Food & Family

My best friend Cheryl Anne came to my house a few days ago and we were reminscing about old times when we started talking about food. She tried my Dad's Ayam Buah Keluak and totally loved it (except for the black nut... it really is an acquired taste I guess!) Us girls then started talking about how things were in Secondary school, and then she casually asked how did I come to love food so much. She noted that I wasn't that much into food when we were in sec school. That dear girl remembered what I usually ate during recess too! haha...

I started to ponder about what she said because true enough, I do enjoy food but it was only in recent years that the passion tripled - that explains this humble food blog and how I became an avid baker and cook. My ultimate dream when I was a mere child was to be a world renowned writer. Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl were my inspiration. They helped me with my imagination and it ran wild with dreams and ideas.

Fast forward to today, and I am happy to say that I still love writing (it's my one true love) and right now, I am also equally passionate about doing something with my baking to inspire others. Eden is my current project and I am determined to give my best. I believe God has blessed my ministry (Amplify) and I with a bunch of dedicated people who will go to great lengths to serve.

So... some of you might be thinking, yea it's food, so what? haha, it is a big deal to me. Food is a central part of my life. Growing up, my maternal extended family (my mum has 7 sisters, and I have 15 cousins at present) always gathered during special occasions like Chinese New Year, Christmas, birthdays and holidays. Food was always a central part of these gatherings. Every family meet was greeted with anticipation and curiousity. My 7 aunts can cook - and a few of them are seriously talented. You can imagine how it's like, to be treated to a buffet of home-cooked delights all made with love! I don't care how cliched it sounds, but hey, I can really taste the difference.

Most of my memories are marked with traces of smells, tastes, lovely crispy bits of sweet and sour, spicy and bitter. Culinary memory milestones I call them. Events that bring back that whiff of freshly baked bread or doughnts, chiffon cake, etc. Each food item holds a memory and vice versa. That's how my mind works I guess. When you're brought up in a family that places an emphasis on good homecooked food, then you'd naturally have 'food values' inculcated one way or another. Food is a sign of hospitality too and I like that. I get excited when I bake for others.

Today I have plenty of yu sheng photos that I took during Chinese New Year at my grannie's place. All my relatives from my maternal side were here. There was good food and I was too busy to take shots of every dish but here's a peek at my aunts' yu sheng. Homemade and totally fresh! Cheaper too....



The plate's darn H-U-G-E!

Here's the tossing.... "Lo Hei" they call it in Cantonese, I think.



Many hands and pairs of chopsticks make for more prosperity? Yes? Not? Whatever it is, the yu sheng tasted good... hahaha..




Check out this gold bar:



It's edible! The whole bar! Someone gave it to my aunt. It's some butter cake sprayed with edible gold paint... I think it's cute. But I heard it doesn't really taste good. Don't know how much they sell it for.

Anyway I think today was the 7th day of the Lunar New Year and it's everyone's birthday! So Happy Birthday to you, you and YOU!

*P.S. For all who have been asking me about my bake sale, I will have one in the holidays, probably in April so look out for it! I'm itching to bake! I haven't baked much since I started the semester at SMU. Busy busy busy me... ahhhh.. okay I have got deadlines to meet!

A finger-lickin' reunion dinner

Dad's nothing short of excellent when it comes to whipping up culinary gems in the kitchen. He often reminisces about his childhood kampung days in Malacca when he was younger; how he helped his mum prepare meals and mentions with much pride, of his mum's finesse in Peranakan dishes including Devil Curry & Ayam Buah Keluak. I can't help but thank God for my Dad's Peranakan roots - it sure helps to keep my Perankan food cravings at bay :)

Food plays a huge role in my home. It's probably because Dad is such a great cook and tries to cook at home whenever he can. Being a family-centric man, he'd rather have a homecooked meal at home than eat out. I can see why - seriously, I'm a huge advocate of homely food. There's nothing like gathering together at a table and talking about your day and enjoying the delectable spread in front of you.

Today's the first day of the Lunar New Year and in Chinese tradition, families usually celebrate on the eve with a reunion dinner. It's kind of like a day where family members would gather and share a meal together. People who are overseas fly home, and those who are busy usually make an effort to be home with the family.

This year, our dinner included Dad's super yummy Ayam Buah Keluak (chicken curry with black nut), a typical Peranakan dish. My my, the buah keluak rocks my world. Though it is an acquired taste, the black nut goes down well with me. "Black Gold" I call it:



Detractors might refute and call it black s*** but I really couldn't care less. Haha, this is heaven to me. There's just something so appealing about a mysterious smokey, musky black paste that sends waves down my oesophagus - well, after it makes an impact on my tastebuds.

Then there were prawns:



Butter prawns cooked with black pepper. Simply divine. Oo-la-la!

And in my household, chilli is a must-have. No chilli, no smiles; for me at least :p

... and for my Dad. Both of us consume the most amount of chilli and it's not hard to figure out why. We live for spicy and totally dig our curries, sambal and fresh chillies.

To complement the 'Sey ba' (or kong ba as it's more commonly called - it's pork cooked with soy sauce, honey and spices like cinnamon, ginger, star anise etc), we had some red hot chilli:



My favourite way of eating sey ba, is to wrap it with lettuce and add a generous amount of that chilli above. The taste that explodes in my mouth is too yummy for words. The savoury tinge of soya sauce accompanied by the slight sweetness from the honey makes this dish a winner. Dad's known for his sey ba.

Don't you think it looks gorgeous?



Mmmmmmm..... I really must say that this year's dinner totally rocked my world. But then again, Dad's food always rock my world - so well it's either that I'm just biased, or I'm really satisfied. I think it's the latter because I ate so much of everything!

Anyway here's wishing all of YOU a very Happy Lunar New Year! May you get loads of red packets and enjoy the good eats :)

Mediterranean Sweets

delectable baklava

As someone who has a sweet tooth, I find it hard to hide my excitement when presented with a chockful of saccharine sweet treats.

I have to confess that I prefer soft candies to hard ones. Perhaps I like my candy to have more bite. Chewy candies I can take, and more so if it's made with nuts!

Weird is the word to use. I have weird food preferences, or maybe I just like interesting combinations of food. My tongue is my taste panel where I seek out new depths with different cuisines and food.

Mediterranean food ranks high in my 'favourite cuisine' list. There's just something beyond exotic about various Mediterranean food that gets to me. I love grains, and yes I do love my hummus (chickpea + tahini paste) and baklava.

Not only is Mediterranean food tasty, but also sexy and very appealing - the way they dress their food with spices, how they utilise the most down-to-earth utensils (think of the tagine in Morroco). I won't dare say I'm a Mediterranean expert, but I do know a good thing when I taste one!

Who in the world uses the adjective 'sexy' to describe food? I happen to be that person and I'm the sort who can literally fall in love....with a tantalising dish or in this case, sweets...



These sweets were given to my aunt and had free access to them when I dropped by her place. I was really lucky because she had only gotten them the day before.



This one has ground pistachios in it, and it's encased in a thin crisp shell - a dream to bite into. Yummy. Told you I have a thing for nuts...

Then there's the date rugelach:



Miniature date rugelach rolls - they're adorable and soft and full of date-goodness. It wasn't too sweet as well. That's the thing about me, I can't really stand artificial sweetness - I prefer natural sweetness that comes from food like honey or dates.

And speaking of dates, here's a cool date with a walnut in the centre:



These are very fun to eat! The nutty crunch that awaits you on your first bite; that's what I call a nutty surprise. Dates and walnuts taste good together.

I have a sudden craving for these sweets right now. Ahhh...

Chinatown buzz

With Chinese New Year just round the corner, I couldn't resist a visit to Chinatown. Besides, I had every reason to go there last Sunday since I was playing tour guide to Urzsula and Janet. Both girls are international exchange students I met at SMU. Urzsula's from Poland, while Janet reigns from Holland. They were so much fun and I pretended to be a tourist and started snapping some photos. It's nice to capture the Chinatown spirit during Chinese New Year.

Though crowded, the buzz at Chinatown provided for a truly local experience. Both girls got a glimpse of the huge appetites and 'patience' of Singaporeans - the long queue for Lim Chee Guan's bak kwa (barbecued minced pork) said it all. What entrances me every time I visit Chinatown during this festive period is the splash of colours that line the countless makeshift stalls. You almost feel as if you're in another part of Asia. Or perhaps it's just that I'm very much a visual person and can't resist taking in the rainbow that stands before me.



Sweets are a common sight at Chinatown. There's no shortage of mochi sweets, preserved fruits & chocolates. Sold by the grams, it's just so tempting to grab every single colour and every type. I had to stop myself from picking too much. In the end, I bought $5 worth of those Japanese mochi sweets. They're really chewy and come in so many flavours - durian, honeydew, chocolate, yam, strawberry, green tea, etc. I love the green tea one.



After much exploring and squeezing through the crowds, us trigger happy girls decided to drop by People's Park Food Centre to appease our tummies.

This is where I let the pictures to do the talking:



That chee cheong fun 'sushi' roll was the most interesting fusion thing I have eaten so far. It wasn't my first time trying it. Thing is, everytime I ate it, I forgot to take a photo of it. So now I shall share this piece of goodness with you. Urzsula and Janet loved it. They were rather amused I must say!

Urzsula tried the Almond Soya Milk from Mr. Bean and I think she liked it. Okay, here's the thing, I've been telling her how wonderful the soya milk here is. The soya milk she's tasted before were not so fantastic I guess! But here, soya milk's everywhere and I guess she got curious. Anyway she thinks that the Almond one is tasty.

Janet and I had the popular duck rice (didn't copy down the name of the stall but it's quite obvious - check out the one with long queue and many certificates from Makansutra, Green Book Awards etc)



I think it was yummy. The rice was pretty ordinary I guess. Maybe I'm used to eating duck served with brown coloured rice. Anyway this stall is known for it's char siew and roasted duck. Not so much for the rice. haha. The duck didn't disappoint and I loved their sauce. Mmmm...

It was a really breezy evening and the three of us took a walk after dinner and snapped more shots of the beautiful light-up. Beautiful end to the week I think. I've invited Urzsula for a homecooked meal some time soon and will definitely post about it.

Anyway pardon my lack of posts - the school term at SMU is pretty heavy these few weeks. Can't wait for Chinese New Year! I wanted to hold a bake sale but my current busy schedule didn't allow me to. Maybe during the holidays I will. :)

Buck what?

That which you see above, my friends, happens to be a great source of magnesium and it's also known to improve one's cardiovascular system. Not only does it lower your risk of developing high cholestrol and high blood pressure; it supposedly controls your blood sugar levels which in turn, lowers your risk of diabetes.

I'm no nutritionist, but I know a health-food when I see one, or taste one. Besides, the internet provides a wealth of information!

What's this amazing food that I happen to be crazy about right now?

Buckwheat of course. Commonly used in soba (buckwheat flour), buckwheat is also a common staple in Russia.

No wonder....



My cousin studies at the Moscow Conservatory in Russia and he bought some packs of buckwheat. I've never ever eaten whole buckwheat and found it quite intriguing. According to my research, I was given toasted buckwheat groats. There are various ways of cooking it. But I think the easiest way is to steam it, and the end result is known as kasha.

Since I was clueless as to how to cook it, I googled buckwheat and found this kasha recipe. It's a really fool-proof dish to cook when you're hungry and don't want to eat something normal. Haha. okay, not that buckwheat is abnormal! It's just really good if you are looking for something to satisfy your hunger. Yes, I was a very hungry person today. My appetite today seemed rather insatiable. Thank god for the buckwheat!

Anyway I toasted the buckwheat first (even though I think it's already toasted), before pouring it in a pot of boiling water with some oil. The recipe recommended sea-salt (which I didn't have) and butter/olive oil.



You know what? I love buckwheat. Whole buckwheat. It has a nutty flavour that's easy on the palate and it's delicious as well. Cook it with eggs or throw in bacon bits etc... Or add in your favourite seasoning and viola! You have a healthy, satisfying dish. :)



I've decided that I'm going to eat more whole grains and less refined stuff. I know I know, I can't possibly be a health-nut but hey at least I'll try my best to lead a balanced lifestyle. Afterall, we are what we eat, no?

Waffles

How do you like your waffles?

I like mine crisp on the outside and a little moist on the inside.

There's a particular quality about waffles that I find most attractive. I suppose it's the light aroma that gets to me. You know, when you use a waffle iron and while the batter is cooking, there's this lovely 'baked' smell that materialises. I dig that! Heh, when it comes to food, smell is very important. I have a habit of smelling food. Shhh... don't tell anyone else :p

How a food tastes and smells affects then entire meal and I'm just glad that I have quite a good nose for food. Put it this way, I can guess foods that are cooking just by its scent. Sounds weird doesn't it? Haha... anyway back to waffles.

I've been selling waffles at Amplify's Eden Lounge for the past weeks and found them really easy to make. I want to share this fool-proof recipe which I got from one of my aunts. Feel free to tweak it where you see fit and multiply the recipe accordingly to yield more waffles.

____________________________________

Waffles
100g flour
100ml milk
1 egg
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp oil

Beat egg and mix it with the milk.
Sift flour, add sugar and combine with the egg-milk mixture.
Mix well and add oil. Mix until smooth and cook with a waffle iron.

SHF #27 - Chocolate By Brand

Good chocolate is expensive. Or not?

I do think that the best chocolate might not necessarily be the priciest one. Many people might beg to differ but I stand by my statement. You see, sometimes we're so blinded by brand that we fail to recognise the underdogs.

Perhaps it's just my inclination to always support the underdog brands or my innate allergic reaction to conformity. When I try something, I don't judge it based on the brand - I'm fair.

That doesn't mean I don't like well-known brands such as Valrhona, Lindt or Green & Black's. Their chocolate rocks but I do fancy experimenting with other lesser-known brands. Seriously, I conclude that one can find good chocolate in the most unlikely places.

And I'm going to talk about it in this post since the theme for Sugar High Friday #27 is Chocolate by Brand. Hosted by David 'The Chocolate Guy' Lebovitz, I was really excited when I found out about the theme. Thanks David!

The chocolate in question is Carrefour's Dessert Chocolate. I know I know, the packaging looks simple and unassuming. But wait till you unwrap it:



Something mysterious lies within and it's 52% dark.



I suppose it's just me and my love affair with the dark. Dark chocolate soothes me, it heightens my senses and man, it's too good to be replaced with anything else. There's nothing like a good bar of dark chocolate.

Alot of times, when I bake cookies that call for chocolate chips, I immediately replace them with chocolate chunks. I always have a few bars of Carrefour Dessert Chocolate in my refridgerator because I always have the urge to bake these chocolate chunk cookies whenever I have the time. I've used Carrefour's chocolate to make fondue and truffles. They always turn out great and I've stuck to the Carrefour brand ever since.

I don't remember when I started using Carrefour's Dessert Chocolate. I think it was 3 years ago when I started to bake avidly. That was about the time Carrefour came to Singapore. There are currently two outlets here. I love Carrefour because of the French and international products the carry. Alot of times, they have stuff that I find hard to find at NTUC.

Usually people scoff at homebrands but truly, Carrefour's chocolates are a force to be reckoned with. Call me biased if you wish, but I am a firm believer of quality and am not blinded by brands. Yes, it might be cheaper than branded chocolates (SGD$4.90 for two 200g bars) but it suits me fine. I think it gives my cookies that extra omph.



That's how big I chop them chocolates. I don't believe in scrimping when you bake chocolate chunk cookies. The more chocolate the merrier! Chocolate chips just doesn't do it for me. I think they are toooo tiny!

My cookie dough loves its marriage to Carrefour's Dessert Chocolate....



In order to get mighty fine chocolate cookies, you need good chocolate and I have found that in Carrefour.

Oh what would I do without their chocolates?

Perhaps then, I wouldn't have the yummiest chocolate chunk cookies.



What's so thrilling about these cookies? Those who have tried them will know what I'm about to describe. These cookies contain the chocolate chunks well and one bite brings you closer to chocolate heaven. What's more, they're easy to make! I won't deny that it's not the most perfect cookie but right now, I've been baking them so often that it becomes second nature. My friends eyes widen with excitement when I bring them some and I find joy in seeing others enjoy these delights. I've sold these cookies in previous bake sales as well. People seem to love them, so I hope you will try them out and put a smile on someone else's face :)

With good chocolate, you find infinite possibilities.

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Chocolate Chunk Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
200g bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks


Directions:

Set your oven temperature to 180 degree celcius.

Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

Mix the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop cookie dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Beach Road Scissors-Cut Curry Rice

Sometimes the simpler the food is, the more glorious it tends to be.

Who says you can only get good food in posh restaurants? Food is food is food. The only difference is the combination of ingredients (how well they meld together, resulting in a gamut of taste and smell) and the packaging.

Hawker food in my opinion, is simply food that is stripped to its bare essentials. It's naked, exposed for all to see. Most of the time, it doesn't look as pretty as what you'd get in places where you'd most probably be forking out 3 times as much. It's all in the branding, marketing etc.

But some food is so good that you really don't need to market it - that usually happens when the food is so good that it speaks for itself. Having a 'voice' of its own, these types of food are themselves legends. Backed with history, each has a story to tell. That is perhaps why I have a soft spot for hawker food. I appreciate the hard work that goes behind each day in the non-air-conditioned kitchen. Some stalls are passed down from generations. So the recipes are old and authentic.

Food might seem simple and plainly functional to some, but to me, it's multi-dimensional. It's an entire entity. There's so many textures, flavours, culture, history that goes into it. I dare say blood and sweat too. But I will delve into that another time.

Today I want to bring to light a certain stall that most of you might have already heard of or dined at. It's a rather popular place. Open from 11am to 3:30am, this stall can get really packed; especially during suppertime.

Here's the reason why:



What's so fantastic about curry you ask? This is no ordinary curry. It's Hainanese curry rice at its best. The gravy is thick and starchy (i think they put corn starch) and tasty. Eating rice drenched in curry of this sort makes for a different gastronomic experience. Perhaps I'm just too used to normal curry that's why I find this type a novelty. I've eaten Hainanese curry rice before but that was many years ago - Midnight Curry Rice I think (they open only at midnight.. haha).

So how come I'm suddenly so infatuated with this curry rice? Maybe it's due to the fact that it's Beach Road Scissors-Cut Curry Rice. I have Winston to thank for this. He brought me to the stall in promise that I will be super satisfied. He says that it's one of the pioneer Hainanese curry rice stall. I've heard that they named their stall Scissors-Cut Curry Rice because they used to use scissors to cut the pork chops. I think it's an ingenious name and catches one's attention.

The colour of their curry also caught my attention:



I totally dig the lovely reddish-earth-brown hue. The smooth liquid glides down well and is just so yummy!

Then there's the pork and cabbage:



Totally adored the sauce as well. I realised that I am very much a sauce person. If the sauce is done well, chances are, the dish would taste good. Well most of the time.

Winston and I ordered many dishes and ate till we were so full! We also had chicken chop and this feisty sambal ikan bilis. It rocks my world:



Our entire meal cost only $14, including a generous bowl of winter melon soup. Here's the interesting thing - the soup is sold by the drink stall. In it, there's pork chop, winter melon and soya beans (my favourite) and it only costs $3. It's refreshing, especially since the weather was so hot.

I like their signboard:



Pretty straightforward; scissors and all. It isn't exactly on Beach Road though. This stall is actually at the junction of Kitchener Road and Jalan Besar Road. It's opposite Hong Leong Finance and diagonal to Jalan Besar Plaza. The humble store is part of the Lau Di Fang (Mandarin for 'Old Place') coffee shop:



Who knew that such a simple nondescript location would hold such a gem? I recommend this place to all who enjoy food in its simplest form with no pretense and no nonsense - just pure soul food.




Beach Road Scissors-Cut Curry Rice
Lau Di Fang
229 Jalan Besar
Open 11am to 3:30pm

Ramly Beef Burger

I'm sold. I'm seriously sold. I'm sold to the idea of a delicious Ramly Beef Burger. Not just ANY Ramly Beef Burger but the ones made by Ranor. In my previous post, I explained how I found out about Ranor's Ramly Burgers on the Makansutra Forum. Well yesterday I ate only the chicken version and realised that it was the beef burger that have received rave reviews. Although the chicken one was good, I still think the beef one is DA BOMB.

It seriously is unlike any Ramly Burger I've ever tasted in Singapore. Just like how ieatishootipost explained - it is done with skill and a good combination of flavours.



How do they do it? Well I think it's the work of the curry powder and the Worchester sauce. And the beef patty. Oooooooo... what can I say? It's juicy, it's moist, it's phenomenal. Those who know me personally know that I seldom rave about beef or burgers this way. But hey, everything changes today. I watched intently while the dude cooked the patty with care and served it in the signature Ramly wrapper.

It makes me wonder if they cook it the same way in Malaysia. Anyone knows? I'm still on cloud 9 I tell you! Tasting this Ramly Burger is like tasting a bit of heaven. I'm seriously not exaggerating. Ask anyone who've tasted it and they'll readily agree. My sister is now a huge fan as well! And at $2.50, it's really worth it.

I can't stop raving about the burger! Ahhhhh... Here's another photo which shows the lovely pinkish brown beef patty:



Feast your eyes and pray that Ranor Ramly Burgers appear in the next pasar malam near you! :)

P.S. For the uninitiated, pasar malam is a malay term for night market. It consists of a stretch of street stalls that open from evening till late.

Ranor's Ramly Burgers

Just came home from kickboxing and was really hungry. I felt like I could eat a cow... hmm okay, maybe a chicken. Or maybe a good burger! There's a McDonald's near my place but heh I really don't fancy their burgers.

Then I remembered there's a pasar malam nearby and they sell Ramly burgers. Just from me to you, I used to hate Ramly burgers because they looked so oily and grotesque on the grill. None of them looked edible. Apparently I haven't been looking in the right places.

One might think all Ramly burger stalls are the same but I beg to differ. There's a huge difference. And I must say that I was glad I read ieatishootipost's post on Ranor's Ramly Burgers in the Makansutra Forum. He tried the beef version but I stuck with the chicken. Told you I could eat an entire chicken; hmmm okay maybe just a chicken patty, sandwiched between fried egg, cheese, chilli sauce and fluffy sesame coated buns.




At only $2.50, I think it's a steal. It can't get any better. Ranor's Ramly Burgers are comparable to those sold in Malaysia. I'm not kidding! The patty is not drenched in oil and neither is it too hard. Everything is done just right - the egg, the chilli sauce (ooo-la-la... spicy and feisty!), patty and good thick buns.



This burger made my day! I couldn't stop raving about it after. My mum went out to buy one for herself after hearing me sing praises about it. I am still surprised actually. Could I have ever imagined a Ramly burger in Singapore tasting so good? I think not.

You have got to try this burger. It's yummilious. But thing is, Ranor Ramly Burgers are not located at a fixed location. They go where pasar malams go. So it depends. If you're lucky, you might get them in your neighbourhood.




Oh and one more thing - you can spot the difference in packaging. Other Ramly Burgers pack theirs in styrofoam box but Ranor wraps theirs in the authentic Ramly paper with its logo on.

Do open your eyes the next time you past by a Ramly store - if there's the word Ranor above the Ramly logo, you HAVE to try one for yourself. :)

A very chocolatey gift

Christmas ended a week ago but that doesn't mean the Christmas spirit has faded into oblivion. Well at least for me it hasn't because I felt so loved when I received my gift pack from Nadnut yesterday.

Remember the Christmas Flog Exchange post on my blog last December? Organised by Sam of The Hinata Diaries and June of Nibble Scribble, this local flog (a colloqial term for food blog, you know, combine food and blog and you get flog!) event attacted about 15 locals, most of whom own food blogs of their own.

This event is similar to your usual Christmas gift exchange except that you actually exchange wishes beforehand and try your best to match that request and possibly add in some of your own creativity.

Most of the wishes were rather original, with some requesting for something homebaked. I think it's kinda sweet you know, to taste something you know is unique of the individual, baked with love, and is almost priceless since you definitely can't find it sold out there at some commercial enterprise.

Anyway, my wish was for your favourite dark chocolate. I love dark chocolate and I simply wanted to try the dark chocolate that the person who granted my wish liked. Nadnut was the one who granted my wish and I must say she was really sweet to give me that gift pack you see above. I am seriously spoilt for choice. She gave me 6 different types of dark chocolate. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box. There were so many different dark chocolate to choose from. It would take me quite a while to slowly finish them all. I intend to savour each one bit by bit.

The one I'm most excited about is the Meiji 99% dark chocolate because I've been wanting to get it. If I'm not wrong, I think I might have tried Lindt's 99% or 95% dark chocolate once. I can't remember clearly but it sure was an interesting experience. When I was much younger, I preferred sweeter chocolates, it was only when I was growing up then I got to like dark chocolate a whole lot more. Or it could also be probably because dark chocolate is easily available now than it was before? I don't know... but I sure see many more brands of noir chocolat in recent years.





This other one by Meiji sure looks interesting. Can't wait to try it. The Japanese have the cutest packaging I tell ya! Sometimes it entices you to buy the product even though you know you might not even want it in the first place.




And here's something that got me all excited too:



Classic Dark Tim Tam! I fell in love with Tim Tam a few years ago when I was doing a print journalism internship in Brisbane. I must have eaten a record number of Tim Tams when I was there. Oh Oh, I also mastered the Tim Tam Slam! It's awesome I tell you. First you bite the corners on both ends - just one each, do it diagonally. Then you take a hot drink (I recommend coffee, hot chocolate or Milo) and use the Tim Tam as if it's a straw - dip it slightly in the drink and suck hard so that the liquid melts the center and you are able to drink up the smooth dark chocolately fudgey delight + soft yummy chocolate biscuit. It's amazing I tell ya. Truly phenomenal. You won't realise it until you actually do the deed. It might not sound much but it's really an experience!

Nadnut also included Droste 75% pastilles (also another of my favourite!) and another Duc d'O 76% dark chocolate. I certainly look forward to having a good time munching on the many chocolatey delights! Thanks girl, it is really a great gift and boy am I a happy girl right now!