Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

老爹媽思廚

More about 老爹媽思廚

你的記憶都記載些甚麼?對於前塵往事,我們都記得特別清楚。像是越陳的酒越醇,越久的記憶越深刻。

這,是一本有記憶的食譜。

十九世紀初是一個動盪的年代。世界每一個角落都處於劇變的狀態中,侵略、政改、事變、暴動字眼,對那一代的人來講,一點都不陌生。一顆荳、一粒米、一根柴、一條菜,都得來不易。

就是這麼的一個年代締造了我們的上一代。

這,是一本賦香港歷史文化色彩的文字記錄。

那時候,物質沒有現在的豐富,人民生活也沒有現在的富裕。況且在戰亂時期的香港,很多都是新移民,來香港避難的。局勢的不穩定,讓每一個人都成為飄流的過客。每天幹活回家,是一頓與家人共享的晚飯讓一切的勞苦都變的值得。

這,是一本有溫度,圖文並茂的見證集。

他們都是一群歷練過時代洗禮的見證人。歲月洗去他們的年華,頭上的白髮,臉上的皺紋,卻磨不掉那溫暖又帶點傻氣的笑容。那個笑容,蘊含了安定和滿足,彷彿他們從未經歷任可風傷。雖然每一個老人家只是寥寥數十字簡述當年事,可是那道他們常為家人烹調的家常便飯卻是千言萬語地揉合著對兒女的愛,對家人的關懷和付出。

食物從來都只是填飽肚腹的。唯有用心烹調,以愛料理過的食物才讓人滿足。就算是用最樸素,最便宜,最大眾化的食材,只要被愛調味過,就能成為最窩心的家常便,於記憶裡永不磨滅的饗宴。

芝麻糊、煎蛋角、番薯粥、豆腐花、青紅蘿蔔湯…,這些清茶淡飯就是是「家」的味道,願我們對「家」的胃口都永無足饜。



Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Al dente


Cooking becomes an inseparable part of my life these days. I enjoy cooking, a lot. The entrée is not food, the entrée is friendship, the essence of the meal. Speaking of meal, preparing a meal is quite an art. Al dente is the word that I just learned. It’s an Italian term you will find on the outside of a pasta box. Al dente means pasta being cooked just right, most often use in cooking rice, pasta and vegetables, that the food is cooked to the ‘tender crisp’, still firm enough for resistance in a bite but cooked through. Frankly, I have not grasped such a skill yet. My vegetables are always under cook, as I like it crispy.

Time, is of an essence while cooking. It as well applies to every aspect of lives. I enjoy eating the food as much as I enjoy the process of cooking it. Watching the food being cooked and seeing how guests enjoy eating feels good. Sufficient time, moderate pace, orderly kitchen, well prepared ingredients, nice mix of guests, hearty sharing, and a few jokes. Lovely is the swirled chemistry results from a new mixture of ingredients and people. Al dente or overcooked? We will learn from groping. Putting new recipes and people on the table require some try outs to bring out the flavor of the food and the taste of the guest. Al dente is when it’s just the right mixture and timing.