Red bean (azuki bean) paste is widely used in Chinese and Japanese confectioneries. The ready-made red bean paste sold in the stores usually contains preservatives and is laden with oil and sugar. Hence, it is definitely a healthier choice to make your own as you will be in full control over the ingredients you put in. You can adjust the amount of sugar and oil to your liking, select better quality red...

  Tuesday is our family’s weekly salad day. However, our salad is not just plain, boring fresh vegetables. We also add other ingredients such as nuts, seeds, dried fruits, grains and protein (either animal or plant) to jazz up our bowl of greens, turning it into a more complete, power-packed meal. I have lots of fun making different kind of dressing to create new taste for our salad.   In the course...

  Tamago Boro (also known as egg biscuits, (蛋果子 or 小馒头)) is a very popular snack among kids. You can find them in supermarkets, Japanese specialty stores or local snack shops. My son had never tasted them before. So, he was very excited when he knew that I was going to make them for him.   I have made these Tamago Boro successfully based on a recipe I have adapted and modified from 『君之』的手工烘焙坊....

  On hotter days, I often skip doing any serious cooking and turn to making simple and easy-to-prepare meals for lunch, like this cold soba noodle salad. This Asian inspired fusion one-dish meal is welcomed most by my family who loves both noodles and salad. It’s so refreshing and appetizing yet filing that we don’t mind having it as meal for the whole day.   Soba noodles, a type of Japanese thin...

  Before my son turned one, I excluded salt, sugar and oil from his diet. For this reason, I put off the idea of using dried anchovies (or ikan bilis) to make stock for his porridge. Only when he grew older, I began to use anchovies to prepare fish soup for him.   Actually, I had bookmarked one very simple and easy anchovy recipe from a Japanese cookbook that I would like to share with you for a long...

  Being a curious person, I always love asking questions. Since becoming a mom, a home chef and a food blogger, I have even more questions to ask – more than ever before! Unfortunately, most are still unanswered. 🙁  But I believe if I keep asking questions, it will surely lead me to some pleasant discoveries.   “FROZEN TOFU” – I found this “mysterious” ingredient in Wendy’s...

  Mushi-pan ( 蒸しパン ), literally translated as steamed cupbread. But if you ask Uncle Google, you will also find it being associated with buns, cakes or muffins. Personally, I like to call it a “cake” as its texture is closer to a light version of mini cupcake, but not as dense and chewy as the tradition Chinese prosperity cakes (“fatt gou/ huat kueh” 发糕). I must say that mushipan is...

  My family had a wonderful time during our recent holidays. We went to Kuala Lumpur first, then to Cameron Highlands and lastly ended in Penang. The only regret was that our duration in Penang was too short to cover our usual to-eat (no, must-eat) list. Just thinking of this food heaven, my stomach has already started rumblimg….oh my! I will share with you some photos I had taken during our Cameron...

  Whether you are looking for a simple breakfast, a grab-n-go lunch or a light dinner, sandwich is a quick and easy solution. However, not all sandwiches are equally nutritious. Some are healthy but unappealing while some can be sinfully lip-smacking. Given the versatility in making sandwiches, parents can easily jazz them up with creative presentation and nutritious filings for their child. Here are...

Sesame seeds are my favourite kitchen condiment, be it white or black. I love to use them in both my cooking and baking for their flavourful aroma. Besides, their tiny size and contrasting colours give an elegant touch to any simple dish. So, for sure, any recipe with sesame seeds as an ingredient would catch my attention, just like this popular Japanese home-style dish that I learnt from Ju of Little...