Zen Japanese Restaurant (Revisit)

Zen Japanese Restaurant
Date: June 30, 2010 (Wednesday)
Address: 2803 Eglinton East, Scarborough (Eglinton & Brimley)
Phone: (416) 265-7111
Opening Hours: Tues-Fri 12-2:30pm / Tues-Sat 5:30-9:30pm / Sun & Mon CLOSED

we ordered two Omakase Sushi this time, & their famous Mandarin Cream Pie for dessert..


Mandarin Cream Pie
LG likes it.. said it's very refreshing..

Spencer's

Spencer's
Dining at the Waterfront
Date: May 30, 2010 (Sunday)
Address: 1340 Lakeshore Road West, Burlington
Phone: (905) 633-7494





LG's colleagues recommend this restaurant for Champagne Sunday Brunch & we truly enjoyed it, especially with such a wonderful environment & view.. it's $39 per person..

they serve Champagne & other drinks..

Breakfast Station
(left) Belgian Waffles with Fresh Fruit & Real Whipped Cream
(right) Eggs Benedict

Cheese Board & Assorted Freshly Baked Breads

Fresh Shucked Oysters

King Crab

Hot Marché

served by chef when ordered.. here were some displays..

(left) AAA Rib of Beef

(right) Roast Leg of Lamb

Spectacular Desserts Station

Cupcakes

Chocolate Fondue

the patio overlooking the pond & Lake Ontario..

food were freshly made & yummy! definitely worth trying!

we had a enjoyable brunch & a relaxing Sunday afternoon!

朱古力杏仁曲奇 Chocolate Almond Cookies

朱古力杏仁曲奇 Chocolate Almond Cookies
(食譜來源: 五星級蛋糕甜品 by 黃耀文)

this was my first homemade cookies.. i think it tasted good & LG likes it!
have also tried making the 朱古力香片茶餅 with my sis, which it wasn't really succesful as it melted easily.. but it tasted good, esp. the 香片茶餅 part!!



Ingredients (50 pieces):
150g unsalted butter
150g granulated sugar
50g egg (~1 large egg)
150g almond slices
260 cake flour (sifted)
40g cocoa powder (sifted)

Directions
1. Cream unsalted butter & sugar. Pour in beaten egg. Beat until mixture light & fluffy.
2. Add almond slices. Stir well.
3. Fold in sifted mixture of cake flour & cocoa powder. Stir gently & just mix.
(Tips: Cookies will be too tough when dough is over-kneaded.)
4. Rub to brown dough with hands.
5. Line a piece of baking paper on a shallow tray. Press dough into a rectangle of the same height as tray.
6. Cover the dough with baking paper.
7. Use a rolling pin to roll over dough. Level surface to even height. Freeze until firm.
8. Take out. Peel off baking paper.
9. Cut hardened dough to rectangles of 5cm length x 2.5 cm width x 5mm thick.
(Tips: It is difficult to control shape of each piece if dough has not been sufficiently hardened.)
10. Bake at 175°C for 18-20 minutes. Take out & cool.

River Star Restaurant 星河餐廳

River Star Restaurant 星河餐廳 (Closed!)
Date: June 7, 2010 (Monday)
Address: 155 East Beaver Creek Road, Unit 26, Richmond Hill (Hwy 7 & Leslie)
Phone: (905) 763-8899

the owner is called Ginny, working on entertainment production..
& they emphasize on no MSG added..

they served herbal tea (should be rose), which was nice!
however, their ice lemon tea was no good, simply tasted like water..

their dinner sets include soup..


Curry Chicken with Rice $7.99
..i liked their curry chicken..

Oxtail in Lemongrass and Tomato Sauce with Rice $8.99

we think the food were not bad.. many of our friends like dining here..

World Cup 2010

my World Cup goodies..

World Cup 2010 Edition Coca-Cola


World Cup 2010 Edition Colavita Olive Oil

Nike Football "Write the Future"
featuring Drogba, Cannavaro, Rooney, Ribery, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, & Homer Simpson..
..i especially like the Rooney part.. so funny to see a FAT Rooney in the trailer!


Official FIFA World Cup 2010 theme song
South Africa 2010. K'naan & David Bisbal - Wavin' Flag"


sidetrack..
細街盃 by RubberBand..
not directly related to World Cup but a very nice song!


作曲：泥鯭 / 填詞：6號 / 編曲：RubberBand / 監製：雷頌德．RubberBand
主唱：RubberBand

大力交波啦喂　全場靠我地
直射遠柱啦喂　非洲老死
技術稍稍過期　仍然愛獻技
爛地企滿鄉里　開波踢走悶氣

前鋒　天天搬貨八公噸　賺錢返老家喀麥隆
迷失　摩天都市紅綠路燈　放工先知老家地震
摰愛鄉親願可一一脫身

落力封波啦喂　無人理我地
大力掃腳啦喂　非洲老死
爛木屋晌隔離　球場租不起
盡力去當嬉戲　輸波欠些運氣

防中　出生加納某海邊　現專收手機與電池
新聞中千個流淚面孔　戰爭飢荒老家在痛
混在他鄉日子好比過冬

合力包抄啦喂　完場幾比幾
大力踢上啦喂　非洲老死
戶籍很多過期　日夜匿屋企
但是也要透氣　爭相看這大戲

街邊的幾個老叔叔　豎起手指紛紛稱讚
一輪咀呼喊杜奧巴　黝黑膚色太相像嘛
大大非洲認識只一個嗎

大熱天甩哂皮　如常收手機
後日轉冷天氣　管他凍死
十面家鄉國旗　龍門邊吹起
願望每個鄉里　今天掃走悶氣
願望每個鄉里　今天覺得完美

糖醋排骨

糖醋排骨
(食譜來源: Kitty's網絡日誌)

嘗試用另一種方法煮糖醋排骨.. 今次的效果是排骨非常入味, 還有些變了豬軟骨似的..


材料： 1 湯匙紹興酒、2 湯匙生抽、3 湯匙白糖、4 湯匙鎮江醋、5 湯匙水、一字排骨（約600克）

做法：
1. 先把排骨切件，沖凈。
2. 把已拖水的排骨放入上述已煮滾的醬料中，再滾後，蓋好，慢火炆一小時左右。見汁收少至濃，排骨轉暗紅色，即成。上碟供食。
3. 最後加生粉水埋芡(如有須要)即可。

Tips from 香豬 :
無論用什麼容器，按上述比例將調味料混和煲滾，調味料要足夠浸過排骨。
要調味料滾才可以落排骨，利用熱力封實肉內的水份，咁樣煮出嚟嘅豬肉先 會多汁唔嚡口。
排骨蓋上煲蓋燜煮時，記得不時攪動及小心煲乾。
如果覺得顏色仲係太深，可以只用半湯匙老抽。

蕃芝三文煎魚扒

LG likes this as there are tomatoes & lots of corn!!



蕃芝三文煎魚扒
(食譜來源: 通之廚房)

材料: 三文魚扒1塊、中型洋蔥1個切粒、蒜蓉2湯匙、蕃茄1個切粒、急凍粟米半杯、車打芝士2片(Optional)
汁料: 茄汁3湯匙、糖適量、鹽適量、熱水1/3 杯、香草意粉醬1/2 杯

做法:
1. 魚件抹乾後用少去白胡椒粉, 海鹽醃10分鐘, 兩面再薄薄鋪上生粉
2. 快火落油(油要多點)起鑊, 先將魚扒兩面煎成金黃, 再中慢火將魚扒煎至8-9成熟, 盛起, 用紙抹去油份上碟
3. 快火落油起鑊, 用少許鹽爆香洋蔥至軟身, 再加入蕃茄炒香, 然後加入汁料煮透, 調好味, 熄火, 加芝士兜勻, 淋上魚件即成

Tips from 通少:
1. 魚扒一定要乾身, 否則就很難上粉, 煎也很難煎得靚
2. 魚扒不要反太多, 要耐心一點, 煎好一面先好反
3. 糖和鹽要隨自己口味加減, 好酸就減少點, 好甜就加多點
4. 魚扒不宜煎太熟, 因為餘熱會自然地令肉再熟一點但不會令肉身變老
5. 煎封兩面有助保持肉汁, 令魚扒肉質滑滑
6. 蕃茄會出水, 所以水不用落太多
7. 如不落芝士, 請用生粉埋獻

日式溏心蛋

Date: June 7, 2010 (Monday)

日式溏心蛋
(食譜來源: yimtsimyan @ OpenRice)

忽然愛上吃雞蛋..

參考了這個食譜後，我的雪櫃內更經常會存有這款日式溏心蛋.. 真的很好味呀！



材料及份量: （2人份）
雞蛋 2隻
調味料: 日本豉油 1/4杯、味醂 1/4 杯、水 3/4杯

做法：
1. 雞蛋必須從雪櫃取出放至室溫，觸摸時完全沒有凍的感覺。
2. 用小鍋煮滾日本豉油、味醂及水，煮滾後轉至另一容器待涼。
3. 將雞蛋放入小鍋，加清水至完全浸著雞蛋，開火。（註：不要離開！）看到水滾了，讓雞蛋繼續煮3分鐘（註：必須計時！），然後立即將雞蛋取出放入冷水/冰水中降溫。（註：目的是不要讓雞蛋黃變成熟透，蛋冷卻了可以剝殼）
4. 將剝了殼的雞蛋放入已放涼了的步驟[2]的調味豉油中。 （汁液必需完全浸著雞蛋） 5. 放入雪櫃冷藏兩天後即可，但5天後吃才是最入味最好吃的，請耐心等待！