Faulpez cooks curry

Another just follow the instructions. Chopped potatoes, carrots and chicken. Then pour in the curry paste and water. And viola, I have curry for breakfast with bread, curry for lunch with rice. Hmm I probably could have curry noodle too. Anyway I have another packet of curry (Thai Red Curry) to make.. so will probably cooked in and include in this post.

Faulpez cooks Bak Kut Teh

I did not dare to buy pork as colleague mentioned it has a different taste. So ended up with a beef rib. It was relatively easy to cook the Bak Kut Teh. I just pour everything in the packet, add garlic and the beef rib, boil for 2 hours (ok the time might be wrong because the beef ended up too elastic and I had a hard time chewing them for consumption). But the soup is great! With the rice :)

Faulpez makes cold noodles

Cold soba noodles was the first dish I really learn to cook (i.e. I bother to check internet) other than maggi mee. It was probably the only dish I made for my brother and another person too. I still remember them saying it was pretty yummy haha. Not that this simple dish could go too wrong I guess. I just need to cook the noodles, freeze it. Then mix the soba sauce with cold water, taste till acceptable and pour it on the noodle. Add the seaweed last.

And I was checking my past pensieve on it... Simple Beauty.. That was also a week where my parents went for holidays and I was home alone. The first time that happened, I was really home alone as my brother was in NS even. Hmm that time nothing much happened as it was just washing clothes, cooking my dinner and playing maple story I think. Hmm I remember I over boiled my kettle and probably almost lost a life if I had not been too careful? haha.. should be the second time.. in other words, I think I did get into a different kind of trouble the first time too as I remember mum saying it really is not safe to leave me with the house haha)  This time, my brother was around which was why I had to cook for him and which was why he actually praised my simple dish haha. Anyway while reading that month postings, I realised hmm, that was the year cL and I got to be close friends? Hmm.. hahha I don't have any recollection. 2009 seems so faraway. Those stuff I post, I somehow can only muster some faintest idea what rubbish I was talking about.

BUT there was this part where I talk about French Toast. Cool cos I think I succeed in doing that in Melbourne haha. Actually other than those 2 times where I was home alone, I guess Melbourne is the only time I was home alone for a much longer period. And the only time I really had to enjoy this simple beauty for an extended period. Imagine going to work, washing clothes, ironing clothes, cooking, for the past 3 months. Once again I did skip the cleaning part oops. Haha. And for 2011, I think I still like to indulge in this simple beauty for a while more. Still remember in 看破權勢離開明教,過著神仙般的生活 I mentioned

"Thinking back, it has been several years since I first know that girl. I still remember the scene vividly. Several years later, though we never really meet, I still get to hear her news. In a way, as a long lost acquaintance, I'm so glad for her. Just as I'm glad for the other who has left for Japan. Seems that I know quite a few people uprooting themselves. I know I will never do that, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I could be reckless. Afterall Xun Lan also left Japan for a year to forget Da Di Ge. "

I'm surprised to be reminded that I once felt I will never do that and yet here I am in Melbourne (though I do fly back pretty regularly and I know I cannot stay here for too long due to the visa issue and thus lessen any homesick impact). Sometimes fate can be so quirky. Anyway I did fulfil the first four words of "看破權勢離開明教,過著神仙般的生活"... now I'm waiting to fulfil the rest...

Faulpez makes satay

I had a packet of satay seasoning so forced myself to buy kehab from Woolsworth.

2 sticks each, 4 sticks in total. I remember I took the whole night cooking this dish because I need to defrost the meat, marinate the meat, and then I grilled them again and again till I lost count too. Because a microwave grill function isn't really a grill function. But then I guess I did end up with a satisfactory finished product. Made satay beehoon (yummy) and I probably ate a piece or 2 ala carte style too.

Faulpez makes cucumber salad

Cucumber salad is a must have dish when there is satay involved. So when I was making satay, I learnt how to make Cucumber Salad too.

1. Mix 4 tablespoons vinegar 5 tablespoons sugar and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
2. Heat until sugar completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Arrange sliced cucumber, chilli and shallot in layers. Pour the mixture over and serve.

Eh I was not interested in chilli nor shallot so it was just purely cucumber for me haha. And it really is a good appetiser. Yummy!

Faulpez microwave rice

Rice can be microwaved like this...

Ingredients:
- Water
- Rice

1. Mix rice and water in a microwave-safe container. A good place to start is two parts water for every part of rice (e.g. 2 cups rice, 4 cups water). You can adjust the ratio through experimentation, depending on how dry or moist you prefer your rice, the power of your microwave, the size/shape of the container, etc.
2. Some kinds of rice may benefit from being rinsed and/or soaked before cooking. Rinsing not only cleans the rice, but it also improves texture and flavor; in the U.S., rice is fortified with vitamins that rinsing will eliminate, although those vitamins should not be necessary if you already have a well-balanced diet. Soaking simply reduces cooking time but not by much when cooking rice in a microwave.
3. Cover, place in the microwave and set the time. Here are some suggested guidelines for a 700 watt microwave and white rice
• 1/2 cup rice, 9 minutes
• 3/4 cup rice, 12 minutes
• 1 cup rice, 16 minutes
• 1 1/4 cups rice, 20 minutes
• 1 1/2 cups rice, 23 minutes
• For brown rice, start with three cups of boiling water per cup of rice and cook it for 25 minutes. Adjust through trial and error.
4. Let the rice sit in the microwave for five minutes after it turns off. Don't open the door. This will finish the cooking process. You might observe that the rice grains start to orient themselves vertically (like they're "saluting").
5. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Other suggestions:
• You can add salt or butter before cooking if you wish, or cook the rice in chicken or other stock instead of water. Hmmm I should try that next time.
Source: wikiHow

Faulpez makes marshmallow cereal bars (almost)

I have to admit it is a failed attempt. I did not like the end result. And I don't think I will try again because the only reason I bought marshmallow then was for BBQ but nobody toast marshmallow in Europe (I think).

Nonetheless I decided I should still write down the recipe I tried.

Ingredients
3 tbsp. butter
25 lg. marshmallows or 3 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
5 c. cereal

Heat butter and marshmallows in saucepan over low heat until melted; remove from heat. Stir in cereal until well coated. Press mixture in pan, using buttered back of spoon; cool. 16 or 24 bars.

source: cooks.com

I tried adding milk I think but I still find it a tad too sweet. Not sure why.

First muse in 2011

I was searching for something when I ended up reading this

Feelings don’t go anywhere, they fade.
Feelings intensify when you have memories of the person, especially happy memories.
Feelings fade when the memories are no longer important to you due to a change in priority.
from 2008 June 16

That was a friend's reply to me. Recently when I posed this question again, I think cL also responded that feelings don't disappear. And ya I told her mine don't. It just gets boxed up. Some gets buried. Some is still lying in the open. Of course not all feelings must be BGR right? Hahaha.

But I decided yesterday to close a particular box. Funny that http://alittlepoison.blogspot.com/ website has closed too. Seriously the world keeps changing, even if I don't move on, others do.

Hmm I still cannot find what I first started to be finding. Maybe I did not blog on that then. Anyway I was trying to find if I had blogged about 50 First Dates before. A movie where the female protagonist wakes up every morning, forgetting everything that had happened beforehand. Her memory stopped on the day she had an accident. And thus you could say everyday is a new beginning for her. It could be exasperating and yet interesting I guess. Well and her lover had to court her everyday since she forgot him everyday haha. Doc had mentioned that people always believed that honeymoon period only lasted 3 months. And after a year, couple will start squabbling. I guess that is the best way to keep honeymoon period forever, and probably keep a union forever too. Since it probably is the lady that remember enough to pick up half of the fights? The other half of the fights occurred because the gentleman did something wrong, definitely "p.

I was also thinking about cl's Distance post and wondering if 50 First date is a bit similar to LDR. She had used a marathon analogy to describe LDR (which amused me tremendously especially when she decided to qualify me up to the task.. faintz!)

First 10 Km – easy
10-20m – route may perhaps seem monotonous
20-30km – arduous journey with goal nowhere in sight
30-40km – the light at the end of the tunnel seeping through with the last 2km plus to go..
And the final dash represents the fruit of the labour – if both flowers agree to grow and flourish together, why shouldnt they attempt a LDR?
From cl's Distance post

Hmm just felt that the 50 First Dates will soon become monotonous and arduous and if it is never-ending, then will it still work? And yet it will always be in the honeymoon period, unable to proceed to the small quarrel/big quarrel stage and thus it may work. Haha and so maybe when you are in a LDR, think of it as having First Dates everytime you meet the person because seriously, you do not know when you will next meet the person again and because actually you may have forgotten when is the last time you hug each other.

Oh and I agree with cL on this part
"To make a relationship work, the effort required to keep this commitment is pivotal. Each individual needs to have a strong mind and know what he/she wants and withstand the distractions and events in the world. Whenever one party loses the interest in maintaining the relationship, it will just collapse even with a single source of energy feeding it."

And the word relationship need not be about love. It could be on friendship too. So in 2011, I decided to finally stop being naïve and let go a particular friendship that I see no point in holding. I'm grateful that the broken promise was never fulfilled, and I'm grateful that this friend made me see light what I had been avoiding for a decade. I don't like to lose friends, but sometimes it is not about me losing a friend I guess. As long as I don't lose the lesson I gained, that should suffice.

To end this post, I was reminded of this again...

I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go.
From 2005 Feb 4

My boxed feelings for this friend, had slowly turn black with an ever growing hole. To thank for being blessed for those 4 years and to let go because it is 2011 and I should have a new gold box, pure gold this time.

p/s: cL remember I told you about THE HOPE! Was seeing MTV and find this song highly entertaining.. and reminds me of THE HOPE haha.



Catch the official video here.

Haven't Met You Yet lyrics
Songwriters: Buble, Michael Steven; Chang, Alan; Foster, Amy;

I'm not surprised, not everything lasts
I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track
Talk myself in, I talk myself out
I get all worked up, then I let myself down

I tried so very hard not to lose it
I came up with a million excuses
I thought, I thought of every possibility

And I know someday that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

I might have to wait, I'll never give up
I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck
Wherever you are, whenever it's right
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life

And I know that we can be so amazing
And, baby, your love is gonna change me
And now I can see every possibility

And somehow I know that it'll all turn out
You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out
And I promise you, kid, I give so much more than I get
I just haven't met you yet

They say all's fair
In love and war
But I won't need to fight it
We'll get it right and we'll be united

And I know that we can be so amazing
And being in your life is gonna change me
And now I can see every single possibility

And someday I know it'll all turn out
And I'll work to work it out
Promise you, kid, I'll give more than I get
Than I get, than I get, than I get

Oh, you know it'll all turn out
And you'll make me work so we can work to work it out
And I promise you kid to give so much more than I get
Yeah, I just haven't met you yet

I just haven't met you yet
Oh, promise you, kid
To give so much more than I get

I said love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
(I just haven't met you yet)
Love, love, love, love
Love, love
I just haven't met you yet

Source: elyrics.net

Haha so gal, do more cooking, do more grocery shopping cos perhaps just haven't met X yet.

Faulpez using Brahim honey chicken sauce

Procedure:

First to fry the chicken.
Then to add the sauce and 100 ml of water.
And voila the end product.

Sounds very easy right? Unfortunately I spend half of my new year day doing it.

Initial plan for NY day was to go Shrine of Remembrance, then the library, do some Asian grocery at Laguna before heading back to fresh market grocery at Prahran Market. The reality, I only accomplished the first item. Library was close till Tuesday, Laguna took a break today too and thus I headed to the Asian supermarket at Prahran Market. Luckily the owner did not take a break and I got some wantons. And as usual soya milk (psst, I only get my soya milk from asian supermarket as I really do not fancy the soya milk sold in the supermarket). Prahran Market was close too and I ended up in Aldi which I learnt a lesson there, never scrimp and save too much. It may backfire. But my NY day is not entirely disappointing. I learn to make breadcrumbs (my last time though as it is too much of a hassle), and honey sauced chicken (but I maintain my stand that I still hate deep frying except I hate wasting food more so once all these ingredients are consumed, the probability that I will repeat them is.. probably nil.. too much burn marks of which one of them had turn into a permanent scar on my hand.. and too much cleaning to be done when the cooking is over).

And actually I bought chicken drumsticks one but I couldn't figure out how to deep fry it so I ended up cutting them into substandard smaller pieces haha.

Hmm the list of ingredients I used to have, as of now, I think I used up half of it already.

Faulpez makes breadcrumbs

Materials:
• 6 slices white or whole wheat bread
• Chef's knife
• Microwave-safe container
• Plastic zip-top bag

1. Cube the bread into uniform 2-inch cubes. (or whichever dimension you prefer)
2. Microwave on high power for 5 minutes, or until crunchy.
3. Pour the hardened bread cubes into the zip-top bag. Seal the bag, and using your hands or a meat mallet, crush the cubes into bread crumbs.
4. Store the bread crumbs in the zip-top bag away from air and light, or use them immediately.

Reference: ehow

I had wanted to deep fry my chicken without the flour. And thus I decided to make breadcrumbs on my own. It probably is the first and last time making breadcrumbs. I remember years ago, I made oreo cheesecake and was doing the oreo base, it was exactly the same experience - extremely challenging to crush them without the proper equipment. At least back then, I could have tried the pounder. This time, I ended up using my bare fingers to crush them and now my fingers hurt haha.