Saturday, July 28, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Coffee Trail, Singapore
Accepting an invitation by Eddie and Ros to attend their new offspring, Nicole's full moon party was a good enough excuse to take the drive down south.
Besides catching up with the usual suspects (Minh, Hsueh Wei, Will, May, Jack, Chris, Robert, Shan), besides the "odd" shopping, the trip turned out to be a Coffee Trail.
Still bloody good.. though the music was crap. Some fusion rap funk, not a good companion for a drizzling lazy afternoon in a rustic cafe.
Very good coffee and pastry.
Not cosy enough to hangout for long though and the music was crap too - some drum & bass mix.
The wife commented that the same people are behind both Forty Hands and Tiong Bahru Bakery and the marketing efforts have taken the edge off their street credits.
3 of 3 magazines we picked up at the hotel featured them one way or another.
I agree.
Consistency in coffee quality AND crap music =]
After the full moon lunch party, we needed to get our caffeine reload before the long drive back to K-helL.... Searched and thanks to Will, found Papa Palheta.
Nice area behind the famous Teck Kee Pau outlet near Newton Circle.
Very very cool - entrance round the back, rustic deco, payment for coffee not a menu-ed price but by tips. We tossed in 2 red ones into the tip jar and drank on a park bench nearby on Hooper Rd in front of some nice conservation houses.
Then we were on our way out of Sin-less city and north to K-helL.
A stop at the Johor Premium Outlets for 3 swipes of the plastic on a Shanghai Tang shirt (for D), a Tumi cabin bag and Nike tennis shoes (for A), and a "simple" dinner at a local shophouse chinese restaurant near the Ayer Keroh toll broke our journey.
Pix posted by A on Instagram.
Stolen by D (still holding out on getting my own Instagram-freindly device)
Besides catching up with the usual suspects (Minh, Hsueh Wei, Will, May, Jack, Chris, Robert, Shan), besides the "odd" shopping, the trip turned out to be a Coffee Trail.
 |
| Day#1 - tea time at Forty Hands |
Walking around the area again before heading back to the hotel.... it's confirmed - Tiong Bahru is damn cool.
 |
| Day#2 - breakfast at Tiong Bahru Bakery (Coffee by Forty Hands) |
 |
| Sunday morning princess. Damn cute lah. |
Not cosy enough to hangout for long though and the music was crap too - some drum & bass mix.
The wife commented that the same people are behind both Forty Hands and Tiong Bahru Bakery and the marketing efforts have taken the edge off their street credits.
3 of 3 magazines we picked up at the hotel featured them one way or another.
I agree.
Consistency in coffee quality AND crap music =]
After the full moon lunch party, we needed to get our caffeine reload before the long drive back to K-helL.... Searched and thanks to Will, found Papa Palheta.
Nice area behind the famous Teck Kee Pau outlet near Newton Circle.
Very very cool - entrance round the back, rustic deco, payment for coffee not a menu-ed price but by tips. We tossed in 2 red ones into the tip jar and drank on a park bench nearby on Hooper Rd in front of some nice conservation houses.
Then we were on our way out of Sin-less city and north to K-helL.
A stop at the Johor Premium Outlets for 3 swipes of the plastic on a Shanghai Tang shirt (for D), a Tumi cabin bag and Nike tennis shoes (for A), and a "simple" dinner at a local shophouse chinese restaurant near the Ayer Keroh toll broke our journey.
 |
| somewhere near the Ayer Keroh toll off North-South Highway |
 |
| until the next roadtrip |
Pix posted by A on Instagram.
Stolen by D (still holding out on getting my own Instagram-freindly device)
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Night out
We are at an 80s club in Kelana Jaya. I ve had a few glasses of wine with colleagues after work to I fancy something sippable and head to the bar writing out the recipe for an americano for the barkeep to make.
After I finish, husband gestures to the bottle of JD at the table..
Me: are you crazy!?!JD
Sheepish smile.
He must be.JD indeed.
After I finish, husband gestures to the bottle of JD at the table..
Me: are you crazy!?!JD
Sheepish smile.
He must be.JD indeed.
Friday, July 13, 2012
AD Cook Dinner - big ass fish (recipe herewith)
It may be pure love or bribery but my mother-in-law brings me good fish from Tawau every few months. The coral trout or seven star grouper in particular makes me consider providing grandchildren real quick. We have quite a few lolling in the back of our freezers (yes, we have 3 freezers) and so I said to D one morning, bring the biggest mother out. It fed about 6.
Being as massive as it was, it would fit into no wok of mine, so I decided to oven-bake it,
turning it around in my head all day at work until I settled on what would go into it. I wrote myself the recipe in email and emailed it to myself so I wouldn't forget.
Of course traffic would be shite and the house would be a mess and I would have to ask my guest to do the grocery shopping before she came over. And of course the fish would be UNSCALED. Its ok. Life could be a bigger obstacle course.
Dinner turned out fab, and the company always is fab. I gained a sunflower and we drank a very nice bottle of organic malbec left over from the AD wedding. Cant complain.
Recipes, as requested.
OVEN BAKED CORAL TROUT
1 large fish, scaled, gutted
3-4 tbsp good olive oil
1 and half large tomatoes, sliced- I only use momotaros here
1 and a half lemons, sliced
1 large dill sprig
3 cloves garlic sliced
sea salt, sugar, black pepper
juice of half a lemon
quarter cup of dry vermouth or white wine
1. Set your oven at 180 degrees C.
2. Get a large piece of foil that will tent up over your fish creating a pouch in which hot oil can circulate.
3. Place foil shiny side up on flat bench. Alternate slices of lemon and tomato in the center (do two rows of 4 slices of each)
4) insert half the garlic and top with dill. Drizzle with 1 TBSP of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5) Rub the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Layer remaining tomatoes, lemon, dill and garlic in the belly.
6) Pour over remaining olive oil, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the wine and pour over.
7) Bring sides of foil over and on top of the fish to seal completely, ensure there is space for the air to circulate inside the parcel. Top with another piece of foil if you need.
8) Bake on a flat oven tray for 30mins.
9) Open the parcel at the table when guest are seated and ready to respect the fish.
I served this fish with a home-made herb and caper mayonnaise on the side.
LAST MINUTE COUS COUS
I decided when the fish was in the oven that we might not have enough food so I made this cous cous with the help of D and Angeline.
1 large red onion, drizzled with olive oil, wrapped in foil and placed in the oven with the fish
Half a med cucumber, peeled, deseeded, diced
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup cous cous
1 tablespoon butter
6-8 black olives
2 tsp lemon zest
juice of half a lemon
1) In a saucepan, heat 1.5 cups of water till boiling and add the butter.
2) Add the cous cous, cover tightly and turn of heat. Leave for at least 2 minutes
3) Fluff the cous cous with a fork, let cool slightly and add to the vegetables and zest. Can reserve the olives and onion for garnish.
4) Season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice then sprinkle with parsley.
I served both dishes with stir-fried kailan with diced sweet sausage and oven-baked garlic frites.
Being as massive as it was, it would fit into no wok of mine, so I decided to oven-bake it,
turning it around in my head all day at work until I settled on what would go into it. I wrote myself the recipe in email and emailed it to myself so I wouldn't forget.
Of course traffic would be shite and the house would be a mess and I would have to ask my guest to do the grocery shopping before she came over. And of course the fish would be UNSCALED. Its ok. Life could be a bigger obstacle course.
Dinner turned out fab, and the company always is fab. I gained a sunflower and we drank a very nice bottle of organic malbec left over from the AD wedding. Cant complain.
Recipes, as requested.
OVEN BAKED CORAL TROUT
1 large fish, scaled, gutted
3-4 tbsp good olive oil
1 and half large tomatoes, sliced- I only use momotaros here
1 and a half lemons, sliced
1 large dill sprig
3 cloves garlic sliced
sea salt, sugar, black pepper
juice of half a lemon
quarter cup of dry vermouth or white wine
1. Set your oven at 180 degrees C.
2. Get a large piece of foil that will tent up over your fish creating a pouch in which hot oil can circulate.
3. Place foil shiny side up on flat bench. Alternate slices of lemon and tomato in the center (do two rows of 4 slices of each)
4) insert half the garlic and top with dill. Drizzle with 1 TBSP of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5) Rub the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Layer remaining tomatoes, lemon, dill and garlic in the belly.
6) Pour over remaining olive oil, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the wine and pour over.
8) Bake on a flat oven tray for 30mins.
9) Open the parcel at the table when guest are seated and ready to respect the fish.
I served this fish with a home-made herb and caper mayonnaise on the side.
LAST MINUTE COUS COUS
I decided when the fish was in the oven that we might not have enough food so I made this cous cous with the help of D and Angeline.
1 large red onion, drizzled with olive oil, wrapped in foil and placed in the oven with the fish
Half a med cucumber, peeled, deseeded, diced
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup cous cous
1 tablespoon butter
6-8 black olives
2 tsp lemon zest
juice of half a lemon
1) In a saucepan, heat 1.5 cups of water till boiling and add the butter.
2) Add the cous cous, cover tightly and turn of heat. Leave for at least 2 minutes
3) Fluff the cous cous with a fork, let cool slightly and add to the vegetables and zest. Can reserve the olives and onion for garnish.
4) Season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice then sprinkle with parsley.
I served both dishes with stir-fried kailan with diced sweet sausage and oven-baked garlic frites.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Today's Redemption
The Way It's Done
Minutes later he pops the last of it in his mouth.
"Didn't even as me if I wanted te last mouthful, AFTER I said the sandwich was SO good" I say, slowly.
He gives me the deer in the headlights look, the one I always get when HE finishes something and I comment on it. The 'maybe-you-just-don't-feed-me-enough' look.
I take another sip of my bean and sausage soup, then reach over and give him the last mouthful.
"THAT, is how it's done".
Yesterday's Dinner
These were posted by the wife on Instagram.
Too good not to be reproduced here as Instagram is like a short term memory.
Hand Cut Fries
(drying by fan before frying)
Crazy Good!
Sauce for the Meat.
YUMMY!!!
Well marbled, never-frozen piece of beef - still bloody.
Thanks, wife.
It was another fantastic dinner.
I have no chance of ever being a skinny mammal.
None.
Monday, July 9, 2012
GOAT
I often think that if you are, like me, a sports enthusiast.... our generation has the most fortunate.
We get to watch and experience the brilliance of many GOATs - Greatest Of All Time.
They are better than gods.
That makes us MoFOATs? hehehe...
There are ones whom I personally think are GOATs but still have their unbelievers -
There are some undisputed ones:
Last night, we had the privilege of watching a GOAT raising the bar even further.
couple of cool reports here and here.
We get to watch and experience the brilliance of many GOATs - Greatest Of All Time.
They are better than gods.
That makes us MoFOATs? hehehe...
There are ones whom I personally think are GOATs but still have their unbelievers -
- Valentino Rossi - A Ducati win away? or just drive rally and win... my GOAT of racing, bar none!
- Lionel Messi - maybe a World Cup win away,
- Michael Schumacher - Another win away? or stay should have stay retired,
- Tiger Woods - a few more Majors, a few less expose =]
- Jonah Lomu - will there ever be a more complete rugger?
- The current Spanish Football Team,
- The Barcelona team under Guardiola (sorry, my beloved Liverpool)
- The All-Blacks of 2011.
- Usain Bolt - how much faster can a human run??
There are some undisputed ones:
- Lance Armstrong - dope or no dope.
- Michael Jordan
- Rafa Nadal on clay - who dares say nay?
- Ronnie O'Sullivan
Last night, we had the privilege of watching a GOAT raising the bar even further.
- most Wimbledon single titles - checked
- most Grand Slam semi finals appearance - checked.
- most weeks at No. 1 in ranking - checked.
- coolest cat on/off the court - checked.
- still faithful to a woman many thinks is not worthy - checked.
- keeping the irritants off (Djoko who? ann Ivan Lendl couldn't win Wimbledon as a player, can't do it as a coach either) - checked.
Roger Federer - GOAT of GOATs.
couple of cool reports here and here.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
What's cooking?
Made our own sambal belacan (pounded, the old school way), served with prawns and broccoli, healthy rice and heart attack Tau Yew Bak.
The plate (before and after)
Oinks
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
on the 3rd day of July, 1971...
Jim Morrison joined the 27 Club.
The world lost a great poet, a reluctant rockstar, underrated blues musician (The Doors would have been such a great blues band through the years) and undiscovered film maker.
Love Street - attempted in parts on the ukulele at the AD Wedding by yours truly. Erhem.
The day we lost Jim, one interesting character was born - Julian Assange.
Controversial, brave, odd, possibly a little perverted... hmm... that damn theory of reincarnation =]
oh ya... stumbled upon this trailer. 27 Club movie.
I wanna see it!
The world lost a great poet, a reluctant rockstar, underrated blues musician (The Doors would have been such a great blues band through the years) and undiscovered film maker.
Love Street - attempted in parts on the ukulele at the AD Wedding by yours truly. Erhem.
The day we lost Jim, one interesting character was born - Julian Assange.
Controversial, brave, odd, possibly a little perverted... hmm... that damn theory of reincarnation =]
oh ya... stumbled upon this trailer. 27 Club movie.
I wanna see it!
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