My Sugar Journey is Ending Soon [Addicting Spicy Warm Egg & Nut Salad]

Recently, I've been consuming ice cream, cakes, cookies, and sweets throughout my week. My lowest point was eating a Nestle Drumstick for breakfast, which I didn't even enjoy. I only ate it, because it was in my refrigerator. It's time for a sugar intervention. Starting on May 1, I will be committing myself to a No Sugar Challenge for the month. I will be posting rules in another post closer to my start date.

I'm not sure how I will handle a month without sweets since my blog is 95% dessert based. It will be a challenge, but it will force me to practice photographing savory foods, which means more savory recipes for you! I can honestly say that JSB will be happy with that change, because she is always complaining that I make too many sweets. In honor of her, I finally wrote down the recipe for her favorite Warm Egg & Nut Salad.

Addicting Spicy Warm Egg & Nut Salad

Note: I love multipurpose recipes. As a salad, it's a great snack in the afternoon or an appetizer in a multiple course meal. When the egg is omitted, it turns into a lovely bowl of spicy nuts to munch on during the day. In the past, I have used mixed nuts (from Trader Joe's) and almonds. Any type of nuts work. I prefer my nuts chopped into smaller pieces, but feel free to keep them whole.

Serves 1

Ingredients
1/3 cup nuts
1 egg
1/8 tsp sea salt
pinch of sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 mustard powder
1/4 heaping tsp cheese powder
1/4 of a green onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. With an egg in a pot, fill it with water until the egg is submerged. Cover. Put over high heat until the water boils. Turn off the heat, leave the cover on, and set the timer for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add sea salt, sugar, garlic powder, cayenne, mustard powder, and cheese powder. Stir.
3. In a skillet set over medium heat, add the nuts. Shake occasionally. When the nuts are hot to the touch and toasted, spray with olive or canola oil with an oil sprayer. Sprinkle seasoning onto the nuts and shake the skillet  until nuts are evenly coated. Turn off the heat when the nuts are dry to the touch.
4. The egg should nearly be done. When the timer goes off, pour out the hot water and run cool water over it. Take the shell off the egg and cut into 6 - 8 chunks.
5. In a bowl, toss the nuts and egg together until mixed. Taste and add more salt as needed. Enjoy while warm.

For my Sis. [Fresh & Simple Guacamole]

The Ingredients + Cilantro

I was on the a roll in the kitchen today and boy does it feel good to be back! I made guacamole and had time to photograph it. Woah, right? I also made layered jello and lunch for tomorrow. Now that the fun part is over, it's time to get back to writing papers.

Fresh & Simple Guacamole

Servings: 1 to 2 people

Ingredients
1 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 of a small tomato (approx. 2.5 inches), diced
1/4 of a small red onion, diced
a small handful of cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
3 - 7 slices of jalapeno, depends on spice preference
salt to taste

Directions

1. Put the diced avocado in a medium sized bowl and use a fork to gently mash until only some small chunks remain.
2. Add the diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime, jalapeno, and salt. Mix and taste. Add more salt as necessary. Put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors develop. 

I'm Back! [Caramel Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie]

What's my excuse for being gone this long? I have plenty. First, my computer took a dive for a week. Second, homework was piled up. Third, taxes. Fourth, birthday celebrations: hello 26 year old me and to one of my best buddies. Fifth, I'm engaged.

The truth is that I missed blogging and writing out what's been going on in my life. I attempted to write several times these past weeks, but the words wouldn't come. The cause of it is probably all the papers I had to write. I haven't been baking up a storm either. I've been doing repeats such as granola and Peanut Butter Bars.

Last week, JSB and I went on a bulk food binge. For $37, we bought 1 LB of Saigon Cinnamon, cheese powder, citric acid, sea salt kosher flakes, poppy seeds, and mustard powder AND 4 oz of white tea leaves. With an abundant of spices sitting in my cupboard, I've been experimenting with savory dishes in the kitchen. One of my winning dishes happened to be a warm egg & mixed nut salad that JSB and parents adored. She's been asking for the recipe...perhaps this week I'll have time to recreate it and post the recipe for her. LOVE YOU my YOUNGEST MOST ADORABLE sister. <3

In the mean time, enjoy these Caramel Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies. These cookies are special for the reason that fresh cranberries are used. The chewy caramel bites mixed with the crispy oatmeal and tart cranberry slices are a welcoming combination.

Caramel Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

Note: This is my first time using fresh cranberries in cookies and I was impressed by the results. I was expecting mushy juicy bits, but it turned out to be moist with a bit of chew. Because it is a good deal juicer than dried cranberries, there is a longer bake time.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 TBSP whole wheat flour (or substitute all purpose)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup fresh cranberries, sliced
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup granulated sugar (for making caramel praline)

Making Praline

In a skillet, sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly across the surface. Turn the heat to medium low. As the sugar starts melting and turning color, swirl the sugar around. If necessary, use a wooden spoon to stir in the stubborn sugar pieces that aren't melting. When it's the color of medium-dark amber, take it off the heat and pour onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Quickly tilt the cookie sheet so the praline spreads into a thin layer.

Directions

1. Make caramel praline (above for directions).
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
4. Add egg and vanilla extract until blended.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture until just blended.
6. Break cooled caramel into tiny pieces, approximately 1/2 inch pieces or smaller.
7. Fold oats, cranberries, chocolate chips, and caramel into dough.
8. Drop teaspoon sized dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until browned around the edges and the surface of cookie is dry to the touch.
10. Let the cookies cool down to room temperature before removing it from the parchment paper. The cookies will fall apart if they are moved while still warm. The cookies are the best enjoyed the day it is baked while the caramel is chewy and the oatmeal is crispy. Because fresh cranberries are quite moist, the cookies will lose the chewy crispy texture and turn into soft cookies that fall apart the next day.

Plate Fail.

An adorable egg pan that JSB received for Christmas.

JSB gave me a bunch of pretty plates for Christmas and I've been itching to use them. Despite making an unappealing meal, it was still an excuse to play with the plates! Let's just say, beansprouts + fried egg aren't the most photogenic couple.

Happy V-Day, Mr. Egg and Ms. Beansprouts!

A milestone.

I reached a milestone today. I swallowed a pill at the age of 24. It took 4 glasses of water and I "accidentally" swallowed it so I am unsure if I can replicate the motions necessary to swallow a pill again. My mom said, "I should practice so I can swallow bigger pills when I'm pregnant."

Occasionally, JSB gets a sudden burst of inspiration and wants to create an elaborate meal from scratch. This time around, she made naan, tandoori chicken, and a cucumber dipping sauce.

In the beginning, I was apprehensive about the dipping sauce, because she said it was a mix of grated cucumbers, plain greek yogurt, salt, and pepper. Judging the ingredients, it seemed unappealing, but after the first taste, it was refreshing, light, and complimented the rest of the meal very well. The naan was good too. The chicken was okay.

Marshmallows

I always thought a stand mixer was a waste of money. It's expensive, takes up up a ton of space, and it does everything that I can do. I prefer kneading and mixing ingredients by hand. If I needed to cream ingredients or whisk egg whites or cream, my handy dandy portable hand mixer can do the job perfectly. After considering these points, why would I need to buy the famed KitchenAid Stand Mixer?

Big and Mini Marshmallows

Then JSB and I encountered marshmallows and I finally understand why a stand mixer is a necessity. First of all, marshmallows require a lot of power especially near the end when it it thickens up and requires more strength to whip it. Our handy dandy hand mixer was doing a great job in the first 8 minutes of whipping, but as the 15 minute mark approached, the mixer was wheezing and coughing. The speed slowed down tremendously. In fact, only the mixture that surrounded the whisk was getting whipped -- the mixture touching the bowl wasn't even being agitated. In the last few minutes, I swear I saw bits of gray/blackish particles flying out of the mixer, but I can't be sure since when I tried to dig it out of the mixture I couldn't find it.

Lesson learned: A Stand mixer is necessary for this recipe.

JSB saw how the marshmallow was overpowering our hand mixer and told me to quickly pour the mixture out onto the pan...in the midst of her panic, she forgot to add the vanilla. The final result was a fluffy sweet mess that tasted of sugar and cornstarch.

Things I would change:

1) Use only powdered sugar instead of cornstarch, because the cornstarch left a weird taste on the marshmallows.

2) Remember to add flavoring. >.>

 Marshmallows
Recipe from Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Directions

1. Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
2. In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
3. Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

1. Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
2. When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
3. Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows:

1. Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.
2. Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.
3. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

My First and Only BIG SNACK!

I had a blast with JSB today playing monopoly and spending time with her. It's a rare moment that I appreciate. After she returned home from the dentist, she made me lunch while I worked on making coffee ice cream and raisin bread. When JSB shows me these warm gestures, it makes me feel fuzzy and warm on the inside and I really appreciate her efforts.

A long
     long
          long
           time ago...

(say around Year 2010)

JSB surprised me with cinnamon sugar popcorn. That girl knows that I love my sugar and cinnamon especially Saigon cinnamon.

Bubble, my nickname.

Crispy popcorn paired with the caramelized sweetness of sugar and finishes with a note of cinnamon = my ultimate snack.

Om nom nom.

Even though JSB made me my ultimate snack, it's a tease, because there is a chance that it'll never happen again. Food requests will only encourage JSB to tease you and a reluctance to make it again. However, if I wait patiently and hope, there is a greater possibility that what I crave will appear again in my life.

Working hard on my note.

What I love more than popcorn are notes. Since JSB made me a "Big Snack," I demanded a note, because I always wrote her a note when I made her mini-snacks. Another difference between our snacks is that my snacks are too small for her while her portions are ginormous!! >.>

Maintaining Friendship and Caramelized Potatoes

One of my close friends from college moved to China about 1.5 years ago; it's been difficult trying to keep in touch. We emailed frequently in the beginning, but it eventually tapered off to an email response every couple days to weeks. I constantly reminded myself to reply to her emails, but something always came up so I told myself that I would do it the next day. Of course, I don't reply the next day and I continued to procrastinate. By the time I finally wrote a response, I had forgotten what I wanted to tell her.

About a month ago, I tried a new method of keeping in touch with her. I started sending her a pic-a-day through my mobile phone to her email. A picture is simple and doesn't require much writing and if i wanted to share some thoughts with her, I could include it in the picture email. I've been enjoying it so far, because it doesn't mentally exhaust me and I can keep up with it. It motivates me to appreciate the little things in life, because I have to find something to show her. It lets her know that I care and miss her and how much I want to spend an afternoon or night with her, chatting and being silly. I can't wait to save up money and fly out there to see her in the future.

P.S. My daily photos were such a hit that I reached my monthly text message quota two weeks ago. Oops.I can start sending her pictures again on Saturday when my plan resets. Whoo~

This recipe was inspired by a Korean banchan I had awhile back with my family. I made it for JSB and she enjoyed it.

Oven Baked Caramelized Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of red potatoes
• 1 TBSP (or more) canola oil
• 2 TBSP (or more) sugar
• sea salt

Directions

1. Wash, peel, and cut potatoes into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Boil potatoes for 8 to 12 minutes until just barely cooked. (Knife has difficulty going through potato)
4. Dry potatoes with paper towel and drizzle with olive oil until lightly coated. Line baking sheet with foil/parchment paper. Spread potatoes on sheet with space in between the potatoes.
5. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
6. When potatoes are finished, keep them in the oven so they stay hot. Adjust temperature to 300°F.
7. In a pan, coat bottom of pan with sugar. Add more sugar if you like foods more sweet.
8. Wait for sugar to melt and caramelize, then add the potatoes.
9. Toss the potatoes to coat it in the sugar and sprinkle it with sea salt. Serve.

I Run a Chinese Restaurant. (Homemade Pasta Recipe)

There are two ways that I come up with a post.

1) Inspiration randomly appears throughout my day.
2) I stare at my list of unposted photos and see which one calls out to me.

Today happens to be option #2 and the topic of the day is "my attempt at a nice meal while my parents were out with their friends." The menu was homemade pasta dressed in edamame sauce (it was a thickened up version of the soup) with katsu tilapia and roasted peppers. For dessert, fresh homemade caramel apples.

I hired my sisters to work again at my 'family run Chinese restaurant without pay.' JSB worked on the roasted peppers and she had so much fun playing with the fire. In the beginning, I was frightened by the flying pieces of burning pepper skin that floated up towards the vent. I did not want to explain to my parents why our house burned down while they were gone for a couple of hours. lol.

The alien life form after taking the roasted pepper apart.

I set my other sister, Kay, to work on the pasta. I had her kneading, rolling, and cutting pasta for a good 2 hours. Poor Child; she had to suffer before she was allowed to eat. ^.^

All purpose flour and semolina flour.

Mixing flours with fork.

Cracking egg over pasta.

The well with the egg.

Kneading.

Dough with a smooth and elastic consistency.

Rolling out the pasta. Yes, I don't own a rolling pin.

Pretty pasta, thanks to Kay =)

I had the very important job of making the caramel apples. I was surprised by how easy the task was and how quickly everything came together. The first couple of apples I dipped weren't attractive, but I definitely improved with the last few!

Honey Caramel Apples.

At one point, Grandma stopped by and I invited her to stay and eat with us. As usual, she refused and claimed that we didn't have enough food to feed her. Lies. We had plenty. The truth is that she thinks we are unhygienic cooks and thinks my sisters are incapable of cooking. When she came over, I was in the middle of photographing the apples and pasta and I managed to snap a photo of my Grandma smiling. Best part of the day. =)

Evidence that JSB and I are in dire need of help when it comes to plating. Originally I had a pile of noodles on one side and the slab of fish on the other side of the plate. JSB decided to dress it up with green onion and cherries. It ended up looking like a treasure map. >.>

Find the treasure!

Italian Pasta
From Ciao Chow Linda

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup semolina flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Place flour on board and mix with a fork. Form a well. Add eggs in the center and whisk with fork until flour is slowly incorporated into mixture. (Add more flour if it's too sticky)
2. Knead for 5 minutes until it is smooth.
3. Allow the dough to rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Roll out and cut into desired shape.
5. Boil for 2-3 minutes in salted water.

N3rd Party. fail.

Wow. Hosting a dinner party was a new experience. Deciding on a theme, planning a menu, preparing and cooking the dishes, and breaking out the camera to take photos were all part of my checklist. Guess what? None of it went the way I planned. NONE!!

First, the theme was "Nerd" done gossip girl style. Sounds sexy cute, right? I had an outfit in mind to change into after I was done cooking and prepping all the food, but I never got to the change-into-outfit part. I was running around making sure everyone and everything was alright. Luckily, none of my buddies dressed up except for the one that came up with the theme. ahahah. ^.^

I didn't expect to have so much fun planning and organizing a menu. (Of course, I had 2 buddies helping me out).

The Menu

Melon & Prosciutto

Bread with spinach artichoke dip

Spinach Salad with pecans and cranberries

dressed with vinegar

Chicken Le Cordon Bleu with a mushroom cream sauce 

on top of pasta

Creme Brulee

Apple Crisp

Fruit Salad

I had the best time figuring out the ingredients and shopping. I always knew I enjoyed being organized, but I didn't expect to have so much fun doing it. I did make one change on the day of the dinner. The original appetizer was vienna sausages & pineapples. Gross. However, I managed to convince my friends to change it to melon with prosciutto with the help of JSB! yay!!! I nommed through the appetizers.

Originally, I wanted to do most of the shopping the night before, but my friends told me that it wasn't necessary and we could complete it the same day. I did an eyebrow twitch and they told me not to worry, but worry I did! It's a good thing I worried and purchased some ingredients on my own the night before. Dinner was suppose to start at 7, but we didn't get back to my house until 5:30 when we went shopping at 4 PM!! Talk about the stress I felt since I need organization and structure in my life in order to be at ease!!

(Anticipating chaos at night, I made my creme brulee and I prepped all the ingredients needed for my apple crisp before we went shopping. yay to thinking ahead!)

Oh gawd, prep work was when the nightmare began. First, our kitchen is tiny. Not a lot of workspace so only 2 people can prep at once. My buddy was in charge of the entree, but he was socializing so I ended up prepping for him. I had my sister making melon balls out of honey dew, cantaloupe, and watermelon. I had a family friend and my other sister making melon and prosciutto balls. After they completed the first task, I had them working on slicing bread and plating up everything. I seriously felt like I was running a Chinese "family" run restaurant outta my kitchen, meaning I slave them away with no pay. The only form of payment is food. lol.

I yelled at my friend to get his butt into the kitchen and get his dinner started, because it was nearly 7 and his chicken needed to be baked!! aiiiyaaaah. Paniiiic!! Of course, he is the type that thinks everyone runs on his time so he takes his time and tells me to relax. Another eyebrow twitch comes from me and I get started on the alcohol. I needed a drink.

All the appetizers and bread have been devoured and all the guests are hungry. Drinks are being made, jello shots are being passed around, and salad is served to hold off the hunger. Finally, food is served at 9:30 and as luck would have it there is NOT enough food for my buddies. Oyeee.

The worst part of the night was not being able to take photos of my creations. I was in the kitchen the whole night working on the food and cleaning up as we worked so I would have less to clean up later. The only photo I had was of my dinner and it is not a pretty photo either. ='(

What I have learned:
1) Buy all ingredients a night or two before the party.
2) Prep the majority of the ingredients the night before and in the morning.
3) Must have a dinner party again and see party 2.0 rock.
4) Finish cooking everything early so I can take photos!! =(
5) Theme? What theme? Forget about it, I want board game nights!!

Fake Corn Soup and Failed Apple Tarte Tartin

I love punking around with JSB. After my success with Mini-snack #1, she was excited for another surprised. I knew she was waiting for a gourmet snack in a larger portion. No way was I going to sit back and just let her freeload off of me.

I made corn soup and topped it with salmon and basil. She came home excited and devoured the snack and told me it was really good, but questioned where I got the corn from.

I told her the secret was canned corn. She gave me the "You-fed-me-what?" look and I had my ROFL moment.

Sadly, karma exists in this world. After I fed JSB the corn soup, my attempt at cooking an Apple Tarte Tartin failed miserably.

Instead of an impressive tartin, I ended up with a burnt mess.

A-Maizing Corn Snacks. NOT!

It's been a busy morning and I'm feeling grumpy, tired, and hungry. I need a mood picker upper before I meet up my friend. I enter a store and wander through the aisles to the snack section. I select a package that reminds me of "corn nuts" because it says its a corn kernel snack.I pay for the package and walk to the bus stop.

My bad mood makes a turn for worse. My corn nuts-esque snack turned into what looked like half-popped kernels from a popcorn factory. What a disappointment.  I was not expecting leftovers to be repackaged and sold. *sad face*

It tasted salty and I wasn't a fan of the texture. However, JSB loved it, because her favorite part about popcorn are the semi-popped kernels.

Bottom line: Avoid product unless you enjoy semi-popped corn kernels.

The Tale of the Mochi Factory Nightmare

The Tale of the Mochi Factory Nightmare

Location: My own home
Time: Lost forever.

My recollection of that night is rather blurry. I remember coming home after a day of volunteering and Kay coming back from college that same night. Other than that, the details are lost. Let me tell you. It was a rough night. I slaved for hours (literally). I started around 5:30 P.M. and worked until 7 P.M. Had a relaxing dinner with the family. Returned home where JSB ordered me to continue working. Kay came home around 10 PM and said she wanted to go out and grab a bite, because she didn't have dinner yet. JSB made a deal with Kay: we would accompany her to dinner if she worked at JSB's mochi mill. At one point, my eyes began to tear up, my fingers started aching, and I was starting to doze off in the kitchen. From what I recall, I didn't get to crawl into bed until 4 AM??

The worst part:

The next day when we were suppose to have fun, I had to help her deliver the goods. *sends DEATH GLARES to JSB*

Subplot:
This was JSB's project. It was a creative twist on the traditional mochi. Combining the smooth, sweet, and velvety ganache with the chewy texture of mochi was brilliant. There were 3 flavors: dark chocolate, white chocolate, and green tea (MY IDEA!). Her idea is similar to Betelnut's mochi, which is filled with Kahlua dark chocolate, milk chocolate Grand Marnier and white chocolate Amaretto. I find JSB's colored mochi much more interesting than the white cornstarch that Betelnut uses.

Since JSB is secretive about her recipes, I cannot share the love. However, I'll gladly show you the steps.

Dust the working surface with powder. We used cocoa powder, matcha, and cornstarch.

 *Click picture to enlarge*

  *Click picture to enlarge*

This is a two step process. The first process is covering the mochi in the powder and flattening it. When it's at the desired thickness, cut into squares. Covering your hands and both sides of the mochi with powder prevents the mochi from sticking to you.

 *Click picture to enlarge*

The next process is dropping chocolate ganache onto each square. Followed by lots of pinching.

Finished packages for delivery.  Yes, the packaging looks horrible, but it works. We made over 300 mochi that night.

Green tea mochi -- Close up. Why the chocolate cap? I used so much matcha powder that it was too bitter. The dark chocolate helped cut the bitterness. Besides, it looks much more attractive this way. Tiny moss balls. hahaha.

 *Click picture to enlarge*

Kids, this is what happens when you try to revive a harden white chocolate mochi. JSB *thought* she was being oh-so-smart by steaming the mochi to soften it. Instead, it died...it's guts leaked out like a cracked egg.

JSB is tricksy.

I was still in bed one morning feeling abandoned and depressed. I hear the front door open and loud footsteps coming down the hall. JSB bursts through the door into my room and exclaims, "I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!" I eyed her suspiciously. (JSB Lesson 101: Never take what she says literally.) I asked if she could show me later. She denied my request and insisted that if I don't get up now, I won't get it.

Because I'm a sucker for surprises, I crawled out of bed and followed her into the kitchen. There wasn't anything on the kitchen table so I turned to JSB. She gives me an evil smile and proudly presents to me a napkin.

Only this face can imitate my expression: O.o

"Are you giving me trash?" I ask.

JSB responds, "Open it."

I carefully open the napkin and I see a cracker with some spread.

My surprise.

I gave her the look again: o.O

Eat it.

gosh so demanding.

If you don't eat it, I'm going to take it away.

[Piee puts the mystery item in her mouth] It was sweet, creamy and delicious.

What is it?

It's Goat Cheese spread from Trader Joe's.


Oh. It was the free sample from Trader Joe's that made a dangerous journey in JSB's pocket from the store to home. You know what the real shocker is? The sample actually made it home in one piece. <3 <3 JSB <3 <3 Cliff notes: This entry is dedicated to JSB and I lub her and her shenanigans.

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. 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 TBSP of ginger juice (Add more if you want a stronger ginger flavor and if want a firmer pudding)
• 2.5 tsps of sugar
• 1 cup of whole milk (You can also use 1% and 2%, but the pudding will be less firm/creamy and have more water content. 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.