I tried this and just went ‘oh my God’.

Sweet but not too sweet and the ice is of the right consistency.

We complement each other I guess. He’s good at drinks while I’m at baking and cooking.

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I guess this is rather trivial, but i’d just like the world to know i regret adding the excess fibre from the juicer to my juice.

I’m now eating apple mush, instead of enjoying the juice.

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That’s why I love making soup over a charcoal stove. Trust me on this – even if it’s a metal pot, the end-product is so much more aromatic than if using a gas stove.

Tip: try stir frying noodles over charcoal.

Grilling Soup – The grill adds flavor to anything you cook, even soup.

It’s a joke so old that no one remembers how it goes; grilled soup, but I’m not talking about pouring a can of soup on your cooking grate, I’m talking about adding real grill flavor to your next homemade soup or stew. Obviously, grilling meats for soup is a great idea. Everything from steaks to sausages are going to pick up lots of extra flavors from the grill and take that to your soup. But you really need to think about all the ingredients that you can easily grill from bell peppers and potatoes to tomatoes.

Speaking of tomatoes, try a grilled tomato soup. It is better than the traditional method of blanching the tomatoes in boiling water, and far, far better than that stuff from the can. To make an easy homemade tomato soup start with a lot of ripe tomatoes. Cut them in half and brush lightly with olive oil. For extra flavor, use an olive oil flavored with garlic, pepper and/or oregano. Place the tomatoes cut side down on your hot grill and close the lid. In about 3 to 5 minutes the skins will be loose and the tomatoes will be ready for soup. If you like tomatoes like I do you really have to get a smell of those toasted tomatoes on the grill.

Take the tomatoes from the grill and let them cool down enough to work with. If you cut out the stem end of the tomato you’ll find you can simply lift off the skin. The juice and seeds will have loosened and you can literally squeeze that out of the tomatoes. Throw them in a blend and blend until smooth. Heat in a saucepan and you have tomato soup. Of course you’ll want to add something to flavor your soup, but this really is a great way to make a great soup, and you can tell people you made it on the grill.

When it comes to grilling meats for soup you want to really season it up before you grill. Think about adding the seasonings for your soup to the meat as a rub. Whether you are adding beef steaks or chicken breasts, or anything else, by applying a thick, flavorful rub to the meat you get extra seasonings for the soup. When I say a thick rub, I mean something more than you would probably dream of if you were simply going to eat that meat by itself. Be careful not to dislodge the rub when you remove the meat from the grill and cut it up for your soup or stew. This way you season the soup by seasoning the meat.

All kinds of vegetables can be grilled quickly and easily for soups. Lightly brush vegetables with oil and place them on a hot grill. Since all this is going into a pot to cook more anyway you don’t need to get everything completely cooked through, just grilled enough to add that great flavor and to soften skins for easy removal.

So next time you want to make a homemade soup or stew start by firing up the grill.

I’m basing this quick review of the Ship Restaurant’s cream puff with reference to Goodwood Park’s.

Among the hotels in Singapore, i haven’t come across any that makes a better cream puff than Goodwood Park’s (let me know if you have – i’m a big sucker for cream puffs). GP bakes light and fluffy ones that are generally quite fresh. A dour, or worse, a soggy cream puff is an absolute disappointment.

However, The Ship Restaurant’s are just as good, if not better. The homemade pastry is crisper, and fuller than Goodwood’s. If you prefer a lighter dessert, go for Goodwood’s, if not try out Ship’s. Moreover, the cream in the former is not too sweet but very creamy. Either way, it fills your mouth and you leave lunch feeling happier and pleased with yourself.

These puffs are available with the set lunch only on tuesdays (have to confirm that), but they are oh-so-fresh when served. Recommend you begin lunch anytime from 12 – 1, where these pastries are ‘just right’.

As with any cream-filled pastry, it can’t be kept past two days if you decide to take it home. So please, don’t delay personal gratification in this case.

And given the excellent and homely service at The Ship, you have absolutely no excuse for not dropping by:

THE SHIP RESTAURANT AND BAR:

Shaw Centre

#04-34/36,

1 Scotts Road S(228208)

I unreservedly give its cream puffs a 5/5.

p.s. i’ve been a loyal customer all of my life, even while still in mummy’s tummy.

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Two Servings of Goodness

I hereby present Coffee Club’s Mud Pie. Yes, it doesn’t look like the conventional brownie-esque desert, and also, looks more of an oil spill than a mud bath. A luscious oil spill at that.

As of habit, i blog about a particular restaurant/cafe’s food only after multiple visits.

Personally, i’m not a very big fan of chocolate sauce – i’d rather get my own fondue and empty it all over the darn cake. Chocolate sauce is an oxymoron, at least to me. Chocolate is not meant to be a thin synthetic lubricant; it has to delight and comfort and uplift in its Holy Thickness.

But in this case, the sauce was saved by a generous topping of what seemed to be oreo-like crumbs powder. And my mum was right to get them to add more sauce. Food in spartan quantities is never a happy affair.

Under that generous topping were two layers of ice cream cake that were simply heaven when combined. And all that on a thin but gooey brownie base. However, each costituent layer didn’t seem all that delicious, but the gestalt whole (sauce, ice cream , and all), was quite a decent proposition, especially with that powder naughtily grinding itself on your hard palate.

But, but, like my vauge writing, there’s something missing to this mud pie. I’ve absolutely no idea what to make out of it. It’s neither delicious like a properly done sorbet or heartening like a chocolate fondue. It’s good no doubt, but it doesn’t thrill my soul. It doesn’t call me out for a second date.

I’d give it a 3.5/5 stars, for it’s decent, but i’ve no idea what to make out of it. And besides, i wouldn’t dare have it more than once a month. If it’s your first time, i’d say, ok, try it. But if it isn’t, you should have bloody made up your mind about it already ;)

Bloody hell – $3 singapore dollars for a little miyagi of guava juice…

Note the similiarities in height of the cup with the dim sum basket.

Short and uber expensive! (if you get my drift…)

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It’s quite a big fair, as always.

Ends 4 October.

(photos taken at Ngee Ann City’s B2 exhibition space)

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Durian cake at the Big O makes me happy :)

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I like museli
I like bran
I like cereal in boxes that look grand!

(oh well, who am I kidding with the last line)

But I honestly do like museli and bran. Banana nut cereal and a nicely toasted muffin never fails to brighten a morning. :)

Blogged from my iPhone.

Snapped a picture of a cockroach nibbling on the rear end of its half dead breathren while i was using the gents at novena square yesterday. Assumed it was a mating ritual, but then again, mating rituals don’t involve dragging one’s partner violently across the floor.

Two questions then:

1. Do cockroaches indulge in cannibalism?

2. Do they find the rear ends of other cockroaches delectable?

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Tried the MacPherson Minced Meat Noodle stall at the corner coffee shop along Pheck Guan Avenue at MacPherson earlier this afternoon.

It reminded me of the Ah Lam noodle stall near balestier. That in turn was good until several years back.

I miss Ba Chor Mee of this sort, but cooked over a charcoal stove. Unfortunately, this MacPherson stall used a gas flame, as with most others.

It took at least twenty minutes for the food to arrive. Kept myself busy with emails and twitter over the iPhone.

For $4.50 (including an extra dollar’s worth of noodles), the few (and thin at that) fish-cake slices wasn’t on the better side of value. The noodles were decent, but the soup only marginally alright. The latter tasted too strongly of frozen liver.

And i do think the egg in the soup made for blander taste. Ba Chor Mee needs the savoury pork-iness to be quite a bit more discernable.

In terms of serving size, this of course was no where near enough for me. But then again, that’s just me – i eat a heck lot.

I give it a 3 out of five – i’ll have it for a quick lunch, especially if there are no alternatives, but definitely not on a regular basis.

I’ve been telling friends how much i eat in India. So here’s a long-awaited photo. And bear in mind, it’s only for one meal. But strangely, i digest carbs rather quickly – finish lunch at 1.30 and by 3.30 i’m already slightly peckish…

that's a lot of carbs

My record at one sitting is downing this plus nearly two slices of pizza. (Pizza’s only available when the italians are around.)

In terms of price, it’s very reasonable. The meal above costs around 90 rupees or three singapore dollars. It’s amazing how the three canteen (Wester, North Indian and South Indian) can provide good subsidised food for hundreds, if not thousands of people, 365 days a year.

But of course, i shouldn’t ingest that many carbs a day…

It’s not exactly ban mian, more like mee hoon ke.

But either way, it’s name is derived in the same manner as la mian (??: ? – pull ? – noodle)

thenthuk: then – pull thuk – noodle

Here’s a recipe i found on the web:

http://www.tanc.org/new_food/thenthuk.html

The one i tried at Taste of Tibet in Puttaparthi, India, wasn’t neither fantastic nor filling. It reminded me of the wonderful noodles i had in Kathmandu, Nepal, though.

Was walking along Keong Saik Road in the vicinity of Outram/Chinatown.

Came across a speciality cookbook store by the name of 25 Degree Celsius. Looked rather sleek and modern with interesting cookbook titles. If you look at the picture above, you can make one out on Foie Gras (not my thing, though).

Anyways, my 5 minutes there is certainly not enough for an appraisal – but i don’t think the cakes on display impassion me to return. Maybe i’ll drop if i do pass by.




The first two articles that surfaced on google. Make what you might of them:

AsiaOne

Yum.sg

Even the single bypass is enough to floor me. My gawd… One quad burger can undo years of hard work.

Everything in bloody lard. But i can understand the philosophy behind it, if you could at that. Perverse all the same. :S

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Posted from Lambeth, England, United Kingdom.

Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Whey Protein has never disappointed. Had my tub of Delicious Strawberry delivered with Zanfit rip-off lifting straps, but that’s another post.

I didn’t realize Nutrition Park had sent Delicious Strawberry instead of Strawberry Cream until I mixed my customary first-taste shake. Could sure taste the strawberries but not the cream – Optimum Nutrition’a blends are so good you can actually tell the difference.

Just to clarify, i’m not plugging Optimum Nutrtion’s products. Haha.

Not going to waste my time complaining about the wrong order since Delivious Strawberry is delicious. However, I did write in regarding the Zanfit lifting straps.

Compared to other strawberry variants, such as EAS, Optimum Nutrition’s offer actually has a zang to it. Very much like the sour accents you get with a fresh strawberry milkshake.

I’m not sure about how safe all these additives and flavourings are, though. It’s always a niggling question at the back of my head.

This flavour also dissolves particularly well by Optimum Nutrition’s standards. To give you a backgrounder, an idea of how good the mixability of Optimimum Nutrition’s Whey Protein is – I have never had to use a shaker since I’ve switched over from rival brands. A spoon, cup and a minimum of one part protein powder to one part water should be sufficient. Chocolate mint has small lumps (as opposed to ‘clumps’) clinging to the side of one’s cup after stirring, but delicious strawberry leaves a really clean interior.

Personally, i seriously reckon that when mixed with milk, a Delicious Strawberry drink (that can’t be called a ‘shake’, right? :S) actually tastes better than generic strawberry milk. And it’s healthier too, if you’re the sort who buys food considering their protein content in mind. If you stick to the approximately one to one powder to milk ratio, it is seriously good, without the viscosity of enriched milk (e.g. the local HL brand).

I must try it with diced fresh strawberries.

Essentially, my hesitation given that strawberry is a standard flavour (together with chocolate and vanilla) was unfounded and unnecessary. Go try it out for yourself. :)

Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Range

Seaweed Crisps

Seaweed Crisps. I’ve been wondering for the longest time how to make them, and yes, they are supposedly not that hard. However they’re rather expensive, here in Singapore. Even in Malaysia, a sealed foil bag roughly the size of a sheet of A4 costs RM30…

Anyways, i’ve decided to take matters into my on hands (though chucking most of the tedium of searching to google). Here’s a recipe i found:

Ingredients:

10 pcs seaweed sheets, cut into half
20 sheets spring roll skin
1 egg, lightly beaten for glazing
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Lay a piece of spring roll skin on countertop. Brush with egg glaze (Pic. 1).
2. Place half a sheet of seaweed sheet on half of the spring roll skin as shown in Pic. 2. Fold the spring roll skin to enclose seaweed sheet (Pic. 3).
3. Use a pair of scissors to cut sheet into bite size strips.
4. Heat oil in a wok. Fry seaweed crisps until golden brown. Remove from oil onto kitchen towel to absorb extra oil.
5. Let cool completely and store in air tight container. Try to consume within 2 weeks.

Seaweed Crisps Part 1

Seaweed Crisps Part 2

Seaweed Crisps Part 3

Seaweed Crisps Part 4

Recipe – Cinnamon Apple Pie

Here’s my apple pie recipe. Technically it’s a crumble. So far all my apple pies have turned out really well, save for the occasion zhaohan gave me tapioca flour instead of sugar while baking at his place.

Steps 2 and 3, refrigeration, rolling pins and the almonds are unnecessary. Utterly unnecessary, if there’s a need to know. It’s the original recipe i got off some website. Just take the batter right after mixing everything properly (can’t stress the importance of that) and spread it evenly in the pie pan. Use your hands if spatulas, spoons and whatever other utensils don’t work for you.

* the photo on the right is awfully lumpy but it tastes really great.

Add as much cinnamon as you’d like. Personally i use at least one and half times the amount recommended here. And it works better if you’d mix it in with the filling rather than the batter.

Add more flour if you want the crust to be crumblier or a bit more butter if you’d like something softer.

Be creative. You could sprinkle it with icing sugar, maple syrup (easily the eight vice) or serve with a bit of canned fruit.

Would like to try adding alcohol to the apples one of these days.

And if there is excess filling, you could make apple sauce with it. That’ll be great with dinner, guilt trips or something. Just put it in a pot over a low flame and stir continuously. If it burns due to your inattention (burnt apples smell bad), add just a bit of water and well, pay attention.

for the crust:
• 280 g flour
• 65 g ground almonds
• 240 g butter , cut into small cubes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 8 Tbsp iced water
• some extra flour

for the filling:
• 5 granny smith apples , peeled, cored, and chopped
• 150 g sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 25 g butter , melted

for the topping:
• 50 g sugar
• 25 g brown sugar
• 70 g flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 45 g butter , cut into small cubes

1) Begin the crust
Shake the flour, almonds, salt and the sugar into the mixer.
Whilst combining, add the cold butter and mix until it resembles coarse salt. Pieces of butter must still be visible. Add a drop of water, just enough for the dough to begin to cling together. Turn off the mixer and remove the dough from the hook. Form the dough into a ball and remove it from the mixer.

2) Refrigerate the dough
Place the dough onto the work surface and flatten it into a disk. Wrap it up with cling film and put it into the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.

3) Roll out the dough
After 30 minutes, sprinkle some flour onto the work area and dust the dough and the rolling pin. Slowly roll the dough until it reaches the desirable size. This is a little larger than the pan and about 1/2 centimetre thick. Keep changing sides to stop the dough sticking to the work surface. Turn it around in quarter turns to help create the circle.

4) Prepare pie shell
Carefully wrap the dough around the rolling pin. This will help remove it from the table without tearing. Place it over the pie pan and using your fingers, mold it into the sides and the bottom of the pan, with the dough overhanging. Use the knife to trim off most of the dough but leave a centimetre above the pan sides. Pinch the dough into small ridges around the edge of the pan with your fingers and place it into the freezer for roughly 5 minutes to chill.

5) Prepare the filling
Pour the apples into a bowl. Add the sugar, flour, ground cinnamon and the melted butter and mix well.

6) Preheat the oven
Set the oven to 180ºC

7) Make the crumble
Put the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and the butter into the mixer. Switch on to a low speed. Then turn the speed up to allow the mix to become the consistency of coarse salt. Stop the mixer and pour the crumble into another bowl.

8) Bake
Put the apple filling into the chilled pastry shell and sprinkle the crumble over top. Place the pie into the preheated oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the topping and crust is light brown.

9) Cool and serve
After the pie has baked, remove it from the oven. Let it cool before cutting. Serve it warm or cold with a generous dollop of cream or some vanilla ice cream.