腊味 (la wei) means cured/dried/preserved meat. In China, meat that is salted and cured in the winter wind and sun is called 腊味.

The word 腊 (la) is also known as wax in English , thus 腊味 is also known as waxed meat. Actually in Chinese, La means the 12th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

Curing originated from a time when food could not be easily obtained or stored and preservation methods are not aided by modern technology.

La wei are made during the winter months when the cold dry air blows. During winter, families will start curing, salting and smoking meat for the year ahead.

Traditional way of curing meat is very simple. Meat is being rubbed with salt and various herbs and spices, then hung near the roof of the house to dry.

There are many varieties of cured meat, the common ones are:

La Chang 腊肠， cured sausages or Chinese sausages.

Liver sausages 润肠

La Rou 腊肉, cured pork belly

La Ya 腊鸭， cured duck

There are many ways to use cured meat, the most basic and simplest way is by steaming. This steamed assorted cured meat platter is served along with slices of Japanese cucumber.

Pairing cucumber with cured meat provides a contrast in the food texture. As cured meat are slightly salty and greasy, the refreshing crispy cucumber cut the grease nicely and bring freshness to the dish. Lettuce can also be use as a wrap.

Shrimp Wonton – make with fresh shrimp, wrapped in wonton wrapper/skin. You can boil, steam or fry them.

Wonton (云吞) means swallowing the cloud in Cantonese. These wontons look like clouds floating, especially after they are cooked and served in a bowl of soup, hence the poetic name.

Blame it on the holiday season, I have been cooking and feasting, making my days completely occupied.

I have to confess that this leaves me procrastinating with kitchen chores, especially with Chinese New Year just round the corner, which to me is another round of festive cooking and baking.

I made these wonton to freeze so that I can take them out to cook whenever needed. If you lack the time and motivation to cook, try this healthy make ahead freezer meal.

Making the perfect steak requires practice and timing.

Due to differences between cut and thickness of the meat, cooking methods and cooking temperature, it is difficult to set a time for how long it will take to cook.

A good steak requires only minimal seasoning, often a little salt and pepper will do. While a little herbs and spices will enhance the flavour.

This steak is nicely grilled and lightly charred on the surface. It is medium-cooked with a light pink interior. The meat is tender, juicy and flavourful.

Soto Ayam is a type of Malay food commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It is essentially spiced chicken soup served with ketupat or rice cakes. Another version, Mee Soto is served with yellow noodles instead.

The heart to a good bowl of Soto Ayam is the chicken broth. Unlike Chinese Chicken Soup which is either clear or herbal, this broth is made from chicken cooked with spice paste.

More than ten types of spices and aromatics are used to make this soup. Including cumin, coriander, onions, garlic, cinnamon, star anise and tumeric etc. Tumeric gives this soup a distinguishing yellowish colour.

The chicken used in the soup are shredded and used to top off the dish along with rice cakes, chives and fried shallots. For a spicy version, serve along with a spoonful of freshly grind chilli.

Infused with fragrant spices, this soup is aromatic and lightly spiced and not too heavy on the palate.

Hawker food holds a special place in our heart. Due to modernisation, good hawker food are slowly disappearing from modern Singapore.

Cooking is hard work and work that is often unrecognised. Thus it is understandable that young Singaporeans who are more highly educated shun this trade which is known for the unrelenting long hours of work.

Fried carrot cake or Chai Tow Kway is a common but popular hawker dish in Singapore. Cubed radish cakes are fried with eggs, preserved radish and seasonings.

There are two variations of fried carrot cake; the black one is fried with dark sweet sauce which gives it a bit of sweetness. While the white one is more savoury.

This is my interpretation of the White Fried Carrot Cake. Cubes of radish cake are fried till crisp on the outside and still soft inside. Beaten eggs are generously pour over the cake, and slow-fry till crispy but still moist. The garlic, preserved radish and spring onions add more fragrant to it.

This dish comes from a popular Chinese salad called Cuttlefish Water Convolvulus (鱿鱼蕹菜)

I get my cooking inspiration from little things that I noticed or come across around me. This time it is Pickled Shallot (酸荞头) that gives me the inspiration for this meal.

Pickled Shallot is one of the condiments in this dish, but its presence in the dish really adds a new dimension to the flavour. It adds a zing to the dish.

Blanched beehoon and cuttlefish are top with kangkong and doused with a sweet red sauce. With a scatter of roasted ground peanuts, fried shallots, sliced pickled shallot and spring onions; this dish is completed.

The taste is refreshing, with the right amount of sweetness. The tangy pickled shallot completely balances the sweetness of the sauce, giving it a delicious kick.

Everyday Meals – Two Dishes One Soup

(家肴 – 两菜一汤)

Most Chinese go home after school or work, thus dinner is an important meal of the day.

Chinese meal typically consists of several dishes and a bowl of rice and soup.

Snow Pea Leaves are simply the leaves of a young pea plant. They are great steamed, in soup or sauteed. Snow Pea Leaves are delicate, they should be lightly cooked and barely seasoned.

These leaves are quickly blanched, fragrant oil are then drizzle over the top with a light touch of oyster sauce. This dish is light, tender and sweet.

My second dish is a soup.

Soup play a big part in Cantonese culinary culture. Cantonese believe that hot soup nourish one’s beauty, strengthen physical health and even prevent or cure illnesses.

Whether you are hungry, hungover or exhausted, a bowl of hot soup will revive or purify you.

Cantonese has a wide variety of soups for any occasions and for all weathers. This double-boiled lotus root with pork ribs soup is a classic.

In addition to lotus root and pork ribs, several types of dried seafood and dried food are added to the soup. The soup is double-boiled for several hours to extract all the goodness of the ingredients, enhancing the taste of the soup and producing a bowl of flavourful, full-bodied and nutritious soup.

老少平安 literally mean safe for the elderly and young.

The two main ingredients in this dish is fish paste and tofu. The elderly can enjoy without much chewing and the young can eat without having to worry about fish bones.

This is a clean and simple dish, a dish I turn to when I have no appetite or feeling unwell.

This dish is best served hot, and is delicious with rice.

These noodles are known as Mee Tai Mak (米台目), Mouse-tail noodles (老鼠粉) or Silver Needle noodles ( 银针粉).

There are many ways to cook noodles, this is a dry stir-fry version.

These noodles are fried with garlic, sliced pork, dark sweet sauce and fish sauce. Giving it a good balance of sweet and savoury taste. It may look simple, but when everything comes together, it taste amazing.

As with most Chinese cooking, prepare all the ingredients in advance, the actual cooking time takes no more than 15 mins. The quick stir-frying results in fragrant noodles which is slightly springy and soft.

This light and refreshing soup has flavors that are characteristic of Chinese cooking.

A healthy and delicious soup that will bring the scent of the ocean to the dining table.

Chinese Seafood Soup is available in most hawker centres. This is one of the few hawker dishes that is easy to recreate at home.

I love this home-cooked version as my bowl is filled with generous serving of fish, prawns and squids.

The secret to a good bowl of seafood soup is a good broth, sans MSG and fresh seafood.

To compliment this dish, shredded ginger and sliced chilli in a vinegar and fish sauce dip is served on the side. This really elevates the taste of the seafood and adds a wonderful depth to the flavor.

Brioche is a highly enriched bread. The high egg and butter content gives it a rich and tender crumb.

This rich, soft, buttery, fluffy and flavourful bread is perfect for both sweet and savoury applications. And it makes the most amazing French Toast.

Serve this light and fluffy french toast with butter, icing sugar and maple syrup, it is truly an indulgent.