Stuffed Fuzzy/Hairy Melon

Fuzzy melon  is one of the names for an Asian vegetable that resembles a large hairy zucchini and is related to the winter melon. Fuzzy melon is also known as fuzzy squash, hairy gourd, hairy squash, hairy melon and chinese called this melon " mo gwa ' .  My mom's favorite veggie and she used to cook them in soup , stir fry or stuffed them with mince meat fillings with a combination of salted fish ( tenggiri ) and dried shrimps....awwww this brings back sweet memories for me.

Salted Egg Yolk Shrimps

This is one shrimp dish that the family love very much.  It is so fragrant and the wonderful taste of salted egg yolks on the shells that makes me want to crunch the shells and swallow together with the meat.  Shameful to note here that I do lick every ounce of deliciousness out of the shells before I throw them out :p That is the beauty of eating shrimps with the shells on :)   I have cooked this dish many times but each time I try to better it.  There is still room for improvement as to how to make the salted egg more fluffy and coated evenly on the shells like those served in restaurants.  I have yet to master the art ....well practice makes perfect ....:p   Okay okay if I can cook as good as them , then all the restaurants in Ipoh will have to close shop :p.  Do read on and drool on the pictures....virtual feeding is healthier though :))))

Chinese Style Stir Fry Venison

It is not everyday that I get to cook venison at home . I was lucky enough to get some deer meat from the Government Agro farm @ RM30/kg.   Most of the time ,we will order this dish from the restaurant when we eat out.  So this is my first time cooking this dish at home. Stir fry venison chinese style with lots of ginger slices and black pepper and chinese cooking wine.  Hmmm ...it may not taste as good as those served in restaurants but for the Piggies this will suffice for the time being until this Momsie mastered the art of cooking venison  :))  Meanwhile the photos are for drooling ......  ^*

Braised Soy Sauce Pork Belly/ Tau Yew Bak With Shaped Eggs

Now I am back to my old self....though I still miss my babe Jo :p back to cooking and back to some silly-ness... back to my ' feel young' self again LOL!  I braised these pork belly / ' tau yew bak ' yesterday night, for our dinner tonight...working Momsie has to prepare a dish earlier , back from work , just pop the dish into the microwave and we can have dinner early and a dish like this will taste better overnight !

Cute Bookmark That Makes Me Smile :)

After all the sad and happy emotions that we went through the last week, we got Jo settled in her new place . I know....I know KL is just 3 hours away but I still miss her...coz we are CLOSE  )  We left KL late in the afternoon, happy to note that Jo is happy with her new environment and new housemates.

Reached home and guess what ?  I found a note in the letter box from the Courier office asking me to collect a parcel since I was not in when they delivered the parcel to my place....whoa...this must be the parcel from Swee San of  The Sweet Spot - the Nigella Lawson book that I won for the Christmas contest.  Thank you so much Swee San for the books and it was so sweet of her to add an extra book for me...which came as a surprise. Will be collecting it tomorrow :)  And showcase it on my next post ...let's see what is the surprise gift from her besides the Nigella Lawson book :p

Happy Valentine's Day To All

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and readers . May you have a blessed day and a lovely time with your family and loved ones. I have no special  dish to share with you today but a little update on my Piggy Jo.  She will be leaving me again for the next 3 years to do what she wanted to do all her life...to do a PhD in materials engineering.  She will be starting on February 16 and I know I will miss her terribly. I am happy yet sad at the same time. Only a mother will understand what I am going through......In this post, I would like to thank Claire my buddy for always being there for me :p and Cheah of  No-Frills Recipe in helping Jo made up her mind to take up this big step in her life.  I have known Cheah for almost two years now and she has never failed to help whenever I asked her for advise..whether it is matters regarding to cooking or motherhood :)))   I have been acting very emotional these days......maybe I am missing my gal already :))

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day !

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Guest Post For Chef Dennis - Bliny With Créme Fraiche & Smoked Salmon

Bliny With Créme Fraiche & Smoked Salmon

I could hardly contain my happiness when I received an email from Chef Dennis of More Than A Mount Full- A Culinary Journey ,  inviting me to do a guest post for him .  Of course , it is a great honor to do a guest post for him ! He is an executive chef  who has 35 years of cooking experience . And he heads a culinary program at Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, a girl’s school in Pennsylvania. I have been reading his blog for the past one year and am an ardent fan of his writings, for he tells the most beautiful and interesting stories with his amazing food photos. He has just started  a column on his blog “ Ask Chef Dennis “ and he has provided so much invaluable culinary know- how for all home cooks like myself.  " Thank You ,Chef Dennis, for giving me this privilege to guest post for you "

Have a great weekened!

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Baby Kailan With Braised Taro/Yam

This is the dish I was talking about in my previous post on HK Baby Kailan that I would love to try cooking this. Ate them at the restaurant and fell in love with it and since then it has been on my mind. I let the CNY reunion dishes take the spotlight first and now I can proudly showcase my dish  - Baby Kailan With Braised Taro/Yam to you :)  It turned out fantastically delicious and I can have the whole dish all to myself. I am so going to cook this again but with dried shrimps this time for a change  :) so that I can review and tell you which is better ! With dried shrimps or dried cuttlefish ?  Those served at the restaurant uses dried shrimps !

Yee Sang /鱼生 - Raw Fish Salad For Increase In Abundance & Prosperity !

Yee Sang/鱼生 is a Teochew-style raw fish salad. It consists of slices of raw fish ( slices of salmon or snakehead/ikan haruan ) mixed with shredded vegetables , crunchies  and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients. Yee Sang means increase in abundance.  Therefore the tossing of this raw fish salad during the Chinese New Year is considered a symbol of abundance, prosperity and vigor.  You can have this dish through out the 15 days CNY  celebration.  We had this on the 1st day and I didn't make this dish myself, I bought the ready packed ones from the nearby restaurant but I hope to make my own Yee Sang next CNY !

Reunion Feast For The Piggies

I had been huffing and puffing in the kitchen the whole of the Chinese New Year Eve , cooking these reunion dishes for the Piggies clan.  Sorry for not being able to post this up earlier , I was too tired and my brain just refuse to function the normal way....data hanged and today the data center has decided not to malfunction thus this post showing you what I cooked for our  reunion dinner. A five course dinner plus one dessert....mmmmm I would say homecooked food taste much better coz it was cooked with so much love and laced with so much passion in these traditional dishes.

Read on to see what each dish signifies.......

Happy Rabbit Year 2011 To All

恭喜发财,

万事如意,

主里蒙恩!

Wishing all my readers and friends

celebrating the Chinese New Year ,

A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Rabbit Year !

 'Gong Xi Fa Cai '

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Pita Bread With Sauteed Leftovers Mixed

What do you do with leftovers in the fridge?  For me, I will gather them together and see what I can do with them. Turned them into a dish everyone loves...that was what I did with a little of everything I found in the fridge. Reason was I have to clear the fridge for the coming festive season - I need space for storing my reunion dinner stuff and I found these in the veggie compartment.  A half of each red and yellow capsicum,  a pkt of  enoki and one fresh fat looking King Oyster mushroom  and one miserable , almost shrivel looking aubergine.  Don't worry, with the thinking cap on, I turned these leftovers into a delightful dish to eat with the wholemeal pita bread that I bought for our Sunday brunch .