Crab Cake Pasta

Crab cakes are exorbitantly charged in restaurants. One of the most expensive crab cakes I had was in LA - $16.99 for two tiny pieces that don't even feed my finger. I bought one mini crab cake from Whole Foods Market some time ago. Ok. What then can a mini crab cake do? True, it still does not feed my finger. But I can pair them with a dish that feeds more than my fingers.


I like the crab cakes from Whole Foods Market as there is substantial amount of crab meat and taste good (and fresh).


Back to accessorizing a main dish. Pasta herewith!



Crumble up the crab cake and toss the little bits of batter-crisps in a super light pasta of Aglio e Olio.

There you have, from all-vegetarian simplicity to seafood indulgence.

I am sharing this with Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Ruth of Once upon a Feast





Tag: aglio e olio, pasta, crab cake

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Brisling Sardines Olive Oil, Lemon, Tomato Dressing

After trying Brunswick Sardines In Spring Water, 3.75 Ounce Tins (Pack of 25) - ($1.29/tin at Trader Joes), I decided to fall back to Crown Prince Sardines in Water, 4.25-Ounce Tins (Pack of 24) ($3.49/tin at Whole Foods Market).


The price difference speaks the difference for quality and taste!Especially when the sardines are consumed straight from the tin or can, tossed in a light dressing - something non-fishy with great natural smoky flavor is definitely preferred.

How the term "packed like sardines" came about, to describe over-crowding!!!

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Foodbuzz 24 x 24: Wrap-n-Roll Summer Popiah Party

My family's semi-homemade DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Popiah is a welcoming hit among all of us. Every time I am back in Singapore, I try to get my Popiah fix either from hawker stalls or at my parents'. Other than getting to enjoy homemade Popiah this time, I also made the effort to "document" the Popiah-making process. I can't say it is a difficult process but tedious? YES.

The red hue you see is the chili sauce that is smeared on the inside of the skin, then rolled up with vegetables fillings.

Popiah is the pronunciation in Hokkien-Fujian dialect. We also call it 薄饼 (Bao Bing), literally meaning "thin-biscuit" in Mandarin. You can broadly classify it as Spring Roll if you want to. But personally, my idea of Spring Roll is typically fried. So I would rather call it Popiah or maybe Fresh Spring Roll (non-fried)? "Thin-biscuit"? Popiah is definitely not biscuit but being thin as paper? Almost. The wrapper skin is typically a soft, thin paper-like crepe or pancake made from wheat flour (different wrapper from the Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls); then wraps and encloses an inside of vegetable fillings and spicy-sweet sauce.

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Geek Alerts & Coupons

The Lunch Bug Sandwich Bags I saw at Geek Alerts is so interesting! Each lunch bag is imprinted with an insect so that it will keep most people away from your food when you’re not looking. OK. More quirky than interesting. But I find it such a fun site that entertains. In addition to geek news and information on the latest cool gadgets and gizmos, the site also offers online coupons, promotion codes, and discounts for online stores.

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Braised Minced Chicken with Carrots

I tried this dish, prepared by my parents' helper, during my earlier visit to Singapore this year. The dish was so simple - a plateful of ground meat with dark brown sauce. But it was SO DELICIOUS. So savory sweet! It was similar to the 肉燥 (braised or stewed minced meat) I have tried in Taiwan but her version has certainly more depth in flavors, more intense, very moist and juicy too. I asked her what made the dish sweet - she said: carrots! Oh, carrots!? I could not believe it! I never ever associated 肉燥 (braised or stewed minced meat) with carrots. She also told me she used a special (thicker) soy sauce* - which I never probe further because knowing myself too well, I will not buy a bottle of seasoning just to cook one particular dish, that in this case, I am naming Simmered/Braised Chicken Meat Sauce.

To what extent would you go, to cook a particular dish? Buy a special seasoning or sauce just for THAT (ONE) DISH? New tool that solely slices potatoes to wafer-thin?

So the SECRET is the carrot and to grate them very fine. Then fry them with garlic, (lots of) shallots; and fry with ground meat. I reconstructed the gravy using soy sauce, brown sugar and honey for the ground meat to simmer in.

Finally, I was close in replicating the dish. It was as delicious as what I ate at home. This dish is perfect with steamed rice. You can see that the grated carrot has "melted" into the sauce.

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SF Chefs 2011

Time flies. It is time for SF Chefs again! This year, SF Chefs 2011 will be held at Union Square in San Francisco, August 1st-7th. 2011 celebrates the local flair and regional flavors of San Francisco and there you have it - a unique opportunity to experience Bay Area food and flavors.

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Strawberries Raita and Tostitos, Dip & Chips - Foodbuzz Tastemaker

Will you be able to tell the focus and feature of today? The dip or the chips?


I don't really fancy dip for tortilla chips. In fact, I don't fancy tortilla chips as I am the potato-chips-kind-of-girl.

Tortilla chips or potato chips for you? 

But these Tostitos tortilla chips in artisan flavors and in 9-grain blend got me excited! When I saw Fire-Roasted Chipotle, raita (an Indian condiment made with yogurt) came instantly. Yes, raita. Not salsa. I have not tried that combination - tortilla chips with raita. And I have made salsa before, not raita. All these reasons got me started.


The thought of cooling yogurt to balance the mild heat of these chipotle tortilla chips....

What goes into my raita...

Toasted cumin seeds; finely chopped cilantro, plain whole yogurt, strawberries!

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Custom-Made Scrub Uniforms

Aren't uniforms supposed to be uniform? Welcome to the world of customization, and well, consumer experience. Not o make a statement for the sake of making one; and more so for the consumer experience that the product is just made for them. Yes, even scrub uniforms can be custom-made. And you can find that at http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/.

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Capellini Aglio e Olio with Zucchini, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms

Daphne from More than Words (selected from random.org) has won the recent giveaway held at my blog. Congrats, gal!

What can you do with a packet of steamed vegetables? Marry them with salmon or cod. Or truly, create a light, refreshing and delicious summer-worthy pasta dish.

The post about The Magic of Parchment Cooking first appeared at Basil Magazine June 2011 Issue

Better still? 10 minutes, or no more than 15 minutes - that's all you need. No more than 15 minutes, if you are up to professional lightning speed when cutting/slicing all the vegetables. But well...P-L-A-N-N-I-N-G.


Also...if you could do the veg. prep. on a Sunday evening night, wrap them up properly, store in the fridge; come Monday, 10 minutes and you get this.

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Dried Fruits Salad - Arugula, Pepitas, Dried Fruits

*1 Day left to giveaway ending 18 June 2011 * Winner will be announced next week.

What am I doing with dried fruits in the start of summer? I should be indulging in juicy and plump peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, berries. Well I had this sometime back.

Also, naturally dried fruits (without preservatives such as sulphur dioxide) can be a good alternative to using fresh fruits in salads.

No juicy and plump fruits...but


Organic raisins, gojiberries, Turkish apricots, California apricots, pumpkin seeds (pepitas)...are healthy alternatives.

What's good about such a salad?

Keep them longer in the fridge without the salad turning limpy (and watery) due to the moisture from the fresh fruits...

and add them into sandwiches as a "filler"!

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Parchment Salmon en Papillote

Yes I am in love! In love with parchment-cooking. Check out my second contribution to Basil Magazine June 2011 Issue - The Magic of Parchment Cooking.

With parchment-worthy vegetables, add more edamame or peas, then that ol' mighty wild salmon fillet - it is one full meal! You can also try Parchment-Cooked Cod - it's equally delicious, and succulent.

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Sees Candies Group Discounts

Father's Day is less than a week away. I read in the news that Father's Day has been gaining more attention (as much attention as Mother's Day) in the last one to two years. In our family, Father's or Mother's Day is like a special occasion to gather and have a good dinner, just like birthdays or Christmas. OK. We need to find some reason to gather and dine out. That's all.

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Turmeric-Infused Quinoa Salad

It's time! Time for quinoa salad after using quinoa time and again for my  power congee. Quinoa salad is a popular way to prepare (and use quinoa).

Choose your favorite veggie(s) for your quinoa salad and you are halfway there.


I chose my favorite (current) way of food preparation - Steaming!!! Yep! This Garlic-Steamed Broccoli made my first quinoa salad. Not the last definitely as I really enjoyed this quinoa dish - light and refreshing. There are certainly other veggies to use for quinoa salad and I will try different veggie combination in future.

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Garlic-Steamed Broccoli

*SUMMER giveaway on-going. Stand a chance to win this stylish lunch bag*

This Garlic-Steamed Broccoli is the precursor of another dish I was trying to prepare for the first time using the ingredient I have used many times. Sounds mysteriously confusing. I know.

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Steamed Arugula + Spring-Summer Giveaway 2011

I ask - raw or cooked arugula ?

I ask - can any vegetable not be steamed?

I have had my raw share of arugula in sandwiches but I wanted to try it gently cooked too.

Salad greens does not call for a stir-fry (no matter how minimal the stir-frying can be). So I gently steamed (low-medium heat) them with thinly sliced garlic and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.





By eating them raw, certain compounds, e.g. isothiocyanates - compounds being studied for their role in cancer prevention, can be extracted. However when gently cooked, certain nutrients and carotenoids are better absorbed in cooked than raw arugula - Source: Livestrong.com

More arugula sharing at Weekend Herb Blogging - June 6th to 12th , hosted by Yasmeen from Health Nut.

About 3 minutes (at most 5 minutes), it is perfectly done. And I enjoyed it as much as raw arugula.

Have you "cooked" your arugula before? If yes, how? Have not tried it before; or always have it raw?

*Spring/Summer 2011 Giveaway* - BYO Lunch Bag
Pack a summer picnic or a road-trip snack in this!

How to Enter:
(1) Leave a comment (answer the above question about arugula) for 1 entry
(2) Link this giveaway in your blog post, come back with a separate comment (1 additional entry)
(3) LIKE An Escape to Food on Facebook; leave a separate comment telling me you have done so
(1 additional entry)

This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway; ends June 18, 2011, 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be chosen by random.org and announced in my blog. Good Luck! This should be so in time for summer! :D

More about BYO lunch bag: A broad flat base allows snack containers to sit and fit snugly. Zipper opening/closure ensures contents are enclosed and "secured". Built-in handles make it easy to carry along. Also folds flat for easy convenient storage. Neoprene fabric keeps food Hot or Cold. Machine washable and stain resistant. Stylish color.


Don't wait! Get lucky!

Tag: arugula, salad, steamed arugula

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Magnum Dark Ice-Cream Bar, Foodbuzz Tastemaker

The last showers of winter is gone! In the first week of June! Yes!!! Means...

It's turning warm. Higher temperatures. Means...

Time for ice-cream!

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Asparagus Open-Face Omelette

I fancy MALE..............................

That's female...

...ASPARAGUS.

I had mostly enjoyed the thicker "fatter" larger spears asparagus ("male") during early spring till they were not so in abundance anymore and I had to settle for second best, the "thinner" ("female") ones.

Boy, do you know asparagus plants are dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are produced on separate plants? I did not.

The female plants of asparagus bear seeds, which take considerable energy from the plant to sprout new seedlings - so the "female" asparagus is typically thinner compared to the male. Poor "Mom"...

Asparagus Open-Face Omelette
Ingredients: 3 eggs, lightly whisked, asparagus, thinly sliced carrots, cherry tomatoes to be quartered, finely diced onions, sea salt and ground black pepper

Directions: Fry the onions and carrots till tender, then add the garlic. Add the asparagus and lightly stir-fry the mixture. When asparagus is almost cooked, dish out the mixture, set aside. Add some oil, add the eggs slowly into the pan. When the bottom of the egg is almost cooked, add the asparagus mixture back to the egg, add the tomatoes, then allow the egg to be fully cooked with the asparagus. Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Do you prefer the "fatter" or "thinner" asparagus, if you think there is a difference?

Sharing this with Hearth and Soul.

Tag: omelette, asparagus, asparagus omelette

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Pasta with Steamed Clams. Vongole? Aglio-e-Olio?

I want my Vongole!

Not as if I have not done it before. I have just forgotten all about it.

Then came the Steamed Clams from Pigspigcorner.com which reminded me, left me commenting "in search for clams" ...

Came another Vongole from Noobcook.com ...

I could not wait any longer!!!

Call it Pasta Vongole or maybe....Pasta Aglio e Olio with Steamed Drunken Clams...?



Obviously, I found my big fat fresh succulent clams and bought them fresh on the same day I made this dish.


My version was slightly different though. It's really a steamed version - meaning the clams are literally steamed to cook in a bowl, with the other ingredients and seasonings in that same bowl at the same time, with garlic, cilantro, green onions, 1-2 tbsp wine.Yes, just like how you do Chinese steamed fish - all in a plate!

Woo hoo...steamy winey briney garlicky!

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A golden guide to gold coins

Within the recent years, gold has soared up high in the world's liquid investment trading market. "Gold Coins Show Bull Market Unbowed in Commodities Decline" - a news article (16 May 2011) in Bloomberg Businessweek, reported that "sales of gold coins are on track for the best month in a year amid the worst commodities rout since 2008, a sign that bullion's longest bull market in nine decades has further to run, if history is a guide."

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