Serangoon Gardens(updated)

Gardens was featured in last week's Today newspaper, and as a longtime resident, I do agree with some of the recommendations. I will add some others though.

Chomps's fried wanton mee is definitely good. You can also ask for spinach noodles instead of egg noodles. Chomps's Fried Carrot Cake at the front and Kueh Pie Tee opposite that, are also good finds. Borsch's Seafood Bee Hoon and Tome Laksa at Ban Heng coffeeshop are other recommendations. Pow Sing's Ngoh Hiang and Crispy Nonya Sotong are also on the list. If you go to the Market, you should try Burbur Ayam from the corner stall on the right, as you enter from Chartwell Drive. The Japanese food stall with its friendly owners, a few stalls away, is also a good choice. Ah Seng's Braised Duck Rice, the Teochew Porridge stall opposite it, Unity western food's spaghetti and the stall selling Aussie Fish and Chips complete my list.

There are some other places not mentioned in the feature. Bangawan Solo's Chendol is a crowd-pleaser. The Thai restaurant next to Guardian Pharmacy is a famous one. Aston's western food at the coffeeshop next to Borsch is always roaring with business. Liquid Kitchen's food is also not too bad.

Cupcakes crazes everywhere!

New York's craze exploded with the Sex and the City episode where Sarah Jessica Parker ate a pink-frosted cupcake outside Magnolia Bakery. People flocked to the bakery for that same cupcake. Now, there are classes, tours, a tea and a truck with 6000 followers on Twitter, based on cupcakes.

Cupcake Cafe's cakes are a part of this craze. They have been sold since 1988. They are culinary and visual works of art, so pretty to behold. Alas, they are too pretty to put into my mouth! Babycakes NYC have "vegan versions" where real vanilla is used. Baked by Melissa has cookie dough flavoured cupcakes, which has caught my eye. Billy's has "a classic chocolate cupcake with sugary frosting that will remind you of the ones mum made in the past". It is a very poignant description for me. Crumbs Bake Shop has cupcakes which are "a blast from a American sweet-filled past". I love food that has been resurrected from decades gone by.

This brings me back to the original cupcakes that came from England: Queen Cakes. I used to make them for my Home Economic lesson in the late 1980s. They can still be found, with glaced cherry chunks added into them, at Chin Mei Chin Bakery located near Holy Family Church in Katong.

Then I learnt to make Butterfly Cakes, which are really cakes with the two halves of the top portions placed on cream. in the cutout holes of the Queen Cakes.

Time has evolved these classic cakes into what we now know as Cupcakes, with all their trimmings, toppings, designs and decorations.

To me, they are life's little luxuries. I took pictures of those in Harrods' food hall in Knightsbridge, London. I also drooled over those sold at Sweet Secret bakeries during Christmas. I did buy its Christmas selection for a few friends a couple of years back. The thing is that they are more appealing to females. If only my male friends could see the beauty they possess.

Then again, the frosting used is fattening, with butter as its primary ingredient. Even marzipan uses a lot of sugar when it is made. Thus, I shall limit my enjoyment to mainly visual in nature, with occasional indulgences in terms of physical and gourmet.

Singapore's food

The Straits Times explored our local food, in celebrating National Day. Some articles triggered nostalgic thoughts which I would like to share here.

Tan Hsueh Yun gave 44 food loves she has. She mentioned wet markets which remind me of how I used to accompany my mum there to buy ingredients. She would also buy my favourite barbecued pork ribs and mee pok noodles from the adjacent hawker centre. I remember I used to hold my breath upon passing the fish stall in the wet market. This was in the 1980s before supermarkets sprouted up.

Chris Tan focused on Upper Bukit Timah Road's food offerings. He recommended Woori-Nara's Korean-style fried chicken. He describes it as "a thick, crunchy crust enveloping moist meat" with a "mild and crispy" flavour. The picture of the chicken is so alluring! The golden batter and the bright white meat makes it so mouth-watering. I wonder though how the whiteness of the meat can be so positively glaring. Is it the flash from the camera or is it due to air-brushing? He described how Chicken with Basil is made and mentioned that it can be found at Bukit Timah Food Centre. After reading his description, I have learnt how much salt it contains due to the heavy doses of soya sauce or fish sauce.

His other recommendation was Perla's Pastry Boutique. The Strawberry Tart in the picture looks scrumptious but at the same time, I now know many egg yolks are used to make the custard. It looks too yellow to be healthy. He ended his list with durian, the King of fruits. The picture of Ng Kim Lee's durian mousse cake makes me want to eat the cake. It looks so soft such that it seems to melt in the mouth.

Another article traced the popular food trends through the years. Japanese Cheesecake was popular in 1995. I remember buying the Fiesta restaurant's cheesecake which was so soft and fluffy. It did not taste of too much cheese too. I remember Thomson Plaza had this at their mini food court, which was really many different food outlets in a specific area. A similar cheesecake can now be found at Ichiban Boshi outlets. Portuguese Egg Tarts was first popular in 1998. I don't like the flaky pastry they come in. When I went to Macau and Portugal, I was not one of the number of people who queued up for them. I prefer the simple Egg Tarts, which is one of the dim sum items in Chinese restaurants.

Apple Strudel which was popular a year later, puts me off too, for its puff pastry and fattening custard filling. Breadtalk's Floss Bun, first popular in 2000, is not really one of the food items I like anymore. I like floss per se, but after realising it is sweet syrup that allows the floss to stay on the bun, I have stopped eating the bun, for health reasons. Ooo, bubble tea was next on the trail! I still love it, especially the ones with mint syrup. However again, I seldom drink it now, ever since I read that 5 spoons of sugar are used to prepare it. I remember going to those little cafes to drink it. I would order those with green tea, but then I read that red tea helps in weight loss, and switched to those with it. Yes, I remember those in the plastic cups cost at least $2.50 while those in the glasses from the cafes cost at least $4.50. I am happy to note that one cup now costs $1. The cafe at Toa Payoh is really taking a huge risk in charging close to $7 for one of its teas, now that the trend seems to be fading.

Beard Papa's Japanese Cream Puffs has another outlet at Plaza Singapura, if I am not mistaken. I remember buying Coffee Buns from Rotiboy at Ang Mo Kio. I guess they are more for fans of coffee. I'm not one. Ooo, doughnuts are also on the trail! I've loved them since I was a child. I used to buy the doughnut balls on a stick. I still love the old-skool ones which are only sugar-coated. The ones from Glacier at Serangoon Central are worth buying. Then I started to get those coated with nuts and chocolate sauce. With Doughnut Factory and Doughnut Empire entering the market, I was more excited. I love the Apple Cinnamon doughnut from the former, which blends the tart flavour of the apples with the sweetness of the soft and a little crispy doughnut. Now that Dunkin' Donuts has returned too, I can resurrect my childhood. :)

The last article is about durian again. The fruit has been used in new dishes like durian fried rice, which sounds repulsive at the mere thought. So too does this range of skincare products with durian extracts. The most expensive product actually costs $400! I would never part with my money for either of these.

Woman; Nonya = Cook

As a Nonya, I feel it is pertinent to want to learn to cook. I was not interested in cooking as a young girl. I was also hopeless at cooking during Home Economics lessons. I blotched my attempts at preparing the dishes. I remember making Kueh Ko Swee for one of my tests. I tried it at home and it was perfect, obviously due to my mum's guidance. When I did it on my own, it looked perfect but the inside was not cooked. :S The result of my Home Economics classes was that I became very good at washing dishes. Lol.

Watching the Little Nonya has made me go back to my roots and my desire to learn how to cook is now very strong. Another reason is that it helps me to feel close to my mum. It makes her feel proud of my successful attempts. I feel as if she is guiding me as I cook. I've managed to somewhat reproduce her Potato and Carrot Soup, and her Chicken Wings in Soya Sauce. :) Eating them makes me feel so nostalgic and poignant.

I was cooking Yaki Udon and my neighbour who is a wife and mother, but too lazy to cook, closed her windows to indicate that she did not want the food smells to get into her house. How can she not want to cook?! The only household chore she does is to wash clothes. She does not even clean her garden. The dirt and grime stuck in the grooves of her mosaic ground is repulsive! No matter how sick and weak my mum was, she would still clean and cook for us, till she became dependent on us for the smallest tasks. I'm so proud of her! My neighbour's husband is equally lazy at cleaning the house. Their house is so messy and cluttered. He cleans only his car. They go out all day long, to watch movies, lounge at their country club or go on trips. She is certainly lucky to be such a tai-tai! Oh, she does not have a maid, in case you are wondering.

There is a new term coined for men who can cook: gastrosexuals but being a woman requires you to know how to cook, or at least desire to learn how to cook.

Evolving mooncakes

New mooncake flavours never fail to appear every year. They become the topic on everyone's lips when they are revealed in the market.

Marina Mandarin hotel's new flavours are exciting and innovative. The filling of red-wine cranberry paste brings an intoxicating and exotic taste to something originally Chinese.

Another unusual filling is kumquat. It is a Chinese fruit but using it in mooncakes is a first. It will be interesting to eat a mooncake with orange filling.

In terms of the skin, peppermint snowskin is a unique outer layer. It will certainly complement the red bean paste filling in it, somewhat like an Yinyang combination.

Cova Pasticceria - Confetteria's mooncakes have a sponge layer inside. Its accompanying picture makes the mooncakes more tempting to eat. It has brought the normal definition of mooncakes into a new dimension. Its mooncake flavours are unusual as well. There are rose and vanilla sponge, and peanut and chocolate sponge!

Centre Ps's mooncake fillings are also a first: yuzu and cream cheese, and Oreo biscuit. I wonder what they will taste like!

There are also more fillings like lavender, wheatgrass and melon seeds, and hazelnut with nata de coco from Wah Lok, Carlton Hotel Singapore, and cranberry and raspberry, and peanut caramel from Hilton Singapore.

They get more exciting through the years!

Spice Peranakan as featured in Lifestyle

It is a fairly new Peranakan restaurant compared to the established ones like Guan Hoe Soon. It was started 2 years ago. It is definitely "posh spice", since the layout is Western in nature, and looks rather elaborate, while the food is typically spicy.

The Ayam Buah Kelauk has minced prawns added into the mixture of kernel and minced pork. This makes the mixture more luxurious and richer. Frankly, two nuts per serving is rather stingy. I know that this dish requires a lot of preparation, as I am a Nonya, but Nonya families normally do not serve so few nuts for this dish. Again, the Bakwan Kepeting is a luxurious version, with minced prawn and flower crab meat in the meatballs. If I am not mistaken, the balls usually have only minced pork and normal crab meat. Flower crabs are more expensive, I believe.

The Babi Pongteh has a milder flavour, which probably caters more to non-Peranakan customers. However, I feel that if this is supposed to be an authentic Peranakan restuarant, it should have the exact flavour. The Sotong Sambal sounds delicious and is more elaborate with fish paste stuffed into the squid. :) The fish paste is probably soft because the chef wanted to make sure it was thoroughly cooked like the squid, I think.

As for desserts, the Gula Melaka Sago sounds delicious from Wong Ah Yoke's description of it. The lack of cooked tapioca pieces in the Bubur Cha Cha is sorely appalling. Surely Bubur Cha Cha must have tapioca pieces in it! The rich coconut soup does not cover up for this deficiency. For the Chendol to have insufficient coconut milk and gula melaka is also a sorely appalling thing to note.

It is indeed surprising to know that the food is prepared by a male cook. It is usually young Nonyas who cook Peranakan dishes. My criticism of his dishes shows that I am a traditional Peranakan who wants the food to be done in the manner as it should be. I hope I was not being too harsh.

Drinking water in restaurants

Veron Ang's list of restaurants which do not serve free water is not unethical. I empathise with her sitation, as I need water to take my medication too. I've had good service when requesting for it, albeit, being politely informed by some sales staff that I've to pay for it. I am fine with that because I really do need the water. I guess my tolerance level is higher.

The reasons that some eateries on her list give for not serving free water seem ludicrous however. One of them is "our patrons...come...not to taste water. It's the customer with a budget who insists on tap water." Asking for water besides ordering food is not abnormal. Besides, tap water can be drunk, and if the food items are charged at high prices, asking for tap water will offset the bill. A further comment that outside Singapore, "nobody really asks for tap water" was made. There are tourists who do ask actually. Paying for water will incur more expenses for them, and eateries overseas are well aware of their need to budget their finances. On the contrary too, Paris eateries actually provide for free a jug of tap water and even the government is trying to convince Parisians to drink tap water instead of mineral water. Hong Kong people too, ask for free tap water. Tokyo, New York and London are on the list of countries too. London eateries even pass off tap water as mineral water. The staff member of this local eatery is certainly a frog in the well!

A second reason is even more ridiculous. "...manpower is needed to refill and wash the glasses" is exaggerating the mere act of what everyone does in his own kitchen. I note that the owner of an eatery is smart enough to raise the prices of his food items so as to complement the service of free water. He definitely possesses business acumen. I wholeheartedly agree with two opinions of the patrons contacted. Free water is merely part of the service of a restaurant. As it is, service charge is already included in the bill, and to pay additional costs for tap water is not to be condoned. Also, ordering mineral water should only be the last resort, if tap water is unavailable and there is an urgent need for water. Another mentioned that if the water is boiled, a nominal fee can be charged. This does sound reasonable.

Some letters on this issue have been published. Goh Mei Hui mentioned some valid points. If there is a need to have water for medication purposes, it is better to bring one's own. Also, Veron Ang's list should have been verified before being published. I agree with Chan Yiu Lin that there is nothing wrong with asking for tap water, not when we are facing an economic crisis, and also that bottled water is bad for the environment. My dad also gave his opinion on this issue. Tap water may be good per se but the pipe from which it flows out may not be clean. Hmm. I was unaware of the double standards Crystal Jade Kitchen branches practise, till Chua Shuyi mentioned it. The one at Plaza Sing charges for tap water but the one at Holland V does not. What is the logic behind this discrepancy?

A survey on whether bottled water should be banned was carried out, and I do agree with some of the views. If that should take effect, more water coolers have to be installed. Also, that will cause more people to drink bottled sweet drinks, since some people feel psychologically safer when drinking bottled liquids. This act will definitely increase the probability of people contracting diabetes.

A healthy homecooked lunch

I decided to cook my lunch today and matched plain rice with two dishes for a balanced meal. I attempted to cook Chicken in Soy Sauce in order to reproduce my mum's dish. She used to make it for me when I was young. I used drumlets for convenience but had to experiment with ingredients to get the gravy correct. I marinated the chicken in oyster sauce and teriyaki sauce. Then I boiled the chicken in a gravy made from sugar, dark soy sauce, dried thyme and oyster sauce. I thickened the gravy with cornflour. It was not too bad but of course, it was not the exact replica.

I then made Asparagus Soup. I added bay leaves, ginger, dried scallops and fresh squid to get the flavour, before adding asparagus and wolf berries to it. It was not too bad but I think I had to simmer it for a longer time in order to make it 'perkat' or thick.

Upon eating the meal, I felt as if I was brought back in time. I finished every drop of the gravy and ate every edible bit of the chicken. The soup was good too. The only thing is that the thyme and bay leaves were intense in flavour and covered up the rest of the flavours.

Unusual food

Pig's brains is one of the foods offered in Singapore. I remember that I used to eat it when I was a child, as my mum had told me that it would make me cleverer. It tastes rather fine actually, somewhat like chicken liver.

Pan Pacific Hotel is offering durian puree as a topping for scones. It probably wants to imbue this traditional English biscuit with an Asian flavour. This new combination does not sound too bad, actually. Lemon curd is another of the toppings offered. I tried it for the first time, with wholemeal bread. It is not too sweet and absolutely delicious. It is a luxury to me though, because it is so expensive and exclusive.

A chocolate buffet is nothing people have not heard of, and the most famous one is at Fullerton Hotel. I had gone for a chocolate buffet a long time back, and it hugely contributed to my present minimal liking for chocolate. Now, Carlton Hotel has come up with a durian buffet. Wow, that takes the cake man! My mum would have loved this. She is the most passionate durian-lover in the family :) What will the epicurean industry come up with next, I wonder? :D

Durian is being experimented with in dishes like Peking Duck and Baked Rice. Perhaps the durian puree replaces the plum sauce in the crepe. Though it seems to be suitable for the dish, using it is rather ill-fitting, from my point of view. Durian in the rice, as a substitute for cheese, is also bizarre to contemplate. It is no wonder that it could not complement the rice.

Spice Peranakan has a new dish on its menu: Chinchalok Omelette. This sounds rather interesting actually. Instead of normal fillings like Onion, Mushroom, Ham and Chai Poh, this is an innovative filling. It gives an Asian twist to a typically Western dish. If more could have been used though, it would have been good. It is only discernible when the omelette is eaten on its own, according to Wong Ah Yoke. Then again, chinchalok is an ingredient that few people are used to eating due to its strong taste.

Some more unusual food are: Bacon Ice-cream, Garlic Ice-cream, French toast Ice- cream, Chocolate Mayonnaise, Chocolate Beer and Beer Ice-cream.

House of Soto as featured in the current issue of 8 Days magazine

It has a signature dish of Soto Mee Ayam which is topped with pieces of Fried Spring Roll filled with bee hoon. It sure does sound bizarre. I initially thought they were Fried Dough Fritters, which do not look as bizarre.

It also offers another dish: Beef in Buah Keluak Soup. As a true-blue Nonya, I am deeply offended by this, actually. Buah Keluak is usually cooked with chicken and to make it as a soup dish is to undermine its true usage, I feel. It is a plagiarism-gone-wrong of the original dish of Ayam Buah Kelauk.

Plans for the next cookout

Potato and Carrot Soup(done)
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Lime Fruit Jelly

Ayam-wan Kepiting

No-bake Blueberry Tarts(done)

Ham Rosti
Chicken in Maple Syrup with Rosemary and Thyme
Rissoles
Sweet Potato Balls

A week of guinea pigs

I cooked for a few friends of mine but sad to say, I had to eliminate some on my list, due to my leg condition. I cooked for Gen Sausage in Tomato Sauce, Onion Omelette and Fried Chicken Wings. The review was that she loved the sausages, the egg was waxy-looking, as I had fried it for too long a time, and the chicken wings were oily as I saw her try to rub oil off. I decided to cook Japanese Rice instead but I guess she wasn't used to it. For dessert, it was Sara Lee's Apple Pie with berries as garnishing. She liked the blackberries and the pie was warm from the oven.

Cheryl had it bad though. I decided to cook noodles instead, accompanied by Tuna Cakes, Chicken in Black Bean Sauce and Seaweed Soup. The food grew cold as we started our meal late. The noodles became dry and stuck together. Thank goodness I reheated the soup and it softened the noodles. The Tuna was obviously not nice as it was cold. The chicken dish was fine but I did not add enough water and so it was a little salty. There was not much soup left after reheating. The redeeming factor was my Lime Fruit Jelly which had set perfectly. She enjoyed it. My student Huijie had the better lot as I toasted the Tuna before letting her try. She liked it. :D

Minglong was next. I cooked rice, Seared Scallops, Korean-style Beef with Asparagus, Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Miso Soup. The scallops were a little salty, the beef was good :D, the satay too and the soup was a little salty. He found the Apple Pie all right.

One of my best friends came for dinner. I put less salt on the scallops but he found it fishy. He liked the beef which was cooked Teriyaki-style and with Yellow Peppers instead. He thought the Prawn Cakes were Salmon Cakes and he liked the Tofu with Mushroom and Cucumber Soup, which I had added Dried Thyme to. I cooked Minced Chicken in Soya Sauce, to reproduce what my mum had cooked for me when I was young. The taste was rather authentic but I put in too much dark sauce. I had Starfruit and Berries for dessert. The Starfruit had turned brown as I had not added salt to prevent it. He liked the raspberries as I do. They are sweeter.

Meifen requested for Nonya food and so I cooked Sambal Squid, Chicken in Korean-style Sauce, Cucumber in Dried Shrimp Blachan, Teriyaki Chicken Wings, Potato and Carrot Soup, and rice. I made Strawberry Fruit Jelly for dessert.The squid was good as I had used Prima Taste's Nonya Sambal, which is very authentic in terms of true Nonya cuisine. However, I had cut the squid into too small pieces and having left the dish out for a while, the squid became hard. The first chicken dish was good. I could really taste the ginger included in the sauce while the wings became oily after being left out for a while. Toasting them before I ate them for dinner, made them taste way better. The vegetable dish surprisingly received a good review, and I did this from scratch. :D The soup was really good, close to the exact taste that my mum's version was. I used chicken cubes for the stock, added button mushrooms and dried herbs though. My student liked it too, even though I felt it was a little salty. The dessert was good and had no added sugar. :)

I used pre-packaged sauces and marinades to cook, for convenience, and the results weren't too bad. :) I decided to start much earlier than my previous attempts, as I have a time management problem when it comes to cooking. I have made some of my guests wait for me. However, the disadvantage is that the food grows cold as a result. Sigh.

Big breakfast at Cafe Cartel with Di and Theodore

My order. It was filling and good!









The guys' order. They each ordered one of this set. The pancakes look fluffy and the sausages look more well-grilled than the ones above. :S







Hot Chocolate: mmm....

Zhou's Kitchen at Square 2

Sakura Chicken: chicken in a fragrant rose-tinged sauce. Love it!

Amazing Race - buffet style

Lately, express buffets have been introduced to Singapore's foodies. Consumers pay a lower price if they can finish as much food as possible within a stipulated period of time. I feel that it is more suitable for excessive food lovers. However, there is a huge disadvantage to this concept.

Customers fill plates with lots of food and finish eating them within the stated time. This causes them to gobble their food, so that they can continue to take more after that. It is a cyclical process. This will give them indigestion and make them obese. Excessive intake of different foods may cause heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes too. They will have long-term health problems as a result of a moment's gluttony.

Another disadvantage is that there is no opportunity to savour the food in all its taste and goodness. The intensity of labour it comes with is lost to the glutton, as he strives to devour it just to fill his ravenous stomach.
It is evident that gourmet tasters are unsuitable for this type of meal.

Fast-food is healthy? Like real!

There are more fast-food outlets and though this may pose good news for consumers, with their fast, convenient and cheap offers, fast-food is a detriment to health.

I agree with nutritionists that it can cause obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. Look at the fried items on the menu like french fries, fried chicken and fried fish. Deep-fried food usually contains lots of oil, cholesterol and salt. Incidentally, fatty food causes phlegm too. The desserts and drinks contain plenty of sugar. Their recommendation of twice a week is actually too liberal, I feel. Once a week should be the norm. I cannot fathom how some can go there three to four times a week and even claim that the health risks are overstated!

Others feel they are still young and so the effects will not be so bad on them. Such naivety! People as young as in their teens and even babies have died from cancer. What sort of world do these people live in? It may be comfort food to some others but it is not the only type of comfort food. Chicken soup, porridge and pasta are comfort food too.

Inspiration to cook

I decided to try cooking Teriyaki Chicken Patties with Rice.

I had marinated the minced chicken with sesame oil, sugar, dried rosemary before adding cornflour and shaping it into patties. They were a success, coupled with red onions and yellow peppers in the teriyaki sauce. However, one thing I must tweak is the amount of teriyaki sauce or conversely, the amount of water, so as to make it a little less salty.

As for the rice, I had added too many dried bay leaves into the small amount of rice I cooked. I think just one would have sufficed. The chicken cube I added into the water made a great difference to the rice though.

Still, it was a success for a first attempt, and perhaps it can become another of my signature dishes for entertaining guests. :D

Meidi-ya Supermarket and beyond at Liang Court

I went to this supermarket and it is a exquisite place to go to when you want to experiment with cooking exotic dishes. Besides offering mostly Japanese products, it also offers other ethnic products like Thai and Mexican. There is also a takeaway section where you can get ready-cooked Japanese rice and pasta dishes. There is a Kyoto food counter too.

I found 'precious secrets' in the spice and dressing sections like ground sage, lemon and pepper seasoning and tahini dressing. I also found shortcut mixes like Thai green curry and Mexican burrito seasoning. This is a gourmet cook's paradise!

Outside the supermarket are small Japanese eating outlets. Go to B1 to access all these delightful covens! I did. Each one is devoted to different types of Japanese staples like don(rice), udon(thick noodles) and sushi. I ate Tonkatsu Don($12) while my dad ate Chicken Teriyaki Don($11). Each comes with a cup of Chinese tea and a bowl of coleslaw and potato salad.

The salad is delicious and the main dish tastes very authentic. The Tonkatsu is a little tough though. I did like the fact that there is a lot of egg and the rice is fluffy. I finished every bit of it. The chicken looks tempting with its perfectly grilled slices that have black edges.

Hidden Health Secrets of Lemons

The two biggest are lemons’ strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and their use as a weight loss aid because lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Here are some others:

- With your finger or a cotton ball, apply fresh lemon juice on acne and leave it overnight. Wash with water the following morning. There may be an uncomfortable sensation of burning at first, but it will soon disappear.

- Lemon balm has a calming effect and therefore may be able to help remove fatigue, exhaustion, dizziness, anxiety, nervousness, and tension. It is also believed that inhaling lemon oil helps in increasing concentration and alertness. It can therefore be used as a room freshener in offices to increase the efficiency of the employees.

- Add the juice of 1 lemon to a cup of hot water with honey and drink at once, then every 2 hours until the fever or chill subsides.

- At the first indication of a cold – a runny nose or sore throat –try to give your body as much immune-boosting vitamin C as you can so that the virus is eliminated before it gets a chance to take hold. Drink the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water every 2 hours.

If you have a sore throat, add the juice of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon (5ml) of sea salt to 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water. Gargle three times a day for 1 minute to diminish the burning sensation. If it’s a case of tonsillitis, gargle every 2 hours for at least 30 seconds with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon. Tilt the head back to allow the antibacterial and antiviral properties of the juice to flow into the back of the throat. You can swallow the juice when you have finished gargling thereby benefiting from an immune-boosting vitamin C shot.

- If you suffer from skin infection such as eczema, a lemon wrap may offer relief. Add 8 drops of lemon essential oil to 1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of liquid honey. Honey also has anti-inflammatory effect and strengthens the healing power of lemon.

Soak a linen cloth in the liquid, squeeze out the excess, and gently place the cloth on the affected area for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. Not only will this ease the infection, it will counter the overwhelming urge to scratch.

- Explorers also use lemon for protection against many infections of the tropics. A small amount of lemon juice will quench thirst more effectively than many times the amount of water. Experienced travelers declare that when they add lemon juice to ordinary drinking water, in various localities, it acts as an antiseptic and prevents illness due to allergy to different water supplies.

Lemon oil also seems to be able to stimulate brain activity so whenever you feel tired for no reason or are finding it hard to focus or concentrate, drink a glass of lemon water every few hours.

- Lemons can help freshen breath that has gone sour after consuming certain spices, alcohol, cigarettes, or that is caused by insufficient salivation. To keep breath fresh, thoroughly rinse your mouth several times a day with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water. Chewing on a lemon slice after every meal will also help.

- Garlic and onions have been shown to be effective in the fight against hypertension, and they combine well with the healing power of lemon. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and 1 chopped onion to 1 quart or cold skimmed or low fat milk or soy milk. Slowly bring to the boil and let it stand for 5 minutes. Pour through a sieve and chill. Add the freshly squeezed juice of 3 lemons and sip throughout the day.

If you suffer from high cholesterol, don’t forget that the pectin power in lemons along with its other metabolism and circulation boosting nutrients can help lower cholesterol.

- Lemon juice has a powerful alkaline effect in the body and is therefore a natural agent against excess acid, which is in part responsible for rheumatism. Drink the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon in a glass of lukewarm water 3 times a day and if you experience severe pain add the juice of 2 lemons 3 times a day.

- Drink the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon in a glass of lukewarm water after each meal. The lemon acid will stimulate the production of stomach acid and the activity of stomach muscles.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Physical-Health/Hidden-Health-Secrets-of-Lemons

A simple dinner; back to familiar dishes

I decided to cook pasta, since I had a good review for it the last time I cooked it. Cream-based sauce is more delicious but tomato-based sauce is more healthy. I used penne as my choice of pasta and Prego's Mushroom Sauce.

To heat the sauce straight from the bottle without adding any ingredients is too 'cheapo' for me. I always add my own ingredients to "spice up" the sauce. I added minced chicken and chicken chipolata, green pepper, Japanese cucumber, dried thyme and button mushroom. The only thing is that I could have added more water to it. I cooked too much pasta though such that there was more of it in proportion to the sauce. I also added 2 dried bay leaves to the water while boiling it, to give the pasta more flavour. My pasta dish got a good review again. It looks as if it can be one of my signature dishes.

I boiled tang yuan for the second time. It did not turn out well in comparison. I think I over-boiled it. The filling in the balls fell into the soup and the balls became starchy. Also, despite having added 2 pandan leaves and sugar syrup, the water was not sweet at all. I had added only 1 leaf the first time, and it was sweet and fragrant. Hmm. I should not heated it again so as to make it hot. Oh well.

I tried to make kani tempura. It was more successful this time. However, I did not steam the kani beforehand, as I had done the previous time. I made sushi again, this time with ham as the main ingredient. I used less rice. It was a vast improvement but I need to practise the rolling part. I had problems with it even though I used the bamboo mat. I had to use two sheets of nori too.

New Year visiting to Vincent's house.

Assorted Dim Sum from Teck Kee: Baked Char Siew Puff, Spring Roll, Egg Tart and Yam Puff. I found the Spring Roll made with too thick a wrapper but enjoyed the Yam Puff.




His array of goodies: I enjoyed the Almond Pistachio Cookies.

Delifrance's set lunch at $7.90

I took the cheaper option. The other one costs $11.90. Since it was Thursday, I could choose either Aglio Olio or Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce. I chose the latter. The dessert was Black Forest Cake and I chose tea as my drink.


Cream of Mushroom: the soup was fragrant and delicious, but the garlic bread which came as a side was a tad too salty and buttery.





Grilled Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce: the broccoli was moist and the chicken was grilled perfectly till brown at the edges. The sauce made it taste exquisite.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Xiao Long Bao: the signature dish. It is Shanghai's national dish and the succulent meat filling is soaked in a broth. The soft skin holds these two within. One must be careful when eating it, as the broth will spew out upon biting it. It was so good that we ordered 2 portions.



Crispy Eel as a cold dish: it felt hard but had a crispy texture. Unfortunately, it tasted fishy. The eel wasn't fresh. I had to eat it with the ginger to mask the taste. No wonder lots of it was given!





Beef with Asparagus: the beef was tender. :) That's the most important component.








Kong Pao Chicken: it tasted sweet and not spicy at all despite the dried chillies. I reckon sweet onions had been used in the dish?







Glutinous Rice in Sweet Wine: tried the rice pieces, and they were soft and chewy. :)






Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Soup: the soup tasted rather strange; it didn't have that authentic ginger taste.

A meal at Mouth Restaurant on the eve of Chap Goh Mei

It was a good meal. Though it cost $65 due to the occasion, the choice of dishes and the expensive rental fee faced by the restaurant, the food was very tasty.

We had Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup at $14, followed by Barbecued Combination at $20 and then Kailan with Mushroom at $16. These were eaten with rice. The second and third dishes are more outstanding though.

The platter the meats came in was in the shape of a flower with four divisions to hold the different combinations. The combination was made up of jellyfish as a cold item, smoked duck with spring onion and shredded raw lettuce as garnishings, barbecued pork and soya sauce chicken. It was my first time eating smoked duck and it tastes just like honey baked ham. I love it! The barbecued pork was juicy and meaty, with no burnt edges, and the chicken was good too. The vegetable dish included bamboo pithe too. I like its texture and the whole dish was excellently done. Even my dad had a contented smile on his face, one so rare nowadays.

Our meals onboard the Legend of the Sea

Gado-gado: the healthier version with less sauce but as a result, not really authentic.








Porridge with condiments: a simple dish but so delicious! Who says Western dining rooms can't produce such Asian gems?








Yu Sheng: with prawns and a generous amount of salmon. The more luxurious version.






Accompaniments to the yu sheng: sweet plum, oil and 'pok chui'









Cantonese Roast Duck








Linguine with Truffle Mushroom in Cream Sauce: superb for such a simple dish.





Baked 'Nian Gao': kind of tough but eaten with the choc shavings which had melted due to the exposure, was delicious.








Different types of bread accompanied by a spicy hummus spread.






Parmesan-crusted Catfish Fillets: no smell and a crispy crust. Makes a complete meal with the potatoes and peas.






Warm Almond Cake: so fragrant and crusty at the edges.









Sugar-free Strawberry Mousse: tastes good despite the lack of sugar, smooth texture







Warm Choc Cake: goes so well with the ice-cream and the choc sauce makes it an indulgence.





Sweet Corn Pancakes: soft and fluffy. Healthy serving of grilled vegetable strips, making this a filling course.








Sweet and Sour Tempura Fish Fillets: crispy batter and coupled with the stir-fried vegetables Chinese-style, makes the course very Asian.






Frozen Banana Souffle: more for fans of the fruit but looks good in terms of presentation.






Key Lime Pie: the lime taste is definitely present but the dessert is not sour. The berry sauce is sweet and the marriage of both these tastes is perfect!

Hooked on Heads restaurant at Sin Ming Plaza

Their trademark dishes.












Chap Chye or Mixed Vegetables, Nonya style. My late mum's version is so abundant with different vegetables.







Ma Po Tofu: resplendent with vegetables and seafood.






Sweet and Sour Chicken: a distinct fragrance can be noted but I still can't decipher where it came from. It smelt like a woman's perfume.





Kueh Pie Tee: good. I order it each time I go there.







Chilli sauce to accompany the Kueh Pie Tee: delicious but a tad too thick.

The packet version of Mamee tastes better

Remember Mamee brand of instant noodles? I ate it back when I was a child. I have not seen it in packet form ever since then and the brand that comes closest to it in texture is Maggi.

I bought Mamee Express cup noodles, thinking I could reproduce those childhood feelings but alas, it was a letdown. Oh well.

Got to cook again. :)

I realised that my toaster oven could grill food as well and so I set about using that mode.

I seasoned some Thai asparagus stalks with salt and pepper before grilling them and they were a success, though my father found them a tad too salty. Perhaps I should put less salt... Then I drizzled sesame oil over some eggplant halves and grilled them. They turned out too mushy and tasted bland too. :S

I also marinated salmon with teriyaki sauce and then grilled it. That was an awesome success! I tried to grill chicken breast on another occasion but it turned out disappointingly bad due to the excess combination of marinade ingredients I used.

I cooked my own lunch and whipped up a few dishes with rice. I did the asparagus dish again but added too much salt for the second time. I squeezed lemon juice over it but added too much as well. I fried "Sea Shanties" and cooked Minced Chicken in Dark Soya Sauce. The "Sea Shanties" and the rice were successful. I didn't burn the "Shanties" and cooking the rice well was an achievement because it was unsupervised. The second batch of "Sea Shanties" were burnt though, because I didn't give my utmost attention while frying them. :S

I added some 'secret ingredients' into my rice and chicken dish. I added Knorr's Chicken Cube into the water before cooking the rice and dried thyme into the chicken dish. For the chicken dish, I started off with sauteeding onions before adding the chicken. This dish is usually made with pork but I chose chicken for health purposes. Then I added dark soya sauce, sugar and the thyme. I added too much sauce though and it turned out too black. Celeste said it tasted nice though. :)

Yanling came over for dinner. I decided to toss Yu Sang' with her, besides including other dishes. I bought the 'yu sang' from NTUC. I chose the one that cost $8.80 but I had to buy the salmon separately. I bought Smoked Salmon. The 'yu sang' was good but the combination of the candied sugar and the plum sauce made the whole dish too sweet.

I also cooked rice, Kani Tempura, Bulgogi Chicken and Tofu Soup. I added a bay leaf into the rice but I could have added more. There was no taste of it. The Kani Tempura didn't look authentic. That was probably because I didn't have enough of the batter for this second batch. My first batch for Aunty looked good. The chicken was good and the tofu soup as well. I've learnt that adding cucumber into the soup is a good measure. I added dried thyme into it and it made the soup fragrant. Yanling drank 3 bowls of it! Yes!

I also attempted to cook Japanese Curry with rice, grill some Chicken Chipolatas, and cook Yong Tau Foo with porridge and Baby Kai Lan in Oyster Sauce. I used Vermont Curry brand but in marinating the minced chicken with sesame oil and teriyaki sauce, I may have made it too salty. I also added cucumber and onions into the curry. This was really the first time I cried so much while cutting the onions, just like the old Tao Jie in the last episode of Little Nonya. I served my curry in the Japanese style; rice on one side and curry on the other, the 2 halves making a circle. Grilling the sausages in about 8 minutes made them brown at the edges. I had never obtained this look at other times. Praise God! I know my mummy was blessing my efforts too. :)

The Yong Tau Foo was tough because I cooked it for too long and instead of getting Cantonese porridge, I got Teochew porridge. :S I am glad that the vegetable dish was successful though. It was my second attempt and I didn't overcook the vegetables. I've learnt that focus and utmost attention on frying the vegetables is the key.

My last homecooked meal was a disaster due to my longtime nemesis: time management. I had no time to finish all 5 dishes to their perfect presentation and could only produce 3. :S I had started preparing my dishes late and had to take time to thaw the frozen items. I decided to attempt a Japanese meal for my friend. I wanted to make California Roll but because I had bought Japanese barley instead of Japanese rice, I had to use normal rice, and this was only discovered after I had cooked the barley. My friend had reached my place and I didn't want to be rude, so I served the avocado, Japanese cucumber, steamed kani, Japanese mayonnaise, fish roe and roasted seaweed in their separate containers. We had a whale of a time eating them as they were and even ate them in our own way. I also wanted to make Ebi Tempura but could only peel the prawns at most.

I was slightly more successful with Corn Udon and Teriyaki Chicken. I used instant Miso Soup, instant udon and canned corn. However, I think I added too much miso into the soup and it tasted sour. The chicken had too little sauce and was too meaty. I had used the breast meat and grilled it for convenience and health reasons. My friend was kind enough to finish up the noodles and eat some of the chicken, being impressed with how I cooked the udon dish from scratch, well, sort of. *blush* I didn't have time to present the strawberries on a plate, and had to ask my friend to take the box out of the refrigerator, open it and eat them from it. Such a bad host am I! :S

I'm making up for my bad hosting by asking my friend to come to my place again, so that I can make the Ebi Tempura and California Roll. Then I am making Teriyaki Salmon since it was more successful than the chicken. Perhaps, if I can, I may include dessert.

Ok, the California Roll didn't turn out well because I put too much rice on the seaweed sheet, and the Ebi Tempura didn't have the tempura batter encrusting the prawns, even though my friend, who is a better cook to me, cooked it. The prawns were juicy and well-cooked, but the batter was a flop. My Teriyaki Salmon was good, though it was slightly burnt at the corner and the skin was stuck to the tray. I had compliments for that, as well as the Grilled Chicken Chipolatas. Still, I felt that I had bought the wrong brand for the latter. I should have stuck to my usual type. Though they were grilled till perfectly brown, they didn't taste that nice and I had to remove the outer layer. My dessert was a simple 'sundae' of honey sea coconut and aloe vera topped with chocolate ice-cream.

Pizza Hut Lunch Express's set meal

I was first drawn by the cover of the menu as it has a Parisan feel to it, depicting an urban scene and Pizza Hut as one of the buildings. It is in the Picaaso style, as Frances put it. However, due to copyright issues, I refrained from snapping a shot of it. I ordered the Baked Rice set at $9.20, which is at an offer price as compared to the usual total price of $16.80.


I traded in the Soup of the Day: Cream of Mushroom for a Petite Salad, by paying another 50 cents. It was rather tasty but it would have been perfect if there were less mayonnaise dressing. :S



I chose the last option: Chicken Ole Baked Rice. It consists of roasted chicken, mushroom, capsicum, mozzarella cheese and buttered rice in Alfredo sauce. It tasted pretty good though less cheese could have been added. Even then, some parts of the cheese were uncooked and had a powdery texture.


The meal ends with a drink and I chose Ice Lemon Tea. I like the lemon slice placed on the glass's edge. It gives the drink a cocktail feel.

Banquet at Parkway Parade

I ordered the Grilled Fish from the Western food stall: Pat's Cuisine, and it was pretty good. The combination of the buttered rice, fish and sambal was divine. The fish was perfectly grilled, moist in the centre and crisp at the edges, though the type of fish used could have been better. The salad was delicious and with raisins included, had a sweet taste. :)

Western food, yummy.

New Year's Day lunch at Jack's Place: Grilled Salmon.
The salmon was crisp at the edges though it was rather dry. It has fried garlic on top. The carrot slices are cut in a crinkled style, making them look pretty.


Hawaii Teriyaki Chicken Chop from New York, New York Deli. It is very tasty and the sweet sauce is distinct. The potato wedges are crisp and delicious. The pineapple slice and the salad make it a nutritious meal and the former gives it its Hawaiian nature.


New Yorker Sandwich from the same eating outlet. It is absolutely delicious. I asked for Foccacia for the choice of bread. It is obviously toasted in a waffle-maker such that the grid lines are so visible. The salad is also tasty and two slices of hard-boiled egg complete the combination. The highlight is without a doubt, the sandwich, which is filled with grilled zucchini, green pepper, sweet onions, mayonnaise, honey baked ham and lettuce. Gorgeous!