Pig Trotter Vinegar

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 Pig's Trotter (Front Leg) Also known as Pig's Hand (猪手)

• 3 tbsp Coarse Salt to wash the pig's trotters

• 2 litres Water to blanch the pig's trotter

• 1 bottle Black Sweet Vinegar Chan Kong Thye (Double Strength, 750ml)

• 1 bottle Water 2 bottles if you like it more diluted

• A pinch Salt Optional

• 1 kg Old Ginger ( Bentong) and Young Ginger a mixture of both

• 3 TBsp Sesame Oil

• 5 TBsp Brown Sugar

• 6 Hard-Boiled Eggs Room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARATION

• Use a brush to scrub the ginger skin thoroughly, removing any loose skin on the Bentong ginger and young ginger. Wash and pat dry (best to do this a week in advance and dry under the sun until they are dried thoroughly).

• Remove the stems from the young ginger. Cut the Bentong ginger and young ginger into chunks and lightly bruise with a cleaver for better absorption of the vinegar. Set aside for later use.

• Rub the pig's trotter with coarse salt and use a knife to scrape the skin to remove any scum on the skin to get rid of the porky smell. Rinse well.

COOKING METHOD

• In a wok, add in 2 litres of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add in the pig's trotters to the wok and blanch for about 10 mins to further get rid of the porky smell. Discard the water.

• Use a pair of tweezers, remove any stray hairs on the trotters and scrape off any blood clot in the bones with a pointer knife. Rinse the pig's trotter thoroughly, then pat dry.

• In a clean wok, add in 3-4 TBsp of sesame oil and turn heat to medium. Add in the ginger chunks and fry until they are very dry ( but not burnt ) stirring constantly.

• Add in the pig trotters and fry for a few minutes. Then transfer the ginger and pig's trotter into a large clay, ceramic or glass pot.

• Pour in the whole 750ml bottle of Sweet Black Vinegar and 1-2 bottles of water (using the same bottle to measure the water) according to your preference.

• Add in the brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the fire to medium low and simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hour until the pig's trotters are soft but not too jelly like.

• Peel and add the hardboiled eggs into the black vinegar during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time.

• Turn off the heat and let the pig's rotter and ginger sit in the pot for at least 4 hours (preferably 2-3 days) before consumption. This is to allow the pig's trotter and ginger to fully absorb the flavour of the vinegar. Best served with a bowl of rice.

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredient

• 2 1/2 cups flour /204 gm

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup butter softened / 227 gm

• 1 1/4 cups white granulated sugar / 275 gm

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar / 55 gm

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1 egg

• 2 cups chocolate chips / 340gm

Instructions

• Kick the tires and light the fires to 375 degrees. 

• Cream together your butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. 

• Add in the egg and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

• Beat in the flour, baking soda and salt. 

• When that is done, fold in the two cups of chocolate chips by hand, and prepare to put them on some parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

• Roll a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough into a ball, 12 per cookie sheet. Take a glass and using the bottom, flatten out each cookie. If the cookie sticks, start wetting the bottom of the glass with water, they will come right off. Flatten each of them as much as you can. This is a dry dough - no sticky chewiness going on here- but it's just wet enough to make perfect little flat cookie patties.

• Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown. 

• Cool on the sheets completely. These turned out to be wonderfully crispy, crunchy and were surprisingly a hit with everyone. The butter flavor really is apparent in these ones due to the lack of flavor that comes with brown sugar, but that isn't a bad thing at all. Buttery, crispy little bites of chocolate heaven!

Recipe Notes

The key to  crispy cookies is flattening them before baking!

Fresh 百合

Sharkfin Melon Soup (鱼翅瓜湯）

Nutritional value:



Sharkfin Melon (Spaghetti Squash or Cucurbita Ficifolia) contains many nutrients including folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene. It is also a food low in calories.

Wolfberry contains many nutrients and phytochemicals including amino acid, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, vitamin B2, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Its reported possible medicinal benefits, especially due to its antioxidant properties, including potential benefits against cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, vision-related diseases, having neuroprotective properties or as an anticancer and immunomodulatory agent.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):
1. Half a shark fin melon, washed thoroughly and cut into smaller pieces, seeds removed, but with rind intact
2. 2 Sweet corns, halves lengthwise
3. 2 carrots, cut into smaller pieces
4. 1 tablespoon of wolfberries
5. Pinch of salt to taste
6. 1 pot of water, 50% filled (about 1500ml)
7. 200 grams of pork ribs (optional), blanched

Method:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat
2. When water boiled, place all ingredients in the pot. Reduce heat to low fire. Simmer for 1 hour or until ingredients are soften. Cover the pot with lid, or lid slightly tilted on the pot, if soup is bubbling strongly.
3. Add salt to taste.

Tips:
For FTWM like me, you can also boil this soup with a slow cooker. Place water and all ingredients into the slow cooker, sprinkle some salt, and adjust slow cooker to Auto-shifted/ Low mode, before leaving your house for work. Soup will be ready when you reach home.
Try not to remove its rind for better nutritional value, its fleshes will not disintergate easily unless you're using it for dessert.

Fritillaria (川貝), Figs & Apricot Kernel Soup (Sweet)

Nutritional value/medicinal effect:
This sweet soup, or rather, beverage, helps clear phlegm, stops cough and nourishes lungs. Suitable for young and old.

Ingredients:
Fritillaria (川貝) - about 50
Figs (無花果) - 4 pcs
Apricot Kernel （南北杏）- about 50
Ji Bing （桔餅）- 1 pcs
Pear (brown) - 1 (optional)

Stew boil with 4 bowls of water or with pear for 30 min.

Dried Fig (無花果), Apple and Almond (杏仁) Soup

Nutritional value/medicial effect:
A classic yun or harmonizing soup, suitable for any season.

Mo fa gwoh (無花果) is the Cantonese name for a variety of dried figs used in cooking. They are reputed to be good for moistening the lungs and therefore recommended to combat coughs. These figs are different from the figs eaten in the West. They are almost ivory-colored and are smaller, with more delicate seeds. If these figs are not available, regular dried or fresh figs can be substituted in this recipe.

Chinese almonds (杏仁) (which are actually not almonds at all but apricot kernels). Nom hung (南杏) almonds are from Southern China and are known for their sweetness. Buck hung (北杏) are from the north and are slightly bitter, but they bring out the flavor of the nom hung almonds. Chinese pharmacology, it is used as a drug rather than as a food as they contains cyanide (hydrocyanic acid). They’re used medicinally to combat cancer, stimulate respiration, improve digestion, help reduce blood pressure and arthritic pain and give a sense of well-being.

Ingredient:
- 1/4 cup Chinese almonds (nom hung)
- 4 to 5 Chinese almonds (buck hung)
- 3 medium red apples, unpeeled
- 8 ounces pork loin, well trimmed
- 10 Chinese dried figs, rinsed

Rinse almonds in several changes of cold water. Soak almonds in 1/2 cup cold water overnight to soften almonds. Core apples and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges.

In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Add pork and return to a boil, skimming any scum that forms. Add the apple wedges, dried figs, almonds and their soaking water. Return to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 3 hours. Serve piping hot (no more than 1-1/2 cups per person).