10-minute Banana Dessert

Banana and coconut milk dessert

To all our frontline workers around the world: There is no greater sacrifice than the one you take on every day as you walk into the unknown, knowing what we know of the coronavirus, on behalf of all of us in the human race. Thank you for your unseen, unthanked, tireless work. We thank you. […]

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friends are chocolate chips in the cookie of life ~ unknown August 4 is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! If I had my way, there would be a Chocolate Chip Cookie Day once a month. Won’t do my health any good but hey, one can daydream. Ironically, I woke up this morning planning to bake […]

Easy Banana Walnut Loaf

banana walnut bread

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller….. ~ “Stronger”, Kelly Clarkson Life has a way of throwing a curveball when we least expect it. Self-help gurus will tell us to ‘stay positive’, ‘shift your perspective’, the advice goes on. What really happens is we don’t read (or write) blogs, we face […]

Glutinous Rice Balls 汤圆 ‘Tang Yuan’ with Black Sesame Paste

Tang yuan 20170210

No matter where you go, there you are. ~ Confucius Last week I shared our Turnip Cake ‘Loh Bok Gau’ recipe, a traditional dish eaten on the first day of the Lunar New Year. It seems fitting now to share our Glutinous Rice Ball ‘Tang Yuan’ recipe. ‘Tang yuan’ is mostly commonly eaten during the […]

Chocolate Chip Cookies (‘Famous Amos’ copycat)

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. ~ Martin Luther King Jr. ~ A THANK YOU POST ~ As the year draws to a close and new beginnings herald, we think upon the many joys and sadnesses, triumphs and defeats, loves and hurts, and we take a moment for reflection. […]

Egg-free, Butter-free Honey Walnut Cookies

Honey Walnut Cookies

“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.” -Barbara Johnson Pumpkin season is here. Can’t miss it. Decorating nearly every store, restaurant, office, door stoop are the bulbous orange fruit. It’s one of my favourite sights for it means the holiday season is just around the corner. Try our Honey Walnut cookies for a change this […]

Easy Gajar Halwa

Easy Gajar Halwa

“Festivals are the secret to youth; show me a person who doesn’t remember a festival that was all about sweets, treats and friendship and I will show you an unhappy person.” Here in the United States and most of the western countries, grown-ups and children are preparing to enjoy Halloween. Front lawns are adorned with lights and ghoulish decorations in a festive spirit. […]

Chinese Green Bean Dessert Soup 绿豆汤

The wonder, The hunger, And the sound of distant thunder.  ~ “Indian Summer”, Brooks & Dunn (released 2009) Warm, hazy, windless weather prevailed all last week following a few weeks of a cooling trend. This kind of tank-top-and-shorts weather right around Halloween means  it’s Indian summer for us living in California. Soon after it will be time for […]

Traditional Baked Mooncakes 传统粤式月饼

Mooncakes

Mid-Autumn Festival Mooncakes 中秋月饼, commonly just called ‘Mooncakes’月饼 are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Shared with friends and family while celebrating the abundance of harvest, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals and falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the lunar calendar. These round-shaped […]

Sago Pudding

Sago: 1 cup sago pearls (or tapioca pearls) 1.5L water (for boiling) Gula melaka syrup: 100g gula melaka (palm sugar or gula kabung in Malaysia), roughly chopped 100ml water 2 pandan leaves Coconut milk: 1 cup coconut milk with pinch of salt added, chilled Photo credit: CY Phang Prepare sago : Wash sago well with […]