Friday, February 22, 2008

Fish & Egg pastries, Friendship's Ball and 7 MEME

A 3-in-1 post.

Recently I have been occupied by somethings so couldn't reply you guys' the latest comments, and didn't say a proper thank-you to my old friend, Edith at Precious Moments, who has passed me the wonderful Friendship Forever Ball. I have never ever been saying enough THANK YOU to everyone of you! On the other hand, frankly, I am usually very conscious about who the person tagging me. Like this time, a meme of 7 weird things about me is tagged by puku during her first visit. It is fine, someone new opening her friendly arms I'd take it as compliment, plus, my dear friends, you are also curious about my weird things, aren't you?

7 (random/weird) things about me MEME:

  1. I weigh myself everyday, several times.
  2. I can entirely live on desserts for a few days, then some days only carbs, or only meat. I count my balance of diet not per day, but per weeks.
  3. I love my food very soft; I boil my pasta for 15 minutes, at least. Of course, I won't request my chef to do that when I dine outside.
  4. For unknown reason, I will naturally frown whenever I see a plate of salad. However, once it is cooked, I am happy.
  5. I never see my father's father in person, nor know what he is/was. A source (claim to be reliable) said that he used to live in Vietnam. When he came back to his home-country China, he's shot by his family because he took opium. He is dead or ran away with injury, no one sure... mmm. But I think it is weird to have a (grand)father's figure blank in family history, especially in a totally male-dominant country like China.
  6. I have mentioned before, my mom is adopted. Many years later, there's a guy suddenly phoned her, said that he was her biological brother. My mother wasn't interested in seeing him as she has a happy life. Why I have to bring this up as it relates to the next.
  7. I have an incurable skin problem - Many milia (whiteheads) started appearing on my face's T-zone area after I turning 20. Had visited famous specialists and gone through some treatments, but no effect. Friends and family always blame me for my poor diet (too rich) but I know it really not related. Recently another doctor believe that my problem belong to heredity, since it also happens on my mom. Now, I wish my mom would had seen her "brother" as I want to find out if he also has milia too *lol*

So, hope this MEME of mine able to draw us even closer. I am fortunate to know some very sincere bloggers. In order to celebrate this wonderful friendship, I'd like to to pass this Friendship Forever Ball to:

Asha at Foodie's Hope

Callipygia at FoodChair

Katie at Thyme for Cooking

Sher at What did you eat?

Simona at Saffron and Pepper

Susan at Food Blogga

Tanna at MyKitchenInHalfCup

Back to this dish. If you know about Japanese fake crab meat or surimi , then it is what behind for these fish "babies". Surimi is very delicious and convenient, although I normally avoid processed food (comparatively lower in nutrition, higher in additives or preservatives), I made an exception because these "babies", or gulas, are ones of the local specialities. In such a dish that gulas cooked with egg is called revuelto de gulas then, usually served with toasts. I have some manufactured fish-shaped pastry shells at pantry, so playing them with gulas is kind of doing a match-y match-y thing.

Recipe of Fish and Egg mini pastries

  • 12 mini-size manufactured mini pastry shells
  • 70 g shaped fish paste, in this case, it is shaped as tiny baby fish, or gulas
  • 1 small egg, with a dash of cream, whisk until it looks fluffy
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely diced
  • ground white pepper
  • ground cayenne powder
  • cooking oil and salt
  • for garnish: parsley leaves and red peppercorns

How-to

  • Toast the pastry shells until they're golden brown. Set aside.
  • Pre-heat a skillet, add cooking oil and garlic, saute over very low heat until the aroma arises but before the garlic gets burn. Raise up the heat and saute the gulas for about 1 minute, add white pepper. Pour the egg over, cook for another 30 seconds or so. Salt to taste.
  • Fill the pastry shells with gulas & egg mixture. Sprinkle some cayenne powder. Garnish with parsley and red peppercorns. Serve immediately.

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24 comments:

FH said...

Thank you sweetie, you are a great friend too. Enjoy the well deserved award!:)
I love the Fish shaped Puffs and filling too. Gorgeous photo.
Now, STOP weighing yourself everyday girl!! Not good for you and we don't need to at all. For us women, everyday we bloat and shrink several times a day naturally, so weighing yourself may be once a month would be great instead if at all. Hugs to you!:)
Man! So many things happening in your family. I can't relate to how you feel at all. My great grand father was alive until I was 17yrs old!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Great to learn more about you! Those fish & egg pastries look ever so dainty and spring-like! Tempting...

Cheers,

Rosa

Callipygia said...

It is so nice to actually make friends all the while talking about food! Thank you for the thinking of me and sharing so much of yourself on your site. The fish pastries are delightful and the gulas sort of like noodle shaped fish balls? I love the play on food, now if only I were there to eat them with you!

Cakespy said...

You are certainly on a roll with the mini pastries! These look wonderful!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

And I like my food crunchy! If you're ever in SD, Jeff could check out the milia for ya. ;)

Gattina Cheung said...

Asha, really thanks for your lovely message. Oh right, I should have traced whose my g-g-parents as well.
Your words are really comforting, my habit of fixating at scale is dead-hard to break, but I'd always bear what you advise *big hug*

Rosa, oh I like that spring-like description, and how true! Thanks for your compliment.

Calli, oh buddy, please don't thank me... I'd wait for the day we meet and chomp down! Yes, you are right on noodle shape fish ball. However, the local actually intends for making the shape of baby eels, for me they look more like tiny "white rice fish" (always available at Asia stores in the States).

Cakespy, thank you! I like scaling down the size, so always go for mini cake or pie... it probably due to the small size of my family.

Susan, please tell Dr Jeff I surely see him if I come!

Anh said...

Gattina, nice to know more about you. :) Some of the things is weird indeed, but it makes you the special gattina in our eyes!!!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Gosh Gattina, thank you so much for including me in the circle!
Families can leave us with some pretty interesting questions. Can't go with you on the mushy pasta, I like it al a dente but if you visited me I'd leave yours in the pot for the extra time.
I think these puffy fish are really handsome with their eggy stuffing. Just the right size for a bite!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

The fish pastries look so cute. I would like a whole school of them to feed to my family.

Anonymous said...

Great to know more about you Gattina! As for those cute fish&egg pastries: WOW...they almost look too cute to eat.

SteamyKitchen said...

such a cute mold! my kids would love fishy pastries - in fact, I bet they would eat just about anything stuffed in those pastries if they were shaped like animals.

Chris said...

These look tasty! (As did your panforte tartlets). I am like you...like my pasta soft, which makes me a weird Italian! Pasta is always Aldente wherever I go....

sher said...

Oh, I loved reading your meme! Your grandfather is one of those fascinating family mysteries. I hope you find out some day what happened with him! And thank you for tagging me!

Also, the "babies" are just adorable! :):) I love fish and egg together.

Kajal@aapplemint said...

i used to weigh myself everyday when i was 18 ... hehe now i haven't weighed myself in weeks :)
Love your fish shaped pastry shells. I thought u were making them at home. They look so adorable.Excellent for entertaining.

Unknown said...

wow wonderful

The Culinary Chase said...

Gattina, your food photography is lovely as is the food! This recipe sounds like a must try for me. Keep up the great work! Cheers!

Anonymous said...

i got a kick reading your meme, seems like everybody has an interesting past :)

FH said...

Gattina, I have got a award for you at FH buddy, peek in when you can and grab it!:))

LittleHands said...

Gattina, another very unique creation :-)). Just love it!

Gattina, how are you lately? I hope all goes well for you. Take good care.

I know long time didn't hear from me. Nowadays I so busy I hardly have time to visit all the blogs that I love to read. Sometimes I do just a quick drop by to see what delights you've churned out, hee.

Anonymous said...

It's great to know more about the talent behind all these wonder photographs and recipes. You deserve more awards for your use of unique ingredients!

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Hi,

Just a short note to let you know that you have been nominated to March edition of IFP poll:
http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=1734

Have a good day, Margotcg

Gattina Cheung said...

Anh, everyone is interesting in someway. Thanks for your lovely words.

Tanna, you are so thoughful, yes, please let my pasta hang out there longer!

Cookie Baker Lynn, what a lovely blog name!

Lore, they are darn cute aren't they?! People in here love eating seafood, so there is a large range of seafood-shape foodsstuff coming along. I feel like I living in paradise!

Jaden, how true! Not only lil' ones, even me I won't resist... like Hello Kitty toast :)

Chris, ha, you are the first Italian I know like that :D

Sher, glad you love recieving that friendship's ball... btw, you don't need to do the meme in case I didn't write it clear in my post. It is quite sure that there is no where else we can get any further info my grandpa; a mistery forever :)

Kate, thanks for your compliment. I am a late bloomer, haha.

Thanks Carmen!

Heather, thanks for your encouragement. A new place is always a great source of inspiration, isn't it :)

Eliza, you are so right. Please tell us about yours someday :)

Oh Asha!!!!!! You are so sweet!!! Am going to see... oh my, you make my day!

Jolene, it is ok, we sometimes are just totally occupied, that's life. Hope you and everything fine. I'm well, although I am struggling in getting more time in putting up new post and blog, it is tough really.

White on Rice Couple, really thank you so much for the sweet words, giving me a big encouragement!

Margotcg, thank you for letting me know!!! Am going to look it up... can't believe it! You guys are just wonderful!

Katie Zeller said...

I'm a little late catching up - but thank you for the wonderful thoughts!

Anonymous said...

thanks for participating Gattina, nice to read a bit more about you!

and I too love surimi, even in Australia (or NZ) where seafood is so fresh and cheap.. here people call it 'seafood extender' but I prefer to think of it as a foodthing in it's own right, not a 'fake' seafood.. these look delish!