Taste Your Memories: with Nagesh Seethiah

Siying's recipe:

Steamed ribs with rice powder 粉蒸排骨

Ingredients:

• The rice powder: 

1. Glutinous rice and Round rice (Arborio or basmati) (2:1 proportion)
2. Five spice powder (1 tbs)

* You can also buy the ready-made powder in Asian groceries. There are many different packaging styles. Here are some photos of these products that you may see in the shops. 

• Pork ribs 500g 
• Ginger x 3 slices
• Shallots x 3
• Sauces 

1. Soy sauce x 4 tbs
2. Dark soy sauce x 1tsb
3. White pepper x few
4. Salt or chicken bouillon powder x 1 tsp
5. Chinese cooking wine x 2 tbs

Methods:

• The rice powder

1. Soak both glutinous rice and round rice in cold water for at least 24hr *soak the rice the longer the better
2. Warm the pot and put round rice in and stir. 
3. Stir for a while then add glutinous rice
4. Keep stirring till the rice turns into golden colour
5. Grind them into fine particles 
6. Mix in five spice

•  Marinate ribs

1. Chop the ribs into small pieces, around 5cm long.
2. Chop ginger and shallots into small fine pieces
3. Mix them with ribs in a bowl
4. Add all sauces in and soak for 3-4 hr

1. Dip each rib into the rice powder. Make sure the powder covers all surfaces. Then, place it in a bowl.
2. Lay the ribs inside the bowl into multiple layers. Sprinkle a thin layer of the powder between the layers.
3. Once finish laying the last top rib layer, top up the bowl with the rest of the powder and pour in the left juice from marination.
4. Put the bowl in the steamer for about 2-3 hours. Start in high heat. Turn down to the low after the water is boiled. 

Nagesh's recipe:

Mauritian Taro Fritters & Fermented Chilli Sauce (Gateau Arouille) 毛里求斯炸芋圆和酿辣椒酱

Ingredients 食材:

• Fritters 炸芋圆 

1. 500g taro root  (large taro root, avail at Asian supermarkets and vendors at markets) 大芋头 500克
2. 30g ginger 生姜 30克
3. 30g shallots  葱 30克
4. 3-4 tablespoon corn flour 玉米粉 4 勺
5. ½ teaspoon raw sugar 红糖 ½茶匙
6. 1 teaspoon salt 盐 1茶匙
7. Oil for deep frying (anything EXCEPT olive oil) 油

• Chilli sauce - make at least week ahead (or use Sriracha) 辣椒酱。可以提前一个星期做。 或者买现成的是拉差香甜辣椒酱

1. 400g long red chillies 长红椒 400克
2. 100g birds eye chillies 小红椒 100克
3. Salt - 2% weight of water 盐 – 2%水的重量
4. Water (filtered or boiled & cooled) 过滤水或冷却的开水
5. 3 cloves garlic, peeled 蒜瓣 3个
6. Vinegar 白醋适量

Method 做法：

• For the chilli sauce 辣椒酱 （提前一个星期做）

1. Wash chillies and take off stems. Roughly chop chillies to a similar size. Cram chillies and garlic into a sterilised jar. 辣椒洗干净。 去蒂。切小块。把辣椒和蒜瓣放到消毒的罐子里。罐子的大小要让辣椒和蒜挤满。
2. Add water to jar so that it covers the chillies. Pour out the water into a bowl set on。在罐子里加水。水要漫过辣椒。 再把水倒到一个碗里。
3. Scales. Take note of weight. Add 2% of that weight in salt. Whisk to dissolve thoroughly. 量水的重量。倒入2%水的重量的盐。搅拌让盐溶解.
4. Pour back into jar. Put lid on and leave to ferment on your kitchen bench. 把水倒回罐子里。盖子盖上.
5. About a week later, strain chillies from brine and reserve brine. Place chillies in a blender with half the brine and a dash of vinegar. Blend till very smooth. Taste, season with vinegar for acidity and salt or more brine.
6. 一个星期后。把辣椒从罐子捞出来。放入搅拌机，倒入一半酿的汁。加一些白醋。搅拌顺滑。尝一下。调整味道。如果淡的话，可以加点盐或醋。再搅拌.
7. You can strain the sauce for a smoother texture or leave it as is. 如果想让酱顺滑，可以让酱过滤一下.
8. Sriracha is also a perfect hot sauce for these fritters! 如果没空做辣椒酱，是拉差香甜辣椒酱也可以用来蘸这个炸芋圆.

• For the fritters 炸芋圆

1. Peel taro root and leave whole. Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the whole taro. You might want to wear gloves because the liquid can be mildly irritating. 芋头削皮。剥丝。用最大的孔剥。建议戴手套。
2. Add sugar and salt and mix thoroughly. 加糖和盐搅拌
3. Thinly slice shallots lengthwise. Peel and julienne ginger as finely as you can. Mix into taro mix. Start heating oil in a wok or saucepan to 180c. 葱姜切丝。放入芋头丝里搅拌。锅里开始热油.
4. Gradually add cornflour to the mix, mixing with your hands. The cornflour helps bind the mixture. You might need all four spoons or slightly more. 慢慢在芋头丝里加入玉米面。用手拌匀。 
5. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan to 180c. Fry a small tester fritter to check for seasoning. Adjust salt or sugar, they shouldn’t be too salty. 锅里的油到180度后。开始炸。可以先炸一小块。尝一下味道。
6. Form small 30g balls from the mixture. Make all the balls before beginning to fry. 把拌好的丝做成30克的小球。在锅里炸.
7. Fry a few fritters at a time, making sure not to crowd them. Fry until crispy and golden brown, about 3 - 4 minutes. The taro inside should be hot and chewy, not floury or crunchy. 一下不要炸太多。 等炸到金黄。一般3-4分钟，就炸好了。 
8. Serve immediately with chilli sauce. 吃的时候蘸辣椒酱.

Taste Your Memories: with Rachel O'Connor

Siying's recipe: 

Steam Eggs 蒸蛋

Ingredients:

• Egg 2
• Salt ½ tsp
• Soy Sauce 1tsp
• Sesame oil 3 drops (Optional)
• Warm water 280ml
• Shallots 1 sliced

 Methods:

1. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Whip it well.
2. Add salt and soy sauce. Stir well.
3. Pour the water. While pouring, stirring gently the mix
4. Spoon out the bubbles and foams on the mix surface
5. Boil water in a steamer. When the water boiled, place the bowl in the steamer and cook for 10minutes.
6. Sprinkle some shallots and drip the sesame oil and a bit soy sauce before serve 

Rachel's Recipe:

Toastie 烤三明治

Ingredients: 食材：

• White bread, maybe a tip top loaf. 三明治面包。Tiptop牌子的面包
• A tin of either Hinz baked beans, or Hinz spaghetti. 亨氏烤黄豆罐头。或亨氏意面罐头
• Margarine or soft butter. 牛油或人造黄油 

Methods: 做法：

1. Heat up the toasting iron (we would just call it a Breville growing up as the make of the sandwich press seemed to be the common way to call it, similarly to Xerox or Remington). 三明治机加热 （可以用breville， Xerox 或 Remington牌子的三明治机） 
2. Butter the bread with margarine or soft butter and place the buttered side towards the toasting iron. 在面包片的一面上涂上牛油或人造黄油。把涂黄油的一面朝外。把面包片放在三明治机上。
3. Spoon in one or two tablespoons of your chosen filling. At the bread on top (butter side outwards) and toast in the press for 5 mins. 在面包片上放上1到2勺的烤豆或意面。再拿一片面包盖在上面。面包片一面也要涂黄油。黄油的一面朝外。三明治机压下来，烤大约5分钟。
4. When you open it, you can crack open the edges to let the filling cool. Eat it and be prepared for this to be quite messy.  三明治拿出后，可以掀开一个缝，让里面的馅凉却。吃的时候注意不要让馅挤出。

Taste Your Memories: with Leanne Waterhouse

Siying's Recipe:

Mash potatoes with pork mince 肉糜土豆泥 （From Siying's Dad）

                        

Ingredients:

• Sauces:

1. Chinese cooking wine x 1.5 Chinese spoon
2. Soy Sauce x 2 Chinese spoon
3. Salt or Chicken Bouillon Powder x 1 tea spoon
4. Sugar x 1 tea spoon

• Spices:

1. Shallots x 2
2. ginger x 1 medium size

• Mince pork 250g
• Potato x 1 medium size
• Olive oil x few

Methods:

1,  Prepare the ingredients: chop ginger into fine bits, cut shallots into small pieces, peel the potato and cut it into small cubes

2,  Add the oil in the pot. Turn up the heat to the high. When the oil is warm, add the ginger and shallot in the pot .
3，Stir ginger and shallot in the pot lightly.

4, Add minced pork. Give it a stir.

5, Add all sauces. Stir for a bit again.

6, Add in some water. Water just covers the food in the pot. 

7, Cook for a while. (when the meat turns in light brown and water starts bubbling,) Add potato

8, Put the lid on the pot and keep cooking.

9, When the food starts boiling, turn down the heat and keep cooking.

11, Give the pot a bit stir now and then during cooking so that the meat wont stick to the pot.

12, When the juice in the pot all gone, set the heat low. Start to mash the potatoes.

13, Keep stirring and mashing till the potato and meat are mixed well and turned into soft mashy texture. 

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Taste Your Memories: with Nico Reddaway

Siying's recipe

Braised Veggie Chicken (Tofu) in brown sauce with shiitake mushroom & black fungus 

红烧香菇木耳素鸡

Veggie Chicken made by Nico

Ingredients:
Sauces:

• Oyster sauce x 1 Chinese spoon
• Soy sauce x 2 Chinese spoon
• Dark soy sauce x 1 Chinese spoon
• Chinese cooking wine x 1 Chinese spoon
• Rock sugar x 1 small piece

Spices:

• Shallot x 1 cut small slices
• Garlic clove x 1 chop finely 
• Star anise x 2

TOFU Roll (Veggie Chicken), cut into about 1cm wide slices

Vegetable oil (any type as you like)

Other items (optional):

• Shiitake mushroom, soak before cut into thin slices 
• Black fungus, soak before cut into bite pieces

Note: you need soak them till they become expanded and soft. Usually I leave them in the water for a night.

Method:

1, Fry the veggie chicken slices in a pot or a saucepan. Fry the slices till each slice turns to golden colour and crispy.
2, Prepare a bowl of cold water. Take the veggie chicken out and soak them in water. 

3, Add the spices: garlic, shallots and star anises in the oil left in the pot. Cook for about 1minute. Then add shiitake mushroom and black fungus. Stir for about 1 -2 minute.
4, Add all the sauces in. Stir to mix well.

5, Add about 450ml water into the pot. (in the video I think I put too much water). Then, drain the veggie chicken slices and add them into the pot.

6, Cook it till it boils. Then turn the heat down to medium or low to simmer. *during the cooking, you could taste the soup to see any flavours need be enhanced.
7, Keep cooking till the soup in the pot reduces down to just cover the surface of the food in the pot.

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Nico's recipe (from her Mum)

German Potato Salad (No Cream) 德国土豆色拉 （不加奶油）

German Potato Salad made by Siying

Ingredients:食材：

• Medium sized Potatoes x 5 (preferably red potatoes but any potatoes can be used) / 中等大小的土豆 5个 （红皮土豆最好，但是任何土豆都可以）
• Onion x 2 (cut very fine) small or 1 x medium onion / 洋葱 如果是小颗 2 颗， 中等大的1颗 
• White vinegar x 1 cup / 白醋 1杯
• Good quality: cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil x 1/2 cup + extra to cover / 高品质的特级初榨橄榄油 半杯 多一点
• Salt & Pepper / 盐和胡椒

Method: Note: Takes 2 days to prepare the ingredients (left overnight in fridge) / 大约要花两天的时间准备这个色拉 Peel potatoes but leave whole (don’t cut) / 土豆削皮  Boil whole potatoes in a large pot of water (potatoes need to be totally covered with water) / 整颗土豆放在水里煮 （煮的时候水满过土豆）  Boil until soft. / 土豆煮软  Take potatoes out of water (drain). / 把土豆从水里捞出  Put whole potatoes in fridge overnight in a bowl or on a plate. / 把土豆放在碗里或盘子了放到冰箱一夜  In the morning cut the potatoes into thin circular slices & place in a big wide bowl. / 第二天早上把土豆从冰箱拿出，切片，摆到一个大碗里  Chop onion very finely. / 把洋葱切碎  Sprinkle onion onto bowl of sliced potatoes (make sure potatoes slices are spread out across the wide bowl). / 把洋葱撒在土豆片上 （让每一个土豆片都接触到洋葱）  Add white vinegar to the bowl (1 cup) / 加白醋到碗里  Add a good layer of olive oil so all the potato slices are just covered. Give the potatoes a good soaking. / 浇一层橄榄油在土豆片上。让每一片都沾有橄榄油。让土豆浸在油里  Season with Salt & Pepper but use a lot! (a thin layer needs to be totally covering the potato slices). / 撒上盐和胡椒。要多放。让每一片土豆都撒上盐和胡椒  Put back into fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to soak up the flavours. / 再把土豆放到冰箱里大约2个小时。让味道进入土豆  Take the salad out of the fridge & mix well. / 把土豆从冰箱拿出，拌均匀  Serve cold. / 上菜

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Nico Reddaway (Melbourne) mostly creates media installation works, often with a performance element. Nico was recently in Finland and returned home in March, 2020, just before Corona virus lockdown.

Follow Nico via her Instagram @incognic0 & Facebook:Nico Reddaway

"Redeem UnAustralianness Vis Railing"

A new work has been created for a common space: a corridor, inside 874 Art building at Victoria College of The Arts south bank campus. Including the days of the installation and de-installation, this work lasted for one week from 22 - 26 April. 

Here are some text, photographic and video documentation of this work.

"Redeem UnAustralianness Via Railing - MMXV"

- A long corridor frequented by fearless art students full of hopes and expectations.

- An array of 100 recycled empty green beer cans gaffe taped on the long wall.

- A silver plate and its red silk packaging box holding a pile of twigs at each end of the long pass.

- Two signs ‘REDEEM UNAUSTRALIANESS VIA RAILING’ and “IN BIBENS VERITAS AUSTRALIS” written in a big font and composed respectively at the centre of a blue and yellow rectangular backgrounds, are sliding in one after the other on the wall from the projector, just like propaganda slogans.

A proposition is made. Actions are desired.

.

.

.

Silence.

.

.

.

Tak, tak, tak… A fainted rhythm of the gold luck-grabbing cat’s swinging arm that hits the wall behind is detected in the silent space. It counts every second of the current stillness and builds up a longing for future chaos.

A person merges at one end of the corridor, stops in front of red packaging box, picks up a twig and holds it in hand. This person decides, “I am going to use this stick to hit every single can on this wall while I am walking through! It will be just like what I did when I was a kid.”

Starting in a natural pace, this person creates a sound with the twig general and calm, yet sharp and clear. Suddenly this sound becomes hysteric and psychotic noises mixed with the accelerating footsteps. This person run and springs off to the other end of the corridor. It is a quick decision popped up in this person’s head.

Before the obnoxious loud patchy sound fades out from the air, before the annoyed nearby students catch this “criminal” with their stares, this person has dropped the twig in the pile on the plate and walked off.

  

A letter to David Shrigley

Hi, David,
I visited your exhibition "life and life drawing" that is currently shown at National Gallery of Victoria. I think I am a fan of your artwork.

My friend Sarah and I sat down for at least a good 30mins and did a drawing of the model in one of the exhibition room. You may know that it is always difficult to call an end once you start making art. Luckily Sarah and I both felt the need to stop around the same time. We had few giggles when the robot model blinked and peed in to the tin bucket. We actually had lots giggles through out the exhibition. I really enjoyed the sarcastic messages in your art.

After seeing the exhibition, we also popped into the souvenir shop where all your artworks are sold as products.  We went through almost very product and had more giggles. I did a naughty thing that I bought only thing i could afford in the shop - badges. One 'I'm not tall' for me; 'baked potato' for Sarah as she told me that's her favourite. With my current financial situation - an art student who nearly made end meet, spending money for any unpractical stuff is a wast. But I couldn't resist the good feeling of spending money and the imaginary joyful time in the post purchase stage. I hope my tiny amount of financial contribute would give you support to your art on some level.

After all, I really appreciated that your exhibition was free charge. I wish one day I would be like you to exhibit work in the top contemporary art space and sell products of my artwork to art pilgrims.

Regards
your fan
Siying

To reside at the Food Court

My belated art making job starts again! ( I am truly astonished how much time for a lazy bone like me to recover from only 3 months traveling overseas. *Ashamed*)

The poster on the glass wall of the Food Court

Now, I am sitting at Dockland - a very much strange and yet familiar place* to continue the project I started at the residency at Jiwar in Barcelona over the period from December 2013 to January 2014. (Maria would be happy for me.)

I am planning to edit the film and sound footage I took at Jiwar during this residency. ( making work about food at the Food Court! What a match!) Meanwhile I will explore the neighbourhood.

As simple as it sounds!

I will have open studio days during my residency! The dates will be posted here or my FB page soon. So, please stay in touch!


* Waterfront in Dockland is very foreign to me as I barely visit this place. No reason to come! None of friends in Melbourne ever had recommend it to me to visit. I don't know the streets, shops, or what's around… a void place in my knowledge of melbourne.  However, it is such not a very difficult place to figure out. it is almost identical to other 'waterfronts' in major cities, such as Darwin, Sydney, even Liverpoor ( i recently traveled to). Similar architecture landscape, a big shopping mall about a block away from the water; same shops and cafes at the mall; concrete dock street along the water dotted with lookout spots and ice creme venders; the apartments with balconies facing the water and the apartment without balconies; and tourists.

A water view of Waterfront

A street view of Waterfront

A view of boulevard along the water