Saying goodbye to sesame & a speedy Thai Style Slaw

The test results are in and I'm very pleased to announce I am not lactose intolerant nor am I a glutentard (my apologies to those who have taken offence to that statement).  Yes it's all very exciting. I do not have to say goodbye to my good friends 1%, Drunken goat or sour dough. I'm not completely in the clear as It seems I have two pretty high reactions to some slightly random ingredients. The first is cranberry which I'm really not too sad to see go, the second definitely a little morose about - yes I'm extremely melodramatic. You love it! My beloved sesame seed, I shall miss you dearly. No bagel will ever be the same. Every time I go for Middle Eastern food I will be reminded of the good old days when my pita was slathered in hummus and tahinah. If only this food allergy covered all my problems in life. The test actually shed some more light on to why I haven't been feeling so hot, but I'll save the nitty gritty for another post. For now my farewell to sesame continues... This easy slaw is best attempted with a mandolin or some serious knife skills and a sharp handful of Japanese steel. Ie. you need a good knife! 

INGREDIENTS: everything gets a fine julienne

green apple

carrot

celery

red cabbage 

green cabbage 

kale 

romaine 

peeled frozen shrimp - or cooked if you like (thaw in cold water)

FOR THE DRESSING: Whisk everything together

1/2 cup natural  peanut butter  (I like to use crunchy for texture)
4 limes - zest and juice- oranges work well too

1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sambal 

2 tbs sesame oil  

splash of water - optional depending on how thick/ thin the dressing is

PREP: Chop veg, & whisk dressing. 

COOK: Bring a small salted pot of water to a boil, then drop your shrimp for 45 seconds to a minute. 

SERVE: With black sesame seeds and or toasted peanuts. 

 

Angry Birds Mooncakes?

If any of you have an iphone or any itype touch product I hope you know all about the beauty that is Angry Birds. I'm totally addicted to the app! I play every night before I fall asleep, and I can't go anywhere long distance without having my itouch close by incase I get bored and need my digital furry friends to keep me occupied. Yes I'm a kid at heart. By now I guess you're starting to wonder why i'm talking about Angry Birds on a food blog, well thats because I just heard via twitter that those damn birds are making their way into traditional Chinese Mooncakes. Mooncakes are a delicious dense custardy cake filled with lotus  seed paste and salted duck egg yolks in the center to symbolize the full moon. The cakes are enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival which takes place all over Asia and is considered one of the most important of the Chinese festivals. These little cakes are usually decorated with symbols for luck, longevity, or flowers. Recently a Hong Kong restaurant teamed up with Rovio the app designers to release the Angry Bird moon cakes for this years festival. They will come in flavors like chocolate and mango and sell for only a few dollars a cake. These little birds are taking over the world!