Culinary Resolutions for the New Year

Here are some forthcoming projects....

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I looove Southeast Asian food, and there are some flavors from my childhood that I painfully hanker for.

A few weeks ago, I attempted a curry fish head, a dish which brings back happy memories of Sundays in Singapore when our family would sometimes eat dinner at this yummy restaurant somewhere near Tanglin.

Over the next few months, I'd also like to try to make some more dishes:

• crispy sotong - (my absolute favorite dish from Singaporean hawker centers!)


• beef satay - (with peanut sauce of course)


• Vietnamese fried spring rolls (cha gio) - (oooohhhh yummmmm!)


• Singaporean chicken rice - (Mike's family has a very good Hainanese chicken recipe, but I'd also like to learn to make it the way I remember eating it a place called "Fatty's": with the chicken chopped into pieces and served in the rice)


• Pajeon - more "East" than "South" but still Asian


• Update, Dec. 25: Korean barbecue - It was Mike's suggestion that we try this at home, after enjoying a hearty lunch with his dad at a Korean restaurant in his neighborhood ... Yummmm, I suggested we buy some beanpaste at the Korean grocery this afternoon

Sigh, the memory of these flavors is making my eyes tear with longing. SIGH!!!!

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I've also resolved to eat healthier next year, which of course means cooking healthier as well.

For Christmas, I asked Mike for ... half of a gas range (the other half to be paid for by me, dummy! :P )! I know; it's hilarious: who would've thunk that me of all people would someday aspire to domestic goddess-ness?!?!?! But lo ... pumuti nga ang uwak! Anyway, having a new gas range with a working oven means that I'll now be able to make baked food and more grilled food as well.

I'm not really a pastry person (I love to eat them when they're there, but I don't look for them when they're not), so instead of using the oven for pastries, I intend to use the oven for baked entrees instead. I've already whet Mike's appetite with the promise of mac and cheese (okay, maybe that's not very healthy but what the hey).