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. My Tasting Palette .
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. In celebration of food and dining experiences . |
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Exploring and discovering new restaurants Dining and chilling out with my loved ones Baking and cooking over the weekends Sharing my love for food with others
Vanilla bean pods (one can never have enough) Valrhona Cocoa powder Valrhona chocolate Macarons from Laduree and Pierre Herme Madelines mold Pretty cake stands (I only have one and only one) YUZU from Japan! (They taste great in almost anything) A food tour to Italy and France Opportunity to study at Le Cordon Bleu |
Sunday, November 25, 2007 Easy Peasy Sunday lunch  Penne Alla Vodka Since my dad’s away on a business trip, we wanted to have a no-frills Sunday lunch because we are all too tired and lazy to go out to eat. Without much of a thought, J and I decided to cook penne alla vodka- simple, and comforting tomato based sauce with a splash of vodka together with minced beef and sliced sausages. Also, I toasted my favourite sunflower seed bread from Breadtalk. I actually had baguette cravings but when J and I Went to Breadtalk, but it was too early and they only had limited selections. Bought ready-made puff pastry from the supermarket and made an apple cinnamon pastry topped with honey ice-cream that J and I made the previous afternoon. All it takes is 20 minutes and we all had a yummy treat at the end the meal. Currently reading my latest addition to my bookshelf, Paris Sweets by Doris Greenspan, I can’t wait to start baking. =)
Breadtalk Sunflower seed bread with Olive oil and balsamic vinegar  apple puff pastry with honey ice cream Saturday delight- Classic Pound Cake and Sage I've just added another cookbook to my collection- Paris Sweets by Doris Greenspan. I have been eyeing it for the longest time and I regretted not buying it earlier. I love the members' sale at Kino cause I managed to get that coupled with food magazines! =) J and I spent Saturday afternoon making Classic Pound Cake. Pound cakes are under- appreciated, really. To many, the pound cake is often seen as plain, and uninteresting cake. However, this 1700s cake when well-done, is really a pleaser especially when eaten with tea. Its name originated from the first pound cake which was made with a pound each of butter, sugar, and flour. Today, though there are different variations of the pound cake, the measurements still follow closely to the traditional ones. I need to find time to bake another classic pound cake real soon. This time, I'll let it stay in the oven for awhile longer to remove the moisture in the cake. Other than that, the flavours are perfect.  Classic Pound Cake[Dinner at Sage] The last time I headed to Sage only to find myself disappointed because they are not open for lunch. This time, J and I made a reservation for dinner which was a good thing because the restaurant was full house for the evening. Sage has minimalist decor with an open concept kitchen so you can see Chef Jusman So and his team at action which was an interesting sight. My seat gave me the full view of the kitchen. It was inspiring to watch them cook though I feel that it must be rather pressuring to be under watchful eyes. We were greeted by immaculate and friendly service which is one of the most important criteria that I have. The walnut bread looked good but it was only mediocre as the crust was rather chewy for some strange reasons.  Walnut bread with butterWe were served with complimentary amuse bouche to whet our appetite. It was cold tomato soup with avocado paste and caviar. Not particularly outstanding but it certainly did its job by making me feel hungry for more. I was surprised that the avocado paste actually went well with the tomato.  Amuse bouche The appetisers were really interesting and we had a hard time choosing what to have. We shared our appetisers- the first was pan-seared duck foie gras with pistachio crust and fig compote, apple puree and a dressing of red grape mustard vinegar. This was done well. Not the best but it was delightful eating the nicely seaered foie gras with perfect accompaniments.  A risotto of Burgundy escargot and tiger prawns flambéed with pastis, Parmesan crusted poached egg and Italian parsley foam  Pan-seared duck foie gras with pistachio crust and fig compote, Granny Smith apple puree and a dressing of red grape mustard vinegar Our second appetiser was the risotto of burgundy escargot and tiger prawns flambeed with pastis parmesan crusted poached egg and parsley foam. J commented that he didn't expect it to look like what it did but it was really good. The ingredients were harmonious and it left me wanting more. With such good appetisers, I was looking forward to my duck confit. It isn't something that I'll normally order but I was not too inspired from the menu though they had quite a few mains to choose from. The duck confit looked promising but it was on the salty side. I must say that the sides- baby potatoes, sauteed field mushrooms and green beans were really good. Flavourful and perfect complement to the duck confit.  Duck leg confit with Salardaise ratte potatoes and sautéed field mushrooms, French green beans and orange scented Pommery mustard jus J ordered the Australian grain fed lamb loin with a cassoulet of summer beans scented with garlic, rosemary. The crispy parmigiano-reggiano (parmesan cheese) added a nice touch to the dish. The failing was that the lamb loin was too rare even though he ordered it to be medium done. The center of the meat is totally red so we sent it back to the kitchen. After that, everything went well but I was too full for desserts. I suspect that it is caused by the fattiness of the duck confit.  Australian grain fed lamb short loin with a cassoulet of summer beans scented with garlic, rosemary and lardons, crispy Parmigiano Reggiano and Roma tomato coulis Overall, I think we had a good experience at Sage and will probably check back sometime later especially for their appetisers. After we called for the bill, we left and settled at Tasting Notes for some wine and a good chat. How I wish that life could be like this Saturday. *** Sage, The Restaurant 11 Unity Street #02 -12 Robertson Walk Singapore 237995 Tel: (65) 6333 8726 Monday, November 19, 2007 Ambitious Sunday Cooking- Asian styled dinner and sweets I haven’t cooked an entire meal for a long time. This can only be summed up in one word- Exhaustion. I can hardly find the time and mood to cook after working for 5 days of the week. I know exhaustion is my euphemism for “laziness”. After all, many mothers do cook dinners for the family after a hard day’s of work. I’m also determined to give my family (and children, if I have any) home-cooked meals in the future because I’m simply against the oil-laden and MSG-ridden food being sold outside. Above all, nothing can beat the joys of tucking into a hot soup, and simple dishes cooked with love. On Sunday, I was determined to overcome my inertia to work in the kitchen. It was easy as all I needed was to turn to my cookbooks for some inspiration. And inspired I was. Here’s the list of what J and I prepared in the few hours that we were stuck in the kitchen: lime yoghurt cupcakes (for tea), Japanese influenced spinach with black sesame, Thai-styled chicken skewers, roasted vegetable with mozzarella, Pan seared fillets with lime butter sauce, rounding up with chocolate lava cake (for dessert). And yes, my body was bearing the effects of this when I woke up this morning. But I can proclaim that slaving away in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon is my kind of fun. I don’t know about J, maybe I put him through the torture but he does seem to enjoy it too. The lime yoghurt cupcakes recipe was picked out from my copy of Delicious, Oct 07’. It looks pretty and it has subtle hints of “healthiness” though I believe that I’m just trying to delude myself into thinking so.
Lime yoghurt cupcakes The cupcakes turned out with a golden brown tan, the lime zest did its work thoroughly and I believed that it was indeed a better choice than lemon that the recipe suggested. The texture was a little chewy unlike normal cupcakes-this must have been a result of the yoghurt used. I’m not sure if I will be a big fan of the slightly soft and chewy texture; somehow, I was craving for that lightness and fluffy texture. But nonetheless, these cupcakes were a lovely tea time treat. J and I simply picked them out of their tins and ate them while they were still warm. The dinner items were preparations-heavy but easy to cook. So we prepared the cake mixture for the lava cake and place them in the fridge before we sliced away the bell peppers, aubergines, and did the marinates for the chicken.
I love roasted vegetables- Roasted red and yellow bell peppers and aubergines
Spinach nicely decorated by J We overestimated the portions of the food so all of us had to eat a great deal before we finished 90% of the food on the table. My parents like the seared fillets a lot. My dad sounded rather surprised that I didn’t overcook or undercook the fillets actually.
Thai Chicken Skewers Ok, so the chicken skewers were a little salty but they were nicely baked and had a tangy flavour to them. I think they will make great party snacks! =) The lava cake was well-received. My family is a bunch of chocoholics. They live and breathe chocolate. (Mainly my dad and sis). So the four mini lava cakes were not quite enough. Oh I found a perfect complement to the lava cake- my super lemony sorbet. Lava cakes are a breeze, really, both in the making as well as the eating. You should really try your hand at making some chocolate lava cakes for an after-dinner treat or just to indulge your sweet tooth during tea time.
Molten lava cake with lemon sorbet Saturday, November 10, 2007 Garlic and Parsley Bread- A good lesson I love breads- the sourdoughs, the sweetbreads, the multi-grains and foccacia, I even dig a simple baguette. After spying on a garlic & parsley bread recipe, I decided to attempt that.
This being a virgin attempt at bread, I was pretty anxious about getting everything right. I even told J to get 100g of parsley which was twice the amount that we needed. The process of bread making is really a test of patience. It took us about 3.5hrs to 4hrs from start to finish- from measuring and mixing the ingredients, to kneading the dough, to letting the dough rise, to baking the whole garlic etc. It's tedious work. Everything seemed to go perfectly well- risen dough, and looking kinda delicious right out with the right browness from the oven. With excitement and anticipation, I bite into one of the breads. And boy was I terribly disappointed. The center of the bread was 'doughy'. The texture wasn't light enough. I had to comfort myself by saying that it was a good lesson nonetheless. Determined, I went to borrow the book 'Confessions of a French baker' to understand how to get the perfect loaf. I will definitely start with something more modest the next time round. Maybe like a simple white bread before attempting more fanciful creations.  pestle and mortar  Before we place them in the oven The mark of a good weekend Friday dinners mark the start of the anticipated weekend. So, Grace, J and I had a comforting dinner at familiar Menotti. Part of the reason why we ended up there was because Thos SB at Swisshotel, a tiny cafe/bistro, was closed by 8pm! Can you believe that! Menotti serves up decent italian-influenced desserts at more than affordable prices. Grace had her cannoli craving satisfied while I just had hazelnut gelato which was very good. I admit that it was the first time I ate gelato at Menotti because I am always too tempted by the rather large and exciting dessert selection.  To satisfy Grace's cravings... Cannoli from Menotti Hazelnut ice-cream with Amaretto sauce*** I thought that Amaretto sauce was made from pure almonds because of its almond taste. It turns out that even though it is almond liquer, it is made from the influsion of stone fruits (eg. peaches) and almond biscotti. ***
Saturday was the day I looked forward to: lunch at Au Petit Salut. When I was younger, my dad enjoy bringing us to Au Petit Salut, at Chip Bee Gardens for simple but satisfying french fare. I remember how I love the breads are served with butter. We only stopped going back recently because the standard of the food dropped.However, they have since opened a new restaurant at Harding Road and converted their outlet at Chip Bee Garden to Bistro Au Petit Salut. This was the second time that J and I went there for lunch. In his words, there are "no failings in the food served here". Indeed. The three courses were really a delight to eat. In fact, the joy comes the moment you take your first bite of the warm, sliced baguette with butter. This is the second time I am ordering the baked escargots because the flavours just hit the right spot- the garlic, the basil, the tomatoes. J thought that the pumpkin soup is really good as well. The Escolar fish has a unique texture. It is a very mild flavoured fish. However, it is seared very well with the right balance of flavours- the sea salt, the freshness of the tomatoes, the bitter rocket leaves coupled with a tangy vinaigrette. Desserts were very good as well. The souffle was baked to perfection. The dark chocolate pudding matched well with the coffee ice cream and hazelnuts. We left the place feeling very satisfied once again. Will definitely take my sis there after her exams. Be patient Jiam. =)  Warm baguette in a basket at Au Petit Salut, Harding Road  Baked Burgendy snails with tomatoes and garlic butter  1/2 a dozen is simply not enough!
 Pan seared Escolar fish served with parsnip mash, tomato vinaigrette and rocket salad Braised lamb ribs with polenta
 Dark chocolate and hazelnut pudding with coffee ice cream Thursday, November 08, 2007 My kind of Deepavali holiday I look forward to public holidays and I treasure them so much more ever since I started work. Determined not to let the day go to waste, J and I decided to go for a walk and to go out to eat. The weather wasn't on our side; our plans to talk a walk at the Botanical Gardens were foiled. We then ended up at Tanglin Village to check out Jones the grocer and Culina Deli-Pretty cool though overpriced stuff. After window shopping, we headed to one of our favourite haunts at Holland Village- Da Paolo's Pizza Bar. We love the pizza served there; thin crisp good pizza. We shared a warm appetiser and a pizza. Our meal started off with a simple but lovely stuffed baked portebello which spells of homemade goodness.  Portebello mushroom served with salad greensBut it was the pizza that made us talk about it even after we left the place. We had the pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola and caramelized onions. Though the combination sounds strange, I can assure that you would not be disappointed. Then again, I would have to warn those who are adverse to strong cheese. The smell of gorgonzola hit us immediately when it was served. Being a blue-veined cheese, its taste is distinct and it comes with a bite.  The very deceivingly plain looking pizzaThe caramelized onions brought about a desirable sweetness that toned down the bite from the gorgonzola while the mozzarella brought about the familiar taste of pizza. This pizza is a winner in every sense and what's more, it comes with a nice bed of baby spinach. After feeling full and satisfied, we went to hunt for vanilla extract but the whole of Tanglin Village and Holland Village did not have the extract. WHY oh WHY! I need to stock up on vanilla when I can. However, my futile search did not dampen my mood for baking. In fact, it made me even more determined to bake my brownies. I decided to replace the vanilla with Kahlua instead. Strangely enough, I have not baked brownies in the longest time though I remember it being on the list of my favouorite bake items when I was in secondary school and in Junior college. It was my favourite because of two simple reasons. For one, everyone LOVES most things chocolate. And of course, brownies are almost always foolproof. You just need to keep time and ensure that you do not overbake them. And so, on a Thursday afternoon, I had that familiar chocolatey whiff streaming out of my oven once again. Lovely! I love my home baked brownies best when they are eaten straight out of the oven, when they are still warm. I love them when i bite into the slightly crispy crust and then into the rich and dense chocolate center, and the best part is when it melts in my mouth.  Brownies- Familiar comfort foodThis time, I added almonds and wheat flakes into my brownies though I think adding cereal of any sort is a bad idea because it doesn't keep its crunchiness. I baked a separate one for my sis- the all chocolate one without any nuts for she is nut-phobic. The brownies (both types) were popular with my family and they disappear so fast that only the crumbs are left behind. 
Wednesday, November 07, 2007 Noteworthy cousin of ice-cream Lemon Sorbet  Our lemon sorbet with crushed almonds*** Intensely sour but refreshing and really good. J and I made a tub of it last Sunday. I'm growing to love sorbets- especially the freshly-made ones. They just bring an entire new meaning to sorbets. I used to think that sorbets are for those who are watching their waist; the "not-quite-there" substitute for their richer, full-bodied cousin. I was first proven wrong by the yuzu sorbet from Japan. It's incredibly refreshing and I love the unique and citrusy flavours of the yuzu. Recently, I tried the chocolate sorbet from Macaron and that hit a spot as well. Needless to say, I was scrambling for recipes to experiment with some sorbets of my own. This is the first of all- Lemon sorbet. This week is ice-cream week so will keep a lookout for ice-cream recipes to try this Sunday.  Let me indulge myself with another photo of the sorbetTuesday, November 06, 2007 Of Orange Grand Marnier Tea Cakes I almost forgot about this recipe.- Orange Grand Marnier Cakes. This time I baked them in the cute moulds that I bought from Japan.
 A lovely afternoon treat  Presenting to you these lovely tea cakes that pack a punch of vitamin C (Just kidding)Sunday, November 04, 2007 Grilled and Charred My family and I decided to put together a lazy dinner spread. After rushing out to get our ingredients from various places, we put together a grilled platter, warm salad, and fried bee hoon.
J and I were experimenting with this soft molten egg- runny egg yolk inside while still retaining the soft but firm egg white on the outside. It's all about precision and timing. It 's incredibly easy; you simply heat up a pot of water to boiling point before you gently place the eggs in for 4 minutes (depending the size of the eggs). And there we have it- butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, baked baby red potatoes, stir-fried bacon bits, penne, almonds and the egg that will serve as 'sauce' to the salad. I love this greatly! It taste absolutely fantastic and it's easy to put together (probably slightly time-consuming).  Presenting you our salad creation...  Look at the golden yellow yolk that flows out to coat the rest of the ingredients We also made char-grilled sausages (chicken and pork bratwurst), bell peppers and prawns. Loved the prawns-So sweet and suculent. J attempted to recreate my favourite prawns from Le Papillon by trying to flame it using the naked flame. It was a noteworthy attempt. I love weekend cooking and eating.  Huge sausages that needed to be sliced into halves  Sweet, sweet prawns *** Warm salad, my way Serves 6 1 box of cherry tomatoes 2 pockets of butter lettuce 6 red potatoes, boiled 200g of streaky bacon 6 eggs, still cold from the fridge Almonds Sea salt and black pepper 1. Stir-fry the streaky bacon till it is slightly browned and crispy 2. Preheat the oven to 180 deg and bake the potatoes with olive oil, black pepper and sea salt till slightly brown. 3. Wash, slice and dry the lettuce and cherry tomatoes 4. Boil a pot of water (enough to cover the eggs). Lower the eggs gently into the pot and boil them for about 4 minutes. 5. Remove from the pot of water and transfer them to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking and to cool it so you can peel off the egg shell (Treat the eggs with care). 6. Combine all the ingredients and you are ready to tuck in! Saturday, November 03, 2007 Lunch with my sis at Brown Sugar  Lunch at Brown SugarBrown Sugar- A cafe-bistro casual dining place tucked away at quiet spot along River Valley road (at Stardus Clubhous) was the brainchild of a Singaporean who made his switch in career-from the finance sector to the food scene in 2006. I had the opportunity of going there with my sister for lunch. The service was warm and friendly. The food came out promptly. Its quiet spot is definitely a draw as I really dislike crowds. The decor was modern and minimalistic.  Crabmeat in filo pastry with mango sauce and a bed of greens  Lobster Bisque that my sis had. She said that it was not bad, just a little too creamy.For starters, I started with the crabmeat wrapped in filo pastry that came with diced mangos and a bed of greens. I thought that the crabmeat was a tad "fishy" but other than that it was a alright appetiser and it went well with the sweet diced mango. For mains, I opted for the safe option-aglio olio with bacon streaks. Honestly, this was not good at all. The pasta was doused with too much chili. Sure it did add a kick of spiciness but because the chili padi was used, it was a little too spicy for me to bear (and I'm already a person who can eat her chili stuff). Also, the pasta was a tad too dry- it ought to have more olive oil. My last complaint is that the bacon bits were not fragrant enough; they were just cooked but not crispy and slightly browned which would have made the pasta a whole lot better.  The not-so-good aglio olio  My sis's baby chicken served with light blue cream cheese sauce. This was much better than my pasta.The saving grace was the dessert. My sis and I shared the Pear Tarte Tarin with Honey & Fig ice-cream. My sis kept exclaiming that it was fantastic and she even wanted to order another portion because she thinks that it's too wonderful. I agree with her. The pastry was light and flaky and love the sweet glaze on it. The caramelised pears were a delight to bite into too and this went perfectly well with the honey & fig ice cream that came with sliced blanched almonds. My recommendation is to head to brown sugar for desserts after you are done with a meal.  The wonderful pear tarte tartin with honey & fig ice creamOverall, lunch was a pretty pleasant experience. Appetisers and mains can be definitely improved. The dessert is worth going back for. Brown Sugar 277 River Valley Road, Stardus Clubhouse (between Kim Yam & Mohd Sultan Rd, enter via Institution Hill) *Free Parking (both in front and at the back of the building) Tel: 63336612 |
