Aglio e Olio is one of my favourite Italian pasta dishes. Aglio e Olio means “Garlic and Oil” in Italian, and one of the simplest pasta dishes to make.This is one dish which I don’t mind drenched in (good-quality olive) oil. Authentic Aglio e Olio only have a few key ingredients – just garlic, olive oil and pasta, so this is something you can whip up with minimum ingredients. While I do enjoy indulging in tomato-based or cream-based pasta now and then, the law of diminishing returns often sets in whenever I eat creamy pastas, where I find my enjoyment diminishing halfway through. But for the light-and-fresh-tasting Aglio e Olio, I find that I can easily finish my plate and still left hungry for just a bit more.

This is the first dish I made ever since I have my own kitchen. My earlier versions were nightmarish because I frequently get burnt garlic. I also made lots of mistakes (like adding the pasta while the garlic oil is still bubbling away on the pan) due to lack of research. After practising this dish for the past four years, I think I may have got slightly better at making it. Here are some tips to share.

Tips for making perfectly delicious Aglio e Olio1) Pasta should be cooked in salted water which is almost as salty as sea water. The cooked pasta will taste salted and this will reduce or eliminate the need to salt the dish later.2) Do not add oil when cooking the pasta as doing so will prevent the pasta from absorbing the salt or the overall flavour of the dish.3) Al dente is an Italian terms referring to perfectly cooked pasta which is firm (but not hard), and with a slight bite. Tip from my Italian friend Isa on how to tell if pasta is “al dente” – “usually the best way is to taste it, but here’s another method for inexperienced people:  if you take a spaghetti string that’s cooking and cut it, you should see a white dot in the middle that’s still hard. This means the pasta is not cooked yet. As soon as the white dot disappears (but the middle part is still a bit hard), then the pasta is “al dente” and you can drain it!”4) Reserve some water from cooking the pasta and add a few tablespoons of it to the final dish. The pasta water not only helps to bind the ingredients, the starch in the pasta water will give the dish a smoother finish.5) Because you are working with minimum ingredients, the quality of the ingredients will make a huge difference. Go for good quality olive oil and fresh parsley, where possible. Always use fresh garlic instead of pre-chopped bottled garlic.6) Tip for making perfect golden brown, not burnt garlic: the oil temperature must be just right when you add the garlic, meaning the garlic should sizzle gently in the heated oil when added to the pan (if the oil splatters violently or no reaction when garlic is added, it means the oil is either over-heated or not heated enough).7) Another tip for making perfect golden brown garlic: monitor the colour of the garlic as they cook in the oil. Turn off the stove once the garlic turns light golden brown. The garlic will continue

cooking in the hot oil until it turns a lovely golden brown. If you only turn off the stove when they reached the golden brown hue, they will continue cooking in the hot oil and become burnt. Should the garlic not reach the desired golden brown, simply heat up the oil for another 5-10 seconds, turn off the stove and let the garlic continue browning on its own.8) This finishing touch may not follow the authentic Italian recipe and is entirely optional, but adding a few small cubes of butter at the end will help give the pasta dish additional flavour and a smooth, velvety finish.9) Authentic Aglio e Olio is plain. However, it is now popular to add other ingredients like seafood, mushrooms or meat to the basic Aglio e Olio to make a more complete meal.

Ingredients(serves 2)- 2 servings of pasta (about 180g spaghetti)- 1 1/2 tbsp good quality olive oil- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced or chopped (not too finely)- 2 chilli padi, sliced or 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (adjust or omit to your preference)- 30g Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped- 20g butter, cubed- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepperDirections1. Fill a pot with water (enough to submerge pasta) and about 1 tbsp sea salt. Bring the water to a boil and then cook pasta according to the timing indicated on the packet, until al dente. Drain and set aside the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.2. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan, add garlic and chilli padi/chilli flakes (if using). Saute the garlic until it turns light golden brown.3. Turn off the stove. The garlic will continue cooking in the hot oil on its own for a few more seconds in the hot oil, until they turn a lovely golden brown.4. Add cooked pasta, 1-2 tbsp reserve pasta water, chopped parsley and cubed butter to the garlic & oil mixture. Stir to coat all the ingredients evenly. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Foodwishes.com Aglio o OlioIngredients:1 pound dry spaghettisalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste6 cloves garlic, sliced thin1/2 cup olive oil (note: I prefer a regular olive oil for this recipe, as opposed to a strongly flavored extra virgin olive oil)1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (highly recommend Parmigiano-Reggiano)*It's not traditional, but for extra richness add 1 tablespoon of butter when you toss with the cheese.

Ingredients: 1 piece fish fillet (mackerel or other white fish)

1 tsp shallot, minced 2 to 3 slices ginger, shredded 1 stalk spring onion, diced or shredded

salt, to taste pepper, to taste

1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine cornflour/corn starch, for coating fish fillet

Sauce: 

1½ tbsp light soy sauce 2 tsp dark soy sauce 2 tsp sugar 6 tbsp water sesame oil,to taste pepper,to taste

Thickening: 

1 tsp cornflour 2 tbsp water

Method: 

Rinse fish and wipe dry with kitchen papers. Season with salt, pepper and wine. Let sit for 10 minutes. Lightly coat with cornflour. Set aside.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Pan fry the fish over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the pan, cover to keep warm.

Add some more oil in the pan. Saute shallot, ginger and white spring onion dices. Pour in the sauce. Bring it to boil. Add thickening and cook to preferred consistency. Pour the sauce over the fish. Garnish with spring onion. Serve immediately.

Green Bean with Sesame Dressing

I love sesame dressing for meats or vegetables. The aroma, texture and colour of sesame seeds enrich the whole dish and bring it up to another level. When it comes to using sesame seeds, I often toast them before use, or I can say, I let the sesame seeds dry pan-fry over medium-low heat (that’s stir-frying without any oil on a frying pan). The heat would bring up the fragrance of the seeds and make it much easier to mash. For making the sesame dressing, I used a kind of naturally brewed Japanese soy sauce, that brings in rich soy flavour, yet not too salty. This dish can be served as a side or salad

Ingredients:

300 gm green beans 35 gm toasted sesame seeds 2 Tbsp sugar 100 ml Yamasa soy sauce  (or any kind of Japanese you like) 2 tsp mirin salt, to taste

Method:

1. Rinse green beans and drain well. Trim both ends. Blanch in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. The beans should be cooked and still crunchy. Drain and immediately rinse in cold water. Pat dry.

2. To make the sesame dressing: Place the sesame seeds into a mortar (or use a food processor to process briefly, and make sure not to overprocess.) Grind the seeds until almost a paste, then add the sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. Mix well. Season with salt if needed.

3. Put green beans in a large bowl. Mix the sesame dressing with the green beans. Arrange in a serving bowl or a serving plate. Sprinkle more toasted sesame seeds if desired.

ips:

I used Yamasa soy sauce , that is naturally brewed and not too salty. It's better to toast sesame seeds before grinding. I often dry fry them in a pan. When you smell the

aroma, it’s done. Beware not to burn them.

Braised Vegetables with Red Fermented Beancurd (南乳炆齋)

During Chinese New Year, we’d have plenty of delicious snacks, desserts and great meals, including lots of meat, like chicken, pork, duck and fish - you name it, you have it. On the first day of Chinese New Year, my mother used to follow the Chinese tradition and prepare a vegetarian dish. It’s cooked in a large amount and kept in a large pot. Whenever a lunch or dinner is set

on our table during Chinese New Year, this vegetarian dish would be served as a side dish as well. 

It seems to be a long, old tradition of having a meatless dish eaten on the first day of every lunar year. Some religious beliefs might be the cause behind. I have no idea of how this tradition came into place. Every kid who is brought up in a Chinese family gets used to eat this vegetarian dish on that day. I eat this dish simply because I like the taste though. You can use any vegetables you like, and all the vegetables are cooked with red fermented beancurd, a creamy cheese-like delicacy which it’s seldom eaten on its own, often used as a marinade in Chinese cooking.

Method:

1. Soak shiitake mushrooms, cloud ears, wood ears, beancurd sticks and cellophane noodles in water until softened.2. Save the soaking water for mushrooms. Trim the mushrooms and cut into two halves if they are too big. Mix with

marinade and steam in a wok for 20 minutes over high heat. Set aside.3. Trim cloud ears and wood ears, remove the hard stems. Cut tofu puffs into two halves. Blanch cloud ears, wood ears

and tofu puffs in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well. Rinse Chinese cabbage and cut into sections about 4cm in length.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or claypot over medium-low heat. Saute ginger until aromatic. Add red fermented beancurd paste and stir constantly, until fragrant. Toss in Chinese cabbage, increase heat to high. Add carrot, mushrooms, cloud ears, wood ears, beancurd sticks and 1 cup of water (include the mushroom soaking water). Cover and cook until all ingredients turn soft, stir occasionally. Check the water and replenish, if necessary, with boiling water.

5. Add cellophane noodles, stir and cook until softened. Pour in thickening and cook to your preferred consistency. Serve hot.

Stir-fried Green Beans with Minced PorkFried String Beans (乾扁四季豆) that uses a unique way of preparing green beans. It’s quite simple, just deep fry the beans to bring out their natural sweetness before using them to stir fry with any other ingredients you like.

Believe or not, you won’t taste this heavenly sweetness of green beans, if you blanch them in boiling water. It’s worth trying.

Ingredients:

350 gm green beans 100 ground pork 1/2 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp XO sauce (or to taste), available at Asian grocery stores a handful of snow cabbage (雪菜 salted vegetable) , available at Asian grocery stores

Marinade:

2 tsp light soy sauce 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp cornflour 1 Tbsp water a pinch of white pepper

Seasoning:

1/3 tsp salt A pinch of sugar

Method:

1. Soak snow cabbage in water for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain well. Chop into small pieces. Wash green beans thoroughly and remove ends. Pat dry with kitchen towel. Marinate ground pork for 15 minutes.

2. Heat oil in wok or frying pan over medium heat. The oil should just cover the green beans. Test the oil with a little piece of green bean. If bubbles arise, the oil is ready. Deep fry the green beans in hot oil until tender. Place on kitchen papers to absorb excess oil.

3. Drain hot oil into a container and retain about 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil in wok. Add marinated pork and stir fry until cooked through. Set aside.

4. Heat oil to sauté and quickly stir fry snow cabbage until aromatic. Toss in minced pork and green beans. Sprinkle with salt, sugar (and cooking wine if desired) to taste. Lastly, add XO sauce. Dish up.

Notes:

1. Make sure that no water should be with any green beans before adding into the hot oil to deep fry.2. The used oil could be recycled for stir-frying with meat or seasoning for steamed fish.3. Adding some water and cornflour to minced pork would make the texture of meat taste smoother after stir-frying.

Oven-Grilled Chicken Wings

Ingredients

5 chicken wings (medium size, cleaned and pat dry) 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Marinate

1 – 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup 3 tablespoons of ginger juice 1 teaspoon light soya sauce 1 teaspoon cornflour

Method

Place chicken wings in a bowl and mix well with marinating ingredients. Cover and allow to marinade in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 150 degrees celcius.

Drizzle baking pan with olive oil before placing chicken wings on the pan. Sprinkle some black pepper powder over the chicken wings (optional).

Bake the chicken wings for 30 minutes or till cooked. To check whether the chicken wings are thoroughly cooked, take a sharp knife / chopstick and pierce through the most fleshy part of the wings till it reaches the bone. If clear juice runs out, it is cooked. If not, cook further.

Once chicken wings are cooked, remove juice from pan. Change oven setting to top grille at 200 degrees celcius and grille chicken wings till desired brownness.

Serve hot.

If desired, the juice which has been removed from the pan can be reduced in a cooking pan with a little cornflour.

INGREDIENTS:

Tofu – ½ cupMushrooms – ½ cupChopped Red onions – 1Garlic paste – 1tspIceberg lettuce leaves – 4Brown sugar – 2tspGreen chili – 2Water chestnuts – 1cupChinese cellophane noodles  

(Special sauce)Sugar– 2tspSoy sauce – 1tspRice Vinegar – 2tspKetchup – 2tspLemon juice – 1tspSesame oil – 1tspChili sauce – 2tspWater - 2tsp

METHOD:

To make the special sauce dissolves the sugar in the water in a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve the lettuce wraps.For stir-fry sauce mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar together in a small bowl and keep aside.Fry the noodles as directed and keep aside.

Heat 2 tspn of oil and fry the tofu on both sides until crispy and golden color.Remove from pan and place on a paper towel. Cut the mushrooms and water chestnut as small peas. When tofu and is cool cut it as the size of mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

Now heat the oil in the same pan and add tofu,garlic,onions,water chestnuts,green chili and mushrooms. Cook it well.Now add the stir fry sauce and sauté the mixture for a couple minutes.Allow it to cook well.

Then break the fried cellophane noodles into small pieces and spread evenly over a lettuce “cups”.Arrange the mixture over the noodles and top with special sauce.Enjoy with your family..

材料: 低筋麵粉 2 大匙、糯米粉 1 大匙、太白粉 1 大匙、吉士粉 1 茶匙、 泡打粉 1/2 茶匙、水 50cc、油 1/2 茶匙。 兩大匙低筋麵粉、半大匙糯米粉、半大匙太白粉、一茶匙吉士粉、4 分之一茶匙泡打粉一起混和再慢慢加入水攪拌，大約加水 50cc 左右，調到稀糊狀後再加入二分之一茶匙的油攪拌，這樣脆漿粉就完成了。 準備用魚肉來沾來炸，要沾的食材不要太濕，如果太濕加點太白粉或澱粉類來讓脆漿粉容易附著，油溫溫度要讓脆漿粉滴入油鍋中一半後浮起這樣代表油溫足夠，把魚類之沾脆漿粉後放入鍋中炸，炸完就可以查看調的脆漿粉的比例是否要調整，調和重點是把低筋麵粉的筋度降低所以加入糯米粉、太白粉來絳低筋度，用吉士粉來增加顏色，可依個人喜好來調整比例，來達成個人喜好的 脆漿粉。My late mum used to make a Chinese vegetarian dish (Loh Hon Jai) on the first day of Chinese New Year. I have not eaten this dish for a long time until my next door neighbour, Richard and Jeanie shared it with me. The dish brought back so much sweet memories and I’m really grateful to Richard and Jeanie for sharing the recipe with me.

Ingredients

Fresh oyster mushrooms Dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted or fresh shiitake mushrooms Cloud ear mushrooms, reconstituted Cabbages, blanched Fried gluten (mien gen), blanched to remove excess oil Can fried gluten, remove top later of oil but reserve the liquid Fried tofu puff, the rectangular type Fried bean curd stick, blanched until soft

Bean curd skin, lightly fried Vemicelli (tung fen), cooked in boiling water for 2 minutes and rinse off in cold water Shanghai bean curd, red (lam yue), mushed up to dissolve in some water and strain if necessary Corn starch solution few cloves of garlic, chopped

You may any mushrooms in season or can mushroom like straw mushroom, button mushroom, inoki mushroom, etc. The Shanghai red bean curd can be substituted with oyster sauce.

nstructions

The night before, reconstitute the dried mushrooms like cloud ear, dried shiitake mushrooms and lily bud (if using). Keep the water for reconstituting the shiitake mushroom for use in the cooking later.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the cabbage until soften. Use the same pot of water to cook the vermicelli. Lastly, blanch the fried gluten, fried tofu puff and fried bean curd stick to remove excess oil.

On medium heat, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large wok and fry the chopped garlic until fragrant but not burn. Remove the garlic for returning to the dish later.

Stir fry all the mushrooms, with the hardy ones in first for a few minutes. Season with white pepper.

Then add in the blanched fried gluten, tofu puff, bean curd skin, garlic and the can fried gluten together with the liquid in the can. Also add the shiitake mushrooms soaking water and continue to stir fry. Season with more white pepper. The dish can be frozen at this point.

Next, the cabbage and the cloud ear mushrooms go in. Stir fry for another few minutes to combine well.

Season the dish with the Shanghai red bean curd mixtures or oyster sauce. Add more water if needed so that there is enough liquid in the dish.

Thicken the sauce with some corn starch solutions.

Lastly, toss in the cooked vermicelli and mix well. Add salt to taste.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Ingredients:3 1/2 pound chicken, cut in 8 pieces1 tsp salt1 tsp black pepper1 tsp paprika1/4 tsp cayenne1/2 tsp white pepper1 tsp ground dried herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)2 cups buttermilk*marinate 6 hrs in the fridgefor the seasoned flour:2 cups flour1 tsp salt1/2 tsp paprika1/4 tsp cayenne1/2 tsp white pepper1/2 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp onion powder

2 1/2 quarts peanut oil for frying

Fry at 350”F for about 20 – 25 mins in total

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