5 Ways to Eat Healthy

We all want to stay healthy but do we actually act for it? Increasingly, it is undeniable that one of the key factory to stay healthy is to eat healthy. There are a lot of misperceptions of healthy eating, i.e. this beverage is low in sugar because i don't feel it it sweet, Im a vegan because it is healthier than eating meat ...etc.  Well, I can tell you above is not 100% correct, read the 5 ways from below to find out why and how can we eat healthier. 

1. No Processed Food/Beverages

Nuggets, sausages, meat balls, fish cakes, carbonated drinks, concentrated juice...  these are all foods that you can see in the supermarket. Why they are there? Because it is 'cheap, easy and tasty'. Im not saying whatever listed above are 100% processed but if you see a sausage has no flaky fiber (cooked meat) in it, then it is almost certain that it is processed food. So why no process food? Because you are not eating/drinking what you paid for. Example: concentrated juice, it is all nothing but approved artificial colourant, juicy flavour and preservative. Well maybe few drops of real juicy (so that they can claim in the packaging "contain real fruit juice"). And these chemicals are all unnecessary by our body and in fact, no good to it, so why we want to buy them when we have choice?

2. Read the Label

We all have taste memory in our mind. Each time we eat, unconsciously we store the taste into our mind. So when we describe something is sweet or not, we will just compare it with the taste memory. That is not very correct and scientific because it is just mere descriptive words. When we buy from supermarket, almost all packaged foods/beverages are labeled. There are possibilities that a beverage contains 11g sugar per 100ml taste less sweet compare to another with just 6g per 100ml. So always read the labels to understand what you are actually buying.  Also in the ingredient list, if you see a lot of component with chemical names, don't buy it. Never buy those with the ingredients that you don't know. 

3. Eat Whole Food

Whole food means it is unprocessed and or maybe processed as little as possible. A very simple way to distinguish the difference between processed and whole food is by the look: If you can't tell what it is on your plate, don't eat it. A chicken nugget should be made of chicken meat not mixture of carcass, skins, flour and other disgusting stuffs. A fruit juice should be just juice as main contain. Whole food is all natural food and not only it means no added chemicals but also it means no harm to our body. 

4. A Balanced Diet

There are 6 major classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, minerals, protein, vitamins, fibers, and water. A balanced diet means you eat all 6 classes in a proportional way. A very simple guide is using the Food Pyramids, i.e. you should more vegetables than meat...etc. But most people think that by eating only vegetable, they will be healthier. Put a side the cooking method, as mentioned, a healthy diet it's a balanced diet. By eating only vegetables, one actually restricts themselves by taking in only certain classes of nutrients and ignore others hence not a balanced diet. Example: Proteins (amino acids) are the building blocks of our body, especially muscle and other body tissues and it is mainly come from meat/poultry, eggs and dairy. Although certain type of vegetable do contains protein like Tofu (soybean product) but its only contains 2.3g of protein every 1 oz. While there are 10g of protein in every 1oz of chicken breast. 

5. Homemade Meals

This is kind of like summary of all above points: We are in control of what to put into our body. It is sort of an ultimate way to ensure the food are at the healthiest level as it can be because and most importantly, we have the option to choose what to be added and what not. And by that way, we can be worry free from preservative, colourant, flavouring and other nasty chemicals. 

Having said all above, maybe one might claims that it is difficult to avoid processed foods and to cook at home in modern life. What i want to share lastly in this post is a classic phrase by a French physiologist in 1826: "Tell me what you eat and i will tell you what you are". 

Homemade Pasta with Mince Pork, Onion, Carrot and Tomato Topping

My very first pasta dish :)

I was actually intended to cook the classic Bolognese sauce for my first ever home made pasta (find out how to make Super Easy Homemade Pasta, click here) but soon after i think it should be my own style of pasta topping to commemorate my very first experience. Because i'm actually preparing this dish for a dinner with my nieces and nephews, so i think it should be something sweet and sour. I know the kids will love this contrasting flavour :)

And so i started to draw out the ingredient list and the cooking procedure in mind. Below are the ingredients (4 pax):

1. Sweet Onion (white colour) .............. 4, cut into 1cm dice
2. Carrot ................................................ 1, Julianne  about an inch long
3. Tomato .............................................. 4, cut into 1cm cube
4. Garlic ...............................................  8 cloves, roughly chopped
5. Minced Lean Pork ............................ 400 g
6. Water ................................................ 400 ml
7. Oil, preferred plant base..................... ??
8. Bay leaf ............................................. 1
9. Dried Rosemary ................................ 1 teaspoon
10. Dried Thymes ................................... 1 teaspoon
11. Parsley ............................................... liking amount, chopped 
12. Seasoning (salt and pepper) ............... liking amount
13. Brown Sugar ..................................... just a pinch 

Prep Time: 15 min, Cook Time 15 min. 

Steps:

1. Drizzle enough amount of oil into a hot sauce pan 
2. Sautee sweet onion until slightly brown (that's when you smell the aroma)
3. Add in the chopped garlic and turn around to mix well 
4. Toss in the minced lean pork and continue sautee. You will want to squash the pork during the sautee so it wont end up in big lump (look ugly)
5. Until lightly brown add in the carrot and stir fry for another 2-3 min
6. Add in the cubed tomato and herbs then add in the water. 
7. Bring to gentle shimmer for 10 min (for all flavours to marry each other)
8. Lastly season with salt, brown sugar and freshly ground black pepper. 

I like to cook pasta and the topping sauce side by side so that i can end up with freshly cooked food to serve those i care. With the pasta cooked on 1 stove, just bring them onto a plate and top it with the sauce. Finally garnish with the chopped parsley. I'd say this is a very appetizing pasta dish because of the topping are made from the sourish tomato and sweet base carrot and onion. And to make it sparks, herbs are added too to increase the depth of the flavours. Not to forget the minced pork to make it a really hearty topping :P   The kids like it very much and so do i  <3 

Super Easy Homemade Pasta

Im always a fan of noodle/pasta and all of their variations. Basically if i have choice, i will not go for rice, cant be held but don't know why :P  From my previous post of "The Making of Egg Noodle (of Wantan Mee)" click here to read, im really surprised that it is relatively easy to make fresh noodle/pasta at home. So i decided to make one myself, the very first dough in my life. 

Because this is my first time, so i went through several recipes over the net and also consulted my aunties for inspiration. Finally in the end, i've made up my mind to stick to the basic of the basic: egg and flour. YES, you read it right, only egg and flour nothing else. Will it really work? I was skeptical really, in my mind. 

I then gather the necessary utensil/ingredient and the list is per below (for 4 pax):

1. Egg ........................................... 6 pcs
2. All Purpose Flour ..................... 600 ml (add if needed)
3. Rolling Pin ................................ 1 unit
4. Mixing Bowl ............................. 1 unit
5. Measuring Cup .......................... 1 unit 
6. Fork ........................................... 1 unit 
7. Scrapper ..................................... 1 unit
8. Cling Film .................................. 1 roll

Before everything start, make sure all are wipe clean and then pour the flour into the mixing bowl. You want to reserve some for later when kneading. I actually find it is easier to start it in the mixing bowl because especially for first timer like me, i worried if for whatever reason the flour will just 'spill' all around.  So you make a well in the center of the flour in the mixing bowl, and then add in all eggs. Poke the yorks with fork and slowly whisk the eggs to the flour around. A bit at a time, until all flour are mixed with the eggs. ADD more flour if you the dough is watery (always do NOT follow the recipe 100%).

Until you feel it is not sticky, take the dough out and start the kneading on the work top (sprinkle some flour to prevent stick). Kneading is all about pushing, squeezing, re-shape by hand and repeat the same. During the process, the gluten develop and that is why you will find it harder and harder to knead but just do it until you have a smooth none sticky surface (around 30 minutes for above quantity). 

Wrap it in the cling film and put it into the fridge for another 30 minutes (prevent moisture lose). Let it rest after the hard exercises. After that take out and start rolling. 

For me this is the hardest part because i decided to do it by hand. Basically you just need to roll it thin enough and then cut it to desired width. Sprinkle flour to prevent the pasta stick together. If you find it is hard to roll, you can actually divided the dough into manageable size before start rolling. Cover the rest of the dough with damp cloth while rolling other. 

Fresh pasta cook faster than the dried. But the rule of thumb of cooking always applies: the bigger the object, the longer time needed to cook. It should be somewhere around 3-5mins depending on the thickness and width. So it is advisable to try it before taking out from the salted boiling water. And done the home made pasta :) 

Make sure you read my next post for the Delicious Mince Pork, Carrot and Onion Pasta Sauce (click here) for the perfect pasta meal which is suitable for all ages :) 

Eggs and flour in the mixing bowl

Slowly whisk the eggs with flour. Bit by bit. 

After 30 minute of kneading. 

Dough wrapped in cling film.

After 30 minute resting in the fridge. See any different?

First rolling. Look like a map to me .... LOL  :P

Penang Wantan Mee: My Recommendation Part 1

Follow up with the earlier post about the making of egg noodles for the all famous Wantan Mee (click here for the post). This time, let see how various hawker put them in use. Introducing here are 8 different stalls of Wantan mee across Penang Island. Lets see what makes some really good business and vice versa. 

If you can remember from the earlier post, we discussed about how ingredients can make a whole different of texture, colour and taste of mee (noodle) itself. As it is carries more than, well i'd say 70% of the entire ingredients, so the quality of the noodle will be one of the key factors to decide if the Wantan Mee is a good one or bad. 2 more general factors are the "other ingredients" like "the Wantan itself, the CharSiew (Barbecue Pork), some greens and also the gravy/soup. 

So lets see what i actually look for for my perfect bowl of Wantan Mee. Im a Cantonese, so under the influence of Hong Kong Wonton Noodle, my ideal type of Wantan Mee must has springy noodle but not to the extend like chewing rubber. An open secret for making springy noodle is simply knead it with attention and love. Kneading (squashing, stretching, pulling, reshaping) develops the gluten within the flour mixture and because each match of raw flour comes in different quality, so by hand and love, it will always be a consistent quality because of timing adjustment. Adding Borax (硼砂) into the dough can actually increase the springiness but again, we should be talking about all natural ingredients. Moreover, it has been identified this chemical, is harmful to our health, so why risk?

By the name, another very important ingredient is the Wantan (Chine Dumpling). Many often confuse the Wantan vs. Sui Jiao. In general, Wantan is in ball shape while the Sui Jiao is in half round shape. I believe Wantan is originated from Hong Kong style of Wonton Noodle while the Sui Jiao is from mainland China. Supposedly Wantan is be filled with ONLY fresh prawn while Sui Jiao is mainly minced pork. But due to pricing issue, i cant find (so far) any Wantan in Penang is using the original recipe but mostly using pork (lower cost). See how the good old original recipe is diminishing?   :( While because Sui Jiao always served as side, so it sometimes consist of prawn in the minced pork (charge higher price). 

Other common ingredients like Char Siew (BBQ Pork), boiled Choy Sam and pickled green chilli can also be found in typical Penang style Wantan Mee. Not only the filling of the wantan is no longer original but also in most of the cases, the Char Siew is seen as the main topping. To make it a beautiful word, i call it localisation. Some other examples include, but not limit to: Fried Wantan, sambal (blended chilli with other aromatic veg like garlic, onnion ..etc). As for this part, i have no specific requirement as long as Char Siew is good and the Choy Sam is cooked. Note: I think it is interesting to create another topic about Recipe: Originality vs. Localisation/Reinvented. 

As on the gravy side, very often in Penang, you will see Wantan Mee covered in thick black sauce that mixed from dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and other seasonings. I think it is the hokkean style (correct me if im wrong). The cantonese style is using the broth from shitake mushroom and it is often found watery and lighter in colour. I prefer the clearer gravy because the thick one will cover the flavour of the noodle, most of the time, cover the stench of nasty chemicals like: lye (for yellowish colour) and borax (for springiness of noodle) too. A clear gravy on the other hand, if formulated correctly, will binds all flavours of all ingredients, making every type to compliment each other. A key point to any cooking to make a good tasty dish. 

There are other factors too will affect the experience like bowl or plate, ceramic, paper or plastic. Let's dont talk further but to see the 3 Wantan Mee in Penang I recommend for this round:

(1) 高佬 (鸿记) 云吞面 in Yi Garden, Lorong Selamat.
Served in bowl and the wantans are hiding underneath the noodle:
a traditional Cantonese way of presentation. 

(2) 佳记巧手云吞面 in Kheng Pin Cafe, Jalan Penang. The shitake
mushroom broth taste really good and with the varieties of
toppings, I can finish it in no time. 

Name Unknown. Located in 铭园咖啡馆 within Sunway Tunas in Bayan
Lepas. Served in bowl (my fav), this Wantan Mee is packed with sesame
oil aroma and the proportion of each ingredients are just nice. 

Located within 77 Food Yard in Pulau Tikus, this Wantan Mee is
packed with Char Siew. 

Wantan Mee in Kuta Bali Farlim. A decent Wantan Mee

Another decent Wantan Mee in Goodal Cafe, Tg Tokong. 

In Kafe Sri Nibong, Bayan Lepas. Can you see the soft and flabby noodle?

In Sin Kim San Cafe, another bad example of Wantan Mee

That's it for this round. I think im gonna stop eating Wantan Mee for a while :P   Let me know what you want me to recommend and i will try to make it happen. Good night. 

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Eighty Eight Restaurant Reviewed

Articles and posts from Trip Advisors and Facebook generally has an excellent review for this restaurant run by a young chef aged 26. From the pictures i've seen i agree the type of dishes and the presentation offered is rather rare in Penang thus i decided to give it a try as my Bday Dinner. 

The restaurant is named after the birth year of the chef cum owner. 

The restaurant is easy to find as it is just located right next to Kelawai Road and with a bright orange colour signboard, it is hard to miss. Carpark is limited, advise to come before 6:45pm. The girl asked if we have made reservation and were politely seated after we said no. Changed 2 tables (arrangement mistake and faulty light) but i think these small problem until i read the menu. 

4 lots available in front of the restaurant

I mean i knew this will be a pricey restaurant but now reading the full menu and seat inside i feel something wrong. The price is definitely on high side but the environment is rather cheapo. The wooden dining chairs are at the lowest range. So i made a new expectation: The foods must be outstanding to compensate with the interior decoration. Don't judge the book by its cover right?

Very minimum setting and simple furniture. 

We ordered Assorted Veg Soup, Vongole Al Pepe (boiled clam), Iberico Belly (pork belly), Chicken Paprika and 2 glasses filtered water. within 5 minutes, we were served a pcs of bread each side with caramelised butter as spread and a pcs of watermelon with some kind of topping. 

Clockwise from top left: The watermelon 'opener'; rocket leafs;
backed potato and shallots; mixed greens

The bread was good alone but the butter spread was just so so. Combining the hot bread in oily spread, it was just a big contrast when chewing the cold juicy watermelon. A plus point :P Soon after we finished this refreshing combo, the soup was served. 

Assorted Veg Soup. A blended soup good in flavour but ruined by the oil.

I particularly like the depth of flavour of this soup. Blended with variety of veg, the texture is equally good. Extra care must be taken when blending and maybe they filtered the soup too. However, the good flavour was messed up by the olive oil drizzled on top as garnish. Upon mixing up the olive oil, the taste is murky to me.  

Vongole Al Pepe. Like the freshness of the clam and the cherry tomato really add points to the broth. Thumbs up. 

The clam was served almost immediately after we finished the soup. Boiled in broth and wine and garnished with chopped parsley and chilli flakes. The clam was good and we actually finished this dish to the its last drop with happy face. And that left us a high expectation for the upcoming main course. 

Iberico Belly. Very pleasant looking dish but too bad. Its like a hot appetiser for me. 

I was told the pork belly was replaced from Germany's (RM 50) to Spain's (RM 78) for an unknown reason but i think it is worth to try so i ordered and i was immediately stunned when it was served! The dish was beautifully presented, a very elegant dish. But i think you also see the problem, RM 78 for 5 pcs of pork belly?!?!   More that 80% of each pcs was FAT ??  Are you serious ?!?!?!  I seriously think this is an appetiser because this has nothing to fill up my stomach even though 2 side dishes were served together.  Sous Vide can only save the texture/moisture by not overcooking the belly but because those were almost all fat, thus it is i think it is used in wrong place. In lay man term, the belly melted in mouth, great !!  (well, it is all fat what do you expect?)

Chicken Paprika. Nothing special to be highlighted except it is
being cook Sous Vide (i suppose)

Another main course we ordered was Chicken Paprika. I believe it was cooked by the same method so the texture is rather special compare to other's in the market. Garnished with drizzled olive oil and sprinklers of paprika, this chicken breast dish was sided with rocket leaf in oil and balsamic vinegar. The inside of the meat was somehow moist but it is obvious the outside was overcooked. Dried. Not too bad, chew with the accompanied salad will be ok. 

Gnocchi is originated from Italy. This one is just disappointing.

Finished everything ordered but i felt like i havent eaten anything. Thus i topped up with Gnocchi in pesto sauce (if my memory serves well). And i can only say that this was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Heavily salted and i think the same too for the MSG. By the time i finished it, i too finished 2 full glass of water.....  :S

So below is the rating:

(-1 = no good; 0 = neutral; 1 = good)

Food Presentation = 1

Taste/Texture = 0

Service = 0

Price/Value = -1

Overall Atmosphere = 0

TOTAL SCORE = 0, WILL NOT BE BACK AGAIN. 

The Verdict: Like i mentioned in my earlier post (here), cooking is not only ingredient and technique, the most important part is the 'heart'. It is ok to charge pricey and nothing wrong to present in a beautiful way but a 5 pcs of pork belly (more than 80% is fat) cannot be treated as main course. Every ingredients put onto the plate must be complimenting each other but not vice versa. Lastly, before everything out from the kitchen, the chef in charge must taste himself as the last guard for quality. And if they did on the Gnocchi, i can only say the food of this restaurant does not suitable to me even it is covered under very beautiful skin. 

Useful tips:

(1) Make reservation and go early

(2) No need to be very formal even some claimed it is a 'fine dining' restaurant. 

Other Pictures:

Look at the amount of fats. 

The Gnocchi was finished with 2 full glass of water. 

The bill.