Nocturnal Adventures

Ever since I had tasted 4th Aunt's yellow wine chicken in KL, I've been making a half-hearted search for a bottle of glutinous rice yellow wine to further my culinary adventures back home. Thus far, I had been most unsuccessful.

Until now.

FINALLY! After much googling and asking around (supermarkets, TCM shops, local grocery shop uncle, chatting to customers in TCM shop), I've managed to get my grubby little hands on a bottle of the above - "Kiukiang Glutinous Rice Chiew"! And where was it hiding all this while? Why, in the bottom shelf of the condiments section in the neighbourhood "Shop n Save", of course...

I've never had much confidence in my culinary skills, and would not usually attempt any western recipes which called for any sort of slightly more exotic ingredient than "dried oregano" or which required more than 2 steps in whipping the whole thing together. But when it comes to chinese recipes, I am somehow filled with less trepidation in exploratory adventures.
So, armed with some recipes from the internet, and my magical bottle of yellow glutinous rice wine, I set off on tonight's effort. Ladies and Germs, I present to you *TADA* - Yellow Rice Wine Chicken, with (copious amounts of) Ginger, Red Dates, Wolfberries, and Shitake Mushrooms (the last ingredient is my own addition, mushrooms being one of my favourite food). Not half bad, if I say so myself! Good enough for me to offer to share some of it. Hehe! Chucked in a good half bottle of the good stuff. Once you're through slurping up all the soupy goodness, I'm sure you'd (be drunk enough to) give me the same compliment for this dish too! HAH!

Alas, the other experiment tonight (Steamed Banana Cake) failed miserably to rise (to the occasion). Our Friend blames it on the flour. This means, of course, that we'll have to scout for fresh new flour, and MORE ripe bananas, to test out the recipe. So off to the baking shop we'll go tomorrow...