KITCHEN厨房日记: 2 in 1

Yup, 2 kitchen diaries in 1 post. Very busy. You've gotta work hard and push yourself to the max when you are still young (single and without kids). Right?

Meal 1: Pasta in Chicken Broth with Cauliflowers

Anyway, I still took 3 days off (end up 2 1/2 days...) to go back hometown, and spend a night with my lovely sister, home alone! And that was great as it meant total freedom! We just do what we want and eat what we want, no fuss, no nagging, no reminding, no control. Good time indeed! (LOL)

Since I have more time at home, I decided to cook this Pasta in Chicken Broth with Cauliflowers to please my sister. Yes, I have a very young little sis, who is still in primary school. And I still remember those days when I have to feed her and clean her when she is a baby/toddler. Good training for future I guess.

I prepare chicken broth with chicken cubes, bones and wings. Don't worry about the oil, thats what make the soup nice! 

Then, I add in tomato chunks and spring onion (stems), continue cooking till the tomatoes are well done, and in fact, blend in with the soup to give a bit of reddish colour.

And finally, the cauliflowers and remaining spring onion (leaves). Keep an eye while cooking as the cauliflowers taste better when they are just nicely done, giving the crunchy texture. Season the soup with some salt and pepper powder.

Finally, serve them over boiled pasta! I use spirals this time, I think shells, macaroni and other short shaped pasta will do well with the soup.

A tasty and healthy lunch with my sis!

Meal 2: Pan Fried Salmon Fillet with Mashed Potato and Onion Rings
Once in a blue moon, we Malaysians have 2 public holidays right after weekend, which means, 4 days off in a row! (3 for me actually...) And once again, he suggested to cook something for dinner. So, we shop for some fresh ingredients and decided to have some Pan Fried Salmon Fillet.

This meal is really easy to prepare, but it turned out to be a little messy for us due to lack of utensils & space.  I have to say, we really got some fresh salmon, very tender and juicy. Sprinkle salt and ground black pepper on both side of the fillet and fry them over olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. [TIPS: Use minimal oil as salmon fillet is rich in fat] Wait for 4-5 mins before you flip the fillet and cook the other side for another 4-5 mins. Sprinkle some chopped lemon thyme (they have some really hard stem!) on top of the fish fillet before remove from heat and serve on plate.

For the onion rings, prepare batter with cake flour (self-raising flour), cold water and egg. Dip the onion rings in the batter and fry in hot oil. Not bad this time, they are still crunchy after some time.

For the mash potatoes, boil the potato cubes until soften. [TIPS: Use US Russet Potato as they give a very soft and smooth texture. Mixed in some Holland Potato if you like to feel some potato chunks in the mash potato, as Holland Potato takes longer time to cook] Drain away the water and press the potatoes using a fork. Stir with some milk and cheese over small fire, and season with some salt. For the gravy sauce, we just get the ready-made gravy in packet available in stores (to avoid failure).

And, yum yum yum! Enjoying off days at home, relax ~

BEAUTY美丽日记: New Skirt

I don't know what is it called, 'front short back long skirt'? or 'skirt with shorter length in front'? Anyway, I'm in love with it! Well, it's in trend for quite some time, and I know I'm a bit late to 'follow' the trend. When I first saw a pretty girl wearing this type of dress (I think it's a white colour one piece dress from MNG), she looks like a goddess to me . And that's when I got hooked up.

I bought this dress online (Lowyat Forum) for < RM30. I never wanted to buy ANYTHING online as I am not confident of the goods quality and seller's reliability. However, as I was too determined to get this type of   skirt, I searched for it online and decided to purchase this. Luckily, I received the goods without any fuss. However, the skirt required some stitches before I can wear it on.

It took me quite some time to figure out which top to match with the skirt (which caused me to arrive late at his place =.="). In the end, I decided on a simple white tank top and match it with a brown woven belt. I think a small cardigan would go well with the skirt too. I love how the skirt flowing at the back and showing those long legs in front when I walk or sit.

Ok something new in my blog. I'm gonna write about this restaurant we went - Buffalo's Kitchen in Jln Telawi, Bangsar. They serve western food in fine dining style. If you ask me about the quality of the food there, well I would say I am very satisfied with what I eat and enjoy the overall ambient. However some of my friends do not enjoy it much due to individual preference for taste and portion. Nevertheless, if you enjoy fine dining, healthy cooking style with natural flavours and fresh ingredients, and a quiet and classy environment to dine in, do visit the restaurant.

Pan seared red mullet with herb sauce

Steak with potatoes - go for medium rare if you like to see blood, or else go for medium

My chocolate dream!

The birthday boy - so bright!

Additional info: That foreigner chef is damn handsome!
The business owners (young man and lady, should be couple) are very good-looking and hot as well!

See that blonde hair chef cooking there?
 Can't keep my eyes off from him when sitting in front of him and facing him whole night!

Overall, nice place to hang out with friends or family. Love the feel in Bangsar, great place for dining and shopping.

FEELINGS心情日记: 容易感触的女人

前序：我是一个很容易感触的人。往往一些小小的事件或者场面都会让我有感而发，可以是感动，可以是感恩，也可以是感伤。

例子1：早上（一大早）驾着车子前往那熟悉的办公室，双眼惺忪的我还在怀念那个迷人的假期旅程。虽然早就料到放假完，工作会像山丘一样堆起来，但还真的是吃不消也几次发了大小姐脾气。突然看见一辆小罗里停在路旁，是卖洋葱，蒜头，马铃薯，香料之类的。可能是车尾的门没关好，半路上货物掉了出来。只见那位司机伯伯把罗里停在路旁后，不管路上的车流繁忙，还走下车捡起掉落在路中央的几颗洋葱。或许，那几颗不值几块钱的洋葱对他来说很重要，重要得连生命安危都不顾。

这时候，就会感觉到其实自己的生活过得很好很幸福，夫复何求，就算是周末免费加班，那又怎样！

例子2：因为工作上的需要，我回到小时候住过的那个地区考察。一到那里，放眼望四周，吓，我以前竟然住过这种地方（我一个人在那里开着车都有一点怕怕）! 那时候我爸刚来到这个城镇工作，家境不算很好，所以就在靠近他工厂的住宅区租了一间小房子（应该是这样吧）。后来他的工作稳定了，家境也比较好了，所以就搬出来了。我对于那段日子的记忆很模糊，只隐约记得早上很常去一间住家面摊打包早餐，那间屋子的门牌是229，所以大家称它为‘two two nine’。也记得，有时候傍晚，我和妈妈会去邻居家门外聊天，又或者邻居会来我家门外聊天。

离开那个地区，经过那个路口，猛然想起，那个路口正是我妈带着我等巴士的地点！我妈不会驾车，附近没有（像样的）商店，所以偶尔我妈妈会带着我，拿着一把大雨伞，从家里走到那个路口等巴士，去哪里我就忘记了，可能是百货公司吧。突然，想念那段不富裕但没有烦恼的时光。。。

 不经意间流露出的笑容

KITCHEN厨房日记: Fish Challenge

RM16! That's the price of a piece of Siakap fish fillet I bought in market. And the best part is, I don't know or don't remember the weight of the fish fillet. The fishmonger must have lots of luck to have such a customer like me.

Since the fish fillet is so~ pricey, I decided to divide it into 3 portions and cook it for 3 meals. So, here we go!

Meal #1 - Shallow fried fish fillet with pasta salad

I marinated the fish fillet with salt, ground black pepper, chili powder and light soy sauce for half an hour. Then, I fried it in a non-stick pan with a bit of olive oil and yellow onion. For the pasta, I decided on something cooling and refreshing. So, I tossed macaroni with cucumber and tomato cubes, then seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of pepper. [TIPS: If you overcooked your macaroni/pasta, keep them refrigerated and the texture will be better, but only applicable to make pasta salad though, as they are served cold.]

Served with lemon slices, you can sprinkle the lemon juice on top of the fish fillet. Yummy!

Meal #2 - Baked fish fillet with red dates & raisins, and potato apple crunchy salad

Red dates and raisins must have been long lost brothers! They go perfect together, as they have same size and sweet taste. I first applied some olive oil on aluminium sheet, then placed the fish fillet and sprinkled with more oilve oil, sliced garlic, red dates and raisins. Season with a little bit of salt, wrap the fish fillet nicely but leave some opening to the wrapping. This will give the fillet a bit of crunchy texture while baking. Then, bake for ~10mins or until the fish fillet is well done. [TIPS: If you wrap the fish fillet tight and bake it in oven, it will turn out to be steamed fish.]

For the salad, i just tossed boiled potato and freshly cut apples with mayonaise and sugar. Perfect meal with carbs, protein and fibre.

Meal #3 - Stir fry fusili with fish fillet and baked french beans

This meal is made after 12 days I bought the fish fillet from the market. I guess the fish is still fresh! So, I sliced them in to smaller pieces, seasoned with salt, olive oil, soy sauce and corn flour, and shallow fried them in a pan. Then, I stir fried the pasta with onion, tomato cubes and fish fillets in Chinese cooking style (dark soy sauce). Opt for a healthier meal with more veggies, I baked french beans with garlic, salt and olive oil.

While preparing these meals, I remember that my mum told me, since I was an infant and starting to eat solid food, no matter how bad the condition is (my dad didn't earn much back then), my parents would prepare fish in my daily meals. They believe that eating fish is good to brain development of kids (which sort of explains why my sister and I are good in studying!). Knowing how EXPENSIVE the fish are, I would like to say, thanks to my parents, for all the fish.

FEELINGS心情日记: 不忿&不舍

不忿

最近，报章上和网路上都流传着中国一名怀第二胎的孕妇，因为没钱缴违反‘一胎政策’的罚款而被强行引产（堕胎）。皆因内容惨不忍睹，我没有详细去了解每个细节。

我希望，那个报导是不真实的。

我希望，那些照片是虚构的。

我希望，那些文字是网民恶搞撰出来的。

如果那个报导属实，那么我很好奇，有关执法人员和医务人员到底是什么样的人。他们白天吃得下饭吗？夜晚睡得着吗？或许，他们身不由己，毕竟这些法令是那些高官大爷们定下的。

中国的‘一胎政策’本是好事，志在管理国家人口，提倡优质生育，因为在庞大的资源也负担不了那么多的人口。但是问题就在人民整体上还是没有准备好接受这种计划。除了‘重男轻女’和‘男儿才能当家’的观念作祟，套穷人家的一句话，‘开饭都没钱了，哪来钱避孕！’

再好的政策，没有完善的实行方案，一切都是徒然。对付违反‘一胎政策’的孕妇，应该有更妥当的处理方式。

不舍

啊，终于还是要面对这一天。

其实，我们早就预料到会有这么一天，因为今年已经是你在这里的第五年。只是，当通告正式发下来时，大家都还是不舍得。

有人对我说，历届那么多位，你是最好的上司。我说，我还没有认识那么多位，不过我也相信你是最好的。（不是说其他上司不好啦！）

有人问我，会不会不舍得？我不好意思的说，真的真的很不舍得，因为还来不及向你学习更多。

犹记得我第一天向你报到时，你一副不苟言笑（凶巴巴）的样子，我心想完了，怕怕！但日子久了，我才发现，其实大家和你都相处得很好。生意规生意，你从来都不会逼我们，其实是你自己一个人扛下了。

如今你要走了，祝福你前程似锦（哎呀，好像很老套哦），继续往上攀高职，以你的能力和魄力，一定没问题的！（去到那里，可别把这里的生意都带走啊。）

哪一天，如果我再遇见你，我还是会叫你一声老板。因为，你是我心里永远的老板。

BEAUTY美丽日记: Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Finally, one year after I move into this room, I bought myself a dressing mirror. I wonder how I could survive for a year without a big mirror in my room! They say, the cruelest thing to do in the world is to give a woman tonnes of pretty clothes but without a mirror in her room. Just imagine, without a mirror to view and check yourself after dress up, you might make a mistake and end up looking funny!

I bought this mirror in Tesco, nah, it’s not expensive, costs only 20++. However, I was so stingy that it took me one whole year to fork out the money. (Money no enough…) Now that I have this mirror in my room, I feel more confident as I can see properly how I look like in my clothes, before I step out of the house.

Pictures to share~

BEAUTY美丽日记: Beauty of Paddy Field

A short and simple post, sharing my surprised & enjoyable moments today. 

On the way back from my hometown, he suggested to stop by Sekinchan Paddy Field. The weather is hot, but I am clever enough to bring umbrella. And guess what, the umbrella helps to take nice photos under bright sunlight!

We were a bit scared at first, wondering if we would be classified as trespasser. Well, there is no gate or warning signboard. So, we go on and promise not to damage the plants/grains.

Blood and sweat from the farmers. Finish every rice on your plate!

My hair is like the grass, time to go for hair saloon I guess.

A picture with the driver & organizer. ^^

So people, you don't have to dig a hole in your wallet to go far for a nice scenery view. Explore the ones around you, and appreciate them. 

FEELINGS心情日记: 不爱旅行

每当我知道朋友们去国外旅行时，我很难不思考这个问题。是我没有本事赚钱存钱，还是我这个守财奴不舍得花钱去旅行？他们也是打工一族啊。。。哦，可能他们赚钱有方财源滚滚来，亦或者存钱有道钱生钱，还是家底丰厚有资助，再不然就是，他们真的喜欢去旅行所以舍得花一大笔费用。而我，始终是打死不提不想不去不愿国外旅行。大略估计，国外旅行少则千余元，多则几千元，简直是从我身上割了一块肉。就连国内旅行花个几百块，我都有点揪一下了。

不过，我非常认同，偶尔应该放下工作，去个地方散散心，就是可以摆脱平日生活规则的那种。所以，下个月我将和朋友去一趟沙巴KK TRIP。是KK，不是UK，本人还没有那个本事去到那么远玩。对我来说，这样子去KK已经是一大突破了，除了金钱考量，重点是，我完全不会（懒惰）安排行程。还好，一切有他们领导，所以，我搭程飞机去那里就是了，然后任他们鱼肉，哈哈！

除了金钱问题和懒惰问题，不知道为什么，我就是没有那种‘想要去某某地方旅行’的念头。去看风景？看照片就成了嘛。去逛街买便宜货？我这里应有尽有！去体验不同人生？啊，我现在的人生很好。说到底，我不买旅行的帐就是了。当然，这是个人的喜好和奖励自己的方式。而我的喜好和奖励自己的方式，就是花点钱买些服饰，化妆品，上SALON，去个气氛好的餐厅吃点好的。所以人家花在旅行的钱，我都花在这些了！

其实只要细心去体会，身边绝对有美丽的风景，别一番体验。最近有两次，我发神经提早一个半小时抵达办公室开工。由于时间和平常不一样，路上的车比较多（因为多了那些赶着载孩子上学的父母）。那一条路，每天都经过，却因为交通顺畅而鲜少留意道路两旁的事物。而这两天因为交通稍微阻塞，本来应该是急躁的，但却也留意到原来道路两旁，那一整排的大树都开满了花，粉红色的花朵绝对遮盖了绿叶，还有一些掉落在树下。这一道风景，可以媲美日本的樱花秀（嗯，阿Q一下），心情顿时也变好了。

总之，我就是没有欲望去什么国外旅行，所以就不用问我邀我了，我只会把头一别泼一地冷水。就像那天他突然说和同事们‘随口’打算明年去台湾旅行，邀我一起去。我马上就摆了张臭脸说，“什么台湾旅行，你答应过我的云顶双人游和带我去瓜雪看萤火虫都还没有实践，我不像你们那么有钱舍得花！”吓得他不再提了。我很凶吧，对不对？但这都是我的心声，难道憋在心里憋死吗？算他乖，已经开始计划瓜雪赏萤火虫之夜，嘻嘻！

至于国外旅行，等有一天我发达了，或哪一天想通了，才谈吧！

KITCHEN厨房日记: Walnut Cookies

I actually reserved these walnuts for Walnuts Tarts. However, somehow, and I don’t know why, I decided to use them for these Walnut Cookies. This is the first time I make cookies with fillings in it, rather than plain ones.

Chop the walnuts and set them aside. [TIPS: Feel free to substitute with other nuts. The original ingredient in recipe is pecan actually, but it is easier to get walnuts in Malaysian stores.] Then, beat butter for a minute, and beat in sugar for another minute till light and fluffy. I hate this ‘light and fluffy’ term in bakery recipe, it means ‘work out your arms without an electric mixer’. Awwh, when can I own one?

After that, add in flour, salt and vanilla essence into the batter and mix well. Fold in the walnuts, shape the dough in balls and arrange them on baking tray. Gently flatten them with the bottom of a glass and sprinkle sugar on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes, and you got your cookies. 

I am surprised that the texture of these cookies is quite crunchy, without using baking powder/soda. Hmm, I wish to share my bakery with more friends (if they are willing to try LOL). When the chances come, I will prepare for you all, I promise (*wink*).

BEAUTY美丽日记: Bedroom Slipper

Pink colour? Checked.

Polka dots? Checked.

Ribbon? Checked.

Soft & smooth fur? Checked.

I seriously want this bedroom slipper! Envy you, my lil' sister.