Half Blood Prince

I'm not exactly a 'freak fan' of Mr. Potter - but i am a big fan of the sheer marketing that's gone into the making of perhaps one of the biggest phenomenons on the big screen in recent times. Let's not get into how they did that - it's beyond the scope of a blog post !

However, this is just a quick review of the latest - HBP a.k.a - Half Blood Prince. My personal opinion on the movie - trash ! I think that's cause the book isn't that mysterious. Except a major incident towards the end of the movie - there isn't anything else that keeps you gripped. And that's most unlike Mr. Potter. Perhaps i was expecting too much.

Other flicks to watch out for -

Transformers 2. Only if you're a fan of fiction to an extent that robots can 'transform' into your cigarette lighter. I am very skeptical of cars these days - god knows when one of em might just transform into a 100 ft. tall monster and start firing rockets at me !

Whatever happened to good 'ol cinema ! Or is it me whos getting older!

Chinese Secrets

A large section of people i know enjoy the 'Chinese' cuisine. They really relish the menu - right from spicy wantonese soups to those soft garlic noodles !

I've been experimenting with Chinese cuisine for over 2 years now. I cannot say i've perfected it but i have definitely picked up critical 'tricks' that should help the novice to medium cook who wants to stir up some 'slick' chinese menu.

TRICK #1
Always ... i mean ALWAYS use chicken stock. Sorry veggie peoples - but Chinese aren't exactly vegetarian ! use it for noodles also !

TRICK #2
Never hoard your wok. What this means is that always make servings of upto 2 people at the most. Your wok should be about 35-40% full when all the ingredients go in. ensure the wok isn't overflowing.

TRICK #3
Chop your veggies REAL FINE. And i mean - as fine as you can. Use a sharp knife. Especially hard to cook veggies like cabbage, onions, and carrots. (or leafy veggies)

TRICK #4
Use a WOK - yes. For my Indian readers - a 'kadhai' will not substitute. The wok is made out of a thinner sheet of aluminum - so it heats real fast and retains the heat longer. Unless you are making stew - chinese cuisine demands less time on stove.

TRICK #5
Don't throw in the Garlic when the oil is hot - it just burns the garlic. Especially in a wok. Ideally throw in something like Onions first. Burnt garlic takes the kick away from super noodles.

TRICK #6
Tips for boiling noodles:
- Put the noodles in the water ONLY when it starts boiling
- Keep the noodles just slightly undercooked - take em out and wash them with cold water
- If you can - boil the noodles in Chicken stock with some spices (like cloves, garlic, bay leaf, and salt)
- Post washing, dab the Noodles with little bit of olive oil and shake it well. The Noodles will retain their moisture.
- Timing is critical. The noodles should be ready just when they need to go into the Wok. Basically - they shouldn't be sitting on the kitchen slab !

I've been picking up some very interesting recipes from Sanjeev Kapoor's book. I generally make his recipie and then improvise every time. Sometimes i've hit rock bottom - but the trick with Chinese is to keep it simple and fast.

All the best and bon appétit !