Lumpia Basah

Or literally .. wet 'spring roll'? This type of snack can easily be found at nearly all food stalls in Indonesia, and for a very cheap price too.. (as little as Rp 1500.. and 1 AUD is probably Rp 9500-ish? go figure) Too bad over here I have to make it from scratch and with the time taken to slice all the ingredients into fine bits & pieces, the price should now increase to $2 a piece, at least, hahaha...

Lumpia basah

Okay, so for this version of lumpia basah, I don't use bean sprout. I know a lot of people use them, but it's just one of my many idiosyncrasies. Heh, big word, that. Instead, I use bamboo shoot, though you have to boil it for a few times to get rid of the pungent, piss-like *excuse the rudeness* odour. Do buy whole bamboo shoot for a more superior taste, but you can also use whole peeled portions that are available at your local Oriental market. Try not to cheat and buy the already sliced ones as they are usually mixed with some older, tough & stringy pieces.

the filling's ingredients - with soy sauce in the middle :)

Lumpia Basah - serves 4

Ingredients :

Filling

1 medium sized carrot, julienned

1 cup finely sliced young bamboo shoot

4 medium garlic cloves, chop finely

12 pieces peeled raw prawns, chop

2 pcs chicken thigh, chop finely

3 stalks spring onion, chop finely

3 Tbsp Lee Kum Kee premium soy sauce

2 1/2 Tbsp kecap "Bango" *dark, sweet soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chicken powder * optional

3/4 tsp white pepper

150cc (approx) chicken stock

Method:

1. Heat a wok with 3 tbsp oil. Toss garlic until fragrant. Add chicken and once it starts to brown, add prawns, carrot, bamboo shoot and spring onion last.
2. Stirring ocassionally, season with soy sauce, pepper, & chicken powder. 
3. Turn down the heat to medium, pour in chicken stock slowly. Continue cooking until the sauce is reduced and almost completely drained. 
4. *add salt to taste.

Skin

6 soup spoons of plain flour

2 medium eggs @ 50g approx

1/2 tsp salt

approx. 400 cc water

this is what I mean by soup spoon

Method

1. Mix flour with egg; pour water in gradually, and add salt last, whisking with a egg beater/ stirring with a wooden spoon all the while
2. Strain the batter to get rid of any lumps & egg whites.
3. Heat frying pan greased with a little oil (oil spray works best), and pour a ladle-full of batter, swirling it quickly to cover the pan (like making crepe - it's exactly the same method)
4.  Continue greasing the pan for each crepe until the batter is used up.

*use a medium-sized (18-20cm) non-stick shallow frying pan with a little grease for best result.

The filling

Assembling it is easy, just take about a table spoon of filling and set it out a little off-centre on the crepe, and start rolling. After that, all that's left is to enjoy 'em. Finally! These little morsels are best eaten warm with a dab of hoisin sauce. (actually they have a sauce similar to hoisin sauce in taste, but I'm just too lazy to even consider making some... ^_~). Selamat makan!

Baby sling

I've written about baby sling previously during my pregnancy, and since then I've owned three different brands. Talk about splurge! I've tried Sleepywear, baby breeze, and an overseas no-brand model that turned out to be quite comfy. Here's my short review on all of them.

The sleepywear is a wrap-around type of carrier that requires a little bit of effort initially (they have around 5 different ways to wrap around your body), is made from a super-stretchy fabric that is rather comfortable to be worn, both for you and your baby, especially for newborns, as the wrap ensures that the bub is very tightly bonded on your chest and this is what makes him feel very secure and happy. It is great to lull baby to sleep in this in winter time as your body heat + the tight wrap = toasty warm bub. It comes in a range of colours, washable and easy to dry.

The downside is, not all babies like to be wrapped tightly for a long time, so my little boy outgrew this after about 3 months, even though it is suitable for older babies up to 1 1/2 years. And you must remember to put your little one in the sling only when he is in an agreeable mood (i.e. after a meal, when he is sleepy), because trying to do so when he is cranky means a lot of unnecessary frustration for both you and your baby. Trust me, I've done it countless of times before...

Sleepy Wrap

The baby breeze is a light, summer type sling with ring mechanism that is supposed to sit on your shoulder. It is made of a single breathable fabric with double ring to wrap the fabric around; this will create a 'pouch' in which your baby will rest, then the length is adjustable by pulling the length of the fabric through the ring. Theoretically easy, and is actually quite easy to put on, so long as you take care of the fabric not to get all bunched up around the ring. Easy to wash & dry and great for swimming too. Rather on the pricey end of the range though. This one, my baby loathed completely & utterly for no good reason :(

Baby Breeze

The no-brand carrier is very cheaply priced yet this fits my purpose well enough, for short-time usage throughout the day when bub doesn't want to be put down in his own cot. This has a fixed clip-on shoulder attachment that simply clicks in place; then the strap is also adjustable. At first I thought I'd require assistance to clip it, but then I figured out a way to do it without any help. The biggest issue with fixed attachment is that it fits some people well; such as me and my mom, but my other half couldn't use it comfortably. This is perfect for newborn as well, but it doesn't free both of your hands to do other things.

Baby Bjorn Air

I know I've said I'd get a baby bjorn carrier, but I was discouraged by not-so-stellar reviews from some friends, and that it is rather expensive... Tried on the baby bjorn Air version once and the material whilst nice and breathable, doesn't sit very well on the shoulders. Now that I'm looking back at it, it's been 5 months so far, and recently, bub's getting more and more active, I doubt that he'd like to but put in baby sling anymore ^_~ Well, I won't start collecting baby slings, that's for sure.. :P

A good baby sling does give you a number of benefits such as: freeing your hands to enable you to do more work, lulling bub to sleep & let him bond closely to you, better weight distribution that doesn't tax your back/ shoulder alone, and size-wise, more convenient for outings than a bassinet/stroller will ever be; So, if you do want to get baby sling, shop early! compare as many different types as you can; try them with your baby too, because, in the end, it boils down to whether baby likes it or not after all.

Steamed pork belly with yam

I just love the combination of pork belly and yam. I've had it at Chinese and Malaysian restaurants before, and if I recall correctly, Chin Noodle House in Leeming makes a great one; and so does Satay-mu in Kardinya. Their version has salted mustard leaves in it. The best thing about this dish is the melt-in-the mouth pork belly and creamy yam pieces that dissolve into the sauce.. yum!!!!

Anyway, I'm trying out a simple version that doesn't require fancy spices, (I think some restaurants use cinnamon, star anise and the sort..). It's a one-pot meal for two and warming to your stomach. Great winter meal!

Pork Belly with Yam

approx 350g pork belly, wash, cut into smaller portions.

1 medium sized taro/yam

3 garlic cloves, 1/3 red onion/ shallot, chop finely

2 tbsp salted soy beans

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp five spice

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp chinese cooking wine

salt to taste

800 ml water 

Method

Preparing the pork:

1.  Blanch pork belly pieces in hot water for 20 minutes, remove. Rub a little soy sauce, and prick holes with a fork. Deep fry  for 5 minutes.
2. Boil the fried pork once more for another 30 minutes. Strain & set aside.

1. Prep up steamer.
2. Peel yam into 4cm thick, deep fry, set aside on a kitchen towel.
3. Sautee garlic & shallot with 2tbsp oil. Add salted soybeans, all the seasonings and water. Turn off the heat once the mixture boils.
4. Arrange pork belly & yam pieces alternately in a heat-proof container (pyrex/clay pot will do)
5. Pour sauce on top of the pork & yam slices.
6. Steam in a steamer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the meat is tender enough for your preference.

As the dish is cooking, chop up a few stalks of spring onion, or coriander if you prefer, for garnish. Scoop up the mixture atop of steamed rice and sprinkle fried shallots. 

*optional: goes well with cut chilli & soy sauce too ^_^

Steamed pork belly & yam

Breezy afternoon outing

Today we're going out (YAY!) with my mother-in law to walk around South Perth. It's a crisp Autumn air with plenty of warm sunshine to make the day perfect. After brunch, we headed to Mill Point and brought out the stroller. There were lots of people around today, everyone wants a piece of warm sunshine apparently. And the weather is just great for barbecue too..

We saw ducks, black swans and an unknown breed of bird (at least unknown to me) by the riverside. The water seemed quite inviting, clear and bluish, though I'm sure it is freezing cold. Good thing the birds have fur, eh? 

Most importantly, Rafael seemed to enjoy it too.. He was looking around quite curiously, squinting when the sun rays struck his vision. He looks quite chubby now, I feel he might be gaining some weight. On the other hand, I still need to lose much of this unwanted weight gain off me otherwise I will run out of clothes very soon, LOL.

After the outing, we had lunch at Yuki Japanese restaurant in Willetton. What a nice relaxing way to enjoy the weekend (Rafael slept very well afterwards. Outings tire him faster... I'll be going out more!!)