashing and chips.

RUBY-LOU:
Creamy texture, white flesh, rosy skin.

RUSSET BURBANKS (IDAHO):
A good frying potato and good all-rounder. Used by McDonald's throughout the world for its French fries.

SAPPHIRE:
A spectacular purple potato with rich purple flesh that maintains its colour when cooked. Makes the most striking mashed potato.

SEBAGO:
Cream skin and white flesh. Good for chips, mashing and general purpose.

SOUTHERN GOLD:
A waxy potato with a yellow flesh.

SPUNTA:
A yellow fleshed potato that is a good all rounder and good for potato salads.

SYMFONIA:
Red skin and yellow flesh. Good for roasting, mashing and chips.

TASMAN:
Tasman is a useful all-purpose with white flesh. Great for boiling, salad, mashing, chips and baking.

TOOLANGI DELIGHT:
With a pure white flesh and a creamy texture they are a very good general purpose spud.

Named after the Department of Agriculture's potato research station. Good mashed or in their jackets in oven. The purple skin will rub off with water.

UP-TO-DATE:
An heirloom Scottish variety, introduced in 1894, with a high reputation for its baking quality. It's also good for boiling, mash and chips. The tubers are flat and oval, with creamy-white skin and cream flesh.

YUKON GOLD:
Developed in Canada and not readily available in Australia, the Yukon Gold is a yellow potato similar to the Bintje but not quite as flavourful. A useful general purpose potato.

IN SUMMARY:

For mashing: Nicolas, Desirees, Bintjes, King Edwards, Russet Burbanks and Toolangi Delight.

For potato salads: waxy varieties such as Pink Fir, Kipfler, Patrone and Pink Eyes.

For roasting or baking: King Edwards, Delaware and Up-To-Date.

For chips (or French Fries): low sugar and floury varieties such as Sebago, Russet Burbanks and Bintje.

For boiling, steaming stews and curries: waxy varieties such as Patrone and Desiree.

For gnocchi: Nicolas.

All purpose: Tasman, Russet Burbanks and King Edward.

Source: Wikipedia, White Hat Cookbook and Tasmania Gourmet Potatoes

RECIPE: SPICY STIR FRIED CHICKEN

2009-09-08T13:15:00.003+10:00

Something I whipped up quickly in the kitchen!

Ingredients

800g chicken thigh or breast meat – sliced
2 tsp freshly crushed red chillies
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Splashes of soy and fish sauce
Vegetables of choice – I used snow peas and baby corn
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 onion – sliced fine
Oil

Method

Marinated the chicken with the crushed chillies, soy and fish sauce for 30 mins.

Heat about 4 tbsp of oil in a wok and sauté the garlic and onions for 1 min. Add in the chicken and cook until the chicken is nearly done.

Add in the sweet chilli sauce and vegetables. Moisten with some water and a few splashes of soy and fish sauce. When the vegetables are done, lift and serve with rice or fresh hokkien noodles.

NATTER: HOW OLD IS GRANDPA?

2009-09-08T12:24:00.012+10:00

Stay with this; the answer is at the end. It will blow you away……

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.

The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandfather replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before television was commercialised, penicillin available widely, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill.

There were no credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens.

Man had not invented panty hose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon.

Your grandmother and I got married first, and then lived together.

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir".

And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir."

We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, day-care centers and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by good judgment and common sense.

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent or Ramaddan.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends……not purchasing condominiums for holidays.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters or guys wearing earrings. If we did, they were gypsies or sailors.

We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the King's speeches on our radios.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk.

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.

Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We could actually buy things for pennies and threepence.

In my day:

"Grass" was mowed and "coke" was a cold drink.

"Pot" was something your mother cooked in and "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.

"Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office, "chip" meant a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store and "software" wasn't even a word.

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap.

How old do you think I am?

I bet you have this really old man in mind... Well, you are in for a shock!

I am only 60 years old!!!

ANNOUNCEMENT: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, MALAYSIA

2009-08-31T12:39:00.006+10:00

Wishing all my Malaysian family and friends happy 52 years of independence. Merdeka! Merdeka!

Independence Ceremony, 31 August 1957

NATTER: HISTORY IS NOT BORING

2009-08-30T12:02:00.013+10:00

DID YOU KNOW……They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery.......if you had to do this to survive you were said to be "Piss Poor."

But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...........they "didn’t have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s and 1600s.

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom we have today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all were the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt Poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way to stop the thresh from slipping outside. Hence: a "thresh hold".

GETTING QUITE AN EDUCATION, AREN'T YOU???

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old".

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat".

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust".

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of "holding a wake".

The folks in England started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (this became known as the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer". And that's the truth......

NOW, WHOEVER SAID HISTORY WAS BORING????

RECIPE: MEATBALLS IN CHILLI AND PLUM SAUCE

2009-08-28T11:55:00.004+10:00

Another take of meatballs with plum sauce.

Ingredients

500g meatballs
1 large onion – sliced 1 cm thick
2 carrots – sliced fine
Capsicum - sliced
3 cloves garlic – minced
2 tsp Galiko or John West brand freshly minced chilli *
1/3 cup of plum sauce *
2 tbsp light soy sauce *
2 tbsp oyster sauce *
2 tbsp water *
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine - optional
2 tbsp veg oil

Method

Mix * ingredients in a bowl or small jug. Set aside. Warm meatballs in a microwave.

Heat oil in wok and fry garlic until aromatic. Add in the carrots and capsicum and fry for 2 mins or until nearly cooked. Moisten with a few tbsp of water if needed.

Add in the meatballs and stir through the ingredients. Add in the blended * ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil. Add in the sliced onions just before lifting. Serve hot with rice.

NATTER: CASH FOR CLUNKERS

2009-08-27T13:17:00.002+10:00

The 'CASH FOR CLUNKERS PROGRAM' was Obama’s answer to stimulate the economy and bail out the automobile industry. Many Americans brought their old cars to the car dealers and received a sizeable discount on a new car, thank’s to the American Government.

IF MY BODY WERE A CAR………

If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish, and my paint job is getting a little dull. But that's not the worst of it. My headlights are out of focus, and it's especially hard to see things up close.

My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.

My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins. It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.

But here's the worst of it…………..

Almost every time I sneeze, cough or laugh, either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires.

CASH FOR CLUNKERS.......... I QUALIFY!!!!!

DVD REVIEW: OM SHANTI OM 2007 (HINDI)

2009-08-25T12:31:00.003+10:00

If there is one recent Bollywood movie you should have on your ‘must see list’, it has to be OM SHANTI OM. This movie was released around a year and a half ago in cinemas, but already has a cult following that equals that of the Blues Brothers. The acting is superb even from the then newcomer Deepika Padukone (daughter of badminton legend of the 1980s and 1990s, Prakash Padukone) and actor Arjun Rampal makes a great villain in the movie. Actors Kiron Kher and Shreyas Talpande shine in their supporting role and Farah Khan once again excels as the director and choreographer of this movie. But it is Bollywood heart throb Shahrukh Khan that steals the thunder and is downright titillating (apologies for the graphic description, but he is!) in his role of Om Prakash Makhija, a junior artist (in other words, a movie extra) who dies and is reincarnated as Om Kapoor, who becomes a Bollywood superstar.

Set initially in the 1970s, the movie depicts scenes of Bollywood’s golden heyday and mimics the heroes and heroines of that genre. For those of you that grew up watching Bollywood movies in the 1970s, it is a great journey through memory lane. Moreover, it has some really great songs too.

If you haven’t watched the movie, I don’t want to spoil it for you by telling you more.

I strongly recommend you watch OM SHANTI OM and enjoy a Bollywood cinematic journey from the 1970s into the present. And check out Shahrukh’s pecks whilst you are there!!!

OM SHANTI OM will be screening this Friday night at 9.00 pm on SBS Two. Don’t miss it!

NB: Check out the official OM SHANTI OM website HERE.

VG’s Rating: 5 stars for the music and movie!

RECIPE: STIR FRIED BEAN SPROUTS, CHINESE CHIVES AND FRIED TOFU IN FISH SAUCE

2009-08-24T14:17:00.005+10:00

A simple and nutricious way to enjoy bean sprouts, chinese chives and tofu.

Ingredients

500g bean sprouts
½ packet fried tofu puffs – cut into triangles using scissors
1 bunch Garlic/Chinese chives – cut into 4 cm lengths
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 small onion – sliced
1 fresh red chilli sliced or 2 to 3 dried chillies torn into pieces – optional (see my GLOSSARY post on CHILLIES)
Few splashes of light soy sauce
Few splashes of Thai fish sauce
Few drops of sesame oil
Salt to taste (optional)
Oil

Method

In a wok, heat some oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 10 secs. Add in the tofu and chillies and cook for 1 min.

Add in the sprouts and chives and toss to cover with all the ingredients. Add some soy and fish sauce and cook for about 2 to 3 mins only. You want your bean sprouts to remain crunchy. Check seasoning.

Add a few drops of sesame oil, mix well, lift and serve hot with rice as an accompaniment to a meal.

GLOSSARY: CHILLIES

2009-08-24T13:56:00.007+10:00

Chillies (or chilli peppers, chilli, chile) originated from Mexico in Central America and there are several species, all belonging to the capsicum genus.

Chillies have been a part of the human diet in the Americas since at least 7500 BC. There is archaeological evidence at sites located in southwestern Ecuador that chillies were domesticated more than 6000 years ago, and is one of the first cultivated crops in the Americas that is self-pollinating. Chillies are members of the solanaceae family, along with cousins potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes.

Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to encounter chillies (in the Caribbean), and called them "peppers" because of their similarity in taste (though not in appearance) with the Old World black peppers of the Piper genus.

Chillies can be red, green, orange, purple or almost the colour of chocolate. They can be pointy, round, small, club like, long, thin, globular, tapered, or bell shaped. Their skin may be shiny, smooth or wrinkled and their walls may be thick or thin. They range from extremely hot to sweet and mild. Be assured that only a few varieties of chillies are as mild as capsicums.

The colour of chillies is no guide to the intensity of their flavour. Nor is the size. Yet they are utterly delicious and an essential part of the cuisine so many parts of the world. Some people (myself for one) believe they are mildly addictive in a nice and harmless way.

Chillies grow in a range of areas. They are short lived perennials in subtropical and tropical areas, but are normally grown as annuals in colder regions because the cold weather causes them to die off.

In Australia, most fruit is produced from December through to April. chillies like a warm, sunny spot, well drained soil and regular watering during dry weather. Over fertilising can lead to excessive foliage and fewer fruit, just like with tomatoes. I have grown chillies successfully in a hot house throughout the Canberra winter. Ensure that you do not over water during the winter period as the roots may freeze if the ground is too wet.

The substances that give chillies their intensity when ingested or applied topically are capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) and several related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in pepper spray.

When consumed, capsaicinoids bind with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat. Once activated by the capsaicinoids, these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot. The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate, increasing perspiration and release of endorphins.

The "heat" of chillies is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU), which is the number of times a chilli extract must be diluted in water for it to lose its heat. Bell peppers rank at 0 SHU, New Mexico green chillies at about 1,500 SHU, jalapeños at 3,000–6,000 SHU, and habaneros at 300,000 SHU. The record for the hottest chilli was assigned by the Guinness Book of Records to the Naga Jolokia, measuring over 1,000,000 SHU. Pure capsaicin, which is a hydrophobic, colorless, odorless, and crystalline-to-waxy solid at room temperature, measures 16,000,000 SHU.

It is amazing how Capsaicin can get around; therefore care should be taken when handling chillies. Capsaicin can damage your eyes so always prepare chillies by wearing disposable gloves and by thoroughly washing all knives, cutting boards and anything else that has come into contact with a cut chilli. Also, do not allow chillies to come in contact with a cut or graze as it can burn the skin.

Most of chilli’s heat is in its seeds and membrane. You can ‘tone’ down the chilli’s heat by discarding these.

COMMON TYPES OF CHILLIES

 Sweet Chilli: A mild chilli that can be eaten even by children. About 6-8 cm long, bright yellow-lime green skin and pointed at one end.

 Bell Chilli Red/Green: This chilli is shaped like a bell. The red ones are hot the green variety can be medium to hot and are excellent for pickling.

 Green Chilli: A long slender green chilli, 6-8 cm long, pointed at one end. It has a medium flavour that is easily eaten by most people who are not use to chilli. Around 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville units on the heat index.

 Red Chilli: Similar in size and shape to the green chilli, but with more sting to its flavour. Good idea to mix the red and green chillies together in any dish.

 Thai Hot/Bird’s eye chilli: A very hot tiny chilli 1-2 cm long. The skin colour can range from green, lime yellow to orange and red. Most people will find these very hot even without the seeds. Used mainly in Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Indian or Spanish dishes.

 Mexican Hot Chilli: One of the hottest chillies. It has a bright green skin, is 6 - 8 cm long and is pointed at one end.

 Jalapeño Chilli: This fiery hot chilli is the one by which all other chillies are judged. Ripened they can be dark green or red. They have a very thick fleshy skin and are sausage shaped with a blunt end. The Jalapeño rates between 3,000 and 8,000 Scoville units on the heat index.

 Serrano Chilli: It has thin walls and the Serrano chilli is green in colour at first, and ripens to red, brown, orange, or yellow. It is said to be about 5 times hotter than the Jalapeño and rates between 8,000 and 22,000 Scoville units on the heat index.

 Cayenne Chilli: This chilli is generally dried and ground, or pulped and baked into cakes, which are then ground and sifted to make the powdered spice known as Cayenne pepper. It is generally rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Units.

COMMON FORMS OF CHILLIES

Chillies are normally sold commercially in the following forms:

 Fresh whole
 Fresh minced
 Dried whole
 Dried flakes
 Dried flakes in oil
 Powdered/Ground
 Pickled in a variety of vinegars or wines and in brine
 Infused in a variety of oils
 Chilli Sauces and Sambals

COOLING DOWN REMEDIES

If you have been unfortunate and suffer from ‘chili burns’ to the mouth, don't be tempted to drink cold water as this can intensify the effect in the short term. Instead, have one of the following:

• Salt – put some common table salt on your tongue
• Milk
• Yoghurt
• Cucumber
• A couple of mint leaves
• Yoghurt with chopped mint

Source: Wikipedia, ABC Gardening and Apex

GARDENING: EASY CARE INDOOR PLANTS – SCHEFFLERA OR UMBRELLA TREE

2009-08-21T00:45:00.002+10:00

It been some time since I put any gardening posts up – today seems to be a good day as any day; so here tis.

Schefflera or commonly known as Umbrella plant, is a genus in the flowering plant family Araliaceae. The plants can be trees, shrubs or lianas (climbing vines), growing 1-30 m tall.

Several species are grown in pots as houseplants, most commonly Schefflera actinophylla (Umbrella Tree) and Schefflera arboricola (Dwarf Umbrella Tree). Numerous cultivars have been selected for various characters, most popularly for its variegation or purple foliage. Schefflera arboricola is native to Taiwan and Hainan and is popular as an indoor bonsai.

My Umbrella Tree (pictured above) is 8 years old. I have not “bonsaied” it in the true sense….all I have done is keep it pot bound. Every few years, I change the soil in the pot but I do not transfer the plant to a larger pot. This stunts its growth.

QUICK GUIDE

 The plant prefers higher light if possible, but can adapt to a wide variety of light levels. My plant is positioned about 5 m from the window.

 Being a tropical plant it likes moisture, but avoid letting the plant sit in water after watering so be sure to allow proper drainage. It likes to be moist but not wet. Allow the soil to dry in between watering; however do not allow it to stay dry for long periods of time. If the foliage begins to drop and turn black in color, you are over watering or do not have proper drainage in place. If the foliage tips begin to curl or wrinkle, you are probably under watering the plant.

 Do not be afraid to prune your Schefflera back into shape if it gets out of control. This is one houseplant who will bounce back better than ever after a nice complete pruning.

 The Schefflera is prone to spider mites. To prevent spider mites, give the plant a misting of diluted soapy water once a week. If spider mites are present, try the soapy water misting twice a day. If this does not work, visit your local garden center for a safe pesticide alternative.

 The Schefflera is toxic if consumed.

Source: Wikipedia

NATTER: METEOROLOGY - AUSTRALIAN STYLE

2009-08-20T12:37:00.004+10:00

It was April and the Aboriginals in a remote part of Northern Australia asked their new elder if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was an elder in a modern community, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the tribe should collect firewood to be prepared.

But being a practical leader, after several days he had an idea.

He walked out to the telephone booth on the highway, called the Bureau of Meteorology and asked, 'Is the coming winter in this area going to be cold?'

The meteorologist responded, 'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold.'

So the elder went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared.

A week later he called the Bureau of Meteorology again. 'Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?'

The meteorologist again replied, 'Yes, it's going to be a very cold winter.'

The elder again went back to his community and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later the elder called the Bureau again. 'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?' he asked.

'Absolutely,' the man replied. 'It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever.'

'How can you be so sure?' the elder asked.

The weatherman replied, 'Our satellites have reported that the Aboriginals in the north are collecting firewood like crazy, and that's always a sure sign.'

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-08-18T13:07:00.002+10:00

A great lie is like a great fish on dry land; it may fret and fling and make a frightful bother, but it cannot hurt you. You have only to keep still, and it will die of itself.

~ George Crabbe ~

RECIPE: FRIED FISH IN TAMARIND AND SWEET SOY SAUCE

2009-08-18T12:38:00.005+10:00

Fried fish is one of the ‘must have’ dishes in a typical Malay meal. Growing up in army camps throughout Malaysia, the smell of fish frying before lunch or dinner was a daily occurrence. To give this humble dish a slight twist, my mum used to make a tamarind sauce that she poured over the fried fish to give it some extra oomph. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients (for 6 small whole fish/fillets)

6 small whole fish or firm fish fillets (I used yellowtail scad aka ikan selar kuning)
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp salt
2 to 3 shallots – sliced fine
2 cloves garlic – sliced fine
2 red chillies - sliced fine
2 spring onions – sliced
1 coriander plant – sliced (see my GLOSSARY post on CORIANDER)
½ red onion – sliced thickly (optional)
1 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp – soaked in 1 cup water and juice extracted (don’t throw away the pulp)
2 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)
2 tsp soy sauce

Method

If using whole fish, make a couple of scores on each side of the fish. Rub the fish with the salt and turmeric and set aside for 15 to 30 mins.

In a fry pan or wok, heat some oil and deep fry the fish until cooked. The skin should be crispy. Lift on paper towels to drain, then arrange on a platter. Set aside.

Remove all the oil bar 2 tbsp from the wok. Saute the garlic and shallots for 30 secs, then add in half the chillies. Cook for 1 min.

Add in the tamarind juice and bring to the boil. Next, add in both the soy sauces. If you would like more gravy, add half a cup of water to the saved tamarind pulp and extract second tamarind juice. Taste, adjust seasoning and turn off heat.

Pour the sauce over the fish, garnish with the spring onions, coriander, onion and remainder chillies. Serve immediately.

GLOSSARY: CORIANDER

2009-08-18T12:23:00.003+10:00

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It is also known as cilantro, particularly in the Americas. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia right to the west to North Africa.

The name coriander derives from French coriandre through Latin “coriandrum” and in turn from the Greek “κορίαννον”. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, South Asian, Mexican, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Originally grown around present day Greece, coriander has been used as a culinary herb since at least 5,000 B.C. It is mentioned in Sanskrit text and the Bible. Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.) used the name Coriandrum after "coris", the Greek word for "bedbug" as it was said they both emitted a similar odour. Coriander is one of the herbs thought to have aphrodisiac qualities; the Chinese used it in love potions and in “The Thousand and One Nights” a man who had been childless for 40 years is cured with a coriander concoction. Spanish conquistadors introduced it to Mexico and Peru where it now commonly paired with chillies in the local cuisine.

The coriander leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, with citrus-like overtones. Some people perceive an unpleasant "soapy" taste or a rank smell and avoid eating the leaves. The fresh leaves are an essential ingredient in many South Asian foods (particularly chutneys), in Chinese dishes and in Mexican salsas and guacamole.

Chopped coriander leaves are also used as a garnish on cooked dishes such as dhal and many curries. As heat diminishes their flavour quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving. The leaves also spoil quickly when removed from the plant, and lose their aroma when dried or frozen.

The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds. In some regions, the use of the word coriander in food preparation always refers to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant itself. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured. It is commonly found both as whole dried seeds and in ground form. Seeds can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly before grinding to enhance and alter the aroma. Like most spices, ground coriander seed loses its flavour quickly in storage and is best when ground as needed. For optimum flavour, whole coriander seed should be stored in a tightly sealed container away from sunlight and heat.

Coriander seed is a key in garam masala and Indian curries, which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with cumin. Roasted coriander seeds, called dhana dal, are also eaten as a snack. It is also the main ingredient of the two south Indian gravies, sambhar and rasam.

Outside of Asia, coriander seed is an important spice for pickling vegetables, and making sausages in Germany and South Africa. In Russia and Central Europe coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in rye bread as an alternative to caraway. Coriander seeds are also used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers. The coriander seeds are typically used in conjunction with orange peel to add a citrus character to these styles of beer. Having said this, it is not a common spice in Western cuisine.

Coriander roots have a deeper, more intense flavour than the leaves. They are used in a variety of Asian cuisines. They are commonly used in Thai dishes, including soups and curry pastes. In Malaysia, it is usually ground to make curry paste.

Coriander is considered an aid to the digestive system. It is an appetite stimulant and aids in the secretion of gastric juices. The essential oils of the cilantro leaves contain antibacterial properties and can be used as a fungicide. It is rich in vitamin C.

NAMES

Coriander - Europe, Asia, Australasia
Cilantro - Latin America and United States

French: coriandre
German: Koriander
Italian: coriandolo
Spanish: cilantro, culantro
Arabic: kizbara
Burmese: nannambin (leaves), nannamzee (seed)
Chinese: hsiang tsai, yen-sui, yuen sai, yuin si tsoi (leaves)
Indian: dhanyia, dhuniah, kothimbir, kotimear, kotimli (seed)
dhania patta, dhania sabz, hara dhania (leaf)
Indonesian: ketumbar
Lao: phak hom pom
Malay: daun ketumba(r) (leaves), ketumba(r) (seed)
Sinhalese: kottamalli (seed), kottamalli kolle (leaves)
Tamil: kothamilee
Thai: pak chee (met)

Source: Wikipedia and The Epicentre

COLLECTABLES: QUEEN’S ROSINA ‘CATHAY’

2009-08-12T00:26:00.001+10:00

When it comes to china, I seem to be drawn to the ‘oriental’ patterns and this Rosina Queen’s trio in ‘Cathay’ design is one example. I could not find much info on this pottery house except that it was formerly known as George Warrilow and Sons, based in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, England from 1887 to 1940. In 1941, it became Rosina Queen’s China and this pottery house is still in production – 122 years on. I believe that this pattern was made in the 1960s. Please correct me if I am wrong.

When it comes to buying china, I don’t go looking for those ‘collector’ pieces (but I won’t knock one back if I see it!) but rather, I buy those designs that appeal to me and bring me joy. That is what a collection should do….bring the collector happy thoughts…..

RECIPE: MANGO CHICKEN CURRY

2009-08-09T12:11:00.005+10:00

I was very surprised with the reaction of the household (and mine too) when I made this dish. I thought it would be quite sweet and sickly actually….well, as it turned out, it is sweet yet not sickly and altogether yummy! The original recipe did not call for chillies or nutmeg but I added some. Maybe it was the chillies…. and freshly ground pepper that did the trick…..

Ingredients

600g skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into cubes
Vegetable oil
2 large brown onions - diced
2 cloves garlic – diced minced
Thumb size ginger - grated
2 tbsp English style curry powder such as McKenzie’s
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg - optional
2 ripe mangoes or 1 large tin mango pieces – pureed (see my GLOSSARY post on MANGOES)
2 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
Water
5 to 6 dried chillies - optional
‘Hard’ vegetables such as carrots, celery, capsicum or zucchini (I used carrots and celery)
Small handful of raisins - optional
1/2 cup cream or coconut milk – I used coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Coriander or celery leaves to garnish

Method

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté about 5 minutes (or until soft and golden. Add in the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute.

Add in the curry powder, cumin, nutmeg with ½ cup of water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, 1 cup of water and the pureed mango. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from heat and using a hand held blender, puree the sauce. Alternatively, pour it into a blender and puree, then return the sauce to the pot. Simmer gently and add more water if required.

In a frying pan (with minimum oil), lightly brown the chicken along with the dried chillies and add to the sauce. You may omit this stage and add the chicken pieces and chillies straight into the simmering sauce*. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the vegetables (however, if using celery, add it only about 2 minutes before lifting - I prefer my celery crunchy so I only add it into the pot just before lifting it off the heat).

Stir in the cream or coconut milk (along with raisins, if using) and cook until it starts to come to the boil (without actually boiling as this may curdle the cream). Season with salt and pepper, lift, garnish and serve over a plate of freshly cooked rice. Hmmmm…..

PS: If the dish is too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, add a dash of sugar.

Note: You may also make a few batches of the sauce and freeze them for later use. The sauce works well with just vegetables too.

*The original recipe called for the chicken to be added straight into the sauce without browning it in the first instance.

VG’s rating: 3.5 stars

GLOSSARY: MANGOES

2009-08-09T12:04:00.004+10:00

Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae.

The mango is indigenous to the Indian Subcontinent and has been cultivated in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. It reached East Asia between the 5th and 4th century BC and by the 10th century AD, they were transported to East Africa and subsequently introduced to Brazil, the West Indies and Mexico, through the slave trade.

In tropical parts of Asia, mangoes are grown in household plots. Nearly half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India. Though India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world, it accounts for less than one per cent of the global mango trade.

Mango trees are evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall. The mango tree will fruit 4 to 6 years after planting. Mango trees require hot, dry periods to set and produce a good crop.

Mango cultivars are classified into two groups – monoembryonic (where only one seedling emerges from a single seed) or Indian type; and polyembronic (where multiple seedlings emerges from a single seed) or Indo-Chinese type. The Indian type is intolerant of humidity, has flushes of bright red new growth that are subject to mildew, and bears fruit of rich colour and regular form. The Indo-Chinese type tolerates excess moisture, has a pale green or red new growth and is mildew resistant. Its polyembryonic fruit is pale green and elongated kidney-shaped. Today there are over 1,000 different varieties of mangos throughout the world.

A ripe mango is sweet, with a unique taste and flesh that nevertheless varies from variety to variety. In some cultivars, the flesh has a fibrous texture.

Apart from being consumed as is as a fruit, mangoes are used in various forms – unripe, ripe, dried, pickled and powdered. For example, in western recipes, ripe mangoes are used to make 'chutneys' which are usually very sweet; whereas in Indian ‘chutneys’, unripe sour mangoes are used along with spices. The Indians also pickle unripe mangoes. In South-East Asia, green (unripe) mangoes are used in salads and a popular Malaysian dish called Rojak. Malaysians also eat green mangoes sliced, very thinly, with soy sauce mixed with chilli.

Dried and powdered unripe mango, known as amchur (sometimes spelled amchoor) in India and ambi in Urdu, is used in cooking.

In Mexico, mango is used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars, raspados, aguas frescas, pies and sweet chili sauce, or mixed with chamoy, a sweet and spicy chili paste. It is popular on a stick dipped in hot chili powder and salt or also as a main ingredient in fresh fruit combinations.

Pieces of mango can be mashed and used as a topping on ice cream or blended with milk and ice as milkshakes. In Thailand and other South East Asian countries, sweet glutinous rice is flavored with coconut then served with sliced mango as a dessert.

In other parts of South-east Asia, mangoes are pickled with fish sauce and rice vinegar. Green mangoes are also used in mango salad with fish sauce and dried shrimps.

MANGO NUTRITION INFORMATION

Mango is rich in a variety of phytochemicals and nutrients that qualify it as a model "super fruit", a term used to highlight potential health value of certain edible fruits. In all, mangoes contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals.The fruit is high in prebiotic dietary fiber (up to 40% of your daily fiber requirement), vitamins B6, A and C, polyphenols and carotenoids. Mangoes are a great way to replenish potassium lost through physical activity.

Apart from being full of nutrition, mangoes contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These enzymes act as a digestive aid.

HOW TO CUT A MANGO

The easiest way to cut a mango is the "Inside Out" method.

* Ensure your hands, utensils, work surface and fruit is clean.

* Stand the mango on your cutting board stem end down and hold. Remember, the mango has one long, flat seed in the centre of the fruit.

* Place your knife about 1/4" from the widest centre line and cut down through the mango.

*Flip the mango around and repeat this cut on the other side. The resulting ovals of mango flesh are known as the "cheeks". What's left in the middle is mostly the mango seed.

* Cut parallel slices into the mango flesh, being careful not to cut through the skin. Turn the mango cheek 1/4 rotation and cut another set of parallel slices to make a checkerboard pattern.

* Turn the scored mango cheek inside out by pushing the skin up from underneath.

* Scrape the mango chunks off of the skin, using the knife or a spoon.

The result: Beautiful cubes of fresh mango.

Source: Wikipedia, Current Science 2004, Organic Food.Com.Au and Indiamarks.com

MOVIE REVIEW: LOVE AAJ KAL 2009 (HINDI)

2009-08-04T11:23:00.010+10:00

On Saturday 1 Aug 2009 , my girl friend AJ and I, with much anticipation (and equipped with plenty of sustenance), flocked to watch ‘LOVE AAJ KAL’ at the cinema. My verdict? Superb. I laughed, I cried, I ‘twisted’ and I ‘aahuned’. I am not going to spoil the show for you and tell you how the story pans out. Obviously, it’s about love – What I will say is that its about how 'love' is now and how it was back then, in the ‘good old days’. Has much changed since our youth, that of our parents and that of our children???? In my opinion,‘love’ will always be ‘love’, be it today, in the past or in the future. The difference is how we approach it and how much emphasis we place on feelings. Word of advice – make sure you have the hanky handy.

So, what do I give this movie? 4.5 Stars.....can’t wait for it to come out on DVD, that’s for sure.

By the way, I have listed the cast of the major roles below. Neetu Singh made a cameo appearance in the movie and she’s still looking good!

* Saif Ali Khan as Jai Vardhan Singh/ young Veer Singh

* Rishi Kapoor as ‘mature age’ Veer Singh

* Deepika Padukone as Meera Pundit

* Giselle Monteiro as Harleen Kaur

* Florence Brudenell-Bruce as Jo

* Rahul Khanna as Vikram

* Neetu Kapoor nee Singh as ‘mature age’ Harleen Kaur

LOVE AAJ KAL is currently playing, for a limited time, at the Greater Union Cinema, Manuka ACT. Check the website and local papers for screening times. Check out the video clip of my favourite song from the movie below and also my post on the movie's songs HERE.

COLLECTABLES: MY CHINA COLLECTION

2009-08-02T01:00:00.003+10:00

Since starting my blog, I have received numerous e-mails on the china/porcelain that I have been using in my posts. So I thought I’d share some of my fine china collection on my blog. Mind you, it’s not a very extensive collection, but nevertheless, it’s a start and it’s mine!!!

I really do wish I had the space (most of my stuff are stacked in cupboards), endless amount of money (oh, to win the lottery), a maid (to dust my cupboards) and time to devout to my hobby. Yes, it is a time consuming passion, for to find quality, beautiful and rare objects, one has to frequent auction sites, antique shops, score though the classifieds and attend garage and deceased estate sales to find those rare and elusive items. But, when you come home with that wonderful find, it is all worth the effort.

So, to kick off this new category on my blog, I thought I’d start with a brief history of ceramics. Hope you enjoy it. I’ll then gradually post my collection on my site. Cheerio!

Quote of the day:

GLOSSARY: PORCELAIN

2009-08-02T00:59:00.005+10:00

Porcelain or fine china is one of the earliest artworks introduced to the western world through the Silk Road. It is one of three types of pottery - the other two being earthenware and stoneware.

Porcelain is made by firing a type of clay known as kaolin, as well as other materials, in a kiln. Temperatures between 1,200°C and 1,400°C are required for this process. The toughness, strength, and translucence of porcelain arise mainly from the formation of glass and mullite within the fired porcelain.

Kaolinite is a type of clay which includes silicate, oxygen and alumina. Rocks that are rich in kaolinite are known as china clay or kaolin.

Porcelain, as we know it today, is believed to have originated in China, over 2000 years ago, in the late Eastern Han period. However, the earliest crude Chinese ceramic, made of kaolin, was found dating back to the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC). To read more on Chinese ceramic, check out this article on Wikipedia.

But most fascinatingly, porcelain, in its primitive clay form, is said to have been made by man some 27,000 to 31,000 years ago, dated with the discovery of the oldest piece of ceramic art sculpture in the world - The Venus of Dolní Vestonice, in the Czech Republic. She dates back to the Stone Age (see figure below).

Porcelain derives its present name from the Italian word ‘porcellana’ or cowrie shell, because of its resemblance to the translucent surface of the shell. Porcelain can informally be referred to as "china" in some English-speaking countries, as China (the country) was the birth place of porcelain making.

Porcelain is used to make table, kitchen, sanitary, and decorative wares such as objects of fine art and tiles. Its high resistance to the passage of electricity makes porcelain an excellent insulator. Dental porcelain is used to make false teeth, caps and crowns.

Porcelain can be divided into the three main categories: hard-paste, soft-paste and bone, depending on the composition of the paste (i.e. the material used to form the body of a porcelain object).

Hard-paste porcelain or ‘real’ porcelain (as this is the technique used by the Chinese porcelain makers) is made from a very pure mixture of kaolin and petuntse (also known as feldspar or China stone). Sometimes flint is added to the mixture.

The oldest Chinese dictionary, the Erya, defines porcelain as ‘fine, compact pottery’. The Chinese tradition recognizes two primary categories for its ceramics – high-fired and low-fired. Chinese ceramic are also classified as being either ‘northern’ or ‘southern’, depending on the source of the raw materials. If it is sourced from the Yellow River region (geographically placed in the north of China), it is ‘northern’; and it is categorized as ‘southern’ if the materials are from the surrounding Yangtze River area in southern China.

The downfall of hard porcelain is, despite its strength, it chips fairly easily and is tinged naturally with blue or grey (maybe this is the reason why most Chinese porcelain is painted blue?). It is fired at a much higher temperature than soft-paste porcelain and therefore is more difficult and expensive to produce.

ENGLISH PORCELAIN/CHINA

The first English porcelain or china was the soft-paste china and was developed by Thomas Briand at a Chelsea factory in 1742. This was the first attempt by the English to emulate the hard-paste process perfected by the Chinese.

Soft paste porcelain contains kaolin, petuntse and 'frit' - a glassy substance that is a mixture of white sand, nitre, alum, salt and gypsum. Unfortunately, soft-paste porcelain is unable to hold liquids unless it is glazed. This however does not make the medium inferior but actually works very well for decorative art. When painted, the colours merge with the glaze to produce a wonderful silk-like effect that is very appealing to the eye and collectors.

In 1749, Thomas Frye, a painter, took out a patent on porcelain containing cattle bone ash (and yes, all fine bone china contains bone! Bet you did not know that…..hmmm…maybe this was one of the reasons why fine bone china did not take off in India!!!!). This was the first recorded reference to bone in porcelain making history, hence the term ‘bone china’. For whatever reason, when it was first tried, it was found that adding bone-ash to clay produced a white, strong, translucent porcelain. Bone china was developed as a substitute for hard-paste china.

In the late 18th century (around 1799), Josiah Spode II undertook further developments and subsequently popularized it, by mixing it with kaolin and china stone to compete with the fragile, imported Oriental porcelain. Bone china is extremely hard, intensely white and will allow light to pass through it. Josiah Spode II is unquestionably the most pre-eminent figure in bone china history.

Ironically, English bone china was intended to be a cheaper substitute for the hard-paste porcelain but by 1800, its quality had surpassed that of hard-paste and soft-paste china, due to its resistance to damage and its fine translucence. Ever since then, bone china has been synonymous with fine dining and artistic excellence.

For a list of English past and present china manufacturers, visit the La Galerie Celine Serrano, Paris website. The list is not exhaustive, but it provides a good source to start your ‘china’ research.

NATTER: OH DEAR

2009-07-31T12:47:00.002+10:00

I was in the pub yesterday when I suddenly realized I desperately needed to fart. The music was really, really loud, so I timed my farts with the beat.

After a couple of songs, I started to feel better. I finished my pint and noticed that everybody was staring at me.

Then I suddenly remembered - I was listening to my iPod!!!!

NATTER: NEW DEFINITIONS

2009-07-31T12:42:00.003+10:00

School: A place where Father pays and Son plays.

Life Insurance: A contract that keeps you poor all your life so that you can die Rich.

Nurse: A person who wakes u up to give you sleeping pills.

Marriage: It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her masters.

Divorce: Future tense of Marriage.

Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine willpower is defeated by feminine waterpower.

Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through 'the minds of either'

Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Dictionary: A place where success comes before work.

Conference Room: A place where everybody talks nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.

Father: A banker provided by nature..

Criminal: A guy no different from the rest....except that he got caught.

Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Doctor: A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you by bills.

Classic: Books, which people praise, but do not read.

Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Office: A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Yawn: The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Etc.: A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

Committee: Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

Experience: The name men give to their mistakes.

Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions.

Philosopher: A fool who torments himself during life, to be wise.

RECIPE: CHERRY CAKE

2009-07-28T13:53:00.006+10:00

Oh la la! What a rich and yummy cake. This is definitely a keeper and I believe even without the cherries, as a pure butter cake, it will still be delicious. My only issue is with the aesthetics of the cake; the cherries have the tendency to sink. Oh well, a minor issue - totally overcomed by its taste!

Ingredients

170g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
250g butter
200g caster sugar
5 eggs (see my GLOSSARY post on EGGS)
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g fresh cherries – pitted and sliced (see my GLOSSARY post on CHERRIES)
Extra cherries – halved (to decorate – optional). See Note 1

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line and grease an 18 cm square/round tin.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar until very creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beating well after each addition. Lastly add in the vanilla essence and beat for 1 minute.

Add the sliced cherries into the flour mixture. Distribute the cherries evenly thoughout the flour and fold the flour gradually into the butter mixture. In other words, using a spatula or large spoon, gradually mix in the flour mixture.

Bake in the oven for 45 mins to an hour (See Note 2). Cool in the tin for 10 mins. Remove from the tin and further cool the cake on a wire rack.

Note 1

Place the halved cherries on top of the cake after 10 minutes of being in the oven. This SHOULD prevent the cherries from sinking to the bottom. However, do be careful as removing the cake from the oven may cause the cake to slightly ‘drop’ in the middle.

Note 2

This is a very moist cake and has the tendency to be still ‘wobbly’ eventhough it is cooked. If a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the cake (make sure that you do not skewer the cherries as this will give you a false reading) and the cake has ‘left’ the sides of the tin, it is cooked. It will ‘firm’ up after it has cooled.

VG’s Rating: 4 Stars

GLOSSARY: CHERRIES

2009-07-28T13:45:00.004+10:00

The cherry is a fleshy fruit that contains a single stony seed. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, along with almonds, peaches, plums and apricots.

The cherry as we know today are thought to have come from a wild cherry which grows in areas spanning from the United Kingdom to western Asia. Since ancient times, the trees with the sweetest fruit have been selected for cultivation and from these, the modern varieties have arisen.

The cherry is generally understood to have been brought to Rome from northeastern Anatolia, historically known as the Pontus region, in 72 BC. The Romans are thought to have taken their preferred varieties to Britain when occupying the country in the 1st century AD.

In Australia the first commercial cherry orchard was planted at Young in New South Wales in 1878. Young has continued to grow cherries since then and today, Young and Orange are the major cherry growing areas of Australia. However, South Australia and Tasmania also produce a lot of the cherries that are found in the shops today.

A breakdown of the world cherry produces, Australian cherry growing regions and Australian cherry seasons are provided below.

STORING CHERRIES

Here are some instructions for storing cherries to maximise their lifespan…..that is, if you can stop yourself from eating them all!!!

* Cherries are picked ripe and sweet from the tree, so there is no need to ripen them.

* Keep the cherries cool, ideally in the fridge, to keep them fresh for longer.

* Store dry and loosely packed in a covered container in the fridge until needed.

* Leave the stems on - they help keep the cherries fresh.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Cherries have a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which act together to deliver health benefits not available in supplements. Fresh foods not only retain more of their nutrients than processed foods or supplements, but these act together to naturally provide the body with a more complex and potent mix of the compounds it requires to prevent disease.

Vitamins E and C and the flavonoids found in cherries and other fruits may slow ageing and they may slow or even reverse the symptoms of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Cherries also contain compounds that can help to slow or inhibit the progression of cancer (Polyphenolics Egallic acid and Lignans).

Antioxidants are necessary to clear the body of damaging free radicals and they are most effectively acquired through diet. If we don’t consume enough antioxidants, damage can occur, leading to degeneration and disease including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer, inflammatory conditions and neurological diseases. Cherries contain 16 antioxidants, plus a suite of other compounds with beneficial health benefits.

Cherries may benefit people suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions such as gout, pancreatitis, or prostitis, as well as allergic conditions including asthma, hay fever, eczema and hives because they contain the compounds cyanidin and quercetin.

So cherry lovers can indulge to their heart’s content, because cherries have significant health benefits in slowing or inhibiting the progression of cancer, ageing, neurological diseases, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory conditions. They may also aid in detoxification of foreign substances.

And to top this off – cherries have only 224 kilojoules (54 calories) per 100 grams and virtually no fat!

Source: Wikipedia, Victorian Cherry Association and Fresh for Kids

GLOSSARY: EGGS (POULTRY)

2009-07-28T13:40:00.002+10:00

Eggs are one of the most common and versatile cooking ingredients. The most commonly used are poultry eggs from chicken, followed by duck, goose and quail. Other more exotic eggs from the bird family include ostrich, gull, guinea fowl, pheasant and emu eggs.

Chicken eggs (hereby referred to as eggs) are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savoury. Eggs can be pickled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled, fried and refrigerated. They can also be eaten raw, though this is not recommended for people who may be especially susceptible to salmonella, such as the elderly, infirm or pregnant women. In addition, the protein in raw eggs is only 51 per cent bio-available, whereas that of a cooked egg is nearer 91 per cent bio-available; meaning the protein of cooked eggs is nearly twice as absorbable as the protein.

Eggs have been a valuable source of food since prehistory, when our ancestors were hunter gatherers. In Thebes Egypt, the tomb of Haremhab, built about 1420 BC, shows a depiction of a man carrying bowls of ostrich eggs and other large eggs as offerings. In ancient Rome, eggs were preserved and meals often started with an egg course. In the middle ages, eggs were forbidden during Lent because of their richness.

Eggs supply essential amino acids for humans, and provide 11 different vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, D, E, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. They are also an inexpensive single-food source of high quality protein, healthy fats (including omega-3) and important antioxidants.

All of the egg's vitamin A, D and E is in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods which naturally contain Vitamin D. A large egg yolk contains approximately 60 Calories (250 kilojoules); the egg white contains about 15 Calories (60 kilojoules). A large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg of cholesterol (although one study indicates that the human body may not absorb much cholesterol from eggs). The yolk makes up about 33 per cent of the liquid weight of the egg. It contains all of the fat, slightly less than half of the protein and most of the other nutrients. It also contains all of the choline, and one yolk contains approximately half of the recommended daily intake. Choline is an important nutrient for development of the brain, and is said to be important for pregnant and nursing women to ensure healthy fetal brain development.

Recent research shows eating eggs has very little, if any, effect on blood cholesterol levels with the real culprit being saturated fat. In addition, chicken eggs that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids have come on the market. These eggs are made by feeding laying hens a diet containing polyunsaturated fats and kelp meal. Nutrition information on the packaging is different for each of the brands.

In Australia, the Australian Egg Corporation Limited (click HERE for the website) defines the sizes of eggs sold in Australia. The following table shows Australian egg sizes.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS), Australia produced 236.4 million eggs (from 440 producers) in 2006/07. Average retail prices for one dozen eggs (March quarter, 2008) sold in Australia is $4.51. A breakdown of the grocery/retail production share of these eggs is presented below.

Eggs should be considered in a similar way as other protein-rich foods and included as part of a varied diet that's low in saturated fat and contains a variety of cardio-protective foods (such as fish, wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts).

There is little research to guide recommendations for egg consumption for people at high risk of heart disease (e.g. with diabetes or high cholesterol). However, prudent advice is that the inclusion of eggs in the context of a diet low in saturated fat, and containing known cardio-protective foods, is not associated with increased risk.

As eggs provide a great source of high quality protein, a relatively low amount of kilojoules and 11 different vitamins and minerals, they are an excellent inclusion in a healthy, well balanced diet:

* Boil eggs and pack for lunch with wholegrain bread and salad.

* Scramble eggs with grated or finely chopped vegetables and serve with ham, tomato and mushrooms for a great Sunday morning ‘pick-me-up.'

* Mash boiled egg with canned salmon and ricotta cheese for a high calcium sandwich filling or as a topping for wholegrain crackers.

* Mix beaten eggs with grated reduced fat cheese, cracked pepper and parsley and stir through cooked wholemeal pasta for a quick and easy dinner or lunch. Serve with a green side salad.

* Make a healthy fried rice by mixing cooked, chopped vegetables, ham, and chopped boiled egg with cooked rice. Stir fry in sesame oil, add a splash of soy sauce and cook until heated through.

Source: Wikipedia, Australian Egg Corporation, Australian Bureau of Statistics, AC Nielsen and Eggs.Org.Au

MUSIC REVIEW: LOVE AAJ KAL 2009 (HINDI)

2009-07-27T08:13:00.004+10:00

If there is one movie I can’t wait to see this year, it must be LOVE AAJ KAL (Love These Days)…..and this is just going on the songs that I have heard from this movie. I am so addicted to them – especially Aahun Aahun, Twist, Chor Bazari and Thoda Thoda Pyar (in that order). So, if you haven’t already yet, I strongly recommend you get the soundtrack and do the Twist, Saif Ali Khan style, LOL.

The songs in the soundtrack include:

Aahun Aahun (and Remix)
Twist (and Remix)
Chor Bazari (and Remix)
Thoda Thoda Pyaar
Dooriyan
Ajj Din Chadheya

You can check out the trailer of the movie and snippets of the songs at the LOVE AAJ KAL official site (click HERE). The movie stars Rishi Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and a new actress whose name I cannot seem to find. I will update this when I do find it out.

BTW, I found out that the movie is opening this Friday 31 July 2009, at Greater Union Manuka, ACT. Guess who is going to be there?????

VG’s rating: 5 Stars!!!

DVD REVIEW: BACHNA AE HASEENO 2008 (HINDI)

2009-07-24T00:33:00.000+10:00

Bachna Ae Haseeno (Beware O Beautiful Ones) is a Bollywood movie staring Ranbir Kapoor (son of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh), Minissha Lamba, Bipasha Basu and Deepika Padukone. The film was directed by Siddharth Anand whose previous films include Salaam Namaste (2005) and Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007).

The film follows the ‘love’ exploits of Raj Sharma (Ranbir Kapoor). It tells how he meets three girls at these different stages of his life and goes from one love affair to another, only to run into true love: Mahi (Minissha Lamba) - a small-town girl from Punjab he meets when holidaying in Europe, Radhika (Bipasha Basu) - a model from Mumbai and Gayatri (Deepika Padukone), his true love – an Indian Australian taxi driver and student he meets when working in Australia.

He ends up breaking Mahi’s and Radhika’s hearts, only to find that Gayatri, the one that he loves, does not believe in the marriage instituition…..just like he used to be! Rejection cuts him deep and as he stands, alone, watching the love of his life walk away, he remembers the hearts he broke - Mahi and Radhika. He decides to return to India to apologize and make amends.

Will Mahi and Radhika ever forgive Raj? Will Raj ever find happiness? Watch Bachna Ae Haseeno to find out.

The movie also has some great songs and ironically the title song, Bachna Ae Haseeno, was first ‘sung’ by Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir’s father, in the movie ‘Hum Kisise Kum Nahin’. The song was originally sung by the late Kishore Kumar and the original version has been maintained in this movie, with newer lyrics added and sung by Kishore’s son, Sumit Kumar - copying the concept made famous by Natalie Cole when she sang the duet, ‘Unforgettable’ with her deceased father, Nat King Cole.

My favourite songs in the movie are the first four songs, in that order:

Jogi Mahi
Small Town Girl
Bachna Ae Haseeno
Khuda Jaane
Aahista Aahista
Lucky Boy

VG’s Rating: 4 stars for both the Movie and Songs.

NATTER: LOVE STORY

2009-07-23T07:56:00.003+10:00

I will seek you and find you...

I will take you to bed and have my way with you...

I will make you ache, shake & sweat until you moan & groan...

I will make you beg for mercy, beg for me to stop...

I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I'm finished with you...

And, when I am finished, you will be weak for days.

All my love,

The Swine Flu….Bwah….ha….ha….ha...

Now, get your mind out of the gutter and go get your flu shot. Oh no….I forgot….we have to wait for October to get our swine flu shots…..if we are lucky!

NATTER: BLOODY WOMEN DRIVERS!

2009-07-23T07:47:00.004+10:00

This morning on the highway, I looked over to my right and there was this woman in a brand new BMW doing 110 kmh with her face up next to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner.

I looked away for a couple seconds and when I looked back, she was halfway over in my lane, still working on that makeup.

As a man, I don't scare easily but she scared me so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the meat pie out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my mobile phone away from my ear…… which fell into the coffee between my legs…..splashed and burned Big Jim and the Twins……ruined the phone, soaked my trousers and disconnected a very, very important call.

BLOODY women drivers!!!

RECIPE: SQUID SAMBAL II

2009-07-22T08:02:00.001+10:00

Usually, with Malay or Nyonya style sambals, the use of prawn/shrimp paste or belachan is always prevalent. However, this Nyonya recipe does not make use of belachan and yet, it tastes really nice. I adapted this from Mrs Leong Yee Soo’s book, ‘The best of Singapore’s Recipes: Nyonya Specialities’. The original recipe called for prawns but I substituted it with squid.

Ingredients

1 kg squid (or prawns) - cleaned
½ tin (200 ml) coconut milk
Cooking oil
1 heaped tbsp tamarind mixed with ½ cup water and juice extracted
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

Grind the following to a fine paste

115g shallots or red onions
15 dried chillies – de-seeded and cooked in hot water to soften before grinding
10 fresh red chillies – de-seeded
3 cloves garlic
4 to 6 candlenuts
1 large stalk lemon grass – sliced fine (white bits only)

Method

Heat oil (about 5 to 6 tbsp) in a deep pot or wok. Fry the ground ingredients, stirring regularly, for 10 mins. Add a few tbsp of coconut milk and/or water to keep the paste moistened.

Add the squid/prawns and mix well with the paste. Add in the sugar, salt and tamarind extract. Mix well and cook for 2 mins.

Lastly, add the remaining coconut milk, bring to a boil and cook for a further 2 mins. Adjust seasoning if required, turn off heat and serve.

VG's Rating: 3.5 Stars - Only because I like my sambals hotter. This version is quite mild.

DVD REVIEW: BILLU BARBER 2009 (HINDI)

2009-07-21T12:10:00.006+10:00

When I first heard of this movie, it conjured up visions of a ‘B’ grade movie – a low cost production with new actors wanting to break into the Bollywood market. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was actually a movie with two of my favourite actors, Shahrukh Khan and Irfan Khan, in the leads. I started appreciating Irfan Khan when I saw him in ‘The Warrior’. For me, for an actor to be able to reach his audience with not much dialogue in a movie is no mean feat and one that Irfan carried out to perfection in ‘The Warrior’. He was brilliant! I totally recommend you watch the movie if you can. Okay, I am transgressing here, I know…..we are talking about ‘Billu Barber’ today, not ‘The Warrior’.

Anyway, in this movie, the main character Billu (Irfan Khan) is a poor barber who lives with his beautiful wife Bindiya (Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000) and their two children, Gunja (Mitali Mayakar) and Ronak (Pratik Dalvi) in the village of Budbuda. Though struggling, Billu lives a simple and uneventful life until Bollywood superstar Sahir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) comes to the village for a film shoot.

Billu has mentioned to his family, years ago, that he knew Sahir from his youth but has never elaborated on the fact. However, his children start telling their friends about their father's friendship with the famous star which then spreads throughout the village, the story taking different forms with each relay. Virtually overnight, Billu who had previously been scorned by most of the villagers for his impoverished state, becomes the center of attention. People, who had previously spurned him, now call him a close friend so that he will introduce them to Sahir. They bring him gifts as bribery. Billu refuses and downplays the friendship, saying that it is impossible for him to introduce people in the village to Sahir. When Billu consistently fails to introduce the people of the village to Sahir, his situation changes once again. Not only is he spurned but is now accused of lying about his friendship and of conning the villagers. Everyone - including his wife and children, begin to doubt his character and integrity.

So, does Billu really know the great Sahir Khan and if so, how? But why doesn’t he approach Sahir? Or are the villagers and his family right….that he is lying about his friendship? Watch Billu Barber to find out.

Not only is this a great movie, it also boasts some great songs. My favourites are the first three songs.

Khudaya Khair
Love Mera Hit Hit
Marjaani
You Get Me Rockin
Ae Aa O
Jahoon Kahan
Billoo Bhayankar

Billu Barber Facts:

Despite its great reviews, Billu Barber was rated by ‘Box Office India’ a box office "flop" in its third week.

The movie was renamed to ‘Billu’ in India because of protest from the hairdressing industry. They claimed that the term ‘barber’ is derogatory to their profession….go figure!!!

The movie was directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Gauri Khan (Shahrukh Khan’s wife).

Actresses Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra make guest appearances in the item numbers (a term commonly used in Bollywood movies to describe a catchy, upbeat dance sequence in a movie that has no relevance to the plot of the film). The film was released on 13 February 2009.

The movie is a remake of the 2007 Malayalam (a south Indian dialect) film, ‘Kadha Parayumbol’. It is also an adaptation of the Sudama and Krishna story as mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana (Hindu text).

VG’s Rating: 4 stars for both the Movie and Songs.

RECIPE: STIR FRIED CHICKEN WITH HONEY AND GINGER

2009-07-16T08:36:00.006+10:00

This recipe is adapted from Kylie Kwong’s ‘Simple Chinese Cooking’. What I love about her cooking is her simple and quick recipes…..ideal for the working mother who, regardless of a hectic day at the office, still appreciates and demands good food. Here is an example of one. And the beauty of this dish is….all the preparation is done the night before!!!

Ingredients

800g boneless chicken thigh fillets – sliced into bite sized pieces
Oil for frying (peanut or canola works well)
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Marinade

¼ cup honey (see my GLOSSARY post on HONEY)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (my Muslim friends, you may substitute with chicken stock)
2 tbsp diced ginger
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (see my GLOSSARY post on CHINESE FIVE SPICE POWDER)
½ tsp sesame oil

Method

Mix the chicken well with the marinade ingredients and leave to marinade for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat oil in a wok until simmering and fry half of the chicken for 2 mins. Lift and set aside and repeat with the next batch.

Whilst the second batch is still in the wok, return the first batch back into the wok, along with the 2 tbsp of light soy and cook for another 2 to 3 mins until the chicken is cooked and slightly caramelised.

Lift and serve with rice and side dish of vegetables such as STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSHROOMS AND OYSTER SAUCE.

VG’s rating: 4.5 stars

RECIPE: STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSHROOMS AND OYSTER SAUCE

2009-07-16T08:27:00.003+10:00

One of the easiest, tastiest…. and my favourite ways to cook pak choy.

Ingredients

2 bunches of pak choy – stalks and leaves separated
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 small onion or shallot – sliced (optional)
Mushroom of choice - sliced
Fresh or dried chillies (optional)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
Few splashes of soy sauce
Few drops of sesame oil
Veg oil

Method

Heat oil in a wok and fry the garlic, onion and chillies for 30 secs.

Add in the mushrooms and pak choy stalks. Moisten with some soy sauce and cook for 1 minute. Add in the oyster sauce.

Next add in the pak choy leaves and cook for a further 1 min until the leaves are ‘wilted’. Check seasoning (I tend to add more soy sauce instead of using salt), a few drops of sesame oil, lift and serve as part of a meal with rice.

GLOSSARY: HONEY

2009-07-16T08:20:00.003+10:00

Since antiquity, honey has been a source of food and energy. From the first hunter gatherers, to the ancient civilizations of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans; records show the value of the bees and their honey.

If we journey back 4000 years to ancient Egypt, hieroglyphics show the story of the bee’s life. So primitive man had discovered the delight of honey — for centuries it was the only sweetener available.

In the 4th century BC, Aristotle wrote of the bee. Three hundred years later, Virgil the poet and Pliny the naturalist, carried the story further.

In England under Saxon rule, honey was accepted by some landlords as part-payment for rent from tenants. The bee had truly earned a valuable place in society.

In 1792 a blind naturalist, Huber, published a book in Geneva on bees and honey. The honey industry that we know today began to grow.

Honey that is sold in shops comes from honeybees (Apis mellifera). Honey produced by other bees or other insects has very different properties.

Honey is created by bees as a food source. In cold weather or when food sources are scarce, bees use their stored honey as their source of energy. By contriving bee swarms to nest in artificial hives, people have been able to semi-domesticate the insects, and harvest excess honey.

Generally, honey is classified by the floral source of the nectar from which it was made. Honeys can be from specific types of flower nectars, from indeterminate origin or can be blended after collection.

The bee's value however is not confined to making honey. Honeybees also help our fruit and vegetables grow. When the bee gathers nectar, her body becomes dusted with pollen. As she moves from flower to flower, the pollen passes from male to female stigma and cross-pollination (or fertilization) takes place which leads to new seeds and plant regeneration. Without bees, trees and flowers may not make fruit, nuts or seeds and there would be no honey.

The honeybee is not native to Australia. The colonists who came to Australia in its early days missed many of the comforts and treats of “home” (England) that they tried to introduce many of them to their new country. Plants, trees, animals, birds and many other reminders of home were introduced during those early years. One of these treats were honey. In 1810, Samuel Marsden brought the first honeybees to Australia but the attempt to start a bee colony failed. In the early 1820’s, a second shipment of honeybee was brought to Australia aboard the ship Isabella. She arrived in our waters in 1822 and adapted so successfully that other bee species were introduced from Italy, Yugoslavia and North America (thankfully the bees are one of the few introduced species that did not wipe out our unique eco system!)

Typically, honey is made up of:
~ 80 per cent natural sugars (mainly levulose, dextrose and glucose)
~ 17 per cent moisture
~ 3 per cent mineral traces

The honeybee is a most amazing insect. Its family (hive) consists of workers, drones and a Queen Bee. The bees collect nectar, pollen and water each day to take back to the hive so that future generations can live. The raw nectar comes from flowers. They mix this with secretions from their glands, thereby transforming it. It is then deposited in the comb where it ripens into honey.

In a day’s work, bees produce:

~ Honey – to provide food reserves for the hive (which we use as a sweetener)
~ Bees wax – to make honeycomb (traditionally used for candles and cosmetics)
~ Pollen – to nurture their young (which when dried and preserved is a valuable nutrient)
~ Propolis – to seal their hive from wind and rain (which can be used as an antiseptic)
~ Bee venom – to protect itself (which can be used to relieve arthritic and rheumatic pains)

Source: Wikipedia, Honeybee.com.au and Honeybee.org.au

GLOSSARY: CHINESE FIVE SPICE POWDER

2009-07-16T08:09:00.003+10:00

The Chinese five spice powder is a mixture of five spices used in Chinese cuisine. Although the exact origins of five-spice powder are lost to history, there is some thought that the Chinese were attempting to produce a "wonder powder" encompassing all of the five elements. All of the five flavours - sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty - are found in five-spice powder. Then again, it's possible that a cook accidentally stumbled upon this particular combination of spices, and realized its power to enliven the blandest dish. Whatever the case, there is no doubt that five spice powder is unique.

This spice blend is a staple in Chinese cooking, and is often used in a technique called "flavour potting", where meat is steeped in a rich sauce and cooked for long hours. The spices and volumes used in five spice powders may differ slightly between recipes. However, the main ingredients are star anise, cloves, cassia, Szechwan pepper and fennel seeds. Some recipes use them in equal proportions, whilst others use more of one to heighten a specific flavour. Generally though, Chinese five spice powder is dominated by the aroma and flavour of the star anise.

It is used in many Asian recipes, its sweet tangy flavour going well with greasy meats like pork and duck. Stir-fried vegetables are enhanced by sprinkling about a teaspoon of the powder over the vegetables when cooking. Add a little salt to the powder, and it makes an excellent spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood.

Here’s a recipe that I usually use (courtesy of the Epicentre)

1 1/2 tbsp star anise
2 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 tsp cassia
1/2 tsp Szechwan pepper
1/2 tsp cloves

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon white pepper and/or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Both will give added bite and depth to the flavour

Method

In a frying pan, over medium heat, dry roast the Szechuan pepper until aromatic. Ensure that the pepper is evenly roasted by continually shaking the pan. This should take about 3 minutes.

Add the roasted Szechuan pepper to a spice/coffee grinder along with the star anise, fennel seeds, cassia and cloves. Grind to a fine powder. Add in the white pepper and ground ginger. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Wikipedia, Chinesefood.About.Com and The Epicentre

MOVIE REVIEW: KAMBAKKHT ISHQ 2009 (HINDI)

2009-07-15T12:42:00.006+10:00

Kambakkht Ishq (Damn Love) is a Bollywood film directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The film, a remake of the 2002 Tamil film Pammal K. Sambandam, features Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles along with actors Aftab Shivdasani and Amrita Arora in supporting roles. Hollywood actors Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh and Holly Valance appear in cameo roles, playing themselves. The film was released on July 3, 2009.

Kambakkht Ishq explores the relationship between two very different individuals. Viraj Shergill (Akshay Kumar) is a swashbuckling stuntman in Hollywood who believes that women are only good for two things: "making love" & "making love". Simrita Rai (Kareena Kapoor), a surgeon and firebrand who is more than able to stare down the most arrogant male with her caustic wit and sardonic tongue. She firmly believes that there is no such thing as love.

So what happens when these two people, who hate each other, keep meeting at most inopportune circumstances???? You’ll have to watch Kambakkht Ishq to find out.

In my opinion, the songs from the movie are passable….listed below in accordance to my preference.

Lakh Lakh
Om Mangalam
Bebo
Kambakkht Ishq
Kyun
Welcome To Hollywood

PS: Kambakkht Ishq is current playing, for a limited time, at Greater Union, Manuka ACT. There are two shows daily, at 2.30pm and 8.30pm. Check Greater Union website and Canberra Times for updated times.

VG’s Rating: 3.5 stars for the Movie and Songs.

NATTER: DEBT

2009-07-14T13:24:00.003+10:00

It is the month of August, on the shores of the Black Sea. It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted. It is tough times - everybody is in debt and everybody lives on credit.

Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town.

He enters the only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to choose one.

The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig grower.

The pig grower takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the supplier of his feed and fuel.

The supplier of feed and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave her "services" on credit.

The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.

The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything.

At that moment, the tourist comes down after inspecting the rooms, and takes his 100 Euro note, after saying that he did not like any of the rooms, and leaves town.

No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of optimism.....

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States Government (most governments, actually) is doing business today!

RECIPE: CHICKEN IN CHILLI BLACK BEAN SAUCE

2009-07-12T01:23:00.003+10:00

It is safe to say that this is one dish that you will find in most Chinese restaurant menus (minus the chillies). However, if you are anything like me, it is usually the one dish I do avoid when ordering as I always find it either too salty or gluggy and it makes me feel really thirsty after I have eaten it (maybe it is the added msg – though none of the restaurants would ever admit that they actually use it in their cooking!). Therefore, I prefer to make this at home and in my opinion, the addition of the sliced chillies actually gives it the extra edge. Don’t just take my word for it….try it for yourselves!

Ingredients

600g boneless chicken breast or thigh – sliced

Cooking oil such as peanut or canola oil
Thumb size ginger – sliced into matchsticks or minced
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 fresh red chillies such as serrano – sliced (you may also use dried chillies – use extra in this instance and tear into a few pieces each)
1 large onion - quartered
1 large carrots - sliced
1 medium capsicum – cut into cubes
2 tbsp CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS (coarsely chopped or mashed using the back of a spoon) or 2 to 3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee’s black bean sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS)
1 tbsp (or to taste) light soy sauce
100 to 150ml chicken stock – I used 1/2 tsp of chicken stock powder diluted in water
Few drops sesame oil

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornflour

Method

In a bowl, mix the chicken with the marinade and leave to marinade for 15 mins.

Heat a wok over high heat until it is hot. Add in the oil and when slightly smoking, add in half the chicken and cook, stirring continuously until nearly done (2 to 3 minutes). Lift onto a plate and repeat the process with the next batch.

Next, in the same wok (add some oil if required) add the ginger, garlic, chillies and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Then add in the capsicum and black beans/sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the cooked chicken. Add in the soy sauce. Mix well.Add in the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil and add in the onions.

Cook for 1 minute, stir in a few drops of sesame oil, lift and serve hot with rice.

Note

You can substitute the chicken with beef, prawns, squid or any firm white fish fillets. Make sure you adjust the cooking times to suit your meat/seafood.

You may also add vegetables such as snow peas, baby corn and cauliflower to the dish.

VG’s Rating: 4 stars

GLOSSARY: CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS OR DOUCHI

2009-07-12T01:15:00.001+10:00

Chinese fermented black beans or Douchi is a popular Chinese flavouring that is used in cooking and to make black bean sauce.

Douchi is made by salting and fermenting soybeans. The process turns the beans black, soft and quite dry. It has a spicy smell, with a taste that is salty and somewhat bitter and sweet.

Douchi should not be confused with black turtle beans, that are commonly used in Central American, South American and Caribbean cuisines.

Douchi is usually used to flavour fish or stir-fried vegetables (particularly bitter melon and leafy vegetables). Unlike some other fermented soybean-based foods such as natto (a Japanese speciality made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis) or tempeh (Javanese fermented soybean cake), douchi is used only as a seasoning, and is not meant to be consumed in large quantities, being typically much more salty.

Small packets of douchi are available wherever Chinese groceries are sold. Use according to packet or recipe instructions.

BLACK BEAN SAUCE/PASTE

In Chinese cuisine, condiments such as black bean paste, black bean sauce or black bean garlic sauce is made from douchi, with garlic and soy sauce usually added to the beans. This paste is commercially available in glass jars from companies such as Lee Kum Kee. Use as a marinade, stir-fry seasoning or sauce over rice, noodles and all kinds of dishes such as my CHICKEN AND CHILLI BLACK BEAN SAUCE.

NATTER: LESSONS IN LOGIC

2009-07-11T13:03:00.005+10:00

If your father is a poor man, it is your fate.

But if your father-in-law is a poor man, it's your stupidity!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was born intelligent - education ruined me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Practice makes perfect.....

But nobody's perfect.....

So why practice?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's true that we are here to help others....

Then what exactly are the others here for?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since light travels faster than sound...

People appear bright until you hear them speak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How come 'abbreviated' is such a long word?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Money is not everything.

There's MasterCard & Visa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One should love animals.

They are so tasty.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Behind every successful man, there is a woman.

And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every man should marry.....

After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wise never marry.

And when they marry they become otherwise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Success is a relative term.

It brings so many relatives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Never put off the work till tomorrow....

What you can put off today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Your future depends on your dreams'....

So go to sleep!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There should be a better way to start a day...

Than waking up every morning

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Hard work never killed anybody'

But why take the risk?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Work fascinates me'......

I can look at it for hours

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God made relatives;

Thank God we can choose our friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The more you learn, the more you know.

The more you know, the more you forget.

The more you forget, the less you know.

So.. why learn???

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A bus station is where a bus stops.

A train station is where a train stops.

On my desk, I have a work station....

what more can I say!?

NATTER: AN AFRICAN FABLE OF THE CAT

2009-07-10T12:41:00.007+10:00

Once upon a time the cat did not live in the houses of men. She lived only in the bush or in the jungle.

One cat became friendly with a rabbit. She went everywhere with the rabbit and was astonished at the craftiness of her friend.

One day a duiker (small african antelope), fought with the rabbit and killed it with its horns. As her friend was dead the cat lived with the duiker.

Then the duiker was killed by a leopard, so the cat decided to live with the leopard. A few days later they met with a lion.

The lion fought the leopard and killed it. The poor cat then made friends with the lion and lived with him until one day they met a herd of elephant.

A huge bull fought with the lion and killed it.

The cat thought to herself, "I must make friends with an animal as large and strong as this elephant - surely nothing can defeat it!"

But her troubles were not yet over, for one day a hunter shot the elephant and the elephant died.

Now the cat did not know what to do, for she had never seen a two-legged animal such as this. She thought hard and said to herself, "if this man can kill a huge animal like an elephant, I had better make friends with him so that I can live in safety."

She followed the hunter back to his home, and when the hunter entered his hut the cat crept up on to the verandah. She heard sounds of quarrelling in the hut and saw the man in flight from a woman who was beating him with a stick for stirring porridge.

The cat said to herself, "Now I have seen the strongest of all creatures - a woman!"

Since then, the cat has lived in the huts with the women, because it is they who are all-powerful.

From the Rhodesian Native Affairs Department, 1948 and written by Lala.

PS: Thank you Hong, for passing this to me.

RECIPE: BANANA STEAMED CAKE (APAM PISANG)

2009-07-08T07:45:00.007+10:00

Bananas are one of my favourite fruits and not only are they delicious and nutritious (see my GLOSSARY post on BANANAS), they are great eaten fresh as a fruit, made into a smoothie or cooked in cakes or batter. Here’s a delicious and simple recipe for BANANA STEAMED CAKE. Thanks Sis Ummi for the recipe.

Ingredients

5 lady fingers bananas (see my GLOSSARY post on BANANAS)
8 tbsp sugar
1 egg - beaten
¾ tsp bicarb of soda
4 tbsp thick coconut milk
1 ¼ cups plain flour – sifted

Method

Oil an 8 inch round tray with cooking oil (sunflower oil works well). Assemble your steamer and start the water boiling. Line the lid of the steamer with a large tea towel to capture any condensation. This will ensure that no water falls onto your cake and ruin the top.

Mash the bananas well with the sugar. Using a whisk to blend, add in the egg, bicarb of soda and coconut milk.

Using 1 tbsp additions at a time, add in the flour, while mixing well with the whisk.

Pour into the prepared tin and steam for 30 to 40 mins. Do not open the lid until the 30 min mark is up.

Allow to cool in tin. Cut into wedges and serve as is or with freshly grated coconut.

VG's Rating: 4 Stars

GLOSSARY: BANANAS

2009-07-08T07:38:00.005+10:00

Banana is the common name for a type of fruit of the genus Musa. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia. It is believed that bananas are likely to have first been domesticated in Papua New Guinea. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics.

Bananas are cultivated primarily for their fruit and to a lesser extent for the production of fibre and as ornamental plants. As the banana plants are normally tall and fairly sturdy they are often mistaken for trees, but their main or upright stem is actually a pseudostem (literally "fake stem"). For some species this pseudostem can reach a height of up to 2 to 8 m, with leaves of up to 3.5 m in length. Each pseudostem can produce a bunch of yellow, green or even red bananas before dying and being replaced by another pseudostem. Therefore, the banana plant is actually the world's largest herb!

The banana fruit grow in hanging clusters, with up to 20 fruit to a tier (called a hand), and 3 to 20 tiers to a bunch. The total of the hanging clusters is known as a bunch, or commercially as a "banana stem", and can weigh from 30 to 50 kg. The fruit averages around 125 grams, of which approximately 75 per cent is water. Each individual fruit (known as a banana or 'finger') has a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with a fleshy edible inner portion. Bananas are a valuable source of vitamin A, vitamin Bs (such as B6, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid), vitamin C, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium Iron and Zinc. It carries around 140 calories, averaging about 2 grams of protein, 4 grams of fibre, 2 mgs of sodium and 36 grams of carbohydrate.

It is said that the true origin of bananas is found in the region of present day Malaysia. Bananas are said to travel from there to India where they are mentioned in the Buddhist Pali writings dating back to the 6th century BC. In his campaign to India in 327 BC, Alexander the Great relished his first taste of the banana. He is even credited with bringing the banana from India to the Western world. According to Chinese historian Yang Fu, China was tending plantations of bananas in 200 AD. These bananas grew only in the southern region of China and were considered exotic, rare fruits that never became popular with the Chinese masses until the 20th century.

Eventually, this tropical fruit reached Madagascar, an island off the south-eastern coast of Africa. Beginning in 650 AD, Islamic warriors travelled into Africa and were actively engaged in the slave trade. Along with the thriving business of slave trading, the Arabs were also trading ivory along with abundant crops of bananas. Through their numerous travels westward via the slave trade, bananas eventually reached Guinea, a small area along the West Coast of Africa. By 1402, Portuguese sailors discovered the luscious tropical fruit in their travels to the African continent and populated the Canary lslands with their first banana plantations.

Continuing the banana's travels westward, the rootstocks were packed onto a ship under the charge of Tomas de Berlanga, a Portuguese Franciscan monk who brought them to the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo from the Canary Islands in the year 1516. It wasn't long before the banana became popular throughout the Caribbean as well as Central America.

Arabian slave traders are credited with giving the banana its popular name. The bananas that were growing in Africa as well as Southeast Asia were not the eight-to-twelve-inch giants that have become familiar in the supermarkets today. They were small, about as long as a man's finger. Ergo the name banan, Arabic for finger. The Spaniards, who saw a similarity to the plane tree that grows in Spain, gave the plantain its Spanish name, platano.

Putting all of the nutritional figures together clearly shows the banana is among the healthiest of fruits. Not only delicious eaten as is, The banana can also be cooked in breads, cakes and muffins, fried as a snack either battered or made into chips and cooked in curries.

Source: Wikipedia, Banana.com

AWARDS: THANK YOU DOC!

2009-07-08T07:35:00.006+10:00

Thank you to my dear friend Dr Inahar Ali for these loads of awards. I much appreciate it love, muah...

To all my Cyber friends, I pass on these awards to you. Please do collect them and paste them in your blogs.

NATTER: THE PASTOR’S ASS

2009-07-08T07:26:00.005+10:00

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again.

The local paper read:

PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.

The next day, the local paper headline read:

BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day:

NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the paper read:

NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.

The next day the headlines read:

NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

The bishop was buried the next day.

The moral of the story is: being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery….even shorten your life!

So be yourself and enjoy life. And stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer…..

Have a nice day!

NATTER: LAWYERS!

2009-07-07T13:21:00.003+10:00

1. PORSCHE AND THE LAWYER

A very successful lawyer parked his brand new Porsche Carrera GT in front of the office, ready to show it off to his colleagues.

As he was getting out, a truck came along too close to the car and completely tore off the driver's door.

Fortunately, a policeman was close enough to see the accident and pulled up behind the Porsche; it was completely ruined and would never be the same no matter how hard the body shop might try to make it new again.

His lights flashing, but before the policeman had a chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started screaming hysterically about how his Porsche, which he had just picked up the day before ,was now completely ruined and would never be same no matter how hard the body shop tries to make it new again.

After the lawyer finally calmed down from his rant, the officer shook his head in disgust and disbelief. 'I can't believe how materialistic you lawyers are,' he said. 'You're so focused on your possessions that you neglect the most important things in life'

'How can you say such a thing?' asked the lawyer.

The officer replied, 'Don't you even realize that your left arm is missing? It got ripped off when the truck hit you!'

'Oh my god!' screamed the lawyer.

'My Rolex!!!'

2. BAR TALK

A guy walks into a bar and sees a gorgeous woman nursing a drink.

Walking up behind her he says, 'Hi there, good lookin'. How's it going?'

Having already downed a few power drinks, she turns around, faces him, looks him straight in the eye and says, 'Listen up, buddy. I screw anybody, any time, anywhere, your place, my place, in the car, front door, back door, on the ground, standing up, sitting down, naked or with clothes on, dirty, clean . It just doesn't matter to me. I've been doing it ever since I got out of college and I just flat-ass love it.'

Eyes now wide with interest, he responds, 'No kidding. I'm a lawyer too. What firm are you with?'

RECIPE: BEAN SPROUTS AND CHINESE CHIVES WITH PRAWNS

2009-07-03T13:10:00.003+10:00

Bean sprouts (or ‘taugeh’ in Malay) are one of my favourite ‘vegetables’. It takes only minutes to cook and you can add almost anything to it. If there is any preparation associated to this dish, it is to do with ‘tailing’ the sprouts (ie pinching off the long dangling roots of the sprouts)….that is if you are fussy and if you can’t get ‘tailed’ sprouts. Regardless, of this required effort, I’d have this anytime!

In this instance, I stir fried the sprouts with some Garlic/Chinese chives and small prawns. Another good addition would be some tofu.

Ingredients

500g bean sprouts
1 bunch Garlic/Chinese chives – cut into 4 cm lengths
250g small prawns – peeled
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 small onion – sliced
1 fresh red chilli sliced or 2 to 3 dried chillies torn into pieces – optional
Few splashes of light soy sauce
Few drops of sesame oil (see my GLOSSARY post on SESAME)
Salt
Oil

Method

In a wok, heat some oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 10 secs. Add in the prawns and chillies and cook for 2 mins or until the prawns are nearly cooked.

Add in the sprouts and chives and toss to cover with all the ingredients. Add some soy sauce and cook for about 2 to 3 mins only. You want your bean sprouts to remain crunchy.

Add a few drops of sesame oil, mix well, lift and serve hot with rice and meat dishes such as my CHENGDU CHICKEN.

GLOSSARY: SESAME

2009-07-03T13:00:00.005+10:00

Sesame is one of the oldest seeds known to man and is an essential ingredient for Middle Eastern, South Asian and Oriental cooking. Thought to have originated in India or Africa, sesame (Sesamum indicum) is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. The flowers of the sesame seed plant are yellow, though they can vary in colour with some being blue or purple.

The word sesame is derived from the Latin word sesamum, when traced back in ages, comes from the Assyrian word shaman shammī or "plant oil". In India, where sesame has been cultivated since the Harappan period, there are two independent names for the seed: tila or til in northern parts of India and ellu or nuvvulu in southern India.

Despite the fact that the majority of the wild species of the genus Sesamum are native to sub-saharan Africa, it is said that sesame was first domesticated in India, with archaeological evidence showing that it was cultivated at Harappa in the Indus Valley between 2250 and 1750 BC, and more recently, charred sesame seeds were found in Miri Qalat and Shahi Tump in the Makran region of Pakistan.

However, the first written record of sesame dates even further back to 3,000 BC to Assyria. In the Assyrian text, according to its mythology, sesame's origins go back even farther - of the Gods imbibing sesame seed wine the night before they created the earth. References can be found to Babylonians using sesame oil, and to Egyptians growing their own sesame to make flour. Of course Persia, birthplace of the 1001 Arabian Nights, has long been savvy to sesame's benefits. Who could forget “Ali Baba and the 40 thieves” and the incantation “Open Sesame”. Ancient Persians relied on sesame as a food source and for its medicinal qualities.

Farther east, it's unclear when sesame first found its way to China. Some sources claim the Chinese were using sesame oil in their lamps as far back as 5,000 years ago, while others state sesame seeds were introduced into China about 2,000 years ago. It's probably true that the ancients first relied on the sesame plant to provide oil, and only later discovered its value as a food source. However, first firm evidence of it in China dates from the end of the 5th century AD.

While the exact circumstances surrounding sesame's arrival in China may be lost to history, there's no doubt that today it is a mainstay of Chinese cuisine. Toasted sesame seeds are sprinkled on salads, sesame paste is added to sauces, and delightfully aromatic sesame oil is used to flavour everything from dips to marinades.

SESAME SEEDS

The seeds of the sesame plant are featured in many Asian cuisines. Spice paste concoctions made with sesame seeds enhance Indian dishes, and sesame seeds play a role in Japanese vegetarian cooking. In China, sesame seeds are used to flavor cakes, cookies, and popular desserts such as sesame seed balls and fried custard. You'll also find them in savory dishes.

Both black and white sesame seeds are used in Chinese cooking. (A third variety of beige colored sesame seeds is not as popular). Like sesame oil, white sesame seeds have a nutty flavor, while black sesame seeds taste more bitter. However, whether a recipe calls for white or black seeds often has more to do with the appearance of a dish rather than flavour.

White sesame seeds are nearly always toasted before using. There are differing opinions over the value of toasting black sesame seeds, as it can accentuate the bitter flavour - let your taste buds make the decision. Because sesame seeds contain a high percentage of oil, it's best to store them in the refrigerator if you plan on keeping them for more than two or three months. Otherwise, they can be kept in a covered jar at room temperature. In any event, check and make sure they don't smell rancid before using.

Sesame seeds are a nutritional goldmine - high in mineral content, and containing two proteins that are not normally found in other vegetable proteins. For people with milk allergies, sesame seeds provide an alternative source of calcium.

SESAME OIL

Sesame oil (also known as gingelly oil or til oil) is derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavour enhancer in Chinese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.

Prior to 600 BC, the Assyrians used sesame oil as a food, salve and medication, primarily by the rich, as the difficulty of obtaining it made it expensive. Hindus use til oil in votive lamps, and consider the oil sacred. According to Hindu belief, lighting lamp filled with til oil in front of Lord Hanuman removes obstacles and difficulties in life.

Sesame Seed Oil has been used as a healing oil for thousands of years. Sesame oil is mentioned in the Vedas as excellent for humans. It is naturally antibacterial for common skin pathogens, such as staphylococcus and streptococcus as well as common skin fungi, such as athlete's foot fungus. It is naturally antiviral. It is a natural anti inflammatory agent.

It has been used extensively in India as a healing oil, including in experiments which showed it was useful in unblocking arteries. In recent experiments in Holland by Ayurvedic physicians, the oil has been used in the treatment of several chronic disease processes, including hepatitis, diabetes and migraines.

This amber coloured aromatic oil, made from pressed and toasted sesame seeds, is a popular ingredient in Chinese cooking. It is not used as a cooking oil, as the flavour is too intense and it burns quite easily, but rather as a flavour enhancer to marinades, salad dressings, or in the final stages of cooking. Recipes often call for a few drops of sesame oil to be drizzled on a dish just before serving.

SESAME PASTE

Another popular sesame by product is the sesame paste or tahini, which is commonly sold in glass jars. Middle Eastern tahini is made of hulled, lightly roasted seeds. East Asian sesame paste is made of unhulled seeds.

Tahini is a major component of hummus and other Middle Eastern foods. It is sold fresh or dehydrated. Sesame paste is an ingredient in some Chinese, Korean, and Japanese dishes. As East Asian sesame paste is made from unhulled seeds, it is more bitter than tahini.

Source: Wikipedia, You Things and About.com

NATTER: LETTER TO GOD

2009-07-02T07:38:00.006+10:00

There was a man who worked for the Post Office whose job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses.

One day, a letter came addressed in a shaky handwriting to God with no actual address. He thought he should open it to see what it was about. The letter read:

Dear God,

I am an 83 year old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension payment. Next Sunday is Christmas, and I had invited two of my friends over for dinner. Without that money, I have nothing to buy food with, have no family to turn to, and you are my only hope. Can you please help me?

Sincerely,
Edna

The postal worker was touched. He showed the letter to all the other workers. Each one dug into his or her wallet and came up with a few dollars.

By the time he made the rounds, he had collected $96, which they put into an envelope and sent to the woman. The rest of the day, all the workers felt a warm glow thinking of Edna and the dinner she would be able to share with her friends.

Christmas came and went. A few days later, another letter came from the same old lady to God. All the workers gathered around while the letter was opened. It read:

Dear God,

How can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me? Because of your gift of love, I was able to fix a glorious dinner for my friends. We had a very nice day and I told my friends of your wonderful gift.

By the way, there was $4 missing. I think it might have been those bastards at the post office.

Sincerely,
Edna

RECIPE: CHENGDU CHICKEN

2009-06-30T13:01:00.007+10:00

I think I got this recipe from the net somewhere and I believe the original recipe calls for it to be served with spinach. Instead, I served my CHENGDU CHICKEN with BEANSPROUTS AND CHINESE CHIVES WITH PRAWNS.

The dish may seem complicated with the different spices and sauces used, but it is actually quite easy to make. Most of the work is in the preparation. In any instance, it tastes great….so it makes it all so worthwhile!

Ingredients

800g boneless skinless chicken breasts – cut into cubes

Marinade
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp sesame oil
2 to 3 tsp cornstarch

Sauce
2 tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or rice vinegar (red rice vinegar if possible)
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch mixed in 2 tbsp water

Other Ingredients
2 spring onions – sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic - minced
½ thumb size ginger - minced
2 to 3 tbsp hot bean paste
1 tsp sesame oil or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground Szechuan pepper (see my GLOSSARY post on SZECHUAN PEPPER)
Vegetable or peanut oil

Method

Add the marinade ingredients to the cubed chicken, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce. Combine the rice wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the water. Set aside.

Heat a wok with sufficient oil to fry the chicken cubes. Stir the chicken continually to keep it from sticking to the wok. When the chicken changes colour and is nearly 80 per cent cooked, remove it from the wok. Leave about 2 tbsp of the oil in the wok.

Add the garlic, ginger and hot bean paste to the wok. Stir-fry briefly until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the chicken back into the wok and mix with the hot bean paste.

Make a well in the wok by pushing the chicken to the sides and add the sauce mixture in the middle. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and mix it in the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken.

Now toss the chicken back into the centre, mixing it well with the sauce. Add in the green onion and sesame oil. Sprinkle the freshly ground Szechuan pepper over top. Lift and serve hot with stir fried vegetables and rice.

VG’s rating: 4 stars

GLOSSARY: SZECHUAN PEPPER

2009-06-30T12:45:00.001+10:00

Szechuan or Sichuan pepper is native to the Szechwan province of China. Though they bear some resemblance to black peppercorns, they are not actually of the pepper family, but the dried berry i.e. the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum (most commonly Z. piperitum, Z. simulans, and Z. schinifolium). It is widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. It is widely used in Chinese Szechuan cuisine, from which it takes its name, as well as Tibetan, Bhutanese, Nepalese and Japanese cuisines

Szechuan pepper has a unique aroma and flavour and is not hot or pungent like black or white pepper or chillies. It has lemony overtones and creates a tingly numbness in the mouth when consumed. Recipes often suggest lightly toasting and then crushing the tiny seedpods before adding them to food. Only the husks are used; the shiny black seeds are discarded or ignored as they have a very gritty sand-like texture. It is generally added at the end of the cooking process.

Szechwan pepper are rust coloured with hair-thin stems and open ends. The dried berries resemble tiny beechnuts measuring 4 - 5 mm in diameter. The rough skin splits open to reveal a brittle black seed, about 3 mm in diameter; however the spice mainly consists of the empty husks. It is available whole or ground. In Japan the leaves are used as spice — the ground dried leaves are known as sansho and the whole leaves, kinome, are fresh, vacuum-packed or pickled.

The berries should be gently roasted to release aromatics before crushing with a mortar and pestle or electric coffee grinder. If a fine powder is desired, sieve to remove the husks and stalks. Store in airtight containers, out of sunlight.

Other Names

Anise Pepper, Chinese Pepper, Fagara, Japan Pepper, Sichuan Pepper, Suterberry, Szechuan pepper, Toothache Tree, Yellow Wood
French: poivre anise
German: Szechuan-Pfeffer
Italian: pepe d’anise
Spanish: pepe di anis
Chinese: chuan-chiao, chun-chiu, shun-tsin, fa-chin, hua-chiao, hua jiao, jiao, ta-liao
Japanese: kinome (fresh leaves), sancho (powdered dried leaves)

Source: Wikipedia and Epicentre.com

DVD REVIEW: BARSAAT 1949 (HINDI CLASSICS)

2009-06-29T12:39:00.007+10:00

BARSAAT (Rain, Rainy Season or Monsoon) is a 1949 classic black and white Bollywood blockbuster film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film stars the famous duo of the time, Raj Kapoor and Nargis and also starred actor Prem Nath. Barsaat saw the debut of actress Nimmi, whom Raj Kapoor discovered whilst Nimmi was an onlooker/guest during a movie shooting.

The success of Barsaat ensured that the studio (RK Films) Raj Kapoor established in 1948 with the movie Aag (whilst he was only 24), continued to be a success and a going concern.

The movie BARSAAT revolves around two love stories - Pran (Raj Kapoor) and Reshma (Nargis) and Gopal (Prem Nath) and Neela (Nimmi). Two friends with opposite personalities, the rich but sensitive Pran and the womanizing Gopal both get involved with two local girls while holidaying in Kashmir. Whilst Pran and Reshma's love is true and reciprocated, Gopal is a cad, who disregards the faithful Neela (Nimmi) and tricks her to wait faithfully for his return with the next BARSAAT (rainy season). Many trials and tribulations are faced by the lovers. Will the lovers come out unscathed by the BARSAAT? Watch BARSAAT to find out.

Not only was the movie a super hit on its release, so was its music; and still is to this day! The film was the debut for duo music directors, Shankar Jaikishan and established their careers. The famous playback singer Lata Mangeshkar sang for both Nargis and Nimmi in Barsaat and further entrenched her popularity in Bollywood music.

The famous songs from this movie include:

Hawa Mein Udata Jaye
Barsaat Mein Humse Mile Tum Sajan
Ab Mera Kaun Sahara
Bicchde Hue Pardesi
Chhod Gaye Baala
Jiya Beqarar hai
Mujse Kisse She Pyaar Ho Gaaya
Mera Aankhon Mein Bas Gayaa

I give this movie a 4 Star rating (only because there were unjustified long sequences in the film....in my opinion of course.....you may beg to differ) and the music 5 Stars.

RECIPE: RASPBERRY AND COCONUT MUFFINS

2009-06-26T07:59:00.005+10:00

A scrumptious combination – raspberry and coconut. Check it out for yourselves!

Ingredients

375g self raising flour
90g butter – chopped
220g caster sugar
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 egg – lightly beaten
30g desiccated coconut
150g fresh or frozen raspberries
2 to 3 tbsp shredded coconut

Method

Preheat oven to moderately hot. Grease a 12 hole (80ml or 1/3 cup capacity) muffin pan.

Place flour in a large mixing bowl and using your fingertips, rub in the butter. The mixture should resemble bread crumbs.

Next, mix in the sugar, buttermilk, egg, desiccated coconut and raspberries. I used a knife to do this. Do not over mix.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and top with the shredded coconut. Bake for 20 to 25 mins.

When done, stand in pan for 5 mins before turning onto wire rack. Serve warm or cool.

ANNOUNCEMENT: MY HOUSEHOLD CAPERS! 500TH POST

2009-06-24T08:19:00.002+10:00

OMG…..I cannot believe that I have finally reached my 500th post. Time flies when you are having fun, eh??? I hope you all have enjoyed my jottings as much as I have bringing them to you. So, here’s to the next 500 scribbles…..cheers!

DVD REVIEW: SHARMILEE 1971 (HINDI CLASSICS)

2009-06-23T07:44:00.009+10:00

SHARMILEE (shy) is a 1971 Hindi movie directed by Samir Ganguly and stars the very handsome Shashi Kapoor and superb actress Rakhee Gulzar. The film is not only popular for its great story line but also for its very melodious music by S. D. Burman. Rakhee plays a double role in this film (twin sisters), and her portrayal of a modern sister and one very shy and demure sister, helped make her one of the decades top leading lady actress in Bollywood. Unlike Shashi Kapoor, Rakhee still does some acting roles.

Check out these really great songs from the movie HERE and HERE.

NATTER: THE BEAR, THE LION AND THE PIG

2009-06-22T07:52:00.002+10:00

A bear, a lion and a pig meet.

Bear says: "If I roar in the forest, the entire forest is shivering with fear."

Lion says: "If I roar in the jungle, the entire jungle is afraid of me."

Pig says: "Big deal.... I only have to cough, and the entire planet lives in fear!!!"

RECIPE: FRAGRANT COCONUT CHICKEN (OPOR AYAM)

2009-06-19T07:46:00.006+10:00

My version of the OPOR AYAM, adapted from the “SHIOK!” cookbook. Hope you like it. I know my household did!

Ingredients

4 tbsp veg oil
1 tin thick coconut milk
2 small free range chicken or 12 assorted chicken pieces
4 large dried chillies - soaked
2 stalks lemon grass – bruised
4 whole lime leaves
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

Spice paste – ground into thick fine paste

3 slices galangal
Thumb size ginger
6 candlenuts
12 small shallots or 2 large red onions
Thumb size fresh turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground fine black pepper (see my GLOSSARY post on BLACK PEPPER)
*8 large dried chillies – soaked (this is optional)

Method

Heat oil in a pot and fry spices for 6 to 8 mins until thick and fragrant. Add 2 tbsp of the coconut milk and cook for a further 2 mins.

Add in the chicken pieces, whole chillies, lemon grass, lime leaves, coconut milk and ½ cup water. Simmer for 20 to 25 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add salt and sugar and cook for a further 10 mins until gravy is very thick. Serve hot.

Note: If you want a pale curry, you may omit the turmeric. You may also omit the chillies in the ground spices if you want a very mild curry.

GLOSSARY: BLACK PEPPER

2009-06-19T07:45:00.002+10:00

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. In dried form, the fruit is often referred to as peppercorns. Peppercorns, and the powdered pepper derived from grinding them, may be described as pepper and depending on the colour of the powdered pepper, as black pepper, white pepper, red/pink pepper, and green pepper, though the terms pink peppercorns, red pepper, and green pepper are also used to describe the fruits of other, unrelated plants.

Black pepper is native to South India, particularly the Malabar Coast, in what is now the state of Kerala. It is still extensively cultivated there and in the tropical South-East Asia regions. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is a small drupe about five mm in diameter, dark red when fully mature, containing a single seed.

Black pepper has been known to Indian cooking since at least 2000 BC. Peppercorns were (and still is) a much prized trade good, often referred to as "black gold" and used as a form of commodity money. The term "peppercorn rent" still exists today.

Black peppercorns were found stuffed in the nostrils of Ramesses II, placed there as part of the mummification rituals shortly after his death in 1213 BC. Little else is known about the use of pepper in ancient Egypt, nor how it reached the Nile from India.

It is possible that black pepper was known in China in the 2nd century BC, if poetic reports on an explorer named Tang Meng are correct. Sent by Emperor Wu to what is now south-west China, Tang Meng is said to have come across something called “jujiang” or "sauce-betel". The traditional view among historians is that "sauce-betel" is a sauce made from betel leaves, but arguments have been made that it actually refers to black pepper.

In the 3rd century AD, black pepper made its first definite appearance in Chinese texts, as “hujiao” or "foreign pepper". However, it does not appear to have been widely known at the time. By the 12th century however, black pepper had become a popular ingredient in the cuisine of the wealthy and powerful, sometimes taking the place of China's native Sichuan pepper (the tongue-numbing dried fruit of an unrelated plant).

Black pepper is one of the most common spices in European cuisine, having been known and prized since antiquity. It is found on nearly every dinner table in the world, often alongside table salt.
It is the black pepper, along with other spices from India and lands farther east, that changed the course of world history. It was in some part the preciousness and exorbitant price of this spice that led to the European efforts to find a sea route to India and consequently to the European colonial occupation of India, South-East Asia and the Far East, as well as the European discovery and colonization of the Americas.

The monopoly on the spice trade held by Italy was one of the inducements which led to the Portuguese to seek a sea route to India. In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European to reach India by sea (via the Cape of Good Hope) and soon the Portuguese had exclusive rights to the spice trade between the East and Europe. However, by the 17th century, the Portuguese lost almost all of their valuable Indian Ocean possessions to the Dutch and the English.

Black pepper is produced from the still-green unripe berries of the pepper plant. The berries are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean and to prepare for drying. The heat ruptures cell walls in the fruit, speeding the work of browning enzymes during drying. The berries are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the fruit around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer. Once dried, the fruits are called black peppercorns.

White pepper consists of the seed only, with the fruit removed. This is usually accomplished by allowing fully ripe berries to soak in water for about a week, during which the flesh of the fruit softens and decomposes. Rubbing then removes what remains of the fruit, and the naked seed is dried. Alternative processes are used for removing the outer fruit from the seed, including removal of the outer layer from black pepper produced from unripe berries.
FYI, Sichuan peppercorn is another "pepper" that is botanically unrelated to black pepper and used mainly in Sichuan style Chinese cooking.

Peppercorns are often labeled by their region or port of origin. Two well-known types come from India's Malabar Coast: Malabar pepper and Tellicherry pepper. Tellicherry is a higher-grade pepper, made from the largest, ripest 10 per cent of berries from Malabar plants grown on Mount Tellicherry. Sarawak pepper is produced in the Malaysian sovereignty of Borneo and Lampong pepper on Indonesia's island of Sumatra. White Muntok pepper is another Indonesian product, which hails from Bangka Island (just off the Sumatran coast).

Pepper gets its spicy heat mostly from the piperine compound, which is found both in the outer fruit and in the seed. Pepper loses flavour and aroma through evaporation, so airtight storage helps preserve pepper's original spiciness longer. Pepper can also lose its flavour when exposed to light and also once ground, pepper's aromatics evaporate quite quickly. Most culinary sources recommend grinding whole peppercorns just before use for this reason. Pepper grinders and mortar and pestle are the commonly used implements.

Peppercorns are, by monetary value, the most widely traded spice in the world, accounting for 20 per cent of all spice imports in 2002. The price of pepper can be volatile, and this figure fluctuates a great deal year to year. The International Pepper Exchange is located in Kochi, India.

Vietnam has recently become the world's largest producer and exporter of pepper (82,000 tons in 2003). Other major producers include Indonesia (67,000 tons), India (65,000 tons), Brazil (35,000 tons), Malaysia (22,000 tons), Sri Lanka (12,750 tons), Thailand, and China. Vietnam dominates the export market, using almost none of its production domestically. In 2003, Vietnam exported 82,000 tons of pepper, Indonesia 57,000 tons, Brazil 37,940 tons, Malaysia 18,500 tons, and India 17,200 tons.

Source: Wikipedia

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2009-06-19T07:40:00.001+10:00

NATTER: DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT THINGS...

2009-06-17T07:29:00.002+10:00

Or should we say the uncertainty of the English language?!

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Two guys were discussing popular family trends on $ex, marriage, and family values.

Stu said, 'I didn't sleep with my wife before we got married, did you?'

Leroy replied, 'I'm not sure, what was her maiden name?'

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A little boy went up to his father and asked, 'Dad, where did my intelligence come from?'

The father replied. 'Well, son, you must have got it from your mother, cause I still have mine.'

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'Mr. Clark, I have reviewed this case very carefully,' the divorce Court Judge said. 'And I've decided to give your wife $775 a week,'

'That's very fair, your honour,' the husband said. 'And every now and then I'll try to send her a few bucks myself.'

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A doctor examining a woman who had been rushed to the Emergency Room, took the husband aside, and said, 'I don't like the looks of your wife at all.'

'Me neither doc,' said the husband. 'But she's a great cook and really good with the kids.'

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An old man goes to the Wizard to ask him if he can remove a curse he has been living with for the last 40 years.

The Wizard says, 'Maybe, but you will have to tell me the exact words that were used to put the curse on you.'

The old man says without hesitation, 'I now pronounce you man and wife.'

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Two Reasons Why It's So Hard To Solve A Redneck Murder:

1. The DNA all matches.

2. There are no dental records.

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A blonde calls Delta Airlines and asks, 'Can you tell me how long it'll take to fly from San Francisco to New York City?'

The agent replies, 'Just a minute.'

'Thank you,' the blonde says, and hangs up.

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Two Mexican detectives were investigating the murder of Juan Gonzalez.

'How was he killed?' asked one detective.

'With a golf gun,' the other detective replied.

'A golf gun! What is a golf gun?'

'I don't know. But it sure made a hole in Juan.'

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Moe: 'My wife got me to believe in religion.'

Joe: 'Really?'

Moe: 'Yeah. Until I married her I didn't believe in Hell.'

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A man is recovering from surgery when the Surgical Nurse appears and asks him how he is feeling.

'I'm O. K. but I didn't like the four letter-words the doctor used in surgery,' he answered.

'What did he say,' asked the nurse.

'Oops!'

------------------------------------------------------------

While shopping for vacation clothes, my husband and I passed a display of bathing suits. It had been at least ten years and twenty pounds since I had even considered buying a bathing suit, so sought my husband's advice.

'What do you think?' I asked. 'Should I get a bikini or an all-in-one?'

'Better get a bikini,' he replied. 'You'd never get it all in one.'

He's still in intensive care.

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The graveside service just barely finished, when there was massive clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even more thunder rumbling in the distance.

The little old man looked at the pastor and calmly said, 'Well, she's there.'

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RECIPE: BELACAN BEANS AKA SNAKE BEANS WITH CHILLIES AND PRAWN PASTE (KACANG PANJANG BELACAN)

2009-06-15T07:49:00.001+10:00

A popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore and traditionally served with rice, curries and sambals. You may add seafood such as prawns, squid and cockles to make it a substantial meal instead of an accompaniment to your meal.

Ingredients

1 large bunch snake beans – tailed and cut into 4 cm lengths
Palm full of dried prawns – soaked in water to softened and then drained
2 to 3 cloves garlic
4 large red fresh chillies or 2 heaped tbsp fresh crushed chillies
1 tsp shrimp paste/belacan powder or 2 cm fresh shrimp paste/belacan (roasted)
1 to 2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 onion - sliced
2 tbsp oil

Method

Pound together the garlic, dried prawns, chillies and belacan to a semi fine paste.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the paste for about 3 mins, adding tablespoons of water to moisten the paste if required.

Add in the beans and mix well with the paste. Moisten with the soy sauce. You may use water instead of the soy sauce if you wish. Continue cooking until the beans are cooked. Remember that the beans should still remain crunchy.

Check your seasoning and add salt if required. Lift and serve hot with rice and other Malaysian style dishes such as curries or sambals such as PRAWN SAMBAL.

PS: I would normally add some fresh prawns or squid to this dish but as I was having it with PRAWN SAMBAL, I omitted using any seafood. If using seafood, add this prior to the beans and cook for a min or two before adding the beans.

PSS: If you cannot find snake beans, you may substitute them with snow peas or French beans.

GARDENING: NOT SO EASY CARE INDOOR PLANTS – FITTONIA VERSCHAFFELTII OR NERVE PLANT

2009-06-11T07:43:00.003+10:00

Fittonia is a garden plant of the Acanthaceae family, notable for its dark green foliage. It is commonly called the "Nerve Plant" or "Mosaic Plant". It is originally from Peru.

There are currently 15 known species of Fittonia. It is a short plant with lush green leaves with accented veins of white to deep pink and have a short fuzz covering its stems. Small buds may appear after time where the stem splits into leaves. Flowers are small, with white to off-white in colour. This plant is best kept in a moist area with dapple sunlight and temperatures above 13°C.

The Fittonia is slightly harder to grow so it is best bought well established and cared for. I however have not found this plant to be needy as most publications have asserted. The Fittonia makes a great indoor plant as well as a groundcover. The plant however must be watered regularly; without water for a few days, this plant is known to "faint" but is easily revived with a quick watering and immersion in a bowl of water.

The Fittonia is one of my favourite indoor plants. I just love the foliage.

QUICK GUIDE

 Fittonia is an evergreen creeping perennial that is noted for its attractive foliage.
 Easily grown in a peaty or soil-based potting mixture.
 Fittonia grows best in bright indirect light or dappled part sun. Avoid direct sun.
 It prefers high humidity so regular spraying of the foliage helps.
 Water regularly but moderately, with only slightly reduced watering from spring to late winter. Yellowing of leaves may indicate over watering. Withering of leaves may indicate the need for increased humidity.
 Pinch off ends of growing stems to shape plants and to promote denser foliage. Many growers also pinch off any flowers buds that may appear. Because of their need for high humidity, they thrive in terrariums and bottle gardens.
 Propagation is by tip cuttings, stem layering and division – I usually put the tips in water and allow roots to grow before transferring into potting mix.

Source: Top Tropicals and Wikipedia

RECIPE: STIR FRIED SNAKE BEANS WITH MUSTARD SEEDS AND TURMERIC

2009-06-09T08:39:00.002+10:00

One of my favourite vegetable dishes…..goes so well with curries especially seafood and dhal. You may add small prawns, squid or ikan bilis (Asian style dried anchovies) to the vegetable if you prefer.

Ingredients

1 large bunch snake beans – tailed and cut into small pieces (around 1 cm length) (see my GLOSSARY post on SNAKE BEANS)
2 cloves garlic – minced
Meat or seafood – optional
1 onion – sliced thinly
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp chicken stock powder - optional
¼ cup water, milk or coconut milk
Salt to taste
1 large tomato – diced
1 to 2 eggs
Veg oil

Method

Heat oil in a wok and fry the mustard seeds until they begin to pop. Add in the garlic and onions and fry for 1 to 2 mins. Add in the meat or seafood (if using) and cook until half done.

Add in the beans and toss well to coat with the other ingredients. Moisten with a few tbsp of water if required. Add in the turmeric (and chicken stock powder if using) and salt.

Add in the water/milk/coconut milk and mix well. Turn the fire down to low, cover and cook for 3 to 4 mins until the beans are done. Do not over cook – you want the beans to remain crunchy.
Lift the lid and add in the tomatoes. Mix well and make a well in the middle of the wok. Break in the egg/s, lightly scramble them and mix through the vegetables. Check seasoning, turn off the heat and serve hot with rice and curries/dhal.

GLOSSARY: SNAKE BEAN

2009-06-09T08:34:00.002+10:00

SNAKE BEAN (also know as yard long bean, Chinese long bean, long bean, long-podded cowpea or asparagus bean) is native to East and South-east Asia and most probably originated in South China. It is known as dau gok in Cantonese, thua fak yao in Thai and kacang panjang in Indonesian and Malay, sitaw in Tagalog, bora in the West Indies and vali or eeril in Goa, India.

This plant is of a different genus than the common bean. It is a vigorous climbing annual vine. The crisp, tender pods are eaten both fresh and cooked. SNAKE BEANS are at their best when young and slender and are usually cut into short sections for cooking. They are used in stir-fries in Chinese cuisine or added to soups and fried rice. In Malaysian cuisine, they are often stir-fried with chillies and shrimp paste (belacan) or used in fresh and cooked salads (kerabu). Another popular and healthy option is to chop them into very small pieces and fried in an omelette. SNAKE BEANS are cut into shorter sections and cooked like common green beans. It therefore makes a good substitute for the common beans.

SNAKE BEANS are a good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and a very good source for vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and manganese.

It is still a relatively ‘new vegetable’ in Australia and can only be found at selected Western grocers in Canberra. However, the LAE Asian grocer at the Mawson Southland shops in Canberra stock this vegetable all year round. If stored between 2-4°C at high humidity, SNAKE BEANS can last up to four weeks.

Source: Wikipedia and the Department of Primary Industry, Northern Territory

ANNOUNCEMENT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS AG - 15 TODAY!

2009-06-06T08:34:00.005+10:00

Happy birthday to a darling, darling girl. We all love you very much. Hope you loved all your presents.

RECIPE: PARPU

2009-06-04T07:47:00.009+10:00

I am not sure what the correct name for this dish is but it has always been called PARPU in my family. I believe that this dish is a fusion of Indian and Malay cooking and is delicious with CHAPATTI, ROTI CANAI or rice.

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

2.5 cups yellow lentils – preferably soaked for a few hours in cold water (this will hasten the cooking process)
6 to 8 dried chillies – torn into a few pieces to release flavour
1 tsp turmeric powder (see my glossary post on TURMERIC)
1 tsp chicken stock powder (optional)
‘Hard’ vegetables of choice eg potatoes, carrots, beans, eggplant
1 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp – soaked in 1 cup hot water and juice extracted (see my glossary post on TAMARIND)
½ to 1 cup coconut milk (see my glossary post on COCONUT MILK)
Salt to taste
Coriander - to garnish

Tempering Spices (‘Tadka’)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 medium red or brown onions – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
Thumb size fresh ginger – minced (see my glossary post on GINGER)
1 large tomato – diced
2 to 3 tbsp curry powder
Oil/Ghee or a mixture of both

Method

Wash the lentils until the water runs clear. Put in a large pot with 8 cups of water, along with the chillies and bring to a boil. Add in the turmeric and chicken stock powder and simmer on medium heat until the lentils start to split.

Add in the vegetables, salt and the tamarind juice. Cook until both the lentils and vegetables are done.

Note: You may need to ‘stagger’ your vegetables here, depending on their cooking times. Always add the hardest vegetables first and allow to cook for a few minutes before adding the softer vegetables. In this instance, start with the potatoes, followed by the carrots, eggplant and beans.

Add in the coconut milk and allow to simmer on very low heat while you prepare the tempering spices. Stir occasionally.

In a frying pan, heat 2 to 3 tbsp oil/ghee on medium heat and add in the curry leaves followed by the onions. After a min or so, add in the ginger and garlic and fry until the mixture is golden. Add in the curry powder and about 1 cup of water and cook until the oil seeps through the top of the paste (cook the paste for at least 3 to 4 minutes). You may need to add more water if the paste thickens too much.

Add in the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and pour this paste directly into the simmering lentils. Turn up the heat, mix well, and allow the lentils to come to the boil again. Garnish with coriander leaves, turn off the heat and serve.

GLOSSARY: TAMARIND

2009-06-04T07:41:00.003+10:00

The TAMARIND (Tamarindus indica) (from the Arabic word ‘tamar hindi’) is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus is monotypic; in other words, it only has a single species.

It is a tropical tree, native to Africa. However, as it was introduced into India so long ago, it has often been reported as indigenous to the sub continent. It was apparently from India that it reached the Persians and the Arabs, who called it "tamar hindi" (or Indian date, from the date-like appearance of the dried pulp), giving rise to both its common and generic names.

In Indonesian, it is called asem (or asam) Jawa . In Malaysia it is called asam (the Malay word for sour and tamarind). In the Philippines it is called sampaloc in Tagalog and in Hindi it is called imli.

The fruit pulp is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very sour and acidic and is often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is less sour and somewhat sweeter. It is used in desserts and sweetened drinks, or as a snack.

In Thailand, there is a carefully cultivated sweet variety with little to no tartness grown specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit. It is also sometimes eaten preserved in sugar (and with chilli) as a candy.

TAMARIND is used in both Asian and Latin American cuisines. It is an important ingredient in Imli Chutney, a spicy North Indian condiment; Worcestershire sauce; HP sauce; and the Jamaican-produced Pickapeppa sauce.

TAMARIND is used extensively in south Indian cooking where it is used to prepare Rasam and Sambhar. In Egypt, there is an acidic chilled drink called "tamr hindi", which is made from tamarind.

Pad Thai, a Thai dish often includes TAMARIND for its tart/sweet taste (with lime juice added for sourness and fish sauce added for saltiness). In Singapore and Malaysia it is used to add a sweet-sour taste to gravy for fish in a dish called asam fish and asam laksa.

Malaysians also use TAMARIND slices (commonly called "asam keping" or "asam gelugor", for added sourness to dishes such as seafood curries.

When used in cooking, the TAMARIND pulp is usually used. It is mixed with some warm water and the juice is extracted and added to the cooking. Concentrated tamarind juice is now sold commercially and can be purchased instead of the pulp. However, my preference is still the TAMARIND pulp.

NATTER: HOW MUCH SUGAR ARE YOU CONSUMING?

2009-06-03T00:05:00.002+10:00

I received an e-mail recently from a friend (one of those spam e-mails) with some photos of beverages and food and their sugar content. I was quite surprised to see the claims that were made and decided to check the web to see whether the claims were true. I found the source for the pictures of the e-mail, which is Sugar Stacks (and I have a slide show of some of the pictures above) and also checked a few other sites to verify that these claims are true. To MY knowledge, the claims check out and are to an extend, supported by Choice Australia, a major and reputable Australian consumer magazine. You can check out Choice’s articles on sugar and the sugar contents of some Australian major brands at their site (click HERE).

There have been media reports that fresh fruit (and vegetables) should not be allowed to have “healthy claims” associated with its consumption and sale as some fruits such as dates, bananas, figs, kumquats and lychees (to name a few) have very high to high sugar content. Whilst this may be true, it must be noted that these sugars are naturally occurring sugars (and are not processed sugars) and the benefits of consuming fruit and vegetables out weighs the sugar content. However, as with everything in live, moderation is the key. You can check out the sugar levels and other information on fruits on The Fruit Pages.

The dietary advice in Australia is that you should eat 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables a day for good health.

One serve of fruit is 150g or:

~ 1 medium sized piece e.g. medium apple
~ 2 small pieces e.g. apricots
~ 1 cup canned or chopped fruit
~ 125 ml 100 per cent fruit juice
~ 1 ½ tbsp dried fruit e.g. sultanas or 4 dried apricot halves.

One serve of vegetables is 75g or:

~ ½ cup cooked vegetables
~ 1 medium potato
~ 1 cup salad vegetables
~ ½ cup cooked legumes – dried beans, peas and lentils.

Choose fresh fruit over fruit juice or dried fruit if possible. Juices have lower fibre content than fresh fruit. Dried fruit, if eaten in large quantities, can contribute to tooth decay because it contains a concentrated form of sugar that stick to your teeth. Check out the “Go for 2 and 5” website for full information.

In conjunction with this dietary advice, we should also pay attention to daily intakes (DI) which is a set of reference values for a variety of nutrients, as well as energy. The DI values are based on a diet of 8700kJ, which is the daily requirement for an average adult. As different nutrients contribute different amounts of energy, to get 100 per cent of the DI for energy, you need a balance of these following nutrients: carbohydrates, sugars, protein, fat, saturated fat, fibre and sodium.

FYI: Do you know that there are around 900,000 Australians diagnosed with diabetes? This is approximately 4.28 per cent of Australia’s population. The number of diabetic suffers in the world is estimated to be 171 million and is likely to rise to 366 million in 2030. India has the most cases (31.7 million), followed by China (20.8 million) and the USA (17.7 million).

Source: Sugar Stack, Choice Australia, The Fruit Pages, Go for 2 and 5, Kellogg's Australia, Diabetes Australia, WHO and CIA World Facts.

DVD REVIEW: THE GRUDGE I and II [JU-ON I & II] (JAPANESE)

2009-06-03T00:02:00.004+10:00

Sorry, it's been quite some time since I posted any DVD reviews on my blog....doesn't mean that I haven't been watching movies.....more the case of laziness taking over.

Anyway, whilst it is still fresh in my head, I thought that I'd write about The Grudge I and II (the Japanese version) which I watched last weekend. FYI, when The Grudge opened at "The Melbourne International Film Festival", it was a complete sellout.

The Grudge is the story of the evil dead, left in a house, that is latching itself on to the living. It is the vengence, the grudge from beyond, that no one can stop and no is safe.

Warning - this movie is not for the faint hearted. My eldest daugher slept with the radio on (only because I wouldn't allow her to take the dog to bed with her) cos she was convinced that she heard 'grudging' noises in the night.

After watching these movies, I once again reiterate - the Orientals reign supreme when it comes to horror!!! If you are a lover of horror movies, I totally recommend you watch the movie.

Note: You can buy the Grudge dvds at JB HiFi.

RECIPE: STRAWBERRY BABY CUPCAKES

2009-06-01T14:04:00.006+10:00

A simple cupcake recipe ideal for afternoon tea, kids' birthday parties or for school parties. Top with some strawberry butter icing to complete the effect.

Ingredients

225 g margarine or butter (I used butter) – softened not melted
225 g caster sugar
4 eggs – I used xl (800 g) eggs
225 g self raising flour – sifted
1 tsp Queen brand strawberry essence

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a biscuit tray or slice tin with mini cupcake paper cases.

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric beaters until combined. Evenly spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 15 to 20 mins.

Cool completely before icing with STRAWBERRY BUTTER ICING.

Note: Queen is Australia's leading producer of extracts, essences, food colourings, decorations and syrups and have been doing so since 1897. Queen is available at all major supermarkets. Check out their range of products HERE.

RECIPE: STRAWBERRY BUTTER ICING

2009-06-01T13:55:00.005+10:00

I used my basic butter icing recipe and added strawberry essence to the icing. You may half the measurement if you don't like to be 'over powered' by the strawberry smell.

Ingredients

175 g butter – softened
350 g icing sugar
1 tsp Queen brand strawberry essence
1/2 to 1 tsp Queen brand rose pink colouring

Method

Beat the butter until fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar and beat together until smooth and creamy. Add in the flavouring and colouring. Mix well and decorate your cake, cupcakes or muffins as desired.

NATTER: THREE LADIES IN A SAUNA

2009-05-29T12:05:00.002+10:00

THREE WOMEN,TWO YOUNGER AND ONE SENIOR CITIZEN, WERE SITTING IN A SAUNA.

SUDDENLY THERE WAS A BEEPING SOUND. THE YOUNG WOMAN PRESSED HER FOREARM AND THE BEEP STOPPED. THE OTHERS LOOKED AT HER QUESTIONINGLY. 'THAT WAS MY PAGER,' SHE SAID. ‘I HAVE A MICROCHIP UNDER THE SKIN OF MY ARM’.

A FEW MINUTES LATER, A PHONE RANG. THE SECOND YOUNG WOMAN LIFTED HER PALM TO HER EAR. WHEN SHE FINISHED, SHE EXPLAINED, 'THAT WAS MY MOBILE PHONE. I HAVE A MICROCHIP IN MY HAND.'

THE OLDER WOMAN FELT VERY TECH INADEQUATE. NOT TO BE OUT DONE, SHE DECIDED SHE HAD TO DO SOMETHING JUST AS IMPRESSIVE. SHE STEPPED OUT OF THE SAUNA AND WENT TO THE BATHROOM. SHE RETURNED WITH TOILET PAPER HANGING FROM HER REAR END.

THE OTHERS RAISED THEIR EYEBROWS AND STARED AT HER. THE OLDER WOMAN FINALLY SAID.........’WELL, WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT....I'M GETTING A FAX!!’

RECIPE: NYONYA SPICED PORK (SAMBAL BABI NYONYA)

2009-05-26T08:50:00.004+10:00

This recipe is from the book “Shiok!” written by Terry Tan and Christopher Tan (I believe they are not related – not that it matters!). Next to my “Singapore Food” book by Wendy Hutton, this is my Malaysian/Singaporean food bible. Every recipe that I have made from this book has turned out perfect. Mind you, I do tend to ‘adjust’ some of the seasonings and spices…..especially when it comes to chillies.

To today’s dish now. The Tans qualify in their book that the dish is very moreish and tastes so much better the next day. I could not agree more. It has to be one of the nicest meat sambals I have tasted.

For those who have religious taboo with pork, I’d suggest you try substituting the meat with either beef or venison.

I have also made this dish using wild boar and I think it is the best meat for this recipe. You can find wild boar, if you are lucky, at the Fyshwick Market in Canberra.

Ingredients

1 ½ kg belly pork – trimmed and cut into big chunks
4 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 whole lime leaves – shredded (see my GLOSSARY post on KAFFIR LIME)

Spice paste – ground very fine
6 cloves garlic
200g red onions or shallots
8 to 10 candlenuts (see my GLOSSARY post on CANDLENUTS)
2 stalks lemon grass
4 slices galangal
Handful of large dried chillies – deseeded and soaked in hot water until soft
Shrimp paste/belachan – around 1 cm thick and 4 cm square.

Method

Boil about 2 to 3 litres of water in a pot and blanch the meat for 8 mins. Drain well and cut into bite sized cubes. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a pot and fry the ground spices until thickened and aromatic (7 to 8 mins).

Add in the pork, sugar, salt (add only a little here, you can add more later) and soy sauce. Mix well and cook on low heat, stirring constantly for 15 mins. Add in a little water if necessary to prevent scorching.

When done, the meat should be tender and coated with a very thick sauce. Check seasoning, mix in the shredded lime leaves and serve with rice.

PS: Goes really well as a filling/spread for sandwiches too. Top with a few slices of cucumber and some fresh red onion rings.

GLOSSARY: KAFFIR LIME

2009-05-26T08:36:00.004+10:00

The kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix DC., Rutaceae) is a type of lime native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. It is commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine but is now grown worldwide as a backyard shrub.

The fruit of the kaffir lime is vibrant green and small (approx. 4 cm wide), rough and bumpy and grows on a very thorny bush with aromatic and distinctively shaped "double" leaves. It is well suited to container growing.

Other names for the Kaffir Lime:

• Burma: shauk-nu, shauk-waing
• Cambodia: krauch soeuch
• China: ning meng ye (Mandarin), fatt-fung-kam (Cantonese),
• Indonesia: jeruk purut, jeruk limo, jeruk sambal
• Laos: makgeehoot
• Malaysia: limau purut
• Philippines: Kubot, per-res (Sagada)
• Reunion Island: combava
• Sri Lanka: kahpiri dehi, odu dehi, kudala-dehi
• Thailand: makrud, som makrud

The rind of the kaffir lime is commonly used in Thai curry paste, adding an aromatic, astringent flavour. Its hourglass-shaped leaves (comprising the leaf blade plus a flattened, leaf-like leaf-stalk or petiole) are also widely used in Thai cuisine (for dishes such as tom yum), and Cambodian cuisine (for the base paste known as "Krueng"), and Lao cuisine. The leaves are also popular in Indonesian, Malaysian and Burmese cooking.

The leaves can be used fresh or dried, and can be stored frozen. The juice is generally regarded as too acidic to use in food preparation.

The zest of the fruit is widely used in creole cuisine and to impart flavor to "arranged" rums in the Réunion Island and Madagascar.

Note: You can buy established Kaffir and ordinary lime trees from Bunnings around spring time. I purchased my tree around a year ago for $24.95. You can plant it in pots (which I have) or in the ground. If grown in frost prone areas, the plant will need protection from the frost for a few years until it is very well established.

Source: Wikipedia

GLOSSARY: CANDLENUTS

2009-05-26T08:09:00.005+10:00

The Candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus), is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as Candleberry, Indian walnut, Varnish tree or Kukui nut tree.

Its origin is difficult to establish but it thrives in the tropics. It grows to a height of 15 to 25 metres with wide spreading branches. It produces round, 4 to 6 centimetres nuts, with hard seeds that are high in oil content. Therefore, the seeds have been used as candles throughout the ages and hence its common name - candlenut.

The nut is often used in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine and usually ground with other spices and cooked. It is called kemiri in Indonesian or buah keras in Malay.

Macadamia nuts are sometimes substituted for candlenuts when they are not available, as they have a similarly high oil content and texture when pounded. The flavour, however, is quite different, as the candlenut is much more bitter. Candlenuts are mildly toxic in its raw form and therefore should always be consumed cooked.

Source: Wikipedia

NATTER: GENERATIONS

2009-05-25T07:46:00.002+10:00

The Silent Generation are people born before 1946.

The Baby Boomers are people born between 1946 and 1959.

Generation X are people born between 1960 and 1979.

Generation Y are people born between 1980 and 1995.

Why do we call the last one generation Y?

I did not know, but a cartoonist explains it eloquently below... So, I learned something new today!

Have a great day!

PS: The secret to happiness is a good sense of humour and a bad memory.

ANNOUNCEMENT: “MY HOUSEHOLD CAPERS!” IS ONE TODAY!

2009-05-20T10:45:00.002+10:00

I can’t believe that it has been one year today since I started blogging…..and with a total of 477 posts and 222 different recipes!!! Did I really cook and eat all these different foods? My oh my, I must have. I can’t believe it.

This reminds me of a question a friend once asked me - whether I live to eat or eat to live. My answer….both. I enjoy food and take pride in eating and cooking good food. Imagine how boring life would be without different cuisines. It would be like eating only vanilla ice cream – no chocolate, butterscotch, strawberry etc flavoured ice creams. How palate less. But that does not mean that there can’t be ‘vanilla ice cream’ days? Or even ‘Maggi 2 minute noodle’ or ‘toast and cuppa soup’ days. There has been many a time where I have been guilty of serving or eating this for dinner. But what I don’t think I could survive with is a food roster – Monday is pasta night, Tuesday is bangers and mash, ham steaks for Wednesdays etc, etc. And then there’s those who would only eat the same food. I knew someone that cooked only lentils and chicken curry day in and day out (but had the audacity to complain about the food that they ate elsewhere – Go figure!). It’s bad enough having other aspects of our life regimented without having food and meals succumb to the same fate!!

And, I don’t believe in being a food snob – one that would not experiment or eat food of different cuisines. But what annoys me the most when it comes to food are those who either salt and pepper, or pour tomato sauce or chilli sauce all over their food even before tasting. This to me is the biggest insult ever…..to the food and the cook.

I do however draw the line on eating certain meats and animal parts – this is a personal thing but I don’t begrudge or go all ‘icky’ if someone liked chicken feet or ate beef or lamb liver, ox tail, crumbed brains etc. My parents enjoy chicken feet, Mr G loves his lamb fry and bacon and my S-I-L loves crumbed brains but I don’t carry on and on just because they do. Eating chicken feet does not make one less sophisticated or barbaric….and neither does eating caviar make you cultured….yes, people pay top dollar for caviar….even though all they are eating is fish roe (fish eggs and sperm). And then, there are those who enjoy a snail or two when most of us consider it to be a garden pest! The adage, ‘one man’s meat is another man’s poison’ fits very well here.

Having gone on my high horse on the topic of food, I would also like to acknowledge that it is estimated that 36 million people die of hunger and malnutrition, with 6 million of those being children (source: Wikipedia). So remember, the next time you throw or waste food, there would be 36 million people happy to receive those scraps. Therefore, waste not, want not.

Now back to my blog…..Pity I fell short of the 500 posts mark. Maybe this is something I should aspire to for my second birthday :P

Anyway, thank you so much to all my friends and blogging mates…..without your support, I would not have started and continued to blog…..you have definitely made it an enjoyable year. So, here’s to the next 12 months……Cheers.

RECIPE: THAI STYLE STIR FRIED SPICY GINGER CHICKEN

2009-05-18T07:43:00.003+10:00

Something quick I whipped up in the kitchen. You can add more vegetables such as peas, baby corn or mushrooms if you like.

Ingredients

500g chicken breast fillets – sliced into bite sized pieces
1 large onion thickly sliced or 2 spring onions cut into 3 cm lengths or both (see my GLOSSARY post on ONION)
2 cloves garlic
Thumb sized finger – sliced fine
2 carrots – sliced thinly
Thai style light soy sauce
2 tsp Thai style fish sauce
3 to 4 fresh (quartered) or dried chillies (torn into two)*
Salt and pepper
Egg white from one egg – lightly beaten
2 tsp corn flour
Oil

Method

Lightly season the chicken with freshly cracked pepper, ½ tsp salt, add in the egg white and corn flour and coat well. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the chicken in batches until golden. Lift and set aside.

In the same wok, fry the garlic, ginger and chillies for 30 secs and add in the carrots. Cook for about 1 to 2 minute.

Add in the chicken and coat with a few splashes of soy sauce (about 1 to 2 tbsp). Add in the fish sauce, mix well and cook until the carrots are done. Add in the onions/spring onions before lifting, mix well and turn off heat. Serve hot with rice, accompanied with a vegetable dish.

*Note: You may omit the chillies to make a milder dish.

GLOSSARY: ONION

2009-05-18T07:36:00.003+10:00

ONION is a term used for the many plants in the Allium genus (part of the lily family). It is one of the oldest vegetables known to humankind. It is strong yet sweet and don't just add flavour but also richness and complexity to dishes. ONIONS are found in a large number of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures.

It is thought that bulbs from the ONION family have been used as a food source for millennia. In Bronze Age settlements, traces of onion remains were found alongside fig and date stones dating back to 5000 BC. However, it is not clear if these were cultivated ONIONS.

The Ancient Egyptians worshipped it, believing that its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternal life. ONIONS were even used in Egyptian burials as evidenced by ONION traces being found in the eye sockets of Ramesses IV. They believed that, if buried with the dead, the strong scent of onions would bring breath back to the dead.

In ancient Greece, athletes ate large quantities of ONIONS because it was believed that it would lighten the balance of blood. Roman gladiators were rubbed down with ONIONS to firm up their muscles. In the Middle Ages, ONIONS were such an important food that people would pay their rent with ONIONS and even give them as gifts. Doctors were known to prescribe ONIONS to facilitate bowel movements and erection, and also to relieve headaches, coughs, snakebites and hair loss. The ONION was introduced to North America by Christopher Columbus on his 1492 expedition to Hispaniola. ONIONS were also prescribed by doctors in the early 1500s to help with infertility in women and even to dogs and cattle and many other household pets. However, recent evidence has shown that dogs, cats, and other animals should not be given ONIONS in any form, due to toxicity during digestion.

The characteristic appearance of the ONION is well known, but there are many variations of colour, shape and size. The colour varies from white to red to purple, the shape from spherical to almost conical, and the diameter at the largest point from 10mm (1/2in) to 8cm (3in) or 'more. ONIONS should be firm, though not rock hard. The papery skin should be tight over the surface of the bulb. Spring onions, or scallions, are immature plants where the bulb has not completely formed. They may be cylindrical, the green stem shading into the white bulblet, which may be almost spherical.

ONIONS are available in fresh, frozen, canned, pickled, powdered, chopped, and dehydrated forms. ONIONS can be used, usually chopped or sliced, in almost every type of food including cooked foods and fresh salads and as a spicy garnish. They are rarely eaten on their own but usually act as accompaniment to the main course. Depending on the variety, an ONION can be sharp, spicy, tangy and pungent or mild and sweet.

ONION’S antiseptic properties as a juice or paste have been used for wound healing, skin complaints (acne), insect bites, hemorrhoids, boils, toothache, earache and respiratory complaints. The raw juice is diuretic and the whole ONION is an appetite stimulant and digestant. It has been used as a vermifuge. It is believed to stimulate the liver and is beneficial to the heart and nervous system.

We tend to tear when peeling or slicing ONIONS because of the release of sulphenic acid in ONIONS which are produced by the reaction of the enzyme alliinase on an amino acid. These substances are normally in separate cells in the ONION’S tissues, but when the ONION is cut and bruised, the cells rupture and the reaction takes place. Sulphenic acids are unstable and spontaneously rearrange into a volatile gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide. The gas diffuses through the air and eventually reaches the eye, where it binds to sensory neurons, creating a stinging sensation. Tear glands produce tears to dilute and flush out the irritant. Cooking has the opposite effect, preventing the enzymatic action and thus, a milder and less pungent flavour is produced. To prevent the eyes from watering, peel ONIONS under cold water or put them in the freezer for ten minutes before chopping.

Other Names

French: oignon
German: Zwiebel
Italian: cipolla
Spanish: cebolla
Arabic: basal
Chinese: choong
Hindi: pe(e)az, piaz, pyaz
Indonesian/Malay: bawang merah, daun bawang (spring onion)
Japanese: naganegi (spring onion), negi, nira (chive), rakkyo (Chinese onion), tamanegi
Tamil: vungium, vunguim
Thai: hua horm, ton horm (spring onion)

Source: Wikipedia and The Epicentre

RECIPE: BBQ GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN

2009-05-15T07:48:00.006+10:00

Trust me, once you have eaten a roast cooked on heat beads or coals, any other roast would not taste the same again. I admit there is a bit more preparation involved in getting the oven ready to fire and you may be exposed to the elements being outside to cook the roast…… but the end results are so much more satisfying.

Note: This was cooked on a Weber® Compact Kettle BBQ. You can get the Weber® Compact Kettle BBQ which uses heat beads or charcoal for around $199. It comes with a 5 Year Limited Warranty.

Ingredients – serves 6

1 large (1.5kg) fresh chicken (free range chicken would be better)
1 whole garlic bulb (use Australian or French grown garlic if possible – it tastes so much nicer) – cut into wedges (see my GLOSSARY post on GARLIC)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Olive oil
Butter
6 to 8 potatoes - peeled and halved
1 bunch baby carrots/1/2 kg carrots – tops removed (if using normal carrots, quartered)
6 small/medium brown onions (optional) – peeled and left whole
1 quantity of BREAD CRUMB STUFFING (click on link)

Method:

Prepare your Weber® Kettle BBQ according to instructions.
Trim the chicken of any excess fat, tuck wings tips under chicken.

Carefully lift the skin from under the breast area and put dollops of butter under the skin. You may omit this step if you want to cut down on fat.

Now rub the chicken cavity with some olive oil and pepper and stuff with the BREAD CRUMB STUFFING (see recipe HERE). Secure with the cavity with toothpick.

Rub the chicken with salt, pepper and olive oil. Make slits all the chicken and insert the garlic cloves.

Bind the legs with kitchen string and tuck the wings into the leg joints to secure.

Using a fork, lightly make some grooves on the potatoes. Lightly rub with olive oil and salt and place in a.

Place the baby carrots (and onions) in another disposable aluminium roasting pan and drizzle some olive oil over. Set aside.

Carefully place the potatoes in the bottom middle part of the BBQ, next to the coals. Put the wire rack in place.

Place the chicken, breast side up, in the middle of the BBQ rack, directly above the potatoes and NOT above the coals. Cook for approximately 1h 20m to 1h 30m or until juices run clear.

After about 45 mins of cooking, place the carrots next to the potatoes. Continue roasting.

When the chicken is done, remove the chicken from the BBQ, cover with foil and keep warm in a low preheated oven. Lift the BBQ wire rack and carefully remove the potatoes and carrots. Replace the rack and put the potatoes and carrots on the wire rack to brown off the vegetables, if it isn’t already cooked. Roast until done.

During this time, make your GRAVY and CHEESE SAUCE and prepare other vegetables you may want to accompany your roast such as cauliflower or peas.

To serve, remove the stuffing from the chicken cavity, carve the chicken, and arrange on plates with the roasted vegetables and bits of stuffing and serve with GRAVY and CHEESE SAUCE.

RECIPE: BREAD CRUMB STUFFING

2009-05-15T07:38:00.001+10:00

Excellent for stuffing chickens and turkeys….also for rolled meats. You can use fresh sage and thyme in place of the mixed herbs.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups bread crumbs
2 to 3 tbsp butter
1 finely chopped onion
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1 tsp dried or fresh mixed herbs
100 g fresh mushrooms (optional)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Melt butter in a frying pan and cook the onion until soft. Add in the garlic and mushrooms if using. Cook until the mushrooms are reduced and fold in the bread crumbs and mixed herbs.

Season with salt and pepper. Lift and set aside to cool before using it to stuff your poultry or rolled meats.

GLOSSARY: GARLIC

2009-05-15T07:31:00.003+10:00

Allium sativum L., commonly known as GARLIC, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. GARLIC has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens with cooking. A bulb of GARLIC, the most commonly used part of the plant, is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. Single clove GARLIC (also called Pearl garlic or Solo garlic) also exists; it originates in the Yunnan province of China. The leaves, stems, and flowers (bulbils) on the head are also edible and are most often consumed while immature and still tender.

The word GARLIC comes from Old English garleac, meaning "spear leek." Dating back over 6,000 years, it is said to be native to Central Asia. GARLIC has been cultivated for so long that it is impossible to determine precisely its place of origin.

GARLIC is recorded in Egypt from the earliest times and was eaten by the builders of the Pyramids. Egyptians worshipped GARLIC and placed clay models of GARLIC bulbs in the tomb of Tutankhamen. GARLIC was so highly-prized then that it was even used as currency! According to an Arab legend, GARLIC grew from the Devil's footprint as he left Eden. Folklore holds that GARLIC repelled vampires, protected against the Evil Eye, and warded off jealous nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women and engaged maidens. The most famous of all GARLIC folklore is its association with vampires, popularised in the West by Bram Stoker in the classic gothic novel Dracula.

GARLIC is grown globally, but China is by far the largest producer of GARLIC, with approximately 10.5 billion kilograms (23 billion pounds) annually, accounting for over 77 per cent of world output. India (4.1 per cent) and South Korea (2 per cent) follow, with Russia (1.6 per cent) in fourth place and the United States in fifth place (1.4 per cent). This leaves 16 per cent of global GARLIC production in countries that each produces less than 2 per cent of global output.

Culinary uses and storage

GARLIC is widely used around the world for its pungent flavor as a seasoning or condiment. It is a fundamental component in many or most dishes of various regions, including eastern Asia, south Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, northern Africa, southern Europe, and parts of South and Central America. The flavour varies in intensity and aroma with the different cooking methods. It is often paired with onion, tomato or ginger.

When buying GARLIC, make sure the heads are dry with plenty of paper covering. If you can see green shoots then the GARLIC is probably too old or wasn't dried properly. GARLIC that is too old will crumple under the slightest pressure from the fingers. It is traditionally hung; soft neck varieties are often braided in strands, called "plaits" or grappes. Keep heads of GARLIC in a cool dry atmosphere, to keep it dormant (so that it does not sprout). Processed GARLIC must be kept in airtight containers.

Other Names

German: Knoblauch
Italian: aglio, capo d'aglio (clove)
Spanish: ajo
Arabic: toom
Burmese: chyet-thon-phew
Chinese: suen tau
Hindi/Punjabi: lassan, lassoon, lusson
Indonesian/Malay: bawang puteh or bawang putih
Japanese: ninniku

Source: Wikipedia, About.Com and The Epicentre

NATTER: IRONY AT IT’S BEST

2009-05-14T10:04:00.006+10:00

Source: NY Times

When people heard about the Swine Flu outbreak, everybody wants to wear a mask.

At present, it is estimated that nearly 33 million* people are living with HIV/AIDS and nearly 2 million* people die from the disease each year…. yet still people don’t want to wear a condom or practice safe sex. Go figure!!!

* Source: ADVERT

Source: The Glory Net

RECIPE: WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

2009-05-12T08:03:00.005+10:00

This is the cake from my daughter's birthday. I got the recipe from Exclusively Food and it has got to be one of the best WHITE CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE I have tasted. I iced it with a SOUR CREAM AND WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE and used Wilton™ ready made chocolate paste to make some zigzag patterns on the top to give the cake a nice contrast.

Ingredients – Makes an 18 - 20 in round/square cake

300g Cadbury Dream™ white chocolate
200g butter
250ml milk
165g castor sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract (see my GLOSSARY post on VANILLA)
2 large eggs (60g eggs used) – lightly beaten
100g self raising flour
150g plain flour

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C (145°C if using a fan forced oven).

Grease the cake tin and line the sides and base with baking paper.

Place chocolate, butter, milk and sugar in a large saucepan and stir consistently over low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for about 15 mins.

Add the vanilla and eggs to the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.

Sift the flours together in a large bowl. Add a 1/3 of the choc mixture to flours and stir until a smooth paste forms. Repeat with another 1/3 of the mixture, mix well and add the remaining 1/3. This gradual addition prevents lumps from forming.

Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 1h 10m to 1h 20m. When the cake is ready, a sharp fine bladed knife inserted into the centre of the cake should come out without any batter stuck to it. Allow to cool for at least 6 hours before icing with either a SOUR CREAM AND WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE or WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTER ICING.

Note: This cake makes a great dessert to top off a great dinner party. Serve with good quality coffee.

RECIPE: SOUR CREAM AND WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

2009-05-12T08:02:00.000+10:00

The sour cream in this ganache cuts down on the white chocolate ‘overload’.

Ingredients

200g Cadbury Dream™ white chocolate
90g sour cream

Method

Melt the white chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and quickly stir in the sour cream.

Use immediately or if the ganache is slightly runny, leave at room temperature for a few minutes to thicken it before spreading it on your cake.

Note: I used Wilton™ ready made chocolate paste to make some zigzag patterns on the top. This gives the cake a nice contrast.

RECIPE: WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTER ICING

2009-05-12T08:00:00.000+10:00

Covers a 20 cm square or round cake.

Ingredients

125g butter – brought to room temperature
125g Cadbury Dream™ white chocolate – melted
¾ cup icing sugar

Method

Melt the chocolate in a microwave proof glass bowl in short bust of 20 secs in the microwave until completely melted. Make sure that you do not overcook the chocolate. You want it melted, not piping hot. Alternatively, melt it in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cream together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy and gradually add in the melted chocolate.

Spread the icing over the cake and allow to set in the fridge before serving.

GLOSSARY: VANILLA

2009-05-12T07:53:00.003+10:00

VANILLA is the genus name of a group of tropical vines that are in the orchid family and native to the Americas. It is the only orchid plant that bears edible fruit among its 35,000 species.

VANILLA is the second most expensive spice after saffron, due the extensive labor required to grow the seed pods used in its manufacture. When the plant matures at three years, it flowers for just one day. In that time, it must be hand-pollinated. The plant will not bloom for another year. When the bean is removed nine months later, it must then undergo several months of drying and fermenting. Regardless of its high cost, vanilla is widely used in both commercial and domestic baking, perfume manufacture and aroma therapy.

The word VANILLA comes from the Spanish ‘vainilla’ and refers to the shape of the plant’s seedpods. The seedpods have been used for flavouring food for hundreds of years. It is believed that the Totonaca people of Mexico were the first cultivators of VANILLA, during the Mesoamerican period. According to Totonac mythology, the tropical orchid was born when Princess Xanat, forbidden by her father from marrying a mortal, fled to the forest with her lover. The lovers were captured and beheaded. Where their blood touched the ground, the vine of the tropical orchid grew. They believed this exotic fruit had been bestowed upon them by the Gods and continue to cultivate VANILLA today.

When the Aztecs conquered the Totonacs, and the conquerors soon developed a taste for the VANILLA bean. They named the bean "tlilxochitl", or "black flower", after the mature bean, which shrivels and turns black shortly after it is picked. After they were subjected to the Aztecs, the Totonacs paid their tribute by sending VANILLA beans to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

In the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors under Cortez, watched Montezuma, Emperor of the Aztecs, pulverize VANILLA beans, combine them with chocolate and serve it as a drink in golden goblets to his most honoured guests. The Spanish caught on quickly and by the middle of the 15th century, were importing it to Europe to use as a flavour in the manufacture of chocolate.

There are currently three major cultivars of VANILLA grown globally, all derived from a species originally found in Mesoamerica, including parts of modern day Mexico. The various subspecies are:

 Vanilla planifolia (syn. V. fragrans), grown on Madagascar, Réunion and other tropical areas along the Indian Ocean;

 V. tahitensis, grown in the South Pacific; and V. pompona, found in the West Indies, Central and South America; and

 V. planifolia variety, the majority of the variety produced and more commonly known as "Madagascar-Bourbon" vanilla, which is produced in a small region of the East African nation of Madagascar and in Indonesia.

Today, VANILLA beans grow within 20 degrees north and south of the Equator in the tropical regions of the world.

Madagascar and Indonesia grow the majority of the world’s VANILLA beans. Other countries around the Pacific Rim which grow and supply VANILLA to the world include Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Philippines, Fiji, Tonga, India, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

VANILLA is available in a variety of forms:

 Vanilla beans (pods): Depending on origination, pods will range in length from 6 to 12 inches. Some are slender; others are thick. They will generally be dark in colour. Taste among species is different, although Madagascar and Mexico beans are very similar.

 Pure vanilla extract (or essence): This naturally extracted product is also aged for maximum flavour. Bean quality may vary. Extract also may contain alcohol per food standards regulations in countries of sale.

 Vanilla paste: Contains no alcohol, easy to dissolve, and has the same strong flavour as extract.

 Vanilla powder: Quick-dissolving with no sugars or alcohols.

 Vanilla flavoring: A combination of natural and synthetic ingredients.

 Imitation vanilla: Contains additives and synthetic, rather than true vanilla. This is not altogether inferior and many cooks prefer it. Usually used in place of vanilla essences and extracts that contains alcohol due to religious reasons.

Source: Wikipedia, Vanilla Plantation, Wise Geek and Big Oven.

AWARDS: TONS OF MOTHER'S DAY CARDS FROM DR INAHAR

2009-05-11T07:46:00.008+10:00

Thank you so much Inahar (check the post HERE) for the cards....sorry I did not have the time yesterday to post it up, but here it is. Once again. thanks.

I would like to share these cards with all the cool mums out there. Please do accept them and paste them on your blog.

Cheers, VG.

ANNOUNCEMENT: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2009

2009-05-10T09:47:00.006+10:00

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.

~ George Cooper

Happy mother's day to all the great mothers in the world (mine included). Did you get something special? Well, I did....and I ain't sharing....Bwah..ha!ha!

AWARD: FROM MY DEAR FRIEND HAZILA

2009-05-07T11:46:00.000+10:00

Thank you so much Hazila of My Small Kitchen for presenting me with the Neno award…..muah!