Missed blogging

Grabe. Isa lang entry ko ng November ! I have been busy with work, being with hubby and baby, doing chores (mostly cooking) and playing cafe world and country life(nauubos oras ko dito). Enough of these excuses. I have to give atleast 10-20 minutes a day for my blog. Its already December, my goal is to make at least 15 entries for this month. Wish me luck. At sipagin nawa ako.

Indonesian Pork Sate - the Anti-Leftovers

Getting past the glut of turkey leftovers and finding something that appeals to a houseload (including myself) of cold-sufferers who can hardly taste anything created quite a challenge, but it was met by a delicious dish I hadn't made in awhile- Indonesian sate.  Sate is a dish that can be made with chicken pork or beef, but I usually use pork, it is a nice switch from chicken and boneless country style ribs have the perfect mix of lean and fat to be neither dry nor greasy, and you can often find them on sale. If you can't find boneless ribs, then any cut of pork loin will work.

In our family, the star of this dish is not the meat (which is delectable), it is the amazing peanut sauce which elevates the lowly jar of peanut butter to new heights with the addition of a very few common ingredients.  I always double the sauce,because it is in great demand - a combination of smooth, creamy, sweet and spicy- served over long grain and wild rice, it is perfection!

How do I know this was the right choice for beating the leftover-and-cold-doldrums?  Because before I could even get a picture, it was all gone!!  Give this a try- you won't be sorry (and don't count on leftovers)!

Indonesian Sate

2 lbs of country style boneless pork ribs, cut into uniform-size chunks (you could use chunks of chicken instead)
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp sherry
1/2 tsp sate seasoning (I got this from Penzey's and it adds a lot of flavor, but if you don't have it, it is okay)

3-4 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 -2 cups chicken broth
juice of 1/2 lime
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Mix the soy sauce, sherry and spice in a zip-loc bag and put pork chunks in to marinate for an hour or so.  In the meantime make the peanut sauce. Saute the garlic in the olive oil.  Stir in the peanut butter, then add brown sugar, soy sauce, stirring to incorporate.  Slowly stir in chicken broth until sauce has consistency you like. Stir in lime juice and then add pepper flakes a bit at a time until your desired level of heat is reached.  Keep sauce warm.  Remove meat from marinade, place on broiler pan and drizzle with olive oil. Broil meat until done, turning pieces as necessary.  Serve meat with sauce and rice.

Jalan Bunga Raya, Melaka

How was your weekend break?
Had good rest or went out food hunting....like me? :p

Did an overnight trip to Melaka with my uni mates- they missed the food in Melaka and guess the time was right..all of us could make it for the food crawl.

We didnt want repeats of last year's eats, so we decided to check around town for other delicious food that we have heard, but have yet to try.

We found 2 tasty treats at Jalan Bunga Raya, so I decided to have it in one post.

Reached Melaka brunch time, we stopped by Yung Lai Siang for nyonya laksa..

The weather was cool, slight drizzle- makes an excellent match for piping hot nyonya laksa.

Yung Lai Siang's version looks thick, yet when I stir it, the soup seems diluted. But dont be fooled by the watery looking soup, it was flavourful and rich- the santan aroma was well balance and not too heavy. For RM3, we got noodles topped with prawn, see ham, bean curd, bean sprouts and lots of deep fried beancurd skin (which was tasty once soaked into the nice broth). Very satisfying indeed. I prefer YLS's version better than Donald and Lily's.

Yung Lai Siang also serves prawn noodles (RM3)

Average tasting noodles, better option would be the nyonya laksa.

Wash down the meal with a hot cup of kopi..

Smooth, not too thick and didnt leave any tartness in my mouth.

Granpa's curry puff sold at the shop was purportedly good, so we tried..

Nope, it was those sweet, sambal curry that I didnt like. Potatoes were soft though.

A couple of roads away, we looked for the first char siew- roasted pork stall in Melaka.

Our clue was it's the first stall in the lane- but when we reached, there were 2 stalls at the front of the lane.

Hmmm, should I try the left or the right stall?? Both serves char siew and roasted pork..

What other clues??

Cracked my head a lil and I recalled they serve lung yoke too- so I only found 1 stall (the one on the right) preparing that specialty :D

We tried the char siew, roaste pork, lung yoke and home made sausages..

The char siew was unlike those melt in mouth ones you get in Klang Valley. Theirs were compact, mostly lean meat. The interesting part was the exterior, marinated and barbequed to that texture and flavour of bak kwa while the centre was definitely fresh pork. The guys loved it.

While Andrew and Francis thought the roasted pork was normal, WF and I enjoyed it..

Again, dont expect melt in mouth, this roast pork was served cold, but compact with distinct layers of fat, meat, fat and slightly burnt but ultra crackling skin. Very old school of preparation but brought back wonderful memories :)

The lung yoke and homemade sausages..

My mum cooks lung yoke, but her version was different from what was being served here. The auntie explained that their lung yoke is prepared by mincing pork, liver and fat together- compressing it into flat patties and slowly roasted like char siew. Looks very much like bak kwa, the lung yoke was thicker in slice, darker in colour and had a distinct aftertaste of liver when I took a bite. I liked it as I always enjoy pork liver. :p

The sausage on the other hand, reminds me of a chewy, waxed sausage. It was pretty nice, but some of my friends thought it was just ok.

The barbeques meat rice was served with curry sauce and slightly spicy bean sauce. An interesting side sauce but I'd prefer my rice plain to savour the flavours of the roasts.

The char siew-roasted pork stall is located at Medan Makan Boon Leong (lane), of Jalan Bunga Raya, Melaka.

Yung Lai Siang is located at Jalan Bunga Raya Pantai, Melaka.

Room Eighteen, Tropicana City, PJ

Been neglecting my blog- not intentionally :p has been under the weather and then was rather busy..

But I have to update my blog, no? My back logs are stacking up super fast..hehe

We were darn hungry after watching MJ's movie, CC was sick and requested for some warm, bland food. I could only think of Room 18, we promptly made our way the restaurant. Since it's under Tai Thong Group, I would think that the food should be of acceptable standards...

Room Eighteen reminds me of Canton-i, it serves mainly noodles/ porridge with Hong Kong style roast, dim sums and some ala carte dishes.

CC decision was fast- he had fish congee (RM11.80)

He said it was excellent as the congee warmed his belly and soothe his sniffles. I did try abit, the congee was rather bland. Texture was smooth though.

The rest of us had noodles..

Jem had 3 combination noodles (RM15.80) while I had the Crispy Roast Pork Belly noodles (RM11.80)The noodles were springy, the QQ texture was just right. We all agreed that the roast pork was delicious, the skin was crackling while the meat was solid and nicely layer with bits of fat. Jem said the roast duck and char siew was very average though.

Gary had the suckling pig noodles(RM17.80)

Quite pricey for 4 slices of suckling pig. No, the extra wanton and roasted pork were from his wifey- not in the original combo :p. Though the amount of suckling pig was measly, it was still good. The skin was thin but crunchy. The meat was tender and well marinated, went well with the noodles.

Candy's wantan noodles with prawn wanton (RM11.80)

She said the noodles were too soft- lacking in Q-ness. The prawn wantons were pretty good though- plump prawns with springy texture.

We also ordered some side dishes to share..

The siew mai (RM7.80) was rather popular.

The guys said it was delicious. It was ok for me.

The steamed glutinous rice (RM6.80)

Quite a lot of ingredients in the rice. Rather tasty, the rice was moist, but some parts were rather salty. Uneven distribution of marination?

I rather enjoyed the char leong (RM6.80)

This shot was taken before I poured in the sauce. The crullers were crunchy and warmish, but the chee cheong fun wrap was rather cold. Would have been perfect if it was served warmer.

The Green Onion Pie (RM3.80)

Bad. Dont like. Dont order.

Room Eighteen is located at G-35, Tropicana City Mall, PJ.

Pumpkin Soup for Hopey ! Or....Pumpkin, it's not just for pie anymore!!

Some of the biggest fans of my cooking have been the friends of my children who have eaten at our house over the years. We have always had extra places at our table for dinners, both routine and holiday.  One of my daughter Colleen's friends, Hope, came all the way from Florida to visit and ate dinner with us some time ago.  Now first I have to say that Hope is a really great woman and I am so jealous since she has my dream job - she is a midwife. Since she visited us, Hope has become one of my Facebook friends and I have to admit I really look forward to reading her updates about the many babies she delivers nearly every day.  Hope has become an honorary Dowd, even stopping in to visit my sister in law and niece when she and her husband took her dream trip to Ireland earlier this fall.

When Hope visited,  I honestly don't remember what I cooked, but Hope sure does. I made a Pumpkin-Chipotle Soup that she has been begging me for the recipe ever since.  I haven't been torturing her , but I made up the recipe, and I wanted to make it again to make sure I didn't give her a recipe for disaster. I actually made it in the interim but each time, I didn't think about writing down the ingredients until I was already halfway through. Well this past weekend when it was rainy and cool, I decided it was a perfect time to make Pumpkin Chipotle Soup and I was determined to capture the recipe so I could give it to Hope to recreate at home.

This is a wonderful soup recipe- a delicious meatless meal that is rich, but not heavy, with a touch of heat from the chipotle.  When we serve it, we top it with crumbled bacon, grated monterey jack cheese and french fried onions.It would also be great with a dollop of light sour cream.  I hope all of you will try it, but Hope, this one is for you and all the little pumpkins you deliver!! I guess it would be great for Autumn, too (maybe on Glee night!)

Pumpkin-Chipotle Soup

1 small onion chopped

2 tbs olive oil 

1 can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 quart chicken stock

1 quart fat free half and half (or real half and half if calories are no issue)

1/2-1 chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce(add a little at a time until you get the level of heat you want)

Optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded monterey jack cheese, french fried onions

Saute the onion in the olive oil, until transparent. Add chicken stock. Stir in canned pumpkin with whisk until smooth. Add half and half in a slow stream,whisking into pumpkin mixture. Chop chipotle pepper very fine and add a little at a time, stirring and tasting after each addition to get to the heat you want. Heat through but do not bring to a boil. Ladle into bowls and top with garnishes as desired. Serve with bread and a salad for a delicious fall or winter meal.

Chan Weng Kee, SS2

Amy was craving for Ho Weng Kee some months back- and we decided to pop over to SS2. But to our surprise, Ho Weng Kee was no longer there, but taken over by another wantan mee shop called Chan Weng Kee.

With her cravings doused, we went somewhere else for lunch instead...

One fine day recently, Amy suggested to try Chan Weng Kee- she was craving for wantan mee. With or without Ho Weng Kee.

The shop was still packed with patrons, a rather good sign that the wantan mee should still be good..

Amy and WF had the wantan mee with char siew and pork wantan..

The wantan noodles were springy and had a firm bite to it. The char siew and wantan was quite nice- the char siew was not melt in mouth though, but chunky, solid ones. Still quite tasty nonetheless. I prefer Ho Weng Kee's sauce base though, something was lacking in Chan Weng Kee's, making it less aromatic.

I had the beef brisket noodles..

The wantan noodles had the same springy consistency, while the beef was tender to the bite. The brisket was ok though I felt that the beef tendon was overcooked- it was sticky and soft, rather that the slightly bouncy texture that I prefer. I find the star anise flavour over powering too, dominating the beef and sauce flavours.

We shared a plate of roast pork and char siew..

For me, the roast pork was better than the char siew, the skin was crackling, the meat was firm yet had the subtle flavours from the spiced marination.

Overall, CWK's noodles were definitely decent, but I still prefer HWK's.

Chan Weng Kee is located at No 32, Jalan SS2/66, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Why You Should Insist on King Salmon

Unless you're a seafood chef, or have worked for a seafood vendor, buying the best salmon for your table can be confusing. Because so many of you now buy seafood online, we wanted to let you know why you should insist on King Salmon every time you order.

We've noticed that some online seafood delivery services confuse their customers by pretending there's no difference between lesser species and the royalty of all salmon, the King. That's too bad, because until you've tasted the difference buying King Salmon makes, you're missing a stellar seafood experience.

Here are some facts about how types of salmon differ:

* King Salmon is the largest of all salmon species, with wild caught fish commonly weighing up to 45 pounds.

* Although they're all sold as "salmon," there are actually five different species of this fish sold in the U.S. They are: King Salmon (also called Chinook), Chum, Pink Salmon, Coho and Sockeye.

* King Salmon has the highest concentration of Omega 3 fatty acids, known to be important to heart health.

* You'll find other species of salmon are missing the rich, distinctive flavor that comes with King Salmon.

* No other type of salmon naturally offers the beautiful, deep red flesh that makes your seafood dishes so appetizing.

Now that we've settled the argument that King Salmon is superior, let's talk about why you should also insist on "wild caught" rather than "farm raised" King Salmon.

When you hear the words "farm raised," it may bring to mind a lovely, rural setting, but when you're talking about raising fish, it means crowded pens containing fish on a feeding program intended to quickly fatten them before they're sold.

Those feeding practices may include chemicals you wouldn't normally put into your body. Does that sound like the fish you want to see in your next seafood delivery? Of course not!

Smart seafood lovers look for the freshest, most natural fish possible. Whether you buy direct from your local seafood shop or, like many today, buy seafood online, wild caught King Salmon means you're serving fish that's the best for you.

So, let's review. What's the very best species of salmon to order from your online seafood delivery service? That's correct: you can't go wrong with wild caught King Salmon.

Once you've tasted this regal fish in fillets, steaks or patties, you'll wonder why you ever thought other kinds of salmon were acceptable. Get your recipes ready, and order the king of salmon the next time you start craving fish. It's absolutely a seafood delight fit for royalty.

Betty's Midwest Kitchen, Aman Suria Damansara

Sometimes, we tend to ignore the eating places nearest to our homes. Since it's always there, no harm trying it 'one day'.

Betty's opened its doors some time back, but somehow, I just didnt make my way there..until recently.

I was there for dinner, and the place was rather packed already.

Luckily for us, there's still 1 table available :)

Some homemade lemonade (RM2.50) to quench the thirst.

Refreshing with a nice balance of sourness and sweetness.

There were quiet a selection of mains- we finally decided on ..

Country fried chicken (RM13)

The chicken was very crunchy, but slightly over fried. The fried chicken was served with a generous amount of mash and lots of mushroom sauce, the combo was creamy smooth. The sauce was rich and thick, the pork bacon bits added some bite to the mash. Dragon girl, who dislikes frozen peas gave her thumbs up for the peas- it was sweet and moist- the 'freezer' taste was not there :)

We decided to have some porky goodness, so we order the Grilled Baby Back Ribs (RM28.50)

There were 2 large slabs of ribs, served on a bed of chips and sides of coleslaw. The ribs was pretty good, marination had seeped into the meat. The meat on the other hand, was tender at some parts but somewhat dry on other parts. I liked the sauce though, it's thick, aromatic and slightly grainy- a blend of BBQ sauce with spices perhaps? There were also another sauce served on the side- had beer in it. I find it ok, I still prefer the BBQ sauce.

Overall the meal was satisfying, I'll be back to try other dishes soon.

Betty's Midwest Kitchen is located at AG40, Jalan PJU 1/43, Aman Suria Damansara, 47301 PJ, Selangor.

Recognizing Home Cooks- the Fun of Food52

There are always new food sites popping up - new food blogs, product sites and food communities- just waiting to be discovered, and it is often hard to stay on top of your old favorites while exploring new and exciting sites. But sometimes the old opens up the new and that happened for me today and so I want to share my new find with you as well..  Today, I saw a post update by one of my favorite bloggers, Susan of Food Blogga, asking for votes for her oatmeal topping in the Quaker Oatmeal Challenge for charity as well as her chocolate cookie recipe on food52. As a blogger who is loyally devoted to my fellow blogger, I voted for Susan's topping (Cinnamon Comfort in Round Three for those of you who want to support Susan's charity as well!),  and then travelled around until I found food52. The brainchild of Amanda and Merrill, both prolific food writers with the New York Times, the site has as its mission celebrating the  best cooks in the world- home cooks, definitely a sentiment I share. Food52 offers a place for cooks to share recipes and tips, and a blog, as well as contests, pulling recipes that will eventually be included in a book. What a great idea!!

With the lofty goal of being the one site on food that you will need, food52 is a fun new site that is worth checking out (and make sure you take a look at my mother-in-law's stuffing recipe which is the cornerstone of the Dowd family Thanksgiving-you won't be sorry).  Before you know it, food52 is bound to be an old favorite!

Curry Toast - A Penzey's Inspired Meatless Meal

As I have posted recently, I am open to recipes wherever they come from. I particularly love to look in unexpected places for inspiration and recently my inspiration came from a Penzey's Spice catalog. Penzey's is an incredible purveyor of spices, but their catalogs, website and, and magazine, Penzey's One, are all great sources for unique and delicious recipes. So far I haven't made one recipe from them that hasn't been extraordinary, and this one is no exception. As a bonus this dish, Curry Toast, is  a quick and easy dinner for those busy nights you get stuck at the office- Add a salad or  some fruit and you have a balance meal in minutes. It also uses fairly cheap ingredients making it perfect for a family on a budget.

I used the recipe in the Penzey's catalog and made some adjustments based on what I had on hand, and every time I have made it it is a bit different based on the cheeses I use. As easy as a grilled cheese sandwich, but better!

Curry Toast

1 package (6 ) English muffins
5 tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Monterey Jack also works well)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used light with great results)
1 bunch green onions chopped (including the green parts)
1 tsp sweet or hot curry powder (your choice, but use Penzey's of course)
1-2 garden tomatoes

Split and toast the muffins, then butter and place on cookie sheet. Mix the cheeses, green onions curry powder and mayonnaise gently until well-combined. Slice the tomatoes in uniform slices and dry off with paper towels,placing a tomato slice on each muffin. Cover the tomato slices with the cheese mixture and broil for 4-8 minutes until brown and bubbly. Now try not to eat all 12 yourself!!

Kiat Seng Restaurant, Puchong

We were supposed to have dinner in KL..but due to some delay, it was late and my dad dont like late dinners.

So a switch of plan and we were at a restaurant nearby.

Since bro and shirley has been here a few times, they did the ordering..

The homemade tau foo with seafood (RM16)

The thick slab of tau foo was at the base of the claypot. The top was filled with seafood and chopped vegetables. The homemade tau foo was quite solid but smooth, the seafood sauce was light- pretty satisfying in a simple way.

The herbal kampung chicken(RM25)

Very tender chicken with light herbal sauce. By now, I noticed that Kiat Seng serves food that's less salty, which I feel is good. The chicken was quite tasty, but the sauce was rather starchy.

The star at Kiat Seng, the house special steamed tilapia (RM26)

The steamed tilipia was topped with generus amount of preserved vegetables (choy poh) and fried shallots. The combo goes well with the steamed fish (slightly oversteamed though), an interesting yet delicious match.

But the winner to me, was the hong xiu pork (RM18)

When I saw the rather garish red, I thought this will not be a nice dish. The redness of the sauce aside, the braised pork was excellent- the fat melts immediately, the meat was fork tender and had absorbed all the marination. A terrific braised pork indeed.

And to balance the high protein diet, we had a plate of fu yu yau mak (RM12)

Fresh, sweet yau mak with fragrant fu yu and bits of chilli padi. Nice.

Kiat Seng Restaurant is located at 19, Jalan Puteri 4/1, Bandar Puteri, 47100, Puchong. Located next to a few seafood restaurants. Kiat Seng also serves quite a number of seafood (crabs) dishes, guess that would be another meal..

Marianna's First Trick or Treat

Last Saturday, we went to Sm north edsa for Marianna's first trick or treat. After lunch na kami nakapunta at siniguro namin na ok na panahon.

Kuha namin ni Marianna sa harap ng Toy Kingdom.

Dun na din kami bumili ng pumpkin na lalagyan nya ng candies.

She dressed up as a fairy. Set yang outfit na yan nung binili ni mark with skirt, wand, wings tska headband. Yung wings tska wand lang nagamit nya kasi ayaw nya suot yung headband tapos di ko na din pinasuot yung skirt at di naman kagandahan.

Silang mag daddy sa may stage sa baba ng the Block. May activities mga bata pero di na kami nakisali. Nag picture picture na lang kami.

Kuha namin sa Face shop. Ako ang nanghihingi ng candy at nag sasabi ng "trick or treat". Nag iikot lang kami para mag pa picure, he he.

Yan yung last picture namin na hawak nya yung wand nya. Nabitawan nya kasi at di ko naman napansin na nalaglag na pala. hay ....

Yan ang laman ng lalagyan nya. Konting candy, lapis tska sabon. Yaan mo anak, next year, cacarerin na natin yan talaga. Pati si mommy mag cocostume para panalo, he he. Di bale, nag enjoy naman kami at natuwa naman si Marianna kasi nga madaming bata. Next year for sure mas matutuwa sya at kasama na sya sa mga tatakbong mga bata.

Land of 1000 Restaurants (and Pounds!) - Part 1

I don't have to travel often for my job and usually it is a short jaunt twice a year but the beginning of October I had occasion (my boss was delivering Congressional testimony, and I was delivering him!) to travel twice within the space of 3 days to Washington DC. Once I drove both ways, but the second time I decided to take the easy way out and took the train.  While it was a lot of travelling in a little time, the bonus was that I got to spend two nights with my daughter and son who live in Shirlington.

I grew up in Winchester VA, a town that is now a DC bedroom community, but I still love visiting Washington- there is so much to do and see and the pace is so different from where I live now.  And as a foodie, there is all manner of food to experience there. One thing I know- if I lived in DC, I would probably weigh a lot more than I do because with so many choices, I would want to experience (and consume) it all!
So, in the land of 1000 restaurants, where did I eat during my visit? The first night, I arrived on a Sunday evening (after making my way through hellatious traffic), and my daughter,her significant other (boyfriend sounds so juvenile) and my son were debating where we should go for dinner. With choices like Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Greek, French, Chinese laid in front of me, I caved in and told them to decide. The guys proposed a Spanish/Latin American Restaurant in Dupont Circle that Gavin had been to and Olu had heard good things about and so we  piled into Olu's car and headed for Lauriol Plaza.  Even though Gavin told me it was big, I was in no way prepared for the modern urban building that looked like it took up a whole block!  And even on a Sunday evening, the place was packed!  Inside, the restaurant offered multi-level dining,and just being there gave you feeling of fiesta- laughter, clinking of glasses, conversation and music- it felt like home, only louder.  I love Spanish and Latin-American food and the reviews I read while waiting for our table made me anxious to check out the menu. While we got settled, our waitress came and took our drink orders, and  delivered salsa and some of the thinnest, crispest chips I have ever had. My son, who is a former sous chef, wanted Ceviche for an appetizer, but they were out so he ordered some mussels instead. Katie and Olu ordered some sweet plantains to split.  I didn't try the plantains, but Gavin's mussels were cooked to perfection, and the broth made me want to ask for more crusty bread to soak up its goodness. When it was time to order entrees, I was conflicted- I overcame my overwhelming desire to order mole, which I do almost every time I am in the vicinity of Mexican food they offered a special of lamb fajitas which sounded amazing, but I decided on Enchiladas de Marisco,  enchiladas stuffed with shrimp and scallops in a seafood sauce with cheese. I encouraged Olu, who was feeling a bit punk,to order the special that was a shrimp with garlic broth that sounded perfect for someone nursing a cold, but he ordered a pork dish instead. Katie ordered chiles rellenos with cheese, and Gavin ordered the Santa Fe Platter that had a cheese chile relleno, a cheese enchilada and a guacamole taco.

Gavin and I have the best luck- besides the fact that his mussels were an amazing app that easily could have made a dinner itself, his combo was full of cheese and had a complexity of spices that was pleasing even to a former chef. Katie was not very happy with her entree, but mainly because it was not what she expected. It was covered in a tomato-y sauce, but when she told our server she adjusted the bill. My enchiladas were amazing! Since seafood has to be cooked just right I was worried that they might be overcooked, but my fear was misplaced because Lauriol Plaza clearly knows seafood.  The seafood sauce was delicately flavored and complemented, rather than smothered the morsels of shrimp and scallops.  I would have loved to try dessert but I was stuffed to the gills, so we headed home.  A great meal and a real dining experience in the land of 1000 restaurants!  If you are in the DC area- check out Lauriol Plaza, you won't be disappointed!