Sweet heart breakfast---food can be a artistic work

Breakfast is most important meal for a day. Making yourself a sweet breakfast at weekend that gives you a good mood as well. Decorating your food makes it valuable just like you are in a fancy breakfast place. To me, the relaxed weekend is having breakfast at home and enjoy the time. A cup of coffee or chocolate milk and a art pancake that start my day. 

Life should be fun and creative. Since I live by myself, I start to like cooking. Sometimes I feel delicious food makes me feel happy. Moreover, beautiful food makes me enjoy the food. For example, when we see the menu at restaurant, usually the pictures will take our attention, because it looks delicious. So, we would like to give a try. Then, your salivary glands produces a lot of spit to make you feel want the food. The procedure is like first, you are hungry, second, you see or smell something you like. last, you make a decision for witch one you are going to eat. Same as the food we make, if  you see the beautiful food that attract you, the food will be more delicious to you. it's like psychological process. So, instead of a circular shape pancake, why don't we make a interesting or pretty shape for a day.

Taiwanese style dumplings

When I was a little girl, I always watch my grandmother making dumplings. We usually sit in the living room and making dumplings. it was fun and a good memory. It is common food in Taiwan. You can eat everywhere. 

There are many flavors dumpling you can make. Today I am going to share the basic dumplings. First of all, I have to explain the seasoning Taiwanese use for dumplings. Spice give the meat more taste, also, will get rid of the sent of pork. The best way is using ginger, garlic grounded, which will cover pork's flavor.

choosing meat is the key point as well. In the American supermarket, usually offer lean grounded pork. It is not good for dumplings. So, a little bit fat will make dumpling juicy. you don't want to eat the dry meat dumplings. I usually go to Chinese supermarket, because they have grounded pork with a little bit fat.
If you don't want to go to Chinese supermarket, you can ask staff ground the pork shoulder, witch is meant for dumplings.

Iridescence:
2 pack of dumpling skin ( use circular shape)
2 pounds grounded pork
1/2 cup fresh ginger grounded
2 cups cabbage ( chop in to very small peace)

Seasoning:
3 tbs soy source
4 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs white paper
1 tsp salt
3 tbs garlic powder ( or fresh very small dice garlic)
2 tbs rice cooking wine

souse for dumpling:
1tbs soy paste
1 tsp dice garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar

Step:

1. Fling the grounded pork to the chop board until meat become sticky.
2. Place all meat in to a mix bowl, add all the seasoning. use hand to mix    seasoning with meat.
3. Add cabbages mixing with step 2
4. put aside for 10 minutes for all the seasoning get in to meat.

Wrapping Dumplings:
The thing you need: bowl of cold water for dumpling skin.
1. put a 1 tbs preserved grounded pork in center of dumpling skin.
2. moisten fringes of dumpling skin with water. ( usually wet finger and moisten dumpling skin.
3. Fold up the dumpling and making plaits. ( knead a small peace of dumpling skin's edge, and top the left side)







Method of cooking dumplings:

1. boil dumplings: In a pot, pore water about half of pot. Put the dumplings after water boiled with medium temperature. Add cold water when the water boiled for 3 times.

2. Pan fried dumplings: In a pan, add oil. place dumplings in to pan for 1 minutes. Then, add 1 cup of corn starch mix with water.  Put the cover on the pan until the water evaporated. you will see bottom of dumpling become crispy.

Taiwanese style fried rice noodles cusine

This is Taiwanese traditional food called Fried Rice Noodles.

Ingredient:
1. one package of rice noodles ( you can find in the Chinese supermarket is cheaper than other supermarket)
2. Pork 200g (chop in to thin stick like)
3. Black mushrooms about 5 or 6 pieces (chop in to small pieces like long stick shape) you can use dry mushrooms or fresh one.
4. small red onion 4~5 piece ( chop all in to small pieces)
5. 1/2 carrot ( chop all in to small pieces)
6. 10 slice of cabbage ( chop to small pieces)
7. dried shrimp ( it can be find at Chinese supermarket)
8. 1 green onion (chop in to short pieces)

Sauce
1. Chicken broth 500cc
2.  Soy sauce 2 tbsp
3.  Rice cooking wine 2 tbsp
4. salt 1tsp
5. surge 2 tsp
6. White paper powder 1tbsp
7. Balsamic vinegar 1/2 tbsp  

Sauce for pork
1. Soy sauce 1tbsp
2. Rice wine  1/2 tbsp
3. corn starch 1/2 tbsp

Direction
1. soak the pork with sauce for 30 minutes
2. if you use the dry mushroom put them in to cold water soften them for 5 minutes and set aside, as well as dry shrimp. 
3. put the rice noodles in to cold water for 6 minutes. cut them in to the short size with scissor. and boil them till soft.
4. Add 4 tbsp oil in to the pan, put red onion and dry shrimp stir for 1 minutes, then add the pork.
5. when the pork turn in to white color, add all chopped mushrooms, carrots, and cabbages, stir for 1 minutes.
6. Add chicken broth and all the sauce, boil till bubbly.  
7. Add boiled rice noodles in to step 6, mix for 6 minutes till the rice noodles is even covered by step 7.
8. last step add green onion stir for 2 minutes
9. Ready for serving. 

This is for serving about 6~8 people