Coffee- The international beverage

Just realise I had left this blog untouched for so many months!! @@
I haven't been cooking much nowadays unless when I invite friends over for dinner, moreover, I try to post only recipes thought up by me and not dishes that I cook using other recipe for reference.(thats what JK creations is all about isn't it?) So the hanjuku egg, taiwanese wine basil chicken are not posted here. If anyone who is interested to know how those are cooked, you can just watsapp me for the recipe.

This morning while I am preparing for work, the radio (FM 88.3) DJ was talking about coffee from all over the world. And this inspired me to write this entry.

I am an coffee addict, no kidding, without coffee,I am a zombie!!! I need at least one a day as if its medication. During MJ sessions, if i start behave like a blur sotong, K never fail to ask " do you need your coffee??" LOL all the Mahjong Kakis sure have heard that before.I started drinking coffee since primary school days. This runs in the family, I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing. Everyone in my family drinks coffee, even my 80 year old grandma.. she drinks that everyday! And K has tasted the coffee she made, she is so proud of it! ^^

I am so glad that coffee is a worldwide commodity and I can get it almost everywhere in this world. I have no problem getting my coffee fix when I went travelling. (not that i travel often though..) But, what's the difference in the coffee around the world?

Penang

Year 2009 in Penang

Having coffee in penang is zero challange. Most/all of the coffee shops sell coffee the singapore style. Old town, georgetown coffee is sighted everywhere and you can easily get your coffee fix. I even loot back lotsa coffee from 'the coffee tree'. Its coffee heaven in penang!

Hongkong- Year 2010

There are lotsa 茶餐厅 (tea house) in HongKong, and it seems like their speciality is their HK milk tea, lemon tea and warm coke with lemon. Coffee don't seem to be in their culture. Either that, or I went to the wrong place for my coffee, the coffee tasted sour, and there is no aroma at all. I added sugar and it doesnt taste like coffee either. If I am not wrong, that was the first coffee I had, and the last thru out the 4 days trip. The other days I depend on milk tea to wake me up. My upcoming trip, I guess I will rely on starbucks and pacific coffee.. haha..

Taipei- Year 2011

I was lucky, the two minsu i stay in the first two days had a expresso machine in the house. Its superb good expresso coffee!

Other days of the trip I have tried coffee from the breakfast stores in the neighbourhood which is really nice and have a unique fragrance.. ( i just realise i did not take any photo of my take-away coffee as it was a very rush breakfast in the cab) and I also get my coffee from the bubble tea outlets. They have this 微醺咖啡 which is so bitter that my face twisted.... but i swear that the bitter has a v pleasant taste to it which i like. hahaha..


Bitter face with bitter coffee near 师大。。

And did i tell you that this morning the radio also reveal that Taiwan is ranked one of the top countries that serve good coffee? I must agree on that!!! *thumbs up!!* Now I still craving for that coffee that made my face twisted!

My liking for coffee is so strong that I even choose to hold our ROM ceremony in a cosy cafe at Haji Lane. too bad its closed down already.. :(

And they even use our ROM photos to decor their wall..(can you find us in the photos? ^^)

Maybe its time to cook up some coffee recipe now, coffee pork ribs maybe??

Glimpse of JK Herb Garden

Those who have eaten at JK Kitchen would have know that I am a fan of culinary herbs. Basil, corrainder, rosemary, parsley , garlic (is garlic considered a herb?) you will find these in my dishes without fail. And i have always wish i have a herb garden (simulated) where i can just pluck whatever i need to cook, and to proudly tell my guest "this is home grown and organic ^^!!". However, to face the cruel truth, how do we have a herb garden in HDB? I only have a miserable not- so -much of a corridor (as i am staying in a door to door unit) and the only way to lengthen my "corridor" is to wait till the lift upgrading project which is a few years down the road.. "_"|||. So now i have to make the best out of what i could now.. We count our blessings we have a very sweet neighbour who offered her aphid spray when my chilli plant got infested, water my plants when we are away for holiday, offered to catch the caterpillar who ate my mandarin orange leaves. Where can i find myself such nice neighbour? We are so blessed! All thanks to her that our mini herb garden are in safe hands. :) One sunday morning K found this in my chili plant.. and ask me what is that..

This is so cute.. although i am not sure what it is actually for.. but it certainly made my plant look more lively. Immediately i know my neighbour place it there and meant it to be a surprise.. and i check her flower pot and found two of it in hers. one lady bug and one tortise.. (i forgot to take a picture) i immediately watsapp her to thanks her for that little pleasant surprise. hehe... Ok.. glimpse of my 'herb garden' as promised.. its nothing close to a garden yet but i will try my best to grow more stuffs in that little tiny corner.. this is just a start up...

the plant where the lady bug lies on is a chilli plant, a gift from mummy which she lovingly grow from seed. It has been flowering recently but no chilli fruit spotted so far. The one on the right is indian borage, which is the first plant i bought for my mini herb garden. K has had a few foot spas with the leaves infused in warm water. It emits a very fresh minty fragrance and soothe the tireness. Last but not least, my two baby basil sitting at the window of my kitchen.

I have sowed more than 10 seeds in my planter at the corridor and 5 in this little container which i placed at the window of my kitchen. only 5 survived in the planter and only 2 layers of leaves spotted. They did not grow nicely thus i did not take photo.. What you see here are the 2 that survive out of the 5 seeds i sowed in the batch i grow in the kitchen. Seems like 'fengshui' in my kitchen is better? **Those red pellets are fertilisers. Will update more and I wish for those in the kitchen to grow faster and hope the next post will be a step nearer to my dream herb garden! Thanks for reading!