Healthy Treat ... Oatmeal Cookies

Kids are kids ... they need their sweets and goodies. One of my snack items that is easy to make and yet popular with my children is Oatmeal cookies. I got this recipe a while ago from a source that I am unable to recall.

The total preparation time from start to yummy cookie is less than an hour (not inclusive of oven warming time).

Ingredients for Oatmeal Cookes
(Make about 30 "half palm size" cookies)

• 1 3/4 cup oats (I use Quaker instant oatmeal)
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 130g unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 egg

Preparations

1. Warm the oven to a temperature of 180 degrees celsius.
   
2. Butter and line cookie trays or any flat cooking pans (eg. pizza pan) and leave aside while preparing the dough

Directions

1. Combine and stir oats, flour, cinnamon powder, baking soda and salt
2. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer till creamy
3. Add egg and vanilla extract in the mixer until combined
4. Add the oats mixture one tablespoon at a time into the mixer until combined
   
5. Scoop and drop teaspoon of the dough onto the cookie trays, about 2cm apart, and use your finger to form it into a small ball shape.
6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden
   

Voila! Bon Appetit!

Happy Birthday Ms Yeo

Thursday was the birthday party for my daughter's teacher Ms Yeo. As mentioned in an earlier post, I was "volunteered" to make a cake for the party.

Eventhough I just started work and putting in the hours, a promise is still a promise (not matter how small). And this is how the cake turned out, with Ms Yeo's favourite character - Monokuro Boo prominently in the centre of the cake.

The creation was an orange pound cake with lemon icing. The cake was baked on Tuesday evening and chilled in the fridge and iced on Wednesday. This is because the cake needed to be totally cooled before applying the icing otherwise the icing will melt.

The icing recipe is actually quite straightforward but you do need some judgement in term of consistency that is suitable for your purpose.

Ingredients for lemon icing

• 4 cups shifted icing sugar
• 3 tablespoon home made lemon extract, this is similar to the orange extract except that you replace it with lemon zest
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions for preparing the icing

1. Combine all the liquid together in a bowl
   
2. Whip butter in an electric mixer until creamy
3. Add 1/2 the icing sugar to the creamed butter and mix till combine
4. Add the liquid slowly and alternate with the icing sugar till the right consistency. If the icing is too 'solid', just add some water.
5. Spread icing on the cake (cold or chilled) top first before side. Chill the creation in the fridge till serving time.
   

Another point to note is that the crust of the cake need to be cut/shaved off, otherwise the icing will not be able to stay on the cake.

Voila! Bon Appetit! And Happy Birthday Ms Yeo!

ONE

Just survived day ONE of my out of the frying pan in my kitchen and into the fire of the corporate jungle. And the song of the moment ... tada ... ONE by U2, especially like the live version from the CD Miss Sarajevo; who can forget the lyrics:

One blood
One life
You got to do what you should

Anyway, I promise more recipes in my next post. Made some oatmeal cookies on Sunday ... one of my favourite recipes, was planning to share it but too exhausted after day ONE in the office. Watch out for it .. till then take ONE day at a time and do not be anxious about anything.

On My Own ... Much Needed Quiet Time

I was listening to my ipod while preparing lunch for the family today. I will be getting off my 'Sabbatical' on Monday and thus this is quite officially the last weekday lunch that I am going to prepare for a while. If you're wondering what's for lunch .. it's the all time family favourite, Roast Chicken Sandwich.

"On My Own" performed by Traincha came on when I was doing some quiet time while cutting up vegetables at the same time. Traincha heart wrenching rendition of the song made famous by Patti LaBelle & Michael Mcdonald dug up something deep inside. The lyrics are mainly about love lost and separation, which does not mean anything to me except for these lines:

I'm on my own
Why did it end this way
On my own
This wasn't how it was supposed to be
On my own
I wish that we could do it all again

There are time when I really feel that I was on my own during the 'Sabbatical'. But the truth is that HE was always there but we just need to have some quiet time on our own so that we can feel HIS presence.

Risotto or Pilaf ... who cares ... as long as it's yummy

I have made several reference to risotto/pilaf (a bit confused as what I should be calling it, picture can be found here) in my previous posts and thought that maybe this deserve a mention. The inspiration came from a few sources, and most of the credit must go to Patrick of the sadly missed Azhang restaurant.

Recipe for Pilaf/Risotto or maybe let's call it MaPazzion Rice Delight
(to serve 4)

Base Ingredients

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil such as canola
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar, can replace with 1 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice but it won't be the same
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 500ml stock, warmed prior to preparation and preferably home made chicken stock (recipe can be found here).
  

Optional Ingredients (for tumeric "infusion")

• 1 tablespoon of tumeric powder

Directions

1. In a medium size pot, preferably cast iron if available, cook the onion in the cooking oil till soft
2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrance, do not brown it. Turn down the flame to low once it's ready
   
3. Add the olive oil followed by the basmatic rice, stir with a wooden spoon until the rice is well coated with the olive oil
4. Add the tumeric powder, if using, until combined
5. Add a ladle of stock and stir the rice until absorbed, keep adding until the rice is just covered with stock
6. Add the white wine vinegar and insert the bay leaf into the middle of the rice
7. Stir the rice occasionally to avoid the rice from sticking onto the pot
8. Continue adding the stock until the liquid are fully absorbed. Test for "doneness", that is the rice must not be too soggy but has a nice bite to it. Add hot water if still not ready.
9. Serve immediately once done
   

Now to think of it, this is more pilaf than risotto since there's no butter/cream or cheese. Aiyah .. yummy can already lah.

Voila! Bon Appetit!

People Get Ready

Once in a while, a song will strike a chord or enhanced the moment for me. Two nights ago while driving home pondering over the uncertainty of me and my family's future if I were to pursue an opportunity that will alter my current "sabbatical" status, my CD of favourite selections played "People Get Ready" performed by Rod Stewart.

This is a song that I have heard hundreds of time over the years, but somehow this time round it sounded different and stirred some inner emotion that is quite hard to explain. And for once I listened to the lyrics closely and heard the lines "All you need is faith .... You just thank the Lord". THANK YOU!

What's For Lunch? Roast Chix & Onion Soup

A storm brewed in my kitchen today ... the mad scientist at work again!

The lunch menu:

• Onion soup
  
• Roast Chicken with vegetables
• Pilaf

The roast chicken is a favourite with the family. My 5 year old son right after lunch asked me to make it again soon. The recipe is a modified from one in Thomas Keller's cookbook "Bouchon".

Recipe for Roast Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 chicken about 1.5kg
• 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
  
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt + 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper + 1 teaspoon of dried thyme for marinating the inside cavity
• 2 teaspoon of mustard
• 2 piece of butter, about 1 teaspoon each

Preparations

1. Wash the chicken clean remove all innards. Cut off the feet and neck (leaving a bit for trussing)
2. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towel
3. Coat the inside cavity with the salt+pepper+thyme marinate
4. Truss the chicken. Google "truss chicken" if you don't know how. Trussing will keep the chicken moist
5. Insert the butter under the skin of the breasts, one for each side
6. Coat the chicken with the mustard and let it marinate for about 30mins

Directions

1. Warm the oven till 230 celsius
2. Coat the chicken with the tablespoon of kosher salt
3. Roast it, breast up, in the oven in a baking pan with a rack under it for 50mins
4. Baste the chicken with the jus or liquid from the pan
   
5. Turn the chicken over, breast down, and return to the oven to roast for another 10mins
6. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 10mins before carving and serving

Recipe - Gravy (Optional)
Make about 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 2 tablespoon butter
• Jus or cooking liquid from the pan
• 250ml of chicken stock, or water if not available
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• Wine to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Make a roux by combining the flour and butter in a sauce pan over a slow fry. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and "gooey"
2. Add the chicken stock, pan jus, wine and mustard to the roux and reduce till the right consistency. A gauge will be if the gravy coat the wooden spoon used for stirring.
3. Season to taste
4. Sieve the gravy and serve in a gravy boat or a bowl. Taste great over the chicken, rice or potatoes

Voila! Bon Appetit!

Onion Soup .... Tonic For The Next Lap

I might be off my 'sabbatical' sooner than I thought. And the ideal tonic for the next lap ... Onion Soup!

This is my work in progress on my onion soup. I freeze it after it has cooled. According to a bro, freezing it help to pulverize the onions when ice crystal formed thus making it softer when it's thaw and boiled; for me it just tastes better.

The recipe is actually quite simple but it's the time and 'devotion' that makes the difference.

I divide the preparation into 3 main steps, 1. Stock, 2. Caramelize, 3. Onion Soup. The recipe is for a party of 4.

Step 1:- Stock

Ingredients

• 1 finely diced carrot
• 2 finely diced onions
• 3 stalk of celery finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bouquet garni consisting of 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 small bunch of parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley, and 1 clove of crushed garlic
• Roasted chicken bones or wing tips, about 500 grams more or less
  
• 3 litres of water

Directions

1. Using a stock pot, sweat or stir fry the carrot, onions and celery in oil until soft
2. Add the bones
3. Add the bay leaf and bouquet garni
4. Pour in the water, boil and simmer for 2 hours or more
5. Sieve and measure about 1 litre for onion soup, and reserve excess stock for other usage

Step 2:- Caramelize

Ingredients

• 4 large onions (about 1 onion per pax) and slice thinly along the grain
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon place flour

Directions

1. Saute the onions in the butter over slow flame in a saucepan until fully caramelized. It will look brownish and is very very soft. About 30-45 minutes, with constant stirring.
2. Stir in the flour until combined

Step 3:- Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 1 litre of stock
• Caramelized onions
• 1 bay leaf
• Liqueur (either white wine or brandy) to taste
• Salt to taste
  

Directions

1. Combine the stock and onion
2. Add bay leaf
3. Simmer and reduce to about 80% of the liquid or to taste
4. Add liqueur to taste
5. Season to taste

Serve and Present

1. Pour soup into oven-proof bowl
2. Float a piece of toasted bread in the bowl
3. Lay a slice of cheese (preferably gruyere or swiss cheese)
4. Put the whole bowl in pre-heated oven (230 celsius) until cheese melted and slightly brown
5. Present and serve! Voila!

I served Onion Soup for lunch today. You can see the final picture in this link.

Yet Another Pound Cake ... Orange!

I was told by my daughter that her teacher's birthday bash is now postponed to next week. Since my orange extract is now ready plus I have all the ingredients, decided that the family deserved to have yet another pound cake ... this time round Orange Pound Cake!

The recipe is almost similar to the one previous posted in this link. With some changes such as replacing the Kahlua and instant coffee with 2 Tablespoons of home made Orange Extract for the cake recipe, and only a single layer this time around.

In addition, the icing recipe looks like this:

Ingredients for cake icing

• 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cups shifted icing sugar
• 2 tablespoon home made orange extract
• 1 teaspoon Cointreau
• 120grams unsalted butter

Directions for making the icing is similar to the previous posting.


After the cake cooled fully, I sliced off the top of the cake followed by slicing the cake into 2 halves. Proceeding to ice one of the sliced half and then stack the other half before icing the whole cake.



The cake has a slight hint of orange but not too overwhelming and the icing complements it well, though I might reduce the butter and increase the icing sugar next time for a firmer texture.

Nice cake for the odd occasions or just tea and breakfast for the family.

Beurre Rose?

Lunch today was healthy and hearty baked fennel, roasted beetroots, poached fish with Beurre Blanc and tumeric infused pilaf.

I prepared the Beurre Blanc using the same recipe as in my earlier post except that I use a new batch of shallots (small onions) that I got from NTUC. And instead of Blanc, it turned out pinkish akaRose. Interesting! Taste-wise still as yummy.

The Beurre Rose was spooned over the poached sutchi fillet that was laid on top of the pilaf (as in the picture on the left). Really enjoyed the combination of taste and texture of these 3 items, definitely a repeat in my repertoire.

Tapestry Revisited

Tapestry by Carole King is my all time favourite album and I have it both in CD and LP. Yesterday, while browsing through the 2nd hand CDs in the Cash Converter store in Toa Payoh, I came across Tapestry Revisited - A Tribute to Carole King. At a fraction of what it would cost new, I thought it's worth giving it a try eventhough I am not a fan of tribute album.

The album feature various artists covering the 12 songs in the original Tapestry and in the same order. I listened to it briefly last night as it was quite late by the time I reached home, and the one track that really strike a chord is So Far Away covered by Rod Stewart. It could be because Rod Stewart voice has the same sort of natural untouched honest to goodness rawness as Carole King's, the rendition was good enough to stand on it's own without the neat to reference the original.

The song engineering in this album will, in my opinion, please most audiophiles. However, that aside, the songs were a bit of hit and miss as the performers tried to spruce up the arrangements to avoid sounding too "Carole King-like" and thus may not appeal to fans of Tapestry especially since some of these songs are like anthems to us.

Overall, a good album to introduce the newer listeners to Carole King's magic and for fans of the original, a catalyst to make us dust off the original Tapestry and relive the magic once again.

Sims Vista ... Hainanese Curry Rice

Before I start, this post has nothing to do with The Sims or Microsoft Vista. Sims Vista is a place in Singapore and this post is about the Hainanese Curry Rice in the food centre at 48 Sims Place named Sims Vista Market and Food Centre.

We were there for lunch after Church today with a group of friends and headed there upon the strong recommendation of one of the foodie in the group for the fish soup and porridge stall. When we arrived, what caught my eyes was the stall next to the fish soup stall, stall no. 70 Havelock Hainanese Curry Rice.

In any typical old neighbourhood food centre in Singapore, a long queue usually equate to good food that is worth waiting or queuing. As my family was having the fish, I decided to go for the rice.

For those who are not familiar with the dish, Hainanese Curry is not the same as the spicy Indian Curry but closer to the sweet Japanese version but just a bit less "starchy" and is served as a gravy over rice accompanied by a few other items.

You could say that Hainanese Curry Rice is a dish unique to Singapore and the name derived from the early chinese immigrants from Hainanese island who created the dish. The typical items that goes with the Curry Rice is pork chop, stir fried brinjal and braised cabbage which are exactly what I ordered.

Verdict ... the Curry Rice brought back memories of easier time, a definite nostalgic element to it. In short, I am definitely going there for many more times in the near future. The fish soup stall next to it is good too, I tried the fried fish head soup that my wife ordered for herself and the kids, it was yummy and went well with the Curry Rice.

The other Curry Rice stall that I really like is located on the first floor of Hong Lim food centre, facing the wet market. And heard from a bro that there is a good one in Maxwell Road food centre too.

Bon Appetit ... The French Kitchen

My wife and I had a really great dinner last evening (without the kids) in this really nice french restaurant, The French Kitchen, located in the former site of Saint Pierre restaurant in Central Mall. The restaurant is a joint venture between Emmanuel Stroobant of the "Chef in Black" tv series fame as well as the owner of Saint Pierre and Jean-Charles Dubois, the former Chef de Cuisine of Raffles Hotel.

The restaurant is in an unassuming part of Central Mall,located in a extremely low traffic mall in the central business district, and sited next to a furniture shop with an almost obscured tiny doorway entrance. Blink and you will miss it. As such, the place is definitely not targeted at causal passer-by diners but for individuals who appreciate fine food.

We were greeted at the door by the very warm and friendly Maitre'D cum Sommelier, Jan, formerly from San Marco restaurant. The decoration and table settings was simple and functional such as white washed walls with some sketches hanging on the wall, "modern" chandeliers and a "see through" kitchen separated from dinners by a large window. What caught our eyes were the cordless electric table lamp from an Australian company called Neoz, it create a warm soothing ambience reminiscent of candle light. I was toying with the lamp when I heard Jean-Charles joking telling us not to destroy his lamp.

Jean-Charles looked more relax than his former suit and tie role in the Raffles, as energetic and warm with a ready smile as when we last met him. He suggested some specialties dishes that were currently featured on his summer menu including the uber-licious Lobster bisque which we still fondly remembered from his menu while he was at his former place. Can't wait to get started!

Starters, we had ...

Bisque De Homard
traditional lobster bisque with tiger prawn beignet and leek custard
The bisque was fantastic! Jean-Charles uses whole lobsters, instead of just heads or shells, to make the bisque which gave it full bodied flavour. And of course lots of quality butter and cream. I was not too sure about the leek custard and prawn tempura combination and would have preferred it served with some pieces of lobsters and possibly garnished and lightly flavoured with either chives or parsley. A definite must try nevertheless.

Jan paired this with a nice fruity Champagne by Bollinger. What can I say, Champagne goes with everything.

Vol Au Vent De Ris De Veau
crispy sweetbread with creamy morel mushrooms in home-made puff pastry
For those new to this dish, sweetbread is the gland of the thymus of either lamb, beef or pork, and in the dish we had it is beef sweetbread. Sweetbread has an acquired taste as the flavour bordered between rich liver and strong meat with a texture a bit like tofu. We had past experiences with sweetbread that were not very pleasure but we were game for this as this is a traditional French dish and we trusted Jean-Charles recommendation. The verdict ... super yummy! The sweetbread was cooked to perfection with a crispy outside and nice soft texture with slight bite resistant and a complex taste layering from the savoury crust and the rich meat moist interior; and together with the slight earthy pungent of the morel combined with the nice buttery sauce ... it was heavenly! The puff pastry was topped with some sauteed vegetables and was alright ... but it's the main events on the plate that scored for this item. Don't miss this dish!

Jan paired this with an Australian Riesling, can't recall the label, with a mild floral bouquet, slightly dry and is a closer relative to the Riesling from Alsace than from the Rhine. The wine was just right to "cut" through the savoury of the dish.

Asperges Blanches Et Vertes
white and green aparagus with poached hen's egg, tomato confit, Fourme d'Ambert cheese and Bayonne ham
This dish was alright for me. Not really spectacular but nice nevertheless. I find the asparagus a bit tough, would be nice if it's slightly softer and possibly introduce something with a bit of tart, like a touch of balsamic reduction, in the combination.

This was paired with the Riesling.


Mains, we had ...

Cabillaud En Nage
steamed cod fish fillet with shellfish bouillabaisse fumet, warm salad of red onion, artichoke and crispy farmer bread croûton
You can't go very wrong with cod and in this case, it was done really well. The accompaniments were just the right combination of flavour and texture; and the bouillabaisse fumet has a slight hint of the lobster bisque, taste like it could have been from the same base stock.

This was paired with a white that I did not have much of an impression.

Wagyu Cote De Boeuf
roasted Wagyu beef prime rib with gratuin dauphinois, summer truffles and shallot sauce
This was the main event! The Cote De Boeuf was served medium rare upon request and it was done to perfection. A great feast for meat lover! All I can say was it was sensational!

Jan paired this with an equally sensational red from Chateau Cantemerle, vintage 2006. Well balanced and full bodied with a hint of acidity; length of linger on the palate was just right for the pairing. A gem of a wine.


Desserts, we had ...

Reblochon En Fondue
fondue of Reblochon cheese with thinly sliced Bayonne ham and baby romaine salad, walnut vinaigrette
This is as the name implied, a fondue or melted cheese dish, which for me seems like a starter item rather than a dessert due to the savoury nature of the dish. Jan explained that it was listed under desserts because the French would traditionally include a cheese dish prior to sweets. It was alright for me, maybe because I was still savouring the lingering flavour of the Wagyu Cote De Boeuf.

Creme Brulee
milk chocolate crème brûlée with homemade Lady Grey ice cream
This was alright for me. I think I am still a fan of the traditional vanilla custard version. Had a nice double espresso with it.

Peche Melba
poached peach with homemade vanilla ice-cream and raspberry coulis
My wife had that and by then I was up to my eyeballs in la grande cuisine to want to give it a taste. Jan explained that the Peche Melba was prepared traditionally based on the recipe by Escoffier.

That's What I Call Bon Appetit!

At the end of the meal, Jean-Charles came out of the kitchen to chat with us for quite a while trading industry insights and gossips with my wife. The restaurat really made us feel at home and the meal was just marvellous.

A must visit for any gourmet!

They can be found at this website: http://www.thefrenchkitchen.com.sg/index.html and their location and contact details:

The French Kitchen
7 Magazine Rd (off Merchant road)
#01-03, Central Mall
Singapore 059572
Tel: +65 6438 1823

Summertime ... and the living is easy

Recently, I have rekindled my interest in music appreciation. Janis Joplin's version of Summertime is a long time favourite of mine .... so full of angst and pain that only Janis could portray.

I was at a friend's place couple nights ago to appreciate his audiophile setup and heard Eva Cassidy's version from the album Somewhere. Her velvety smooth voice is a total contrast to Janis's raspy "emo-overdrive" vocal; and those crescendo in certain part of the song gave me "pleasure" goose bumps. The song was totally re-defined for me.

"Fish Market" Bistro

Just had lunch in Greenwood Fish Bistro located in Greenwood Avenue, one of the quaint restaurant area in Singapore. The menu there are planned according to the produce that they could procure and mainly seafood centered.

The one dish that stands out for me is the Grilled Sole with Lemon Butter Sauce served with some sauteed green vegetable (I think it's spinach). What would really make it outstanding is to serve the fish itself with Beurre Blanc sauce.

I found this really good recipe for Beurre Blanc sauce in Julia Child's autobiography "My Life In France" and has adapted it somewhat to suit the ingredients that I could find in Singapore and to the taste of my family. Here we go ....

Recipe for Beurre Blanc
(about 1 cup to serve 4)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of minced shallot
• 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of water or fish stock
• 1 stick or about 110grams of cold unsalted butter, cut into about 8 cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add the shallots and all the liquids in a sauce pan and cook over slow flame
2. Continue stirring until the shallots are soft and the liquid is reduced to almost nothing, that is a concoction of very soft and wet shallots. Make sure that it does not burn.
3. Take the pan off the flame and add one or two pieces of cold butter cubes and stir with a metal whisk until the shallots and butter become a creamy liquid
4. Put the pan over the slow flame and continuing adding butter one cube at a time while whisking all the time until all the butter has melted and a creamy sauce is formed
5. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Pour it over the prepared fish and serve immediately

Voila! Bon Appetit!

I have used this sauce on baked seabass as well as the infamous sutchi fillet, served with my own version of a pilaf cum risotto rice item. Just one word described the experience ... "Yummy!".

If You Could Read My Mind

Just came back from a morning meeting for an opportunity that I have been working on related to the F&B industry. Sadly, it is not working out and thus back to the drawing board to re-group and re-think again. I can't say I am not disappointed, but then again ... moving on is part of life's game.

I always associate certain songs to certain moments in life and at this moment the song is "If You Could Read My Mind" from Johnny Cash's American V: A Hundred Highways album. A heart wrenching version accompanied by an acoustic guitar playing in the background.

While in the midst of composing this post, I received today's "Our Daily Bread" in my email with the message "God’s love does not keep us from trials; it helps us get through them." Thank YOU, YOU have read my mind.

"Real" Singapore Food

Ever wonder what is "real" Singapore food other than the usual suspects like satay, chilli crab and durian.

For the "real" thing, read this interesting article in Gourmet.com about 8 great places to check out:
http://www.gourmet.com/travel/2009/07/eight-great-places-to-taste-the-real-singapore

What's For Lunch?

Now that I am home most of the time, I have been designated as the family cook for most of the lunches. Never thought been a "house-hubby" can be tough until I had to cook on a regular basis for 4 with varied taste and appetite.


Variety is also not exactly a spice of life when it comes to a quick after school lunch for the kids.

Everytime I propose some new lunch item they will ask for their favourite weekly fare, Roast Chicken Sandwich. And here's how it's done.



Recipe for Roast Chicken Sandwich (for 4 pax)

Ingredients

• Chicken meat, it can be thighs or drumsticks; just portion enough for 4 pax. I usually use 3 large drumsticks, the one from the thighs and not the drumlets
• Zucchini x 2, halved and sliced length wise
• Tomatoes x 4, halved
• Fresh Basil leaves, a handful
• Garlic, 4 cloves, minced
• Bread slices x 8

Seasonings

• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Herb de Provence
• Mustard

Preparations

1. Season the chicken meat about an hour before cooking with about 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt per drumstick (or to taste), 1 teaspoon of Herb de Provence and olive oil. Set aside until ready
2. Lay the vegetables in a baking tray or pan, the sliced Zucchini first, then the halved tomatoes, minced garlic on the tomatoes and rest the fresh basil leaves on the tomatoes slices. Season with salt and olive oil; and set aside. I usually use a wire rack in the pan as the Zucchini can get really soggy when roast in the oven.

Directions

1. Warm the oven till a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius
2. Lay the chicken meat on top of the vegetables and roast in the oven for 30 minutes
3. When done, remove the pan and shred the chicken meat. Marinate the chicken meat with a mixture of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of mustard
4. Likely oil the bread (8 slices for 4 pax) and toast it in the oven at the same setting as above for 3 minutes per side
5. Assemble the sandwich by sandwiching the halved tomatoes first, followed by slices of Zucchini then the marinated chicken meat.

Use a sharp knife to half the sandwich into two triangles and serve immediately. Note that the sandwich can get soggy if set aside for too long due to the moisture of the vegetables.

Voila! Bon Appetit!

Homemade Yummy Goodies

My daughter asked me to help her bake a cake for her teacher's birthday party in class next week. As a key member of the organizing team, she has volunteered to make a birthday cake or more like she has volunteered me to make the cake for her.

After some pondering, thought it is time to modify my basic pound cake recipe for another mutation. This time round, Orange Pound Cake.

I believed in using natural ingredients as much as possible, not necessarily the expensive organic stuff but at least not those off-the-shelf stuffs with unknown chemical substitutes.


For the cake next week, I concocted up some Orange Extract (as in the picture) based on a recipe I found in Recipezaar (http://www.recipezaar.com/Orange-Extract-340691) as a base flavoring agent. More to be reported next week. I will take some pictures and post the progress.



Also concocted some Vanilla Essence which will only be ready in December, just nice for Christmas goodies. Used about 300ml of Rum and 4 Vanilla pods, split, seed removed and added to the Rum together with the split pods.

Seeking ... and Found ... in Pekio Market

People who have known me for a while will know that I have been seeking and always in the wrong places ... it's always this hobby or the next ... man of passion, I was called, but never the right Passion.

Until I discovered salvation in the most unlikely place ... Pekio Market in Cambridge road, Singapore. It all started when Auntie Mei decided to uproot from the "atas" (means high class in Singlish ... the officially language of Singapore :D ) area and reached out to the people in the heartland by opening Heartroom Gallery, an art school, in the market and hawker centre area ... thus introduced "classiness" to the neighborhood. More than that, she is the pillar of faith in the area and beyond, and I am happy to admit that I am one of her converted flock.


I had the good opportunity to photograph her works. The painting on the left is one of the painting favoured and copied by a lot of her oil painting students.

In addition to oil painting, there are other art classes. I highly recommend the folk art class as it is definitely one of the best around.

The site for Heartroom Gallery is
http://heartroomgallery.com/HRG/Welcome.html


And do drop in and chat with Auntie Mei if you happen to be in the are. She is always friendly and always ready to share and she has definitely brought light and hope to the Pekio area.

Have The Cake and Eat It .... on Singapore's 44th National Day

It was Singapore's birthday on Sunday ... a mature 44 now. We (my family) were invited to a friend's place for a celebratory dinner, altogether with 4 families making a total of 8 adult gourmets plus 10 (food) picky kids!

The host will be (but of course) be providing the food for the feast, one family played sommelier and brought wine, another volunteered to paired the really yummy chicken rice main course with Corona. And when it came to us, our options were (as you can guess) quite limited ... and since it's a birthday ... a cake will be it!

Since my sabbatical from the corporate world in January of 2009, I have decided to do something I really wanted to do all this time ... COOK!. I have very much played the mad scientist in our little kitchen ... a little bit of this, a pinch of that and heaps of something else....voila! The one thing I get really challenged is baking ... unlike cooking, there's no room for error or last minute adjustments when it comes to baking ... everything has to be precise. And thus after many soggy muffins and baked bricks .. err .. I mean bread, I decided that I should stick to pre-dessert items.

There is however one saving grace when it comes to my baking escapade .... a basic pound cake recipe (got this eons ago .. can't remember from where though) that worked 80% of the time ... with the occasion gummy cake due to "heck knows what happened".

As a patriot, I have decided to be heroic on our nation's 44th birthday and declared proudly to our friend that I will bring a home made cake. Mmmm ... what have I got myself into ... remember we have 8 gourmets and (worst still) 10 picky kids.

Thus the journey begins ... more heroic actions followed ... I decide that a basic pound cake will not do ... it has to be something special (if not sensational .... yeah sure) ... it will be a double layer coffee cake with chocolate/coffee icing! And thus back to the kitchen ... da mad scientist!

Took the basic pound cake recipe and did some "modifications" with icing recipes borrowed from a few sources. A little of that, a bit of this and heaps of something else. Scrolling forward, I am happy to report that it was a success! Phew!

And I am happy to share the recipe ... but be warned ... proceed with caution ... hee hee ha ha (mad scientist laughter)


Recipe for the Coffee Pound Cake

Ingredients for 1 layer/cake (you will need 2 cakes for this)

• 230grams cake flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons double action baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 225 grams unsalted butter, cut into about 10 pieces
• 200 grams sugar, super fine or castor
• 4 large eggs, separate into yolks and whites
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Ingredients for cake icing

• 2 egg yolks
• 3 cups shifted icing sugar
• 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 cup sem-sweet chocolate
• 225 grams butter
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Preparations

1. Warm the oven to a temperature of 180 degrees celsius. I used the ventilated mode for the oven as well as an oven thermometer to ensure that I get the right temperature.
2. Butter and line a 8 inches round cake pan with wax paper. If you have 2 pans, line both and bake both at the same time (with twice the ingredients), otherwise bake twice with 1 pan.

Directions for baking the cake(s)

1. Shift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
2. In an electric mixer, whip the egg whites till it reached soft peaks, then add half the sugar slowly and continue to whip until it reached stiff peaks, then set aside. Note that for egg whites to reached maximum peak, you have to ensure that everything it touches is grease free. I use vinegar to wipe the bowl, the whisk and the containers for separating the eggs.
3. In the electric mixer, whip the butter and sugar till it becomes light and creamy
4. Add the egg yolks one at a time into the butter cream until combined
5. Mix the Kahlua and instant coffee granules in a separate bowl and add to the cream until combined
6. Add the shifted flour+baking powder+salt to the cream mixture until combined
7. Scoop the stiff egg whites onto the cake mix and fold until combined
8. Pour the mixture into the cake pans and bake for 50 minutes or until the centre of the cake reached about 99 degrees Celsius
9. Remove the cake(s) from the pan and leave it to cool on a rack

Directions for preparing the icing

1. Mix the dark rum and instant coffee granules in a separate bowl and leave aside
2. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a saucepan
3. Add all the ingredients in the electric mixer bowl and whip all of them together until creamy and combined
4. Leave it in the fridge until it reached icing consistency

Directions for preparing the final "birthday" cake

1. Sliced off the top of the cooled cake to achieve a flat top. Reserve the top either as snacks or to use in Rum Ball (recipes to be provided in another post). Note that it is normal for pound cake to crack and budge on top.
2. Use a pastry brush and brush off crumbs around the side and bottom of the cakes. This is to ensure that the icing will "stick" on the cake properly
3. Use a spatula and spread a thick layer of icing on the sliced top of one of the cake. This will form the bottom layer
4. Stack the other cake, sliced top down, onto the iced surfaced of the bottom layer
5. Use the spatula and continue to ice the whole cake. Reserve the remaining icing for future usage or add more cocoa powder to darken it and use it to pipe cake decor on the finished cake
6. Leave it in the fridge till serving time

Voila! Bon Appetit!

When the cake was served that night, we decide to make it a double happiness icon. Our host's birthday was one week away and this call for a birthday celebration too! Thus we did the whole "Happy Birthday" thing and (holding my breath) ... the cake was served ... consumed and verdict awaiting (anxiously).

One of our close friend at the dinner that night is French and thus is our go to food critics all things categorized under western cuisines. Her comments was ... this is nice ... do you have a name for it. And glowing with pride (and relief), I proudly named the creation "Serene's Birthday Cake" in honor of our gracious host.

Happy Birthday Singapore and Serene!

The Pursuit of Passion

I was reading the review of the movie Julie & Julia in the papers this morning, and was impressed by the passion displayed by Julie Powell in cooking all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking and blogging about it. And as all amazing journey goes ... (you never know where the path leads) ... it is now a book as well as a movie starring Meryl Streep!

I am inspired ... so very inspired ... that I have finally decided to blog down the passion pursuits that has been very much added dimensions to an otherwise mundane urban lifestyle.

Like one of my guru friend once said ... "Let Passion guide your path!".

This is the ALPHA!