Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Big Al's Aquarium, Scarborough & North York

Taking pictures at Big Al's has become my habit whenever I go visit the fish store!! =D  Yet, this can be a huge challenge to me!  First I need to find a quiet place to do it because I don't know if photo shoot is allowed in the store; second I have to do it fast as I'm afraid someone will walk up to me and tell me no photo shoots is allowed...  Worse part is, these fish don't stay in one spot!!  Some get scared when I walk close and the other get so hyper and swim around, so it's hard to focus!!  Everything taken here are by luck!!  =P  (七月四號:美國國慶,提早個半鐘發此博文。此博文早在四月尾經已寫完,只是沒有檔期發帖。今天就出這個吧!)

 Um....  Er....I think that red shrimp is crawling on the um....sea cucumber??!

 Pajama Cardinalfish, this fish looks so 'unique' especially with that 'crooked dorsal fin'...whatever that's called!

 This fish stayed at the bottom of the tank, motionless...I took the chance to snap it.

 Too bad this hermit crab is not facing me.  It's actually facing the current.  Just realize that there is a limpet stuck on that hermit crab's shell!!  No wonder it looks so awkward!

 Nice color!!  =D

 I wonder if these are real corals or fake ones....

 ?? Peacock Cichlid, that's all I know...  I like its color.  =)  **Jul 3: Strawberry Cichlid?!  By guess only!

 Royal Pleco Cat, that's huge!!  I like the small ones only...

 Juvenile Tiger Barbs, I wonder if it's easy to breed or not...

 Some sort of botia loach I guess...must be Yoyo's relative!!  LOL!!

 Galaxy and Red Coral platy?!  (Not too sure if that's red coral or sunburst or something else...)

 Assorted tuxedo platies.

 Um...cichlid!!  But I don't know what kinda cichlid this is...

 Striata Botia Loach (??) & Pearl Gourami - I will get you one day!!

 Jaguar Cichlid - this fish is huge and pretty!!  The other one in the tank doesn't look as stunning as this one.  Cost $69 or something in Scarb, if it's still there!  Two guys were thinking of buying this fish while I was there...

 Playing hide and seek again huh!!

 Spotted pleco?!

 Huge pleco cat, I don't know what kind of pleco this is....but it looks horrible!  This must be a female...I guess!

 This impeller pump (if this is how its called!) looks so cool!!  Moss is growing on top of it, and there is an amano shrimp dangling at the edge of the pump!

 Brazilian turtles, I used to have three when I was young!

 Gerbil, hiding inside his own little tunnel.

 Ferret, wonder what I'm doing here....

Pissed off Godzilla....

This parrot knows about 300 words, and it's one of the smartest parrot known...  That's what the sales associate told me.

One of Mom's little Yoyo.  =)   **Jul 3, this little yoyo was dead long time ago....

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Curry Flavored Squid 自發土魷咖喱煮

發水魷魚在外面就買得多,但家庭式自己浸發的就第一次見。不要誤會,魷魚是由母親大人浸發,不是我...我的廚藝沒有這麼高。她以前都做過好幾次,只是自己沒有留意到。我這個小王八只懂得寫 blog、食和批評,自己又不懂得做!真是...!! 浸發魷魚過程非常簡單,好像沒有什麼要訣。這個'煮'咖喱魷魚的方法都是母親大人自己想出來的,她沒有任何食譜。好吃與否就個人而定了。題外話: 碳酸鈉 (Na2CO3) 與小蘇打 (NAH2CO3)...不要說那些奇怪的英、數雙拼, 就連那些中文字都經已看得我頭暈眼花了~~  嘻~!

 母親大人用鹼水自己浸發土魷,然後再把它煮成咖喱。這是完成了的作品。


在翻書找其他資料時無意找到這個。懶得打...把它拍了照帖在這裏。 資料來自〈香港廚師手冊〉。


我們首先來浸發土魷。土魷又叫吊片,隨便在各大超市都能買到。

母親大人特地指明要用阿根廷產的乾魷魚,因為牠肉厚。這包東西聽她說好像在海味店買。

這塊東西很大塊,比我手掌還要大!我的手掌有幾大?哈!慢慢估吧!

記著牠這個模樣!!陣間會發到阿媽嘟唔認得!

還有這個模樣!我都是第一次看'浸發魷魚'的過程,十分有趣,但保證!!自己一定不會照做!!=P 


準備一盆水,然後加進 baking soda(這個別學!!看看好了!!)。

為什麼要加進 baking soda 而不加鹼水,這個我也不知道。可能鹼水的用途與 baking soda 差不多吧~  但,別學!!

把乾魷魚放進已開好的 baking soda 水中。比例十什麼我不知道。都說過,母親大人她不會跟 measurement 的,所以在次說了也沒用。

過了不久便見到有泡泡出現,證明 baking soda 水發揮了作用。

看,過了一會後泡泡越來越多~

過了個多鐘後乾魷魚成這模樣。

魷魚要完全浸在水中,我見牠們開始浮面,於是放一個碗在上面....

泡泡又增多了。

浸發了一晚後成績好像不太理想...可能是因為用 baking soda 的關係所以不能完全發大?!

把整盆魷魚拿會母親大人家中救命~~  放棄了用 baking soda,她改用了鹼水繼續浸發


'拉-e 窩他'.......LOL!

這兩塊魷魚是母親大人事先用鹼水浸發的,可見牠們真的與用 baking soda 所浸發的有所不同。

好,是時間把這幾塊魷魚再'加工'了。

完成了,現在要開始'啤水'。

'啤水'的次數越多,魷魚就發得越大?!對吧??!

此外也要去除魷魚的鹼水味。水要'啤'久和多少次我不知道,只知道要頻頻換水。

看!魷魚吸盤經已變得好大粒! =D

完成浸發了~~~~  這些自發魷魚與外面所賣的最大分別是顏色(我覺得)。外面的魷魚顏色比較白(可能漂得多?!),母親大人自己所浸發的就比較深色。

看,與外面所賣的相差無幾,同樣非常厚肉。

而且也很大塊,我特意放了一隻匙羹在這裏作為對照。

開始煮咖喱魷魚了。現在做事前功夫:把魷魚𠝹斜紋。

完成後便成這樣。

斬件成小塊。

待用。

煲一盆熱水。

超大盆的待用魷魚~~

待水煮沸後把魷魚放進鍋中'飛水'。

'飛水'後成這樣。

母親大人煮的咖喱魷魚個 sauce 是用咖喱膽開的。

咖喱膽在 Midland/Finch 附近的什麼東南亞店舖內買。

把咖喱膽、蠔油、糖和??放在一個大碗中....

....把所有調味料混在一起。

然後倒入經已'飛水'的魷魚。

Mix well.

貪玩...把魷魚鬚串在一起來吃~ 嘻~~

完成了~~  味道不錯,但魷魚感覺上好像未熟哂,所以回家後翻煮....   =P