Midori, Mutiara Damansara

It was after dinner and Serena was craving for something sweet..

We didn't know where to go and ended up at Mutiara Damansara. I recalled there's Midori at Cineleisure ..

Remembering xiulongbao's post on it and since we're standing right in fornt of Midori, might as well try what they got to offer right?

There was quite a number of us, I didn't manage to take pictures of all the desserts, just took those around me..hehe

Ellery wanted to have kau (aka strong) green tea..hence he ordered Green Tea with Milk (RM7.50)out rather diluted, he said it was not bitter enough...

I had the Zenzai Green Tea Ice Cream with dumplings and red bean paste (RM9.90)The ice cream was nice; creamy and bitter tinged with the delicate fragrance of green tea. The red bean paste was rather thick and sweet..the first few bites, it tasted lovely as it balanced very well with the green tea ice cream. However, after a while, it just gets richer and richer in flavour..so rich that I had a hard time finishing this bowl of dessert. The dumplings? Bad.Very bad. So hard, if you threw it at a puppy, might just kill it.

Serena had Kakigori with Green Tea sauce, Redbean paste and Milk (RM9.90)This looks so pretty, too good to be eaten..hehe. Bottom of the bowl was shaved ice (kakigori) with jelly, dusted with green tea powder and a generous serving of red bean paste. Topped with milky soft serve and drizzled with green tea sauce, I must say that this dessert is extremely delectable. The sweetness from the red beans matched the bitter green tea powder and the no sugar (almost), very creamy, extremely milky soft serve ice cream perfectly. Very yums...

Dragon girl had Kakigori with strawberry sauce and Milk(RM10.90)

Essentially the same method of preparation as Serena's, Dragon's version was shaved ice topped with fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce and milky soft serve. The flavours tasted heavenly together, I was actually quite surprise. I was never a big fan of anything cook/ made from strawberries as I felt that it's more of an artificial flavouring rather than using the real thing. But this, I must say, was lip smacking. Serena loved the milky soft serve so much that she requested for a plain soft served. I could see that she enjoyed it very much.. The rest of my friends ordered Mitsu with fruits and kanten jelly, Mitsu with dumplings, fruits and kanten jelly, hot green tea with milk (soft serve).

I'll definitely come back again for the desserts, especially the kakigoris..

Midori also serves some basic bentos for those who wants to have more than just desserts ;)

Midori is located at Lot 143, 143A, 153A, 1103A, 1st floor, Cineleisure Damansara, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya. Tel: 7729 2143

Tag! I'm it!

This morning, I opened my blog to check for posts and comments (lurkers, please come forward!) and found that I had bee tagged by Natalie over at Gluten-Free Mommy with the "8 random things" meme. Early in my blog I responded to another similar meme, but I think I have come up with 8 other random things, but if any of these are repeats, I apologize.

1. I appeared on the old Family Feud (the one with Richard Dawson), and our family won for 5 episodes in a row. I even got to kiss Richard Dawson (who didn't?!) It was great fun and I got to see Rodeo Drive, and the famous Coast highway.

2.I love music, almost all kinds. You might be surprised that my musical taste is as diverse as George Michael, Enya, and Rage Against the Machine (usually on the way home at the end of a bad day!)

3. I was the founding Drill Team captain at my high school in Winchester VA. I loved it because I got to march in the huge Shenandoah Apple Blossom Parade.

4. I once got Lucille Ball's autograph (she was the Grand Marshall of the Apple Blossom Festival one year, and she signed mine and said to me "that is the color hair I was going for!")

5. While I grew up in the Woodstock and heavy metal era, my sole live concert experience was taking my girls to see Hanson (of MmmBop fame)

6. I have started a list of things I want to do before I die (you need this before you get too old to do them!)

7. I have never dyed my hair (I have had some high- and low-lights added, but of all the things about myself I have wanted to change, my hair color has never been one of them)

8.I delivered a neighbor's baby (that baby is now 24!) at home when she waited too long to go to the hospital (My own son was only weeks old at the time). It was an awe-inspiring experience and for years I wanted to be a midwife.

I know that this meme has traveled around quite a bit, but if you read this and would like to participate, link back here and bare your soul!

Inconsiderate B***h!!

Note: This is a pissy post, if you're looking for food posting, you can skip this.. ;p

_______________________________________________________________________

Why oh why am I always surrounded by inconsiderate b****es? First the toilet incident, and now this...

Today must be my lucky day...

I took half day off from work to settle some personal stuff... I rushed to the car, it was raining heavily and I was getting soaked..

This kelisa double parked right in front of my car, I thought, All right, just give it a push. Out of my car's way. To my utter disgust, this smart @$$ driver pulled her handbrake and her car was basically..well, parked!!

How could she do that?!? If you want to double park at carpark, ain't it basic courtesy to leave your car in a mobile state?

While I cursed and swore, the parking attendant could do nothing but told me to wait. How could I wait when I am rushing to run some errands? And I purposely applied for leave just for this! I resorted to taking a cab, and since it was raining heavily, no cab wanted to take me, unless I paid a fixed price..F**k!

So now I'm done with my errands, am at home but without my car. Need to find way back to my car to drive it back tonight. Man, I really wanna curse that b***h. Hopes that she would PK. And no, I didnt scratch her car. I wanted to leave a note on her car, to tell her of her pea brained behaviour, most unfortunately, the heavy rain prevented me from doing so. I hope the parking attendant would pass the message.

How do I know it's a her? Well, it's decorated with flowers and soft toys. Else, this is one feminine dude...

The moral of the story? For those who double parked (esp for the whole freaking day), please, please leave your car mobile. You may cause lotsa inconvenience (and frustration) to another person..

Camping, Episode 3: Adventures, Culinary and Otherwise

One of the most important ingredients of a successful camping trip, besides the weather is the food. When you head to Crabtree Falls there are lots of food and wine resources to draw on in addition to what you bring yourself. In the heart of Virginia wine country we have visited a number of the local vineyards such as Wintergreen Winery, Veritas Vineyard, Mountain Cove Vineyard, and one of my favorites, Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery, where native fruits are turned into wines and meads. I have to say, for fun, while the other vineyards have more traditional wines, Hilltop Berry Farm and Winery is a family business and has some of the most enthusiastic and welcoming emissaries for Virginia fruit wines that there can possibly be. I learned a lot about mead and who can't like a place where they make persimmon wine?

For food, there is our favorite Thai restaurant Thai Siam (pictured right), where we stopped for a delicious lunch. Some friends of ours who travel to Wintergreen have been known to drive all the way to Thai Siam and take a night at Wintergreen just to enjoy what they call the best Thai food they have ever had! Another favorite place is the Colleen Drive-In which serves hamburgers and some of the best onion rings that I have had. It is an old-style type of drive-in (the kind I remember from my youth), that also serves real milkshakes (okay, so I'm not watching my diet when I go camping, setting up camp burns a lot of calories).

Since we anticipated it taking longer to set up camp, we planned for hot dogs for dinner, Nathan dogs to be exact, roasted on sticks over the wood fire. They turned out great and we ate all but one. After a walk to the river and many trips up to the camp store to catch up with Sue and Dave's news and for the girls to play with baby Jonathan, and several card games (including BS and Speed), we went to bed. Normally, we wake at first light, but we were so relaxed we slept in until 7:30, and Gavin made the fire and played some rounds of speed to let the girls sleep in. By the time we started breakfast, Andrew arrived with his girlfriend, who was about to enjoy her first camping experience. I had planned pancakes, breakfast sausage that Gavin and "good David" had brought back from Cibola Farms, and a fruit salad of cantaloupe, mango and other mixed fruit. The sausage was great and we had fresh maple syrup with our stacks of pancakes, and amazingly everyone was out of appetite before I was out of food.

The rest of the day was spent walking to the second overlook at the Falls (with temps in the 90's we decided not to make the trek to the top this trip), and a trip to Saunders Brothers to stock up on the delicious produce and products that they carry (you can see what we came home with right). We got a peck of Mr. Carson peaches, some hot chow chow, some Bing black cherry cider, some raspberry chipotle sauce, and some caramel corn puffs and peach gum balls for the kids. We cooled off by going for a dip in the chilling waters of the Tye River (see Andrew, Bridget and Molly hamming it up, left).

Our dinner was flank steak that I had frozen in a marinade of red wine and italian salad dressing, Feta potatoes, and green beans with bacon and onions. By the time I got food on the table, it was a struggle to keep everyone out of the food long enough to get a picture (you can see that clearly at right!)

Our excitement for the evening was a quick pack up of non-essentials to avoid an evening thunder and lightning and rain storm. After the worst of the lightning was over we retired to our tent (covered by the rainfly and a huge tarp) and got a good night's sleep (except for Andrew who slept in the car (we only had one extra tarp and we used that to cover Jess's tent). We began packing up and I fixed a steak omelet and made hash browns out of the leftover feta potatoes, and browned some turkey bacon. Along with our percolated coffee (that could be smelled all across the campground), it made a perfect meal.

We were on the road back home by 11 AM, and after a stop at the Charlottesville Whole Foods, we made our way home. Despite the heat and rain, it was a great weekend and we are already planning for a September and October trip to the mountains.

Feta Potatoes

2 lbs potatoes with skin, cut in chunks (red or yukon gold are best, but any will do)

1/2 stick butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup feta broken into pieces

3-4 tablespoons fresh chopped chives (yes, I carried cut fresh chives with me to the wilderness!)

Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and add butter, salt and pepper and feta. Stir until feta is distributed then sprinkle chives over and mix in. Enjoy!

Banana Boats

1 banana for each person served

chocolate chips

mini marshmallows

On the inside curve of the banana, pull a strip of peel down, but do not disconnect. using a teaspoon, scoop out a trench from the banana, and fill with a mixture of marshmallows and chocolate chips. Cover back up with peel. Wrap in foil and put on perimeter of fire for 10 minutes, turning periodically until chocolate an marshmallows are melted. Eat with a spoon (with Redi-whip, if desired). Great alternative to s'mores as a camping dessert!

Bonjuk, KL

I think most floggers wrote about Bonjuk already. Heck, even the papers did a write up recently on Bonjuk. Nonetheless, I had these photos of Bonjuk porridge sitting in my folder for a couple of months already, it's high time I have it cleared..hehe

One chilly evening, just after a heavy downpour, we thought hot, porridge would be the ultimate comfort food, hence Bonjuk comes to mind...

SF wanted something spicier, and her being a fan of kimchi, ordering was rather easy for her... Octopus and Kimchi porridge..Nicely tinged with the colour and flavour of kimchi, the porridge was generously laden with chopped octopus. Slightly on the spicier side, tasty nonetheless..

SL had the Seafood combo porridge..It was a decent porridge with chopped seafood; squids, prawns..Rather sweet too, from all the chopped vegetables, I presumed boiled for a couple of hours as it was soft and mushy..

I had the ginseng chicken porridge.. Again, the same vegetables porridge was used as the base porridge..My order was generously filled with shredded chicken and a ginseng was placed in the center. The porridge had a very strong chicken flavour, so strong that it almost covered the taste of the ginseng. I was a tad disappointed as I loved the slight bitter taste if ginseng. Would have tasted better (well, at least for me ;p) if this had a stronger ginseng flavour.

Bollywood Queen had the Mushroom and Oyster porridge.. Would you just look at that? Lovely aint it? So much mushrooms and fresh oysters..dang! I should have ordered this instead. I took a spoonful of this porridge and it's so very delicious..The oysters were very fresh, springy to the bite and no fishy smell at all. The mushrooms, sliced thick, enhances the porridge with it's subtle woody flavour.. I will definitely order this the next time I come..

All orders are also served with side dishes. Which you can request for refills..BQ likes the shredded beef, which tasted very much like beef jerky, albeit, a more tender version. The chilli was tasty too..mix it with the porridge, you'll get another flavour from the porridge altogether..Our total bill was RM57.80.

Some may find Bonjuk too plain for their liking, but I personally find this tasty; in a simple, back to basics sort of way..:)

Bonjuk is located at 18, Ground floor, Jalan 25/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 KL. Tel: 03-23002302. No pork served. In the midst of getting halal certification (that was a few months back, might be halal by now..)

Camping Episode 2- On the Road Again...to Crabtree Falls!

As I stated in my last post, a successful camping trip depends on two things- preparation, and the weather. We have developed a fairly organized method of packing that we have perfected since we downsized from a mini-van to a "cross-over" vehicle to save gas (Making final preparations, right). We use a Sears rooftop car carrier that we have now had for about 12 years, to give us more room inside the car. The rooftop carrier holds our tents, air mattresses and sleeping bags and our camping chairs and tarps (for the appearance of any inclement weather). In the car goes a plastic container with locking lid for all our packaged food ingredients, another lidded box called the "chuckwagon" that holds all out camping pots and pans and food preparation equipment, and then another container that holds all the camping related gear (tent stakes, lanterns and flashlights, camp axe, matches, etc.) The last thing to be packed is the cooler which holds frozen bottled water (cools food and provides really cold water for hiking, excursions), all food ingredients and meat (frozen) and staples like butter or cream cheese, and snacks like hummus and pimento cheese all sealed with my Foodsaver (keeps air and water out). Our fully packed car is pictured left.

Over the years, we have developed a list of must-haves for packing- PAM makes cleanup of camping pans much easier, different sizes of Zip-Loc bags (for leftovers), extra batteries (for everything), a hammock (we have a great Mayan hammock that we ordered from Hammocks.com and tree-straps that allow you to hang it wherever there are two trees), and our luxury item, a queen-sized camp bed that folds up to a 12x12x36 case with wheels (the older you get the harder it is to get up off the tent floor). We have a propane camp stove that is almost 12 years old, a propane lantern (great for lighting up the entire camp site area to minimize chance of falling over the many trip hazards in the wilderness) and a bag full of water shoes essential if you want to traverse creeks, streams rivers and lakes with slippery rock bottoms! We also have a tent that is a large cabin tent with clear skylights that give you the feeling of sleeping under the stars without the bugs!

We packed up the rooftop carrier the night before and only had the car to pack early Friday morning with a target of leaving by 8 AM to get to Crabtree Falls Campground by noon (we were out of the driveway by 8:30!). As I stated in my previous post, we have been going to CTFC since Molly was about 2 years old (she is now 12!), and going there is like going to visit family. Their motto "Just west of nowhere, straight south of heaven" pretty much captures camping at Crabtree Falls Campground. Dave and Sue Mathes are the owners, and they treat their campers like family. The campsites there put the emphasis on the natural beauty on the banks of the Tye River, with trees preserved in favor of concrete pads to provide campsites that surround you with greenery rather than concrete and satellite dishes. Sue and Dave have a camp store, a game room (pictured left-very popular during bad weather), restrooms, a playground for kids and a bathhouse, but there are no swimming pools, or satellite TV, or organized activities (except Sunday chapel for those who want to attend). But frankly, who needs them? There is Crabtree Falls to hike, rock-hopping on the Tye River, sitting around the fire, great places to go about 30 minutes away like Saunders Brothers orchard and farm market (home of the famous peach slushie!) or if you want company, you can go up to the camp store and talk to the proprietors or their daughter Christy and her son (he's the little bald one with the really cute smile!) They can tell you the best places to go, how to get there, tell you all about the area, and funny (and some not so funny) stories about their experiences as the owners of this family campground.

Another thing we really like about Crabtree Falls is the weather. Usually you can go in August and the nights will be cool enough to sleep comfortably and the Tye River is still bracingly cool. However, this weekend was supposed to be unseasonably hot, with chance of the tyope of afternoon thundershowers that come with those temps. Yet we were not deterred. The chance to relax in the mountains was just too appealing, and unless they were calling for a constant deluge, by God, we were going!

The drive was relatively uneventful, we were on the road before Friday tourist traffic was bad, so we made good time. We stopped at Saunder's to get some hot pepper jelly (it turned out that they had mild pepper jelly and peach-jalapeno (we opted for the latter to go with our goat cheese on crackers) and Asian pears, and then hit Thai Siam on the way up the mountain for lunch (incredible authentic Thai food in the middle of nowhere) and we at the campground by 11, and had camp set up by 12, thanks to exceptional camp set-up specialists Bridget and Molly. While Gavin gathered wood, unpacked the car and got the fire going (maybe a bit redundant at 90 degrees, but a tradition, all the same) the girls and I set up the tent, inflated air mattresses, set up the camp kitchen, and otherwise made our home away from home. It was a great start to a well-earned vacation, and while a bit later in the season than usual, a great first chapter of our 2007 camping experiences.

Coming next- Adventures in camping (and of course, the food!)

Ipoh Road Yong Tau Foo, KL

Eric was in office recently, we decided to meet for lunch before he moves to his new office..

I didnt wanna think much and asked him for suggestions..

Ipoh Road YTF?

Sure! Why not right?

It was a scorching afternoon and the place is already packed with customers, all busy gobbling down their YTF..

We managed to get parking and seats quite promptly despite the crowd and we ordered..

Fried sui kow and fried foo chook.. both very crunchy, generously filled with fish paste which was rather springy in texture. Dipped in a mixed of chilli and bean sauce, this is one lip smacking YTF!

We also had the usual mix of white tau foo, brinjal, ladies fingers, bittergourd and chilli..All tasted very fresh, huge in portions and served in a thick, saucy broth which goes really well with the YTF. My all time fave when it comes to YTF would always be the stuffed brinjal and Ipoh Road's definitely gets my stamp of approval ;). Also, I like them arranging the YTF prettily before it was serve..

Yes, I'm the weirdo who notices irrelevant things like that..haha

The soup sui kow paled in comparison to it's fried counterpart, the skin was a tad thick. The filling, nonetheless, tasted very fresh..

Pigs that we are, we also ordered paper wrapped chicken. You can skip this. Marination was not very sufficient and the meat was tough! Spare your tummy for other YTFs...have paper wrapped chook at Balakong instead...hehe

What I liked about Ipoh Road's YTF (other than their tasty, huge portions) would be their sauces. Usually, we'll get a slightly diluted chilli and sweet bean sauce. But their version, well, it's thick and tasty. Yumz..Ipoh Road YTF is located at 67, Jalan Segambut, KL. Tel:62526473.

Chong Thoong Kee, TTDI, KL

I've been eating here for a few years already.. a usual brunch place for lily and me before we go for sunday shopping. Famed for it's kaishi hor fun (shredded chicken with flat noodles) and poached chicken, Chong Thoong Kee does get pretty packed during lunch time..

Our usual orders would be the noodles soup (we added prawn wantan..kar liu..hehe) Smooth flat noodles, lotsa tender chicken shred, fresh succulent prawns, chopped spring onions and quite lovely broth makes this a satisfying brunch for me :). Prawn wantan mediocre though. Maybe quite a lot of MSG too coz I do get quite thirsty after the meal.. *aiks*

Sometimes, when we are rather carnivoruos, we will add in an order of poached chicken..Smooth chicken skin and springy meat to the bite. I do find the oyster sauce a tad salty for my liking though.. But overall, still a very satisfying meal.

I think I prefer TK Chong's (in Damansara Perdana) poached chicken and noodles better, but if you are around Taman Tun around and ran out of idea on what to eat, do give Chong Thoong Kee a try :). CTK is located next to the Taman Tun Market. Turn at the market (market on your left), take the first left turn. You'll see the shop on your right

Camping- Episode 1: The Preparation

Finally, the work on our rental house is done, our new tenants are safely moved in, and we can try to salvage what is left of the summer. Usually by this time we have been camping 3 or 4 times, but this summer has not been typical. Now before I talk about how to prepare for camping, let me tell you how we got started. About 15 years ago when we had 5 children at home, we could never afford to go on vacation because we needed to rent either a suite or two rooms because fire codes would not allow us to stay in one room, so even going someplace overnight was prohibitively expensive. When Costco (the Price Club) first opened here they had a whole aisle of camping gear and we thought, "wouldn't this be a great way to take an affordable vacation with the kids?" And so we bought a cabin tent, sleeping bags, a propane stove and lantern, with the very best of intentions. And these items (except the sleeping bags) sat boxed in our garage for almost 3 years. The problem? While I camped a lot as a Girl Scout and my husband had camped before, it was mostly pup tents and hot dogs on sticks, but when you are taking children, there is so much more involved.

Luckily, some friends of ours who at that time had no children told us about a great place to go and invited us to go with them... and a tradition was formed. We have been going to Crabtree Falls Campground for over 11 years (Molly was a young toddler when we went the first time), and we have adopted its owners (and they, us) as part of our family. Right there by the Tye River, there are no phones, no TV, (even no wireless) just the people you love , good food and great scenery. It makes for a great vacation that helps recharge your batteries.

Now , back to the preparation. If you think stocking your pantry and planning meals at home takes time, camping, unless it is near a metropolitan area (and then what is the point?!) takes some planning. But careful planning at the front end will make you trip and camping meals very enjoyable. There are lots of sites you can go to that will help provide packing lists for what you need and suggestions for food and recipes for camping. I created my own on the computer based on what we like to take and what we need to enjoy a long weekend in the wilderness. A car-top carrier holds our cabin tent, camp chairs, air mattresses and sleeping bags. The cargo area of the car holds a container for food, cooler, the camp box with equipment (lanterns, camp ax, matches, etc) and, our luxury item - a queen sized folding camp bed (the older you get the harder it is to get off the ground!)

Since this trip is just the Core Four (seen left, camping last fall), we don't need as much gear, or as much food. We have planned meals and snacks, and what we plan to do (hike Crabtree Falls, go to Saunders Brothers nursery, and spend lots of time rocking in the hammock reading a book!) So, the bottom line is that I will not be posting for a few days, but when I get back I will post pictures of our adventure, and share the recipes and how-tos for a successful foray into the wilderness!

Dinner and a DVD (WCC)- "How do you like your grits?"

When I saw that Paige over at Chef-girl was hosting WCC and her theme was Dinner and a DVD, I knew right away what movie I wanted to feature. It is one of my family's favorite movies, one that you can see over and over again, and still it makes you laugh - My Cousin Vinny. While it does have some raw language, my kids understand that there is "movie language" and "our language", and if you are really concerned, a family friendly version can be caught on TBS or ABC Family from time to time. And this movie is a classic comedy based on the cultural differences that can occur right here in our own country, classic fish out of water comedy.

There are so many hilarious moments in this movie - the famous interaction between the Judge (The Munsters' Fred Gwynne) and Vinny (Joe Pesci) when Vinny asks about the "two yutes" seen leaving the scene of the crime, to Marisa Tomei's insistence on finding good Chinese food in backwoods Alabama, to to comedy of misunderstandings that occur when Attorney Vinny first meets Billy Gambini's friend Stan Rothenstein in their jail cell. It is easy to see how Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for her performance in this movie, since she is touching and hilarious all at the same time!

But what does this movie have to do with food? Well, one of my favorite scenes is when Vinny and girlfriend Lisa go to a local diner for breakfast. They look at the menu only to find the choices are Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Then there is their culture shock when they try to find out what the white substance on their plate is (grits). That scene is the inspiration for my entry- I made Breakfast a la Vinny Gambini by way of Ala- f-ing- bama (Vinny' words, not mine).

I pulled a recipe for grits from my Entertaining on the Run cookbook by Marlene Sorosky, a really great go-to cookbook with ideas for events for everything from kids' birthday parties to Sunday football suppers to elegant company meals. I have made many dishes from this cookbook, and they have all been big hits. I did tweak the recipe a bit adding some chopped sauteed onions and bacon bits and some prepared con queso sauce.

If you are a Northerner, or otherwise not knowledgeable about grits, you can either watch the diner cook explain to Vinny what they are or check out the Wikipedia entry on grits. Suffice it to say they are very similar to polenta, and are versatile as a side dish.

Breakfast consisted of cheese grits, eggs over easy, and bacon, much like what Vinny and Lisa ate in the Beechum County diner. However, in deference to Vinny's concern in the movie of the "ongoing cholesterol problem in our country" (when he sees the diner cook putting a fist-sized blob of lard onto the griddle), I used turkey bacon.

My Cousin Vinny's Cheesy Breakfast Grits

1/2 medium onion chopped

2 cups chicken boullion
1 cup quick grits (not instant)

2 tablespoons Goya Cilantro Sauce (My husband bought this without knowing what to do with it, but we love ethnic ingredients and it added a great taste to the grits)

2 tablespoons Con queso sauce (I know, its a cop-out but delicious and easy!)

2 slices bacon, crumbled

2 tablespoons butter

Two tablespoons flaxseed meal (optional)- Note: we are adding this as much as possible to boost fiber and raise the "good" cholesterol- and it adds a nice texture without masking the existing flavors of a dish- great to add to cereal, pancake batter, etc.

Put butter in pan, add onions and cilantro sauce, stir until onions are soft and then add chicken boullion. Bring mixture to boil and stir in grits, lower heat and cook about 5 minutes. Stir in con queso sauce and bacon bits until smooth and cheesy. Serve with breakfast meat and eggs for a real southern meal.

Note: Grits are very versatile, you could also serve these with shrimp for dinner or with barbecue or roasted chicken. Also you could mix in a couple of eggs, put in a greased casserole, top with cheese and bake for a side dish casserole or a delicious breakfast casserole.

Ratatouille the movie..

I watched it yesterday..and I absolutely loved it!!

Food, food, food galore! Love the details, the story (though not believable....hehe) and everything about it.. You could just feel what Remy was trying to tell..to feel :)

Go watch, you wont regret it unless you dont enjoy food..*gasp*

The 21st century hunter-gatherer

Not all great experiences with food involve cooking. There is the joy that comes from planting tiny seeds lovingly in the ground, tending them carefully and watching as sun, rain and time yield tantalizing tomatoes, or fresh basil, or whatever crop you have been adventurous enough to plant.Whether you plant the back forty, or a windowsill pot of herbs, or a patio tomato, nothing tastes better than food you have grown yourself.

For those who hunt, they enjoy the pursuit and preparation of the perfect prey.

Carefully tracking and hunting a wild turkey, or a white-tailed deer, whether using a hunting rifle or bow and arrow, there is a special pride these people take in being able to pit themselves against nature and winning (I speak here about real hunters, who hunt for food, not just sport).
However, modern life for most of us does not require the same physical work that it did for our ancestors to find and and accumulate food, but there is still something very primal and satisfying in the modern equivalent of hunting-gathering...grocery shopping. Today, after two months of focusing on the renovation of our rental house, when we just ran out to get the bare necessities and ate out of our freezer, and our pantry began to look like Old Mother Hubbard's, we made a shopping list, grabbed the checkbook and became 21st century hunter-gatherers. An essential pre-shopping ritual is the cleaning of the refrigerator and pantry. Throwing out the questionable or unidentifiable, organizing the scores of condiments and making room in my produce drawers, is necessary (and, in a sick way, rewarding!) to make room for the bounty to come. While this can be a time-consuming (and disgusting) job, there is something so nice about seeing all the clean jars and containers organized- cheeses and dairy together, eggs neatly installed in neat rows in the egg-keeper, meats in the freezer separated by pork, beef, seafood, poultry and game (buffalo and venison, primarily). Besides making the fridge look better and making room, it helps to see what we need and what we still have plenty of for planning purposes.

Our first stop- Costco. We were out of not only food but essentials like paper towels and toilet paper, so armed with our Costco card, we braved the savage hoards on a Saturday, making our way through aisle after aisle, picking our way through the lines at the sample tables. At Costco we buy staples like EVOO,peanut butter, bottled water, salad greens, pine nuts, and lots of cheese. We also buy meats like flank steaks, and ground beef, and fish like today's fresh catfish or their fresh wild salmon and smoked salmon. I have to say that I love Costco- they have great prices and carry a lot of the staples you need to have a well-stocked pantry, including really good balsamic vinegar (Kirkland brand) at a great price.

After bringing all out booty back to the house, I had to cut and vacuum seal my big blocks of cheese (makes them last longer, limits mold) and vacuum pack my fish and meat into portions for meals. For this I use one of my favorite gifts from my mom - my Foodsaver. This great for preserving foods, particularly if you shop in bulk, and you can seal steaks or chicken in marinade and freeze to add more flavor.

Enough of a break. Now time to head to the supermarket for canned goods, etc. We really like Kroger for these type of pantry-fillers. They have a great selection, and fabulous prices, and when they run their 10 items for $10 sale, I love to stock up on pantry needs like chickpeas, beans, canned tomatoes and all manner of frozen veggies. They also have a buyer's reward card, that almost always saves us about 20% on our groceries. Luckily the Kroger near us is a much more relaxing shopping experience than Costco (but no samples!) After filling our cart with beans, frozen veggies, Neufchatel, and other assorted items, we headed home again.

What is left? A trip to Tractor Joe to get some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and beets (if he has any left), and to the Entenmann Bread thrift store to pick up Oatnut, pita and rye bread (they carry Arnold bread products) and some Boboli crusts.

This evening, I can open my pantry, my fridge (both of them) and my freezer and see the fruits of my hunting-gathering adventure. Shelves and shelves of choices that will fuel my food play for the weeks to come. While we are lucky enough to never be hard up for food, there is something very special to me about the promise of a full pantry, and the many combinations and new dishes that are waiting on my shelves just waiting for me and my family.

How about you - is food shopping a challenge or a chore? Would you rather shop every day or many time weekly or do you do "the big shop" a time or two a month? Is it a comfort or confounding to have a full pantry and fridge?

Tepi Sawah, Bali

This will be my last post on Bali...did I hear a faint Hurray! somewhere? hehe

We were on our way back from Ubud, when we decided to have dinner. Ketut suggested Tepi Sawah, which he said, serves very good nasi goreng (fried rice). Should we trust his recommendation? There were a few hits, but also misses on his previous recommendations...

Since it's late and we are really hungry...

It's getting pretty dark at Tepi Sawah, do note that the lightning is pretty bad..Yes, it's romantic with dimmed lights, candles and all, but hey, it's so dark at the walkway to the entrance you might trip even before you could enjoy what's in there..

Now, that aside, Tepi Sawah is a cozy restaurant located, yup, you guessed it, next to a paddy field...

We took our time ordering, a compulsory would be the nasi goreng (the whole reason we decided to come anyways..)

The nasi goreng....Ketut was right! It's very tasty, the rice was full of wok hei, the ingredients and spices tasted wonderful. I didnt think that the fried shrimps, fried satay lilit, crackers and egg would swerve my opinion. The rice is nice. Hey, it rhymes! hehe

We decided to have a duck dish as we tried some yummy duck at Bedugul Lakeview previously, think this should be good too..This is the fried duck we had. Looks slighly malnourish coz, again, the ducks and chicken here are, small compared to those in Msia.. Irregardless, this duck tasted amazing! It's so crispy, some parts of the could be eaten! The meat was very well marinated, every bite has the subtle hint of spices while the meat remains tender and juicy...

Bollywood Queen spotted a rather interesting dish, grilled cock fighthing chicken.

So I guess the one we're eating lost the fight eh? I asked the waitress..

She stared at me blankly..Oh, okaayyyy...

We were rather worried that the meat would be tough as afterall, it's a 'sports' chicken..haha..muscly ma.. It smelled fantastic; smoky, salty smell that makes me wanna devour it immediately. The meat was surprising juicy, even juicier than the duck. The skin was grilled until it's crispy, with a lingering smoky aftertaste. A tad spicy with the marination, I would recommend this cock fighthing chicken anytime...

Of course, we didnt realised that the best was yet to come..

Lo and behold, the pork ribs.. This must be one of the best pork ribs (not that I've tried that many) i've ever sunk my teeth in..The exterior was covered with sweet sticky sauce, the meat grilled till slightly charred and had that bit of crispyness to the bite. The meat melts off the bones, so tender yet perfectly marinated. I believe they used a rather young pig(maybe even a piglet?) as the bones are a tad tiny and the meat's texture is very fine. Please please order this..hehe

Total bill was RM145, that's inclusive of 2 more plates of nasi goreng and drinks.

Tepi Sawah is located at Jl Raya Goa Rajah, Br Teges, Peliatan, Ubud 80571 Bali,Indonesia. Tel: (0361) 975656. Email: sumerta@denpasar.wasantara.net.id

New Langsam Cafe, Bali

Jimbaran is famous for it's fresh seafood, beautiful sunset and perfect ambience for the romantic night out..Or so I was told by my friends before I went..

But I had the same warning told repeatedly, by my concerned friends, Be prepared to pay

We were recommended to go to New Langsam Cafe as the restaurant I wanted to go was destroyed by tsunami (or so I was told).

New Langsam Cafe does have a nice ambience, very cozy and romantic. But I went there with 3 other girlfriends, romance was not that important that night..hehe

Got the menu and scanned the price, the price was somewhat like Malaysia's, but their live lobsters and some fish were more expensive than Msia.

We had grilled garoupa..

Flesh was sweet, but I feel that the spices and marination was just too strong, after a few bites, I could hardly taste the fish..

The grilled squid was next.. ..It was fine, springy texture, had the smoky flavour. Though at times can be a tad chewy..

The grilled chicken was too dry and well, burnt..
The veg was normal...

But the worst dish of the night goes to the crabs!!! WF and Bollywood Q took the trouble to pick live crabs, and knowing it's fresh, wanted it to be steamed..

The cooks insisted that we have grilled, but we still wanted steamed. We were really curious on the cook's insistent.. And we finally understood why. The crab's flesh was soft, to the brink of mushy. Lots of ginger and spices to cover the fishy smell. We were very sure they did not serve us the live crabs we chose. These are definitely dead crabs, not even fresh.

We did not enjoy our meal and with the price of RM180 (total bill), I will kiss their @$$ if I ever return to this place. If you really wanna try this place (ambience over food?), it's located at Kedonganan Bay, Bali. Note: One of my friend ate at ths restaurant 4 years ago and said that the seafood as really fresh. Guess either the food's detiorarated or we were just plain unlucky..