Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
Sometimes it is difficult to buy the Chinese food that I crave for. So this year, I challenged myself to try cooking more Asian food. I am an amateur at cooking but am keen to learn. I took this recipe from Rasa Malaysian. I was so pleased with the results! Click here to see her recipe.
I bought the pork belly via the butcher as I could tell them the size of the pork I needed. The bigger the better as it shrinks quite a lot.
Earlier this year, I wrote about Singapore BBQ Pork Slice which are available all year round and they are like pork jerky except that it has been barbecued. It’s one of my favourite snacks. Whenever I am in Singapore, I will buy at least 200g each time and finish it in no time! They are sweet, chewy, meaty and delicious. They are ready to be eaten and can be kept for a couple of days. They are best consumed at room temperature rather than cold.
Green bean soup was never one of my favourite desserts until I came to UK as this is the only dessert I know how to cook. Fairly simple! Soak the mung beans / green beans for a couple of hours or overnight before placing them into the slow cooker, with a 2 to 1 water to bean ratio. Cook it till soft and mushy. After which, add rock sugar or brown sugar. It is then ready to serve.
Glutinous rice is often served as dim sum in Chinese restaurants. They were wrapped up with lotus leaves and steamed. They do sell lotus leaves in Chinese supermarkets typically as a massive pack of 20 leaves. I decided to cook my glutinous rice in my rice cooker instead of using the lotus leaves and steaming it.
Stir fry the meats and add all of them into the rice cooker. It is that easy.
My mother in law is an expert at cooking char siu pork. She gave me her recipe seven years ago but I had never tried to cook it. This is one of my husband’s favourite dishes and he gets to eat it whenever he visits his mum. So I decided it is about time that I would try to learn!
This week, I have been quite busy making Valentines Day things with my kids and I came across a video post on facebook to make a rose bun.
Last week, on the eve of Chinese New Year for our reunion dinner, I had cooked a steamed fish. I mentioned in the post why a fish dish is a must on the table, so today, I am writing my recipe for you if you wish to follow.
Pop the fish in the steamer for 6-8 minutes or until it is cooked. Mix 4 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon Shaoxin Chinese wine and pepper. Pour in the mixture once the fish is cooked. Serve while hot. It is that simple! They are fantastic!
Today, I would like to take you on a journey to see Chinese New Year goodies found in Singapore Chinatown. Living there for over 20 years and going to Chinatown in Outram Park is one of my highlights and recommendations to soak in the new year atmosphere.
Since I moved to the UK, I miss the opportunity to shop for the full range of Chinese New Year goodies. Some of these goodies can be found in UK Chinese supermarkets though so take a closer look if you get chance!
As many of you will know, I’ve been writing a series of Chinese New Year posts from crafts to foods. Check out my Chinese New Year’s Pinterest board for ideas!
Many Chinese will cook a fish dish on Chinese New Year Eve reunion dinner as it represents 年年有余 (Nian Nian You Yu) meaning abundance through the year. It is a great auspicious dish for all to eat. It is also traditional to serve fish with its head and tail intact to symbolise a positive beginning and end to the New Year.
Today marks another year of the Winter Solstice Festival. I can’t believe how time passes us so quickly and it is going to be another new year in less than two weeks time. If you don’t know what the Winter Solstice Festival/Dongzhi is and why we are celebrating it, please click here to read what I had wrote in last year’s blog post.
Each time you go to buy a Chinese takeaway, are you tempted to buy a bag of prawn crackers? Sometimes in Chinese restaurants, they may serve you a basket of prawn crackers too. My children love it and we always have to stop them eating too many in case it spoils their dinner! In fact, prawn crackers are the simplest snack to cook! I always get the them from a Chinese supermarket and they cost less than £2. Uncooked, they are a small solid round shape.
Ever since I tried a Pork Floss Bun from Breadtalk, I always wanted to find out how they make it. Pork Floss Buns are Breadtalk’s signature product in Singapore! If you ever visit Singapore, do give it a try. I absolutely love it. I am not sure if they still taste the same to what I had 10 years ago though!
Fresh Gourmet is the biggest provider of salad toppings, especially croutons, in the US and have brought their delicious products exclusively to UK Tesco stores to inspire us Brits to become more creative with our salads. The range includes three crunchy croutons flavours – Cheese and Garlic, Basil Pesto and Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper – along with Crispy Onions and is ideal for people who like a salad in the summer but need that added texture to jazz up the dish.
