Back to "The Basics"

Reading my recipes

Don't be surprised if you occasionally see my recipes say "some of" this or that for certain ingredients. To me, cooking is all about intuition, feeling, creativity and inspiration. A recipe is just a guide. I leave some measurements off when they are "to taste" and I feel that it won't affect the recipe too much. When I cook the same dish, I don't always make it the same way every time--and I like it that way. Some days, I like it spicy, some days I like it more cheesy; it depends on my mood. Don't let the recipe limit you; feel free to add more or less herbs and seasonings, or even leave out some things if you don't like them. After all, you have to enjoy it!


When I read recipes, I never like having to look at a long list of ingredients or having to scan through the list in order to know which ingredients and quantities to use for each procedure. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally skipped one or two ingredients and found out later (when it's too late!). For practical reasons, while cooking, I'm always trying to find ways to read as little as I can. Therefore, if the list is long, I've decided to group together ingredients that are going to be used at the same time. This way, you can mix them in advance and set them aside in one place, and when the procedure calls for it, you can just add them all at once. It's organized and time-saving!


Here's how I show my measurements:
C - Cup
T - Tablespoon
t - Teaspoon

黛黛走跳 - 『BAILEYS貝里詩奶酒品酒會』

由於平常就有在酒國裡走跳著，即便是再細再渺小的酒類活動也逃不過黛黛的火眼金
星，所以，在得知最愛的奶酒之一 - 「貝里詩」，正在舉辦品酒會，馬上三步做兩步，
要多快就有多快的"咻幾嘞"便抵達了會場。(請想像以前的武俠片，主角趕場時，只須稍稍
的往上一躍，腳根兒都沒離地喔.................就抵達下一個場景惹!!)黛黛也是用了同一招，幸
好阿嬤有傳承給我齁哩嘎在。

貝禮詩架了個大型室外帳篷在台北市政府捷運站的2樓廣場，可能因為前一天才結束開幕
典禮，所以人潮湧退許多，但那不是重點!! 只要場內酒存量夠我喝..咳! 夠我淺嚐.. 我就滿
足惹!!(騙消A)

Strawberry-Vanilla Jam

For strawberry lovers (like me), during the months of June and July you can never get enough strawberries. If you're in Quebec, luckily, you're in the right place at the right time! There's an enchanting island right next to Quebec City called Île d'Orléans. The island has a reputation for its local produce and is known as the "Garden of Quebec" ("Jardin de Québec"). At this time of the year, one of their most well-known products is strawberries. I have never seen as many strawberries anywhere else as I have here!  

Inheriting the traditional French culture, people here are big into canning. Plus, during the winter, which is so long and cold, there really isn't much local produce grown. If you want to eat seasonally and locally, summer is the best time to take advantage of all the varieties of fruits and vegetables and to preserve them.

Cute spooooooon ❤

除婚紗照，喜帖，謝卡..等等，婚宴上的迎賓小禮物，近幾年來，也已成了新人們在
婚前，最重要且不可或缺的購物清單之一。

從小布偶，小抱枕，造型指甲刀，筷子(筷嫁=快嫁=快點嫁出去)，新人頭像茶包.. 五
花八門，創意無敵，為的就是賓主盡歡，裡子面子都掛得住。

今天這場大學同學的文定，也不免俗的祭出，新人手提裝滿迎賓小禮物的花籃，龜速
慢步紅毯上，展開燦爛笑容，開心的發送給在場賓客的橋段。
(上述是浪漫版，還原為真實版，其實是，主持人才剛說完:「新郎新娘準備了小禮物送給大.....」，賓客
就像活人生吃的殭屍般蜂擁而上，「家」字都來不及脫口，5秒後，紅地毯上就只剩呆掉的主持人和驚恐
顫抖的佳偶....以及空蕩蕩的花藍惹!)

賭上生命一個箭步衝進人牆，快準狠的搶走5隻後，再一個轉身閃過身旁的屍群(咳..是
賓客)氣定神閒的回到坐位，整個毫無拖泥帶水且一氣喝成，Perect!(撥劉海)
定眼一看，沒想到冒著生命危險拿到的小禮物，果然沒令人失望，是個好可愛的松鼠
飯匙耶! (尖叫)

黛黛食記 - 『北平 . 喜來順』

某微風栩栩之夜，乘著老媽牌小綿羊經過了一家人聲鼎沸的餐館，好奇心驅使之下，
立刻跳下車(喔! 不對! 下羊..)手刀衝到餐廳前(好危險，姐姐有練過，小孩子不要學喔)
拿了張Menu，想說日後有機會可以帶倆老來吃吃看(拎杯真是孝順的好女孩兒)。

「愛」，就要表現出來，千萬不能等!!
所以.. 馬上選定了週六中午，帶著倆老開心的前往用餐.. (是說貪吃同樣也不能等啊捏)

雖然價格不怎親民，但人山人海的場面，菜色也的確頗有深度，是說.. 很成功的收服
了寬以待己嚴以律人的我，以下便是當天吃下肚的美食，上菜囉~ 各位!

咖撐才剛沾到椅子，都還沒坐熱，服務員就以跑百米的速度送上小菜(好多盤好可口)，

Jean-Talon Market (Marché Jean-Talon)

 

If you're a marché person like me, you'll have to pay a visit to the Marché Jean-Talon when you go to Montréal. This farmer's market is located in the distrct of Little Italy. It opens year-round, like the Marché du Vieux Port in Québec City. It was hard for us to resist the delicate Lebanese pastries, the fresh baked breads, the colorful spring produce, the aroma of the smoked meat and sausages. We were told that you can find the best cheeses there. To avoid the crowd, my best advice is try to visit during the week if you can.

 

Cabane à sucre (Sugar Shack)

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One of kids' favorite seasons in Québec is this time of the year, from March to the end of April. Actually, I should correct myself and say for both children and adults. It's maple syrup season!!! I don't know any locals who don't like maple syrup. I can't express to you how much I love maple syrup! When I first learned that my husband got a job in Canada, my first thought was, "Great! They have the best maple syrup there!" (Is that really more important than my husband's work?) I add it to my oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, when baking, etc...to just about anything that needs to be sweetened!!! Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of person who eats sicky-sweet kinds of things. In fact, I'm not even a big fan of desserts, but the taste and the smell of maple syrup is somehow irresistible to me.