Fluffy Chai Poh (Salted Turnip) Omelette (菜脯卵)

My mother didn't make Chai Poh Omelette (菜脯卵) very often, because chai poh wasn't a regular item in her pantry. So, I can't say I have a fabulous recipe which was passed on from my mother, and which I will pass on to my daughter. This is a recipe I came up with for friends who think that Chai Poh Omelette is de rigueur when they come to my place for Teochew Porridge.

My recipe combines the elements that I like in a French omelette – fluffy, creamy and not too oily – and a Chinese omelette – fragrant and aromatic because it's fried till golden brown, unlike its anemic French counterpart. To make the omelette I like, I add one tablespoon of milk to each egg. The milk makes the omelette very forgiving, allowing it to be well browned whilst keeping the texture creamy and fluffy with minimal oil. The omelette must be fairly thick so that it doesn't dry out, and the heat mustn't be excessive. I start with high heat, reducing to medium, then low, as the omelette cooks. To keep the saltiness in check, I rinse the chai poh mince three times and add some sugar. Lastly, a little bit of garlic is always good.

Anything else . . . ? Oh yes, I use an 18-cm frying pan. Fried in a wok, the edge of the omelette is thinner than the middle. A pan, however, makes an omelette with even thickness that cooks evenly.

To me, a fluffy Chai Poh Omelette with a bowl of steaming porridge is one of the greatest pleasures of life. I'd sooner give up all the shark's fin and abalones in the world than Chai Poh Omelette! Am I mad?



15 September 2011 Update

You must watch this Mandarin video even if you don't understand Mandarin:



Check these out:

Teochew Porridge	Steamed Pork Ribs with Fermented Black Beans	Teochew Pork Porridge	Drunken Chicken & Eggs

Broccoli Claims Feline Victim

Don't worry. Big Mac's alive and well. She was really fat about two years ago when the photos above were taken. She's now a bit less fat – still fat, though – since I took her off free feeding and controlled her portions. It's not easy being hard-hearted 'cause she meows pitifully and begs for food. When she's really desperate, she follows me around and nips my ankles sharply. Light nipping means she's just trying her luck! I think adding water to her food helps her eat less. I also give her some exercise by playing fetch – or is it chase? – with her using dry cat food. When she first started the game, she was panting after 8-9 rounds. She has since improved a lot and can do 20 rounds with no problem. She loves chasing after kibbles, and I love watching her run with her hind legs splayed comically. When she crouches and eats, her hind legs are still splayed! Big Mac's not quite the lady she should be but I wouldn't have her any other way. I love this entertaining goofball.
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Teochew Porridge – Best Comfort Food Bar None

To my friends, I'm known as 'the Teochew peasant' when it comes to food. The nickname's due to my fondness for Teochew muay (潮州糜) or rice porridge, a peasant staple traditionally eaten with simple, peasant dishes. If my friends let me choose what we eat, I'd say Teochew porridge nine times out of 10. (I am thus forbidden from making the suggestion at all – sob!) Since I'm such a connoisseur of peasant food – is that an oxymoron? – I think it's only appropriate that I feature peasant recipes on my blog and the first place honor goes to none other than Teochew porridge. I grew up eating piping hot porridge for lunch and breakfast almost everyday. For me, it's the best comfort food bar none. A good bowl of hot porridge energizes the body, lifts the spirit, and warms the heart.

Making good rice porridge is very easy. It starts with the choice of rice: 'new' is better than 'old'. New rice is rice that has just been harvested and has a high starch content whilst old rice has less. If it doesn't say 'new' on the packaging, that means it's old. It's not as good as new but doable if you aren't a porridge fanatic like me.

A quarter cup of rice per person would be sufficient unless you're a real peasant who has to work in the fields after your meal. For the first quarter cup, add about 650 ml water and for each subsequent quarter cup, add 250-350 ml. Bring the water to a boil, then continue boiling on high heat for about 15 minutes. It's crucial a furious, rolling boil is maintained or the porridge will be watery instead of gruelly. Make sure it doesn't boil over as it starts to foam, and lower the heat slightly if necessary. The porridge is ready after about 15 minutes when the water turns slightly starchy. Old rice may need a few more minutes and a bit more water. The rice grains continue to absorb water and the porridge thickens after the heat is turned off. So don't let the porridge rest too long unless you prefer it thicker, cooler and softer.

There's a clue in the photo on why the bowl of porridge is not really for a peasant. A true peasant would not be caught dead eating porridge with a spoon. He prefers to 'sweep' the porridge into his mouth with a pair of chopsticks in one hand whilst holding the bowl to his lips in the other. There's no need for a spoon nor is there an extra hand to hold one.

The peasant likes to squat - even when he has a chair because he's used to squatting in the fields - whilst 'sweeping' his porridge. He starts from the edge of the bowl where it's cooler, and works his way towards the centre. From time to time, he punctuates his eating by tapping his chopsticks against the rim of the bowl a couple of times. I think that's his way of enunciating a slight pause in his actions as he thinks about what to eat next with his porridge.

There are a thousand and one dishes that go well with Teochew porridge. One of the great classics is Chai Poh (Salted Turnips) Omelette. Check out my next post for a fool-proof omelette that's thick, fluffy, not too salty and not too oily.

Check these out:

No-Steam Radish Cake (Lor Bak Ko)	Chai Poh (Preserved Turnip) Omelette	Glutinous Rice Balls (Tang Yuan)	Fried Anchovies & Peanuts

Mac's Evil Eye

Mac has been giving me the evil eye the entire afternoon. If looks could kill . . . . What have I done to deserve such animosity? Sigh! I brought her to the vet for vaccinations this morning. Mel and Motor had theirs without much ado but Mac, as I had feared, did not take to the procedure kindly. When I opened her carrier in the consultation room, she cowered back, probably sensing something nasty. The nurse and I had to 'pour' her out. She looked around warily as the nurse grabbed her scruff and shoulders and I held her hips tightly with both hands. The vet – a young lady – was getting the syringe ready. Suddenly, Mac flattened her ears, a sign of aggression and fear, and I knew she wanted to make a run for it. By the time I said "Uh oh!" she had left three deep gashes in my arm and was dashing madly round the room. She leapt from one corner to another and finally settled on the top of the computer, which was on a shelf suspended above the desk. From her vantage point, she yowled and spat at her enemies who were, she was sure, going to murder her in cold blood.

"YOWL YOOOOWL YOWL YOOWWL OOOWL OOOWWW!!!" Translation: "$f%#2^mother#* &off^$fffather8@F !#greatgrandmother@!#!%$ %F$f!!!" The three human beings in the room plus all their ancestors and future descendants were soundly cursed and given a good dressing down.

"Mac, good kitty . . . good kitty." The nurse was calm and authoritative. Maybe he's seen it all before. He was now wielding a net, a weapon that Mac was glaring at venomously.

"MAC! NO! NO! MAC! MAC! NO!" I was starting to panic as Mac ignored my one-word instructions.

"Mac, it's okay. It's okay." The young lady vet cooed gently from her safe position, shielded from the hissing and snarling cat by the nurse and me.

After a few minutes of ineffective communication, Mac made another dash for freedom. Big mistake! Once she came down to the floor, the nurse made one fell swoop with the net and she was caught. Now really scared, Mac strained against the net with all her might in a desperate attempt to escape. The net cut into her face but she didn't care.

"Mac, no, don't do that!" I was really panicking now.

Luckily, the vet did not waste any time. She whipped out the syringe, stepped on Mac's butt with her foot – cool! – to stop her from moving, and injected her with nary a thought. Whew! It was almost over. We just had to get Mac back into her carrier. We shifted her to a corner and surrounded her with the net and carrier with the door opened. It took a few minutes but she finally decided it's safe inside the carrier and went in.

When I emerged from the consultation room, the lady whom I had been chatting with earlier said, "We could hear you from out here. It sounded like you were skinning the cat alive!" I smiled wanly. I just wanted to get home and make sure that Mac was alright.

Once she was back home, Mac scooted off to her corner and sulked. She even ignored the tuna I gave her, which she had never done before. Sigh! Looks like I have to use the ultimate weapon: roast pork. I had better go get some before the shops close.
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Lemon Curd – For Lemon Lovers

I'd like to share my recipe for a very lemony Lemon Curd. It's a bright, refreshing treat for lemon lovers with just the right balance of sweet and tart, as a good lemon curd should be.

My Lemon Curd is based on Saint Delia's recipe but has less butter and sugar. The good saint, besides allowing her recipe to be modified – not that she's given the chance to object – will help prevent your lemon curd from curdling despite cooking it over a direct flame without a water bath. That's right, no water bath and it's all done in barely 10 minutes.

Method

Melt the butter and sugar with the lemon juice in a heavy stainless steel pot.

Break the eggs in a bowl and remove the chalazae – the white bits attached to the yolks – with a pair of chopsticks. Or you can pick them out later when they turn into solid white bits.

Add the cornflour to the eggs and beat till smooth. Continue beating and slowly add the melted sugar and butter to the eggs. Pour the mixture into the stainless steel pot. Balance the pot on a hob so that only half of its bottom is directly heated. Cook using the lowest heat possible, stirring and scrapping the sides and bottom of the pot. If the heat is higher than a gentle murmur, the eggs – which are extremely sensitive – will protest by curdling.

After about five minutes of stirring, you may hear a soft voice whispering, ‘Look, it’s not curdling. Turn up the heat.’ That’s the devil talking and if you listen to him, you can wave goodbye to your lemon curd, and your journey to domestic godliness will be set back by three years. Ignore him and continue stirring. If your resolve is weak, start chanting, ‘The power of Saint Delia compels you!’ The curd is ready in about 10 minutes or so, when it coats the back of a spoon thinly.

If you want to play it safe, cook the egg mixture in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. You don't have to stir as conscientiously as over a direct flame but it adds maybe five minutes to the cooking time.

Check these out:

Cream Scones	Apricot Jam	Candied Black Beans	Chocolate Truffles

Hungry Tiger

Mel: If my dinner is late again, you're fired!

KT: Yeah, right. Like there's a queue snaking round the block with people who can't wait to be your can-opener.

Mel: I'll hire someone from China.

KT: Your dinner's coming right up!
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Pierre Hermé, Brad Pitt and Wrestlers

I was pottering around cyberspace the other day and chanced upon FXcuisine's post on Pierre Hermé. As usual, no praises were spared for the pâtissier's macarons but it was his comments about the God of Pastry that caught my attention. According to FXcuisine, Pierre Hermé is not 'telegenic' and 'looks like two wrestlers' (emphasis mine). Is that true? Does Pierre Hermé not look as scrumptious as his macarons? Piqued by the blasphemous comments, I googled 'Pierre Hermé photos'. Here he is:



























Well . . . okay . . . . He doesn't look as good as Brad Pitt but he can make Ispahan Croissants and Chocolate Passion Fruit Macarons whilst Brad Pitt looks like he can't fry an egg to save his life. Not that frying eggs is the be all and end all, mind you, or Brad Pitt would have picked me instead of Angelina Jolie – who doesn't look like the egg-frying type either – since my fried eggs are, I swear, second to none.

So, does Monsieur Hermé look like 'two wrestlers'? Frankly, I've never seen any wrestler with such a big belly! But, if I could exchange a taut tummy for Pierre Hermé's brilliance, I would do it at the drop of a hat. Whilst the mortal world is prostrating itself at the foot of multi-coloured shots of Pierre Hermé's macarons, what sort of photo does the Creator Himself have of his babies? Black and white! How brilliant and out of the box! Maybe he didn't take the photo himself but if it's hanging in his apartment, I'm sure it's absolutely fabulous, like all his pastry creations. So, give me Pierre Hermé any time – nope, make that two Pierre Hermés – and Angelina Jolie can keep Brad Pitt.


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A Million Dollars for a Pet Bowl

Aren't these pet bowls the prettiest ever? So sleek and elegant! I drool when I look at them. They aren't cheap but, hey, it's not like I can't afford them. The ceramic Urban Pet Double Food Bowl is US$90 and the steel Holden Bent Plywood Double Feeder is US$165, before shipping. Now, I don't have a lot of money but if I break my piggy bank in the kitchen, the one that gets the loose change after I go to the supermart, I think I might have enough.

There's just one tiny problem: my furniture doesn't go with the pet bowls. I would have to throw out the old stuff and find new pieces that say 'Hip! Modern! Expensive!' Now, I don't have a lot of money but if I withdraw every cent in my bank account, the one I opened after I graduated, I think I might have enough.

There's just one more tiny problem: the apartment doesn't go with hip, modern and expensive furniture. I would have to buy a nice property, which goes with the nice furniture, which goes with the nice pet bowls. And that, my friends, might cost me a million dollars, or two or three, which would take me a few life times to save. And I would have to change the cats, wouldn't I? They're way too common for such elegant pet bowls. I'll replace Big Mac with a blue British Shorthair, Princess Mel with a bronze spotted Egyptian Mau and Motor with a silver torbie Maine Coon. Oh, hang on, I'll have to replace myself as well since I don't go with anything.

Yesterday, I went to Ikea and bought a Bastis pet bowl. I paid the cashier a dollar, in good old local Singapore currency, and got 10 cents back.
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M: How come you bought a black bowl for Mel? I thought you wanted the steel one?
KT: If I bought the steel bowl, I would have to get a new husband.
M: ( . . . has she been drinking again?)
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Fried Bee Hoon (Rice Vermicelli) – Perfect for One

Fried noodles taste best when cooked on high heat, so it's a dish that’s particularly suitable for single portions. Some people think cooking for one is difficult but that’s not true. There are lots of easy and quick recipes that can be done in single portions. And, isn’t it great to cook whatever you like instead of worrying about what other people like? When I make Fried Bee Hoon for myself, it has as much vegetables as bee hoon. That’s the way I like it. You might like even more or less. Do it your way.

I use a pair of chopsticks instead of a spatula when frying bee hoon. It’s very useful for keeping the noodles from clumping together. Adding the egg to the bee hoon before cooking also helps keep the strands of noodle apart. The amount of oil used is, hence, quite minimal, keeping the dish light and healthy. Remember to use a non-stick or very well-seasoned pan.

Check these out:

Suan Pan Zi (Hakka Abacus Seeds)	Chicken Bee Hoon Soup	Chinese Olive Fried Rice	Singapore Fried Noodles

FRIED BEE HOON (RICE VERMICELLI) (Recipe for 1 person) 50 g dried bee hoon (rice vermicelli, 米粉) 1.5 tsp oil 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced 2 tsp soya sauce 2 tsp fish sauce pinch of sugar ground white pepper, to taste 100 g xiao bai cai (bok choy) 50 g bean sprouts 1 egg, beaten Rinse vegetables and drain in colander. Cut xiao bai cai crosswise into ½ inch wide pieces. Add boiling water to dried bee hoon and soak for about 1.5 minutes till softened but still wiry. Snip into shorter strands after draining. Add beaten egg and soya sauce to bee hoon and stir to combine. Heat oil till it smokes. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds till translucent and fragrant but not brown. Add noodles and stir with a pair of chopsticks to loosen the strands, then let it fry and get a bit brown and toasty. Next, add vegetables, fish sauce, sugar and pepper to taste. Stir till vegetables are wilted but xiao bai cai is still green and crunchy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Be quick though or the vegetables will loose their crunch.

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