Popcorn

Today I'm gonna share with you guys how to make popcorn. Well, basicly its not my recipe but I'm sharing a video on how to make popcorn and the recipe for caramel and chocolate sauce.

Caramel Sauce Recipe:

1 cup of butter
1  cup of condensed milk
1 and a half cup of brown sugar

combine them together and mix it well on low fire.


Chocolate Sauce Recipe:

2 large chunks of cooking chocolate (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoon of sunflower oil (you can use butter)*
1 cup of condensed milk
1/2 cup of brown sugar

mix it well on low fire.


Once your sauce and popcorn is ready mix it well and you're ready to serve. Remember to mix it using a spatula or else it will stick to your spoon. :)

Happy popping guys! :)

Leek and Rice Soup not porridge.

Okay so today I've discovered a way to make a healthy yet you'll feel full for the rest of the day. :") Well I've sort of trying to finish up all those extra rice that I've cooked last night so why not try creating it into something different besides rice and fried chicken or mutton curry? Am I right?

This recipe serves 1-2 people.

So here's what you need:
3 tablespoons of chopped leeks
2 tablespoons of rice (cooked rice)
2 cups of water
2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)
half a cube of chicken stock
salt and pepper

1. In a pot, put all together the chopped leeks, rice, garlic and water. Bring it to boil.

2. Once its boiled, put in the chicken cube, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Stir and serve.

Note that you could as much as salt and pepper you want according to your taste buds. I just put a little of em because I don't want it to be too salty or too spicy.

That's so simple.

'Till again, toodles!

Lomography

As you can see from the title above, today's post is about lomo + photography = lomography.

Little did I know, I was into film since 2007. I had my first film camera when I was 11 years old. It was a Disney Princess Film camera and I bought it at Isetan, KLCC because I thought I was kinda cool to have my own camera at that age. Little did I know it doesn't have any flash on so I had to take pictures where there are extra bright sun.

This is what it looks like except for the flash.

Then later after that, Sony introduced their compact digital cameras. So I thought why would I waste my time and money on film when you could easily snap a picture then you could see the results right away? So I gave up on my film camera. 

It was actually my father's camera but I always use it for any function at school because at that time I was using a Nokia phone that have a camera but solely depends on it phone memory. Nobody knows about memory card or SD card yet. That's why everywhere I go, mostly for an outing with my friends or school parties I will bring my camera. I don't have a laptop yet and we all used a PC. I love that PC so much because it has an unlimited space! Gosh! How I miss it so much spending time with it playing games, watching Korean dramas, watch Youtube and online friendster. Yes, Facebook wasn't much popular in Malaysia back then. So, dad, who has his own laptop created a file solely for me and transfer all my pictures there. Until now, I didn't asked him for all those photos. AHAHA 

Then, suddenly in 2009, everyone started using a DSLR. I don't understand why someone wants a very bulky camera to bring along everywhere they go just to snap a photo because when I compared my compact camera photos with theirs, it looks the same. Period. I did told my dad once that I wanted a DSLR because I was so jealous that my sister got one for her 18th birthday, but dad convince me not to have one because a compact camera is enough. Well, a 13 year old mind always wants everything. So I told him its okay. It just happens that when you are 13, you gotta have everything and be ahead of everyone. Like a trendsetter. But you think again now, its just plain useless. Why should you be what people wants you to be and not what you wanna be? :D

Then, in late 2011 we moved to Kuala Lumpur. So as I had to seperate with my best friend, I had to give her something. As far as I'm concerned, I gave her a collection of Jeff Kinney's Diary of Wimpy Kid book that I've read, my own cartoon strips that I've drawn when I was in Form 1 and my disney camera. That was the time that I thought that camera would be useless for a soon to be 16 years old adult. So I gave it to her so she could give it to her younger sister because my younger sister doesn't like to take pictures like I do. How would I know that I will regret it after 3 years? HAHA 

Why would I realise it after so many years? Well, since 2012 I've been trying to learn how to use an analogue camera. There's this one Facebook account that was selling all these toy cameras (even though it hurts to treat time like toys) that caught my eye, Lomo Polaroid or their blog Lomo Polaroid's Blog. They were selling Diana Mini and Diana F+ cameras. Those camera's were too cute to handle. Before that, I was searching for Zenit E, unfortunately I could only purchase it if I'm in UK because it is not available in Malaysia's market. One day, I bumped into this blog lomoxpose as I randomly search the internet about Zenit E in Malaysia. I did emailed and message them on Facebook but there was a late reply because they were busy transferring things from the old shop to a new one. They said that Zenit E is out of stock and they have a similar thing that is Canon A1 but it was too expensive and over budget. I had only RM400 at that time and the Canon A1 cost about RM700 so I said thank you. Malay people would say it as "takde rezeki nak buat macam mana?" mean there's no luck in having it so you can't force it.

So then I told this one shop that I wanted to purchase a Diana F+. We both agreed to meet at Curve and I told her that I wanted to pay as "Cash On Delivery" terms but she said that she only could go and meet at Curve and teach me how to use it etc, only if I'll bank in the money first. You know, as a student, money is not easy. I used my whole saving at for something like that. So its hard for me to trust people with my money because I've been cheated once in online shopping.  Then suddenly, I came across one shop, The Click Shop . They were selling that exact Diana F+ for a cheaper price by RM200. So I told her that I am really, truly, deeply sorry and I asked them why would they sold it for a higher price? They said its their supplier's price and they couldn't do anything about it. I was my first time being a backout buyer and until now I felt sorry and so wrong.

So I continue stalking The Click Shop Facebook page and vavavom! They were opening one shop in ONE UTAMA! How excited I was because it was near my house. Then at the same time they announced that all those gold editions are coming including the Diana F+. I'm like super excited! So finally, I bought a gold edition Diana F+ camera. Can you imagine how excited I was on that day when I purchased it and I had to let it go because my parents didn't allow me to purchase things like that? (long story.. I'll tell you next time).

Then in 2013, I bought a revlog film because someone said that I could use it with my Diana. Little did I know what he meant was Diana Mini not Diana F+ because I must buy Diana F+ 35mm back to use 35mm film that is that revlog film that I've bought. So, jobless I am I don't know what I should do with my revlog film because I've tried selling it and no one wants to buy it because its too expensive RM35. Then I came across an idea. From lomokaki that sells an underwater film camera for about RM35! Yes, the same price as the film. So I bought it. Soon after that, I remembered that I had a camera just like this once. That was the Disney Princess Film camera. How complicated is my story? AHAHA

So now, what I'm still trying do is focus on my Diana F+. Solely on Diana. I just love her so much. I've been using her with its Diana F+ Instant Back and she's been pretty amazing. Its just sometimes it needs a lot of light. So you must always know how long you must shoot (pressing the shutter button). I'm still learning. So if there is any lomo movement I'd love to join. :) ADIOS AMIGOS! <3

p/s: you could check all those photos taken using my Diana F+ Instant Back here. mucho gracias!

Onions

Firstly I want to apologise to vampires and even vampires fan for writing this post today. I am deeply sorry because I know all of you are allergic to GARLIC so please do aware I've warn you before you continue to read this post.

So far, as my grandmother and my "kakak" knows that I love to cook but I will only cook depends on my situation and mood. So tonight, I made a very simple mee hoon soup for dinner because I fell so 'rajin'  :) I used only four simple main ingredients and the others are just an additional compound for the soup. As in for the mee, I just tossed it in a large bowl of hot water.

2 cloves of garlic
1 lemongrass (actually you need to smash it using your knife but my sink was not sturdy enough to accept that kind of force so I chopped instead.)
2 birds eye red chilli (if you prefer it to be spicy then go ahead but don't put more than ten. I used two because I want to make a clear soup)
chicken ( I recommend that you use chicken bones instead of chicken's breast. If you're using chicken breast than you must chop it)

Additional ingredients are :
Ramly beef sausage (slice it)
fishball (chop into half)
prawns (its better to use scampi because it is juicier)
spring onion (slice it)
ginger (as big as your thumb only. Don't put too much)
chicken cube
salt
white pepper
black pepper

If you are a lazy person who just wants it done as quickly as possible then you just should add them all together and stir it and leave it to boil. If not you may follow these steps :

Before you start cooking, remember to soak your mee hoon in a bowl of hot water first.

1- boil a litre of water.

2- add the chicken and leave it to boil.

3- add the fishball, birds eye red chilli, lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Leave it to boil.

4-stir. Add prawns, sausages and spring onions. Stir again. Add salt, white pepper, black pepper and chicken cube (if it is just nice and you don't want it to be salty then do not add the chicken cube).

5- leave it to boil. Once it boils, then add in your mee. Serve.

The Final Product

Maji sungguh enak!

Okay so now back to my main topic. When I cook, I will not use everyone onion aka bawang in my cooking because to me, each dish must use different onion. Such as when you want to marinate honey BBQ chicken, you have to use garlic but when you want to fry the chicken you'll use the Big Bombay Onion. Its a different thang you know what I'm saying?

The Onion Family

To me I LOVE to use the BIG BOMBAY ONION in my cooking EXCEPT for SOUPS! Well, mainly because I only know how to make clear soup. You know what I mean? Ehem. When I cook "Ayam Masak Sambal" aka chicken fried with chilli, I will saute the BIG BOMBAY ONION that I have chopped earlier with sunflower oil. Then, I will add the blended chilli aka cili giling with a bit of palm sugar (gula melaka). I even use this BIG BOMBAY ONION in my pasta recipe. We'll I'm sorry that pasta recipe is secret and confidential you know what I mean? ehem. I will use it in making every cucur I made except for cekodok because it only consist of bananas . duh. (gosh when I am so busy doing other things I would have all these things I wanna write but when I'm in front of my computer I will become so blur. I am so sorry. Wish that I have an emoji to express how I feel right now). So yeah, I would love to use this BIG BOMBAY ONION. 

bawang besar aka BIG BOMBAY ONION

The next onion is red onion. I seldomly use it because I don't really like it but mostly I use it in my nasi goreng. Oh yes, I could give you the recipe. I use make corn fried rice that kakak always made it after I taught her eventually when she made it, it taste like a total disaster. Like there's something wrong. Please don't tell her this. I didn't because I wouldn't wanna hurt her feelings in'it? Please God tell her to let me in the kitchen to cook next time. She wouldn't let me cook nor help her in the kitchen and I don't know why. I hate it until now. As if she's trying to stop my passion in cooking.  

red onion

Okay back to ONIONS... So then there's this garlic. Please for the love of God don't pronounce it as WHITE ONIONS! Its GARLIC!

Okay so remember when you want to use garlic, you only use it as a replacement of your spices. To me garlic is a spice. Spices that is not spicy yet full of flavour. That's garlic. Use it wisely. Something may go wrong in your cooking if you use it in wrong way. Ehem.

To me, I love to use garlic in soups (clears one especially), BBQ chicken, stir fried yam or even soy sauce park choy. So remember, you don't want your dish to smell badly. You want its aroma to captures others appetite that even that dish is not nice ( I hope its nice) people would love to taste it.

garlic

so that's it guys, my post about the "bawang" family. See you next time.

Toodles!