Beach Hopping In The Winter

We went driving along the coast line from Massachusetts to New Hampshire to Maine yesterday and decided to do some beach hopping in the winter. Don’t let the sunny blue skies fool you, it was definitely around 20F I think!! =)

The coastline was pretty and we may have gotten some ideas on where to do some R&R next time! Renting a beach front property with a group of friends sounds like an awesome idea!

Anyway, here are 2 of my favorite shots from our romantic coastline drive. I brilliantly brought my DSLR only to forget the battery pack!! Argh!! Thank goodness for my compact camera I happen to have in my bag! First picture was taken at Salisbury Beach, MA. The second picture was taken somewhere in New Hampshire I think! =) Pretty, aren’t they?

Zico (Natural Coconut Water)

Hubby and I first saw this Zico natural coconut water on TV on either the Food Network Channel or the Travel or Discovery Channel. It was a TV program about the next new food product or something like that. What caught our attention was the way the guy on TV (at the trade show) trying to cut open a coconut and let the show attendees taste the difference between a fresh coconut and Zico’s Coconut Water. We were laughing our heads off at the way the guy sort of struggled to open the coconut..Hehe!

Apparently, Zico is all pure coconut water. No preservatives. And it seems Coca Cola has invested some money into the company/product who actually gets their supply of fresh coconut from Amacoco and now owned by Pepsico. Go figure! =) Read article HERE.

Anyways, back to Zico. Hubby and I saw the product at an Indian Grocery Store a week later and decided to give it a dry. We paid about $1.40 or so for it. It came in a tetrapack and reading the back of the package, the only ingredient is only coconut water.

We tried it. It’s not bad. Very mild tasting. I thought I tasted a funny aftertaste. Somehow, it tasted like old coconut water and not those fresh young ones which are way more refreshing. It might be the type of coconut used that give the coconut water a little different taste than what I’m accustomed to. I assume they used Brazilian coconuts since they are after all manufactured in Brazil. I found an entry in Wikipedia which confirms my suspicion: “Coconuts from various parts of the world also differ in taste. For example, Indian coconuts tend to be sweet while Brazilian coconuts have a mild taste and Bangladeshi coconuts (due to the soil composition) have extremely sweet water and flesh with a very slight salty aftertaste similar to the Indian.”

It is indeed nice that there isn’t other preservatives or additives in the drink unlike many of the packaged coconut drink out there. In the mean time, I will still stick to fresh coconut water…at least those packaged in its original shell or husk. The best coconut water are those from the Pandan Coconut which are more commonly available in Malaysia. The water is fragrant, naturally sweet, the flesh is soft and almost gelatinous. It’s just the perfect thirst quencher in a hot weather! Yums!!

Well, get a packet of Zico and let me know what you think of it. =)

Tau Yew Bak

Tau Yew Bak (in Chinese/Hokkien) literally translates to Soy Sauce Pork…..Braised Soy Sauce Pork to be exact. This is one comfort food I love to eat over rice back home and often find myself craving for it. Hubby and I both love  the mighty Tau Yew Bak and the last time I made some…we finished the whole pot of it! I’m truly blessed to have a husband who loves to eat as much as I do! And he usually doesn’t complain about the stuff I make! Just feed him, and he’s a happy man! =)

Pork Belly is usually used in making this delicious braised pork dish. There are however many versions and recipes of Tau Yew Bak out there. Some uses less or more soy sauce, some has bean curd, some mushrooms, etc. I like mine with pork (of course), egg and mushrooms. And a DARK Sauce! Serve the Tau Yew Bak over a plate of steamy white rice and I will quietly eat my meal and lick clean the plate!! Here’s my Tau Yew Bak recipe!

TAU YEW BAK (BRAISED SOY SAUCE PORK) RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 Lb Pork Belly Strip
• 4-5 Chinese Mushrooms, Soaked & Halved
• 4 Hard Boiled Eggs
• 4 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
• 3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Tsp 5 Spice Powder
• White Pepper
• 2 Star Anise
• 5 Cloves Garlic, Smashed
• 1 Pc 2” Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1-1/2 Tsp Sugar
• 3 Cups Water

Method:

Cut pork belly into 3/4” strips and put them into a bowl. Add to the same bowl 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/4 tsp 5 Spice Powder and a dash of white pepper. Let the pork marinade for 20-30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add cinnamon stick, star anise and remaining of 5 spice powder and fry spice until they are fragrant. Add pork, mushrooms and garlic and let pork sear for about 5 minutes. 

Pour in water, remaining light and dark soy sauce, sugar and a dash of white pepper. Increase heat to high and let mixture come to a boil. Add hard boiled eggs, reduce heat to low and let mixture simmer for about 1 –1/2 hours. Stir mixture occasionally and add a little of water if you need to. The sauce will reduce down and slightly thickened. Serve over a hot plate of white rice. Don’t forget to douse that yummy sauce over your rice too! Serves 3-4.

June’s Comments: I wasn’t able to get hold of pork belly so I used pork butt strips and cut it into 3/4”. Of course pork belly would be ideal, the substitute is equally satisfying.

If you prefer a lighter sauce, reduce the dark soy sauce sauce or add more water. Again, it’s all about personal preference. Also, feel free to add some Fried Tofu to the Tau Yew Bak.

Priya Indian Cuisine @ Lowell, MA

This place was known as Indian Kebab for a year or two. When hubby and I went back for their buffet recently, we noticed the name has been changed to Priya. We’ve enjoyed most of our Indian Buffet lunches at the old place although there’s once or twice where the food was not the best. We saw the new signage when we were walking towards the door and was a bit shocked. Instead of walking away and eating elsewhere, we decided to give the new place a try.

Everything is still the same in the inside (the restaurant is in the basement). The staff also looked the same. I guess it’s just the ownership that has changed. The usual lanky guy who we think was the owner is no longer there.

We went for our usual lunch buffet and hit the buffet line very quickly. There weren’t much people when we first got there (about 12.30 pm) but some tables were filled soon after that. We were happy that the menu still looked almost the same with some new looking dish on the buffet line. The lunch buffet was $11.99 per person and you get to feast on an array of both meat and vegetarian dishes.

This time they had plain basmati rice, Chicken Briyani (Yums!), Chicken Korma, Egg Curry, Paneer Tikka Masala, Vada, Tumeric Cabbage, and lots more. Everything I tried was delicious! =)

With the buffet, a freshly made Masala Dosa is also brought up to your table. I’m not sure if you could request more than one serving though. The dosa is cripsy and not overly sour although it is made from overnight rice mixture. The masala filling (potato) could use a little more spice and maybe heat though.

The service there has always been quite pleasant. The staff are quite friendly and removes empty plates (and refills water) quite timely. If you enjoy Bollywood (and Sharukh Khan) songs and mtv, you’ll enjoy having your meal there! They almost often play Indian songs every time we dine there. 

Feel free to browse Priya’s extensive Indian (and Indo-Chinese) menu HERE. What are you waiting for? Tantalize your tongue and try some Indian food at Priya’s! They are located off Drumhill Road in Lowell/North Chelmsford.

1270 Westford Street
Lowell, MA 01851
(978) 454-7777

Yao Char Kwai

My brother and Qi had been wanting me to attempt Yao Char Kwai (You Tiao in Mandarin) since Christmas. Or was it Thanksgiving? They have tried it before and did not have a successful result and wanted me to try making it. I’ve been delaying…delaying..delaying and finally decided to give it a try last week.

Yao Char Kwai /You Tiao/Chinese Cruller is basically fried dough commonly eaten during breakfast in the Chinese Community. There are several ways to eat this delightful fried dough; with soybean milk, with congee, with Malaysian black coffee, with Kaya (Coconut Egg Jam) or just plain. It’s all personal preference and sometimes differ from region to region.

In Malaysia, Yao Char Kwai is always freshly available from the street vendors. Here in the US, we can get frozen ones (which are not the greatest) and also fresh ones from Dim Sum places or some Asian grocery stores.

My Yao Char Kwai attempt was a success! The dough expanded, was crisp on the outside, holey, chewy and soft in the inside. I was quite nervous when I started mixing the dough together and trying to get the right dough texture. The next few hours of punching, folding, and resting the dough was antagonizing especially since it was my first time making it. I did not know what to expect and what would be the right texture. I was just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. After a few hours, the dough became softer and nicer to touch. I decided to let the dough rest overnight per the suggestion of the recipe. It worked out like a charm. The dough was soft, and it stretched when i pulled the dough before dropping it into the hot oil. And best of all it EXPANDED!! And I managed to get the Yao Char Kwai to be uniform in size.

Here’s the recipe from one of my favorite food blog; Lily’s Wai Sek Hong.

YAO CHAR KWAI RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Bread Flour
• 7 – 10 Oz Water
• 1 Tsp Ammonia Bicarbonate
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Alum
• 1-1/4 Tsp Salt

Method:

Mix the ammonia bicarbonate, baking soda, alum and salt with 7 ozs water until dissolve. Add in to the flour and using the end of a wooden spoon, stir in a circular motion until a dough is form – dough should be sticky, if not, add in more water – dough must stick to fingers.

Cover with cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, punch down the edge and all over dough with your knuckles for at least 8 punches, then take the dough from the side of bowl, lift it as high as it can go and fold in the middle - 4 folds will do . Let is rest for 15 – 20 minutes. Repeat the punching , folding and resting for 3 – 4 times more.

Next, oil your fingers and dough, lift it up and overturn it, oil the top so that it will not dry. Wrap tightly with cling wrap, and leave in the fridge for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove from bowl, divide into 2 portions and fold in to make a long smooth elastic dough. Wrap it back with greased cling wrap. Then put in a Ziploc bag and leave in the fridge for 3 – 4 hours. Leaving in the fridge, well wrapped, overnight is better – the dough is easier to handle and the result is lighter.

Heat a large wok with oil half full. After 3 – 4 hrs or overnight, lightly flour the pastry board. Spread dough into a flat long 2 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick. Use a rolling pin to aid the spreading. Cut into ½ inch strips. Check oil temperature, it must be more than 350 F to begin frying.

Using a bamboo skewer, dip in water and dap very little in the middle of a strip of dough. Top with another strip and using a dry bamboo skewer or a chopstick, press down horizontally in the middle of the two strips to adhere. Pull and stretch (until it resist) the pressed strips until as long as possible, and put the stretched strip in the hot oil. When the dough floats to the top, use a pair of chopsticks and turn the dough. Keep on turning until it has finished expanding. Fry until slightly brown. Remove from oil and drain excess oil. Repeat with the rest of the strips until all are done.

June’s Comments: When you mix the Ammonia Bicarbonate, Alum and Baking Soda with water, be sure not to sniff the mixture…you don’t want the strong intrusive smell of Ammonia up your nostril!

I only made half the portion and ended up with over 20 pcs of 3” Yao Char Kwai. I wasn’t sure how much the dough will expand, hence I decided to make mini ones. I did not use a whole load of oil to fry the dough. I filled up my frying pan with slightly less than 1 inch of oil and was still able to fry the Yao Chat Kwai without any trouble. I rest the freshly fried Yao Char Kwai on a cake rack for the excess oil to drain. I like that the Yao Char Kwai was not as oily as the store bought ones!

It was a great Saturday morning breakfast for Hubby and I. We ate our Yao Char Kwai with some Malaysian Black Coffee and also some homemade Kaya. Yums!!!