Name: Thai Yellow Curry with Homemade Thai Curry Paste
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 250g homemade thai yellow curry paste; 300g pork belly; 1 small size potato - cut into small pieces (thin); 1/2 carrot - cut into small pieces (thin); 1/2 onion - sliced; 1/2 red or green bell pepper - cut into julienne; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 300ml coconuts milk; 300ml water; 1 tsp thai fish sauce; 1 tsp coconuts sugar or brown sugar; a dash of salt to your taste (optional); Steamed rice

April 3, 2021

Face Mask – easy and quick to make, less fog, no pattern

I tried to make masks of several styles and now I think this one is the best. Also it is very easy and quick to make. Then if you wear glasses, it will definitely fog much less. Here I show “Size M”. For the other sizes, please check the bottom of this page.

Draw the pattern as shown on your usual printing paper. Cut it. Then place it over the fabric and cut the fabric.

Fold both cuts in half and iron press them in the center.

Put them together face to face matching the center point. Then sew with 0.7cm seam allowance (the green dotted line).

Turn the mask and do the same for the opposite edge. Sew with 0.7cm seam allowance (the black dotted line).

Now both edges are done.

Turn the right sides out, and iron press along the top and bottom edges. Make sure to leave a gap of about 1mm so that “liner” does not show when looking from the front side.

Fold along the center line and cut off the corners. The green arrows show you where to cut, along the white lines. They are also drawn on the patterns for the other sizes at the end of this post.

Unfold and sew the top edge (with 7mm seam allowance) and bottom edge (with 1 to 2 mm seam allowance) as shown. As per the green dotted line.

If you have “nose wires”, it is time to use them now.

Insert a “nose wire” from the side in the space left by the 0.7mm allowance along the top edge, as shown with the green arrow. Feed it inside the space and place it at the center.

Once the nose wire is placed in the center, sew the sides at each end (the green lines, indicated by the arrows) with small stitches (i do #1). It will prevent the nose wire from moving.

Fold 4cm from the bottom and iron press.

Fold 5cm from the top and iron press.

Turn the mask to the other side and sew top and bottom with 1 to 2 mm seam allowance (along the green dotted line).

Turn to the other side again, fold out the top and bottom as shown. Mark 4 points on the right side of the outside mask, on the first fold line. Where red dots are indicated by the green arrows. Use a water soluble sewing pencil.

Now mark 4 other spots 1cm from the edge (top side) and 2cm from the edge (bottom side). This time they are on the liner fabric edge, as shown (the red dots below).

Match the marks together and clip the fabric in position.

Cut off the parts (right and left) outlined in green. Be careful not to cut into the front layer of the outer mask. The picture below shows the mask after cutting.

The below shows the result.

Then fold right and left outer mask to reach the liner (until green line). Then iron press :

Fold again to the place where you marked the spots and clip together (both sides).

Sew along the green line on both sides with 1 to 2 mm allowance. We’re almost done…

View from the other side :

Insert the elastic rope on both sides.

Tie up the rope taking your size into account :

Then move the rope loop so as to hide the knot inside the outer mask side fold :

Done :)

You can easily draw the pattern on a piece of paper using the following guidelines for the other sizes :

March 28, 2021

Thai Yellow Curry with Homemade Thai Curry Paste

Persons

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

35 minutes

Thai Yellow Curry with Homemade Thai Curry Paste

Ingredients

250g homemade thai yellow curry paste
300g pork belly
1 small size potato - cut into small pieces (thin)
1/2 carrot - cut into small pieces (thin)
1/2 onion - sliced
1/2 red or green bell pepper - cut into julienne
1 tbsp vegetable oil
300ml coconuts milk
300ml water
1 tsp thai fish sauce
1 tsp coconuts sugar or brown sugar
a dash of salt to your taste (optional)
Steamed rice

Instructions

1. In a frying-pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and cook the pork belly until both sides are nicely browned. Add carrot, potato and onion and cook for a few minutes. Set aside.
2. In a big cooking pot, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and fry the yellow paste from #2 (it will be about 250g) for about 3 minutes or until fragrant over medium heat.
3. Add coconuts milk and mix well, then add water.
4. Add the cooked pork and vegetables (but not the green bell pepper yet). Bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the fish sauce and coconut sugar, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 to 5 min over low heat with the lid on.
5. Lift the lid, and red (or green) bell pepper. Bring it to a boil. (A dash of salt if necesarry to your taste.)
6. Serve hot with steamed rice!

March 28, 2021

Homemade Easy Ramen

Persons

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

30 minutes

Ingredients

For the soup base

25g weipa or chinese chicken stock powder
2 1/2 tsp hondashi powder
5 tsp kosher salt
3 garlic cloves - grated
2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/4 tsp [kobucha japanese kelp tea|https://amzn.to/314Gtoh (optional)|]
---------------------------------------
Ingredients (for 1 person) :
5g weipa or chinese chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp hondashi powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 garlic cloves - grated
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp kobucha japanese kelp tea (optional)
Ramen noodles for 1 person

Instructions

1. In a cooking bowl, add all the soup base ingredients and mix well.
2. Add some soup base in a serving bowl. Set aside.
3. Cook your ramen according to the package instructions.
4. Pour soup stock or boiled water into a serving bowl and mix to dissolve the soup base.
5. Add ramen and your favorite topping. Today I top with char siu, scallion and sesame.
Enjoy :)

March 28, 2021

Taiwanese Castella Cake

Serving Size

15x15cm mold

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time

2 hours

Ingredients

55g vegetable oil (I use colza)
5g unsalted butter
70g plain/cake flour (T45)
4 eggs
70g sugar
60ml whole milk
1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Prepare a mold (15x15cm square), insert parchment paper. (Paper must be higher than the mold, by 3 to 5cm). Cover the bottom of the mold with 2 aluminium layers. Set aside.
2. In a cooking bowl, add the oil and unsalted butter. Microwave 2 min at 600w to reach about 80℃. Add the flour, using a cooking sieve and mix well with an egg whisk. Set aside.
3. In a small cup, pour the milk and add the vanilla extract. Mix and microwave 20 sec at 600w to reach about 40℃. Then add it to the cake mixture in one go. Mix well.
4. Add egg yolks in 3 to 4 times. Mix lightly at each addition. Set aside.
5. In an another bowl, add white egg and whisk with an electric hand mixer. Once it starts getting harder, start adding the sugar in 3 to 4 times. Whisk until medium peaks form.
6. Add 1/3 of the egg white to the egg yolk mixture, mix well. Add another third, mix gently together. Finally add all the remaining white egg. Mix with a rubber spatula until egg whites and yolks are well combined.
7. Transfer into the prepared mold and flatten the surface with a rubber spatula. Remove bubbles using a chopstick.
8. In a oven-safe pan, over a folded cloth, place the cake mold. Add warm water (about 40℃), 2 to 3cm deep, and bake in a preheated oven (without fan) at 150C° for 1h ~ 1h 10mn.
9. Drop from about 10cm height to prevent deflating. Unmold and transfer onto a wire rack. Gently remove the parchment paper.
10 Cut in half the cake and slice to serve! You can also sandwich whipped cream in it and fruits to enjoy :)

March 12, 2021

Salmon Donburi Rice Bowl – Quick Lunch

Salmon Donburi Rice Bowl - Quick Lunch

Persons

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Total Time

25 minutes

Ingredients

200g salmon tartare - cut into small cubes
1/2 onion - thinly sliced
2 tbsp mayonnaise
a dash of salt and sugar
2 eggs

For the sauce (but you can also use off-the-shelf tsuyu)

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
some sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a small cup, add all the sauce ingredient and mix. Microwave 20 to 30 sec at 600w. Set aside.
2. Soak the onion in water for about 10 min and then drain well. Transfer into a small bowl and add mayonnaise, salt and sugar. Mix and set aside.
3. In a cooking pot, boil water and cook eggs for 6 mins (or more if you like harder eggs). After they are done, soak them in cold water until use.
4. Serve the hot steamed rice in your serving bowl. Add onion slices on top, then salmon. Roast with a cooking torch if you like (optional). Pour the sauce and sprinkle chopped scallion.
5. Place the boiled egg (cut in half), enjoy!

Notes

You can also use off-the-shelf tsuyu / 3x concentrated (つゆ), in this case silute 1 part tsuyu with 3 parts water. Adjust adding water to your taste.

February 23, 2021

Strawberry Butter

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

35 minutes

Ingredients

60g salted or unsalted butter - softened
40g strawberries
20 to 25g white sugar
a dash of salt if you used unsalted butter

Instructions

1. In a small cooking pot, add strawberry and sugar, cook until strawberries are soft.
2. Transfer into a safe-heat bowl and blend until smooth. Then set aside.
3. In an another bowl, add the butter (softened), and mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Then add the strawberry puree little by little (or else butter and puree would separate). Mix well at each addition, continue until you use it all up.
4. Add a dash of salt if you used unsalted butter. Mix. Transfer into a small cup, cover and chill in the fridge.
Enjoy with a slice of bread or anything else you like!