BENTO #64

This morning, #2 asked if I could bring her lunch at school. I checked my schedule, although quite tight, I agreed. She asked for a single box bento since I was going to send her lunch. The bento below contains some blanched broccoli and carrots, coated with salad cream. Next to it is a scoop of macaroni and cheese topped with some freshly ground pepper.

I am going to sell Mac and cheese this Sunday for a fund raising event. My youngest girl will be having her "First Holy Communion" this year and the monies raised is supposed to help defray expenses for the whole year's journey of camp and activities.

I tried a 'commercialised' (cheaper)version of the Mac and cheese recipe and it turned out pretty good. There is a certain 'fish' I know who in his blog declares that "God is a funny fellow". I wasn't happy with the macaroni I bought from Tesco because of it's texture. I bought it in the first place because there was a RM2 difference from the regular one I buy from
This afternoon, when I was at Jusco, One Utama to pick up the balance of the stuff I couldn't get at Tesco, I found that the Barilla macaroni was being sold for a mere 50 cents difference more. I bought all the macaroni they had on their shelf - thirteen 500g packets would yield approximately 100 packets of cooked macaroni.

Then I saw the smoked sausages that I bought to try from Tesco going on promotion here in Jusco at an even cheaper price!! I was trilled!! I swiped what I wanted and was grinning all the way to the pay counter.

On the way I saw "Dutch Lady Full Cream Milk" on offer at RM3.50 per packet. I swiped four! Utterly satisfied with the day's haul, I remembered my 'fish' friend and how true his declaration that "God is a funny fellow".

Back to bentos!

The bento below was packed for #2's lunch. I had a piece of Unagi in the fridge that I decided to use. Unpacked it and steamed it for about 3 minutes with the sauce. Cooked some rice and packed it into a bento box. Topped it with the Unagi and added some side vegetables - tomatoes, kyuri and pickled daikon.
The picture below shows you the bento box and cover. *Sorry about the poorly taken pictures*

I had to use a furoshiki to tie the box because there is no strap that can accommodate the box.

BENTO #63

This one was Wednesday's bento. I had left over sushi rice and some salmon. I mashed up the salmon, added some mayo and stuffed them into some sushi moulds. They were shaped in triangle, heart, star and sakura flower. It's fast and easy. My daughter enjoyed the rice. In the other box you can see a layer of seedless grapes.

BENTO #62

This was Tuesday's bento. Hubs had some picture he wanted to keep in the camera and I didn't want to have to upload for a second time over seventy pictures into my computer! Finally, had permission to delete them and now I can update my overdue bentos.

I had some frozen gyoza which I fried and steamed in the morning. The side "Hello Kitty" box contained the vinegared dip. On top of the box is a wedge of "Happy Cow" salmon flavoured cheese.

In the bottom bento is a mixed vegetable and fruit salad topped with thousand island dressing.

"Tongue" Update

Yesterday, I went marketing. I was going to make brown stock so I went to the beef stall in Taman Tun market. First stall sells imported prime beef - wrong stall. Went to the next one, with all the cow carcasses hanging overhead - looked like I hit jackpot! Somehow the cow carcasses didn't look as intimidating as the pigs!!

Emily asked to check if they had cow tongue. I asked for one and do you know how much it cost?? RM28!! The pig's tongue was dirt cheap at RM1.80!! Comparatively the pig's tongue was about one third the size of the cow's tongue, multiply by three it should cost no more than RM6, after all not to say the pig has more one tongue than the cow!!! "Kaki tulang" and the tongue cost me RM78 at the beef stall.
*After cooking and slogging the whole day* At the dinner table..., there were two dishes, one pot of cow tongue and one plate of French beans. This is the conversation that followed:

#1: Mum! Is this all we are having for dinner? *looking at the two dishes in dismay*

Mum: Yeah!

#1: Errr... does it mean I have to go vegetarian tonight?

#2: *Loudly declaring* I'm going to have Natto tonight! "Cheh-cheh", you're welcome to share with me!

#3: Agggggghhhhhhh......oh no!!! Not Natto!

#1: *Squirms and wrinkles up her face* As though that is an option! Die also don't want to eat lah! Just eat the French beans only! *wrinkles up face again*

The maid walks in with another two dishes from the kitchen. The two girls stretch their necks to look at what had just landed on the table and breathes a deep sigh of relief. Finally some edible dishes.

Meanwhile hubs was already tucking into the pot of cow tongue - his reaction was like "mmmm....very good, mmmm...very good" *slaps forehead in despair* Didn't he just hear what went on over the dinner table???

BENTO #61

#2 is back to her regular activities and has less complains about the removal of her appendix. Today's bento is made up of left over penne pasta from the weekend. Mushed some salmon and mayo, topped with lots of freshly ground pepper and this tastes like a completely fresh made pasta!

Skewered her favorite fish balls, tomatoes and kyuri. Added a packet of Sniggles clown vanilla biscuits for snack.

Flavours Magazine's "Saucy Affair"

As of today, I have officially subscribed to "Flavours", a local food magazine. I was at one of it's cooking workshops today. Chef Jean-Michel Fraisse from the French Cooking School was at hand 'saucing sauces' to tantalize our taste buds!!

Below, making of brown sauce.

After two and a half hours

Cumin-scented Creme Fraiche & yoghurt sauce. I loved the colors more than the flavour.

Tatare sauce served with hard boiled eggs.


All in all, it was very interesting. If you like herbs and find that your cooking is sometimes short of a sauce or gravy, this is an excellent workshop. The Chef was entertaining and comes with a world of experience. Ask him any question and he'll have an answer for you. As he puts it "I'll bulls**t even if I have no answer". Seriously though, he is very clear and even makes brown sauce cooking look easy to attempt. Look out market, I'm coming on Tuesday to buy "Kaki tulang" for my brown sauce!!!

I got home and whipped up a chicken and mushroom white sauce for dinner. Had it with some Penne pasta. Bon Appetite!!

The Tongue!

Before I married Hubs, I was a very conservative eater. No exotic stuff for me. I'd puke! Unfortunately Hubs love exotic foodstuffs like wild animals - I shan't name any in case the wild life department decides to knock on my door!!!

To cut the long story short, I learnt to love what he loves. I learnt to enjoy the games he liked, the food he enjoyed and the lifestyle he adopted.

Three weeks ago, while the whole family was in the car he mentioned something about 'pig's tongue'. Ewww.....I am a fan of offal but no friend to the pig's tongue!! Hubs supply of pig's tongue ended with the closing of his favourite source.

I've forcibly tried it twice and wasn't much attracted to it. Hubs requested that I get my mum to cook it. Unfortunately my mum is gallivanting in some other part of the Peninsular at the moment and will not be back anytime soon.

I went marketing on Tuesday, my ears perked when I heard the lady next to me request for two pig's tongue. Then I remembered hubs request. I too asked for one pig's tongue. If I had known what I was getting into, I'd probably just have just put on my 'selective listening' skill to the max. Watching the stall owner stuff the offal into the plastic bag was a scene I wasn't prepared for!! Coming face to face with the raw, uncooked pig's tongue made me want to rescind my order!! Then I imagined my husbands 'longing' face in my mind, I put on a brave face and asked for advice how to clean and cook the 'damn ugly looking piece of meat'.

I expected something that looked like a tongue, and yes it did look like a tongue but I didn't expect an extended block of meat with an 'ear looking' cartilage attached to it!! Horrors of horrors, my stomach churned and turned!! I was stunned at how it looked and with all the fat hanging all over - trust me, it didn't look a pretty sight. Sorry for the gross descriptions, I was a little traumatized at it's sight.

But hey!! I've learnt to eat the fish eye which put many people off too, to me, it's the most delicious part of the fish head.

When I got home, I was already in distress. My new help was a wonder. She cleaned up the gross looking thing and put it into a pot of vinegared water, boiled it and continued cleaning it up. I shall end here and spare you my traumatic experience with the pig's tongue!

I searched the internet for Braised Pig's tongue and I was surprised to find that there was endless lists and methods to cook a pig's tongue.

I finally settled for this dish called Pork tongue asado in Pinoy Cook. I just followed the recipe as close as I could and the end result was amazing. When hubs tried it, he almost kissed me at the dinner table. He was raving about it and kept offering pieces of it to me. Obviously, I declined very politely. I guess in his excitement, he thought that I wanted for him to enjoy it all.

Below is a picture of the pig's tongue simmering in the pot. Hubs said to buy more the next time. Sigh....I don't know if I can do it again. I am still squirmish at the thought of it all.

Introduction of basic Japanese Ingredients - Part II

Further to my previous post "Introduction of basic Japanese Ingredients Part I", this is the long overdue Part II!

This post introduces you to two types of common seaweed. In fact, these two are the necessary and are basic ingredients for Miso soup.

Below is the hard, bark like looking seaweed called 'Kombu'. See the white stuff on the kombu? It's supposed to be glutamic acid (a.k.a. ajinomoto). Kombu is one of two ingredients in basic Dashi, the other being katsobushi.

There are various types of dashi. Ichiban dashi (first dashi) - used for soup bases, tamagoyaki or cawan mushi. Niban dashi (second time dashi) used in simmering dishes. Others include kombu dashi, shitake dashi and as gourmet as you can get by including more exotic anchovies and sardines in it for specific dishes.

Personally, I only use Ichiban dashi and Niban dashi. I don't like to use the instant granules because it's so salty and I don't like the flavour.

When making dashi, you do not wash kombu before use. You are supposed to use a wet towel to wipe it and then leave it in a pot of water to sit for a while - until it softens and open up.



The picture below shows you "Wakame". It's the 'slimy' green seaweed you get with your miso soup. It's tiny and dry and need to be soaked before use. There is also the salted 'fresh wakame' which you can purchase if you use a lot of it, otherwise you need to freeze it. It's more convenient to use the dried wakame because when you need it, you just soak some in water and it's ready.

Whilst most of the time wakame is used for miso soup, it can also be added to cucumber pickles. You can see the picture on the packet.

Ten Commandments for Those Over Fifty Years Old

I received this e-mail from a friend today. I have several years before I reach the big Jubilee but I think I shall post this on my blog to remind myself of these 'ten commandments' and how I kept nodding my head as I went down the list.

Ten Commandments for Those Over Fifty Years Old

1. Focus on enjoying people, not on indulging in or accumulating material things.

2. Plan to spend whatever you have saved. You deserve to enjoy it and the few healthy years you have left. Travel if you can afford it. Don't leave anything for your children or loved ones to quarrel about. By leaving anything, you may even cause more trouble when you are gone.

3. Live in the here and now, not in the yesterdays and tomorrows. It is only today that you can handle. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow may not even happen.

4. Enjoy your grandchildren (if blessed with any) but don't be their full time baby sitter. You have no moral obligation to take care of them. Don't have any guilt about refusing to baby sit anyone's kids, including your own grandkids. Your parental obligation is to your children. After you have raised them into responsible adults, your duties of child-rearing babysitting are finished. Let your children raise their own off-springs.

5. Accept physical weakness, sickness and other physical pains. It is a part of the aging process. Enjoy whatever your health can allow.

6. Enjoy what you are and what you have right now. Stop working hard for what you do not have. If you don't have them, it's probably too late.

7. Enjoy your life with your spouse, children, grandchildren and friends. People, who truly love you, love you for yourself, not for what you have. Anyone who loves you for what you have will just give you misery.

8. Forgive and accept forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others. Enjoy peace of mind and peace of soul.

9. Befriend death. It's a natural part of the life cycle. Don't be afraid of it. Death is the beginning of a new and better life. So, prepare yourself not for death but for a new life with the Almighty.

10. Be at peace with your Creator. For ... He is all you have after you leave this life. .............

Not for the faint hearted!!

Natto is a constant staple for #2 and I. In my home, I keep a constant supply in the freezer and it takes about 10 minutes or less to thaw. After I packed #2 her bento box, there was some mixed rice left over.

I decided to top it with a box of Natto to complete my lunch Donburi. Only Natto lovers will understand this immense LOVE for what some may term as 'smelly beans!' I only smell the loveliest of all smells - fermented Natto. Mmmmmm.........


Believe me, this donburi picture doesn't credit it's flavor!!!

BENTO #60

It's been a while since I posted my last Bento. I had some left over sushi rice, so I mixed it up with Kewpie mayo and Sakura Denbu. Added chopped crabsticks and scrambled eggs. Topped with some nori bits.

On the top box, I had some preserved apricots, fresh tomatoes and my 'famous Amos' chocolate cookies. I made one batch on Wednesday which yielded 6 boxes. Today there is only 1 box left. Sigh! Have to make again today!

Calories in Sushi

Food	Calories (cal)	Total Fats (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)	Per
Inari-Sushi (Bean Curd Pouches w. Sushi)	130 cals	2 g	23 g	5 g	1 pouch
Nigiri-Sushi (Fish-wrapped Sushi)	30 cals	0.5 g	4 g	2.5 g	1 piece
Nori-Maki Sushi (Seaweed-wrapped): Futo-Maki (Egg Omelette, Fish Vegetable)	70 cals	1 g	10 g	5.5 g	1 piece
Nori-Maki Sushi (Seaweed-wrapped): Kekka-Maki (Tuna)	20 cals	1 g	2 g	1 g	1 piece
Maki Sushi (Seaweed-wrapped): Kobana-Maki (Egg Omelette, Cucumber)	35 cals	1 g	6 g	0.5 g	1 piece
Lunchbox, assorted	330 cals	3 g	56 g	20 g	1 regular serving
Sushi: Californian Rolls	140 cals	2 g	20 g	10.5 g	1 serving, 5 piece
Sushi: Rice, cooked	198 cals	3 g	30 g	12 g	1 cup

Click for the full list of calories in sushi and Japanese foods >>

SPAM MUSUBI

Occasionally, I treat myself and the girls with SPAM. More often than not, I would make Spam Musubi.

This is an all time Hawaiian 'sushi' favorite! Much as I have heard about Hawaii, I have never been there. But thanks to the internet, I've visited many interesting sites and learnt many different but interesting recipes. I have also found out that the Spam Musubi is an icon of the Hawaiian local cuisine, and are sold practically everywhere in Hawaii.

Recipe:
1 can of SPAM
2 cups of rice
2 1/2 cups of water
**sushi vinaigrette for rice
1/4 cup shoyu
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup sugar
Nori sheets

Method:

1. Slice the SPAM and marinate in oyster, shoyu and sugar for at least 15 minutes. Remember to flip over to marinate the other side.


2. Wash and cook the rice - 2 *cups rice and 2 1/2 cups water.

*The cup used here is from the rice cooker. One cup from the rice cooker cup is equivalent to three quarters of the standard measuring cup.
Don't ask me why because that's what I found out when I made comparisons. And that's why I don't like using 'cup' measurements for baking, I find it inconsistent.

3. When rice is cooked, mix sushi **vinaigrette as you do for sushi rice.
(**this is optional, but I like the combination). Leave to cool.


4. Prepare a 'box like' container if you do not have a sushi press.
5. Meanwhile, oil a pan and start frying the marinated SPAM. Some parts will caramelize and turn black because of the sugar but it's delicious, just don't burn it!

6. Stuff the sushi rice into the sushi press and compact the rice into a firm block. Remove rice block out of the sushi press and line top with fried SPAM.


7. Wrap with a piece of Nori.


8. Slice the block of Spam Musubi into six or eight pieces (depending on the size of your sushi press).
9. Enjoy!

Music Lessons

When I was younger, my parents couldn't afford piano lessons for me. I think though, they did harbor some intentions. When I got to high school and my mother struck 4D, they bought me a Yamaha C55N organ. In those days, it was considered medium range because it was about 7.5K which was a lot of money then.

My parents arranged for my music teacher to come to the house to teach me. When I was first introduced to her, I wasn't much impressed with her because she was very quiet and only taught what I was to learn for the day. I thought she was quite pretty and demure but beyond that, she came across as a very 'non verbal' person. Along the way, I found out that she was a former Miss Malaysia/World (1977).

I remember, even when I was to seek clarification on a particular Jazz beat that she was teaching during a particular lesson, she was unable to clarify and deliver properly her explanation. I was cool with her because she never pressured me to do my practical exercises. Much as I enjoyed paying my organ, I didn't quite like the practices that came along with it. My dad was my biggest fan and I was 'forced' to 'perform' for him nightly - those 'performances' constituted my practices. My music teacher taught me the ABRSM theory and Yamaha practical for Organ. This went on for several years and I went on to play for Sunday Masses at Church.

I even went on to teaching some neighbour's kid during my school holidays. I can remember I hated every moment of it. I wanted to 'strangle' the kid because she was yakking and asking questions all the time. I threw in the towel after three months. I knew I wasn't made for this.

Eventually, quitting completely was the most practical thing to do when exams provided the ideal excuse.

Years down the road when I had my own kids, I started them with Piano lessons as soon as I possibly could. I traveled the road many parents have attempted. Many has succeeded, I on the other hand, like some, has failed. I enrolled my eldest daughter for the Yamaha JMC course. This is a real test of patience for a working mother. You had to camp in for your kid's music class every week!

After a while I cajoled my mum into going with my daughter but after several lessons, both grandmother and granddaughter were blur as beagles. I then attempted to send my 'English speaking Indonesian Maid' - that didn't work out either. Finally I did the most sane thing - pulled her out of the Yamaha system and enrolled her under the music teacher in the Ballet school where she was also learning Ballet.

When my second girl came of age, I also enrolled her in both ballet and music at the same school. From Ballet, they progressed to Modern dance and Tap dancing. Soon, I was shuttling four days a week for dance classes and during exam period it was anything from 7-10 times a week because of extra classes and sorts.

Hubs was freaking because our weekends became the property of the ballet and music school. He said that his kids were busier than him and he had to almost 'make appointment to see my kids'. Hmmmm....not very becoming but very honest. We reassessed our priorities and I for one was sure I didn't want my kids to be professional dancers. Maybe I got carried away with keeping with the "Joneses" and was enjoying the mummy gossip (yeah! we go through our phases) that was taking place in the ballet school.

So away with dancing and just concentrate on Music. I got them enrolled under this 'very highly recommended teacher' who was an ex-Yamaha biggie. She operates from two apartments in PJ and is a large and amazing pill popping woman. She is very talented and skilled but unfortunately comes with a horrible temperament and lacking in patience. Nevertheless, she provided my two daughters with some very torturous but skilled foundation. I tolerated as long as I could and finally I decided, with the support of my two girls to uproot and change music teacher again.

There were several teacher changes after that and each one with a very valid reason and necessary, for that different phase that required a different experience and exposure.

Reasons would include 'loss of interest', 'teacher too lenient or too fierce' and even 'teacher with not enough experience' and so on. There was one instance when I suggested a change because I noticed that there was not much progress and #2 got into a major struggle with me because this teacher had become her mentor. As always 'mum knows best', I won the battle.

It's been a rough journey and because, not only did I have to be in touch all the time with their music progress, I had to also change pianos for their different stages of progress.

Along the years, the most common phrase from the two girls would be "Mum, want to stop piano lessons, can ah?" Mum's response "CANNOT!" I think they got used to my consistent answer and after a while they stopped asking.

As the girls grew into high school, they asked to take up a second instrument. #1 took up the Cello and #2 took up the violin. Finally both girls finished their Piano Grade 8, ABRSM. #1 opted to stop music lessons but loves to sing. She's got perfect hearing and pitching and that's where she's put her music lessons to good use. Give her a music score and she'll hum you the tune.

#2 opted to continue to do her Diploma and will sit for her exams in December 2008. Next year she finishes her Violin Grade 8 and hopes to pursue a career in music. This is the child that the pill popping teacher said 'has no potential'. I didn't believe her and moved on to another who nurtured her and developed her 'luke warm' interest for music into a passion.

It's so difficult to make decisions as parents. Here we want to be the new generation parents who are hip and friendly, there we have to gripe with our kids idiosyncrasies and force them to do 'the right thing' (in our opinion) even though they don't agree with us!

I have to admit that I have 'forced' them to complete their music journey and did not give them a choice to opt out until they finished their grade 8. I am just very relieved that none of them rebelled and turned away from it completely after completing this journey. I didn't want them to regret that they didn't finish on a whim of a decision.

This journey has been one spotted with tears, anger, harsh words, punishment and prayers but alongside also came excitement, achievements, enjoyment, unity, harmony,thanksgiving, rewards and discipline.

I am a firm believer that a good teacher maketh a good student. I'm not qualifying their music teachers ability and skill, it's just that at different phases of our kids lives we need to have the ability to decide what's next and the right time to (edit) stick to our guns or to move on.

Pork Ribs

I didn't have the slightest inkling what I wanted to cook for dinner tonight. Midday, I taught my new help to boil ABC soup in the crockpot (slow cooker). Then I rummaged my freezer and found a block of pork ribs. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do with the pork ribs. Decided to check for recipes on the internet - typed in "Pork ribs" and a list of web sites popped up. Selected one and then a second one and

found this - Simple Pork Rib Dry Rub (Picture from recipe web site)

Sometimes, I cook and cook Chinese food in the kitchen like a mad woman and there is hardly a compliment. Here, I took five minutes to put together the ingredients and shoved it into the oven to bake for 45 minutes and everyone is raving about how delicious it is!!! I am dumbfounded!!