Peggy's latest acquisition--
San Remo Forever
Friday, March 30, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Yi shi wei liao ( let food be madicine)
Have you ever noticed that most Chinese reataurants,(especially the good ones) are packed with Chinese families most days of the week and especially during the weekends. I am referring to the restaurants in the Capital cities of Australia. Try having Yam Cha on any weekend the queue is usually that long your waiting time is always more than an hour. That is because the Chinese love their food. The Westerners eat to live, whereas the Chinese live to eat. Despite that fact very few chinese are obese. Not many of them are fat fat, (know what I mean?). Very few have lobes of flesh hanging on all sides with buttocks that look like elephants' rumps.
Indeed the Chinese are obsessed with food. When a Chinese meets another kinsman he does not say "How are you?" He usually inquires, " Have you had anything to eat?"
The enjoyment of cuisine is also considered an art as well as a measure of culture. Like the French the Chinese are very serious about their cuisine. As far as cooking is concerned the French have done the most with the most whereas the Chinese have done the most with the least. Most Chinese will agree with the French gastronome, Brillat-Savarin,that "the discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a new star"
Fancy having chicken feet in plum sauce or birds' nest soup or veges fried in shrimp paste? Yamee!!
Throughout history the Chinese have suffered from severe famines that they have learnt to turn everything edible into items for consumption.
The Chinese see food as something important for the maintenance of good health and many view that food and medicine should not be perceived as seperate. Eating a healthy diet is our first line of defence against disease and is a potent form of preventative medicine.
In the west,foods are classified chemically into fat, proteins and carbohydrates or fattening or non fattening.
Whereas the Chinese have two classes of food -- hot or cool.
'Hot foods' can be beneficial or harmful depending on the consumers' condition at any one time. Good 'hot foods' improves the digestion and stimulates metabolism. Bad 'hot food' worsens infections and fevers. Examples of hot food, ginger, chillies,
pepers, garlic, chestnuts,and beef.
'Cool foods' can also be good or bad at different times. 'Cool food' is cleansing and soothing.It relieves fevers. Excessive cool food causes runny nose, diarrhea, etc. Examples of 'cool food' are cucumbers, lettuce,and most fruits.
I don't think i need go into detail about the Chinese version of food chemistry. You still have to have a well balanced combination of hot and cool food to stay healthy and strong.
Avoid overeating especially meat.
Longevity comes with good food and hard work.
Enjoy your food but don't overeat.
Indeed the Chinese are obsessed with food. When a Chinese meets another kinsman he does not say "How are you?" He usually inquires, " Have you had anything to eat?"
The enjoyment of cuisine is also considered an art as well as a measure of culture. Like the French the Chinese are very serious about their cuisine. As far as cooking is concerned the French have done the most with the most whereas the Chinese have done the most with the least. Most Chinese will agree with the French gastronome, Brillat-Savarin,that "the discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a new star"
Fancy having chicken feet in plum sauce or birds' nest soup or veges fried in shrimp paste? Yamee!!
Throughout history the Chinese have suffered from severe famines that they have learnt to turn everything edible into items for consumption.
The Chinese see food as something important for the maintenance of good health and many view that food and medicine should not be perceived as seperate. Eating a healthy diet is our first line of defence against disease and is a potent form of preventative medicine.
In the west,foods are classified chemically into fat, proteins and carbohydrates or fattening or non fattening.
Whereas the Chinese have two classes of food -- hot or cool.
'Hot foods' can be beneficial or harmful depending on the consumers' condition at any one time. Good 'hot foods' improves the digestion and stimulates metabolism. Bad 'hot food' worsens infections and fevers. Examples of hot food, ginger, chillies,
pepers, garlic, chestnuts,and beef.
'Cool foods' can also be good or bad at different times. 'Cool food' is cleansing and soothing.It relieves fevers. Excessive cool food causes runny nose, diarrhea, etc. Examples of 'cool food' are cucumbers, lettuce,and most fruits.
I don't think i need go into detail about the Chinese version of food chemistry. You still have to have a well balanced combination of hot and cool food to stay healthy and strong.
Avoid overeating especially meat.
Longevity comes with good food and hard work.
Enjoy your food but don't overeat.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The Hunt's Residence
I don't think this picture was ever posted on Wendy's Blog. It is the place of residence for the Hunt Family. Wendy wil be surprised to see it herself.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
How Australians have changed.
What tickled me most, as I watched Steady, Ready, Cook, a TV Cooking Programme, last week, was the constant reference made to Asian ingredients like sesame oil, Indonesian ketchup manis, hoisin sauce and veggies like Bock Choy, Choy Sam, Kai lan and spices like coriander seeds and condiments like prawn paste. All totally foreign to most Australians not too long ago. The chefs, I am referring to were Aussies. They used the wok and talked about stir-frying as a preference to boiling or steaming vegetables.
Indeed Australians have come a long way. Walk into any restaurant and you are likely to find listed, on the menu, fusion food -- in reference to food with Asian Flavour.
I was at Byron Bay two years ago and I had the most delicious dish of shellfish (Mussels) prepared in Vietnamese style in an Aussie restaurant
Most Australians I know love Laksa and they are familiar with roast pork and Char Siew . Invite an Aussie Friend to Yam Cha he knows what he is likely to be served. Some will even tell you what they like to have.
When we first moved to Adelaide, in 1976, we would consider ourselves lucky if you could buy ingredients like coconut milk, or dried chilly from the supermarkets. You would have to travel to the city to buy the stuff you like in a Chinese grocer (at that time they were few and far between, now you find them by the dozens in any Chinatown).I remember we had to drive a few kilometers to a private home to buy bean sprout. To day bean sprout is served in Greek and Italian restaurants in their salads.
Walk into Coles or Wollies and you are sure to find one of the aisles marked Asian foods. Fruits like durians, mangoesteens and rambutans are displayed on the tables and shelves. Of course you pay for them through your nose.
When you invite some friends to your house for a meal they know what to expect. They will tell you there is going to be satay and fried noodles. Prawn on your BarB is a Vietnamese concoction, did you know that?
Jamie Oliver , the young English Chef, uses the lesung (mortar and pestal) to prepare his fresh ingredients for his cooking. Indeed the lesung is a symbol of a master cook and it is an item most sought after even if it not used for the purpose it is made for. They are on sale at Target, Kmart and BigW
Where do you go for the best Asian Meal -- the answer is Sydney or alternatively any of the capital cities in Australia.
Hawker food stalls are found in all food courts. Have a char koay teow (fried rice noodle) the next time visit a food court . It is my favourite, served with lots of chilly.
Enjoy!!!
What tickled me most, as I watched Steady, Ready, Cook, a TV Cooking Programme, last week, was the constant reference made to Asian ingredients like sesame oil, Indonesian ketchup manis, hoisin sauce and veggies like Bock Choy, Choy Sam, Kai lan and spices like coriander seeds and condiments like prawn paste. All totally foreign to most Australians not too long ago. The chefs, I am referring to were Aussies. They used the wok and talked about stir-frying as a preference to boiling or steaming vegetables.
Indeed Australians have come a long way. Walk into any restaurant and you are likely to find listed, on the menu, fusion food -- in reference to food with Asian Flavour.
I was at Byron Bay two years ago and I had the most delicious dish of shellfish (Mussels) prepared in Vietnamese style in an Aussie restaurant
Most Australians I know love Laksa and they are familiar with roast pork and Char Siew . Invite an Aussie Friend to Yam Cha he knows what he is likely to be served. Some will even tell you what they like to have.
When we first moved to Adelaide, in 1976, we would consider ourselves lucky if you could buy ingredients like coconut milk, or dried chilly from the supermarkets. You would have to travel to the city to buy the stuff you like in a Chinese grocer (at that time they were few and far between, now you find them by the dozens in any Chinatown).I remember we had to drive a few kilometers to a private home to buy bean sprout. To day bean sprout is served in Greek and Italian restaurants in their salads.
Walk into Coles or Wollies and you are sure to find one of the aisles marked Asian foods. Fruits like durians, mangoesteens and rambutans are displayed on the tables and shelves. Of course you pay for them through your nose.
When you invite some friends to your house for a meal they know what to expect. They will tell you there is going to be satay and fried noodles. Prawn on your BarB is a Vietnamese concoction, did you know that?
Jamie Oliver , the young English Chef, uses the lesung (mortar and pestal) to prepare his fresh ingredients for his cooking. Indeed the lesung is a symbol of a master cook and it is an item most sought after even if it not used for the purpose it is made for. They are on sale at Target, Kmart and BigW
Where do you go for the best Asian Meal -- the answer is Sydney or alternatively any of the capital cities in Australia.
Hawker food stalls are found in all food courts. Have a char koay teow (fried rice noodle) the next time visit a food court . It is my favourite, served with lots of chilly.
Enjoy!!!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
End of Summer
If you have read Wendy's entry in her blog you would have come to the conclusion that EL Ninio has given way to EL Nina with a vengence. Indeed it has. We did have a very severe storm in our part of the ACT a few weeks back. It was one huge downpour accompanied with hailstones the size of marbles lasting about an hour that changed the landscape especially alongside the waterways and the lake which was covered with tons of debri. Wendy's report was centred on the CBD of Canberra. Yet in the south, where we happen to be, the rain was light and gentle. How widespread the damage is yet to be discovered.
The weather still remains warm , with tempertures down from the thirties to about 27/28 range and still very hunmid. The forecast shows rain / storm for the next week and contrast that with dry run we have had for at least ten to twelve months. We welcome the wet but not the devastating storms. We need all the rain we can get to fill our reservoirs and water tanks or we would have to get used to the idea of drinking 'poo water' that is talked about for some time. Our trees, lawns and gardens need the moisture to survive. We truly pray for the return of El nina and hope it stays for some time yet.
The weather still remains warm , with tempertures down from the thirties to about 27/28 range and still very hunmid. The forecast shows rain / storm for the next week and contrast that with dry run we have had for at least ten to twelve months. We welcome the wet but not the devastating storms. We need all the rain we can get to fill our reservoirs and water tanks or we would have to get used to the idea of drinking 'poo water' that is talked about for some time. Our trees, lawns and gardens need the moisture to survive. We truly pray for the return of El nina and hope it stays for some time yet.
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