wanted rather than the item itself. In any case, one day for some unknown reason, I was struck with the desire of hunting for dry-preserved sun-dried tomatoes. I've never bought them before, and I was surprised when I managed to find some at the local supermarket. That night, I reconstituted some in water, and braised it with some onions and lamb. Yum! For lunch the next day, I steamed some vegetables and added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Yum again! Nothing more than tomatoes and some salt, they're really packed with flavour. Definitely a happy and satisfied person. 
Thursday, February 12. 2009
Sun-dried Tomatoes
Friday, October 12. 2007
En Papillote
For part of my trip home, I visited Pittsburgh, where my brother was studying, for a few days. We'd just arrived that afternoon after a 3.5 hour drive, and I was unexpectedly making dinner for 5 people that night. [*sighs*] What a loving brother have I...
Okay, I'm teasing. I actually offered to cook after going through a list of unfavourable options. And it gave me a chance to try a very "quick and easy" technique called "en papillote."
Working mainly with supplies on hand, I started with a piece of parchment paper and placed a layer of chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes) and dried cranberries (for sweetness). Above came the chicken breast which I'd rubbed with a hodgepodge mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, various herbs, salt, and pepper (I also made slits in the meat and filled them with the mixture for better flavor penetration). I tucked a couple wedges of lemon under the chicken and drizzled a little more olive oil before wrapping and sealing the parchment paper tightly. Twenty minutes at 425°F (218°C), and each of us was peering into a steaming hot package of mouth-watering chicken and vegetables.
Basically, ''en papillote ''is a form of steam cooking and is ideal for leaner cuts of meat (i.e. chicken breast, fish). Any type of vegetable, fruit, or even rice can be mixed in. A key ingredient is oil; with that, you are free to use whatever sauce, herb, or spice you desire. Although parchment paper is preferred, aluminum foil can also be used. It's because of such freedom and relatively short cooking time that makes ''en papillote'' so friendly. Plus, cleaning is easy!
Saturday, August 18. 2007
Mushroom Pâté
This weekend, I paid a visit to Borough Market in London. I learned of it through my housemate and was very intrigued by the apparent size and friendly food tastings. Indeed, it was fairly big (although my housemate's description and the online map gave the impression that it would be bigger), and the mouth-watering smell of savoury food struck you the moment you entered. There were countless stalls alternating between oils and spices, jams/chutneys, cheeses, pastries, prepared on-the-spot savouries, candy, chocolates, fresh and cured meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables, bread, antipasti, beverages, and flowers. And the throng of people (since it was a Saturday) made it even more lively although difficult to maneuver.
