Roll for Good Luck^^

Yea!! Chinese New Years is here, and well even though I'm working in another country doesn't mean I can't celebrate it in my little own way^^

This is odd actually, as I just came home from work like half an hour before it was officially Chinese New Year, one of my roommates was actually getting ready to roll the mandarins on the floor as from what I was told, it symbolises good luck as the rolling of the mandarins provide good chi as in more bountiful returns for those who stay in the place?

I'm not quite sure on what it means, but... if it means I'll earn more this year then I'm all up for it hehe;p









Hehe, If only I could get a picture on the looks of our neighbors faces when they actually saw us doing this, I think he thought we've gone insane^^ Though I have to admit, It was Fun^^

Gong Xi Fa Cai and Many Prosperous & Happy Returns everyone$$ Cheers to the Year of the OX^^

Sacllops, the thing I crave for New Years but was shot down...

Scallops!!! I've been waiting to actually cook these the other day when they finally arrive for the kitchen to use for the Gathering dinner..

Unfortunately as the title suggests, it was a huge letdown beacuse a)the scallops were frozen b)they were sooo puny, you can't even call them scallops and c)On the freshness scale, I don't think it was even frozen fresh at all...

I tried my best to salvage whatever I could and decided to make a small appetizer of the scallops, well basically seared scallops served on top of a sauteed version of a vichicoise and orange monte au buerre... Conceptually, it sounded quite well and I thought it was gonna be okay if I did manage to pull it off, though I guess I'll let you guys decide^^


Yea, its actually dull in the color department, though, I did try my best, my worst fears were confirmed when I tasted the scallops - they seriously weren't frozen fresh... Sad though that the company (I know it was good intentions and all though there wasn't any thought for the quality) would consider getting these kind of quality scallops-_-...


Oh well, at least it looks good in picture rather than the taste hehe;p

Of Chillies & Lamb...

This basically came out of a discussion I had the other day with Jason, and I'm thinking it was along the lines, he mentioned he's never had Shepherds pie before. I was dumbstruck; because it was one of the most simplistic(well for me anyway) comfort foods you can find and its such great fun eating it^^

So I decided to make some at work, so he could experience what shepherds pie really was albiet that the minced lamb had to be changed to minced chicken as my kitchen doesn't hold any lamb^^


I know what some of you might be thinking, shouldn't it come with its own pie base too? well it could though personally I've always liked serving it on a dish, it looks much more appetising^^ The filling inside is basically sauteed minced chicken with mushroom, tomatoes, onions and garlic with some thyme & tomatoe paste and topped off with mashed potatoes;)


Doesn't it make your mouth just water, just by looking at it? hehe;p
It would have been even better if the dish was made with lamb though I guess you really need to imrpovise sometimes when you don't have certain items^^ But if you should know, everyone finished it off so I can safely say it was all a success^^

Not only that I got round to making the Chilli Chocolate souffle v2.0.
Unfortunately this time, my oven door was left ajar when there was a pizza order so my souffle basically became a dud when it was done-_-...

Sadly it didn't get to really rise, so what came out of the oven was basically a round shaped-like souffle - a dud-_-..
Well maybe making it a third time would be the charm^^

Trip to Morocco, well sorta

I've been meaning to try out the Moroccan lounge in Clarke Quay - and honestly I was quite happy with it^^



Met up with Jason and off we went to Clarke Quay; well we were abit early so we got to exploring Liang court(he told me they sold squared watermelons, and I had to see it to believe it^^) nearby... Honestly I became like a kid in a candy store^^ We were exploring the supermarket in the basement and it was amazing with what the amount of fresh produce I could find, its been way toooo long^^ Was planning on taking photos of the items, but was told we couldn't really do so & sadly we didn't find the watermelons, maybe next time...

It was after I could get myself away from the supermarket, we headed back to Marrakesh - a beautiful lounge style restaurant which caters middle eastern & morroccan food^^

So this was what we had...

Classic Cocktail - The Blue Lagoon; well its just basically Vodka & Sprite mixed together but still its good^^


Marrakesh Signature Cocktail - The Marrakesh Special; its an interesting blend of Pineapple, vodka & if I remember correctly some coconut(hmm probably have to go back for seconds^^)

Enough bout the drinks we're heading off to food^^
What was ordered was kinda typical for morroccan food, though I don't think I'm an expert, I've known most of the basics^^

First up is the Falafels - Yup well its a simple finger type food, which is made up of basically mashed chickpeas, flavored with spices and fried, can you say yum?^^


Next up is a middle eastern salad called Fattoush- I think that's how its spelled^^
Its basically made up of cucumbers, tomatoes, olive(3types!), Carrots, Capsicum, & Onions. Drizzled on top was the dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice & what I presume for them smoked paprika powder. The thing I liked about this salad was the fact that they had pita chips on top and it was executed in way that it was very refreshing on the palate, it was a rustic feel & was not too acidic and the seasoning was just right. We keep having more after the first bite^^


Lastly, its my favorite, the Kibbeh; its basically mince lamb fritters stuffed with Pines nuts, and they weren't kidding on the stuffing^^


As you can see, its genorously suffed with pine nuts, and we know how much these little guys cost^^ It was well done, the meat was moist though, i wish it was seasoned a little bit more because lamb has quite a heavy feel on the palate it can easily overpower the spices when its not executed properly^^

All in all, it was a great impromptu kinda dinner before the Chinese New Year(yes, I know, I'm a little late in posting it up^^) After having a couple more drinks we decided to call it a night, well that is after someone got abit overdosed on the food & drinks hehe;p

Souffle... Chiffon... Souffle...

Yes!! Finally, the kitchen has Chilli Padi again, well, mainly because one of the old new menu items uses it for the sauce...

So... I decided to make an improtu dessert with chilli - wierd to some people, but for me its because I had chocolate infused with some chillies before and I've actually liked the combination^^


It was supposed to be a Souffle, though texture wise, it became a chiffon - I put too much flour in it-_-..
I was abit unhappy with the flavor as the chocolate the restaurant uses is quite sweet and it overpowered the chilli; oh well back to trying to better it again... Gonna try this again tomorrow for work^^

Sweet, Sweeter, Sweetest....

So moving along, I was thinking about something to make with apples - since its been quite cool in the island lately, its always windy but not a drop of rain anywhere (though from what I've heard back home its been pouring buckets hehe;p)...

I was really contemplating on either making an appetizer or a dessert... Jason was asking me what kind of amuse it was gonna be; and frankly I didn't even know which it was gonna be... I've been restricted to the fact that I know apples always goes well with pork, though sadly my kitchen doesn't carry any so I was thinking maybe chicken - but the thought made me think other wise. So off I went to the fountain area to get some frozen fruits and, I managed to get some cranberries & blueberries^^

Not Long everything was coming into the picture and I was leaning towards a dessert with the apples and this is what I got>>

I call it my Toffee'd Apple with Forest Fruit Compote

The apple slices were poached in coffee and caramelised in the oven to give it the sweet and 'burnt' texture, while the fruits, I've basically made a nice compote with it^^
Initially I was quite happy with the presentation though, I wished I didn't quenelled the cream - it kinda sticks out-_-... And I should've tasted the compote - Jason was the first to go grab a glass of water as it was extremely sweet; though after the sugar rush, I reckon if the dish was served cold, it would've been fine^^



Oh well, its still trail & error, I'm planning on re-working this dish, its piqued my interest if you might say^^

Does procrastinating ever work? Sometimes...

I guess I should be proud of myself, got busted for smoking today, of all days I decided to go light up hehe;p Irony of It all is that I've been procrastinating about not lighting up again and this comes and slaps me in the face;) (Nice one Big guy up there, it sure got me thinking bout my choice of lighting up again -$200!!)

Can't really seem to get the scanner working; was planning on scanning in the fine as my constant reminder so that I don't light up again (as much as I've always been fond of this addiction-_-...)

Don't worry will post it up when I figure out the scanner hehe;p

Nice one... Its been awhile....

This feels kinda pathetic of me especially, since its been along time since I've cut myself while working, however this time, I've actually given myself a nice gash while opening a beer bottle... Sad, I know....


Trust me, I'm no Masochist, just wanted to show off my own 'war' scars(God knows how much I've had when I first strated in the kitchen hehe;p), though this can't really count as one... can it?


There, its all patched up... Now its to deal with a stuffy glove for the next few days at work -_-...

Food Smarts...

I don't know whats gotten into me lately, but I think I've been more interested in creating small simple dishes such as amuses or appetizers... I think its because its one of the most interesting componets to the meal, 1. its the start of a meal so when people taste a really good appetizer or amuse, they will know that the food that is about to be served during the whole service will be good & 2. it showcases what the chef is capable of creating under certain constraints^^ something I've still getting used to at where I work at....


This is my creation - Pan Seared Fish Fillets with a Citron Creme^^
I was thinking about something to do with Dory Fish (which at where I work at, is basically the only fish used-_-..) and also I was thinking about something to do with Vodka Citron.
I honestly think this pairing goes well together especially with the earthyness of the fish fillet and the citrus zest of the sauce; and that if I had some vodka to work with, where I flambe the lemon zest together with the lime leaves, its would give the sauce the extra zest, unfortunately I didn't have it...



All in all, I was very happy with what I came up with in 15minutes, before my area chef called me over to talk about some stuff, luckily, I wolved down my creation before he got a chance to lay his eyes on it, orelse I'll be given that look hehe;p Till next time...

Of The year behind...

I should've posted this a long, long time ago, but hey, do you know the amount of time you need to rework some of the pictures? (well I'm still new to editing pictures & stuff... hmm... should consider getting Adobe Photoshop....)

Well this was basically the Post-Christmas/Pre-New Year's/Brithday celebration for the outlet and might I add, everyone who came, made it so much more fun^^

Since I'm a foodie first & foremost, I'm gonna post the pictures of the foods first^^ hehe;p

First up is the Peppered Mini-Sausages with an Apple Pineapple Prune Sauce...
I would also like to point out that the foods that were cooked on the night itself did come from the menu, however it was my interpretation on how it would actually taste; though I do know some who did disagree, Heck!! I was doing all the cooking so you have no say on the subject matter^^ hehe;p


Next up, quite a self explainatory by itself, some Turkey Ham, well it was 2 types: The Cheesy Stuff Ham & The Apricot & Black Pepper Ham, Served with a Pineapple Mint Dip & Turkey Gravy...


Turkey!!! No Christmas celebration is without its Turkey^^ Well this one has been chopped up in advance for easy service as I wouldn't want to be stuck carving it for those who wanna have a bite of it^^



Mmm... Meatball Pasta, This is the favorite of almost everyone who loves meatballs^^ A Simple dish which I've thickened the napolitan sauce and sauteed, the zucchini, olives & mushroom together with the pasta & Baked it off in the oven with cheese... mmm...can you say, fattening? hahahaha;p



And Lastly, I kinda liked this one alot, though some did find the spiciness overpowering Spicy Shrimp Pasta^^ Its basically, a spiced up napolitan sauce with lemon juice & chillies, Sauteed with some Spring Onions & Shitake Mushroom - very oriental in creation, I think its suited this dish best^^

Now I would not bore you much longer on the food, However I guess the following random pictures will explain itself;)






And you said we were buddies?!?






Trying our best to look cool for the camera - go figure hahaha;p


The Happy B'day Celebrant getting all trigger happy hehe;)






Hmmm... How do I explain this?


I'm sure some of you have noticed this already... Yes, I'm a short boss to my Tall kitchen crew hahahahaha;p



I guess at the end of the day, we're all still kids at heart^^ Musical chairs anyone?



The final 2 of Musical Chairs... Not posting the winner, those who were there will know who won^^



All in all, it was a great night, where everyone enjoyed themselves and were ridiculously haggard the next day for work, school and such hehe;p Believe me I eneded up being awake for almost 48hrs hahaha;p Well Chinese New years is round the corner, lets charge ahead & see what the coming Ox Year brings us^^ I'm ready, are You?

My kinda B'fast Salad^^

Its been quite surprising to find the restaurant getting quieter since the Christmas & New Years celebrations have subsided...

Here I was, after getting through my daily checklist and finding that it was still only 2pm, I decided to use my fruits left over from the breakfast session to make a nice salad for the staff meal of the afternoon; so everyone wouldn't be sooo overly sleepy (because the restaurant has been quiet^^) after their meal^^ how thoughtful rite? Well, actually I had other things on my mind, and it revolved around fruits so...



I know, its kinda messy from the picture, however I thought, I should kinda like de-construct it as a regular salad and since this is my intrepretation, I kinda liked it^^

The dressing is made of Honey & yoghurt (a simple and beautiful combination that I've always found refreshing for the type of climate we have here on the island^^), topped with crumble pops & dried raisins & a dash of chopped mint - to give it the refreshing taste^^




I can honestly say everyone was sooo happy to have something different to try, and since its kinda very infrequent of me to cook for staff meal, as I'm in charge when the boss is away - they all finished it^^ hehe;p

I'm thinking maybe I'll make some scones next... its been awhile since I made some... yummmm.....

Amuse-Bouche...

Well here's to a first blog entry for the year 2009^^
Happy New Year to all, and its great that my 2 weeks madness of work with the Christmas and New Year's crowd has finally subsided so I can give some of my time to blogging^^

I've found a new show that's quite addictive - Top Chef!


Its a very interesting show, where chefs are pitted against each other to duke it out to see who can handle the most in any situation and to see how creative they are^^ If there was a competition like this here, I would definitely be out to try it - I feel like it would be a good challenge to myself and I can finally prove my worth in this industry^^

And its because of this show, its got me reminiscing about my school days when you have different lessons on cooking and presentation and how you are supposed to showcase your skills - the amuse-bouche was brought up. Its basically a dish kinda like a hors-doves' where its presented to diners before the start of their meal and its a showcase of the chef's talent, culinary expertise and whats to come for the meal^^


I somehow managed to find some time to create some the other day - the one above is a very simple dish, where its a stuffed tomato with duxelle mushrooms and spinach, Its a very simple dish and i quite liked the taste of it, though I did find that (since my company only uses shitake mushrooms) the taste and smell of it were abit over pugent to my liking^^ though in terms of presentation, I think it needed abit more work^^

How, funny is this? I'm critiquing myself on my own dish hahaha;p



This next one is a mushroom cake served with a slice of totamto and mint on the side. An odd combination though, I find the combination of the earthy mushroom to be accompanied well with the refreshing mint on the side^^

Its quite fun to see what one's imagination can come up with in the kitchen, especially since the kitchen that I'm running in, its quite a limited amount of items which I have access to^^

Who knows, I might come up with more ideas, till then, 2009 is still fresh, got plenty of time to busy myself^^