Testing

Testing 1 2 3. I don't want Jade to murder me for not posting enough. Hence this trial, so I can post on the go! (^_^)v
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Jade: Bitemychickenwings

I have a friend who doesn't eat boned chicken..which pretty much means no dark meat..no juicy chicken thighs...no tender drumsticks..and no chicken wings. Honestly, I think that is no way to live..I went through a phase where I had nothing but ready prepared chicken wings from Asda...in retrospect it tasted pretty awful...thank god the whole thing only lasted about 2 weeks..My point is...chicken wings have got to be the most addictive parts of a chicken...that, and maybe chicken necks..Deep fried, baked, grilled, stewed...it's one of those things that is near impossible to ruin, no matter how crap a cook you are. Having said that, perfectly cooked wings are hard to come by...I'm just lucky to have grown up on the perfect wings~my mum makes the most amazing crispy wings that she marinades in honey, soy and chinese wine...So you'll understand when I say I think the oft under appreciated chicken wings deserve to be a food group on their own.

Coca-cola chicken wings~ Like my old flatemate from china used to make

1 pack chicken wings, cleaned and separated into drummets and wings

4-5 slices ginger

3 cloves garlic

Splash of shaoxing wine

Dark soy

Light soy to taste

250ml Coke ~no Diet please

Little bit of brown sugar and a little dribble of balsamic vinegar for more body

Dried chili [optional ~ but that bit of heat balances out the sticky sweetness really well]

1. Brown the chicken wings and set aside

2. In the chicken fat, fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant

3. Add shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan

4. Add chicken wings, give a quick stir, add soy sauces and coke

5. Bring to a gentle boil, pop the lid on and let it simmer for about half an hour

6. Add the sugar, vinegar and dried chili, and taste to adjust seasoning and let the sauce reduce for a further 10-15 minutes.. really depends how much gravy you want

7. Perfect with a big bowl of sticky sushi rice. Save your leftovers, if there are any...because these wings and all that thick gravy is divine with scallion pancakes...almost a more peasanty take on peking duck;)

Jade: Bitemyberries

I read a lot of food blogs..and I mean a lot. You'd expect..or in my poor dad's case hope to find at least some clever journals or revision sites on my list of bookmarked sites..but the last time I had a look there was one page I'd saved on heart murmurs about 4 years ago...Food related sites, however..now that's a completely different story...there are about 6 pages on how to make bakwa...10 on ayam pongteh in my quest to find the most authentic version...and I'm not even going to bother keeping track of the memory space dedicated to cupcakes and cookies...I think the most interesting bit about all this, besides the odd 'why didn't I think of that' moments~coke float cupcakes anyone?..is observing the trends floating around. First there were cupcakes..then macarons..at some point I think everyone was making artisan loaves....and then came the fruit pastry cake. Beautifully arranged fruit glistening like little edible jewels enveloped in tender crumbs of cake..I don't normally follow trends..but this time,I just had to make an exception..

Fruit pastry cupcakes~

100g salted

100g castor sugar-I used vanilla sugar

50g yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Pinch of salt

1 tsp lemon zest

3 large eggs

210g SR flour

1 tsp baking powder

Fruit~ I used canned peaches and fresh strawberries because that's what I had

1. Preheat oven to 180'C.

2. Wash fruit and dry thoroughly

3. Add the zest to the sugar and rub to release the oils

4. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then add eggs slowly

5. Add vanilla and salt, give it a quick mix and add yoghurt

6. Now either fold in the flour or beat on low speed..I wouldn't overdo the beating

7. Scoop the batter into paper cup

8. Cut your fruit into desired size, and go crazy with the arrangement, just don't press them into the batter or they'll just disappear when your cake rises

9. Bake for about 15 minutes, cover with tin foil to prevent over-browning and bake for another 10-15 minutes

10. Let cool and marvel at the sheer artistry of these little cakes. You could dust them with icing sugar..I was lazy

Jade: Bitemyweekend

Green tea latte, cheese baked kimchi fried rice with chicken katsu, Nigella's new book and thick pyjamas = the perfect weekend

Green tea latte

1 green tea bag~matcha powder would be so much better but beggars can't be choosers

Less than half a mug of water just off the boil

Half a mug of milk

Sugar to taste

Your favourite mug

1. Steep the teabag in hot water to get very very strong green tea

2. Heat the milk in a pan, whisking until it gets beautifully frothy

3. Add to your tea and stir in some sugar to taste

Jade: Bitemystew

I swear the film companies that make korean dramas all own secret ramyun factories. I mean, they must. I've yet to watch a korean drama that doesn't involve at least one steaming bowl of kimchi ramyun per episode...and at 11 at night, it.looks.so.damn.tempting. Didn't help that I woke up to a taiwanese food show that just had to be about korean food...and yes, they had ramyun...in a large wok filled to the brim with vegetables, tofu, ham, frankfurters, korean rice cakes and cheese....It took all the self control I had to sit and finish the show..granted there really isn't much of it to begin with...before I headed straight to my kitchen and had a quick fumble around. I had everything that was needed......hello korean army base stew for dinner.

Korean army base stew~ so much better than your standard packet of kimchi ramyun..If you do do give this a go, please don't leave out the cheese...it all but melts into oblivion and it does serve to temper the almost acrid heat from the pepper paste

2 sausages, diced and browned

1 clove garlic, minced

1 spring onion, minced

leafy greens of your choice, roughly torn

oyster mushrooms

1 tbsp kimchi, chopped

1tbsp gochujang

1-2 slices cheese [ I used cheddar']

water

soy to taste

1 piece ramyun

1. Chunk everything but the ramyun in a pot, pour in a bowl of water or more if you'd like more soup, pop the lid on, and bring to the boil

2. Give it a quick stir, splash of soy to taste, and let it simmer for a few minutes

3. Add the ramyun and boil till the noodles soften

4. Top with a bit more cheese and slurp as noisily as you can :)

Jade: Bitemycongee#3

I have come to really appreciate the beauty of smooth, velvety congee......the contrast of creamy grains and crunchy yao char kuai, the robust flavour of good quality stock lifted by the subtle fragrance of jasmine rice...and with winter just around the corner, I forsee many many pots of congee bubbling merrily away on my stove. The secret to thick, lush congee that all but glides down the throat, I think, lies in the choice of rice. I've experimented with quite a few being the anal retentive person that I am..and for me, a mixture of sushi rice and glutinous rice with a ratio of 1:1 is perfect. Add a spoonful of shallot oil to marinade the rice with overnight and you're on your way to congee heaven.

Sweetcorn congee~ my new favourite thing to eat. If you love congee, you must try this....the perfect combination of savoury and that lovely golden sweetness you can only get from corn.

50g sushi rice

50g glutinous rice

1 tbsp shallot oil

2 pork ribs

1 small can sweetcorn

small handful goji berries

few dried scallops~mine are baby scallops so i used about 6 or 7

salt to taste

1. Wash rice grains until water turns clear and drain

2. Marinate with shallot oil and leave overnight

3. Blanche the ribs in boiling water, and drain

4. Put the ribs back in the now empty pot, add cold water and your can of corn. [ I don't actually measure out the water, I just generally fill it to about the level of the handle if that makes sense]

5. Add goji berries and scallops and bring to a gentle boil. I used a double boiler which is an absolute godsend when it comes to soups and congees. If you don't have one, keep an eye on the heat, and use a heat diffuser.

6. Now chuck in the rice and give it a good stir. If you're using a normal pot over direct heat, stick around and give it constant stirs to break up the grains and make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.

7. I left mine to simmer gently for 2-3 hours only because I had a certain consistency in mind

8. Season to taste, garnish with fried shallots and tuck into a hot little bowl of bliss. Trust me when I say you don't need any other accompaniments... :)

Jade: Bitemypoundcake

Salted caramel pound cake. Because I'm on a self imposed shopping ban.......and I got really really really bored. Let me know if you want the recipe.