Dîner chez moi - 28 April - 4 May

Saturday: Chicken chassuer, grilled courgette slices, potato and cauliflower mash

Sunday: Duck ragu with homemade tagliatelle (my very first time!)

Monday: Squid and celery stir-fry, lentil rice and green beans

Tuesday: Prawns with ketchup (乾燒蝦仁), lentil rice and cabbage stir-fried in garlic

Wednesday: Duck ragu with tortellini, grilled courgette slices

Thursday: Chicken chassuer, mash and rice, green beans

Friday: wild card

Desserts for the week: blackcurrant yogurts and crème caramel

Dîner chez moi - 21-27 April

Saturday - Roasted duck leg confit with cheesy potato nests, green beans and shitaki mushroom stir-fried with shallots and vinegar

Sunday - Neapolitan ragu with tagliatelle, blanched cauliflower shoots

Monday - Baked plaice in light bread crumb crust, steamed rice, mixed vegetables

Tuesday - Sardine pasta

Wednesday - Thai Yellow curry rice

Thursday - Same as Sunday

Friday - wide card

Dîner chez moi - 14-20 April

Saturday - Asparagus with bacon bits, walnuts and lemon, potato and bell pepper hash

Sunday - Easy chicken curry, steamed basmati rice, mixed-vegetable sauteed with panch phoron

Monday - Cheesy tomato and potato bake, crusty bread

Tuesday - Baked cod in seeded crust, steamed rice and vegetables stir-fried in garlic

Wednesday - Tomato pasta bake, black ham slices

Thursday - Same as Sunday

Friday - wild card

I like - Chang Yu Sheng

If you are in your 20s, you probably don't have a chance to know this talented music artist from Taiwan, Chang Yu Sheng 張雨生. Had been very active in the university singing scenes, he shot into fame by winning the Best Singer (and the Best Performing Group) in the island wide Pop music competition in 1988. And his illustrious albeit regrettably short career as singer, song writer and producer started from there.

His music accompanied me many late nights during my high school years. His resounding voice pierced straight through midnight silence and straight into my heart during times when I had only textbooks, a yellow lamp and my little muddled head with me. Growing up in an environment where listening to pop music was openly discouraged, as a rebellious, confused and cheeky teenager, I dived into the world of pop music directly, without any hesitation. Chang Yu Sheng's music was with me from the beginning because I felt he was talking to me, about something that mattered to me.

And I still do.

Here are a few of my favorite. But, really, you ought to listen to all his collection, to appreciate how diverse and talented his music was.

"音樂倘若源自心靈，不過"誠實"而已。" -- 張雨生

I like - Mozart Piano Sonata K331

Among all classical music pieces, the ones listened with the highest frequency in the household are those by Mozart. His music has the ability to take me to a stress free marshmallow wonderland where you can be as free as a bird, as stubborn as a donkey, as still as a tree, or as happy as a puppy, a world which is up to me.

My favorite Mozart sonata is performed by Barenboim. Unfortunately, it's not available from youtube. Instead, please enjoy Ms Uchida's fine version on this much loved sonata of mine.

Happy Easter

I have been trying out some recipes and cooking gadgets recently. Very enjoyable and satisfying to learn new things and food every day.

The most surprising discovery so far in terms of food is turnips. It did not occur to me to eat it raw until a piece from New York Times came out in late November 2011. Oh, what a revelation! Although sharing physical similarities, raw turnips do not taste like daikon, . For me, the flesh of turnips has a creamy feel, pleasantly sweet (like carrots), very more-ish. Daikon for me tastes like mildly sweet and refreshing asian pear. I urge you to try, if you can find fresh turnips near where you live. 

The gadget of the month is the cooking thermometer. Lakeland does a brilliant one by combining spatula and thermometer into one (the metal thermometer can even be removed from the silicon spatula to test meat. How great is that!). Now my jam and jellies set like clockwork (what took me so long?). And yes, I made my first ever batch of quince jellies. Wonderful stuff. 

Finally, I leave you with a montage of recent favorites which brought smiles to us, and wish you a Happy Easter.