tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336295102011-12-17T11:08:13.000-07:00Sampling various foods is one of my many passions and I enjoy trying out different recipes to satisfy the diverse palates of my growing family and sharing my stories from the kitchen table or where I can park my laptop and appetite!...East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.comBlogger4131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-90505011991560868682010-05-22T07:27:00.004-06:002010-05-22T07:39:39.054-06:00

YES!!! School Vacation is almost here, and I can't wait to venture back into my favorite hobby that's cooking, eating and blogging!Will be back soon!

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-83571857497866572862008-06-24T12:56:00.004-06:002008-06-24T23:53:54.124-06:00

Feeling CRABBY? Found these the other day in the frozen section of the store, and only required steaming and a mean cocktail sauce! I just love the simplicity of summertime!I am traveling (on the road again), and will not be posting for a while. But I'll be surfing around looking at all the lovely eats whenever I can! Happy Summer to all!

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-91219064808118172612008-06-06T10:49:00.005-06:002008-06-06T11:50:13.022-06:00

I'm EMWK and I'm a dunker/dipper. There, I admitted it! And there's nothing better than dipping/dunking donuts into a cuppa strong, black coffee. Or warm, crusty french bread into a hot bowl of curry chicken. So many things to dunk and so little time. Fondues are great for me as I get to dunk everything. But please, NO second dunking/dipping like so many with their veggie dip at parties. That's a

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-39651304886497718772008-05-29T22:25:00.009-06:002008-06-01T09:01:41.691-06:00

Since Hubs bought me that cool ceramic monkey bread mold from Williams Sonoma for Mother's Day recently, I have been using it as an excuse to make more monkey bread. It was for the kids, you know... but who am I kidding?And it has been lots of fun making it plus a counting lesson for the kids as they roll the cut-up dough into little balls and counted up to 50 while coating and dropping them into

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-60439043963173819592008-05-25T18:38:00.002-06:002008-05-29T10:39:17.296-06:00

When I asked Hubs what he wanted for dinner today, he said beer brats, buffalo franks, and the kids wanted corn dogs. So, I had to have all three and a soft hoagie bun, of course!And this turned out to be a beautiful weekend we are having compared to the six funnel clouds that were spotted and the tornado that came through the northern part of our state. We had hail, strong winds and thunderstorm

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-75691513800180627222008-05-23T12:59:00.003-06:002008-05-23T13:05:30.259-06:00

My MIL send me this and made me laugh. I did change the title so as not to offend some of my friends.Silly CookbookSundayIt's fun to cook for Tom. Today I made angel food cake. The recipe saidbeat 12 eggs separately. The neighbors were nice enough to loan me someextra bowls.MondayTom wanted fruit salad for supper. The recipe said serve withoutdressing.So I didn't dress. What a surprise when Tom

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-52598342772814859262008-05-21T23:12:00.001-06:002008-05-23T13:09:46.082-06:00

It's coming to the last week of school before this school year ends, and for the summer holidays to begin. Although we didn't start the kids til late October because they were wait-listed and the school finally had openings after a couple of kids were transferred when their parents moved to another part of the country, and the fact that I took them out of school for several weeks and flew 10,000

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-32883941315851254772008-05-19T02:23:00.011-06:002008-05-26T09:40:33.033-06:00

We had a memorable ending to a fun weekend at J&M's place on a beautiful, warm Sunday afternoon where we sampled a new (to us) bottle of white wine, and learned a wee bit about bee-keeping (J's new hobby), new organic markets in the area, kids' summer activities and made some new friends while our kids squealed with delight as they played with two 12-year-olds and a 7-year-old who were all around

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-43552105119122635552008-05-12T08:08:00.002-06:002008-05-12T10:47:21.701-06:00

What a weekend! Called mom long-distance, had my in-laws over for the weekend, and celebrated Mother's Day last Saturday with some great motherly friends. Or was it friendly mothers? It was a fun group with Pam and Paul, Pat, Roberto, Rob, Kelsey, Nathan and MIL helped me prepared a simple meal of BBQ burgers and brats with lots of side salads to go with them. I was busy with the kids, and Pam

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-81294138464855406092008-05-11T23:58:00.002-06:002008-05-12T10:45:44.830-06:00

Thank you Janice Ng for your lovely award. I have been tardy with my post lately, and have finally got around to receive this one.Am passing this out to all my mommy bloggers out there (you know who you are!)Happy Mother's Day! :)

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-32071089707674905602008-05-10T15:19:00.003-06:002008-05-10T22:49:41.617-06:00

Wanted to write this down while it's still on my mind...I asked Hubs what he's getting me for Mother's Day....and he replied "You're not my mother."Hmmmmmm.....

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-70103946331729280752008-05-10T00:51:00.003-06:002008-05-10T01:18:30.524-06:00

Life have caught up with me recently, and I am guilty of neglecting my little blog here. But I hope to catch up with some yummy post when school gets out and the summer holiday begins (crossing fingers!)I thank you all for popping over here regularly to check on me, and I promise to be more proactive on blogging soon. Meantime, here's wishing everyone a very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! :)Found some

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-89331242026322733592008-04-11T08:31:00.001-06:002008-04-11T10:44:57.431-06:00

Saw this recipe in the Fine Cooking Magazine, and wanted to try it out. It's pretty good for a quick lunch, and the kids liked it. I used fresh organic green pasta from the produce section of the grocery store, and increased the peanut butter amount to recipe to suit my taste.Here's the recipe:1 lb fresh pasta, cooked6 tbs Asian roasted sesame oil4 med cloves garlic, peeled1 cup cream peanut

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-68603725177534624712008-04-10T22:15:00.001-06:002008-04-11T10:31:11.169-06:00

This is Hub's favorite snack or dinner while watching college basketball. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and added corn kennels and red peppers to the recipe.1 lb ground turkey1/2 cup water1 packages taco seasoning mix1 small can chopped green chilies1 can 16 oz fat-free refried beans1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese3/4 cup chopped tomatoes1/4 cup chopped red peppers1/2

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-21843349168843888842008-04-03T20:29:00.009-06:002008-04-03T21:22:34.076-06:00

The week of spring break is coming to an end soon, and I'm going to miss having my kids with me 24/7. So far, we had braved the crazy crowd at the zoo, the ski slopes and the play park when the weather was good. And on snowing/rainy days, they played with the slides, jumped on the bouncers (both were in the basement), did straw painting and finger painting (thank goodness for washable paint, but

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-154608656369703302008-04-03T06:09:00.002-06:002008-04-03T08:03:37.344-06:00

We had bright sunshine all day yesterday, and a combination of snow and rain for most of the night. Looking out my window now, there's fog everywhere as the sun is fighting its way to get out from behind the thick clouds. That's what I love about spring time! You never know what weather you get from one day to the next!I finally got my hands on some fresh, not frozen (as indicated in bold letters

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-16419424131169262182008-03-31T01:19:00.000-06:002008-03-31T07:14:35.348-06:00

I have been reading too many nursery rhymes and I have this one going in my head this evening.... Five spotted bananas sitting on the counterOne fell off and bumped her headMommy called the doctor andthe Doctor saidNO MORE old Bananasjumping off the counter!So, off with their old yellow jackets, and those bananas went on the pie plate with a little cinnamon, brown sugar, key lime juice and butter

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-42982568479952234942008-03-31T00:09:00.001-06:002008-03-31T08:14:36.892-06:00

While I was under medication for my cold, I decided to start on a box of DVDs that my dear friend Hazel had graciously left me on her departure back to Singapore back in February. I was pleasantly surprised at this new age, romantic, riches to rags princess fairytale love story with lots of fried oyster omelets in between. A total chick flick with added bonus of watching the makings of a

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-67863524251675461982008-03-30T23:06:00.002-06:002008-03-31T09:11:35.395-06:00

I simply can't hide the marshmallows from my kids. Or you guys for that matter! You guessed it! It's marshmallows dipped in that wonderful chocolate and then in some crushed graham crackers. This is a variation from the famous camping dessert that young and old enjoy. The original smores toasted marshmallows on a stick over the campfire, then added to a graham cracker, a small bar of chocolate,

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-82846104448129267682008-03-28T23:23:00.005-06:002008-03-31T07:36:20.635-06:00

I have overloaded my schedule once again, and am amazed at how time simply flew by. And I have so many stories to tell that I'd probably talk my friends to sleep. Maybe it's a good thing that some of my girlfriends are long-distance pals (at the moment)! But I should be apologizing for my long absence too. Long story short, it began with head cold, followed by a persistent coughing and sinus

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-92110374217839637822008-03-20T02:06:00.000-06:002008-03-29T15:47:36.994-06:00

Made these for St Patrick's day in heart-shaped molds, and assembled it to look like a four-leave clover. Used green tea (matcha) powder in place of vanilla, and added cherries into the batter before baking.It was a fun combination, and the mild flavor of the matcha did not affect the kid's taste buds. Very easy recipe and a fun addition to the Green theme for St. Patrick's Day!1 1/2 sticks

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-36018794722151881932008-03-19T19:16:00.003-06:002008-03-29T21:19:01.384-06:00

While the family are recovering from the flu bug, I made this easy recipe for St. Patrick's Day in the crockpot, and it turned out well. The tasters that wasn't sick and actually had working taste buds (not me) confirmed that this recipe works. (Whew!)This is what it looked like in the crockpot after an hour as I forgot to snap a picture earlier.The final result after 8 hours in the crockpot.

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-82791808800882510362008-03-05T06:48:00.004-07:002008-03-05T19:39:47.783-07:00

I was reminded of Ioyces today...can you guess what are these?and Anne reminded me of this today...A professor stood before his philosophy class andhad some items in front of him. When the classbegan, he wordlessly picked up a very large andempty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it withgolf balls. He then asked the students if the jarwas full. They agreed that it was.The professor then picked

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-52246609991865296292008-03-01T03:33:00.001-07:002008-03-01T11:06:01.490-07:00

I have been keeping busy and enjoying my time volunteering at the kids' preschool. This way, I get a chance to observe my little ones interact with their age group, and it also gives me an opportunity to play with a bunch of adorable toddlers! And I am surprised at how well behaved most of them were in a classroom environment. Okay, I know I haven't been doing this long, and I'm sure some days

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-18317010810747276732008-02-29T18:28:00.003-07:002008-03-01T11:08:39.385-07:00

Maybe I have watched too many reruns and movies about the Woodstock era and dreamt about tie-dye shirts and those wild, psycedelic outfits (yes, I get weird dreams) that they wore in the groovy sixties, but this award does remind me of long haired, bearded, big haired, pleasant dresses, and all the above. Real cool Hippies, and really cool award! Thanks to Singairishgirl for passing this my way

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-12446336772425778742008-02-29T02:15:00.003-07:002008-02-29T04:07:12.312-07:00

When I saw a display of large, plum, richly colored eggplants at the grocery store for $1 each, I couldn't resist bagging up a few handfuls of this beautiful vegetable. And after sampling some in a quick stir-fry without the salting process, I had the good fortune of finding out that these were not as bitter as previous experiences (maybe because it's a winter crop, or maybe because it's a new

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-40825899499448583492008-02-25T08:21:00.009-07:002008-02-26T12:52:48.299-07:00

Dear Nora B. send this my way (she called me east meets west) awhile back. Thank you Nora B! And Little Corner of Mine reminded me that she send it my way too. Thanks C! And recently I received this nice award again from Aunty Yochana (thanks Aunty Yochana!), and decided to pass this on before I get carried away with life's events again. This award goes to my following lovely blogger friends...

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-82477070351950735172008-02-24T20:36:00.016-07:002008-02-25T09:32:30.671-07:00

I didn't watched much network shows lately as there were not many good shows on these days though I was glad that the writers' strike finally ended. But I had to watch tonight's 80th Academy Awards. OK. So I'm a fan of Oscar night. I don't get to watch movies at the big theatre screen as often as I would like these days, and I'm one of those who wait for the DVD to come out as I rather get a

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-73599374274725579292008-02-22T03:39:00.004-07:002008-02-23T15:54:19.120-07:00

Since I hung up the phone with gf K who elaborated on her chocolate feast for Valentine's Day, I couldn't resist my unrestrained temptation towards the gratification of chocolate, and decided to bake a large chocolate bundt cake filled with my favorite things. Like Gharardelli chocolate chunks, Reeses peanut butter chips, a little expresso coffee, tangerine zest, hint of Kalula, and a spoonful of

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-55891131797431416022008-02-21T23:28:00.004-07:002008-02-22T12:08:00.635-07:00

The fifteen days of Chinese New Year had flown by quickly. And today marks the last day of CNY celebration.As with the first day of Chinese New Year , the last day of CNY also has it's own set of rules to follow. Also known as Chap Goh Mei in Fujian/Hokkien dialect, there are a string of rituals, and all of which are somewhat unfamiliar to me. It is also known as Lantern Festival in China, or

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-22802507636980983912008-02-20T15:33:00.004-07:002008-02-20T16:26:14.352-07:00

While jet-lagged and flipping channels in the wee hours of the night in Singapore, I chanced upon this recipe by Violet Oon.Red Dates and Peanuts Breakfast SoupServes 2 - Violet Oon's recipe1/2 cup raw peeled peanuts (see ** below)12 pieces dried Chinese red dates1/2 of a large piece of dried sweet bean curd skin1 egg white4 cups water2 pandan leaves2 tbsp honeyI did everything this morning,

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-17101953952257366082008-02-16T05:18:00.002-07:002008-02-16T20:25:31.436-07:00

Little ones wanted small tiny cookies to go with their tea party, and so we took out some butter, flour, sugar and eggs, threw them into the mixer, then into a piping bag, and this is the result from half of a butter cookie recipe...The first batch was stars, followed by another baking tray of swirls. Then mommy had to play with the rest of the cookie dough, and this resulted.OK. What happened

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-20248163925102005472008-02-14T22:28:00.004-07:002008-02-14T22:52:45.237-07:00

The kids had their valentine shirts over their turtle-necks today, and I made them a valentine morning snack of almond puff sticks using puff pastry, sugar and slivered almonds.The puff pastry was sliced with a pizza roller with ease, baked for a couple of minutes, and cooled to room temperature.Hubs enjoyed a bunch of them too before he headed out to work this morning, so these almond puff

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-73578746954583485992008-02-14T11:18:00.010-07:002008-02-14T14:03:21.754-07:00

I had some time in between the kids' nap last week, and decided to try out this Chinese pretzels recipe I noticed in Alex Goh's baking book. The dough was simple with few ingredients consisting of all purpose flour, sugar, egg and butter, and it need to rest for half an hour before rolling it out. This is the point when the kids woke up from their nap, and everything went downhill from there.

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-49323181020577627652008-02-14T04:48:00.003-07:002008-02-16T20:01:13.301-07:00

Registration have started, and I am crossing my fingers that I get the days I need for next school year at the school of my choice, and while I'm thinking for preschool, I decided to make some valentine treats for lots of little ones. Made 16 of these using just one mold as I couldn't get to the craft store last weekend, and wrapped each up individually for little hands.These pink and white candy

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-22844943523764254712008-02-14T03:15:00.004-07:002008-02-14T10:28:20.490-07:00

Penang Laksa at the coffee shop by the wet market in town, the "End-of-the-world" seafood place past the Mutiara Resort in Teluk Bahang where the Sunflower bakery's situated, true road-side hawkers along Gurney Drive, food at Island Plaza and Gurney Plaza, and the wonderful indian food at Butterworth were some of my many favorite places to eat and explore. I thoroughly enjoyed Penang food when I

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-9865061857755908532008-02-13T03:14:00.008-07:002008-02-14T22:56:21.929-07:00

This is a restaurant that Hubs always frequent whenever he visits Singapore, and it's a Northern Indian Restaurant called Shahi Maharani (thanks to Cooking Ninja for helping me remember the full name of that restaurant cause all I remembered was something Maharani), and situated in Raffles City on the 3rd level. So, when he was in that city for a couple of days to aid in the transportation of

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-13252971373914564552008-02-12T04:07:00.001-07:002008-02-16T09:58:09.024-07:00

I didn't even know about East Point till my friend brought us there, and the kids had a blast. I was reminded that this place used to be where the chalets were, and it has a mega indoor gym for kids, resturants, and more kids stuff. I have a great time at the Thai restaurant over there, but the most memorable item for me was the olive rice and the red ruby. Maybe because the rest of the

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-15862531699869622822008-02-12T03:01:00.003-07:002008-06-01T17:08:31.657-06:00

For some Chinese, having rain or water also means having more money, hence most Chinese businesses have a water feature by the door of their business or home to welcome the water element and increase their money luck. That's what I learn from a good friend many moons ago. So if that's the case, I must be a billionaire, cause it rained everyday when we were in Singapore, and of course that

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-11829521518249472282008-02-12T01:02:00.003-07:002008-02-13T11:46:31.532-07:00

Being a mom, I sometimes forget the most basic things. Like getting my legs in shape before venturing into the cold, windy, cold, numbing, cold, freezing slopes up in the mountains for skiing with the kids. Not to mention the snow-plowing (muscle-breaking, bending at the knees with the skis touching each other in the front, i.e. going slow on the slopes) one has to endure behind the little kids

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-52079803113487865032008-02-08T00:08:00.000-07:002008-02-10T22:04:39.809-07:00

I received this heart-warming, heart-stopping red, red award from Little Corner of Mine (thank you SO much sweetie!) while I was away, and am pleased to accept it now, and pass it onwards.....This blog has been awarded The Spreader of Love Award created by The Love Blog, for an outstanding demonstration of blogging love.Now, I would like to spread the love by forwarding this award to my fellow

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-84266586417123595302008-02-07T23:38:00.001-07:002008-02-19T07:04:54.540-07:00

I got tagged by that sexy mom Janice Ng. So here it goes.This is what she wrote:The rule to the e-mail (?) was that, once you have been hit, you have to hit 5 pretty Moms, including the one who thought of you today & sent it to you. The idea is that if you get hit again, You will know you are really pretty!So I thought lets just turn this into a tag instead. But that “hit” part won’t work very

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-47271992690465351212008-02-07T08:10:00.001-07:002008-02-07T22:40:07.324-07:00

Wishing everyone a very Happy Chinese New Year! Three of my lovely cousins showered the kids with chinese theme clothes this year, and this outfit was from their aunty J. Thanks J! And not forgetting to thank Singairishgirl for lovely Christmas outfits too!This is the year of the RAT, but when I was in Singapore, I noticed most places called it the year of the MOUSE, so maybe it's a good year

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-63083767291974614102008-02-06T23:53:00.000-07:002008-02-09T05:11:22.853-07:00

For this year reunion dinner, I decided to pull out the electric steamboat and griddle thing I bought from Ranch 99 many moons ago, and later realized that it didn't fit into into my bag for the flight home from San Jose. So I had my gf Kat send it to me by UPS. I am thinking of her today as I use this gadget again. This simple steamboat feast had the neccessary 'san choy', shrimp, scallops, lump

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-11031355785019342682008-02-06T21:02:00.000-07:002008-02-08T00:31:56.196-07:00

Lily send me an email asking what treasures did I bring back from the orient. I have to say that besides lagging that thermal pot (that I have yet to use) all the way across the world, the treasures were all consumed when I was there. Here are a few pictures from the trip.My daily stop at Bakerzin for my favorite macaroons. I had a different flavor everyday...Satay at Lau Bak Siak where all the

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-86875148037892016982008-02-05T22:08:00.000-07:002008-02-06T12:05:16.451-07:00

My kids demanded french fries with their milk shakes for snacks today. Actually, they mentioned that 'M' word because they wanted to go to that playarea of the 'golden arch' more so than the Happy Meal (I think), but I wasn't going anywhere on the icy, icky side roads after yesterday's snow that seemed to last all day. So I went into the pantry for some spuds and cooked them up some fries.

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-33708241516669969372008-02-04T23:38:00.000-07:002008-02-06T11:38:00.979-07:00

Maybe I had too many meals with rice featured on the menu when I was on vacation, but since I came home, I have been craving potatoes. It could be anything from sweet potatoes, russets, yukon, or reds everyday, and I was simply delighted with my spuds!I noticed this recipe an old issue of some food magazine while sitting at the hair salon, and it required microwaving the russet potatoe before

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-46154230018330614292008-02-03T23:11:00.000-07:002008-02-06T12:17:13.966-07:00

Before I left for Singapore, I packed these items that a blogger friend had purchased at Amazon.com, and I was happy to do it for her and her lovely princess. When we got there, I was too wary from the trip and the kids not sleeping on two legs of the trip that I missed meeting up with her the following morning, which incidentally was 4 hours after we arrived, but we made up for lost time quickly

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-11277924766126418642008-01-31T23:32:00.000-07:002008-02-08T00:35:39.458-07:00

The kids made it back to preschool today, and I finally catch a glimpse of my regular routine back. Although I am far from baking CNY bakes at the moment as there's a lot of chores to catch up before that. Made char-siew and prawn noodles using the skinny noodles typically used for wanton noodles for lunch.This bring back memories of a really delicious meeting with Ioyces in Singapore on our

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-7520253987072374622008-01-26T13:57:00.000-07:002008-01-29T06:31:14.669-07:00

I am still jet-lagged after a week of being home, but am enjoying my own kitchen and making the old, regular stand-by meals of stews and soups to warm up the windy days and chilly nights and then heading to bed around 5 pm with the kids. And being away for awhile, I'm gradually getting back to my regular momentum. Yeah, right. Also with Chinese New Year and Valentine's around the corner, I'm

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-41443111299874934312008-01-19T06:49:00.000-07:002008-01-23T12:53:19.039-07:00

I finally arrived back to a freezing 22 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius without the wind chill factor) of cold, blowing snow and fierce, biting winds late last evening, and am glad to be back in the comforts of my own little paradise I called home. And after getting the kids cleaned, put to their own little beds and the pets fed, I was too exhausted from flying halfway across the world and

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-17863527893578348752008-01-17T12:08:00.000-07:002008-01-19T11:13:22.370-07:00

After spending a wonderful time in a location just 1 degree north of the equator, I'm ready to head back to winter. Had a great time visiting and eating (almost) everything in sight, especially all the new restaurants and old hawker centers of yesteryear. One thing for sure is that I'll be blogging about all those wonderful people I met on this trip. But for the next 24 hours, I'll be boarding

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-14940869801097756552007-12-30T00:28:00.000-07:002007-12-30T12:52:43.155-07:00

I realize that Time flies whenever I stop to watch my kids/pets/waistline grow! Thank heavens I don't have time to do that often!2007 had been really fun so far, especially watching my family consume mass quantities of my experimental cooking and blogging about them. And there were a number of wonderful blogger friends that I've met this year that kept me busy on the Internet and in the kitchen.

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-27433805532468796192007-12-23T22:18:00.000-07:002007-12-24T02:06:17.197-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile.... but I will be back after the holidays... promise! :DHave been thinking of sitting at Starbucks to blog, but there were too many eating sessions and gatherings lately. I did make it to Starbucks today, but was distracted with all the bird/people watching (sigh!)Oh! And I had been busy partying with the kids too! This was captured when they were busy dancing to

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-72272181016559489382007-12-03T04:46:00.000-07:002007-12-05T13:18:05.135-07:00

Yes, I am unpacking and packing up again for another trip and leaving in a few days. Will update as soon as I can on my next destination. In the meantime, please sit back, relax, and enjoy wome of the food I had in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.When I was south of the border in a lovely seaside town in Mexico, my favorite snack was homemade deep-fried tortilla chips with spicy salsa and guacamole. In

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-87937419355605228042007-12-02T23:48:00.000-07:002007-12-03T00:04:44.423-07:00

My grandmother used to make me french toast when I was a kid. However, that was not what she called it. To her, it's eggie-bread(directly translated from Cantonese), and serves it as breakfast or an afternoon snack. That was my first exposure to this delicious egg-soaked bread that is gently seared in beautiful butter fat and served with pure golden maple syrup. Except she added an extra

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-64066986831426274002007-11-30T09:48:00.000-07:002007-11-30T10:12:12.176-07:00

My kids love tuna salad sandwiches, and I decided to make it with canned salmon this time. It was a great little lunch/snack for the kids. I decorated mine with chili sauce, while the kids had theirs with tomatoe ketcup. Served with sweet potatoe chips and seedless green grapes.1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise4 tsp capers, rinsed and chopped1 tsp grated lime zest2 Tbsp lime juice1/2 tsp freshly

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-83097116983836512432007-11-30T03:31:00.000-07:002007-12-01T02:31:55.835-07:00

My late auntie Su used to make a white fungus (Sheet-yi) soup with dried longans that was sweet and she would serve it cold and as a dessert after lunch. It is also called snow fungus, or white tree jellyfish in Japan. It is a kind of mushroom that grows as a whitish clump on trees and used in it's dried form in savoury and sweet soups, and has several health benefits depending on who I asked. My

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-86697377223540426152007-11-28T13:28:00.000-07:002007-11-30T06:47:48.475-07:00

Drying, strong, and chilly wind came knocking today, with weather-changing from relatively warm and sunny yesterday to blistery cold winds and cloudy skies. A gentle reminder and a preview of winter ahead, without the moisture and snow. That, and preschool are hard on little ones. One of my kids had developed some cold sores, and the pediatrician suggested giving her watermelon and Popsicles to

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-34701356641022369122007-11-27T20:28:00.000-07:002007-11-28T08:43:24.959-07:00

Used up some bananas for coconut and banana pancakes with a banana sauce on top. The sauce was similar to banana foster, but without the rum as I needed to keep it kid-friendly.My cousin send me this today, and I thought it was too funny not to share...Once there was a Chinese wedding dinner. The dinner occupied only half of the restaurant. The other half was occupied by some American tourists.

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-65057275173515077322007-11-26T23:38:00.000-07:002007-11-28T08:46:05.994-07:00

I have so much to do today, so I decided to compress these 2 topics into one post.Made an egg drop soup today with the last of the turkey breast meat, and it was received with great enthusiasm from the family. Here's the recipe adapted from cooking with kids.4-1/2 cups homemade chicken broth1/2 cup peas1/2 cup carrots, diced1/2 cup corn1 1/2 cup cooked minced chicken breasts1 tablespoon

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-40328908598710391502007-11-24T08:19:00.000-07:002007-11-28T08:45:26.604-07:00

I enjoyed avocados so much when I was south of the border, that I wanted to make some for my leftover turkey meat. Found some avocados at the store, and made this Asian version that made a great twist as a topping over sliced turkey breast. This would be so good over fish, scallops or shrimps too.1 small can of yellow corn1 tbs dark roasted sesame oil3 tbs fresh key lime juice (or use unseasoned

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-60250642560299720112007-11-23T13:38:00.000-07:002007-11-24T08:35:58.919-07:00

It's the day after thanksgiving, and after chasing the Black Friday shopping craze at 4 am this morning, I'm back to the warmth of my kitchen, and cooking up that turkey carcus.Yes, you read it correctly. It was that big turkey we had yesterday, minus as much meat as possible (do try to save that turkey wishbone if you can). Simply break it apart to managable pieces, and cook it in some water for

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-89218824138002201832007-11-23T10:08:00.000-07:002007-11-23T12:16:08.932-07:00

 Good health, family, friends, a roof over my head, house furnace that works (especially this time of the year), and sitting down for a big meal with our loved ones... those are some of the things that I am so thankful for this time of the year. And so grateful that I get to share it with you too.These days, thanksgiving is centered on the turkey, stuffing and all that food, and the main idea

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-54695392546954505422007-11-22T06:43:00.000-07:002007-11-23T16:43:06.735-07:00

Got back last night, and I'm so glad to be back home where there's broadband instead of the slowband where I was for a week. Maybe they make it that way so that people like me will stay away from our laptops. If it was that easy...Anyway, I'm excited about cooking Thanksgiving today. My turkey is getting ready, the pumpkin pies are baked and I'm ready to attack/prepare/manage my 20 lb. turkey,

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-90388737171611535112007-11-22T04:03:00.000-07:002007-11-22T07:17:54.911-07:00

Had a great time with the family on this mini vacation. We were lucky to get a room with a view of the happening pool area that was just steps away from the sand and waves, with the added bonus of watching fireworks every other night. They had a pirate ship that sailed daily and there were dancing, booze, food, and fireworks around 9.30 pm. They were anchored not too far from our resort and we

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-21826479909656063322007-11-16T17:01:00.000-07:002007-11-16T20:04:41.075-07:00

This getaway had been planned last February, and am so glad we made it here. It's our little vacation for our anniversary/early thanksgiving break/flying south for warmth like the birds...Landed safely yesterday and drove to a fun seaside resort and spa down in Mexico with friends. Now I am taking a mini break at the internet cafe before heading out for dinner. Though we are still coughing

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-28235792680979732272007-11-14T06:29:00.000-07:002007-11-23T16:38:09.864-07:00

With all the commotion and sick kids and a sick mommy, I'll be delaying my posting for a little while. Will be missing you guys and hope I can log on from my next destination to check on your delicious eats. Keeping fingers crossed for WIFI over there. Isn't it funny that I'll be missing blogging? LOL!Cheers Everyone!

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-36436690909950597702007-11-13T12:38:00.000-07:002007-11-13T13:25:56.068-07:00

Pears are usually a stable at my household this time of the year, and my kids love it. And since I had a platter filled with Bartlett pears on the kitchen table, I decided to have fun with them. There are numerous recipes on the web for poaching pears in syrup that is usually made with vanilla pods, wine, sugar, spices and everything nice. However I chose to simply wrap mine up in foil, boil

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-60173179184716716992007-11-08T05:27:00.000-07:002007-11-11T21:26:57.215-07:00

Yesterday was my girlfriend's birthday, and I did a stir-fry noodle dish for her potluck. For many Asians, noodles are considered a symbol of longevity, especially if you've ever seen the lengths of noodles in Asia. I used some fresh yellow noodles found at the Asian market, and made this in her favorite minced beef combo. This was a quick stir-fry with sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-85182264089523560512007-11-06T13:38:00.000-07:002007-11-06T15:19:22.834-07:00

Most of you have probably heard of glutinous rice, the short-grained white rice that is very, very sticky when cooked. Hence it's also known as sticky, sticky rice. Okay, so I added another sticky word, but I just love saying sticky!.Glutinous Sticky Rice has many applications in my kitchen. I love it in kuihs/kuehs (malay or nonya sweet desserts), as a partner-in-crime with sweet Thai Mangoes in

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-46109096373989189432007-11-05T00:28:00.000-07:002007-11-06T14:31:46.385-07:00

In a well made movie, we often marvel at how the main actor/actress shines in his/her role. And often it's because of the supporting actor/actress role in that particular movie that makes the main character stand out. And occasionally, the main character's role pales in comparison to the the talents of the supporting character. Likewise in cooking.In Asia, most countries have their own methods

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-3883106191913606122007-11-03T07:09:00.000-06:002007-11-03T20:13:16.851-06:00

When I was a about 6, I remember my family driving up to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia, and on the way, we would stop at all the wonderful places for good eats. As a kid, I was only into fried foods and steamed fish back then, but I do remember the snacks. And there were some yummy snacks along the way that made quite an impression on my mind. One of the many wonderful treats was chestnuts. I

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-52893208569334852932007-11-02T11:38:00.000-06:002007-11-08T06:26:56.707-07:00

Made an easy lunch yesterday as a means to clean out the fridge. I started with a beef stir-fry, then realized that I have some cooked jasmine rice left in the fridge, so I made fried rice. Added cilantro and peas and red bell pepper for a complete meal. Look Ma, told you I'm feeding my kids!Cilantro Beef Fried Rice1 lb flank steak fried thinly1 tbs soy sauce1 tbs fish sauce (optional)1 tbs

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-23413215452233462182007-11-01T05:55:00.000-06:002007-11-01T13:45:34.881-06:00

Thank you all for your kind words and concern recently. My kids are recovering well from the stridor, but still have that persistent cough, so I'm keeping them home for the rest of this week as a courtesy to the other parents even though they are not contagious. I live in a culture where parents frown upon coughing kids around their own, and I know I'm beginning to feel panicky when I hear

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-6074409910858930282007-11-01T04:08:00.000-06:002007-11-01T05:41:46.821-06:00

It was a fun Halloween yesterday. The kind of PG-rated fun that normally went with little kids. We saw fairies, firefighters, penguins, cheerleaders, bumble bees, lots of cowboys, characters from star wars, minnie mouse, dinosaurs and a farmer. Cute costumes. My kids were still coughing, but their pediatrician assured that they weren't contagious anymore. Went to Hubs workplace for an express

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-46924582152433517412007-10-31T09:38:00.001-06:002007-10-31T19:35:57.395-06:00

BE PREPARED!It's the only day of the year when responsible parents will allow their scary, spooky kids to dress in costumes and demand candy from total strangers in the dark. That alone sends shivers up my spine! Wooooooooo!I found these cute silicon cupcake thingy in my cabinet from last year. You simply pour the muffin batter into these cuties, bake, decorate and serve them. Don't you just

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-40560797582281572572007-10-30T09:18:00.000-06:002007-10-30T10:39:32.810-06:00

Thought I'd better catch up with some of my drafts for this food blog. Made this easy stir fry dish to drop off at a potluck recently. Brought brown rice with it and everyone wanted the recipe except one who wanted me to cook for her.2 lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain4 tbs soy sauce4 tsp fish sauce1/2 tsp kosher salt4 tbs fresh lime juice2 tbs light brown sugar1/2 c salted peanuts

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-19425011584545586312007-10-29T01:18:00.000-06:002007-10-29T02:38:58.226-06:00

Not much cooking or baking this weekend as one of my kids woke up on Saturday morning with croup (sounded like a seal barking) and her sibling also showed similar signs of stridor (squealing sound and difficulty breathing) the following day. Their pediatrician confirmed that this is the season and most kids will have it for 3-5 days.But on a lighter note, I want to share with you this picture

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-30900156622831838202007-10-26T19:28:00.000-06:002007-10-27T04:41:32.220-06:00

Brussels sprouts are the kind vegetable that are loved by many and similarly loathed by plenty. According to this site, it is a "very good source of many essential vitamins, fiber, and folate" (a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food.)Also found on the brussels sprouts site, these vegetables are especially high in Vitamin C, and have some very beneficial effects against certain

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-16076098486463519162007-10-26T08:08:00.000-06:002007-10-26T10:19:26.775-06:00

I love the bouncy texture of cellophane noodles made from mung bean flour, and their translucent appearance adds to the appeal. And I like the versatility of it's bland taste as it takes in the flavors of the sauce or soup very well. Made this flavorful stir-fry recipe that I adapted from Fine Cooking.To cook the cellophane noodles, boil a pot of water and remove from heat. Drop in a bundle (

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-63166170906272662742007-10-25T20:08:00.000-06:002007-10-26T04:10:55.152-06:00

My girlfriend P from Atlanta, Georgia came over for a nice visit and gave me this fun, easy recipe for Key Lime Pie. This is such an easy recipe that I'm thrilled to share with you. Especially to Marty and Kathryn over in the bay area. The secret ingredient, according to P, was the special key lime juice that you can get at the grocery store. Top it with freshly whipped cream infused with lime

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-57316161500221780802007-10-24T08:28:00.000-06:002007-10-26T04:09:31.880-06:00

With the cold wind knocking on my door and windows, it's the time of year for hot delicious soups for the family. And there's no easier way than making bean soup. And the house smells so good and homey when the soup is cooking. I was inspired by Kalyn's post on bean soup, and when I was at the grocery store, I chanced upon this 15-bean packet for chicken, and decided to try it. The beans came

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-3553304749698267942007-10-24T07:26:00.000-06:002007-10-24T11:45:55.137-06:00

This is a picture of a pumpkin field where we picked some pumpkins for Halloween.Onward to a totally different subject.It seems like when I get a tag/meme, there's bound to be more coming soon after. And this has been send my way by a nice fellow blogger Bokjae who tagged me on this blogger interview, and here is it... Warning: this is a long one...1. Name one person who made you laugh last night

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-18266410455700564132007-10-23T14:18:00.000-06:002007-10-26T04:09:56.307-06:00

I must have offended the blogger spirits over the weekend, but all is well now as I finally succeeded in uploading all these pictures today. As you may already know, I made some pumpkin cupcakes over the weekend, and the recipe I used made 36 cupcakes which was perfect for a group of mom's get-together. As I wasn't very creative at 4 am that particular morning, I simply stuck with a few simple

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-85604131603039843862007-10-22T06:23:00.000-06:002007-10-22T12:11:12.312-06:00

Here's a picture of the large flurries falling early yesterday morning. The strange part for me is that the trees still have their fall colored leaves on them when the snow started. Usually the deciduous trees would be bare when it snowed. It was quite a sight!It cleared by 1 pm, but it was a sure sign that winter is around the corner!Had been tagged by Big Boy's Oven over the weekend, so here it

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-63800250975520938962007-10-21T16:38:00.000-06:002007-10-26T04:10:12.397-06:00

We took a leisurely mini road trip today towards Estes Park, and drove by the perfect setting for a Halloween party - the infamous Stanley Hotel that was made popular by Stephen King in the book and movie The Shining. In the movie, it was named the Overlook Hotel, and rumor has it that Mr Stephen King stayed in room 207 and wrote the story there.And driving by it in cool misty rain with grey

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-15677393962698284082007-10-20T17:41:00.000-06:002007-10-20T17:47:08.927-06:00

Just returned home and wanted to upload this picture for you guys. We took a mini road trip to the a little town nestled in a valley above 7500 feet from sea level and took this picture in misty rain and fog. Wanna make a guess where we went? Hint: This was the site for a Stephen King movie and a very scary one, I thought.

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-62806054785880711412007-10-19T10:08:00.000-06:002007-10-26T04:09:07.752-06:00

It was raining again this morning, and fog with the cold temperature were all seducing me back to slumber land. It would have been nice to sleep til noon, I thought. But no matter how many times I hit the snooze button, the alarm kept shocking me back into reality... Then I remembered that I don't have the luxury of sleeping in these days when I heard my kids woke up from their sleep. The next

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-64283320885462202752007-10-17T23:48:00.000-06:002007-10-18T14:36:21.079-06:00

I enjoy many cuisines, and lately my cooking had steered toward Hawaiian cuisine. This is often persuaded by which cookbook(s) I am reading. One of the many cookbooks I've been enjoying lately is by chef Sam Choy (the guru that made spam and char siew fried rice better known to mainland Americans, and also widely popular for home cooks in South-East Asia). This is one of his recipes that used the

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-15880528158347512962007-10-16T14:48:00.000-06:002007-10-17T02:32:10.907-06:00

I was just telling a friend yesterday that this is the perfect time of year to cuddle up to a good book and a cup of hot, steaming tea as the weather turns colder each passing day. However, it was so cold waking up this morning to rain, fog, and grey skies that I felt like having a little spicy noodle for lunch to warm me up fast. I often make this as a quick, simple, and spicy lunch for one, and

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-90053346776856998232007-10-15T11:44:00.001-06:002007-10-15T21:56:33.023-06:00

I am turning green. Or is it yellow-ish?It's more like a mellow green-ish, yellow-ish color. Like green eggs and ham?It started with that awful cold my family had last week, and it was followed by the stretch of rainy days. Come to think of it, it is all because of my little can of matcha that's been sitting at my counter, staring at me across the room, and constantly reminding me to make

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-78153317295600774322007-10-12T08:08:00.000-06:002007-10-12T10:48:38.965-06:00

It's going to be ski season again, and I can't wait to bring my little ones onto the ski slopes. Most of the ski slopes open around the 3rd week of November, and there will be a line of cars heading towards the mountains then.In the meantime, I'd like to share this fun little recipe that I often make for breakfast before hitting the ski slopes in the early mornings. The ingredients are so

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-1673739120397517282007-10-12T06:00:00.001-06:002007-10-17T01:33:36.582-06:00

You must be wondering what I did with those gorgeous coconuts by now...Well, besides stringing the half shells together for a quick replica of my favorite Hawaiian top (just kidding!), I've drank the coconut juice/water, made coconut milk with half of the coconut, and grated the other half of the coconut using two gadgets. One was this contraption that would be great for Halloween's torture

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-83657877240560740602007-10-10T06:38:00.000-06:002007-10-11T09:42:06.411-06:00

Funny how the songs of our childhood can be stuck in our heads for such a long time, and little things we do a minute ago can be lost... like where did I place the car keys?I remembered my older cousins spelling C-O-C-O, N-U-T, and singing coconut, coconut, A-B-C! I shouldn't have said that out loud while attacking my coconut earlier, because now my kids are singing it too. Over and over and over

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-54423012776306595292007-10-08T19:28:00.000-06:002007-10-09T10:46:36.080-06:00

When I started my kids at preschool for a few hours a week this fall, I thought that would free up some time from my crazy schedule. But that was wishful thinking. Have been spending the first week at Starbucks mobbing, the second week home attending to a sick family including myself. Now the third week's here and I still haven't gotten to my halloween projects. Maybe I should take up a time

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-10613065682745128362007-10-07T08:18:00.000-06:002007-10-07T08:27:00.207-06:00

First I thought of naming this post chicken buns, but Hubs thought that it would imply that I was actually fixing chickens' butts and bottoms like 'nice buns', or bums...I also thought of calling it Chicken Stuffed Buns. And he laughed.So I changed it to Buns of Steel! Oh No. I'm just kidding!It's now Buns with chicken. Unless I hear different for you?I know....You can go so many ways with that

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-60581155657779057412007-10-05T12:38:00.000-06:002007-10-08T20:43:00.438-06:00

Firstly, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your well-wishes. I couldn't stay away from the computer for long, although it's feels fussy to write with all the cold meds in my head.Dear Judy of Grandma Stories was right about kids getting sick easily when exposed to an array of germs in the classroom at the beginning of school. I'm glad that this will help build up their immune systems.

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-50550629534960773792007-10-05T11:01:00.000-06:002007-10-05T19:45:09.791-06:00

Since we are all fighting a cold, I thought it would be good therapy for me to make a sit-down breakfast for the family. They enjoy Eggs Benedict, and love dipping their potatoes into the pool of 'yellow sauce' as they call it. Used this recipe for hollandaise sauce and it worked very well.3 egg yolks (to combine the fat-based and water-based liquids, and because of that, we can enjoy things like

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33629510.post-30243555537605994152007-10-03T11:18:00.000-06:002007-10-03T11:48:13.911-06:00

My kids are down for the count as they both are having colds and staying home from school this week. So I apologize for not posting or visiting your sites lately. Will catch up as soon as I cannnnn-a-choo! Excuse me while I go grab a tissue!

East Meets West Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04622166767937903485noreply@blogger.com17