Somethin’s Brewin’

And it’s not food!

(The picture of hot caramel above is misleading but oh so feature-worthy.)

We’re finally taking our much-needed vacation, and in the works is a very diligently-planned travel itinerary.

I’m so proud of it, and I’m so sure I’ll be eagerly sharing it with future travellers. Whether they ask for it or not.

There’ll be quite a bit of venue-hopping and I’ve been so finnicky about not wasting time. Thus the minute calculations and detailed arrangements.

Which is funny, because I’m very much a go-with-the-flow-and feelin’ type of gal when it comes to travelling, or anything else for that matter.

So let’s see how much we keep to this itinerary. The hubs says I need to scale down my grand plans a little, if we want any semblance of a relaxing trip.

If there isn’t any word from me till our departure, let me leave you with this:

Stay tuned, my friends, for tales from the Land of the Rising Sun!

A Man’s Portion

As you know, I’ve been exploring daintier ways of plating – whenever I feel like it, anyway.

But it’s sometimes impossible when you’re living with a man who eats a lot.

The rule of the game when dishing his hefty portions is pretty much this: Scoop, dunk… then keep piling it on!

And the result would be, at best, like this:

Steak Dinner

Rather messy, haphazard and miscellaneous.

But hopefully, also generous, unpretentious and hearty.

Oh, did I mention, that was just his first helping!

Whoa, O Otoro!

You remind me of Gollum, a friend had commented as I devoured the copious mounts of sashimi on my plate.

My very candid friend then suggested I’d be able to gnaw the flesh directly off a freshly-caught tuna, not unlike the Lord of the Rings character.

I am a huugge fan of raw fish.

It’s one of those dishes that, when well-prepared, brings me to a whole new level of euphoria.

And the clever husband knew how to please his wifey on my birthday a few weeks ago.

He took me to Tatsuya, one of the most established Japanese restaurants in town.

Not to be confused with Tetsuya’s of an earlier post, Tatsuya is a Japanese restaurant in Singapore whose name is synonymous with freshness and authenticity.

Tatsuya is helmed by owner-cum-head chef Ronnie Chia, who trained under a Japanese master and grew to become one of the most celebrated chefs in Singapore. And authentic it is, if the number of Japanese expatriates who dine there is anything to go by.

The husband and I had headed there for lunch. We ordered lunch sets, which averaged about $30 – very reasonable for a place of this stature – and topped the meal with lovely seasonal dishes and sides.

The show-stealer of the day was one of our sides, the otoro, or the most premium – read: fattiest – part of the tuna belly.

It was heavenly.

Once the otoro flesh hit our palates, it literally melted, and left a wonderfully creamy aftertaste.

The fabled fat marbling was just so beautiful, as shown in the first picture above.

But this prized fish cut did not come cheap, costing $75 for just 5 pieces.

You pay for the quality I suppose. Tatsuya’s seafood is air-flown in fresh from Tokyo’s legendary Tsujiki Market and Fukuoka at least twice a week, guaranteeing freshness with each bite.

No wonder, then, that the place seems to be a favourite among the distinguished in Singapore. The snoop in me saw the restaurant walls dressed with photos of numerous big names who had eaten at there.

Tatsuya also hosts the longest sushi bar in Singapore, accommodating 23 people who can enjoy the spectacle of food preparation. Worth noting, too, is the fact that the restaurant has alfresco dining options.

I’ve heard that the aburi sushi (half-seared), uni (sea urchin) are some other dishes to die for.

I’m so looking forward to my Japan trip! And when I do go, I will devour an entire boat of sashimi. All by myself.

Tatsuya Japanese Restaurant
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel : +65 6887 4598

Classic Pumpkin Soup with Truffle Oil

Each time I enjoy pumpkin soup, I imagine I’m at a l’ll cottage by the breezy countryside, watching daffodils grow in the heart of spring, and feasting on lovely, homemade chow.

Talk about escapism through food.

I’ve always adored pumpkin soup – especially those that are freshly made and wholesome.

So, after I’d bought my new hand-held immersion blender, off I went to make this classic!

Ingredients

Local Pumpkin, 1 kg
Butter, 1 knob
Onions, large, 2
Garlic, minced, 1 tsp
Chicken Stock, 700ml
Cream, 1 tbps
Truffle Oil, 1 tbsp
Sauteed Mushrooms, 1 tbsp
Optional: Fresh herb like thyme and parsley

Directions

1. Chop pumpkin into half, and scrape out the seeds.

2. Slice away pumpkin skin, and dice flesh into cubes. Set aside.

3. Saute onions in butter for about 5 minutes in a pot, under medium heat, till soft.

4. Add pumpkin and garlic, and stir-fry with buttered onions, ensuring that heat is evenly applied to all pumpkin pieces.

5. Pour chicken stock. Add chopped herbs, if you wish to – I didn’t – at this point. Bring to a boil and simmer for about half hour, till pumpkin cubes are very soft and disintegrate.

6. Leave to cool for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender mixer to puree the mixture till smooth.

7. When ready to serve, dish into soup-bowls. Drizzle with cream, truffle oil and top with sautéed mushrooms.

8. Serve!

Serves 4.

The result is a very buttery, fragrant soup with a perfect creamy texture. Absolutely yummy!

There are various ways to make pumpkin soup. Some may find it easier to roast the pumpkin in the oven till soft, making it easy to scrape the the flesh for blending. But I liked the idea of frying the pumpkin cubes with onions till fragrant, before the puree process. To each his/her own, I suppose!

If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a jug blender like I did for wild mushroom soup.

This is one of those recipes that is relatively easy to make, yet will gain you lots of mileage if you’re seeking to impress at dinner!

The Apprentice Housewife Wishes You…

A Magnificent Merry Christmas!

 Shot at Queen Victoria Building, Sydney

Macarons MUST have feet.

… So said our macaron instructor matter-of-factly, before moving onto talk about baking time, fillings and fleur de sel.

My mind quickly roamed to a vision of a pretty pink macaron with cartoon eyes and crimson lips, upheld by a pair of long, shapely gams in flaming-red heels, sashaying away from the plate in front of me…

The reverie was broken seconds later by Mrs Multitasker, who - clearly plagued by the same statement -  injected incredulously, “Wait… Macarons have feet?!”

You see, Mrs Multitasker, Lazy Susan and I were attending a small and cosy macaron class by Clara Lee at The Kitchen.

Situated in the heart of the kitchenware segment in Tangs at Vivocity, The Kitchen is a workshop venue that is demarcated by glass doors, and home to weekly cooking demonstrations.

A brilliant concept by Tangs, I say, as we were inundated with lots of kitchen eye candy. Excellent tactic for tempting young, impressionable gals like us to part with more money.

The class was really fun and conducive, attended by just 4 students. Knowing I was among friends, we felt at liberty to pelt Clara with all sorts of (silly) questions.

And back to feet. 

The mark of a good macaron is the height of its feet, or in layman terms, the prized frills that line the circumference base of each macaron shell.

Apparently, these feet are a reflection of how well the macaron is baked. Make it well, and its shell will hold its shape while baking, and the trapped air within expands downwards, pushing the cap upwards and showing part of the less glamorous insides, at the base. Go figure.

Clara is a great trainer, and it amazes me that she is a young undergraduate from Melbourne back for summer break. Thumbs up for her passion and achievements!

The sweet lady is not averse to us blogging about the recipe, and I’ll probably share it after I’ve tried it on my own. So stay tuned for another post, if I can overcome my baking inertia.

Revelation: I’m actually not a macaron fan, but mastering this French pastry is like the holy grail of amateur bakers. Talk about peer pressure!

Thanks, Mrs M, for getting Lazy Su and I along. I really had great fun with you two, and we should do this more often!

Pan-fried Cod with Sauteed Portobellos & Mash

There are days I pretend  I’m some chef or culinary genius who can realise the technicalities of fine-dining.

Yesterday was one such day.

I was attempting the stacked technique to plating my food. But along the way, it dawned on me that my edible ‘creation’ started to look a lot like on-campus canteen grub!

Think stony-faced, jaded kitchen-hand messily piling your plate with food, shoving it into your hand and waving you along, so the snaking line behind can progress…

Well, my plate was starting to look like that.

I laughed as I continued dishing the meal. So much for acting pro!

Anyhow, it’s still good fun to post not-so-successful stories. Here’s one of those self-conjured recipes based, perhaps too much, on feeling.

Pan-fried Cod

Cod Steaks, 2
Salt, 1 tsp
Pepper, 1 tsp
Lemon, half
Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tsp
Butter, 15g
Oregano, 1 sprig
Thyme, 1 sprig

1. Rub salt and pepper on cod steaks. Top with oregano and thyme.
2. Further marinate with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and leave for an hour.
3. Heat knob of butter in pan in medium heat.
4. Fry steaks for about 2 minutes on one-side, and another 2 minutes on the other, slowly lowering the heat.

Chived Mash Potatoes

Russet Potatoes, 5, medium-sized
Garlic cloves, 5
Butter, 20 g
Milk, 1 cup (optional)
Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp (optional)

1. Add russet potatoes, skin-on, and garlic cloves in a pot of boiling water. Simmer for about half hour or till soft.
2. Remove potatoes and garlic from water. Use a spoon to scrape off potato skins, which by now will flake off easily.
3. Place potatoes and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add softened butter and mash till soft and smooth.
4. Add milk and mayo for a full-bodied, flavoursome version. (I used only water, in lieu of milk and mayo, this round.)

Sauteed Mushrooms

Portobello Mushrooms, 300g
Butter, 15g
Garlic, 2 cloves

1. Melt butter in pan, and saute garlic till golden brown.
2. Add mushrooms, fry for a minute and close lid to simmer.
3. Check after several minutes. The mushrooms will release moisture and shrink.
3. Set aside juices to accompany mash later.
* These sauteed mushrooms make a very good side for a hearty American breakfast!

Asparagus Spears

Organic asparagus spears, 200g
Water, flavoured with garlic & light sauce

1. Boil asparagus in water for 2-3 minutes.

Assembly

1. Scoop 3-4 tbs of mashed potatoes with a spoon, using another spoon to scrape onto center of plate.
2. Arrange mushrooms around the base of mash.
3. Place asparagus spears atop the mash.
4. Top the mash/asparagus with cod steaks.
5. Serve, with mushroom juices as an accompaniment for the mash.

Serves 2.

I now know why there are classes just for plating techniques.

I would go as far as saying plating requires architectural talent, but the husband says I am being draaamatic. So here goes a more muted statement: plating requires skill, a good aesthetic eye, composure and loads of preparation beforehand!

Planning is important because you don’t want to spend too much time, lest the food gets cold in the meantime. Timing is of the essence, especially if you are juggling several aspects of entertaining at home.

I welcome all forms of ideas and tips. And I will update if I (ever) get this right!

Tetsuya’s (Sydney)

Mention Tetsuya’s to foodies down under, and chances are, they’ll have a glint in their eyes and hearts go aflutter.

The restaurant, run by chef Tetsuya Wakuda, is considered the culinary jewel of Australia. It has garnered numerous global awards including the ‘Best Restaurant of the Year’ in Good Food Guide.

I was ecstatic to have my well-connected travel partner secure a reservation there last month, seeing how notoriously difficult it was to do so without much notice.

We sat in a room with about 7 other tables, facing the pretty Japanese landscaped garden, as pictured above.

The restaurant serves a fusion cuisine of Japanese-French flavours, with its famed degustation 13-course set menu changing frequently.

But enough from me, and let’s allow pictures to do the talking!

Corn Soup with Saffron Ice Cream

Pacific Oysters with Rice Vinegar & Ginger

Smoked Ocean Trout & Avruga

Marinated Crystal Bay Prawns with Soy Caramel

Confit of Petuna Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Konbu, Apple, Daikon
Seasonal Green Salad

Terrine of Queensland King Spanner Crab with Avocado

Grilled Fillet of Barramundi with Braised Baby Fennel

Twice-cooked Deboned Spatchcock with Fois Gras, Sweetbreads & Morels

Wagyu Beef with Lime & Wasabi

Cannellini Beans with Mascarpone

Pineapple & Amaretto Sorbet
Chai Bavarois

Summer Pudding

Chocolate Chiboust with Lemon Curd & Coffee Marshmallow

My absolute faves were the raw pacific oysters, which were marinated with a perfectly tangy blend of rice vinegar and ginger. The smoked ocean trout was topped with a beautifully half-cooked yolk that showed absolutely no signs of runniness – now that’s skill! – and lovely caviar. The creamy wagyu beef, coupled with sour lime gelatine, was also to die for.

What wasn’t as impressive was the barramundi. It wasn’t extraordinary, or perhaps the preceding dishes had inflated expectations. Dessert fans might also be slightly disappointed, as it was unanimously agreed at my table that the savouries easily outshone the sweets.

The pacing was good, and the waitstaff were knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. Or perhaps I’m biased as they kindly acceded to my request to take photos,  flashless  of course.

Not too stylish to be shooting each course, admittedly. But hey, I just had to have photos to show for it!

Tetsuya’s opens only for dinner from Tuesdays to Fridays, as well as for lunch and dinner on Saturdays. It’s notoriously difficult to get a reservation, especially on Saturdays, so plan waaay ahead if you’re looking to go!

The good news is, for those not planning to pop to Sydney soon, is that Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands will be home to Tetsuya’s second restaurant next year.

We’d requested to meet Mr Tetsuya Wakuda, but unfortunately, he’d stepped away. He’ll probably straddle the two locations from next year. Look out for the second restaurant when it opens!

Tetsuya’s Sydney
529 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 2 9267 2900
Fax: +61 2 9262 7099

I see skies of blue…

… And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Whizzing By

Time, that is.

November was too packed for my liking.

Other than plenty of work events, I flew to Bangkok for ‘leisure’. But leisurely it was not! Much as there was the adrenaline rush, the Bangkok marathon of shopping and eating eventually took a toll on me.

I also flew to Sydney for work, which meant that unwinding was pretty much impossible.

I must add, randomly, that trip did everything to rekindle my lurrrvve for natural pacific oysters and seafood on the rocks.

Anyhow, I’m really happy to be back!

I’m pining for a slower, though no less meaningful, December amidst the merriment of Christmas!

Looking Up & Away!

The Apprentice Housewife is headed for a much-needed break!

She’s off to get rejuvenated by foot massages, exhilarated by cheap buys with incessant bargaining, and have her tastebuds assaulted by spicy foods.

Guess where she’s going?

Corn & Apple Soup

Hit with a bout of acute pharyngitis, I wanted soup to soothe the throat last week.

So, grabbing an overripe apple, I improvised on a very simple recipe.

Ingredients
Pork Ribs, 300g
Corn, 2, chopped
Apple, quartered, 1
Conpoy, soaked in water, 2
Onion, white, 1
Chopped Garlic, 1 tbsp

Directions
1. Add pork ribs to boiling water. Some like to blanche the ribs and throw out the water from the first boil, but I didn’t.
2. Add corn, onion, conpoy and chopped garlic. Simmer for about 2 hours.
3. Half an hour before serving, add the apple quarters.
4. Season with salt/sauce to taste.
5. Serve with rice.

Serves 2

The soup was sweet and quenching. I’ve seen pears going nicely with certain broths too.

I know, I know. This is such a filler post.

I’m going to be extremely busy at work the next few days, and will inevitably neglect this space!