Stewed pear with snow fungus sweet soup 冰糖雪耳燉雪梨

After the Mid Autumn Festival, we really feel that Autumn is arrived, especial in the early morning.  The humidity is lower than before, so it is the season to have some desserts like stewed fruits with snow fungus which are moisturising for the skin.  The crystal sugar, which is very popular in Cantonese desserts, has a lightly sweetness than granulated sugar.  The Tianjin pears, that I have chose for today's dessert,  are in harvest during the end of September to mid October.  

The cooking method is double boil: use a steaming pot simmer in water on a large flame until boiled, then turn to low flame.

Recipe:  (portion for 2)
1.5 pcs          Tianjin pear
1 pc              small snow fungus
1.5 tsp          apricot kernel
1.5 cup         water
1.5 tbsp         rock crystal sugar

Cooking method:  double boil on low flame for 1 hour

Procedure:
a)  Wash the pears/almonds, and cut the pears in 4 pieces, let the snow fungus in water about half an hour before using;

b)  Pour all the ingredients into the steaming pot, and put it into a water bath in another big pot, cook it to boiled on large flame and turn to low flame for one hour.  Done and serve in hot :)

中秋節後，我們真正感受到了秋天的到來，特別在清晨。濕度是比以前低，這季節最好吃一些滋潤甜品，比如燉水果和銀耳，它們特別滋潤肌膚了。而冰糖是在廣東甜品非常受歡迎，比砂糖甜味較輕淡。天津梨是九月底至十月中旬期間收穫旺盛的季節，所以我選了鴨嘴梨了！

烹調方法是燉：在水中放個燉盅用大火煮沸，然後轉小火。

配方：（倆人分）
1.5個           天津鴨梨
1件              小銀耳
1.5茶匙        南北杏
1.5杯           水
1.5大匙        冰糖

烹飪方法：小火燉一小時

步驟：
a）洗梨/杏仁和切梨4分，使用銀耳前水浸約半小時;

b）把所有材料放入燉盅，放進一個大鍋用水浴法煮至沸騰，後轉文火煲一個小時。煮好便熱吃吧 :)

Pan Fried Stem Lettuce 清炒萵筍

It is great to live in a city which like Hong Kong, we don't have agriculture but on the other hand there are many imported vegetables around the world and the mainland China :)
Recently, I found the stem lettuce from the Northern China in the local market, of which I don't know how to cook... so I search on the website that can be eaten as salad and pan fried.

Recipe:  
1 pc (600g)                     stem lettuce in slice
2 pcs                              garlic in slice
olive oil and salt

Procedure:
a)  Wash and cut the stem lettuce in fine slices;
b)  Pour 1 tbsp of oil into the pan, first pan fried the garlic, then the lettuce until soften; seasoning with salt, so easy and done!

很是幸運住在香港這個城市，雖然我們沒有農作業，但在另一方面我們有許多由歐美和中國大量進口的蔬菜！
最近我發現在本地市場，有從中國來的萵筍，而我不知道怎麼做？在網上我尋找，原來莖和葉也可食用，發現可以做沙拉和炒。

食譜：
1個（600克）         萵筍切片
2粒                          蒜切片
適量橄欖油和鹽

程序：
a）洗淨萵筍莖，後切細片;
b）把1湯匙油倒入鍋內，先炒大蒜，然後萵筍片，直到軟化; 以鹽調味，這樣容易！

Chocolate Glaze Cake with Strawberry 朱古力釉草莓酒心蛋糕

 

Is Teaching Yoga Your Path? 8 Qualities of Excellent Teachers

1.  "Do you identify as a student of yoga in all areas of your life—not just on the mat?"  

2.  "Do you embrace an attitude of being continually open to learning and being able to admit when you don’t know something?"

which are the first two qualities among eight of excellent yoga teachers, I consider myself who have these qualities :)   

This chocolate cake is delicious which I learned from a baking class yesterday.  It is very important to learn the ratio of ingredients.  There are two frequent ratios are used in the chocolate glaze recipes, whipping cream/chocolate 1:1 and the hereunder 2:1； the strawberry is one of the most healthier fruits.

Recipe:  (8" or 20cm springform mould)

Soft cake

4pcs          egg

90g            sugar

78g            cake flour

12g            chocolate powder

30g            melted butter or veg oil

Chocolate glaze

300g          chocolate chips

150g          whipping cream

20g            butter

1.5 tsp           rum

100g          strawberry in small dice

Cooking method:  preheat the oven in 180c for cake, double boiler for chocolate glaze.

Procedure:

Soft cake

a)  Prepare the mould with baking paper on the bottom and around, set aside;

b)  In a big bowl, mix the eggs/sugar with an electric mixer until ribbon dropping;

c)  Sifted the flour/chocolate powder, pour into the egg mixture in 2 additions, use a rubber spatula to fold the flour in from outbound to centre (very slow motion avoid to kill the air);  until the mixture becomes smooth;

d)  Pour the oil into a small batch of flour mixture, mix well then pour back into the big bowl;

e)  Set the mixture in the mould, bake for 25-30 mins in 180c;  let it cool down and set aside;

Chocolate glaze

a)  Use the double boiler to cook the chocolate/whipping cream, just stir once and let it cook in a small flame until smooth;

b)  Put away from flame and add the butter and stir;

Assembly the cake/chocolate glaze

a)  Cut the cake in 3 equal layers, put a thin layer of chocolate glaze and then put the strawberry dices on the 2 different layers, press a little bit on each layer, close the top with the 3rd layer, press again;

b)  Pull one big quantity of chocolate glaze on the top of the cake, let it runs naturally and then use a straight metal spatula to decorate just the sides (don't touch the top anymore;)

c)  Let it cool down in the fridge and decorate with the strawberries before serving.

**Enjoy!

優秀瑜伽教師要俱備的八個素質：

1.“你確定你的生命在所有令域都是學生，不只是在瑜伽墊子上？”

2.“你確定你懷抱著不斷開放學習的態度，能夠承認當你不知道的東西？”

這是其中兩個優秀的瑜伽老師的特質；我認為自己是擁有這些品質的啊:)

這個朱克力蛋糕很好吃，昨日我從烘焙課時學會的。我們學會的成分的比例是非常重要的。在朱克力釉配方時，有兩個比率：奶油和巧克力是1：1; 和下文的2:1；另外草莓是最健康的水果之一。

食譜：（8“或20厘米活動形模具）

軟蛋糕

4顆              蛋

90克            糖

78克            低筋粉

12克            朱克力粉

30克            融化的牛油或菜油

巧克力釉

300克           朱克力片

150克           奶油

20克             牛油

1茶匙半         朗姆酒

100克           草莓小骰子

烹飪方法：

蛋糕：預熱焗爐180℃，巧克力釉：蒸煮法。

步驟：

軟蛋糕

a）準備模具，在底部和周圍放烘焙紙，待用;

b）在一個大碗，用電動攪拌器攪拌蛋/糖，直到有色帶型態;

c）將麵粉/朱克力粉過篩，分兩次倒入蛋液中，用橡皮刮刀折疊麵粉從外到中心（很慢的避免殺死空氣）;直到混合物變得光滑;

d）將油倒入進入小批量麵漿混合拌勻，再倒回大碗裡的麵漿;

e）將麵漿倒進在模具中，用180℃烤25-30分鐘;讓它冷卻下來，待用;

朱克力釉

a）用小火和蒸煮法煮巧克力/奶油，輕輕攪拌一次，直到融化順滑;

b）離火後添加牛油和攪拌均勻;

蛋糕/巧克力釉的合併：

a）把蛋糕切成三等層，掃一層薄薄的巧克力釉在底層蛋糕，然後把草莓切成小方塊在上面，這樣分別做兩次，每一層都輕輕按下，合上的第三層，再按一次;

b）倒一大數量的朱克力釉在蛋糕的頂部，讓它自然滑下外側，然後用直的金屬鏟僅僅裝飾外邊（不好碰頂部了;）

c）讓蛋糕在雪櫃內冷卻，食用前用草莓裝飾。

**盡情享受吧！