Ginger Milk Pudding/Ginger Milk Curd (薑汁撞奶) Recipe

Ginger Milk Pudding. *note: the rough texture
occurred because of bubbles when
I stretched the milk*

I first tried Ginger Milk Pudding (薑汁撞奶) in a Hong Kong-style dessert cafe. I saw it on the menu and asked my mom what it was. My mom told me that it was ginger and milk in pudding form. I gave her a confused looked and asked her how it became a pudding. She explained that the ginger juice reacted with the milk, which caused the mixture to solidify. I thought it sounded strange, but I decided to try it. The ginger milk pudding was warm and light. It had a hint of sweetness and a tang of ginger.

(To learn more about the chemical reaction and the factors involved, click here. )

A few months later, JSB made it at home and it tasted just like the restaurant's version (She got creative once and added sesame soup to it). When I found out how cheap and easy it was to make, I decided that it wasn't worth ordering it anymore. Last month, she finally taught me how to make it. Now I can share it with you. =) And the best part about the pudding is that it is delicious, healthy, and tastes even better on a cold day.

3 Teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon of ginger juice.

Ginger Milk Pudding (薑汁撞奶)
From JSB

Serves 1.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of ginger juice (Add more if you want a stronger ginger flavor and if want a firmer pudding)
• 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 cup of 2% milk (You can also use 1% and whole milk, but DO NOT USE NON-FAT. It will not set if you do.)

Directions:

1. Slice and juice ginger. I use a garlic press. Note: Use the bowl you will be setting the ginger milk pudding in. You do not want to transfer the juice to another bowl, because ginger juice will separate and you will leave the enzymes behind)
2. Heat milk until the sides start to bubble and foam up. Do not let it go to a boil. Add sugar to the milk*Look below for another method of adding sugar [1]*.
3. Take the milk off the heat and stretch the milk 10 times. *look below [2] for explanation* (By stretch, I mean pouring the milk from one container to the next 10 times. For example, pour milk in Pot A to Pot B. That is one time. Pour it from Pot B to Pot A. That is the second time. Repeat until you do it 1o times. One more thing, when pouring from one pot to the next, make sure some distance is involved -- approximately 1.5 to 2 feet.)
   
   
   Here's an example below...
   
   
   
   
   
   I can't lie. My outfit is seriously embarrassing.../hides in corner.
   
   
   
4. Mix the ginger juice to ensure the layers aren't separated. (Ginger juice has a tendency to separate. If you look closely, you'll notice that ginger juice separates into a clear yellow liquid and a milky white substance. We don't want that. Make sure it's combined!)
5. Pour milk into the bowl with the ginger juice. Cover it with a lid or plate.
6. Wait 5 minutes and enjoy. The pudding should be set by now.

Notes:
[1] JSB prefers to add sugar after the pudding has set. She takes a scoop out, pours the sugar in the hole, and lets the hot pudding melt the sugar.
[2] For those that are curious, you do this because you want the milk to be in the proper temperature range.

Prunes are Ugly, but Oh so Tasty!

I love prunes, but I haven't been eating them for the past few years. Why? Prunes are firm and chewy and require me to expend energy to eat them. Lucky for me, I found this recipe when I read Orangette (Molly)'s book.

I have never tried stewed prunes before, but I figured I had nothing to lose. How bad can a soft, juicy prune with a citrus undertone be? WOW! It was amazing. I can't go back to plain ole dried prunes.

Stewed prunes for the rest of my life baaby! =D

Easiest Green Onion/Scallion Pancake Recipe

Green Onion/Scallion Pancake

After reading Use Real Butter's post on green onion/scallion pancake and discovered the ease of making it, I wanted to make it for lunch. I told JSB about it and she gave me the "I-Don't-Care" for it look and said she only wanted one pancake. But you know what? She LIED BIG TIME! She ate two and left me only one, which is why there's a picture of only one pancake...

I had to make the pancakes another time for a more balanced photo. (see below).

Cut into quarters.

Easy Green Onion Pancake
Recipe from Use Real Butter

Servings: 3 small pancakes

Note: I halved the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 stalks of green onion, finely chopped
• vegetable oil
• salt

Directions:

1. Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).
2. Make the dough, Method 2 (my mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.
3. Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into 3 pieces of equal size. Roll the pieces into balls.
4. Place a ball of dough on a well-floured work surface and roll out into a thin circle (about 1/16th inch thickness). Spread a teaspoon of oil (I used sesame oil) evenly over the pancake (use more if needed). Sprinkle salt evenly over the pancake. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of scallions over the pancake. Roll the pancake up from one end like a rug, then curl the roll around in a spiral and pinch the end to the roll so it stays wrapped. With the palm of your hand, press the roll from the top to flatten it. Roll the pancake out to 1/8th inch thickness. Heat a tablespoon of oil on a flat, wide pan over a medium-low to medium flame until hot. Set the pancake in the oil and let fry until the bottom is crisp and golden. Flip the pancake, adding more oil as needed. Remove from heat and serve immediately or reheat in the oven.

Baked Apple Pudding

Baked Apple Pudding.

I saw this recipe for Baked Apple Pudding and it sounded interesting so I decided to try it. I amped it up by soaking some raisins in rum and adding slices of apple. In the end, this concoction wasn't for me.

The Inside.

It was dense and tasteless to me. The texture was a bit odd too. I really wished I liked it, but desserts aren't the same without butter, sugar, or eggs.

Stride Gum

Stride Gum.

Today I went shopping with my friend and I saw the cutest pair of boots, but I didn't buy it. Why? I don't have a job and I thought it was ridiculous to spend money on something I didn't need. Besides, my friend convinced me that it's only the beginning of winter so there are bound to be more boots coming out. Hopefully by then, I'll have a job.

Well, as soon as I got home, I sat in front of my computer looking for boots. I know...even though I said I wouldn't buy them, I still wanted to oogle at them. So sue me. I'm sitting at the computer feeling all mopey when suddenly the door bell rings. My dad goes to answer it and he comes back in with a package. He looks at me and says, "It's for you." I gave him my "huh?" look and asks, "Are you sure?" "Yes," and tosses me the box.

I'm questioning myself at my desk. "No, I don't remember ordering anything online. Wait, are you positive? Maybe you ordered something awhile back and you forgot...It can't be. I would know if I ordered something." I finally get the tape off the box and open it.

The Box of Doom.

I see nothing. Only a huge piece of crinkled paper. I yank the paper out and I see it.

Paper in my way.

I'm thinking, "holy shit, holy shit, oh my gosh, it's here!" It's a HUGE 12 pack of stride everlasting mint (aka nonstop mint) gum.

*Squeal!!*

I gotta admit, I love presents on ordinary days. The big question: Exactly, how did I get the package? It all started...

A few weeks prior to June 6, 2009, I had submitted suggestions to Stride to rename their new gum flavor: nonstop mint. Before they could pick winners, there was a glitch in the system. On June 6, 2009, they decided to give all participants that had the same name as the winning names a 12-pack box of gum. In the email, they told me it would arrive to my house in 6-8 weeks. I never received a package so I assumed the deal was off.

4 months later, I received the prize and it was such a lovely surprise. Despite not getting my boots, it was an awesome day.

Simple Garlic Beet Salad

Beets on a bed of lettuce with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

About a year ago when I was still in college, I saw fresh beets and decided that it was time to try cooking them. The cooking process was relatively easy. How easy? So easy that you just need to boil it for 45 minutes. Of course, you can bake beets too. My problem was that I didn't know how to flavor the beets. After some research on the internet, I decided on a garlic and olive oil dressing.

I found out the hard way that there's a side effect to eating too many beets. The next morning when I went to the bathroom, I peed a deep, dark shade of red. I went into panic mood thinking that I had internal bleeding. After hyperventilating for a moment, I realized that the red urine came from the beets. The red urine lasted for about 2 days.

Lesson of the day: Don't eat 3 whole beets by yourself or else you risk having red urine.

A few weeks ago, my mom came home with beets and asked me to make her some. I ate some, but in moderation.

Sliced beets.

Simple Beet Salad
Servings: Enough for a family of 5 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 4 beets (2.5 - 3 inch)
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1.5 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2.5 teaspoons of salt
• 1.5 teaspoons of pepper
  

Note: My measurements are a guideline. Feel free to adjust to your taste.

Directions:

1. Wash beets and leave about 2 inches of stalk. Boil for about 45 minutes or until you can easily pierce a knife through the beets.
2. Let the beets cool down. In the mean time, mince garlic.
3. Cut the beets into strips. Lastly, mix the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and beets together.
4. Let it chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

How to Peel Garlic

Crushed Garlic.

You can easily peel a garlic's outer layer of skin by crushing it with a knife. Ta-da!

*I know, lame post....*