Cinnamon-Crunch Chicken - French Fridays With Dorie

When I ran through the recipe for this week FFWD, I was quite hesitant about cooking this dish for I was thinking of skipping meat and eat just salad for dinner . But the urge to try out this very French home cooking dish was too great to give it a skip :)  The ingredients involved looks stylish and taste haute. I am quite a glutton when it comes to food :p  And most important, I can compare notes with the other Doristas...cooking the same dish and sharing notes is the best thing that could happens to food bloggers :)  I am full of excitement when Friday comes.......

Bento Banter - Bento # 1

I love bento lunch boxes of different designs and shapes and I like anything  Japanese ....small portion of food packed  in a bento box...how nice...it helps to reduce my food intake by half and it keeps me happy when the food comes small and dainty :)  Not necessary it must be Japanese food but bento comes originally from the Japanese .  I packed mine here for the Bento Banter and I have to thank Biren of  Roti And Rice who is kind to invite me to join the Bento Banter group.

So here is my first bento lunch pack  I am sharing with all of you.  Bento food somehow taste better psychologically.....agree with me?  This bento box is quite cute , though it is meant for kiddies but I like the two tiers....just what I wanted so I carted it back :)  the right size for my lunch...have to control my diet...the doctor said I have gained 4 kg and have to do something about it.   Eat less fatty stuff and exercise more but looking at the food packed here, I doubt I will be able to shed off some fat :p  

Creamy Cheesy Garlicky Rice With Spinach - French Fridays With Dorie

Just as the name suggested, this cheesy rice is creamy ,cheesy  & garlicky . Dorie's recipe called for Arborio or other round risotto rice but I used Basmati rice instead , and it turned out delicious ! This recipe will go well with pasta too and I shall try with pasta the next time I want something creamy , cheesy and garlicky :)  I reduced the amount of cheese , cream and butter and the result was just as good. Flavorful and tasty!

Yellow Glutinous Rice With Dry Shrimps Curry

This is something I would love cooking for the family and yet not allowed to eat more that this portion :(  Yellow glutinous rice with my favorite dry shrimps curry !!! This rice reminds me of my childhood whereby an elderly lady would peddled on her bicycle and sell this rice wrapped in banana leaves to the neighborhood where I stayed. We have to be early or the rice would be sold out. I remembered my mom would wait outside the house very early in the morning before the sun is even up  to buy us this for our breakfast :)   Mom's love is the greatest in the world !  

Vegetarian Dish With Fresh Beancurd Skin/Tao Pao

This is a very common vegetarian dish for the chinese here . It has been quite a while since the last time I cooked this dish., if I am not mistaken...it was on  the 2nd day of  Chinese New Year this year...a few months already and now I have a sudden craving for it .  I found this special fresh beancurd skin, stacked in layers , which the chinese named it ' tao pao ' at the Kg Simee market...boy , this is my first time eating  ' tao pao '  and I love it !  I asked the seller how I should cook it and he taught me how to lightly deep fried the ' tao pao ' and add them to the chinese vegetarian dish.  Wow, we love it and shall cook this dish again !

Corn Soup - French Fridays With Dorie

I have never tried my hands at making creamy soup especially corn soup....I rather eat it roasted or steamed on a cob...but this Friday's chosen recipe is Corn Soup and I was contemplating whether to make this soup or not.  I would preferred it to be mushroom instead of corn BUT since I have never tried making homemade corn soup, I took up the challenge and I am glad that I tried it....a lovely comfort soup with a lovely subtle herbs fragrant in it.  Dorie has her way of making a simple soup taste good :) and I never regret buying her books !   Fridays are now french cooking for me anyway since I joined FFWD :p