Pan-fried turnip cake 港式蘿蔔糕

Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, February 10th this year. Many moms get busy preparing for food to celebrate the New Year, just like Christmas. The turnip cake is one of the festival food for the holiday. Although it is very time-consuming, all the work is worth it when you see the smile on your love ones.

Fried pork chops 炸豬排

We have a long drive to work everyday. When we stuck in traffic (which is pretty often), we like to look at the cars on the road. After many discussions, we came to the same conclusion that BMW makes the most stylish cars. Our eyes always chase after the shadow of a BMW, especially the 5 series. It just catches my eyes so much, and every time I see one, it makes me feel happy. Oh~ Such a beauty! We also agree that if we were going to buy a car next time, we will buy a BMW X5! We say it so many times, now it feels like a dream. I wish it will stay as a dream. This way, I will have something to look forward to, and it will always be the best car in my eyes. Sometimes the human nature tends not to treasure the things after you get it.

Fried pork chops are a very common dish in Taiwan. I fried them in a flat pan, so I don't have to use so much oil.

Pan-fried leek buns 韭菜水煎包

The weather is getting warmer and warmer. Summer is in the air. The vegetables in my in-laws' garden are growing so fast that we can't keep up our speed on consuming them. Leek is one of them. This makes me think of a common street food back in home, the pan-fried buns. It took a little time to make, because we had to wait for the dough to rise, which made the dinner time a little later than usual on this week night, but it's all worth it. The moment when we dig in, oh, it tasted so good! I have to say when flour meets fat (oil, butter or cheese), magic happens!

Pot stickers -- a big flower 冰花煎餃

Dumplings are a traditional Chinese food, especially in Northern China. It is made into a shape like the "yuanbao" (元寶), a silver/gold ingot used to be the currency in China until the 20th century. The filling can be a mix of ground meat and vegetables. It can be boiled, steamed or pan-fried. Because of its shape, it is a "must-have" during Chinese New Year, representing good luck in money. Of course, it is also a common food through out the year. I like to have pan-friend and steamed dumplings in the summer time, and the boiled dumplings in the winter time. It's just a personal preference.

Leek box 韭菜盒子

My in-laws have a garden in their back yard. They maintain a good variety of vegetables in the garden. Each month we will have a different vegetable "in season" and shows up on our dinner table for the entire month. Recently, the leek is very productive due to the rainy weather we have, so the best way to consume these leeks is to make "the leek boxes"! It is a traditional Northern Chinese food, especially in the summer time. The key is to use hot boiling water to destroy the gluten in the flour, and also they are half cooked this way, so it is very crispy on the outside.

Guacamole cheese hamburger 酪梨沙拉起司漢堡

We love avocados very much. Avocado by itself doesn't have much flavor, but we like its creamy, smooth texture and the pretty green color. Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid, acting as a "nutrient booster" and good for the heart! I've seen some people use avocado to make ice cream or eat it with cereal. We like to use avocado to make sushi and guacamole, which is our favorite! We love guacamole in a burrito or a dip for chips. It's delicious and economic to make guacamole at home.