做自己喜欢吃的菜

当然不是叫你做自己不喜欢吃的菜。。。

像我们这些家有幼儿的家庭煮妇，做菜时一般上都会以孩子的胃口为大前题。

你一定有听过那个“爱”吃鱼骨头的妈妈的故事吧？孩子将妈妈无私的爱误解成了妈妈的喜好。真是欲哭无泪！ 我家那两个愚钝的儿子，如果没有预先声明，真的会以为他们的妈妈爱吃儿童餐! 搞不好将来赚了钱可能会请我吃一桌子的kids meals!

妈妈们都会做孩子爱吃的菜，不过有时妈妈还是应该宠宠自己，做一道自己爱吃的菜，管他们喜不喜欢 ;)

上回在北京呆了一阵，爱上那里的凉菜。。。比如凉拌脆黄瓜，黑木耳，凉拌皮蛋豆腐，等等。不说你不知，那里的餐馆。。。菜单里都会有一部份是凉菜，一部份是热菜哦！回来后，看了好多凉拌菜食谱，却只会看不会做。。。厨艺不精的我迟迟不敢动手（^^'）

纵里寻'它'千百度，终于有一天， 让我找到一个看起来还不太难的食谱。。。就这样做了这道凉拌皮蛋豆腐。

剥开皮蛋，这颗还有松花呢！可有听说过'蛋好松花开，花开皮蛋好'吗? 我不知道这算不算优质皮蛋，总知二话不说拿起相机咔嚓咔嚓几下才甘愿，呵呵！

虽然这是一道凉菜，不必烹煮，不过我还是把嫩豆腐蒸了三分钟，放凉了才吃。酱汁是用蚝油，酱油，麻油，鱼露，一点辣椒酱，和水一起煮沸，调制而成，还蛮简单的。

豆腐会出水，蒸过后一些水份会蒸发掉，比较不会出水。如果敢生吃， 或是用上等日本豆腐(可以贵上好几倍！我去survey过了，一盒要差不多九元新币! 晕!），要等上菜前才从盒子取出摆盘，酱汁可以预先准备好。记住皮蛋剥开后不能放多过两个小时。这些小贴士食谱都没有注明hor，都是我这里那里搜集到的小知识哦。

这道凉拌皮蛋豆腐和我在北京吃过的，味道不太一样，摆盘也不一样，那里的也没有加肉松。我做的酱汁也比较浓，比较粘稠。不过味道还不错，卖相还可以吧？

姐姐妹妹们，今天你煮了你自己爱吃的菜了吗? 还没? 那你还等什么呢?!


As much as I like to broaden my kids palettes, certain food simply do not appeal to them or they have yet to acquire the taste of some ingredients. As such, I usually end up cooking meals that suit their appetite but which may not necessary be the kind of food that I crave for. Lately, I have come to term with the fact that it is perfectly alright for me to prepare food which I could be the only one who enjoys eating it. There is nothing wrong with me putting my needs and wants above my children's, at least, occasionally ;)

When we spent almost a month in Beijing two winters ago, I have grown to like several cold dishes that I get to eat at the local restaurants. The range is so wide that most restaurant menu would devote one section just on cold dishes. One of my favourate is none other than this cold tofu with century egg (or preserved egg). It was after many many months that I finally found a suitable, or rather, simple and easy recipe for me to follow.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the clear 'snow-flakes' or 'pine-branch' patterns on this century egg I bought from the wet market. I couldn't help but took out my camera and started clicking away.

Unless you are using high quality silken tofu such as those from Japan, I would recommend steaming it over high heat for 3 mins and leave it to cool off. The sauce is prepared by boiling a simple mixture of oyster sauce, soya sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, chilli sauce and some water. The sauce is left to cool before being drizzled over the cold tofu and century egg. The dish is best served cold, so I had it chilled in the fridge for 15mins before serving it. The sauce and pork floss that is sprinkled on top adds flavours to the otherwise plain tofu. This dish is usually served as a side and it tastes rather refreshing when served well chilled.

Have you prepared something just for yourself? Something you have been craving for ages? If not, what are you waiting me for?


凉拌皮蛋豆腐

材料：
1盒嫩豆腐
1个皮蛋
肉松 (我用的肉松里头有紫菜还有芝麻)
葱花

调味料：
1大匙蚝油
1小匙酱青
半小匙黑酱油
1小匙麻油 （我自己加进去的）
1小匙鱼露
1大匙辣椒酱
100ml 水
栗粉水（半小匙栗粉加1大匙水调和，食谱没有注明份量，我自己拿捏的）


做法：
－ 嫩豆腐用大火蒸三分钟，放凉。
－ 把调味料拌均和水一起煮沸，栗粉水勾芡，离火，放凉。
－ 皮蛋切八片。
－ 嫩豆腐摆进盘中，摆入皮蛋。
－ 淋上一些酱汁，撒上肉松，葱花（记住，是先放酱汁才撒肉松，酱汁不必全部淋上）。
－ 淋上酱汁后可以放进冰箱冰15分钟，肉松，葱花上桌前才撒上。

（食谱来源：名食谱, Famous Cuisine）


Cold Tofu with Century Egg

Ingredients:

1 box silken tofu
1 century egg
some pork floss
some chopped green onion

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp dark soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
100ml water
1/2 tsp corn starch mix with 1 tbsp water


Preparation:
- Steam silken tofu over high heat for three minutes, let cool.
- Mix the seasonings with water, and bring it to a boil in a pan. Stir in the corn starch mixture, bring sauce back to boil, remove from heat and let cool.
- Slice century egg into eight slices.
- Place silken tofu in a plate, arrange century egg on top and side of the tofu.
- Drizzle sauce over and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 mins.
- Top with some pork floss and chopped green onion.

(Recipe Source: adapted from Famous Cuisine)