Matcha (random food items)

Matcha powder or more commonly known as the green tea powder is basically fine, powdered green tea leaves. The flavour is stronger than what you would normally taste from green tea. I love drinking green tea because of the aroma and the benefits that it encompasses. I can see lot of sweet snacks with matcha flavour nowadays. I used to look for the matcha powder in the Asian grocery stores and would not find them. Now I can see them almost everywhere, so there. I definitely think it has grown in popularity. I also saw green tea noodles in a magazine which you can find in Japan, which means that matcha is not only associated with sweet food.
So I have combined a few items green tea flavoured I bought and made.

These are items I did not make:

Green tea mousse cake with red bean

Green tea crepe cake

Hello Panda with matcha filling, they also have matcha pocky

Green tea icecream mochi, my favourite

Now, those are the sweets I made:

Green tea cookies

Lady fingers

Matcha cheat's icecream

Raw matcha brownie

I also made mini matcha cheesecake which must be somewhere in this blog already, but could not find the photo for some reason. Anyway these are ideas of what you can make using matcha.

Taro Balls

This are one of my favourite deep-fried food among so many others. These taro balls are made from grated taro, sugar, black bean, bread, ginger and some flour mixed together and then deep fried. These are the best, super crunchy on the outside, and you can take the taro and the sweetness with the ginger and salty black bean complimenting each other. These are so mouth-watering and I tell you you just can't get enough. Once in a while is good.

Most recently I came across another taro deep fried style dumpling- the Honeycomb taro dumpling or deep fried taro puff which is a savoury version filled with pork filling. I have not tried it before, but I bet it tastes delicious.

I made taro smoothie by blending some cooked taro, milk and sugar and it tastes amazing.

Taro has such a distinct flavour, like pandan or red bean. They have unusual flavour but once you get to appreciate the taste, then I assure you, you would be keen to try any food with them in it.

This is the time I made the taro balls, which turned out pretty good.

Grated taro

Rolled into balls prior to frying

Ready to be eaten

This is the time my mum did it.

Lunch at Sizzler

Amidst of the news that Sizzler has been making losses, I have mixed feelings. The most recent reviews I heard though were that the customer service has plunged, and the food was not worth it for the price. This might explained part of the lost in customers.

So I have lunch (salad bar) recently and it was not that bad. Their biggest let down for me was their re-fillling system, which leave much to be desired. This also applies to their breakfast menu- last time I had to fish for the two miserable mushrooms left.
For lunch though, I really enjoyed their variety of salads. I am personally not a salad-person. In fact, I have not really tried eating salads- referring to the ones mixed with sauces and all- except for coleslaw and raw vegetable as sides. I surprisingly liked the couscous one. The tomato salsa was also a big hit for me, taste just like mum.

If you are a fan of salads, then it is definitely a good place to go.

Also, I have come across the recipe for their cheese toast which was part of their loss-making statement. The recipe is equal part of butter and cheese (parmesan), spread on white toast and then pan-fry- seems fairly easy.

Here are the photos:

Note: Missing the soup bowl and the ice-cream haha

  

  

  

Comeback

I thought it was about time for me to post something, anything, so here I am. I think I lost track of time- I can't believe we are already half-way through the year- but I finally managed to get few things sorted.. Like the saying goes: better late than never.

So what have I been up?

In terms of cooking, unfortunately I have not really been consistent. I have not spent as much time as I would like in the kitchen. I have not been trying a lot of recipes, and I'm cooking the dishes I know mostly. However I am watching Masterchef at the moment, and learning a lot. I'm liking this season a lot, despite the usual unfairness and dramas. I mean there are some truly amazing cooks out there. I am humbled.

What's next?

I will hopefully be more up-to-date and post few pictures and recipes of food dishes I made and tried, and ate out over the past several months.

       

Happy Chinese New Year !

Well, I did not have the opportunity to post since the new year and we are already celebrating another one. Happy year of the Goat. Next year will be my year- I can't wait. I know it will come in a flash.

I also can't wait for my year and element, in 2052- I'll be old by then, oh well.

This year, Chinese new year fell during Lent season, which is okay since it is a tradition to fast a.k.a no meat day. We normally fast on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during lent season. To be honest, I have not eaten meat for the last three days and I feel great. I do not consider myself missing anything.

I will see how far I can go. I will post a few snaps of my vegetarian meals later.

It is good sometimes to limit our meat intake. Also, I have been making smoothies lately and these are amazing drinks, so much goodness in a sip. It was this one day I woke up and felt like making a smoothie for brekkie. I made it with the veggies and fruit I had on hand and it turned out so deliciously good, fresh, fruity and filling. I know I might be late to this smoothie-making party, but never too late as we say it.

Be safe and healthy.

ps: sorry about the grammar, did not really paying attention...