Teczcape-An Escape to Food

Wake up to a healthy start in the morning and power up with this breakfast oatmeal (a combination of homemade muesli and milk, boosted by antioxidants-rich fresh fruits and BetterBody Foods Superfood Blend) and peanut butter on whole-wheat bread.

In our family, we have peanut butter on toast almost every day. Since it is a breakfast staple, a healthier peanut butter like PBfit Powdered Nut Butter - with 87% less fat than traditional peanut butter and 1/3 the calories - makes a great alternative.

Powdered peanut butter also means more versatility in usage; as peanut butter can now be easily added (no more sticky spoons or scoops!) to smoothies and your favorite bakes - cakes, cookies, and muffins.


Imagine...no more waiting (and waiting...) for the creamy peanut butter to drip down slowly the tablespoon, and no more trying to get the last bit wiped off completely from the spoon or scoop!

Grain bowls and salad bowls - coupled with plant-based proteins such as beans/legumes, tofu, tempeh, or meat options like chicken, or even seafood - are still part of the family meal plan. However, soups and stews, porridge and congee start to have a presence at the dinner table more often during the winter season as these hot and warm dishes says nothing but comfort, just like this Mushroom Turkey Pasta with Marinara Sauce.


Store-bought jarred pasta sauce is convenient and saves a lot of cooking time in the kitchen. However, I hardly use jarred pasta sauce because it is usually too high in sodium and lacks fresh tomato flavor; until I came across several good reviews on Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "Asian Pickles" ?

For me, the first few Asian Pickles that come to mind will be Kimchi (from Korea), Pickled Cucumbers (from China) and Mango Chutney (from India). But Asian Pickles is MORE than that.

Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon will definitely do more justice to the preservers and picklers; and certainly help a novice like me expand my horizon in the pickling arena. The book will be on sale 10 June 2014.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ten Speed Press [Press Release]
Publicity Contact: Natalie Mulford natalie.mulford@tenspeed.com

For Asian food aficionados as well as preservers and picklers looking for new frontiers, the Far East’s diverse and sometimes spicy array of pickled products and innovative flavor pairings will wow the palate. In Asian Pickles, respected cookbook author and culinary project maven Karen Solomon introduces readers to the unique ingredients used in Asian pickle-making and numerous techniques beyond the basic brine. For the novice pickler, Solomon also includes a vast array of quick pickles with easy-to-find ingredients. Featuring 75 of the most sought-after pickle recipes from the East – including Korean Chopped Daikon Kimchi, Japanese Umeboshi, Chinese Spicy Ginger Cucumbers, Indian Coconut-Mint Chutney, and more – Asian Pickles will help you explore a new preserving horizon with fail-proof instructions and a selection of helpful resources.

ON-TREND: Pickling in general, and Asian pickling in particular, is a hot culinary category. Although pickling is a time-honored food tradition, chefs, bartenders, and the food media are enthusiastically embracing new methods and uses.

NOVEL PRODUCT RELEASE: Four ebooklets were published in lead-up to the print book (Japan: Fall 2012, Korea: Spring 2013, China: Summer 2013, and India: Fall 2013). These recipes will be combined with additional recipes from Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines in this comprehensive print and ebook.

Asian Pickles is a DIY guide to making the tangy pickles of Japan, Korea, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and more, featuring recipes ranging from traditional tsukemono and kimchi to chutney and new combinations using innovative ingredients and techniques.

About the author:
Karen Solomon is the author of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It; Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It; and The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to San Francisco; a contributing author to Chow! San Francisco Bay Area: 300 Affordable Places for Great Meals & Good Deals; and a former contributing editor to Zagat Survey: San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants. Her edible musings on the restaurant scene, sustainable food programs, culinary trends, food history, and recipe development have appeared in Fine Cooking, Prevention, Yoga Journal, Organic Style, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, San Francisco Bay Guardian, and elsewhere. She’s currently a guest blogger for The Blender, the Williams-Sonoma blog, and the Bay Area Bites KQED Food Blog. Visit www.ksolomon.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The above is a press release from Ten Speed Press.

"Convenience" and "nutritious" are usually not related. In my family, cereals and granola + milk is convenient breakfast. It's fast-food breakfast - pour in milk to that bowl of granola/cereals and breakfast is done. It is not unhealthy; however, the whole grain aspect in cereals is never better or comparable to stove-top cooked old fashioned whole grain rolled oats.

So how about instant oatmeal that needs that life-changing moment from boiling water? Frankly I have tried some varieties of instant oatmeal (plain and flavored) and often, they taste like soaked cardboard paper (flavor and texture). It is also not often to have instant oatmeal to really mean (1)INSTANT  i.e. quick 1-2 minute cooking; and (2) OATMEAL - the true taste of whole grain oats like those slowed cooked over the stove-top. Then I had the chance to sample Better Oats....


Out of the five sample product items (Organic RAW-Bare, Organic RAW-Pomegranate, Oat Revolution Instant Oatmeal, Blueberry Muffin Old Fashioned Oatmeal, and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Old Fashioned Oatmeal), I picked three products for some quick sampling. I could not wait.

The first creation is playing with a Mix and Match of flavors, combining Organic RAW-Bare (Plain Grain) and Blueberry Muffin Old Fashioned Oatmeal to make this Thick and Hearty Blueberry Multigrain Oats.


The mix of ingredients (e.g. Organic Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Organic Barley, Organic Flax seed, Organic Quinoa, etc.) is wholesome and healthy in the Organic RAW product. LOVE.

There are even real dried blueberries in the Blueberry Muffin Old Fashioned Oatmeal! LOVE.


As I do not use a microwave at home, the measuring cup pouch (which I thought is an interesting and creative way for microwave-measurement-and-cooking) does not come in handy. BUT cooking over the stove-top is super easy, hassle-free and fast - all done in about 2 minutes! LOVE.

Most importantly, the oatmeal was tasty with thick and hearty multigrain texture! LOVE.


If cooking the Organic Raw Oats over the stove-top is fast, then this second creation is even faster.

Following HappyCall Pan (HCP) Fried "Rice" (Quinoa), and Pan-Fried Fish Fillet, this is another take on HappyCall Pan and this time, I'm going to make quesadilla. Alright, the tortilla wraps were store-bought but the HCP does a good job in warming up (gently steaming) those wraps.


The tortilla wraps are warmed. Now it's time to make a chive-egg omelette. I find that the HCP does a good job in making egg dishes as the pan surface is non-stick (ceramic coated and not Teflon) and therefore does not call for a lot of cooking oil when making egg dishes such as omelette.

After the chive-egg omelette is cooked, slide it out on a plate. Then place warmed tortilla back to the HCP, add the omelette back to the pan on the tortilla wrap, then place another layer of tortilla on top of the omelette (photos above).


Partially close the HCP and allow the quesadilla to warm and the omelette to fully-set within the wraps-sandwich. Remove and set aside on a plate, cut into half or quarters and then roll up with spring herb or salad veggies, and cucumbers and take a big bite.


This quesadilla wrap, roll-up sandwich is super-easy to make, healthy and nutritious too. With the chive-egg omelette as the main filling, it is definitely flavorful. Yum!

Sharing this wrap and roll-up sandwich with Souper Sunday

Tag: quesadilla, chives

When I first watched HappyCall Pan (HCP) demo on TV, one of the highlights was how easy it was to pan-fry a whole fish without the grease and splatter all over the kitchen. That, to me, is a big plus. Though I have not try a whole fish on the HCP yet, I have to say it worked quite well for a fish fillet.

HappyCall Pan (HCP) Pan-Fried Spiced Fish Fillet
The sole fillet was lightly seasoned with paprika, ground turmeric, ground coriander, a little extra virgin olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice. Then place on the pan, pan-fry about 3-5 minutes per side, till cooked. In the process of cooking the fish, the pan was also partially closed (not locked by magnetic) so that the steam cooks the fish fast. Also to prevent any splatters.

Other HCP creations: Fried "Rice" Quinoa

Tag: happy call pan, fish

I used to buy this from Whole Foods Market but I don't seem to find it anymore :(
This Ines Rosales Tortas crisp is very light and goes well with a warm beverage of coffee or tea in the morning, noon or in the evening. There is a variety of flavors but I enjoy the Anise Crisps and Seville Orange Crisps the most. The ingredients are quite basic too. For the Anise Crisps, the ingredients are: Wheat flour, olive oil, sugar, matalahuga (anise), ajonjoli (sesame seeds), salt and anise essence.

So what is Torta de Aceite? If you read Spanish, you can check out Ines Rosales for this hand-made crisp.

Since I can't find it in stores now, I plan to buy some from Amazon soon as the price is almost similar to what I have previously paid for in stores.

Tag: snacks,Ines Rosales Tortas

Following Prima Taste 7-minute Laksa LaMain (Noodles in Aromatic Coconut Soup-Gravy), this Curry LaMian was also introduced in Prima Taste's Easy Gourmet Indulgence product line. Suggested as package instructions, I was supposed to make Curry LaMian like the real Curry Mee (Noodles with Curry Chicken and Potatoes) by adding chicken and potatoes but I went vegetarian with no chicken and potatoes.

Guess what I brought back from my recent Singapore trip? A HappyCall Pan(HCP), with compliments from Mom. :)


The HappyCall Pan is a pan (not an electric appliance), so there were no worries about me having voltage/power issues over in the US.

Well, I know that gas stove is like the norm in Singapore home kitchens; likewise, the HCP demo on TV is mainly using the pan over the gas stove. So another concern was using the pan over an electric stove, as most rental apartments here in the Bay Area, California is "furnished" with an electric stove in the kitchen - I do not fancy electric stove but no choice. So, HCP on the electric stove - Does it work? Will it work?

What is Williams-Sonoma's Agrarian Collection ? First of all, what is Agrarian? Agrarian supports a lifestyle of healthy living - bringing homegrown and homemade to the everyday table. In short, it is about do-it-yourself (DIY) cheese-making, or growing a kitchen garden, for example.


Start small with pots of herbs or go as big as raising chicken in chicken coops; enjoy Free Shipping at Williams-Sonoma on all orders over $49 with promo code SHIP4FREE! Limited time only

As I currently do not have a backyard, maybe I can start small with a few pots of herbs :)

Start planning your kitchen garden with Williams-Sonoma now!

Amongst the leisure (Fitness, Good Housekeeping, Whole Living etc.) magazines I am subscribed to currently, Fast Company must be the least "leisure" of them all. Come on, Fast Company?

But...but...but, you know what? I have had a number of surprising foodie read in this magazine. Can you believe it? First was Alton Brown and the essential kitchen gadgets, then the recent issue on Who Moved My Shrimp?-The Art And Science Of Advertisements' High-Flying Food.

Seen this?

                                    Photo source: Fast Company

Or how do you mimic flying veggies in the air?
                                   Photo source: Fast Company

The entire article The Art And Science Of Advertisements' High-Flying Food can be found in Fast Company - March 2012 issue. Go check out, or subscribe Fast Company [Print + Kindle] if you are interested.

Parchment cooking (En Papillote) is one of my favorite cooking methods. It is fuss-free, and able to retain moisture and flavors.

I usually cook fish such as salmon and cod, with vegetables such as asparagus and zucchini in one "parcel" and saying: dinner is ready before I know it, is not an exaggeration.

I was so ready to try Mrs. Paul and Van De Kamp's ParchmentBake when given the chance to, with Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program.

The Lemon Pepper and Garlic Butter Tilapia fillets were all good! Moist, not overly salty and no fishy smell at all.

Get ready some steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes and roasted carrots by the side and a complete meal is ready.

What a smart idea for this ParchmentBake product.



*The Van De Kampsfrozen product was received as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. Thank you Foodbuzz + Mrs. Paul and Van De Kamp's .

Though I enjoy getting a variety of beans such as Black-Eyed peas, Great Northern beans and split peas at the quantity I wish (usually just a handful or two) from the bulk section in the grocery stores, nothing beats this 17-Beans and Barley Mix from Trader Joes. I get a handful of different jewels all at the same time.

A colorful variety

Soak these dried beans overnight and the next day, the fiber and nutrition you need from this variety of beans when cooked in soups, stews and curries. Get hearty!

How do you buy your beans? Canned? Bulk? Dried and pre-packaged?

Tag: legumes, beans

This Peanut Butter and Banana Wonton Pockets was recently featured in 100 Things to do with Peanut Butter. I have almost forgotten my own creation. Well you can't blame me as it was back in 2007! :O

Since it is about peanut butter, just allow me to continue on this subject.

Do you have a particular brand of peanut butter you enjoy? 
I am for creamy, how about you? Crunchy? 

I miss my go-to peanut butter deal! Costco Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter deal - two 28oz organic peanut butter for slightly less than $9. Sadly, I could not find them anymore in Costco in the last two months, and I heard this product time might be discontinued.

What is my next alternative since peanut butter is considered a staple in my family? Santa Cruz and Maranatha organic 16-oz versions passed my taste test but since they do not come reasonably priced, I recently turned to Trader Joes with organic peanut butter (unsalted, a plus for me!) at $3.99 for 16-oz.

If the taste is acceptable, that will be my source for peanut butter in the coming months.


Tag: peanut butter, organic peanut butter

Leap Day (29th Feb 2012) today, leaving 2012 with 366 days!


Certainly I can choose this day to be lazy...super lazy. How about taking shortcuts in today's dish of the day? Yes, 7-minute Singapore Laksa 新加坡叻沙拉面 it shall be.


7-minute is what the Prima Taste package says. The laksa gravy that typically takes hours to prep. and cook, can now be completed in 7 minutes, or I'll give it 10, at most 15 min. Thanks to ready-made paste/pre-mix that comes with noodles. Yes, all in a pack, some say gourmet in a pack!

I usually give those lobsters (imported from Brazil) in Costco a pass, especially when I see sulfite preservatives used.

However, on the left, are some lobsters that I could not resist when I saw them in Costco two weeks ago. Wild-caught Maine Lobsters - frozen and wild (without preservatives), these are Claw Island lobsters that some Costco stores are carrying.

It cost about $19 for two uncooked lobster tails (already cleaned); and no matter what, always cheaper to buy them and cook them at home rather than to order restaurant lobsters which easily cost up to $50-60.

To savor the sweet umami fresh lobster flavors, I turn to minimally prep. and cooked technique - STEAM method, with ginger, green onions and dash of cooking wine.

To me, steaming is the best way to go. Some lobsters how-to also suggest boiling the lobsters (just like how they prefer to boil Dungeness crabs and serve it chilled) but in my opinion, the process of boiling removes some good flavors from the lobsters. Steaming, on the other hand, cooks the lobster gently and retains most of the "juice", moisture and flavors.

Of course, there are other methods of cooking lobsters such as stir-frying with ginger and green onions (Chinese style) or baking with butter and/or cheese. Steaming happens to be my preferred go-to delicious and fuss-free route

The signature "Tater Tots"-like crispness, typically cylindrical shape and small size, speaks for these sweet potatoes!


From Alexia range of frozen products in the supermarket, I could not take my eyes off these cutesy sweet potato puffs.

They don't just look good, cutesy good; they also taste deliciously natural and sweet. Yes a sweet savory side-dish!

I serve these crispy bites as a side along with the cauliflower steaks I roasted earlier and even got thumbs up from the other one at home.

He kept eating the puffs, pointing at them the same time and repeatedly asked me what were those.

Delicious crispy sweet potato puffs, of course :D

Panettone is kinda "seasonal" as I can only find them in the stores sometime in November and December.


I was delighted to receive 2 boxes of Bauducco Panettone - one with Sunmaid raisins and one with Hersheys chocolates as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. I adapted one of the bread pudding recipes enclosed in the package and made a cinnamon-based bread pudding using the panettone with Hershey's chocolates.

It's really easy to use Simply Potatoes. "Simply" says it all. To make this Potato and Cauliflower Gratin, I did not even have to boil my potatoes to cook them first. That surely saved me time.

Combining fresh ingredients with Simply Potatoes* made it even better! And who does not like melted cheese on roasted potatoes and cauliflower? Awwwww...



Rosemary Garlic Potatoes and Curried Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients:
-1 pack Simply Potatoes* (Rosemary and Garlic Red Potato Wedges) - cooked according to instructions (I roasted mine at 425F ~20 mins)
-1 head (~1 lb) cauliflower, trimmed into florets, blanched for 1 min, cooled then trim further to tiny florets, lightly dusted with about 2 tsps curry powder to coat evenly
- about 4-5tbsps whole milk
-2 slices of cheddar

Thank you Foodbuzz and Tervis for sending me a Tervis Tumbler.

Just in time for fall and winter - for me to hold the hot cocoa drink I have made in order to warm myself inside out. And now my hot chocolate stays warm longer, and I stay warm longer.

Due to the colder days at this time, I also try to avoid cold drinks directly from the fridge. And the double-walled insulation of this tumbler works just perfect for this situation. Every morning, I pour some refrigerated soy bean milk into my Tervis Tumbler, let it sit (for about 10 minutes) at room temperature before I drink it. And magic, no condensation on my tumbler!


*Tervis Tumbler was received as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. Thank  you Foodbuzz and Tervis Tumbler..