Monday, July 20, 2009

abah, tata 4 now


20th july 2009. monday.

did a lot of things. and last night, went to klia. hurm...
abah nak blk srwk da. it's our normal fmly routine. jrng jmpe...
abah ade keje, abah blk la kl. da almost a year da rupenye.
abah. cpt la pindah kl. sdeyh la abah jauh. ={

KLIA. airport. i might love / hate this place.
hate it - pisahkan kte dgn org2 tersyg!!!
love it - temukan kembali dgn org2 tersyg +
lots of chocs!!! XD

tnggu abah check in. mama sdeyh sebenarnye...
hurm. me too.

owh, dlm lif lutsinar. haha... transparent suda~
nak trun beli roti gardenia jap.
di srwk x de roti gardenia taw? saje beli.
abah slalu kasi jiran2 kalau blk dr kl.

abah nak masuk daa... hurm. besar da anak abah ni~
baju tuh beli on9! hahahaha XD

www.sha-stylochic.blogspot.com

erm. their last hug... mama cover tuh senyum2.
pdhal die nangis baru je jap. hukkk...
nnt jmpe lg... insya allah. amin3!!!


goodbye abah. take care.
hope to see u soon. love u so much~!


btw.


life ni... pelik jgk kan?
too many connection between each other act. huh~
gile. mmg cam best. tp kdng pk. errr~~~
bnyknye connection. shhh3!!!
x de stranger plak ke? wahaha. ok. sekian.


and. my no1 fav song from the corrs.
they were famous back to the 90's. love them~



"All The Love In The World"

I'm not looking for someone to talk to
I've got my friend, I'm more than O.K.
I've got more than a girl could wish for
I live my dreams but it's not all they say
Still I believe (I'm missing) I'm missing something real
I need someone who really sees me...

Don't wanna wake up alone anymore
Still believing you'll walk through my door
All I need is to know it's for sure
Then I'll give... all the love in the world

I've often wondered if love's an illusion
Just to get you through the loneliest days
I can't criticize it. I have no hesitation
My imagination just stole me away

Love's for a lifetime not for a moment
So how could I throw it away. Yeah I'm only human
And nights grow colder
With no-one to love me that way
Yeah I need someone who really sees me...

And i won't wake up alone anymore
Still believing you'll walk through my door
You'll reach for me and I'll know it's for sure
Then I'll give all the love in the world



Menu 7: Spanish dinner





















 Spanish cuisine has been greatly influenced by the Moors, who crossed the Straits of Gibraltar from Morocco in 711, conquering most of the country in 7 or 8 years. It is believed that the Moors were Arabs and Muslims. Along with their culinary traditions, they brought knowledge of architecture, science, and engineering. Their influence on farming and cooking was extensive. They introduced saffron, sugar-cane, cotton, rice, figs, grapes, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, bananas, peaches, apricots, eggplant, artichokes, cumin, coriander, almonds, henna, and madder. They were excellent water engineers, devising ways to bring water from the mountains to the valleys by means of trenches and channels which you can still see today in the Alhambra in Granada. They created terraces which made farming possible on steep hillsides. They were conquered by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492 and forced to leave Spain. A few were asked to stay to run the water systems. To this day, their extraordinary culinary and architectural treasures remain.

The following Spanish menu consists of shrimp with an almond, pepper and tomato sauce called Romesco which in our house rivals pesto in popularity. This sauce is as good on the potato tostones as it is on the shrimp. A green salad with a citrus vinaigrette would be great along side.















When I was in Spain in 2004, I organized a sherry tasting in Cordoba for the group from First Congregational Church of Berkeley. If you are up for it, drinking some sherry with this dinner (dry and chilled for the main course, sweet and sticky like Pedro Ximenez for dessert) would be really fun. Have some white wine on hand, just in case—like an albarino--or a good pink (to match the shrimp). Check out The Spanish Table’s sherry selection in Berkeley, Santa Fe, Seattle and Mill Valley. Kevin, the wine purchaser in Berkeley, says that his blog would be helpful.

Shrimp with Romesco Sauce
This sauce takes a while to make. I have tried simpler versions and the flavor is, well, much less interesting. This one is worth the effort.















 
 
Romesco Sauce:
1 large ripe tomato or 3 Romas, cut in half
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Novas Secas dried pepper
1 Choricero dried pepper or 1 Ancho dried pepper
Note: Other dried peppers can be used, like mild New Mexico, but they shouldn’t be especially hot.
½ cup water
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 thin slice of crusty bread
¼ cup slivered blanched almonds
½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon smoky sweet paprika or regular paprika

1. Roast the tomato and garlic on an ungreased roasting pan at 350ºF for 30 minutes.
2. Place the dried peppers in a saucepan with the water and 3 tablespoons of the vinegar. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the peppers and save the water.
3. Place the roasted tomatoes and the softened peppers in a food processor and process until smooth. Put the contents through a sieve to remove the skin and seeds. Stir and press with a rubber spatula to extract as much of the goodness as possible. Return the strained mixture to the food processor.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet and fry the bread until golden on both sides. In the same oil, fry the almonds until golden.
5. Add the bread, almonds and roasted garlic to the processor. Process until smooth.
6. With the motor running, pour in the ¼ cup oil, the remaining teaspoon of vinegar, the smoky paprika or regular paprika, and the salt and pepper. You can add some of the pepper soaking liquid if the sauce is too thick. The sauce should be the consistency of guacamole.
7. Place in a bowl and serve at room temperature.

The Shrimp:
1½ pounds shrimp in their shells
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

1. Heat the oil, add the salt and shrimp, and stir fry until pink, or just done.
2. Serve hot or at room temperature with the Romesco Sauce. Serve with paper towels. Peeling the shrimp is a messy and delightful business.

Note: The sauce can be made a day in advance. The shrimp can be made a couple of hours before if you want to serve at room temperature. I usually serve them directly from the pan while still hot.

4 servings for dinner, more as tapas.
Adapted from Penelope Casas’ Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain

Potato “Tostones”

Flattened before frying


Crispy after frying































2 pounds small potatoes (about 20), like Yukon gold
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Olive oil
Coarse sea salt

1. Place a steamer basket in a large pot filled with an inch of water. Add the potatoes to the basket. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Steam until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife, about 20-25 minutes. Don’t overcook or they won’t hold together when flattened.
2. Remove the basket and let the potatoes cool enough to be handled.
3. Gently squeeze the potatoes, one at a time, between your palms so that they flatten slightly but remain in one piece. Some will break but they can still be used.
4. Pour ¼-inch oil into a medium frying pan on medium high heat. Add the potatoes in batches to avoid crowding. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Fry on both sides until crisp and browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
5. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with sea salt.

6 servings
Adapted from “Recipes,” by Susan Spungen. This recipe was published in the July 22, 2007 New York Times Sunday Magazine

100+: the fastest growing age segment!

That's right! The US and Japan lead the world in populations of centenarians as a population growing 20x the rate of the total population by 2050. In 1950, there were only a few thousand over the age of 100 while today there are an estimated 340,000 worldwide [1].

Why is this?


Demographers declare medical advancements and improved diets are to thank. How'bout it, nutrition!? Genetics, lifestyle factors, and doctors willing to treat chronic diseases aggressively are also key contributors to the climb in age [1]. There's so such thing as "too late" in today's medical field to reverse the progression of disease. Nope, nope, nope!


While Japan leads the projected number of centenarians at 627,000 by the year 2050, the US is not far behind. We come in second with an estimated 600,000 come 2050, which is up from the current 75,000 in the 100+ age segment [1].


What does this mean for Medicare and Social Security? Well, it means something better if we each do our part in preserving our health. The cost of chronic disease management is perverse...obscene, even. The reality is, the younger generations may be SOL when it comes to government assistance come post-retirement age. 401k anyone?

Though the average American lives to be 78, most Americans would like to live to 89. Twenty percent of Americans would like to live to 90 with 8% wishing to live to see 100 [1]. With those goals and aspirations, we'd better aim to better our health or else it could certainly feel like a really long life.


Well, I'll have you know, I take my health very seriously and I intend to preserve it to the best of my abilities. It's a personal aspiration of mine to live to be 100+. When I was growing up, every Sunday at church there was the cutest little old lady who used to handout candy to kids as they exited the sanctuary. Every week she was there. While I appreciated the candy, I had come to appreciate her over the years. It wasn't until after her passing that I learned she was nearly 103 years of age. She was mentally sharp as a tack, and physically well enough to never require mobile assistance. She even posed in a Harley Davidson photo shoot on her 100th birthday I later found out. Seriously though, what a woman!


I see much of the same in my own 86-year-old Grannie. I'm sure you recall my boasting of her dance moves at my recent wedding reception...but here's a new story for you. On my way home from work last Friday I gave her a ring. I figured she would be heading downstairs to have dinner shortly (she lives in an independent living facility), but I tried her anyways. Turns out, she invited her "friend" Bill over (I use the term "friend" loosely. Grannie likes gentlemen, and has forever required several leading "friends" in her life. Bill just happens to be geographically desirable, however). They ordered in a pizza and were listening to music together. Maybe she was planning on showing off her dance moves, I'm just not quite sure. She did mention he was handsome. But, my point is...besides some short-term memory loss, the use of a walker (by choice), and some controlled hypertension, the woman is kickin' strong. You go, Grannie!

Aging can be a beautiful process, and I look forward to it...because I plan to do what it takes to do so gracefully. Kudos to those over 100 or well on your way...you're my inspiration!


[1]. Yen, Hope. Starting to Get Crowded in 10o-Year-Olds' Club. The Washington Post. July 20, 2009.

POMFRET FISH CURRY



Ingredients:
Onions ..... 2-3 (finely chopped)
Pomfret ..... 1/2 Kg. ( or any other fish)
Green chillies .... 3-4 ( long slit)
Ginger-garlic paste.... 1 tbsp.
Kokams ................. 5-6 (soaked in water)
Coconut milk ......... 1 cup thick & 1 cup thin
Cloves ... 4-5
Cinnamon stick .... 1 piece
Garam masala ..... 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder ... 1/2 tsp.
Jeera powder ......... 1tsp.
Salt .....to taste
Oil.
Method:
1. Wash and marinate the fish pieces with salt.
2. In a flat bottommed pan, add a little oil. Add the cloves and cinnamon and the ginger garlic paste. Now add the chopped onion and stir-fry for a few minutes till the onion is light pink.
3. Put the fish pieces and the thin coconut milk, green chillies, garam masala, turmeric powder, jeera powder and kokams. Add salt carefully as the fish is already salted. Simmer it till almost done.
4. Now add the thick coconut milk and cook for 1-2 minutes till you get the required consistency of the gravy. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with plain rice.

Because it’s not all about fine dining

June 21 (that's not when I'm writing this, but when the events told herein took place),



Fine dining is all well and good, but it doesn’t give you a complete picture of what a community has to offer when it comes to food. And although, in my limited experience, Honolulu’s fine dining restaurants manage to refract Hawaiian culture through their unique prism, the city’s more down-to-earth restaurants really show the city's culinary character.
In an earlier entry I mentioned the magical pork adobo plate lunch that I had at Pee Wee Drive In.
I took the picture in this entry at Soon’s Kal Bi Drive In, a place hidden behind a supermarket at a strip mall. It was recommended by my old friend Steve Martin (not the commedian and banjo player, a different one), who went there, I believe, when he was in the navy, lo these many years ago (I’m gonna say the 1980s, definitely during the Cold War). He now lives in Bangkok where he is a world expert on antique opium paraphernalia. (Why not?)
Steve was following my Twitter updates and insisted (in a Direct Message, indicating his sense of its importance) that I try the place.
Twitter proved quite useful on my trip, as Hawaiians I’d never met offered recommendations of places to try, mostly @HIwrite, who suggested Yama’s Fish Market for Hawaiian takeout, Choon Chun Chicken or Choi’s Garden for Korean, and in general Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas and Town Kaimuki
@HIwrite said other recommendations I’d received were “tried + true”: Helena's, Rainbow Drive-In (for loco moco) and Diamond Head Market.
@honoluluacademy asked me to visit it's Pavilion Café.
But instead I followed the advice of my friends, and had Soon's Kal Bi kalbi plate lunch.
To reiterate what a plate lunch is, it’s any sort of protein served, often in a segmented TV-dinner-style tray, with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad. But at Soon’s, instead of serving macaroni salad, they served a sort of mixed kimchi, with a bunch of pickled vegetables all combined together and to be eaten with the grilled short ribs and rice. It was all very tasty, although I'm no expert on kalbi, and I realized as I ate it that I couldn’t find similar food in New York (or at least, I hadn't).
The next day I checked out my friend Jonathan Ray’s recommendation for Thai food: Mekong 2, where, on his recommendation, I ordered the Evil Jungle Prince plate lunch. And there, along with the two scoops of rice, was green papaya salad. The style of service that wasn’t the restaurant’s only adjustment to locals’ tastes. The curry itself was similar to a Thai massaman curry, but it definitely had a certain brown-gravy quality that reminded me very much of loco moco, which is basically salisbury steak on rice with brown gravy, topped with a sunny-side-up egg.
I had it at a food court for breakfast.

To view all the blog entries about my trip to O‘ahu, click here.

BBQ Potato Salad

Here is a wonderful recipe for a potato salad from our friends at Preemptive Karma

BBQ Potato Salad - No Mayo!
I just made this this morning for a picnic I'm going to this afternoon. It occured to me a week or two ago that BBQ sauce might be good in potato salad (it is!!). So I started looking for recipes and found a small handful of them, two of which I liked and the following draws inspiration from those two but also diverges significantly enough that I'm going to pass it off as my own.

Ingredients
5 lb bag of Red Potatoes, diced
12 slices crispy Bacon (preferably applewood-smoked), chopped
6 hard-boiled Eggs, finely chopped
1 small Walla Walla Sweet Onion, finely diced
1 cup BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's original)
1 lb container of Sour Cream (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons spicy (brown) Mustard
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Smoked Paprika (optional but I used it)

Directions
I have yet to find the perfect way to boil potatoes for potato salad. I've seen descriptions of a number of fundamentally different ways that are supposed to work flawlessly. Either they don't or I'm not doing it right - probably the later. In any case, I use red-skinned potatoes because they hold their shape much better than other varieties, and I also like to chill them in the fridge before cubing them and making the potato salad because being chilled also helps them hold their shape... especially if you've slightly overcooked them and are worried about ending up with lumpy mashed potatoes.

Boil and cube the potatoes as you see fit. Other than that, just combine the ingredients in a large bowl. It's not rocket surgery. However I do find it easier to mix everything BUT the potatoes together first and then mix the cubed potatoes into it.

That said, this is also the first time that I've ever substituted sour cream for the more typical mayonaise in a potato salad. I like it! And I also like the fact that there isn't a drop of oil in this salad. Mayo, as you know, is mostly oil & egg whites with some flavoring. Future potato salad experiments will likely involve substituting only part of the mayo with sour cream - just to see what that's like. Supposedly the sour cream makes the salad creamier in texture.

The Charcoal Story


Henry Ford. The man. The Legend. Everyone knows about Mr. Fords little assembly line and how it changed the face of history. But we are not here to talk about the automobile, we are here to talk about Henry Ford's greatest invention. The charcoal briquette. First made from scraps of wood and sawdust from Mr. Ford's automotive factory a charcoal briquette is made by compressing charcoal from sawdust and other wood with a binder(usually starch and other additives. The additives will consist of mineral carbon as a heat source and borax,sodium nitrate,parrafin and petroleum solvents to aid in ignition. Americans buy nearly 1,000,000 tons of charcoal briquettes every year. For more information on the making of charcoal check out madehow.com

Lump Charcoal

The difference between lump charcoal and the charcoal briquette is that lump charcoal is whole pieces of wood that are exposed to high heat which drives out all the volatile chemicals of the wood and leaving only the carbon. Lump charcoal burns cleaner and hotter than the charcoal briquette. When using lump charcoal for barbecuing it is very important that you have a way to control the heat since a pile of lump charcoal can reach a temperature near 1000 degrees. Do not use starter fluid to light lump charcoal as it will leave your meat with a solvent flavor. A charcoal lighting chimney is the preferred choice here.

Usually your choice of charcoal will be judged upon the type of meat you're cooking. For those meats that call for a longer cooking time the charcoal briquette is the best way to go. If you're going to be cooking a thick juicy steak then go with lump.