blog of matt siu

I spent 3 hours making bread yesterday. Of all the things I can do on a perfectly good December Sunday afternoon, I made bread. Actually, I made Parker House rolls from the Foodnetwork and one of my favorite chefs, Bobby Flay. Those warm and cotton-like treats with a hint of sweetness. It matter less the variety of bread but the making of the bread. I am addicted. I am infatuated with bread making (ooo... sounds dirty). Let me explain. From yesterday's batch: crusty on the outside, soft inside. A few months ago, I finally mustered up the courage to attempt making something with yeast and flour. Yes, yeast. The dreaded bacteria-like substance perceived as being alive and could make or break your pastry dreams. Since the shit-show (pardon my French) 3 years ago when I tried making pasta, I've had a phobia of dough or similar substances. The recovery was slow but sure. Last year, on a trip to South Cali, my good friend showed me how to proof bread and knead dough. But most i...

Every Christmas, a bunch of us get together and do a Secret Santa event on steroids (AKA gift exchange). We fire up our creative juices just to one-up each other on giving the most sought after and original gift under $20. Last year, I won that honor. Here's how it happened.  I was watching a Jaime Oliver episode when he hosted a spontaneous Supper Club in New York City. He created a post about a free dinner (he accepts donations to charities) at a NYC apartment tomorrow night on his social network page. Naturally, the responses flooded in. He selected 20 people to join him while he cook a great meal for them. "How cool would that be to cook for people you know (and even some you don't) and enjoy an evening of socializing and fine food", I dreamed. Then, all of a sudden (light-bulb on, ding!), I realize I can kill two birds with one stone. What if, for this year's Secret Santa gift, I design a coupon for a three course gourmet meal for two. Just like that, the S...

You have no idea... You have no idea how incredibly badly I want to make this dish (how could you if I haven't told you). And now that I made it, I want to tell the world about it. Every time I watch a celebrity chef create this dish on TV, the little voice in my head says (with echoing effects) "man, I really need to make this". It's absolutely unreal. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the sympathy of seafood that by itself already escalates a dish. Or maybe it's the beautiful combination of herbs. Most of all, I think it's because of the simple fact that rice is being made with flavour. Wow! Flavoured rice. What a radical concept. Yes, us Chinese, though have dishes such as chicken rice or the like, don't usually make rice with a ginormous amount of ingredients. I am a rice fanatic. I love those tiny white grains. And the Paella just takes it the next level. Here's my story. I wasn't going to write about it because it was not done...