CHINESE RED DATES

Chinese Red Dates (pronounce as "Hong Zao" in Mandarin) or commonly known as JUJUBE for the English, is one of the world oldest fruits, used in ancient Chinese medicine for many nutritional remedies. Red dates are widely considered as the "living vitamin pill" by the Chinese. It has been listed in the five important fruits, namely, peach, plum, wax berry, apricot and red date, since ancient times. In China, they are the most commonly known fruit and rate as popular as the apple tree in this country. It is thought to be native to North Africa and Syria, but moved east through India to China. In China have been discovered to have lasted on earth for almost 8000 years already, originating from the Zhou dynasty. Archaeologists have found the fossil of a date core in the cultural site of Feiligang, Xinzheng, which is a testament to its 8000 year history of production in China. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, fermented red dates were used to make red date wine, which was served as a tribute or used to treat guests and friends. In the remote antiquity, people had found that red dates could supplement nutrition and improve health conditions.

There are two types of the fruit commonly found on the Chinese market: red and black. The red one is called hongzao (hong= red); this one is used for food, and it is collected in vast quantities. The dark brown or black one is heizao (hei= black), more often called dazao (da=large), since this one is somewhat larger. These are not different species but different types, just as one can find, for example, a variety of small red apples and another of large green apples.

The red date tree can withstand any torrent weather; hence, it has been easily adapted as a farm craft in these regions. In the succeeding years, the China red dates and chestnuts have been recorded to alleviate famine in the country during the Qin State, hence it has become one of China’s major crops. China red dates offer a variety of usage in terms of cooking and medicine. Some regional growers cultivate the tree to afford themselves of the therapeutic effect of the fruit, while others are fond the china red date’s culinary use.

Chinese believed that eating the fruit from the red date tree would improve a person’s stamina and strength, as well as an improvement in the function of the liver and the immune system. Nutritionists have found that the fruit of the jujube tree contains beneficial concentrations of Vitamins A, B2, and C. The jujube also contains minerals necessary for health, such as phosphorus, calcium, and iron. In fact, the common belief is that if the fruit is taken on a daily basis, it will improve skin color and tone, both signs of physical well being.

In the old days, diseases that caused the body to waste away were called wasting syndromes. The ancients knew which plants would reverse this process and allow the body to build itself back up again, and the jujube was one of these plants. Its fruits are said to increase the flesh and strength of the seriously ill, reversing the process of disease. To my mind, preventative medicine is where it's at, and if the plant can restore a wasting body, one can only imagine what it could do for a reasonable healthy body under stress. Chinese do stipulate, however, that the jujube should only be used fresh in wasting conditions, as it can cause fever otherwise.

The culinary use of red dates in China varies from region to region and even needs. The red dates in china are usually eaten as a snack or served with tea for an afternoon relaxation or for guest accommodation. Some tea houses in Shenzhen offer sweetened tea syrup that contains jujube fruits or they are presented in packet teabags that can be bought for home consumption. 

Herbal soups made from a combination of red dates, astragalus, dried goji berries, ginseng, and dang gui were fed to those recovering from surgery to improve immunity, strengthen the body and prevent relapses. I use red dates most of my herbal soup, as well as part of the cooking. Having red dates in my kitchen is the same as having tea bags in most of the English families.

My precious...... ~
                      

GOJI BERRIES

GOJI BERRIES (Complimentary from my Dad)

Chinese wolfberries or boxthom fruit (dried Goji berries) and is more comonly known as "Gou Ji" in Mandarin and "Kei Chi" in Cantonese. Goji berries are small bright red fleshly berries that grows in the remote areas of Tibet and Mongolia and most popular Chinese herbs. It is sold in dried form in all Asian grocery as well as medical stores. They are sweet and are found in many Chinese herbal soups, sweet teas and tonic drinks. Goji berries have been traditionally regarded as a longevity, strength-building and sexual potency fruits of the highest order in the traditional practices of Chinese medicine. 

They have been eaten by locals for almost 2,000 years. Historically it is found through the ancient Himalayans, who were the one to first encounter the miracle fruit. For thousands of years, Goji berries gave Himalayans health and energy. Then once the Chinese and Indians passed through Tibet, the Himalayans decided to share their secret fruits. The foreigners welcomed the new knowledge as they began incorporating the goji berries into their own herbal solutions. 

As it became popular in other parts of Asia, legends of its powers began to spread. One of these legends tells the story of a well that was built next to a Buddhist temple during the Tang Dynasty(around 800 AD). Goji vines grown around it, so it was common for the berries to fall into the water. Over the time people noticed that those who prayed and drank from the well at the particular temple not only looked younger but they also were much healthier even at the age of eighty they had no white hair and had lost no teeth. The secret wasn't in the prayer, at least not in a direct sense. What made them so healthy were the goji berries they had consumed while drinking the water from the well. A poem was written about this well, which became a small part in Chinese medical history :-

The Well of Youthful Living

A cool well beside the monk's house,
a clear spring feeds the well and the water has great powers,
emerald green leaves grow on the wall,
the deep red berries shine like copper,
the flourishing branch like a walking stick,
the old root in a dog's shape signals good fortune,
the goji nourishes body and spirit,drink of the well and enjoy a long life

- Tang Dynasty poet Liu YuXi (772 - 842 AD)

It is natural supplement for improving eyesight especially poor eyesight is caused by malnutrition, vessel expansion and inflammation. Consuming goji berries may help the experience of eye strain from staring at computer screens and documents for long periods of time. Besides that, it is also very beneficial for the liver as a healthy liver manifests in better looking eyes and vision. Traditional Chinese medicine taught that any sickness in the liver can be observed from the eyes. For example, people suffering from hepatitis or jaundice have very yellowish eyes. It can be eaten and they can be quite sweet too. 

My mum loved to put lots of goji berries in her herbal soup for us. Other then that, it can be boil just with water and add a few pieces of red dates. Up till now, my kitchen cabinet is always fill with goji berries. Without goji berries in the soup is like cooking without oil to me. 

DANG GUI

My precious "DANG GUI" from my Dad all the way from Malaysia

"Dang Gui" (Chinese Angelica Root) is highly respected in traditional Chinese medicine, second only to ginseng, and has a very important place in women's health. It is highly valued for the treatment for a host of woman's health issues. It can strengthen the blood and nourish the female reproductive organs, regulate menstruation, ease period pains, including migraine, cramps, mood fluctuations and helping speed a woman's recovery childbirth and symptoms of low energy / chronic fatigue. Not only it relax the smooth muscles of the uterus, but it also keeps the smooth muscles in the arteries dilated, helping to maintain regular flow and heartbeat.

The thing is, pregnant women should not take this as it may encourage menstruation and known to cause diarhhea in some people.

Most of the Chinese medical store sell it as dried unprocessed pieces of root. In its dried state, the root emits a certain woody aroma that develops into a strong flavour when cooked and it requires no preparation before cooking. Some also ground to make tablets and capsules.

CHINESE HERBAL SOUP

My CHINESE HERBAL SOUP

There is an old Chinese saying, "To win a man's heart, a woman must first learn how to cook a good pot of soup". Soup plays a very important part in Chinese meal. It is usually served in place of water or tea as an accompanying drink that is supped during meal but my mum served in a communal bowl, into which all the family members can dip out spoons as we wish. Soup is the heart of the meal in my family. Magical moments with Chinese soup always happen in my mum's humble home kitchen. I remember my dad wouldn't eat the meal if my mum didn't make any soup on that day !! Soup served in Chinese manner would be of the thin variety as opposed to the thick soups from the European countries. My English friend called my Chinese soup, "Clear water soup" (You know who you are :) ). When I was small, my mum forbidden us to have mineral water at mealtime as it is believe that its unhealthy to consume cold drinks with a meal. Vegetables and herbal Chinese soup are my mum's favourite in feeding us. Nutritionists believe that drinking soups before and during meals is good for health as it reduced the occurrence of gastritis and esophagitis. Drinking soup before meal can lubricates throat and esophagus so that food passes through more easily. This will prevents any dry food from irritating the sensitive membrane of the digestive tract, where else drinking soup during meal helps to mix up the food in the stomach aiding digestion and nutrition absorption. A large part of Chinese medicine is based on the concept of Yin and Yang (the 2 forces that rule the universe). So what does a philosophical belief have to do with the herbal soup ? We believe illness is a signal that the two forces are out of its balance in our body. For example, if we have a cold, it is because there is too much of yin in our body. Chinese herbalist will prescribe a soup designed to restore the yang forces. Similarly, a fever might be treat with a yin soup. Treating a cold or fever with soup is an ancient honoured tradition. A bowl of soup, lovingly prepared can make us think we feel better (even if it doesn't really help to cure the illness) but in tradition to its ability to comfort, we Chinese believe certain soups have healing powers. 

Different ingredients used to make soups determine what the soup can do for the body. For my mum, she loves to use pork bones and vegetables, which I still followed her way until now. 

My favourite piece of Pork bones

Bone soup has the power to fight against osteoporosis. Human seems to shrink with age and it is the sign of ageing and osteoporosis. As human aged, the bones become thin and compressed under pressure, resulting in the loss of height. That's when doctors advised high risk people to start taking calcium supplements and drinking more milk. The problem is many Chinese, we are lactose-intolerant. Like my family, we cant drink a lot of milk as we are unable to digest the lactose in milk. Personally I have problem with how uncomfortable indigestion from lactose. It will makes me dizzy and nausea. But then there is a happy and comfortable solution, Chinese soup. Soups made from bones contain calcium ions, which is easily absorbed by our body. To me personally, drinking soups is more enjoyable than taking calcium supplements or suffering from lactose indigestion.

There's a different between pork ribs and pork bones. Pork bones are usually the limbs even though the spine is also categorized as bones. The most important, the bones must be parboil before use. To parboil means to partially cook an ingredient before putting them in the soup. Place the raw bones in a pot and use boil water to blanch it for about 10 minutes. It will get rid of blood and some of the fat. If not, the soups will become murky, froth and bits floating on the surface. Some people will strain the soup or scoop the froth and bits up but saving the trouble and time with parboiling the bones first. Bone soups contains collagen, proteins, fats and natural salt. All these enhance micro-circulation. Better micro-circulation means better cell production. Better cell production means delayed ageing. 

Chinese herbal are gentle tonics, which mean nourishing the body and maintain proper bodily functions. My mum has a very good knowledge of cooking with Chinese herbs. She loved to hang out in the Chinese medicine store nearby our old house in Georgetown, learning from the herbalists on all the usage, effect and combination on each and every herbs. Every time she served her herbal soup during meal, she would explained to us the functions of the ingredients in the soups. To be frank, it's very interesting to learn about the health benefits getting from drinking the herbal soups. She would stocked up her fridge (we had a very large fridge !) with Chinese herbs and when we opened the fridge, it did smells like a medicine store !

Now I ended up in UK and It's very hard to get good quality of herbs from the local store as everything is damn expensive. I am not going to pay 50 quid for a few grams of dry root (which I have no idea if it's A class or just rejected from China). So, I just bought ready pack combination of herbal soup ingredients from Chinatown.

I still using some of the ingredients passed down from my mum and using it every week (I insist to have herbal soup at least once a week !). My dad bought me some good quality of herbs from Malaysia last few weeks ago when he came to visit (And yes my fridge smells like the good ol' times !).

KAYA

"Kaya" is a very popular coconut jam amongst Malaysians as well as Singapore. It is also called "Sri Kaya" (called in Indonesia) or just "Kaya" (from the Malay word for RICH based on its golden colour). It consists of eggs, sugar, coconut milk and flavoured with pandanus amaryllifolius (a tropical plant in the screwpine genus which is known commonly as "Pandan"). Kaya is sweet and creamy, available as golden brown or green coloured spread depending on the amount of pandan and extent of caramelization of the sugar. This delicacy is credited to the Hainanese. Many of them worked on British ship as kichen staff. When they settled in Malaysia, they started selling the foods which they prepared for the British, including coffee, toast and French toast to the local populations. They replaced the Western jams and preserves flavour by the British with native coconut jams.

I have made this several times but I must say I am still not able to perfect the recipe. Dont get me wrong, the taste is good but I just cant get the green flavoured taste of pandan... Like i said, its so hard to get the proper ingredients in UK. So I just gave up and get myself a ready-make Kaya from Chinatown. At least I can still enjoy my white bread with kaya and kopi-o in the morning as well as throughout the day !

MY NEW PET, CRAPPY

I went to this newly opened buffet - Red Hot World Buffet in Deansgate with my buddies few weeks ago. I don't really like Buffet as I worked in Chinese Buffet restaurant last 5 years ago in Park Royal,  London. I've seen the food handling and preparation inside the kitchen, and the cooks threw in gallons of MSG to each and every dishes. I told myself I am not going to waste my money to eat in those Chinese style buffet. 

Unlike those normal tradition buffet found in Chinatown, this new International Buffet is not the usual poor quality mass produced buffet dishes. The settings and the interior were very appealing. They have very helpful staffs (who actually can speaks English). Good choices of different cuisines (some which actually cook in front of the customers in the open kitchen), spacious, light and great ambience.

http://www.redhot-worldbuffet.com

I was getting myself the Mussels in Mongolian sauce in the main course corner. Like I said before, I was born in an island and seafood to me is like part of my body fresh.

I was happily enjoying my big slice of mussels throwing 2 pieces in my mouth in one shot and at the same time getting ready the third and fourth pieces on my plate. But what surprise me was I saw something glowing inside one of the mussel on my plate. I dig it out and guess what I found ? A tiny little crab still in a good form sticking inside the mussel.

It is so cute and I still keep it until now.  It was really something funny and I cant stop giggling whenever I think of it lol !! I called it Crappy, my pet ~

Crappy was looking at my Post giggling with me ~

STEAMED MINCED PORK

Funny, as a kid and even till now I love that stuff. When i was little I'd watch my mum make it (minced the pork by chopping it continuously with a cleaver in each hand until the meat breaks down and pulls apart easily) and think to myself, oh boy and couldn't wait till dinner. She would make this lovely steamed minced pork with salted egg or salted fish every week. And yes, this is a very tradition homey dish, very well known in among all Chinese. We called it, "Jing-Chee-Yoke" or "Jing-Yoke-Bang"

Since I am in UK and, getting fine good quality salted egg or salted fish are really not that easy. I had tried cooking it with the stocks i bought in Chinatown and to be frank, the salted egg and salted fish here really sucks. One warning, because the fish is allowed to ferment before drying, it has the dubious distinction of being the only dried fish that is linked to causing a rare cancer. So it is not healthy to eat tons of it or even feed it to kids.

So I modified a bit and instead of using salted egg or salted fish, i added with fine chopped potatoes (where one can find the potatoes are all over in UK). I would wanna add some Chinese mushroom to it but my flatmate is allergy to mushroom (too bad). And there are absolutely no rules on what to mix with it. I could use any ingredients and combination that I like.

Preparing it is as easy as drinking a pint of lager. Tradition way to preparing the pork as i mentioned, is to chopped it with cleaver but then i make it the lazy way, getting the ready-mince-pork. Try Morrison, it is cheaper even compare to Asda. 

Place the mince pork in a bowl, add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper, vinegar, cornstarch / white flour, chopped ginger and potatoes and crack an egg into it. Then mix everything together until gluey. Here is the important part, to make the pork feels fluffy and not to hard to chew after steaming, add water into it while doing the mixing part. There is no measurement for how amount of water to added in. You will know it when the pork starts to break off and looks like cotton. Transfer the pork to a heat proof dish. Flatten the meat so that it spreads out across the bottom and it should be the same thickness throughout. I will just let it marinate for an hour.

Now since that i don't have a steamer in my flat, how do i steamed it ? Easy. One doesn't have to buy or pay extra for any cooking utensils to be frank. Food preparation doesn't have to cost so much. For me I just play along with my own kitchenware. I have my large deep-fried-pan fill with boil water, place a small bowl in the middle of the pan, and cover it with another deep-friend-pan. There i got my own steamer :)

Steamed the pork for at least half an hour (depends on the thickness). The inside of the meat should not be pink. After steaming, there will be some water on the plate. This sauce will be infused with the flavor of the meat and seasonings. Do not be deceived by this humble looking dish. It packs with a lots of flavor and is extremely tasty served with hot steamed boiled rice.From kid until now, i love to drizzle the sauce on top of my rice. It taste like heaven with the combination of steamed minced pork and rice. They are the perfect couple in the World !

The Masterpiece

OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

Few of my friends asked me before, "Cal, do u know how to make other cuisine besides Chinese / Asian ?"

I can proudly reply, besides Chinese food (which were passed down from my beloved mum) and yes, Cal can cook other cuisine as well.

There is no ending in learning. I love to eat, i love to try, i love to taste, i love to cook and basically everything involves with the big letter F (Food, of course) u will see me there. As i was born in an island, my passion for seafood is always there in my heart. Few months ago, I have successfully adjust, modified and make a dish from the history, Oysters Rockefeller.

Similar to many recipes and dishes, Oysters Rockefeller has an interesting story behind. It were created at the famous Antoine's restaurant, owned by Jules Antoine Alciatore in New Orleans in the late 1890s'. Alciatore's father, Antoine, had founded the restaurant in 1840 after unsuccessful attempts to do so in New York. Most accounts of the dish's history state that Jules Alciatore loved to serve escargot (French snails) but then there was shortage at the time and no snails were available. He decided the local and plentiful fresh oysters would be good substitute. The sauce he created for the oyster dish was green and appeared to be made of pureed vegetables. The recipe called for the fresh oysters to be served on the half-shell, topped with various other ingredients, butter sauce and breadcrumbs, then baked at a high temperature or broiled. 

Alciatore supposedly named the dish Oysters Rockefeller after John D. Rockefeller, the richest American alive at the time. Based on the richness of the sauce which had a butter base. Oysters Rockefeller became an instant hit with diners and soon most New Orleans restaurants tried to duplicate it. Antoine’s maintains that no chef can ever copy the recipe with precision because its creator, Jules Alciatore, reportedly passed it on to his children upon his death. He is rumoured to have told them never to reveal it to anyone but family members, who have kept the secret for more than a century.

The biggest mystery of the ingredients of Oysters Rockefeller centers on the green sauce. Current and past chefs at Antoine’s insist the sauce has no spinach in it, but refuse to divulge what gives the sauce its bright green color. A laboratory analysis of the sauce in the mid 1980s revealed it contained parsley, celery that had been pureed and strained, olive oil, capers and either chives or scallions, which cannot be told apart through laboratory testing. Another theory about the green tint of the sauce purports it may have been obtained through the addition of Pernod, a liquor similar to absinthe.

The original recipe for this renowned baked oyster dish is still a secret.

Today there are many versions of this classic, the most common being oysters on the half shell topped with mixture of chopped spinach, butter, breadcrumbs and seasoning baked.The original Oysters Rockefeller is said to have been made with watercress, not spinach. Cooking it is not as hard as I imagined at the beginning. In fact, its so easy and although the preparations is a bit long but towards the end, its worth on every minute spends.

Methods :-

One dozen of fresh oysters.

• It can be difficult to open an oyster instead of one's hand. The basic technique involved to open an oyster is very simple, and with a bit of practice, very easy. It is also important to use an oyster knife, a knife specifically designed for opening oysters, to open an oyster, rather than a generic knife, which could slip (I cut my fingers and hands before, so I got myself a proper knife specially for oyster only).

• Before the oyster opening process begins, it is important to choose good oysters. Oysters should be purchased alive and they should be stored on ice or in a cool region of the fridge. If an oyster opens on its own, it is dead, and it should be discarded. 

• The oyster should be wrapped in a coarse kitchen cloth. This will make it easier to hold onto the shell, ensuring that the oyster does not slide out while it is being opened. Next, the oyster knife should be inserted between the halves of the shell, right next to the hinge, with the oyster in a horizontal position so that none of the liquid inside will escape when the oyster is opened. Once opened, the oyster should be held horizontally to avoid losing the juices.

• Get ready 2 pots of boiling water, and put the opened shell into one and the oysters in another. Boiling the shells are to get rid of the dirt and sands which might be sticking on it. Scrubbing might works but with boiling, it will definitely kill any bacteria which might hide inside it. For the other pot of boiling oysters, do not boil for too long or else the oysters will be way too overcook and shrink. Just less then 5 seconds will do. Put the oysters in a bowl of cold water to prevent it to cook from the heat. Make it medium well as towards the end, the oysters will be bake in the oven. 

Preparing the Spinach Mixture:-

• In a saucepan, melt 5 tablespoon of butter. Be careful of not burning to black. Add in 2 pieces of chopped shallots. Fried it for an additional minute or two at very low heat.

• At the same time get a pot of boiling water ready. Put fresh spinach (not those packet salad type selling in supermarket !), add a few dash of salt and let it boil in less then 5 minutes. Drain out the water,squeeze the spinach completely dry. Roll in in a bundle and chopped it to pieces. The smaller the better.

• Add in the spinach in the butter saucepan and cook it, stirring constantly. Mix in breadcrumbs. Stir to mixing well. Add in dash of salt, sugar, mix herbs and nutmeg / cinnamon powder to taste. If it gets too dry off from the breadcrumbs, add a little more of butter to loosen up the mixture and make it more moist. Finally, my own personal favourite, whisky. Be generous on it as it will really bring up the aroma and exotic taste.

Baking :-

• Preheat oven. Line an oven-proof tray. Make sure the oyster shells are standing firm on the tray. If not, wrap the bottom part with aluminium foil.  

• Spoon an equal amount of the prepared spinach mixture on the bottom of each shells. 

• Place the oysters on top of the spinach mixture.

• Add grated mozzarella cheese on top of each oysters.  

• Bake it. Note that there is no need to bake for too long. When the cheese starts melting, then it is ready to serve ! 

THE BEAUTY TOWARDS THE END WORTH EVERY SINGLE MINUTES SPENT.

CHAR KOAY KAK

"Char Koay Kak" (Fried Rice Cake) is a very popular hawker food in Penang. It is normally eaten for breakfast or late supper.

I used to have it twice in a week during the weekend when i was still living with my parents in Chulia Street. Cantonese call it "Char Lo Bak Koh" but in Penang, we Hokkien known it by char koay kak. "Lo bak koh" translates into turnip cake, and should have radishes in them but it has been simplified over time to fit the budget. 

The pieces of koay kak are stir-fried with oil, dark soy sauce and "chye por" (preserved vegetable in bits). After a few quick stirs, bean sprouts are added in followed by chilli paste. Additional duck eggs can be added in too. The bean sprouts and chye por will adds crunchiness. Duck eggs give the exotic taste and chilli paste added it spiciness. All the ingredients combined well, adding in flavour to the flavourless koay kak.

While its flavors and preparation are similar to its more famous cousin, Penang "Char Koay Teow" (fried flat noodles), nevertheless Char Koay Kak holds a very special place in the hearts of many Penangites, especially myself. I remembered taking money from my dad and "tar pau" (takeaway) my char koay kak from the hawker stall near my old house and is wrapped up with newspaper in a cone shaped lined with banana leaves on the inside.

Memories always make food taste like heaven !

KOPI aka COFFEE

"Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven. ~ Jessi Lane Adams"

Traditional kopitiam will have porcelain cups and saucers.

"Kopi" is the Hokkien and Malay word for coffee. In many parts of the world, coffee is not just the elixir of choice but also a very important part of culture. In Malaysia as well as Singpore, our local kopi-tiam (coffee shop in Hokkien word) is the melting pot of the community. For all local coffee connoisseurs, kopi-tiam is a must. Despite the exodus of our Malaysian coffee-drinking society from kopi-tiams early in the century to the recent advent of European-style cafes and bistros, our kopi tiam still figures prominently as an important part in the local scene.

Coffee has probably been consumed in Malaysia since the 15th century. It was migrated from the Middle Eastern traders to the Sultanate of Malacca's ports not long after it appeared in Mecca and Medina. It wasnt grown in Malaysia until the British began cultivating it in Cameron Highlands around 1800s'.

Malaysian coffee, unlike its western counterparts, is usually roasted in margarine until charcoal black. After the skillful "tauke" (barista) made it into the cup, it's usually ink black. It tastes sourish bitter with a little hint of charcoal. Unlike Starbucks or Costa, local Malaysia use a 'sock' or 'butterfly net' filter suspended in a pot of hot water. This special brewing way was introduced by Chinese immigrants from the island of Hainan in the 1800s'.

My dad used to take me to kopi-tiam for breakfast when i was young. He will pour a bit of his kopi on the saucer for me. The reason ? to share and to cool it down. 



 I still remember very well the good ol' days when "Ah Pek" (the elderly man in coffee shop) toasted "roti" (usually white bread) over glowing embers and scraped off the burnt parts with a knife before spreading on with generous slabs of margarine and "kaya" (a form of coconut jam). I will cracked the half-boiled egg into a bowl, scrape the remaining egg whites from the shell, add soy sauce and white pepper and mix everything into one gooey mess. My dad will dipped his toast into his kopi, and he still doing this now.

At kopi-tiams', coffee or tea are usually ordered using their local names. There are few variations we call the coffee :-

• Kopi - White coffee (with condensed milk, our Malaysian style as opposed to the Western version with milk and sugar).

• Kopi-gau - Coffee with condensed milk in strong brew.

• Kopi-po - Coffee with condensed milk in weak brew.

• Kopi-c - Coffee with evaporated milk.

• Kopi-c kosong - Coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar.

• Kopi-O - Black coffee (no milk, just sugar).

• Kopi-O kosong - Coffee without sugar or milk.

• Kopi-O kosong gau - A strong brew of coffee without sugar or milk.

• Kopi-kosong - Iced white coffee.

• Kopi-O Peng - My personal, iced black coffee (to cool off in Malaysia weather).

• Kopi-Peng / Kopi-Ice - Coffee with milk, sugar and iced.
  
  
• Kopi So'om - Lukewarm coffee. Not pipping hot but just nice for a good gulp.

My dad came to visit me in UK last week and to my dismay, he even brought his own coffee sachets. 

My dad favourite kopi

My dad bought me my favourite Kopi-O from Malaysia too ~

(A post dedicated to my kopi-addict Dad)

HOT POT/ STEAMBOAT aka TA PIN LOW

Chinese Hot Pot also known as Chinese Steamboat or Chinese Fondue, because of its similarity to French counterpart, is prepared in a metal pot which is place in the center of the table. A traditional Chinese hotpot is where diners choose from mostly raw or even marinated ingredients to dip into simmering pot of different kind of soup stock. The basic idea is to have a steaming pot of soup in the center of the table surrounded by platters of meats, seafood and vegetables that can be cooked by blanching in the hot broth. We get a pot of broth, pick any meat, seafood, vegetable to our own liking and cook it. It is also a brilliant example of the art of interaction, sharing and socialising. This is usually requires a minimum of two people, and the more the merrier. Imagine having friends sitting around a steaming wok, their eyes will be treated to a vista of the freshest and colourful food, their noses will be tantalised by the aromas of the most fragrant Chinese herbs and their taste buds will be rapt with the variety of tastes and textures. Today in many modern homes, particularly in the big cities, the traditional coal-heated steamboat has been replaced by electric, gas or induction cooker versions.

The Chinese hotpot boasts a history of more than 1000 years. Hotpot cooking was spread to northern China during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618 - 906). By the Qing Dynasty, steamboat become so popular throughout most of China then it spread across the country and to the neighbouring countries - Eastern countries like Japan, Taiwan (Taiwan cuisine is greatly influenced by Japanese cuisine in general). From there, it emerged into different variety of hotpot style of cooking, for a few example :

• Manchuria - Use lots of "Suan Chai" (Chinese shredded cabbage fermented in brine) to make the pot's stew sour.

• Taiwanese - Eat with a dipping sauce consisting of "Shacha" sauce (made from soybean oil, garlic, chilli, shallots, brill fish and dried shrimp) and raw egg yolk.

• Cantonese - Mixing raw egg with the ingredient to reduce the amount of heat which absorbed by the food. According to the Chinese herbalist, they believe it will reduce the likelihood of sore throat after the meal.

• Thailand - Hotpot is called Thai suki but it is quite different from Japanese shabu shabu variation called sukiyaki. Thai people uses their Thai- style dipping sauce with chilli, lime and coriander leaves.

• Japanese - Sukiyaki. Meats are usually slice thin beed which is slowly cooked or simmered with vegetables and other ingredients in a shallow pot of mixture of soy sauce, sugar and "Mirin" (Rice wine similar to sake but with lower alcohol). 

• Vietnam - Hotpot is called "Lẩu" where else the soup base is called "Canh Chua" (sour soup, where the taste comes from tamarind, which is mixed with a small amount of hot water. The mixture is then stirred for a few moments to release all the essence, and the liquid, minus the tamarind seeds and other solids, which are discard will be added to the soup).

• Chongqing and Sichuan - Hotpot is called "Ma La Huo Guo" (numb and spicy, which a special local spice known as "Hua Jiao" (flower pepper) is added). It is very different from the types eaten in other parts of China from the soup base and the sauces and condiments. The spice creates a sensation on the tongue that is both spicy, burn and numb.

I can hot pot any where, any time at any place whether alone or with a bunch of friends. Basically, i am a hot pot addict.

                            HOT POT-ING ALONE

My mum used to make steamboat as our reunion dinner during Chinese new year eve, when I still lived in Malaysia. She will be busy from morning till evening preparing the soup base, all the raw meat, seafood and vegetables. It was really a feast !! Getting the raw food is so so simply. It doesn't need to have fancy ingredient at all. We would be eating eating and more eating till midnight. It is a fun way to enjoy a meal together where everyone cooks their own food right at the table.

Up until now, I still make my soup base and dipping sauce in my mum's way. 

Dipping sauces - chopped garlic, soy sauce, a few drops of sesame oil, vinegar, slice green chillies, and chopped coriander leaves.

ANCHOVIES, COMPLIMENTARY FROM MY FLATMATE'S MOTHER ALL THE WAY FROM MALAYSIA ~

Stock / Broth - Big pork rib, boiled with dried anchovies, slices of ginger, spring onions simmer for 3 - 4 hours.

HOT POT DURING SUMMER

HOT POT DURING WINTER

HOT POT DURING SPRING

HOT POT AT MIDNIGHT

PIG LIVER, MY FAVOURITE



SELF-MADE PORK BALLS