It is sad when you are in another country and can’t get the food that you are used to.  But it’s even sadder when you can’t get the treats too, like my rum and raisin from Haagen Dazs (that even the not so developed countries like Cambodia has).  And the saddest is that the local grocery stores do carry the Haagen Dazs brand, but not the Rum & Raisin flavor.  Now who doesn’t love the rum and raisin, right?  Holy! I can’t get enough of it.

But for the last 8 years in Canada I can’t find it in Yarmouth at all.  Sad  eh?  Well, I’m throwing the ball into our local grocery stores court by leaving a note with my name card on it and hoping against all hope that he will come thru’ for me, finally.  So I wait.  Today I left the note for him, I had wanted to speak with him personally but every time I see him in the local store he never ever made eye contact with me.  Yup! Very sad!  But since he got me the Udon that ran outta stock a few weeks ago I’m inclined to give him another chance to earn more brownie points.  So we’ll see eh?  This is Canada after all, not a third world country.

I find that no fish takes to the BBQ as well as a salmon fillet. The salmon is so easy to cook.. it thrives so good on marinade and just about everyone who loves fish would love it. But some people make this common mistake by overcooking them. So be careful to remove it from the grill before it dries out. It is said that the ideal temperature varies for different types of fish .. and the salmon is good at 135 F. Watching for the sign of doneness is easy, just make sure the flesh is firm up and opaque in color and just begin to flake. In Canada . .alot of people love using the Cedar plank to bbq their fishes, very unique taste.. and if you like try the maple syrup .. i liked that very much.

As someone who loves to eat, the first thing i had to do when i first bought our house was to change the faucets in the kitchen and bathroom.  You know how when cooking with big pots and pans.. or if you need to wash huge steaming pots when you make “bak chang”, a retractable faucet is a must.  If you don’t get one of those.. you will definitely regret it.  Luckily i saw it in one of my home decor magazines.. and knew what to look for.

These are organic carrots that my in-laws grow in their garden. No pesticides.. and guaranteed organic. I think they sell them for $1.50 a bunch.. and they are extremely sweet.. very different from the ones we get in the grocery stores. My in-laws indulges me.. and my fascination for organic food and any other things. They would gladly let me take all the pictures i want for my blogs. I can never ask for better in laws.

Very pretty right..?? And really very healthy looking too.

Think of bug bunny eating his carrot.. and you will know that the carrots really look like the ones.. that bug bunny carries around.

See what i mean..?? about Bug Bunny.

Nah.. nah.. nah..! i’m not going crazy.. hahhah!! this food show is just too awesome.. not to share it with my food blogging friends. For those who haven’t watched this.. you should get ahold of it. It’s wonderful to watch all the good food in Hong Kong. I so missed asia .. and its food. For those who can’t get it.. email me.. and i’ll see what i can do.

Food connoisseur Chua Lam is famous for enjoying life to the fullest. He hits the road again with upcoming artist chef, Louisa So, supermodel Amanda S, and a bunch of good friends, locating the art of culinary heritage and scouring the town for the memorable relish that become extinct soon. The goal of the new show will help people appreciate real Hong Kong food culture again.

With his very unusual and deserving attention, this food bible is guaranteed to offer you an amazing experience in gourmet paradise.

Cast?Chua Lam, Louisa So, Amanda S

This herbal chicken soup was cooked in the slow cooker for about 3.5hrs.. and i think i might just have perfected it.  The package of herbs came all the way from Malaysia.. from a wonderful blogging friend .. Barb from ChumsyAshley.blogspot.com, who wanted me to cook something nourishing for myself after my surgeries.   When i cooked it the first time.. i didn’t put anything extra into it.. and followed the instructions exactly.  The soup didn’t turned out as tasty.

So the second time.. i decided to try slow cooking it for 5hrs with red dates and wolfberries.  This time it tasted better.. but the chicken was pretty much hard. .and tasteless.  But the soup tasted alot better… so this was good.

The third time i tried slow cooking it for 3.5hrs.. and besides the package from the herbal soup mix.. i added as usual.. wolfberries, red dates and some longan.  Now this was absolutely perfect.  The chicken was still edible.. and the soup was alot sweeter because of the longan.. and it didn’t dry up as much as far as the soup was concern.  So yes.. a perfect pot of soup. .with very little work.

Tired of eating bad Baklava.. i’ve decided to follow the recipe i had gotten from our local grocery store. I’ll be posting up the recipe very soon. Check back later.

Updated:

This recipe is great for people like me who is diabetic . .by using Fruit and nuts .. but you can use less honey and substitute sugar is you wish. This recipe makes 40 pieces

Preperation time : 20mins

Total time : 50mins

Cooling time : 4hrs

1 pkg (150g) nuts & seed trail mix

2 cups (500ml) dried and sweetened five fruit medley

1.5 cup (75ml) sugar (can use substitute sugar/sweetner)

1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon

1 pkg (445g) Phyllo Pastry sheets, thawed

1 cup (250ml) unsalted butter, melted

1 jar (500g) liquid honey ( but can use as little or as sweet as you want)

3/4 cup (175ml) water

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (180 degree C). Lightly greese a 9 x 13 inch (3.5L) baking dish or pan. Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise to fit in pan. Cover phyllo with a lightly dampened tea towel to prevent drying out.

2. Combine trail mix, dried fruits, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor. Finely chop, set aside.

3. Gently lay a piece of phyllo pastry in pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter.

4. Sprinkle a thin layer of nut and fruit mixture over phyllo, cover with 2 more sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet with butter. Repeat this step of sprinkling the nut mixture, then 2 sheets of buttered phyllo pastry, until all the nut mixture is used.

5. Top with the final 8 individually buttered phyllo sheets. With a sharp knife, cut into 40 equal squares. Bake until edges are crisp and top in golden brown, 30 - 35 mins.

6. In a small saucepan, combine honey and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 7 mins, or until slightly thickened. Let cool. Spoon cooled syrup over hot baklava and let it cool for at least 4 hrs. Garnish with some more finely chopped pistacho nuts if desired.

Recipe taken from our friendly grocery store.. SOBEYS.

Eating right is a good way to staying healthy but using the right products for our health is just as important.  Johnson & Johnson is no stranger to anyone.  My mother used to tell us when we were kids.. that she only buys the best for us.. and that is Johnson & Johnson’s lotions and baby soap… and never anything else because she believes in this company who specialises in products mild enough for babies.

Johnson & Johnson is synonymous to improving the quality of your life with products that will never harm your body or skin. Their innovative health products and baby center has helped women and baies from all over the world. It has most definitely come a long way, I trust Johnson & Johnson products.

Being a diabetic is no fun.  One feels like you cannot eat anything.. and for dessert.. you probably is like me..  “forget it” .. when it comes to dessert right..??

Well.. here is a cool.. and creamy plus fruity dessert that is diabetes friendly.

2 cups of Frozen Strawberries, thawed

3/4 cup thawed cool whip light/whipped topping

1 peek Freans lifestyle selections/shortcake biscuit crushed.

Directions :

Mash strawberries in medium bowl, gently stir in whipped topping, spoon into dessert dishes and sprinkle with biscuit crumbs.  Serve immediately.  Not that sinful.. and you’ll be able to sleep tonite.  Only 7 g of sugar in it when you take half a cup.

I love cheesecakes..but not just any kind of cheese cakes. The plain ones like this one is my favorite but strawberry cheesecake is not too bad either. But if you know me by now.. you know i can’t eat too much sweet stuf.. and that’s not because i’m diabetic. I just don’t like eating alot of sweet stuff. A cake like this will last me 3 days. Hehehe!! donch laugh at me now.. when you get as old as I.. you kinda have to watch it too.

The man of course is a different story.. he eats anything chocolaty and rich..!! the richer the better. This is a mini boston cream pie. He said it was good.. but i didn’t wanna try it. Of course the daughter is like him. .. and eats anything with chocolate.

Next a restaurant review…  Pizza Delight.  Check this out again.