Kuvo Restaurant – Orchard, Singapore

KUVO is a new multi-concept restaurant/bar/lounge by TCC located right next to Somerset 313 with a lot less crowd than its neighbour. It was opened recently, with its name KUVO derived from the French term cuvée, which means blended batch of wines. This was clearly evident with the extensive wine chiller at the back of the restaurant and a fusion mix of Asian and Western fare. The ambience of the place is a rather fancy, spacious and sleek look with a sepia colour theme. Even the Athena cutlery exuded elegance. KUVO would be a great date or special events venue.

The KUVO Coffee Hot Wings ($14++) are large, juicy and moist with a sauce that resembled a hybrid of American buffalo wings and Singaporean coffee pork ribs. I actually did not really fancy it much as I thought the chilli kick was too intense and the sauce was too pasty and salty, with not enough of a coffee/sweet essence as I had hoped for, but RX enjoyed this dish and said that “Singaporeans would love this”. They were served with baby carrot crudités and blue cheese dip (which did help to cut the spiciness, but the blue cheese was very pungent; and I ain’t no fan of blue cheese). To be honest I wish I had ordered the new off-menu item Hokkaido scallops instead (make sure you ask for the off-menu items if you’re coming to see if they tickle your interest).

The KUVO Atlantic Cod Meunière ($38++) was the highlight of the evening for me. The cod medallion was succulent and soft, exuding a natural fresh sweetness. It paired so gloriously with the savoury sweet pea crust on top and the relishing sides of the creamy pearl barley and corn fricassee, potato gratin (hands down one of the best ones I’ve tried; how ingenious that they put thin layers of potato and orange sweet potato together?), and a citrus nutty brown butter (and vinegar?) to meld it all together. It was also accompanied with tenderly roasted asparagus, thin green beans, fine green beans, a plump cherry tomato and pickled figs for an extra tang. Props to them for serving on a heated plate too. This is truly one of the better gourmet Western dishes I’ve had in Singapore.

The Croissant Bread Pudding ($14++) is adorably cake-shaped in filo pastry with dried cranberry, salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. I loved the juxtaposition of the crunch from the filo and the soft creaminess of the croissant pudding encased within, which went well with the sauce and ice cream combo. You can tell they’re serious about food when they serve good quality vanilla bean gelato and thoughtfully covered the top and base of the saucer with crunchy nutty crumbs so that the ice cream wouldn’t come into direct contact and melt easily with the saucer. Perhaps if the caramel was less salty, and more buttery, it would’ve been perfect.

I also tried their Baileys cheesecake ($7.50++, also available for takeaway from the cheesecake counter if you want to save on the service charge) which was satisfyingly rich in Baileys (actually to my ‘alcoholic’ taste buds, it was lacking a bit, but my ‘non-alcoholic’ boyfriend said it was too much!) but the texture of the cheesecake and biscuit base was a bit too soft and crumbly for my liking (I like my cheesecake firm and cheesy like the NY style baked ones).

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Service was friendly and the waiters asked about the meal and topped up water un-intrusively. I enjoyed my time at KUVO and it was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night. I hope that it’ll be a keeper in the brutal F&B scene in Singapore. (I was just looking through my to-do list (which is ever-growing and currently stands at about 100 items) and realised that some of the places are already closed permanently! (Wood Shed Cafe, Parco Cafe, just to name a few)

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KUVO Singapore

#02-01, 321 Orchard Road, Orchard Shopping Centre, Singapore 238866
Closest MRT: Somerset (don’t make my mistake and get off at Orchard just because it’s at “Orchard” Shopping Centre!)
Tel: +65 67338272 / email for reservations reservation@KUVO.com.sg
Opening hours:

Sun – Thu: 12:00 – 01:00
Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 02:00
Eve of PH: 12:00 – 02:00
PH: 12:00 – 01:00

Website: www.facebook.com/KUVOSingapore

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Prices are not inclusive of GST and service charge.

Clinton Street Baking Company – Bugis, Singapore

I’m not usually one to want to be the first to queue for newly opened food outlets so that I can let the hype (and queues) die down, but Clinton Street Baking Company with its accolades as the best pancakes in NY from New York Magazine (twice) seriously piqued my interest. The secret is to separate the eggs and gently fold in whipped egg whites (if you have the time and mixer, there’s a recipe here). Chef-husband and wife duo Neil Kleinberg and DeDe Lahman, opened Clinton Street Baking Company in New York City in 2011 to make the best baked goods in the city, hand-mixed in small batches.

Having brought its splendour to outlets in Dubai and Tokyo, Singapore is the lucky second in Asia. It’s within walking distance to City Hall/Bugis MRT. Having just opened yesterday (without much fanfare either), the queue when I arrived on a Sunday morning at ~10.30pm required a 45 minute wait. Luckily their efficient system allowed us to walk around the nearby Bugis malls before they called us when our table was ready. The menu is pricier than standard cafe fare being a world-famous restaurant.

In classic Southwestern American style, Clinton Street uses buttermilk in many of their dishes, like the pancakes, Southern biscuits, and chicken and waffles. It makes the floured foods taste rich, well-aerated and fluffy.

You can’t go to Clinton St. and not order their Warm Maple Butter Pancakes ($18). They have blueberry, banana walnut and chocolate chunk. I got the blueberry rendition as per the waiter’s recommendation; bouncy, thick and fluffy to the core, yet with a firm and crunchy exterior and specks of blueberry embedded within; with a rich buttery fragrance, I can understand what all the hype was about and devoured it happily.

 I reckon the pancake itself was slightly too sweet for my tastebuds though, especially with the pot of the divine warm maple butter (comfort grub at its finest) and blueberry topping. The maple butter was not really enough for me, and each extra pot is $2 more (I suppose it’s a good thing for my waistline!). The blueberry topping was luscious and chock full of tiny blueberries (I believe they are dried blueberries) with in a rich sauce that soaked through the pancakes to create ultimate blueberry goodness. True to its American style, the portion is very large, and I think that this is too filling to share between two people (if you’re ordering another item to share between the two of you) so it’s probably best to gather a few friends to share.

We also tried a not so popular item Smoked Salmon Scramble ($23). I thought this was relatively average and pricey. The scrambled eggs were generous with the house-smoked salmon, but slightly rubbery and not creamy enough (although there were sparse chunks of the scallion cream cheese). The salmon was cooked with the egg so it was not soft, but the eggs were doused nicely with its salmony oil and chopped chives. The salad was fresh and had a mild vinegary taste (luckily not dressed with oil as the meal was already quite heavy!), and the seven-grain toast was wholesome and crunchy. My partner in crime liked this dish more than the pancakes (although expectedly, as he does not have a sweet tooth at all!), as it was a light reprieve from the richness of the pancakes.

We had a Ginger ale ($5) as it was quite hot sitting at the very front of the shop next to the window (they do have an awning but the morning sun was still shining straight at the shop and it got quite warm). This tasted like a canned drink, not particularly gingery, and nothing to shout home about.

The ambience overall is relatively fast-paced and busy with a lot of hustle and bustle/noise, but comfortable seating. Service was overall quite friendly and efficient (although the waiter wanted to clear my plate when I still had a fair bit of food on it and just stopped for a bit of a rest; I suppose there is a long queue?). Going to the toilet may be a bit of an issue though as there’s only one unisex restroom available.

The unbelievably phenomenal pancakes here gives Singaporean cafes a run for their money. I spotted a cute slogan on the staff’s t-shirt “Made with Love and Butter” very apt. I definitely want to return (probably when the crowds die down 😛 if they ever do…) to try out some of the other brunch items. The eggs benny on Southern biscuits and the crispy potato pancakes look very promising. I’m glad that Singapore seems to be getting quite a lot of worldwide famous restaurants into the ever-changing food scene here (seems more so than Australia too… probably because there are so many homegrown talents in Australia though).

Prices are not inclusive of GST and service charge.

Clinton Street Baking Company 
31 Purvis Street, Singapore 188608
Nearest MRT: Bugis/City Hall
Tel: +65 6684 4845
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clintonstsingapore
Opening Hours: Daily, 8am to 6pm

Group Therapy Cafe – Katong

On a weekend brunch, the cafe was full-house which is strange considering its whoop whoop location. Expect queues on weekend brunch peak period as they don’t take reservations. The ambience of this cafe is a bit dark and dingy in appearance, being inside a mall without outdoor sunlight, but it’s cosy and comfortable nevertheless.

My friend got the Skinny Latte ($5) which, as a coffee connoisseur, said was good; and me being a chai snob, got the Chai latte ($5.50) which I thought was really well done for Singaporean standards. No syrup in sight, it was made with the real spice. It was strong, full-bodied, milky and a substantial foam top too.

Buttermilk pancakes ($12.50) were thick and fluffy, but in my opinion not enough of a buttermilk taste. It’s a very generous serve though 🙂 The honeycomb crumbs and fruits lent a sour/crunchy contrast, and they by default serve syrup on the side which is always a plus.

Pumpkin pancake ($18.00) – doesn’t look super appetising, but by golly it was outstanding! Hints of fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice ( cinnamon, nutmeg and clove) in a soft pancake with smoked salmon that was tender and easy on the sodium, two soft poached eggs topped with a very thick and rich serving of Hollaindaise sauce. We ended up scooping most of it away but if you do get it, ask for it on the side (or maybe most Singaporeans like it that way I guess…lots of sauce in food…)! Eggs were done bouncy with a gooey half-cooked yolk.

I thought the food and drinks at Group Therapy were good and understand why all the expat crowds flock here on the weekends!

Prices are nett (no service charge or GST)

They have another branch at Tanjong Pagar.

Group Therapy Coffee, Katong
30 East Coast Road, Katong V, #01-11, Singapore 428751
Nearest MRT: Dakota
Open daily from 9am to 9pm.

Group Therapy Coffee, Duxton
49 Duxton Road, #02-01, Singapore 089513
Nearest MRT: Outram Park/Tanjong Pagar
Tel: +65 +65 6222 2554
Open from 11am to 6pm on Tuesdays to Thursdays, 11am to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 10am to 6pm on Sundays and public holidays. Closed on Mondays.

Website: http://www.gtcoffee.com/

You’re eating dead wasps when you eat figs – Weird and Wacky Wednesday facts

Yep. I only just discovered after watching this video.

When a female wasp pollinates that juicy fig, she dies inside, gets digested by an enzyme in the fruit – and you’re essentially eating its dead body. Don’t worry, those crunchy bits are actually the seeds, not the wasp. But that fact kinda freaked me out. I love my figs anyway. I wonder if it can be used as a source of extra protein and vitamin B12 for those on a vegan diet?

If it’s any solace, from this article, it seems only dried figs are the main culprit… All this figgy talk reminds me of one of the biscuits I loved from Aldi in Australia, the fig bars. Which I can’t seem to find in Singapore…

The truth is, you’re doing more entomophagy (insect eating) than you would like to think. The red food dye in your cake? Yep it’s made from cochineal (ground up beetles). Beer, made from hops, contains up to 5% of its weight from aphids. Jelly beans and waxy apple skins are sweet, but also coated with a resin secreted by a Thai insect, Kerria lacca. Entomologist Dr Douglas Emlen revealed that most pre-ground coffee has ground cockroaches in it, as it’s too difficult to be processed out of the beans (the interview transcript). The FDA in the US say 100g of spinach can contain no more than 50 storm flies (thrips). And did you know fruit flies love ketchup? The FDA allows up to 30 fruit flies for each 100g of ketchup.

We’re already inadvertently doing it, I wonder if we may eventually open up to the idea of eating bugs as a sustainable source of protein and the future’s wonder food (did you know that historically, lobsters were considered disgusting to eat, yet now are delicacies?).

What do you say, yay or nay to eating bugs?

Chez Dré – South Melbourne

I went back home for a short trip and for RX to finally experience Australia. It was a long 2 year wait before I went back; partly because my parents are no longer there, but also because there are so many other new holiday destinations near Singapore that I wanted to save my limited annual leave and hard-earned moolah for.

We went on a whirlwind trip around the east coast; from Sydney to Canberra to Melbourne to Brisbane; and other towns in-transit. This wasn’t an easy feat to achieve in just 2.5 weeks without a car to adequately cover everywhere I wanted to go!

I didn’t really like Melbourne when I went there 5 years ago; maybe it was something to do with the fact I went in the middle of the bitter winter temperatures?! And I didn’t really get to do much tourist/foodie exploring that time as I was only visiting family. So I was a bit of a Melbourne snob, dismissing it as just a pretentious hippy city… I had always liked Sydney more: the temperatures are nicer, there’s more of a metropolitan buzz, and my grandma is there so it’s always been like my home base in Australia (even before I migrated over).

My second trip back to Melbourne and I have officially found my ideal foodie paradise. I am being serious, the food there is ah-ma-zing. I only had a few days there but I stuffed myself silly… and I came across my favourite brunch place in the whole world (no kidding). Chez Dré came as a recommendation from many of my Melbournite friends so I knew I had to try it, and boy am I glad I did. It’s a Francophile atmosphere with ingenious sweet and savouries inspired from France and made with local produce. Opened by patisserie chef Andrea Reiss, their pastries are excellent, with a huge variety of tarts, madeleines, gateaux and macarons. Come early if you don’t want to miss out on the best ones though as they may sell out quickly!

After a short trip on the tram from the CBD, we reached the quaint area famous for the South Melbourne Markets. Chez Dré is immensely popular and we had to wait for about 15 minutes before we got a seat (it was a weekend morning…).

The interior is grand and classy chic yet with a warm cosy feel and inviting breezy atmosphere. There is a curved design of the open kitchen for all of its patrons to stare in amazement, and beautiful window displays of the dainty desserts it is well-known for.

My friends and I (all of them who were formerly Brisbanites; my old high school friends 🙂 ) decided to choose from the dizzying array of desserts staring at us as we were waiting for our friend to arrive. All the petits gateaux (small cakes in French) are priced at $9.50.

Our first pick is the pretty strawberry & vanilla fraisier: orange financier, vanilla mousse, basil-olive oil biscuit, strawberry jelly. It was a great juxtaposition of textures and flavours, with the contrasting tang of strawberry and orange layers and sweet creamy goodness of the vanilla and crunchy biscuit.

Sacher Torte is a chocolate mousse and apricot gelee on a chocolate sponge base, fresh apricot, gold leaf with a white chocolate curl on top. This was good quality chocolate mousse, light and airy yet creamy, with a pleasant apricot fragrance.

GREEN TEA CHEESECAKE: RASPBERRY CRÉMEUX, ADZUKI BEANS, GREEN TEA MOUSSE, GIANDUJA SABLÉ

I have found my favourite dessert ever, it is the green tea cheesecake here. Absolutely amazeballs. The base is addictive, being extra crunchy and nutty compared to your typical buttery graham crackers. The cheesecake itself was not like any other cheesecake I had; it was not the firm cheesy type that I usually like, yet it was not the mediocre creamy mousse types that I don’t like; it was luscious and light with a rich matcha taste. The core embraced a cluster of the speciality hazelnut chocolate (gianduja) and adzuki red beans, and the dollops of raspberry cremeux just worked together so well to create a sublime dessert. I just can’t get over it!

The pastries on the wooden board it was supposed to be presented on 🙂 My friend wanted it packed in the cardboard takeaway box for some reason haha. 

Roasted eggplant and buckwheat salad ($18.50): Smoked eggplant puree, wild rocket, pomegranate molasses & rose water vinaigrette, dukkah and spelt flat bread. I loved this breakfast item I had. They may not have it anymore as it was seasonal special, but it tasted delightful, with the smokey undertones of the moreish eggplant contrasting against the clean cut and tangy pomegranate and vinegar. I loved their spelt flatbread too, being much thinner and airier than a typical pita and a more wholesome taste too (I love breads that use grains other than the typical wheat). It may have been vegetarian, but it was very satisfying.

?Persian spiced tomato soup with fish – I honestly forgot what it was called haha and can’t find it on the menu. But it tasted like assam… trust the Singaporean to choose this! It was basically fresh fish fillets cooked in a hot stew with onions, garlic, parsley, turmeric, chilli, tamarind, coriander and tomato (similar to the ingredients of assam). Clean and fresh tasting with a twist of sourness from the tamarind/tomato, RX enjoyed this stew more than I did.

The peach and mint house-made iced tea ($6.50) is also recommended, being refreshingly light, natural peach and minty fragrance and just the right amount of sweet. I got the last order as they had run out of ingredients to make anymore! And the ice cubes were cute big spheres. 

Yep, I think Chez Dré is the best brunch I’ve ever had in my life.

Chez Dré
Rear of 285-287 Coventry St, South Melbourne, Australia
Tel: +61 3 9690 2688
Opening hours: Mon to Sun 7:30 am – 4:30 pm
Website: http://www.chezdre.com.au

The Soup Spoon Union White Sands

White Sands Mall at Pasir Ris has a unique Soup Spoon Union that has exclusively debuted two new concept stalls The Grill Knife and The Salad Fork. My friend who lives in the eastside sent me many appetising photos of her dinners enticing me to go. Unfortunately it’s not available any other Soup Spoon outlet except in the ulu Pasir Ris, so I so trekked all the way to the end of the green line to try it out.

According to the mall’s Facebook page, ‘Pasir Ris’ means ‘White Sand’ in Malay, named after a stretch of white beach that makes the North-East Coast of Singapore.

The menu, in addition to the usual Soup Spoon favourites, has an array of fresh salads (The Salad Fork) and grilled meats (The Grill Knife).

My boyfriend ordered the salad bowl ($8,80): with mesculun mix (+$1.50), hummus, whole egg, sunflower seeds, falafel balls, cauliflower rice + quinoa and carrot sesame dressing. Every component was fresh and generously packed on the plate. With over 40 fibre, protein, carb, and house-made sauce options to customise for your own salad/wrap, you’re spoilt for choice. And unlike some salad shops, I’m really glad that the menu allowed enough flexibility to allow a significant amount of protein in the dish. My main gripe would be that the falafel balls, although served hot, lacked the crunch and spice-filled infusion I’d had in other shops, but then that’s being nit-picky since it’s obviously not specialising in Greek/Middle Eastern. What I loved about the dish was the cauliflower ‘rice’ and quinoa: basically there is no rice, but it is replaced with crumbled cauliflower florets, edamame + quinoa, an innovative healthy way to add fibre that I approve of (taste-wise too; it’s like crunchy light-tasting fried rice!). I also enjoyed the unique carrot sesame dressing, which tasted like sweet juicy grated carrot with some tahini mixed in. Salads usually bore me but The Salad Spoon managed to create some twists and make things interesting.

I got the chicken combo with grilled chicken breast + portobello mushroom set with a pesto penne and ponzu miso ($12.80). The grilled chicken breast was done well and again I was happy to see they were generous with the portions. The marinade of the chicken allowed the natural grilled flavour of the poultry to come through, although without a sauce it felt a bit dry (perhaps choosing thigh would be a better bet if grilled). The ponzu miso sauce was alright but it wasn’t really that to my liking; perhaps being a mix of sweet, sour and salty  in a Japanese style tastes a bit strange to me? But I heard the house gravy is good. The portobello mushroom is a bit small and slightly parched, but again well-seasoned. Luckily olive oil is available at each table, which I doused and made the whole dish taste good (yep, I love me olive oil. Nope it’s not because of Jamie Oliver). The pesto penne had a good pesto taste (although perhaps not as much cheese as the European standard?), but it was a bit too soft in texture. Nevertheless, each ingredient combined to make a pleasant dish, although not quite at fine dining standards.

The Grill Knife also has other options available including the salmon ($15.80), steak (flank $12.80 and ribeye $15.80), and pork cutlet ($12.80), as well as various combos of these for hungry ones. Each grilled meat comes with your choice of a side (mixed green salad, basil pesto penne, cauliflower rice with quinoa and edamame, chunky fries) and a sauce (ponzu miso, Japanese curry, house gravy, mushroom sauce). Customisation at its finest!

I thought it was a good idea for the menu to include the kcal count for each dish, although it was only for the two concept stores.

I like both stores at the Soup Spoon Union White Sands: fresh, innovative, wholesome, generous, affordable and yummy. It’s no-frills at its best. But with a caveat: with these prices, don’t expect gourmet food. However, the main problem is that it’s too far away from where I live: Soup Spoon Union can you please bring it over to the central area?! 😛

Prices not inclusive of 7% GST (no service charge)

Soup Spoon Union White Sands
#02-33, 1 Pasir Ris Central Street 3, Singapore 518457
Opening hours: 10.30am – 10.00pm daily
Telephone: 6585 0898
Website: http://www.whitesands.com.sg/stores/the-soup-spoon-union/ / http://www.thesoupspoon.com/home/our-brands/the-grill-knife/ / http://www.thesoupspoon.com/home/our-brands/the-salad-fork/

Moscato fruit cocktail spider

I made my own dessert today and it was delicious: cut up kiwi fruit, pomegranate, apples and cherries (be creative!), submerge in a glass of moscato wine, and topped with a scoop of mango vanilla ice cream (I love Weis’ Mango with Macadamia Cream). 

You can see it’s a lot more fruit-centric than alcohol-centric than what outside cocktails are like; just the way I like it 😉

Red kiwi fruits – you can eat kiwi fruit skin!

I’ve been eating out a lot because of the busy work schedule (and lack of time to cook at home) for the past few years, and everyday I really need some fresh fruit to counteract that greasiness/saltiness. Kiwi fruits are one of my favourite fruits, although they’re pretty expensive in Singapore so they’re not always my go-to fruit. I was very eager to try the red kiwi fruit by Zespri at the local NTUC Fairprice last month, and got a pack before they ran out of stock. Indeed they are even better than the yellow flesh kiwi fruits!!! More sweet, juicy, softer, less astringent, with a nice strawberry flavour as well.

The red kiwi is bred with a natural semi-transparent crimson coloured red flesh. I couldn’t find much information about the nutrient content, but according to this website it contains twice the amount of vitamin C as a regular kiwi. Sweeter, more delicious, and more nutritionally ideal, sounds good by my books! But, I couldn’t find it anymore after a while!!! While I was searching for its availability, I found on Zespri’s Facebook page (replying a fan’s comment) “Unfortunately the red kiwis typically have a smaller crop and therefore are no longer available. However, rest assured that we will keep our fans posted of any future updates via our Facebook page . So do check back, thanks! Meanwhile, the SunGold and Green kiwis are available in your local supermarkets for your enjoyment!”

I tried kiwi berries once last year; although again I think they are only seasonal as I haven’t seen them for the whole of 2015. I will blog about them some other day when I find the photo amongst my disorganised iPhoto!

All kiwi fruits are imported mainly from New Zealand, but contrary to its common name, the kiwi is native to China. Actually all kiwi fruits are originally from China; hence the name of Chinese Gooseberry. Historically, the Chinese were never overly fond of the kiwifruit (hmmm perhaps that says something about my non-traditional tastebuds?! :P), and used it mainly as a tonic for growing children and for women after childbirth. Other fascinating kiwi facts can be found here.

When cut, they release an enzyme (unique to kiwi fruits) that will soften other foods (and themselves) — so do only cut and serve until the last possible minute. Interestingly, this same enzyme actinidin has also been shown to help with protein digestion in the human digestive tract. So next time you’re feeling bloated from a meat-heavy meal or feeling creative for a natural tenderiser in cooking, why not give kiwis a go?

Another kiwi factoid: amazingly after 25 years of eating it the wrong way, I found out that just like furry peaches, kiwi skin is edible! It is much softer and thinner than you might think. But alas after 25 years of conditioning, I had trouble trying to down the skin; I thought it was too astringent and leathery. Although the SunGold and red kiwis are a bit better because of the lack of fur, the green ones can be taken with as well and you can scrape off the furs with the back of a knife. As with most other fruits, the skin is the portion that is highest in fibre (packed with other nutrients too), so I guess we are kind of throwing away much of the good stuff. No more peeling, wasted fruit flesh or handling a slippery green ovoid. I used to only like peeled apples, but after realising the health benefits of having it with the skin, I tolerated the toughness and now I would never think about peeling an apple again! Hmmm… food for thought. If you’re concerned about portion control, one serving of fruit is equivalent to about 2 medium kiwi fruits (150g); if you must be exact with carbohydrate counting for those with diabetes, one 15g CHO exchange would be about 1.5 kiwis. Kiwis are low GI too. Here’s a nutrient comparison between the green and gold kiwis from Zespri.   Do you eat kiwi fruit with the skin on? If not, would you start to for their health benefits?

Blueberry Chiffon Cake

This must be the longest record for a hiatus I’ve had from the food blog. I still am very in touch with the foodie scene (self-professed claims aren’t very convincing, but my foodie friends can assure you of this!), I’m just getting lazy and not writing about them. That, plus uni is getting more and more hectic as the years go by… Although my procrastination is still going strong wahaha! I just spent the past few days watching Masterchef almost non-stop, which I suppose is the catalyst behind igniting my desire to come back here to gratify a need for some self-indulgent blogging. I was kind of gawking at how little blogging I have done regarding nutrition or dietetics, considering I’m spending the bulk of my time (supposedly, anyway!) studying about it. I’ll get to it soon, so stay tuned with some fascinating insight and commentary about nutrition!

I wanted to share a recipe that I love: a blueberry chiffon cake that my now sister-in-law taught me. It is a delightfully light, fresh-tasting cake, that, if executed well and with some TLC, will not fail to impress. I did not have a chiffon pan at the time so it doesn’t look as tall or appealing as it should be, but it still tasted amazing. I was also too lazy to make the cream but the cake still tasted really good without it.

It is a recipe from a Japanese cookbook, and the cake certainly exudes the dainty and delicate art of Japanese cake-making, although my version is an unfortunately crude attempt, as my pictures show… The blueberries impart a soothing blue tinge to the cake as well as a subtle fruity aroma.

Now’s my chance to shine with some insider knowledge about food science! The recipe states not to grease the cake tin, and the reason behind that is so that the cake can ‘grip’ on to the sides of the pan to achieve maximal height, which would not be possible if you greased it with oil and make it too slippery for the poor batter to hold on to as it wants to rise to fame in all its chiffony goodness. That also probably is the rationale behind the existence of that ‘holey’ thing in chiffon tins: the more support the cake gets, the higher it rises. I think, anyway. Which is the reason behind the dismal heights achieved in my cake. No matter, it still tasted good.

Although the batter was grey, the cake’s flavour was anything but dull! I hope you enjoy making and eating it as much as I did 🙂

 

 

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3 egg yolks

100g blueberries/strawberries (about less than one punnet (125g).

30g sugar (1/8 cup granulated sugar)

5 cc. (mL) lemon juice (1 tsp)

Few drops of vanilla oil (essence)

50 cc. (mL) vegetable oil

80g plain flour (low viscosity) (2/3 cup flour = 80g)

2/3 tsp baking powder

Whites:

4 egg whites

1/10 tsp cream of tar tar

60g sugar (¼ cup)

Surface cream:

250mL fresh cream (whipping cream)

25g icing sugar (10 tsp)

10mL orange liquer (preferably) or brandy

Decorations: crushed almonds and mint

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (gas).

2. Cook blueberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a small saucepan. Simmer a little till berries start to leak and colours the syrup slightly. Cool down completely.

3. Sift baking powder and flour into a bowl.

4. Put egg yolks into a large bowl. Mix with an electric beater/whisker till fluffy and creamy coloured (you may need to tilt the bowl to make it whip). Add in blueberry syrup and mix it in with a hand whisk.

5. Put egg whites and cream of tartar into a separate bowl. Use a (clean) electric beater at low speed first, then progressively go towards the highest speed, while also simultaneously gradually adding sugar, beat till thick and fluffy (if you move the whisk up out of the egg white, the tip of the egg whites droops down very slightly (ie. Not horizontal, not drooping down a lot). Soft peaks.

6. Using a hand whisk in one direction, gradually pour oil into the blueberry and egg yolk mixture, gradually adding one at a time and mixing till fully incorporated.

7. Add flour and beat briefly on electric beater till combined (can use the beaters used to beat egg whites, even without washing).

8. Place 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Use a hand whisk to fold it in slowly and gently till combined (with the whisk at right angles vertical to the bowl, use a circular motion to make one semi-circle of the bowl in one direction, first surrounding the edge of one half of the bowl, then cutting through the middle. Repeat on the other semi-circle). Add a further 1/3 of the egg whites and continue folding in using the same technique, this and subsequent times using a plastic scraper to fold it in to combine (‘cutting’ the half with the ‘blade’ of the scraper). Add the last 1/3 and again fold in with plastic scraper.

9. Prepare a chiffon tin (do not grease). Use a spoon to put a layer to cover the base of the chiffon cake tin (to prevent large bubbles). Pour the rest in, careful not to let any onto the edges (otherwise it will burn).

10. On a piece of cloth on a hard surface (counter), bang the tin 5 times to get rid of big air bubbles.

11. Place the cake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean.

12. Invert immediately on a metal rack and leave to cool.

13. Ice with chilled surface cream and decorate with berries.

Cream

Place icing sugar and cream into a glass bowl. Place this bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice cold water. Beat this with an electric beater on low speed for about 1 minute till a little thick. Add 10mL of orange liqueur/brandy, then beat again on electric beater starting with low speed, then gradually high speed, beating until thickened (thick but still liquid enough that if you lift up the whisk, some cream should drop down). Chill. Frost cake with a flat spatula.

Source: Yoko

Rating: *****

Baked Pork Chop with Egg Fried Rice, Onion and Tomato (焗豬扒飯)

Apologies for my 2/3 year hiatus from the blog… Don’t worry, I’m still the ardent foodie I was before, still loyal to frequenting my favourite food blogs, partaking in new food adventures and trying new recipes.

I’m really surprised that my blog views haven’t declined over these months, and even has been escalating! (the sharp drop is because we’re only midway through May)… I was predicting the blog would eventually dwindle into a void of nothingness as I haven’t updated it for so long. I guess it might be because Google leads a lot of people here. This might motivate me to update it more frequently and write in a better quality (this post doesn’t reflect the best of my standards, by the way, as I’m feeling a bit rushed to start studying for exams coming up!), maybe even develop a fan base (highly unlikely with the poor quality of photos and infrequent posts haha!)

It’s really not so easy to update this blog. First of all, pictures are important in a food blog. More important than whether the recipe itself is worthwhile; because imagery sells. You don’t see famous food blogs with substandard photography. Unfortunately, I am neither endowed with photographic talent nor a good SLR, plus the fact that I usually cook dinner, which means the lighting makes the food look horribly unphotogenic and looks quite unappetising reheated as leftovers the next day.

Another reason is that I’m simply lazy. I’ll try to rectify that, surely it would be good for my studies as well. Oh, about studies… I’m in my second year of N&D now. It’s getting interesting, but also getting harder. I’ll write about it in another blog post. Right now, I just want to get into the food!

This recipe is one of those really excellent ones that fail to disappoint. I’ve cooked this for my family as well as several ‘visitors’ (mum’s friends) and they always gorge themselves on it, not having enough room for any fruits/desserts. You can’t really blame them (and me): it’s just like the ones you get in Cha Chaan Tengs (茶餐廳) in HK, but even better because it’s not drowning in too much cornstarchy sauce, or lacking in meat/vegetable ingredients (and filled only with rice). The dish is made up of a (one-dish-meal) medley of lightly fried rice as the base (I also stirred in some vegetables (including frozen vegetables)), topped with fried pork chops (flavoured with ginger and garlic, lightly crumbed if desired (I did in the photos shown)), with pre-cooked sauce of tomatoes, onions, capsicum, ketchup and worcestershire sauce poured over to seep into the meat and rice. Really, it’s the sauce that makes the dish as amazing as it is. Grated cheese can be sprinkled on top, and the whole concoction placed into the oven to bake until the top is browned. I got this recipe originally from my uncle, but have since tweaked it very much with other recipes I’ve found on the internet.

Granted, it is a very time-consuming recipe, so save for weekends.

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Baked Pork Chop with Egg Fried Rice, Onion and Tomato (焗豬扒飯)

3-4 eggs (beaten with salt and pepper)

1 ¾ cups (2 ½ rice cups) raw rice (or a large bowl of leftover rice)

400g boneless (3-4) pork scotch fillet/(half a piece of) pork loin chop

(Whichever is preferred: Skotch fillet has CT, pork loin has less CT)

1 medium onion (peeled, stems cut, sliced thinly)

3 large tomatoes (sliced thinly)

1 clove garlic (minced)

Optional vegies (chopped): mushrooms, capsicums, carrots, peas, baby corn etc.

(optional) ½ cup mozerella cheese

Marinade: a little light soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, (optional) 1 clove minced garlic, 1-2 tsp grated ginger

Sauce: 4-5 tablespoons ketchup or tomato paste, 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (don’t use dark: sauce will be ugly!), 2-3 tablespoons sugar, dash sesame oil, black pepper (mixed in a bowl)

Method

1. Cook rice as usually. Put into an oven-proof dish and cover to retain heat.

2. Scotch fillet: Use knife to ‘squash’ the fillets on both sides, using criss-cross patterns. Cut fillets into halves. Pork loin: slice into 0.5-1cm slices across the grain, then cut in half to shorten.

3. Marinate pork 30 mins.

4. Preheat oven to 200°C.

5. (optional) Just before cooking, pour some of the beaten egg into the fillets to coat them evenly, then dredge each fillet individually into plain flour or dried breadcrumbs.

6. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large flat wok over high heat.

7. Place however many fillets fit onto wok, arrange so all surfaces touch the wok. Pan-fry over high heat (or medium, if it burns), flipping fillets over occasionally. Pork should be hard and springy if it is all cooked, and browned on both sides: test by poking with chopstick. When a fillet is cooked, remove from the pan, continuing to add more uncooked fillets. (optional) Cut the cooked fillets into 3cm wide strips.

8. Heat oil in pan over high heat. Scramble eggs until half cooked, then toss in the rice. Stir-fry quickly (then add a little soy sauce if desired), then place into an oven-proof baking dish, cover with a lid to retain heat.

9. Heat oil in wok over high heat. Fry onions and garlic (plus hard to cook vegies eg. capsicum) for 3 minutes until browned, add tomatoes (and optional vegies) and saute a further 3 minutes, until tender. (optional: Take out 1/3 or 1/2 of the vegetables to stir into the rice.) Add the sauce ingredients and let it simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. If sauce is watery, thicken with cornstarch and water, if too dry, add water.

10. Lay pork chop in one layer over fried rice, evenly pour the sauce over this.

11. (optional) sprinkle cheese over the top.

12. Bake for 10-15 minutes uncovered, until top is browned.

Source: Lobus Kaufu and http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2008/09/baked-pork-chops-with-rice-classic.html

Rating: *****