There is a contest going on at work, geared towards the United Way fundraising campaign. If selected, I get to perform at the September 30 United Way kick-off, where 'celebrity judges' will pick the most talented "banker". I suppose I could've played Beethoven's Sonata in G Major, Op. 49, 2nd movement, but it needs to be shorter than 3 minutes. The original recording of So What is a lot more spontaneous than what was written in the Hal Leonard Jazz piano series. I can't wait to see what others would do if they do decide to participate. Who knows... maybe a closet magician.. or maybe a singer or a dancer. Meanwhile, I'm just another ordinary bank teller.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
A Simple Affair with Food
Spices are my colour palettes when it comes to food. Making a curry paste from scratch is a lot of fun, but can be a lot of work. Being a modern day lazy girl, however, I don't use the mortar and pestle to grind the spices together -- just like my grandma did. The food processor cuts the length of 3 hours into less than 1 hour. Sometimes, even the simplest combination of spices can change the way you eat food. I just discovered that paprika is such a versatile spice! You can use it to brown ground beef and chicken (in lieu of black pepper) or you can use it to make a huge pot of chilli.
Since I am no longer in school, I have all the luxurious time to experiment with cooking. The inspiration, of course, usually comes from eating my boyfriend's Oma's cooking, watching cooking shows and browsing various recipes online. We can watch as many cooking shows as we can, but it is only practice that makes us better cooks. There are so many reasons why we should try to eat home-cooked meals everyday: you can have a lot of fun shopping for fresh ingredients weekly at the local farmer's market -- which surprisingly is a lot cheaper than buying from grocery stores. YOU have control of what you put into your meal; also, it allows room to be creative and fun while it helps leave less carbon footprint for the environment.
The daunting part, however, is usually the number of people you are cooking for. I find it unmotivating to cook for just myself -- heaps of leftovers every day for the next few days... hurrah! But then, it solves the problem of having to go out for lunch when you're on a strict budget.
Some spices are best taken uncooked; a holistic doctor told me that if you were to drink water mixed with a quarter teaspoon of tumeric powder, its enzymes will help kill any bacterial infection in the intestines. Cumin seed goes well with your tea for good health. Without further due, here was what I did to the chicken drumsticks with paprika:
-Marinate with salt and pepper and paprika; the paprika gives it a sweet red pepper zest to it
-Brown the chicken in two tablespoonfuls of heated olive oil for at least more than 20 minutes, until thoroughly cooked through
- Add a splash of sherry cooking wine and a sprinkle of brown sugar at the near end.
My boyfriend was complaining that he doesn't like brown rice, so I did something different: add a bit of chicken broth while cooking the rice. There are many exciting ways to prepare rice -- it can be boiled, fried or steamed; to make curry fried rice: fry it in a pan using approximately one tablespoonful of curry powder (or tumeric powder, cumin seed, coriander, tad bit of red chilli, lemongrass) along with a bit of yoghurt or coconut milk; if you don't like the heatiness of curry, you can always wind it down further with a sprinkle of sugar. Alternatively, simply adding just a bit of coconut milk when you are boiling your rice gives it a nice flavour too. Then, you can always prepare rice in jambalaya -- the perfect hearty one-pot dish to have for the week. In the case of adding too much water and broth while making rice, you will end up with a delicious congee.
Cooking doesn't have to be restaurant grade to be good; it just has to be nourishing and wholesome for your body and mind.
Some spices are best taken uncooked; a holistic doctor told me that if you were to drink water mixed with a quarter teaspoon of tumeric powder, its enzymes will help kill any bacterial infection in the intestines. Cumin seed goes well with your tea for good health. Without further due, here was what I did to the chicken drumsticks with paprika:
-Marinate with salt and pepper and paprika; the paprika gives it a sweet red pepper zest to it
-Brown the chicken in two tablespoonfuls of heated olive oil for at least more than 20 minutes, until thoroughly cooked through
- Add a splash of sherry cooking wine and a sprinkle of brown sugar at the near end.
My boyfriend was complaining that he doesn't like brown rice, so I did something different: add a bit of chicken broth while cooking the rice. There are many exciting ways to prepare rice -- it can be boiled, fried or steamed; to make curry fried rice: fry it in a pan using approximately one tablespoonful of curry powder (or tumeric powder, cumin seed, coriander, tad bit of red chilli, lemongrass) along with a bit of yoghurt or coconut milk; if you don't like the heatiness of curry, you can always wind it down further with a sprinkle of sugar. Alternatively, simply adding just a bit of coconut milk when you are boiling your rice gives it a nice flavour too. Then, you can always prepare rice in jambalaya -- the perfect hearty one-pot dish to have for the week. In the case of adding too much water and broth while making rice, you will end up with a delicious congee.
Cooking doesn't have to be restaurant grade to be good; it just has to be nourishing and wholesome for your body and mind.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Bakeries: Today's Endangered Shops
Growing up in a small town, my family has always made frequent visits to the local bakery. It was a schoolmate's family business. Back then, you had the choice between buying baked goods from Jee Ho Hin, Tasty Shop, Sea View department store or Smart (which is now SupaSave). B$1.00 for a fresh big loaf of bread from Jee Ho Hin. If you wanted something quick for an afternoon tea, there would be butter buns, curry puff, egg tarts, red bean buns.... It was the bakery my family would go to for years on birthdays until Moi Nam and Marilyn bakeries opened. Bakeries still thrive in my hometown; they are popular hangout places in a very laid back country. WYWY offers a range of baked goods to "nasi lemak" to satay. I dare say they have the best satay in town at the moment. What can we say? Bruneians love to eat and the food is very affordable.
Sadly, in Edmonton where it isn't really fair to compare to any small towns at all, independently owned bakeries are rare. Once they close, they will never open again. Their competitors: Costco, Walmart and other retail grocery stores which offer convenience and fresh baked goods in bulk. At the same time, coffee shops can be an indirect form of competition. If you are willing to pay $5.00 for a fancy venti non-fat something-something latte, why not spend that $5 for a decent cup of plain coffee and freshly baked pastry?
118th Avenue may have a bad reputation in the city for being the hot spot for tramps and johns, but it is home to a community of many independently owned authentic shops. Handy Bakery (8660 118 Avenue) is one of the best Italian bakeries I have ever been to. The cookies literally melts in your mouth into cookie heaven; Cookie Monster could probably have tasted them even though he were to inhale them. There is a deli section for sandwich meats; you can get a freshly made sandwich for $3.00.
Another bakery to check out is Empress Bakery on Whyte Avenue. There were more bakeries on Whyte Avenue, but they slowly disappeared as Whyte Ave became more urban.
Baking is an art; when it is mass-produced, it becomes rather efficient, dull and wasteful. Let your senses be simulated: the smell of freshly baked danishes, the taste that screams the passion and the love of baking, the texture of quality baked goods that crumbles vulnerably in your mouth and the sight of perfectly decorated pastries. Feel free to explore! Add your favourite local bakeries by dropping on comment on this article. Bon appetit!
Sadly, in Edmonton where it isn't really fair to compare to any small towns at all, independently owned bakeries are rare. Once they close, they will never open again. Their competitors: Costco, Walmart and other retail grocery stores which offer convenience and fresh baked goods in bulk. At the same time, coffee shops can be an indirect form of competition. If you are willing to pay $5.00 for a fancy venti non-fat something-something latte, why not spend that $5 for a decent cup of plain coffee and freshly baked pastry?
118th Avenue may have a bad reputation in the city for being the hot spot for tramps and johns, but it is home to a community of many independently owned authentic shops. Handy Bakery (8660 118 Avenue) is one of the best Italian bakeries I have ever been to. The cookies literally melts in your mouth into cookie heaven; Cookie Monster could probably have tasted them even though he were to inhale them. There is a deli section for sandwich meats; you can get a freshly made sandwich for $3.00.
Another bakery to check out is Empress Bakery on Whyte Avenue. There were more bakeries on Whyte Avenue, but they slowly disappeared as Whyte Ave became more urban.
Baking is an art; when it is mass-produced, it becomes rather efficient, dull and wasteful. Let your senses be simulated: the smell of freshly baked danishes, the taste that screams the passion and the love of baking, the texture of quality baked goods that crumbles vulnerably in your mouth and the sight of perfectly decorated pastries. Feel free to explore! Add your favourite local bakeries by dropping on comment on this article. Bon appetit!
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