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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 |
Monday, July 28, 2008 Chocolate Strawberry Tart: Second attempt  The itch to bake started hit us as I was craving for some good sweets. Actually I was craving for good Thai food- the incredible medley of sweet, sour, salty and spicy that the Thais infuse in all their dishes, but since my grandma was adamant about cooking dinner for the family. Eating out was definitely a no-go. Strange enough, my second craving (yes sometimes, I do have a few cravings concurrently.) was for something sweet and chocolatey. J suggested that we bake the chocolate tart again, this time with strawberries since we conveniently have leftover sweet pastry dough in the fridge. How I love that suggestion! Since last week, we have stocked up the kitchen with a couple of blocks of dark chocolate so we can whip up any chocolate desserts on a whim. The power of forward-thinking! With a better control of timing this time round, the texture of the ganache was better. The only thing to note that if you are replacing raspberries with strawberries, you’ll have to bake it for a longer period of time because strawberries are tend to give out more water when being baked. We modified the recipe slightly by adding crushed almonds into the ganache mixture. It’s a good addition; I think it adds that slight crunchiness as well as nutty flavour, which is welcoming to all nut-lovers. Another desirable fact about this tart is that it can be eaten two-ways- warm or cooled. Straight out of the oven, the ganache center is warm and slightly wobbly. You’ll feel the luscious dark chocolate and the moist strawberry sliding down to the back of your throat. Lovely. Putting it in the fridge and eating it the next day is equally an enjoyable treat. The dark chocolate is firmer and richer, the tart still as crumbly. Do remember to take it out to thaw if your fridge feels like Iceland. I must sit on the fence for this once as I cannot decide which is better. Warm and custardy or cold and firm. Maybe I’ll be able to make up my mind the next time round. Maybe I won’t. *** (P.S Did I mention how great the sweet pastry dough is. Just the right texture and the perfect flavour! I still have one part left for another tart perhaps?)
One word to sum it up: Lovely Sunday, July 20, 2008 Bistro S & J  As the great chef Gusteau once quipped - "Food always come to those who cook..."And that's exactly what we did as we went on another cooking escapade. Dinner will start with a lovely Pasta Insalate and Mushrooms infused with Miso. Mains will be a hearty Porterhouse Steak with Pan-seared Cherry Tomatoes.
Our Pasta Insalate was a simple toss-up of Penne, bell peppers and fresh herbs in an italian vinegrette dressing. A light appetizer to whet everyone's appetites. Fresh herbs must be one of the most amazing ingredients in cooking, able to turn the simplistic into the heavenly. Our little garden now counts Rosemary, Oregano, Basil and Mint, and we really hope to have more soon.
The dish is simple enough, saute the mushrooms (we used button mushrooms and portobello this time) with olive oil and simmer away the liquid that develops. Add in the miso mixed with water, simmer for another 15 minutes and you'll be treated to succulent mushrooms in a creamy miso sauce. The rich miso aftertaste goes really well with the taste of mushrooms, so be prepared to change your impression of miso.
The beautiful sauce is best described as cherry tomatoes in a red-wine reduction. First wilt some cherry tomatoes in olive oil along with a generous portion of basil leaves. Next, pour in the red wine (this came from our marinate which consisted of pepper, salt, thyme and red wine) and simmer till its a nice reduction. Serve the steak with the sauce over it and the cherry tomatoes will please both the palate and the eyes. So there you have it, another wonderful dinner whipped up by S & J. We've definitely gotten better since the days when we spend 4 hours in the kitchen and ended up losing our own appetites. It's just great fun to whip up good dishes that pleases the whole family and of course satisfy the cooking craving in us. The Birthday Tart: Chocolate Raspberry Tart
The birthday tart *** My sister requested for a tart when I asked her what would she like as her birthday cake. I even allowed her to choose from my newly-acquired cookbook- Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme, written by Dorie Greenspan. Of all the mouthwatering chocolate recipes, she happily settled for the “Chocolate Raspberry tart” which she thought looked gorgeous. In any case, a tart is something that I would gladly bake any day. It definitely beats having to bake the challenging low-fat chocolate cake which she requested from her friend.
Happy, happy birthday! Domvs- 2nd year and counting  Domvs *** “Vegeterian gourmet menu.” “What?” “Yes you heard it right. There will be 9 courses- all vegetables.” “ewwl..” That was the conversation that my sis and I had when she asked me where I was going for my 2nd year celebration with J. And “eww” is the last word I would use to describe our meal at Domvs. We settled on Domvs because for once, we did not know where to go and the vegetarian gastronomic menu sounded way too interesting to miss. The restaurant was empty when we arrived at seven pm but it started to fill up by 9. Thankfully, we started early because the dinner duration was about as long as The Dark Knight (Which was WAY good if anyone, at all, is interested). The service was immaculate without being distant or cold. The service staff knew their food as well as being in touch with their humour. The amuse bouche was a warm puree of roasted pepper with a layer of cream cheese and liquorice espuma (foam). Simple-execution but I like the flavours and textures. The first dish to impress was Pomodori e Sali (Tomato and salt). Basically, it is tomatoes in three ways. The first to be eaten was the ripened cherry tomato( Italian) with sea salt and ginger first before the slightly sour but firm tomato with a mixture of salt and pistachios and lastly, to drink the tomato essence. I admit that I was rather skeptical of the ginger and tomato pairing. However, the thinly-sliced fresh ginger added the kick needed to the otherwise succulently sweet tomato. Oh and did I mention how much I liked the pistachio and salt mix which added the crunchy bite to the already crunchy tomato. The tomato essence was slightly strange to taste- the waiter kindly told us that it is made from the puree of tomatoes and the use of sparkling water.
Tomato-3 ways
Awesome salad Really good homemade spaghetti The greatest disappointment of the evening was the porcini mushroom flan paired with chilled summer black truffles cappucino. I held the greatest expectation and anticipation for this dish but it let me down, hard. The flan must have been inspired by the Bettelment cheese flan that Macco Sacco (2 star Michelin chef) had created during his guest appearance at the World Gourmet Submit 2008 (This dish has remained as one of the restaurant’s staple appetizers. A good reason for that). The porcini mushroom flan was nothing like its predecessor. For one, the texture was a little too firm for a flan. I could barely taste the rich, woody flavour of the porcini mushroom. The truffle cappucino pairing might have attempted to give the dish some life. It barely did. I rather have my porcini mushrooms up front smiling at me, cooked together with truffle butter or something. Simple but I would have greatly appreciated that more. The dessert was conventional and nothing aspiring- Bittersweet chocolate mousse with dark chocolate pearls paired with melon and strawberry sorbet with sesame biscuits. It wasn’t bad but I didn’t think that it was fantastic either. Both parts of the dessert had its own merit but I didn’t think they brought out the best in each other. The taste of the melon sorbet (tasted more like a sherbet though) was too mild which didnt go well with either the strongly flavoured strawberry sorbet or rich dark chocolate mousse. The chocolate mousse was too rich and filling after a heavy meal.  The dessert- bittersweet chocolate mousse and sorbets with sesame biscuits
*** The 9-course gastronomic menu Pomodori e sali Tomato and salt * Insalata di Grano frantumato e rughetta al profumo di vaniglia e feta Salad of Bulgur cracked wheat, arugula with feta cheese, vanilla flavoured * Vellutata di Carote e menta, caviale vegetable Carrot veloutè with scent of mint, vegetarian caviar * Spaghetti alla Norma Home made spaghetti with fried eggplant, tomato sauce and smoked cheese * Maccu di fave fresche, caciocavallo affumicato alla griglia, Vincotto Fresh fava beans “Maccu” with grilled smoked cheese, Vincotto * Zuppa di orzo perlato, asparagi selvatici, Ragusano D.O.P, olio extra vergine di oliva dei Monti Iblei Thick soup of barley and wild asparagus with Ragusano cheese, extra virgin olive oil from Iblei Mountains * Soffiato di porcini secchi, cappuccino di tartufo nero estivo Porcini mushroom flan and chilled summer black truffle cappuccino * Arrosto di Seitan al pepe verde e senape di Digione Roasted and spicy Seitan with green pepper, Dijon mustard * Duo di sorbetto Duo of sorbet with sesame biscuit, bittersweet chocolate mousse and crunchy pearls * Coffee or tea Petit fours *** Domvs Sheraton Towers Singapore 39 Scotts Road, Singapore 228230 Phone: 65 6839 5622 Fax: 65 6737 1072
Revisit of a good old favourite: Chocolate Chip Cookies  *** My colleague emailed me a cookie recipe off New York Times. The article “Perfection? Hint: It’s warm and has a secret”, July 9, 2008 got me excited about an old favourite- The chocolate chip cookie. The writer wrote about his escapade in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie in NYC. One thing I’ve learnt from it is to let the dough rest for at least 24hrs (Best: 36 hrs) before baking in order to achieve a drier and firmer dough which will bake to a better consistency. Secondly, it’s the size. Supersized cookies are good because they allow for three distinct textures from the outer circle of crisp edges, giving way to a chewy circle surrounding a soft center. I decided to test my cookies and baked 3 batches- at 24 hour and 48 hour. And indeed the latter was way better. The flavours were more infused, the cookie texture was better, it made way for a chewier center which I like. I love these chocolate chip cookies though I must admit the size is really quite intimidating. It really promotes sharing though as that’s the best way to enjoy it! This would be THE chocolate cookie recipe that I would use for all occasions and I’m pretty certain that baking these would be a best way to cultivate my patience. I need to remind myself that waiting would not always end up in vain. *** Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from Jacques Torres Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24-36 hours’ chilling Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note) Sea salt 1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside. 2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. 3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. 4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. 5. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin. Note: I cut down the sugar used to about half? and baked slightly smaller cookies for 15 minutes.  Chocolate chip cookies!! With chunky dark chocolate Monday, July 07, 2008 Dessert decadent weekend  Who can resist a warm slice of fudgy chocolate cake? I know I can’t. This chocolate is really easy to make and it’s absolutely irresistible. It’s a little like a dark chocolate lava cake baked slightly longer. The result is fabulous! Spooning that smooth dark chocolate cake into your mouth and allow it to gently melt over. Add that bit of citrusy orange peel and there you’ll enjoy the complementary taste of dark chocolate and orange all together. That is, on top the beautifully contrasted sunshine orange peel that littered the seal-brown cake. I’m not exaggerating the goodness of this cake. It has been well-received by the people around me AND it has been a familiar sight in my kitchen for the past two weekends. 
(taken from Delicious Days) Recipe source: based on "Schokoladenfondantkuchen Nathalie" from the book "Verrückt nach Schokolade" by Trish Deseine (page 14), adapted Required time: about 40 minutes . Ingredients: 200 g butter 200 g high quality dark chocolate (70 % cacao) 250 g sugar 4 eggs 2 tablespoons of flour 1) Grease the sides of a spring mould (mine has a size of 26 cm) with butter and line the bottom with baking parchment. 2) Preheat the oven to a 190 degrees Celsius. 3) Break the dark chocolate in smaller pieces and heat it slowly with the butter in a bain-marie. When everything has melted, add the sugar, stir and let it cool down for about 5 minutes. 4) Now add four eggs, one by one and stir well with a wooden spoon or a whisk after each. Finally add two tablespoons of flour and blend well. 5) Pour the mixture in the spring mould and put it in the oven for about 25 minutes. 6) Take the cake out of the oven and out of the spring mould. *** We also picked up 7 slices of cake from The Patissier along Mohammad Sultan Road. It's the first time that I've actually tried them but I don't think that I've missed out much. They were above average but also pretty much forgettable! I can't even remember what I bought! (Though I only tried 2 or 3 out of the 7) Nothing really deserves a mention. Just some colourful pictures though.  The cakes  Snowball, Deconstructed Tiramisu, Strawberry Sensation |
