Cake, Uncategorized

Apple Cake

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This is the first time I tried apple cake and it turn out to be very good.

I made changes based on original recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/german-apple-cake-16883
Ingredients:

1 egg

90 ml canola oil

150g icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

120g flour

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 Apple ( chopped into small pieces)

1. Put egg and oil in a bowl and stir smoothly.

2. Add sugar, vanilla, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir well before adding another.

3. Add in Apple pieces. Mix well.

4. Pour batter into pan.

5. Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Bake for 30 mins. ( because the cake I baked is a small one, so 30 mins is enough. If your cake is bigger, it will take longer time). You can check whether it’s done by a toothpick.


Because I used less sugar, so it’s not that sweet but to me it’s perfect.


I also used homemade caramel sauce as topping. Very tasty.

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Story, Uncategorized

Chinese Food Treatment

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There is a concept of “食补” (shi bu) in China, which means food treatment approach or using food as medicine. 

Some of them are really interesting. Like if you hurt your ankle, then you need to have trotter. As the saying goes, what part of animal you have will do well to the same part of your body. Another saying is some food look like our human bodies, and they are good for the part they look like. For example, black soy beans look like kidneys, so they are good for kidneys. Walnuts look like human brain, they are indeed good for human brain.

Many people in China know the saying ” medicine is always 30% poisonous”. It’s an exaggerating way to express that medicine always has potential side effect. So many Chinese people prefer to have natural food and get nutrient substance they need instead of taking medicine when they are not seriously sick. They will certainly seek for doctors’ help when they really need. 

Over centuries, Chinese people have got methods of food treatment for many common illness. Each ingredient is considered to have its own property. Mutton belongs to “hot”, that’s why it’s a good choice in autumn and winter. Bitter gourd belongs to “cold”, so when you feel very hot inside your body or have oral ulcer, bitter gourd will be helpful.

Chinese food treatment is kind of like philosophy of yin and yang.

Cake, Uncategorized

Crumb Cake

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I found the recipe online:

http://www.food.com/recipe/new-jersey-crumb-cake-33645

This is my first crumb cake. And It turned out to be a big success. I did a little change based on the original recipe.

For cake:

Butter 60g

Sugar 80g ( I’m afraid the original recipe would be very sweet, so I reduced the sugar)

Egg 1

Milk 80g

Flour 140g

Baking powder 1tsp

Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
For topping :

Biscuit mix is used in original recipe. I changed it. I used flour and ground almond powder instead. I reduced butter and sugar too. Cos my husband is on a diet.

Butter 40g

Sugar 40g

Flour 40g

Ground almond powder 20g

Cinnamon powder 1 tsp
1. Cream butter and sugar.

2. Beat egg and milk, mix with butter.

3. Add flour and baking powder to the butter mixture. Then add in vanilla extract.

4. Pour batter into pan.

5. For topping: put all the topping ingredients in a bowl. Rub them by hand. And they will become crumb.

6. Sprinkle crumb topping over batter in the pan.

7. Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Bake for 30 mins. ( you can check with a toothpick. Poke the cake with toothpick, if it comes out clean, then the cake is done).

Powdered sugar is used to top the cake when cool. I didn’t use it.


It tastes really good. Since I reduced sugar, it’s not too sweet.

The topping is very crunchy.

Beef, Chinese, Uncategorized

Stir Fry Beef With Onion

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I always think beef and onion are a good match. And it’s easy to cook.

1. Cut beef into evenly thin slices. Chop onion and bell pepper into medium pieces.

2. Marinate beef with some salt, light soy sauce, cooking wine and starch. Make sure each slice is coated with starch.

3. Heat the oil in the pan. ( a little more oil than usual)

4. Put beef slices in the pan. Keep stir frying till the beef’s color turn light and a little burnt.

5. Add in the chopped onion and bell pepper. Stir fry till they get cooked.

6. Add 1 tsp oyster sauce. Stir fry a little.

7. If it’s a little plain, add in some salt.

This dish is very common in China’s restaurants. And it’s not that hard to cook at home.

Cake, Uncategorized

Fudgy Fudge Pie

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I found this amazing recipe on http://www.food.comIt’s also very easy and simple.

http://www.food.com/recipe/fudgy-fudge-pie-75432

I made a little change according to it:

Butter 120g

Flour 35g

Cocoa powder 30g

Sugar 150g ( I already reduced sugar based on original recipe but still found it is very sweet.)

Eggs 2
Procedure is almost same as original recipe:

1. Melt butter, add flour, cocoa powder and sugar.

2. Add in eggs. Stir well.

3. Pour into pie plate.

4. Preheat oven to 190 degree C, bake for around 30 mins. (After 30 mins, the edge is a little burnt, so I think maybe 25 mins is also fine.)

In the plate topped with some cream and fruits. It is very soft inside actually. Outside is a bit crunchy.

Story, Uncategorized

My Cooking Story

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In Chinese we have a saying that “早餐要吃好，午餐要吃饱，晚餐要吃少”，which means we must have a good breakfast, a full lunch and eat less at dinner. Clearly breakfast is the most important meal in a day. 

Actually, there are quite a lot of differences between eastern and western food culture. When I was in China, most of my breakfast were soybean milk, fried dough stick, porridge, steamed stuff bun, or noodles, etc. After I lived with my husband, my eating habit started changing. Now most of my breakfast are bread, cookies, and toast. My husband has a sweet tooth, but I don’t. So I have to figure out a solution between us.

My mom’s cooking has a great influence on me. Stir frying is a very common in Chinese cuisine.  My mom is a typical Chinese housewife. She can stir fry almost everything. That’s her cooking theory. She’s also good at making new match between meat and vegetable. After so many years of being a housewife, she’s kind of tired of creating new dishes. I understand her after married. Sometimes, I get home exhausted and really don’t want to try a new recipe.

At first, I copied my mom’s theory. Stir fry pork with vegetables. That’s very simple and quick for me, cos I don’t even need to think. I just know it goes that way. Gradually, I find it interesting when I try new recipes which are not just stir frying. No matter it is Chinese cuisine, Japanese, or Western. I can always find new things to try. I think that’s the charm of cooking.

Another reason for I love cooking, I think is that it makes me very concentrated. I don’t know why but when I cook something, I stay very focused, like I’m the only person in the world. I can forget everything outside the kitchen. Cooking to me is not just a magic combination of different kinds of ingredients. It’s also a way to convey my concern and feelings. I want whoever eats the food I cook to feel the concern and love from me. I would be like a student in a test and ask my husband after his first bite “does it taste ok?” Or “do you like it?”. He will put on a big smile with thumps up and say ” very good” in an exaggerating way even when the food tastes not  that good. I know I will never fail his test and that makes me want to improve to higher level and to cook better.

Fish, Uncategorized

Crispy Fish Fillet (Non-fry)

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I don’t like cooking dishes that need deep fried, because it means greasy kitchen, wasting too much oil, and getting hurt by hot oil easily. 

My husband like fish & chips very much, and both the dishes need deep frying. I looked up on the Internet and found ways to cook them without frying. 


This was the fish fillet I used. A dory fish fillet. Season it with salt and black pepper granules.


Bread crumbs need to be stir fry with a little oil for a while, which will make them look bright golden and taste better.


I also added some mixed herbs and minced garlic. When the color turns golden, turn off the oven.


Fish fillet first covered with a thin layer of flour, then egg, and bread crumbs at last.

Preheat oven to 200 degree C. In the oven for 20 minutes.



Dresses with some vegetable salad.


Fish fillet inside is very tender.

Soup, Uncategorized

Pumpkin Soup

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This is an easy and quick dish made of vegetables.

1. Chop pumpkin, garlic, celery, and carrot into small pieces.

2. Heat the oil in the pan. Put garlic in first.

3. Then the carrot and celery. Stir fry a little.

4. Pumpkin at last. Stir fry for around 2 minutes.

5. Then add in enough water that covers all the vegetables. Cover the pan with lid.

6. When the vegetables soften, use blender to smash them.

7. Put the smashed mixture of vegetables back into the pan. Heat it again. Because the smashed mixture is very condensed, you can add in some water.

8. Then add a little milk and salt. Keep stirring. It will be done once boiled again. After milk added in, the color will become a little lighter.

You can add a little herbs or spices you like.
And you can also make a little decoration for it. Just spread several milk drops onto the surface, and use a toothpick draw on it. Yeah, I’m not good at it. The white part I drew is not that beautiful.
The soup tastes great. The pumpkin I used is kind of sweet. Carrot and celery make it healthier.

Cooking & Food & Recipes & Life