Daddy's Noodles With Mushroom Sauce

When I was living at home, I didn't like home-cooked food. No offense, mom, dad, auntie. I remembered I always crave for white bread with hot chocolate every time dinner was served in front of me. I frowned especially Chinese soup was forced to me, I drank soup with a straw, hating the transparent layer of pork grease on top. Of course my family 'despised' my weird behavior. However, having spent 5 years drifting away from home, I prepare mostly Chinese food for dinner, the loaf of bread is always tossed with growth on it, and it took me a year to finish a pack of Milo (hot chocolate from Nestle). I definitely miss our traditional cooking. My dad has a signature dish when he prepares for supper when someone in the family is hungry at night. He will sautéed ground pork with garlic and mushroom, make it into a sauce and pour it over boiled noodles. When my parents were here for my graduation, they made the dish again, and I was awaken by the fragrance, it was 7 am in the morning. Mom and dad's cooking have improved over the years, now it's the restaurant level that I'm talking about, thanks to the longtime investment on cookbooks and Astro. I didn't ask for the recipe, I re-created the nostalgic dish based on my childhood memory and appreciation. I have decided to keep a record on my cooking, with nice photos and recipes, hoping that one day, I can get to serve my parents with my time-tested recipes, but now, I don't get the chance just yet...I regret the time at home when I didn't appreciate dinner, overlooking my mom's sincere intentions of cutting recipes from newspaper, recording cook shows, and making notes. I'm not embarrassed by my new found hobby, it's not housewives' job, for what it's worth, it's made with love, and it's something your gold/platinum mastercard can't buy.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of Chinese Anchovies (rinsed and dried)
2 spoonfuls of garlic
Generous amount of fried shallots
1/2 lb of Chinese Choy sum (green veggies)
1/2 lb of Bean Sprout
10 dried shitake mushrooms (soaked in water, quartered)

10 pre-made frozen wonton (recipe will be up soon)
3/4 lb ground pork
Wonton noodles/spaghetti

Seasonings (to taste):
Sugar
Soy Sauce
Oyster Sauce

Directions:

1. Fry the ground pork and mushrooms, while frying, season it with 1/4 tsp of salt and dash of pepper.
2. Take out the pork and mushroom, add more oil to sautéed the anchovies and garlic until golden brown.
3. Add 3 cups of water and the rest of ingredients and bring it to a boil.
4. If the mixture is too watery, add some dissolved corn starch to make the sauce nice and thick.
5. Boil some wonton noodles and serve it over the sauce, sprinkle fried shallots on top.

A Unique Birthday Cake(s) For Him

It's just been less than a week since I last baked a large size birthday cake, it would be too much cake in the fridge if I bake another one, but it was his birthday, I wanted to make him something that symbolizes his special day. Although he felt that it was just another day for him, but little did he realize that without this special day, I would not have met him :) I came across this cute black bottom cupcakes with cream cheese toppings. Who says cupcakes cannot be birthday cake, it's the sweet thought that counts, creamy toppings with heavenly rich moist chocolate cake, he can't get it anywhere else :p

INGREDIENTS:

Toppings:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Black Bottom Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chip
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin tins with paper cups or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Stir in the white chocolate chips and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir together until well blended. Fill muffin tins 1/3 full with the batter and top with two spoonful of the cream cheese mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the fork comes out clean.

Strawberry Cake for a Friend Who DOES NOT like Chocolate.

October happens to be birthdays month. We celebrated three birthdays in two weeks, for our long-time friend, for him, and for myself. It was Oct 3rd, and this friend of mine, doesn't like any chocolatey ingredients in dessert. Thus, fruit cake is the only kind to go for. On the other hand, I love cakes, I love desserts which are creamy, chocolatey, and non-fruit base kind. It was hard to pick a cake recipe, I don't prefer fruit-based, the birthday boy doesn't like chocolate. I have tried making orange cake in the summer 2006, it was a big hit and I was remembered making The Orange cake. I tried blueberry coffee cake, but it didn't turn out perfect because the fruit was sour. Okay, I guess we can all agree on strawberry cake, the childhood flavor and the symbol of elegance. The cake might be gone by now, but the friendship is here to stay.

By wyteh

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix
• 1 cup mashed fresh strawberries
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 eggs
  

Strawberry Frosting:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup fresh strawberries
• 1 cup of corn starch
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) round pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and gelatin mix. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup mashed strawberries, oil, milk and eggs. Beat until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour the batter into two pans.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then slowly flip the cake out of the pan.
   
4. To make the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting: Mash the 3/4 cup strawberries to make 1/2 cup, then drain well; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend in the confectioners' sugar and drained strawberries. Beat on medium speed until the frosting lightens and is well combined. Frost cake between layers, on top and sides. Chill until frosting sets before serving.

Forget the Frozen Pizza, Here's My Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice :)

It's a lazy Saturday morning where everything seems so calm staying at home. Waking up at 11.30 in the morning, then continuing slumber part II in the couch in front of the tv. At this point, even though the stomach starts growling, you just don't feel like dragging your thousand-pound frame across the street to get something to eat. Let's see, we have frozen pizza in the fridge, yikes, some frozen uncooked produce that do not scream lunch at this point. Now you start craving some piping hot food like Harold & Kumar. Yes, hot food is the only thing that will satisfy your weekend lunch craving. I have an idea that will not cost you to get out of your comfort zone and it's so easy to make that I guarantee you to be eating in your couch in before noon. How about some spicy shrimp fried rice with root beer float, the ultimate indulgence in no time.

Ingredients

1 handful of Chinese anchovies
15 raw shrimps, halved
1 sausage, sliced
5 cups of rice, cooked
1 onion, sliced
1 spring onion
2 eggs


Seasonings

1 handful of fried onions
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
2 tbsp of soy sauce
dash of garlic salt
1 tsp of chili paste
dash of pepper
1 tsp of sugar
2 tbsp of oil

• Heat up oil in a wok, add in rinsed Chinese anchovies and stir fry until golden brown.
• Stir fry onions, then add in shrimps and sausages.
• Crack two eggs and stir to combine egg yolks with the rest of the ingredient, add some pepper and soy sauce to the eggs to season it.
• When the eggs are cooked half way through, stir in the rice, continue blending the rice with the half cooked eggs and other ingredients.
• Add in all the seasonings above and combine well.
• Cut spring onions in strips and put on top of fried rice as garnish.
• Don't forget to taste the fried rice before served, feel free to add any seasoning to taste.
  

Life Stuff...

I haven't been writing or updating my blog for a very long time, because I kinda lost interest for awhile in updating my life when I went through graduation, finishing up my last practical training, looking for a job and other ordeals. I gave up cooking nice food, because my summer place is kinda messy, then I moved here and there after I graduated for the sake of job hunting. Unhappy, depressed, just going crazy to jump start my life. I cooked to sustain, not for interest anymore, where there is a point in my life that I hate cooking. After a period of good depression, I was sick of being down despite of all the concerns I got from the people who love me. I suddenly realized that no matter how tough my life happens to unfold, life still goes on whether I like it or not. I decided to walk out from my shadow, I'm gonna be patient, tenacious, and cheerful. Now, I feel happier and brighter, and let's share some dishes that I've cooked and pass along the joy.