Sysco Food show

As usual, we ate a lot at the Sysco food show.

I have to say that it was not as nice as I had expected it to be....

Miscellaneous pictures that were taken...

A decoration idea---

San Francisco and Monterey Bay

Over this Labor day weekend, we went up north for a short trip...and here are some pictures. :)

Caramel Pop corn @ Monterey Bay

Ghiradelli Chocolate factory @ San Francisco

Famous Sour dough bread @ SF

Williams Sonoma Store @ Union Square, SF

Recipes up on the wall..

Famous Sear's Pancakes & strawberry waffles!

Best freshly whipped cream in the market. :)

Best waffles :)

"Wholeness means the lifelong, harmonious development of the physical, intellectual, emotional, relational, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of a person's life, unified through a loving relationship with God and expressed in generous service to others." - Loma Linda University Medical Center

I love working for Loma Linda University Medical Center and embrace it's vision and core values. Wholeness, as described above is one of the core values. Taking mini breaks away from work to align one self with God, family and friends is healthy for the whole being.

Life is a blessing from God. Be a blessings to others! :)

EGG party

The birthday girls' favorite food item is EGG. Hence, we threw an egg party for her! :)

We used up almost 180 eggs..

Hard boiled eggs, egg salad, birthday cake....

egg tart, egg roll ( Taiwanese tan juan), scrambled eggs

Century egg atop of soft tofu, hot and sour egg drop soup, sunny side egg,

Tea soy sauce egg, omeletes, tamarind eggs.... salted eggs...quail eggs...

~~:~~

Eggs are versatile, convenient, satisfying, have high quality protein, and contains many essential amino acids. However, too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Eat eggs in moderation. To find out more about eggs, visit the American egg board.

Another update of the construction project

Half way through the project, Administration wanted to thank all the East Campus and Behavioral Medicine Center Employees for all the hard work and dedication. Hence, a party was thrown, along with gift certificates for everyone. :)

We received the "A PLAYER" award for great team work during this construction period. :)

A picture of how we transport food from East Campus to BMC...via truck and cambrio containers, several times a day!

Picture of the walk-in refrigerator and freezers work in progress...

Going back to the kitchen, finally, the pipes have been replaced!

Cement is poured onto the sand...

Waiting for it to dry out...

Update of BMC Kitchen Renovation

Finally - the sewage pipes are replaced...

More plannings of the type of tiles and carpet to be used in the cafeteria...

Strawberry Tart

It is a relaxing Saturday afternoon. A time for me to just chill and do some home baking. Since cream cheese, strawberries and blueberries are sitting in my refrigerator, I decided to make Brunch Berry Tart . The last time I made this tart was a year ago, when berries were in season.

For a 11x7 pan with removable rims

CRUST:

A)Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1, 1/2 cup Walnuts ( blend it in a blender)

B) Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup cold butter
Directions:
-For (B) In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press into an unoiled 12-in pizza pan.

-For (A) Combine the flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add in walnuts. Press into the pan, above mixture (B)

-Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until crust is set and edges are lightly browned.

Cream cheese mixture
3 package ( 24 oz) cream cheese softened
3 egg
3/4 cup sugar
Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Spread over baked crust. Bake 10 minutes longer or until set. Cool to room temperature

Topping:
3 cups Fresh strawberries puree ( blend strawberries in blender)
1 cup sugar
6 T cornstarch + water ( to dissolve the mixture)

Directions

For topping, process mixed berries and sugar in a beater or food processor until blended. Add strawberry puree in pan and while bringing it to a boil, add corn starch mixture to cook. Stir for a few minutes or until thickened. Set saucepan in ice water for 15 minutes, stirring several times. Spread berry mixture over the cream cheese layer.

( Few layers- Crust/walnut Crust/Cream cheese mixture/strawberry puree/fresh fruit)

Decoration:

Assorted FRESH berries...strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries
Arrange the fresh fruits on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Yield : 24 servings, 4x3" per slice

BMC Kitchen Construction Project

I am not lamenting but last Monday, I worked from 4.30 Am to 8.30 PM.
Last week's working hours amounted to 75. On top of that, I was on call that weekend too.
I've been working non-stop since the start of our construction project on July 13. It's been a long waited project that needed approvals from various governing boards. We finally received the last blessings and was able to start the sewage waste line repair, along with the addition of a walk-in freezer. It will take approximately 44 working days to complete.

In the meantime, the whole kitchen is shut down and we do not have access to water, ice, or any food in our kitchen. All the food production is done off site at East Campus and brought over in the van. A lot of food safety measures are taken to ensure that the food served is safe for consumption and within regulatory guidelines.

A temporary wall built at the previous hot deck to separate the cafeteria from the kitchen. Patient tray line is done in the cafeteria. It almost seems like we are "camping" with limited space and have to make do with simplicity.
This is a wonderful learning experience. I am glad for wonderful staff who are supportive and willing to adapt to the new working arrangements. :) May God bless this project as we pull through this together. The results will be worth it!
A brand new walk-in refrigerator and freezer. :)

Student's test recipes

Dietitian Student, T, is rotating with me this whole summer. I am excited to have her because unlike other students, she is a Chef with a culinary background working on her masters in Public Health Nutrition. She has been testing recipes, analyzing them and modifying it so as to fit it into the cardiac wellness guideline. So far, the food she has made made were simple but delicious!

Here are some pictures of what she made today. (These pictures were taken from my iphone...)

Same hummus used for sandwich and Vegetable dip.

Grilled Salmon's "fishy" taste is mellowed with the cucumber yogurt dill sauce.

This low-fat applesauce brownie is moist. Definitely a keeper-recipe.

Japanese Cooking

with Mizuyo was awesome! :) We made Mochi Ice Cream, Vegetable Tempura and Sushi.

Mochi Ice-Cream

Yield: 2 cups of flour makes 27 pieces
Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup mochiko flour ( or sweet rice flour)
1 cup sugar
Corn starch
Directions:
1. Put baking sheet in freezer
2. In a microwavable bowl, add flour, sugar and yogurt into a bowl.
3. Mix well ( until no lumps are seen)
4. Microwave the mixture for 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
5. Remove the bowl after 4 minutes and stir the mixture with a spoon until thoroughly mixed.
6. Place in microwave again for another 4-5 minutes.
7. In the meantime, place cornstarch ( about half cup) on a pan.
8. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the mixture immediately until it is cooler.
9. When the mocha mixture is ready, place it on the pan with cornstarch and let it cool for several minutes until it is ready to be handled with hands.
10. Pull out enough mochi and flatten it into a pancake ( 3 inches diameter).
11. Let it cool further at room temperature ( do not be tempted to place it in refrigerator for expedited cooling)
12. Remove ice cream from freezer and using a spoon, scoop it into balls. Place into mochi and roll up. Place on cold tray and freeze the mochi again, until firm.

Sushi:
Ingredients: Avocado, Shitake Mushrooms, Carrots, Pickled Radish ( Daikon), Cucumber, Sushi Rice, Sushi Vinegar, Seaweed, Sesame Seeds, Horse radish
To make Sushi rice, Cook the rice according to regular directions. Place in a large bowl. Cutting in the rice, add the sushi rice vinegar. Add the vinegar until desired taste).
To Cook Shitake Mushrooms: Add water onto pan, followed by the mushrooms. Add 1 T sugar, 2 t soy sauce, 1 T mirin, 1 teaspoon salt. Fry until cooked.

Tempura
Ingredients:
Vegetables: Asparagaus, Onions ( cut into wedges), Green pepper, Shitake Mushrooms ( slice quatered), Seaweed

Tempura Flour
Place ice in bowl ( about 14 pieces).
Add ¾ Cup flour and ½ cup corn starch
Use thicker chopsticks ( I.e. back of wooden spatula). Add 1/3 teaspoon salt.
In a separate bowl, beat 1 egg and ¼ cup water together.
Add the egg mixture into the tempura flour.
Heat up oil in pan. ( Oil is ready when bubbles appear from the chopsticks).
* Note: Do not over stir the batter. Leave it lumpy.

To Make Tempura sauce:
Use a cheese grater and shred daikon
Add tempura sauce ( Or Noodle Soup Base)
*Note: If noodle soup base is used, add water until desired taste.

What to do with left over sushi rice? Make sushi rice balls...and toss it while eating mochi! ;)

Thanks Mizuyo .....It was fun! :) *cheers*
~~::~~::~~
(My own note~~ To make Mizuyo's green tea cake recipe: 1 egg + 1 Tablespoon sugar + 1 Tablespoon flour. Add desired flavor like green tea powder. Separate the egg yolk and egg white. )

Simple Trifle

What I made in minutes -A strawberry and mango trifle. ^^

Link to the recipe

Asia Trip

A pause in life allows time for one to reflect.

My 2 short weeks in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong allowed me to relax and spend quality time with my family. It was a get-away from the mundane routine of daily life that I really needed.

It has been years since I celebrated Noi's birthday since her birthday was right in the middle of a quarter that I couldn't have left the US for. We went to Grand Shanghai to celebrate it with food and music. The lady sang her happy birthday thrice!

I love my grannies! :)

It was a food expedition for me! It was a long time since I got to eat all the authentic Singapore fare. Total luxury for my taste buds, I should say. I took only a few pictures of the food as there was just too much. :p The above picture was taken in Chinatown and we were about to eat Peanut Ice Kachang.

Yummy carrot cake, laksa, freshly squeezed sugar cane juice at Laguna Beach.

Definitely have to eat Durian in Asia!

I saw this poster at the Botanical Gardens.

Eating again with sisters at City Hall~ Malay/Indian food.

Late-night hot pot at Balestier.

Imperial and Herbal Restaurant at Vivo City.

Potato baskets with egg white

Fresh Coconut Juice

Japan food court @ Tampines Mall

Yan Ting @ St Regis

This tofu dish was beyond heavenly.

Marina Barrage & Singapore Flyover. The view was breath-taking and as much as I wanted to capture the spectacular view on the camera, it wouldn't capture it. "THE MOMENT" will be etched in my memory.

Eating again at Balestier...tofu fah and you teow. The food list and pictures are endless and hence, I would to stop here and move on to the next destination- Malaysia!

Driving up to Penang was awesome because we had the chance to stop by Kajang and KL. The satay, kutupat, peanut sauce at Kajang was THE BEST we've ever eaten...no kidding. We re-ordered 5 times!

Visited out Adventist Penang Hospital

Love this mini gadget on the table at a restaurant.

Eating at Teochew restaurant with cousin Lisa and aunty.

Final lap and last stop: Hong Kong!

Beautiful lilies outside Pacific Plaza mall.

My mouth is watering as I reminiscent this simple noodle soup at Central.

Yung Kee restaurant in Central is a must-go place! It has the best century egg. I bought 4 boxes back to the US. :)

One of the many random pictures taken along the market streets.

A nice Thought For the Day at HK aiport Starbucks, " The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others".

Blessings to everyone! :)

Hi!!

It's been quite some time since I updated my blog...and can't believe March is coming up! I've been enjoying my busy work. :) We just completely changed our patient and cafeteria menu at BMC and it was a good change well received. I will share more about this in another post.
Today, I baked this Quaker fruit and cream cheese oat bar. It can be considered vegan- that is without the chocolate chips. It is tasty and easy to make. Good fiber dessert.

Ingredients:
2 c. or 4 packages of Quaker Oats instant Oat Cereal ( Maple /brown sugar )
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. canola oil
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar ( to add if did not use the maple/brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped nuts1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 (10-12 oz.) jar favorite fruit preserves
1, 8 0z cream cheese ( I used vegan)
1 cup chocolate chips (opt)
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 7x11 inch glass baking dish. Combine all ingredients except the preserves and cream cheese; mix well. Reserve 3/4 cup oats mixture, press remaining mixture into bottom of prepared dish. Bake 10 minutes.
Spread preserves and cream cheese evenly over partially baked base to within 1/2 inch of the edge of pan; sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool; cut into bars. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Another treat recipe for you! Recipe courtesy of Cathy K. at BMC. She won the winning prize in the dessert competition. The above picture shows the final result of how it looked like when i made it.
CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup chopped pecans - divided
1/4 cup melted butter
4 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs vanilla
4 eggs
1/4 cup caramel topping
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees - line a 13 x 9 baking pan with foil - with ends of foil extending over sides of pan to form handles - mix wafer crumbs - 1/2 cup of the pecans and butter - press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan - refrigerate until needed.
Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended - add sour cream - flour and vanilla - mix well - add eggs 1 at a time mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended - pour over crust.
Bake for 45 minutes or until center is almost set - refrigerate at least 4 hour - lift out of pan onto cutting board using foil handles - drizzle with topping and remaining 1/2 cup of pecans.

2 main holidays that went by were Chinese New Year and Valentine's day....

Aunty Chu and her Yu Sheng

The cruise ship along Long Beach...

We had several cake orders for BMC staff and here are some pictures of what we made..

And a TEA PARTY Catering w/ petite sandwiches, tea bags, fruit platters, cupid lemonly punch...

Last but not least, i want to share some pictures of the recent SYSCO food show that K and I went too!! :)