Salad!

Who said that Salads are disgusting!?
Some of my favourite salads...
Cucumber with Greek Style Yoghurt (Similar to Tzatziki)
Cold Noodle Salad with Lettuce
Asian-inspired Salads
..and the list goes on

Above is a simple salad. Beans, Cucumber, Lettuce and Carrot.. with an Asian Dressing..of Sesame, Soy, Lime!

TIPS
1.Make sure you TASTE the dressing before you put it over your salads!
(Once I put too much garlic in Tzatziki and it turned out spicy. >.> and asian salads are difficult to balance as well with elements of savoury, acidity, sweetness, nuttiness)

TERRIBLE FOOD JOKE: Why did the tomato blush.. cuz it saw the salad dressing.

Panna Cotta.

Panna Cotta literally translates to 'Cooked Cream' in Italian.

It's a really simple dish that requires only 5-6 ingredients.
Milk. Cream. Sugar. Gelatin. Flavour
(eg. Green Tea powder, Vanilla Essence or even Fruit Juice)

Panna Cotta recipes can be found all over the internet and they don't have to be made in ramekins(pictured), small bowls work perfectly fine as well.
Try making it for friends or family some time! It's sophisticated, yet easy :D

TIPS
1. Make sure gelatin is properly dissolved (A grainy Panna Cotta is TERRIBLE.)
2. Grease the mould that you are using before pouring into it, so that the Panna Cotta comes out with ease
3. Serve Panna Cotta with something that compliments it. Eg:Vanilla and Strawberry / Coconut and Mango

Tell me how you go with your Panna Cotta!
-W.Bao

The End - Chapter 5

Gliding over Tokyo, the sound from the aircraft’s engines softened. The Airbus A330 descended gradually; approaching Tokyo International Airport. Red seat belt signs illuminated as the captain’s voice echoed through the quiet cabin. The airbus touched down onto the light grey tarmac and soon slowed to taxi to its designated terminal.

With my fresh, crisp passport and digital translator in one hand and hand held luggage in the other, Lauren and I managed to collect our luggage, make our way through the customs and catch a bullet train to the top-notch hotel we’d booked in Tokyo city.

Within half an hour, we had arrived at a grand hotel. The air inside the spacious ‘Welcoming Lounge’ was warm and lightly perfumed. A beautiful Japanese receptionist greeted Lauren and I. As she elegantly strung together different Japanese words, all we could do was nod and listen politely. Silently typing ‘Sorry, we do not speak Japanese, we speak English’ into my pocket translator, I tapped the pronunciation button and handed it over the young woman known as Harajuku. The harsh mechanical voice of the pocket translator contrasted the soft soothing tone of Harajuku. She handed the translator back to me and apologized in English.

She signaled to another receptionist and passed me an envelope addressed to:
“Mr. Jacob Davies & Ms. Lauren Davies”

“Hi can I help you?” A well groomed gentleman took over Harajuku’s position. With the language barrier out of the way, we were handed an electronic key to a high-tech hotel room.

It was sunset already and what a crazy day it had been. Only 2 days ago, Lauren and I were trying to solve that puzzle. After a smooth and swift elevator ride, we came to the realization that the hotel room was already unlocked. What did this mean? I swapped glances with Lauren and slowly opened the creaky door to discover a hotel usher standing on a hard marble table. He seemed to be pushing something into the corner of the roof. Noticing that the ‘guests’ had arrived; he nervously jumped down and apologized ‘Shu-mi-ma-sen.’

He walked briskly out of our hotel room leaving Lauren and I puzzled. The first thing we decided to do was to read the mysterious contents of the envelope.

Written in ink was the following:

Jacob and Lauren Davies:

Welcome to Japan! I am Honorary Takumi Oshiro.
I have heard that Chef Masayuki has recommended you to visit me, regarding your puzzle that your late father has given you. I am available tomorrow morning at 10.
See you soon!

The End - Chapter 4

“This is impossible!”

“Don’t give up so easily, Jake…”

It had been another wintery day; snow causing traffic congestion. Work was cancelled, so I invited Lauren over to my place again and together we tried to figure out the puzzle.

“No! Lauren, it doesn’t go there.”

“But on this website it says that it goes in there.”

A frustrating two hours had passed, and we had barely made any progress. At least, by now, Lauren and I had figured out that we were supposed to fit the thirty-eight pieces around and into a decent sized metal cube that had square holes in it. Another two hours had drifted past, when we decided to stop. Surely there was another way?

SMASH.

A yell echoed from up the stairs “JACOB!”

Light taps sounded as Lauren briskly walked downstairs

“What?”

“Don’t resort to using a hammer! What if you damage what’s inside? Huh? Did you ever think of that bird brain?”

My sister can be so pushy sometimes. I realized that this wouldn’t get anywhere, only dents appeared as a result of hammering. An entire day had gone by already and now the fiery sun was slowly disappearing underneath the neat horizon. Drained of energy, I stared blankly at the wall

Lauren glanced at me and bit her lip. Finally she decided “Let’s get some dinner.”

There was only one decent restaurant nearby, ‘Obento,’ a restaurant that specializes in Japanese cuisine. Leaves shuffled on the ground and a gentle, cold breeze swept the roads. As we were strolling, an idea hit me.

“Lauren! You know how dad was always good friends with the owners of ‘Obento?’”

“Yeah…”

“Well, I reckon they’d know something about the Japanese puzzle box, eh?”

Lauren didn’t look entirely conviced, but nodded.

Not long after, Lauren and I arrived at ‘Obento.’ A warm rush of air greeted us as we entered the quiet restaurant.

“Konichiwa! Hope you are well this evening. Table for two?”

“Yes please.”

As we sat down, a pleasing aroma of tea and sushi wafted towards us. Reading the beautifully decorated menus and absorbing the familiar surroundings Lauren and I couldn’t help, but think about dad.

Though the meal was impeccable, there was always that nagging presence of the Japanese puzzle box. As we finished and paid, Lauren called for the head chef of ‘Obento,’ Masayuki Tanaka. Meeting us with a considerate smile, he offered his deepest sympathy. He knew what had happened.

“Masayuki, my father left me a Japanese puzzle box before he passed away. Would you be able to help me figure it out?” I retrieved the frustrating metal cube and handed it to Masayuki.

“Ahh…” He stroked his chin and examined the metal cube thoroughly and replied “It was me who actually gave this to your father. This puzzle box can only be opened by the true master of puzzles, who resides in Japan.

Masayuki was a plump man and he strutted briskly out of sight and returned with a business card. The business card read:

Honorary Takumi Oshiro

Level Underground 22 - 1073A Nakahara Hwy, Tokyo

Lauren and I nodded at each other knowingly. We were going to Japan!

The End - Chapter 3

It just felt extraordinarily strange. Only a day ago, dad was present. As mum, Lauren and I sat down for dinner; an unnerving silence filled the room. It was now time to sort out the funeral and his possessions.

Half way through the reading of the will, mum stopped at her own name. Choking in tears, her delicate hands shook. Comforting her, Lauren continued.

To my dear wife, Linda. Thank you for a lifetime of support and loving care. You have always been there for me. I’m so sorry that I had to leave at this time, but that’s how life is. I will miss you so much. You are an amazing woman and don’t let my passing affect you. Stay STRONG! To you, I give you our house, a large portion of my savings: $150,000, my clothes and car.
Love Greg.

To my sweet angel, Lauren. You have been such a pleasure to raise and seeing you grow up to the woman you are now is extraordinary. I have no regrets at all and I apologize for all the degrading words I have said to you. I will miss you oh so much as well. Even though I have passed, I will always remember you as ‘Daddy’s little girl’ and I will look after you from above and I will be there with you in struggles and hardships. To you, I give our dog, Marc, $50,000 and my collection of books and photo albums: remember to share them with your children!
Love Daddy

Tears cascaded down Lauren’s cheeks as she handed me the will. The last and only unread paragraph was addressed to me.

Ahh! At last, my son, Jacob. It’s been a wild ride watching you grow up. From the sleepless nights when you were a wailing baby, to the successful millionaire you are now. You’ve changed much and reflect so much of what I am! I’ve loved all those father-son moments and remember memory is one of the strongest senses! Don’t let anything stop you son! To you, I give you my collection of watches, ties and cufflinks. I have been dying to solve this mystery, a Japanese Puzzle Box.
You’ll figure it all out one day, Love Dad.

I was startled. Why was ‘dying to solve this mystery’ underlined? With a box of cufflinks, ties and watches in one hand and the puzzle box in the other, I departed from Mum’s place. I suppose I’ll have to wait until the Japanese Puzzle Box is solved.

The End - Chapter 2

I stirred to the sound of traffic down below. It was nearly three in the afternoon. Yawning, I noticed that everyone had left already. On the ground was my mobile phone and I picked it up. 8 missed calls from my sister, Lauren. Oh no. I remembered the conversation we had about missed calls. The amount of attempted calls was dependant on its priority, 8 being the most important. What had happened? Had the house burnt down? Was someone injured?

Quickly, I dialed her number.

“Lauren? What’s happening?”

“Come quick. I don’t have time to explain. Royal Melbourne Hospital, Emergency department and ask for me. Hurry.”

The phone hung up. I hastily dressed myself and left with a cup of coffee. By the time I had arrived it was almost four, as the traffic was terrible. Finally I saw Lauren.

Tears rolled slowly down her cheek, as she sobbed the words “You’re … too… late.” Gently grasping my wrist she led me to one of the patient beds. A white cloth was already draped over what seemed like a limp body. My mother, Linda was also sitting in a chair, hands full of damp tissues. Oh no. A solemn nurse was standing nearby holding a clipboard. I was progressively becoming more and more nauseous. My father was missing, my heart sank immediately. Everything seemed to freeze.

The nurse walked over to where I was and spoke in a gentle and composed voice. “I believe you’re Jacob Davies.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You’re father, Gregory Davies has … unfortunately passed away. I offer you my deepest sympathy. He died of electrocution.”

A wave of queasiness filled my body even though I had been expecting this piece of bad news, but electrocution? No. This couldn’t be. My father was an expert electrician! He would know how to handle electronics. It took me a while to think of what to say.

“No. Someone else must have interfered. Dad was great with electronics.”

Lauren began to speak in a soft voice “Jake… Forensics performed a test and there weren’t any fingerprints…It was perhaps just the wrong actions at the wrong time.”

The End - Chapter 1

The moonlit cloudless sky was perfect. I could hear the enthusiasm in the whisper of my friends. They had all gathered onto my apartment balcony. Looking out into the streets far below, the entire city had stopped, excitedly waiting for what was about to happen. In the distance, a glamorous pop star strutted onto a stage of fog, joined by a young man who wore a sharp suit. They welcomed the crowd of screaming fans and announced that there was little over a minute of the year left. With an enormous smile, the woman reminded us of the year, the good and the bad. By the end of her speech, she was rushing to finish, time was running out! Not long after, the countdown began. The audience and hosts emphasized each number more than the last. Finally, the year had been reduced down to one second and all was silent.

Bang! The night sky came to life. Flickering displays of light and explosions of sound celebrated the New Year. Everything burst into action. The live music band played their hit single to wild teens, who were all letting loose. Back at my place, fancy cocktails and shots of vodka were being passed around. One more year had passed; surely this was something to rejoice about! By the end of the song, most of us had drunk three or four rounds of vodka. The partying continued for ages and I was heavily drunk by the time the band had stopped playing. It was around three or four in the morning.

A light knock came from the door. The talking stopped in my apartment, as I opened the door to a strange looking elderly lady. She asked for us to be quieter. Boy, did she have the guts. An insuppressible snigger ran through the room. All I could manage to slur was “Go away, Loner.” Her eyes turned to daggers and she whispered in fury “Be careful young man. Be very careful.” She stormed off, opened her apartment door and slammed it. It was weirder than scary. However, not long after, all was forgotten and the partying resumed. By the time I was exhausted, most of my friends had already passed out. A blinding sliver of sunlight was already visible from behind the horizon. After that things became rather hazy. There was a weird murmuring from across the corridor; maybe it was the strange woman. That was the last thing I could remember.

The End.

Hey Readers,

I've been writing a LONG story for ages, but I'm only up to about the 6th chapter!
Each time I finish a chapter, I'll post it online :)

I'm hoping to be finished by MID 2011 :PP I'm so lazy!

Have fun reading!
-W.Bao

The Introduction.

Hey everyone!

Boredom has struck me once again..
This is a food and writing blog ^^

I'll be sharing my cooking, good food that I've eaten and sharing my writing as well :P

Btw. Time to learn how to spell.

C-o-n-n-o-i-s-s-e-u-r;
a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste
~dictionary.reference.com

Bon Appétit
-W.Bao