7 Characteristics of Human Revolution

Extracted from Soka's Creative Life issue 8, 2009.

Andrew Matthews video

Sherlock Holmes movie - simply wonderful!

Sherlock Holmes brings me back to my childhood dreaming days.. and this movie added extra goodies, such as showing his thinking process b4 real execution, which is a wonderful surprise! ;-)

official site: click here.

youtube trailer: click here.

Yummy Ribs

Having the Edge

Yesterday, today, tomorrow

Yesterday came,

today has come,

tomorrow is coming.

Know your priority today! ;P

Who's this boy? ;P

Andrew Matthews new book - Happiness in Hard Times

i just found out that Andrew Matthews has released a new book titled Happiness in Hard Times.

Check it out.. i'm reading it right now.. ;-)

Therapeutic cooking

There's so much life lessons to learn from cooking.. no wonder i'm attracted to it..

The process of preparing & cooking is therapeutic.. but not so when it comes to washing the dishes.. ;P

Everything happens for a reason

'Everything happens for a reason' is a concept, not an absolute truth. But it's an excellent concept to embrace. It encourages you to look on the bright & positive side of things or life, and it's never harmful.

From another perspective, it depends on the context you are referring to. Looking thru the 'cause & effect' lens, then everything does happen for a reason, and the reason is clearly there's a cause and therefore an effect.

But if viewed from the individual life destiny, then i believe not everything happens for a reason. It is our interpretation of events and our responses to those events that shaped our own destiny. So, it's our own thoughts that give reasons to everything.

This is my understanding thus far.. and i think it's on the same track as Buddhism..

Who is in control?

Are we revolving around earth or earth is revolving around us?

Are we in control of our environment or the environment in control of us?

Dogs and more dogs..

Korean-style pork ribs

This non-spicy dish is simply delicious!

Salted Chicken Wings

More than 10 years ago i tasted this salted chicken wings and thought it was fantastic.. it's even more surprising to find out from my colleague's wife that she marinated it with only salt and fried it..

So,.. i have kept that event till today.. and finally decide to try it. True enough, it was a success! My wife loved it and we think it's a simple yet great dish. Will try it again and maybe slowly start to improvise it.. ;P

what can i do with cooked barley

It would be a waste to throw the cooked barley away after taking the barley water only..

To reuse, strain out the barley grains as soon as the barley water comes off the heat to prevent them from being too soggy.

*Important*: Sweeten the barley water only after the barley grains are removed.

You can add cooked barley to soups and stews. Note that it can soak up flavours and release little starch. Best suited for Asians and Western soups and stews.

It's robust texture combine well with deep flavours such as duck, beef, chicken, mushrooms, lamb and caramelised vegetables.

Use cooked barley as grain salad base with rice, bulgur wheat or mix it with sweetcorn kernels and fry up fritters.

Combine with brown rice to make as stuffing based for roast chicken.

Puree cooked barley in blender to make a paste to stir in cream soups, stews or even curries to add body. You can even stir into Asian pudding type desserts such as pulut hitam, bubur terigu, Indian Kheer or payasam, black sesame cream and more, to add texture and flavour.

lastly, there's a Taiwanese-style dessert using soft barley grains on shaved ice with lightly sweetened fresh milk. It's plain & delicious.

How to ripen avocados

This is what i gathered so far..

1. Avocados ripen when they are picked.
2. Some types ripen with skin darkened while other varieties have skin stayed the same.
3. The only sure way is to feel the skin.
4. To choose avocados, hold them gently in your hand & press with pad of your palm. Dont press with your fingers as it will bruise them.
5. Pick those that are firm upon pressing or just a little bit of give.
6. Dont buy avocados uneven firmness - likely to have been bruised.
7. At home, keep in cool room temperature till fully ripen - may takes two or three days.
8. To speed up ripening, place them in a bag with banana or apple.
9. When ripen, they give a little without resistance upon pressing.
10. Sliced avocado flesh with speckled or brown in parts, or has brown veiny network running thru it has started to turn bad. Cut those parts away or otherwise throw the whole fruit away.

Bodyworks

Initially may seem scary but after a while u just focus on the scientific element of these real dead people..

A good experience for all to see what's really inside/behind the skin.. btw, that 'person' is holding up his own skin..

visit Bodyworks website

Julie and Julia - movie

Really liked this movie about cooking, life and love! And how the director blends two persons lives from different times into a single seamless thread of storytelling..

Also, motivated me to improve my cooking! ;P

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjvJHsJD8ic

Official website: http://www.julieandjulia.com/

Stumbling on Happiness

While searching on Internet for writings relating to happiness, i stumble on this book titled Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert.

i havent read the book yet, but from some reviews it seemed like a good read.. will try to read it one day.

Some websites with the writeup/review:

http://www.chronon.org/reviews/Stumbling_on_happiness.html

http://enjoyyourmoney.blogspot.com/2008/08/stumbling-on-happiness-summary-and.html

Beef Stew with Red Wine

Beef stew with red wine
500g beef cubed 2cm size
1 mid size potato
1 tomato, 1 big carrot cubed.
1 large onion
Half seasoning cube
half teaspoon salt
Garlic, shallot, oyster sauce, cooking oil, tomato ketchap 1 pkt, red
wine, water

1. Marinate beef cubes with seasoning cubes, oyster sauce, salt. 30mins.
2. Stir-fry with oil, garlic, shallot first. Then add beef cubes till fragant.
3. Add ketchap & water just covering. Simmer 30mins.
4. Add potato, onion, carrot, tomato & enough water to cover. Simmer 30mins.
5. Off heat & add red wine 60ml.