Cooking with Jackie: How to make Xiu Mai "Filling" (Traditional Chinese Pork Dumpling)

This weekend, I was trying my hands on making the "filling" for Xiu Mai (a traditional Chinese steamed pork dumpling) served in dim sum.  

So, I didn't think of making the real Xiu Mai as I didn't buy the dough wrapper. wtf~ *excuses* lol 

And because I still have a pack of Vietnamese Rice paper which I bought since last year (but still in within the validity period lah...) but too lazy to make the Vietnamese roll again lah. 

That's why, instead of making a Vietnamese roll again, I'm trying to make the Xiu Mai filling but not da real Xiu Mai coz I used the Vietnamese rice paper to wrap instead of the Xiu Mai wrapper. wtf~ And they turned out to look like Har Gao (another steamed traditional Chinese dumpling but stuffed with prawn filling and the wrapper looked like from rice papers) but also not Har Gao coz they were not being steamed but deep fried.

All in all, they looked like a hybrid of Xiu Mai- Har Gao- Gyoza-Vietnamese roll. LMAO~ 

If you've eaten those food before, you may know what I'm saying, probably you'll get it when you see the product of the picture. haha~   

Top left pic shows the example of Har Gao (steamed prawn dumpling)

Top right pic shows the example Xiu Mai (steamed pork dumpling)

What you may need to make the "filling". This ingredients may be fit for 2-3 ppl.
Ingredients:
1. Ground pork (around a cup)
2. Cloves of 1 bulb of garlic (minced)
3. Minced carrot (halves)

To bring the taste alive, you may need to add:
1. Sesame oil (around 2 tablespoonful)
2. Oyster sauce (1 1/2 tablespoonful)
3. Ground black pepper (quite a lot I suggest to give an extra kick in the taste)
4. Fish soy sauce (I just added it in - I know, it's not related with pork. That's why it's my recipe. :P)
5. Some minimal amount of salt and sugar to taste

Mix them all together! 

My leftover wrapper for Vietnamese roll, in which I used to wrap my Xiu Mai filling. (innovative person I am, right?-is speaking, Master Yoda)

Going for a deep fried!!

Jackie's Homemade Dumpling *literally* After deep fried on a wok.

Tadaaa....I successfully made the "filling" for the pork dumpling and the taste was so good in every single taste and bite. 

Therefore, I'm feeling pretty proud and impressed with myself, as I didn't even write down the ingredients or measurements for the ingredients and just made it after watching some clips about it! XD 

                       

Here are the Vietnamese rolls with prawns, lettuces and raw carrots filling, together with the special sauce I made last year, back in 2013. 

The additional pack of Vietnamese roll paper which I told about in the earlier blog, I took it to use as wrappers for my Xiu Mai "filling". ;)

Next time, real Xiu Mai, I shall make! ;)

Enjoy the recipe, peeps!

Sweden: ICA Supermarket (Groceries Shopping) & Clothes Shopping (Kista Stockholm)

This blog will feature more on the pictures on shopping and what would Swedes do in their daily lives in Sweden.
As the saying goes, when you're in Sweden, do as the Swedes do? haha~
Ai ya yai, that should be the quote for Rome. :P
So, here they are.....jeng jeng jeng~~

Swedish ICA hypermarket (Maxi) which sells a full range of groceries, just like UK Tesco and French Carrefour.

Self service portable scanning device?
So are you waiting for ppl to help you? Better you help yourself...Just scan those items you wanted to buy while you shop and pay straight at the self-service counter, it's easier and faster that way ;)

Appelmust? Got this from ICA.
Drinking apple juice is a must? LOL~  I do eat apple everyday, except on weekends.
(Appel=apple, Must= Juice)

The vainpot was having her selfie moment :*

Can you spot the Bumble Bee? Bum bum~

The countryside view of Sweden.

Fooling around.... *bunny tooth*

On the way to Kista Stockholm for shoppinggggggg. Yay~

We've reached! The external view of the shopping mall.

Prawn salad for lunch! I love salad with prawns actually...It has always been my favourite starter food la...it recalls back those days when eating at Eden Restaurant, always having prawn salad as starter, back at home!
Prawn salad with the olive oil as dressing~ yum yum and particularly more delicious when we were hungry. hehe~

Coffee or Fika break anyone ;)
#coffeelatte #cappucino

Gevalia it says. but somehow my thoughts were playing trick with me..and I saw that as Genitalia. :P
Forgive my hamsap-ness (horniness)~wtf

Late lunch or coffee break at Cafe Leaf @ Kista Stockholm

Slut Rea? Is it for real? Did it mean that really got slut inside? hehe~
All guys will be enjoying themselves in this shop then *kidding*
All Swedes will come bashing me. Don't get me wrong, I like to play around with words especially for learning new languages, so that I could remember them easily.
It literally means final sale (Slut=Final, Rea=sale)

The view outside of the shopping mall, Kista Stockholm. Buildings..Ericsson brand is a Swedish brand for the mobile phone. Ericsson brand mobile phone was my first mobile phone back in Form 4, in which my dad gave it to me as a gift~

Saw my name..."Jackie"?? I even owned a shop at the shopping mall in Sweden!
How I wish I am a boss. *dreaming mode* *LOL*

The countryside view of Sweden. 
I remember that my art drawing Sir would teach me the basic of drawing by tracing with the art paper from his own drawing on the skyblue scenery which looked just like that.  
So, this scenery above sorta reminded me of my kiddo drawing when I attended the art class when I was in my primary school days. 
If I could retrieve those drawings again, I will take a good shot on it and show perhaps. ;)

The horses grazing the meadow view? ;)

 Part of the Enköping town, the housing and apartments area

 Enköping town

The cute lil' menu at Tapas restaurant

The champagne Brut: A bit of alcohol percentage in it and slightly sweet. *Favourita* 

Awesome sunset view in Enköping town, while having dinner at Tapas Restaurant 

Tapas Restaurant: I enjoyed this variety of small snack bites that we had. I always enjoyed a variety of food displayed for consumption. But speechless to compliment more. hehe~

#deepfriedcalamarirings
#mozarellacheesebruschetta (yummy to bits, loved the bull's cheese. Something new to me though and didn't taste cloying at all, unlike other cheese)
#frieddumplings (delicious to bits especially when it was hot & crunchy, served directly from the kitchen)
#olives (like eating preserved fruits products from China, for example orange peel....you know...not sure how to describe further. hehe. Not bad ahh)
#grilledprawns (the prawns didn't tasted that good as if it lacked of the X factor, but when you gave it some of the lemon squeeze, it tasted better)

Top left side pic: The brave and daring lil' Swedish crow. LOL~ Beware, it could snatch your food, right in front of your weary eyes. :P

Top right side pic: Colourful flowers at the town area

Another awesome sunset view in Enköping town, while having dinner at Tapas Restaurant XD

              
The top left hand side picture: Geographically in year 1200, we should be looking at a higher ground view and I was supposedly by right standing on water/ stream/ sea, from where I took this pic. Hmm...get what I mean? Either you're confused or you may think that it's interesting~~ But hell yeahhh, interesting and the Swedes government take the time to make the shore line mark along with its year to convey such information to the public.

The top right hand side picture: As we go further down the road, (200 years later), the land rises even more. This happened cause of geographical issues. But nowadays after 1000 years,  I think the world is on its clockwise cycle, with the melting of ice in Arctic and Antarctic lately...all lands are going to be drowned soon, going back to where it belongs. Say, bye bye Land! :/

A walk at the well-maintained greenery park after dinner in Enköping
Casual maxi dress - by Jane Norman

To end this, here's the supposedly photo sphere panoramic view of the Kista (pronounced as "sheesta") Stockholm area.
Splendid pic, don't you think? With its bright natural lighting of the sun and peaceful street.

Till here, hope that you all like it! Night night~ :D

Sweden: The Land of the Vikings

I've been really tired and busy with work~ Sometimes, I'm not even sure if it's worth to shorten my life by additional 10 years due to work problems and etc. I even slept as early as 9pm. Not much time to enjoy watching my favourite series, Korean drama and American series. And the next morning, the same old daily thing is repeating again. Aaaargghhhh....

Ok, anyway.... 

Here's a sneak peek of my Swedish holiday~

Anyway, when you're in Sweden, you'll get to visit some Vikings rune and you'll even hear them using Lagom (for just the right amount) and Tack (thank you). ;) 

The Swedish Kronor notes.
Notice the 50 Kronor with the music notes? They first caught my eye. Never seen music notes on cash notes before though. That's why....haha~

Awaiting for my KLM check-in counter to be opened. They opened the counter exactly 2 hours before departure. Luckily Birmingham airport is not a busy airport like London. So I guess not much to complain.
I'm not going to blog much about the on board KLM air stewardess, apparently,
IMHO, I think they were quite snooty, not friendly, especially the flight from Birmingham to Amsterdam. And if they were to smile to you, you could sense that it wasn't genuinely. I'm not too sure if I'm being sensitive as a Chinese here.
BTW, I'm not from China and I'm not a ruthless Chinese, mind you all...:P
In conclusion, not all Chinese are good and not all Chinese are bad either, similarly to other ethnicity as well~
Apparently, my flight was delayed for 30 minutes from Birmingham to Amsterdam as the Captain was waiting for a lady to shop for gifts, as no one could actually find her at the airport.
In the end, she came back with a big Duty Free bag filled with gift items. WTF~ I guess, flying with KLM was good, since they waited for all their passengers. I hope one day when I'm the late person, they will wait for me lah~ =.= 
(I actually filled up their survey form halfway, but it was too much questions being asked, so I ended up didn't complain directly to them via the website)

My flight from Amsterdam to Arlanda airport was generally good.  No complaints.

Välkommen to Sweden again (to myself)! 

The miniature Swedish vikings buildings and ship :D

Pucker your lips like this. :*

The Vikings' rune~ (like the snake drawing)

Here's a short clip I made using meitu apps in Chinese.  Enjoy~