Nasi Lemak set at SGCC

Coconut rice with an assortment of dishes, a small fruit platter and a cup of coffee/tea is today's set meal offered by the Atrium cafe at Serangoon Gardens Country Club. Of Malay origin, the rice comes with stir-fried squid rings in a mildly-spiced sauce, a fried chicken drumstick, a hard-boiled egg in a sweet and spicy chilli paste, and a slab of steamed fish custard in coconut milk and spice. The mix of watermelon, papaya and honeydew slices, and hot beverage present a balance to the rice dish. The set meal costs $10.80, and is available to only club members or their guests.

Japanese Ramen

A bowl of yellow egg noodles in piping hot soup, made from pork or chicken which has been boiled for long hours, accompanied by half of a braised egg, melt-in-the-mouth pork slices and seaweed strips, is what constitutes this dish. It is the ultimate Asian comfort food for me, especially when I am nursing a flu.

The heat emitting from and the tasty flavour of the broth give me a feel-good factor when I drink even just one spoon of it. The bouncy noodles complete the experience for me. Now I understand why the Japanese slurp their ramen when they eat this dish. It is ultra-delicious!!

CNY goodies' sources of info

I am grateful for these nuggets of information. I now know more about the goodies I eat each year! :) This is taken from the Sunday Times Lifestyle of 16th January, The New Paper of 1st February and Mind Your Body of 3rd February:

Pineapple Tarts
(They originated from the Straits Chinese(my heritage!) and probably owes their popularity to the name in Hokkien, Ong Lai, which means Golden Pear and sounds like "welcoming fortune". Its ingredients include pineapple paste, eggs, butter and sugar.)

Barbecued Pork(Bak Kwa)
(It is believed to have originated from a meat preservation technique used in China. It is made of minced pork marinated in fish sauce, dark and light soya sauces, rice wine, sugar and honey.)

Love Letters(Kueh Kapit/Kueh Kapek/Kueh Belandah)
(Thin, crisp wafers made from fresh eggs, fresh coconut milk, sugar, tapioca and rice flour for the batter(How unhealthy!) It is believed to have originated from the Peranakan Chinese of Malacca who may have first adopted it and subsequently introduced it to Penang and Singapore.)

Kueh Bangkit
(It is made entirely from tapioca flour, sugar, eggs and coconut milk(again!) using a special mould. It is dry and slightly hard on the outside, but melts in the mouth. It originated from the Straits Chinese(my heritage!))

Peanut Cookies
(They are bite-sized cookies that are soft and crumbly, and easily melt in the mouth. They have a texture ranging from buttery to powdery in nature. A variation includes almond cookies. Peanuts(fa sung)symbolise longevity and well-being to the Chinese.)

Mini Sponge Cake(Kueh Baulu)
(Kueh Bahulu or Kueh Baulu are almost similar in taste to Madeleines and it comes in many different shapes such as button and goldfish. It is baked with simple ingredients such as eggs, sugar and flour, using a special mould.)

Fried Nian Gao(Sticky Rice Cake)
(We eat it to prevent the heavenly officers from making bad reports about our family when they eat it. It is believed that their mouths get sticky and they mumble. It contains glutinous rice flour, brown sugar and oil.)

Abalone(bao yu)
(It means "definitely lucky".)

Dried Oysters,Black Moss Fungus and Mushrooms
(It means sorrow, good tidings and prosperity; the balance of good and bad having a total effect on your wealth and well-being.)

Prawns(ha)
(It means 'laughter' to cure pains and sorrows. It must be fresh and intact, not shelled and headless.)

Fish(yu)
(It means 'smoothness ahead'. It has to be fresh, with head and tail intact.)

Prosperity Raw Fish Salad(yusheng)
(It was invented here over 50 years ago by Four Heavenly Chefs, who turned a humble plate of raw fish salad into a national festival feasting icon. It is made up of slices of pomelo, red pickled ginger, cucumber, carrot, white radish, plum sauce, peanuts, Chinese spice powder, ground cinnamon, toasted sesame, crackers, fish slices and oil.)

Shrimp Rolls
(They are made of dried shrimp, dried chillies, shallots, garlic, oil, salt, sugar, spring roll skins and eggs.)

Cookies!

I read about this food outlet at Esplanade Mall. It specialises in cookies and is aptly called The Cookie Museum. I get the impression that there are a myriad of flavours of cookies sold there and they aren't priced too low as well.

Her World magazine June 2009 featured 3 new flavours. At $38 a tin, Nasi Lemak Cookies are really authentic in taste. The other 2 flavours are Chicken Rice with a chilli sauce dip and Tom Yum. I doubt I can adapt to these flavours though. The purpose is to have innovative cookie flavours but these are a tad too much for my cookie palate. I cannot imagine eating these Asian dishes in the form of cookies, what more dipping cookies in chilli sauce. Perhaps I have a conservative palate.

A new ice-cream cafe and new ice-cream flavours!

This month's issue of Lifestyle Magazine showcases the new ice-cream outlet LICK which stands for Little Ice Cream Kafe. It is located at Basement 2 of Ang Mo Kio Hub. Some of the ice-cream flavours featured are rather unique. They cater more to local palates. Each scoop costs $2.90.

There are Cheng Tng, Kaya Toast with "bread bits", Gula Melaka, Bandung with Palm Seeds, D24 Durian and Teh Tarik. I would go for the first one as it sounds rather refreshing. The second one tastes more like Pandan though because of the Pandan-flavoured Kaya used in its making, while the "bread bits" are really sponge fingers, thus using traditional English biscuits to recreate bread. Gula Melaka is the star flavour though a tad sweet. I don't like Palm Seeds so the fourth out is out for me. I like durians but eating them give me asthma. Alas, I can't try the D24 Durian flavour. The last one was lamented as not being authentic enough.

Toppings at $0.80 are also provided. I would ask for Gummy Bears with my ice-cream while Caramel Popcorn is an unusual combination with ice-cream :)

Swensens has come up with new ice-cream flavours. They are savoury-based and some novel flavours are seaweed and pistachio, and salted cornflake. Seaweed is the more novel ingredient for the first flavour while the second one sounds really original. I have never tasted salty ice-cream, and cornflakes are usually toppings for ice-cream rather than ingredients. Each flavour is served in a mini-cup and costs $3.90.

Two parlours have been conducting ice cream-making workshops for the public. These workshops cost about $45 and last for 2 hours. Tom's Palette and Udders are the innovators. I was surprised to read that there is no need for an ice cream machine to make ice cream. Merely a stainless-steel mixing bowl, a weighing machine and ziplock bags are needed to turn the eggs, milk, cream and sugar into ice cream. It sounds tempting to try it at home :)

Some participants were so inspired that they asked for bizarre flavours like Ikan Bilis or Chilli Crab. :S The latter sounds repulsive to me. Chilli ice cream? It is not for me. I am accustomed to the traditionally sweet flavours. At the same time, Tom's Palette sells unusual flavours like Wasabi Lime, Curry Apples and Caramelized Onion, which also sound unenticing to me.

Dumplings have joined the club

Dumpling versions have also been reinvented. Besides the traditional ones like Hokkien, Cantonese and Nyonya, four dessert dumplings, courtesy of Crystal Jade, have entered the market. Chocolate with Coco Nugget, Black Pearl(Black Glutinous Rice, Mango with Nata De Coco and Lychee are the new versions. The last two sound appealing to me. The Mango version reminds me of the Thai dessert Sticky Rice with Mango which I love, and Lychee is surely an original, providing an unusual taste.

Crystal Jade has also come up with a version containing spicy chicken and the Deluxe version with Conpoy. The former sounds yummy, with the addition of bean curd, peanut and beans. The latter is definitely a luxurious item catered to the tastes of the rich.

Some other new versions are Black Garlic with Smoked Bacon from Szechuan Court and Chempedak from Peach Blossoms. The former sounds really unique but I bet the bacon will go perfectly with the glutinous rice. As for the latter, it is really jackfruit if I am not mistaken. It is a dessert dumpling and so I bet it will taste sweet :) Peach Blossoms has also come up with a wild fungus version. This is definitely one that whets up my appetite :)

Ooo, the list goes on. Cherry Garden has its waxed meat claypot rice-inspired dumpling with Chinese sausage, waxed meat and liver sausage. Pine Court marinates its pork filling with Japanese teriyaki sauce while Pearl River Palace has its Kaya dumpling as well as Herbal Chicken dumpling. Xin Cuisine increases the luxury factor with its Soft Shell Turtle and Fish Maw dumpling, which has Chinese herbs with the turtle meat. Shin Yeh has a Taiwanese-style dumpling of preserved turnip, minced pork, dried mushroom and dried shrimp, reminiscent of the Savoury Glutinous Rice pancake from Crystal Jade bakery. Last on this list is Peony Jade's Treasure of the Sea dumpling with shark's fin, abalone, golden conpoy and salted egg yolk. This is probably the most luxurious version of all that I have mentioned here.

In terms of size, Szechuan Court has revealed the 1kg dumpling. Besides its Black Garlic with Smoked Bacon and Organic Red Brown Rice Vegetarian Dumpling, Gong Bao Chicken Dumpling with Peanuts and Szechuan Spicy Peppercorns is one other giant dumpling. The third one sounds the most enticing though.

Eww. How gross a presentation.

I was watching the programme Come Dine With Me on BBC Lifestyle. Four aspiring cooks each hosts a dinner party that is made up of a three-course meal and optional entertainment thrown in, in order to gain points. The one with the highest score gets the prize of a thousand pounds.

A contestant actually served his Sushi on a half-naked man's torso. I would have been more turned off than turned on at the sight of it. The thought of his sweat and body odour mingling with the delicacy totally disgusts me. I wonder how his guests could have stomached themselves to eat the Sushi, even if they were doing so out of politeness. If the contestant had placed the Sushi on platters before putting the platters on the man's torso, it wouldn't have been half so bad. Eww a million times.

Another contestant cooked a pasta dish for his fellow diners. Halfway through the meal, one of the females found a strand of his hair in her pasta. That automatically lowered his ranking to the last one. He was disappointed to know that he had been relegated but it was due to the true reason being withheld from him.

My extremely strong food cravings

This week has been one of trash eating for me. I ate cookies from Famous Amos and Fish and Chips on 2 separate but consecutive days. Then after a day's break, I ate Twister Fries. I ate the yolk when I ate eggs twice during the week. I ate Mee Siam, Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips, Dark Chocolate and Caramel Apple Chips yesterday. :S

I did offset these with water, soups, fruits and vegetables, but they don't remove the guilt I feel inside. It is not just a matter of losing weight but a matter of not obeying my doctor's instructions :S My deadly sin is truly gluttony!! However, these things are so difficult to resist! My weakness is indeed fried food and cookies :S

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.