SOoooooUP

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2012

2012-01-22T18:16:00.000+08:00

祝大家

新年快乐

万事如意

心想事成

CINNAMON CREME BRULEE

2012-01-19T22:10:00.003+08:00

3 cups heavy cream
1 egg + 4 yolks (large)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rum
1-2 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Mix yolks and sugar on low speed
Heat cream and cinnamon sticks till about to boil
Strain and slowly pour into egg mixture
Bake in water bath for 35-40 mins till set

Sprinkle fine sugar on top of baked brulee

Use a blow torch to caramelize sugar

BISCOTTI

2012-01-08T22:53:00.001+08:00

I gave out biscotti as gifts for X'mas and everyone loves it. It is easy to make and can keep longer. I adopted the recipe from Donna Hay's magazine Dec/Jan 2012 issue (bought in Sydney by my 2nd daughter).

Mix 300g plain flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder and 165g sugar to combine. Add in 3 eggs (lightly beaten), 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 100g orange peel, 130 dried cranberries and 140g pistachios.

Use both hands mix ingredients evenly and shape into 2 balls.

Shape each dough into a long log. Flatten slightly and place on a baking sheet line with non-stick mat. Bake for 30 mins in 160C oven till firm.

Set aside to cool completely. Use a very sharp knife to cut the logs in neat slices. Make sure the dough is completely cool before cutting or it will break into pieces.

Bake slices for further 8-10 mins or until golden brown and crisp.

Allow to cool on trays.

Full of bite and citrus fragrance.

2012

2012-01-01T16:20:00.002+08:00

2012 is here. Time really passes by in a second. 2011 is not a good year for us with death in the family, and tremendous changes that affected our livelihood and my career. Hope that the coming year things will settle down and improve.

A simple dinner to celebrate and welcome 2012.

Scallops with chorizo and futilli in olive oil.

Pork pie in soft crust pastry

Cinnamon creme brulee

X'MAS DINNER 2011

2011-12-27T14:38:00.003+08:00

X'mas was celebrated with dinner cooked by my eldest girl with dessert, a pear tart baked by 2nd daughter. All my DH and me had to do was to sit down and enjoyed the meal.

Beet root apple and spinach salad to start off the meal.

Coq au vin (chicken stew in red wine) adopted from the recipe by Nigel Slater. The chicken meat was infused with the aroma of wine and paired beautifully with mashed potatoes.

Desserts to satisfy our sweet tooth.

A pear tart with pears stewed in sugar syrup and baked in sweet dough base of frangipani filling.

Plain glutinous balls paired with azuka red beans and matcha ice-cream.

X'MAS 2011

2011-12-24T18:32:00.003+08:00

Wishing

You

Merry

X ' M A S

JONES II

2011-12-23T16:05:00.001+08:00

Cannot get enough of Jones The Grocer the first time I went so a second round.

Great festive ambience for eating

Mushroom goat cheese pie with side salad. The cheese complements the mushroom flavour perfectly.

Chicken saute in olive oil with vegetables

Lemon meringue tart, tangy and sweet to balance the heavy meal

Chestnut cheesecake

Ordinary tiramisu

FESTIVES

2011-12-22T12:06:00.001+08:00

Festive air with X'mas decos everywhere.

OSTHAMUS JELLY （桂花糕）

2011-12-15T14:09:00.000+08:00

Osmanthus is one of China's top ten traditional flowers. It has a medicinal value and since ancient times has been a widely used food ingredients.

My daughter managed to bring back a bottle of syrupy osmanthus from Hong Kong, which I used to make agar agar with. The fragrance of the flowers is intoxicating and it spread out like golden flecks when spooned into the ready to set jelly mixture. For a colorful presentation I added in wolfberry seeds.

MEI HEONG YUEN （味香园）

2011-12-10T21:52:00.001+08:00

We adjourned for dessert after frog porridge dinner. Across the street in Temple Street is a popular chinese dessert shop where the queue never ends and seats are hard to get by during weekends. Besides selling dessert they are also famous for their FARMER BRAND of peanuts which is popular with both local and tourists. The peanuts are recognized for its excellent quality in freshness and flavor.

A large poster depicting ingredients in making the various desserts which are nourishing to the body, moderate body temperature, quench thirst and regulate digestive system.

Clockwise : Walnut paste （核桃糊）, Peanut paste （花生糊）, Almond paste （杏仁糊）
Thick and creamy, soothing to the throat

Sweet and sourish mango with pamelo and sago （杨枝甘露）

Berry & passion snow ice - Fluffy and cooling

65-67 Temple Street
Chinatown

CLAYPOT FROG PORRIDGE

2011-12-03T17:20:00.002+08:00

Great Wall frog porridge in Chinatown is well-known and popular. The place is always crowded and parking is a hassle as all parking space is always full.

We like to find a seat along the pavement which makes you feel that you are in the 60s era where food were sold along the road side.

The porridge is served in claypot, steaming hot with thick slices of ginger and spring onions. The frogs tasted fresh and springy with thick flesh.

Sampan porridge is full of ingredients : fresh cuttlefish, pig intestines, liver, pork slices and century eggs.

Claypot livers are tender coated with thick brown gravy and spicy from the dried chillies.

Porridge cannot go without raw fish. Super fresh with lots of fresh ginger, lime juice, soya sauce and sesame oil.

XIAN CAO （仙草）

2011-11-27T21:27:00.001+08:00

Chin chow, a popular dessert made from herbaceous plant, is eaten in jelly form or drink as a beverage, especially in hot weather. Of all the chin chow I have tasted the stall at Bukit Timah Beauty World food centre is still the best, although it cannot compare with home-made ones.

The jelly serves in jelly form is thick streak in thick brown sugar syrup with nice pandan leave fragrance with ice cubes.

BIRTHDAY THAI

2011-11-13T21:10:00.003+08:00

Celebrated birthday of a family member in Than Ying Thai Restaurant in Hotel Amara. The place was cooled and quiet during weekday.

Fresh orchids in glasses were used as table deco. The orchids gave out a sense of leisure and freshness.

Mango salad was addictive

Side order of deep fried fish skin. Good exercise for the jaw.

Part of ordered dishes

Get started with tom yam soup

Fiery hot red curry

Cool green curry

Pad Thai on a sweet side

Crispy chicken wing a perfect complement to pineapple rice

Great sauce for the chicken wings

End with glutinous balls in coconut milk with fresh fruits

F1

2011-11-12T15:17:00.001+08:00

Managed to get hold of 2 sets of F1 Race tickets for the 3-day event. All areas connected with the race were super packed but well managed and in order.

The race did not interest me but the atmosphere and the surrounding areas in the Marina Bay. We got good shots of the nightview and fireworks as we were seated at the grand stand in the floating platform.

The spotlights are the attractions

Splendid Skylines

"GANTAN"

2011-11-10T22:05:00.000+08:00

This is a carbo and economical filling dish. The potatoes are sliced thinly and deep fry till half cooked. Drain the potatoes of oil and cook with minced pork & caramelized onions with dark soya sauce.

JONES

2011-11-09T22:54:00.003+08:00

Intended to lunch at Wild Honey at Mandarin Gallery but due to long queue ended up at Jones the Grocer. Although a bit pricey but make up for quality food.

Spacious and bright with tall ceiling. A bar section stock with wines, liques and cocktails. The products on sale are upmarket and exclusive.

Fruity raspberry juice and thick chocolate drink

Pear Salad with arugula leaves and crispy walnuts in vinegar sauce

Smoke salmon sandwich with side salad

Lamb cutlets in mint jelly and zucchini

Apple crumble for dessert

Strawberry shortcake, light and spongy

TAI DONG

2011-10-16T17:32:00.000+08:00

DH has been raving about the braised duck in Circular Street, which draws crowd during lunch time. When running errand in town we ended up at the popular stall.

Less than a dozen ducks hanging when we walked into the shop, which is plain in deco with tables and chairs arranged in rows on both sides of the wall.

The duck was on a dry side which tells that they have not been braised long enough to absorb the sauce.

It was corrected by the garlicky vinegar chilly sauce. The sauce goes well with the duck.

A big plate of braised cabbage to share between 2 person. The cabbage was tasty and soft but not soggy.

HOSHIGAOKA

2011-10-01T16:41:00.004+08:00

It had been a long time since we last set foot in Hoshigaoka. We intended to have tonkatsu at Tampopo which we thought was situated at Scotts Shaw House.

A Tonkatsu set

A huge set to share between 2 person

Plus rice, soup and chiwamushi

As usual a terriyaki done for my youngest daughter, be it salmon this round

MINI PANCAKES

2011-09-24T17:18:00.000+08:00

A long queue at one of the food stores in Takashimaya and out of curiosity joined in the crowd. It was mini pancakes made on the spot for 10 @ $3.50, a novelty of snack.

Batter was poured into cast iron mould

The pancakes were cooked till brown on one side and flipped over to continue cooking

The ready pancakes were sprinkled with icing sugar and drizzled with lemon syrup. Besides lemon there are chocolate and berries syrup.

Thick cream to go with the cakes. Convenient snack to eat on the go.

CAPSICUMS & PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM

2011-09-17T18:34:00.000+08:00

3 colors capsicums fried with marrow and portobello mushroom, together with tomatoes make a healthy dish.

KAI LAN

2011-09-14T12:22:00.000+08:00

I seldom fry kai-lan as it always is sprayed with strong insecticides and the smell is overwhelming. But I cannot resist the crunchiness of it. The greeness of the stalk attracted me when I saw it at the market and just have to bring it home with me.

The vegetables was totally soaked in water for at least half an hour and rinsed many times to get rid of the chemical. It was stir-fried in high heat with marinated pork and rice wine.

NEX

2011-09-11T18:20:00.001+08:00

Nex at Serangoon is huge, with hundreds of shops & restaurants and take a bit of time to complete the whole place. When time to settle for dinner we landed at the Crystal Jade where they are having a promotion - a set meal complete of 2 main dishes plus a drink, rice and dessert. We ordered 2 sets for 3 persons to share.

The scallops were fresh and the tasty sauce to go with the rice

Vegetables cooked with 3 types of eggs in superior stock

Deep fried prawns coated with oats to go with mayonnaise sauce

Roast duck is a must

Osmanthus jelly with wolfberries

Creamy mango pudding

Sour plum drink

LOSS

2011-09-09T14:02:00.000+08:00

Life is so unpredictable. My father died shortly after discovered with lung cancer 3 months ago in June. Before he was healthy and go about his carefree life until he had his fall. When the hospital did a CT scan on his head it was shown his brain was invested with white spots. The spots were confirmed stage 4 carcinoma which spread from his lungs. He underwent 3 rounds of light chemotherapy and was given six-months to live, which was not to be.

It was a blessing that he did not suffer any pain. He was having breathing difficulty and hospitalized on his last days. He went into coma and slipped away in the morning on Saturday 3rd at 11.28 am with his children and grand-children by his side.

During those busy days cooking was impossible and meals were taken in the hospital. At Singapore General Hospital Coffee & Toast Cafe the food is flavorful although a bit costly for the public.

Chicken Rendang Nasi - A big chicken drumstick with thick curry gravy and santan fragrance, accompany with acar and fried anchovies & peanuts.

Thick chicken curry with huge potatoes and egg plants

Sweet sourish mee-siam to whet your appetite

Laksa in excellent gravy with huge fresh cockles and tau-pok. Biting into the tau-pok opens the flood of laksa gravy which is irresistible.

SOUP RESTAURANT

2011-08-20T13:46:00.006+08:00

We step into memory lane with home-cooked food whenever we dine at Soup Restaurant. These are dishes of traditional delicacies which revived childhood fondness.

Tender steam chicken to go with minced ginger - signature dish

Considered delicacy during world war II as this was the only vegetable available

Tofu, a simple dish upgraded

Plain rice fried with pickled olive leaves

Beggar's bowl with amazing fill

RADISH STEW

2011-08-09T17:57:00.000+08:00

Cooking in hot weather not necessary be sweaty. A vegetable stew cooked in a crock pot with dashi stock and let it simmer till tender. Soaked and rinsed cuttlefish, cut into medium pieces and add into the radish till softened. Add in seasoning.

The flavor of the radish is overwhelming when you bite into it.

LEISURE LUNCH

2011-08-08T14:54:00.002+08:00

Have a leisure lunch on eve of National Day.

SOUFFLE BEANCURD

2011-08-07T17:12:00.000+08:00

Make use of left-over egg white to make a cold dish. While waiting for egg-white to thaw at room temperature before use, marinate silken bean curd with light soya sauce and sesame oil.

Beat egg-white till firm and spread over to cover cold bean curd. Steam till egg-white is set. Sprinkle with benito flakes and sesame seeds. Refrigerate till serving time. (P.S. Actually I could not remember whether I steam the dish or not as I make this dish out of random).

FOOD BONDING

2011-08-06T17:55:00.002+08:00

The weather is so hot that I do not want to cook. But it is worth the effort and sweat when all family members are present to enjoy the food and camaraderie. With everyone busy with work and occupy with other activities nowadays it is rare that all are able to enjoy a meal together.

Simple and quality meal. A soup, main dish, vegetables and a salad. Boiled soup and marinate fish in the morning. When ready to eat, grill fish in oven and prepare salad. Last of all fry the vegetables.

Lemon juice with seasame oil, soya sauce and sugar mix together and pour over fish before serving. Fry onions till caramelized and add in fresh mushroom till cook. Spoon over fish.

Prepare fresh prawns and add in avocado pieces, fresh onions and tomatoes. Toss salad in olive oil, lime juice, salt, mirin sauce and a spoonful of mustard. Mix well and refrigerate till serve.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS SALMON SALAD

2011-07-30T15:18:00.003+08:00

Hot weather and not in a mood to cook - something simple but filling and need not turn on the stove.

Smoked salmon, Brussels sprouts, roast pork, croutons, quail eggs and tomatoes. Mix all up with french vinegar dressing.

A simple filling meal.

STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU

2011-07-24T14:39:00.005+08:00

What a waste to fresh sweet strawberries for not turning them into delightful dessert, besides eating them fresh.

250gm tub of mascarpone cheese, 200gm whipping cream, a packet of ladyfingers, coffee liquer, coffee and 1 big punnet of strawberries give you an irresistible strawberry tirimisu.

INCONSISTENT

2011-07-17T15:20:00.001+08:00

The restaurants, although under the same corporation, the food served can be inconsistent. Some branches food are well cooked and good while others can be otherwise. This particular one that we come across, for whatever reason, the food was not up to standard.

PICKLED MANGOES

2011-07-16T14:41:00.001+08:00

I used to observe my mum pickled ginger to go with century eggs, which she claimed home-made ones taste better and without preservatives. Pickles act as appetizer for meat. I bought some fresh and green mini mangoes from Seng Siong Supermarket to make pickle mangoes.

Peel and cut mangoes into thick slices. Marinate with salt and leave till much liquid is drawn out from the mangoes. Rinse mangoes thoroughly and sun till dry. Pour a bottle of white vinegar into a stainless steel pot and add in a bottle of plain water. Add in sugar and cook over fire till sugar dissolves. Adjust sugar according to your preference and throw in 2 red chillies with seeds. Cool and pour over mangoes in a glass jar. Keep in a cool dark place for at least 1 week before consumption.

BEAUTY

2011-07-15T10:02:00.000+08:00

A wonder to wake up to beauty after all the unhappiness

Short lifespan

Miracle to survive under hot sun

Long for a rosella drink

MOLTEN LAVA

2011-07-02T14:31:00.004+08:00

Lovely dessert after pasta slurping. Chocolate cakes were baking while she prepared the pasta.

Chocolate cake with ice-cream

Outflow of molten chocolate lava

Heavenly combination of ice-cream and chocolate lava

PASTA TAGLIATELLE

2011-07-01T11:54:00.003+08:00

For a change we had pasta for dinner and it was cooked by daughter no.1. Ever since she started working it was rare that she cooks as her job is demanding.

The pasta used was tagliatelle and cooked al dente, with tomatoes presto sauce purchased from Mark & Spencer. Added in fresh prawns and some sambal to get some kick out of the pasta.

CARROT CAKE II

2011-06-26T18:32:00.005+08:00

Lovely cake for tea-time. Luscious cheese-cream frosting with crunchy walnuts and lots of carrots and pineapple. This is a much improved version than the previous cake.

ONIGIRI

2011-06-24T23:47:00.001+08:00

A messy meal to prepare. Cook the Japanese rice and sprinkle with 2 tablespoonful of rice vinegar when cooked. Wet hands with cold boiled water and scoop rice into your hand to shape. Fill the rice with shashimi and shape it into balls. Coat balls with benito flakes, dried seaweed and sesame seeds.

BAMBOO SHOOT PEANUT SALAD

2011-06-23T23:13:00.000+08:00

Easy and fast dish to prepare without cooking - pickled bamboo shoots and can of stew peanuts. Mix all together with addition of fried minced garlic to enhance flavor.

BUFFET DESSERT

2011-06-18T11:43:00.000+08:00

We like to go for buffets especially international, where you can indulge in fresh seafood and varieties of dishes to choose from. The best category I like best and consume the most is the dessert section.

JELLY CHEESECAKE

2011-06-11T17:54:00.001+08:00

A jelly cheesecake made by instinct and there are many flaws :

1. Jelly too soft

2. Crumbs not enough thus very thin

3. Cream cheese over-beat

Will try again to achieve perfection

FROZEN PERSIMMON

2011-06-05T21:09:00.001+08:00

It looks delicious and can't wait to sink your teeth into it

Wait, look can be deceiving!

This persimmon was bought from the farmer when we were in Beijing. Everyone thought that the persimmons were juicy and sweet by the look of it. Although they were cold as it was winter at that time and no one suspected they were frost bitten.

It had to be thawed for at least 2 hours before it was edible but the texture was mushy although sweet.

SCALLOPS

2011-06-04T13:57:00.002+08:00

Having tasted fresh seafood in Sydney, the craving is inevitable even though you know that it is impossible that you can get easily here. Whatever, substitute with frozen ones and cook to our fancy.

Defrost scallops and wash thoroughly.

Marinate lightly with Chinese wine and soya sauce.

Stir fry sambal paste, minced garlic and red chilly pieces over high fire till fragrant.

Add in scallops and quick fry for 2 mins and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of mirin sauce.

Dish up and serve

SIMPLE LIGHT

2011-05-29T16:26:00.001+08:00

Eating simple is a good change from heavy food once a while. For dinner I cooked some clear porridge with red dates and dried longan.

Seasoned with a bit of salt and a splash of Japanese salad sauce of sesame oil and soya sauce.

BANANA PIE

2011-05-28T20:55:00.004+08:00

With left-over bananas waiting to oxidize I used all up to make a banana custard pie. As usual the pie is sweet dough.

LEMON CURD

3 eggs; 2 yolks, half cup sugar, 3 lemon grated zest, 4 tbspn butter and 3 gelatine sheets

1. Soak gelatine sheets separately (2+1) in cold water till soft
2. Whisk whole eggs, yolks, sugar, juice and zest together
3. Gently heat mixture and whisk till thickens to coat back of
       spoon.
       Make sure not to boil.
4. Stir in butter and soften gelatine sheets (2).
       Leave to cool
5. Pour curd into pie shell and refrigerate till firm
6. Boil the remaining gelatine sheet with 2 tbspn water till
       melted
7. Decorate banana slices over curd
8. Pour the melted gelatine over bananas and leave to set

JUMBO SEAFOOD II

2011-05-22T15:14:00.003+08:00

Let's continue with the meal. More dishes to come followed the cold dishes.

Egg Yolk Prawns - the egg yolk sauce was so delicious enticed one to lick the place clean

Pepper crabs - my least favourite. The peppery taste put me off

Vegetables in 3-eggs

Deep fried Gurami. The fish was so crispy that not even bones left at the end

Soft and fluffy man-tou for mopping up tasty crab sauce

A sauce pan of chilli crabs in Singapore style.

Cannot resist the char-grilled satay

We cannot conclude the dinner without desserts even though there was barely accommodating space in our stomach

All favourites - yam paste with ginkgo nuts and coconut milk

Creamy avocado jelly, an usual dessert. The consistency was well balanced

Mango soup with colorful balls and chunky mangoes

JUMBO SEAFOOD I

2011-05-21T17:42:00.002+08:00

The Jumbo Seafood in Riverwalk offers more varieties than the one in East Coast. Moreover there is individual room with karaoka on request, with a premium. After dinner one can stroll on the busy street with pubs and restaurants operating along the river.

A cosy room with a capacity of 1 table

Clean and neat layout with porcelain crockery and cups

Started with numerous side dishes

Fruit salad with lobster in mayonnaise cream

Fresh tender asparagus

Duck with mango and cucumber salad

Crispy sweet squids

Deep fried minced tofu with prawns and meat

Fried fritters stuffed with minced squids to be eaten with sweet sauce

Firm big scallops stuffed in yam fried to perfection

To continue with main dishes & desserts .....

HAM SALMON BURGER

2011-05-20T17:12:00.004+08:00

Cured salmon is indeed expensive but delicious, and able to pamper family with quality food is a blessing.

Salmon cured in dill and brine

Super fresh

Preserved sliced onions in lime juice and salt for garnishes

Spread bun with butter and hot mustard

Topped with Parma ham and onions

Big pieces of salmon followed with juicy tomatoes

A perfect meal

BONITO SESAME TOFU

2011-05-17T17:15:00.001+08:00

Tofu was never my taste but gradually I have come to like it and serve the dish in more elaborate way.

The tofu was served cold with sesame oil fried in garlic and yuzu soya sauce sprinkled with dried bonito, seaweed and sesame seeds.

A simple dish to prepare

BOURKE STREET BAKERY

2011-05-15T17:14:00.009+08:00

Paul Allam and David McGuinness whose interests in baking heralded the birth of Bourke Street Bakery and in no time becomes a popular landmark bakery in Sydney.

After tasted the tarts and pies, and read the cookbook co-authored by both owners, brought back by daughter after her last visit to Sydney, this place is marklisted by us as one of the places must visit.

The bakery is located at Surrey Hills, a scenic and quiet area surrounded by charming houses with character

Never ending queue. There is not many sitting places available and takeaway is the norm.

Pear and almond danish - butter laden pastry with vanilla fragrant soft poached pear

Soft sticky dough with the crunch of nuts and toffee is a real winner

Custard tart with prunes - smooth rich custard with plum juicy prunes

We packed 30 pies and tarts which surprising survived the long trip back home with some perfectly intact.

But not these passionfruit merguine tarts, what a mess - Short crust pastry filled with sweet passionfruit curd topped with pillowy sweet soft meringue

Rhubard tarts - sourish and sweet. A plant unavailable here

The most popular is the ginger creme brulee tart, which unfortunately not producing anymore, which we make do with strawberry vanilla burlee tarts, with flaky crust and caramelised toffee fillings. The next popular item is the chocolate ganache tarts which milk chocolate is used instead of dark chocolate which isn't as rich to allow one to consume without a heavy rich feeling.

BONDI

2011-05-14T12:44:00.004+08:00

Spent a day at Bondi Junction shopping and at end of day managed to short-haul peaches and grapes nearing end of our visit. Our dinner was taken at Arthur's Pizza at Oxford Street, a short walk across the shopping mall.

Something light to begin with - Chicken Salad

DH's favourite : Hawaii Pizza with big slabs of ham but not enough pineapples which he prefers.

Salami Pepperoni Pizza - Very cheezy and generous fillings

SAFETY

2011-05-07T15:00:00.004+08:00

Australia, to me, is a nice place for holiday but not as permanent place to stay. As night falls you find drunks almost everywhere, especially during weekends. Drinking is one of their cultures, I suppose as you will find them at the pubs drinking to their heart content.

During our stay you practically heard sirens going on every minutes during end of week and groups of teens partying and drinking at the street. It was a Friday night where we had our dinner early at a Thai restaurant inside Capital Square so as to retire to the hotel before the "street party" begins.

We Singaporeans should not complain too much about our government. It is fortunate that we are living in a safe and secure environment where we are able to walk about the street no matter how late at night without any fear for our safety.

PENANG FOOD

2011-05-02T15:09:00.004+08:00

Fine weather plus public holiday send us out to lunch at Penang Road Cafe in Novena Ville. Finding a parking space was a breeze as we arrived at 11 plus.

The cafe was simply decorated with photos on wall depicting Peranakan crockery wares.

3 Layer Tea with gula melaka acts as sweetener that gives the tea a lovely fragrance and tasty blend

Fill with lean minced meat & yam and crispy fried lorbak with sweet chilly sauce.

Best of all, Assam Laksa, with its sweet and sour gravy together with onions, pineapple, cucumber and fish whetting your appetite. A bit more spicy could draw out the "oomp" effect.

Penang Koay Teow - Not as authentic as the one eaten in Penang

Nutmeg Juice - A refreshing drink to cleanse palate, perfect company to heavy meal

Prawn Mee in sweet and heavy prawn broth.

Full of condensed milk and bundung syrup with a slight banana scent

A die-hard dessert for DH. The cendol is soft and fragrant swimming in thin fresh coconut milk and heavy gula melaka syrup, together with big fresh red kidney beans.

Do come early as crowds start pouring in at noon.

QUEEN VICTORIA BUILDING

2011-04-30T18:18:00.004+08:00

Queen's Victoria Building is an ornate Romaneque Revival style building which is commonly known as QVB. The building consists of 4 main shopping floors of cafes, restaurants and retail shops. We had a great time in the building window shopping and eating, where we spent half a day there.

Underground passageways lead off to Town Hall Station southern end, and to a food court at the north.

Stain glass windows allow light into the central area of the building

Great Australian Clock includes 33 scenes from Australian history. An oboriginal hunter circles the exterior of the clock continuously, representing the never-ending passage of time.

Royal Clock activates on the hours

It displays 6 scenes of English royalty

WOOLLOOMOOLOO

2011-04-24T15:38:00.008+08:00

Harry's Cafe de Wheels was popular known as Woolloomooloo pies as it was originally operated near the front gates of the Woolloomooloo naval dockyard. Its truck cart was in operation in a remote dockyard near King's Cross as I remembered when we were there in the 1990s, seeking it out for its famous pie.

20 years later it has branches all over Australia and one of its branches is situated at Haymarket near to hotel where we stayed, near corner of George Street, outside entrance of Capitol Square Shopping Centre.

Harry's Cafe is Australian icon famous for its pies, which also includes hot dogs. A portion is large enough to be shared by two.

At breakfast time we ventured out there for a morning nostalgia of pie and hotdog which we have missed.

Chicken & Mushroom Pie

Chunks of chicken meat with fresh mushroom and cream

House Special - Smoked Frankfurt

Filled with mushy peas, chilli con carne and garlic onions with cheese sauce and chilli sauce

The place is opened till 4am on Fridays and Saturdays. Given the choice I rather venture there during the day given the place is full of drunkenness at night, and next to a watering hole, Paddy Maguires Pub.

MEET FRESH

2011-04-23T15:40:00.006+08:00

At the road end of Chinatown is a franchised Taiwanese dessert house Meet Fresh, which we accidentally chanced upon when touring the place to hunt for food. It is the only outlet in Sydney that I encountered while there.

A shop with 2-floor seating. More seats are available on top floor while the ground floor offers only seats of 3-4 tables with an order counter occupied more than three-quarter space. There is always a long queue with mostly students from nearby universities, a good place for meeting up and cooling off from the heat.

Takeaway and eat-in orders are taken and pay at the counter. A number is given and orders collected when your number is being flashed on the screen.

Wall with displays of dessert descriptions and benefits of ingredients that go into the making of the desserts.

Black Pearl Balls+Glutinous Cake+Starch Noodles in herbal sweet syrup

Grass Jelly+Starch Noodles +Sweet Potato Balls in sugar syrup

Taro Balls+Red Beans+Yam+Pearl Balls

I prefer the hot over cold dessert as the flavor is more robust, moreover with mashed thick taro gives a thicker soup

How I like the chewiness of the taro and sweet potato balls

There are hundred selections which I wished I have ample time to savor each and every one of them but not to be as our stay is short. Hope to return in future to try other flavors. How I wish there is a franchise in Singapore to satisfy my crave.

CENTURY EGG JELLYFISh SALAD

2011-04-22T14:27:00.003+08:00

This salad is a good company for meat dishes. Crunchiness of the jelly fish with gooey century egg yolk and raw carrots in sesame dressing provides a appetizing side dish for stews.

Sesame Oil Dressing : 1 teaspoon sesame oil mix with 2 tablespoons of yuzu soya sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds and fried garlic in oil.

BRUNCH & TEA

2011-04-18T22:51:00.003+08:00

With so many options available at the harbourside, it was a hard choice to decide when it comes to food. We opted to eat light to savour bits of everything.

Started off sharing a salad of smoked salmon which was too large a portion for one person

Flaky smoked salmon croissant with greens and followed by tea and orange juice

Settled at Guylain Cafe for tea later in the day.

We chose a seat near the window to people watch. Service is friendly and orders were taken immediately.

Counter of delectable cakes, chocolate tarts and bread, a difficult choice. Pleasing to the eyes

A much needed drink after a long day

Gigantic raspberry muffin

Lemon meringue tart, a balance of sweet and sour

Cup of mango ice-cream, full of mango flavour

CIRCULAR QUAY & THE ROCKS

2011-04-16T17:10:00.001+08:00

In the morning we took a direct bus from the hotel to The Rocks. We alighted at Circular Quay station and walked across the road, a short distance to our destination. The weather was cloudy and cool with strong breeze. A nice day to enjoy an outing.

Circular Quay is the hub of Sydney. The quay is a vibrant, bustling place with ferries leaving every few minutes to different parts of the harbour. There is a major railway station at the quay, it is part of the underground City Circle, which skirts around Central Business District.

Historic harbourside area with shops, hotels, pubs and restaurants

There are great views of the Harbour Bridge. Climb to the summit to get a panoramic view of Sydney Harbour

Sydney Opera House is admired internationally and proudly treasured by the people of Australia. It is a great urban sculpture carefully set in a remarkable waterscape and a world famous iconic building. It has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts centre and becomes a symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation.

The Opera House was created by a young architect, Jorn Utzon who understood and recognized the potential provided by the site against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour. The iconic symbol was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973 and Utzon was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of Architects Australia.

The distinctive roof comprises sets of interlocking vaulted 'shells' set upon a vast terraced platform and surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses.

Sail or take a cruise on the diamond-sparkled water or to enjoy the lovely landscape and relax at the lovely parks

PIG TROTTERS

2011-04-10T21:51:00.002+08:00

Cooked 2 pig trotters in dark soya sauce with radish and carrot. Added some aniseed and cardamon seeds for better flavor. The radish and carrots were most delicious as they absorbed all the flavor from the sauce. The trotters were tender and gelatinous.

I never eat trotters in public eating places as they are not properly clean, especially the hair. I make sure that the trotters hair are plucked out entirely. Blanch the trotters, wipe dry and under the bright sunlight you will see clearly all the hairs standing upright. Just spend a bit of time with a tweezer.

SYDNEY FISH MARKET (II)

2011-04-09T23:13:00.003+08:00

After a hearty lunch, we proceeded to tour the mall which makes up of many shops selling various food.

Big seafood store to cater for takeaways showcasing fresh and live seafood

Wait to order on ice

Bright eyes gleaming and shiny scales

Brightly color lobsters and prawns

A deli selling bottled sauces and condiments with various cheese display

Bread, cakes and pastries freshly baked on show

Hugh supermarket selling vegetables and fruits nicely packed

Colorful fruits and fruit juices

Citrus perfume

Ripe and cut fruits ready for consumption

SYDNEY FISH MARKET (I)

2011-04-08T08:50:00.035+08:00

When we arrived it was already noon and decided to go for lunch first. It was crowded and had to wait for place before ordering. There is no free seating as every stall commands their own seating section. There are varieties of raw seafood on display and is a feast to the eyes. You order the raw food and had the staff cook them as you like.

Big advertising sign draws attention

Irresistible large juicy oysters ready for consumption

Mix and match seafood platters and salad

Normal Set or

Special Set

Too engross in eating and forgot to take pictures of sashimi.

METRO LIGHT RAIL

2011-04-07T22:53:00.004+08:00

We hop on the metro light rail at Chinatown to the Sydney Fish Market at Pyrmont.

Metro Light Rail runs 24-hr between Central railway station and Wentworth Park. It passes the Chinatown, Darling Harbour and Star City Casino and runs every 10-15 mins. It is an convenient mode of transport in the heart of the city.

Chinatown station

A hot day to visit The Fish Market

Destination

Clean, sleek and comfortable

Clear signage showing the way

Up the stairs

All the way to the top

Big open space car park. These are the cold rooms

TEMP HOME

2011-04-03T15:52:00.001+08:00

A warm and welcome feel once you enter the door with wall depicting family photos

It seems a neat and tidy place

But alas as you dig inner - what a mess! Do not go any further.

A small room in a 3-room apartment with common kitchen and bath share amongst 3 girls within walking distance to university. The apartment is situate in a quiet residential area with shops and eating places outside the main road.

HURRICANE'S GRILL

2011-04-02T15:42:00.064+08:00

Just a short walk from central station and buzzing both day and night, Darling Harbour hosts entertainment venues, a multitude of shops, eateries and restaurants. A large park and playground extends from the station to the Harbourside find families enjoying their evening walk in the cool breeze along the promenade.

Harbourside is Darling Harbour main shopping mall which opens daily till 9pm

The mall consists of boutiques, specialty stores and dining venues

Enjoy people watching and smell of the ocean at the Jordons Seafood Restaurant

Spectacular view of the city skyline

A very popular place with no reservations. Queue formed as early as 6pm. While waiting for a seat one can enjoy a drink at the bar counter

Fire grills behind the bar offers a feast to the eyes

Waited 45 mins for seats and ordered ice cool lemon bitter lime. It was very dark and no good for photo shooting. Numerous tries to obtain so so result.

Crispy hot garlic bread with strong garlic aroma. Good starter to warm the stomach.

Fresh and gigantic mushrooms fried in garlic and sprinkle with salt. A tasty appetizer.

Good company of jacket potatoes in rich cream sauce

Moist tender lamb slab with no gamey smell

SYDNEY

2011-03-31T22:56:00.002+08:00

Spent 5 days in Sydney during the weekend to attend 2nd daughter's convocation. We were accommodated in Mercure Hotel situated in the city center with ample facilitators within walking distance. It is the start of autumn and the weather is cooling and comfortable.

Accessible and efficient transportation to various parts of Sydney in front of hotel.

A MyMulti pass allows one to travel as much, as an often. The pass is valid for unlimited train, bus and ferry travel across Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra, including private bus services and the Stockton Ferry in Newcastle, plus one of three train travel zones.

Hotel facilities are ample in the city

Historical buildings bestow the city with colors

A city of new and historical buildings

Chinatown a place to congregate for food

Food and shopping are within reach

CRYSTAL JADE CAFE

2011-03-20T16:40:00.003+08:00

Going to cinema show was a luxury when I was young and television was not existence at that time. The only time seeing shows was on Chinese New Yea and during school holidays, which was a rarity. The cost per ticket was 50 cts to a dollar. Sometimes there were promotions of 2 shows for a price of 1 during weekend. Theaters like Cathay, Lido and Orchid were considered high end and were patronized by expatriates and tickets were expensive.

One of the weekends we seen "新少林寺" and had a light dinner at Crystal Jade Cafe in Bugis Junction before the show.

Bamboo shoot in sesame oil and light soya sauce

Cold chicken in shouxin wine - wine fragrance lingers in the mouth

Superior stock encased in the paper skin xiao long bao

Gigantic bowl noodles filled with seaweed, vegetables, mushrooms, pork dumplings and pork rings

KOREAN STRAWBERRIES

2011-03-13T22:03:00.003+08:00

Korean strawberries are on sale. It was claimed to be sweet and I bought some to eat it fresh. I added in fresh cream and the cream helped to balance the slight sourness of the strawberries. After all they were not so sweet as claimed.

SOUP SPOON

2011-03-12T18:22:00.001+08:00

Soup spoon is my favorite place to lunch. A soup and a wrap or sandwich provide a substantial meal. Nothing better to start off with a bowl of thick and hot soup.

Thick roasted pumpkin soup

Full cream clam chowder soup with chunk of potatoes and seafood

Chicken mushroom wrap bulging with vegetables and tasty juicy sauce

Pesto mushroom sandwich too thick for 1 bite

BACON SALMON SALAD

2011-03-06T16:40:00.001+08:00

The arugula leaves looked so fresh that I bought 2 packets to prepare a salad. Threw in a packet of smoked salmon and a packet of cubed bacon when walked past the gourmet counter. A salad of crispy bacon together with smoked salmon and arugula leaves plus some mini tomatoes add color to the dinner table.

Deep fry the bacon and garlic till crispy and mix together with salmon, arugula leaves and tomatoes. Saute the mixture lightly with olive oil and a teaspoon of Japanese yuzu soya sauce. Sprinkle a bite of sea salt over the salad.

Arugula is leafy green herb of the mustard family. Also known as rocket leave ad its flavor is hot and peppery. It is low in calories and is a good source of vitamins of A and C, folate, calcium and magnesium.

HOME-COOK PRAWN MEE

2011-03-05T17:11:00.001+08:00

There are some leftover prawns in the freezer over the Chinese New Year. I decided to make prawn noodles for a change. Peel and devein the prawns. Marinate and put in the fridge for later use. Wash the shells thoroughly and fry them over high heat with lots of garlic till shells change color. Put all shells in a muslin bag and boil together with soft meat bones and chicken carcass for 2 hours till meat is tender. In the meantime fry the sliced shallots till brown and crispy and put aside. When stock is ready cook the peeled prawns in the boiling stock till pinkish. Ladle up and set aside. Strain the stock and discard the muslin bag and carcass.

Boil the flat noodles in hot water and rinsed over cold water before adding stock over. Serve with prawns, ribs pork and kangkong.

The noodles can be served dry with hot sambar.

CARROT RADISH SALAD

2011-03-04T10:27:00.003+08:00

A bowl of fried rice to go with a salad make the meal a lot appealing and appetizing.

Mix of shredded carrot and radish with black pepper, lime juice, salt and sugar. Squeeze out as much juice from the radish. Throw in some leeks to the salad.

BAKE RICE

2011-02-27T17:25:00.003+08:00

From young I had been observing and helping my mother to cook. It was through observations and assistance that I am very well verse in Chinese cooking, of course not without scoldings. Eating out was considered expensive at that time and every meal was home cook. From basic Chinese cooking led to interest in Western meal and confectionary.

I prepared a one-pot simple meal when returned late in the evening due to traffic jam - bake rice with vegetables and egg.

Dice a green & red peppers, 1 onion, 4 big fresh mushrooms and 1 big tomatoes, minced the 4 garlics.

Wash rice thoroughly and leave aside.

Fry onions and garlics till fragrant and add in rice.

Fry for 3 mins and dish the rice mixture into a rice cooker.

Add in chicken stock and seasoning to the rice. Boil till bubbly.

Mix in the rest of the vegetables and continue cooking till rice is ready.

Dish rice into corning ware and bake in the oven for another 1 hour.

In the meanwhile fry an omelette with 2 eggs and cut into strips. When rice is ready mix in the omelette.

GUAVA PANNA-COTTA

2011-02-26T14:50:00.002+08:00

Why I blog? There are many discussions on blogs recently on this topic. The reasons are many, some people wants to socialize through network, interests and alternate ways of earning extra revenue.

I blog due to interest in food and to document the food I cook and eat. With time has developed an interest in photography. Traffic flow and extra revenue is never a considered factor. With a blog there is a motivation to cook more and discover ways of presenting food.

Nothing beats a dessert after a meal.

450ml thick cream, 150ml whole milk, 100g sugar, 500g pink guava, pureed, 7 gelatine leaves

Soak gelatine leaves in iced water until softened.

Meanwhile heat cream, milk, sugar and guava puree over low flame

When mixture is warm add in softened gelatine leaves and whisk for 3 mins till combined
Divide into moulds and fridge until set

Due to my laziness I used store-bought guava juice instead fresh guava which resulted in a creamy color instead of a nice pink color. The receipt is adopted from pastry chef Janice Wong of 2am Dessert featured in February issue of Good Food magazine.

APPLES BREAD PUDDING

2011-02-19T15:53:00.002+08:00

Our daily breakfast is plain bread with jam except weekend. DH and me are the only loyal fans of bread whereas my children will never had bread for breakfast. Usually there are leftover bread by end of the week. The leftover is baked to make crumbs or to make bread pudding with.

Arrange bread in buttered casserole alternately with sliced apples.

Pour in mixture of milk, thick cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon powder over bread till bread are thoroughly covered. Baked over low temperature till custard is set

Lovely fragrance of egg and cinnamon permeated the air. Caramelized tops give the pudding a hearty bite

Slices of sweet apple enveloped in layers of soft custard

Appetizing to the eyes also

CAFE DE HONG KONG

2011-02-13T18:49:00.005+08:00

There is another round of feasting with my daughter's birthday which happens to fall on the lunar new year this year. With so many positive recommendations of the Cafe De Hong Kong at Balestier Road we booked a table for the occasion.

Kicked off the meal with "Loi Hei" yu sang

Pouring for Prosperity

Claypot rice with wax duck, pork & liver sausages. The thick crust at the bottom of the pot was fragrant and jaw exercising.

Body warming mutton stew.

Eat while pipping hot to avoid gamy smell when cold

Crispy and juicy giant prawns coated with salted yolk and pumpkin gravy

Thick luscious sea cucumber braised with mushrooms. Bite into a mushroom filled your mouth with juicy flavorsome gravy

Signature dish - Roast chicken

Thin crispy skin with tender flesh

A meal cannot end without dessert - Mango pudding full of mango

Evaporated milk enhance flavor of the pudding

The more the merrier

CNY GATHERING

2011-02-12T14:24:00.001+08:00

Eat the most during festive seasons, be with family, friends and colleagues. What better way to bond with friends and family than through food. A bunch of old and close friends gathered at a place with potluck.

Too busy interacting to take photos but managed to snap half of the dishes.

A dish cannot do without

CHINESES NEW YEAR DAY 2

2011-02-06T15:57:00.002+08:00

Have been cooking from the eve to the 2nd day of Chinese New Year. Although it is tiring but very happy to see that everyone enjoys the food and the celebration. It is important that as an adult to set an example on how a festiveness is being celebrated and traditions follow so that the next generation will follow up with tradition.

CHINESE NEW YEAR DAY 1

2011-02-04T17:15:00.004+08:00

Chinese New Year is the festive of food and more food.... Each dish is a symbol of wealth, happiness and prosperity.

DH is a businessman and a traditional Cantonese and believes in having symbolic dishes

Fried leek with deep fried bean-curd and seashell. Leek represents smooth sailing in whatever you do.

Abalone with vegetables in oyster sauce. Abalone (包羅万象) represents varieties, in whatever you have

Sambal Prawns - always happy and full of laughter (he he ha ha)

FRESH STEAM FISH

2011-01-30T15:01:00.002+08:00

Nowadays when we want fresh fish we head to Seng Siong Supermarket as they sell live fish in the tank. They would throw out the fish to replace new stock later part of the morning and is going cheap for $6.90 per fish if not it is sold at per kilogram.

The snapper was steamed in szechuan chilli paste with brown bean paste. The flesh of the fish was soft and tender.

HONEYMOON DESSERT

2011-01-28T21:58:00.004+08:00

After a heavy meal we proceeded to Honeymoon Dessert Place again to continue with sweet indulgence. We managed to secure a table with ease.

Snow White Sago - A mix of palm oil seeds, mango, dried longan and sago

Durian Pudding - Smooth pudding top with fragrant durian cream

Hot Ginger Milk - Hot and velvety smooth

Durian With Green Tea Ice Cream

Basil Seed With Green Tea Ice Cream

TEA & DINNER

2011-01-24T17:58:00.028+08:00

Had been busy preparing for the lunar new year which is only less than 2 weeks. Went shopping for at Vivo City on Sunday and ended up having dessert and follow-up by dinner there.

Honeymoon Dessert is based in Hong Kong and was glad that they had set up store in Singapore. The place at Vivo is not very big as the kitchen occupies a large area leaving a L-shape space with less than 30 tables. It is always crowded with long queue waiting for seat.

A busy kitchen and continuous orders

Grass Jelly in Red Bean Soup with Vanilla Ice Cream

Double-Boiled Papaya with Almonds & Snow Fungus

The fungus was crunchy and sweet papaya

Mango Sago - The mango was sour. Not a good choice

We proceeded to dinner at Crysta Jade Harbour Front which is 2-door away from the dessert shop. Ordered few simple dishes.

Fried Tahu with Bamboo Pith - The bamboo pith was chopped finely to resemble dried scallop

Ginger with Salted Fish Fried Rice - Full of ginger and salted fish aroma

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Duck with Bitter Gourd - On a salty side

Intended to order dessert after the meal but decided to go back to Honeymoon as there are more varieties to choose from.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

2011-01-15T18:34:00.004+08:00

Recently I had enjoyed baking birthday cakes for my family. When the cake turns out well I feel elated and is motivated to continue baking for their birthday. I try to bake simple and tasty cake without cream or icing. Recently I baked a pineapple upside down cake for my DH's birthday. It turned out marvelous.

Ingredients :
(a) 250g butter,
     200g sugar,
     220g plain flour,
     5 egg yolks
     1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda,
   1 teaspoon baking powder
     1 tablespoon rum
     1 tablespoon pineapple syrup

(b) 1 can pineapple
      3 tablespoons brown sugar
      Maraschino cherries

(c) 5 egg whites
     1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Boil 100 ml pineapple syrup with brown sugar till caramelized. Watch over fire to prevent syrup being burnt. Pour syrup into baking tin. Arrange pineapple slices onto baking tin and put a cherry in every pineapple ring.

Cream egg whites, 110g sugar and cream of tartar till stiff and put aside.

Cream the balance sugar with butter. Add in egg yolks slowly into mixture and continue beating till fluffy. Lower beating speed and add in flour. Lastly add in pineapple syrup and rum and stir well. Add in egg white to butter mixture. Fold lightly and mix well. Pour mixture slowly on top on pineapple slices. Bake in the oven for 45 mins.

SHEPHERD PIE

2011-01-09T17:14:00.002+08:00

The pie is one of the dishes I cooked for New Year gathering.

Fillings : Carrots, fresh mushroom, onions, celery, bamboo shoots, green and red peppers, tuna, mayonnaise and mustard.

Stir fry the fillings and place in a casserole. Add in tuna and mix in mayonnaise and mustard. Season to taste.

Mash up boiled potatoes while hot and put into mixer. Add in salt, pepper, sour cream and butter. Beat on high speed till mixture is creamy and smooth. Spread over fillings and bake in the oven for till top is lightly brown.

CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE

2011-01-08T14:43:00.003+08:00

The dessert we had for the New Year eve party was cranberry cheesecake. Everyone loved it and in no time the plate was empty.

120g fresh cranberries, orange juice and sugar - Boil orange juice, cranberries and sugar in a small pot till cranberries turn to pulp. Orange juice to cover 3/4 of cranberries and add sugar to your preferred sweetness. Add a teaspoon of cornflour if thicker jam is preferred. Spoon the jam over the bottom of the baking pan and set aside.

Melt 250g light cream cheese, 60g butter and 100ml milk over double boiler. Stir until mixture is utterly smooth. Set aside and cool.

Whip 6 egg whites with 120g castor sugar and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar till firm and glossy. Mix 6 egg yolks with 60g cake flour and 20g cornflour. Add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and add in cream cheese mixture till well mix.

Fold in egg whites thorougly. Pour mixture carefully over the cranberry jam.

Water-bath bake cheesecake for half an hour at 100C till lightly brown and thereafter at 50C for 1 hour (depends on individual oven and my oven is very hot and thus I have to bake in low temperature). Cheesecake is ready when skewer comes out clean when tested. Remove from oven and serve when cold.

The cake can keep for 1 day outside room temperature without refrigerating.

N Y D C

2011-01-02T16:20:00.005+08:00

Outing and eating during holiday season

Feel of festive mood when you entered the place. Even the lights were not spared from decorations.

Cosy and bright color seating

Classy seating with view

Artistic painting

Artistic display of kitchen activities

Honey Baked Ham Sandwich

Club Sandwich

Boney Cake - overwhelming sweet

Mochamisu Chocolate Cake

NEW YEAR GATHERING

2011-01-01T17:39:00.003+08:00

Another year passed and gathered with friends to ring in the New Year. With such busy life it is not often that we catch up with friends and the only chance is during holiday or festive season. Every year we will take turn to host one other during the holidays. As usual New Year gathered at my place and on potluck. With good food and laughter we toasted each other with champagne at the stroke of midnight to ring in the new year.

NEW YEAR 2011

2010-12-31T16:20:00.003+08:00

Wishing All Happy New Year and may 2011 brings you health and happiness.

X'MAS DINNER

2010-12-28T09:03:00.005+08:00

A small celebration with family during festive season!

X'MAS 2010

2010-12-26T14:47:00.004+08:00

Merry Christmas !

SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN

2010-12-24T09:23:00.002+08:00

Solstice is regarded by Chinese as the most important festive than Chinese New Year. It signifies bountiful harvest and a good year ahead and thus it is celebrated lavishly.

Soya sauce chicken is the main dish for the festive besides other side dishes and soup. The chicken is soaked in diluted dark soya sauce mixed with cloves, star aniseed, cinnamon sticks, sesame oil and seasoning for half a day. Boil the sauce and put in the chicken to continue cooking till tender.

HOME BURGER

2010-12-18T14:45:00.003+08:00

Make burger for lunch instead of eating at fast food joint which is unhealthy and non-nutritious.

I never like to take my children to MacDonald or Burger King when they were young and they grew up of not having the habit of patronizing fast food joint whenever they crave for food.

Marinate shabu shabu pork with Yakitori sauce and grill over high heat for 5 mins.
Fry omelette with half-cook egg yolk & bacon till crispy and set aside.
Saute onions till soft and add in fresh mushrooms. Season with sugar and a pinch of salt. Add in bacon and dish aside.

Toast bun and spread with mayonnaise. Top with shabu shabu pork.

Pile mushroom fillings on the pork

Top with an egg

Top another layer of shabu shabu pork if you are a meat-eater. Garnish with tomotoes.

Wholesome burger

A satisfying meal

18TH

2010-12-13T10:33:00.005+08:00

Another birthday celebration.

To bake the cake myself rather than ordering one so as to give me a free hand in cutting down on sugar and cream. Moreover reduces cost, especially around festive season.

Linz Cherry Sponge

250g butter, 150g caster sugar, 30g dark brown sugar, 5 eggs, 200g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 150g ground almonds, 1 punnet fresh cherry, rum or burbon.

Caramel : 21g butter (melted), 60g Morello cherry syrup, 100g sugar.

Pit cherries and cut into half. Arrange cherries in baking tin in circle. Melt butter in syrup over low heat. Add sugar and continue stirring till melted. Do not stir and let syrup boil till brown in colour. Pour caramel over cherries. Set aside

Cream butter then add vanilla essence (1 tsp), sugar, eggs, cinnamon. Sift flour and baking powder into the mixture, add the ground almonds. Pour two-thirds of this mixture into the caramel cherries. Smooth out evenly. Drain Morella cherries and arrange them over the mixture, pressing them down gently. Place spoonfuls of the remaining mixture over the cherries. Bake at 180-200C for about 1 hour.

Turn over cake and sprinkle rum or bourbon liberally over cake

SIMPLE & EASY

2010-12-05T14:26:00.004+08:00

A simple and easy dish to whip up. Use left-over steam pumpkin and cook with silken tofu and egg. Add in a tablespoon of miso and seasoning.

LEMONY

2010-12-04T14:42:00.005+08:00

Lemon is a sour fruit but the distinctive sour taste makes it a key ingredient. Its juice is used as preservative on food which oxides and turns brown after being cut. The zest is used to add flavor to baked goods and other dishes.

I love lemon tarts, a mingle flavor of tanginess and sweetness.

Sweet pastry fill with luscious lemon curd.

Soak 3 gelatine leaves in 60ml water and set aside. Heat 500 ml milk over low heat and keep stirring till hot. Whisk 4 yolks and 125g sugar followed by 30g cornflour. Whisk well. Slowly add in warm milk. Heat mixture over medium heat and stir till thicken, add in gelatine, 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoon lemon juice. Pour filling into pie and refrigerate when cold.

Irresistible

Can't wait to eat

Golden glow

Smooth and creamy

Leftover pastry dough turn into tartlets

Fill to the rim

SPARE RIBS STEW

2010-11-27T17:49:00.004+08:00

To cut down on cooking due to flu, stewed a pot of spare ribs to last for 2 days. The stew tastes better the following day.

Marinate the ribs with 2 cubes of preserved beancurd, 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 2 big tablespoons tau cheo sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 5 garlics mashed, 2 big slices of mashed ginger and half cup rice wine. Let the ribs stand for 1 hour before cooking.

Fry 2 big onions in oil till soft and add in spare ribs. Cook over high heat and stir frequently to avoid sticking to the pan. Lower heat to simmer. Add in Japanese mushroom and carrots when ribs are fully cooked. Continue simmer till the vegetables are soft. Half an hour before serving add in celery to simmer.

DANG SHEN AND DU ZHONG CHICKEN CONGEE（党參杜仲雞粥）

2010-11-26T13:26:00.005+08:00

Has been feeling unwell for the past week with bloated stomach and flu, loss of appetite is unavoidable. Simple food such as porridge with some Chinese herbs to cleanse the body, with heavy seasoning to counteract the blandness of the palate.

Mix long-grain and glutinous rice grain to cook porridge. Glutinous rice contains more protein and fibre that helps to promote the peristalsis along the alimentary canal while clearing the wastes and toxins in the body.

Boil the grains in water till boiling and add in a piece of du zhong and 4 sticks of dang shen (cut into smaller sticks) and chicken fillets. Cook porridge till soft. Add seasoning.

THREAD FIN

2010-11-20T17:11:00.002+08:00

Fish are so expensive, a small piece of above thread fin costs me $12 from the market. With such a fresh fish is best to steam it and cosume on the same day.

Marinate the fish with salt and sugar. Mix fish sauce, sour plum and juice, bashed lemon grass, fresh chillies, garlic and ginger together. Pour over fish and steam in the rice cooker over steamed rice (rice must be three-quarter dry). When the rice is ready, the fish is nicely cooked.

LOTUS ROOT MUSHROOM SALAD

2010-11-17T17:00:00.004+08:00

The lotus root was used in a salad dish after being boiled for soup. Fresh abalone mushroom was stir fried with garlic and mixed together with the lotus roots seasoned with mirin and soya sauce. A sweet and light dish to go with other heavily seasoned food.

Potato With Capsicum

2010-11-14T16:14:00.006+08:00

When there are not enough food in the fridge to cook what you have in mind, the only way is to cook what is available. With a few potatoes and each of red and green capsicum, meshed up 2 tablespoons of black beans and minced garlics, fry up the diced potatoes (boiled soft) and sliced capsicums in high heat till smoky, and seasoned with some sugar or mirin sauce.

WESTERN BREAKFAST

2010-11-13T14:14:00.011+08:00

My DH is typical China man as he always request for Asian food. Only once a while that he indulges in international cuisine, on our firm request (5 against 1, hehe). During weekends we usually take brunch but likely ended up eating noodles, rice or dim sum, which is his favorite.

There is no lack of good food since we reside in the east, be it in coffee shops, cafes or restaurants. Royal cafe is the place we frequent often and they food we enjoy which I had blogged about at http://makan-mania.blogspot.com/2009/08/royals-cafe.html.

Below were one of the brunches that I had forgotten about after going through the photos.

Each course came with 2 slices of wheat bread, slightly toasted, with butter and jam

Mushroom omelette with harsh brown. A substantial amount.

Omelette with ham and french toast.

Club sandwiches with coleslaw and potato chips. The fillings are egg with creamy mayonnaise and ham with tomatoes and lettuce.

A good glass of ginger mint tea to aid digestion