Midsummer Night's Faerie Wedding at Bintan

Take 1

Not exactly on a midsummer night but more like a midnight wedding. Further details are kept confidential except for the cake that I prepared for the bride and groom.

This is a 3-tier white chocolate brownie that I have made in advance and assembled on the wedding night. It was an oversight on my part to have forgotten to take the insides of the brownies and the whole procedure. But, one has only 2 hands, and they were constantly kept busy and greasy so I had no chance to take any photos.

Take 2

What I had done basically was to bake 2 round trays (8") of white chocolate brownies and kept them for a couple of days in the fridge so that the texture would be more dense and fudgy. Then I used a heart shaped mould and cut it. As for the cream cheese, this time, I had remembered to use butter and added very little icing sugar so that it does not taste too sweet.

When assembling, try to spread the cream cheese as smoothly as possible but if it is not possible, try to stay calm. Make it look intentionally messy which I had done here and sprinkle strawberry chocolate flakes, white chocolate buttons and hundreds & thousands. Leave the cake in fridge to set and serve!!

Take 3

The guests liked the cake. I like them too. If only I could spread the cream cheese nicely....

These 3 photos are taken to compensate for the lack of other pictures of the cake. Heh...

Special thanks to Vanna White for the lovely assistance in transporting the cake!

Dessert at Azabu Sabo

It is not my first time trying this dessert. The first time I had it was at the Central branch and it left a good enough impression for me to try their desserts again. This time I happened to be at Marina Square.

It didn't take too long for me to decide on this soft served vanilla ice cream on top of a warmed sweet potato cake drizzled with custard sauce. It didn't take too long for me to finish it too.

The vanilla soft served ice cream is quite common, having appeared in places like McD's and 7-Elevens and a lot of other places. What I am actually here for is the sweet potato cake. I suspect that it uses real sweet potatoes but added some eggs or maybe even sugar and baked them so that it tastes better.

I had wished for more custard sauce and the sweet potato cake to be warmer and that to be more affordable so that I can order 2 of these and finish them by myself. Make my wish come true!!!

Menya Shinchan

I am in the mood for something hot and soupy so headed to Menya Shinchan to try their ramen.

It was not a bad thing at all when I ordered their seafood ramen in shoyu (soy sauce) soup base which came flavoured with sardine as stated in the menu. Apart from the canned sardines, I have not seen fresh or dried ones so I actually did not know what to expect of it. The soup was fragrant and had a mild fishy taste which reminded me of ikan bilis. It was not too bad at all.

The ramen was al dente and had a slight chewy texture which in my opinion, was pleasantly tasty when paired with the saltish but flavourful broth. I did not really take note of the accompanying ingredients as they were on the average side but I think there was char shu & bamboo shoots. The portions were small so I slurped up everything pretty fast and was eyeing a sinjiro that someone ordered. It was huge!

I must try that the next time!!!

Mee Siam & Laksa Goreng

Mee Siam Goreng & Laksa Goreng

The laksa was good. I liked that they put a lot of tow gay. This drier version of laksa was quite appetising and I ended up finishing the laksa. The sambal adds up the spiciness which answered to my craving of spicy food. I will go back and order this again. The mee siam goreng however, was a little lacklustre tastewise. It has a strong tau cheo or bean paste taste which I do not seem to like in this dish.

I bought this for $2 at Toa Payoh HDB Hub at a stall which sells nonya food. I did not take down the unit number and address as it was the only nonya food stall there. Will return for more!

White Cherries

White Cherries

Never judge a cherry by its colour! Although they may look unripe, these cherries are actually pretty sweet! It was given to me by my co-worker so I am not sure where to buy them or how much do they cost. This is to compensate for the earlier snack which was too greasy.

Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff

I just wanted a after lunch snack. Ok, I'm a glutton but I was just answering my cravings for something spicy so after lunch, I just happened to pass by this stall (Blk 91, Whampoa Drive, Whampoa Food Centre) selling curry puffs that were apparently famous and I didn't know! I usually refrain from ordering this kind of flaky puff but I was in the mood so I didn't mind.

Flaky puff skin = not my type

$1.20 a puff

This curry puff was too greasy for my liking. It did not came cheap so I had upped my expectations a little only to find out that it was not what I had preferred. They packed in a generous amount of curry potatoes which are not spicy at all. There was a slice of egg and chicken inside which did not help the puff at all in terms of taste. The pastry was too flaky and oily as you can see in the picture.

My cravings were not answered. :o(

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is actually the second slice!

Over the weekend, I was in the mood to bake something fairly easy and did not require too many different ingredients. With the exception of buttermilk, the rest of the ingredients for this cake was easily acquired.

It was a rainy Sunday evening when I started baking. Measurements were made and the whole process of making that cake batter was literally, a piece of cake. In no time, I had sent the cake for baking and the whole thing took me around 50mins. I was happy to see that the cake was rising properly albeit the slight crack which was a disturbing sight for me. Other than that, I had no complaints.

Clockwise: the crack-> took a slice -> close-up -> cream cheese frosting

I had proudly spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the cake and served them without realising that I forgot to add in butter until much later. I had reduced the amount of sugar for both the cake and the frosting but it still tasted a little too sweet. Overall, I would still rate this cake as a success!!

Recipe taken and adapted from Exclusively Food:

Along the way I had made some adjustments myself so this is my version. To get the original version and the procedures, please click on the link above.

Banana Cake:
125g butter, softened
330g sugar ( I used 180g sugar)
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
100ml buttermilk ( I substituted with fresh milk)
225g self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
90g cream cheese
45g butter
210g icing sugar ( I used 100g condensed milk)


This will be something that I will make again. Simply delicious!

Arnold's Fried Chicken

Chicken looked like its bleeding...lol...

This is seriously finger licking good. Thanks to Gab, I enjoyed my dinner a lot and regretted not asking her to get me more! Arnold's fried chicken has a pretty darn good batter that could kick Popeye's or KFC's chicken out of their league.

Here's the deal: Batter was thin, crispy, slightly spicy. Thigh meat was juicy and meaty. Heard that they actually use free range chicken, hence the freshness. How fresh? I can't judge.

They allow you to order any parts you like in a meal with no extra cost. But if there is any, I am not sure because Gab purchased a box of thigh meats with no additional costs. I finished my chicken and hoped that everyone else will be generous enough to give me more....but...they finished theirs too!!

I want more! More!!!!

Mmmeat....

My dinner...

I have not tried Astons before so I decided to check this place out at Cathay.

I was hungry so I ordered the Prime Ribeye with extra cut. It came medium rare as requested, with measly portions of Garden Salad and onion rings. As you can see, the meat was suitably tender, charred and bloody. Though the meat was not of the finest quality, this however, satiated my craving for meat at a much lower cost than other restaurants. This place suits fine if you have craving for some decent steak and IBC root beer.

Warning: The queue gets long when it reaches 7pm so be early. There is a tendency for their staff to mix up orders and clear your plates on the table just after you place your cutlery on the empty plates.

Juicy...

Interior...

Pink Plastic Mug

I simply like my new pink plastic mug! Although I have a few ceramic mugs at work, they are all so ancient looking with lotus flowers and grapes (?!).

I was at Daiso yesterday because I was too early for my appointment. I was lost in the world of $2. Every single thing looked cute!!! This is insane. When my lunch date finally called me, I was rushing to go out and realised I was still holding on to this mug. Gasp!

Next thing I knew, I was making coffee with it. No, I did not steal it. I just like its clean look. Maybe it reminds some people of brushing their teeth in primary school. Not for me.

It is microwavable!!

I just ♥ it...

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

Adapted from the Cupcake Book that I received as a gift, I went on to make chocolate brownie cupcakes according to the recipe provided. The method used was apparently different from what I usually made and it was modified as I had a lack of ingredients on hand.

The top looks a bit burnt.

All the pictures look a bit blurry. Looks nothing like the book.

Result: Looks okay with the cracked top and all but is actually like a rock bun. The texture more cakey and bready than my usual brownie. It has this super thick crust which is slightly charred but no one could tell as it was all the same colour.

By Susanna Tee:
115g all purpose flour
pinch of baking soda
85g butter
3 eggs
100g sugar
3tbsp unsweetened cocoa
225g bittersweet chocolate
100g walnuts

Note: Last 3 ingredients in italics are replace by 200g sweetened cocoa powder. I guess that's a good reason for the rock bun-like texture. Lol... please prepare something to drink when eating this.

Brownie Tasting Party!

This is a long overdue post. I was pretty busy for the past few weeks preparing for a tasting party that was held at this lovely place. As my hands were pretty busy preparing all the food items for that day, I could not take much pictures. All of them looks pretty blur.

The sweet treats!!

Here's the spread. There were a couple of items not shown.

Top row:
Brownies
Animal Crackers
Miscellaneous stuff like choco wafers, plates spoons...blah...

Center row:
Serviettes
Cinnamooroll
Arnott's Hundreds and thousands biscuits
Strawberries waiting to be topped with whipped cream

Bottom row:
Rooibos Tea
Canapes: Cucumber cream cheese + Cucumber Ham

Items not shown:
Rainbow Rose Berry Bread
Chocolate Pops, Peanut Pops. {Inspired by Bakerella.}

Those items in italics were made by yours truly. I will have another post dedicated to Brownies soon. Anyway, these brownies were pretty popular because each person had more than 2 pieces.

The peanut balls...

Chocolate Pops

You could find the original recipe at Bakerella's blog but I sort of modified it a little. I mentioned earlier that I had the chocolate and peanut butter pops at the party. Here is the recipe that I roughly remember.

Chocolate Pops:
Digestives (crumbled)
Cream cheese
some maple syrup
Coating Chocolate

♥ Mix the digestive crumbs to the cream cheese. Add a little maple syrup for flavouring. Roll them into balls. Melt the chocolate and let it stay cooler before dipping it into the chocolate. I put them in mini fluted cups so that its not messy.

The peanut version:
Peanut butter cookies (I got mine from Julie's)
Cream cheese
Coating Chocolate

♥ Same as Chocolate Pops.
The amount is through agaration so I really have no idea how much did I use. You could either increase or decrease the amount to suit your taste.

I thought of the name for Cinnamoorolls© because it sounds cute. This recipe was inspired by convenience. Hence, I shall "patent" this!! Will post up nicer pictures and dedicate another post for this.

By the end of it all...I was exhausted. So was my Vanna White. Nonetheless, it was an experience to prepare for such parties!

Yogurt for Breakfast

Yogurt+Honey+Banana

Occasionally, I would stock up on yogurt and have them for breakfast. On this particular morning, I had Paul's naturally set yogurt, sliced bananas and honey drizzled over them. Hot Ceylon Breakfast Tea to wash them all down. Do you have your yogurt with honey and fruits too?

My Blueberry Days

Blueberries. I like them because they are sweet. Well...at least for most of them that I buy from supermarkets. They will stain your tongue for most parts if you eat them fresh (not dried). They are a high source of vitamin C. For me, it is a convenient and healthier snack.

I took this because I like the sticker.

I could learn how to make blueberry pies

Nasi Lemak

I realised I have been ordering more cabbage dishes in my meals recently. I think I like curry vegetables because of the soft cabbage and the curry. Got myself a pack of nasi lemak for lunch one day. It looks more like a mixed vegetable rice instead. This was from a Chinese nasi lemak stall called "Hi Lekshmi Nasi Lemak" from Whampoa Food Centre.

I like otahs like this!

Plain porridge lunch from Uncle Sim

Did not feel like eating a lot today because later a good friend of mine is bringing me to eat something "special". Hmmm...I wonder what would that be? Must remember to take pictures later.

Porridge + bittergourd + green leafy stuff + steamed egg with century egg and salted duck egg.

Uncle Sim Home Cooked Nonya Food is located at Whampoa Food Centre. I bought this back to office and proceeded to transfer everything on a plate. I like to make my food look more presentable before eating. Makes no sense. I know. Lol.

Anyway, it tasted great! At $2.50, this was one of the cheaper and healthier lunches that I had in a while.

Note: The portions were actually more than the ones shown in this picture. No...now I'm feeling sleepy...

Awful(ly) Chocolate?

This is the Chocolate Rum & Cherry.

I did not like this particular flavour. Somehow, the cherry did not go well with the chocolate fudge and the alcohol gave it a somewhat mismatched taste. I like them all (chocolate;rum;cherries) as individuals and if paired tastefully.

The cake looked moist and dense but was light on the palate. Although this is suppose to be a chocolate cake, I could not taste the chocolate, much less smell it. The fudge became a little too gelatin-like so I gave up after one slice. I had the banana version a few years back and had much better memories of it.

Oh well...

How do you eat your scones?

How do you like to eat your scones? I like mine warmed, served with butter and jam and if possible, clotted cream. On this breakfast, I had a raisin scone with some soft margarine and strawberry jam with Earl Grey Tea. Yum!

More jam!!

Maybe I should try to make some scones myself. :o)

Can you sing this?

"Dong dong dong! 1-2-3, We are Kuishin Bo!"
Arghh...silly song stuck on my head since Sunday. Lol...

Fruity Loofahs

Woah...first we had a square watermelon. Now there is a loofah that is shaped like a slice of watermelon. They are definitely not as juicy as the real thing. These loofahs can be found at Isetan Scotts, 4th level.

The Cupcake Book & Baking Kit

My first cupcake baking kit!!!

This is one lovely gift I received on a special day from a group of lovely people! I like the look of this kit. (yes, i'm a sucker for nice packagings) Makes me wanna rush to the kitchen to bake! It is the most unfortunate that I do not have an oven at home. Maybe I should get an oven as a gift instead. ;op

It is soooo pretty that I don't wanna use their stencils and baking cups for fear of staining them.

Tea break with Tea Cake...

Baileys Irish Cream Tea Cake

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon and we found ourselves at Esplanade wanting to try out an anonymous chocolate bar but found the items that were listed on the menu to be quite common. We were soon checking out this place formerly known as the "V Tea Room" and now the Cookie Museum. I was first drawn to the Cookie Museum by its Victorian theme some years back but never got a chance to try them.

There was an articulate and chirpy young lady promoting their cookies and mentioned a certain nasi lemak "savoury" cookie that caught my interest. One thing led to another and we were trying out almost all the exotic combinations that they offered. Before you know it, we were comfortably seated in the cafe and wanted to order some cakes to share. Baileys Irish Cream Tea Cake sounded alluring and we responded to our inner calling to try this cake.

It took quite some time for the cake to arrive and when it did, we were very excited to eat it. It is a rich, dense tea cake with hazelnuts sitting in a puddle of a warm sauce, topped with fresh cream. The cake was given a final drizzle of Baileys before we dug our forks in.

I think that the sauce actually helped in making the cake taste good. I could taste Baileys, coffee, chocolate and that little something else in it. I would have preferred if they provided spoons so that we could drink the sauce. Lol...but we were supposed to be "dainty" in this kind of setting.
It was a good experience if not for that exorbitant pricing that they put up for almost all their food items.

Peanut butter, Banana & Honey Sandwich

I came up with this idea for my lunch as I was trying to avoid the sun. Just spread peanut butter thinly on both slices of wholemeal bread, place the sliced bananas on top and drizzle with honey.

Ta dah! Healthy lunch in 5 mins.

Mmm...bananas...

I like my sandwiches neat.

Take a big bite!!

PS: You could use any type of bread, peanut butter or banana. I just had them with me when I made this. Cheers!!

Square Watermelon from Marketplace

This is one friggin' expensive watermelon. I found this one and only square watermelon all alone at Paragon's Marketplace. It was imported from Japan and costs $50.

Hmmm...I wonder if the seeds are squarish too.

Shiroi Mori No Harmony

It was a gift from someone in Japan. I am not very sure which state was it from. It is basically a buttery cookie sandwiched in vanilla milk cream. The crumbly texture of this cookie seemed to just disintegrate and disappear with every bite. I am sure I had more than one because of all the empty wrappers on my desk.

I wish we had this locally...

Xing Zhou Bee Hoon from 881 (XO) Famous Seafood

Actually, I have no clue as to how to make out the name of this place. It is a tze char place as far as I know and I asked my co-worker to tar pow it for me.

Ah Teo: Help me buy a pack of char bee hoon. Ordinary ones. (Ok, i forgot the name for economic bee hoon.)
Co-worker: You want those wet wet kind?
Ah Teo: Anything. (Helpless because I kind of forgot how to describe the bee hoon)

Here comes the bee hoon. It looks pretty impressive with all the various ingredients like bean sprouts, char siew, green leafy stuff, shrimps & eggs. The bee hoon tastes like how it looks. It was average as there was a lack in the "wok hei" taste.

For $4.50 a pack, I would say that they were pretty generous with their portions and it could be actually shared among 2 small eaters. But I was hungry...so...

Tea Party

Sandwiches galore! One can almost expect sandwiches to make its presence in tea parties. As it was a birthday party, I was to come up with sandwiches to feed almost 50 pax! I made a few variety and added some ingredients.

Tuna & Chives Sandwich

Tuna Mix:
500gm tuna in brine (drained)
Handful of chives (chopped up)
Dijon Mayo (mustard + mayo = available in Carrefour)
Pepper to taste
This will make a not very salty filling for the sandwich.

Japanese Cucumber Sandwich

Slice Japanese cucumber.
Wipe dry.
Use cheese spread for the bread.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg Salad:
6 hardboiled eggs
Dijon Mayo
Handful of chives (chopped up)
Pepper to taste

Other food items that were lovingly prepared:
Chicken Ham & Cheese Sandwich
Salad
Chicken springroll
Chicken Wings (not in pics)
& Brownies

Food were mostly cleared and there were little wastage. This means that the food were either great or the guests were hungry. Yay!

Special thanks to my lovely assistant: Vanna White!!! for making everything possible.