Happy Winter Solstice Festival

Dong Zhi Festival is celebrated today, 22nd December this year....so here's a bowl of tong yuen just for you.

I must clarify that I didn't cook this.  I took the picture from an email that I received and it actually reminded me that today's the day for making tong yuen.

Tong (Sugar) Yuen(Ball) is a traditional colourful Chinese dessert made and used to celebrate the Harvest Festival of the Padi and welcoming the arrival of winter season.  In modern day context, it's a good reminder that Chinese New Year is round the corner as Winter Solstice Festival is exactly one month before celebrating Chinese New Year.

Dong Zhi literally means The Arrival of Winter season and has been said to celebrate much merrier and grandly than the lunar Chinese New Year during ancient times.  The Ancient Chinese believed that after a year of successful harvest, it is the occasion for thanksgiving to the Mother Nature for her blessings. So,it is an occasion to celebrate.

I have to go and make my dong yuen now. So, here's wishing you and your family members happy get together.

Will I ever be a food blogger? - part 1

I must be honest to myself and admit that the possibility of me being a food blogger is extremely small. For some reason, I always forgot to take photos of food served in front of me or food that I cook.  How to share how wonderful the food is without the photos for like they say 'a picture speaks a thousand words'

For example, for a long time I wonder why do I have a photo of this juicy lamb chop in my photo album.  Then I remembered that I grilled this pair of wonderful chops for dinner one day and pair it wilth mix vegetable of carrots, celery, tomato and apples.  (Yes, try stir fried your apples especially green apples.  It taste great but remember not to over cook it.)

Where's the finished product?

Do I have a photo of the finish product?  No.  I forgot to take a photo.  And that is why I will never be a food blogger.  A food blogger worth his/her salt would have taken a fabulous photo of the perfectly grilled lamb chop and the delicious side vegetables.

There are more reasons.  I'll save it for next time.  Let me go and throw away the balance of what would have been a pretty good looking and tasty lunch (mee siam from Old Town White Coffee) but then again, I forgot to take a photo of it looking tasty and delicious.

Empty lunch box

Is there light at the end of the tunnel for me?