My sister sent me this recipe for a no-fail chocolate cake that can be done in a microwave. Perfect quick fix for when you're craving cake at whatever time of day. I made this twice. Once where I followed the original recipe (with the oil) and the second time where I substituted the oil with melted butter and a pinch of salt. Oh, the original recipe had everything dumped into the coffee cup to mix. I decided to split the ingredients and mix them separately - less messy, and I could also ensure everything gets incorporated properly.

And yes, there is a difference in taste! The second with the butter, tastes richer. However make sure you use good cocoa. I'm fond of Van Houten whose cocoa is richer and more 'chocolatey' then Hershey.

Finally, this cake is best eaten warm, with ice cream or cream. When it sits for awhile, it gets a little harder, liked most things cooked in microwave.

5-minute Chocolate Cake

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil (I substituted with 3 tbsps melted butter and added a pinch of salt))
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

1. Add dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix well. In a separate bowl, crack one egg and beat thoroughly.
2. Pour in the milk and oil (or the butter) and mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix.
3. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Pour chocolate cake batter into mug.
4. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. (I'll cut down the time to 2 mins 45 secs.)
5. The cake will rise over the top of the mug and drip down the sides, but don't be alarmed!
6. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate. it won't be the prettiest cake in the world, but it sure is tasty.

Labels: Food, Projects

Or Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone! We were invited to my aunt's annual Chinese New Year reunion dinner. This is the dinner that's held with family and close friends on the eve. My aunt uses this as an excuse to get everyone together for a steamboat/bbq dinner. There are 2 tables - one of which is halal for her brother-in-law who is Muslim (although he's not picky as long as he's not actually eating pork). Thankfully it drizzled some so the air was cooler - almost perfect steamboat weather.

There were plates of vegetables, tofu, meat and fish balls that go into the soup pot in the middle while the meat (pork ribs, Korean-marinated beef and thickly cut streaky bacon) usually gets grilled in the surrounding hot plate, along with mushrooms, eggplants and prawns. All this is eaten with several flavourful dips like chilli and garilc, fermented tiny shrimp with chilli, onions and lime, and soy sauce. It's actually rather healthy IF you don't use too much butter/oil on the grill and IF you don't eat too much of the delicious chicken rice (rice cooked with chicken stock, garlic and ginger).

But we did eat too much (as usual!) and took a long pause before my aunt brought out her sticky toffee ginger pudding (thanks Delia Smith!), and my mom's own chocolate blacmange. We left, tummys full and sides splitting from laughter. There'll be more parties in the year, but these Chinese New Year ones are a hot, raucous affair, and will always remain my favorite.

Note: It must seem insane how Singaporeans can eat hot, soupy meals regardless of the hot, humid weather. I admit it takes some getting used to. But oh boy, the soup at the end of a steamboat is delicious, after cooking the vegetables and meat in it. Worth every bead of sweat, I promise you. And the perfect steamboat weather? Oh, that's when it's pouring buckets, like during the monsoon.

Labels: Food, Holidays

I think we went slightly overboard with the food this year. But we do enjoy trying out new things whenever there's a party, and I think, our guests appreciate our experiments.

Starting from top of vertical row on left: Waldorf Salad, Garlic Bread, homemade Eurasian pickle, chillis with lime, Roasted Capon with Lemon and Thyme, Homemade Red Onion Marmalade, Cherry-Glazed Ham.

Middle row: Cheesy Pastry Circles, BBQ Sausages, Chap Chye, Spicy Minced Beef & Chicken, Roasted Potatoes.

Last row: Rice, Chicken Vindaloo, Feng, Pineapple Patcharee.

The Chap Chye, Feng and Eurasian Pickle are traditional Eurasian staples that appear only at this time of year. The Ham is another one but we're not stuck on any one particular kind (just not tinned). Because I didn't want to have the hassle of fiddling around with a turkey, we tried capons. I used loads of lemon and thyme for a Mediterranean flavour. It wasn't sour but refreshingly tangy. I tried Nigella's Perfect Roast Potatoes (she dredged them with semolina for an added crunch) and they turned out just that - perfect. Will definitely repeat this dish next year. To accompany the sausages, chicken and ham, I made the onion marmalade which was especially yummy.

I didn't take a picture of the desserts but they were: Pumpkin Creme Brulee, Eurasian Brandied Fruit Cake and Eurasian Sugee Cake. And Dad made his special Pink Guava punch - now that is a family secret. But I can tell you one ingredient - pink guava.

Everyone literally rolled out of here around midnight. Whew! I hope your Christmas/Holiday party was a happy one.

Labels: Christmas, Food

I've been hit by the baking bug. Last weekend, I made two batches of scones: Raisin & Ginger Scones and Savoury Cheese Scones. Both were a hit at Ems' tea party. Today, for Bex's pre-Christmas party, I decided to make a batch of cookies, something I've not done in an age.

After some digging around, I found a Paula Deen recipe that uses cream cheese. Only silly me used self-raising flour when the recipe called for all-purpose flour. In Singapore, that translates to 'plain flour'. Mistake #1. Mistake #2 was forgetting to double the sugar when I doubled everything else. It turned out to be an happy accident. I find most US recipes use too much sugar. Mom and I usually cut out at least 25% from recipes without changing the taste or texture too much. Result - my cookies came out puffy and not too sweet.

Labels: Food

Today I've have 2 meetings with design companies in downtown Memphis. I just had one earlier with a mid-size design company and I have one more in about 30 mins. I'm now ensconced in The Blues City Pastry Shop & Coffee Bar very near Beale Street, enjoying a cold latte and a killer strawberry shortcake. It's too hot to even consider sitting outside under the trees. This is an afternoon made for a long siesta in cool comfort.

While it's been a long process of meetings and phone calls, I'm still working hard to network. My resume has been getting very favourable comments but no offers yet. So for now, I'm just plugging away, sending out resumes and arranging meetings.

Tomorrow night is the launch of Harry Potter. I've registered for the party at the Barnes & Noble near D's home. Oh..some idiots have got the book, scanned and put the pages on their bittorrent site. I've had a spoiler email today. After reading the first line, I trashed it. So be careful out there if you don't want the book ruined for you. As for me, I can't wait to sink my teeth into this last tome. I hear it's about 750 pages!

Anyone going to any Harry Potter parties?

Labels: Books, Food, General, Travel

Our road trip to Gatlinburg was so much fun. We left Memphis around 3pm and arrived there at about 10pm. The car was loaded up with two coolers of sandwiches, munchies and drinks, not to mention brochures, maps, books, CDs and a journal. Everything for a perfect road trip!

To get to the town, we drove through Sevierville then Pigeon Forge. Thank goodness D didn't get a hotel in either of those places. They are such tourist spots with tons of things to do, see, buy and eat. But with zero atmosphere. The main town centre of Gatlinburg is just 5 miles after that, through some winding roads around a mountain. And what a difference!

Gatlinburg is a small town of about 4000 people but welcomes a couple of million visitors every year. We stayed at the Ramada Inn which was in the middle of everything but set away from the noise of main street. At midnight, we joined the crowds for the first 4th of July parade. We didn't get to bed till nearly 3am! The next day, on the 4th, was a massive firework display that lasted nearly 30 minutes.


Click on the picture to see a larger one.

This was a relaxing holiday for all. We'd wake up at around 10, troop out at about 1030am for a late breakfast. On the 4th, we drove back to Pigeon Forge to Mill Creek for a huge concert/party at an open field there. We pigged out on homemade ice cream, fresh fruit slushies, roasted corn-on-the-cob and a gi-normous smoked turkey leg. Oh...Gatlinburg has restaurants serving delicious southern cooking. But don't go looking for Chinese or Mexican there; head for Pigeon Forge instead.

We spent the next few days driving through the Smokies (we saw black bears up close!!), wandering around town (I bought 2 handmade quilts), went to a civil war battle reenactment (4 cannons are awfully loud!) and going on a ghost tour (that is a whole post on itself with some pretty interesting pictures). D is now planning our next trip - Hot Spring, Arkansas!

Where to eat at Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge:
1. Flapjacks Pancake Cabin @ Gatlinburg - Awesome pecan pancakes in a log-cabin style restaurant. Raved about in Southern Living and the fluffiest yet!
2. Pancake Pantry @ Gatlinburg- For it's historical appeal (it's 47 years old!) and HUGE pancake menu. Go early for breakfast to beat the long lines. Huge portions.
3. Applebarn Farmhouse Restaurant @ Pigeon Forge - Not to be confused with Applebarn Grill nearby. Farmhouse is the original. Great southern home-cooking in a quaint house. Bring a huge appetite. We left with doggie bags!
4. The Old Mill Creamery @ Pigeon Forge - Out of this world homemade ice-cream! A single serving is HUGE.
5. Jared's Grill at The Ship @ Gatlinburg - An English pub in the Smokies. Fantastic selection of beers and ciders not to mention pub food. Try their Cottage Pie and Fish & Chips - worthy of anything you'll find in the UK.

Labels: Food, Travel

With a moose. Well actually, the Moose Munch Bar.

A couple of weeks ago, D introduced me to Moose Munch, this marvelous concoction of caramel popcorn, hazelnuts and chocolate. It was divine. Then while waiting in a Target checkout line, I spotted these. D hadn't seen them before. I bought us each one and when we got back to the car, right there in the parking lot, we devoured them.

OMIGOSH!! If you haven't had a Moose Munch...please do your tastebuds a favour and try one soon. They're out of this world! Perfect to satisfy ANY chocolate craving. We had the dark chocolate one and it was sinful. The milk chocolate isn't any better. I'm going to have Moose Munch withdrawals when I get home unless I can convince some supermarket there to start stocking it. Yeah, right!

Labels: Food

Another holiday and another major party with loads of food. (Click on the picture for details.) I swear, at our house (as with any typical Eurasian home), you'll never leave hungry. You can check your diet at the door. There's always more food than mouths and everyone is encouraged to return for seconds or even thirds. And thankfully there are no football games to distract from the company of friends and family.

Next buffet? Thanksgiving and Christmas 2007.

Labels: Christmas, Food

Yup! Christmas has already started here in Singapore. Or at least at my house. We kicked off the season with our annual pre-Christmas party (usually the Saturday following Thanksgiving) and invite everyone who won't be able to make it for Christmas dinner. There are other parties in the following weeks before the big bang on the 25th. And then it goes on for another 12 days.

Between Mom, Dad and myself, we whipped up 10 dishes plus 3 desserts (including a chocolate blancmange and my Mom's killer tiramisu) for 20 people. See picture for details. And ooh! there's plenty of leftovers which I know will taste better tomorrow. Care to join me?

Labels: Food

After experiencing a craving that this time refused to go away, Flee and I succumbed to chunks of NZ Prime Sirloin at Jerry's BBQ & Grill. It was a very satisfying dinner. But it was the post-dinner activity that added the cherry to the whole evening.

We wondered down Orchard Road and ended up at Borders. Now Flee had given me a lovely birthday present earlier: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and a gift voucer from that store. One of the first books that caught my eye was The Thirteenth Tale. I had just read about it and here it was!

Thanks Flee for adding to my TBR pile. Yup, I have to blame someone, and you're it this time. LOL!

Labels: Books, Food

Just read a tip from the head chef of Morton's Singapore, Mr Corwin Leong in The Sunday Times.

Do you know how to test for a steak's doneness? Well, according to Mr Leong, "just touch the steak to see."

If you want it rare, it should feel like the hardness of the knob of flesh below your thumb when you make the tips of your thumb and forefinger touch. Touch your thumb with your middle finger if you want medium; fourth finger for medium-well; and pinkie for well-done.

Another tip for DIY steaks in the kitchen: ask the butcher for 300g at about 3cm thick. And he always recommends ribeyes as it's the most flavourful cut.

Labels: Food

Discovered a drink counter at a mall near my office several days ago selling smoothies and ice-blended drinks. I had a Blueberry Yogurt Ice-Blend and promptly fell in love. I went back at lunch yesterday and watched them closely to see what went into it. And I was surprised at how easy it was to make.

Fill a blender half-full with ice cubes. Then add 3 large shots of blueberry syrup (the kind you get from a tin of blueberry pie filling - it was kind of thick and syrupy. Yes, I was that close to scrutinise it carefully. LOL!). Then 3 shots of a plain yoghurt drink. Blend till smooth.

I'll take a pix the next time I get one and load it. But honestly it was utterly delicious - creamy with a blueberry tart sweetness. Perfect for this muggy weather.

Labels: Food

I've had pizza from Spizza just once before and last night was my second foray there with some friends. And now I can admit that this is truly, hands down, the best wood-fired pizza in Singapore. They are thin crust, crispy and NOT swimming in sauce and cheese.

Mama mia! I can't wait till the next time!

Labels: Food