Cameron Highlands (26 - 28 Aug)

The husband's friend, who was from Cameron Highlands, suggested the few of us to take a trip up for a short break. It had been years since I been to Cameron Highlands, and there was barely any memory of it.

And so the 7 of us set off, in 4 separate cars, on a 6-7 hours (excluding stopover breaks) journey up to the highlands. It was our first road trip and it was quite an experience. It was also great fun travelling with a group of friends, chatting, joking, eating. :)

To sidetrack a little, I had learnt to add annotations to photos from a friend... and I loved the idea. So here they are, my first batch of "self-explanatory" photos. :)

Braised chicken with carrots and mushrooms

This is the first time I used rock sugar in my cooking. Not sure if it was because of the rock sugar but the sauce seemed to decrease rapidly after I added about 4 small pieces, and in the end, there was not much sauce left to go together with the plain rice. But taste wise, it was good. :)

Braised chicken with carrots and mushrooms (recipe from here)Serves 2

Ingredients :
- 500g chicken thigh, chopped to smaller pieces (you can also use half chicken)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut to bite-sized chunks
- 1 stalk of negi (Japanese scallion) or 2 stalks of spring onions, sliced
- 200g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 150ml water (adjust accordingly to how much gravy you want)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce 
- 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder 
- 2 to 4 small rock sugar cubes
- 3 ginger slices
- 5 garlic cloves, bruised

Directions :
1. Heat sesame oil in wok, then add chicken pieces. Stir fry until the chicken is no longer pink.

2. Add water, carrots, mushrooms, scallions, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, 5 spice powder, ginger and garlic. Stir well. Cover with lid and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Using kitchen tongs or spatula, flip the chicken pieces over so that they can absorb the braising liquid. Add rock sugar for sweetness and a beautiful glazed finish. Simmer with lid closed for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Bangkok (17 - 20 Mar)

It's been almost 7 years since the husband and I went to Bangkok... and that was also how long we had been married. :) So, when one of our friend suggested for the four of us, together with her husband, to go for a short trip, we also took it as an opportunity to have a short getaway break.

It was really a relaxing trip... nothing much to do, just walk around, eat, and hang out with one another in the evenings. 

 Crab with vermicelli *yums*

 Walking through Chinatown area

At the weekend Chatuchak market

(the husband and I found that it wasn't as exciting compared to when we first came in year 2005. There wasn't much things to buy)

 The view from our 35th-floor hotel room

We didn't know there was a zoo, Safari World, in Bangkok until our friends recommended it. We realised it was a place more for animal shows rather than walking around to look at animals. There were about 7 - 8 shows from around 11am all the way to 4:30pm, after which the zoo would close for the day.

We only caught the orang-utan show, elephant show and dolphin show. The rest of the time were spent wondering around the almost people-free zoo, which was actually a good thing coz we could take photos of animals, and look at them closer without people jostling around.

The "empty" zoo. We suspected everyone was there just for the animal shows.

 The orang-utan show

 The elephant show

 The most number of giraffes I've ever seen

In the car, driving through the safari park

The most fun part of this trip was the drive through the open safari park. Of course we had to stay in the vehicle for the whole time, but it was really an experience and great fun. (the driver must be thinking we had never seen tigers, lions or rhinos before.. haha) However, the weather was too hot and most animals were just lazing in the shade rather than walking around so we didn't get many photos taken. But it was a really fun and memorable day. :)

Babysitter for the day

The husband and I had decided to take one day off from work to help look after my niece for the day, as my Mum was accompanying my Dad to the hospital for a colonoscopy, and my sister and brother-in-law were having a short weekend getaway in Malacca. 

As my niece was quite a creature of habit, we had prepped her a few days before that we would be the ones to bring her to and back from school today. And also to bring her to eat xiao long bao (小笼包) for lunch if she was on her best behaviour for the time in school. Coz according to my mum, she would sometimes cry in class for no reasons.

So, when I met her after her class this morning, the first thing she said to me was "大姨，我今天没有哭。" Haha.. funny little thing. Which means that she could have not cried in class at all for all these while, if she wanted to.

Happy. After school, and all ready to eat! 

 Keeping herself occupied while waiting for the food to arrive.

 Giving her full attention, and enjoying the xiao long bao thoroughly

At our place. Letting her watch some YouTube videos to kill time while waiting for her parents to come collect her

After babysitting today, I really admire my parents for taking care of my niece, Mondays to Fridays, and also kudos to all those full-time babysitters. The husband and I were quite tired by the time my sister came to pick her up around 5pm. On one hand, it was really fun spending time and bonding with the little tyke. On the other hand, it was also a little stressful and tiring coz we had to be on constant alert and lookout as to where she was running to and what she was doing. 

Lemon thyme water

Lemon thyme water (recipe adapted from here)

Ingredients :
2 lemons

• 10 sprigs thyme
• water
• ice
• 
  
• Directions :
• 
  
• Slice lemons into thin wheels and distribute between 2 pitchers along with thyme sprigs. Fill pitchers with ice and cover with water.

Pasta with chicken and mushrooms

There is a slight difference in one of the main ingredients in this recipe, that is the Italian pork and fennel sausage. I really didn't know if it was sold anywhere in Singapore, much less in any supermarket near my place. Therefore, I substituted it with just plain normal minced chicken, which I seasoned with a little salt and black pepper and set it aside for a while before cooking.

However, if there is any chance that I could get the Italian sausage, I would certainly try this again. :)

Pasta with pork and fennel sausages (adapted from "Quick and Easy workday dinners")
Serves 4

Ingredients :

6 Italian pork and fennel sausages (I substituted with minced chicken)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
300g field or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
500g penne rigate
grated Parmesan, to serve


Directions :

1) Split the sausage open, remove and crumble the filling, then discard the skins.

2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant and transparent. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, mushrooms and crumbled sausage meat. Cook over high heat, stirring gently to mash the sausage meat, for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat is evenly browned.

If necessary, use a tablespoon to remove any excess fat from the pan, leaving about a tablespoon of oil. Continue to cook, stirring once or twice, for 10 minutes.

3) Stir in the tomato and thyme, then bring the sauce to the boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

4) Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain well, then add to the sauce, stirring gently to combine. Garnish with Parmesan, then serve immediately.

动感清明上河图 - A Moving Masterpiece

I first came across this while watching the news one evening. What captured my attention was not only the animation, but that the painting was able to change from day to night. To be honest, I didn't know what was this painting about at all. But I managed to do a little research on the Internet for it before I went to the exhibition.

The painting was famous because it supposedly depicts the richness of the society, from the poor to the wealthy, from the rural area to the capital city, and also the daily life of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Before actually seeing the animated painting, there was an area where there were exhibits of the lives of the people during that time.

What really caught my attention was this man named Bi Sheng (毕生). He invented the movable type printing equipment, whereby each chinese character was carved on one single piece of clay, and these characters could be re-arranged on a metal plate to form different sentences to be printed.

I wonder if Scrabble was an inspiration from this? ;p

 A bank note from the old times

Finally, there was the 128 x 6.5 metres projected image of the painting. There was no way to capture the full length of the painting.

 The day and night scenes of the same area 

When I first mentioned to the husband that I wanted to see this painting, he was kind of hesitant. The entrance fees was kind of steep, if there was the impression that it was just to go into the place to stare at one painting. However, he was quite surprised and impressed after the whole thing, and seeing the exhibits and considering the amount of work being put  into making the painting animated, and to transit it seamlessly from day to night, I could understand why the entrance fees were a little high.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and fun experience. As there was no Chinese history being taught in school, this was a good way to know more about the ancient Chinese cultures, and also to be kept interested in the history.

I had managed to capture a video of the painting changing from day to night. Enjoy! :)

新年快乐

祝大家

身体健康，万事如意，龙年行大运！

Spaghetti with onion and zucchini

Yes, I hear you... "Zucchini again?"

As I've mentioned before, I would usually cook dishes with repeated ingredients one after another coz I bought too many, or because they were cheaper when bought in sets of 2 or more. But this round, it was not as 'stressful' since I was only cooking for the husband and myself. ;)

Linguine with zucchini and onions (adapted from "Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan")

Serves 4

Ingredients :

1 medium to large sweet yellow onion

4 tablespoons butter

Salt

1 ¼ pounds zucchini

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound linguine

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions :

1.     Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.

2.     Peel the onions and very thinly slice them crosswise. Put the butter in a 12-inch skillet, add the sliced onions, and place over medium-high heat. Season lightly with salt and saute until the onions begin to turn a rich, golden colour, 6 to 8 minutes.

3.     While the onions are sauteing, wash the zucchini, cut off the ends, and slice into half moons about ¼ inch thick.

4.     When the onions are ready, add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini are quite tender and have started lightly browning, 12 to 15 minutes.

5.     After the zucchini have cooked about 10 minutes, add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, add the linguine, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until al dente.

6.     When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve at once.

Spaghetti with sausage and zucchini

After dunno-how-many months, the cooking finally started again. Actually the husband was the one who "pushed" me to start cooking coz he had been harping on how long it has been since he last had home-cooked pasta. *Thanks for the 'vote' of confidence, dear!* ;p

Since it would be a meal for 6, I chose something simple and easy to cook.

Spaghetti with sausage and zucchini (adapted from "Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan)
Serves 4

Ingredients :

½ medium yellow onion

3 tablespoons butter

8 ounces plain pork sausages

12 ounces zucchini

Salt

1 pound fresh tomatoes

1 pound fusilli (shells are also good)

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions :

1.     Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.

2.     Peel and finely chop the onion. Put the butter in a 12-inch skillet, add the chopped onion, and place over medium-high heat. Saute until the onion just begins to turn a rich, golden colour, about 5 minutes.

3.     While the onion is sauteing, remove the casing from the sausage and break it up into pieces. When the onion is ready, add the sausage to the pan. Break the sausage up into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring often, until the sausage is slightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4.     While the sausage is cooking, wash the zucchini. Remove the ends, cut into quarters lengthwise, and then cut across into ½-inch chunks. When the sausage has lightly browned, add the zucchini. Season lightly with salt and cook until the zucchini begins to brown and is mostly tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

5.     While the zucchini is cooking, peel the tomatoes and coarsely chop them. When the zucchini is ready, add the tomatoes and season lightly with salt, and cook until most of the liquid the tomatoes release has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

6.     When the tomatoes are halfway done, add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, add the fusilli, and stir well. Cook until al dente.

7.     When the pasta is done, drain well, toss with the sauce and the grated cheese, and serve at once.