Yam in red 红运（芋）当头

Every year, My sister will cook 罗汉斋(mixed vegetable) with red fermented beancurd(南乳) and my mom will always cook Braised lotus root with red fermented beancurd for me. So this CNY, I thought of using yam to cook with it. It is very easy to cook and it always taste good. I think the Chinese name is better and it's auspicious. This is the recipe:

Ingredient:
1 cube red fermented beancurd
1/3 yam (cut into chunks)
1 tsp garlic
1 cup chicken stock
100g mince meat
Sugar to taste (optional)

Method:
1. Heat pan with oil. Fried garlic to fragrant.
2. Add fermented beancurd cube and quickly smash it.
3. Add mince meat, cook and stir well.
4. Add yam and chicken stock, stir well. Lower heat and simmer till yam turn soft.
5. Sugar to taste. Ready to serve.

I have submitted this post to Aspiring Bakers #15: Auspicious dishes for CNY(Jan 2012) hosted by wen of Wen's Delight

Yam Rice 好芋（预）头饭

恭喜发财 to all! This is my first post in Feb that is with CNY recipe (Sorry if I have bored you with my emotional post earlier).
I cooked this dish the day before CNY eve for our reunion dinner. I learnt this dish from ”吃饭皇帝大”. This is a very easy, delicious and definitely auspicious dish that can substitute for white rice especially during CNY. Why? In Chinese, yam is 芋头(yu tou), same pronunciation as 预头(luck), so pls enjoy and try at home before and after 15th day of CNY, wish you all year good luck.

Ingredient:
1 & 1/2 cup white rice
1/3 yam (cut to cubes)
2 tbs dried shrimp(chopped lightly)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 Chinese sausage (lap chiong)(cut to cubes)
2 tbs rice wine
1 tbs dark soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
A pitch of pepper

Method:
1. Cook rice in rice cooker.
2. Heat pan/wok. Fried yam (without oil) till golden brown. Set aside.
3. Add oil. Fried chopped garlic and dried shrimp till fragrant.
4. Add sausage cubes and fry well.
5. Add rice wine and stir well.
6. Add dark soy sauce, fish sauce and pepper and stir well.
7. Lastly add yam cubes and stir well.
8. Pour all cooked ingredients into rice cooker and stir immediately into the hot rice. Stir well.
9. Cover cooker lid and continue to warm rice in "warm" mode. After 15 minutes, it's ready to serve.

I have submitted this post to Aspiring Bakers #15: Auspicious dishes for CNY(Jan 2012) hosted by wen of Wen's Delight and very good recipes breakfast challenge.

Poll for 2012: what do you work for?

I have been thinking about my future in 2011.. 2012 keep me thinking about now.. What's next for me? What should I do next? And one question that comes into my mind is: "what do I work for?"
I remembered when I just graduated from school, I wanted to look for a job that I liked(for passion), then when I have my own flat I worked for my goal(earn CPF). Now I work for money to survive.. But do I want to continue this way? Maybe not. But to a few of my close friends out there, they believe that I should work for money and keep encouraging me to stay and work.. And I start to ponder, maybe this is really necessary..
I am looking for an answer .. Pls share with me if you work for: money, goal or passion? Pls participate in the poll on the right and let me know what's the majority. Maybe then I have a clearer picture of what should be my motivation for 2012.
As an appreciation, I will give to 3 lucky readers a box of handmade cookies. One condition: You must leave your comment so that i know you have participated in the poll. Hear from you soon ;)

New year New beginning

I recently subscribed to Food network channel. In most cooking programmes, I have seen all celebrity chefs used a knife-like grater to get orange or lemon zest. It looked so easy, unlike the many graters I bought from Daiso that were hard to get zest out and have to clean the trapped holes like hell.

So on the last day of 2011, few hours before 2012, on my way to Ivin's restaurant for new year gathering, I decided to drop by Tott and get myself this celebrity chef "must have" grater as a reward(no more cleaning like mad in 2012). I got it for $37.

I can't wait to try on 010112. Indeed, it was a breeze! It's so light! And the zest came out so easy and fast and so fine! And the best part is, it did not trap the zest. Just rinsed with water and it was all cleaned!

I am so happy with this new investment! What a good way to start 2012!

1st CNY goodies order.. And more to come

This is my first post in 2012. Goodbye 2011! It seems 2012 is a good year for me. I got more CNY goodies orders and I have a few good 贵人 to keep me positive.

I am very grateful for the good vibes that is coming and I am positive that I will be better in year 2012. better in terms of mood, energy, drive and luck. Hope you feel it too.