Teczcape-An Escape to Food

Peashoots, Carrot Greens, Almonds Pesto Fusili

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:01:00 +0000

Short screwy shell pasta such as Fusili is best for pesto if you ask me. With longer strands Capellini (Angel Hair) or Spaghetti, the strands of pasta do not carry the sauce very well, especially when the pesto is on the thick, chunky side.

For the pesto, it was a combination of peashoots, carrot-tops leaves, silvered blanched almonds, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

Leftover tip: This pesto is chock-full of benefits and utilizes fully the leftover carrot-tops leaves, especially when carrot-tops leaves are high in nutritional value - high in potassium, and chlorophyll. In spring and summer, carrots grow a rosette of leaves, so if you were to buy bunch carrots from the farmer's market or grocery stores, and faced with a huge bunch of carrot leaves or greens, don't discard the leaves - make pesto!

How do you make use of carrot-top leaves?

With screwy pasta like Fusili, all the pesto is trapped in the twines and turns, giving it a perfect mouth-feel combination.

This noodle dish will be shared with Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Rachel of The Crispy Cook.

Tag: pesto, peashoots, carrot leaves

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Leeks with Five-Spice Tofu 青蒜炒五香豆干

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:58:00 +0000

What can be done with these homemade hijiki-infused five-spice marinated tofu ? Leeks and Tofu is a classic vegetarian stir-fry found in some Chinese families. Why not try it using these homemade "flavored" tofu?

This Caramelized Leeks, Carrots with Five-Spice Tofu is well-balanced in taste with the leeks imparting hint of caramelized notes to the savory smoky tofu.

Caramelized Leeks, Carrots with Five-Spice Tofu 青蒜炒五香豆干豆腐
Start up a pan, lightly oiled, saute 1/2 leek thinly sliced and 1/2 carrots thinly sliced. When leeks are slightly browned and caramelized, add in some brussel sprouts leaves, cover the pan and allow the steam in the pan to cook the vegetables. After about 3 minutes, add five-spice marinated Tofu and mix well with the veggies in the pan.

Sharing with Hearth and Soul

Tag: leeks, five spice tofu

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Sevillian Sweet Biscuits Tortas de Aceite

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:07:00 +0000

I used to buy this from Whole Foods Market but I don't seem to find it anymore :(
This Ines Rosales Tortas crisp is very light and goes well with a warm beverage of coffee or tea in the morning, noon or in the evening. There is a variety of flavors but I enjoy the Anise Crisps and Seville Orange Crisps the most. The ingredients are quite basic too. For the Anise Crisps, the ingredients are: Wheat flour, olive oil, sugar, matalahuga (anise), ajonjoli (sesame seeds), salt and anise essence.

So what is Torta de Aceite? If you read Spanish, you can check out Ines Rosales for this hand-made crisp.

Since I can't find it in stores now, I plan to buy some from Amazon soon as the price is almost similar to what I have previously paid for in stores.

Tag: snacks,Ines Rosales Tortas

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Where to get free product samples

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:05:00 +0000

I am amazed by the broad categories (including baby, beauty products, food, home and garden etc.) of freebies found on All-Free-Samples.com. To get any real sample products from your preferred category, most of the time, you either complete an online request form, or participate in a giveaway.

In addition to a main broad category, the site is also organized into sub-categories in order to get you to what you want in the most efficient way. For example, looking at free beauty samples broad category, you will also see Make Up/Cosmetics, Hair Care Products, Facial Products, Skin Care and Lotions, and Bath and Body/soaps and Cleansers as sub-categories. Then pick the sub-category you want, and start getting free trial offers of free samples by mail.

The "'foodie" in me prompted me to click on the "food" category and guess what I found. A chance to try a free chocolate sample at a Godiva® Boutique store or specialty counters every month of the year by simply joining the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club. A free spinach artichoke dip at California Pizza Kitchen by going to their Facebook page to get a coupon. A free garlic fries appetizer from a local participating Gordon Biersch Brewery by liking their Facebook page to get a free appetizer coupon. There's more.

You can even find the weirdest sample such as free diet pills !

Parchment Baked Trout En Papillote

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:50:00 +0000

It was not too long ago that I tried trout for the first time. Oh, I fell in love and gone trout-crazy, I say. In one of Dr.Oz shows, trout was also suggested as an alternative to salmon for Omega-3, how good can that be?

Trout-crazy that I bought four~five whole trouts (usually sold in one pack in Costco, for about less than $15) at one time and had three whole fishes at one go, shared with the other half at home.

I have also tried the farm-raised trout sold in Whole Foods Market. Due to the size difference (trout sold in WholeFoods Market is much smaller in size), the texture of the fish is also a tad different - the flesh of the trout in WholeFoods has a finer texture compared to the one sold in Costco. However, both taste equally delicious when cooked the simplest way.

Steaming! Yes! But I steam them in wrapped parcels (en papillote -style) to retain the moisture. I also like that Whole Foods Market already have the trout, butterflied but kept the fish as whole.

When I return home, all I need to do is to start stuffing/seasoning and cooking the whole fish!

Steamed/Baked Trout - En Papillote
Kept seasoning to the minimum as well. Salt, pepper and cooking wine to rub on (and inside of) the fish before cooking. Stuff the fish with lots of garlic and green onions. Place a few thin slices of ginger with the fish in the parcel. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Cook (steam) for 12mins or cook (bake, en pappilite) at 350-375F for about 12-15mins, for smaller-size trout.

Of course, I also tried the "bake/roast" cooking method (do not wrap with parchment paper) to crisp up the fish skin and it is equally good!

Check out these Salmon En Papillote and Cod En Papillote or even Snapper En Papillote.

Tag: trout, en papillote

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The Stainless Steel Store

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:37:00 +0000

Ever since there were reports on Teflon coating in non-stick cookware that is found to release one or more different toxic gases when heated to certain (usually high) temperatures; and these toxic gases may be harmful to the body when ingested one way or another, I have stopped using non-stick cookware in my kitchen and re-stocked with stainless steel cookware - to err on the side of caution. The Blomus Stainless Steel Hot Plate will be perfect for summer outdoor cooking, isn't it so?

Even without high temperature cooking, I have since also developed a liking for the look of sleek and sturdy stainless steel design/construction with the preference over less-hardy looking "plastic". Just look at the blomus range of stainless steel cooking and dining accessories - for example, Blomus Stainless Steel Porcelain Salt & Pepper Shaker Set and Blomus Stainless Steel Matte Cheese Slicer. I have been searching for a reliable cock-screw type wine opener and the Blomus Stainless Steel Waiter's Friend looks perfect with a perfect price of $6.20 + free ground shipping. I am so getting this.

Whether it is for the outdoor, work place, family room, entertainment or kitchen, The Stainless Steel Store is well-stocked with all that you want. There are also gift certificates that make a perfect present for your friends, family, and business associates.

Celery and Shrimps Stir-Fry 清炒芹菜虾仁

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:48:00 +0000

Celery together with onions and carrots forms a trio of aromatics that is no stranger as the base for stews and soups in some Western cuisines.

You can also snack on celery stalks dipped with peanut butter or nibble on them when served with buffalo wings. In Asian cooking, celery is more often seen in stir-fries.

Personally, I find celery and shrimps (prawns), a balanced combination of earthy and umami-seafood flavors. You can easily make a soup with them, or churn out a healthy stir-fry like this Celery and Shrimps Stir-Fry 清炒芹菜虾仁 in minutes.

Due to its strong distinctive flavor alike cilantro or parsley, celery is not enjoyed by everyone. Not surprising. Do you enjoy celery as main ingredient in a dish?

I do.

The crunchy texture of celery when lightly sauteed, blends in very well with the springy-crunch of sauteed shrimps. The resulting dish is entirely with textural bite and refreshingly tasty when stir-fried with some shallots, ginger and garlic.

Of course, when organic celery bunch was on sale for $0.99/bunch, it was a healthy bargain for grabs, easily turned into a healthy dish.

Stir-Fry Celery and Shrimps 清炒芹菜虾仁
Aromatize 1 small shallot thinly sliced, 2 thin slices ginger, 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced in a pan. Add 2-3 organic celery stalks sliced at the bias to bite-size and saute for 3-5 mins. Add in 12-16 medium-size shrimps (cleaned, deveined) and fry quickly in medium heat till shrimps turn pink. Splash of cooking wine for aroma and finally salt and ground white pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Tag: stir fry celery, shrimps

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How do you organize your spices?

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:42:00 +0000

My kitchen is lack of some kind of organization, for sure. There are so many categories of spice racks available, such as, counter-top spice rack, wall mount spice rack, in-drawer spice racks and I don't even own any kind of spice rack.

Ask me what is my preferred or favorite way of spice rack organization - and I will choose in-drawer spice rack as my top favorite since I usually like to keep my pantry items "behind doors" of pantry cabinets and drawers. In-drawer spice rack is practical if there is limited kitchen counter-space. Another good alternative of spice rack in limited kitchen counter-space will be a sliding spice rack that mounts within a pantry cabinet and can be pulled out for convenient access.

However, if I had a spacious and open kitchen, the Carousel or Ferris Wheel spice rack surely entices me with being able to have see all the spices available at one glance, and the convenience of easily getting hold of any spice for usage while cooking.

Do you currently own a wall spice rack or kitchen spice racks ? Spiceracksource.com has a very large selection of reliable and high-quality spice racks and surely, you will find a spice rack organization that you love.

Seaweed Infused Five-Spice Soy Tofu 自制香味豆干

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:34:00 +0000

I prefer seaweed such as nori and wakame to hijiki. Yes, not a fan of this wriggly worm-like seaweed. The pack of dried hijiki seaweed in the pantry is still sitting there. One day, I had this aha moment in the process of marinating tofu. Maybe I should add some hijiki seaweed to infuse some smoky flavor to the tofu marinade of soy sauce, white pepper, five-spice powder, cloves and star anise.

Hijiki-Infused Five-Spice Soy-Sauce Marinated Tofu 自制香味豆干
Prepare a marinade of soy sauce, ground white pepper, five-spice powder, cloves and star anise. Add firm tofu pieces in the marinade, making sure the tofu pieces are evenly coated with marinade, also rehydrate hijiki seaweed in marinade at the same time so that the marinade gets some smoky flavor. Allow tofu to sit in this marinade for at least an hour.

Before pan-frying or use, make sure the tofu are pat-dry.

Sharing with Hearth and Soul

Tag: seaweed, five spice tofu

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Chive and Egg-Drop Soup - 韭菜蛋花汤

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:48:00 +0000

You think that making dumplings is a chore (it does take some time up-front esp. the wrapping part). Think again. The dumplings can be made ahead and frozen, so it can be a time-saver if you prepare and plan well. When hunger calls, just boil water or broth and boil the frozen dumplings to cook.

So well, you still think it is a chore. Here comes a quickie Chive and Egg-Drop Soup - 韭菜蛋花汤to the rescue. Especially for vegetarians who would like to derive the chives benefits, you should consume them not as herbs/garnish but as a vegetable.

Chive and Egg-Drop Soup 韭菜蛋花汤
1 small bunch chives, sliced to finger-length, 1-2 egg whisked, salt, ground white pepper, 3-4 tiny drops of toasted sesame oil.

Boil some water in a pot. Add in chives and when they start to wilt, lower the heat and gently stir in the whisked eggs (Note: drawing the number eight 3-4 times in the pot to create the egg-drop). Turn off the heat. Salt and ground white pepper to taste. Few drops of sesame oil for aroma.

Simple it might look, never under-estimate the flavors of chives. Sharing this soup with Souper Sunday

Tag: chive soup, chive egg drop soup

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Leeks Stir-Fry Sugar Snap Peas 青蒜炒甜豌豆

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:42:00 +0000

Leeks, are certainly dominating the farmer's market right now, early May. As soon as I picked a bunch from the farmer's market last weekend, I have to use them fast before freshness calls a day; and not be lazy in kitchen prep., as leeks usually need some rinsing/cleaning due to the grits trapped within.

It was also my first time getting spring season farmer's market fresh sugar snap peas. I did not exactly know what dish to make except that it was going to be a stir-fry. I'll just let the details fall into place when I bring home all the produce.

Slowly, ideas start to form. Hmmm...how about leeks and sugar snap peas in a stir-fry. It shall be! It will be. And yes, I decided to add more vegetables such as mushrooms and carrots to the stir-fry for more flavors and of course, I don't have to cook another dish. It will be one stir-fry do-it all Leeks and Sugar Snap Peas Stir-Fry with Mushrooms and Carrots 青蒜炒甜豌豆 serve over noodles to create a one-dish.

Now I need to prep. both items (1) The leeks require thorough clean to remove sand, grits, dirt; and (2) snap peas need to be trimmed (remove top of the snap peas, and at the same time pull off the tough string that runs along the length of the pod) so that the snap peas, after cooked, do not give a fibrous and tough mouth-feel.

Leeks and Sugar Snap Peas Stir-Fry with Mushrooms and Carrots 青蒜炒甜豌豆
Heat a little oil in the pan. Add finely sliced leeks (about 1 medium-sized leek), then thinly sliced organic carrots (2 small size carrots) and saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add 1/4 organic ground chicken and break them evenly to bits in the hot pan (Note: Vegetarians, omit the chicken), then add 4-5 fresh shiitake mushroom, roughly sliced and 4-5 baby bella mushrooms. Add 1 tsp soy sauce, then 1 tbsp cooking wine, saute gently and make sure the chicken cooks,and at the same time to cook down the mushrooms. Cover the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5-8 minutes to develop flavors. After that, add about 2tbsp water to prevent mixture dry-out; and add the fresh snap peas (already cleaned) and mix well with the mixture. Cover the pan for about 2-3 minutes under low-heat, and allow the gentle steam to cook the fresh (already trimmed) snap peas. At the same time, the fresh snap peas will also absorb the flavors from the already developed flavors from the mixture of chicken, leek and mushrooms. Ground white pepper and sea salt to taste.

This noodle dish will be shared with Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Emma from Emma's Kitchen Diary.

Tag: stir fry snap peas, snap peas, leeks

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Bean Sprouts with Green Onions 青葱炒豆芽

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:05:00 +0000

Grains (e.g. wheat, barley), seeds (e.g. alfalfa seeds, coriander seeds, quinoa), legumes (e.g. mung bean, peas) can all be sprouted for maximizing nutrition. Sprouted food acquires improved digestibility and nutritional qualities when compared to non-sprouted version from which it derives.

For example, when mung beans are sprouted, its Vitamin A content increases 285%, Thiamine (Vitamin B1) content increases 208 per cent, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) content increases 515 per cent, Niacin (Vitamin B3) content increases 256 per cent (Source: Sproutnet.com)

I am not really a huge fan of raw mung bean sprouts but Lightly Sauteed Bean Sprouts is acceptable.

Today's version of Stir-Fry Mung Bean Sprouts is much simpler than Lightly Sauteed Bean Sprouts. It is done with green onions (lots of it!), ginger, garlic and sliced red chili.

It is also budget-friendly, and probably cost less than a dollar for a serving of two.

Stir-Fry Mung Bean Sprouts 青葱炒豆芽
Ingredients: 2-3 green onions (Note: You can absolutely substitute green onions with spring leeks that are in season right now), separate the bottom white and top green, slice to half-finger length, 2-3 thin slices ginger, 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced, 1 red chili thinly sliced, 1/2 pack cleaned mung bean sprouts (Note1: you can use soy bean sprouts - 黄豆芽 if you wish), salt and ground white pepper to taste.

Directions: Sweat the bottom-white green onions, ginger, garlic for about 3 minutes. Add bean sprouts, saute about 2 minutes, then red chili and saute till bean sprouts turn crisp-tender. Add the top green part of green onions give it a good toss. Salt and white pepper to taste

Sharing Mung Bean Sprouts with Weekend Herb Blogging WHB#332 hosted by Rachel of Rachel The Crispy Cook

Tag: bean sprouts, mung bean sprouts

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Spiced Tomato Sardines Fried Rice 辣味番茄沙丁鱼炒饭

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:39:00 +0000

The wok, sighted with gravy remnants, after cooking sardine curry; so I decided to do this.

Toss in some leftover rice, and let the rice do its "soaking" act.

The rice naturally "cleans" up the wok by absorbing the remaining gravy in the wok.

With similar line of thought, you can now intentionally leave behind some gravy in the wok/pan when cooking curry; and if you have rice cooked on the same day or better still...leftover rice, you can turn it into fried rice! A frugal transformation.

Hey, thinking about this, isn't this similar to tossing partially cooked pasta into the sauce to let it finish cooking in the sauce, absorbing flavors of the sauce at the same time ?

Tag: sardines, sardines fried rice

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Vegetarian Curry Noodles - Prima Taste Curry Lamian

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:05:00 +0000

Following Prima Taste 7-minute Laksa LaMain (Noodles in Aromatic Coconut Soup-Gravy), this Curry LaMian was also introduced in Prima Taste's Easy Gourmet Indulgence product line. Suggested as package instructions, I was supposed to make Curry LaMian like the real Curry Mee (Noodles with Curry Chicken and Potatoes) by adding chicken and potatoes but I went vegetarian with no chicken and potatoes.

Sadly, I think the Curry LaMian failed in taste, compared to the Laksa LaMian that I thought was a hit in terms of authenticity to Singapore Laksa.

The fault is with the Curry LaMian gravy premix and not the vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, peas) that I have added. The gravy just did not taste right.

Even the egg did not save the dish.

It saved the day though, at least there was some food to eat.

Sharing with Presto Pasta Nights #262 with Ruth - Once Upon a Feast; and sharing with Hearth and Soul
Tag: laksa, noodles

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Peanut Butter Noodles with Pea Shoots

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:53:00 +0000

The asparagus and pea shoots (or pea sprouts) do not have any relationship here. They were just sauteed the same way (with onions, garlic, and some chili paste) one after another in the pan, then sharing the same real estate on this plate.

It does smell and taste like spring.

One fine quick lunch, I decided to make peanut butter dressing (1tbsp peanut butter and 1/2 tsp sesame oil) for some cooked noodles.
Since the lightly sauteed pea shoots (above) (Note: you can have the option of using raw pea shoots) and sauteed bean sprouts have also been prepared earlier, Aha...in they go being tossed with the peanut butter dressed noodles.

I was so hungry that I went slurping away! Never would have imagined this kind of combination but it actually turned out good!

As I am a Peanut Butter person, I will definitely be doing more peanut butter dressed noodles in time to come. Kinda like it, very much!

Tag: pea sprouts, pea shoots, peanut butter

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Seven-Spice Seasoned Scallops

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:15:00 +0000

Pan-seared scallops might be the only way to get that golden crust and sear on those scallops. Baking does not work that well, really, in my opinion.

If you are looking for more spice and complexity than the usual salt and black pepper pan-seared scallops, you can look into Japanese 7-spice - Shichimi Togarashi as the alternative.

The spice is not overpowering and the citrus notes (orange peel) in the spice elevates and complements the uber-umami savory-sweet in the scallops.

Pairing them with quinoa makes my meal so so complete and satisfying!

Just prepare your favorite quinoa veggie combination and voila! Salad of quinoa and veggies served with scallops.

What a meal!

Tag: scallops, quinoa

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See's Candies Mother's Day Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:12:00 +0000

In conjunction with Mother's Day, See's Candies is offering beautiful and elegant Mother's Day Gifts such as the Keepsake Collection, Keepsake Box and Petite Keepsake Box. Not only is the gift-wrapping beautiful and nicely-themed, the Assorted Chocolates and Blueberry Truffles , for example, are such yummy treats for Moms. As all said, pretty to see, yummy to eat - perfect!
Of course, if your Mom is not easily wow-ed by pretty packaging, but is a gourmet when it comes to food, go ahead and pick your Mom's favorites by creating a custom mix box. Mom likes mint but I do not want her to have them too sweet, so the Dark Peppermint it shall be, a balance of both our desires. Mom will always share her chocolates, so I can even pick a few of my own favorites and get to enjoy my favorites when she shares her chocolates around. The 1-lb custom mix box should be just right for sharing the joy in a small family.

In addition to showing appreciation to Mom, don't forget your teachers! The neatly-designed Thank-You box (choice of Assorted Chocolates or Nuts & Chews) aptly conveys the message of recognition and appreciation to your teacher(s).

A better channel variety with Direct TV

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:10:00 +0000

I remembered that when I first moved to the United States, one of the things I missed was Chinese/Mandarin TV shows, be it drama, documentary and variety shows. In my first rental apartment, the leasing office allowed installation of a satellite dish as long as nothing was drilled into the roof or walls. We got ready a tripod-like stand in the apartment balcony and in a short time, had direct tv satellite installed.
After the satellite was adjusted and attuned to the channels that I paid for, and when I successfully received those channels, I started enjoying this simple "luxury". They were not the same Chinese/Mandarin channels I watched back home in Singapore but it was better as they were my favorite TVB channels with dramas and variety shows.

Since we moved to the second rental, we did not continue directtv service anymore as we rented a small apartment unit from a private owner (his home), and did not have the liberty to do that. There is a variety of channels packages currently offered by www.dx3.net including Entertainment, Choice, Choice Xtra, Choice Ultimate and Premium, a better variety than what we have last time. So if you are a huge sports fan or enjoy premium entertainment, you can certainly get very good deals now.

This is a sponsored/paid post. All opinions offered in this post are my own

Broccoli Stir-Fry Brown Beech Mushrooms - 西兰花清炒本占地菇

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:34:00 +0000

These soft-tender moist brown beech mushrooms 本占地菇 not only marries well with tender perfectly cooked broccoli; they also lend hints of earthy notes to the fresh broccoli.

Brown beech mushrooms are available in Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) supermarkets in California - e.g. 99 Ranch, Mitsuwa. I have not had any luck in Whole Foods Market, Trader Joes, or Sprouts supermarket at this time.

Broccoli and Brown Beech Mushrooms Stir-Fry 西兰花清炒本占地菇
Prepare 2 stalks green onions (white part and green part separated, and finely chopped), 1 tbsp finely minced garlic, 2-3 thin slices ginger, 1 pack organic beech mushrooms, and 2-3 handfuls broccoli florets lightly blanched.

Heat a little cooking oil in a pan or wok, fry and aromatize white portions of the green onions, and ginger, then add in mushrooms and garlic and saute.

Add 1/2 tsp of soy sauce into the mushrooms mixture and fry briskly. Add 2-3 tbsp of water during saute, cover the pan so that the steam will cook the mushrooms. After about 8 minutes, the mushrooms are cooked, add in blanched broccoli, and green parts of green onions, saute to combine well. Allow the remaining liquid in the pan to sizzle (and evaporate) . Ground white pepper to taste.

This can be such a grease-less saute/stir-fry that is no lack of fresh flavors.

Sharing with Hearth and Soul

Tag: broccoli, mushrooms, beech mushrooms

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Free Samples Website

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:28:00 +0000

Almost six months ago, I was recommended by a friend about a free samples website that I eventually signed up for. Everyday, an email will be sent to me about the free sample of the day - be it personal care products, food products and even books (most often e-books!). Though I found some useful items especially travel-size personal care products such as hair shampoo, conditioner and even moisturizer that I can take with me whenever I make short trips; the variety offered was limited after an extended period. I found that I have not registered for any free samples of a long time.

This free-samples website that I found out recently is different. It not only offers online freebies by mail including free books online, the variety of products is also more extensive including clothes, food, health, music, movies, perfume, pet food and travel. That is because the website lists all kinds of free samples including free trial offers, special deals, and online freebies for wide-ranging product categories. For example, ReallyFreeSamples.com lists deals such as FREE Chicken Fajita at Tacos Cabana and FREE Red Velvet Cake Cream Ice @Rita's Italian Ice recently that really makes a foodie smile.

This is a sponsored post by PayPerPost. All opinions offered in this post are my own

HappyCall Pan (HCP) Fried Rice

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:24:00 +0000

Guess what I brought back from my recent Singapore trip? A HappyCall Pan(HCP), with compliments from Mom. :)

The HappyCall Pan is a pan (not an electric appliance), so there were no worries about me having voltage/power issues over in the US.

Well, I know that gas stove is like the norm in Singapore home kitchens; likewise, the HCP demo on TV is mainly using the pan over the gas stove. So another concern was using the pan over an electric stove, as most rental apartments here in the Bay Area, California is "furnished" with an electric stove in the kitchen - I do not fancy electric stove but no choice. So, HCP on the electric stove - Does it work? Will it work?

It worked. But deep inside me, I knew the heat generated and control from the electric vs gas stove; is different.

I started with something easy. Fry some leftover rice or rather, leftover quinoa, to test the "heat".

Initially, the heat was set to low and it seems nothing was cooking, or even heating up. Then the dial on the stove was adjusted to medium before cooking started. So I guess medium-low (rather than low-medium) or medium should be the ideal spot for this pan.

What shall I cook next?

Tag: happycall pan, fried rice

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Payday Loans at Sunrisefinance.com

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:20:00 +0000

One of the major differences in the fact(s) of life after we moved to the United States was the importance of credit score here. In most parts of Asia, a credit score scale or rating is uncommon. But it is very different in the US. A credit score, especially a low score, can make or break your day. It even deters you from purchasing a house due to the very unfavorable mortgages rates that the bank is going to quote you if your credit score is low. This makes it a case of whether it makes sense to buy the house rather than if it is affordable to buy the house.

A credit score in the United States is a number representing how credit-worthy a person is - the ability or likelihood that person will timely pay his or her debts. It is a scale or rating that lenders look at then assess how a person's finances are conducted, how timely are (previous) loan payments and end of the day, helps lenders determine how risky it is to lend. But, unlike many other loans such as mortgage and auto loans that need to run credit checks on applicants, payday loan does not need to go through this step. Even if you have a bad credit (low credit score rating), you qualify for payday loans at sunrisefinance.com, with instant approval and fast payment, as long as you have a steady income, a checking or saving account and maybe a few good references.

Payday loan is a term that I never really understood till I read more from the site. It is a short-term loan advanced through a payday loan provider to cover expenditures in-between pay periods for various reasons, including medical bills, car repairs and other unexpected expenses. The key word, is of course - unexpected. For regular planned expenditures, it is always good not to take up any loans. Plan wisely and go a long way.

This is a sponsored post by PayPerPost. All opinions offered in this post are my own

Grow a kitchen garden with Williams-Sonoma's Agrarian Collection

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:02:00 +0000

What is Williams-Sonoma's Agrarian Collection ? First of all, what is Agrarian? Agrarian supports a lifestyle of healthy living - bringing homegrown and homemade to the everyday table. In short, it is about do-it-yourself (DIY) cheese-making, or growing a kitchen garden, for example.

Start small with pots of herbs or go as big as raising chicken in chicken coops; enjoy Free Shipping at Williams-Sonoma on all orders over $49 with promo code SHIP4FREE! Limited time only

As I currently do not have a backyard, maybe I can start small with a few pots of herbs :)

Start planning your kitchen garden with Williams-Sonoma now!

Clear Mushroom (Shiitake, Woodear) Soup - 菇类清汤

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:11:00 +0000

When I conjured the image of this clear mushroom soup (coincidentally, a dish conceptualized while cooking Mushrooms with Udon), there came Chef Ming Tsai in Dr. Oz show talking about a super mushroomy soup for super immunity

Pureed thick cream-based mushroom soup or light, clear-broth mushroom soup for you? I like both but can definitely down a few more bowls of clear soups any day, so clear broth mushroom soup for me, please!

Mushrooms being superfood, is not new to me. Different varieties seem to call different benefits e.g. shiitake mushrooms for boosting immunity (e..g Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Soup), and crimini mushrooms as the secret to weight-loss (Source: Dr. Oz show)

However, mushrooms especially fresh shiitake mushrooms do not come cheap e.g 6-8 pieces of fresh shiitake mushrooms grown locally, cost about $2.80 or more. So many times, when more flavors are required to pump up a dish especially a soup, a mixture of other mushrooms such as woodear, and crimini can be added.

Vegetarian Clear-Broth Mushrooms Medley Soup 菇类清汤
In a lightly oiled and heated pot, aromatize 1-2tbsp finely minced onion, 1 tsp minced ginger for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and sweat for about 2 minutes. Add a mixture of thinly sliced mushrooms - 3 shiitake, 3 crimini, 5 woodear and continue to sweat, cover the pot and allow the steam to slightly cook the mushrooms. Add in 1tsp soy sauce and 2-3 drops cooking wine. After about 2-3 minutes, add in water/stock to constitute the soup. Allow to come to boil and after that, turn down heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add in frozen corn (already thawed), then garnish with green onions. Ground white pepper to taste.

Note: Non-vegetarians can opt to pump up the proteins by using shrimps. Before aromatizing the onions + ginger + garlic, saute the shrimps in the pot and then set aside after cooked. Return the shrimps to the soup before serving.

Sharing this soup with Souper Sunday

Tag: mushrooms, shiitake mushroom,woodear mushrooms, mushroom soup

An Escape to Food on Facebook

Beer Infused Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (tigerfish) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:07:00 +0000

The Pac-Man Apron and LEGO Man Aviator Lunch Bag make my list for Geek Toys 2012. Well, toys with the "munchie" "foodie aspects" are typically what I am looking for, particularly in geek toys. Another exciting product (that is really edible!) is the Beer Infused Ice Cream with ice-cream flavors - such as Guinness, Ten Penny Ale, Thomas Hooker, and even Samual Adams. These frozen treats will certainly make waves this coming summer. Also fun for summer will be this Cuisinart CPM-950 Easy Pop Plus Popcorn Maker that allows you to create your summer popcorn flavors.

In addition to these interesting geek toys and product news, GeekAlerts.com also offer many chances to save, and save big - by using online coupons, promotion codes, and discounts for online stores. For example, using these Petsmart coupons, a gateway of special sale deals is opened up such as 10% off order $60 or more, up to 75% off Petsmart.com's clearance center, or free shipping on order $49 or more.

An avid shopper at Amazon and not being able to keep up with this massive Internet superstore for discount deals and extra savings? GeekAlerts.com not only offers Amazon promotional code for discounted online shopping, it also lists down all the best shopping bargains and cheap deals available at Amazon - just to make shopping a better experience for you.