Jade: Bitemymushrooms

Things that make me happy: staying in on a rainy day with the windows half open..and loving how all the colours outside seem so much brighter after a heavy downpour...Maybe the scientists have it all wrong..maybe instead of boring water vapour, clouds are actually made of sighs...and swallowed sobs..and when it all gets a little too sad, because even fluffy white clouds have their limit, they explode into millions of raindrops..washing away layers of frustration, leaving in their place clarity and fresh perspectives; The smell of nail polish..because it reminds me of the night before chinese new year and my 4-yr old self, perched at the end of my mum's bed, staring wide-eyed as she applies coat after coat of vibrant polish, hoping if I was still enough, she would paint my nails too...but mostly because it reminds me of how once upon a time, I couldn't wait to be all grown up; My dad's tatty old shirt that I'd rescued from the charity pile...with it's yellowed stains from where I've spilt countless cups of tea and the kind of worn softness that you can only get after about the thousandth wash..the same shirt i wore when my cousins and I played dress up..the one I belted with a ribbon because i thought it would look cool as a dress..the one that never fails to make me feel like a kid all over again; Hot mushroom soup made from scratch on a chilly Sunday...oversalted..but comforting nonetheless...because like all the best things in life, it has just the right amount of flaw.

Cream of mushroom soup~ I have a sneaking suspicion my mushrooms had gone bad.....but it baffles me how fungus can sprout fungus...

4-5 large chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

white wine

1. Heat up some olive oil in a saucepan, sauteed the garlic and onion until tender

2. Add the mushrooms and a generous glug of white wine

3. Once the mushrooms have softened, add the stock, milk and bayleaf and simmer gently for about half an hour, lid on

4. I used a stick blender to give the whole mix a good blitz...feel free to use a blender and good luck with the washing up

5. Season to taste....I have learnt less is more when it comes to salt....ladle into a pretty soup bowl and serve with your favourite bread :)

Mars: Mee Jawa - Curry Laksa

I probably should have snapped a picture before diving into this, but I forgot!

But I do strongly suggest ordering this with a cold green tea!

The broth is thick and just enough flavour for everything. The tofu soaks up the soup and the flavours that when you bite into it, it flows out and fills your mouth with a barrage of flavours!

And at RM7.90, I do think its totally worth it. Do ask for extra tofu! (^_^)"

They have breakfast sets that I'm dying to try but normally do not have time for!


Mee Jawa
A1-G2-09 Solaris Dutamas
Kuala Lumpur


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Jade: Bitemymuffin #2

I think having to wake up early in the middle of winter is one of the more depressing things in life. In the interest of political correctness, I am fully aware it's not famine or the apartheid..but try..just try and imagine that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when your alarm rings at stupid o'clock..when all you want to do is stay within the warm embrace of your duvet because you know the minute you fling those covers aside, nothing will protect you from that first shock of cold; and then you look out the window and all you see is darkness..it will still be dark when you're finally ready to leave the house...and however hopeful you try to be, you know deep down, any sign of the sun would have long gone by the time you leave work.. I really should get my vitamin D levels checked.

But on some sick level, I enjoy getting ready for work, winter or not. I love the ritualistic feel of my little routine...that precious hour of me time before I have to face the respiratory triage list. It's a sort of quiet satisfaction...shaping my eyebrows..which the lady at the Shu Uemura counter pointed out in cantonese-accented english: " is quite cham ( read: tragic) hor, miss" ; blending sandy golds and deep mochas...gently smudging my favourite liner...slow, therapeutic strokes of the mascara wand, making sure each lash has the right amount of curl. And then there's my closet, brimming with promise..a new dress perhaps? or my favourite skirt...better yet, a forgotten top hidden so far back it's as good as new. I'm a lucky girl, really.

Breakfast muffins

I can't for the life of me remember the recipe or if I even had one. It was one of those Sunday mornings where I'd woken up early out of habit, a bit unsure of what to do with myself because there's no ward round to be done..eventually deciding muffins would be perfect with my morning cuppa. I do remember replacing some of the butter with cream cheese...yoghurt..a pinch of caramel coffee..some chopped up pecans, chocolate chunks..and at some point, when it was far too late, realizing the pecans should've gone on top of the muffins.

Jade: Bitemycroissant

I used to believe in new year resolutions. The whole notion of making list after list of promises to make the new year better than the last. And then I grew up...and it struck me how futile the whole exercise was. To spend all that time setting new rules for yourself, fully knowing what they say about rules and how they are meant to be broken....beating yourself up when you cave and eat that second slice of cake on the 2nd day of the new year......and then trying your damnest to justify that moment of weakness..convincing yourself it somehow doesn't count. So I shan't make any this year...I shall instead figure out what I don't want in 2011, because I don't want this year to slip by like so many others have...because I don't want to live this year on fast forward..to get where I want to get but have absolutely no recollection of how or why I ended up there...because I don't want to sit in bed on new year's eve thinking "why didn't I..."

I've missed writing...and as much as I love my job, I really don't want to be defined by how much I know about DMARDs or how many lumbar punctures I've done...So here's to a year of chinese calligraphy, traditional chinese instruments, pole dancing lessons and as much food as you and I can eat.

Caramel croissant pudding ~ adapted from Nigella

2 stale croissants [ i've tried it with pain au chocolat, equally gorgeous]

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp water

1/4 cup cream

1/2 tbsp rum

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

~I'm not a huge custard fan, original recipe calls for double the custard...but that to me just spells soggy bread

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

2. Tear croissants up roughly and arrange in a little pie tin or a small baking dish

3. Pour sugar and water into a saucepan and let it caramelize over medium low heat. Swirl it gently, but don't stir..the sugar will crystallize. Should take about 3-5 minutes to turn a beautiful amber

4. Take the pan off the heat, and pour in the cream, rum and milk

5. Whisk in the beaten egg and pour the mixture over your torn up croissants

6. Nigella says to steep for 10 minutes, but i usually just let it sit while i'm doing the washing up which takes all of 5 minutes. Read above re: aversion to soggy bread

7. Bake for 20 minutes, drizzle some cream over it and have yourself a very happy new year :)

Jade: Bitemycrullers

I love "you tiaw". It's one of the things I look forward to before going home...Piping hot, crunchy chinese crullers...Savoured as is....dipped in congee..dunked in bak kut teh..spread with peanut butter...or better yet, soaked in 'lek dao suan'...I could go on..It's probably one the few things that can get me out of bed at 6 in the morning..a trip to the market with my mum, carrying bags of fresh produce...barely registering where I am...all so I can be rewarded with some freshly made crullers, complete with the comforting oily scent of anything deep fried.

You Tiaw~ I was shown how to do this by an auntie I met right in the middle of finals. She used only SR flour and water...I thought I'd be clever and use beer...mine look like anorexic crullers:( cést la vié. Beggars can't be choosers.

1 cup SR flour

water/ beer~ enough to yield a soft dough. I thought beer would give it a nice yeasty flavour and extra lift

Pinch of baking powder and bicarb

Salt, you tiaw isnt you tiaw if it isnt salty

1. Sift all the dry ingredients.well...all 3 of them..make a well in the centre, add liquid of choice

2. Mix gently until it comes together to form a soft dough

3. Cover and rest for about an hour

4. Heat up some oil..I used a small saucepan because it meant less oil..maybe that's why my crullers didn't puff up as much

5. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, divide into little sticks. Stack 2 pieces together and press down lengthwise down the centre with a chopstick

6. Stretch the dough pieces, drop them in the oil and fry over medium heat till golden brown and hopefully puffy

7. Leave to drain on a rack and enjoy with some steaming hot congee:)

Jade: Bitemyscallions

You know one of those things you see in nearly every restaurant you go to, every blog you read..but you just never quite get around to trying. That's how scallion pancakes were like for me. Something more exciting always caught my eye....and I'm only sorry for how long it took me to get acquainted with this flaky, fragrant pancake. I was watching some food show and the hosts had gone to a rural part of China to have the famous 'lao bing'...it reminded me of scallion pancakes and that technique of slowly stretching soft dough until it was paper thin...so sheer you could see the woodgrains of the table holding it..well..I couldn't resist.

Cong You Bing~ adapted from Almost Bourdain

250 g all-purpose flour

salt~ I like my salt, but feel free to season to taste

110 ml warm water

1 bunch spring onions, bruised and chopped

Scallion/ shallot oil or lard~ I used shallot oil but I imagine lard would be amazing for flavour and extra flakiness

1. Make a well in the flour, add warm water slowly and mix slowly until you get a soft dough

2. Cover in cling film and let it rest for about half an hour

3. Cut the dough in 2. Take one portion and roll it out. I did what I learnt from the show~lift the edges of the dough and gently stretch it out..this probably warrants a step-by-step pictorial guide or a video of some sort but I can't even bring myself to get up and put on a jumper. So yes, coax the dough gently until it is paper thin..I was well chuffed when I could see the marbling on my counter top through the dough.

4. Brush generously with oil/lard and sprinkle on the spring onions

5. Then starting from the edge closest to you, roll it up, sealing the 2 ends.

6. Now roll it up again into a snail, flatten slightly and roll it out

7. Heat up some oil in a pan, brush both sides of your pancake with lard/shallot oil

8. Pan fry till crispy...cut into fat wedges that make the most satisfying crunch..serve hot:)

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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