First Co-op Experience

My First job was as a research analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation (now Ministry of Economic Development and Trade; 900 Bay Street, Bay and Wellesley). I spent 2 semesters working here, in the fall of 2003 and the summer of 2004.

I'm very lucky to have worked here at the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. I did a little bit of everything: photocopying, filing, database management, program support, data quality management, recommendations, etc. While working here, I have realized the importance of government institutions and their mandates, and have been facinated by the power and influence of the government and its leaders.

At times it would be hella boring but it's really been a great experience. Every one of my co-workers have been pleasant and have treated me very well. I cannot ask for more. My bosses give me responsibilities and appreciate my efforts. They haver never traated me with any negativity and have trusted me and my work. In the future, I hope I will be able to work with people as kind as my coworkers here. Although I wish I could've learned more things here that relates to my course, I have no regrets. I have learned to be organized and responsible, and have now gained experience in order to move on to new things. My goal now is to get into a financial institution, either in government or the private sector. Hopefully, I can make use of the lessons I have learned here to do a good job. I will forever be grateful of my experience here at MEDT, and maybe someday, I can return. Just so I don't forget, I would like to thank these people for making my stay at MEDT a great experience:

Karen Dares karen.dares@edt.gov.on.ca
Bruce Graham
Doug Welwood
Mark Nelson
Frances West
Valerie Springer
Gary Turner
Karen Littlejohn
Guy Poirier
Graham Flanagan
Louis Pineda

Nick Choi (Co-op)
Lauren Manske (Co-op)
Tabatha Soltay

Thank you! and may God bless you all!


Programs / projects worked on while at MEDT:
Prosperity Partnerships Fund
Prosperity Demonstration Fund
Risk capital relation to Growth Companies Report/ Presentation to Minister

Recipe: 5-1-1 Leche Flan

Easiest Leche Flan to make ... ever.

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup condesned milk
1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt

1 c sugar
1/2 c water

Directions:

Make a caramel with the sugar and water. Put in leche flan mold and let cool slightly. Mix together yolks, evap, condensed,vanilla and salt. Mix well and put in mold. Bake in a waterbath or steam in gently simmering water until slightly wobbly. Done!

My boss has bad breath

Dang, ang baho ng hininga ng boss ko. Despite brushing his teeth and flossing in the washroom at the office each day, masama pa rin ang simoy ng hangin! Blech!

Recipe: Skirt Steak with Soy Dressing

Skirt steak is cheap and really good when done right. It's like rubber when cooked wrong. This is a good dish to have during the summer.

Ingredients:

Skirt steak
Salt and pepper
Garlic
Onions (preferable red)
Green onions
Red chilles
Mirin
Sugar
Soy sauce
Rice vinegar
Lemon
Sesame oil

Directions

If skirt steak is too thick, slice to make it thinner or flatten with a meat tenderizer. Season with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan until medium rare. Let rest. Mince garlic, onions, green onions, and chilles. Combine with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, rice vinegar, lemon and sesame oil. Slice skirt steak across the grain thinly. Dress with soy mixture. Done!

Recipe: Sausage Pita Pizza

Lazy man's pizza inspired by Bobby Flay.

Ingredients:

Pita bread (big size)
Red and green peppers
Onions (preferably red onions)
Tomatoes (optional)
Salt and pepper
Smoked Italian sausage
Hotdog (optional)
Spaghetti sauce or basic pizza sauce
Oregano
Garlic powder
Sugar
Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese combo (or other melting cheese)
Olive oil

Directions:

Grill pita on both sides on a super hot grill pan. Set aside. Roast peppers and onions with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Set aside. Grill sausage (and hotdog if desired). Cut up sausage on the bias. Add garlic powder and oregano to spaghetti or pizza sauce. Put sauce over pta, add the peppers, onions and sliced sausage. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Toast until cheese melts. Done!

Recipe: Broiled Mackerel

Mackerel is one tasty fish with good oil content and flavor. It has to be as fresh as possible to avoid getting too fishy. It's probably my favorite fish now. This a simple Japanese style broiled mackerel.

Ingredients:

Mackerel fillets
Soy sauce
Mirin
Ginger (just a little)

Directions:

Combine Soy sauce, mirin and ginger. Brush mackerel with soy mixture and broil on high heat on borth sides until cooked. Done!

Recipe: Simple Chinese Fried Rice

This is my version of a simple Chinese fried rice.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice (preferably long grain and a day old)
Egg
Garlic
Onions
Ginger (just a little)
Green onions
Carrots
Celery
Corn
Green peas
Chicken
Shrimp
Oyster sauce
Chicken stock (just a little)
Soy sauce


Directions:

Beat egg and coat rice. Stirfry at high heat and set aside. Saute garlic, onions, ginger, green onions, carrots, celery, corn and green peas. Add chicken and saute. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and chicken stock and shrimp. Add in the rice and stirfry. Done!

Recipe: Eggplant in Chilli Garlic Sauce

My version of this famous Szechuan dish.

Ingredients

Garlic
Onions
Green onions
Ginger (just a little)
Salt
Pepper
Ground pork
Chilli oil or toubanjan
Sesame oil
Dried shrimp powder or Shrimp
Ketchup
Thai sweet chilli sauce
Oyster sauce
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
Shaoxing wine
Chinese eggplant (cut on the bias)
Chicken stock
Cornstarch slurry

Directions

Saute first 4 ingredients. Season ground pork with just a little salt and pepper and saute until it gains a little collor. Add chilli oil and sesame oil. Add shrimp powder or shrimp. Turn up heat then add ketchup, Thai sauce, and Oyster sauce. Add brown sugar. Deglaze with wine then add eggplant. Coat and cook the eggplant. Add chicken stock and simmer until eggplant is cooked. Thicken with cornstarch slurry if desired. Done!

Recipe: Brie Toast

Good for sudden cravings of brie cheese for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
Minced garlic
Pinch of salt

Baguette (sliced on the bias)
Brie cheese

Directions:

Add first 3 ingredients together and heat briefly in microwave. Set aside for a few minutes. Brush baguette slices with the flavored olive oil on both sides. Grill each slice directly on the fire on the stove or on a super heated grill pan. Add brie cheese slices and toast until cheese is melted slightly. Done!

Recipe: Chilli Crab

Chilli Crab

Ingredients:

Garlic
Onions
Green onion
Ginger
Diced red chille
Tomato Paste
Red vinegar
Banana ketchup (just a little)
Tomato ketchup (just a little)
Toubanjan (chinese chillie paste)
Temenjan (Sweet bean paste; just a little)
Soy sauce
Oyster sauce
Sugar
Shaoxing wine or sake (just a little)
Chicken stock
Cornstarch slurry
Crabs
Seasoned flour (slightly seasoned with salt)

Directions

Remove crab brains from crabs. Set aside. Coat crabs in flour and deep fry until cooked through. Set aside. Saute first 5 ingredients in some oil used for the crab. Add tomato paste and red vinegar. Add the two ketchups, toubanjan, temenjan, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Coat and saute on high heat. Add sugar. Reduce heat and add crab brains. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine. Add chicken stock and simmer. Add cornstarch slurry to thicken. Pour over crab. Done!

Recipe: Mother of All Hams

Best ... Ham ... Ever!! So simple it's scary but the best ham I've ever eaten. Mommy's greatest Christmas recipe.


Mother of All Hams

Ingredients

Ham in bone (preferable smoked)
Pineapple juice
Brown Sugar
Salt
Black peppercorns
Bay leaf


Directions

Simmer whole ham in pineapple juice, brown sugar, salt, black peppercorns and bay leaf until tender. Remove ham and let rest. Reduce boiling liquid, adding more brown sugar and/or salt and pepepr to thicken and to taste to make a sauce. Slice ham thinly and fry in a little oil. Remove and add sauce over top. Done!

For baked ham, baste the ham with glaze and bake at 425 degrees F.

Glaze:
brandy/cognac
brown sugar
pineapple jam
maple syrup
corn syrup

Recipe: Seafood in Abalone Sauce

Seafood in Abalone Sauce

Ingredients:

Garlic (just a little) (may leave this out)
Onions
Ginger (just a little)
Carrots
Celery (cut on the bias)
White fish
Shrimp
Baby clams or mussels
Shaoxing wine or sake
Abalone sauce
Oyster sauce (just a little)
Chicken stock
Sugar
Cornstarch slurry
Soft tofu

Directions

Saute first 5 ingredients. Add white fish, clams and shrimp. Add abalone sauce and oyster sauce. Coat and saute. Add wine. Add chicken stock and simmer. Add sugar. Add cornstarch slurry and thicken. Deep or shallow fry soft tofu until surface is slightly crisp but inside is still soft. Add tofu to the rest. Done!

Recipe: Fettuccine Alfiasco

Hmm... it seems that blogger is a useful spot to post recipes when I get inspired. My sudden need for pasta came from watching Jamie Oliver's show Jamie's kitchen. I checked different recipes from Epicurious and they seem rather bland. Here's my twist on Fettuccine Alfredo .... Fettuccinne Alfiasco.


Fettuccinne Alfiasco

Ingredients:
Fettuccinne (dried or fresh. doesn't matter)
Bacon or pancetta
Garlic
Onions or shallots
Carrots
Mushrooms (preferrably, mixed reconstitued dried mushrooms)
Spinach or brocolli
Parsley
Wine (optional)
Lemon (optional)
Diced tomatoes (optional)
Roasted red peppers (optional)
Bottled sundried tomato alfredo sauce
Parmesan cheese or Pecorino romano

Directions:
Cook pasta. Dice bacon. Saute until crisp and remove from pan. Saute garlic, onions, celery carrots and mushrooms. Add spinach, alfredo sauce and a little water or stock (either chicken or mushroom stock). Simmer then add in the pasta. Toss and add parsley and the bacon. Grate parmesan over it. Done!