Bourbon Lavender Chocolate Delights

Here is a great chocolate recipe that will enrapture your taste buds! I think it is the bourbon that did it.
For non alcoholics... all the alcohol is evaporated when you boil it... it is the left over taste that makes it all worthwhile. Yummy! Please do not use cheap alcohol. That will not do either! Something mid range!



Ingredients
1 bar of Unsweetened Guitard dark chocolate
1/2 cup of boil lavender  flowers with water ( just the scented water)
Honey to taste
Salt to taste, a pinch
Almond slices
Cranberry
Raisins
Almond Milk

Method
Melt the chocolate in double boiler
Add salt, Almond Milk and honey
Stir till consistency is thick and smooth, sticks to the spoon
Spread it on a large foil, sprinkle the almonds, cranberry or raisins all over the flatten sheet of chocolate.
or roll it in balls coated with cocoa power or powdered sugar, of course with the dried ingredients  in it.

I hope you like it as much as I do. It is really great.

Drunken Flourless Prunes

Prunes’ reputation as a geriatric-friendly high-fiber food prompted the California Prune Board to request an official name change. In 2000, the FDA granted the board (now called the California Dried Plum Board) permission to call these fruits dried plums instead of prunes.

We don’t care what you call them. Just stew them in port and red wine and serve with mascarpone, heavy cream, whipped cream, ricotta cheese, crème fraîche, ice cream, you name it. Or pour them over pound cake, like in thisDrunken Prune–Mascarpone Trifle.

Ingredients

60 pitted prunes (about 18 ounces)
2 1/4 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups tawny port
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped, seeds and pod reserved
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 cups mascarpone cheese
Finely grated zest of 1 1/2 medium lemons

Method
- Place all ingredients except the mascarpone and zest in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium low and keep the mixture at a gentle boil until the liquid is syrupy, about 45 minutes. (Put a spoonful of syrup on a plate and let it cool for a minute. Draw your finger through the syrup. If it immediately runs back together, it is not ready. If it holds the line you drew, it’s ready.) Let cool at least 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod.
- Place the mascarpone and lemon zest in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Divide the cheese mixture among 10 dessert plates, spreading it into a wide well with a spoon. Place 6 prunes in the center of each well and drizzle with syrup.

50th Birthday Celebration

R.S.V.P. Response to Black & White Birthday Celebration
YES, I am attending and I am bringing

Appetizers
( Jene ) - Lumpier
( Sharon ) - Gourmet Lobster Kisses
( Judith ) - 1 veggie tray w/t dip / chips
( Rose ) - Pot stickers and Yummy Chicken Salad
( Kristina ) - Surprise Appetizer
( Jim ) - Jim's Special Chicken Wings
( Kim ) - Cesar salad

Main Course
( Kim ) - Surprise chicken dish and green beans
(  )  - 

( Reginald ) - Something Chinese from PF Changs.

( ) -

Dessert
( Sharon ) - Birthday Cake, Baking a Chocolate Rasberry Cake with boost!
( Judith ) - Surprise ( 2 kinds )
( ) -
( ) -

Beverage
(Keith ) - Wine, Beer, Juice
( Kim/ Judith ) - Bottled Water, 1 case

Decorations
( Kim ) - 20 Silver /black/ white Balloons, 2 standard size,
(   ) - White/ black paper table cloth
( Jene ) - White Flowers
(Sharon) - 5 Black Candle
( Judith  ) - 40 sets B/W paper plates/ Napkins/ Knifes/Forks/Spoons/ Cups. Flag banner(1), paper door cover & banner set (1) and fountain centerpiece

Music and Stereo
( ) -Lucky Person?

_____________________________________________
Parking Limited around Kim's Dwelling. Park around Jackson Street.
_____________________________________________

Confirmed Attendees

Keith and Sarah

Judith, +4 guest

Jene

Kim

Jim Cowing (PAC)

Sharon Lee (PAC)

Rose Sandlin

Kristina Nguyen and Robert

Reginald Boyd

Wine Tasting

I am sad to say that my taste buds are faulty, although it was working a couple of months ago. There is this wine Redwood Creek, Pinot Noir 2009, it was good when it is open and it is great after a few days. I hate t say it but that is a great bottle of wine under $10. I am so very surprise.

I am use to tasting wines that are $40 and up. Very use to those rich, maximum taste that wine should have. This one just breaks me. :-( I cannot believe it. $9 bucks for a Redwood Creek Pinot... what a deal.

That is my contribution for today! Learning experience... sometimes, you cannot tell a good wine by the price.

Adele's Scandinavian Spice Cake

I just found her through one of those inspirational spam mails that my girlfriend loves to share.
Her name is Adele Enersen.

There is a page she produced about her baby's dreams. I felt that is so ingenious and creative.

Check this out, click here:

And Adele also introduced the Scandinavian Spice Cake that I am trying to make during Christmas.
Here is what she is saying:

Scandinavian food is usually mild and spiceless, but not this cake. The aroma of this cake is intoxicating. This traditional spice cake is great treat with the coffee and it's so easy to make. You need only one bowl to mix.

Here is the recipe, click here.

Easy Pasta Galore

Here again is our very own Terence Wong, Singapore's Home Chef sharing with us his ideas and recipes.

First off, fresh clams, asparagus, cherry tomatoes & onions on angel hair pasta topped with Romano cheese. oohh... Estacy!

Next, we have scallops & salmon in a tomato based sauce with mushrooms & onions on top of green spaghetti, plus a side salad. -- To Die for... yeah!

Then we have good old ground beef & veg on spiral pasta topped with grated Parmesan. -- OMG! Yummy!

Next up is chicken spaghetti with asparagus and a sun-dried tomato and pine nuts sauce. -- Whamm and he got me... this is really good!

The next pic is of baby lobster on the half shell with seafood sauce and grated cheese on top of spirals. -- Another super creations... ahhh..

Finally, 2 versions of fish with pasta; one is a fillet of white fish topped with spring onions and side servings of tri-colour twirls, tomatoes, asparagus & grilled mushrooms with cheese; the other is cod with button mushroom slices & pine nuts with twirls, broccoli & cherry tomatoes.-- Now we will not be starving again... incredible!

Thank you Terence for this incredible dishes. Definitely to die for and try! I think for people who want to lose the weight, Terence's recipes is the way to go. Remember it is not the quantity but the quality that makes life worth living and not to mentioned guilt free. If anyone wants to know the method and secrets of these wonderful dishes, email me at shamikostore@gmail.com.

Soups 'n Subs

Today let's looks at various ways to serve up soup, and a few varieties of subs. . .
First, the soup. To illustrate, I've used mushroom soup; and in the pic, clockwise from top left

- Served in a soup dish & garnished with mushroom slices and fresh dill
- In a Chinese style bowl, garnished with spring onions
- Baked in a mini pot or cup covered with puff pastry
- In a bread bowl garnished with lettuce (you can use SFO sour dough bread too)

As for subs (one of the foods I like), the pictures have:
- A steak sub - use rib eye or NY strip loin; thinly slice & stir fry/grill, place in french loaf and top with greens, onions, tomatoes.

- A beef and a chicken sub - stir fry beef/chicken (u can use pork, venison, etc. too) with garlic & onions; place on top of veges and top off with a slice of Romano (or yr fav cheese).

Don't have pictures of cold subs, but one of my favs is ham cheese - use honey baked or apple ham, and my fave is Swiss cheese; add lettuce, tomato, mustard & vinaigrette.

Have a delicious week, Terence

Get your Myths Straight

I thought this article by Eating Well Magazine is very interesting as it helps us be more aware about the grandmother's tale about eating well. 5 things you ought to know. I really like the article on microwaving food is bad for you...

Myth 1: Eggs are bad for your heart.
The Truth
Eggs do contain a substantial amount of cholesterol in their yolks—about 211 mg per large egg. And yes, cholesterol is the fatty stuff in our blood that contributes to clogged arteries and heart attacks. But labeling eggs as “bad for your heart” is connecting the wrong dots, experts say. “Epidemiologic studies show that most healthy people can eat an egg a day without problems,” says Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State University. For most of us the cholesterol we eat doesn’t have a huge impact on raising our blood cholesterol; the body simply compensates by manufacturing less cholesterol itself. Saturated and trans fats have much greater impact on raising blood cholesterol. And a large egg contains only 2 grams of saturated fat and no trans fats. The American Heart Association recommends limiting cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg daily—less than 200 mg if you have a history of heart problems or diabetes or are over 55 (women) or 45 (men). “That works out to less than an egg a day for this population—more like two eggs over the course of the week,” notes Kris-Etherton.

Myth 2: High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is worse for you than sugar.
The Truth
The idea that high-fructose corn syrup is any more harmful to your health than sugar is “one of those urban myths that sounds right but is basically wrong,” according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health advocacy group. The composition of high-fructose corn syrup is almost identical to table sugar or sucrose (55 percent fructose, 45 percent glucose and 50:50, respectively). Calorie-wise, HFCS is a dead ringer for sucrose. Studies show that HFCS and sucrose have very similar effects on blood levels of insulin, glucose, triglycerides and satiety hormones. In short, it seems to be no worse—but also no better—than sucrose, or table sugar. This controversy, say researchers, is distracting us from the more important issue: we’re eating too much of all sorts of sugars, from HFCS and sucrose to honey and molasses. The American Heart Association recently recommended that women consume no more than 100 calories a day in added sugars [6 teaspoons]; men, 150 calories [9 teaspoons].

Myth 3: A raw-food diet provides enzymes that are essential to healthy digestion.
The Truth
“Raw foods are unprocessed so nothing’s taken away; you don’t get the nutrient losses that come with cooking,” says Brenda Davis, R.D., co-author of Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets (Book Publishing, 2010). But the claim by some raw-food advocates that eating raw boosts digestion by preserving “vital” plant enzymes, Davis explains, just doesn’t hold water. “Those enzymes are made for the survival of plants; for human health, they are not essential.” What about the claim by some raw-foodistas that our bodies have a limited lifetime supply of enzymes—and that by eating more foods with their enzymes intact, we’ll be able to spare our bodies from using up their supply? “The reality is that you don’t really have a finite number of enzymes; you’ll continue to make enzymes as long as you live,” says Davis. Enzymes are so vital to life, she adds, “the human body is actually quite efficient at producing them.”

Myth 4: Microwaving zaps nutrients.
The Truth
This is misguided thinking, says Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Ph.D., R.D., professor of nutrition at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Whether you’re using a microwave, a charcoal grill or a solar-heated stove, “it’s the heat and the amount of time you’re cooking that affect nutrient losses, not the cooking method,” she says. “The longer and hotter you cook a food, the more you’ll lose certain heat- and water-sensitive nutrients, especially vitamin C and thiamin [a B vitamin].” Because microwave cooking often cooks foods more quickly, it can actually help to minimize nutrient losses.

Myth 5: Radiation from microwaves creates dangerous compounds in your food.
The Truth
“Radiation” might connote images of nuclear plants, but it simply refers to energy that travels in waves and spreads out as it goes. Microwaves, radio waves and the energy waves that we perceive as visual light all are forms of radiation. So, too, are X-rays and gamma rays—which do pose health concerns. But the microwaves used to cook foods are many, many times weaker than X-rays and gamma rays, says Robert Brackett, Ph.D., director of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. And the types of changes that occur in microwaved food as it cooks are “from heat generated inside the food, not the microwaves themselves,” says Brackett. “Microwave cooking is really no different from any other cooking method that applies heat to food.” That said, microwaving in some plastics may leach compounds into your food, so take care to use only microwave-safe containers.

Read complete story below:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/6-biggest-lies-about-food-busted-2391419

Light and Hearty by Terence Wong

Terence Wong, our Singapore's Home Chef has contributed to my blog. Let us look forward to what he has made. I am so excited when I get his recipes and if you guys out there have no ideas... just check Terence recipes out. I don't mind staying 2 days at his house and experiencing Chef Terence's yummy food. His wife is soooo lucky! Huh... Charmane!!! : )

1. Veg wrapped in bacon - just cut up sticks of veg, wrap with a strip of bacon and grill on pan; pic shows Asparagus & Carrots, but you can use any veg you like.

2. Garlic bread - Get a french loaf, cut it into sections & split in half. Mix butter, freshly mashed garlic and some herbs you like. Spread on bread and toast till the butter sizzles & the bread starts to brown (between 2 to 3 min in my toaster oven) for really crispy crunch garlic bread. If you like soft in the middle, put the the 2 halves back together to toast; you will get crispy on the outside with soft center.

3. Cod (Chilean Sea Bass) - Marinade fish fillet with Teriyaki sauce & pan grill; that's it. You can stir fry some veg to accompany it.

The Exotic Trio

Hello, here is Terence once again and he has given us his special recipe on Salmon with Wood. Just check out his pictures and you may want to try this gorgeous recipe out

Terence:

Kept steak simple since wanted the morels to shine. Just season with sea salt & black pepper, then cook till medium. Morels cut in half lengthwise and clean, then fry with butter, chopped garlic, mixed herbs and some black pepper. Plate steak & top with morel sauce.

The wood plank needs to be soaked in water for several hours (other than Cedar, they have Maple, Alder, Hickory woods too). For oven cooking, put the soaked plank on tray (smooth side up) and put enough water to cover the bottom, then stick in oven for 5 min. Salmon & corn rubbed with olive oil and black pepper then place on heated plank. Top salmon with mix of butter, chopped garlic, herbs & lemon. Cook for about half hour.

For chicken, rub with olive oil and top with miso mixed with some water & black pepper (to form spreadable paste). Halve tomato & sprinkle with herbs & some olive oil. Cook same as salmon & corn on wood plank.

Try it if you can get the ingredients & planks in SFO

My Favourite Chilli Crab

This is very special recipe from Terence Wong. In Singapore, this is a very expansive dish. If you can make it, this is a killer dish... your friends will LOVE you...  I am going to try to make it this weekend. PS: It is all in the sauce!

Here is Terence's instructions:

Used butter to fry chopped garlic and diced onions, then added half bottle of chilli & garlic sauce I found at the supermart (did not want to make it too hot). Added tomato sauce & lemon juice to trim the taste. To increase volume, I added three quarter carton of chicken stock. To thicken, stirred 2 eggs with some water and slowly added into pot and stirred in.

With sauce ready, it was easy to cook the many crabs in batches. Fry in pot for a while, then scoop in some sauce and cover to cook for 10 min. to ensure each batch is fully done.

Thanks Terence! : )
Shamiko

Larry the Lobster

I met Terence and his wife Charmane at my brother's party and when I heard how he talked about his food, I knew that he was a special foodie and wow.... a man that cooks ... not just cook but REALLY GOOD .... that is impressive!
Well. you can see that this is his passion... these lobsters are looking killer!

I have yet to try his chilly crab and that is also super dynamite!

Happy Saturday!
sharon shamiko lee

----------------------------

Yo Sharon,

There was a good deal on lobsters here in Vancouver, so we had Larry the Lobster for dinner . . .

Halve lobster and spread sauce (butter, olive oil, chopped garlic, lemon juice, ketchup). Place in dish coated with laver of oil and a bit water. Bake for 25 min (450F/230C), then finish with Grill for 5 min.

We shared a 3 pounder; saw a family buy a 7.8 pounder monster sized lobster !

You can try this with some of the sauce you brought back for crabs too.

Have a tasty weekend, Terence