Bao

Have any of you guys seen the Pixar short film Bao? Obviously though, I am here to do my usual talk about food not movies! 😂 ‘Bao’ is the Chinese word for ‘bun’ as in bread. I grew up eating bao regularly whilst living in Hong Kong, though mostly outside when we are eating dim sum during our weekly family Saturday brunch.

Growing in an Asian household, baking wasn’t something that came naturally to me as steaming was the more prominent cooking method my family used. Likewise, bao is a steamed bun rather than those being baked in the oven. Yesterday, I decided to use my mum’s giant wok to do some steaming.

The bao I made is officially known as ‘Gua bao’ – a popular Taiwanese street food, though more well known simply as ‘bao’ in the Western world in the recent years. The recipe I used for the buns is from BBC Good Food (Link👉 https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steamed-bao-buns) I adapted the recipe with a fairly traditional stewed pork belly and cucumber filling. It’s a very straight recipe to use, so give it a try! 😉

What I Need This Summer

I think I have been quite lucky escaping the heatwave by being in Edinburgh from the start of the month (since I don’t take heat very well 🥵😂.) We had it all this week with sunshine, clouds, rains and even a thunderstorm in the middle of the night! ⚡️ However, it is still summer after all, and I am sure to make full use of my mum’s freezer while staying here. (The freezer I have in my London apartment is nowhere near cold enough to freeze things properly.)

When one thinks of summer, ice cream is a must, so making homemade ice creams have become a bit of a habit of mine lately. But today, I also made my first attempt at making tuiles – which I was surprised how super easy they were to make! (This is the recipe I followed: https://chefiso.com/p/tuiles-recipe/) Not enough only were they perfect for my homemade rocky road ice cream, but they were also beautiful to look at! 😍😋

It’s Home Time 🏠

Just a short post today – the first since I have been back at my family’s home in Scotland. In the past week, I have raided my mum’s kitchen a few times 😂 but I am more grateful that I can avoid doing dishwashing for a bit! 🤣

The weather is much cooler here in Edinburgh than in London. (That last week there before I hopped onto the train was getting unbearable! 🥵🔥🔥) As a result, I have been really enjoying my mum’s hearty home cooking. It was my turn to cook tonight, and I decided to make a filo quiche using the scraps left in my mum’s fridge (we had some already sliced carrots and onions from the previous nights, plus some unused bacons and courgettes). 😉

Homemade filo pastry – though my arms were tired after all the rolling I did 😪

Day 2 in Plymouth: The Lobster, the Waves and the Waterfront

So grateful I am blessed with beautiful weathers these past days! ☀️☀️ Yesterday was possibly the sunniest day throughout my trip – making it a perfect day by the coast. 🌊 (I was absolutely drained by all the walking I did yesterday, hence the late posting. 😂)

My main goals yesterday were to visit the Mayflower Museum, the National Marine Aquarium and also to do some more sightseeing around the coast. Unfortunately, the museum was closed due to the pandemic, but thankfully aquarium was still opened. ☺️ (I actually visited the place already the day before, but just missed the last entry time of 4pm… 😔) The National Marine Aquarium is said to be the largest aquarium in the UK and has the deepest tank in the whole country. 🐠🐟🦈 This certainly brings back some memories of me visiting the aquarium in Ocean Park in Hong Kong every summer when I was growing up back there.

Is this supposed to be a fish or a lobster? 🤔

Waiting for the sailboats ⛵️ to pass so we could cross the swing bridge towards the aquarium…

But before stopping at the aquarium, I decided to sit down for lunch at Rockfish, which is just right next to the aquarium at the Sutton Harbour. The place offers fresh seafood straight from the market – which is definitely something completely up my alley! 😋 I went for the day’s special which was a garlic butter grilled whole lobster 🦞 served with a side of salad 🥗. A lobster lunch by the sea under the glorious sunshine – life doesn’t get much better than this! ❤️❤️

The menu of seafood – which one would you have picked?

With a full stomach, it was time for the big underwater adventure as I headed into the aquarium. I took lots of photos and videos while inside, so do enjoy below. 😉

Initially I thought they were mushrooms, they turned to be some sort of shellfish… 🤔

I love jellyfish! They are so pretty! ❤️

There is something about this bright red colour that makes them really scary looking… 😥

Can you spot the stingray in the tank? (It used to be a game I played a lot when I was a child 😂)

Staff with stingrays swimming underneath my feet 🦶

These fishes are huge!

Beautiful ❤️❤️

The Coral Reef

Following the aquarium, I decided to take a long walk around the coastline, going further than I did the day before- I simply couldn’t get enough of it from yesterday! 😁

Yeah, I think I might have had too many ice creams in the past few days… 😂🍦🍦

I just kept walking following the coastline (think about an hour or so) and reached Royal William Yard before also making a visit to the Devil’s Point.

Looking towards the English Channel 🌊

And despite my legs starting to give in 😂, I also took a walk down to Devonport Park. 🌳

After making my way back to Barbican, I (at last) sat down and enjoyed my dinner at a Greek restaurant before falling asleep back at my hotel room. 😪😴

It feels sad that my road trip is coming to an end now (almost too quick really), but it was nice to be able to travel again. This morning, I visited the Snack Box café for breakfast before taking my train back home. The owner was very friendly and ended up talking to me as I enjoyed my Full English at the roadside. It was very sobering and sad to hear about his struggles with the business due to Covid-19, and I wonder how many small businesses are suffering the same way right now… Life may not be quite the same after the pandemic, but hopefully good things will all eventually come along for us all! ❤️

Full English at the roadside before jumping back on the train to London 🚂

Day 1 in Plymouth: Magnificent Coastline

This trip is especially exciting to me because this is the first time I will be staying in two different cities in consecutive days. 🚂 After a fairly short one hour train journey from Exeter this morning, I finally arrived in the city of Plymouth.

The vibes of Plymouth were most definitely very different from Exeter. The place felt a lot more busier and commercial, but I was most looking forward to seeing the beautiful coastline by the hotel. It was still quite some time though before I was allowed to check in when I arrived, so I first made a short trip to the Plymouth Market in the city centre.

Scenes inside and around Plymouth Market

Visiting marketplaces always bring back some childhood memories when I used to follow my grandpa around in the wet markets in Hong Kong. Though the Plymouth Market was nothing like a wet Market, the snapshots of the stalls and the pedestrian bridge nearby brought back a nostalgic feeling. ❤️

Fish and Chips – the quintessential British food

I decided to drop by Cornwall Street Fish Bar for lunch after seeing its reviews online. It seemed very popular among the locals as many were visiting when I was there today. I really liked the crispy batter around the haddock- probably one of the better ones I had. Though, personally, I feel the mushy peas could do with a touch more seasoning. But what I will remember the most are the warm atmosphere and the sense of community here. ❤️

So after lunch, I decided to head straight to my hotel for a brief rest. It was still before my check in time, but I decided to try my luck as it was hard work carrying my suitcase around town. However, when I finally arrived at the hotel, I was surprised to find out the front door was locked! 😨 (Turned out the owner went out for some shopping, but thankfully they were able to get back as soon as I called. 😅) While waiting, I went ahead and took a stroll around the beautiful coastline. ☀️ (And then again after I dropped my luggage in the hotel.) The view was absolutely breathtaking! 😍😍 (I honestly couldn’t get enough of it! ☺️)

Here is a thank you 🙏 to the kind ice cream van lady who gave me piles of tissues after a seagull pooped on my shirt 😂 (What is it with me and seagulls lately!?)

Lastly, to finish off a perfectly beautiful day by the sea, I decided to go to KUKU for a delicious Japanese dinner. 😋 Absolutely loved the two appetisers of scallops and oyster! ❤️❤️ The beef was slightly overdone, but the teppanyaki vegetables had a nice grilled flavours to them. The sorbets were a great, refreshing way to finish the meal- I especially enjoyed the orange sorbet! 🍊

Seared Diced Beef with Teppanyaki Vegetables

A Trio of Sorbets (From the left: Orange, Plum Wine and Pineapple)

Now, I am sitting on the bed, looking forward to tomorrow with a full stomach and a slightly tipsy head! 😂

Day 2 in Exeter: Hello Sunshine ☀️

The sun is definitely shining bright and high as I rose from my bed this morning. (I took a more lazy approach today and stayed in the bed longer. 😂) The weather makes it very ideal for some outdoor dining, so I went to Tea On The Green right opposite Exeter Cathedral for my brunch. Sunshine, beautiful view and food, what more can one ask for? 😉

Brunch in full view of Exeter Cathedral ☀️☀️

Having been turned away yesterday, Exeter Cathedral was at last opened for visitors today. (For those of you who don’t want to do a me, make sure you don’t try to come here on a Sunday! 😂) I have always loved visiting cathedrals, and the beautiful stained glass inside really reminded me of the many wonderful ones I have seen in Europe before. There weren’t a lot of visitors here today (think there were about 4-5 visitors besides me plus a few members of staff), so I felt I was really immersed in the environment inside. It was simply captivating! ❤️

Seeing these origami birds really tagged my heartstring, especially in such time of uncertainty ❤️ (I couldn’t fold one though 😅 but I did leave a prayer on the notice board.)

This followed on with more exploring around the city…

Don’t know what this is exactly, but so love the historic feel to it ❤️

Architecture in this city is absolutely amazing! ❤️❤️

St David’s Church, just down the road from my hotel

As my stay in Exeter is coming to an end, I have planned an early night-in this evening (as I will be hopping on to an early train to a different city tomorrow. 😉) But before that, I have also paid a visit to Dinosaur Café (which was just adjacent to St David’s Church) for a nice takeaway meal of Greek food. 👍

Stuffed aubergines 🍆 with rice and salad – a nice cosy tea in my hotel room 😁 (I did end up leaping to the shop again to get a kebab later though – didn’t have enough earlier haha! 😂)

See you early the next morning! Any guess where am I heading next? 😉

Day 1 in Exeter: A New Outlook After Lockdown

It feel almost so surreal that many months have passed since the beginning of the pandemic. As lockdown begins to ease all over the country, I finally picked up the courage to go travelling again after months of staying firmly indoor. As much as I am excited to be out of London again, I am also telling myself to be extra cautious along the journey. Anyway, it was still exciting to be out on an adventure again! ❤️

After a 3 and a half hours train journey (face mask on throughout 😷), I arrived at Exeter just around lunchtime. My hotel is very conveniently just right opposite the train station, so I was able to drop my luggage off in the room and then headed out to the city centre.

I chose to have my lunch at Eat the Bird Exeter after seeing it being recommended online. (Plus, I was oddly craving for a fried chicken burger! 😂) I like the idea of ticking off the orders on the menu (reminds me of how we always used to do that in Chinese dim sum places haha.) It was nice to see how many restaurants are taking very nice approaches in dealing with the Covid-19 situation (such as staff wearing masks/visors and asking customers to leaving names and phone numbers to allow contact trace in the event of an outbreak), which really assures me and made me feel at ease about being outside. The food certainly didn’t disappoint! 😋 I ordered their Double Dip fried chicken burger which was drenched in a rich gravy – absolutely love the crispness of the chicken! ❤️ But, for me, the highlight was that delicious mac and cheese (especially when drizzled with that spicy hot buffalo sauce! Yum! 😍🤤)

After a very filling lunch, it was time for me to explore the city. 🏃‍♂️ But the first bump hit quick when I discovered the iconic Underground Passages (the place I was most looking forward to visiting) was indefinitely closed due to the pandemic. 😢

Nevertheless, my exploration of the city continued… 😅

Exeter Cathedral – the place is only opened to service today so will be back here again tomorrow

Perfect dessert after my lunch 💛 – until a seagull flew straight into it when I was about halfway through… 💔💔

There are a lot of ruins dotted around the city – it’s so fascinating

Northernhay Gardens – FYI the seagull sitting at the top is not part of the memorial 😂

After a brief nap back in the hotel, I visited the beautiful Exeter Quayside in the evening to finish the day. ❤️

Walking into the sunset 🌅 with another ice cream in hand

Journey Ahead

So yesterday officially marked the beginning of my summer holiday!☀️ Without a doubt, the past few months in the pandemic have been tough for many of us in the country and at work, so I got to say I am very grateful to be able to take a break from it all for the moment.

It was an odd week for me especially to be finally reunited with all my colleagues at work. It does make me realise technology can never replace the valuable times one may have in the company of the people we love.❤️ A handshake and a hug can never be replaced easily. (And I was certainly happy that my colleagues didn’t say no to me bringing a cake in!😬 All rest assured that hygiene was maintained!) Farewells may be difficult to begin with, but one must journey on and remember all the good times.

Meanwhile, I am now packing to get ready for my 4-day road trip tomorrow. Obviously it’s been quite a while since I last travelled. While I am telling myself to be extra cautious in the journeys ahead, I am very excited to be out of the city again! Stay tune for the updates! 😉

Rise and Shine

Despite some heavy rains/clouds in the past week, the warm, summery weather really makes it an ideal time for some bread making. I realise it has been a while since I last posted a recipe, so I thought I would pick up some recipe works again today before going back to work full time next week.

I love making filled buns. Whether savoury or sweet, you are only limited by your own imagination. Perhaps I went for a less adventurous (or less controversial) route today when I chose to make these potato curry buns. 😅 (Though I always love a bit of spices! 😂🌶) You can see the recipe below, but I really would like to hear about the different kind of fillings you may enjoy or do at home! 😋😉

Potato Curry Buns

Quantity: 4 buns

Ingredients:

For the bread:

250g strong white/bread flour

1 tsp salt

100ml cold milk

60ml hot water

10g sugar

7g sachet of fast-action, dried yeast

15g melted unsalted butter or oil

For the filling:

250g potatoes, diced

1 shallot, diced

Curry powder

Turmeric

Fresh herbs (optional)

Method:

Mix the flour with the salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Mix the cold milk and hot water together to form a lukewarm mixture. Add the yeast and sugar into the milk mixture, and stir until they have dissolved.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour, along with the melted butter or oil. Mix until you form a smooth dough.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes inside the bowl, or until you have achieved the ‘window-pane effect.’
Leave the dough inside the mixing bowl. Cover and let it rise for 25-35 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, boil and cook the potatoes in a pot. Drain the water afterwards.
Fry the shallots in a hot pan, and then add in the potatoes. Season with the spices and salt. Let the filling cool down before folding it into the dough.
Once the dough has finished rising, knock the air out and divide it into four equal portions.
Roll the dough into balls. Flatten and stretch the dough into flat discs (see picture above.)
Add about a tablespoon of the filling onto the dough. (Be careful not to overfill.) Fold and pinch the dough to seal the filling inside.
Cover and let the filled buns rise for another 25-35 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Bake the buns for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and the buns make a hollow sound when tap at the bottom.
Once the buns are ready, set them on a wire rack to cool.

Time to Chill

Sorry to not have posted in a while. Work has started to pick back up again, so I have been doing various things over the past weeks. 😅 My first week back to work just happened to coincide with also the hottest week in the UK. ☀️🔥🔥 (Literally right now can’t survive without a constant supply of ice cream haha!🍦🍦) Not sure if it was the weather or the lack of moving around in the past months, but the walk to work had been strangely exhausting. 😶 Having said that though, it was nice to be back in a familiar setting in some form and enjoying a change of scenery for the first time in months! 😁

The heatwave has obviously made more people going out to parks and beaches to enjoy the sunshine. Perhaps I am just a bit more wary, so meanwhile I am still trying to avoid crowded places and keep to social distancing. Doesn’t necessary help though that my apartment can get very steamed up during midday from the heat (even with all the windows wide open!) 🥵🔥🔥 So I took some time to make sure that there is something cool and chilled to enjoy at home. 😉

This Oreo and strawberry chilled, no-bake cheesecake is very easy to make. It is done by simply whipping up cream cheese and double cream using an electric whisk. Cookies and cream. 🍪 Strawberry and cream. 🍓 You have them all in one package! ❤️