Monthly Archives: April 2009

Soon…

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The weekend trip to Lyon was fruitful, to say the least.

Since our latest news, we thought it best to visit family especially considering how things are transpiring with Nil’s grandmother who was hospitalized last week and is still in the hospital. She has been diagnosed with peritoneum cancer and despite the bad news, she is looking and feeling much better when we last visited her, which was Easter Sunday.

After weighing in the options, she decided on a homestay with a live-in nurse and thus, Nil and I together with his uncle and my father-in-law made a morning trip to his grandmother’s home to do some spring cleaning. It’s about time too…we didn’t do much actually, just cleared out the wardrobe where she stores all her woolen wear and yarn. Yes, Nil’s grandmother is a yarn addict…just like me but only better and very old school.

It is a pity that her stash got heavily infested with moths over the years and we had to trash a lot of her pure wool yarns. We did managed to salvage a big bag full of local wool – it has no label, no identification…just a tag that read “wool from local farms” and the colours. These were moth-free, thankgawd, and I carted about 8 to 9 skeins of the stuff back – there are about another 10 over skeins now with lavender sachets to prevent infestations, sitting in the bag which has been tightly bound together with string and tagged.

There were other goodies too…they are still sitting in the bag, out in the balcony until I have the time to soak and wash them – there is no way I’m introducing moths to the apartment considering that I have a huge stash of wool for the shop! (Speaking of the shop, I wonder if getting a rubber stamp would be a good investment for my gift tags and such?)

So yes, pictures will come soon…just be patient k?

Nectarine

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Nectarine in Superwash Merino/Seacell from JulieSpins

Ply | Three
Yardage | 394.7 m
WPI | NA
Fibre | 70/30 Superwash Merino-Seacell from juliespins.etsy.com
Tool | Serenity Wheel [5.5:1 ratio]

Earlier today, I said that I would put this up for sale and all after plying since the colours are amazing and all, but after setting the twist and all, I notice that it bleeds a little. And while it’s okay with me personally, I am hesitant about selling a yarn that may add a slight orange tinge to water when rinsing.

Now, before anyone jumps to the wrong conclusion, bleeding is normal when the colours are intense and with certain blends – I ought to know. The merino-tencel I dyed up a while back bled like crazy and it took me a while to get a clear change of water without compromising on the colour brightness. So after buzzing Julie about it to check what her recommendation was to avoid future bleeds (read: wash/block in cold water only), I decided there and then that this was the perfect excuse for me to hang on to this.

At least now I can say that I have some handspun of my own to use!!! 8)

Nectarine in Superwash Merino/Seacell from JulieSpins Nectarine in Superwash Merino/Seacell from JulieSpins

Which to pick?

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3.3oz Merino/Tencel in Avalon from limegreenjelly.etsy.com 4 oz 70/30 Superwash Merino Seacell in Lovestruck from squoosh.etsy.com

These just arrived and while I’m so so so very tempted to start on the 2nd one from Squoosh, I’m wondering if I should work on the ones that have been part of my stash for a while already.

Yes, I have just finished spinning up my current WIP and will get started on plying it tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll be done with it by Friday since we’re leaving for Lyon to spend Easter with Nil’s parents. When we get back, it’ll be up for sale.

Didn’t you know? I have a job and it’s running my shop. 8)

Braised pork trotters

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Braised pork trotter with mushrooms

It is one of the cheapest cuts of meat here in Switzerland at 5 CHF per kilo and while it is unavailable fresh where I am here in Neuchatel, you can get the salted variety. All you have to do is soak it in cold water for at least one full day (don’t forget to change the water at least twice) and then, of you go with the cooking!

Pork trotters are common ingredients in Chinese cooking, primarily for confinement dishes and come highly recommended because of its high collagen and gelatin content which are great for bones and skin. Of course the oil content is there but it’s still not as bad as taking cuts from the belly – an area that is brimming with heaps of fat and great for roast pork Chinese style.

I was to utilize these cuts for another dish with black rice vinegar (black vinegar) and old ginger but the Asian store ran out and I didn’t want to wait since the trotters were already soaking in their de-brine-ing solution. So the next best thing was to braise these chewy pieces with some spices the Chinese way. My mum would have cooked this in a pot over normal heat for hours on end just to soften the trotters but I decided to stick with a pressure cooker to cut back on the cooking time. The result is a lovely fragrant yet not too soft dish!

On a completely unrelated note, did you know that there are such a thing as motorcycle accident attorneys?

Braised pork trotters
Adapted slightly from Amy Beh’s recipe

Ingredients
1 kg pork trotters
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
10 – 12 dried black mushrooms, soaked
4 cm piece cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 cloves
4 cm piece old ginger – halved and smashed lightly
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce

(A) Seasoning
Sugar
Pepper
500ml water

(B) Thickening (combine):
1/2 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp water

Method

  1. Bring half a pot of water to a boil. Put in trotter and blanch for three to four minutes.
  2. Remove, wash and leave the trotter aside for a short while. While it is still hot, brush it with 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce. Place the trotter and all the other ingredients, including (A), into a pressure cooker. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
  3. Release the pressure and remove the lid. Add thickening, then dish out and serve immediately.

Porc aigre-douce!!!!

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Sweet sour pork with capsicium and pineapple

Yes, that’s how it is written in French!

This is a short-cut recipe using sweet chilli sauce (which is already sweet AND sour) since I forgot to buy tomato ketchup and the chilli sauce here is kind of…weird-tasting. Mum usually makes this with pork belly cuts or at least the belly cuts WITHOUT the fat and skin before adding in pickled cucumbers (cucumbers in salt and then drained), capsicums and pineapples. I, on the other hand, find that the pickled cucumbers can be a bit tad salty and prefer my sweet sour pork to be just that – sweet AND sour.

Anyway, putting the ingredients together is quick – it’s the preparation that takes time. While pork is the standard meat used for this dish, particularly pork belly which can be quite fattening (no point in putting on weight only to go on weight loss pills to lose the weight), you can substitute with chicken or fish. Beef isn’t quite ideal because most cuts in chunks may result in a tough or chewy texture. Feel free to experiment with all sorts of things like fried tofu (for a vegetarian twist) or even meatballs!!!!

Sweet sour pork

Ingredients
300 gms pork – cut into chunky cubes
1 red capsicum
1 orange/green capsicum
4 rings canned pineapple
2-3 tbsp cornflour plus extra for sprinkling during the marinate
1 egg
4-5 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Soy sauce
Pepper
Oil for deep frying

Method

  1. Marinate the pork in some soya sauce and white pepper before sprinkling with the extra cornflour. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Remove the marinated pork, add the rest of the cornflour and egg before mixing well. In a wok or pot with enough oil for deep frying, drop the chunks of pork in one by one and fry on high-medium heat until golden brown. Remove, drain and place aside.
  3. Slice the capsicums and pineapples in bite-sized chunks before placing aside. In a wok, stir fry the capsicums and pineapples for 1 minute before adding in the sweet chilli sauce. Toss in the deep fried pork chunks and mix until the chunks are well-coated with the sauce. Add soy sauce and pepper to taste.
  4. Turn off the heat, remove and serve hot with a plate of rice and other side dishes.

Chocolate chip brownies with hazelnuts

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Chocolate chip brownies with hazelnuts

If you hadn’t already known, I’ll tell you now.

I don’t really fancy chocolate except when it comes in the form of desserts…but just some cakes and not even stuff like ice cream. Heck, I don’t even touch chocolate bars. I buy them but I hardly eat any; most are left for guests or friends who always enjoy it more than I do. Since Nil is not really a cake person (whereas I am), I decided to merge the best of both worlds in the form of brownies. These nearly dense yet uncake-like squares appeal to both of us; I like the edges which are “crispy” while he doesn’t mind the chewy, fudgy-like middles.

The original recipe from Simple Home Baking by Carole Clements calls for more sugar and chocolate chips but since the cooking chocolate I’m using is already sweet (and I don’t fancy drowning in sugary sweetness), I cut back on the sugar and added in some cocoa powder which helps take off a little bit of that icky oh-to-sweet taste you can get with chocolate cakes and desserts. We both like crunchy brownies and since I have some hazelnuts left, I thought I’d toss that in as well. Turned out to be a pretty good choice, I must say! The resulting brownie is still moist, rich but crunchy and just right for my sugary sweet tooth!

As with all procedures related to melting chocolate, do note that chocolate should not be cooked or melted via a direct flame but by using a bain marie; essentially, you place the chocolate in a bowl over a pot filled with simmering water. The steam rising from the water gets trapped under the bowl and generates gentle heat which will melt chocolate chunks. Cooking the chocolate with a direct flame will result in the separation of fats and cocoa in the chocolate – something that is NOT desirable!

Chocolate chip brownies with hazelnuts
Adapted from Simple Home Baking by Carole Clements

Ingredients
115 plain chocolate
115 gms butter
3 eggs
150 gms sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
140 gms all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Handful of chocolate chips
Handful of chopped hazelnuts

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C and butter the sides & bottom of a 9 inch pan.
  2. Put the chocolate and butter in a bowl, place on a bain marie and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have completely melted and is smooth. Turn off the heat, and allow to cool.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the mixture before folding in. DO NOT overbeat – it will result in a cakey brownie.
  4. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips before pouring the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until just set, about 30 minutes. Brownies should be slightly moist inside. Remove and cool in the pan. Once ready, cut and serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If I’m quiet…

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"Some" of the fibres that will hit the dyepot soon...

…it’s because I have been busy at the spinning wheel with some extra soft and shiny superwash merino-seacell, and that I will be busy dyeing up all that squishy soft fibres that I recently received from the postman AND finishing up the pair of booties that I’m supposed to send over as part of a bootie swap with another pregnant knitter come May.