Pomegranates...If anyone ever tells you to buy a pomegranate OR if you ever get deceived by the lucious colours of a pomegranate, you are in for a ride.
Over the weeks, I've tried pomegranate juice which is awfully acidic. Not giving up, I even decided to buy the actual fruit to have a taste of the original. One word sums it up all: BAD.
Not worth the money.
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2) Sis stocked up lamb from her last visit to Melbourne.
So what did we have?
Saturday Dinner
- Wild Mushroom Soup
- Grilled Spiced Honey Pear and Blue Cheese Salad
- Lavender and Rosemary infused Lamb Loins served with Warm Onion and Apricot Sauce
- Whipped Potato Foam & Haricot Beans
- Creme Brulee
The lamb loins were literally air-flown from Melbourne and I have to admit that I was a little hesitant dealing with them since they were so thin and I was afraid of overcooking it. I resorted to grinding lavender, rosemary, my himalayan pink salt, a dash of truffle oil and olive oil as a rub. The lamb loins comfortably set in that mixture before being panfried. I must say, it turned out a huge success. Tender Lamb loins served on a bed of potato foam with a warm onion and apricot sauce. Yummy. I didn't expect lavender to go so well with lamb. It heighted the sweeteness of the pink flesh.
The potato foam was a new experiment. Instead of the heavy creamy mashed potato usually served with roast meats, this was a fluffy foamy concoction that didn't detract from the richness you usually get (or don't) with conventional whipped potato. It was surprisingly even lighter than scrambled eggs. Had to make sure I kept little bits of potato intact for texture contrast. Inspired by Joel Robuchon.
As for the creme brulee, only one word. Heavenly. So good, I've decided to stop my bread and butter puddings and work on this.
Sunday Dinner
After that rich and heavy dinner, we decided to cleanse *right* and opt for a lighter dinner on Sunday. It unfortunately didn't manifest since Sis was going to have a potluck in office and I was tasked on creating a stew. Of course, we also opted for a salad dinner, with the stew as a side dish. We joked about cooking for the hungry ghouls who have yet to return haha. Imagine:
1.5kg of beef
15 tomatoes, plum, pomodoros and beef varieties
8 sun-dried tomatoes
8 large carrots
8 large onions
2 boxes of mushrooms
2 cans of beer
2 slices of wholemeal bread
2 packs of baby potatoes
1 bunch of celery
1 clove of smoked garlic
1 fennel
I somehow don't enjoy the idea of dumping all that into a pot and call it a stew. Properly stews involves browning the meat, carmelising the mire-poix into what I call, "onion jam", before adding liquids and stewing it for a good 3 hours. Ingredients go into the pot in a particular sequence because the moisture content of each individual vegetable is different.
Tangy Yuzu...
Then there was the honey glazed roast chicken salad with an orange & yuzu miso dressing which was a main. In case you haven't already realised, I love yuzu for its taste. It has so much more dimensions than the ordinary orange or the mandarin. At home, the salad is literally a meal on its own. There wasn't the opportunity to go for seconds. And we haven't even touched the stew.
Nothing like rich juicy grapes...
To round off the meal, there was nothing like good quality grapes. The Japanese Kyoho Grapes were a little out of range with the $25.90 price tags so we opted instead for the Korean Grapes which were more affordable instead. Nothing like the original but still, it was sweet and rich. Trust me, after eating good quality grapes, those costing $6.90 a kg are really hmm...tasteless.
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Date : August 18 2006
Venue : 11 Unity Street, #01-09 Robertson Walk
The first time I visited Canele, I fell in love with it. Not only were the cakes and hot chocolate scrumptious, the place was an excellent for having a great time chilling out with the peeps. It was really one of the few places you could hold a conversation without having to contend with loud music and people who seem to enjoy haveing microphones for breakfast.
But alas! Canele serves such good desserts that it has attracted a large following, thus making it almost impossible to hang out there and have quiet conversation. Fortunately, as David, Ben and I found out on Friday, Canele's cakes still never fail to impress.
While there was a new cake or two at the counter that evening, I decided to stick with my favorite - L'Amour.
Canele couldn't be more right when they described this sweetheart of a cake as a " A riot of pinkish flavours and textures". The firm kirsch soaked almond cake base, the melts-in-your-mouth rose macaron, crumbly rose meringue, soft Rose-flavored cream, sweet raspberry marmalade, and the tang of red fruits (raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant). How could any girl resist this gem? The best bit about this cake? The rose flavor is not overpowering. It's light and overall, not too sweet.
The second cake we ordered was Macha, which was essentially a green tea mousse and chest nut cream layered with green tea biscuit and almond crumble.
Initially, it took a bite or two to acquire a taste for this. Soon after, the nutty flavors of the tea and chestnut start to fill your mouth and you'll actually find yourself taking smaller bites to extend the eating experience. Like L'Amour, its flavors were not overpowering nor was it sweet.
Finally, we had a Tarte Citron. When we first saw it at the counter, what caught our eye was the pretty way the torched Italian meringue was styled, topped with tiny strips of candied lemon peel. But, as soon as I saw that it had lemon cream in it, I insisted that this was something we had to try.
While I suspected that Ben and David might have found the lemon cream a little too sour for their liking, I absolutely adored it. It was tangy and refreshing, the perfect compliment to the meringue. However, the almond tart was a little too hard and we had some problems cutting through it. It really seemed like something you'd want to throw at a cheating partner ;)
Total Bill : ??? Would Ben kindly fill this part in please?
In short, if you love cakes and are willing to try anythine else other than boring chocolate, Canele just might be the place for you. However, be prepared to wait or make a reservation if you are visiting during a weekend. This place is becoming hot!
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Date: August 18, 2006
Venue : 15/17 Smith Street ( Chinatown)
A loyal Ka Soh fan , I would have never thought of trying this much talked about restaurant had David not suggested we check the place out for dinner last night. While the dinner experience was nothing much to scream about, the food was reasonably good and there was a little to regret about.
One thing I'd like to highlight here is NEVER visit this establishment on a blistering hot day. We dined around 7 in the evening and it was still unpleasantly warm. It did not help that the place lacked air-conditioning ( they actually had it but refused to turn it on) and we had to make do with fans.
That aside, service was neither bad nor was it excellent. What I liked about the place was that our meal came quick. We barely waited 15 minutes after ordering our four dishes : their signature XO Fish Meat Bee Hun soup, Sum Lo Hor Fun (sliced fish Hor Fun stir fried with bean sprouts), stir friend chinese spinach, and Deep Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken.
The first dish to arrive was the Sum Lo Hor Fun. Unlike other restaurants, the fish did not smell fishy and had a very clean taste. At the same time, the bean sprouts were not overcooked and remained crunchy, while soaking up the flavor of the dish. Overall, I enjoyed it very much because it was light, although some might find it a little bland for their tastes.
The second dish which arrived was the chinese spinach (or po choy) which was obviously poached before being stir fried with garlic. A brilliantly green dish, you'll be pleased to know that the garlic was not overpowering at all. Although it was simple and tasty, the dish was a tad bit salty for me.
Next in line was the restaurant's signature dish. By the time it had arrived, I was already brimming with much anticipation. I wanted to know what the hype was all about. Unlike the one at Ka Soh, the addition of XO to the broth gave the soup an extremely pale coffee color and sort of left a slightly herbal after taste. While tasty, the soup was a little sweet and towards the bottom of the bowl, it had a somewhat powdery texture.
Personally, the highlight of the meal was the Deep Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken. Usually, I take my chicken skin-off but because this was so good, I ate it as it was. Unlike most places, the shrimp paste was not overpoweringly pungent and the lime juice did not much to enhance the flavor. Did I mention the meat was juicy too?
However, the biggest surprise came with the bill. For all that we ordered, we only paid $31.20 . It is extrememly cheap compared to Ka Soh and considering the quality of the food, it was real value for money.
At the end of the day, was the XO Fish Meat Bee Hun soup worth all they hype? Frankly , no. But is it worthy enough to render another visit from me? Yes.
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Apologies for not posting. Unfortunately, I have not received much opportunity to try much new food lately. However, we'll be goint to try out the famed Holland Village X.O. Fish Head Bee Hoon ( Rice Vermicelli) this Friday and hopefully, all will be good :)
Till then, here's a really lazy recipe. Simple but yummilicious.
Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon with Honey Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients:
For Salmon:
- A Salmon Fillet
- Salt
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning ( I use Masterfoods')
For Potatoes
- Sliced or quartered potatoes with skin still on
- Sliced Onions
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- A pinch of Salt
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- A teaspoon of dry mustard (optional)
- A pinch of ground black pepper
Cooking:
Season your salmon fillet with the Lemon Pepper and salt before wrapping it in cling wrap. Store it in the refridgerator for an hour or two before grilling. If you don't have a grill, you could pan fry it too. Remember to be healthy and try not to use too much oil ;)
For the potatoes, mix the honey, salt, pepper, mustard, butter in a bowl. Grease your baking tin before placing the potatoes in a single layer and top it with the onions. Drizzle the honey-butter mixture over the potatoes and place the dish into a 190 degree oven for 35 minutes or until tender. At the fifteen or twenty minute mark, give the potatoes and onion a stir, making sure they are evenly coated with the mixture.
Once it's done, serve with broiled veggies and enjoy!
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After going through a round of gruelling interviews, I decided to treat myself to a Roasted Veggie Pasta. While chopping the veggies is takes some effort, the cooking process is real easy and the results never fail to tantalize my taste buds. Really yummy comfort food =)
Actually, I kind of ripped this recipe of Ben but I've added a few things here and there to make it my own. So to make this yummy pasta dish you'll need ...
- Sundried Tomatoes in Oil ( from Cold Storage or Jason's Supermarket)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Baby carrots, roughly chopped into chunks
- Thinly sliced red onio
- A clove or two of garlic all chopped up
- Fresh Button Mushrooms
- Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella
- Eggplant
- Freshly chopped Basil
- Sliced Red and Yellow Peppers
- Pasta ( I always use fusilli)
Once you have all the ingredients, it's all so simple. Preheat the oven to 180 degress. Place your peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, basil, and a tablespoon or two of the sundried tomato oil, which carries the sweet flavor of the tomatoes and the fragrance of various herbs. A dash of salt, a dash of ground black pepper, toss it all around and put it in the oven for about 15 to 30 minutes.
At the same time, start slicing your mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and chopping your egg plant. Never throw away the stock of the mushroom. You'll find that by adding it into the dish, it provides a nice chewy texture. Boil your pasta in boiling salt water and when the pasta is almost cooked, throw in your broccoli flowerets, count to thirty , remove from the heat and get rid of the water.
Five minutes before you want your roasting to be done, throw in the sundried tomatoes, eggplant and mushrooms. Once they are tender, remove the veggies from the oven, add the pasta and broccoli and toss it around so that the pasta is evenly coasted with veggie juices and the flavored oil. I always add chilli flakes at this point ;)
Finally, cut cherry tomatoes into quarters and either slice or break apart your buffalo mozzarella. Once the pasta and veggies are cooled, add the cherry tomatoes and cheese, toss it around and you are ready to serve.
Not luxurious but definitely a heartwarming and comforting dish. Enjoy!
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Wow! It has been a long time. Even though we're out school, I can't believe that we let this blog slip into another state of stagnation. So once again, we're sorry! We've been either bust at work or finding that jobs that I guess updating this blog was the last thing on our minds *eeks*
So anyway, I haven't been to much new places to eat lately and thus am not able to recommend more new places for you foodies to out there to try. However, there was this Char Siew Rice (Barbequed meat and rice) stall that I visited some time at the Beach Road Hawker Centre last month which served some really good char siew and double boiled soups. I can't remember the name or how much I spent there but the next time I visit, I promise to furnish you guys with the details.
Till then, here is a new recipe!
Ingredients
- Raw prawns, shells removed, deveined and finey chopped
- A few pieces of scallop, roughly chopped
- Finely grated fresh root ginger
- Spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- A dash of Sesame Oil
- A dash of dark soy sauce
- Salt
- Slices of toasted brown bread
- White sesame seeds
- Canola oil for deep frying
Method
- Mix the prawns and scallop with the ginger , spring onion, egg white, cornflour, sesame oil, soy sauce and salt .
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with the prawn mixture, and dip the filling side into sesame seeds.
- Deep fry the toast in hot oil, over a moderate heat, filling side up until golden brown and this takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Drain on absorbent paper and serve straight away with chilli sauce.
Ben also suggested that this recipe could be done with calimari and I'm thinking crayfish or lobster would be pretty nice as well. For the chilli sauce, those bottled ones from the super market would be fine but I'm a tad bit fussier so I'll serve it using home-made chilli sauce.
It's really simple. Just take a few big red chillies, some chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, and bird's eye chilli (optional unless you want some oompf in your sauce); fry it with a tablespoon or two of canola oil till the chillies are soft and onions are transluscent; put the veggies in a food processor; add some salt and sugar; blend it and you're ready to go. The tomatoes should provide more than enough liquid but if you need more, just add a little water.
And there you go... a really hearty tea time snack or party favours. Enjoy !
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