JDS Squid Rice

This was one of those happy accidents that occurred. I had wanted to make some sort of sambal squid, and have it with steamed rice, and because I was too lazy to steam the rice, I decided I will just toss it in with the squid dish I was making, and cook it all in a claypot so I can go from stove to table without needing to wash a pot and serving dish separately.

When I eventually took a spoonful of the result, I couldn’t help but exclaim happily to myself: “You ARE a culinary Goddess!”

Well of course, I am biased. But since then I have tried to recreate the dish 2 more times and now that I am satisfied that I can consistently create it, I would like to share it in this blog post.

First, a little bit about the ingredients. I used small squids (about 8-10cm per squid, 6 in total) with roe for this. I just love roe. Don’t cut them too thinly because they might cook too quickly and end up tough. These are about 2cm thick. Then there are these 2 sauces: Kwong Cheong Thye Crispy Chilli and also the Lee Kum Kee Shrimp Sauce (or paste). I guess if you cannot find these substitutes can be used, but I am not sure if it will taste as good!

Finnish Salmon Soup – Lohikeitto

I used to visit Finland almost every year, and I get to travel like a local, because my sis lives there. I love Finland. Other than the cold which I probably cannot get used to in the long-run, the place suits me. People in Finland are not particularly warm or over-friendly, but they are polite when approached. The place is clean, air and water is good and really fresh, and best of all, they value the quiet. For a hermit like me, it’s perfect. And if you ever get the chance to even spend some days in a Finnish cottage on an island, you would understand that it’s paradise – especially for a person like me. But I digress…

On my very first trip there a decade ago, I walked into a cafe and saw that they had Salmon Soup. I ordered it and loved it. Then I realised that it was a common food in Finland, and easy to make. The Finns knew what they were doing when they paired Salmon with Dill – this is a match truly made in heaven. And if you have never tried that, I suggest you get some gavlax which uses this combi, or simply make this soup. The slight citrusy/grassy aroma of the Dill helps cuts through the rich oils in the Salmon. Everytime I get a whiff of this, I feel like I have been transported back to Finland. I hope I get the chance to trudge through the forest hunting for mushrooms once again, but in the meantime, this will have to do.

Asian Onion Pork Chop In Sugar-Vinegar Sauce (糖醋洋葱猪扒)

In my university days, I was briefly dating a guy from Hong Kong. He was what we would call a mummy’s boy, and his mum would make it a point to travel all the way to our hostel by public transport to bring him home-cooked food. While the relationship didn’t amount to much, the one thing I never forgot was when he shared one of those dishes his mum brought him with me – a very delicious onion pork chop dish – much to his mum’s dismay. Yes, I could see the “how dare you eat my son’s food” glare from her eyes. Nevertheless, I did manage to pry some information from her on how she made it, there was the need to stir fry the onions over low heat first, then a need to add black vinegar and sugar. And that was all I got.

JDS Chinese-Style Glutinous Rice

The thought of cooking glutinous rice had never occurred to me, since it’s not something that I particularly craved. Growing up, I just remembered it as being a common breakfast that grandma would sometimes buy back for us from the market, being very oily, with not much ingredients. But all that changed when I visited my sis in Finland Jan 2019, when she reheated some of the frozen batch she had made for me. It tasted really nice – perhaps also due to the cold weather (it was winter) – a steaming bowl of glutinous rice with amped up ingredients totally hit the spot. And I asked her for a rough rundown on how she made it.

So more than a year later, I made a first batch of it based on my own take and I truly liked how it turned out to be such a convenient and tasty meal. Especially for days when I do not want to eat much. I didn’t record the process the last time round, so now, another half a year later, I am making it again so that I can log this recipe into my blog. I like to test my recipes before I put them out there. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Certainly easy to make but just need to have time to prep as you need to soak, soak, soak!

Let’s talk a little about the ingredients preparation process.

Claypot Pig Liver

I love liver, but it has to be done right. My favourite pig liver dish is the claypot version made by the Hillman and Manhill Restaurants in Singapore. I have been eating at this restaurant as a child and have never had another chinese-styled claypot dish that is as good as theirs, not even the famed Keng Eng Kee at Alexandra Village.

I have been trying to recreate this dish in the comfort of my home, afterall, fresh pig liver in the market is so cheap, I owe it to myself to try. While I can’t say I can replicate them 100%, I am fairly happy at this version which I have arrived at. Other than having really good fresh pig’s liver, you definitely need a claypot. Do note, the liver needs to be in room temperature, and not chilled, to ensure proper and even cooking. 

JDS Drunken Chicken In Chinese Shaoxing Huadiao Wine (醉鸡) – Cold Dish

This is one of my favourite Chinese cold dish but I don’t order it all the time because I feel that the price was a little much for such a simple item. I was sure I could at some point in time make it myself. And I made a maiden attempt some years ago but that was before I had even started this blog. I had used chicken wings then and it turned out pretty well. I had a sudden urge to make it again this time but wanted to up my game, so I watched and read quite a few recipes before I amalgamated this version to call my own.

Meat Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Chinese Style)

Recently thought about making this dish again, the first time I made it was years ago, before I started this blog. This time round, I made a sauce to go with it that I really liked, and it really enhanced the taste of this dish. I ate it on it’s own without rice as a meal for myself, felt pretty nice and healthy after that so give it a go if you are keen!

Soft Boiled Eggs (or Half Boiled Eggs)

I love soft (or half) boiled eggs. I was told that in the western countries, soft boiled eggs might refer to a firmer version where the whites are custard like, and the yolk is thick liquid. Here in Singapore, it mostly refers to the kind you see in the image above which we typically eat with some soya sauce and white pepper, along with coconut jam and butter toast. The whites should have just turned opaque and cooked enough to hold some shape, and the yolk while runny, should be viscous. Well, at least that is what I like.

Braised Pork Belly With Mushrooms, Chestnuts and Dried Oysters

One of my mum’s win in the kitchen is her braised dishes. From braising 3-layered pork, to pig’s trotters, to chicken feet, she has always had a flair of getting it right. Since I have moved out I have tried recreating the simple 3-layer braised pork quite a few times but never got it right, till recently, when I finally felt I made some progress. Still not as good as my mum’s but I’m happy enough to share. It’s a simple recipe, nothing elaborate, no 5-spice powder, no added star aniseed. Just simple braised fatty 3-layer pork the way I like it.

What I set out to achieve was a stew that had little sauce, so that the oysters would have a nice bite to them, not stewed and watered out till soft. That is the most important part for me since I love the taste of dry oysters very much and aim to retain the flavour within the oyster as much as I can, yet allowing it to perfume the stew. So if you are the kind who likes to have very soft oysters then this recipe is not likely something you will like.

Stewed Chicken Innards With Peas

This is not a common recipe, it’s one comfort food that my mum used to make on occasion and the family loves it. Mum told me that was what her mum used to make for them, and it was a cheap dish because they were very poor when she was young.

Best served wrapped with lettuce before you push it into your mouth, it’s a good marriage of tastes, but I improvised and served it with cucumbers instead because a whole head of lettuce was too much for me.

Anyhow, if you are into chicken innards give this a try, I love it.