Welcome to AB&R Plumbing

Welcome to AB&R Plumbing's first ever blog page! Here, we hope to tell you about the services we offer, anything new that happens, and basically give you more information about plumbing and AB&R.

First, who we are!

AB&R Plumbing has been in business for over 20 years. We are a full service plumbing company offering all the services you would expect of a plumbing company, plus a few you probably wouldn't expect. See our list of services below.

At AB&R, our motto is:

If Water Goes Through It, We Do It!

AB&R Plumbing services all of Orange County, California and a little bit beyond. We service homes, offices, office parks, apartment complexes, condo associations, Home Owners Associations, restaurants and more. If you have a need for a service plumber, you would do well to call us first.

Some of the services we offer:

• Backflow Device Testing & Repair


• Drain Clearing


• Drain Video Inspection


• Reverse Osmosis Sales & Service


• Water Softener Sales & Service


• Commercial Kitchen Ficture Repair or Replacement


• Residential Fixture Repair or Replacement


• Water Heater Repair or Replacement


• Tankless Water Heater Installation

We provide scheduled services and repairs as well as Same Day or Emergency services.

Check out our website for more information on these services. Also, I will be posting more info here as time goes on.

If you check out our website, go to our Plumbing Services page. Click on the "Print Coupon" button and our list of discount coupons will come up. You can select any (or all) of these and print them for discounts off our plumbing work.

Okay, enough about plumbing for a minute. Let's talk about our people.

Our company President is a surfer! (He doesn't say "dude" that often.) I have heard him say he gets up at 4:00 in the morning to go surfing! He and his pastor frequently go together!

My wife and I are ballroom dancers (for fun only, we do not compete or teach). We actually met at a dance in Newport Beach. I started dancing in Massachusetts about 9 years ago and she started here in California about 10 years ago. We know some great places to go dancing and quite a few good instructors here in Orange County, CA

Nectarine & Plum Tart

These supposed to be Plum tarts but ended up was a few Nectarine Tarts as the plums I bought was over riped. So, I replaced it with a few leftover nectarines from the fridge. Luckily there was one plum still can be used.

Now, the plum tart become a protagonist.

I think any fresh fruits would be delicious with the combination of frangipane and rich shortcrust pastry. I love the color of plums, its sharpness of color had pampered my appetite.

For the rich shortcrust pastry:

2 eggs yolks

2 tbsp cold water

220g plain flour

110g unsalted cold butter, diced

pinch of salt

For the frangipane:

143g ground almond

25g plain flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

125g butter

125g sugar

1 1/2 large egg

Method:

1. For the pastry, add 2-3 tbsp cold water to the egg yolks and stir with a fork.
2. Place the flour into the bowl of a food processor, followed by the cold butter, sugar powder and the salt.
3. Turn the processor on and pulse several times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. Add two-thirds of the egg yolk/water mixture and pulse again. If the mixture is still too dry, add the remaining egg and water mixture (you may not need to use all of it). Be careful not to overwork the pastry. Stop pulsing when the mixture has the consistency of chunky breadcrumbs.
5. Turn the pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface and, with floured hands, bring together to make a smooth dough, but don't knead.
6. Shape into a flattened ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes. You can keep the pastry at this stage for 2-3 days if not using it immediately.
7. Remove the pastry from the fridge. On a clean, floured work surface, roll it out with a floured rolling pin until it's slightly larger than the flan ring. Using the rolling pin, lift the pastry and lay it over the flan ring.
8. With your fingers, lightly press the pastry into the sides of the ring. Run a rolling pin over the top of the ring and pull away the excess pastry at the edges. Using your fingers, gently press the pastry up to slightly build up the height of the pastry at the edges. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork.
9. For the frangipane, blitz the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a food processor until light and creamy.
10. Add in the ground almond, plain flour and beaten eggs and whiz until completely mixed and smooth.
11. Place in the fridge to firm up for at least half an hour.
12. Chopped some over riped plums and cook gently unil softened, with jammy consistency. Let is completely cool down and ready to use.
13. Cut others plums or nectarines into slices and maceratet them for 5 minutes by sprinkling them with sugar.
14. Spoon some plum jam into the pastry case then spread the frangipane over the plum jam.
15. Arrange the plums or nectarines on the surface of the frangipane, pressing them in lightly.
16. Bake the tart in the 180'C preheated oven for about an hour. Remove tarts from th oven and leave it to cool.

Kose Porial - Cabbage Curry

Kose Porial - Cabbage Curry

At the mention of the very name, I remember the varied contortions that used to distort my husband’s face! He detested having to eat the ‘off white over cooked vegetable’, which also ‘smelt awful’. Hence cabbage curry was taboo at home, especially when we had guests at home. Somehow, the chances of spoiling a cabbage curry are more when compared to cooking other vegetables. Either it is over cooked or is half done!

My grandmother was an excellent cook who had strict rules about the dos and donts for good cooking. She cut the vegetable so finely that it cooked in a minute when she immersed it in boiling water. She would immediately drain and season it. The addition of fresh grated coconut made it more lovable.

My grandchildren love this simple curry when prepared to their taste. Adding boiled green peas makes it all the better. Though it is not his favourite curry, my husband holds no grudge against it any more.

INGREDIENTS
Cabbage – 1 (Medium size)
Salt - to taste
Sugar – 1 pinch
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Black mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Urad Dal (Split Black Gram Dal) -1 tsp
Bengal Gram dal – 1 tsp
Dry Red chillies - 2
Curry leaves – a few
Oil – 2 tsps

METHOD
1. Clean and chop cabbage as finely and as uniformly as possible.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
3. When it splutters add the dals and roast till they are golden in colour.
4. Add broken chillies and curry leaves.
5. Add turmeric powder and fry .
6. Add the cut cabbage and stir once to blend with the seasoning.
7. Add salt and a dash of sugar and again blend well.
8. Cover the pan without letting any steam escapoe, and let the curry cook over low flame.
9. Remove lid now and then to ensure its not over cooked or browning.
10. When the vegetable is half done and when it throws out water remove lid and increase the heat.
11. Let it cook in its own water until all the water is absorbed, and remove from fire.
12. Optional: Garnish with fresh grated coconut .