I have the worst technology/computer luck. Ever. My computers have gone through more crashes that all the world's stock markets combined. And it's not just hardware...the simplest of programs have mysteriously refused to work under my incapable hands. I have committed that horrible act of spilling coffee (with milk and sugar) on my laptop (no, it doesn't only happen in movies). My technician is on the top of my Christmas list. I have endured too many computer meltdowns to count espresso cups set. To think I spend all of my working and a big chunk of my "playing" time on a computer! To think I'm a blogger from whose fingertips computer skills are expected to spew magically forth like fairy dust. Not so.

Just because I live and work on a computer online most of the time does not mean technology has taken kindly to me. It's a bit on a tainted love we have -- me and technology. Case in point, I am fresh (although that would be the last word I would use to describe how I feel) from my work computer's major crash (hello 500++ emails queued up in 2 days) and now stare helplessly at my laptop that has decided to join in the fun. Black screen with a little white cursor glowing menacingly at me. Fie on you.

These days, I am beyond the hair-pulling, head-spinning dramatics these breakdowns would once trigger. I've long learned that shaking fists and sobbing buckets do not sway cold-hearted hard drives. Instead I brew some tea and remind myself that as far as calamities go my little technological hiccups are just small fry in the grander scheme of things. I think of the many other areas at which I am much luckier, and hunker down with some of life's more tangible pleasures --- like food magazines :)

Ginger Chili Fish Fillets
(adapted from Yummy Magazine, July 2010 issue)
•300 grams white fish fillet, cut into 2-inch portions
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•2 tablespoons oil, divided
•1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
•1 green finger chili, sliced on the diagonal
•1 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass
•2 tablespoons soy sauce, separated
•1 teaspoon fish sauce
•1 teaspoon sesame oil
•1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
•1 teaspoon brown sugar
•400 grams bokchoy, leaves separated
•1-2 tablespoons sliced spring onion/green onion, to garnish

- Mix cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Add fish and toss to coat. Shake of the excess.
- Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, black vinegar, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat half the oil in a wok on high. When hot Bordeaux, stir-fry ginger and chili for 1-2 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
- In the same wok heat the rest of the oil. Fry fish for about 2 minutes on each side. Add ginger/chili mixture and the soy sauce mixture. Let this bubble for a few seconds then toss until the fish is coated on all sides. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- In the same wok add the bokchoy with the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Cover and let cook for about 30 seconds. Uncover, toss, cover and cook for another 30 seconds, then take off the heat. You want the bokchoy to be just cooked.
- Arrange the bokchoy on a serving plate. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables. Top with a sprinkling of green onion.
- Serves two.

Although I love trawling the net for food inspiration, especially among other food blogs, nothing can quite replace the satisfaction of pages in your hand, something you can hold and scribble notes on and take with you to bed on a rainy night. This recipe was taken from Yummy magazine -- one of my favorite local food magazines for its unfussy and upbeat appeal, simple yet flavorful recipes, and interesting features. I've amended the recipe to add more greens (as we do love our greens over here!) and a touch of sesame and black vinegar to the sauce as I feel these flavors complement the soy perfectly. A bowl of steaming white rice is not required but highly recommended.

It's amazing how computers, and the internet, and technology in general, have gone and, in what seems to be the blink of an eye, made themselves indispensable to our lives -- or at least that's what they like us to believe. Despite my bad luck though, I am still a fan high chair, after all here I am right? Plugging away in my little corner of this cyber-world :)

That being said, I think these little disasters are opportunities for us to also defrag and reboot and perhaps even reformat. To stop and take stock...even if it is only to take stock of a to-cook list from one of your favorite food magazines :)

I was in the market the other weekend and spotted the loveliest looking little fish.  Their smooth bodies, no bigger than my finger, were translucent white with a shiny silver stripe down its length.  They were plump and clear-eyed and fresh and absolutely tempting.

These little fish are called dilis in our local vernacular and, to the best of my knowledge, are some sort of anchovy.  Dilis are relatively inexpensive and, really, quite an ordinary-joe type fish in these parts.   They are delicious though.  Usually served deep-fried or in a kilawin (what is essentially our local ceviche of sorts – fish ‘cooked’ in an acid, usually vinegar or citrus juice) Managed Security.

What I’ve done here is try to replicate a Spanish version of our beloved kilawin called boquerones en vinagre.  Boquerones are sometimes referred to as white anchovies, and, although I haven’t a clue what the exact relation is to our dilis, they seem to be in the same family.  So, that, along with some advice from friends and family, was enough to make me attempt one of my most favorite Spanish tapas of all time.

I have no set recipe as of yet, since this was my first go at it, but I will share my method and findings since many many have been asking after this photo on Instagram. (you can follow me on Instagram at chichajo if you are so inclined)

But first some links I've been liking!

**  10 simple things to make you happier at home…some great reminders here!

**  Adorable…and since I’ve just acquired my great-grandmother’s bar (so thrilled about that!  Cocktail party soon!) this will certainly come in handy.

**  Just reading this list makes me excited!  Go away Bejeweled...it's time to read books again!

**  We’ve finally built more cabinet space.  Let’s celebrate with new plates, shall we?

**  I love making my own spice mixes...this one sounds awesome.

**  After this, comes this. 

**  Print these now and give to friends and interesting strangers!

Ok, and now, dilis/boquerones en vinagre.

 Clean your fish – Remove the head, the guts, and the bones (leave the tail on or off, up to you), and butterfly the fish.  Or, like me, you can have your fish monger do it.  Over here they will do it with a smile – fish markets, it’s more fun in the Philippines!

Lay the filleted fish flat on a ceramic or glass dish – I used a Pyrex baking dish which worked perfectly.  They didn't all fit in one layer but I think that is fine.

Now, pour in your vinegar – Sherry or white wine vinegar is what’s prescribed mostly and I would stick to that, but I am sure you can use others in a pinch.  I also add some lemon juice.  Make sure the vinegar gets all over and in between the layers of fish.  Let this marinate until the fish is “cooked through”.  You know this has happened when the fillets turn white.  I looked all over the internet, and picked the brains of some boquerones-making relatives Hong Kong Festival, and the marinating times vary from as little as 30-40 minutes to overnight.  At 30-40 minutes my dilis where nowhere near cooked through so I just let them sit longer.

Next – This juncture, before adding the oil, is where most recipes diverge.  Some instruct you to remove all the vinegar and rinse the fish, and then pat dry.  Some just remove the vinegar.  And some leave the vinegar and just add oil.  Some recipes actually add the vinegar and the oil at the same time.  I decided to marinate, then remove most of the vinegar, skip the washing (because I was lazy, it can’t be denied), and then pour in the oil.

Adding oil and aromatics – After I removed most of the vinegar, I transferred all but the first layer of fish to a plate.  Then I drizzled a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the first layer of fish, sprinkled a bit of salt (just a bit), some chopped garlic and parsley, a fresh squeeze of lemon, then covered with another layer of fish.  Repeat until you have used up all the fish and make sure your last drizzling of oil covers all the fish.  Cover the dish and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.  I would suggest letting it rest a bit like this before serving.  Some do without the garlic and parsley but I love it this way and wholeheartedly recommend adding them in.

Serving – I just served this as is, but my much-more-experienced-in-boquerones-making cousin takes the fillets out and adds a fresh splash of olive oil and some drops of balsamic reduction.  So, the choice is yours.  Either way, this is good stuff!

Storing – Again, I searched online for guidelines on storing and the results varied from a couple of days to months!  I kept mine in a clean jar in the fridge, the fish completely covered with a layer of oil, and it just kept getting better day after day.  They lasted six days like this simply because I polished it off by then.

Overall, this was wickedly simple to make and absolutely delicious to eat.  Aside from serving this as tapas for your next cocktail party, it also makes a lovely quick lunch laid onto some thick slices of good bread with a salad on the side.  If anyone has tips, suggestions, or sage advice regarding boquerones making please drop me a note in the comments…we are looking forward to spotting the next dilis catch in the market!

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Life is a long journey, everyone on the road. Although I do not know what is the end of the road? Although I do not know how far away, or to hope, dreams, responsibility or promise, too, we have to move on, because we are the walker Men clothing styles.

When we started from that day mother delivered in October, all the passions, sorrows and joys to build the road of life is laid at the feet, once the heart of the young, toward the direction of heart, hesitated, efforts, ahead, grow up to realize the true way of life. When his own ambition and reality be quite different, need a kind of courage and tenacity, perseverance and persistence, take a journey in the dark? The need for a how to achieve perfect courage and persistence? When a road to the crossroads of time, but also need a calm thinking how to choose? Hesitate, hesitation, hang back, also need a how open-minded detachment attitude to obey fate? In the face of every path selection, how heavy?

Yes, life is not only a result, but a process of life. In this process, we are constantly choice, feeling the beauty of it in the process, or happy, or sad, or wounded, or pain, beautiful, bright, dark, because all this constitutes the melody of life! Make us different people on the road with the feelings of the heart, the pain and happy.

Have their own goals, to determine the direction of his heart, choose a belongs to own road, truly create his own life, this is the true meaning of life!

Is a road, there is no flat, always so bumpy, Gou Gou kankam, even the thorns, the rapids. Fall, climb up, carefully at the helm, does not deviate from the course, go our own way. Pain and tears too much, sad and hurt, not the shed and helpless, wiped away tears, pack up the mood to move on, because since chose distance, ready to wind and rain. Because this is life, in order to survive, to hope, to dream, to responsibility, to the meaning of life Shopping in Hong Kong, the value of life, we are busy, rushing forward, in the face of adversity school will persist and endure, bear and strong. To savor the often, not to the heart of the holiday, ring a inadvertently passed, our efforts, ahead, because on the road, in the rough in the, in the wind and rain, we will test, with each and every one of us.

What is the end of the road? We can make nothing of it, only know that there are our hope, we must walk leads. Forward in the process, will encounter a memorable people and things, time, experience the beautiful scenery, imperceptibly holding a ray from the depths of the soul moved slow your pace, confusion, hesitation, wandering, many speechless not shed, a lot of speechless helpless, difficult to know feelings, non saints, but learn to an ordinary detached, see Yunjuanyunshu, has no intention to stay in the realm of. Behind the seemingly gorgeous turn, who can understand that a wordless pain, tears behind but silence and it can't touch the scar, what else? But you have to take the package, pack up the mood to move on. This is the life! However, it is this short remain stagnant, make people realized that life's sorrows and joys and frustrations of life. To realize a drop in life is difficult, life is in between, gain and loss is, there will always leave some sigh in the heart. Beauty of regret in life, let us learn to calm thinking, life experience the beauty and precipitation.

"Come a long way ahead, I will seek" although we do not know what is the end of the road? But the heart of hope, regardless of hardships and dangers can prevent us from moving forward. We move forward, ten years ago, after ten years, twenty years ago, twenty years later, so when the rotary, chanafanghua, we have in the distant place sb

The road is the choice of the heart, heart empty clear road, sunshine, rain heart empty, Lu also lingering, empty heart melancholy, Lu also misty Veda Salon. It is bearing the weight of each person's acid, sweet, bitter, spicy, joy, anger, sadness and joy. Like a boat, you at the helm, hope the pilot, only gently round, through life at The scenery is like a picture., listen to the song, put down the heavy life, leisurely walk lightly, because we are travelers, we are on the way!

If you adore Thai curries, this class is for you. Learn the ins and outs of shopping for the essential ingredients and how to make curry paste from scratchproduct labeling.

You’ll learn how to make authentic, delicious Thai curries with the very best ingredients, at the same time demystifying the spice cabinet. Learn how to tell good store-bought pastes from bad (for a rainy day) and the best sources in the area to find what you need to make a great pot of curry from scratchCCIBA.

We’ll also be talking about wine pairing with curries, which is a fascinating subject in itself. At the end of the class we will sit down and enjoy the fruits curries of our labor togetherMen fashion .

Some time ago the continual, near the Mid Autumn Festival, the rain gradually stopped, after rain the sky looks blueman t shirt . Everything in the world, more new, charming,,

At this time the night sky extraordinarily quiet, as if a bright light shining in the sky, it seems the night of the Mid Autumn Festival comes ahead of schedule,,,,

Yesterday, near the mid autumn feeling myriad, life groundless talk, had spent countless mid autumn, seems to have been a vague memory,,,

One day, the Mid Autumn Festival is coming, one family can get together, happy mid autumn festival,,

The night of the Mid Autumn Festival, one family to accompany me, sitting in the moonlight, taste sweet cakes, sweet taste life all sufferings have their reward,,

The night of the Mid Autumn Festival, one family to accompany me, sitting in the moonlight, enjoy the moonlight, listening to the moonlight, I had little to share your story, feel the life is the most beautiful season,,

The night of the Mid Autumn Festival, one family to accompany me, sitting in the moonlight, talk about recent work, life, feel the child, the conversation between the mature know, heart comfort, once the pain, once paid, are worth it.

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Mid autumn night, the moonlight is unchanged, but the people will slowly grow old, as people get older, will be more attached to the warmth of home, every year the mid autumn festival may later, feel the moment of being together sweet, the month circle person circle beauty garage storage systems.

The mid autumn is beautiful, the night of the Mid Autumn Festival more warmth!