Chap Goh Mei Dinner Hooray!

The last day of Chinese New Year is called the 15th or Chap Goh Meh which is known amongst the different ethnics or Chinese groups.  Usually, family and friends would gather around for a sit-together and enjoy a great evening meal together. For some, this is considered the most important date in Chinese New Year apart from winter's day or exactly one month before the beginning of a new Lunar year. Hence, Chap Goh Meh in modern days is for people to enjoy a good evening meal out without the need to diet :). According to tradition, one has to eat more on this day as it marks the end of poverty whilst having a new prosperous beginning for the new year. That is why family and friends would enjoy together a hearty meal while watching how the exterior sky flares up in multiple ribbons of colors as people enjoys occasional fire crackers.

Chinese New Year Open House!

The month long Chinese New Year is finally over, but the memories from each crazy open house visit still lingers. Especially recalling on how each house had been warmed with finger foods to all sorts of nice rabbity decorations, red baskets, fortune fruits, tidbits and eat all you like colorful foodies. Some serve canned to bottled drinks as well.

But the happiest part would be about receiving red pockets from nice folks when they like you enough to give you a handful. That is why after each house visiting day, one would always count and compare red pockets to see whom has received the most and yet start the venture all over again the next day. Even the designs of these fanciful pockets improve much and hence make it a worthwhile collection year by year.

Party Cheese Balls are Absolutely Delicious!

Filled with cheese in the center of each sexy roundish and easy munch. Each mouthful is good with one at a time and it provides a great crunchy base of choux pastry in the right texture. The cheese in the center may instantly melt in your mouth while it bears only a slight taste of sweetness not yet covering the original taste of cheddar or say it must have been mixed with parmesan and some other types of cheese?

After all, the packaging is also one that does great at parties ! Anyone would want to grab a bite before one allows rendering of its uniquely redolent means of cheese all the way into carefree childhood.. It is great topped with fizzy and other carbonated drinks as well. Do they look a lot similar to footballs..Couch Footballs..

Super Duper Buffet - Eat All you Can!

During the festive seasons, people think of eating as many things as possible and that is why buffets have gained such popularity ever since it was first introduced until now. It certainly makes a person happy when one thinks of eating from a wide range of delicious and mouth watering foods available and put up nicely together. So, here is a dish of nice salad prawns, roasted chicken, corn and soba. Tasty and the buffet sometimes carry finger foods to allow the ones with sweet tooth to enjoy a perfect closure with sweet pastries and nice cakes. Needless to say, buffets as well host a number of different dishes based on carbs such as fried rice, briyani, noodles, fried vermicellis or legumes and couscous.. Now why is buffet irresistible?

Deep Fried or Mango Sago for Dessert ?

Here is how deep fried mango fritters looks like.. Slightly sweetened with the intensity of delicious mango flesh cut in long stripes. One bite and you feel fritter as well as mango at the same time. Top it up with melted cheddar and it feels nothing like a fruit. It is very tasty and its outer crust preserves the crunchy feelings of a great savory munchy goodness of fritters. But it is a fruit instead of meat?

Why mango has its original texture to create a great memorable bite. On the other hand, mango can be mixed with sago to create this mango dessert. Some ice cubes can be added to create a chill or to make it taste less sweet. The sago successfully created a slightly dense or somewhat thick concoction like dessert. After all, these are more wonders of the mango fruit dressed up in fancy.

Simple Pork Dishes With Pork Rinds!

Microwave pork rinds are an amazing approach to cut down excess fat in case you are following a low carb diet. The Atkins Diet, Sugar Busters, South Beach, and loads of other low carb diet programs suggest pork rinds as the most crunchy, salty treats you should eat.

Microwave pork rinds are not deep fried and can bear much less caloric content. Microwave pork rinds constitute 65% fewer fat and roughly 40 less calories than deep-fried version. These days there is a variety of microwave pork rinds available in supermarkets. It is possible to purchase them in bulk from any departmental store. At the time of cooking them in the microwave, you should do a trial run with the foremost batch. If the pork rinds get burnt or do not puff up like popcorns you should fine-tune the microwave temperature or cooking time.

Microwave pork rinds are now quite popular. Even those who consider that pork is a rich meat, they may also relish it without any guilt. It is relatively quick to make microwave pork rinds. All you must do is to set the pre-cooked pork rinds into a usual sandwich bag. So far as cooking of microwave pork rind is concerned, all you should do is to acquire a sandwich bag and lay the pork rinds into it. Fold the end of the bag close and set the bag on it's side in the microwave. Shaking the bag is an excellent practice or else pork rinds will stack on one another. Regulate the cooking time for future batches, if necessary. The pork dishes with pork rind works delight with salsa, or any kind of dip or with melted cheese.

It's amazing that more and more people are enjoying the microwave pork rinds owing to the health trait related with them rather than its taste. Doesn't matter what the reasons are, but this dish is great for weight watchers as well as pork lovers!

by Rajiv Kapur

How to Grow Longan? Longans not Lychees

A lot of people do not very much take interest into longans. Therefore, not many know how to grow longan. Actually, it is not difficult. During the longan season, remember to visit the local market to buy some fresh longan. After you eat the longans, leave the seeds to dry before you plant them right outside your house. After all, longans are not that difficult to grow, and they will not grow taller than usually your gate post. You can enjoy the longan fruit soon when the longan tree reaches a certain height. And the fruits come in stalks where each stalk bears numerous longan fruits. Longan fruit health benefits include being a general health tonic and can be made into delicious drinks combined with sago. Dried longans can be stored away and is very tasty and sweet.

It is Easy to Make Konnyaku Jelly at Home!

Try this weekend something easy to make. Konnyaku jelly can be found easily at supermarkets these days. No need to go to the Mall and buy per piece or per pack. But that is if you can make equally nice ones yourself. Just follow the directions written on the packaging itself and you are all set to enjoy a nice weekend of Konnyaku fancy jelly with fruits and different colors.

Get one of those Konnyaku special jelly moulds to set them into nice heart, diamond or round button shapes. Drop fruits into the mould and then pour the mixture in after leaving to cool slightly for sometime. After that just place them into the fridge to set. The next day,  you can take them out and decorate on a nice plate before serve. To make things look even nicer, place some small flowers to decorate the platter. Enjoy!

Lychee Sensation - The Simplest Drink You Can Make

There are a number of recipes found in books and the internet on the many fold methods to mix and match for a nice alcoholic drink such as egg nogs, pina coladas, summer breeze, sotb, etc.. but this one is just one very easy and simple mini cup of sensation that everyone can make.. "Lychee Sensation" By using a dash of whisky neat and dropping in one or two peeled and stoned lychee. Thats it, usually canned lychee can be bought from everywhere stores and are most convenient.

To add both zest and zing, simply chill the whisky glass in the freezer for some time before pouring in the whisky and dropping in the lychee. Garnish with a red or green cherry and that makes a great addition to the list of cocktails you can make for family and friends.

Charcoal Layer Cake or Cheese Pandan Roll

Both are tasty.. The charcoal layer cake has 2 black layers sandwiched together with the layer of the green tea sponge in the middle. It is quite popular these days where pastries and cakes are baked using bamboo charcoal which is marketed as good for health. Known to have detoxifying properties, the bamboo charcoal are used to make bamboo charcoal breads, cakes and added to drinks. So it looks like having a dark color. On the other hand, this pandan swiss roll is just too delicious.. The filling is not just normal whip cream but a rich cheesy filling redolent of farm cow's milk as it is added with shreds of still visible fragrant cheddars. Yum Yum! Sold in pieces and it is a perfect taken with a cup of hot aromatic coffee in the morning.

Special Home Sauce Spaghetti and Zuzai Wantons

It takes great care to make this special sauce spaghetti using a number of special ingredients. But firstly, the Spaghetti has to be soaked before it is cooked in hot water bath for at least 15-20 minutes. The very fine texture of the spaghetti shall determine the outcome of a good meal or otherwise soggy or spaghetti that gets undercooked still. I used cream cheese, a number of herbs, cashew nut paste and sun dried tomatoes with shreds of an onion and cut sausage. The result is neither marinara nor carbonara but something rather spicy. Wantons on the other hand depends very much on the filling and this one is made using minced ham on mortar and mushrooms to add taste. Both are exciting weekend dinners!

Lamb Shank Stew with Home Made Bread

This is the most delicious ingredient for cooking lamb shank. With the already juicy fine texture of the lamb shank, this stew combines a number of herbs known only to the chef with sweet baby potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. The outcome is a mouth watering experience when the meal is again complemented with fresh home made savory bread.

Personally, I love the careful cutlets of the lamb shank topped with a little bit of its very fine and redolent way of the herbal infusion as the black pepper creates the depth of taste along. The bread eaten with the meat and potatoes before the carrots and garlic add the adventure. This meal is also baked with strategy.

Home Cooking - Fried Brown Rice and Chicken Fingers!

Brown Rice is full of fiber and protein. This one is a special version of Fried brown rice with frozen vegetables, sausage, chicken, asparagus and capsicum cutlets. Very nice as I did not think that it would be successful as usually it takes more water to cook the brown rice. Too much water makes the rice glueie, so just enough water to make the rice completely cooked while placing adequate amount of grape seed oil to add flavor and nutrition while frying the next day. It takes around 7-8 minutes before the rice is fried to its optimal texture.
This meal is specially prepared with added seaweeds to garnish besides the egg slices and steamed brocolli, asparagus, carrots and baby corn to top up extra vitamins. The fried chicken fingers on the other hand has to be put in the fridge for 24 hours in order to let its full taste immerse throughout with handful of marinated spices, herbs, garlic, pepper and ginger on lemon and oil. The next day it is deep fried in sunflower oil after each chicken strip is nicely coated with beaten eggs and its accompanying cracker crumbs to make it extra crunchy and delicious.

Healthy HomeMade Sandwiches !

Some hearty sandwiches to make the day more wonderful. These are homemade sandwiches that has got ham, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, eggs, avocados, cucumbers and cashew. They promise to make you feel full for longer and provides a good dose of vitamins and minerals promoting a very healthy lunch or breakfast. Choose the best breads to sandwich all the nice fillings in between such as this wholegrain and sunflower seeds with pumpkin all-natural.  Give you and your family a surprise treat by spending some time to make them not from leftover foods in the fridge but from fresh cuts found in the supermarket. Consider upgrading the filling by using lean cuts of chicken strips or turkey or choose red meat to add taste and nutrition. These sandwiches can be made and brought over for a nice happy picnic..

Beer Thumbs Up

Recently, I bought a special beer glass out of curiosity. When I tried the beer poured into the glass, I realized it tasted smoother than usual and definitely is more tasty than using normal porcelain mugs which is what I used to drink my beer with. Another difference is when I pour the beer into the beer glass, the foam stays on top while giving extra volume through the streamlines of the shape of the glass. It definitely looks appealing and makes the beer drinking ritual complete to its level of satisfaction. While I used to pour beer into a porcelain mug, the foams would dissolve within a few seconds rendering the beer less tasty and yummy than it really is. No wonder why I thought the beer tasted slightly different than when I drank it in the pubs.

Another thing about drinking beer is to drink it at very low temperature, the extreme chilling effect is going to melt all those stress away from the day! Here is to october beer fest! Yet do remember to drink responsibly 1-2-3 units male or female!

Chinese Healthy Fast Food - Bihun Soup and Economy Rice

Heavy food sometimes makes us feel bloated, drowsy and full. It is good to enjoy something light occasionally like the fresh fish ball Bee Hoon Soup. It has clear soup and sprinkled with vegetables with light rice noodles (beehoon). There is nothing extreme about clear beehoon soup and that is what makes it special!

However, if you need more calories but do not have the time, choose the Asian style economy rice. It allows the person to choose from different platters of vegetables, meat dishes and then freely mix and match.

So everyone chooses up to 3 or 4 of their favorite dishes for the price of one meal. And then they get a free soup sometimes with tea which complements the economy meal. It is usually one really great and satisfying meal. Check this out, fried fish with spinach and sweet and sour chicken. All in one at the price of one!

Yum Yum Pizza Hut - Chicken Supreme!

Check these out.. Pizza Hut Chicken Supreme with a generous amount of clingy cheddar cheese combined with a number of different types of healthy vegetables such as capsicum, shitake, olives and onions with chicken cutlets.. Absolutely tasty and one large round is not enough to feed a large family.. Try the crispy thin crust instead of the pan pizza which promises dense carbohydrates on a bready base. The crispy thin crust is made so thin and yet it holds on to the generous amount of cheesy weight with the rest of the toppings making it an instant melt in the mouth.. Mexican spring rolls.. yummy.. they got large lima beans inside with a dash of spicy sauce chilli. Wondering how they make the spring rolls as they differ very much in taste to the traditional chinese type spring rolls that complements restaurants selling dim sums. Time to visit PH! or Call em up if you are the lazy type to walk..

Speacial Home Cooking is Delicious!

Special home cooking can be really heart warming, especially when the meal is prepared nicely with good nutrition to begin with. Chicken feet can be a great main course when cooked with special home made sauce that complements the palates. This one tastes just so nice after hours of mixing herbs, peeling and cleaning off each chicken feet meticulously and then special broiled. Good for the skin and provides nourishment to boost strength for the body. Top that up with Calrose rice garnished with sesame seeds and seaweed and spices. It will make a good day out of a good meal. Of course, the vegetable dish has some tofu slashed and stir fried together with green beans to add extra vitamins to the overall meal!

Yum Yum Croissant Sandwich + Mushroom Soup

Check out these delicious Croissant sandwiches which one can make at home buying ready made croissants from stores or visit one of those good breakfast restaurants. They are filled with the goodness of fresh lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes to garnish, while the filling can be a combination of thousand island with Chicken or light mayonnaise with tuna, whichever savors the palates. Usually, these western style breakfast comes with a cup of hot brewed coffee or to pack in more calories, dense gravy mushroom soup with a piece of dip bread. For some, this is too heavy of a breakfast, so better make it lunch instead when one needs to replenish lost energy for some wholesome goodness to last the rest of the day.

Fun DIY Coffee House! Miniature Workshops

It is fun to build miniature stuff while they look exactly like the real ones.. Sometimes, these small miniatures look better than the real one because, there are lots of creativity involved especially for all the mix and match that one can play with. Here is a sample miniature DIY kit for a small cafe house. The kit has a manual inside with instructions on building the miniature cafe from scratch.

Even the pile of newspapers and books are done with pieces of scrap paper in their correct colors, sizes and textures. They are really fun to build and the final outcome can be really worth the effort! A glue, scissors, rulers and pliers are some of the things needed to build this mini cafe house to look exactly like its original blueprint.