tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45343481444656937022024-02-19T17:31:11.016+08:00I Am Not A Skinny CookNever trust a skinny cook. Incidentally, I have a degree in Materials Science and am far from lean. Trust me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-83556298401591227302013-12-27T00:49:00.001+08:002013-12-27T00:49:33.265+08:00Off Spec Cows...<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was looking back at the previous posts and realised that many of the photos have disappeared. Probably when Blogger was migrated over to the Google servers.. I'm pretty sure I uploaded those photos and didn't just link them to FB.</div>
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Anyway, I was summoned to my beef supplier's warehouse today because he needed me to see something. Check out what was waiting for me.</div>
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A</div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1476559_10151805782422050_1064080014_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1476559_10151805782422050_1064080014_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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B</div>
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C</div>
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/946087_10151805782447050_705967123_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/946087_10151805782447050_705967123_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The marbling is really insane. I ended up buying the whole lot, roughly 20 kilos. That was his evil plan all along...</div>
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Thing is, all beef was created equal, just that some are more equal than others. The 3 pictures above show:</div>
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<li>Wagyu M8/9</li>
<li>Wagyu M6/7</li>
<li>Grass fed Angus</li>
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What's the big deal? Well, higher intramuscular fat is prized because it adds flavour and unctuousness to the meat. Finding grass fed beef with marbling like this is ridiculous. Definitely off specification and a true gem. </div>
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I'm gonna try something new here. The first person who can correctly match the type/grade and cut of meat to A,B and C above wins a portion of this at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/okb.inc">okb</a>. Obviously, people I've spoken to about this yesterday do not qualify.. Leave your answers in the comments!</div>
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The portion is about 300g and is worth $50. For the heck of it, I'll even throw in a free glass of the Brave, a Barossa Valley Shiraz that is not sold by the glass. I'll pour you a glass and keep the rest for myself. Definitely my favourite wine and the ultimate companion to this piece of cow.</div>
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Any takers? :)</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-3410188998268250332013-12-27T00:19:00.001+08:002013-12-27T00:19:11.382+08:002013At the start of the year, I told myself that I would be more active here. The last post was in January. So much for that...<br />
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2013 has been an interesting year. Took on 2 potential investors who turned out to be mostly hot air, kicked them out in a squabble that nearly went to court, accepted that I wasn't gonna get rid of okb so easily, took on 2 investors with real chops, a renovation and a new girlfriend later, the business appears to be finally in order. Time will tell...<br />
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Learned a lot this year, that's for sure. I hope 2014 is less of a pain in the ass :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-18679987028316241332013-01-16T01:49:00.000+08:002013-12-27T00:00:35.012+08:00Food, from the heart...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/okb.inc"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB">okb :)</span></b></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></b></div>
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<u><span lang="EN-GB">Scallops dengan Minyak Buah Keluak</span></u></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">My eldest sister loves scallops. I like
them but she LOVES them. Scallops are fantastic but expensive. A scallop
sporting a perfect sear is one of the best ways of eating them and adding too
many other flavours will just ruin it. I find that searing the scallops with
the oil skimmed of a big pot of ayam buah keluak ties my love for this
shellfish and the classic Peranakan treat into a perfect knot.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-GB">Belachan Butter Midwings</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is NOT a variation of prawn paste
chicken. I first tried this combination with leftover sambal belachan that I
had made, by hand, at my grand aunt’s house. I had friends coming over and
wanted to do something ‘more’ than just fried chicken wings or buffalo wings. I
wanted something with local pizazz. So I was rifling through the fridge looking
for inspiration when I came across the sambal belachan sitting in the margarine
tub she gave me. Gold. But I needed a way to bind the belachan to the chicken
and what better way than to make a compound butter with it? This followed by a
really slow fry in the oven creates real magic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-GB">Pork Belly & Luak Chye</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I first tried luak chye at my great grand
aunt’s house over CNY just a few years ago. I was really amazed at how good a
combination of mustard greens and ginger, given time to mellow out in vinegar,
could be. I knew it would become a signature dish of mine because it’s such a
perfect condiment for any pork dish. I personally like the fattier cuts of pork
and the luak chye works so well in cutting through the grease and lifting the entire
dish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-GB">Roast Beef with Gula Melaka Glaze</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Cheap cuts of beef have the most flavour.
Asians especially like the gelatinous texture that slow cooked cuts of beef,
like shin and brisket, offer. Reading along the same lines, I give good quality
US chuck a slow cook treatment, sear off the outsides to give tasty caramelized
bits and serve the lot with a demi-glace made with beef jus, red wine and gula
Melaka carried back by hand from, you guessed it, Malacca. The result? One of
the most popular dishes in my repertoire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-GB">Starfruit Chicken</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This dish is truly my personal culinary
piece de resistance. A perfect marriage of traditional French technique, modern
cooking methods and SE-Asian flavours and textures. This is something I would
proudly call fusion. This dish really took it's time to evolve. I first toyed with the idea of using starfruit in salads
when I got bored of the usual cherry tomato and baby radish that commonly go in. The pickled starfuit was an instant hit with my private dining clients and I thought it would give a refreshing kick to the Hainanese style poached chicken I learned to make while selling chicken rice at a hawker stall. Personally I hate steamed/boiled chicken skin so I took to searing the skin like how roast chicken is made at the stalls. The finishing touch came when a friend suggested using a beurre blanc as a finishing sauce to make the precision poached chicken breasts a little more unctuous. You may not be a fan of chicken breast, but wait till you try this dish out...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-GB">Cha Ca</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I spent some time in Vietnam on internship
during university and made really good friends there who’d bring me home and
teach me how to cook real everyday Vietnamese foods. The culinary impact can still
be seen in my cooking today with the use of many fresh SE-Asian herbs and fish
sauce in my dishes. Cha ca isn’t something I particularly like but my
interpretation of this dish really represents what I love most about Vietnamese
cuisine. The mix of herbs and fish sauce brings unexpected depth of flavour to
a simple looking presentation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-GB">Haloumi and Tomatoes </span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">My twin sisters did their degrees in
Brisbane and developed a penchant for grilled haloumi and lemon juice over
outdoor barbies and beer, the perfect companion to haloumi, in my humble
opinion. They started making it here but I always found it too salty for my
locally adapted palate. Never thought highly of it till I tried Bjorn’s version,
with a tomato salad, over at Artichoke. Then it hit me that I could jazz this
up with the marinated tomatoes I had already created as a side for other
dishes. The rest, is history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span lang="EN-GB">Shepherd’s Pie</span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">My sisters have been a huge influence in my
life and they always will be. I always remember them cooking and something they’d
make pretty often was shepherd’s pie. Back then, no one in school knew what
that was. They’d brown beef in a wok with frozen mixed vegetables, and top the
casserole dish with instant mashed potato. My version pays homage to that. A
mixture of beef and pork worked by hand into a smooth emulsion (just like how
my mum taught me to make tahu tepung), brunoise vegetables, a spicy tomato
sauce cooked like sambal rempah and a rustic sweet potato mash to blanket it
all up. This dish is heaven in a cocotte, comfort to the max.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-91108961353517325052013-01-11T06:31:00.001+08:002013-12-27T00:23:32.462+08:00UpdateAlmost 3 years have passed and obviously, a lot has happened. By the grace of God, I managed to graduate. I started a moderately successful <a href="http://www.meetup.com/secret-suppers" target="_blank">supper club</a> and a slightly more successful private dining outfit. I made many new friends and lost a few as well. I ditched an awesome opportunity in Italy (a masters degree) and instead, opened <a href="http://www.facebook.com/okb.inc" target="_blank">this</a> up.<br />
<br />
What's next? I don't know. I think though, I'll be penning more thoughts here from now on. Come what may...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-49592156254858898252011-04-04T01:17:00.004+08:002011-04-14T11:31:43.329+08:00:)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIitLorlsqLlgPQonxXcFLI6LbxEnhzQF8UK903E2TpmPG2jXBYo5XZzfJ7OEavy1fMDq5VZ2KnIrWvlyaQ6f06WHlDHtNyfM_w4iAtoIC0y8JNmE_S5JqJFqYasslsATukRYxwDPBzNQ/s1600/macarons%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIitLorlsqLlgPQonxXcFLI6LbxEnhzQF8UK903E2TpmPG2jXBYo5XZzfJ7OEavy1fMDq5VZ2KnIrWvlyaQ6f06WHlDHtNyfM_w4iAtoIC0y8JNmE_S5JqJFqYasslsATukRYxwDPBzNQ/s400/macarons%2521.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">omnomnom!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Vexing as they may be, making these sure beats FYP reports...</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-6174375684481621502011-03-16T16:40:00.001+08:002011-03-16T16:42:06.611+08:00BillJust wanted to put this up before I lose the photos...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Xd7oR1IjHek1o5xElf8f7HvFuCRx9EWYXvtoEavJY8xV3N8KySgEDpcSEA3cM8Nz434WAt_YzusNDMV0WCMM69vqPwXe1vvw3yAe-pJnfalm-rnV2Dl2wbM3LVkj1S1wZoIpdmGKaqw/s1600/DSC09094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Xd7oR1IjHek1o5xElf8f7HvFuCRx9EWYXvtoEavJY8xV3N8KySgEDpcSEA3cM8Nz434WAt_YzusNDMV0WCMM69vqPwXe1vvw3yAe-pJnfalm-rnV2Dl2wbM3LVkj1S1wZoIpdmGKaqw/s320/DSC09094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill and me</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8X7Qnfo2ip6L09769c411bzYIB1DhboO0oOsJypV2PHCbjvbSTN1D61v7ehUCIhx1hr53PxD62lzJoFml6qXNdzGSyt3CNuT0-e3znqD2FQb8H-p1ZKfHyjW5jaAojmGYjy8V4ushnnU/s1600/DSC09091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8X7Qnfo2ip6L09769c411bzYIB1DhboO0oOsJypV2PHCbjvbSTN1D61v7ehUCIhx1hr53PxD62lzJoFml6qXNdzGSyt3CNuT0-e3znqD2FQb8H-p1ZKfHyjW5jaAojmGYjy8V4ushnnU/s320/DSC09091.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merv, Bill and me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So, in October last year, Merv and I were Bill Granger's cooks for a photo shoot of his upcoming Asian themed cookbook. Fun times in Pulau Ubin :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-78887681837418199062011-03-14T11:34:00.002+08:002011-03-14T17:13:47.635+08:00Sous Vide @ Home - Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">Alright so this post is long overdue but I only just got my own vacuum sealer last week so technically, my sous vide set up is only just now completed. A lot has been said about cooking sous vide. When the technique first came out in the 70s, it wasn't long before valid concerns over the stability of plastics in hot water and anaerobic bacteria propagation were raised. But we know a lot more about food safety now and food grade plastics are here to stay. There will be those who will always claim that charcoal stoves and wood fired ovens make the best food, and for specific dishes I will be among the first to agree, but seriously, can you do this without sous vide technology?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijalyyKzMutD5baXMxGlNhYt_O1YL03FfGnw_uayh_LnZgjTGjUAUWDKnLmu2hZTLf3ChSOsKzY_RLJ6oTJdu1FDtnYqn_Um7M5a_7hkiOK2cyGNNR3_gheNWSYF7c_yp0R6Wp_bt-NT0/s1600/IMG_0951.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijalyyKzMutD5baXMxGlNhYt_O1YL03FfGnw_uayh_LnZgjTGjUAUWDKnLmu2hZTLf3ChSOsKzY_RLJ6oTJdu1FDtnYqn_Um7M5a_7hkiOK2cyGNNR3_gheNWSYF7c_yp0R6Wp_bt-NT0/s320/IMG_0951.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">how gay is this?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">That is a piece of USDA choice chuck eye roll. That's right, CHOICE. Not premium standard American beef and yes, CHUCK. But look at it. Perfectly medium from end to end and you know what? So tender that you can easily slice it with a butter knife. Sous vide cooking value adds. Full beef flavour of a tough cut with the tenderness of filet mignon without the slow cooking effect of drying out the meat. I can't think of ANY other way to get results like this. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, in my case, sous vide cooking is literally meat in a plastic bag, a computer and a rice cooker but damn, the results are mind blowing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TNIpFrCftJtg2wGovNY3uYZq-40nopJ37-c-lGgMh53MAUetGig5p8oJTNVchQdYpE_q_W72TKuoZtyvbQR3u8W5SFmLaBr_Qp5_ERfNf4E_pI6l5JGfFYEQBeZu2lXKdIS582DJpdA/s1600/IMG_1749.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TNIpFrCftJtg2wGovNY3uYZq-40nopJ37-c-lGgMh53MAUetGig5p8oJTNVchQdYpE_q_W72TKuoZtyvbQR3u8W5SFmLaBr_Qp5_ERfNf4E_pI6l5JGfFYEQBeZu2lXKdIS582DJpdA/s200/IMG_1749.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have used this set up to cook tender cuts and tough cuts of beef, lamb, chicken, fish, scallops, vegetables and even fruit! The results are consistent every single time. What varies is the finishing and I have learned several tough lessons, experiencing it the hard way. For example, searing something at room temperature, something fresh out of the fridge and something fresh out of sous vide, yields differing results. Common sense right? Well not for me...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmaFzCfxh137oME8UC1daHgGWF6gZRo77I_Wv4b-F02XQ4zHPe8D60mJUkbeQX2XdC19TmCkOJhmMDtSFyQXs50KxlxqiNUe6bOaeIlrma0aBLPepvzzio5AD5QhRva67NF2EPICK4wc/s1600/IMG_1746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDBpZXxKd53MyEh6nAyzdKYdpsNK5RTSEmskD2_qKiHRdZMsHCto2JYvs32gJc_RVnehDvyOxpsHuwL857kj2_pGP1eZZtNu5X2BrZwBlZPmvrGwYUzFfV0qG2LGcwsk5nZ2_AB2Ck8Y/s1600/IMG_1745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDBpZXxKd53MyEh6nAyzdKYdpsNK5RTSEmskD2_qKiHRdZMsHCto2JYvs32gJc_RVnehDvyOxpsHuwL857kj2_pGP1eZZtNu5X2BrZwBlZPmvrGwYUzFfV0qG2LGcwsk5nZ2_AB2Ck8Y/s320/IMG_1745.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre-packed beef in my rice cooker with a resistance thermometer probe</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Before I got my own vacuum sealer, I would get the cuts trimmed and pre-sealed and then do a quick marinate before finishing. I was also limited to cuts of meat ordered from my suppliers Now the possibilities are endless, I can save on marinades because vacuum marinating requires a fraction of the marinade and confits can be made hassle free. Perfectly poached scallops and salmon mi-cuit are easy peasy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aWlBEkbz8eCZMFrMqvGsZnlfhmKjl6bWaza8Ru-nsKbc0pjwc43GSwm5jEQ7ihkgxRVdJ_wRl4EXa2kYw45Fjz0ssCcENn17_LzMm7QZlqfL5p161gcw7fp9j-AWeWifiZfMgCZV0jc/s1600/IMG_1747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MbW1KwnG5z78W3F6-q3lNsovb6xz17JQkFvCUiTMue7P4F1l8KsKj7jGDkV1NWXIMp5QVMeiFhIWtHQ12kL7d5UtoewYhyphenhyphen8bxyUN5EYJBfN4Qz74M7CtGkflEk3BKGMXbR8OcXqechA/s1600/IMG_1748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MbW1KwnG5z78W3F6-q3lNsovb6xz17JQkFvCUiTMue7P4F1l8KsKj7jGDkV1NWXIMp5QVMeiFhIWtHQ12kL7d5UtoewYhyphenhyphen8bxyUN5EYJBfN4Qz74M7CtGkflEk3BKGMXbR8OcXqechA/s200/IMG_1748.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre-sealed lamb shank and marinated chuck tender</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am completely sold on the sous vide technique. I believe it was Thomas Keller who said that sous vide doesn't take away the need to learn classical cooking techniques, it's just another option in a good cook's repertoire. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmaFzCfxh137oME8UC1daHgGWF6gZRo77I_Wv4b-F02XQ4zHPe8D60mJUkbeQX2XdC19TmCkOJhmMDtSFyQXs50KxlxqiNUe6bOaeIlrma0aBLPepvzzio5AD5QhRva67NF2EPICK4wc/s1600/IMG_1746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-17094210042484184132011-03-07T14:56:00.001+08:002011-03-07T14:57:16.639+08:00Fund Raiser, Round II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180616_186082014765294_170506796322816_437897_4546160_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Feb, JAM catered for a fundraiser. Hor d'oeuvres for 30, we did 6 savoury and 3 sweet. I got the savoury tartlet shells from poon huat and to be frank, they sucked. The photo below shows the shells in the background being filled with a lemon cream cheese, smoked salmon and deep fried capers. A fantastic combo marred by substandard shells.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180616_186082014765294_170506796322816_437897_4546160_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180616_186082014765294_170506796322816_437897_4546160_n.jpg" width="212" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">At about 20 cents a shell, I should have expected pastries made with their vegetable shortening. When filled and left at room temperature, they were hard and cloying on the palate. Unfortunately, we didn't have the budget for anything else and baking 300 of these just wasn't enticing. However, now that Ming and I have done 1200 macaron shells, baking these tartlet shells seems more feasible than before. A move to maintain the quality of the stuff we put out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We were called in for a second round of the fundraiser. This time no shells will be needed as the menu will be more substantial. I'm staying away from shells until we find a good source or we get the equipment to bake our own. Right now, I have sashimi grade salmon curing in the fridge and chuck eye roll in the sous vide. Macarons with assorted fillings were made last Saturday so things are going well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hope everything goes well, I have a packed 3 weeks ahead :(</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-6195805738715125082011-03-02T02:06:00.006+08:002011-03-08T22:51:46.858+08:00Colin, the Ninja ChefHow do you create a menu using premium ingredients and yet keep your average price per dish at just under $20? One way is to cut away overhead and manpower costs.<br />
<br />
That's exactly what my friend Colin did.<br />
<br />
If one could get away with dragging some burners to the middle of the sidewalk and setting up shop, I'm half sure he would have done that, at least at the beginning. Instead, he moved into the premises of B Bakery on Bussorah Street. Serendipitously, B Bakery closes on Sundays and at 6pm on weekdays, giving Colin free reign over the kitchen for Sunday brunch and dinners from Monday to Wednesday.<br />
<br />
He opened shop quite a while back and I've been meaning to head down but somehow never did. I finally made it a point to get my ass there for the half year anniversary of ZT and me. I should have gone sooner. <br />
<br />
I first met Colin at the Brown Sugar Bistro. He was helping his friend Kelvin, the owner of the now closed Le Figue, for a private engagement. Kelvin was there as a favour to the owner Yuan who was having issues with his chef. That was back in 2007 and if I recall correctly, Colin stayed there for a while after and that's how we got to know each other. Some time later, I helped him for a lunch function at the now defunct Les Brasserie on Club Street. I burned his strawberries for dessert :(<br />
<br />
After that, he got married and we only kept in touch via the odd text or facebook msg. We met again when he joined the spanking new Pamplemousse in Dempsey. Then he stepped away from a respectable position and went out on his own.<br />
<br />
In his own words, moving to B Bakery was the right thing to do because he finally had a humble place to call his own and where he was free to express himself. Cooking is artisanal to him and I respect him tremendously for sticking to his guns. For the same reason, I think he wouldn't be too happy calling him a ninja rather than an artist. But that's what he is - a bad boy rebel who does things his own way.<br />
<br />
Some days at B Bakery are better than others. Today, when I walked in, the 20 seat dining room was empty. The location and the lack of awareness is definitely a reason for this but it shouldn't be this way. IAmArtisan, is a gem of a find. I don't claim to be an authority on food but I have eaten quite a bit in my short life, to the point that I am rarely impressed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not playing his tune because he's my friend. I can foresee a whole host of problems if they got more than 3 tables simultaneously because it's just him in the kitchen and his wife Rose handling front of house. I also didn't like every single thing about the food. BUT what he let me experience today was a real and proper meal. Dining as it should be, leisurely and of excellent quality.<br />
<br />
The menu changes weekly but I've observed that Colin keeps his favourite main ingredients on each edition of the menu. Look out for the beetroot salad which will change the way you think of this muddy root. He also brings in fresh sardines from Europe but as well executed as this dish was, I'm not a fan of fishy fish. What I thoroughly enjoyed was the Port Nicholson cheese and his rendition of carbonara.<br />
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Don't take my word for it. Go try it for yourselves and be wow-ed.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.iamartisan.blogspot.com/">IAmArtisan</a><br />
B Bakery <br />
15 Bussorah Street<br />
<br />
Tuesdays to Saturdays - Dinner<br />
Sundays - BrunchUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-28612529345651352482011-03-01T00:42:00.001+08:002011-03-02T10:29:44.599+08:00Cooking Classes4 years ago when I was constantly trying to take Jo's eye out and helping to facilitate cooking classes and corporate bonding sessions at the <a href="http://www.corianderleaf.com/">Coriander Leaf</a>, I never thought that I would be running classes of my own. Back then, I couldn't understand why people would pay so much for the same information they could easily find on videojug and youtube. I have a different view on this now.<br />
<br />
In Singapore, there isn't much to do. After watching every movie that's out and pacing the malls, cooking classes offer an alternative activity that is interactive without being sweaty, as opposed to passive movie watching and sweaty games of tennis.The tactile learning one goes through by participating in a class gives form to the words and numbers in a recipe. What does consistency of magma or stiff peaks or over whipped cream mean? Better to discover it with your own senses then waste several batches of ingredients finding out on your own.<br />
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These classes are also a great way of meeting like minded people. Sure I've met really obnoxious know-it-alls but the majority of the people just want to have a good time doing something they enjoy. One thing I enjoy about hands on classes is that it's a 2 way learning highway. I am there to present a class but we all learn together along the way by fixing things that go wrong on the spot and by trading tips.<br />
<br />
Besides being a good source of income, sometimes even better than the cooking stints we get at <a href="http://www.oooh-jam.com/">JAM</a>, we get to showcase our skills and get new leads for what I love doing most, cooking for people. I used to tutor chemistry. I love chemistry but I hated teaching it. I'm quite ok with teaching how to cook though, maybe it really is about the content.<br />
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I still think that these classes can be expensive but I can see the allure they have. Check out what I'm doing this month with <a href="http://www.tottstore.com/class_20110326_2.html">ToTT</a> and <a href="http://www.cookyn-with-mervyn.com/cookyn-parties/booking/?action=book_class_now&cid=229">Cookyn with Mervyn</a>.<br />
<br />
:)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-33717885547770107432011-02-22T01:00:00.012+08:002011-03-14T11:42:40.478+08:00Circles of Eternal Vexation...<i>v<span style="font-size: 130%;">ex·a·tion</span></i><span style="font: 130% 'Doulos SIL','Gentum','TITUS Cyberbit Basic','Junicode','Aborigonal Serif','Arial Unicode MS','Lucida Sans Unicode','Chrysanthi Unicode'; margin: 0pt 0.7em;">/vekˈsāSHən/</span><span class="f" style="font-size: 130%; margin: 0pt 0.7em;">Noun</span><br />
1. The state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">2. Something that causes annoyance, frustration, or worry.<br />
<br />
Why? For starters, these annoying things sometimes go tits up for no reason.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI2jwYjgxwiv6wm9HlZNIHfM1BoD70b1-FDCkY4XMoLEcCP7VTLkWGNqjpwFqJsn_fMjktGNf9in0jxDoKRPcMtN2IdNw-7z8N8-UML8f9G6cEzO2xKrSYDz7OO5xeGsThdSxH0JeKLw/s1600/IMG_1681.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576190102977280610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI2jwYjgxwiv6wm9HlZNIHfM1BoD70b1-FDCkY4XMoLEcCP7VTLkWGNqjpwFqJsn_fMjktGNf9in0jxDoKRPcMtN2IdNw-7z8N8-UML8f9G6cEzO2xKrSYDz7OO5xeGsThdSxH0JeKLw/s200/IMG_1681.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><span class="f" style="font-size: smaller; margin: 0pt 0.7em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KsmPjJKq9cGsKmOzO9Gzp-PgB7fv1ySrx3hQ_EY7lpYfW-KMkoA5VNc4sgRH-WAvPGyzVr5ZrZnzKdXa8lHTRW-RrrEOZDlWwJy4_cPDh8BtVq5vnosPQGSFuAhOe3-3cdMKWaCuWUE/s1600/IMG_1684.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576190113612280754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KsmPjJKq9cGsKmOzO9Gzp-PgB7fv1ySrx3hQ_EY7lpYfW-KMkoA5VNc4sgRH-WAvPGyzVr5ZrZnzKdXa8lHTRW-RrrEOZDlWwJy4_cPDh8BtVq5vnosPQGSFuAhOe3-3cdMKWaCuWUE/s200/IMG_1684.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAbs-sWCugELwFPL4KxTwGQ0thlTUJuAVCEnKvEqGrGKRcqpRdPb6-SeDyh87OyOVM2OiSIgmKDgear3F55PoZF2CLXVkOA6rcku3aNrrjmbTuDqciiCwyiQfXJfxEeSAPsr5KcvJUWs/s1600/IMG_1686.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576190124222602050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAbs-sWCugELwFPL4KxTwGQ0thlTUJuAVCEnKvEqGrGKRcqpRdPb6-SeDyh87OyOVM2OiSIgmKDgear3F55PoZF2CLXVkOA6rcku3aNrrjmbTuDqciiCwyiQfXJfxEeSAPsr5KcvJUWs/s200/IMG_1686.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4kcfMIrb8Sh-Jjfx5Lav48OBFmI3kUhCArDSZSfkk-q0IiQxKgBUbbGqpDlnBHke-wXQtS-e9HcOg_17rh1mSBGwlpxyxvXW6dRVbU1ZnufcvWyjybol2Tm6V0E6b75rtoe5CMjfqfs/s1600/IMG_1682.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576190108203891314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4kcfMIrb8Sh-Jjfx5Lav48OBFmI3kUhCArDSZSfkk-q0IiQxKgBUbbGqpDlnBHke-wXQtS-e9HcOg_17rh1mSBGwlpxyxvXW6dRVbU1ZnufcvWyjybol2Tm6V0E6b75rtoe5CMjfqfs/s200/IMG_1682.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
Then, there's ALLLLL that waiting time involved in the multi-stage process of mixing,<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9I_WyK9nyxGWu8lXFSVrGQYS0byWL_fDRqsjF3wnY21Ox9wLdQt_gcHhMiQtscojmJVp785QGU1B4IOHNh925xCUm3KesLfOPYs61NavuIwTbPfyA6qeRRtGniPemrdOqS8jct1U5Rk/s1600/IMG_1688.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576196161861524290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9I_WyK9nyxGWu8lXFSVrGQYS0byWL_fDRqsjF3wnY21Ox9wLdQt_gcHhMiQtscojmJVp785QGU1B4IOHNh925xCUm3KesLfOPYs61NavuIwTbPfyA6qeRRtGniPemrdOqS8jct1U5Rk/s200/IMG_1688.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KcZwEQtJaCSKc6kS4RYCQIXCj7VU5oZQPOFTzw-QwCyqb39qEu5dft1GhnKL1SeBJpcf556qkaomluoZqcE-y9BXXC_9d8kfmalWVhLpsgD2lW1esja42Fq-NhSES9qLHiWwvrbz4zo/s1600/IMG_1689.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576196168711246178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KcZwEQtJaCSKc6kS4RYCQIXCj7VU5oZQPOFTzw-QwCyqb39qEu5dft1GhnKL1SeBJpcf556qkaomluoZqcE-y9BXXC_9d8kfmalWVhLpsgD2lW1esja42Fq-NhSES9qLHiWwvrbz4zo/s200/IMG_1689.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
piping,<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTudqLKb_a9bKO_IKYLNNWtCoE01TYEJtk6CXHY1VAXBAqLrnDpUyii16fkw5ZH_8K7kTbybzAncJBeRNby8PL7gcT4_fxZiOH8huQ6r8992h87V4Lnl1Y2A7qsOJwMRp8ivnGaKt8SGQ/s1600/IMG_1694.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576196182245773122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTudqLKb_a9bKO_IKYLNNWtCoE01TYEJtk6CXHY1VAXBAqLrnDpUyii16fkw5ZH_8K7kTbybzAncJBeRNby8PL7gcT4_fxZiOH8huQ6r8992h87V4Lnl1Y2A7qsOJwMRp8ivnGaKt8SGQ/s200/IMG_1694.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
drying,<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnBv6pb6VyVzF1ldpsiJ8-4BPRRRcRy5VOXIhyGstXJyYodkNMENJsqsQ2ZtYmnHp7ePHNkARcd5NV_XVdOYBgAlOB0B3oz_QyiDO7VelnWZZW5WjUjciNdBL7Y7GuOg6joIVJFQ37y0/s1600/IMG_1698.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576196189856007554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnBv6pb6VyVzF1ldpsiJ8-4BPRRRcRy5VOXIhyGstXJyYodkNMENJsqsQ2ZtYmnHp7ePHNkARcd5NV_XVdOYBgAlOB0B3oz_QyiDO7VelnWZZW5WjUjciNdBL7Y7GuOg6joIVJFQ37y0/s200/IMG_1698.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOxz-cocWDuateuKcKs8m47Zh02lwWaouvjH2RuSkC0Y8CEpLAPs2ThzgLYcH28u_9MvRd_5NDFpcjHMHDQ_Nc9-lpipicu3J3sG9AOve_mGf8cAfFrpsDbmYkG7G14U-2xi_8LaqEvQ/s1600/IMG_1697.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576195558002274018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOxz-cocWDuateuKcKs8m47Zh02lwWaouvjH2RuSkC0Y8CEpLAPs2ThzgLYcH28u_9MvRd_5NDFpcjHMHDQ_Nc9-lpipicu3J3sG9AOve_mGf8cAfFrpsDbmYkG7G14U-2xi_8LaqEvQ/s200/IMG_1697.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
baking,<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUebJ6QBLLxKrOQdcXQcIIcZ0LlUaBPOq_4c8DpXPNKPrk9VF1fBDYVTi0LBevQgUPGFaQrNbfo5phUujGNI8F6C1I71N9Rp_JCad8wvOc_7cTUeADC4LECQzdGCjZNx4cBz-n6DMQAgA/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576196196541841762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUebJ6QBLLxKrOQdcXQcIIcZ0LlUaBPOq_4c8DpXPNKPrk9VF1fBDYVTi0LBevQgUPGFaQrNbfo5phUujGNI8F6C1I71N9Rp_JCad8wvOc_7cTUeADC4LECQzdGCjZNx4cBz-n6DMQAgA/s200/IMG_1700.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
filling<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKs5lxfBTQIsPQFW8BFuXluJ21LBfH-7FFVCQao5pnS9alOgqx8If0UR4xDseO3KGPbpeies5-jLXq3n6jFbu3zE7HOUgzPAxoa4imAyyrJ2LEa0CtraHBLfDTbLGTRtM-U_z_2LZayM/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576196565535969122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKs5lxfBTQIsPQFW8BFuXluJ21LBfH-7FFVCQao5pnS9alOgqx8If0UR4xDseO3KGPbpeies5-jLXq3n6jFbu3zE7HOUgzPAxoa4imAyyrJ2LEa0CtraHBLfDTbLGTRtM-U_z_2LZayM/s200/IMG_1725.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
and packing...<br />
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<a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180626_499303181897_587136897_6903108_2794043_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180626_499303181897_587136897_6903108_2794043_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 264px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 440px;" /></a><br />
Yes, I'm talking about macarons and after making at least a thousand filled cookies, I can finally say with conviction that, 'j'ai atteint macaronnage', I have attained macaronnage.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180718_499311636897_587136897_6903199_4530425_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180718_499311636897_587136897_6903199_4530425_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 254px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 424px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Maca-wud? Macaronnage is the term used to describe getting the correct consistency when mixing your tant pour tant and your meringue. Undermixing gives you puffy meringue-like cookies and overmixing gives you chewy discs.<br />
<br />
Even if you get the right consistency, nothing guarantees the elusive feet. I think I've seen them all. No feet, feet right across the top (cracks), lopsided feet, half formed feet, collapsed feet. I generally have a lot of luck with patisserie, I almost never ruin chocolate when melting it down, but with macarons, oh with macarons, I'm always flipping coins...<br />
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<a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180552_499303311897_587136897_6903110_4318365_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180552_499303311897_587136897_6903110_4318365_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 259px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 432px;" /></a><br />
<br />
For Valentine's day, Ming and I filled out orders for 600 cookies. 17 hours was how long it took, from start to finish.<br />
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Next time you lament at having to fork out $2.50 for one, just shut up and pay. It's much easier to just buy it.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-88894896942781540942010-12-13T14:00:00.005+08:002013-12-27T00:20:02.874+08:00I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I got myself an ice cream machine. The final choices were the cuisinart ice-50bc and the venetto classic. I read somewhere that the cuisinart production has been discontinued (indicating a possbile lack of spare parts in the future) and when I tested the machine at the shop, it was really noisy. Those reasons and the $700 price tag made me go with the venetto.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OvPw3Mq9eLNjyexYgul2OPwNhoGVWNmI5i_Q31WZT3AHY1IAKAWL6kVGkfDHIkVFiRg7kUyzgBp9nvl8icxJnbMoU30EuN3rW-gt9K5najJGVTfMNPmL9D52LKcHdWCwr7-Hy5XOkdc/s1600/IMG_1551.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550049946420521554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OvPw3Mq9eLNjyexYgul2OPwNhoGVWNmI5i_Q31WZT3AHY1IAKAWL6kVGkfDHIkVFiRg7kUyzgBp9nvl8icxJnbMoU30EuN3rW-gt9K5najJGVTfMNPmL9D52LKcHdWCwr7-Hy5XOkdc/s200/IMG_1551.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
First thing I made was an apple blackberry sorbet. I used my own standard recipe which gives pretty decent results as a frozen block blended with a hand blender before a JAM service. The results were pretty good, except that I didn't churn the mix long enough so after ripening in the freezer, the texture wasn't as smooth as it could have been due to the formation of larger ice crystals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLWOt3F1pfhhoWjnucRhZZpIQUzZinh-B23Vy-pZTC2VkUc2Yy4ymdiuDqRAh_HC-zdUORtTqZi9QdeqO_pKhxYpcDo70V-d7rNv2pdjuUbHRGZbtmJlpyts3hDwPgF6x_fhpSVU70l0/s1600/IMG_1558.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550049961322832594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLWOt3F1pfhhoWjnucRhZZpIQUzZinh-B23Vy-pZTC2VkUc2Yy4ymdiuDqRAh_HC-zdUORtTqZi9QdeqO_pKhxYpcDo70V-d7rNv2pdjuUbHRGZbtmJlpyts3hDwPgF6x_fhpSVU70l0/s200/IMG_1558.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
After that pretty successful run, I decided to try my hand at ice cream. There was no other way but the vanilla way. I'm not a big fan but I do believe that the best way to judge the quality of an ice cream label is by tasting it's vanilla flavour. I made a standard creme anglais custard I learned at the coriander leaf and churned it. I didn't have vanilla pods so I used extract. The texture was amazing but the lack of real pods really showed in the flavour of the ice cream, it was also a little too rich. Probably too much heavy cream.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5EYIA-RjUe1kM0GEiJjmRAMfdLvNTIChFiZkfnBRZ3C3KdoXZe_b4Uz4kBB8wg5sSOF2yIuuhbiXdMIdzauUC7nL6gK6r6BhlULlC9m6TIlgwNwW5hRus8eNOLUtz7pi_2Q0LwZKuDk/s1600/IMG_1561.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550049965040249042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5EYIA-RjUe1kM0GEiJjmRAMfdLvNTIChFiZkfnBRZ3C3KdoXZe_b4Uz4kBB8wg5sSOF2yIuuhbiXdMIdzauUC7nL6gK6r6BhlULlC9m6TIlgwNwW5hRus8eNOLUtz7pi_2Q0LwZKuDk/s200/IMG_1561.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
I had anticipated this though and only churned half the custard. I loaded up the other half with a copious amount of Irish cream and churned it, curious to see just how the alcohol content would affect the texture. The results were stunning. The alcohol lowered the freezing point even further and after ripening overnight, the ice cream was incredibly smooth. The liqueur had tempered out the richness of the custard and because of the amount I added, putting a spoonful into your mouth immediately released a bold but pleasant alcohol 'cloud'. Unlike the alcoholic ice creams from Skinny Pizza which were a little overpowering, this recipe is definitely a keeper.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Z4YyIMIqtGMwa_Tb278EQyc872B0g3b_YG8iy0vhGG9WRwfaOri8iErNmjErAc8m4N-oh7PDdCpzko-nlt4qk_bU7e6NVurl4A8-Kv_DYm2UUzL50tgARjoNVifUQVzKNRAECMvUO1A/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550049971310632962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Z4YyIMIqtGMwa_Tb278EQyc872B0g3b_YG8iy0vhGG9WRwfaOri8iErNmjErAc8m4N-oh7PDdCpzko-nlt4qk_bU7e6NVurl4A8-Kv_DYm2UUzL50tgARjoNVifUQVzKNRAECMvUO1A/s200/IMG_1565.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Irish Ice Cream & Chocolate Fondant</span></div>
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The next day I decided to try something a little more exciting and prepared some salted caramel. I increased the proportion of whole milk to heavy cream and at the last minute decided to go gelato style as a further experiment so corn flour instead of egg yolks were used to thicken the custard. The custard tasted awesome after being cooled down in the fridge but after churning, the caramel flavour became too prominent. I must have burned it a bit too much. The texture though was really nice and I think the gelato style works best for me. The egg yolks in Singapore have a really eggy smell even when they're fresh from the market and this flavour becomes detectable in the ice cream, something I personally don't like. Gelato it is.<br />
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In the churner right now, I'm trying out a barley gelato. No corn flour here, just really thick barley water sweetened with melon sugar. Adding some lemon juice to make lemon barley might make it a nice local flavour palate cleanser. Next up is a water chestnut sorbet :)<br />
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Will post a recipe for gelato once I get the proportions right.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-88554812476096755782010-12-08T21:09:00.014+08:002010-12-09T00:39:41.818+08:00Sous Vide @ Home - Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">So it's my birthday in 2 days and instead of studying thin films and quality control, I spent the day online, reading up on sous vide functional principles, looking for equipment online and getting in touch with my inner geek :) damn the things people do when they have too much time..<br /><br />Because a <a href="http://www.vorwerk.com/thermomix/html/">thermomix</a> is just too expensive right now ($2500, but if you think that's bad, a <a href="http://pacojet.mesotronic.ch/index.php?page=129">pacojet</a> costs $6000), I decided that one last birthday treat was in order but couldn't decide on whether to get a high power <a href="http://www.cuisinart.com/products/food_processors/mp-14n.html">food processor</a>, an <a href="http://topcoffeemachine.com/ice-cream-makers">ice cream machine</a> or a <a href="http://www.sousvidesupreme.com/">sousvide supreme</a>. Getting any of them would contribute a lot in the kitchen and getting all would be swell but at an average price of $700 each, it wasn't going to happen.<br /><br />The food processor was last on the wish list and while the sousvide supreme is a really nice toy, $800 for the set up, EXCLUDING the vacuum sealer, was just too much. So, I decided to buy the ice cream machine and a low end vacuum sealer and build my own sous vide rig. I am studying to be an engineer after all, may as well put all that tuition to some use :)<br /><br />A sous vide set up requires 3 basic components. Something to hold the conducting liquid(water bath), something to heat the conducting liquid (incandescent light bulb or heating element from an old electric kettle) and most importantly something that makes sure the temperature stays the same by switching the heating element on and off (equipment with a feedback loop to control the heater). I studied the product reviews and as much online literature about sous vide machines and decided to use the sousvide supreme, convection circulated design as opposed to the open top, thermal immersion circulators I used at the brewery which cost abt US$1200 for just that small box (PID controller) at the top left of the picture below. Wish I had this now :(<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYKaoPhHEVJxx6zA13XScL1eavyz4drLgrZGd4OhgJzbWET1JdgKzYSMzAuY-XqmP-8hkgcjDLXju0NVNfhA8SmxDG8QZR3DS3caze9VQre3MskSf_Og5ew5-Pjjv6X_WRU3rnQD7zYA/s1600/17072009075.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYKaoPhHEVJxx6zA13XScL1eavyz4drLgrZGd4OhgJzbWET1JdgKzYSMzAuY-XqmP-8hkgcjDLXju0NVNfhA8SmxDG8QZR3DS3caze9VQre3MskSf_Og5ew5-Pjjv6X_WRU3rnQD7zYA/s200/17072009075.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548302878431490210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Beer kept overnight at 19°C for daily testing</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The convection design costs less because it requires less equipment, you depend on convection currents as opposed to pumps to circulate the water in your bath. My own rig will use an old school mechanical rice cooker as the bath and heating element. The heat coming from the bottom should also create good convection circulation of the conducting liquid. The rice cooker is well insulated and has a fitted cover that will help maintain the higher than ambient temperatures with less energy. On the flip side, cooling it down will also be harder.<br /><br />I study materials science and not electrical engineering so all the circuit diagrams for the amplifiers and other feedback units we study are truncated to black boxes on our diagrams. In any case, Singapore doesn't have a 'radio shack' analogue and sourcing all the individual parts seemed like too much work to complete my home sous vide machine. Instead, I got a PID controller unit online and 2 sets of platinum resistive thermal device probes. I chose to use RTD probes because sous vide is a process that can take a long time, up to 72 hours in some recipes and this requires high long term accuracy. After a bit of research, I found the appropriate circuit diagrams and process codes <a href="http://www.ecircuitcenter.com/Circuits/op_pid/op_pid.htm">here</a>. Now all the GPA hammering shit from first and second year engineering, like C++ programming and electrical circuitry is reaping returns.<br /><br />According to wikipedia, A proportional–integral–derivative controller (PID controller) is a generic control loop feedback mechanism (controller) <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">widely used in industrial control systems</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> – a PID is the most commonly used feedback controller. A PID controller calculates an "error" value as the difference between a measured process variable </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">and a desired set point</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">. The controller attempts to minimize the error by adjusting the process control inputs.</span><br /><br />In essence, Proportional calculations set an initial or present platform to achieve the desired outcome. These are supplemented by the Integral calculations which using previous data, calculate feedback based on previous data and Derivative feedback are predictions worked out from current rates of change to ensure that the temperature stays constant to within 0.1<span style="font-size:100%;">°C</span> with proper calibration. Compare this with a simple thermostat in an oven that switches on and off within a sinusoidal range of about <span style="font-size:100%;">15</span><span style="font-size:100%;">°C peak amplitude</span>.<br /><br />I HATE math so I'm glad there're pre-written formulas from the circuit diagram site and that's why Man invented the computer, to do all that calculus :) $300, 4 hours and programming software courtesy of NTU later, I'm ready to rock and roll. This works out so much better than buying a sousvide supreme. By changing the size of the rice cooker, which costs less than $100, I can easily adjust the set up to sous vide items for 2 or 25 people in a snap. All this for less than half the price that the sousvide supreme is being sold at. I can already see myself cooking a 4kg ribeye sous vide and then searing the outside on the cooking plate I bought today.<br /><br />Will update when I can, probably when the PID controller arrives. I hope this works! In the meantime, I will be reading up on <a href="http://amath.colorado.edu/%7Ebaldwind/sous-vide.html">this</a> great free resource for sous vide cooking data.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-1905609644497671052010-11-30T13:24:00.008+08:002010-11-30T15:18:16.691+08:00Bún Chả Singapore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkGSKz6IxwLuy62aC32Xc9MjJ2JutlOcFj35mlzKgE8LQVeQP6oqisITEWihyOfI-Guu87i-wGbaJt4r0Y7vBQGAszWmGIng1m1fN-FlhwatvmFVCis01QoCU53k8NIz90jp1dDJcaCw/s1600/delicious+vietnam.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkGSKz6IxwLuy62aC32Xc9MjJ2JutlOcFj35mlzKgE8LQVeQP6oqisITEWihyOfI-Guu87i-wGbaJt4r0Y7vBQGAszWmGIng1m1fN-FlhwatvmFVCis01QoCU53k8NIz90jp1dDJcaCw/s200/delicious+vietnam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545231108808776994" border="0" /></a><br />I spent almost 7 months in Vietnam last year on Industrial Attachment at a brewery. Most of that time was spent in Hanoi, where I made some lifelong friends and had some seriously amazing adventures. Many involving copious amounts of bia hơi and occasionally, thịt chó.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs193.snc1/6488_114683972049_507247049_2887200_5857294_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 288px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs193.snc1/6488_114683972049_507247049_2887200_5857294_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Good doggy..</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Vietnam has so much more to offer than phở and nem <span id="result_box" class="short_text" lang="vi"><span style="" title="">tươi</span></span> and one of my favourite things to eat for about a dollar is bún chả Hà Nội. My favourite bún chả street stall sits at the junction of Phan Chu Trinh and Trần Xuân Soạn in Quận Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội. In addition to the standard fan aspirated charcoal grill that pumps out insanely wicked grilled pork, this stall also serves really good nem rán cua. Which on second thought, is pretty much de rigueur.. Haha!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs108.snc3/15536_188990738892_625523892_3112974_3479234_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 475px; height: 356px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs108.snc3/15536_188990738892_625523892_3112974_3479234_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">keep 'em coming auntie...</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After coming back home, I kept having cravings for bún chả and when my godmother asked me to cook a dinner for her, I decided it was time to get the charcoal fire going. I tried capturing every detail I could remember to make an authentic bún chả, even using wire mesh meat holders I brought back from Hanoi. I even considered setting up the grill next to my car's exhaust pipe to capture the real street food flavour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs409.snc3/24727_379597155442_515575442_4288763_7388878_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 486px; height: 324px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs409.snc3/24727_379597155442_515575442_4288763_7388878_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">I didn't know where to fit in my stand fan :(<br /></span></div><br /><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs409.snc3/24727_379597110442_515575442_4288756_6985527_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 499px; height: 331px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs409.snc3/24727_379597110442_515575442_4288756_6985527_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I made Ming hand chop a 50-50 mix of pork belly and pork shoulder with garlic, shallots, Thai basil, and coriander because it was too much work for me. Then I mixed in some water, sugar, nước mắm from Phú Quốc, salt and pepper. This mixture was shaped into mini burger sized patties. I also marinated slices of pork belly with sugar, more nước mắm, minced garlic, salt and pepper. I can't find good Vietnamese nước mắm here so I have to bring back several bottles each time I make a trip there. I also didn't look very hard for bún and used thick bee hoon instead. So much for authenticity...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs409.snc3/24727_379597125442_515575442_4288759_1306807_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 602px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs409.snc3/24727_379597125442_515575442_4288759_1306807_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Are bean sprouts used in bún chả? My memory fails me.. Oops..</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The bowl looked kinda empty, because obviously I couldn't find any other herbs besides,Thai basil, coriander and mint so I decided to toss in some bean sprouts. Least I got the nước chấm<span><span> right. Can't go wrong with that when you have great fish sauce on hand.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs429.snc3/24727_379597115442_515575442_4288757_866564_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 602px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs429.snc3/24727_379597115442_515575442_4288757_866564_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">It tasted gooood....</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Then Ming and I were so busy serving that I didn't get photos of the final layout. The dish was well received, probably cos I didn't tell anyone how much sugar went into the dipping sauce... I think it's about time I headed back north for some real bún chả. Where's a xe ôm when you need one?<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />This post also appears on the 8th edition of the Delicious Vietnam series hosted by <a href="http://www.bearheadsoup.blogspot.com/">Bear Head Soup</a> and initiated by <a href="http://www.anhsfoodblog.com/">Anh</a> and the <a href="http://ravenouscouple.blogspot.com/">Ravenous Couple</a> to celebrate the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine.<br /></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-2956765807085876172010-11-29T18:26:00.016+08:002013-12-27T00:22:27.593+08:00JAM<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I have a test tomorrow, and another one the day after. Also, final exams are about a month away. What better way is there to pass the time than writing an entry here? :)</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I thought I'd talk a little about the private dining outfit I run with my friends Alroy and Ming.<br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The 3 of us met during NS where we played rugby for armour. Some time between choreographing the best looking offense/defense drills and dancing to music on the field, we discovered each others inclination toward the kitchen. Soon, we were organising massive meat bbqs for our friends. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Once in a while, friends and family would ask us to cook for dinner parties and we started roping in each other to help. It occurred to us that we could increase the quality of what we were making by planning and charging for better ingredients instead of just churning out whatever the person wanted. This was the start of things to come.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><br />The name JAM comes from the first letters of our first names. In sequence, here's the crew.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1135.snc4/149777_447545142049_507247049_6114969_2859580_n.jpg" style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1135.snc4/149777_447545142049_507247049_6114969_2859580_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 192px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 387px;" /></a> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I love the name. Alroy came up with it one day while we were at Ming's house messing around in the kitchen. Ming's mum was talking to us and asked what we would call ourselves in the future and Roy just spat it out. I was on the crapper at the time but I heard it loud and clear and loved it. That was more than 2 years ago and we've come a long way since. The logo was only finalised this year after a lot of struggle on Ming's part to get the design finished.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQLI1h6cMns4Aaq2D5CuFCn9WLthxPkliY_t1V2-13nCc508XrpOHXFagyALhBup5KZpjeBkpNFw2qPjGTFaHjLoP_zhh9ooos52a9HO-QfqG7PeMnmVe90FwQzLlGYkWEedzuR9-Rd0/s1600/JAM+Logo.jpg" style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544919018496541874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQLI1h6cMns4Aaq2D5CuFCn9WLthxPkliY_t1V2-13nCc508XrpOHXFagyALhBup5KZpjeBkpNFw2qPjGTFaHjLoP_zhh9ooos52a9HO-QfqG7PeMnmVe90FwQzLlGYkWEedzuR9-Rd0/s200/JAM+Logo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 105px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 183px;" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Simple, unassuming and yet elegant, quite like our food. I am sure I pissed Ming off quite a bit with all the hounding I did for him to get this done. It's irritating though, when people ask what JOM is. Once that was done, I got the email accounts and website set up, jackets embroidered and the calling cards embossed fairly quickly. Overnight, professionalism x 10,000.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><br />
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<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1137.snc4/149972_448398635442_515575442_5965538_81657_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1137.snc4/149972_448398635442_515575442_5965538_81657_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 268px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 403px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Our charges are low, you will probably never see anything above $100 a person for an individually plated meal with up to 8 courses. Communal plating of 5 dishes goes as low as $50 a person for a large group. We made it this way for several reasons.</span> </div>
<ol style="font-family: georgia; text-align: justify;">
<li>We're not doing this for profit</li>
<li>We don't want to over reach and go beyond our capabilities</li>
<li>We don't believe that access to such services should burn a hole in your pockets</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We've had more hits than misses, that's for sure. To date I can only think of 2 occasions where our clients were not impressed with our food. Most of the time, we totally exceed expectations and that's a great feeling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Our cuisine is simple. We take the flavours we like and express them with the ingredients we're familiar with so expect to taste limau purut, lengkuas, gula melaka and tau cheo in our cooking. Having spent almost 7 months in Vietnam on my Industrial Attachment, I must admit that my cooking of late has been influenced by Vietnamese flavours. Some dishes are reinterpretations like this<span style="color: white;"> </span></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:relyonvml/> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-SG</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>ZH-CN</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:enableopentypekerning/> <w:dontflipmirrorindents/> <w:overridetablestylehps/> <w:usefelayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> 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font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="color: white; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">chả cá </span><span class="shorttext"><span lang="VI" style="line-height: 115%;">Thăng Long</span></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">,</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs442.ash2/71515_439762690442_515575442_5806862_8197246_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs442.ash2/71515_439762690442_515575442_5806862_8197246_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 264px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 399px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">while others are original creations like this tomato, avocado & prawn salad.</span><br />
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<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs382.ash2/66074_439762605442_515575442_5806858_5266960_n.jpg" style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs382.ash2/66074_439762605442_515575442_5806858_5266960_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 268px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 403px;" /></a><br />
Our plating is simple, to save on costs and to showcase the ingredients used.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs924.snc4/73715_448398220442_515575442_5965525_4043485_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs924.snc4/73715_448398220442_515575442_5965525_4043485_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 282px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 424px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Roast Leek & Asparagus Salad with Beetroot and Xiao Bai Cai Miao</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs308.snc4/40755_448398270442_515575442_5965526_6649116_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs308.snc4/40755_448398270442_515575442_5965526_6649116_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 283px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 425px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Hei Mee Ta ( Dry Prawn Mee)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1149.snc4/149132_448398525442_515575442_5965533_1236491_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1149.snc4/149132_448398525442_515575442_5965533_1236491_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 284px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 427px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">Mi Cuit Salmon with Watercress & Taragon Puree </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtKkuhRfFsNpdw8NK2Y9p6bhagmRLabgbKxEQNhsLo5JvKObFb_GxrCsWxiBDS2dQm-HruMVvpksOIc2QfnVULoLGPKMCnNSaWD4FjcPosqkmVEAzIIauiDJG2fTl5jHb6bkjPclIb1Q/s1600/CMSMedia.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544999823931993090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtKkuhRfFsNpdw8NK2Y9p6bhagmRLabgbKxEQNhsLo5JvKObFb_GxrCsWxiBDS2dQm-HruMVvpksOIc2QfnVULoLGPKMCnNSaWD4FjcPosqkmVEAzIIauiDJG2fTl5jHb6bkjPclIb1Q/s200/CMSMedia.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 223px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 297px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Chick'n in a Bizkit</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Each new client gets a customized menu to fit the theme and reflect the personal preferences that he/she has. After all, it's a meal in your own home, you should get whatever you want. Many people have told me that the JAM website needs to be spruced up but I designed it to be deliberately enigmatic. Before all the press coverage happened, all our clients were recommended to us via word of mouth. This suited us perfectly because we are weekend warriors in the kitchen and this method was just right for the amount of time we could commit to cooking. The site simply serves as a point of contact for those already in the know and as a shell for us to 'chope' the domain name.<br />
<br />
So here's a little introduction to what I do at JAM :)<br />
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To contact us, drop me an email or visit the <a href="http://www.oooh-jam.com/">website</a>.<br />
<br />
Bon Appetit!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-22287297000968473382010-11-20T13:56:00.001+08:002010-11-30T00:04:35.191+08:00Planning a Barbecue?Barbecues are awesome. Nothing quite touches the heartstrings (of a man at least) like hunks of meat on an open fire. It's a primal thing, I think. Unfortunately, red meat is pretty expensive here and although I have great recipes for beef and lamb, this is going to focus on the bbq underdogs, fish, chicken and pork.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v134/37/120/515575442/n515575442_314803_5188.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 404px; height: 604px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v134/37/120/515575442/n515575442_314803_5188.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>To have a better idea of the awesome barbecues I have with my friends, click <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14977&id=515575442">here</a><br /><br />I <span style="font-weight: bold;">HATE</span> going to barbecues and finding frozen sotong balls, fish sticks and chicken franks on the grill. It's as if we don't have anything better readily available at the markets for a decent barbecue. Personally, I also don't like to barbecue chicken wings because the edges always burn before the inside is properly cooked. My favourite items include stingray, salmon fillets, chicken legs and pork collar. Sausages are also excellent barbecue items that need to be poached in hot water before being set on the grill. This prevents the skin from splitting and also takes out the excess salt.<br /><br />Strong marinades work best for barbecues because the smokiness imbued by the charcoal fire is intense so weak flavours will be drowned out. So bring out the ginger, garlic, sambal and all the other strong aromatics you can think of.<br /><br />White meat and fish is cheaper than red meat but it's still expensive, so load up your guests with a tasty starch. Potatoes are evergreen favourites and go great with barbecued food mashed or roasted in an oven. Serve up vegetables too like bell peppers and corn. When barbecued, these vegetables become really sweet and tasty and most people will not say no when these are served up.<br /><br />To cook, you need a fire and the best way to build one is to light up 2 or 3 firestarters and pile up a lot of charcoal over them. Fan it up and once half the coals are white, level out the pile, put on your grill and keep fanning for a good 5 minutes. Once the fire is hot enough that you can't leave your hand over it for 5 seconds without pulling away, you're good. Keep cooking while the heat is at this optimum level.<br /><br />Here's a simple recipe to end this off.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Garlic & Kaffir Lime Marinade<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4hQu6SrQtmTsAdw4RatlIo4XFcisVB9615drFbZupMLrENjFJG3gSdhxswy6RsQx4PbkfJtzmdTADQTn9fP9vRGmauBe4w32k7lnD41NX21y-q0-H2Q9c2shBpiL27btS9gjJWH7EQc/s1600/CMSMedia.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4hQu6SrQtmTsAdw4RatlIo4XFcisVB9615drFbZupMLrENjFJG3gSdhxswy6RsQx4PbkfJtzmdTADQTn9fP9vRGmauBe4w32k7lnD41NX21y-q0-H2Q9c2shBpiL27btS9gjJWH7EQc/s200/CMSMedia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545003059328578018" border="0" /></a><br />The photo here shows oven roasted chicken but I originally came up with this killer recipe for a barbecue. The marinade also works really well with salmon.<br /></div></div><br />For enough to marinate 10 legs, blend together:<br /><ul><li>5 cloves garlic</li><li>1 tsp dried rosemary</li><li>5 daun limau purut (kaffir lime leaves)<br /></li><li>1 chilli padi</li><li>1tsp sugar<br /></li><li>1 tbsp light soy</li><li>1 tbsp fish sauce</li><li>2 tbsp vegetable oil</li><li>salt and pepper<br /></li></ul>After that, mix this with 50g of softened butter and marinate your choice of meat in it for at least an hour before grilling.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-28888010113979643092010-10-20T13:33:00.001+08:002010-11-30T15:09:58.241+08:00Salad DressingI planned to write a post on salad dressings over 2 years ago and am only actually doing it now because I will be conducting a class on it in November at <a href="http://www.tottstore.com/cooking_studio.html">ToTT</a>. Kinda apprehensive about being called 'chef' cos I know I'm no way near there yet. Then again, I will be head of that kitchen when I demonstrate *shrugs*...<br /><br />Personally, I like a good mellow mediterranean dressing lightly coating a mesclun mix heavy on the frisee and arugula. Topped with semi dried tomatoes, marinated feta and a good sized piece of sliced skirt steak with the pan drippings from the steak thrown in. *yums*<br /><br />My focus for the class will be a comparison between split and emulsified sauces. Vinaigrettes as the name implies, usually involves vinegar but it's not unheard of for the vinegar to be replaced by other acidic liquids like orange or lemon juice.<br /><br />A simple vinaigrette is essentially a heterogeneous mixture of 2 immiscible liquids that will eventually split into their constituent parts, given enough time. Many factors affect this rate, which is linked to viscosity, like temperature and the presence of ingredients (like blue cheese or mustard) that act as surfactants. The bottled stuff in the supermarkets have tons of surfactants added, stabilizing the mixture.<br /><br />Mayonnaise can be thought of as a vinaigrette of lemon juice and vegetable oil fully emulsified by the lecithin found in egg yolks. Freshly made mayo is great on eggs and is very commonly used as a base for other dressings. Think thousand island, caesar and tartare.<br /><br />The method of preparing mayonnaise can be varied to produce a whole host of other sauces not usually used in salads. Like bearnaise, hollandaise, gribiche and the like, all derivatives of the mayo mother sauce.<br /><br />I'm thinking of showcasing these 2 sauces and then letting the class make variations from the base sauce. Hmmm.. can I really make this into a 2 hour class that's entertaining and fun? I'll let you know..Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-70900779999428501912010-10-12T15:34:00.003+08:002010-11-30T15:08:59.470+08:00well.. so much for that...it's october. where did all tht time go?<br /><br /><blockquote>time's fun when you're having flies<br />-kermit the frog<br /></blockquote><br /><br />there isn't quite much to say, been really busy in the kitchen but haven't been taking photos as usual. had a fantastic morning at the appetite-de dietrich kitchen showcase with zt.<br /><br />latest <a href="http://www.soshiok.com/article/13389">BT article</a> was a nice boost to business.<br /><br />here's the other one too, just for <a href="http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/CorpComms2/Documents/2009/Dec/BT_091205-06_18_Hanging%20out%20in%20hanoi.pdf">reference</a>..<br /><br /><blockquote><p> </p><p><br /></p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-37374715632332122262010-07-21T01:09:00.003+08:002010-07-21T01:20:20.476+08:00This blog has been dormant for over 2 years. Why bother with it now?Well why the hell not? This blog was never intended to be a place for me to write forced reviews of restaurants. I detest taking pictures of food during a meal anyway. This was a personal project I started to see if I could successfully integrate science and art, eastern and western flavours.<br /><br />Things have come a long way. My private dining outfit has taken off rather well and the amount of experience and exposure I've gained in the last 2 years has been incredible. I'm currently writing for the Miele Guide as a vacation job and learning a lot about the restaurant business, from outside the kitchen.<br /><br />Let's see if I can manage to average one post a month till graduation.<br /><br />For those of you who are interested, feel free to visit my <a href="http://www.oooh-jam.com/">site</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-47387975102114942292010-07-21T01:00:00.002+08:002010-11-30T15:10:30.491+08:00How it should be done in the kitchenPride is not a negative thing. Conceit and arrogance are. Pride is a product of self confidence, which in itself is something one needs in order to feed a group of people well. Cooking comes from the very depths of your heart and soul and whatever is inside of you is expressed in your food through your posture as you whip the cream, the knife cuts you produce on your vegetables and the temperature of your hands as you knead the dough. Some occupations call for pride as a fundamental block for success and like many other art forms, cooking is one of them.<br /><br />When you cook, envision the taste and texture of your food. The presentation will come naturally, like the final piece of a puzzle making a picture whole. Approach each step with acceptance and not apprehension. Take pride in what your hands will create and you will never mess up a dish. Maybe it will not come out how you initially expected it to, maybe it will turn out better.<br /><br />The basics are important and are more or less applicable to everyone, which is why I am insistent on having formal culinary training. However, once you are equipped, do not try to emulate others. Mimicry is the highest form of flattery but the culinary arts is an expression of oneself. Try to make what others make and you are no better than an uninspired cog on an automated assembly line. Instead, work with what you know. Make what you grew up on, what you like. Chances are there are others out there who would like them too. Remember that no matter how hard you try, you can never make everyone happy.<br /><br />A good service provider aims to make his patrons happy but never at the expense of his own happiness because doing that simply undermines the whole concept of good and proper service. The customer is not always right but neither is are you. Paradoxically, to cook well, you must be proud and yet humble at the same time. Always listen to criticism because it is often based on hard nuggets of truth which you can use to refine your craft.<br /><br />When you enjoy the cooking process, your guests will enjoy the eating process. If perfection was attainable, then it would not be perfect. But that should not deter you from striving toward it. Be proud, be humble and cook well.<br /><br />I am back. Let's get this show on the road.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-41985945563324112052008-10-28T02:30:00.002+08:002008-10-28T02:46:16.112+08:00The Omnivore's HundredHere’s a chance for a little interactivity for all the bloggers out there. Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.<br /><br />Here’s what I want you to do:<br /><br />1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.<br />2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.<br />3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.<br />4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Venison</span><br />2. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Nettle tea</span><br />3. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Huevos rancheros</span><br />4.<span style="font-weight:bold;"> Steak tartare</span><br />5. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Crocodile</span><br />6. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Black pudding</span><br />7. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Cheese fondue</span><br />8. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Carp</span><br />9. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Borscht</span><br />10. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Baba ghanoush</span><br />11. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Calamari</span><br />12. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Pho</span><br />13. <span style="font-weight:bold;">PB&J sandwich</span><br />14. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Aloo gobi</span><br />15. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Hot dog from a street cart</span><br />16. Epoisses<br />17. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Black truffle</span><br />18. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Fruit wine made from something other than grapes</span><br />19. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Steamed pork buns</span><br />20. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Pistachio ice cream</span><br />21. Heirloom tomatoes<br />22. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Fresh wild berries</span><br />23. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Foie gras</span><br />24. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rice and beans</span><br />25. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Brawn, or head cheese</span><br />26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper<br />27. Dulce de leche<br />28. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Oysters</span><br />29. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Baklava</span><br />30. Bagna cauda<br />31. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Wasabi peas</span><br />32. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl</span><br />33. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Salted lassi</span><br />34. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sauerkraut</span><br />35. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Root beer float</span><br />36. Cognac with a fat cigar<br />37. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Clotted cream tea</span><br />38. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Vodka jelly/Jell-O</span><br />39. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gumbo</span><br />40. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Oxtail</span><br />41. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Curried goat</span><br />42. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Whole insects</span><br />43. Phaal<br />44. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Goat’s milk</span><br />45. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more</span><br />46. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Fugu</span><br />47. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Chicken tikka masala</span><br />48. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Eel</span><br />49. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut</span><br />50. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sea urchin</span><br />51. Prickly pear<br />52. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Umeboshi</span><br />53. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Abalone</span><br />54. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Paneer</span><br />55. <span style="font-weight:bold;">McDonald’s Big Mac Meal</span><br />56. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Spaetzle</span><br />57. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Dirty gin martini</span><br />58. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beer above 8% ABV</span><br />59. Poutine<br />60. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Carob chips</span><br />61. <span style="font-weight:bold;">S’mores</span><br />62. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sweetbreads</span><br />63. Kaolin<br />64. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Currywurst</span><br />65. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Durian</span><br />66. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Frogs’ legs</span><br />67. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake</span><br />68. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Haggis</span><br />69. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Fried plantain</span><br />70. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Chitterlings, or andouillette</span><br />71. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gazpacho</span><br />72. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Caviar and blini</span><br />73. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Louche absinthe</span><br />74. Gjetost, or brunost<br />75. Roadkill<br />76. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Baijiu</span><br />77. Hostess Fruit Pie<br />78. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Snail</span><br />79. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lapsang souchong</span><br />80. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Bellini</span><br />81. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Tom Yam</span><br />82. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Eggs Benedict</span><br />83. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Pocky</span><br />84. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.</span><br />85. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Kobe beef</span><br />86. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Hare</span><br />87. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Goulash</span><br />88. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Flowers</span><br />89. Horse<br />90. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Criollo chocolate</span><br />91. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Spam</span><br />92. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Soft shell crab</span><br />93. Rose harissa<br />94. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Catfish</span><br />95. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Mole poblano</span><br />96. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Bagel and lox</span><br />97. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lobster Thermidor</span><br />98. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Polenta</span><br />99. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee</span><br />100. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Snake</span><br /><br />85/100 not bad.. haha!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-90608833348898807892008-04-06T20:03:00.008+08:002008-12-10T02:37:46.047+08:00Poached Salmon with Vegetable Mash<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRVZrI-SNbeDyO9cw94q1AmCDNeDujbj5aU29YuPXXgHPW7_VZ-ahTswfZF0tMobIL1WPAIUyfOVCYvIr1LBqM1a-n1m8EMoD-0r17DClawdUP76Gj69vvvFFDhI5gU-rb6c8EQPJnM8/s1600-h/060420081428.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRVZrI-SNbeDyO9cw94q1AmCDNeDujbj5aU29YuPXXgHPW7_VZ-ahTswfZF0tMobIL1WPAIUyfOVCYvIr1LBqM1a-n1m8EMoD-0r17DClawdUP76Gj69vvvFFDhI5gU-rb6c8EQPJnM8/s400/060420081428.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186114728250367890" /></a><br />Weekends are for cooking! Bon Appetit!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ingredients</span> (serves 2)<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Poaching Liquid</span><br />- 1 teaspoon of oil<br />- quarter teaspoon of garlic<br />- a chilli padi, de-seeded<br />- half a carrot<br />- a stick of celery<br />- half a white onion<br />- 2 inches of leek<br />- 100ml of water or stock<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Salmon</span><br />- 2 100g fillets washed and patted dry<br />- chopped dill weed<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Asparagus</span><br />- 1 packet of thai asparagus with stalks trimmed to equal lengths<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Vegetable Mash</span><br />- cooked vegetables from poaching liquid<br />- 1 large potato<br />- 20g of butter<br />- 20ml of whipping cream<br />- salt and pepper<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Hollandaise Sauce</span><br />- 1 egg yolk<br />- 50g butter, clarified<br />- juice of slightly less than half a lemon<br />- salt and pepper<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Method</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Poaching Liquid</span><br />- rough cut all the vegetables to small bite sized pieces<br />- sweat vegetables in oil, add water/stock and simmer for 10min<br />- drain and reserve both liquid and cooked vegetables<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Vegetable Mash</span><br />- boil potato, leaving skin on<br />- quarter the potato and throw into food processor with cooked vegetables, butter and cream <br />- pulse to desired consistency and add salt and pepper to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Asparagus</span><br />- blanch half the packet for 1 min in poaching liquid<br />- soak in cold water to stop cooking<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Hollandaise</span> (i used leftover sauce from poached eggs, you can easily buy it)<br />- whisk egg over a pot of gently simmering water till it forms ribbons and resists the motion of your hand<br />- add lemon juice<br />- drizzle in a bit of clarified butter slowly and incorporate fully before adding more(do this slowly or the sauce will split)<br />- continue until all the butter is used up and you have a thick sauce<br />- add salt and pepper to taste<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Salmon</span><br />- bring poaching liquid to a vigorous simmer<br />- place salmon in liquid and baste with spoon for about 6 to 7 min<br />(5 min for an uncooked center)<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Plating</span><br />how you plate it is up to you really, just don't put the hollandaise on the poached fish because the water on the fish will make it run. <br /><br />don't forget to sprinkle dill on the salmon for colour.<br /><br />for dessert i whipped up...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1PGeUsMRfZEfJ0YK_y00ct7aC1vqLT0UY3OZ4fDctw46hQrrEwzWILKftANk9GHOfB3MxN8v4wqH7VIT86wdixdQJfliI1eMvv0QE00A-tg_GkJ1KbmfsvfHwukvzXTSzpbDKnQQOx8/s1600-h/060420081433.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1PGeUsMRfZEfJ0YK_y00ct7aC1vqLT0UY3OZ4fDctw46hQrrEwzWILKftANk9GHOfB3MxN8v4wqH7VIT86wdixdQJfliI1eMvv0QE00A-tg_GkJ1KbmfsvfHwukvzXTSzpbDKnQQOx8/s200/060420081433.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186115909366374306" /></a><br />...maple cheesecakes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-71508116253542164542008-04-05T23:25:00.003+08:002008-12-10T02:37:48.442+08:00The Great Egg Poaching ExperimentI came across a new technique for poaching eggs while surfing the net. Being a really big fan of eggs, i couldn't resist the temptation to try it out asap and since i had this blog to update, i figured why just stop at trying out this new technique? So i did a little more research and came up with 4 different methods to try out and document(details further down). <br /><br />There was no way i was going to eat ALL the eggs from the experiment so i called andrea, my favourite makan kaki, and lured her over with promises of a brunch fit for a FIT=) young lady such as herself. She demanded benedict d'oeufs when she heard that poached eggs were on the menu and i was stuck with the tiresome chore of scratching up some hollandaise sauce.<br /><br />I did a quick search online and found a recipe for a 'no fuss blender hollandaise' but a previous encounter with hollandaise has left me convinced that this is a temperamental mother sauce and i decided to make it the old fashioned way instead.<br /><br />The menu for the day was simple. Brunch was kicked off with a sweet&spicy bell pepper soup(which i stupidly forgot to take a photo of). This was followed by a sourdough based eggs benedict/florentine combo. Actually, it's more like a crostone, which is a mega crostini.<br /><br />I used my 3 week old starter for the bread. I made the starter by following some instructions i found online. I had crossed my fingers and hoped that there were some yeast spores in the organic flour, threw in some original flavour yakult for culture(literally, to get the bacteria which produces the lactic acid which makes sourdough sour) and fed the lot with a slurry of flour and water every week. Thankfully, the mass had started growing and bubbling. <br /><br />I skipped class so i could be home to make my sourdough on Friday morning, timing it so that all would be ready to go by 8am today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDBjC_xvP79kctahONDPHroqw9OlUpXDsKc-3i5H-noEj5TvyQJV87JXsIzKO7KJl2adyDV5j2G-pRGyM0rmmLguSZlv3ZbYFiI9Mcqqt630fqUTIDId04jKris4sSsP9IkO5gpYfqMQ/s1600-h/050420081377.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDBjC_xvP79kctahONDPHroqw9OlUpXDsKc-3i5H-noEj5TvyQJV87JXsIzKO7KJl2adyDV5j2G-pRGyM0rmmLguSZlv3ZbYFiI9Mcqqt630fqUTIDId04jKris4sSsP9IkO5gpYfqMQ/s200/050420081377.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185803386071080642" /></a>Everything was perfect except that i had a late night and didn't get up till 10am. Oops... <br /><br />Once i finally got the sourdough was in the oven:<br /><br />I wilted my spinach,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibDcTNnP9COmyCKbrPaifwlYMWL793aGdjWdiwJM33synx0_gCqtLCqH0j0DmmTt9p6kMK4YRT5btlpj-byhy8H6xlgJbk4OYFQh1-2tzfAqr3V_4HTZG0ICHmpSdJ4HW9Rew7NxH0kU/s1600-h/050420081382.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibDcTNnP9COmyCKbrPaifwlYMWL793aGdjWdiwJM33synx0_gCqtLCqH0j0DmmTt9p6kMK4YRT5btlpj-byhy8H6xlgJbk4OYFQh1-2tzfAqr3V_4HTZG0ICHmpSdJ4HW9Rew7NxH0kU/s200/050420081382.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185803403250949874" /></a><br /><br />caramalised my bacon,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWVo7_ugt7UKLvedFnODvw5nx_yL4NmUGNG3yJl2kwKYArRYtk-aiephR1wx4m9gh5AXFkQ8dpCtV-EW5no-u0XEERgxZgqkLMTWbg9yIrwTrdU-tKwRdD7ptInBvPjwltWmwzWvcc7Y/s1600-h/050420081378.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWVo7_ugt7UKLvedFnODvw5nx_yL4NmUGNG3yJl2kwKYArRYtk-aiephR1wx4m9gh5AXFkQ8dpCtV-EW5no-u0XEERgxZgqkLMTWbg9yIrwTrdU-tKwRdD7ptInBvPjwltWmwzWvcc7Y/s200/050420081378.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185803390366047954" /></a><br /><br />and whipped my hollandaise,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKhyphenhyphenCxVeeB41YQTmNoxdp3aUp-5m3EqLI1cbIUtz7Ouc5X94oOirVOxBd3cw2dHW_2-ZBeCsY_iTVB_EPfvI_S8eYEaFTFQ4bndThqihWEdbgRHTBl4-osk7JGfyMunwG9sZ0RD4OM0k/s1600-h/050420081380.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKhyphenhyphenCxVeeB41YQTmNoxdp3aUp-5m3EqLI1cbIUtz7Ouc5X94oOirVOxBd3cw2dHW_2-ZBeCsY_iTVB_EPfvI_S8eYEaFTFQ4bndThqihWEdbgRHTBl4-osk7JGfyMunwG9sZ0RD4OM0k/s200/050420081380.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185803398955982562" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i2UT-MjPgT3fSsUY6LvEM4gd8_7bRXfmt_TMDszM9JzA__QutGrBHvldyVqBkTkCyYXgsxFjTkGT_5qC3-zNxIga6ojOwt_C3xIKvbYq7wPitN5I110ky1a0AsNm3qJdnBv0r6CsyhE/s1600-h/050420081401.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i2UT-MjPgT3fSsUY6LvEM4gd8_7bRXfmt_TMDszM9JzA__QutGrBHvldyVqBkTkCyYXgsxFjTkGT_5qC3-zNxIga6ojOwt_C3xIKvbYq7wPitN5I110ky1a0AsNm3qJdnBv0r6CsyhE/s200/050420081401.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805731123224450" /></a><br /><br />leaving the illegal egg hunting to the last part.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Method 1:</span> Vortex<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><blockquote>Stir the boiling water in a pot to create a whirling vortex and then pour out an egg into the vortex</blockquote></span>Anybody who has ever tried to poach an egg would tell you, just by reading it, that this is a really stupid idea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyech1Ku7hO2P0uV0XcP33xzk0Xv4z0j7NW_NIGJwGsj8n1YJ7YHgYeqH0ud96Ox9fKLQKjjXkePeFojnpqbMZp58v-QryxuwLTIp3YQ1piIhMKFIy3_D9DR9zHENypMFq4NSGpz8KpEQ/s1600-h/050420081390.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyech1Ku7hO2P0uV0XcP33xzk0Xv4z0j7NW_NIGJwGsj8n1YJ7YHgYeqH0ud96Ox9fKLQKjjXkePeFojnpqbMZp58v-QryxuwLTIp3YQ1piIhMKFIy3_D9DR9zHENypMFq4NSGpz8KpEQ/s200/050420081390.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805061108326194" /></a><br />Just to prove that it is a stupid idea, i did it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Conclusion:</span> Sham, don't waste your time<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DLvvsWUADjDNUq89b7PMxdAsITpGnkhmMtrQk2hCLFNXNfrbdB2eJXseevT0_m41GVVfuw659pMevaRXInN6u2iYaM5IsEHyctm9QqnONIAtLINH601io5W1nY727TLPvoz3X0s2RN4/s1600-h/050420081391.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DLvvsWUADjDNUq89b7PMxdAsITpGnkhmMtrQk2hCLFNXNfrbdB2eJXseevT0_m41GVVfuw659pMevaRXInN6u2iYaM5IsEHyctm9QqnONIAtLINH601io5W1nY727TLPvoz3X0s2RN4/s200/050420081391.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805065403293506" /></a><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Dude with a bad hair day</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Method 2:</span> Jump Start<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Boil in shell for 30 sec before proceeding on with normal method</span><br /></blockquote>The idea here is to get the egg white on the outside cooked so you get a nicely shaped poached egg. Seriously? Anyone who has had oeufs mollets before knows that the white ALWAYS sticks to the shell and you need to scrape it out with your spoon then mixing the whole lot with tons of white pepper, light soy sauce and sesame oil before soaking your kaya toast in it and slurping it down with loud rude noises of indulgent satisfaction. MMmmmMmmm... Sorry... I digress...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Conclusion:</span> Sham<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJizF51B0ax2wLUlfjLIblqs6zKibDfC5sqwe1ubME_p5OJ2cFKP2k8LWvIBrI_DOo8ylqCMuchOvhS21WoMx5WeJwvXTplKja_ycau0AVa5upB5thcHWc_LXic78WRpuDxFvCC6ACVo/s1600-h/050420081389.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJizF51B0ax2wLUlfjLIblqs6zKibDfC5sqwe1ubME_p5OJ2cFKP2k8LWvIBrI_DOo8ylqCMuchOvhS21WoMx5WeJwvXTplKja_ycau0AVa5upB5thcHWc_LXic78WRpuDxFvCC6ACVo/s200/050420081389.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805056813358882" /></a><br />Come on, did you expect anything different? I even left in for 45 seconds, 50% longer than what was recommended. I finished off this egg the classic way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Method 3:</span> Classic<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Add salt and a little vinegar to the water. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Crack an egg into an oiled ladle and gently lower into the water. Carefully tip out of ladle when white solidifies.</span><br /></blockquote><br /><br />This works, it really does.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Conclusion:</span> Old is gold<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm6lG0KaQXDpTenIVez589t0AwORx77LTIBN4zEZBBm80KaikIKid4HPv0oreRjPg8o-os-ASsXLDTkQ_YpxGswr2bfROTyLZZgBMy6DvW4Z9cWa4H3mvkCx19zF9O_g_w-Iul_-STA0/s1600-h/050420081392.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEm6lG0KaQXDpTenIVez589t0AwORx77LTIBN4zEZBBm80KaikIKid4HPv0oreRjPg8o-os-ASsXLDTkQ_YpxGswr2bfROTyLZZgBMy6DvW4Z9cWa4H3mvkCx19zF9O_g_w-Iul_-STA0/s200/050420081392.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805713943355234" /></a><br />For those of you who are wondering, vinegar is necessary for good looking poached eggs. Only absolutely fresh eggs will give you perfect, round poached eggs. They're impossible to get unless you own some laying hens(if that's the case, please let me know if i can have some).<br /><br />Egg albumen is 15% protein by mass, dissolved in water. Many of these proteins are polar in solution and interact readily with water which is a polar solvent. By acidifying the water with the ethanoic acid found in vinegar, you create a less attractive environment for the egg white to disperse into the water. This results in a 'tighter' poached egg.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Method 4:</span> Contemporary(this is the method that sparked off this article)<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Place cling film on the inside of a cup. Oil the inside and crack an egg into it. Tie up into a parcel and then poach.</span></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8vfAgapXH89hyphenhyphenh7LuuaDvc5O4ixBJRniIB8woJDPZraeFtD9CzVgTLrT2IuI3udCbUkhyphenhyphenCZ7yk226LgVokUvP4Xdg7RIgRWaoqy0d6FW7IHjgyWJDLj4llK3K5O_1JKTR2W8AoXLC_Q/s1600-h/050420081387.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8vfAgapXH89hyphenhyphenh7LuuaDvc5O4ixBJRniIB8woJDPZraeFtD9CzVgTLrT2IuI3udCbUkhyphenhyphenCZ7yk226LgVokUvP4Xdg7RIgRWaoqy0d6FW7IHjgyWJDLj4llK3K5O_1JKTR2W8AoXLC_Q/s200/050420081387.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185803441905655554" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kfjUcCMQQEu4Th-KfDL6SqltQiKtn7nfpTOGOxWFygMvsWr0CHBc61_q0YSmUS-5iGgQHT61fK6DLbWck6Hx5fDGHeEOOkdD4pSqA1bV8M5yeDCG5RxeIW6rmV-YajXd74cnk4ufZMs/s1600-h/050420081388.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kfjUcCMQQEu4Th-KfDL6SqltQiKtn7nfpTOGOxWFygMvsWr0CHBc61_q0YSmUS-5iGgQHT61fK6DLbWck6Hx5fDGHeEOOkdD4pSqA1bV8M5yeDCG5RxeIW6rmV-YajXd74cnk4ufZMs/s200/050420081388.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805052518391570" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Conclusion:</span> Sometimes new techniques can be better than tried and true ones.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqBnpt4nwo71uJD-oUR7qYfyFGfdiQbISpzrsklhCL9NMzgeKoVHV7oAPzT4jUGsDLieAzUaGe9_C0D5B-Nf_-ixoKoQG3soDJRjnTY0TvKxrt4dsI3kaHSm9hN0jUkNJx-bDCsj8MGg/s1600-h/050420081395.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqBnpt4nwo71uJD-oUR7qYfyFGfdiQbISpzrsklhCL9NMzgeKoVHV7oAPzT4jUGsDLieAzUaGe9_C0D5B-Nf_-ixoKoQG3soDJRjnTY0TvKxrt4dsI3kaHSm9hN0jUkNJx-bDCsj8MGg/s200/050420081395.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805069698260818" /></a><br /><br />I've never made poached eggs as perfectly shaped as this. Incredibly beautiful and with very little fuss. However, i do have my reservations with regard to this method. Cling film is most commonly made from stiff Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC), softened with pthalate plasticizers. This shit transfers to all foods it comes in contact with but this time, you're immersing it in boiling water. Even if you got the film made from the purportedly safer Low Density Polyethylene(LDPE), it's still boiling plastic. Freaky...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Finished Result</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VbU3cx79eoLQmUM-WfoO0iPIEI8nZGQl52bZM5C1TmGWakTEf9lNoyxNk_a6bS0Qe6ztBViDBbfPiMXwQKd8tsu5_ILkppyvEoZbhnxJqP0Ir5vch__z99jz6YEmzV1ibmjFWXohMjY/s1600-h/050420081397.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VbU3cx79eoLQmUM-WfoO0iPIEI8nZGQl52bZM5C1TmGWakTEf9lNoyxNk_a6bS0Qe6ztBViDBbfPiMXwQKd8tsu5_ILkppyvEoZbhnxJqP0Ir5vch__z99jz6YEmzV1ibmjFWXohMjY/s200/050420081397.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185805726828257138" /></a><br /><br />I used the classically prepared poached egg for the sample photo because it had the best shape and sat really nicely on top of the crostone. People who know me personally will recognise this dish as my MSN display picture(flavoured salt was used on that dish instead of hollandaise). <br /><br />So there you have it, the Great Egg Poaching Experiment was pretty much a success. Just another excuse for me to muck around in the kitchen. Till next time, eat well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-63813051039066331072008-04-02T21:15:00.001+08:002008-12-10T02:37:50.488+08:00La Broche: Sergi Arola<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3-OOMl7lCfgq0t0hY7TAzu53Q4vcYTkGN56Y6MaCP8obU0nRCspWjxx1iAFjBNCKFX4k3mytLbGFAVgXNeWQZtrH9vsnr0p4a262QfSZiTO8oIzEOKe1nXFcjS_wxqiZTRayHQf8QI4/s1600-h/la+broche.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3-OOMl7lCfgq0t0hY7TAzu53Q4vcYTkGN56Y6MaCP8obU0nRCspWjxx1iAFjBNCKFX4k3mytLbGFAVgXNeWQZtrH9vsnr0p4a262QfSZiTO8oIzEOKe1nXFcjS_wxqiZTRayHQf8QI4/s200/la+broche.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184269631774842482" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">La Broche or The Clasp in English</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />While working at the Brown Sugar Bistro, i had the chance to work with Chef Kelvin Lee, he was the former Executive Chef of the Fullerton Hotel and had just left the post of Chef de Cuisine of the San Marco's Group. He was giving Yuan a hand while in between jobs and when he heard that i was heading off to Europe, he insisted that i visit La Broche. He had worked there under Sergi Arola and described the kitchen to me in full detail. <br /><br />This 2 star Michelin Chef had spent 2 million Euros on the refrigeration system alone. He has 3 separate walk-in units, 1 for fish, meat and vegetables. The unit for fish had a special mist system that keeps live fish alive for a few days. The restaurant has it's own backup generator to keep these refrigeration working in case of a power failure. Talk about going overboard. <br /><br />Of the handful of important restaurants in Madrid, no less than 3 are powered by the creative wizardry of Catalan chefs; Ferran Adria at the Terraza del Casino, Santi Santamaria at Santceloni, and Sergi Arola at La Broche. Since La Broche opened in February 2000 in the Hotel Miguel Angel just off the Paseo de la Castellana, Arola's restaurant has become one the hottest places to see and be seen in. <br /><br />Ferran Adria was Arola's mentor and boss at the famous El Bulli, home of molecular gastronomy, on the Costa Brava. He has passed on his almost alchemical fascination with transforming textures and extracting essences, so there are times when Arola's cooking requires you to be suspended in disbelief. Some of his work almost defies description, think sea and land snails roasted in lard, combined in a kind of crazy warm salad with miniature violet potatoes (the latest fashion from Peru), capers, tiny marinated onions and chanterelle mushrooms, all arranged on a square of fine phyllo pastry. This is a surrealist creation worthy of that other Catalan master, Salvador Dali.<br /><br />Anyway, i had my reservations there sorted out even before i left. This meant an extra stop in Madrid that i hadn't planned for. I managed to wrangle lodging with my godsister who was visiting family there while on exchange so i took her along for lunch.<br /><br />This was the first time i went to such an atas atas(societe haute) place without my mum/sister so i did feel a bit out of place. Hell, the wait staff were much better dressed than i was. Thankfully i was with my godsister. We do crazy things together all the time so her presence gave me a boost of courage.<br /><br />When we were seated, our server rolled up this trolley full of bottles which i thought was whiskey but turned out to be olive oil, at least 15 different types of extra virgin. He asked for our preference and i gave him a really dumbfounded look in return. I thought i had haute cuisine figured out in general, i know that extra virgins do come with varying flavours but come on. To actually ask us to choose which ones we wanted? I recovered after a moment and asked for something light for my godsister and one more earthy for myself so we could share. <br /><br />After that he came and gave us 3 different types of bread, which i forgot to take photos of. Speaking of photos, we were in a really swanky restaurant but i was a student about to fork out nearly a hundred and fifty Euro a head for lunch. Boy, was i gonna take a photo of everything.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZil0iFqNIiB5t8g12YBoSAiYXoRWNUv6y7ok1dAgsLYnqHimuyHUJ0uhg93ff56hQkuYxv9w1v0euAUKFr3rGz1sEEl9JAaO6-y_3B6XIGjGP9dtjT10_2quLw-vn8Zxr4Zn3jUtviC8/s1600-h/vanilla,+spanish+cheese+n+red+pepper+salts.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZil0iFqNIiB5t8g12YBoSAiYXoRWNUv6y7ok1dAgsLYnqHimuyHUJ0uhg93ff56hQkuYxv9w1v0euAUKFr3rGz1sEEl9JAaO6-y_3B6XIGjGP9dtjT10_2quLw-vn8Zxr4Zn3jUtviC8/s200/vanilla,+spanish+cheese+n+red+pepper+salts.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184270280314904226" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Vanilla, Spanish Cheese & Red Pepper salts along with Butter for the bread</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />This was the first of the Tapas set that comes with any order and the empty bowl was where the balsamic vinegar(5 choices) was poured. I failed to take a photo of the nifty tableware they used for the other bread and olive oil. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS24Zi-rpigHU_eUTNd2Yd5yf-fGx0PZnU5hyf6I0i7GFspMALW8DwAZpTa7NMxeVKRM4hHJiaDxaoPsWKeYJlnpn5hOLj5WLEhKd2sUjff5c4D8I8BEN_Dy-O2CrLM2tprCR3UhpWvRg/s1600-h/tapas+with+pesto,+tomato+and+parmesan+aioli.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS24Zi-rpigHU_eUTNd2Yd5yf-fGx0PZnU5hyf6I0i7GFspMALW8DwAZpTa7NMxeVKRM4hHJiaDxaoPsWKeYJlnpn5hOLj5WLEhKd2sUjff5c4D8I8BEN_Dy-O2CrLM2tprCR3UhpWvRg/s200/tapas+with+pesto,+tomato+and+parmesan+aioli.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184269644659744402" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Flat Breadsticks with Pesto, Tomato Concasse & Parmesan Aioli</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />The 2nd Tapas item to come were these breadsticks. Nothing special about them but the dips were really out of this world. Sergi Arola is known to pay very fine attention to detail and i know it sounds weird but i could have sworn i was eating liquid Parmesan. That was how well blended the dip was.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghW3-th3WVGmAHrXHVrSDhGGo5gPcAXN9YivuV-KnVWO2MTv313jcfet_qdNu9pvKWZSchkDzjLFOnVP36nslbWT7hclPACDodCh4AJTRMbvgwJzmJrlt8C9QNsZIXjc2gtGpqKwSDEYk/s1600-h/ham+with+smoked+cheese.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghW3-th3WVGmAHrXHVrSDhGGo5gPcAXN9YivuV-KnVWO2MTv313jcfet_qdNu9pvKWZSchkDzjLFOnVP36nslbWT7hclPACDodCh4AJTRMbvgwJzmJrlt8C9QNsZIXjc2gtGpqKwSDEYk/s200/ham+with+smoked+cheese.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184269627479875170" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Jambon with Smoked Catalan Cheese</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />I feel really silly now that i didn't bother to ask what ham and what cheese was used.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTpCBNLsAcuSaZsKnHPi6DmEa3LqflpMSntEgyVvPveoparQ9bF8y5Jjkii5974hfZHVCaJXHoAq9bx6-jMQC2aUdLzQP1rETztV92EHnqfGlZgmM1Ka7o7eQy5F7MvjlbS3ogNRMGz4/s1600-h/potato+fritatas+with+alio+aioli.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaTpCBNLsAcuSaZsKnHPi6DmEa3LqflpMSntEgyVvPveoparQ9bF8y5Jjkii5974hfZHVCaJXHoAq9bx6-jMQC2aUdLzQP1rETztV92EHnqfGlZgmM1Ka7o7eQy5F7MvjlbS3ogNRMGz4/s200/potato+fritatas+with+alio+aioli.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184269636069809794" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Potato Fritatas with Ajo Aioli</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />My first thought when i read this on my menu was that it was going to be a stearic and oleic overload but i was happy to be wrong. The pommes de terre were crispy and not at all oily and the mayonnaise was light on the tongue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r8gfO6uFU0ffkcwhxf6cYSRWc-HG-yatY2tFDW-s-juvt8zUVGqIetMLtlkGBqjPVFhRrnx1H-6Mcyk8Rn_tr4Yo36oIoJ4Tdse2uT-0X0gKupiVvAXA7qc3YvBL3vnQ12TC8QonWOE/s1600-h/anchovy+with+apple+and+celeriac+reduction.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r8gfO6uFU0ffkcwhxf6cYSRWc-HG-yatY2tFDW-s-juvt8zUVGqIetMLtlkGBqjPVFhRrnx1H-6Mcyk8Rn_tr4Yo36oIoJ4Tdse2uT-0X0gKupiVvAXA7qc3YvBL3vnQ12TC8QonWOE/s200/anchovy+with+apple+and+celeriac+reduction.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184269623184907858" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Anchovy with Apple and Celeriac Reduction</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />This dish was exquisite. I don't even like anchovy but this was really something else. The fish melted in my mouth and the reduction was really in harmony with the flavour of the fish. It was also the last dish of the Tapas set.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRrO6wwoP5QNZciKCz_xw2nqZng5UBDJCBx_GtOT2QLKd3eCQarVCJUSqHSyioMz6uqmH0LmN8fZY9yJN3U91HSq-Wfqouony4PmG6BZZdlFu4vj-bLw7Ew7YE_6A_QBPjsQb9heGFVQ/s1600-h/tagliollinis+on+a+bed+of+morell+with+parmesan+cream.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRrO6wwoP5QNZciKCz_xw2nqZng5UBDJCBx_GtOT2QLKd3eCQarVCJUSqHSyioMz6uqmH0LmN8fZY9yJN3U91HSq-Wfqouony4PmG6BZZdlFu4vj-bLw7Ew7YE_6A_QBPjsQb9heGFVQ/s200/tagliollinis+on+a+bed+of+morell+with+parmesan+cream.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184267797823807026" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Tagliolini on a bed of Morel with Parmesan Cream</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />This is where it really got good. The purpose of the trip was to get a real immersion into the cuisine and little did i expect to find the BEST pasta i have ever eaten in Madrid. I had really good and satisfying pastas in Tuscany later on in the trip which were more value for money but this miserably small portion is unrivaled in terms of taste alone. I don't have the vocabulary to describe the taste sensations they bestowed upon me. Even my godsis who kind of likes everything she eats was left stunned for a moment. The only word i know that suitably describes this is 'orgasmic'. Sometimes i have wet dreams of successfully recreating this dish but each time i wake up, i know it's not a possibility. Still, i'll try it out one day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSA_hDUMWLpJCF62Ejg-cwURAV7d3NZu676ZF3ff2U9_caAe-sdzlrCMYtLuAR-fEswr3g1vxSw4ss3YsqTHln0qtaOzgyo3SsJWF6H1fIci3pmPOLyVdkSdiLt-T7lmqKwne0rOVsww/s1600-h/cheese+rissotto+with+sea+cucumber.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSA_hDUMWLpJCF62Ejg-cwURAV7d3NZu676ZF3ff2U9_caAe-sdzlrCMYtLuAR-fEswr3g1vxSw4ss3YsqTHln0qtaOzgyo3SsJWF6H1fIci3pmPOLyVdkSdiLt-T7lmqKwne0rOVsww/s200/cheese+rissotto+with+sea+cucumber.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184267802118774338" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Cheese Risotto with Sea Cumcumber</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />This dish was really good too but really paled in comparison to the tagliolini. A method of cooking sea cucumber that i'd never seen before.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yXZgqWM0-pwgz4EV2sYqsX4ZKMezwgNIQI8rXoOlO6TW9RojIEy4AAP8iW_D08BPNFvBlLShe6DNVcmcFbtqnc7YRRsOzjCFdHd1UdsIMZhQeEq6Nhy33VlwLaDgLAgohz27g1fhydw/s1600-h/tataki+de+atun+rojo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yXZgqWM0-pwgz4EV2sYqsX4ZKMezwgNIQI8rXoOlO6TW9RojIEy4AAP8iW_D08BPNFvBlLShe6DNVcmcFbtqnc7YRRsOzjCFdHd1UdsIMZhQeEq6Nhy33VlwLaDgLAgohz27g1fhydw/s200/tataki+de+atun+rojo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184267789233872402" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Tataki de Atun Rojo</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />After the primeras placas were polished off, the main courses were served up. We had the Red Tuna Tataki and the Roast Beef.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9W8x9Fk3JvL7oX_6eccx9GWixniu6Mk2FsjRROGthvTyQZWCmUwz9jiA0y-UQYJ-P60YXfRUQZTBcIfWfxqIKyuET2Hlfi_pUeuXHdjXniLXBhn6c79RjTcXCbzIChpY7pYZTI2fHXd0/s1600-h/roast+beef+with+duck+liver+ice+cream.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9W8x9Fk3JvL7oX_6eccx9GWixniu6Mk2FsjRROGthvTyQZWCmUwz9jiA0y-UQYJ-P60YXfRUQZTBcIfWfxqIKyuET2Hlfi_pUeuXHdjXniLXBhn6c79RjTcXCbzIChpY7pYZTI2fHXd0/s200/roast+beef+with+duck+liver+ice+cream.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184267793528839714" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Roast Beef with Duck Foie Gras Ice Cream</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />The beef was simply heaven. Tedious to eat cos i didn't wanna ruin the presentation like the barbarian i am but it was really good all the same. May sound odd to have a duck liver ice cream with it but it made sense to me. Foie Gras should be eaten at room temperature and since the beef was piping hot, it's genius to have the foie gras cold. Foie Gras and beef are a match made in heaven as evidenced by it's popularity in the upscale burger joints that now dot our island. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUi1z5Nz7qHPT35x4Mth0stI_mC2xwbAacdVGwNz__y6EqlTtSPT3LCyjiXhcqHf-lcJarY0KmtxXcyW0Q_Nm5fnIYybgNxhkah4IyqjFyHwICu1Sf2tY_miQvv9u9GXKE-XjfdBFlAQ/s1600-h/full+sweets.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMUi1z5Nz7qHPT35x4Mth0stI_mC2xwbAacdVGwNz__y6EqlTtSPT3LCyjiXhcqHf-lcJarY0KmtxXcyW0Q_Nm5fnIYybgNxhkah4IyqjFyHwICu1Sf2tY_miQvv9u9GXKE-XjfdBFlAQ/s200/full+sweets.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184267784938905090" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Sweet Endings: Assorted Handmade Bonbons, Macarons and Truffles</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />We received a platter of sweets for dessert. A perfect way to end the perfect meal. Those Michelin guides really know how to do their job. I tried making reservations at the Fat Duck too but there were no vacancies for the dates i had. Just as well, i doubt i'd have been able to afford a 120 Pound degustation there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntxgnX7qcXv76pKcKmFndwIkQHmL2istKE1EVK71OB8k64iHZ3JPOm2B7JU917TqSHE43wLrwRN_Y3DbcyEwTeRnV_M5cA0RxNsrq1Wqnajh7ZVYnbh32GGC0kcZce0PXvmuvqTJCxhQ/s1600-h/me+%40+la+broche.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntxgnX7qcXv76pKcKmFndwIkQHmL2istKE1EVK71OB8k64iHZ3JPOm2B7JU917TqSHE43wLrwRN_Y3DbcyEwTeRnV_M5cA0RxNsrq1Wqnajh7ZVYnbh32GGC0kcZce0PXvmuvqTJCxhQ/s200/me+%40+la+broche.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184270284609871538" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Happily Sated =)</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />I went into the kitchens and met the Chef himself but was too shy to ask for a photo with him. Something i'll regret till the day i go back for another lunch there.<br /><br />Happy Eating!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sergiarola.es/">La Broche</a><br /><br />Calle de Miguel Ángel 29-31<br />28010 Madrid, Spain<br />+34 913 993 437Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534348144465693702.post-44046491124472761062008-04-01T11:20:00.011+08:002008-12-10T02:37:52.026+08:00Conventional vs Electric vs InductionI'm talking about hobs here, conventional or radiant hobs being the oldest technology and induction cooktops being the new kid on the block.<br /><br />Conventional hobs burn a fuel, usually liquefied petroleum gas which comes in the huge compressed cylinders delivered to your home by the friendly union gas or esso uncles or natural gas if your house is hooked up to the power gas network. I have 2 issues with gas hobs, the 1st being lack of control and the 2nd being the very fact that it isn't very environmentally friendly. <br /><br />At home, I used to have problems because i could never get my griddle hot enough to sear my meat cuts properly, this is an extremely important step when preparing roasts and tataki dishes. I insisted on getting one of those high pressure zhi char burners when i moved to my new house but ended up burning most things to hell and back with it. At work, i had similar problems. If i wasn't burning the berries i was trying to saute, then i would definitely be toasting my arm while reaching for the pans on the inner burners. That's one reason why chef jackets are supposed to be long sleeved, to protect your forearm from radiant heat and spillage. I'll admit that it's probably my own lack of skill that results in the burning but that still doesn't change the fact that i cannot serve out burnt crap.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS3L1pFs_MNinTVsqE3AlH4lloBm-gTQBrSh6iKuBXR54LPa_WHxYk9zCF9qbHLAMHP1YJVRX59WvgRB_rAP_Pi72OFfT0N-w6XWY8ZYhfSfmzvDJuwTONC4AdcIsOxGLGCK5ooSmL3w/s1600-h/15022007196.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS3L1pFs_MNinTVsqE3AlH4lloBm-gTQBrSh6iKuBXR54LPa_WHxYk9zCF9qbHLAMHP1YJVRX59WvgRB_rAP_Pi72OFfT0N-w6XWY8ZYhfSfmzvDJuwTONC4AdcIsOxGLGCK5ooSmL3w/s200/15022007196.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184128314465902018" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">burning off the joy juice in a red wine reduction </span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br />My only experience with electric coil hobs was in Europe. I think they have the impression that piping or storing gas was a safety hazard and many places are so old that induction cookers weren't invented yet or perhaps too expensive to install. Anyway, the studio apartment i stayed in while in Munich was really tiny and the kitchenette which was by the door had 2 electric hot plates which took forever to heat up. Boiling water soon followed this routine, i'd get up from bed and crank the hot plate to max, fill a pot of water, put it on, have a bottle of weissbier dunkel then proceed to take a dump. After which, my water would just be coming on to a gentle boil. Magnificent... Well, i got used to it after a while and churned out some pretty decent dishes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sln6B8VxPwnXbkDQBRSTiA9WPB4i-KN4LRLtJHaMpPfNAO-iIFSVOh4sokoY-Qzq_p5noxHooP98_yDvmCphc8ghSbFp7ApLyM6elOP_XMRG0q70EgSXl-UDN29s0akUOizcmEF2nV4/s1600-h/munich+ragout.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Sln6B8VxPwnXbkDQBRSTiA9WPB4i-KN4LRLtJHaMpPfNAO-iIFSVOh4sokoY-Qzq_p5noxHooP98_yDvmCphc8ghSbFp7ApLyM6elOP_XMRG0q70EgSXl-UDN29s0akUOizcmEF2nV4/s200/munich+ragout.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184124118282853762" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">mushroom ragout with freshly grated parmagiano</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ozHiEBdzUDLOuj_17x6PG2pz5SUjY_SIE4TlK3VgEeAAMr3YUKXDzJNW_TtdVR8pnQx2BWWE-ILYNWFNWsYmK_QnaGImaOch9R9bTH7PJJU3fzkCRqwY269tC5gdgQa8GUIjT8FRggY/s1600-h/mashed+potato,+pork+steaks+with+gravy+and+rucola+aglio+olio.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ozHiEBdzUDLOuj_17x6PG2pz5SUjY_SIE4TlK3VgEeAAMr3YUKXDzJNW_TtdVR8pnQx2BWWE-ILYNWFNWsYmK_QnaGImaOch9R9bTH7PJJU3fzkCRqwY269tC5gdgQa8GUIjT8FRggY/s200/mashed+potato,+pork+steaks+with+gravy+and+rucola+aglio+olio.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184124131167755666" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">pork schnitzel, potato mousseline and rucola aglio olio</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaha3Nrhyphenhyphen9J5TesJk7G58-rVuY4CEKbAaAoCfBKlPqFsgRaHNxIb7TGcH3A8Fc05qTL1pWivfjz1eCW_ahm6M7yDMVAtSGFTc3PFP83QMsK04I-0OtX7vwMq3CyPtVA7Uct5kGqUQj1w/s1600-h/truffled+eggs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaha3Nrhyphenhyphen9J5TesJk7G58-rVuY4CEKbAaAoCfBKlPqFsgRaHNxIb7TGcH3A8Fc05qTL1pWivfjz1eCW_ahm6M7yDMVAtSGFTc3PFP83QMsK04I-0OtX7vwMq3CyPtVA7Uct5kGqUQj1w/s200/truffled+eggs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184124135462722978" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">truffled eggs</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrL8KiiZiyptM2H2KDqhmBR-72Pz262N1-QC8AGDVyLTchMLMY_vTKpj7f4cATWLS1gg3XTlr4mIdaBGyxQ3rv2I1mcy2eyVNXEKsaFIPy2SdE7tcZ8FhH84XjsQkVd_suFzVkkp0pV0/s1600-h/hokkien+mee+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrL8KiiZiyptM2H2KDqhmBR-72Pz262N1-QC8AGDVyLTchMLMY_vTKpj7f4cATWLS1gg3XTlr4mIdaBGyxQ3rv2I1mcy2eyVNXEKsaFIPy2SdE7tcZ8FhH84XjsQkVd_suFzVkkp0pV0/s200/hokkien+mee+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184124139757690290" /></a><br /><blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">hokkien mee</span><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><br />I had to sms my best friend all the way back in Singapore to ask him if hokkien mee had bean sprouts because i forgot. Turns out that there are bean sprouts in the dish but i left them out because they cost a whopping 5.50 Euro a kg there which is more than a hundred times the price here at home.<br /><br />Finally we come to induction hobs. This is without a doubt the kitchen technology of tomorrow. When choosing hobs for the kitchen at the Screening Room, i saw a demonstration of a commercial induction hob bring 3 litres of water to a full boil in less than 5 minutes. I swear, it was love at first sight. The efficiency of induction hobs is also unparalleled, not only does it use electricity that can be generated from renewable sources, it can also be up to 84% efficient as compared to gas burners which are only about 40% efficient. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsy-E-atdQtD9k7nn4jLCox0LkZy0phc4tFf_Zz2r1fO42z8NHKnK9IR1blmn4g0IDxqtxv5fjzoW0GzqLnzmf5uW-xAa4RocjpUasFdArDNadOG0UO0BCg1zwuaqQtibKRjbD5iVLZUo/s1600-h/how-induction-works.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsy-E-atdQtD9k7nn4jLCox0LkZy0phc4tFf_Zz2r1fO42z8NHKnK9IR1blmn4g0IDxqtxv5fjzoW0GzqLnzmf5uW-xAa4RocjpUasFdArDNadOG0UO0BCg1zwuaqQtibKRjbD5iVLZUo/s200/how-induction-works.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184135147758870002" /></a><br />So what makes this baby tick? Here comes the good part, as an undergraduate reading materials science, i can say the following with great authority ;). The underlying principle of induction cooking is magnetic hysteresis. An induction cooker element is basically a high power, high frequency electromagnet that generates a finely tuned electromagnetic field in the region of space surrounding it(1). When a ferromagnetic cooking vessel is placed in this field, heat energy is induced in the vessel through hysteresis which is a measure of resistance of a material to magnetization(2). It's basically the same concept as an electric heating coil but induction cooking uses magnetic resistance instead of electrical resistance to generate heat. The heat created is transfered to the contents of the vessel(3) and nothing outside the vessel is affect by the field(4).<br /><br />This results in a few noteworthy points:<br />- Heat changes are instantaneous making induction settings very precise.<br /><br />- The heat is generated in the cooking vessel itself and hence the hob only gets as hot as the pot.<br /><br />- Only ferromagnetic materials can be used on induction cookers i.e. cast iron, some stainless steels and a few magnetic ceramic materials. Pyrex, aluminium and copper cannot be used.<br /><br />- Nothing outside the vessel is affected by the field. This implies cool stovetops and cooler kitchens. No more sweat dripping into your food!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFdsaYFB3UZ84sbGrEz4vG2hviukLJj9P-I5Jiq0Gj81tm2vHXAOxx5m3hghKgaFSzCFflCzRpgrDslrisk28E9sA_e8ePE511ImRjed_nhRm_PYu1unnAQ_yJouVtn29uiZijZRZfBA/s1600-h/egg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFdsaYFB3UZ84sbGrEz4vG2hviukLJj9P-I5Jiq0Gj81tm2vHXAOxx5m3hghKgaFSzCFflCzRpgrDslrisk28E9sA_e8ePE511ImRjed_nhRm_PYu1unnAQ_yJouVtn29uiZijZRZfBA/s200/egg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184134696787303890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmADzjXoQpCkvdd7QNcNBfIqnyYExZQVgw0cnlw_3tx3dUUlRfCXRZqJ_w_K2TkmBqpJpwGxIZATCoZsKOn7-UXc7MLu1pp8pG3k1XoH5ELz0EH6Efk5PAtF2XoiCMsYsJoX057hhe0I/s1600-h/boiling-ice.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmADzjXoQpCkvdd7QNcNBfIqnyYExZQVgw0cnlw_3tx3dUUlRfCXRZqJ_w_K2TkmBqpJpwGxIZATCoZsKOn7-UXc7MLu1pp8pG3k1XoH5ELz0EH6Efk5PAtF2XoiCMsYsJoX057hhe0I/s200/boiling-ice.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184134701082271202" /></a><br /><br />The loss of an open flame does mean that you lose ability to char foods but this can be done in an oven. As for Asian dishes that need the 'wok hei' like fried rice and hor fun, my personal solution would be to have a seperate standalone zhi char burner specifically for that.<br /><br />I only know of one restaurant that uses induction hobs and that is in the Western kitchen at the Top Table at the Temasek Culinary Academy. They chose induction for safety reasons.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tp.edu.sg/home/about/facilities/food.htm">The Top Table</a><br /><br />Temasek Culinary Academy<br />Block 31, Level 3<br /><br />Operating Hours<br />Weekdays (During term time): 11.30am - 2.00pm (last order)<br />Saturday, Sundays, Public Holidays, Vacation, Test and Exam Period: Closed<br /><br />Phew.. What a hell load of typing that was. <br /><br />Till next time!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4