Not Crop Circles but Paddy Art

I had lunch with my ex-colleagues and was talking about the different varieties of rice. Whether one likes brown rice, short-grain pearl rice, or thai fragrant rice? Organic or non-organic? Rice is still a main stable in my diet, even though I don't eat as much of it as before. But, now and then you will hear me retort 饭， 我 要吃饭! Not noodles or pasta. 饭! It's not possible to take the asian out of me. Rice to me is comfort food. I like brown rice for it's chewy texture and nutty flavour.

I came across this article about farmers who created beautiful paddy art in their yearly crops to bring more tourists to their village, Inakadate (northern Aomori Prefecture). Every year since 1993, the villagers have created pictures by using rice paddies as their canvas, living plants as their paint and brush. By using different varieties of rice, each with different foliage colours, they created large-scale paddy art. Before they made the switch to using computers, they did the planning and plotting manually. To me, these paddy art beat alien crop circles hands down.

Cabbage the detoxifier

My throat is really acting up. Thirsty, dehydrated and I can really feel the sore throat coming on. Not in any mood to brew any herbal tea at 11pm. Hopefully the cabbage and apple smoothie will help. Left the smoothie with more chewable bits, bits of apple and cabbage floating around. Cabbage is considered a cooling food and a blood purifier. Hope it will heal my bad throat overnight.

Weird flavours

I was clearing my kitchen cabinet and came across this can of potato chips R brought from his office for me to try. Apparently, someone brought it to his office but the flavour was so unique, no one touched it for days even though it was left in a prominent place on his office dining table. Kind R brought it home to 'share' his find with me.

You have to taste it to believe how 'special' it is. Or is it the case of unique taste for unique tastebuds. Blueberry and Hazelnut potato chips. It's out of this world. Anyway, blue is really not a suitable colour for food packaging, looks really inedible.

PS. Friend D, I will bring it for you to try on sunday when we meet for tea. Ha ha ha.

Hainanese Chicken Rice and the Bobbing Head

I apologised to the chicken for accidentally snapping its head off when I was removing it from the pot of boiling broth. Mad. I actually said I am sorry while the chicken head bobbed forlornly in my chicken broth. I think this could be the result of eating a vegetable-based diet and supermarket shopping.

I am one of those who insist on shopping in a sanitised environment where I will not be reminded that the meat I am eating was once an animal. Honestly, I hate going to wet markets. All the blood and the many glassy dead eyes looking at me. Give me a nicely chopped up chicken or pass me my vegetables. No guilt in eating vegetables. Funnily, I insist on eating fresh fish. I hate eating overcooked or lousy fish. With my fussy tastebuds, God forbid if the chicken served to me is made from frozen chicken.

My maiden attempt in making chicken rice. When I was a teenager, I remember my mum will instruct me to 'rescue' the chicken from the broth and immersed it in cold water, rubbing a layer of oil and soya sauce on the chicken and lunch will be served.

Not exactly my mum's recipe but similar...

Gardening can be whimsical too

Gardening can be whimsical too. Spotted while on holiday in Tokyo. Action figurines in planted containers. Expensive polar bears going for a walk. And inspiring shop in a basement.

My vertical planting and my balcony garden

I finally bought plants for my vertical planting project which I started six months ago. Talk about being inefficient. Bought plants that didn't need much watering. Fingers crossed about how the new plants will fare as I was a bit rough in handling the rootballs when I was replanting them.


Other views of my green sanctuary.

How I Start my Mornings

I love my green smoothies as they really perk me up. I have been drinking fruit or green smoothies daily to keep me energised and my skin in good shape since last year. Together with a diet heavy on fresh vegetables and fruits I kept my skin allergies away, gone are the days when I pop pills to keep my hives at bay.

What is a green smoothie? Is it raw? Does it taste as bad as it sounds? Green smoothies are made from blending leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuces or any other local vegetables with fruits. Fruits are used to remove the grass taste from the drink. They are extremely nutritious as they are full of live enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

It is tasty and easy to make.

Xiao Bai Cai (Bok Choy) Green Smoothie
Makes 2 glasses

5 bunches of xiao bai cai (Bok Choy), trim off stalks and use the leaves
1 tbsp parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp honey (optional)
1.5 cup of water

Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender and volia.

Sicilian Caponata and Roasted Rosemary Bacon Potatoes

Woohoo! My first post.

The other day, I wanted to re-create the lovely roasted rosemary bacon potatoes I ate during the last Tokyo trip. R and I love to guess what goes into the yummy food we ate while dinning out.

At the same time, I cooked Sicilian caponata which is a vegetarian dish usually cooked with an aubergine-tomato combination found in many Mediterranean cuisines. I'm a big fan of eating as much greens and fruits as possible. Am never a big meat eater.

The Caponata's sauce somehow reminds me of the Chinese sweet and sour pork sauce minus the meat but flavoured with western herbs, namely, oregano, basil or parsley. Instead of the fresh tomatoes, I used canned tomatoes for the convenience.

The Sicilian Caponata was a success. The roasted rosemary potatoes could be a lot better. Got to figure out how to infuse as much rosemary flavour into the potatoes. Rosemary oil?