Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Food and Art (i)


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OK...
reading about Bento Art has inspired me so much about food.
That I think I found me a brand new passion...



Food in Arts!


Look at these creations...


These food arts
Just simply amazing what you
(a human, a creator)
can do!



My Obento Art!
*At first try too*

Link:
http://www.sonnyradio.com/foodart.htm
http://allfunny-stuff.com/index.php/Cool-Pictures/Food-Art/Page-3.html

Monday, May 24, 2010

Singapore Hainanese Chiken Rice

SO....

DH is craving my home country's "Singapore" local dish...
Yah, it is that good that he (the American Polish) craves it as he would his mom's cooking.
Does that mean I am comparable to his mom in his eyes when it comes to cooking?
Maybe so (not baking though)...
BUT I could never top her as a house keeper & decorator though... My MIL is like Martha Stewart. Lol!

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Hainanese Chicken Rice


a popular Singaporean local dish

So, without further ado... here is the recipe...

Z Chicken
1 Chicken Boiled with
2-3 Smashed Ginger root
5-6 Smashed Garlic Cloves
2-3 Scallions cut in long pieces

3-4 Medium Carrots
1 Large Tomato sliced
Fresh Ground Salt
&
Pepper
in a large pot for
40 - 55 mins
(depending on the size of your chicken)

Cooled after done in a large pot of iced water
(gels the chicken skin)
*very important*

Rice
Brown...
Ginger slices
Garlic slices
Chicken fat

in
Mix of 1/2 sesame oil
& 1/2 Vegetable oil

when oil is fragrant

(about 7-9 mins)
add in rice to fry
(1 prt rice to the ratio of

1.25 part water to be added later)
...

add water to boil covered & cook
for 17:30 mins
in lowest setting
(that is my perfected stove time)

*keep rice covered till serving time*

...Z Sauces...
Green
Scallion Ginger Sauce
Add minced 1.5 inch ginger to
1/2 cups of heated vegetable oil

till ginger sizzles and start to brown
Pour

heated oil concoction
to minced up scallions
(3-4 stalks, more if stalks are skinny)
that is
seasoned with 1 ts of Salt
1 ts of powdered form chicken stock

*Infuse*
(a.k.a. marinade)

concoction for 1-2 hrs


Red
Chilli Sauce
Add 1 tbs of lime juice
1 tbs of sesame oil

1 tbs of sugar

1 clove of minced garlic

to finely chopped chillies
*blend*
in blender till smooth
or

to pre-made Maggie brand garlic chilli sauce
(I am lazy here)


Black
SoySauce
1/2 cup infused with
1 dash of sesame oil
1 minced garlic

1 minced ginger

and

optional
(if you like spice that is)
1 chopped up
chilli
(Red / Green)


*Enjoy MUCH*

All Served with
RAW sliced and cold
Cucumbers
*a must in tradition*

(no recipe require)



hawker centers
(most all & every hawker centers)
in Singapore
carry this
very very popular
local dish!
=
*I miss home much*

Bloody Mariyaki

Sunday Bloody Sunday's Drink...
DH has to go pick up a jug o' tomato and asked me to do him up a mixer.


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Bloody Mariyaki
DH loooves Tomato & V8 juice,
just his cravings I guess...
No, I don't make this often.
By request only


Bloody Mariyaki
(Of course my own)
Recipe:

1 part Vodka (can be Sake too btw)
1 part Tomato Juice
1/8th part Tabasco sauce
1/8th part Japanese Teriyaki sauce
1 squeeze of Wasabe
(how spicy to each their own)
A dash of pickled ginger juice
(my way, in place of celery seasoning)
Fresh ground Salt & Pepper to taste

Shake with ice

Pour into pre-chilled glasses,
salt rim & garnish with grape tomatoes
if desired

-Enjoy-



Friday, May 21, 2010

English Tea Martini

Friday... time for another "inspired drink" blog...

The English Tea Martini

Recipe:
1 prt Sweet Tea Vodka,
1 prt Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur,
1 prt Milk
&
1 prt cooled Tea concentrate
(brew tea in less liquid than normal)
...

Shake
*hard*
Pour into a pre-chilled Martini Glass
that is rimmed in Cinnamon,
top with a stick o cinnamom
as stirrer
...

-Yes, enjoy!-

Abstract Nature Nails

Got my nails done and am still wearing this "brush art" look...

"Abstract nature painted Nails"

Thumb: a scenic abstract...
fore finger: water plant abstract,
mid finger: bamboo abstract,
ring finger: grass abstract,
pinky: a leaf abstract.


Color:
Green for nature,
A smear of blue
at the bottom of the nail
to imply water...

-Love it-

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Something Nice & Something New...

"Iris" plate
that special piece I found...
to grace

the shelves
of

my IKEA find
to go with my

Wassily chairs & Nicolletti sofa
of my

Cozy living space

Swedish Kinda Meal 2 day!

Swedish Meatball kit I bought from Ikea... becomes a

Photobucket
Swedish Meal today
Add a touch of garlic powder
& parmesan cheese to the mash potatoes,
Make some gravy
then some garlic green beans
for the vegetables...

Enjoy!




Sunday, May 9, 2010

Brew Dog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin



Da Bomb

This beer definitely deserves more than its own blog (^.^and its own shot glass) about it from me...

Just for making my DH so
head over heels in love with this beer.
Just for that poor guy's (and many other guys too I am sure)
obsession for something so basic...


Just for what that "B" "E" "E" "R" spelled out to be...
the word that was never even been
in my dictionary nor my chosen drink...
Well except for that 32% alcohol that is,
*strong*
(yes, the world's strongest beer as claimed in its homepage)
enough for my blood (fuchow) clan & content...

A thing, of DH's but not mine...
Yet,
A thing of beauty that I cannot help but blog.

Brew Dog
Its "Da" beer of beer by "Da" brewer's of all beer brewers...

z "Brew Dog".

Soooo... Beautiful!
Its "Da" work of art...

From "Da" bottle to the packaging...
From "Da" taste to the experience...

"Da" Tactical Nuclear Penguin

"CUTE" too!

"Da" beer...

to Enjoy,
buy here.

P.S. DH is the one who took all these pictures
Plus... he eloped for a good half day "on Mother's day" to be with da beer too! ;)

---

"Da" beer is contributed by
my Brother-in-law.
Thank you.

Pre Mom's day Adventure (TGIF Day!)

Friday log

Some more decor shot
Copper custom clock, hand made by Bil.
Cube puzzle from SG.
On top of an old glass chess board,

perfect size for my trunk/side table...

double as a glass protector for drinks.
Flank by my fav. Wassily chairs.

Then, I paint my nails
to get ready for my mother's day weekend long adventure with...

Sally Hansen's
"Elegant Cognac"
+
Nicole by O.P.I.
"Have a Heart"
&
"Love your Life"


Drink of the Day

Bloody Rita

Bloody Rita Recipe:
2 prt Tequila
2 prt Blood Orange Juice "Ohhhh!"
1 prt fresh squeeze Lemon Juice
Ice
Shake!
Pour...
Into Salt rimmed glasses...
Garnish with lemon wedge...


Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Spring Fever Project: "Window Seat / Daybed"


Spring Fever Project
(Smell the roses)
"Got that itch, have to scratch it!"
***


Window seat / Daybed
*The needs of DECOR*
of Color vs Blah!
Blah = No Good!


Decor project: "Window Seat / Daybed"
Well, Spring cleaning is in session, and time to dust off my skills and talent that I am born with, go to college for & have been working on before my side tracking (as my husband called it) my claim to "burning out" because of my disappointment in the economy ...
My one true passion
before the housing bust.

... Back to my "roots" of the "lifestyle" ...




"Modding"
is the beginning of my DH
staring his computer project
...

*IS
*
the beginning of me starting mine
in decor again.

(Notice in the edge of the glass table
is where the "window seating area"
is supposed to be
but is "hunked" down by a
super XXXL heavyweight champion of an
OLD TV?)

Well... THAT went to the salvation army
this morning @ 9AM sharp.
-BTW, I hated that TV-
...

Also notice below the white throw pillow is
a "grey low cabinet"?

Well I have 2 of those...
That chunky TV sat on one,
(but only the TV is in the pic)
second was for that "Mac-mini"
where it was the old computer
set-up.

*from Ikea and built like tanks*

Them cabinets were flanking both sides of the
antique "medicine cabinet"
we use as our liquor cabinet.
(that thing is an antique,
*an original*
in awesome shape)
...

I reuse them cabinets
as bases for my window seat/daybed
as they can hold a 300lb human body
no problem.


Computer work Area
NO MORE TV

*hurray*
Bought that computer desk, chair & CPU shelf this weekend.
DH is so much happier

with the simple clean & modern look
he wants.
(yes, and on sale too!)



"I see SUN!"
So much better
by noon time.
(needed colors not throw in "yet",
I am a bold color mixer as my DH can testify)
*See that bright tomato red leather sofa we have?
Yes! I *dare* colors!

No more shady huge TV shadow!
This window seat/day bed can also double
as my massage table
due to its stiffness
for a massage therapy session for DH usually after his ride.
*Yeah, he be spoilt*




Night Time
That is when this project is officially finished
in between
chores & other errands plus shopping of course.
Very tiring today and all under the budget of a $100, wine included!

Not pricey at all when I
*recycle*
(very important to recycle for our green mother earth)
what I can
(even the "skirt" is made from
my old table clothe).



"Wine Time"
after a hard day worth of work a bottle of
"Fish eye" Riesling chilled
and to enjoy!



05/06/10 Morning L0oK!
-how I *tie* everything in subtly-

the tried & true
inexpensive way of every interior
decorator on budget
(I still have my fav. places & people from my past).

*Recycle*
&

*Throw pillows*

Picked the pillows for the bright sofa
with colors that will
tone down that red,
the off white that
brings in the colors of the
"window seat / daybed"
&
very light subtle
suggestion
in
harmonizing
that very strong colors
from the wall.

Instead of a bamboo green for the daybed pillows,
(too matchy-match for my walls)
I choose to use a spice color,
a very earth tone
color almost terracotta
as a
*compliment*
to my deep sage green wall.
Where the simple burnt edged khaki button details
gave that worn light antique country touch.

The small pillow
is ivory sherpa fleece on one side,
that spice/cinnamon colored suede on the other.
*reversible*

brings out the ivory, beige & cream
from that window seat.

***

P.S.
Many people are afraid to use white & cream (or even silver & gold); but in a good visual class... many would have been taught that even *white* at certain light will take the hue from the light (cool or warm); or that silver is nothing but a mirror that reflects any colors on its surface right back at you.
...

Black or white IS the mother color of space =
color of *null*;
in human graphic terms,
a non-color.
...

Colors as we human see it
is in the end...

nothing but a spectrum from the rainbow
in our own collective memorial interpretation of our very own life experiences.

*
That
WE all shine in our own colors.
-OUR WAY-