Raw oysters

My family decided to take part in a raw oyster fest last night. Normally, I'm a fan of raw oysters, but since I just got over food poisoning, I opted for cooked chicken.

I did, however, observe the process. To start, the oysters came from a fishmonger who just received a fresh shipment from Vancouver. Armed with lemons, Tabasco Sauce and some shucking knives, I watched as my family began the process of cracking open those shells.

Now, I don't know what they were imagining, but I know from experience, shucking oysters is hard work. It takes awhile to get get your knife into the hinge of the shell and pry it open. Once you open the oyster, it's a good idea to rinse before you eat it, as it's often a little grainy and too salty.

And although it's rare to get bad oysters from a reputable fishmarket, it does happen. So SMELL the oyster BEFORE you open it. (Sadly, the oyster eaters learned this the hard way. Perfume, candles and two air vents helped to clear the smell a little, but us non-oyster eaters definitely felt a little ill).

The end result was a delicious meal (or so I was told). And it was a good experience to learn from. Whether or not it was worth all the work? Let's just say the consensus is to go out next time.

Oh...and there's a whole new respect to those who work at oyster bars.

The Food Network (in print)

It's no secret the Food Network has revolutionalized North America's interest in food and cooking, and made celebrities out of chefs. But I recall hearing in the news that most people who watch the Food Network don't actually cook. I guess this is why the creators came out with the Food Network Magazine - in case you're actually interested in seeing the recipes and getting to know the various chefs better.

I love the magazine, but find the reading goes by too quickly. With the purchase of the latest issue, I've added to my physical cooking library.

Betrayed by food

Food poisoning. Two words in the English language that should never go together. To be betrayed by something so close to my heart hurts - especially when its working its way through your system.

I fell victim to food poisoning 2 days ago, from what I suspect was my Japanese lunch (oddly enough, I only had cooked food). For nearly 13 hours after that, I writhed in pain, clutching my stomach, trying to keep my mouth tightly clamped until I made it to the nearest sink. There's something so wrong about having to taste food that way.

I'm fine now - a little worse for wear - but nonetheless, fine. I've got a bit of a food aversion (dry toast, grapes and broth are about the only things that won't gross me out). Hopefully, that will change quickly. Or this blog will be a bust.

My nemesis: the cake (or maybe even the egg)

I’ve been toying with the idea of talking about foods I’ve made that haven’t turned out so well. Do I only share my culinary triumphs or talk about foods that haven’t worked out, or plain failed? Afterall, I’m sure not even Bobby Flay gets all his dishes perfect the first time he makes it.

I guess my concession will be to not post any recipes that don’t work, but to talk about the dish itself.

I once said that cakes are my culinary nemesis. This is true. I other over beat or under beat the eggs, which makes the texture either too hard (think meringue: those white peaks are made by beating the eggs into submission), or too soft (think egg custard: you want to keep the texture denser and you don’t want it to rise). In this case, I didn’t beat the eggs enough, for fear of overbeating them.

I tried to make coconut pound cake (the cake in the picture is pink because of Chinese New Year). The taste is amazing, but the texture was just weird.
Will I try this recipe again? Most likely. But it might not be for awhile.

Chinese New Year goodies (Chinese almond cookies)

It's the night before Chinese New Year, which means a big family dinner with amazing dishes (see below).

There are certainly no shortage of goodies going around. From my mother's "lor bak go" (white radish pudding), to lucky red pocket candy (strawberry and cream), to sugared lotus roots, there are lots of options to fill my belly.

But as I grow bolder and gain more confidence to try new recipes, so does my willingness to contribute to the day. This year, it'll be something simple, such as Chinese Almond Cookies. The following recipe was given to me by an Aunt and then modified. (I added some red food coloring when I added the vanilla, egg and almond extract). Enjoy...and Happy New Year!

Chinese Almond Cookies (Makes about 100 cookies)

Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1-1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg yolk (for the egg wash)

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F in the middle rack of your oven
- Beat butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl until it's fluffy
- Add egg, almond extract and vanilla, beating lightly (red food colouring - optional)
- In another bowl, use a fork and whisk flour, ground almonds and baking powder
- Add to the butter mixture and with a wooden spoon, stir to create a stiff dough
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls
- Place on parchment paper to bake (2.5 - 3 inches apart)
- Mix 1 spoon of water with the egg yolk to create and egg wash; brush over the cookies (this is what gives it the pretty yellow shine)
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are a light golden colour
- Take cookies off of the tray and place on cookie racks
- Cool completely

If you're not giving these cookies away, store them in an air-tight container (between waxed paper). You can also freeze them.

Enjoy...and Happy New Year to all! <> :)