Cooking: How To Fry Rice feat. Parma Ham Fried Rice

This looks good, doesn't it?
Image from Locky's English Playground

This looks good, doesn't it? I love rice! Sushi rice is great, it is vinegary and appetizing, but it is a little cold for the Winter. Fried rice on the other hand, is comfy warm and can really stimulate my taste buds with its saltiness and aroma. 

But then, how to cook fried rice? It is not easy and you can fail really badly if you do not know the tricks!

Don't worry, here's my recipe of Parma Ham Fried Rice! Feel free to make your own adjustments.

Image from Locky's English Playground

You'll need,

1. some eggs,
2. some frozen rice,
3. ham,
4. Parma ham,
5. black pepper
6. paprika
7. crushed red pepper
8. (sea) salt
9. (pineapple, if available)

If you have pineapple at home, that would be a bonus.

Chop chop chop!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 1: cut up the hams into small pieces.

Scrambled eggs?
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 2: add oil and fry your scrambled egg. On how to cook scrambled eggs, please read Cooking & Health: How To Cook Perfect Scrambled Eggs with Healthy Oil and Good Wok. 

White rice, in you go!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 3: microwave your frozen rice at highest power for about 2 minutes and then throw them into the wok / pan. As to why frozen rice is used, that is because when rice is frozen, the moisture /water in the rice turns into ice, it expands, pushing the rice away from each other, allowing each rice grain to be separated from each other and better chewiness. For why does water expand when it freezes, here's a video for you below.

Flatten rice balls and stir
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 4: with medium flame, flatten the rice balls with a turner if necessary and then stir the eggs and rice well.

Colouring and flavouring time
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 5: sprinkle crushed red pepper, paprika and sea salt, stir again.

Hams Galore!!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 6, add the Parma ham and ham, more stirring.

Toss frying!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 7, on max flame, toss-fry your food if you want a perfect mix of your ingredients and evaporation of excess moisture. My steps on performing this manoeuvre are

1. lift the wok handle and tilt your wok downwards,
2. push the wok forward with a thrust and your food will "fly", lower the handle when the food is in jumping in mid-air so that your food will fall back into your wok,
3. repeat 1 and 2 until your arm is unusable

This is the clue that tells you your fried rice has done right!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Step 8, your rice is ready for serving.

If your wok is as clean as new, it means you have done right. If your wok is stuck with dried overcooked egg patches, your wok has not been heated enough at the scrambled egg step.

How to keep your rice warm at all time?
Image from Locky's English Playground

Finally, now that you have cooked such a nice plate of fried rice, you don't want it to get cold, you want it to be warm and comfy with every bite, so the final question is, how to keep it warm at all time?

It's just natural!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Well, here's your solution!!! Never guessed that, have you?

Now it's your turn, give it a go yourself!

Vocabulary:

thrust -- [I or T, usually + adv/prep] to push suddenly and strongly:

Resources:

Cooking & Health: How To Cook Perfect Scrambled Eggs with Healthy Oil and Good Wok http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/07/cooking-health-how-to-cook-perfect.html

Why does water expand when it freezes? - Naked Science Scrapbook @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4GCShGvw-M

Drink: Battle Of The Earl Grey Tea -- Marks & Spencer VS Loyd

2 Earl Grey, who shall win?
Image from Locky's English Playground

Anyone enjoy waking up to a nice cup of tea? For me, I cannot do with one, especially Earl Grey. 

Marks & Spencer Earl Grey
Images from ameblo.jp/shinoparis
Modified by Locky's English Playground

My favourite one is definitely Marks & Spencer's Earl Grey, for the tea is rich in black tea and bergamot orange flavour with a great reddish-brown colour in water and a lovely milky brown colour upon adding milk. Best served with Hokkaido 3.6 milk.

Great Reddish Brown Colour Image from Locky's English Playground

Lovely Milky Brown Image from Locky's English Playground

The price is relatively cheap, at $32 for 50 teabags, that is $0.64 a teabag.

Lovely green and blue box, purple lavender
Image from Locky's English Playground

But there are other Earl Grey in the market and for once, I tried to open up to my options and went to purchase this Loyd Earl Grey from 759 Store at $14 for 20 teabags, that is $0.7 each.

Front Image from Locky's English Playground

Back Image from Locky's English Playground

Image from Locky's English Playground

The first selling point here, is definitely the tetrahedron-shaped tea bags made of polylactide (PLA), a bioplastic. It is of a very high quality and is very presentable.

Is there really purple lavender in the teabag?
Image from Locky's English Playground

The second, must be the purple lavender seen inside the teabag printed on the box. 

Really purple!
Image from Locky's English Playground

What you see (on the box) is what you get (in the teabags), no tricks, real good stuff! It's a beauty to look at!

Image from Locky's English Playground

The third is its fragrance. Very flowery, very soft, very calm, very feminine. No wonder Wikipedia actually classified this addition of lavender as Lady Grey.

Golden tea
Image from Locky's English Playground

Loyd Earl Grey does smell really pleasant, taste so light, in fact, too light for sugar or milk, so I recommend having this tea without milk and sugar. It's really relaxing!

Overall, I still prefer Marks & Spencer because I like tea with milk and sugar, but too much of milk and sugar make one fat, some at times, Loyd makes a great filler for the unsatisfied taste buds.


Vocabulary:
bioplastic -- (n)[C] Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, pea starch or microbiota

Resources:
Health and Fitness: 'English' Tea @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/03/health-and-fitness-english-tea.html

Drink: Early Grey Tea feat. Bubble Tea @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2011/07/drink-early-grey-tea.html

Tea Bag @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_bag

Message: 2013 Roundup -- Top 45 Posts Of 2013

Happy 2014!
Image from LINE

Hello folks, it's goodbye to 2013 and welcome 2014! Once again, like in 2012, it is time for a roundup!

This year the number of posts have gone down to 129, 27 less. On average, I still managed about writing 1 post every 2.83 days. Not a bad outcome considering that 2013 was one of my best and busiest years having got married, gone on honeymoon, completed my PhD proposal, and most incredibly, welcomed my newborn baby girl Muse. Quite possibly, more good news to come very soon!

Busy as I am, I tried not to give myself too many excuses for not learning.

The good PC (left), the bad PC (centre) and the being merged (right)
Image from Locky's English Playground

In January, I wrote about how I merged 2 PCs into 1 and the waste collection stations in Hong Kong.

Another Locky's English Playground production
Image from Celia Wan

Then then I shared my adapted work of bb Sharky with you all in the hope to promote shark conservations.

Hong Kong-style French Toast with kaya @ Lan Fong Yuen
Image from Locky's English Playground

The Food: The Search For Great Hong Kong-style French Toast series was a big hit! with Part 2 in particular, attracted 475 pageviews so far! That shows our taste buds really know where to find their food online!

In February, I continued to share information of my honeymoon including the resort I have stayed and the way to solve seawater damage to your smartphone which includes my very first YouTube video. Currently, the post has received 324 pageviews while the video enjoys 1,235 views!!!

View of the hillside villas from the lobby
Image from Locky's English Playground

Inside a buggy taxi
Image from Locky's English Playground

In March, I continued talking about my honeymoon trip compared 2 beaches I have been to in Travelling & Living: Patong Beach VS Kamala Beach (Why Patong Beach Is Overrated), placed of sexy photos there by the way.

Image from HSBC HK

Then I discussed the Hong Kong English word "body check" and how it has infiltrated into bank ads.

mouldy luggage bag
Image from Locky's English Playground

If you have ever had a mouldy luggage bag or even a luxurious handbag, you now have a way to solve this problem! Just read Science: How To Remove Mould From Your Beloved Clothes.

In the spring of 1981, a woman's house and part of a car dealership were swallowed by a sinkhole in Winter Park, Fla Image from AP, caption by WWNO

In the same month, sinkholes made the news headline often, and so came News, Science & Idioms: What Is A Sinkhole? How updated is Locky's English Playground, right?

Semi-homemade Chinese Curry Fishballs and Turnip
Image from Locky's English Playground

April was a quiet month, so I was really into cooking at home. Quick cooking is something all Hong Kongers like to do, and so I wrote Cooking: Hong Kong Curry Fishballs and Turnip.

Image from Locky's English Playground

I have always been into photography, and Kamekameha photography took the stage this month, and so I wrote Photography: Dragonball Z Kamekameha Photography (PS version)!!!

Locky's Indian Chicken Tikka
Image from Locky's English Playground

May, a month of more food and technology. I did a detailed comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S4 with HTC One, I have shared my secret recipe of Indian Chicken Tikka, as well as my top-of-the-list-favourite restaurant, Tonkichi Tonkatsu Seafood Restaurant.

Close up of a pork fillet set
Image from Locky's English Playground

Golden yummy!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Roasted Spring Chicken
Image from Locky's English Playground

All-Day Breakfast Set
Image from Locky's English Playground

June arrived and my gastronomical needs grew with Cooking: Home-made Indian Curry Puff feat. the Hong Kong Modification!, Cooking: How To Cook Roasted Spring Chicken the Hong Kong Way? and Food & Dining: Hong Kong All-Day Breakfast Set @ Man Wah Restaurant.

Image from Locky's English Playground

I love to take long-exposure photographs, but to do so in brighter days, you must have something called an ND filter, which usually is very costly. Then how about some cheap ones? In Living & Photography: China-made Cheap But Not Tacky ND Filters From Taobao, I made myself a lab rat and purchased 3 ND filters and tested out the quality myself.

Battle of the four, who will win, and who will lose?
Image from Locky's English Playground

In July, Cooking & Food: Battle Of The 4 Udon  series was another big hit! Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 were very in-depth comparisons with procedures performaned manually with my bare hands!!! To be honest, it was quite crazy!

Locky's pork chop bun
Image from Locky's English Playground

Pork chop buns are nice, but making your own ones are always more excellent! Wanna learn how? Then you must read Cooking: Locky's Home-made Pork Chop Bun. 

Incubus, 1870
Image from Wikipedia

I have also talked about sleep paralysis in Science: Science or Ghost? Sleep Paralysis Or Incubus?
A post highly recommended for those of you who wants to debunk the myth of alien abduction or ghost pressure.

Whole chicken in the halogen oven
Image from German Pool

August was a month piled with quality research. This month, I first discussed whether a halogen oven is safe for the health, then I made the Manuka Honey and honey tests performed by the Consumer Council available in English to the world.

Consumer Council head Wong Yuk-shan. Photo: David Wong .
Image and caption from SCMP

Let's not forget that research in the English language is also part of the mission of this blog, and so I introduced how corpus linguistics can assist us in daily English usage in Usage & Academic Research: Differences In Similar Words -- The Corpus Approach Part 1 and Usage & Academic Research: Differences In Similar Words -- The Corpus Approach Part 2.

Internet research does not stop at corpus, fake stuff and false information on the internet are also worth clarifying, and so there was World: Fun Facts We All Should Know -- Part 2 (Viewer Discretion Is Advised).

Locky's English Playground v1.1.8
Image from Locky's English Playground

Last but not least in the month of August, I have finally completed my first ever Android app for this blog and I have made it available for download for free on both Google Play and Samsung App Store. A monumental step in my life as I have finally made use of my computing skills in accomplishing something huge!

Animated GIF using Photoshop CS6
Image from Locky's English Playground

September was a month full of variety. One of my biggest accomplishments this month was that I managed to take photographs of lightning after numerous failures!

It's finally here!
Image from phandroid.s3.amazonaws

Then I shared the latest news on then the newest tablet Samsung Galaxy Note 3,

Want a slice?
Image from Locky's English Playground

Then we returned to cooking, this time, it was Home-made Pork Neck Char Siu.

Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder
Image from BBC

English language research went deeper in terms of portmanteau and I wrote Vocabulary & TV: Do You Wordplay? -- Portmanteau (Advanced) and Usage & Academic Research: Describing Percentage -- A Corpus Approach for those who would like to learn more.

Image from YouTube

Song recommendation finally made it on this page with Song: Hey Mario -- Patent Pending, one that was recommending by a student in my class.

Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir, Memorial Stone, Tai Tam Reservoir Road, Tai Tam, Hong Kong, build in 1918, was declared Grade 1 and as a monument in 1994, an example of a historic building that is not actually a building
Image from Wikipedia

Finally, I described what "historic building" means through my research into the history of Hong Kong in Culture & Academic Research: Historic Buildings, What Are They Really?  A perfect case study for those who are preparing for the public examinations.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005
Image from Locky's English Playground

October, my birthday month, I received a Note 3 from my wife as my birthday present and that allowed me to produce Technology: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Hands-on Review & Tips,

Image from Google

and wars and killings triggered me to share a song of peace in the post Song: Ain't No Reason -- Brett Dennen.

Tesla Model S -- absolutely a beauty
Image from Locky's English Playground

Brilliant these two may be, they are incomparable when it comes to the Tesla Model S, my dream car and also the Motor Trend Car of The Year. I was in love with it even before I drove it, and once I had driven it, I can never forget how superior it is!! The post Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review is also my very first car review article as well as what started off a whole new "Auto" category in this blog.

Drag Coefficient of production cars ranked by Cd
Image from Wikipedia

In November, I continued to study deeper into drag coefficient and how to save fuel consumption while driving in Auto & Science: How To Cut Fuel Consumption When Driving?. 

My Daughter -- Muse Law
Image from Locky's English Playground

Then my baby girl came to this world and I told the story of her birth.

"Lo Mo Sai" -- Lufsig on IKEA China on 11th Dec 2013
Image from IKEA China

December was a month of interesting words, such as slang and false friends from the new hot IKEA toy Lufsig.

Is this true? Let's see!
Image from buzzdixon

On Christmas Eve, I shared what I knew about "Virgin Birth" and discussed its (im)possibility.

My hand, my glove and an opened Fine de Claire
Image from Locky's English Playground

To end the year, I made my second video on How To Open An Oyster? to offer my personal tips and tricks on how to get the job done without a sweat!



In 2014, I wish everyone a very successful year and all the very best in life and learning. Hope to have your continual support!!!

If you have any comments or questions, do feel free to share them with me in the comments link under every post. Also, share them in Google+, Facebook or Twitter with your friends if you like the post.



Resources:
Message: 2012 Roundup -- Top 44 Posts Of 2012 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/01/message-2012-roundup-top-44-posts-of.html

1. Message: Merging 2 PCs Into 1 and Glass Recycling (Pre-2013 Task) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/01/message-merging-2-pcs-into-1-and-glass.html

2. Animals: Doing My Part For The Sharks @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/01/animals-doing-my-part-for-sharks.html

3. Food: The Search For Great Hong Kong-style French Toast -- Part 2 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/01/food-search-for-great-hong-kong-style.html

4. Technology: My First Galaxy S2 Surgery -- Sea Water Damage S2 Fixed!! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/02/technology-my-first-galaxy-s2-surgery.html

5. Travelling & Living: Ayara Kamala Resort & Spa @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/02/travelling-living-ayara-kamala-resort.html

6. Travelling & Living: Patong Beach VS Kamala Beach (Why Patong Beach Is Overrated)  @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/travelling-living-patong-beach-vs.html

7. Vocabulary: Body Check? Hong Kong English No More?
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/vocabulary-body-check-hong-kong-english.html

8. Science: How To Remove Mould From Your Beloved Clothes
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/science-how-to-remove-mould-from-your.html

9. News, Science & Idioms: What Is A Sinkhole?
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/news-science-idioms-what-is-sinkhole.html

10. Cooking: Hong Kong Curry Fishballs and Turnip @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/04/cooking-chinese-curry-fishballs-and.html

11. Technology: Samsung Galaxy S4 VS New HTC One @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/05/technology-samsung-galaxy-s4-vs-new-htc.html

12. Cooking: Locky's Indian Chicken Tikka @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/05/cooking-lockys-indian-chicken-tikka.html

13. Food & Dining: Tonkichi Tonkatsu Seafood Restaurant @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/05/food-dining-tonkichi-tonkatsu-seafood.html

14. Living & Photography: China-made Cheap But Not Tacky ND Filters From Taobao
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/06/living-photography-china-made-cheap-but.html

15. Cooking: Home-made Indian Curry Puff feat. the Hong Kong Modification! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/06/cooking-home-made-indian-curry-puff.html

16. Cooking: How To Cook Roasted Spring Chicken the Hong Kong Way?@ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/06/cooking-how-to-roasted-spring-chicken.html

17. Food & Dining: Hong Kong All-Day Breakfast Set @ Man Wah Restaurant @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/06/food-dining-hong-kong-all-day-breakfast.html

18. Cooking & Food: Battle Of The 4 Udon -- Stage 1 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/07/cooking-food-battle-of-4-udon-stage-1.html

19. Science: Science or Ghost? Sleep Paralysis Or Incubus?@ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/07/science-science-or-ghost-sleep.html

20. Learning Psychology & Opinions: Learning a New Language @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/07/learning-psychology-opinions-learning.html

21. Cooking: Locky's Home-made Pork Chop Bun @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/07/cooking-lockys-home-made-pork-chop-bun.html

22. Cooking & Food: Battle Of The 4 Udon -- Stage 2 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/07/cooking-food-battle-of-4-udon-stage-2.html

23. Technology & Message: Locky's English Playground App (Alpha) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/technology-message-lockys-english.html

24. Health & Fitness: Is Halogen Oven Safe For The Health? @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/health-fitness-is-halogen-oven-safe-for.html

25. Medical, Health & Fitness: Which Honeys and Manuka Honeys Are The Best? @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2013/08/medical-health-fitness-which-honeys-and.html

26. Usage & Academic Research: Differences In Similar Words -- The Corpus Approach Part 1 @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/usage-academic-research-differences-in.html

27. Usage & Academic Research: Differences In Similar Words -- The Corpus Approach Part 2 @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/usage-academic-research-differences-in_27.html

28. Message: Locky's English Playground Now Available On Google Play!!!! @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/message-lockys-english-playground-now.html

29. World: Fun Facts We All Should Know -- Part 2 (Viewer Discretion Is Advised) @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/08/world-fun-facts-we-all-should-know-part_29.html

30. Photography: Lightning Photography @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/photography-lightning-photography.html

31. Technology: Welcome! Samsung Galaxy Note 3!! @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/technology-welcome-samsung-galaxy-note-3.html

32. Cooking: Home-made Pork Neck Char Siu @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/cooking-home-made-pork-neck-char-siu.html

33. Vocabulary & TV: Do You Wordplay? -- Portmanteau (Advanced) @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/vocabulary-tv-do-you-wordplay.html

34. Song: Hey Mario -- Patent Pending @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/song-hey-mario-patent-pending.html

35. Usage & Academic Research: Describing Percentage -- A Corpus Approach @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/usage-academic-research-describing.html

36. Culture & Academic Research: Historic Buildings, What Are They Really? @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/09/culture-academic-research-historic.html

37. Technology: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Hands-on Review & Tips @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/10/technology-samsung-galaxy-note-3-hands.html

38. Song: Ain't No Reason -- Brett Dennen @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/10/song-aint-no-reason-brett-dennen.html

39. Technology & Opinions: My Tesla Model S Hands-on Review @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/10/technology-opinions-my-tesla-model-s.html

40. Message: Letter To My Lovely Baby Girl!!! @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/11/message-letter-to-my-lovely-baby-girl.html

41. Auto & Science: How To Cut Fuel Consumption When Driving? @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/11/auto-science-how-to-cut-fuel.html

42. Slang: 'Selfie' or 'Unselfie'? 'Fularious', 'Interesting' or 'Meh'? @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/12/slang-selfie-or-unselfie-fularious.html

43. Culture & Usage: "Lufsig", False Friends & Bad Words @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/12/culture-usage-lufsig-false-friends-bad.html

44. Science & TV: Fun Facts About Christmas We All Should Know -- Virgin Birth! @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/12/science-tv-fun-facts-about-christmas-we.html

45. Food: How To Open An Oyster? The World Is Your Oyster! @  Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/12/food-how-to-open-oyster-world-is-your.html