10 Dinner Party Tips

I've awoken to a stinking hot day with an equally stinking hangover. We hosted a dinner party for 6 intrepid guests last night and mercifully, the dirty dishes had been done, thanks to my handy guests+ dishwasher, which, by the way, is man's true best friend. As it turns out, in an inebriated state, I had wiped the crab shrapnel off the floor, walls and furniture. Brilliant.

For months now, I'd promised my friends Singapore chilli crab, so 2 days ago, I ventured to the Fish Markets in search of said crustacean. And this was when I learnt the first of many lessons that would arise from this seemingly benign dinner party.

1) Do not speak to/coo over live mud crabs when selecting them or you'll soon find yourself persuaded by those innocent beady eyes and wavering in your mission.

2) Mud crabs are large and infuriatingly unyielding creatures. Chop them in quarters instead of

halves to avoid doing battle with them in the wok.

3) Buy a Microplane if you cook a lot. I used to think it was a "wannabe-chef's wank", but after grating my right arm to death, I'm getting myself one. Asap.

4) Whipping cream + egg whites are a breeze with a Kitchenaid mixer.

5) When making semi-freddo, ensure berries are chopped into sufficiently small pieces. Otherwise, you'll end up with lumps of frozen rock hard berries in your dessert. Not good.

6) Meringues are a great way to deal with the egg whites leftover from making semifreddo. The sugar cuts through the tanginess of the strawberries as well. Waste not, want not!

7) Sugary meringues will stick to baking paper. Yes. And you'll have to scrape each and every one with a small knife

or throw the buggers away. So use silicon baking paper or parchment paper.

8) Hay Gor (smelly shrimp paste) is not Belacan (smelly shrimp paste). Go figure. Regardless, it goes alright in Sayur Lodeh (vegetable curry), and makes for a sweeter broth.

9) David Thompson (author of Thai Street Food), you are my new God. Thank you for the Grilled Pork Skewer recipe.

10) Copious amounts of red wine gives you a headache. This is not a new lesson, but one I relearn each time we have a party.

Here is the menu and the corresponding recipes. Semi-Freddo works well after a heavy/spicy dinner and can be prepared in advance. (Please excuse the multiple fonts and formats. My head hurts, you see).

Thai Grilled Pork Satay

Singapore Chilli Mud Crabs

Sayur Lodeh (Malaysian Vegetable Curry)

Strawberry, Pistachio and Rosewater Semifreddo with Meringues

Thai Grilled Pork Satay

(Adapted from David Thompson's Thai Street Food)

Makes 12-15, enough for 4

300gm pork neck (with fat)

bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30min)

Marinade:

1 tspn cleaned and chopped coriander roots

pinch of salt

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 tspn white pepper

2 tblspn shaved palm sugar

dash of dark soy sauce

2 tblspn fish sauce

2 tblspn vegetable oil

Slice pork into thin pieces. Pound coriander and garlic in a mortar and pestle, combine with rest of marinade ingredients. Marinate pork for at least 3 hours or overnight, then skewer and bbq over a hot flame.

Singapore Chilli Crab (from Straits Cafe)

Serve 4

1/2 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup Peanut oil

1 md Onion, finely chopped

5 Tbs Ginger, grated

4 Cloves, grated

5 Red chilies, finely chopped

2 Cups Ketchup

1 Cup Water

2 Tbs Soy sauce

2 Tbs Sweet chili sauce

1 Tbs Rice wine vinegar

2 Tbs Softened brown sugar

Wash the crabs well and scrub the shell.

Using a large cleaver, cut the crabs in quarters and rinse well under cold water, carefully removing the yellow gills or spongy parts. With the flat side of the cleaver, crack the legs and larger front claws.

Lightly and carefully coat the shells with a little flour.

Heat about 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large wok and cook two crab halves at a time. Using a metal utensil, carefully turn and hold the crab in the hot oil until the shell just turns red. Repeat with the remaining crab halves.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and cook the onion, ginger, garlic and chili for 5 minutes over medium heat and stirring regularly.

Add the ketchup, water, soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil and cook for 15 minutes.

Return the crab to the wok and simmer, turning carefully in the sauce for 10 minutes or until the crab meat turns white. Do not overcook.

Sayur Lodeh

Serves 6-8

1/4 head of cabbage, chopped

1/4 head of cauliflower

1 large carrot, sliced

300 gm green beans

200gm tempeh (fried) and cut into pieces

400gm coconut milk

2 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

paste:

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp dried shrimp, soaked and drained

2 tsp belacan or hay gor

2 tbsp chilli paste

1 inch ginger

2 stalks lemongrass, chopped

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

In a mortar and pestle, pound aromatics to a paste, then mix in powders, shrimp and hay gor. Heat oil in a pot, fry paste and bay leaves over a medium heat for about 5 min, then pour in coconut milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add vegetables and tempeh, then simmer until vegetables are soft.

Strawberry, Pistachio and Rosewater Semifreddo (adapted from Bill Granger's recipe)

14 egg yolks

600 ml whipping cream

7 tblsp honey

4.5 tsp rose water

375 gm strawberries (chopped into small pieces)

160gm shelled, chopped pistachios

1. Whip cream until double in volume and soft white peaks form.
2. Beat the egg yolks and honey together with electric beaters for 10 minutes, or until thick, pale, creamy and doubled in volume. Fold in the whipped cream and rosewater until just combined.
3. Line the base and two sides of a 22 inch cake tin with a piece of plastic wrap, leaving the wrap hanging over the sides of the tin. Spoon the mixture into the tin, fold the plastic over the top to cover the semifreddo and freeze for 1–2 hours, or until partially frozen. Remove from the freezer and stir through the strawberries and pistachios. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer until completely frozen.
4. Before serving, leave to soften in the fridge for 20 minutes. Turn out of the tin, cut into slices and serve with a few extra strawberries.

Meringues

Makes 16

Whites of 4 large organic eggs

115gm castor sugar

115gm icing sugar

Preheat oven to 100 degrees celsius and line 2 baking trays with silicon paper or parchment paper. With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat egg whites until light and fluffy. Turn speed up, add castor sugar one tablespoon at a time to eggs (this prevents meringues from bleeding). When soft peaks form, sift icing sugar into the mixer and fold through. With 2 dessert spoons, form blobs of the mixture on parchment paper, then bake for about 1.5 hours or until coffee brown and breaks with a "snap". Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

What I think about when I think about Death

Right, I've got a few random thoughts today, so I'll

allow them free reign to resolve themselves in print.

First off, it would have been my dad's 55th birthday today, so "Happy Birthday, Pops"! I hope they're throwing you a big party up there. (or maybe what's celebrated in the afterlife is the day of your death... who knows.)

Death. I can never understand why journalists

feel a need to "make sense" of

tragedies like the one that struck Haiti this week. These are acts of nature, cruel as they may be. There is no greater logical mind up there (I think the call him "God") issuing death warrants on deserving carribean islands, south-east asian coastal villages, north american gulfs or australian country towns. Such is the nature of our planet... and whoever said life was fair? The poorer and more destitute you are, the better a person you are, the more unfair and senseless life can be.

My dad was a kind, generous and loving man who was honoured for his achievements when he was alive, and commended posthumously by the local paper. Surely it makes no sense that a human being of such calibre should have his life wrested from him at the age of 48? In a very honest and profound moment, the (very gorgeous) male protagonist in my novel reminds the female protagonist that "life sucks sometimes. Deal with it." All we can really do is live each moment (as cliched as that may be) and count every blessing.

What's also senseless is how Haiti, the only nation to gain independence as part of a successful slave rebellion, has been plagued for over 2 hundred years by tyranny, economic hardship, political instability and racial conflict, and has ultimately degenerated into the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The internet abounds with stats and figures and I'm no expert in these matters, but ultimately, Haiti, like certain other ex-colonies, continues to struggle with the social conflicts brought about by slavery and such natural calamities only serve to hamper her progress.

Nath and I did our bit and made a donation to UNICEF, but when you consider that we probably spunk more money on alcohol in a month, it is indeed with a dim sense of guilt and embarrassment that I mention this. There are many others, I am certain, who would have donated far more than common sense should have dictated, and if there is a silver lining to these tragedies, then it would have to be the humanity and empathy it draws from human beings.

Speaking of surmounting the fallout from slavery, democratically elected US President Obama seems to be "toughening up", according a friend in Hakuba who's up to his nose in powder (snow, that is). Lucky Bastard. Nath reckons it's a political move, but hey, isn't that his job? Politics? The United States is a democracy, so if his actions garner votes, then I suppose he's making the people happy and well.. it all swings in roundabouts. Let's just hope there's more bite in his bark this time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/us/15tax.html?ref=business

Well, it's midday now. I'm starving and my thoughts are even more random than ever. BTW, as a final note, Fox has employed Sarah "you betcha" Palin as a news analyst. I'm sorry, but how does one analyze the news when one has scant regard for the news? But if this means she's found her true calling and won't be running for president in 2012, then I suppose we should thank good old Rupert for distracting her.

Here's the recipe of the day. It's simple, dainty and very tasty. Nothing unfair about that, is there?

Asian Prawn Ravioli

Makes 10 large raviolis

10 green prawns, shelled and deveined

5 dried shiitake mushrooms

handful coriander

2 inch ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tblspn soy

1 tblspn sesame oil

1 tblspn white sesame seeds

wonton wrappers

DIRECTIONS

Rehydrate mushrooms by soaking in hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain, squeeze remaining moisture out, then remove stems and chop mushrooms into small pieces. Combine all ingredients, excluding prawns and mushrooms, in a mortar and pestle, then pound to make a wet paste. Add mushrooms and mix through.

Lay out 10 wonton skins. Roll each prawn into an “O” (ie head meets the tail), place in center of a wonton skin, then mound a bit of paste in the middle of the “O”. Wet the surface of the wonton skin that is not covered by prawn, then place another skin over the top. Press edges to seal the ravioli. Boil a pot of water, dunk raviolis in for about 1 min. Remove and serve with asian greens and noodles.

The Curse of the Bourgeoisie

I have great admiration for entrepreneurs, even the failed ones. Especially the failed ones. An entrepreneur is, by definition, "a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome."

Business is, by nature, a risky affair. If it isn't your own money you're risking, then it's someone else's. Or a relationship. A dream. Your pride. All the possibilities of one human being realized through such daring enterprise or heaven forbid, destroyed by it.

The corporate world, the default alternative, is simultaneously the saviour and the curse of the middle class. The foot soldiers who populate this world are bound by inertia, shackled by the comforts gleaned from being above average, yet suffer from discontentment borne from the knowledge that there is more to life than this wheel upon which they inexorably march.

Sure, there are those who rise to the top to become CEOs or COOs or other glittering acronyms with equally blinding paychecks. But the trek to the pinnacle of the corporate Everest is one which requires guile, tenacity, lack of shame and often, a complete absence of scruples (intelligence and the ability to do one's job competently are desirable but not always present traits).

Yet, the carrot dangled before the middle class corporate slave is one that is most difficult to decline. Because you see, the most you will ever lose is your job. Never your home, nor your life savings, nor the life savings of your spouse, your family members, your closest friends, and anyone else who believed in you and your idea. So on and on you slog, as day turns to night, night turns to day, weeks, months, years past, always tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll do something different, make a change in my life. Meanwhile, the money I make is enough to provide for a comfortable existence, even if it's not necessarily a happy one, so I'll continue plodding.

The thing is, Inertia and Fear are merciless masters, and should you be lacking in personal fortitude, they will forever have you in their grasps. For all my achievements, I have yet to find the Courage to free myself of Fear. Inertia, on the other hand, is a nemesis I battle on a day-to-day basis.

As Voltaire once said - "All men are equal. It is not their birth but virtue itself that makes the difference."

Virtue. And Balls.

Here's a healthy vege curry that's not too spicy and is easy on the tummy. Perfect for the faint-hearted.

Eggplant and Chickpea curry

1 large eggplant, cut in chunks

1x400gm tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 onion, sliced thinly

2 inch ginger, grated

2 red chillies, seeds removed, sliced finely

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tblsp tomato paste

450ml vegetable stock

0.5 tspn garam masala

fresh coriander

DIRECTIONS

Soak eggplant pieces in cold water for about 15 min. In a pot or pan, dry fry fennel and mustard seeds until they pop. Add some oil, allow it to heat up, then add onions, ginger, chilli and tomato paste and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Pour in stock, add eggplant and chickpeas. Simmer until most of stock has been absorbed. Stir in garam masala and coriander. Serve with basmati rice and cucumber raita.

Are We All Bitches?

A somewhat uncharacteristic (or perhaps I should say unexpected) remark by one of my chums, in response to a remark made by another chum within our usual FB banter group, evoked a couple of thoughts this morning:

1. Why do we, particularly women-folk, bitch about other women-folk?
2. Why do we, as human beings, judge other human beings?

Now, I suspect there’ll be some of you vehemently refuting the second point, but I reckon when it comes down to it, as Stanford in Sex and the City so unabashedly asserted: "We all judge. That's our hobby. Some people do arts and crafts. We judge."

So, unless you're a crocheting or papier mache whizz, you judge. And even if you are a devotee of the ways of Zen (to which my aforementioned friend has recently converted) and have renounced cynicism, negativity and bitchiness, you would undoubtedly have found it impossible to cast off one of the most defining traits of humanity - our ability and inclination to make judgements. Even as you, perched upon your moral high horse, denounce such a posit, you are judging me for judging you.

I think where one finds peace within oneself is to acknowledge that there's nothing inherently wrong with judging. To "judge" is to form an opinion or conclusion, so where's the harm in that? However, one who is deemed to be "judgmental" is inclined to making judgments, especially of the moral or personal nature. So you cannot be pious without defining what it is to be un-pious, positive without defining negativeness and so on, but shame on you if you should make it a life-determining quest to pass judgement on others.

Which leads me to the "Why" of it. Why do we bitch and why do we judge? Is it to raise ourselves above others so that we may feel some (false) sense of superiority? It it said that most humans think themselves better than they truly are, so perhaps, those derisions which we cast upon others are simply manifestations of how we perceive ourselves, because we are, by nature, unjustifiably superlicious beings. And since it is faintly arbitrary to declare that "we are intelligent", (because really, how intelligent IS intelligent) hence we unconsciously seek out benchmarks, unfortunate, unsuspecting targets, against which to hurl insults and measure our self-worth.

I know I know, what the hell are you rambling on about? This is such a boring and dry discourse for a Saturday morning. I'll stop now and make myself breakfast shortly.

But to finish, as my chum so aptly pronounced - we should all have some positive thoughts going for 2010 rather than harp on negative ones!

Or, if you prefer a more verbose yet less eloquently delivered mantra for what matters in life-

Watching you look at that rainbow makes her realise that the simplest smallest things in life that bypass most people are meant to be enjoyed... like this... like how that small smile played on your lips as you take in that sight of that rainbow... without a care in the world... just enjoying it...

Here's the recipe for the day (where's my segue??)

Teriyaki Salmon with Asian Greens and Brown Rice

Serves 2

2 salmon fillets, pin-boned, skin on

4 tablespoons mirin

4 tablespoons sake

4 tablespoons soy

2 inch grated ginger

3 tablespoons sugar

one bunch Asian greens (eg Chinese broccoli, bok choy)

Brown rice

Directions

Marinade salmon in mirin, sake, soy, ginger and sugar for at least an hour. Heat some oil in a pan, shake marinade off salmon and fry skin side down for a couple of minutes. Carefully turn fillets over and fry for another couple of minutes until flesh is browned. Meanwhile, blanch vegetables in a pot of boiling water, then refresh with cold water and set aside. Pour marinade into pan, add some water, reduce heat, cover and simmer until fish is cooked. Be careful not to overcook it. There are few things worse than parched fish. Remove fillets from pan and allow the sauce to thicken. Serve fish with rice and asian greens.

The New Year's Resolution Catch

It's January 2, 2010, I've made my NY's resolution a day late, and they are as follows:

1) Get my book published and ensure it rockets to the top of the bestseller's list, where it shall adamantly remain by fending off would-be competitors off with a spear.

2) Get pregnant.

Now, what have these 2 "firm decisions" have in common? Answer: They are (mostly) beyond my control, hence there really is nothing I could do to resolve them, is there?

The thing is, NY's resolutions are the procrastinator's crutch, the irresolute's corralling call for support. A smoker's declaration to "quit this nasty habit as of Jan 1, 2010" would most likely have been met with a roar of approval by friends and loved ones (albeit accompanied with a dose of "I'll believe it when I see it"), but if this same smoker should proclaim his/her decision to stop smoking on some inconsequential date in the future, there would be more rolled eyes than slaps on the back.

So you see, making NY's resolutions is a pointless exercise. You're either going to do something or you're not. The new year, another date on the calendar, ain't gonna make a difference, at least not once the champagne euphoria has worn off and the headache (read: reality of onerous decision) sets in.

Right, so some of you are disagreeing, shaking your head from your teetotaller's high-horse. "I can do it! I'll show you, oh faithless one!"

Please. Do so. And if you do indeed live up to your NY's resolution, then let me be the first to congratulate you and to say "I was wrong and I am humbled.... and next year, I resolve to write a different sort of blog".

Actually, if I could, I would resolve to be patient, so I would not tear my hair out waiting (interminably) for the things which are beyond my control to resolve themselves. So there you have it - my NY's resolution (which I suspect will be broken in less time than it takes to make the following dish), is to be P-A-T-I-E-N-T.

Here's a dish I absolutely adore and have been putting off making at home, and finally, I did it. Yes. It's a little fiddly, but brings with it loads of self-satisfaction. My apologies if the rolling directions are less than ideal. However, if you've ever made popiah or spring rolls, you should know this method. Otherwise, common sense helps too.

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls with Prawn

Serves 2

12 tiger prawns, cooked, peeled and sliced in half.

6 sheets dried rice paper (found in asian grocery stores)

150 gm dried thin rice noodles (use fresh if available)

coriander leaves, picked and washed

vietnamese or normal mint leaves, picked and washed

lettuce leaves, picked, washed and torn

chives (optional)

roasted peanuts

hoisin sauce thinned slightly with water

large bowl of hot water

directions:

Follow instructions on rice noodle package to cook. Drain and set aside. Arrange all your ingredients around a flat surface where you will roll the rice paper (eg a generously-sized chopping board). Swish a sheet of rice paper in the hot water until it is soft (but not squishy), place gently on work surface. Line the rice paper with a row of mint, coriander, lettuce leaves and rice noodles, one on top of the other, then finish with 2 prawn halves. Fold one side of the rice paper over the stack of ingredients, tuck in either side, then tightly turn the roll once over to form a tube. Slice diagonally.

Serve with roasted peanuts in hoisin sauce.

A Fresh Start to the New Year

2 nights ago, Nath and I returned from X'mas in country Victoria following a gruelling 11 hour drive. We were exhausted and more than replete, our stomaches distended by enough seafood and pudding to kill a small child. Blame our lack of self-control. It had been delightful, mesmerizing even, to gorge on oysters, lobsters, prawns, plum pudding and simultaneously gaze upon the wide swatches of countryside, yes indeed, to gawk at the kangaroos and rabbits bounding freely alongside the dreamy-eyed, cud-chewing cattle.

I'm certain all you readers will have had your personal version of X'mas gluttony, that you are nodding your head as you read this, and pinching the newly-formed muffin top spilling over jeans that had only recently fit less snugly.

So what to do when you fear you might be starting off the New Year as the fattest man or woman on the planet? Try this very simple Thai Beef Salad. So easy on the palate yet kind on the waistline, even the grazing cattle on Nath's uncle's farm would approve.

Easy Thai Beef Salad

serves 2

500gm rump steak

100gm mung bean noodles

1/2 cucumber, cut in chunks

2 ripe tomatoes, cut in quarters

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

large handful of mint, basil and coriander (torn)

1 chilli, seeds removed, sliced

1 lemongrass, white part only, sliced thinly (optional)

Dressing:

4 tblspn fish sauce

4 tblspn lemon juice

2 tblspsn grated palm sugar

Directions:

Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook until medium rare (or slightly rarer) on a hot griddle or frypan. Set aside and allow to rest. Boil water and pour over mung bean noodles. When noodles are soft, drain, then add salad ingredients. Slice beef and add to salad, then toss with dressing. Serve immediately.

Spring's Revenge

It is an intensely cold day. After an unseasonably warm September, it's almost as if a disgruntled Spring enlisted the help of Winter to fight off an over-zealous Summer which could not contain itself until December. So Nathan has taken to warming himself under the only heater we've got, that being the light in the bathroom, whilst I've spent the day with frozen extremities, huddled under a blanket. I'd really like to, for literary exhibitionism, describe in great detail the way the dark clouds rolled in to form an iron-grey sky, the howling winds stripping trees and bougainvilleas of their modesty, but DAMN, my fingers are cold.

Instead, here's a great recipe which entails broiling, so the oven doubles as a heater.

Daphne’s Nasu no Dengaku

One medium eggplant sliced in half and scored

50ml mirin

50ml sake

1 level tblsn caster sugar

3 large tblsn miso

toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Combine mirin, sake and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until sugar dissolves. Add miso and reduce until mixture becomes a sticky sauce.

Brush eggplant with sesame oil and broil until cooked. Spoon sauce over and return to oven for about 1-2min until sauce is brown and bubbly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Matcha-do About Nothing

I was at a bit of a loss this morning- all this time to bake and cook, but no one to be my guinea pig. The kitchen is my oyster, but I've no one to gift the string of pearls. I stared crestfallenly at my mixing bowls, sighing the sigh of Britney without her adoring fans, Paris without her Paparazzi.

And then, somewhere between seeking solace in the warmth of my oven mitts and despondently caressing the oven handles, wondering what the hell I was doing in this little Japanese village, I had an epiphany - If the sayings of old are words to live by, and in Rome do as the Romans do, then one naturally concludes that in Japan, make Green Tea and Red Bean desserts. This was the opportune moment, given my husband's antipathy towards asian sweets. Like a phoenix reborn out of the ashes, I rode the wings of my new found inspiration.

2 hours later, as I triumphantly returned the cake mould to the fridge for the final setting, the phone rang; it was Nathan with unfortunate news. The poor thing had hurt his knee so badly whilst skiing, he could barely walk. Needless to say, the injury rang the death knell on his heli adventure and he would have to return home. I have to admit, this news evoked mixed feelings in me; On one hand, I sympathised with Nathan's disappointment; this was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and something he had so looked forward to. It made me sad that he was sad. On the other hand, as his wife who loves him and cares very much for his welfare, I much prefer him lying in bed with a torn ligament than hurtling down steep mountain ridges at break-neck speed.

So that was that; all the weeks of planning, hours of training, monies expended, technicoloured dreams of Sub-Arctic glory, gone in a proverbial puff of smoke.

I sat down and mulled over our telephone conversation over a cup of coffee, then remembered my 3-layered creation sitting in the fridge, awaiting its unveiling. I'm sure there is an adage out there that mentions a husband and wife sharing everything in their lives, including anti-climaxes. For there it was, thrice hand-whipped cream, bain marie melted gelatin, carefully layered sponge, red bean and matcha infused mousse looking disappointingly dissimilar to the original.

http://www.nordljus.co.uk/en/matcha-double-bill-imbb-17

I suppose it was much ado about nothing, but hey, at least it tastes good.

Oodles of Noodles: A Soba Odessey

Buckwheat, the pseudocereal, the wolf in sheeps' clothing of the Poaceae world, was first documented over 4,000 years ago. It really isn't a wheat at all, but a herb plant with triangular seeds, and it is its grain-like usage that earned the buckwheat its erroneous name. Rich in B vitamins, essential amino-acids and Rutin, buckwheat boasts all the good stuff that strengthens capillaries and helps fight cancer and high blood pressure. It is also high in fibre and is the main ingredient in Soba, the legendary Japanese noodle; Nagano, the area where Hakuba is part of, boasts the most famous soba in all of Japan-Shinshu soba.

So in the name of research, I got in my car today and drove around Hakuba town, counting the number of "hand-made soba" shops, and shops selling soba-related items. My guess? Over 20, which is a lot, for a town of 9,000. Also spotted were a number of healthy, rosy- cheeked, edema-free old men and women, obvious beneficiaries of a diet rich in soba, grilled fish and Nagano apples.

The famous noodle is prepared in a variety of ways, the most basic being chilled and served on a flat plat or basket. The soba is usually topped with seaweed (nori) and dipped in a sweet soy (tsuyu) mixed with wasabi and spring onions. When the noodles have been eaten, one then has the option to drink the liquid the soba was cooked in, mixed with the tsuyu (not one of my favourite things). Hot soba, popular in the winter months, is served in a broth and with various toppings (mushrooms, raw egg, mountain vegetables). A particular one to note is the mountain yam, which can only be described as 'slimy'.

Zaru soba and Hot soba, both served with Tempura (deep-fried battered vegetables and prawns).

I stopped at one of the shops selling soba and soba paraphernalia and got myself a packet of the good stuff: dried, Shinshu soba. Here it is in recipe I adapted from 101 Cookbooks, perfect for a warm spring day:

Cold Soba Noodles with Ginger and Tofu

serves 4

400gm dried soba
45gm spring onion, chopped into rings
large handful coriander, chopped roughly
1 lebanese cucumber, sliced thinly

2 tblspn finely minced ginger

4 tblspn soy sauce

2 tblspn rice vinegar

2 tblspn sesame oil

1 heaped tblspn brown sugar

1 heaped tblspn paprika

juice of 1 lemon

150gm firm tofu

toasted white sesame seeds

Boil Soba according to instructions on packet, then drain and refresh with cold water. Slice tofu to 1 inch thickness, then fry in a non-stick pan until both sides are brown. Remove, cool, and cut into cubes. Mix ginger, soy, vinegar, oil, sugar, paprika and lemon juice in a bowl, then toss in noodles, cucumber, coriander and spring onions. Add tofu and top with sesame seeds.

A Match made in Heaven

Occasionally, when I create a dish I am particularly proud of, I romanticize about the origins of this culinary work of art. Perhaps, I was walking in the woods at the first whisperings of winter, and I come across a beautiful cluster of mushrooms, still glistening with the morning dew. Inspired, I pick a few and whip up a Wild Forest Mushroom risotto with White Truffle Shavings. Or perchance, on another occasion, I receive a punnet of brilliant red strawberries, freshly picked from the nearby fields, their sweet aroma filling the room. I turn these into delicate tartlets of sugary strawberries atop a cloud-like vanilla custard cocooned in flaky, buttery pastry casings.

The reality is that most of the time, my best creations tend to surface less by my being inspired by the wonders of nature than by my need to economise.

So here I was, faced with a bunch of baby eggplants I bought on a whim at Justco just because they were having a special on eggplants. Refusing to be mired by my impulse purchase, I rummaged through the fridge in search of inspiration and then, it found me- 200gm of frozen minced pork that had been purchased so long ago, it was on the verge of death by freezer burn. It was to meet its destiny, in a combination that was meant to be. Maybe, romance on a shoestring is possible after all.

Spicy Eggplant and Minced Meat

Serves 4

4 medium baby eggplants (slice just before cooking)

400 gm minced pork

handful of coriander chopped

1 large garlic clove minced

1 inch ginger minced

Sauce

4 tblspn soy

1.5 tblspn vinegar

3 tspn spicy bean sauce (dou ban jiang)

1 tblspn sugar

1 tpsn sesame oil

1 tspn cornflour mixed with a little cold water

Heat some oil in a pan and fry eggplant until cooked. Remove from pan, and add pork, garlic and ginger into the same pan to brown. Return eggplant to pan and add sauce and cornflour to thicken.

Wanted: Curry in a Hurry

3 weeks in Hakuba and I was in a flurry- I wanted curry, and I wanted it now. Not the Japanese, made out of store bought cubes, complete with breaded pork cutlet, sort of curry; rather, nostril prickling, sinus tingling , creamy, pungent, REAL curry. As they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions,so here is the first of many dishes I've put together in my valiant battle against what I consider to be the greatest affliction of living in a small country town: the lack of food options.

To temper the piquancy, serve with steamed rice and a refreshing Cucumber or Tomato and Red Onion Raita.

*All this was before we discovered Indian Mo Mo, the local Indian restaurant.

Creamy Chicken Curry with Green Peas

Serves 4

500 gm chicken breast (sliced)

3 tblspn curry powder

1 heaped tspn cumin powder

1 heaped tspn coriander powder

1 clove minced garlic

2 slices ginger, minced

1 shallot minced

1/2 large brown onion in wedges

60 gm frozen peas

1 can coconut milk or 250ml half fat milk (low fat version)

1 tblspn sugar

salt to taste+1 tspn salt

Marinade chicken in 2 tblspn curry powder, cumin & coriander powder and 1 tspn salt.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a fry pan, brown meat, then add onions, garlic, shallots, ginger and rest of curry powder. Fry for another 1 min, then add the milk, sugar, peas and simmer till chicken is cooked. Salt to taste.

note: if you're using normal milk, make sure to stir continuously to prevent milk from curdling.

Cucumber Raita

200gm full fat yogurt

1/3 lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced

3 sprigs of coriander chopped finely

1/3 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

pinch of salt

Mix the cucumber with salt and leave for 3o min. Squeeze the cucumber to remove excess liquid. Add all the remaining ingredients and serve with curry.

For Tomato and Red Onion Raita, simply replace the cucumber with 1 small tomato, skinned, deseeded and chopped and 1 tablespoon chopped red onion.