New Lai Wah Restaurant Adventure in Sacramento

It's rare that I venture into a restaurant by myself in Sacramento area, unless recommended by my friends.  Opportunity came last Friday when we had a welcoming late dinner for one of our visiting Kendo Sensei (instructor) from New York.  Whoever could make it attended the 11 pm party.  Yo my surprise, the dish is well prepared.   I did not eat much as it is 11 pm, but all the dish my friends ordered looks good and everyone enjoyed them well.   I tasted this eggplants with cod in claypot, braised TOFU, they were delicious.  It reminds me of New Yong Kang restaurant in Fremont (our family's favorite restaurant in the Bay area.) New Lai Wah is located in 5912 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95822 they are open from 11am - 1 am!!

Egg FuYong?!

I want go back there for lunch.  

From Garden to Table (GTT) TOFU Stew

This dish's ingredients are from my friend's garden and mine.  A couple of items are from the store.  We are so into this Farm to Table that I call this Garden to Table (GTT).  I am sure you have your own favorites, too.

It looks like a MAPO TOFU dish, but The dish turned out to be like a TOFU stew.

Buttermilk Pancakes

It's good to have a consistent result from your favorite recipe. This is third time I am making this for my beakfast   I hope you found a good scratch recipe for your family, too.  I like this buttermilk pancake ingredients. 

Measure 1-1/4 C Flour and Shift then, remeasure into 1-1/4

Shift flour again with heaping 1/4 tsp of Baking powder without Aluminum and 1/8 tsp of Baking Soda.  

Set aside.  

Whisk 2 Large Eggs, (extra large eggs are okay, too) and 2 Tbsp Organic Cane Sugar, 2 Tbsp Melted Butter.   Whisk till quite light (2-3 min.) then add 1-1/4 C Buttermilk.

Shift in flour mixture 1/4 C at a time. 

In the meatime, heat griddle to 350'F. 

"Coat" the griddle with vege oil with brush.  Drop batter to the size you like.  

Turn when some bubble form with a hint of browned or firm rim is formed.  Serve

Freeze any leftover.   

Testing FUTOMAKI Gadget

One of the fun in cooking is to test with new gadget.   For $1.50 this Japanese FUTOMAKI Gadget proved its worth.  I had my bamboo roller out and ready to roll with but I remember having purchased a roller at the DAISO.   Here is my result.  By the way, it would turn out much better if you use the regular short grain rice.  I  have been eating extra long grain Basmati rice cooked with Quinoa so that's what I used.  The test here is to see if the roller is worth trouble using it or make it the old fashion way.  

Ingredients would be cooked rice, cooled, seasoned slightly with sweetened rice vinegar.  Two sheets of NORI seaweed wrapper.  One egg beaten with pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp of sugar and 1 Tbsp of water.  Fry the beaten egg into crepe over a lightly coated frying pan (non stick frying pan works out the best for this job), after it is cooked and cooled, transfer to the cutting board and julienne slice into 1/4" wide.  Julienne cut a cucumber 1/4" wide - leave out the seedy core.   If you would like a crunchy cucumber, squeeze the cucumber between palms of your hands.  Squeeze as much liquid as you can.  You can leave it as is also.  Sliced avocado and anything else you want. 

Place the bottom mol into the bottom box.   Fill the lower cradel with rice 2/3 full, then top with all the cut vegetables and egg pieces.  Set aside.  Line the top round mold with NORI, then fill with rice.  One side of the NORI will extend out of the mold.  That's okay.  After filling with rice, press down with the back side of a soup spoon.   Place it on top of the bottom mold with rice and fillings.  

Revert the bottom out of the bottom box, then remove the box.  Roll the NORI that was extending out over the bottom halves.  Then cover it again with the bottom cradle.  Uncover, Rotate the whole roll over a bit. Recover and press.  Done!

Not a bad Gadget.  A keeper!

KABOCHA CHIFFON CAKE - Have you made one, yet?

For family gathering what else is better than making something tasty and healthy.

Canneles de Polly 2015 Un

It's been a while since I made this tasty pastry queen.  

Homegrown GOJI BERRIES

My friend gave me a GOJI berry plant.  Amazingly it is a hardy plant and it divides willingly.  And here they are this summer.

Peach Flavored Honey Meads

For a few days, I had my doubt the success of the honey mead.  The batch of raw honey I purchased was from the local grocery store, rather than directly from the local beekeeper.   But finally after a good long waiting, at a touch of a start of a simple stir, the honey sizzled upward like an effervescent spring, in effect, it out poured out of the jar.

 Fill with filtered water.

 Stir in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.

 After a week and a half, Miracle! the Bubbles and Sizzling sound.

 Fresh crisp peaches out of my garden.

 Peel and enclose them in cheesecloth.

 Add to the mead.

 After a couple of days, take it out.  Filter the meads through fine strainer.  I like to filter them through the coffee filters.  Then, bottle them in air tight capped bottle.  The bottle should be thick
enough to withstand the developed pressure in the bottle; otherwise, you will see a big mess of shattered bottle as though you had a great champagne party.
Cap air tight and keep undisturbed in a cool dark location for several months.
Enjoy!

Taking an Impressionistic Art Break

This mornimg my grandsons drawing caught my eyes.  I've seen them the day he drew, but not in details.   I am quite impressed with the details he added.  A bit of drawing guide from the How to Draw seems to have awaken his creative imaginations ...   Reminds me of couple of my favorite PC's available screen backgrounds - flying birdman, happy critters in the forest...