Memories in the Cooking

This is a refreshing crunchy salad which will serve as a good side dish.  Ingredients: -1 bunch celery  - 2 apples  - 1 block of Feta Cheese  - 1 cup of dried cranberries  - 1 cup of chopped walnuts  - 1 bunch of mint leaves  - juice of 2 lemons  - 1 bunch of dill  - olive oil  - 1 teaspoon of minced garlic  Procedures: 1. Chop celery and apples. Place them in a salad bowl. Add cranberries and chopped walnuts.  2. Make salad dressing by mixing lemon juice with chopped dill, olive oil and minced garlic.  3. Add salad dressing and toss the salad.  4. Top up with crumbled feta cheese and mint leaves. 

This is a lamb leg recipe that is easy, fast and delicious.  Ingredients:  - Lamb Leg (Butterflied)  - 10 cloves of garlic (crushed) - 1 can of pineapple (chopped) - 3 tablespoons soya sauce - salt, Italian herbs (amount as preferred)  Procedures: 1) Marinate butterflied lamb leg with crushed garlic, chopped pineapple and soya sauce for 24 hours, in the fridge.  2) Let the lamb leg rest at room temperature.  3) Sear the lamb leg on stove. After that place it on a baking tray. Add salt, herbs and olive oil.  3) Oven roast it at 220 degree Celsius for 10 mins (fat side up first).  4) Meanwhile reduce the pineapple garlic into a sauce.  5) Turn the lamb leg over, spread the sauce on the lamb leg. Roast for another 10-15 minutes. Let the lamb leg rest for 30 mins. 

I always thought that Olive Rice is a Thai dish until I found a recipe of it in a Teochew cookbook. If it is really Teochew, then I guess it is closer to my heritage. Anyway, Olive Rice is another hassle-free rice dish for a medium-size party of around 20 people. The olive leaves is so flavourful that no additional seasoning is necessary. Ingredients: - 5 cups of rice - 3 cups of cashew nuts - 3 huge tablespoons of olive vegetables - 3 cups of raisins  - 100g of fried shallots  - 6-8 chinese sausages  - 2 slices of oil preserved fish  - fish sauce  Procedures: 1) Cook rice in rice-cooker. Place chinese sausages on top of the rice when cooking.  2) When cooked, remove the chinese sausages and slice it.  3) Add to the rice - olive leaves, fried shallots, preserved fish, cashew nuts and raisins. Mix it well.  4) Add fish sauce to taste.  5) Arrange the sliced chinese sausages on the rice. Serve. 

I often host dinner parties. In order to manage all the dishes, each dish needs to be simple to execute. Panna Cotta is a simple dessert for such occasions.  Ingredients: - 300 ml of milk  - 200 ml of heavy cream - 3 teaspoons of gelatin powder  - half a cup of sugar  - 1 tablespoon of vanilla paste - flesh of 3 passion fruits  - honey/golden syrup Procedures: 1) Add the milk to a saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin powder on the milk and let it sit for 5 mins.  2) Heat the milk and dissolve the gelatin. Add sugar and dissolve the milk. Try not to bring the milk to a boil.  3) Add heavy cream and vanilla paste to the milk mixture. Stir well to combine. Pour into a mould to set. Place them in the fridge. 4) To the flesh of the passion fruits, add honey/golden syrup to the desired sweetness. When serving, pour the passion fruit sauce on the Panna Cotta. 

This is a refreshing cucumber yogurt salad.  Ingredients: - 3 Japanese cucumbers, grated  - 1 small tub of Greek yogurt  - 1 tablespoon lemon juice  - 1 tablespoon of olive oil  - 1 teaspoon of grated garlic  - 1 tablespoon of chopped dill  - black pepper  Procedures - Mix everything together.  - Sprinkle on more dill and black pepper. 

I first had homemade mayonnaise at a Spanish neighbour's house many years ago. Today, I just decided to try it for myself. And here it is!  Ingredients: - one whole egg  - 1/2 teaspoon of salt  - pepper  - juice of 1 lemon  - 1 tablespoon of mustard  - one cup of veg oil  Procedures: - Just blend everything together using a hand-blender.  - You can make a few variations with gochujang, fresh herbs, garlic, miso etc. 

I made-over a store-bought cake with some whipped cream frosting. Ingredients: - 500ml of whipping cream  - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract  - 1 tablespoon of corn starch  - 1 cup of icing sugar  - freeze-dried strawberries (crushed into powdery form)  - strawberry jam  Procedures:  1) Whip cream, vanilla extract, corn starch, icing sugar into stiff peaks.  Cut a store-bought cake into 2 pieces (cross-section). Spread one layer of jam and one layer of whipped cream between the 2 halves of the cake.  2) Cover the cake with whipped cream frosting. Place it in the fridge for a few hours.  3) Dust the cake with crushed freeze-dried strawberry. Serve. 

This is essentially French version of seafood stew. You can make it using any combination of seafood in prawn broth.  Ingredients: - prawns heads and shells  - any combination of seafood (prawns, mussels, clams, octopus, lobsters, fish)  - tomato pastata  - vegetables (funnel, carrots, tomatoes etc) - salt, pepper, sugar - mixed dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil)  - onions and garlic  Procedures: 1) Fry prawns heads and shells in onions and garlic. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Add water. Let it simmer for 30 mins. Strain away the prawn heads and shells.  2) Place the prawns broth back into the pan. Add vegetables, mixed dried herbs and tomato pastata. Let it simmer for 30 mins. Blend the mixture into a smooth broth.  3) Cook the seafood in the broth. Serve. 

I love sour desserts. Lemon Tart is one dessert that I cannot resist.  Ingredients: - 250g of digestive biscuits  - 120g of butter  - 4 large lemons - 8 eggs - 1 can of cream - 100g of sugar  Procedures: 1) Blend digestive butter and melted butter. Lay it on a baking tin. Place it in the fridge. 2) In a pan, add lemon juice, eggs, cream and sugar. Cook under low fire until it thickens. 3) Place on the tin. Chill it overnight. Top up with fruits and icing sugar before serving.