Episode 314 - Kuih Wajid / Sweet Glutinous Rice

Kuih Wajid or Sweet Glutinous Rice

I got hold of that mini recipe books again! This time I bought the "Malay Kuih" by Norzailina Nordin. Inside, there are a variety of kuih Melayu to choose from and all are those down-to-earth balik kampung kuihs! Kuih Wajid is a very well-known Malay kuih. It's usually served during special occasions (Hari Raya, Puasa, Weddings etc) and you can usually get them from the gerai-gerai (ministalls) at the tamu. I myself really like Kuih Wajid and I'm putting this recipe up because last weekend my friend brought the Wajid Temburong (it's the BOMB!) to our BBQ but I didn't get to eat em! Anyway, this is a very simple kuih to make but its sugary taste is just ideal for the month of Ramadhan! And ya, not everyone would like the taste of the palm sugar (i.e. Babe LY *ahaks*) or the fact that the rice is sweet and sticky but it's worth a try, you might just enjoy it!

Sweet Glutinous Rice/ Kuih Wajid

Ingredients:

1 Banana Leaf, cut into 25 cm (10") square

500 g Glutinous rice, soaked for 8 hours & drained

500ml Coconut Cream

4 medium sized, Pandan/ Screwpine leaves, shredded & knotted

50g Rock Sugar, finely pounded

200g Palm Sugar/ Gula Melaka, crushed

80g Granulated Sugar

Method:

Line a 25-cm/10" square baking tin with banana leaf.

Steam drained glutinous rice for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. Transfer to a large tray and spread out thinly with a spoon or fork. Set aside to cool.

Combine coconut cream, pandan leaves and 3 types of sugar in a non-stick/Teflon pan. Stir continuously over medium heat until mixture is bubbly and thick.

Add cooked glutinous rice and stir until rice is well coated and has a shiny gloss. Discard pandan leaves and tip coated rice into tin. Press rice down with back of spoon or fork to level surface. Set aside to cool before cutting to serve.

*Tip*: Coconut cream can extracted from 800g of fresh grated coconut. If you can't get hold of the fresh grated coconut, use those canned ones will do! I recommend Ayam Brand.

Serves: 8

Image from thestar.com

Episode 313 - Deep Fried Satak

Mantis Prawn? Prawn Mantis? Which is it?

You must be wondering what the heck is Satak? No, I did not mean Satay. It's actually that Mantis Prawn. My Gawd, it was such a great treat I had for dinner yesterday! It is so simple to cook but yet the results are just out of this world. There's not much preparation needed for this delish creature of the sea and it's really really simple to cook it! I must say that the meat is not that much so you got to really savour the taste once you get your hands on them!

To clean, just brush and wash the outer parts of the prawn, cut off some of the small legs (as they don't have meat so you can cook without those) and deveined them.

Deep Fried Satak

Ingredients:

500-600g of Mantis Prawn
1 tbspns salt
A few dashes of Pepper
1/2 cup Corn flour/ Self-Rising Flour

Method:
Marinade Mantis Prawn with salt and pepper. Set aside for a few hours in the fridge. Then toss and coat the mantis prawn before deep frying in hot cooking oil until they turn pinkish orange (similar like shrimps/prawns). Serve rightaway.

Serves: 2

Or..... Cook them with a Fragrant Sauce

Stir fried Mantis Prawn with Fragrant Sauce

Ingredients:

350-400g mantis prawns Seasoning (combined)
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
3-4 tbsp self-raising flour
1 tsp oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped cili padi
1 stalk spring onion, cut into 3cm lengths

Sauce:

1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tsp sugar
1 tsp thick soy sauce
125ml fresh chicken stock

Method:

Rinse and de-vein the mantis prawns. Sprinkle combined seasoning ingredients on the prawns and toss well, then coat with self-raising flour. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish out and leave aside. Heat oil and sesame oil in a clean wok and fry garlic and cili padi until fragrant. Add sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until sauce is reduced. Return the fried mantis prawns to the wok. Stir and fry until well coated with the sauce. Add spring onion to mix. Dish out and serve.

Fragrant Sauce Recipe from kuali.com

*Tip*: The Mantis prawn can be cut into 2 parts but best to leave it as whole.

How to De-shell a cooked Prawn Mantis

1. Cut the head off.

2. Pry the top shell open from one side.

3. Gently scoop the meat out from the bottom bit with your spoon and enjoy!

Episode 312 - Litchi and Peach Agar-Agar

Sugary chunks of Litchi and Peach Agar-Agar

To all the Muslims everywhere, Happy Ramadhan! The Ramadan month calls for special mouth-watering recipes especially for the "Sungkai" (breaking the fast) time. My family and I usually make this really simple dessert for special occasions. But it's also great for any other day!

Litchi and Peach Agar-Agar

Ingredients:

1 pkt Flying Swallow Brand Agar-Agar Powder (any colour desired)

5 strips of Pandan leaves

500g Sugar (+- depending on your desired sweetness)

1 ltr (or 900ml) water

1 can of Litchi (Lychee)

2 halves of Peach (from a can - Ligo brand)

Method:

Cook the agar-agar as instructed on the packet only to add the pandan leaves together. To prepare fruits, dice up litchi an peaches into small chunks and scatter cut fruits onto a 23cm by 2 inch deep round dish. Then, pour cooked agar-agar into dish and set it aside to cool before putting into the fridge to chill. Using a sharp pointed knife, cut into desired size and serve while it's cold.

*Tip*: This recipe makes 2 dishes of agar-agar. Use half can of Litchi and half of a peach for each dish. You may also use any other fruits such as Mixed Fruit cocktail, kiwi, rambutan etc. Remember, make sure to dissolve the agar powder in the water before bringing it up to a boil. You do not want the agar powder to clump and be wasted.

Will post some more Ramadhan recipes soon and i'll try to put up a pic of the cut agar-agar once it's set! Enjoy your weekend!

Episode 311 - Pamelo and Prawn Salad

Scrumptious juicy sacs of sweetness

One of my babes gave me a pamelo the other day. Well, I'm not a really big fan of it but I must say her family grows really good pamelos! haha They're so sweet and juicy eaten just by itself. But you can also fancy it up with some fresh prawns and a tasty sweet and sour sauce. Here's a straight forward recipe which you can wip up as a starter for your meal! FYI: Pamelos are some sort of our local grapefruit.
First, you need to make this sauce then you can go for the salad recipe.

Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

Ingredients:

2 red chillies, deseeded & chopped, 1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped, 60ml lemon juice/50ml vinegar, 60ml fish sauce, 3 tbspns soft brown sugar, 125ml water, boiled & cooled

Method:

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake well to mix.
*Tip*: This makes around 275ml. Refridgerate sauce in jar and use later for any other recipes. Keeps good in fridge around 2 weeks or less.

And for the recipe... A simple but yet a delish Thai delicacy...

Prawn & Pamelo Salad with Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

Ingredients: 400g tiger prawns, skin peeled, The flesh of 1 medium size pamelo, peeled and segmented into small bite size pieces, 2 small red onions, thinly sliced/chopped ,1 small riped avocado, sliced thinly in wedges, 4 tbspns sweet and sour fish sauce, A handful of coriander leaves, chopped or lightly torn with fingers

Method:
To cook prawns, peel off skin and cook in boiling water for around 2 minutes till they turn pinkish orange in colour. Remove from water and leave to cool. Place the rest of the ingredients in a large salad bowl and lightly toss with the sauce drizzled on to it. To serve, place salad in a cocktail glass and drizzle a few teaspoons of sauce on top.

Visit link: http://www.ehow.com/video_2335026_cut-avocado.html for a video of how to cut avocado!

How to cut a pamelo~

First, cut the top and bottom bit of the pamelo. Then, with the tip of the knife, pierce through the skin (as close as you can get to the flesh but not through the flesh) from top to bottom. Repeat, making around 6-7 of these around the pamelo. Now you can easily peel of the outer skin of the pamelo with your fingers. Break open the pamelo by pressing your thumbs in the middle of the pamelo (feel the grooves of the segment of the pamelo) with the rest of your fingers on the side of the pamelo. Cut off the top of the segments and peel of the skin to get the flesh out!

Enjoy the recipe!

Recipe inspired and referred from Fresh Chinese by Wynnie Chan

Episode 310 - How To Joint A Whole Chicken

Cutting up a whole chicken can be very tedious and tricky. Theres the drums, the wings, the breasts... And if you don't use the right gadget and right ways to cut it, the cut chicken can turn up really messy! So this is a very detailed guide on how to joint a whole chicken - properly :o) Firstly, there are 2 very basic things you need to have and know : 1 - To have a very sharp and good kitchen knife and 2 - locate the joints by feel before cutting to separate them. Then the following:

1. Chicken legs - Put the chicken breast side up on a chopping board. Pull one leg away from the body. Cut through the skin between the body and leg, cutting down through the meat, and then work it way down to the thigh joint. Bend the leg so that it eases the leg bone from its socket, then cut through the ball-and-socket joint. Repeat with the other leg.


2. Chicken wings - Press one wing against the body of the bird so that both parts of the shoulder are visible. Cut through the skin, then down thorugh the joint to sever. Tuck the wingtip under the shoulder to make a triangular shape joint. Repeat with the other wing.


3. Split the carcass by cutting down around and under both breasts with poultry shears or strong kitchen scissors. Cut through the rib cage, separating the backbone from the breasts. Repeat the other side.

4. Cut along the centre of the breast with poultry sheers or kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, slide a knife under the breats meat on each side of the bone to release 2 boneless breast joints or cut straight down between the breast bone with a large cook's knife to give two joints on the bone.


5. To separate the leg joint into a drumstick and thigh, put the joint skin side uppermost, then flex the drumstick slightly so that you can see where the central joint is. Cut through the ball and socket joint.

Now you have everything in a set of 2 except for a carcass (not in pic) to make your stock with! This can also be used to joint other poultry such as duck or turkey but for small birds, you can leave the thigh joint with the drumstick.

or you can go to this link for a video: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-joint-a-chicken-with-a-boning-knife-242088/

Episode 309 - Food Art: Coffee Art

Coffee lover? I'm more of a tea person but I do like the boost you can get with a nice aromatic cup of coffee. Coffee Art is pretty famous nowadays. I think that there's a restaurant at Kiulap, BSB (Au Lait, Seri Qlap Mall) which serves its coffee with designs on the froth. There are so many designs you can place on your lattes. And here's some to prove to you!

Top to Bottom: Unicorn, Bruce Lee, Barrack Obama, Monkey face and Moon & Star.

Episode 308 - Food Art : Japanese Bento Sets

Japanese Bento Lunch Box

I find these really amazing! How much fun and creativity you can get with food. There are so many things you can do with rice, vege and fruits! But there's definitely alot of patience and passion put into these fantastic yet yummy creations!

More cute Bento lunch sets

Kind of a little too hard to eat it right? They're just too pretty...

Episode 307 - Know your Lamb: Part 2

I had a few complains regarding my recent post on the lamb. And yes I missed out on stating which part of the lamb is the best to cook. I must say, it actually depends on the individual. Some people prefer their meat to be a bit hard and chewy and some like them soft and tender. It also depends on how the meat is cooked. So, when cooking lamb, one must be very sure of how to cook it including the duration and the done-ness preferences you want i.e. rare (dark pink in the centre), medium-rare (light pink in the centre) or well-done (light brown colour througout).

Ok, cutting the suspense. The tender parts of the lamb would definitely be the parts where the muscles of the animal are used less frequently and that would be the ribs and the loin areas! Meat from the ribs and loin are best to cook using these methods: grill, pan broil/pan fry, broil and stir fry. These areas are usually cooked without much liquid as they are quite succulent in texture.

However, the less-tender cuts of the lamb would be those areas where the muscles are used very often, which include: the shoulder/ chuck, rump, round and legs. These meat may be less tender BUT they are very flavourful! The best ways to cook the less tender meat are by: braising, stewing and roasting! Because these meat are pretty tough, they are usually cooked with liquid.

Here's a simple picture of the main parts of the lamb

BAAa-AAaa

The best ingredients to marinade lamb meat for roasting or pan-grilled would be thyme, rosemary (best if the herbs are fresh but dried ones work well too), HP sauce, Worchestershire sauce (I always have to go look at the bottle to check how it's spelled! and pepper and salt to taste. If you want a sweeter taste, put a few teaspoons of brown sugar into your marinade and this will actually caramelise the outer part of your roast or steak! For more flavour and taste, the meat should be left marinated overnight in the fridge but a few hours of marination would be fine and you can always season them again while they are cooking.

Usually a 1-inch thickness steak would require 7-9 minutes on the first side and another 7 on the other side. And the best sauce to serve a lamb steak is non other than mint sauce or a sweet and sour raspberry sauce.

Try the marinade as mentioned above and I'll post something more interesting next, so stay put!

Episode 306 - Know your Lamb!

A friend was asking what is lamb shank? I told him to Google it then he said that I was "handal" in all this cooking stuff and demanded a definition. Well, I Googled it (HAHA) and below is what I got. You should know your lamb because different parts will give you different types of meat to cook with. Personally, lamb is a very nice type of meat to cook, either with curry or roasted, it can be a very sweet and succulent meat if you know how to cook it right!

LAMB info 101:

Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget and later mutton.

There are five basic major cuts of lamb: leg, loin, shoulder, rack and shank/breast.

Lamb chops are cut from the shoulder, rib, loin and sirloin area. Loin chops and rib chops are the most tender. The less expensive shoulder chops (called blade and arm chops) and sirloin chops from the leg can be just as tender, but they are not as visually attractive because the meat is separated by bands of connective tissue.

The leg of lamb can be the whole leg including the sirloin, or the short cut leg, sirloin of. It is usually roasted, though it can be broiled, grilled and barbecued as well. Some find the rear of the lamb has bolder flavor, but retains the same juicy tenderness as the rib and loin portions.

The loin comprises the ribs between the forequarter and hindquarter (sirloin and leg).

Rack of Lamb

The rack is the unsplit rib of the carcass, which includes ribs 6 through 12 and the thick, meaty rib-eye muscle (the meat).

Lamb Shoulder

The shoulder of the lamb is less expensive than the rib, loin or leg. While the meat is well-marbled and full-flavored, there is more connective tissue. The shoulder yields the following cuts: cubes for kabobs; blade chips, boneless blade chops and arm chops and the boneless shoulder, cushion shoulder and square shoulder.

The sirloin is the section between the back of the loin and the hipbone. The boinless sirlon is the equivalent of the beef tenderloin, tender and flavorful.

Parts of the LAMB:

Please visit: http://www.tvsp.org/sheep/meat/retail-cuts-of-lamb.jpg

COOKING TIME ~ LAMB ROAST

Depending on the size of the roast, whether it is leg, rib or shoulder, and whether you want the meat rare, medium or well done, estimate 15 to 40 minutes per pound at 324°F. A meat thermometer will register 145°F for rare, 160°F for medium and 170°F for well-done. Cover to keep warm and allow the roast to stand for 15 minutes before serving so the juices will settle. Remember that during this time the temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees, so remove the lamb before the temperature reaches the desired degree of doneness.

Some text from http://www.thenibble.com/

Do check out my next post, it's a recipe and some tips for cooking lamb!

Episode 305 : Food Jokes

Clean food jokes to lighten and brighten up your day!

I believe that there are 2 things which can really put off the stress out in a day's of work & tire, food and jokes! You know what they say, Laughter is the best medicine!

Pillsbury Dough Boy Dead At 71

Veteran Pillsbury spokesman, Pop N. Fresh, died yesterday of a severe yeast infection. He was 71. Fresh was buried in one of the largest funeral ceremonies in recent years. Dozens of celebrities turned out, including Mrs. Butterworth, The California Raisins, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, and The Hostess Twinkies.
The graveside was piled high with flours as longtime friend Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy, describing Fresh as a man who "never knew how much he was kneaded." Fresh rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with many turnovers.
He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Still, even as a crusty old man, he was a roll model for millions.
Fresh is survived by his second wife. They have two children and one in the oven. The funeral was held at 4:50 for about 20 minutes.

Elephant Stew
Serves: about 380 people. Ingredients: 1 large Elephant, Salt and pepper to taste, 2 medium Rabbits (optional). Preparation: Cut up Elephant into bite size pieces.(Takes about 2 Months). Add brown gravy to cover. Cook about four weeks at 465 degrees over a hot fire. Special Note: For larger groups, add 2 Rabbits, but only if necessary as most people don't like to find hare in their stew.
Flakey Murder
Two police officers respond to a crime scene behind a grocery store. The homicide detective is already there.
"What happened?" asks the first officer.
"Male, about twenty-five, covered in Raisin Bran and dead as a doornail."
"Good grief," says the second officer. "Didn't we have one covered in Frosted Flakes yesterday? And Captain Crunch last week?"
"You're right. I'm afraid," said the detective as he took a drag from his cigar, "this is the work of a cereal killer."

Subject: Security Notification to all recipehut.com Employee
We've just been notified by Security that there have been 6 suspected terrorists working out of our kitchen. Five of the six have been apprehended. Bin Sleepin', Bin Loafin', Bin Goofin', Bin Lunchin' and Bin Drinkin' have been taken into custody.
Security advised us that they could find no one fitting the description of the sixth cell member, Bin Workin', in our Kitchen. Security is confident that anyone who looks like he's Bin Workin' will be very easy to spot.
You are obviously not a suspect at this time.

How to Bake a Cake with a Baby in the House
·Preheat oven, get out utensils and ingredients. ·Remove blocks and toy autos from table. ·Grease pan, crack nuts. ·Measure two cups flour; ·Remove baby's hands from flour, wash flour off baby. ·Re-measure flour. ·Put flour, baking powder, salt in sifter. ·Get dustpan and brush up pieces of bowl baby knocked on floor. ·Get another bowl. ·Answer doorbell. ·Return to kitchen.·Remove baby's hands from bowl. ·Wash baby. ·Answer phone. ·Return. ·Remove 1/4 inch salt from greased pan. ·Look for baby. ·Grease another pan. ·Answer telephone. ·Return to kitchen and find baby. ·Remove baby's hands from bowl. ·Take up greased pan, find layer of nutshells in it. ·Head for baby, who flees, knocking bowl off table. ·Wash kitchen floor, table, wall, dishes. ·Call baker. ·Lie down.

Lame but some still tickled you, didn't they?

Have a smiley day! (>o,<)

Episode 304 - Barbeque & Grill: Part 1

Charcoal Up & Let's Grill!!

One of my sidekicks is having a BBQ this weekend. Not so much of a good idea in this hazy weather we're having so I'm coming with a mask! haha (HAPPY B'DAY DUDEEEE!!) LOL To help, below are a few BBQ recipes!

Korean BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
4 teaspoons hot chile paste (optional)

20 Chicken Wings/ 1kg of Chicken Boneless meat (Sliced 3" x 6")

Method:

In a medium saucepan over high heat, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, water, onion powder, and ground ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes.
Remove the mixture from heat, cool, and whisk in lemon juice and hot chile paste. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours before preparing chicken as desired.

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers

Method:

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

*Tip*: Replace red wine vinegar with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of grape juice.

Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Method:
Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat grill for medium heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

*Tip*: If you can't find lemon pepper, substitute with fresh ground pepper, a tint of lemon juice and it's zest.

Images & recipes from allrecipes.com

Image of Coal in fire from flickr.com

Gotta try em!! Yummy... Enjoy!!!! XO)

Episode 303 - Antioxidants and Caramelised Banana Desert

This is a recipe which not only will treat your sweet tooth after dinner but will also boost the antioxidants in your body. This can be prepared in 15 minutes or less and it is completely delicious, packed with fibre and sweetness!

But... Why are antioxidants important?

- Antioxidants helps to maintain the health and prevent diseases such cancer and coronary heart disease.

- Antioxidant -contained food are usually used in dietary supplements and also preservatives in food.

-Food such as fruits (E.g. Carrots, tomato, peaches, and apricot, orange, lime and strawberries), and vegetables (E.g. brocolli) are good sources of antioxidants.

- Other food like nuts, whole grains, meat, fish,eggs, tea, coffee, soy, olive oil, cinnamon, oregano and red wine (2 glasses taken daily) contain some antioxidant compounds vital for your health!

-The best antioxidant food that you will enjoy is DARK CHOCOLATE!

- Antioxidants are also found to be anti-aging, making skin appear younger with less wrinkles! They also aid in preventing the growth of pimples and will keep skin supple and glowing!

Caramelised Banana

Ingredients:

2 medium-small firm bananas, peeled

1/2 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup low-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Method:
Cut bananas in half lengthwise. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and lay the banana slices on top, cut side up. Cook undisturbed for 20 seconds, then add orange juice and cinnamon. Cook for 10 seconds, then turn bananas carefully and cook for 45 to 60 seconds more, basting with the pan sauce. Divide the bananas between 2 dessert plates, drizzling the sauce on top. Serve immediately, with a scoop of ice cream (or frozen yogurt).

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

Per serving: 372 calories; 7 g fat (4 g sat, 1 g mono); 28 mg cholesterol; 61 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 58 mg sodium; 521 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (15% daily value). 4 Carbohydrate Servings

Recipe and pic from: Eatingwell.com

*Tips*: Sprinkle some toasted almond nuts all over and enjoy the dessert. Or you can drizzle some melted dark chocolate on top of the ice cream.

So start taking your fruits and vegetables and you will look like an ageless Angel :0)

Episode 302 - Kitchen Info: How to buy fresh fish and seafood?

Fresh Fish?

I came across an article on tips of buying fish and seafood. How can you know that what you bought at the market is fresh? Fresh seafood will only mean one thing, that your cooked meal will taste ten times more delicous! Unless you caught the fish yourself, you cannot really trust that fish monger at the market Hehe Follow these tips to choose your fresh seafood:
Whole Fish
Look for bright, clear eyes. The eyes are the window to a truly fresh fish, for they fade quickly into gray dullness. Dull-eyed fish may be safe to eat, but they are past their prime.
Next look at the fish. Does it shine? Does it look metallic and clean? Or has it dulled or has discolored patches on it? If so, it is marginal.

Smell it. A fresh fish should smell like clean water, or a touch briny or even like cucumbers. Under no circumstances should you buy a nasty smelling fish. Cooking won't improve it.
Look at the gills. They should be a rich red. If the fish is old, they will turn the color of faded brick.
Fish Fillets
Look for vibrant flesh. All fish fade as they age. If the fillet still has skin, that skin should look as pristine as the skin on an equally good whole fish – shiny and metallic.
Smell it. The smell test is especially important with fillets. They should have no pungent aromas.
Is there liquid on the meat? If so, that liquid should be clear, not milky. Milky liquid on a fillet is the first stage of rot.

If the fishmonger lets you, press the meat with your finger. It should be resilient enough so your indentation disappears. If your fingerprint remains, move on.
Live Things
The best way to choose a live fish or crab or lobster is to look for, well, life. Is it scampering around in its tank? Swimming happily? Or is it sulking in a corner or hanging motionless and panting? If so, don’t buy it. Lobsters and crabs starve themselves in tanks and often can be almost empty inside when you crack open one that’s been imprisoned in a tank for weeks.
Your best bet is to make friends with the fishmonger and find out when the new shipments arrive. Plan on being there to meet it and buy then. You will be rewarded for your extra effort.
Shellfish
Buy only at the finest fish markets. These are the places where turnover is so rapid you can be assured of fresh mussels, clams or oysters. You may still get a dead one, but the ratio will be far lower.

What is a dead one? Shellfish are sold alive, so they should react to you. Put them on the countertop and back away for a moment. Then tap the shell: It should close tighter than it was. Oysters are a little tough to do this with, but clams and mussels will definitely react. You can also tell a dead shellfish after you’ve cooked them all. Dead ones do not open after being cooked. Throw them away.
Scallops
Scallops are almost always sold shucked, so what you are looking for are “dry packed” scallops, meaning they are not shipped and stored in brine. Those scallops you see wallowing in milky ick? Leave them be. Better to buy frozen, vacuum-sealed scallops, which are perfectly good by the way, than an inferior wet-packed scallop.
Squid or Octopus
These are almost always sold to the wholesaler pre-frozen, so you should buy them frozen. Both squid, commonly known as calamari, and its more richly flavored cousin the octopus freeze exceptionally well.
Again, if you can buy squid and octopus – not to mention cuttlefish – fresh, do it! They are rare treats even at fine fish markets and should be appreciated as such. Like finfish, you should look first at their eyes, which should be clean and bright.
The Fish Market
Finally, a comment on the shop itself. The absolute bottom line is that a fish shop should not stink. I'll say it again: If you walk into a fish market and it reeks, turn around and leave. Fantastic fish can be had at a farmer’s market stall, a hole in the wall or in a flashy boutique, but none should smell like low tide. Ever.

Tips from About.com, "Before You Buy fish or Shell fish", by Hank Shaw.

Really good tips aren't they? So next time when you go to the market or buy your seafood, follow the above guide and you will have a simply delicious and nutritious cooked seafood!

Episode 301 - Kitchen Info : Microwave ovens & Food Safety

Microwaved food - Safe to eat?

Hey guys, it's been a while since I updated my blog. Was gathering some info on some fresh ideas and interesting things to post. For the start of the new season, I'm posting something on Microwave ovens and how safe is it to use them. I think that Microwave ovens are one of the greatest inventions for aiding our cooking lifestyle. Other than its convenience of heating up our food or thawing the frozen chicken, we always wonder about the following:

Do microwaves cook food from the inside out?

No. Microwaves penetrate the food to a depth of 1 to 1½ inches. In thicker pieces of food, the microwaves don't reach the center. That area would cook by conduction of heat from the outer areas of the food into the middle. In a microwave oven, the air in the oven is at room temperature so the temperature of the food surface is cooler than food in a conventional oven where the food is heated by hot air. Therefore, food cooked in a microwave oven doesn't normally become brown and crispy.

What are the recommended temperatures for microwaving food safely?

Place the thermometer in the thickest area of the meat or poultry — not near fat or bone — and check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and in the thickest part of the breast of whole poultry. Cooking times may vary because ovens vary in power and efficiency.
Cook ground meats to 160 °F; ground poultry to 165 °F.
Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145 °F; all cuts of fresh pork, 160 °F.
Poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.
Eggs and casseroles containing eggs, 160 °F.
Fish should reach 145 °F.
Always allow standing time, which completes the cooking, before checking the internal temperature with a food thermometer.

How do you safely reheat cooked food in a microwave oven?
Cover foods with a lid or a microwave-safe plastic wrap to hold in moisture and provide safe, even heating. Turn back a corner for the steam to vent.
Heat ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs, luncheon meats, fully cooked ham, and leftovers until steaming hot.
After reheating foods in the microwave oven, allow standing time. Then, use a clean food thermometer to check that food has reached 165 °F.

What containers and wraps are safe to use in the microwave oven?

Only use cookware that is specially manufactured for use in the microwave oven. Glass, ceramic containers, and all plastics that are safe to use usually will be labeled for microwave oven use.

SAFE TO USE:
Any utensil labeled for microwave use.
Heatproof glass (such as Pyrex, Anchor Hocking, etc.).
Glass-ceramic (such as Corning Ware).
Oven cooking bags.
Baskets (straw and wood) for quick warm-ups of rolls or bread. Line the basket with napkins to absorb moisture from food.
Most paper plates, towels, napkins and bags. For optimal safety use white, unprinted materials.
Wax paper, parchment paper, heavy plastic wrap. Do not allow plastic wrap to touch food; vent it to allow a steam escape.
Heat-susceptor packaging.

NOT SAFE TO USE:
Cold storage containers: margarine tubs, cottage cheese and yogurt cartons, etc. These materials are not approved for cooking and chemicals can migrate into food.
Brown paper bags and newspapers.
Metal pans.
Foam-insulated cups, bowls, plates or trays.
China with metallic paint or trim.
Chinese "take-out" containers with metal handles.
Metal "twist ties" on package wrapping.
Food completely wrapped in aluminum foil.
Food cooked in any container or packaging that has warped or melted during heating.

Do microwaves make food "radioactive"?

No. Microwave energy uses a wave length similar to television, radio waves, electric shavers and radar. It does not make food "radioactive." X-rays and nuclear radiation are at the other end of the spectrum and are a million times more powerful.

For more info please visit: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Microwave_Ovens_and_Food_Safety/index.asp

The site provides info on how to thaw frozen food safely, whether it is safe to use aluminium foil & wraps to heat your food and all the other basic info you need to know about your microwave ovens!

Alright, enjoy the read and make sure you use a microwave safe products (e.g. Pyrex) when using the Microwave oven.