Easy Tasty Minced Meat and Mushrooms in Spicy Worcestershire Sauce

I am very partial to cheap and cheesy souvenirs. Fridge magnets, souvenir t-shirts (think "My friend went to Hong Kong and all I got is this lousy t-shirt" or "I was lost in Hong Kong" or any tee from Hardrock Cafe), shot glasses, mugs, plates, key chains...you name it, I probably got it.

These days, I have a new souvenir-related habit. I buy less souvenir tees. However, I buy LOADS of cute props from everywhere. Cute tableware, adorable plates, place settings, table runners, tiny little baskets, vintage looking glasses, cups and bowls....
whose job descriptions are:
- looking pretty in pictures
- never to be used to eat/cook at all times (some of them are so teeny tiny, it is just impossible to cook/eat with them)
- occupying/taking over my tiny flat (Ialmost can't see my living/dining room floor anymore, and don't even think about the kitchen. Man, I need a new flat!)

Let me show off share some of my favorite new finds from Jakarta...tiny wok (Rp.5000) and a pair of gorgeous fork and spoon (Rp.1000 each). My, oh my, how adorable!...how could I ever resist them?

Minced Meat and Mushrooms in Spicy Worchestershire Sauce

On weekdays, when 24 hour is never enough, minced meat is the way to go. No butchering, no slicing, no nothing, pair it with anything, and it always tastes great no matter how I screw it up. This time, I am pairing it with red chilli, fresh shiitake mushrooms, and Worcestershire Sauce (it took me years before I could pronounce this right. We used to call it kecap inggris back home). I love the balance of flavors soy and worcestershire sauce in this easy and tasty dish.

Recipe
(serves 4)
- 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 4 red chilli (chopped)
- a pack of shiitake mushrooms (remove stem, sliced, you can adjust the quantity)
- 1/2 lb of minced meat (beef, pork or chicken)
- light soy, dark soy, sweet soy, and worcestershire sauce
- olive oil
Saute garlic and chilli until fragrant, add minced meat, add mushrooms, season to get the perfect balance of salty, sweet and acidity. Serve over steamed rice or noodles.

By the way, my brilliant Indonesian blogger friends, a group of super talented photograpers, host a monthly Still Life Photography event at multiply. I've learnt soooo much about photography from this event and I always enjoy admiring the technically brilliant and/or the creative shots and settings from everyone. This event is in Bahasa Indonesia, but I think language is not really a barrier for us to appreciate great works of art, eh?

Here are my two initial submissions for the second challenge, Books:
It's a book I am currently reading (Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I guess I am pretty outdated hehehe - alllllmost finished though), borrowed from Hong Kong Public Library. This photograph was taken beside my living room window, on a small wooden table. The background is a baking sheet, the bookmarks are a fork and a knife, and the book is placed on a roasting rack.
Is it my eyes or does Bourdain look kinda hot in this tattered book cover?


Below shot was taken in the kitchen, the book was placed in the oven (which is dark and dirty)...and I don't think you'd wanna see how I contorted myself to take the shots...

...I never thought that I could be so....acrobatic.