A Refreshing and Relaxing Photo Session

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Do you keep old perfume bottles? I do... They are very interesting to look at. Each with their own personality. So unique are each one as the fragrance they once held. Like people. When they are new, when they still contained those delightful scent, people would like to have them. People would like to be seen around with them. But, once their contents are consumed, once the wonderful fragrance they once held is not there anymore, people just throw them away. Not caring and not noticing how wonderful the memories they had when they sprayed those wonderful perfume. People do not want to be seen with them anymore. Because, people think they cannot offer anything more. Because they cannot derive anything wonderful or anything they want from them. Yes, many people are like that. But maybe there are still a few individuals who know how to look aback. And, know how to treasure and see good things in everything.

Pork with Black Fungus

Pork with black fungus is very easy to prepare and quite tasty too.  With a minimum of ingredients you can whip up this dish which can go well with rice or with  steamed buns.

Ingredients

1/2 kg                Pork belly, cut to around 1 inch cubes
5 cups               Hydrated black fungus (maybe around 1 1/2 cup of dried ingredient)
1 tablespoon     Oyster sauce
8 tablespoon     Light soy sauce
1 teaspoon        Black pepper powder
5 cloves            Garlic, peeled and minced
1 pc                   Onion, medium sized, cut to thin slivers for sauteeing
2 tablespoons    Cooking oil
1 tablespoon      Sesame oil
2 tablespoons    Chinese cooking wine
1 1/2 cups          Water

Hydrate the black fungus:

1.  Place the black fungus in a shallow container.
2.  Add water enough to submerge the ingredient.
3.  Allow to hydrate for about 30 minutes
4.  Strain and rinse several times with water.
5.  Set aside.

Cooking instructions:

1.  Saute in the cooking oil the garlic and onions until fragrant.
2.  Add the pork and stir fry until color changes pale white.
3.  Add the Chinese cooking wine.
4.  Add all the all the other ingredients and stir well.
5.  Attach the cover.
6.  Pressure cook for around 30 minutes.
7.  Serve with either rice or with steamed buns.  Enjoy!

Professor Albus Dumbledore's Spell Casting Table

I was able to sneak into Hogwarts School of Magic and inside was a secret room of Professor Dumbledore.  I found in it his spell casting table on which he has left his wand and the book of powerful incantations.  Beside is the bottle which the ancients have been searching for.  The elusive Elixir of Life.

Twigs

Everything has beauty in them.  You just have to learn how to look...

Pancit Canton

Pancit Canton is an entirely filipino dish.  Although the name of the dish might give an impression that it is from Canton in China, it is not.  It was invented somewhere in Manila.  By a couple.  The husband is from China while the wife is a Filipina if I recall it right.  Anyway, they loved cooking so they were able to concoct the recipe.  So, you will not find Pancit Canton elsewhere in China, only here in the Philippines.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup     Chinese sausage (cut thinly)

1 cup        Carrots (julienned)

1/2 cup     Onion (cut into thin strips)

1 T            Garlic (minced)

1 t             Freshly cracked black peppers

1/3 cup     Soy sauce

1/4 cup     Chicken liver (cut into small cubes)

1/4 kg       Chicken breast

1/4 kg       Pork (cut into small strips)

3 slices      Ginger (about 1 t)

3 T            Cooking oil

1 T            Sesame oil

1/4 cup      Chinese cooking wine

24 pcs        Quail eggs (hard boiled, peeled)

1 T             Oyster sauce

500 g         Pancit canton

1 cup          Dog ear mushrooms (chopped)

3 pieces      Shiitake mushroom (cut into strips)

1/2 cup       Squid balls (cut thinly)

How to cook:

Tenderize the meat:

1.  Tenderize the meat in about 1 1/2 cup of water to which the ginger mentioned in the ingredients list and 1 piece of sliced onion, a dash of salt and pepper has been added.

2.  Chop the pork to desired size and shred the chicken and set aside for use later.  Save also the broth as it will be used in later cooking.

Pancit Canton:

1.  In a big skillet or wok, heat oil until nearly smoking.

2.  Saute garlic and onion until fragrant.

3.  Add the Chinese sausage and continue cooking until some fat from the sausage has rendered.

4.  Add the squid balls and continue cooking.

5.  Add the pork and chicken and continue to stir fry.

6.  Add the Chinese cooking wine and flambe.

7.  Once the flames extinguish add the soy sauce and the oyster sauce and stir well.

8.  Add the broth from which the chicken and pork was tenderized.

9.  Add 2 more cups of water and bring to boil.

10.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.

11.  Add the carrots and spring onions and mix well.

12.  Add the noodles and mix well until cooked.

13.  Add the boiled quail eggs and mix well.

14.  Turn off flame and add the sesame oil and mix well.

15.  Serve and enjoy.