Bad Martha!

This is 24 hours after my post on my sister being the other devil by bringing back some interesting souvenir...

Seriously, this is scary. And it's all me.

Hoisin Marinated Chicken

Remember my post about one of the best chicken dishes I've ever made? Well, I finally have some pictures of Hoisin Marinated Chicken to share.

I made it again for the second time, and it's just as tasty as I remember it. This time though, I didn't have corn to make my corn and roasted red pepper salsa. Instead, I used another of Ming Tsai's recipe - Nappa Slaw. Thankfully, I had the ingredients lying around in the fridge already left over from my spring rolls and turkey dumplings. The slaw is good, but if you're not a fan of fish sauce, I would not recommend it to you.

I made some modifications to the recipe - I used chicken drumsticks and cooked them in the oven. If you choose to use the oven (instead of grilling as instructed by the recipe), preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the marinated drumsticks onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the drumsticks, add slather the marinate over the drumsticks and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn them again, spoon some marinate over them again and bake for another 5-10 minutes until cooked.

I Know more than One Devil

My sister, the other devil, just brought back from Hawaii some Hershey's Kisses that I've never seen in the US. Behold, it's Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses with Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts. Do you agree with me that the Aloha tags on the Kisses are such a cute touch?


The nuts inside the chocolate are softer than I expected...they are easy to bite, unlike trying to bite a whole almond in half. Perhaps it's the fat content that makes them soft - this makes me scared. The size of the nuts vary from one Kiss to another; some are one big nut in the center as pictured on the package; others are chopped and scattered in the chocolate.

Thank you sis, for ruining my diet! :-) I guess I'll have to work twice as hard now to fit into my wedding dress.

Turkey Dumplings

Dumplings are my fiance's favorite quick meal, so I make sure he has plenty in the freezer. I prefer to make these from scratch as opposed to buying them from the supermarket because I know for sure there's no MSG in them. These dumplings freeze beautifully and you don't have to defrost them at all. Plus, there is more than one way to make these - pan fried or boiled.

I got my recipe from Ming Tsai's cookbook. The only modifications I made to the recipe was using turkey (instead of pork) and adding a bit of scallions. I could not believe how tasty they were the first time I made them. Also, I took the easy way out by using store-bought dumpling wrappers and made easy pinches (as opposed to folding pleats) along the edges to seal the dumplings.

Above, pan fried dumplings

For the pan fried version (like pot stickers), just toss the frozen dumplings in a pan coated with oil over medium-high heat. I like to brown both sides of the dumplings for added crunch. When both sides are browned, add some water to the pan (for 6 dumplings, I'd add about a tablespoon of water) and quickly cover it. Lower to medium-low heat. Let them steam for about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with a dumpling sauce - you can buy it at the supermarket or make your own; mix some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar together for a simple version.

For the boiled version, just toss the frozen dumplings in chicken broth, add some noodles and veggies. All this takes is 8 to 10 minutes. What a nice quick, tasty and comforting meal!

Cooking Up a Storm

I've been a cooking machine lately, pumping out spring rolls, dumplings, gnocchi, ravioli, carrot soup etc...they're all in the freezer now, waiting for my fiance when he needs to make quick meals for himself on busy nights. All these freeze beautifully, so I make sure they can be cooked/defrosted easily as well.

I'm not a fan of wasting food, so when I buy ingredients for a recipe, I make sure I can use them in another recipe. For example, the ginger I used in the spring rolls were also used in the dumplings, carrot ginger soup, and hoisin-marinated chicken for dinner one night. Another example is the ricotta cheese used in the gnocchi were also used in the ravioli and pancakes for a morning breakfast.

You'll definitely see the results of my labor to come!

"I'm Missing the Bride Gene"

...I said to my fiance, who responded with "thank god." He equates having the bride gene with being a bridezilla. While that may be partially true, I have not embraced the whole wedding planning process with overflowing joy or excitement - I believe these two are also characteristics of having the bride gene.

Above from wetv.com

Wedding planning has been mind-boggling...every thing from looking for vendors, attire, politics, expenses, and sometimes the frustration in working with my fiance in all of this. Add to that the year and a half I've had to plan and second guess EVERYTHING along the way. Every thing seemed like a chore. The small part I've enjoyed so far has been surfing the web for ideas and inspirations in my own (quiet) time. However, the costs of bringing these ideas to reality swallow up any small moments of joy I've had.

A friend told me that I need an enzyme to activite the bride gene, with the enzyme being reading wedding blogs. Sadly, I have been doing that already on a daily basis...and no activation. Perhaps the key is just to stop second guessing, let go of all my worries & fears of the mind-boggling details...nevermind the costs (yeah right) and just embrace the wedding planning process wholeheartedly, all without unleashing the bridezilla of course.

Cooked Little Pillows of Goodness

I just made a batch of Ricotta Gnocchi. I posted about these a few months ago and now have pictures of these cooked little pillows of goodness to share.



There are several ways to prepare these: in tomato sauce or brown butter. I did the latter. Not as healthy as it can be, but they are such nice little treats!!! Just brown some butter, toss in gnocchi that's been boiled (they float to the top when they're ready from boiling), and top with grated parmesan if you want. The results? Crispy on the outside, soft and light on the inside. Yum!