I’ve just recently developed a craze for Bento and the reason is because I am trying to get my daughter to eat more greens. Being a totally uncreative person, I have to find inspiration from You Tube and Japanese Bento blogs. However, one person who inspires me a lot is a good friend of mine who runs Bentofun dot info (though it’s list on my sidebar). Psst…not linking her blog coz I’m not proud of my “artwork”, else she would hop over here to see my post. LOL.

I have not invested in many Nori punchers because there are no smiley punchers available at our 100 yen outlet here.  So, some of the cutting had to be done with knife and they looked awful. Wish I had gotten them from Daiso when I was in KL.

I decided to prepare these lunch boxes today because both the kids were coughing and the lunch today at their tuition school consist of fries and nuggets.

For the girl

For the boy

Just realized that the cheese which I shredded to use as “earth” for the trees/plants do not really show up in the pics as the colour is too light. Must remind myself to replace them with ham the next time to add more colours. Also did not have time to take close up pics of the Octo and Mouse sausages which I made.

All in all, it took me two hours to complete everything. That was truly taking up too much time. Must improve on timing and skills.

I’ve never mentioned Mexican Food before on this blog because we don’t have any Mexican Food outlet over here. However, if you are in US, or Dallas, to be specific, there is a Mexican Restaurant Dallas called Matito’s, where you will get to experience one-of-a-kind Mexican food dining. I love places which are built on family recipes and Matito’s is one of those places with home made recipes which will delight your palate.

There are actually a few branches of Matito’s in Dallas but my brother in law recommended the one inf Frisco Square (pictured above). I have to say that it was not a good idea to go during peak hours, especially for brunch on a weekend. The place was so packed with diners that we had to wait for almost 45 minutes to get a set.  Fortunately for us, it was worth the wait.  I had the best fillet Mignon with Chipotle sauce ever tasted at Matito’s. My brother in law decided to go for the brunch buffet which was priced at $16.99. Some of the food in the buffet line included Migas, Enchiladas, Sopes, Chiles Rellenos, Breakfast Quesadillas, Flautas, Chimichangas, Beef & Chicken Fajitas, Taco Bar, Tamales, Tortilla Soup and Ceviche.

Matito’s is also one of the more well known Mexican Food party caterer Dallas. Their award winning Mexican food, superb service and the fact that they can provide cheap banquet halls are what make them stand out from their competitors. While we were there, we had a look at their catering packages and were pleasantly surprised to learn that the caterings include real china, cloth napkins, stainless flatware, chaffing dishes, buffet tables and decorations. How cool is that?

Be on the lookout for more information about Matito’s catering service as my brother in law has already booked them for our annual family gathering this coming August.

If you’re reading my blog, I’m sure you’re either a good cook or on the way to becoming one *grins*. So, you know all about cooking, but do you know HOW TO store perishable food safely and properly? Perishable food items like vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products need to be stored in the refrigerator else, they will spoil easily. Besides the refrigerator, freezers and emergency dehydrated food and water storage are good alternatives.

Having said that, you do not just dump these perishable food in the refrigerator and expect it to prevent spoilage altogether. There are proper ways of storage and here’s how I do it:

• For meat, poultry and fish, I place them in plastic bags, which are then stored in plastic freezer containers and kept in the freezer. I also like to label the containers with the date of purchase so that I know how long they have been in the freezer. You can also use aluminium foils to wrap these food or place them in freezer bags.
• Most fruits and vegetables will benefit from refrigeration with the exception of bananas, avocados, and onions which  are better kept at room temperature.
• Dairy items are to be kept as chilled as possible. So, it is best to store eggs and milk in the inner part of the fridge instead of keeping them on the inside door of the refrigerator.
• Bottles of salad dressings and mayonaise that have been opened should be kept in the refrigerator. These items usually do not have a long shelf life so, be sure to check the expiry date from time to time.

While storing food in the refrigerator can prevent them from spoiling, avoid storing food too long as harmful bacteria can sometimes grow. Yup, even in refrigerators!

It’s time to shake off those winter blues as Spring is just around the corner! To help you celebrate the coming of Spring, here are a few specialty Fever cocktails created by mixologist Matty Espichan (voted DC’s Best Female Bartender in 2009, courtesy of Fever Stimulation Beverage.

Fever’s Mojo Mojito
3 orange slices
1 tsp sugar
5-7 mint leaves
2 oz Mango + Banana Fever
2 oz Grey Goose L’Orange
Splash lemonade
Splash of Sprite
Muddle mint leaves with sugar and lemonade, then combine remaining ingredients with ice and stir. Garnish with mint leaves and orange slices and serve over ice.

Pucker Up
2 oz Grey Goose L’Citron
2 oz Kiwi + Strawberry Fever
Splash Sprite
1 fresh squeezed lemon
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a wedge of lime.
 

Spring Fever
2 oz Grey Goose L’Poire (Pear)
Hi Elina,2 oz Pineapple + Coconut FEVER
Splash of Sprite
Lime wedge
Combine ingredients with ice and stir, garnish with a lime.
 

Written by Sherri Hicks

All of you out there that like old-fashioned tradition and down-to-earth charm would have to agree that if anyone can whip up a Southern-styled meal or bake up some sort of comfort food, Paula Deen is the master (or the “Deen”) of the craft.

When watching the shows,”Paula’s Home Cooking” and “Paula’s Best Dishes” on directtv, I’m just taken in by her charm and of course, the accent with the usual “ya’all” twang she gives out when she is preparing or glorifying the result of the dish she has just prepared.

Paula’s hometown principles, her zest for life and the excitement she brings to easy and delicious home cooking, just exemplifies what American cuisine is all about without all the fanciness. She often tells stories from her childhood or things that remind her of where she was when her sons grew up together with her helping her in the kitchen. These are just absolute feel-good shows that the Food Network brings to you on satellite tv.

Other shows that have that “down-home” feel to them would be “Emeril Live” and “Essence of Emeril”, found mainly on the Food Channel nowadays and “Down Home with the Neely’s”. While the Neely’s are fairly new, Bobby Flay, a seasoned veteran and the iconic Guy Fieri add their own touches of food and places they visit weekly.

Disclosure : CMP.LY/3

So I posted about our lunch reunion. Then, there was the dinner reunion at our own home. As usual, we had the yearly steamboat as my kids thought it was a lot of fun cooking their own food and the fact that we do this once a year only, it was an opportunity not to be missed.  For the adults, it was an easier task to prepare the ingredients and just cook everything in one “wok”.

A boiling pot of steamboat soup

Fresh prawns, fish fillets and various type of vegetables

Home made prawn balls. Small dish on the right is my must have soya sauce with cili padi (bird’s eye chilli)

Side dish – Braised sea cucumber with mixed vegetables

Side dish – Mixture of roasted pork, braised duck meat and three layer pork braised with soya sauce and meat roll (ngo hiang)

We had our family reunion at The Banquet and because it was lunch, intstead of dinner, there were only a few tables of diners. Even then, service was slow. Food was nothing to shout about as we had to choose from a standard set of menu. The package we had chosen cost $568, not inclusive of rice.

I did not manage to take photos of all the dishes as I was too darn hungry and had attack some of the dishes before I remembered that I had to take photos

The colourful Yee Sang, a must have for CNY. It may not contain glucosamine but I am sure there are plenty of vitamins in the shredded vegetables which are mixed with raw salmon and some sauces. 

This is what you do with the Yee Sang. Tossing enthusiastically is part of the fun and the Chinese believe that the higher you toss, the higher your growth in fortune will be.

Shark’s Fin Soup with crab meat

Stir Fried Mixed Vege with Scallops

Braised Shell Fish with Oysters and Black Moss

Fried Prawns With Superior Soya Sauce

Steamed Sea Bass In Hong Kong Style

Crispy Boneless Duck With Lemon Sauce

Last but not least, chilled honey dew sago

If you are looking to spice up your Valentine’s Day with your loved ones, here are some excellent cocktails to get you in the right mood. Best of all, they are simple and fun to make and delicious to taste.

Latin Fling

2 oz Flor de Caña 18 Year Rum
1 1/2 oz fresh pineapple puree juice
1 oz five spice syrup
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 slice jalapeño chili

Combine ingredients and shake. Serve on rocks in Collins glass, float 18 yr, splash soda. Garnish with pineapple leaf and floating whole star anise. To make five spice syrup: bring 2 cups water, 2 1/2 cups demerera sugar and 4 tablespoons of five spice powder to boil. Cover, let cool and strain. Recipe can be multiplied to fill a traditional punch bowl.

Sexy Mary

1.5 oz Lucid Absinthe
1 oz. Russian Standard Vodka
4 oz. Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
4 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
Horseradish, ground pepper, garlic salt, celery salt

Directions: In a pint glass add ice, Lucid Absinthe, Russian Standard Vodka, Bloody Mary Mix, Worcestershire Sauce, and other spices.
Shake and serve with an olive, pepperoncini, and lime wedge.

This is a quick peek at the renovation of my kitchen. These pictures were taken about three weeks ago. Due to budget constraint, we are taking it slow in selecting our kitchen cabinet contractor and will probably decide after Chinees New Year.  Now that I will be unemployed soon, no choice but the need to be prudent.

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, the price of poultry, seafood and vegetables have soared above their usual prices. Besides that, we also need to stock up as we cannot wait until the last minute where demand is high and stocks are low. No point paying premium prices when we can avoid doing so.

If you are staying in the US, there is no such problem with purchasing seafood during such festive season. I know that for a fact as my brother in law who lives there will just head over to I Love Blue Sea where he easily buys oysters online. I understand that the seafood sold are very fresh with a vast selection available and the prices are also very reasonable as there are no middleman involved in the process. My brother in law says that he also frequently gets his sushi supplies online.

Ooops! I think I am digressing here….What I am trying to say is  that I wish we have  such online seafood store where one can buy filleted fish, crab and lobster, shrimp, whole fish and clams as well as mussels. Imagine the convenience of shopping from the comfort of your own home and having everything delivered right up your door step! Well, I’m pretty sure it is not going to happen in our country, at least not for sometime. Sigh. Now, if you will excuse me, I will need to go to the market to do my seafood and poultry shopping for the coming Chinese New Year.