Reflecting on 2020:
What a year 2020 was!
There is a lots of feelings weld up within everyone from the year 2020. This is supposed to be a food blog, and it is, but I want to bury all that feeling by expressing them first. Then, I want to share Year 2021, Jan's cooking experience below.
Year 2020, March - Just when things were warming up to the spring time weather, we got lock down to stay home. Even though we are still affected by the COVID-19, I learned a lot about my eating habits and how daily activities have been affecting my health and how I interacted anything to do with my home.
Negative and Positive of staying home - I often thought owning a home is really cool, especially I don't need to pack up and move each time the rent go up. After living in the same home for so many years, the year 2020 made me to really appreciate the fact that I can stay inside and still do activities. Nonsense stuff: Sorting out all the MacDonald's and Burger King Happy Meal toys for example that I collected over the years. They were for my grand-kids, but I think I enjoy them more. The few toys back in the 1999's through 2010's at least that I know of are so thoughtfully designed and quite ingenious. They took me half day to sort them out for later donation. Closet cleaning is even more interesting.
Cooking and Ordering Curbside Pick-Up: Cooking and teleworking have been taking over the entire day, daily. I tried to order curbside pickup a few times - to support local restaurants -but so disappointing. I was happy very happy with my first curbside order from the local Chili's. But disappointingly, the second order was like a left over or 'past-the-time' that should be tossed. After coming home, I noticed both the Chips and Entree were greasy and shabby. I had to toss my $14 order. It concreted my determination to cook for myself if I can't depend on these 'food-to-go' restaurants to be truthful in packing the food. I like Dos Coyotes in my neighborhood, and I would even drive 30 miles - RT 60 miles to order from PHO ABC in Folsom again.
Appreciation of Social Media and Separation from It: I can't imagine the coordination and timeless effort for those parents with children at home during this COVID-19. I look around my kitchen and it's like a distorted living space cooking for 10 people. Teleworking is really tough while it save my nerves from the daily commute, my metabolism went down to the pot. The Zoom KENDO and IAIDO practices in 2020 kept me going, but when the office projects take over and disrupt sleep pattern, my heart rate went down with it. My legs felt weak. The blood pressure went up. But the Zoom gave the opportunity for Zoom family parties for all occasions thus far. While many family opt to meet face-to-face within the families, but we opt to meet with Zoom to be safe. And I am glad I separated from the social media platform that many are so hooked to obtain LIKE or Don't LIKE strokes. But it does make the 'High Tech, High Touch' Megatrend very true to this date. The most disgraceful ones, however, is the misuse of the social platform by the highest official in the U.S.A. to incite civil disturbance - that person should just write a personal diary as a therapy instead.
So, what has been cooking in my kitchen since Jan 1, 2021?
I made MOCHI Cakes, Bourbon Vanilla Ice-Cream, Meringue Chocolate Chiffon Cake, Homemade Lactose Free Yogurt.
So, let's pray that year 2021 is a MOCHI MOCHI year that bring us together.
After rinsing 4 Cups of Glutinous Rice, soak them in water for 4 hours or overnight.
Steamed glutinous rice work the best; otherwise, cook the rice.
Transfer the rice into mixer bowl.
Rehydrate 1 TBsp of YOMOGI leaves with enough water to make them moist.
Add to the mixer and start beating at the lowest speed first for 30 sec.
Then, start increase the power at 1 minute interval.
Knead until glutinous rice seems to have kneaded evenly.
*When the rice is cooked in the regular rice cooker with measured water, the rice will be too soft to work with. So, steaming the glutinous rice wrapped with steamer cloth for 2 hours bring the best beaten MOCHI rice to make pastry.
Otherwise, MOCHI powder will do the job just as well.
If you have an automatic MOCHI maker that is even better.
It didn't turn out the way I wanted to, but it's Done! They are filled with cooked AZUKI bean paste.
Let us achieve all our goals in the year 2021 and blow the V-19 away!
