sakurambo kitchen

Korean shaved ice- Pat Bing Soo

2015-08-22T14:07:00.003-07:00

It's the best time of the year to eat this ice dessert! It is very easy to make and it requires a shaved ice machine. The main ingredients consist of fruits, red beans, condensed milk, mochi and ice cream.

As you can tell in this picture, I added kiwi, peach, lychee and mango. The mochi and red bean can be purchased from any Korean markets.

Stay cool and cheers to a beautiful weekend! :)

Staircase quotes :) Health is #1!

2015-01-05T20:18:00.001-08:00

For the past few months, I would try to use the stairs as much as possible during my rounds, instead of the elevator.

I enjoy seeing these motivational quotes to remind me how important health is. I especially like the Quotation by Emerson that "The first Wealth is Health." Normally, it is "Health is Wealth" But this Quote is so Spot-on ! :-) Oh how true, We all need to to acquire the First Wealth before acquiring other Wealth! :-) For without Health, what is Wealth for ? As Qiqi said, Health is No 1, without Health, Wealth& Fame are 2 Zeroes ! So let us all do take Good Care of Our Health, for Our Body is the Most prized possession which We possess !

"Modern Man Modern Diseases" Health Series Show

2013-07-19T22:33:00.001-07:00

This was a few months ago but I just realized that I have not blogged about it....

Yup, another project that kept me very busy....doing a TV show on Hope Chanel. Dr. David Fukuda and I spoke on the Modern Man Modern Diseases show, featuring the acronym CELEBRATIONS.

The CELEBRATIONS acronym was developed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church Health Ministries Department to provide structure for presenting a balanced, wholistic approach to Christ-centered health and wellness.

We featured a mini food demo at the end of each 13 episode. Each show was 30 minutes long and we dedicated approximately 5 to 8 minutes of each show to talk about the importance of nutrition and how to make some healthful foods at home.

An example here would be TOFU SUSHI. Instead of using rice, use tofu. The tofu needs to be boiled, and drained. Mash the tofu, add some rice vinegar, or better yet, lemon juice and salt. Top it with any vegetables on top of the seaweed.

In one of the episodes, we did kale chips. :) It was a hit in the studio. Many people did not think that kale can be baked or dehydrated into chips. Season it with some salt, pepper and olive oil before baking.

Another demo we did was topping shallots, ginger, tomatoes or wakame on top of soft tofu. Season with soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper....

Cheers....most of the behind-the-scenes people who made it happen! Everyone was so nice...it was a blessing to be part of this show. :)

One episode consist of talking about legumes...

There were too many demos that we did...when the show comes out, I'll post it here. Seriously, I have done several other shows on Loma Linda Broadcasting Network but I have never really watched myself on TV. It seems weird. It is fun to be on camera and people have told me that I look bubbly and am able to have good control of the time before and after the camera rolls. Oh well, I just do what I enjoy and share what God has blessed me with :)

Interviewed one of Dr. David's patients... She has an amazing testimony! She used to be on death-roll, with a whole bunch of medications, 200 pounds heavier and unable to walk. Now, she feels younger, and down to 3 medications. She even completed her Masters in Public and is currently helping her sister publish a book. She has never felt more alive! Few major changes she made - joined a church community, ate fruits and vegetables, exercise...and embraced spirituality. One reason why I like Loma Linda is the fact that we embrace the whole person care - spiritual, emotional, physical and mental. A sick person in the hospital is just as sick as someone who is not emotionally healthy. She recently joined the youth group camping trip and helps with many of the community projects. What a transformation God can do when we allow Him into our lives!

This was cut-and-paste from this website -- http://www.health20-20.org/article/63/for-adventist-churches/celebrations

I thought it summarized most of what we covered in each segment of the show, biblical aspect. :) There were many other medical aspects that were mentioned on TV....we are trying to publish a booklet too. Maybe when that is ready, I'll post the address here, so anyone one who wants a copy of it can write to the TV staiton :)

CELEBRATIONS is the way to optimal health that will allow one to live a long and fruitful life. :) Cheers!

CHOICES

God's wish for you is a prosperous healthy life (3 John 2).
- I choose to read one book this week on health.
- I will share with two people a valuable health principle or practice.
Jesus came to our world to help us have a more abundant life (John 10:10).
- I will pray each day this week for God to help me discover the more abundant life.
- I will ask _______________ to pray that my life will bring God glory.

EXERCISE

In God we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28).
- This week, I will exercise daily by walking (running, cycling ...) with the Lord as I pray for my neighbors when passing their homes.

LIQUIDS

In Isaiah 41:17, the Lord promises water to the poor and needy who are thirsty. An adult needs a minimum of 6 to 8 glasses of water every day. Some researchers tell us that we need one ounce for every pound of body weight.
- This week, I will focus my attention on drinking the water my body needs.

ENVIRONMENT

God will destroy those who destroy the earth (see Revelation 11:18).
- This week, I will seek to discover how I can better care for the environment.

BELIEF

In Proverbs 3:5, we are invited to trust in the Lord with our whole heart and not depend on our understanding.
- I will spend at least 15 minutes each day this week praying and studying for an increase of faith in God's ability to fulfill His promises.

REST

Jesus invites us to come to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28).
- With Jesus' help, I will concentrate on getting sufficient rest (sleep, relaxation, vacations ...)

AIR

The counsel to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17) is often compared to our need to breathe.
- I will seek to spend some time each day this week in the fresh air.

TEMPERANCE

In I Corinthians 9:25, we are encouraged to be temperate in all things.
- By God's grace, I will seek to avoid harmful foods, beverages, and activities, and to practice moderation in my work, phone use, television viewing, spending ...

INTEGRITY

To choose a good name is better than great riches (Proverbs 22:1).
- Recognizing that a "good name" (an honest, trustworthy character) is so valuable -- I will seek by God's power to follow the Holy Spirit's direction in my life.

OPTIMISM

"Happy are the people whose God is the Lord (Psalm 144:15)." "Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)." One study (Breslow-Belloc) discovered that the death rate for unhappy people was 57 percent higher than for those who are happy.
- By God's grace, I will seek to be a happy, joy-filled Christian.

NUTRITION

In the first chapter of Daniel, we are told that he and his three friends requested a simple vegetarian diet. As a result, they were significantly wiser than the king's regular counselors.
- I will seek to eat more healthfully, so I can better bring "glory to God" (see I Corinthians 10:31).

SOCIAL SUPPORT

There is safety in seeking counsel from many (see Proverbs 11:14). It is not safe to always take one person's word as the final answer. It is important to get a second opinion. Ultimately, the counsel you choose to follow is up to you.
- I plan to work with others (church friends, pastor, community resources ...) as I seek to practice healthy principles of Christian living and introduce others to the benefits of physical, mental, spiritual, and social health (Jesus' healthy life and ministry are described in Luke 2:52 and Matthew 4:23).

Bo bit tet

2013-04-07T20:38:00.001-07:00

Is a Vietnamese dish that my roommate cooked today. She can't find the English name for it so I will call it Vietnamese lettuce wrap. :) She also mentioned that each family does it differently.

Her family's version consists of lettuce as a base, topped with a slice of tomato, french fries, onions and beef. (For a vegetarian option, use tofu instead of beef). Caramelize the onions in a skillet and add in the garlic, meat or tofu. Season with vegetarian oyster sauce, pepper, sesame seed, salt and sugar.

It is drizzled with a sauce mix - lime, chopped garlic, sugar, hot water, fish sauce and diced fresh chili).

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Leadership Challenge - thought for the day -

2013-03-03T16:56:00.003-08:00

"The secret to success in life is to stay in love. Staying in love gives you the fire to ignite other people, to see inside other people, to have a greater desire to get things done than other people. A person who is not in love doesn't really feel the kind of excitement that helps them to get ahead and to lead others to achieve. I don't know any other fire, any other thing in life that is more exhilarating and is more positive a feeling than love is. " - John Stanford

Jacques Torres Cookies revisted

2012-11-25T23:23:00.002-08:00

Combining the best of both worlds, I mixed the chocolate chip cookies recipe with the mudslide cookies recipe and topped it with a chocolate chip. It turned out wonderful! :)

Here's the mudslide chocolate recipe....

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jacques-torres/jacques-chocolate-mudslide-cookie-recipe/index.html

and the chocolate chip recipe is right here...

http://sakurambokitchen.blogspot.com/2012/09/jacques-torres-chocolate-cookies-nyc.html

Add vanilla ice cream between both cookies makes a wonderful ice-cream cookie. :)

Working with Sysco ...

2012-09-02T19:40:00.001-07:00

One of the projects we are working on is to reduce the number of (same-type) products in our stock book to a minimum, and have all the hospitals purchase the same items. (for example, instead of having 20 varieties of potatoes, there will be 3 or 4 varieties...) A panel of people will taste-test the products to decide which is the best quality, taste and nutritional value. Sysco would bring the chosen products to the manufacturers and get bulk pricing for us. Here are some pictures of what we have tasted so far...

Lasagna, and sirloin beef...

Tomatoes, potatoes...

Meatloaf and hamburgers...

Various chicken products..

Salad dressing..

Jellos..

Mac & cheese..

The hope is to give our customers better pricing, or not increase prices even though we are hit with a 3 % infatuation increase every year. In this tough economy, we want to do all we can to be competitive and find ways to cut cost.... :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Graduation 2012

2012-06-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

Few snapshots of this year's graduation...... :)

Carla's graduation @ La Sierra University..I did the above cake/ dessert set-up for her :)

Loma Linda University Graduation...

Congratulations graduates! :) You did it!

Vegan carrot muffins vs. regular carrot muffins (w/ eggs)

2012-04-22T00:00:00.001-07:00

So, for those of you who haven't heard, flaxseed can be replaced with eggs!
I wanted to test it out on this carrot muffin recipe....so I made it twice, using the same exact ingredients, with the replacement of eggs with flaxseed mixture.
3 tbsp flaxseed + 3 tbsp water= 1egg; let it sit for 5 minutes

I made the first batch with eggs, and when I finished making the second batch with flaxseed, the consistency was not as smooth as the first. Hence, I added 4 tbsp of soy milk.
Conclusion is: both tasted similar, vegan muffins were a little more moist than reg. muffins. It might be due to the extra soy milk.
So I have to post the recipe up because I promised some friends that I'd share it w them...
Ingredients:
3/4 cup ww pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6tbsp grounded flaxseed+ 6tbsp water
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 tbsp vanilla
11/2 cups shredded carrots
4tbsp soy milk
Opt: 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
-Preheat oven to 350F
-add first 6 ingredients in a bowl
-whisk oil, brown sugar, and flaxseed mixture, soy milk, applesauce, vanilla, and carrots.
-add dry ingredients, and mix until well combined.
-bake for 20 minutes
Vegan carrot muffins

Carrot muffins w/ egg

*edit post: it will look nicer if I have made some vegan cream cheese frosting, and placed a carrot -shaped fondant on top of the muffin.:)

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sysco Spring Food Show 2012

2012-02-24T22:29:00.001-08:00

Those who have been to the Sysco spring food show know what I mean when I say that I "ate until surfeited collapse". The food show is a showcase of many different cuisines and new products. As usual, I went with an empty stomach in preparation for the food attack....

I was not able to take pictures of all the food but appreciated the fact that I was able to enjoy the day immersed in a sea of food-lovers like myself.

I like the idea of having the cake placed on top of a vase filled with the different types of food reflecting the flavor of the cake. So for example, the carrot cake had fresh carrot. Chocolate cake had cocoa beans and chocolate chips, Lemon cake had lemons in the vase...etc..

Using mirrors to accent the display...

A new breakfast product that I like:

piano made out of chocolate...

assorted chocolate products

Herbal lemonade:
Ingredients: 3 gallons Lemonade, 4 oz dill, 4 oz mint, 2 oz basil, 3-5 sprigs rosemary, edible flowers to garnish.
~ Place herbs and lemonade in container. Add water to top and stir vigorously, muddling the herbs to release flavor. Let stand for several hours if possible. Add ice and serve. If more lemonade needs to be replaced, keep the herbs in the same containers all day. Mix and muddle! Replace herbs daily.

Demo of how beef is dissected :(

Also, there were many technological products for business to attract more customers. Another cool idea was to in-print the name and logo of any company/ event onto a disposable plate.

Looking forward to the next show! :)

my passing thought..

2012-02-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

Cooking is an act of love, a gift to the person who eats it.

Food always turns out better when the heart and soul is in it. Anyone can cook a dish. A true chef cooks from the heart, personalizes it and that is what matters.

Earlier today, I cooked a dish in a hurry, without peppering it with love, and it didn't turn out right.

Love is never but a simple thing. It is so easy to forget how clearly it can be defined...
Love -is patient
Love -is kind
Love -it does not envy
Love -it does not boast
Love -it is not proud
Love -it is not rude
Love -it is not self seeking
Love -it is not easily angered
Love -keeps no record of wrongs
Love -does not delight in evil
Love -rejoices with the truth
Love -always protects
Love -always trusts
Love -always hopes
Love -always persevered
Love -never fails.
- Corinthians 13

Lord, help me to live out your definition of love.

Baking with the ladies

2012-02-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

was such a pleasure and rare time for us to bond and chill. I used the Devil's food cake recipe that I got from the "Cake Making Made Easy" Chef Eric's culinary classroom class. Modified the recipe a little- added less sugar, used tofutti sour cream instead of yogurt and soy milk instead of milk. It turned out moist and delectable. It is definitely my keeper's chocolate cupcake recipe. We decided not to frost it to keep it simple and healthy.

Ingredients:
4 oz Bitter or semi sweet chocolate
1.5 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 c soy milk
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
6 oz butter
4 eggs

Method:
Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter and flour the cake pans, or place paper liners of the muffin tin, if making cupcakes. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate chips in a bain marie, stirring until the chocolate is mooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool until luke warm. Sift the flour, baking powder. salt and soda into a bowl. Set aside.
Place the milk and sour cream in a bowl and whip until smooth. Set aside.
Use an electric mixer, cream the sugar, butter until well smooth. Add the eggs in one at a time. Add the melted chocolate and mix until smooth.
Add one third of the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and then one third of the milk mixture. Make sure that the ingredients are incorporated before adding the next addition. Repeat until all the dry ingredients are added. Place the batter into the cupcake holder or cup cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes and let it cool for 15 minutes.

We made different types using the same batter- heart-shaped cakes, heart-shaped muffins, and regular round ones. :)

Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Chinese Cooking @ LLBN Cooking Studio

2011-11-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, I did 2 cooking segment on Loma Linda Broadcasting Network. It was a live show~ which means that no errors can be made. Each segment was 10 minutes, making it a total of only 20 minutes. It was really short time to show 3 recipes. When the video was uploaded onto youtube, it was kind of weird looking at myself on TV, embarassing I woudl say. :P

The first one was Tofu Cabbage roll.

http://www.youtube.com/user/LLBNChristianTV#p/u/7/BmbVZ526_h0

Tofu Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:
1/2 box of firm tofu
4 dried shitake mushrooms - soaked and minced (reserve water for making gravy)
1/2 carrot, diced
Green onions, chopped finely
5 cabbage leaves
1 egg

4 oz water chestnuts, diced finely
Corn starch

Seasonings for tofu mixture :

Salt, pepper, mushroom seasoning, onion and garlic powder

Method:

Squeeze tofu between paper towels to remove excess water. Mash tofu with a fork. Add minced shitake mushrooms, diced carrots, minced green onions, seasonings, egg and corn starch. Mix well. Add enough corn starch to get a thick consistency.

Rinse cabbage, trim the stem and blanch in boiling water for a few seconds until tender.

Fill each cabbage leaf with enough filling and roll up.

Steam the cabbage roll for 10-15 minutes.

For the gravy: Boil the mushroom stock. Add seasonings like vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, soy sauce and pepper. Add cornstarch mixture and allow the heat to thicken the mixture. Pour gravy over rolls and garnish as desired.

Followed by Oriental Cabbage Salad

http://www.youtube.com/user/LLBNChristianTV#p/u/6/UUd0wYfpL74

Oriental Cabbage Salad

Salad:
1/2 head cabbage, chopped ( or Napa cabbage)
6 green onions, chopped

2 Shallots

½ cup corn

12 oz Vegetarian Ham/ Chicken ( Opt. )

Topping

1 package vegan ramen noodle

0.5 tsp garlic powder

0.5 tsp onion powder

1 tsp mushroom seasoning

2/3 cup slivered almonds

2/3 cup shelled sunflower seeds ( OPT)

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Dressing:
4 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar / lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup salad oil

¼ cup sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

1. Crush the ramen noodle into small pieces. Add in the garlic powder, onion powder and mushroom seasoning. Bake the noodles, sesame seeds and almonds in oven for 10 minutes at 350F. Set aside to cool.

2. Mix all salad ingredients. Set aside.

3. Mix all dressing ingredients.

4. Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss together. Just before serving, top the noodle mix.

Serves: 4-6

Finally, mummy's corn soup :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/LLBNChristianTV#p/u/5/jTpkx6XsW_Y

CORN SOUP

Ingredients

Shallots
5 oz vegetarian ham, finely cubed
5 oz water chestnuts, chopped
2-3 shitake mushroom, chopped
1 tin Vegetable Stock or water ( about 400g)
1 tin Cream Style Corn (about 400g)
1 Egg, beaten
2 tsp Cornflour mixed with 2 Tbsp Water

Seasonings:

Dash of Pepper
1 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
Dash of Sesame Oil
Stir-fry sauce, 1 tsp
Mushroom seasoning

Garnish:

Sprigs of cilantro and green onions

Soak mushrooms in hot water. Squeeze out the water before mincing it finely.
Cut veggie ham, water chestnuts, shitake mushroom into small cubes.
Heat up the oil and fry shallots until golden brown. Add in mushroom and continue frying for 5 minutes. Add in soy sauce, pepper.
Add in the creamed corn into the pot. Fill the can with water or vegetable stock.
Add 1 Tbsp light soy sauce.
When hot, add in beaten egg or egg white and stir gently, so the egg cooks in strands.
Allow it to cook until boiling before adding the corn starch mixture. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick re-stir and add to the soup, stirring quickly to thicken. Drizzle in sesame oil and pepper.
Divide the soup into individual bowls.
Scatter a few strips of green onions/cilantro on top of soup.
Serve.

Sysco Holiday Food Show Pictures 2011

2011-10-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

South of France Cooking class

2011-09-25T23:19:00.000-07:00

@ Ecole de Cuisine Cooking School....
Menu:
Pizzaladiere ~

Basque style chicken ~

Ratatouille Nicoise ~

The instructor, Chef Zadi did not hand out recipes because he said that it is all about the "touch" and feel. Notes were scribbled and here is a brief description of how each dish was made. :)
The first dish was Pizzaladiere- a light pizza without tomato sauce.
To make the dough, add 250g flour, 20g sugar, 5g salt into a bowl. Next, add the wet ingredients- 3 eggs, 2 T olive oil, and yeast mixture ( 10g yeast and 1/4 cup H20) to the dry ingredients. Knead the dough until it does not stick to the bowl. Add olive oil into a bowl before placing the well-kneaded dough. Wrap and leave it to proof, approximately 1 hr.

Sprinkle oil into wax paper. Roll out dough onto a quarter sheet pan. Add whatever toppings you like but this was what we used...caramelize onions, anchovies, rosemary, thyme, garlic, heirloom tomatoes, olives. Grate Parmesan cheese on top of mixture. Bake at 400F. Before serving, sprinkle olive oil on top of pizza. :) I love this pizza crust! :)

Time to have some fun with cutting and cleaning chicken... :( Another reason for being a vegetarian.... :P Here are several pictures on the cutting process, after removing all the items inside the chicken...

Make a slit to see the cartilage. Remove it.

Use scissors to cut the fat, and middle of the chicken

Cut it into half and remove more fat at the ends

Cut the drumsticks side cartilage ends. ( for presentation purpose)

Season with salt, pepper, chopped herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary), lemon ( cut small wedges of half a lemon, and juice the other half lemon), olive oil, saffron, preserved lemon ( place lemon and salt in container and let it age for a month), 1 Tbsp of Tapenado olive paste.

Place the marinated chicken in a roasting pan. Add chicken stock ( To make: boil chicken bones, water, 50% onion, 25%carrots, 25% celery. Allow it to SIMMER for 24 hours. ) Top with chunks of butter. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Remove from oven several times and pour liquid over chicken constantly. This is to keep it moist and tender.

The chicken tasted yum! The burst of lemon gives it a tangy feel with flavorful herby aroma. :)

Now on to Ratatouillr Nicoise.... To make tomato composte: Slit the ends of the tomatoes with an "X". Once the water boils, place it in for 30 seconds. After removing it from the hot water, dip it in cold water immediately. Remove the outer skin from the tomato and slice in to quarters. Remove the seeds and use the outer layer. Slice into strips.

Cut the eggplant into round circles, followed by strips. When cooking, be careful not to place too many pieces into the pan as it will "steam" the eggplant. "Brown" eggplant is what we want. Feel free to drizzle olive oil. Add salt and pepper.

Saute onion until it is caramelized. Add salt and pepper. Remove from pan.

Saute green/red bell peppers next. Add salt and pepper. Remove from pan.

Saute squash. Add salt and pepper. Remove from pan.

Saute garlic next.

( Trick- while chopping garlic, sprinkle some salt. This will keep the oils of the garlic. )

Bread Crumbs: Bake day-old bread in oven until crisp. Place in food processor until finely grounded.

To assemble:

1. Drizzle the bottom of the pan with olive oil

2. Add peppers

3. Followed by Onion and garlic

4. Next is the eggplant mixture

5. Add onions and garlic again

6. Add the sliced raw tomatoes

7. Sprinkle fresh thyme

8. Add squash

9. Top with breadcrumbs

10. Drizzle with olive oil

11. Add pieces of butter on the top layer

Bake at 325 for 35 minutes.

Remove from oven occasionally to drizzle olive oil on top.

Every chef has his/her way of cooking. I have been to many cooking class and felt that this was one of the classes that could be more organized and have better sanitary practices. I have to say that the chef knows his stuff and seemed to have great french cooking techniques. Overall, the food we cooked at this class tasted YUM! and I would like to try to make them on my own one of these days. :) I am so glad that J and I were able to go to this class together! :)

Tuscan Kale Salad

2011-09-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

~:~ meant to be ~:~
it almost seems that
if it’s meant to be,
all things in the universe conspire to get you there
and if it’s not,
all things in the universe conspire to not get you there.
a lot of times in life, it is so.
i tend to believe it’s meant to be,
the path taken.
- Elvin Ng, MediaCorp Artist

Today, I tried making a salad with Kale and it turned out very nice! It's something new in our cafeteria and people came back for seconds. :)

Inspired by True Food Kitchen Restaruant's visit few weeks ago, this Tuscan salad is made with strips of Italian kale, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, grated parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. These bright, refreshing flavors combine to bring the sunny flavors of Tuscany to your tastebuds. :)
Kale is among the most nutrient-dense commonly eaten vegetables. One cup provides 1,327 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, 192 percent of DV for vitamin A, and 88 percent for vitamin C. With such rich nutrients, it is a waste to use it as a salad bar decoration.

Ingredients
2 bunches of kale, sliced leaves, midribs removed
6T lemon juice
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup freshly made bread crumbs

Steps:
Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flake, 2/3 of bread crumbs, 1/2 cheese. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well. This will help to "break down" the vegetable and make it easier to chew. Let salad sit for at least 15 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

not-your-regular Pizza :)

2011-09-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

This pizza creation was inspired by one of the vendors at the TASTE food show that I went to last week. It was not your regular "heavy" cheesy pizza, but rather had a light, fresh touch to it. YUM :) Interestingly, they added ricotta cheese instead of the usual mozzarella cheese. I have never had ricotta cheese on pizza and was determined to re-create this recipe. :)

I did exactly what they said- top ricotta cheese, tomatoes and basil on top of the baked dough. Somehow, it did not turn out right....something was missing...they did not reveal their secret ingredient. I bounced the idea off my cook and we guessed that there was probably some cream cheese in the ricotta mix. Hence, I tried making it again, with a few modifications. The verdict - a recipe keeper! Several people liked it and asked for the recipe.... I'm glad it worked out the second time! :) It would have tasted even better with a pizza oven but I did not have one and had to make do with a regular oven.

Ingredients:

15 oz ricotta cheese

8 oz vegan herb cream cheese

2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese

fresh basil

cherry tomatoes

pizza dough ( 2 packets from Trader Joes)

dash of salt

dash of pepper

Balsamic vinegar/olive oil

1 onion, sliced

garlic, minced

Steps:
Take the pizza dough out from the packet to let it sit and rise.
In a mixer, blend the ricotta cheese and vegan cream cheese until fluffy. Add in salt and pepper.
Slice the cherry tomatoes into half and mix it together with a few drops of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Let it sit for several minutes in the refrigerator.
Chop the basil leaves.
Once the dough has risen, roll it out and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove it from the oven and top with the ricotta- cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle vegan cheese over the mixture, followed by onions and garlic.
Place it back in the oven and let it continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and just before serving, top it with basil and tomatoes. :)
~~::~~
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to All! Enjoy your mooncakes! :)

TASTE of LA Food Show & True Food Kitchen Restaurant

2011-09-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

Just came back from LA. :) It was a fun food expedition where the only theme was food, food and food! :)

We started out at a restaurant in Santa Monica, True Food Kitchen. I love the concept of their restaurant- simple, fresh, pure ingredients to create the most satisfying and memorable dining experience. We ordered almost all the salads on the menu...Tuscan Kale, Farmers Market Kale, Summer Chopped, Mediterranean chopped, Chicken Chopped...Other items on the menu: edamame dumplings, quinoa pancakes, wild mushroom arugula pizza, espresso pistachio date muffin...

Followed by a stroll along the beach before heading out to the long-waited TASTE of LA food show. :) It cost $150 to get in so I expected something good....

The event took place on the Paramount Studios backlot in Hollywood, a setting that seriously made me wonder if I was in Universal Studios Hollywood or Brooklyn. It was hard to tell with the mash-up of some of LA’s best purveyors of street foods. There was unlimited tastings from over 30 of L.A.’s tastiest restaurants/chefs, food trucks, cooking demos, engaging panel discussions .
Caught a few foodnetwork celebrities...Claire Robinson’s “5 ingredient Fix”

Alex Guarmaschelli, recurring judge on "chopped"

Susan Feigner of Top Chef Masters, Border Grill and Susan Feniger’s STREET :):) My parents met her in Singapore. She is such a nice, down-to-earth person, like how my parents described. :)

Tasted some of the best foods in LA...What a nice way to spend a Sunday! :) On the flip side, I think I gained a few pounds... :(

More pictures of the food and event can be found here!! :)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150279112461611.338757.731096610&l=9fcecc4dc7&type=1

Cooking Demos

2011-05-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

It is always a treat to watch Cooking Demos because every person has a distinctive flair of cooking and brings a different dimension to a dish. Since I had the day off, I took the opportunity to go down to The Market @ Santa Monica Place for their Grand Opening where delicious chef demonstrations were held @ Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories throughout the day. The first one was an Indian Cuisine with Chef Kaumudi from Uncurry restaurant. She made two delicious, easy-to-prepare dishes and here are her recipes! :)

Muttari Chi Usal ( Lemony Green Summer Peas)
This is a lovely bright green dip that has the texture of a hummus dip, with an Indian touch of spices. It went really well with crackers. She mentioned that she even uses it as pesto on pasta.
Ingredients:
2 cups shelled fresh peas
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 white onion, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2-3/4 tsp salt
pinch sugar
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp lemon/lime juice
a few sprigs of cilantro, washed and finely chopped
Method:
Rinse the peas and drain well. Heat oil in a skillet. When it is almost smoking, add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Brown the onions slightly, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the green peas. Cook covered 1-2 mins. Stir in cumin seeds, tumeric, salt, sugar and chili powder. Cook for several minutes until peas are tender but still bright green. Stir in lemon juice.
Pease can now be served as a side dish, garnished with cilantro.
To make dip: Cool peas slightly, then grind them to a smooth paste in the food processor, using more lemon juice or water if needed. Taste and correct the seasonings. Garnish the dip with cilantro and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Carrot Peanut Slaw ( Gajrachi Koshimbir)
A healthy low-cal alternative to a mayo based coleslaw, the flavor comes from lemon juice and spices. Use fresh curry leaves, not the dried ones.
Ingredients:
3 large carrots, grated ( or combination of finely chopped cabbage and carrots)
1/2 tsp white onion ( minced)
1/2-3/4 tsp salt
pinch of sugar
1 1/2 tsp grated coconut (OPT)
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds or mustard
2 green chillies, sliced
1 branch fresh curry leaves
1 tsp lime or lemon juice
3 Tbsp peanuts, coarsely ground
few sprigs of cilantro, washed and finely chopped
Directions:
Place carrots ( or cabbage ) in a bowl. Toss with sugar, salt and coconut . Heat oil in a pan. When it is almost smoking, add in cumin/mustard and let them pop. Add tumeric and chillies. Stir well, add in curry leaves and let them sizzle. Immediately mix the spice seasoning into the carrots. Add lime juice and salt. Stir well and garnish with cilantro. Now....here's a candid shot of me at the photo booth :)

After this Indian Cooking session, it was on to Ahi Crudo Appetizers Demostration with Chef Lisa Browne. Followed by Sustainable Chocolates and Demo with Patricia Tsai of ChocoVivo and special guest.

Lastly, Pastry Chef Ruth Kennison did a chocolate demonstration where she demonstrated how to make yummy chocolate truffles! :) She had different types of coatings for the truffles- toffee, pretzels, cocoa powder, and pistachio powder. Several chocolate flavor variations were demonstrated- infused fresh lavender, balsamic, and white chocolate.....will have to talk more about it next time, if I have time :) It's time to sleep.......:) Good night! :)

The BMC T.E.A.M Award surprise! :) :)

2011-04-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

( T.E.A.M = Together Everyone Achieves More)

I went for a meeting, thinking that it was a discussion about menu change for one of the programs but the manager kept saying, " I want to let you know about your department's performance, and evaluate your performance..." For more than 5 minutes, she kept rattling about it without any specific direction, and I was wondering what the problem and issue was. Suddenly, an entourage of more than 20 people represented from all departments came into the room with balloons and desserts, with the camera clicking away....

Needless to say, I was surprised and shocked. "What is going on?" raced through my mind. But when they said, "Congratulations, and we want to present you an award..." that I realized what was happening.

I wanted the Kitchen staff to hear it, and be a part of it and managed go back to the kitchen, to pull a few of them out to the cafeteria for a picture. :) We were right in the middle of lunch service when that happened...

It is heart-warming to know that people recognize the work done by Kitchen staff because even though not many of them are highly educated, they are sincere people who work hard, and do their best everyday.

~~~

The letter read:

Dear Nutritional Services Team,

Congratulations!! Youth Outpatient Services at the BMC have selected your team to be the recipients of the BMC T.E.A.M ( TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE) award.

Your team is an excellent example of positive teamwork with dedicated individuals working together towards a common goal. When people come together and set aside their individual needs for the greater good in support of our mission, positive and impossible goals can be achieved. Your team demonstrates that level of commitment, energy, and achievement on a daily basis.

You were specifically chosen for this award because of your consistent attitude of “how can we help” within your own team, throughout the BMC, the BHI, and the community. The daily maintenance and balancing the nutritional needs between the two buildings is a challenge at best. You have done it with Excellence. Your dedication to teamwork has a positive impact on all of us.

We invite you to display this award, share your good news, and be on the look out for another team to pass this award on to in the next six months. This can be any or team within the BMC.

Thanks to all of you for your incredible work.

Sincerely, Youth Services Outpatient

Success cannot be measured only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched, & moments shared along the way. :)

Thank you Lord for this award, and may you be glorified in everything we do! :)
( pictures were taken on iphone so its a little blurry)

100%!

2011-03-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

We had our usual County Health Inspection at LLUBMC...and guess what we got?

A...with 100 points!

Getting an A is expected, but 100% is uncommon. Usually inspectors will try to find something to dock off points for.He could not find anything, and said everything looks great! :) Hospitals are categorized under "4" which means that it has the strictest regulations regarding food safety. Let me give you an idea of what actually happens: observations of hand washing; all ( Food handler's/ Servsafe)certifications of every employees are current; all equipments, including every refrigerators and freezer are working; temperature logs are filled out; FIFO ( first in first out) for all products, including milk, dairy, produce, frozen products; cleaning sign-out list for all positions, all areas are clean, including hoods, storage rooms, drawers; temperature of dish machine, and employees have to be able to answer to the process of using the three compartment sinks ( 60 seconds rule, and 110F in first compartment sink); dumpster/ the way trash are disposed; all trash bins have lids; dating and labeling of ALL products; expiration of products like breads; no dented cans on site; can openers must not have a speck of dirt; temperature of water at hand washing sinks in the Kitchen and nearest bathrooms; sanitizer concentration on work stations; holding time of all food...etc....and the list goes on...............but you get the idea of how easy it is to find one thing to deduct a point....(If an employee is observed to not wash their hands after changing their gloves, that alone is 4 points!)

So, this calls for a Celebration!! Every food service employee received a certificate to recognize their hard work, and teamwork to achieve this! :)Papa Jones pizza, cakes, chocolate gifts, lemonade..

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Healthy Asian Cooking Demo @ Loma Linda Chinese Church

2011-03-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

If you are in Loma Linda on April 3, 2011.....come and join us for a Healthy Asian Cooking Demo by Esther Choo! & a health talk by yours truly :)

The cost is $5, including handouts if RSVP.

Please RSVP by calling 909-370-1609 or emailing:cookingdemollcc@gmail.com

Location of Loma Linda Chinese Church is :25665 Van Leuven St, Loma Linda, CA 92354....

This week thus far

2011-03-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

has been a busy one! On Monday, I was at the Annual Post Graduate Conference (APC), Loma Linda, followed by an interview on the "Heart to Heart" with Marie Char at Loma Linda Broadcasting Network( LLBN). We talked about God's leading in my life. God is good and I am so blessed to be enjoying what I do. When I get the chance I will draft that on paper to share :)

APC was great.:) The topics covered were on Nutrition, Lifestyle and chronic disease. Each Presentation topics were an hour long:

Update on Adventist Health Study 2,

Risk Assessment Drives Treatment Option in Obesity,

Nutritional Management after Bariatric surgery,

Plant Based Diet and Childhood obesity prevention,

Vitamin D and Chronic Disease,

Diet and Colorectal cancer.

Waiting for the premier of the movie " Forks Over Knives" at the Loma Linda University Church.

FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. It will be shown in theaters on May 9. Apparently Oprah and her crew went vegan for a week after watching this movie.

This movie was held in conjunction with the HEALTHY PEOPLE conference.

It was said that the recordings from this conference will be posted on the Healthy People website in the next few weeks. They had booths from the local vegan/vegetarian restaurants display their food..this is one vegan dessert booth. :)

This picture shows speaker Jeffrey Smith talking about Genetically Modified Foods ( GMF), with the screen showing the stomach lining of rats who ate GMF and Non-GMF.

Of all the topics presented, I personally enjoyed Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, FACS who talked about "Ending the Coronary Artery Disease Epidemic-making yourself heart attack proof". He showed ways to reverse coronary heart disease with lower LDL the natural way without pills. Going on a plant-based diet, persist and never give up are some key traits to success. :)

I bought several books and DVDs, and will be spending my upcoming weekend doing some reading on all these awesome books! :) Cheers to good health! :)

Sysco Food Show 2011 @ Pomona Fairplex

2011-02-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

Pictures of some of the food ... :)

Meat marinated in Japchae sauce..nice combo with cucumber, cheese and cherry tomatoes..

Tempura veggies on top of salad..

Various types of onion rings...:(

Chicken Roll with Mango chutney in the middle

Nathan's sausage

Wraps

Flatten veggie balls made into patties..

Chicken popcorn

One of the best items at the show- beef roast...tender and juicy :)

Fruits

Refreshing idea: water and lemonade, infused with mint, basil and orchids ...

Love this display piece :)

Tomato Rose.. demos of several tomato carvings were done by the sysco chef .. I need to upload it ....one day. :P

Tomato basket..pipe chicken salad or egg salad into it as a decorative piece.

Sugar free vanilla pudding.. with skim milk.

tropica jello taste good

Snacks for kids. :)

1/3 of the exhibition hall. 400 vendors...lots of food sampling and people! :)

Making French Macarons :)

2011-02-13T23:02:00.000-08:00

To those couples who are married or dating, Happy Valentine's Day!! :) Those who are single, and waiting for that special person in their lives, I would say, Happy Love Day! :) It's a good time to embrace the special people around us, our families and friends.
I went to The Gourmandise School to learn the secret of baking French Macarons. There are many blogs documneting their experiements and experiences with macaroons but I decided to get a hands-on experience with it. It turned out to be really fun and I enjoyed the session! Myths like aging the eggs for a week, or hitting the pan on table before baking are actually not necesary.

I'm going to take you on a brief journey of what I learned.:) We made Hazelnut Macarons with Milk chocolate passionfruit ganache, Vanilla Macarons with lemon curd, and pistachio macarons with Italian Raspberry buttercream, or pear buttercream. :) There are actually many versions that can be made if you tweak some of the flavors and ingredients. I'm looking forward to making more varieties in the future. :)

In addition, we made heart-shaped ones, to go along with the valentine's day theme. It's easy..just pipe them heart-shaped from the piping bag.

Items needed to make the vanilla macarons: 140 grams egg whites (about 4), 80 grams vanilla sugar ( 2/3cup), 240 grams powdered sugar ( 2 cups), 3 grams egg white powder ( 1/2 tsp), 180 grams almond flour ( scant 2 cups), 2 grams salt.
Steps: Place the almond flour, salt, and powdered sugar in a food processor. Important to sift the mixture.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and powder until soft peak stage. Slowly add the vanilla sugar and continue beating until just before stiff peak stage.

Fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture in three stages.

This is the stage where coloring is added, if you want to.

Fold about 4 times, before cutting through the batter in the middle, and continue to fold .

Continue to fold until a ribbon forms.

Pipe onto parchment paper

and let it set for 30 to 60 minutes.

Once piped, it'd look glossy.... After letting it sit, this is how it should look: MATT

Preheat oven to 350F. Plce the cookies in the oven and lower the temperature to 300F. Bake for 15 minutes.

Let ie cool...

Remove cookies after 10 minutes of cooling.

On to the fillings...

Lemon Curd: ingredients: 3 eggs, 1/2 cup strained meyer lemon juice ( or use pomelo, blood orange), 1 stick butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tnsp lemon zest.

Directions: Place a stockpot, 1/2 filled with water, on the heat and bring to a simmer. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and zest. Whisk in the lemon juice. Set the bowl above the pot and reduce the heat to a medium to continue to simmer. Stir the micture over heat until a thick custard is formed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until smooth. Chill to set.

For the Italian Raspberry buttercream, you can change up the variations by adding different dried fruits. For example, asian pear. The base ingredients are: 5 egg whites, pinch of salt, 1lb butter, cut into pieces, 1 cup sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla.

Place a medium saucepot filled 1/3 of the way with water and bring to a simmer. Place the sugar, salt, and egg whites in the bowl of stand mixer. Holding the bowl over the saucepot, whisk the mixture until it feels warm to the touch. Place the bowl on the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Once the bowl is cool to the touch, add the butter, small pieces at a time. Add in the vanilla. Switch to paddle attachment to smooth out the buttercream. Add in half cup of your choice of dried fruit, or 1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen fruit puree.

Pictures with the instructors~Clemence and Hadley :)

~Enjoy~

Love, Cherry :)

P/s: more pictures can be found on this site:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=277643&id=731096610&l=100e215b66