Mango salsa

Bought some very sour mangos, difficult to eat but can always turn into other use. This time made a salsa/raita for grilled sausages.

Simple season mango with Mala sauce/chili sauce and honey, mix with some yogurt.

2024年1月14日 油街實現之竹藝展

已經很久未見過如此賞心悅目，又有心思的展覽，承傳老師傅手藝，發揚光大，做出令人樂於駐足觀賞，又有玩味的作品。

這個展館場地，亦有欣賞價值，前身是坐落海旁，一九零八年建成的香港遊艇會會所，房屋古樸，有兩大片草地，都放了枱櫈椅，讓城市人停下，休息，是近年公共地方的新風氣。

回說展覽，年輕藝術家自小喜歡手工藝，在中大修讀藝術系，往後機緣巧合，向一位九十多歲的蒸籠師傅學習竹藝。數年間亦曾合作創作多件作品，參加世界展覽。

這次展覽，由她全力負責，做出一系列形態和意態不同的展品，全部悅目、有新意、有動感。看完欣慰，覺得香港新一代做出成績。

訪問中，她坦言多謝母親支持，一直鼓勵，給予意見。可見成功背後，有能力外，有機緣和有人支持，三樣缺一不可。

Hiking from Wong Nai Chung Gap road

Went with friends hiking in the Hong Kong island side, from Wong Nai Chung Gap road down to near Quarry Bay. The view along Repulse Bay is fantastic.

Bitter melon dishes

After coming back from Okinawa having eaten bitter melon dishes every day, I can’t wait to get my hand on one to try cooking it. It is a vegetable I do not grow up eating, and have not attempted to cook at all.

I make bitter melon stuffed with mince pork, Chinese sausage and fresh herb. This I bake at 200˚C for 25 minutes. A bit too long as the bitter melon has lost all its crunchiness and become very soft. Taste is good with mild bitterness.

The other is a pickle dish, I finely slice it, use salt to soften, as usual for pickling, then rinse off excess salt and bitter liquid. Marinate in vinegar and sugar for a couple hours. Very good dish with crunchy texture, mildly sweet, sour and bitter.

I hope I will successfully grow bitter melon in the green house this summer, and can play with more cooking variations.

Sharp Island hike 橋咀島

On a fine sunny day, clear bluie sky, decided to to the Sharp Island hike for the view. Simply take a short 15 minutes boat ride from Sai Kung Pier to Half Moon/Ha Mun Bay on the left side of the island, water is so clea there. Take the steps up the hill, there are a few stopping areas for panoramic view of Sai Kung sea. Walk across the island to the other pier, Sharp Island pier, an hour’s walk.

Walk across the Tombolo, a shallow (at low tide) causeway linking the smaller island to Sharp island, for a short hike over the hill on that small island. Return by taking ferry from this pier back to Sai Kung. A very easy to get to location and easy short hike for those fantastic views.

Sai Kung

Hiking up Tai Cham Koi, Sai Kung

 

 

大晴天，朋友約行山，上西貢大枕蓋，第一次行，四百幾米高，行石級、碎石坡，大約四上四落和四段平路才到山頂，來回近三小時，於我是有點難度和有點吃力。

朋友好運動，所以也有心理準備不會是輕鬆山路。

 

 

 

回報是三百六十度壯觀海山風光，下山後到附近海景餐廳吃簡單午餐。

大家都感歎，在香港行山最方便，近市區又有公共交通到達，山路迂迴曲折上落多，轉個彎就有不同風光，是在外國行山少有的優點。

Okinawa tour 4/4 eating in Okinawa

Ordering food is easier during this holiday, first with translation app for Japanese menu, or they have QR code to order in your phone with an English menu, or Nepalese waiter who speaks English. Generally sashimi, charcoal grilled yakitori are safe cuisines. Izakaya is ok but quality not as stable as in other parts of Japan.

Some memorable meals and dishes:

1.Bitter melon is a specialty here, the Okinawa variety has dark green skin, not too bitter and a good crunch after cooking. I tried stir fry with eggs and tofu, stuff with pork mince grilled, pickled with sweet vinaigrette and red perilla and tempura. Only the tempura one was disappointing as the veg is very raw, batter too thick and heavy.

Like it so much that I even hunt down a pack of seeds to try to grow in Ireland.

2.Umibudo (sea grape), a type of seaweed that is being farmed in the sea now. Amazing mini grape structure, a popping crunch, a mild umami flavour with a slightly viscous texture, unique in all aspects.

 
3.Okinawa dark brown sugar, from sugarcane grown locally and hand cooked. Indeed has lot of flavour and surprisingly not that sweet, can be eaten as a candy. It is said to have a lot of minerals, locally use it to make ginger hot drinks.

 

 

Enjoyed before departure a meal at the sushi restaurant at the airport 4/f, though with a conveyor belt but actually serve made to order sushi. Quality very good with a good selection. We had 22 dishes, very full, and the price is very reasonable.

 

Other memorable tasty dishes.

Okinawa tour 3/4 the east coast

First stop is Nagakusuku farmer’s house, a way to hide from a rain shower. It is the dwelling of a rich farmer, small compact design with barn area for keeping goats, pigs, horses, kitchen with all the old tools and equipments and decent living space. 

Next is Nagakusugu ruin, number one of all the castles because on top of the ring of outer wall, it has a lot of remaining stone structures of buildings inside. Enough to figure out that it used to have 3 groups of buildings in a straight line one leading to the other and increasing in size.

Also built on hill top with a commanding panoramic view of the surrounding area. 3 types of stone laying methods were used, straight sided, hexagonal and irregular. A lot of walls with curves, amazing skill!

Last stop is Cape Zanpa, a wild pointy coast with powerful waves crashing to the cliffs. The light house has a fantastic view of the violent sea, just100 steps up. It was blowing gusty strong wind, up in the open platform is a frightening yet mesmerising experience.