Going crazy over oats

It is official. I am going nuts over oats. Oops, I think I meant I'm going oatie crazy over these bits of natural goodness.

Yes, I couldn't help but bake something that had oats in it.

Actually, it was a mini-experiment.

I wanted to bake something with oats but not in the cookie form because I've already made those. I wanted something different, with more bite. Something substantial that could be good enough for a hearty breakfast. Not that cookies don't make the cut. I guess I was craving for something else.

It turned out to be muffins.



So I went on to search for an oat muffin recipe. But couldn't find any. I only found one fruit muffin recipe that had porridge oats in it.

Then it dawned upon me.

"Go concoct your own", echoed a voice, in my grey mass.

Sounds crazy, but that's just what I did. and viola. I had my very own Oatie Muffins for breakfast this morning. With lemon curd:



And yes, it did taste good with the curd. Have it with jam or heck, even nutella.

One thing though. This muffin tends to lean towards the dense sticky side. So don't expect something light and fluffy. This recipe is low fat, and low sugar, and therefore very very healthy. So if you like yours with a sweeter zing, do feel free to add more sugar or even dried fruits like cranberries, apricots, figs or hey, add chocolate chips why don't you.

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Cheryl's Natural Oatie Muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 egg
dash of cinnamon
dash of 5 spice powder
200 ml milk

Combine dried ingredients and add milk.

Add the egg and honey and stir somemore and mix well.

Pour into paper cases and sprinkle some porridge oats on top and put in oven for about 20 minutes at 200 degrees celcius.

Makes about 10 muffins.

*Note: You can use wholemeal flour and skimmed milk if you want it to be even healthier! and do feel free to put however much cinnamon and five spice powder.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

my healthy version of the oatmeal cookie - see the cinnamon?

Oats used to be my least favourite grain. I avoided eating the oatmeal porridge my mum would sometimes make for breakfast. On some days, I'd relent and eat it with butter and cheese. There's nothing like salty melted butter and soft gooey cheese. With those, even mushy oats would taste great.

Now, I can't get enough of oats and I love all grains. That includes wheat and bran. I do like muesli and I prefer the non-sugared ones. Sometimes those with too much sugar can be too overpowering.

It so happened that I had plenty of leftover rolled oats from before and I decided to make some oatmeal cookies. Without chocolate, without raisins. Of course they'll taste better with those, but I had no raisins and I wanted this to be a healthy treat for starters.

I got the recipe from Epicurious and liked that they asked for cinnamon to be added in. Spiced oatmeal cookies sounds good. But I didn't follow the recipe word for word. I halved the sugar (only added the 1/3 brown sugar it called for) and used margarine instead of unsalted butter. But do note that you have to omit the salt from the recipe then. And also, margarine makes for a more softer cookie. I also used more oats (2 cups) than what they asked for, and of course, I added more cinnamon.

The result was spectacular, in a simple warm fuzzy sorta way. You'll understand when you make them and get them warm from the oven. These cookies are cake-like and soft in the centre. You could add black pepper or five-spiced powder if you like and maybe some grated nutmeg.

I would have to say, this is a very basic oatmeal cookie recipe. Which is good, I suppose, as it allows you to play around with the ingredients and adapt flavours as you see fit. You could add maple syrup or even irish cream if you like. I think this is a keeper. Will definitely use it again and customise my own special creation! I'm thinking of chocolate coated oatmeal bars with mashmallows. heh. but that's for another time when i'm having a serious craving for something sweet and decadent.

Manhattan Fish Market

Now doesn't that look oh-so-inviting?

And the best thing is, that was my dinner just now. What you're looking at, is the seafood platter for two ($29.90) which me and Cheryl ate at the Manhattan Fish Market.

Looks rather similar to the one sold at Fish & Co. but allow me to let you in on a secret:

this one is much better!

for starters, this platter includes oysters! and i prefer the garlic rice they serve. The platter also came with some calamari, fries, prawns and fish.

It did taste as good as it looked. and it was rather entertaining too... let me explain why...

when the waiter brought us the platter, he had a blowtorch in his hand. yes yes, i too, wondered what the heck was going on.

then the magic began:

He turned it on and proceeded with heating up the prawns.

Now now, it seemed weird at that time too... I mean, the prawns weren't exactly creme brulee were they? I was highly curious... but sorry guys, couldn't snap a picture in time. I would, next time I promise. It was an interesting sight.

Finally when l i actually got to see and taste the prawns, I saw that they were coated with some creamy white sauce that tasted divine. And I do mean divine. Cheryl would agree with me! It wasn't quite mayonnaise, neither was it tartare sauce. It had a savoury creamy taste to it. Maybe one day i'll ask the chef. Anyway, it tasted darn good with the prawns.

The fried oysters were yummy and the fish was tender and I liked the fact that theirs wasn't too oily. But the portion was really huge. So huge that we couldn't finish everything, though we wished we could. We had to leave some rice and fries untouched.

Speaking of the rice. haha. I was actually so amazed by how they got their rice so fragrant and tasty (i suspect lots of butter and ya, garlic juice/sauce? i couldn't find garlic bits at all though) that I actually started taking a whiff. a waiter saw me sniffing the rice (okay, not my proudest moment) and came over to ask me if anything was wrong. I actually didn't know what he was talking about until I realised that he must have thought that I was inspecting the rice because there was something wrong with it.

Amused, I started laughing and said that it was in fact the total opposite. I loved their garlic rice and was just wondering how they made theirs!

They must have thought I was a weirdo... haha... well anyway, to make up for it, I filled their feedback form and commended the food and yes, i also asked how they made the rice. I left my email address but I doubt they'd let me in on the secret...


the interior



the entrance of the restaurant

And so, both of us stepped out of the place feeling stuffed but contented. I can't wait to come back again and try the other stuff on their menu.

Oh, and look at what they printed on the feedback form:
*The fishes, squids, mussels, oysters, lobsters, prawns would like to thank you for the time taken to complete this form. It makes our living in the ocean more meaningful. Looking forward to become a better dish*

poor fishies....
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Manhattan Fish Market
#06-07
Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Rd
Tel: 6835-9300

4 out of 5 burps

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It all boils down to a tea

Coffee or tea? With milk or without? Caffeine free or organic?

What's your preference?

I would almost instantly choose tea over coffee, anytime.

Maybe it's because I prefer something more subtle and relaxing. Coffee can be too strong at times. Although I love the aroma of freshly roasted coffeebeans, tea just seems more intriguing.

Teas are unpredictable. They come in many flavours and makes for a more gentle cuppa. There are a hundred and one teas around: Vanilla, Mango, Apple, Lemon, Strawberry, Peach etc.... It's much easy to flavour tea. Or maybe it's just me. Coffee gives you espresso, lattes, cappucino, macchiato, etc. It would be weird to have strawberry or mango coffee won't it? Of course you can try, but it won't be a marriage made in heaven I'm sure.

Tea captivates me. It's amazing how hot boiling water can morph into a heavely brew in a few minutes with a tea infusion. You have fruit teas, flower teas, herb teas and the list goes on. It's in its own league I tell you.

I could in fact, write a poem-story about teas right here right now:

i was walking home one day
with faye
when i soon spotted a tea shop
i stopped for a moment and looked at the top
There was a sign which went,
"Teas for all and all for tea, why not try some today",
then i remembered about the scones
that mum just baked
for my sake
because it was my birthday
yesterday.
so i entered the shop and
i asked the tea lady
if she had some leaves ready.
she chuckled for a moment and replied,
"missy, teas are my speciality, browse on
and tell me what catches your eye".
so i walked down the aisle
looking high and low
for something that might soothe me so
soon enough, i caught sight
of some pretty little sachets
all laid in a row.
they were pink and pretty
and each came with a bow
with an instant, I picked one up
and went to the lady and asked
"mdm' what's in these?"
and she replied in a split-tea-ing second,
"vanilla my dear, vanilla"
ahh... no wonder it smelled as wonderful
as mum's dinner.
so I opened my purse,
took out some coins,
passed it to the lady and said,
"it all boils down to a tea
and vanilla just does it for me".

okay, that was my half-baked attempt at waxing lyrical about teas. sorry if you fell asleep half way!

back to teas. have you ever tried vanilla tea? if not, you really should. It's a brilliant accompaniment to cakes, especially tea cakes. Try having it with chiffon or just a light butter cake. It's excellent for a relaxing sunday. makes you feel all english. well it works for me. Carrefour sells some.

I bought more tea today during lunch, whilst browsing the food section at Marks & Spencers. Picked up a box of organic lemon, ginger and ginseng teabags ($4.90 for 20 teabags). Interesting mix don't you think so? It's also naturally caffeine free and makes for a 'lively, warm infusion for an invigorating pick-me-up mid-morning or afternoon', so says the package. And I've just made a cup for myself and I have to agree that they didn't lie.



This is one herbal tea that is refreshingly good. It has lemon peel, ginger, lemon grass, cassia bark and ginseng among others. Lovely stuff. I like it already. Now, if only I really had some scones with clotted cream. Mmmmm.... heaven.

*snaps out of dreamland*

now that i've got my cuppa, i feel all revved up and ready to go.

oh, gonna meet my best friend Cheryl Anne for dinner later, I'll be sure to let you in on what good eats we filled our tummies with!

Korean Fever

I'm very curious about the increasing popularity of all things Korean. Am I the only one who's noticed it? Maybe, maybe not.

Lately, there's an influx of Korean movies and suddenly it's hip to be Korean. Girls drool over Korean heart-throbs like Lee Dong-gun and Bae Yong Jun etc.

It doesn't stop there either.

The culinary world isn't spared.

I see more Korean eateries around town and well, their cuisine is certainly catching on - here especially.

I do admit that I'm really not the expert when it comes to Korean food but I do enjoy eating it. And speaking of eating it. It so happened that I had some Korean food for dinner yesterday. Don't have photos though. Apparently I was too hungry and tucked in before snapping a shot.

What I ate was a very unique Korean creation at Marina Square's Food Loft (the newly renovated place looks loads better now). Called the Bi Bim Bab, it's actually rice with a medley of greens (yes, I'm the veggie lover remember?) such as beansprouts, grated carrots and cucumbers and also kai lan. There was also mushrooms and spicy chicken. All this was put together neatly around a mound of rice and topped with a fried egg - sunny side up, in case you were wondering.

That's not all, what was even more special, was this red sauce that they splashed on... no it wasn't ketchup and neither was it chilli sauce. It had me rather intrigued. It tasted almost like 'miso' (fermented soya bean paste' but yet, it had a tinge of sweetness to it. Maybe I'll quiz the chef next time.

This Bi Bim Bab came with a saucer of kim chi and salted ikan bilis (anchovies) which I added in... I didn't really know the right way to eat the Bi Bim Bab, so I simply mixed eveything up with the sauce. and added plenty of chilli powder. The end result? A lovely mix of sweet, sour and spicy. Just the way I like it. Awesome stuff. And it was healthy too! =) Anyways, I'll be sure to take pictures the next time I eat it again.

If you think that was the end of my dinner, think again.

Being the dessert lover that I was, I had to have my cake and hmmm devour it?

So after exploring the rest of Marina Square, me, and my makan buddy mike settled for this new cafe which coincidentally had something to do with Korea.

I was rather amused with the coincidence... didn't realise it only much later.

Got to confess that I actually decided to have dessert at the cafe because they had sofas. I'm a sucker for the 'comfy inviting sofa-laden' type of cafes. Please don't laugh. I just think that when it comes to chilling out, the right way should be on comfortable furniture sans cold hard chairs.

Anyway, as I was saying, this was actually a Korean Lifestyle Cafe called "People Say".



Really, don't bother asking me why they called it that. It's supposed to be a franchise of an actual cafe in Korea. It's supposedly the only Korean cafe in Singapore. heh. and I discovered it! not that it's a major achievement.

No, they don't really serve Korean food. But rather, just your usual cakes, sandwiches and coffee. But the best thing was the promotion they had on. I don't know how long it's going for, but they actually told us that we get a free Americano (worth $2.90) when we buy any slice of cake. Not that their cakes looked fantastic or they had a great variety but it did seem like a good buy. And seeing that I can't say no to some coffee and cake, we settled there, and yes on a sofa... with cushions.

I had the opera cake ($4.90) whilst mike had an american cheesecake ($4.20). I got to say that the cakes were pretty decent. Nothing to write home about but pleasurably delightful enough to satisfy my sugar craving. We actually changed our Americano to a Latte (had to pay $0.50 extra because lattes cost more) and proceeded with some indulgence.




The cheesecake wasn't too heavy and too creamy. It had a nice smooth texture that crumbled ever-so-lightly at the gentle prodding of my fork. This one didn't have the typical digestive biscuit base. Instead, they used a soft white sponge cake... i think. well it tasted like it. The cake went well with the latte of course.



Opera cake looked much better than the cheesecake simply because of it's multiple layers. And you know what? there's actually some history to opera cakes. Apparently it was concocted back in 1903 by Louis Clichy in the Exposition Culinaire in Paris. Formerly named 'Clichy', it was renowned Parisian patisseria Dalloyau who renamed it 'L'Opera'.



If you think this cake sounds delicious, wait till you hear what it's actually made of. The cake has a total of 7 layers (wow) and three of which are coffee-soaked joconde (almond sponge cake), two, of coffee butter cream, one of ganache and the last one of chocolate glaze.


Go ahead and count the layers! There are really seven...

See, didn't I tell you it was a work of wonder? I got to say that I was won over by the top most layer of chocolate. I'm not sure if the cafe makes it in-house, or actually flies it over from Korean (heh i highly doubt so!) but i was quite impressed with the quality that I was almost sorry to have under-estimated their value.

And so, that cake certainly made my day. I would be lying to you if I said it didn't. This certainly won't be my last time at the cafe. It's ambience is enough to make you want to say till it closes (well i did)...but just a slight warning.. they play Korean music that can be quite irritating (or maybe it's just me, because I usually prefer jazzy, classical music when I'm chilling at a cafe).

For more about Opera cakes and if you're looking for a recipe, check out A La Cuisine's in-depth description and comments on this musically talented cake (sorry, couldn't help being cheesey here) that's so good, it'll make you sing as well as an Opera singer.

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People Say
6 Raffles Boulevard
#03-257 Youth Zone
Marina Square

3 and a half out of 5 burps

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Ichiban Boshi

Boy, you got to admit, those california hand rolls ($1.90 each) look rather good! One thing I can't fanthom though, is why are they called california? shouldn't it be japanese hand rolls? makes no sense. anyway I had these at Ichiban Boshi at Wisma Atria a few days ago, together with lots of other yummy jap eats. It was a get-together dinner with me and my two dearest cousins who are like sisters to me. We had a blast ordering so much and eating to our heart's delight and the best part was the price. It was really reasonable. Read on to see and imagine how delicious the food was. And maybe you might just be tempted to rush down right away!



Soft shell crab tempura ($5.30). I know it looks rather weird here. However, they do taste great. It came with a bowl of soya-like sauce, which of course, complemented the tempuras. Yes, kinda unhealthy, what with the oil and all. But hey, it's not like I eat this everyday ya?



My favourite: Edamame ($1.90). In case you didn't know, those are soya beans. The beans are still in the pods and they're green. I love all things soya, so it was only natural that i ordered these.



Of course, who can forget sashimi? This salmon sashimi ($5.30) we ordered had a rich orange reddish hue, as you can see. Slices were thick and fresh. A pleasure to eat. I love the tenderness of it as I bite into the soft raw flesh. Yes I do have a thing for raw fish. But I actually only picked it up recently. Now I actually prefer raw salmon to cooked ones. And hey, they're pretty healthy.. plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids. But of course, one can't eat too much of it.



Didn't want to make you guys do so much scrolling, so i put the pictures together. And there you have it, an assortment of sushi and such. Clockwise from top left: spicy ebi, salmon kawa roll, vegetable roll and samon sushi. All these were at $1.90 each.



Here's more of what we ate... I don't remember the all the names but the one at the top left is actually potato croquette. It's like breaded fried mash potatoes. There were corn kernels in it. Superb. And of course the rest of the sushi rocked too. Also at $1.90 each. Ain't that cheap?



And this was how the place looked like. Not bad eh? The ambience was casual chic. You wouldn't have thought the prices were reasonable if you'd only looked at the place. It's really value-for-money. The sushi is really good and if you sit away from the conveyor belt, you can simply order a la carte and they'll make it fresh for you. Marvellous. I'm definitely going back.

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Ichiban Boshi
Wisma Atria
#03-15
435 Orchard Road
Tel: 6734 7277

4 out of 5 burps

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Kiwi Jam

It seems like it's suddenly kiwi season. Every supermarket I go, there'll be crates of those little furry fruits. They're suddenly more cheaper than usual and in abundance. So of course, I had to take advantage of that. My very close friend Lina has been hunting high and low for kiwi jam for the longest time. And I decided this would be a good time to put these kiwi to good use and surprise her.

Not too bad an attempt I'd say. My first time making jam. Bought some pectin powder the other day and well, seems like i've put it to good use. I hope to be able to make marmalade next... or strawberry jam. They make good gifts.

Here's the recipe if you want to taste some kiwi goodness:

Kiwi Jam

3 cup chopped kiwi
1 pkt powdered pectin (about 1 and 3/4 ounces)
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
4 cup sugar

Combine kiwi, pectin, and pineapple juice in large pot.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.

Return to a rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust lids.

Process 10 minutes in boiling water canner.

This recipe yields 8 jelly jars or 4 half-pints.

Taken from Food Down Under.

*Note* You might want to cut down on the sugar. I used only a little more than 2 cups and still found it too sweet. Depends on your preference i guess.

Dharma's Kebabs & Bakerzin's Sinful Treats

Doesn't those 'tube-like' red things look darn interesting? I think they're rather unique. Those are Shish Kebabs ($13) by the way. It's made out of lamb. Though the colour might look a tad too unnatural, it tasted all right. Not as delicious as I would have expected 'tender lamb' (well that was what the menu stated!) to be. It looked very 'manufactured'.

Anyways, in case you were wondering, the kebabs are from Dharma's Kebabs down at Boat Quay. Went there for dinner with fellow local food blogger Julia of Aroma Cookery. It was the first time meeting her but i'd say we hit it off right away. I do think that it's definitely because of our interest in food.

We actually didn't know where to dine (hey don't blame us, there are just too many eateries in S'pore!) so I suggested Dharma's because I've heard about the place and well they were featured in a few magazines. Besides, Julia has never eaten there before, and me neither so kebabs it was.




This one here is chicken tikka ($14). I got to admit that I prefer the tikka more than the shish kebabs. somehow it was in it's natural form which I could recognise and I liked how they marinated it. The sauces were a definite shoo-in. The orange-brown one there is actually curry, albeit a little thin. The green one there is actually mint sauce. Good combination of sauces... allows diners to choose the spicy or non spicy route. Well and it was to no surprise that i lapped up all the sauces.

Ahh and then there's the flat bread. Those were wonderful breads i must say. The one that came with the shish kebabs were stuffed with potato (yes, you guys know how much i love potatoes!) and they served the garlic one with the tikka. Both flat breads had a very soft fluffy texture to them and it was lovely to tear up and put them slowly into my mouth. I think this has got to be one of the better flat breads i've tasted. Thumbs up for the bread! Tastes great with the sauces too.

Well all in all I would say the food at Dharma's was reasonably yummy. Maybe we should have ordered the beef tenderloin (heard lots about it) or maybe even the mixed platter which has an array of meat. Thing is, there was only the two of us and i doubt we can finish so much food... So maybe i'll drop by next time to try out the other stuff... The wedges look good too... we saw many diners ordering that.

After we were done with our dinner, it was time for....

yes dessert! my most favourite part of a meal.

we had to satisfy our sweet tooth. so off we went and look what we filled our tummies with:





That's the Coeur Noir ($5.20)! I chose that after standing for quite some time at the display casing. Yes yes, i can be quite fickle.... Seeing that Bakerzin has plenty of good quality desserts. In case you didn't know, i'm a HUGE fan of Bakerzin and have tried almost ALL of their desserts. I even have their 'PURE INDULGENCE' member card!

okay as I was saying, i finally chose this little heart shaped dark chocolate mousse dessert. It was such a pretty thing that i couldn't bear to poke my fork into it. I spent quite a great deal of time admiring it.

But i knew i couldn't just sit and stare at it for the rest of the night, so i dived in and man, there was no need for words. My eyes expressed it. I was on cloud 9. I adore dark chocolate and this coeur noir was definitely down my lane. It not only looked good but tasted good as well. Here's a description of it taken off the Bakerzin website: "Layers of dark chocolate mousse and sacher sponge, with brandy cherries and hazelnut dacquoise at the base". Yummy. If only they had a bigger sized one. I know I would be able to finish it!

Oh, but if you're thinking that was good... wait till you hear about the next one:



This has got to be my all time favourite dessert. This Warm Chocolate Cake ($9.50) is a must-try. Anyone who dines at Bakerzin has to try this. I managed to convince Julia to order this. She was actually deciding between this and the chocolate souffle but the voice in me told her 'order the warm chocolate cake, go ahead, you won't regret!"... and the rest, as they say is history.

I do believe she's now a convert... am I right Julia? You should have seen both our faces when our tongues made contact with the brown morsels dripping with real vanilla bean ice cream. It was pure ecstasy. I got to tell you, I could get high on warm chocolate cake, believe me. We were walking on air for that instant. It's a brilliant dessert and well I shouldn't hard sell it too much... You should simply trust your instincts, follow your heart and head down to Bakerzin to get one yourself! =) and tell me about it. I trust that you'll love it. Well if you don't, then you can redeem some chocolate chip cookies from me. Deal?

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Dharma's Kebabs
40 Boat Quay
Tel: 6534 5100.

3 and half out of 5 burps



Bakerzin
1 Fullerton Road
#01-04 One Fullerton
Tel: 6438 8700

4 out of 5 burps

*they have other outlets at Paragon, Millenia Walk, Atrium@Orchard (Beside Plaza Singapura) and United Square

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Chickpea & Cheese Omelette Sandwich

Sick of eating out so often for lunch, I decided to make my own mid-day meal yesterday. It's a very simple sandwich that I concocted in the morning. Dad had boiled a huge batch of chick peas the day before and I took the opportunity to make good use of this morsels of goodness.

Not sure how many of you are familiar with chickpeas. They're also known to Singaporeans as 'kacang puteh'. The 'steamed nut-like' snack you buy in a paper cone and bring with you when you watch a movie at the cinema. Okay, maybe that's not a common sight anymore. Most people would rather buy a box of high-fat buttery popcorn. Hmmm not that it's an offence. hahaa... but I still prefer my good ol' kacang puteh.

Okay back to those chickpeas as they are known in the English language. Chickpeas are actually legumes. Much like dhal and what not. My first encounter with chickpeas in a totally different form was when I was in London. I don't know why, but I had alot of mediterrean food there. And it always comes with 'hummus'. Hummus is actually a paste made from chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), olive oil and some other spices. It's a very common dressing when you order your turkish wraps or kebabs.

Any how, I didn't have any tahini at home, so I thought why not just use the chickpeas themselves. So I went to get the blender, added a wee bit of water and a spoonful of yoghurt (to moisten the peas, thus making it easier to blend) and off it went! I had some lovely mustard yellow colour paste. I seasoned it with ground oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, chilli powder, and some cinnamon. Yes if you don't know by now, i'm quite big on spices, so I always have some around.

But then, eating the semi-hummus with bread would be quite plain wouldn't it?, thought I. So I opened the fridge, saw some cheese and eggs. And viola, egg omelette appeared in front of me.

All right all right, it wasn't that magical. I don't have my own personal genie, or rather, personal chef. So I fried the omelette. I love cheese omelette. I love the gooey-ness of the melted cheese.

And so, I had my chickpea and cheese omelette sandwich after I spread the semi-hummus on to the pieces of wholemeal bread (told ya I was healthy =p) and placed the omelette on top. Then I remembered, TOMATOES! who eats sandwiches without sliced tomatoes!

So my quick hands found some juicy red tomatoes and off I went slicing it. I added them to my sandwich and there you have it - my lunch.

Trust me, it was filling enough to be a lunch. I brought it to work and refrigerated it.

When lunch time came, I whipped it out and took a bite and man, was I enjoying every bit of it. Though it might be healthy, heck it was certainly tasty as well. I have the cheese and the spices to thank. you can never go wrong with those two! Oh, and I had the sandwich with a cup of warm thick Milo. Awesome. It was a simple lunch, very nondescript, but satisfying, I would like to add.



More sandwich days to come.... for me, I should fanthom.

Lunch & Such

my desktop at work. notice my wall paper?

Which is your favourite meal of the day? Breakfast, Lunch, Tea, Dinner or Supper? I'm sure most would choose the latter two. I think it's all skewed. I mean, we're told to eat the most for breakfast, alot for lunch, and the least for dinner. But if you go back and recall what you ate yesterday, i'm sure you'll find that dinner was heavier than lunch and breakfast. Nutritionists and dieticians will tell you that it is crucial to eat plenty of nutritious foods in the morning (that includes carbs, fibre, vitamins and what not) because you'll need the energy to get you through the day. And of course, for those keen on losing weight or staying trim, would be told to eat lesser during dinner especially. Thus, suppers and late-night pratas are out. I do think that's kind of sad. It's not far! I mean, look, people usually meet up with friends after work during dinner and it's only natural to eat delicious (and sometimes sinful) food. So who cares about having to eat lesser during dinner? No one, really. Well except those who can't stand having an ounce of flab i guess.

I'm honestly one of those people who do it all inversely too. Or rather, I used to. I find myself getting hungry at night and always open the fridge and cupboards in search for some munchies. That's bad I know... trust me, haha i can tell the difference. I notice when I omit supper from my daily food intake, i'm less 'wide'. it's all in the science my friends. our metabolism slows down at the end of the day and night is the time where we're all supposed to be sleeping, so eating that pack of chips or devouring that hokkien mee and rojak ain't gonna do you no good. OK, before I sound like a long-winded mum, i'll just have this to say, a healthy lifestyle is crucial. EVERYONE wants to look good, everyone wants to live a life sans illnesses that plague them and I doubt anyone wants to die young, or ahem from a heart attack. I might sound harsh here, but hey, that's the blatant truth.

You must be wondering what all this talk about healthy food is about? haha... actually it just came across my mind. because i have friends who think that i'm a health freak (not!). maybe it's because I have an affection for anything green and leafy! Actually i love vegetables, and fruits. Yes. I can just order vegetables from the 'mixed economic rice' stalls at food courts and be very very contented. Weirdly, I wasn't like this when I was younger. Well I didn't hate vegetables, but I certainly stayed away from some, like bitter gourd, eggplants and leeks. As I grew older though, I found myself loving veggies even more. And I now eat bitter gourd, eggplants and leeks ever so often. In fact, egg plants are now one of my favourite vegetables. I order it everytime I eat 'yong tau fu'. And yes, i do like to roast it! and thanks to persephone, I am going to heed her advice and make some Greek moussaka soon. It's a lasagna-like dish that uses eggplant and bechamel sauce. how cool is that? =p

All right, yes, I'm a veggie lover and I cannot live without my fruits. I eat fruits every single day. Yes, perhaps that's why I don't fall sick that often? I usually blend them together and just drink it up. By the way, I eat up the fibre too. I don't believe in drinking just the juice! it's a real waste. Me dad just bought this beautiful blender from Philips and I've been using it. Go try blending natural yoghurt with banana and papaya or any fruits.. it'll definitely taste fab.

But alas, though I love my fruits and veggies, I also love getting my regular sugar fix. Yes, i'm a chocolate fanatic and I have a sweet tooth.


yes this sinful chocolate eclair ($1.35 ) from Four Leaves is one of my weaknesses

And as you can see by what I bake, I have an affinity for baked goods too. Cookies, cakes, biscuits, desserts and all are so my thing! I cannot resist some good Ben & Jerry's or Haagen Daaz. If you ask me to choose between eating the main course and just having dessert, heck, I'll just take the dessert, any time, any where! That's how bad / or good, it is. hahaa.. so it's a win -lose situation. That's why I think I do contradict myself sometimes. But hey, I do think it pans out well. After all, I can't just live on fruits and veggies alone can I? I'm no vegetarian but i admit that I can live without meat. I'm not that much of a carnivore, although, yes yes, i love a good rack of ribs (the ones at Billy Bombers & Kenny Rogers rocks) but I can easily abstain from them by choice.

For the past two months or so, I've been eating out alot. That's because of my temp job at one of the telcos here. The office is in town, therefore I have so many choices. That makes it even harder. And you know how hard it is to eat healthy when you're dining out. But it's fun anticipating what to eat for lunch everyday. Here are some of my favourite picks from my lunches that I've eaten for the past weeks.


Handmade 'char siew' rice rolls ($3.50) from Killiney Road. Highly recommended. The skin is thin and it melts in your mouth!


Curry and Tempura Udon from Sanuki Udon (their udon is handmade) - avail. at S11 cuppage and Scotts food court.


Chicken with onion + fried egg and bak choy $4 - Tuk Tuk Thai Kitchen


Bobosho! ($3) It has a very cute sounding name. Made from radish and mushrooms with dried shrimps. Rather healthy. (from Centrepoint's 7-11)

As you can see from my sample of lunches here, I try to eat as healthy as I can. Most of the time, I just order yong tau fu from this amazing 'Orchard Yong Tau Fu' stall. It's just inside Cuppage Plaza, at the corner. It's always packed. And there'll be a long queue waiting religiously during lunch time everyday. it's cheap too. 8 pieces for $3.20. and I love the soya beans that they add to the soup.

Allrighty, that sums up my discourse about lunch. hahahaa.... i always thought of lunch as being the most boring meal of the day, but then again, I think I thought wrong. I'm a convert. Lunch is so my thing now.

Homemade Lemon Curd and some nostalgia

Made some lemon curd 2 days ago on a bright and early saturday morning. It was an impromptu decision. I was in a rather lemony mood. But we didn't have any more lemons at home so out I went to the market to get me some. I must admit that it's been ages since i went to the market. and i don't mean the supermarket. i'm talking about the old school wet market. the ones where you can smell the fishy fish and get fresh produce at a much cheaper price than at supermartkets (my 6 lemons cost me only SGD$2). it was a blast from the past. i remember accompanying my mum to the market when i was younger. i would purposely wait out while she chose her fish. I couldn't stand the smell...besides, the floor was always all wet and grey. but i liked the other parts of the market though. choosing fruits and vegetables. the best part.


the fruit stall where i got my lovely lemons

my, this reminds me of the market I visited when i was holidaying in London 4 years ago. I think it was called Spittalfield's market. If my memory doesn't fail me that is. i loved the entire concept! it's a much better version than the wet market in Asian countries. This one was in a huge wide sheltered place with neat rows of stalls and lovely goods including freshly baked bread and knick knacks. Very British I must say. I adore London. In fact, i'm in love with the place. I know I'm going to migrate there someday and get myself a lovely quaint cottage with an apple tree and grow some sunflowers in my garden. and yes, i will definitely have a herb garden too. then i'll have all the basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme etc i want. those are the dreams. am i building castles in the clouds? maybe i am, but trust me, one fine day, i will have my scone and eat it too. in fact, i do intend to do my post grad studies in the UK after I finish with my Bachelors. I seem to be planning way in advance i know, but it doesn't hurt ya? Oh, speaking of UK. if you're ever in Brighton, try the Harry Ramsden fish & chips. Superb. i think they have other outlets elsewhere in the world, if i'm not wrong. the chips aren't chips, but wedges. how cool is that. =)

haha okay enough reminiscing already... now back to my home made lemon curd... It was my first attempt and i must say it turned out really well! i'm so pleased with the result. I first tried lemon curd last year at a cafe and was delighted with the refreshing citrus-y taste. it's actually like kaya (a jam made from coconut and eggs), in terms of texture and consistency.





But seriously, lemon curd is in a league of its own. The colour is a brill semi-milky yellow and it's thick enough to look good when spread on bread. i used a total of 6 lemons for this. actually had to grate the zest of all 6 lemons and squeezed 4, for the juice. my hands were rather tired after that, but boy was it all worth while. lemon curd is simple to make and very satisfying. it contains some butter (unsalted), and that explains the semi-buttery feel. it's a good combination, me thinks. you have to try it for yourself to know what i mean.

i'm not sure where lemon curd originated from. i think from Britain. I just like the idea of sitting down on a lovely saturday morning, with my pot of tea and eating lemond curd spread on scones! heaven... well i didn't have scones at home so i settled for bread and crackers. i must master the art of scones too.

geez there's too many stuff that i want to make! but so little time! i have molten choc cake, creme brulee, souffle, on my list already. the more i come across excellent recipes, the more inclined i am to make them. ahh... well this is the art of food i guess. it just so happens i love the adrenaline rush that cooking/baking involves. get what i mean? it's the anticipation of the final product. it's just an exciting process. i'm thinking of having a dinner party soon. maybe with fellow food bloggers? just a passing thought. we could have pot luck at someone's place. hmmm. that'll be good!

anyway, just realised my 21st birthday is coming up! Only next month... and i have to start planning. i'm intending to cook and bake some food and also rope in my aunts - they're great cooks!. I shall ask them to make their specialities and bring them to my party.

hahaa... i'm rather excited about this whole thing. after all, i haven' really had a birthday party since .... since a long time actually. i think the last time i had one, was when i in kindergarten? gosh... sounds pathetic. the past few years were worse. i didn't really celebrate at all. was too busy with school work. one year, i was simply slogging over the computer, typing furiously on my birthday, in a bid to rush some important assignment. what to do, i'm a workoholic. it's a win-lose situation. heh. but THIS year, this year's an exception. I'm not in school YET. so i must celebrate while i can! I start university on August 1st actually. Geez, that's like only 3 days after my birthday. well then i guess my birthday party could double up as a celebration of starting life as a student once again. okay, that said, am going to start doing up the menu! and do expect plenty of pictures of the food, after the party! =) so stay tuned...

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Lemon Curd

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 3/4 sticks (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

Whisk together zest, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and a pinch of salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter all at once and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 10 minutes. Immediately pour curd through a fine sieve into a bowl, then chill, covered.

Note:
• Lemon curd keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week. Makes about 3 cups

Recipe taken from Epicurious
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A Baker's Excitement

Many things excite me. Me, being the die-hard baker that I am, I tend to love flipping through baking/cooking/food magazines. Whether it be the library or the bookshop, I normally dive straight into the food section. Maybe I'm just this maniac who finds sweet solace in burying her nose in any thing that looks like it would taste like heaven. i wonder how heaven would really taste like. considering if one can actually taste up there. heh. anyway, it's to no surprise that I bought a recent issue of Donna Hay's Magazine when I was browsing at Times Bookshop. I got to admit, it's my first time reading it and I was so bowled over that I actually bought it! Paid SGD$9.90. It's quite expensive for a magazine but it's darn worth it. There's like so many different recipes ranging from fuss-free lunch/dinners to baking pies, cakes and even souffles. The photography is impeccable. Looking at the front cover already makes you drool. It says alot. It practically drawed me to it. I know I'm going to have a great time trying out the recipes one by one. Look out world, here I come.... to bake/cook/eat more yummy eats.



Take one good look at this photo. Need I say more? This is the ultimate ingredient every baker must have. It's 10 times better than vanilla essence or vanilla extract. But it's kind of sad that down here in tropical Singapore, we hardly see vanilla pods. They're not a common sight. In fact, this was the first time i've seen it. And I knew I just had to buy them. Got it from Phoon Huat, this amazing one-stop baking needs store. It's very expensive. Those 3 tiny pods cost me about SGD$4. That's like only 8 grams of vanilla pods. *Sigh* what to do... it's a rare sight and I know it's money well spent... now, i just have to find the perfect recipe to use it. might try out vanilla creme brulee. Mmmmm....



If you've noticed by now, this post is mainly about what has got me all excited this past week. I've spent quite alot buying ingredients and equipment for new stuff I'm planning to bake. But what can I say, I do think it's worth it. Take this Tart Tin for example. I just learnt how to make tarts and I do like how it's so easy and delicious. Therefore, I decided to invest in a proper tart tin and viola, there you have it. my first tart tin. =) yes yes, I know most of you would already have had a tart tin since god knows when... but hey, tarts are my latest foray and I do regret not making them before! I'm now a tart convert. hahaa....

anyway look out for my upcoming post on TARTS... yes... that's the theme for the upcoming Sugar High Friday: Tantalizing Titillating Tempting Tarts. It'll be my first time taking part! had wanted to participate previously but was too busy.. but now, the tart theme could't have come at a better time! so i have to take part of course...

Amazing Caramel Corn and Eggy Tarts

Ta-dah! I finally made caramel corn. It's been on my 'must-do' list since god knows when. I do like caramel. I guess it's second nature, since i have such a sweet tooth. I didn't know caramel corn was this easy to make. I do have The Amateur Gourmet to thank of course. I read about his 8 caramel corn failures on one of his posts and well, just a few days ago, he finally found the perfect caramel corn recipe from a certain Christine who had a recipe that actually worked! and Viola, he got his caramel corn right for once! and i got so inspired that I knew I had to make some for myself. And there you have it, some delightful crunchy caramel pop corn.

I love how the butter mixes so well with the sugary goodness. It's a mix of sweet and salty i guess. You can never go wrong with butter... it's one of the best things on earth... there'll be less delicious cookies and cakes around if there was no butter! so ya...

oh boy, i do know that this isn't the last time i'll be using this caramel corn recipe. Thanks Christine and Adam! haha you guys rock... at least now, i can have lovely caramel corn anytime, anywhere... especially it's not found that easily in Singapore.

Okay, enough about corn, next up, something yellow, something a little custard-y and delicious!....



Egg Tarts! Yes yes, I know, I FINALLY got down to making them. I've been wanting to make these ever since Fat Fingers made hers. But I didn't use her recipe though... I found this other one from Trisha which looked simpler. Thing is, I don't have any custard powder and was rather lazy to buy some, so I used Trish's recipe which only asked for eggs, milk and sugar for the custard filling. And as you can see from the picture, it turned out fine and dandy.

Yay... I've finally learnt how to make egg tarts after procrastinating for so long. Thing is, i enjoy egg tarts very much especially those with a thick crust and lovely gelled custard. Now that I know how to make them, I can tweak the recipe and have it made just the way i like it. Now how cool is that?

Haha... i think i'm on a baker's high. i feel a sense of achievement... lol... okay, maybe it's not much of an achievement but still, i am happy. Real achievement is when i master the art of making puff pastry or phyllo dough, i tell ya.. that's a real feat. maybe i'll get to learn it properly when i go to culinary school in future? we'll see..

anyhow, here are the recipes for your ease:

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Caramel Corn

1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
6 quarts of Popped corn (use the kind labelled Mushroom popcorn)

Heat your oven to 250C. Melt the butter, stir in the corn syrup, sugar and salt. Bring the misture to a boil stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the soda and vanilla (Careful! it foams!). Pour over the popped corn and mix well. Spread the coated corn into large cake pans and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Let it cool and eat! You can add peanuts or any other nuts if you like.

Taken from Christine of Pookie Fat Cat

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Egg Tarts
(makes about 20)

For the pastry
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
2 tbsps icing sugar mixture
170g cold butter, chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tbsps iced water, approximately

For the custard filling
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 1/4 cups (310ml) water
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125ml) milk

Custard Filling
Combine sugar and water in pan, stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved; let it cool. When cooled combine the sugar syrup, egs and milk in bowl, stir till well combined.

Pastry
Sift flour and icing sugar into bowl, rub in butter, add egg yolk and enough water to make ingredients cling together; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Divide dough into 2 portions, roll each portion to 2mm thickness. Cut pastry into 8cm rounds. Line greased deep fluted tart tins (1/4 cup (60ml) capacity) with pastry rounds.

Pour custard carefully into pastry cases until custard comes three-quarters of the way up the sides of pastry. Bake in hot oven for 10 mins, reduce heat to moderately hot, bake further 10 mins or until custard is set.

Note: You can use disposable aluminium tart casings if you don't have deep fluted tart tins. It works just as well.

If the pastry is too sticky or difficult to roll, wrap it again in the cling-wrap and refrigate for another 10 mins. It is much easier to work on a cool pastry.

Hot oven is approx 220-230C or 450-475F or Gas Mark 6.
Moderately hot oven is approx 200-210C or 400-425F or Gas Mark 5.

Taken from Trisha of Treats by Trisharatna

Olio Dome

Carbs are so my thing. No matter what Dr. Atkins says, I still think carbs are amazing. I love potatoes especially. So versatile, so delicious, it can be eaten with anything. Think mash potatoes and ribs, or baked potatoes with soup, or maybe fries with your burger, or cold potatoes with salad. The list goes on. Potatoes can be turned into any creative dish. I like a good potato gratin. Potatoes are satisfying - it fills you and gives you that 'ahhhh' feeling, if ya know what i mean. That said, allow me to rave about the above wedges for a while.

Those are from Olio Dome. It has been a while since i've laid eyes on wedges. I do miss having wedges in Brisbane. They're so common there... even the fast food places have fries that are quite as thick or close to wedges. It's like a staple there. And it's not expensive as it is here. Anyway these chunky wedges i had were seasoned nicely and served with mayonnaise mixed with mustard and some tomato sauce (which tasted like pasta sauce, maybe they reused left over spaghetti sauce?). Potatoes are comfort foods. and these ones sure gave me lots of comfort.. they were served warm and it the golden brown hue makes you salivate. One portion is really enough for like 3 or 4 persons really. Can't remember the cost, i think it was $5.90.



Yes, what's life without dessert. And what more, without Tiramisu? Tiramisu ranks as one of my all time favourite "Classic" must-have desserts... together with creme brulee of course. Hmm but I got to say Olio Dome's tiramisu didn't quite sit well with me. But i'll give them top marks for presentation though. I sure did enjoy that roll of delicately crafted dark chocolate. A master-piece in itself. I usually prefer my Tiramisu with more cake than cream. And i like to be able to taste the liqueur. This one was mainly cream.... didn't taste much mascarpone either. Was quite disappointed actually. Looks like i have to continue looking for the ultimate Tiramisu. Still have yet to find the best one. The one at Bakerzin isn't too bad though. But I prefer their Chocolate Amer and Jivara more. Pure decadence. My mouth is watering at the mere thought of it.

Great. Now i feel like having cake. Some good cake. Chocolate cake! okay i better stop before i hallucinate a cake in front ot me. I'm now thinking what to have for lunch....

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Olio Dome
1 Raffles Boulevard,
Suntec City,
#01-01A
Tel: 63347555
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The V Tea Room

That's one heck of a brownie. Just look at the way the chocolate syrup is dribbling down the vanilla ice-cream and down the sides of the cake. It's aesthetically pleasing. This brownie resides at The V Tea Room, a beautiful tea place i discovered recently. It opened about 8 months ago and it's doing very well. Usually quite packed on weekends.



They call themselves "The World's Liqueur Teacake Boutique". It definitely does look like a boutique. One with plenty of Venetian influences. They serve various types of liqueur cakes.. from Rum and Raisin, to Bailey's Irish Cream and even Barrel Whisky Mud Cake. They even have Grand Marnier and Kahlua ones. And guess what, yes of course they do serve tea and coffee. But you can request for a shot of liqueur to be added to your tea also. Now that's what i call true style.

I didn't manage to try anything at this place because I had a late lunch. But my friend who did, said that brownie (which you saw up there) was fantastic. I know i'll have to go back there to try it. But what I am eyeing more, is the Bailey's Irish Cream and the Barrel Whisky Mud Cake. After all, Bailey's my fav liqueur and yes I am a chocolate fanatic. Prices tend to be a bit pricey ($15 per slice for the liquer cakes) but I guess that's because of the amount of liqueur they put in? I'll have to try for myself before i comment on them.



But anyhow, just chilling out at the place is good enough. Look at how quaint it is. The decor is meticulously detailed and even the wall paper and the chairs are brought in from Europe. They did put in plenty of effort. Good job. Sorry I couldn't comment much about how the food tasted. But from the looks of it (while i was there, it was so packed that people had to be turned away), it's definitely a must-visit. I promise to try out the food soon and post about it again. Mean time, you can visit their website to get a better feel of their offerings...

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The V Tea Room
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Ave
#01-02/04
Tel: 6333-1965
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who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Won't you look at that! I'm the proud new owner of this fantastic looking recipe book! and guess what? it's alll about cookies. hahaaa... i'm sooo happy! my friend gave it to me today and I was practically drooling at the sight of the beautiful yummy pictures inside. and they have recipes for all kinds of cookies!

i've always wanted a cookie recipe book but never got down to actually getting one... cos i thought since the internet has so many recipes, what for waste money ya? But man, i'm so going to use this book alot in the future. There are so many recipes in there that i want to try!

But first, gotta get my mixer! Hopefully soon enough... shall check my bank account first. haha... Thanks colin for recommending the Bosch one! it sure seems durable and reliable... will definitely check it out. After all, KitchenAid is so out of the question for me right now. Wait till i save up enough ya.

Today was a rather lazy day. It was a holiday and i spent most of my afternoon and evening just chilling out with a friend in town. oh.... yes... we went to The V Tea Room. The one i mentioned yesterday. Will post pictures up very soon.

Allrighty, let's hope I don't dream of cookies tonight! well maybe it aint' too bad.. afterall, i guess eating cookies in your dreams won't lead to weight gain? hahaa....