Wednesday, June 30, 2010

When the sun is up, everyone is happy

Summer is here in upstate NY and that means hot days with muggy temperatures. So sticky that staying outside can only be limited to a few minutes before dissolving into an uncomfortable sweaty mess.

But yesterday, temperatures were spring-like in the high 60s (around 15 deg celcius) and barely any hummidity. It was -- for the lack of a better word --simply beautiful.
The kids love the mild temperatures as much as I do. And at noon, they begged for a picnic lunch. Nothing like some fresh air from the woods to enjoy a meal of baby carrots, chicken pieces and sweet potato fries. And Mommy even felt generous enough to hand out lollipops after that. See, the air does make one soft-headed!


Today, we woke up to 44 degrees (about 7 deg. celsius) predicted to warm up to the low 70s by the afternoon. More outdoor fun in comfort.


Swing time! Although Sean, the explorer, preferred digging and bug catching.




I suspect that my 5-year old was on to something when he spouted this insight worthy of even the Dalai Lama's ponder.



(Penmanship by Aidan's teacher Mrs Carr, dictated by the young urchin.)

Monday, June 28, 2010

Kids and their anecdotes





And when I'm not channeling my inner Martha Stewart, I put on my pointy hat and fire up my cauldron.


(Penmanship by Aidan's teacher Mrs Carr and dictated by the young urchin)

Simply bread

When we lived in Kobe, Japan, we had access to a fabulous bread made from Genmai brown rice. It was a lovely dark bread, thickly sliced and flavour so robust that it complemented perfectly with our preferred spread -- i.e. vegemite.

Having returned to our wee town of Corning, N.Y., finding a hearty and wholesome bread was tricky, if not, illusive. American breads sold at my favourite Wegmans supermarket aren't exactly noteworthy. Yes, there are the gourmet type variety like the Rosemary Olive loaf which is finger licking good and the reliable Pane Italian that graces our dinner table ever too often. But if I'm not willing to pay nearly US$4.00 for a loaf then, my choices are limited to the junkier variety laden with preservatives and the "holy" high fructose corn syrup ubiquitous in American foods.

If being a Mom hasn't made me a more patient person, it sure has taught me that I don't want my kids eating McDonald's and the likes of easily accessible junk food associated with Western lifestyle. Hence, I didn't wait for the stars to align and bought myself this book.

My new companion, the bread bible


My aim was to replicate hearty rye breads that the hubs & I loved and to lessen the dependence on store-bought breads. Between google searches and my bread bible, I managed to churn out at least 2 very flavoursome breads. The best part, the ingredients simply called for flour, water and salt.


I ditched the baby steps of starting with baking simpler breads and went ambitiously for the sourdough rye bread. The sourdough rye bread baking method was fairly time consuming. Instant yeast for a quick rising bread? No way! The recipe needed a good 5 days preparation in advance for good fermentation of flour and water to take place. Even then, throw in another 3-4 hours to allow the dough to rise and shape. Baking sourdough rye bread turned into my new meditation, almost cathartic once a freshly baked loaf left the oven.


My first nervous attempt yielded a surprisingly pretty loaf (I thought) but with a crust so thick and hard that my kids should all have been awarded the Nobel Peace prize for not complaining. And chewing the bread itself was exercise for the jaws -- obviously no problem for my chatty kids.

Rye bread attempt, #1

My 2nd and 3rd attempts went effortlessly as I tweaked the recipe to include less rye flour but more bread flour. Ah, to witness the glow of gratitude and pleasure in the hubs' and kids' eyes was rewarding. I proceeded to make a potful of Kaya and the kids and I lived on that for the next few mornings. Nothing harkens Singaporean memories more than thickly lathered kaya on a warm toast.


Rye bread attempt, #2


 Rye bread attempt #2, sliced.


I then decided to venture further into more grain worthy breads. I attempted a no-gluten bread that used 100% sprouted grains but the barley I used was already hulled and polished and hence, no sprouting emerged. I did, however, cultivate a great stink in the kitchen having left the barley soaking for 2 days. Having no ready access to unpolished barley, wheat, quinoa etc, I've suspended my efforts to try out the no-gluten bread recipe until I get my hands on some unadulterated grains.


My next baking mission --oat bran flax seed bread yielded an incredibly moist and tasty loaf. Actually, so far, all the bread recipes have churned out breads with robust flavours. And it wasn't as time consuming to make compared to the sourdough rye bread. Still, a 2-day effort.


Whole wheat oat bran bread fresh out from loaf tin



Sliced whole wheat oat bran bread


On Sunday last, I decided to try baking a simple whole wheat bread. We had it fresh out of the oven that night with some baked beans and bacon for the kids. Even as the hubs and I were impressed by the texture of the baked bread, we were both unenthused by its flavour. It was too blah and bland for our complicated tastebuds.


Whole wheat bread fresh from loaf tin


 Whole wheat bread, sliced


What next? As yet, I'm happy with the 2 tried and loved recipes -- the sourdough rye and oat bran breads, so until my small baking hands are itching to maul and knead dough, those 2 will do for now.

Beware of the lady who holds the scissors!

I'm pro-equality, pro-stay-home-Dads, pro-women in the workforce, even pro-it's OK-for-a-grown-man-to-cry-at-a-sad-movie but I'm also entirely convinced that certain jobs are best left for men to perform and that women should admit their shortcomings in the area of cutting and/or styling hair.

On Saturday morning, I took the boys for a haircut at the barber shop along Corning's main street. I didn't get to pick my preferred barber but accepted the offer of the 2 available barbers. Aidan picked the white-bearded chap bearing slight resemblance to Santa Claus with a sunny disposition. While Sean chose the gray-haired lady with the ultra-short unflattering hairstyle. That in itself should have rung alarm bells but I swear multiple pregnancies later, my brain cells don't fire up as rapidly.

Fifteen minutes later, my boys looked like this.












I thought Aidan's haircut was alright but Sean's haircut looked like he'd gotten the quintessential bowl cut. The hubs said it reminded him of Jim Carey's character in "Dumb and Dumber" .














This just further proved to me that I should never trust a lady to cut hair.

Perhaps you think me as biased and prone to sweeping statements but who can blame me when the first lady who'd cut my hair --and for far too many of my growing up years, (yes, you Mother dear!) -- made me famous for trendsetting the look below.


Friday, June 25, 2010

When cultures mix, gastronomic confusion is born

This is evidence of Aidan doing what he does best: creating his own flavours. Previously known for marrying two of his favourite staples -- a soft roll stuffed with soba noodles -- of late, he's created yet another taste shattering (if not, reprehensible) combination. A Kalamata olive on a Singaporean fish cracker relished to the very last crumb.

The hubs was trying not to hurl whilst capturing the moment.