11.11.11 Elevating my mind & creativity through my senses

A wonderful morning I had even though it was 36ºF/2ºC out today, but I brave myself for another day of bike ride to work. Such lovely day should not be wasted. Not an eventful day, but it was a good one.

Kampua Mee at Rafie Cafe, Sibu. Delicious! :)

Last August, I had a blast, traveled back to my roots for  4Fs ~ family, friends, food and fun! :) I still miss my family and the food, after a couple of months back into reality, work and daily routine. Recently, I tried recreating what I still crave, The Kampua Mee of Sibu. My first taste of Kampua Mee was at Rafie Cafe in Sibu, Sarawak, during one of the most spontaneous and best trip I had -- driving from Kuching, Sarawak to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, with my sister and her 2 girlfriends. Simply delicious. With just little ingredients, the noodle satisfies all your taste buds. Since then, I have been craving for more. Too bad, we were in Sibu for only a few hours, stopping by for lunch and Durian.

Now, back in my own kitchen, I tried to recreate the Kampua Mee through my taste buds memory. Below is what I would think some of the ingredients would be, but with a twist as I am being my own cook.

Kampua Mee Style Noodle How-to.

My version of 'Kampua Mee' Style Noodle.
Ingredients
5-6 shallots
3-4 ( i like it a lot)  cloves of garlic
half a teaspoon dried chili flakes
3 tablespoon olive oil
half a cup of raw Shrimp (cut to smaller pieces, as I find that it flavors better in cut into small pieces.)
a cup of cut Gailan (optional)
a cup of sliced carrots (optional)
1 packet ( 1lb) of Hongkong style noodle ( pre cooked noodle)
2 tablespoon of light soy sauce.
Salt and pepper to taste.

my 'Kampua Mee' style noodle.

Heat up oil on medium, add onion and let oil infused the onion for about 5-10 minutes, Add garlic, do the same. Let the onion and garlic in the oil for about another 10 minutes, keeping the heat on medium till the onion and garlic gets caramelized. Add in half a teaspoon of chili flakes. less if you like it less spicy. I like mine a bit with heat. I added Gailan & Carrots for my recipe. You can omit this if you like. Mix well for about 5 minutes, then add in the Noodle. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Mix the ingredients well for about 10- 15 minutes, making sure the noodles are well blended well with flavors of the oil.

Cooking takes less then 30 minutes for this dish. I hope you'll try them and you will like this simple but flavorful dish.

10.10.10 - a gorgeous autumn day

a gorgeous Summer-like weather in Fall.

A trip to the best ice cream place in town with the cutest sight to see ~ a tiny car which fits only one person, a BMW Isetta and its lime green!:) A classic. the owner said that its more than 50 years old.

Definitely looks a lot like Mike Wozowski of Monster Inc character:) don't you think?:)

oooooh...Come to Mama!

Chocolate Goodness, by Katie Moon.

Chocolate Cake! yummm! I was writing about healthy food, eating them and as I was doing so, my door bell rang and there stood an angelic face of my neighbor with what I see as food in her hand. I was already smiling. Nothing looks like that than Chocolate Cake! Yummy, glistened shiny chocolate frosting see through from the container. oh my! She ask me if I would like to have some chocolate cake!!! "PINCH ME!" I told her:) Thanks Katie! oh I am so running/cycling/walking this weekend and I don't care! It's worth every bite!

I can't wait. Not to even put in on a plate. here's a few seconds damage I have made.

No mercy!

Yumm! That is a serious cake! Smooth, Chocolaty and Super Moist!
oh..my! leave me alone now:)

Katie is my neighbor whose kids I go play with whenever I hear their voice outside. They have been my remedy of my missing my nieces and nephews at home. Bless those kids. We exchange food a lot, which I also do to my other long time friend and neighbor, Naomi:)

Yang, if you read this, there might be or not be any left:) heheheh. Its mine..all mine...muuuahahahahahaha!

Turmeric Pepper Chicken Salad®

Turmeric Pepper Chicken Salad®

I have been eating good lately. I am gonna make some of my friends who read this drool:) you know who you are:) Its healthy, cheap and so yummy. I call it clean food. [ substitute any greens according to your region]

I miss my mom and her cooking especially fried fish marinated with turmeric and salt. I can eat a plate of just that.

Its cut chicken breast about half inch thick, marinated with turmeric powder, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Sometimes a squeeze of lemon juice. That's the short marinate. The long marinate, my fav chef, Alton Brown would soak chicken with salt water with a few peppercorn and overnight it in fridge. I love this technique. Your chicken is so moist and flavorful when you cook 'em. I would soak the whole chicken breast before cutting it.

Pan fry chicken with a bit of olive oil in pan . 5-7 minutes on each side or like I do, I would flip it if I see the one side all caramelized:).

Once cooked, I let those good eats rest a bit. That is if I can stand it. I'll have romaine and iceberg lettuce with chopped parsley. A mixture of the lettuce creates the crunch factor, then come the cut into cube chicken. Sprinkle with raisins. Yes, raisins. Anti-oxidant, sweet and scrumptious, a contrast in taste against the salty goodness, crunchy almost tasteless vege with aromatic parsley. No. I did not forget the dressings because I don't use dressings in this one. yeah..you may think, "R U nuts? Salad without dressings???" Trust me. Enjoy the taste of just the cold raw vege against warm or even cold chicken, with sweet raisin and aromatic herb, is enough to tease your taste buds:) let it dance, let it dance:) yummm. Well, if you still want dressings, squeeze some lemon and drizzle olive oil:) m-m-m-m-m:)

Try it, cooking is an art, not science;) Baking is. Just watch your salt:)

I stopped, stared & analyzed. Ann Arbor Art Fair 08

My recent asthma prevented me to walk and enjoy what I have been waiting for the last few months and today, the weather cooled down. I went. As I was in my zone, "Beep!", my camera phone's says low battery:( I wish so much I got a high res DSLR right then:( Words could not express what I saw. I went to their website, nah, that didn't help either, the images on their site, I would say, did not do justice to what you would see with your own naked eye. What I can tell you, if you ever get to know if these artists are coming to a nearby art fair, you go! Don't think. Just Go! You stare and analyze then wonder why they are who they are. Nah, not talking about that one you see here. those are pre-dead phone battery. but those are fun ones. - Bug'ems (pic above) & glass work seen in the art fair.

Below are list of art pieces that stopped me. Since I am camera-less, I am linking their websites with their art piece displayed. Remember, I did speed browsing as I only have a few hours and usually it would take me at least the whole day to finish.

Paper Expressions by Hetty and Norman Metzger of Florida. This one truly gave me goosebumps. The detail that these two artists had done were remarkable. So detail, all paper boxes well aligned with beautifully coordinated colors. I had a chance talking to Hetty Metzger, and how amazing her paper weave was. No, not ordinary weave, its paper fringe weave. "Oh my, how did you have the time?", I asked. An amazing lady patiently described her pieces. huhmmm..I am speechless. If I can recall..its something to do with Gators. So, so good!

Another was a metal art piece that just caught my attention. Lacosse Design by Scott & Victoria Lacosse of Sanford, Michigan. It takes true artist in my point of view to make hard metal looking so smooth and soft. I don't see it being a hard material but looking it almost like another soft textured medium. The treatment that was put into each art piece was so well thought of, colors are so well blended with its contrast of not just shapes, but the hues that interplay with each other, then a sudden copper wire and black steel ties each piece giving it a contemporary feel.

Frogs singing:)

Next three sites are for those who love textile art and how I adore these ones. Like I said earlier, their websites did not do justice to what you would see with your own eye.

Mimi Design Chicago displays beautiful modern quilt technique done from raw white textile and dyed each piece or section then sewn.

The next artist was Sierra A. Cole of Grand Rapids, Michigan, whom reminds me so much of my friend June, whom made me love textile more than anyone. Back to the artist. Her color choices are so beautiful, warm, cold and neutral colors. It would remind you of all the spring, summer, fall and winter colors in cold Michigan winter. Her fresh designs sticks in memory chip:)

Last but not least, was Susan Levi-Goerlich from Columbia, Maryland who did gorgeous silk collage using felt technique. No sticthing. She basically "paints" her pieces with silk collage. Its so amazing how it was done. I wish so much how I have a micrcospic eye where I can see each strand of material flows into each layer. too bad, she says she needs to take a year break, meaning I won't see her in the next Art fair:(

I love Art Fairs, especially Ann Arbor's. If you ever are in the area, come sometimes every 3rd week of July each and every year.

April Fool's Fest '08

Images taken at Main Street, Ann Arbor FestiFool's Fest. A festivals where volunteers of all ages make huge humongous papier-mâché puppets and parade all of these beautiful artwork in downtown Ann Arbor.

Enjoy!

I Walk for Ice Cream:( = :)

Summer is here and so is my ice cream craving, like as if I need a season [reason] to go for ice cream:) I am heading to Washtenaw Dairy for my yummy treats! My fav, Mocha Fudge is no longer in production at Stroh's so they are not carrying it any more! Why! Why! Oh why! Urrgh! Oh well, lets not make that a reason to stop. Latest and greatest, the Almond Joy ice cream at Washtenaw Dairy. Yummm!!!! Coconut ice cream with dark chocolate chunks and chocolate covered almonds. Are you drooling yet? But. Yes, there's a but. Now, I have to walk so I can have my ice cream treat. I would walk miles and miles for these reward! just tell me where it is that points to the best mom and pop store:)

Butter Pecan & Chocolate kid's cone

1 and half mile walk from downtown Ann Arbor = 1 Kiddy cone ice cream. Its worth every pace and every drop of sweat! A week's hard work's reward after sitting in my cube looking at a screen doodling, coloring websites! More later. Summer = sun = ice cream!

My Coke Memoir & I scream IceCream.

My very first Coca Cola was when I was about 5 years old. How I remembered this very well. I was at the door of my father's office which was on stilts. Yup, the very sturdy wooden office building was built on stilt near a river mouth northwest of Borneo island, a place call Kuala Lawas. The surroundings? My father and his colleague, they were intrigued of what I would do next to the glass bottle in my two little hands. Never had the luxury of anything like this, I shook the bottle, before my father finished saying, "Don't shake the bottle," and you know what happened next, bubbles poured out of the glass bottle when my dearest father popped the Coke cap. It was the most memorable taste I have ever had, fizzy and strange, but very good, very, very good!:) Almost like the fizz of young coconut juice. Ever had a fresh one? Natural fizz, I tell you. Other than this natural fizz, nothing beats the taste Coca Cola, not even pepsi can take over the very first taste of Coca Cola, in it's classic glass bottle. I am a fan of Coca Cola till now. Not changing it for another. I would know the difference between the ones from a can, a glass bottle and a plastic bottle. It's just different.

Fast forward 20 some years later, on a research trip for design and symbols into beautiful highland of Bario, main transport - my two feet with a group of scientist and I'm the only one doing Arts. With guides and camera equipments on my back, this had been the most memorable and wonderful experience - walking both in the rain and sunshine, crossing a two 6"-7" diameter, tied together side by side, bamboo bridge about 10-15ft high which feels like 15-20ft above the clear rocky river below, what was I thinking, keep going, keep going and look straight and don't look down. Then men will be always be boys...evil! They shook the bridge! Arrgh! Be brave and walk straight! Phew!!! and the thought of having to walk on it again on our way back! Urrrgh!

during these walk, leeches waiting to jump on any part of your body. If you can hear them say, this would be it. "Wowhooo! human passing through! Partay!" It's like, if I am gonna exaggerate, you'll see it jump like a human thirsty after a long walk on a dry dessert without water, saw a lake and jump in! Yeah! Like that! Those blood suckers, yup, literally speaking, will jump after the first sense of human that passed by, and after knowing that, I wanted to walk in front of everyone every opportunity I get, that is if I am able to catch up. After 7 hours of walking, we rested in a small hut, washed ourselves basically in the rain. All I want to do is sleep but was forced to eat for energy the next day. Whaa...I can barely eat a cup of those delicious clean tasting Bario rice. WHAT? The next day? Yup, another 7 hours. No fear, as I brought with me with a Snicker bar (my favourite) in my bag, this time uphill! Almost 3 hours uphill! Arrgh! We finally got to this beautiful sight at the bottom of the hill. The Village. That was the spot when I first saw a Clove plant, wow! Yup, THE spice.

We then went downhill, lived at the longhouse for a few days with beautiful work of art and very, very nice hosts, working. During these research I lifted, with permission, an old lady's sarong to draw and copy her tattoo, shot beautiful local art and crafts including beautiful old carvings. This is when I notice that the men have beautiful earrings then the women, but women's tattoos from this area are the most beautiful I have ever seen. After all work was done, we walked back about more then 10 hours (shorter because of downhill trips) straight to our headquarters and two broken toenail later, thirsty and hungry with all the tiredness, all I can think of was 'when I get there, all I want is COKE!' I don't care how much it cost, I want Coke. Ahhh! nothing can describe the taste of a warm coke! I don't care! ~ Oh wait, I think I saw Anthony Bourdain experiencing warm beer when he traveled in Borneo! I think he knows how that would taste like. No, soft drinks only for me.

These clear memories of food leads to another, I scream ICECREAM! Uhuh! you got that right. In my dark blue dress, my round curious 5 year old eyes were looking up at this strange shape of soft white cottony cloud-like looking thing on what they call a cone. A cake cone. Pale yellow. I am at awe and drooled. Oh so yummy! This is food, I thought. From then on, ice cream was and has been a wonderful treat my Mom and Dad would get for us, bought them and put them in thermo flask from a local ice cream store, SunnyHill, brought home for my siblings and I to enjoy. Ever had ice cream sandwich in a soft bun? yummm...

Those were my first memory. Now, I would go to this mom and pop store, Washtenaw Dairy, to get rid of my crave. Yeah right, crave. I would think of anything just to have a reason to go there. Hence the name, FreezerNinja. I was caught having icecream one night:) sneaky!

From Borneo to US. My food memoir. to be continued...

To drink or not to drink - Spoon Lickin' Good till the last drop - experience

Oh yummy goodness! how I wish I am a mini giraffe [its skinny and tall] and jump into the bottle of Calder Dairy's Peach drinking yogurt and clean the bottle up. Yes, its that good! Same goes to their Strawberry Banana drinking yogurt whom my colleague introduced last few years, bought from Lincoln Park location and we can never find it close enough to get in Ann Arbor till recently, after years of waiting! Bello Vino carries them. Both of us would scrape till its last drop if we can, which we did actually:) and no shame admitting to it! we both did just that, putting the bottle upside down and the goodness flows 2 more spoonful! . How I wish the bottle is designed with wide opening, like that of the milk bottle, you know? Mini version of course. Cute! Its smooth, sweet and tart with all the creamy goodness says it all. Perfecto! hmm..