Deery Lou Aromas

Strawberry Cupcakes

2011-11-23T17:25:00.000+08:00

The power of visuals proven! Just by watching DC Cupcakes on Youtube (I devoured all the episodes..) and I feel I need to get my hands on cupcakes - not just any cupcakes, it must look sweet, smell sweet and taste sweet.

I don't usually bake anything with cream or frosting because I'm not a cream person. Although frosting really puts the icing on the cake *literally* but I have the habit of scraping it off and only eating the sponge inside. However, for the pretty sake of it, I make these Strawberry cupcakes with PINK frosting. How cute is that!

Oh let me clarify, no colouring was put into the frosting, the natural colour came from the strawberry puree which tints the cream nicely.

So I did a little research, found this recipe at Gastronomyblog adapted from Martha Stewart and decided to give it a go. I've edited the recipe below a little to reflect our terminologies.

The cupcakes were spongy and soft, with mouthfuls of natural strawberry flavour. Nice!

Ingredients

For cupcakes

2/3 cup strawberries
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites
For frosting

1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

How to
Preheat oven to 175C. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
Place strawberries in a food processor and pulse until pureed. You should have 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary. Set puree aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree and set aside.

Cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

Slowly add half the flour mixture with mixer on low and mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture and mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, , until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 22-25 mins, until cupcakes are just dry to the touch. Let cupcakes cool completely before icing.

Make frosting

Place strawberries in a food processor and pulse until pureed.

Separately, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar and beat until well combined.

Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree, mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air.

Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream. Keep refrigerated if not in use.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Twelve Cupcakes - Celebrity Goodness

2011-11-08T14:03:00.000+08:00

When a new cupcake store opens in town, I'm happy. When Jaime Teo sets up a cupcake shop, just have to check it out.

I've been a reader of Jaime's blog for some time, once in a while I will pop by her page and she shares about her bakes so I know she is a keen baker and I'd love to try her food someday.

Twelve Cupcakes first started at United Square with much hype, only just months later they have another shop at Millenia Mall.

Not sure if the cupcakes will be to our taste, I only bought 3 flavours to start with - Rum & Raisins, Red Velvet and Double Chocolate.

Rum & Raisins turned out soft and packs a punch of liquer, Red Velvet was sweet with a tinge of salty and the cream cheese topping was fluffy yet not too cheesy (perfect for someone like me who can't take cheese!), Double Chocolate did what it is supposed to do, very satisfyingly choc.

Overall, we loved the cupcakes, definitely just nice in terms of sweetness and the texture are soft. The frosting is not oily too. The only gripe is the size of the cupcakes are a teeny bit smaller than usual and they cost $3, Rum & Raisins being a specialty flavour is 50 cents more.

But then, because I like the taste as it suits my tastebuds, I don't mind going back for more.

Warm love,

Starningblue

Lemon Butter Cake

2011-10-20T10:43:00.000+08:00

It was 2 years ago when I made Lemon cake and it unceremoniously cracked. Well, i blame it on the oven as I used a standalone convection oven and the air circulation is definitely not good. Now I have the privilege of owning a built in Ariston :)

This time, I wanted to make another citrus cake from a new recipe and hope it works. When browsing my favourite food blogs, I came across Nasi Lemak Lover's blog on Lemon Cake that had raving comments so I decided to bake this. I was so confident of the recipe only by reading it, I double the ingredients to make 2!

The topping for this recipe is different from the one I baked last time. This is not a icing topping, it is a glaze. Honestly, I love the lemon glaze, it gives the cake an extra zing. This recipe is a sure keeper! Thanks to Nasi Lemak Lover~

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf tin

125g butter
100g sugar
1 lemon, finely grate the rind
2 large eggs
175g self-raising flour
4 tbsp milk

Lemon glaze

3 tbsp sugar
1 lemon, extract juice
1 lemon, finely grate the rind

How to

Beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs one by one, then add in lemon rind, mixing well.

Fold in the flour and milk, combine well. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper and bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for 40mins.

Mix sugar and lemon juice and cook over low heat till sugar dissolved, add in lemon rind, set aside.

When cake done, remove cake from the oven and prick all over with a skewer. Pour over the lemon glaze over the hot cake.

Leave cake to set overnight to have better flavour.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Blueberry Muffins

2011-10-11T14:11:00.000+08:00

The blueberries on promotion price at the supermarket was literally shouting at me, I had to buy it to make something. At that point, I didn't know what but I just had to! :p

One of the most obvious thing to make with blueberries is blueberry muffin. The recipe was not too complicated and it doesn't take long to make so here we go.

Recipe from Noob Cook:

1 1/2 cups (190g) plain flour

1 1/2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup (225g) caster sugar
150g blueberries
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
65 gms butter, softened and cut to small pieces

Preheat oven to 200C. Sift flour, baking powder and sugar together, and mix well. Add milk, vanilla extract, eggs and butter in and stir till just blended and lumpy.

Fold in blueberries and spoon mixture into muffin cases till about almost full.

Bake for 20mins or until slightly golden brown. Best eaten warm, cool before storing.

Warm love,

Starningblue

New Camera - S95

2011-10-09T15:26:00.001+08:00

Shots of food pictures with my new camera, a Canon S95.

I'm not good at photography technicals and hate the bulkiness of DSLRs, I need a point and shoot cam which does the brainwork for me and ultimately take fantastic pictures.

Just lurve the clarity of macro shots!

Warm love,
Starningblue

Banana Cinnamon Muffins

2011-10-09T13:05:00.000+08:00

I'm in a baking mode these days. When it is stressful at work, I crave to bake and will take mental stock of what is available in my kitchen to bake up in the evening.

Speaking of that, I realise it is so relaxing baking in the evening with dim kitchen lights and music playing. Ultimate de-stress session for me. Well, until the bake emerges unsuccessful then I'm left wondering what I did wrong.

The banana cinnamon muffin recipe came from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook gifted to me by Juan. I've tasted the cakes at Hummingbird when Kel and I were in London for our honeymoon, they were uber delicious so I trust their stuff.

However, the banana cinnamon muffins I baked turned out rubbery. Not cakey, not muffin-ey, it was rubbery. I could tear the muffin into half and it would bounce apart. Wonder if it is because I over mixed the batter?

Warm love,

Starningblue

亚华 Kuey Tiao

2011-10-09T12:52:00.000+08:00

亚华 Kuey Tiao has been around for ages, I feel very personal blogging this as our family were close to Grandpa 亚华 when he was still around cooking up bowl after bowl of noodles near where City Square is now. The original shop is old and dusty, some may say dirty but by no fail our family Sunday breakfast is eaten there followed by Dad having his Chinese Tea brewing session always on the same table.

Now, 亚华 Kuey Tiao is back with a vengeance in Taman Century, a fresh and renewed shop to conjure up my memory. Chef still remembers me after so many years, I'm glad to have him back in the scene.

I always like my noodles in soup and lots of minced meat, some like it the dry version with lots of vinegar.

It is funny how noodle soup reminds me so much of my childhood...

Location:
Jalan Serigala, Taman Century
Johor Bahru

Warm love,
Starningblue

Irresistible Gelato

2011-10-02T01:08:00.001+08:00

Gigantic TUB of Nutella

Flavours x infinity?

Pistachio, my top selection.

Fou De Fa Fa

2011-08-15T13:32:00.002+08:00

It was a lunch gathering of our team for my team director's birthday. From what was prepared and the well-planned surprise, one can definitely tell she is well liked by all of us. Ever the smiling lady and always checking in on us to make sure we are okay, we love her around as much as we love her home baked brownies.

Fou De Fa Fa is a cosy cafe good for their biscuit crispy pizzas, pastas and salads. Very much whatever you order will not go wrong. The staff heard us singing the birthday song, they came with tamborines, candle on a pizza and sang to Fiona again!

Don't underestimate the crispy and cracking pizza, the more you munch, the more addictive it is. The vegetable toppings are generous, it feels like really healthy meal!

We had a bunch of us so we had variety of food. One of my favourite dishes is the tomato based pasta that tastes like chilli crab sauce minus the spice. It was delicious, we ordered a second helping to go around.

Black pepper with pasta

Not being the one who ordered all the food, I have no idea what the names of those dishes we had, I just thoroughly sat and enjoyed the yums and the company of my colleagues and friends.

Fou De Fa Fa

168 Robinson Road

#01-05 Capital Tower

Warm Love,

Starningblue

Chocolate Bottom Banana Squares

2011-08-12T13:41:00.001+08:00

This bake tastes sooo good, my poor photography skills make no justice to this cake. At least husband and sister says so it is good too so my opinion is not bias.

It's been a while since I've baked, it's uplifting when the cake turns out so soft and moist. My cake looks all crumbly because I'm bad at cutting it up, pardon me as all I wanted to do was to finish the cutting and move on to the eating!

I will definitely bake somemore when I have a slight excuse to~

Recipe from Wen's Delight who adapted this from Hearty Bakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 Egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup banana, mashed
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

How to:
Preheat oven at 175C, line the base of a 8 inch square tin. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Drizzle in the eggs, follow by vanilla and mashed bananas. Beat thoroughly till well corporated.

Sieve cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the butter mixture. Mix well with a spatula.

Divide the batter into half. Add cocoa powder and milk into 1 portion. Spread the chocolate portion evenly into the tin. Spread the remaining plain batter evenly on top of the chocolate batter, swirl gently with a knife. Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnut on top.

Bake for 25-30mins. Cool and cut into squares to serve.

Warm love,
Starningblue

When the wife is lazy..

2011-08-10T22:35:00.001+08:00

It was a slow saturday evening, and I was lazy. Instead of waiting for some meat to defrost before the cooking can start, here's what I found in our kitchen.

And to make this for our dinner..

We probably shouldn't do this too often, not very healthy. But it all goes so well with the garlic chilli sauce we bought in Malacca!

Oh! In case you are wondering what I did to the potatoes, it was diced and cooked in campbell's mushroom soup. Delish.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Bangkok: Som Tam Nua

2011-08-04T16:49:00.001+08:00

Cannot miss having Papaya Salad when in Thailand, it is like a staple where it can be eaten as an appetizer, it's sweet, tangy and spicy notes excites the taste buds all at one time.

We walked from MBK shopping centre to reach Som Tam Nua (meaning Green Papaya Salad) at Siam Square Soi 5. Arriving at about 7pm, there is a queue and a crowd has gathered outside the 2 storey restaurant waiting for their turn to have a table. I'm told it is a common sight on weekend nights. I'm not the queueing sort but something tells me it will be worth it.

The wait was not for too long. After about 20 mins, we were ushered upstairs and once we caught the attention of awaitress, Lawrence ordered the must haves and we await the feast.

Pineapple Rice

Green Chicken Curry

Green Papaya Salad

Sticky Rice

Spicy Tom Yum Soup

Fried Fish with Spicy Sauce

Chicken Wings

Probably the only dish which was not spicy are the chicken wings. That said, it was such good food that made a satisfying meal. With 4 of us, it was easy for us to order more and have variety. All of us had steamed plain rice and Lawrence ordered himself the sticky rice, which is more and filling and authentic to some parts of Thailand how they eat.

Although I can't remember it clearly, I do not think this meal cost us more than SGD 40. This is what I love about Bangkok!

Warm Love,

Starningblue

Bangkok: Another Hound Cafe

2011-08-02T18:30:00.002+08:00

Visits to Bangkok now seems to be a yearly affair, I wonder how long will this hold up - not that I'm complaining!

The recent trip to Bangkok, we were there with Lawrence from Peepshow Machine and we know it is going to be a food trip. haha

The usuals had to be done, the Chatuchak Market, MBK shopping, stocking up on cheap iPhone covers etc. When out feet needs some resting, we look for food.

Another Hound Cafe was one of the places we ate at deserving a mention. Situated on the 1st Floor of Siam Paragon, we initially felt a bit guilty queuing up at a well-dressed place with our flip flops and shorts but despite the surroundings, the service is warm and prices ridiculously decent.

When there, be sure to order Pad Thai with Scallops, the scallops come juicy and large, it's been a while since I've enjoyed such delicacy in a normal fare. The Salmon Carpaccio packs a punch of herbs so delish and fresh. The guys ordered dishes such as Soft Shell Crab pasta, Greyhound Famous Fried Chicken Wings, Tender Duck with Rice. Everything was good!

For a refreshing drink, order the House Special Ice Lemon Tea, works wonders for us after an afternoon in the sweltering heat.

We also ordered something called Complicated Noodles; I'll leave you to find out what it is when you visit this cafe. Trust me, it is another delicious must try!

Warm Love,

Starningblue

Sweet Potato Soup

2011-08-01T15:15:00.000+08:00

Mommy used to cook homemade sweet soup once in a while, now that I live apart from Mom, I miss it and cook it myself.

Over the weekend, I decided to make Sweet Potato Soup as it is so easy and quick to cook and the versions sold outside at food places are often too sweet for my liking.

Ingredients:
Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Orange Sweet Potatoes
Pandan Leaves (tie into a bunch)
Cane Sugar
Water, about 1.8 to 2 litres

How to:

Put water and pandan leaves in a pot and bring it to a boil. While water is cooking, skin and chop sweet potatoes into large squares.

Once water is boiling, put in the chopped potatoes and cook on medium heat for another 20 mins or till potatoes are soft.

Switch off the fire, add in cane sugar to taste and serve either warm or chilled.

Note: Some prefer their sweet potato soup with a tinge of ginger, if so you may add a few slices of old ginger when boiling the water and pandan leaves. I find it heaty so ginger was omitted.

Warm Love,
Starningblue

Melaka Chicken Rice Ball

2011-07-30T04:27:00.001+08:00

Starningblue just triggered my cravings… and I can only drool over the photos from my last trip. Ah… Melaka I missed.

x Juan

Majestic Melaka

2011-07-25T12:56:00.000+08:00

We usually lodge at Holiday Inn or Puri Hotel when we are in Melaka, this time Kel wants to pamper ourselves a bit and book for the slighlty more upmarket Majestic Hotel. Not that I'm complaining...

The drive to Malacca is pleasant as usual, this time we travel in a convoy of 2 cars; our friend Patrick and family has taken this trip with us. As we are familiar around town, Majestic Hotel hotel was easy to find; which is located at the back lane of Renaissance Hotel and Putra Specialist Hospital.

I can't say the environment outside the hotel is as comfy as the hotel, but the hospitality once we step into the compound kind of make it all up. Checking in was a breeze; you don't have to go to the reception - the receptionist comes to you. Our luggages barely touched the floor and we were already given keys and informed how to head to our room. *insert wide-eyed look here*

During the brief checking in process, I hardly had time to appreciate the architecture of the refurbished Peranakan house, the nostalgic air or wander around the lobby area where trinkets and snacks were scattered around.

The room? Open air bathroom with free standing bath tub and comes with bath salts, arrival tea serving 'ceremony' by the bell man (basically, they officially seat the guests down in the room and serve you Chinese Tea still warm from the basket. Cool!), what more can I say? Only 1 downer, the view of a ~~big drain~~ canal outside the window..

After the waa-ing and gaa-ing, we realise we need to head out the hot afternoon sun to search of food. Turning left from the hotel entrance and walking straight down leads us to a coffee shop situated on a busy road junction where gems of local food can be found. In the day, they serve Melaka Chicken Rice Ball and the I-don't-know-what-it's-called fried food (refer to picture below). When night falls, the coffee shop is closed and an uncle with a push cart will sell deep-fried goodies such as Yiu Tiao aka Chinese Doughnut and yummylicious Butterfly which is a fried dough with sesame seeds shaped in a butterfly.

The venture itself around the hotel is fruitful, we hardly had to venture out much except to dine at Teo Soon Loong Teochew Seafood Restaurant where good homestyle Teochew food can be found and to have the famous Melaka Chicken Rice Ball at Jonker Street area. Wasted we did not have time to go for our usual-must-have Chendol at Jonker 88.

If you are impressed by now and would like to reserve a stay at Majestic Hotel ~~why do I feel I'm advertising for them??~~, you have to ensure that breakfast is thrown into the package. There are no buffet spreads when you walk into the lounge and after much questioning and curiosity, you will find a small menu on some tables which lists what you can order. Although the service is slow and indifferent, the quality of the meals do make us feel like we are at an atas all-day breakfast joint.

Kel and I do not hide the fact that we love Melaka but the recent popularity rise due to drama series like Little Nonya made the city a tad too crowded for us.. Nevertheless, Melaka will always be a place where we find weekend refuge from Singapore.

Once we a while, we may splurge again at Majestic Hotel.

Warm Love,
Starningblue

Off to Hiatus & Back

2011-07-23T14:30:00.000+08:00

No excuse for the long absence, leaving a void here? I can't say it was intentional, I hope the refreshing new look for this blog makes up for it!

Much of my time away from here was spent working, sleeping, coughing (nasty virus!) and also trips to Melaka in my homeland and the land of smiles, Bangkok - which I will fill you in bit by bit.

Have a lovely weekend!

Warm Love,
Starningblue

Gruzinskie Chaczapuri

2011-04-02T08:09:00.001+08:00

Bigos Chlopski - traditional polish meat stew

Pierogi z mięse – meat dumpling, another polish dish

Not forgetting…Polish beer – Okocim. Don’t quite understand the need for straw though…

I chanced upon this restaurant in old town Krakow which served mainly Georgian food but they have minimal traditional polish cuisine too, enough to satisfy me. The very hungry me over ordered obviously as you can see its all very starchy and heavy. The stew was alright but the dumpling skin was rather thick. Be here if you are after really cheap and filling food… I was then too hungry and tired to go elsewhere and was lured in by the cheap prices on the menu.

@ ul. Grodzka 3, Krakow, Poland

~ Juan ~

Afternoon Tea

2011-04-01T08:14:00.000+08:00

Late Post: Xmas’10 @ Brown's Hotel, Mayfair, London – one of the top places to enjoy afternoon tea… I love hanging out here… great food, excellent service.

~ Juan ~

What do Russian Dolls do?

2011-03-05T13:22:00.000+08:00

One of life moments is when you open up a present and realise the gift is what you saw in a store and thought it would be great to have it. I had my moment last Christmas with the Russian Doll measuring cups.

Don't you just want to start baking with these right away? They can be stacked within each other so it stores as one doll. So cute!

LA DUREÉ

2011-03-05T13:15:00.000+08:00

A long overdue tribute to the macarons hand carried all the way from France, I miss the precious munchies... and best of all, it comes with Cath Kidston kitchen cloths!

Who knows me better than Juanie? Thanks babe!

Warm love,

Starningblue

A whole new take on Chinese New Year

2011-02-15T16:26:00.001+08:00

Happy Rabbit New Year!

Chinese custom dictates that once a girl is married, Chinese New Year is spent with the husband's family. This year is my first and I'm taking some time to adjust. I must admit I was a little home sick during the festive season wondering what my family was doing and coupled with the new-found responsibility of a chinese wife (meaning prepare the house, prepare red packets, who to give, how much etc.)

This year, we had steamboat for reunion dinner which is a first time for me although I know lots of families practise this. Did you know that the upmarket Ah Yat Chinese Restaurant chain has a humble and discreet steamboat shop at Heeren's Shopping Centre too?

Poor cutie Joash was not feeling well that day.

When we arrived, I must say I thought the buffet spread of ingredients for steamboat was limited but as we ate along, it is actually sufficient as the main items were available and I did eat my fill. The prawns were fresh and the tom yum soup super spicy but shiok!

For a price of $20ish per person, it comes with 2 tiny abalones, free flow of drinks and of course soup and ingredients. One plus about this place is the environment, it was peaceful and amazingly we did not stink up after we left. Best of all, service was good and prompt!

Maybe we shall visit the same place next Chinese New Year too?

Ah Yat Shabu Shabu Hotpot (The Heeren)
260 Orchard Road , #B1-10
Tel: +65 6836 2282

Warm love,
Starningblue

I married my Valentine

2011-02-15T15:51:00.002+08:00

Yes, we are newlyweds but with no intentions to join the smooching couples out at a restaurant for a Valentine's Day set meal with candles. We did it Chef Kel's way.

Dinner was served at home, it was Oven Baked Chicken and Strip Loin Steak with vegetable sides, complete with Mushroom Soup. For someone who rarely is familiar with the oven knobs and gas stove, the food is great!

Along with calla lilies and home cooked meal, he surprised me with a Nespresso coffee machine. Now I wish I wasn't such a brat to deserve this :)

This morning's coffee was aromatic and smooth, I couldn't have asked for a better start for today.

By the way, if you would like to oven bake a chicken thigh, just slather the meat generously with honey, some oyster sauce, chicken marinade sauce (if you have), some salt and pop it into the oven till it bakes through, remember to check it so that it doesn't burn. That's it for Chef Kel's quick cooking recipe. I've tasted it and it is good. Enjoy!

Muacks & Hugs,

Starningblue

Gong Xi Gong Xi!

2011-02-04T05:06:00.001+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year !!!

May you have a prosperous Rabbit year!

Here's a snap shot of my first try on making CNY cookies…

I spent this day working just like previous years but hope you have a great one!

~ Juan ~

Hello…

2011-01-29T20:48:00.001+08:00

Anybody out there? …

one of my fav veg – sweet potato leaves

Fried You-Tiao

Clams – LaLa

Crayfish!!!

Its been 1.5wks since I’m back from my sunny home town. Couldn’t quite describe my 3 weeks break… it was lazy, time passed so slowly, I grew sick of tv… yet it was good hanging out with old friends/family, making new friends, satisfying my cravings on food… most importantly, I’ve watched my Deary walked down the aisle ‘tears’… into her next phase of life ‘hugs’.

~ Juan ~

Nutella Mini Cakes

2010-11-17T14:50:00.002+08:00

I'm in love with these pretty little things.

When I came across this recipe, I was curious how 4 ingredients can whip into a good chocolate treat so this lazy skeptic chose to test it out.

Cake centre gooey and sticky

Preheat oven to 170C. Whisk half cup of Nutella with 1 large egg until combined, whisk in 5 tablespoons of plain flour. Spoon batter into mini muffin cups and top with chopped hazelnuts. Bake for 10-12mins until pick comes out moist with gooey crumbs.

This is definitely for those who want a shortcut to rave worthy dessert. Best to enjoy this warm!

Warm love,

Starningblue

Itacho Sushi - Ion Orchard

2010-11-02T11:35:00.001+08:00

As you can see, I do not have many pictures of the restaurant itself because the food was the centre of my attention. I will let food pictures do most of the talking in this post.

At Itacho Sushi, you predominantly chomp on sushi. Some venture into curry rice, noodles and such but will soon agree the carbs are not worth as much as their sushi.

My must-order recommendations are the Roast Pork Sushi and Tempura Prawn Sushi, wait till I give the Wagyu Beef Sushi a try and I will drop you a line.

What is special in their sushi must be the rice melting in my mouth feeling, nothing beats soft yet chewy rice, not overly vinegered and always allow the topping to be the star. I know why there is a queue here and I will be happy to line up too!

Warm love,
Starningblue

Take a Break

2010-10-28T07:00:00.000+08:00

In the midst of your hectic life, don’t forget to take a break.

Take some time off to get to know yourself.

I’m off! Do Widzenia!

~ Juan

Old Fashioned Choc Cake

2010-10-24T11:24:00.001+08:00

Looks good enough to eat? Unfortunately not.

Served during Dad's birthday dinner, it soon became apparent that 2nd helpings are not going to happen.

Not only the icing has been 'frozen' by the refrigeration, the cake was sandy and unusually crumbly to enjoy.

I'll just have to find another recipe and learn that not all 'famous chef' recipes work all the time. Is it me? Or the haze? What a bummer.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Letters to Juliet

2010-10-10T02:05:00.000+08:00

Just watched this film and it got me digging into my photos archive. It was set in Verona, where Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet play was based on… was there few years back and the beautiful settings in the movie look all so familiar.

The wall of Juliet House with many love messages…

Famous balcony and bronze Juliet. Legend says that in Verona, there were these two real families Montecchi and Capello in feud at that time.

Lunch in Verona…

Dessert: The “Gelateria Savoia” was established in 1939 by husband & wife Vittorio Bonvicini and Luigia Savoia. Their first ice creams were unique in both quality and shape. Over the years, these original Veronese ice creams became so popular that they went on to become known and enjoyed all over the world. The above are the few famous ones…. The one in the centre (The Pinguino meaning Penguin) is said to be the first ice cream on a stick.

One Penguin for me!

Find them at Via Roma 1/b (Piazza Bra) 37121 Verona Italia.

‘Juan

Barley, Gingko & Beancurd Skin Dessert

2010-10-02T18:46:00.002+08:00

In chinese it is known as 白果意米腐竹糖水 and it is quite a mouthful to say the name of this dessert; this is what Mum used to cook for the family when I still had the luxury of staying with my parents.

Being a bride-to-be is not easy, being a vain bride-to-be takes even more effort. My plan is to take care of my skin inside out. I've been investing in regular facial sessions to pamper my skin, drinking bird's nest once in a while and another a cheaper way to nourish the skin is to cook this chinese sweet soup.

There are many versions to this. Some like hard boiled eggs in it, some like to taste chunky beancurd skin in the soup; I like mine creamy like soy milk with chewy barley and nutritious gingko.

The painful part of making this is preparing the gingko. Because mum used to cook this and not me, I now know for the first time what it means to 'remove the heart' of the gingko. After cracking the gingko shell (trying not to hammer my fingers), and soaking the gingkos in warm water to easy the removal of skin on the prized fruit, the next step is to use a toothpick pushing one tip to the another to push out the bud of the gingkos. It sounds easy but I had to grovel the toothpick inside the gingko in search of the bud and it took a long while to go through all the gingkos.

The results was very good. The beancurd skin melted into the soup and the barley was not mushy. Besides the gingko, it was pretty quick to prepare as well. So girls, you should really make some of this to pamper yourself!

Ingredients:

20-25 Gingko nuts

1 packet of dried beancurd skin

50g holland barley (there are 2 kinds of barley and this is the one you need)

1.5l water

Rock sugar to taste

How to:

Rinse barley and gingko nuts and soak barley for 30mins. Rinse dried beancurd and soak till white in a separate bowl.

Put water in pot, add soaked beancurd skin and barley. Boil in covered put for about 20mins on low fire, or until beancurd skin melts.

Add gingko and rock sugar to taste. Boil for another 15mins more and turn off fire. Serve warm or refrigerate and enjoy it cold.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Lazy Morning….

2010-09-05T06:53:00.001+08:00

A little charming place to grab a bite…

ALLANS Organic Patisserie Boulangerie	@ 75 Duke Street, London W1K 5PA

Vegetarian English Breakfast ~ Juan

Easy Banana Cake

2010-09-04T14:51:00.000+08:00

It is so easy to neglect food/snacks that are sitting on the shelf, on the table or in the fridge. The next thing I know, it is too ripe or turning bad. Does it happen to everyone or am I just an impulse person buying too much to consume?

There were some bananas sitting on the table and as days past, they are too brown for eating just as it is but perfect for baking!

Previously, I baked Banana & Choc Bread so this time, I wanted to try Banana Cake instead. The cake version is supposed to be light and softer than the banana bread.

I went on the internet to scour for a recommended recipe and chanced upon Jamie Yeo's food blog with a highly commented and raved recipe. They said it is no fail so...

And they were right! It is just amazing how a simple and suspiciously too easy recipe could yield such soft and moist banana bites! The bananas I had were good for this as they were not rotten, just perfectly soft and no sweat to mash. You can still taste real chunks of banana in the cake. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I'm so lazy to bake it in a cake and cut it later, I baked them in muffin cases so it was easy to share it.

Baking doesn't have to be difficult, try this and you will know what i mean.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Happy Brownie Birthday!

2010-09-04T14:02:00.001+08:00

I love the expressions on his face when surprise friends showed for the surprise birthday party. Kel probably had an inkling something was up when Ginny and Patrick burst the bubble a little but he had no idea the extent of the plan until more people showed up!

It wasn't a big party actually but it was blissful and one full of laughter and sharing. I'm glad we pulled this off, thanks to all who helped me run some errands and were involved in the details of this little party.

We had do-it-yourself popiah and kueh pie tee from Kway Guan Huat, apparently LKY has his runner to buy some for him regularly. Not sure how true is that but the popiah turned out very good, the chilli paste packs a punch! The kuey pie tee requires similar ingredients but the freshly made shells were crispy and fragrant which really makes the dish taste good. However, the popiah party pack did not come with hard boiled eggs, coriander and lettuce and I should have prepared them myself but everything else was perfect.

Kel's wish (since too long ago) was to have me bake 'gooey' brownies for him. I took this opportunity to make him a brownie birthday cake for him and it was fantastic! I love Nigella's recipe, it is easy to follow and no fuss at all. After the brownies have cooled, stack them and stick candles on the tower -Viola!

This time, I invested in some quality vanilla essence and I must tell you it does make a difference. It is worth the money!

Happy Birthday Kel!

Warm love,

Starningblue

The Bay Restaurant

2010-08-28T05:19:00.001+08:00

Freycinet Riesling 2009 Vintage – light wine with a combi of flora and lime flavour. Its more worth getting it from the vineyard than having it off the restaurant’s wine list… which we did the next day when we passed by…

Melshell Oysters from the Bay - natural with lemon & shallot dressing

Kids Meal…

Tasmanian ocean trout fondant - panseared and scented with a hint of lemon grass and served with shitake mushrooms, semi-dried tomato flavoured rice

Confit of duck maryland - nestled on barlotti beans, chorizo cassoulet with green beans and apple balsamic

Crispy Skin Blue Eye TrevAlla - nestled on cucumber tagliatelle, sesame and pumpkin puree with elderflower beurre blanc sauce

for me mummy dearest…

Add: Freycinet National Park, Coles Bay, Tasmania, 7215

Tel: + 613 6225 7016

~ Juan

Old India

2010-08-21T04:00:00.001+08:00

A Grade II Listed building… Listed by English Heritage because it carries special architectural/historic interest… And this is our Bristol’s Old Stock Exchange building now converted to an Indian restaurant. Forget about the big hype on the food here…am already drowning in the old colonial atmosphere…

Chutney tray of dippings for Papads..mmm…

Is it too obvious that I like Papadums?

Add: Old India, 34 St Nicholas Street, Bristol, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1179221136

Heva good weekend!!!

~ Juan

Resorts World, Sentosa

2010-08-09T13:36:00.000+08:00

We are probably the late few people in Singapore to visit the Resorts World? Overseas friends of ours have already told us much about this place so it is time to see it for ourselves.

To start off, it was a hot and sunny Saturday during the National Day long weekend so it has to be crowded. But i did not expect to be walking 10-15mins to get to the entrance of Resorts World after we park our car in the underground car park. Yes, you can imagine the huge size of their car park area but maybe there should be more than one entrance from there?

We finally got into the building to search for lunch but we didn't want to have anything fancy and it seems the only option we have (besides junk food) is Ruyi, fast food version of chinese food.

I really like the variety in the menu and what a fresh take it was for Tung Lok Group to serve chinese food in fast food style! Must try the fried chicken wings and Zha Jiang Mian. I loved the whole experience - and also the dessert of herbal jelly to finish off my set meal.

National Day Event on at RWS

We head out in the heat to explore the rest of Resorts World but the only highlight was Hershey's shop and the caramel popcorn shop next to it.

Caramel Popcorns, I testify this is real yummy!

Actually, we did not understand all the hype about RWS.Interestingly, there was a shop having a 'closed down sale' (already?!) For the benefit of a doubt, maybe because we did not try out Universal Studios? Tickets were sold out by the way.

We'd probably return to Resorts World to try Ruyi's signature fried rice and buy more caramel popcorns, that's if I would ever visit RWS again.

Franchise, anyone?

Warm love,

Starningblue

Quick Brekkie

2010-08-09T12:44:00.001+08:00

This morning, it took some time for me to wake up slowly into consciousness of day. It is a National Day holiday and I know it, I wanted to savour every bit of sleeping in.

Instead of venturing out in the late morning sun, whipping up quick french toasts seemed more appealing. Still in bedhead-hair, it didn't take long before french toasts and coffee was ready for breakfast in front of television showing Glee.

Thank God for long weekends, have a great one!

Warm love,
Starningblue

The Original Maids of Honour

2010-07-17T20:03:00.001+08:00

Opened since 1887 by Alfred Newens

Homemade pies with veggies, roast potatoes and gravy

Award winning Manor Farm Ice cream

This is the sweet crisp puff pastry - ‘Maids of Honour’ with its secret recipe still closely kept within the family today. History of this pastry can be traced back to 300yrs where it was believed that “Henry VIII first use the name when he met Ann Boleyn and other Maids of Honour eating the cake in silver dish. He was so delighted with the cakes that the recipe was kept secret and locked in an iron box in Richmond Palace…”

Add: 288 Kew Road, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 3DU

Tel: 020 8940 2752

~ Juan

Cornish cream tea & Pasty

2010-07-17T03:10:00.001+08:00

St Michael’s Mount that was once a monastery, a fortress, a port and a family home…

@ The Island Cafe

Love the many photos on the wall that shows you what life was like on the island in olden days.

When the tide is high, St Michael’s Mount can only be reached by boats. But at low tide, a cobbled footpath magically appears and let you make the journey to the castle on foot.

Add: St Michael’s Mount, Marazion, Cornwall, TR17 0EF

~ Juan

The Smugglers’ Den

2010-07-03T06:50:00.001+08:00

16th century thatched inn with proper thick wooden beams and fire place. Its not the easiest place to find (just ask the locals!) but worth checking out if you fancy some real local ales and food made from local produced…

was lucky to even get this shot as it was fully occupied shortly after.

These thin crispy potato skins with garlic mayonnaise is a must try. Best I ever had.

Smugglers Fish Pie – smoked haddock, cod, prawns

Char-grill sirloin in black peppercorn sauce

Moules Mariniere – cornish mussels in white wine

Add: Trebellan Farm, Cubert, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 5PY

T: +44(0)1637 830209

~ Juan

Organic Chocolate

2010-07-03T06:06:00.001+08:00

A friend spotted this on a magazine… Love the sound of “organic and sugar free” and of we went to hunt this down just to satisfy our curiosity. I bought 2, one for myself and one for Ni to try.

Couldn’t quite describe the taste… I had to compliment it with water. Gux I enjoyed the name more than the taste..especially dislike the sourish flavour within.

only tried it after I passed one to Ni… Oops.

~ Juan

Ma Maison

2010-07-01T14:07:00.004+08:00

It has been some time since I observed a constant queue during meal hours at Ma Maison in Bugis Junction. I know they serve fusion japanese cuisine and just always wondered to myself is this place worth the queue?

My prayers were answered and the best thing is no queuing required, Kel brought me there to celebrate my birthday and made reservations beforehand - good on the man :)

Inside here, I feel exactly at home. I love the cottage country decor in dark wood. The whole atmosphere is romantic yet doesn't feel too exclusive, it is still a family oriented restaurant.

We chose to order ourselves escargot and soup for starters and it was good. I have just recovered from a week long flu infection so the flavours are deeply appreciated.

I remember having really tasty hamburg in Japan, I couldn't resist ordering the same except this time with noodles in a korean stone bowl. Kel can't choose any other than steak too.

There was absolutely no space anymore for desserts, we had to leave it for next time. Nevertheless, a peaceful and cosy birthday dinner is good for me, I'm a happy girl.

Warm love,

Starningblue

Dainty Szechuan Food

2010-05-20T16:14:00.003+08:00

What does the name of the restaurant make you think of? I imagined this place to be small, cramped, smelly yet serve good Szechuan fare. Turns out Dainty serves good and real spicy Szechuan dishes in a clean spacious environment. We, however, did not escape the smell of deep frying and hot pot brewing all around us but who cares?

Diana warned me it will be spicy and I thought I’d manage. I told her I won’t eat the dried chillies and avoid gravy but I tell you my tongue was still burnt with spice.

Take for example the harmless looking dish of fried chicken, don’t underestimate this at all. The seasoning is virtually invisible yet the bite sized chicken wings are addictive. Bring on the icy cold water!

Besides the food, we had a good time catching up. Some of us have not met since 7 years ago or more. How time flies~ So glad to see them again and happy to know everyone is getting on really well.

My favourite dish here at Dainty? Sweet Chilli Sauce Eggplant takes the prize away hands down.

Crunchy-sticky on the outside, soft inside.

Location: 26 Corrs Lane, Melbourne

Warm love,
Starningblue

糖潮 Dessert House

2010-05-19T17:14:00.002+08:00

This little Hong Kong café brings back memories of my university days. Tina, Linda and I conduct “Joy Luck Club” lunches (or dinners) here and catch up with gossips. I know that my visit commanded loads of envy from both of them!

Their signature dish is the Lemongrass Pork Chop Rice. It looks plain but it tastes nothing like it seems! The marinating is done very well, the piece of meat is so fragrant with lemongrass infused oil to eat it just with rice and some soya sauce drizzled on it is good enough. As with all rice dishes; a sunny side up oozing yolk perfects the whole meal.

Other yummy offerings they have is the authentic HK 车仔面 where you put together your very own noodles with toppings and gravy or soup. While there, be sure to try out their pancake dessert with fruit and ice cream too.

Penny, you HAVE to visit this place!

Location: 18/200 Bourke St, Mid City Arcade Melbourne

Warm love,
Starningblue

Thai and bubbles

2010-05-14T15:09:00.004+08:00

It was a friend's 21st and we all went to a thai restaurant on lygon st. As usual I forgot to take a picture of the entrance but I hope the foodie pics will suffice ;)

Thaila Thai
82 Lygon St Brunswick East
3057 Vic

Green curry. Could have been richer in flavour

Fried Kuay Tiao hahaha. I forgot the name but it taste somewhat like that

Mutton curry. Most awesome dish of the night. Somewhere along there I forgot I was having Thai cuisine not malay..

Pad Thai. Finally a decent one!

Lastly, my favorite taro green milk tea with pearls from TenRen (which I can create another post just for bubble tea YUMS)

Honestly speaking I havent tried any other Thai food other than YingThai simply because 1. Its within walking distance 2. They have tomyum soup to-die-for 3. Their green/red curry is gastronomic. At first I was rather skeptical of Thaila thai but hey! I love their pad thai and mutton curry to the max! You can give a miss for their tomyum though(YT still reign). But if both restaurants could merge their best dishes together, I'd be there 5 times a week. And happily suffer from bad throat after that ;)

Jamie’s Italian

2010-05-13T03:55:00.001+08:00

@ one of Jamie Oliver’s chain of high street restaurants… with its no booking policy, you are likely to end up in a queue at peak hours. Was it really that good? I’ll say - delectable dinner in a casual atmosphere…to think that I wasn’t a big fan of his once upon a time.

Love this plate of crispy squid served with garlic aoli.

this is the 8oz Sirloin (dry aged for 21 days) chargrilled & served pink with grilled flat mushrooms. It was done perfectly the way I like. Lamb chop lollipops – grilled welsh mountain lamb chops cooked ‘al matone’ under brick with special minted sauce, chopped roasted nuts and soft herbs. Mmmmmmm…

Tuscan chocolate and hazelnut cake served with seasonal fruits…was rather disappointed with the fruit but the cake was nice.

Jamie’s special Tiramisu… not too soggy and with a balance of flavors, its yummy though its presentation doesn’t look appetizing and the portion is kinda large.

‘Juan

Rick Stein’s Cafe

2010-05-08T04:18:00.001+08:00

Because me friend is on budget, we had to give his restaurant a missed. I would so love to try his seafood which is what he is famous for. Anyhow, we make do with his cafe for a short informal tea break.

Traditional cream tea of scones, clotted cream and jam… you can’t miss this when you are in Cornwall!

The one miserable hot cross bun that I insisted on having cos it was Easter then…

Addy: Middle Street, Padstow, Cornwall

'Juan

Lazy Days Guest House

2010-05-07T03:32:00.001+08:00

This probably looks like just another English breakfast but bcos I enjoyed my stay here so much, I wanted to share it with you. Big Thanks to Sue & Tom who made us felt so at home. Oh you gotta try their homemade hash brown…its yummy.

Every room has a different theme and I got to say I like the couples’ taste. This room is the Tres Chic room with French Chateau style bed and I tot of her (Ni) when I entered.

Find them @ 36 St Annes Road, Newquay, TR7 2SA

Tel - 01637 876074

' Juan

Santouka Ramen, drizzled with love

2010-05-05T13:34:00.002+08:00

As embarrassing as it sounds, we did a takeaway of the left-over pork cheek from Santouka Ramen last night. Armed with a 1-for-1 coupon from the 8 Days magazine, we went for the award winning Tokusen Toroniku ramen and mine was in Shio broth, Kel’s in Miso.

We love how the soup is the least salty of comparable ramen joints and the signature pork cheek slices are so soft and tender it melts in the mouth.

Really, Santouka Ramen is a must-try but go before the main crowd arrives at usual meal times to avoid a queue as both the Central Mall and Cuppage Terrace branches are relatively small.

The queue at Central Mall after we finished our meal

Ramen dry

Today, I woke up to the aroma of scrambled eggs. Watching him cook for me early morning before we head off to work sweetens up the whole day. The pork cheek sandwich with fresh leaves and scrambled eggs was divine. Maybe it was the pork? Maybe it was the gesture of love? I enjoyed every last bit of breakfast.

Oh, back to what I was talking about. Santouka Ramen serves up great dry ramen with a flavourful dip as well. Slurp!

Warm love,
Starningblue

The Dux De Lux Brew Bar

2010-05-01T04:49:00.001+08:00

Dux De Lux simply means Masters of the Finest. We visited the bar instead of the restaurant.

We wanted mussels. We walked the town, looked at many menus and couldn’t brave the cold and hunger anyone… so we decided not to be fussy and settled for this.

It was surprisingly quiet at about 7-ish in the evening & we almost had the whole place to ourselves. But I gux we were too early to be in a brew bar? Nwae, their Dux Lager (awarded as best NZ lager 2006) was good, so nothing else matters.

Seafood platter – Goujons of fish, filo wrapped prawns, marlborough green lipped mussels, scallops, salt & pepper squid

Crumbed Fish & Chip

Addy: 14-16 Church St, Queenstown, NZ

The Cow, Wanaka

2010-04-30T03:17:00.000+08:00

Hidden in some old alley, easily missed from the main road…. we found this little gem.

not a huge place and could probably only sit 8 small groups indoor, so while waiting…

The best garlic bread! This is my first to be served a whole loaf rather than few miserable slices. Fresh, crunchy and oh so perfectly made.

Moved indoor. Thank goodness it wasn’t a long wait…

garlic bread continued…

Her Majesty’s pizza – 2 different toppings. Love thin crust.

Seafood Spaghetti

Charmed by the stone walls, brick floors, exposed copper pipes, a proper open fire place…. its like stepping back in time, to the old western.

Addy: Post Office Lane, 33 Ardmore Street, Wanaka.

Han Guuk Guan

2010-04-28T16:48:00.004+08:00

Another thing about being in Melbourne is to have Korean Food; and authentic one of course. My sister brought me to Han Guuk Guan, a restaurant hidden away in between office buildings.

The Jja Jang Myun was what I was really looking forward to. I have to admit, this is by far the best I’ve tasted since I discovered Korean Food. (or maybe I’m just too deprived?)

One good sign that this is the place to be for delicious Korean food is that there are so many Koreans eating here!

This picture really doesn't do any justice.

By the way, the sweet and sour pork next table was gobbling into looked really yummy. Why don’t you order that next time and testify it for me?

Warm love,

Starningblue

Laurent, a 1920s French Cafe

2010-04-19T17:23:00.003+08:00

Don't you just absolutely love the tall windows and french vibe from this little cafe? Laurent has been situated at Little Collins since the 1920s and is my favourite place for coffee in Melbourne.

I wish I had these tiles in my kitchen

It was breakfast with Mum that day and we had quiet chat , just both of us and the espresso machine buzzing away.

Shouldn't we meet there next time, just to watch life go by?

Warm love,

Starningblue

Gibbston Valley Wines

2010-04-17T04:24:00.001+08:00

visiting the award wining wine producer…in a not so perfect day.

the cave blast out of the region’s mountain which provides a ‘perfect natural environment’ to mature their wines

Not forgetting to check out their restaurant which I quote from them “is renowned as one of the finest dining experiences in the region”

Soup of the day…. thick tomato soup pack with intense flavour

House made fresh pasta… can’t quite figured out if its butternut or pumpkin squash but it does adds flavour to the pasta…if only this dish wasn’t too dry.

Fish of the day!

blurry blurry…. drank too much? LOL

Add: Gibbston RD1, State Highway 6, Queenstown, New Zealand

x Juan

Reminiscing Uni Days

2010-04-16T15:02:00.002+08:00

I was walking around Melbourne Central on my own and got hungry. Instead of having kebab or pizza, I chose a sushi hand roll and green tea. The first bite took me straight back to uni days, when break time between lectures were short, my quick meal would be a hand roll on the go.

It was perfect me-time, indulging a simple lunch and shopping by myself.

Warm love,

Starningblue

Strawberry & Lavender Farm

2010-04-15T15:29:00.006+08:00

Visiting the strawberry farm was something I did not do when I was based in Melbourne. Hence, I requested for this day trip to make sure we don’t miss the chance again. Thanks to Penny, her iPhone GPS and a cheap car rental deal, off we go!

Before heading down to the strawberry bushes, there was a café selling all things strawberries. Standing at the entrance, all I could smell was refreshing strawberries. I’m usually not a fan of sorbets but this one is yum.

Scones to go with Strawberries

Strawberries are in season during Spring. They are best picked during the earliest part of the year, by the time we were there in April; the strawberries were significantly smaller than what I thought it would be. I was very keen to bake them into strawberry crumble when we got back because they were not very sweet but hectic schedule during my holiday meant I really didn’t have time to do it!

We had lots of fun in the sun and surprise surprise… I love the sun that day we were on the road trip! It was breezy and sunny; we spent the good part of the day outdoors but no sweat! Real bliss~

After the strawberry stint, we moved on to visit the Lavender Farm. We lost our way a little and reached there just 20mins before they closed for the day. Our negotiation skills kicked in and managed to get discounted entry tickets to get in and look around real quick.

This plant smells as creamy as real chocolate!

Young Red Delicious Apple Tree

The garden was full of surprises, there was chocolate mint plant (yes, and it smells like real chocolate.), apple trees, and lots of soothing lavender. It was much fun jumping around the garden before we head back out to find some food for our rumbling tummies.

It was getting late and we figured there won’t be much to eat in the rural; we drove all the way back to St Kilda for a Italian at Rococo. Servings were huge, even for hungry people like us and the waitress was very friendly who introduced us a fantastic Mud House Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

That was my first day in Melbourne, it was fruitful and enjoyable time spent with Mum, Sis and Sherlene.

Warm love,

Starningblue

Orbit @ Sky Tower

2010-04-08T04:03:00.001+08:00

Dining at the revolving restaurant 190m above ground…

with stunning view and great company…this is how I spent my first day on arrival in Auckland, 1/1/10.

Starter: Grilled Calamari on sour dough, rocket and tomato crostini with lemon, parsley mayonnaise

Mains: Harrisa Roasted Akaroa Salmon Fillet with saffron risotto cake, wilted spinach with smoked garlic and preserved lime sauce

Mains: Pan Fried Snapper Fillet on artichoke and sundried tomato Israeli cous cous with roasted capsicum and chili dressing

Sides: Baby potatoes sautéed in lemon herb butter

Satisfying! x Juan

Nandos

2010-04-07T04:05:00.000+08:00

Nandos is dotted all around here and we can even get the sauce off the shelve in supermarket….. but not so in Asia. The moment my friend spotted Nandos while we were in NZ, she was jumping with joy.

Heard its opening in Singapore. Are you getting all excited and planning a visit too?

x Juan

Huka Prawn Park Restaurant

2010-03-13T21:02:00.001+08:00

In search for fresh, juicy prawns, we arrived at Huka Prawn Park where you can dine and enjoy lots of other activities like prawn fishing, jet-boating etc. This is a place where you can get full education on prawns, from breeding, catching and eating one, at a fee of course.

Alfresco dining by the Waikato River on a perfect day! Table 43, thats our leftover.

Delicious but rather disappointed with the portion.

Fish & Chips

Reckon this can make a good soup base? haha.

An ideal place for family with kids. Food was tasty but I wouldn’t recommend this to peeps who just need a dining location or were on budget. My eye balls almost fell out when I looked at the menu. Fyi, the prawn platter cost us NZD62 which immediately a second voice in my head was screaming…ripped off.

Add: Huka Falls Road, Wairakei Park, Taupo, New Zealand

And since you are here in Taupo, don’t forget to check out Taupo Bungy for a quick fix on your adrenaline rush.

Fish is one of my Favourite Food

2010-03-09T16:57:00.003+08:00

Besides fishes full of prickly bones and little meat, I love most kinds of fish. I love them cooked in many ways; my choice of fish is over meat most of the time. As you can tell, I don’t really think much of eating fish, I order what is interesting on the menu and if it’s sushi, it’s salmon for me.

It will be a different story starting today. I refer to Nadya Hutagalung’s Green Kampong website. She has a great site going about being environmentally conscious and responsible. I read about conscious eating at her website and why we have to do so.

I remember sometime back, someone told me not to consume too much salmon because they were overfished and they are not ‘environmentally friendly to eat’ because “it takes many fishes to grow a salmon fish”. Okay, maybe it is not a 100% accurate statement but you get the drift.

Image taken from WWF Website

WWF is not suggesting we do not eat fish anymore (how can we ever do that?) but to eat with consideration. So they came up with a brochure to help us identify which fishes are farmed with sustainable practices; for everyone’s convenience, it is a printable and foldable piece that fits nicely in our wallets or pockets.

Remember nature’s food chain? It’s time for us to think about what we do and all the consequences that come with it. I’m sure all of us know what kind of world situation we are in, if you are not sure – just tune in to the news and hear about earthquakes, tsunamis, heat-waves and what not. One thing leads to another so let’s keep the earth together – TOGETHER.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Slurp it like the Japanese

2010-03-06T11:39:00.006+08:00

Kel has a thing about "a lady has to EAT like a lady". I break his rule often by simply slurping noodles.

And then, we went to Japan where EVERYONE was slurping - ladies, kids, men... To prove my point, check out the papermat I found at Men-ichi, they even include cupping the bowl and bring it to your mouth.

So now I have the license to slurp and convert him into a slurper as well! The idea is not to be a messy slurper; it is to be an elegant slurper.

Try it, slurp it!

Spiku

2010-03-01T17:04:00.003+08:00

Box with name of cake "Spiku"

Linda was in town last week and we had a blast hanging out and doing girly things like visit Browhaus and sharing cake together at PS Cafe.

Knowing I love anything sweet and indulgent (but no cheesecake please…), Linda brought me Spiku all the way from Surabaya. Some bakeries do have this here and call it Surabaya Cake. I still prefer the original version from Indonesia as they make it less oily, less cream in between the layers; which makes it easier to have the second slice!

Warm Love,
Starningblue

Chill out

2010-02-27T03:11:00.000+08:00

New found place in town to chill out, a great chilling place to rest those tired legs from shopping. But for me, its to find a nice place indoor to get away from the wintery cold.

I had it too.

2010-02-26T03:09:00.000+08:00

I’ve never heard of 盆菜 until my parents preorder them for our family get together dinner when I was back earlier in the year. Then suddenly I kept seeing them on restaurants’ CNY menus. Flavourful is the word. Have you tried one too?

Ah…hate it when Starningblue blog about festive seasons. Don’t get me wrong…its just cos I’m jealous that I can’t feast on any of the goodies that are easily available to her. 7th no CNY to me but hope all had a great one.

Year of the Tiger, Let's Eat!

2010-02-24T16:52:00.006+08:00

I’ve been really good this year! I can easily count the number of pineapple tarts that I chowed down, but didn’t have much of my favourite “white, powdery cookie” (this is how I name Kueh Bangkit since young) because it is no longer baked by my old neighbour auntie.

Unfortunately, 4 out of 5 of us in the family was unwell to varying sickness throughout the holidays. Mum was down with fever on day 1 and I cooked porridge dinner for the family – this is the first time :)

So the most memorable part of Chinese New Year was on the continuous losing end to my sister in Mahjong and reunion dinner at Grandma’s. As life progresses on, I find that I cherish such family get-togethers more, recognizing the fact that with every passing year the group gets smaller and more relatives choose to opt out of celebrating the season together.

All that said; now let’s allow the pictures speak for its own.

Traditional sweets

Wok-Cooked Pumpkin

Hakka 炸肉 ("Fried Pork"), pronounced as zha nyuk in Hakka

Hakka 酿豆腐 (Braised Stuffed beancurd)

Sweet Soup of Beancurd skin with Barley

Doing the Lou Hei

盆菜

How was your Chinese New Year holiday? Hope it was blessed with lots of good food.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Simply the Best!

2010-02-20T06:02:00.000+08:00

King Salmon

The farm with view of Mt Cook

The salmons get to swim in pure fast flowing glacier and snow fed water from the Southern Alps of New Zealand

Us feeding the salmons before our feast

Just caught up from the farm

Only 15mins out of water, these sashimi are so fresh & crunchy that I’ll give it 5 stars!!!

In the Land of Blue Skies

2010-02-14T07:12:00.000+08:00

8mths ago I had an opportunity to make a trip to the Land of Blue Skies, Mongolia, for some volunteering build work. I say opportunity because this trip was only made possible by many kind sponsors (Moi sweet Starningblue was one of them) and also getting through the selection process. I’m a little late in sharing this but here are some of the food I had during that short 2 weeks.

A typical meal in Mongolia will be the dumplings. These dumplings are stuffed with minced mutton and can be eaten in soup with veggies or fried like the Khuushuur below. It will be a pity if you give this a missed cos of its gamey taste.

Pack lunch we had on our normal working days there. Stir fried noodles & omelette rice with beef/mutton…don’t worry if you are not a meat eater… there is always plain omelette with salads, rice & potato.

Stir fry beef with black fungus & eggs. Too salty and oily for my liking.

Some kind of porriage we had for one of our breakfast. Taste rather blunt though = I didn’t really enjoy.

I doubt this is an authentic Mongolia cuisine but these pancakes are so good that we had it everyday, more than one helpings!

The clotted layer on top of heated milk that has been left over several hours. Its tasteless and preferably eaten with some sugar.

Mongolian cakes prepared for their Nadaam Festival.

When it comes to drink, if you aren’t drinking bottled water you’ll be having….

Salted milk tea. If you want to know what it taste like, add more milk and some salt in your tea.

Horse Milk… I can only take ‘Polite’ sips everytime I’m being offered some.

The bottle says it all. You have to try their Vodka!!!

If the food doesn’t impress you enough, the landscape will coz I really fell so deeply in love with this country.

Random in BKK

2010-02-13T05:20:00.000+08:00

Street food

Fried Flowers

The packs above make these purple drinks below…

Traditional food you’ll find at Thai Weddings

Typical eats in BKK

2010-02-13T03:20:00.000+08:00

Tom Yam Kung – Hot & sour soup with prawn

Pineapple rice

Kao Niao Ma Muang – Thai Mango with sticky rice

Fika, e new Swedish Café on e block

2010-02-12T16:38:00.004+08:00

The sun was unforgiving last saturday but we had something to accomplish. We had to be at Arab Street to purchase fabric for my dream gown. Corinna and I were doing the email ding-dong on where to eat before we set off on our mission. Malay food? We left it to spontaneity.

When we were approaching Arab St on Beach Rd, Fika was peeking out at the corner of the row of shops, I knew we had to try this. We can’t help but stay for dessert; it was such a comfortable place to be on a hot afternoon with quiet chatter and cozy, neutral surroundings.

Kel: “I love my food! (he ordered Swedish hash) I enjoy eating this, can you cook like this for me?”
Me: *stress* “…but I’m not really good in cooking angmoh food…”
Kel: “……”

Not sure why, I can throw ingredients together for an asian home cooked dish but I feel intimidated to do the same for a western dish. As a person who likes to eat and cook and then blog about it, I should really snap out of the box isn’t it? The next day I googled the recipe for Swedish hash. Turns out it looks easier than I thought, let’s see when I have some leftover meat it would be a perfect time to try it out.

So embarassed by these green food pictures.. Used the wrong cam filter mode and I'm so bad at image editing, that's why!

Swedish Hash

Breakfast Set

Seafood Marinara

Corinna ordered herself a breakfast set and it was really a big breakfast to enjoy even in the afternoon. The seafood marinara is so-so for me and I though our dessert of apple crumble and Swedish pancakes were just on par.

Swedish Pancake & Ice Cream

Apple Crumble & Ice Cream

What the food lacked in anyway, the ambience definitely made up it. I can imagine a girl’s day out here, a bunch of us having some cake and coffee chilling out of the heat, enjoying some catch up time. Made a mental note to bring Penny, Ginny & Juan here for afternoon tea. :D

Side note: Lace fabric is the next love of my life!

Warm love,
Starningblue

When 2 Mushrooms Meet

2010-02-04T04:30:00.004+08:00

We really didn’t have to wait THIS long to have a meal together! Juanie was in town and we had a mushroomy good time catching up.

Really, never trust someone like me to pick a place for dinner. That’s when overseas guests visit and ask the golden question, “so where’s a good place to eat?” It’s not like I’ve been living in a shell, but we eat, live and *bleep* here day in day out, we run out of consciousness on these things. I feel so numb with the locality that all dinner choices overwhelm, Juanie came up with a great idea to visit Mushroom Park and it was a worth it. I’m just a bit ashamed it came from her, someone who has lived in the UK for a few years now..

Tucked by the side of Raffles Hotel on Seah Street, Mushroom Park is an unassuming little shop. The night we were there, only a handful of tables were occupied and I loved it that way.

It was Juanie’s 2nd visit and my first time at this restaurant, I must say this is the only time I’ve had so much shrooms and greens at one go! We ordered set meal of meat and fish to share so both of us had variety.

Appetizer was a dish made of mushrooms but tasted exactly like pork floss. We had mushroom sashimi too, a chunky version of mushroom that looks like abalone chopped, dip in wasabi and soy, very interesting! The seasoned steamed rice which came with the set meal was really yummy and a must try.

By the end of it, we were stuffed. We didn’t take a picture to commemorate the first ever DeeryLouAromas blogger meal because we didn’t want you to see us in a bloated state. *like real! :D*

Out of BKK…

2010-01-31T05:07:00.002+08:00

Who will know its a restaurant?

This boat is what they used to transport rice in olden days

Thai fish cake Asparagus with meat from the giant prawn legs

Seafood soup

Creamy coconut base soup

Fried rice with creamy crab roe

Grilled fresh water giant prawn – must try!

I failed miserably to take down the address or even the food names but least I remembered to take photos. This restaurant is near the Summer Palace but you do need your own transport to get here. Good food!

@ BKK - the locals’ way…

2010-01-30T06:28:00.002+08:00

Location unknown. Was brought here by our thai friend for a simple lunch…

with our level of hungriness, it didn’t took us long to settle down and order… in fact, we were just glad that the busy buzzing flies were kind enough to give up their seats to us and in return, we shared our food with them… Nah, not really.

Just like our chinese meat balls but with thai sauce dipping

Clear soup fish ball noodle

The dried version with sugar… sugar?

Another clear soup one but with broad noodles

Personally I prefer this… Spicy thai style fish ball noodle

Both of these, top and bottom were made from egg yolk. The above is call Kanom Foy Tong. It is strands of sugary cooked egg yolk made from drizzling it through fine sieve.

This is the Luk-chup that I always thought will be extremely sweet. But I’m glad this didn’t turn me off and surprisingly I don’t hate it. Don’t forget to take the ceramic boat home with you cos you’ve paid for it together with the luk-chup.

Cheap food, natural ventilation, local ambience, and most importantly, not a single tourist. I like.

Dozo Fusion Fine Dining

2010-01-19T16:08:00.007+08:00

The photographic evidence of this blog entry reflects the dreamy-blurry atmosphere of Christmas that just past less than a month ago. The truth is, we were both giddy from food poisoning but the celebration was necessary. We had to do something for our 3rd anniversary, right?

We chewed on these dry sticks - don't get me wrong, these are not twigs from trees.. its actually crunchy and extremely addictive 'japanese noodle biscuits'

I thoroughly enjoyed this place with my bland taste buds, I’m sure food here actually tastes better. The service is unfaultable; too much food leftover would send the supervisor flying to us just to make sure it was not a quality glitch.

Very refreshing starter fruit punch

Entree

Salad with Crabmeat drizzled in Japanese Dressing

Mushrooms & Pastry

Beef on a Cone

Crab Bisque

Baked Escargots

Beef on Hot Stones (Yummy!)

Baked Fish

The attentiveness was appreciated; given the dark lighting, I supposed it would not be easy trying to catch the attention of service staff if they were all lingering by themselves. Portions were bite sized but definitely not to be underestimated – by the time dessert arrives, it is just nicely settled into our stomachs.

This restaurant is highly recommended for an indulgent meal with your other half when you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle to enjoy some quiet time.

Just like this fine dining set meal ended on a sweet note of molten chocolate cake, our christmas passed with a sweet tinge in our hearts.

Location:
491 River Valley Road
#02-02 Valley Point

Warm love,
Starningblue

Rider’s Café

2009-12-08T17:23:00.002+08:00

Once the house moving is done and over, we need to de-stress. Be it a spa retreat, a movie marathon, or we could go to Rider’s Café for breakfast away from the hustle and bustle.

The last time we got lucky calling only the evening earlier to secure a 8.30am reservation – it usually doesn’t happen for a weekend slot. If not, I won’t greet the sun at this ungodly hour on a Sunday!

It turned out to be a very cool and breezy morning. We arrived on time and were seated at the verandah overlooking the stables where the horses and their handlers march in and out from practice. Children look really smart in riding gear and all the horses show off their shiny coat of fur flexing their muscles as they walk by.

The breakfast is good, the view is even better. Top it all off with a delicious cup of café mocha; all in the real world is forgiven and forgotten.

Location: 51 Fairways Drive

Warm love,
Starningblue

Tea Loft

2009-11-07T11:07:00.005+08:00

I have lost my way around Ion at least 4 times and have found new shops every time I do the wrong turn but really, don't ask me where the Oka B shop is, I am still trying to locate that without the touch screen directory.

The basement is easier to navigate, besides snaking through various queues at the different stalls and cafes, the tea loft stands out in decor and warm brightness and just sucks me in.

Corned beef thick toast was my choice of snack and it was goood, even better if it was warmed up a little more. If i allowed myself to indulge, I would have ordered Coffee Melaka - think coffee plus chendol!

I wish this place was my kitchen. The tiffany wall colours, dainty lamps along the walls and all those mirrors...

Have a great weekend, I'm off to furniture, lights and sink shopping later~

Warm Love,

Starningblue

Scones

2009-10-20T20:14:00.009+08:00

Scones are prolly the best afternoon tea I could enjoy, but the best are far far up mount dandenong which prolly takes me 2hrs to get there, and we're not even talking about the queue yet. I once had to wait 45mins or more for ms marples so we gave it a miss. Tip here is to get there aeap(as early as possible, read kiasu) or alap (as late as possible). At least for me I manage to beat the crowd ;) Other dishes are doable, but scones are still the best.

Sticky date pudding

chicken pie

turkey fingers

scones

http://www.missmarples.com.au/
382 Mt. Dandenong-Tourist Road Sassafras VIC

So since its technically unfeasible for me to savour them when the craving calls, the best way is to learn them!

Dreamy cream scones adapted from smitten kitchen

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup currants (I used dried cranberries, and chopped them into smaller bits)

1 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.
4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper (the book’s suggestion) or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece (what I did) and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned if you use this latter method, the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine. As in, I understand why they suggested the first method.)
6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Scones really take practice, so dont expect perfect ms marples quality popping out of your oven on your first try. Though, the jam that goes with your afternoon tea will do its wonders :)

Have a great week ahead!

pen2y

TomTon ShabuShabu

2009-10-16T15:23:00.008+08:00

Sometime back when Peny was in town, we went to have Black Pig for dinner at The Central.

What IS black pig? I thought it was another pampered animal who enjoyed a beer life in Japan like the cow. Turns out, the actual name of this meat is Berkshire Pig. Its texture is tender and smooth, perfect for a bowl of ramen or as we tasted - Shabu Shabu.

4 of us repeatedly soaked the pork into the pot of boiling broth made the soup taste really flavourful. When we started off, the soup was not exciting at all except for a few pieces of thick seaweed. By the end of it, the colour of soup has turned into a lovely brown.

The dipping sauce cannot be done without, along with the chilli paste and grated plum, this makes a very satisfying meal, especially on a rainy day like ours was.

Besides pork, we ordered a set of seafood and vege (we are healthy people~) to share. Once in a while, it is good to indulge in this kind of bliss!

Warm love,

Starningblue

Hofbräuhaus

2009-10-11T06:41:00.001+08:00

The famous beer garden in Munich.

Its history dated back to 1589.

The beer hall

Live music

The bar

The beer garden

Original Munich veal sausages from the HB butchery
with oven-fresh pretzel and sweet mustard

This mug that holds 1L of beer its kinda weighty

You have to check out this place and indulge in its special atmosphere…

Add: Platzl 9, 80331 München

‘Juanie

Greenwood Fish Market

2009-10-03T09:31:00.008+08:00

Greenwood Ave is a hidden gem, although not so hidden now that more restaurants have sprung up and parking lots are almost impossible to find after a certain time of the day. To me, I still love this place for its location away from bustling city centre and customers are mainly laid-back and looking for a casual quiet meal.

Before heading into the bistro at the end of the seafood shop

Ambience

Oysters

Lobster Tofu

Pan Grilled Fish

Reservations are a must and every time I pick up some cards from there to give to friends. Really, I shouldn’t be blogging about this because it would just get busier! Thankfully, they have opened up an extension 2 doors down to cope with the crowd and to make sure more of us get to enjoy the experience.

New extension

Tuesdays are Oyster Nights; another is Sashimi Night and another is Crab Night. The Greenwood Fish Bistro is definitely for anyone looking for really fresh seafood.

Wonder when my next visit is, I never get tired of this place!

Location: 34 Greenwood Avenue

Warm love,
Starningblue

Zugspitze

2009-10-03T07:02:00.001+08:00

At 2,964m high, Zugspitze is Germany’s highest mountain! And lucky me got to check out the dining experience on the summit. @ Gipfelalm – Germany highest beer garden

Sausage salad – its all good until after many helpings, you’ll get sick of it; kinda overdose with the slices over slices of sausages.

Fish with potato salad – fresh and nicely done.

Apple strudel

Mocha Latte

Top it with spectacular view. No complaints.

‘Juanie

New Lucky Claypot Rice

2009-09-19T11:23:00.003+08:00

We already had a favourite haunt for Claypot Rice before visiting this stall. Only upon multiple recommendations Kel and I decided to try this place to find out how good it really is. I was told it can get crowded even on unsuspecting weekdays.

So before we went, I gave them a call to place our order. True enough, we still had to wait about half an hour on top of the time we took to make our way there. With all the good things we heard about this place, our expectations were held high.

I should have taken a picture of the Claypot Rice when it is served. The claypot rice was served pale and white. No sauce or seasoning - apparently, it is a do-it-yourself concept. Then we try our hand at seasoning it ourselves. After scoops of rice into small bowls we realize the chicken, chinese sausage and salted fish toppings were not enough to fill the whole Claypot evenly so we felt we were eating rice with dark sauce more than anything.

We had soup too and it was nothing to shout about.

Being neutral about it, maybe they should season the dish with oil and dark sauce for us just so that we have the same quality of food every time and it’s not dependent on the customers ability to gauge how much to put in. And maybe for that price, it should have had more salted fish than 2 tiny slices with the thickness of sliced ham.

Nevertheless, this place can be ’back-up’ when one is desperate for Claypot Rice and there isn’t one nearby.

Location: Block 328 Clementi Ave 2

Anyone has recommendations for chomp-worthy Claypot Rice in Singapore?

Warm love,
Starningblue

Getting more foodie

2009-09-16T20:09:00.011+08:00

Been busy with falling sick, thus lack of post ;) But doesnt mean I havent been eating! In fact, Im learning more hidden foodies and Im here to reveal some of the many.This time on, the address will follow if you happen to tour/live in melbourne so you know where to go!

Friend's boyfriend came to visit and so I had my fun share of exploring back alley cafes(though not really) that served awesome poach eggs(with cheese that tasted like quiche. Yum)

Breakfast stacks

Learning how to sip latte

Toi's strawberry smoothie in a tin cup. Lols

My male model

The all-day brekkie menu

We got there about 1130(got lost for 20mins) and it was packed full. A small cafe but with loads of rustic chairs and tables. Great chillout place for a cuppa or brunch you are a late riser. Good news is breakfast's all day on Sunday in melbourne;)

Green Refactory
Sydney Rd, Brunswick Cafe

Doing what a good host will do, I woke up at 9(again) on a weekend to head to south melbourne for some hearty breakfast.
Interesting concept they have is the moment you alight tram 96, voila! Youre at their cafe already=) The Hollandaise sauce was awesome, mushrooms were fresh(but 3bucks to include them in your meal) and just dig the sourdough. Best thus far. It was worth my sleep.
Lack of pictures because theyre not in my cam, sadly.

Mart130
Middle Park Light Rail Stop
107a Canterbury Rd
Middle Park 3206

Wagyu steak with rice.

Toi and my sushi sashimi boat

Found this place in the midst of searching for good jap food in melbourne. Sick of Cheap dondons and overpriced small portions in town. Not that Matsumoto serves any more that town restaurants, I have to admit their wagyu steak was pretty awesome and my boat was fufilling. Not superb, but satisfying. I thought it wouldnt be enough for us to share but I was bloated when we finished.

Matsumoto
48 Lygon StBrunswick East 3057 VIC

Crumpets

2009-09-06T02:18:00.002+08:00

Recently I’m having this crumpet addiction, a change from typical pancakes. Its rather bland eaten alone so after a quick toast, I like to top it with butter (let it melt) or jam. Tried it with Philadelphia too but its not to my liking.

Simply love its spongy texture…. is this available in SG?

*Juanie*

Shelf Life

2009-09-04T16:51:00.004+08:00

I don’t cook every single day yet I have loads of condiments, sauces and powders on my kitchen trolley. Sometimes in the morning I decide to cook beef for dinner that day then I change my mind so its back to the fridge for next day or whatever. What about the oils we have in the kitchen? I suppose it is hard to keep track how long it has been there and know for sure how long it can be stocked on our shelves.

Did you know that dried packed angel hair pasta has a shelf life of 3 years? I know because I recently discovered Still Tasty. A colleague of mine passed this on to a few of us who love cooking but hey, don’t all of us need to know such information too? This website is pretty comprehensive with whole chock lists of ingredients and how long we should be keeping them; in the fridge, on our pantry or in the freezer.

So have any one of you GUESSED whether you could still use the leftover ham in the fridge for a sandwich, would that bar of chocolate on the snack table still be good, how long you could keep fresh chicken before it is too fuzzy for cooking?

Go on, click in and find out for yourself!

Warm love,
Starningblue

Most Young-At-Heart Birthday Mum

2009-08-25T17:37:00.006+08:00

Family and friends met up at Kong Inn Restaurant in JB for a cheery dinner to celebrate Mum’s big day. The spread was delectable and the guests were certainly spoilt!

The culprit bottle of dessert wine which got Gny a bit "tanned"

Marinated chicken feet was the appetizer highly raved by dish lovers. Personally, I don't enjoy this delicacy much so let's leave it for those who appreciate it. :p

Longevity Noodles

Abalone salad

Cold Platter, those little golden balls on the below right are superlicious scallops!

Mummy's fave stewed Pig Trotters.

After allll those food, we are surprised with STEAMBOAT! *jaw drop*

We were all served wasabi and sauce to dip the huge clam raw or we could blanch it in the pot of soup for another version.

This is not just another oyster, this is THE biggest oyster I have seen. Compare the shell size with the dinner fork! It's almost the size of my palm if I were to hold it in my hand.

Steamboat is not over, now comes juicy prawns and homemade meat balls AND crab. We were served self-made belachan. Spicy but shiok~

Crab is so fresh, the leg of this beast is still twitching. Totally caught me off guard when I was looking through my cam screen and it was moving. *hah*

My parents are friends with the restaurant's staff, they presented a beautiful bouquet and it made Mummy happy. How sweet~

Happy 55th Birthday to lovely Mummy!

Warm love,
Starningblue

TGIF!

2009-08-22T05:44:00.004+08:00

Today is a day to call for a celebration not only coz its Friday but also coz of some good news. So good that even the pain of my torn muscle seems insignificant. I can now blow the grey clouds away and sleep like a baby.

Tonight is a good time to stuff myself silly. Do you usually cook on Friday? I don’t. If I’m not eating out, I’ll go for take-away / ready meal.

Have a great weekend!

~ Juanie ~

Jago Close Carrot Cake

2009-08-21T16:01:00.005+08:00

Who loves Carrot Cake? I remember when I was studying overseas, this was something I would miss most and Carrot Cake is a dish that would make me feel home sick. *besides mummy’s cooking! Of course..*

Frankly Jago Close is not the best place to be on weekend mornings, not many parking lots and the coffee shop is cramped and reeks of different cooked food but it is worth all that hassle.

We usually choose to sit outside at the tables next to the main road for ventilation and space. Sunday mornings are busy but the wait for yummy Carrot Cake is not too long for agony.

Black or white?

Personally, I prefer the dark sauce carrot cake. For chilli lovers, you will definitely enjoy the carrot cake here.
Moist and soft textured carrot cake, partnered with just the right amount of dark sauce; it’s just great with fragrant local coffee for a sinful breakfast on a lazy Sunday.

Warm love,
Starningblue

Tau Yu Bak 豆油肉

2009-08-18T16:08:00.002+08:00

Some recipes online are reliable, some are use-at-your-own-risk. Usually, I exercise some discretion with what to throw in. This recipe for tau yu bak is found online. There are certain dishes in Singapore served with pepper which was not my taste. (for example, the bak kut teh!) I’m glad I omitted pepper in this dish if not it would have been totally different and turned my appetite off.

Never rush the cooking of this recipe, it usually takes 2 hours before it starts to taste heavenly. Reheat it overnight, it is even better! Ahh, thinking of it makes me drool now~

Ingredients:

1lb belly and shoulder pork, chopped into bite size
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 star anise
1 tsp peppercorns (omitted)
1.5 tbsp dark soya sauce (I added more)
2 tbsp light soya sauce
3 cups water (I added more for more gravy)
Salt to taste
4 hard boiled eggs
(I added tiny bit of oyster sauce too)

How to:

Put star anise, dark and light soya sauce with water and bring to boil.

Add pork, garlic cloves and hard boiled eggs in, simmer on low heat until meat is tender and sauce thicken. (Usually at least 1.5-2hours) Cook further if you like thicker sauce.

Add salt to taste.

Easy busy!

Warm love,
Starningblue

Lo and behold,

2009-08-05T21:48:00.005+08:00

Living in melbourne has their perks too, like taking this for granted when it's so accessible. Never thought I'd blog about this until that very day everyone ordered the unusuals other than souffle and waffle x) I think I'll miss him so bad after I leave aussieland.

The King of all sinful obsessions..

Max Brenner!

Belgium waffle with extra choc topping
The ultimate all-time souffle

Truffle with more melted choc

Bahka; cinnamon muffin with more more choc

I think I can save on my words and let the pictures do the drooling for now ;)

Staying in…

2009-08-01T21:21:00.003+08:00

The barbeque weather that we were promised never did arrive. Weatherman says Summer is cancelled! Ever since I was back from a trip 1 mth ago, it has been raining none stop. Its all grey, gloomy and somehow depressing. Rain keeps me indoor… I really need something to perk myself up… something sweet.

No name, no recipe. I threw in whatever is left from the last bake and send it into the oven. A kinda moist Chocolaty Love.

Chilling at home.

Turning into a hermit from the credit crunch & weather. Hope my next trip to the sunny island will come soon…

Drooling,

Juan

Thank you!

2009-08-01T12:21:00.004+08:00

Pen & Gny,

Thanks for the birthday gift, it is a meaningful book and a pleasant surprise!

Yay!

Another great baking book to make me a better baker. (well, at least to make me look like I know what I'm doing!)

Hugs n Kisses,

Starningblue