Korean Spicy Ribs

Korean sweet chilli paste is newly introduced to me and I'm starting to like it's versatility.

Click on photo to enlarge and read chilli paste ingredients. I can't read Korean so I read the ingredients to make sure it's the sweet chilli paste.

I usually don't measure ingredients when cooking, so recipe below is just a guesstimate. Please exercise judgment and adjust according to taste.

Korean Spicy Ribs:
2 lbs pork or beef ribs, cut up into individual ribs (can also use chicken wings or legs)
2 tablespoons Korean sweet chilli paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves minced garlic
honey for brushing on top

Marinade overnight, bake 350 deg for 40 min (shorten time if they are short ribs).
Remove from oven, brush top with honey, return to oven and broil for 3 min  or till top is bubbly.

Bar Habor & Ogunquit, Maine

My favorite place to visit in Maine is Bar Habor/Acadia National Park.  It's a great place to camp also, with free bus rides from the camp area to the town.  The free bus service also loops around Acadia Nat'l Park, so you really don't need your car to get around, if you stay in one of the many hotels or inns near the town.  Lots of beaches, hiking, boat rides and lobster boat trips, light houses, shopping, lobsters and great ice cream.  Shops are open at night in summer.

 Porcupine Islands, viewed atop Cadillac Moutain.

 Lots of hiking available in Mt. Acadia National Park.

 Bed and breakfast inn.

Atlantic Ocean, just as beautiful as the Pacific Ocean on the west coast, but much colder water.

 Most of the restaurants in Maine serve lobsters. 

There are some really good ice cream shops in Bar Habor.  Here's a red lobster holding a triple cone.  (BTW, you have to try their blueberry ice cream. Maine is famous for lobsters and wild blueberries.)

 Lots of tiny fish in the shallow water, but alas, also some leeches!

 Beautiful Bar Harbor.

 OGUNQUIT, Maine

Photos below are at Ogunquit, a coastal town 4-5 hours south of Bar Harbor.

 At Perkin's Cove.

 On Marginal Way, a one-mile trail connecting Perkin's Cove to downtown, Ogunquit.

 Advertising on the stairs.

Shops on stilts, probably covered with water during high tide.

 Really good clam chowder and spicy haddock soup at Perkin's Cove.

 Dinner in Ogunquit at Mike's Clam Shack - it was super crowded despite being a large restaurant.

 Typical New England fried seafood, covered with fried onion rings.

Scallops, whole clams, shrimp and fish - in order of my taste preference.

Roasted Pork Belly 烧肉

Wash pork with water and dry with paper towel.
Scour skin side with a knife making criss cross light cuts, or poke with a meat tenderizer all over. 
Brush meat side with a marinade of salt, five-spice powder and Chinese wine.
Marinade overnight.

Preheated oven to 400 deg, then switch to broil and broil pork skin-side up until skin is crispy, about 30 min, and meat is cooked.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter.
Beat in powdered sugar in small batches until smooth.

Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup nuts
1 cup raisins
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups shredded carrots
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Stir dry ingredients together. Beat eggs, add the other ingredients. Stir in flour mixture.
Bake in 2 loaf pans or 13x9 pan at 350 deg for one hour.
Cover with Cream Cheese Frosting if desired.

Applesauce Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
2 cups applesauce
4 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups raisins
1 cup walnuts

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs.
Dissolve baking soda in hot water.  Stir into applesauce.
Mix together dry ingredients.
Add flour and applesauce alternately into batter.
Fold in raisins and nuts.
Bake 350 deg, 1 hour, in greased and floured bundt pan.

Curry Puffs

Dough:
2 sticks cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour
some milk or water

Use traditional rub-in method or put flour and salt in food processor, put in cut up butter.
Process for few seconds until crumbly.
Pour in beaten eggs  and blend.  Add enough liquid to form ball.
Process dough as little as possible.
Turn dough out, wrap in plastic and chill overnight or for a few hours.
Roll thinly into 3 inch circles.

Filling:
2 large potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled till soft. Drain.
Boil peas and carrots.
Fry one large chopped onion and 1 clove garlic till very soft.
Add curry powder. Fry till fragrant.
Add potatoes and peas and mix well.
Season with lots of sugar and some salt.
Coconut powder can be added for more flavor if desired.

Fill dough circlese with filling, pinch edges to seal.  Deep fry till brown for best flavor.
Otherwise, brush with beaten egg and bake 375 deg till golden.

Note: Uncooked curry puffs can be frozen.

Zucchini Quiche

6 cups shredded green zucchini (about 3 medium zucchinis)
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
6 extra large eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
Oregano, thyme and pepper
1/2 cup chopped Italian turkey sausage (optional)

Bake 375 deg for 30-40 min till middle is puffed up and quiche is light brown on top.

Walnut Snowball Cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Cream butter with sugar and vanilla.  Fold in flour and nuts. 
Form into small balls and place on cookie sheet.
Bake 300 deg for 20 min.  Remove from pan while hot and roll in icing sugar.

Almond Cookies:  Use almonds instead of walnuts.  Use almond essence instead of vanilla.

Fruity Bran Muffins

3/4 cup bran
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 chopped apple or half cup drained crushed pineapple
1 mashed banana
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup apple or orange juice
1/4 cup milk

 Bake 375 deg for 20 min in muffin pan.  Makes 12 muffins.

Cranberry Orange Cake

Makes two loafs or one bundt pan.

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick butter
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup orange juice
Bake 350 deg for 50 min.

Banana Cake

This is a banana cake as opposed to a bread, because it has a very light texture due to the egg whites being beaten separately and folded in.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 cup mashed bananas
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tablespoons orange juice
1 tsp vanilla essence

Cream butter with 1/2 sugar, beat in yolks.
Beat in bananas.
Fold rest of ingredients.
Beat egg whites with 1/2 sugar till stiff.
Fold into banana mixture.
Bake 350 deg for 45 min.

Sweet Steamed Eggs 炖蛋

This is a common and popular dessert in Hong Kong, available in various forms such as with egg whites only, or with ginger.

1 extra-large egg (or use one medium egg + one extra egg yolk if you prefer stronger egg taste)
5 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk
One drop of vanilla essence

Beat egg, add sugar and beat well, beat in milk and vanilla.
Pour into individual glass bowls and cover bowls with plastic wrap.
Steam over medium heat for 5 min.
Turn heat to low and steam another 5 min.
Turn off heat and let stand another 3 min.

Pecan Pie

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted 5 min
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
4 tablepoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tablespoons rum (optional)

Place nuts in pie crust. Warm pie in oven till hot to the touch.
Pour in filling. Bake 375 deg for 45 min till center is gelatine-like.

Cream Puffs

Dough
1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Melt tog water, butter and sugar.
Add salt and flour, remove from heat and stir till dough holds together.
Beat in eggs one at a time till dough is glossy.
Put in bag and pipe round shapes on baking sheet.
Brush with beaten egg and bake 10 min at 450 deg.
Lower heat to 325 deg and bake another 15 min.
Turn off heat.
Pierce the puffs and leave in oven for 10 more min.

Custard Cream Filling:
2 tablespoons custard powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water

Mix above 3 ingredients and cook till thickened.  Let cool.
Beat one cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar till stiff.
Fold into custard.
Fill puffs with cream filling.

Mushroom with Vegetables

The star of this dish is the mushrooms. It can be  served with any green leafy vegetable. 

Recipe:

One packabe fresh shitake mushrooms, wash and cut off stems.

Green leafy vegetables or lettuce, washed and cut

garlic

oyster sauce

cornstarch

1/2 cup water

vegetable oil

Add a dash of salt to a pot of boiling water.  Add in vegetables and drain when cooked. Place in a plate.

Boil mushrooms in water for 1-2 min till cooked.  Drain.

Fry chopped garlic in oil till fragrant, add mushrooms and stir.

Add oyster sauce and cornstarch mixed in water.

When sauce has thickened, pour mushrooms over the vegetables and serve hot.



Lemon Bars

 Crust pressed into pan.

 Crust baked till light golden color.

Lemon filling is poured over baked crust and baked till set.

Crust:
1 3/4 sticks butter, softened
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
Cream first 3 ingredients, then mix in flour.
Press into 13x9 inch pan with hand dusted in flour and bake at 350 deg for 20 min.

Lemon Filling:
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
4 eggs
5 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon (optional)
Beat all together and pour over baked crust.
Bake at 350 deg for 25 min until set.

Cool completely and then dust with icing sugar.