Pancakes for Breakfast

As posted, I made the pancakes this morning! My mother had taught me how to make pancakes on my own since I was around 8 or 9 years old. However, at this point of time, I don't quite remember the exact recipe or steps as I haven't been making any for some years.

Preferring to rough it out, I went ahead. I scooped in some flour into a bowl, make a well in the middle of the flour and cracked in 2 eggs. With a whisk, I started to mix the ingredients together while slowly pouring in milk. The mixture looked great! So I heated the pan  with butter and poured in some mixture to fry my cakes. To my surprise the pancake was so stiff and the edges were curling up after I flipped it. Then I realised that I used 1 egg too many! Argh, again threw in some flour and milk to adjust the mixture. So here we go:

Fresh out of the pan

With some saliva worthy embellishments

Eating out: Crispy Chicken

I have recently developed a love for this Taiwanese snack, Crispy Chicken. Essentially it is deep fried chicken fillet covered with plum powder and chilli powder. I find it really yummy. Maybe the possible use of MSG gives me the addiction. I have no idea..

However, the sensation of biting into a crisp and crunchy chicken with sweet, sour and spicy flavors bursting in your mouth is just wonderful. 

Soenke had first dismissed crispy chicken as nonsense. Haha I guess I won the battle. He likes it a lot now too and even pauses automatically at the food stall and gives me the 'Wanna get crispy chicken?' look.

A few days ago, we discovered this taiwanese food place at Downtown East that sells crispy chicken served with rice and curry sauce. Super yummy. Mmm... there are many stalls around but let's see if I remember the brands:

1. Shihlin Taiwanese Snacks (I like this stall the best)

2. Ke Kou 

3. Xin Wang Cafe

Anymore?

It is a pity that we both always attacked it before I managed to get a picture. Oh well..

For those who want to take a look, here is a link I found on the internet:
http://riceballz.lilnut.net/2007/11/29/shih-lin-taiwan-street-snacks/


I hope this person doesn't mind teeheehee..

Coming up..!!

1. Homemade pancakes

2. Fried wantons

3. Fortune cookies

I can't wait! On the other hand, I am feeling a bit lazy. Gumption level is soo low...

Vegetable Curry

I was given the task of preparing dinner for two a couple of days ago, me and Soenke. We both wanted something that is with high veggie content and suddenly it struck me that instead of eating boring ol' salad, I will make cooked salad, south asian style --> Curry!!

I found some recipes on the internet but was not too convinced with them but I had the core ingredients in mind so I headed for Sheng Shiong. Yup, I believe Sheng Shiong in this case has a much, much better offering of ingredients compared to Fairprice. Beats me but I feel somehow that the majority of Fairprice's customers are ethnic Chinese folks while the rest tend to flock to the former. Correct me if I am wrong. 

So, stumped at the ingredients that the recipe asked of me, I gave my mommy a call. One call and you got the whole recipe in your head and cleared all confusion up. Amazing, that's why they say mummy knows best. The recipe I followed had asked me to buy spices meant for meat, maybe coz I had conveniently omitted the cockles in the recipe I followed. 

One hour later, a basketful of groceries I headed back. Started chopping the veggies. The whole preparation process gave me such a nice and relaxed feeling that I drifted into my own world. Could not hear a thing of what is going on in the living room or the passing 'rrrr' of the traffic. Zen. The thing is my mom never gives specific recipes. Don't expect her to tell you how many spoons of curry powder to add in. Remembering vaguely how my mom did it when I was younger, I proceeded with the cooking. 

Here it goes:

Heat spices in pan -> add oil -> add  curry leaves, lemongrass, garlic and onions -> add curry powder -> add coconut milk and water -> transfer to pot -> throw in all veggies and let simmer -> when veggies are cooked, stir in some assam water -> Done! 

Serve with warm fluffy rice. We were so full after that! My first curry and I dare say it is quite yummy... :)

I was expecting to make a more nyonya style curry somehow. More creamier, sweeter and with a lot less spices. My misunderstanding with my mind. Next time then.. 

Lunchbox Veggie Curry 1

Close up of Lunchbox Veggie Curry

One Month Without Rice

Greetings to whoever who is reading this!

Kindly proceed only if you are interested in finding out why this blog is created and how its name came by. As warned, here we go:

Creation of berrythehungry@blogspot.com

There is nothing like a bout of cancer to wake you up, reanalysise your life and push you to make the best out of it. I survived cancer but to those who are diagnosed, who are undergoing treatment, who is told that cancer had won the war, you have my heartfelt best wishes and be sure to know that your presence on Earth has made it a better place and will continue to do so, regardless of what happened.

It is with this impatience to bust out of hospitals and escape the forever jabbing of needles that made me rediscover what I love best. I am not sorry that it took two surgeries for me to get to this point, except that I do feel silly at times.

The rediscovery of what makes me Me means plunging into food, cooking, family, friends and plain living life.

Of course there is a need to admit that I wanted a recipe book to record all recipes I have tried and was to stingy to spend S$40.00 on it. (Blogger.com is free!) And also the movie, Julie and Julia. The urge to share what I made in the kitchen with everyone, near or far. The challenge of keeping this blog alive, which means living and recording life essentially. The prompt from Soenke to make what I dream real. Simply, little encouraging sparks are surrounding me which are impossible to ignore.

One Month Without Rice

Starring at my plate of freshly cooked stir fry prawns with basil leaves in a little cosy Thai food eating shop, I breathed in the fragrance of the rice soaked in the sauce from the stir fry and mouthed these words 'Exactly one month without rice, ahhhh'. Soenke thought it would make a good title for my then still nonexistence blog, so thank you.

I had just returned from one month in Germany. I had gone there thinking I don't need rice or Asian food to survive. And had jeered at stories where I heard many Asian tourists crave for rice in their travels to Europe. Well, I did survive and love the food there but I definitely cannot deny that I had my moments of dreams where I shuffle in mouthfuls of freshly cooked fluffy rice and go into moments of seventh heaven. So this title also pays tribute (and to apologise for the injustice) to fellow rice lovers.