Memories in the Cooking

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. 

This is such a nutritious dish. The sauce base is made of blended vegetables and the whole dish is stacked with more vegetables. What more? It is a very pretty dish.  Ingredients: - vegetable sauce (made from blending any vegetables with tomato pastata) - 2 croquettes (cut into discs) - 2 brinjals (cut into discs) - 2 large tomatoes (cut into discs)  - dried mixed herbs  - salt and pepper  - garlic oil (olive oil with roasted garlic)  Procedures  1) Place the vegetable sauce in a baking tray (should be able 3cm in height)  2) Arrange croquettes, brinjals and tomatoes in an alternating way until the whole baking tray is filled up.  3) Drizzle the vegetable with garlic oil 4) Bake at 180 degree for 40 mins. Serve.  

This pork belly has crispy skin and soft meat.  Ingredients: - pork belly, scored in a diamond way  - assorted vegetables (potatos, carrots, celery, garlic) - salt  - 2 chicken cubes  - bay leaves  - Italian herbs  - vegetable oil  - 2 tablespoons of mustard  Procedures: 1) Rub salt on pork belly skin.  2) In a metal baking tray, stir-fry vegetable oil, assorted vegetables, bay leaves and Italian herbs over the stove.  3) Push the vegetables aside. Sear pork belly's skin until slightly brown. Turn the pork belly over.  4) Pour water into the tray until it covers the meat but not the skin. Add chicken cubes. 5) When the sauce comes to a boil, place the tray into an oven. Slow-cook the dish for 2-3 hour at 180 degree Celsius.  6) Place the pork belly on a meat board. Place the vegetables in a serving dish. Make a sauce from the meat drippings by adding mustard sauce. Serve    

This pasta is so pretty. It is also very refreshing with the generous amount of lemon juice and dill. I serve it chill on a hot day.  Ingredients: - 2 to 3 whole beetroot, cut into chunks  - 3 gloves of garlic  - 2 chicken cubes  - 1 block of feta cheese  - 1 handful of walnut  - 1 bunch of dill - juice of 4 lemons  - 1 packet of fettuccine pasta  - salt, sugar and pepper  Procedures: 1) Cook beetroot, garlic in chicken stock (made from chicken cube and water) for 15 minutes. Blend them into a sauce.  2) Cook fettuccine pasta according to packet instructions. 3) Mix fettuccine pasta with beetroot sauce, lemon juice. Add salt, sugar and pepper to adjust the taste. Place them on a serving plate.  4) Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese, chopped walnut and chopped dill on the pasta. Serve. 

This is the dessert I would make to reduce the effort required for a dinner party.  Ingredients: - 400ml of whipping cream  - 4 large tablespoons of hazelnut chocolate spread  - any toppings (wafer sticks, popcorns)  Procedures:  1) Whip cream until almost stiff.  2) Add hazelnut chocolate spread. Whip a bit more until stiff.  3) Pour chocolate mousse into a serving bowl (or small serving cups).  4) Decorate with any toppings.