Forks & Forks

Butternut Squash Muffins

2010-01-01T23:12:00.000+08:00

first batch. They didn't come out as brown. Texture's more cake-like than crumbly.

Must be the difference of using the blender and hand ;)

Made them today after watching Jamie Oliver's tv show yesterday. Since i love squash i had to try these out.

However my butternut squash wasn't very ripe so there isn't much of a taste but you can still smell it!

Says 12 but i got 18. ;) bringing them to Youth meeting tomorrow evening to share <3

Anyway, they got the approval of mum so they should be fine. haha! It tastes great. Not very sweet, fluffy and light. Dash of cinnamon and mostly the fragrance of the squash. No other flavouring.

I got to use my Japanese hand-powered food processor today :D

i just love it.

Ingreds:

400g squash
350g brown sugar (or white, brown's just healthier)
300g flour

4 eggs

pinch of salt

175ml extra virgin olive oil (or sunflower but olive would be better)

handful of walnuts

2 heaped tspn of baking powder

1 tspn of ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Blend your squash till smooth
2. Add in everything else and blend till smooth. Consistency should be just nice, not too thick or watery

3. Fill your cups 3/4 full

4. Bake for 20-25 mins, 180 degrees celsius

I didn't do the icing since we want to cut down on fatty foods (haha!) but you should try it. It seems interesting and its such a waste i didn't try it!

Still have half a butternut squash in the fridge so maybe next time!

Update!

2009-12-30T19:33:00.000+08:00

Hi guys! just one update!

If you like strawberry photos? visit my page. Finally got those photos up! click.

cherrious!

Happy Happy Macaron!

2009-12-30T18:11:00.000+08:00

Black and white macarons from TWG at ION Orchard.

I'm not sure of the flavour of the black one.. however the white one's some mint-like one. I've never seen black or white macarons before :O However the macarons at TWG aren't very good as you can only taste the insides as the biscuits are supposedly Tea flavoured. :(

the macarons from Obolo are better with the biscuit taste.

The cakes at TWG are great though. And its really busy there even on weekdays.

cakes are $8.50, macarons $2. Their teas come in pots $10.50 +

Chewy Chewy Chewy Gum!

2009-12-30T17:49:00.000+08:00

Chewing gum...
you can't resist! Or maybe you can :S

Well ever since i came back from Malaysia i've been buying gum. These cherry cubes are from my sis.. can;t remember where theyre from but aren't they cute?

12 in a box. The outer layer gives a fresh minty taste whereas the insides have the cherry flavour.

best thing about this little square gum is that the flavour lasts longer than any other gum!

I'm gonna ask my sis where to get these. Just can't bear to finish them. They even come with the paper for you to spit out your gum ;)

HJ

Pho: Beef Noodles

2009-12-30T17:27:00.000+08:00

Came back from Vietnam a few weeks ago. Haven't had the time to blog about it!

It was a really educational trip. Not much of a holiday holiday but more to learn about how people live there and how fortunate i am to be living in Singapore.

Well, i couldn't miss out on the food could i? *wink*

I just can't get enough of this.

the peppery, sour broth. Tender slices of beef. Onions, bean sprouts, spring onions. The smooth rice noodles.

This dish gives an explosion of sourness (if you squeeze the lime) and saltiness at the same time. Its usually eaten for breakfast. A great way to start the day. :)

I think the Pho noodles really caught my eye above all things. Its really cheap over there compared to Singapore (duh) and its everywhere!

Pronounced as 'fuh' with the intonation of asking a question. Not POH guys. No.

hope you guys like Pho as much as i do! Really wish theres a good Vietnamese stall in Singapore.. anyone knows of any do comment below :)

PS: i got rid of the girl icon at the end since photolava has some virus. How annoying.

Good Morning, Crepe!

2009-12-09T23:40:00.000+08:00

This post is a little late due to the problem i faced in the morning :/

Well, i was so excitedly craving crepes the night before, or rather early morning that i went down and mixed up some crepe batter at a crazy 1am. Yes, i was very awake plus filled with joy. I couldn't even sleep afterwards!

Plain crepe filled with a thin layer of honey and bananas! Yums! i had no juice so water was the only cold liquid in the house. :S

i had fun making crepes for the first time. Panicked the first time round, the second one came out lovely and the third one was slightly uneven. Practice makes perfect! Happy stuff happy stuff!

I used a 9 inch pan so the recipe isn't accurate for me since i only got 3 when there's supposed to be 6 (if i'm not wrong). I halved the ingreds too.

1 cup flour
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
1/8 tspn salt
150 ml milk

Whisk milk and egg together.
Sift the flour and salt, add to the milk and egg mixture.
Mix well, add in the oil.
If hand mixed, strain the mixture.

I let the batter sit overnight so it'll turn out better. Usually 1 hour's fine too. If its too bubbly, leave it for some time.

xxhj

Food Review: Thai Restaurant

2009-11-25T15:11:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! After toy wrapping decided to go for a nice lunch at Serangoon Gardens. There's a rather new Thai Restaurant near Sushi Tei if you've realised. So since its NEW we decided to try it out. Mum forgot to put the car coupons but the manager was nice and told us he'd look out for her.

"Good service, nice manager - not bad"

That gave me a good impression but honey, don't be fooled.

#1: Ice Coffee
This was nice. It had a strong nutty flavour which is something coffee ought to have in my opinion. Only $2 so you can say its the CHEAPEST thing you can get there.

#2: Seafood Fried Rice
Looks nothing like it, tastes nothing like it.
Even a hawker would do a better job.

#3: Thai Vermicelli Salad
this was starters. I should have swapped the rice and this but i'm lazy :D
I liked this one. Very sour and very spicy - just how i like it. The prawns were fresh and though its a small portion for 2, its good enough!

#4: I can't remember the name of this

Its supposed to be boiled veggies with a fish and dipping sauce.

Firstly the sauce is terrible. Inedible. Its spicy, sour to an extent that all the acids make your mouth tingle. The taste is bad too. The fish was kind of fishy. The funniest part is when my mum asked the lady manager its not fresh

' Its not supposed to be fresh cause its seasoned for a long time'

#5: Durian and Sticky Rice

i dont have a photo of this but this saved the day. Durian was good, sweet and fleshy. The rice was a bit hard but still pleasing.

Overall, you can see i don't like this restaurant at all. Its over priced, the food turns out totally different from what is shown on the menu. I guess drinks, salads and dessert is not bad.

But seriously not worth it.

xxhj

Sun Moulin : Strawberry Swiss Roll

2009-11-24T12:06:00.001+08:00

Cake! Yes i really love cakes.

i've been quite lazy to use my DSLR when i take photos these days so excuse the photos!

The swiss roll looks rather simple but i love it! Its a bit on the dry side but it tastes good. It has this sweet whipped cream taste - like the whipped cream they use in their strawberry cakes.

I can't tell if the red stuff is jam or not, since its such a thin layer. But i guess it should be. However it doesn't taste very processed-jam-like.

Aside from it being dry i think it makes a good snack. especially since i need something sweet to end of my meals. :S

i rate you: 7.5/10

it isn't very very good but still pleasing :)

xxhj

Food Review: Canele

2009-11-21T00:01:00.001+08:00

Hi guys! another post on food again!
dropped by Canele (shaw building outlet) for dinner after Japanese class. Sadly i didn't get any cakes or dessert this time round since i already ate so much earlier on! (double scoop icecream - chendol & apple pie) hee.

Minestrone Soup:

(Apologies for the photo quality! Taken with my phone.) i think this the best minestrone i've had so far. The soup is just the right consistency. Some are just so watery its disgusting and some shops add starch to reduce cost (how dumb).

It has so much stuff inside as you can see. Zucchini, onions, carrots and celery all diced. A spoonful and you get like 5 or 6 of 'em. :D

The taste of it i guess you could say its normal. However it isn't as tomato-like as some others i've tried. Enough for two people who aren't ravenous!

Comes with three types of bread as well. One is just plain, one has seeds inside and the last one i'm not too sure cause mum ate it already!

I rate You: 8.5/10
*i decided to rate each dish!

Canele Salad:

i. just. love. this.
I can't get enough of this wonderful salad. I'll tell you the ingredients used first : REAL crab meat, hard boiled egg, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, normal salad veggies, RIPE tomatos.

I'm not too sure on the dressing but if i remember correctly, most of the taste comes from the crab meat as it has the juices and has been marinated (right word?). Hardly any dressing.

PLUS POINT! the tomatoes are ripe! RIPE i say! I cannot stand salads with unripe tomatoes. or when theyre all red but taste sour.

Best part: just look at that crab meat. I love Canele for being so generous with the crab meat. Its really lovely. Though its been flavoured the crabby taste is still there. When you bite into it, the juices ooze out. Uber YUM. I'm getting all excited typing this! This is a must try. I was shocked with the amount of crab meat they gave the first time i ate it. Enough for 2 people too!

I rate YOU: 10/10

Tomato & Crab Pasta:

Another crab dish! can't see how much they gave in the photo but i gurantee you its A LOT. My last spoonfuls were all crab meat. hah.

Sauce: it says tomato but thankfully its not one of those SUPER DUPER tomato sauces. I can't take those since after 3 bites you feel sick. This one's more oil based. No tomatoes at all. If you savour the taste in your mouth, you can taste the chili padi used. Gives it a someone oriental taste.

The crab meat's more shredded than the crab meat in the salad.

I've nothing much to say for this dish just that i like the oily sauce. and all that meat baby!

I rate YOU: 9/10

OVERALL!
nice place to hang with friends ( if u get a table that is) to get a meal, have tea or just to sit there and have coffee. They have the indoor seats and the outdoor. I suggest outdoor seats. Its surprisingly cooling and the chairs seem nicer to sit in :)

Waiters are REALLY friendly. They greet you with a nice smile (not those fake ones) and they're very courteous. When we left the waiter standing there was really cute and went "thank you! bye bye! :D" haha!

slightly pricey though, cheapest soup is $8 however i think whatever i ordered was worth it. Good food, nice ambience, friendly waiters. I don't mind :)

i rate you: 9/10

i need to do one on their cakes someday. currently i suggest you try the blackforest. It looks like a cube with a berry on one of the corners. I unknowingly chomped down on the berry thinking it was just 'another' berry. but NO! it was totally filled with liquor and BAM! okay this is getting a bit crazy.

xxhj

Banana Yoghurt Smoothie

2009-11-17T15:45:00.000+08:00

Whats better than having a cool smoothie on a hot day? (plus having hurting fingertips!)

i have more photos but i decided to leave that to deviantart :) this was rather simple, just 3 main ingredients : banana, strawberry yoghurt and milk. Sugar is optional but i added a teaspoon of it.

i used, 1/2 cup of milk
2 small bananas
1 cup (170g) of yoghurt

came out slightly thicker so maybe more milk would have helped. Nevertheless, it was natural goodness. The yoghurt and banana complemented well and it wasn't sour at all!

the cereal looks weird but i didnt have any garnishes :s well at least theres some crunch!

PLUS POINT! bananas are natual calming foods so i guess if youre rather tensed up now, get that blender out now and make this! nah just kidding. eating a banana would do just the same :)

try it and comment!

xxhj

Stuff i really wanna make!

2009-11-15T23:27:00.000+08:00

Don't laugh at my list! I know i'm really bad at making stuff! I wish i had the time to learn.

#1. Mille Crepe
I have a feeling its impossible since we don't have vanilla beans here.
#2. Double layer chocolate cake with strawberries
#3. Strawberry Sponge Cake
Like those japanese ones! YUM!

thats all i have on my mind so far. Some one send some vanilla beans over!

xxhj

Daikon, Carrot, Pork Belly Stew

2009-11-15T23:17:00.001+08:00

I'm not sure whats the Japanese name for this stew.

Its a clear based stew so you can drink it. 3 main ingredients: Carrot, lots of Daikon (radish) and pork belly cubes.

Feed those eyes

i really love this! The carrots are sweet, the daikon is slightly bitter and the soup's just full of the daikon taste! I had the leftovers for breakfast. Good stuff. Best thing about it is that, the fatty oils solidify in the fridge. So i guess you could say the second serving is healthier *wink* :D

I'll try to get the recipe soon but i doubt mum would tell me. :( Made with BABY PORK BELLY

peaceout.

Jello Cream, ready made crusts and dark chocolate sauce.

2009-11-14T21:11:00.001+08:00

Yes i know the title already makes you think twice before reading this post. But i had fun and i don't care about what you think. Nah just kidding. I'm just gonna upload the photo(s) and start on my mum's cooking!

Food Review: Manhatten Fish Market

2009-11-13T12:39:00.001+08:00

At the Bishan outlet. This is only my second time in a few years. I thought it wouldn't be so good since the food was rather cheap with all the special offers but way no! I was wrong! It was far better than i expected. *thumbs up*

Well, its not THE BEST but its worth what you pay. I feel thats the best part when you eat out. The food fit the description on the menu word for word and its not like some other places where the food comes out the total opposite.

My mum and i ordered 2 set meals which came with the soup of the day and a drink. First up, Cream of Mushroom.

I'm not sure if its canned but either way its darn good! It isn't too thick, a light creamy taste with small cubes of mushrooms. The mushrooms weren't too overpowering until it made you want to puke so i feel that both elements were well balanced out. It had a full taste to it which made you savour it for a while before swallowing that spoonful. I guess you could say it really makes you excited for the next dish!

Next up: Poached Cherry Snapper in White Basil Sauce

*thumbs up*
haha. This one is seriously good! Usually when you have cream sauces with fish, it may turn out too creamy, making you feel sick. This White Basil sauce wasn't too creamy, very light and bursting with goodness. The fish was nicely done, not too soft or chewy. It wasn't powdery either.

I decided to try the Garlic Butter Rice. With a hypocritical mind, i expected just some yellowish rice that tasted like butter. But no! The rice was so nicely flavoured with garlic (not too strong mind you) and moist! The fish and the rice complemented each other well too!

Best of all, the portions were small so you didn't feel too full after finishing your meal. However, i found out that they cheated with the fish which was quite disappointing. The fish wasn't baked together with the sauce.

The ambience was pretty good, 2 plasma televisions showing you videos of divers and fishes. Brick walls, comfy chairs. However a weeny bit too noisy for my liking. If you're wondering how much the set meal costs, mine was $10.90. it was really worth it!

Rating: 8.5/10
though its good, its not THAT good. The waiters and waitresses are very kind and knowledgeable too!

FYI: its not a US chain, its from Malaysia actually :O

xxHJ

New Labels!

2009-11-12T15:32:00.000+08:00

hi guys! I've made a label for my posts! I'm still editing the other one so probably by tonight or even tomorrow it'll appear! For now its just my trade mark girl!

xxHJ

Food Review: Pu Tien (Vivo City)

2009-11-11T17:41:00.001+08:00

Hi guys, so i went to Pu Tien at Vivo City last weekend. Had trouble doing this on Wordpress so i decided to use blogger! Pu Tien is located in the food court of Vivo City, top level. Its selling Chinese food but specifically HOKKIEN food. Hokkien is a dialect of Chinese FYI.

First up: Pu Tien Lor Mee

i'm not really sure about Lor Mee but here in Singapore, the most commonly 'Lor Mee' you find are those yellow flat noodles in dark brown gravy. Sometimes it gets quite thick and difficult to eat! Thats why i'm kind of afraid of it. However this Pu Tien Lor Mee is really very much different. As you can see its a milky gravy. Instead of duck/chicken meat, its seafood. The gravy isn't salty and too thick so its just the nice consistency for you to slurp up with the noodles.

The noodles are slightly QQ and not very filling so you can easily finish 2 bowls (which was what i did).

Next on the Menu: Fried Eggplant in Pork Floss

doesn't it look like a furry fish from this angle? No! This one wasn't very impressive, it was just 'okay'. The floss wasn't sticking to the eggplant so i had to toss it around before having it that 'furry'. The eggplant was ncie and soft so thats a plus point for this dish! For pork floss lovers, you may like this as you end up with a huge plate of pork floss at the end!

Lastly: Fried duck with yam

Duck inside, a layer of yam paste and fried! Personally i love this one as i have something for yam. Family members felt this was a waste of their money :( The duck wasn't soft enough but i just loved this one so much! Crunchy with the soft yam paste and tasty duck inside! I guess its all on personal taste :S

Thats all we ate that night! Little but filling :) I recommend the Pu Tien Lor Mee, its really a must try!

Rating: 8.5/10
Service was kind of slow however the waitresses were kind and helpful. The ambience was nice and the furniture was comfortable. Excellent Chrysanthemem Tea as well! (it was actually sweet)

xxx,
HJ