Gyoza! ぎょうざ！
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Food & Nosh
A couple of days ago, I decided to brave the morning sunlight and make another batch of gyoza(s) with the leftover filling I had from my previous gyoza batch. It’s taken a month but I’ve managed to stay in my apartment for days at a time without getting into a boredom induced fit. It’s not that hard because once you’ve blown your money on 4 pairs of shoes in a span of 6 days, you don’t really have much of a choice, do you now?
The point is I’ve been cooped up in my room for most of the week, staying in bed as I befriend the stark, reclusive darkness of my room while watching movies on my macbook sans the greasy buttered popcorn. My cinematic adventures came to a standstill when my external HDD (hard disk drive, for you non-tech folk) choked on a deluxe movie hotdog (I think it was all the sauerkraut) and died. I think I must have died too because my life was in that external HDD- every single image I’d taken for tea noir was stored in there (and in HQ no less), my web design work, my portfolio, other bits of random shit - all equally precious to me.
It’s the perfect murder actually - the best way to kill someone is to commit tech murder. Get rid of a person’s computer and all forms of back-up he/she may possibly have and watch in glee as they quietly drown in their own desolate pool of tears. And maybe I shouldn’t have typed this slightly morbid paragraph, I don’t want the possibility of fueling a tech murder rage lol.
Disclaimer: I won’t be held responsible for any tech murders happening from this moment on kthxbai.
Afraid your computer would crash? It used to be so simple: Get an external HDD, back up everything and sleep comfortably at night knowing your files are safe from any impending virus attack. Of course, if you had a Mac in the first place, the possibility of getting hit by a virus is close to a zero so why not just save yourself a 2-3 years of misery with an unattractive Windows comp and get something snazzy off Apple.com? 8D Sadly we now live in an age where we need to get a BACK-UP FOR OUR BACK-UP; getting one external HDD just doesn’t cut it anymore, you gotta have at least two ._.
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Steve Jobs and Apple Inc- yeahhhh dassright dassright bb, I’m just one of those regular Mac snobs Windows lovers are accustomed to hate. Don’t worry tho, even if you are a Windows user, I don’t choose my friends based on their preferred operating systems lol (look at Nadz, she’s a Windows fan and she’s still alive lol) so I’d love you just the same - pinky promise! ;D
OKAY BACK TO THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS ENTRY: Yes! Gyoza! They look difficult to make but don’t be deceived by their fancy crimped edges: if a klutz like Nadz can make them - you can too! (LOL I’m sorry cousin, I know I’m name-dropping you excessively in this entry but know that I love you bbcakes <3) They're extremely versatile too, you can fill them up with almost everything you want (provided the combo tastes good, don't be daft and start thinking of chocolate, prawn and beetroot gyozas please) I've been making gyoza for two years now and they make such a good + cheap meal if you make a lot and freeze them all.
I’ve got a little prawn, minced chicken and cabbage thing going on thar.
This recipe makes about 60+ gyozas
Ingredients
250g minced chicken meat
300g prawns, chopped into pieces
5-6 cabbage leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons of minced garlic and ginger (I use a pre-bottled minced garlic and ginger mix I found at the Asian supermarket)
Soy sauce (don’t have any real measurements, I guess most of the time lol..maybe 5 tablespoons?)
Sesame oil (again, no real measurements. Use about 1 tablespoon? If you love sesame oil like me, use more!)
2 packets Gyoza skins
1. Make the gyoza filling! In a large bowl, combine minced meat, cabbage, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Mix them together with your hands.
That’s right, get in touch with nature - USE YOUR HANDS. Mix them until the ingredients seem to stick with each other and won’t fall apart.
2. Spoon about a teaspoon of filling in the middle of your gyoza skin and moisten the edges of the gyoza skin with some water.
3. Start crimping, honey. Now this is the stumbling block for a lot of people because it’s pretty much the hardest part about making gyoza but it gets really easy once you get the hang of it.
I’m not going to go into the minute details pertaining to crimping the gyoza because there’s an excellent step by step picture tutorial here that’s guaranteed to make you a GYOZA CRIMPIN’ MASTER in no time.
I’m not a purist so I cheat and use any round, white chinese dumpling skin I can get my hands on - They’re the same thing. I like making gyozas on my chopping board, it’s the only flat surface I have available. The white atomic clouds you see aren’t a rare form of mould - it’s plain flour. I like freezing my gyoza after I’m done making them and the flour prevents them from sticking to the board once they’re frozen.
Remember less is more. Be a scrooge, you have to be economical with the filling of each gyoza or crimping is going to be a bitch.
My little gyoza minions ready to be frozen/cooked!
In the pan! You sorta fry the bottoms first til they’re crisp and then you dump about 1/3 cup of water in to steam the tops. More details on the cooking technique here.
What do you do when they’re all cooked? Make some dipping sauce, of course!
Fancy Gyoza Dipping Sauce!
50ml soy sauce or enough to fill a small dipping bowl (ooh real measurements now)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
some chopped spring onionsMix well and happy dipping!
Enjoy! If you have any questions, ask away in the comments!
Back to my external HDD, in a fit of moral panic I texted my dad and he said it might just be a problem with the casing/enclosure of the HDD so I went to get a new one for my still breathing HDD and it’s fixed now YAY! Sorry you had to read such a long rant (this could possibly be my longest entry yet lol) Have a good weekend, everyone! <3
Tags: nosh: japanese food, recipes
Green tea tiramisu I would sell my Guccis for.
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Food & Nosh
I’m really not much of a baking person, I’m not one to fret over precise measurements of different types of flour, yeasts etc and I’m completely not bothered with the large-scale clean up that comes after the cake has been served. I love cooking because you’re allowed a sense of control when it comes to recipes, you can play around with the ingredients because there really is no need for accuracy (which is why most of my recipes don’t really have accurate measurements)
I like my food cooked fast and my desserts fuss-free. If I wanted anything fancier, I’d just eat out at a restaurant you know? My green tea tiramisu is something I’m very proud of- it’s a no-bake dessert, has everything i’ve ever dreamed (the only thing it lacks is a hot date to share it with but I guess my BFF Dejiki would suffice for now XD)
The only thing hard about it is probably the 5 hours you need to wait for it to chill. Aah that’s another reason why I’m not such fan of baking; I’m severely lacking in the patience department (something I have in common with 70% of the male population) I just can’t sit and fiddle in front of the oven waiting for the damn cake to rise.. I honestly admire and applaud you homebakers, how do you guys do it??
Mascarpone cheese has this perfect thick, whipped consistency right out of the container - don’t you think it looks heavenly already?
Purists would probably scoff at the idea of having a non-espresso, kahlua based tiramisu but I love my green tea and I don’t care for opinions made by old men who drink coffee in their sweats and catch flies all day (that’s how I’d imagine tiramisu purists to look like) Green tea tiramisu isn’t something new and the basic essentials of making a tiramisu still remain; I’m using lady fingers like all tiramisu recipes - italian sugar-coated sponge biscuits with a slight hint of vanilla.
You need to steep the lady fingers in a cup of matcha green tea and arrange them to make a base for your tiramisu. Try not to go overboard with the steeping like I did lol or the tiramisu would be overly moist…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Smooth over the first layer of mascarpone..remember we are not aiming for perfection here people. If I was aiming for perfection, I would have opened a patisserie a long time ago selling slices of tiramisu at an inflated price of $9.99 ;D
Green Tea Tiramisu
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
300g mascarpone cheese
1 packet lady finger biscuits
the best matcha powder you can buy
200ml hot water
1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the vanilla essence until it turns a light yellow.
2. Fold in the mascarpone cheese and mix till smooth (it’s best to leave it out of the fridge for a bit so you don’t have to beat the heck out of a solid chunk of cheese.)
3. Make your green tea with the hot water and lightly soak the lady fingers in the tea.
4. Arrange the biscuits in the dish to make a base for the tiramisu.
5. Cover the biscuits with half of the mascarpone mixture and dust some matcha powder on it.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 until you get a duo layer tiramisu!
7. Cover with cling wrap and chill it in the fridge for 5 hours at least (no cheating guys, I’m watching you.)
The BFF LOVES this tiramisu and only eats it when I make it - he also happens to be the pickiest eater I know so it makes me feel almost godly whenever I give him a slice LOL. If you have any questions pertaining to the recipe, ask me in the comments!
Work’s finally overrrr!! I really should start packing for my move but unfortunately, my mind seems to be more interested in making lunch/dinner dates with my friends haha! I haven’t got the slightest clue on how I’m going to pack all my make-up and shoes x_x I thinking of wrapping everything (make-up, I mean) in bubble wrap and packing them in a box to be checked in as “Fragile”. Anyone have any better ideas?
Tags: nosh: desserts, recipes
Make yer own cheap furikake!
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Food & Nosh, Misc
It suddenly dawned on me a couple of days ago that the salmon onigiri I buy all the time with its mysteriously salty “ah I would never be able to do this at home” flakey salmon centre was nothing more than easy-peasy pan-fried flaked salted salmon furikake wrapped in sushi rice and a sheet of seaweed. It was a hoax cleverly orchestrated by my local sushi counter and I can’t believe I fell for it hook, line and sinker- damn those bitchez.
I will spare you guys any further theatrics but first, I must give credit where credit is due. This furikake recipe is based on two recipes I found on Just Bento: Salted Salmon Shiozake and Salmon Furikake. I’ve adjusted the recipe mainly because I don’t consume alcohol so I’ve replaced the sake with rice vinegar and totally left out the mirin. You can totally follow the recipes on Just Bento but I’d thought I’d list out what I used for my muslim readers.
Get a nice salmon fillet, no funny frozen ones please. We want it fu-resh! And no, I know it’s awfully tempting to get that discounted salmon fillet on clearance but don’t! You have to consume any discounted fish on the same day of purchase and unfortunately this recipe requires that you marinate the fish overnight so erm if you still refuse to pay that 4-5 odd dollars for fresh salmon, don’t blame me if you get a 5 ft tapeworm living in your intestines the next couple of months mmkay? ^_^
SEA SALT! Don’t let the whole “organic” thing on the package fool ya, I only bought this pack of organic rock salt/sea salt because it was surprisingly cheaper than normal sea salt lol. I won’t recommend using normal table salt because 1) noone makes salted salmon with table salt, trust me I googled 2) sea salt just sounds waaay cooler.
Wipe the fillet to get rid of excess moisture and here comes the fun part: grab a handful of salt, start pouring it all over the salmon while gently pressing the salt into the firm salmon flesh. Make sure both sides are covered and you are well on your way to cheap salted salmon flakes.
Now’s the hard part: You have to leave it in the fridge overnight. I know, I know - waiting sucks but be patient, it will be worth the wait. Wrap the salmon up in a few layers of kitchen towel, place it in a sieve with a plate underneath to catch any drips and leave it in the fridge.
The next day, unwrap your little salmon pickle and pan-fry/grill it with a little oil and a few tablespoons of rice vinegar til cooked. Use a fork or your bare hands to flake the cooked fillet, removing any bones you may find. Wipe the pan and dump the flakes back in with a splash of soy sauce and rice vinegar.
Stir the flakes around to quicken the drying process; Just Bento suggests “you can leave the flakes fairly moist, or continue stirring until they are quite dry and finely flaked. The more you dry it out, the longer it will keep. Just do not let it burn or color too much.”
So there you have it! Simple and delicious salmon furikake~ Honestly it’s supposed to be a lighter orange color but I kinda OD’ed on the soy sauce LOL You can use this to top your rice or use it as a filling for your onigiri. I didn’t have the time to make pretty lil onigiri so I made some sushi rice, placed it in my bento box and sprinkled some of the salmon furikake + some strips of seaweed! Makes a really good, frugal lunch XD
This entry is dedicated to my homeboi Aaron who sent me some of his rough figure sketches he did for school, you make me so proud bb! Straight A’s at design school this semester, werk it!
LOVE THE SHOES IN THIS ONE!
Mmm what a hottie.
I’ve got more to show actually but I like these two best ;D (and this entry is getting seriously long) so I’m going to stop yakking, apologise in advance if this entry is filled with grammar mistakes (it’s almost midnight, forgive me!) and bid you all good night! If you’ve got any questions regarding the recipe, ask me in the comments ;D
Tags: design: sketches, nosh: japanese food, recipes
Nigella’s Lemon Butter Linguine
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Food & Nosh
This is something I whipped up this morning to eat for breakfast! Nigella Lawson’s lemon butter linguine, perfect for cold mornings when you don’t feel like doing any real cooking at all but still wanting something comforting and warm at the same time. This pasta dish is much like a dieter’s carbonara but making it is nothing as complicated.
I’ve actually modified Nigella’s recipe to make it er slightly more healthy by using whipping cream instead of the heavy/double cream she listed and cut down the amount of cheese and butter so just think of it as a lesser sin! Most “diet” recipes call for low-fat plain yoghurt to be used in place of cream but I think it’s an even bigger sin to even THINK about substituting cream with something else, especially in pasta. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating a little cream, it’s an instant mood-lifter, something yoghurt will never be able to give you so please stop worrying about gaining weight when you eat this because a plate of pasta is not going to make you gain a kilo overnight.
Nigella Lawson’s Lemon Butter Linguine
Ingredients
Enough linguine for 2 people
1 egg yolk
1/8 cup of cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/8 stick of unsalted butter
Some pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
Take note that all the measurements I listed above are just rough estimates!
1. Fill a pot with water and bring to the boil. Add some salt. Tip in the pasta and cook til al dente.
2. In a bowl, put the yolks, cream, grated Parmesan cheese, zest of the whole lemon and juice of half of it, a pinch of salt and a good grating of pepper and beat together until just combined.
3. Remove a cup of cooking liquid, drain the pasta and then, off the heat, toss it back in the pan, throw in the butter and stir and swirl about to make sure the butter’s melted and pasta covered by it all over.
4. Stir in the egg, cream, cheese and lemon mix and stir to coat pasta.
5. Sprinkle over some just-chopped parsley and serve now, now, now!
Note: Please for the love of god, I beg of you: do NOT use pre-packaged grated parmesan - I know it’s cheap and convenient but it is certainly not the same as buying a wedge of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself. It’s dry, tastes bad as heck that you might as well not cook the pasta at all >.>
If you’re not into simple, light pasta like me, you can add shrimp and field mushrooms sauteed in a little olive oil - guaranteed to hit the spot mmm!
Tags: nosh: italian food, recipes
Damn Good Panna Cotta
Posted by ilyana | Filed under Food & Nosh
There’s nothing like making your own dessert. Yes, it can get messy and yes, it’s such a pain waiting for it to chill in the fridge but I think it’s an unbeatable awesome feeling to eat something delicious you actually took the time to make!
You probably have to pay maybe $5-6 for a cup of panna cotta in a restaurant? What’s the point when you can actually save some money (yeah right. I used the money saved and invested it in more make-up >D) and make your own? I found this fabulously easy recipe on David Lebovitz (whom I think is the king of decadent desserts!) so I decided to try it out during my slumber party with Nadz last week!
Panna cotta is essentially vanilla flavoured heavy cream set in little cute bowls so this recipe isn’t exactly diet-friendly BUT WHO CARES RIGHT? I DON’T BECAUSE WE ONLY LIVE ONCE BITCHEZZ!
David Lebovitz’s Perfect Panna Cotta
This recipe makes about 8 cups.
4 cups (1l) heavy cream (or half-and-half)
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 packets powdered gelatin (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)
6 tablespoons (90ml) cold water
1. Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan or microwave. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
(If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and add the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then rewarm the mixture before continuing.)
2. Lightly oil eight custard cups with a neutral-tasting oil.
3. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
5. Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm, which will take at least two hours but I let them stand at least four hours.
If you’re pressed for time, pour the Panna Cotta mixture into wine goblets so you can serve them in the glasses, without unmolding.
6. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each Panna Cotta and unmold each onto a serving plate, and garnish as desired.
Many thanks to the very patient hot cream pouring and spoon holding Nadz who had to endure my very anal making-of panna cotta photography session. It’s her birthday today and she’s in Malaysia having the time of her life! Happy birthday darling, I hope you’re enjoying yourself over there - come back safe!
Sorry I disappeared all week, I’ve been busy having too much fun ;D If you’ve been following me on twitter, you’d know payday was yesterday and I bought some beauty-related stuff, can’t wait to show you guys - all will be revealed tomorrow!
Til next time~
recipe courtesy of David Lebovitz
Tags: nosh: desserts, recipes
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