【客家算盘子】Hakka Abacus Seeds

算盘子，是东南亚和广东省大埔县颇负盛名的传统客家小吃。它是用蒸熟的芋头与淀粉搓成一一颗颗中间凹陷的丸子，看起来就像是古时候使用的算盘上的算盘子，因此得名，也因为中间凹陷有聚宝的寓意，很适合在节庆时做来吃。

算盘子口感滑爽再带点Q弹，加上肉末、香菇、虾米之类和自己喜欢的蔬菜简单调味炒熟，就非常美味。

Hakka Abacus Seeds is a famous traditional Hakka dish common in Southeast Asia and Dapu County, Guangdong Province in China. 

It is made using steamed taro and cassava starch, rolled into balls then pressed with a dent in the center. The impression makes the balls look like the abacus seeds on the abacus (a type of calculator) used in ancient China, hence the name. 

Hakka Abacus Seeds have smooth and slight chewy texture, very delicious when it is lightly seasoned and stir fried with minced meat, mushrooms, dried shrimps and vegetables of your choice.

【酸甜鸡块】Sweet and sour Chicken

孩子回马来西亚经常吃不惯餐厅里的炒菜，尤其是带着骨头和皮的肉类料理，他压根就不敢尝试。据说这是外国出生的孩子的通病。

每次和家人出去餐厅吃饭的时候只有古老肉是唯一一个能入他法眼的菜。回美后他偶尔还会让我给他做，我也经常为了方便，用鸡腿肉做这款酸甜鸡块，也非常美味好吃呢！

Whenever my son visited Malaysia, he struggles to enjoy most of the dishes in restaurants, especially dishes with bones and skin cooked in it. 

 

The only dish that he could enjoyed was the good old sweet and sour pork/Gu lou Yuk. He liked it so much that even after returning to the United States, he still asks for it at times.

I have made the dish using chicken thighs many times, and personally think it is juicier and equally delicious!

豆沙多多的【豆沙馒头卷】Adzuki Bean Steamed Roll

 

我经常在家做红豆包，是个很方便的早点和点心，自己做的也可以按喜好调整豆沙甜度，没有买来的齁甜。

前两天特别想吃豆沙多多的豆沙馒头卷，刚好冰箱里有炒好的豆沙，就做了一批，真的特别好吃。

I make this Adzuki bean steamed buns a lot for breakfast, I liked that it is healthy and I could make it less sweet comparing to the shop bought version.

【蒜香香草白脱】Garlic Herb compound butter

 

最近几个星期因为禽流感的关系，美国这里到处都买不到鸡蛋。Costco去了三次都空手而返。后来有个朋友跟我说，如果不是周末的时候一大早开门时去Costco就大概率买得到。前两天就一大早把孩子他爸叫醒等着超市开门就去买，还顺便让他带些蒜头回来。

结果就是鸡蛋果然买到了，但孩子他爹大概以为蒜也缺货，他居然给我搬回两大包一共四磅的蒜头回来。😓😓😓

Costco 食品退货大概率会被丢弃，为了不浪费食物，我硬是两天离剥了三磅的蒜瓣，磨成蒜蓉后冷冻大半，剩下的做了两个这款蒜蓉香草白脱，下午就做了几块蒜蓉面包，爱吃蒜蓉面包的爷儿俩边吃还边自夸有先见之明，买了很多蒜呢？！

USA has been suffering egg scarcity for weeks, we went to Costco three times in past weeks only to come back empty-handed. A friend told me that I should try Costco early in the morning when it opens the door for eggs. 

I told N to go early to check at Costco two days ago, and bring me some garlic too. He came back not only with the long awaited eggs, he also brought with him 2 bags/4 lbs of California grown garlic!!! 😓😓😓

Costco food returns are likely to be discarded, I will hate wasting foods,so I spent two days peeling three pounds worth of garlic, minced and stored most of them in the freezer.

And turn the rest into two logs of this Garlic herb compound butter. 

【芹菜香干炒肉丝】Shredded Pork with Celery and dried Bean Curd

 

芹菜香干炒肉丝是我最喜欢的客家小炒，非常下饭且营养丰富。

Shredded Pork with Celery and dried Bean Curd is my favorite Hakka stir-fry dish, it goes well with rice and is also very nutritious.

【酸辣汤】Hot and Sour Soup

才稍微回暖了几天，这两天天气又变冷了。这种天气就想来一碗热热的汤，就做了这款酸辣汤。真是暖心又暖胃呢！

The weather was a little warmer for a few days, and turned freezing cold again in the past two days. 

A bowl of hot soup feels so right in this kind of weather. So I made this hot and sour soup for lunch, it really warms the heart and stomach!

【柠檬饭】Lemon Rice

 

多年以前我在马来西亚一个学院工作，有个同事是南印度来的婆罗门，她每天的早饭一定是芭蕉叶裹着的酸奶饭，而午餐则是一定会有这个柠檬饭的。我也是那个时候第一次知道这款主食。

后来在印度居住的时候，也经常在餐厅里或者朋友家吃到这个饭。后来也学会了在家做这款米饭，因为它真是冷饭的好去处噢！

Many years ago, I worked in a college in Malaysia. One of my colleagues was a Brahmin from South India. The breakfast she brings to work must consist of yogurt rice wrapped in banana leave, and her lunch will be this lemon rice many a times. 

Later, when I lived in India, I often had this rice in the restaurants or at friends'.  I also learned to make this rice at home during my time in India, it is really a good way to turn left over white rice into a yummy staple!

【豆爽】Tao Suan

 

绿豆爽（Tao Suan）是一种潮汕甜品，也是常见的马来西亚/新加坡甜食。它是绿豆瓣做的一款甜羹，一般配上切成小段的油条或椰浆一起食用。也可以加上切碎的马蹄吃，口感更丰富。

Tao Suan is a type of Teochew dessert and a common sweet dish in Malaysian/Singaporean. 

It is a sweet soup made from split mung bean and is usually served with cut-up fried you tiao (Chinese Churro) or coconut milk. It can also be eaten with diced water chestnuts for a richer texture.