Crab Beehoon

SL brought me to this zi char stall - Shen Ji Seafood Garden at Blk 40, Holland Drive #01-39 Singapore 270040 last Friday.

We ordered the crab beehoon and stir fried-ginger froglegs.

At first taste, the crab beehoon is bland and not salty at all.
However, after few mouthfuls, you can taste the XO in them.
The frogleg is simply sumptious. The frog leg is big and juicy and meaty.

it costs $22 for the crab beehoon (for two) (1 crab) and the frogleg (at least 2 frogs) costs $12 (small).

There are also designated smoking and non-smoking areas.

Will definitely go there again.

Gingko Nut and Barley Dessert

Shirley shared this recipe with me on gingko nut and barley dessert:
Ingredients:
Barley (Chinese barley eg Ayam Brand (comes in a red tin) - ¼ of the tin or more
Fresh gingko nut – 30 pieces or more (if you like)
Fuzou or beancurd (buy those which will dissolve or melt upon boiling, not those used for frying vegetables)
500ml of water
Yellow rock sugar

Tips on how to remove the skin of the gingko nuts (from Shirley):
Slightly break the hard shell of the gingko nuts using a pounder
Boil the gingko nuts for about 5 to 10 min in water or till the gingko nuts is soft
After boiling the nuts, the shell together with the gingko nut skin can be easily removed.

1. Wash the barley and rinse.
2. Wash the deshelled gingko nuts.
3. Boil the barley and gingko nuts in the water in a pot or slow cooker.
4. Break the dried beancurd into small pieces, wash and put into the pot with the barley and gingko nuts.
5. Boil over low heat for about 2 to 3 hours or 5 hours in the slowcooker.

Optional: place a few yellow rock sugar to be dissolved in the pot before serving.

I tried this out without the sugar and the dessert tastes quite pleasant too.

Healthy Food = Bland Food

Ma was recently diagnosed as being mildly diabetic. I was quite worried for her for awhile. Apparently, it had caused her to feel hungry always. Once, she felt so hungry and I could not understand why and she blamed me for causing her to "starve".
This incident is still vivid in my mind and I often felt guilty towards her when I thought about it.

On one hand, I hope she would eat less carbohydrates, so that there would be less conversion to sugar in her body. On the other hand, looking at how hungry she became, I felt helpless. Her doctor had given her some medicine and said that the medicine would make her feel not-so-hungry, but advised her to cut down on sugar, salt and eating outside.

I remembered the times when we enjoyed good and perhaps, not-so-healthy food outside. How Ma enjoy life and food, like me. Not anymore, she has been very disciplined in not eating good food and had opted for bland and tasteless home-cooked meals instead. Does healthy food always = bland food? I have also learnt to cut down on sugar and salt in order to achieve a balance between tasty and healthy home-cooked meals including desserts and cakes.

I hope Ma's diabetics would be under control or better still, recover so that she can continue to enjoy the food that she loves.

Tiramisu

This tiramisu recipe is delicious and smooth though it is best made in a rectangular deep glass bowl:

Ingredients:
3 cups of strong black coffee
1/4 tablespoons rum paste
2 eggs
2 oz caster sugar
250g mascarpone cream
1 cup whipped cream
20 savoyardi biscuits which can be bought from Carrefour
2 teaspoons chocolate powder

1. Mix coffee and rum paste in a glass and stir well.
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg yolks and sugar via an electric beater for 3 min until the mixture is thick and pale.
3. Add the mascarpone and beat until the ingredients are mixed well.
4. Use a metal spoon and fold in the whipped cream.
5. Use an electric beater to beat egg whites until soft peaks form
6. Fold quickly and lightly into the cream mixture with a metal spoon.
7. Dip the horizontal half of one biscuit into the coffee mixture, drain off excess coffee and arrange in a base of a serving dish. Repeat for all biscuits till a layer is formed at the base of the dish.
8. Spread half of the cream mixture over the biscuits.
9. Repeat the layering of the biscuits and cream mixture.
10. Smooth surface and dust with chocolate powder.
11. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours to allow the flavours to develop and untl Tiramisu is firm. Serve with fresh fruit.