Penang Hokkien Mee (福建面)

I have been craving for Hokkien mee since i set foot here. So i went shopping at the chinese store for all the ingredients that i wanted to cook hokkien mee/Ha Mien 虾面.



Ingredients
3 tbsp Ready made hokkien mee paste
15 cups of water
1/2 lbs of pork ribs
1/2 lbs of pork belly
1/2 lbs of prawn (with shell)
rock sugar to taste
salt to taste
5 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lbs yellow noodle (scalded)
1 lbs vermicelli/bee hoon (scalded)
some bean sprouts (scalded)

2 hard boiled eggs (shelled and halved)

1 small shallot (fried until crispy)

1/2 pieces of fish cake

1/4 lbs of cooked prawn

Method
It's hard for me to collect the shrimp heads to cook the broth, thus i am using the ready made hokkien mee paste sent from Penang.

1. Heat up the cooking oil in a pot and stir fry the hokkien mee paste and garlic until aromatic.
2. Add in the cooked prawn, stir fry until they are well cooked. Pick up the cooked shrimps and set aside for topping
3. Put in the water and bring it to boil, add in the pork ribs, pork belly and prawns. Simmer for about 1.5 hour. Add in the fish cake to well cook.
4. Scoop up the pork belly and fish cake. Sliced thinly and set aside for topping.
5. Add in the rock sugar and salt.
6. When serving, place your desired yellow noodle, vermicelli and bean sprouts in a bowl. Then laddle the stock over and pour the stock back to the pot (repeat this action couple of time, that's the way hawkers in Penang do, in order to heat up the yellow noodle, vermicelli and bean sprouts). Then laddle the hot broth over.
7. Top with pork belly, egg, pork ribs, fish cakes, cooked shrimps and sprinkle with fried shallots.

Double happiness

Today, i woke up with a little surprise outside the house. IT WAS SNOWING!!! I was soo excited and Sly make me coffee and toasted bread, there i was sipping my hot coffee watching the snow falls in the dining room. What a Monday morning to begin with. I was like a little girl taking pictures of the snow flakes and the street covered with ice. I can't wait till i see the white snow covering the land. Should be one hell of breath taking scene. There was this Canadian told me that there are 2 groups of Canadian, one that likes the winter and the other hates the winter. I don't know which category i belong, but soon i will find out.

My second happiness was the parcel from home. The courier always came in on Friday when i wasn't at home to receive them :(

Anyway, i drove to the post office at Pharmacy Jean Coutu to collect it on Monday. Before i went out, the car was covered by snow. So, i have to learn another trick during the winter that all Canadian has to do, clean the wind shield before i hit the road. Gee.. i really looked like a student with my pink coat. There was once i went to buy a bus ticket with my pink coat on and the lady sold me the student bus ticket.

My mum sent me some hokkien mee paste, bak kut teh herb, plastic table cloth, balaccan in a tight seal box, hee.. you know how overwhelming the smell can be.

This is my first winter video taken from the balcony of my house. You can hear the birds chirping happily welcoming the white season and maybe, maybe the TV at the back (As I was watching TLC on baby story).