Recipes

Ok, i just got a request to post a recipe. This is for you, Pepe! So here goes...

You buy 1 or 2 kilos fresh tahong (mussels) and boil in water with a little salt and at least a cup of water. You'll know the mussels are ready once they've opened up. Those that stay closed are bad and should be thrown out. So once cooked, just drain out the extra water and let it cool.

In a pan, heat a little oil and some margarine or butter. The oil is added just so the butter/margarine won't burn. Once heated, add LOTS of chopped garlic. Toast the garlic, then set aside.

You line the tahong on the open shell, and add the toasted garlic with a "pat" of margarine or butter, then add some shredded cheese. Place in an oven (or oven toaster) and toast for just a few minutes until the cheese melts. Then it's ready to eat! Very easy recipe, and the kids love it! :)

As for the Vietnamese dish, here's how Ben described the dish to our friend, Fiona. In his own words...
"The dish, FIONA, is Orange-hoisin Vietnamese Shrimp Wrap. You grab your big-ass black Tiger prawns (or relatively large shrimps), marinate it in 3 parts hoisin sauce aka "Chinese barbecue sauce"...you can get this in your friendly neighborhood smelly Chinatown stores) and 2 parts orange marmalade (preferably Smuckers). Set aside and wait 30mins before grilling. Grill (or stove-top grease-pan fry) for 5mins or until caramelized (the trick here is to keep basting the prawns while they're grilling). Now, prepare the wrap. One large Romaine lettuce, lay a good helping of blanched vermicelli, uncooked bean sprouts, top with the grilled prawns (put as many of the suckers as you want), roll it, and dip in mixture of cane vinegar-patis-and water. Voila! Messy Vietnamese Dish. =)"

For more of Ben's writings, check out his blog. He's actually linked to my blog so just click on the link "Ben's Random Musings". Ayan ha, Ben! Plugging... :D