A favorite clamming spot for both the Dutch and the Indians was Gowanee Creek — now called the Gowanus Canal. The Dutch and Indians were later joined by the English, who substituted the clams in recipes that had originally called for mussels and cockles back home. It was probably in the 17th century that clam chowder was invented, though some say this soup had a French origin, via Breton immigrants to Canada’s Atlantic seaboard.
The city’s love of clams persisted throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. By 1950, the inlet called Sheepshead Bay was lined with at least 10 clam shacks, many on stilts, serving clams in dozens of recipes from Dutch, French, English, and Italian sources.
Sharing with all of you 2 simple clams dishes.
500gm clams
2 tbsp curry powder + 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp chilli paste
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 thumb size ginger - cut julienne
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1/2 medium size onion - slice thinly
125mls thick coconut milk
125mls water
2 tbsp oil
1/2 lemon - squeeze out the juice
1/ Wash and soak clams for several hours. Rinse several times..
2/ Heat up the wok and add 2 tbsp oil. Saute the onion, ginger and garlic until fragrant but not burn.
3/ Add chili paste and stir fry for 1 min and add in the curry powder.
4/ Add water, coconut milk and salt, bring to simmer. Pour in the clams and mix well.
Another great appetizer........
500gm clams
2 slices of ham or bacon - slice thinly
1/2 thumb size ginger - cut julienne
3 cloves garlic - chopped
2 bird eyes chilli - chopped
1/2 bell pepper - cut cubes ( optional )
1/2 cup raisin wine /Shao Hsing hua tiao wine/ ginger wine
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1/2 tbsp oil
Chopped spring onion for garnishing
2/ Put the clams in the stainless steel plate. Add the wine, ham, bird eyes chilli, ginger, sprinkle salt and pepper.
3/ Prepare the steamer, when water boil steam the clams for 5 mins or until it pop open. Do not steam more than 7 mins.
4/ Heat up the wok, add oil and stir fry the garlic until brown and fragrant.
5/ Garnish the steamed clams with garlic oil and chopped spring onion.
And for dessert...... Coconut Sagu Pudding
50gm Hoen Kwee Flour
80gm sagu
100gm sugar
250mls thick coconut milk
300mls water
Pinch of salt
Few drop of red colouring
Few slices of pandan leaves
1/ Wash and soak sagu for 30 mins. Drain off the water.
2/ Bring 300mls water and pandan leaves to boil, add the sagu and cook until transparent. Keep stirring to prevent burn at bottom of pot.
3/ Pour in the coconut milk and mix well. Add sugar, pinch of salt and cook until sugar melt.
4/ Remove from stove, scoop out half the pudding mixture and add red colouring to 1 portion, mix until well blend.
5/ Scoop the white portion of pudding mixture into jelly mold, leave it for 5 mins then add the red pudding mixture. Chill in the fridge till set.
Hoen Kwee flour is an Indonesia green bean flour that had been flavored.
This year 2015 Chinese Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, year of Sheep/Goat begin on the 19th February and end on 5th March. Spring festival, widely known as Chinese New Year in the West, is one of the most important traditional festival.
Chinese New year is a tie for families to be together, wherever they are, people come home to celebrate he festival with their families. Red packets filled with money is one of the most popular gifts to be given to children and seniors,
Sharing my Chinese Lunar New Year gifts from my Canadian friend, a lottery ticket, New Year card and red packets. Knowing that one of my hobbies is collecting red packets, my friend gave me some Canadian red packets. It's not easy to collect red packets from countries overseas.
And I think, I'm quite lucky this year winning several Chinese New Year contests that sponsored by various companies in Malaysia and Singapore.
Pororo Singapore & Malaysia slogan contest.
Yomeishu slogan contest.
And few others lucky draw contests from various company.....
Compliments from Tune Insurance.
Compliments from Forefront, a designer company.
I started this nothing better to do hobby 3 years back collecting various kind of beautiful and exclusive red packets from banks, shopping malls, hotels, restaurant, casino, etc.... To date I have about 2500 beautiful designs.
Let me show you.........The Beauty of Red Packets.
And this hard to come by special red packet from my Canadian friend. Really appreciate your kind gesture for giving me this red packet.
Re to my friend Louise's comment, each red packets are packed in PP plastic bag individually and arrange accordingly. I got special boxes to stored my red packets.
Those exclusive red packets from foreign banks and private banking I arranged in the album.
Happy Lunar New Year to all my Chinese friends. Wishing you all the best and abundance of good health.
Have a nice week ahead.
Amelia