April 16, 2008
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Life is Precious
As odd as it sounds, the time off recovering from the cold
was actually refreshing. I didn’t really
take any time off – just worked at a lot slower pace. I wonder what my body is trying to tell
me. I keep hearing and seeing
signals and signs almost every where. At lunch the other day, my colleague
told me his weekend was quite an experience.
He got to spend all day with his grand children. He adores his grandchildren and I can see
they bring a lot of joy into his life.
The next day, he visited a friend who was recently diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer. The cancer has
already spread into the lungs and liver.I keep telling myself life is precious so cherish it. I am trying to find a better work life
balance. A lot of the things I’ve done
to get me this far at work such as working long hours and outworking
everyone else aren’t working for me anymore.
Sometimes you just have to stop hitting your head on the wall if you don’t
want anymore headaches.Here are some food experiments. I don't eat a lot of beef so this is the most beef I've had in a few months.
I had some flank steak which is a lean cut of beef. I marinated it and did a stir fry. I like those sizzling hot plate restaurants
so I kept that in the back of my mind as I was preparing this dish. I had lots of green onions, regular onoins and ginger so I
was very liberal in using them. I also
added some spicy sauce from my bf’s mom and a bit of chili oil just to give
it a bit more zest. The carrot was there for mostly for color but it did add a bit of sweetness. Overall – it was
ok. I still can't figure out how restaurants can get their beef to be so soft and tender.
I’ve been trying to get this dish right. My mom used to make minced meat using beef
over rice and drizzle it with oyster sauce.
This is from the same flank steak as the other dish. I just split them into 2 meals. I haven’t gotten the right texture yet but I’m getting closer with the
taste. I think I put it into the rice
cooker a bit too early. I added those
preserved / salted turnips, some ginger and green onions. I had some zucchini as a side dish.
Comments (17)
Life is indeed precious, sometimes, we need to take our daily chores to a slower pace and start some tasty home cooking! *drool*
yeah balance up everything well ok? work hard play hard eat alot sleep alot =) the beef? try to marinate with oil... is the beef fresh?
Yum! to make beef tender...pound it flat and put corn starch in ur marinade.
@lcfu - I use a bit of sesame seed oil in the marinade, it looked pretty red at the display and smelled ok
@snowjunky8 - I use corn starch in my marinade (sesame seed oil, soy sauce, corn starch and pepper). I haven't tried pounding it and will do that next time. Thanks.
balance is important, and it's something i struggle with too. i think if i don't stop doing so much computer work i'm going to end up with a massive headache soon... but it's hard to avoid the computer since all my homework and research requires a computer.
as always, your cooking looks delectable!
Glad that you're taking a slower pace to get better! Life's too short to work life mad.
And I was gonna suggest corn starch too. My grandpa used to have a restaurant in Toronto so I'll ask him about making the beef more tender.
@brooklyn2028 - oh thank you. I guess cooking runs in your family!
Slow down my friend. The work will get done and you will feel better. Second the corn starch treatment.
I am going to cook like you someday... someday.... someday
Hey, can you read chinese? If so, please help me interpret the sign on my blog before this last one (It's a pic of a street sign that says Bellaire Blvd. then something in chinese above it). If not, thanks anyways, glad you feel better 
I am happy that you are feeling better Matt. YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT EASY AND NOT PUNISH YOURSELF WITH WORKING AS HARD AS YOU DO. You probably think that the work won't get done if you are not at the office and the machines there will come to a grinding stop. Naah. That never happens. NOBODY IS INDISPENSIBLE. I could have retired a couple of years later, but I kept seeing my colleages younger and older than me working in such a frenzy all the time, not enjoying themselves; three of them died without enjoying a single day of retirement, for which they were racing against time to build up a good retirement package!! So, you need to chill love. Thats what your mom would have also said.
Thank you for your comment on romance.
I really shouldn't look at your blog before dinner.
Damn!
@CareyGLY - perhaps I can get a part time job cooking at HC?
@apocatim - sadly no, I can only read simple characters.
@ElusiveWords - HIRED!!!!
Is hard, sometimes work is easy
sometimes work just took so much of my time.
Getting beef tender is a challenge, especially flank steak. Maybe the composition or the marinade or the length of time is affecting it? The corn starch wouldn't affect the tenderness but just works as a thickening agent for the eventual sauce.
As for work, it easier to give advice than to follow it, but you know that any company out there will let you work just as hard as you want to... and then still ask you to give more. If there is anything I've learned from two-plus years in Thailand, it is that there's no time like the present to be a little more relaxed, a little more fun, and a little more playful in life.
I'm jealous because everyone else can seem to cook such beautiful and delicious food.
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