Salt & Pepper Crab

When I was first learning how to cook, circa 1990’s, the family went on a road trip vacation to San Francisco.  While there, we went to a non-descript restaurant called Thanh Long, where their specialty is Roast Crab. 

I Dream of Red Velvet & How to Line a Round Pan

Last Saturday, a friend of Veggie Girl and I hosted a casual get together among just us friends, which is really just a small group, and at the same time to celebrate the birthdays of Veggie Girl, Mr. R & Miss D, all within a few days from each other. Our friend Mrs. L prepared a Korean bbq feast for us, and may I say Hibachi Style, where you cook your own meat at the table, just like how they do it at a Korean restaurant.  What a delicious meal, indeed!

Sweet Chili Ribs

I made some salt and pepper crabs yesterday ( I will post the recipe soon), and I did not know what to pair it with.  I had pork spare ribs already thawing out but I still didn’t know what to do with the ribs to make it go well with the crabs. 

Classic Bistek

Another classic Filipino beef dish.  This is how my mom's bistek tasted, so this is what I am imparting to all of you.

  

Spicy Green Beans & Tofu Stir Fry

Stir fried green beans are, hands down, one of my favorite dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant. If it's on the menu, it'll be on my tab. However, when I first tried to make them at home, my green beans didn't quite turn out the same. The green beans at the restaurant had a wrinkly exterior but a crunchy interior which was what I loved about them but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get my green beans to turn out the same way. My homemade version tasted pretty good too but they just didn't have the same wrinkly texture.

Calamari

Yesterday I promised you I was going to post how I recycled the Grilled Squid leftover I had from Gerry’s Grill.  Before becoming a blogger, I probably would have just resorted to throwing away that leftover, since when I reheated it for lunch, it was starting to get chewy/rubbery.  The day progressed and I just cannot bring myself to letting the squid go to waste, especially since I know just a few hours ago, this squid was so delicious.

Gerry's Grill (Food Review)

The City Plaza, 11710 South Street, Artesia, CA 90701  Tel. 562-403-1000  http://www.gerrysgrill.com/us/index.php

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…..happy birthday Veggie Girl.  That’s right, yesterday was Veggie Girl’s birthday.  Weeks before yesterday, I’ve been thinking of what I can give her on her birthday.

Leche Flan (Custard)

I should have followed my Arroz a’la Valenciana post last Thursday with this.  Afterall, what better way to cap off a Spanish meal, but with a Spanish desert.  But housewifely duties came first, that is, cooking, cleaning and laundry, you get the picture.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Congee

Congee is a popular dish in my household. We love congee at any time of the day be it plain congee eaten in place of rice and accompanied by a few Asian dishes, or congee that's been flavored with meat and vegetables.

If you're not familiar with congee, it is basically rice that's been boiled down with water to yield a thick and creamy consistency. My Cantonese maternal grandma would call it 'jook' and my Hokkien paternal grandma would call it 'moy'. Besides being a popular breakfast food in many Asian cultures, it's also commonly fed to babies and toddlers. I practically grew up on this stuff.  Congee is such a comfort food too. When someone in my family is sick, congee is often eaten because it is soothing and easy to digest.

Sauteed Bok Choy and Mushrooms

Yesterday I made Arroz a’la Valenciana, and so for today, I thought I’d go meatless and make some veggies.  And just like Veggie Girl, I love bok choy, and her recent Bento Box Lunch post inspired me to make my own version.