Mom goes to New York, i attack the Wok!

Mom left for New York on friday (her 1st time to the states, so excited for her!) and i now hold the sovereign power of our kitchen (wahahaha *evil laughter*). That means no one askin how/when/wat i'm doing in the kitchen, no one kaypoh-ing/giving uncalled-for-comments, no one naggin abt the mess, cleanin up, wiping down.. "pls rinse up all the table clothes, soak 'em in detergent overnite, wipe oven inside out, put back all the baking tools!! you see, you stained the bottom on the pot again!!"... and all that jazz =p When you are totally engrossed in your bake/cooking in the hot & humid (aka you the sweat-ing block of fats) kitchen (sometimes i pull the fan in but they blow the flour & newspaper away!), you really, i mean, you REALLY REALLY wanna be left alone and not wish to have to listen to anyone who likes to give you any instructions, at all. I dun mind my folks being around while i bake/cook but i'm sometimes quite sick of their repetitive instructions. I am not young anymore. I KNOW wat to do!! Volcanic moments like these are times when i wish i can buy my own 3-room HDB flat soon!!! Oii, PAP, you listening to me???  

Anyway, mom's gonna be away for 2 whole weeks *yippee* and i'm gonna conquer the kitchen with O'mighty new rights! I've already baked 3 items over the weekend and cooked Nyonya Pork Curry (pic above, will share the super-easy recipe below) + the bonus PH (Vesak Day) we had yesterday, i baked another Napolean Pastry (failed but i learnt a great deal fr it, will tok abt it on a seperate entry) & cooked me-self some Stewed Pork wif Radish (again, will share the recipe below). 

When you are alone at home, you jus wanna cook simple one-dish meals, throw everythin in & simmer to full flavour. Accompanied wif plain rice, quick to cook and better still, quick to wash up too! (geez, i'm so lazy, when i do get my own place, do you think i shld buy a dish-washer? i know it's uncommon in singapore, we always think abt the high electricity cost, this unnecessary big machine stealing space in the kitchen but seriously, i dunno of anyone who owns it & tell me otherwise. i'm eager to be convinced!)

i've been reading on several food blogs and everyone seem to like tis dish alot. i've read japanese homemakers cooked this, as well as local singaporeans. Some uses chinese wine (Hua Tiao Jiu) while the former uses Mirin (which you can get for $2 from Daiso. We LOVE Daiso!). There's also a variety of meat used - usually Pork & Beef. The best i say will be Beef Brisket or Pork Belly (everybody knows that). But becoz i abstain from beef (not due to religious beliefs) and i wanted somethin lean/easiler-to-buy, i used pork ribs and pork loin instead. How to cook tis? Simple. Stirfry ginger slices briefly wif pork ribs/loin (hot water run over pork ribs only, not loin, prior to rid the 'dirt'. Sorrie i forgot the weight of the meat used but i spent abt $10 on 'em), then add radish & carrots, i also added white mushrooms (jus happen to see them at the supermarket). Add seasonings - 2 tbsp Oyster sauce, 1.5 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce & 2 tbsp Mirin. Finally, add 500ml of water to simmer, you can add more water or less of the seasonings depending on how much sauce/sweet you want it to be. It's quite sweet, let me tell you first. All from the meat, brown sugar & Mirin. I also beat in an egg coz i had leftovers from previous baking recipe, add in only if you like the chinese "egg-flower" sauce type.

Luv to eat my rice wetwet! *Rice - 40% brown, 60% white for a healthier choice =)

1st Pic above: Nyonya Pork Curry - Using Prima Nyonya Curry Paste to marinate pork ribs/loin for at least 2hours. Stirfry onions and pork ribs/loin till fragrant, not fully-cooked. Add ladyfingers, carrots, long beans, (i also added white mushrooms agn coz i luv 'em!) potatoes, coconut milk, water & salt to taste. Simmer for 30-45mins and you're done! Enjoy!!