insta-recap, february 2016

I spent my February taking medication, KonMari-ng (if that's even considered a verb), celebrating and a little reading, here's a recap:

It's crab season here so I cooked "Crab Curry" using the recipe from 50 Great Curries of India. 

 

Its been a while since I made some cupcakes, so I made a batch of Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream:

 Celebrated Chinese New Year with Dumplings:

I treated myself with Matcha (Green Tea) Cake for Valentines' Day. In Chinese Tradition, you gift plum blossoms or sakura flowers to someone unmarried to wish him/her love for the New Year:

I did some sewing but to be honest to this day it's still a working in progress:

Spaghetti with Meatballs:

A got a set of cloth labels for this year:

I got a copy of "Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up"  More tidying up for me in the coming weeks and more trips to the donation shop

Another new in my library: "Sew Many Dress, Sew Little Time: The Ultimate Dressmaking Guide". I do understand the concept of mix and match bodice and skirt pattern. I do this all the time like: strapless bodice with circular skirt, with long bias skirt, with long straight skirt and peplum, or a sweetheart bodice with drape details and long pleated skirt or trims yet, I still bought a copy of this book, solely due to the pattern featured on the cover. What's more exciting, at least for me, the dress  looks like the Christian Siriano gown seen recently on the red carpet.  

Lastly, my family celebrated my dad's birthday. You may have notice that I cook this quite often for one obvious reason: it's my family's favorite!

Till next time!

41/45

I almost forgot about my brother's birthday - his 41st - which falls the day before my parents' wedding anniversary - their 45th . I didn't realized it till 2 days prior while I was re-checking my pantry for ingredients I needed for the anniversary dinner.

Shoot! What am I going to cook?!?!

I found some (God knows how many) egg yolks in a plastic container sitting in my freezer, then I saw a couple of tin of condensed milk in the cupboard and went like *eureka* creme caramel! I then decided to make Chicken Pot Pie since I haven't made one for quite a long while. Great! I made the menu in such little time. I like to cook ahead so I spent an entire evening cooking the chicken filling, making the creme caramel and marinating the pork ribs. I like to cook some of the dishes ahead of time so I don't have to spend an entire day slaving myself in the kitchen.

The following evening, its assembly time sadly, I found the chicken filling covered with thousand of tiny bubbles and distinct aroma. Yes, the filling was rotten and my mind was filled with a thousand F-bombs! To make the matter worse, the supermarket is 20-minute drive from my apartment and it was already 6PM. If I have to make the filling from scratch, the pie has to be in the oven by 7PM obviously, I can not make it. I have no Plan B whatsoever. Without any hesitation, I calmly announced to my family that dinner is late than the usual, grabbed the keys at get a chicken rotisserie.

It was almost 8PM when I got the pie in the oven, but minutes later, the puff pastry sunk in the filling. I felt so horrified; next thing I knew I found myself arguing with the oven. Then my family was horrified when they saw me. Anyway, I fished out the puff pastry placed in on a cookie sheet and popped it in the oven.

I never really imagined that after all the years of cooking and many recipes that I have tried and mastered, such disaster can happen.

And that's was my chicken pot pie, of course this picture was edited many times to make it looked appetizing. :P

***

The following evening was my parent's wedding anniversary. There wasn't any drama but I did worried a little because I thought made it too spicy for my mom.  Dinnertime, everybody was quite - - did I get myself into another disaster?

To my relief, they enjoyed it and even suggested used the same marinade with pork chops. I am happy that they have forgotten the disaster I had the night before. Well, I guess I'll have to find another occasion to celebrate.


Until then,

Happy Cooking