Corned Beef in Petula with Baby Corn

I really don't know where this one is coming from but I simply enjoy making the fillings for this green veggie called Petula (scientific name: Luffa Acutangula Roxb) with its almost rOunded centre.

From the can:
Corned Beef - get the one from Brazil or Argentina (more beefy)
Baby Corn

Petula (cut into rings)
Onions/Garlic
Oyster Sauce/Soy Sauce

Fry the corned beef with garlic & onions.
Add some pepper and put aside.
Stir fry the veggies plus the baby corn, then add oyster/soy sauce.
Make it simple.

When it's done, fill up the beef into the centre & serve.
Very Corny but hey, you might just see this in a menu
of an uptown restaurant one day.

Serves 5

Steamed Fish with Salted Lettuce

Fish is something I don't really fancy cooking to be honest! But whenever I've caught any good fish from my fishing trip with my brothers (can't remember when was the last time I caught one or went fishing for that matter), I will definitely serve up a dish.

This fish is called Belanak (locally or a.k.a. mugilidae).

The Stuff:
Fish
(must be fresh whenever steaming is concerned)
Salted Lettuce (preserved) - from your regular supermarket
Sliced Ginger
Fish Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper

Toss everything onto the plate and steam it
in a steamer for 8 minutes.

Simple & Delicious.

Therapeutical Cooking

Cooking makes me feel very relax, calm & collected. You can say it's a theraphy or could be an addiction! Well, that's what I call passion. When I do my little thing with the pots and pans, the rest of the world kinda stop until the occassional "I want to cook too!" from my boys. I'm sure they'll be cooking one day 'cos after all I got this cooking habit from my dad.

Been cooking plenty of dishes over the last few days. Shores of them on the next postings :)

Noeli's Kalabau "Buffalo" Wings

One of my favourites. Easy to cook and can be part of any meals of the day. Best taken with chilled beer on a lazy weekend.

Here Goes :
½ kg Chicken Wings - clipped the wings
Sour Plum Sauce
Black Pepper
Dark Soy sauce
Ginger
Salt
Chili (if extra punch needed)

Complimentary Sauces:
Tomato Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
Cornstarch
Dilute all with water in a bowl (½ cup)

1. Marinate the wings for 15 minutes with plum sauce, dark soy sauce & black pepper.
2. Heat up the oil, stir fry the wings with ginger till the wings are cooked on the outer part.
3. To thicken the gravy, add the complimentary sauces & cook till all the juices are absorbed by the wings.

Some may like it dry & some like it sticky. You call the shots!

A Tip :
How do you know that your wings are fully cooked?
When you see it can no longer fly.
Seriously, JUST EAT IT!

Serves 4

Daulat Tuanku!

Sweet Pork with Potatoes & White Cabbage

Pork Meat (loin/shoulder) ½ kg

Sweet Potatoes ½ kg
White Chinese Cabbage
Garlic/Ginger
Marinate pork for 15 minutes with:
5 Spice Powder
Dark/Light Soy Sauce
Sweet Vinegar (apple cider as alternative)
Corn Starch

Preparation:
Light fry pork in vegetable/corn oil
(ginger/garlic included) till brown.
Add sweet potatoes & ½ cup of water.
Let it simmer & cook under low heat.
Cabbage is cooked separately &
only used for garnishing.
Add little salt/oyster sauce if necessary.

The sweet vinegar &
plain taste of cabbage
compliments the dish which makes
this paricular dish very authentic.

Serves 4

Hot Pot Chicken with Dried Mushroom & Tomatoes

This recipe is simple &
needs very little preparation.

Chicken (thigh & drumstick cut to sizes) ½ kg
Dried Mushroom & Fresh Tomatoes
Garlic/Shallots/Ginger
Chinese Cooking Wine
Light/Dark Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper
Butter (for a touch of the European taste)

All these ingredients are cooked
in a hot pot (clay pot will do otherwise).

Serves 4

Home Food Cooking

"If you have to eat 3 meals a day for the rest of your life, you might as well learn to cook for yourself " - Jamie Oliver.

The best food in the restaurants all over the whole is first served at home. From there it evolves to be served among relatives, friends and lastly to public. It's like a family business turning into a public listed company so to speak.

The irony of food and cook is that they both have "oo" in the middle of each respective word. My motto in cooking is simple: "A good cook cooks good food!"

Food is to be shared and what way to do this than from home. A family that eats together stays together and the recipe for happiness is HOME FOOD COOKING.

Well, there is more to it in cooking than you ever know.

Welcome to Pots and Pans by Chef Noeli!