Jacqueline Cheng

Cooking: Asian Popcorn Chicken

jackie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:30:12 +0000

Hubby and I have been making an effort to cook at home. But, eating at home does not mean that we want to sacrifice the things we like to eat when we go out. So, the other night, we made Asian popcorn chicken. We used the recipe found here with some modifications.

Prepare the marinade. Leave chicken in the marinade for about 30 minutes.

While the oil is heating to temperature, coat the chicken in the batter.

Cook in batches until chicken is browned and thoroughly cooked.

When ready, ladle chicken out.

Place chicken on a wire rack or paper towel to drain the excess oil. Sprinkle with seasoning to desired spiciness.

Serve to eat by itself or with other items such as rice and corn.

The popcorn chicken was yummy, and we will probably make it again in the future. Some tips: Hubby put the batter into a zip lock bag, then dumped the chicken in and shook it around (kind of like shake and bake). We also experimented with only corn starch, only all purpose flour, and each batter mixture with an egg, but the 1:1 ratio without egg was the best combination for us.

Ingredients
1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thigh; cut into bite size pieces
Vegetable Oil

Marinade for Chicken
1/2 cup of light soy sauce
1/8 cup of rice wine
1 whole garlic clove; minced
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil

Batter for Chicken
1 cup of corn starch
1 cup of all purpose flour
if you need more batter, then add corn starch and all purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio

Seasoning for Cooked Chicken
Chili Powder
Ground (Cayenne) Red Pepper

Ben Tre and Eggettes

jackie — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:30:50 +0000

A couple of weekends ago, we met up with one of my college friends E in South San Francisco. Did you know that South SF is actually a city? The plan was dinner at Mom’s Tofu House, and then boba/dessert somewhere nearby till he had to pick up his gf from SFO. Turns out they are not open on Sundays, so we opted to try Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine next door.

We ordered Cha Gio (deep fried rolls stuffed with ground pork , carrot, taro, onion and mushrooms), which were just ok. They were fried well; crispy not soggy. But, they did not come with lettuce to wrap the egg rolls, and I did not enjoy the taro texture/taste.

So, I forgot to take pictures of our entrees because I was too busy eating. But, I had the Pho Tai Chin (rare beef and well done brisket noodle soup), Hubby had Pho Ben Tre Dac Biet (medley of beef, tripe, tendons and beef balls with rice noodles) and E had Bun Cha Gio, Thit Nuong/Bo (egg rolls and BBQ pork Vermicelli). All were tasty, and we were stuffed.

After dinner, we headed to Eggettes in Millbrae. I was really excited because I love Hong Kong pancakes and not a lot of places make them. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed. It was not very sweet, and the texture was too tough (almost like rubber). I do not recommend these; better does exist!

Before we called it a night, E and I took a picture outside. Gosh, I am short in tennis shoes! Good times!

Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine
219 Grand Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080

Eggettes
979 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030

Baby Turtle

jackie — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:29:56 +0000

Here she is looking through the hole of her log. She used to swim through with no problems, but she has grown so much that her shell no longer fits. The funny thing is that she still tries to swim through until she gives up and goes around. Silly girl.

Here is a photo that shows the full log.

She is quite entertaining to watch! Have a great weekend!

Female Purchasing Power

jackie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:30:11 +0000

In this article, the author gives several examples of products with his-and-hers versions that are more costly for women than men. The main reason behind it seems to be because women are more willing to pay for products whereas men are not.

Personally, I am not totally sold on products marketed towards women. I mean, most of it comes with over-powering girly scents that just make my nose itch. I also like a bathroom that is not cluttered with lots of bottles and junk. So, the best way for us is to buy unisex products that Hubby and I can both use like Dove bar soap or Lubriderm lotion. Hopefully, I am not paying a premium for these items.

Will you use the men’s version of a product because it is cheaper?

Ahhhhchoooooo

jackie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:30:58 +0000

Dust is all around us…in the carpet, on tabletops, in the air. But, do you know what dust is made of? This article talks about “the poisons and allergens that make up household dust”, and after reading it, I am thoroughly grossed out.

The specific dust mix in any household differs according to climate, age of the house and the number of people who live in it – not to mention the occupants’ cooking, cleaning and smoking habits. But nearly everywhere, dust consists of some combination of shed bits of human skin, animal fur, decomposing insects, food debris, lint and organic fibers from clothes, bedding and other fabrics, tracked-in soil, soot, particulate matter from smoking and cooking, and, disturbingly, lead, arsenic and even DDT.

Thinking about how a combination of some, or even all, of those items makes up dust is disgusting. I did not want to know that I was inhaling all of that crap. Yuck!

As a very general rule, the majority of household dust – about 60% – comes from outside, through windows, doors, vents and, significantly, on the soles of your shoes. Smaller dust particles – from 28 to 49 microns, or thousandths of a millimeter – tend to stay on your shoes. The rest is shaken off inside. A higher share of the dust that floats in on the air gets deposited, but again, there’s a lot that determines how much any one home will get.

I am glad that we take off our shoes when we enter our house, so we do not trek all the particles into our carpet. Hopefully, it is contained to the front entry and does not get everywhere.

It goes without saying that your home will never be dust-free, but there are ways to reduce your own dust loading – and it’s important that you try. Dust mites, which feed on shed skin, produce allergens that are known triggers for people suffering from asthma. Same goes for cockroach dust, especially in cities. No one needs much convincing about the wisdom of getting rid of arsenic, and the good news is that about 80% of it can be removed simply by cleaning floor dust regularly.

Now that I think dust is more than just annoying, it is disgusting; I will definitely vacuum and dust more often.

How does dust affect you? After reading the article, are you going to make any changes?