https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/ Wed, 06 Jan 2016 01:55:12 GMT ja © Ninja Tools Inc.
Have you guys ever tried quince? Until recently, I had no idea what it tastes like. As soon as summer had packed it in, I kept on seeing trays on knobbly, vibrant yellow fruit at my local greengrocers. From a distance, they reminded me of fake fruit made of plaster, which my art teacher used to incorporate into still life scenes. On closer inspection, they seemed hard and a bit intimidating but I was drawn to their beautiful vibrant colour and most beautiful, perfumed smell. After several abandoned attempts to buy a few quinces, I finally plucked up the courage. My idea was to tame these beasts and make something really simple with them.

As all beautiful fresh fruit we used to have with our breakfast oats are no longer in season, we have switched over to porridge and I thought that quince should rival its distant cousin, apple, as a great porridge topping. As Duncan watched me struggle to peel and chop these hard, strange looking fruit, he was a bit sceptical about the amazing taste I promised. It wasn’t until about 2 hours later, when he appeared lured by the amazing smell, fork in hand, asking if he can taste some. He’s been in love with quince ever since. While prepping quince isn’t a breeze (you need a bit of elbow grease), stewed fruit will reward your effort by tasting delicious, filling your house with the most amazing of smells and turning the most appetising pink hue, like a plant chameleon.]]> undertaken https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/13/ Wed, 06 Jan 2016 01:55:12 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/13
Okay, guys. OMG FOOD has a new meaning: “Oh My Greek Food.” Cool? I’m into it.

Today, my friends, we are having spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese. I tried calling my mom to tell her I was posting this recipe , but she didn’t answer her phone. Typical mom. Ignoring her daughter’s phone call. THANKS A LOT, MOM. NO, REALLY. IT’S FINE. I’M NOT MAD. (Nah, it’s cool.)

Anyway, I’ll tell her the next time I do talk to her and she’s going to get so excited. Because she made this SO MUCH when I was growing up. I loved it then and I love it now. It’s one of those meals you can make without thinking about it much, you know? I mean, it involves three ingredients and the flavor is anything but boring Search Engine Optimization. The brown butter is the secret ingredient and the mizithra cheese packs a unique punch.

I’ve gone over this in my swiss chard and mushroom quinoa post, but if you don’t know what mizithra is (fun fact: sometimes it’s spelled myzithra), it’s a hard, dry cheese, similar to ricotta salata . It doesn’t melt so much, so your best bet is to finely grate it (I especially love my microplane for this; it’s one of my most favorite tools) and the tiny grated deliciousness will cling to your pasta.

You’ll notice I said three ingredients up there and salt wasn’t one of them. Mizithra is salty enough on its own to cover that and if you happen to use salted butter, you’re especially good to go (I use unsalted, myself). I gotchu.

If you want a baller Greek meal. Have this pasta as a side with some broiled lamb shoulder chops and for your healthy, green side, some maroulosalata? Totally going to push the Greek food on you as much as I possibly can. Because I love you.]]> recipe https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/12/ Tue, 14 Jul 2015 07:19:31 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/12








Oats, almonds and flax sweetened with pure maple syrup and slowly roasted with dried blueberries provide a fresh and fun variety to your morning granola routine. Granola, in many ways, is incredibly easy to make. You basically throw everything into one big bowl, give it stir and slowly bake it. Easy right? The issue can be making it sweet and crunchy enough without using a ton of sugar and oil. No one wants their day to start off with a 500-800 calorie bowl of granola . If I'm going to splurge and  have an 800 calorie breakfast, there had better be waffles with butter and syrup involved!!! Most granolas are about 250 calories for a 1/2 cup serving and are full of sugar and fat and unpronounceable ingredients under the guise of being healthy...kinda misleading if you ask me.  My Blueberry Almond Flax Granola (could I have gotten any more words into the name?) is low fat, high fiber, lower sugar, incredibly wholesome and only 155 calories for 1/2 cup. Make a batch on Sunday and you'll be set for breakfast all week long. BONUS: Your entire house will smell freakin awesome. Seriously, the neighbors will come drooling.
I usually have several recipe ideas floating around in my head just waiting to come to life (am I the only one who goes to bed dreaming of blueberry granola...yes?....no?.... anyways) I decided on this one mainly because of how simple and low fuss it is. My Jaycie Jo (almost 6 year old...sniff) came home on Friday with 102F and some kind of cough/cold virus and is still in recovery mode. So in between coloring, Go-fish, Chutes and Ladders and snuggling up for way, way, way too many cartoons, I threw this together . Once in the oven, you basically leave it alone except for the occasional stir. SO EASY and if you find that you don't have..... say...dried blueberries...dried cranberries would be a great substitution or pecans for the almonds or honey for the maple syrup...see...anything goes here]]> undertaken https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/11/ Wed, 31 Dec 2014 02:28:19 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/11
What never fails to continuously impress me about France, is how even a mundane drive from one town to the next can turn into an enchanting journey of delightful discoveries.

Such was the drive to the bustling village of Loches.  The country road was flanked by horse farms and small french farming cottages that looked like they popped right out of a french storybook.  Then, the road darkened as the drive passed through a lush green forest called "Forêt Dominale de Loches".  There were several places to pull over and park the car.  Narrow trails stretched out as far as the eye could see and invited one to stop, bring along a picnic...and literally get rather lost in the woods for a bit.

Loches was the perfect size village for me to tackle the market easily and then escape back to my little country retreat afterwards.  Pulling right into historic center of the village, the market was bubbling right along and included everything from fresh flowers, ceramics, trendy clothing, and fresh fruits, cheese, veggies, and seafood from the Touraine region of the Loire Valley.

We sampled so much variety during our stay in this region of France.  This part of the Loire Valley is known for their assortment of chevre (goat's cheese).  Being one of my favorite cheeses, and the same goes for Riley, we never tired of sampling the local varieties alongside fresh cherries and melons and little forested wild strawberries no bigger than the tip of my pinky finger.

Market days are the very best ways to absorb country life in France.  People are serious about their shopping.  Hands are flying, samples are being tasted, as chatting is in full swing. People use these outings as a chance to stock up on food for a few days but also to greet and meet one another along with an opportunity to swap a fair amount of gossip.]]> sdgdfxgfdz https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/10/ Wed, 20 Aug 2014 07:40:30 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/10
These cook up in no time and honestly they may convert me to a tomato lover. Since the squishy stuff was gone what you’re left with is this tomato-y rich vessel stuffed with amazing hot and cheesy spinach filling.

The tomato definitely adds another level of flavor to the dish and seriously rocks it out! I’ve made these 2 more times since I took these pictures and the last time I put lump crab meat in the spinach mixture and oh dear God you wanna talk AMAZING?!?!  Holy crap it was awesome!

Like this is one of those dishes where it can easily be an appetizer as they are awesome hot or room temp or as a meal.  If you’re going for a meal I would go with a larger tomato – maybe beefsteak.  You could even top it with some buttered bread crumbs as well if you wanted a crispy crust on top.

So for those tomato-haters there is hope out there for you, for me.  This recipe is definitely one that can win you over and take you to the mater-side!]]> yingwen https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/9/ Fri, 18 Jul 2014 06:15:14 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/9
Salisbury steak or Burger Steak (that’s what we call it in Philippines) is made out of minced meat shaped to mimic steak drenched in a brown gravy commonly topped with mushrooms. A dish invented not by a chef but by an American Physician named James Salisbury in 1888. He invented this dish as a health food and believed that this steak, when consumed three times a day combined with lots of water and/or caffeine, was a perfect defence against a host of physical problems which is caused by eating vegetables and starchy foods. He was convinced that vegetables and starch can produce poison in the digestive tract which in turn was the main cause of heart disease, tumours, tuberculosis and psychosis to name some. The beef used by the doctors during this time were lean mince meats and composed mostly of beef and no by-products or offal included. It was then popularized in the 19th and 20th centuries as a cheap way to add protein to someone’s diet, beef used during this stage was low quality with some extenders.

In Philippines this is one of the popular menus that you will see in big restaurant chains especially in Jollibee where they reuse hamburger patties to create this dish, less ingredient to worry for them but effectively adding a new menu for their customers to choose from. Usually served with rice and lots of gravy (Filipinos love their gravy).

In Japan it is also popular but they call it Hambagu, similar to the original ingredient but they have different variations where they use different gravies such as curry, tomato sauce and even cheese.

I guess this day in age you won’t get quality mince meats coming from supermarkets as most of them have fat content and some even add offal as an extender, having that said the modern age version of this dish would not have the same remedial effect as believed by Dr. James Salisbury due to others contents mixed into it unless you mince it your own.]]> yingwen https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/8/ Tue, 10 Jun 2014 01:55:54 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/8
You know the feeling you get when you meet someone and instantly connect? It might be the way they talk, a certain word they use, or the books stacked on their shelves, but something clicks, and you know this is one of your people. The other day, I went to a friend’s house and noticed her movie collection included all the seasons of 24, the Anne of Green Gables trilogy, and all the seasons of Gilmore Girls. I immediately knew she was a kindred spirit hk idc.

The crazy thing is, I often have this feeling about people I’ve never even met. Or (nerd alert), people who don’t even exist. If Anne of Green Gables were real, we would for sure be BFFs or, as she would say, bosom friends. I feel the same way about Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Jess from New Girl. I just feel like we’d get each other, ya know Standees?

I’d never really been into cooking shows until I saw one of Nigella Lawson’s shows. That woman gets me. I simply love her approach to cooking and baking. It’s elegant without being fussy, which really describes her as a person as well. This is a woman who licks the spatula, eats leftovers straight out of the fridge, and doesn’t bother if a few lemon seeds happen to slip into her cake. She doesn’t spend hours obsessing over the way her food looks, yet she makes some of the most irresistible looking dishes I’ve ever seen. When something turns out a bit lopsided or cracked, she doesn’t fret, she simply says “that’s how they’ll know it’s homemade!” She’s my kind of baker yellow coffee mug.]]> はねぬ https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/7/ Thu, 08 May 2014 05:14:45 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/7
Just like many, I enjoy good fried chicken. It is crunchy from the outside and tender from the inside, smells good and tastes even better. I wish it came without all the caloriesbest insulated coffee mug!

baked chicken7 I do binge twice a month, it stops me from craving all those heavy naughty fast food. I make pizza at home, but sometimes that evil voice in my head so stubbornly wants a thick crust from Pizza Hut Neogen code 9 kr.

baked chicken1 The recipe I’m sharing with you today is very close to my heart, because the chicken although baked but tastes a bit like fried chicken, and the batter creates an outer skin for the chicken, leaving the inside so tender and juicy.

baked chicken4This dish hardly takes time, and it is great with mashed potato on the side or your favorite salad. Be creative, and enjoy this meal headphone amp.]]> yingwen https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/6/ Thu, 08 May 2014 05:06:37 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/6
Dal and Roti are among India’s oldest food items. They are the most basic vegetarian diet available. The closest equivalent in the West can only be Bread and Butter. They even occupy the same mental space as B & B. Earning one’s livelihood is often said as“Earning one’s Dal Roti”. There are like a 100 varieties of lentils and pulses, each of which can be cooked in many different ways. Each region, each household have their own tweaks n versions. In all, this humble lentil soup can probably be cooked in a thousand different ways and these variations are equally healthy, as lots of traditional spices like turmeric, cumin … are used along with the already protein rich lentils. A true Indian meal would not be complete without Dal Maggie Beauty!

This is a North Indian version Dal as far as i remember and my mums recipe ! She used to serve this with tandoori roti but i think i’ll just pass with the regular roti !

To start you’ll have to get these two lentils shown below. Don’t have the English names for them but are very easily available at all Indian stores or supermarkets which store Indian stuff … duh … the same thing :)) .The one on the left is called Yellow Moong Dal and is smaller in size.The one to the right is called Tuwar Dal and is slightly larger in size…though both are just called yellow dal Maggie Beauty!

Start with soaking the lentils separately in warm water for two hrs.Then pressure cook the tuwar dal for about 2 whistles and then open the cooker and add the moong dal and let it cook further for 2 more whistles. Set aside.The reason we do this, is moong is softer that tuwar and if we cook them both together then we wont have the thick texture in the dal and it would be very smooth and runny .Thought there is nothing wrong with that, i just like the chunkier version.
Now in another pot start frying the ginger, garlic and onion in the olive oil till it is soft. Add in the tomatoes and cook it till it disintegrates and add in all the spices except the garam masala.Let this cook well for about 5 mins and then add the boiled lentils to this.Mix throughly and let it simmer on a slow gas for about 10-15 mins. Meanwhile prepare to temper the dal…or like we call it … the “Tadka”.Take a really small pot…the smallest u have in the kitchen and heat the ghee in it. Once its all hot add the dried red chillis and stir around till fragrant.Be carefull it might splutter, add the garam masala and instantly put it all into the dal.This really fills up the kitchen with a wonderful aroma.Usually my mum would use curry leaves as well but they are very difficult to find around here so i manage without it.But if u ca get your hands on some Indian ones…please go ahead and use it. Check for salt. Squeeze the lime, garnish with corriander, slice some raw onions and serve it with hot rotis…! this food touches the soul Maggie Beauty!]]> yingwen https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/5/ Thu, 03 Apr 2014 04:24:32 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/5
I had completely forgotten what it was like to be served a big, chilly pitcher of fresh lemonade loaded up with ice cubes, which I guzzled before I had moved on to carrot juice. And since we’re in the beverage department, the organic coffee is good, too – and refills are included. (And no, that’s not a typo Dentist Hong Kong.)

So if you’re craving a bottomless cup, or just one made with care and good-quality coffee, you might want to climb to the top of the rue Mouffetard and take a one-block detour Fit Furniture.

I’ll have to admit, I was a little reluctant to go in here the first time. But looking around at the Parisians who’d settled into their seats, who were enjoying the desserts and conversations at the tables around us, I’ll say it was just the right blend of Franco-Americanism .]]> yingwen https://huanxingshi.anime-life.com/Entry/4/ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:02:57 GMT huanxingshi.anime-life.com://entry/4