nikon d90

Lady Liberty from Ellis Island

| Doyd

Inside Ellis Island immigration building, I took this photo during our short trip to visit my husband’s brother and his family in New Jersey last month. Upon arrival to the island, history radiates and it seemed like we were drawn to the past specially while listening to the audio tour narrating details of what happened years ago. I think I had the same feeling when I visited the island of Corregidor in the Philippines. But that time, I was only around 8 or 9 years old. Both islands are rich in culture and history.

Using my Nikon SLR camera, I focused on getting the natural light into the immigration building while capturing a sharp image of Lady Liberty from the other island.

The Art of Miso Ramen

| Doyd

Vodpod videos no longer available. 

more about “The Art of Miso Ramen“, posted with vodpod

 

I wish I can make this everyday but I feel like it’s too much work even if it’s really simple.  Making a warm bowl of miso ramen is a lot of work for me just like many of my other favorite japanese food. Because of it’s precision process, sometimes having a bowl of this from a small authentic jap restaurant is better than making your own. Here, I will share how I made this beautiful work of art so you can try your own version too.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Fresh ramen noodles
  • Some pork belly
  • 4-5 cups water
  • 2-4 tablespoons miso paste (depending on taste and kind you like, I use white miso)
  • 2-4 teaspoons chili oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon hondashi
  • hard boiledeggs  and sweet corn kernels
  • Narutomaki(fish cake with pink swirl)
  • 1 stalk green onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds (pounded until fine)
  • Light soy sauce to taste (optional)
  • Seasoned laver/seaweed (cut into strips)

METHOD:

Bring water to boil with the cleaned whole piece of pork. Let it simmer for a while then remove the pork and skim remaining stock. Add in the miso paste, hondashi, eggs and sesame seeds. Bring the soup base to boil. Add in the chili oil and light soy sauce to taste (optional). Blanch the fresh noodles in a pot of boiling water until they are cooked. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside. I rub the noodles with a little bit if vegetable oil to keep it moist. In a serving bowl, add the noodles then top with the hard-boiled egg, sliced pork, narutomaki, corn kernels and chopped green onions. Pour the miso soup base into the bowl and add the roasted seaweed to top then serve immediately. Look at my photo gallery to be inspired and get hungry!

Note: I added preserved bamboo shoots to my soup because my favorite bowl of ramen from a japanese ramen restaurant serves theirs with some.

Doyd’s Spicy Mackerel Stew

| Doyd

 

2 Medium size fresh Mackerel (cleaned and cut into 2-3 inch pieces, remove head)

1 Medium size Korean Radish cut into 2×1 inch cubes

1 whole medium Onion

3 stalks of Green Onion

2 Korean Hot Pepper

7-10 Dried Anchovies

2-3 cups of water (depending on how much sauce you want)

For the Spicy Sauce, mix the following into a bowl:

2 Tablespoons of  Red Pepper Paste

2 Tablespoons of Light soy sauce

2 Tablespoons of  Cooking Wine (I use Japanese cooking wine)

1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Powder (same one used to make kimchi)

2 Teaspoons of Sugar

5-7 cloves of minced Garlic

1/2 Teaspoon minced Ginger

In a ceramic pot, let the water boil with the dried anchovies and wait 5 minutes then remove the anchovies.  While the stock is boiling, add the radish.  On top of the radish, arrange the mackerel pieces.

Pour the sauce on top of the mackerel.  DO NOT MIX.  Let it boil until the soup is reduced.   Occasionally pour the stew’s broth over the fish and radish.

Add the onion, green onions and korean chili on top of the stew.  Continue to pour the broth of the stew on top of everything until the mackerel is well-cooked and the flavor has sipped into all the vegetables.

My husband and I love this dish a lot.  I do not cook mackerel before but now, I do.  I learned this recipe from a restaurant where I first tasted this stew.

Hope you all enjoy cooking your own version.  It’s really easy 🙂

Tasty, yummy and rich Spicy Mackerel Stew.

Jump then Fall

| Doyd

One of my favorite self-made videos of Jade. Song by Taylor Swift entitled Jump then Fall, sang by my nieces Nicole and Adriana during our trip to Manila last December. Credits for them for the nicely sang background song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux7e_vwM9Wo

more about “JUMP THEN FALL“, posted with vodpod

BOKRACAY

| Doyd

 

My husband and I were very fortunate to see the island again.  It’s been almost 11 years ago since we’ve been there.  It changed a lot in terms of infrastructure but the people, the spirit of traditional Filipino tropical island hospitality and simplicity and the beauty and wonder of the island still remains.

Bok and I waited for sunset on our second night on the island. We watched the sail boats pass by the horizon as the sun mirrors across the ocean.  At that same moment, I felt happy.  Happy to see that I am with the same person whom I saw this same sunset years ago.

How time flies.  I am happy I have captured this backdrop of Boracay and with Bok as my main subject, it made this my favorite shot during our vacation back home.

Making Mak Kimchi

| Doyd

Mak Kimchi
Originally uploaded by doyd74

I discovered making my own Kimchi back in 2008. Thanks to Maangchi, I am now a certified home-made kimchi maker. At first, it was a challenge, then after I made my first successful batch, it was addicting.

Using fresh ingredients, I am sure of the taste and quality of what I am making. Makes it perfect to create other kimchi recipes like kimchi pancake, kimchi soup, kimchi fried rice and a lot more!!! Funny, I got my husband hooked-up on eating kimchi. He says I have influenced him to eat a lot of food he never imagined himself eating (i.e., squash, oatmeal, etc.).

I have a collection of step by step photos on how I made this kimchi. Enjoy viewing!