Gourmet in Ho Chi Minh City

Mille Crêpe

Mille crêpe is a French cake made of many crêpe layers. The word mille means "a thousand", implying the many layers of crêpe. 

The common ingredients include flour, eggs, milk, butter, and a pinch of salt. Its sandwich with pastry cream or other flavourings (coffee, lemon with pitted cherries, orange with raisins, oreo chocolate, yam with red bean, green tea with red bean, durian, strawberry, mango) in between the layers, usually presented in slices. 

Mille literally means a thousand, but in this case, there were 18 layers of crepe that made up this dessert.

 Orange Raisin Mille Crêpe

 Lemon Pitted Cherries Mille Crêpe

 Oreo Chocolate Mille Crêpe

 Coffee & Chocolate with Walnut Mille Crêpe

Yam with Red Bean Mille Crêpe

Medan 2012 - Good Foods

The Bible says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. The more we hear the Word of Christ, the more faith we have. It is because the Word of Christ talks above Jesus' finished work at the cross.

It is the same for our visit to Medan. The more you come to Medan, the more good foods you can find in this city. As far as 'fooding' (Singlish) is concerned, this trip is the most fruitful trip.

 Rib

 Tom Yam Soup

 Rice Cooked with Coconut Milk and Small Chili

 Fresh Combination Of Coconut Juice with Lime

 Bataknese Big Bone Soup

 Bataknese Dish with Combination of Papaya Leave

 Bataknese Grilled Pork

 Bataknese Fried Pork

Chinese BBQ Pork 

 Too Delicious... No Chance To Get Rid Of The Fat

Noodle, Look Like What We Have in Kuching

Crispy Three Layer Pork

 Korean Bulgogi Rice

 Vietnamese Coffee

Terong Belanda Juice

Medan people are very creative in making fruit juices and they have all kinds of juice. Their creativity go to  an extend that they even mix the juices to create a juice.  Their juices are cheaper than what we can get in  Kuching, but their foods are more expensive. For example, a bowl of noodle would cost IDR28,000.00 which is about RM9.00.  A plate of BBQ Pork with rice is IDR32,000.00 which is equivalent to RM10.50. These are double the price in Kuching.

Let's Say Grace

Do you say grace before you partake of your meal?

Have you ever asked yourself these questions? Before partaking of our meal, why do we Christians have to say grace…? It is because we are Christian, and we are obligated to say grace? Is it because of other Christians do the same thing, so we also have to say grace? Or because it is a Christian tradition...?

Recently I have a revelation on saying grace in the midst of my preaching when I was expounding on the Finished Work of our Lord… This revelation could also be related to a status update posted by my friend in his Facebook and without me knowing it, this act of exchaging comments has became an inception to me...

My friend posted this question in his Facebook status…

Question: Which crab can run faster… a crab that is black in colour or a crab that is red in colour?

Answer: The black one.

Reason: Because the one in red has been cooked!

So, in respond to his status, I wrote this comment: "Hahaha... Let’s say grace…"

Delicious Black Pepper Crab (the loser) available in Padungan Bay

So, why do we have to say grace…?

Before we can partake of our meal, we must be aware that there are dishes on the table… right? The dishes on the table must have been carefully prepared and well cooked to their finest stage… any further cooking or under cooking would have spoiled those dishes… These fine dishes with splendid aroma are actually a reflection of the finished work of our Lord at the Cross. He had cry out: “It is finished!”

2 Corinthians 3:17 ~ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Praise the Lord for opening my eyes to look for the Spirit of our Lord in Moses. The killings of animals for foods was first introduced to Noah after the flood. These ordinances on killing of animals for food were recorded in Moses. Before the cross, the killing of animals for food was a virtual to point people to the scarifying Lamb that is yet to come and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

We are now under the grace dispensation and we are after the cross… Instead of looking forward to the cross, we are now looking back to the Cross. What we are partaking on our table is a "finished product" of fine aroma and these are foods for our temple, the temple of the Holy Spirit! This revelation gives yet another beautiful insight on discovering the Spirit of our Lord in our everyday life. With this beautiful insight, saying grace and giving thanks before meals become more meaningful...

Well..., let’s say grace!

Banana

I read this in an email and I thought this might be informative... so I just post it here for reference purposes. By the way, the author is unknown....

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain... Read on: 

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! 

This is interesting. 

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again. 

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. 

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. 

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.. 

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. 

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. 

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. 

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness 

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. 

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. 

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. 

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan. 

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. 

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! 

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills.. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS 

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe....polish with dry cloth.. Amazing fruit !!!

Life Group Meeting ~ My Hipstamatic Prints

These are the dishes (local delicacies to go with porridge) for to-night's Life Group meeting...

Pickled Lettuce is somehow looks ordinary and also gives an impression of an under favor choice to go with porridge. But this skillful recipe has changed the opinion of many who have tasted it… It is cheap and appetizing and is set to prompt you for another bowl of porridge…

 Imported Seasoned VegetablefFried with Minced Pork

Local Seasoned Vegetable fried with Pork Belly, topped with Peanuts

 Traditional Egg Pan Cake With Dried Vegetable

Deep fried Minced Pork with Salted Fish... A dish that can bring you back to your childhood memories. Highly recommended by the Chef!

 

 Salted Egg

Spicy Smiling Fish cooked with Sour Eggplant

Porridge Boiled with Sweet Potatoes

Lens: Helga Viking, Film: Kodot Verichrome, Flash: Standard

After the supper, we had our wonderful DVD video session with Pastor Mark Ng from New Creation Church while he preached on "Jesus Alone Saves -  Not man, Idols Or Superstitious Practices". In his preaching, he expounded the beauty of our Lord and His love for us...

Sushi Queen

In Japanese cuisine, Sushi (寿司) is vinegar rice, usually topped with other ingredients, such as fish. What we are making here is actually called Makizushi (巻寿司), rolled Sushi. A cylindrical piece, formed with the help of a bamboo mat, called Makisu (巻簾). Makizushi is generally wrapped in Nori (海苔), a Japanese name for various edible seaweed.

After numerous attempt on making Sushi with different combination of ingredients, we finally settled down by using only cucumber, red carrot, crab meat, egg omelette, vegetarian dried bean curd and not forgetting our secret ingredient called Furikake Nori Katsuo Seasoning Mix!

To honor Penny with her effort in preparing these Makizushi, this "brand name" of Sushi Queen is given to identify her unique combo of deliciously prepared Makizushi...!