Pumpkin Swiss Roll Cake

Recipe for Pumpkin Swiss Roll:
Whisk together:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each cloves, nutmeg, ginger

Beat 5 extra large egg whites, beat in 1/2 cup sugar slowly until stiff peaks form.
In separate bowl, beat 5 extra large egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar.
Beat in 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Beat in one cup pumpkin puree
Stir in dry ingredients.
Pour into egg white mixture and mix well.

Pour into 10x15 sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake 375 deg, 25 min.

Remove from oven and immediately turn out onto a clean dry towel.
Remove parchment paper and roll up lengthwise.
Let cool completely.
Unroll and fill with whipped cream cheese cream.

Alternatively:  Pour into greased and floured 9x13 cake pan and bake about 35 min, then frost.

Whipped Cream Cheese Cream:
4 oz cream cheese at room temp
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 icing sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Beat cream cheese to soften, add the rest and beat till stiff.

Steamed Silken Tofu

A simple dish easy to prepare for summer when the heat doesn't inspire one to do much cooking and the appetite leans towards something light.  The tofu can be eaten cold or hot.

One package silken tofu (the softest one)

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

chopped green onions

vegetable oil

fried shallots (available in Chinese stores)

Dried pork floss (肉松）

For cold tofu, just remove from package and follow below.

For hot tofu, place tofu on plate and steam for 5 min. Drain liquid.

Heat vegetable oil, fry chopped green onions for few seconds.

Mix soy sauce with 1/2 tsp sugar.

Pour hot oil and green onions ove tofu, pour soy sauce over it, top with fried shallots and pork floss.

Chives Pockets

 Fold dough over and pinch edges to seal.

2 cups chopped Chinese chives
1/2 cup chopped cooked vermicelli (mung bean noodles)
salt and white pepper
Store bought bread or pizza dough - left at room temp for an hour.

Fry chives in some oil till cooked. Stir in vermicelli.  Season with salt and white pepper.
Roll out half dough on floured surface.  Stretch out dough with hands till rectangle.
Put half filling on one side.  Fold dough over and pinch sides to seal.
Brush top with oil and sprinkle with white sesame seeds.
Roll out to form flat round shape.
Heat pan with oil. Place chive pocket in pan, press down lightly with spatula to flatten if nec.   Fry on medium-low heat on both sides till brown.

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.