food – Site Title

My Top 5 Grocery Store Items

I don’t make lists when I go shopping so I often forget things! Recently, I’ve started doing that and I find it is so much easier to get everything without doing several trips!

Fruits are at the top of the list. Right now, I’m into blueberries, raspberries, plums, mangoes, papayas and whatever else is in season. I love fruits so it is a must have on my grocery list.

Vegetables are next. Just about any vegetable is fine with me. Spinach, eggplants, zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower and beans often top the list as well. Salads are another item that is a must have.

Fish is something I can’t do without. I’ve found this new seafood place which offers fresh seafood and it is fantastic. I am a regular there because the local supermarket does not offer the freshness that this store does. They have all kinds of fresh seafood and the prices are reasonable as well. I eat fish at least three times a week so it is a must on my grocery list.

Meat is not that important, although, I do have it once or twice a week. If I do get it, I go for the not so fatty cuts of meat and if it’s pork, I go for the Iberico variety. Expensive but it’s a treat. The pigs are fed on acorns which gives the meat a certain flavor and it is delicious.

The essentials are next on the list. Water, grains, bread, and whatever else that is needed to get the household going. I’m learning not to like grocery shopping but I find that it is a necessity. Can we come up with something where you’ll have to press a button, put in the items needed and it gets delivered? I’m not talking about the home delivery service, this one will be simpler. Press a button and the items show up with no hassles whatsoever!

Tech giants? Any ideas?

Daily writing prompt

List your top 5 grocery store items.

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Family Favorites

Back when I was cooking, there were many family favorites. I’ll go with the ones that my son loved and still loves. When he heads back home which is not often, he places the order a week in advance and then when he is home, he asks for the same dishes over and over again!

The first one and at the top of the list is Tuna Melt. This one takes the Blue Ribbon as far as family favorites go. It is a simple dish that doesn’t take much effort but I tend to pep it up so that it comes out finger-licking good.! He’ll ask for seconds and thirds and then asks me to make it again the next day! That is how good it is to him or is it just memories attached to it? I don’t know but it’s his favorite.

Next one on the list is homemade Lasagne with lots of sauce and with three kinds of cheese! This one takes more prep time but it is well worth the effort. It tastes better the next day but whenever is just fine with him. He doesn’t just eat it, he sniffs it in and it is gone in minutes!

Last but not least are pork ribs smothered in a rich dark red sauce that shimmers and dances! Okay, it is called BBQ ribs but done my way. The meat falls off the bone and it is messy to eat but both my ex and my son loved it. It didn’t matter if they had “sauce” running down their arms, it was all about the ribs. I must say, it was delicious.

Those are the three that I can think of and ones that I have on repeat redial when my son comes home. He loves feeling like a little boy again, although he keeps reminding me that he is not 8 anymore! After the meal, he reaches for my hand and lays it on his head like he used to as a little boy and looks up at me with those sweet adoring eyes enough to melt any heart! I guess they never grow up! I’m not complaining!

Daily writing prompt

What are your family’s top 3 favorite meals?

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An Italian Ice Place

I learned about this place from a friend and at first I thought it was an okay place but nothing special. It was run by Italians and most of the staff there are young Italians from Italy. Some don’t speak English, no German whatsoever, and they loved speaking in Italian. The problem? Customers had a tough time placing their orders!

However, the place grew on me. It was nice and cozy, the ambience was comforting and the people friendly. I love the decor and the music playlist had some of my favorite songs on there. It slowly became a favorite place to hang out in whenever I met friends for coffee and sometimes breakfast. If we arrived early, the place was empty and you can hear yourself talk. However, come lunchtime, it gets crowded and very noisy. That’s when it is time to go.

In summer, they serve Italian ice but throughout the year, they have Tiramisu, cakes, cookies, breakfast dishes like Avocado Toast, American style scrambled eggs, toast, and to top it all great coffee.

I am a regular there so they know me well. Just recently, a server from Argentina who speaks English told me that he was leaving to go back home. He is actually an English teacher back home and he was going back for a year to help his family and to teach but he would be back next year. There are others there that I have come to know well.

I have a favorite spot by the window so that I can people watch and sip my coffee in silence when I am there by myself but when I meet a friend, we can talk and laugh like we are the only ones in the place! It’s a nice place and since I don’t like crowded places, it works just fine for those rare moments when I get myself out and about. Oh, the bakery is right across from the Italian place and that is an added bonus. It’s where I get my beloved cheesecake! Not a good thing in one sense but for those days when my willpower isn’t where it should be, I break down and get a slice or two of cheesecake before heading back home. Not a whole cake anymore. We are making progress!

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

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Hainanese Chicken Rice

I came upon this dish when I was in Singapore and a group of friends took me to the hawker center. It was loud, crowded, and chaotic. We headed to this stall run by an old “uncle.” He was a nice man with a toothless grin but I was told that what he served up was heaven itself. I wasn’t too impressed but decided to try it as I had told myself to try everything once, as far as food goes and I was going to do just that.

The dish came and the sliced up chicken looked bland. It looked like plain boiled chicken served up with some boiled rice and several small dishes of sauces and for good measure some cucumber slices were added to make it look healthy. Nothing spectacular but let me tell you, what followed was mouth-wateringly scrumptious and it is one of my favorite recipes of all time! This dish evolved from the Hainan district in southern China and has become one of Singapore’s most beloved dish. I can understand why, one mouthful and you are hooked, line and sinker!

Here’s the recipe, a little time-consuming but worth the effort.

For the Chicken:

1 small chicken

1 tbsp. salt

12-14 cups of water

4-5 slices of ginger

2 whole scallions

Ice

For the Rice:

2 ounces chicken fat (taken from the cavity of the chicken)

1 tsp neutral oil

4 cloves garlic (minced)

3 cups uncooked white rice (washed & drained)

chicken stock (from making the chicken)

2 tsps salt

Ginger-garlic sauce (can be bought ready made)

Sweet Dark Soy Sauce (can be bought ready made as well)

Chilli Sauce (store-bought as well)

Instructions:

Wash chicken. Pat dry and lightly rub with salt and set aside.

Bring water along with ginger and scallions to a boil. Add chicken, breast side up. Adjust water so that the chicken breast is just slightly above water.

Once water starts to boil, lift chicken out and drain water from cavity. Lower chicken back into pot, bring the water to a a boil again. When it is JUST starting to boil, turn the heat down. Cover the pot and let simmer. Turn heat to the lowest setting.

Cook for 30-35 minutes. Now prepare the ice bath. Stick a toothpick in chicken to see if it is done. If juices run clear, it is cooked. Lift chicken out, drain water again and lower into the ice bath. After 15 minutes, the chicken should be cooled. Completely drain, cover until ready to serve.

To Make the Rice:

Heat a wok, add chicken fat with 1/2 tsp oil. Stir-fry and then add the garlic, then add the uncooked rice. Stir for about 2 minutes, turn off heat. Transfer rice to rice cooker. Add the poaching liquid from chicken until it reaches the ‘4’ line (3 US cups = 4 rice cooker cups). Stir in salt, close lid & press START.

ASSEMBLE:

Add chopped up chicken to plate. Add a scoop of rice with a side of cucumbers. I usually add diced pineapple as well. Serve the sauces in small sauce bowls for dipping.

It is finger-licking good!

Daily writing prompt

What’s your favorite recipe?

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Most Money Ever Spent on a Meal

Here’s another question and nothing comes to mind! I don’t think I’ve ever spent a lot on a meal when I had to pay for it on my own. Mostly, it has been just simple meals and nothing much to speak of.

However, there was one time when I was invited out for dinner and the cost blew my mind. He was a Qantas Airways pilot, who lived in Australia but was used to flying in and out of Asia and he invited me out to dinner. I was thinking it would be a simple restaurant so nothing spectacular. I was wrong.

The restaurant was high up somewhere in the clouds, on the 70th floor, and a revolving one at that. We were met at the entrance by a Russian soldier dressed in medieval gear. He looked menacing. We had to wait at the bar to be seated. When we finally got our table, it had a beautiful view of the city and it was lit up like a Christmas tree. The scenery kept changing and that was more than interesting. First course, was a big plate of oysters on ice with black caviar and sliced boiled eggs. I had never had oysters or caviar before. The oysters looked unappetizing but he insisted I try one. I did and it was not to my liking.

They made a big display of opening the wine bottle and since I don’t drink, it was nothing for me either. Then the main course came. It was steak in a sumptuous sauce. I don’t recall what else came with it because the steak was melt in your mouth and blew everything else away. What came next? Dessert I think. but I’m not sure. Everything was perfect but nothing was lined with gold or anything like that to warrant what came next.

The bill was a whopping $350 dollars!

I think that was the most expensive meal I had ever been invited to and the fact that he thought I was worth it was mind-blowing as well.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?

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A Bounty of Abundance

Photo by Elizabeth Tr. Armstrong on Pexels.com

It’s Saturday and I’ve decided to keep moving taking my cue from the proverb, “an idle mind is the devil’s playground.” I told myself to keep moving and not to let overthinking have its way. All good right? Let’s see how far I make it before my old friend, my mind, takes over and smashes it to pieces!

Morning started early. I got up at 7 a.m. and all was well. Chachi, the cat, was purring softly next to me and the world was just waking up. The birds were chirping and the pigeons were cooing for all they are worth! A little irritating but still a pleasant enough sound. The sun seemed to be peeking out after days of absence and I wondered if a walk in nature might be a good idea but nixed it because I don’t like walking on Saturdays. Too many people out and the constant exchange of pleasantries tend to be draining.

My idea for today is to clean house from top to bottom. It should keep me occupied for most of the day since I haven’t done thorough cleaning in quite a while. The dust bunnies are laughing their heads off but not for long! I’m getting the Dyson vac out and it should do a great job of getting everything nice and clean. Chachi, the cat, sans apron and Swiffer in hand, is more than ready to pitch in and give me some help. However, he thinks it is playtime more than anything else. First thing, strip the bed. Then the pillowcases and Chachi’s blankets. The little helper was more than happy. He ran across the bed as if it was some kind of a raucous game. It took about 20 minutes simply because the little rascal was getting in the way and enjoying himself in the process. I got the wash going and decided to head out to the garden to see what’s happening there. It has been days since I’ve been in the garden and I didn’t expect much except an onslaught of weeds!

The surprise was on me. The apple tree was bogged down with plenty of apples! This one lone apple tree in the garden has a mind of its own. Last year, there were no apples to speak off. This year, it is overflowing and the apples though small are crisp and sweet. They are just turning slightly red so probably a week or so and they should be ready to come off the tree and to be given away to the neighbors. I can’t eat them all. The lone cherry tomato plant has some ripe tomatoes on it. Last year, I planted one tomato plant and got a monster harvest so I went with one cherry tomato plant this year hoping that it will be just enough for salads and stir-fries. Looks like it is working. Next to it, the chili plant is doing well. It has four green chilies and the card on it reads, “Hot Chilies.” Keeping fingers crossed that they are. Rounding the corner, I see that the cherry tree is done for this year. I got three cherries although it had an abundance of flowers this year. Where did the cherries go? Your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps, next year. The fig tree standing next to it is trying to overdo everything else in the garden. It is lusciously green and full of figs! Last year, the figs took a long time getting ripe and I had to discard most of them because the weather had turned and they couldn’t finish their ripening process. This year, it looks like they are going to make it in time and in a week or two, I should have plenty of ripe figs to give away and to enjoy.

It looks like a bounty of abundance and I am grateful. The sky above is beautifully clear heralding a gorgeous day, not too hot and just right. The birds are picking up their singing drowning out the pigeons and the air, well, it is fresh washed clean by the rain and ready to meet another day. Inside, I hear the beeping of the washing machine telling me to put the load in the dryer. It’s going to be a beautiful day and I’m going to try and make it a great one.

Have an amazing day.

My Repertoire of Foods

I’ve picked up a lot of recipes from my travels around the world. The travels weren’t just about getting to know another culture but it was also about the variety of food that was offered. I was pretty adventurous as far as food was concerned so I always made it a point to try everything once although there were times when I had to say an absolute NO!

Anyway, I’ve perfected this German recipe and I’ve made it several times for my son, ex, and just recently for a friend. It is pretty simple but delicious. A casserole with a bed of spinach, frozen or fresh, it doesn’t matter, I prefer fresh. Then you add salmon fillets and the best part is this creamy sauce that goes over the whole thing. It is smooth, scrumptious and melt in your mouth good. Bake it in an oven till the top is slightly browned and serve it with just about anything. I served it with Mexican rice last week and it went over well. The message I got said, “Food was delicious!” It is delicious and doesn’t take much effort at all but you come off looking like a winner. This is one dish that I would like to keep making and each time I tweak it to make it better. This last time I added some chili, not too much, and it turned out perfect.

The other thing I wanted to try was this thing called Tuna Melt. I picked this recipe up in Tennessee and loved it but my son went crazy over it and it is one of his favorite foods. I must say, Tennesseans know their food well. It is not always healthy but some of their stuff is finger-licking good! The tuna mixture is creamy and topped on a wholewheat bread roll and baked in the oven till the grated cheese melts and it is ready to go. Not much effort here either but it is delicious and when my son comes home once in a while, it’s the thing he asks for. He places the order a week in advance!

I have a big repertoire of foods I have picked up from around the world but the two I mentioned stand out for their easy-peasy way of putting a great dish on the table in record time. I don’t cook much these days. Chachi, the cat, gets canned food and as for myself, I’m into healthy foods and most days, no creams, no sauces, lots of veggies and something that I can whip up in a flash without going to too much trouble.

What foods would I like to make? Nothing much really. I’ve cooked just about anything and now it is time for rest and relaxation! Oh well, the single life does have its perks I suppose.

Daily writing prompt

What foods would you like to make?

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The Most Delicious Thing

I recall it was in Singapore. The place was a street side cafe with western music blaring out of its interior. The plastic chairs looked well-used and none too stable but the place was packed with both foreigners and locals alike. There was laughter and good times but the aroma coming out of the kitchen made my mouth water.

“How good could the food be from this dingy looking place?” I wondered. Turns out it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. I can’t remember the name of the dish but a friend recommended it since I love seafood. It arrived with no pomp and circumstance but it was a meal fit for a king or a queen for that matter! The bowl was small and unassuming. The aroma tantalizing. I removed the lid and hot steam escaped from the interior. It had a crust covering the whole thing and I was told to break it softly with a spoon and I did. Lo and behold, the crust sank into the thick broth below and I could see chunks of seafood, huge shrimps or rather prawns, lobster,squid, fish and a whole lot of other stuff staring back at me. I waited for it to cool off and dug in. It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. The thick reddish colored broth was beyond delicious, the morsels of seafood tender and every spoonful going down was heaven in itself.

It has been many years since that experience but I still remember this dish because it is unforgettable. I’ve eaten in different parts of the world but nothing as delicious as that unassuming bowl of whatever it was called. It has carved a place in my mind and my palate and will stay there as the best tasting food ever.

Singapore is a gourmet’s paradise and they can take the simplest ingredients and turn it into something grandiose and spectacular! Let me just add, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either!

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

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Congee

This one never fails. It is an instant teleportation to another time and place. My mom picked this recipe up from a Chinese neighbor woman. I used to spend a lot of time at the woman’s place because her daughter was my friend at the time. Having lunch at their place was wonderful because you never knew what was on the menu for that day. It was usually something I had never heard of but I was more than willing to be a guinea pig. One time we had pig’s ears! Strange? Yes, it was but I liked it.

Coming back to congee. It is a savoury rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice is very soft, a sort of gruel. Mom used to cook this when I had a cold or wasn’t feeling well. She said it was a miracle cure! I don’t know about that but after a bowl of chicken congee, I did feel much better. Voodoo? Well, not quite. The soft silky mixture is easy on the tummy and hydrates the body. There are many different versions but I like the chicken or the fish congee. It is delicious but more than that, it takes me back to a place when life was simpler and filled with mystery.

Living in Asia was a wonderful experience. I learned many things both good and bad. The food was fantastic and though strange at times, I learned that everything is worth a try. You can always say no later. I’ve kept to that throughout my life but I hit the brakes on live monkey brains! That is a whole different story altogether for another time and place.

Daily writing prompt

Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

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Chachi’s Tuna Fetish

Tuna is to Chachi as cheesecake is to his mommy! Chachi, the cat, loves tuna!

“While you’re up, human…..

bring me a can of tuna, would you?” Unknown

Yup, that’s my Chachi right there! He wants tuna seven days a week and if I try to disguise something else like chicken in his bowl, he cries, “Mutiny on the Bounty!” and goes on a hunger strike. The vet says, “Let him. He’ll eat his food when hunger strikes,” but the vet doesn’t know Chachi like I know my Chachi! I tried it for two days and each time he would walk to his bowl, look at it, smell it, snort, and look back at me. If that doesn’t work, he slams one paw in the bowl, moves it around noisily until he gets my attention. The little macho knows what he’s about and it’s not about being a cat either! He’s the boss and what he dictates goes.

“My idea of heaven consists of all of the things I’d go to hell for.” Unknown

My other cat hated tuna with a passion and couldn’t stand the smell of tuna. However, Chachi is a whole different breed. It’s tuna or he’d die trying.

You guessed it. I’m back to giving him tuna and the little four-legged furball has a grin on his face each time he goes to his bowl. Yes, he won the battle and you can say he’s plump full of tuna now!

ME: “Chachi, we’re out of tuna baby.”

HIM: “WHAT do you mean we’re out of tuna?!!”

ME: “It’s really not good for you.”

HIM: “I DISAGREE!”

End of discussion. Now, you know who wears the pants in this household! He has his tuna and I have my cheesecake. A win-win situation all around and peace reigns supreme again!

Have an amazing day.