A rather nutritious snack or one-dish meal by combining mashed potatoes with salmon. Delicious with mayonnaise, but sour cream would be perfect for those irresistible pancakes.

1. Cut the leek in half lengthwise, then wash the leek thoroughly beneath cold running water to remove all dirt, sand and grit trapped between each layer. Drain and finely chop.
   
2. Wash the potatoes under the running water with a sponge. To boil potatoes, fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Sprinkle in a generous amount of salt Add the potatoes to the pot and boil until cooked through. Peel potatoes with a knife. The skins should come off easily. Return the potatoes to a large pot with butter and mash them together until smooth.
   
3. Dice the salmon and add into the mashed potatoes with egg, chopped leeks, rosemary, bread crumbs and the seasonings. Divide the mixture into 8 portions and shape each into a round. Heat the oil on a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the salmon pancakes with flour, patting off the excess flour. Place them onto the hot pan and cook until golden brown, turning halfway through. Remove from pan to drain and serve with sour cream or mayonnaise.

A wonderful chocolate treat---rich, moist and dense brownie is named after its brown color. There are many different brownie recipes, but they are all prepared similarly.

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and espresso powder. Grease a 20x30cm baking pan with some butter. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
   
2. Melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler, stir until smooth and remove from heat. Blend in sugar, eggs and extract. Gradually sift in the flour mixture and combine until incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle rack of oven for about 28 minutes. Remove and cool completely.
   
3. Meanwhile prepare the glaze. Over a double boiler melt the milk chocolate and butter. As soon as the chocolate starts melting, add in espresso and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Sprinkle the roasted almond slices over. When the glaze is set, cut into 12 squares.

My contribution to the event "Celebrating Mother's Day" organized by Ivy.

Should we need a specific calendar day to celebrate, cherish and honour our parents? No. we shouldn't. May 10th is just one of the 365 days and appreciation can be shown in many forms throughout the year. Be having a cup of tea with your mom, or finishing the dish she cooked for you, listening to her blah-blah, watching one fav. soap TV series with her, or something, anything that might brighten her daily life. Even just being there would cheer her up.
I remember when I still lived at home with my mum and my brother, I didn't need to worry about the food, all I had to know was when the meal would be ready.
I believe this light dessert-like strawberry moussecake would really make her day, a mother's day. I now live 9000 kilometers away from her and cannot really give her the cake in person, but I will call and thank her for taking such a challenging role as a full time mother in life.
Mother's Day was not celebrated in China until the year 1997, when the day was set to raise money to help poor mothers. Since then, it has gain its popularity in the country.
The flower image I have found through google.

The flower for the Mother's Day is called "orange daylily" in English, or Wang You Cao (忘忧草) in Chinese, literally meaning "forget worries & strife plant". Still the most sold flowers are carnation.
Happy Mother's Day to All Mothers!

1. Soak gelatin sheets in a bowl of water and lemon juice for 5 minutes. Stem and rinse the strawberries. Place 2/3 of the strawberries, caster sugar and inverted sugar syrup in a blender and puree. Warm the softened gelatin with a pot of simmering water until clear and dissolved. Stir it into the strawberry puree mixture. Chill the mixture to the consistency of raw egg white.
   
   
2. Whip cream until the soft peaks are about to form. With a rubber spatula, fold the cooled strawberry mixture into the whipped cream to blend completely. Microwave the strawberry jelly and water in a small bowl for 10 seconds.
3. Place an 8-inch moussecake ring on a cake board or a serving plate. Place one disc inside the cake ring. Brush lightly with prepared glaze. (if desired, place strawberry halves or slices around the cake.) Pour half of the mousse over the cake, letting it spill over the sides. Spread the mousse in an even layer. Place second cake layer on top of mousse and brush with glaze. Pour the rest of the mousse on top and spread evenly. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm.
4. Half an hour before serving time, start to prepare the meringue topping. Dissolve the sugar in water over medium heat. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture starts to boil, beat the egg whites with the salt and lemon juice until stiff peaks form. Once the syrup temperature reaches 118C/245F, pour into the whites in a thin stream, taking care not to let it run onto the whisk. Continue beating the egg whites until it has cooled to lukewarm and meringue is thick and shiny. Flavour with the vanilla extract.
5. Remove the moussecake from the fridge. Spoon Italian meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe meringue on top in a decorative manner. Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle a few inches from surface of meringue. Lift the cake ring off. Slice and serve.

A bowl of bright summer flavours that's suitable for all the favourite seasonal vegetables.

1. Cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks. Flake tuna with a fork. Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients thoroughly.
   
   
2. Place the lettuce and cucumber in a salad bowl. Arrange the tomato wedges around the dish. Top with the olive rings, tuna, feta and onion rings.
   
3. Chill and serve with the prepared dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Agedashi Tofu are deep fried tofu pieces accompanied with a soya based dipping sauce and they are usually served as an appetizer. If you cannot find mirin and dried silver pomfret, then use medium-dry sherry and anchovy instead. Some food police would tell you that this is then not a traditional Japanese appetizer, nevertheless, the dish does taste delicious and good enough for me to recommend it. I love every bite of this crunchy and soft Tofu.

1. Cut the tofu into 3-inch squares or any desired patterns. Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small pan and bring it to a boil.
2. Heat the oil to very hot for frying. Coat the tofu squares with cornstarch and deep-fry them until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
3. Place fried tofu squares in a serving bowl. Pour the prepared dipping sauce over. Garnish it with shredded seaweed and parsley if desired.

These crunchy, easy-to-make snacks are fantastic on their own or can be used as a garnish or tossed in salads.

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Spread walnuts in a single layer over a baking tray. Roast for about 10 minutes until the nuts start to turn brown.
   
2. Mix sugar, inverted sugar syrup, water, and salt in a heavy sauce pan. Stir over low-medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring it to a boil until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage about 113C/236F.
3. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla. Add in roasted walnuts and stir to coat well. Turn out on parchment paper and separate the walnuts with a fork. Cool completely before store in airtight containers.

Florentines are a wonderful holiday cookie, but delightful all year round. Austrian bakers are attributed with creating these cookies although their name implies an Italian heritage.
Florentines are a delicious mixture of candied fruit (I used dried cranberries) and nuts (I used sliced almonds) with caramel, then baked. They are very often finished with chocolate on one side.

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Chop the cranberries finely. Melt butter, sugar and honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the mixture turns a caramel colour, stirring occasionally.
   
2. Pour in the whipping cream and bring it to a boil. Add in chopped dried cranberries and almond slices. Lower the heat and cook until the mixture is combined and thickened.
   
3. Scoop two rounded teaspoons of the mixture on prepared baking trays and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Coat or drizzle Florentines with melted chocolate as desired. Set aside at room temperature until set.