730 Days

And counting.

That’s how long we’ve been Mister & Missus, yet it feels like just yesterday that we made those vows.

It’s true that time flies when you’re having fun.

Looking back, I smile.

I smile, when I think of the times he’s tried converting me to shower with cold water, and how I retort never. Knowing full well we’ll repeat the exact conversation the very next day.

I smile, when I awake half an hour after he’s left for work, to a bowl of soggy Honey Bunches drenched in milk. Just the way I like it.

I smile, when he rushes to rescue me from a repulsive roach at home. This, when he’s already in the car on the way to work.

I smile, when he attempts to surprise me with a bouquet of roses. And ends up blurting the plan to me two days before.

I smile, when I see my cup of blackcurrant juice miraculously full all weekend, despite having guzzled it all. Because he knows I complain incessantly about chapped lips, when the problem is simply because I don’t hydrate enough.

I smile, when he stops me transferring rice from my plate to his, because he wants me to know he accepts me the way I am. Extra 8 kilos and all.

I smile, when he genuinely relishes the food I make. Even if it doesn’t always taste great. I know.

I smile, when I think of him fighting the urge to sleep after an argument, waiting for me to get over the anger. This, when he has to awake in 5 hours. Just so we’ll both never go to bed angry.

I smile, when I see his tenderness and generosity towards others, knowing he is thrifty and hard on himself.

I smile, after my tears have dried up at the end of a rough day. Knowing I can be my chatty self with the person committed to braving the ups and downs with me.

Soon, in the years to come, we will stop counting our marriage in terms of days. But I don’t ever want to stop counting our blessings.

Happy 2nd Anniversary, my dearest.

… And by the way, I think it’s time we collected our wedding video.

Companion Cook-in’!

Two weekends ago, we had a dinner cook-in with ol’ school mate, her brother and their beaus. I  love companion cookin’ as the party begins right at food preparation!

Alv, a very meticulous cook, was in charge of meats. He made a lovely rack of lamb with garlic herb and mint sauce. I’m often cautious about the strong taste of lamb but the cut of meat was fresh and tender, with the garlic mint blend perfectly complementary.

Pity my oven was pretty wonky so he had to check on the meat many times!

Wiles cooked a good vongole pasta with white wine sauce, served straight from the pan. Mave prepared a crisp rocket salad with my favourite Sushi Tei dressing. Since she did most of the work the last round, we conceded she was allowed to “adulterate homemade goodness” by using a pre-made dressing.

And if you’re starting to wonder if I was slacking off as a host, well, this was where I served the wild mushroom soup with truffle oil as a starter.

The husband was the only one excused from the kitchen – although he mopped the floor later – as he was busy with work, tapping at his keyboard all afternoon.

For dessert, I baked warm chocolate fondants, better known here as chocolate lava cakes. Solid on the outsides, flowy and molten on the insides.

I would have preferred to serve the fondants out of their moulds so you see the lovely molten chocolate oozing out, but the execution was far less than desirable. So I presented the cakes in the ramekins in which they were baked, coupled with dollops of vanilla ice cream.

Will post the recipe once it’s perfected!

Double Truffle

My friend Lainey went to Cannes for business, and I was rewarded with another bottle of truffle oil!

It’s my second bottle in a week, but hey, I’m not complaining. Looks like I’m going to have truffle oil-everything in the coming months.

The lovely oil is from Tartuflanghe, an Italian company specialising in truffles.

The pretty rose-pink ribbon that adorns the bottle in the pic above is also compliments of Lainey. A month ago she’d bought a spool of ribbon, knew I’d like it for craftwork, and kindly unravelled the whole spool to give me half.

As you can see, I’m pretty upfront with her about my wants. So yes, this post is really dedicated to her.

Thanks my sweets!

Wild Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil

I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for the longest time, held back only by my lack of an immersion blender and – okayyy – some inertia.

When I realised a jug blender was sitting unused at my mum’s place, I carted home this second-best option immediately.

If you’re looking for a wholesome starter for entertaining, the following is a non-dairy option you can consider. It’s an amalgam of recipes I’d researched and rejigged.

Ingredients
Mixed mushrooms (portobello, shiitake, enoki, oyster), 500g
Dried shiitake, a handful
Chicken stock, 900ml
Hot water, 2 cups
Russet Potato, diced, 1
Butter, 1 tbsp
Onion, 1 small bulb
Garlic, 1 clove
Thyme, 2 sprigs
Parsley, 1 sprig
Truffle Oil, 4 tsp

Directions
1. Soak dried shiitake in very hot water. Leave for at least half hour.
2. Wash and roughly dice mixed mushrooms.
3. Heat butter in a pot. Saute onion and garlic for about a minute under low heat.
4. Add mixed mushrooms and saute for about 10 minutes. The mushrooms will release moisture and shrink.
5. Set aside a tbsp of sauteed mushrooms as garnish later.
5. Add dried shiitake, stir lightly before adding liquid in which it’d been soaking.
6. Add chicken stock, thyme, as well as diced potato as a thickening agent, boil and simmer under low heat for at least 20 minutes.
7. Blend the mixture. Best if you have an immersion blender which can blend the mixture within the pot. Otherwise, transfer to jug blender.
8. Return to pot if not serving immediately. Reheat later if necessary.
9. Dish soup into small bowls. Drizzle one tsp of truffle oil over each serving in a concentric pattern. Garnish with bits of sauteed mushrooms and parsley leaves or preferred herb.
10. Serve!

Serves 4.

I’m slightly lactose intolerant and wanted soup with a non-cream base, so I used potato as somewhat of a thickening agent.

The merit of an immersion blender is that you remove the hassle of setting up and washing the jug, let alone transferring to and fro. Simply immerse the hand-held blender in the pot… And voila! The mixture will be ready in a jiffy.

I served this as appetiser as part of a dinner party last weekend, and the yummy soup, topped off with that fragrant truffle oil, was a nice start to the evening!

Straight from the Cask

I’m pretty excited about a new find at Ion Orchard.

Vom Fass, or “from the cask” in German, is a unique merchant that allows you to buy exquisite oils, spirits, vinegars and liquors straight from the cask. Aptly put, it’s like an “Aladdin’s Cove” for gourmets, evoking a sense of intimacy harking back to the days when customers bought directly from producers.

The shop is situated beside ThreeSixty Marketplace, my fave place at Ion. The floor area of Vom Fass is pretty small, and you feel like you’re entering a little treasure trove of glass balloons and clay barrels. Customers are welcome to sample any product that catches their interest.

The buying process works this way:

- Sample and decide how much you want to buy.

- Pick a bottle and cork. The 50-ml bottle was the smallest, but cost over $6 due to a fancier design, whereas the no-frills 100-ml bottle – which I picked – cost $1.50.

- The attendant will pour the required amount of liquid straight from the cask into your selected bottle, and mark the product by scribbling its name and quantity on the bottle.

I checked out Vom Fass after dance class yesterday. Mildly embarassed at permeating the shop with scent of my sweaty gym gear, I quickly sniffed at epicurean oils like avocado and grapeseed oils, but declined tasting.

Happily, I emerged with a freshly-filled bottle of truffle oil. I picked a no-frills 100-ml bottle as it would be stored out of sight in the fridge anyway.

I know there is a debate on the authenticity of many truffle oils, but I was definitely a pleased lady last evening. The oil is fabulously aromatic, and I know how I’m going to use it first!

Strings with Wings

Dear Friend,

It’d been a long time since I picked you up.

A good companion you were in the early years but

Neglected when whirlwinds of Life swept me.

I’m glad we’ve rekindled the connection of late.

There’s something about you that helps me draw closer to Him.

Empty Space

This space has been empty for about three weeks, the longest silence the blog has seen since conception.

Life has been very busy on the work front, and weekends are somehow packed with one thing or another.

But in the midst of it all, I’m mindful of counting my blessings and being thankful for all I have.

I captured the above shot at Fort Canning one weekend, and thought it was an apt representation!

The grass patch is a little overexposed, but I liked that interesting effect.

I am so looking forward to a getaway!

Rosemary-Turmeric Roast

I wanted to make a fusion roast chicken over the weekend, so I decided on an unlikely blend of rosemary and turmeric, topped with organic honey.

Fresh from the oven, the chicken skin was interestingly crisp yet moist, and the fragrant herb blend was wonderfully earthy with a perfect tinge of sweetness. We loved it!

I also liked how the turmeric imparted a rich orange tinge to the skin.

Here’s the self-invented recipe:

Ingredients
Chicken Thighs, 3 large
Rosemary, 3 sprigs
Turmeric Powder, 1.5 tbsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Black pepper, 1 tsp
Garlic cloves, 4
Chopped Garlic, 1 tsp
Sugar, 1 tsp
Honey, 1.5 tbsp
Water, 3 tbsp

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. Rub salt generously over chicken thighs, and arrange them on a baking tray lined with two layers of aluminium foil - easier to clean thereafter!
3. Sprinkle pepper and sugar over the top of each piece.
4. Place rosemary leaves over each chicken thigh. Stuff some under the skin, if you like.
5. Add chopped garlic and evenly sprinkle turmeric powder.
6. Place tray in the oven and roast for 40 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, baste with juices from the pan. Smear honey over the skin, and add water to the pan.
8. Roast for another 10-15 minutes till skin is beautifully browned.
9. Serve – with sauteed beans and chived mash!

Serves 2.

I was too lazy to make a separate gravy for my mashed potatoes, so adding water to the chicken juices at the end was my quick way of creating an accompaniment for my mash – albeit a runny version.

I’d like to think this recipe is fairly healthy, as there wasn’t a need to continually baste the chicken with additional fat.

The skin was nicely crisp, yet still moist because honey – and water – was added only towards the end. And the meat was certainly juicy.

If you do try this, let me know how it goes!

Homemade Meatballs

Inspired by a kid who said his fave place was Ikea, and a recipe I saw on BBC’s Good Food, I decided to make a very homey version of Swedish meatballs.

My Homey Meatballs

Here’s the pictured recipe…

Ingredients

Minced Pork, 500g
Egg, 1, Medium-sized
Onions, 1 bulb, grated or finely diced
Garlic, 1 tbsp, finely diced
Breadcrumbs, from 1 slice of white bread
Fresh Dill, or Thyme/Sage, chopped, 1 tbsp
Rosemary, 1 small sprig
Soy Sauce, 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil, 1 tbsp
Butter, 1 tbsp
Beef Stock or Gravox, 400ml
Corn flour, 1 tbsp

Directions

1. Mix minced pork with egg, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, sauce and chopped herbs in a large mixing bowl.

2. Roll and compact meat mixture into 1-inch balls. Mine were rather haphazard, but I was hungry. Should yield about 20.

3. Using 1 tbsp vegetable oil, gently place the meatballs in a deep frying pan. If you simply dump the meatballs on the pan, they will flatten, so be careful in your transfer. Brown the minced meatballs till fully cooked, then set aside. You may have to do it in two batches, as I did.

4. Gravy Time! In the same pan, add butter. Pour in beef stock or Gravox, add the corn flour and some rosemary leaves, and whisk till mixture thickens. Return meatballs to gravy to heat through.

5. Top with a sprig of fresh herbs – in my case rosemary – and serve with mash, and lingoberry or cranberry jam!

It’s not quite Ikea-esque, but was quite fun to make.

The Day He Cooked the Eggs

I was tottering home from dance class in an odd combo of sweaty gym-wear and office heels, when I received a call from the husband.

”Guess what,” he said. ”I’m cooking eggs for us to eat at dinner!”

Ah, the four remaining eggs that were bought more than two weeks ago. Good thinking, I said.

You see, while I’m mistress of the kitchen, he is excellent at playing quartermaster, often spot-checking the fridge on what’s to be used before expiration.

So when I arrived home that evening, he burst out of the kitchen with gusto, the dish in hand and a glint in his eye.

”Presenting,” he said, “the Yolks & the Bulb.”

Blankly, I asked why that name.

“Because I used four egg yolks and a bulb of onion,” he said.

With that, I really cracked up.

It was hilarious how he hyperbolised his simple dish with that strange, fancy name!

That, yes, was a rather random moment. And no, the egg recipe was certainly not ground-breaking.

But it was somewhat the most heartwarming thing that happened that day.

A Goop Read

Dubbed the next Grace Kelly. Fiancee, then ex, of Hollywood’s then-most eligible bachelor. Best Actress at the 1998 Oscars. Married Coldplay’s frontman. Face of Estee Lauder. Mother of two.

And now, something to pad up her resume: an aspiring lifestyle blogger.

Yes, it could only be Gwyneth Paltrow.

Launched late last year, Gwyn’s much-publicised blog Goop – vaguely derived from her initials – aims to help others “nourish the inner aspect”. She says she has “this incredibly, lucky, unique life… and thought this would be a fun, creative way to share it”.

Naturally, her website has received its fair share of detractors and backlash since its launch. Some say she’s trying too hard to position herself as Martha Stewart-meets-Oprah.

Others scoff that her recipes and book recommendations are “painfully obvious”. Or scorn her travel reviews for being exercises on the vanities of life.

But if stats are anything to go by, hundreds of thousands of people have registered for her weekly newsletters. I suspect there are people out there who would much rather read her writings, than those of more accomplished writers.

I’m not a fan, but here’s my take: there’s something strangely relaxing about reading her earnest prose, even if they’re not the best of essays or newest of ideas, as skeptics say. If blogs can be honest and reflective of one’s evolution over the years, then who’s to complain.

She doesn’t claim to be the authority on roasts and travel boasts – and if you take it in that light, it can be a pretty fun read. It’s like she’s blogging as she learns, as many of us do.

To her credit, at least we know she’s not paying too many ghostwriters, I think, to write copies for her blog.

So… watch Gwyneth Paltrow make her way around a fowl - check out the clip below!

 

Her simple roast recipe is really not groundbreaking, but I do love the way she debones her chicken with gusto. This technique, she says, helps cut down on cooking time.

I must state, though, that I feel the traditional way of stuffing a chicken, and keeping it in by tying the legs with cotton string, seals in more moisture and flavour, resulting in the juiciest of meats.

And if you’re not into cooking, just watch the clip to admire her wonderfully toned arms. Those long, lithe, sinewy arms…

I should really hit the gym.

A Light Breakfast

Guess what I had for breakfast this morning?

‘A Light Breakfast’

… Not!

Isn’t this picture clever? Saw this pic a while ago and made a mental note to feature it sometime.

Photographer David Sykes had commissioned a model maker to make a giant plate to attach to the wall, sourced some amazing balloons, then composed the shot. And this was the result!